YouTuber Archives

AppWizard

August 9, 2026

Cancelled Quake 4 expansion gets surprise GitHub release after former XCOM 2 developer discovers it on an old hard drive: ‘This essentially saved my life’

The original Quake has unveiled an official new episode as part of its 30th anniversary at QuakeCon. Additionally, a build of the previously cancelled expansion Quake 4: Awakening has been discovered on GitHub. This expansion was under development by Ritual Entertainment but was halted by Activision due to poor sales of the base game. A veteran game developer named Marshall found the expansion on a second-hand PC and shared it on GitHub, expressing that it had a significant emotional impact on him. The build includes configuration files with names of former Ritual employees, suggesting its authenticity. Gameplay footage shows new weapons and missions, indicating that the expansion was nearly complete before its cancellation. Marshall aims to preserve the project and hopes the community can help refine and eventually release it.

Winsage

August 3, 2026

“It’s not great news”: Halo: Campaign Evolved on the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme shows how far Windows on Arm gaming still has to go

Halo: Campaign Evolved is available on Game Pass and can be played on PC, Xbox, and PS5. YouTuber Ghobso Gaming tested the game on the ASUS Zenbook A16, which features the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chip, and rated its performance as one star due to significant issues, including missing textures. Despite being praised as a flagship Windows laptop, the Zenbook A16 is not primarily designed for gaming. Reviewer Ben Wilson noted a range of gaming experiences on the device, indicating that gaming on Snapdragon X processors is still developing.

AppWizard

August 2, 2026

Mr Beast – Exploring My Abandoned Minecraft Server

MrBeast, also known as Jimmy Donaldson, explores an abandoned Minecraft server in his video "Exploring My Abandoned Minecraft Server." The server, once filled with subscriber-built structures and community activities, now stands still, reflecting the passage of time. As he navigates the landscape, he shares anecdotes and insights about the community that once thrived there, highlighting the creativity and collaboration that characterized the server's heyday. The video emphasizes the enduring memories and friendships formed within the gaming community, despite the server's abandonment.

AppWizard

July 30, 2026

Meet the Alexander and Eliza of the Hamilton Minecraft remake

A fan-driven rendition of the musical Hamilton, created in Minecraft and titled "Schamilton," has garnered over 1.4 million views on YouTube. The cast includes Filipina animation student Poi, known as "Fleurontoxica," who plays Elizabeth Schuyler, and Elijah “EdHed” Densmore as Alexander Hamilton. Casting began in late October 2025, with both actors submitting audition tapes. The rehearsal process involved traditional production elements adapted for Minecraft, including specific character movements. The live performance was streamed without edits, using vanilla Minecraft and pre-recorded audio to address latency issues. Both actors expressed surprise and gratitude for the overwhelming support from viewers.

Winsage

July 24, 2026

Microsoft is cracking down on Windows 11 bloatware ads, forces LG to pull McAfee popup

LG will disable the McAfee ad pop-up in its Monitor App Installer following consumer dissatisfaction and Microsoft's intervention. Users reported that the app was silently installed via Windows Update, leading to unsolicited McAfee trial ads. LG stated that McAfee is not installed without user consent and blamed Microsoft's distribution process, but many users experienced the pop-up without prior consent. Microsoft confirmed LG's agreement to disable the pop-up within three days, emphasizing a commitment to improving user experience. The incident highlights concerns over silent installations and the necessity of third-party antivirus software for Windows 11 users.

Winsage

July 21, 2026

LG admits its monitor app installs bloatware via Windows Update, and Microsoft is letting it happen

A growing number of LG monitor users have reported that connecting their devices to Windows systems results in the automatic installation of the LG Monitor App Installer, which prompts users with a McAfee trial advertisement. YouTuber Gamers Nexus found that connecting an LG UltraGear monitor led to the installation of LG's driver package and the LG Monitor App Installer, with the McAfee pop-up appearing 31 times over 32 boots. This automatic installation is facilitated by device metadata, which Windows uses to download associated applications without user notification. Users must be signed into the Microsoft Store and connected to the internet for this to occur, leading to frustrations about transparency. Reports of unsolicited McAfee pop-ups have been shared on platforms like Reddit, with users confirming the app's installation was logged as part of a Windows Update. LG has acknowledged the inclusion of McAfee in their app updates, promoting a free trial, which has raised privacy concerns. The app's rating on the Microsoft Store has dropped to around 1 out of 5 due to user dissatisfaction. Users can prevent automatic installations by adjusting Group Policy settings, while macOS requires manual approval for third-party applications. Neither Microsoft nor LG has formally addressed the concerns regarding silent installations and McAfee pop-ups.

