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JEMC on 03 August 2026
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Here come the Monday gaming news: Get ready, because it’s a long one:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Get more than 100 games for just $10 in a new bundle supporting laid-off game devs
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/get-more-than-100-games-for-just-usd10-in-a-new-bundle-supporting-laid-off-game-devs/
With layoffs continuing to wrack the games industry—Microsoft's decision to cut 3,200 people and ditch four studios in July was the big attention-getter but hardly the only bad news of the month, or the past few years—the United Videogame Workers union and Necrosoft Games have launched the Game Industry Hardship Fund bundle on Itch.io, with more than 100 games on offer for just $10.
Funds raised by the bundle will go toward a hardship fund run by the union for game developers impacted by layoffs, who can apply to the fund for money to cover food, healthcare, and rent. Details on eligibility are available in this FAQ, but one thing to note is that the fund, like the union, is only available to developers in the US and Canada.

Perennial early access game Project Zomboid hit a new concurrent player record after a huge map update added reworked towns, a spooky orphanage and '400 procedural basements'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/perennial-early-access-game-project-zomboid-hit-a-new-concurrent-player-record-after-a-huge-map-update-added-reworked-towns-a-spooky-orphanage-and-400-procedural-basements/
It's been a big week for Project Zomboid, the wildly successful zombie survival sim that, like a doomsday prepper holed up in a fortified basement, simply refuses to leave Steam early access. Its first major build update since 2021 coincided with a slight price increase for The Indie Stone's undead phenomenon, but this didn't stop the game from setting a new record for concurrent players on Steam.
As detailed on the Project Zomboid blog, build 42.20 brings an extensive overhaul to the game's setting of Knox County. For starters, seven of its towns have been completely reworked with new art that gives each settlement its own distinct architectural style, completely unique buildings and houses, and improved landscaping between the buildings.
(***three more paragraphs talking about the new features the update brought to the game***)
It's a significant update, and The Indie Stone has increased the price of Project Zomboid to reflect that. Prior to Build 42, Project Zomboid cost $20 (£16.75), but that's now been raised to $25 (£22.50), which is a substantial hike. But that didn't stop the game from reaching a new all-time player concurrent on Steam, with nearly 79,552 players flocking to Steam to check out the update in the early hours of Friday.

I feel like GOG waited until the weekend to launch new sales/promos, just to mess with me today:

Steam appears to have three new deals and a bunch of sales/events:

At Humble we find two new deals (I think):

And Fanatical comes with a surprise:

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Here’s the PlayStation 5 Emulator KyTyPS5 Running Some PS5 Games on PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/heres-the-playstation-5-emulator-kytyps5-runing-some-ps5-games-on-pc/
Earlier this month, I informed you about a PlayStation 5 emulator for the PC, called SharpEmu. However, that’s not the only PS5 emulator that is currently under development. KyTyPS5 is another one that has been in development for a longer time, and its latest version can run some PS5 games on PC.
YouTube’s ‘BrutalSam’ has shared the following video, showcasing the latest version of KyTyPS5. As we can see, KyTyPS5 can run both 3D and 2D games.
Going into more details, we get to see Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Terminator 2D: No Fate, and Marvel Cosmic Invasion. These three games appear to be fully playable. I could not spot any major visual issues with them.
And look, I know that these are “simple” games. However, this is a huge milestone for PS5 emulation. At the same time, it does not mean that we’ll be able to play Gran Turismo or Demon’s Souls Remake anytime soon.
>> The article has three videos.

PS1 Classic Syphon Filter Gets an Unofficial PC Port
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ps1-classic-syphon-filter-gets-an-unofficial-pc-port/
Syphon Filter is a classic third-person shooter that came out on the first PlayStation in 1999. And now, over two decades later, PC gamers can enjoy it on PC. Yes, in case you’re wondering, this is yet another unofficial PC port of an old console game.
Going into more details, this unofficial PC port comes with an English launcher with game-image selection, arbitrary internal resolution, aspect mode, fullscreen, MSAA, bilinear and anisotropic filtering. Moreover, it supports both KB&M and gamepads.
Since this is a third-person game, it’s quite refreshing to be playing it with a keyboard and mouse. This is something that some unofficial PC ports do not support at launch. So, I’m really happy to see day-1 support for KB&M.
It is also worth noting that this unofficial PC port has dynamic scene lighting layered over the authored PS1 vertex colours. Lights from lamps, fires, police cars, muzzle flashes, explosions, and Gabe’s flashlight now light up the environment, objects, and characters more naturally. The lighting fades smoothly over distance and reacts to nearby surfaces. Gabe, his allies, and enemies also cast dynamic shadows. These shadows move with the characters and appear correctly on floors, slopes, and moving platforms.
The PC port restores the original PS1-style HUD, inventory, objectives, parameters, weapon menus, and map screens. It also brings back the current position marker and active objective indicator. In addition, it fixes visual issues with pickups, grenade effects, and other temporary effects. The port also restores weapon muzzle flashes for both the player and enemies. First-person weapon effects now match the camera view correctly.
You can go ahead and download it from this link.
>> The article has an over 10 minutes video.

