Welcome to the first week of August where this week's major release takes us to Sicily, and it might involve suits and guns. The rest of this week's releases kicks off with some gun-fu, followed by some demon slaying, space exploration, a cozy bookshop, ending with a bit of subterranean horror.

Mafia: The Old Country / This week's major release / Thursday 7 August
Uncover the origins of organized crime in Mafia: The Old Country, a gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily. Fight to survive as Enzo Favara and prove your worth to the Family in this immersive third-person action-adventure set during a dangerous, unforgiving era. Enzo will do anything for a better life. After a brutal childhood of forced labor, he's ready to risk everything to become a man of honor in the Torrisi crime family. Steam link

The THQ Nordic Digital Showcase 2025 has wrapped - and what a ride it was! Whether you were tuning in for updates, unexpected news, or a first look at tomorrow's biggest adventures, this year's showcase delivered the goods. Couldn't catch it live? No worries! The full show is now available on demand across all our official channels. So grab a snack, press play, and dive into everything we revealed.

THQ Nordic Showcase Sale
And the celebrations don't stop there, we're also kicking off the THQ Nordic Showcase Sale on Steam! From August 1-8, fans can explore a curated event page packed with great deals across our portfolio. Expect deep discounts on beloved titles like Darksiders (up to 80% off), plus some brand-new offers: Jagged Alliance 3 drops to 60% off for the first time ever, and Alone in the Dark is now also 60% off with its new, lower base price.

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Sometimes, the threads spun by the Moirai are tangled beyond mortal comprehension. Fate rarely reveals its design in full - and when it comes to Titan Quest II, we've kept you wandering in the shadows for long enough. Today, the veil is lifted: Developer Grimlore Games and Publisher THQ Nordic are proud to proclaim that Titan Quest II will descend into Early Access on August 1st, 2025 - on Steam and the Epic Games Store. So carve the date into your stone tablets, because your odyssey begins... checks sundial...by the gods of Olympus, it begins now! So why still linger in the realm of words?! Watch the Titan Quest II Early Access Launch Trailer and seize your copy on Steam or Epic before the fates change their minds.

Titan Quest II has now stepped onto the mortal plane, available for PC in Early Access. The full 1.0 release is fated to arrive at $49.99 / €49.99. But those who embark early on this quest will pay only $29.99 / €29.99 - and for the first seven days, a divine 20% discount will reduce the price even further to $23.99 / €23.99. By joining Early Access, you enter a world already brimming with content, challenge, and mystery - but far from complete. Titan Quest II will evolve over time, shaped by your feedback and forged in the fires of community. Our aim? To emerge from the labyrinth of Early Access by the end of 2026. But as every hero knows, no path reveals its full length until it is walked.

Thermal Grizzly is proud to announce the first category in our new DeltaMate product line: water-cooling fittings. The DeltaMate fittings can be combined to accommodate virtually any tubing configuration. They support soft tubes (ST) with 16 mm OD / 10 mm ID and hard tubes (HT) with a 16 mm outer diameter. All fittings are machined from brass and finished with a matte-black chromium plating.

We're launching with nine modular products divided into four categories:

• DeltaMate Fitting
• DeltaMate Rotary
• DeltaMate Extender
• Accessory fittings for water cooling

Leading gaming accessories maker Turtle Beach Corporation and its Victrix esports brand, today announced the new Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded Wireless Modular Controller. The successor to the original top rated Victrix Pro BFG controller that's already well-regarded and used by competitive esports gamers and the fighting game community (FGC) the world over, the new Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded controller now includes a reconfigured Fightpad module that's ergonomically optimized for gamers to place their wrist on the controller's grip - putting key buttons within easier reach, and comes with Hall Effect thumbsticks and triggers - two of the most sought-after upgrades requested by fans.

The Designed for Xbox version of the Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded controller is compatible with Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows; while the officially licensed PlayStation version is compatible with PS5 and PS4 consoles and Windows. Both versions come in black or white colorways and are available for purchase today at participating retailers in the UK and EU, and exclusively in the U.S. for show attendees at EVO Vegas for $209.99/£179.99/€199.99 MSRP. Following the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded's U.S. debut at EVO Vegas, the controller is available for pre-order and launches at www.turtlebeach.com and participating North American retailers on September 28, 2025.

If your Netflix "Recommended for You" section actually reflected your taste, you wouldn't be scrolling past 14 dating shows and a baking competition every time you open your streaming app. What's the point of an algorithm if it doesn't get you? If you're craving substance over filler, MagellanTV might be the streaming platform you've been waiting for.

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The newly launched Banana Pi BPI-R4 Lite is a networking-focused single-board computer that can be an alternative to the Raspberry Pi 5. It is built around the MediaTek MT7987A system-on-chip, integrates four Arm Cortex-A53 cores and features 2 GB of DDR4 memory and 8 GB of eMMC flash storage. Connectivity-wise the BPI-R4 Lite is focusing on high-speed capabilities with a wide range of ports. The primary networking interface includes one 2.5 Gigabit SFP port and one 2.5 Gigabit RJ45 WAN port, with the latter supporting Power over Ethernet when equipped with the appropriate module. Four additional Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports provide support for router applications. Storage expansion utilizes multiple flash memory configurations. It uses 256 MB SPI-NAND flash and 32 MB SPI-NOR flash along with the main eMMC storage.

