And here’s the third and final part of the gaming news:

Eidos Montreal founder says modern execs are driven more by spreadsheets than passion for games
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/eidos-montreal-founder-says-modern-execs-are-driven-more-by-spreadsheets-than-passion-for-games/
>> It’s Stephane D'Astous.

Stop Killing Games says 'the fight goes on' after European Commission rejects proposed rule changes: 'We're much more than just this single petition'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/stop-killing-games-says-the-fight-goes-on-after-european-commission-rejects-proposed-rule-changes-were-much-more-than-just-this-single-petition/

Warframe dev says 'no one is celebrating' Destiny 2 winding down: 'A game is healthy when you have competitors'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/warframe-dev-says-no-one-is-celebrating-destiny-2-winding-down-a-game-is-healthy-when-you-have-competitors/

Genshin Impact creator miHoYo has released an AI companion on Steam, an eternal student cursed to never obtain her piano degree
https://www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/genshin-impact-creator-mihoyo-has-released-an-ai-companion-on-steam-an-eternal-student-cursed-to-never-obtain-her-piano-degree/

We could've had a 'very Dream Daddy-inspired' Destiny dating sim, but management said no fun
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/we-couldve-had-a-very-dream-daddy-inspired-destiny-dating-sim-but-management-said-no-fun/

A note here: tonight it's all about fire, fireworks and... other stuff over here, so there'll be no gaming news tomorrow. Have fun!

While I agree with the message, there are other things that add costs to the Steam Machine, like a custom motherboard, power supply and massive heatsink.

Also, I don't think Valve will get the same bulk discount as other AIBs because they won't be ordering as many parts oas others.

I think that Valve kind of cornered themselves this time around.

The CPU is fine, but they obviously had to go with an AMD GPU since Nvidia didn't pay attention to Linux until Valve released the Deck and SteamOS and team Green found itself at a disadvantage (much like they didn't care about console hardware until AMD used it to remain alive and mke a comeback, tho I'm not sure if Nvidia still cares enough about consoles to keep making custom chips for Nintendo given how little they care nowadays about gaming in general), tho it's not like Nvidia's low end options are that great either.

Still, I think development took so long that, by the end, the 7600M was severely underpowered for what they wanted to do, but they couldn't change it for something better because that would also bring changes to the power supply and the cooling... and the overall size of the device may have also played a role in the components they could pick to put inside.

In the end, tho, I think it's said in one of Linus videos that Valve's original target was around the $800 mark, and that was already way too much, at least imho.

The Steam Machine is DOA. It's overpriced, under powered, and lacks the one key feature of the PC platform. Upgradeability. You are locked into that CPU and GPU. For the type of hardware the Steam Machine has, it needed to be half the price to make sense as a purchase. Not only can you get budget gaming PC that smokes it in performance for the same price or in some cases less, that budget gaming rig will allow you to upgrade your CPU and GPU down the line.

However you look at it, it's a piss poor value when you can build PS5Pro equivalent (with smaller storage than PS5Pro though) for less than GabeCube price.

The choice of GPU is really killer here. I feel like the GPU being based on a 9060 XT 8gb wouldn't add a huge amount to the production cost.

Ironically putting more money into the GPU and increasing the price of the machine would have made it seem less overpriced. 10% more money for ~40% more GPU power.

A $1149 9060 XT 8gb machine would have gone over better than a $1049 RX7600 8gb machine.

8gb of vram is still a huge problem but at least then it would be comfortably beating the PS5 in comparisons and not have this double the price worse performance hanging over it.

ASUS expects smaller PC price increases in Q3

https://videocardz.com/newz/asus-expects-smaller-pc-price-increases-in-q3

Valve Steam Machine sells out in Japan despite $1,175 starting price

https://videocardz.com/newz/valve-steam-machine-sells-out-in-japan-despite-1175-starting-price

Grand Theft Auto VI starts at $79.99, Ultimate Edition costs $99.99

https://videocardz.com/newz/grand-theft-auto-vi-starts-at-79-99-ultimate-edition-costs-99-99

No disk in the physical versions is a pretty huge cuck

Valve SteamOS image now supports AMD discrete Radeon GPUs for custom Steam Machine builds

https://videocardz.com/newz/valve-steamos-image-now-supports-amd-discrete-radeon-gpus-for-custom-steam-machine-builds

Microsoft relaunches 2025 Surface Pro and Laptop with half the memory, but at higher prices than original 16GB models

https://videocardz.com/newz/microsoft-relaunches-2025-surface-pro-and-laptop-with-half-the-memory-but-at-higher-prices-than-original-16gb-models

