"The City Sample is a free downloadable sample project that reveals how the city scene from The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience was built. The project—which consists of a complete city with buildings, vehicles, and crowds of MetaHuman characters—demonstrates how we used new and improved systems in Unreal Engine 5 to create the experience. In addition to the complete sample, the content is available in separate packs, so you can download just the vehicles, for example."

I was hoping we'd get access to that city environment. Looking forward to playing around with it.

Honey might be the key to cooler, more efficient, biodegradable chips
https://www.pcgamer.com/honey-might-be-the-key-to-cooler-more-efficient-biodegradable-chips/
Honey could be the next material used to create brain-like computer chips. Its proven practicality marks another step toward creating efficient, renewable processors for neuromorphic computing systems, using biodegradable products.

First Starfield Companion 'Vasco' Revealed
https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/first-starfield-companion-vasco-revealed
The first Starfield companion "Vasco" has been revealed in a new short video detailing its capabilities, weaponry, and design.

The Wednesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG has two new flash deals and the Midweek Sale:

• The first flash deal is INSOMNIA: The Ark, 60% off until Friday: https://www.gog.com/en/game/insomnia_the_ark
• The second flash deal is Tokyo Xanadu eX+, 80% off during the next 46 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/tokyo_xanadu_ex
• The Midweek Sale features "Games in a high fantasy setting" with up to 90% discounts during 4 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20220406_midweek_sale

Steam has two new daily deals:

• The first one is Train Station Renovation, that has a demo, 40% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/914010/Train_Station_Renovation/
• The other one is Embr, with an 80% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1062830/Embr/

Fanatical has two new deals:

• The new Star Deal is EXAPUNKS, 55% off during the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/exapunks
• And PQube puts its games up to 85% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/pqube-limited

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

-Empty as well-

GAMING NEWS

Take a look at The Coalition’s new Unreal Engine 5 tech demo
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/take-a-look-at-the-coalitions-new-unreal-engine-5-tech-demo/
At Epic Games’ The State of Unreal 2022, The Coalition showcased a new tech demo using Unreal Engine 5. And while this tech demo does not represent any of the games that the team is working on, it can at least give you an idea of what it aims to achieve.

New screenshots surface from the canceled “Call of Duty” Doom 4 game
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/new-screenshots-surface-from-the-canceled-call-of-duty-doom-4-game/
In case you weren’t aware, id Software was working on a Call of Duty-inspired Doom game (before ditching it in favor of the amazing Doom 2016 reboot). And yesterday, some new screenshots surfaced from it.
>> They're only 3 screenshots of a character model.

Konami admits that it rushed eFootball 2022 in order to release it
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/konami-admits-that-it-rushed-efootball-2022-in-order-to-release-it-as-soon-as-possible/
Konami issued a new press release today, announcing the release of Version 1.0.0 of eFootball 2022. In that press release, the company has finally admitted what most of us suspected. Instead of focusing on the quality of the game, Konami rushed its development so that it could release it as soon as possible.
>> I am shocked!.

Wednesday news, part two:

The spiritual successor to Hypnospace Outlaw takes you back to the '00s internet
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/the-spiritual-successor-to-hypnospace-outlaw-takes-you-back-to-the-00s-internet/
Hypnospace Outlaw is one of the coolest and oddest games of recent years, as well as being one of the best detect-'em-ups there is. Our review at the time praised its world, constructed around the early internet experience, as "a joyous explosion of art, music, creativity, and weirdness, and a pleasure to explore. And it's a nice reminder of when the internet felt like a cool underground club, rather than a pervasive Hell from which there is no escape."
During what was basically a Hypnospace Direct today, a spiritual sequel to the game was announced, called Dreamsettler, alongside a rather wild-looking spinoff called, ahem, Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer. Vengance is not a typo.

Call of Duty: Vanguard glitch has players wall-running like Titanfall
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/call-of-duty-vanguard-glitch-has-players-wall-running-like-apex/
Everything old is new again, as an old Call of Duty glitch has suddenly reappeared slap-bang in the middle of COD: Vanguard. The various COD games are continually playing whack-a-mole with bugs of course, even if the days of the recurring infinite stim glitch seem over, and this latest is a bit of a classic: so much so I'm not even sure which entry it originated in, though it's always popped up in the Zombies modes.
Essentially, at the moment a player should be killed, they instead are transported to a nearby wall (alive) and can then continue to play at a 90 degree angle. Anyone who's played COD will be familiar with the way the screen kind of keels over at the point of death, and clearly that is happening here but not quite playing out the way it should.

F1 Delta Time, one of the first major NFT games, has shut down
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/f1-delta-time-one-of-the-first-major-nft-games-has-shut-down/
F1 Delta Time, which launched back in 2019 and was one of the first-ever licensed NFT games, has shut down. Animoca Brands announced the game's closure on March 15, just one day before the game spun off the track of success and ploughed into the barrier of oblivion.

