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First announced back in 2019, Kerbal Space Program 2 has had a rough journey to launch. Originally slated for 2020, the game was then delayed to 2021, and then pushed again to 2022. Well, we’re now well into 2022, so can we still expect Kerbal Space Program 2 this year? Unfortunately not, although the game’s development team have narrowed down a more specific launch window of early 2023. You can check out a development update from KSP2 creative director Nate Simpson, below. Hi everyone – this is Nate Simpson, Creative Director for Kerbal Space Program 2. We have made the difficult decision to move the release date of KSP 2, which will now launch in early 2023 on PC with our console release later that year. We are building a game of tremendous technological complexity, and are taking this additional time to ensure we hit the quality and level of polish it deserves. We remain focused on making sure KSP2 performs well on a variety of hardware, has amazing graphics, and is rich with content. We’ve built a spectacular team at Intercept Games – a team that includes, as previously mentioned, key members from the development team behind the original Kerbal Space Program. We have the perfect combination of experienced, passionate, and skilled developers to fully realize this game’s ambitious potential. We are forever grateful to the KSP community for sticking with us on this journey, and we appreciate your continued support as we push towards the finish line. We can’t wait for everyone to play the game, and we’ll keep sharing more information with you in the coming months. As we previously reported, Kerbal Space Program 2 was initially in development at Star Theory Games, rather than with original series creators Squad. Star Theory was abruptly fired back in 2020 and KSP2 was put in the hands of new Seattle studio Intercept Games, which hired away a large number of devs from Star Theory. Squad has also begun pitching in on the new game after winding down development of the original Kerbal Space Program in 2021. Kerbal Space Program 2 touches down on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5 sometime in early 2023. https://wccftech.com/kerbal-space-program-2-early-2023-release-window/

Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G is reportedly being developed by the Chinese smartphone manufacturer and is likely to come to India with two variants. It is also rumoured that Realme is working on expanding its Narzo 50 series with addition of two new models — the Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G and Realme Narzo 50 5G. The Realme Narzo 50 was launched in late February this year and the latest, Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G, is expected to be positioned above the current generation smartphone as a premium model in the series. Realme is yet to announce and confirm the smartphone, though. The rumoured Indian variant of the Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G is expected to be launched with two variant options, a 4GB RAM with 128GB internal storage option and another variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The phone will supposedly come in two, Black and Blue, colour options as well, according to a report by 91Mobiles. The report further claims that the Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G will soon be launched in India. What to expect from Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G and Narzo 50 5G? There has been no confirmation on the specifications of the Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G, but it is likely that the smartphone will be on the higher-end of the price bracket in Realme's Narzo 50 series. The expected specifications are about the smartphone's storage capacity and colours that will likely be offered in the Indian market. Realme has separately created a dedicated microsite that confirms the existence of the Realme Narzo 50 5G edition, the 5G enabled variant of the original Narzo 50. The company claims on the microsite that it is offering its Narzo 50 5G series will carry the fastest 5G processor in the segment and also the best cooling technology in the segment. The Realme Narzo 50 5G is rumoured to be powered by MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC, coupled with the 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. It is also expected to come with Android 12-based Realme UI 3.0 custom skin out-of-the-box. In April, some Realme Narzo 50 5G alleged specifications were tipped along with its supposed launch date. Earlier today, another report suggested the Realme Narzo 50 5G's look as a few renders of the smartphone leaked.

Intel has officially launched its 12th Gen Alder Lake-HX CPUs for enthusiast workstations & gaming laptops. The company terms them as the fastest chips for laptops released to date, offering insane amounts of performance and the highest core count yet to come on the laptop segment. Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake-HX GPU Lineup Launched: Designed For High-End Workstation & Gaming Laptops With Up To 16 Cores, 5 GHz Clocks, & PCIe 5.0 The 12th Gen Intel Alder Lake-HX CPUs are simply put, Alder Lake-S 'Desktop' repurposed for the laptop segment. The new chips may not look vastly different than the desktop lineup but they do bring some cool changes over the existing Alder Lake-H (45W) SKUs. Intel has specifically designed these CPUs for mobile workstation platforms, targetting Engineers, Scientists, and Enthusiasts. To make this possible, the existing Intel Alder Lake-S 'Desktop' die had to be thinned out to integrate on such size-constrained devices. For this purpose, Intel has thinned out the die height of their 12th Gen Alder Lake-HX to 2.0mm (vs 4.4mm). That's a 2.2x reduction in height while the rest of the package measures the same at 45 x 37.5mm. The die also comes in a BGA form factor versus the LGA form factor that the desktop line utilizes. Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake-HX CPUs: The Most Feature-Rich Laptop Platform Ever! In terms of capabilities, there's a lot going on. Intel's 12th Gen Alder Lake-HX Mobility CPUs have been equipped to support both DDR5-4800 and DDR4-3200 memory. Some laptops will even allow users to equip ECC (Error Correcting Code) memory. As for capacities, workstation platforms need lots of system memory and as such, the CPUs allow up to 128 GB capacities in four DIMMs with a 2 DIMM per channel layout Another key upgrade over Alder Lake-H is that Alder Lake-HX has wider IO support which is made possible thanks to its extended PCIe capabilities. The CPUs offer 16 Gen 5.0 and 4 Gen 4.0 lanes. In addition to these, the PCH offers 16 Gen 4 lanes and 12 Gen 3 lanes. Combined, you are getting 16 Gen 5 lanes, 20 Gen 4 lanes, and 12 Gen 3 lanes which are disruptive for the laptop platform. This allows for a discrete GPU, up to 4 SSDs, and up to 2 discrete Thunderbolt controllers to be utilized on a high-end laptop powered by these chips.

