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

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Epic buys 'Rocket League' creator Psyonix (updated)
Epic's determination to score exclusives for its game store now includes buying well-known studios. The company has acquired Rocket League creator Psyonix for an unspecified amount, and will bring the vehicular soccer game to the Epic Games Store by late in 2019. Needless to say, that has people worried about Rocket League's fate -- will it disappear from Steam? Epic said it had "not announced plans" to stop selling the game on Steam, but it's only guaranteeing that existing customers will "continue to be supported."
Facebook has a three-part plan for making AI more 'inclusive'
Facebook kicked off the second day of F8 2019, its annual developers conference, with a keynote about the technologies it uses to combat abuse on its platform. As the company detailed last year, artificial intelligence is key to keeping its apps and services safe. Facebook says AI is now proactively taking down more than 99 percent of spam, fake accounts and terrorist propaganda, though it's still struggling with hate speech (51.6 percent) and harassment (14.9 percent). Another area where Facebook is looking to improve the technology is inclusivity. What that means, essentially, is that it wants to teach its machines to work the same for everyone, regardless of skin color or other physical attributes.
VR is a strangely fitting home for stop-motion animation
Strange, fantastical things are brewing in VR, and the Tribeca Film Festival's Immersive Arcade is a great place to find them. One of the most intriguing things I saw at the festival this year was a stop-motion experience that also uses CGI and 3D 360-degree video to craft a creepy gymnasium. Sure, stop-motion is relatively low-tech, but the combination of technologies produces something truly unique.
Watch Facebook's F8 2019 keynote in 13 minutes
Facebook's F8 developer conferences tend to be chock-full of news, and that's truer than ever for 2019. The company's opening keynote brought major changes to just about every corner of Facebook's universe, including a site redesign, a super-lightweight Messenger app, Instagram shopping and new features to find friends or hook up with your secret crush. And then there's the hardware -- Oculus finally committed to release dates for the Quest and Rift S, while Portal will be available beyond the US. It's a lot to handle, but you don't have to worry about wading through it all. We've rounded up the highlights of F8 in a video that will get you up to speed in short order.
Oculus' next-gen Quest and Rift S headsets go on sale May 21st
After months upon months of waiting, Oculus is finally ready to deliver its next generation of VR headsets. Both the stand-alone Oculus Quest and PC-dependent Oculus Rift S will be available to buy on May 21st in 22 countries, with pre-orders starting today (April 30th). Amazon, Best Buy, Microsoft and Walmart are among the outlets carrying both devices. The Rift S is available in just one $399 trim, while the Quest starts at $399 for a version with 64GB of built-in storage, and $499 for 128GB of space.
Valve's Index VR kit goes on sale tomorrow for $999
Valve fans rejoice! The company today unveiled its Index VR kit, which consists of a $500 headset, $279 controllers and two $149 base stations. You can get the entire kit for $1,000 or the headset and controllers for $749, or buy everything individually if you prefer. Pre-orders begin tomorrow.
Oculus Quest review: VR freedom comes at a cost
If the Oculus Go was an appetizer for truly wireless VR, which is entirely self-contained and doesn't rely on a PC, the Quest is closer to a main course. It's not as immersive as desktop virtual reality, but it's currently the easiest way to show off the potential of this new medium. You don't have to set up any sensors -- just throw on the headset, pick up the motion controllers, and you can jump into a complex virtual world anywhere.
Firefox virtual reality web browser comes to SteamVR this summer
Mozilla's Firefox Reality browser has been available through a number of platform-specific VR portals, but it'll soon be available in a relatively neutral form. The developer has revealed that it's working with Valve to bring Firefox Reality to SteamVR sometime this summer. You'll install it through a new web dashboard button and browse pages in a window that floats over "any OpenVR experience." To put it another way, you could check a walkthrough for a VR-capable Steam game while you're playing it, whether you're using an HTC Vive, an Oculus Rift or Valve's own Index headset.
Watch Facebook's F8 keynote at 1PM ET
Facebook's annual F8 developer conference keynote is upon us at 1PM Eastern, and that means a lot of news whether or not you're a coder. This year, the company is not only outlining the future of social networking and technologies like VR -- it's likely addressing privacy questions in response to a string of scandals. Thankfully, there are multiple ways to watch such a definitive event. The company is livestreaming F8 through multiple channels, including its main F8 page and its Facebook page for developers. And if you're an Oculus device owner, you can even watch in VR through Venues. These events are seldom short, but they're worthwhile if you want to know where Facebook is headed for years to come.
