Considering the image quality I saw in the video, it's absolutely terribly optimized, period - it's just even worse on NVidia GPUs.

Terribly optimized or do we need for nVidia to catch up with it's drivers?

Being an AMD title, I am sure AMD has been baking it's drivers for this game a lot longer than nVidia.

Plus, being a Bethesda game running on a variant of NetImmerse turned Gamebryo turned Creation engine... They tend to be extremely heavy on CPU/System memory latency side of the equation due to the reliance of heavy scripting.

You add in nVidia's heavier CPU overhead with it's drivers and nVidia GPU's should come up short.

I was watching Gopher's Starfield early review last night, and though he's running a 4090 and a high end Intel CPU, he claims he's got buttery smooth performance so far in nearly all areas, and hasn't come across any major bugs.

But now I'm seeing other reviews and benchmarks and I'm hearing the complete opposite of that story, which makes me think something fishy is going on with folks like Gopher 9I know he's a big Bethesda fan).

As for myself, I've no real interest in the game, even when it was announced. I'm just not into that sort of space game, especially one that's going to emulate parts of NMS with self generated content (radiant quests/dialogue all over again, and that bores me). I'm still sitting here, waiting for a new ES game while trying to play ESO (on a break from WoW atm). 

It has absolutely nothing to do with Infinity Cache because Nvidia's L2 cache is faster than Radeons L3 cache (infinity cache). This is going to be one of those: Digital Foundry finds issues, sends to to Bethesda/Nvidia, they "fix" it and things go back to the way they are.

The Friday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

The Humble Store has launched the ONE PIECE Summer Spotlight Sale, with up to 90% discounts during 6 days. All the keys are for Steam: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/one-piece-summer-spotlight/.

Fanatical's new Star Deal is Tales Of Arise - Ultimate Edition, 71% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/tales-of-arise-ultimate-edition.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

First Starfield mods released even though the game isn’t out yet
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/first-starfield-mods-released-even-though-the-game-isnt-out-yet/
Starfield will officially release on September 6th and despite that, the first mods for it have already appeared online. Hell, its Early Access phase hasn’t even started yet (the game will unlock for those who have purchased the Digital Premium and Constellation Editions in two hours).
>> They're four, but only only one is practical (it's also a cheat).

Starfield just got a free Intel XeSS/NVIDIA DLSS 2 Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/starfield-just-got-a-free-intel-xess-nvidia-dlss-2-mod/
PureDark has just released a free mod for Starfield that replaces FSR 2.0 with Intel XeSS and NVIDIA DLSS 2. This is a must-have mod for everyone, and it’s good to see a free version of it available to everyone.
>> The article also has the instructions to install it. And remember, this is not the paid DLSS3 mod.

The first of what will one day be thousands of character presets to hit Starfield's Nexus Mods page is, naturally, George Costanza
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-first-of-what-will-one-day-be-thousands-of-character-presets-to-hit-starfields-nexus-mods-page-is-naturally-george-costanza/
Every Bethesda game’s character creation menu has witnessed some horrors in its time. From attempts to make Anakin Skywalker in Skyrim, all the way to some of the most terrifying Fallout 4 faces that were enough to break the bathroom mirror. And I’m sure you’ve been witness to plenty of stars made in Bethesda games, too—maybe even attempted some yourself. It does take some effort to get it right, though.
More to the point, I don’t want to have to spend hours in the Starfield character creator to live out my dream of playing Sinefeld characters in space. Thanks to this new Nexus Mods character preset, that dream can become a reality, minus all the hard graft.
Yep, the first character preset for the game appears to be George Costanza. For... reasons?
>> Don't be fooled by the first pic of the article, the real mod is a bit below.

GAMING NEWS

Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch #2 released, packing numerous performance optimisations
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/baldurs-gate-3-patch-2-released-packing-numerous-performance-optimisations/
Larian Studios has released Patch #2 for Baldur’s Gate 3 which features numerous performance optimizations. Moreover, this second update adds a new epilogue scene for Karlach, and the team is working on additional endgame scenes featuring other characters.

7 minutes of new gameplay from the Bloodborne-inspired Lies of P
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/7-minutes-of-new-gameplay-from-the-bloodborne-inspired-lies-of-p/
NEOWIZ has released a new video, showcasing 7 minutes of brand new gameplay footage from its upcoming Bloodborne-inspired game, Lies of P. This new gameplay video introduces us to Rosa Isabelle Street, a once prosperous place filled with art and romance.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown gets a brand new gameplay trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/test-drive-unlimited-solar-crown-gets-a-brand-new-gameplay-trailer/
Nacon has just released a brand new gameplay trailer for its upcoming racing game, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown. This trailer features gameplay footage from the game’s alpha version, meaning that it does not represent the quality of the final product.

