SK Hynix has unveiled ambitious High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) roadmaps at SEMICON Korea 2024. Vice President Kim Chun-hwan announced plans to mass produce the cutting-edge HBM3E within the first half of 2024, touting 8-layer stack samples already supplied to clients. This iteration makes major strides towards fulfilling surging data bandwidth demands, offering 1.2 TB/s per stack and 7.2 TB/s in a 6-stack configuration. VP Kim Chun-hwan cites the rapid emergence of generative AI, forecasted for 35% CAGR, as a key driver. He warns that "fierce survival competition" lies ahead across the semiconductor industry amidst rising customer expectations. With limits approaching on conventional process node shrinks, attention is shifting to next-generation memory architectures and materials to unleash performance.

SK Hynix has already initiated HBM4 development for sampling in 2025 and mass production the following year. According to Micron, HBM4 will leverage a wider 2048-bit interface compared to previous HBM generations to increase per-stack theoretical peak memory bandwidth to over 1.5 TB/s. To achieve these high bandwidths while maintaining reasonable power consumption, HBM4 is targeting a data transfer rate of around 6 GT/s. The wider interface and 6 GT/s speeds allow HBM4 to push bandwidth boundaries significantly compared to prior HBM versions, fueling the need for high-performance computing and AI workloads. But power efficiency is carefully balanced by avoiding impractically high transfer rates. Additionally, Samsung is aligned on a similar 2025/2026 timeline. Beyond pushing bandwidth boundaries, custom HBM solutions will become increasingly crucial. Samsung executive Jaejune Kim reveals that over half its HBM volume already comprises specialized products. Further tailoring HBM4 to individual client needs through logic integration presents an opportunity to cement leadership. As AI workloads evolve at breakneck speeds, memory innovation must keep pace. With HBM3E prepping for launch and HBM4 in the plan, SK Hynix and Samsung are gearing up for the challenges ahead.

Hi everyone, I'm Samar, Associate Game Director at Vertigo Games. We couldn't be more excited to reveal our next project, Metro Awakening, during today's State of Play. We're proud to say that, with the support of Deep Silver, for the last two and a half years we've been working to bring the post-apocalyptic world of Metro to PS VR2, Meta Quest 2+3 and Steam VR 2024. The best video games take us out of our world by putting us in the boots of someone else. They let us experience that world through their eyes. The Metro series continually strives to achieve this. Inspired by the internationally best-selling novels by Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro 2033, Metro: Last Light, and Metro Exodus delivered immersive first-person experiences at release. These games put players in the heart of a desperate battle for survival after nuclear Armageddon. Metro Awakening is an all-new Metro game made exclusively for VR, and powered by the immersive features of PS VR2 and its Sense controllers.

It's an origins story, set before the events of Metro 2033, that both offers a whole new angle for Metro fans, and a fantastic starting point for seasoned VR players ready to put on the gas mask. Set in 2028, the all-new story is penned by series creator Dmitry Glukhovsky. You play as Serdar, a doctor searching for his wife amongst the claustrophobic, irradiated metro tunnels of post-apocalyptic Moscow. As Serdar ventures deeper into the Metro his courage and sanity will be tested by the supernatural forces he encounters, and will set in motion the events that lead to his spiritual awakening as something else entirely…

It's a new year and a time to reset, reflect and think about what the next few months has in store. Here on the Age of Empires team, we've got a LOT lined up for 2024. Instead of trying to summarize it in a lengthy blog post, we decided to make a show of it! We're excited to announce the "New Year, New Age" livestream on February 23rd at 10:00 am PT (1:00 pm ET / 18:00 UTC).

With so much to come in 2024, we want to show our players around the world what to expect from the Age of Empires franchise this year. We'll be revealing more information on some of our most anticipated titles for 2024 - so expect to see a sneak peek of Age of Mythology: Retold and a first look at Age of Empires Mobile. If you're eager to know what's next for our games already in your library, don't worry, we'll have updates for those titles too.

