Blizzcon happened a little later than usual due to the pandemic, but the first virtual version of Blizzard’s games convention still had some interesting news and trailers. The opening keynote covered most of the big franchises, like World of Warcraft and Diablo, along with some more obscure classics. (Though Overwatch was curiously absent.)
If you missed the event, you can catch up on all of the biggest news right here.
Blizzard Arcade Collection
The first announcement was one of the most unexpected: three of Blizzard’s more obscure games are being bundled into a new package called the Blizzard Arcade Collection. Lost Vikings, Rock & Roll Racing, and Blackthorne have all been ported to modern platforms, including PC, Xbox One, PS4, and the Nintendo Switch. And they include some handy features, like save states and a virtual museum. The best part? The collection is out now.
Diablo IV
Diablo IV is still some ways away — Blizzard has already said it won’t be launching this year — but we at least got a glimpse of what to expect thanks to a new trailer that unveiled the rogue class.
Diablo II Resurrected
If you prefer an older-style of demonic dungeon crawling, Blizzard also officially unveiled Diablo II Resurrected, an HD remaster of the nearly two decade-old game. It’s coming out this year for both PC and console, with versions for the Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S. It’ll even include cross-progression between console and PC.
World of Warcraft
For World of Warcraft Classic players, Blizzard revealed that the game’s next big adventure will be the “Burning Crusade.” There’s no word on when exactly it’ll launch, but Blizzard says “the Dark Portal reopens 2021.” For the main game, there’s also a new chapter for the Shadowlands expansion on the way, called “Chains of Domination.”
Diablo II is getting a big overhaul in a new remaster. After a few leaks, Blizzard officially announced Diablo II Resurrected at its online-only edition of Blizzcon 2021. The new version of the game — which first launched back in 2000 — will launch this year on PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S, with cross-progression between PC and console. The HD remaster will include both the base game and its expansion, Lord of Destruction.
The announcement comes at a surprisingly busy time for the long running action-RPG series. In addition to the remaster of Diablo II, Blizzard is also working on a mobile spinoff called Diablo Immortal and the next full-fledged title, Diablo IV.
If Diablo II is too modern for your tastes, the original game is still available on GOG.com.
At Blizzcon 2021, Blizzard revealed the latest glimpse at its upcoming RPG Diablo IV. The cinematic trailer introduced a previously-unannounced character class to the game: the rogue. The other already-announced classes are barbarian, sorceress, and druid. The trailer also provided a nice look at the game’s dark atmosphere, getting particularly gruesome towards the end. You might not want to pierce your ears after watching.
Before the virtual convention Blizzard made sure to temper expectations by announcing that neither Diablo IV nor Overwatch 2 would be releasing this year. The action role-playing game has been much-anticipated for some time, as it was originally announced way back at the 2019 edition of Blizzcon.
Meanwhile, Blizzard is also hoping to expand the franchise’s reach with an upcoming mobile adaptation called Diablo Immortal, and a remaster of Diablo II for PC and various consoles including the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
As part of BlizzCon Online’s opening ceremony, Blizzard Entertainment announced a new video game anthology that includes some of the earlier titles created by the World of Warcraft developer. Blizzard Arcade Collection is a compilation featuring three titles developed by Blizzard around the early and mid-1990s.
Blizzard Arcade Collection includes The Lost Vikings, a puzzle platformer that was originally released on SNES in 1993, back when the studio was known as Silicon & Synapse. The game would also see previous ports on other consoles like the Amiga and Game Boy Advance, and was even made available on PC as a free download on Battle.net.
The other games available include another platformer called Blackthorne, which was released originally in 1994 on the SNES, as well as Rock n’ Roll Racing, a vehicular combat racer. And just like The Lost Vikings, both titles would make their way onto Blizzard’s digital storefront as free titles in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Blizzard Arcade Collection is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Formerly under the Sony umbrella, Vaio’s Z-series notebooks are known for combining high performance with a light weight and sleek look. From time to time, Vaio redesigns these machines to offer something that its rivals do not, and this week it introduced its all-new Vaio Z-series notebooks in the U.S. These machines pack in a rather serious hardware into a unique 3D molded carbon fiber chassis for a hefty starting price of $3,579.
Various PC makers have used carbon fiber to build parts of their laptop enclosures since the mid-2000s. Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon and Vaio’s Z-series have extensively used carbon fiber for about a decade. But so far, no PC has ever used a chassis made of 3D-molded carbon fiber or a carbon fiber unibody. The new Vaio Z lineup will compete with the best ultrabooks and premium laptops with just that. Essentially, all body parts of the new Vaio Z, except hinges, are made using a process that stacks the fiber sheets in three dimensions to maximize rigidity of the chassis without increasing weight.
