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news Xbox Insiders can now test new startup animation and Gamerscore badges

Xbox Insiders can now test new startup animation and Gamerscore badges

Microsoft is rolling out a new Xbox Insider update with a refreshed startup sequence, tiered Gamerscore badges, and improved game library filters. The new startup animation was teased earlier this month by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. It is now available to select Xbox Insiders before a wider public rollout. The animation uses Xbox’s updated logo, bringing back the brand’s classic green look with a
news Xbox adds new Gamerscore badges in latest Insider update

Xbox adds new Gamerscore badges in latest Insider update

Xbox’s latest Insider update is giving achievements a little more personality. The new update introduces tiered Gamerscore badges, which change as a player’s lifetime Gamerscore grows. These badges are meant to show long term achievement progress directly on a player’s profile. The badge system starts at lower milestones and scales upward, with designs evolving as players reach higher Gamerscore totals. Xbox has shown badges
news Intel Core Ultra X9 378H appears in Lenovo’s Yoga Air 14 Ultra Aura

Intel Core Ultra X9 378H appears in Lenovo’s Yoga Air 14 Ultra Aura

Intel’s Core Ultra X9 378H has finally appeared in a real laptop listing, with Lenovo preparing to use the Panther Lake chip inside its Yoga Air 14 Ultra Aura. The laptop has gone up for pre order on JD.com in China, though the listed 99,999 yuan price is only a placeholder. That converts to more than $14,000, which is far beyond normal laptop pricing
news Apple may use Intel foundry for future MacBook and iPhone chips

Apple may use Intel foundry for future MacBook and iPhone chips

Apple may be preparing a major foundry shift by using Intel to manufacture future MacBook and iPhone chips, according to a new rumor. The report claims Apple and Intel signed a preliminary chipmaking agreement in December 2025. Under that deal, Apple could use Intel Foundry to produce two future chips: the M7 for MacBooks and the A21 for iPhones. Apple currently relies heavily on
news AMD EPYC reaches record 46.2 percent server CPU revenue share

AMD EPYC reaches record 46.2 percent server CPU revenue share

AMD continues to gain ground in the x86 CPU market, and its server business is now stronger than ever. According to new Q1 2026 data from Mercury Research, AMD reached a record 46.2 percent revenue share in the server CPU market. That is up 6.8 percentage points year over year and 4.9 points from the previous quarter. The result shows how much momentum AMD’s
news Marathon Season 2 starts June 2, and Bungie’s reset system is about to face its real test

Marathon Season 2 starts June 2, and Bungie’s reset system is about to face its real test

Bungie has confirmed that Marathon Season 2, titled Nightfall, will begin on June 2, 2026. That date matters because Season 2 will bring the game’s first major seasonal reset. Since Marathon launched in March, one of the biggest questions around the extraction shooter has been how players will react when much of their progress is wiped. Before that happens, Bungie is making the rest
news ASUS quietly launches ProArt RTX 5090 OC with a thinner creator focused design

ASUS quietly launches ProArt RTX 5090 OC with a thinner creator focused design

ASUS has quietly released its ProArt GeForce RTX 5090 OC Edition, giving creators and compact PC builders a slimmer alternative to many oversized RTX 5090 cards. The card was shown earlier at CES, but it has now appeared on ASUS’ official website. Its design is clearly inspired by NVIDIA’s RTX 5090 Founders Edition, especially the double vented backplate that helps improve airflow through the
news Steam Frame may get a PSU less option, but it probably is not a cheaper model

Steam Frame may get a PSU less option, but it probably is not a cheaper model

Valve’s upcoming Steam Frame may be sold in a version without a power supply, according to backend Steam data. The discovery was shared by Chris Mizo on X, who found references in Steam’s backend to terms such as “BuyWithoutPSU” and “PSULessModel.” That has led to speculation that Valve may offer a cheaper Steam Frame package without a charger included. That sounds possible at first,
news ARC Raiders is moving to two major updates a year

ARC Raiders is moving to two major updates a year

Embark Studios is changing how it updates ARC Raiders. The studio says it is moving away from its original monthly update plan and will now release major ARC Raiders updates twice a year. The goal is to make each update larger, more meaningful, and more capable of changing how the game plays. ARC Raiders had a huge launch in 2025, selling millions of copies
news PS Plus Extra adds Star Wars Outlaws and Red Dead Redemption 2 in May

PS Plus Extra adds Star Wars Outlaws and Red Dead Redemption 2 in May

PlayStation has revealed the May 2026 games coming to PS Plus Extra and Premium, and this month’s lineup is led by Star Wars Outlaws and Red Dead Redemption 2. The new catalog additions arrive on May 19, 2026. Extra and Premium subscribers will get seven Game Catalog titles, while Premium subscribers also get one Classic Catalog game. Here is the full list: GamePS Plus
news 007 First Light goes gold ahead of May 27 launch

007 First Light goes gold ahead of May 27 launch

IO Interactive has confirmed that 007 First Light has gone gold, meaning James Bond’s return to video games is now ready for release. The game is set to launch on May 27, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. It was previously delayed from its original March 2026 release date, but the gold master milestone means the main build is complete. IO
news Proton 11 Beta 3 brings a small FEX update for ARM devices

Proton 11 Beta 3 brings a small FEX update for ARM devices

Valve has released a new Proton 11 beta update, but Steam Deck users should not expect much from this one. Proton 11 Beta 3 is a small update focused only on ARM64 devices. The main change is an update to FEX 2605, which includes performance improvements, JIT fixes, and other under the hood work. That means the update is not really aimed at the
news LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight gets Steam Deck Verified before launch

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight gets Steam Deck Verified before launch

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight has received the Steam Deck Verified badge ahead of its May 22 release. That is good news for players hoping to take the new LEGO Batman game on the go. Valve’s Verified rating means the game should show correct controller icons, have readable text, and work well with its default controller layout and graphics settings on Steam
news Blades of Fire targets stable 30 FPS on Steam Deck

Blades of Fire targets stable 30 FPS on Steam Deck

Blades of Fire is coming to Steam on May 14, and MercurySteam is adding specific support for Steam Deck. The game originally launched through the Epic Games Store, but the new Steam release will arrive alongside a major update with more content. Ahead of launch, MercurySteam co founder and CEO Enric Alvarez shared more details on what the team changed to make the game