Rumor mill: Microsoft has long hinted at a handheld gaming device without providing specific details. While the company continues to refine the software experience for Windows gaming handhelds (to an extent), reports conflict on when an official Xbox device might be released. Looking further ahead, speculation persists about whether Microsoft's next console will even follow the traditional console model. Windows Central claims to have heard from sources that Microsoft plans to launch its long-teased handheld device before the end of 2025, likely as a reference device for Windows-based handheld gaming PCs. However other publications dispute this claim, stating that an Xbox-branded handheld is not expected to arrive this year.Rumor is Microsoft is collaborating with a third-party manufacturer to develop a handheld device codenamed "Keenan," which will run Windows similar to the Asus ROG Ally or Lenovo Legion Go. However, unlike those devices, it will feature an Xbox guide button and incorporate Microsoft's console design language.This handheld would likely mark the introduction of Microsoft's planned updates to the Windows gaming UI to better support handheld gaming PCs.Although devices like the ROG Ally, Legion Go, and MSI Claw are technically more powerful than Valve's Steam Deck, the latter remains significantly more popular likely due to its more polished UX and console-style operating system. While Windows handheld users struggle with a UI not designed for controllers or small screens, the Steam Deck boots into a compact, user-friendly interface while still retaining the flexibility of a PC.Microsoft has repeatedly acknowledged the need for improvement in this area. At CES, the company vaguely outlined its goal of merging elements of Windows and Xbox to address these issues sometime this year. Responding to Windows Central's report, Tom Warren stated that Keenan is simply a broader initiative for PC gaming handhelds in collaboration with OEMs, not a dedicated Xbox-branded handheld. // Related StoriesI've seen the report about Microsoft's Project Keenan, and just to be clear there is no first-party "Xbox handheld" arriving in 2025. Keenan is part of PC gaming handheld work with OEMs, like Microsoft's VP of Next Gen told us at CES www.theverge.com/2025/1/7/243...[image or embed] Tom Warren (@tomwarren.co.uk) March 10, 2025 at 5:09 PMThe Xbox rumor mill doesn't stop there, but reportedly Microsoft has fully approved a next-generation Xbox console planned for release in 2027.The device, which Xbox head Phil Spencer previously boasted would provide the biggest technical leap in the company's history, will behave more like a PC than any prior console. It will support backwards compatibility, and developers will require less work to port games between PC and Xbox.Taken together with the plans Microsoft described at CES and Spencer's past comments about bringing alternate storefronts to Xbox, reports about a more PC-like next-generation console raise the question of whether it will be a console at all. If the next Xbox is essentially a full-fledged Windows-based system, it could signal a complete shift in Microsoft's approach to the video game industry.

Don Pettit/NASAIn his final days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in a mission thats lasted six months, American astronaut Don Pettit has posted a sublime shot that wouldnt look out of place in an art gallery.The extraordinary image was captured through a window of a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked at the ISS, and shows star trails and city lights on Earth some 250 miles below.Recommended VideosStar trail from Crew 9 Dragon vehicle. Thanks to Babak Tafreshi for the image processing. pic.twitter.com/X6w462Wdtz Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) March 11, 2025Please enable Javascript to view this contentPettit has shared a number of photos featuring star trails during his lastest orbital mission, but this one is definitely up there with the best of them.At 69, Pettit is NASAs oldest serving astronaut, and across his four orbital missions over the years, hes become an accomplished space photographer, sharing his impressive work with his many followers on social media.Several months ago he took time out of his busy schedule to chat with earthlings about his photography, which besides star trails also includes an image of a Crew Dragon spacecraft hurtling toward Earth, a surreal image of the Amazon basin, and a sublime shot of an aurora.Just a few days ago, he even managed to capture the moment SpaceXs Starship spacecraft broke up during the eighth flight test of the most powerful rocket ever to fly.Images from space help tell the story to people on Earth that dont have the opportunity to go into space, Pettit said when asked about why he loves to take photos from orbit. He added that while every image is a unique record of his orbital adventures, the photographs help complete the story of what it means for human beings to expand into space and expand into this frontier.Editors Recommendations