Speaking of expansion, users can expand the device in several ways. There's one mini-PCIe slot that works with a PCIe 3.0 dual-lane interface. This slot is suitable for use with Wi-Fi 7 network cards. An M.2 Key-B slot with USB 3.0 interface provides support for a 5G cellular module. Another mini-PCIe slot gives USB 2.0 connectivity while the single USB 3.0 port shares resources with one HSGMII/SGMII interface; however, it requires selection between these options during operation. Dual 8-pin MikroBUS headers provide expansion capabilities for various applications such as UART, I2C, SPI, and PWM functionality. Power delivery utilizes a traditional barrel connector configuration, and system debugging access is provided through a USB Type-C console interface. Looking at the specifications, Banana Pi BPI-R4 Lite seems to be a neat alternative for the Raspberry Pi 5 as it has what is needed to be used as a platform for a Wi-Fi 7 router or a NAS. Regarding pricing, the Banana Pi BPI-R4 Lite costs around $86, a bit more than the $66 for the Raspberry Pi 5.

The wait is over! Bloober Team, the acclaimed Polish studio, announced today the official release date for its highly anticipated new title, Cronos: The New Dawn. The game will launch worldwide on Sept. 5, 2025, and is now available for preorder on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. In a surprise announcement during today's Nintendo Direct, the game will also launch on the Nintendo Switch 2 system.

Alongside the launch date reveal, Bloober Team released a haunting new story trailer, packed with chilling environments and narrative teases. The trailer also introduces the concept and secrets of Soul Harvesting, giving players their first real look at the characters they'll encounter on their journey to the past. "The human race - an anomaly, yet the perfect one…" These chilling words set the tone for the psychological and physical horrors that await players in Cronos: The New Dawn.

GMKtec, a leading innovator in Mini PC solutions, is proud to announce the global launch of its latest performance-driven compact desktop - the NucBox K12, now available on the official GMKtec website. Designed for creators, gamers, and power users, the NucBox K12 is equipped with the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 H255 processor (8 cores, 16 threads, Zen 4 architecture), paired with AMD Radeon 780M graphics based on the latest RDNA 3.5 architecture - offering performance equivalent to a discrete RTX 2060 GPU.

Available in configurations with US, EU, UK, JP, and AU power plugs, the K12 is ready for global deployment. Customers in Europe can also order directly from our dedicated EU webstore, ensuring faster shipping and local customer service. The GMKtec NucBox K12 redefines what users can expect from a Mini PC - whether for high-performance workstations, compact gaming rigs, or AI model deployment in limited spaces.

Alphacool International GmbH from Braunschweig is a pioneer in PC water cooling technology. With one of the industry's most comprehensive product portfolios and over 20 years of experience, Alphacool is now expanding its Enterprise Solutions series with the new Alphacool ES 80 mm HPE-60 Full Copper X-Flow 5 Bar radiators - available in triple and quad radiator versions. The Radiators are designed specifically for industrial and server environments. Thanks to thicker cooling channels and reinforced welds, they are built to withstand operating pressures of up to 5 Bar, ensuring maximum reliability in demanding industrial use. Constructed entirely from copper, they offer superior thermal conductivity, while the X-Flow design allows efficient integration even in flat server racks.

Features

• High fin density maximizes the cooling surface and thus the cooling performance
• Additional cooling channels
• Significant reduction of water temperature in push/pull mode

ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and video game entertainment company, in partnership with Acer and Intel, is proud to announce that the Predator Orion 7000 has been named the Official 2025 Tournament PC of Intel Extreme Masters (IEM). Debuting at IEM Cologne 2025, this marks the first time in IEM history that fans can now play on and purchase the hardware used by the world's top Counter-Strike professionals.

The Predator Orion 7000 is built for elite gaming performance, powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor, up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, and support for up to 128 GB of DDR5 memory. Its advanced Predator CycloneX 360 cooling system ensures optimal thermal performance, while transparent tempered glass side panels showcase its cutting-edge internals. Designed for 4K gaming, streaming, and competitive play, the Predator Orion 7000 delivers the speed, thermal efficiency, and visual edge trusted by the best esports athletes.

Western Digital is ready with the WD Blue SN5100, the successor to the WD Blue SN5000 that the company launched in June 2024. While the SN5000 offered sequential speeds of up to 5.5 GB/s reads and up to 5 GB/s writes for the top 4 TB model; the SN5100 steps up performance, offering up to 6.6 GB/s of sequential reads for even the entry level 500 GB model. For context, the SN5000 only offers up to 5 GB/s sequential reads and up to 4 GB/s sequential writes for its 500 GB model. The drive features an M.2 NVMe Gen 4 x4 interface. The WD Blue SN5100 also sees Western Digital more closely integrate the SanDisk branding with its client-segment SSDs. The main Western Digital brand makes way for SanDisk, while the brand extension WD Blue is retained.

More than 800 games and applications feature RTX technologies, and each week new games integrating NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex, and advanced ray-traced effects are released or announced, delivering the definitive PC experience for GeForce RTX players. Last week, DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation was available at launch in Killing Floor 3 and WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, and was added to The First Descendant Season 3 demo. This week, DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation comes to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Dead Take, and Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma. And 7 Days to Die now features support for DLSS Super Resolution. Plus, you can check out our new EA SPORTS F1 25 video captured with immersive path-traced effects enabled and maxed out, and with performance accelerated by DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation. Read on for all the details.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Adds DLSS 4 With Multi Frame Generation
Once a year, the Paintress wakes to paint a cursed number upon her monolith and everyone of that age instantly turns to smoke and fades away. Year by year, that number ticks down. Tomorrow, she'll wake and paint "33." Join Gustave, and his fellow Expeditioners as they embark on a desperate quest to break the Paintress' cycle of death once and for all in Sandfall Interactive and Kepler Interactive's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Retracing the steps of dozens of failed Expeditions before them, players will overcome powerful enemies and fight to save the future of their world. Set in a dreamlike world, the story unfolds as fantasy and art converge, backed by an enchanting soundtrack to create a breathtaking story unlike any other.