(Image credit: Vaio)
The impressive, and to a large degree unique, Vaio Z machines are available for pre-orders from US.vaio.com. Starting from March, the notebooks will also be available in retail. Pricing of the new laptops starts at $3,579, which is unprecedentedly high. A lot of that high MSRP is because Vaio’s molded carbon fiber process technology is still very expensive.
“Vaio has developed a unique process of working with carbon fiber to achieve beautifully contoured lines and the flexible molding of carbon fiber, that was previously difficult to mass produce,” Kaoru Hayashi, Director, Vice President and Head of PC Business at Vaio Corp., said in a statement. “The achievement of harnessing carbon fiber’s full potential of lightness and durability is both revolutionary and evolutionary as we continue looking ahead.”
The good news is that the company implied that it will leverage carbon fiber going forward, which could eventually reduce costs, due to volume of scale.
“With this evolution, the new Vaio Z offers exceptional performance, lightness, endurance, now with true ruggedness and without compromise, all converging into one elegant design,” Hayashi said. “With Vaio Z as our flagship model, we hope it is the start of Vaio’s future array of laptop PC developments.”
Vaio Z Specs
(Image credit: Vaio)
The new Vaio Z is equipped with a 14-inch 4K resolution display that Vaio claims reproduce 99.8% of the DCI-P3 color space. The system measures approximately 12.60 x 0.48 – 0.67 x 8.69 inches and weighs up to 2.32 pounds, which is rather light for a 14-inch, high-end machine. For comparison, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 8) is 12.7 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches and 2.4 pounds.
(Image credit: Vaio)
Inside the Vaio Z is pretty powerful hardware. The notebooks take from Intel’s H35-series of CPUs targeting thin-and-light gaming laptops, specifically the Core i7-11375H. The processor has four CPU cores clocked at 3.30-5.0 GHz, as well as the Iris Xe Graphics with 96 EUs. The CPU has a TDP rating of up to 35W.
In the case of the Vaio Z, the CPU is further enhanced with Vaio’s TruePerformance technology, a combination of increased CPU power limits, a cooling system that can handle increased heat and a BIOS setting. According to Vaio, TruePerformance allows the CPU to work at its maximum Turbo Boost 2.0-defined frequency for up to 40 seconds, which is longer than on most notebooks.
The CPU inside the new Vaio Z is paired with 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR4-4266 RAM, as well as a 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB SSD with a PCIe interface.
(Image credit: Vaio)
In the connectivity department, Vaio’s new Z-series laptops include a Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.1 adapter, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI display output and a 3.5mm connector for headsets.
(Image credit: Vaio)
As for media capabilities, the system is equipped with Dolby Audio-badged speakers, a stereo microphone and a 2MP webcam with a privacy shutter.
Vaio said that its new Z-series notebooks can work for up to 10 hours on one charge, but did not disclose capacity of its Li-poly battery or how it tested the battery life.
Apple subpoenaed Valve in November as part of its ongoing litigation with Fortnite developer Epic Games, and it’s demanding that Valve provide extensive sales data for more than 400 games, according to a new filing (via PC Gamer).
The move comes amid Apple’s ongoing fight over Epic’s efforts to avoid paying iOS App Store fees. Apple argues that Valve’s data is necessary to calculate the size of the market of Epic’s “available distribution channels,” as Epic could theoretically offer its games through Steam in addition to other digital marketplaces. But the data is also immensely valuable in assessing the marketplace for games and apps — a space in which Apple’s iOS App Store continues to compete with Valve’s Steam marketplace.
Valve contends that Apple’s demands are extraordinary and is contesting the order.
In one request, Apple calls on Valve to procure documents that show the company’s:
(a) total yearly sales of apps and in-app products; (b) annual advertising revenues from Steam; (c) annual sales of external products attributable to Steam; (d) annual revenues from Steam; and (e) annual earnings (whether gross or net) from Steam.
Apple argues that this data is “crucial” to help it determine “the total size of the market for Epic’s available digital distribution channels.” The courts have already asked Samsung to provide “almost identical” information, Apple said in the filing.
In addition, Apple also demands that Valve procure documents that show:
(a) the name of each App on Steam; (b) the date range when the App was available on Steam; and (c) the price of the App and any in-app product available on Steam
Valve argues that the requests are overly broad. According to Valve’s position statement in the filing, “Apple gave Valve a list of 436 video games it says are available on the Epic Game Store and Steam, and (a) demanded Valve identify, from 2015 to the present, every version and all digital content or items for each of these games on Steam, then (b) provide exhaustive information about all of them.”
