missed opportunity

AppWizard
September 4, 2026
Tomorrow marks the official release of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Capcom has provided a PC benchmark tool for gamers. Benchmark tests were conducted using an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor, 32GB of DDR5 RAM at 6000MHz, and various graphics cards including AMD’s Radeon RX 6900XT, RX 7900XTX, RX 9070XT, and NVIDIA’s RTX 2080Ti, RTX 3080, RTX 4090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090, on Windows 10 64-bit with specific drivers. The game includes customizable graphics settings such as Textures, Meshes, Sky, Foliage, Shadows, Ray Tracing, NVIDIA’s DLSS 4.5, and AMD’s FSR 3.1. At 1080p with Max Settings, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 showed a bottleneck but achieved an average framerate exceeding 220FPS, with all tested GPUs maintaining over 60FPS. At 1440p with Max Settings, the top five GPUs also performed well, with the NVIDIA RTX 3080 providing a smooth experience, and the AMD Radeon RX 6900XT averaging 68FPS. At Native 4K with Max Settings, the NVIDIA RTX 4090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090 maintained framerates above 60FPS, while the AMD Radeon RX 9070XT and RX 7900XTX offered satisfactory performance. The game's graphical fidelity does not match the latest Resident Evil titles, with noticeable visual shortcomings despite being powered by the RE Engine. The Ray Tracing feature does not significantly enhance visuals. The PC demo and benchmarking process showed no stutters or performance issues, even with Denuvo anti-tamper technology in use. Overall, Onimusha: Way of the Sword runs well on PC without requiring high-end specifications, although its visuals may not impress players.
Winsage
August 30, 2026
Microsoft is set to release a significant update to Windows 11, version 26H2, in the Release Preview Channel, with a general rollout expected in a few weeks. The update includes a new user interface, such as the ability to reposition the Taskbar, and various enhancements. There is currently no new Surface device to showcase these changes, which is seen as a missed opportunity. Microsoft has integrated Windows 11 with Snapdragon technology, as shown by the Surface Pro 11, which highlights the potential of fanless, Snapdragon-powered PCs. However, marketing the new features of Windows 11 poses challenges, particularly for under-the-hood enhancements.
Winsage
August 24, 2026
Microsoft is testing new context menus and updating the AutoPlay dialog box in Windows 11. The Windows K2 initiative is prompting discussions about a potential Windows 12 update. Concerns remain about the performance of key applications like Microsoft Teams, which has been criticized for slow loading times. The upcoming Windows 11 update will include a refreshed Start menu, Taskbar enhancements, and quality fixes. A study by Signal65 found that the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme outperforms Intel and AMD chips. Rudy Huyn is leading a team to improve Windows applications, but it is uncertain how many apps will benefit from these efforts. Many major applications operate independently from Huyn's team, raising concerns about user experience. Microsoft 365 is currently available at a discount when bundled with NordVPN.
AppWizard
August 21, 2026
Google has updated its My Pixel app with the launch of the Pixel 11 series, introducing a color-matching feature for the app's icon that reflects the specific color of the user's Pixel 11 device. The app now adapts its icon color to match devices like the Pixel 11 Pro Fold in Olive or Pro XL in Canyon. Additionally, a new search function has been added to help users quickly locate information and features within the app. These updates are currently exclusive to the Pixel 11 series and do not extend to older Pixel models.
Winsage
August 17, 2026
Windows Security includes a Defender antivirus component that performs quick and full scans of files at regular intervals. If the computer is powered down during a scheduled scan, it misses the opportunity for a virus check. Users can configure a grace period in the registry to automatically initiate a forced quick scan after a specified number of days without a scan. To adjust this setting, users need to open the Registry Editor and navigate to HKEYLOCALMACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesWindowsWindows Security.
AppWizard
August 15, 2026
Marvel Tōkon, a 4v4 tag fighter developed by Arc System Works and published by PlayStation Publishing LLC, is set to launch on August 6, 2026, priced at £60. Early reviews indicate significant performance issues for PC users, including frame drops and microstutters, even on high-end hardware. A patch has been released, but many players still face these problems. The game is incompatible with the Steam Deck and does not support Linux, which has drawn criticism. Some players have chosen to disable crossplay, affecting matchmaking. Despite these challenges, the game is praised for its accessibility to newcomers in the fighting game genre.
AppWizard
August 9, 2026
Hit markers are visual cues in first-person shooters that indicate the impact of a shot, often accompanied by an 'X'. Before 2007, developers used impact animations and effects like blood spurts for feedback instead of UI elements. Notable franchises like Halo and Gears of War initially provided immersive feedback through visual cues but have since adopted hit markers, which clutter the HUD and diminish the immersive experience. The trend raises questions about balancing clarity and immersion in game design, as seen in contrasting examples like Left 4 Dead 2, which uses dynamic enemy reactions, versus Back 4 Blood, which employs hit markers.
AppWizard
August 5, 2026
Mango Launcher is a home screen launcher for Android that is described as "minimal and fast," featuring playful physics effects that animate app icons. The free version includes premade themes, dynamic physics effects, a favorite apps section, three app list layouts, folders, frosted glass effects, accent color options, icon customizations, font selection, notification badges, and extensive customization options. The Pro version, available for .99 per year or a one-time fee of .99, adds widgets, custom themes, auto-changing wallpapers, custom gestures, scribble functionality, voice commands, and digital well-being tools. Users can modify the app drawer layout and customize the notification shade, although the latter remains unchanged by the launcher’s themes.
AppWizard
July 27, 2026
Microsoft and Ubisoft have announced an extension of their partnership, allowing players who own select Ubisoft titles on Xbox to access their PC versions at no additional cost, excluding those who purchased through the Xbox PC store. Ubisoft has added over 80 games to the Xbox PC store, many included in the Ubisoft+ Classics subscription with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but none support the Xbox Play Anywhere feature. Customers purchasing digital versions of specific titles will receive both Xbox console and PC versions, with existing owners receiving the PC version by August 4. Players need to use the Ubisoft Connect PC app to access these titles, which has experienced technical difficulties. Some games are optimized for handheld devices, and certain titles offer progression syncing between PC and Xbox consoles via Ubisoft Connect.
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