On March 4, Grand Theft Auto V on PC is getting a free upgrade with sought-after features previously only available in the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of GTA Online—including all the latest vehicles and performance upgrades available at Hao's Special Works, animal encounters, and access to purchase a GTA+ Membership—along with improved graphics options, faster loading times, and more. All players who currently own GTAV on PC will be able to upgrade to this new version for free, with the ability to migrate your Story Mode and Online progress.

New Features on PC
Once upgraded, current PC players—along with anyone playing the game for the first time—will have access to a full suite of much-requested GTA Online upgrades previously only available on the latest consoles. This upgraded version of GTA V on PC also features all of our recent player experience improvements for GTA Online, including kernel-based anti-cheat protections and proactive voice chat moderation to help keep GTA Online fun for everyone.

GameSir is excited to introduce its latest multi-platform gaming controller, the Super Nova. The Super Nova redefines gaming comfort and precision with its noise-free, responsive controls. Featuring noise-free ABXY buttons and advanced GameSir Hall Effect sensing sticks, it ensures smooth, precise feedback while minimizing distractions. Whether you're playing on PC, Switch, Android, or iOS, the Super Nova's tri-mode connectivity and full customization options make it the perfect choice for gamers seeking a flexible, immersive experience. Available for pre-order on GameSir's official website.

The Super Nova offers versatile connectivity, working flawlessly with PC, Switch, Android, and iOS devices via Bluetooth, wired, and wireless dongle connections. It features GameSir Hall Effect sensing sticks, providing a durable lifespan of up to 5 million cycles, offering precise and responsive feedback. The anti-friction glide rings ensure super-smooth stick control, reducing stick grinding and extending usage time.

New worlds await in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog racing game—Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds—introducing a unique gameplay mechanic transporting the iconic characters from the Sonic and Sega universes into new dimensions. The newest entry to the Sonic Racing series is a Sonic game, driving game, and action game all-in-one that will offer an exciting racing experience across several modes, worlds, and more! Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is coming to PC and current generation consoles soon. Sega is sharing details on what players can expect to see in the game.

Travel Rings
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds introduces Travel Rings, a new gameplay mechanic making each race feel surprising and fresh. Travel Rings bring dramatic changes to races, transporting players from one world to a completely new location. The lead racer gets to choose the CrossWorld that all players will be transported to on the second lap, allowing the environments to come alive with various track changes. Each CrossWorld offers a theme park-like experience with surprises around every turn, including large monsters, engaging obstacles, and tracks filled with beautiful scenery.

One year on, with the teething problems a major new release inevitably brings firmly behind us, Plasma's developers have worked on fine-tuning, squashing bugs and adding features to Plasma 6—turning it into the best desktop environment for everyone! Read on to discover all the exciting new changes landing in this release…

Digital Art
We want to make Plasma the best platform for creativity, and Plasma 6.3 takes the next step in that direction by providing features that help artists optimize and customize their graphics tablets to their liking.

AI reasoning models and agents are set to transform industries, but delivering their full potential at scale requires massive compute and optimized software. The "reasoning" process involves multiple models, generating many additional tokens, and demands infrastructure with a combination of high-speed communication, memory and compute to ensure real-time, high-quality results. To meet this demand, CoreWeave has launched NVIDIA GB200 NVL72-based instances, becoming the first cloud service provider to make the NVIDIA Blackwell platform generally available. With rack-scale NVIDIA NVLink across 72 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs and 36 NVIDIA Grace CPUs, scaling to up to 110,000 GPUs with NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand networking, these instances provide the scale and performance needed to build and deploy the next generation of AI reasoning models and agents.

NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 on CoreWeave
NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 is a liquid-cooled, rack-scale solution with a 72-GPU NVLink domain, which enables the six dozen GPUs to act as a single massive GPU. NVIDIA Blackwell features many technological breakthroughs that accelerate inference token generation, boosting performance while reducing service costs. For example, fifth-generation NVLink enables 130 TB/s of GPU bandwidth in one 72-GPU NVLink domain, and the second-generation Transformer Engine enables FP4 for faster AI performance while maintaining high accuracy. CoreWeave's portfolio of managed cloud services is purpose-built for Blackwell. CoreWeave Kubernetes Service optimizes workload orchestration by exposing NVLink domain IDs, ensuring efficient scheduling within the same rack. Slurm on Kubernetes (SUNK) supports the topology block plug-in, enabling intelligent workload distribution across GB200 NVL72 racks. In addition, CoreWeave's Observability Platform provides real-time insights into NVLink performance, GPU utilization and temperatures.

