apple watch series 11

Robert Kraft Claims His Donations Help Palestinians. Turns Out He’s Funding Friends of the IDF.

Billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft wants you to know he has spent “decades” supporting the Palestinian people. Days after pressuring pop singer Ed Sheeran to [drop rapper Macklemore](https://theintercept.com/2026/09/16/ed-sheeran-israel-palestine-macklemore/) from his tour over the latter’s “Free Palestine” remarks, Kraft claimed in a [statement](https://x.com/GilletteStadium/status/2100337429886427309) posted to social media that “for decades” he has “supported efforts that create opportunity for Palestinians,” such as initiatives to “to build businesses, create jobs, and forge relationships” between Israelis and Palestinians. The claims were made as a part of Kraft’s pledge to give $2 million to “aid in the region.” Kraft did not disclose which organizations would receive his money. Nor did he mention his long history of donating to [Friends of the Israel Defense Forces](https://theintercept.com/2024/06/11/apple-donations-idf-israel-gaza-illegal-settlements/), an organization that collects money on behalf of Israeli soldiers, and the [United Democracy Project](https://theintercept.com/2026/05/18/super-pac-election-spending-midterms-aipac-ai-crypto/), the super PAC of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which lobbies to [tilt](https://theintercept.com/2026/08/05/michigan-missouri-primary-results-el-sayed/) American [politics](https://theintercept.com/2026/05/19/thomas-massie-loses-election-results-trump-aipac-kentucky/) in [favor of Israel](https://theintercept.com/2026/06/08/us-israel-224-ai-defense-budget/). Kraft has also given money to a host of pro-Israel advocacy groups that attack critics of Israel, spread content that critics warn is Islamophobic, and have steadfastly defended Israel against mounting evidence of its ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. The Intercept’s analysis of tax forms since 2006 show that Kraft’s charity group, the Kraft Family Foundation, has donated $196,000 to the Friends of the IDF and an additional $123,000 to other organizations — Brothers for Life and Friends of Israel Disabled Veterans — that directly benefit Israeli military soldiers. In his seven separate donations to the Friends of the IDF, Kraft earmarked the money to “Promote education for young Jewish soldiers.” [ Related ------- ### U.S. Nonprofits Funnel Millions to Israeli Army Volunteers](https://theintercept.com/2025/07/19/lone-soldiers-israel-gaza-idf/) Since 2020, Friends of the IDF has poured more than $20 million into its lone soldier program, which supports young Jewish Americans, and Israelis who have no familial support, to serve in the Israeli military’s reserve soldier program, according to [an investigation by The Intercept](https://theintercept.com/2025/07/19/lone-soldiers-israel-gaza-idf/). The program has continued throughout Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Kraft has organized trips to Israel for former and current NFL players, including a 2017 trip in which he led a delegation of former players on a [visit](https://www.facebook.com/FIDFNational/photos/new-england-patriots-owner-robert-kraft-and-a-delegation-of-18-american-nfl-hall/1511569405548975/) to an Israeli Air Force base, organized by the Friends of the IDF. In 2019, Kraft gave $20 million to found a new organization, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, now known as the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate. Upon its founding, Kraft [pledged](https://www.timesofisrael.com/patriots-owner-kraft-pledges-20-million-to-battle-anti-semitism-bds/) the organization would oppose the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, [claiming](https://youtu.be/FvOPTYg7m9I?t=537) the Palestinian rights movement “and other efforts to delegitimize and undermine the State of Israel are the most disconcerting times for the country I love so much.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reciprocated the love when Kraft announced the new group while accepting an award for his Israel advocacy, declaring, “Israel does not have a more loyal friend than Robert Kraft.” Over the years, Kraft’s foundation has also given $63,500 to the [right-wing media watchdog group](https://theintercept.com/2024/01/28/new-york-times-daily-podcast-camera/) Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis, or CAMERA, which has run pressure [campaigns](https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v28/n06/john-mearsheimer/the-israel-lobby#%3A%7E%3Atext=In+May+2003%2Cas+more+oversight.) against [news outlets](https://jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com/new-york-times-walks-back-line-that-seemed-to-question-if-israelis-were-victims-on-oct-7/), journalists, students, and [scholars](https://forward.com/opinion/435453/how-trumps-education-department-is-weaponizing-anti-semitism-and/) it deems anti-Israel and has routinely denied Israel’s genocide in Gaza, dismissing such evidence as “[the Gaza GenoLie](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1977488696296371).” When Kraft gave $36,000 to CAMERA in 2018, the donation included a memo, “fighting antisemitism.” In 2011 and 2012, Kraft’s foundation donated $50,000 to boost the [Investigative Project on Terrorism](https://theintercept.com/2023/11/18/aipac-congress-israel-trips-donors/), which the Council on American-Islamic Relations considers a core part of what it refers to as the “[U.S. Islamophobia Network](https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169%2Fislastudj.2.1.0099).” As Kraft gave to the think tank, it launched [campaigns](https://electronicintifada.net/content/why-terror-expert-attacking-us-solidarity-groups/10779) targeting U.S.-based groups decrying Israel’s human rights violations against Palestinians, such as attacking human rights groups Students for Justice in Palestine and American Muslims for Palestine as having ties to “extremist groups” and claiming they were a part of a “web of Hamas support.” The group has more recently dismissed protests against Israel’s genocide as [Hamas propaganda](https://www.investigativeproject.org/9356/ipt-series-on-countering-pro-palestine-propaganda). In addition, Kraft’s foundation donated $150,000 from 2008 to 2018 to the pro-Israel organization, [Middle East Media Research Institute](https://theintercept.com/2021/05/12/pentagon-extremism-experts-domestic-terrorism/), co-founded by a former Israeli intelligence officer and counterrorism adviser to several Israeli presidents. The group’s website says it exists to “bridge the language gap between the West and the Middle East and South Asia” by translating Arab language media into English. However, [journalists](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/aug/12/worlddispatch.brianwhitaker) and [experts](https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/etd/r/1501/10?clear=10&p10_accession_num=kent1573219601907084) have noted selective translations of Arab articles and statements to misrepresent policies of Arab governments as extremist or violent. [ Related ------- ### “Board of Peace” Billionaire Backs AIPAC Fund Targeting Pro-Palestine Candidates](https://theintercept.com/2026/09/03/aipac-marc-rowan-donor-gaza-board-peace/) Aside from his donations to nonprofit groups, Kraft has been an active donor to AIPAC’s super PAC, the United Democracy Project. Through his limited liability company, the Kraft Group, Kraft has given $3 million to the super PAC since its founding in 2022, including $1 million in donations this midterm cycle. During this midterm election cycle, AIPAC has [flooded races](https://theintercept.com/2026/05/22/aipac-ai-crypto-and-gambling-are-hiding-their-big-election-spends/) to [oppose](https://theintercept.com/2026/02/12/aipac-illinois-kat-abughazaleh-congress-pal-pac/) candidates who criticize Israel’s genocide in Gaza and U.S. military support for Israel, helping make several primaries among the [most expensive](https://theintercept.com/2026/08/05/michigan-primary-results-el-sayed-stevens-aipac/) on [record](https://theintercept.com/2026/05/19/thomas-massie-loses-election-results-trump-aipac-kentucky/). It’s not clear whether these entities were the ones Kraft claims have created jobs and spurred dialogues between Palestinians and Israelis. Kraft, however, is also a regular donor to [local Jewish groups](https://www.jta.org/2015/11/23/culture/what-patriots-owner-robert-kraft-has-done-for-the-jews) in Massachusetts, such as Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston; Temple Emanuel in Newton; and Jewish Family & Children’s Services in Waltham. Kraft and the groups mentioned in this story did not respond to The Intercept’s request for comment. The post [Robert Kraft Claims His Donations Help Palestinians. Turns Out He’s Funding Friends of the IDF.](https://theintercept.com/2026/09/18/robert-kraft-macklemore-ed-sheeran-israel-donations/) appeared first on [The Intercept](https://theintercept.com/). --- **From [The Intercept](https://theintercept.com/feed/?mk=fl_is_on_feature_page&mv=1) via [This RSS Feed](https://theintercept.com/feed/?mk=fl_is_on_feature_page&mv=1).**

