1440p for xvi does make sense on this case when you realize that it runs 720p on a ps5. This is a case of the entire game being poorly coded regardless of platform lol.

https://www.techpowerup.com/326832/qualcomm-said-to-have-approached-intel-about-takeover-bid

Lol, poor intel have no money.

The Monday news are here!

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG has 8 new LTOs and a new sale:

• These are the Limited Time Offers, that will last until Wednesday:
  • Underspace, still in Early Access, is 10% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/underspace
  • Powerslide has a 20% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/powerslide
  • Trail Out: Complete Edition is 40% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/trail_out
  • Crystal Caves HD sports a 70% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/crystal_caves_hd
  • Boomerang X is 75% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/boomerang_x
  • Holy Potatoes! A Spy Story?! Features a 90% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/holy_potatoes_a_spy_story
  • Rise of the Triad (2013) is also 90% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/rise_of_the_triad
  • And Cybernetic Fault, also in Early Access, gets a massive 95% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/cybernetic_fault
• The Tate Multimedia Publisher Sale features up to 90% deal for the next 5 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240921_tate_publisher_sale

Steam “only” has two new deals:

• Kill It With Fire 2, in Early Access, is going to be 35% off until the 28th of September: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2357000/Kill_It_With_Fire_2/
• Children of the Sun has a 34% discount until the 29th of September: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1309950/Children_of_the_Sun/

We have a new Humble Bundle: the One Special Bundle: the Legacy of Adult Swim Games, featuring up to 9 items to get /7 games + 2 DLCs) during the next 18 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/one-special-bundle-legacy-adult-swim-games

And Fanatical has a Star Deal and a bundle:

• The Star Deal is Dragon's Dogma 2, 50% off. It started yesterday and will run another 24 hours (50% of keys remaining): https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/dragons-dogma-2
• The BYO Infinity VR Collection Bundle - September 2024 has 19 games to choose from for your bundle of 2+, 3+ or 4+: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-infinity-vr-collection

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

INTEL Arc Graphics 32.0.101.6078 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/intel-arc-graphics-32-0-101-6078
Highlights
Gaming Highlights:
Intel® Game On Driver support on Intel® Arc™ A-series Graphics GPUs and Intel® Core™ Ultra with built-in Intel® Arc™ GPUs for:

• Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Frostpunk 2
• God of War Ragnarok

Steam sets new record as it passes over 38 million concurrent players
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/steam-sets-new-record-as-it-passes-over-38-million-concurrent-players/
Steam has just set a new record of concurrent players. Earlier today, Valve’s service passed over 38 million concurrent players. Or to be more precise, it hit 38,367,277 concurrent players.
This comes almost a month after Steam’s previous record. So, in just a month, Steam was able to increase its numbers by one million players.
Let’s now take a look at the Top 20 Most Played Games in the last 24 hours.
The most played game right now is Counter-Strike 2, followed by PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS and DOTA 2. Black Myth: Wukong is still doing well. Although it dropped two places, it’s still the fourth most played PC game on Steam. And, let’s not forget that this isn’t a multiplayer game. That’s truly astonishing.
>> We can assume it will reach 40 millions before the year ends, right?

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

The PlayStation 3 emulator now supports online matchmaking for some 2000s greats, including Armored Core 4, Ridge Racer 7 and Tekken 5
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/the-playstation-3-emulator-now-supports-online-matchmaking-for-some-2000s-greats-including-armored-core-4-ridge-racer-7-and-tekken-5/
PS3 emulator RPCS3 is a wonder: it's able to at least boot the whole PS3 library, taming the notoriously complex Cell processor to make PlayStation 3 games playable on any modern PC. Its emulation even extends to online play for certain games playable via PSN, and that functionality just got a boost this week with a new update, with support for FromSoftware's Armored Core 4 and Armored Core: For Answer, racing games Ridge Racer 7 and Wangan Midnight, fighter Tekken 5, and more.
While some of these games like Armored Core were previously playable with some custom workarounds, this new update for RPCS3 makes them playable via emulation of PSN's matchmaking service, simplifying the process of getting into a game. RPCS3 has a companion service called RPCN, which is "an open-source server that emulates the P2P match-making done on the PlayStation 3." RPCN 1.3, released yesterday, adds a number of PSN functions that some games used in their matchmaking implementations. With that, they've now become playable. 
Here's a list of newly confirmed supported games from the RPCS3 Discord, though there are likely others that work now as well
>> The article has no media.