VR turns bumper cars into retro-futuristic steampunk tanks
We've seen VR headsets used on rollercoasters and in car-based Mario Kart games, but now Steampunk VR Scooter has brought VR headsets to the world of bumper cars. From the outside, players appear to be sitting in your standard bumper cars and wearing VR headsets. Inside the game, though, they're immersed in a steampunk world. Players ride "retro-futuristic" steam engines and compete against each other and robotic enemies, while navigating terrain complete with cliffs and abysses.
Fable's 'Wolves in the Walls' VR is about more than virtual reality
After rebranding itself as a "virtual beings" studio in January, Fable is ready to show us what they mean. At the Tribeca Film Festival this week, it debuted the second chapter of The Wolves in the Wall, a VR experience adapted from the Neil Gaiman story. But the real star of the show aren't the imaginative virtual set-pieces you encounter -- instead, it's Lucy, a young girl who's convinced there's something weird going on in her house. She can remember your interactions to personalize your play sessions, and she can react to what you're doing in a scene.
National Geographic is bringing an Antarctic adventure to Oculus Quest
National Geographic is delving deeper into VR with a 30-minute Antarctic adventure that will hit Oculus Quest this spring. In National Geographic Explore VR, you'll be tasked with finding a lost penguin colony. The adventure will take you on a kayak ride through frigid water, and on a climb up an ice sheet as you search for the missing birds.
Epic Games throws down an ultimatum for Steam
Epic Games threw a grenade into the world of digital distribution when it revealed its own storefront late last year, complete with a better deal for developers than anything offered by Steam, the longstanding king of PC gaming. The Epic Games Store has a revenue-share model of 88 percent for developers and 12 percent for Epic, handily outpacing Steam's standard split of 70/30.
Acer updates select laptops with the latest from Intel and NVIDIA
This morning, Intel debuted its 9th-generation mobile core processor, the i9-9980HK, and revealed a slew of other 9th-gen chips. In the hours following, a wave of gaming laptop makers announced that they're adding the new chips and the latest NVIDIA graphic cards to their machines. Now, you can add Acer to the list of companies offering laptops with the latest internals.
MSI is also upgrading its gaming laptops with Intel's new CPUs
MSI is joining a slew of other hardware makers in refreshing its gaming laptops with 9th-gen Core CPUs. It says these processors will allow its machines to deliver up to 45 percent better performance than previous versions.
Lenovo's latest gaming laptops pack 9th-gen Intel Core CPUs
Lenovo has announced two new gaming laptops, while it has refreshed some models in its Legion lineup -- all of which work with 9th-gen Intel Core i7 processors. The IdeaPad L340 Gaming laptop is a little more budget-friendly than other portable Lenovo gaming machines. It has blue lighting and options to switch between Gaming and Quiet modes. It's compatible with NVIDIA's new GeForce GTX 1650 GPU and features Dolby Audio, while Intel Optane memory is available as an option. The L340 will be available late May, starting at $870 for the 15-inch model and $920 for its 17-inch sibling.
Google's VR painting app is coming to Oculus Quest
Google's Tilt Brush is available on multiple platforms, but there's been one common limitation: you've had to use a wired VR headset, which puts a damper on your creative freedom. Those cords won't be a problem soon. Google has revealed that it's bringing Tilt Brush to the Oculus Quest, giving you the same core experience without the risk of tripping over cables as you paint your 3D masterpiece. It could well be a device seller, although Google is quick to admit that there are technical limitations associated with jumping from the PC to a headset with a mobile chip.
PBS interactive media series aims to make AR and VR more accessible
One issue with interactive technology like virtual reality, augmented reality and other mixed media is that the cost of the equipment alone can be restrictive. To level the playing field, PBS is launching POV Spark, a series of media projects that will be accessible to wider audiences, not just those who have access to expensive headsets and exclusive events. POV Spark will launch with three interactive productions and two initiatives meant to foster future mixed-media storytelling.
Switch RPG ‘Octopath Traveler’ comes to PC this summer
The retro-style RPG Octopath Traveler will no longer only be found on the Nintendo Switch. The PC version of the game will launch on Steam on June 7th, according to a trailer released on Monday by Square Enix. This will follow the mobile-only prequel, Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent that came out for Android and iOS just last month.
ASUS' gamer-friendly ZenBook S13 is now available
After several months of anticipation, the ASUS ZenBook S13 is finally available from most major retailers starting at $1,399. We loved the ultraportable the first time we got our hands on it back in January when we found out the lightweight laptop manages to pack quite a bit of power. It sports a dedicated NVIDIA GeForceMX150 graphics card and 8th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, making it a legitimate option for gamers on the go.

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