Here is how you can change your FOV in Starfield
https://www.dsogaming.com/articles/here-is-how-you-can-change-your-fov-in-starfield/
The Early Access phase of Starfield began earlier today and as you may have seen, the game does not feature any FOV setting on PC. Thankfully, though, there is a way via which PC gamers can change the FOV in Starfield, so keep reading to find out how.
>> It involves creating an .ini file... or download it from the link at the PCGamer article.

Lords of the Fallen gets a new 17-minute raw gameplay video
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/lords-of-the-fallen-gets-a-new-17-minute-raw-gameplay-video/
CI Games has released a new video, showcasing 17 minutes of uninterrupted/raw gameplay footage from Lords of the Fallen. Lords of the Fallen is a new Souls-like game that will be taking advantage of Unreal Engine 5, and this video will give you a glimpse at its combat mechanics.

Friday news, part two:

League of Legends' latest character trailer for Briar makes me far hungrier for more Arcane than the summoner's rift
https://www.pcgamer.com/league-of-legends-latest-character-trailer-for-briar-makes-me-far-hungrier-for-more-arcane-than-the-summoners-rift/
(...)
So the latest trailer for the blood-hungry champion Briar—shown above—doesn't make me hanker for the days of split-pushing lanes, but it sure makes me thirsty for Arcane's second season. Riot's artists are still killing it—and so is Briar, her world breaking into a stylised pink cut-out playground whenever she goes into a blood frenzy.

3500 people had a massive firefight in EVE Online out of 'boredom' (and because they had dreadnoughts)
https://www.pcgamer.com/about-3500-people-had-a-massive-firefight-in-eve-online-out-of-boredom-and-because-they-had-dreadnoughts/
(...)
Around 3,500 people engaged in a massive dust-up this Tuesday evening, which rapidly escalated from a smaller fight, ending up in huge blobs of dreadnoughts barreling into one another with predictable results. Lots and lots (and lots) of space wreckage and killmails. The battle took place in sector 4-ABS8, and as any times are mentioned bear in mind EVE Online deals with these huge battles via time dilation (TiDi).(...)
What caused such a massive fight?
"There were some questions on what escalated to that battle in 4-ABS8," said participant AlphaEmpire in their After Action Report on the EVE subreddit. "I would argue most Fleet Commanders in all blocs agree, the answer is: boredom."

Star Citizen studio denies reports of layoffs as crowdfunding campaign sails past $600M
https://www.pcgamer.com/star-citizen-studio-denies-reports-of-layoffs-as-crowdfunding-campaign-sails-past-dollar600m/
As the Star Citizen crowdfunding machine somehow continues to grind ahead—the game has now surpassed a staggering $600 million in funding—developer Cloud Imperium Games says reports of widespread layoffs at the studio are false.

Bungie is determined to bribe me into running Destiny 2's new raid this weekend
https://www.pcgamer.com/bungie-is-determined-to-bribe-me-into-running-destiny-2s-new-raid-this-weekend/
Recently, my Destiny 2 clanmates and I took the healthy and responsible decision not to participate in the next raid race. The way things work in Destiny 2 is that for the first 48 hours of any new or reprised raid a modifier called 'Contest Mode' is active, during which time player power is capped 20 levels under the enemies in each encounter. Result: you deal less damage and take much more. For those who don't have a well-drilled fireteam and meta loadouts, the experience is bracing—particularly as fatigue creeps in, and the tempers of old gamers with decaying thumb skill begin to fray.
But there must be a sweet reward, right? Historically, not really. Unless you're serious about winning the race, the prize for which is a boxing-style championship belt for all six team members, then the reward for beating Contest Mode has been an in-game emblem for bragging rights. However, today the pot got sweetened substantially. In its latest This Week at Bungie post, the developer announced that beating Crota's End under Contest Mode will also enable players to skip what sounds like a substantial quest and instantly earn Necrochasm, the exotic weapon tied to the raid.

