relief Archives

AppWizard

December 3, 2025

Helldivers 2 devs slash install size from 154GB to 23GB, thanks to the help of PC port veterans — ditching HDD optimization, 85% size reduction accomplished by de-duplicating game data

Arrowhead Game Studios has reduced the size of their game Helldivers 2 by 85%, from approximately 154GB to 23GB, through collaboration with Nixxes Software and the use of data de-duplication techniques. This results in a storage saving of around 131GB.

AppWizard

December 3, 2025

In the nick of time, Helldivers 2 rolls out a “slim version” shrinking file sizes by a whopping 85% on PC: “It’s a low-risk way to save ~131GB of space on your drive”

Arrowhead Game Studios has reduced the file size of Helldivers 2 for PC by 85%, from 154GB to approximately 23GB. A public technical beta is currently underway, allowing select users to experience the new file size and provide feedback. Players can still matchmake with others and opt-out of the beta at any time. If successful, the slim version will become the standard, with plans to phase out the legacy version next year. The latest patch also includes balance changes and bug fixes, though some players are disappointed by the removal of the feature that allowed "Factory Striders" to be launched erratically.

AppWizard

December 3, 2025

New Helldivers 2 update just shaved 131GB off its PC file size with a “slim version” beta, and I’m ecstatic — here’s how to opt into the patch

Helldivers 2, launched in 2024, initially had a file size of 70GB, which increased to 154GB due to performance and technical issues. A recent update, Python Commandos Warbond, reduced the file size by 131GB to 23GB, an 85% decrease. This slim version is currently in testing and not the default; players must manually opt into it via Steam. The Xbox Series X|S and PS5 versions require 35-40GB of storage. The game is available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5, with the PC version currently on sale for .99.

AppWizard

November 27, 2025

Galaxy Princess Zorana is like if you made BG3 passive checks into a whole game, a great tale of political intrigue, and will give you like 4,000 ways to die embarrassingly

Galaxy Princess Zorana's reign ended abruptly during a space-football game orchestrated by the Pope, resulting in her untimely death. The event was broadcast live, shocking the citizens of her interplanetary realm. Zorana, the inexperienced heir to a fractured empire, struggles with court politics and her education after her father's suspicious death. Players engage in a sports event to gain favor with the church, but her awkward interactions lead to an unfavorable outcome at Space Old Trafford. The narrative emphasizes the complexities of leadership and the balance between diplomacy and espionage.

AppWizard

November 21, 2025

Terrifier: The ARTcade Game (PC) Review

Terrifier: The ARTcade Game, developed by Relevo, is a tribute to the smash-em-up genre of the 1980s and 1990s, featuring a variety of game modes including classic arcade, story mode, versus, and boss rush. Players can choose from four characters: Art the Clown, the Little Pale Girl, Victoria Heyes, and Burke the orderly, each with unique abilities. The gameplay includes side-scrolling action, power-ups, and environmental interactions, with a structure of enemy tiers leading to challenging bosses. The soundtrack is created by Cody Carpenter, and the game includes visual effects reminiscent of retro gaming. It is available on Steam, PS5, and Nintendo Switch, with a standard edition priced at .99 and a limited edition at .99, which includes additional items.

Winsage

November 21, 2025

Nvidia rushes out a GPU fix, blaming Windows 11’s October update for sluggish performance in games

Nvidia GPU users have experienced performance issues after the October update of Windows 11 (KB5066835), leading to slowdowns in various PC games. Nvidia has released an emergency hotfix to address these performance problems, but users are advised to be cautious as hotfixes undergo less testing than regular updates. Some users report improved frame rates in certain games like Assassin's Creed Shadows, while others still face issues such as monitor flickering. Users with AMD and Intel systems have also reported performance problems due to the October update, which has also disrupted the Windows Recovery Environment, prompting Microsoft to issue an emergency patch.

Winsage

November 17, 2025

Custom Windows Event Viewer log notifications upped my debugging game

Windows Task Scheduler can be configured to monitor system events and send notifications for anomalies, allowing users to proactively address issues before they escalate. Users can set up custom notifications by specifying Event IDs in the Task Scheduler. Common Event IDs for debugging include: - Application crash: Event ID 1000 (Application Error) - Application hang: Event ID 1002 (Application Hang) - Service failure: Event ID 7000 (Service Control Manager) - Service stopped: Event ID 7036 (Service Control Manager) - Disk/I/O issues: Event ID 129 (Disk or NTFS) - Group policy failure: Event ID 1058 (Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy) - Driver error: Event ID 7023 (Service Control Manager or Kernel-PnP) - Failed logon: Event ID 4625 (Microsoft-Windows-Security-Auditing) - User account locked out: Event ID 4740 (Microsoft-Windows-Security-Auditing) - Audit log cleared: Event ID 1102 (EventLog) - Unexpected system shutdown: Event ID 41 (Kernel-Power) To set up notifications, users can create a PowerShell script that performs specific actions based on the event type, such as sending an email for critical alerts or displaying on-screen messages for less critical events. This setup enables effective monitoring without the need for third-party applications.

AppWizard

November 15, 2025

Android’s Most Controversial Feature is Not Going Away—For Now

Google has decided to maintain the option for sideloading unverified apps on Android, despite initially planning to eliminate it. This decision follows backlash from developers and users. The new sideloading framework will cater to advanced users who can acknowledge the risks of installing unverified software. Google may enhance the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool to facilitate this process, which will include warnings about the risks. The changes aim to improve user safety by preventing regular users from installing unknown applications, as sideloading has been exploited for malware distribution. Google plans to roll out this feature early next year and encourages developers to enroll in a new identity verification system for apps distributed outside the Play Store. The verification process will be less rigorous for students and hobbyists to promote innovation while prioritizing safety.

AppWizard

November 14, 2025

Older Pixel Devices Can Now Record Calls Directly in the Phone App

Google has expanded the call recording feature in its Phone app to include Pixel 6 and newer models. This feature allows users to record phone conversations, although it does not include transcription or automatic note-taking capabilities. Call recording is available in regions where it is legal, and users in the United States and Canada currently have access. To use the feature, users must have a Pixel 6 or newer device with Android 14 or higher, or a non-Pixel device with Android 9 or higher, and must update their Phone app. Users can activate call recording in the Phone app's settings and have options for automatic recording and deletion of recordings after a specified period. The call recorder will announce the recording to all parties involved in the call.

Winsage

November 13, 2025

Task Manager can no longer become immortal after the most recent Windows update and I’m unreasonably sad about it

A bug in Windows 11 allowed Task Manager to persist after users attempted to close it, leading to multiple instances and potential performance issues. Microsoft addressed this problem in update KB5067036, which fixed the Close button on Task Manager that did not fully terminate the process. The update also resolved a delay when signing into Windows using a gamepad, where controllers became unresponsive for about five seconds.