A new tool called Hypertune has emerged after being in early testing with 60,000 PC DIY enthusiasts. According to exclusive launch coverage from GamesBeat, a Miami-based gaming company announced a new automated overclocking platform named Gaming Performance Engineering, which is said to deliver a significant FPS performance boost of up to 60%. While that figure sounds impressive, it is not expected to become the norm, as most systems will see only a few percentage points of improvement. The company states that Hypertune is based on Intel's Extreme Tuning Utility (XTU) software development kit (SDK) and was developed in partnership with Intel, which supported the project with engineering resources.

The tool itself includes automated overclocking for your CPU and GPU and optimizes RAM settings for improved latency, frequency, and overall performance. Once downloaded, the tool analyzes hardware configuration, drivers, Windows settings, and other elements. The company refers to this as a Smart Optimization Engine, which first monitors and observes your system's configuration to deliver an optimization preset. After applying this preset, users should notice immediate differences. For example, Hypertune demonstrated two systems: one featuring an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, and the other with a Core i7-14700K and an RTX 3080 GPU. The first system showed performance gains ranging from 18.9% to 28.2%, while the second saw a boost in frames per second ranging from 4.3% to 9.8%.

The recent layoffs at Xbox Game Studios, which saw Microsoft cull 3,200 positions, sparked a mass wave of protests from various studios inside the Xbox collective, including powerhouses like Bethesda. It was clear following the layoffs that staff remaining at Microsoft-owned studios were concerned about their future, and following the layoffs, the Communications Workers of America has announced that it has officially ratified a new contract for "nearly 1,900 workers across Blizzard."

The actual contract has not been made public, but, as per the announcement, the new union contract secures wage increases, a hybrid workweek with two remote work days per week, remote work and disability accommodations, and protections against generative AI. Blizzard isn't the only game studio looking to union bargaining as a solution to issues in the gaming industry. Rockstar workers recently formed the Rockstar IWGB Game Workers Union in response to alleged unjust and retaliatory firings of 31 workers and fears of layoffs following the launch of GTA VI.Game Developer reports that Blizzard responded to the contract ratification with the following statement:

Johanna Faries, President, Blizzard EntertainmentWe appreciate the dedication and engagement of our represented employees and the bargaining committees throughout this process, as well as every Blizzard employee whose work continued alongside it. The ratification of these agreements marks a significant milestone and reflects our shared commitment to continuing to work together in support of our teams and our players.

Corsair is delighted to announce the worldwide availability of the TC80, a comfortable gaming chair built for gamers, creators, and everyday users. Backed by more than 30 durability and safety tests, the TC80 combines ergonomic comfort with long-lasting reliability, giving users confidence that their chair will perform day after day.

The TC80 Gaming Chair meets BIFMA X5.1 and EN 1335 standards, reflecting its focus on safety, durability, and ergonomic support. A generously wide and flat seat, plush padding, and breathable fabric upholstery with leatherette accents provide lasting comfort during long gaming sessions, workdays, and everything in between. A detachable neck pillow adds optional support, while self-leveling armrests help maintain a comfortable position as users recline. Underneath, a steel 5-star base, 50 mm casters, and a steel Class 4 gas lift provide a strong and stable foundation for years of reliable use. The TC80 offers 100 mm of height adjustment alongside a smooth recline from 90° to 115°, allowing users to lock the chair at their preferred angle rather than being limited to preset angles. Adjustable recline tension lets users tailor the chair to their preference, while quick and easy assembly ensures users can get set up and start gaming in no time.

Wooting has been teasing a number of updates to its 80HE TKL gaming keyboard for a number of months, including a split space layout and the giant knobs that were shown off as early as May 2025. Some of the upgrades to the 80HE+ are carry-overs from the 60HE V2, like the new FR4 plate and the option to have split space bars in the same 2.75/1.25/2.25 u configuration, but others are unique to the 80HE+. The new 80HE+ and the Lekker Large knob will be available for pre-order on September 17, but shipping is expected to start in mid-October.

[Editor's note: Our in-depth review of the Wooting 80HE is live]

Pricing will remain the same as the current 80HE line-up, with the exception of the module, which will be slightly cheaper than before and includes a daughterboard for custom builds. Wooting also says that the zinc case models have been made more durable, following the slew of issues Wooting previously faced with the coating, and the preassembled zinc model now ships as standard with the 4 u Lekker Large knob. The zinc module SKU, will not be sold with a knob included, but the knob will be available to module buyers at a discounted price.

