Rainstorm.

Xbox Game Pass’s streaming powers are remarkable, but so far they’ve been limited to titles that have been released on Xbox consoles. Game Pass includes a ton of PC games (and plenty that are available on both), but in order to play them, you have to download the files locally and play them on a gaming PC. According to recently-revealed court documents, Microsoft was planning on adding PC games to the Game Pass streaming setup, competing directly with services like Nvidia’s GeForce Now. The info is not official, even though it was scrounged from internal Microsoft documents. As with a lot of corporate revelations as of late, you can thank a lawsuit for the news. This tidbit was revealed in an internal email chain presented as evidence in the US Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust lawsuit, as Microsoft attempts to buy game publishing giant Activision Blizzard. A string of communications between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and other executives back in 2021 showed them discussing Google’s Stadia game streaming platform, which has since flopped. The Verge breaks it down: Specifically, the execs were discussing Google’s ability to leverage its cloud computing muscle to offer Stadia to third-party companies as a white-label service (something that Google did, eventually, try out). Microsoft, itself a pretty huge player in the cloud computing world, might be able to compete. “I am assuming we will do the same for Game Pass PC, right?” Nadella asks, to which Microsoft’s gaming boss Phil Spencer and Xbox creator lead Sarah Bond respond in the affirmative. The issue is that Xbox Cloud Gaming’s streaming system is currently based on customized Xbox hardware, essentially stripped-down servers made out of the same chips you’d find in an Xbox Series X console. Though it’s all based on AMD x64 hardware, it’s incredibly fine-tuned to create a consistent console experience, and it can’t run PC games designed for a regular desktop with a discrete graphics card (at least not without a lot of extra software work). In order to deliver modern PC games a la GeForce Now or the late, not-so-great Stadia, Microsoft would need to update and augment some of the hardware of its Azure cloud platform. These emails indicate that Satya Nadella wanted this to happen, and his executive team was working on it at least conceptually two years ago. Will we see it come to fruition? That’s a lot less clear two years later. Spencer says in a later email that Nvidia’s service is “to date our #1 competitor,” and that remains true as Stadia has collapsed. Newer players in the market like Amazon’s Luna service and the revamped PlayStation Plus seem tepid at best. Meanwhile Microsoft is still going hard for conventional, locally played games and streamed Xbox titles. The mega-RPG Starfield, by Microsoft subsidiary Bethesda, is available as a local title on PC and Xbox, with the console version streaming to Game Pass subscribers as well. We may or may not see an expansion of PC-only games offered up for streaming play, but it seems like a natural extension of the everything, everywhere strategy of Game Pass. https://www.pcworld.com/article/2072865/microsoft-wants-to-stream-pc-game-pass-games-too.html

Microsoft's Pavan Davuluri will lead a team focused on Windows software, devices portfolio and semiconductor chips, the company said on Monday, while announcing the departure of longtime product chief Panos Panay. The team led by Davuluri will "build silicon, systems and devices that span Windows, client and cloud for an AI world," according to a staff email by Rajesh Jha, executive vice president of experiences and devices group at Microsoft. Reuters has seen a copy of the email. Microsoft has made big bets on generative AI, integrating the technology into a wide array of its products, including cloud, search and productivity software and services such as its Office suite. The rejigging of teams comes as Panay steps down after nearly 20 years with the Redmond, Washington-based company, where he helmed the creation of the Surface line of computers and more recently oversaw the launch of the Windows 11 operating system. Davuluri will report to Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella, the email said. Microsoft is also creating a team to work on web services and Windows experiences with a focus on AI-based offerings. The company is hosting a "special event" on September 21, where it is expected to announce updates to its Surface lineup, among other updates. https://www.gadgets360.com/internet/news/microsoft-product-chief-panos-panay-resignation-pavan-davuluri-lead-windows-team-4402216

