Microsoft has finally addressed one of the biggest pain points in using the modern Windows 11 operating system—the Windows Search Box. What used to be a complicated mess filled with content you didn't care about is now becoming a usable interface, with less visual clutter. Starting with new builds being rolled out to Windows Insiders on the Experimental Channel, Windows 11 will now display fewer results when running a Windows Search, meaning that the visual clutter is mostly gone, as you can see in the picture below. Recent searches are very easy to find, and the Search Box actually does what it is supposed to do. It will now display where the search result comes from, whether it is an application, a setting, a file, a web result, or even a Microsoft Store suggestion. The aim is for the Search Box to finally give users more transparency on what their actual search result is.

Perhaps the most important part of the update is the removal of promotional content. Previously, whenever you made a search in the Search Box, Microsoft would push promotions onto the user, showing related products first. This meant your search experience felt more like an advertising marketplace instead of a genuine search. Importantly, local search matches, like those from apps, settings, or files, are shown first before the web results, tailoring your experience towards a more local indexing of results. Additionally, these search results are customizable, as going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Search allows you to turn off web searches and Microsoft Store searches entirely.

MSI today announced that its Intel 800-series motherboards are now fully optimized for DDR5 memory built on CXMT (ChangXin Memory Technologies) DRAM. Following dedicated BIOS memory tuning, MSI Z890 motherboards deliver stable DDR5-8000+ operation with CXMT-based modules, spanning from flagship overclocking designs all the way to mainstream 4-DIMM boards.

CXMT-based DDR5 modules have rapidly gained popularity thanks to their strong value proposition, but their frequency headroom has historically lagged behind established DRAM vendors, which is a gap defined less by the silicon itself than by how well motherboard firmware understands it. MSI took on exactly that challenge, developing dedicated memory training and timing optimizations for CXMT ICs and validating the results with rigorous stress testing.

DropReference, a PC hardware comparison and build-planning platform attracting more than 200,000 unique visitors each month, is officially expanding to the United States. Already established among European PC builders, DropReference allows users to compare PC component prices, create complete gaming PC configurations, check price history, and estimate expected gaming performance before purchasing their hardware. The US launch introduces pricing and availability from American hardware retailers, giving US-based users access to localized offers rather than converted European prices.

PC Hardware Price Comparison for US Builders
Shopping for PC hardware often requires checking several retailers, comparing product variants, and determining whether an apparent discount is actually a good deal. DropReference brings offers from multiple retailers together on a single product page. Instead of displaying every store listing as a different product, the platform groups matching offers around the exact hardware model. This helps users compare prices without accidentally mixing different GPU variants, storage capacities, motherboard versions, or regional product references.

After layoffs racked the studio in mid-2025, following the launch of Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, 1047 Games branched off into a Titanfall-inspired movement shooter that would launch into early access as Empulse in late June 2026. Now, three weeks after Empulse hit virtual shelves, the studio has conducted yet another round of layoffs, with news breaking via employees. One employee, Max McCoy, the principal technical sound designer who worked on both Splitgate: Arena Reloaded and Empulse, confirmed the layoffs in a LinkedIn post, stating that "I was caught up in the layoffs at 1047 Games today. It's been rough to see all of the layoffs across the industry, and to have this be my second layoff in under two years is unfortunate." The studio itself has yet to comment on or announce the layoffs publicly.

It's unclear how many employees were caught up in the latest round of 1047 Games layoffs, but it seems as though the launch of Empulse, the studio's latest shooter, has not met expectations. Despite showing promise with positive early reviews, both on Steam and from media, and a development philosophy that seemed to listen to player feedback during the early access period, Empulse peaked at 2,860 concurrent players three days after launch and has not recovered since, with daily peak concurrent players currently sitting at around 1,200-1,400. The original Splitgate, the game that put the studio on the map initially, peaked at 67,724 concurrent players in August 2021, for comparison.

Despite the recent success of both Frostpunk 2 and The Alters, 11 Bit Studio has confirmed that it is laying off 20 employees in a round of layoffs that it says is necessary for upcoming development phases of projects currently in its portfolio. This was confirmed in a recent statement to Game Developer, in which the studio explained that it had avoided larger-scale layoffs by transferring staff internally to other projects. In 2025, the studio was reported to have 299 employees, meaning this 20-employee layoff comprises around 6-7% of the studio's overall manpower. A studio representative also explained in a statement that 11 Bit Studios's financial situation was stable, but that the studio was downsizing in preparation for upcoming production cycles.

Part of the statement by 11 Bit Studios reads:

We need to adjust new project teams to current needs, manage our expenses carefully and maintain cost discipline. Regarding the transfers and numbers, we managed to ensure internal transfers for most of our employees so they could continue their careers within the company. However, for the roles that, unfortunately, could not be carried over into new projects at their early stages, we had to make the difficult decision to part ways with around 20 employees.

Wooting is one of the rare keyboard manufacturers that meets gamers in the middle, providing gamers with both a web app and an installable program to customize their gaming keyboards. Now, the keyboard maker has announced App Linking, which enables per-app profiles in a new beta version of Wootility. Now, Wooting users who have the Wootility Background Service enabled can switch keyboard profiles on the fly, depending on which window is in focus in their operating system. It supports up to eight linked apps per profile on the keyboard, and the 80HE and 60HE V2 can support up to four on-board profiles. The update also refines the RGB sleep timer control UI and allows editing profiles directly from the icon tray.

Wooting's profiles control everything from actuation points, features like RT, SOCD, and analogue input, to key mapping and RGB lighting. This means you could set up a Wooting 80HE or 60HE to act like a macro pad while something like a video editor or CAD suite is focussed, a regular office keyboard with a lower polling rate and reasonable actuation point when word processors or web browsers are open, and a high-performance gaming keyboard with 8 kHz polling, RT, and a 0.1 mm actuation point when in games. One caveat with this background service functionality is that it currently does not work with Wayland on Linux, since that display server, since apps are generally isolated under Wayland, and support for features like this is spotty at best on Wayland. The Wooting support team is engaging with the community about Wayland support on Linux, and it seems as though the development team will look into supporting certain desktop environments, like KDE.

Update Jul 13th: As of Wootility version 5.4.1, App Linking is now available in the stable channel for both the web and download versions of Wootility, although those using the web version will still need the background app running to enable functionality. Wooting has also officially added support for 14 new third-party switches, including from Gateron, TTC, Ugaming, and Wuque Studio. Full changelog available here.

