Samsung Electronics today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and the fiscal year 2024. The Company posted KRW 75.8 trillion in consolidated revenue and KRW 6.5 trillion in operating profit in the quarter ended December 31, 2024. For the full year, it reported KRW 300.9 trillion in annual revenue and KRW 32.7 trillion in operating profit.

Although fourth quarter revenue and operating profit decreased on a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis, annual revenue reached the second-highest on record, surpassed only in 2022. Meanwhile, operating profit was down KRW 2.7 trillion QoQ, due to soft market conditions especially for IT products, and an increase in expenditures including R&D. In the first quarter of 2025, while overall earnings improvement may be limited due to weakness in the semiconductors business, the Company aims to pursue growth through increased sales of smartphones with differentiated AI experiences, as well as premium products in the Device eXperience (DX) Division.

Earlier this week, MSI's China office admitted that it had only a limited supply of GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards available for launch day. A VideoCardz report from last night points out similar problems affecting retail channels in North America. MSI's official US store has delayed shipments of GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 cards. This announcement was extracted from a conversation conducted via Discord—between a company representative (MSI Spence) and a VideoCardz staffer (WhyCry). In full, MSI stated: "we are going to allow GeForce RTX 5090 pre-orders on January 30, at 6 AM PST—with a ship date of February 6. The GeForce RTX 5080 will be available for purchase on January 30 at 6 AM PST, with an immediate ship date of (same day) January 30. GeForce RTX 5090 pre-orders will open on January 30 at 6 AM PST, with a ship date of February 6."

Additionally, StinceBuilt has corroborated reports of newly adjusted timeframes—the custom PC builder publicly disclosed its own dealings with the NVIDIA board partner: "we're being told by the MSI Team that the MSI RTX 5090 Variants are now being pushed back until February 6th for launch. RTX 5090 Day of Launch is going to be very rough, both on the consumer retail/ecommerce side, and to all system integrators. Stock is minimal at best. Please be patient. We've confirmed this with other shops like ourselves."

MacBook Air aficionados, at least most of them, have been longing for an OLED-equipped variant for quite a while now. OLED displays, especially the tandem-style units that Apple ships with its iPad Pros, have undeniable advantages over tradition LCDs, such as a near-infinite contrast ratio, near-instant response times, and excellent color reproduction. The fear of panel burn-in does exist, although as OLED technology progresses, such fears continue to subside. That said, for those who are holding out for it, the grapevine indicates they will have to hold their horses for a while longer.

A recent report by The Elec has stated that the MacBook Air, which was previously expected to get the OLED treatment sometime in 2027, has now been delayed by another two years. As such, the MacBook Air is now not expected to boast an OLED display before 2029 at the earliest. The Elec claims that the primary cause behind the delay is the lackluster sales boost brought by the OLED upgrade to the iPad Pro lineup, which fell short of what Apple anticipated. That said, the MacBook Air will utilize "Oxide TFT" technology for its LCDs starting 2027, allowing for improved color accuracy, energy efficiency, and contrast. MacBook Pros have already utilized the technology since 2022, and are still expected to boast OLED panels by 2026.

After the fiasco surrounding the cancelled press previews and delayed upcoming launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows, it appears that Ubisoft is doing something of a redemption tour in order to garner hype for the latest installment in the Assassin's Creed franchise. Previously, news about AC Shadows's simultaneous console and Steam launch was quite positively received. Now, Ubisoft has given us a full overview of what's to come regarding the combat mechanics in Assassin's Creed Shadows. While the weapons and unit types in Shadows are certainly interesting, perhaps the most important take-away is that timing will be an important aspect to combat.

One of the most important mechanics behind Assassin's Creed Shadows's combat seems to be the character and weapon choices. The samurai, Yasuke, and the shinobi, Naoe, will supposedly come with their own versions of stealth, defensive, and offensive attacks, and each will have their own weapons, to bring some diversity to the gameplay of each character. It looks like each of the different weapon classes will be locked to either character and play style. At launch, Naoe will have three weapons to choose from, and Yasuke will have a broader selection of five weapons to choose from.

There have been a slew of changes for the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows launch, and the latest announcement out of Ubisoft promises some serious changes to the game's launch strategy. Not only will the game be delayed by almost four months, but it will now launch on PC via Steam at the same time as PS5 and Xbox consoles, and Ubisoft is apparently ditching the season pass model that it previously resorted to for major game launches.