Full Version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Dodongo’s Cavern Remake in Unreal Engine 5.4.4 Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/full-version-of-the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-dodongos-cavern-remake-in-unreal-engine-5-4-4-released/
In April 2024, we shared the first part of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Dodongo’s Cavern Remake in UE5.4. And today, we are happy to report that CryZENx has released the full version of it in Unreal Engine 5.4.4. This is free to everyone So, make sure to get it as this is one of the best fan remakes we’ve seen.
This fan remake of Ocarina of Time has been moved to the latest version of Unreal Engine 5, UE5.4.4. Now I’m certain that this project does not take advantage of the new features of UE5.4.4. However, we do know that it does use Lumen. I don’t know though whether there is support for DLSS 3. If not, CryZENx should add support for it.
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.
>> The article has an over 1 hour video of the game. But, if you want something newer...

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom ROM leaked, and it’s already playable on Ryujinx
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-legend-of-zelda-echoes-of-wisdom-rom-leaked-and-its-already-playable-on-ryujinx/
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom will be officially released on September 26th. However, it appears that someone got a copy of it earlier, and has managed to leak its ROM to the Internet. And, to the surprise of no one, the game is already playable on PC via the Nintendo Switch emulator, Ryujinx.
While we won’t be linking to the ROM, if you search, you will find it. Just be careful as there are a lot of fake torrents out there. So, don’t download anything from fishy sources, and don’t install anything that looks suspicious.
At the end of the article, I had originally included a video with the first 8 minutes from it. That gameplay footage was captured on an Intel Core i7 9700F with 32GB of RAM and an NVIDIA RTX 4060. However, the YouTuber has deleted it. So, yeah, that kind of sucks.
Anyway, I’m pretty sure that Nintendo will take down all the leaked videos in the blink of an eye. It’s a bummer. So, sadly, there isn’t any video that we can share right now. Once I find one, I’ll be sure to add it.
>> As the article explains. There is no media.

You can now play Silent Hill 2 in Third-Person/First-Person Mode
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/you-can-now-play-silent-hill-2-in-third-person-first-person-mode/
Silent Hill fans, here is something special for you today. ZealotTormunds has just released a new mod for Silent Hill 2 that allows you to play it in third-person or first-person mode. This will completely change the way you experience this classic SH game. So, waste no time and download the mod.
So, what does this mod do? Well, it basically adds an Over-the-shoulder third-person viewpoint to the game. Moreover, you can switch to a first-person mode if you like. Not only that but you can now aim manually.
Now what’s great here is that this mod is compatible with Silent Hill 2 Enhanced Edition. In case you didn’t know, Silent Hill 2: Enhanced Edition is a collection of mods that enhances the game and makes it playable on all modern systems. This is a must for everyone who wants to replay this classic SH game. As such, it makes really happy to see these mods working together.
>> There’s a slightly over 2 minutes video in the article.

God of War: Ragnarok Mod removes the PSN account requirement
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/god-of-war-ragnarok-mod-removes-the-psn-account-requirement/
Well, this was bound to happen. In just a matter of days, a mod surfaced for God of War: Ragnarok that removes its PSN account requirement.
For those unaware, God of War: Ragnarok requires a PSN account. This is a bummer as this is a single-player title. And, to the surprise of no one, the game is fully functional without one.
So, what does this mod do? Well, it fully strips the PlayStation PC SDK runtime requirement for God of War Ragnarok. As such, it will allow everyone to play and enjoy it.
All you have to do is download the mod from here, copy the version.dll and PsPcSdk.dll to the game folder, and then launch the game. And that is.
>> lol. Anyway, there is no media.

One Baldur's Gate 3 modder managed to implement real-time combat like the classic games, but you should probably wait for them to figure out a pause button before diving in
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/one-baldur-s-gate-3-modder-managed-to-implemented-real-time-combat-like-the-classic-games-but-you-should-probably-wait-for-them-to-figure-out-a-pause-button-before-diving-in/
Baldur's Gate 3 modder tinybike has taken the first steps toward making a version of the game with the original series' real time with pause combat⁠—instead of everyone taking turns, the action is constantly moving, but you can pause at any time to issue commands. Right now the WIP mod only has the "real time" and lacks the "pause," but it's already an impressive transformation of Baldur's Gate 3.
I have to level with you though: I think real time with pause combat was a disaster for the human spirit and our collective progress. Or at least a disaster for RPGs. Ok, maybe I do enjoy a lot of RTWP games, but I'd still rather have something fully turn-based or actionized, not this weird middle ground where my party members always seem to ignore my commands or let their pathfinding take them on a circumnavigation of the globe to reach an enemy, and I don't notice until it's too late because everything's popping off at once. That said, I really respect tinybike's vision and technical execution on this thing.
The modder describes their work as a "very very very rough draft" and has a demo video showing it off on YouTube. In the video, tinybike delves into the coastal ruins near the Nautiloid crash in Act 1, fighting the bandits inside in real time, with multiple enemies moving and acting simultaneously. Notably, tinybike is flying solo here. Alongside working out a pause feature, implementing party AI for the characters you're not actively controlling will be an important part of a more complete version of the mod. I'm also curious as to whether this mod might work in multiplayer eventually.
>> The article has a less than 2 minutes video.