The requested information includes dates on sale, price changes, gross revenues for “game version and item, broken down individually,” and Valve’s revenues “related to these versions, content and items.”
Valve argues these demands would “impose an extraordinary burden on Valve to query, process and combine a massive amount of to create the documents Apple seeks” and that it does not keep this data as part of the “ordinary course of business.” (The filing also notes that Apple had reduced its request for data from “all 30,000+ games on Steam over ten years” to “436 games over six years.”)
Valve also argues that “much of what Apple seeks is sales and pricing information for third party games,” but that the company is taking a “shortcut” by subpoenaing Valve instead of getting the information directly from third-party developers.
On Wednesday, Epic filed a formal antitrust complaint against Apple with the European Commission, arguing that Apple has “not just harmed but completely eliminated competition in app distribution and payment processes.”
How much information should a legal conflict between Apple and Epic Games reveal about Steam? Apple seems to think the answer is “a lot,” according to a report from PCGamer, but Valve maintains that its platform isn’t directly related to the dispute.
The companies made their positions clear in a joint discovery letter filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Thursday. Lawyers for both companies said they “have been unable to reach an agreement” on the issue.
Let’s back up a bit. This all started in August 2020 when Epic Games claimed Apple and Google’s app distribution policies and monetization were anti-competitive. The developer has since made similar complaints in the UK, Australia, and EU.
Apple subpoenaed Valve in November 2020 to gather information about Steam that might help its case. The letter filed yesterday made it clear that Valve provided some of this information but was unable or unwilling to provide everything Apple wanted.
It’s not hard to guess why. This is how Apple characterized two of its requests:
“Apple’s Request 2 is very narrow. It simply requests documents sufficient to show Valve’s: (a) total yearly sales of apps and in-app products; (b) annual advertising revenues from Steam; (c) annual sales of external products attributable to Steam; (d) annual revenues from Steam; and (e) annual earnings (whether gross or net) from Steam. Apple has gone as far as requesting this information in any readily accessible format, but Valve refuses to produce it.
“Request 32 asks for documents sufficient to show: (a) the name of each App on Steam; (b) the date range when the App was available on Steam; and (c) the price of the App and any in-app product available on Steam. This is basic information relating to the identity and availability of games over time on Steam, is necessary to determine the scope and breadth of the digital distribution marketplace, and is ‘relevant to showing competition’ between these platforms.”
See? All the company’s looking for is detailed information about everything sold on Steam and how much money Valve has made from sales via the platform. Apple seems to believe that isn’t a big request; Valve has disagreed. The company said:
”In response to Apple’s 46 documents requests, Valve already produced documents regarding its revenue share, competition with Epic, Steam distribution contracts, and other documents. Apple was not satisfied and demands—without offering to cover Valve’s costs, which would be significant—that Valve (i) recreate six years’ worth of PC game and item sales for hundreds of third party video games, then (ii) produce a massive amount of confidential information about these games and Valve’s revenues. Valve objected.”
Valve also noted that it’s being drawn into a legal conflict that’s primarily about mobile app distribution and monetization, even though its focus is on PC gaming. (With the notable exception of a Steam Link app that’s had its own troubles.)
The letter made it clear that Apple wants the court to force Valve to share more info about Steam. Valve, meanwhile, said that “Apple’s demands for further production should be rejected.” Now it’s up to the court to decide who’ll get their way.
The supply shortage of silicon chips has reached an all-time high, and fabs like TSMC simply don’t have enough production facilities to keep up with the incessant demand from the server, PC, and automotive markets. Per a report from CNBC, President Joe Biden plans to review several critically important industries severely hampered by high demand — including the semiconductor industry.
More specifically, Biden wants the U.S. to be competitive with China and lessen its dependency on Chinese production facilities. For the semiconductor industry, this would mean that millions to billions of dollars would need to be spent on new fabs to both keep up with demand and lessen the strain on Chinese resources. Intel already has a number of fabs in operation in Arizona, and TSMC is currently planning to build fabs in the U.S., so it wouldn’t be a far-fetched idea to see significantly more fabs being built domestically.
Biden’s plan will consist of two phases: The first will be a 100-day review process of analyzing a few of the high-priority supply chains, including the semiconductor, high capacity car battery, rare earth metal and medical industries.
The second phase will begin after the 100-day review, which will begin more broad investigations into production for the U.S military, public health, energy, and transportation.