In a previous article, we detailed the delays to Assassin's Creed Shadows, but further information was revealed in a Ubisoft trading update (PDF):

We are departing from the traditional Season Pass model. All players will be able to enjoy the game at the same time on February 14 and those who preorder the game will be granted the first expansion for free.

Ubisoft and the Assassin's Creed game franchise have had a bit of a rough time of late, with recent installments to the franchise largely having received a lukewarm or even negative reception. Now, just two months ahead of the official launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows—which is slated to revive much of the allure of some of the older Assassin's Creed games—Ubisoft is reportedly pulling out of the Tokyo Game Show and cancelling early media previews of the game.

Ubisoft Japan broke the news via a post to the company's official X account, although it doesn't reveal why it cancelled the September 26 broadcast, citing only "various circumstances" for the cancelled appearance. Alongside the cancelled Tokyo Game Show showcase, Ubisoft has also reportedly cancelled the subsequent Assassin's Creed press previews, which were scheduled for next week. The cancellation of both of these events has led fans to speculate about potential launch delays for the next Assassin's Creed game.

The $8.5 billion in CHIPS Act assistance intended for Intel from the US government is expected to be delayed due to the company's ongoing financial struggles. According to a Bloomberg report, the Department of Commerce rejected the initial allocation request, requiring Intel to meet specific objectives and complete a comprehensive due diligence process before the funds are released.

Intel has committed to remaining engaged in discussions despite the additional requirements, though it encountered regulatory and timing challenges. The terms of the funding include $8.5 billion in direct assistance to Intel, along with $11 billion in low-cost credit, and a 25 percent tax credit worth up to $100 billion for Intel's investments in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon.

In a statement for Tom's Hardware, Intel has announced a two-year warranty extension for its 13th and 14th Generation Core processors. This decision comes in response to widespread reports of crashes and instability affecting a broad range of models, from high-end flagship chips to mid-range offerings. The extension effectively increases the standard warranty period from three to five years for most boxed processors, with even the limited-edition models seeing an increase from one to three years. This move aims to reassure customers and mitigate concerns about potential long-term damage to affected chips. Intel has identified excessive voltage as the root cause of the problem, which has led to unexpected system crashes and blue screens of death (BSODs), particularly during gaming and other demanding tasks.

The company plans to release a microcode update by mid-August to prevent further degradation in unaffected processors. However, this update will not resolve issues in chips that have already experienced problems, and users with malfunctioning processors will need to seek replacements. The tech giant has faced criticism for its delayed response to the issue, which has plagued users for months. In its statement, Intel also addressed concerns about Via Oxidation, clarifying that while this separate issue was discovered in 2022, it is not the cause of the current instability problems. The company claims to have implemented fixes and enhanced screening procedures for Via Oxidation by early 2023, with affected chips reportedly removed from the supply chain by early 2024.

Samsung Electronics is delaying construction at its planned new chip factory in Taylor, Texas. The company is considering upgrading the factory to produce more advanced 2 nm chips instead of the originally planned 4 nm chips. Samsung will make a final decision on this in Q3 2024. In April, the US government provided $6.4 billion to support Samsung's $40 billion investment in Texas chip facilities, including the Taylor factory. However, reports now suggest Samsung may skip 4 nm production at Taylor altogether.

The Taylor factory was expected to open by 2026, but equipment orders have been delayed while Samsung re-evaluates the plans. This upgrade consideration comes after Samsung recently appointed a new CEO for its semiconductor business (Device Solutions Division) to focus on new growth opportunities. While Samsung's memory chip profits surged in 2024, its previous 3 nm chip was not very successful. By going straight to 2 nm in Taylor, Samsung likely aims to leapfrog competitors in advanced chip manufacturing (TSMC, and Intel plan to produce 2 nm-class chips in the US by the end of this decade).

According to the report from Volksstimme.de, Intel has delayed its Magdeburg fab construction until 2025 due to difficulties in acquiring suitable land. The company had initially planned to begin construction in 2024, but the process has been slowed significantly due to the availability of suitable land. The Magdeburg plant is a significant investment for Intel, with the company planning to invest around €30 billion in the facility. The plant is expected to create thousands of jobs and play a crucial role in the company's European expansion plans. However, the delay in construction is likely to impact these plans and may result in a longer timeline for the plant's completion.

