The Tuesday news, all in one post:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Steam has two new daily deals, three sales and the weeklong deals:

• The first daily deal is Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, 30% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1337010/Alba_A_Wildlife_Adventure/
• The second daily deal is Partisans 1941, 75% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1227530/Partisans_1941/
• The first Midweek Madness is Call to Arms (in all its forms and bundles), up to 72% off until March 17: https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/15829/Call_to_Arms__Complete/
• Foundation, still in Early Access, is going to be 25% off until Friday 18: https://store.steampowered.com/app/690830/Foundation/
• The jRPG Sale features up to 80% discounts until next Monday: https://store.steampowered.com/category/rpg_jrpg/
• And here are some of the weeklong deals:
  • Bright Memory: Infinite gets a 20% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1178830/Bright_Memory_Infinite/
  • 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel is 35% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1349230/5D_Chess_With_Multiverse_Time_Travel/
  • Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas is 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/339200/Oceanhorn_Monster_of_Uncharted_Seas/
  • SCARLET NEXUS, that has a demo, gets a 60% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/775500/SCARLET_NEXUS/
  • Capcom puts its games up to 80% off: https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/capcom/sale/CapcomPubSale
  • And the Egosoft games/X franchise get up to 90% discounts: https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/egosoft/sale/egosoft_midweek

The Humble Store has two new sales:

• The Undead Sale features up to 90% discounts during the next 6 days. There are keys for Steam, GOG (2), UPlay (1) and EGS (1): https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/the-undead-sale/
• The Best of Bandai Namco Sale comes with up to 95% discounts. All the keys are for Steam: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/best-of-bandai-sale/

And Fanatical has two new flash deals and a new bundle:

• The first flash deal is Project Arrhythmia, 33% off during the next 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/project-arrhythmia
• The second flash deal is The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, 37% off for the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/the-great-ace-attorney-chronicles
• The bundle is the Journey Bundle, featuring 9 games split in two tiers of 5 and 9 games with up to 75% discounts: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/journey-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Grand Theft Auto 5 – PS5 vs PC Vanilla vs PC Modded Graphics Comparison
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/grand-theft-auto-5-ps5-vs-pc-vanilla-vs-pc-modded-graphics-comparison/
YouTube’s ‘GameV’ and ‘rampage TV’ shared videos that compare the PS5 Enhanced Edition of Grand Theft Auto 5 with the PC version. These videos will give you an idea of the visual differences between these two versions.
The first video compares the PS5 version with the default PC version (running at Ultra settings). As we can see, this new PS5 version looks a bit better than the PC Ultra version. Still, and for an Enhanced Edition, this feels a bit underwhelming.
The second video compares the PS5 version with the PC version using the NaturalVision Evolved Mod. And, unsurprisingly enough, the PC version looks sharper and better in every way. The snowy environments, in particular, look SO MUCH BETTER on PC.

Lara Croft comes to Final Fantasy 7 Remake thanks to this mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/lara-croft-comes-to-final-fantasy-7-remake-thanks-to-this-mod/
Now here is something cool for our Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy 7 Remake fans. Modder ‘Raq’ has released a mod that brings Tomb Raider’s protagonist, Lara Croft, to the world of Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
In short, this is a character swap mod. Raq used Lara’s 3D model from Lara Croft: Temple of Osiris in order to replace the default 3D model for Tifa Lockhart.
Ironically, Lara’s 3D model from Lara Croft: Temple of Osiris feels quite good in FF7R. To be honest, I’m really surprised by the results. It also makes more sense to use this model and not the one used in the main Tomb Raider trilogy. After all, this model has a more “animated” look.

Elden Ring gets 'easy mode' mod, another modder makes 'hard mode' mod in protest
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/elden-ring-gets-easy-mode-mod-another-modder-makes-hard-mode-mod-in-protest/
Debate over whether Elden Ring is too easy or too hard will likely rage until the very end of the world, but whichever side of the fence you stand on: there's a mod for that. Whether you're bashing your head against the walls of Stormveil or finding the whole affair a bit too breezy, two new mods add difficulty modifiers to Elden Ring to suit your purposes.

GAMING NEWS

New STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN screenshots showcase characters, enemies & environments
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/new-stranger-of-paradise-final-fantasy-origin-showcase-characters-enemies-environments/
Square Enix has released a new set of screenshots for STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN, showcasing some of its characters, enemies and environments.

Steam's latest hit is a co-op survival game blending Stardew Valley, Terraria, and Valheim
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/steams-latest-hit-is-a-co-op-survival-game-blending-stardew-valley-terraria-and-valheim/
It's hard to summarize everything going on in Core Keeper, but I'd say it's sort of a blend of Stardew Valley, Terraria, and Minecraft, with a bit of Valheim and even some Factorio thrown in for good measure. Plus, it's all set deep underground in the dark… but somehow that doesn't stop it from feeling quite cozy and charming.

