In more CES 2025 gaming related news, Microsoft and LG have announced that they have entered into a partnership to bring Xbox Game Pass with the Game Pass Cloud Gaming capacities to LG Smart TVs later this year. This collaboration marks a significant step in making gaming more accessible to a broader audience.
Game Pass Ultimate members will be able to play games directly from the Xbox app on supported LG Smart TVs. This means no additional hardware is required—just the TV and a compatible controller and with this, players will have access to a diverse selection of games from the Game Pass Ultimate catalog. Popular titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and upcoming releases such as Avowed will be available for streaming.
We’re focused on bringing more games to more people around the world, on the devices you choose to play with. Millions of Game Pass Ultimate members are already using Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) to play great games from the Game Pass catalog on various devices.
Today, we’re excited to announce our collaboration with LG Electronics to bring the Xbox app to their new LG Smart TVs later this year. This means Game Pass Ultimate members will be able to play their games directly from the Xbox app on supported LG Smart TVs via Xbox Cloud Gaming. This gives players even more choice in how they enjoy their favorite games.
Soon, players with LG Smart TVs will be able to explore the Gaming Portal for direct access to hundreds of games in the Game Pass Ultimate catalog, including popular titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and upcoming releases like Avowed (launching February 18, 2025).
In addition to Game Pass titles and previously announced, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members will also be able to stream select games they already own, including hits like NBA 2K25 and Hogwarts Legacy.
With this, Microsoft and Xbox will be diving in more details in the upcoming months.
As for the LG Smart TVs ready with Xbox Game Pass availability, LG said that the 2025 models will be release later this year. However, specific release dates and the exact models of LG Smart TVs that will support this feature have not yet been announced.
Imagine holding your PS5 DualSense and you are turning your console on to began playing, but instead of a Playstation 5 and seeing the PS logo on your screen, you are powering on your Xbox console and yet, you can play your favorite Xbox game.
Well, this is the concept that Hyperkin has previewed at CES 2025 with a new Competitor Xbox controller that has the physics of the Playstation 5’s DualSense.
Evidently, Hyperkin took some liberties at the design to match most of the aesthetic of Sony’s PS5 DualSense, which makes me wonder if Sony actually will just leave it as it is (with an eyebrow raise) or we might be seeing legal movements during the year.
Competitor appears to feature offset control sticks, a hybrid D-pad, and face buttons, along with the analog sticks located next to each other on the bottom part of the controller, while the D-pad has moved to the upper-left side of the controller, and each direction is an individual button.
Keep in mind if it is now under your radar, that the controller is expected to be a wired-only gamepad and will be available sometime in the second quarter of 2025 with no mentioning of price.
Hyperkin is an American video game peripheral manufacturer and distributor founded in 2006. The company is based in Los Angeles, California, and distributes accessories for major gaming consoles, in addition to creating clone consoles that play retro games with modern resolutions and on modern devices.
Hyperkin’s most notable products include the RetroN series of clone consoles, which allow users to play games from classic consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Sega Genesis. The company has also released a number of other retro-themed products, such as the Supaboy series of handheld consoles and the Retron 5, an Android-based console that can play games from a variety of platforms.
In recent years, Hyperkin has also begun to produce its own original gaming peripherals, such as the Hyperkin Duke, a modern take on the classic Nintendo 64 controller. The company has also released a number of licensed controllers for popular games, such as the Hyperkin Cthulhu Controller for the Nintendo Switch.
The biggest announcement from Intel at their keyonote on CES 2025, was the second batch of the Intel Core Ultra 200 series processors, which are designed to be used on AI ready laptop computers and power high capacity mobile computers.
Of course, for our interest, this means that future laptops will benefit from enhanced gaming performance for this year 2025.
The 2025 Core Ultra 200 family incldes:
Core Ultra 200HX: Targeted at high-performance gaming laptops. It includes advanced features like overclocking capabilities and enhanced data lanes for maximum performance.
Core Ultra 200H: A middle ground option with integrated Intel Arc graphics, suitable for performance thin and light laptops.
Core Ultra 200U: Designed for budget-end systems and less demanding tasks, featuring Intel Graphics GPU.
