Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Remaster May Have A 7 December Physical Release

Rockstar Games confirmed that the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Remaster is real. While no dates were mentioned, it will probably be coming some time this year. And it looks like it will have a physical release for previous generation consoles, and the Nintendo Switch, coming in December.

Polish outlet PPE cites retail sources as saying that the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Remaster will get physical copies for the PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. These will be available on 7 December. The PS5, as well as Xbox Series X and S, will also be getting physical editions, but later in 2022.

The dates of the physical editions may be an indication of the general release date for the trilogy remaster. That being said, video games leaker Tom Henderson has claimed that the title is scheduled for release on 11 November instead. While it’s not impossible that physical and digital versions of the same game launch on different days, it’s always strange when it happens.

On a related note, VGC reports that retailer Base.com had listed the trilogy remaster as being priced at US$70 (~RM292) for current-gen consoles, and US$60 (~RM250) for previous-gen machines. The listing has since been removed, but they can just as much be placeholder prices as they can be real ones.

Official confirmation from Rockstar as to if any of these numbers are accurate is also said to be coming on 22 October, the 20th anniversary of GTA3. So we may be a short 10 days away from from finding out for sure.

Apple Reportedly Cancels Plan To Release iPad Air With OLED Display For 2022

Earlier in June this year, renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple would be updating certain 2022 iPad models with OLED displays, starting with the next-generation iPad Air. However, according to a recent investor note obtained by MacRumors, Kuo now says the company has allegedly decided to exclude the Air variant from receiving this upgrade.

Instead, it is said that the company will continue featuring LCD displays for next year’s iPad Air model. The analyst states that one reason behind this was due to costs as well as quality concerns, which did not meet Apple’s expectations. This also seemingly corroborates with a report by The Elec that was published back in late September, which suggests that Apple has called off a joint-project with Samsung to use an OLED display developed by the South Korean giant for a forthcoming iPad Air model.

Meanwhile, an earlier prediction of Kuo’s suggests that Apple is upgrading the 11-inch iPad Pro to feature a mini LED display – a tech that is already included in the current generation 12.9-inch Pro model. It is also mentioned in the investor note that Kuo claims Apple intends to have the new 11-inch model to be the “focus of [the] iPad line in 2022,” and concluded that releasing an OLED-equipped iPad Air would be detrimental to its potential sales.

While Kuo’s track record of predicting future Apple’s releases has been accurate to a certain degree, it is still advisable to take the information provided by the analyst with a pinch of salt. Whether his predictions are accurate or not will only be determined when Apple officially unveils its 2022 iPad line-up, which – as most of us are aware – is still far off.

Apple Watch Series 7 Receives General Release Date: Malaysia’s Status Still Unknown

Of all devices that were launched during the California Streaming event last month which also include iPhone 13 Series, iPhone 13 Pro Series, 6th generation iPad mini, and 9th generation iPad, there are still some mysterious elements regarding Apple Watch Series 7. For example, its actual rollout date was not revealed by Apple during the event but that has just changed this evening.

The company has announced that Series 7 will be made available in selected markets starting from 15 October onwards. Interesting enough, more than 50 countries and regions are part of the first-wave markets for the new smartwatch including the usual suspects such as the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and China.

Despite the large group of first-wave markets, it seems that Malaysia is not part of it though as Apple Malaysia’s website still listed the Series 7’s availability as “later this year” at the time this article is published. As a comparison, Apple websites for Singapore and Thailand have noted that customers will be able to order Series 7 through them starting from 8 October.

On another hand, Series 7 is not listed on Apple’s websites for Indonesia and Vietnam. We are now reaching out to Apple to find out more about the watch’s availability in Malaysia and will keep you posted once we receive further updates.

Alan Wake Remastered FAQ Details System Requirements; Confirms 5 October Release

We’ve previously seen the supposed release date of Alan Wake Remastered of 5 October, as revealed ahead of schedule by a Taiwanese retailer. The developers at Remedy Entertainment has since put out an FAQ page for the game. It not only confirms the release date, but also lists the PC system requirements for the remaster.

Starting with the minimum specs, we’re looking at an Intel Core i5-3340 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 CPU, and Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 or AMD Radeon RX470 GPU and 8GB of RAM. The only other option listed is recommended, which is a Core i7-3770 or Ryzen 5 1400 CPU, GeForce GTX1060 or Radeon 5600XT GPU, and 16GB of RAM.