If you were around during what many consider the golden age of PC gaming, back when SLI was still possible, and, going back even further, when gamers put dedicated PhysX cards into their PCs, the latest trick shown off by modder, Marcelo Guibout, on YouTube. Guibot showed off a gaming setup using two NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB GPUs in tandem to split the rendering and Neural Rendering workloads.

[Editor's note: Our in-depth analysis of the DLSS 5 model leaked in the NBA2K27 and in use here is now live]

Similarly to the example of PhysX cards, the idea is to split the workloads between two GPUs, theoretically allowing for improved performance on the GPU doing the primary rendering, since it will be able to use resources on raster or ray tracing rendering that might otherwise be used for DLSS 5 Neural Rendering. With the Neural Coprocessor enabled using the multi-GPU processing setup, frame rates improved anywhere from 59% to 125% compared to running DLSS 5 on the same GPU—performance was still down compared to DLSS 5 off, however.

We recently reported that NVIDIA's RTX 50-series GPU prices rose by a median 41% between August and July 2026, putting the RTX 5090 at a whopping $4,700+. However, it seems as though the DRAM and GPU crisis is not quite done emptying the pockets of gamers just yet. According to one Japanese retailer, Applied Group (アプライド), GPU prices are slated to rise in the coming months or weeks yet again.

Applied Group on X (machine translated)There's talk about graphics card price hikes, but some graphics cards are slated for even further price increases. For those considering an upgrade, I recommend doing so sooner rather than later.

It's no secret that Riot Games has been working on an MMO set in the League of Legends universe, but there have been questions surrounding the fate of that game, given the poor performance and subsequent cessation of development of 2XKO, its League of Legends-flavored tag-team fighting game. In a new panel at PAX West, Riot Games co-founder, Marc Merrill, addressed a fan question about the future of the League MMO, shedding light on its future.

Merrill basically confirmed that the game is still in development, but his comments also suggest that it hasn't been the easiest genre to develop. "We know what players' hopes and dreams are, and it's on us as a team: Can we exceed in the execution, you know?" He goes on to suggest that the MMO is "the Holy Grail," and that it may be a difficult path, but that "the future's incredibly bright." The YouTube video with the full panel appearance at PAX is embedded below.

Crytek, makers of the legendary, PC-crippling Crysis and The Hunt: Showdown 1896, has seemingly conducted another round of layoffs—making this the second in as many years, following layoffs in February 2025—per reporting by Insider Gaming. The layoffs have not yet been officially announced, but insiders told the publication that the September 2026 layoffs have affected teams in both Istanbul, Türkiye, and Frankfurt, Germany.

According to the reports, a whole quality assurance team, was laid off at the company's Istanbul office, and the layoffs in Germany primarily affected the social media, QA, and publishing teams. The layoffs were described as unexpected, and it is currently thought that at least 30 people have lost their jobs. At the time of writing, the studio's page still lists the "4th installment in the Crysis franchise" as a project in active development, even though that was reportedly put on hold in 2024, as announced by Crytek during the February 2025 layoff press release.

DLSS 5 seems to be contributing to increased power draw, and we have our first victim here. Videocardz reports a new melted-connector case on an MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Gaming Trio OC, which surfaced during DLSS 5 Neural Rendering testing in NBA 2K27, currently the only officially supported game. A reader nicknamed erek documented the incident, noting DLSS 5 pushed the card's power draw from around 450 W to over 600 W, which is above MSI's 575 W rating. A GPU-Z screenshot showed a peak board power reading of 613.5 W, which erek says held steady rather than spiking briefly.

Erek reported the card stopped working shortly after, and a burning smell led him to find that the connector's plastic had melted and fused to the socket. We already reported last week that DLSS 5 can push the RTX 5090's power draw unusually high, so this seems to be the first reported case where that added power draw has burned the notorious RTX 5090 power connectors. However, it should be remembered that GPU-Z tracks total board power rather than just the auxiliary connectors, since the PCIe slot also supplies power, so the reading doesn't necessarily mean the connector carried the full load.