This Fallout 4 Mod Overhauls Gunplay With Fully Customizable Weapon & Movement Inertia
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-fallout-4-mod-overhauls-gunplay-with-fully-customizable-weapon-movement-inertia/
Modder ‘TheShinyHaxorus’ has released an amazing new mod for Fallout 4. This mod adds fully customizable inertia to first-person weapons and movement, along with other useful features to enhance Fallout 4’s FPS experience.
For those who did not know, the original version of Fallout 4 gives first-person weapons very little sense of weight. When you move, the weapon barely reacts, and there is only a small amount of camera lag.
If you have played games like Escape from Tarkov, Battlefield, or Call of Duty, you already know how much weapon inertia can improve the feel of combat. This mod brings that same idea to Fallout 4.
It uses a spring-based system that makes your hands and weapon move more naturally. As a result, aiming, strafing, sprinting, jumping, firing, and reloading all feel like you are carrying a weapon with real weight.
Going into even more details, the mod has both movement and camera inertia. When you turn, your weapon lags behind for a moment before settling into place. Your weapon also sways as you move forward, backward, left, or right, making movement feel more natural. The mod also adds walk direction offsets. This gives each movement direction its own small animation. These effects become much less noticeable when you aim down sights, helping you keep a steady view.
When the player starts or stops sprinting, or lands after a jump, the mod applies force to the weapon to make it feel less static. The mod also adds separate recovery effects for hip-fire and aiming down sights after shooting. Automatic weapons now build up additional movement during sustained fire.
And that’s not all. It includes different inertia effects for tactical and empty reloads, which are tied to configurable animation events. Heavier weapon attachments can increase the inertia compared to the base weapon. Finally, it supports leaning when used with UneducatedShooter.
All in all, this is a must-have mod for those who want to replay Fallout 4. If you are one of them, you can go ahead and download it from here. At the end of the article, you can also find a couple of videos. These will give you a pretty good idea of what you can expect from it, so be sure to watch them.

Diddy Kong Racing Gets Unofficial PC Port – Available for Download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/diddy-kong-racing-gets-unofficial-pc-port-available-for-download/
And here comes another unofficial PC port of a classic console game. Github’s ‘akratch’ has released an unofficial PC version of the Nintendo 64 kart racing game, Diddy Kong Racing.
This unofficial PC version has three presentation modes. Those are Pure, Restored, and Remastered.
Pure keeps the original 4:3 screen format and the game’s original field of view. It does not add any visual upgrades, giving players the classic N64 experience.
Restored keeps the original art style while adding modern improvements. It supports widescreen, supersampling, sharper HUD text at higher resolutions, anisotropic filtering, and mipmaps for cleaner textures.
Finally, Remastered builds on those upgrades with smoother SDF text, improved directional lighting for racers and character models, world shadows that match the terrain, and updated color grading for a cleaner and more polished look.
The desktop launcher supports both keyboard and gamepad controls. It also has clear menu focus and a UI scale that you can adjust from 0.75x to 2.00x.
The launcher works well even in a small 640×480 window. When space is limited, it switches to a compact layout so everything stays easy to use. It also updates its fonts automatically when you move the window between standard and HiDPI displays.
The game always runs at the original simulation speed used by DKR. And although you can change the frame rate if you want, the creator recommends using the Original mode for the best experience.
Those interested can go ahead and download this unofficial PC version of Diddy Kong Racing from here.
Like other fan-made PC ports, this project does not include any of the game’s original assets. This means that Nintendo will not be able to shut it down. It also means that you will need its US 1.1 or European 1.1 ROM file. Otherwise, it won’t work.
>> There’s a 10 minutes video in the article.

