AI has been shaping the media and entertainment industry for decades, from early recommendation engines to AI-driven editing and visual effects automation. Real-time AI which lets companies actively drive content creation, personalize viewing experiences and rapidly deliver data insights marks the next wave of that transformation.With the NVIDIA RTX PRO Blackwell GPU series, announced yesterday at the NVIDIA GTC global AI conference, media companies can now harness real-time AI for media workflows with unprecedented speed, efficiency and creative potential.NVIDIA Blackwell serves as the foundation of NVIDIA Media2, an initiative that enables real-time AI by bringing together NVIDIA technologies including NVIDIA NIM microservices, NVIDIA AI Blueprints, accelerated computing platforms and generative AI software to transform all aspects of production workflows and experiences, starting with content creation, streaming and live media.Powering Intelligent Content CreationAccelerated computing enables AI-driven workflows to process massive datasets in real time, unlocking faster rendering, simulation and content generation.NVIDIA RTX PRO Blackwell GPUs series include new features that enable unprecedented graphics and AI performance. The NVIDIA Streaming Multiprocessor offers up to 1.5x faster throughput over the NVIDIA Ada generation, and new neural shaders that integrate AI inside of programmable shaders for advanced content creation.Fourth-generation RT Cores deliver up to 2x the performance of the previous generation, enabling the creation of massive photoreal and physically accurate animated scenes. Fifth-generation Tensor Cores deliver up to 4,000 AI trillion operations per second and add support for FP4 precision. And up to 96GB of GDDR7 memory boosts GPU bandwidth and capacity, allowing applications to run faster and work with larger, more complex datasets for massive 3D and AI projects, large-scale virtual-reality environments and more.Elio Disney/PixarOne of the most exciting aspects of new technology is how it empowers our artists with tools to enhance their creative workflows, said Steve May, chief technology officer of Pixar Animation Studios. With Pixars next-generation renderer, RenderMan XPU optimized for the NVIDIA Blackwell platform 99% of Pixar shots can now fit within the 96GB of memory on the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPUs. This breakthrough will fundamentally improve the way we make movies. Lucasfilm Ltd.Our artists were frequently maxing out our 48GB cards with ILM StageCraft environments and having to battle performance issues on set for 6K and 8K real-time renders, said Stephen Hill, principal rendering engineer at Lucasfilm. The new NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q Workstation Edition GPU lifts these limitations were seeing upwards of a 2.5x performance increase over our current production GPUs, and with 96GB of VRAM we now have twice as much memory to play with.In addition, neural rendering with NVIDIA RTX Kit brings cinematic-quality ray tracing and AI-enhanced graphics to real-time engines, elevating visual fidelity in film, TV and interactive media. Including neural texture compression, neural shaders, RTX Global Illumination and Mega Geometry, RTX Kit is a suite of neural rendering technologies that enhance graphics for games, animation, virtual production scenes and immersive experiences.Fueling the Future of Streaming and Data AnalyticsData analytics is transforming raw audience insights into actionable intelligence faster than ever. NVIDIA accelerated computing and AI-powered frameworks enable studios to analyze viewer behavior, predict engagement patterns and optimize content in real time, driving hyper-personalized experiences and smarter creative decisions.With the new GPUs, users can achieve real-time ingestion and data transformation with GPU-accelerated data loading and cleansing at scale.The NVIDIA technologies accelerating streaming and data analytics include a suite of NVIDIA CUDA-X data processing libraries that enable immediate insights from continuous data streams and reduce latency, such as:NVIDIA cuML: Enables GPU-accelerated training and inference for recommendation models using scikit-learn algorithms, providing real-time personalization capabilities and up-to-date relevant content recommendations that boost viewer engagement while reducing churn.NVIDIA cuDF: Offers pandas DataFrame operations on GPUs, enabling faster and more efficient NVIDIA-accelerated extract, transform and load operations and analytics. cuDF helps optimize content delivery by analyzing user data to predict demand and adjust content distribution in real time, improving overall user experiences.Along with cuML and cuDF, accelerated data science libraries provide seamless integration with the open-source Dask library for multi-GPU or multi-node clusters. NVIDIA RTX Blackwell PRO GPUs large GPU memory can further assist with handling massive datasets and spikes in usage without sacrificing performance.And, the video search and summarization blueprint integrates vision language models and large language models and provides