I've started downloading it before work but not sure if I'll play it today TBH, if it's like DOS2 it might need some patches.

From what I heard, AMD is planning that anyway, though probably just as an OEM product.

Edit: Hopefully, they will release a 7800XT with specs close to those on the GRE, then it wouldn't be needed anymore anyway.

PowerColor leaks Radeon RX 7800 XT Red Devil, Navi 32 with 3840 cores and 16GB confirmed

https://videocardz.com/newz/powercolor-leaks-radeon-rx-7800-xt-red-devil-navi-32-with-3840-cores-and-16gb-confirmed

60 CUs? Are they serious? This will perform like a 6800XT at best which as 72CUs. So they are launching a 4070 competitor 5 months after the 4070? Another miss lol

*Sigh*

Last gen the hardware was great and the MSRP was also good, but crypto f*cked it all up. This time around, besides the 4090, every card underperforms, is overpriced or both.

This is going to be a long and extremely disappointing generation.

Damn just saw there are mods to a beautiful female Shepard and N7's armor on Mass Effect 1... Will have to do another run of Mass Effect Trilogy after all the games I'm doing. ^^

Navi4 lineup will not have any high-end GPUs

Think of it like RDNA1 or Polaris generation.

— Kepler (@Kepler_L2) August 4, 2023

So we're fucked basically lol. Well its was a good time while it lasted. Going to be a rough couple of gens.

Let's go for the Friday news!

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Steam's newest showcase event is all about games that make me feel like an absolute dummy
https://www.pcgamer.com/steams-newest-showcase-event-is-all-about-games-that-make-me-feel-like-a-total-dummy/
Baldur's Gate 3 is the big thing on Steam right now, but it's not the only thing. Steam's new Cerebral Puzzle Showcase is also now underway, with discounts of up to 90% on games that will make you feel either really smart, or kinda dumb.
The Cerebral Puzzle Showcase is smaller than some Steam events, but there's still a lot to see, with more than 200 games taking part, plus numerous game demos, a handful of new game launches, and livestreams and interviews with developers including the team currently working on The Talos Principle 2.

Humble Bundle has launched The Ultimate Racing Sim Bundle - Victory Lap, with 7 games to get during the next 13 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/ultimate-racing-sim-bundle-victory-lap.

Fanatical's new Star Deal is the I Am Fish + Just Die Already Pack, 97% off during 48 hours or until they run out of keys: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/i-am-fish-just-die-already-pack
Be warned, Fanatical will start its Summer Sale next Monday.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

For the first time ever, a PS4 emulator can boot Bloodborne
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/for-the-first-time-ever-a-ps4-emulator-can-boot-bloodborne/
A couple of days ago, we shared a video showcasing the Playstation 4 emulator, RPCSX, booting and running Sonic Mania. And today, we have a special video for all our FromSoftware fans. From the looks of it, this new PS4 emulator can actually boot Bloodborne, making it the first Playstation 4 emulator to ever achieve this.
Now before continuing, I’d suggest tempering your expectations. While the emulator can boot Bloodborne, it cannot offer a playable experience.
>> The video is a bit over 2 minutes long.

Dark Souls 2 Lighting Engine Mod adds support for Parallax Occlusion Mapping
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/dark-souls-2-lighting-engine-mod-adds-support-for-parallax-occlusion-mapping/
Modder ‘Ganaboy’ has released a new beta version of the Lighting Engine Mod for Dark Souls 2 that adds support for Parallax Occlusion Mapping.
Alongside the support for POM, this new beta version adds cloth shaders. Additionally, it implements shader params per texture, allowing the mod to dynamically add Parallax to any surface which has normal map and using texture override.
>> The article has some screenshots and a gif.