EA DICE is releasing an Open Beta of Battlefield 6 multiplayer later this month. Those who watched the Battlefield 6 multiplayer reveal showcase get to play the game between August 7-8. The first weekend when the servers are live are between August 9-10, and the second weekend between August 14-17. There will be a limited selection of maps, and while the Open Beta closely resembles the final release, it will not have the same eye-candy, and so the developers put out a PC System Requirements list exclusively for the Open Beta. The game's final specs list may differ.

For 1080p @ 30 FPS with low settings—the bare minimum, the developers recommend at least a GeForce RTX 2060 or Radeon RX 5600 XT, or Arc A380 "Alchemist" graphics card, with at least 6 GB of video memory. It also calls for at least an Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 six-core processor, with 16 GB of dual-channel memory. Windows 10 with DirectX 12 and 75 GB of disk space are required. There are two recommended specs tiers, "balanced" and "performance." The balanced recommended specs are for 1440p @ 60 FPS with High settings, while the "performance" specs are for 1080p @ 80+ FPS with Low settings. They both need you to have at least a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, or a Radeon RX 6700 XT, or Arc B580 "Battlemage." The video memory required is 8 GB. CPU requirements are at least a Core i7-10700 or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, with 16 GB of memory; Windows 11, and DirectX 12.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the ROG Strix Helios II, a mid-tower gaming PC case with premium luster and efficient cooling in a design that offers plenty of elbow room for the building process. The chassis features aluminium exterior elements, an optimized internal layout, and incredible thermal efficiency to ensure readiness for heavyweight gaming.

The Helios II is packed with connectivity and DIY-friendly features. Users get enough front ports to connect all their peripherals and can even top up their mobile devices with the front panel's 60-watt USB-C fast charging. Effortless assembly is enabled thanks to the Helios II's spacious design, wealth of tool-free installation features, and cable management optimizations. Combine these perks with this case's aesthetics and cooling capabilities, and users will find the ROG Strix Helios II is in a class all its own.

To meet the demand for next-gen CPUs and refined PC builds, MSI proudly introduces the MPG CORELIQUID P13 series, a new AIO liquid cooler designed with both elegance and performance in mind. Featuring a 2.1-inch IPS screen wrapped in a full curved-glass cover, the P13 radiates modern simplicity, taking design cues from the smooth contours of water droplets. All cables and tubing are seamlessly hidden using MSI's Streamline design, delivering an ultra-clean look.

Function meets form with the powerful CYCLOBLADE 9 fan, engineered to rapidly dissipate heat through high static pressure and aerodynamic blade shaping. Paired with a newly optimized full-plane copper base - now screwless for uninterrupted contact - the design ensures maximum surface coverage and efficient thermal conductivity. The 0.1 mm microchannel structure within the base accelerates coolant flow directly over the CPU's heat source, effectively reducing temperatures even under intense workloads. This synergy of airflow and heat transfer technologies enables exceptional cooling performance, system stability, and quiet operation.

Intel on Thursday released the XeSS 2 SDK version 2.1.0, with which it announced support for non-Intel GPUs. This would be any GPU that supports Shader Model 6.4, which are GeForce GTX 10-series "Pascal" or newer from NVIDIA, and Radeon RX 5000 RDNA from AMD, or newer. The update opens up not just super resolution (XeSS SR), but also frame generation (XeSS FG) and low latency (XeLL), however, using XeLL requires XeSS FG to be enabled, it cannot be exclusively used.

The release of XeSS 2 SDK would make it possible for game developers to update their binaries to support XeSS 2, and expose the feature-set to even non-Intel GPUs. At a hardware-level, XeSS 2 would rely on DP4a compute to run its super resolution and frame generation models. Only on Intel Arc "Alchemist" or "Battlemage" GPUs will the technology leverage XMX accelerators.

- Fujitsu today announced that it has started research and development towards a superconducting quantum computer with a capacity exceeding 10,000 qubits. Construction is slated for completion in fiscal 2030. The new superconducting quantum computer will operate with 250 logical qubits and will utilize Fujitsu's innovative "STAR architecture," an early-stage fault-tolerant quantum computing (early-FTQC) architecture also developed by the company. Fujitsu aims to make practical quantum computing possible, particularly in areas like materials science where complex simulations can unlock ground breaking discoveries, and to this end will focus on advancing key scaling technologies across various technical domains.

As part of this effort, Fujitsu has been selected as an implementing party for the "Research and Development Project of the Enhanced Infrastructures for Post-5G Information and Communication Systems" publicly solicited by the NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization). Fujitsu will be contributing to the thematic area of advancing the development of quantum computers towards industrialization. The project will be promoted through joint research with Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and RIKEN, and will run until fiscal year 2027.

Pulsar Gaming Gears, a leading developer of high-performance esports peripherals, today proudly announced the official launch of the Pulsar Pro Series JV-X mouse. This groundbreaking new peripheral is the direct result of a close collaboration with JessieVash of Team Secret, one of the most celebrated and experienced figures in professional VALORANT.

Pulsar has been a dedicated sponsor of JessieVash and Team Secret since February, 2024, fostering a deep partnership aimed at developing cutting-edge products that truly empower esports athletes. The Pulsar Pro Series JV-X stands as a testament to this synergy, marking it as the first Filipino-developed pro-series Pulsar mouse. It has been meticulously designed with JessieVash's unparalleled insights and demands, drawing from his extensive career as a competitive player, prominent streamer, and content creator for Team Secret, and beyond.

