For me it's not just about gaming but app compatibility on top. I work from home so that requires certain apps for me to connect and do things which are Windows only. So for me, Windows will be involved no matter what and because Linux gaming isn't really all that great compared to Windows, it's like welp, may as well use Windows all the time. But least the Deck is different because of the suspend/resume and a lot of other OS improvements that makes Linux viable for it.

This is both depressing and interesting to watch:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IHZru-6M8BY

Depressing, because that stupid digital sparkly horse made more money than SCII over it's entire lifetime, but interesting, because this one dev has clearly touched a very sensitive nerve on those that actively buy into MT's, that people either respond to the guy with open hostility, or they try to make up excuses as to why they are allowed to continue being part of the problem he pointed out. 

Same thing happened with Mike/Matt's video on the same video posted above, people coming out to making excuses or trying to dismantle Matt/Mike's analogies, so that they can validate their continued MT purchases. 

Most normies aren't going to search for these kind of videos on YT, let alone be recommended said videos, but for those that are searching, they are also aware they are being called out, and well, they don't like it, and to that I say:

I'll admit I bought a few MT's before during my time, but nothing close to what I see people pouring into the likes of CSGO, LoL, Dota 2, WoW, CoD, Destiny 2, Gacha games, F2P games and the like. Also since my local GAME store stopped selling Steam cards, I can't exactly buy anything atm, so it's not like I'd put anything towards an MT when I know I dislike them these days and that I'd rather just buy a complete game (which these days is mostly going to be an indie title and not some AAA that's well known for cramming in MT's and passes). 

But yeah, I'm actually super happy to see these ppl being called out and watching them getting assmad at painting themselves in each vid's comment section (like you could just not say anything in the comments and no one will know you bought an MT, but ppl don't think that far I guess?).

Their original plan of just crafting an OS that could be added upon was something they honestly should have stuck with, instead of "oh boy, let's go back to shit OS, good OS, shit, shit OS, good OS, treadmill".

They struck it really good with 7, and things were fine, but 8 was like several steps back and they had to pull such a 180 to course correct that mistake, and now it feels like they're just having a repeat of that again, and I cba with playing to that same tune again for another decade...

I just wanna play my games man, I don't need a mega corp fucking around with OS's for the normies that do fuck all with 80% of the OS. Just make it good for gaming and literally stop there. The normies really don't need anything else added to the OS, as they already have external apps for their needs anyway.

Well from rumours going around that Steam OS is being made ready for other portable devices, it does also make it sound like they'll take another stab with Steam machines down the line, so I'm hoping they'll have refined it for proper desktop rig use, and that's when I make my exit from Windows for good (I can stick with 10 for old apps anyway, as it'll be a build that will no longer require a net connection). 

I'm just really tired with having my games, mods and general performance fucked around with every 5 yrs, because someone at MS thinks PC gamers love playing OS musical chairs and added spyware/bloat. 

Starting to see why Amiga fans are still holding onto their stuff.

I work from home too, and it just happens that I have a work laptop provided by my employer... and Linux happens to be great for web development, it turns out. I had a brief period where I tried Windows because of some minor issues Linux, and miserable is the word I'd choose for that particular Windows experience. I don't generally have much issue with Windows anymore, even though I'd rather be able to choose Linux (without losing too much, that is), but that experience wasn't great.

For the Deck, SteamOS sure sounds like a great option. Not sure about other Linux distros though, since my impression is that Valve has done quite a bit of SteamOS-specific work that's not really present in other Linux distros. I almost wish I had enough reason to get a Deck, although I guess I should be happy I get to save money instead.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU Prices Hit Close To $2000 In The US, Cheapest Model Now At $1900 US

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4090-gpu-prices-hits-2000-usd-cheapest-model-now-1900-us/

Man it's like a never ending cycle of outside influence to increase the prices of these cards

AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7995WX 96-Core CPU Overclocked Over 5.2 GHz With 1000W Power Draw

https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-threadripper-pro-7995wx-96-core-cpu-world-record-performance-5-2-ghz-liquid-cooling-1000w/

Tencent Stockpiled Enough NVIDIA AI GPUs To Last Them A Couple More Generations

https://wccftech.com/tencent-stockpiled-nvidia-ai-gpus-to-last-couple-more-generations-of-ai-solutions/

