diving Archives

AppWizard

July 25, 2026

Halo: Campaign Evolved’s motion blur is terrible. Just look at it

Disabling motion blur in Halo: Campaign Evolved can enhance gameplay, especially on handheld devices and lower-end systems where motion blur is pronounced. Players can disable motion blur by navigating to the settings menu, selecting the video tab, and finding the motion blur option. Disabling screen shake is also recommended for a more stable experience. For Nvidia graphics card users, DLSS provides a significant performance boost, outperforming FSR 3.0 in both frame rates and visual fidelity. FSR can still enhance performance on RX 9070 graphics cards, but using FSR Low with motion blur and low graphical settings can result in a poor experience. Higher settings are recommended for improved graphics and gameplay quality.

AppWizard

July 24, 2026

You have 3 days to obtain Big Boss rating in Metal Gear Solid 1’s free-to-play period on Steam

The author achieved the Big Boss rating in Metal Gear Solid 1 using the easier Japanese version of the game and speedrunning techniques. A free-to-play trial for Metal Gear Solid 1 ends on July 27 at 10 AM EDT. The trial is linked to the upcoming release of the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 2 on August 27, which will include Metal Gear Solid 4. The Master Collection Vol 1 has received significant patches that improve the games, including higher-resolution rendering and improved controls. The MGSM2Fix mod can be installed on Steam Deck or desktop Linux to enhance gameplay.

AppWizard

July 24, 2026

Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is open to all this weekend for a free playtest

The open beta of Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is available until Monday. This game, announced in 2025, is a modern sequel to the World War II military simulation, Hell Let Loose. It features 50v50 battles and introduces helicopters across six maps, emphasizing teamwork and strategic tactics. The game focuses on historical accuracy for an immersive experience. The first gameplay reveal trailer is available for viewing. Experience points or unlocks earned during the beta will not carry over to the full release, scheduled for August 13.

AppWizard

July 24, 2026

Halo: Campaign Evolved early adopters were unable to play the game on Steam as it kept forcing them to look at the art book instead

On the early access launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved on Steam, players faced an issue where they were repeatedly opening the art book instead of accessing the game. A member of the Halo team addressed the problem on Discord within forty minutes, stating that a Steam Client restart would resolve the issue. A workaround suggested on Reddit involved uninstalling the art book through Steam properties. The art book is a standalone application featuring artwork, a game manual, a short story, and a musical score, but it overshadowed the game at launch. Additionally, players needed to link their Microsoft accounts to access the game, which was complicated by server issues on launch day. Performance tips include avoiding Ultra graphical settings for better performance and disabling motion blur for improved clarity.

BetaBeacon

July 24, 2026

XBOX wants to know if you’ll watch an ad to stream games for free

Microsoft is testing an ad-supported option for streaming games from your library, allowing players to watch ads before playing without paying upfront.

AppWizard

July 20, 2026

Minecraft 26.3 Snapshot 4 is a big update hiding under the hood

Minecraft's Snapshot 26.3 update transitions the Java Edition from GLFW to SDL3, improving window management, input handling, and platform support. It uses SDL scancodes for key positions and SDL keycodes for text shortcuts, enhancing control responsiveness. The Raw Input mouse option has been removed, and players can switch between Borderless and Exclusive Fullscreen modes without restarting the game. However, Exclusive fullscreen mode may cause crashes on Windows and is not supported on macOS. Players in Spectator mode can now interact with Nether portals, End portals, and End gateways. The debug overlay has been improved, and the creative inventory has been reorganized. Armadillos will no longer roll up while submerged. New item components for cooking and brewing fuels have been introduced, allowing data pack creators to define parameters like burn duration and cooking speed. Sign behavior has been adjusted to prevent click events by default. There are extensive format changes to world generation, loot tables, predicates, number providers, and advancement triggers, updated to Data Pack version 111.0 and Resource Pack version 92.0. Snapshot 4 addresses various bugs, but players are advised to back up their worlds before using the snapshot to avoid potential damage to saved games.