Finally, a year after these two phases occur, the task force responsible for these investigations will submit recommendations to the president on potential strategies to “ensure supply chains are not monopolized.”
This plan will clearly take time, so for now, don’t expect any major changes with the current semiconductor supply struggle.
Update February 18th, 2:10PM ET: Google released the first of its Android 12 developer previews, so we’ve updated the info in this post to be relevant if you want to install it on your phone. The instructional photos might include a mention of Android 11, but we’ve ensured the steps are still accurate.
You can try out the Android 12 developer preview software right now if you have a Pixel 3 or later, but it’s understandable if the idea of flashing your device to install the OS is intimidating. It can be a tricky process, and the steps differ slightly depending on what phone you have and what kind of computer you’re going to use to download the software. But Google itself makes this process much more streamlined.
Google’s Android Flash Tool is a web application that handles most of the steps of flashing for you. There are a few steps that you’ll need to do yourself before the new software can be installed, which we’ll walk you through below, but Google’s tool basically eliminates most of the hassle and complexity that makes it easy to mess up.
There are a few important notes to make up here at the top. First, once you flash your phone with the developer preview, your device will get all future developer preview and beta updates over the air. In other words, you won’t need to flash your phone again when new builds of Android 12 are released. Just head to your system settings and fetch an update.
The second note is just your standard disclaimer that you do this at your own risk. This is unfinished software, and installing it could lead to malfunctions with your device or to software that you usually use. And depending on settings that you adjust in the Android Flash Tool, you might have to wipe all of the data from your phone. So proceed with caution.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Is my phone compatible with Android 12?
The Android 12 developer preview is compatible with the Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3A, Pixel 3A XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4A, Pixel 4A 5G, and the Pixel 5. It’s possible that Google will broaden the list of devices supported by Android 12 in the upcoming beta, but for now, you’ll need one of those phones to get the software.
What browser do I need to use to flash my phone?
Google says that you can use any browser that supports the WebUSB API, which is supported by Chrome as well as Microsoft Edge version 79 and later. The Android Flash Tool works with all the major operating systems, including Linux, macOS, Chrome OS, and Windows 10, though browser compatibility may vary depending on your OS.
Step 1: Activate these three settings on your Android phone
Enable the Developer Options menu in your phone. First, open the Settings app. For phones running Android 8 (Oreo), click System. Otherwise, if your phone has Android 7 (Nougat) or later, scroll down to About Phone, then find Build Number. Tap Build Number seven times to enable Developer Options.
Turn on USB debugging (this lets your phone and computer communicate via USB) within the Developer Options menu. To do this, head to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer Options. You’ll find USB debugging with just a little scrolling down.
Enable OEM unlocking. This option is also part of the Developer Options menu, further up the page than where you found USB debugging. If that option isn’t available for you to enable, that might be because it’s already enabled.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Step 2: Connect your phone to your computer and get started
If you use Windows 10, you’ll need to install this driver first for your phone to be recognized. People using macOS or Linux don’t need a driver.
Connect your phone to your computer with a USB cable. Then visit this page to proceed.
The Android Flash Tool will ask for permission to access ADB keys in a pop-up window, which is necessary to install software on your phone. You’ll need to tap “OK” to proceed with this process.
You’ll need to hit OK to proceed with the installation.
Click “Select device.” Your device should appear in a pop-up window on your computer, so go ahead and click it.
Once you do that, you should now see a request on your phone that says “Allow USB debugging?” You’ll also see a long string of numbers and letters that should match up with what your PC shows if you click the gear icon on the Android Flash Tool page. On your phone, check the box next to “Always allow from this computer,” then tap Allow.
After that, your device should show up on the Android Flash Tool as being connected. Click on the box with the name of your device to proceed.
Once your device shows up as being connected, click into it.
You’ll want to pay attention to what appears in the “Selected build” section of the Flash Tool (see below). It should say “Android 12 Developer Preview 1.” Before you hit the blue “Install” button at the bottom of the page, I recommend tapping the pencil icon next to “Selected build” and checking the “Lock Bootloader” box. This will lock the bootloader after this process is complete, leaving you with a more secure device than if it remained unlocked.
Select the “Lock Bootloader” option, which will lock your bootloader after the software installation is complete.
The next window basically tells you to stop interacting with your phone during the rest of this process unless asked to do so and to not unplug your device. If you’re in a position to proceed, go ahead.
Make sure your data is backed up before you proceed.