As we enter the second week of September, there are a lot of new releases, but all the more popular games are being released at more or less the same days, so we're going to change things up a bit to cover the most popular new releases. We kick off with what's easily the biggest release this week—but it's also an early access game—which changes up the typical FPS war game by throwing in a third team in the mix. Next up we have a classic horror movie that has been turned into a game, although it seems to be launching over a month too early. If that's not your thing, then we have some battle castles, a sci-fi survival/base building game, followed by a horror RPG farming sim and we end the week with a first person shooter that comes with an optional VR mode for those that own a VR headset.

Wardogs / This week's major release / Early access / Thursday 10 September
Wardogs is an All-Out Warfare FPS that combines tactical gunplay and combined arms combat with building and destruction mechanics in a large-scale, up to 100-player militaristic sandbox. The game mode - Inspired by 'King of the Hill' - has three teams fight for control of randomized 2x2km 'Control Zones' within larger maps. The team with the most players within the Control Zone earns points - the first team to reach 100 points wins the match. Steam link

At IFA 2026, we visited the AWOL Vision booth to explore what the company had in store. The highlight was the AWOL LuxVision ultra-short-throw (UST) projector, the company's flagship model designed for high-end home entertainment and theater spaces. As the world's first UST projector with 4K resolution, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and optical shift, this model boasts an output of 6000 ISO lumens and triple-laser RGB projection. It supports a 0.18:1 throw ratio and can project a screen size of up to 200 inches, transforming your home's wall into a large-format entertainment space at the click of a button. The projector features a motorized lens cover and a zero-light-leakage lens that automatically adjusts for optimal alignment and focus with the screen.

The projector delivers a highly vivid image with 110% Rec. 2020 coverage, Dynamic Tone Mapping, and a 7-level dynamic IRIS that fine-tunes color, contrast, and light scene by scene. Dolby Vision, IMAX Enhanced, Filmmaker Mode, and 3D support enhance the cinematic experience for all types of content. It caters not only to cinematic enthusiasts but also to gamers, with features like a 1 ms input lag, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and Dolby Vision Gaming. For connectivity, it offers three HDMI 2.1 ports and a single DisplayPort.

Microsoft is putting a hard cap on Xbox Cloud Gaming for the first time, ending years of unlimited streaming for Game Pass subscribers. Starting in November, Game Pass Essential will include 5 hours of cloud streaming a month, Premium gets 10 hours, and Ultimate tops out at 15 hours. Once subscribers burn through their allotment, they'll need to pay for extra hours through the Xbox Store to keep going. Xbox says the change should only affect around 4% of subscribers, so casual streamers likely won't notice much. Heavy users are a different story, particularly anyone leaning on cloud streaming as their main way to play.

Xbox hasn't announced pricing for extra hours yet, saying more details will come before the change goes live. The company did admit outright that "the practical result is a higher cost" for some players. Contrary to how generous this might look on paper, Xbox's own ceiling is notably tighter than NVIDIA GeForce Now's 100-hour monthly cap on its top tier. Microsoft points to rising cloud infrastructure costs as the reason, though it's hard not to read this as part of the division's overall push toward profitability after a rough stretch of layoffs.

Pearl Abyss has been on a roll lately, first announcing Crimson Desert: Enhanced Edition at Gamescom 2026 and following up that announcement with a PlayStation State of Play announcement revealing the game's first proper DLC: Charting the Unknown. The new announcement of the new expansion follows on recent rumors that started because of sneaky upgrades that were made to the Crimson Desert environment that hinted at a seafaring future for players. The update officially launches for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series consoles on October 15, and it may be available at some point further down the line for macOS. Pre-orders are currently available for PC and PS5.

The expansion sees players set sail in galleons to traverse the oceans and forge their path in new lands. Pearl Abyss says that Charting the Unknown will feature new threats, both man, beast, and apparently machine, as well as new underwater exploration via a new diving mechanic, deeper NPC bonds and more ways to interact with the local economy and towns, and new quests involving political machinations, history, and an "ominous presence in the desert." The full announcement trailer follows.

Acer today announced the Predator Atlas 7, a new addition to the Predator handheld portfolio that brings the same flagship performance of the recently launched 8-inch model into a more compact 7-inch form factor. Acer is also unveiling Project DualPlay Mini, an innovation concept that functions as both a high-powered gaming handheld and a mobile productivity device, blurring the line between designs for gaming and working. Both devices are featured in Acer's next@acer global press conference in Berlin, Germany.

