Well, consumers showed Nvidia and AMD that they were willing to pay a lot more for their GPUs during Covid and later crypto, and both companies took notice of that. It sucks but, like horse armor DLC, "we" did this to ourselves.

I'm with you regarding upscaling. I'd rather lower the settings than use them, but in some games they're on by default and run like crap without them, so we don't always have a choice.

Anyway, if compute for AI upscaling DVDs and Oblivion are your main priorities, plus the lower price, then the 7800XT looks like a great option.

9060XT have been unveiled.
Release date is June the 5th, so only a few weeks away.

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/amd-radeon-rx-9060-xt-launches-on-june-5-starting-at-usd299

TLDR:
Radeon 9060XT 8GB - MSRP of $299.
Radeon 9060XT 16GB - MSRP of $349.
Geforce 5060Ti 8GB - MSRP of $379.
Geforce 5060Ti 16GB - MSRP of $429.

Making the 9060XT the cheapest 16GB card.

So looks like I am holding off on that 7800XT 16GB purchase again as the 9060XT should be cheaper than that anyway by a significant margin in Aus.

7800XT is indeed faster by some 20% on average in raster, with 5060Ti being faster in RT - but here's the kicker, that's on average, and there are only few games (like CP2077) where 7800XT really lags behind - in pretty much most other RT titles 7800X is not that far behind, and even beats 5060Ti (like in DOOM Dark Ages).

Of course, once Full RT/PT presets come into play, then it's quite different picture, but for those to run in reasonable frame rate, neither card is viable choice and you have to go much, much higher.

Also worth noting is PCIe 5.0 x16 on the 9060XT instead of x8 like on the 5060/Ti.

If the performance is anywhere near the 5060Ti and AMD can produce enough of them to cover the demand unlike with the 9070/XT, then this will be a slam dunk for them.

AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT official: $299 for 8GB and $349 for 16GB model, launching June 5

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-radeon-rx-9060-xt-official-299-for-8gb-and-349-for-16gb-model-launching-june-5

While the prices look good on paper, if the 9060 XT ends up anything like the 9070 XT's launch... The msrp will only be temporary as according to HUB podcast with the 9070 XT, Radeon had rebate credits for retailers to keep the prices at msrp for a few hundred units and once rebates ran out, the msrp shot up. So if you are looking to get one, I'd try to get one asap.

AMD announces FSR Redstone for RDNA4: Neural Radiance Caching, ML Ray Regeneration and Frame Generation

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-announces-fsr-redstone-for-rdna4-neural-radiance-caching-ml-ray-regeneration-and-frame-generation

Looks like Radeon is catching up to the groundwork that Nvidia has laid which also means if you are looking to get a Radeon GPU, I'd not get anything less than RDNA 4 at this point as it's very unlikely a lot of these features will come to RDNA 3 or older. Radeon is likely laying a lot of the groundwork for next gen consoles as well with RDNA 4.

AMD pledges ROCm support for Windows, Ryzen AI MAX & Radeon RX 9000

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-pledges-rocm-support-for-windows-ryzen-ai-max-radeon-rx-9000

AMD introduces Radeon AI PRO R9700 with 32GB VRAM and Navi 48 GPU

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-introduces-radeon-ai-pro-r9700-with-32gb-vram-and-navi-48-gpu

ASUS introduces ROG STRIX ACE XG248QSG, world’s first 610Hz gaming monitor

https://videocardz.com/newz/asus-introduces-rog-strix-ace-xg248qsg-worlds-first-610hz-gaming-monitor

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000 “Zen 5” CPUs Official: Up To 96 Cores, 5.4 GHz Clocks, 384 MB L3 In DIY & Workstation Flavors

https://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-threadripper-9000-zen-5-cpus-official-up-to-96-cores-384-mb-l3-diy-workstation/

Let’s go with the gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

We have a new promo at GOG: the Git Gud Promo, featuring up to 95% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20250521_git_gud_promo.

