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PlayStation Handheld May Struggle Due To Lack of Console Experience Like Series S, Say Analyst

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  • Both Sony and Microsoft are working on a dedicated handheld seemingly to compete with Nintendo.
  • Analysts have concluded that the former could have problems in this market.
  • The PlayStation handheld can struggle due to the lack of experience with low-end consoles like the Xbox Series S.

Sony has been dominating the console market due to a lack of challenge from Xbox. The latter has completely changed its approach and doesn’t really care about console wars anymore. 

However, both seem to be quite interested in the handheld market now. While Xbox has confirmed it is working on a handheld, Sony has yet to officially confirm it, but the sources that revealed this information are reliable enough to confirm the handheld’s existence. 

While the gaming giant is interested in the market, it is likely to struggle due to having no low-end console experience like the Xbox Series S.

Why it matters: Xbox Series S forces developers (which many have complained about) to optimize their games according to its low-end specifications. This experience is what Sony lacks.

According to Digital Foundry, the upcoming Handheld by Sony could have trouble running PS5 games while the Xbox handheld can shine more. The Xbox Series S runs games at 720P or 1080P, depending on how demanding it is, which is the same as how a handheld would run it.

So, the developers are aware of the challenge especially when it comes to porting games to the Series S. So, this could give Microsoft an edge in the handheld market.

Sony never had an Xbox Series S that forced developers to make these low-end profiles for games, and in this case, if they bring out a handheld, I think it would be almost like a Sony VR2.

He further started that the handheld could have its own version of games after it comes out or via patches. So, this would make it a new lower-end PS5 that doesn’t have a full backward compatibility catalog.

Xbox Series S Carbon Black Now Available
Porting Games To Xbox Series S Has Proven To Be Quite Challenging For Developers

It seems possible that Sony can release patches for its game to work on a lower-end console just like it released for a higher-end PS5 Pro. However, as per the analysts, it will have troubles given having no experience with consoles like the Xbox Series S.

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So, it will be good to see how the gaming giant manages to cross this hurdle. What do you think about the analysts’ comments on the matter? Do you think Microsoft has the upper hand? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. 

Ubisoft Lost Nearly 12% Value In The Last Month Alone

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  • The French video game publisher has been facing a lot of heat lately, with many praying for its downfall. 
  • Due to that it has lost almost 12% value in just a span of 1 month.
  • This happened despite releasing Star Wars Outlaws on Steam along with its biggest update.

Ubisoft’s current standing in the market is nowhere close to ideal. The company has faced a lot of backlash for its mistakes. For many years, it also hasn’t made enough compelling games for its fandom, which caused way more issues. 

Now, fans are wishing for the company to be closed, mainly due to the whole Assassin’s Creed Shadows controversy. The gaming giant delayed the game to next year but the controversy is still not over. 

Due to all the heat it has been receiving Ubisoft has lost nearly 12% value in the last month alone. 

Why it matters: The company has now decided to release games on Steam, too, but it doesn’t seem to work that well with Star Wars Outlaws. 

Ubisoft Market Value
Ubisoft’s Market Value Is Constantly Dropping Due To Recent Backlash

As you can see in the image above, Ubisoft has lost 11.60% of its value in the past month, which is concerning. Recently, the company announced the closure of xDefiant, so this game’s failure could have played an important role in such a massive loss in value.

However, Star Wars Outlaws received some massive updates and was even released on Steam. That doesn’t seem to have helped Ubisoft gain traction and it isn’t in a very good situation right now. xDefiant’s closure has also hurt the remaining employee’s morale. 

The fandom doesn’t seem to support this company any more, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows might face a similar reception to Star Wars Outlaws. If the upcoming Assassin’s Creed fails, then the French publisher’s standing in the gaming industry might completely vanish.

ASSASSINS-CREED SHADOWS Horse Riding
As Per A Report, Assassin’s Creed Shadows Seems To Be In Development For A Decade

Hopefully, the gaming giant will start listening to its fandom and make games accordingly. The CEO recently revealed that he still aims to make Ubisoft a key player in the industry so let’s see how the events will unfold in the future.

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What do you think of the company losing a chunk of value yet again in such a short time period? Do you think it has any hope left? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Ex-PlayStation Boss Declares 100 Hour AAA Games Mismatch In Today’s Reality

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  • The former Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO believes games should not be 90-100 hours long today.
  • He states that shorter games can solve the industry’s current problem with ballooning budgets.
  • The former CEO has not been able to play Red Dead Redemption 2 yet due to its length.

