Inter das ting. 

Scratching my head at the comparisons using an external 5400RPM SMR HDD drive o_O a 7200 drive is double the speed.. But yeah predictable results. Games are simply not optimised for faster storage yet, yet using any SSD in any form will result in faster load times.

The Tuesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG has a Special Atari and Infogrames Sale with up to 75% discounts during the next 7 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20210420_atari_infogrames

Steam has two new daily deals and the new range of weeklong deals:

• The first daily deal is Until You Fall, 30% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/858260/Until_You_Fall/
• The second one is Fictorum, 75% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/503620/Fictorum/
• And here are some of the weeklong deals:
  • Eternal Hope is 20% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1162280/Eternal_Hope/
  • Hellpoint gets a 30% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/628670/Hellpoint/
  • Clustertruck is 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/397950/Clustertruck/
  • Punch Club is 67% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/394310/Punch_Club/
  • Niko: Through The Dream features an 80% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/296550/Niko_Through_The_Dream/
  • And Left Alone is 90% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/417750/Left_Alone/

The Humble Store has two new sales:

• The Anno Franchise Sale comes with up to 75% discounts during the next 6 days. All the keys are for UPlay: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/anno-franchise-sale/
• And the RPG Sale features up to 90% discounts during the next 6 days. There are keys for almost every store: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/rpg-sale/

And Fanatical has two new deals:

• The new Star Deal is Viscera Cleanup Detail, 66% off during the next 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/viscera-cleanup-detail-game
• And the new Killer Bundle 16 comes with 7 games with a 97% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/killer-bundle-16

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Xbox Cloud Gaming for PC beta invites will start going out tomorrow
https://www.pcgamer.com/xbox-cloud-gaming-for-pc-beta-invites-will-start-going-out-tomorrow/
Microsoft said in December 2020 that its Xbox Cloud Gaming service would be coming to PC sometime in the first half of 2021, allowing Game Pass subscribers to instantly stream games rather than having to download them first Today it followed through on that promise, to a limited extent at least, announcing that beta test invitations will start going out to "select" Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers tomorrow, April 20.
"The limited beta is our time to test and learn; we’ll send out more invites on a continuous basis to players in all 22 supported countries, evaluate feedback, continue to improve the experience, and add support for more devices," Microsoft said. "Our plan is to iterate quickly and open up to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in the coming months so more people have the opportunity to play Xbox in all-new ways."

You can now probe your AMD Ryzen CPU from inside the new Radeon GPU software
https://www.pcgamer.com/amd-ryzen-stat-radeon-software/
As PC gamers we've all felt the need to obsess over the details: Is my CPU running at an okay temperature? What about voltage? Is my GPU overheating? All questions any new builder will ask themselves for weeks—whether or not there's any reason to worry. If you find yourself fretting the fine details, and own an all-AMD gaming PC, the red team has just made it easy to get a top-level breakdown of your PC's technical performance, all in one place.
The latest Radeon Adrenalin Software, 21.4.1, adds AMD Ryzen performance data into the performance tab of the Adrenalin Software, and is available to download today.

AMD adds PC sharing software to Radeon software, but it comes with caveats
https://www.pcgamer.com/amd-link-pc-app-screen-sharing/
With the arrival of a brand new Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition update, AMD is bringing PC-to-PC streaming to AMD Link. That means you can loan your PC to a buddy, play local co-op games together, or even ask for help troubleshooting your PC (as if) through the power of the internet—if you a Radeon graphics card, of course, and so does your buddy.
If you don't remember AMD Link, it's a streaming app baked into the Radeon Software and available with any AMD graphics card. It was first introduced back in 2018 as a way of wireless beaming your PC games over to your mobile device, and has since received a few quality of life improvements with subsequent AMD Adrenalin overhauls.
With today's update, 21.4.1, the major news for PC gamers is the introduction of PC-to-PC streaming, which offers local or remote sharing of a desktop or game session between two Radeon PCs.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Portal Reloaded, free mod for Portal 2, is now available on Steam
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/portal-reloaded-free-mod-for-portal-2-is-now-available-on-steam/
In October 2020, we informed you about a new mod for Portal 2, Portal Reloaded. This mod builds on the concepts of the main game by allowing you to place a third portal, which enables traveling between two different timelines. And, we are happy to report today that this mod is available for download.
As the modding team noted, travelling between the present and a version of reality 20 years in the future will open up a completely new way of puzzle solving.
>> Available from Steam, obviously.

Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown is fully playable on PC thanks to this unlocker
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/virtua-fighter-5-final-showdown-is-fully-playable-on-pc-thanks-to-this-unlocker/
Like most Yakuza games, Yakuza 6 features a number of classic arcade games. One of them is Virtua Fighter 5: Final Shodown and from the looks of it, this is a full console port of the X360 version. And, thankfully, Silent released an unlocker that lets you play the game.
As Silent noted, this version does not contain any DLC data, and attempting to force unlock them softlocks the game. Still, this port actually comes with a proper Exit Game option.
What this ultimately means is that owners of Yakuza 6 can use this unlocker in order to play VF5 without booting Yakuza 6. And, since the PC never got an official version of VF5, it’s the closest thing we’ll ever get to such a thing.
>> You can download it from here.

