features Archives

AppWizard

June 9, 2025

PC Gaming Show: Morbid Metal

Players in Morbid Metal control a sophisticated AI navigating a challenging simulation, managing multiple subroutines and switching between three distinct characters, each with unique abilities. The game features dynamic gameplay where players enhance their skills and unlock new abilities, allowing for creative character combinations and powerful attack synergies. A single mistake can result in defeat, sending players back to the start. Morbid Metal was showcased at the PC Gaming Show and is set for Steam Early Access launch on August 21, 2025, with a demo available during the Steam Next Fest.

AppWizard

June 9, 2025

Sunless Sea studio Failbetter’s Mandrake is a rural life sim with a folklore twist

Failbetter Games has announced a new rural life simulation game called Mandrake, set in the village of Chandley, where horticulture is forbidden. Players will assume the role of the last horticultural sorcerer returning to their family's abandoned home. The game features typical activities like gardening, fishing, foraging, cooking, and crafting, while also incorporating elements of British history and folklore. Players will interact with a unique cast of villagers and explore various environments. The game includes darker themes, such as trading mundane crops for peculiar seeds and encountering otherworldly beings. A specific release date has not been announced, but the studio plans to conduct playtests and encourages players to wishlist Mandrake on Steam.

Winsage

June 9, 2025

ROG Xbox Ally From Asus and Microsoft Arrives Holiday 2025

Microsoft announced the ROG Xbox Ally, a handheld gaming device developed with Asus, during the Xbox Games Showcase. It will launch later this year in two models: the standard ROG Xbox Ally and the more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X. The ROG Xbox Ally features: - AMD Ryzen Z2A processor - 16GB RAM - 512GB storage The ROG Xbox Ally X features: - AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor - 24GB RAM - 1TB storage Both models run on Windows 11 Home, have a 7" FHD display, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.4. The standard model weighs 670g with a 60Wh battery, while the X model weighs 715g with an 80Wh battery. Pricing is anticipated to be around 0, with a release expected during the holiday season. Additionally, the game Silksong will be available at the time of the device's release.

Winsage

June 9, 2025

5 Windows XP features I miss dearly on Windows 11

Microsoft's Windows operating system has evolved significantly, with Windows 11 featuring enhanced multitasking and modern functionalities. However, nostalgic elements from older versions, particularly Windows XP, are missed. 1. The Disk Defragmenter in Windows XP had a visually appealing interface that represented data on the disk, which has been replaced by a text-based interface in later versions. 2. Built-in games like Solitaire, Hearts, and 3D Pinball in Windows XP provided straightforward enjoyment, while their modern counterparts have become cluttered and commercialized. 3. Windows Media Player in XP allowed users to customize with quirky skins, which added personality, a feature that is lacking in today's streamlined media players. 4. Windows Movie Maker was a user-friendly video editing tool that has been replaced by Clipchamp, which many find less intuitive and more patronizing. 5. Windows Messenger and Windows Live Messenger offered a personalized messaging experience with group organization and unique emoticons, which is not matched by current platforms like Skype and Microsoft Teams.

Winsage

June 9, 2025

Your Windows 10 PC ‘is toast’ – new warning issued ahead of Microsoft deadline

Windows 10 support will end on October 14, 2025, leaving users without updates, features, or security patches. Microsoft is offering Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for a fee, but not all users may qualify for an upgrade to Windows 11. Many users could face vulnerabilities and technical issues as their devices become outdated. KBE warns that while Windows 10 will still function temporarily after the cutoff, it will become obsolete, leading to potential data and privacy risks. New applications may also become inaccessible, pushing users to consider new hardware. KBE suggests transitioning to its Linux-based software solution, Plasma, which can revitalize older computers. Users are advised to back up files and read instructions carefully before switching to Linux.