Modern AAA gaming appears to be in trouble, with major executives and authorities highlighting red flags with the industry’s current approach. One such executive is Shawn Layden, who previously declared AAA budgets a major threat to the industry.

In a new interview, the executive has once again warned the industry. He believes that the obsession with making games longer and longer is a major problem and a mismatch in today’s time.

Why it matters: The gaming industry is currently haunted by layoffs and studio closures. Therefore, such warnings should not be taken lightly.

Arthur Morgan From Red Dead Redemption 2
Shawn Layden Has Not Been Able To Make Time For Red Dead Redemption 2

Speaking to Eurogamer, Shawn Layden highlighted that games cost around $150 million to produce during the PS4 generation. The average AAA production costs a lot more today, with success becoming less likely due to saturation across various genres.

According to the executive, the solution to this problem is simple. He argues that studios should focus on producing shorter games that can be created on small budgets. As per Shawn Layden, this would also be beneficial to the fans.

The former Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO argues that most gamers today don’t have too much free time on their hands. Citing his own example, he revealed that he has yet to play Red Dead Redemption 2.

Games are too long. Our approach is a mismatch to reality. I haven’t even opened Red Dead Redemption 2 because I don’t have 90 hours.

-Shawn Layden

PlayStation
PlayStation’s First-Party Output Has A Major Budget Problem

While Red Dead Redemption 2 is an incredible game in many ways, Shawn Layden brings up an interesting point about its length. For many players, this can prove to be a major hurdle.

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PlayStation itself seems to be facing this issue, with each new game requiring bigger and bigger budgets to produce. Still, recent releases like Astro Bot have shown how PlayStation could mitigate the problem using Shawn Layden’s philosophy.

Indiana Jones: New 3 Hours of Gameplay Leaked Ahead of Release

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  • Indiana Jones and The Great Circle gameplay has just been leaked on YouTube with commentary.
  • The leaked gameplay shows the Xbox version of the game.
  • It also reveals a slower pace to the gameplay, differentiating the experience from most action-adventure titles.

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is right around the corner, with reviews expected in a few hours. The game is currently set for a December 9th release, but an extensive leak has already shown plenty of gameplay ahead of the reviews.

Nearly three hours of footage from Indiana Jones and The Great Circle has surfaced on YouTube, highlighting Indy’s latest puzzled-filled treasure hunt.

Why it matters: Excitement for this first-party Xbox release has not been very high until recently, but the footage could convince fans to give MachineGames’ latest work a chance.

Footage from Indiana Jones and The Great Circle has been uploaded by Lone Viiking on YouTube, covering the first few hours of the game.

This leak starts from the very beginning, showing fans what to expect with the title. Moreover, the content creator has added his own commentary, sharing his initial thoughts on the game.

The footage shows MachineGames’ attempt at immersing players into the Indiana Jones experience with slower and more deliberate gameplay. It also highlights the id Tech engine in action with impressive visuals.

It should be noted that this footage highlights the Xbox version of the game, so fans must wait a bit longer for analysis of the PC port. The PC port previously led to fans raising concerns over shocking system requirements.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Features Both First And Third-Person Gameplay

Anyhow, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle looks like an impressive rendition of the famous IP in game form.

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The biggest takeaway from this footage seems to be the fact that Indiana Jones and The Great Circle hones in on the IP’s puzzle-solving.

MachineGames previously made it a point to clarify that the title would set itself apart from action-focused experiences like Uncharted, and this leaked gameplay highlights exactly what the team’s priorities were.

Microsoft Could Never Build A Bigger Global Market Than PlayStation, Ex-SIE Boss Claims

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  • The former popular PlayStation executive, Shawn Layden, claims that Microsoft can’t build a bigger global market than Sony.
  • He argued that PlayStation is the biggest brand in 170 countries, while Xbox is nowhere near equal.
  • Shawn does not see a point for PlayStation to launch its games on Xbox because it comparatively has a smaller reach.

Ever since the days of Xbox 360, the disparity between Microsoft and Sony has only grown bigger over the years. The toe-to-toe rivalry between the giants ended last year, with brand CEO Phil admitting that Xbox lost against PlayStation. Now, the former SIE boss Shawn Layden also seems to have bluntly acknowledged the vast distinction between the two console makers.

