They barely showed off anything VR; this is primarily an AR device. Despite the slower uptake it's probably the category more likely to eventually go mainstream.

The games for Humble Choice June 2023 have been revealed.

• Ghostwire Tokyo
• Remnant: From the Ashes - Complete Edition
• Curse of the Dead Gods
• Honey I Joined a Cult
• Eternal Threads
• GRIME
• Turbo Golf Racing
• Meeple Station

Hey, it's the news!

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Octopath Traveller 2 and Street Fighter 6 have sold one million units
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/octopath-traveller-2-and-street-fighter-6-have-sold-one-million-units/
Square Enix and Capcom have announced that Octopath Traveller 2 and Street Fighter 6 have sold one million units, respectively. This is great news for all RPG and fighting fans, as both of these companies will most likely invest more in this type of games.

Blizzard says Diablo 4 is its fastest-selling game... but weirdly won't share the numbers
https://www.pcgamer.com/diablo-4-is-blizzards-fastest-selling-game-ever-but-blizzard-wont-say-how-much-its-sold/
Diablo 4 is now in the wild, and Blizzard has announced it is the fastest-selling game in the company's long and storied history. To give that some context, this thing has sold faster than the likes of Starcraft 2 and Overwatch (as well as its own predecessors) though what that actually means in terms of hard numbers remains a mystery for now, with Blizzard opting for vagueness amidst the celebrations. The press release says Diablo 4 "is Blizzard Entertainment’s fastest-selling game of all time, with Blizzard’s highest pre-launch unit sales ever on both console and PC".

GOG brings four new Deals of the Day and two new sales:

• These are the new DotD, that will last until Friday;
  • SPACE ACCIDENT will be 90% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/space_accident
  • Synthwave Burnout, still in development, is also 90% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/synthwave_burnout
  • Cybernetic Fault, also in development, ups the ante with a 92% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/cybernetic_fault
  • And the last one is The Divine Invasion, also 92% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_divine_invasion
• The Midweek Sale features up to 75% discounts during the next 4 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20230607_midweek_sale
• The Love & Mysteries Sale features Visual Novels with up to 80% discounts during 5 days; https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2023_love_and_mysteries

Steam features two new deals that prove that there's something for everyone:

• Cafe Owner Simulator will be 35% off until June 13th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1498140/Cafe_Owner_Simulator/
• Tank Mechanic Simulator gets a 71% discount until the 13th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/407130/Tank_Mechanic_Simulator/

And Fanatical has two new deals:

• Publisher Aspyr puts its games on sale with up to 85% discounts during the next 10 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/aspyr
• And the Fanatical Favorites BYOB comes with 18 titles to choose from to build your 2, 3 or 5 games bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/fanatical-favorites-build-your-own-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

This Red Dead Redemption 2 Mod brings back the horses from the first game
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-red-dead-redemption-2-mod-brings-back-the-horses-from-the-first-game/
Modder ‘goldenplaysterraria’ has released a new cool mod for Red Dead Redemption 2 that brings back the horses from the first game. This mod replaces seven horses, and in future versions, the modder may add even more horses.
>> Impressive mod given that the first RDR game didn't launch on PC. Anyway, the article has some screenshots.

Street Fighter 6 gets an amazing Power Rangers Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/street-fighter-6-gets-an-amazing-power-rangers-mod/
Modder ‘Remy2FANG’ has released an amazing Power Rangers Mod for Street Fighter 6. This mod specifically turns Ryu into a Power Ranger and comes in two versions. In the first version, Ryu wears the iconic Power Ranger helmet, and in the second version, he does not.
This mod is based on the Power Rangers Mod for SF5 from MonkeyGigaBuster. For SF6, Remy2FANG redid the edits in the MDF file to make certain parts of the costume shiny. Moreover, the modder created their own CMask textures so that they could bring alternative color versions.
>> Once again, there are only some screenshots, but no video.

GAMING NEWS

PAYDAY 3 rumored to be released on September 21st
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/payday-3-rumored-to-be-released-on-september-21st/
It appears that the new PAYDAY game, PAYDAY 3, will release on September 21st. This rumor comes from “Aggiornamenti Lumia” who has a pretty solid record regarding leaks. Aggiornamenti Lumia also previously leaked the release date of Lords of the Fallen, so this is pretty much a 100% legit leak.

A new triple-A Jurassic Park/Jurassic World game may be in development
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/a-new-triple-a-jurassic-park-jurassic-world-game-may-be-in-development/
It appears that a new triple-A Jurassic Park/Jurassic World game may be in development. According to Resetera’s DemonCarnotaur, this game has been in development for a while and is said to be “the game fans have been hungry for“.

The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition Patch 1.3 aims to reduce shader compilation and traversal stutters
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/the-outer-worlds-spacers-choice-edition-patch-1-3-aims-to-reduce-shader-compilation-and-traversal-stutters/
Last week, Private Division and Virtuos Games released a brand new update for The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition. According to the release notes, Update 1.3 aims to reduce both shader compilation and traversal stutters.