The M4 Mac Mini is quite certainly a delightful little computer. Powered by Apple's widely praised M4 SoC, the 0.8-liter mini PC punches well above its weight class in both CPU and GPU benchmarks. However, for those of us who are obsessed with retro tech but still desire modern-age performance, ColorWare has introduced a limited-edition Mac mini with a customized enclosure that looks straight of the 1970s, joining the extensive list of custom Apple products, including Apple Pencil and AirPods, that the company sells at a premium.

Unsuprisingly, the internals of the Mac mini remains unchanged. ColorWare has three versions on offer, ranging from the base M4 variant with 16 GB memory and 256 GB storage, all the way to the high-end M4 Pro-equipped variant, with 24 GB memory and twice the storage. The exterior, of course, is where all the customization takes place. The Mac mini Retro is available in two colorways: Retro Light, and Retro Dark. The latter is basically black, while the former utilizes a beige theme. The Apple logo at the top of the system has been replaced with Apple's colorful logo from the tech giant's early days in the 70s, and the sides have been customized to sport CNC-milled "vents" that mimic Macs from the era, such as the Apple II.

From the very first time we were introduced to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 at last June's Xbox Games Showcase, it was clear we were witnessing something special. And, every time this incredible-looking game's debut developer, Sandfall Interactive, has dropped tantalizing glimpses of its debut game since then, hype levels among RPG enjoyers only continue to rise.

Which brings us to today's Developer_Direct, where we traveled to Montpellier, France to meet the minds behind one of the most exciting new RPGs in years, and learn more than ever before. After establishing that this surprisingly small team of creators works out of a French manor(!), the development team peeled back even more layers of their finely crafted mille feuille of an RPG, revealing delicious details on the game's emotional story, original world, how its gameplay innovates on classics of the genre. They also shared its April 24 release date; you can pre-order here and play it day one with Game Pass!

Businesses across every industry are rolling out AI services this year. For Microsoft, Oracle, Perplexity, Snap and hundreds of other leading companies, using the NVIDIA AI inference platform—a full stack comprising world-class silicon, systems and software—is the key to delivering high-throughput and low-latency inference and enabling great user experiences while lowering cost. NVIDIA's advancements in inference software optimization and the NVIDIA Hopper platform are helping industries serve the latest generative AI models, delivering excellent user experiences while optimizing total cost of ownership. The Hopper platform also helps deliver up to 15x more energy efficiency for inference workloads compared to previous generations.

AI inference is notoriously difficult, as it requires many steps to strike the right balance between throughput and user experience. But the underlying goal is simple: generate more tokens at a lower cost. Tokens represent words in a large language model (LLM) system—and with AI inference services typically charging for every million tokens generated, this goal offers the most visible return on AI investments and energy used per task. Full-stack software optimization offers the key to improving AI inference performance and achieving this goal.

Hello everyone, following the release of our PC specs for Assassin's Creed Shadows, we wanted to share additional insight directly from our tech team on the use of ray tracing in the game. Assassin's Creed Shadows features three distinct ray tracing modes on PC.

Selective Ray tracing
This mode uses ray tracing only within the Hideout portion of the game. The reason behind this, is that the Hideout allows extensive player customization at a level never seen before on Assassin's Creed. Because of that, we cannot use traditional, pre-calculated, global illumination techniques, and therefore need to adopt a real-time approach with ray tracing. In all other gameplay situations, such as in the open world, ray tracing will not be used.

GameMax, an emerging brand of PC gaming components including gaming cases and power supply units, is thrilled to announce the FN12A-N2 Series fans featuring vibrant ARGB lighting and color options between black and white to color-match your gaming PC build. The FN12A-N2 fans supports motherboard RGB sync technologies offering full customization using the motherboard's proprietary RGB software and synchronize with the rest of the PC.

Aside from the standard version, the FN12A-N2-R (Reverse) features an inverted fan blade delivering a reversed airflow. The FN12A-N2-R is perfect for mounting at the bottom and side of cases while ensuring the aesthetic side of the fan remains visible.

Norwegian browser company Opera [NASDAQ: OPRA] is unveiling the Opera GX hub, a new feature designed to blend the universes of its users' favorite games directly into the browser. Starting with the Cyberpunk 2077 hub, this new addition to Opera GX brings players closer to their favorite titles than ever before, making it possible for them to use the web while never leaving Night City. They can now browse with the full Cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack playing in the background, have webpages displayed in the dystopian Cyberpunk 2077 style, and get direct access to streams, modding guides, news from the game and much more - all within the browser.