AppWizard

June 9, 2025

How to Turn Off Meta AI Features on Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp

Meta AI, integrated across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, does not provide a straightforward way to disable it entirely. Users can minimize its influence by following specific steps: - On Facebook, users can disable AI-generated comment summaries in the “audience and visibility” section of the “settings” tab. - In Messenger, users can mute Meta AI through the “information” tab by clicking the “i” button and selecting the mute option. - On Instagram, users can mute Meta AI by clicking the Meta AI logo, accessing its information page, and toggling the mute option. - In WhatsApp, users can mute notifications from Meta AI by selecting the AI icon and adjusting notification settings. European users have a form available on Facebook’s help page to object to their data being used for training purposes. In 2024, the European privacy group NOYB filed complaints against Meta AI in 11 countries regarding data usage. Although Meta paused its training plans for nearly a year, it resumed in April 2025, notifying EU users and providing an opt-out form. Meta AI utilizes user-generated content from its platforms for training, raising privacy concerns, especially for users outside the EU who cannot opt out of data collection.

AppWizard

June 9, 2025

Everything Revealed During The PC Gaming Show 2025

The PC Gaming Show 2025 featured over 60 trailers in a nearly three-hour livestream, showcasing new titles and updates on previously announced games. Major reveals included world premieres of titles such as Ambrosia Sky, Ratatan, and The Alters, covering a variety of genres like roguelikes, co-op shooters, and survival sims. Key titles highlighted include: - Ambrosia Sky: A first-person sci-fi game where players confront an alien fungus in a space colony. - Far Far West: A co-op game where players are robo-bounty hunters in a Wild West setting. - Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition: Revives classic Dungeons & Dragons adventures with new features. - Fresh Tracks: A skiing adventure game with music elements. - Terminull Brigade: A co-op hero shooter set in a digital realm. - Ratatan: A rhythm-action game featuring online co-op battles. - Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth: A narrative-driven game about friendship and resilience. - Necesse: A sandbox action-adventure game focused on building and exploration. - Den of Wolves: A session-based shooter involving cooperative heists. - All Systems Dance: A game that combines dance battles with a dystopian narrative. - Spooky Express: A management simulation game set in a monster-themed theme park. - The Rogue Prince of Persia: A roguelite experience featuring acrobatics. - Enginefall: A multiplayer social sandbox aboard a mega-train. - EVE Frontier: A player-driven sandbox in a harsh cosmic environment. - Skyrig: A game focused on building rigs to extract gases in a stormy atmosphere. - Kaizen: A Factory Story: A factory design game set in 1980s Japan. - Dawn Apart: A colony simulation game on a destructible voxel planet. - Modulus: A factory-building game with customizable modules. - Generation Exile: A turn-based city-builder aboard a generation starship. - Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults: A co-op hack-and-slash ARPG. - Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault: Continues the story of its predecessor with action-RPG elements. - Barotrauma – Home & Harbor: An expansion for managing a deep-sea outpost. - No, I'm Not A Human: A narrative-driven game set in a dying world. - Botsu: A physics-based competitive gaming title. - No More Room In Hell 2: A co-op survival game in zombie-infested zones. - Farever: An online co-op action RPG in a fantasy world. - Mandrake: A narrative game about uncovering family mysteries. - Pizza Bandit: A cooking and shooting game. - Demonschool: A tactics RPG combining university life with battles. - The Last Caretaker: A survival game set in a flooded world. - Railborn: A game about building trains and managing resources. - Voyagers of Nera: A cooperative survival-crafting game in a magical ocean world. - Icarus: Great Hunts Campaigns: Offers nonlinear missions with unique stories. - Garbage Country: An exploration sim in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. - DarkSwitch: A vertical city builder around a great tree. - Sprint X Strike: A chaotic battle game in a post-apocalyptic setting. - Worship: A multiplayer roguelite about cultists performing rituals. - Stars of Icarus: A starship combat game emphasizing teamwork. - 007 First Light: A game featuring a young Bond's journey. - goblinAmerica: A game where players possess U.S. presidents to correct historical mistakes. - EverSiege: Untold Ages: A rogue-lite action-strategy game. - Pigface: A narrative-driven game about confronting the past. - TerraTech: An open-world sandbox adventure game. - Paralives: A life simulation game focused on building and managing lives. - Lost Rift: A cooperative survival game on an archipelago. - Hell Clock: A roguelike ARPG. - Militsioner: A narrative-driven escape game. - Arcane Eats: A roguelike deckbuilder. - Guntouchables: A cooperative survival game against mutants. - Ultrakill – Layer 8: Fraud: Details are yet to be revealed. - Stario: Heaven Tower: A game about building ecosystems. - Dispatch: A superhero workplace comedy. - Wheel World: An open-world mission game. - FBC: Firebreak: A cooperative FPS in a federal agency. - Anno 117: Pax Romana: A historical city-building game. - Baby Steps: A walking simulator exploring self-discovery. - Warhammer 40,000: Darktide – Arbites: Players enforce law in a Warhammer universe. - Endless Legend 2: A fantasy strategy game. - Berserk or Die: A survival game against overwhelming odds. - Mycopunk: A game about uncovering a fungal catastrophe. - Bippo Plus: An interactive experience for Playdate owners. - Morbid Metal: A roguelike with simultaneous character control. - Love Eternal: A psychological horror platformer. - Bus Bound: A public bus service management game. - Atmosfar: A survival and co-op road trip adventure set for early access in 2026. - Void/Breaker: A sci-fi FPS with destructible environments. - Grave Seasons: A farming simulation with a mystery element. - Eyes of Hellfire: A multiplayer horror game with puzzles. - Deadwire: An action game with hacking elements. - Dinkum: A life simulation game on islands. - Void Martyrs: An action game set in a grimdark world. - CloverPit: A unique gameplay experience set to release in summer. - Eclipsium: A title with intense visuals and gameplay elements. - Abyssus: A cooperative FPS adventure. - Ascendant: A multiplayer shooter with chaotic gameplay. - Mewgenics: An endless cat breeding RPG set for release on February 10, 2026. - Dead Reset: A sci-fi horror FMV adventure. - Bernband: A lighthearted cyberpunk game. - Wanderburg: A roguelike adventure with a castle on wheels.