The next entry in the Mass Effect franchise, currently in the works up in Edmonton at BioWare, looks to be trying to tap into nostalgia for the original franchise. The game’s first teaser featured Liara from the first three Mass Effect games, strongly implying the new game will once again be set in the Milky Way. So, that raises another question – could original Mass Effect protagonist (or protagonists if you consider the male and female versions different) Commander Shepard also be returning? A possible slip-up on the BioWare Gear Store may point to that being the case. The BioWare Gear Store is selling a lithograph of the Mass Effect teaser image BioWare released last year, and its description originally featured this rather intriguing passage (thanks to YouTuber MrHulthen for surfacing this). That sentence sure seems to imply Shepard is still around and will be involved in the next Mass Effect in some form. The line also implies Earth is toast, which is… interesting. Perhaps adding credence to the idea the listing revealed more than intended, the description has now removed all mention of Shepard.It will be interesting to see what the setting of the next Mass Effect is, as I have a feeling it may not be as simple as “We’re picking off right where Mass Effect 3 left off.” For instance, it’s been hinted the game may be a sequel to both the original Mass Effect Trilogy and Andromeda somehow. Whatever BioWare’s up to, fingers crossed we can somehow import our Shepards yet again. Release windows and platforms have yet to be announced, with BioWare saying the game is currently in “early development.” https://wccftech.com/mass-effect-commander-shepard-return-leak/

happy birthday dude !

Vivo Y75 4G India launch has been set on May 22, as per a report. It also delves out information about the design and specifications of the rumoured smartphone. The Vivo handset is said to come with a 6.44-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a waterdrop notch. Its right spine is claimed to sport the volume rocker as well as a power button. In January, the Chinese company launched the 5G variant of the phones, the Vivo Y75 5G, in India. Vivo Y75 4G specifications Citing industry sources, 91Mobiles claims that the rumoured Vivo Y75 4G will feature a 6.44-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a waterdrop notch to house the selfie camera. Under the hood, the Vivo phone is claimed to come equipped with a MediaTek Helio G96 SoC, which could be paired with 8GB of RAM. As per the report, the handset can also borrow up to 4GB of RAM from storage.For photography, the Vivo Y75 4G is claimed to sport a triple rear camera setup which could be headlined by a 50-megapixel primary sensor. It could be paired with an 8-megapixel secondary camera, and a 2-megapixel third sensor. On the front, the phone is claimed to get a 44-megapixel shooter for selfies and video chats. It could get 128GB inbuilt storage, and the phone is claimed to come equipped with an in-display fingerprint sensor for biometric security. The Vivo Y75 4G is said to pack a 4,020mAh battery with support for 44W fast charging. It may weigh 172 grams. As mentioned, Vivo has already launched the Vivo Y75 5G in India. It sports a 6.58-inch (1,080x2,408 pixels) full-HD+ IPS LCD display, and is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC. The phone features a triple rear camera setup that features a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel bokeh camera with an f/2.0 aperture lens. There is a 16-megapixel selfie camera. It packs a 5,000mAh battery and supports 18W fast charging over USB Type-C.

AMD is expected to introduce its next-gen Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPUs based on the 5nm Zen 4 architecture and the respective AM5 platform as early as September 2022, reports DigiTimes. AMD Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPUs With Next-Gen Zen 4 Cores And The AM5 Platform To Release As Early As September 2022 The AMD Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPUs and the AM5 platform are hotly anticipated by many as it's a completely new ecosystem designed for the next generation of gamers and content creators. The AMD Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPUs will bring the company's brand new Zen 4 core technology based on the 5nm process node to gamers first and will also deploy the new AM5 platform that offers a slew of new features such as DDR5 and PCIe Gen 5.0 support amongst several other technologies. As per DigiTimes sources within the industry, AMD is expected to introduce its next-gen Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPUs and the AM5 platform as early as September 2022. This would mean the launch can happen within the next four months but with that said, AMD is also expected to reveal more details at Computex 2022 which will be a major showcase event for Zen 4. AMD Ryzen 'Zen 4' Desktop CPU Expected Features: Brand New Zen 4 CPU Cores (IPC / Architectural Improvements) Brand New TSMC 5nm process node with 6nm IOD Support on AM5 Platform With LGA1718 Socket Dual-Channel DDR5 Memory Support 28 PCIe Lanes (CPU Exclusive) 65-120W TDPs (Upper Bound Range ~170W) We are not only expected to get more details in regards to performance but AMD is also expected to share more detailed demos & a better look at its AM5 platform. So much so that the company has already given board partners the green light to showcase their first AM5 products (albeit in the prototype stage) on the show floor. It just sucks that due to all the pandemic restrictions and regulations, we have decided not to visit Computex this year otherwise we would have provided you with our hands-on of these next-gen motherboards. More on AMD Ryzen 7000 'Raphael' CPUs here. We also managed to get some new details regarding the AMD AM5 platform which will consist of the new LGA 1718 socketed motherboards. It looks like the motherboards will be showcased right after the AMD Computex keynote and we are also expecting to see a slightly upgraded version of the top X670 chipset, currently being referred to as X670E. We don't know the exact details of this chipset but rest assured, they are based on a chiplet design. With that said, the actual launch event will take place a few months later where AMD will announce the actual Ryzen 7000 CPUs along with their prices. It looks like an event close to Gamescom 2022 would make the perfect sense but as of right now, we are looking forward to AMD's big unveil at Computex 2022. AMD Mainstream Desktop CPU Generations Comparison: AMD CPU Family Codename Processor Process Processors Cores/Threads (Max) TDPs Platform Platform Chipset Memory Support PCIe Support Launch Ryzen 1000 Summit Ridge 14nm (Zen 1) 8/16 95W AM4 300-Series DDR4-2677 Gen 3.0 2017 Ryzen 2000 Pinnacle Ridge 12nm (Zen +) 8/16 105W AM4 400-Series DDR4-2933 Gen 3.0 2018 Ryzen 3000 Matisse 7nm (Zen 2) 16/32 105W AM4 500-Series DDR4-3200 Gen 4.0 2019 Ryzen 5000 Vermeer 7nm (Zen 3) 16/32 105W AM4 500-Series DDR4-3200 Gen 4.0 2020 Ryzen 5000 3D Warhol? 7nm (Zen 3D) 8/16 105W AM4 500-Series DDR4-3200 Gen 4.0 2022 Ryzen 7000 Raphael 5nm (Zen 4) 16/32? 105-170W AM5 600-Series DDR5-5200/5600? Gen 5.0 2022 Ryzen 7000 3D Raphael 5nm (Zen 4) 16/32? 105-170W AM5 600-Series DDR5-5200/5600? Gen 5.0 2023 Ryzen 8000 Granite Ridge 3nm (Zen 5)? TBA TBA AM5 700-Series? DDR5-5600+ Gen 5.0 2024-2025?