Western Digital Ultrastar & Gold 24 TB CMR HDDs Now Shipping, 28 TB SMR Drives Ramping

https://wccftech.com/western-digital-ultrastar-gold-24-tb-cmr-hdds-shipping-28-tb-smr-ramping/

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX GPUs Witness Price Surge In China As NVIDIA RTX 4090 Gets Banned

https://wccftech.com/amd-radeon-rx-7900-xtx-gpus-witness-price-surge-china-as-nvidia-rtx-4090-banned/

The Friday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

The first Half-Life is available for free until November 20th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-first-half-life-is-available-for-free-until-november-20th/
Now here is a pleasant surprise. Valve has just made the first Half-Life game available for free on Steam. Until November 20th, PC gamers can visit its Steam store page and acquire their free copy.
Half-Life is Valve’s debut title which originally came out in 1998. This was one of the first FPS games that managed to provide a cinematic experience. Not only that but it came with a multiplayer mode, and it was friendly to modders. Let’s also not forget that some truly incredible MP games originated from it. Counter-Strike anyone? Or how about Team Fortress Classic? Half-Life was a phenomenon when it came out.
So, if for some reason you don’t own this classic FPS, you can go ahead and acquire your free copy from Steam. As said, the game will be free until November 20th. So, grab it while you still can.
>> You know what to do.

Fanatical has several new deals, sales and bundles:

• The new Star Deal is Breathedge, 80% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/breathedge
• Publisher Annapurna Interactive puts its games on sale with up to 77% discounts during 12 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/annapurna-interactive
• WB games are also on sale, up to 92% off, but there's no mention of how long it will last: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/warner-bros-interactive-entertainment
• The Batman: Arkham Collection comes back with an 87% discount during 3 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/batman-arkham-collection
• And the Star Wars Collection is also back, 79% off during 6 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/star-wars-collection

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Rebirth 6.5 Available for Download
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/the-elder-scrolls-iii-morrowind-rebirth-6-5-available-for-download/
Modder ‘trancemaster_1988’ just dropped Version 6.5 of the Rebirth Mod for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Version 6.5 improves Vivec City and gives Dagoth Ur a makeover. Plus, there are cool new armors and weapons to play with. And the best part? The update fixed some bugs and made the graphics even better.
For those who don’t know, Morrowind Rebirth is a complete overhaul of Bethesda’s classic RPG. This mod adds countless new details, weapons, armors and much more for you to see and do. Basically, this is a must-have mod for those who want to replay this classic TES game.
Version 6.5 brings some important fixes for the original game too. Now, you won’t find big gaps in the Arkngthand, Hall of Centrifuge. This version also makes it possible to reach the lower level in Odirniran, which wasn’t working before. And guess what? Vadeni Rethan, Kunirai, will be just as hostile as the other NPCs in the same area. All these problems are sorted out with this update.
The new Morrowind Rebirth Version 6.5 has even more fixes to make the game better. Now, some models won’t crash the game in OpenMW. The update also fixed collisions in various places. And hey, they sorted out the problem where several instances of the Sixth House hammer were in the wrong spots.
>> It's a long post with long release notes, but not a single video or screenshot.

Discovery Freelancer turns the classic PC space game into an MMORPG
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/discovery-freelancer-turns-the-classic-pc-space-game-into-an-mmorpg/
In 2003, an amazing space game, called Freelancer, hit the PC. And guess what? After almost 20 years, a new mod just dropped, bringing multiplayer PVE and PVP action to the game. So, it’s time for some intergalactic fun.
Discovery Freelancer takes the original Freelancer story and makes it even better. This mod tweaks the game to be as close as possible to a Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing experience. Its modding team has added lots of new technical features and content. Not only that, but players can expect some changes to the existing story and lore.
In Freelancer, you get to explore space, engage in big battles with computer-controlled enemies, and compete against other players. There are lots of different jobs and things to do, and you can create your own space story.
Discovery Freelancer adds a lot to the regular game. It takes place 33 years after the main story and has a special roleplay server that’s always on, where up to 200 players can join in. The mod introduces over 100 new ships, from small fighters to huge dreadnoughts. You can explore 90 star systems, including a new 5th House and dangerous alien areas. Plus, there are 69 different factions to check out.
>> The article has two videos.

