As we get closer to launch and we get more and more rumours about Nvidia's Ampere. I think the most credible rumour has been this original one because based on a lot of "leakers" it always came back to these specs. With that being said, since these were from over 6 months ago, the performance could increase of course from these initial expectations. So just remember to keep that in mind.



NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ampere Gaming Graphics Card Allegedly Up To 35% Faster Than Reference RTX 2080 Ti in 3DMark TimeSpy Benchmark. Salt of course

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-rtx-3080-ampere-gaming-graphics-card-allegedly-up-to-35-faster-than-rtx-2080-ti-in-3dmark-timespy/



The reason why it's cut off like that is cause wccftech's website is dumb. 3080Ti = 10,000

[Bloomberg] Nvidia in Advanced Talks to Buy SoftBank’s Chip Company Arm [Rumour]

https://www.reddit.com/r/hardware/comments/i16oyd/bloomberg_nvidia_in_advanced_talks_to_buy/

I linked to reddit cause Bloomberg has a paywall but this is another source so it could actually be happening.

We've finally reached the Friday news!

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

EA reports strong Q1 FY21 financial results thanks to FIFA, Madden NFL and APEX Legends MTX
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ea-reports-strong-q1-fy21-financial-results-thanks-to-fifa-madden-nfl-and-apex-legends-mtx/
Electronic Arts has announced the preliminary financial results for its first fiscal quarter ended June 30th. And, according to the publisher, Q1 FY21 was a very strong quarter, with net bookings up 17% year-over-year mainly thanks to microtransactions.
What this ultimately means is that even if publisher increase the price for their next-gen games – like 2K Games did – MTX will remain in all games. Seriously, all big publishers are making a lot of money via micro-transactions.
Going into more details, Apex Legends launched Season 5 with engagement reaching its highest levels since Season 1. Moreover, player acquisition for FIFA was up more than 100% year-over-year and up nearly 140% year-over-year in Madden NFL. Additionally, The Sims 4 has more than 30 million players across all platforms. Not only that, but daily, weekly, and monthly active player totals reached record highs for a first quarter.

20XX, Barony, and Sword & Sworcery are free for the week on the Epic Games Store
https://www.pcgamer.com/20xx-barony-and-sword-and-sworcery-are-free-for-the-week-on-the-epic-game-store/
A fresh batch of freebies has arrived on the Epic Games Store, and if you were paying attention last week you already know what they are. And if you weren't, I'm here to fill in the blanks.
>> And next week the free game will be Wilmot's Warehouse.

The Double Fine 20th Anniversary Bundle packs 19 games for less than $10
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-double-fine-20th-anniversary-bundle-packs-19-games-for-less-than-dollar10/
The latest Humble Bundle celebrates 20 years of existence for Double Fine, the studio responsible for some of the most celebrated point and click adventures of all time. But as you'll see, there's a lot more than pointing and clicking on offer, with 19 games available for $9 (AU$13).
>> This bundle will last another 13 days. And, at the Humble Store, there are another two sales:

• The Dodge, Dash, Slash sale brings up to 85% discounts for the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/dodge-dash-slash-/
• And the VR Sale features up to 93% deals during the next 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/vr-sale/

Fanatical has three new deals:

• The new Star Deal is Middle-earth: Shadow of War Definitive Edition, 78% off during the next 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/middle-earth-shadow-of-war-definitive-edition
• Warner Bros has put its games on sale, up to 82% off for the next 6 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/warner-bros.-games-inc.
• And there's a new Batman Arkham Bundle, with 3 games plus 1 DLC at a 82% discount for the next 5 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/batman-arkham-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Epic Games Store is now testing mod support in Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries
https://www.pcgamer.com/epic-games-store-is-now-testing-mod-support-in-mechwarrior-5-mercenaries/
Yesterday, the Epic Games Store began testing achievements in Ark: Survival Evolved. Today it announced another big step forward, this time in the form of mod support in the giant fighting robots game Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries.
(...)
An update to support the implementation of mods has been rolled out, and a dozen mods are already available.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