KAMRUI is currently running a July promotion on Amazon US, offering discounts of up to 34% on its AK1PLUS and Pinova P1 mini PC lineup. The promotion covers three configurations, with prices starting at $230.84 after promo code. Deal validity runs from July 5 through July 31, 2026 (PDT), depending on the model.

KAMRUI AK1PLUS (N5095, 16 GB/256 GB)—$230.84 (34% off)
The AK1PLUS is the entry-level option, powered by an Intel Celeron N5095 processor (4 cores/4 threads, up to 2.9 GHz), paired with 16 GB of LPDDR4X memory and a 256 GB M.2 SSD. It is well suited for web browsing, office productivity, media playback, and 4K video streaming.

KAMRUI Pinova P1 (Ryzen Embedded R2544, 16 GB/256 GB)—$287 (29% off)
For users looking for additional performance, the Pinova P1 is powered by AMD's Ryzen Embedded R2544 processor (4 cores/8 threads, up to 3.7 GHz, 28 W TDP), paired with 16 GB of DDR4 memory, a 256 GB M.2 SSD, and Windows 11 Pro.

KAMRUI Pinova P1 (Ryzen Embedded R2544, 8 GB/256 GB)—$269.10 (28% off)
Powered by the same Ryzen Embedded R2544 processor, this configuration comes with 8 GB of socketed DDR4 memory and a 256 GB M.2 SSD. Unlike the 16 GB model, the memory can be upgraded to as much as 32 GB in a dual-channel configuration.Promo codes and hardware details follow after the break.

It hasn't been long since Logitech launched the G Pro X2 Superstrike gaming mouse that made waves thanks to its adjustable haptic feedback and actuation distance features, but it already seems as though the peripherals maker is preparing a new iteration of the G Pro X2 Superstrike. According to a recent leak via the Pericord Discord server, shared by @jakeufps on X, Logitech will launch the new mouse at Logitech G Play in September.

It's unknown if there will be any physical changes to the mouse, and obviously, the rumors are unconfirmed, but the supposed leaker says that the mouse will not get a new sensor, at least not a full Hero 3 update, but it will get an upgraded MCU, and tweaks to the HITS haptic feedback and adjustable actuation system. Since Logitech launched the X2 Superstrike, a number of other mouse makers have entered the magnetic mouse switch market, so Logitech will have more competition than last time. At the time of writing, gamers are asking for improved skates and a redesigned shell, mostly to reduce weight and rebalance the weight so that the second-gen Superstrike isn't as front-heavy.

Following recent news that Halo Studios has canceled an unannounced Halo project, the studio has officially announced that Halo: Campaign Evolved has gone gold, meaning that, less than a year after the game was announced, initial development has officially concluded. Given how close the game is to launch, the studio will likely move on to preparing for launch and testing for any day-one patches that may be necessary. The announcement that the game has gone gold by no means indicates that it will launch in a perfect state—Borderlands 3 was famously riddled with performance and stability issues and had missing features at launch, and that game went gold nearly two months before launch.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is slated to launch on July 28, and it is meant to be a remake of the original Combat Evolved experience with nine additional weapons, the ability to hack and pilot new vehicles, more difficulty levels, and updated graphics. Campaign evolved is built on Unreal Engine 5, so there are questions about how difficult the game will be to run. The development cycle of Halo: Campaign Evolved has also hardly been drama-free, with the studio facing backlash from fans after it was reported that generative AI was being heavily used in the development of Campaign Evolved.

If your PC needs a new operating system license, this is one of the lowest prices you'll find on Windows 11 Pro. Through July 19, a lifetime license is available for $9.97 (MSRP $199). This version is intended for PCs that require a new Windows license and already meet Microsoft's Windows 11 hardware requirements. Before purchasing, it's worth checking compatibility with Microsoft's PC Health Check tool. If your Windows 10 PC isn't eligible for Microsoft's free Windows Update upgrade, this license won't bypass those hardware requirements.

Windows 11 Pro includes everything found in the standard Windows 11 experience, along with additional features aimed at professionals, developers, and business users. That includes BitLocker for full-disk encryption, Hyper-V for running virtual machines, Windows Sandbox for safely testing software, and Azure AD support for workplace identity management.

Get Windows 11 Pro for just $9.97 (MSRP $199) through July 19.

It's no secret that things are in a state of flux at Xbox and all of its in-house game studios, and this appears to extend to Halo Studios. Despite building excitement for Halo: Campaign Evolved, which is slated to launch in late July 2026, it seems as though projects are being cut at Halo Studios all the same. Most recently, news broke via game journalist Rebs Gaming on X that Halo Studios had officially cancelled a new Halo project known internally as Project Ekur. This information was later validated by Windows Central reporter Jez Corden, although the nature of Project Ekur is still unknown.

Currently, it seems as though Project Ekur may have been anything from an add-on for an existing Halo game to an independent extraction shooter in the Halo universe. Rebs confirmed in a reply to a commenter that project Ekur was not the Destiny-like MMORPG that has also been rumored to be in the works at Halo Studios. The news of the canceled Halo project comes amid a shake-up at Xbox that has resulted in mass layoffs, the sale of a number of studios, and the cancelation of a handful of other games and projects at Microsoft. The Xbox layoffs have also resulted in external collateral damage at IO Interactive, where funding cuts resulted in layoffs.

Palworld officially exited Steam Early Access on July 10 with a massive 1.0 update that dropped a host of new game mechanics, new areas, and new pals to collect, raise, train, or put to work. The 1.0 update, which landed on a Friday two and a half years after its Early Access launch, seems to have been very popular, with SteamDB reporting a whopping 855,459 peak concurrent players on launch weekend. Steam reviews following the update have also been immensely positive, with July 10 alone seeing a spike of 1,877 new positive reviews on Steam. Palworld's 1.0 launch success has also placed it in fourth place in the global Steam Top Sellers chart, which measures game success by revenue.

The Palworld 1.0 update addressed many bugs and added plenty of features across both the game's single-player and multiplayer gameplay modes, including new traversal modes, new crafting features, and new pal breeding and base-building options, among many more. These sweeping changes, however, have not all been received positively. Some users in the game's Steam reviews complained about new key binds that can be confusing or inconvenient, while others complained about the increased map size and lack of massive online multiplayer features making the open-world game feel empty. Despite the handful of negative reviews, player counts have remained high, even well into the Monday after the launch weekend, which is when there is usually an observable dip in player retention.