If youve purchased a powerful machine from gaming PC deals, its capabilities will be wasted if you stick to your old display. We highly recommend going for the 49-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 gaming monitor, especially now that theres a $350 discount directly from Samsung. Originally sold at $1,300, its down to $950 its still not in the realm of affordable screens, but getting this monitor for less than $1,000 is an opportunity that you wouldnt want to miss, so you better hurry with your purchase.The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 scored an impressive 4.5 stars out of 5 stars in our review, and weve tagged it as the best 32:9 gaming monitor in our list of the best gaming monitors. The 49-inch screen with Dual QHD resolution promises lifelike details while you play the best PC games, while QD-OLED technology delivers an extremely wide color gamut and intense brightness levels. The 32:9 aspect ratio isnt going to be compatible with every single game out there, but when it works, its going to enable completely immersive gameplay that you wont be able to enjoy anywhere else.Our computer monitor buying guide describes refresh rates as how often the images are updated, and the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 gaming monitors 144Hz refresh rate is at our recommended range. Meanwhile, response time is how quickly the screen shows image transitions, and for this display, its a blazingly fast 0.03ms. The gaming monitor also comes with an ergonomic stand that you can adjust into the most comfortable viewing angle for you, so you can keep playing for hours.RelatedSerious gamers need to invest in monitor deals for the ultimate gaming experience. The 49-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 gaming monitor, which will give justice to your gaming PCs processing power, is an excellent option right now because Samsung is selling it at $350 off. Youll only have to pay $950 instead of $1,300, but youre going to have to act fast if you dont want to miss out on these savings. Add the 49-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 gaming monitor to your cart and finish the checkout process as soon as you can.Editors Recommendations

2025-03-11T21:24:35Z Read in app Andrew Harnik/Getty Images This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Elon Musk visited Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday with a fleet of Tesla vehicles.Upon entering the driver's side of a cherry red Model S, Donald Trump was amazed by the car's technology."Everything's computer," the president marveled.Elon Musk visited the White House on Tuesday with a fleet of shiny Teslas in tow. President Donald Trump was awestruck."Wow, that's beautiful," Trump marveled as he climbed into a cherry red Model S."This is a different panel than I've ever everything's computer!" Everything really is computer. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Indeed.The visit came after the president posted on TruthSocial on Tuesday morning that he would buy a Tesla to support Musk, the electric vehicle maker's CEO and a "special government employee" who has become the de facto face of Trump's DOGE effort.Tesla's stock has fallen in recent weeks amid worries about tariffs, slumping sales prices, and the time Musk is spending on DOGE business."The Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World's great automakers, and Elon's 'baby,' in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for," the president wrote Tuesday."I'm going to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American," he added.Trump reportedly opted for the Model S, suggesting that he was successfully seduced by the siren call of computers. (The car is, in fact, full of them, as are most other gadgets these days.) The car retails for more than $70,000. A photo of the president's notes from the event appeared to show a cheatsheet of prices for various models.Trump also said he purchased his granddaughter a Cybertruck, according to CBS reporter Kathryn Watson.Besides shelling out for a Tesla, Trump said he will label attacks against Tesla dealerships domestic terrorism.Tuesday is the latest chapter in Trump's relationship with technology, which has previously included a suspicion of wind power, a belief that planes are too complex to fly, a predilection for sharpies instead of email, and the question "What is digital?"