Star Citizen is an exciting space game that places players amid the stars where they can experience immersive combat, trading, and more. Cloud Imperium hopes to offer interstellar adventures like no other online game has with Star Citizen‘s full release, and has been working to frequently update the alpha build for fans currently traversing the stars. The developer has just announced the massive upcoming Alpha 3.20 update, revealing that the patch will bring full HDR support to the game. In a post about the Alpha 3.20 patch, Cloud Imperium writes, “We’re excited to announce that High Dynamic Range (HDR) support is on its way to Star Citizen, and it’s set to make its debut in the upcoming patch Alpha 3.20.” The dev goes on to say the studio understands “that many of you have been eagerly awaiting this feature,” and has therefore “been working on optimizing the game to ensure you can fully immerse yourself in its beauty.” Cloud Imperium explains how HDR aids in immersion with “higher peak brightness while maintaining the darkness of shadow tones, therefore increasing the contrast ratio.” With the new setting, you’ll notice more visible details and bright highlights. Think of sunny days with snowy surfaces. The update comes after the recent Star Citizen public test access changes, which introduced a new priority system favoring the game’s most active players. For the most optimal experience, you should dim your room’s lights to see the new setting’s full effects. The dev says, “In a bright environment, even the best displays will reflect 1-2% of the ambient lighting, resulting in muddy shadow tones and a perceived loss of contrast.” You’ll choose how much HDR power or “peak brightness” your game uses with a new slider, which Cloud Imperium recommends pushing to the maximum. Be sure to activate HDR via your Windows settings before trying to do so in-game, since it won’t be available to toggle otherwise. It’s also important to note that not every build supports the setting, so you’ll have to make sure you’re able to make use of it hardware-wise first. For more information on the Alpha 3.20 patch as well as Cloud Imperium’s complete explanation of the game’s upcoming HDR support, you can find the dev’s post on the Star Citizen forums. If you’re searching for something new to play while you wait for Star Citizen’s full release, you can hop into some of these other great multiplayer games with your friends. Alternatively, browse through a few of the other most exciting upcoming PC games in the works right now. https://www.pcgamesn.com/star-citizen/update-hdr-support

Unlike its rivals AMD and Intel, Nvidia yet has to implement a multi-chiplet design for high-performance compute GPUs, but it looks like the company might be on track to finally use this design layout with its next-generation Blackwell generation of GPUs. At least so says renowned hardware leaker @kopite7kimi, who tends to have accurate information about Nvidia's intentions. For now, this is all a pure speculation though. "After the dramas of GA100 and GH100, it seems that GB100 is finally going to use MCM," @kopite7kimi wrote in an X post. "Maybe GB100=2*GB102." Nvidia's GA100 and GH100 compute GPUs feature a die size 826 mm² and 814 mm², which is very close to the maximum reticle size of 858 mm2. Producing such large chips with good yields is hard, but it looks like TSMC does it pretty well since Nvidia literally ships tons of H100 and A100 compute GPUs every quarter. While Nvidia has consistently managed to increase performance of its compute GPUs quite tangibly with every new generation so far, reticle size is still an issue. Using a multi-chiplet design would enable Nvidia to add more transistors into its next-generation compute GPU and increase performance gain over its H100 more significantly than it would do with architectural improvements alone. Since both AMD and Intel have already adopted multi-chiplet designs for their compute GPUs and will only further increase chiplet and transistor count going forward, Nvidia might not have a choice but to embrace a multi-tile design too. It remains to be seen whether the company would go with a dual-chiplet (like AMD's Instinct MI250) or multi-chiplet (like AMD's Instinct MI300 or Intel's Ponte Vecchio) approach, but the company just cannot ignore advantages presented by modern packaging technologies. If we continue to speculate, we might assume that Nvidia will adopt multi-tile design only for its Blackwell GPUs for AI and HPC compute, whereas its gaming GPUs will remain monolithic. This might make sense since making two GPUs work in parallel is hard. But then again, Nvidia might not be able to ignore multi-chiplet designs even for client PCs in the High-NA era since ASML's next-generation scanners will halve reticle size (to 429 mm2) and Nvidia will not be able to address high-end gaming machines with monstrous monolithic GPUs like the AD102 (609 mm2) unless they use at least two chiplets. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/nvidias-next-gen-blackwell-gpus-rumored-to-use-multi-chiplet-design