The delay is attributed to the difficulty in finding suitable land for the plant. Intel's original plan of producing a factory on the land concluded that there was humus-rich black soil up to 40 cm in the ground, which would get removed for usage by agricultural fields in Germany. However, now the top layer of black soil, which needs to be excavated, is measured up to 90 cm in depth, which doesn't allow fab construction to start and requires the removal of the soil in order to satisfy the safety regulations. This useful soil has to be extracted first before being "contaminated" with concrete and other types of foundation soils like gravel. The state of Saxony-Anhalt postponed the construction until the required soil was removed and regulations were met. This will supposedly happen by the end of 2024, and construction will start in 2025.

Hooded Horse has announced that the early access launch of upcoming turn-based strategy game Breachway is delayed until July. The development team at Edgeflow Studio wants to take some extra time to add additional features, polish existing ones, and ensure the initial launch offering is as strong as it can be. Breachway recently had a successful run during the February 2024 edition of Steam Next Fest, becoming one of the top 50 most-played demos in an event that featured over 1,000 games and breaking the 100,000 wishlists threshold.

Hooded Horse is committed to ensuring its development partners get all the time they need to fully realize their creative visions and is proud to support its games through every twist and turn. Further information on Breachway's new release timetable will be shared at a later date. Breachway will release into early access for PC via Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store in 2024.

Construction of Intel's New Albany, Ohio fabrication site started back in late 2022—since then, a series of setbacks have caused anticipated timelines to slip. Team Blue's original plans included a 2025 opening ceremony—last month, this was amended to late 2026 or early 2027. New equipment deliveries have been affected by extreme weather conditions—Intel appears to be shoring up its flood prevention systems at their Licking County location. Ohio's Department of Development received a progress report at the start of this month, authored by Team Blue staffers—revised figures indicate that Fabrication sites 1 and 2 are expected to reach operational status somewhere within "2027-2028."

Jim Evers (Intel's Ohio Site Manager) stated: "we are making great progress growing the Silicon Heartland. In addition to the approximately $1.5 billion investment in completed spends through 12/31/23 referenced in the report, Intel has an additional $3 billion in contractually committed spends underway, totaling $4.5 billion committed toward our Ohio One projects." Intel committed a hefty $20 billion greenfield investment into the two Ohio wafer fab sites, but the latest progress report indicates that just under a quarter of that budget has trickled out of company coffers (so far). Evers's statement continued: "this investment is growing every day as we work to establish a new manufacturing campus to build leading-edge semiconductor chips right here in Ohio." A Tom's Hardware report reminds us about Team Blue's New Albany project receiving "over $2 billion in incentives." Industry rumors posit that the US government is readying a multi-billion dollar grant for Intel's Arizona facility.

Murmurings of a delayed Nintendo "Switch 2" release schedule appeared online earlier this week—Brazilian games journalist, Pedro Henrique Lutti Lippe, made claims during an "OX do Controle" videocast—based on insider information. Additionally, he broke the bad news on social media: "Nobody wants to hear this, but this one is pretty intense. After consulting five sources from three different continents, all echoing basically the same thing, we can reveal (that) the launch of the Switch's successor should only happen in 2025." Several global news outlets have performed their own investigations, following up on OX do Controle's declaration.

Eurogamer reached out to its network of "trusty" insiders—their Friday evening update stated that: "(we) can now corroborate the earlier reports/whispers that the Switch 2, once destined for release later in 2024, is now set for Q1 2025...The console's launch moving into early next year—but still within the coming financial year—is designed to ensure Switch 2's launch line-up features as many titles as possible, Eurogamer understands." Video Games Chronicle's Andy Robinson has similarly checked in with his pool of industry spies: "VGC has heard from multiple sources who said Nintendo has told publishers its next console will now launch in Q1 2025. According to the sources, third-party game companies were recently briefed on an internal delay in Nintendo's next-gen launch timing, from late 2024 to early the following year. One publishing source suggested the delay was so that Nintendo could prepare stronger first-party software for the console. It's possible the next-gen Nintendo console will now follow a similar timeline to the Switch, which was released in March but announced the previous year."

Intel is aiming to get its $20 billion fabrication location—in New Albany, Ohio—up and running by 2025, but the advanced manufacturing facility is facing another round of setbacks. According to a WCMH NBC4 local news report (covering the Colombus, Ohio area), a planned "oversized equipment" reshuffle has been delayed—the shifting of heavy machinery was supposed to start last weekend. Extreme weather conditions (flooding) have been cited as major factor, as well as the complicated nature of transporting "overweight and oversized" loads to Team Blue's 1000-acre site. Workers are set to resume efforts this weekend—starting no later than February 17. Tom's Hardware has kept tabs on the Ohio fab's progress: "The project to move the equipment is expected to last over nine months, meaning this phase of Intel's construction could be done near the end of 2024. There isn't a firm indication of how much work remains to be done at the site after the equipment is delivered." TPU previously covered the leading-edge location's indefinitely postponed groundbreaking ceremony—CHIPS Act subsidies were not delivered in an expected timely manner back in 2022.

