preloading Archives

AppWizard

June 4, 2025

Epic cops to the Epic Games Store sucking for the 2nd time in a month as it proudly announces its money-hose has spaffed over $2 billion

Steve Allison, general manager of the Epic Games Store (EGS), acknowledged ongoing challenges in improving the platform, stating that there is still significant work to be done. Upcoming features aimed at enhancing the EGS include preloading, gifting options, and game-independent voice and text chat. Despite these improvements, the EGS struggles to match basic functionalities offered by Steam, which may not be enough to attract users already invested in Valve's ecosystem. Epic has disbursed over a billion dollars to developers and publishers and offers a revenue-sharing model with a 12% cut, compared to Valve's 30%, along with a 0% fee for games until they reach a million in revenue. However, convincing players to switch to the EGS remains challenging due to the large libraries they have already built on Steam.

AppWizard

May 12, 2025

Doom: The Dark Ages launch times, release date, and advanced access period

John Doomguy, also known as The Doom Guy or The Doom Slayer, is featured in the upcoming game Doom: The Dark Ages. The game will have staggered launch times, with advanced access for pre-order customers starting on May 12 in the evening for the Western Hemisphere and on May 13 for Africa and Eurasia. Those who did not pre-order will be able to access the game on May 14 in North and South America. Unlock times by time zone for Doom: The Dark Ages are: - 5 pm PT, May 14 (Los Angeles) - 8 pm ET, May 14 (New York) - 7 pm CT, May 14 (Chicago) - 1 am BST, May 15 (London) - 2 am CEST, May 15 (Berlin) - 10 am AEST, May 15 (Sydney) - 12 pm NZST, May 15 (Auckland) Advanced access launch times by time zone are: - 5 pm PT, May 12 (Los Angeles) - 8 pm ET, May 12 (New York) - 7 pm CT, May 12 (Chicago) - 1 am BST, May 13 (London) - 2 am CEST, May 13 (Berlin) - 10 am AEST, May 13 (Sydney) - 12 pm NZST, May 13 (Auckland) Preloading for Doom: The Dark Ages is available for PC users, allowing both advance access and standard pre-order customers to prepare for the game’s launch.

AppWizard

April 3, 2025

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered launch times and release date

The PC port of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered is set to launch shortly after its release on PlayStation 5. The remastered edition includes improved graphics, performance enhancements, and new gameplay modes, notably the No Return mode, which features permanent death and randomized combat scenarios. The unlock times for the game are as follows: Los Angeles at 10 am PST, New York at 1 pm EDT, Brasilia at 2 pm BRT, London at 5 pm BST, Berlin at 6 pm CET, Cairo at 7 pm EET, New Delhi at 10:30 pm IST, Jakarta at 12 am WIB, Tokyo at 2 am JST, Sydney at 4 am AEDT, and Auckland at 6 am NZDT on April 3-4. Preloading is available on Steam, with a download size of approximately 100 GB.

Winsage

March 30, 2025

Microsoft Office apps will soon preload on Windows boot for faster launch

Microsoft has introduced a feature called Startup Boost for its Office applications on Windows, aimed at reducing launch times. This feature preloads essential components of apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into memory upon Windows startup, keeping them in a paused state until needed. Startup Boost requires a minimum of 8GB of RAM and 5GB of free disk space to function effectively and will disable itself in Energy Saver mode. Users can disable Startup Boost through Office settings, but it will be automatically reactivated with the next Office update. The rollout is expected to begin in mid-May, starting with Word, followed by other Office apps.

AppWizard

March 4, 2025

GTA 5 Enhanced Edition release time – when you can play the supercharged game

GTA 5 is set to receive an Enhanced Edition, launching on March 4, with features including improved performance, ray tracing, and new vehicles. Players can preload the game via Steam or the Rockstar Games Launcher, where the original version will be renamed GTA 5 Legacy. To transfer Story Mode progress, players must upload their save game through the pause menu. The estimated release time is between 1 AM PST and 2:30 AM PST.