Telecom regulator TRAI on Thursday invited public comments to explore ways and means to make smartphone affordable in the country for digital inclusion. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) as part of its consultation paper on "Digital Inclusion in the Era of Emerging Technologies" will assess if measures taken by the government such as focussing on local manufacturing are sufficient to bring down the prices of smartphones in India. "What measures should be taken to make digital devices and digital connectivity affordable to the citizens for empowering them to maximize the benefits of an inclusive digital society?" TRAI asked in the consultation paper. In the paper, TRAI has cited example of smartphone financing and exploring viability of second hand smartphones in the country. The regulator sees that the rapid pace of technological advancements and launch of 5G enabled services including artificial intelligence and machine learning can widen digital divide if not made affordable and accessible to marginalized communities and underserved regions. "Unequal access of infrastructure, limited digital literacy, and affordability issues could hinder the equitable distribution and utilization of emerging technologies, exacerbating existing disparities in digital inclusion. To ensure comprehensive digital inclusion, it is imperative to address the gaps which are likely to arise due to emerging technologies," TRAI said. The regulator has fixed October 16 as last date for giving comments and October 31 for counter comments on the paper. https://www.gadgets360.com/mobiles/news/trai-invites-public-comments-ways-means-make-smartphone-affordable-india-4397758

The Windows 11 Photos app is testing a pair of key AI-powered features, continuing a surprising and welcome renaissance in Microsoft’s multimedia apps. Microsoft said Thursday that the Photos app is adding background blur, the “portrait mode” that’s become common smartphones. Even better, the OneDrive app now has smarter search capabilities for photos, so that you’ll be able to search by the content of the picture, such as a beach scene or “snow.” We criticized Microsoft earlier this year for the fact the old Photos app was better than the new one. And in some sense, it is: in Photos Legacy, you can search for content, such as the previously mentioned beach scenes. Provided that you’ve connected Photos to OneDrive (which you can do in the drop-down menu on the left-hand rail) you can now use the regular Photos app as a front door to OneDrive photo searches. We should point out, too, that in May Microsoft re-introduced Spot Fix to Photos, which allows you to highlight a small area and use AI to filter out any anomalies. (Think specks of dust on a laptop.) Background blur, though, hints at another feature we recently lobbied for: Paint3D’s Magic Select, which has now been added to Paint. Really, Background Blur and Magic Select perform the same task. They identify and separate the foreground subject from the background. Magic Select cuts it away; Background Blur simply applies an AI blur filter to the background. There’s one problem: the portrait mode/background blur feature that Microsoft has shown us before was pretty poor. That came courtesy of the Surface Duo 2, the dual-screen smartphone that apparently Microsoft has abandoned. In our photo of a statue, the Duo applied the background blur feature on only part of the scene. We’ll have to see if Photos is any better. If nothing else, Background Blur is adjustable. Microsoft is providing these new features in the Canary and Dev Channels of Microsoft Photos, so there’s no guarantee that you’ll eventually see it. There’s a good chance, though, and it’s great to see Photos gain some unexpected new improvements. Can Magic Select be next? https://www.pcworld.com/article/2069425/microsoft-photos-renaissance-continues-with-new-ai-features.html

Although the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) yet has to formally ratify the Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) specification, the technology is coming to market. Intel has already unveiled its first Wi-Fi 7 controllers and adapters, which will be coming to the market in various forms this year. Intel currently lists two M.2-2230 draft Wi-Fi 7 adapters (as noticed by @ghost_motley): the Intel BE200 and the Intel BE202. Both adapters support 2x2 TX/RX streams, use 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands, and the BE200 has a maximum speed of 5 Gbit/s, which is significantly below the maximum transfer rate supported by the standard. The exact differences between the two parts is unknown at this point, but Intel claims that the BE200 is Wi-Fi 7 pre-certified. Both Intel's BE200 and BE202 support PCIe and USB interfaces and can be used for desktop motherboards and laptops. The BE200 will be used by the upcoming Gigabyte Aorus Z790 Master X motherboard (PCB revision 1.2), as noticed by @momomo_us. Meanwhile, some other versions of the platform will use Qualcomm's Wi-Fi 7 QCNCM865 (PCB rev. 1.0) and MediaTek's Wi-Fi 7 MT7927, RZ738 (PCB rev. 1.1). To take advantage of Wi-Fi 7, users will also need to use Wi-Fi 7-compliant routers and access points. Wi-Fi 7 promises a maximum aggregated bitrate of 40 Gbit/s, positioning it as a potential successor to wired Ethernet for the majority of users. To achieve these impressive rates, Wi-Fi 7 will harness three frequency bands: 2.40 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz, will expand channel width to 320 MHz, and incorporate 4096-QAM. However, many client devices will likely operate at slower speeds, as Intel's BE200 example demonstrates. The technology will also build upon the foundations set by its predecessors. It will mandatorily support features like MU-MIMO (Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) and OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access), which were introduced and supported by Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. These enhancements are expected to optimize the efficiency and capacity of wireless connections. Intel originally envisioned Wi-Fi 7's application in bandwidth-demanding tasks, especially in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headsets that used Intel's WiGig technology. While the IEEE plans to formally adopt the IEEE 802.11be specification by 2025, Intel and others are optimistic about the technology's performance and have already launched their first Wi-Fi 7-compliant controllers and adapters. That said, it will likely be years before Wi-Fi 7 devices are ubiquitous. Full certification of the spec isn't expected until sometime in 2024, with the major rollout of compatible client devices coming after that. So if you recently bought a Wi-Fi 6 or 6E router, it should serve you well for now. But a year or two down the road, you may want to consider upgrading -- especially if you have a need for wireless speed and a desire to be on the cutting edge of consumer tech. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intels-wi-fi-7-adapters-chipsets-arriving-soon