A couple of media outlets (Tom's Hardware, Network World, etc.) have received an official statement regarding the slippage of events in New Albany: "While we will not meet the aggressive 2025 production goal that we anticipated when we first announced the selection of Ohio in January, 2022, construction has been underway since breaking ground in late 2022 and our construction has been proceeding on schedule. Typical construction timelines for semiconductor manufacturing facilities are 3-5 years from groundbreaking, depending on a range of factors...We remain fully committed to the project and are continuing to make progress on the construction of the factory and supporting facilities this year. As we said in our January 2022 site-selection announcement, the scope and pace of Intel's expansion in Ohio may depend on various conditions." Industry insiders believe that an "opening ceremony" could occur around late 2026, or even early 2027.

We—Fool's Theory—are happy to share that the game is now complete, and numerous reviewers have it already in their hands. At the same time, taking February's busy launch period into account and the opening for a better release window, we've decided to take this opportunity to give The Thaumaturge more breathing room so it receives the attention we believe it deserves.

We want you to have enough time to enjoy the game in full, and we feel that the current release window is not the perfect moment for it. With that in mind, we are moving the launch date to March 4th, 2024. The additional time we're getting will be used to polish the game further so that your journey through the streets of 1905 Warsaw is even more enjoyable. We truly can't wait for you to play it, and thank you for your patience!

Hello, Commanders—we hope you all have been enjoying your first-time going hands-on with Homeworld 3 during our public demo of War Games. Watching you share your experiences, exchange and debate strategies, and give us constant feedback has been incredible. This was our first time seeing the game played at scale, which is always an equally thrilling and nerve-wracking moment. We also recently gathered a dedicated group of players from outside our organizations to play through the full game. This resulted in additional insights and perspectives that will be incorporated to make Homeworld 3 the best experience possible.

After careful analysis of feedback, we made the decision to delay the global launch of Homeworld 3 until May 13, with advanced access set for May 10, to ensure that we're making the final tweaks needed to deliver at the level of quality that we strive for and you deserve. To say that you as a community of players have been waiting patiently for this next installment would be an understatement, and we are deeply appreciative of that. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress. As always, you're welcome to send your feedback via social channels, the Homeworld Universe Discord, and through our support page.

According to a VideoCardz report, NVIDIA is implementing a very last minute time shift with its GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER review program—embargo conditions have been delayed by a day to January 31, which coincides with the official retail launch day. We already know about non-specific sample units reaching reviewers a week (or more) in advance of Team Green's embargo date—thanks to various graphical benchmarks appearing prematurely on the Geekbench Browser database. VideoCardz states the Founders Edition GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER model was not received in a timely manner by a number of media outlets, thus dismissing rumors about driver issues being a main factor behind the sudden rescheduling. Hardware evaluators have been busy this month with trade event coverage, and spending analytical time with Team Green's previous batches of RTX 40 SUPER cards.

TSMC's Fab 21 Phase 2 facility is currently under construction in the Greater Phoenix area, Arizona—this secondary production facility was originally announced as housing a 3 nm process production line (opening by 2026), but that company target will be missed by a sizable margin. The transcription of the company's Q4 2023 Earnings Call presents another set of shifted expectations—outgoing CEO, Dr. Mark Liu—admitted that a number of factors are expected to delay Phase 2's opening by another year or two: "The second fab shell is under construction, but what technology [to use] in that shell is still under discussion...I think that also has to do with how much incentives that fab, the U.S. Government can provide…The current planning [for the fab] is '27 or '28, that will be timeframe."

Industry analysts believe TSMC leadership have a tough choice to make—the second Arizona factory's delayed launch could provide enough lead time to upgrade with a more advanced node (e.g. 2 nm), but ambitions could be lowered for the troubled site. An older plus more mature fabrication process could be a better fit, although the neighboring Fab 21 Phase 1 site is already set for a full 2025 initiation on 4 nm FinFET. Liu outlined this challenge: "To be honest, most of the overseas fabs, what technology is being set up, really, it is a decision of customers' demand in that area at that timing. So, nothing is definitive, but we are trying to optimize value for the overseas fab for TSMC." The current chairman will not be around for Phase 1's full deployment, but he shared some positive Arizona-related news: "We are well on track for volume production of N4, or 4 nm process technology, in the first half of 2025 [in Arizona] and are confident that once we begin operations, we will be able to deliver the same level of manufacturing quality and reliability in Arizona as from our fabs in Taiwan."