70% of Elden Ring players have conquered the first tough boss
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/70-of-elden-ring-players-have-conquered-the-first-tough-boss/
Elden Ring hasn't even been with us for a full three weeks yet, but players are making surprisingly good progress through The Lands Between. For veteran Souls players and newcomers alike, Stormveil Castle boss Margit the Fell Omen represented the game's first major skill check. He's a tough boss—tough enough to send a lot of players back out into the wild to explore and level up for 10 or 20 hours before coming back to stomp on his oversized scorpion tail.

Elden Ring Deathblight builds are ruining PvP
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/elden-ring-deathblight-builds-are-ruining-pvp/
Elden Ring's PvP has been busted open by players who have discovered an Elden Ring build that's nearly unstoppable. Using a specific weapon and spell, these players are able to repeatedly stack a debuff on enemies that instantly kills them, and what's worse: if done correctly, it can lock you in animations so that you never die unless you force quit the game.

$1 million clipart rock NFT accidentally sold for less than a cent
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/dollar1-million-clipart-rock-nft-accidentally-sold-for-less-than-a-cent/
NFTs are one of the most controversial tech things around at the moment, and for good reason. Artificial scarcity in digital spaces seems to be all the rage, and trading jpegs on the blockchain for stupid amounts of money is popular for some reason. But mistakes can always be made, often by user error, and that's how one NFT-rader got fractions of a cent for their rock jpeg that was valued at closer $1 million.
>> Ha, ha, ha, ha... *inhales*... ha, ha, ha, ha!

Rainbow Six Siege's new Operator could change up the meta forever
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/rainbow-six-sieges-new-operator-could-change-up-the-meta-forever/
The latest Rainbow Six Siege Operator can use her gadget to change the layout of the entire map on the fly. Heading to the game at the start of Year 7 Season 1, Azami promises to be a powerful Defender pick.

Square Enix wants to know how to make Babylon's Fall a better game
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/square-enix-wants-to-know-how-to-make-babylons-fall-a-better-game/
If you didn't know Babylon's Fall—the live-service action RPG from Platinum Games and Square Enix—released at the beginning of March then I wouldn't worry, I'm not sure anyone realised.
(...)
A survey went out on March 14 with questions specifically targeting the game's graphics (thanks, VGC). The multiple-choice questionnaire targets things like character and map design, equipment design (presumably including the armour sets gifted by Final Fantasy 14 director and producer Naoki Yoshida), the game's "oil painting 'brushwork' style" as well as battle effects and the overall UI. The survey also asks which parts of Babylon Fall make the game worthwhile to recommend to a friend and what graphical changes would convince players to further recommend it.

Future Games Show's Spring Showcase announces hosts and details content
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/future-games-shows-spring-showcase-announces-hosts-and-details-content/
The Future Games Show: Spring Showcase, presented by GamesRadar+, returns on March 24 with an exclusive look at some of the most exciting games coming this year. The show will feature more than 40 games, including eight new reveals from publishers such as Frontier Foundry, Nacon, and a showcase from Team17.

Microsoft DirectStorage API is now available on PC

https://videocardz.com/press-release/microsoft-directstorage-api-is-now-available-on-pc

AMD announces new Ryzen 5000 and 4000 series processors, AMD 300-series motherboards to support Ryzen 5000 series

https://videocardz.com/press-release/amd-announces-new-ryzen-5000-and-4000-series-processors-amd-300-series-motherboards-to-support-ryzen-5000-series

Thank you AMD

Intel to officially announce its first Arc Alchemist graphics cards for laptops on March 30th

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-to-officially-announce-its-first-arc-alchemist-graphics-cards-for-laptops-on-march-30th

ELDEN RING is the biggest new IP in Europe since The Division in 2016. The FromSoftware game sold best on PC, representing 44% of total sales. Then it's PS5 with 27%, then Xbox (16%) and finally PS4 (13%).

Insane how many people bought it on PC compared to other platforms, especially considering how shat the performance was.

Microsoft is testing ads in the Windows 11 File Explorer

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-is-testing-ads-in-the-windows-11-file-explorer/

While it's unlikely it will get implemented... Fuck you MS

Ghostwire: Tokyo PC Impressions – DLSS, FSR, and Ray Tracing Support Confirmed

https://wccftech.com/ghostwire-tokyo-pc-impressions-dlss-fsr-and-ray-tracing-support-confirmed/


AMD Unveils Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU For $449 US, Also Intros AM4 Desktop Refresh Starting at $99 US, Launch Next Month

https://wccftech.com/amd-unveils-ryzen-7-5800x3d-cpu-for-449-us-also-intros-am4-desktop-refresh-starting-at-99-us-launch-next-month/

So, now it's a matter of waiting until some devs patch their games with DirectStorage and then someone else does a proper benchmark to see the benefits and improvements of the tech, other than the obvious faster loading times.