Take a look at The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim with Path Tracing
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/take-a-look-at-the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-with-path-tracing/
Pascal Gilcher, the man behind the amazing Reshade Ray Tracing Mod, is currently working on a new Reshade mod that will add Path Tracing effects to numerous DX9, DX10 and DX11 games. And, in order to showcase this mod, Gilcher shared the following video, showcasing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim with Path Tracing effects.
In this video, we get to see how this upcoming Reshade Path Tracing Mod can significantly improve the graphics of older games. And, contrary to Reshade Ray Tracing, this mod won’t suffer from any annoying screen-space side effects.
(...)
There is no ETA on when this mod will come out. Similarly to his Reshade Ray Tracing Mod, though, this will most likely be a paid mod. And, despite that, we are really looking forward to it. After all, you’ll be able to use it in numerous games. So basically, think of it as a mix of ENBSeries and RTX Remix for multiple games.
>> The result, as shown by the almost 2 minutes video in the article, is impressive.

There's already a Baldur's Gate 3 mod that lets you multiclass on Explorer difficulty
https://www.pcgamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-explorer-difficulty-multiclass-mod/
When you spin up a new game of Baldur's Gate 3, it immediately asks you to choose between three difficulty options: Explorer, Balanced, and Tactician. The only description for the easiest mode, Explorer, is that it's "a narrative experience placing story before combat." It turns out that choosing Explorer doesn't just make combat in Baldur's Gate 3 easier—it also locks away multiclassing, which is a potentially confusing leveling option for first-time D&D players.
Two hours before Baldur's Gate 3 even launched on Thursday, a modder had unlocked that limitation, making multiclassing available regardless of difficulty.

GAMING NEWS

Butcher’s Creek is a visceral first person action/horror game, inspired by Manhunt and Condemned
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/butchers-creek-is-a-visceral-first-person-action-horror-game-inspired-by-manhunt-and-condemned/
David Szymanski is currently working on Butcher’s Creek, a visceral first-person action/horror game, inspired by Manhunt and Condemned.
Butcher’s Creek will focus on melee combat, allowing players to use hammers, axes, pipes, 2x4s, box cutters, and more to brutalize anything that stands between them and freedom.

Part two of the Friday news:

Don't worry, your Baldur's Gate 3 sex scenes are hidden from co-op players by default
https://www.pcgamer.com/dont-worry-your-baldurs-gate-3-sex-scenes-are-hidden-from-co-op-partners-by-default/
Sex and romance are a big part of Baldur's Gate 3, which has prompted some new menu options in the just-released full version of the RPG. You can toggle nudity during cinematics, toggle whether genitals are visible, and choose whether or not to share what your character does with those nude, visible genitals with your co-op party.

After inflicting them with hallucinations, vanishing guns, and 'quicksand', Call of Duty will now name and shame banished cheaters mid-game
https://www.pcgamer.com/after-inflicting-them-with-hallucinations-vanishing-guns-and-quicksand-call-of-duty-will-now-name-and-shame-banished-cheaters-mid-game/
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 season 5 is here, bringing with it new gear, new maps, and an unkillable German shepherd that lives on your belt. But it's also brought an update to the game's anti-cheat system. No longer content with plaguing cheaters with bizarre torments like hallucinations and disappearing weapons, COD is turning to the most potent motivator of all to deter evildoers in multiplayer matches: shame.

Bungie's vast new State of the Game blog touches on every aspect of Destiny 2—but they had me at saving my favourite shaders
https://www.pcgamer.com/bungies-vast-new-state-of-the-game-blog-touches-on-every-aspect-of-destiny-2but-they-had-me-at-saving-shaders/
It's a rough time for Destiny 2's community right now. I'd argue the game itself isn't in too bad of a place, but the combined effect of Lightfall's disappointing campaign and more general burnout with the seasonal model has meant the mood around online discussion has been grim for months now. Step forward today's 'State of the Game' post from Destiny 2 game director Joe Blackburn and the wider team, which attempts to tackle some of the recurring complaints and concerns being raised.

