Holy crap, iGPU's are getting good. Amazing to see the 680M going neck and neck vs a GTX 1650 Max Q in some games, sometimes thrashing it and losing in others. The Arc well, hmm okay I guess if you have to go Intel and want to do some gaming. Looking at these benchmarks, it make me excited to see how good these things are going to get once we get Zen 4 and RDNA 3 on these APU's.

DF news coverage. They test UE5 on PC and its actually extremely CPU limited! Single thread performance being the key for playable fps, at least on PC. Talks on UE5 starts at 35:00.

Hardware Lumen tanks performance!

I think that overall, I am not too worried because all these games that are being developed for UE5 will still need to run on consoles which have much weaker CPUs than what's on PCs. I am sure there's a lot of optimizations and such that the devs will do to make UE5 work with more cores and threads before actually shipping their games. Cause otherwise, it really doesn't make much sense to have games go back to frequency when we have so many powerful cores available to utilize on consoles and PCs.

The shader compilation nonsense is what I am more worried about. It seems to be the main thing that plagued many UE4 PC releases and it doesn't sound like there is a good way to get that resolved in UE5 either. On Consoles and Steam Deck, they can simply download the precompiled shaders because it's all fixed hardware. But on PC, because of how many combinations there are, it would be impossible to do. So they really need to figure out something to compile majority of the shaders.

Yeah UE5 has only just seen a full release and still is in its infancy. Hopefully devs can figure out and optimize better for all our sakes and we're not bound to 30fps cap like on consoles. I mean John says his 12900K only hits 65fps max in that Matrix demo lol and he doesn't even talk about averages.

And about shaders compilations, yeah its been an issue for quite a few games for UE4 on PC. And even other engines. They did go over a game or series with pre compiled cached shaders in (CoD/Fortnite), that reduces stutters but those are few and far in between. Hopefully more will be done by devs to alleviate the discrepancy because its darn annoying when you get microstutters even when you have the hardware capable of running the software easily.

Okay, so after going through the multiple deep dives for the new WoW expansion, I think they finally got me:

Yes, yes I am going to play as the derg, and have all the spikes made possible.

Also I really love how they've gone back to classic-style talent trees, as well as completely revamping professions and those who don't craft, now being able to make commissions at the auction house (also crafted items now have quality levels).

The flying system for the new expansion looks sick and definitely feels like it has more weight and substance compared to Vanilla WoW flying, that we've had for 18 years.

New UI looks alright, but it feels hit n' miss with me, mostly thanks to me having rolled with Elv UI for the past 5 yrs and bartender UI editor for the past decade. I could give it a shot, but unless they've sorted out how quest text appears, I might not touch it (Immersion addon seriously makes quest and NPC text immersive compared to book-style quest text).

What I want from this expansion is a good story, no big baddy that's "misunderstood", or mary sue style writing, just an honest to god, Wrath-like plot, that actually grips me from beginning to end. So far the opening cinematic is holding up, and I really do appreciate Blizz's art team, they really know how to keep me in awe with their cinematics and level zone designs. 

Kinda bummed that the expansion isn't due till next year, and we're not even through the halfway point of 2022. At least Classic Wrath is coming out this year, and I'll very likely hop into that (since Wrath was my last all time fave expansion). 

Chazore after watching WOW stuff. 

The news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG has several new deals/sales:

• The first flash deal is Space Haven, 35% off during 46 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/space_haven
• The second flash deal is Legend of Grimrock, 80% off until Friday: https://www.gog.com/en/game/legend_of_grimrock
• And the third flash deal is the sequel of the former title, Legend of Grimrock 2, also 80% off until the 22nd: https://www.gog.com/en/game/legend_of_grimrock_2
• The Midweek Sale comes wit hup to 85% discounts during 4 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20220420_midweek_sale
• Publisher Handy Games celebrates its 22nd anniversary by offering its games with up to 90% discounts during the next 11 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/2022_handy_games

Steam has three new deals:

• The daily deal is Dice Legacy, 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1229460/Dice_Legacy/
• There's a Midweek Madness deal that I somehow forgot to add yesterday: Solasta: Crown of the Magister is 60% off during another 26 hours: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1096530/Solasta_Crown_of_the_Magister/
• And the Early Access title Junkyard Simulator gets a 24% discount until the 30th of April: https://store.steampowered.com/app/671970/Junkyard_Simulator/

Fanatical has two new deals:

• The new Star Deal is Devil May Cry HD Collection, 73% off during 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/devil-may-cry-hd-collection
• And Publisher Handy Games also celebrates its 22nd anniversary here with up to 90% discounts during 11 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/handygames

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Nope-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Chrono Cross mod fixes horrible stuttering and FPS drops
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/chrono-cross-mod-fixes-horrible-stuttering-and-fps-drops/
When a remastered version of Chrono Cross, one of the most beloved PS1 JRPGs of all time, was announced in February, it sent our Wes Fenlon’s heart all aflutter. Upon release a couple of weeks ago however, hearts were broken when the poor quality of the port became apparent. The game’s been blighted by framerate drops, stuttering, and overall performance that Digital Foundry described as "comparable to the 10-30fps range of the PlayStation original."
It seems that someone at Square Enix took a bastardised view of 'staying true to the original,' but on PC at least the game has found redemption. Modder isa has released a mod that seems to significantly improve performance, maintaining the game at its native 30fps and even going over it in moments. Check out YouTuber BltzZ’s reaction to the performance boost in the below video, which also shows some 'Before and After' the fix was implemented.