NVIDIA releases DLSS SDK 310.7.0, already supported by DLSS Swapper

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-releases-dlss-sdk-310-7-0-already-supported-by-dlss-swapper

China Fails To Stop Tech Firms From Using NVIDIA Chips, As Banned DGX & RTX “Blackwell” GPUs Hit 2x Price on Black Market

https://wccftech.com/china-fails-to-stop-tech-firms-from-using-nvidia-chips-banned-blackwell-gpus-hit-2x-price-on-black-market/

Google Taps MediaTek to Build TPUv9 “Triggerfish,” Fusing CPU and Compute Die in One Package for Agentic AI

https://wccftech.com/google-mediatek-build-tpuv9-triggerfish-cpu-compute-die-one-package-agentic-ai/

Valve Says Steam Deck 2 Is Getting Closer, but Still Not Ready Yet

https://www.ign.com/articles/valve-says-steam-deck-2-is-getting-closer-but-still-not-ready-yet

Speaking of AMD, if anyone's on Win10 with RX9000 GPU, latest drivers were royally fucked up, making the card behave as if there are no drivers for a lot of people. It's mostly Win10 issue, though it seems it was happening on Win11 as well, but to much lesser degree.

I had this happen on one of 9060XT rigs, one with Win 10, other with Win 11 was fine. Installing previous 26.6.1 Adrenalin made everything fine again.

I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just saying that there are other factors other than GPU/GPU/RAM to consider as contributors to the high price of the system.

And also yeah, being slower than a base PS5 while being a fair bit more expensive than a PS5 Pro is ridiculous.

The Steam Machine 2 basically has landed in no man's land. It's too expensive and underpowered to rival consoles and it's the same but also too closed (you can't upgrade the CPU nor GPU) to attrract PC gamers. It could hardly be in a worse position.

Hardware Unboxed made a video and used GamersNexus results to make tables comparing performance of the Steam Machine 2 with other GPUs, and the 9060XT offers around 60% more pwerformance. And that's the 8GB model that no one recomends. So yeah, if Valve had gone with a 9060XT and charged $150 or even $200 more, people would be far more into it.

But it is what it is.

It's a dick move, but that has become a common practice from many publishers.

At least the base game is not $100 like some expected.

For many people, building their own Steam Machine will likely be a better option than buying Valve's machine. The major downsides I can think of will be the bigger size of the device, the CEC aspect that, francky speaking, many won't care about, and the fact that you'll have to configurate it yourself.

As for the Steam Deck 2, they should wait until the AI bubble bursts or deflates a little before launching it. Valve can certainly make one that comes with a noticeable perfrmance jump, but the cost right now would be too high.

Better focus on the Frame.

Apple raises Mac and iPad prices, MacBook Neo now starts at $699

https://videocardz.com/newz/apple-raises-mac-and-ipad-prices-macbook-neo-now-starts-at-699

You know things are fucked when a company like Apple can no longer keep their old prices

French retailer mocks €1039 Steam Machine with “Stim Machine” RX 9060 XT PC for €999

https://videocardz.com/newz/french-retailer-mocks-e1039-steam-machine-with-stim-machine-rx-9060-xt-pc-for-e999

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X drops to $176, now 37% below launch price

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-ryzen-5-9600x-drops-to-176-now-37-below-launch-price

AMD FSR 4.1 costs up to 14% performance on Radeon RX 7900 XTX versus FSR 3.1

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-fsr-4-1-costs-up-to-14-performance-on-radeon-rx-7900-xtx-versus-fsr-3-1

But comes with a significant image quality improvement

AMD releases FSR SDK 2.3 with Ray Regeneration 1.2.0 and FSR 4.1.1 for Radeon RX 7000

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-releases-fsr-sdk-2-3-with-ray-regeneration-1-2-0-and-fsr-4-1-1-for-radeon-rx-7000

AMD releases Adrenalin 26.6.3 hotfix driver for Radeon RX 7000 and newer GPUs on Windows 10

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-releases-adrenalin-26-6-3-hotfix-driver-for-radeon-rx-7000-and-newer-gpus-on-windows-10

Micron locks in historically high memory prices for five years

https://www.theregister.com/systems/2026/06/25/micron-locks-in-historically-high-memory-prices-for-five-years/5261854

Qualcomm and Meta Announce Strategic Multi-Generation Agreement on Data Center CPUs

https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2026/06/qualcomm-and-meta-announce-strategic-multi-generation-agreement-

