art of rally developer reveals cosy co-op off-roading experience over the hillTorque to the hand.Image credit: Funselektor News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on Jan. 23, 2025 Funselektor, the developer behind art of rally, has revealed a co-op off-road exploration game titled: over the hill."Explore the world in the golden age of offroading. Drive iconic vehicles from the 60s to 80s by yourself or with friends through challenging trails and beautiful scenery," reads the official blurb. Tow ropes may be required to get your fellow car enthusiasts out of a tight spot, if the announcement trailer (below) is anything to go by. It all looks a bit like a cosy take on a Top Gear challenges of old, obviously with a lot less yelling of "Poweeeer!" by the hosts, mixed with some Pacific Drive elements.over the hill Announcement Trailer. Watch on YouTubeThe game's biomes have all been inspired by real locations, and while they can be explored with your friends by your side, you can also take to the road (or track) on your own if you just fancy a quiet drive to clear your head. Weather will change around you as the sun sets and night comes, with the developer promising a "dynamic, immersive experience" on over the hill's release. There will also be hidden objectives and challenges dotted around, so something to keep an eye out for."After having developed several games about motorsport, we wanted to go off-track by offering players a vast world to lose themselves at a slower pace," said Funselektor founder Dune Casu."In a way, this game is similar to the experience I've had journeying across North America in my trusty camper van. There's something special about being in the wilderness in the middle of nowhere, from the peace, the sounds of nature and less distraction from the civilized world. I hope this game can really drive that feeling home."If this all sounds like your thing, you can add over the hill to your wishlist on Steam. Image credit: FunselektorAs for Funselektor's previous game art of rally, we called it a "blast" on its release in 2020."It's as graceful and poised as Michle Mouton holding a Quattro S2 at an impossible angle, and as stylish as any driving game I've played. There might be more complex takes than art of rally on the discipline out there, but none of them is as quick to get to the appeal of off-roading as this," reads Eurogamer's art of rally review.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereHelldivers 2 has a slew of weapons in the game, and most of them perform really well thanks to the influx of buffs that happened towards the tail-end of 2024. There are still a few weapons that deserve buffs, though, and we dont know when the next set of balance changes will happen. Fortunately, while we wait for the next set of buffs to eventually release, a Helldivers 2 exploit shows how to fire twice as fast with a weapon that has poor RPM.How to fire twice as fast with Eruptor in Helldivers 2The Eruptor is a weapon that some Helldivers 2 fans would like to see Arrowhead buff. While players dont have an issue with its dmg or ultimate function, the bone of contention is with its 25 RPM.While we dont know if a buff for its RPM will ever arrive, the good news is that there is an exploit to increase its RPM to 50, and even 55 when you become good at the trick.Reddit user lilpeachboy has shared instructions for how to perform the exploit. Upon firing the Eurptor, you must immediately switch to your secondary weapon, and then switch back to your Eruptor and immediately fire again.The OP says that the exploit is slightly difficult to master because theres a hard limit on the guns maximum firing rate, and swapping back and forth too fast will cause the technique not to work. However, if you manage to master the exploit, you can get an RPM of 55.Lastly, the OP argues that the exploit is worth learning because the Eruptor is superior to the Exploding Crossbow. This is because the Eruptor has shrapnel damage, and it has an explosive radius that is 1m wider.You can check out gameplay footage of the exploit in-action via the embedded Reddit post below:For more Helldivers 2, check out our guide to thebest warbonds ranked, along with thebest stratagemsandbest throwables. We have also a guide to thebest weapons, and, if youre coming back to HD2 for the first time in a long while, we have a bunch oftips and tricksto help you get reaccustomed to the battlefield.Helldivers 2Platform(s):PC, PlayStation 5Genre(s):Action, Shooter, Third Person8VideoGamerSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide Call of Dutys current era heavily involves crossovers and collaborations with several franchises from the world of gaming, movies, and TV. The recent collaboration with the hit Netflix show Squid Game saw the arrival of unique limited-time modes in Black Ops 6 and Warzone alongside a wealth of exclusive cosmetic items available to purchase.As Season 2 moves into view, fans dropping into multiplayer