reviews Archives

Winsage

June 22, 2026

Microsoft buried its best Surface hardware in years through a quiet series of press releases

Microsoft has launched the Surface Laptop 8 and Surface Pro 12, but the announcement lacked a dedicated event or live stream, leaving many potential customers unaware of the new features. The new devices are priced at least 0 higher than their predecessors, though Microsoft is including a complimentary keyboard with the purchase. The business models of Surface PCs include enterprise features for productivity and security, while the consumer version is powered by the Snapdragon X2 Elite. The Surface Laptop Ultra features NVIDIA's RTX Spark superchip and runs on Windows on Arm. Microsoft has introduced six new Surface devices this year, including a clamshell workstation and a mini PC, with significant innovations from Intel, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm. The Surface Pro 12 and Surface Laptop 8 are considered expensive, prompting some consumers to look for alternatives like the Dell XPS 13 with a Snapdragon X Elite and 32GB of RAM.

AppWizard

June 21, 2026

2026 PC Game Now 100% Free to Keep

PC gamers can claim a free copy of Nightbell, a first-person Christmas-themed horror game developed by True Games, on Itch.io until June 30. After this date, the game will revert to its regular price of .99. Nightbell was released on January 10 and has a “Mostly Positive” rating on Steam, with 75% approval from 65 user reviews. The game features a narrative where players control a young boy on Christmas Eve who experiences a transformed house filled with strange sounds and shadows. User reviews describe it as a fun horror game with good jump scares and an interesting puzzle, typically taking about an hour to complete. This is the first time the game has been available for free.

AppWizard

June 21, 2026

This 4.9-Star LEGO Minecraft Creeper Hides a Secret Inside, Amazon Goes Nearly Zero Margin

The LEGO Minecraft Creeper set has sold 6,000 units in one month on Amazon and has a 4.9-star rating from nearly 1,800 reviews. It consists of 665 pieces, features a large, poseable figure over 8 inches tall, and includes articulated legs and a detachable head with a hidden compartment containing a first-version Creeper minifigure and a TNT element. Targeted at ages 10 and up, it offers a mid-range building experience without lengthy assembly times. The set serves as room decor and is part of the LEGO Minecraft collection. It is currently priced at a significant discount, marking its lowest price on Amazon, with the platform absorbing most of the margin.

AppWizard

June 21, 2026

“Subscription-based gaming is the final boss of piracy”: Why I think we’re on track to own nothing and be happy we get to play at all

A study published in the Entertainment Computing journal analyzed 86 games released on Steam from 2014 to 2022, finding that games with cracked versions available within the first week of launch experienced a 20% drop in revenue. If DRM delayed cracks by at least six weeks, the revenue decline was only 5%, and if DRM withstood cracks for three months, there was no significant loss in revenue. Denuvo's defenses have been breached within hours of game releases, and the future of DRM may rely more on contractual agreements than technology. Subscription-based gaming models, like Xbox's PC Game Pass, are emerging, allowing players to access games without owning them, which raises concerns about game ownership and the potential for titles to be removed from libraries. The rise of cloud gaming is seen as a solution to affordability issues for gamers, but it also leads to questions about the future of game ownership and piracy.

AppWizard

June 21, 2026

Data analyst finds ‘AI stigma’ on Steam can reduce the number of reviews a game gets by around 53%—and the reviews it does get are more negative

Ross Burton's analysis examined 9,879 games released between January and October 2025, revealing that 17.9% of these games openly acknowledged their use of AI technology. Notable titles like Clair Obscur and Crimson Desert have successfully utilized AI in their development, while discussions about AI usage have overshadowed the new Crazy Taxi game. High-profile figures, including Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, oppose the need for disclaimers regarding AI use, and major studios like Sony continue to invest heavily in AI technologies.

AppWizard

June 21, 2026

Epic Games Store Roadmap Promises 5x Faster Boot Times, User Reviews, and More

The Epic Games Store is undergoing a significant transformation, with a roadmap for new features and a redesign of its digital storefront. Upcoming updates include Fortnite chunked installation, third-party patch notes, pre-registration for free-to-play games, storefront rearchitecture, and library management improvements. Additional features like player profiles, user-written reviews, publisher-funded coupons, and enhanced search capabilities are planned for a later phase. The store, launched in 2018, has faced challenges in competing with platforms like Steam and has not yet achieved profitability. A "ground-up rebuild" of the launcher is expected to improve performance significantly.

BetaBeacon

June 20, 2026

Epic Games Store 2026: $400M Record, 317M Users [AU]

Total revenue from the Epic Games Store reached .16 billion in 2025, up 6 per cent from .09 billion in 2024 and 22 per cent from 0 million in 2023.

AppWizard

June 20, 2026

Forza Horizon 6 Dethroned as #1 Selling Steam Game

Forza Horizon 6 has lost its position as the top-selling game on Steam to Meccha Chameleon, a hide-and-seek game released on June 9, which has sold five million copies in ten days. Meccha Chameleon is priced affordably and has an 85% approval rating from over 6,000 user reviews. The top five best-selling games between June 9 and June 16 are Meccha Chameleon, Forza Horizon 6, Path of Exile 2, EA Sports FC 26, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade. The rankings for positions six through ten include 007 First Light, Gothic Remake, Burglin’ Gnomes, Rust, and Voidling Bound. Titles in spots ten through twenty are Dead by Daylight, Resident Evil 4, Road to Empress II, Subnautica 2, Hearts of Iron IV, Paralives, Monster Hunter Wilds, Witchspire, Gamble With Your Friends, and Resident Evil Requiem.

Winsage

June 19, 2026

Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday update strikes again

Microsoft has confirmed a bug affecting the Recycle Bin across all supported versions of Windows following its June 2026 Patch Tuesday update. The glitch causes the confirmation dialog to display an "internal" filename instead of the user-friendly filename when deleting files, although the actual file and its deletion process remain unaffected. The issue affects various Windows client and server versions, including Windows 11 (versions 26H1, 25H2, 24H2, 23H2), Windows 10 (versions 22H2, Enterprise LTSC 2021, Enterprise LTSC 2019, Enterprise LTSB 2016), and Windows Server (2025, 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012 R2, 2012). Microsoft is developing a permanent solution, but it is unclear when it will be released. Commercial customers can contact Microsoft Support for Business for a workaround.

AppWizard

June 19, 2026

Epic Games unveils Launcher V2 in re-attempt to topple Steam, says redesigned storefront is up to 6.5x faster — promises player profiles, user reviews, universal controller support, and much more

Epic Games is developing Epic Games Launcher V2, which will feature a complete internal overhaul to improve speed and expand its features. Key improvements include a complete reconstruction of the store, in-store Patch Notes, player reviews, a performance increase making the store 5 to 6.5 times faster, and universal controller support. The redesigned storefront will offer personalized game recommendations based on user preferences and will enhance game pages with more curated content. These updates will be released alongside updates to Fortnite.