F1 23 will support Ray Tracing Dynamic Diffuse Global Illumination
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/f1-23-will-support-ray-tracing-dynamic-diffuse-global-illumination/
Codemasters has detailed the PC graphics settings for F1 23, confirming that the game will take advantage of Ray Tracing Dynamic Diffuse Global Illumination.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 gets new pre-alpha screenshots
https://www.dsogaming.com/screenshot-news/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-gets-new-pre-alpha-screenshots/
Paradox Interactive has shared five new pre-alpha screenshots for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Moreover, the publisher stated that it will reveal more about this upcoming game in September.

The news, the sequel:

Nefarious Overwatch glitch lets Mercy tank everyone's framerate to single digits, then bring her own back up and start blasting the sluggish victims
https://www.pcgamer.com/nefarious-overwatch-glitch-lets-mercy-tank-everyones-framerate-to-single-digits-then-bring-her-own-back-up-to-start-blasting-the-sluggish-victims/
An Overwatch 2 player has discovered a new glitch with Mercy that allows players to hold an entire lobby hostage and, in theory, game competitive matches as well as annoying the hell out of everyone. YouTuber nsbunited describes themselves as an "Overwatch glitch hunter", and the Mercy bug was discovered while experimenting with a known element of the Blizzard's FPS: During the earlygame countdown, Overwatch will teleport players who escape the starting area back into the starting area.

Microsoft eats $20 million FTC fine for violating kids' privacy on Xbox Live, admits no wrongdoing and promises not to do it again
https://www.pcgamer.com/microsoft-eats-dollar20-million-ftc-fine-for-violating-kids-privacy-on-xbox-live-admits-no-wrongdoing-and-promises-not-to-do-it-again/
Microsoft has agreed to pay a $20 million fine to the US Federal Trade Commission to settle charges that it violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting the personal information of minors who signed up to the Xbox gaming service without notifying their parents or gaining parental consent.

One lucky Barbarian finds unique Diablo 4 gloves that are 'like playing my own slot machine'
https://www.pcgamer.com/one-lucky-barbarian-finds-unique-diablo-4-gloves-that-are-like-playing-my-own-slot-machine/
There are a lot of unique pieces of Diablo 4 gear, many of which have helpful legendary aspects and stats to juice up your build. Except for this unique pair of gloves that runs entirely on luck.
>> By the way, don't waste your gold.

Black Desert asks the question: What if we made an MMO expansion and didn't invite any monsters?
https://www.pcgamer.com/black-desert-asks-the-question-what-if-we-made-an-mmo-expansion-and-didnt-invite-any-monsters/
Black Desert Online has been around since 2014, and has been enchanting players with its limitless progression, fighting-game style combat, and gigantic roster of playable classes. There's no level limit—once you hit the 'soft cap' of 62, experience gain slows to a crawl, but it's still there. In the last decade the studio has released updates that focus on PvP, PvE, and PvT.
(That's player versus tree. There's so much crafting.)
What the studio hasn't done, however, is release an expansion focused more on story than on having tons of monsters to grind. Until now.

Two pulse-pounding PvP modes come to Farming Simulator 22, and yes I am serious
https://www.pcgamer.com/two-pulse-pounding-pvp-modes-come-to-farming-simulator-22-and-yes-i-am-serious/
You might not think of the Farming Simulator series as a place for thrills, ticking clocks, ruthless competition, and head-to-head PvP, but you really should because Farming Simulator esports are not only a thing but an awesome thing.
(...)
Now you can play those some modes yourself, because both hay bale stacking and arena modes are available in Farming Simulator 22 for free. Up to six players can compete, with three per team. Just like the pros, the PvP modes have a pick-and-ban phase, powerups that can be grabbed during the match, and bonuses for delivering grain to a silo or loading your bales into the upper window of the barn rather than the door at ground level.

Counter-Strike 2 loadout update takes cues from Valorant, and might indicate more guns are coming over time
https://www.pcgamer.com/counter-strike-2-loadout-update-takes-cues-from-valorant-and-might-indicate-more-guns-are-coming-over-time/
As the vague "Summer 2023" release date for Counter-Strike 2 approaches, Valve continues to casually drop massive changes coming to its tactical FPS on Twitter. The latest is a meaningful change to the buy screen. CS2's buy screen will take a cue from Valorant by letting players refund their purchases before the buy phase ends (watch that in action below). You'll also notice Valve has ditched the weapon wheel in favor of Valorant's gun grid.

BioWare prepares to jettison Star Wars: The Old Republic to focus on Mass Effect and Dragon Age
https://www.pcgamer.com/bioware-prepares-to-jettison-star-wars-the-old-republic-to-focus-on-mass-effect-and-dragon-age/
A new report from IGN contains the somewhat unsurprising news that, almost 12 years on from launch, EA is moving the ongoing support of Star Wars: The Old Republic from an in-house BioWare team to the third-party studio Broadsword Online Games. Broadsword may not be a household name, but one can think of it as the retirement home for golden age MMOs: It also runs Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot.