The recent attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea are affecting not only oil shipments, but also cargo ships from Asia to Europe. All major carriers such as CMA CGM, Cosco, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk, MSC and so forth are affected and all have delayed their shipments through the area. A coordinated security action called Operations Prosperity Guardian which includes over half a dozen nations so far, is getting ready to guide shipments through the affected area by Yemen, but it'll lead to slower shipments through the area.

TechPowerUp has already received reports from sources in Taiwan that their products are on some of these ships that are now stuck waiting for naval escorts through the area. However, it appears that there might be shortages of some computer components for the foreseeable future, alongside many other products that are being shipped this route and onwards via the Suez Canal. According to the BBC, it takes 25.5 days on average to ship goods from Taiwan to the Netherlands via the Red Sea and Suez Canal whereas the only alternative route via the Cape of Good Hope takes 34 days and adds extra fuel costs. Regardless of the extra shipping times and costs, it appears some shipping companies are willing to take the longer route to avoid being attacked. This is likely to have a knock on effect on prices for a lot of consumer goods in Europe, so if you haven't bought that hardware you've been holding off getting, now might be as good a time as any.

Total War: Pharaoh's release date via Epic Games Store has been delayed into early 2024, but its Steam launch time remains unchanged—it is still scheduled for October 11 (at the time of writing). It seems that Epic Games has added to the development team's pile of homework—Creative Assembly shared this information through its social media account(s): "We have moved the Epic Games Store release of Total War Pharaoh into early 2024. We were recently asked to help support the integration of additional social functions before we can launch on the Epic Games Store," it explains, "and we'll need additional time to help make that happen." Epic's listing simply states that Sega Europe's upcoming turn-based/strategy real-time tactics game will be "Coming Soon."

Customers with pre-orders already placed on the Epic Games Store should be issued notifications regarding automatic cancellations and refunds. Customer support team members will also get in contact regarding existing pre-release purchases. The Total War department apologized for any inconveniences caused, but affected folks are more than welcome to re-direct their cash to another shop: "We're disappointed too, and that we otherwise look forward to welcoming you into Ancient Egypt early next year. Otherwise our plans to launch Total War: Pharaoh on October 11th across all other storefronts remain unchanged, and we're excited to see you playing during our upcoming Early Access Weekend starting next Friday, September 29th."

According to TechNews.tw, TSMC could postpone its 2 nm semiconductor manufacturing node for 2026. If the rumors about TSMC's delayed 2 nm production schedule are accurate, the implications could reverberate throughout the semiconductor industry. TSMC's alleged hesitancy could be driven by multiple factors, including the architectural shift from FinFET to Gate-All-Around (GAA) and potential challenges related to scaling down to 2 nm. The company is a crucial player in this space, and a delay could offer opportunities for competitors like Samsung, which has already transitioned to GAA transistor architecture for its 3 nm chips. Given the massive demand for advanced nodes due to the rise of AI, IoT, and other next-gen technologies, it is surprising to hear "sluggish" demand reports.

However, it's also possible that it's too early for customers to make firm commitments for 2025 and beyond. TSMC has dismissed these rumors, stating that construction is progressing according to plan, which includes having 2 nm pilot run in 2024, and mass production in the second half of 2025.. Despite this, any delay in TSMC's roadmap could serve as a catalyst for shifts in market dynamics. Companies that rely heavily on TSMC's advanced nodes might need to reassess their timelines and strategies. Moreover, if Samsung can capitalize on this opportunity, it could somewhat level the playing field. As of now, though, it's essential to approach these rumors with caution until more concrete information becomes available.

It's time, Helldivers. Katherine from Arrowhead Game Studios bringing you the biggest announcement yet: Helldivers 2 launches on PS5 and Steam on February 8, 2024! February will be here before we know it, which means we've got to get you officially enlisted! We start taking pre-orders for both the Standard Edition and the Super Citizen Edition of Helldivers 2 on September 22, 2023. It won't be long before you and 3 recruits can team up for online cooperative multiplayer with large-scale destructive power through stratagems, explore unique planets and complete objectives together, and upgrade your equipment through the deep progression system of Helldivers 2. Collect natural resources of alien origin and use them to enhance and unlock new stratagems aboard your ship.