The notable ex-PlayStation executive has claimed that Microsoft could simply never build a bigger market than PlayStation already has. He said that Xbox never had that kind of global reach in the first place.

Why it matters: The former SIE boss’ remarks suggest that PlayStation does not even consider Xbox an equal competitor anymore. Some found it obvious, while others think Xbox is being underestimated.

Sony has no plans of stopping (Image by Tech4Gamers)
Sony has prepared more games for 2025 than it has currently revealed. 

Speaking in an interview with Eurogamer, Shawn said that even if console hardware were to become redundant, Sony putting its games on Xbox still would not be a viable business choice. He claimed that PlayStation has been a leader in almost every generation.

[PlayStation] is the leading platform in 170 countries around the world. Microsoft never had that kind of global reach, so they could never build a global market to the scale that PlayStation does.

So, the global footprint that Sony holds is much larger than Microsoft could ever build. Shawn thinks the small addition to its game sales on Xbox would not be worth it—especially when fans already get upset when Sony launches its titles on PC.

Dark-Moon-Greatsword-Elden-Ring
Sony is possibly about to acquire the FromSoftware owner, Kadokawa, in the near future.

The former PlayStation executive also admitted that the brand has been through hard times and almost failed during the PS3 era. However, since then, the conglomerate has only grown in size and global reach to overtake Xbox.

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Do you think Shawn Layden is being completely factual with his remarks in the recent interview, or does Microsoft still hold a shot at equal competition with PlayStation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

TeamGroup Releases T-Force XTREEM CKD DDR5 Based On CUDIMM Platform

[Press Release] TeamGroup’s series of memory kits continues to grow with new additions. The latest release comes in the form of the T-Force XTREEM CKD DDR5, coming with overclocking capabilities of up to 9600MHz when paired with 2 DIMM motherboards.

TeamGroup XTREEM CKD DDR5
TeamGroup’s Memory Continues To Push New Boundaries

This memory is based on the CUDIMM platform, boasting unparalleled stability at high speeds. Heat dissipation is also remarkable thanks to a premium 2mm thick alloy heat spreader.

The kits will be available in a DDR5-8800 2x24GB configuration. However, as mentioned earlier, the T-Force XTREEM CKD DDR5 is tailor-made for overclocking. The memory has already been pushed to DDR5-10666 MHz with the ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF and Intel Core Ultra 7 265K.

TeamGroup also offers an understated aesthetic for those who prefer minimalistic setups, making these DDR5 kits the perfect blend of performance and premium aesthetics. For more details, visit this link to the official product page.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Director Refuses To Share Official Sales Figure

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  • Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche has refused to share the game’s official sales numbers.
  • He clarified that they were unable to disclose the sales figure for now despite rumors that the RPG sold poorly.
  • The IP’s creative director also said the RPG would never have surpassed the Dragon Age 4 that fans expected.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been shrouded by a veil of controversy ever since the entry was revealed. Gamers expected that all the rampant rumors regarding the game’s expected failure would fizzle out after its launch and BioWare’s interference. However, many of the reports about the RPG selling poorly are now proving to be more accurate, as the studio has declined to share an official sales figure.

Corinne Busche, Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s director, has now refused to share the game’s official sales numbers despite many harsh rumors, claiming it’s ‘not something’ that they can discuss.

Why it matters: Dragon Age: The Veilguard director Corinne Busche’s refusal to share the game’s official sales figure paints an extremely grim picture, suggesting the RPG indeed sold quite poorly. 

Dragon-Age-The-Veilguard
Dragon Age: The Veilguard takes a shoddy and highly controversial approach to the series’ iconic legacy.

In an interview with Eurogamer, Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s director clarifies that the official sales numbers cannot be disclosed, even amid reports suggesting the RPG sold quite poorly. In other words, BioWare does not intend to make a refutation of those claims for now.

Unfortunately on the sales side, that’s not something we can really discuss, but of course as we know with Inquisition, that was a long burn to get to those total sales numbers.

-Corinne Busche

Series creative director John Epler also mentions that they knew Dragon Age: The Veilguard—or whatever else they came out with—was never going to surpass the Dragon Age 4 that resided in ‘people’s minds and people’s imaginations.’

Dragon Age: The Veilguard
The RPG fell short in many aspects, leading to poor sales performance and poor user ratings.

While we do not have official sales figures yet, a myriad of rumors from various sources suggests that Dragon Age: The Veilguard only sold around a million copies. It failed to recoup the project’s costs, which had accumulated over a decade.