Hot on the heels of the Lenovo Legion Go 2 showing up on Chinese secondhand marketplaces, the upcoming Ryzen Z2 Extreme-powered device has made it into the hands of another reviewer who compared its performance to that of the MSI Claw A8 powered by the same APU. Surprisingly, the Legion device manages to outperform the MSI handheld, despite having the same CPU and iGPU specifications. According to the reviewer, the difference in performance comes down to the ability to cool the Ryzen CPU cores and AMD Radeon 890M inside these machines, since both were tested after reaching a thermal steady state, and the tester mentions that the Claw was overheating, while the Legion Go 2 managed to keep temperatures in the 70s.

The reviewer, Lines Tech on YouTube, tested the handheld gaming PCs in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and the Lenovo Legion Go 2 averaged 49 FPS, while the comparable MSI Claw device managed an average of 44 FPS—a whole 10% slower than the Legion Go 2. These tests were seemingly conducted at 1080p with Frame Generation and other AMD FidelityFX features disabled. It should also be noted that the Legion Go 2 has 8 GB more RAM, which might be helping the iGPU significantly, especially if VRAM allocation was left on automatic for both tests. Lines Tech also goes on to disassemble the Legion Go 2, revealing that it's a rather simple process, requiring the removal of just eight screws and a few clips. The design of the interior also appears to be good news, since the battery is held down by screws—not tape or glue—meaning battery replacements should be easy enough when necessary. Among other things, he also shows off that the SD card slot has a heat shield, which should prevent the Legion Go 2 from falling victim to the same SD card failures as the original ASUS ROG Ally.

Following the recent Battlefield 6 multiplayer showcase that confirmed the existence of a UGC platform for the new shooter, EA's executive vice president, Vince Zampella, confirmed in an interview with PCGamesN that Battlefield 6 will not receive Steam Deck support. According to the executive, "It does not work on Steam Deck. I think there are some non-Steam-Deck handheld platforms that it will work on, probably, right? But I don't think, you know, it's probably not the best way to play the game."

This suggests that the reason for the lack of Steam Deck support comes down to incompatibility with SteamOS, rather than hardware limitations. The presumption is thus that Battlefield 6's EA anti-cheat still won't adopt Linux support. According to ProtonDB, 27% of Steam's current top 100 games work basically flawlessly with Valve's Proton compatibility layer, with an additional 52% receiving a "Gold" rating, which means the game runs basically perfectly using Proton with a little tweaking. Other gaming giants have also recently announced their intention to include Steam Deck and Linux compatibility in their upcoming titles, with Ubisoft being one notable example in recent months.

Since the launch of the Wooting 80HE, the keyboard brand has seemingly had nothing but trouble with its coatings on the zinc alloy cases for that keyboard, with users reporting chipping and peeling of the coating, sometimes after relatively short periods of use. As part of the development of the Wooting 60HE V2, Wooting has been investigating these coating issues in an attempt to avoid the same situation for the new compact keyboard. In a recent video published on YouTube, Wooting founder, Calder Limmen, revealed that the brand's testing has narrowed the cause of the coating degradation down to a reaction with sweat. Wooting says that the number of these cases is "almost negligible" compared to the overall sales figures of the 80HE.

In an attempt to address the issue for the upcoming 60HE V2, the company has been conducting tests on the new aluminium case slated to launch with the 60HE V2, using artificial sweat and controlled environments. The test revealed that certain chemicals and oils in sweat are reacting to the coating specifically, and not the alloy itself, although the company declined to mention which chemicals were specifically causing the issues. The good news for prospective buyers of the 60HE V2 is that Wooting says it is closing in on a coating process that will mitigate the peeling issues. Limmen also mentions that the coating issue is one of the reasons the price for the 60HE V2 has not been announced yet.

Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2025 third quarter ended June 28, 2025. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $94.0 billion, up 10 percent year over year, and quarterly diluted earnings per share of $1.57, up 12 percent year over year.

"Today Apple is proud to report a June quarter revenue record with double-digit growth in iPhone, Mac and Services and growth around the world, in every geographic segment," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "At WWDC25, we were excited to introduce a beautiful new software design that extends across all of our platforms, and we announced even more great Apple Intelligence features."

Supervise recently exited Early Access on Steam with its 1.0 launch that changed many of the MOBA's core mechanics and ended up angering much of its fan base. One of the main complaints about the launch update was that it changed the rewards structure in a way that encouraged heavy grinding and pay-to-win behavior. With the latest hotfix (full patch notes here) the game's developer, Theorycraft, has made changes to the reward structure to give casual players more of an incentive to play. The game now rewards players with more in-game currency for completing challenges and daily missions—from 100 Prisma to 400 Prisma per mission. The individual Prisma gains for killing enemies have also increased, as have rewards for defeating minions and bosses. The changes also include changes to the RNG that introduce a counter that guarantees a legendary relic or perk after a certain number of capsule rolls, and equipment drops are much more frequent throughout the game as a whole.