Classic RPG series Wizardry is becoming a blockchain abomination
https://www.pcgamer.com/classic-rpg-series-wizardry-is-becoming-a-blockchain-abomination/
Wizardry is a foundational videogame RPG, one of the first and best to adapt various principles of Dungeons & Dragons and an influence on pretty much everything that came afterwards. The first entry had the incredibly good name Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, and was released in 1981 by Sir-Tech, with the last game in what's considered the original series released in 2001 (Wizardry 8). Ever since, Wizardry has been focused on the Japanese market (where it found big success) and mostly mobile titles (though there was an MMO).
Well… the Wizardry IP is now owned by Tokyo-based Drecom, which has announced that "the timeless masterpiece will become a blockchain game!" Yay. The new game is called Eternal Crypt: Wizardry BC and is described as "an adaptation of the Wizardry IP as a blockchain game. It will be a game that everyone can enjoy and immerse themselves in the world of Web3".

Blizzard's paying Megan Fox to eulogise Diablo 4 deaths in her underwear
https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzards-paying-megan-fox-to-eulogise-diablo-4-deaths-in-her-underwear/
"If there's one thing I love," says Hollywood actor Megan Fox, "it's the sight of blood." Hold on a second, what channel is this?
Yes, Blizzard has paid a large sum of money for what is in effect a high-profile Cameo, whereby some nerd's unremarkable demise in Diablo 4 will be air quotes immortalised by Megan Fox in an extremely skimpy outfit. If you think that games have suddenly gone back to 1980s style marketing stunts, yuh huh!
>> And that moron of Kotick said last week that there was no sexism in Acti-Blizz.

NVIDIA DLSS SDK 3.1.13 update brings DLAA as Performance Quality mode

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-dlss-sdk-3-1-13-update-brings-dlaa-as-performance-quality-mode

Alright this is a pretty epic update. Instead of developers needing to implement DLAA separately, it is now part of DLSS. So this means that if you have a fast enough RTX GPU that doesn't need upscaling, you can use DLAA to replace the existing anti aliasing solution instead and have a significantly better image quality than solutions like TAA.

Apple M1/M2 systems can now run Windows games like as Cyberpunk 2077, Diablo 4 and Hogwarts Legacy thanks to its new emulation software

https://videocardz.com/newz/apple-m1-m2-systems-can-now-run-windows-games-like-as-cyberpunk-2077-diablo-4-and-hogwarts-legacy-thanks-to-its-new-emulation-software

While it only runs Cyberpunk at 1440 x 900p at like 15fps on the M1 Pro in Ultra settings, honestly I am surprised it can even do that considering its translating directx12 to metal and x86 to arm and no optimization. For lower tier games like Age of Empires, this should be great.

AMD Zen 4 CPUs To See Up To 20% Speedup In y-cruncher Benchmark Thanks To AVX-512

https://wccftech.com/amd-zen-4-cpus-up-to-20-percent-speedup-in-y-cruncher-benchmark-avx-512/

AMD EPYC Bergamo CPU Die Detailed: 16 Zen 4C “Vindhya” Cores Per CCD & 35% Smaller Core Area

https://wccftech.com/amd-epyc-bergamo-cpu-die-detailed-16-zen-4c-vindhya-cores-per-ccd-35-percent-smaller-core-area/

Apple Vision Pro Users Who Specifically Wear Glasses May Have To Pay Up To $600 For Prescription Lenses

https://wccftech.com/apple-vision-pro-prescription-lenses-to-cost-up-to-600/

They weren't kidding when they said "starting" at $3500

"This profile can improve the image quality for older gamers that already run at a high framerate."

I'm glad that I'm an older gamer

I'd love to see how those "dense" cores compare to the regular ones, because to be able to pack twice the cores at the same space (more or less), you have to give up on something.

Now that's what I'd call a scam. For that price, just go and get contact lenses, unless you can't wear them, of course.

Probably not an awful lot (for most instructions). The size of 4c isn't that different from Zen 2/3, except that it's made on a smaller node.

It just goes on to show how relatively expensive single-core performance is, in terms of transistor count vs. IPC increase. It wasn't much of a bother before with cost-effective die shrinks, but now it is.

By the way, if anyone expected TSMC to lower a bit its prices because of the competition from Samsung and Intel, think again:

TSMC Strategic Shift: Impending Price Hikes and Operational Challenges in 2024
https://www.guru3d.com/news-story/tsmc-strategic-shift-impending-price-hikes-and-operational-challenges-in-2024.html
In their latest shareholder meeting, TSMC, under the chairmanship of Mark Liu, discussed pressing issues such as the ongoing US-China trade war, climate change, the pandemic, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Liu also hinted at a prospective price hike of 3-6% on TSMC's products.

And thereby contradicting the projected price reductions for processors and graphics cards in 2024. A comprehensive understanding of TSMC's pricing decision is necessary to comprehend its strategic direction.

Thanks.

The clocks appear to be lower than Zen4 EPYC, Genoa, maybe because of the higger density, so that will also play a role in the likely worse single core performance of these chips.

I doubt AMD will bring something like this to dektop CPUs, other than as an equivalent of Intel's efficient cores, but we'll see.