Dark Souls mod turns FromSoft's game into the PSP demasterpiece it was always meant to be
https://www.pcgamer.com/dark-souls-mod-turns-fromsofts-masterpiece-into-the-psp-port-it-was-always-meant-to-be/
I think a crucial test of a game's visual identity is how well it holds up to a demaster. Bloodborne, for instance, manages to remain recognisably and wonderfully itself when you turn it into some kind of PS1-style kart racer, and it's in no small part down to the talent of both the demaster's makers and FromSoft's art team. And hey, perhaps unsurprisingly, it turns out that applies to other games in the studio's catalogue too.
Pixel Souls: Demastered is a mod for Dark Souls: Remastered that "changes all textures, icons, fonts, and visual effects into pixel art based on the original game textures." On top of that, it also puts the game's sound effects through a fuzzy, lo-fi filter to give the game a "fun, somewhat cursed, 'retro' feel." It was done using author thegreatgramcracker's own "custom image processing algorithm," with a little bit of personal input and tweaking from the modder themself. AI wasn't used for any part of the mod.
It works incredibly well, if you ask me, and turns Dark Souls into a weird PSP version of itself soundtracked by the hottest tunes a sound card from 2005 can handle. Most of those tunes, by the way, are just de-rezzed versions of the original DS soundtrack, but the author secured permission from Soulsborne YouTuber and musician Illusory Wall to use their 8-bit remixes of the Firelink Shrine and Gwyn's Theme tracks from original Dark Souls. They're looking for more like those, too, if you happen to have a generous heart and some retro Dark Souls remixes lying around.
Installing the mod is pretty straightforward, you just need to download the main mod file from Nexus Mods and extract the contents over to your Dark Souls: Remastered Steam directory, overwriting whatever files are already in there. If you don't fancy the low-fi tunes to restore humanity to, you can skip the "sound" folder (do the same for the "font" folder if you don't want to replace the usual DS fonts, too).
>> The article has a 1:29 video of the mod.

GAMING NEWS

Redfall Title Update 3 Released & Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/redfall-title-update-3-released-detailed/
Arkane just dropped the third big update for its latest game, Redfall. This update adds a new UV-powered Unrivaled Sniper Rifle and the Basilisk. And that’s not all – there are some cool improvements to make your gaming life even better.
>> On the negative side, new heroes and content won't arrive until 2024.

Outcast – A New Beginning gets a combat trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/outcast-a-new-beginning-gets-a-combat-trailer/
THQ Nordic just dropped the new combat trailer for Outcast – A New Beginning. Outcast – A New Beginning is the sequel to one of the first games that took advantage of voxels on PC. Outcast, alongside Delta Force, pushed some truly big environments when they came out. And, a lot of PC gamers enjoyed these two games.

Lords of the Fallen Update v.1.1.326 brings improvements to Nanite, performance, bosses, AI and lock-on system
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/lords-of-the-fallen-update-v-1-1-326-brings-improvements-to-nanite-performance-boss-fights-and-lock-on-system/
Hexworks has released Update v.1.1.326 for Lords of the Fallen. This new patch brings major improvements to Nanite and overall performance. It also increases the difficulty of bosses and introduces a new lock-on system.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 may release on March 22nd, 2024
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/dragons-dogma-2-may-release-on-march-22nd-2024/
The ESRB page for Dragon’s Dogma 2 went live and it may have leaked the game’s release date. According to ESRB, Dragon’s Dogma 2 will release on March 22nd, 2024.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Hotfix #11 released and here are all its fixes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/baldurs-gate-3-hotfix-11-released-and-here-are-all-its-fixes/
Larian Studios has just released Hotfix #11 for Baldur’s Gate 3, and shared its full list of fixes and tweaks. This update addresses several bugs, visual issues and blockers. So, time to take a look at all of them.