Bungie has announced its new collaboration with EA and BioWare to allow Guardians to join the crew of the Normandy with new cosmetics and in-game items, launching February 13, 2024. The Normandy Crew Bundle will be available at the Eververse store in-game and will include a Commander Shepard-inspired N7 armor set for Titans, a Garrus-inspired Vakarian set for Hunters, and a Liara-inspired Shadow Broker set for Warlocks. In celebration of the partnership, all players will be able to claim the Alliance Requisitions Bundle, including the Enhanced Defense Ghost Shell, Alliance Scout Frigate ship, and Alliance Drop Ship Sparrow, which will be available at no cost. Players can also get the Omni Strike finisher and Flux Dance emote for Silver.

Now released in Destiny 2, Riven's Wishes are new weekly quests open to all players from January 30 until March 12. During this period, Guardians will be tasked with completing a pursuit each week to earn a token redeemable for a treasure trove of rewards. Choose from the Wish for Strength to earn Last Wish raid Deepsight weapons, Wish for Protection to armor up with Exotic gear from the Lightfall year, or Wish for Beauty to collect event mementos and essential Ascendant crafting materials.

Specifications for NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB GPU leaked midway through the month—fueling further speculation about cutdown Ampere cards hitting retail outlets within the first quarter of 2024. The super budget-friendly alternative to existing GeForce RTX 3050 8 GB graphics card models is tipped to be weakened in many areas (not just a reduction in memory capacity)—according to the last set of leaks: "performance could lag behind the (two years old) RTX 3050 8 GB SKU by up to 25%, making it weaker competition even for AMD's budget Radeon RX 6500 XT."

ComputerBase.de has uncovered an interesting E-Tec shop listing—now removed thanks to global news coverage—MSI is likely preparing a 6 GB variant of its RTX 3050 VENTUS 2X OC design. A screenshot of the Austrian e-tailer's listing has been preserved and circulated—leaked pricing was €245.15, while the model's manufacturer code is V812-015R. A Google search of the latter generates a number of hits—we see information that aligns with TPU's database entry. Specification sheets probably originate from distributors, so are subject to change closer to launch time. VideoCardz points out that a 130 W TDP has appeared online, although some older leaks indicate that the MSI part is targeting NVIDIA's alleged reference figure of 70 W.

Samsung Electronics today at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2024 in Barcelona is showcasing how SmartThings will bolster its B2B displays to shape the future of business connectivity. Samsung's "SmartThings for Business" exhibition emphasizes the new advancements that the cutting-edge internet-of-things (IoT) platform will offer, as well as Samsung's commitment to providing more connected, easy-to-control digital signage across industries. "In a commercial display sector where operational efficiency is key, Samsung digital signage is leveraging SmartThings to deliver next-gen connectivity and features to organizations of all sizes," said SW Yong, President and Head of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. "This further expansion of the SmartThings ecosystem will serve to elevate experiences for customers and partners from a wide variety of industries."

How Businesses Can Leverage Connected Tech Through SmartThings—From the Smart Store to Smart Office
At the event, Samsung is showcasing how SmartThings enables business owners to leverage their digital signage to connect and gain more control of their smart devices across various landscapes. By offering the SmartThings connectivity feature to commercial display products such as Smart Signage and Hotel TVs, users can experience the convenience of hyper-connectivity in their business environments. These changes will include Samsung smart devices, as well as other devices that support the industry's latest IoT specifications, Matter and the Home Connectivity Alliance (HCA). Through the application of SmartThings to various business environments, Samsung contributes to the more efficient management of space and energy by transforming places of business into interconnected smart spaces. These connectivity improvements have been designed to benefit all types of business customers, from small and mid-sized business owners to enterprises. Examples of the smart spaces—including a smart store, smart office and smart hotel—are on display at Samsung's booth at ISE 2024.