One more prompt before getting started: a license agreement. You need to agree to the terms of the Android Software Development Kit License Agreement, which you can find here.
After you hit “I accept,” your phone will reboot into its bootloader screen. If nothing happens for a few seconds, don’t worry. You may also see a window pop up on your computer that says “Reselect your device.” In that case, leave your phone alone and select “Reselect device” on the computer. According to Google, your phone might be renamed “Android,” though it might just be identified with the model name (e.g., Pixel 3).
If you haven’t flashed software before, Google will probably need to unlock your bootloader to proceed with the installation. Keep in mind that doing this will trigger a factory reset on your phone. If you haven’t backed up your data, you’ll lose everything. Once you agree, you’ll need to allow the bootloader to unlock on your phone. To do this, use the volume keys to navigate to the option that says “Unlock the bootloader,” then hit the power button once to confirm.
After that, the Android Flash Tool will begin to download and install the software. You can continue to watch along, but don’t touch your phone at this point, even though it will restart several times. Just keep an eye on the progress using the Android Flash Tool page on your computer.
At this point, you can just sit and wait for the Android Flash Tool to wrap things up.
Once you’re all done, the phone will reboot one last time, and over on your PC, you’ll be met with a celebratory screen. You’re all done! And thankfully, you won’t have to go through this process again for the next Android 12 update — easy as this was. You’ll automatically receive updates to the developer preview over the air.
Puss might be the strangest video game I’ve ever played.
In Puss, you play as a small pixelated cat head navigating short mazes. The mazes are often filled with obstacles and bullets impeding your route to the end, and if you touch a wall for too long, you’ll get zapped and lose a life.
That’s only part of the experience, though. It’s the mind-meltingly psychedelic aesthetic that permeates every aspect of the game that makes Puss stand out.
Image: teamcoil
Nearly every maze in Puss offers an entirely new visual experience, and most have bright colors that regularly change, shift, or flash as you navigate through the level. The intensity of the graphics can sometimes feel overpowering, often distracting me from actually completing a level. In one, for example, nearly the entire background was taken up by a looping video of giant, chattering teeth.
Every once in a while, I would even notice that my eyes hurt while playing, forcing me to stop. When you boot up Puss, it suggests consulting a doctor before playing video games if you have epilepsy or have had reactions to flashing lights. There’s also a very brief message that “player discretion is advised.”
The music doesn’t make the game any easier to play. The soundtrack regularly mashes up different genres and sound effects to create weird and often uncomfortable soundscapes. In one section of one song, a low, industrial hum rumbles beneath occasional guitar twangs and incomprehensible mumbling voices. Sometimes these mashups created interesting, lo-fi hip-hop-esque beats. But more often than not, the music just put me on edge.
The mazes themselves are short, and each has different mechanics and puzzles that are fun to figure out, despite everything that’s going on. Some mazes have you time movements across ever-shifting platforms. Others have timer buttons that reveal a new platform you’ll have to race across in order to get to the end. Sometimes you’re just dodging a lot of bullets.
I was able to finish many of the mazes on my first try, and the ones that tripped me up at first would get easier with practice. The game also has truly outlandish bosses. During one stage of a boss fight, there’s a dog with three heads fused into one that shoots lasers out of its eyes. The bosses often reminded me of Undertale’s memorable final foe.
Everything about Puss is overwhelming, and I’m convinced that the game is trying to make you feel like you’re high on catnip. But the absurdity of that conceit works. A part of me was always looking forward to what unexpected combination of visuals, sounds, and puzzle-solving awaited me with each new maze or boss fight. It just sometimes hurt my head to try to comprehend it all.
Puss launches on February 19th on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It’s already available on iOS, Android, PC, Mac, and Linux.
Makers in the Game Boy modding community know how handy it is to have micro SD cartridges around, but they aren’t always easy to find. Many popular options are no longer in production, leaving modders to turn to custom solutions. That includes Reddit user LyneByLyne who decided to design his own using a Raspberry Pi Pico.
LyneByLyne’s ultimate plan is to create a Pico-based cartridge PCB with micro SD support and a custom GUI for game selection.
The current configuration is only a prototype design but is fully capable of loading and running Tetris. The Pico was programmed using C for this project and pulls power directly from the Game Boy. According to LyneByLyne, the Pico has to be overclocked to 270MHz just to load past the BIOS.
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(Image credit: LyneByLyne)
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(Image credit: LyneByLyne)
The big end goal is to develop a PCB that users can solder the Pico to and use as a normal Game Boy cartridge. Another feature LyneByLyne mentioned is Game Boy USB controller support in which users could theoretically use the Game Boy itself as a PC controller.