The Cyberpunk 2077 hub in Opera GX is the first of its kind. It's a new integrated feature that connects the universe of a game with the user's browsing experience. It also gives fans access to essential game-related content and tools, making it easier for them to stay up-to-date with the game while browsing the web within a single space. This collaboration with CD PROJEKT RED is just the beginning: Opera GX will be working on more immersive game integrations in the future.

Happy New Year, and welcome to a fresh and tasty Dev Diary from the team at The Chinese Room. We are starting the year by talking about the player character, Phyre, and how you can shape their legend and add to it as you play. As you'll see below your story will start wearing rags, but will it end in riches? Seattle's fate is in your hands.—Project Creative Director Alex Skidmore

An Elder of your choosing
As our game starts, an Elder that some call the Nomad wakes up in an abandoned building in Seattle. They don't know where they are or how they got there, but they are quick to adapt - the Nomad is old, and they have survived for a long time. It is clear that they have experienced the deathlike sleep of torpor. The last they remember was a smile and a piercing pain in the chest, delivered in their Haven in Tunis at the start of the 20th century. Now they are awake. What happened to them in their long slumber, and who woke them? Why does their Blood lack the strength and power they are used to? And why is their body carved with arcane sigils?

The wait is over! Heroes of Hammerwatch II is now officially available for purchase! A massive thank you to everyone who played the demo, shared feedback, and reported issues—your incredible support and enthusiasm have been invaluable. Don't forget to drop a review and join us on Discord to keep up to date with the latest information. Now it's time to jump into the adventure!

Embark on a new adventure in Heroes of Hammerwatch II
A rogue-lite action RPG brimming with randomly generated levels, deep customization, and rich persistent progression. Battle your way through the perilous Dark Citadel, collecting powerful equipment and trinkets that unlock game-changing upgrades and abilities. This unique mix of permanent equipment in the style of action RPGs along with run-defining rewards from its rogue-lite roots results in a compelling experience where you are sure to get something new out of every run, always progressing in some way, with no two runs the same.

NC America announced today Blade & Soul NEO, the modern reinterpretation of Blade & Soul's signature fantasy universe, is coming soon to PC in North America and Europe. Featuring a beautiful visually enhanced experience, the original, well-crafted storyline, Infinite Windwalk (the "glide" ability), and a handful of enticing gameplay features, Blade & Soul NEO fulfills players' desire to re-live that pure MMO action fantasy experience they once knew.

Offering an exclusive pre-registration package, available today -- including a cosmetically enhanced character outfit, in-game currency, and more -- NC America will actively roll out new information, community activities and more on its revamped website between today and launch. Pre-register here now.

Thermaltake, a leading PC DIY brand for premium hardware solutions, is proud to announce the release of the TT RGB PLUS 3.0, an upgraded all-in-one software platform designed to enhance the TT RGB PLUS ecosystem. Building on the foundation of its predecessor, the 3.0 version introduces an optimized interface, expanded compatibility, and advanced features to provide seamless system integration and customization for PC enthusiasts. The new software update, scheduled for release in Q1 2025, supports a broader range of products, including the TS120/140 EX RGB Fans (3-Fan Pack), the Toughpower iRGB PLUS 1650 W / 1250 W Titanium, and the MAGFloe and MAGCurve AIO Liquid Coolers.

"Thermaltake's TT RGB PLUS 3.0 software takes system customization to the next level by integrating advanced functionality features and expanding product compatibility," said Kenny Lin, CEO of Thermaltake,"This upgrade reflects our commitment to empowering users with innovative tools for personalized RGB illumination, performance monitoring, and seamless system management. Whether to enhance aesthetics or optimize functionality, TT RGB PLUS 3.0 is designed to meet the diverse needs of PC enthusiasts and gamers."

"Muster the Rohirrim. Assemble the army at Dunharrow. As many men as can be found. You have two days." CTSM the Rohirrim...and we have two new keyboards. At the core of these Rohan forces are Rohan CSTM Decorative Cases, made from regal green polycarbonate and adorned with iconography from Calenardhon. Hoisting the banners of Rohan all the way to the top is our officially licensed DCD Rohan Keycap Set-rallied in here in the green Aldburg variant to match our new cases.