The Friday news, the second part:

Hooray! You can now 'voluntarily amputate your own limbs' in the last major update before full release for the best roguelike out there
https://www.pcgamer.com/hooray-you-can-now-voluntarily-amputate-your-own-limbs-in-the-last-major-update-before-full-release-for-the-best-roguelike-out-there/
I keep Caves of Qud and Dwarf Fortress in the same mental filing cabinet. Both consist of a very thin layer of graphics (though thicker now in Dwarf Fortress' case) spread atop a fathomless clockwork of interlocking gameplay systems and strange simulations. They are, if you ask me, two of the best and most impressive games ever made, and now Qud has gotten even wider, deeper, and weirder.

Todd Howard reflects on Fallout 76's poor reception: 'we struggled [but] it made us much, much better developers'
https://www.pcgamer.com/todd-howard-reflects-on-fallout-76s-poor-reception-we-struggled-but-it-made-us-much-much-better-developers/
Fallout 76 landed with all the grace of an atom bomb. Back when it first released, PC Gamer's Christopher Livingston called it a "A beautifully crafted but ultimately repetitive world", giving it a 60 in his Fallout 76 review.
It arrived with a bunch of glaring flaws, too: game-breaking bugs, a whole host of missing features like no FoV slider (this happened again with Starfield, somehow), and a bungled $200 edition which promised fancy canvas bags that… turned out to be made of nylon (which Bethesda did eventually fix, though not until a whole year later). 'Troubled history' is an understatement, which is something Todd Howard's wildly aware of as per a quick jaunt through Bethesda's history with WIRED.

Mass Effect veteran Mac Walters is heading up a new studio with NetEase
https://www.pcgamer.com/mass-effect-veteran-mac-walters-is-heading-up-a-new-studio-with-netease/
BioWare veteran Mac Walters left the storied RPG studio earlier this year after a 19-year career, during which he served as writer (and later lead writer) on the Mass Effect trilogy, creative director on Mass Effect: Andromeda, and production director on the still-in-development Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. Now he's announced his next venture: A new studio at NetEase called Worlds Untold, dedicated to developing "triple-A action adventure games with an emphasis on narrative and worldbuilding."

Baldur's Gate 3 cinematic animation lead Jim Southworth has died: 'We will all forever have a Jim-shaped hole in our lives'
https://www.pcgamer.com/jim-southworth-obituary/
Larian Studios announced on Monday that Jim Southworth, who led the Baldur's Gate 3 cinematic animation team, has died. He was 56 years old, and had been diagnosed with cancer at the end of 2022.
>> D.E.P.

If, like me, you're bummed for missing out on that monster Baldur's Gate 3 collector's edition, Larian's got you covered with an upcoming big box 'Deluxe' release
https://www.pcgamer.com/if-like-me-youre-bummed-for-missing-out-on-that-monster-baldurs-gate-3-collectors-edition-larians-got-you-covered-with-an-upcoming-big-box-deluxe-release/
Larian has opened preorders for an $80 physical Deluxe Edition version of Baldur's Gate 3 on PC, PS5, and Xbox. The new variant comes with disc copies of the game and soundtrack, as well as assorted "feelies" like stickers and a poster, all in a glorious throwback case that feels like the PC big boxes of yesteryear. The Deluxe Edition is expected to ship in the first quarter of 2024.
>> It's nice to see physical copies of the game included (something not guaranteed in this day and age). I'm sure they'll sell as many as they want. The article has a couple pictures of the items included in this deluxe editon.

Embracer CEO just flat-out refuses to talk about the KOTOR remake now: 'Anything I say to this becomes a headline'
https://www.pcgamer.com/embracer-ceo-just-flat-out-refuses-to-talk-about-the-kotor-remake-now-anything-i-say-to-this-becomes-a-headline/
The Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake sparked some serious excitement when it was announced back in 2021. KOTOR is a seriously good RPG and a top-tier Star Wars experience, but at 20 years old it's also very dated. Unfortunately, it has not been smooth sailing since, and at this point there's legitimate doubt that the remake will ever see the light of day. And there was no good news on the status of the game in the most recent Embracer Group financial report—in fact, it was quite the opposite.

A Highland Song, the narrative platformer survival game from Heaven's Vault studio Inkle, is coming in December
https://www.pcgamer.com/a-highland-song-the-next-game-from-heavens-vault-studio-inkle-is-coming-in-december/
A Highland Song, the next game from 80 Days and Heaven's Vault studio Inkle, was announced last year as a side-scrolling platformer "with rhythm and survival elements." At the time it was listed only as "coming soon," but now we've got a proper release date, and it's close: Inkle will set its latest narrative-heavy tale free on Steam on December 5.