All in all, it looks like the Alan Wake Remastered isn’t too demanding when it comes to PC requirements. Though it’s worth noting that the game will only come in x64, and supports only DX12. For Nvidia users, there’s support for DLSS, but not raytracing, which requires an RTX card either way.

Then again, it’s not entirely surprising. After all, this is a remaster and not a remake. Which means that while it will look prettier, it is still mostly the same game. Though interestingly, on the PS5, there’s DualSense support, which makes the torchlight shine brighter if you squeeze the L2 button harder.

Riot Games To Release Its Own Game Launcher Soon

GOG Galaxy, EA Origin, and Steam are some of many game launchers that are currently available on PC. And if you happen to be a regular player of League of Legends (LoL) and Valorant, well… then get ready to add another one to that list.

According to Riot Games, the developer of the two aforementioned titles, the new launcher is aimed to unify all of its in-house games under a single platform and enable players to access them under a single sign-in. In addition, existing desktop shortcuts to titles such as LoL and Valorant will still work even after the rollout of its platform. However, it was not mentioned if accessing these shortcuts would directly launch their respective games, or redirect users to the new Riot Games Launcher.

From their description, the upcoming platform seems like it might function similarly to Activision-Blizzard’s BattleNet client, where each game features its own tab and respective page for launching it and receiving patch updates. At the same time, the overall launcher will also act as a central hub for users to easily keep up with the latest announcements, news, and events for each title. The developer ensures that the new launcher will be lightweight in terms of resource requirements.

The new Riot Games Launcher will first be available on 20 September for testing, and is expected to roll out to all players worldwide starting 4 October. The team noted that the latter is subject to change, should additional time be needed to iron out any issues as well as to add new features to the upcoming client app.

CDPR Created Cyberpunk 2077 Bug Montage Before Game’s Release

CD Projekt Red has been churning out fixes for Cyberpunk 2077, which launched in quite the state. Unsurprisingly, a game that launched with that many bugs will have enough for a montage video or two. And a few of those have made their way online.

VGC reports that the leaked videos were part of the files stolen from CDPR during the major hack it suffered earlier in the year. The videos show various bugs of Cyberpunk 2077, edited for comedic effect.

On its own, a bug montage is not necessarily a bad thing. CDPR probably intended to also include it with Cyberpunk 2077 as a sort of bonus material, the way it did for The Witcher 3. But considering the state it launched in, it’s probably understandable why the developer decided against it.

One of the producers of Cyberpunk 2077 also confirmed that the bug montage is legitimate on Twitter. The tweet has since been deleted, also for obvious reasons. To say that it would have been taken poorly would be an understatement. But to be fair, it was a reply to another tweet by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, which was also deleted.

If you want to see the video montage for yourself, you can do so by heading to VGC’s report, linked below. But be warned that the second video opens with extremely NSFW bugs.

Facebook Smartwatch May Release Next Year; To Feature Two Cameras

Earlier in February, we saw reports that say Facebook may be working on a smartwatch of its own. New reports provide more details on what this wearable may entail, as well as when it may be released. And it’s not anytime soon, to be sure.

The Verge reports that the smartwatch by Facebook will come with a detachable display. This display will also come with two cameras . Detaching the module will then let users take pictures and videos, Naturally, you’ll be able to upload them to the company’s many platforms, including Instagram. It may also come with LTE connectivity for this purpose, so that it can work without a phone.

One camera will sit in front, the way a front-facing camera on a phone will. This one exists mostly for video calls, which probably means a lower resolution. Another sits at the back of the module, allowing for 1080p recording with auto-focus. Facebook will also be working with other companies to make accessories to allow the module to be attached to things like backpacks. Which makes it sound like an action cam.

The Verge reports that the smartwatch by Facebook will come with a detachable display. This display will also come with two cameras . Detaching the module will then let users take pictures and videos, Naturally, you’ll be able to upload them to the company’s many platforms, including Instagram. It may also come with LTE connectivity for this purpose, so that it can work without a phone.

One camera will sit in front, the way a front-facing camera on a phone will. This one exists mostly for video calls, which probably means a lower resolution. Another sits at the back of the module, allowing for 1080p recording with auto-focus. Facebook will also be working with other companies to make accessories to allow the module to be attached to things like backpacks. Which makes it sound like an action cam.

