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AppWizard
April 26, 2026

NVIDIA Neural Texture Compression: AI-powered compression aims to alleviate VRAM pressure in PC games

NVIDIA's Neural Texture Compression (NTC) improves memory efficiency in PC gaming by using small neural networks to compress texture data, achieving up to eight times better memory efficiency compared to traditional methods. In a technical demo, NTC reduced a scene's VRAM requirement from 6.5 GB to approximately 970 MB, an 85 percent reduction. The RTX Neural Texture Compression SDK has seen enhancements, including a 20 to 40 percent increase in inference speed. NTC is compatible with RTX hardware and Tensor Cores, but its real-world performance impact is yet to be determined. Microsoft is developing Cooperative Vectors and DirectX methodologies to support machine learning in graphics, which may facilitate broader adoption of NTC. The successful integration of NTC will depend on its stability, documentation, and economic viability for developers.
Secret Mode removed Denuvo from STAR WARS: Galactic Racer
AppWizard
April 26, 2026

Secret Mode removed Denuvo from STAR WARS: Galactic Racer

Secret Mode has removed Denuvo from STAR WARS: Galactic Racer ahead of its official launch. The game features high-octane races in the Outer Rim, allowing players to pilot various repulsorcraft and engage in a solo story-driven campaign as well as PvP multiplayer races. The minimum PC requirements for the game are an Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600, 12GB of RAM, Nvidia RTX 2060 or equivalent, and 50GB of free disk space. A specific release date has not been announced, but the game is expected to launch later this year.
GPT-5.5 topped a Minecraft building benchmark and the spatial reasoning implications go far beyond gaming
AppWizard
April 25, 2026

GPT-5.5 topped a Minecraft building benchmark and the spatial reasoning implications go far beyond gaming

GPT-5.5 has achieved an xHigh tier result on VoxelBench, placing it at the top of a leaderboard that includes Grok 4.20 Beta, Kimi K2.5 Thinking, and Kimi K2.6. VoxelBench evaluates language models on their ability to construct three-dimensional voxel structures from text prompts, requiring models to translate verbal descriptions into precise 3D objects without images or post-processing. Human evaluators rated GPT-5.5's constructions higher than those of other models tested. Research indicates that producing spatially correct outputs is significantly more challenging than generating executable code, with geometric construction and multi-object composition being the hardest tasks. The MineBench Elo system, calibrated against skilled human Minecraft builders, shows that frontier models are approaching human-level spatial reasoning capabilities, which have implications for fields such as architecture and game development. The VoxelBench leaderboard reflects a competitive landscape where multiple models are achieving similar performance levels, indicating a shift in the AI benchmark landscape. GPT-5.5's results suggest that AI-assisted 3D design workflows may soon be viable, highlighting a transition from capability to integration challenges in the development of AI tools for design applications.
Nvidia graphics research just made a 2-3x gain in performance, and this time it didn't use AI
AppWizard
April 22, 2026

Nvidia graphics research just made a 2-3x gain in performance, and this time it didn’t use AI

Nvidia has released a research paper that indicates potential graphics performance improvements of 2-3 times in certain scenarios, utilizing techniques like reciprocal neighbor selection and duplication maps, without heavily relying on artificial intelligence. The research focuses on path tracing, a rendering technique that is currently only feasible on advanced graphics cards. Nvidia's recent advancements include reservoir-based spatiotemporal importance resamplers (ReSTIRs), which could achieve up to a 65x performance improvement over existing methods. The new paper revisits this algorithm, offering an additional 2x-3x performance boost and enhancing image quality. The research suggests that path-traced modes in video games could experience significant performance enhancements, although it remains unclear if these improvements can be implemented via a simple driver update or if new hardware will be required.
Excellent RTX 5070 Ti and 9800X3D PC deal knocks $350 off PLUS two free games worth $129.99!
AppWizard
April 21, 2026

Excellent RTX 5070 Ti and 9800X3D PC deal knocks $350 off PLUS two free games worth $129.99!