Large file transfers are still more complicated than they probably should be. Many services limit upload sizes, require subscriptions, or offer little visibility into whether a file was actually received. Transfr Pro takes a different approach by combining unlimited file transfers, delivery tracking, and security features into a browser-based platform with a one-time lifetime license.

Through July 19, lifetime access to Transfr Pro Fast & Secure File Transfer is available for a one-time $79.97 (MSRP $499).

Transfr Pro is designed for freelancers, creative professionals, agencies, and teams that regularly send large media files, documents, or client deliverables. There are no transfer size limits, and shared files can be stored for up to 60 days. Instead of simply sending a download link, users can create professional transfer pages with custom branding for a more polished presentation.

Cougar has launched the CFV220 RGB, a mid-tower ATX case first shown at Computex 2026 back in June, as we reported here. The chassis, a slightly more compact version of the existing CVF235, measures 235 x 504 x 446 mm with three tempered glass panels and a ventilated lower intake chamber with integrated ARGB lighting. The CFV220 RGB supports Mini-ITX, microATX, ATX, and back-connector motherboards. For cooling it comes with three pre-installed 120 mm ARGB PWM fans, two in the bottom intake and one at the rear. All three fans are running up to 2200 RPM with 5 V 3-pin ARGB and 4-pin PWM headers, syncing with the motherboard RGB. Users can install up to three fans, for a total of six fans, with the top supporting three 120 mm or two 140 mm fans and a 360 mm or 240 mm radiator.

Hardware clearances cover GPUs up to 420 mm, CPU coolers up to 170 mm, and PSUs up to 160 mm. For storage the case has one 3.5-inch bay and one 2.5-inch bay, with a second 2.5-inch bay available if you convert the 3.5-inch one. As with many mid-tower cases, it sports seven expansion slots. The front I/O panel has a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C at 20 Gbps, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a combo audio jack, and an RGB button. A removable sliding dust filter covers the intake section. The CFV220 RGB case is available in black and white. Cougar hasn't announced its pricing.

TSMC's revenue reached an impressive 442.68 billion NTD in June 2026, which is about 13.75 billion USD (at the time of writing) for a single month of net revenue. This represents a remarkable 67.9% growth compared to the same month last year, driven by the record AI data center expansion. Month over month, TSMC's revenue increased by 6.2% from May 2026. These figures are impressive, considering that such high double-digit growth for a company already generating billions in revenue is one of the best performances in modern history. Additionally, TSMC generated revenue of 2,404.48 billion NTD, equivalent to about 74.66 billion USD, in the first six months of the year. This marks an increase of 35.6% compared to the first half of 2025, indicating that the trend is expected to continue.

In June, TSMC successfully began high-volume manufacturing of the N2 process. AMD has partnered with TSMC to manufacture its EPYC "Venice" on the 2 nm N2 process, alongside the CoWoS packaging that TSMC's facilities offer. AMD is now a top-tier client at TSMC, utilizing the latest nodes that were typically adopted first by Apple, followed by others. Apple is following AMD with its A20 SoC for iPhones and M6 SoC for MacBooks. TSMC's revenue target for the full year 2026 is expected to significantly surpass the 2025 figures, as the company encourages customers to adopt more advanced built on pricier wafers.

AMD's mid-range Radeon RX 9070 GRE edition graphics card is now available for $499 on Newegg, offering an attractive deal for 1440p gamers. Newegg provides a special discount when you enter your email address, reducing the listed price from $549 to $499, a 9% price cut. This is a good deal considering how expensive GPUs have become recently due to memory shortages driving up prices. Originally launched on June 2nd this year outside of China, AMD set the MSRP at $549, which is still the case for some SKUs at certain retailers. However, prices often exceed this, depending on the location and country.

The Radeon RX 9070 GRE features a Navi 48 XL GPU with 3,072 stream processors across 48 RDNA 4 CUs, paired with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory running on a 192-bit bus. This positions it below the Radeon RX 9070 non-XT, which uses a Navi 48 XT GPU with 3,584 stream processors. Interestingly, this GPU was initially intended as a China-only version, as is typical for the GRE family, but AMD released it worldwide at the beginning of June. With the current discount, the value proposition has improved compared to our earlier reviews. Check out the Newegg link here. Do note we don't have an affiliate program, this post serves as a heads-up for enthusiasts for a good deal.

Chinese memory giant CXMT has been expanding its capacity so rapidly that the company is now able to compete with one of the largest memory manufacturers in the world—Micron. According to analysis from Citrini Research and their proprietary data, CXMT is projected to produce about 350,000 DRAM wafers per month by the end of 2026, assuming all current projects are completed on schedule. This is an impressive figure, especially considering that Micron, one of the "big three" DRAM manufacturers, is currently estimated to produce about 375,000 DRAM wafers per month by the end of 2026, assuming their capacity expansions are fulfilled. Micron has been a memory supplier for decades, while CXMT is a relatively new player that emerged to meet China's domestic needs.

A particularly surprising discovery is that CXMT is constructing its cleanrooms—where the actual silicon is produced—in just around 12 months, whereas the rest of the DRAM manufacturing industry typically takes 21-24 months, nearly a full year longer. The biggest challenge for Chinese memory makers like CXMT is acquiring advanced lithography solutions from around the world, as the United States government has imposed sanctions on the company and placed it on a blacklist, preventing access to modern EUV scanners. Instead, CXMT relies on older DUV lithography tools and uses multi-patterning techniques to work around the lack of EUV technology. Despite this, CXMT is matching Micron's output this year with nearly the same number of DRAM wafers, which is impressive for such a new market entrant.

It seems as though Criterion Games has officially addressed the questions about the future of Need for Speed that arose after its 30th anniversary rebranding as "a Battlefield studio." In a recent interview with IGN, Vice President of Battlefield Studios Europe, Rebecka Coutaz, has basically confirmed fans' fears that Need for Speed is all but dead. When asked about the potential future of its racing games following the rebranding, the VP responded that "We are solely focused on Battlefield," indicating that, 2022's Need for Speed Unbound would likely be the last entry into the studio's racing IP. This comment likewise spells doom for the Burnout franchise, which hasn't had a new entry since 2018 with the Burnout Paradise Remaster, if you can even call that a new entry.