and battle royale matches hope Treyarch and Raven Software can address the game-breaking flaws ruining the action. Ahead of the upcoming update, Activision has unveiled the next huge Call of Duty collaboration which is the perfect example of the publisher rinsing and repeating the past.The Terminator returns to Call of DutyOn January 22, 2025, the Season 2 roadmap for Call of Duty revealed The Terminator is the next collaboration, much to the annoyance of fans hoping for something new.Season 2 of Black Ops 6 and Warzone isnt the first time The Terminator has joined forces with Call of Duty. During the Vanguard cycle, Terminator T-800 and T-1000 models arrived as playable Operators in Sledgehammer Games World War 2 shooter.Despite the complete mismatch in time periods, the first collaboration with The Terminator 2 movie was well-received among fans dropping into the action. Four years later, Activision is hoping to cash in once more with an in-game event and the inevitable appearance of themed bundles in the store.Why is The Terminator returning to Call of Duty?The reappearance of The Terminator in Call of Duty is certainly disappointing for those who have already seen characters from the movie appear in matches in some capacity. However, theres an in-game event for you to get your teeth sunk into this time.With a wealth of unique rewards available for players to unlock, theres every chance Activision will replicate the success of the first Terminator crossover in 2025. Were still patiently waiting for Master Chiefs arrival in whats bound to be a generational crossover between two giants of the first-person shooter genre.For more CoD intel, check out the best controller settings for maximum accuracy along with the best Jackal PDW loadout for close-quarters action.Call of Duty: Black Ops 6Platform(s):PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):ShooterSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

During her 2023 apartment search, New York City native and interior designer Kate McElhiney craved a character-filled unit that she and her husband could call their ownand she wasnt willing to settle for a so-so space in the process. It started to seem like all rental landlords were in cahoots to make each apartment more boring than the next, McElhiney reflects. However, when touring her current placea 750-square-foot unit located on one of Brooklyn Heights famed fruit streetsshe immediately saw potential in the exposed wood beams and lofted duplex layout.Interior designer Kate McElhiney in her Brooklyn Heights home.The floor plan is a little bit squirrely, so it was trickier than normal to figure out furniture for the downstairs space, shares McElhiney, who has spent the last year making the fourth-floor walk-up feel like home. Though the designer was hesitant to spend too much money transforming a rental, she was eager to customize her unit using her many existing decorative items, without picking up so much as a paintbrush in the process. I had amassed a good collection of lamps, textiles, and artwork in the years before we moved in, so it was a joy to finally be able to use all my pieces and see them come together so easily, explains McElhiney, who worked for Kari McCabe, the founder of Kari McCabe Inc., for four years after college. She taught me everything and imparted her love of Scandinavian design on me too, McElhiney says. She also introduced me to my now husband, who was working for her husband at the time.McElhineys next role was working for AD100 talent Peter Pennoyer. His in-house interior design team was led by Alice Engel, who is still a great friend, she shares. At PPA, I learned how to stretch my imagination as Peter and Alice knew artisans and craftspeople who could make anything we could dream upa creatives dream.McElhineys husband has played the piano since he was five years old. He had an old keyboard, and I finally convinced him to upgrade to this white-oak veneered stunner when we moved to this apartment, the designer says. Above the piano hang two of McElhineys own abstract works. The designer received her MFA in painting from Pratt Institute.McElhiney shares that this Swedish cabinet is from an auction house in Stockholm. Ive always been obsessed with the original Josef Frank botanical cabinets and discovered that vintage reproductions often come up for auction in Sweden, she says. I started following a few and finally pounced on this more diminutive one, perfect under the eaves.Living in a small space, the designer prefers more streamlined pieces and found herself drawn to colorful accents when furnishing this unit. Its important to remember what truly speaks to you when designing your own space, McElhiney says, as opposed to trying to copy a certain style that you think looks good online. She adds that her husband, who is also a color lover, offered many thoughtful design suggestions too. He actually had one of the best money-saving ideas, which was to order two smaller sisal