Good for AMD to finally release the remaining processors of their lineup, even if they arrive late and some prices are "debatable". At least they're bringing support for the new chips to older motherboards.

Oh, and yeah, if MSoft puts ads in Windows, they can go f*ck themselves.

This is going to be a repeat of DX 12, where we have to wait for untold years for devs to "get it right", and then we eventually hear from some devs that MS didn't make it clearer or easy for them to implement, then radio silence, then MS coming out a few yrs after saying they'll make it better for devs, and then we go back to waiting a few more years.

I wish this was one of those moments where devs and MS are going to be like "yeah, we dig this cool tech, let's use it asap", instead of a quiet fart in the wind. 

Also, MS blabbing on about "DS is better for Windows 11, hint hint, nudge nudge" is not going to get me to drop Windows 10 and jump to 11, not when it took them some years to tinker with 10, the same is already happening with 11, so there's no real reason for me to jump OS at this moment, certainly not with my current hw. 

It's waaaay to early to start dooming this tech, more so given that the newer consoles already use some variation of this tech and devs will want to use it on PC as wewll to simplify the development.

My guess is most developers going to wait till Microsoft implement GPU-accelerated Decompression instead of writing special code to do it.  Don't seem like something developer going to be willing to spend the time doing if Microsoft going to build it into the API in near future and without it not sure there enough benefit to implement directx storage.

https://www.techpowerup.com/292951/microsoft-directstorage-api-available-but-without-gpu-accelerated-decompression

Steam Deck Review: So much potential with so many issues

This will be a long one so I will do a TLDR and then post my reasoning after:

The Goods:
- It's very comfortable. Yes it's bigger and heavier than the switch but the ergonomics and distribution of the weight is really good.
- The speakers are insane. Better than a lot of laptop speakers that I have heard over the years.
- Suspend and Resume puts Windows to shame. Microsoft should be ahsamed of themselves for not having this function. It makes me want to throw away my computer.
- Games loading from Microsd is very seamless.
- RTS and Unverified games can sometimes work extraordinarily well.
- When it all comes together, it can be an Euphoric experience.

The Bads:
- The fan is super loud because of how high pitched it is. If you are in a quiet room like in a workplace, it will be 100% distracting to others. The only good thing about it is that when you are in an empty area in Elden Ring and the fan ramps up, you know shit is about to go down. PS: The fan runs no matter what you are doing so even if you are doing something basic like watching youtube, you will hear it.
- Steam OS is janky AF
- And because Steam OS is janky AF, Windows issues mentioned in the Linus Tech Tips video makes the situation much worse.
- I tried PPSSPP with FFVII Crisis Core and oh boy, that audio crackling is not a fun experience.
- They need to revamp their verified games list because from my experience, verified games doesn't actually mean they will run well such as Sonic Generations in Seaside Hill. That shit drops to 15 fps.

Here is the long version. Strap in boys as there's a lot to cover... For better or for worse...

I was using my Steam Deck for the better part of yesterday and I am going to break it down into 3 tasks:

TASK 1: Setup the Steam Deck and Play Elden Ring (The good experience)

Got the Steam Deck, started doing the initial setup. This is when you start to notice the fan's high pitched noise and as it goes through the install process and it ramps up more and more... You are already thinking to yourself, can I live with this? Anyway, after the setup was complete and I updated to the latest version until there were no more updates. And then I installed Elden Ring and my 512GB microsd card. It was a smooth experience. I was getting the feel of the Deck and touching all of it's parts and it really feels great. They put a lot of work into making it feel comfortable and it shows. Once the download was complete, I loaded it up. I got generally 30-40 fps during my Elden ring play through at med-high settings but I capped it to 30. It did have some minor drops during intense moments below 30 but the frame pacing was excellent so never felt any stutters or anything like that. I even managed to beat a boss which is saying something.

This is also when you notice how god tier the speakers really are. They are simply incredible. By far the best speakers I have heard in a long time on a handheld. The vibrations/heptics are meh and the display is good. I do think the analog sticks might give issues for people with smaller hands, especially kids but overall, it's pretty good. When you load up a game, it also shows a preview of which buttons and etc you will be using on the Steam Deck to play which is a nice touch.