Predator Atlas 7
Designed for mobile-first gamers who want flagship Predator experiences in a more compact, portable form factor, Predator Atlas 7 (PA07-I51) is powered by up to an Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor and up to Intel Arc B390 graphics for breakthrough gaming handheld performance. Paired with a subscription to XBOX Game Pass, the device allows for immediate high-powered gameplay right out of the box across hundreds of titles and brings the full benefits of Windows 11 gaming experiences.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the Razer Prio, an ultra-mobile, foldable USB-C gaming controller engineered for iPhone and Android. Built to turn daily downtime, from commuting delays to breaks between classes, into console-grade gaming sessions, the Prio delivers full-sized control in a palm-sized form that slips into any pocket.

The first in Razer's new line of ultraportable mobile gaming controllers, the Razer Prio packs full-sized, console-grade control into a one-of-a-kind foldable form that fits in a pocket, turning everyday downtime into real play.

AGON by AOC, the World's No.1 Gaming Monitor Brand for Seven Consecutive Years according to the 2025 IDC report, announces the AOC AGP327KG on September 1, the world's first 5K gaming monitor featuring NVIDIA G-SYNC Pulsar technology. Combining stunning 5K (5120 × 2880) resolution with advanced motion clarity, the AGP327KG delivers exceptional image detail, responsiveness, and visual precision for demanding PC gaming.

"G-SYNC Pulsar represents a major advancement in gaming display technology, bringing the ultimate motion clarity alongside variable refresh rate gaming," said Justin Walker, Senior Director of GeForce Product Management at NVIDIA. "Together with AGON by AOC and the high-resolution 5K panel in the AGP327KG, we're giving gamers the ability to experience incredible image detail alongside the smooth, responsive gameplay that G-SYNC is known for."

Since the launch of Borderlands 2, the game's modding scene has been very active, adding a bunch of quality of life improvements and fun tweaks to the genre-defining looter-shooter. One such modder, who goes by Enderkiller124 on X, has been working on implementing some features and characters from Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel in Borderlands 2, since both games take place roughly around the same time, and The Pre-Sequel was built on much of the same underlying tech and engine as Borderlands 2.

The mod, known as Project Moonshot, started out as a way to play The Pre-Sequel characters and laser weapons in Borderlands 2, which has already shown promise, per clips shown off on the modder's X account, but it has since morphed into a full-scale port of The Pre-Sequel into Borderlands 2. Conceivably, this would allow players to play The Pre-Sequel's quests as Borderlands 2 characters and with Borderlands 2 weapons, and vice versa. The mod is not yet complete, but you can follow the development progress on the developer's X account. The modder has already shown off several The Pre-Sequel areas with Borderlands 2 characters and in-game features, like the Grinder crafter in Concordia, The Pre-Sequel weapons working on Pandora, and the full Concordia model and materials rendered in Borderlands 2.

Recently, rumors popped up that Sony may be rethinking its commitment to an all-digital game future, thanks to supposed internal chatter at Microsoft about a "100% physical" Xbox Helix console. Now, industry insiders, both former and current, appear to be shutting down those rumors entirely, alleging that Sony will stick to its digital guns and have an all-digital console ecosystem by the end of December 2028.

Richard Browne, formerly of Sony and Psygnosis, commented on both new rumors in a new X post, claiming that there was no talk of a change in Sony's plans at the recent Gamescom industry expo, adding that publishers are "following their guidance for discless in 2028," and that Microsoft's new Project Helix would also likely be digital when it launches. While his commentary has largely been called into question, given he last worked at Sony in 2014, notable leaker, NateTheHate2, has also chimed in, echoing Browne's comments about Sony.

Doom: The Dark Ages Revelations is the only story expansion ever launched for The Dark Ages, and it was well-liked by the community, scoring a "Very Positive" review rating on Steam. However, as revealed in a new Insider Gaming interview, the expansion's quality came at a cost to its developers.

According to former Id Software developer, Andrew Willis, "There were two months where I was working something like at least 12 hours every day. I know I hit 17 a couple of days. It was brutal, and the majority of the game got made in three or four months." He adds that the crunch affected everyone on the team, however, he explained that the crunch wasn't mandated by company policy, but that developers were given a workload that was impossible to complete without the crunch.

With an ever-growing selection of Hall effect gaming keyboards to choose from, it seems as though e-sports brand RAWM has opted for optical switch tech for its next keyboard, the Nyx60, which it has announced will launch on Kickstarter on September 3. The only other major player in the PC peripherals market still relying on optical switches is Razer, and even Razer recently launched the Huntsman V3 HE to complement its optical keyboard line-up. The RAWM Nyx60's current listed MSRP is $199, but it will launch on Kickstarter with an early bird price of $99 for those who sign up with a $1 reservation.

