Given the problems with the drivers they had at launch for the reviews, which may have been resolved, but the reviews haven't been updated, those 500 millions aren't too bad. And the numbers can change if they launch Battlemage this year, and with good drivers.

And well, Nvidia selling 10 times more than AMD and Intel combined is... ridiculous.

Where do you put the display (phone) while holding the Dualsense, Dualshock 4, Xbox Series or Switch Pro controllers?

Laying it on a table in front of you ain't an ideal solution. Then it is too far away for a good experience and often lays in an odd angle.

Wouldn't a sliding controller like Razer Kishi or Backbone One be better suited than a home console controller?

For my old Sony Xperia Compact I had a "strap-on-solution" for a DualShock controller, but rarely used it.

I use a Otterbox defender case so putting something like a backbone or kishi is impossible cause it wont fit it.

I actually do put it on the table but my otterbox defender case's belt holster acts as a stand similar to how you would use a Switch with one of the cases they have out there that acts as a stand built in.

If you like such a kickstand solution on a table, good for you.

I can't enjoy games on a tiny screen 6'' - 7'' screen, if the distance to my eyes is 20'' (50 cm) or even bigger. For that distance I prefer a 10'' - 12'' tablet or a laptop screen.

When I'm holding a handheld or smartphone, the distance to my eyes is usually ~12'' (30 cm), much better immersion (IMHO).

There is also less mobility when you need a stable base to put the phone on. Works on a plane (since every seat has a table attached on its back), but not on most buses or trains, not in most waiting areas (doctor, hospital, DMV...), you can't play lying in bed/on a couch/on a deck-chair/in a hammock/standing in line...

Well its a good thing I only play mobile games in my car that has a phone holder: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094QVTL37/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - or I just use joycons for my OLED Switch when I'm playing that.

The only times I play anything mobile wise is when I'm taking a hour long break at work (in my car) or when I'm waiting for my wife when I pick her up at work (where I usually get another hour or so of play time). I have my iPhone 13 Pro Max and my OLED Switch for those times.

I never play anything portable on bed, couch, etc and if I'm standing in line I'm usually listening to music or browsing.

When I'm at home on my media room couch - I'm usually playing something on my gaming desktop, PS5, Xbox Series X, my OG Switch or one of my previous gen consoles like PS3.

On top of that , I'd only use a controller when playing something that requires precision movement or more movement in general like platformers, fighters, racing, etc. RPGs (jRPGs, turn based games) , visual novels and puzzle games I'm fine with touch screen controls.

Howdy. Do you fancy some news?

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Manor Lords surpassed 100,000 concurrent players within hours of release, and now it's the global top seller on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/manor-lords-surpassed-100000-concurrent-players-within-hours-of-release-and-now-its-the-global-top-seller-on-steam/
People have been clamouring about Manor Lords, a new medieval city builder and management sim, for quite some time now. Only three days ago, it hit 3 million wishlists on Steam, and it seems as if that number wasn't an empty promise, as the game has seen some incredibly impressive numbers within hours of its release. 
Only an hour after Manor Lords opened its Early Access doors, it reached 100,000 concurrent users on Steam. Now, a couple of hours later, it's sitting pretty at just under 130,000—and it keeps on rising. It's also managed to beat Stardew Valley, Helldivers 2, and Fallout 4, as it sits as the eighth most-played game and the global top seller on Steam right now. 
It's an incredibly impressive start to Manor Lords' run in early access and one that's well deserved. Created by a sole developer, Greg "Slavic Magic" Styczeń, this city builder has been almost four years in the making, and from what I've played of it so far, it was definitely worth the wait. It's very competent—beautiful landscapes and changing seasons, as well as a really great soundtrack, which I'd love to listen to by itself. 

GOG brings us three new Deals of the Day, that will last until Wednesday:

• SteamWorld Build is 25% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/steamworld_build
• Dreamfall: The Longest Journey has a 70% discouunt: https://www.gog.com/en/game/dreamfall_the_longest_journey
• And Two Worlds Epic Edition features a 75% deal: https://www.gog.com/en/game/two_worlds

Steam has one deal: Outlast 2 will be 85% off until the 5th of May: https://store.steampowered.com/app/414700/Outlast_2/.

The Humble Store has the Hooded Horse Publisher Sale, with up to 50% discounts during 11 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/hooded-horse-publisher-sale/.

