gaming platforms Archives

AppWizard

June 24, 2025

PC gaming figures fall again in Germany, down to just 13.1 million — marking a 20% decline since 2019

PC gaming in Germany has declined by 20% since 2019, with 13.1 million active PC gamers by the end of 2024, a decrease of 400,000 from the previous year. In 2019, there were 16.3 million PC gamers compared to 15.9 million console gamers, but the gap has now widened to over 7 million in favor of consoles, which currently have 20.5 million users. Game sales have decreased by 17% and hardware sales by 10%, while online gaming services have grown by 12%. Factors contributing to the decline in PC gaming may include shortages of new components, particularly GPUs.

AppWizard

June 23, 2025

Starting this week, the Xbox PC app will integrate ‘leading PC gaming stores’ for Xbox Insiders — with no mention of Steam

Microsoft is rolling out a new aggregated store system for Xbox Insiders participating in the Windows 11 PC Gaming Preview, featuring an updated Xbox PC app that compiles offerings from various PC storefronts. The app will automatically detect games installed from other platforms, currently including Battle.net, and add them to the library section. Users can disable this feature in the settings. The integration aims to improve navigation through different PC store apps using a controller, especially with the upcoming launch of the Xbox Ally. Additional Windows functionalities for controller navigation are also expected.

AppWizard

June 19, 2025

Minecraft cheat tools may actually contain malware

Trojanized cheat tools for Minecraft hosted on GitHub have been found to install malware that extracts sensitive information from players. Check Point Research identified around 500 GitHub repositories involved, potentially compromising about 1,500 devices. This operation, active since March, is linked to Russian-speaking malware developers from the Stargazers Ghost Network. The malware, disguised as cheat tools like Oringo and Taunahi, initiates a multi-stage attack requiring Minecraft to be pre-installed. It first installs a malicious JAR mod that evades detection, then proceeds to steal Minecraft tokens, Microsoft account information, and data from platforms like Discord and Telegram. The final component captures credentials from web browsers, cryptocurrency wallets, VPN applications, and gaming platforms, sending the stolen data to a Discord webhook.

AppWizard

June 16, 2025

Borderlands 4 is NOT an $80 game, PC requirements revealed

2K Games has opened pre-orders for Borderlands 4, with the standard edition priced at .99. The game will utilize Unreal Engine 5, requiring a minimum of an Intel Core i7-9700 or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, 16GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, along with 100GB of free disk space. Recommended specifications include an Intel Core i7-12700 or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, 32GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, also requiring 100GB of free disk space. The game will feature Denuvo anti-tamper technology, similar to Borderlands 3, which may be removed in the future.

AppWizard

June 10, 2025

Microsoft enters handheld games PC fray with Asus partnership

Microsoft has partnered with Asus to launch its first portable Xbox consoles, the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, which run on Windows 11. These devices aim to enhance gaming compatibility with various platforms and integrate Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming. An optimized version of Windows 11 for gaming has been introduced, and the consoles feature user-friendly elements such as an immersive full-screen experience and an aggregated gaming library. The launch is anticipated towards the end of 2025, though pricing details are not yet available.

Winsage

June 9, 2025

Why the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X have Valve in their sights, not Nintendo

Microsoft has announced its first Xbox co-branded handheld devices, the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, in collaboration with Asus, set to launch in the holiday season of 2025. Pricing details are not yet available. The Xbox Ally is designed as a generalist device, while the Xbox Ally X targets high-performance gamers, both powered by AMD processors and equipped with Windows 11. They feature Xbox-branded buttons, a gaming interface, and access to Xbox Game Pass, along with the ability to stream console libraries via Xbox Cloud Gaming and Remote Play. The user interface is similar to that of Xbox consoles, with ergonomic grips inspired by Xbox controllers. Accessibility features from Xbox and Windows will be included, and the Xbox Play Anywhere initiative will allow games to function across PC, console, and cloud platforms. The launch will occur in multiple countries, including the US, UK, Japan, and several European nations, with plans to expand to additional territories. The devices aim to provide a unified gaming library for users with both PC and Xbox consoles, enhancing the existing ecosystem. The introduction of Windows 11 is highlighted as a key feature, offering access to games not available elsewhere. The ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X are positioned to compete with existing handhelds like the Steam Deck, with a focus on appealing to both console and PC gamers. Sales of Windows PC handhelds reached approximately 1.2 million units by the end of 2024.

Tech Optimizer

June 7, 2025

Amazon Aurora DSQL Goes GA: Distributed, PostgreSQL-Compatible Serverless Database

Amazon has launched Amazon Aurora DSQL, a PostgreSQL-compatible and serverless database solution designed for active-active high availability and multi-region strong consistency. It features a disaggregated architecture with independent components that scale based on workloads. Aurora DSQL offers 99.99% availability within a single region and 99.999% in multi-region deployments, with automatic recovery from failures. It supports microservices, event-driven architectures, and multi-tenant SaaS applications. All read and write operations maintain consistency across regional endpoints. The service includes a new billing unit called the Distributed Processing Unit (DPU) and supports essential relational features, although some PostgreSQL features are not supported. Aurora DSQL has expanded its availability to more regions and introduced new features, including PostgreSQL views and AWS Backup. A free tier is available, covering 100,000 DPUs and 1 GB-month of storage monthly.

BetaBeacon

May 28, 2025

Flappy Bird Returns to Android Without Crypto Elements Via Epic Games Store

- The original Flappy Bird game has been re-released on the Epic Games Store without any crypto features. - The new version includes enhanced features such as local leaderboards and achievement systems. - The return of Flappy Bird to the Epic Games Store signifies a shift in the Android gaming distribution landscape. - The creators of Flappy Bird are still considering incorporating crypto features in the future, but the current version is crypto-free. - Android users can currently only access the game on the Epic Games Store, with no information on availability on iOS or Google Play Store.

Winsage

May 26, 2025

In an embarrassment for Microsoft, SteamOS seems to destroy Windows 11 on gaming performance and battery life, as well as usability

Early comparisons between SteamOS and Windows 11 on identical hardware show that SteamOS offers significantly better gaming performance, particularly in battery life. The Lenovo Legion Go S, when running SteamOS, provides over six hours of gameplay on 2D games like Dead Cells, while the Windows version only achieves 2.75 hours. Despite Windows 11's compatibility with various gaming platforms, it has faced criticism for performance issues and unnecessary features. Windows holds a dominant market share of about 70% in desktop operating systems, but the rise of SteamOS may challenge this position.

BetaBeacon

May 13, 2025

10 of the best Android games to play on the beach

Rocket League Sideswipe involves gamers using miniature vehicles to score goals in a soccer-like setting.