The absence of Burnout and Need for Speed leave a notable gap in the racing game market that games like Forza and the DiRT series don't necessarily fill, thanks to the combination of street and track racing and stunt driving. A quick gander at SteamDB reveals that, aside from the live-service push, the reason for moving away from Need for Speed as a franchise may be due to declining player interest. On Steam, Need for Speed Unbound peaked at a disappointing 14,063 concurrent players at launch and has since plateaued at around 1,000-1,500 peak concurrent daily players. Battlefield 6, on the other hand, currently sits at around 50,000 daily concurrent players, previously peaking at an all-time high of over 740,000 concurrent players.

JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the global leader in standards development for the microelectronics industry, today announced the publication of JESD330-4: Standard Package High Bandwidth Memory (SPHBM4). SPHBM4 uses the same DRAM dies as HBM4, commonly used in artificial intelligence accelerators, with a new interface base die that enables mounting on standard organic substrates rather than silicon substrates. JESD330-4 is available for download from the JEDEC website.

JESD330-4 SPHBM is architected to operate at the same aggregate data throughput as HBM4 using fewer pins by operating at a higher frequency. Where the HBM4 interface has 2048 data signals, when published, SPHBM4 will define 512 data signals with 4:1 serialization to achieve the same bandwidth. This change allows the relaxed bump pitch required for connection to organic substrates.

Edifier International, the award-winning audio electronics designer, announces the launch of its latest studio monitor, the MR4.5. Whether you're producing music, editing content, or simply enjoying your favorite playlists, the MR4.5 is designed to deliver accurate, balanced sound throughout every part of your day. Combining professional-grade audio performance with versatile functionality, the latest addition to Edifier's award-winning MR Series is equally at home in the studio, at your desk, or in your living space.

Hear Every Detail
Engineered for accurate sound reproduction, the MR4.5 lets you hear every detail with clarity and precision. Its bi-amplified design, Hi-Res Audio certification and wide frequency response deliver balanced, natural sound for music production, video editing, content creation and everyday listening.

Cooler Master, a global leader in innovative thermal solutions and PC hardware today announced the HAF II 500, a new high-end airflow case designed to push cooling performance forward while delivering a quieter, more flexible building experience. HAF II 500 is available now for $199.99 in North America from Amazon and Newegg. Availability, pricing, and purchase options vary by region. Please refer to your local Cooler Master website for details.

The HAF II 500 uses Cooler Master's thermal authority to bring together two benefits that often compete in a PC case: stronger cooling and lower operating noise. With a purpose-built thermal architecture powered by oversized extra-thick fans, and a layout designed to support high-performance hardware and cleaner internal routing, the case helps users get more from modern gaming, creative, and compute-intensive systems.

Valve is making a fortune, as confirmed by the latest data from Alinea Analytics, which estimates Steam has generated an impressive $11.1 billion in revenue in the first half of the year. These numbers are not only record-setting for Valve but also highlight the significant influence Steam has within the gaming community. As a privately-owned company, Valve's revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. However, analysis from Alinea Analytics estimates that the gross revenue for the first six months of the year is $11.1 billion, nearly matching the entire year of 2021 ($11.4 billion), when the COVID pandemic significantly boosted the gaming community as people stayed home for extended periods.

Interestingly, the majority of Steam's revenue comes from older games. The report notes that only 21% of the revenue stream has come from 2026 game releases, while the rest is supported by a catalog of older titles. Perhaps gamers have been saving up to purchase older games or simply waiting for new releases to resolve the initial bugs and issues that often accompany major game launches. The top-selling games in the first half of 2026 include Forza Horizon 6, generating $197.7 million since launch, Resident Evil Requiem with $194.5 million, and Crimson Desert with $190.1 million from game sales. A complete chart with more games is included below.

GameSir, a global gaming peripherals brand renowned for combining high-performance engineering with distinctive design, today announces the launch of the GameSir T7 Pro W Retro Green Wired Controller. Combining dependable wired performance with a nostalgic translucent aesthetic, the T7 Pro W Retro Green delivers modern gaming technology in a design inspired by the iconic transparent hardware of the late 1990s and early 2000s. The GameSir T7 Pro Retro Green is available now, priced at £55.99 / $49.99 / €59.99 on the GameSir website, with Amazon availability expected at a later date.

Featuring a striking translucent green shell, the T7 Pro W Retro Green pays tribute to one of gaming's most recognizable design eras while introducing subtle RGB lighting that adds a contemporary touch. The result is a controller that blends retro character with modern style, making it equally at home on a desktop setup or alongside an Xbox console.

According to a display industry analyst from South Korea, Nintendo is considering releasing a Switch 2 handheld console with an OLED display. While there has been speculation that Nintendo will announce a Switch 2 OLED version, the company is currently evaluating whether this option is financially feasible. If Nintendo determines that it makes financial sense, the company plans to start development towards the end of this year, with mass production targeted for the end of 2027. This would set an early 2028 goal for the market launch. If the decision is made to proceed, it is likely that Samsung Display will supply a rigid OLED panel for the Switch 2 OLED version. However, there is a significant price difference between the current 1080p LCD panel and a potential rigid OLED touchscreen display, with the LCD version reportedly being much cheaper.

The current situation with tight memory and storage supply isn't helping either, as Nintendo has been forced to increase the Switch 2 cost by about $50, depending on the configuration. NAND Flash and DRAM pricing have been rising, forcing Nintendo to raise costs, which will take effect on September 1st of this year. Additionally, Nintendo would have to pass the extra costs of the OLED panel to consumers, which could range from double to triple digits by the time the Switch 2 OLED version hits the market. If the memory and storage shortage persists, we could see another price hike for the regular LCD version, and the OLED SKU might not make financial sense. Hence, the company is currently debating whether to start development or not.

Intel today announced a €5 billion ($5.7 billion) capital investment at its Leixlip campus in Ireland, marking the next phase in the site's capacity expansion. Global demand for AI and high-performance computing is driving the need for advanced silicon to power AI Factories, and Intel is scaling capacity in Ireland to deliver Intel Xeon 6 and next gen Intel Xeon built on its Intel 3 node. This strategic investment expands current production output, advances research and development activities and utilises capacity across existing cleanroom space, strengthening Europe's semiconductor supply chain and serving industry need.

The expansion involves upgrading existing fabrication facilities and the installation of leading-edge manufacturing equipment. Key infrastructure enhancements include the expansion of the automated track system to integrate disparate campus modules into a singular, high-velocity production environment.

