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The latest PC gaming news and reviews of gaming PC hardware, software and accessories.

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Valve will unveil its 'Half-Life: Alyx' VR game on Thursday
No, your eyes aren't deceiving you: after 12 years, Valve has announced a new Half-Life game. The company has confirmed swirling rumors with word that it will reveal Half-Life: Alyx, its "flagship VR game," on November 21st at 1PM Eastern. It didn't provide any details about the game itself, but this backs claims that the game will switch attention to Alyx Vance, the resistance fighter and Gordan Freeman ally who played a key role in Half-Life 2.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate adds Discord, Spotify and EA Access freebies
This holiday season, Microsoft really wants you to sign up for its monthly Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription service. To start, for a limited time you can once again get the first three months of the service, which bundles together the company's Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass subscriptions together, for just $1. Additionally, the company is throwing in one free month of EA Access, three free months of Discord Nitro and six free months of Spotify Premium.
'Life is Strange' dev's upcoming game centers on twins and trans identity
Dontnod Entertainment has more than Twin Mirror on its slate for next year. At X019, Xbox Games Studios announced the Life is Strange developer is working on another narrative adventure title for 2020 called Tell Me Why. You'll play as twins Tyler and Alyson Ronan, who try to untangle their childhood memories while a mystery plays out in small-town Alaska.
'Grounded' is an ant-sized survival game set in a suburban backyard
If The Outer Worlds has got you excited to play whatever Obsidian Entertainment's cooking up next, you won't have to wait too much longer. Its first-person survival title, Grounded, will arrive on Xbox Game Preview next spring.
Rockstar apologizes for buggy ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ PC launch
Red Dead Redemption 2 was one of the biggest console hits of 2018. After waiting a full year, PC gamers finally got a chance to play the gritty, Western-themed adventure when it was released last week. However, many experienced game-breaking bugs. Rockstar has apologized for the bumpy start and released fixes for many of the issues. Users who were unable to open Rockstar's launcher or the game application should be able to do so now, and some gamers who experienced glitchy gameplay should notice a big performance improvement.
John Carmack takes a step back at Oculus to work on human-like AI
Six years ago John Carmack left the company he founded, iD Software, to join Oculus VR as its Chief Technology Officer and push forward the future of virtual reality tech. Today the engineer behind many developments in 3D gaming has announced that a new "consulting CTO" role at Oculus "will only be consuming a modest slice of my time." Instead, he's turning his focus to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), or AI that can pick up intellectual tasks like a human being does. That's in contrast to the "AI" you see today, which is usually a very narrowly focused set of algorithms built for a specific task. In 2014, Carmack told Engadget that the prime motivation behind his decision to join Oculus was development of Samsung's Gear VR headset. Since then, virtual reality growth has happened in fits and starts, with less focus on mobile platforms. Also, Oculus was acquired by Facebook, and there was a protracted legal battle with Zenimax, the company that acquired iD Software after he left, over the copyright to VR code. Oculus founder Palmer Luckey and other executives have left the company since Facebook took over, following a pattern seen at its other acquisitions like WhatsApp and Instagram. Still, Carmack suggests he'll continue to have a role with Oculus, and similar to the shift that brought him to the company, it seemed inevitable he would move on to another field at some point after 3D engines and aerospace work. According to his Facebook post, the alternative was "cost effective nuclear fission reactors," which just aren't suitable for working from home.
Apple's AR headset might not arrive until 2022
You might not want to get your hopes up for an Apple augmented reality headset in 2020 despite evidence of progress. The Information sources claim Apple held an internal presentation in October where it expected to release the AR headset (really a mixed AR/VR headset) in 2022, and AR glasses in 2023. There would be reasons for the wait, however. If the leak is accurate, Apple will try to push the boundaries of AR technology.
'Death Stranding' for PC will come to both Epic Games Store and Steam
When you heard that Death Stranding was coming to PCs next summer, did you cringe at the rumors that it might be yet another Epic Games Store exclusive? You can relax. Kojima Productions and 505 Games have confirmed that the game will be available through both Steam and Epic's store at the same time for $60 (£55) when it's ready in summer 2020. You can already pre-order if you're intrigued by the game's genre-bending mechanics and big-name acting talent.
Fable's 'Wolves in the Walls' concludes with third and final VR chapter
You can always rely on Neil Gaiman to create a narrative that's charming and disturbing in equal measure, whether it's in the form of a book, a movie or a game. That's certainly been the case with Fable Studio's VR adaptation of Wolves in the Wall, an Emmy Award-winning game based on Gaiman's novel. The studio has just completed its narrative with the release of the third and final part of the series in the Oculus Store.