pravda_news 129 6

Steam Deck / Gaming News #18

Another week has passed, and so it’s another excuse for me to post a bunch of gaming news I’ve spotted over the last few days! I’m *sure* most of you know the drill by now: *What are these posts?* My aim for these News Posts in general though is to format them in a more *clearly not a professional, but someone who cares about gaming* manner than most gaming sites do now. Less demanding? My ever-lasting inspo is the old, old video game sites, blogs and magazines that I never had the privilege of being alive for: * **image/gif/link heavy** (although GIF can be tricky on Lemmy, some big ones refuse to show, and ones I plan on including end up unable to upload) * **personal voice** (I can’t help rambling, send help) * **mostly news or articles or points** which you won’t find on normal gaming sites. These are the smaller, lesser things that I’m drawn to. I *know* you’ll have spotted the big news articles, so I’m hoping some of these smaller ones might have been missed by you. A mixed bag of what I’ve considered news this week, so there really *is* a bit of everything ahead. So grab a coffee? Or a tea? Or a fresh juice? And enjoy <3 -------------------------------------------- # *Return of the Steam:* Both OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome have been reinstated back to Steam after being delisted. Nice and cheerful news, right?   Wrong. Especially in the case of the utterly adored Rollerdrome: > Pirate it. Entire team got fired after game released so why support 2k. Seems like this one has a tiny (not tiny at all) bit of an angry audience who, while adoring and signing the game’s praises, loathe what has happened on the corpo side of things. [If you wanna know everything there is to know about this sad story, then watch this doco that Raycevick put together on YouTube, it’s *such* wonderful production value, and worth watching](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnSpTyRuapk) * [Rollerdrome holds a ‘Platinum’ certification by community ratings on ProtonDB, working great](https://www.protondb.com/app/1294420) * [OlliOlli World *also* has a rating of ‘Platinum’ on ProtonDB, and the top-most comment with the users’ settings made me laugh](https://www.protondb.com/app/1190170) -------------------------------------------- # *DeckCube:* If you’ve ever wanted to have the best of the Steam Deck (portability) and the best of the GameCube (*ahhh, portability via a handle?!*) then this user – Otzedotze made a GameCube handle for your Steam Deck. > It works like 50% of the time. Then it falls off the Steam Deck and your Steam Deck falls to the floor. Good times. They’ve also shared the files on Maker World (under the name Bitz`Primmus) which you can [find here with this link if you’d like!](https://makerworld.com/en/models/1458861-the-nintendo-gamecube-controller-adapter-for-the-s#profileId-1520888) > It was already pointless on the GameCube — and now it’s even more useless on the Steam Deck. Especially since the Steam Deck version comes with the amazing feature of… falling off instantly! **ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!** And, obligatory pictures:  -------------------------------------------- # *Deck Tag:* I have to ask, what did *you* do with the tag on your Steam Deck zip-lock? This user took it to the obvious conclusion and has it where it belongs, I’d say:  -------------------------------------------- # *Epic Games ‘Free Games Program’:* It looks like Epic’s weekly free titles, which were suspected to end mid-this-year are *maybe* not stopping. We got a little scare when court documents from one of their many their skirmishes with Apple showed the end date of their freebies at mid-2025. Who’d have guessed, but taking one throw-away line in a dense document and guessing that spelled their end of their program...might have been wrong?! Anyway, the clue we’re seeing that maybe the program won’t end is there being a special nomination in this year's DevGAMM awards for Indie Games on EGS, one of the requirements mentioned the option to choose to participate in EGS Free Games Program in 2026. So...maybe? Maybe not? Who knows, that was all I could find. Anyway, [here’s a link to the awards](https://devgamm.com/awards2025/) and here’s the image for you:  With games like GTA V, Control, and Death Stranding given totally for free, this service is amazing for gamers who’d not have the opportunity or means to experience these titles without it. Hate Epic all you want, it helps some! -------------------------------------------- # *Download.it saves FilePlanet:* **120,000+ Historic Gaming Files to Find a New Home**  Download.it, the trusted multilingual software download and review platform, announces the upcoming merger with FilePlanet.com, to be completed on May 29, 2025. Over 120,000 historic FilePlanet gaming files, including rare demos, mods, patches, and promotional materials, will be preserved and remain freely accessible through Download.it's infrastructure. Originally founded in 1997 and previously operated by IGN Entertainment Inc. (Ziff Davis), FilePlanet served as an essential resource for gamers, modders, and enthusiasts for almost 28 years. Facing permanent closure, FilePlanet was acquired by Download.it to ensure these files, many unavailable elsewhere, could remain accessible to gaming communities around the world. Download.it, established as a reliable destination for software, apps, and game downloads for Windows, macOS, and Android platforms, has always emphasized free and convenient access without registration barriers or fees. This merger furthers the platform's commitment to digital preservation, combining resources to create one of the largest free download archives online: over 500,000 files totaling nearly 30TB of content. **Key facts about the merger:** * 120,000+ historic gaming-related files saved from FilePlanet * Combined archive of 500,000+ files across both platforms * Nearly 30TB of preserved digital content * Free, no-registration-required access continues * Automatic redirects preserve all historic links * Starting May 29, users visiting original FilePlanet.com URLs will automatically redirect to equivalent pages at the new address, safeguarding decades of historic links and bookmarks. [Visit FilePlanet's new home starting May 29 with this link](https://fileplanet.download.it/) **About Download.it:** Download.it is a multilingual software review and download portal, providing trusted, curated downloads for Windows, Android, and macOS users globally. Offering software, apps, games, utility tools, and now a historical gaming archive, Download.it serves millions of visitors with fast, reliable, and free downloads each month -------------------------------------------- # *Sonic the Hedgehog’s New Home:*  After a [careful restoration in 2023](https://x.com/segaforever/status/1693669492482510862), the legendary Sonic the Hedgehog statue from the now-closed SegaWorld London has found a new home inside Sega Europe’s recently relocated headquarters in Chiswick Business Park. Once a central attraction at SegaWorld (an ambitious arcade and theme park launched in 1996) the statue now stands in Sega’s modern office, surrounded by lame, personality-free things like ping-pong tables, relaxation zones, and a digital gallery. [Link to a video on YouTube which gives you an ‘inside look at SEGA’s brand new office, which runs for just over one minute](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlWvBSmyQAI) Originally thought lost after SegaWorld closed and transitioned into Funland Arcade, the statue resurfaced in 2019 thanks to Danny Russell from Sega Forever. It was restored by Croydon-based special effects studio 13 Finger FX, bringing new life to a cherished piece of gaming history. Sega Europe’s move to Chiswick, following two decades in Brentford, symbolizes a fresh chapter for the company—while also celebrating the return of one of Sonic’s most iconic UK appearances. Before:  After:  -------------------------------------------- # *Stellar Blade’s Lock:*  > It seems Shift Up did indeed have discussions with Sony to get this resolved. There appears to be no change with any of the other region-locked games published by Sony on PC. In a move no one really expected (since the opposite was announced only a week or so ago), we’ve now got Stellar Blade not enforcing Sony’s senseless region lock. It is now available in *over* 250 countries. But: * The rest of Sony’s own catalogue still *does* enforce their own PSN region lock * Stellar Blade still has Denuvo DRM There's also a demo available that's out now, if you'd like to try it out (on the Deck, too!):  -------------------------------------------- # *Nine Sols:*  The adorable hand-animated, Japanese folklore-inspired (with *very* Sekiro-ish combat) Nine Sols has sold over 800,000 copies across all platforms now!  > It’s been Red Candle’s own odyssey, six years, countless challenges, and now a sunlit horizon. > Thank you for walking this road with us, and for the chance to cross paths on the Way.  I also love how it’s dubbed ‘Taopunk’ – a fusion of Taoist philosophy and a cyberpunk setting: Eastern mythology + sci-fi bits and pieces. If you enjoyed Nine Sols by the way, look up Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus. While Nine Sols is reaction-based combat, Teal Lotus is more platforming, but *both* are beautiful in their setting. -------------------------------------------- # *Xbox Handheld Sidelined:* Microsoft has apparently (*though to be fair it’s not 100% confirmed, more like 75%*) ‘temporarily’ shelved its upcoming in-house Xbox handheld device to focus on improving Windows 11 gaming performance. Especially for third-party devices like ASUS's Xbox-branded Ally model I shared a few News Posts ago - "Project Kennan." While multiple prototypes for a Gen-10 Xbox handheld exist, internal priorities have shifted toward enhancing the software experience for Windows-based gaming handhelds, which let’s face it...sucks a lot and needs work. The decision seems influenced by the rise of SteamOS, which offers better performance and battery life on devices like the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go. Microsoft remains committed to developing its own handheld hardware in the future, but for now, it's leaning into partnerships and platform optimization. [Here’s an article on Windows Central, by Jez Corden which goes into way more detail about the fact it’s not confirmed-confirmed](https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/exclusive-xboxs-handheld-pembrooke-has-been-sidelined-for-now-as-microsoft-doubles-down-on-windows-11-pc-gaming-handheld-optimization) And here’s one of the leaked Xbox-Ally-Kennan console images:  -------------------------------------------- # *Persona 4 Remake?*  Voice actor Yuri Lowenthal has maybe released the fact there’s an upcoming P4 Remake coming, maybe out of spite? In a now deleted Bsky post, he just didn’t hold back:  So, I guess we’re now looking forward to that? -------------------------------------------- # *Cyberpunk 2077:*  Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty has sold 10 million copies and Cyberpunk 2 has entered pre-production phase! That’s...honestly a *lot*, but it’s amazing to read on each, too. Their only DLC (having planned two, but dropped the second) selling so much is well and truly deserved. Phantom Liberty is worth its weight in gold!!! [You can read all about it in CD Projekt Group’s Q1 2025 Earnings report here, if you’re so inclined.](https://www.cdprojekt.com/pl/wp-content/uploads-pl/2025/05/prezentacja-wynikowa-grupy-cd-projekt-q1-2025-en.pdf) -------------------------------------------- # *The Witcher:*  To start with, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has sold 60 million copies! An insane number that is very nearly matching that of Skyrim! Also just announced is the fact that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is getting cross-platform mod support: > *We will introduce cross-platform mod support for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S later this year. For the first time, creating, sharing, and enjoying mods for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be easier and more accessible than ever.* [More information will be released in time, but for now you can check their link here to read more!](thewitcher.ly/CrossPlatformModSupport) Annnd if that’s not enough Witcher for you, you can watch their 10th Anniversary Celebration with the devs: > It’s been 10 years since The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was released. To mark this occasion, we invited some amazing people who worked on the game to travel back in time and share some stories. [...with this link here to YouTube. It goes for 20:33 and is well worth your time!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5alL6_Kc_k) ...and lastly, I just love this art by IfrAgMenTIx, and had to leave it here below:  -------------------------------------------- # *Selaco:*  I’ve rambled about Selaco a million times now, since it is pure sorcery what the devs have done with the GZDoom engine to make a game look *this good*, but I’m gonna do it again: * [Check out their Early Access trailer they released 12 months ago, and be impressed!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFI1QSd4T2g) > *The story takes place during a violent invasion on Selaco, a massive space station sheltering the last refugees after Earth’s fall just a few years prior. You play as Dawn Collins, an ACE Security Captain who, with her recent promotion and high level security clearances, is digging deep into the truth behind Selaco's murky history. Before she can finish her investigation, Selaco is rocked by explosions and armed invaders.*  [Find the game’s Steam listing here if you’d like to see/read more about Selaco itself](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1592280/Selaco)  Anyway, the devs have announced that Selaco has a huge update (V0.90) and a sale (their highest discount yet!) on Steam at the moment. I’d list some, but the list and changes are sooooo extensive, you’re better reading them here: [Read the whole *extensive* patch notes and announcement here](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1592280/view/517462514506663200) [And check Digital Foundry’s video on the game, with how impressed they are with it!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgKnfXTj_H4) -------------------------------------------- # *2005’s Punisher (a ‘definitive’ version)*:*  This is a very specific one I stumbled over, but there’s always a chance that there’s a fan of the 2005 PS2 game The Punisher in here. The user Javi096 has done their best to compile the best-of-the-best replacements to make that game the ‘ultimate’ version it can be. Pointless even writing this paragraph, just read the user’s notes on it: > Hey everyone! I’ve shared this with some Punisher communities, thought I’d share it here in case there are any fans and because I did this all off a steam deck.  > Over the last year or so I’ve been trying to put together what I feel is a content complete edition for the PS2 version of the classic Punisher game. Back in the day it was heavily censored and lacked exclusives from the PC version such as exclusive costumes for The Punisher. Thanks to the texture replacement feature and luck finding texture rips of the exclusive costumes, I was able to bring those costumes to the PS2 version for the first time ever! I even took it a step further and added additional costumes to give the game a nice variety of content. > In the files I included there is a cheat file to remove the censorship and add additional violence to the game. As well as an HD texture pack created by Bl4ckH4nd over at GBAtemp. Instructions are included how to set it all up. [*(note, the link to the pack they’ve compiled is here with this link to their Google Drive)*](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AicmsWEOFrHenMOoaJ_UwHsiEvv0zgKH) [Lastly, this link is to a new mod that’s been created that further restores cut content and adds even more blood and gore](https://www.moddb.com/games/the-punisher-2005/addons/punisher-premastered-for-pcsx2-ps2-emulator) -------------------------------------------- # *Thai Prime Minister & Game Boy:* There’s not much I can think of to say about this either, it’s just amazing: one of the reporters interviewing Thailand prime minister has a ‘camera’ you’ll recognize:   -------------------------------------------- # *Reshade 6.5 releases:* ReShade is basically a powerful graphics tool that lets you add custom post-processing effects to most PC games. Think of it like Instagram filters, but way more advanced and applied live while you play. **What it does:** It "injects" itself into the game's rendering pipeline. This allows it to grab the image right before it's shown on your screen and apply a wide variety of visual effects (called shaders). **Common things people use it for:** * Color Correction: Make colors more vibrant, change the mood (e.g., desaturate for a gritty look, add a warm tint). * Sharpening: Make blurry textures look crisper. * Depth of Field (DoF): Create cinematic blurry backgrounds/foregrounds. * Ambient Occlusion (AO): Add subtle contact shadows for more depth. * Anti-Aliasing: Smooth out jagged edges, often better than in-game options. * Film Grain, Bloom, Lens Flares: Add stylistic touches. **In short:** It lets you customize how your games look, often dramatically improving visuals, making older games look newer, or just tweaking things to your personal taste. [Change log here if you’d like to read more of what has changed on this version](https://reshade.me/releases/9998-6-5) -------------------------------------------- # *Custom PlayStation 2 Slim shell:* I just loved how this one looks, thought someone might be interested in this! [The link to it is available free here, if you wanna click it!](https://www.printables.com/model/1298355-playstation-2-slim-case-70-77k-drive-less)     They’ve also included the STEP file in this, if you wanted to remix or build something off it! -------------------------------------------- # *Steam Deck – watercooled:* IDK, I’m just going to copy their words for this one too. I found this user who posted: *I built a custom water cooling loop for my Steam Deck using leftover parts from an old PC build. I also played around with overclocking and undervolting*, and I was pretty fascinated. The Steam Deck community is filled with the tinkering sort, and these kind of projects are usually more of the ‘because I could*, not should! Anyway, here’s their efforts in their own words (and pictures!)   **System Modifications:** I used the Smokeless UMAF Runtime Patcher to modify the BIOS and raise the TDP limit from the stock 15W to 27W. CPU overclocked from 3.5 GHz to 3.6 GHz. GPU overclocked modestly from 1.6 GHz to 1.7 GHz. I also applied a slight undervolt of -10 mV to the CPU, GPU, and SoC. **Why only +100MHz OC?** I know the Deck can handle more, and I’ve tested higher overclocks — but I decided to scale things back and prioritize balance between CPU and GPU performance. My thought process was: if I overclock the CPU too aggressively, it might draw so much power that the GPU wouldn’t have enough TDP headroom left — and vice versa: if the GPU draws too much power, the CPU could become the bottleneck. Since both components share the same power budget (even with the raised 27W limit), pushing one too far can end up starving the other. So instead of having one component run much faster while the other gets throttled, I chose to modestly overclock both by 100 MHz. This way they can operate more evenly under load, and the system stays stable, responsive, and cool. **Thermal Results (with custom loop)** All temperatures are measured while gaming in Full HD (1920×1080) resolution via HDMI output — not the Steam Deck’s native display. That higher resolution puts extra load on the system, making these results even more impressive: Idle temps: * ~27–29 °C (depending on room temp) * Doom Eternal (medium settings): ~40–45 °C under load * Helldivers 2 (low settings + internal upscaling): ~50–55 °C * Max temp observed, even during long sessions: never above 60 °C **Notes & Observations:** I probably didn’t win the silicon lottery — I tried undervolting more, but my system became unstable very quickly, so I couldn’t take it much further than -10 mV on CPU, GPU, and SoC. Still, the small undervolt runs completely stable with no negative effects. System feels snappy, stable, and most importantly: quiet and cool. Water cooling on a handheld is obviously overkill, but it was a fun project and I love the results. -------------------------------------------- # *Game Pass in May:* Just a handy graphic, to show what was generally regarded as an amazing and hard-to-beat month of Game Pass titles, and a handful which are still to arrive:  -------------------------------------------- # *Expedition 33 sells 3.3 million:* Expedition 33 has sold (*over this number, by the time you’re reading this!*) 3.3 million copies. Have you played it? Are you obsessed? Its funny how a turn-based game has made such a stir in all the gaming circles lately!  -------------------------------------------- # *LEGO Gear Rex:* A little while back I shared a fun alt LEGO build I spotted. One takes (in theory, in practice I have *no* idea how people can figure these out!) an existing LEGO set, and builds something entirely different out of each piece in the set. [(that post, where the user takes a safari set and makes Shagohod from MGS is here if you want to take a look)](https://mastodon.social/@flwwhtrbt/114527843492232204) Anyway, I found another one, this time Metal Gear Rex being made from the LEGO set for a Millennium Falcon.   IDK how people work these out, this is *amazing* to me, esp since I am a massive MGS fan. [The instructions / page on how to is here on rebrickable if you want to see it all, including a YouTube video on it!](https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-199727/CreationCaravan%20%28Brad%20Barber%29/metal-gear-rex/#details) -------------------------------------------- # *PS2 on my Steam Deck:* I’ve been revisiting my RetroDECK set-up on my Steam Deck in the last few days. I *was* emulating a huge number of Switch games on my Deck, but having long since re-joined the Switch hardware world with an OLED I chipped (*for that lovely custom theme CFW world*), I’ve gone back and removed 99% of them from my little library and instead am focusing on PS2 (and PS3) titles instead. So, what I do is: * I use RetroDECK on my Steam Deck, I much prefer this over EmuDeck as it doesn’t break every week or two. It’s stable and lets me run *everything* including my ROMs, emulators, bios, mods, texture packs etc all from one SD card – with ease. [Link to their site here](https://retrodeck.net/) * I grab HD texture packs for the PS2 games I’m enjoying the look of, to try out in the ‘best that they can be’ kinda way. These texture packs act as higher res textures replacing the originals in the games, it can go from a few hundred mb all the way up to the most I’ve found, being 29GB on a Silent Hill title. Download the HD Texture Packs, place in folder, apply in settings and it looks *pretty*. [Here’s a great collection of these packs if you’re curious, on archive.org](https://archive.org/download/cover_20231010) * And of course I tweak the settings in PCSX2, the PS2 emulator, and upscale the output to what feels nicest to me. I’m kinda new to the PS2 library. Or not new just...I’ve never really dived in to it, besides some of the obvious big titles. Anyway, here’s what I’ve got so far, just...coz I’ve written all of this and now I’ve got to make some kind of conclusion to my ramble:   -------------------------------------------- # *DOOM Promo*: This one was spotted in Barcelona (*in Plaza Drassanes*) and is obviously a paid, commissioned advert – but a wonderful one, regardless. Celebrating the latest DOOM game (The Dark Ages):  -------------------------------------------- # *Game Informer Archive:*  The Game Informer archive just got upgraded with its entire backlog, so if you’ve nostalgia or curiosity over the 1990s and gaming, then this will be a winner for you!  > Since Game Informer’s return in March, we’ve offered a backlog archive of all our magazine issues going back to 2012. With today’s expansion of that archive, we’re now growing that archive to include all Game Informer magazine issues, going all the way back to issue number 1, first published in 1991. [You can do so by following this link to their own announcement, which then directs you where to go](https://www.gameinformer.com/announcement/2025/05/29/the-game-informer-magazine-archive-expands) Or, if you don’t want to have to create an account to see them (*which you are required to, silly Game Informer*), then you can just read the entirety of Game Informer on RetroMags instead: [The link to which is here!](https://www.retromags.com/files/category/486-game-informer/) -------------------------------------------- # *That’s all, I think?!* -------------------------------------------- Despite having a ton more to write and share, I do think sometimes that maybe too much is too much. I’m edging closer to 4,000 words in this post so far, so...maybe I’ll leave it here! If you’d like to read my previous Gaming News posts (they’re mounting up in number now!), then you can find them here: * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #2](https://lemmy.world/post/26182097) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #3](https://lemmy.world/post/26306459) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #4](https://lemmy.world/post/26483935) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #5](https://lemmy.world/post/26707576) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #6](https://lemmy.world/post/27035556) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #7](https://lemmy.world/post/27435521) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #8](https://lemmy.world/post/27639264) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #9](https://lemmy.world/post/27761213) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #10](https://lemmy.world/post/28239730) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #11](https://lemmy.world/post/28590388) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #12](https://lemmy.world/post/28805418) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #13](https://lemmy.world/post/28889066) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #14](https://lemmy.world/post/29248253) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #15](https://lemmy.world/post/29568046) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #16](https://lemmy.world/post/29826595) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #17](https://lemmy.world/post/30260407) If you’d like to see more of my odd gaming things I find or never-shut-up-about, then you can find me on Mastodon: 

