Which is why I choose not to even bother with DX 12, as well as going with Nvidia. DX 12 is just a complete write off for someone like me, and the last thing I need is for devs to push it more, because it'll just hinder my performance in general.

Here they come... the Friday news!

SALES & "SALES"/DEALS

On the Humble Store, there's a new weekend sale with Frontier, with up to 75% discounts: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/frontier-sale/
Also this weekend is your last time to take advantage of the Square-Enix and Pixel Perfect Platformers sales.

And at Fanatical, we have two new sales:

• Bandai Namco has some games on sale for the next 6 days, with up to 76% discounts: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/bandai-namco-entertainment
• Idea Factory brings some 24h flash deals through the weekend, with a new one popping every 4 hours. The first one is Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force Complete Deluxe Set, 90% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/fairy-fencer-f-advent-dark-force-complete-deluxe-set

SOFTWARE

Denuvo anti-tamper tech causes major issues to legitimate owners of Sonic Mania
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/denuvo-anti-tamper-tech-causes-issues-to-legitimate-owners-in-sonic-mania/
SEGA has released a new update for Sonic Mania that features a new version of the Denuvo anti-tamper tech. However, it appears that SEGA did not test it properly as this rushed Denuvo implementation causes many issues to legitimate owners of Sonic Mania.
Voksi, best known for his Denuvo cracks, has detailed the major issues that currently affect Sonic Mania.

MODS/EMULATORS

No Man's Sky Origins mod 'aims to restore the original vision' of the game
https://www.pcgamer.com/no-mans-sky-origins-mod-aims-to-restore-the-original-vision-of-the-game/
If you know anything about No Man's Sky, you'll likely know it was criticised at launch. For some, what shipped didn't reflect its pre-release promotional material—a backlash that was later investigated and dismissed by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority. With its pre-launch promo in mind, Redmas' Origins mod for NMS Atlas Rises "aims to restore the original vision of the game."
On the project's Nexus Mods page, the creator says: "I've restored the original 1.0 biomes, and tweaked them to look like pre-release footage. I've also packed some of my most recent mods from 'Space Adventures'."

GAMING NEWS

Spyro Reignited Trilogy listed for the PC on the official website
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/spyro-reignited-trilogy-listed-for-the-pc-on-the-official-website/
While Activision has not officially revealed a PC version of Spyro Reignited Trilogy, the game’s official website has already listed this trilogy for our platform. Now while this may please a number of PC gamers, this listing could be an error as the Spyro website is nearly identical to the one for Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War demo is now available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/middle-earth-shadow-of-war-demo-is-now-available-for-download/
Warner Bros and Monolith have announced that a free demo for Middle-earth: Shadow of War is now available for download on Steam. This demo is based on the new microtransactions-free version of Shadow of War, and will give you an idea of what you can expect from it.

Space Engineers gets a major patch that overhauls its multiplayer and adds dedicated servers
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/space-engineers-gets-a-major-patch-that-overhauls-its-multiplayer-and-adds-dedicated-servers/
Keen Software has released a new major patch for Space Engineers that focuses on the complete overhaul of multiplayer in Space Engineers, and a number of new features and optimizations. In order to showcase the new improvements, Keen Software has also released a new trailer that you can find below.

NOGALIOUS is a new 8-bit 2D adventure game that is coming to the PC on July 31st
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/nogalious-is-a-new-8-bit-2d-adventure-game-that-is-coming-to-the-pc-on-july-31st/
LUEGOLU3GO STUDIOS has announced that NOGALIOUS is coming to Steam on July 31st. NOGALIOUS is a retro-style action platformer that pays homage to the era of classic 2D platforming on 8-bit personal computers.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – Official Zombies Blood of the Dead Trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/call-of-duty-black-ops-4-official-zombies-blood-of-the-dead-trailer/
Activision has released a new trailer for the Blood of the Dead Zombies mode of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Blood of the Dead takes the classic Zombies heroes — Richtofen, Dempsey, Takeo and Nikolai – on a journey to a secret laboratory beneath the iconic Alcatraz Penitentiary.