rugs and push them together instead of ordering a custom shaped sisal rug to fit the L-shaped downstairs space, the designer shares.Most PopularTravelThe 11 Most Beautiful Mountain Cities in the WorldBy Emma TubbsArchitecture + DesignA Creative Directors Milan Home Is a Master Class in Secondhand ShoppingBy Kelly DawsonMagazineMieke ten Have Fashions a Home for Hudson Valley NeighborsBy Michael BoodroMcElhiney considers this dining nook one of her best small-space hacks. The banquette in the dining area allows us to push the dining table closer to the wall, she says, noting that she sourced the fabric for the Billy Baldwin piece in New York Citys Garment District. The print hanging above the banquette is the only piece of art in the apartment that wasnt one of McElhineys or another family members own creations.The small, utilitarian kitchen is far from boring thanks to some thoughtful pattern play.McElhiney finds inspiration all over, often through art. The Siena show at The Met has given me an intense craving to use vermillion red in a project soon, she shares. Im also frankly obsessed with Saint Ursulas bedroom in Carpaccios The Dream of St Ursula. Though shes only 31 years old, McElhiney acknowledges that living in a high-story walk-up apartment may not be ideal for the long haul. However, she says, We love lying in bed at night and being able to see the moon and a couple of stars from the skylight in our room. I think we will live here as long as we can.Most PopularTravelThe 11 Most Beautiful Mountain Cities in the WorldBy Emma TubbsArchitecture + DesignA Creative Directors Milan Home Is a Master Class in Secondhand ShoppingBy Kelly DawsonMagazineMieke ten Have Fashions a Home for Hudson Valley NeighborsBy Michael BoodroVintage Svenskt Tenn curtains, also from a Swedish auction house, hang in the joint office/guest room space. Adding the curtains around the twin bed in my office made the space feel so much more intentional than it would have otherwise, says McElhiney, who explains that, ever since she was a little girl, shes always wanted a nook bed. She adds, We havent had a guest stay here yet, but I sometimes read my book in there or take a nap.The bedroom boasts skylights, not commonly found in New York City rentals. McElhiney stuck with soothing blues and whites for her sleep space, allowing the exposed beams and wood trim to pop.

As the COVID-19 pandemic roiled the world in 2020, Catherine Kwong succumbed to the siren call of The Sea Ranch, the quietly radical planned community that sprang up in the 1960s along 10 miles of glorious Northern California coastline. The landmark developmentconceived by a group of pioneering Bay Area architects and planners as a progressive haven centered on harmony with the natural environmentprovided the perfect pastoral escape hatch for the San Franciscobased interior designer and her family. Ive always been obsessed with The Sea Ranch from an architectural point of view. It casts such a spellletting nature envelop you as youre cradled in this incredible landscape right by the ocean, Kwong says.The designer and her husband, Brian, settled on a home built in 1972 by architect John Haag, who worked for years as an associate in the office of Joseph Esherick, one of the communitys founding visionaries. The house had been carefully tended to over time, so it was in great condition. It encapsulated the ethos of the 1970s era at The Sea Ranch, Kwong recalls, describing the homes archetypal cedar construction, folded planes, sloping rooflines, and generous windows framing views through the forest and out to the Pacific. We wanted to preserve the integrity of the original design so we tried not to do too much, she adds.Designer Catherine Kwong.Photo: Bess FridayKwongs ministrations to the interior included refurbishing portions of the existing millwork, adding a window seat in the kitchen, and renovating the kitchen and baths in a way that feels sympathetic to the modesty of the original plans. One of her more noticeable changes was replacing the carpet in the kitchen with ceramic tiles laid out in a gingham motif. There are little pattern and color moves throughout, but I wanted to keep everything pretty quiet, Kwong says of her limited interventions. A few pedigreed decorative piecesamong them a Roger Capron tiled cocktail table, Alvar Aalto dining chairs, and a vintage Tommi Parzinger candelabra perched on a Michael van Beuren cabinetpepper the restrained mix.Life at The Sea Ranch is predictably bucolic, frequently focused on divertissements for the couples young children, Miles and Juliet. The kids have their favorite hikes and their favorite beaches. We make plans based on the tides, Kwong notes. There are plenty of activities, like foraging and silk scarf acrobatics. Theres even a class in biological illustration. Its the most Sea Ranch thing you can think of.The restrained interior features a classic Eames Lounge Chair and George Nelson pendant lamps.Photo: William Jess Laird.