FFXIV might be one of the biggest and best MMORPGs going, but it’s only fairly recently managed to attract its audience to the PvP space with the addition of Crystalline Conflict. As FFXIV celebrates the ten-year anniversary of its rebirth and prepares to sail towards a new adventure with the FFXIV Dawntrail release date next year, PCGamesN asks Square Enix’s FFXIV battle system designer Hikaru Tamaki what makes the mode so special, and what he loves most about it. Final Fantasy 14 has risen to heights beyond anything expected after its initial, failed launch back in 2010, with its reworked A Realm Reborn and the award-winning expansions that followed propelling it to the very peak of the genre, but Square Enix has long struggled to find a footing in the PvP side of things – until the arrival of Crystalline Conflict, that is, which released with the Endwalker expansion’s patch 6.1 in April 2022. I ask Tamaki why he thinks the mode is great for players to jump into, even those who might not be familiar with FFXIV PvP. He notes that the ease of jumping into a game without high commitment makes it easier to try out than other modes. “The time per match is short in Crystalline Conflict, allowing for fast-paced play whether you win or lose, and rewards for participation include EXP for your job and Series EXP for exclusive rewards.” There’s also the option to play casual matches, where there’s no risk of dropping down to a lower tier if you lose. “So I’d love for players to take it easy and enjoy the content,” Tamaki adds. Another key feature in Crystalline Conflict’s favor is its visual clarity. Over the years, FFXIV has gotten increasingly better about striking a balance between good-looking effects and making sure players can clearly tell what’s going on. This becomes especially important for bigger mechanics, such as the eruptions in the Volcanic Heart map – something Takami says he’s rather fond of. “I think we succeeded in making it visually appealing and flashy, while incorporating the bomb monster, which is po[CENSORED]r throughout the mainline Final Fantasy franchise,” he explains. “As with other mechanics, we are conscious of making sure that even beginners and those who enjoy spectating can tell that something great is playing out in front of them.” Map-specific tricks and mechanics are a big part of the appeal of the various Crystalline Conflict maps, making each stand out from the others. I ask Tamaki which is his favorite, and he tells me, “As a mechanic, it’s simple, but the sprint lanes are my favorite. Simply moving faster can be exhilarating, and it can also be used strategically, such as chasing after or running away from enemies.” “From a more developer’s perspective,” he adds, “the sprint lane is also a useful mechanic in that it can be incorporated as a conduit of sorts between points that are slightly separated from each other, regardless of the map’s characteristics, and it allows battles to occur at various points over a large area of the map.” As for what we can expect for the future of the mode, Tamaki says, “Personally, I am looking for a little more expandability for jobs controlled by the player.” While he notes that new maps and improvements to the systems and UI will continue to roll out, the most recent of which are due to arrive with FFXIV patch 6.5, he thinks that “if we can make some enhancements to the actual characters and actions players can operate, they will be able to appreciate a sensation of ‘change’ as they play the content.” So which jobs does Tamaki prefer to play in the mode? “Partially because I’m originally a fan of healers anyway but my favorite would be Astrologian with its particularly high healing potency,” he responds. “Depending on how the actions are used, it can make a significant contribution on the offensive side, and I like the fact that there are many options available. My answer is dark knight for tanks, and for DPS, I often play ninja and dancer!” As for which jobs he’d recommend to new Crystalline Conflict players, he notes that “it’s best to play what you actually feel comfortable with,” but suggests players consider starting out on tanks or using ranged jobs that might be a bit more survivable, as newcomers to the mode won’t be used to PvP-specific actions. “I think the first barrier for newcomers would be PvP-specific actions such as Guard and Recuperate,” Tamaki says. “Sprint and limit breaks work on a different system from PvE as well.” He recommends playing the larger-scale Frontline mode as a way to get to grips with these, but notes that the team is considering ways to introduce “a system for players to learn about the functions of such actions and the specific methods for using them.” Also recommended are the jobs “that are not so difficult to play, but with powerful limit breaks that make it easy for players to enjoy the sensation of making an active contribution to the team.” Tamaki points to the Warrior as a good tank pick, but also suggests that “Dragoon from melee DPS, Machinist from physical ranged DPS, Summoner from magical ranged DPS, and White Mage from healers are especially recommended!” Once you’ve dominated on the battlefields of Crystalline Conflict, why not relax and work on your FFXIV Island Sanctuary with the help of our comprehensive guide? We’ve also picked out the best single-player MMOs if you fancy more games as well-suited as FFXIV to playing by yourself. https://www.pcgamesn.com/100-best-free-pc-games

