Meta AI in panic mode as free open-source DeepSeek gains traction and outperforms for far lessNickie Louise Posted On January 24, 2025 Late last year, we reported on a Chinese AI startup that surprised the industry with the launch of DeepSeek, an open-source AI model boasting 685 billion parameters. What made headlines wasnt just its scale but its performanceit outpaced OpenAI and Metas latest models while being developed at a fraction of the cost.DeepSeek first caught our attention after a CNBC report revealed that its DeepSeek V3 model had outperformed Metas Llama 3.1, OpenAIs GPT-4o, and Alibabas Qwen 2.5 on third-party benchmarks. The startup spent just $5.5 million on training DeepSeek V3a figure that starkly contrasts with the billions typically invested by its competitors.Just a month after releasing DeepSeek V3, the company raised the bar further with the launch of DeepSeek-R1, a reasoning model positioned as a credible alternative to OpenAIs o1 model. Licensed under MIT, DeepSeek-R1 allows developers to distill and commercialize its capabilities freely. This accessibility has made it an appealing choice for smaller teams and developers working on tight budgets who still need high-performing AI solutions.How Big Tech is Scrambling to Respond to DeepSeeks DisruptionDeepSeeks unexpected success is reshaping conversations around AI innovation, with some media outlets going so far as to suggest that DeepSeek poses threats to American AI dominance and American companies in the field. Meta, in particular, appears to be feeling the pressure.Panic at Meta AIAn anonymous Meta employee shared their frustrations in a post on the professional forum Blind, titled, Meta GenAI Org in Panic Mode. The post didnt hold back:It started with DeepSeek V3, which rendered the Llama 4 already behind in benchmarks. Adding insult to injury was the unknown Chinese company with a $5.5 million training budget. Engineers are moving frantically to dissect DeepSeek and copy anything and everything we can from it. Im not even exaggerating.The employee also highlighted internal issues within Metas AI division:Management is worried about justifying the massive cost of GenAI org. How would they face the leadership when every single leader of GenAI org is making more than what it cost to train DeepSeek V3 entirely, and we have dozens of such leaders DeepSeek R1 made things even scarier. I cant reveal confidential info, but itll be public soon.The post described a bloated organization where an impact grab mentality and over-hiring have replaced a more focused, engineering-driven approach.What DeepSeeks Rise Means for AI DevelopmentDeepSeek is a wake-up call for the AI industry. The success of an open-source model built on a shoestring budget raises questions about whether tech giants are overcomplicating their strategies. By lowering costs and offering a permissive license, DeepSeek has opened doors for developers who previously couldnt afford to work with high-performing AI tools.For Meta, OpenAI, and other major players, the rise of DeepSeek represents more than just competitionits a challenge to the idea that bigger budgets automatically lead to better outcomes. Whether these companies can adapt remains an open question, but one thing is clear: DeepSeek has flipped the script, and the industry is paying attention.Below is a CNBC YouTube video exploring how Chinas new AI model, DeepSeek, is challenging U.S. dominance in the AI landscape. Trending NowTop 15 AI Trends for 2025: Expert Predictions You Need to KnowNickie Louise January 1, 2025 - Advertisement -

Tucked to the side of the towering City Hall building on Market Square in Chicopee, Massachusetts, this long-vacant former public library is undergoing a major renovation to convert the building to a business incubator and community hub. The library was built in 1911 and was designed by the Springfield architectural firm of Kirkham & Parlett and is a great example of a Classical Revival style civic building with its strict symmetry, Ionic columned and pedimented entrance, and corner quoins. The original town library was organized as early as 1846 under the name Cabot Institute a subscription-based library. In 1853, the Cabot Institute donated its collection of nine hundred books to form a public library. The town voted that year to support a public library from tax dollars, making the Chicopee Public Library the first library funded by public funds in Western Massachusetts. The library was located in the City Hall building when it was completed in 1871, and was later moved out of the building to make space for the Board of Aldermen offices. In 1907, Mrs. Sarah Cooley Spaulding bequeathed $20,000 in her will towards a new library building as a memorial to her late husband, Justin Spaulding, and in May 1913, the Chicopee Library opened its first building built solely for the purpose of being a library. The library was expanded in the latter half of the 20th century and ultimately outgrew its space, with the City building a new library in 2004 on Front Street. This library closed at that time and had sat vacant until plans were unveiled to re-imagine this significant building as a community hub. I love to see old buildings repurposed rather than demolished!

By Kim Komando The Kim Komando Show Published January 26, 2025 8:49pm EST close How technology has changed inauguration coverage 'Special Report' host Bret Baier looks back on the evolution of media technology in covering inaugurations dating back to George Washington. When my husband and I were on the very long flight last year, he leaned over and asked, "I want to check our Morgan Stanley account. Do you think its OK to do it using the planes Wi-Fi?"Win a pair of $329 Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.Enter here, no purchase necessary!How did we live without Wi-Fi on a plane? Oh, yeah, we read magazines! Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Wi-Fi isnt as protected as we hope. Fear not. Ive got some tips on protecting yourself and surfing safely in the skies.10 TECH UPGRADES TO SAVE YOUR TIME, PRIVACY AND MONEY THIS YEARUp in the airHackers use all kinds of sneaky tactics to hijack your privacy in flight. One thing in their favor: VPNs are more likely to drop in and out in the air than on the ground. (More on that below.)Without that layer of protection, cybercriminals using the same airline Wi-Fi can easily tap into your devices, access your information and spread malware. Here are a few tips to safely surf the web from the skies. (iStock)"S" for security:Only visit encrypted websites the ones that start with "HTTPS" (that "S" is important!). In general, this blocks a hacker from viewing your activity on a given site, like the password or credit card number you typed in.Beware of AirDrop:Keyloggers keep track of every single thing you type, and criminals love to pass them along using Apples AirDrop feature. Dont accept drops from strangers in flight.Steps here to disable or limit AirDrop if you need help.Name game:Crooks can create fake Wi-Fi networks with almost identical names to the airlines. If youre not careful, you could plug into a copycat network instead of the legit one.THE NSA SAYS DO THESE 5 THINGS WITH YOUR PHONE RIGHT NOWIs your home connection locked down?Do this check twice a year.Sky-high safetyI know youre not going to skip the Wi-Fi altogether. Thats OK, just be smart about it.Update everything:Before you hit the road, make sure your phone, computer, tablet, smartwatch and any other connected devices are running the latest software.Steps here for Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android. Updates often include critical security patches that protect against the new threats. Dont forget to update your apps, too.Add a layer of security:A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts your internet connection. Before accessing anything sensitive, like your email, online banking or shopping accounts, turn on your VPN. Double-check its status to ensure its actively protecting your connection. It should display as "connected" or "secured." While VPNs are an easy way to secure your internet connection from the ground, they're often a lot spottier and in turn, less effective when you're flying. (iStock)Verify names. If you notice multiple Wi-Fi networks with similar names, check with the airline staff and confirm which is the right one.Use 2FA: For any account tied to financial information or personal details, two-factor authentication is a must. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second verification step, like a code sent to your phone or email, after entering your password. Set this up for all accounts with ties to your finances to reduce the risk of unauthorized access.Secure your devices.Invest in antivirus and malware-protection software, and keep your devices physically secure. Avoid leaving your phone, tablet or laptop unattended, even for a moment.THE STEP I TAKE TO CLEAR MY INBOX EVERY JANUARYStop looky loos. Get aprivacy screen for your laptop to prevent nearby shoulder snooping.Bonus: Dont post pics of your boarding pass or other travel docsYoure excited, waiting for the plane. Whats the harm in posting a pic of your boarding pass? A whole lot. Boarding passes display your full legal name, ticket number and passenger name record. That six-digit code plus your last name gives anyone access to your booking information online.The same goes for your license, passport, visa or other identification documents. Thieves keep an eye out for any detail they can use.Keep these photos on your phone before vacation. Scroll to No. 3. Youll thank me if something goes missing.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPGet tech-smarter on your scheduleAward-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.National radio:Airing on 500+ stations across the US -Find yours orget the free podcast.Daily newsletter:Join 600,000 people who read the Current (free!)Watch: OnKims YouTube channelPodcast: "Kim Komando Today" - Listen wherever you get podcastsCopyright 2025, WestStar Multimedia Entertainment. All rights reserved.