Previously, we reported that Valve's Steam Machine featured a "red line of death" (RLOD) that was mistakenly flagged as a system problem. This issue was actually a simple BIOS glitch that was resolved quickly. Valve has since updated its Q&A and the Steam Machine BIOS to enhance the functionality of the LED strip surrounding the Steam Machine. In their latest communication, Valve confirmed that they are working on a BIOS update that will cause the LED strip to turn red if the CPU or GPU reaches 100°C. At this point, the system will automatically reduce the performance of the CPU or GPU, depending on which component is affected, to protect the system's health. This process, known as thermal throttling, will only occur once the system reaches the 100°C threshold.

Earlier reports indicated that the RLOD appeared on systems with CPU temperatures of 95°C and GPU temperatures of 90°C. However, since the silicon can handle more heat without issues, Valve has been updating the LED strip behavior with the new BIOS update. Because Valve uses a customized AMD processor, the TJ Max, or maximum safe temperature before shutdown, is likely 105°C. Beyond this point, the system will shut down to prevent damage. Under normal operation, the LED light will remain blue, indicating that the RLOD is a serious warning sign when conditions are about to change. Interestingly, Valve's internal Steam Machine cooling system, which includes a heatsink and a fan, is sufficient to keep the Steam Machine running normally. However, factors such as room temperature and the placement of the Steam Machine can affect performance. If the device is placed in a cramped space with limited air circulation, overheating issues may be more persistent. Below is the current setup of the LED light bar, which will get updated soon.

MSI announced that its EdgeXpert AI Supercomputer is now supported by Racknex professional Rack Mount solutions, enabling enterprises to deploy high-performance AI computing resources in standard 19-inch rack environments. Designed specifically for MSI EdgeXpert, the Racknex UM-MSI-201 Rack Mount Kit provides a flexible and standardized deployment option for enterprise AI, edge computing, smart manufacturing, and data center applications.

As generative AI and enterprise AI applications continue to expand, organizations are increasingly seeking AI computing platforms that deliver high performance, low latency, and secure local AI processing. Beyond computing capability, enterprises also require efficient deployment, system integration, space optimization, and simplified management within existing IT infrastructures.

Intel's 18A node is officially space-grade, according to documentation on Intel's website. A document that initially went unnoticed has been published, detailing a new "Starfire" generation of processors built on the 18A node and designed for space operations. Intel has designated two SKUs for orbital computing, each equipped with four P-Cores and four LPE-Cores, resulting in an eight-core SoC design. One is optimized for low-power operations with clocks adjusted for efficiency, while the other is designed for performance. The Low Power edition tunes its four P-Cores to 1.0 GHz, while the four LPE-Cores run at 850 MHz. For the Performance version, Intel has increased the frequency of P-Cores to 3.1 GHz, with LPE-Cores reaching up to 2.1 GHz.

Both SKUs feature a GPU tile built on the Intel 3 node, which includes 4 Xe cores with 64 EUs. On the Low Power SKU, these Xe cores operate between 800 MHz and 1.0 GHz, while the Performance SKU boosts this to 2.0 GHz. The total package for the Low Power version remains at 10 W TDP, while the Performance SKU is capped at 35 W TDP. Additionally, Intel includes an NPU on both versions, with a compute capability of 45 TOPS on the Low Power version and up to 75 TOPS on the Performance SKU using INT8 precision. Beyond specifications, "Starfire" can operate within a T-Junction range from -55°C to 125°C. This range, alongside TID, SEL, and SEE radiation hardening certifications, introduces the first 18A silicon to space, ideal for orbital computation. Intel targets this quarter, Q3, for samples.

GIGABYTE today introduced the B850M AORUS Stealth, a Socket AM5 motherboard based on the AMD B850 chipset that offers backside connectors for better cable management and aesthetics. This is among the first of the company's motherboards in the microATX form-factor to feature backside connectivity. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and a single 8-pin EPS connector. It uses an 8+2+2 phase CPU VRM design. The socket is wired to four DDR5 DIMM slots, the board's sole PCI-Express 5.0 x16 slot, and two M.2 NVMe slots, one of which is Gen 5 x4, and the other interestingly is Gen 4 x4 even though it comes from the CPU. There is a third M.2 Gen 4 x4 slot that's wired to the B850 chipset. Other storage connectivity includes two SATA 6 Gbps ports.

USB connectivity of the GIGABYTE B850M AORUS Stealth includes four 5 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 1 type-A on the rear panel; four USB 2.0 type-A, also on the rear panel; two 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2, one of which is type-A and the other type-C, on the rear panel; two 5 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports from a header; and a 20 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port from header. Network connectivity includes a Wi-Fi 7 160 MHz and Bluetooth 5.4 provided by a Realtek RTL8922AE WLAN module; and a 5 Gbps wired Ethernet interface driven by a Realtek RTL8126 series PHY. The onboard audio solution is driven by a Realtek ALC1220 HDA codec. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Apple has recently overhauled its entire M-Series chip plans, scrapping the launch of the M6 Pro and M6 Max processors and jumping straight to the M7 series. While the base M6 SoC is expected to launch, Apple is moving into the M7 series without the M6 Pro/Max variants, with plans to offer some of the most powerful computing solutions in the market. Apple is testing the M6 SoC in the base MacBook Pro model, featuring many improvements in CPU microarchitecture and NPU performance for local AI processing. Reportedly, memory is also being upgraded for higher bandwidth, now targeting around 200 GB/s, up from 123 GB/s in the current base M5 SoC. The integrated GPU will see a 20% increase in core count, featuring 12 GPU cores in the M6, which will be a noticeable improvement from the current 10-core configuration in the M5.

However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, in the PowerOn newsletter, confirmed that Apple's plans for the M7 Ultra chip include much faster local AI with more CPU, GPU, and NPU power, as well as a total memory capacity of 1.5 TB, a configuration only seen on the Mac Pro desktop systems. Next year's base M7 processor is expected to arrive in the first half of 2027 and will also upgrade memory bandwidth to about 240 GB/s. This is supposed to be the first Intel-manufactured Apple Silicon design, utilizing the 18A-P node. The M7 Pro and M7 Max will arrive in late 2027 with much higher bandwidth and performance. An M7 Ultra version will follow in 2028 for Mac Studio, which will be a 1.5 TB DRAM machine. With that unified memory, local model development and heavier tasks will be supported without hassle.

