Carzy Zarx’s PC Gaming Emporium - Catch Up on All the Latest PC Gaming Related News

[JEMC]

Today’s gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Steam has three new deals and a new sale:

• Cleared Hot , still in Early Access, will be 20% off until tomorrow: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1710820/Cleared_Hot/
• Funguys Swarm is also in Early Access and will also have a 20% discount until tomorrow: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3371770/Funguys_Swarm/
• Flashing Lights is going to be 84% off until the 31st of March: https://store.steampowered.com/app/605740/Flashing_Lights__Police_Firefighting_Emergency_Services_EMS_Simulator/
• Answar Publishing shows off its two upcoming titles, one of them with a demo, and puts its games on sale with up to 80% discounts until March 31st: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41215820/sale/WOTE_Full_Launch

Fanatical has three new 24h Flash Deals:

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is 30% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/clair-obscur-expedition-33
• Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma has a 46% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/rune-factory-guardians-of-azuma
• The Precinct is also 46% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/the-precinct

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

INTEL Arc Graphics 32.0.101.8626
https://videocardz.com/driver/intel-arc-graphics-32-0-101-8626

HIGHLIGHTS
Introducing Intel Graphics Shader Distribution Service, which will help improve first load times by up to 2x on Intel Arc B-series GPUs, Intel Core Ultra Series 3, and Series 2 with built-in Intel Arc GPUs for the following games:

***list of games I’m not quoting***

Intel Game On Driver support on Intel Arc B-series and A-series Graphics GPUs, and Intel Core Ultra with built-in Intel Arc GPUs for:

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Everwind

Game performance improvements on Intel Arc B-series Graphics GPUs versus Intel 31.0.101.8531 software driver:

• Nioh 3 (DX12)
  • Up to 9% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings

FIXED ISSUES

Intel Core Ultra Series 3 with built-in Intel Arc GPUs:

• Naraka Bladepoint (DX12) may experience an application crash with Ray Tracing settings enabled.
• Hogwarts Legacy (DX12) may exhibit corruption during cinematics.
• Davinci Resolve Studio may exhibit visual corruption in the viewport while resizing the window with HDR enabled.

Intel Arc B-Series Graphics Products:

• Naraka Bladepoint (DX12) may experience an application crash with Ray Tracing settings enabled.

Intel Graphics Software Fixed Issues:

• Intel Graphics Software may sometimes experience an application crash while navigating between pages using keyboard.
• Performance metrics on Intel Graphics Software may not show actual values on certain configurations when both Integrated and Discrete adapters are enabled.

'If that was shown as a next-gen hardware reveal and not AI you guys would be going nuts': Epic Games lead producer says the idea DLSS 5 looks bad or detracts from art direction is 'absolutely insane'
https://www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/epic-games-lead-producer-calls-belief-dlss-5-looks-bad-or-detracts-from-art-direction-absolutely-insane-if-that-was-shown-as-a-next-gen-hardware-reveal-and-not-ai-you-guys-would-be-going-nuts/
Nvidia's DLSS 5 reveal has pulled in some very strong opinions. Since its unveiling, both Nvidia and Bethesda have clarified that developers will have creative freedom, but many developers have labelled it "slop" and "disrespectful to the intentional art direction of devs". One particularly strong voice in favour of the tech is the lead producer of Epic Games, Jean Pierre Kellams.
As shared over on X, Kellams says, "All you guys roasting DLSS 5 like it doesn’t look better/is detracting from art direction are absolutely insane."
"The lighting and shading improvements are bonkers. If that was shown as a next-gen hardware reveal and not “AI” you guys would be going nuts like the Watch Dogs demo."
If you don't know Kellams for his work on the likes of Fortnite, you may know him for his history with Platinum Games, working on the English adaptation of Bayonetta 2, The Wonderful 101, Devil May Cry, and more.
Ex-Intel alum and former owner of PC Perspective, Ryan Shrout, said that Kellam's post "seems like the right answer to me", and they went hands-on with the tech yesterday. They argue it's "not a face filter" and "What I saw in the demos was a comprehensive improvement across the entire scene. And the moment that really drove this home wasn't a face. It was a coffee maker."

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

PlayStation 4 Emulator shadPS4 0.15.0 Available for Download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/playstation-4-emulator-shadps4-0-15-0-available-for-download/
The team behind the best PlayStation 4 emulator, shadPS4, has released a new version of it. According to the devs, version 0.15.0 comes with a lot of new features that improve compatibility and general user experience.
Version 0.15.0 was released yesterday. As such, there aren’t a lot of videos right now on YouTube. So far, I’ve found three, which you can watch at the end of the article.
The Godzilla PS4 game seems to run as well as the PlayStation 4 version. Then we have The Last Guardian, which runs better than ever on shadPS4 V0.15.0. It’s still not perfect, as there are some visual glitches here and there. However, I’m certain that by the end of 2026, this game will be fully playable.
Driveclub and UFC 2 also appear to run great with shadPS4 V0.15.0. Also, since Bloodborne ran great on the previous version of shadPS4, I’m certain it can also be fully enjoyed with this new version.

Demo Released for the Baldur’s Gate 1 Mod for Baldur’s Gate 3
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/demo-released-for-the-baldurs-gate-1-mod-for-baldurs-gate-3/
Deathbringer’s Reign, a team of dedicated modders, has released the demo for its Baldur’s Gate 1 Mod for Baldur’s Gate 3. This demo lets you experience the Prologue and the entirety of Candlekeep in the Baldur’s Gate 3 engine.
Going into more details, the demo offers around an hour and a half of gameplay content. The first area includes locations, NPCs, quests, dialogue, and more. However, it does not have any voices.
The next major goal of the team is to release a second demo, which expands the world to include the areas of High Hedge, Beregost, the Friendly Arm Inn, and Shipwreck’s Coast, as well as the classic companions found in those regions.
Overall, this is a cool mod that a lot of Baldur’s Gate fans will appreciate. If you are one of them, you can download the demo from this link. At the end of the article, you can also find a gameplay video for it. This video gives us a tour of the Candlekeep.

GAMING NEWS

Death Stranding 2 PC has been leaked two days before release
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/death-stranding-2-pc-has-been-leaked-two-days-before-release/
It appears that the PC version of Death Stranding 2 has been leaked online, two days before its official release. This isn’t a joke. For some bizarre reason, an unprotected build of the game was pushed out. And, to the surprise of no one, people are already sharing it via torrents.