The Thursday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

My favourite new roguelike is all about evolution and crabs, and it's celebrating 500k sales with a big update
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/my-favourite-new-roguelike-is-all-about-evolution-and-crabs-and-its-celebrating-500k-sales-with-a-big-update/
Whenever I think roguelike exhaustion has set in, another game comes along to drag me back into the endless grind. This time it's Everything is Crab, an action roguelike that plays fast and loose with the theory of evolution—instead of evolving over millions of years, all you need to do is enjoy a big meal and you'll sprout antlers, tentacles or wings.
Since it launched last month, Everything is Crab has become part of my nightly routine. I take the dog out for a walk, brush my teeth, pretend I'm going to bed, and then I spend the next 2 hours on my Steam Deck making delightful new freaks. And it doesn't look like I'll be able to escape its clutches any time soon, as a meaty update has just dropped.
Evolution 1.1 coincides with the news that Everything is Crab hit the 500,000 sales milestone—a very respectable number that really should be higher, because this crabby roguelike is extremely good.

The free games from the Epic Store are:

• RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition : https://store.epicgames.com/p/rollercoaster-tycoon-3-complete-edition
• Voidwrought : https://store.epicgames.com/p/voidwrought-ce8f4b

Next week, the free games will be I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream and River City Girls 2 .

Steam only has one new deal and one new event that don’t end later today (I wonder why…):

• Felvidek will have a 35% discount until the 1st of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2299900/Felvidek/
• The VR Games Showcase has upcoming titles and some games, but with no discount: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45128337/sale/VRGamesShowcaseJune2026

There are two new deals at Humble:

• At Humble Bundle there’s the Going Rogue: A lite Heavy Bundle, with up to 9 items to get (8 games + 1 coupon( during 20 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/going-rogue-lite-heavy-bundle
• And at Humble Store there’s the Ubisoft June Sale, with games up to 85% off during another 4 days. As you already expect, most keys are for UbiConnect: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/ubisoft-june-sale/

Fanatical has two new deals:

• The new Star Deal is SILENT HILL f , 62% off during 48 hours or until they run out of keys: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/silent-hill-f
• The BYO Very Positive Deluxe Collection features 12 titles to build your bundle of 3+ or 5+ games. It started yesterday and will last another 33 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-very-positive-deluxe-collection

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

AMD releases Adrenalin 26.6.3 hotfix driver for Radeon RX 7000 and newer GPUs on Windows 10
https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-releases-adrenalin-26-6-3-hotfix-driver-for-radeon-rx-7000-and-newer-gpus-on-windows-10
According to AMD, the hotfix fixes an intermittent installation issue affecting Windows 10 systems with Radeon RX 7000 series and newer graphics products. The company previously confirmed that some users could see a yellow bang in Device Manager after installing Adrenalin 26.6.2, with AMD Software failing to launch.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

You Can Now Play Metroid Prime in VR on PC With Full Motion Controls and 6DOF Tracking
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/you-can-now-play-metroid-prime-in-vr-on-pc-with-full-motion-controls-and-6dof-tracking/
Metroid Prime fans, here is something really special for you today. Nobbie248 has just released a mod for Metroid Prime that allows PC gamers to experience the entire game in VR. And while this game never came out on PC, the only way to play it in VR is on PC. Ironic, isn’t it?
Going into more details, PrimedGun is a Dolphin ReduX-based build focused on improving Metroid Prime’s VR experience. It has full directional movement and a modern VR control scheme.
This VR Mod for Metorid Prime has visor head tracking with hand gesture input. It has improved gun-based targeting and grapple, as well as 6DOF arm cannon tracking. Furthermore, there is a one-click height calibration setting. Plus, you can calibrate the position and the rotation of the cannon.
Those interested can download the mod from this link. At the end of the article, you can also find a trailer for it.
The modder recommends setting the HMD refresh rate to 120 Hz. Meta’s own OpenXR environment is not recommended, so you should try SteamVR or VD instead.
Once you have downloaded the mod, you can run the app and select your Metroid Prime NTSC Revision 0 (1.0) game file. You’ll then have to checkout the Layout tab for controller bindings. Transfer your memory card into UserGC, then select the save in dolphin settings if you want existing saves. Once in game, click the right stick to set your height. Click the left thumbstick to open or close the in-headset settings menu. Finally, try to stay in the centre of your play space and face forward for the best interaction.