Someone is working on a proper Need for Speed Underground 2 Remake within Unreal Engine 4 and it's looking pretty impressive with plenty of features. Many fans consider the second Underground entry in the Need for Speed series the best in the franchise, and a committed fan is currently working on his own fan remake of the game. The fan remake is being created by YouTuber 'Ivan Novozhilov', and comes with numerous features that made the original game stand out, including a soundtrack from the Underground games. In addition, this remake packs optimized visuals, an optimized weather cycle, new textures, revamped steering, suspension compression sounds, car turbo and nitrous, optimized auto transmission and clutch, and much more. We've included 10 minutes of gameplay from this impressive project down below alongside a list of features currently included with this work-in-progress project: Features Need for Speed Underground 2 Fan Remake UE4 Car: turbo nitrous (not used here) earn NOS back by doing some stuff (airborne, powerslide, almost crash...) completely new steering. optimized auto transmission and clutch fixed slip ratio (no more stuttering) collision sounds and sparks suspensioncompression sounds engine sounds are done except for two. the analysis tool is not good enough for them. maybe someone knows someone who can repitch the files so it works again. at least we have proper engine sounds now. sweetner (hear da backfire) turbo, sweetener, engine, transmission sounds are done and picked depending on the performance upgrade. drastically changed driving behaviour. its still in the making and a lot of tweaking, strongly depends on slip angle and traction, these values are changed depending on the speed to allow arcady driving behaviour and nice drifts at low speed. depending on the game mode this may change in the future drastically. Zones: audio zones reverb zones named zones every island hase a distinctive colorization. Graphics: optimized graphics for much better performance and an overall more pleasent look. optimized weather cycle new textures added more missing meshes Misc: traffic node system(you cannot see but it is there) more optimized camera shake more optimized radial motion blur destructible environment (signs, waterbarrels...) music from UG1, UG2, MW is implemented. You can also skip tracks or go a track back ( QOL hack 🙂 ) whoosh sounds new camera lag and rotation (lag) UI: drift score counter + nifty messages drift zones (these blue red white striped decals) are used for additional multipliers along with speed for the drift score. menus are in the making and already working partially but not shown here. Overall, this gameplay looks quite spectacular and offers pretty much what fans of the original game loved about it. Whether this fan remake will ever be released to the public remains to be seen, but going by the project's authenticity, the project will likely face a cease and desist from EA. https://wccftech.com/need-for-speed-underground-2-remake-ue-4-impressive/

happy birthday dude !

iQoo Neo 6 SE was launched in China as the latest smartphone in the company's iQoo Neo 6 series. In fact, the new iQoo phone has specifications similar to the iQoo Neo 6, which was launched in China last month, with the biggest change being the processor. It comes with a 120Hz AMOLED display and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC. There is a triple rear camera setup headlined by a 64-megapixel sensor. The phone comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor, and face unlock for biometrics. iQoo Neo 6 SE price, availability iQoo Neo 6 SE price has been set at CNY 1,999 (roughly Rs. 23,000) for the base 8GB + 128GB storage variant. The phone also comes in an 8GB + 256GB model at CNY 2,299 (roughly Rs. 26,500) and the top-end 12GB + 256GB option at CNY 2,499 (roughly Rs. 28,850). The iQoo Neo 6 comes in Interstellar, Orange and Neo colours. The phone will go on sale in China starting May 11. Details on the availability and pricing of the iQoo phone in other markets, including India are yet to be revealed. The iQoo Neo 6 SE makes its debut a few weeks after iQoo launched the iQoo Neo 6 in China. iQoo Neo 6 SE specifications The dual-SIM (Nano) iQoo Neo 6 SE runs on Android 12 with OriginOS Ocean custom skin on top. The phone comes with a 6.62-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,400 pixels) AMOLED display that has a 20:9 aspect ratio and up to 120Hz refresh rate. The smartphone gets an octa-core Snapdragon 870 SoC, along with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM. In comparison, the iQoo Neo 6 is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, which is paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM. For photography, the iQoo Neo 6 SE sports a triple rear camera setup that is headlined by a 64-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL Plus GW1P primary sensor paired with an f/1.89 lens. The camera setup also gets an 8-megapixel sensor with an f/1.89 ultra-wide lens, and a 2-megapixel sensor with an f/2.2 macro lens. The phone gets a 16-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 lens on the selfie camera. The iQoo Neo 6 SE carries up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Connectivity options on the phone include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.2, GPS/ A-GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. Users will get an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, magnetometer, and a proximity sensor. The phone includes an in-display fingerprint sensor. The iQoo Neo 6 SE packs a dual-cell 4,700mAh battery that comes with support for 80W Flash Charge fast charging. The phone measures 163x76.16x8.54mm and weighs 190 grams.