Hi everyone, 2024 has just begun and it's time for our very first State of Play! The broadcast will be over 40 minutes long, and feature guest appearances from some of the most talented minds in gaming. Among many other updates, we'll feature extended looks at Stellar Blade and Rise of the Ronin, two great games coming to PS5 this year. And we'll give you a new look at other titles coming to PS5 and PS VR2 in 2024 and beyond. The show begins Wednesday, January 31 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 10pm GMT on YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok. Here's to a new year of great games!

Regarding Co-streaming and Video-On-Demand (VOD)
Please note that this broadcast may include copyrighted content (e.g. licensed music) that PlayStation does not control. We welcome and celebrate our amazing co-streamers and creators, but licensing agreements outside our control could interfere with co-streams or VOD archives of this broadcast. If you're planning to save this broadcast as a VOD to create recap videos, or to repost clips or segments from the show, we advise omitting any copyrighted music.

With his long silver hair, enormous odachi blade and epic theme song composed by legendary Nobuo Uematsu himself - Sephiroth is one of the most recognizable antagonists in RPG's history. The one-winged angel debuted in the original Final Fantasy VII in 1997 as a once-loved war hero and first-class SOLDIER who descended into madness and promised to destroy the planet upon learning of his unnatural creation. But there is much more to Sephiroth than just that. In Final Fantasy VII Remake, Sephiroth appears sporadically, mainly as a haunting memory, as the story focuses on Cloud and his friends trying to stop the evil corporation Shinra from killing the planet by using its life essence, mako, as an energy source.

In the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, however, we will see Sephiroth in his full glory. We asked Producer Yoshinori Kitase to discuss reimagining this iconic character in the Remakes: "The story in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth starts after the team has escaped Midgar and continues all the way up to the Forgotten Capital. In the original game, Sephiroth barely appeared during this section, but in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, he is the driving force that pulls the story along to fill that void. He is depicted in even more depth than in the original game, and I think this makes him an even more charismatic and appealing antagonist than before."

AMD's Ryzen 7040 "Phoenix" mobile APUs debuted last year with Ryzen AI capabilities (via onboard Xilinx IP), thanks to the fitting of an on-board NPU—Team Red's first generation XDNA AI Engine received immediate support on Windows platforms. Naturally, Linux users expressed frustration about being left out in the cold—later on in the year, AMD put some feelers out (as reported by Phoronix), and gauged interest in a potential Linux deployment of Ryzen AI. Fast forward to January 2024, we see movement with an initial release on open platforms—according to Michael Larabel's latest article: "More than 1,000 requests for Linux support were logged following that October statement and since then I've been hearing quietly of AMD working on Linux support... Well, there's now an open-source but currently out-of-tree driver available. "

AMD's GitHub has been updated with the "first public code drop of the XDNA Linux driver." According to System Requirements, the entry point "to run AI applications (test machine) on an Ryzen AI processor" is Phoenix silicon, as expected. Ryzen 8040 "Hawk Point" is presumably on the support list, since it shares the same basic underpinnings—albeit with greater NPU performance. One of AMD's GitHub authors has teased that "Strix" will also be supported in the future—second generation XDNA NPUs are expected to drop later this year. Targets for GFX1150 and GFX1151 were uncovered earlier this week—"Strix Point" and "Strix Point Halo" (respectively) are codenames for next generation Team Red APUs.

Techlusive India has reported an exclusive announcement—courtesy of ASUS India's Arnold Su—the interviewee bears an elaborate and long job title: Vice President of Consumer and Gaming PC System Business Group. The wider discussion explores the region's gaming market conditions, although Su dropped a bombshell when discussing his company's current generation handheld gaming computer. The ASUS ROG Ally rolled out midway through 2023, as one of the first mainstream Windows 11 handheld gaming PCs. Competition in this market segment has ramped up significantly since then—Lenovo's Legion Go arrived last autumn, Valve's Steam Deck OLED refresh followed two months later, and MSI unveiled its Intel Meteor Lake-powered Claw at CES 2024.

