game performance Archives

AppWizard

August 24, 2025

The Framework Desktop and Linux have shown me the path to PC gaming in the living room

The Framework Desktop, combined with the Bazzite Linux distribution, offers a seamless PC gaming experience, allowing users to access their Steam libraries in various settings. It supports 4K gaming at 60 frames per second and is compact, smaller than a PlayStation 5. The setup is easy to install and enhances both gaming and productivity. The Framework Desktop features a Ryzen AI Max Plus 395 APU and performs well in gaming, achieving around 60fps at 4K for Cyberpunk 2077 with medium settings, mid-60s fps for Helldivers 2, 60fps for Street Fighter 6, decent frame rates for Monster Hunter Wilds, and options to lock in 60fps for Elden Ring Nightreign. Peak runs at 4K, often exceeding 80fps. While many games perform well on Linux, some, like Cyberpunk 2077, show slightly lower frame rates compared to Windows. Overall, the Bazzite and Framework Desktop combination suggests a potential resurgence for Steam Machines in gaming.

Winsage

August 23, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5761 (Dev Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5761 (KB5064093) is being released to the Dev Channel. New features include the ability to resume apps from an Android phone on a Windows 11 PC, specifically for Spotify, which allows users to continue playback seamlessly. Users need to enable access to their phone and set up the Link to Windows app to use this feature. Improvements to battery iconography on the lock screen have been made. New features for Click to Do on Copilot+ PCs include a touch-friendly invocation method. The agent in Settings now provides direct navigation links from search results. Automatic Super Resolution settings have been simplified for Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs. A new keyboard shortcut has been introduced for inserting En dashes and Em dashes. The Windows share window now allows pinning favorite apps. Fixes include performance enhancements for loading the apps list in Settings, resolving Windows Hello recognition issues, and improving gaming performance with overlays. Known issues involve Recall functionality in the EEA, visibility of the Shared section in File Explorer, unresponsiveness in Storage settings, and issues with Xbox Controllers via Bluetooth. Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel receive updates based on Windows 11, version 25H2, and features are rolled out gradually using Controlled Feature Rollout technology.

AppWizard

August 20, 2025

Xbox rolling out Handheld Compatibility Program for Rog Ally consoles

Microsoft is launching its Handheld Compatibility Program ahead of the ROG Ally handheld gaming devices release. The program categorizes games into two segments: Handheld Optimised, which are fully compatible with the ROG Ally, and Mostly Compatible, which may need minor adjustments. A Windows Performance Fit feature will indicate expected game performance on the new hardware. Xbox's Corporate Vice President Roanne Sones stated that Microsoft will collaborate with developers to test both new and existing PC titles for compatibility. The ROG Xbox Ally is set to launch on October 16th, with the base model speculated to cost 9.99 and the advanced ROG Xbox Ally X priced at 9.99.

AppWizard

August 18, 2025

Steam’s new Performance Overlay is more accurate than Task Manager, says Valve — GPU utilization monitoring comes directly to Steam in latest client beta

Valve's latest Steam Client Beta enhances GPU monitoring capabilities, providing more accurate utilization readings compared to the Windows Task Manager, which often under-reports GPU usage. The updated in-game overlay captures all related processes, reducing sampling errors and aligning statistics with third-party tools like MSI Afterburner. It aggregates GPU usage across multiple processes, offering a comprehensive view of a game's GPU demands. The overlay also distinguishes between native frames and those generated by technologies like DLSS and FSR, and provides real-time readings of CPU load, RAM usage, clock speeds, and frame timing graphs. Additionally, it includes a CPU temperature display on both Windows and Linux, enabled by a trusted CPUID-derived kernel driver. Users are cautioned about the stability of the updated GPU metrics, as this feature is currently in beta and may not be suitable for general use.

AppWizard

August 6, 2025

‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’ will require TPM 2.0, Windows Secure Boot for Black Ops 7 — Activision testing Ricochet anti-cheat update in upcoming season

Activision has announced that PC players of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will need to enable Windows Secure Boot and use a system with Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM 2.0) technology. This initiative will begin testing during Season 5 of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone, but enforcement will not be immediate. The Ricochet anti-cheat team will notify players who have not updated their systems to comply. Activision assures that the TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot processes will not access personal files and will not affect in-game performance. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is encouraged but not yet mandatory, and players using a free trial of Game Pass on PC will be restricted from accessing multiplayer ranked play. Electronic Arts' Battlefield 6 will also incorporate Secure Boot as part of its anti-cheat system, limiting players to Windows.