Liz Truss will blame the UK’s economic problems on “25 years of economic consensus” as she doubles down on the policy proposals that helped trigger financial turmoil and caused her to be ousted from Downing Street after just 49 days. The former prime minister will give a speech at the Institute for Government on Monday, almost exactly a year since her government’s “mini-budget”, which caused the pound to crash and ultimately led to her downfall. Speaking days after it emerged that the UK economy shrank by 0.5% in July, Truss will say the UK’s current economic problems are not her fault. “I believe that the reason for the problems we have is the 25 years of economic consensus that have led us to this period of stagnation,” she will say, according to extracts from her speech briefed in advance. “And I believe it is vital that we understand that and shatter that economic consensus, if we are to avoid worse problems in the future.” Truss will add: “Some say this is a crisis of capitalism – that free markets are responsible. But that’s not borne out by the facts. Quite the opposite is true. The fact is that since the Labour government was elected in 1997, we have moved towards being a more corporatist social democracy in Britain than we were in the 1980s and 1990s.” Truss has spent the past few months attempting to rehabilitate her political reputation after her turbulent time in No 10 – the shortest ever term for a prime minister. Last week she gave an interview to the Mail on Sunday in which she accused the Bank of England and the Office for Budget Responsibility of being part of “an orthodoxy that was gradually moving to the left”. In her speech on Monday she will say: “Free market economists went off to lucrative jobs in the City, allowing academic institutions and thinktanks to be captured by the left.” Truss’s opponents reacted to news of the speech by renewing their criticisms of her premiership. Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader, likened the speech to “an arsonist giving a talk on fire safety”, while Labour urged her successor, Rishi Sunak, to block her planned resignation honours list. The former Bank of England governor Mark Carney said Truss created “Argentina on the Channel” not “Singapore on Thames”. Carney was in Montreal on Saturday at the Global Progress Action Summit, and made the comment in a reference to Argentina’s history of being unable to services its debts and Truss’s mini-budget of unfunded tax cuts. Truss is writing a book about her period in office entitled Ten Years To Save the West, which is due to come out next spring. But further details about that time emerged over the weekend in extracts from a forthcoming book by the Telegraph’s political editor, Ben Riley-Smith. According to the book, senior officials at No 10 and the Treasury had to intervene to persuade Truss to abandon many of her policies after being warned by City executives that the UK would enter a financial crisis within days if she did not. Extracts revealed that several people at the top of government – including the incoming Treasury permanent secretary, James Bowler, and the cabinet secretary, Simon Case – were brought in over the course of a single day last September to warn her of the potential consequences of her policies. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/sep/17/liz-truss-speech-uk-economic-problems-left-consensus