Valve is not rushing out a proper next generation Steam Deck anytime soon—an urgent or immediate response to a lot of new competition is not necessary. An MSI representative revealed to gaming news media outlets (at CES 2024) that a Claw 2 model is already in the development pipeline. ASUS appears ready to launch new handheld hardware within a relatively short period—ASUS India's VP stated: "we most likely will launch a second generation (ROG Ally) this year. We will still keep the Windows (11) features, but we will focus more on gaming." He also revealed that original Ally models have sold "around 70,000 - 80,000 units" since the launch date in India—Techlusive labels this as a promising and "kind" response. Su's analysis of recent regional sales figures shows a trend of gaming branded laptops outpacing traditional desktop, in terms of adoption rates.

Earlier today, Bloomberg published a report that covers expert analysis of the Nintendo Switch successor's alleged display credentials. The media outlet cites claims made by Hiroshi Hayase—Research Manager (of Small Medium Displays) at Omdia. The analyst proposes that Nintendo's hardware design team has selected an eight inch LCD screen for their "Switch 2" games console, he also believes that the launch model is due at some point this year. Hayase-san has gleaned information from supply chain insiders—the Switch successor could double shipments of entertainment-oriented "small displays." Sharp Corporation is believed to be Nintendo's main supplier, according to interpretations of deliberately vague company statements.

Nintendo's 2017 launch model sported a 6.2-inch LCD display, a more portable Lite version arrived in 2019 with a 5.5-inch display, and a larger 7-inch OLED iteration was released back in 2021. Gaming communities have long speculated about an abandoned "Switch Pro" model—many believe that the project was dropped due to ongoing supply chain problems during lockdown periods. The Switch OLED (plus its modernized dock station) is believed to be an interim gap fill. Nintendo has revealed little about their next generation gaming console, but development partners have been making some noise lately. According to a 4Gamer.net interview article, workers at Japanese studios (CAPCOM, Koei Tecmo, and Spike Chunsoft) have expressed major excitement about the upcoming model's prospects. GDC's 2024 State of the Game Industry report revealed that 240 respondents have admitted that they are actively working on Switch 2 games software.

MSI presented a massive table of GeForce RTX 40 SUPER series custom design graphics cards at CES 2024—TPU spent a lot of time photographing and documenting everything GPU-related at the tech company's booth. The kind-of mysterious GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 16G EXPERT model seemed to get a lot of attention from online PC hardware communities. The brand new and very substantial EXPERT shroud design integrates a Zero Frozr cooling solution, but folks were quick to link its aesthetic (and vapor chamber setup) to NVIDIA's dual fan Founders Edition cooling solution. MSI has not yet published a dedicated GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 16G EXPERT product page, while all of the other models from CES are uploaded and active.

A tipster on social media has posted a screenshot of the 16G EXPERT's specification sheet—wxnod has uncovered alleged factory settings ahead of review and launch day embargos, although pricing is still unknown at the time of writing. The leaked core figures include a boost clock of 2610 MHz in GAMING and SILENT modes (60 MHz above reference), while the MSI Center software suite can activate an Extreme Performance mode: 2625 MHz. These figures align with the SUPER SUPRIM model's core clock specs—the SUPRIM X sits above everything else as the fastest card in MSI's RTX 4080 SUPER stable. MSI's official introduction stated that the 16G EXPERT: "features a push-pull airflow design for enhanced cooling efficiency. The enclosure is constructed with aluminium Die-Casting for structural strength, while Core Pipe and a Vapor Chamber work to efficiently dissipate heat. Lastly, a patented fan design provides quiet yet reliable airflow." We hope to see the MSI GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 16G EXPERT's addition to the TPU GPU database.

Starfield is the first new universe in over 25 years from the award-winning creators behind Skyrim and Fallout 4, Bethesda Game Studios. Gamers from around the world were excited to jump into this interstellar universe rich with adventure, peril, and excitement. But before anyone hops into space, they need something critical: a spacesuit. So, Xbox has partnered up with the European Space Agency (ESA) to give Starfield fans around the world a chance to win the spacesuit of their dreams, in real life, in addition to other incredible Xbox prizes. This is a physical, wearable, one-of-a-kind garment, fabricated for the most intrepid explorers.