MD's next-generation Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series 'HEDT' CPUs powered by the Zen 4 core architecture have also been detailed by Moore's Law is Dead. AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7000 CPUs To Rock Up To 96 Zen 4 Cores In PRO-Only Flavors AMD just recently introduced its Threadripper PRO 5000 CPUs based on the Zen 3 core architecture and gave Lenovo the launch exclusivity. With that said, the company definitely has plans to launch its next-generation Ryzen Threadripper 7000 lineup but as per the latest rumors, these SKUs will be branded under the 'PRO' banner too.According to MLID, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7000 Desktop CPUs will feature up to 96 cores and 192 threads based on the Zen 4 core architecture and fabricated on TSMC's 5nm node. The CPUs will be replacing the existing 'Chagall' lineup and will be designed purely for high-end and extreme workstation users. Since the core count is the same as the EPYC Genoa parts, they are likely to utilize the same die but with specific parts disabled for standard consumers. This is where the new platform comes in to play. For EPYC, AMD is going to switch to its new SP5 socket. A new socket will also be designed around the Threadripper platform and may be known as the TR5 or SP5r2. The existing TR4 socket lasted two generations with Zen 2 & Zen 3 Threadripper options. AMD is likely to retain a similar cadence for the upcoming socket which will support new technologies such as DDR5 and PCIe 5.0. We can expect later Threadripper CPUs to feature up to 128 cores based on the Bergamo die (Zen 4C) but that remains to be seen. We have also seen a few Genoa SP5 boards featuring dual LGA-6096 sockets so those may also come to the Threadripper family considering Intel is going the same route with its Xeon-W Sapphire Rapids chips. The main issue with AMD's Threadripper platform as a whole is its launch schedule. Threadripper for HEDT/Workstation was introduced more than a year after the launch of the mainstream Zen 3 family. If that's the case, we are likely going to see Ryzen Threadripper 7000 CPUs based on the Zen 4 core architecture launching in either Q4 2023 or Q1 2024. That would mark slightly more than a year after the launch of Zen 4 Ryzen 7000 CPUs for the mainstream AM5 platform. With that said, AMD is likely to offer Lenovo the exclusivity or a timed one, once again. AMD Zen CPU / APU Roadmap: Zen Architecture Zen 1 Zen+ Zen 2 Zen 3 Zen 3+ Zen 4 Zen 5 Zen 6 Process Node 14nm 12nm 7nm 7nm 6nm? 5nm 3nm? TBA Server EPYC Naples (1st Gen) N/A EPYC Rome (2nd Gen) EPYC Milan (3rd Gen) N/A EPYC Genoa (4th Gen) EPYC Bergamo (5th Gen?) EPYC Turin (6th Gen) EPYC Venice (7th Gen) High-End Desktop Ryzen Threadripper 1000 (White Haven) Ryzen Threadripper 2000 (Coflax) Ryzen Threadripper 3000 (Castle Peak) Ryzen Threadripper 5000 (Chagal) N/A Ryzen Threadripper 7000 (TBA) TBA TBA Mainstream Desktop CPUs Ryzen 1000 (Summit Ridge) Ryzen 2000 (Pinnacle Ridge) Ryzen 3000 (Matisse) Ryzen 5000 (Vermeer) Ryzen 6000 (Warhol / Cancelled) Ryzen 7000 (Raphael) Ryzen 8000 (Granite Ridge) TBA Mainstream Desktop . Notebook APU Ryzen 2000 (Raven Ridge) Ryzen 3000 (Picasso) Ryzen 4000 (Renoir) Ryzen 5000 (Lucienne) Ryzen 5000 (Cezanne) Ryzen 6000 (Barcelo) Ryzen 6000 (Rembrandt) Ryzen 7000 (Phoenix) Ryzen 8000 (Strix Point) TBA Low-Power Mobile N/A N/A Ryzen 5000 (Van Gogh) Ryzen 6000 (Dragon Crest) TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

MMOs are something of their own industry within video games. Games like Final Fantasy XIV Online and Black Desert are good examples of MMOs that have thriving player bases. Today’s news brings us to an older MMO, known as EVE Online, and its newest content update, announced today at EVE Fanfest 2022.This comes in the form of a content roadmap working on the game’s arcs, Quadrants, which evolved into a multi-year journey, starting by bringing EVE’s four NPC Empires to the forefront with the addition of significant story events. An expansion finale to the very first arc will be released in Q4 2022. Watch an update trailer below for the Caldari homeworld, the site of one such update. EVE Online’s newest expansions are planned to focus on the newer player experience. Capsuleers taking their first steps in New Eden can soon enroll in the AIR Career Program. The AIR Career Program is an initiative that helps players choose one of EVE’s four distinctive career paths: Explorer, Industrialist, Enforcer, or Soldier of Fortune and presents tailored recommendations from the endless possibilities of EVE Online. Bergur Finnbogason, EVE Online’s Creative Director, said the following: EVE is getting ready to enter its third decade and the future has never been brighter. With arcs, we’re setting EVE up for the next chapter with a steady stream of narrative-driven content that emphasizes player actions and decisions.Veterans of the Triglavian Invasion may recall the fall of Pochven that altered trade routes and supply chains across New Eden – the narratives coming with arcs can have similar effects. The upcoming stories and events aren’t restricted to veterans, though – with more activities coming soon to the new player experience, all Capsuleers can enjoy EVE’s arcs, regardless of their skill level. Another of EVE Online’s significant updates concerns an all-new integration. With the power of memes (and a partnership with Microsoft), EVE Online players can now export data from the game through a Javascript API. This in turn, also has compatibility with Microsoft Excel, and will allow players to access and calculate everything from profit margins to battle strategy, making day-to-day EVE operations easier to execute. The best way to describe this development is this https://wccftech.com/eve-online-is-preparing-for-the-next-decade-with-new-improvements-and-excel-integration/

happy birthday dude !