In a dev log following the patch, in hopes of addressing the flood of negative reviews by acknowledging player feedback and giving players an idea of where the game is going in the future. For starters, Theorycraft says it will be engaging much more closely with the wider Supervive audience going forward. The idea is to share planned updates and features on Steam ahead of roll-out in order to gather player feedback in the ensuing discussion. Additionally, the developer acknowledged that the new-player experience needs work, so it plans to adjust the progression system accordingly, building on the changes mentioned in the above patch notes so that equipment scales according to the overall lobby level. The idea is to allow new players in more experienced lobbies to catch up more quickly to the rest of the lobby by giving them equipment that somewhat levels the playing field. Balance was also an issue that was addressed, with Theorycraft confirming the development team is working on a patch to make some of the more "oppressive" characters feel less overwhelming. According to the post, there will be a larger patch in the first week of August with more changes and a new hunter.

NVIDIA is planning to retire regular driver updates for its older, pre-RTX GPU generations after October 2025, the company announced. These include the GeForce GTX 900 series based on the "Maxwell" graphics architecture, the sole gaming graphics card powered by "Volta," the GeForce TITAN V, and the GeForce GTX 10-series based on the "Pascal" graphics architecture. The company will continue regular Game Ready driver updates for GTX 16-series "Turing" besides all RTX 20-series, 30-series, 40-series, and 50-series GPUs.

With Microsoft stopping support for Windows 10, except for those on an extended support program, NVIDIA has decided to release drivers compatible with Windows 10 only till October 2026, following which the regular driver only cover Windows 11 and the future Windows 12 expected to release later this year. It is commendable that NVIDIA decided to support its pre-RTX architectures for this long, considering that the GTX 900-series debuted 11 years ago, the TITAN V 8 years ago, and the GTX 10-series 9 years ago.

Support Plan detailed in the 580.88 WHQL driver patch notes:
"After a final Game Ready Driver release in October 2025, GeForce GPUs based on Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta architectures will transition to receiving quarterly security updates for the next three years (through October 2028). Our support lifetime for these GPUs reaches up to 11 years, well beyond industry norms.
Also, we're extending Windows 10 Game Ready Driver support for all GeForce RTX GPUs to October 2026, a year beyond the operating system's end-of-life, to ensure users continue to receive the latest day-0 optimizations for new games and apps."

Today, during a live global multiplayer reveal event, Electronic Arts and Battlefield Studios unveiled Battlefield 6, the ultimate all-out warfare experience. Launching on October 10, Battlefield 6 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (Steam, EA App, Epic Games Store). During the blockbuster event, Battlefield Studios provided a first look at new and returning multiplayer modes, a tantalizing sneak peek of the global scale blockbuster Single Player campaign and of course the evolution of Battlefield Portal.

The year is 2027. The world is on the edge of chaos. After a high-profile assassination shocks the world, major European countries have left NATO, while the US and its allies grapple with the fallout. A massive private military corporation unafraid to cross lines, with deep pockets and the latest tech, looks to fill the power vacuum. This army is PAX ARMATA. What's left of NATO is in tatters, wounded and battered. This is the world of Battlefield 6.

2K Games and Hangar 13 have detailed the full PC features and graphics settings, as well as official system requirements for the upcoming Mafia: The Old Country game that will launch on August 8th. It is interesting to see that the game will support AMD's FSR 4, NVIDIA's DLSS 4, and Intel's XeSS 2 with Frame Generation FSR, DLSS, and XeSS on supported hardware, but there is no ray tracing. It will also support Unreal Temporal Super Resolution (TSR), have uncapped frame rate during gameplay, ultrawide monitor and HDR support.

The list includes minimum, recommended and epic preset requirements, and all are using Unreal TSR set to either Balanced or Quality mode. The minimum requirements target 1080p resolution with graphics settings set at Medium and Unreal TSR set at Balanced. You will need at least an AMD Ryzen 7 2700X or Intel Core i7-9700K CPU, 16 GB of RAM, and either an AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT or NVIDIA RTX 2070 graphics card. The recommended requirements target 1440p resolution with graphics quality preset set to High and Unreal TSR set to Quality. These settings require an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X or Intel Core i7-12700K CPU, 32 GB of RAM, and either an AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT or an NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti graphics card.

Along with the recent launch of the AMD Strix Halo-powered Ayaneo Next 2, Ayaneo also announced the Ayaneo Pocket Vert in its latest 2025-2026 Strategy Sharing Session video on YouTube. The Vert is an Android-powered gaming handheld that is apparently intended for mobile emulation of retro games. It should also be capable of playing current mobile games intended for portrait-orientation gaming, although it's unclear how much tinkering will be required to get those games to install and work properly.

Exact specifications have yet to be revealed, but Ayaneo says that it will feature an "ultra-HD" display, suggesting that it might have a 4K resolution. The exact display size and aspect ratio are also unknown, although something like 1:1 or 2:3 seem likely, given the handheld's "retro" intentions. During the presentation, Ayaneo teased the form factor of the Vert in the bottom portion of an image—the third image embedded below. What appears to be a Vert laying on its side looks to be split in half, with the top (or left in the image) half being dedicated to display duties, while the bottom (right) will be a thicker control portion with an angular design. Materials are, again, unclear, but Ayaneo says that it will use "premium" materials, suggesting that there may be an aluminium frame. It doesn't look like the new device will feature any of the flip-out or slide-out functions of the Ayaneo Pocket DS or Ayaneo Slide.

Intel has quietly rolled out three new Arrow Lake processors as part of its Ultra 5 lineup, enhancing its entry-level options with the Ultra 5 235A, 235TA, and 235UA models. The Ultra 5 235A and 235TA processors are quite similar, both featuring a total of 14 cores—six of which are performance cores and eight are efficient cores with 14 threads. They can both reach turbo frequencies of 5 GHz on their performance cores, while the efficient cores can go up to 4.4 GHz. The main difference between the two CPUs is the power consumption and base frequencies. The Ultra 5 235A runs at 65 W with its performance cores clocking at a base frequency of 3.4 GHz. The Intel Ultra 5 235TA is designed to be more power-efficient, operating at just 35 W with its performance cores running at a base frequency of 2.2 GHz. Both of these desktop models are built using TSMC's N3B manufacturing process and come equipped with 24 MB of Smart Cache.

