Toby Fox announced that professional testers are currently familiarizing themselves with Deltarune's Chapter 5, with formal testing starting on April 1st. The quality assurance for the Japanese translation is expected to finish in April. Most of the development team is currently focused on fixing bugs and translation issues rather than developing Chapter 5. The testing phase will last an unspecified duration, requiring console approvals and additional preparations before release. The gap between the first and second chapters was three years, and the wait for the dual release of chapters three and four was nearly four years, but the timeline for Chapter 5's release is expected to be shorter. It is speculated that there may be seven chapters in total. The first two chapters are available for free on Steam.
Microsoft's gaming console, codenamed Project Helix, integrates console and PC ecosystems, featuring a custom AMD System on Chip (SoC) with a 3nm process, and a GPU based on AMD's RDNA 5 architecture. It reportedly rivals Nvidia’s RTX 5080 in rasterization and outperforms the RTX 5090 in ray tracing. The console includes a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for enhanced AI capabilities, supporting both Xbox and PC games natively. It utilizes AMD’s FSR Diamond technology for near-native 4K visuals and incorporates DirectStorage technology for faster load times. Project Helix supports four generations of Xbox games and is expected to have alpha development kits available in early 2027, with a consumer launch in 2028, priced between ,000 and ,200.
The author purchased The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion the day after its release, exchanging all their pocket money at Gamestation. The game came with a disc and a glossy map of Cyrodiil. Oblivion allowed players to take on various roles, showcasing the flexibility characteristic of RPGs. The author experienced the game on PC, while it also became a flagship title for the Xbox 360, broadening the appeal of RPGs to console gamers. Oblivion has influenced many contemporary games, including Elden Ring and Kingdom Come Deliverance. It is associated with the controversial horse armor DLC, which sparked discussions about microtransactions in gaming. The author reflects on the game's graphical limitations and the unnecessary nature of the Oblivion Remastered version. As Oblivion celebrates its 20th anniversary, the author considers the future of RPGs and the potential impact of The Elder Scrolls 6.
Crimson Desert is set to launch this evening at 6 PM ET / 10 PM GMT, with initial reviews for the PC version already appearing. The game currently has a Metacritic rating of 78, ranking 38th in the Best Games This Year list. Reviewers have expressed mixed opinions, noting its strengths in gameplay freedom and a rich open world, while also pointing out weaknesses such as a lack of polish, an underdeveloped narrative, and excessive systems. The Xbox version will be available later today, with official reviews expected to follow after the public release.
Developers have increasingly used upscaling technologies like Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR in PC gaming, but Crimson Desert has reasonable system requirements and does not always rely on upscaling. Testing showed that while lower-end graphics cards struggle, enabling FSR can improve frame rates significantly. The minimum specification for Crimson Desert includes an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, and the game requires 16GB of memory across all configurations. The game performs well on various hardware, with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT averaging 65 fps at Medium settings and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT reaching 62 fps at Ultra in native 4K. The RTX 5090 achieved 95 fps at 4K without DLSS, and 338 fps with DLSS and Frame Generation. Crimson Desert is compatible with the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, which has similar requirements to the GTX 1060, and it performs well on this handheld device. The game is noted for its optimization, allowing most modern graphics cards to run it effectively without upscaling, although it does have some bugs.
Crimson Desert features a complex control scheme that can feel clunky, particularly during the game's introduction. Players can choose between a mouse and keyboard or a gamepad, with controllers offering a more intuitive experience for those familiar with console gaming. However, using a controller can lead to issues such as accidentally jumping instead of interacting due to limited buttons. The compact controller inputs can be beneficial in high-pressure situations, allowing for quicker healing, while keyboard users may struggle to reach distant keys. Sprinting is bound to the Shift key, which can cause problems like triggering sticky keys. The keyboard allows for some customization of bindings, but controllers are recommended for a more straightforward experience.
The most popular mobile RPG games in 2026 are "Genshin Impact" and "Honkai: Star Rail," which dominate the app store charts and offer deep stories, smooth controls, and regular updates on Android and iPhone.
Samuel Gauthier is an independent video game developer and co-founder of Blood Pact Studios, known for creating Retro Rewind, a video-rental-store simulator that debuted at number one on Steam's top 10 list. The game allows players to manage a movie rental shop set in the early '90s, featuring 14,000 fictitious movie titles generated through AI prompts and 21 films inspired by popular hits of the era. The development of Retro Rewind took 15 months, with Gauthier and his team working over 60 hours a week. The game is priced at .92 and aims for greater replayability and wider appeal compared to their previous game, Bonesaw, which sold around 10,000 copies. Blood Pact Studios plans to provide ongoing support for Retro Rewind across various platforms and is considering future projects, potentially focusing on multiplayer or co-op gaming. Gauthier envisions evolving the game alongside technological advancements, possibly transitioning from VHS to DVDs.
The digital landscape is transforming due to the professionalization of cybercrime, which is now a significant part of organized crime, second only to drug trafficking. Malware includes various types such as viruses, browser hijackers, password stealers, Trojans, botnet malware, and ransomware. Traditional antivirus solutions rely on signature-based detection, heuristic analysis, and behavior monitoring, but these methods can lead to false positives and negatives. The evolution of cybersecurity has seen the rise of "Ransomware-as-a-Service" (RaaS) and the use of polymorphic malware that changes its signature, making traditional defenses ineffective. Hackers are also using AI and machine learning to evade behavioral monitoring. New defense strategies include Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR), which focus on monitoring for breaches rather than preventing them. Leading vendors in this space include CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Microsoft, and Palo Alto Networks. The zero trust security framework treats all access attempts as potentially hostile and emphasizes the integration of various security technologies. Emerging startups like FinalAV Security are developing zero trust solutions for consumers and small businesses, focusing on prevention rather than detection.