Whether using a provided template as a base, or pushing their imagination to the limit with any creative format of their choice, fans will be asked to provide both a visual illustration of the suit from all sides—hand-drawn, 3D-rendered, or however their vision sees fit—as well as a description of the inspiration of the suit. More specifically, Xbox, Bethesda and the ESA want to know what you would wear in outer space - how would your spacesuit reflect your personal style, individuality and vision for space travel?

Until Dawn, an interactive drama horror game, arrived back in 2015 as an exclusive on Sony's PlayStation 4 console—France's Dealabs Magazine believes that updated versions are due for release on PC and PlayStation 5 platforms. One of the site's editors, billbil-kun, is well known for sniffing out insider information—mostly originating from publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment. The latest claims include the hunch that "several PlayStation exclusives were being prepared for an upcoming arrival on PC." It is not clear whether (original developer) Supermassive Games is involved in Until Dawn's current generation refresh, but he expressed confidence in a non-specific team undertaking "development for at least a year." The Quarry, a Supermassive Games-developed title, is often regarded as Until Dawn's spiritual successor—the British studio partnered up with publisher 2K Games for a 2022 multi-platform release.

Sony often turns to (internal studio) Nixxes Software B.V. for major IP conversions and ports—billbil-kun reckons that the Dutch outfit is working on a modernized "Demon's Souls or Ghost of Tsushima" project. Sony's Until Dawn IP is expanding into film, as announced yesterday, so it would make sense to generate renewed interest with upgraded versions on the popular PlayStation 5 console, as well as an introduction to gaming audiences on PC. The French tipster believes that Sony will start teasing the new version of Until Dawn next month, but he cannot confirm whether the development team is working on a simple remaster of a full remake: "If we refer to the title of this new version (simply: Until Dawn), we can imagine that it will perhaps and only be a graphical improvement of the game using the latest graphical advances on PS5 as well as on PC. We can therefore decide, without risking being mistaken, that it will be at least a remastered version."

This GFN Thursday levels up PC gaming on mobile with higher-resolution support on Android devices. This week also brings 10 new games to the GeForce NOW library, including Enshrouded. Pixel Perfect—GeForce NOW transforms nearly any device into a high-powered PC gaming rig, and members streaming on Android can now access that power from the palms of their hands. The GeForce NOW Android app, rolling out now to members, unlocks a new level of visual quality for Ultimate members gaming on mobile, with improved support for streaming up to 1440p resolution at 120 frames per second.

Explore the vibrant neon landscapes of Cyberpunk 2077, stream triple-A titles like Baldur's Gate 3 and Monster Hunter: World, and play the latest releases in the cloud, including Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Exoprimal—all on the go with higher resolutions for more immersive gameplay. Ultimate members can stream these and over 1,800 titles from the GeForce NOW library on select 120 Hz Android phones and tablets at pixel-perfect quality. Plus, they can take gameplay even further with eight-hour sessions and tap GeForce RTX 4080-powered servers for faster access to their gaming libraries. Sign up for an Ultimate membership today and check out this article for more details on how to set up Android devices for PC gaming on the go.

Today, The Khronos Group, an open consortium of industry-leading companies creating advanced interoperability standards, announced the latest roadmap milestone for Vulkan, the cross-platform 3D graphics and compute API. The Vulkan roadmap targets the "immersive graphics" market, made up of mid- to high-end smartphones, tablets, laptops, consoles, and desktop devices. The Vulkan Roadmap 2024 milestone captures a set of capabilities that are expected to be supported in new products for that market, beginning in 2024. The roadmap specification provides a significant increase in functionality for the targeted devices and sets the evolutionary direction of the API, including both new hardware capabilities and improvements to the programming model for Vulkan developers.