And Fanatical’s Star Deal is Shadows of Doubt, with a 45% deal. It started yesterday but will last another 24 hours (or until they run out of keys): https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/shadows-of-doubt.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Nothing to see here-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

New Cyberpunk 2077 HD Texture Pack overhauls all trees
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-cyberpunk-2077-hd-texture-pack-overhauls-all-trees/
Modder ‘shierkbark47’ has released a new HD Texture Pack for Cyberpunk 2077 that overhauls all of the game’s trees. By default, CP2077 has some really low-quality textures for trees. Thus, by using this new pack, you can greatly improve the game’s visuals.
As the modder noted, every single texture is at least 4X higher resolution than its vanilla/default version. Some are even 8X higher than their original counterparts. Not only that but all normal maps are 2K, while color maps are now in 4K.
>> The article has some comparison screenshots.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Dodongo’s Cavern Remake in Unreal Engine 5.4 Available for Download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-dodongos-cavern-remake-in-unreal-engine-5-4-available-for-download/
YouTube’s CryZENx has just released The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time’s Dodongo’s Cavern Remake in Unreal Engine 5.4 for free to everyone. CryZENx has been working on this level for over two months, and PC gamers can now download and play it for free.
This fan remake of Ocarina of Time has been moved to the latest version of Unreal Engine 5, UE5.4. Now I’m certain that this project does not take advantage of the new features of UE5.4. However, we do know that it does use Lumen. As such, its performance may be better than its older versions.
In this Zelda fan game, you can explore the environments and fight several enemies. You can also use your ocarina, break objects, collect items, and speak to NPCs. Not only that but this fan remake of this classic N64 Zelda game in Unreal Engine 5 also has some cut-scenes and an inventory system. In short, it’s more than your typical “remake of a map from a popular game in UE5” projects.
>> You’ll find an over 15 minnutes video of it.

FOnline 3, free multiplayer game based on the classic 1997 Fallout, just got a new major update
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/fonline-3-free-multiplayer-game-based-on-the-classic-1997-fallout-just-got-a-new-major-update/
Fallout fans, here is something for you today. The folks behind FOnline 3 just dropped a new update. If you don’t know, FOnline 3 is like a multiplayer version of the classic 1997 Fallout. It’s all about diving into this huge, messed-up world after the apocalypse and having adventures with friends. You get to create your own character and make them the way you want. So, if you’re into Fallout, this update is definitely something you don’t want to miss.
(...)
Patch 5.5 comes with cool stuff to make the game even better. Now, when you level up in PvE, you’ll unlock cool perks every 250 levels. Some perks will make your weapons and armor last longer, while others will give you resistance to different types of damage, or give you special combat bonuses.
In this latest update, the devs also added some cool new combos, like Atomic Savant, Muscular Physique, and Coolheaded. These combos give you special advantages in fights. Also, they’ve made some big changes to the War Event, like how fast you earn currency and what gear you can get from NPCs.
And the enhancements don’t stop there. The devs also tweaked a bunch of stuff to make sure the game is fair and fun for everyone. They’ve fine-tuned things like how likely you are to score a critical hit and bonuses that help you resist damage. Plus, they’ve made some characters’ special abilities even better.
Furthermore, you can expect some additional quality-of-life improvements. Now, if you’re sneaky enough, you can hide bodies using the traps skill. The devs have also spruced up the pictures for perks so it’s easier to understand what they do. Plus, if you’re a supporter, you get some extra special stuff, like being able to edit your fury rage screams.
>> There’s an over 2 minutes video.

Dead Island 2 now has an NVIDIA DLSS 3 Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/dead-island-2-nvidia-dlss-3-mod/
Dead Island 2 is one of the few games that only supported AMD’s upscaling tech, FSR, when it came out. Although the game is powered by Unreal Engine 4, it does not support XeSS or DLSS. Thankfully, though, modder ‘PS2ClassicsVault’ has just released a new mod that replaces AMD FSR with NVIDIA DLSS 3.
Now before continuing, I should make it clear that this mod does not introduce support for DLSS 3 Frame Generation. Instead, it replaces FSR with DLSS 3 Super Resolution.
The good news here is that thanks to this mod, RTX40 owners can enjoy a better image quality with it. After all, even with mods, DLSS is far superior to FSR.
>> The article doesn’t have screenshots nor videos of the mod.