games 230 21

Automattic buys Beeper for $125MM, launches closed-source "privacy" app

Curious how none of the coverage of this launch mention that the app isn't actually open-source (though they pretend to be an open-source project), which makes all of their claims of "end-to-end encryption" worthless # WordPress.com owner Automattic acquires multiservice messaging app Beeper for $125M ### By Sarah Perez (@sarahpereztc) 2024-04-09 WordPress.com owner Automattic is acquiring [Beeper](https://beeper.com), the company behind [the iMessage-on-Android solution](https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/05/beeper-reversed-engineered-imessage-to-bring-blue-bubble-texts-to-android-users/) that was [referenced by the Department of Justice](https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/21/doj-calls-out-apple-for-breaking-imessage-on-android-solution-beeper/) in its antitrust lawsuit against Apple. The deal, which was for \$125 million according to sources close to the matter, is Automattic's second acquisition of a cross-platform messaging solution after [buying Texts.com](https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/24/wordpress-com-owner-buys-all-in-one-messaging-app-texts-com-for-50m/) last October. | [](https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/09/wordpress-com-owner-automattic-acquires-multi-service-messaging-app-beeper-for-125m/) | |:--:| | Image Credits: Beepercaption | That acquisition made Texts.com founder Kishan Bagaria Automattic's new head of Messaging, a role that will now be held by Beeper founder [Eric Migicovsky](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericmigi/), previously the founder of the Pebble smartwatch and a Y Combinator partner. Reached for comment, Automattic said it has started the process of onboarding the Beeper team and is "excited about the progress made" so far but couldn't yet share more about its organizational updates, or what Bagaria's new title would be. However, we're told he is staying to work on Beeper as well. | [](https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/09/wordpress-com-owner-automattic-acquires-multi-service-messaging-app-beeper-for-125m/) | |:--:| | Image Credits: Beepercaption | Beeper and Texts.com's teams of 25 and 15, respectively, will join together to take the best of each company's product and merge it into one platform, according to Migicovsky. "\[Texts.com\] built an amazing app that's more desktop-centric and iOS-centric," he said. "So we'll be folding the best parts of those into our app. But going forward, the Beeper brand will apply to all of the messaging efforts at Automattic," he said, adding, "Kishan ... I've known him for years now --- there's not too many other people in the world that are doing what we do --- and it was great to be able to combine forces with them." The deal, which closed on April 1, represents a big bet from Automattic: that the future of messaging will be open source and will work across services, instead of being tied up in proprietary platforms, like Meta's WhatsApp or Apple's iMessage. In fact, Migicovsky says, the eventual plan after shifting people to the Beeper cross-platform app for managing their messages is to move them to Beeper's own chat protocol --- an open source protocol called Matrix --- under the hood. | [](https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/09/wordpress-com-owner-automattic-acquires-multi-service-messaging-app-beeper-for-125m/) | |:--:| | Image Credits: Beepercaption | Automattic had previously made a [strategic investment of \$4.6 million](https://matrix.org/blog/2020/05/21/welcoming-automattic-to-matrix/)), another company building on Matrix, and it contributes annually to Matrix.org. Matrix, a sort of "spiritual successor" to XMPP, as Migicovsky describes it, offers an open source, end-to-end encrypted client and server communications system, where servers can federate with one another, similar to open source Twitter/X alternative [Mastodon](https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/24/what-is-mastodon/). However, instead of focusing on social networking, like Mastodon, it focuses on messaging. Migicovsky said the acquisition came about because running Beeper costs quite a bit of money and it was either time to raise more funding or find a buyer. To date, Beeper had raised \$16 million in outside funding, including an \$8 million Series A from Initialized. Other investors include YC, Samsung Next and Liquid2 Ventures, and angels Garry Tan, Kevin Mahaffey and Niv Dror, and the group SV Angel. "I've known Matt \[Mullenweg, Automattic founder and CEO\] for years now," Migicovsky said, adding that the WordPress.com founder had shown commitment to open source technology, like Beeper, where about half its product is already open source. "We were looking to find a partner that could financially support this. One of the reasons why there are no other people building this type of app is it costs a surprisingly large amount of money to build a damn good chat app," Migicovsky noted. As for Beeper's products, the company has now briefed the DOJ on what happened when [Apple blocked](https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/11/beeper-mini-is-back-in-operation-after-apples-attempt-to-shut-it-down/) [its newer app](https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/19/beepers-upcoming-fix-requires-users-to-have-access-to-a-mac/), Beeper Mini, which aimed to bring iMessage to Android. That solution is [no longer being updated](https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/21/beeper-done-trying-bring-imessage-android-after-month-long-cat-mouse-game-apple/) as a result of Apple's moves. | [](https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/09/wordpress-com-owner-automattic-acquires-multi-service-messaging-app-beeper-for-125m/) | |:--:| | Image Credits: Beepercaption | ## Beeper on Android launches to all The company is instead releasing an updated version of [its core app, Beeper](http://beeper.com/download), on Android. Unlike Beeper Mini, which focuses only on iMessage, the main app connects with 14 services, including Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Instagram DM, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Discord, Google Messages and others. Android is its biggest platform by users, as 70% are on Google's smartphone OS. In this rewritten version of Beeper, the company is starting to roll out fully end-to-end encrypted messages across Signal. That will be soon followed by WhatsApp, Messenger and Google Messages. Because of Apple's restrictions, iMessage only works if you have an iPhone in the mix, Migicovsky says, and will not be a focus for Beeper, given the complications it saw with Apple's shutdown of Beeper Mini. However, Beeper is hopeful regulations could change things, pointing to the DOJ lawsuit and [FCC investigation](https://techcrunch.com/2024/02/12/fcc-commissioner-pushes-to-investigate-apples-decision-to-block-beeper-mini/). In the meantime, Beeper supports [RCS](https://blog.beeper.com/2023/10/18/out-of-labs-and-ready-to-roll-google/), which solves iMessage to Android problems like low-res images and videos, lack of typing indicators and encryption. With the launch out of beta, the new app includes a new icon, updated design, instant chat opens and sends, the ability to add and modify chat networks directly on Android (no desktop app needed), local caching of all chats on the device and full message search. The 10,000 Android beta testers already on Beeper will need to download the new app manually from [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beeper.android) --- it won't automatically update. | [](https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/09/wordpress-com-owner-automattic-acquires-multi-service-messaging-app-beeper-for-125m/) | |:--:| | Image Credits: Beepercaption | In addition, the 466,000 or so people on Beeper's waitlist will now be able [to try the product.](http://beeper.com/download) They'll join over 115,000 users who have already downloaded the app, which is now used by tens of thousands daily. The app runs on Android, iPhone, iPad, ChromeOS, macOS, Windows and Linux. The team expects to have feature parity across platforms in a matter of months as they overhaul the iOS and desktop apps. In time, they plan to add other services to Beeper as well, including Google Voice, Snapchat and Microsoft Teams. Beeper also offers a widget API so developers can build on top of Beeper. Plus, since Matrix is an open standard, developers will be able to build alternative clients for Beeper, as well. The app will generate revenue via a premium subscription, where the final price may be a couple of dollars per month, but pricing decisions haven't yet been fully nailed down. Beeper is currently free to use. Like Automattic, Beeper's team is remotely distributed, with employees in Brazil, the U.K., Germany and the U.S. At present, Texts.com will continue to operate as the teams begin to integrate the two messaging apps.

