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Baldur's Gate 3's eagerly awaited Patch 8 out now on PS5 - but Larian says it shouldn't beCurrently trying to "understand what's going on"Image credit: Eurogamer News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on Jan. 27, 2025 Baldur's Gate 3's eagerly awaited Patch 8 is now live on PS5 - which has seemingly left developer Larian Studios a little perplexed, seeing as it definitely shouldn't be.Patch 8, officially Baldur's Gate 3's final content update, isn't set to arrive until Larian has held its upcoming closed stress test. As such, Baldur's Gate 3 players on PlayStation 5 were more than a little surprised to see the game update to version 1.800.00 earlier today - and it turns out the studio was equally caught offguard."No, the Patch 8 stress test hasn't yet begun," it confirmed in a quietly exasperated post on Bluesky. "Yes, PS5 players do currently have access to Patch 8. While we work with our partners to understand whats going on, please note that any new saves made while on Patch 8 will not be compatible with Patch 7... How's your Monday going?".Patch 8 might be Baldur's Gate 3's final major content update, but it's still a big one, introducing 12 new sub-classes, cross-play, new camera features, and more. Given its scope, Larian previously revealed its plans for a pre-launch closed stress test in order to "help us catch things before they can become an issue once a patch has been released."As such, it's premature launch on PS5 clearly isn't an ideal situation, saddling players with a version of the game that isn't yet ready for release, and putting the studio in a tricky situation too, seeing as reverting Baldur's Gate 3 to an earlier version could leave PS5 players with non-functional saves.Despite today's Patch 8 snafu, registration for Baldur's Gate 3's stress test - which doesn't yet have an official start date - are still open. And for those players on other platforms who don't yet have access, there's always Withers "big naturals" to keep them amused.

Virtua Fighter 5 REVO out on PC today, adding Rollback NetcodeGoh get it.Image credit: Sega News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on Jan. 27, 2025 Sega has released Virtua Fighter 5 REVO on PC today, with Rollback Netcode and more features.The game was announced in November with a "winter" release, but is now available on Steam at the budget price of 12.79 (a 20 percent off introductory price).This is a remaster of Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown, arriving 18 years after the original Virtua Fighter 5 released on PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2007 (a year after its arcade release in 2006).Virtua Fighter 5 REVO | Launch TrailerWatch on YouTubeUltimate Showdown arrived on PS4 in 2021, co-developed by Yakuza studio Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and Sega AM2 and built in the Dragon Engine. It featured updated graphics and new online features, among other changes.That version now arrives on PC with even more additions. Most importantly, it includes Rollback Netcode to ensure a smooth experience when battling online.It also includes 4K resolution at 60fps, balance adjustments, new moves and combos, and new online modes to compete with up to 16 other players, including Tournaments and League.To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Sega announced the next major game in the series at last year's The Game Awards with a pre-rendered tease. This was followed by an in-engine trailer of series mascot Akira at Nvidia's keynote speech during the Consumer Electronics Show.Indeed, the company is in the process of reviving a number of its older franchises, like Crazy Taxi, Shinobi, and Jet Set Radio.Earlier today, Eurogamer reported Sega has filed a new trademark for Dreamcast and GameCube RPG Skies of Arcadia.

On The UpNinja Gaiden isnt the only Team Ninja game coming to PC this year, because Rise of the Ronin just got a PC dateAll aboard the Team Ninja train!Image credit: Team Ninja, Sony Interactive Entertainment News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Jan. 27, 2025 You might have missed out on Rise of the Ronin when it came out last year, but its just announced PC port might be able to tempt you to it.Seems to be a good time to be a PC player and Team Ninja fan! Just last week, it was announced that Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, a remaster/ remake of the beloved action game, would be coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and of course, PC. Now, Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja has announced that its 2024 title Rise of the Ronin will be coming to PC, and you don't have to wait all that long for it, as it's due out March 11 (a seemingly busy month for period piece games set in Japan given that Assassin's Creed Shadows is releasing a little over a week later). You can watch the trailer for the PC release below, which is looking quite snazzy.Watch on YouTubeThere's also plenty of new features exclusive to the PC version of the game, which include:8K resolution supportDirectX 12 Ultimate supportUltra-wide and super ultra-wide monitor compatibility120fps supportRay tracing support3D audio supportCustomisable keyboard and mouse controlsAMD Fidelity FX Super Resolution supportNVIDIA DLSS and Reflex supportUI menu with mouse click abilityIntel XeSS graphics technology supportTo see this content please enable targeting cookies. When Rise of the Ronin first came out last year, it was generally met with positive reviews, but nothing spectacular. Our own Sherif gave it 3/5 in his review, writing, "Much of what you can experience in Rise of the Ronin has been done better elsewhere. Team Ninja picked the wrong edges to smooth off. Rather than go down the Elden Ring road of allowing freedom of exploration and discovery to balance out the challenge of combat, Rise of the Ronin instead takes a step backwards to the era of rigid open-world games that put players on treadmills, and train them to expect rewards when the bell rings. It's a disappointing change of stance from Team Ninja, and one that could leave them open to an unfortunately mortal blow."Let's hope that new Ninja Gaiden that's being made alongside Platinum Games fares a bit better!