cloud-native building blocks to build video analytics, search and summarization applications.Breathing Life Into Live MediaWith NVIDIA RTX PRO Blackwell GPUs, broadcasters can achieve higher performance than ever in high-resolution video processing, real-time augmented reality and AI-driven content production and video analytics.New features include:Ninth-Generation NVIDIA NVENC: Adds support for 4:2:2 encoding, accelerating video encoding speed and improving quality for broadcast and live media applications while reducing costs of storing uncompressed video.Sixth-Generation NVIDIA NVDEC: Provides up to double H.264 decoding throughput and offers support for 4:2:2 H.264 and HEVC decode. Professionals can benefit from high-quality video playback, accelerate video data ingestion and use advanced AI-powered video editing features.Fifth-Generation PCIe: Provides double the bandwidth over the previous generation, improving data transfer speeds from CPU memory and unlocking faster performance for data-intensive tasks.DisplayPort 2.1: Drives high-resolution displays at up to 8K at 240Hz and 16K at 60Hz. Increased bandwidth enables seamless multi-monitor setups, while high dynamic range and higher color depth support deliver more precise color accuracy for tasks like video editing and live broadcasting.The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q Workstation Edition GPU is a transformative force in Cosms mission to redefine immersive entertainment, said Devin Poolman, chief product and technology officer at Cosm, a global immersive technology, media and entertainment company. With its unparalleled performance, we can push the boundaries of real-time rendering, unlocking the ultra-high resolution and fluid frame rates needed to make our live, immersive experiences feel nearly indistinguishable from reality.As a key component of Cosms CX System 12K LED dome displays, RTX PRO 6000 Max-Q enables seamless merging of the physical and digital worlds to deliver shared reality experiences, enabling audiences to engage with sports, live events and cinematic content in entirely new ways.Cosms shared reality experience, featuring its 87-foot-diameter LED dome display in stunning 12K resolution, with millions of pixels shining 10x brighter than the brightest cinematic display. Image courtesy of Cosm.To learn more about NVIDIA Media2, watch the GTC keynote and register to attend sessions from NVIDIA and industry leaders at the show, which runs through Friday, March 21.Try NVIDIA NIM microservices and AI Blueprints on build.nvidia.com.

A new year is filled with new possibilities for games, and the indie scene is a great place for innovation to thrive. Today, we showcased five indie titles coming to PlayStation, revealing release dates, updates, and a surprise or two.Forever Skies | Coming to PS5 April 14Play VideoFar From Home showcased some new co-op gameplay for Forever Skies, along with the official release date. Survive the skies with your friends and brave new worlds filled with threats that desire to halt your progress. Players who pre-order now will be gifted with the Supporter Pack DLC and 72-hour early access.The studio digs further into the games co-op in a new PS Blog post.The Knightling | Coming to PS5 August 28Play VideoFor those looking for a classic adventure of a heros journey, The Knightling is here to scratch that itch. We were introduced to the mysterious land of Cornered Bosk in the new trailer to celebrate its summer release date. A sprawling forest with a giant whirlpool in the middle that is swallowing everything. Can you become the knight youre meant to be in this tale from Twirlbound?See the type of enemies you will encounter and the abilities of legendary shield Magnustego.Possessor(s) | Coming to PS5 later this yearEnter the dystopian ruins of Sanzu City in Possessor(s) as you fight to survive as a human who is possessed by a demon. The pair attempts to form a symbiotic relationship to survive this hellscape, finding themselves in battle with other demonic hybrids. This fast-paced action side-scroller from Heart Machine blends high stakes and art.Check out the studios deep dive into combat.Ruffy and the Riverside | Coming to PS5 June 26Play VideoLearn the origins of the magical Swap ability and see how swapping textures in Ruffy and the Riverside changes how you approach platforming and combat in this completely hand-drawn world. Zockrates Laboratories adventurous bear will hit the ground swapping this June.Learn how to use the Swap ability to fight enemies and explore the world.Skate Story | Coming to PS5 this SummerPlay VideoThis labor of love by sole developer Sam Eng, Skate Story is coming to PlayStation. To mark the announcement, theyve shared a new gameplay trailer, which shows the demon made of glass youll play as shred through obstacles in the Underworld on their quest to consume the moon. Be prepared to meet a cast of zany characters and sell your soul for the best board.Get to know your board and how to combat bosses.We hope you enjoyed this preview of upcoming indie titles coming to PlayStation and look forward to more updates, news, and surprises in the future.