privacy 162 46

Steam Deck / Gaming News #18

Another week has passed, and so it’s another excuse for me to post a bunch of gaming news I’ve spotted over the last few days! I’m *sure* most of you know the drill by now: *What are these posts?* My aim for these News Posts in general though is to format them in a more *clearly not a professional, but someone who cares about gaming* manner than most gaming sites do now. Less demanding? My ever-lasting inspo is the old, old video game sites, blogs and magazines that I never had the privilege of being alive for: * **image/gif/link heavy** (although GIF can be tricky on Lemmy, some big ones refuse to show, and ones I plan on including end up unable to upload) * **personal voice** (I can’t help rambling, send help) * **mostly news or articles or points** which you won’t find on normal gaming sites. These are the smaller, lesser things that I’m drawn to. I *know* you’ll have spotted the big news articles, so I’m hoping some of these smaller ones might have been missed by you. A mixed bag of what I’ve considered news this week, so there really *is* a bit of everything ahead. So grab a coffee? Or a tea? Or a fresh juice? And enjoy <3 -------------------------------------------- # *Return of the Steam:* Both OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome have been reinstated back to Steam after being delisted. Nice and cheerful news, right?   Wrong. Especially in the case of the utterly adored Rollerdrome: > Pirate it. Entire team got fired after game released so why support 2k. Seems like this one has a tiny (not tiny at all) bit of an angry audience who, while adoring and signing the game’s praises, loathe what has happened on the corpo side of things. [If you wanna know everything there is to know about this sad story, then watch this doco that Raycevick put together on YouTube, it’s *such* wonderful production value, and worth watching](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnSpTyRuapk) * [Rollerdrome holds a ‘Platinum’ certification by community ratings on ProtonDB, working great](https://www.protondb.com/app/1294420) * [OlliOlli World *also* has a rating of ‘Platinum’ on ProtonDB, and the top-most comment with the users’ settings made me laugh](https://www.protondb.com/app/1190170) -------------------------------------------- # *DeckCube:* If you’ve ever wanted to have the best of the Steam Deck (portability) and the best of the GameCube (*ahhh, portability via a handle?!*) then this user – Otzedotze made a GameCube handle for your Steam Deck. > It works like 50% of the time. Then it falls off the Steam Deck and your Steam Deck falls to the floor. Good times. They’ve also shared the files on Maker World (under the name Bitz`Primmus) which you can [find here with this link if you’d like!](https://makerworld.com/en/models/1458861-the-nintendo-gamecube-controller-adapter-for-the-s#profileId-1520888) > It was already pointless on the GameCube — and now it’s even more useless on the Steam Deck. Especially since the Steam Deck version comes with the amazing feature of… falling off instantly! **ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!** And, obligatory pictures:  -------------------------------------------- # *Deck Tag:* I have to ask, what did *you* do with the tag on your Steam Deck zip-lock? This user took it to the obvious conclusion and has it where it belongs, I’d say:  -------------------------------------------- # *Epic Games ‘Free Games Program’:* It looks like Epic’s weekly free titles, which were suspected to end mid-this-year are *maybe* not stopping. We got a little scare when court documents from one of their many their skirmishes with Apple showed the end date of their freebies at mid-2025. Who’d have guessed, but taking one throw-away line in a dense document and guessing that spelled their end of their program...might have been wrong?! Anyway, the clue we’re seeing that maybe the program won’t end is there being a special nomination in this year's DevGAMM awards for Indie Games on EGS, one of the requirements mentioned the option to choose to participate in EGS Free Games Program in 2026. So...maybe? Maybe not? Who knows, that was all I could find. Anyway, [here’s a link to the awards](https://devgamm.com/awards2025/) and here’s the image for you:  With games like GTA V, Control, and Death Stranding given totally for free, this service is amazing for gamers who’d not have the opportunity or means to experience these titles without it. Hate Epic all you want, it helps some! -------------------------------------------- # *Download.it saves FilePlanet:* **120,000+ Historic Gaming Files to Find a New Home**  Download.it, the trusted multilingual software download and review platform, announces the upcoming merger with FilePlanet.com, to be completed on May 29, 2025. Over 120,000 historic FilePlanet gaming files, including rare demos, mods, patches, and promotional materials, will be preserved and remain freely accessible through Download.it's infrastructure. Originally founded in 1997 and previously operated by IGN Entertainment Inc. (Ziff Davis), FilePlanet served as an essential resource for gamers, modders, and enthusiasts for almost 28 years. Facing permanent closure, FilePlanet was acquired by Download.it to ensure these files, many unavailable elsewhere, could remain accessible to gaming communities around the world. Download.it, established as a reliable destination for software, apps, and game downloads for Windows, macOS, and Android platforms, has always emphasized free and convenient access without registration barriers or fees. This merger furthers the platform's commitment to digital preservation, combining resources to create one of the largest free download archives online: over 500,000 files totaling nearly 30TB of content. **Key facts about the merger:** * 120,000+ historic gaming-related files saved from FilePlanet * Combined archive of 500,000+ files across both platforms * Nearly 30TB of preserved digital content * Free, no-registration-required access continues * Automatic redirects preserve all historic links * Starting May 29, users visiting original FilePlanet.com URLs will automatically redirect to equivalent pages at the new address, safeguarding decades of historic links and bookmarks. [Visit FilePlanet's new home starting May 29 with this link](https://fileplanet.download.it/) **About Download.it:** Download.it is a multilingual software review and download portal, providing trusted, curated downloads for Windows, Android, and macOS users globally. Offering software, apps, games, utility tools, and now a historical gaming archive, Download.it serves millions of visitors with fast, reliable, and free downloads each month -------------------------------------------- # *Sonic the Hedgehog’s New Home:*  After a [careful restoration in 2023](https://x.com/segaforever/status/1693669492482510862), the legendary Sonic the Hedgehog statue from the now-closed SegaWorld London has found a new home inside Sega Europe’s recently relocated headquarters in Chiswick Business Park. Once a central attraction at SegaWorld (an ambitious arcade and theme park launched in 1996) the statue now stands in Sega’s modern office, surrounded by lame, personality-free things like ping-pong tables, relaxation zones, and a digital gallery. [Link to a video on YouTube which gives you an ‘inside look at SEGA’s brand new office, which runs for just over one minute](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlWvBSmyQAI) Originally thought lost after SegaWorld closed and transitioned into Funland Arcade, the statue resurfaced in 2019 thanks to Danny Russell from Sega Forever. It was restored by Croydon-based special effects studio 13 Finger FX, bringing new life to a cherished piece of gaming history. Sega Europe’s move to Chiswick, following two decades in Brentford, symbolizes a fresh chapter for the company—while also celebrating the return of one of Sonic’s most iconic UK appearances. Before:  After:  -------------------------------------------- # *Stellar Blade’s Lock:*  > It seems Shift Up did indeed have discussions with Sony to get this resolved. There appears to be no change with any of the other region-locked games published by Sony on PC. In a move no one really expected (since the opposite was announced only a week or so ago), we’ve now got Stellar Blade not enforcing Sony’s senseless region lock. It is now available in *over* 250 countries. But: * The rest of Sony’s own catalogue still *does* enforce their own PSN region lock * Stellar Blade still has Denuvo DRM There's also a demo available that's out now, if you'd like to try it out (on the Deck, too!):  -------------------------------------------- # *Nine Sols:*  The adorable hand-animated, Japanese folklore-inspired (with *very* Sekiro-ish combat) Nine Sols has sold over 800,000 copies across all platforms now!  > It’s been Red Candle’s own odyssey, six years, countless challenges, and now a sunlit horizon. > Thank you for walking this road with us, and for the chance to cross paths on the Way.  