Vulkan Roadmap 2024 is the second milestone release on the Vulkan Roadmap. Products that support it must be Vulkan 1.3 conformant and support the extensions and capabilities defined in both the 2022 and 2024 Roadmap specifications. Vulkan roadmap specifications use the Vulkan Profile mechanism to help developers build portable Vulkan applications; roadmap requirements are expressed in machine-readable JSON files, and tooling in the Vulkan SDK auto-generates code that makes it easy for developers to query for and enable profile support in their applications.

Box Limited, a popular PC and electronic retailer in the United Kingdom, has ceased doing business—this follows insider reports of Box Ltd. filing for administration last week. A few days ago, the company's web store was updated with a front page announcement that confirmed a total cessation of operations. The online store is still semi-functional (at the time of writing)—you can add items to your basket, but the checkout process automatically kicks you back to the site's main page. UK publication, eTeknix, had the inside track on Box's troubles—despite a very buoyant 2023: "Box Limited is one of the biggest PC and tech retailers in the UK, or at least… we thought they were. When Tactus bought them out last year for £100 million, it seemed like things were only on the up for Box, but according to our sources, things are looking pretty bleak for the UK retailer."

Last week's article elaborated further on problems behind-the-scenes: "Firstly, Box may be owned by Tactus, but are currently being sued by their new owner for £18 million because they had allegedly over-inflated their value before they were bought out. That's a big no-no in the business world, obviously, and while I cannot confirm if that is true or not, as that's a matter for the courts to decide, it's fairly safe to assume that it has some bearing on their more recent predicament...Sources close to us, whom we cannot disclose, have informed us that Box Limited has submitted an administration application. Further sources have indicated to distributors of various hardware that "box is end of life" and that their insurance companies are recommending they do not send products to Box Limited. No point sending hardware to them if they're going into administration, as you would just be throwing money away… not a good business move." The Tactus Group has a pretty large portfolio of UK retail presences, including: Chillblast, Horizon, Geo, and CCL Computers. The loss of Box.co.uk is certainly going to sting (following last year's £100 million investment) since their acquisition also covered several brick and mortar shops located in the UK Midlands.

Awaken, Flameborn! Enshrouded is finally OUT and available in Early Access! The realm of Embervale has been engulfed by the Shroud a long time ago, and has ever since been waiting for a hero. Or up to 16 heroes. We started this project 4 years ago with the idea of an adventure and survival game set in a world split between light and darkness. A world that players could appropriate and make theirs, to build fortresses and homes, go on adventures, explore, and everything else in-between. We could never have expected the response and the level of enthusiasm we've seen from all of you! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Enshrouded is the most ambitious game we've ever made, set in the most expansive world we've ever created. We chose Early Access because we wanted to get the community's input to help us steer our vision of the game, and make Enshrouded the best game it can be.

Since the Steam Next Fest Demo, we've been hard at work adding more and more content, polishing the game, optimizing performance and fixing issues. Ensuring that everyone can play Enshrouded in the best conditions will be our main focus for the upcoming weeks, so if you have any problems or feedback, press F1 in-game and select the appropriate option. In its current state, Enshrouded should already offer you and your friends many, many hours of fun, and we hope that you stick around in the community to help us make reclaiming Embervale an experience you'll think about for years to come.

Get ready to embark on a thrilling scientific adventure in Expeditions: A MudRunner Game. Saber Interactive, the renowned studio behind MudRunner and SnowRunner, has revealed an exciting new trailer that gives an overview of all the ways to overcome the immense wilderness awaiting you on March 5, 2024 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. To overcome all the challenges, select carefully the tools that will accompany you. Each successful mission also earns you a sum of money, which you can invest in new, even more efficient vehicles, or in a wide range of parts to improve them. Be forward-thinking and creative!

Pre-order the Supreme Edition, Year 1 Edition, or Standard Edition now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Steam or Epic Games Store for exclusive content. For more information, visit the official Focus Store page. Players getting the Supreme Edition or the Year 1 Edition will be able to play ahead of the release on March 1st.Embark on scientific expeditions with this new off-road adventure from the creators of MudRunner and SnowRunner. Lead research missions as you drive a variety of all-terrain vehicles, using high-tech tools and managing your camp and crew to ensure your success in the wild.