Pokemon Red, Blue & Yellow Get Stunning 3D Voxel PC Remakes
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/pokemon-red-blue-yellow-get-stunning-3d-voxel-pc-remakes/
Now here is something really special. Github’s ‘bryanthaboi’ has shared a new version of Gen1Recomp, which lets you enjoy Pokemon Red, Blue & Yellow on PC with 3D Voxel support.
This will be a dream come true for a lot of Pokemon fans. Much like Duke Nukem 3D Voxel or Doom 2 Voxel, Gen1Recomp creates 3D voxels based on the original sprites. Thus, you can enjoy these classic 2D Pokemon games in full 3D.
I cannot stress enough how game-changing this is. And yes, I’d love to see 3D voxels in pretty much all classic games. For instance, it would be cool to get 3D voxels in Blood or Shadow Warrior.
To enable the 3D voxels, once you are in-game, you’ll have to press “3”. Then you can use “4” to zoom through every level. Gen1Recomp also has Save/Load functionalities. You can find all of these settings in the Options menu, too.
Anyway, those interested can download the latest version of Gen1Recomp from here. As I said, it supports all three Game Boy Pokemon games. And like all the other fan-made PC ports, this project does not include any of the game’s original assets. This means that Nintendo will not be able to shut it down. So, to run it, you will need the canonical 1 MiB US Red, Blue, and Yellow ROM.
>> This article also has a 10 minutes video.

These Halo: Campaign Evolved Mods Bring Back the Classic Cortana
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/these-halo-campaign-evolved-mods-bring-back-the-classic-cortana/
A lot of players were disappointed with how Cortana looks in Halo: Campaign Evolved. Furthermore, some did not like the additional lines she got in the remake. And, as always, modders have managed to restore her.
So, we now have two must-have mods for everyone who wants the classic Cortana. The first mod restores Cortana’s face in all six pre-rendered cinematics to match the original concept art.
The second mod restores Cortana’s lines from Combat Evolved in their almost entirety, plus all of the hand-holding lines have been outright removed.
With these two mods, Cortana will look and sound just the way you remember her. So, if you are a die-hard Halo 1 fan, you should definitely get them. You can download them from here and here.
>> The article only has a very short video of the face restoring mod.

Nexus Mods finally tightens the screws on AI, though it's still playing softball with the tide of slop
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/nexus-mods-finally-tightens-the-screws-on-ai-though-its-still-playing-softball-with-the-tide-of-slop/
One particular draining effect that the swell of AI tools has had is in the modding community. Now, some might make the argument that modders are the most understandable group in game development for this sort of thing—after all, they're often fan hobbyists without the pull of a game development studio behind them.
In practice, though, AI has mostly just enabled unscrupulous modders to do things like rip voice actor's words for NSFW mods against their will, vibe code shaky mods, or—most irritatingly—flood sites with AI-generated slop art that offends anyone with taste.
Nexus Mods, which has previously been pretty open, has finally started to tighten the screws a little on AI usage. That's per a blog post that was dropped earlier this week, which reads: "Hello modders! We have been reviewing feedback for some time now regarding the usage of generative AI tools on Nexus Mods, and we've come to the decision that we need to make some changes following these user discussions.
>> You’ll have to read the article, or the blog post, in order find out the changes.

The maker of the Baldur's Gate 3 over-the-shoulder camera mod has gone to great lengths to demonstrate it's not like other third-person viewpoint solutions
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/the-maker-of-the-baldurs-gate-3-over-the-shoulder-camera-mod-has-gone-to-great-lengths-to-demonstrate-its-not-like-other-third-person-viewpoint-solutions/
Sometimes I understand why modders flame out, burn their bridges, and give up entirely. Every time I look at a posts page on Nexus Mods, for instance. A perfect example of this has been the reaction to Relysia's True Third-Person Camera mod for Baldur's Gate 3, a labor of love that gives the traditionally birdseye CRPG an over-the-shoulder viewpoint.
Baldur's Gate 3 already has a third-person mode, you might say. All you have to do is plug in a controller and the camera will drop for a more console-RPG experience. And if that's not good enough for you, there's the Native Camera Tweaks mod. Hundreds of people on the internet have been tiresomely pointing this out over the last couple of weeks, every single one of them convinced they are the first person to make this vital observation the rest of us need to read.
Relysia has seen these comments and then, with admirable patience, made an eight-minute video documenting all the ways their mod is different. For starters, with the True Third-Person Camera mod, you can look up. The viewpoint when you play with a controller is locked into a downward angle and can't be changed. Native Camera Tweaks does let you look up, but when you need to bounce back to a more distant view you have to manually adjust the camera, where True Third-Person Camera switches with a simple press of the asterisk key.
>> The article has the video, in case you want to learn all the differences.