MSI Afterburner has been experimenting with a voltage/frequency curve editor that includes a heat map. This feature helps users understand the exact frequency their GPU achieves when given a certain voltage level. According to MSI Afterburner developer "Unwinder," the next beta release of this popular utility will allow users to record and visualize the V/F heat map by pressing "M" on their keyboard while in the editor. Once recorded, users can observe the NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU Boost algorithm in action and see how the GPU switches to different voltage points based on frequency scaling. This process follows the pre-defined V/F curve set for GPU frequency scaling and boosting when needed.

The developer also noted that starting with the "Blackwell" architecture, NVIDIA improved its dynamic voltage frequency scaling (DVFS) within the GPU Boost algorithm. In older architectures, GPU Boost would jump between target V/F points without intermediate values. However, starting with "Blackwell," the curve is much more gradual, and the V/F targets switch up to 1,000 times faster than before, thanks to the DVFS improvements. In the MSI Afterburner beta, this can be seen with a heat map that uses gradients of yellow to indicate the most frequently hit GPU V/F curve points. Below is the GeForce RTX 5090 boosting pattern recorded by the MSI Afterburner beta.

AMD has reportedly been testing a new and highly anticipated FSR multi-frame generation (MFG) technology for its Radeon RX GPUs. This information comes from a third-party software called RadeonTuner, which allows access to Radeon driver settings without using the AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition application. RadeonTuner has revealed that AMD is already incorporating preliminary support for multi-frame generation into its Radeon drivers, though the feature remains hidden until the software is finalized. According to the tool's developer, AMD often places placeholders for features like this well in advance of their release, indicating that the company is extensively testing the multi-frame generation feature with options for 1x to 8x variants, which are expected to be available once the feature is fully developed.

One user attempted to enable the multi-frame generation feature using the latest driver installation and a Radeon RX 9060 XT graphics card to see if it could work with any game. However, the user discovered that the feature is currently non-functional, as AMD has not yet released the necessary model to support multi-frame generation at any setting. This suggests that only the placeholder for the feature has been included, with no underlying driver support to make it operational. Even when testing games that frequently receive FSR updates, such as Forza Horizon 6, Pragmata, Resident Evil 9, Crimson Desert, and Death Stranding 2, the feature could not be activated. It seems we are still months away from the final release of multi-frame generation support.

It seems that NVIDIA's removal of the hotspot temperature sensor from the GeForce RTX 50 series "Blackwell" GPUs is not permanent, as the sensor data can still be accessed and the actual sensor is physically present. However, this is only possible with NVIDIA's internal tool called Modular Diagnostic Software (MODS), which isn't available to the public. According to Brazilian repair specialist Paulo Gomes, NVIDIA's MODS tool can still access the hotspot sensor. Readers may recall that back in January 2025, when the GeForce RTX 5090 GPU was reviewed, it was confirmed that NVIDIA had indeed removed the hotspot sensor reading API from "Blackwell." However, the company has kept access to "GPU Temperature" and "Memory Temperature" features for measuring the overall GPU temperature and its memory, making up for the absence of the hotspot sensor by keeping other features available.

For those who want to access the hotspot sensor on NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 series, Paulo Gomes shows that it is possible through the use of MODS, which is an internal tool available only to NVIDIA employees in testing labs. Some builds have been circulating among repair technicians. The tool requires a bootable Linux drive and likely specific packages, making it difficult for the average enthusiast to set up. By connecting the tool from a remote server, the repair crew discovered that NVIDIA's thermal limit of 107°C had been reached five times in some hotspots on the GPU die, despite the average GPU temperature of the tested GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5070 Ti being around 68°C.

Welcome to the middle of July and we're right back to the slower pace of new game releases. This week's major release brings some Lovecraftian co-op action set in a time of gunpowder and muskets. We kick off the rest of this week's releases with a fast-paced action-rougelike bullet-hell where you can stop the time, followed by an old-timey mystery. Then we take a left turn onto the Japanese metro, but the train is a skateboard, a turn-based strategy game with floating islands and finally you get the chance to drive a train in the fog.

The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu / This week's major release / Wednesday 15 July
In up to four player co-op, form a group of explorers searching for treasure. In this cursed jungle, danger is everywhere and monstrous creatures alter reality. Stay clear-headed and tame the jungle before it devours you. Steam link

Following the recent confirmation that layoffs related to Asha Sharma's Xbox reset have resulted in significant layoffs at ZeniMax-run studios—amounting to 50% of Id Software's workers and 25% of Bethesda's—OneBGS, the CWA-affiliated Bethesda Game Studios Union, has announced that its workers has organized marches outside Bethesda's studios in Montreal, Canada; Austin and Dallas, Texas; and Rockville, Maryland. CWA representatives said in an email seen by Game Developer that the layoffs have affected as many as 440 unionized workers at Bethesda and ZeniMax, and the union says that the protest will start on July 15 to fight for the rights of its workers.

"Microsoft and ZeniMax leadership have made the devastating decision to slash over 440 positions across BGS, ZOS, id, ZWU (QA) and ZeniMax corporate (including CTO and CSUR). Because we organized and certified our unions, we have hard-won legal rights and protections that non-unionized studios simply do not have. The company wants us to accept this as a done deal and quietly disappear. We won't let that happen. Our next steps are to mobilize. We need every single member visible and unified."

Following the recent launch of the Keychron K4 Ultra and K10 Ultra, the accessory maker has officially launched the new K5 Ultra 8K, a low-profile wireless mechanical keyboard with a full 100% layout and sleek cherry wood accents. The K5 Ultra is the latest version of the low-profile K Ultra-series, which means it uses the same ZMK firmware and has the same 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connectivity as the previously announced K3 Ultra had. The K5 Ultra has launched with an MSRP of $114.99, and is available in black on the Keychron online store or on Amazon. The K5 Ultra is also capable of refresh rates of up to 8 kHz over both the wired USB Type-C connection and the 2.4 GHz connection. Wireless connectivity is powered by a 2,400 mAh battery, and Keychron cites 370 hours of use from a single charge with the backlighting disabled and the keyboard running at an 8 kHz polling rate.