Baldur's Gate 3 launch slams into Steam like a rogue iceberg, but the servers refuse to sink
https://www.pcgamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-launch-slams-into-steam-like-a-rogue-iceberg-but-the-servers-refuse-to-sink/
Baldur's Gate 3 finally went into full release today, and with a whole new game to download and no preloading available, that meant every RPG fan in the world was crashing headlong into Steam to get their hands on it. And it's a big fella, too—122GB in all. But the good news for everyone is that Steam seems to be handling it well.
Let there be no doubt, the load was very heavy: The Steam Stats page indicates a peak total bandwidth usage of more than 146Tbps (terabits per second) worldwide. To put that into perspective, that's almost triple the load that Cyberpunk 2077 (also a pretty popular game at the time) put on Steam when it went live.
>> The article has a graph showing the spike the article talks about.

If you're not on the Baldur's Gate 3 hype train, this new extraction shooter is having an open beta you can play instead
https://www.pcgamer.com/if-youre-not-on-the-baldurs-gate-3-hype-train-this-new-extraction-shooter-is-having-an-open-beta-you-can-play-instead/
There's a big new RPG out now and everyone seems to agree that it's great, but if for some reason you're not interested and want something else to play, try this: Hawked, the PvPvE extraction shooter announced by My.Games in 2022, has kicked off an open beta that's set to run until August 17.

There's another Future Games Show this month, with '8 world premieres'
https://www.pcgamer.com/theres-another-future-games-show-this-month-with-8-world-premieres/
PC Gamer sister site GamesRadar+ is putting on another Future Games Show this month. You can watch the showcase of upcoming games during Gamescom—the big gaming convention in Germany, if you're not familiar—on Wednesday, August 23 at 11am PT/7pm BST. (Here's when that is in other time zones.)

Get free World of Tanks, World of Warships, and World of Warplanes DLC to celebrate Wargaming's 25th birthday
https://www.pcgamer.com/get-free-world-of-tanks-world-of-warships-and-world-of-warplanes-dlc-to-celebrate-wargamings-25th-birthday/
The history of wargaming goes back to Kriegsspiel, as devised by Prussian Lieutenant Georg Leopold von Reisswitz in 1812, but the history of Wargaming—the company behind free-to-play military MMOs like World of Tanks, World of Warships, and World of Warplanes—is a little shorter. It was founded in 1998, and is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a week-long event that includes free DLC and in-game events with decals, emblems, credits, and other rewards to earn.

Flush with the Baldur's Gate 3 vibes, Larian CEO tells acquisitive corporations to take a hike: 'I'm getting older, but I'm certainly not done yet'
https://www.pcgamer.com/flush-with-the-baldurs-gate-3-vibes-larian-ceo-tells-acquisitive-corporations-to-take-a-hike-im-getting-older-but-im-certainly-not-done-yet/
You know, if I'd just released something like Baldur's Gate 3, an incomprehensibly large RPG that was really quite excellent and doing very well indeed, I'd probably be looking to cash out. I guess that—along with some minor issues of ontology and taxonomy—is why I'm not literally Larian Studios, which apparently has no plans to sell up to interested suitors despite previously being a potential target for Microsoft.
>> Good.

All Genshin Impact codes from the version 4.0 livestream
https://www.pcgamer.com/genshin-impact-codes-4-0-livestream/
The Genshin Impact 4.0 livestream is here, showcasing Fontaine and what we can expect to find in the fancy realm of the Hydro archon. More importantly, the 4.0 livestream codes are also here, providing a few extra Primogems to use trying to recruit those incoming characters such as the showbiz siblings, Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet.
As always, I'll add the livestream codes to the list below as they go live, but it's worth remembering that they generally expire within a day, so be fast if you want to claim the rewards. There's also info lower down the page detailing the two different ways you can claim the codes once you've got 'em.

