Yeah, when I saw the headline, I was thinking "No shit, Sherlock!"

What I fear however is that the difference between handheld and docked will be bigger next time. Otherwise the battery life would probably be worse, as Nintendo can't make it much heavier than the Switch already is to accomodate for children's hands and strength, as batteries and potentially stronger cooling would weigh down the console too much.

I still expect it to be quite a bit heavier than the Switch, but at ~400g compared to 300g (OG Switch) to 320g (Switch OLED) and 669g (Steam Deck), it still wouldn't be too hefty for children but could accomodate some more power and cooling.

I'm not sure there will be a bigger difference this time around between handheld and docked mode than what was present with the current console, but it will depend a lot of the resolution of the screen. If it stays at 720p or maybe 800p, then my guess is that Nintendo will use the extra power in docked mode for rendering at higher resolution and DLSS, with maybe a few extra effects... tho I doubt the console will be powerful enough for RT.

Weight and size, well, Nintendo has been doing handhelds for decades. They know a thing or two about what's comfortable or not, and they usually get it right.

Please don't use the Switch weight without JoyCons for comparisons with other handhelds. Without the JoyCons you can't play most games in handheld mode. And for the other modes (docked, tabletop) the weight doesn't matter.

Many people think the SteamDeck weights double of a Switch... which ain't true

• 219g = PS Vita Slim
• 260g = PS Vita OLED
• 275g = Switch Lite
• 336g = 3DS XL
• 398g = Switch LCD (including JoyCons)
• 420g = Switch OLED (including JoyCons)
• 640g = Steam Deck OLED
• 669g = Steam Deck LCD

So the launch Steam Deck is 68% heavier than the launch Switch.
And the Steam Deck OLED is only 52% heavier than a Switch OLED.

Actually the OLED difference is even a bit less according to my kitchen scale.
My Switch OLED weights 424g, my Steam Deck OLED 635g (both including a microSD card), so the Steam Deck OLED is only 50% heavier.

Also the Steam Deck is much more comfortable to hold for adults with "normal sized" hands... if I want similar ergonomics, I use my Switch OLED with Hori Split controllers... which adds some weight. My Steam Deck OLED is only 33% heavier than my Swtich OLED with Hori Split controllers.

The power demands going from 720P to say... 1080P or 1440P just isn't warranted for a gaming handheld device, not on those small displays.

I think RT is more than doable, AMD has sort of tarnished RT on consoles, but the Switch successor isn't likely to be plagued by those same limitations, especially with nVidia's generational lead in A.I/Upscaling/RT.

I see kids usually having Switch Lite's over the other models, mostly because they are cheap... And they are a very lite device at 275g. Pun intended.

My current gaming PC has a 256 GB SSD and a 1 TB HDD


Next PC will need at least 1 TB SSD and 2 TB HDD.

I've finished my first game in 2024.

Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag on Steam. Took me 39 hours.

I loved the game itself however....the PC version has a lot of issues that Ubisoft wont address even though its widespread and mentioned throughout the support forums and other sites.

+Great story, cast of characters and voice acting
+Naval Combat/Ship building is great

-Glitches can occur such as warping Main character far from ship and bodies of dead characters moving around on the floor
-Kenway's Fleet is constantly loading and requires a mod to fix it
-Access to DLC such as Freedom Cry has been disabled by a glitch - need a third party software to fix
-Starting up the game in certain graphic settings can crash the game or make it unplayable

Despite all the issues I really enjoyed the game and felt like its my most favorite AC game...unfortunately the score took a hit but with the fact that I really enjoyed it, saved the score a bit.

I give ACIV Black Flag a 85 out of 100 - would have been in the 90s if the DLC at least worked.

Disappointed that I couldnt play Freedom Cry but at least I have the standalone version of it.

Hopefully when I do play the console versions in the future, it wont be broken lol

Score wise comparison sake...

Assassin's Creed Director's Cut (PC): 84
Assassin's Creed II Deluxe Edition (PC): 90
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood Deluxe Edition (PC): 92
Assassin's Creed Revelations Gold Edition (PC): 85
Assassin's Creed III Deluxe Edition (PC): 80
Assassin's Creed Liberation HD (PC): 71
Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag Gold Edition (PC): 85

Also....

AC games back to back lol

The Thursday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

The Epic Store gives away the game Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy during the next 7 days: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/marvels-guardians-of-the-galaxy.
Next week, they'll give away the game Sail Forth.

Humble Bundle has launched the Outright Games' Heroes of Film and Television Bundle, in support of UNICEF, with up to 17 games to get during the next 13 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/outright-heroes-film-television.