Hello, PlayStation community! My name is Sam Eng, and Im the sole developer of Skate Story, a game about a demon made of glass who needs to skate the Underworld and consume The Moon to fulfill the devils contract. Cool, right? I hope so, because today I wanted to share that Skate Story will be heading to PS5.Skate through nine layers of hell and battle larger-than-life bosses as you attempt to free yourself from the devils contract that has been placed upon you. As the glass Skaters story progresses, youll dive further into the depths of The Underworld (with help from the Subway system of course, just make sure you have your Millicard handy to get through the gates). You wont be alone in your journey, as a whole cast of characters is rooting for you.Play VideoIt has been quite the road leading up to release from when I first started sharing clips of the game publicly on social media five years ago. Today, I wanted to share some fresh gameplay of a few new areas the player will have the pleasure of perfecting.As you skate through hell, youll master your board, trick over vicious demons, grind some ledges, and destroy bosses, all while accompanied by an atmospheric original 12-set soundtrack by Blood Cultures with supporting tracks from John Fio, creating a truly immersive environment.Combat and boss battlesWhen demons from the Department of Death terrorize the Skater, sick tricks and fresh lines will be the only way out. Boss fights in particular, are intense skate sessions, each backed by a unique song the music of which youll need to keep up with. In the trailer above, youll catch a glimpse of just one of these boss encounters as you face off against the Moon.How do you take down a celestial body? You must skate. When the song comes on, stay in its sight line, keeping your momentum going by skating fast and popping tricks at the right time. The Skaters tricks deal damage to the Moon. Switch up the tricks to keep it Fresh doing the same old tricks or going too slow will go stale and deal less damage. Youll need to have dealt enough before the song ends.Flat and shatter into a million pieces when your soul stays stale, or burn through the stars and set them all on fire.CharactersThe Skaters journey through the underworld runs across many unfortunate souls living in the underworld. From a forgetful frog to a pillowy demon who owns a laundromat, each character is burdened by their own impassable debt. Befriend a jittery subway train and experience poetry about the multilight of the Moon. Talk with characters about their own plights and learn the many types of eternal tasks signed off by the Department of Death in this surreal underworld.Stylish street skating adventureCruise through streets and surreal landscapes full of waxed ledges, unholy gaps, and tortured demons in need of rescue. Push your way through precarious paths and shred freeform skate spots to your souls desire. Discover and create your own challenges as you explore the world and master your board.Succumb to the beauty of the boardSell your soul for decks, wheels, and trucks to keep your skating fresh. Plus, with over 70+ skate tricks to progress and improve, complete skate trials to level up, learn new tricks through massive obelisks, and get new gear.Thats all for now I cant wait to share more news about Skate Story with you later this summer.

Sigil, the Unreal Engine 5-powered virtual tabletop built to support the latest version of Dungeons & Dragons, arrived in a less-than-complete state just a few weeks ago. On Tuesday, a team member went to LinkedIn to report that 90% of the Wizards of the Coast staff who supported it have allegedly been laid off. That account was reportedly corroborated by an anonymous source speaking with Rascal in a story published Wednesday morning. Polygon has reached out to Wizards of the Coast for comment.An online, virtual playspace has long been a high-level goal of Wizards leadership, and the Sigil platform was seen as the highest expression of that vision. The PC-based, graphically sophisticated tool is now part of the D&D Beyond subscription model, and is meant to replicate the experience of playing at a table with elaborate miniatures, terrain, lighting, and more. But the experience that launched quietly on the last day of February lacks the kind of depth and precision to make Dungeon Masters lives easier. In our review, we even questioned whether the team seemed inclined to support it further past its launch. Now that future is very much in question.In a post Tuesday evening on LinkedIn, senior writer, game designer, and team leader Andy Collins made the announcement of the layoffs to the public.Appximately 30 talented developers (90% of the team) were laid off from the Sigil [][ team at Wizards of the Coast, including yours truly.Im disappointed that we didnt get to continue working toward the full experience that we imagined, but happy for the opportunity to work on an intriguing challenge with so many smart and dedicated folks.