A hot potato: Meta has responded to complaints from Facebook, Instagram, and Threads users who say they suddenly found themselves following Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and First Lady Melania Trump without their knowledge. There are also reports of Democratic content being hidden. Some have pointed to Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's recent shifting political stance as the cause, but the company claims otherwise. Meta's communication director, Andy Stone, responded to the reports on Threads and X. He wrote that people were not made to automatically follow any of the official accounts for the President, Vice President or First Lady.Stone went on to say that the accounts are managed by the White House, so the content on the pages changes with a new administration but the followers remain unchanged. The same procedure was carried out during the last presidential transition.However, there are plenty of replies that cast doubt on Stone's explanation. Many people say they never followed Biden, Trump, or any political accounts, yet they are suddenly following the POTUS, VPOTUS, and FLOTUS accounts.There are also complaints that those who suddenly found they are following Trump cannot unfollow him. Stone said that it may take some time for follow and unfollow requests to go through as the White House accounts change hands. // Related StoriesIt's been noted that when a candidate leaves office, Meta creates archived POTUS accounts that followers are automatically signed up to. Some claim that as this happened, they automatically started following Trump, Vance and Melania Trump accounts.Something else that has led to people accusing Meta of political bias is happening on Instagram. Users say that when doing hashtag searches for #Democrat or #Democrats, they are seeing messages that state, "We've hidden these results," and "Results for the term you searched for may contain sensitive content." Meta said the issue is caused by a technical problem affecting multiple hashtags, including some related to the Republican Party.Seperate reports that people are seeing more political content in their feeds are a result of the changes that Zuckerberg announced at the start of January. The CEO also suspended the fact-checking program and reduced the amount of censorship on Meta's platforms. He later appeared on the Joe Rogan podcast, where he said that companies need more "masculine energy." It led to a lawyer dropping Meta as a client in a copyright case due to Zuckerberg's "toxic masculinity and neo-Nazi madness."

DEI is DOA NASA moves swiftly to end DEI programs, asks employees to report violations "Failure to report this information within 10 days may result in adverse consequences." Eric Berger Jan 22, 2025 6:04 pm | 485 Kennedy Space Center director Janet Petro, who is currently NASA's acting administrator, speaks in 2022. Credit: HUM Images/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images Kennedy Space Center director Janet Petro, who is currently NASA's acting administrator, speaks in 2022. Credit: HUM Images/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreNASA's acting administrator is moving swiftly to remove diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibilityor DEIAprograms from the space agency.In an email sent to agency employees on Wednesday afternoon, acting administrator Janet Petro wrote, "We are taking steps to close all agency DEIA offices and end all DEIA-related contracts in accordance with President Trumps executive orders titled Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing and Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions."During his run for a second term as president, Trump campaigned on ending programs in the federal government that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. He signed executive orders to that effect shortly after his inauguration on Monday.Programs seen as divisiveThese programs had their roots in affirmative action but exploded in popularity half a decade ago amid Trump's first presidency and the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements. DEI programs and officers became commonplace in academia and major US corporations. However, even before the election of Trump, the DEI movement appeared to have crested. For example, last year the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ended the use of diversity statements for faculty hiring.In explaining NASA's position, Petro said of the agency's existing DEIA activities, "These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination."Petro's email is notable for its suggestion that some civil servants at NASA may have sought to shroud DEIA programs from the Trump administration since the presidential election in early November."We are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language," she wrote. "If you are aware of a change in any contract description or personnel position description since November 5, 2024 to obscure the connection between the contract and DEIA or similar ideologies, please report all facts and circumstances."Petro's message includes an email address to report such activities and asks NASA employees to do so within 10 days."There will be no adverse consequences for timely reporting this information," Petro