Update 19:03 UTC:
The Ultra 5 235UA has an identical device ID to the Ultra 7 265U, a Meteor Lake based CPU that uses Redwood Cove P-Cores and Crestmont E-Cores, thus, the CPU does actually have 12 cores and 14 threads, due to the two P-Cores offering Hyper-Threading, which was removed in Arrow Lake's Lion Cove P-Core design, for security, area efficiency, and performance reasons. This is quite confusing, since the product is marketed as an Arrow Lake "Series 2" CPU, but is actually based on the preceding mobile only Meteor Lake "Series 1" architecture. The only differences between the 235UA/265U and the Meteor Lake 165U is the process node the chip is built on, with the 165U being fabbed on Intel 4, and the 265U/235UA refresh chips being fabbed on Intel 3, which allows for a slight clock speed bump within the same power budget.

Areca introduced the ARC-1689-8N, a unique M.2 NVMe RAID HBA that lets you pack up to eight M.2-2280 SSDs each with a PCI-Express 5.0 x4 interface, over the card's PCI-Express 5.0 x16 interface. Normally a card like this should only feature four M.2 slots, by segmenting the x16 interface to four x4 interfaces, but this card uses an active bridge chip, the Broadcom PEX89048. This chip is designed by the erstwhile PLX Technologies team. It has a 48-lane PCI-Express Gen 5 switching fabric that takes in 16 Gen 5 lanes, and puts out 32 Gen 5 lanes, making it possible for the ARC-1689-8N to have eight M.2 slots, each with full Gen 5 x4 wiring.

M.2 Gen 5 SSDs run hot, especially the ones with 12-14 GB/s sequential transfer rates and DRAM caches; and so the card uses an active fan-heatsink cooling solution consisting of an extruded aluminium heatsink with thermal pads over each M.2-2280 slot, and a pair of 40 mm fans ventilating the heatsink laterally. The card has a 6-pin PCIe power input, which when combined with the slot power, results in a 150 W power budget. A number of NVMe RAID options can be deployed, including 0, 1, 10, JBOD, or non-RAID; with the company claiming a peak sequential transfer rate for a RAID 0 volume of 60 GB/s. The card is 26.2 cm long, and is strictly 1 slot thick.

Unlock the keys to your kingdom for the first time at Gamescom 2025! RAEV: Kingdom on the Distant Shores will debut its first playable demo at the Ravine Games booth, located at hall 10-1, booth B060 from August 20th - 24th!

Developed by Ravine Games and published by V Publishing, RAEV provides players with a strategic adventure spanning an entire continent. RAEV is an innovative city builder that combines large-scale world building, strategic resource management, and dynamic storytelling that is largely impacted by your decisions.

MicroProse, the veteran publisher behind genre-defining strategy and simulation games, is proud to announce a partnership with Hilkojj Interactive to publish Car Park Capital: a gleefully satirical tycoon sim about paving the way for a brighter, oilier future.

In Car Park Capital, players are hired by Big Auto to reshape quiet towns into sprawling concrete kingdoms - one parking lot at a time. Using a potent mix of real-time strategy, urban development tools, and tongue-in-cheek propaganda, players will bulldoze houses, raise towering asphalt cathedrals, and convince citizens that life is better with more cars (and fewer opinions). The game blends classic tycoon gameplay with razor-sharp social commentary about car dependency, urban sprawl, and the subtle art of turning convenience into ideology, all in glorious simulation.

PLAION REPLAI, a leading global publisher and developer of retro video game software and hardware, and Retro Games Ltd. (RGL), creators of the acclaimed THEC64 range, are proud to announce THEC64 mini - Black Edition, launching globally on 24th October 2025. This stunning new Black Edition of the best-selling THEC64 Mini has been beautifully reimagined in a bold matte-and-gloss black finish, making it a striking, collectible redesign of the beloved 8-bit machine. Along with the sleek aesthetic, THEC64 mini - Black Edition arrives with 25 hand-picked pre-installed Neo-Classic retro games, all among the highest rated C64 titles and many of which have been enhanced for this release and are otherwise commercially unavailable.

THEC64 mini - Black Edition is a modern reimagining of the Commodore 64, one of the most iconic home computers of all time. With more than 17 million units sold globally, the original C64 shaped generations of coders, gamers, musicians, and digital artists.

NVIDIA has released the newest version of its GeForce graphics driver, the GeForce 580.88 WHQL, which comes with Game Ready optimizations for Mafia: The Old Country, which includes DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, DLSS Frame Generation, DLSS Super Resolution, and NVIDIA Reflex support. The new driver also adds DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation support for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. NVIDIA also added support for 62 new G-SYNC Compatible gaming displays. The new driver also fixes some gaming and general bugs.