Steam has two new deals and a sale:

• Parasocial | パラソーシャル is going to be 10% off until the 26th of May: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2314720/Chillas_Art_Parasocial/
• King Arthur: Knight's Tale has a 70% discount until the 3rd of June: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1157390/King_Arthur_Knights_Tale/
• Publisher Amplifier Studios puts its games on sale, up to 90% off. All deals but one will end on May 27, with the last one ending on the 1st of June: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/AmplifierStudiosPublisherSale

Fanatical has three new Flash Deals and a bundle:

• These are the 24h Flash Deals:
  • V Rising has a 57% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/v-rising
  • Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition is 79% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/fallout-4-game-of-the-year-edition
  • Bramble: The Mountain King features an 88% deal: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/bramble-the-mountain-king
• The BYO Untold Tales Bundle has 19 titles to choose from for your 4+ or 10+ game bundles during 34 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-untold-tales-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Portal RTX now supports DLSS 4 & RTX Neural Radiance Cache
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/portal-rtx-now-supports-dlss-4-rtx-neural-radiance-cache/
Lightspeed Studios has released a new major update for Portal RTX. This new update adds support for NVIDIA DLSS 4’s Transformer Model and Multi-Frame Gen. It also implements RTX Neural Radiance Cache. So, let’s take a closer look at them.
>> The article has no media.

'This has been heartbreaking news for our entire team': Lego nukes Bionicle fangame from orbit after ignoring it for 8 years
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/this-has-been-heartbreaking-news-for-our-entire-team-lego-nukes-bionicle-fangame-from-orbit-after-ignoring-it-for-8-years/
After eight years of development, an ambitious Lego Bionicle fangame has been forced to shut down. Bionicle: Masks of Power was months away from having a playable demo, according to an update by developer Team Kanohi, but it had to be cancelled because Lego stepped in to ruin the fun.
"The Lego Group has asked our team to shut down our project in its entirety, and remove Bionicle: Masks of Power from the public eye," a statement on the game's site reads.
The developers say they did everything they could to make sure the project "was in good standing with the Lego Group" by filling every mention of it with disclaimers that it was an unofficial game. Masks of Power was even mentioned on Lego's official gaming podcast.
"Unfortunately, it seems like the Lego Group's stance on fan-created media has changed," Team Kanohi said. "While we can only speculate as to the exact reason why they have asked us to remove the game at this time, what we suspect is that our project was too easy to mistake for an official product."
Despite there being a number of official Bionicle games, Google searching for "Bionicle game" brings up Masks of Power at the top of the results. "An average person seeing our game for the first time could easily think that it was an official game at first glance," Team Kanohi said, "And no amount of disclaimers we could put up would be able to change that."
The demo, which was supposed to be shadow dropped in August, won't see the light of day. However, Team Kanohi has released a full walkthrough video of what it would've included on YouTube. The footage is even more impressive than what was shown in 2023. Its intricately detailed jungle environments and weighty, almost soulslike combat are extremely impressive for a fangame made with Unreal Engine. It's a huge step up from the janky Bionicle flash games I used to play as a kid. Lego would've been better off hiring them, if you ask me.
It won't all be for a waste though. At the close of the statement, the team announced that it will take everything it learned to develop an original game called Project Rustbound. And with it, the studio has been renamed to Unmasked Games.
>> The article has one screenshot and the over 2 hours long walkthrough video.

GAMING NEWS

Here’s an hour of uncut leaked gameplay footage from Battlefield 6
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/heres-an-hour-of-uncut-leaked-gameplay-footage-from-battlefield-6/
Battlefield fans, here is something special for you. YouTube’s ‘Fernando’ has shared a video, showing one hour of uncut leaked gameplay footage from Battlefield 6.

The second part of the gaming news:

'You guys are not Bethesda': During development, The Witcher 3 devs were told by a Walmart rep 'I like you guys, but it's just not gonna happen'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-witcher/you-guys-are-not-bethesda-during-development-the-witcher-3-devs-were-told-by-a-walmart-rep-i-like-you-guys-but-its-just-not-gonna-happen/
The Witcher 3 is perhaps one of the most memorable RPGs of its era—we certainly like it—but, like all games, it took a lot of time and money to make. CDPR didn't spin it from the fabric of dreams, and while co-CEO of the studio Michał Nowakowski says the Witcher 2 definitely sold enough to fund the next game, they still had to go around doing pitches and making deals.
That's per an interview with PC Gamer's own Joshua Wolens, who talked with Nowakowski about the game's 10th anniversary for our Witcher 3 anniversary week.

Former Valve writer Marc Laidlaw says he 'retired too hard', but there's no way he's coming back for Half-Life 3: 'We need new stuff, [not] me going 'Well the G-Man wouldn't do that in my day''
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/former-valve-writer-marc-laidlaw-says-he-retired-too-hard-but-theres-no-way-hes-coming-back-for-half-life-3-we-need-new-stuff-not-me-going-well-the-g-man-wouldnt-do-that-in-my-day/
A new episode of Netflix's Love, Death and Robots is based on a short story written back in the 80s by former Valve writer and now professional retiree Marc Laidlaw. Laidlaw left Valve in 2016 but, in a new interview with IGN, wonders whether "I retired too hard."

