trade-off Archives

AppWizard

April 26, 2025

Oblivion Remastered PC: impressive modernisation blighted by dire performance problems

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered utilizes an Unreal Engine 5 wrapper to enhance the original game, but it carries over some of the original's issues and suffers from significant performance challenges, including frequent stuttering. Digital Foundry analyzed the remaster against the original 2006 version, highlighting advancements in graphics but also noting that the remaster struggles with limited polygon budgets and basic effects. The remaster's performance is inconsistent, especially on mid-range CPUs, leading to poor experiences even on high-end hardware. Disabling hardware RT-based Lumen global illumination can improve performance by about 35%, but at the cost of visual quality. Lowering settings yields only marginal performance improvements, and the game fails to deliver an attractive experience compared to the original. A recent patch did not resolve the stuttering issues, indicating that fundamental CPU-related problems remain unaddressed.

Winsage

April 23, 2025

Windows 10’s April update stealthily removed this Start menu feature

Microsoft's April update for Windows 10, designated as KB5055518, has removed the jump lists feature, which allowed users to access recent files associated with applications. This change has caused frustration among users, and the reason for the removal is unclear, with no official statement from Microsoft. Users can restore the jump lists by uninstalling the update, but this would also eliminate important security enhancements included in it.

BetaBeacon

April 23, 2025

Xbox will soon let you purchase games in its mobile app

Xbox is now allowing beta testers to purchase games, DLC, and more directly from its app on Android and iOS. The update also includes the ability to sign up for Game Pass, but remote play within the Xbox app will no longer be available.

AppWizard

April 8, 2025

I tried gaming on Linux — and it’s better (and worse) than you think

The gaming experience on Linux, particularly with Ubuntu, has been positive, with many single-player and co-op games performing well due to compatibility tools like Wine and Steam's Proton. While most Windows games can be played on Linux, limitations exist, particularly for MMORPGs and competitive multiplayer games that rely on kernel-level anti-cheat systems, rendering titles like Fortnite and Valorant unplayable. Some competitive games do offer Linux support, but this is not guaranteed. Additionally, accessory applications for gaming peripherals often lack support on Linux, although open-source alternatives exist. As of 2025, while Linux gaming has improved, significant gaps remain, particularly in compatibility with anti-cheat systems, making it less appealing than Windows for many gamers.

Winsage

March 10, 2025

4 things holding Microsoft PC Manager back from being a great app

Microsoft PC Manager includes a Deep cleanup feature that can slow down system performance by deleting Windows Prefetch files, which are intended to improve application loading times. The System protection feature focuses on restoring default settings rather than providing robust security options, which may not appeal to users who prefer customization. The PC Boost feature offers only temporary relief from memory usage, with results quickly reverting back to previous levels. Additionally, the app promotes Microsoft Edge, often ignoring users' default browser settings, which can be intrusive and detracts from its overall utility.

AppWizard

February 18, 2025

Having spent many hours testing Avowed I’ve found these three top tips are the best way to boost the game’s performance

The gaming community has been discussing Avowed, the latest title from Obsidian Entertainment, which has shown mixed performance metrics on PC. A workaround to improve performance involves launching the game, enabling ray tracing, restarting, then disabling ray tracing and restarting again. Testing was done on a Core i5 13600K gaming PC with 32 GB of DDR5-6400 RAM and a Radeon RX 7800 XT graphics card at 1440p resolution. Adjusting graphics settings, particularly switching from the Epic preset to Medium Global Illumination (GI), resulted in a 24% increase in average frame rates and a 16% improvement in 1% lows. Lowering draw distance and shadow quality from Epic to High achieved an average frame rate of 72 fps and a 1% low of 40 fps, compared to 48 fps and 34 fps on the Epic preset. Caution is advised when tweaking settings, as significant disparities between average frame rates and 1% lows can affect fluidity, and gameplay may feel disjointed if the average frame rate exceeds 60 fps by a large margin.

Winsage

February 18, 2025

New patch for Windows 11 24H2 reportedly plays havoc with File Explorer, and some folks are claiming it’s broken their PC

Microsoft's cumulative update for Windows 11, patch KB5051987, has caused significant issues for users of the 24H2 version. Problems include File Explorer failing to open essential folders like Documents and Pictures, difficulties accessing File Explorer through search or shortcuts, and widespread installation failures. Users report the update process stalling, prolonged installation times, critical system errors, and instances of Blue Screens of Death, which can render Windows 11 inoperable. The issues persist even in clean installations of Windows 11, and there are currently no widely recognized workarounds, though disabling Windows Sandbox has been suggested for Pro edition users. Reports of installation failures and system crashes continue, leading to caution among users regarding the update.

AppWizard

February 8, 2025

The Best Minecraft Switch Mods for Enhancing Gameplay

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AppWizard

February 8, 2025

NewPipe Is an Ad-Free, Privacy-Respecting YouTube App for Android

YouTube's Android app is criticized for its cluttered interface, sluggish performance, and excessive ads, while also raising privacy concerns due to tracking user activity. NewPipe is a free, open-source alternative that prioritizes user privacy and removes ads. It allows background audio playback, picture-in-picture mode, and offline video downloads without requiring a YouTube Premium subscription. However, users cannot sign in with a Google account, limiting access to existing subscriptions and personalized recommendations. NewPipe enables manual subscription additions, bookmarking, and supports exporting/importing subscriptions and playlists. It is not available on the Google Play Store, requiring users to download the .apk file or use F-Droid for installation.

Winsage

December 23, 2024

Windows 11’s new native Copilot rolls out to everyone, but it consumes more RAM

Microsoft has released a new version of its Copilot application for Windows 11, marking the fourth redesign since its launch. This version is now available in the Microsoft Store and is described as a more "native" experience compared to previous iterations, which were Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). The new app integrates more seamlessly with Windows and can be accessed from the system tray. However, it still relies on web-based components, loading its interface through a Microsoft Edge-based WebView, resulting in higher RAM consumption of 500MB to 600MB, with spikes up to 1.5GB. Users can summon the app using the Alt + Space keyboard shortcut. The redesign has been led by Mustafa Suleyman, and while it features a more traditional Windows appearance, the app's web-centric nature remains evident.