In the age of streaming, you have to become accustomed with living with a helluva cliffhanger. Even if your show is renewed and, lets face, those odds are never quite as sure as you want it to be you might have to wait years and years to see the resolution. So its up to us to count the blessings where we can, which is just one reason Ill be celebrating School Spirits getting a renewal for season 3: I was not prepared to live with that cliffhanger forever.Season 2 of School Spirits followed Maddie (Peyton List) who was still stuck as an apparition at the high school with a bunch of other ghosts, but armed with the knowledge that she was, in fact, not dead; her body was just commandeered by another spirit. In order to both get her body back and understand the implications of this for her spectral friends, Maddie unites her friends in the living and beyond to reclaim her stolen life. And it all went great I wont spoil how it ends for Maddie, but more so that the second season did the impossible, building on the first seasons murder mystery premise with strong characters and surprising storylines. It managed to be fun and pulpy and smart. And in the end, it ended on another wicked cliffhanger, much like the first season had. Though theres not much word yet on what this means for Maddie or her best friend Simon (Kristian Flores), whos left in maybe the most precarious place of all this time, Paramount Plus mentioned that season 3 would be returning sometime in 2026. Bless up! In the meantime, the first two seasons of School Spirits are streaming on Paramount Plus. Watch it, so you, too, can join me in wait.

Fresha, developer of scheduling software for beauty salons and spas, wanted its newest hub to reflect the dynamism of their team, and the innovation that occurs within. With a bold approach to color and materials, SAAN Architekci designed the new office in Warsaw, Poland.Located in Central Tower, a high-rise commercial building in the capital city, the architects wanted to bring vibrancy to the 5,920-square-foot, open-plan space. After flipping through the companys brand lookbook, Freshas signature violet tint caught the teams attention, and from then on they were determined to emphasize a range of bright hues. We saw these colors and knew they would add energy, so we decided to use them in the office, says Iga Sawicka, co-founder of SAAN Architekci and project lead.Clean lines and vivid accents are complemented by a soft loft aesthetic, featuring exposed ceilings and painted ductwork. Zones dedicated to individual work are awash in neutrals, wood, and green accents to foster focus. The lime green communication sector includes ergonomic furniture and phone booths.Transparent glass partitions amplify the tones in a prismatic effect. These dividers also maintain a sense of spaciousness while ensuring just enough separation between each department. Neon signs spelling out motivational phrases add a fun touch.Conference rooms and creative workspaces, highlighted in an intense orange, offer ample space for business discussions or brainstorming sessions. A lounge area, dubbed the playroom, has a panoramic view of the city, the perfect place for staff members to recharge. Plush upholstered seating and ottomans are ultra comfortable, ideal for socializing or relaxing during the day.At the heart of the space is the kitchen, which encourages employees to gather for meals or events. A large wooden island sits in the center, and a lamp-planter fixture hangs overhead, filled with live greenery. Plants placed in every corner of the office provide a much needed connection to nature and a lived-in, residential look.Freshas workplace is now anything but traditional, enhanced by the full-tilt color that is central to the uplifting environment. We moved away from a monochromatic palette, and by experimenting, we were able to design an office that is of the moment but not trendy. Its timeless, Sawicka notes.For more information on SAAN Architekci, visit saanarchitekci.pl.Photography by Tom Kurek.

1. Anrealages 2025/26 Screen-Changing RunwayMy fashion mantra for 2025: If it doesnt slowly illuminate line by line, pixel by pixel, from the bottom up I dont want it! All jokes aside, Anrealages 2025/26 Autumn/Winter collection, Screen, had me completely mesmerized. Each painstakingly handcrafted garment features 10,000 multicolored LEDs stitched onto black canvas panels, shifting patterns with each step the models took. The effect is a hypnotic fusion of digital art and haute couture. While Im still debating where Id wear such a masterpiece (Date night? Grocery run?), I love how the collection pushes the boundaries of fashion and technology. In a world ruled by screens, how do we feel about them taking over our wardrobe too?2. A Pop-Up Lamp by RisetteIf only switching up home decor was as easy as flipping a page. Turns out, Risette has made that dream a reality with the Pop-Up Lamp (version 1 and 2). Inspired by nostalgic pop-up books and childhood crafts, this paper lamp unfolds like a story turn the page to reveal a new scene, a fresh glow, a different mood. Designed for the coziest corners, its an ever-changing light source thats as delightful to use as it is to look at. Its currently sold out but will be available very soon sign up for in-stock notifications!3. Pint-Sized Furniture for Fun-Loving Kids: BauenAs a parent, I get extra excited when a new kids furniture brand pops up especially one that rethinks how play furniture looks and feels. Enter Bauen, the latest name to join the club. After 18 months and 200 prototypes, theyve launched The Set, a modern chair-and-table duo designed with soft, rounded edges (no sharp corners!) and effortless assembly. Its a design-forward take on kids furniture, borrowing from the aesthetics of high-end grown-up pieces while keeping things playful and practical.4. Building Confidence Through Routine with CharmspringSpeaking of game-changing kids brands, Im also into Charmspring, the latest brainchild by Steph Korey Goodwin, co-founder of