CSTM Construction for any Formation
Alongside our exclusive Rohan accessories is a whole cavalry's worth of enthusiast components—including Gateron switches, customizable gasket mounting, case foam, case weights, and more.

Over the past year, generative AI has transformed the way people live, work and play, enhancing everything from writing and content creation to gaming, learning and productivity. PC enthusiasts and developers are leading the charge in pushing the boundaries of this groundbreaking technology. Countless times, industry-defining technological breakthroughs have been invented in one place—a garage. This week marks the start of the RTX AI Garage series, which will offer routine content for developers and enthusiasts looking to learn more about NVIDIA NIM microservices and AI Blueprints, and how to build AI agents, creative workflow, digital human, productivity apps and more on AI PCs. Welcome to the RTX AI Garage.

This first installment spotlights announcements made earlier this week at CES, including new AI foundation models available on NVIDIA RTX AI PCs that take digital humans, content creation, productivity and development to the next level. These models—offered as NVIDIA NIM microservices—are powered by new GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs. Built on the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture, RTX 50 Series GPUs deliver up to 3,352 trillion AI operations per second of performance, 32 GB of VRAM and feature FP4 compute, doubling AI inference performance and enabling generative AI to run locally with a smaller memory footprint.

Shuttle is expanding its range of Mini-PCs with the XPC Barebone DH770 from the "XPC slim" family. The 1.3-liter PC offers powerful hardware, extensive connection options and flexible customization options for a wide range of professional applications. With support for 12th, 13th and 14th generation Intel Core processors (LGA1700) and modern DDR5 technology, the DH770 is the ideal solution for applications that require high computing power and reliability.

Outstanding performance and flexibility
The Shuttle XPC Barebone DH770 is based on the Intel H770 chipset and is compatible with the latest Intel Core processors up to the Raptor Lake-S Refresh series. With support for up to 96 GB DDR5 RAM and storage options via M.2 PCIe Gen 4 and SATA, the mini PC offers impressive performance in a compact format. Thanks to the option of operating up to four independent 4K displays simultaneously, the DH770 is ideal for demanding graphical applications, digital signage and control systems.

Thermaltake seizes the opportunity at CES 2025 to introduce its MAGFloe 360/420 Ultra ARGB Sync and MAGCurve 360 Ultra ARGB Sync AIO liquid coolers. Both series feature MagForce 2.0 Quick Magnetic Connection Design for seamless fan assembly and customizable visuals using LCD and AMOLED screens. Thermaltake's newest MAGFloe and MAGCurve AIO lineup is dedicated to PC modders, gaming enthusiasts, and professional system builders.

The MAGFloe Ultra ARGB Sync AIO Liquid Cooler series is available in 360 mm and 420 mm sizes in Black and Snow Edition. They have three SWAFAN EX ARGB Fans featuring MagForce 2.0 connectors and a swappable fan blade design for quick switching between intake or exhaust airflow directions. For customization and visuals, Thermaltake added a 3.95" Square LCD Screen with a 480 x 480 resolution and can showcase time, weather, real-time component information, personalized images, GIFs, and videos via TT RGB Plus software or the TT PlayLink mobile app.

Corsair is excited to announce the launch of the FRAME 4000D, the first PC case to feature the FRAME Modular Case System. The original 4000 Series was an incredibly successful and well-loved case, selling over two million units. Building on that legacy, this innovative system sets a new standard for customization, offering unmatched flexibility for PC builders to craft their ideal setup. The FRAME 4000D enables seamless modifications and upgrades, allowing components to be swapped, panels to be upgraded, and setups to be personalized with a variety of options.

The FRAME 4000D Series also features the Corsair InfiniRail Fan Mounting System, offering unparalleled flexibility in configuring your cooling, including support for up to 200 mm fans in the front and 140 mm in the roof. This system optimizes cooling performance by accommodating larger fans, such as iCUE LINK RX140 RGB fans, without obstructing airflow with restrictive mounting points. The FRAME 4000D supports dual 360 mm radiators, delivering robust cooling for high-performance systems. With three radiator mounting locations—front, roof, and side—and a 3D Y-Pattern front airflow panel, the case ensures efficient cooling to keep components running smoothly during demanding sessions.

Velocity Micro, the premier builder of custom high-performance desktops, laptops, and workstations, is proud to announce the launch of the MX6 chassis, a meticulously designed modular desktop mini tower built to deliver superior airflow and modern aesthetics in an ultra-compact form factor.

