gaming setups Archives

AppWizard

January 8, 2026

007 First Light reveals some pretty forgiving PC system requirements, with a couple caveats

The system requirements for 007 First Light indicate that it will be accessible to players with modest gaming setups, allowing a broader audience to participate. The game will be available on platforms such as Steam and the Epic Games Store.

AppWizard

December 2, 2025

Beloved, 13-year-old simulator game hits a new Steam peak as stunning DLC lets you cruise beneath the Northern Lights

Viral clips featuring role-playing streamers and expensive gaming setups have become common, enhancing the gaming experience of Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2). Thirteen years after its release, ETS2 recently achieved a peak of 72,686 concurrent players on Steam following the launch of two new DLC packs and a significant discount. The first DLC, Nordic Horizons, adds 40 new cities across Scandinavia, allowing players to drive to the northernmost point in Europe. The second DLC, the Forest Machinery pack, introduces new forestry equipment as cargo options. The game is currently available at a 75% discount, reducing the base price to .99/£4.22 until December 11. The surge in player numbers is attributed to community support and the new DLC rather than just the discount.

AppWizard

November 27, 2025

YouTuber plays Minecraft on a receipt printer and somehow it actually works

A Minecraft enthusiast, YouTuber Smill, has played the game on a receipt printer, showcasing unconventional gaming setups. This experiment highlights the creativity in the gaming community, where unusual hardware choices have been common. Smill humorously noted that playing Minecraft on a receipt printer feels like "playing Minecraft by mail," with challenges such as delayed jump scares. He is known for embracing unconventional challenges, including playing various games under unique constraints. The full video of his receipt printer experiment is expected to be released soon.

Winsage

November 20, 2025

2025 Windows 11 PC holiday buying guide: Best devices and deals

The holiday season is an ideal time to gift a Windows 11 PC, which can enhance gaming setups, assist with creative projects, and simplify daily tasks. Windows 11 PCs now feature Copilot, an AI-powered assistant that streamlines tasks through voice commands. A survey shows that over half of Gen Z and Millennials use generative AI weekly. Various Windows 11 PCs are available for different users, including: - Lenovo Legion 5 15": A gaming laptop with AMD Ryzen 7 260 processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 graphics, starting at ,249.99 MSRP, currently ,169.99 at Walmart. - ROG Xbox Ally: A portable gaming device starting at 9.99, available at Microsoft.com and Best Buy. - Dell 16 Plus Laptop: Designed for students, starting at ,149.99 MSRP. - Samsung Galaxy Book5 360: A versatile 2-in-1 PC starting at ,349.99 MSRP. - Acer Aspire 14 AI: A portable laptop starting at 9.99 MSRP at Costco.com. - ASUS Zenbook 14: Lightweight with multi-day battery life, starting at 9 MSRP at Walmart. - Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 Copilot+ PC: Starting at ,199.99 at Best Buy. - Surface Pro 12-inch: A portable 2-in-1 device starting at 9.99 MSRP at Best Buy. - HP OmniBook 5 14-inch: Offers long battery life, starting at 9.99 MSRP. - Surface Laptop 13-inch: Lightweight with AI features, starting at 9.99 MSRP at Best Buy. Retailers like Microsoft, Best Buy, and Costco offer significant holiday deals on these PCs, with discounts and promotions available. Microsoft.com features exclusive deals, price protection, and free shipping until January 31, 2026. Xbox deals include discounts on games and accessories, with Xbox Game Pass Premium subscriptions and Microsoft gift cards available as gift options.

AppWizard

November 9, 2025

How I turned a cheap mini PC into a AAA gaming machine — tips for inexpensive and reliable cloud gaming with NVIDIA and Xbox

A mini PC is an effective budget gaming option that allows gamers to play high-performance AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Baldur's Gate 3, and Elden Ring using modest hardware by leveraging cloud gaming services such as NVIDIA GeForce NOW and Xbox Game Pass. To set up GeForce NOW on a mini PC, users need to connect the device to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, complete the Windows setup, download and install the GeForce NOW app, log in, connect digital stores, and select games to play. Key considerations for cloud gaming on mini PCs include the need for a stable internet connection (at least 25 Mbps download speed), potential subscription costs for enhanced experiences, the lack of a game library with GeForce NOW, and the importance of researching trusted brands to avoid malware in budget mini PCs. Additionally, dedicated gaming mini PCs exist but are often more expensive.