And Fanatical has two new deals for us:

• The new Star Deal is System Shock, 43% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/system-shock
• And the Platinum Collection BYOB for January has launched with 19 titles to choose from for your 3, 5 or 7 games bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/platinum-collection-build-your-own-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Pour one out for the late great Windows 7: Steam has finally stopped supporting Windows 7, 8, and 8.1
https://www.pcgamer.com/pour-one-out-for-the-late-great-windows-7-steam-has-finally-stopped-supporting-windows-7-8-and-81/
On January 1, Valve ended support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, which means that users on those older versions of Microsoft's OS will eventually not be able to use the gaming platform. "We expect the Steam client and games on these older operating systems to continue running for some time without updates after January 1st, 2024, but we are unable to guarantee continued functionality after that date," Valve wrote in a post on the Steam support site.
It's a bit wild that Steam still supported Windows 7 until the start of 2024. It was a remarkably popular version of the OS even after the launch of Windows 8, but it also debuted in 2009, which is very, very long in software years. To put that in perspective, when Steam debuted in 2003, the same backwards compatibility would've required it to support, uh, Windows 2.1. Windows is obviously a bit more mature these days, but still—one heck of a run, Windows 7.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

This Starfield Mod adds a new faction with its own crime system
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/starfield-mod-new-faction-crime-system/
Modders ‘ItsmePaulieB’ and ‘Boris4774’ have released a pretty new cool mod for Starfield. This mod adds a brand new Faction with a working crime system to the game that also comes with its own clothing line.
As its description reads.
“GRiNDTerra Industries is a new corporate faction financed in shadows by the UC to rival Ryujin Industries. Being a private sector company, it can expand in Freestar space and uses its funds to hire “ex” UC government and military officials to help quite literally destroy its competitors. For the public it is a company with the goal to terraform the universe to their own design. In private, it is slowly expanding a private military force on as many planets as possible with the desire to be THE corporation.”
The GrindTerra Faction will show up in lots of different places in Starfield. You can talk to them just like any other group, but right now, you can’t join them. Still, you can buy their uniforms at an industrial workbench if you’ve got enough credits.
At first, GrindTerra Industries will be neutral toward you. If you trespass into their territory, they’ll give you a warning. Joining Ryujin Industries, though, makes them your enemies automatically. GrindTerra will track your crimes, and you might end up with a special bounty or even be arrested.
>> The article doesn't have screenshots nor videos about this mod.

A Starfield modder is doing something Bethesda should have done: making pilotable mechs
https://www.pcgamer.com/a-starfield-modder-is-doing-something-bethesda-should-have-done-making-pilotable-mechs/
One of the things I really don't get about Starfield is the whole mech situation. Mechs are everywhere. There's a bunch of lore about mechs being used in the Colony Wars that took place decades earlier. There are mechs you can look at in factories and junkyards and museums. There was even a shot of a player walking past a mech shown in one of Starfield's early gameplay trailers, and an animated trailer heavily featured them.
But you can't actually climb into a mech and pilot it in Starfield (explained in the lore as a ban on mechs since the end of the war). When it comes to mechs, Bethesda decided you can look but you can't touch. And you definitely can't ride. I guess my question is: why, tho?
The good news is a modder named Jared Kohr is doing something Bethesda probably should have done in the first place. Check out the video below of Kohr's mod in progress that will actually let you climb inside a towering mech and go for a stomp on the surface of a planet

Heroes of the Storm comes full circle as a mod of the game of the mod
https://www.pcgamer.com/heroes-of-the-storm-comes-full-circle-as-a-mod-of-the-game-of-the-mod/
I've never really got on with mobas, the exception to the rule being Blizzard's excellent Heroes of the Storm. Inspired by Defense of the Ancients, the Warcraft 3 mod that birthed the entire genre, HotS was released in 2015 to a largely positive reception from critics and players. But despite the game's quality, and years of support from Blizzard, it never managed to reach that critical mass of players.
Support had been winding down for years before, in mid-2022, Blizzard put the final bullet in HotS and announced the end of active development. The game continues to have hero rotations and the odd minor balance patch, but the news was nevertheless greeted with dismay by its hardcore fans. And some weren't content to leave it there.
In something of a full circle moment, a mod team has now announced that the mod-that-became-a-game is now the subject of a new and impressively full-featured mod project. Resurgence of the Storm is a recreation of Heroes of the Storm within the Starcraft 2 engine, and can be found in that game's Arcade section. It's been in development for over four years and features 15 heroes, nearly all of which have balance changes or new talents compared to their HotS counterparts.
"Like many, we miss Heroes of the Storm," says the mod team. "We miss reading patch notes, getting excited for new Heroes, reworks, balance changes, so we took it into our own hands." The likes of Arthas receive a full rework, while the mod even has room for two new heroes: Selendis (who was once planned as an official addition to HotS) and Talandar. More new heroes are planned down the line.
The nature of the project means it won't be quite as convenient or accessible as HotS. There's no matchmaking system, so players have to use the game's Discord to matchmake, and those behind RotS emphasise this is not "a full replacement" for HotS. "As a StarCraft 2 mod, some things are not possible; some models and abilities cannot be replicated or ported over. Most importantly, there are no Quick Cast settings, everyone plays with On Release."
>> The article has an over 6 minutes long video of this mod.