Fantasy 7 Rebirth a new old soundtrack (Square Enix)The Wednesday letters page is resigned to the next generation being all about AI, as one reader wonders what happened to The Wolf Among Us 2.To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.ukBottom of the popsIs it me or is modern video game music really boring? Its very high quality but it all sounds like movie music and I never feel any of it is memorable. Very few game soundtracks feel like they were made for a game anymore, just its cut scenes at most.It says something when the best soundtrack of recent years has been for the Final Fantasy 7 remakes, but theyre only memorable because theyre based on older tracks (although they are very well reimagined). Starfield was the only other one I can remember liking recently but although good it could easily just have been a movie soundtrack and youd never know.I miss the days when I could hum a video game tune and everyone would know what it is. I mean, whats the theme tune for famous modern games like God Of War or Monster Hunter or whatever? Compare that to Halo and Metal Gear Solid and its no competition at all. I miss those days.ChaosMRPC in disguiseWhat I dont understand about Microsofts new direction is why they think anyones going to invest in their ecosystem as they go multiformat and sideline their hardware plans. Xbox consoles are basically irrelevant now and the only other place Game Pass is available is on PC, so the number of people signing up to that and gamertags and whatever is going to shrink every year.Sure, they may make you sign into an account, like Uplay+ and whatever, but that doesnt mean anything and certainly hasnt helped Ubisoft. If youre a PC in a box youre just a PC. Theres nothing special about the hardware other than the logo on the case.Xbox just is Activision Blizzard now, plus a few sidelines, and every new rumour and annoucement just seems to cement the fact that theyre purely a third party publisher.BlastermasterWelcome CrisisI dont want to excite anyone, but Capcom has apparently trademarked the name Dino Crisis again. I know that doesnt necessarily mean anything, and sometimes they have to do this just to keep the name, but now theres hope that finally a dinosaur crisis could break out on modern consoles.Like many, Im hoping Capcom spend their Monster Hunter money on anything other than Monster Hunter and a new Dino Crisis would be my number one choice. Ill take whatever I can get but personally Id prefer a brand new game rather than a remake. Ill take that but the original had quite a bit of dull puzzling that wasnt actually that much fun, so Id like to see a completely modern take, like the new Onimusha.FlambeEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukToo many and not enoughInteresting to read how few gamers finish games. I dont think its down to having less time but that theres so many games being released. You only have to look on the stores of all formats to see theres hundreds of games being released every week. Admittedly a lot are dross but its still overwhelming. Then you have Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, where you have so many games that as soon as you start playing one youre already thinking about the next one.When I was gaming in the 70s, 80s, and 90s (that makes me feel old) games where few and far between, so we rinsed every last drop out of each game that we enjoyed. Makes me laugh that gamers now still moan that not enough games are coming out. I know they mean AAA games but hardly any are that now, as theyre released unfinished or broken, but theres still lots of great indie games being released.RobLobo livesI recently completed Detroit: Become Human and thoroughly enjoyed it (I realise Im quite late to the party) and it got me thinking about all the Telltale games I played once upon a time.I recently read an article about The Wolf Among Us saying that the second game would be out this year and was wondering if GC had heard anything about this, as I cant find any other news about it?Soloplayer36GC: Last October, Telltale denied rumours that the sequel has been cancelled but they never said when it would be out or gave any indication of when we might find out more.Fear the futureI fear that AI being the big new gimmick for the next gen Xbox and PlayStation is now inevitable. This is despite the fact that, as you say, there is no proof that it works, that its useful, or that its not all just a big scam.I believe its possible that Sony is just experimenting and maybe only thinking of using it for specific purposes, like talking to characters, but Im already convinced Microsoft thinks its going to make whole games with AI, even though that sounds like the worst idea ever.AI cannot create anything new. It just regurgitates things that already exist. If you dont like procedurally generated levels in roguelikes at the moment then you are going to hate AI generated games with random designs that never go anywhere, landscapes that dont make any logical sense, and no proper exploration or secrets.But hey, itll make Microsofts share price go up and I think we can all agree thats the only thing thats really important. (Until the share price then plummets, when they realise no one wants to pay for this stuff.)GordoHD classicI would love a HD-2D remake of Chrono Trigger. I agree that its a very underrated game, which is weird because at the same time everyone seems to agree that its also a total classic. So Im not sure why it doesnt get talked about more.I realise the dream team wouldnt be coming back to make it, but it is only a remake and they dont necessarily have to change anything; just switch up the graphics, maybe add a few more anime cut scenes and thats all you need. Its a great game without any changes, you just need a gimmick to sell it to a new generation of fans.LomanChanging timesJust a few musings on recent news articles Sonys live service push was clearly a response to wider trends within Western gaming, where sales of many normal games have been falling year-on-year. Anecdotally, it feels like the younger generation of gamers are attracted to live service titles with social elements as opposed to conventional games (despite my best efforts to foist my interests on my young family members).This shift in the Western market is being offset by the rise of PC gaming in China, hence Sony and Microsofts interests in that platform: if games are selling less on console, a PC version becomes more of a necessity. It also explains Sonys recent moves to cosy up to new third party studios in East Asia. Nintendo are insulated against this to a degree by their super strong brand, particularly in their home country where they reign supreme (and PlayStation havent made much of a dent since the PSP/PlayStation 3 era).Where does that leave us old, grizzled gamers who have been here since the Xbox 360 era*? Well, theres still loads of good games out there but the times they are a changin it seems, with even big name studios one perceived flop away from closure. I hope us old timers are still a worthwhile target market for a few years yet, otherwise well have to get better as the kids say, at these online games.Magnumstache*Just kidding. I had PlayStation 3.GC: Sales of many normal games have been falling year-on-year is a pretty vague statement, it depends what youre referring to exactly.Inbox also-ransWhat a weird story about the SNES running faster as it gets older. I cant say Ive had the same problem. Maybe if we wait long ago all those Xbox 360 games with terrible screen tearing will suddenly start running without any problems.GordolfI realise we dont know the cost of this supposed Xbox handheld but I think the point many people are overlooking is that these things are always 500+. Theres a reason the Steam Deck has only sold a few million and its the ridiculous price.KorbieMore 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.ArrowMORE: Games Inbox: Do you want an Xbox handheld?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

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Rebecca El Cheikh shared a breakdown of the Nostalgia project, discussing creating the base carpet with a Tile Random node, generating animated cars paths, achieving flexible control of car colors and variants, and offering tips for creating appealing materials.Read the interview: https://80.lv/articles/create-animated-procedural-cityscape-like-material-in-substance-3d-designer-marmoset-toolbag/

.@Xsolla launched a customizable loyalty-as-a-service solution to help developers integrate rewards into their games purchase flows.Details: https://80.lv/articles/xsolla-launches-a-customizable-loyalty-as-a-service-solution/#ad #sponsored #xsolla

MetaMeta, a skilled 2D & 3D Artist with an interest in pin-up art, vintage aesthetics, and old fashion, has showcased their growing expertise in creating dynamic interactions between objects and their environments in 3D.As the artist shared, this foam was set up with Geometry Proximity, and theyare thrilled to feel increasingly comfortable with geometry, to the point where they can now combine their previous Geometry Nodes to build new things on top without spending hours trying to figure out why things arent working as expected.If youre interested in the NPR style featured in this demo, MetaMeta has compiled a list of tips and tutorials that helped them achieve this kind of render:They also recommend checking out Ddouze and Andrea Cianis videos for tutorials on Grease Pencil brush strokes and Geometry Nodes.Stay tuned for the final outcome of what this foam will be used for, although we may not be able to showcase it on 80 Level, and have a look at MetaMetas Copium Cola project and more amazing art on their Reddit and X/Twitter below:Join our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us on Instagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Dynamic Interactive Bubble Foam Made With Blenders Geometry Nodes appeared first on CG SHARES.

These are awesome!!!Miettinen Jesse - Blenderesse:Little Making Of from all the #geometrynodes Tools I made for this Chasms Challenge project (+some old ones) Really hope my submission went trought cause there was some weird moments. #b3d