Winsage

August 4, 2025

Valve’s SteamOS is slowly but surely replacing Windows 11 for gaming, as more users make the big shift

Valve's SteamOS has increased its market share by 0.32%, while Microsoft's Windows 11 has decreased by 0.44%. Approximately four million players are now using SteamOS out of Steam's 132 million user base. This growth is linked to the popularity of handheld gaming devices, particularly following the launch of Valve's Steam Deck in 2022. Valve plans to enhance SteamOS's compatibility with various devices, while Microsoft is introducing a 'full-screen experience' for its Xbox PC app.

Tech Optimizer

August 2, 2025

Gamers at risk as scammers are using malware-infected cheats and mods to steal passwords and crypto — here’s how to stay safe

Recent research from Dr.Web has identified a malware family called Trojan.Scavenger that targets Windows users by disguising itself as game performance boosters or enhancements. This malware exploits vulnerabilities in games like Grand Theft Auto 5 and Oblivion Remastered, typically arriving as modified dynamic libraries with extensions like .ASI. When installed, it can automatically load if the game does not validate its libraries properly. Once activated, it connects to a command-and-control server using encrypted communication and can deploy additional trojans that infiltrate Chromium-based browsers, disrupting their security features and replacing legitimate extensions with malicious ones. This puts applications at risk, including crypto wallets like MetaMask and Phantom, and password managers like Bitwarden and LastPass, as the malware captures sensitive information and sends it to attackers. Exodus wallet is also targeted, with the malware extracting critical JSON entries for private key generation. To mitigate these risks, users are advised to avoid downloading unofficial content from unverified sources, keep antivirus software updated, manage social media interactions carefully, and verify file paths and digital signatures.

AppWizard

July 27, 2025

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Just Released Another Patch to Fix PC Performance

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers received a Mostly Negative rating on Steam after its launch, despite initial positive reviews. The developer, Leenzee, released a significant patch (Update 1.3) on July 24th to address performance issues, which led to a shift towards more favorable reviews. A second patch (Patch 1.4) was released on July 26th, focusing on optimizing performance for various PC configurations. The game peaked at over 92,300 concurrent players in a 24-hour period, not including console players on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The development team is working on future updates for further enhancements.

AppWizard

July 23, 2025

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers Benchmarks & PC Performance Analysis

505 Games has removed the review embargo for WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, which is developed by Leenzee. The game supports NVIDIA DLSS 4 with Multi-Frame Generation but lacks compatibility with AMD FSR 3.0 and Intel XeSS. Benchmarking was conducted on a PC setup featuring an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D and various graphics cards. At 1080p with Max Settings, the AMD RX 7900XTX was the minimum requirement for over 60FPS, while the NVIDIA RTX 3080 and AMD Radeon RX 6900XT struggled. At 1440p with Max Settings, only the NVIDIA RTX 4090 and RTX 5090 provided a smooth experience. No GPU achieved stable 60FPS at Native 4K with Max Settings, with the NVIDIA RTX 5090 averaging around 54FPS. The game has performance issues, particularly with frame rates dropping significantly during in-game events. Adjusting graphics settings had limited impact on performance, and visual quality suffered at lower settings. The game features impressive graphics with Lumen GI and high-resolution textures, despite some low-resolution textures and minor shadow pop-ins.

AppWizard

July 1, 2025

Steam’s new performance overlay feature will help you monitor how your games are running

Valve has released an update to the Steam Client that includes a performance monitoring overlay for enhanced gaming experience. This overlay provides comprehensive analysis of game performance, displaying FPS values and differentiating between frames generated by technologies like Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) and FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR). Players can select from four monitoring levels: Single FPS Value, FPS Details, CPU & GPU Utilization, and FPS, CPU, GPU, and RAM. The overlay shows minimum and maximum frame values, graphical representation of frame rates, and insights into CPU, GPU, and memory usage. It appears at the bottom of the screen and can be customized in real-time for color saturation, text size, and background opacity. Users can visualize CPU utilization per core and track FPS trends. To activate the overlay, users navigate to Settings > In Game and adjust the Performance Overlay section, where they can reposition it and assign a hotkey. Valve plans to enhance the overlay with additional data to identify hardware performance issues and provide a broader summary of game performance.