AppWizard

July 19, 2026

‘The mid-2000s was the golden era of first-person shooters’: David Syzmankski, creator of Dusk and Iron Lung, discusses the games on his PC

David Szymanski is the creator of the game Dusk, which was released in 2018 and is inspired by classic first-person shooters like Doom and Quake. He initially developed short horror games before achieving success with Dusk. Szymanski has also created a submarine horror game called Iron Lung, which gained recognition after being adapted into a film by YouTuber Markiplier. He categorizes the history of first-person shooters into distinct eras, labeling the '90s as the silver age and the late '90s to mid-2000s as the golden age. He enjoys survival crafting games like The Forest and Subnautica but has not finished them. The oldest game installed on his PC is Doom, which he considers nearly the best FPS ever made. His most-played game on Steam is Counter-Strike 2, with 324 hours, and he has spent 186 hours on Elden Ring. Szymanski would never uninstall Infra, which he describes as his comfort game. He uses GIMP as an essential non-gaming software tool and has a relatively tidy desktop with nine icons.

Winsage

July 17, 2026

Microsoft impresses as imperfect Windows 11 shines inside Valve’s Steam Machine

Valve has released official Windows 11 drivers for the Steam Machine but advises caution regarding its installation. Early adopters have reported a performance boost with Windows 11 compared to the default SteamOS. YouTuber ETA Prime's analysis showed that Windows 11 matched or surpassed SteamOS in certain scenarios. The Steam Machine is powered by an AMD Custom 6-core 12-thread CPU, comparable to an AMD Ryzen 5600 non-X model. In benchmark tests, the Ryzen 5600X outperformed the Steam Machine's CPU by about 14% in the Cinebench 2024 multi-core test. In gaming performance tests: - Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Both Windows 11 and SteamOS performed similarly, with Windows 11 slightly faster at 1080p and 4K. - Cyberpunk 2077: Windows 11 excelled at 4K, while SteamOS performed better at 1080p and 1440p. - Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered: Windows 11 led with a 7% advantage at 4K. These results suggest that Windows 11 could be a strong gaming OS for the Steam Machine, while SteamOS continues to demonstrate its own strengths.

AppWizard

July 17, 2026

The best Mario Kart game gets free PC port, includes 200 tracks

Mario Kart Wiicompiled, an unofficial port of the original Mario Kart Wii, is set to be released next month by YouTuber Patchzy. This adaptation is designed for PC and features both controller and keyboard controls, moving away from the original's motion controls. Players will have access to all 32 classic tracks from Mario Kart Wii and over 200 additional tracks through the Retro Rewind feature. The port aims to maintain the original's graphics while allowing for potential enhancements, supporting uncapped framerate and 4K resolution. Mario Kart Wii was originally released in 2008, received a Metacritic score of 82/100, and sold over 37.38 million copies, making it one of the most successful titles on the Wii.

Winsage

July 16, 2026

Steam Machine Running Windows With Performance On-Par With SteamOS

Valve has released new Windows drivers for its Steam Machine console, improving user experience. Benchmark results from ETA Prime indicate that after installing Windows 11, the Steam Machine operates smoothly with all hardware components functioning well. The GPU is an AMD Radeon RX 7600, and the machine has been upgraded to 64 GB of memory. In performance comparisons, Windows outperforms SteamOS in the Geekbench 6 multi-thread benchmark by 22%, while single-core results are similar. In Cinebench 2024, the Steam Machine scores 99 points in single-core and 554 points in multi-core, trailing behind Apple's M1 Max and AMD Ryzen 5800X in multi-thread performance. Gaming performance shows a competitive edge between the two operating systems. Windows has a slight advantage in Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 4K and 1080p, while SteamOS leads at 1440p. In Cyberpunk 2077, SteamOS outperforms Windows by 8.8% at 4K and 4.7% at 1440p. At 4K, both struggle, with SteamOS averaging 18 FPS and Windows 20 FPS. In Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, Windows has a 7.1% advantage, while SteamOS is faster at 1440p and Windows leads at 1080p. Running Windows on the Steam Machine is a viable option, supporting Valve's claim that it functions as a standard PC, though there are other factors to consider beyond gaming performance.