Intel claims that the new processors offer double-digit performance improvements over previous generations in both single and multi-core workloads and specifically, the Core Ultra 200H series includes Intel Arc integrated graphics, providing more than 20% better GPU performance compared to previous models.
Also, these processors are designed to consume less power while maintaining high performance, making them ideal for gaming laptops and mainly, gaming on the go.
Talking about gaming, the combination of powerful CPU cores and advanced integrated graphics ensures a smooth and immersive gaming experience and again, taking for example the Core Ultra 200HX series, this specific CPI is designed to work seamlessly with discrete GPUs, providing maximum performance for gaming systems.
Intel says that it has addressed previous power management issues, ensuring that gaming laptops can deliver consistent performance without throttling and this take us to the other purpose of this family and it is housing an AI entity.
For Artificial Intelligence needs, Intel claims the processors feature a neural processing unit (NPU) with up to 99 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) for enhanced AI capabilities significant gen-over-gen performance advancements in key areas like media processing and AI analytics and mobile graphics benchmark improvement via AI graphical computing.
The processors are expected to be available starting early Q1 2025 for the Core Ultra 200H series, and late Q1 2025 for the Core Ultra 200HX series.
As for partners, Intel has not yet disclosed specific partners for the Core Ultra 200 series processors. However, given Intel’s extensive history of collaborations, it’s likely that major PC manufacturers such as Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Asus will be among the first to integrate these processors into their new laptops and desktops.
One of the early gaming related announcements of CES 2025 comes in the form of an impressive Pinball machine and it is a $7000 Dungeons & Dragons pinball machine. This pinball machine, called “Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye,” is a tribute to the tabletop RPG’s 50th anniversary.
It features an all-star voice cast, including Michael Dorn from Star Trek: TNG, and takes players on an adventure through the Forgotten Realms.
Players take on the role of members of the Dragonshield Guild, aiming to defeat the dragon queen Tiamat, who is plotting to rise again and trigger the War of Dragons. The game features various iconic enemies such as Rath the Relentless (a red dragon), Xanathar the Beholder, Sammaster the Lich, and more.
Voice Cast
The game features a star-studded voice cast including Michael Dorn, Kevin Smith, Luke Gygax, Chris Prynoski, Brendon Small, Gerard Way, Matthew Mercer, Laura Bailey, Marisha Ray, Anthony Carboni, and Mica Burton.
Now the tech side of this Pinball machine include four important aspects starting with Rath the Relentless: An advanced animatronic mech that reacts to player actions and intelligently will follow your Pinball to avoid being hit using advanced sensors with multi-axis motion and features omnidirectional impact sensing technology.
Another aspect and related to Rath, is the Omnidirectional Impact Sensing and this technology allows the animatronic dragon to intelligently respond to impacts from any direction, adding a new level of realism and interactivity to the game.
Then we got a Interactive Playfield, which includes Hidden Passageways that players can navigate, adding an element of exploration to the game, Electromagnet-powered Gelatinous Cube and this feature freezes the pinball, creating a unique challenge for players and Dynamic Dungeon Levels, which are sccessed through a disappearing playfield trap door, these levels change the gameplay environment and add variety to the experience.
And finally, digital integrations with the Insider Connected Platform and this platform enables ongoing code updates and interaction with a global network of players. Players can share their progress, unlock new features, and stay connected with the pinball community, High-Resolution LCD Screens and LED Lighting.
Of course, this elements combine traditional pinball components with video game-style interactive screens, enhancing the visual experience.
Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye pinball machine is set to be released in late 2025. It’s being produced by Stern Pinball Inc. under an official license from Wizards of the Coast1.
The game is available in three editions, each with different features and pricing:
Pro Edition: Priced at $6,999 USD
Premium Edition: Priced at $9,699 USD
Limited Edition (LE): Priced at $12,999 USD. This edition is limited to just 740 models in honor of D&D’s original release in 1974.
Each edition offers unique artwork, audio, and additional features, with the Limited Edition including upgraded audio and anti-reflection glass.
In a significant legal decision, the Sixth Circuit Court has struck down the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) net neutrality rules. This ruling, influenced by the recent end of Chevron deference, means that broadband providers are no longer required to treat all internet traffic equally.