The creators of Spec Ops: The Line are working on a new match-based sci-fi first person shooter, The Cycle
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-creators-of-spec-ops-the-line-are-working-on-a-new-match-based-sci-fi-first-person-shooter-the-cycle/
Yager, the team behind the amazing Spec Ops: The Line and Dreadnought, has announced that it is working on a new sci-fi first person shooter, called The Cycle. The Cycle will initially come exclusively on the PC and below you can find its first screenshots.

Escape from Tarkov patch 0.9 is now available, adds the first Scav boss
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/escape-from-tarkov-patch-0-9-is-now-available-adds-the-first-scav-boss/
Battlestate Games announced the release of a major update 0.9.0 for the closed beta version of its multiplayer online FPS Escape from Tarkov. Escape from Tarkov is a hardcore realistic story-driven online multiplayer game that combines features of FPS/TPS, combat simulation and RPG with MMO elements.

Friday news, part two:

World of Warcraft's 8.0 patch is kind of a mess right now
https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcrafts-80-patch-is-kind-of-a-mess-right-now/
Any World of Warcraft veteran will tell you that patch days are usually a bit of a disaster. It's an enormous game, so little things are bound to break here and there any time that Blizzard releases a new patch. But Patch 8.0, which lays the foundation for when Battle for Azeroth launches next month, is in a real bad spot right now, and players aren't happy about it.

Todd Howard on outsourcing future Fallout games: 'I wouldn't say never'
https://www.pcgamer.com/todd-howard-on-outsourcing-future-fallout-games-i-wouldnt-say-never/
Fallout: New Vegas is the best Fallout in the series. Better than 3, 4 and that isometric carry on from a million years ago. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, New Vegas may also be the last Fallout game Bethesda outsources for third party development.
In conversation with The Guardian, company director Todd Howard says Bethesda is in a position now where in-house projects make the most sense going forward.

Total War: Rome 2 reveals Rise of the Republic DLC, release date set
https://www.pcgamer.com/total-war-rome-2-reveals-rise-of-the-republic-dlc-release-date-set/
Hot on the gladiator sandal heels of its Empire Divided DLC and Cleopatra-starring Desert Kingdoms culture pack, Total War: Rome 2 has announced Rise of the Republic. Out August 9, it depicts the events surrounding Rome in the 4th century BC and is a prequel to its base game.

Fortnite Summer Skirmish 'postmortem' examines server issues and dull gameplay
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-summer-skirmish-postmortem-examines-server-issues-and-dull-gameplay/
The first week of the Fortnite Summer Skirmish "did not go as planned," Epic admitted in a recent "postmortem," which may be a bit of an understatement. (James was somewhat more to the point about it in his analysis.) But the good news is that developers learned some valuable lessons from the experience, and they're working on ways to improve things for the next round.

Halo Infinite won't have a battle royale mode (probably)
https://www.pcgamer.com/halo-infinite-wont-have-a-battle-royale-mode-probably/
Halo Infinite, which as far as we know is also Halo 6, was teased in June at E3 and, more importantly, confirmed for PC. We don't know much about it, but thanks to a recent 343 Social Stream on Mixer, we do know that it probably won't have a battle royale mode.

Overwatch will be free to play next weekend
https://www.pcgamer.com/overwatch-will-be-free-to-play-next-weekend/
Is there anyone left in the world who is interested in Overwatch, but hasn't yet tried it? If so, you'll have (another) opportunity to dip your toes in the water next weekend, when it once again goes free for everyone.

>>The next one, not this.