MediaTek revealed its (now current generation) flagship Dimensity 9300 flagship mobile processor last November, but we are already hearing about its successor's foundation. Digital Chat Station published some early insights on their Weibo micro-blog—the tipster appears to have an inside track at MediaTek's system-on-chip R&D department. The imaginatively named "Dimensity 9400" chipset is reportedly earmarked for mass production chez TSMC, with the foundry's second generation 3 Nm process being the favored node—this information aligns with official announcements as well as industry rumors from last autumn. MediaTek's Dimensity 9300 sports a "one-of-a-kind All Big Core design," with no provision for puny efficiency units—built on TSMC's third generation 4 nm process with four ARM Cortex-X4 cores (going up to 3.25 GHz) and four Cortex-A720 cores (maximum 2.0 GHz).

Digital Chat Station reckons that the 9300's All Big Core configuration will carryover to its next generation sibling, albeit with some major upgrades. MediaTek hardware engineers are alleged to have selected ARM's latest and greatest CPU and Mali GPU designs—the Cortex-X5 core could be a prime candidate in the first category. The rumor mill has the next batch of flagship Exynos SoCs utilizing ARM's fifth generation design. Digital Chat Station proposes that more smartphone manufacturers could adopt a top-flight Dimensity 2024 chip, if its performance can match the closest rivals. Industry experts posit both MediaTek and Qualcomm choosing TSMC's N3E process for their upcoming flagship chipsets—this node apparently "offers improved cost-effectiveness and superior yields" when compared to the first generation N3B process (as ordered by Apple for its latest M and B-series SoCs). Dimensity 9400 is expected to take on Snapdragon 8 Gen 4—this could be a tough fight, given that Qualcomm's offering is set to debut with custom Oryon cores.

Colorful has prepared a small selection of custom GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and GeForce RTX 4060 (non-Ti) graphics cards in celebration of the Chinese New Year (February 24). Its high-end iGame Series has been updated with "Loong Edition" models—all of these cards are overclocked straight out of the factory. The Colorful English language site has sub-brand product entries for a GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB option, as well as the usual GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB, plus GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB cards. 2024's zodiac animal is the Wood Dragon, so Colorful has adorned their limited edition "Loong" cards with this fearsome yet wise mythical creature—the graphic spreads across shrouds and backplates, and even features prominently on the special iGame packaging/outer box.

Colorful has a history of producing iGame Series GeForce RTX graphics with different designs—the standard "Ultra White" cooling solution design has been updated a few times in the recent past (as reported by VideoCardz). Referring to TPU's well maintained GPU database, we see the latest "Year of the Dragon" models joining the already established ranks of last year's "Wushan Five Elements Customized Editions" and iGame RTX 4060 Ti "Fog Hill of Five Elements" Customized Edition OC (in collaboration with Samsara Animation Studio). The Colorful iGame Loong Edition cards have prices listed at 3799 RMB (~$536) for the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB option, 3449 RMB (~$487) for the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB, and 2699 RMB (~$381) for the GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB. Sales are region restricted to China—this is Colorful's modus operandi, so buyers outside of China will have to jump through a few extra import hoops.

Reuters has conducted an interview with Adam Badowski and Michał Nowakowski—Joint Chief Executive Officers at CD Projekt. The news agency wanted to find out more about the current roster of projects in development across the Polish gaming group's globally-scattered studios. The Boston branch of CD Projekt Red has started work on a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel—codenamed "Orion"—as revealed by Igor Sarzyńsk (Narrative Director) earlier this month. The sequel's scope could grow beyond a single-player campaign—Nowakowski mentioned in the Reuters interview that multiplayer elements are under consideration by "Orion's" design team, but he declined to elaborate any further. CD Projekt Red downed tools on Cyberpunk 2077's multiplayer aspect around launch time (December 2020), and instead focused on improving the game's core functionality. A "triple-A" multiplayer spin-off was teased a few years ago, but abandoned at some point in favor of a new "more systematic, agile approach."