Vivo X80 and Vivo X80 Pro were launched at an event in China on Monday. While the regular Vivo X80 carries an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC, the Vivo X80 Pro comes in two distinct variants — one with the Dimensity 9000 chip and the other one offering a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. The new Vivo phones Zeiss options, and the Pro model also includes a periscope-shaped lens for 5x optical zoom support. Additionally, the Vivo X80 Pro offers a 2K E5 LTPO AMOLED display. Both Vivo X80 and X80 Pro have 80W fast charging. However, the Pro version also comes with 50W wireless charging support. Vivo X80, Vivo X80 Pro price Vivo X80 price has been set at CNY 3,699 (roughly Rs. 43,200) for the base 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. The phone also comes in an 8GB + 256GB model at CNY 3,999 (roughly Rs. 46,700), 12GB + 256GB at CNY 4,399 (roughly Rs. 51,400) and the top-end, 12GB + 512GB model at CNY 4,899 (roughly Rs. 57,300). In contrast, the Vivo X80 Pro begins at CNY 5,499 (roughly Rs. 64,300) for the 8GB + 256GB model. The phone also has a 12GB + 256GB variant at CNY 5,999 (roughly Rs. 70,100) and a 12GB + 512GB option at CNY 6,699 (roughly Rs. 78,300). The Vivo X80 Pro Dimensity 9000 Edition, on the other hand, starts at CNY 5999 (roughly Rs. 70,100) for the 12GB + 256GB configuration and goes up to CNY 6,699 (roughly Rs. 78,300) for the 12GB + 512GB model. The Vivo X80 series comes in Black, Cyan, and Orange colours. While the Vivo X80 and X80 Pro will be available for purchase in China from April 29, the Vivo X80 Pro Dimensity 9000 Edition will debut on May 5. All three models are currently available for pre-orders in the country. Details about the global debut of the Vivo X80 series are yet to be officially revealed. However, the phones purportedly appeared on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) site earlier this month to suggest their arrival in the Indian market. Vivo X80 specifications The dual-SIM (Nano) Vivo X80 runs Android 12 with OriginOS Ocean on top and features a 6.78-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,400 pixels) AMOLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio and up to 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the phone has the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC, along with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM. There is the triple rear camera setup that houses a 50-megapixel primary Sony IMX866 RGBW sensor, along with an f/1.75 lens that supports optical image stabilisation (OIS). The rear camera setup also includes a 12-megapixel ultra-wide shooter and a 12-megapixel portrait sensor. The ultra-wide shooter is equipped with an f/2.0 aperture, while the portrait sensor has an f/1.98 lens. For selfies and video chats, the Vivo X80 comes with a 32-megapixel selfie camera sensor at the front, with an f/2.45 lens. The Vivo X80 comes with up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.3, GPS/ A-GPS, Infrared (IR) blaster, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, ambient light, gyroscope, magnetometer, and a proximity sensor. The phone also includes an in-display fingerprint sensor.Vivo has packed the X80 with a 4,500mAh battery that supports 80W Flash Charge fast charging. Besides, the phone measures 164.95x75.23x8.78mm and weighs up to 206 grams. Vivo X80 Pro specifications The dual-SIM (Nano) Vivo X80 Pro runs Android 12-based OriginOS and features a 6.78-inch 2K (1,440x3,200 pixels) AMOLED display with an up to 120Hz refresh rate. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, though it also has the Dimensity 9000 SoC version. The Snapdragon model has 8GB and 12GB LPDDR5 RAM options, whereas the Dimensity option has 12GB LPDDR5 RAM as standard.In terms of optics, the Vivo X80 Pro comes with a rear camera setup that includes a 50-megapixel primary Samsung ISOCELL GNV sensor, along with a 48-megapixel ultra-wide Sony IMX598 shooter and a 12-megapixel Sony IMX663 sensor with a portrait lens. There is also the additional periscope-shaped ultra-telephoto f/3.4 lens that is available on top of an 8-megapixel sensor The Vivo X80 Pro also includes a 32-megapixel selfie camera sensor at the front, with an f/2.45 lens.On the storage front, the Vivo X80 Pro provides up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage.Connectivity options on the Vivo X80 Pro include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, GPS/ A-GPS, Infrared (IR) blaster, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. The Snapdragon variant has Bluetooth v5.2 support, while the Dimensity model comes with Bluetooth v5.3..Sensors on the Vivo X80 Pro include an accelerometer, ambient light, gyroscope, magnetometer, and a proximity sensor. There is also an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor.

Today, Maxon announced that its Redshift Render Engine will add support for AMD's brand new Radeon PRO Graphics cards. AMD Radeon PRO Graphics Cards Get Redshift Render Engine Support By Maxon Press Release: Maxon, the developers of professional software solutions for editors, filmmakers, motion designers, and visual effects artists, today announced that artists can now use select AMD Radeon PRO graphics cards to create photorealistic images with its production-class Redshift render engine. Redshift now offers high-performance rendering via AMD (HIP), Apple (Metal), and Nvidia (CUDA) technologies, while anyone can work with Redshift materials and rendering thanks to the Redshift CPU announced last week. The AMD dedicated GPU programming environment, Heterogeneous Interface for Portability (HIP) is designed for programming high-performance kernels on GPU hardware. HIP is a C++ runtime API and programming language that allows easy migration from existing CUDA code. This means that developers can write their GPU applications and, with very minimal changes, be able to run their code in any environment with comparable performance across platforms. Redshift also supports rendering with mixed devices like RS CPU and AMD Radeon PRO graphics cards, opening possibilities for individuals or studios with a variety of hardware setups – whether it is Nvidia on one machine, or AMD on another, or CPU only. “Our ultimate goal is Redshift Everywhere, in the hands of every artist on every DCC application, with the ability to take advantage of all the capabilities of their hardware,” said David McGavran, CEO of Maxon. “This development brings us even closer to that achievement and also satisfies one of the community’s most desired feature requests.” Redshift on AMD GPU Requirements and Availability To run Redshift on the supported Radeon PRO W6800 graphics card will require the AMD Software: PRO Edition 22.Q1 driver available from the AMD website later this quarter. Redshift is also validated on the Radeon PRO VII graphics card. Both AMD Software and Redshift support for Radeon PRO graphics cards on Windows are currently in a closed technology preview and development is actively ongoing. Learn more at www.amd.com/MaxonRedshift See Cinema 4D on AMD in Action at NAB 2022 Maxon will be hosting exclusive presentations from industry-leading artists in its Booth (#N5920) at NAB 2022, April 24-27, 2022. For those unable to attend the show, the presentations will be streaming simultaneously at 3DMotionShow.com.

Rainbow Six Siege has had its fair share of events and content released for the title, meant to expand upon its roster of playable characters, gear, and maps. They’re also not immune to having events or crossover costumes added to the game, like its Halloween-themed event or Lion (one of the game’s characters) getting a Resident Evil 4 Leon-themed costume. Today’s update will focus more on an upcoming event for the title. Dubbed the Rengoku Event, players will be able to unlock new Japan-themed gear, play on a unique reimagining of one of the game’s maps, and have a new game mode to play. You can watch Siege’s Rengoku Event trailer below.The event has players transported to a variant of Skyscraper (one of the game’s maps) and has a unique Control Point-Esque game mode, a departure from its most commonly played mode, Bomb. The trailer also focuses on the throwing Kiba, which will be an event-unique weapon. The Rengoku Event also brings lots of new cosmetics to the game’s characters, with five Attackers (Fuze, Twitch, Zofia, Capitao, and Osa) and five Defenders (Bandit, Kapkan, Maestro, Thunderbird, and Rook) receiving a makeover. This event also adds the Battlefield Spirit Bundle, which adds a signature weapon skin, a universal attachment skin, charm, and background. Going back to what was shown earlier in the trailer, the event also adds a one-hit kill explosive Kiba on top of shotguns and pistols. Fuze, Osa, Rook, and Thunderbird operators can choose between a Fire or Poison Kiba, while Twitch, Capitão, Zofia, Kapkan, Bandit, and Maestro operators can choose between the Flashback or Knockback Kiba to unleash the ultimate chaos. The new event will be playable tomorrow, April 26th, 2022 (as of the time of publication), and will run until May 17th, 2022. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege is available now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PC via Ubisoft Connect and Steam, Amazon Luna, and Google Stadia. https://wccftech.com/rainbow-six-siege-rengoku-event-brings-samurai-warrior-operators-on-april-26/