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)Since Guilty Gear first arrived on Sonys PlayStation in 1998, singeing the air with furious guitar shredding, its always been a head turner. While graphically, its goth-rock anime stylings have dazzled with each iteration, Arc System Works foremost achievement is in managing to differentiate itself from Capcoms heavily aped fighting game paradigm. That said, with the series becoming so increasingly convoluted over the last 26 years, ostracising many a would-be player as a result, a redress of sorts was needed. It's here that Guilty Gear Strive steps in.Strive remains tonally as it ever was: all-leather and metal; characters that sit somewhere between glam rock and BDSM fetishists; and a blaze of raucous, revved, spectacular battling. Where Guilty Gear XRD (2014) more closely resembled its predecessors, Strive totally overhauls its character models to be larger and more detailed, from muscle ripples to flailing buckles, and introduces new features while removing some others.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)Strives goal in attempting to freshen up Guilty Gear is streamlining aspects of its fighting game DNA, and simplifying what was becoming an overbearingly complex series. Thats not to say its been retooled primarily for newcomers, but more that its been pared back and rethought to be more accommodating. This works well on the whole, demanding that you play through initial tutorials, and easing you in with Arcade and Survival Modes, Combo Search Modes, clean command lists, and Mission Modes that require you to pull off certain tricks to progress between rounds.While the Roman Cancel has been around since Guilty Gear XX Reload, in Strive it has been simplified. By slamming three buttons, and depending on the level of your Tension Gauge meter, the Roman Cancel has blue, purple, or red states that trigger offensive or defensive properties. Blue and Red cancels, for example, are aggressive, either in neutral or during attack, and help to extend combos beyond their natural end point; while Purple cancels are defensive, helping you escape terminal battery by buffering your opponent away. This system is integral to Strives strategic heart, and learning to utilise it can often swing matches at higher levels.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)The Wall Break, initiated by fulfilling certain conditions while hammering an opponent at the edge of the screen, will crash you through to expanded areas of the stage, not dissimilar to Dead or Alive. Its a controversial tweak for series loyalists in that it resets the action, killing off set play strategies; and, since any seasoned player will often attempt to force someone into a corner, wall breaks are often unavoidable. On the plus side, though, its advantageous for newcomers, giving them respite once back on their feet, and removes the Dustloop exploits that would see a player caught in repeated attacks. Either way you slice it, its a major part of the rebalancing that makes Strive a fresh Guilty Gear experience.With a whopping 28-strong roster thanks to the inclusion of DLC characters locked in prior releases, from Jack-O (strike a pose!) to Slayer, there are more characters here than in any other Guilty Gear title. And, its a game that plays as beautifully as one has come to expect from Arc System Works. It retains its double jumps, dashes, and ranged hops, and above all the flashiness it's incredibly deep.Its larger sprites feel weighty and muscular when stringing together even the simplest routines. Blows positively resonate, pyrotechnic visual feedback lighting up the screen, and getting a handle on a specific characters moves and combinations is incredibly satisfying. Arc System Works' creative design really shines, from vampires to ninja, all with different play types. These range from balanced characters like Baiken and Anji to specific styles like Rushdown, Power, Zoning and Ranged. Learning certain characters requires more time and attention, but there's certainly something for everyone, and for the diehards, everything for someone.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)Yet, arguably the most impressive aspect of this nearly four-year-old fighting game, is how well its been ported to Nintendos Switch. Indeed, its somewhat startling to find it running at a clean 60fps without batting an eyelid. Loading is relatively fast, and the experience is as clean as a whistle, with any perceptible input lag reduced to nominal levels. Its smooth, fast, and essentially exactly as it should be - and that screams effort on behalf of the development team.Giant 3D edifices pass by in the backgrounds, from whale-shaped airships to populated promenades floating downriver, while beefy cel-shaded sprites duke it out until a super attack is produced, whereby the seemingly 2D becomes fascinatingly 3D as the camera zooms in to frame the action.Our only real gripe with the opulent visuals are some of the background choices. While the simpler arrangements with flatter colours fare better, some, like the canyon, are a bit of a visual stew, clashing with the foreground sprites and making an already busy game feel somewhat busier. On their own, both sprites and backgrounds are beautifully finished, but together there are moments where we feel the art design team could have better-understood layer separation in a way that is rarely an issue in Capcom games.