Away. Founded on the belief that routines build confidence, resilience, and independence, Charmspring rethinks how kids navigate their day with Springboard, a beautifully designed, modern routine board featuring activity tiles. From brushing teeth to soccer practice, kids get a visual schedule that gives them a sense of ownership over their day. Charmspring recently just launched custom tiles, so I could add gymnastics, swim class, and Girl Scouts to our own board. Structure can sometimes feel rigid, but all parents know its necessary. With Charmspring, it also gets to be fun!5. Brand to Know + Immediately Follow: HolcombWhen it comes to kitchen tools, I have a simple rule: no fluff, just function. Thats exactly why Im obsessed with Holcomb, a brand that nails the balance between utility and timeless beauty. No frills, no gimmicks. Just sturdy, well-crafted objects that look as good on an open shelf as they do in use. While Id gladly take everything they offer, the elegant Oil Can and architectural Perch Mortar & Pestle are my personal standouts. Thoughtful design meets everyday necessity whats not to love?

We may earn a commission from links on this page.This will be an extremely pedantic post, and one that I am terribly sorry to have to write. Ive been into weight lifting (two words) for a long time, but about six years ago I got into weightlifting (all one word). It turns out these are two very different things.Weightlifting, all one word, is the sport that is contested in the Olympics in which peoplewearing what look like old-timey swimsuitspick up barbells loaded with brightly colored weights. In one of the events, the snatch, the bar is lifted from the ground to overhead in one swift movement. In the other, the clean and jerk, the bar is lifted to the shoulders and the lifter pauses to breathe and question their life choices before using another sudden movement to shove it sky high. (You can lift more weight the second way, which is why they are separate events. Each lifters best snatch and best clean and jerk are added together to find out who wins.) Weight lifting, two words, refers to the action of lifting a weightany weight. If youve never heard of this distinction or never thought of it when you said or heard the word weightlifting, bear with me here. Why "weightlifting" refers to the sport of the snatch and clean and jerkEarly weightlifting competitions, in the 1800s, evolved out of circuses and stage shows where a strongman would show off feats of strength to an audience. Sometimes these strongmen would challenge each other, and would bring in judges to verify the weights and ensure a fair competition. Gymnasts around this time trained with dumbbells and barbells as well, and would also set up their own friendly competitions. By the time the first (modern) Olympics rolled around in 1896, there was enough interest in weightlifting as a competitive sport that it was one of the sports contested. It took decades after that for competitive weightlifting to evolve into the form we can still see in the Olympics. The dumbbell lifts and one-hand lifts were dropped; by 1928 the sport had three barbell lifts, each of them done with both hands. In 1972, one of them (the clean and press) was dropped from competition. This leaves the two-lift sport we know and love today. (We all do love it, right? It's our favorite? Good.) Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches $44.37 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $44.37 at Amazon The idea of lifting weights for fun and health didn't become popular until after the competitive sport became established. The name "weightlifting" was already taken, so when some weightlifters decided to challenge each other in other lifts, like the squat and bench press, they had to choose a different name. (Thus was born powerlifting.) Other offshoots chose names, too. The "World's Strongest Man" TV specials led to the sport of strongman, where people (not just men) lift a variety of implements like stones and kegs and log-shaped barbells, and no two competitions are the same. Probably the most famous strength sport is bodybuilding, where competitors don't actually lift anything in competitions; they just show off the body that they built through lifting weights. Much of gym culture as we know it today was born from the bodybuilding style of training, as bodybuilders and barbell manufacturers collaborated to write and publish magazine articles for the masses. If you think of your strength training in terms of "reps" or "muscle groups," this is why. You can also, of course, just lift weights. This isnt weightlifting, because that's the name for the Olympic sport; its lifting weights or lifting or strength training or "resistance training." You can, if you must, call it weight lifting. I'm a weightlifter, and I agree that this makes no senseI hate that I have been forced to become so pedantic about this. Weightlifting is an awful, terrible, no-good, very-bad name for one of many sports in which people lift weights. Powerlifting, by the way, is almost as badly named; it's actually the Olympic lifts that showcase power, and the power lifts that showcase strength. So people like me are left protesting that we are weightlifters, not powerlifters or bodybuilders, and the average person curling a dumbbell in the gym has no clue why we care so much about whether or not there is a space between weight and lifting. The problem, ultimately, is that nobody ever came up with a better name for the sport they have in the Olympics. Some people will call it Olympic lifting, leading to confusion when you tell your friends that you do it but also that you are not going to the Olympics for it. Crossfitters have found a workaround by casually referring to oly lifting, which I support in theory, but weightlifters have not embraced the term. We compete in weightlifting, and clarify what we mean by saying you know, weightlifting weightlifting, while miming the motion of a snatch. Im sorry. This is the best we have for now.