Facebook will help military veterans become AR and VR engineers
Facebook has launched a new resource hub to help veterans and serving members of the military improve their digital literacy and find new employment opportunities. As part of the venture -- undertaken in partnership with mentoring organization SCORE -- Facebook will be launching a 12-month career development program focused on AR and VR engineering, aimed at veterans with backgrounds in electrical and mechanical engineering, and computer science.
The world's smallest 8K 360 camera can fit in your pocket
When it comes to pocket 360 cameras these days, we tend to look to the likes of Insta360, GoPro and Ricoh. The adventurous folks may also tap into the lesser-known KanDao, which has today released its second pocket 360 camera, the QooCam 8K. As the name implies, this $589 device packs the highest video resolution in its class, beating the 5.7K Insta360 One X and the 5.6K GoPro Max. It even does real-time stitching, and afterwards, you can do "8K express edits" on your phone by way of smaller 4K proxy files. It's a cunning way to maximize the user's mobility without sacrificing output quality.
Google open sources Cardboard as it retreats from phone-based VR
Google's decision to back away from phone-based VR may have an upside for creators. The internet giant is releasing a Cardboard open source project that will let developers create VR experiences and add Cardboard support to their apps. It covers basics like head tracking, lens distortion rendering and input, but also includes a QR code library to ensure that you're not dependent on Google's Cardboard app to pair viewers. Between this and existing open source tools for making viewers, companies and homebrew teams alike could create all the hardware and software they need without asking Google for help.
Sony’s latest VR attraction will let you enter 'Jumanji'
Sony Pictures and VR attraction firm The Void have teamed up to create a new VR experience in conjunction with Sony's upcoming film Jumanji: The Next Level. Called Jumanji: Reverse the Curse, it will allow visitors to virtually enter the jungles of Jumanji, while exploring a physical stage with walls, props and "multi-sensory effects including touch and smell," the companies wrote in a press release.
'Dota 2' will match players sooner if they're open to different roles
Play class-based games and you'll know that it's tough to convince people to play certain roles -- there are only so many people who'd rather be the support character than the front line hero. Valve's solution for Dota 2? Give players an incentive to fill those roles. Its latest update to the game adds a Fast Queue option that bumps Ranked players to the front of the line when they're willing to play with all roles selected.
Google update makes Chrome ready for web-based VR
VR systems are getting more advanced, but they're still primarily available on niche hardware and software. That could be about to change, with the latest beta version of Google's Chrome browser supporting web-based VR.
Steam's redesigned Library is available to everyone
Your Steam game collection is about to look decidedly different. Valve has released a Steam update that brings the redesigned Library to everyone, giving you a smarter (and hopefully easier) view of your catalog. There's now a central hub with game news, friend activity, recent games and the Collections you create either by hand or with search criteria. You'll also see Events that showcase ongoing activities in games, such as special multiplayer weekends or new add-ons. Think of it as a way to surface a long-lost favorite or keep in touch with what others are playing.
Fraud forces Valve to kill ‘CS:GO’ loot box key trading
Valve's policy of allowing Counter Strike: Global Offensive players to buy and re-sell keys to access in-game loot boxes is no more. The company has announced that the marketplace has apparently been taken over by large fraud networks as a way of laundering money. On the CS:GO blog, an unnamed staffer wrote that "nearly all key purchases that end up being traded or sold on the marketplace are believed to be fraud-sourced."
EA and Valve's partnership includes connecting Steam and Origin friend lists
EA is once again selling its games through Steam, and it'll offer its EA Access games subscription service through Valve's platform as well. The partnership starts next month with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and multiplayer games such as Apex Legends and FIFA 20 are on the way to Steam too. When the latter games do arrive, you might find that your Origin and Steam friend lists are integrated.
'Avengers Damage Control' is the ideal VR follow-up to 'Endgame'
If you're still emotionally wiped out by Avengers Endgame, The Void and ILMxLAB's latest VR entry might soothe your geeky soul. Avengers Damage Control is more than just a mere virtual reality game, like the upcoming Iron Man title for the PlayStation VR. Instead, it's a prime example of what The Void does best: Building large-scale multi-player VR experiences mapped to physical sets. It's a dream come true for anyone who's ever wanted to fight alongside their favorite Marvel superheroes -- just be prepared to shell out $40 to experience it.
'Doctor Who: The Edge of Time' VR game arrives November 12th
While it might be an iconic TV franchise, Doctor Who hasn't exactly set the video game world alight over the years. BBC Studios, publisher PlayStack and developer Maze Theory are trying to remedy that with the promising Doctor Who: The Edge of Time, a VR game they'll release November 12th. It was previously scheduled for a September debut.

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