Gaming News - Page 2

Released around this time last year, the Dead Space Remake from EA and Motive Studio presented a faithful built-from-the-ground-up remake of the iconic 2008 sci-fi horror game. With revamped visuals, audio, and various other improvements and updates, it was one of the best games from a stacked 2022 that also saw another iconic horror game get its remake dues with Capcom's Resident Evil 4.

Running on a high-end PC, the Dead Space Remake looks incredible, so it is no surprise that a ray tracing mod for the game also looks great. The video above shows that this uses Complete RT, a Reshade Ray Tracing Mod that adds ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion with volumetric fog and different color grading.

The change to color grading is immediately noticeable, giving the game a cooler blue-toned look, with the ray tracing being a more subtle change you notice during the gameplay sections. Look closely, and you'll see more detail across lighting and shadows, adding to the immersion.

It has been a wild couple of weeks in the world of Xbox, where the heads of the company convened to hold a special 'business update' to ease concerns and rumors that got to the point where some were reporting that Xbox was going third-party and would stop making hardware.

That's not the case, with Xbox reaffirming its hardware position by stating that its next-gen console will present the 'largest technical leap' in console history and that, for now, games like Starfield and the upcoming Indiana Jones title from Machine Games will remain exclusive to Xbox consoles, cloud, and PC. That said, four older and established games will be coming to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, with new releases still coming day and date to Xbox Game Pass.

As part of the presentation with Xbox heads Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty, we did get confirmation of the very first Blizzard game coming to Xbox Game Pass - and that's Diablo IV, which will launch on the subscription service on March 28, 2024.

RBO is a new game that's popped up on Steam and it's a sort of PvP version of Home Alone in a nutshell, from the maker of, and very much in the same vein as, Hello Neighbor.

Home Alone is a classic film (meaning it's terrible, like a good few classic films - though not all by any means, of course), but it looks like it'll translate into a rather smart multiplayer game.

The setup is, well, Home Alone, with one person, the 'protector' cast as the homeowner, and the others are 'intruders' who are trying to steal loot from the house.

No Man's Sky has a new update and the game will be free to play over the coming weekend, if you've never tried it, and wondered what all the fuss was about.

The expansive survival game set in space actually launched way back in 2016 - can you believe it was that long ago? - but has just got an expansion.

And with this Omega update, the publisher of No Man's Sky has made it so anyone can jump on and play, for free, from now until February 19. So you've got the entire weekend to get stuck in, see as much as you can, and work out whether this game is for you.

NVIDIA's GeForce Now streaming service just added the usual bunch of games, and this week's crop includes some high-profile titles.

First up, we have support for Skull and Bones, the new open world coop epic for budding pirates (nautical pirates, that is, not software thieves). Earlier this week, NVIDIA announced DLSS support for Skull and Bones, to boot (albeit DLSS 2 rather than DLSS 3 frame generation, but it's still going to provide a nice frame rate boost).

Another major addition to the GeForce Now library this week is Halo: Infinite, the shooter which has been around for a few years now. It still has a thriving multiplayer community, in case you were wondering.

Dune: Part Two is one of the most anticipated movie releases of the year, with the epic sci-fi sequel set to hit theatres and IMAX screens on March 1, 2024. Microsoft has partnered with Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures to celebrate the release, and there are a couple of cool treats for fans on the horizon.

First, Microsoft Flight Simulator is getting a Dune-themed update, taking players beyond its incredible 1:1 recreation of Earth for the first time. Players can pilot a realistic recreation of the insect-like Royal Atreides Ornithopter on the iconic spice-filled planet of Arrakis. The Dune expansion includes three new tutorials covering take-off, landing, freefall flying, and six activities, including "a daring rescue mission where aviators must save their flight instructor before a massive sandstorm engulfs him."

Which is reminiscent of that tense rescue scene from Dune: Part One. In addition to the Microsoft Flight Simulator expansion, Microsoft is giving away a custom Xbox Series S with an elaborate Ornithopter Stand and the "world's first floating Xbox controller."

Microsoft gaming CEO Phil Spencer discusses some of the reasons why Xbox games are coming over to other platforms.

Gaming is at crossroads right now. Games have grown far beyond consoles, and now platform-holders like Microsoft and even Sony are eyeing expansion. Microsoft has expanded through content and services, keeping the bulk of its first-party games exclusive to Xbox. But with Xbox consoles hitting saturation levels, Microsoft now wants to expand to other platforms--even rivals like PlayStation and Nintendo.

Microsoft has announced plans to release previously-exclusive Xbox games to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. On paper, this decision makes sense: The PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch have a combined shipment base of nearly 200 million units, compared to the estimated 27 million Xbox Series installed base.

Microsoft officially confirms it is going all-out on the next Xbox console, potentially refuting claims of a lower-powered system.

Reports indicate that Microsoft's next-generation console could leverage an ARM-based SoC to improve profitability/compatibility and use a combination of local power, AI, and the cloud for next-gen gaming. No one knows for sure what the next Xbox will be, but Microsoft wants us to know that it's trying to make something monstrous.

In today's business strategy meeting, Xbox gaming president Sarah Bond shared some enticing details about the future of Xbox hardware. There's also new Xbox hardware coming in 2024, which are likely to be the leaked digital-only Xbox Series X.

Microsoft gives out a new Xbox Game Pass metrics update in its recent games business meeting.

Xbox Game Pass now has 34 million subscribers, Xbox president Sarah Bond officially confirmed in the recent Xbox strategy briefing. In the same sentence, Bond also announced that Activision Blizzard games will start to release on Game Pass next month.

"Activision Blizzard games are coming to Game Pass starting with Diablo IV on March 28. It's all part of our commitment to make Xbox, the Xbox experience, and the games that we build as widely available as possible. So now the 34 million Game Pass members can all enjoy the fantastic experience of Diablo IV," Bond said.

While Xbox games are going multi-platform, Xbox services are not.

Today, Microsoft confirmed plans to bring four unnamed games to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch (they are likely to be live games Grounded and Sea of Thieves alongside smaller titles like Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush). Xbox wants the opportunity to sell more games and "grow communities" that are driven by online play.

Microsoft has confirmed that big AAA games like Indiana Jones and Starfield won't be coming to PlayStation, but one of Xbox's biggest businesses will stay firmly in its control: Services.