New HD Texture Pack for Skyrim Special Edition removes compression artifacts & bad bicubic upscaling
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/new-hd-texture-pack-for-skyrim-special-edition-removes-compression-artifacts-bad-bicubic-upscaling/
A couple of days ago, we informed you about an uncompressed HD Texture Pack for the original version of Skyrim. This ESRGAN AI-enhanced pack aimed to remove compression artifacts and bad bicubic upscaling from the default textures. And today, we are happy to report that a similar texture pack of it is available for Skyrim Special Edition.
Now contrary to the Skyrim Legacy version, this time modder ‘kartoffel’ has offered a compression version of his mod. The compressed version of this HD Texture Pack is 5.7GB in size, whereas the uncompressed version is 10GB in size. Not only that, but this HD Texture Pack requires 500MB less VRAM than the official HD Texture Pack for Skyrim Special Edition.
Going into more details, this AI-enhanced Texture Pack uses a new modern compression, BC7. Thanks to this, the modder was able to improve the textures and decrease the game’s VRAM requirements. Moreover, Skyrim Special Edition uses one of the worst method of upscaling for SLE textures.
>> If you're interested, you'll find it at Nexus Mods.

This farming mod turns Satisfactory into Stardew Valley
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-farming-mod-turns-satisfactory-into-stardew-valley/
Surprisingly, Satisfactory and Stardew Valley have a lot in common. In both the open-world factory builder and wholesome farming sim, organisation and efficiency are key to creating the perfect production line. Satisfactory is focused on elaborate machine assembly lines, however, leaving you no time to grow tasty produce. This farming mod created by mrhid6 fixes that.
The mod lets Satisfactory players plant and grow crops alongside their industrial empire. You'll get seeds for wheat, potatoes, carrots, cotton, pumpkins, corn, and yosse berries, letting you fill up your larder with hearty food.
You can also use a composter to turn organic material into fertiliser and a cooker to bake bread, pies, and muffins. More mechanical assistance comes in the form of a greenhouse that can be upgraded to water your crops for you. Looks like Satisfactory players will never have to learn the pains of perfecting a sprinkler layout.

GAMING NEWS

Hellpoint day-1 patch fixes FPS drops, resolves crashes, improves performance
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/hellpoint-day-1-patch-fixes-fps-drops-resolves-crashes-improves-performance/
tinyBuild has just released Cradle Games’ sci-fi Dark Souls-inspired action RPG, Hellpoint on the PC. Moreover, the publisher has revealed the changelog for the game’s day-1 update that is currently available.

FAIRY TAIL PC Port is almost as bad as Atelier Ryza, does not support mouse look
https://www.dsogaming.com/articles/fairy-tail-pc-port-is-almost-as-bad-as-atelier-ryza-does-not-support-mouse-look/
Koei Tecmo Games and GUST Studios have just released FAIRY TAIL on the PC. These two teams have previously worked on Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout. As we’ve reported, the PC port of Atelier Ryza was awful. And, as the title suggests, FAIRY TAIL PC is in most regards as bad as Atelier Ryza PC.

First proper gameplay trailer released for Dirt 5, showcases Stampede mode
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-proper-gameplay-trailer-dirt-5-stampede-mode/
Codemasters has finally released a proper gameplay trailer for Dirt 5. In this latest, work-in-progress trailer, we get a first look at a Stampede track in action, based in between the iconic Arizona buttes.

Here is over an hour of gameplay footage from Project CARS 3
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-is-over-an-hour-of-gameplay-footage-from-project-cars-3/
Codemasters and Slightly Mad Studios have lifted the embargo for Project CARS 3’s previews. Therefore, you can find below some gameplay videos, showcasing this new upcoming racing game in action.

Friday news, part two:

Watch out for Cyberpunk 2077 beta scams
https://www.pcgamer.com/watch-out-for-cyberpunk-2077-beta-scams/
Cyberpunk 2077 is still a few months away, so scammers are trying to take advantage of eager prospective players, offering them a chance to play early in a non-existent beta. CD Projekt Red posted a warning via the Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account that it wasn't sending out beta invites and reiterated that it has no plans for a beta.