AppWizard

June 9, 2025

Xbox Console Games Start Appearing on PC App and Fans Believe Microsoft Is Cooking Something Up

Recent observations indicate that Xbox console game libraries are now appearing on the Windows version of the Xbox app, specifically under the "My PC Games" section for users with the same login credentials. However, users cannot install these console games on their PCs at this time. Speculation suggests that Microsoft may be planning to enhance the integration between console and PC experiences, potentially creating a unified hub for Xbox games. The Xbox PC app may evolve to serve as a central location for accessing a comprehensive library of Xbox titles, possibly including games from other platforms like Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Winsage

June 9, 2025

The First Xbox Handheld Has Been Revealed

Microsoft has announced its entry into the handheld gaming market with the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, developed in collaboration with Asus. The devices support native gaming and cloud streaming. Key features include a larger battery, ergonomic grips, a dedicated Xbox button, and an optimized operating system that reduces Windows 11's idle power consumption by about two-thirds, enhancing battery life and freeing up to 2GB of RAM for gaming performance. Exclusive Windows 11 features will initially be available only on these devices, with plans to extend them to standard ROG Allys by late 2025 and to other handheld gaming PCs in 2026. Specifications: - ROG Xbox Ally: AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, 1080p 7” touchscreen, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD (upgradeable), 60Wh battery, 670g weight. - ROG Xbox Ally X: AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, 1080p 7” touchscreen, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD (upgradeable), 80Wh battery, 715g weight. Both devices can run Windows games from platforms like Xbox, Battle.net, GoG, Ubisoft Connect, and Steam. They are expected to launch during the Holiday season of 2025 in markets including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the US.

Winsage

June 9, 2025

Microsoft dives into the handheld gaming PC wars with the Asus ROG Xbox Ally

Microsoft has unveiled the Asus ROG Xbox Ally hardware line, a Windows-powered handheld gaming device. The Xbox Ally devices run on Windows 11 and provide access to a wide range of games from Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net, Steam, Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft Connect through an aggregated gaming library. This library simplifies access to games across different platforms and aims to improve user experience compared to SteamOS devices. The Xbox Ally supports applications like Discord and Twitch and allows for downloadable game mods. It features a unique "Xbox Experience for Handheld" interface that hides the Windows desktop to enhance gaming focus and performance. A dedicated Xbox button offers quick access to the Xbox Game Bar overlay for settings and performance monitoring. Microsoft is also creating a program to identify Windows titles optimized for handheld gaming.