wrote. "However, failure to report this information within 10 days may result in adverse consequences."NIH and NSF affectedNASA is not the only federal agency where this is happening. Several other agencies received similarly worded messages from their acting directors on Wednesday.Due to the poor representation of minorities in science and engineering fields, both of the major federal funding agenciesthe National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundationhave programs designed to encourage participation by underrepresented communities. These include educational programs, funding to enable research done by undergraduates, and support for students in graduate school all directed toward members of underrepresented groups. As of 5 pm ET, webpages for most of these programs are still available, though one entitled Broadening Participation in Training Programs at the NIH was no longer available.For the medical research community, however, the termination of these programs might be the least of its concerns. As of Tuesday, all external communication from agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the NIH, Centers for Disease Control, and the Food and Drug Administration, were put on hold. This will include things like alerts regarding the spread of emerging diseases, such as the H5N1 bird flu thats currently widespread in agricultural animals.But today, it became clear that this policy extended well beyond external communications. One researcher said that an NIH workshop was canceled mid-presentation. Others have reported that all evaluations of grant proposals by the NIH are now on hold indefinitely. Should the hold last for any significant amount of time, it will have severe ripple effects, as arranging the peer review panels that evaluate grants involves complicated scheduling and travel, so the delays may persist for considerably longer.Eric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 485 Comments

Pulling PowerNvidia RTX 5090 review: face-meltingly good top-flight performance and gorgeous industrial design - but beware the electrical billNvidias latest flagship GPU is only for the most dedicated hardware sickos - but for those of you so inclined, the 5090 is an absolute joy.Image credit: Nvidia/VG247 Article by Alex Donaldson Assistant Editor Published on Jan. 23, 2025 Its that most exciting time in the world of PC gaming once again: graphics card generational shift oclock! As always, Nvidia leads with its flagship, most expensive card, intended only for the most dedicated nutters with the deepest pockets: the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090. The headline? Its bloody good stuff - but one has to be prepared to shell out big-time, even if not at the point of purchase.Lets talk about the price first, because its a barrier to entry that might see some of you Grandpa Simpson U-Turn right on out of this review. The Founders Edition of the 5090 - that is to say the benchmark version of the card made by Nvidia itself - runs $1999, or 1939. Versions from other vendors will vary around this price point. Needless to say, this is a hefty chunk of change, and isnt for the faint-hearted. Then again, this is the GPU equivalent of buying a Bugatti - Nvidia knows all too well who its target audience is.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. In real terms, this is an RRP price increase over last generations RTX 4090 of around 25%. The matter of whether this is reasonable can be answered by pitching a simple question: does the performance uplift match the price uplift?The answer, to spoil the rest of this review up front, is yes. Generally speaking and depending on the software, players can expect a 20-30% uplift in the performance of their games from the 5090 over its last-generation sibling - meaning the dollar increase matches pretty closely to improvements in rasterization and FPS - and thats without getting into other features.The biggest (or perhaps smallest, depending on your angle) new feature of the 5090 becomes clear the moment you pop open its pleasing new eco-friendly but no less theatrical box - its small. Or, well look. Its a two-slot GPU. Its a normal-sized two-slot GPU. But as someone who has been using the 4090 for the last few years and had to completely reorganize my PC case to fit that beast in, the size of this thing is a revelation.The 4090 was giving potential murder weapon vibes with its heft, size, and boxy shape. The 5090 is a complete design rethink inside and out. The cooling solution, internal layout, and even PCB shape have been carefully reconsidered. Cards have been shaken around on industrial earthquake-makers in order to test that no matter what you put it through its slick new liquid metal cooling solution doesnt leak. Gone is the asymmetrical fan layout that has defined Nvidias Founders Edition cards for so long, replaced with something at once more traditional and quite revelatory.A deep dive into the making of the GeForce RTX 5090.Watch on YouTubeFrom a design standpoint, what I most like is the softer curved edges of this design. Like I say, this is a normal two-slot card, but by softening the edges and by noting that this is a more powerful card that is nevertheless much smaller than its predecessor, this thing feels smaller