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Tech News
Meta introduced two new tools, a mobile app called Horizon Create and a browser-based Horizon Studio, that let users build games for its Horizon platform using AI prompts. Both are launching in early access with a waitlist, and Meta says games made with these tools can be surfaced and played directly within Facebook and Instagram feeds without downloads.
Dolphin Emulator has added NetPlay support to its Android build, letting users play GameCube and Wii titles online with others. The update also enables cross-platform NetPlay sessions, so Android players can join matches with people running Dolphin on Windows, Mac, or Steam Deck. The developers say the feature relies on a lockstep syncing method that runs the emulator on a single CPU core to keep gameplay aligned across devices.
Microsoft laid off 268 employees across its gaming division this week and restructured major studios and franchises, including cutting most of Halo Studios' staff while keeping a small team to support existing titles like Halo Infinite. According to sources cited by the reporter, the next mainline Halo game was years from release, prompting Microsoft to shut it down rather than continue development.
The Castle Game Engine documentation outlines how developers should handle file and stream input/output, recommending the TCastleTextReader class for reading text and the Download function for retrieving data from URLs, local files, HTTP/HTTPS, Android assets, and game data directories via castle-data:/ URLs. It also covers container options in Object Pascal, noting three generics libraries available in FPC—Generics.Collections, FGL, and GVector—and recommending Generics.Collections for its efficiency, feature set, and compatibility with Delphi.
German outlet PC Games Hardware tested Lisuan Tech's LX 7G100 four months after launch and multiple driver updates, finding its performance essentially unchanged. The Chinese GPU roughly matches AMD's nine-year-old Radeon RX 580, trails the seven-year-old GeForce RTX 2060 by up to 35%, and delivers only about a third of the performance of Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5060.
Microsoft filed a patent in June describing a generative AI system that would adjust a game's content based on how an individual player explores, interacts with characters, and reacts—potentially even using facial expression tracking. The system could generate new quests, lore, or NPCs around areas a player favors, remove less-engaging content, and decide whether to fold AI-generated material into the main storyline.
According to The Mobile Report, T-Mobile is preparing to add new subscriber perks that could include Apple Music, YouTube, SiriusXM, Paramount Plus, ESPN Plus, Xbox Game Pass, Google AI, and DoorDash's DashPass. The launch was originally expected on September 23 but has reportedly been delayed to October 1, and T-Mobile has not officially confirmed the plans.
A researcher at the University of Groningen's ENTEG Institute has published an analysis examining the chemistry behind grog, the fictional corrosive drink from the 1990 adventure game The Secret of Monkey Island. The study looks at whether a beverage made from the game's listed ingredients—including sulfuric acid, battery acid and rum—could plausibly dissolve a metal mug and lock as quickly as depicted in the puzzle-based gameplay.
Microsoft's KB5124010 update, pushed to Windows 11's stable channel this week after appearing in the Release Preview channel, is causing crashes in games protected by the Javelin anti-cheat system, including Battlefield 6 and Wardogs. Players report the games crash within seconds of launch with little or no error information, though Wardogs users see a WD-L020 error code. Uninstalling the update has been the only workaround confirmed by affected players and, for Wardogs, by a Team17 representative.
Modern chess engines can defeat the world's best grandmasters, but researchers note they still cannot converge on one definitive, infallible way to play the game. Rather than making chess feel 'solved' or stale, these AI systems are reportedly revealing new strategic ideas and approaches to the game.
Nintendo's ongoing "Customer Appreciation" sale, running through September 26th, has dropped the digital price of Metroid Prime Remastered for Switch and Switch 2 to $27.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, down from a physical retail price of about $42. The sale also includes the Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective hardcover book, cut from $49.99 to $28.50 at Amazon and Walmart.
Volkswagen is integrating AirConsole, a gaming platform developed by N-Dream, into infotainment screens on 2027 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, Tiguan, Golf GTI, Golf R and ID vehicles. The 20-title lineup includes Tetris, Pac-Man Championship Edition and Uno Car Party, with phones serving as wireless controllers and gameplay restricted to when the car is parked.