Ubisoft ends Ghost Recon Breakpoint updates
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/ubisoft-ends-ghost-recon-breakpoint-updates/
Ghost Recon Breakpoint was a mess at launch—"tedious and confused," we said in our 40% review —but Ubisoft stuck with it through fixes, updates, and the launch of a Friends Pass and free trial edition. There hasn't been any real news from the game since the release of the Operation Motherland update in October 2021, though, and today Ubisoft confirmed that there will be no further content updates.

CD Projekt explains why The Witcher 4 is using Unreal Engine 5
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/cd-projekt-explains-why-the-witcher-4-is-using-unreal-engine-5/
It was a very big deal when CD Projekt finally confirmed in March that The Witcher 4 (not the official title, but what we're rolling with for now) is in development. Also unexpected was the news that it is not developing the game using a new iteration of its REDengine, but will instead use Unreal Engine 5. During today's State of Unreal event, members of the studio touched on why that change was made.

Ubisoft is reportedly working on a new PvPvE shooter that looks a lot like Hyper Scape
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/ubisoft-is-reportedly-working-on-a-new-pvpve-shooter-that-looks-a-lot-like-hyper-scape/
A report on Exputer says that Ubisoft is working on a new third-person shooter called Pathfinder that bears a similar visual style to Hyper Scape, the forgotten battle royale that's set to shut down on April 28.

Lost Ark roadmap reveals the next two classes
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/lost-ark-roadmap-reveals-the-next-two-classes/
The next couple of months' worth of planned updates to Lost Ark have been revealed in a recent blog post. The most interesting additions are two new advanced classes. The first, coming in April, is the glaivier, a martial artist who fights with polearms (in the Korean version she's called the lance master). The glaivier switches between a flurry stance using a spear and a focus stance with the longer glaive, and can seemingly summon whirlwinds and teleport. In May, she'll be joined by the destroyer, a warrior with an unfeasibly large hammer capable of hitting the ground so hard it launches rock spikes that pierce enemies. Plus, his hammer shoots lightning.

Trek to Yomi release date is just weeks away
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/trek-to-yomi-release-date-is-just-weeks-away/
Trek to Yomi is a stylized sidescrolling take on classic samurai action cinema: It borrows the black and white palette of Akira Kurosawa's films and applies it to a technical swordfighting game that comes across like an indie Ghost of Tsushima. Following its playable demo last month, publisher Devolver Digital has announced a May 5 release date for Trek to Yomi.
>> Ryuu96 made a thread about it.

Reno Jackson returns as part of Hearthstone's annual core set shakeup
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/reno-jackson-returns-as-part-of-hearthstones-annual-core-set-shakeup/
Blizzard announced today that Hearthstone's Year of the Hydra will kick off on April 12 with the launch of Voyage to the Sunken Sea, the underwater expansion announced in March. The new year will bring "a renewed focus on sustainability and optimization," Blizzard said, along with all-new content and updates for Hearthstone's established game modes.

Hearthstone is selling a single card for $25 and players aren't loving it
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/hearthstone-is-selling-a-single-card-for-dollar25-and-players-arent-loving-it/
A year ago, Blizzard added diamond cards to Hearthstone. A tier above golden rarity, diamond cards are animated, though otherwise the same as the regular version of the same cards. They're cosmetics, and when they were first introduced you could get them either by buying an expansion or collecting all of a set's legendary cards. The latest diamond card, which is of orc shaman Drek'Thar, can only be obtained by purchasing it from the in-game store where it costs 3,000 gold or $25.

It's official, Assassin's Creed is coming to Fortnite
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/its-official-assassins-creed-is-coming-to-fortnite/
Continuing its quest to become a sort-of digital Funko-Pop warehouse, Epic has announced that two new, Assassin's Creed-themed outfits are coming to Fortnite (opens in new tab).

Roblox CEO to pocket $234 million over next five years
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/roblox-ceo-to-pocket-dollar234-million-over-next-five-years/
It's all aboard the gravy train at Roblox Corporation, after the company released an SEC filing detailing its executive compensation plans for the coming years (thanks, Reuters). Roblox's success is hard to overstate—if it were a country, its daily users would make it more populous than Canada (opens in new tab)—and another recent filing revealed the company's sitting on just over $550 million in the bank.
That's a lotta Robux: and it's got to go somewhere. The SEC filing shows Roblox Corporation's proposal to compensate its founder and chief executive officer David Baszucki over the next five years, via share-linked payouts rather than salary, will total an estimated $234 million. Baszucki's compensation in 2020 was $6.8 million, though at that time he was also being paid a base salary of $500,000.

Ubisoft ends its NFT experiment in Ghost Recon Breakpoint but promises they're 'coming to other games'
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/ubisoft-ends-its-nft-experiment-in-ghost-recon-breakpoint-but-promises-theyre-coming-to-other-games/
Yesterday, Ubisoft announced that Ghost Recon Breakpoint would receive no further content updates, the final act for a game that had an extremely messy launch and never really found its audience. It also ended up being used as a guinea pig for Ubisoft Quartz: the first attempt by a major publisher to incorporate non-fungible tokens in its games. Breakpoint's 'Digits', cosmetics with little numbers on them, launched in December 2021.
The Breakpoint Digits did not create all that much interest: I kept checking trading sites for a month or two after their launch, and there was barely any activity around them. Now Ubisoft has confirmed that the end of Breakpoint updates also means that the game won't see any more Digits: a message on the Ubisoft Quartz website thanks players who bought them and reads "You own a piece of the game and have left your mark in its history" (thanks, GI.biz).
(...)
Not that this will deter Ubisoft: the update on the Quartz site ends by saying "Stay tuned for more updates with features to the platform and future drops coming with other games." 'Drops' is the crypto-jargon for NFT releases: so watch out, fans of less-successful Ubisoft games, because you're next.
>> I don't see much success for it the next time either.