How to solve today's Wordle.SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesLooking for Sundays Wordle hints, clues and answer? You can find them here:The weekend is over, alas, and the final few days of January stretch out before us. We might get snow today, though I refuse to get my hopes up. Fool me once and all that jazz. They say nothing is certain but death and taxes, well that goes double for the weather.We have a Wordle to solve, so lets solve it!How To Solve Todays WordleThe Hint: Medical tube.The Clue: This Wordle has far more consonants than vowels.Okay, spoilers below!...The Answer:Today's WordleScreenshot: Erik KainWordle AnalysisEvery day I check Wordle Bot to help analyze my guessing game. You can check your Wordles with Wordle Bot right here. Todays guessing game took off with PLANE and that nabbed me a green N and left me with just 72 remaining possible solutions. CHOIR cut that number down to just one: SHUNT for the win! Huzzah!Competitive Wordle ScoreBot ComparisonScreenshot: Erik KainI get 1 point for guessing in three and another point for beating the Bot. 2 points for me! Huzzah again!How To Play Competitive WordleGuessing in 1 is worth 3 points; guessing in 2 is worth 2 points; guessing in 3 is worth 1 point; guessing in 4 is worth 0 points; guessing in 5 is -1 points; guessing in 6 is -2 points and missing the Wordle is -3 points.If you beat your opponent you get 1 point. If you tie, you get 0 points. And if you lose to your opponent, you get -1 point. Add it up to get your score. Keep a daily running score or just play for a new score each day.Fridays are 2XP, meaning you double your pointspositive or negative.You can keep a running tally or just play day-by-day. Enjoy!Todays Wordle EtymologyThe word "shunt" originates from Old English "scunian", meaning "to shun, avoid, or turn aside." It evolved through Middle English, retaining the sense of "to move to the side" or "divert." By the 18th century, "shunt" gained specific usage in railway terminology to describe redirecting trains to different tracks.In the 20th century, the term was adopted in medicine to describe devices or procedures that divert fluids within the body, such as cerebrospinal fluid in hydrocephalus. This medical application reflects the original meaning of "redirecting" or "diverting," adapted for a specialized context.Let me know how you fared with your Wordle today on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog where I write about games, TV shows and movies when Im not writing puzzle guides. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.

Deploy 25 KeynoteDigitalOceanAt Deploy 25, its annual user conference, DigitalOcean announced the availability of its GenAI platform, making generative AI more accessible for businesses. With its developer-focused strategy, DigitalOcean is entering the AI space, emphasizing usability for developers and startups.The GenAI platform, currently in public preview, is designed to lower the barriers to AI adoption. It allows organizations to integrate AI capabilities into their applications without the need for specialized expertise.With tools for creating custom AI agents, integrating knowledge bases and performing advanced function calls, the platform offers a straightforward path to building AI-driven applications. By emphasizing simplicity, DigitalOcean aims to bridge the gap between technical innovation and business practicality.DigitalOceans GenAI Platform offers access to a selection of foundational models from leading providers, including Meta, Mistral AI and Anthropic. These models are integrated into the platform to facilitate the development of AI agents tailored to various applications.MORE FOR YOUA Focus on AccessibilityDigitalOceans GenAI platform makes AI accessible to a broader audience by offering an intuitive interface and streamlined processes. Unlike traditional platforms that often require navigating intricate configurations and steep learning curves, DigitalOceans GenAI platform is built to prioritize simplicity. This makes it particularly appealing for smaller organizations without dedicated AI teams.The GenAI platform streamlines chatbot creation by offering an intuitive interface and pre-built components. Users begin by defining agent instructions, specifying the chatbots role and interaction style. To enhance responses, users can integrate knowledge bases, utilizing data stored in DigitalOcean Spaces or other sources. The platform automatically indexes this information, enabling efficient retrieval. Additionally, the GenAI Platform includes a customizable chatbot interface that can be embedded into websites or applications, allowing users to adjust its appearance and behavior to align with their brand and provide a seamless user experience.For instance, the platform allows developers to create AI agents that can retrieve real-time information, automate workflows, or engage with users in natural conversations. By integrating with DigitalOcean Functions, developers can extend the capabilities of these agents, enabling them to interact with APIs, databases, or other external systems. This flexibility unlocks a wide range of possibilities, from customer support chatbots to e-commerce assistants and content creation tools.Agents on GenAI PlatformDigitalOceanThe addition of features like private endpoints for secure deployment and built-in guardrails for ensuring reliable outputs further enhances the platforms appeal. These features address key concerns around data security and the quality of AI interactions, making it a viable option even for businesses in regulated industries.Balancing Affordability and FunctionalityAffordability is one of the key differentiating factors of DigitalOceans GenAI platform. The companys pricing model is designed to be transparent and predictable, with usage-based costs that are accessible even to startups operating on tight budgets. This aligns with DigitalOceans broader mission of providing cost-effective cloud services, which has earned it a loyal following among smaller organizations.In comparison to competitors like Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Azure AI or Google Vertex AI, DigitalOceans platform offers a more straightforward pricing structure and a user-friendly experience. While it may not yet match the breadth of features offered by these larger platforms, its focus on delivering core functionalities in an accessible manner sets it apart.Building Real-World GenAI ApplicationsThe potential applications of the GenAI platform are diverse. Consider an e-commerce retailer aiming to improve customer engagement. With DigitalOceans tools, the retailer could deploy an AI-powered chatbot capable of recommending products, answering customer queries, and assisting with purchases. The platforms support for integrating knowledge bases would allow the chatbot to provide contextually relevant responses, enhancing the customer experience.Similarly, a marketing agency could use the GenAI platform to streamline content creation. By leveraging the platforms AI agents, the agency could generate social media posts, email campaigns, or even blog articles tailored to client needs. This would not only save time but also enable the agency to scale its operations without significantly increasing costs.Looking AheadDigitalOceans GenAI platform represents a thoughtful approach to democratizing AI for smaller businesses. By removing the complexity typically associated with AI development, it empowers organizations to focus on innovation rather than infrastructure. While there is room for improvement, particularly in expanding features and ensuring reliability, the platforms current capabilities make it a compelling choice for businesses looking to explore generative AI.For business leaders evaluating the GenAI platform, the focus should be on identifying specific use cases where AI could deliver immediate value. Starting small, with clear objectives, can help organizations assess the platforms impact before scaling up their AI initiatives.DigitalOceans GenAI platform is aimed at jumpstarting your GenAI development efforts and getting started with agentic workflows.