GAMING NEWS

EVERSPACE 2 will be upgraded to Unreal Engine 5 in the Spring Update
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/everspace-2-will-be-updated-to-unreal-engine-5-in-the-spring-update/
Rockfish Games has announced that the Spring Update for EVERSPACE 2 will upgrade the game to Unreal Engine 5. According to the team, this upgrade will help it future-proof the game so it has less difficulty bringing updates and expansion content to it.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Official PC Requirements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/prince-of-persia-the-lost-crown-official-pc-requirements/
Ubisoft has just revealed the official PC system requirements for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. This new Prince of Persia game will release on January 15th, and you can also find below a new trailer for it.
>> The specs are quite low, for modern standards.

Here are 18 minutes of new gameplay from Dragon’s Dogma 2
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/18-minutes-new-gameplay-dragons-dogma-2/
IGN has shared a video, showcasing 18 minutes of brand new gameplay footage from Dragon’s Dogma 2. This video showcases the Fighter, Thief, Warrior, and Sorcerer classes, so be sure to watch it.

Thursday news, part two:

After 34 years, a 13 year-old prodigy has become the first person to 'beat' Tetris by reaching the holy grail of high-level play: a 'true killscreen'
https://www.pcgamer.com/after-34-years-a-13-year-old-prodigy-has-become-the-first-person-to-beat-tetris-by-reaching-the-holy-grail-of-high-level-play-a-true-killscreen/
Over three decades have passed since Tetris made its debut on the NES in 1989. Since then, a holy grail has lied just out of reach—the "true killscreen". Now, a young prodigy has managed to reach it: after 34 entire years, a flesh-and-blood person has finally beaten Tetris.

Nexon fined nearly $9M for falsifying loot box drop rates
https://www.pcgamer.com/nexon-fined-nearly-dollar9m-for-falsifying-loot-box-drop-rates/
A report from the Korean Economic Daily says Nexon has been slapped with a fine of ₩11.6 billion ($8.85 million) by Korea's Fair Trade Commission for changing the drop rates of items in MapleStory and Bubble Fighter "multiple times" between the years 2010 and 2021, without telling anyone that the changes had been made.
>> Given the money they make with those practices, the fine should be, at least, 10 times higher.

The Finals players are tormenting each other with the unexpected power of the Goo Gun
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-finals-players-are-tormenting-each-other-with-the-unexpected-power-of-the-goo-gun/
The Finals, the newest competitive FPS on the block, has gotten lots of praise for its gunplay and movement, but its carousel of physics objects and dynamic destruction is what truly sets it apart from the pack. Under its sweaty game modes and leaderboard chasing is the spirit and toolset of an immersive sim, and nowhere is that more evident than the recent rise of the Goo Gun.

Sorry, Gale—unimaginable arcane power in Baldur's Gate 3 is as simple as taking off your underwear
https://www.pcgamer.com/sorry-galeunimaginable-arcane-power-in-baldurs-gate-3-is-as-simple-as-taking-off-your-underwear/
Baldur's Gate 3 is a massive game, which makes for a wonderful experience filled with unexpected story beats. Unfortunately, this also means there are some bugs that are still kicking about, even after several patches.
A lot of them have been squashed, and Larian's blistering pace has given us a whole new epilogue among other quality of life improvements: but some traces remain. One such bug is a hilarious interaction with Freecast, one of the illithid abilities obtained from chowing down on some brain worms. Minor Act 3 spoilers to follow.

Fallout's co-creator may be retired—but he's still advising on The Outer Worlds 2, and how it can avoid the 'huge chasms' of RPG design
https://www.pcgamer.com/fallouts-co-creator-may-be-retiredbut-hes-still-advising-on-the-outer-worlds-2-and-how-it-can-avoid-the-huge-chasms-of-rpg-design/
Tim Cain's had a storied career—he's mostly known as the co-creator of the Fallout series, which has grown so big it's getting its own dang TV show—but he's also worked on Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines, Wildstar, Pillars of Eternity, and The Outer Worlds.
After 30 years of experience he's mostly retired, though he's been spending a lot of time imparting wisdom on his YouTube channel. However—as confirmed by a recent Rock Paper Shotgun interview, Cain is still occupying a consultation role on The Outer Worlds 2.