Grand Theft Auto 5 looks absolutely gorgeous with this 4K Ultimate Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/grand-theft-auto-5-looks-absolutely-gorgeous-with-this-4k-ultimate-mod/
Digital Dreams has released a new video, showcasing Grand Theft Auto 5 with the Ultimate Mod. GTA 5 Ultimate Mod adds 4K textures, as well as some other graphical improvements.
Now the bad news is that this mod is behind a paywall. From what we know, there isn’t any public release for it yet, and it’s only available for Frosty Series X OV3RK1LL’s Patreon members.
Additionally, Digital Dreams used Ultra Realistic GTA V. This mod adds ENB and Ray Tracing Global Illumination effects to the game. The RT implementation is via Reshade, so don’t expect native Ray Tracing effects.
>> No link for this mod.

Someone is working on a wall running mod for Cyberpunk 2077
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/someone-is-working-on-a-wall-running-mod-for-cyberpunk-2077/
One of the features that were cut from Cyberpunk 2077 was its wall running mechanics. While CDPR showcased this feature in its E3 demo, it wasn’t present in the final game. Thankfully, though, a modder is working on re-introducing wall running in the game.
There is currently no ETA on when this mod will come out. Still, modder ‘Saturne’ released a video showcasing its WIP state. As you will see, this mod is in a really basic form (and lacks any additional animations). Still, it seems to be working properly, so that’s at least something.

GAMING NEWS

AB AETERNO is a STALKER-inspired VR game, demo coming out soon
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/ab-aeterno-is-a-stalker-inspired-vr-game-demo-coming-out-soon/
VR Kemono is currently working on a VR survival game, called AB AETERNO. AB AETERNO seems to be heavily inspired by the STALKER series, and a demo for it will release soon.

Sony did not pay for delaying Monster Hunter World on PC or for the lack of cross-play
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/sony-did-not-pay-for-delaying-monster-hunter-world-on-pc-or-for-the-lack-of-cross-play/
A rumor surfaced yesterday, suggesting that Sony paid Capcom for delaying the PC version of Monster Hunter World. Furthermore, this rumor suggested that Sony was to be blamed for the lack of cross-play and cross-saves. However, this rumor appears to be false.

Tuesday news, part two:

Apex Legends introduces hotshot Titan pilot Valkyrie
https://www.pcgamer.com/apex-legends-introduces-hotshot-titan-pilot-valkyrie/
Apex Legends' next season is calling back to Respawn's Titanfall roots, starting with the daughter of one of the second game's mercenary villains.
Today's new Stories From The Outlands trailer brings series mascot Kuben Blisk back into the spotlight, and introduces us to Kairi "Valkyrie" Imahara. Titanfall 2 players will probably recognise her old man as Viper, the boss of that game's brilliant airship level, and the short (titled "Northstar" after his Titan class) shows us 'Kyrie taking a joyride in her dad's mech.

Valheim patch overhauls terrain, buffs hoe
https://www.pcgamer.com/valheim-patch-overhauls-terrain-buffs-hoe/
For all you Vikings toiling away at massive terrain modification projects in Valheim, and suffering fps woes as a result, there's a new patch that may bring relief in more ways than one. Valheim's 0.150.3 patch, released today, introduces a new terrain modification system that is intended to cut down on performance issues.

Whoops: Steam accidentally pulled Rockstar's games from sale earlier today
https://www.pcgamer.com/whoops-steam-accidentally-pulled-rockstars-games-from-sale-earlier-today/
There was a brief burst of excitement and confusion earlier today after a large number of Rockstar games, including Grand Theft Auto 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, LA Noire, Max Payne 3, and Bully, were "retired" from Steam, meaning that they were no longer available for purchase on the storefront. Fortunately, it turned out to be a mistake, and everything came back—including, for a very short period of time, one game that wasn't supposed to.

Steam goof let a few lucky people buy Midnight Club 2 for the first time in 3 years
https://www.pcgamer.com/steam-goof-let-a-few-lucky-people-buy-midnight-club-2-for-the-first-time-in-3-years/
(...)
Midnight Club 2 is actually there, but searching through Steam won't bring it up—you have to Google it to find a link. (Or, for the sake of convenience, you could just click here.) That's because it was delisted in early 2018 because licenses for songs in the game were about to expire, according to the Midnight Club Wiki.
Earlier today, though, it made a surprise comeback. Somebody pushed the wrong button (metaphorically, or so I assume, anyway) and all of Rockstar's games were suddenly removed from sale on Steam. Naturally, there was a great rush to get them all back—such a rush that Midnight Club 2 ended up being restored for sale as well.

Call of Duty: Warzone's Season 3 update is a merciful 25.2GB
https://www.pcgamer.com/call-of-duty-warzones-season-3-update-is-a-merciful-252gb/
It's new season week in the world of Call of Duty, and that means a barrage of updates from Activision about what's next for Black Ops – Cold War and Call of Duty: Warzone. We'll learn more about Warzone's changes later this week, but for now, we at least know how much disk space Season 3 will take up, as outlined in a new Cold War Season 3 blog post. Activision also confirmed that Season 3 will launch on April 22 across both games.