TASK 2: Install PPSSPP/CEMU and Play Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core (The bad experience)

So the goal is to install PPSSPP/CEMU and download a ROM just to see how it goes. First I tried through RetroArch but for some reason, the PPSSPP core doesn't want to download from the Steam Store. Alright based on the reviews, the best way to download an emulator is through the discover app. So I exited Steam UI and went onto the desktop. I opened up Discover and oh look, a Search Bar. I hit the search bar and waited for the on-screen Keyboard to pop up... And it never did... Maybe a reboot? Tried that but still don't see any keyboard. There is one on Steam UI but nothing is popping up. After some googling, it looks like the only way to activate the keyboard on desktop mode is to press Steam Key + X as long as Steam is running. Alright lets give that a try! Did that and boom, keyboard! Yay! Hit the search button on the Discover app and... The keyboard goes behind the Window??? What? After some more googling, people are saying yes, the keyboard is total junk and to install the CoreKeyboard from the Discover app. Alright did that! Now we have a functioning keyboard!

Searched PPSSPP and installed the latest version. Then I went to a ROM site and downloaded Crisis Core with Firefox. Now to open it, I need to find it on the lets call it Steam's Start menu. I hid the keyboard because it was now on top of the task bar, hit the start button and the CoreKeyboard doesn't pop up when I click on Search. So then I go to manually toggle it and the Start menu closes... Alright fine, let me just manually find PPSSPP like it was the 1980s. I opened that up and loaded up Crisis Core. Played a level and started hearing audio crackling issues throughout. And then I realized, wait, how do I exit? On the Steam UI, you exit through the Steam Key but on Steam Desktop, it doesn't work. Guess I will reboot? Least the reboot is very fast.

After boot, alright, lets try a different approach. Added PPSSPP to Steam and ran it on the Steam UI. Bingo, now we can exit as we please but the audio crackling issue with Crisis Core still exists. I tried various suggestions such as changing from Vulkhan to OpenGL and such but nothing seems to fix it. I loaded up the game on my Windows laptop with the very same version and such and it works flawlessly right from the gecko. Didn't even bother with CEMU at this point.

TASK 3: Play some random games (The excitement, the disappointment and the conclusion)

Lets focus back onto the Steam UI instead since that is where the bread and butter seems to be. I tried 3 random games just to see what will happen. Disgaea PC (Not Verified), Age of Mythology (RTS + Not Verified) and Sonic Generations (Verified). I loaded up Disgaea and the controls didn't seem to work initially but I downloaded a recommended controller configuration and boom, flawless! Next I tried Age of Mythology. Old game and RTS, that should be interesting? It works stupidly good. While not as good as a keyboard/mouse obviously, you can manage this with the trackpad and triggers. It works really well. And Sonic Generations... A Verified title... I loaded it up and hit continue, started playing the level it loaded from which was Seaside Hill. And wow is it bad. frequent drops to 15 fps. Sometimes 5 fps. What the heck? How did this get past the verification?

And this is when you realize that verification is basically meaningless. Idk what their current method is but it sounds like they are playing one or two levels and moving on. Considering how terrible Linux compatibility can be, this isn't good. And the truth is that 95% of the issues that Steam Deck has with software could have been resolved simply by installing Windows. Things just works on Windows but depending on what you are trying to do on Linux, it can take 10 times longer and it still might not work. But Valve decided to gimp the Windows experience. So what we are left with is a device that has a solid concept but the execution ends up being very poor. And even if you are able to get over the software hump, good luck with the fan.

So would I recommend the Steam Deck? Nope. Maybe in 3 months? Maybe in 6 months? Maybe in a year? Maybe when Steam Deck 2 comes out that fixes a lot of these gen 1 issues? But until then, I can't recommend it because what you are getting now will leave a bad taste imo on a concept that may one day revolutionize PC gaming. Who knows, with some luck, another company like Alienware might come out with a PC handheld with Windows that will truly be fap worthy.

Internal Steam Release Dates Apparently Leaked via API
https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/internal-steam-release-dates-apparently-leaked-via-api
Internal Steam release dates have apparently been leaked via the Steam API, providing insight on when we can expect some of the most anticipated games to come out in 2022 and beyond.

Some examples, I think the Bloodlines 2 date is rather optimistic.

Take heed that these dates can change or be placeholders.

I'm just going by how they've treated DX 12 for years, as well as what Xbox game bar and game mode were going to be, as well as GPU scheduling going absolutely nowhere (most people suggest leaving it on, but even GN a year or two ago had little proof of it actually doing anything and to this day, that still irks the hell out of me).

if devs want to use it, then we'd better hope we see them pushing for it's use, making mention of it in interviews etc, really giving it the elbow grease push that it clearly needs. I don't want a big shebang and then it fading into obscurity like Game bar and game mode have over the years, I actually want to see it in the majority of games going forward.

But I gotta stress that track record, it's glaringly noticeable...