Dino Crisis 2 Classic Rebirth Remaster Mod Available for Download
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/dino-crisis-2-classic-rebirth-remaster-mod-available-for-download/
In May 2020, we informed you about the release of Dino Crisis Rebirth. This fan remaster project attempted to make the classic Capcom dino game compatible with modern PCs. And today, we are happy to report that a similar project is available for Dino Crisis 2.
This mod is for the original PC version that came out in 2002. Yes, in case you didn’t know, Capcom released a PC version of it that passed under everyone’s radar. But now, thanks to this mod, you’ll be able to re-experience it.
Going into more details, Dino Crisis 2 Classic Rebirth swaps out some old tech stuff to make the game smoother on new PCs. Instead of DirectDraw 7, it now uses Direct3D 9 for better compatibility with modern GPUs. Plus, it now uses XInput, RawInput, and others instead of DirectInput 7. Not only that but the mod adds support for XAudio2 for sound, as well as a special video player that doesn’t need extra codecs.
This remaster fixes up a bunch of stuff that wasn’t quite right in the original game. It brings back missing or messed-up graphical effects, makes sure the music plays smoothly, and adds in any missing sound effects. Plus, it tweaks the volume levels to make everything sound just right. And there’s even a fix for a problem with the frame rate. As such, you can now play it smoothly at 20, 30 or 60fps.
>> The article has an almost 25 minutes video of the mod.

A group of modders are building 'Baldur's Village' in Stardew Valley, an idyllic little town where you can date Astarion and maybe hang out with some of those other guys
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/a-group-of-modders-are-building-baldurs-village-in-stardew-valley-an-idyllic-little-town-where-you-can-date-astarion-and-maybe-hang-out-with-some-of-those-other-guys/
A Baldur's Gate 3 fan artist with the handle XunHe1145 has revealed a planned Stardew Valley - Baldur's Gate 3 crossover mod to be made in collaboration with other artists. Baldur's Village will feature Stardew versions of some of BG3's companions in a new little town, complete with custom art and dialogue.
Off the jump, the pixel art portraits of Shadowheart and Astarion on display are real winners⁠—my Stardew-loving other half informs me that a lot of custom portrait work for the game doesn't quite capture the charm of Eric Barone's original NPCs, but she really loved these interpretations of BG3's companions. They're a bit more realistic than the base Stardew characters, but still really capture the spirit: you could almost mistake these guys for an official crossover.
>> The article has some screenshots.

Fallout 4's most popular mods are now ones that remove Bethesda's disastrous 'next gen' update
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/fallout-4s-most-popular-mods-are-now-ones-that-remove-bethesdas-disastrous-next-gen-update/
Amid the positive reception and general hype for the series created by Amazon's excellent Fallout series, Bethesda did the most Bethesda thing it possibly could have done. As players rushed back to the various games in the series, Bethesda released a major "next gen" update for Fallout 4, arguably the best entry point for new players, and it's a total mess.
On PC⁠ the update makes basically no improvements to the game, but many free non-Creation Club mods have been broken, and will remain so unless individual modders come up with a fix for their work. The easiest fix is to own the game on GOG, which allows players to roll-back patches, but for Steam owners the process is a whole lot more convoluted.
Which may be why the modding community has taken matters into its own hands, and if you take a look at the Fallout 4 page on NexusMods a clear theme has emerged. The top two mods for the game, which together have been downloaded almost 35,000 times, are  Fallout 4 Downgrader and Steam: Skip next gen update.
>> As you may guess, there’s no media in the article.

GAMING NEWS

Here’s How You Can Roll Back the Fallout 4 Next-Gen Update
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/heres-how-you-can-roll-back-the-fallout-4-next-gen-update/
Last week, Bethesda released the Next-Gen Update for Fallout 4. And, as we’ve already reported, this update broke compatibility with a lot of mods. Not only that but, contrary to Bethesda’s claims, the patch did not add proper ultra-screen monitor support on PC. In short, it was a nothing-burger. Thankfully, though, there is a way via which you can roll back to its previous version.
>> It’s the alternative to the mods, but it's not exactly easy… unless you happen to have the GOG version. Then it’s a breeze.

New patches for The Last of Us Part I & Robocop: Rogue City improve AMD FSR 3.0 Frame Generation
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/new-patches-for-the-last-of-us-part-i-robocop-rogue-city-improve-amd-fsr-3-0-frame-generation/
Naughty Dog and Teyon have released new patches for The Last of Us Part I and Robocop: Rogue City that improve their support for AMD FSR 3.0 Frame Generation. So, thanks to these updates, both of these two games can now be enjoyed with AMD FSR 3.0 FG.

