Pragmata Archives

AppWizard

June 5, 2026

Games Without PCs: How Mobile and Web Platforms are Growing in Russia

In January 2026, the RVI association reported that 75% of Russians aged 14 and older engage in video gaming, with one-third playing nearly every day. The study indicated a shift from traditional hardcore gaming to mobile and web games, with seven out of ten players preferring smartphones and tablets, and only four out of ten using PCs for gaming. The growth in mobile and web gaming is attributed to their accessibility and casual nature. There are over 50,000 games available, leading to intense competition for player engagement. Monetization strategies include freemium models, advertising, and subscription services.

AppWizard

June 4, 2026

Pragmata director Yonghee Cho says it’s not a sad dad game for a very simple reason: ‘I’m not a sad dad, I’m a very happy dad’

Pragmata features a dynamic relationship between protagonists Hugh, an everyman, and Diana, a curious android. Critics have noted its connection to the "sad dad" genre, but the game's director, Yonghee Cho, emphasizes a narrative focused on the joys of fatherhood and companionship. Cho's personal experiences as a father influence the story, aiming for a camaraderie between Hugh and Diana rather than a traditional parent-child dynamic. He shares an anecdote about his daughter expressing concern for Diana during an intense moment in the game, which highlights the emotional depth of the narrative. Cho's approach to parenting and storytelling may evolve as his children grow, potentially exploring new themes in future projects.

Winsage

June 2, 2026

Microsoft, Nvidia launch RTX Spark Windows AI PC lineup

Microsoft and Nvidia have launched a new series of Windows PCs powered by the Nvidia RTX Spark platform, featuring devices from manufacturers like Surface, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and MSI. The RTX Spark platform delivers up to 1 petaflop of AI performance, with up to 20 Arm-based CPU cores, 6,144 Blackwell RTX cores, and 128GB of unified memory. Microsoft has optimized Windows for this architecture, enhancing scheduling, power management, and memory handling. The new workload profile scheduling feature optimizes task distribution across the cores, while the Microsoft Power and Thermal Framework improves performance, battery life, and heat management. Windows' support for unified memory has been enhanced, allowing for larger AI models and demanding creative tasks. Microsoft's Prism emulator for x86 applications has been optimized for RTX Spark systems, improving compatibility and speed. Creative applications like Blender, DaVinci Resolve, and Adobe Photoshop are supported, along with MATLAB for technical users. Gaming support includes native anti-cheat software and compatibility with popular titles such as League of Legends and Valorant. The new systems are categorized under Microsoft's Copilot+ PC line, which combines AI processing with enhanced graphics capabilities. Devices showcased include Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra and models from Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and MSI. Microsoft also plans to scale Windows to the Nvidia DGX Station for Windows, enabling larger AI models and workstation-class workloads. The initiative aims to unify AI workloads across consumer PCs, creator laptops, and workstations, allowing users to run larger models locally and integrate AI computing into their workflows.

AppWizard

May 30, 2026

Pragmata’s developers take all your comparisons to Xbox 360 shooters as a ‘huge compliment’, though I’m not convinced by their theory for why players are making the connection

Pragmata has a resemblance to action games from the Xbox 360 and PS3 era, which the developers at Capcom, including director Yonghee Cho and producer Naoto Oyama, view positively. Oyama noted that the nostalgia may come from a time when many developers were experimenting with new game concepts. Pragmata offers a linear, single-player action experience, which is rare in today's gaming landscape, and is part of a trend this year with other successful titles like Resident Evil: Requiem and 007: First Light. The game features a unique combination of third-person shooting and hacking minigames, which has received positive feedback, particularly for its tile maze mechanic used in combat.

AppWizard

May 21, 2026

PC Gamer magazine’s new issue is on sale now: Witchfire

PC Gamer has previewed the upcoming dark fantasy RPG shooter Witchfire, developed by The Astronauts, which is set to release its version 1.0 after a decade of development and positive user reviews on Steam. The issue also discusses the legacy of MMOs on PC, listing major titles available as of 2026, including World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV. Additionally, it features previews of upcoming games like The Expanse: Osiris Reborn and reviews of titles such as Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred and Vampire Crawlers. Digital editions of the magazine are available in PDF and EPUB formats through Pocketmags.