than it is. Other changes are just plain smart, like the tiny but instantly perceptible and appreciated decision to angle the power cable - making for a neater fit in even the smaller-end of cases.All of that is just aesthetics, of course, and the truth is these things are devices that you hold in your hands and marvel at briefly before shoving them into a PC case to never look at again. What matters is the performance, which as Iev said is an uplift of 20-30% over the 4090. Its worth noting that this is actually much less of a jump than the 3090 to the 4090 - but its a smaller price jump, too.Running with a 9800x3D processor at native 4K, and crucially with DLSS frame generation technology turned off, most of todays biggest graphics benchmark hits run at well in excess of 100fps. To talk about a few of them in brief:The 5090 humbles Cyberpunk 2077s Ultra preset (without RT), managing to run at almost 100fps consistently, and often well above it. This is a big leap - the headline with the 4090 was that you could enjoy Cyberpunk on Ultra at 60fps. One generation later and we're approaching doubling that. Flick that Ray Tracing option to its 'psycho' variant and lo, you can get a full 60fps - without frame generation. Real-time ray tracing with no AI, we're here!Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a game really driven by its use of real-time lighting solutions, and should become a great future benchmark. Albeit without full path tracing, on the 4090 this game already ran slightly above 100fps comfortably even on its Very Ultra setting - but on the 5090 you can now hit the nice round benchmark lock of 120fps. In fact, it comfortably coasts at close to 135-140fps. Thats an uplift of around 20% versus the previous generation card, which itself is quite the beast.Alan Wake 2 enjoys a handsome 50-series boost also in the 20% range, though this one modern game that struggles to break the 3-figure barrier. Back on the 4090, we could only just about scrape close to 60fps without turning on frame generation features. On the 5090, we can finally lock to 60 - or flex to a little beyond. Slick bit of kit. | Image credit: NvidiaA huge part of these cards, however, is the extra technology. Ray Tracing is no longer just a buzzword - increasingly, its becoming an essential component of some of todays best-looking games. Even on the most powerful cards ray tracing can decimate raw raster performance. If were being literal, in fact, it more than decimates performance. This is where DLSS frame generation comes in - and with the new series of cards comes DLSS4 and a new feature Nvidia is particularly proud of, multi-frame generation.If youre reading a review for a graphics card that costs two grand, you probably very well know what DLSS and frame generation is. But for the avoidance of doubt, heres the quick-fire crash course: DLSS stands for Deep Learning Super Sampling, which is a process that uses machine learning and AI to allow a graphics card to improve the image quality and frame rate of games beyond what the hardware is capable of on its own.Basically, the performance of any game exists on an axis of resolution versus quality. If you want high resolution and high quality, its more taxing - which can often drop the frame rate. But DLSS provides an enticing solution to this problem: what if the GPU renders the game at a lower resolution, but then lets a meticulously-trained AI step in to increase the image quality? The result is that you can have a game like Cyberpunk with maxed out settings, including the most ridiculous real-time lighting available - and still enjoy silky smooth frame rates.Its a cheat, its true, but as the DLSS technology has improved, a DLSS upscaled image has become increasingly hard to distinguish from a raw and natural 4K output - and DLSS4 tweaks and improves the technology further. Multi-frame generation (MFG) is an additional powerful string to Nvidias bow, now allowing for up to three new frames to be generated by AI for every one natural frame put out by the GPU. The fake frames aim to help make everything smoother. Largely, MFG is aimed at people with 240hz displays and the like - if you can run a game at 4K 120fps natively, for instance, MFG can comfortably get you to 240hz - which is neat. No, it's not cheap. | Image credit: NvidiaMFG works well in the games currently supported by it, though I think there is inevitably going to be heated debate about the validity and quality of gaming with the faked frames. How a game feels to play will only ever be impacted by the natural frames a GPU generates, after all - frame-gen will help whats put out to appear smoother, however - and appearances are indeed important.MFG is clearly a technology that is going to be very important in years to come, though as it stands right now perhaps what is more interesting is other improvements to DLSS that arrive alongside it to make it viable. Tweaks and changes to the system mean that frames should now be better-paced, for instance, which means that the stutter that could sometimes plague DLSS3 is less likely. The good news, too, is that much of this tech is available to older-generation RTX cards - though everything will inevitably run best on the 5090.As has been the case with other Nvidia RTX GPUs, flicking on