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)The pre-match introductions are also unnecessarily lengthy, featuring a pointless monologue, and it's unlikely you'll ever bother watching one twice once the loading is complete.Strive is stuffed to the rafters with modes. There are enough training options to turn you into a seasoned pro, as well as interactive glossaries and timelines documenting every character and plot beat from the series inception. The Story Mode is the equivalent of a Netflix miniseries spread over five hours of animation, and its well done. Sadly, it's bewildering for newcomers not familiar with the lore, and the video compression leaves something to be desired.Theres a huge social aspect here, too, some of which may irk purists who just want to get down to the fight. You can pose characters in 3D scenery bubbles and upload them to the Gallery, where others can view them online (no upskirts allowed). Its also possible to watch other peoples match replays, which is useful if you have a friend list or are out to study techniques. You can also accrue W$, an internal currency that allows you to go fishing (literally, out of a window), and is a rather roundabout way of randomly unlocking bonus audio tracks, hairstyle colours, and other adjustments.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)Finally, the online forum is fairly unique. Rather than Street Fighter 6s fully 3D hub world, Strive is quite the opposite. You create and customise a rudimentary pixel-based avatar, who then trots about cute 2D stages within a tower - each level representing increasing skill levels. Here, if you spot another player, you can head over, exchange some simple preset messages, and challenge them to a battle. If theyre busy and locked in a bout, you can examine their profile, stats, and even view their saved online replays.When we played on day one of release, the towers various stages were oddly empty, especially in Europe, and we only found a few high-level players online in Japan. By the time youre reading this, it will hopefully be abuzz. There's no crossplay, predictably, but the rollback netcode, as with the rest of the game, is polished to a shine and ran nigh-on flawlessly for us. We tested several online matches with different characters and there was barely a blip in sight.

More than a touch better.Atari has announced that RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is finally being updated to support touch controls on the Nintendo Switch.In addition, the new update will also implement the ability to modify cursor movement speed, add in new visualisation settings, and introduce expanded tutorials to allow for a smoother transition for players moving from keyboard and mouse to console controls.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Four years after launching the (then) most lucrative crowdfunding campaign in Kickstarters history, Pebble abruptly ended. The hardware startup closed 2016 by filing for insolvency, before being sold off to Fitbit. The fitness-tracking giant built much of the Ionic smartwatch with help from former Pebblers, along with the companys pioneering software stack.The first Apple Watch launched in mid-2015, proceeding to suck much of the oxygen out of the room. It would, however, be massively oversimplifying the situation to suggest that it was merely another case of Sherlocking. Apple, after all, raised public interest, ultimately setting the stage for countless other smartwatches after.It could be argued that Pebble was cursed with foresight and was simply too early to the space. Founder and CEO Eric Migicovsky would argue that the companys rapid growth and feature expansion caused Pebble to lose sight of his initial vision. It certainly wouldnt be the first time a hardware startup was felled by such fate.Eight years after selling the company off to Fitbit, Migicovsky is ready for round two. Were restarting Pebble, he told TechCrunch with a massive grin on a Zoom call Monday. That, too, however, is an oversimplification. After all, five years after buying the startup, Fitbit was sold off to Google. While Pebble branding ultimately faded as the company was absorbed the first time, the software giant still owns the technology and all of its IP.Still in the idea stage, Migicovskys planned company needs a new name something the Beeper co-founder and former Y-Combinator partner hasnt quite gotten around to. His decision to announce a Pebble 2.0 in its infancy is the product of a massively consequential decision announced by Google on Monday.Image Credits:TechCrunchWhile it apparently has no plans to surrender Pebble as a brand, Google is returning its roots by open-sourcing the smartwatch brands software stack. While former Pebble employees have remained onboard at Google as the company has poured more resources into its own smartwatch operating system, WearOS, its not clear how much if any of Pebbles technology exists in products like the Pixel Watch.This is part of an effort from Google to help and support the volunteers who have come together to maintain functionality for Pebble watches after the original company ceased operations in 2016, Google writes in a blog post.By open-sourcing access to PebbleOS Google is opening the door to new third-party hardware. Migicovskys unnamed smartwatch startup is first on that list. The founder tells TechCrunch that hes thrown himself into the project full time and will be able to accelerate things as access to PebbleOS opens up. He is, however, currently its only employee, though there are plans to bring on another around March.The startups goals are fittingly humble. Migicovsky says he simply wants to make the watch he wants, given that the Pebble he wears to this day is now a decade old. Ive tried everything else, he says. I have very high standards.Those are, according to a new blog post on Migicovskys personal site:Always-on e-paper screen (its reflective rather than emissive. Sunlight readable. Glanceable. Not distracting to others like a bright wrist)Long battery life (one less thing to charge. Its annoying to need extra cables when traveling)Simple and beautiful user experience around a core set of features I use regularly (telling time, notifications, music control, alarms, weather, calendar, sleep/step tracking)Buttons! (to