Spiritfarer shows off its playful platforming in a new teaser
https://www.pcgamer.com/spiritfarer-shows-off-its-playful-platforming-in-a-new-teaser/
Thunder Lotus Games has released a new teaser trailer for its upcoming boat-life simulator Spiritfarer and it looks as charming than ever. The teaser shows more character activities, serene locations, and a whole lot of platforming. Check out the trailer above for your daily dose of wholesomeness.

Drone Swarm lets you command 32,000 drones in space
https://www.pcgamer.com/drone-swarm-lets-you-command-32000-drones-in-space/
Rather than smashing together big armadas, Drone Swarm's space battles pit 32,000 individually simulated drones—controlled by you—against alien ships determined to wipe out the last humans. It's also a collaboration between developer stillalive and 451 Media, co-founded by Michael Bay, which produced the story trailer, above.

Forever Ago is a 'road trip adventure' about an old man and his dog
https://www.pcgamer.com/forever-ago-is-a-road-trip-adventure-about-an-old-man-and-his-dog/
Forever Ago is a game that, for me at least, gives off a vibe similar to Firewatch, What Remains of Edith Finch, and maybe a little Gone Home or Last Day of June: Beautiful, warm, and melancholy, it's a singleplayer "road trip adventure" about an old man, a dog, a van, and a search for redemption following a tragic twist of fate.

Hyper Scape is launching with its first season on August 11
https://www.pcgamer.com/hyper-scape-is-launching-with-its-first-season-on-august-11/
Hyper Scape, Ubisoft's battle royale, was only announced a month ago, but it's already hurtling towards release. Currently in open beta, it will officially launch on PC, Xbox One, and PS4 on August 11.

3v3 hero shooter Rocket Arena is free to play for the weekend
https://www.pcgamer.com/3v3-hero-shooter-rocket-arena-is-free-to-play-for-the-weekend/
Rocket Arena is a colorful and boisterous 3v3 arena hero shooter that arrived earlier this month. With small maps, short rounds, and no deaths—rockets don't hurt you, they just knock you briefly out of play—the action is pretty much constant from start to finish. You can watch a preview below (and here on YouTube) from when I tried it out back in June.

Stardew Valley boxed edition besets us with a sudden, irrational need to own a pretend farm deed
https://www.pcgamer.com/stardew-valley-boxed-edition-besets-us-with-a-sudden-irrational-need-to-own-a-pretend-farm-deed/
Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone announced today that he's collaborating with Fangamer on a boxed collector's edition of the game, and it looks sweet.

Star Wars: Squadrons is $40 because it doesn't have the 'breadth' of bigger EA games
https://www.pcgamer.com/star-wars-squadrons-is-dollar40-because-it-doesnt-have-the-breadth-of-bigger-ea-games/
Electronic Arts said in June that the upcoming starfighter sim Star Wars: Squadrons will have "zero microtransactions," which was kind of surprising given the number of cosmetics that pilots will apparently be able to spiff up their ships with. Also surprising is that the purchase price is $40, significantly lower than, for instance, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, or the new Madden and FIFA games, all of which clock in at $60. Even Battlefield 5, which is coming up on two years old, costs more than Squadrons.

Fight mechs and bears in Iron Harvest's open beta
https://www.pcgamer.com/fight-mechs-and-bears-in-iron-harvests-open-beta/
If you've not made any plans this weekend, you might want to consider smashing armies of mechs, desperate soldiers and ferocious animals together in Iron Harvest, now in open beta.

343 Industries is working to address Halo Infinite graphics criticism
https://www.pcgamer.com/343-industries-is-working-to-address-halo-infinite-graphics-criticism/
Halo Infinite caught some flack recently, following the campaign reveal during the Xbox Games Showcase. Complaints included the lighting, low texture detail and a general flatness, with the consensus being that it doesn't look very next-gen. 343 Industries has addressed the criticism in a community update.