PC Guide operates on a reader-supported model, earning affiliate commissions from purchases made through links on their site. The iBUYPOWER desktop is priced at ,349.99 and features a Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU and an Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti GPU, designed for gaming at 1440p or 1600p resolutions with maximum settings. It includes 32GB of DDR5 memory and a 2TB NVMe SSD, along with two complimentary games: PRAGMATA and Crimson Desert. The system is aimed at enthusiasts rather than casual gamers and offers a keyboard and mouse for immediate setup. It is suitable for users seeking high-refresh 1440p gaming and multitasking capabilities.
Now you can run Steam games in Linux on some handhelds that ship with Android
BetaBeacon
April 20, 2026

Now you can run Steam games in Linux on some handhelds that ship with Android

- Valve has released Proton 11 beta 1, which allows you to run Windows games designed for x86 architecture on devices with Arm processors running Linux. - ROCKNIX, a Linux-based gaming operating system, has added support for Steam on handheld game consoles, allowing you to play PC games on these devices. - Not all PC games will work on these devices, especially those that require NVIDIA RTX graphics or use DirectX 12. - ROCKNIX can be installed on an SD card to use on Android handhelds without overwriting the original operating system, but performance may be better if installed on the internal storage.
silver Android smartphone
AppWizard
April 19, 2026

Mirror’s Edge review (2009)

Wes Fenlon reflects on the evolution of the Mirror's Edge franchise, noting that only six years separated the original game from its sequel, Mirror's Edge Catalyst. Despite Catalyst's mixed reception, Fenlon maintains nostalgia for the original, particularly its vibrant cityscape and the iconic cloth physics supported by Nvidia's PhysX. A review by Graham Smith highlights the early levels of Mirror's Edge for their embodiment of free-running, with a design that emphasizes evasion over traditional combat, which can lead to frustration. The game's physicality and attention to detail enhance immersion, while the sensation of speed adds excitement to gameplay. Players navigate through jumping puzzles and environments that blend challenge and satisfaction, although the story mode is brief, taking about six hours to complete. Additional modes like Speed Run and Time Trial offer further challenges focused on movement. Overall, Mirror's Edge is recognized as a bold experiment in merging first-person platforming with traditional gameplay elements.
Nvidia's 'new' budget gaming GPU has 12GB VRAM, arrives in June, according to leak
AppWizard
April 17, 2026

Nvidia’s ‘new’ budget gaming GPU has 12GB VRAM, arrives in June, according to leak

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 may return to retail by June, following leaks about Nvidia's GPU production plans. Production of the GA106 GPU has resumed at Samsung, as current-generation GPUs are primarily made by TSMC, which is at full capacity. The RTX 3060 is expected to be priced between the RTX 5060 and RTX 5050, featuring 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM, more than both the RTX 5060 and RTX 5050. The anticipated launch of a new RTX 5050 with 9GB of VRAM may be delayed or canceled. The RTX 3060 will support DLSS upscaling but not frame generation.
EDB Spearheads the Year of the Agentic Workforce with Industry Recognition, Ecosystem Momentum, and Continued Postgres® Leadership
Tech Optimizer
April 17, 2026

EDB Spearheads the Year of the Agentic Workforce with Industry Recognition, Ecosystem Momentum, and Continued Postgres® Leadership

EnterpriseDB (EDB) announced that its product, EDB Postgres AI (EDB PG AI), won the "Data Management Innovation of the Year" at the 2026 Data Breakthrough Awards. EDB PG AI is recognized for transforming Postgres into a unified data and AI platform, facilitating hybrid management and observability across workloads. EDB contributes 30% to the open-source Postgres project, leading contributions among commercial entities. EDB PG AI was highlighted at the NVIDIA GTC 2026 and received multiple accolades, including recognition in CRN's 2026 AI 100 and Sustainability Innovation of the Year. EDB hosts a podcast, AI & Data Horizons, featuring industry experts discussing responsible AI use and data sovereignty. EDB PG AI is described as the first open, enterprise-grade sovereign data and AI platform, capable of unifying various workloads while ensuring compliance and security.
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