GAMING NEWS

Skydance New Media is working on a brand new Star Wars game
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/skydance-new-media-is-working-on-a-brand-new-star-wars-game/
Skydance New Media today announced a collaboration with Lucasfilm Games to develop and produce a narrative-driven, action-adventure game featuring an original story in the Star Wars galaxy. Responsible for this new Star Wars game will be Amy Hennig, a game-industry legend whose credits include the blockbuster series Legacy of Kain, Jak and Daxter, and Uncharted.

This cool Superman Unreal Engine 5 Demo is available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/this-cool-superman-unreal-engine-5-demo-is-available-for-download/
Tyson Butler-Boschma has released an amazing Superman Unreal Engine 5 Demo for PC. This demo uses Epic’s The Matrix Awaken’s Project City and replaces the character with a flying superhero variant.
(...)
In case you’re wondering, Tyson is the same man behind another Superman UE5 Demo we shared in June 2021. Contrary to that demo, though, this new one is available for download.

First screenshots released for Return to Monkey Island
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/first-screenshots-released-for-return-to-monkey-island/
Devolver and Lucasfilm Games have revealed the first in-game screenshots for Return to Monkey Island. These screenshots will give you a glimpse at the game’s art style, so make sure to view them.

Sonic Origins is coming to PC on June 23rd, featuring remasters of the first three classic Sonic games
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/sonic-origins-is-coming-to-pc-on-june-23rd-featuring-remasters-of-the-first-three-classic-sonic-games/
SEGA has just announced Sonic Origins, a collection that will feature new Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic CD, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. According to the team, these games will be remastered for modern platforms, so they should look better than the old 16-bit games… hopefully… unless SEGA pulls a Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition on us.

The news, part two:

Crusader Kings 3's next DLC will spice up Spain
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/crusader-kings-3s-next-dlc-will-spice-up-spain/
Following the meaty Royal Court expansion, which let Crusader Kings 3's monarchs rule from within a customisable throne room and create entirely new cultures with all sorts of game-changing traits, Paradox has turned its attention to Spain and Portugal with the Fate of Iberia flavour pack.

Final Fantasy 14 players are making their character profiles horny as hell
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/final-fantasy-14-players-are-making-their-character-profiles-horny-as-hell/
Final Fantasy 14's newest patch has been out for a week now, bringing tons of neat additions to the critically-acclaimed MMORPG. One of these is adventurer plates: a mini profile card you can jazz up with various backgrounds, frames and the chance to take a cool picture of your character for all to see.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic is coming later this year
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/world-of-warcraft-wrath-of-the-lich-king-classic-announced/
It is official: Blizzard finally confirmed during today's World of Warcraft: Dragonflight reveal that the great Wrath of the Lich King expansion is coming to World of Warcraft Classic.

Players are loving the janky silliness of Animal Revolt Battle Simulator
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/players-are-loving-the-janky-silliness-of-animal-revolt-battle-simulator/
A good physics-based battle simulator serves one purpose: to recreate that feeling of being a kid tipping a toybox upside-down, taking a bunch of random toys—say, a Tyrannosaurus Rex, an army of Boglins and Arnold Schwarzenegger from Last Action Hero—and smashing them against each other while making spittle-filled laser noises with your mouth.
Now, Animal Revolt Battle Simulator may not feature Arnie, but it does have laser-firing dinosaurs, world-eating serpents, Ancient Greek heroes and an infinite supply of player-created beasties. The irreverent battle simulator was in Early Access for nearly two years, and since its Steam launch a few days ago it's sitting at an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' rating from nearly 3000 reviews.

Elden Ring's tutorial is now impossible to miss
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/elden-rings-tutorial-is-now-impossible-to-miss/
One of the things I have learned to love about Elden Ring is the way it literally refuses to explain itself, about anything: The world is simply there, and you have to deal with it however you see fit. That ethos extends all the way to the tutorial, which exists but is easy to miss. That may not be a problem for veterans of the soulslike genre, but newcomers can really suffer for it.
Fortunately, that's no longer an issue. One of the changes made in today's big 1.04 patch is that a big honkin' message now pops up on the screen when players starting a new game approach the big hole in the ground where the tutorial exists.