AppWizard

October 30, 2025

Frostpunk 2 dev shares emergency crash fix as master city builders reach settlement sizes previously thought impossible

Frostpunk 2 is set three decades after a catastrophic blizzard, where players manage resources in a community facing severe winter challenges. The game allows for unprecedented settlement sizes due to a new sandbox mode, surprising the developers at 11 bit studios. However, players have encountered issues with save files not loading and game crashes due to exceeding the maximum number of manageable objects. The studio has provided guidance for players to manually adjust the object limit but warns it should be a last resort. The latest patch, hotfix 1.4.2, also includes enhancements such as fixes for unresponsive economy overlays, missing tooltips, and startup problems related to chapter five. Instructions for adjusting the object limit are available in the patch notes.

AppWizard

October 25, 2025

Satisfactory 1.2 will add the “perfect solution” for transporting fluids, but it’s probably not what you were asking for

Satisfactory 1.2 is in development, with Coffee Stain Studios focusing on updates to improve base management and fluid transportation. A new tanker truck and dedicated station will be introduced for moving fluids, although core fluid dynamics issues remain unresolved. The experimental branch on Steam and Epic has reopened for testing a refactor of the spline collision method, which aims to reduce memory usage significantly. A specific release date for Satisfactory 1.2 is not yet announced, but the console version is set to launch on November 4. Additionally, prices for most Satisfactory merchandise will be permanently reduced. Players can explore mods and provide feedback on new features through the PCGamesN Discord channel.

AppWizard

October 10, 2025

Intel Panther Lake to “set new standard” for gaming performance, due to new GPUs

Intel is set to launch its Panther Lake CPUs, which will utilize the 18A semiconductor manufacturing process and feature advanced Xe3 GPUs. These processors will include multi-frame generation technology, enhancing gaming performance. The Panther Lake lineup will consist of four Xe3 core variants with 32 XMX engines, 4MB L2 cache, and four ray tracing units, and twelve Xe3 core variants with 96 XMX engines, 16MB L2 cache, and twelve ray tracing units. Intel claims a 50% performance improvement over the previous Xe2 GPUs while maintaining the same power consumption and achieving 40% better performance per watt compared to Arrow Lake-H processors. The reintroduction of E-cores aims to enhance multi-threaded performance by up to 50%. Intel will also introduce the multi-frame generation feature through XeSS-MFG software, which generates three AI-assisted frames for every actual frame. The Panther Lake series is expected to launch at CES 2026 in January.

AppWizard

September 24, 2025

Logitech Signature Slim Solar+ K980 review – the 10-year battery life keyboard

The Logitech Signature Slim Solar+ K980 features a built-in solar panel that allows it to operate indefinitely without charging. It has a full-size layout, dimensions of 430 x 141 x 16 mm, and weighs 707g. The keyboard connects via 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth, and uses scissor switches. It lacks backlighting and has screen-printed legends that may wear over time. The battery can last up to four months in total darkness and potentially up to 10 years with regular light exposure. It is priced at .99 / £99.99 and can connect to three Bluetooth devices simultaneously.

AppWizard

September 16, 2025

Skate system requirements include aggressive upscaling to keep specs low

The system requirements for the Skate game in early access are as follows: Minimum Requirements (30fps, 1080p, low): - OS: Windows 10 or 11 w/DirectX 12 - GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 460 / Intel Arc A380 - VRAM: 4GB - CPU: Intel Core i5 6600K / AMD Ryzen 3 3100 - RAM: 8GB - Storage: 25GB Medium Requirements (60fps, 1080p, medium): - OS: Windows 10 or 11 w/DirectX 12 - GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT / Intel Arc A580 - VRAM: 6GB - CPU: Intel Core i5 8600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3500 - RAM: 16GB - Storage: 25GB Recommended Requirements (60fps, 1440p, high): - OS: Windows 10 or 11 w/DirectX 12 - GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 / AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT / Intel Arc B570 - VRAM: 8GB - CPU: Intel Core i7 9700 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 - RAM: 16GB - Storage: 25GB Ultra Requirements (60fps, 4K, ultra): - OS: Windows 10 or 11 w/DirectX 12 - GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT - VRAM: 8GB - CPU: Intel Core i7 11700 / AMD Ryzen 9 5900 - RAM: 32GB - Storage: 25GB Additional notes include that upscaling technology is used to determine the recommended and ultra specifications, and the game does not support Linux or Mac systems. The download size is 25GB, and the game does not support mouse and keyboard controls.