Ray Tracing, DLSS, and now MFG results in a transformative experience. Going for the maximum level of ray tracing in a game like Alan Wake 2 or Cyberpunk 2077 tanks the natural frame rate, but these systems bring you right back up to breezy, smooth frame rates - and unlike with the earliest versions of this technology, theres no feeling of compromise. It just works, as Nvidias CEO likes to say.The important thing is that this technology doesnt exist here to paper over the cracks of an under-powered card. Quite the opposite, in fact: it is the nitrous oxide that gets fired into the engine that is the GPU in order to make for an even more impressive output. Any uplift offered in pure rasterization is matched - or bettered - when you start flicking these bonus features on. Its in these features, and the strength of their technology and software, which is now unified in the easy-to-understand Nvidia App, that give Nvidia their edge. This is just our slant on the unit. | Image credit: NvidiaWhichever way you slice it, this is record-setting performance. Such performance also comes, it has to be noted, with record-setting power consumption. To keep up my stretched-thin automotive analogy, this baby is a gas-guzzler. Ive never seen a graphics card draw power quite like this, in fact. I saw draws well in excess of 500 watts for the card. Theres no two ways about it - it will be expensive to run. Every cloud has a silver lining, though, and given the power draw I was pleasantly surprised at the temperatures the card manages to maintain when being pushed hard.I summed it up earlier: this is not a card for the faint of heart. You need the sort of PC to make its power worthwhile, where youre not going to run into a CPU bottleneck. You need the money in the bank to drop on the card - and then the willingness to swallow the energy bills. But if you fall into that category, this is the new flagship product not just for Nvidia - but for PC graphics in general. Its best-in-class, and its an astonishingly good piece of kit. For the average player, however, one step down might be wisest - and you can expect word from us on the RTX 5080 soon.

Hillo ThereFancy some chill off-roading with cosy vibes? Art of Rally and Absolute Drift dev Funselektor's next game, Over The Hill, looks like it'll crank your winchIn a good way, and with the same cool minimalistic art style the studio's made its trademark.Image credit: Funselektor/Strelka Games News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Jan. 23, 2025 Funselektor, the studio behind indie racing games Art of Rally, Absolute Drift, and last year's Golden Lap - all of which are very cool if you're into artsy takes on things that go vroom vroom, has just announced it and collaborator Strelka Games' next title.It's a cosy off-roader called Over The Hill, and it looks like the answer to the question 'What if the likes of Snowrunner and Euro Truck Simulator grew their hair out a bit and stopped caring so much about power-to-weight ratio numbers?'To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Inspired by Funselektor founder Dune Casu's adventures through the North American wilderness in a camper van, Over The Hill is all about free-roaming exploration chill enough that you can philosophise while you do it. You and an optional mate will strap into not quite Land Rover Defenders and be able to roam different off-road environments, with "hidden gems, objectives and challenges such as offroad trails" being out there to discover.As you can see in the trailer below, immersion and vibes are big goal here, with a day-and-night cycle and weather changing dynamically as you roam about, trying to not roll over and pancake the kayak you've probably got strapped to your roof.Watch on YouTubeYou're armed with a trusty winch, of course, so here's hoping it'll prove as much as a reliable best buddy/lifesaver when you inevitably plant your right foot and do something dumb as it is in more hardcore off-road sims."After having developed several games about motorsport, we wanted to go off-track by offering players a vast world to lose themselves at a slower pace," Casu said of Over The Hill, adding: "Theres something special about being in the wilderness in the middle of nowhere, from the peace, the sounds of nature and less distraction from the civilized world. I hope this game can really drive that feeling home."Lord knows we all need a distraction from (gestures) the world right now, so hopefully Over The Hill does deliver a good way to do so when it releases down the line. For now, it's wishlistable on Steam.

As buggy and choppy as it was on Nintendo Switch, I LOVED Tales Of Kenzera: Zau.It was a truly moving story, had some decent elements in combat and conveyance that made me feel really invested. The framerates were not consistent, but the game still had the feel of guiding a nimble young warrior through a powerful journey, which it was, emotionally and otherwise.I truly want to see more Tales Of Kenzera, be they more myths and stories like Zau, or more focused on the amazing afro-futuristic setting bookending the game's story.The bookend segments of the futuristic main character were very touching and well thought out, and the setting was much like the Marvel movies' images of Wakanda, which I also liked.