GAMING NEWS

Five hours of PC gameplay footage from Silent Hill 2 Remake
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/five-hours-of-pc-gameplay-footage-from-silent-hill-2-remake/
Silent Hill 2 Remake will come out next month and apparently, someone has streamed around six hours of gameplay from it. TwitchTV’s member ‘MenosTrece’ most likely got a PC review code and streamed the following gameplay footage.

First God of War Ragnarok PC Patch Released & Fully Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/first-god-of-war-ragnarok-pc-patch-released-fully-detailed/
Jetpack Interactive has released the first patch for the PC version of God of War: Ragnarok, and shared its full changelog. So, let’s see what are the fixes that this first update brings to the table.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 vs 2020 Graphics Comparison
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/microsoft-flight-simulator-2024-vs-2020-graphics-comparison/
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 featured truly next-gen graphics when it came out. Even to this date, this flight simulator looks amazing. And, believe it or not, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will look SIGNIFICANTLY better than it.

Monday news, part two:

After nearly 10 years of waiting, the sequel to one of the weirdest games I've ever played is finally almost here
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/after-nearly-10-years-of-waiting-the-sequel-to-one-of-the-weirdest-games-ive-ever-played-is-finally-almost-here/
Albino Lullaby is intensely bizarre. It's a horror game, except it's not really horrific, just creepy, silly, and... well, weird. Honestly, I don't remember much about it in the way of detail because it's been almost 10 years since it came out—but man, I remember it being weird.
It was intended to be the first of an episodic series—the full title on Steam is Albino Lullaby: Episode 1—but nothing was ever seen of the promised follow-ons. Until now: Alice's Lullaby, set to launch on October 8, sets players off on a quest to rescue Alice from the Grandchildren (those scowling-weiners-with-teeth things) in an appropriately warped world where you'll travel back and forth through time, attempting to "unravel the metaphysical mystery of the Grandchild Cult and find out why they call you the monster."

Dragon Age: The Veilguard game director says Inquisition's epilogue DLC 'should have been part of the base game'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/dragon-age/dragon-age-the-veilguard-game-director-says-inquisitions-epilogue-dlc-should-have-been-part-of-the-base-game/
When it launches, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is going to have its work cut out for it when it comes to orienting players in its world. Not just because it's the fourth game in a series whose last game came out 10 years ago, but because the beginning of its story hinges on a DLC chapter from that game. Because of its importance to the story, Veilguard's game director said recently that Dragon Age: Inquisition's final DLC probably should have been included in the base game.

Helldivers 2's official Super Earth National Anthem has me so full of patriotic ardor, I feel like marching in the street
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/helldivers-2s-official-super-earth-national-anthem-has-me-so-full-of-patriotic-ardor-i-feel-like-marching-in-the-street/
Super Earth just got a little more super: Sony has finally shared with us Helldivers 2's official Super Earth National Anthem, a stirring orchestral tour de force that will bring tears to the eyes and steel the resolve of all who fight to bring managed democracy to the stars.

New report sheds light on Annapurna Interactive implosion while the parent company says it's 'focused on moving forward,' hiring to fill the vacancies, and still working on the Blade Runner game whose devs just walked out the door
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/new-report-sheds-light-on-annapurna-interactive-implosion-while-parent-company-says-it-s-focused-on-moving-forward-and-hiring-for-the-blade-runner-game-whose-devs-just-walked-out-the-door/
Following the shocking mass-resignation of publisher Annapurna Interactive's entire 25-person staff, a new report from IGN has provided more details about the gaming division's dispute with its parent company, Annapurna Pictures, and its billionaire owner, Megan Ellison. Anonymous former employees shared concerns about the Interactive division's future under Annapurna Pictures, and claimed that Ellison refused to continue working with them on an agreement to spin off the division. Spokespeople for the parent company claimed that the division's leader failed to respond to their efforts to move the process forward.