While this decision has broad implications, it’s particularly impactful for the gaming community.
The Impact on Online Gaming
Net neutrality was designed to ensure that internet service providers (ISPs) couldn’t prioritize certain types of traffic over others. Without these protections, ISPs could potentially throttle or block gaming traffic, leading to slower load times and laggy gameplay. This could be especially detrimental for online multiplayer games, where a stable and fast connection is crucial.
Without net neutrality, ISPs might also introduce tiered pricing models, where gamers would have to pay extra for a “gaming package” that ensures better performance. This could increase the overall cost of gaming, making it less accessible to some players.
The gaming community has been a strong advocate for net neutrality, recognizing its importance in maintaining a fair and open internet. Organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Internet Association have been vocal in their support for net neutrality, emphasizing its role in fostering innovation and competition in the gaming industry.
While the recent ruling is a setback, the fight for net neutrality is far from over. Advocates are calling on Congress to pass legislation that enshrines net neutrality principles into law, ensuring that the internet remains a level playing field for all users, including gamers.
In a year where Intel faced numerous challenges, the launch of their new Arc B580 Battlemage GPU has turned out to be a surprising triumph. Released just in time for the holiday season, the Arc B580 has quickly captivated the gaming community, selling out at major retailers such as Amazon and Newegg within mere days of its release.
Priced at an affordable $249, the Arc B580 has managed to offer a competitive edge in a market typically dominated by Nvidia and AMD. This GPU packs a punch with its impressive specifications, featuring 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM, a 256-bit memory interface, and a boost clock of 2.3 GHz. These features enable it to deliver a robust performance in 1440p gaming, rivaling the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 and AMD Radeon RX 7600, but at a more budget-friendly price point.
Performance and Features
One of the standout features of the Arc B580 is its efficiency in balancing power consumption with performance. Intel’s Xe-HPG architecture, the backbone of the Battlemage series, has brought significant improvements in ray tracing and AI-based supersampling. Early benchmarks indicate that the Arc B580 performs exceptionally well in modern titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, maintaining a consistent frame rate even at high settings.
The gaming community’s reception to the Arc B580 has been overwhelmingly positive. Reviews praise its value for money, performance per watt, and the effective cooling solution that keeps the GPU running at optimal temperatures even under heavy load. Moreover, the GPU’s support for the latest DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan APIs ensures that it remains future-proof for upcoming game releases.
This unexpected success couldn’t have come at a better time for Intel, which has faced significant hurdles in the CPU market and organizational changes, including the recent departure of CEO Pat Gelsinger. The Arc B580’s success has provided a much-needed morale boost and renewed confidence in Intel’s ability to innovate in the GPU space.
Intel has announced that they are ramping up production and working closely with partners to ensure steady inventory replenishments. This move aims to meet the high demand and prevent prolonged shortages that have often plagued new hardware launches.
Looking Ahead
As we approach CES 2025, the industry buzz is already building around Intel’s roadmap for their Battlemage GPUs. With Nvidia gearing up to launch their RTX 5000 series, it will be fascinating to see how Intel’s Battlemage series stands against the competition. Rumors suggest that Intel is also preparing to introduce even more powerful variants of the Battlemage GPU, which could further solidify their position in the market.
Intel’s Arc B580 Battlemage GPU has not only met but exceeded expectations, proving to be a formidable contender in the competitive GPU market. Its blend of performance, affordability, and advanced features make it a compelling choice for gamers and tech enthusiasts alike. This launch marks a significant milestone for Intel, signaling a potential shift in the landscape of the graphics card industry.
In a surprising turn of events, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has announced his resignation after a tumultuous three-year tenure. The news has sent shockwaves through the tech and gaming communities, raising questions about the future direction of the company and its impact on the industry.
Gelsinger, who took over as CEO in February 2021, embarked on an ambitious plan to restore Intel’s dominance in the semiconductor market. His efforts included significant investments in manufacturing capacity and a push to expand Intel’s foundry business. However, despite these efforts, Intel’s stock has plunged 61% during his tenure, and the company has faced numerous challenges, including layoffs and financial setbacks.