Halo Infinite multiplayer is free-to-play, according to retailer listing
https://www.pcgamer.com/halo-infinite-multiplayer-is-free-to-play-according-to-retailer-listing/
On its Xbox Series X page, retailer Smyths Toys briefly posted some new details about Halo Infinite. Of particular interest is the claim that it will apparently feature a "free-to-play multiplayer experience." The section has since been removed from the page, but not before it was captured for posterity.

Free-to-play RPG cyberpunkdreams gets a debut trailer and beta registration
https://www.pcgamer.com/free-to-play-rpg-cyberpunkdreams-gets-a-debut-trailer-and-beta-registration/
Despite my penchant for drooling over screenshots of Cyberpunk 2077's Night City, I don't really equate cyberpunk with flashy visuals. My favourite bits of cyberpunk media, when they're not exclusively text, are cards games and isometric RPGs. Text-based RPG cyberpunkdreams has piqued my interest, then, and is conveniently now letting prospective players sign up for the beta.

New Football Manager games are coming this year, just later than planned
https://www.pcgamer.com/new-football-manager-games-are-coming-this-year-just-later-than-planned/
Football Manager developer Sports Interactive has been quiet about the status of its sporty management sim lately, but studio director Miles Jacobson has broken the silence with an update confirming that new Football Manager games are still coming this year.

And these are the GOG and Steam deals for the weekend:

+GOG

• The Weekly Sale brings up to 90% discounts on RPG sales: https://www.gog.com/promo/grand_rpg_sale
• The Midweek Sale and its 90% discounts will last another 22 hours: https://www.gog.com/promo/20200729_midweek_sale
• The first of the two Weekend Sales is an Interplay Classics Sale with up to 65% discounts: https://www.gog.com/promo/interplay_weekend
• The second Weekend Sale involves Piko Interactive and the classic games they've brought back, with up to 65% discounts: https://www.gog.com/promo/piko_interactive_weekend
• And there's also the release of a new game: Hellpoint, with a 10% discount until August 6: https://www.gog.com/game/hellpoint

+Steam

• The new daily deal is Onimusha: Warlords, 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/761600/Onimusha_Warlords/
• The first of the weekend sales is Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout, 39% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1121560/Atelier_Ryza_Ever_Darkness__the_Secret_Hideout/
• Cooking Simulator is 40% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/641320/Cooking_Simulator/
• The Crew 2, that has a demo, gets a 75% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/646910/The_Crew_2/
• Trials of Mana, that also has a demo, is 20% off until Tuesday: https://store.steampowered.com/app/924980/Trials_of_Mana/
• Quantum League, still in Early Access, is free to try during the weekend and 50% off until August 6: https://store.steampowered.com/app/651150/Quantum_League/
• And of course, there's also the weeklong deals.

That's all folks! Have a happy and gaming weekend.

Nice. I've been wanting to jump back into Skyrim. What better time than to try with out new texture overhaul. Not played that for a while. Its crazy that that people are still making mods for it lol

Hoping that 35% performance for 3080 > 2080ti is true. That's quite some jump. Maybe we can expect 3070 should be somewhat maybe 15% faster than 2080.

Well, it's easy to keep working on that game when they haven't launched anything worth playing since then.

Yeah can't believe it's already been 9 years since Skyrim. And it's going to be another 4 years wait at least for Elder Scrolls 6. That's some Square Enix style development cycle.

AMD’s Big Navi GPU Codenamed ‘Sienna Cichlid’ Will Allegedly Feature 5120 Stream Processors. Salttt

https://wccftech.com/amds-big-navi-gpu-codenamed-sienna-cichlid-will-allegedly-feature-5120-stream-processors/

RPCS3: Introducing Online Play via PSN Emulation!

That is huge for Ps3 emulation!

Maybe in 8k RT benchmarks, otherwise probably not.

With RT definitely, these new cards are going to give considerably better RT performance; if rumours are to be believed. I know youtubers, rumours - pinch of salt and all that (think main sources are from Red Gaming Tech and MLID). Will be a huge jump for me in any case 1070 to >..... lol