shut up it offers 4k and raytracing

Unless.......Sony offers a method of linking your Steam/EGS account to PSN and the games you've already purchased automatically get added to this new hypothetical PlayStation launcher :) unlikely but given how late Sony will be to the launcher party, they'll need to add some kind of incentive to use their launcher besides a shared trophy system.

Yeah, 3 of Sony's weaknesses as far as first party offerings are FPS, RPG, and Strategy. 3 genres MS absolutely own and definitely appeal more to PC gamers. 

Even if Sony gives you the option to link your Steam/EGS and PSN account to import the games, you'll still own them at Steam/EGS. You've bought them there and you'll always be able to download and play them there. Otherwise, they'll have to give youa refund.

I'm honestly there just for those guys (and I guess the professions and talent tree reworks and new flying).

hell ye
personally, doing the same dungeon for the 300th time beats starting a new game.
and then im not even talking about alts to change the gameplay

The news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG has four new Deals of the Day and a new Midweek Sale:

• These are the four Deals of the day, that will last 46 hours:
  • Martha Is Dead gets a 20% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/martha_is_dead
  • Airships: Conquer the Skies is 40% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/airships_conquer_the_skies
  • Tinytopia gets a 45% deal: https://www.gog.com/en/game/tinytopia
  • And Song of Farca is 50% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/song_of_farca
• The Midweek Sale features "games that will make you use your head up" with up to 85% discounts during 4 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20220817_midweek_sale

Steam also has Airships: Conquer the Skies on sale, with the same 40% discount during 26 hours: https://store.steampowered.com/app/342560/Airships_Conquer_the_Skies/.

And Fanatical has two new flash deals and a bundle:

• The first flash deal is Command: Modern Operations, 62% off during 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/command-modern-operations
• The second flash deal is Ghostrunner, 68% off during 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/ghostrunner
• And the new bundle is the BYO Quad Bundle, with 12 titles to choose for your 4 games bundle during the next 14 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-quad-pack

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Tinkerers rejoice! There's a new DLSS version to mess around with in your games
https://www.pcgamer.com/nvidia-dlss-dll-2-4-12-0/
A new version of Nvidia's DLSS has appeared with the release of Final Fantasy Origin and Spider-Man Remastered. The new DLL, which has a version number of 2.4.12.0, can be used in pretty much any game that supports the DLSS 2.x, although you need to be careful with any multiplayer games as swapping out the DLLs could be seen as cheating, and potentially get you banned. You also can't use DLSS 2.x files with DLSS 1.x games.
It's worth noting as well that the DLSS version isn't part of the driver package, but rather ships with the individual game. This is why any new game release that supports DLSS is potentially interesting—it could lead to a better version of the upscaling technology for every game. It rarely works quite like that, but if a game isn't actively being updated, it could miss out on a newer version for sure.

This tiny registry tweak shows what resolution DLSS is rendering at
https://www.pcgamer.com/nvidia-dlss-indicator/
Upscaling tech has been the surprise hit of recent graphics card releases.
Ray tracing may grab the headlines, and make for some beautiful images, but being able to run your games at higher frame rates with little noticeable difference in quality is often more useful.
(...)
One frustration with DLSS is that a lot of the settings are hidden out of sight. That's absolutely fine if you just want to get on and enjoy your games, but if you enjoy peering behind the curtain to see what's actually happening, you can be left wanting. Until you discover this simple little registry tweak that is.
By adding a single line to the registry, you can see what version of DLSS the game is running, which of Microsoft's DirectX APIs is being used, and possibly most interesting of all, what resolution the game is rendering at and what it is upscaling to. This is all shown in a simple text interface in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen, and it's easy to turn it all off again once you've played around a bit too.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Whiterun Dragonsreach Expansion adds a new area to Skyrim Special Edition
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/whiterun-dragonsreach-expansion-adds-a-new-area-to-skyrim-special-edition/
Earlier today, we shared a mod that added the horses from The Witcher 3 to Skyrim Special Edition. And here is another cool mod for Bethesda’s RPG. As the title suggests, Whiterun Dragonsreach Expansion adds a new area to the game.
According to its description, this area is located near Dragonsreach which holds the guard barracks. The area has multiple defending towers that could be found in a medieval castle.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver HD Fan Remaster available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/legacy-of-kain-soul-reaver-hd-fan-remaster-available-for-download/
In 2020, we informed you about an HD Texture Pack for the classic Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver game. Created by RainaAudron, this pack used AI techniques in order to enhance the original textures of the Dreamcast version. And earlier this Summer, the modder released a brand new version of it.
Here are the main reasons why the modder decided to enhance the Dreamcast version.
“Dreamcast version has higher polygon versions of Raziel Kain and enemies but its textures are more pixelated than PC or even Playstation in some cases. In addition to that, the new Raziel’s and Kain’s faces were not something I was a fan of either. However, it offered 60fps and a dynamic soundtrack, something which the former is missing on Playstation and latter on PC.”