In a mark of its huge impact on the world of science and astronomy, NASAs James Webb Space Telescope finds itself once again as the inspiration for a new set of stamps from the United States Postal Service (USPS).Two new stamps issued this month feature iconic images captured by Webb, one of them showing a spiral galaxy called NGC 628. Webbs observations combine near- and mid-infrared light to reveal glowing gas and dust in stark shades of orange and red, as well as finer spiral shapes with the appearance of jagged edges, NASA said of the image (below), adding that the galaxy is located 32 million light-years away in the Pisces constellation.USPSThe other new stamp (below) features a Webb image of the central portion of the star cluster IC 348 in near-infrared light. The cluster is an astonishing 1,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Perseus. According to NASA, the wispy curtains that dominate the image are interstellar material reflecting the light from the clusters stars, a phenomenon known as a reflection nebula.USPSThe James Webb Space Telescope transforms science into art as it continues to capture extraordinary snapshots of deep space brimming with incredible scientific data to be studied for decades to come, Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASAs Science Mission Directorate, said in a release.Recommended VideosFox added: NASA science is literally everywhere, and it continues to deliver for the American people so that everyone can have the opportunity to hold a piece of space in their hands with these breathtaking images beyond our solar system. I am excited that not only my favorite image, the spiral galaxy NGC 628, is featured this year, but that both stamps are taking us on an incredible journey into our cosmic history from one mailbox to another.Please enable Javascript to view this contentThe new stamps honor the remarkable accomplishments of the James Webb Space Telescope, which is the worlds premier infrared space science observatory. By featuring Webbs captivating images, the USPS brings the wonders of the cosmos to folks everywhere, giving them a tangible connection to groundbreaking astronomical discoveries. They also showcase the cutting-edge technology and engineering behind the telescope, and could even inspire the scientists of tomorrow by sparking curiosity and interest among the young.The James Webb Space Telescope launched in 2021 with the goals of observing the early universe, studying galaxy formation and evolution, and better understanding star and planet formation. Images from the telescope last appeared on USPS stamps in 2024.Editors Recommendations

card go fast Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 costs as much as a whole gaming PCbut it sure is fast Even setting aside Frame Generation, this is a fast, power-hungry $2,000 GPU. Andrew Cunningham Jan 24, 2025 11:28 am | 199 Credit: Andrew Cunningham Credit: Andrew Cunningham Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreNvidia's GeForce RTX 5090 starts at $1,999 before you factor in upsells from the company's partners or price increases driven by scalpers and/or genuine demand. It costs more than my entire gaming PC.The new GPU is so expensive that you could build an entire well-specced gaming PC with Nvidia's next-fastest GPU in itthe $999 RTX 5080, which we don't have in hand yetfor the same money, or maybe even a little less with judicious component selection. It's not the most expensive GPU that Nvidia has ever launched2018's $2,499 Titan RTX has it beat, and 2022's RTX 3090 Ti also cost $2,000but it's safe to say it's not really a GPU intended for the masses.At least as far as gaming is concerned, the 5090 is the very definition of a halo product; it's for people who demand the best and newest thing regardless of what it costs (the calculus is probably different for deep-pocketed people and companies who want to use them as some kind of generative AI accelerator). And on this front, at least, the 5090 is successful. It's the newest and fastest GPU you can buy, and the competition is not particularly close. It's also a showcase for DLSS Multi-Frame Generation, a new feature unique to the 50-series cards that Nvidia is leaning on heavily to make its new GPUs look better than they already are.Founders Edition cards: Design and coolingRTX 5090RTX 4090RTX 5080RTX 4080 SuperCUDA cores21,76016,38410,75210,240Boost clock2,410 MHz2,520 MHz2,617 MHz2,550 MHzMemory bus width512-bit384-bit256-bit256-bitMemory bandwidth1,792 GB/s1,008 GB/s960 GB/s736 GB/sMemory size32GB GDDR724GB GDDR6X16GB GDDR716GB GDDR6XTGP575 W450 W360 W320 WWe wont spend too long talking about the specific designs of Nvidias Founders Edition cards since many buyers will experience the Blackwell GPUs with cards from Nvidias partners instead (the cards weve seen so far mostly look like the expected fare: gargantuan triple-slot triple-fan coolers, with varying degrees of RGB). But it's worth noting that Nvidia has addressed a couple of my functional gripes with the 4090/4080-series design.The first was the sheer dimensions of each cardnot an issue unique to Nvidia, but one that frequently caused problems for me as someone who tends toward ITX-based PCs and smaller builds. The 5090 and 5080 FE designs are the same length and height as the 4090 and 4080 FE designs, but they only take up two slots instead of three, which will make them an easier fit for many cases.Nvidia has also tweaked the cards 12VHPWR connector, recessing it into the card and mounting it at a slight angle instead of having it sticking straight out of the top edge. The height of the 4090/4080 FE design made some cases hard to close up once you factored in the additional height of a 12VHPWR cable or Nvidias many-tentacled 8-pin-to-12VHPWR adapter. The angled connector still extends a bit beyond the top of the card, but its easier to tuck the cable away so you can put the side back on your case. The RTX 5090 Founders Edition (top) is the same 304 mm long as the 4080, but it's much slimmer, and it takes up just two slots in a PC case instead of three. Andrew Cunningham The RTX 5090 Founders Edition (top) is the same 304 mm long as the 4080, but it's much slimmer, and it takes up just two slots in a PC case instead of three. Andrew Cunningham The power connector on the 5090 is slightly angled and recessed, so it shouldn't stick out as far past the top edge of the card. Andrew Cunningham The power connector on the 5090 is slightly angled and recessed, so it shouldn't stick out as far past the top edge of the card. Andrew Cunningham The RTX 5090 Founders Edition (top) is the same 304 mm long as the 4080, but it's much slimmer, and it takes up just two slots in a PC case instead of three. Andrew Cunningham The power connector on the 5090 is slightly angled and recessed, so it shouldn't stick out as far past the top edge of the card. Andrew Cunningham The difference in size is striking, and while the 5090 does run hotter than the 4090, it never got concerningly toasty in our testing. Andrew Cunningham The difference in size is striking, and while the 5090 does run hotter than the 4090, it never got concerningly toasty in our testing. Andrew Cunningham One of the design changes for the cooler was to place both fans on the same side of the GPU. Andrew Cunningham One of the design changes for the cooler was to place both fans on the same side of the GPU. Andrew Cunningham The difference in size