The report also states that this is the social media company’s plan to circumvent Apple and Google, going straight to users. Which also goes to explain why, despite it being a smartwatch, the detachable module behaves quite like a dumbed down smartphone.

Facebook is also reportedly already working on second and third generations of the device. Which sounds like the company is confident of its success. But the first generation will not be seeing the light of day until some time in summer 2022.

Diablo 2: Resurrected To Release On 23 September

Blizzard confirmed the existence of Diablo 2: Resurrected back in February this year. It is to be a remaster of the game that defined a generation of gamers. Now, the title has a release date. And at the same time, the publisher has announced what exactly the remaster will entail.

Among the things you can expect from Diablo 2: Resurrected includes the expected 4K resolution and 600 fps gameplay. Sound has been given a touch up too, being remastered with 7.1 Dolby Surround audio.

In terms of gameplay, the only thing that Blizzard noted that has been changed are the quality-of-life improvements. One example is the larger stash. For those who want to see the change in graphics between the original and the remaster on the fly, the option is there too. And this is done with a single button press.

Diablo 2: Resurrected will release on 23 September on PC, both console generations, and the Nintendo Switch. Blizzard say there’s cross progression, which is great. Though crossplay, while available on PC and consoles, is not available on the Nintendo Switch.

The game is also available for pre-order. Those who do will be able to access its multiplayer open beta in August. During which five of the seven classes – Amazon, Barbarian, Paladin, Sorceress and Druid – will be available. Not sure if you can muck about with your old save file during this period.

Next-Gen PS VR Reportedly Planned For End Of 2022 Release

Sony Interactive Entertainment officially announced the next-generation PS VR headset. But the company did not provide a release date, beyond that it won’t be out this year. But a new report suggests that it will be out at the end of next year.

Bloomberg has a new report about a Japanese LCD maker pivoting its focus from phone screens to VR. But in it, the report also mentions the successor to the original PS VR. It claims that the company is looking to release it in “the holiday period of next year”. It also mentions that he headset will be using OLED panels provided by Samsung for its display.

Prior reports pegged said display as being of around 4K resolution together. It is also said to come with foveated rendering, which makes use of eye-tracking tech. This allows the headset to only fully render areas a user is looking at to lower graphical processing load. The headset itself is also said to support haptic feedback.

At any rate, it looks like the next PS VR still has a long way to go before it is ready for the public. But it does look like it will have all the bells and whistles of the current generation PlayStation console when it does.

Rumour Suggests Huawei And Leica Partnership To End After P50 Series’ Release

The newly established partnership between Sharp and Leica that was revealed earlier, along with the unveiling of the Aquos R6 smartphone may come as a surprise for many. This is the first time for the German camera maker to collaborate with another smartphone brand after exclusively partnering with Huawei since 2016. However, Leica’s contract with the Chinese tech giant may finally come to an end later this year, according to a recent rumour.

This information comes from Finnish leakster Teme (aka @RODENT50) via Twitter, who said that the partnership will end after the release of Huawei’s P50 flagships which are said to be officially unveiled in July. The most possible reason that comes to mind to why Leica may be considering ending this deal is the ongoing US sanctions imposed on the Chinese company. This has drastically impacted Huawei, causing it to cut down on smartphone production due to the shortage of supplies, especially semiconductors. This is quite apparent as aside from the upcoming P50 series, the company has not unveiled or released any other smartphone model in 2021.

Although this may seem like an impending end of a six-year partnership between the two companies, there’s a chance that Teme’s information is inaccurate. Interestingly, the leakster followed-up on this tweet a few days after, stating that the Leica-Huawei collaboration could still continue even after the release of the P50 series. He also noted that the camera maker’s new partnership with Sharp will not affect its relationship with the Chinese giant as multi-branded deals are quite common in the smartphone industry. For instance, optical systems manufacturer Zeiss to this date has partnered with three smartphone makers, namely Sony, Vivo and Nokia.

Regardless, we highly advise our readers to take this information with a pinch of salt. And this isn’t the first time that the Leica-Huawei partnership is rumoured to be expired either. Chinese tech insider Digital Chat Station also suggested the same insight on Weibo in late 2020, which was shot down by both companies in their own respective statements. This then resulted in the leakster to delete his post on the Chinese social media platform soon after.