Apple recently released a firmware update for the MagSafe Battery Pack that comes with a major boost. Before the new update, your MagSafe battery Pack could charge at just 5W. Now, Apple's latest update for the accessory allows it to charge your iPhone at a faster 7.5W while you are on the go. Scroll down to read more details on the subject. Your MagSafe Battery Pack Can Now Charge at Faster 7.5W If You Have Updated to The Latest Firmware In a new support document shared by Apple, it is mentioned that owners of the MagSafe Battery Pack can now charge their iPhones faster at 7.5W. If you are unfamiliar, you have to update your accessory to the latest firmware version 2.7.b.0. If you are still running an older version, your MagSafe Battery Pack will be restricted to charge at only 5W. If you do not know how to update your MagSafe Battery Pack to the latest version, simply attach the accessory to the back of your iPhone and then wait. The wait time could extend as much as a week but there is a faster way you can update your accessory. Simply connect the Lightning cable to the accessory and then plug the USB end into an iPad or a Mac. The update process will be initiated. If you are not familiar with the firmware version of your accessory, simply head over to Settings > General > About > MagSafe Battery Pack on your iPhone to check the running firmware version. When the accessory was initially launched back in 2021, the 5W charging speed was a little disappointing to a lot of users. We are glad that Apple has added a major boost to its accessory. When plugged in, the MagSafe Battery Pack can charge your iPhone at 15W but without a connection to the power source, the accessory reduces the charging speed by half. This is all there is to it, folks. Are you glad Apple decided to enhance the power of its accessory? Let us know in the comments.

NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards based on the Ada Lovelace GPU architecture are expected to retain their existing PCIe Gen 4.0 compliancy as reported by Kopite7kimi. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 'AD102 GPU' Graphics Cards To Retain PCIe Gen 4.0 Compliancy NVIDIA will be launching its GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards based on the brand new Ada Lovelace GPU architecture later this year. The specifications and specific configurations for the graphics card lineup have already been leaked but the design of the card themselves is a more interesting aspect.So far, we know that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards will adopt the new ATX 3.0 compliant 12PVHPWR 16-pin connector which allows for up to 600W of power draw through a new PCIe Gen 5 power connector interface. This power connector has already been featured on the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti graphics card and currently allows for up to 450W of power draw through a triple 8-pin adapter. But there's another aspect to allow the full PCIe Gen 5.0 compliance and that's the interface connector itself. Currently, modern graphics cards communicate to the CPU through the PCIe Gen 4.0 protocol. The PCIe Gen 4.0 protocol allows for 64 GB/s of total and 32 GB/s of bi-directional bandwidth. But the latest platforms from Intel and AMD support the brand new PCIe Gen 5.0 interface protocol. This new standard allows for up to 128 GB/s of total and 64 GB/s of bi-directional bandwidth. This will essentially double the bandwidth but it looks like upcoming graphics cards or at least the high-end GeForce RTX 40 graphics cards based on the AD102 GPU won't feature PCIe Gen 5.0 interface just yet. Based on a tweet from Kopite7kimi, the upcoming GeForce RTX 40 lineup will retain the PCIe Gen 4.0 protocol which is a bold move by NVIDIA for not hopping on the next-gen standard even though they are doing so in the HPC segment where their Hopper GPU will be amongst the first to utilize the new protocol. Now it makes sense that the HPC lineup features it because servers require a lot of bandwidth and the Gen 5.0 protocol will help those environments. As for consumers, the PCIe Gen 5.0 interface is just too much bandwidth and current GPUs are yet to fully stature the PCIe Gen 4.0 interface.

Yesterday, Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries shared the updated roadmap for the game's free-to-play live service multiplayer. Season 2, 'Lone Wolves,' is set to begin on May 3rd and will last for over six months, ending on November 7th just ahead of the beginning of Season 3.On the upside, the arrival of the campaign network co-op has been confirmed for late August (alongside the ability to replay campaign missions), while the Forge mode has been brought forward to September with an Open Beta release. On the downside, Halo Infinite fans were certainly hoping for a shorter season after the exceedingly long first season, but it looks like they'll have to cope with another six months for Lone Wolves. 343 Industries said that's because it's also aiming to deliver some much-needed Quality of Life updates called Drop Pods during Seasons, with the target being one Drop Pod per month. We know we need to deliver more content and more features more quickly. Staying true to priority zero means that sometimes we need to slow down in order to stay healthy and move faster later. But we’re also aggressively looking at ways to accelerate.For example, we want to get the Forge toolset into your hands sooner rather than later so that awesome community maps and modes can more rapidly make their way into the game. To make this happen, we’re targeting a Forge open beta later in Season 2. We’ve successfully had Forge in private flighting with a limited audience for some time, so we’ve decided to forgo a large-scale formal flighting program and go right to open beta. With this approach, we can get the core Forge tools out to everyone quicker while also remaining focused on our core priority of continuing to improve foundational aspects of Halo Infinite. Forge will persist from the open beta onwards, evolving and growing over time. As we continue to improve and ramp up, please understand that all of us at 343 are fully committed to making Halo Infinite the best Halo experience ever. Indeed, the primary reason that we’re extending Season 2 is to give us time before shipping another Season to fully address “quality of life” improvements based on learnings from Season 1 as well as other data and feedback we’ve collected. What do you think of this updated Halo Infinite multiplayer roadmap? https://wccftech.com/halo-infinite-roadmap-confirms-another-six-months-for-season-2/