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Do you think Dragon Age: The Veilguard will eventually surpass its predecessor’s sales numbers, or will that figure be nearly impossible for the RPG? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Corsair Releases Up To 96GB, 9200MT/s DDR5 CUDIMM For Vengeance Lineup

[Press Release] Corsair has just released its latest Vengeance RGB DDR5 CUDIMM kits. These new memory kits boast speeds as high as 9,200 MT/s, and even faster memory will soon join the lineup.

As per Corsair, the Vengeance DDR5 CUDIMM memory is optimized for Intel’s Core Ultra 200 series and Z890 motherboards. It also supports backward compatibility with past DDR5 platforms.

Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 CUDIMM
The CUDIMMs Can Be Used Like Traditional UDIMMs In Bypass Mode

For the unaware, CUDIMM memory supports higher clock speeds than standard UDIMMs. A Clock Driver IC ensures precise timing and greater stability for the CUDIMM standard, resulting in blazing-fast speeds.

While Corsair’s lineup is currently limited to the Vengeance DDR5 CUDIMM, this is just the beginning. A non-RGB variant of this series will arrive soon, giving customers plenty to look forward to.

For now, the DDR5 CUDIMM kits are available in 48GB and 96GB options, with speeds varying between DDR5-8400 and DDR5-9200. Also supported is Intel XMP 3.0, making it easy to store frequencies and timings in custom profiles.

Offering elegance that matches the premium experience of these CUDIMM kits, the Vengeance DDR5 series sports a sleek mirrored silver finish. Moreover, the iCUE software makes it easy to customize the RGB to your liking.

The new lineup is currently backed by a limited lifetime warranty. The build quality is also solid, and heat dissipation is taken care of by a sleek heat spreader. All in all, the memory is ready for any high-end build, and you can learn more by following this link to the official product page.

PlayStation Releasing Games On Rival Platforms Wouldn’t Be Worth It, Says Former Exec

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  • A veteran Sony executive has said that Xbox’s third-party approach would not work for PlayStation.
  • He states that the gaming giant would hurt its brand value and have little to show if it tried this route.
  • The executive also admitted that fans would be upset by such a move.

Xbox changed the entire console market by shifting to third-party releases this year. The gaming giant’s entire lineup is now open to rival platforms like PlayStation and Nintendo, potentially the stage for a broader third-party focus across the entire industry.

PlayStation is currently going all-in on PC ports, and many have discussed the gaming giant potentially pursuing third-party releases in the future. Commenting on the matter, a former executive believes Xbox’s approach would not be worth the effort for PlayStation.

Why it matters: The gaming giant’s first-party library contains some of the industry’s best games. Therefore, Xbox fans would be more than happy to try a few of those IPs.

Shawn Layden Featured
Shawn Layden Departed From Sony In 2019

Shawn Layden, the former CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, was recently asked to share his thoughts on Xbox’s decision to aim for a wider audience.

According to Shawn Layden, Xbox could never reach as many people as PlayStation. He argues that even when the Xbox 360 was outselling the PS3, the former was limited to a few regions.

As per the executive, PlayStation’s broader appeal makes it the default gaming platform for people in 170 countries. Therefore, the effort of porting major games to Xbox consoles would not be worth it.

I don’t know if the juice is worth the squeeze. How many additional sales would they get?

-Shawn Layden

Indiana Jones PS5 Pro
Indiana Jones Will Be Available For The PS5 Next Year

The former CEO also discussed the potential harm that would be done to PlayStation’s IPs in the process. He noted that fans are still not too happy with the gaming giant’s accelerated PC push, and it would be much worse if major IPs began to appear on Xbox.

Still, the gaming giant recently dipped its toes into third-party releases with Lego Horizon Adventures. The game was released for the PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC, with the PC port pushing the RTX 4090 to its limits.

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During the same interview, Shawn Layden discussed how PlayStation bounced back during the PS3 era. He also commented on the current state of the industry’s budgets and creativity, topics he has never shied away from.

Ubisoft Still ‘Aims To Be A Key Player In The Industry’ Amid xDefiant Shutdown, Says CEO

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  • Ubisoft was arguably the most criticised company this year, mainly due to Assasisn’s Creed Shadows and Star Wars Outlaws.
  • The company can’t seem to catch a break as just recently it announced xDefiant’s closure. 
  • Despite that, the CEO has assured its employees that he aims to make the company a key player in the industry.

