The Red Magic 11 Golden Saga Edition features the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, Adreno 840 GPU, 24 GB LPDDR5T RAM, and up to 1 TB UFS 4.1 Pro storage for high-performance gaming.
Forza Horizon 6 offers stunning 4K HDR visuals and enhanced ray tracing capabilities, with high uncapped framerates and support for ultrawide monitor resolutions. It maintains robust controller support compatible with steering wheels from Forza Horizon 5. The game introduces advanced video technologies including NVIDIA DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation for RTX 50 Series, DLSS Frame Generation for RTX 40 Series, DLSS Super Resolution for all GeForce RTX cards, DLAA, NVIDIA Reflex, AMD FSR 4 or 3, and Intel XeSS 2.1. It supports Ray-Traced Reflections and Ray-Traced Global Illumination (RTGI) for enhanced realism in the environment.
Pearl Abyss has developed Crimson Desert using its BlackSpace Engine, which requires careful configuration for optimal performance on different hardware setups. The game features customizable graphics options, but not all behave as expected; for example, switching from the Cinematic preset to Low may not improve performance and could worsen frame rates. Performance settings differ for low-end PCs, high-end PCs, and Mac users, with Mac users advised to use low-end configurations and disable Ray Tracing for better performance.
To enhance performance beyond in-game settings, players should install the game on an SSD, disable startup apps, update GPU drivers, and enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling. Minimum hardware targets suggest that an RTX 4070 or RX 7700 XT is needed for 60 FPS at 1440p High preset, while an RTX 4080 or RX 7900 XTX is recommended for 60 FPS at 1440p Ultra/Cinematic. For GPUs below the RTX 4070 tier, dropping to 1080p and using DLSS or FSR upscaling is advised. Running the game in Fullscreen mode and keeping V-Sync off can also improve performance.
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.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach features themes of connection, grief, and the transient nature of existence, set in Australia and linked to the Chiral Network. The game is noted for its engaging gameplay and visual capabilities, with performance tests showing around 60 fps in demanding environments on high settings with an RTX 4070 Ti and Intel Core i9-12900K. Lowering settings can yield up to 94 fps, while enabling frame generation can surpass 126 fps. PICO upscaling combined with DLSS frame generation provides optimal visuals. The Steam Deck struggles with performance, achieving only 24 fps on the Portable preset. The game supports various controllers, including the Nintendo Switch 2 and DualSense, with a new difficulty mode called "to the wilder" that increases challenge through tougher enemies and resource management.
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.
Users on Reddit reported the leak of a PC version of Death Stranding 2 one day before its official release on March 19. The game, developed by Kojima Productions, is available on torrent trackers and lacks the anti-piracy measures typically associated with Denuvo. The narrative follows protagonist Sam, who cares for Lou and seeks to reconnect communities across Mexico and Australia. The PC version features unlimited frame rates, support for ultra-wide monitors, DualSense controller haptic feedback, NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR upscaling technologies, and multi-frame generation.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will feature Ray Tracing effects on PC, making it the first title using the Decima engine to support this technology. The integration of Ray Tracing by Nixxes will enhance visual fidelity through improved reflections and ambient occlusion. These features were not included in the initial PC specifications, indicating increased CPU and GPU demands. The game will feature returning characters Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, and Troy Baker, as well as new additions Elle Fanning, Shioli Kutsuna, and director George Miller. It will offer features such as uncapped framerates, ultrawide monitor support, DualSense controller compatibility, and various PC upscalers. The release date is set for March 19th, with pre-orders available but no review codes yet provided.
Nvidia has announced DLSS 5, which will enhance in-game lighting effects and employ artificial intelligence to analyze games' color palettes and motion vectors, resulting in more lifelike scenes. The technology is designed to support resolutions up to 4K and will be integrated into existing titles such as Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Early demonstrations, such as in Resident Evil Requiem and Starfield, show character models that may appear overly polished or exaggerated, raising concerns about the balance between realism and artistic integrity. DLSS 5 is expected to be released in the fall, as Nvidia continues to refine its model. Currently, DLSS 4.5 competes with AMD’s FSR Redstone and Intel’s XeSS, offering superior detail preservation.
Crimson Desert, developed by Pearl Abyss, features ray tracing options on PC that enhance lighting quality and visual fidelity. Digital Foundry's Alex Battaglia highlighted these advancements in a dedicated video, noting that ray tracing significantly improves the game's lighting across platforms and optimizes performance even on less powerful systems. Players can utilize AMD's FSR Ray Regeneration or Nvidia's DLSS Ray Reconstruction if their hardware supports it. The optimizations yield a notable boost in visual fidelity, with a 14% average frame rate drop on an RTX 5080 in 4K performance mode when Ray Reconstruction is enabled, and a 24% decrease on an RX 9070 XT with FSR4's Ray Regeneration. The system requirements for Crimson Desert are accessible, allowing players to customize settings for their builds, but the introduction of Denuvo DRM has sparked controversy among some players. Pearl Abyss has confirmed that performance benchmarks were conducted using the same Denuvo implementation that will be present in the launch build.