is striking, and while the 5090 does run hotter than the 4090, it never got concerningly toasty in our testing. Andrew Cunningham One of the design changes for the cooler was to place both fans on the same side of the GPU. Andrew Cunningham Finally, Nvidia has changed its coolerwhereas most OEM GPUs mount all their fans on the top of the GPU, Nvidia has historically placed one fan on each side of the card. In a standard ATX case with the GPU mounted parallel to the bottom of the case, this wasnt a huge dealtheres plenty of room for that air to circulate inside the case and to be expelled by whatever case fans you have installed.But in sandwich-style ITX cases, where a riser cable wraps around so the GPU can be mounted parallel to the motherboard, the fan on the bottom side of the GPU was poorly placed. In many sandwich-style cases, the GPU fan will dump heat against the back of the motherboard, making it harder to keep the GPU cool and creating heat problems elsewhere besides. The new GPUs mount both fans on the top of the cards.Nvidias Founders Edition cards have had heat issues in the pastmost notably the 30-series GPUsand that was my first question going in. A smaller cooler plus a dramatically higher peak power draw seems like a recipe for overheating. Temperatures for the various cards we re-tested for this review. The 5090 FE is the toastiest of all of them, but it still has a safe operating temperature. At least for the 5090, the smaller cooler does mean higher temperaturesaround 10 to 12 degrees Celsius higher when running the same benchmarks as the RTX 4090 Founders Edition. And while temperatures of around 77 degrees arent hugely concerning, this is sort of a best-case scenario, with an adequately cooled testbed case with the side panel totally removed and ambient temperatures at around 21 or 22 Celsius. Youll just want to make sure you have a good amount of airflow in your case if you buy one of these.Testbed notesGaming testbedCPUAMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (provided by AMD)MotherboardAsus ROG Crosshair X670E Hero (provided by AMD)RAM32GB (2x16GB) G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB series (provided by AMD), running at DDR5-6000Power supplyThermaltake Toughpower GF A3 1050 WCPU cooler360 mm MSI MAG CoreLiquid I360CaseMontech XR ATX Mid-tower with three 120 mm cooling fans installed and side panel removedOSWindows 11 24H2 with Core Isolation on, Memory Integrity offDriversNvidia RTX 5090: Beta driver 571.86Other Nvidia cardsAMD cards: Adrenalin 24.12.1A new high-end Nvidia GPU is a good reason to tweak our test bed and suite of games, and weve done both here. Mainly, we added a 1050 W Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 power supplyNvidia recommends at least 1000 W for the 5090, and this one has a native 12VHPWR connector for convenience. Weve also swapped the Ryzen 7 7800X3D for a slightly faster Ryzen 7 9800X3D to reduce the odds that the CPU will bottleneck performance as we try to hit high frame rates.As for the suite of games, weve removed a couple of older titles and added some with built-in benchmarks that will tax these GPUs a bit more, especially at 4K with all the settings turned up. Those games include the RT Overdrive preset in the perennially punishing Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong in Cinematic mode, both games where even the RTX 4090 struggles to hit 60 fps without an assist from DLSS. Weve also added Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, a recent release that doesnt include ray-tracing effects but does support most DLSS 3 and FSR 3 features (including FSR Frame Generation).Weve tried to strike a balance between games with ray-tracing effects and games without it, though most AAA games these days include it, and modern GPUs should be able to handle it well (best of luck to AMD with its upcoming RDNA 4 cards).For the 5090, we've run all tests in 4Kif you don't care about running games in 4K, even if you want super-high frame rates at 1440p or for some kind of ultrawide monitor, the 5090 is probably overkill. When we run upscaling tests, we use the newest DLSS version available for Nvidia cards, the newest FSR version available for AMD cards, and the newest XeSS version available for Intel cards (not relevant here, just stating for the record), and we use the "Quality" setting (at 4K, that equates to an actual rendering version of 1440p).Rendering performance: A lot faster, a lot more power-hungryBefore we talk about Frame Generation or "fake frames," let's compare apples to apples and just examine the 5090's rendering performance.The card mainly benefits from four things compared to the 4090: the updated Blackwell GPU architecture, a nearly 33 percent increase in the number of CUDA cores, an upgrade from GDDR6X to GDDR7, and a move from a 384-bit memory bus to a 512-bit bus. It also jumps from 24GB of RAM to 32GB, but games generally aren't butting up against a 24GB limit yet, so the capacity increase by itself shouldn't really change performance if all you're focused on is gaming.And for people who prioritize performance over all else, the 5090 is a big dealit's the first consumer graphics card from any company that is faster than a 4090, as Nvidia never spruced up the 4090 last year when it did its mid-generation Super refreshes of the 4080, 4070 Ti, and 4070.Comparing natively rendered games at 4K, the 5090 is between 17 percent and 40 percent faster than the 4090, with most of the games we tested landing somewhere in the low to high 30 percent range. That's an undeniably big bump, one that's roughly commensurate with the increase in the number of CUDA cores. Tests run with DLSS enabled (both upscaling-only and with Frame Generation running in 2x mode) improve by roughly the same amount.You could find things to be disappointed about if you went looking for them. That 30-something-percent performance increase comes with a 35 percent increase in power use in our testing under load with punishing 4K gamesthe 4090 tops out around 420 W, whereas the 5090 went all the way up to 573 W, with the 5090 coming closer to its 575 W TDP than the 4090 does to its theoretical 450 W maximum. The 50-series cards use the same TSMC 4N manufacturing process as the 40-series cards, and increasing the number of transistors without changing the process results in a chip that uses more power (though it should be said that capping frame rates, running at lower resolutions, or running less-demanding games can rein in that power use a bit). Power draw under load goes up by an amount roughly commensurate with performance. The 4090 was already power-hungry; the 5090 is dramatically more so. Credit: Andrew Cunningham The 5090's 30-something percent increase over the 4090 might also seem underwhelming if you recall that the 4090 was around 55 percent faster than the previous-generation 3090 Ti while consuming about the same amount of power. To be even faster than a 4090 is no small featAMD's fastest GPU is more in line with Nvidia's 4080 Superbut if you're comparing the two cards using the exact same tests, the relative leap is less seismic.That brings us to Nvidia's answer for that problem: DLSS 4 and its Multi-Frame Generation feature.DLSS 4 and Multi-Frame GenerationAs a refresher, Nvidia's DLSS Frame Generation feature, as introduced in the GeForce 40-series, takes DLSS upscaling one step further. The upscaling feature inserted interpolated