Stalker remaster reviews crater to 'Mostly Negative' as players lament deleted Soviet monuments, yanked Russian language, and blurry graphics that I didn't notice in 23 hours playing
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/stalker-remaster-reviews-crater-to-mostly-negative-as-players-lament-deleted-soviet-monuments-yanked-russian-language-and-blurry-graphics-that-i-didnt-notice-in-23-hours-playing/
Reader, you're looking at (an article written by) what might be the first person in history to 100% Stalker: Shadow of Chornobyl – Enhanced Edition on PC. GSC Game World properly released its "fully remastered and optimised" touch-ups of the original Stalker trilogy—Shadow of Chornobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Prypiat—this morning, free for all owners of the originals, but I used games writer privilege to fully scour the Zone in a 23-hour playthrough over the course of last week. I really like Stalker, what can I say?
Colour me surprised, then, that at time of writing the Steam reviews for all three games in the remastered trilogy currently sit at Mostly Negative, while scrolling down to the reviews themselves reveals a sea of angry red. I had no problems in my own playthrough; had players somehow gotten their hands on a different version of the game than I did?
Not quite. Take a look at the reviews themselves and you'll see that a lot of the complaints stem from changes GSC made to the games' audio and Soviet-era relics. What has players—especially Russian players—most angry is the removal of the original games' Russian-language audio track. Although the game still has a Russian interface and subtitles, GSC has removed that audio for this re-release (which the studio also did for the collection's console ports last year).
>> Well, if they had stayed in their own borders, maybe they could have played the games in russian.

The 'new era' of Rainbow Six Siege means you're going to need some newer hardware if you want to play
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/rainbow-six-siege-x-pc-system-requirements/
Announced in February, Rainbow Six Siege X makes some major changes to Ubisoft's venerable team-based shooter, including a move to free-to-play (kind of) and its first permanent mode in a decade. And yes, with 10 years under the bridge it also comes to the table with some new and rather more demanding hardware requirements.

THQ Nordic studio that was set to be closed in 2023 somehow escaped the Embracer death spiral and is now working on a new RPG
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/thq-nordic-studio-that-was-set-to-be-closed-in-2023-somehow-escaped-the-embracer-death-spiral-and-is-now-working-on-a-new-rpg/
This is a bit of a weird one: Two years after announcing its planned closure in the aftermath of the Embracer Group's $2 billion implosion, Campfire Cabal revealed today that it "was never shut down" at all, and that it is in fact working on a new addition to the Expeditions series of historical RPGs.

Avowed director Carrie Patel leaves Obsidian after 12 years to join the Netflix studio behind Oxenfree
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/avowed-director-carrie-patel-leaves-obsidian-after-12-years-to-join-the-netflix-studio-behind-oxenfree/
After nearly 12 years at Obsidian Entertainment, Avowed game director Carrie Patel has left the studio to take on a similar position at Night School, the Netflix-owned developer of the Oxenfree games.

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford tells anyone worried about an $80 Borderlands 4 pricetag that 'if you're a real fan, you'll make it happen,' reminding us all of the value in choosing not to tweet
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/gearbox-ceo-randy-pitchford-tells-anyone-worried-about-an-usd80-borderlands-4-pricetag-that-if-youre-a-real-fan-youll-make-it-happen-reminding-us-all-of-the-value-in-choosing-not-to-tweet/
Despite what the daily millions of PR blunders, bad faith readings, knee-jerk hostilities, and people generally posting through it might indicate, choosing not to tweet is often the wiser decision. That wisdom was ignored last week by Gearbox CEO, former magician, and terminal poster Randy Pitchford, who chose of his own volition to tell a Borderlands fan that if they really loved the series they'd be fine paying any hypothetical price increase that comes their way (via GamesRadar).
>> LegitHyperbole made a thread about Pitchford’s latest PR disaster.

Overwatch players freak out over supposed Widowmaker butt nerf, proving that Marvel Rivals gooner skins have wound back the clock 10 years
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/overwatch-players-freak-out-over-supposed-widowmaker-butt-nerf-proving-that-marvel-rivals-gooner-skins-have-wound-back-the-clock-10-years/
Overwatch 2's Street Fighter 6 collaboration has been officially announced, and the eight new skins are ready to appear on the in-game shop today, and just on cue, some players are already finding issues with the skins.
"They won't be able to dethrone Marvel Rivals by having a half-assed Cammy skin," one player says. "Pun intended, if you know you know."