Since pre-orders for Helldivers 2 are starting soon, you can begin planning for the fight. When you pre-order, you'll choose between the Standard Edition and the Super Citizen Edition of Helldivers 2, which includes some awesome additional content. The extra goodies in the Super Citizen Edition include a special DP-53 Savior of the Free armor set, and-because heroes wear capes-the Will of the People cape to make you stand out among the liberated. You'll also gain access to the MP-98 Knight submachine gun, which is a powerful primary weapon that tears through bots, bugs, and Helldivers too, thanks to friendly fire!

Horror games thrive on the delicate balance of tension, exploiting our vulnerability and the eerie embrace of solitude. Envision yourself traversing a dimly lit house in the dead of night, where faint whispers and unidentifiable noises send shivers down your spine. Now, picture this unsettling scenario not alone, but accompanied by a group of 28 intriguing individuals. The fear factor dwindles, doesn't it? Hence, the anticipated release of Alone in the Dark will gracefully step away from the chaotic October 2023 launch window.

Reasons
Our intention is to avoid competing with the wake of Alan's epic release and to evade the dazzling skyline of cities adorned by the graceful swings of Spiderman. We aim to truly remain as Alone in the Dark as possible. To honor this, the spine-chilling horror game has been rescheduled to unveil its horrors on January 16th, 2024. This extension will serve a dual purpose: not only will it permit us to meticulously perfect the gaming experience, but it will also grant us the opportunity to fully immerse ourselves in the remarkable releases of October.

GSC Game World has been busy showing of a preview build of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl at this week's Gamescom trade fair, and non-attendees have been treated to a new trailer—Bolts & Bullets—but the Ukrainian development (now primarily operating out of Prague, Czech Republic) has quietly shifted the release of their highly anticipated survival shooter from December 2023 to some point within the first quarter of next year. This was spotted by a couple of news outlets when perusing the latest press kit—this small detail is buried right at the bottom of the document (under "distribution"). The game's official website has also been revised with a Q1 2024 launch window.

The development team touts the sequel's: "unique combination of first-person shooter, immersive sim, and horror is back. Immerse yourself in the intricately detailed open world, accompanied by next-gen graphics (courtesy of the Unreal 5 engine) and a rich narrative, all enveloped within the intense atmosphere of a deadly adventure." The game seems to be getting a positive reception at Gamescom, although players were limited to only 15-minute long hands-on sessions with the demo. A few folks were already familiar with aspects of this preview version—a hacker group acquired an older build of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 earlier this year, and leaked it onto the internet.

Larian Studios recently announced that the PlayStation 5 version of Baldur's Gate 3 is getting postponed by a week—from August 31 to September 6, with PC gamers happy to discover that they will be treated to an earlier release (adjusted to August 3). Xbox Series console owners were seemingly left out in the cold with last week's announcements—Larian is yet to confirm a solid launch date for current generation Microsoft systems. The studio admitted—earlier this year—that software engineers were struggling to get the split screen multiplayer mode in Baldur's Gate 3 running adequately on both Series X and S hardware: "We've had an Xbox version of Baldur's Gate 3 in development for some time now. We've run into some technical issues in developing the Xbox port that have stopped us feeling 100% confident in announcing it until we're certain we've found the right solutions—specifically, we've been unable to get splitscreen co-op to work to the same standard on both (systems), which is a requirement for us to ship."

Microsoft apparently enforces a policy that locks gameplay feature parity across Xbox Series X and S, and Larian has continued to struggle with technical issues, albeit now isolated to the lesser console (not that helpful given the circumstances)—IGN contacted studio head Swen Vincke for comment about this situation. Other development outfits have expressed their disdain for Series S launch requirements, with calls to drop the system entirely—but IGN discovered that Vincke was reluctant to aim criticism at Microsoft, since first party assistance has been roped in: "We had support from the ATG group. They've been doing great. They've been helping a lot. Everybody wants this out on Xbox. It's not that we don't want it out on Xbox. It's just that, our problem—and this is us, Larian—is that we just made a very big game. And it's a very complicated game...We're also not a developer with an infinite (number) of resources. We are constrained in the amount of time each platform version is tested. The more permutations you start adding to it on a platform, the more complicated that becomes." Given the high profile nature of Baldur's Gate 3, it would be in both parties' interests to get a decent port out of the door, so it is encouraging that Microsoft is pitching in (perhaps to save face).