According to the release notes, the NVIDIA GeForce 580.88 WHQL driver fixes issues in Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, World of Warcraft, Starcraft Remastered and several other games, including issues with Battlefield 2042, which experienced random squares and flickering artifacts and micro-stutter issues when VSYNC is enabled in Cyberpunk 2077. It also fixes issues in Blender and Cloudflare WARP, issues with GPU video memory after enabling NVIDIA Smooth Motion, and an issue where the GPU scaling option is missing from NVIDIA Control Panel/NVIDIA App when a DSC monitor is connected. The driver also fixes flickering issues during window resize with the Samsung 57-inch Odyssey Neo G9 and blank screen issues in DisplayPort 2.1 mode with HDR on the LGE 27GX790A-B. NVIDIA also announced it will continue supporting Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta GPUs with Game Ready drivers until October 2025, after which these will get quarterly security updates for the next three years. NVIDIA is also extending Windows 10 Game Ready Driver support for all GeForce RTX GPUs to October 2026

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 580.88 WHQL

August brings new levels of gaming excitement on GeForce NOW, with 2,300 titles now available to stream in the cloud. Grab a controller and get ready for epic adventures - a dozen new games are coming to the cloud this month. Each week brings fresh titles for members to discover, stream and conquer. Get ready to shrink down for big fun - early access for Grounded 2, announced as a surprise in June at XBOX Games Showcase, will be available to stream on day one: tomorrow, Aug. 1. Plus, finish off July with the eight games available to stream this week, alongside the latest update for the acclaimed open-world action role-playing game Genshin Impact.

The Park Is Calling
Step into the wild, unpredictable world of Brookhollow Park - Grounded 2 is launching in early access in the cloud, and the backyard has never felt bigger or more alive. Shrink to the size of an ant, navigate towering blades of grass, uncover hidden secrets and face off against bugs that can be friend or foe. Craft weapons and armor from scavenged materials, build creative bases and raise Buggie companions to help explore and survive. Whether playing solo or with friends, every day brings new challenges and surprises. Grounded 2's quirky humor and inventive gameplay make every moment an adventure, from dodging predators to racing Buggies through underground tunnels.

Keysight Technologies, Inc. has delivered the world's largest commercial quantum control system (QCS) to the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan. The system has been integrated into the Global Research and Development Center for Business by Quantum-AI Technology (G-QuAT). This control system is now part of the new evaluation testbed at G-QuAT, which will push the limits of what is possible with quantum computing in terms of both scale and performance.

All quantum computers require a control system to translate from the classical world of code and cables to the quantum world of photons and qubits. As quantum computers grow in size, complexity, and performance, requirements for the control system become much more stringent. Any gap in the control system performance can compromise the capabilities of the quantum computer, so it was important for AIST to select the right partner for this critical component.

In an interview with Bloomberg, AMD CEO Dr Lisa Su revealed that the company's chips manufactured at the U.S. based fab of TSMC will cost anywhere between 5% to 20% more than the ones TSMC makes back home in Taiwan, but assured that the added cost and supply-chain resilience would make the price-hike worth the effort. Su alluded to the lack of supply-chain resilience being sorely felt by the tech industry during the COVID-19 pandemic years, causing significant second order effects across the world economy.

TSMC has a manufacturing facility in Arizona, but its most advanced node is 4 nm EUV, referred to internally as the N4 family of foundry nodes by TSMC. AMD makes various CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, and other devices on the TSMC N4P node, but the company is transitioning to the new TSMC N2 (2 nm Nanosheet) node, starting with its next-generation "Zen 6" CPU family. It is widely expected that while the CCDs of "Zen 6" based Ryzen desktop and EPYC server processors are based on N2, the company will introduce new-generation I/O dies for both its client and server processors that will be built on TSMC N4P, advancing from the current TSMC N6.

On the evening of July 30, 2025, AYANEO hosted a live online event to unveil the first product under its brand-new sub-brand KONKR—the KONKR Pocket FIT. This strategic new Android handheld has been in development for over a year and now makes its official debut to global players, not only marking the official launch of KONKR but also showcasing AYANEO's relentless innovation and exploration in the handheld gaming space. With its exceptional price-to-performance ratio, the KONKR Pocket FIT is boldly positioned as the Android handheld king—built for every gamer.

Extreme Value, Born for Every Gamer
The creation of KONKR is AYANEO's answer to a growing demand for both high performance and high value. With flagship hardware and a premium user experience, KONKR redefines what players can expect from a cost-effective handheld. The KONKR Pocket FIT is the first creation of this new vision—a true handheld marvel.

IBASE Technology Inc., a leading provider of industrial computing solutions, debuts the CP100 ultra-compact rugged embedded edge computer, purpose-built for high-reliability and long-term operation in space-limited environments. Powered by the AMD Ryzen Embedded R2000 Series processor, the CP100 offers three chipset configurations, allowing users to tailor computing performance to specific application needs.

Engineered for minimal footprint, the CP100 adopts a 2.5-inch SBC design with a compact system size of just 94 (W) x 133 (D) x 51 (H) mm, making it ideal for industrial and embedded edge applications requiring efficient, multithreaded performance in tight spaces. It also supports DIN-rail mounting, enabling easy deployment in various automation systems and equipment architectures.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of edge computing solutions, motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices, is excited to announce a strategic partnership with ARES, a prominent IPC solution provider in South Korea. This collaboration marks a significant step toward expanding BIOSTAR's industrial computing presence in the Korean market. Through this partnership, ARES will distribute BIOSTAR's powerful EdgeComp product lineup and integrate these solutions into their ecosystem-focused offerings for industrial and edge computing applications. As part of this initiative, BIOSTAR's full range of EdgeComp systems is now available on the ARES official website.

The BIOSTAR EdgeComp lineup now available through ARES includes a wide range of powerful and efficient systems tailored for industrial deployment. Models such as the EdgeComp MS-1315UE, MS-1335U, MS-J6412, MS-N97, MS-X6413E, MS-X7433RE, and MT PRO-J6412 are designed to meet the performance demands of various edge applications. These systems are ideal for intelligent factory automation, AIoT integration, digital signage, industrial control systems, and real-time data processing at the edge. With fanless designs, wide temperature support, and flexible I/O configurations, the EdgeComp series offers scalable and rugged solutions for Korea's evolving industrial landscape.