pixels into a rendered image to make it look like a sharper, higher-resolution image without having to do all the work of rendering all those pixels. DLSS FG would interpolate an entire frame between rendered frames, boosting your FPS without dramatically boosting the amount of work your GPU was doing. If you used DLSS upscaling and FG at the same time, Nvidia could claim that seven out of eight pixels on your screen were generated by AI.DLSS Multi-Frame Generation (hereafter MFG, for simplicity's sake) does the same thing, but it can generate one to three interpolated frames for every rendered frame. The marketing numbers have gone up, too; now, 15 out of every 16 pixels on your screen can be generated by AI. Nvidia might point to this and say that the 5090 is over twice as fast as the 4090, but that's not really comparing apples to apples. Expect this issue to persist over the lifetime of the 50-series. Credit: Andrew Cunningham Nvidia provided reviewers with a preview build of Cyberpunk 2077 with DLSS MFG enabled, which gives us an example of how those settings will be exposed to users. For 40-series cards that only support the regular DLSS FG, you won't notice a difference in games that support MFGFrame Generation is still just one toggle you can turn on or off. For 50-series cards that support MFG, you'll be able to choose from among a few options, just as you currently can with other DLSS quality settings.The 2x mode is the old version of DLSS FG and is supported by both the 50-series cards and 40-series GPUs; it promises one generated frame for every rendered frame (two frames total, hence "2x"). The 3x and 4x modes are new to the 50-series and promise two and three generated frames (respectively) for every rendered frame. Like the original DLSS FG, MFG can be used in concert with normal DLSS upscaling, or it can be used independently.One problem with the original DLSS FG was latencyuser input was only being sampled at the natively rendered frame rate, meaning you could be looking at 60 frames per second on your display but only having your input polled 30 times per second. Another is image quality; as good as the DLSS algorithms can be at guessing and recreating what a natively rendered pixel would look like, you'll inevitably see errors, particularly in fine details.Both these problems contribute to the third problem with DLSS FG: Without a decent underlying frame rate, the lag you feel and the weird visual artifacts you notice will both be more pronounced. So DLSS FG can be useful for turning 120 fps into 240 fps, or even 60 fps into 120 fps. But it's not as helpful if you're trying to get from 20 or 30 fps up to a smooth 60 fps.We'll be taking a closer look at the DLSS upgrades in the next couple of weeks (including MFG and the new transformer model, which will supposedly increase upscaling quality and supports all RTX GPUs). But in our limited testing so far, the issues with DLSS MFG are basically the same as with the first version of Frame Generation, just slightly more pronounced. In the built-in Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark, the most visible issues are with some bits of barbed-wire fencing, which get smoother-looking and less detailed as you crank up the number of AI-generated frames. But the motiondoes look fluid and smooth, and the frame rate counts are admittedly impressive.But as we noted in last year's 4090 review, the xx90 cards portray FG and MFG in the best light possible since the card is already capable of natively rendering such high frame rates. It's on lower-end cards where the shortcomings of the technology become more pronounced. Nvidia might say that the upcoming RTX 5070 is "as fast as a 4090 for $549," and it might be right in terms of the number of frames the card can put up on your screen every second. But responsiveness and visual fidelity on the 4090 will be better every timeAI is a good augmentation for rendered frames, but it's iffy as a replacement for rendered frames.A 4090, amped way up Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5090. Credit: Andrew Cunningham The GeForce RTX 5090 is an impressive cardit's the only consumer graphics card to be released in over two years that can outperform the RTX 4090. The main caveats are its sky-high power consumption and sky-high price; by itself, it costs as much (and consumes as much power as) an entire mainstream gaming PC. The card is aimed at people who care about speed way more than they care about price, but it's still worth putting it into context.The main controversy, as with the 40-series, is how Nvidia talks about its Frame Generation-inflated performance numbers. Frame Generation and Multi-Frame Generation are tools in a toolboxthere will be games where they make things look great and run fast with minimal noticeable impact to visual quality or responsiveness, games where those impacts are more noticeable, and games that never add support for the features at all. (As well-supported as DLSS generally is in new releases, itis incumbent upon game developers to add itand update it when Nvidia puts out a new version.)But using those Multi-Frame Generation-inflated FPS numbers to make topline comparisons to last-generation graphics cards just feels disingenuous. No, an RTX 5070 will not be as fast as an RTX 4090 for just $549, because not all games support DLSS MFG, and not all games thatdo support it will run it well. Frame Generation still needs a good base frame rate to start with, and the slower your card is, the more issues you might notice.Fuzzy marketing aside, Nvidia is still the undisputed leader in the GPU market, and the RTX 5090 extends that leadership for what will likely be another entire GPU generation, since both AMD and Intel are focusing their efforts on higher-volume, lower-cost cards right now. DLSS is still generally better than AMD's FSR, and Nvidia does a good job of getting developers of new AAA game releases to support it. And if you're buying this GPU to do some kind of rendering work or generative AI acceleration, Nvidia's performance and software tools are still superior. The misleading performance claims are frustrating, but Nvidia still gains a lot of real advantages from being as dominant and entrenched as it is.The goodUsually 30-something percent faster than an RTX 4090Redesigned Founders Edition card is less unwieldy than the bricks that were the 4090/4080 designAdequate cooling, despite the smaller card and higher power useDLSS Multi-Frame Generation is an intriguing option if you're trying to hit 240 or 360 fps on your high-refresh-rate gaming monitorThe badMuch higher power consumption than the 4090, which already consumed more power than any other GPU on the marketFrame Generation is good at making a game that's running fast run faster, it's not as good for bringing a slow game up to 60 HzNvidia's misleading marketing around Multi-Frame Generation is frustratingand will likely be more frustrating for lower-end cards since they aren't getting the same bumps to core count and memory interface that the 5090 getsThe uglyYou can buy a whole lot of PC for $2,000, and we wouldn't bet on this GPU being easy to find at MSRPAndrew CunninghamSenior Technology ReporterAndrew CunninghamSenior Technology Reporter Andrew is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica, with a focus on consumer tech including computer hardware and in-depth reviews of operating systems like Windows and macOS. Andrew lives in Philadelphia and co-hosts a weekly book podcast called Overdue. 199 Comments