TrendTechie

May 21, 2026

007 First Light рискует оказаться на торрентах до официального релиза

The game 007 First Light is set to launch on May 27, but there are concerns about it being leaked onto torrent sites before its release. Players who pre-order the game can start playing 24 hours earlier than the general public, increasing the risk of piracy. Recent trends show an increase in fully functional pirated versions of major games appearing before their official launches, including titles like Pragmata and Death Stranding 2. There is no confirmed information about the use of the anti-piracy system Denuvo on Steam, and even with such protections, hackers have been able to bypass them. Factors contributing to early availability of game builds to hackers include failures in pre-loading systems and actions by reviewers. Even if a game avoids leaks initially, it is likely to be pirated eventually.

AppWizard

May 12, 2026

Forza Horizon 6 leak not a “pre-load issue,” Playground Games claims as dev bans entire bloodlines for playing pirated copies

Forza Horizon 6 has leaked in its entirety on Steam, allowing unauthorized access due to a lack of encryption. Playground Games stated that the leak was not a preload issue but likely orchestrated by someone with early access, such as a reviewer. SteamDB confirmed that the leak was facilitated by an individual with privileged access and clarified that they did not distribute keys or facilitate downloads. In response, Playground Games issued bans against players using pirated copies, emphasizing the seriousness of the breach. The official launch of Forza Horizon 6 is scheduled for May 19.

AppWizard

May 9, 2026

Knockout CLX RTX 5080 gaming PC deal with 285K and insane 64GB DDR5 RAM also comes with free games

The CLX Set gaming PC features an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor and an RTX 5080 graphics card, designed for high frame rates at 4K and 1440p resolutions. It includes 64GB of DDR5 RAM, a 2TB SSD, and a 4TB HDD, catering to both gaming enthusiasts and professionals. The current price is ,600.99, reduced by , and includes two games: PRAGMATA and Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, valued at .99 and .99, respectively. The system is capable of handling demanding tasks such as encryption, encoding, 4K video editing, and AI applications. The RTX 5080 supports seamless 4K gaming and content creation, with options for overclocking.

AppWizard

May 6, 2026

Linux running on a PS5 turns it into a Steam Machine that plays PC games

Researcher Andy Nguyen has developed a method to convert a PlayStation 5 into a Linux-based device, similar to a Steam Machine. This modification is only possible on launch-era PS5 consoles running system software version 4.5 or earlier, which dates back to December 2021. The process involves using a specific exploit to boot the operating system from a USB stick or the console's M.2 SSD expansion slot. The setup allows access to Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, utilizing 15GB of memory, all eight cores of the Zen 2 processor at 3.5 GHz, and all 36 compute units of the RDNA 2 GPU at 2.23 GHz. Users can control cooling by increasing fan speeds for overclocking. The output resolution is limited to 1080p, with performance tests showing comparable frame rates to the native PS5 environment for games like Black Myth Wukong, Crimson Desert, and Pragmata. However, issues such as stuttering and artifacting may occur due to the Proton compatibility layer and memory management challenges. This experiment suggests potential for emulation and playing PlayStation 3 games at enhanced settings.

AppWizard

May 6, 2026

Review: Pragmata PC Review: Path Tracing Is A Game Changer

Path tracing scalability is maximized on the RTX 5090 with 4K DLSS quality mode, while the RTX 5070 can achieve a commendable experience using optimized settings at 1440p DLSS balanced mode. The RTX 5070 is the most prevalent Blackwell GPU according to the Steam Hardware Survey, indicating that path tracing is becoming mainstream. Optimal performance in Pragmata on an 8GB GPU requires selecting the lowest texture quality setting due to bugs and potential stuttering with medium settings. Higher mesh quality settings may reduce geometry on 8GB cards. Optimized settings for Pragmata include various configurations for ray tracing, texture quality, and shadow quality, closely mirroring developer settings for current-generation consoles. Enabling the shadow cache option significantly improves frame rates by reusing existing shadow data.