Ubisoft has faced a lot of hate lately, and it is no wonder why. The company has made some questionable decisions, which are now in the past but still concerning. Now, just recently, its free-to-play first-person shooter, xDefiant, was shut down, which shows that the company is currently in turmoil.

This is not good news for the gaming giant and its employees, as hundreds of them have already been laid off. The CEO has addressed the issue and released a massive internal memo for the company claiming Ubisoft still aims to be a key player in the industry.

Why it matters: For the past few years, Ubisoft has not been able to maintain the reputation it earned from Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and other iconic video game franchises. 

Star Wars Outlaws is a total mess (Image by Ubisoft)
Star Wars Outlaws Failed To Meet Sales Expectations

A reliable insider revealed the content of the entire internal memo. Yves Guillemot starts the memo by breaking the silence and apologizing to every employee for being silent even though the company is in a very challenging situation. 

He also discusses the closure of xDefiant and expresses his deepest gratitude to the team that worked on it. Guillemot further discusses the company’s condition and how all his energy is focused on guiding Ubisoft through these challenging times. 

Despite the major concerns, Yves Guillemot aims to regain momentum and make the company a key player in the industry yet again. 

I’m doing everything I can to help us regain momentum, so that we can continue to make Ubisoft a key player in our industry, a creator known for its unique and exceptional video games.

-Yves Guillemot

Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is Still A Target of Massive Controversy

More updates regarding the Assassin’s Creed Shadows will also be given soon enough as the company now aims to make the best games possible that would also be beneficial for it.

Latest Updates

What do you think about Yves Guillemot’s internal memo? Do you think the company can land back on its feet and become one of the industry’s key players? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

G.SKILL and ASRock Join Forces To Reach DDR5-12666 OC World Record

[Press Release] Continuing its tradition of breaking world records, G.Skill’s memory has achieved yet another remarkable OC milestone. Joining forces with the ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF and Core Ultra 9 285K, G.Skill’s kits have reached speeds of DDR5-12666.

This overclock is credited to Splave, an enthusiast overclocker who has pushed various systems to their limits and relied on liquid nitrogen(LN2) cooling for his latest achievement.

G.Skill DDR5-12666 OC World Record
Splave’s World Record Puts G.Skill’s DDR5 Memory On Top Once Again

Splave has also won the G.Skill OC World Cup twice in the past and currently holds the #1 overclocker rank on HWBot. Find out more about Splave through this link. Additionally, G.Skill’s world record is currently available for everyone to check on HWBot and CPU-Z.

ASRock and G.Skill say this is only the beginning of their support for overclocking enthusiasts. In the future, more products are expected to cater to their specific needs.

MachineGames Secretly Adds Denuvo To Indiana Jones A Few Days Before Launch

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  • MachineGames might have secretly added Denuvo in the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. 
  • The inclusion of Denuvo was spotted in a back-end update made in the game’s latest build.
  • The official Steam update does not mention a disclaimer about Denuvo so far, so take it with a grain of salt.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a first-person single-player adventure title featuring an original narrative that draws from the film series. So, it is no surprise that a plethora of Xbox gamers—and Indiana Jones fans in general—are stoked for the game. However, a new update might already have dampened this growing excitement after MachineGames introduced something controversial 

A new back-end addition in the game’s build suggests that the devs have introduced the controversial Denuvo anti-cheat in the game. 

Why it matters: Fans are upset because the inclusion of Denuvo might further ruin the performance of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

As per SteamDB, Denuvo appears to have been secretly added in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
A new update on SteamDB confirms that Denuvo was secretly added to the upcoming Indiana Jones game. 

A new back-end update on SteamDB for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle suggests that Denuvo has been added a few days before launch. MachineGames has introduced the anti-cheat without announcing it publicly beforehand.

Denuvo’s sudden addition has upset many players, as most of the community thinks it will ruin the performance of the resource-intensive entry. This move came to light when netizens on the forums were already furious over the game’s high-end system requirements. 

It is worth noting that the Steam page for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle does not show the disclaimer for Denuvo at the time of writing. However, that might change in the near future.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has already been criticized by many gamers for having extremely high system requirements.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle supports 60 FPS on Xbox Series X|S consoles.

All in all, do take this back-end update with a grain of salt until the addition of Denuvo is officially confirmed through Steam. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is set to come out on December 9th, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S consoles and PC.

Latest Updates

Do you think Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will live up to the hype of players, or will it flop altogether? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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