Sea of Thieves: Cursed Sails brings alliances and the undead at the end of July
https://www.pcgamer.com/sea-of-thieves-cursed-sails-brings-alliances-and-the-undead-at-the-end-of-july/
Sea of Thieves will get more dangerous, and more social, when the free Cursed Sails update arrives on July 31. Developer Rare said the update will "change things forever" by adding literal skeleton crews to the high seas, and a new alliance system that will make it easier to take them on.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 story trailer takes the Primis to prison
https://www.pcgamer.com/call-of-duty-black-ops-4-story-trailer-takes-the-primis-to-prison/
Activision released a Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 trailer yesterday setting up the Zombies mode "Chaos" storyline. But Zombies will have two separate stories this time around: Chaos, featuring a new cast, and Blood of the Dead, starring the original Zombies stalwarts Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo, and Richthofen. And today, they get their own trailer.

Enter the Gungeon: Advanced Gungeons & Draguns is out now, so here's a trailer
https://www.pcgamer.com/enter-the-gungeon-advanced-gungeons-and-draguns-is-out-now-so-heres-a-trailer/
The latest Enter the Gungeon expansion launched earlier today, and as the name 'Gungeons & Draguns' implies, it has a heavy whiff of fantasy about it. It's filtered through the now-familiar Enter the Gungeon style though, a style which permits bullets shooting at bullets, and guns with names like "Heck Master".

Hearthstone's craziest new Legendary is 18 decks in 1
https://www.pcgamer.com/hearthstones-craziest-new-legendary-is-18-decks-in-1/
Hearthstone's upcoming Boomsday expansion pack looks to be filled with wild cards, including three synergistic Druid cards which we recently revealed. But while the return of Dr. Boom and a Rogue spell that literally draws your entire deck are hard to ignore, the most interesting card in the expansion so far is probably a newly revealed neutral Legendary: Whizbang the Wonderful.

Ghost Recon: Wildlands gets a new permadeath Ghost Mode later this month
https://www.pcgamer.com/ghost-recon-wildlands-gets-a-new-permadeath-ghost-mode-later-this-month/
Ghost Recon: Wildlands is getting a new PvE mode called Ghost Mode, and if you felt like the vanilla game didn't demand quiet, tactical play, this will hopefully make up for it. The PvE mode is basically a new difficulty for the campaign, and features permadeath, friendly fire, as well as a one-weapon limit on your loadout. This loadout can only be swapped out at ammo boxes littered throughout the world, or you can pick up the weapons of fallen enemies.

Cyberpunk 2077 frame by frame trailer series talks gun laws in Night City
https://www.pcgamer.com/cyberpunk-2077-frame-by-frame-trailer-series-talks-gun-laws-in-night-city/
Everything we learned from E3 2018 about Cyberpunk 2077 suggests Night City is a dangerous place. The open world action RPG—which also resembles an FPS—has added to its frame by frame trailer breakdown. This time the series explores Night City's gun laws.

The Light Keeps Us Safe offers a 'procedurally-generated apocalypse' and is coming this year
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-light-keeps-us-safe-offers-a-procedurally-generated-apocalypse-and-is-coming-later-this-year/
Big Robot, the studio behind The Signal From Tölva and Sir, You Are Being Hunted, has revealed its next project. Named The Light Keeps Us Safe, it's billed as a "procedurally-generated apocalypse" with "unique light-based interactions and challenges." It also has an Early Access launch date: October 11.

No Man's Sky planned a 'very light' multiplayer that was spiked before launch
https://www.pcgamer.com/no-mans-sky-planned-a-very-light-multiplayer-that-was-spiked-before-launch/
No Man's Sky's NEXT update rolls out next week. Billed by the devs as its "largest so far", it brings with it overhauled graphics, a new third-person perspective and full multiplayer support. Read Pip's words on what it's like to explore No Man's Sky Next with three other people, and know that a "very light" multiplayer component was envisioned, but spiked, before launch.