Jane Foster's Mighty Thor is coming to Marvel's Avengers
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/jane-fosters-mighty-thor-is-coming-to-marvels-avengers/
Yesterday's big teaser for the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder culminates in an appearance by Natalie Portman as Jane Foster as Thor, complete with what appears to be a rather shoddily reforged Mjolnir. But she—that is, Foster—isn't just appearing in the next big Marvel flick: She's also headed to Marvel's Avengers.

Rockstar cuts transphobic content from Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/rockstar-cuts-transphobic-content-from-grand-theft-auto-5-and-gta-online/
Rockstar has reportedly removed transphobic content from Grand Theft Auto Online and the Grand Theft Auto 5 remaster, including a Captain Spacetoy doll with interchangeable genitalia and "drag queens" that spawned outside a nightclub.
>> Oh, GTA, how have you changed! This also tells us what we should expect in the next game.

Snoop Dogg is now a playable character in Call of Duty
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/snoop-dogg-is-now-a-playable-character-in-call-of-duty/
Reading the words "Snoop Dogg can be leveled up" in an official blog post has broken me, but it's true. Calvin Broadus Jr. is now a playable operator in Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Vanguard.

The first Tiny Tina's Wonderlands DLC features a landshark god, snake ladies
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/the-first-tiny-tinas-wonderlands-dlc-features-a-landshark-god-snake-ladies/
The season pass for first-person tween DM simulator Tiny Tina's Wonderlands advertised that it would include four expansions, so we knew there was DLC coming for the Borderlands spin-off, and now we know a little more about it. The first chunk of DLC is called Coiled Captors, it's about fighting a shark god, and it's out on April 21.

Long-lost N64 platformer Glover rolls out today
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/long-lost-n64-platformer-glover-rolls-out-today/
Just two months ago, I referred to the N64 game Glover as one of the many 3D platformers that 'fizzled out in the new millennium.' Now, it looks like my words have come back and slapped me in the face with a white anthropomorphic glove, because Glover is due to launch on Steam and GOG today.

Halo composer Marty O'Donnell has 'amicably' resolved his latest legal battle with Microsoft
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/halo-composer-marty-odonnell-has-amicably-resolved-his-latest-legal-battle-with-microsoft/
Marty O'Donnell, the composer behind the original Halo series' timeless score, is no stranger to legal battles. But his latest feud with Microsoft seems to have been pleasantly short-lived, with him and fellow composer Michael Salvatori claiming they've "amicably resolved" a lawsuit concerning unpaid royalties going back 20 years.

Moody turn-based RPG The Iron Oath has just hit Steam Early Access
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/moody-turn-based-rpg-the-iron-oath-has-just-hit-steam-early-access/
It's been nearly two years since we last mentioned the succulently moody indie RPG The Iron Oath, when it successfully doubled its relatively modest $45,000 Kickstarter goal and released its first reveal trailer. Now the game has launched into Steam Early Access, and I have to say it's looking (and sounding) rather excellent.

Unreal Engine 5 Matrix City Sample PC Analysis: The Cost of Next-Gen Rendering

- Very CPU single thread limited
- 2060 Super able to get 30fps 4k TSR from 1080p Internal
- 2060 Super and 3080/3090 hardware lumen performs 7% slower than software lumen
- 6800XT hardware lumen performs 17% slower than software lumen
- 6800XT 3% slower than 3080 at 4k and at Epic settings, 6800XT is 10% slower than 3080 which is a reversal from UE5 Early Access demo where 6800XT was 10% ahead
- AMD Ray Tracing has glitches vs Nvidia so it's not 1:1 comparison
- PS5 either running sub 1080p or TSR mode is worse than on PC to help with the demo
- Console reduce motion blur resolution to quarter resolution
- Shadows on PS5 half resolution

I am surprised how CPU limited this demo really is vs GPU. Even a 2060 Super is able to get pretty good results all things considering where as the 3600 CPU is getting trashed but so are console CPUs. It seems that most of the CPU issues are coming from enabling hardware Ray Tracing as CPUs are currently doing BVH calculations along with being heavily single threaded. But I suspect by the time it ships, most of the issues will be ironed out.

AMD launches Radeon RX 6400 low-power RDNA2 graphics card at 159 USD

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-launches-radeon-rx-6400-low-power-rdna2-graphics-card-at-159-usd

Skip it like the turd it is

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D Zen3 processor with 3D V-Cache is now available

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-ryzen-7-5800x3d-zen3-processor-with-3d-v-cache-is-now-available

Sonic Origins locks modes, character animations and more behind DLC
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sonic-origins-locks-modes-character-animations-and-more-behind-dlc/
Sega has confirmed that specific modes, features and even visual elements in Sonic Origins will be locked away as premium additions.

In a new table on the game’s official website, it’s revealed that there are three separate DLC packs which each add new features.

While the standard $39.99 edition of Sonic Origins includes the main game itself, players will also need the Start Dash Pack, Premium Fun Pack and Classic Music Pack if they want everything the game has to offer.