From a gaming perspective, Gelsinger’s resignation is particularly concerning. Intel’s chips are a crucial component in gaming hardware, and any instability at the company could have ripple effects on the gaming industry. Gamers are already wary of the increasing costs of hardware and the potential for supply chain issues, and Gelsinger’s departure adds another layer of uncertainty.
The gaming community has also been critical of Intel’s recent decisions, such as calling their newest business GPU, Intel Arc brand, as a “failed experiment” when they were actually welcomed in their initial phase and after a few updates with more games’ support This move has further strained the relationship between Intel and its gaming audience along with the Core gen 13 & 14 technical failures that affected many PCs during 2024.
As Intel searches for a new leader, the company has appointed interim co-CEOs David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus. The gaming community will be watching closely to see how the new leadership navigates these challenges and whether they can restore confidence in Intel’s commitment to both the tech and gaming industries.
PSP and PS Vita wasn’t much of an example of dethroning Nintendo in the portable section of the gaming market by Sony and while it did gained fans from Playstation pro players, the company decided to focus on home gaming console with the entrance of the Playstation 4.
Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck with the respective responses from MSI, Lenovo and two gaming generations later, Sony might be making a return of the spiritual successor of the Playstation Portable but with the due diligence and homework.
Sony Interactive Entertainment is in the “early stages” of developing the device, which is still years away from a potential release according to sources close to Bloomberg.
Obviously, Nintendo being challenged as never before in the portable gaming front by all ways including portable PC devices and Smartphones, Sony sees the opportunity to try things again and it seems that the Playstation Portal build some confidence on Playstation actually trying again.
This comes as Microsoft Gaming CEO confirmed that Xbox is developing its original portable hardware which admittedly, will not be ready for this year, leaving Sony with the opportunity to capitalize by also, not competing directly with the successor of the Nintendo Switch, due to be announce between this month up to March 2025.
The original PlayStation Portable (PSP), released by Sony in 2004, was a groundbreaking handheld gaming console that brought console-quality gaming to the palm of your hand. Despite its unceremonious run without the expected success, the PSP was a significant competitor to Nintendo’s handheld consoles and was praised for its powerful hardware and multimedia capabilities. It sold over 80 million units worldwide and had a lifespan from 2004 to 2014.
Microsoft has announced a new feature called Edge Game Assist, designed to revolutionize the way PC gamers access in-game information and resources. This innovative tool integrates a browser directly into the gaming interface, allowing players to access guides, tips, and other online resources without ever leaving their game.
What is Edge Game Assist?
Edge Game Assist is a special version of the Microsoft Edge browser optimized for gaming. It can be accessed via the Windows Game Bar, a gaming overlay that provides various tools and widgets. By pinning the browser window to the screen, resizing it, or adjusting its transparency, gamers can multitask seamlessly without losing focus on their game.
Key Features
Game-Aware Browsing: Edge Game Assist suggests curated guides and tips based on the game being played. For example, if you’re playing Baldur’s Gate 3 or Diablo IV, it will offer relevant content to help you progress.
Unified Experience: The browser shares the same profile as Edge on your PC, meaning your favorites, history, cookies, and saved passwords are all accessible while gaming.
Customizable Interface: You can pin the browser window to the top of your game, resize it, or adjust its transparency to minimize distractions.
Support for Popular Titles: Initially, Edge Game Assist supports popular games like Baldur’s Gate 3, Diablo IV, Minecraft, and more. The list of supported games is expected to grow over time.
How to Get Started
To use Edge Game Assist, you’ll need to download and install the Microsoft Edge Beta version 132 or later. Ensure that your Windows and Game Bar are updated to the latest version2. Once set up, you can access Edge Game Assist by pressing Win+G to open the Game Bar and selecting the browser widget.
Future Prospects
While currently in preview mode, Edge Game Assist shows great potential for enhancing the gaming experience. Microsoft is actively seeking user feedback to address any issues and improve the feature. Future updates may include support for gamepads and handheld devices, as well as more advanced browser actions.
Edge Game Assist is a testament to Microsoft’s commitment to creating a unified gaming ecosystem that blends entertainment with productivity. By integrating Edge into the Game Bar, Microsoft aims to provide gamers with a seamless and immersive experience, making it easier to switch between gaming and other activities without losing focus.