Let's end with our usual look at the GOG and Steam deals:

+GOG

• The daily deal is Technobabylon, 80% off: https://www.gog.com/promo/20180720_daily_deal_technobabylon
• The weekly sale Pulling no punches, brings up to 90% discounts: https://www.gog.com/promo/20180716_weekly_sale
• The weekend sale brings up games picked by the youtuber Christopher Odd, with up to 75% discounts: https://www.gog.com/partner/oddweekendsale
• The last one is a special Interplay weekend sale, with up to 66% discounts: https://www.gog.com/promo/20180720_interplay_weekend

+Steam

• The daily deal is Northgard, 33% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/466560/Northgard/
• Call of Duty: WWII runs a free multiplayer weekend and is 40% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/476600/Call_of_Duty_WWII/
• The Saints Row/Agents of Mayhem games are on sale. up to 75% off: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/saints-row/
• Double Fine is the star of the weekend publisher sale, with some games going up to 85% off: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/doublefine
• And of course, there's the weeklong sale.

And that's all I had to say. I hope you have a happy and gaming weekend.

"Todd Howard on outsourcing future Fallout games: 'I wouldn't say never'
https://www.pcgamer.com/todd-howard-on-outsourcing-future-fallout-games-i-wouldnt-say-never/
Fallout: New Vegas is the best Fallout in the series. Better than 3, 4 and that isometric carry on from a million years ago. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, New Vegas may also be the last Fallout game Bethesda outsources for third party development.
In conversation with The Guardian, company director Todd Howard says Bethesda is in a position now where in-house projects make the most sense going forward."

@bolded - written by obvious ignoramus.

That said, since Bethesda pretty much ruined Fallout, I do hope they outsource it again to Obsidian so they can fix as much as possible.

Nintendo is pretty cheap, they're not going to pay for all that silicon.
Physical size matters in mobile devices.
A base Tegra X1 has a TDP of 15 watts, not 20, meaning you'd have to cut it down even further to reach stock X1 power consumption.
The Switch uses an underclocked X1.

Xavier wasn't built for gaming.
It will only be decent at gaming by brute force.

Nintendo would be better served with an SoC that is custom designed for their needs.
And have a GPU that is balanced for the task at hand.
They'd probably want to find the optimal frequency for their architecture, 512 core will probably be too much to hit the sweet spot.
Also we don't know how Volta compares to their gaming architecture, in games (if they are indeed separate things).

Nintendo Switch's SoC is 232mm2.
Xavier is about 300m2.

That is roughly a 30% chip size increase.
However... 12nm is very high yielding anyway, so that increase in chip size should be economical for Nintendo.

Xavier most certainly was built for gaming, it just so happens it is good at other tasks as well.

With that in mind... I think the better idea would be to take Tegra X2, port it over to the 12nm process and dial up the clock rates, Pascal isn't a big deviation from Maxwell from a feature set perspective... But can hit higher clocks for better performance. (Plus improved Delta Colour Compression for a little more bandwidth.)

Yes, Nintendo is pretty cheap, which is why they may go for an off the shelf product rather than paying tens or hundreds of millions to Nvidia to develop a custom SoC. And also because it's Nintendo, them going with Xavier for the Switch 2 is likely as by the time they launch it, it will be "old" and cheaper. Heck, by then it may also be available at 7nm, making it smaller and less power hungry too!

But well, Nintendo being Ninendo, they could go with an X2 for the Switch 2 and call it a day.

Wouldn't a gaming device like the Switch benefit more from having twice the shader cores instead that a higher frequency?

Well. It depends...
Going wide (Twice the shader cores) doesn't always mean it will be more efficient than taking a design with half the shader cores but with twice the clock, the fabrication/transistors used and the energy they consume have a big influence to that end as well.
So it's hard to pin down a definitive answer for that.

Pascal tends to clock higher than Maxwell because of the newer fabrication process as the newer, smaller transistors could clock higher at lower voltages... Not to mention the various architectural tweaks nVidia employed to obtain higher clockrates and reduce leakage.

But one thing more shader cores generally does bring is a larger SoC which typically means higher costs. (And that isn't even black and white anymore due to other factors in fabbing chips these days.)

So we don't have an answer. What a shame.

Anyway, thanks for the clarification .

I've been off the grid for over a week. Is Turing and the 9900k out yet?