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Windows 11 bringing new gaming features to PC players next month

PC gaming is about to change in a big (and hopefully positive) way. With Windows 11 launching on October 5, PC gamers will have a suite of new gaming features that can potentially make their games look better and load faster.

Windows 11 | The Best Windows Ever for Gaming

The biggest change that a large number of PC gamers will likely notice after they upgrade to Windows 11 is in how the OS will handle HDR (High Dynamic Range). The set of techniques, which let a monitor display a wider range of brightness, is a bit of a pain to handle on Windows 10 PCs at the moment. After turning HDR on, users were able to enjoy HDR-compatible content. However, standard dynamic range content looks strange on Windows 10, almost like it has a bad filter over it. Windows 11 solves this issue with Auto HDR, which, as its name implies, automatically adds HDR to SDR content seamlessly.

Windows 11 also borrows one of the Xbox Series X’s prime features, Direct Storage. With this feature, PCs that have an NVMe SSD will be able to load games faster by loading data directly onto a system’s GPU rather than its CPU. While Direct Storage on PCs hasn’t been properly tested yet, Microsoft has claimed that it will reduce overall CPU usage and improve system performance. For those who aren’t upgrading, Direct Storage will also be available on Windows 10.

Naturally, Microsoft is also including its premier game subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, with Windows 11. While users will still have to pay for a Game Pass subscription, they should be able to access games with ease thanks to the Xbox App being built into Windows 11 itself.

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Otto Kratky
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Otto Kratky is a freelance writer with many homes. You can find his work at Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Gamepur. If he's…
Acer’s new gaming laptop bring Nvidia RTX 40-series GPUs under $1,000
Two Acer gaming laptops over a dark blue background.

You can find Nvidia's RTX 40-series graphics cards in some of the best gaming laptops, but the downside is that they're all expensive, if not overpriced. Previously, that meant you'd be forced to choose between getting something affordable or getting access to Nvidia's GPU cheat code -- DLSS 3. Now, there's finally some hope on the horizon, as Acer is launching a budget-friendly laptop that can still run modern games. We're talking about the Acer Nitro V 15.

The new laptop will be available in a few different configurations, each equipped with Intel's latest 13th-Gen CPUs, including either Core i5 or Core i7 models. All of them also come with a 15.6-inch 144Hz display. While every configuration also features a Nvidia graphics card, not all of those GPUs are equally thrilling. The cheapest model, priced at $700, features a Core i5-13420H CPU and an RTX 2050 GPU. This comes paired with just 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.

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Bayonetta director Hideki Kamiya is leaving PlatinumGames next month
Bayonetta holds a magical device in Bayonetta 3.

PlatinumGames, the developer behind critically acclaimed action games such as Bayonetta 3 and NieR: Automata, has announced that one of its co-founders and frequent game directors, Hideki Kamiya, will leave the company in October.

Hideki Kamiya originally made a name for himself directing games like Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, and Okami for Capcom. After Capcom closed down the Clover Studio subsidiary he worked at in 2006, he went on to co-found PlatinumGames with Resident Evil and God Hand creator Shinji Mikami and Capcom producer Atsushi Inaba. Kamiya had stuck with the company through its ups and downs ever since, directing every game in the Bayonetta series, The Wonderful 101, and more. He was currently directing a game codenamed Project G.G.; the state of that game now that he's leaving PlatinumGames is unknown. 
"We regret to announce that Hideki Kamiya will be leaving PlatinumGames on October 12, 2023," PlatinumGames tweeted earlier this morning. "We are truly grateful for his creative ideas, leadership, and contribution to the growth of PlatinumGames from our start-up to this very day. We believe that he will continue to succeed in his future endeavors as a game creator. We are looking forward to seeing the game industry grow into a better place with him in it. We wish him all the best for the future!"
https://twitter.com/platinumgames/status/1706201875564130785
Kamiya confirmed this message on his personal X account, stating the following: "As announced on the official PlatinumGames X account, I will be leaving PlatinumGames on October 12, 2023. This came after a lot of consideration based on my own beliefs. and was by no means an easy decision to make. However, I feel this outcome is for the best. I will continue to create in my Hideki Kamiya way. I hope you'll keep your eyes peeled."

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Every blockbuster reveal from the Xbox leak: new consoles, Bethesda games, and more
Xbox's logo used during the Extended Games Showcase

Unredacted documents submitted and made publicly available to view as part of the ongoing Microsoft vs. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) trial just led to what may be the biggest leak in video game history.
A flood of files have revealed deep secrets about Xbox's upcoming plans for the bulk of the decade, giving us unprecedented insight into what's on the horizon for the gaming giant. That includes information on upcoming hardware refreshes, next-gen consoles, and unannounced Bethesda titles, as well as a further peek into Microsoft's acquisition ambitions. It's a lot to trudge through, so we've rounded up five key revelations that you'll want to know.
A new Xbox Series X model is coming next year
https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1704121068519133313
The most shocking thing to leak as part of the trial is a new Xbox Series X model. Referred to as "Brooklin -- Xbox Series X Refresh" in the leaked documents, this is a diskless, cylindrical version of the Xbox Series X with 2TB of internal storage, a USB-C port, and smaller technical improvements to the system's Wi-Fi, PSU, standby mode, and more. An upgraded Xbox Series S code-named Ellewood may also be in the works and released before Brooklin.
If Microsoft still follows the plan laid out in this "Roadmap to 2030" document created in May 2022, it would release Brooklin in late October 2024 for $500. If Microsoft still plans to release Brooklin next year, it does contradict recent statements from Xbox chief Phil Spencer, who acted bearish on the idea of a mid-gen refresh in Gamescom interviews. It's possible Microsoft's plans have changed since these leaked documents were made, but if not, we now know what to expect in terms of Microsoft's console refreshes.
A new Xbox controller is in the works
https://twitter.com/charlieINTEL/status/1704088621475598345
Throughout that Brooklin leak, a new version of the Xbox Series X controller is also teased. The Xbox Series X controller is great, but lacks the unique features of controllers like the DualSense or Joy-Cons, so it makes sense Microsoft would want to change that. Referred to as "Sebile -- The New Xbox Controller," this controller can seamlessly pair and connect to the cloud.
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First details on Microsoft's next-gen console leak
https://twitter.com/AR12Gaming/status/1704102055206322389
It's hard to believe we're almost already three years into this console generation and that Microsoft is planning for its next major console release, but that is the case. Unfortunately for Microsoft, its current technical ambitions for the platform were included in this leak. A leaked document states that Microsoft's ultimate goal is to "develop a next-generation hybrid game platform capable of leveraging the combined power of the client and cloud to deliver deeper immersion and entirely new classes of game experiences." 
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This next-gen console is currently slated for a 2028 launch.
Several upcoming Bethesda games leak

Enough about hardware -- several upcoming Bethesda games also leaked. A document from 2020 outlining Bethesda's game road map through fiscal year 2024 includes some games we don't know about. Alongside games we know of like MachineGames' Indiana Jones project, the list also includes several code-named projects, remasters of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3, a GhostWire: Tokyo sequel, Doom Year Zero, and Dishonored 3.
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Microsoft considered acquiring Nintendo and Warner Bros. Interactive
https://twitter.com/tomwarren/status/1704021807341203802
A leaked email from 2020 gives some insight into Spencer's acquisition ambitions at that point. Namely, it sounds like he'd love to acquire Nintendo as it would be a "career moment" for him.
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It's worth noting that this email is from over three years ago, and these acquisition ambitions might have been quelled following changing economic conditions and the rocky and expensive process of acquiring Activision Blizzard. 

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