Badowski stated that "Orion" is still in a conceptual phase of development, and its team is expected to grow over the course of 2024—he anticipates around eighty members of staff by the end of the year. The North American team appears to be on a recruitment drive, while the European "Orion" gang is not expected to expand as quickly. The priority for CD Projekt's Warsaw studio is "Polaris" AKA the next mainline Witcher title—Badowski elaborated on their hiring goals in Poland: "we'd like to have around 400 people working on the project by the middle of the year." The joint-CEOs want "Polaris" entering into a full production stage in 2024—industry analysts predict a 2026 or 2027 launch window. Reuters brought up the obligatory question about artificial intelligence's place in CDPR operations—Nowakowski responded with: "We think that AI is something that can help improve certain processes in game production, but not replace people." When grilled about lessons learned from launch day disasters, Badowski stated that his company's production pipelines have undergone a positive overhaul: "We believe that in the future we'll avoid a premiere like the one we faced with Cyberpunk 2077"

EdgeCortix, the Japan-based fabless semiconductor company focused on energy-efficient AI processing, predicts that 2024 is set to be a watershed moment for Edge AI. Through its predictions for the year, EdgeCortix believes that Edge AI landscape will be transformed during this exciting year for the industry. Next-gen AI chips, hybrid edge-cloud architectures, software supremacy and the rise of new generative-AI applications "at the edge," will revolutionize the world of business as we know it.

1. Next-Gen efficient Edge AI Chips will break barriers:
Prepare for a hardware uprising! EdgeCortix foresees next-gen energy-efficient AI chips that not only break the barriers of processing power but redefine them. These chips are not just powerful; they are customized for multi-modal generative AI and efficient language models, enabling cutting-edge AI capabilities at low power for a whole new spectrum of applications.

At the recent Xbox Developer_Direct 2024 broadcast, Obsidian Entertainment shared its most comprehensive look yet at its upcoming fantasy-action RPG, Avowed. But even that only scratched at the surface of what's coming your way this fall. On today's special episode of The Official Xbox Podcast, Avowed Game Director Carrie Patel and Gameplay Director Gabe Paramo shared an extended look at the quest showcased during Developer_Direct, providing more detail on the moment-to-moment experience of the flexible combat system, and where this side quest fits in the larger narrative of Avowed.

This latest look at Avowed gives us a good idea of what to expect from Shatterscarp, one part of the ecologically diverse island of The Living Lands, all in the same universe as Obsidian's CRPG series Pillars of Eternity. But what makes Avowed a very 'Obsidian game' goes far beyond the commonality of setting in the world of Eora. "It's really about our player-centric approach to role play," Patel shared during this week's Podcast. "The way we really approach consequence and choice is giving players the opportunities to define who they are in this world, how they want to behave - what fantasy, what challenges they want to undertake." It's all part of Obsidian's "your worlds, your way" approach, and players will feel the weight of their choices moment-to-moment with every slash, parry, and spell cast.

Video interface and IP workflow innovator Magewell has announced that the company has joined the Q-SYS Technology Partner Program. This program enables software and hardware technology partners to create market-ready solutions that integrate seamlessly with Q-SYS, a cloud-manageable audio, video and control platform. The first result of the initiative—the Q-SYS Control plugin for Magewell's USB Fusion video capture, mixing and presentation device—has been endorsed with Q-SYS Certified status and is now available for download through the Q-SYS Designer Asset Manager found in Q-SYS Designer Software.

Magewell will showcase USB Fusion among other innovations in stand 5E710 at the ISE 2024 exhibition in Barcelona from January 30 to February 2. Magewell's USB Fusion hardware and accompanying app let users easily combine cameras, wired or wireless screenshares, and media file sources into visually compelling live presentations for streaming, live event production, online lectures, webinars, video conferencing and other applications. Users can switch between sources or combine inputs into attractive scene layouts.