DeepSeek, a small Chinese AI startup, released a flagship model on January 20.The startup caught competitors in Silicon Valley and the AI world by surprise.DeepSeek engineers said they're building the models with inferior Nvidia chips and less capital.DeepSeek hit No. 1 on the Apple App Store's Top Free Apps Chart days after the Chinese startup released its flagship model, R1.On January 20, DeepSeek, led by Chinese quant hedge fund manager Liang Wenfeng, released R1. It caught Silicon Valley and the AI world by surprise because the LLM could match or surpass some of the capabilities of rival models built by OpenAI, Google, and Meta.Those US companies poured billions of dollars into acquiring highly advanced chips and data to build models that can solve complex problems. DeepSeek, however, appears to be building models that can perform at similar benchmarks at a fraction of the cost.In a paper released late December, DeepSeek researchers estimated that they built and trained their V3 model for under $6 million using aboutUS companies, likeMeta,are racing to secure billions of dollars worth ofNvidia H100 chipsto build their chatbots. H100 chips are Nvidia's flagship GPUs. Due to US sanctions, China cannot import H100s and instead imports H800s, which have lower data transfer rates, Reuters reported.Spokespeople for Deepseek, Meta, and OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment.That a little-known Chinese startup is closing the gap with some of the largest tech companies in the world with significantly fewer resources could undercut US efforts to build an AI moat against global competitors.Following President Donald Trump's inauguration, OpenAI announced a joint venture with the federal government to spend $500 billion on AI infrastructure over the next four years.OpenAI's ChatGPT currently sits at number two on the same Apple chart.

Do the new Joy-Cons have motion controls? (YouTube)The Monday letters page wonders about the future of PlatinumGames, as a reader asks what was so amazing about the Xbox Developer Direct.To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.ukMotion to includeNow a few weeks have passed, its kind of surprising how little weve really learned about the Nintendo Switch 2. So I just wanted to ask one question I havent seen mentioned anywhere else and thats whether the Switch 2 will have motion controls?Watching the reveal trailer, they go out of their way to show the Joy-Cons working in terms of pressing buttons and moving the analogue stick, plus the new mouse feature, but they never show them using motion controls.I know they have a bad reputation with some people, thanks to the Wii and Kinect, but the Switchs motion controls were really good and Im looking forward to seeing them improve again with the Switch 2.Im also curious to know whether itll have HD Rumble or an upgrade of that, as Id like to see that improve too. Like all haptic stuff its underused in games but when it works it really adds something to a game, I feel.GorgoGC: Considering the Switch 2 is backwards compatible with the Switch 1, and lots of its games have motion controls, it seems almost certain itll have them.Priced outEA profits down, other studios with the same complaints, is it just possible that nobody wants to shell out 70 on games with the way everything is right now?My gaming habits have changed now. I used to think nothing on taking a gamble on a 40 50 title but that stopped as game prices crept up and up.I buy PSN credit online to put towards digital games now but when having to pay over 60 bangers to buy a 69.99 title nah mate, Im not having it.Perhaps selling more at a cheaper price could be the answer.RAMB01STBL00DA fine cup of gamingJust on the recent chat about the late, great David Lynchs influence on gaming. Totally agree about Deadly Premonition, etc. but I started a replay of Persona 5 and a rewatch of Twin Peaks last week. Total coincidence but Im getting some heavy Twin Peaks vibes from Persona 5 now, that didnt really hit me before. Totally different setting but there are stylistic and music cues that seem very Lynch inspired to me, when experiencing both at the same time.This might be a well known thing but I genuinely hadnt thought about it before. Its been four or five years since I last played Persona 5 and 20 since I last watched Twin Peaks.SomasonicGC: Twin Peaks was very popular in Japan and its influence can be found in many Japanese games, and often not necessarily where youd expect it, such as Zelda: Links Awakening.Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukWhat you missedCan someone tell me what was so amazing about the Xbox Developer Direct? I dont remember Ninja Gaiden being that big of a deal back in the day. I played it on the first Xbox. And a game by the We Happy Few developers? A dumbed down Doom and a promising Japanese role-playing game from a French developer. And Ninja Gaiden Black 2 available now? Am I missing something? Halo, Gears Of War, Forza, etc. are amazing games on Xbox, are the people praising it deluded?I decided to not have both consoles this gen, as it was too expensive, to have both plus two subscriptions but Im all for buying Gears and Halo on PlayStation 5. Starfield? Yes, Ill buy it. I just dont see what was so great about this showcase.ZombiekickerGC: The fact that it was not that big a deal is the whole point. None of the games, with the possible exception of Doom (which is not necessarily dumbed down), looked like theyd be big sellers and yet Microsoft funded them anyway with an extra bonus of keeping PlatinumGames in business.Change of plansThere is no way that Assassins Creed Infinity didnt get drastically cut down from what Ubisoft was originally planning. They might never have shown it, but I dont think anyone assumed what they were talking about was just a launcher.They blatantly meant it to be some sort of 3D hub that you could explore and do things in. I imagine it was meant to be a free game tempting people into buying the other ones, maybe with a free mission or two. Something like that anyway, not just a couple of menus and extra achievements.Poor old Ubisoft, it really does feel like their numbers up, especially if (when?) Assassins Creed Shadows underperforms.WinstonNo limitsCouldnt disagree more with Grackles weekend feature saying that if games did go to a 100 there wouldnt be any need for in-game purchases. Im sorry, but if anyone believes that, they will have a shock. Take EA Sports FC, they have already said they make more money from in-game purchases then they do from selling the game and they have also said they make so much money from them they could give the game away for free and still be stuffing money in their mattress.Take Fortnite, the game is free but from in-game purchases they have made billions. The real reason developers are losing money is theyre not making good games. Theyre thinking, We dont care what the players want, we are going to tell them what they want. They could charge 400 for a game and they would still put in-game purchases in them and still say there not making enough money. There is a word in this world, and its call greed, and it means its never enough.DavidLocked outI guess well have to wait until the next Nintendo Direct, but I wonder if the Switch 2 will be region-locked?If it is, it would mean one more device to keep around