The Keychron K5 Ultra uses a proper full-size layout and includes both a programmable knob above the backspace key and a macro row above the num pad. The K5 Ultra is available with Keychron's relatively new Milk POM low-profile switches—which follow the Gateron Low-Profile 2.0 pin layout—in three switch flavors. Milk POM Reds are linear with a 45 gf actuation force, while the Milk POM Browns are tactile with a 50 gf actuation force, and the Milk POM Banana switches are a strong tactile switch with 57 gf actuation force. All three switches have 3.1 mm of total travel, but the Reds have 1.3 mm of pre-travel, while the two tactile varieties have 1.7 mm pre-travel. The K5 Ultra measures in at 436.6 x 128.29 mm and has a 15.55 mm front height. It also features two-stage flip-out feet for different typing angles.

Thermaltake CAPO X is one of the more unusual cases we've seen at Computex this year, and now it has been officially launched. CAPO X is a full tower designed to house two completely independent microATX systems in a single enclosure. The interior of the case is split into two separate motherboard compartments. Both offer support for standard microATX boards as well as rear-connector designs such as ASUS BTF, MSI Project Zero, and Gigabyte Project Stealth. Each of those compartments gets five expansion slots, GPU clearance up to 420 mm, CPU cooler height up to 180 mm, ATX PSU support up to 250 mm and 360 mm radiator mount for independent cooling. Dedicated 2.5-inch storage mounts in each section mean both systems run completely separately, including their own operating systems.

Front I/O is also independent per system, the upper compartment's panel sits near the top-left, the lower one toward the front-bottom, each with a USB Type-C 10 Gbps port and two USB Type-A 5 Gbps ports alongside power, reset, and audio headers. The case is made from 1 mm SPCC steel, measures 691 x 305 x 448 mm and has a single 4 mm curved tempered glass side panel spanning both compartments. The use cases are fairly niche but make sense, a gaming and dedicated streaming setup, an AI inference system alongside a primary workstation, or simply saving desk space by running two systems in one chassis. Thermaltake CAPO X is available in black and white and has a price of 1270 yuan (around $187).

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has seemingly managed to turn things around following a wave of negative reviews on launch day. Not only has its Steam review rating swung from "Mixed" to "Mostly Positive"—with 77% of the game's 3,555 English reviews now positive—Ubisoft has also announced that Black Flag Resynced has sold over 2 million copies in just over 24 hours since its launch. This at least matches but possibly exceeds the day-one performance of 007 First Light, which sold 1.5 million units in 24 hours.

Previously, reviews on Steam frequently complained about the game's microtransactions, which totaled to more than the $69.99 price of the Deluxe Edition. It's not entirely surprising that the game has reached such heights, given that its day-one Steam peak player count, as reported by SteamDB, was 99,451 players, beating out every other Assassin's Creed game to date—the previous record belonged to Assassin's Creed Shadows with 64,825 peak concurrent players.

Jsaux, the maker of a smorgasbord of functional and decorative Steam Deck accessories, has just provided an update on its previously announced Steam Machine faceplate project, which it has revealed to potentially be coming in three separate iterations. On the brand's Discord, it recently held a poll asking for community feedback on three separate versions of the faceplates: one with a large monochrome e-ink display akin to Valve's initial prototype, another with a smaller color e-ink display with a knob and additional buttons on the front, and another with a large color dot matrix display.

It's unclear whether Jsaux will release all three versions of the display, but judging by the response on Discord, both versions of the e-ink faceplate were popular, although the full-size monochrome e-ink display ended up winning the popular vote with 49% of the votes preferring that version. It's worth noting that Jsaux's Discord poll simply asked which version of the display faceplate the accessory maker should launch first, and not which version it should launch at all, suggesting there is at least some intention to launch all three versions.

As promised previously, Palworld 1.0 has officially launched on Steam, bringing with it an absolutely gargantuan list of updates, features, and fixes. The update officially launches the game out of Early Access and adds 72 new pals to the game, bringing the total to 287—over 50 more than in the latest Pokémon Legends Z-A game. Palworld 1.0 also adds a new area, a floating island called The World Tree, and it expands the original world with new points of interest, Ancient Ruins with minigames, new islands with new volcano, desert, and ruin biomes, and new NPC settlements in four regions, each with their own NPCs and quests. There are several other gameplay changes, new mechanics, and systems overhauls that appear to largely be focused on increasing the fun of late-game and high-level gameplay, base building, combat, and life sim activities.

It's also worth noting that anyone running mods on Palworld has been instructed to remove the mods ahead of the 1.0 update in order to avoid game-breaking bugs. However, Pocket Pair explains that this advice is merely a precaution, due to the massive gameplay changes that have come as a result of the Palworld 1.0 update. Pocketpair has expressed its support for modding and its appreciation for the work done by its modding community, but it notes that mods that have been installed on Palworld "since around 2024" may result in crashes at launch or during gameplay, corrupted save data, or quests becoming impossible to complete. The studio advises only reinstalling mods once the mod creator has specifically confirmed that the mods will work on Palworld 1.0. The full release notes, available on Steam, span several pages, but some of the other update highlights follow.

The reception of PlayStation's recent decision to stop producing physical games media in early 2028 has been heard far and wide across the internet, with fans even going as far as to start the "Don't Kill the Disc" petition on Change.org. More recently, a survey on Push Square, a publication that largely serves PlayStation enthusiasts, found that 45% of 6,454 respondents were "seriously considering" switching to PC gaming as a result of the announcement, while 23% were firm in their decision to stick with PlayStation going forward, and 15% said they had already thought about it. Of those who responded to the survey, 41% cited Sony ending physical games as their reason for moving to PC. Although there hasn't been a massive outcry about it just yet, Xbox is apparently also planning on moving away from physical media, with rumors claiming a disc-to-digital attestation system coming to the Xbox Helix console.

Another point of contention in the next-gen console line-up is pricing, with some rumors placing the PS6 BOM cost at near $1,000. Only 14% of 5,664 respondents in the same survey said that they would buy a PS6 at launch if it cost $1,000 or more, while 29% said they would buy or build a gaming PC instead, and another 29% said they would skip the PS6 console generation altogether. Up-front hardware cost is one area where console gaming usually has an edge on PC gaming, and, while the PS5 console generation saw Sony an Xbox embrace multi-platform game launches from their in-house studios, it seems as though both companies are prepared for at least some backlash for the upcoming console generation. For its part, Xbox appears to be approaching things a little differently by more or less treating PC and Xbox gaming as a monolith, especially with the next-gen Xbox Helix console all but confirmed to be a PC-console hybrid.