Doug Cockle wasn't the 'obvious' choice for Geralt in The Witcher—but he kept winning out because he was 'the best at being normal'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-witcher/doug-cockle-wasnt-the-obvious-choice-for-geralt-in-the-witcher-but-he-kept-winning-out-because-he-was-the-best-at-being-normal/
It seems hard to conceive now, given we've had three games (and some assorted DLC) with Doug Cockle's dulcet tones behind the deadpan features of Geralt of Rivia, but there was a time where CDPR was struggling to find out what everyone's favourite witcher would sound like in The Witcher trilogy.

'AH can we please keep them': Helldivers 2 players have fully imprinted onto the game's new SEAF troops like they're a bunch of kittens up for adoption
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/ah-can-we-please-keep-them-helldivers-2-players-have-fully-imprinted-onto-the-games-new-seaf-troops-like-theyre-a-bunch-of-kittens-up-for-adoption/
If there's one thing I've discovered through years of playing—and now writing—about videogames, it's that players love a little guy. They just adore having darling underdogs that are on their side, as long as they're unobtrusive and perhaps minimally helpful. So it goes with Helldivers 2's latest update, Heart of Democracy, which has introduced the Super Earth Armed Forces to its city maps.
"AH can we please keep them after the assault ends," writes one player in a separate thread on the game's subreddit, like a young patriot that's just seen a puppy in a window. "I missed extract keeping my boys alive earlier," confesses one player in response. "They were getting swarmed and I helped them, then we ran off together into waves of Illuminate—and they had my back! So the least I could do was miss the Pelican and stay with my brothers."

Yeah, I realized later that the 7800XT was roughly on par with the 4070, making it quite a fair bit faster than the 5060Ti or the announced 9060XT that, if AMD's numbers are anything to go by, should be close to Nvidia's card, and a bit faster than the 7700XT.

But now it's on Pemalite to decide if he needs the extra power or prefers the cheaper (in paper) 9060XT 16GB.

As with Nvidia, I don't like that they're using the same name for the 8 and 16GB cards. Anyway, with the cards having half the specs of the 9070XT, it's easier to guess how the 9060XT will fare, a bit over half the performance thanks to the higher clocks, so around the 7700XT, at least in raster.

The price for the 16GB one is good and puts Nvidia's 5060Tis in a rough spot, tho I doubt it will be enough to move people from team green to team red. I also don't think that the real retail price in the US will be $299-349, but that with whatever tariffs are at the moment. 

As a side note, it's amusing how both GamersNexus and HardwareUnboxed, maybe also other I haven't seen, kept twisting the knife of the 5060 reviews by commenting that AMD will give them time and samples to review both cards.

As for the update to FSR4, it's good to see AMD still working to improve and bring new things to try to reach close to Nvidia parity. And the 60 games supporting it, by June, is encouraging to see.

Silly question, but are we in one of those useless races that manufacturers likeso much regarding refresh rates? I honestly fail to see the real world advantage of a 610Hz monitor over a 240 or 360Hz one. Who will be able to notice?

Radeon 9060XT 16GB depending on launch price.

If I can get that for the same or lower price as the 5060Ti 8GB I will be a VERY happy person.

I didn't want to spend $700+ AUD on the 7800XT, it was just the only price/performance option with more than 8GB of VRAM...
The cheapest 5060Ti 8GB is about $600 AUD, so that's getting closer to my normal GPU budget which the 9060XT 16GB should slot into.

...Also looking into it... I have effectively not bought a GPU since 2017.
Thanks to market conditions I have managed to manipulate my sales to effectively get free upgrades thanks to boom/bust cycles thanks to Crypto etc'.

It is certainly a bit of an interesting predicament. Imo most people will compare the 9060 XT 16GB vs 5060 Ti 16GB and think if the extra $80 is worth going for Nvidia. In the past I think with Nvidia's software, Ray Tracing and Ai advantage, it wouldn't be unreasonable to pay extra if you value those added features. Looking back, RTX 20/30/40 series are all getting quite a lot of the latest Ai features with some features being left for Blackwell. Where as RDNA 1/2/3 are basically getting left out. But now since RDNA 4 effectively has feature parity, why pay extra for Nvidia tax at all? Especially with all the problems and controversy surrounding Blackwell in general. 

If they can keep the price, I think the tides will continue to turn. They won't dominate the gpu market, especially with how little presence Radeon has in the laptop space but they can start to chip away at Nvidia's market share.