play/pause/skip music on my phone without looking at the screen)Hackable (apparently you cant even write your own watch faces for Apple Watch? That is wild. There were >16k watch faces on the Pebble app store!)During its relatively brief life, Pebble sold 2 million smartwatches. Its an impressive feat in the world of hardware startups, but ultimately not enough to maintain the required momentum.In spite of his time at YC, Migicovsky has no plan to raise VC funds. Nor does he plan to return to the Kickstarter model that gave rise to Pebble the first time around. He is currently self-funding the project and says he plans to build it modestly, based on consumer interest.As for whether an audience remains for Pebble in a post-Apple Watch world, he jokes, There are at least dozens of us. He notes that the brand still commands its own active Subreddit, eight years after closing its doors. A small resale market has propped up around older devices, though as anyone who has bought a piece of consumer electronics in the past two decades can tell you, hardware doesnt last forever.Migicovsky is planning the company to serve the specific needs of those who want precisely what he laid out in his blog post. Its difficult to say how many people yearn for the discontinued product in a world where Apple has dramatically shifted user expectations, but hes betting on not being alone in his desires.This is a passion project. I have a vested interest in making the watch, Migicovsky says of building a startup to create a product he wants to wear. Were going to make this happen.Despite being in its infancy, Migicovsky has visited Shenzhen in a bid to scope out the current state of manufacturing. Turns out making hardware is much easier than it was 10 years ago, he says. There were no smartwatches factories. We had to tell the factories what to do.He also says that he feels confident about the small startups ability to build a new Pebble for the current era. The hard part is the software.By opening up PebbleOS, Google made that bit considerably easier.

The mobile app for DeepSeek, a Chinese AI lab, skyrocketed to the number-one spot in app stores around the globe this weekend, topping the U.S.-based AI chatbot, ChatGPT. On iOS, DeepSeek is currently the No. 1 free app in the U.S. App Store and 51 other countries, according to mobile app analytics firm Appfigures.The rapid rise of DeepSeek in the app stores Top Charts follows its meteoric rise in popularity this week resulting from the release of a series of open AI models that are competitive with leading offerings from OpenAI and Google. However, compared to other frontier AI models, DeepSeek claims its models were trained for just a fraction of the price with significantly worse AI chips. This represents new efficiency gains for AI model training, which sent Nvidias stock price tumbling down as much as 17% on Monday, and has put the rest of the tech industry on high alert.On Friday, DeepSeeks mobile app had just a million downloads across both the App Store and Google Play. That number has since doubled, as of Monday morning, to 2.6 million downloads of DeepSeeks mobile app across both platforms. The app currently sits in the Top 10 list for free apps in 111 countries on the App Store, and 18 countries on Google Play, according to Appfigures.In addition, more than 80% of DeepSeeks total mobile app downloads have come in the past 7 days, according to analytics firm Sensor Tower. In that time frame, DeepSeek saw nearly 300% more app downloads than Perplexity, another leading consumer AI app.DeepSeek moved into its No. 1 spot on the U.S. App Store on Sunday, Jan. 26, up from No. 31 just a couple of days prior. Meanwhile, DeepSeek is the No. 14 Overall free app on Google Play, rapidly climbing up from No. 133 on Jan. 24. As a result, daily active users jumped both globally and in the U.S. by over 110% from Jan.24-25 compared with the same period last week. While China is the largest mobile app market for DeepSeek today, it only represents 23% of its total downloads, according to Sensor Tower. The apps second and third largest markets are the United States, which makes up 15% of its total downloads, and Egypt, which makes up 6% of its total downloads.The popularity of DeepSeeks mobile app raises questions about the moat of popular consumer AI apps, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. While hundreds of millions of people use ChatGPT and Gemini every month, DeepSeek proves that the consumer AI space is still volatile, and new competitors shouldnt be counted out.However, its worth noting that reaching the No. 1 position on the App Store isnt just calculated by app downloads alone. Apples algorithm, though secretive, is a combination of numerous factors including also velocity of the installs and more. That allows apps that gain installs quickly to skyrocket to the top of the charts, overtaking others that may have a larger total number of users or installs. It will be more telling to see how long DeepSeek holds its top position over time. The tech industry is still coming to terms with the techniques DeepSeek used to train its AI models, and what it means for the broader AI space. In light of DeepSeeks R1 model, leading AI model providers may be feeling pressured to release better models to prove their dominance, or justify the hefty price theyre paying for compute. Meta has reportedly created several war rooms to analyze DeepSeeks training methods.DeepSeeks rise in popularity was potentially stifled by large-scale malicious attacks, the company reported on Monday, which forced it to limit customers outside of China from registering for the app. Additional reporting: Sarah Perez

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Despite a cyber attack, the open-source startup is rapidly climbing over its more established competitors. Here's what we know.