visual experience Archives

AppWizard

June 17, 2025

Minecraft – Official Vibrant Visuals and Chase the Skies Launch Trailer

The Vibrant Visuals and Chase the Skies update for Minecraft introduces enhanced visual features such as improved lighting, dynamic shadows, and reflective surfaces, as well as new gameplay elements including the cheerful happy ghast and flyable mounts.

AppWizard

June 16, 2025

Is This Minecraft’s Best-Looking Update Yet?

Mojang Studios will release the Vibrant Visuals update for Minecraft Bedrock Edition on June 17, 2025. Key features of the update include richer lighting, dynamic shadows, biome-specific fog, and immersive atmospheres. It introduces Physically Based Rendering (PBR) to enhance textures, allowing them to exhibit properties like metalness and glow. Various biomes will receive aesthetic transformations, such as deserts glowing in golden hues and icy regions appearing cooler and bluer. The water engine has been overhauled to include realistic caustics and reflections. The update will be enabled by default on all supported Bedrock Edition devices. Development for the Java Edition is ongoing, with early test builds showcasing features like atmospheric fog and infinite clouds.

AppWizard

June 16, 2025

Android 16 is sprucing up the Pixel Camera app with a slick new look

Google is implementing its Material 3 Expressive design across various applications, with the Pixel Camera set to undergo a transformation. The Settings menu has been updated with warm brown tones, white accents, and rounded controls for a more inviting interface. The new toggle design features a checkmark for the “on” state and an “x” for “off.” The Pixel Camera app will align with other apps like Gmail and Google Messages that have already adopted this design. An official launch date for the updated Pixel Camera has not been announced, but it is expected to coincide with the rollout of Android 16 later this year.

Winsage

June 14, 2025

Windows Central Podcast: Xbox Ally is official, and Aero Glass is back?

This week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast features hosts Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden discussing significant developments in Windows and Xbox, including the newly announced Xbox Ally, which will change gaming on handheld Windows devices. They also talk about Apple's WWDC announcements, particularly Liquid Glass, which they believe may not match the Aero Glass aesthetic from Windows Vista. Additionally, the podcast addresses updates to iPadOS and concerns about how these enhancements could impact the market for low- and mid-range Windows PCs.

Winsage

June 9, 2025

5 Windows XP features I miss dearly on Windows 11

Microsoft's Windows operating system has evolved significantly, with Windows 11 featuring enhanced multitasking and modern functionalities. However, nostalgic elements from older versions, particularly Windows XP, are missed. 1. The Disk Defragmenter in Windows XP had a visually appealing interface that represented data on the disk, which has been replaced by a text-based interface in later versions. 2. Built-in games like Solitaire, Hearts, and 3D Pinball in Windows XP provided straightforward enjoyment, while their modern counterparts have become cluttered and commercialized. 3. Windows Media Player in XP allowed users to customize with quirky skins, which added personality, a feature that is lacking in today's streamlined media players. 4. Windows Movie Maker was a user-friendly video editing tool that has been replaced by Clipchamp, which many find less intuitive and more patronizing. 5. Windows Messenger and Windows Live Messenger offered a personalized messaging experience with group organization and unique emoticons, which is not matched by current platforms like Skype and Microsoft Teams.

Winsage

June 7, 2025

Windows Central Podcast: Is Windows in trouble?

This week’s episode of the Windows Central Podcast features hosts Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden discussing the performance of Windows 11 on gaming handhelds and the challenges Microsoft faces due to setbacks with Windows Core OS and Windows CorePC. They also examine the latest designs of the Windows 11 Start menu and discuss the capabilities of Bing Video Creator, highlighting the impact of artificial intelligence on content creation.

Winsage

June 6, 2025

AI-powered Relight and Search now available in Microsoft Photos

The Microsoft Photos app has been updated on Windows 11, introducing new features for Copilot+ PCs. The Relight feature allows users to adjust lighting in images by positioning up to three light sources, changing light color, and setting a focus point, with additional brightness and intensity controls. Built-in presets are also available for quick application. This feature will initially be available on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, with support for AMD and Intel-powered devices coming soon. The app now includes improved photo search using natural language, enabling users to find images by descriptive phrases. For commercial users signed in with Microsoft Entra ID, access to Restyle Image and Image Creator is now available. Users should update their Photos app to version 2025.11060.5006.0 or higher to access these features.

AppWizard

June 1, 2025

Painkiller RTX is a path-traced upgrade to a classic but almost forgotten shooter

Nvidia's RTX Remix is a tool that allows game modders to enhance classic PC games with path-traced visuals. One notable project is the transformation of the 2004 game Painkiller into Painkiller RTX, currently at version 0.1.6. This project utilizes a custom rendering technology called PainEngine, replacing the original Direct X 8.1 rendering with a path tracer, resulting in improved visuals such as real-time shadows and moving lights. The gameplay retains its fast-paced action focus, with enhanced mechanics through Havok physics, allowing for dynamic interactions with the environment. Painkiller RTX features significant upgrades in lighting, including dynamic lighting that interacts with moving objects and improved texture quality using Quixel megascan assets. However, the path-tracing technology requires robust hardware for optimal performance, and even mid-range GPUs like the RTX 4060 may struggle with frame rates during intense gameplay.

AppWizard

May 30, 2025

Stellar Blade demo for PC now available

Sony Interactive Entertainment, in collaboration with SHIFT UP, has released a demo for the PC version of Stellar Blade on Steam. Players control EVE, a warrior from the 7th Airborne Squad, on a mission to reclaim Earth from the Naytiba. The demo features fast-paced combat, allowing players to perform attack combos and carry over save data to the full game. EVE faces powerful creatures in a post-apocalyptic world filled with mysteries. Key features include ultrawide monitor support, enhanced graphics, unlocked framerates, 4K texture pack support, and compatibility with both controller and keyboard. Stellar Blade is available on PlayStation 5 and will launch on PC on June 11.

AppWizard

May 29, 2025

F1 25 – Ray Tracing & Path Tracing Benchmarks

EA has made F1 25 available to players who purchased its Iconic Version, utilizing the EGO Engine with Ray Tracing and Path Tracing support. The game was benchmarked on a system with an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. In benchmarks on the Singapore track, F1 25 achieved a minimum of 173FPS and an average of 189FPS at Native 4K without Ray Tracing. With Ray Tracing enabled, it maintained over 70FPS at Native 4K. Activating DLSS 4 Quality Mode increased frame rates to 90-100FPS, and Multi-Frame Generation X4 reached up to 300FPS. Path Tracing resulted in a minimum of 29FPS and an average of 35FPS at Native 4K, with DLSS 4 Performance Mode recommended for better performance. Visual comparisons show significant differences between Ray Tracing and Path Tracing, with some visual issues reported, including problems with rain effects and flickering during motion. The recommended optimal experience is using Ray Tracing effects without Ray Reconstruction.