The Alphacool International GmbH, based in Braunschweig, Germany, is a pioneer in PC water cooling technology. With the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry and over 20 years of experience, Alphacool is now expanding its lineup with the Apex Distro Plates for the Fractal North XL case.

The Apex product line stands for premium quality, featuring high-end materials and innovative technology. To prevent potential leaks caused by cracks, the chrome-plated G1/4" brass fittings are equipped with O-rings and securely embedded into the acrylic. Crafted from high-quality acrylic glass and enhanced with aRGB lighting, the Apex Distro Plate not only offers a clear view of the water cooling loop but also impresses with stunning lighting effects. It is compatible with pumps in the D5/VPP or DDC format and, thanks to the included 90° mounting system, allows for a flexible and space-efficient installation inside the North XL case. Available in black and white, the distro plate seamlessly complements the design case's design.

Samsung Electronics today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025. The Company posted KRW 74.6 trillion in consolidated revenue, a decrease of 5.8% compared to the previous quarter. Operating profit decreased to KRW 4.7 trillion.

The Device Solutions (DS) Division reported an increase in revenue on the back of expanded sales of high density, high-performance memory products, but inventory value adjustments in memory and one-off costs related to the impacts of export restrictions related to China in non-memory had an adverse effect on profit. In the Device eXperience (DX) Division, operating profit declined quarter-on-quarter due to a sequential decline in sales volume following the launch of new smartphone models in the first quarter. Looking ahead to H2, the DS Division plans to proactively meet the growing demand for high-value-added and AI-driven products and continue to strengthen competitiveness in advanced semiconductors. The DX Division will seek to minimize the impact of uncertainties stemming from tariff policies that are likely to persist.

Nscale Global Holdings Ltd. ("Nscale"), Aker ASA ("Aker") and OpenAI today announced the launch of Stargate Norway: an advanced AI infrastructure project in Narvik, Northern Norway. Powered entirely by renewable energy, the facility will target to deliver 100,000 NVIDIA GPUs by the end of 2026, with ambitions to scale significantly in the years ahead. Stargate Norway will be designed to provide secure, scalable, and energy-efficient infrastructure for sovereign AI workloads across Europe, fully aligned with European regulatory frameworks. The initiative is led by global AI infrastructure provider Nscale, in partnership with Aker and OpenAI.

Stargate Norway is planned to deliver 230MW of capacity, with ambitions to expand by an additional 290MW - positioning it among the most significant AI infrastructure investments in Europe. The project marks OpenAI's first data centre initiative on the continent and the inaugural European site under its 'OpenAI for Countries' program.

EA recently confirmed that it has no intention of increasing prices for its AAA gaming experiences, and that claim has just been backed up by leaks that Battlefield 6 will launch with a starting price of $69.99. According to prolific leaker, @billbil_kun on X, the new shooter will be available in both digital and physical versions for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series, with identical pricing across all three platforms. Battlefield 6 digital edition will cost $69.99, while the newly added physical edition will cost $99.99.

Additional reports out of Insider Gaming also point to upcoming closed and open beta tests for Battlefield 6 in August. The first, the closed beta test, will run from August 7-8, while the open beta will take place on August 9-10. There will also supposedly be a second open beta from August 14-17. The reports indicate that access to the beta tests will be limited to those who pre-order the game. EA and DICE have scheduled a "Battlefield 6 Official Multiplayer Gameplay Reveal Event" livestream on YouTube for July 31 at 11:30 AM PT (8:30 PM CEST), and it seems likely that the beta dates will be announced during this livestream. Battlefield 6 is slated to launch on October 10, 2025.

KIOXIA America, Inc. today announced that it has begun sampling new Universal Flash Storage (UFS) Ver. 4.1 embedded memory devices designed for automotive applications. Engineered to meet the rigorous demands of next-generation in-vehicle systems, these new devices deliver significant performance, flexibility, and diagnostic enhancements - powered by KIOXIA's 8th generation BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory technology and in-house designed controller technology.

Available in capacities of 128 gigabytes (GB), 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 terabyte (TB), the new UFS 4.1 devices are designed to fit the needs of infotainment, ADAS, telematics, domain controllers, and vehicle computers. They meet AEC-Q100/1044 Grade 2 standards, supporting case temperature up to 115°C.

Rockstar Games has put up two job listings for its Creator Platform, which is its team that is dedicated to enabling community- and user-generated content in its video games—features that have made games like Roblox, VRChat, and Second Life so popular. The job openings are for a senior product manager and an associate compliance manager, suggesting Rockstar is looking to bring the army of GTA modders into the fold in a more official capacity—there is even a mention of monetization in the job listings, which suggests some form of a paid mod or game mode platform that pays creators for their contributions. Including UGC in GTA 6 will also likely mean that Rockstar will be able to exercise greater levels of control over what can and cannot be included in things like mods.

This is not the first time we've heard of the potential for user-generated content in GTA 6, with previous leaks revealing that Rockstar had been quietly contacting popular Fortnite and Roblox UGC creators, although these job listings are more concrete evidence that the upcoming open-world action game may contain UGC. If the ambitions pan out, GTA 6 might include a Creator Platform with community-generated content, including custom game modes and mods. The job listing specifically mentions dedicated servers, so it stands to reason these features will be open to both multiplayer and single-player gameplay modes.