Star Citizen truly outdoes itself with a $48,000 bundle for its most loyal whales
https://www.pcgamer.com/star-citizen-truly-outdoes-itself-with-a-dollar48000-bundle-for-its-most-loyal-whales/
Ever since it first warped onto the scene, Star Citizen has been infamous for its rapacious monetisation. The game's development seems never-ending but, long before you could play it in any form, Roberts Space Industries would sell you all sorts of space-things: Like this mine-laying ship that cost over $600 before mine-laying was even a feature in the game.
(...)
But this time Star Citizen has truly outdone itself, with what surely has to be the single most expensive DLC in history. Yes, they warned us that this was the next step after horse armour, and Roberts Industries has delivered: Star Citizen now offers a $48,000 Legatus bundle containing every ship in the game (you'd hope so, too).

MultiVersus fans weren't hallucinating—the phantom Belgian McDonalds stickers were for a real promotion, which (possibly) confirms a mystery 24th character
https://www.pcgamer.com/multiversus-fans-werent-hallucinatingthe-phantom-belgian-mcdonalds-stickers-were-for-a-real-promotion-which-possibly-confirms-a-mystery-24th-character/
Last month, the MultiVersus rumour mill span itself into a frenzy over some stickers plastered in Belgian McDonalds, which appeared early—like some kind of hallucination you experience when you're severely dehydrated, only the water in this case is a platform fighter most people had a good time with that randomly shut down for months.
(...)
Well, turns out that the promotion is, in fact, real (thanks, TheGamer). If you go over to the McDonalds Belgium website, there's an honest-to-god promotion conspicuously missing a "find out more" button. Clicking the "more information" button on the front page just leads to that link, so this is all we really have to go on:

You can now play the most infuriating game of all time in your browser, and for some reason I'm hopelessly addicted
https://www.pcgamer.com/you-can-now-play-the-most-infuriating-game-of-all-time-in-your-browser-and-for-some-reason-im-hopelessly-addicted/
This week, I discovered a TikToker deliberately developing the worst game of all time—complete with impossible platforming, unskippable dialogue, and a rocket launcher that has to be reloaded 150 times between each shot. I ended that post anxious that creator Everywhere Nowhere might one day release their abomination into the world for people to actually play. I'm afraid that happened sooner even than I feared.
You can now try Monster Sniper Season 3 for yourself on the developer's itch.io page, and… wow. I knew it was going to be bad, but watching it in TikToks really didn't do it justice. Actually getting your hands on it is a whole other world of pain.

MSI to launch gaming handheld device, to be announced at CES 2024

https://videocardz.com/newz/msi-to-launch-gaming-handheld-device-launching-at-ces-2024

Hopefully MSI will try something different but I get the feeling that's not happening. The Z1 extreme has largely been awful for handhelds. Yes you get more performance but you really only see it at 25 watts. If they put in a 40 Whr like everyone else, 1 hr battery is extremely bad as other components also use power on top. What's worse is that when playing small titles that aren't very demanding, the battery life is still not that great generally lasting 4-5 hours while Steam Deck Oled can last more like 8-10 hours. Hopefully next gen, AMD can really put some efficiency back into these chips at 15 watt.

AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D now listed in Europe for €271, Ryzen 5 5500GT costs €134

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-ryzen-7-5700x3d-now-listed-in-europe-for-e271-ryzen-5-5500gt-costs-e134

Feels like that is too much as 7800X3D went on sale for $330 not very long ago.

AMD confirms January 8th CES 2024 event, focusing on AI

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-confirms-january-8th-ces-2024-event-focusing-on-ai

VESA introduces Adaptive-Sync 1.1a standard with new Dual-Mode for gaming monitors

https://videocardz.com/press-release/vesa-introduces-adaptive-sync-1-1a-standard-with-new-dual-mode-for-gaming-monitors

AMD Reportedly Looks For Alternate CoWoS Suppliers As TSMC Reaches Full Capacity

https://wccftech.com/amd-reportedly-looks-for-alternate-cowos-suppliers-as-tsmc-reaches-full-capacity/

Dell Rolls Out 2024 XPS Laptop Lineup: XPS 16, 14, 13 Powered By Intel Core Ultra CPUs, RTX 40 GPUs

https://wccftech.com/dell-2024-xps-laptop-lineup-xps-16-14-13-intel-core-ultra-cpus-rtx-40-gpus/

Dell didn't get the message that ports are hip now?

Apparently Microsoft will be pushing OEMs to include this Copilot key onto their laptops and keyboards... A key that will be useless for anyone that won't use it.

Yeah, that would be more than the tray version of the 7700, which shouldn't be much weaker in games but better in production tasks. The 7800X3D on the other hand is back to 377€ and the 5800X3D right now costs an eye-watering 850€, but the 7600X, which is probably similar in most games, is available for just 239€

230€ would be more like it I'd say.