TechPowerUP NEWS

[NextPowerUP]

Despite no-showing at CES 2026, leaks still predict that Intel will launch the Arrow Lake Refresh mobile CPUs sometime in March or April 2026, and one of the CPUs slated to launch then is the mobile flagship Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, which has incidentally showed up in a recent PassMark CPU benchmark (via X86isdeadandback on X). According to the PassMark listing, the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, which was supposedly tested in an MSI laptop equipped with an RTX 5090 and 32 GB of Samsung DDR5-5600 memory, the upcoming CPU will handily outpace the former flagship mobile CPU by around 7.5% in single-thread performance and a healthy 12.8% in the multicore benchmark. If the Core Ultra 9 285HX is anything to go by, there may still be some performance on the table with faster DDR5-6400 memory.

The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scored 66203 in the multicore benchmark and 5009 in the single-core benchmark. This performance puts it less than 2% away from the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K desktop CPU (which scored 67430 and 5093, respectively), which is certainly an impressive feat. Of course, all the usual caveats apply when it comes to early CPU benchmarks—especially leaked benchmarks. For starters, the official launch is still a while away, and clock speeds and microcode may not be entirely dialed-in yet. This is also a sample size of one, and CPU performance can often vary greatly between different configurations. The new CPU first appeared in a previously leaked Geekbench benchmark of an Acer Predator laptop, which also revealed that the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus will use the same P-core and E-core layout as the older 285HX, meaning eight P-cores and 16 e-cores.

More...

[NextPowerUP]

Logitech announced the Pro X2 Superstrike gaming mouse back in September 2025, claiming to be an industry-first gaming mouse with haptic feedback and adjustable click actuation distance, the latter achieved via induction switches. However, while the price was revealed at $179.99, an exact availability date was not revealed. Now, though, Logitech has finally announced that the Pro X2 Superstrike will be available for pre-order on January 19 on the Logitech online store.

There is still no official shipment date, despite the pre-order announcement date, although there have been supposed leaks that claimed the mouse would be available as of February 24. Given that that's about a month away from the pre-order opening, it seems reasonable that this could be the official launch date. It seems as though pre-orders will only be available on the Logitech site, but it would not be surprising to see sites like Amazon or Best Buy offer pre-orders, as well.

More...

[NextPowerUP]

Valve previously implemented a rule that forced developers to disclose their use of generative AI in any games published on Steam. This new guidelines required developers to disclose generative AI use when it resulted in AI-generated content in the game itself—AI-generated images, textures, or 3D models, for example—or when the game was actively using AI to generate new content during gameplay. Now, Steam has apparently updated its generative-AI disclosure system (via Simon Carless on LinkedIn) to be clearer and to add nuance to the discussion, especially given the rise in popularity of AI code helpers and similar tools. Developers will still need to disclose all AI-generated content in their games, and Valve will still display the disclosure on the game's Steam Store page.

The Steam AI disclosure form now specifically makes reference to AI efficiency tools, stating that "efficiency gains through the use of these tools is not the focus of this section," and goes on to explain that it is only concerned with AI-generated content that is directly consumed by players. This means in-game content, like artwork, sound, narrative, localization, and other in-game assets, and anything that appears on the Steam Store, such as marketing assets and content on the Steam Community page. Notably Valve still calls out the use of live generative AI and all the potential safety and copyright risks involved in that. It still also makes it clear that developers are responsible for any AI-generated content in their games or on their Steam Store pages.

More...

[NextPowerUP]

The WLMouse Huan is a premium, lightweight magnesium alloy gaming mouse with a solid shell that takes after the Razer Viper Mini and weighs in at just under 50 g (48 g ±2 g) and features flagship internals. As a celebration for Chinese New Year, WLMouse has announced a limited edition Year of the Horse colorway of the Huan mouse. The Huan Year of the Horse mouse will officially become available for purchase on February, although pricing has not been announced yet. There also appears to be a matching mousepad for the Huan Year of the Horse edition, and it will ship with all the typical accessories, like extra wide skates and dot skates, a USB-C cable, and likely two sets of grips.

The Huan Year of the Horse Limited Edition mouse will have a striking red body with a custom graphic on the shell, and it will include a matching red base station and included grips with intricate printing. The internals will likely remain unchanged compared to the regular Huan, which means the Year of the Horse mouse will be built around a Nordic 54HM MCU and a tuned PixArt PAW3950HS sensor with an optional 20K FPS lock. The main click switches are Omron Optical switches, and the mouse uses a TTC Silver Dust-Proof encoder for the scroll wheel. If the $155 pricing of the original WLMouse Huan is anything to go by, potential buyers should prepare to drop a pretty penny on the limited edition variant. The Nekko colorway, for example, increases the price to $169, and that isn't a limited edition.