Medieval MMO Gloria Victis and its developer are shutting down because of financial pressure and burnout
https://www.pcgamer.com/medieval-mmo-gloria-victis-and-its-developer-are-shutting-down-because-of-financial-pressure-and-burnout/
Black Eye Games, the developer of the medieval MMO Gloria Victis, has announced that it will shut down the game and close its doors at the conclusion of the current season. The studio said the shutdown is "mostly due to financial reasons," but also that the effort of keeping the game running and growing has also left the team exhausted and burned out.
>> This is turning out to be a bad week for game studios.

Todd Howard reflects on Starfield's development, says there were times he thought 'we had certainly bitten off far more than we could chew'
https://www.pcgamer.com/todd-howard-reflects-on-starfields-development-says-there-were-times-when-he-thought-we-had-certainly-bitten-off-far-more-than-we-could-chew/
Going from 'here is an RPG set in Boston and Massachusetts' to 'here is an RPG set in space' is a mind boggling task. Todd Howard, captain of the SS Starfield, definitely felt the weight of his mission during development, as revealed in a letter he sent to reviewers before the game's launch.

Hours before Starfield officially launches, it's already the top game on Twitch with 350K viewers
https://www.pcgamer.com/hours-before-starfield-officially-launches-its-already-the-top-game-on-twitch-with-350k-viewers/
Starfield's pressurized doors are open for Twitch streamers a few hours before its early access release and it's already shot to the top of the concurrent viewer charts on the platform.
>> It's likely that many have already seen Bethesda's tribute to a fan that died earlier this year.

Pete Hines on Starfield: 'We could make a safer, less buggy, less risky game if we wanted to'
https://www.pcgamer.com/pete-hines-on-starfield-we-could-make-a-safer-less-buggy-less-risky-game-if-we-wanted-to/
Never has a Bethesda game been released without at least a few bugs. We all know how it goes… we either cease to play Skyrim because our AI companions won’t stop running into traps, or we embrace the wonderful weirdness and turn it into streaming content. And it’s not just us players who feel the need to cut Bethesda games some slack for their shortcomings.
Likely in reference to all the talk around Starfield bugs, Bethesda’s Head of publishing Pete Hines recently spoke to Games Industry Biz, assuring them that “We embrace chaos" over at Bethesda HQ. If that means leaning into the little bugs that make the game a more freeing experience for players, then so be it.

Crusader Kings 3 celebrates 3 years with stats showing we're 45% more likely to do a murder than fall in love
https://www.pcgamer.com/crusader-kings-3-celebrates-3-years-with-stats-showing-were-45-more-likely-to-do-a-murder-than-fall-in-love/
It has, somehow, been three whole years since Crusader Kings 3 came out, and it's done quite well for itself in that time. It's sold three million copies—not including expansions—across its three-year reign, so Paradox has put out a new trailer and a selection of other weird stats to celebrate its longevity and success.

And last, but not least, let's take a look at the weekend deals at GOG and Steam:

+GOG

• There's a new GIVEAWAY: King's Bounty: The Legend will be free during the next 70 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/kings_bounty_the_legend
• The first of the three Deals of the Day, that will all last until Monday's refresh, is The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd, 25% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/legend_of_heroes_trails_in_the_sky_the_3rd_the
• The second DotD is The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC, with a 35% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/legend_of_heroes_trails_in_the_sky_sc_the
• And what game could be the last DotD? No, you're wrong, it's American Fugitive, 80% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/american_fugitive

+Steam

• Hogwarts Legacy will be 30% off until September 7: https://store.steampowered.com/app/990080/Hogwarts_Legacy/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/990080/Hogwarts_Legacy/
• The Tenants gets a 50% discount until the 7th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1009560/The_Tenants/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1009560/The_Tenants/
• Curve Games Fantastical Adventures Sale features up to 90% discounts until next Thursday: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/fantasticaladventures https://store.steampowered.com/sale/fantasticaladventures
• Tripware Interactive celebrates a publisher sale and puts its games up to 80% off until the 8th of September: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/TripwirePubSale2023 https://store.steampowered.com/sale/TripwirePubSale2023
• There's another publisher sale, featuring Playstation, and with up to 75% discounts until September, the 9th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/PlayStationPublishersale2023 https://store.steampowered.com/sale/PlayStationPublishersale2023
• LEGO® 2K Drive will be free to try during the weekend and 33% off until September, 11th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1451810/LEGO_2K_Drive/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1451810/LEGO_2K_Drive/
• Dead by Daylight is also going to be free to try, but during 5 days, and 50% off until the 12th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/381210/Dead_by_Daylight/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/381210/Dead_by_Daylight/
• The I Expect You To Die franchise (3 games) is on sale, up to 59% off until the 14th of September: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/ieytd https://store.steampowered.com/sale/ieytd
• And the last one, the ONE PIECE Sale, with up to 90% discounts until September, 14th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/one_piece_franchise https://store.steampowered.com/sale/one_piece_franchise

By the way, the game Helium Rain has become free to play on both GOG and Steam, in case you're interested in giving it a go.