If you want to see this project in more detail, be sure to check out the original thread on Reddit and be sure to follow LyneByLyne for more updates. Explore our list of Best Raspberry Pi Projects for more awesome creations from the maker community.
Nvidia today announced its new Cryptocurrency Mining Processor (CMP) line of GPUs to “address the specific needs of Ethereum mining” and, hopefully, improve the availability of the best graphics cards in the GeForce product line in the process. The company also limited the mining performance of the soon-to-be-launched RTX 3060 cards to roughly 50% of the normal performance. It sounds like a good move, but there’s a lot going on.
Cryptocurrency miners previously had to purchase graphics cards originally intended for PC gaming if they wanted to maximize their operation’s profitability. This can lead to—or exacerbate—GPU shortages whenever a particular coin’s value skyrockets. Right now that coin is Ethereum. CoinDesk’s figures put the cryptocurrency’s price at $281 in February 2020, but at time of writing it’s priced at $1,920. The scramble to join this digital gold rush has worsened the GPU shortage caused by COVID-19.
Nvidia’s solution? Give miners their own GPUs. The company said in today’s announcement that the CMP line was developed to “help miners build the most efficient data centers while preserving GeForce RTX GPUs for gamers.” The resulting Nvidia CMP HX “allows a fully open, airflow-optimized bracket and is configured to allow a greater number of GPUs to be controlled by one CPU.” That airflow optimization was partly enabled by ditching unnecessary display ports.
Nvidia said the CMP line also features lower core voltages and frequencies to improve mining efficiency. The new GPUs will be sold through authorized resellers including “ASUS, Colorful, EVGA, Gigabyte, MSI, Palit, and PC Partner.” Those optimizations should be decent incentives for cryptocurrency miners to buy CMP products instead of their GeForce counterparts. The proverbial carrot, if you will. And the stick? Deliberately making gaming-focused GPUs worse at mining.
Nvidia explained in today’s announcement: “RTX 3060 software drivers are designed to detect specific attributes of the Ethereum cryptocurrency mining algorithm, and limit the hash rate, or cryptocurrency mining efficiency, by around 50 percent.” The company didn’t say whether or not it plans (we’ll get to that in a moment), but Nvidia’s latest RTX offerings are currently at the top of our GPU benchmarks hierarchy, and it would be nice if more of them were actually used to play games.
Model
30HX
40HX
50HX
90HX
Ethereum Hash Rate
26 MH/s
36 MH/s
45 MH/s
86 MH/s
Rated Power
125W
185W
250W
320W
Power Connectors
1 x 8-pin
1 x 8-pin
2 x 8-pin
2 x 8-pin
Memory Size
6GB
8GB
10GB
10GB
Starting Availability
Q1
Q1
Q2
Q2
Is this really good news, or is this just Nvidia playing both sides? To be clear, these CMP cards are still the same exact silicon that goes into GeForce and Quadro graphics cards. They don’t have video outputs, cooling should be improved (for large-scale data center mining operations), and they’re better tuned for efficiency. But every single GPU sold as a CMP card means one less GPU sold as a graphics card. What’s perhaps worse is that while miners can still use consumer cards for mining (maybe not the upcoming RTX 3060, depending on how well Nvidia’s throttling works), gamers can’t use these mining cards for gaming.
Nvidia does state that these GPUs “don’t meet the specifications required of a GeForce GPU and, thus, don’t impact the availability of GeForce GPUs to gamers.” Frankly, that doesn’t mean much. What does Nvidia do with a GPU that normally can’t be sold as an RTX 3090? They bin it as a 3080, and GA102 chips that can’t meet the 3080 requirements can end up in a future 3070 (or maybe a 3070 Ti). The same goes for the rest of the line. Make no mistake: These are GPUs that could have gone into a graphics card. Maybe not a reference 3060 Ti, 3070, 3080, or 3090, but we’ve seen TU104 chips in RTX 2060 cards, so anything is possible.
Which brings up another big question: What specific GPUs are being used for CMP? The 90HX is almost certainly an Ampere GA102 chip, because it’s probably the only one that can reach the 86MH/s target speed. The rest, though, who knows? Turing TU104, TU106, and TU116 GPUs can easily reach those performance figures, and this could be a way to clear out a bunch of older GPUs at premium prices. It could even be a “flavor of the month” approach where Nvidia uses a variety of GPUs that couldn’t qualify for use in a GeForce card and sells them as a CMP.