Security flaws in an audio codec have been uncovered by security researchers, putting millions of Android phones and other Android devices powered by chipsets from MediaTek and Qualcomm at risk of being compromised by hackers. Stemming from an codec created by Apple several years ago, the vulnerabilities were left unpatched since the company open-sourced the codec 11 years ago, for inclusion on non-Apple devices. By leveraging the security flaws, an attacker could remotely get access to an Android phone's media and audio conversations, according to the researchers. According to a report by researchers at Check Point Research, a flaw in the Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) from Apple allows an attacker to perform a remote code execution (RCE) attack on a target smartphone, after sending a malformed audio file. An RCE attack can allow the attacker to gain control of multimedia on the handset, including streaming video from the cameras, accessing media and user conversations.The security flaws were discovered in Apple's ALAC codec, which was open-sourced by the company in 2011 — allowing non-Apple devices to stream music in ‘lossless' quality using Apple's previously proprietary codec. However, while Apple patched the proprietary version of the ALAC codec, the open-source version remained unpatched, according to the researchers. As a result, Qualcomm and MediaTek, chipset manufacturers who ported the vulnerable ALAC codec to their audio decoders, resulting in over two thirds of all smartphones sold in 2021 being vulnerable to the security flaws, dubbed “ALHACK”, according to the researchers. The vulnerabilities were responsibly disclosed to Qualcomm and MediaTek, who both acknowledged the issues and assigned Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) for the flaws. MediaTek assigned CVE-2021-0674 and CVE-2021-0675 (with ‘Medium' and ‘High' ratings, respectively), while Qualcomm assigned CVE-2021-30351 (with a ‘Critical' rating of 9.8 out of 10) for the ALAC flaws, before patching them. According to the researchers, both companies have issued patches for the flaws included in the December 2021 Android security bulletin, which means that users with smartphones that received the December security patches should be safe from the vulnerabilities. However, this leaves out millions of users running outdated software, or users who receive erratic security updates — putting them at risk of being compromised by attackers.

We have shown you how the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU can be overclocked but today, we move our attention towards its underwriting capabilities which have been demonstrated by our reader and commenter, Shaun (@Diabolical_genius). AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D Showcases Impressive Undervolting Capabilities at Sub 1V, Consumes Max 57 Watts Power While Offering Same Performance Shaun who got his AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU a few days back, was able to undervolt it on an ASUS PRIME X570-Pro motherboard. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D didn't have any overclocking capabilities but it was soon discovered that the chip does feature BCLK overclocking on select motherboards with an external clock generator. The CPU has a peak voltage limit of 1.35V to keep the 3D V-Cache from damaging itself. But undervolting is almost possible on any AM4 motherboard as showcased by Shaun. Shaun started off with an undervolt to 1.19V and gradually brought it down in steps. While there are some reviews that say that undervolt doesn't do much, Shaun backs it up with proof as both, his Asus Dual Intelligent and CPU-z applications were reporting the lowered voltages and also the power draw was taking a gradual decline too from the stock specifications. At 1V, Shaun states that he started seeing performance regression but one interesting aspect was that the performance itself didn't take a huge hit. The power and temperatures saw a huge fall. It was stated that at 1V (4.4 GHz all-core), the CPU peaked at 43C in Cinebench whereas it peaked at 80C in the same benchmark when running at stock The power consumption was rated at 73W. Shaun is running a custom-loop cooling kit with a 420mm radiator and triple 140mm fans. Some other facts that were discovered upon firing up HWiNFO reveal that the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU has: A 115C Temperature Thermal Limit A Peak 142W Power Limit Now Shaun kept on testing the chip below the 1.0V barrier and the lowest stable voltage that he reached was at 0.844V. At this limit, the CPU consumed a maximum power of 57W in Cinebench & ran at an all-core frequency of 4.4 GHz. The CPU also operated at just 40-41C which is super cool. You can see the CPU-z submission of the sub-1V undervolt here. AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D Stock & Undervolt (0.844V) Fire Strike Benchmarks: Now it is worth pointing out that going sub 1V (such as the 0.844V undervolt) does result in CPU performance loss but it is incredible to see the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D packing so much power efficiency within itself. At 1V, the CPU can be tuned to offer the same performance while running cooler and drawing much lower power. This just goes off to show how efficient AMD's Ryzen CPUs and APUs are in reality, allowing users to achieve the same performance while running cooler and drawing lower power than stock.

A few years ago, we covered Darewise Entertainment's announcement of a new sci-fi MMO codenamed Project C and powered by Improbable's SpatialOS technology. We even interviewed founder Benjamin Charbit during Reboot Develop Blue 2019. The game eventually got its proper title, Life Beyond, but its development seemed to progress at a rather slow pace. That's all changing now, as Darewise was recently acquired by Animoca Brands, a Hong-Kong based company focused on investing in the blockchain gaming genre. The investment means Darewise's headcount has grown from 30 to 100 developers starting in Q1 2022. Life Beyond itself is also changing. There's no more mention of SpatialOS, for one thing, and now Darewise wants to define the Play to Earn MMO genre. It'll be free to play with Founder's Packs goodies and NFT transactions to acquire items, lands, and customization options, though the developers claim to be making these optional bonuses rather than the center of the game. This new world is yours to explore, conquer, and shape! You will be provided with everything you need to build your own society. From a bartender to a nurse, from a mayor to a mercenary, from a benevolent and sustainable society to a western conquest mindset, join us and create your Life Beyond!On Dolos, you will discover, fight, and collaborate to try to eradicate the planetary threats such as alien nano-bots. Removal of the threat is just the beginning of the game experience. You will have to organize yourselves and establish your own societies with unique economic systems and governance, all of which will be shaped by you, the player. Life Beyond has three main game pillars of Pioneering, Settling, and Governance. Pioneering: You will be able to explore the mysteries that Dolos’ landscape holds and engage in combat. Tame ancient nanotech corrupting Dolos, collect resources and ancient tech, cleanse ancient ruins in order to conquer regions. Settling: Transform conquered regions into lands to be settled and inhabited by other players. Build housing and provide leisure and economic activities for the po[CENSORED]ce. Trade resources and goods, blueprints, and tech to support a new civilization of pioneers. Deal with thieves and criminals and organize town defenses against attacks from nano enemies. Governance: Define and enact the rules of your society. Choose whether to pursue personal wealth and control of your neighborhood, or develop a more democratic organization. Hold elections, organize the market, impose taxes, regulate the economy, define policies, and deploy police forces to maintain order. Convince other towns to follow your model or fight against them to impose your supremacy. Life Beyond will be the first AAA game of its kind. Powered by Web3 and Blockchain technologies, you will be able to truly own your digital assets and control in-game economies. Life Beyond is a game that will be governed by you, the players, with rich and immersive experiences, and connected by multiple worlds (Open Metaverse). There's no release date yet for Life Beyond. The game is currently in Closed Alpha (you can sign up for testing on the official website) and is targeting a release on PC first, though consoles are not out of the question. https://wccftech.com/darewise-reintroduces-life-beyond-as-a-play-to-earn-mmo/