And that's all. Until next time, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend.

Lots of news today

Least that explains things

Starfield DLSS 2 & XeSS Mod Is Now Available For Free, Replaces FSR 2 Integration

https://wccftech.com/starfield-dlss-2-xess-mod-now-available-for-free-replaces-fsr-2-integration/

Thank you modders for allowing RTX users to not be forced to use garbage upscaling solutions.

AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT GPU Performance Could Match The Radeon RX 6800 XT Graphics Card

https://wccftech.com/amd-radeon-rx-7800-xt-gpu-performance-match-radeon-rx-6800-xt-graphics-card/

The sorry state of Mid-ranged GPUs continues.

First GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB card drops to $430, cheaper than upcoming RX 7700XT

https://videocardz.com/newz/first-geforce-rtx-4060-ti-16gb-card-drops-to-430-cheaper-than-upcoming-rx-7700xt

Not an official price cut but Nvidia does like to rule with an iron fist so I wouldn't be surprised if more 4060 Tis get discounted as 7700XTs release as both MSI and Asus lowered theirs to $449 while PNY lowered theirs to $429. See boys? When Radeon releases a good GPU, Nvidia responds. Just because they are making a killing in the datacenter, doesn't mean they are totally out of the loop when it comes to competition in the consumer space.

AMD Says GPU Efficiency Doesn’t Matter To Some PC Gamers, Will Do Better On Ray Tracing In Future Generations

https://wccftech.com/amd-gpu-efficiency-doesnt-matter-to-most-pc-gamers-will-do-better-on-ray-tracing-in-future/

They certainly did a 180 in the performance per watt category from being significantly more power efficient in the Ampere generation even if RT performance was poor to significantly less power efficient vs Lovelace generation but granted the RT performance has improved but still hasn't caught up, especially if you load up Cyberpunk Path Tracing.

This is without a doubt one of the craziest implementations of detachable controller as the joystick can transform into a "mouse" when detached. Considering it costs $700, I might bite. You really have to watch the video to see what I am talking about.

But coming in at almost 900gs and 8.8 in 1600p screen, it is big and heavy.

AMD’s next-gen Ryzen 8000 APU spotted with 16 RDNA3.5 GPU cores

https://videocardz.com/newz/amds-next-gen-ryzen-8000-apu-spotted-with-16-rdna3-5-gpu-cores

Samsung Unveils 32 Gb DDR5 DRAM, Paves Path For Up To 128 GB Memory Modules

https://wccftech.com/samsung-unveils-32-gb-ddr5-dram-up-to-128-gb-memory/

Capacity massively increasing

While not technically related to Blackwell, Blackwell is starting to sound less and less like Ampere after Turing and more like a worse form of Lovelace. Hopefully things slow down by the time Blackwell releases we we are in for a mighty fine shit show, especially if Radeon is going back to mid-range only.

Competition is always good for the consumer. Let's hope this is just the beginning.

The Lenovo Go looks like a cool device, but it also feels like it's trying to do too many things at the same time, and sometimes that can backfire.
Also, I couldn't help but notice that the size of that screen goes against it when puting or removing the controllers.

Wait, they're still on the creation engine??? No wonder it runs and looks like shit.

Bethesda should write a pure benchmarking program in the Creation Engine that can make good use of 20+ threads. They'd have the ultimate CPU benchmark at hand with that.

I know some folks like to blame the devs not the engine and cite the engine as "fine", but that isn't always the case, otherwise we'd still be using tech from the 50's and just never change how we create tools or run new visuals (which we are doing).

It's just that studios like bethesda refuse to acknowledge that memo and gear up with a new engine, instead just adding new duct tape and paint to an engine that is legally old enough to drink...

btw the amount of code needed for each new iteration of the creation engine, to keep it from falling apart is insane, and another reason why they should just roll with a new engine going forward, instead of just piling on the code until one day, it completely breaks down or refuses to do something other games can do with ease (like how creation engine really has big issues with rendering from distances further than 4 houses from the player's pov, and worse LoD's and that still has not improved since the old days).