More...

[NextPowerUP]

GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, strengthens its strategic partnership with NVIDIA by unveiling a new generation of flagship products built on NVIDIA's latest platform at CES 2026. The lineup spans new GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards, powerful GeForce RTX laptops with built-in NVIDIA Studio, and G-SYNC Compatible gaming monitors, leveraging NVIDIA's cutting-edge GPU, RTX AI, and display technologies. Building on this foundation, GIGABYTE layers its own advanced cooling, system-control, and display innovations to deliver a uniquely powerful and polished experience for both gamers and creators.

Leading the graphics card lineup, the AORUS GeForce RTX 5090 INFINITY is powered by the NVIDIA Blackwell architecture, leveraging GeForce RTX 50 Series capabilities to power next-level RTX gaming and AI computing. Equipped with a massive level of AI horsepower, the RTX 50 Series enables new experiences and next-level graphics fidelity. Multiply performance with NVIDIA DLSS 4, generate images at unprecedented speed, and unleash creativity with NVIDIA Studio. To support the GPU in performing at its full potential, GIGABYTE reinforces the design with the WINDFORCE HYPERBURST Cooling System, combining a separated PCB design, patented Hawk fans, and an additional Overdrive Fan for extra cooling headroom under heavy loads. The result is more sustained peak performance, wrapped in a premium showcase design featuring a circular heatsink, a die-cast metal backplate, and iconic RGB Halo lighting.
Read full story

More...

[NextPowerUP]

Today we want to share that Julian Gerighty, executive producer on the Tom Clancy's The Division franchise is heading off on to a new adventure at Battlefield Studios. While we will miss him, his mark will live on at Massive and we'll continue to bring the world he's been part of creating to our players for years to come. Julian, your legacy is part of this studio and remember: once an Agent, always an Agent.

For our players, don't worry, Agents. Our teams who built this world with Julian are still here, carrying it forward with an ambitious, unchanged commitment for the future with The Division 2, The Division 2: Survivors, The Division Resurgence and The Division 3.
Read full story

More...

[NextPowerUP]

Hello, fellow bikers, this is Paolo Bertoni, Game Director of Ride 6. As we rev things up ahead of the game's release on PC and home consoles, planned for February 12, 2026, I'd like to take you behind the scenes to explore the brand-new career mode we've been crafting, and share how it brings our vision to life. The goal of a project like Ride is to immerse virtual riders in the same thrills that every real biker seeks when they open the garage door and hop on their bike. So we asked ourselves: what fuels that passion? It wasn't hard to figure out, considering that for much of our team, motorcycles aren't just a job, they're a way of life. Over the years, the Ride franchise has built a huge roster of bikes and tracks to give players as many choices as possible. With Ride 6, we wanted to go further. We wanted to capture the very essence of being a biker, an experience we called Ride Fest.

Ride Fest is much more than a career; it's a motorcycle festival that plunges players into the love of riding, freedom, and the sense of camaraderie that defines the biker spirit. It replaces the traditional championship format with a more open approach, offering a horizontal progression system based on chapters. You will get to choose which events to tackle, from single races and endurance challenges to championships and time attacks, all organized into themed areas based on criteria such as bike category, manufacturer, circuit type, weather conditions, or legendary champions.
Read full story

More...

[NextPowerUP]

Samsung Display's "Cinematic Experience" OLED experience could make its way to premium Apple laptop pastures. According to fresh inside track info—courtesy of a yeux1122 blog post—the South Korean behemoth's Asan site-based 8.6-generation OLED production line has kicked into high gear. Projections from last year allegedly outlined a mass manufacturing phase starting by the second quarter of 2026, but the yeux1122 post claims that an adjusted production timeline has just come into effect. Reports from last year outlined a significant $3.1 billion investment at this display-oriented fabrication campus; paving the way for mass manufacturing of "8.6G IT OLED" panels—targeting next-gen computer monitors, laptops, tablets and other small-to-medium-sized devices. Apparently, improved yield rates and cost benefits are the result of Samsung's 8.6-generation—taking advantage of larger glass substrates, where differing panel sizes can be cut and extracted from a single sheet.

