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ReSpec is a biweekly column focused on PC gaming, PC hardware, and gaming technologies. From deep dives on super resolution techniques to CPU packaging technology to PC gaming experiments, ReSpec helps you understand the games you play, the hardware you own, and how they intersect to create the gaming experiences we all love. New entries go live every other Sunday.
How I unlocked the hidden modes of DLSS
A range of presets behind the scenes make DLSS work properly, and a clever mod allows you to tweak how they work.
Intel’s new CPU feature boosted my performance by 26% — but it still needs work
Intel's unique APO feature showed some big improvements in our testing, but it still needs some big changes before it's a selling point for Intel CPUs.
GDC 2024 in review: Path tracing, upscaling, and CPU-killing tech
After spending the week at GDC, here are my big takeaways from advancements in the world of PC graphics and tech.
AMD needs to fix this one problem with its next-gen GPUs
AMD's latest graphics cards have been a turning point for Team Red, but there's still one lingering issue that needs to be addressed in the next generation.
The ReSpec newsletter is here: your weekly breakdown of the tech behind PC gaming
Digital Trends is launching a ReSpec newsletter covering the wide world of PC gaming. Here's everything you need to know about it.
Proton and Nier: Automata — the untold story behind what makes the Steam Deck tick
The Steam Deck is a massive hit, but one game changed the trajectory of the device, and Linux gaming as a whole, in a major way.
AMD’s FSR 3 compromise just isn’t working
Even a few months after release, FSR 3 isn't in a ton of games. And AMD's frame generation compromise isn't filling the gaps enough.
GPUs are on an apology tour
After a year of backlash over lackluster GPU releases, Nvidia and AMD are finally owning up to mistakes with a new range of graphics cards.
Anything is possible in this new era of gaming monitors
The need for constant innovation in gaming displays have pushed them to the peak, and that means things are going to start slowing down.
PC ports need to be better in 2024 — here’s how
We saw several problematic PC releases this year. Here's what PC ports need to do to be better next year.
A look back at the best (and worst) PC games I tested in 2023
I test dozens of PC games every year. Here are the most impressive (and the most disappointing) PC ports I looked at in 2023.
Brighter isn’t better for OLED monitors. An expert told me the surprising reason why
The most common criticism of OLED gaming monitors is that they don't get bright enough, but there's a good reason for that.
When a high frame rate can lose you the game
Nvidia's Frames Win Games campaign has a lot of truth, but with DLSS 3 Frame Generation, the sentiment gets a little more complicated.
Don’t believe the hype — the era of native resolution gaming isn’t over
A string of PC releases has suggested that native resolution gaming is dead, but there's a little more to the conversation.
Windows is holding back the future of handheld gaming
Handheld gaming PCs are getting increasingly popular, and although some rely on Windows 11, that OS isn't the future for this form factor.
I can’t get excited about AMD’s next version of FSR anymore
Nearly a year after it was announced, AMD's FSR 3 is here. But it feels like yet another promise for what the feature could be in the future.
This ‘Swiss Army Knife’ app transformed how I play PC games
PC games usually arrive with problems, but there's an app that can solve most PC gaming woes with a couple of clicks.
Is a game poorly optimized, or just demanding? They’re not the same thing
PC optimization is a term that gets thrown around so often that it has almost lost all meaning, and it's worth exploring why with Starfield.
The success of AMD’s FSR 3 hinges on this one feature
AMD's upcoming FSR certainly sounds exciting, offering frame generation across almost any GPU. But AMD has to get latency in check for FSR 3 to work.
Why I leave Nvidia’s game-changing tech off in most games
Nvidia's DLSS 3 is remarkably impressive, but now that we've seen it show up in more games, I leave it off more often than I turn it on.
It’s time to stop trying to play games without an SSD
Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart now proves it. Your gaming PC absolutely needs an SSD installed in it.
I tried to relive the forgotten legacy of Halo as a Mac franchise — and it was a disaster
Halo has a long history, but its origins lie on Mac, and now, it's finally possible to fulfill the game's original legacy.
With exclusive PC partnerships, everyone loses
AMD announced it would be the exclusive PC partner for Starfield, and that could set a dangerous precedent.
I asked developers to explain why PC ports in 2023 run like garbage
Nearly every major PC port has run into issues this year. Why? I asked some developers to find out.
The worst PC ports of all time — and why they were so bad
We've seen some terrible PC ports this year, but they don't hold a candle to the worst PC ports of all time.
Consoles still have one big advantage, and it’s hurting PC gaming
There's no doubt that modern PC hardware vastly outpaces what consoles can offer, but there's still an area where the PS5 and Xbox Series X have a lead.
How generative AI will create games with ‘broader, bigger, and deeper worlds’
AI is touching nearly every creative field, but there's few places where it has more applications than game development.
How a viral bodycam game tricked the internet into thinking it was real footage
Unrecord is a bodycam first-person game that looks too good to be real, but it's using some clever filtering and next-gen tools to achieve its photorealism.
Gaming laptops are still lying to us, and it’s getting even more complicated
As a new generation of gaming laptops rolls out in 2023, it's becoming even more difficult to trust what you see on a spec sheet.
How Unreal Engine 5 is tackling the biggest problem in PC gaming
Epic announced a slate of new features for Unreal Engine 5 during its State of Unreal address, but the most important update flew under the radar.
How Zelda: Ocarina of Time speedrunners break the N64 in incredible new ways
Ocarina of Time has had a long life after it released, with speedrunners breaking the game in incredible and exciting new ways.
Here’s how Intel doubled Arc GPUs’ performance with a simple driver update
Intel delivered a massive boost in performance for its Arc GPUs with a simple driver update, but how? We sat down with Intel to dig deeper.
AI is coming for your PC games, but you should be excited, not worried
AI is everywhere, and your PC games aren't safe. Don't get worried, though. AI is already being used in PC games, and it has a bright future ahead.
I built a couch gaming PC that puts the PS5 to shame — and you can too
You haven't been able to beat the PS5 with a custom PC for a couple of years, but now is the time for PCs to make a comeback. Here's the build you need.
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Senior Staff Writer, Computing
Jacob Roach is a writer covering computing and gaming at Digital Trends. After realizing Crysis wouldn’t run on a laptop, he started building his own gaming PCs and hasn’t looked back since. Before Digital Trends, he contributed content to Forbes Advisor, Business Insider, and PC Invasion, covering PC components, monitors, and peripherals.
Outside of tinkering with his PC and tracking down every achievement in the latest games, Jacob spends his time playing and recording music. Before switching to writing full time, he worked as a recording engineer in St. Louis, Missouri.