in a drawer somewhere as current Switch 1 owners would have to keep the older hybrid around, instead of selling it or giving it away to family members, as NTSC games wont work on the Switch 2.LeighDappaGC: It seems unlikely, given the backwards compatibility.Just a nameI would love an Astral Chain sequel for the Nintendo Switch 2 and I would like to think there is a chance, given the rumours. However, I do have to wonder just how long Nintendos generosity will last when it comes to PlatinumGames. A reader recently described them as the nice one out of the three console manufacturers but thats only true to a degree.They helped out Platinum with Bayonetta 2 and 3, even though they knew they probably wouldnt sell, and other things like Astral Chain, but that isnt going to last forever. I think of when the developers of Hotel Dusk and Mario & Luigi went bust. Nintendo couldve saved them, and had given them work to help them out, but eventually they said enough is enough.At this point youve got to ask whether Platinum is even worth saving. All the best people have left and the main problem with the company seems to be the bad management, which is all thats left now beyond some less experienced developers.Id love to see Bayonetta 4 but with its creator and many of the main staff gone I cant imagine it working out. Its a shame when talented developers go under,, but the real talent is the people that work there. At the end of the day PlatinumGames is just a name and no guarantee of anything if the people have gone.Bayonetta was originally just Devil May Cry by another name so theres no reason the same people cant reinvent the same ideas in a different way again. To be honest, I think Id rather have that then risk things getting stale by the time you get to Bayonetta 6. At the moment there are three great games and Id rather it keep that 100% record to be honest.LutemPS: Bayonetta Origins doesnt count.Inbox also-ransAt this point the only way Sony can redeem themselves, for ignoring Bloodborne for this long, is having a surprise reveal of a sequel thats out this year. A remake alone is no longer going to cut it. I have no faith this will happen though.HeathcliffeI struggle to believe anyone particularly wants a Resident Evil Zero remake. Not enough to spend 70 on it anyway. Shouldve done Code: Veronica first.SlimerMore TrendingEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukThe small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Readers Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.You can also leave your comments below and dont forget to follow us on Twitter.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Top 10 tabletop games and TCGs to look forward to in 2025Lucy OrrLucy OrrPublished January 27, 2025 1:00amUpdated January 27, 2025 1:54am Tabletop gaming has never been more popular (Games Workshop)GameCentral looks forward to a new year of board game and trading card releases, with news on Warhammer, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dungeons & Dragons, and more.2025 is the year of the trading card game. In every gaming caf across the country you have to fight through swathes of One Piece players just to get to the counter, while social media is rife with rumours of the new League Of Legends Project K. The trading card game calendar is filling up with big events, such as The Pokmon World Championship in Anaheim, California and theres plenty of desperate Disney fans keen for Lorcana to announce the date of their World Championship event.The Pokmon Company has also had huge success with the Pokmon Trading Card Game Pocket mobile app, which continues to top the mobile game charts and is due to introduce online trading at the end of this month, which will completely shake up the meta. UK trainers are also hoping that the McDonalds X Pokmon happy meals will make their way to the UK, as they have codes for Pocket digital currency.If card games arent your thing dont worry, as theres plenty of other interesting tabletop games coming out this year, with many more to be announced in the months to come, but for now these are the most exciting new releases that have been confirmed so far.Warhammer: Age Of Sigma Soulblight GravelordsThe Las Vegas Open tabletop convention in January had a lot to get excited about, including some shapely new Eldar figures, but what I cant stop thinking about, now the paint has dried on Hera the Bride of Deaths questionable features, is the new Soulblight Gravelords miniatures. The new miniatures showcase some stunning new sculpts, reinforcing the factions undead dominance with a mix of fresh characters and units. These models are impressively creepy, with sharp details that capture an eerie, otherworldly vibe.At the heart of the new wave are some imposing leaders, including a vampire lord called Prince Vhordrai, the Master of the Crimson Keep, astride the zombie dragon Shordemaire, Lord of Revenants. The attention to detail is exceptional, with sculpting that embraces the factions gothic horror aesthetic, from the haunting faces to the gnarled, decayed armour and rotting Draconith wings.Release Date and RRP: TBC Gotta collect em all (The Pokmon Company)Pokmon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet-Journey Together Elite Trainer BoxWith many shops in the States limiting the number of boxes trainers can buy in a single outing, Im beginning to think the world has gone Pokmon crazy. You had to have quick fingers when the latest Journey Together Elite Trainer Box came up on the Pokmon Center website, because if you blinked you missed it. Packed with exclusive content, including special foil cards, a set of booster packs, and premium accessories, its clear why everyone is desperate to get their hands on it.The gorgeous art features fan favourite pokmon in vivid new designs, including the return of Trainers Pokmon cards that indicate who owns which pokmon. So, I cant wait to see cards with the more recent trainers, such a Lillie and Marnie. Other cards Im excited for are competitive powerhouse Lycanroc, whose new move Spike Energy sees damage counters forced on opposing Pokmon for a boost to the move Grabbing Fangs. But the one everyone wants the most is the secret rare card of Articuno showering snowflakes across your playmat.Release Date: March 28, RRP: 54.99 Not horrible news at all (Ravensburger)Horrified Dungeons & DragonsThis is the fifth in Ravensburgers cooperative game franchise Horrified, which pitches players against all kinds of different legendary monsters, and now its the turn of the Dungeons & Dragons bestiary. Most prominent on the artwork so far is the bug-eyed Beholder, often referred to as the Sphere of Many Eyes and an instantly recognisable Dungeons & Dragons monster, but three further creatures are yet to be announced (can anyone say Mimic?).The game uses the same gameplay mechanics seen in all the earlier Horrified editions, except with the introduction of a 20-sided die. The game has been designed by Peter Lee, the mind behind almost a dozen Dungeons & Dragons board games, as well as the Horrified Universal Monsters game.Release Date: summer, RRP: around 30 Yet another new set (Ravensburger)Disney Lorcana Set 9: FabledHot on the heels of info about Archazias Island and Reign Of Jafar, Ravensburger has just announced another new Lorcana set, which is coming in the third quarter of 2025. Set for release around the second anniversary of this still comparatively