While Microsoft Ignite is not necessarily a consumer-focused events, most of the thing presented on this event are going to be indirectly or directly attached on how people in general uses Windows for productivity and mixing with personal and professional work.
Ys, it is an unavoidable thing to do if your work closely with IT or have the privileged to working on a remote friendly environment.
Let’s cut to the chase, shall we?
Teams will translate for you in other languages
Microsoft Teams meetings are getting a new interpreter feature that lets each participant speak or listen in the language of their choosing. Interpreter in Teams uses real-time AI-powered speech-to-speech translation to simulate your speaking voice during meetings.
The new feature will be offered as a preview (be aware on not relying 100% on the feature) by early 2025.
More automation with Copilot for Microsoft 365
Microsoft announced Copilot Actions, designed to help you with repetitive task within your Microsoft 365 environment with things like automating a summary of meeting actions from Teams meetings, generating weekly reports, or even automating meeting prep.
Copilot Actions is designed to be something you set and forget, much like an AI-powered macro that goes off and does its thing based on some fill-in-the-blank prompts.
Hotpatch should reach consumer users of Windows 11
Microsoft announced Windows Hotpatch, which basically is the ability for Windows Update dealing with updates WITHOUT making your system requiring a reboot.
Unfortunately, there is no news if this will be given outside commercial customers, aka us peasants.
Because Microsoft knows that companies are limiting Remote workplace environment
Unfortunately, my workplaces are avoiding as possible remote work opportunity, while understandable, theses past few years proven that remote work shouldn’t be a privileged, but an incentive to do work if of course, your tasks are justified so.
With that in mine, enters Microsoft Places, which uses AI to coordinate in-office days with colleagues, dedicated location plan section where you can set and share the days, you’ll use the office and view which days your co-workers are heading in.
The feature is available now and, in the meantime, Microsoft is working o incorporate as part of Microsoft Copilot.
A Windows 11 Copilot+ PC response to Apple’s Mac Mini
Surprisingly, Microsoft announced a new original hardware and enters the Windows 365 Link PC, which an undisclosed Intel processor, 8GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, USB-A 3.2 port, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connectivity.
With an introductory MSRP of $349, Microsoft believes that having a Windows-as-a-Services environment, where Windows 11 Weill be served via Cloud computing instead of a locally installed OS, will “makes sense for commercial customers, who have a set of scenarios and workloads that they’re using today [where Microsoft thinks] this is a more compelling alternative”.
Windows 365 Link combined with these AI experiences could be another unique selling point for Windows 365 over similar cloud PC solutions from Citrix and others. Windows 365 Link is now in preview and will become available in select markets for $349 in April 2025.
Copilot+ PC will increment Universal Search power
A new “improved” Windows search will allow you to search for documents, photos, and other files by just describing them — even when you’re not connected to the internet, coming in next year.
The takeaways from the notorious CrowdStrike incident continues
We already know that Microsoft has just enough of developers and companies using indiscreetly software and services that requires access at the kernel level and this year ‘s CrowdStrike incident served as a BIG & GOOD EXMAPLE that this behavior needs to stop or at least or at least heavily check in/
With that, the Windows Resiliency Initiative…
The Windows Resiliency Initiative includes core changes to Windows that will make it easier for Microsoft’s customers to recover Windows-based machines if there’s ever another CrowdStrike-like incident. There are also some new Windows platform improvements to provide stronger controls over what apps and drivers are allowed to run and to help allow antivirus processing outside of kernel mode.
Also, related to security, Microsoft is creating an in-person hacking event, Zero Day Quest, which it says will be the largest of its kind. The event will build upon Microsoft’s existing bug bounty program and incentivize research into high-impact security flaws that can affect the software powering cloud and AI workloads.
Microsoft HoloLens is out, enters more support for Meta Quest 3
Meta and Microsoft announced that the full capabilities of Windows 11 mixed reality for Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are coming to the Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S in December. You’ll be able to have a large multiple-monitor workstation through Quest 3 headsets in public preview next month.
Windows 11 will have more “companions”
Microsoft is creating a new companions experience for the Windows 11 taskbar that will surface important data with just a click. Microsoft 365 Companions will include contacts and people, files, or calendar appointments integrated into the taskbar of Windows 11.