Call of Duty: Warzone's overpowered Sykov pistols just got nerfed into the ground
https://www.pcgamer.com/cod-warzone-sykov-nerf/
Raven Software is wasting no time reacting to Call of Duty: Warzone's overpowered new pistol, the Sykov. Just a few days after its surprise release, a new patch has gone live that nerfs the pistol's accuracy, movement speed, and damage under certain conditions.

Double Fine says Psychonauts 2 is ‘playable’ and coming this year for sure
https://www.pcgamer.com/double-fine-says-psychonauts-2-is-playable-and-coming-this-year-for-sure/
The original Psychonauts, Double Fine's narrative platformer about a summer camp for weirdos with psychic abilities, came out in 2005, and it took a full ten years for a sequel to be announced—and then slightly longer for it to actually be confirmed. Six years after that, we still don't have our hands on the game, but Double Fine said on Twitter today that this year, beyond any doubt, is the year that Psychonauts 2 will finally arrive.

Celeste and Towerfall studio announces new action game set in ‘seamless pixel art world’
https://www.pcgamer.com/celeste-and-towerfall-studio-announces-new-action-game-set-in-seamless-pixel-art-world/
Earthblade is an exploration action game set in a ‘seamless pixel art world’, and it’s in development by Extremely OK Games, the studio responsible for Celeste and Towerfall. Based on the teaser below it seems to be set in a lush fantasy world, but that’s about all we can say at this stage, because this is a “vibe reveal,” according to the devs.

Nier livestream confirms 'extra content' for Nier Replicant and a new Yoko Taro game
https://www.pcgamer.com/nier-livestream-confirms-extra-content-for-nier-replicant-and-a-new-yoko-taro-game/
(...) overnight it was confirmed that if you want to play the older and burlier Nier in the forthcoming Replicant remake, you can. The news comes via a lengthy marketing livestream conducted in Japanese, which also confirmed a host of other "extra content" coming to the game at launch.

World Of Warcraft has begun censoring slurs in-game
https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-warcraft-has-begun-censoring-slurs-in-game/
World Of Warcraft will now block messages containing "reserved words", arriving as part of a small moderation update discovered by Wowhead.
For years, WoW has censored certain words by obfuscation as part of a mature language filter. But now, it appears the game will block messages from being sent entirely if they contain so-called "reserved words". For now, this covers one racial slur, though I expect to see that category expanded in future.

Rockstar quietly makes all Max Payne 3 and LA Noire DLC free
https://www.pcgamer.com/rockstar-quietly-makes-all-max-payne-3-and-la-noire-dlc-free/
All pieces of DLC for Max Payne 3 and LA Noire are now free on Steam, as part of a small update pushed by Rockstar last night.
Last night was a weird one for Rockstar. The studio's entire catalogue was briefly pulled from Steam, reappearing 30 minutes later. On their return, Midnight Club 2 (which was removed from sale in 2018) was re-listed, though Rockstar would take it back down an hour later.

VESA calls out "illegitimate DisplayHDR 2000 Logo" use

https://www.overclock3d.net/news/gpu_displays/vesa_calls_out_illegitimate_displayhdr_2000_logo_use/1

Already Rising RAM Prices Continue Rising With A Predicted Price Increase Of Up To 23% For 2Q21

https://wccftech.com/already-rising-ram-prices-continue-to-rise-with-a-predicted-price-increase-of-up-to-23-for-2q21/

I know I know, people are getting sick of hearing the price increases when it comes to PC but... You could say that it prepares you to either buy the main components you want now or commit to waiting until 2022 for building a pc.

Newegg Now Accepts Dogecoin As An Official Payment Method

https://wccftech.com/newegg-now-accepts-dogecoin-as-an-official-payment-method/

Not that anyone should buy doge coin as that is unstable af

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is capped at 30fps on PC

Thank You Altus...

Pretty weird how in a number of titles, the external SSDs loads games faster than the Internal SSD on the PS5... I am assuming that the BC mode isn't using PS5's SSD to it's full potential but regardless, Internal should generally be faster than external, especially since even the external Sata SSD is faster at times. Very interesting and Weird!

Max Payne 3 and LA Noire DLC's now free. Time to boot up the best TPS ever (MP3) for another playthrough.

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-04-20-rockstar-issues-surprise-updates-for-la-noire-and-max-payne-3-on-pc-throws-in-all-the-dlc-for-free

The only thing stopping me from buying it now is that, to be honest, I don't even know if I'll be able to get a new CP this year or if, because of the shortages, mining and other bullsh*t, I'll end getting one later on when DDR5 will be a better investment (or maybe the only option).

But I'm seriously considering getting (part of) the storage now in case that new crypto takes off and becomes a problem later.

Discord Ends Deal Talks With Microsoft

https://www.wsj.com/articles/discord-ends-deal-talks-with-microsoft-11618938806?mod=e2tw

Thank Fuck

frankly it soulds like that games developed for the ps5 will be best experienced on an external SSD, enforcing the SSD-cartel conspiracy