young trading card game, the newest Lorcana set reveal hints at a classic Disney character vibe (think Steamboat Willy) and a hark back to the much-loved movie characters of old.Apart from the launch visual depicting Mickey and Minnie making googly eyes at each other, the main takeaway from the teaser info is the tagline power in the tales we tell. Also, if youre a fan of the franchise, like me, and just watched the North American Challenge, youll be keen to learn when and where the much-anticipated, first ever Lorcana World Championship will take place.Release Date and RRP: TBCThe Fellowship Of The Ring: Trick-Taking GameThe first of a slew of Lord Of The Rings titles to hit the tabletop world this year, this game has a box as pretty as the One Ring itself. Designed for two to five players, it cleverly weaves thematic elements into the traditional trick-taking format, where you play a card each turn into a trick, which matches the same suit as the lead player.So, if Frodo plays a Hill card the next player should try to match that with Hill as well, with the winner being the character with the highest value card. This format allows players to win tricks and to progress through the chapters creating a game that feels both familiar and refreshingly new.Each card reflects a part of the epic struggle against good and evil, with suits representing iconic characters and locations such as Bag End and the Lonely Mountains. The addition of special abilities, tied to specific cards such as Gandalfs Strategic Insight or The Burden of the One Ring, adds a layer of strategy that enhances replayability. The games clever design ensures every round feels narratively rich, while maintaining the core competitive essence of trick-taking.The Art Nouveau aesthetic and production quality are top notch, making this a treasure worthy of The Great Hall of Thrin. Newcomers to trick-taking games may need some guidance, but as a Tolkien fan I loved it.Out Now, RRP: 24.99Dungeons & Dragons Monster ManualThe updated Monster Manual promises to be a treasure trove for Dungeon Masters and your Dungeons & Dragons party will get a thrill out of its new offerings, especially if the amazing Mind Flayer alternate artwork cover is anything to go by. Building upon the iconic 5th Edition version, this revision introduces expanded lore, reimagined creature designs, and refined mechanics to breathe new life into encounters both familiar and fresh.Wizards of the Coast has teased revamped stat blocks that emphasise dynamic combat and storytelling flexibility, giving Dungeon Masters more tools to challenge and surprise players. New artwork showcases impressive reinterpretations of classic monsters, from menacing dragons to sinister aberrations, while also introducing a roster of 500 entirely new horrors ready to terrorise your table just dont mention the Arch-Hag or upset the primaeval Owlbear.Im particularly intrigued by the inclusion of legendary upgrades for some lesser-used creatures, enhancing their tactical depth. While some purists may lament changes to established lore, most of us couldnt be more excited to do battle with a revamped Mind Flayer.Release Date: February 18, RRP: 59.99 Its like Final Fight but in board game form (Steamforged Games)Street Masters: Tide Of The DragonNot going to lie, Im extremely keen to hear literally anything new about Segas Streets Of Rage Revolution video game, but in the meantime the Street Masters miniatures game from Steamforged looks like an exciting distraction. Tide Of The Dragon is the latest standalone expansion to the hit co-operative beat em-up board game, Known for its fast-paced combat and immersive storytelling.This new instalment and standalone expansion introduces a gritty, Hong Kong-inspired setting where you take on the role of a martial artist battling against ruthless triads, enigmatic assassins, and shadowy criminal overlords. Featuring new fighters, stage decks, and an expansive story-driven campaign, the game promises even more tactical depth and replayability. Im especially keen to try out the new mechanics tied to the Dragon Gauge, which allows players to unleash devastating abilities as they build momentum through combat.Pre-Order until: Feb 25, RRP: 49.99 Gladiator has quite the costume (Atomic Mass Games)Marvel Crisis Protocol War Of Kings Crisis Card PackWith Kraven the Hunter managing to hit new Metacritic lows at the box office its good to see some positive superhero hype on the tabletop, in the form of Marvel Crisis Protocol. While Asgard has been dominating this miniatures games meta with hammers (and Kaiju Thor) rather than strategy, the game is about to get a brand new card pack to shake things up. It features five new Extract Crisis Cards and five new Secure Crisis Cards, all inspired by the events of the War Of Kings comic book storyline.These cards provide the synergy to create a new campaign system, with five new narrative missions, and will add new ways of playing the game, so its bound to sell out if you dont pre-order. Along with the cards, you get Gladiator, leader of the Imperial Guard, who deals huge damage with his Praetor Punch move.Release Date: March 14, RRP: 44.99Yu-Gi-Oh! Blue-Eyes White Dragon DestinyIs it time to fall back in love with Yu-Gi-Oh? Theres something about the simplicity of this trading card game that means it holds a special place in my heart. Blue-Eyes White Dragon Destiny delivers a thrilling homage to one of the franchises most iconic monsters, that everyone has been wating for. Whether youre a long-time duellist or new to the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!, this set feels like a celebration of what makes the Blue-Eyes White Dragon an enduring symbol of power and majesty.The 50 card deck is packed with new support cards, as the set revitalises classic strategies while introducing innovative new ways to compete. The Neo Kaiser Sea Horse card is especially useful for its flexibility and revival qualities, as it maintains the synergy between spell and trap cards. The standout, as usual for Yu-Gi-Oh!, is the artwork; gorgeously rendered new visuals elevate these cards and Im keen to get my hands on one of the Quarter Century secret rare versions of Maiden of White, Wishes of the Eyes of Blue, or the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Spirit Dragon.More TrendingRelease Date: February 12, RRP 11.99 A very different kind of Magic: The Gathering theme (Wizards of the Coast)Magic: The Gathering AetherdriftThe latest Magic: The Gathering set is a breath of fresh air, fusing high-octane racing with the franchises signature multi-planar storytelling. Set against the dazzling backdrop of Avishkars Ghirapur Grand Prix, this expansion combines speed, strategy, and chaos in a way that feels both bold and refreshing.The 10 racing teams include the artefact-fuelled precision of the Guidelight Voyagers and the anarchic mayhem of the Goblin Rocketeers, as every faction brings unique mechanics to the track. The Alacrian Quickbeasts reintroduce the saddle mechanic, offering clever synergies, while the Speed Demons exude a retro 80s vibe led by Winter a character bursting with personality. Beyond its thematic novelty, Aetherdrift introduces clever new gameplay twists, including Exhaust which is a mechanic that helps create resource management with tactical depth.Release Date: February 14, RRP: Commander Deck 39.99Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy