Doom in your hands Doom: The Dark Ages is surprisingly playable on the Steam Deck "Low" graphics settings and 800p resolution hit 30 to 40 fps on Valve's hardy handheld. Kyle Orland – May 13, 2025 3:16 pm | 3 To get the full effect, be sure to view this image on a roughly 7-inch screen. Credit: Bethesda Game Studios To get the full effect, be sure to view this image on a roughly 7-inch screen. Credit: Bethesda Game Studios Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more While working on our review of Doom: The Dark Ages last week, I was unable to test the game on the Steam Deck thanks to a bug that prevented it from launching on SteamOS. I didn't consider this much of a loss at the time, since I figured the Deck's 3-year-old portable hardware was rated way below the minimum PC specs for the game, which call for ray tracing-capable graphics cards at a minimum. Over the weekend, though, Valve released a preview build of a new version of SteamOS that allows Doom: The Dark Ages to actually launch on the Steam Deck. And after a bit of testing, I found the game is surprisingly playable on Valve's portable hardware, provided you're prepared to turn down the graphics settings. With all the graphical quality sliders set to "Low" (and FSR upscaling set to "Performance"), I was able to run Doom: The Dark Ages at the system's native 1280×800 resolution and a reasonably steady 30 to 40 fps. This screenshot (and all others in this piece) were captured on a Steam Deck running at "Low" graphics settings and 1280×800 resolution. Bethesda Game Studios This screenshot (and all others in this piece) were captured on a Steam Deck running at "Low" graphics settings and 1280×800 resolution. Bethesda Game Studios Some impressive fire lighting, even on the Steam Deck. Bethesda Game Studios Some impressive fire lighting, even on the Steam Deck. Bethesda Game Studios This screenshot (and all others in this piece) were captured on a Steam Deck running at "Low" graphics settings and 1280×800 resolution. Bethesda Game Studios Some impressive fire lighting, even on the Steam Deck. Bethesda Game Studios Sure, the lack of fancy lighting effects was definitely a step down after enjoying "High" graphical settings on an Nvidia GTX 2080 TI-powered PC rig last week. And we'd prefer to run a reflex-based shooter at the Steam Deck's maximum 60 Hz frame rate (or even more on the Steam Deck OLED). Still, the fact that a ray tracing-forward game like this runs at all on the relatively underpowered Steam Deck hardware feels like something of a miracle these days. We can only imagine an "Ultra Low" graphics setting designed specifically for the Steam Deck could squeeze an even better frame rate out of the system, if Bethesda decided to make it a priority. While these energy beams would look better at 60 fps, we'll take what we can get on the Steam Deck. Bethesda Game Studios While these energy beams would look better at 60 fps, we'll take what we can get on the Steam Deck. Bethesda Game Studios This kind of motion-blurred shot actually looks quite a bit better in actual motion. Bethesda Game Studios This kind of motion-blurred shot actually looks quite a bit better in actual motion. Bethesda Game Studios While these energy beams would look better at 60 fps, we'll take what we can get on the Steam Deck. Bethesda Game Studios This kind of motion-blurred shot actually looks quite a bit better in actual motion. Bethesda Game Studios Trying to squeeze just a bit more graphical fidelity out of Doom: The Dark Ages quickly overwhelms the aging Steam Deck processor, unfortunately. At "Medium" settings, Steam Deck frame rates dipped consistently below the 30 fps threshold. And at "High" graphical settings, the Steam Deck struggled to get above 20 fps, making the game a slow, stuttering, unplayable mess. Lowering the game's native resolution helped inch up those frame rates; at 768×480 resolution I was able to squeeze out a consistent 45 fps at "Low" settings and nearly 30 fps at "High" settings, for instance. But the extremely grainy and pixellated graphics at that resolution brought to mind the unnervingly low ppi screen on the Nintendo 3DS XL, which was too high a price to pay for a few extra frames per second. Make sure to leave the FSR Frame Generation option off when playing on Steam Deck, too, since turning it on only makes the Steam Deck performance worse. With those caveats in mind, though, Steam Deck owners can count on being able to play a passable game of Doom: The Dark Ages on the Steam Deck. That's a comforting thought as we all continue to wait patiently for the more powerful Steam Deck 2.0 that Valve is no doubt working on. Kyle Orland Senior Gaming Editor Kyle Orland Senior Gaming Editor Kyle Orland has been the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica since 2012, writing primarily about the business, tech, and culture behind video games. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He once wrote a whole book about Minesweeper. 3 Comments Source: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/05/doom-the-dark-ages-is-surprisingly-playable-on-the-steam-deck/ #doom #the #dark #ages #surprisingly #playable #steam #deck

Image: Zion Grassl / Nintendo LifeWith the Nintendo Switch 2 entering development as early as 2019, it might not come as a surprise that the hardware chip may have been finalised as early as 2021. And according to a teardown of a supposed Switch 2 motherboard, that's exactly what it's come down to. Digital Foundry has summarised findings by Geekerwan and Kurnal, who have acquired a Switch 2 motherboard (from an online retailer in China) and performed a complete analysis of the tech. And the pair have suggested that the hardware was finalised four years ago. If that's true, that means Nintendo has been holding onto the chip since then. While the T239 shares similarities with Nvidia's T234, there are a number of key differences. Apparently, the chip is potentially running on an 8nm processor with features that potentially stretch up to a 10nm. The chip is also over 40mm2 larger than the chip in the Steam CDDeck's launch model, coming in at 207mm2. The chip is the core reason the Switch 2 is much bigger than the original Switch, since it's over 75% larger than the current console's own chip and twice the area bigger of the chips in the Lite and revised models. Does this mean the Switch 2 could have been revealed as early as 2022? Maybe. Digital Foundry notes something interesting, however — that the potential work on the chip (throughout 2020) lines up with when rumours of the Nintendo Switch Pro started circling around, though the chip wasn't named until June 2021. Even if the hardware itself was ready — DF points out that "silicon" often arrives around a year before a console is launched — the team suspect that one of the reasons Switch 2 wasn't unveiled earlier is because, simply, Nintendo didn't need to. The Switch was, and still is, widely popular, and back in 2021, it was only a four-year-old console with plenty of new software launching. Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube812k Given that it can take years to develop a chip, Switch 2 plans starting in 2019 really does line up with the rest of the info we have. Realistically, it's a mix of all of the above and of plans changing . We're only weeks away from the console at this point, so we're excited to see the hardware in action. You can check out Digital Foundry's chat about the processor in this week's DF Direct, above. Last week, Nintendo shared its Q4 fiscal year 2025 financial report and revealed that it expects the Switch 2 to sell 15 million units this financial year. Analysts are also expecting the new console to have a record-breaking launch. That's a lot of T239s in people's hands. Let us know your thoughts on the processor for the Switch 2 in the comments below. Your complete guide to Switch 2 - release date, price, hardware, games 2 takes [source youtu.be, via eurogamer.net] See Also Share:0 0 Alana has been with Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her first love, Nintendo is a close second. She enjoys nothing more than overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. She also wishes she was a Sega air pirate. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment... Related Articles PSA: My Nintendo Store Switch 2 Invites Are Starting To Roll Out Refresh that inbox Nintendo Reconfirms Release Windows For Major Switch 2 Games And original Switch, of course Xbox Branded Handheld Photos Leak, And It's Not Quite As Slick As The Switch 2 Those fingerprints don't help Nintendo Shares More Footage Of Zelda: Wind Waker On Switch 2 Available via Nintendo Switch Online Former Rockstar Dev Throws Shade At Mario Kart World, Says New GTA Will Be Worth The Price "You think Mario Kart competes with a game like this" Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/05/nintendo-switch-2-hardware-chip-was-potentially-finalised-as-early-as-2021 #nintendo #switch #hardware #chip #was #potentially #finalised #early

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Stardew Valley creator Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone has committed to leaving Stardew updates behind to focus fully on his upcoming game Haunted Chocolatier.  While the creator has explained that he will probably make a Stardew Valley 2 someday, he also revealed that Haunted Chocolatier will be very “similar” to the beloved farming game.  Haunted Chocolatier might as well be Stardew Valley 2  In a new interview with PC Gamer, Barone explained that Haunted Chocolatier is a more action-focused take on the Stardew formula… but farming is replaced with chocolatier-ing.  Just like how farming in Stardew takes a backseat to the game’s life sim elements, Barone is doing the exact same with his new game. This means that action RPG gameplay may be important to some degree, but simply living in the world is more important.  “I will just say generally that it is a life sim game, and it is similar to Stardew Valley in many ways,” the creator said. “It’s the kind of game I like making. I’m really interested in Haunted Chocolatier to really crank up the imagination and the creativity. I want to go all out with doing weird and interesting things. I love giving people memorable experiences.” Barone explained that Haunted Chocolatier is designed to be the darker take on the Stardew experience, although it won’t be “evil” like its Diablo influences.  “I view [Stardew Valley] as sunny and bright and lush, and Haunted Chocolatier is more dark and mysterious,” he said. “Not evil dark, but just like mysterious dark, and a little bit paranormal, you know, things that, you’re not sure what this is all about.” Haunted Chocolatier is still years away, but it’s incredibly exciting to see more from ConcernedApe. After a decade of post-launch updates for Stardew, it’ll be incredibly exciting to see just how much the creator has grown when his next release finally launched. Stardew Valley Platform(s): Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One Genre(s): Indie, RPG, Simulation Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share Source: https://www.videogamer.com/news/concernedape-says-haunted-chocolatier-is-similar-to-stardew-valley-in-many-ways/ #concernedape #says #haunted #chocolatier #similar #stardew #valley #many #ways #but #its #also #lot #darker

Monster Hunter Wilds has sold 10.1 million copies since its launch on February 28, driving Capcom‛s net sales during the last quarter.As noted in the company‛s fiscal report for the 12 months ended March 31, 2025, net sales increased by 11.3 percent year-on-year to 169.6 billion yen ($1.15 billion), with net income following suit by 11.7 percent year-on-year to 48.45 billion yen ($328 million).In the previous fiscal report, which encompassed the nine months ended December 31, 2024, Capcom predicted that the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds would enable it to achieve its goals for the corresponding fiscal year. In the lead up to the game‛s release, previous entries Monster Hunter World: Iceborne and Monster Hunter Rise saw an increase in sales (15.2 million and 9.88 million total, respectively), resulting in cumulative sales of the series surpassing 100 million units worldwide."These efforts brought sales volumes in the Digital Contents business in the fiscal year under review to 51.87 million units, exceeding the previous fiscal year’s figure of 45.89 million units," the company said, referencing its plans to increase global figures with Monster Hunter Wilds as well as pursuing catalog sales. The latter includes recent premium games such as 2023‛s Resident Evil 4 Remake, which has sold 9.92 million units, with 2.76 million units in the last financial year.Related:"In addition, with the company's efforts to promote its digital sales strategies, sales volumes of catalog titles were 39.49 million units, up from 36.29 million units in the previous fiscal year. As a result, the company sold 248 titles in 227 countries and regions, contributing to enhancing the value of its brands," Capcom said.As of March 31, 2025, Capcom‛s top five franchises are Resident Evil (170 million units), Monster Hunter (120 million units), Street Fighter (56 million units), Mega Man (43 million units), and Devil May Cry (33 million units).Looking ahead, the company is placing its focus on the upcoming releases of Capcom Fighting Collection 2 and the Onimusha 2 remaster in May. It also mentioned catalog push sales of Street Fighter 6 and Kunitsu-Gami Path of the Goddess for the Nintendo Switch 2 in June.Premium games continue to pay off while live-service efforts falterCapcom continues to bet on premium games as a service model. While the company still has a transmedia push as one of its pillars—driven by arcade machines, film and TV adaptations, and esports, to name a few—games continue to be at the center.Related:The company has been vocal that there are clear risks involved. Monster Hunter Wilds has taken about 5-6 years of development, but some elements have been key to supporting this. This includes the RE Engine, Capcom's proprietary engine that's been used not only in the Resident Evil series, but also Dragon's Dogma 2, Street Fighter 6, and Devil May Cry 5.Establishing constant, open communication across teams has been important, too. "Our teams all work closely together, even across different titles," Wilds executive producer Ryozo Tsujimoto said. "We're able to share ideas and discoveries and technology with each other."The ongoing rise in popularity for the Monster Hunter franchise was spearheaded by World in 2018. The global interest, as well as a larger-scale audience, has led Capcom to take in new input on where to steer the franchise moving forward."From the get-go, we approached Monster Hunter World with a global mindset," Tsujimoto said during an interview at Summer Game Fest 2024. "At that point, we had approached things by releasing in Japan first and following up with other territories, but World was our first worldwide simultaneous release for Monster Hunter. It was also the first game we made with so many forms of localization. That seems obvious to say, but that was a challenge for us initially because, with that global approach, we had to open up the series to other Capcom members across the globe to give opinions and input on the kind of direction the series would be going on."Related:While the focus has been paying off for the company, its efforts toward live-service games, with Resident Evil Re:Verse as the latest example, haven't been as successful. Capcom shut down the servers for the shooter on June 29, 2024, after removing the game and all DLC from sale on March 3 of the same year. Despite this, the developer said that the game "far exceeded" its expectations since its release, although there aren't mentions of live-service plans in the latest fiscal report. Source: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/monster-hunter-wilds-primarily-drives-net-sales-for-capcom-s-last-quarter #monster #hunter #wilds #drives #quarterly #net #sales #for #capcom

If you want to play Android or iOS games with physical controls, the easiest and most portable way to do so is with a clamp-on phone controller. You could also buy a regular Bluetooth gamepad, though it won't stay attached to your handset unless you add a clunky clip. Or you could get both with the Backbone Pro, a $169.99 snap-on phone controller that's almost as compact as the Backbone One and has Bluetooth. The Backbone Pro performs well in both roles and feels better in the hand than its predecessor. However, it isn't quite as comfortable as the full-size Razer Kishi Ultra ($149.99), and it locks several useful companion app features behind a $39.99 yearly subscription. Still, it's a good compromise if you want a single gamepad you can easily use with your phone or PC.Design and Controls: Not Quite a Full-Size GamepadThe Backbone Pro is slightly chunkier than the Backbone One at 4.1 by 7 by 1.4 inches (HWD). It's still easy to slip it into a pocket, despite the plumper, rounded grips that are much more comfortable to hold. Weighing 7.02 ounces without its rubber inserts installed (more on those in a bit), the Backbone Pro feels a little hollow since it doesn't have haptic motors. Still, it doesn't feel remotely flimsy. The Backbone Pro is a well-built, comfortable gamepad. (Credit: Will Greenwald)The controls consist of a standard Xbox-style gamepad layout with offset dual analog sticks on either grip. There is also a plus-shaped direction pad below the left stick, A/B/X/Y face buttons above the right stick, and a pair of bumpers and analog trigger sets on the top. Small system buttons for Start/Select, Capture, and Backbone/Guide sit below the direction pad and right analog stick. The Backbone button lights up and doubles as a status indicator.The Backbone Pro's analog sticks are larger than the ones on the Backbone One and the same size as the sticks on an Xbox controller. They don't use Hall effect sensors like the magnetic triggers. Due to the controller's compact design, the triggers' pull distances are much shorter than the triggers on full-size gamepads. Likewise, the face buttons are noticeably smaller than full-size gamepad buttons, though slightly larger than Nintendo Switch Joy-Con face buttons. They're satisfyingly clicky, though.Like the Backbone One, the Backbone Pro has a USB-C port in the right grip and a headphone jack in the left grip. They serve the same power and audio pass-through functions. A new pairing button puts the controller into Bluetooth pairing mode. Since the Backbone Pro functions as a standalone wireless controller, the USB-C port also charges its internal battery, not just the phone it's attached to.(Credit: Will Greenwald)The Backbone Pro works with almost any phone with a USB-C port. That covers most Android phones and iPhone 15 (and later models). The older Backbone One has an iPhone-friendly Lightning version if you have an iPhone 14 or earlier handset. The Backbone Pro holds phones between approximately 3.4 and 7 inches long, so it can snap onto phablets like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. If you own an iPad mini or a small Android tablet, consider the larger Razer Kishi Ultra. Two pairs of included rubber adapters (one narrow, one wide) let you get a snug fit. They aren't designed for specific phone models, but they should accommodate your handset. To use the Backbone Pro with your phone, just pull it open and slip the phone between the jaws with the USB-C plug lined up with the phone's port. Your phone should automatically detect that it's connected to a Backbone controller and prompt you to download the Backbone app for configuration. At that point, the Backbone Pro functions as a controller for any game that supports it.Recommended by Our EditorsWirelessly connecting the Backbone Pro to a compatible device is easy. You press the pairing button and sync using a phone's standard process. It works with anything that supports a generic XInput Bluetooth gamepad, including PCs, phones, tablets, and many media streamers and TVs with games or game streaming apps. (Credit: Will Greenwald)If you wirelessly use the Backbone Pro with your phone, you can't access the Backbone app's features. As mentioned, the Backbone Pro lacks haptic motors, so the only rumble you'll experience will potentially come from your handset. According to Backbone, the Pro can function as a Bluetooth controller for up to 40 hours between charges.Software: Major Features Need a SubscriptionEven though the Pro's basic controls work without issue, you'll want to launch the Backbone app to update the firmware and add features. For example, the app lets you remap the controller inputs and take screenshots with the Capture button. Once it's all set up, the Backbone app opens whenever you insert your phone. You can also launch it by pressing the orange Backbone button.(Credit: Backbone/PCMag)Out of the box, those functions are where the Backbone app starts and ends, but you can expand the feature set with a Backbone+ membership ($39.99 per year). Backbone+ lets the app launch installed and streaming games, capture video at up to 1080p60 with cloud storage and Twitch streaming support, and use voice chat with other Backbone+ subscribers. iPhone users also get beta access to an in-app emulator for retro games.Most of Backbone+'s features should be available by default with the Backbone Pro and are unnecessarily gated behind a subscription. The emulator and voice chat are fun bonuses, but they are already well-supported on mobile devices with RetroArch and Discord, respectively. It just doesn't feel necessary. (Credit: Backbone/PCMag)Playing Games With the Backbone ProI had no problem controlling PC games with the Backbone Pro thanks to Steam's gamepad support. It also worked well with the Xbox app, albeit not quite as consistently. I had several hiccups with Claire Obscur: Expedition 33; it occasionally wouldn't respond to controller inputs, though restarting it fixed the problem. It seemed like an issue with the game rather than the Backbone Pro, because the controller worked reliably under all other circumstances.The full-size analog sticks were comfortable to use in testing, and they tracked movement consistently. Likewise, the buttons, bumpers, and triggers had just the right amount of resistance. Although the gamepad's face buttons are a bit small, I didn't accidentally press the wrong ones while playing. Moving and aiming with the analog sticks were similarly accurate, which resulted in exciting Monster Hunter Wilds and Palworld sessions. That said, the analog triggers' shallow pull required a bit more finesse than usual to accelerate and brake precisely in Forza Horizon 5. Source: https://me.pcmag.com/en/game-controllers-accessories/29813/backbone-pro #backbone #pro

Editor’s note: As of June 1, 2023, the Unity 2022 LTS is now available.When I talk to our partners, customers, and those of you who work day to day with Unity’s Editor and runtime, one thing that keeps popping up is the desire to be more ambitious with your game design. You want tools that enable you to create with fewer constraints, delivering player experiences that wow and cause wonder.Unity 2022 LTS is designed to give you that power. You’ll discover that you can rely on the new LTS release to create sophisticated DOTS-powered games, multiplayer experiences, immersive HD environments, and visuals that perform great on any platform you target. And we remain committed to ensuring you have wide platform support with amazing tools for any device in this release.So, I couldn’t wait any longer to tell you about the Unity 2022 LTS release, which is just around the corner.On June 22, 2023, we’ll host a multi-hour livestream diving into some of our favorite features, so be sure to join us then by signing up to get notified. But if you’re like me and are waiting with bated breath to hear about the new features, I’ve got some inside knowledge for you right here.Let’s dive into some of the highlights from this release that I’m particularly excited about.Yes, DOTS is here! The team, led by Laurent Gibert and Joe Valenzuela, has delivered the first fully supported-for-production version of our Entity Component System (ECS), so you can now build with the full Data-Oriented Technology Stack (DOTS) solution – Burst compiler, C# Jobs System, and now ECS for Unity.Your most challenging projects require a game engine that provides power and flexibility. ECS for Unity offers the ability to gain greater control and determinism over data in memory and better runtime process scheduling. ECS is integrated into the Editor, so you can leverage your existing GameObject-based experience and use the power of Entities-based code when it’s beneficial.We’ll have more information about how you can harness the power of DOTS when Unity 2022 LTS is released, but you can engage with the team who actively participate in our forums here.With Unity 2022 LTS, we’re excited to support multiplayer games with a rapidly growing end-to-end ecosystem of creation workflows and cloud services. This is possible by tight integration between the Unity game engine and multiplayer services provided through Unity Gaming Services (UGS).We’re shipping the Netcode for Entities package with Unity 2022 LTS, fully supported for production. Netcode for Entities is a powerful networking feature to boost a game’s performance and capabilities. You’ll be able to increase the number of players, interactable objects, and backend server-side entities in competitive action games like first-person shooters and massive multiplayer online games.More than any other genre, multiplayer games rely on successful ongoing operations for live titles. That’s why we have a suite of multiplayer-specific services as part of UGS. Matchmaker, Friends, Leaderboards, and User-Generated Content are designed to simplify the implementation of multiplayer capabilities, while services like Relay, Lobby, Game Server Hosting (Multiplay), and Voice and Text Chat (Vivox) round out capabilities for your live game.To see our multiplayer functionality in action, we will also be releasing our new Megacity multiplayer sample in June, which is built on ECS for Unity and features UGS tools for hosting, matchmaking, authentication, and voice chat between players. This demo demonstrates how you can bring our powerful tools together in a fast-paced, competitive, third-person shooter that supports 64+ players.Immerse your players in beautiful, physically based environments with High Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP). Unity LTS 2022 includes numerous features to enhance your game worlds for an even richer player experience.Introduce advanced procedural fog and volumetric effects using Volumetric Materials and Shader Graph to create atmospheric game environments such as haunted forests, desolate landscapes, or misty valleys.The new Water System enables you to add oceans, rivers, and underwater effects to your game environments. You can create realistic waves, ripples, foam, and more, as well as simulate underwater environments with advanced caustics, refraction, and reflection effects.Improvements to Cloud Layers with dynamic lighting and Volumetric clouds allow you to create even more realistic skies with clouds that change and move based on weather conditions, simply blending between different weather effects such as sunny and cloudy skies.A new update to the Spline package helps you procedurally generate paths, roads, or fences in your environments with greater precision for more organic and varied game environments with less manual work.The Universal Render Pipeline (URP) provides a scalable solution for high-quality graphics across platforms. Upgrades in this release allow you to create more realistic lighting in your scenes and achieve higher-quality visuals that scale across devices.Forward+ Rendering eliminates the light limit count so you can use more lights in a scene while maintaining performance. This feature is particularly useful if you want to achieve high-quality real-time lighting in your scenes.LOD crossfade which produces smoother graphic transitions as objects move closer or further away from the camera. Temporal Anti-aliasing (TAA) reduces aliasing problems such as pixelated and flickering edges to improve the overall visual quality of game scenes.Decal Layers allow you to add extra texture details in your scenes with control. You can use Decal Layers to filter and configure how different objects get affected by different Decal Projectors in a Scene.Customize your rendering experience with features like Shader Graph Full Screen Master Node and custom screen space effects. These allow you to create unique visual effects in games such as distortion or other types of post-processing, and they’re available in both URP and HDRP.Shader Variant Prefiltering significantly improves build time and memory optimization, reducing the build time and improving games’ overall performance.Finally, the Built-in Converter helps you to move existing projects from the Built-in Render Pipeline to URP, making it easier for you to take advantage of URP’s performance and scalability benefits.With Unity 2022 LTS, you can optimize your games for the latest platforms across mobile, console, desktop, and XR, with added performance and stability for key features.Maximize platform potential with increased performance and stability using the DirectX 12 graphics API on Windows and Xbox®. You can also experiment with the latest ray tracing support for Xbox® Series X|S and PlayStation®5, which allows for more realistic real-time lighting and reflections in game scenes.Iterate faster with the latest incremental player build process for Xbox®, iOS, PlayStation®5, and Nintendo Switch™*, which improves deployment efficiency, reducing time to market and improving overall game quality.Dig deeper into the performance of Android games with access to low-level data through the System Metrics Mali package from ARM. Games on Samsung devices can now take advantage of Adaptive Performance 4.0 with support for visual scripting. Better manage WebGL memory usage and gain native C++ multithreading along with support for touch controls and texture compression on web builds for mobile devices.Unity 2022 LTS expands your reach in XR with an updated XR Interaction toolkit (XRI) to enhance build times for PlayStation®VR2 and Meta Quest 2. Ensure your VR games run well across a variety of performant devices with late latching and motion vectors and improved graphics performance for games using Vulkan. These updated tools enable you to build immersive, high-fidelity XR experiences that can be deployed across multiple platforms.With a minimum of two years development and testing, Unity 2022 LTS has relied on user feedback and testing. Many of you have joined us on the journey through beta and Tech Stream releases, and I want to personally thank you for partnering with us to deliver the most stable Unity release in the 2022 cycle. And remember, LTS releases are supported for at least two years through biweekly updates, so we have you covered.Learn more about our 2022 LTS and the 2023.1 Tech Stream release in our GDC 2023 roadmap session.Wherever you are in your production process, Unity 2022 LTS offers resources to help you bring your project to the finish line and beyond. Get notified when LTS 2022 is available on release day by signing up for email updates.We hope this overview of the Unity 2022 LTS has given you a good idea of the powerful features and tools available in this release. We’re always eager to hear your feedback, questions, and ideas, so please keep the conversation going.Interact with other Unity creators and experts in our forums or directly through our platform roadmap. Catch our live streams on Twitch, and be sure to follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest news and announcements. We look forward to hearing what you think.*Nintendo Switch is a registered trademark of Nintendo. Source: https://unity.com/blog/engine-platform/unity-2022-lts-is-coming-in-june #unity #lts #coming #june

Senior Software Engineer II, Gameplay - AI/Combat - Unannounced Game | Irvine, CABlizzard EntertainmentIrvine California 92618 United States of America32 minutes agoApplyTeam Name:Job Title:Senior Software Engineer II, Gameplay - AI/Combat - Unannounced Game | Irvine, CARequisition ID:R025329Job Description:At Blizzard, we craft genre-defining games and legendary worlds for all to share. Through unparalleled creativity and storytelling, we create immersive universes and iconic characters that are beloved across platforms, borders, backgrounds, and generations - only made possible by building a work environment that nurtures the artistry of game development and unleashes the aspirations of our people.As a Senior AI Gameplay Engineer, you will collaborate with designers and artists to deliver best-in-class enemy combat experiences. You will support the development of combat AI, animation, and combat frameworks, as well as collaborate in driving improvements in the underlying engine technology. You will work collaboratively with the team to define and execute a technical vision that meets the project’s needs.This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The potential home studio for this role is Irvine, CA.Responsibilities:Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:Leveraging your experience and knowledge to deliver best-in-class player experiences, from end to end, within the constraints of game simulation.Empowering designers, artists, and other engineers to deliver the vision of the game and ensuring we delight and entertain our players.Collaborating with designers and engineers on gameplay teams to learn and understand their needs and offer technical solutions.Optimizing team productivity by supporting pipelines, tool development, and workflow improvements.Requirements:7+ years of experience in gameplay engineering or a combination of applicable training and experience.Experience developing using the Unreal engine (both C++ and Blueprint).Experience creating compelling combat at AAA-quality level, including combat, high fidelity enemy animation, VFX/SFX, UX etc.Knowledge & SkillsThe ability to understand and write production-grade C++ code.The capacity to make frequent, readable, well-tested code commits.The ability to communicate and articulate vision, ideas, learnings from others, and to give meaningful feedback.Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills.Experience analyzing game features and content for performance and optimizing a game to release quality.Experience working closely in multi-disciplinary teams with people of diverse mindsets.Mentorship mindset and excellent attitude to helping others level up their knowledge.Extra Points:Computer science, mathematics, physics, or related degrees.Experience developing and shipping AAA game titles for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles.Experience working on 3D action multiplayer games.Experience with a large codebase.Your PlatformBest known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.Our WorldActivision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!The video game industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.RewardsWe provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/ .In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $121,500.00 - $224,880.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply Source: https://gamejobs.co/Senior-Software-Engineer-II-Gameplay-AI-Combat-Unannounced-Game-Irvine-CA-at-Blizzard-Entertainment-3848 #senior #software #engineer #gameplay #aicombat #unannounced #game #irvine #blizzard #entertainment

RandomlyRandom67 Member Jul 7, 2023 2,535 Was the rumoured Switch Pro actually Switch 2 all along? The Switch 2's main processor has been analysed - and its design is older than you might imagine. www.eurogamer.net Remember the discourse surrounding a proposed Switch Pro? Rumours of an upgraded Switch model began as early as 2018, but it wasn't until 2020 that the Pro's attributes including "more computing power and 4K high definition graphics" were reported on by Bloomberg. Simultaneously, it was understood that the Pro would also feature a seven-inch OLED panel. Of course, the OLED upgrade happened for the original Switch but the Pro did not. However, recent coverage of the Switch 2's main processor may provide a partial explanation. Forensic analysis of a final Switch 2 chip by Geekerwan and Kurnal suggests that the hardware was finalised way back in 2021. With the benefit of hindsight, it now seems plausible that the Switch Pro was an amalgamation of rumours: a combination of the Switch OLED model and formative work on the console that'll finally hit stores on June 5th this year. Click to expand... Click to shrink... .... Even more telling is that both analyses reveal that the chip was "taped out" - basically meaning the design was complete - in 2021. Geekerwan compares this to Nvidia's GA107 processor - another 8nm product, taped out in 2020 and released in the form of various GPUs (RTX 3050, for example) in 2021. The implication is that Nintendo had the new Switch 2 processor ready up to four years ago and could conceivably have released a Switch successor in 2022. Bearing in mind that processors take some time to create, it's very likely that leaks from Nintendo in Japan, or via its partners, could have started in 2020 when the Switch Pro reports began - at the same time as the platform holder was planning its OLED upgrade. However, it wasn't until June 2021 that noted leaker kopite7kimi named the new processor as T239 and stated that it would sit at the heart of the next Nintendo console. It seems as though the leaker got wind of the project just as T239 completed development at the taping out stage. So, the question is why it has taken so long for Switch 2 to arrive, bearing in mind that Nintendo would have had final silicon in 2021. Being familiar with console design having spoken to console system architects in the past, final silicon does typically arrive a year before a console releases. Bearing in mind that T239 was ready in 2021, it would have taken years to get to that point. Maybe an earlier Switch 2 was considered - but of course, plans can change. At the beginning of the project, one might imagine that Nintendo would still not understand just how long-lived the original Switch would be and the extent to which the Covid pandemic would elevate its sales. In turn, game development for the older system would continue. In the meantime, one might imagine that the production cost for the new T239 processor would have decreased - the 8nm process is old technology now, but thanks to Nintendo and Nvidia, the production lines can still continue with a brand new console to sustain them. The firm didn't release Switch 2 any earlier because there was no business case for doing so: the original model was still wildly popular. Then there's the fact that development resources were still invested in the existing Switch - the transition period to Switch 2 and the need to build up enough software for a new console would obviously delay the release of the machine. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Ultimately, the controversy surrounding the make-up of the Switch 2 processor comes from a good place - the desire for the new Nintendo hardware to be the best it can be - but perhaps this idea misses the point. Developers work with what they're given, often delivering remarkable results. We were concerned about the Tegra X1 powering the original Switch based on its showing in the Nvidia Shield Android TV micro-console - and yet developers delivered miracles from its relatively meagre capabilities. Click to expand... Click to shrink...   SharpX68K Member Nov 10, 2017 11,781 Chicagoland Oh boy. This is gonna be one for the ages...  DC5remy Member Jan 20, 2018 9,751 Texas lol. First reply nails it   ConflictResolver Member Jan 1, 2024 4,726 Midgar No they cancelled Pro because of Covid.   Ant_17 Member Oct 28, 2017 2,889 Greece Yes.   tucah Member Oct 25, 2017 1,488 maybe!   BabyDontHurtMe Member Dec 9, 2018 30,627 New Jersey Wouldn't be surprised   YuriLowell Member Oct 26, 2017 4,477 Yes.   Jswanko Member Oct 26, 2017 43 ConflictResolver said: No they cancelled Pro because of Covid. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Ant_17 said: tucah said: There you have it!  yap Avenger Oct 25, 2017 10,779 why not   OP OP RandomlyRandom67 Member Jul 7, 2023 2,535 ConflictResolver said: No they cancelled Pro because of Covid. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I think the implication being made here is the Switch OLED and Switch 2 rumors collided to form an amalgamation rumor of a "Switch Pro." Switch Pro might have never existed, it was just the fact that a Switch OLED revision was coming while T239 was deep into design phase and presumably taped out in 2021   Homura ▲ Legend ▲ Member Aug 20, 2019 6,940 Of course. Leakers assumed around 2020-2021 all the T239 information was about a Pro version, not realizing Nintendo was just planning the successor all the way back then.  Kouriozan Member Oct 25, 2017 24,678 Oh I so wished Switch Pro was real, years and years of bad performances and I had enough, can't really fucking wait to get a Switch 2 lmao. iirc Switch Pro rumors did start to appear around 2020, so it could line up and people mistakenly thinking Switch 2 preps was a Pro model.  Glio Member Oct 27, 2017 27,708 Spain Sometimes you get a rumor wrong and that's it.   natestellar Member Sep 16, 2018 853 It seems to be the case.   RivalGT Member Dec 13, 2017 7,449 Probably not related to a switch pro, but DF is likely right. Why release the switch 2 when switch 1 was selling amazingly well.   Source: https://www.resetera.com/threads/digital-foundry-was-the-rumoured-switch-pro-actually-switch-2-all-along.1188360/ #digital #foundry #was #the #rumoured #switch #pro #actually #all #along

This isn’t going to last (Nintendo) They’re not going to last, but if you’re very quick a big UK retailer has the Nintendo Switch 2 console in stock at the moment, via a range of different bundles. The Nintendo Switch 2 launches worldwide on June 5 but from the first moment pre-orders opened stock hasn’t stayed available anywhere for more than a few minutes. That’s probably not going to change until much later in the year and since there’s never any forewarning, all anyone can really do is keep checking known retailers as often as possible. One of our readers has been doing exactly that and thanks to Mark Matthews we can tell you that as of time of writing Very does have stock of the console and a number of different bundles. As far as we can tell nobody else, including Nintendo themselves, has got new stock in but Very does and has created some unofficial bundles for it. You can’t get the console, or the console and Mario Kart World, alone but the following more expensive variants are currently available: Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World + Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition for £494 Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World + Samsung Micro SD Card for £479 Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World + Switch 2 Camera for £479 It’s a lot of money but if you have it they are pretty good deals, because Tears Of The Kingdom is a great game and the SD card and camera are useful accessories, depending on how you intend to use the console. The high cost is no doubt why they’re still available an hour after first being spotted but if they’re gone by the time you read this, apologies for getting your hopes up. When will new stock of Nintendo Switch 2 be available in the UK? It’s hard to tell what will happen with stock of newly launched consoles at the best of times, but given the situation with tariffs in the US it’s especially difficult when it comes to the Switch 2. More Trending Apart from anything, and as Nintendo has already pointed out, tariffs on other non-luxury goods, including food, mean that people in the US are going to have less money than usual to spend on video games this year. Pre-orders are regularly available on eBay but there’s always a risk in trying to buy something where the seller doesn’t physically have the item yet, not to mention the inflated prices. If all goes well then the Switch 2 should be more readily available by Christmas, but the more popular it is the more difficult it is going to be to buy one. Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom is well worth playing (Nintendo) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign 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 Source: https://metro.co.uk/2025/05/13/nintendo-switch-2-pre-orders-available-now-one-uk-retailer-23080770/ #nintendo #switch #preorders #are #available #now #one #retailer

Student lounge around.It's been nearly six weeks since the Switch 2 Direct, and we're now only three-and-a-half more away from the system's launch. Overall, we were pretty impressed with the hour-long presentation Nintendo assembled to officially pull back the curtain at the start of April. Yes, some mixed messaging and unanswered questions could — and should — have been avoided, but the reveal itself contained loads of great games and a decent look at the hardware. A solid opening salvo after years of speculation.If we had any notes, we probably wouldn't have spent five minutes discussing a voice and video chat feature like it was some revolutionary new concept in video game communication. But hey, maybe with some distance from the announcement, we'd understand the angle and appreciate the approach a little more! Several weeks on, though, and we're still not really sold on or excited about GameChat.Read the full article on nintendolife.com Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/features/talking-point-are-you-excited-at-all-for-switch-2-gamechat #talking #point #are #you #excited #all #for #switch #gamechat