Demo released for Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom Remastered
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/demo-released-for-wing-commander-iv-the-price-of-freedom-remastered/
Back in 2020, we informed you about a fan remaster of Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom. And today, we are happy to report that a demo for it is available for download.
Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom Remaster will offer a more modern experience by loading the files from the original game into a new engine, complete with specially created, high-definition assets.

Doom Voxel is a must-have mod that you can download right now
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/doom-voxel-is-a-must-have-mod-that-you-can-download-right-now/
In May 2022, we informed you about a Doom mod that aimed to turn all of its 2D sprites into 3D voxels. And today we are happy to report that its first version is available for download.
Created by Cheello, Doom Voxel Version 1.0 currently replaces all monsters, weapons and items from Doom 1. So yeah, right now you can only use this mod with the first Doom game. In a future version, the modder plans to replace the monsters from Doom 2.
This is a must-have mod for all old-school Doom fans out there. After all, the game retains its original art style and instead of watching 2D sprites that automatically rotate, we get to see everything in proper 3D.

GAMING NEWS

Saints Row gets an official story trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/saints-row-gets-an-official-story-trailer/
Deep Silver has released the official story trailer for Volition’s Saints Row. This trailer gives us a taste of the Saints’ formation, rivals, rise to power (don’t worry, no spoilers!), and a whole load of explosions.

Dakar Desert Rally releases on October 4th + Official PC System Requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/dakar-desert-rally-releases-on-october-4th-official-pc-system-requirements/
Saber Interactive has announced that Dakar Desert Rally, the biggest open-world rally racing game, will release on October 4th. Moreover, Saber has also revealed the game’s official PC system requirements.
>> There's also a trailer.

Third-person gory action combat game, Evil West, gets new screenshots
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/third-person-gory-action-combat-game-evil-west-gets-new-screenshots/
Focus Home Interactive has released a new set of screenshots for Flying Wild Hog’s third-person gory action combat game, Evil West. However, and while looking great, these screenshots appear to be bullshots. After all, the graphics they showcase are nowhere close to what we’ve seen in the game’s gameplay trailers.

New short gameplay trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s single-player campaign
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-short-gameplay-trailer-for-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2-single-player-campaign/
Activision has released a new trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s single-player campaign, showcasing 30 seconds of gameplay footage from it.

The news, the sequel:

House Flipper meets V Rising in this vampire hotel management sim
https://www.pcgamer.com/house-flipper-meets-v-rising-in-this-vampire-hotel-management-sim/
As the most feared and powerful members of the undead, vampires still have to follow a heck of a lot of rules. You have to stay out of sunlight. Garlic and crucifixes are a no-no. You can't cross running water, can't enter churches, and if someone throws rice at your feet you have to stand there and count the grains.
Most annoyingly, you can't enter someone's house unless invited.
But here's an excellent solution to that last rule: Instead of entering your victims' homes, just have them come to yours. In the first-person management sim Bloody Hell Hotel, which looks like a mix of House Flipper, Stardew Valley, and V Rising, you're a vampire renovating your spacious manor and turning it into a classy hotel. And unlike most hotel owners, you can dine on the blood of your guests.