These CMP cards also shouldn’t have any use for the RT cores or maybe even Tensor cores in Turing and Ampere, which would be a good way of selling off otherwise ‘dud’ chips. Look at the 30HX, with 6GB of memory and a 125W TGP. That matches up almost perfectly with a GTX 1660 GDDR6 card.
There’s a big question: What specific GPUs are being used for CMP?
That brings us to the relative performance and specs. Note that the 90HX lists an Ethereum hash rate of just 86MH/s and a 320W TGP. After a bit of tuning, an RTX 3080 can usually do 94MH/s at 250W or less, so these cards (at least out of the box) aren’t any better. That’s probably because Nvidia knows running GPUs at high fan speeds and temperatures for 24/7 use leads to component failures. It’s why the data center and workstation lines are normally clocked far more conservatively than the consumer line.
It gets worse as you go down the line, though. 50HX only does 45MH/s at 250W — that basically matches the tuned performance of the RTX 2060 Super through RTX 2080 Super, with a TGP that’s still twice as high as what we measured. It’s also half the speed of an RTX 3080 while potentially still using the same GPU (10GB VRAM). Or maybe it’s a TU102 that couldn’t work with 11 memory channels, so it’s been binned with 10 channels. Either way, who’s going to want this? 40HX at 36MH/s and 185W and 30HX at 26MH/s and 125W are equally questionable options.
Of course, we don’t have pricing information yet. That’s going to be a critical factor. Maybe this is just a way to more easily sell GPUs to miners at inflated prices. Or maybe it’s a way to sell otherwise junk silicon to miners are reasonable prices (doubtful). Certainly, miners are paying exorbitant pricing on eBay right now. If the CMP cards cost more than graphics cards using the same GPU, they’re not going to sell well.
The driver limiting of mining performance for the upcoming RTX 3060 sounds far more interesting. Nvidia probably can’t implement the same restrictions on existing GPUs without facing a class action lawsuit (not to mention miners could just use older drivers), but making future GPUs less attractive to miners should help push them to other options. Maybe that’s CMP, maybe it’s AMD GPUs, or maybe it’s custom ASICs.
Still, there’s only a limited number of leading edge wafer starts available, and they’re in high demand, so this isn’t going to radically improve the situation with graphics card shortages any time soon. But maybe — hopefully! — it will be enough by the time Hopper rolls out in 2022/2023.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, Mediatonic’s charming platformer battle royale title, is coming to Xbox Series X / S and Xbox One this summer, Microsoft announced in a blog post today. The news comes just one day after Mediatonic announced that the game was going to be ported to the Nintendo Switch sometime this summer as well. While no firm release date has been announced, both ports will likely launch within the same time frame.
Fall Guys originally released in 2020 on PC via Steam and PS4, where it was a free title for users with an active PlayStation Plus subscription. The game mixes battle royale with the platformer genre, where players compete in elimination-type challenges. The title draws inspiration from competitive game shows like Wipeout.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is currently available on PC and PS4 and is backward compatible on PS5. Fall Guys also received a mobile version, but it is only available in China.
For the first time in over a year, Nintendo hosted a full-fledged Direct presentation. The latest presentation was focused mostly on games slated to hit Nintendo’s hybrid gaming console, the Switch, sometime during the first half of 2021, though there were a few announcements for games that will hit later than that.
The nearly hour-long event included a slew of titles slated to hit the Switch before the year is half over, including ports for indie games such as Fall Guys and Outer Wilds and new installments in franchises like No More Heroes and Splatoon. Here are the biggest news announcements and trailers from today’s Nintendo Direct.
Splatoon 3 inks its way onto Nintendo Switch in 2022
The third installment in the Splatoon franchise is slated to launch in 2022. Not much is known about the game, aside from a new desert locale, but game appears to feature the same paint-shooting action from previous entries.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD slashes onto Nintendo Switch July 16th
Nintendo announced The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, a re-release of the 2011 Wii U exclusive. The game will launch alongside a new pair of Zelda-themed Joy-Cons. Nintendo also said it would share more information about the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild later this year.
Mario Golf Super Rush is the latest installment in the Mario Golf Series and it arrives June 25th
Mario Golf Super Rush is the first Mario Golf title for Nintendo’s hybrid console. The game will feature motion controls, new modes, and a story campaign.
First look at the SuperMario-themed items coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Several Mario-themed items and furniture will be purchasable via the Nook Shop in Animal Crossing: New Horizons beginning March 1st. Nintendo also confirmed that a free update will arrive on February 25th.
Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout is getting ported to Nintendo Switch
Mediatonic’s goofy platformer battle royale title Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout will receive a Nintendo Switch port. No release date was announced, but the game is targeting a summer launch window.
Pyra and Mythra from Xenoblade Chronicles are joining the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster
Both characters are set to be playable beginning in March, but Nintendo promises to share more details closer to release. The pair will count as a single character, making them both the fourth DLC character available in the second Fighters Pass for Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is getting an expansion pass
The expansion pass will include two “waves” of content, with the first one launching this June and the other coming sometime in November. It costs $20 and preorders are now available.
Indie darling Outer Wilds is coming to Switch
The 2019 action-adventure game by Mobius Digital will arrive on the Switch sometime this summer, according to Nintendo.
Famicom Detective Club is coming to North America on May 14th
Two old-school murder-mystery games are getting the remake treatment for the Nintendo Switch and will be localized in English. The two detective games originally released on the Famicom Disk System in the late ‘80s and task players with solving mysteries. Both games will receive modern graphics, gameplay, and voice acting, yet retain the same mysteries that were found in the originals.
No More Heroes 3 will launch on August 27th
The third title in the No More Heroes Trilogy will arrive in late August exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
Monster Hunter Rise launches March 26th
The latest trailer for Monster Hunter Rise focuses on new story details and the monsters you’ll encounter in the game. A Monster Hunter-themed Nintendo Switch will also release the same day as the console.
Stubbs the Zombie is getting a remaster for modern consoles
Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse is a third-person action game where players take control of a zombie and devour brains and wreak havoc in a city. Asypr Media, who previously remastered Star Wars Episode 1: Racer to modern consoles, is developing the game.
Neon White is a first-person action platformer developed by the creator of Donut County
Donut County creator Ben Esposito is working on a new project. Neon White will task players with killing demons in Heaven. Based on the art style and first trailer, the new game is a far cry from Esposito’s previous work.
Plants vs. Zombies: Battle For Neighborville Complete Edition launches March 19th on Switch
Originally released back in 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Complete Edition is a third-person shooter and includes all characters and content from previous versions of the game.
Project Triangle Strategy is a brand new tactical RPG by Square Enix
The game has a similar art design to the 2019 RPG Octopath Traveler. Not much is known of the game yet, but according to today’s direct, the game will launch in 2022.
Star Wars Hunters is a competitive free to play online shooter from the makers of FarmVille
Zynga, the studio best known for developing games like FarmVille and Words with Friends, is making a new Star Wars shooter. The game will be squad-based and is set between the events of Star Wars Episode VI and Episode VII.
Knockout City is a new online-based dodgeball game from the creators of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
Knockout City is the latest project from Velan Studios, the same developer that worked on the mixed-reality racer Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. The game releases on May 21st on Switch and other platforms.
World’s End Club arrives on Nintendo Switch May 28th
From the creators of Danganropa and Zero Escape, World End’s Club is currently being developed by Too Kyo Games in partnership with Grounding Inc. The first part of the game was previously released on Apple Arcade.
Hades is getting a physical release on March 19th
One of 2020’s most popular games will receive a physical release on the Nintendo Switch on March 19th. In addition to a cartridge, a physical copy will also include a book containing game art and a download code of the soundtrack.
Ninja Gaiden Master Collection is a remastered compilation of Team Ninja’s most notable titles
The package will include Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge. It launches on the Nintendo Switch on June 10th and it includes all post-launch downloadable content previously released for these games at no additional cost.
If you ever wanted a zombie game where you played as the undead instead of fending off against it, you’ll have another chance soon. Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse is being rereleased on March 16th for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One and will be playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X / S via backwards compatibility.
Aspyr Media, the company that originally published Stubbs the Zombie, is handling the port. The studio recently worked on porting Star Wars Episode I: Racer to modern consoles, so it’s safe to say this remaster is in good hands.
Originally released in 2005 on the Xbox, Stubbs the Zombie has players control the titular character with the main goal of wreaking havoc and devouring human brains. It’s a third-person action title developed by the now-defunct Wideload Games. The game also came to Windows and Mac OS X roughly a month after its original release date, with a release on Steam coming nearly two years later, which was later removed from the platform.
The announcement is good news for fans who played the 2005 original. In recent years, Stubbs the Zombie has become one of the rarest games to own on the original Xbox. Microsoft made the game available digitally for the Xbox 360 in 2008 as an Xbox Originals title, but the company pulled it from the Xbox Live Marketplace in late 2012. With no other ways to play the game in nearly a decade, your only option was to own an original Xbox console and a physical copy, which is pretty pricey.
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