The Elder Scrolls Online Title Update 42 Available on PTS, Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/the-elder-scrolls-online-title-update-42-available-on-pts-full-patch-notes/
Bethesda has just made available Title Update 42 for The Elder Scrolls Online on the PTS, and shared its full patch notes. According to the devs, one of the big features of Update 42 is the addition of HDR support on PC.

Someone has created a Tekken 8 bot that spams ONLY ONE BUTTON, and it’s already destroying some players
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/someone-has-created-a-tekken-8-bot-that-spams-only-one-button-and-its-already-destroying-some-players/
Okay everyone, this is perhaps the best thing you’ll see today. Earlier this month, Bandai Namco released the first DLC character for Tekken 8, Eddy Gordo. By default, Eddy has some crazy combos and in order to showcase how ridiculous he can be, someone has created a bot that spams only one button.
What’s crazy here is that the bot is already a “Destroyer”. Not only that but by simply smashing the “3” button, Eddy can do a combo with Mid, High AND Low hits. And the best part? This “simple” combo appears to cause over 40% damage to the opponent.

Doom’s iconic E1M1 looks glorious in Backrooms: The Project
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/doom-iconic-e1m1-looks-glorious-in-backrooms-the-project/
In order to promote its upcoming game, Night Drive Interactive has recreated the iconic E1M1 from the first Doom game in Backrooms: The Project. And, as you will see, this remake looks glorious.
For those unaware, Backrooms: The Project is an immersive first-person found footage horror adventure game. In this game, players will explore the different levels of a mysterious liminal dimension known as the Backrooms. As such, they’ll have to find and utilize items to aid them in their escape.

Monday news, part two:

Counter-Strike gives the people what they want: 'Fine'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/counter-strike-gives-the-people-what-they-want-fine/
Counter-Strike 2's latest patch makes a bunch of changes to the competitive shooter, and one in particular has been on player wishlists for a long time. As Valve puts it: "Lefties rejoice!" Players can now set a default preference for which side their character holds their weapon, and switch between sides on-the-fly during rounds (by pressing H), all the better to peep corners with.

Fortnite fans are losing love for the airbending mythic as it continues to dominate the endgame
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/battle-royale/fortnite-fans-are-losing-love-for-the-airbending-mythic-as-it-continues-to-dominate-the-endgame/
Some Fortnite players are starting to lose their patience with the airbending mythic, as it's become a recipe for disaster in the late stages of the battle royale game (via CharlieIntel). The new mythic that was introduced for the Avatar event basically just lets people race around in a wheel of air. 

Bulletstorm studio's mysterious Project Dagger is officially dead
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/bulletstorm-studios-mysterious-project-dagger-is-officially-dead/
Project Dagger, a "new action-adventure IP" that had been in development at People Can Fly since 2020, has been officially cancelled. The studio said in a report released earlier this month that the decision to halt development was made following an "unsatisfactory" evaluation of the current state of the game.

Game devs praise Steam as a 'democratic platform' that 'continues to be transformative' for PC gaming today
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-devs-praise-steam-as-a-democratic-platform-that-continues-to-be-transformative-for-pc-gaming-today/
We couldn't hold a roundtable interview on the State of PC Gaming without asking developers about the most ubiquitous name in PC gaming: Steam. After 20 years the store is still a fixture, and despite increased competition from Epic, Ubisoft and other storefronts, it continues to thrive. The perspective of the developers we invited to talk about current trends in PC gaming—from the studios behind Warframe, Baldur's Gate 3, Slay the Spire, and EVE Online—was unanimously positive.

A new Stardew Valley patch is here, and we can all rest easy: it fixes Mr. Raccoon
https://www.pcgamer.com/life-sim/stardew-valley-166-update-patch-notes/
Yet another Stardew Valley patch has arrived, this one "mostly bug fixes and translation changes" according to creator Eric Barone. But that doesn't mean it's not important: This one keeps Mr. Raccoon from disappearing during the raccoon cutscene in multiplayer. I think we can all agree that's vital stuff.