Googles next Pixel phone, the Pixel 9a, has finally been announced. And for the first time in a Pixel since 2020s Pixel 5, it ditches the camera bar. Its also, as expected, a little cheaper and comes with a few additional AI tricks not available on the Pixel 8a, but really, its the new look thats the biggest surprise here.Thats because the 9a, unlike the 8a before it, really doesnt look much like the Pixel 9 or 9 Pro. Dimensions are roughly equivalent to the standard Pixel 9 (although it is a little more lightweight at 6.6 oz vs. 7 oz) and the screen has almost pound-for-pound the same specs except for a halved contrast ratio, but people familiar with the past half-decade of Pixel phones might not realize its even part of the same family at first. Pixel 8a (left) vs. Pixel 9a (right) Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt Without the camera bar, the Pixel 9a instead looks much more like an iPhone than arguably even a Samsung Galaxy, with two rear lenses in the top-left corner inside a small ovular black bump next to a flash. This makes for a much thinner and flatter profile overall, even if the body itself hasnt changed much, and Im excited to both get my hands on it and see how the cases turn out. Ive never loved the camera bar, but this has me considering the Pixel again. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt As for the specs on those cameras, theyre part of a trend of internal specs that dont really compare well to either the Pixel 9 or the Pixel 8a. The rear camera lenses are 48MP and 13MP, respectively, while the front is 13MP, although the various aperture details and field-of-view settings dont cleanly map onto an existing Google phone. Im also curious to see how shots turn out once I get my hands on this phone. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt Similarly, another detail that doesnt have an outright comparison with an existing Google phone is battery life, which Google promises is 30+ hours on the Pixel 9a, a little longer than on either the 8a or the Pixel 9. RAM and storage is equal to the 8a at 8GB and a starting value of 128GB, respectively, although the processor has been bumped up to the Google Tensor G4, the same as on the Pixel 9.All of that adds up to make for a unique release with what could have simply been a pared-down Pixel 9, perhaps giving you additional reasons to get it over its more expensive cousin than simply saving a few dollars. That said, even with the lower cost, which is $500 vs. the Pixel 9s $800, Google is promising some extra software here than on the Pixel 8a. These include a Macro Focus mode and unique Pixel AI features like Add Me (which can put you into shots you werent present for, albeit with mixed results). Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt While youll get the usual options for black, white, and pink, theres also a new purple color, which hearkens back to the Pixel 8's light blue color that I missed so much on the base Pixel 9.All in all, its shaping up to be a surprisingly exciting release for an A-series model, and Im hoping its a hint at bigger things in store for the Pixel 10 when it inevitably comes out later this fall. An official release date is still TBA, so keep an eye on this space for more down the line.

There is something so incredibly frustrating about typing on a digital keyboard with a controller. Whether for streaming or gaming, the slowness with which you often have to find each letter is just painful. Well, thankfully, there's an improvement on the way for Xbox controllers, with Microsoft announcing a new gamepad keyboard for Windows 11's touch keyboard.MicrosoftThe updated keyboard should make it easier to use the on-screen one with an Xbox controller. It brings greater navigation to the controller and helpful shortcuts. For example, the X button can function as backspace, the Y button as the spacebar and the menu button as enter. Microsoft also states that it has vertically aligned the keyboard keys for smoother use.Microsoft first shared that it was beta testing this technology back in September. Now, it's available in the Release Preview version of Windows 11, so you should be able to try it out for yourself within the next few weeks. Hopefully it saves you a lot of time and frustration (and that streamers will come up with their own solutions soon).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-launches-a-new-gamepad-keyboard-layout-for-windows-11-154011591.html?src=rss