Winsage

July 18, 2026

Sound Recorder, Camera, and Windows Studio Effects

Windows 11 includes a suite of audio and video recording applications: Sound Recorder, Camera, and Windows Studio Effects. The Sound Recorder app allows audio capture using PC microphones, featuring a navigation pane, recording area, and playback controls. Users can customize audio input in the Settings app under System > Sound, selecting microphones and adjusting quality formats like “CD quality” or “Studio quality.” Within the Sound Recorder app, users can change the recording format (default is AAC) to MP3, WMA, FLAC, or WAV and set audio quality to Best, High, or Medium. To record audio, users click the red “Start recording” button, with options to stop, pause, or mark significant moments using keyboard shortcuts. Recordings can be played back, managed, shared, renamed, or deleted through the app's interface. Users can also import compatible audio files into Sound Recorder. The Camera app allows users to take photos, record videos, and scan items using the PC's webcam, with an interface similar to smartphone camera apps. Users can customize camera settings in the Settings app under Bluetooth > Cameras, adjusting brightness, contrast, and resolution. Photos are taken in Photo mode, while videos are recorded in Video mode, with options for pausing without creating new files. Windows Studio Effects offers AI-driven enhancements for audio and video calls, requiring a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for some features. Enhancements include automatic framing, background effects, creative filters, eye contact simulation, portrait lighting adjustments, and voice focus. Compatibility can be checked in Quick settings or the Settings app under Bluetooth & devices > Cameras. Each effect can be configured individually through the Settings app or supported applications.

AppWizard

July 17, 2026

‘Lord Of The Rings’ and ‘Minecraft’ inspired Au/Ra’s alt-pop debut

Alt-pop artist Au/Ra has released her debut album, ‘Heartcore,’ inspired by her childhood experiences and escapism into fantasy worlds. The album reflects her journey of healing from childhood traumas, which she began addressing through therapy. Growing up between Ibiza and Antigua, she found solace in video games and creative writing, particularly influenced by titles like Final Fantasy 15 and The Lord Of The Rings. Au/Ra debuted with the track ‘Concrete Jungle’ at age 14 and faced challenges with her label, Sony, which affected her music release. Despite these obstacles, she maintained a connection with her fans through gaming and community engagement. The first song she wrote for ‘Heartcore’ was ‘Blah,’ expressing her feelings of betrayal and abandonment, which helped her gain clarity for the album's creative process.

AppWizard

July 16, 2026

PC gamer finds a creative way to convert their Steam games into physical cartridges

Sony announced it will cease production of physical PlayStation game discs by 2028. A PC gamer has created a system using individual SSDs as "game cartridges," each containing a dedicated game. These SSDs are housed in custom cases with game cover art and connect to a PC via a SATA dock. When an SSD is inserted, a script automatically directs Steam to the corresponding game page and launches it. The SSDs used are 128GB drives purchased for approximately €7 each, though costs may vary now. The setup requires games to be launched through Steam, and updates must be managed via the platform.

AppWizard

July 15, 2026

Magic Pointer app teardown uncovers how this Googlebook tool actually works

Google is set to launch Googlebooks, featuring an AI-powered Magic Pointer cursor that enhances user interaction by allowing users to point at their screens to communicate with Gemini, Google's AI system. The Magic Pointer app will not yet be operational on existing Android devices but will allow users to set the Google app as the default assist app and use a keyboard shortcut (Meta + g) for activation. The app will include gesture control for activation through a cursor wiggle, with sensitivity settings to prevent accidental activations. Magic Pointer will analyze user interactions to categorize intent into four core capabilities: Understand, Transform, Ideate, and Execute. It will generate up to three relevant suggestion chips based on user input, ensuring suggestions are contextually specific and framed from the user's perspective. For example, if a user inputs an image of a long email thread, the suggestions might include "Summarize key decisions," "Draft a reply," and "Suggest next steps." The output will consist solely of these suggestion chips without additional text or formatting.