Modder Attempts to Fix the DX12 Shader Compilation Stutters in Final Fantasy 7 Remake & Rebirth
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/modder-attempts-to-fix-the-dx12-shader-compilation-stutters-in-final-fantasy-7-remake-rebirth/
Modder ‘Phroster’ has released two mods that aim to fix the DX12 shader compilation stutters of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. So, if you are planning to play them before FF7 Revelation comes out, you should definitely use them.
For those who did not know, Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth do not compile their shaders when you first launch them. Instead, these games will compile the shaders while playing them. This results in in-game stutters, which are what we all call “shader compilation stutters”.
To fix, or at least minimize those stutters, Phroster released a mod that will compile PSOs asynchronously in the background. This mod is for the DX12 version of the game.
It’s worth noting that this mod may have conflicts with some Engine.ini tweaks. So, if you have modified it, you may experience crashes, broken visuals, worse performance, or unstable loading. Therefore, the modder suggests removing any tweaks you have made to it.
Also note that this mod attempts to fix only the DX12 shader compilation stutters. It will not fix the asset streaming or traversal stutters. These will still occur.
You can download the mods from here and here. To install them, you’ll simply have to drop the “d3d12.dll” file inside the main game folder (that’s the one that contains the .EXE executable file). To uninstall it, you’ll just have to delete the “d3d12.dll” file. And that’s it.
>> The article has no media.

New Updates for Duke Nukem 3D Path Tracing & Duke Nukem: Zero Hour Overclocked
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-updates-for-duke-nukem-3d-path-tracing-duke-nukem-zero-hour-overclocked/
Duke Nukem fans, here is something for you today. Modders ‘kyyrma’ and ‘postmemetic’ have released new updates for Duke Nukem: Zero Hour Overclocked and Duke Nukem 3D Path Tracing. So, let’s take a look at them.
Let’s start with the Path Tracing Mod for Duke Nukem 3D. Version 0.3.2 remasters Episode 2 and Episode 3. This means that you can experience all the main episodes for Duke Nukem 3D with real-time Path Tracing.
Version 0.3.2 brings major improvements to the game’s mirrors. Mirrors no longer use portals, but instead are replaced with proper reflective surfaces. There is also a fix for some issues related to bad motion vectors, viewZ, and guides that caused blurring in mirrors.
Furthermore, this new version improves the loading system. Levels now finish loading properly before rendering the first frame, improving choppy starts like E1L1. The modder has also made a big pass to improve load manifests and get enemies and some props loaded ahead of time.
All in all, the Path Tracing Mod is in a great state right now. So, if you own a high-end GPU, you should definitely try it. You can download it from here. And yes. As I’ve said, it also supports Cheello’s 3D Voxels Pack.
On the other hand, kyyrma released the final version of Duke Nukem: Zero Hour Overclocked. This mod combines mouse and keyboard movement, first-person perspective, and a variety of quality of life improvements to make Duke Nukem: Zero Hour feel like a 90s FPS.
Since Duke Nukem: Zero Hour never came out on PC, this is perhaps one of the coolest ways to experience it on PC. You can download the mod from this link.
>> The article has two videos, one for each mod.

GAMING NEWS

Rebel Wolves Has Lowered the PC Requirements for The Blood of Dawnwalker
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/rebel-wolves-has-lowered-the-pc-requirements-for-the-blood-of-dawnwalker/
In April 2026, Bandai Namco revealed the official PC system requirements for The Blood of Dawnwalker. However, Rebel Wolves has lowered them and shared the new updated PC requirements. So, let’s take a look at them.

12 Minutes of Gameplay for Star Wars: Galactic Racer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/12-minutes-of-gameplay-for-star-wars-galactic-racer/
VGC has shared a video, showcasing 12 minutes of new gameplay footage for Star Wars: Galactic Racer. So, if you are a big Star Wars fan, you should check it out.

Crimson Desert Patch 1.12.02 Released & Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/crimson-desert-patch-1-12-02-released-detailed/
Pearl Abyss has released Patch 1.12.02 for Crimson Desert and shared its complete changelog. From what I can see, this is the second hotfix update that the team has released for Patch 1.12.00. So, let’s see what it fixes.

Hogwarts Legacy Is the Latest Denuvo Game That Has Been Cracked
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/hogwarts-legacy-is-the-latest-denuvo-game-that-has-been-cracked/
Hogwarts Legacy is the latest victim of voices38, who has managed to crack its Denuvo anti-tamper protection. The game was released in February 2023, meaning it took more than three years to be cracked. The previous Denuvo-protected game to be cracked was 007 First Light. As such, the gap between these two Denuvo cracks was just 14 days.