RAWM argues that optical switch tech provides more stable actuation detection than magnetic switches and sensors, and it claims to be the first gaming keyboard to offer "light-guided optical switches in a full aluminium keyboard. It's currently unclear what, if anything, sets RAWM's switch tech apart from the prismatic designs we've already seen in Wooting and Razer's switches, but RAWM claims that the optical switch tech will offer 0.01 mm precision for both actuation and rapid trigger, and it says that the optical switches offer other benefits over HE, while offering all of the nifty analogue features, like RT, DKS, SOCD, and Mod Tap.

The upcoming release of the Fable reboot has generated quite a bit of hype, with the studio behind the game recently revealing some impressively forgiving minimum hardware requirements for PC gamers. Following that reveal, Polygon published an interview with Xbox about Fable and its content, wherein it was revealed that Fable's actual main campaign would be on the shorter side, especially compared to most modern RPGs.

Will Kennedy, Fable Associate Director, Playground GamesWe have around 15-20 hours of mainline quest gameplay, we have around 15-20 of side and open-world exploration content gameplay. And then, of course, the life systems are limitless, so you can play them for as long as you want.

Gaming peripheral brand Attack Shark has announced the launch of the R86 HE Carbon Fiber Magnetic Switch Gaming Keyboard, a flagship model designed to elevate expectations for high-end competitive gaming keyboards. Scheduled for release on 7 September 2026, the R86 HE is among the few magnetic switch keyboards to combine a 75% layout with a carbon fiber composite top case, bringing together advanced materials, precision magnetic switch technology, refined acoustics, and extensive customization.

As magnetic switch technology becomes a key driver of innovation in the gaming peripheral market, user expectations have expanded beyond speed alone. Today's players are increasingly seeking a combination of performance, build quality, sound, and personalization. The R86 HE answers those demands with a carbon fiber composite structure, tournament-grade magnetic switch performance, and a Hi-fi-inspired acoustic design, creating a new-generation 82-key gaming keyboard that balances competitive capability with everyday usability.

Welcome to September and we kick off the new month with a AAA RPG game set in 14th-century Europe that might involve vampires. The rest of this week is packed with big game releases and we start with a new take on an oldie first person shooter, which is followed by an action RPG, but this one is of the online co-op variety. Next up we have another online co-op game, but this time we're talking monkeys, bananas and bombs. If you want something with a bit more speed, then we might have what you're looking for in this week's sequel and finally we end the week with another major single release that's full of samurai's and swords. Don't forget to check out this week's other new releases as well.

The Blood of Dawnwalker / This week's AAA release / Thursday 3 September
14th-century Europe. Bloody conflicts sweep the lands, and the Black Death comes for the survivors. It's a moment of weakness - and that's all they needed. Vampires seize their opportunity to walk out of the shadows and claim what they've been denied for centuries: freedom, and the power that comes with it. Other creatures of the night follow their lead. Legends turn into reality, and history as we know it will never be the same. Steam link

It seems as though nostalgia is trending again, with game reboots proving to be a particularly successful vehicle for those yearning for the good old days. Konami is no exception, according to comments made by Konami Representative Director and President, Hideki Hayakawa in a recent interview with Nikkei Gaming. According to the executive, Konami has determined that rebooting its beloved game franchises "would be an effective way to make the most of them."

Hideki HayakawaOur company has been making games for more than 50 years, and we hold several IPs that are beloved globally by many fans. We concluded that rebooting these properties would be an effective way to make the most of them. In addition to METAL GEAR, SILENT HILL, and Momotaro Dentetsu, we are also actively developing Castlevania (known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula).

Recent news reports indicate that Valve's Steam Frame may be "just around the corner," and it seems like Valve is hard at work testing games in preparation for the VR headset's official launch. The latest, and arguably one of the most high-profile, game to get the "Frame Verified" badge is Beat Saber, which was previously listed as unsupported on the Steam Frame.

The changes, first noted by GamingOnLinux, are shown in a recent package update on SteamDB. According to the update, the rhythm game went from unsupported due to graphics performance to being listed as fully Frame Verified, even featuring correct and complete controller layout support. Following the verification, Beat Saber is now listed on the "Great on Frame" page on the Steam Store.