The first commercial examples of the company's 8.6G OLED panel tech could debut on higher-end MacBook devices. One of Samsung Display's main customers is Apple; industry insiders believe that futuristic 14/16-inch M6 MacBook Pro and Max models—likely arriving early next year—will feature advanced tandem OLED tech, instead of single-stack structures. A double-stack design is said to consist of a rigid OLED layer and an oxide TFT backplane; both elements are light emitting. This combination is ideal for laptop applications, due to offering higher brightness levels, superior power efficiency, and improved longevity. Noted Apple sleuth Mark Gurman (of Bloomber fame) and tech industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo—in parallel agreement—predict touchscreen displays being fitted on the first wave of OLED MacBook Pro products.

More...

[NextPowerUP]

Craftlings is OUT, and I wish you Happy Wusseln! I really hope that you enjoy it, and if you do, leave an early review and tell your friends about Craftlings. This will help a lot in establishing a safe and positive environment for further development. Thank you!

I had a short first night following launch. After releasing the game, I stayed up late to fix a bug and push a patch for Steam Deck users. But I'm really happy and proud that so many of you are playing Craftlings, and enjoying it. I truly appreciate all your warm comments and messages! If you could do me a favor and write a review on Steam, it would really help. This way, people interested in buying the game can better understand what to expect from it—what Craftlings is, and what it is not.
That would be awesome!
Read full story

More...

[NextPowerUP]

Intel's "Bartlett Lake-S" (Performance) P-Core-only processor design has made a surprise appearance, after a long period of developmental silence. Earlier, today X86 is dead&back put a spotlight on the intriguing entry of Team Blue's unreleased "Core 7 253PE" SKU within PassMark's CPU benchmark database. The keen watcher of not-yet-released PC hardware believes that this particular unit is possibly the first sample of Team Blue's 10-core "Bartlett Lake-S" variant to appear in the wild. This further refinement of 14th Gen "Raptor Lake Refresh" tech popped up a few times last year, but the TechPowerUp news archive shows a dry period during third and fourth quarters. An August report alluded to an embedded market target, the existence of a flagship 12 P-core model, and a potential launch under the "Intel Core Series 2" banner—minus an Ultra tag, due to lack of onboard NPUs.

All "Raptor Cove" P-Core configurations could appeal to budget-conscious PC gamers. Efficiency-oriented (E and LPE) units are considered superfluous for these purposes. X86 is dead&back was pleased to find PassMark data that signalled improved multicore performance over the related Core i5 14400 "Raptor Lake-R" processor. They exclaimed: "Core 7 253PE (has) more MT performance than Core i5 14400 (6P + 4E)!" Their comparison shows a 20.6% uplift here, but a slight regression in terms of single-core scores (-2.73%). The sole "Core 7 253PE" sample's PassMark multi-thread rating, of 31802, closes in on the 14-core (6P + 8E) Core i5-14500 model's tally (31121). According yesterday's PassMark diagnostic, the newer chip utilizes Intel's UHD Graphics 770 integrated solution (akin to Core i5-14500), whilst the Core i5 14400 makes do with the UHD 730 iGPU. There are apparent differences across the various levels of cache, but the "Core 7 253PE" SKU seems to enjoy a larger overall pool—36 MB—when cross-examined with its older relatives.

More...

[NextPowerUP]

When it first launched the Q-Release Slim PCIe mechanisms on its high-end gaming X870 Gaming motherboards, the new connector ended up causing scratches on the PCIe contacts of GPUs after repeated insertion and removal cycles. The connector was later quietly revised in March 2025 to remove the metal bracket that was blamed for the scratched contacts. Now, ASUS has once again revised the Q-Release Slim PCIe mechanism design for the latest Neo series motherboards, once again requiring a button to release PCIe cards from the motherboard.

In a video previewing the updated 2026 motherboard line-up, ASUS North America explains that the Q-Release mechanism was revised because "some users were confused" by the connector, which didn't require any intervention beyond pulling the GPU out of the slot to remove it, while others simply wanted a button to be present—likely those who had heard about the aforementioned scratched PCIe connectors and didn't want the added risk. The new motherboard PCIe retention mechanism will be present on all of the new NEO motherboards ASUS announced for 2026, which includes more affordable gaming motherboards, like the ASUS TUF Gaming B850-Pro WiFi7 Neo and the creator-focused ProArt B850-Creator WiFi Neo and goes all the way up to the premium ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial motherboard.
Read full story

More...