AppWizard

March 4, 2025

Everything about GTA 5 Enhanced Edition PC, release date, content and specs

Rockstar Games is set to release an Enhanced version of Grand Theft Auto 5 on March 4, 2025, available for free to all PC players. Preloading for the update has begun. The updated system requirements include: Minimum Specs: - OS: Windows 10 (latest service pack) - CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-4770 or AMD FX-9590 - RAM: 8GB - GPU: NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 1630 (4GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon™ RX 6400 (4GB VRAM) - Storage: 105GB, SSD required - Sound Card: 100% DirectX 10 compatible Recommended Specs: - OS: Windows 11 - CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-9600K or AMD Ryzen™ 5 3600 - RAM: 16GB Dual-Channel Configuration - GPU: NVIDIA GeForce® RTX 3060 (8GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon™ RX 6600XT (8GB VRAM) - Storage: 105GB, DirectStorage-compatible drive - Sound Card: Windows Spatial Sound-compatible audio system; Dolby Atmos support required The update will feature graphical improvements such as ray tracing, DLSS support, and enhanced compatibility for high-performance PCs. It will also support PS5 controllers and introduce new vehicles to the game.

AppWizard

February 25, 2025

Monster Hunter Wilds release times and preloading

Monster Hunter Wilds is set to release on February 28 at 9 PM PT. Players should prepare by gathering cooking ingredients, crafting potions, and honing weapons. There is no advance access for PC gamers, but checking the preload schedule is recommended. Participants in beta tests or those with save data from Monster Hunter World and Iceborne will receive bonuses, including a Felyne hanger and an item pack, as well as themed armor sets and weapons from previous titles.

AppWizard

February 15, 2025

Epic gave away nearly 600 million games in 2024, and it’s ‘not slowing down’ for 2025

The Epic Games Store's total user base reached 295 million in 2024, an increase of 25 million from the previous year. The Epic ecosystem expanded to 898 million cross-platform accounts, a rise of 94 million from 2023. In 2024, 1,100 new games were released, bringing the total number of titles to over 4,000. Users claimed more than 595 million free games, averaging a total value of 9 per player. The Epic Games Store launcher improved loading times to a third of what they were in early 2023 for 95% of users. Upcoming features include a download manager, gifting options, preloading capabilities, and enhanced social features.

AppWizard

February 13, 2025

Avowed advance access launch time and full release date

Gamers are preparing for the launch of Avowed, with advanced access for the "Premium" edition available on February 13, 2024, at 10 am Pacific Time. The full launch is set for February 18, 2024, also at 10 am Pacific Time. The advanced access unlock times are as follows: - 10 am PST, February 13 (Los Angeles) - 1 pm EST, February 13 (New York) - 6 pm GMT, February 13 (London) - 7 pm CEST, February 13 (Berlin) - 5 am, February 14 (AEDT) - 7 am, February 14 (NZDT) The full launch release times are: - 10 am PST, February 18 (Los Angeles) - 1 pm EST, February 18 (New York) - 6 pm GMT, February 18 (London) - 7 pm CEST, February 18 (Berlin) - 5 am, February 19 (AEDT) - 7 am, February 19 (NZDT) Preloading for Avowed is currently only available on Xbox, with PC users likely needing to wait until the game officially unlocks to download.

TrendTechie

February 5, 2025

Когда Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 появится на торрентах

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 will not include Denuvo anti-piracy protection, relying instead on standard DRM systems from Steam and the Epic Games Store. The game is set to launch on February 4 at 19:00 MSK, with a potential for a cracked version to appear shortly after 20:00. Preloading begins on February 3 at 19:00 MSK, which may allow hackers to create a functional version before the official release. Minimum system requirements include: - OS: Windows 10/11 - Processor: Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 - Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB / AMD Radeon RX 580 - RAM: 16 GB - Disk Space: 100 GB Recommended system requirements include: - OS: Windows 10/11 - Processor: Intel Core i5-13600K / AMD Ryzen 5 7600X - Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT - RAM: 24 GB - Disk Space: 100 GB Maximum system requirements include: - OS: Windows 10/11 - Processor: Intel Core i7-13700K / AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D - Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 / AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT - RAM: 32 GB - Disk Space: 100 GB