It turns out you can keep Baldur's Gate 3's heartbreaking temporary companion permanently: You just have to beat half the game without resting, kill her and your main character, and stuff them in someone's pocket
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/it-turns-out-you-can-keep-baldur-s-gate-3-s-heartbreaking-temporary-companion-permanently-you-just-have-to-beat-act-1-and-half-of-act-2-without-resting-kill-her-and-your-main-character-and-stuff-them-in-someone-s-pocket/
Baldur's Gate 3's Patch 7 deputized a well-liked side character, the Tiefling bard Alfira, to full companion status. The only problem is that it's only temporary, and in the most "cursed monkey's paw" way imaginable. Cenalexis_01 on the Baldur's Gate 3 subreddit figured out how to make it permanent, though, and the exploit requires the sort of obscene, beautiful abuse of Baldur's Gate 3's open-ended systems I've come to relish seeing. Spoilers ahead for the Dark Urge origin.

Eco-adventure Rain World is getting a new expansion, complete with new slugcat
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/eco-adventure-rain-world-is-getting-a-new-expansion-complete-with-new-slugcat/
Rain World will get a new expansion called Rain World: The Watcher on March 28, 2025. The release will co me with a new slugcat to play as—the Watcher, AKA the Nightcat—and will be set in a wholly new-looking area of the Rain World with its own strange ecology that we get glimpses of in the released trailer.

A veteran developer found a beta build of Half-Life in his storage unit and has made it available for anyone to download
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/a-veteran-developer-found-a-beta-build-of-half-life-in-his-storage-unit-and-has-made-it-available-for-anyone-to-download/
What's the coolest thing you've ever found while cleaning out your garage or a relative's storage unit? For former game developer Chad Jessup, it's probably the beta version of the original Half-Life he uncovered this month, now shared to the Internet Archive by videogame preservation enthusiast Reagan for all to enjoy.

Dawn of War 1 and 2 have been re-released as anniversary editions including all the DLC
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/dawn-of-war-1-and-2-have-been-re-released-as-anniversary-editions-including-all-the-dlc/
Relic Entertainment's 2004 and 2009 real-time strategy magnum opuses, Dawn of War and Dawn of War 2, have been re-released as anniversary editions for their 15th and 20th years of real-time-strategerizing. The new anniversary editions, available on Steam, include all the DLC and extras released for the two games over the years. That's especially nice for Dawn of War 2, which had a metric ton of DLC and skins and codes and wargear and exclusive bonuses by the end of its life cycle.
Both games are also on sale, at 80% off—or $7 and $10 respectively.

Homeworld 3 will get two of its DLC packs this November rather than in 2025
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/homeworld-3-will-get-two-of-its-dlc-packs-this-november-rather-than-in-2025/
Blackbird Interactive has revised the release schedule for Homeworld 3 updates to insted drop a trio of free updates alongside two fleet packs for its War Games mode this November rather than between now and early 2025, as it had previously stated.

Here's an indie that takes classic RTS and runs it into a modern roguelike
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/heres-an-indie-that-takes-classic-rts-and-runs-it-into-the-modern-roguelike/
An upcoming indie RTS will take the classic formula of a base-builder and slap you with a roguelike twist. Rogue Command, from first time developer feneq, sends you on a classic roguelike run of linked RTS skirmish matches and serves up random choices of units and upgrades after each one that you can use to cobble together a new build order of units to win the next fight. There's a demo out now and it's set to release into early access on November 18.
>> Here’s the link to its Steam page, so you can try the demo.

And Monday news, the third, and last, part:

Two Point Museum will open its exhibits next March
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/two-point-museum-will-open-its-exhibits-next-march/
Two Point Studios has announced the release date of Two Point Museum, the next game in its Two Point series, as March 4, 2025. It's now available for prepurchase as well, with a price of $30 for the standard edition and $40 for a deluxe explorer edition.

While Dragon Age: The Veilguard's companions will form their own relationships, it sounds like we'll still be able to interfere with them: 'They might come to you for advice, and I can't guarantee you'll give them good advice'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/dragon-age/while-dragon-age-the-veilguard-s-companions-will-form-their-own-relationships-it-sounds-like-we-ll-still-be-able-to-interfere-with-them-they-might-come-to-you-for-advice-and-i-can-t-guarantee-you-ll-give-them-good-advice/
As per BioWare tradition, Dragon Age: The Veilguard will let you entangle yourself in hot, unprofessional workplace relationships with your colleagues at Veilguard Inc. The studio is also building on two lesser-discussed aspects of its previous games' companion romances: They'll be able to strike up relationships with each other, independent of the player, and, as hinted at in a recent Veilguard preview event, you'll be able to help or hinder those budding dalliances.