Escape From Tarkov dev finally caves, says people who paid $150 for the game will get access to its new mode 'in waves'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/escape-from-tarkov-dev-finally-caves-says-people-who-paid-dollar150-will-get-access-to-its-new-mode-in-waves/
After two attempts to mollify fan outrage over a new $250 version of Escape From Tarkov with an exclusive PvE mode, developer Battlestate has finally relented, promising PvE access to players who previously bought the $150 Edge of Darkness edition of the game that promised access to "all future DLC."
In a statement on the Tarkov subreddit early this morning, Battlestate COO Nikita Buyanov said he was "very sorry that fans and the game community in general are experiencing these feelings," and that this negative response would factor into his future decision making. In terms of the company's response, Buyanov offered the following concessions and assurances

Get your friends for some horrific tomb raiding in Forewarned, which just hit 1.0
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/get-your-friends-for-some-horrific-tomb-raiding-in-forewarned-which-just-hit-10/
The burgeoning cooperative survival horror genre has a lot of entries, not all of them great—but the great ones, like Phasmophobia and Lethal Company, have really taken off. What's unexpected, then, is seeing one that did just okay in an Early Access launch become not just promising, but quite good, and then get a surprise full launch just last week.
Forewarned is that exactly. The indie 1-4 player survival horror game has players dive into ancient Egyptian ruins crawling with monsters, traps, and cursed treasure. "Investigate phenomena, collect treasure, discover lore, survive danger, and banish the evil that lurks within," says developer Dreambyte.

Check out Oddsparks, which is something like Pikmin by way of Factorio
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/check-out-oddsparks-which-is-something-like-pikmin-by-way-of-factorio/
So what if you took the single-leader, many soldiers third person real-time strategyy concept of a game like Pikmin, added a dash of the crafting genre, and then spiced it up with a bunch of path-based automation and cooperative play?
That'd give you the recently-released Oddsparks: An Automation Adventure, a delightful and whimsical little game from Massive Miniteam and HandyGames. In it, you gather up a whole posse of whimsical little wooden golems and put them to work both fighting bad guys and building up automated infrastructure to produce not just things you and your village of friends need, but a ton of copies of themselves to boot. Self-replicating machines being of course something which has never, ever gone wrong in the history of fiction.

Manor Lords' dev asks players: Should its supply mechanic be changed?
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/manor-lords-dev-asks-players-should-its-supply-mechanic-be-changed/
Greg Styczeń, the solo developer of smash hit survival citybuilder Manor Lords, needs your help. Specifically, he needs your help deciding whether to adjust the game's supply-and-demand system.
>> By the way, the name of the studio comes from a The Witcher 3 meme.

Major Helldivers 2 balance patch tweaks over 24 different weapons and stratagems, adjusts enemies, slightly nerfs my beloved Quasar and Sickle, and more
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/major-helldivers-2-balance-patch-tweaks-over-24-different-weapons-and-stratagems-adjusts-enemies-slightly-nerfs-my-beloved-quasar-and-sickle-and-more/
Did you know that Helldivers 2 has a mission where you get to raise the Super Earth flag? I did, but I sure as liberty haven't ever done it. Not because of an absence of patriotism, you understand, but because it only ever popped up at lower difficulties.
That's changed now, among a host of other weapon tweaks, enemy changes, and balance fixes dropped in the humongous Patch 01.000.300 today, which brings "a number of adjustments, fixes and improvements to aid your democratic endeavours".
>> Arrowhead is also giving players the chance to choose the new stratagem.

Hades 2's technical test is shutting down today, but don't worry, you won't be deprived of your hot gods for long—early access will follow 'relatively soon after'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/hades-2s-technical-test-is-shutting-down-today-but-dont-worry-you-wont-be-deprived-of-your-hot-gods-for-longearly-access-will-follow-relatively-soon-after/
Hades 2 is looking sick as hell already, which shouldn't surprise anybody familiar with Supergiant's absurdly high pedigree—or the pecs, uh, I mean, perks of the first game's long stint in early access. It had its technical test recently, and from what I've seen it's certainly hitting the same thighs—I mean, highs—as its predecessor.
Said technical test will be shutting down today, however, Supergiant has promised that Hades 2 will be back in Early Access soon enough. Your hot gods will return soon.

Incredible but true. Only two posts on a Monday. I fear how it may be tomorrow.

AMD Ryzen CPUs Show Strong Sales Against Intel Core In Korean DIY Segment, Ryzen 5 Most Popular Among Gamers

https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-cpus-strong-sales-intel-core-korea-diy-ryzen-5-most-popular-gaming-chip/

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 with AD103 GPU has been spotted

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4070-with-ad103-gpu-has-been-spotted

AMD cancelled Radeon RX 8000 GPU could have featured over 200 Compute Units

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-cancelled-radeon-rx-8000-gpu-could-have-featured-over-200-compute-units

Take it with salt

I'm not surprised to see AMD processors doing well in South Korea. Electricity prices have gone up quite a lot there, and AMD is a lot more efficient, but the first articles about Intel's stability issues came from there as well.