World of Warcraft's upcoming patch will finally start fixing how much its dungeons suck for new players
https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcrafts-upcoming-patch-will-finally-start-fixing-how-much-its-dungeons-suck-for-new-players/
The next World of Warcraft patch is in development, and it's called Seeds of Renewal (as announced by Blizzard on its official news blog). Aside from the exciting news that Dragonflying will become globally available in all old-world content, Blizzard has taken the first step to fixing a glaring flaw in the game's levelling process. Simply put, dungeons are pretty terrible if you're new to the game.

An ARPG I love from 2016 just had a massive update that gives players a Diablo 4-style dodge, among a huge list of other goodies
https://www.pcgamer.com/an-arpg-i-love-from-2016-just-had-a-massive-update-that-gives-players-a-diablo-4-style-dodge-with-invincibility-frames-among-a-huge-list-of-other-goodies/
Grim Dawn's one of my favourite ARPGs—and it just had a massive update, despite releasing in 2016. While I'm really excited for its upcoming expansion, Fangs of Asterkarn, I figured Crate Entertainment would save its big overhauls for that. Boy oh boy was I wrong.
You can see the full patch notes here on the game's steam forums, and they're huge. The changes therein are a genuine attempt to modernise Grim Dawn—it'll never be as flashy as something like Diablo 4, sure, and that's part of its charm. Doesn't mean the more sensible upgrades from modern ARPGs can't be worked in, does it?

Fortnite players revolt as the game’s 'Roblox-ification' with baffling age ratings stops them accessing paid cosmetics
https://www.pcgamer.com/fortnite-players-revolt-as-the-games-roblox-ification-with-baffling-age-ratings-stops-them-accessing-paid-cosmetics/
Fans of part-time battle royale and full-time brand chimaera Fortnite are in an uproar right now, following an update to the game's Creative mode islands that's left players unable to equip some of their paid cosmetics.
The update in question is Fortnite's introduction of island age ratings. Released yesterday, the new patch has made it so that the game's islands—spaces mostly created by players where they have full creative reign—can now be given their own age ratings. That means island makers can, if they so choose, set a rating lower than Fortnite's own T for Teen ESRB rating on their created spaces.
All well and good, except Fortnite's head-spinning array of cosmetic items also have their own age ratings now. Try to equip a cosmetic rated T for Teen on an island with a lower E10+ or E rating, and you'll find that it's been replaced by a dull and miserly default skin, no matter how much you paid for it.
>> Way to go, Epic.

Let's end the news with a look at what we'll find this weekend at GOG and Steam:

+GOG

• GOG has three Deals of the Day, with the first one being Hero of the Kingdom, 85% off during 22 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/hero_of_the_kingdom
• The second one is Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition, with a 25% discount during 70 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/rise_of_the_triad_ludicrous_edition
• And the last one is Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, 85% off until Monday: https://www.gog.com/en/game/hellblade_senuas_sacrifice_pack

+Steam

• The first one is the Cozy Quest 2023 Sale/Event, with up to 80% discounts until Monday: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/CozyQuest2023
• The Early Access title Railroads Online is free to try during the weekend and 30% off until Tuesday: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1696810/Railroads_Online/
• Oxygen Not Included gets a 66% discount until the 21st: https://store.steampowered.com/app/457140/Oxygen_Not_Included/
• Publisher Neowiz puts its games up to 80% off until November, 21st: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/neowiz2023
• The Red Faction Complete Collection gets an 84% discount until Tuesday, 21st (at least that who long the discounts for the individual games will last): https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/26835/Red_Faction_Complete_Collection/
• Victoria 3 will be free to try during the weekend and 50% off until the 28th of November: https://store.steampowered.com/app/529340/Victoria_3/
• And the last one, the Earth Defense Force franchise goes on sale with up to 81% deals until the 28th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/EDF2023

And done. No more news to share. Until next time, I wish you a happy and gaming weekend.

Dark days ahead. I'll continue using Firefox

Looks like it's time to go back to Firefox

Good thing I'm not on Chrome