I also love how it’s dubbed ‘Taopunk’ – a fusion of Taoist philosophy and a cyberpunk setting: Eastern mythology + sci-fi bits and pieces. If you enjoyed Nine Sols by the way, look up Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus. While Nine Sols is reaction-based combat, Teal Lotus is more platforming, but *both* are beautiful in their setting. -------------------------------------------- # *Xbox Handheld Sidelined:* Microsoft has apparently (*though to be fair it’s not 100% confirmed, more like 75%*) ‘temporarily’ shelved its upcoming in-house Xbox handheld device to focus on improving Windows 11 gaming performance. Especially for third-party devices like ASUS's Xbox-branded Ally model I shared a few News Posts ago - "Project Kennan." While multiple prototypes for a Gen-10 Xbox handheld exist, internal priorities have shifted toward enhancing the software experience for Windows-based gaming handhelds, which let’s face it...sucks a lot and needs work. The decision seems influenced by the rise of SteamOS, which offers better performance and battery life on devices like the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go. Microsoft remains committed to developing its own handheld hardware in the future, but for now, it's leaning into partnerships and platform optimization. [Here’s an article on Windows Central, by Jez Corden which goes into way more detail about the fact it’s not confirmed-confirmed](https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/exclusive-xboxs-handheld-pembrooke-has-been-sidelined-for-now-as-microsoft-doubles-down-on-windows-11-pc-gaming-handheld-optimization) And here’s one of the leaked Xbox-Ally-Kennan console images:  -------------------------------------------- # *Persona 4 Remake?*  Voice actor Yuri Lowenthal has maybe released the fact there’s an upcoming P4 Remake coming, maybe out of spite? In a now deleted Bsky post, he just didn’t hold back:  So, I guess we’re now looking forward to that? -------------------------------------------- # *Cyberpunk 2077:*  Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty has sold 10 million copies and Cyberpunk 2 has entered pre-production phase! That’s...honestly a *lot*, but it’s amazing to read on each, too. Their only DLC (having planned two, but dropped the second) selling so much is well and truly deserved. Phantom Liberty is worth its weight in gold!!! [You can read all about it in CD Projekt Group’s Q1 2025 Earnings report here, if you’re so inclined.](https://www.cdprojekt.com/pl/wp-content/uploads-pl/2025/05/prezentacja-wynikowa-grupy-cd-projekt-q1-2025-en.pdf) -------------------------------------------- # *The Witcher:*  To start with, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has sold 60 million copies! An insane number that is very nearly matching that of Skyrim! Also just announced is the fact that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is getting cross-platform mod support: > *We will introduce cross-platform mod support for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S later this year. For the first time, creating, sharing, and enjoying mods for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be easier and more accessible than ever.* [More information will be released in time, but for now you can check their link here to read more!](thewitcher.ly/CrossPlatformModSupport) Annnd if that’s not enough Witcher for you, you can watch their 10th Anniversary Celebration with the devs: > It’s been 10 years since The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was released. To mark this occasion, we invited some amazing people who worked on the game to travel back in time and share some stories. [...with this link here to YouTube. It goes for 20:33 and is well worth your time!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5alL6_Kc_k) ...and lastly, I just love this art by IfrAgMenTIx, and had to leave it here below:  -------------------------------------------- # *Selaco:*  I’ve rambled about Selaco a million times now, since it is pure sorcery what the devs have done with the GZDoom engine to make a game look *this good*, but I’m gonna do it again: * [Check out their Early Access trailer they released 12 months ago, and be impressed!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFI1QSd4T2g) > *The story takes place during a violent invasion on Selaco, a massive space station sheltering the last refugees after Earth’s fall just a few years prior. You play as Dawn Collins, an ACE Security Captain who, with her recent promotion and high level security clearances, is digging deep into the truth behind Selaco's murky history. Before she can finish her investigation, Selaco is rocked by explosions and armed invaders.*  [Find the game’s Steam listing here if you’d like to see/read more about Selaco itself](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1592280/Selaco)  Anyway, the devs have announced that Selaco has a huge update (V0.90) and a sale (their highest discount yet!) on Steam at the moment. I’d list some, but the list and changes are sooooo extensive, you’re better reading them here: [Read the whole *extensive* patch notes and announcement here](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1592280/view/517462514506663200) [And check Digital Foundry’s video on the game, with how impressed they are with it!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgKnfXTj_H4) -------------------------------------------- # *2005’s Punisher (a ‘definitive’ version)*:*  This is a very specific one I stumbled over, but there’s always a chance that there’s a fan of the 2005 PS2 game The Punisher in here. The user Javi096 has done their best to compile the best-of-the-best replacements to make that game the ‘ultimate’ version it can be. Pointless even writing this paragraph, just read the user’s notes on it: > Hey everyone! I’ve shared this with some Punisher communities, thought I’d share it here in case there are any fans and because I did this all off a steam deck.  > Over the last year or so I’ve been trying to put together what I feel is a content complete edition for the PS2 version of the classic Punisher game. Back in the day it was heavily censored and lacked exclusives from the PC version such as exclusive costumes for The Punisher. Thanks to the texture replacement feature and luck finding texture rips of the exclusive costumes, I was able to bring those costumes to the PS2 version for the first time ever! I even took it a step further and added additional costumes to give the game a nice variety of content. > In the files I included there is a cheat file to remove the censorship and add additional violence to the game. As well as an HD texture pack created by Bl4ckH4nd over at GBAtemp. Instructions are included how to set it all up. [*(note, the link to the pack they’ve compiled is here with this link to their Google Drive)*](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AicmsWEOFrHenMOoaJ_UwHsiEvv0zgKH) [Lastly, this link is to a new mod that’s been created that further restores cut content and adds even more blood and gore](https://www.moddb.com/games/the-punisher-2005/addons/punisher-premastered-for-pcsx2-ps2-emulator) -------------------------------------------- # *Thai Prime Minister & Game Boy:* There’s not much I can think of to say about this either, it’s just amazing: one of the reporters interviewing Thailand prime minister has a ‘camera’ you’ll recognize:   -------------------------------------------- # *Reshade 6.5 releases:* ReShade is basically a powerful graphics tool that lets you add custom post-processing effects to most PC games. Think of it like Instagram filters, but way more advanced and applied live while you play. **What it does:** It "injects" itself into the game's rendering pipeline. This allows it to grab the image right before it's shown on your screen and apply a wide variety of visual effects (called shaders). **Common things people use it for:** * Color Correction: Make colors more vibrant, change the mood (e.g., desaturate for a gritty look, add a warm tint). * Sharpening: Make blurry textures look crisper. * Depth of Field (DoF): Create cinematic blurry backgrounds/foregrounds. * Ambient Occlusion (AO): Add subtle contact shadows for more depth. * Anti-Aliasing: Smooth out jagged edges, often better than in-game options. * Film Grain, Bloom, Lens Flares: Add stylistic touches. **In short:** It lets you customize how your games look, often dramatically improving visuals, making older games look newer, or just tweaking things to your personal taste. [Change log here if you’d like to read more of what has changed on this version](https://reshade.me/releases/9998-6-5) -------------------------------------------- # *Custom PlayStation 2 Slim shell:* I just loved how this one looks, thought someone might be interested in this! [The link to it is available free here, if you wanna click it!](https://www.printables.com/model/1298355-playstation-2-slim-case-70-77k-drive-less)     They’ve also included the STEP file in this, if you wanted to remix or build something off it! -------------------------------------------- # *Steam Deck – watercooled:* IDK, I’m just going to copy their words for this one too. I found this user who posted: *I built a custom water cooling loop for my Steam Deck using leftover parts from an old PC build. I also played around with overclocking and undervolting*, and I was pretty fascinated. The Steam Deck community is filled with the tinkering sort, and these kind of projects are usually more of the ‘because I could*, not should! Anyway, here’s their efforts in their own words (and pictures!)   **System Modifications:** I used the Smokeless UMAF Runtime Patcher to modify the BIOS and raise the TDP limit from the stock 15W to 27W. CPU overclocked from 3.5 GHz to 3.6 GHz. GPU overclocked modestly from 1.6 GHz to 1.7 GHz. I also applied a slight undervolt of -10 mV to the CPU, GPU, and SoC. **Why only +100MHz OC?** I know the Deck can handle more, and I’ve tested higher overclocks — but I decided to scale things back and prioritize balance between CPU and GPU performance. My thought process was: if I overclock the CPU too aggressively, it might draw so much power that the GPU wouldn’t have enough TDP headroom left — and vice versa: if the GPU draws too much power, the CPU could become the bottleneck. Since both components share the same power budget (even with the raised 27W limit), pushing one too far can end up starving the other. So instead of having one component run much faster while the other gets throttled, I chose to modestly overclock both by 100 MHz. This way they can operate more evenly under load, and the system stays stable, responsive, and cool. **Thermal Results (with custom loop)** All temperatures are measured while gaming in Full HD (1920×1080) resolution via HDMI output — not the Steam Deck’s native display. That higher resolution puts extra load on the system, making these results even more impressive: Idle temps: * ~27–29 °C (depending on room temp) * Doom Eternal (medium settings): ~40–45 °C under load * Helldivers 2 (low settings + internal upscaling): ~50–55 °C * Max temp observed, even during long sessions: never above 60 °C **Notes & Observations:** I probably didn’t win the silicon lottery — I tried undervolting more, but my system became unstable very quickly, so I couldn’t take it much further than -10 mV on CPU, GPU, and SoC. Still, the small undervolt runs completely stable with no negative effects. System feels snappy, stable, and most importantly: quiet and cool. Water cooling on a handheld is obviously overkill, but it was a fun project and I love the results. -------------------------------------------- # *Game Pass in May:* Just a handy graphic, to show what was generally regarded as an amazing and hard-to-beat month of Game Pass titles, and a handful which are still to arrive:  -------------------------------------------- # *Expedition 33 sells 3.3 million:* Expedition 33 has sold (*over this number, by the time you’re reading this!*) 3.3 million copies. Have you played it? Are you obsessed? Its funny how a turn-based game has made such a stir in all the gaming circles lately!  -------------------------------------------- # *LEGO Gear Rex:* A little while back I shared a fun alt LEGO build I spotted. One takes (in theory, in practice I have *no* idea how people can figure these out!) an existing LEGO set, and builds something entirely different out of each piece in the set. [(that post, where the user takes a safari set and makes Shagohod from MGS is here if you want to take a look)](https://mastodon.social/@flwwhtrbt/114527843492232204) Anyway, I found another one, this time Metal Gear Rex being made from the LEGO set for a Millennium Falcon.   IDK how people work these out, this is *amazing* to me, esp since I am a massive MGS fan. [The instructions / page on how to is here on rebrickable if you want to see it all, including a YouTube video on it!](https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-199727/CreationCaravan%20%28Brad%20Barber%29/metal-gear-rex/#details) -------------------------------------------- # *PS2 on my Steam Deck:* I’ve been revisiting my RetroDECK set-up on my Steam Deck in the last few days. I *was* emulating a huge number of Switch games on my Deck, but having long since re-joined the Switch hardware world with an OLED I chipped (*for that lovely custom theme CFW world*), I’ve gone back and removed 99% of them from my little library and instead am focusing on PS2 (and PS3) titles instead. So, what I do is: * I use RetroDECK on my Steam Deck, I much prefer this over EmuDeck as it doesn’t break every week or two. It’s stable and lets me run *everything* including my ROMs, emulators, bios, mods, texture packs etc all from one SD card – with ease. [Link to their site here](https://retrodeck.net/) * I grab HD texture packs for the PS2 games I’m enjoying the look of, to try out in the ‘best that they can be’ kinda way. These texture packs act as higher res textures replacing the originals in the games, it can go from a few hundred mb all the way up to the most I’ve found, being 29GB on a Silent Hill title. Download the HD Texture Packs, place in folder, apply in settings and it looks *pretty*. [Here’s a great collection of these packs if you’re curious, on archive.org](https://archive.org/download/cover_20231010) * And of course I tweak the settings in PCSX2, the PS2 emulator, and upscale the output to what feels nicest to me. I’m kinda new to the PS2 library. Or not new just...I’ve never really dived in to it, besides some of the obvious big titles. Anyway, here’s what I’ve got so far, just...coz I’ve written all of this and now I’ve got to make some kind of conclusion to my ramble:   -------------------------------------------- # *DOOM Promo*: This one was spotted in Barcelona (*in Plaza Drassanes*) and is obviously a paid, commissioned advert – but a wonderful one, regardless. Celebrating the latest DOOM game (The Dark Ages):  -------------------------------------------- # *Game Informer Archive:*  The Game Informer archive just got upgraded with its entire backlog, so if you’ve nostalgia or curiosity over the 1990s and gaming, then this will be a winner for you!  > Since Game Informer’s return in March, we’ve offered a backlog archive of all our magazine issues going back to 2012. With today’s expansion of that archive, we’re now growing that archive to include all Game Informer magazine issues, going all the way back to issue number 1, first published in 1991. [You can do so by following this link to their own announcement, which then directs you where to go](https://www.gameinformer.com/announcement/2025/05/29/the-game-informer-magazine-archive-expands) Or, if you don’t want to have to create an account to see them (*which you are required to, silly Game Informer*), then you can just read the entirety of Game Informer on RetroMags instead: [The link to which is here!](https://www.retromags.com/files/category/486-game-informer/) -------------------------------------------- # *That’s all, I think?!* -------------------------------------------- Despite having a ton more to write and share, I do think sometimes that maybe too much is too much. I’m edging closer to 4,000 words in this post so far, so...maybe I’ll leave it here! If you’d like to read my previous Gaming News posts (they’re mounting up in number now!), then you can find them here: * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #2](https://lemmy.world/post/26182849) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #3](https://lemmy.world/post/26306460) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #4](https://lemmy.world/post/26483936) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #5](https://lemmy.world/post/26707575) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #6](https://lemmy.world/post/27035557) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #7](https://lemmy.world/post/27435522) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #8](https://lemmy.world/post/27639263) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #9](https://lemmy.world/post/27761214) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #10](https://lemmy.world/post/28239728) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #11](https://lemmy.world/post/28590389) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #12](https://lemmy.world/post/28805444) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #13](https://lemmy.world/post/28889068) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #14](https://lemmy.world/post/29248254) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #15](https://lemmy.world/post/29568047) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #16](https://lemmy.world/post/29826647) * [Steam Deck / Gaming News #17](https://lemmy.world/post/30260459) If you’d like to see more of my odd gaming things I find or never-shut-up-about, then you can find me on Mastodon: 

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Apple Releases macOS Sequoia, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 and tvOS 18 for Eligible Devices:

Apple has rolled out macOS Sequoia as its latest software updates for supported Mac computers, along with iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 and tvOS 18. These updates introduce new features and customisation options on Apple's devices, while future updates will add support for Apple Intelligence — new features that are powered by artificial intelligence (AI) on the iPhone 15 Pro models, the new iPhone 16 lineup, and select tablets and Mac models with Apple's M-series chipsets. These software updates were first shown off at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2024). Here are some of the most notable changes on macOS Sequoia, iOS 18, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, and visionOS 2. You can update eligible devices to these software versions, but it's better to back up important data before installing major operating system updates. You can also read more about Apple's iOS 18 update that is rolling out to eligible smartphones.

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