Days Gone director is moving to Crystal Dynamics
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/days-gone-director-is-moving-to-crystal-dynamics/
Jeff Ross, a director on the middling open-world zombie shooter Days Gone, has announced that he is joining Tomb Raider studio Crystal Dynamics.
"I'm excited to announce I now work at the amazing Crystal Dynamics as Design Director," Ross wrote on Twitter, adding. " That's all I can say other than I'm thrilled with the project, and especially the team of really wonderful people."

Two Point Campus has been delayed to August
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/two-point-campus-has-been-delayed-to-august/
Two Point Campus, Two Point Studio's next quirky management sim, has been delayed. The game was set to come out in just a handful of weeks in May, however it has been announced that the game's launch has been set back a couple of months into August.

The spice must flow in Dune this April
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/the-spice-must-flow-in-dune-this-april/
Dune: Spice Wars is the first Dune RTS in 23 years: and it will be here very soon. Releasing in Early Access on April 26, the game is based on the Frank Herbert novel, though does take some inspiration from Denis Villenueve's recent movie version. If you're unfamiliar with the material let me tell you: it involves wars over spice.

Intel’s Tom Petersen teases desktop (ARC?) prototype card with three 8-pin power connectors

https://videocardz.com/newz/intels-tom-petersen-teases-desktop-arc-prototype-card-with-three-8-pin-power-connectors

Triple 8 pin... On a 3070 Ti class GPU??? Built on TSMC's 6nm????


Intel Arc Alchemist “Graphics Clock” represents the worst case in TDP-constrained environment

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-arc-alchemist-graphics-clock-represents-the-worst-case-in-tdp-constrained-environment

"Intel Arc Alchemist Mobile “Graphics Clock” should easily hit 2 GHz in games"

AMD Got Greedy: R5 5500 CPU vs. Intel i3-12100F | CPU Review & Benchmarks

I hope that prototype with the 3x 8-pin connectors isn't an indication of the power the top card will need. For Intel's sake.

By the way, this is something that may interest you, Yuri, as well as others:

Emulation on the Steam Deck is already getting way more convenient
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/emulation-on-the-steam-deck-is-already-getting-way-more-convenient/
When the Steam Deck launched back in February I was already excited about it as an emulation device. I spent hours of my testing time playing games like Metroid Prime and Persona 3 on the Deck after setting up retro console emulators, which was only a little fiddly (the biggest inconvenience was having to use a trackpad to mouse around interfaces that were really built for desktops). It wasn't bad if you already knew your way around the emulators, but it was definitely more work to launch your emulated games than anything in your Steam library.

Now just over a month into the Steam Deck's life, emulation has become considerably easier to set up—my emulated games now live in my Steam library side-by-side with my PC games, and I can launch them with a single click.

A number of tools have popped up recently to make emulation configuration easier on the Steam Deck, but the one I used to streamline my setup was EmuDeck, which lured me in with its dead simple five step setup. Could it really be that easy? Actually, yeah, pretty much. 

Intel's Arc Alchemist GPUs got their first benchmarks, specifically the 350M at NotebookCheck and the 370M at Benchmark Lab.

While the 350M doing quite well in synthetic benchmarks like 3D Mark, beating the 680M in the 6900HS from the Zephyrus G14, even beating the 1650 Max-Q in the Time Spy test, the 370M falls flat when it comes to real game benchmarks.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/First-Intel-Arc-A350M-leaks-Good-leads-over-Radeon-680M-Nvidia-MX450-and-close-to-GTX-1650-Max-Q-but-Intel-s-entry-level-GPU-lags-behind-MX570.611024.0.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZwf6Sd8pqs

It's only win against the 1650 is in CS:Go, and that 10FPS difference is not really noticeable.

Well, it looks to be an ok card. Price will decide its success, but we know Intel will make sure that their cards end in lots of laptops.

There's also the question of the drivers. Are they optimized to show a stronger than real performance in synthetic benchmarks, or is it that the drivers aren't mature enough and that causes it to perform worse than it should? Time will tell.

Yea I have been following Steam Deck news pretty closely and they have been good at both acknowledging and fixing a lot of the issues I had pretty rapidly. I doubt they will be able to fix my biggest complaint which is the fan's high pitched noise but if they can do that, I'll rebuy mine but that would obviously require a hardware revision.

Unless there's some headroom for higher temps that Valve is keeping away for safety reasons, I doubt there wil be a fix to your fan issue, unless some modder finds an easy way to replace the existing one with a third party one that's quieter or has a better sound profile.