Activision accused of ripping off Dr Disrespect's game for a $20 Call of Duty skin
https://www.pcgamer.com/activision-accused-of-ripping-off-dr-disrespects-game-for-a-dollar20-call-of-duty-skin/
Just a few weeks after acknowledging the "misstep" of plagiarizing the Floof Fury skin for Call of Duty: Warzone, Activision is facing accusations of having done it again, this time with a skin that looks remarkably similar to a "Variant" in Midnight Society's upcoming extraction shooter Deadrop.

Tower of Fantasy has cut down on server queue times, promises unnamed 'punishments' for cheaters
https://www.pcgamer.com/tower-of-fantasy-has-cut-down-on-server-queue-times-promises-unnamed-punishments-for-cheaters/
The hot new gacha game of the minute Tower of Fantasy garnered enough interest during its launch last week to give players the traditional warm welcome of lengthy server queues with a special side of cursed graphical glitches. Hotta Studio is now keeping players informed with bug fix reports, including server cap increases that should help cut down on those queues this week.

All your Overwatch skins and cosmetics carry into Overwatch 2, Blizzard reaffirms
https://www.pcgamer.com/all-your-overwatch-skins-and-cosmetics-carry-into-overwatch-2-blizzard-reaffirms/
It's not often that I'll say this, but if you only play Overwatch on PC, you can safely ignore this entire post and move on to other things. But if not—if you play with multiple accounts on multiple platforms—then this is for you: A detailed explainer on how cross-progression will work in Overwatch 2, which will merge Overwatch accounts on consoles and PC into a single, all-encompassing profile that contains (with a few limitations) everything you've previously achieved in the game.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has three release dates now
https://www.pcgamer.com/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-2-has-three-release-dates-now/
The first boot of a new Call of Duty game is a crossroads with no right choice: do I jump into the big, flashy campaign headlining the game, or step first unto the virgin grasses of multiplayer, where no meta has yet taken root?
Activision is making that choice a bit easier for those who buy Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 early. In a first for the series, those who pre-order will have early access to the Modern Warfare 2 campaign on October 20, a full week before the game officially launches on October 28.

EA will honor the biggest pricing error we've ever seen
https://www.pcgamer.com/ea-will-honor-the-biggest-pricing-error-weve-ever-seen/
In what may be the greatest regional pricing difference in the history of videogames, Epic Games Store pre-purchases for FIFA 23 recently went on sale in India for 4.80 rupees. That comes to about $0.06 USD.
The price was an error, of course: FIFA 23 is meant to be priced at 3,499 Indian rupees (INR), which comes to about $44.17 in US dollars. That would make the accidental price a 99.86% discount, but it gets better. The erroneous price wasn't for the normal version of FIFA 23. It was for the Ultimate Edition, which costs 4,799 INR. That brings the discount to 99.98%, and everyone who took advantage of it will get to keep the game, according to an email from EA (which we saw via Sportskeeda).
>> Well done, EA (it's been a while since I've been able to say that to EA).

Diablo 2 player completes pacifist Hell run previously only theorized to be possible
https://www.pcgamer.com/diablo-2-player-completes-pacifist-hell-run-previously-only-theorized-to-be-possible/
It took over 50 hours of playtime, but MacroBioBoi finally did it: They completed the "world's first ever completely untwinked solo self-found Hell pacifist Sorceress run" in Diablo 2: Resurrected.
In terms that'll be more familiar to people who aren't Diablo 2 speedrunners, Macro beat Diablo 2: Resurrected on the hardest difficulty without attacking anything, using only items they found during the run. ("Twinking," in Diablo 2 parlance, means using the trading system to give a character items.) Diablo 2 speedrunners had come up with theoretical ways to accomplish the run, but Macro was the first to do it for real.

