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Tech News
Windows 11 includes an Xbox mode feature that replaces the desktop with a full-screen, console-like gaming interface, though it isn't enabled by default. Users can turn it on and access it through Settings, keyboard shortcuts like Win + F11, the Game Bar, or the Xbox app, and can exit back to the desktop just as easily.
A new open-source project has produced a complete, byte-identical decompilation of the November 2004 debug prototype of Resident Evil 4 for GameCube, covering the main executable and all 114 overlay modules. The repository includes roughly 555,000 lines of reconstructed C/C++ code and 33,000 lines of headers, but no original game assets or disc data—users must supply their own dumped disc images to build and verify the match.
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers has established viewing distance recommendations tied to screen size and field of view. Its standard 30-degree rule suggests sitting about 1.6 times a TV's diagonal size away for general viewing, while a 40-degree rule (1.2 times diagonal) offers a more immersive experience, and a 62-degree rule caters to those wanting an extreme, theater-like setup.
A new adaptation of the 'Resident Evil' franchise directed by Zach Cregger has released, prompting an open discussion among viewers about its quality. Reactions appear divided, with some praising the take and others expressing disappointment.
A UX designer describes an eight-week collaboration with Raph Koster, author of 'A Theory of Fun,' to study how video game design principles could inform app UX beyond traditional gamification tactics like achievements. The piece explores the initial tension between game design's use of 'juicy' visual feedback and tension-building mechanics versus UX design's typical goal of minimalism and simplicity.
Kojima Productions has publicly disputed reports suggesting the studio is struggling financially or facing project cuts. Founder Hideo Kojima acknowledged the broader industry turmoil of closures and cancellations but insisted his upcoming project, Physint, remained stable and unaffected until recent speculation caused concern.
On this date in 2018, Nvidia released the GeForce RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti, the first consumer GPUs built on the Turing architecture with dedicated hardware for real-time ray tracing. CEO Jensen Huang touted the launch as ushering in a new era of graphical realism, though the mainstream RTX 2070 didn't arrive until October and few games initially supported the new capability. The RTX 2080 outperformed the previous-generation GTX 1080 Ti but launched at a higher price of $799 for the Founders Edition.
Square Enix director Naoki Hamaguchi told Video Games Chronicle at Tokyo Game Show that Final Fantasy VII Revelation could require 200GB or more of storage, exceeding a single UHD Blu-ray's 93.1GB capacity and needing an additional download of 100GB or more. He noted splitting the game across two discs would force compromises on scope or visual fidelity, and confirmed two planned DLC packs covering Vincent and Sephiroth's backstories that could push total storage to 215-220GB.
Microsoft has filed a patent for a content management system that inserts ads into games during natural downtimes, such as after boss fights, during loading screens, or in menus. The game freezes while an ad plays, and watching it grants the player a fresh block of ad-free playtime before the cycle repeats.
FunnyPlaying has released the FPGB Mini, a handheld barely bigger than a Game Boy cartridge that uses FPGA hardware to emulate Game Boy games with near-perfect accuracy. It supports both physical cartridges and ROMs via microSD, features a 2.98-inch 800x720 IPS screen, and runs on an 1800 mAh battery for four to six hours of play. The standard price is $89, though early units sold for $69.
A 192GB cache of internal Rockstar files, originally leaked in 2022, is now being combed through by fans who found a rough 2014-2015 build of a GTA VI map running inside GTA V, along with an outline for a scrapped Liberty City expansion and details on a canceled single-player DLC called Agent Trevor. The Liberty City map is only accessible through the CodeWalker editor and contains no additional content beyond its outline, while the GTA VI map fragment appears built from satellite and street-view imagery.
Microsoft has submitted a patent application, US 2026/0260258 A1, outlining a system that inserts ads into PC and console games at points the game itself flags as natural breaks—like after a boss fight, at the end of a cutscene, or during a loading screen—rather than on a fixed timer. Players would first get an ad-free window, either time-based or tied to progress, and watching an ad afterward would earn a 'credit' extending uninterrupted play.