Before we finish, let's take a look at the deals at GOG and Steam:

+GOG

• There are four new Deals of the Day, all of them lasting 70 hours, with the first one being Distant Worlds 2, 30% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/distant_worlds_2
• The GOG RTS Bundle, with 2 games, is back with a 65% discount. Be warned that there are only 2000 units: https://www.gog.com/en/game/gog_rts_bundle
• The third one is Mirror's Edge, 75% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/mirrors_edge
• And the fourth, and last DotD is Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals, with a 78% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/nikopol_secrets_of_the_immortals

+Steam

• The EVO Fighting Game Sale 2023 features up to 90% discounts until August, 7th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/EVOSale2023
• Cassette Beasts will be 25% off until August, 10th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1321440/Cassette_Beasts/
• SCUM, still in Early Access, gets a 60% discount until next Thursday: https://store.steampowered.com/app/513710/SCUM/
• American Truck Simulator, that has a demo, will be 75% off until Thursday, the 10th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/270880/American_Truck_Simulator/
• tinyBuild's "Everything Must Go" Sale comes with up to 75% discounts until the 10th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1143810/Black_Skylands/
• The Tiny Teams Festival 2023 features demos and games up 90% off until, once again, the 10th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/tinyteamsfestival2023
• And DREDGE will sport a 25% discount until the 17th of August: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1562430/DREDGE/

Nothing else to add. Until next time, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend. And please, don't spend all your time playing Baldur's Gate.

Intel starts work on a Linux driver for the Xe2 GPU in Lunar Lake

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-starts-work-on-a-linux-driver-for-the-xe2-gpu-in-lunar-lake

AMD RDNA3 GPU family has finally been pictured together

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-rdna3-gpu-family-has-finally-been-pictured-together

Backblaze Releases Q2 2023 HDD Stats, Annual Failure Rates Witnesses An Increase

https://wccftech.com/backblaze-releases-q2-2023-hdd-stats-annual-failure-rates-witnesses-an-increase/

Tenstorrent Secures $100 Million From Hyundai & Samsung As Jim Keller Challenges NVIDIA’s AI Monopoly

https://wccftech.com/tenstorrent-secures-100-million-hyundai-samsung-jim-keller-challenges-nvidia-ai-monopoly/

Cablemod sends out an email that their 90 degree 12vr connector might have too much wiggle room which could cause the connectors to melt. They have released a new version which should connect to the GPU a lot better. They will still replace the entire GPU if they do melt and they are giving users a coupon if they want to purchase the new version.

Lol, if true, can't say I am surprised after RDNA 3. Honestly I think while chiplet design was the saving grace of Ryzen, it was a death nail for Radeon. For the CPU space, Intel was too cocky and their foundries hit a brick wall struggling to advance past 14nm with good yields. They also had very short socket support. While first gen Ryzen wasn't competitive in gaming at the top end, the i5 7600 4 core 4 thread vs ryzen 5 1600 ended up being in ryzens favor as games became more multi-threaded optimized. Because Intel had a bad rep of continuously producing quad cores for like 4-5+ years, people really wanted something new in the CPU space and with promises of 2020 socket support and being a ton more power efficient, a lot of people were willing to bite despite some initial issues.

With Radeon, that unique advantage that Ryzen was providing is simply not there. MCM as stated by AMD themselves did not have enough bandwidth between the interconnects to make multi-die GCDs work with gaming. So they settled with MCDs instead. But all this R&D spending into making MCM designs work clearly resulted into other issues. The GCD isn't all that performant compared to a 4090 while a 6900XT could take on a 3090 in Raster from a previous gen. They needed to make a separate driver branch (according to yuzu devs) specifically for RDNA 3 likely because of MCM design while RDNA 2 and the rest are all on a unified driver branch. And RDNA 3 is very inefficient despite being on the same node as ADA and it has abnormally high idle power as you increase the resolution/hz and the number of monitors. And of course, the software stack is no where near as comprehensive. We are still waiting for FSR 3 9 months after it was announced while FSR 2 is losing to XeSS.

And worst of all, because of all those issues, reviewers dunked on RDNA 3 pretty hard which resulted in discounts very quickly which means all those savings likely went out the window. I think if they stuck with Monolith design like Nvidia and continued their trajectory they started with RDNA 2, this generation would have been a lot more competitive imo.

Instead, 4090 will likely be the 1080 Ti of this generation even if it's expensive as 5000 prices will likely be going through the roof.