The new Nexus family is available in two configurations Ryzen AI and Threadripper AI ranging from high-performance systems to uncompromising professional workstations engineered for Local AI development and deployment.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming the way we develop software, analyze data, and create new products. At the same time, an increasing number of professionals, businesses, and enthusiasts are choosing to run AI models directly on their own machines, keeping full control over their data, reducing reliance on cloud services, and taking full advantage of the power of modern hardware.

Following the launch of the Steam Machine, Valve has finally rolled out its compatibility rating system for its living room gaming experience in Steam, with a new UI that shows both Steam Machine and SteamOS compatibility ratings. The new UI is only available in SteamOS in the Steam Deck client or in Big Picture mode, which makes sense, since the update is more than likely targeted around the launch of the Steam Machine. It's unclear if Valve will add a similar SteamOS compatibility indicator to the desktop and web clients, although it does display SteamOS and Steam Deck compatibility in the library on both desktop and the web, so it seems likely that the feature is planned for later.

Currently, the SteamOS and Steam Machine compatibility ratings are hidden in a fly-out window under a UI block called "SteamOS compatibility." The window shows three tabs, for the Steam Deck, Steam Machine, and then general SteamOS, all of which have their own specific compatibility requirements. While the Steam Machine tab shows information relating to the Steam Machine Verified program, the SteamOS tab simply notes whether the game will run on SteamOS via the Proton compatibility layer and whether it needs an internet connection for initial setup or gameplay. The SteamOS rating is likely to apply to most other modern Linux distributions, so it is a welcome addition to Valve's Linux gaming feature set.

LIAN LI Industrial Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of chassis and PC accessories, introduces the UNI FAN FLEX Series, a new generation of UNI FANs designed for more flexibility over fan speed, lighting, and LCD customization. Powered by the new FLEX Receiver, the series supports control via L-Wireless, USB, or direct motherboard PWM/ARGB sync. Available in four models: TL FLEX, TL LCD FLEX, SL-INF FLEX, and SL-INF LCD FLEX.

The UNI FAN TL LCD FLEX and SL-INF LCD FLEX increase personalization with an integrated 1.8-inch LCD screen. The display features a 400 x 400 resolution, 60 Hz refresh rate, and 500 nits of brightness. Each LCD fan includes 512 MB of onboard flash memory, allowing pre-loaded screen backgrounds and system monitoring presets to be controlled wirelessly through L-Connect 3 without requiring a USB connection for basic display functions. For users who want full customization, USB mode unlocks advanced media uploads, including GIF and MP4 support, giving builders more freedom to match the fan display with the rest of their system theme.

NVIDIA is readying the new GeForce RTX 5090 SE graphics card, according to a report by GameGPU. This SKU could fill the gap between the current RTX 5080 and the flagship RTX 5090. Unlike the RTX 5090D and RTX 5090D V2, the RTX 5090 SE isn't a region-specific SKU aimed at complying with U.S. AI accelerator export controls, but is rather a mainline gaming GPU product. It is based on the same "GB202" silicon as the RTX 5090, but is cut down from it, featuring fewer streaming multiprocessors (SM), and a narrower 384-bit wide GDDR7 memory interface. The memory size is still 32 GB, achieved using a mixed density of 24 Gb and 16 Gb memory chips.

NVIDIA is carving the RTX 5090 SE out of the "GB202" by enabling 110 out of the 192 SM physically present on the silicon, resulting in 14,080 CUDA cores, 110 RT cores, 440 Tensor cores, 440 TMUs, and an unknown ROP count, probably 144. Meanwhile, the TGP of the RTX 5090 SE is expected to be around 500 W, down from 575 W of the RTX 5090. NVIDIA is looking to target a launch MSRP of $1,500, but you can be sure that the street price will be much higher.

GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, demonstrates how AI TOP ATOM four-node clustering scales local AI computing for increasingly complex workloads. As AI models, scientific simulations, and enterprise applications continue to grow in size and complexity, standalone systems are increasingly insufficient to meet rising memory and compute demands. AI TOP ATOM clustering removes that constraint, enabling memory-intensive workloads to run locally without compromising on data security.

Each AI TOP ATOM node delivers 1 PFLOP/s FP4 AI performance and 128 GB unified memory. Through a Race-capable 200 GbE switch, four interconnected nodes, each with 128 GB of unified memory, enable memory-intensive workloads to scale beyond the limits of a standalone system. The modular architecture allows organizations to scale from one node to four nodes as workload requirements evolve while maintaining local deployment and full data sovereignty, providing a scalable foundation for larger AI and scientific computing workloads.

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ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the ROG Gjallar premium gaming soundbar designed to deliver impactful, cinematic surround sound, clear in-game communication, and multi-platform compatibility to streamline any setup. It immerses gamers in a realistic 3D soundstage via 2.1.2 Dolby Atmos surround sound with left and right full-range speakers, tweeters, up-firing channels and a powerful 5G wireless subwoofer.

The Gjallar includes an all-in-one audio control hub that provides convenient access to EQ settings, playback controls, input source selection, and RGB lighting. The audio control hub also houses the built-in Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) microphones for seamless communication. The Gjallar offers versatile multi-device, multi-platform connectivity via USB-C, HDMI 2.1 (eARC), optical and AUX input, along with Bluetooth 5.3. In addition, a built-in USB hub on the side of the soundbar allows for easy device connections via USB Type-A. ASUS Aura RGB lighting offers up to 16.8 million colors and four preset effects for a complete, cohesive gaming setup.

ASUS Republic of Gamers today announced the ROG Raikiri II Pro PC—the ultimate gaming controller with a competition-grade 8K polling rate, extensive customization options including hot-swappable joysticks for a tailored feel, and industry-leading battery life. The ROG Raikiri II Pro PC provides gamers with unparalleled precision control to dominate gaming arenas.

The ROG Raikiri II Pro PC controller boasts an 8000 Hz polling rate and 2.4 GHz wireless performance enhanced by ROG SpeedNova technology for incredibly responsive control and ultra-low latency. All buttons—D-Pad, ABXY, and rear buttons—and bumpers feature micro switches for instant actuation and crisp, tactile feedback. In addition, the Dual Mode Triggers feature lets gamers seamlessly switch between short-travel, micro-switch and TMR sensor triggers with full travel, allowing for a tailored feel based on game genre.