Crafted with Velocity Micro's signature attention to detail, the MX6 combines sleek design elements with functional engineering to set a new benchmark for custom PC enclosures. Its mesh forward construction, build friendly interior, and robust modularity make it the perfect foundation for Velocity Micro's high-performance builds tailored to gamers, creators, and professionals alike.

HYTE, a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge PC components and peripherals, announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) the reveal of Nexus 2.0, the ultimate software solution for monitoring and controlling the desktop experience. Thanks to feedback from its community of hardware enthusiasts, HYTE aims to significantly upgrade its flagship software to enhance functionality and personalization, add user-friendly features that offer full control over performance and aesthetics, and upgrade the user interface with a fresh, modern design.

OpenRGB SDK Integration & Universal Fan Control
As part of their mission to crafting a cohesive digital ecosystem, HYTE is teaming up with OpenRGB to integrate their SDK into Nexus 2.0, enabling control and synchronization of RGB lighting across over 1,800 third-party devices. The Universal Fan Control uses PWM headers on the motherboard to enable intelligent system-wide cooling across a single surface, transforming any PC into a harmonious part of any aesthetic gaming setup.

Phanteks introduces the NEXLINQ ecosystem, a next-gen solution for enhanced cooling, fan and lighting control, and refined system aesthetics. Featuring the new Linq 6 connector, NEXLINQ simplifies cable management and elevates DIY PC builds. The ecosystem includes the NEXLINQ Hub, M25 Gen 2 Fans, and Glacier One 360M25 G2 AIO Liquid CPU Cooler, delivering ultimate performance and customization. Fully compatible with the G400A chassis and future products, NEXLINQ offers a seamless, optimized setup for gamers and PC enthusiasts.

The Phanteks NEXLINQ Hub, with the Linq 6 connector and NEXLINQ App, simplifies fan and lighting control across your system. The hub streamlines connectivity, reducing cable clutter, while the app offers an intuitive interface for fine-tuning fan speeds and lighting effects. With support for CPU/GPU temperature-based fan RPM adjustments and customizable RGB effects, users can easily personalize and optimize their builds. The Phanteks M25 Gen 2 Fans boost cooling efficiency with a daisy-chained unified fan frame and Linq 6 connector, ensuring fast, clean connections and reducing cable clutter. Designed for optimal airflow, they excel at cooling radiators and heatsinks under heavy loads. With options for regular or reverse airflow, users can fine-tune thermal performance. The fans also feature integrated D-RGB lighting, delivering dynamic, infinity mirror style visual effects.

Today, NYXI officially announces the global launch of the NYXI Flexi Wireless Game Controller, designed to deliver a seamless and customizable gaming experience across multiple platforms. The NYXI Flexi stands as a strong competitor to other modular design controllers on the market, offering exceptional versatility, precision, and durability.

Customizable Gamepad Layouts
Switching between different gamepad layouts can be frustrating for multi-platform gamers. NYXI Flexi Wireless Game Controller solves this challenge with its innovative swappable components. Gamers can easily adapt the controller to their preferred style with features like swappable ABXY keycaps, interchangeable D-pad & left joystick. Whether you favor an Xbox layout, Switch button configuration, or Playstation controller joystick placement, the Flexi offers seamless customization for an unparalleled gaming experience.

Leading gaming accessories maker Turtle Beach Corporation (Nasdaq: HEAR), today introduced the ultimate weapon for competitive gamers, the all-new Victrix Pro KO Leverless Fight Stick. Turtle Beach's fully customizable Victrix Pro KO Leverless Fight Stick is officially licensed by Sony Interactive Entertainment and Microsoft to fit any fighting gamer's platform preference and play style and elevate their capabilities in a match. The Victrix Pro KO Leverless Fight Stick is designed and crafted to the highest standard with premium features and components. Hot swappable Cherry MX Speed Silver RGB switches, customizable RGB lighting, a removable aluminium top plate, and up to 16 moveable and mappable buttons give players total control over their gaming experience.

It's time to raise your rank and level up your fighting game gear with the confidence to compete at a professional level. The Victrix Pro KO Leverless Fight Stick for PlayStation is compatible with PS5 and PS4 consoles and Windows 10/11 PCs, while the Designed for Xbox version is compatible with Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10/11 PCs. The Victrix Pro KO Leverless Fight Stick is available for pre-order for $249.99/£229.99/€249.99 MSRP at www.victrixpro.com and participating retailers and launches December 13, 2024.