[NextPowerUP]

Hello, survivors! We hope you've been keeping busy bracing for the nightmares ahead in Resident Evil Requiem. Launch day is just around the corner, so be sure to pre-order the game now to receive Grace's Costume: Apocalypse as a bonus outfit, ensuring you are fully prepared to tackle a new era of survival horror on February 27. The Resident Evil Showcase has just concluded, giving us heaps of new details to sink our teeth into. Director Koshi Nakashi offered us a deep dive into gameplay for both Grace and Leon. Grace's gameplay is brimming with tension and terror whilst Leon's gameplay segments are characterized by suspense and exhilaration. These contrasting gameplay styles will stir up players' emotions more than any other entry in the Resident Evil series to date. The broadcast is jam packed with information, including glimpses of early scenes from Resident Evil Requiem.

Two Fates Intertwined
Experience terrifying survival horror with FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft and dive into pulse-pounding action with legendary agent Leon S. Kennedy. In Resident Evil Requiem, both protagonists' journeys and unique gameplay styles intertwine into a heart-stopping, emotional experience that will chill you to your core. One single detail will forever tie Leon and Grace's fates together, linking them to the unforgettable horrors of the Raccoon City incident in 1998…
Read full story

More...

[NextPowerUP]

A fresh Qualcomm teaser trailer has dropped a major hint about Snapdragon X2 Elite chips breaking away from expected portable PC formats. The official Snapdragon YouTube channel's January 13 upload description stated: "next‑gen desktops are here. Snapdragon X Series processors build on the breakthroughs that reshaped laptops—bringing speed, intelligence, and power efficiency to desktop PCs so creators, developers, and gamers can do more, faster." Eighteen seconds into Qualcomm's minute-long video, a clumsily-phrased "these flexible PCs bring what legacy desktops don't" declaration is made. Additionally, some "real life" examples are shown in the short video—where a few folks are typing away on wireless keyboards.

Presumably, these demo peripherals are linked up to generic-looking black or metallic silver compact desktop PC systems—in turn connected/wired to curved office monitors. A VideoCardz report concludes that the "next‑gen desktops powered by Snapdragon X Series" trailer delivers misleading messaging, since Qualcomm has only showcased passively-cooled mini PC prototypes (in-person) at past promotional events. Most notably, red "drinks coaster" and "hockey puck"-shaped samples appeared at last September's Snapdragon Summit 2025 in Hawaii. The semantics of what qualifies as a small desktop Windows PC system can be argued over in infinitum—we hope that Qualcomm, and involved manufacturing partners, clarify matters once finalized hardware nears retail release time.
Read full story

More...

[NextPowerUP]

Sonic the Hedgehog, one of the most iconic and beloved brands in the industry, is thrilled to announce its 35th anniversary this year! Since his debut in 1991, Sonic has defined generations with his signature speed, attitude, and style, expanding far beyond his innovative video game origins into new characters and worlds, blockbuster films, animated television, music, merchandise, and more. To commence the festivities, SEGA released a new anniversary trailer to build hype and rewind through Sonic's best moments over the last 35 years.

Throughout the upcoming year, SEGA will roll out a high-energy slate of anniversary programs designed to celebrate Sonic's legacy while bringing fans together around the world. Planned activities include digital content highlighting Sonic's evolution across the decades, fan meet-ups and community gatherings, exclusive brand and retail partnerships featuring limited merchandise, museum pop-ups and art exhibits, live concert celebrations, and a brand-new narrative podcast.
Read full story

More...

[NextPowerUP]

Alistair McFarlane, the COO and director of Facepunch Studios, the game studio behind survival shooter Rust, has seemingly offered Amazon $25 million to buy New World: Aeternum after Amazon announced that the MMO would be decommissioned on January 31, 2027. The executive made the offer in a short public post on X, but he seems to be serious about it, with a follow-up post simply stating that "Games should never die." Given that Amazon is still planning on keeping New World alive for nearly a year, it seems unlikely that we'll get any updates about any potential IP transfers before then.

The post was, expectedly, followed up by questions from Facepunch and Rust fans, and in response to one fan, McFarlane said that "As with everything we do at Facepunch, empower the community. Give them control, make servers publicly hostable. A game will live forever in the hands of a dedicated community," seemingly stating that if Amazon took him up on his offer, Facepunch would take over development and turn the game into a community-driven MMO following the classic self-hosted model.

More...