Clubhouse Heading For General Release In Summer

Clubhouse was just open to more Android users, albeit still in beta just earlier last month. But it looks like the app is on its way to being available to everyone. In an announcement, the company says that it is heading for a general release “sometime in summer”.

The announcement came via a town hall meet within Clubhouse itself. In a recap posted on Twitter, the company also says that it is getting closer to feature parity between Android and iOS platforms. Also announced is quite the milestone for the app, as it now has over two million users on Android.

It’s probably safe to assume that Clubhouse will only become available to the general public once it reaches that feature parity. From the tweet, it sounds like it’s still a few updates away. And the window of summer is a very large one. For us without four seasons, this range starts from the end of June, going all the way to the end of September.

Of course, while it may be the one to popularise the idea of a voice only communication, Clubhouse is not the only one anymore. Other social media companies have begun working on their own version of the feature.

Next Battlefield Release Within Q4 2021; Announcement Coming In June

EA has the next Battlefield game locked for release within the last quarter of this year. This release window lines up with the release window of previous entries in the series. And it falls in the ever popular year-end holiday period.

In a set of presentation slides that accompanied its earnings report, EA has highlighted the games it plans to release for its financial year of 2022. In this, the company notes that a Battlefield game will be released in Q3 of its fiscal year. This lines up with Q4 of the calendar year of 2021. You can find this on page 13 of the slides, linked below.

The game will be developed by four studios. The company named EA DICE, DICE LA, Crterion and EA Gothenburg as contributing studios in its earnings call. In the same call, the publisher said that the game will be released for both previous- and current-gen consoles, as well as PC.

As for the game’s reveal to consumers, EA has the announcement for the next Battlefield game lined up next month. The company teased this via the official  Battlefield Twitter account, with no details as to the specific date that it will happen on.

Last month, the publisher announced a mobile Battlefield title is in development, bound for 2022. Considering the release schedule, it doesn’t look like it will show up until at least Q2 of next year.

Sega Officially Reveals Lost Judgment; Global Release On 24 September

We saw glimpses of Lost Judgment, the sequel to the Yakuza spin-off, appearing on the Japanese PlayStation Store. But now that Sega has officially revealed the game, we have a better look at the game’s plot. We now also know the global release date of the game, as well as the platforms that it will be available on.

Alongside the announcement, Sega also released a five-minute trailer for Lost Judgment. And it gives off the very typical Japanese police drama vibes, which is a good thing if you haven’t watched many of those. And it looks like it will be larger than the first game, while keeping the wacky combat that the first made use of.

 Also, in Lost Judgment, returning protagonist Takayuki Yagami will also be going undercover at a high school as part of the story. And plot progression will also see Yagami go from Kamurocho to Yokohama, expanding the playable area.

Probably the best news to come out of the announcement is the release date. Lost Judgment will be released globally on 24 September. And it will be on PlayStation and Xbox consoles of both the previous and current generation. Though unfortunately, it looks like the sequel will share the fate of the first, of not getting a PC port.

Chinese Memory Maker Releases Data For DDR5 RAM Running At 6400MHz

Shenzhen Longsys Electronics Co. Ltd isn’t a name that would immediately ring a bell, but the China-based memory maker recently came into focus after news about its romp with the next-generation DDR5 memory surfaced. On top of that, it was tested at a frequency of 6400MHz.

According to Tom’s Hardware, Longsys currently has two DDR5-6400 RAM modules in the works; a 16GB variant with a single-rank design and a 32GB model with a dual-rank design. Regardless of design, both variations feature an eight-layer PCB, have CAS Latency (CL) of 40, and requires only 1.1V to operate.

Based on Longsys’ data, its DDR5-6400 RAM showed as much as 64% gains over the current DDR4 memory standard in the Master Lu benchmark, but to be fair, it was not made clear as to what frequency the DDR4 memory was running on.

What is interesting to note is that the system Longsys appears to be using to test its DDR5 RAM is an unreleased Intel 12th generation Alder Lake-S system. It’s not all that surprising, given that the Alder Lake-S is currently the only chipset so far that claims to support DDR5 and as it stands, AMD is still keeping mum about its next generation of Ryzen’s capabilities.

That said, it should also be pointed out that Longsys isn’t the first company to announce its entry into the realm of DDR5. Another Chinese memory maker, Asgard, recently announced its own 64GB DDR5-4800 RAM solution and in capacities of 64GB.