Discord is rewriting its desktop app in Rust and dropping Electron, and the early numbers look very promising. Discord CTO and co-founder Stanislav Vishnevskiy posted a Task Manager screenshot on X showing the new client, listed as "Discord Phoenix," using just 290.2 MB of RAM. In the same screenshot, Steam's WebHelper sits at 856 MB and Battle.net at 344 MB. That's a big drop, as Discord said late last year that its current Windows client normally stays under 1 GB, and it even tested auto-restarting the app once it crossed 4 GB. Vishnevskiy also shared a side-by-side clip on two laptops showing the new client booting much faster, adding that clicking around "feels instant."

Mobile is getting the same treatment. According to Vishnevskiy, Discord is dropping React Native as well, so the mobile apps will keep their native interface while sharing app code with the desktop client through Rust. The new client is built on GPUI, the Rust UI framework from the team behind the Zed code editor, rather than Tauri as many had guessed. There's no release date yet, and Discord only says it hopes to get it into testing with users soon.

Meta has detailed Horizon Create and Horizon Studio, two generative AI tools that can let people build playable 2D and 3D games from text prompts. Horizon Create is a mobile app aimed at quick, on-the-go creation, while Horizon Studio is a web-based tool with more granular controls for editing details like difficulty, art direction, and progression systems. Both run on the Meta Horizon Engine and let creators publish across Meta's apps, including Facebook and Instagram. Describing what the tools can do, Horizon VP Saxs Persson said:

"You have an idea, you open the app, describe the game you want to build in your own words, and the system starts building it with you. It's not a sketch, it's not a prototype, you build playable 2D and 3D games with real depth. From there, everything is one prompt away; reimagine the environment, change the characters, make a new quest or a new level, tweak the difficulty so new players can stay with it."

AI has the potential to unlock new and exciting possibilities in how we work, learn, and play. At Xbox, we're focused on how our innovations in AI can enhance and create more personalized experiences for players, save them time, and ultimately let them focus more on playing the games they love. Today marks a major step in our journey to bring these AI-powered experiences to players. We're excited to announce that Gaming Copilot, your personal gaming sidekick - which provides recommendations, help, insights, and more - is officially coming to Windows PC and Xbox on mobile.

Starting today, PC players will begin seeing Gaming Copilot integrated directly into their Game Bar experience as the feature rolls out gradually over the next few weeks. It will then come to the Xbox mobile app on Apple and Android next month, where players will be able to access this personalized companion via a second screen without distracting from their gameplay.

Skullcandy is bringing a seismic shift to the gaming audio scene with the launch of the Crusher PLYR 720—the first gaming headset to feature Skullcandy's patented Crusher multi-sensory bass technology and an open-back design for an unmatched immersive experience. The Crusher PLYR 720 fuses Skullcandy's fan-favorite multi-sensory bass, THX Spatial Audio, and open-back acoustics to deliver an entirely new way to experience your favorite games. Explosions rumble through your chest, engines growl with depth, you can hear a creeping enemy with pinpoint accuracy, and every impact shakes you.

The open-back acoustics and advanced positional tuning mean the audio creates a realistic, expansive soundstage. The signature dual Crusher drivers, acting as sensation drivers, provide the best immersive acoustics for gamers. The result gives gamers a heightened level of hearing and sensation that allows them to feel what is happening in the game before they see or hear it. Unlike haptic headphones on the market, Crusher PLYR 720's bass drivers fire directly into your head and ears—not just around them—delivering a more natural, visceral sound you can truly feel. It's less like controller rumble and more like adding an adjustable subwoofer to your gameplay.

It's time to confront some magical creatures (or maybe just your backlog) with these games coming soon! Some surprise benefits and announcements you might have missed, day one games (with some amazing music; looking at you South of Midnight), and more. Let's get to it!

Coming Soon
Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) - April 3
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition packs bazillions of guns and is a mayhem-fueled adventure, featuring the base game plus all four campaign add-ons, Director's Cut content, and all cosmetic packs! Blast through worlds and enemies as one of four Vault Hunters, each with deep skill trees, abilities, and customization. Play solo or join with friends to take on insane enemies, score loads of loot, and save your home from the most ruthless cult leaders in the galaxy.

ASUS today announced that selected routers in designated countries in the APAC region will bundle a complementary trial subscription to GearUP Console Booster, a service that optimizes the network connection for more than 1,000 online games, reducing latency and improving overall gaming experiences for popular game consoles and smart handhelds. The ASUS RT-AX86U Pro and RT-AX82U routers will include a three-month subscription, while the TUF-AX6000 and TUF-AX4200 routers will include a two-month subscription. Existing owners of these routers can add support for GearUP Console Booster with a firmware update. The RT-AX86U Pro is available in the APAC region now, and the other routers in this promotion are currently scheduled to be available starting in July 2024.

Accelerate gaming with GearUP Console Booster
Through the in-house Adaptive Intelligent Routing (AIR) system, GearUP Console Booster quickly determines and activates the fastest connection to a game server. Adaptive QoS on a compatible ASUS router can prioritize this connection over others on the network to ensure that it remains fast and stable. The ASUS Router mobile app and web interface includes an intuitive setup wizard to get GearUP Console Booster running.

Gaudio Lab, a leading company in AI audio technology, is proud to announce the launch of 'Just Voice Recorder', a cutting-edge mobile recording application powered by AI noise cancellation technology. Just Voice Recorder sets a new standard in recording applications with its innovative AI noise reduction technology. By utilizing an on-device AI approach, the app ensures that recordings are securely stored within the device, eliminating the need for external transmission to cloud servers and addressing security concerns for sensitive recordings. With an intuitive interface similar to high-end physical recorders, users can enjoy hassle-free and secure recording while minimizing data leakage risks. Currently available for iOS, an Android version is in development.

Leveraging Gaudio Lab's world-renowned AI sound source separation technology (GSEP) and Loudness Management (LM1) technology, Just Voice Recorder excels in isolating and enhancing human voices within recordings, delivering crystal-clear content. Its loudness management feature maintains a balanced volume level throughout, providing users with comfortable, fatigue-free playback. Just Voice Recorder, featuring AI-powered noise elimination in real-time, received the prestigious CES Innovation Award and was a finalist at the SXSW Innovation Awards 2024.