Final Fantasy 16 director says series is 'struggling' to adapt
https://www.pcgamer.com/final-fantasy-16-director-says-series-is-struggling-to-adapt/
One of the most iconic franchises in videogame history is having a hard time staying relevant, according to Final Fantasy 14 and 16 director Naoki Yoshida.
“In terms of whether Final Fantasy is successfully adapting to industry trends, I believe the series is currently struggling," Yoshida told Inverse. "We’re now at a point where we receive a wide variety of requests regarding the direction of our game design. To be honest, it’d be impossible to satisfy all those requests with a single title. My current impression is that all we can really do is create multiple games, and continue creating the best that we can at any given time."

Wrath of the Lich King Classic's pre-patch arrives later this month
https://www.pcgamer.com/wrath-of-the-lich-king-classics-pre-patch-arrives-later-this-month/
The wait is almost over. Blizzard has finally announced that the Wrath of the Lich King Classic pre-patch will go live on August 30. The 50% XP buff will remain for the duration of the pre-patch and will also apply to Death Knights.

After eight years, the space MMO where players create the ships launches next month
https://www.pcgamer.com/after-eight-years-the-space-mmo-where-players-create-the-ships-launches-next-month/
Developer Novaquark has announced that the ambitious, player-driven MMO Dual Universe will launch on PC September 27. The game's been in development for eight years and the pitch is essentially a player-created EVE Online, with a flexible voxel-based crafting system that allows players to build more-or-less what they want.

Fortnite players can't get enough of DBZ's absurd finisher
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-players-cant-get-enough-of-dbzs-absurd-finisher/
The Fortnite x Dragon Ball crossover recently launched in Epic's all-conquering, brand-crossing metaverse, introducing OTT elements from the series as well as four characters (Son Goku, Vegeta, Bulma and Beerus). Mainly, though, players like the Kamehameha special attack, which is both fun to say out loud and a giant opponent-slaying energy beam launched in midair.

AMD Ryzen 7000 “Zen 4” CPU Delay Rumors Mount Up, BIOS Said To Be The Main Culprit

https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-7000-zen-4-cpu-delay-rumors-mount-up-bios-said-to-be-the-main-culprit/

Brings back PTSD from Ryzen 1000. The problem this time around though is the motherboards are much more expensive.

AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 8 Core Zen 4 Desktop CPU Smiles For The Camera

https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-7-7700x-8-core-zen-4-desktop-cpu-smiles-for-the-camera/

Probably will be the best value unless AMD goofs up.

15 Years A King: Cooler Master Hyper 212 in 2022 Benchmarked (Black Edition)

The legend! When my old liquid cooler died, I bought this cooler as a temp replacement. It was the goat of budget coolers back in the day. These days, it's the middle of the pack but still can't go wrong if you can find one cheap... And as long as you aren't pairing it with a 12900k or something crazy.

Samsung Begins Taking Pre-Orders For $3,500 Odyssey Ark 55″ & 165Hz Gaming Display

https://wccftech.com/samsung-begins-taking-pre-orders-for-3500-odyssey-ark-55-165hz-gaming-display/

I have seen all the marketing and such for this and even ignoring the very high price... I can't see a place where this would fit in my setup. It's neat but also too niche.

Delaying the launch of your CPUs because you have problems with the BIOS is never a good sign. And, as Yuri said, we know how AMD struggled with it when they launched their Zen processors.

The only positives to take from this (you know, trying to look at the bright side) is that 1) AMD must have found a big problem and will have it fixed before launch; and 2) We know that they'll keep working on fixing all the kinks that appear as they've done it with Zen 1 to 3.

The only negative is that the motherboards are already shipping to retail, and that means that most if not all boards available at launch and shortly after will need to get updated.