Champion modder ports the OG 'Father' Nier back into the PC remaster, original voiceovers and all
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/champion-modder-ports-the-og-father-nier-back-into-the-pc-remaster-original-voiceovers-and-all/
Modder Elevna on the Nier Replicant Nexus has made my day with the full release of Nier Gestalt ver.1.22474487139…, a project that replaces the young protagonist of the cult classic's 2022 remaster with his grizzled, older counterpart from the 2010 original.
Let's back up: In Yoko Taro's vision for Nier, the titular protagonist (whose name you're allowed to change for some reason) was a waifish anime twink who kinda looks like Raiden from Metal Gear. This was during peak Xbox 360, the piss filter era, so Square Enix executives wanted a hero with a little more Unreal Engine 3 beefy masculinity to appeal to the west.
The compromise: Japan got two versions of Nier. Replicant on the PS3 boasted Yoko Taro's preferred "Brother" Nier, so named because he's siblings with fellow main character Yonah. The Xbox 360's Nier Gestalt featured "Father" Nier, who was aged up to his 40s, put on a powerlifting program, and made to be Yonah's dad. In the west, we basically only got Nier Gestalt no matter the console version.
Fast forward to 2022, and Nier gets a remaster because everybody took another look after the explosive success of Nier Automata and realized the original was always good⁠—I liked Nier before it was cool, and I'm not bitter about all those 6/10s it got. The cheekily named Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139… brought Brother Nier to the west for the first time, giving us oldheads something to get excited about (aside from finally having a PC version).
Here's the thing, though: Yoko Taro, I love you and your eccentric auteur purity, but just this once, the shadowy cabal of risk-averse, art-hating, shareholder-worshipping executives was right. Father Nier is the man. Grizzled dads protecting their kids in the post apocalypse is played out, sure, but Father Nier is one of the high water marks of the form⁠—not the least because he's kind of an asshole who sucks and makes everything worse.
Nier shows a world well past its sell-by date, and while both Brother and Father Nier are men possessed by ungovernable rage, Papa Nier cuts it with this sense of mournful weariness that just ties a nice bow on the tragedy of it all. It's mostly sold by a career-best performance from prolific voice actor Jamieson Price, who I only just realized was also part of one of my favorite dialogue exchanges in any RPG.
There were rumblings Square Enix might do an official Father Nier DLC, but it never panned out. Cue Elevna's Gestalt mod, which offers a full, luxury Papa Nier experience in 2026. The original model is back and touched up, great, but Elevna also dug all of the audio files for Price's voiceover out of the original and ported them here, making the mod essential.
That would have been enough for me, but Elevna's attention to detail is truly impressive. Nier's alternate skins have also gotten Papa versions, and ver.1.22…'s bonus chapter now has repurposed voice lines from Price to smooth things over⁠—rewatching the chapter's cutscenes, Nier mostly makes small comments and combat barks that can easily be fudged. Elevna even ported back in relevant dialogue from other characters referencing Nier's age.
My favorite small detail: Nier's OG DLC (now just part of the game) features a dream arena where you fight as the other version of Nier⁠—Brother back in 2010, Papa in Replicant. Elevna's Gestalt mod swaps Brother Nier back in for the dream fights.
>> The article has one screenshot and a shorter than 3 minutes video.

GAMING NEWS

Square Enix Removed Denuvo From Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/square-enix-removed-denuvo-from-dragon-quest-vii-reimagined/
Square Enix has just removed the Denuvo anti-tamper tech from Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined was released on PC in February 2026. This means that it took six months to remove it.

Crimson Desert Patch 1.16.00 Released & Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/crimson-desert-patch-1-16-00-released-detailed/
Pearl Abyss has released Title Update 1.16.00 for its latest action adventure game, Crimson Desert, and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new patch brings to the table.

Beast of Reincarnation Has Been Leaked, Cracked & Pirated Before Its Official Release
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/beast-of-reincarnation-has-been-leaked-pirated-before-its-official-release/
Beast of Reincarnation is a highly anticipated game. Developed by GAME FREAKS, the devs behind the Pokemon games, this is a new IP that will officially come out on PC on August 3. However, it appears that the game has already been leaked and pirated.

Gears of War: E-Day Closed Beta Runs With 40-50FPS at 4K/Ultra on an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/gears-of-war-e-day-closed-beta-runs-with-44-50fps-at-4k-ultra-on-an-nvidia-geforce-rtx-5080/
Last month, Microsoft held a closed beta for Gears of War: E-Day. X user Ariel Combo took part in the test and shared several gameplay clips with a performance overlay. Thanks to these videos, we can get an early look at how the closed beta build runs on PC.



Please excuse my bad English.

Former gaming PC: i5-4670k@stock (for now), 16Gb RAM 1600 MHz and a GTX 1070

Current gaming PC: R5-7600, 32GB RAM 6000MT/s (CL30) and a RX 9060XT 16GB

Steam / Live / NNID : jonxiquet    Add me if you want, but I'm a single player gamer.