God of War Ragnarök is getting review bombed and some questionable mods because it requires a PSN account, and players aren't happy
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/god-of-war-ragnarok-is-getting-review-bombed-and-some-questionable-mods-because-it-requires-a-psn-account-and-players-arent-happy/
Like most PlayStation first-party games, God of War Ragnarök requires a PSN account. A fact that we've known about since the State of Play earlier this year, alongside a short blog post that mentions this in italics at the bottom of the page. But just because it hasn't come as a surprise doesn't mean that players are happy with this outcome. 

Saber Interactive is already thinking about a Space Marine 2 sequel: 'Hopefully we'll be working on Space Marine content for a long time'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/saber-interactive-is-already-thinking-about-a-space-marine-2-sequel-hopefully-we-ll-be-working-on-space-marine-content-for-a-long-time/
Following the huge success of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2's launch, developer Saber Interactive is already talking about how it's going to continue Titus' story from here—and its long-term commitment to the series.

Valve Reportedly Preps For ARM64 Support On Proton, ARM-Based Steam Handheld On The Way?

https://wccftech.com/valve-preps-arm64-support-proton-arm-based-steam-handheld-on-the-way/

Intel’s Nova Lake-S Desktop CPU Successor Might Be Called Razer Lake-S

https://wccftech.com/intel-nova-lake-s-desktop-cpu-successor-might-be-called-razer-lake-s/

Intel Arrow Lake-S Desktop CPU Refresh Reportedly Canceled, Nova Lake To Replace Core Ultra 200

https://wccftech.com/intel-arrow-lake-s-desktop-cpu-refresh-canceled-nova-lake-replaces-core-ultra-200/

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 stock runs dry, prices going up in Germany

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4090-stock-runs-dry-prices-going-up-in-germany

I might need to play Ocarina via Unreal Engine

Yeah, I read about it last week. Intel may be not diong well, but it's so massive that I doubt Qualcomm (or almost anyone else) has a chance to buy anything but a fraction of it.

It would be weird if Valve now decided to ditch x86 and go with ARM, but Valve is known for taking weird decisions that only them seem to understand. And not always.

On another note, but still about Valve and their handhelds:

Wait, you can change the Steam Deck boot animation? This TikTok account posts custom Steam Deck boot vids and now I want mine to start up to the Scrubs intro
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/handheld-gaming-pcs/wait-you-can-change-the-steam-deck-boot-animation-this-tiktok-account-posts-custom-steam-deck-boot-vids-and-now-i-want-mine-to-start-up-to-the-scrubs-intro/
If I had a major critique of the Steam Deck, it'd be the battery life. But if I had a minor critique of the Steam Deck, it'd be the power button. It's a little bit fiddly to my clumsy fingers, although I admit that's probably a me thing. Still, after that you get a simple logo to tell you that handheld gaming PC experiences are on their way, followed by a little swirly animation. It's a bit default looking, if you ask me. Dull, even.

While the power button itself remains a small bugbear, it's been brought to my attention that I need not suffer from the tyranny of a boring boot sequence any longer. TikTok user bradleyparks5 has been posting videos of custom boot animations on their particular Deck, and each has been modified to great effect. My favourite so far has to be this modified Scrubs intro

(...)

While editing the videos to create appropriate text may be a step too far, it turns out modifying your Deck to show a custom boot animation isn't all that complicated. There's plenty of YouTube tutorials to show you how to set it up, with various different methods to choose from—from the simple to the slightly more involved.

I wondered for a little while why would Nvidia discontinue their flagship card so soon, given that the next ones won't come until early next year (if rumors are true). Then it hit me, they're using the excuse of the new cards coming to just stop selling them for gaming and move them to AI accelerators to make a lot more money from them.

Maybe it's calculating graphics instead of loading textures from a library?

Doing so would need more CPU power and more VRAM, but needs less storage space and the calculated textures are much sharper than what you can achieve with traditional textures.

More likely is however that it can use over 32GB of RAM - but probably also nowhere near 64GB, it' just the next increment with dual-channel RAM

It could be just streaming them, perhaps.