Samsung Galaxy S23 series may get innovative battery tech. As per a tipster, Samsung is planning to utilise the stacking method aimed at making electric vehicle (EV) batteries for its rumoured Galaxy S23 flagship lineup. Samsung SDI reportedly utilises this method for manufacturing its Gen 5 EV batteries. The South Korean tech giant is now expected to replace the currently used 'jelly-roll' method with the stacking method for its smartphone batteries as well. Furthermore, a tipster has suggested that the application of this method could lead to a significant boost in the battery capacities of the Galaxy S23 series in comparison to the Galaxy S22 lineup. As per a tweet posted by tipster Anthony (@TheGalox_), the Samsung Galaxy S23 series, codenamed Project Diamond, will benefit from the application of the stacking method. The vanilla Galaxy S23 will supposedly feature a 4,500mAh battery, which is a significant jump from the 3,700mAh battery fitted in the base Galaxy S22. Similarly, Samsung is expected to fit the Galaxy S23+ with a 5,000mAh battery and the Galaxy S23 Ultra with a battery boasting of over 5,500mAh capacity. The tipster suggests that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is unlikely to utilise this technology. Samsung SDI, according to a report by The Elec, has set up a pilot production line in Tianjin, China for testing the stacking method. In addition, it is reportedly modifying four of the 12 production lines at the M Line in Cheonan, South Korea for mass-producing smartphone batteries with this technology that has been primarily used for EV batteries so far.The stacking method is said to improve the energy density of a battery by 10 percent in comparison to the jelly roll method. Furthermore, it could allow smartphone manufacturers to produce thinner and lighter handsets with the same or improved battery capacities. Another advantage the stacking method has over the 'jelly roll' technique, is that rolled batteries cannot be tightly packed because of their natural tendency to swell. The stacking process supposedly gets rid of this limitation, allowing manufacturers to waste less space inside the battery.

Today, Intel has announced the formation of its brand new Graphics Research Organization which is led by Vice President of Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics Group, Anton Kaplanyan. The main goal of the organization? To develop the hardware, algorithms, & systems that will drive the next generation of computing visuals. Intel's Graphics Research Organization on a Mission to Deliver the Best Immersive Visuals Press Release: I have spent my career at the forefront of graphics technology, with the added good fortune of experiencing a breadth of it — from game engines and film rendering to hardware and middleware to AR and VR headsets. I have had plenty of work because everybody, including myself, wants more immersive visual experiences. It is a basic fact: We are visual-first creatures and “a feast for the eyes” is never satisfied. We are entering a new era in graphics, and it is not going to arrive in the form of anyone device. You may want an immersive display in your living room, in your car, in your hands, or on your head. Regardless of the preference, delivering a consistent and high-quality visual experience across devices is a challenge that needs to be solved. This is what keeps me excited doing my line of work and it is one of the reasons I chose to join Intel. The ultimate prize is not only richer games, but also future immersive experiences that realize the metaverse vision Raja Koduri outlined last December and include remote work and presence, photoreal simulation, and 3D user-"photographed" virtual environments. To achieve that, we need visual compute to become more ubiquitous, more efficient, more accessible, and more intelligent. Our objective is to build the best possible graphics solutions, but we also want to move forward in the entire field, the whole ecosystem. And we can only do that by being open, collaborative, and forward-looking. To work on this, I am leading and have established a new graphics research function within the Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics Group (AXG). My team’s mission is to bring this future to bear by advancing the algorithms, systems, and hardware behind graphics. Ultimately, our goal is to deliver the best immersive visuals to everybody on the planet — to all market segments, use cases, and experiences that require such visuals – think of immersive entertainment and games, future virtual social interactions, democratized content creation, and realistic visual effects. As a testament to our open and collaborative approach, the team has made a new Sponza scene available for download by the research community, for free. This is a modern version of the iconic sample I published in 2010 when I was with Crytek. It became a default scene across gaming, visualization, film, and other fields of research and development -- published and referenced in thousands of academic and research papers. After more than a decade, the Sponza scene was overdue for an update. The new scene incorporates physically-based materials with 4K textures and high-resolution geometry, photogrammetrically matched to the real Sponza Atrium in Dubrovnik, Croatia. We built it as standardized as possible and it is offered in several modern formats, with a particular goal of making graphics research more reproducible. Reproducibility is a common struggle in graphics research. With the new Sponza, as a researcher, if you publish a new method, you can render using the professional camera setup and let the world compare your results to the reference images to literally see the differences and impact your research makes.And depending on the type of research that is being done on graphics — the level of detail or light transport, shading, or materials, for instance — we have provided a collection of additional package options to the base Sponza scene with advanced lighting, geometry, or materials so that researchers can choose one or more packages. The new Sponza scene and the additional package options reflect some of the near-term challenges our research team is looking to tackle and solve. But there are multiple major paradigm shifts happening in graphics that our team is thinking about daily.First, gone are the days of simple scenes and illumination. Currently, the visuals in the film are elevated to a whole new level of photorealism thanks to the physically correct materials and light transport simulation, often referred to as path tracing. Path tracing is becoming our everyday life, not just in offline film rendering. Games shifted to physically-based materials over a decade ago. Due to the advances in ray tracing performance, we are also witnessing a shift toward real-time path tracing in games. While the visual impact of path tracing is clearly demonstrated in the film, a lot of challenges remain to be solved to make it practical in real-time graphics and games. Second, many of the things we do in graphics are smart approximations. Machine learning has recently been shown to be a great approximation tool for challenging problems. In time, machine learning will also revolutionize graphics. The full workflow, from creation to consumption of visuals, can be deeply reworked using machine learning tools. We are on the cusp, and our work on Xe Super Sampling (XeSS) technology is just the beginning. Third, we are witnessing a boom in user-generated content, particularly in video. Now imagine that next boom in three dimensions — and making this content just as easy to produce, distribute and consume everywhere, that is consistently immersive and high quality, and done in real-time. The graphics field is evolving quickly and scaling it out to meet the upcoming demands will be a breathtaking journey. That is why I am so excited about visual compute. My team is looking at all the game-changing technologies required to bring this future-forward. Today, and into the future, graphics is getting astonishingly more important.