Category: Technology

US tariffs continue to cause problems and supply issues in the gaming space. The latest to feel the effects is Analogue. The company announced today that its Analogue 3D, a modern remake of the Nintendo 64 console, will not start shipping until late August.

Analogue noted that “last week’s sudden tariffs” were the reason for this change. “We’re absorbing the costs—your preorder price stays the same. No additional charges,” the company said in a post on X.

This isn’t the first time the highly anticipated Analogue 3D has been delayed. It opened for pre-orders in October 2024 and was initially due to ship in the first quarter of 2025. In March, the company pushed the ship date back to July, although its blog post didn’t provide a reason for that move.

Many gaming brands have been forced to adapt to the fluctuating tariff rules. Nintendo, Sony, Razer and Anbernic are just some of the companies that have changed their product pricing, availability or launches in the US as a result of the ever-changing situation.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/analogue-says-its-delayed-n64-remake-console-will-start-shipping-next-month-191520648.html?src=rss 

Microsoft’s extensive gaming portfolio was hit hard by sweeping layoffs earlier this month. The situation appears to have been particularly galling for staff at Candy Crush developer King who are reportedly set to be replaced by AI tools they worked on.

Multiple anonymous sources have told MobileGamer.biz that a number of narrative, UX, level design and user research staffers at King have spent several years helping to build and train AI models that can do their jobs more quickly. Those same employees are now being told their jobs are at risk. They added that the copywriting team is facing the same fate, with the London-based group working on Farm Heroes Saga expected to effectively be cut in half.

“The fact AI tools are replacing people is absolutely disgusting but it’s all about efficiency and profits even though the company is doing great overall,” a source told the mobile gaming-focused outlet. “If we’re introducing more feedback loops then it’s crazy to remove the developers themselves, we need more hands and less leadership.”

The same source estimated that the company-wide staff cuts could end up being more than 200, which was the number reported by Bloomberg when it broke the news of the broader layoffs.

The impact of the recent staffing upheaval is being felt across Microsoft’s gaming division. Engadget’s Jessica Conditt recently spoke to employees at Halo Studios, with one developer telling us they were “super pissed” about the layoffs. At least five people within Halo Studios were told they no longer had jobs shortly after receiving an all-staff email from Microsoft Gaming SEO Phil Spencer allegedly celebrating Xbox’s current profitability. The same developer said Microsoft was trying its “damnest to replace as many jobs as [it] can with AI agents” as it increasingly pushes Copilot on its staff.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/laid-off-candy-crush-studio-staff-reportedly-replaced-by-the-ai-tools-they-helped-build-174141524.html?src=rss 

The nominations for the 77th Emmy Awards just dropped and, unsurprisingly, Apple TV+’s Severance led the pack with a whopping 27, including Best Drama. The streamer has another bona-fide hit with the Seth Rogen-led The Studio, which captured 23 nominations.

However, HBO Max received the most kudos by platform, with 142 nominations in total. This is thanks to the second season of The Last of Us, with 16 nominations, and the Batman-adjacent The Penguin. The White Lotus, The Pitt and Hacks also grabbed multiple nominations. This is the highest number of noms the outlet has ever received. Netflix still holds the record, though, with 160 nominations in 2020.

Andor scored 14 nominations, including one for Best Drama. Star Wars shows aren’t typically singled out for the high-profile awards, though the first season of Andor was also up for Best Drama, before losing to Succession. No actors from the series were nominated, which is a bummer given the performances by Diego Luna, Denise Gough, Elizabeth Dulau and Stellan Skarsgård, among others.

There was a day when sci-fi programs only received nominations for stuff involving costumes or sets. That sure has changed, with Andor, The Last of Us, Severance, Paradise and Black Mirror receiving so much love this year. Fallout also made an impressive showing last year.

The 77th Emmy Awards will be hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze and is airing live on CBS on September 14 at 8PM ET. Cord cutters will be able to stream it live and on-demand via Paramount+.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/severance-the-last-of-us-and-andor-just-nabbed-dozens-of-emmy-nominations-174607421.html?src=rss 

With so many different handheld gaming devices entering the market, having a flexible gamepad that works with many different hardware platforms can be a valuable addition to your gear collection. A promising new option arrived today with the pre-order announcement of the 8BitDo Pro 3. This controller retails for $70 and is due to start shipping on August 12.

The Pro 3 gamepad will be compatible with the recently released Nintendo Switch 2 as well as the original Switch. It will also work with Windows PC, SteamOS, Apple and Android devices and has both Bluetooth and wired USB connection options. The controller’s feature set includes TMR joysticks and triggers that can operate with Hall effect or in non-linear micro-switch mode. It also sports extra bumpers, two Pro paddle buttons for the back of the device and swappable magnetic ABXY buttons. The gamepad comes with a charging dock and a pair of ball-top joystick caps for that more arcade feel. On the aesthetic front, this retro-style controller is available in purple, gray, or white models.

We’re big fans of the peripheral brand’s previous generation 8BitDo Pro 2, so having a refreshed version with some improvements on the joysticks and triggers is a worth a look.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-new-8bitdo-pro-3-gamepad-is-open-for-pre-order-now-181006305.html?src=rss 

Xbox has confirmed the second batch of Game Pass additions for July. There’s no obvious headliner here, but there are a bunch of great additions to the catalog. These include indie hits like Wheel World and blockbusters like Robocop: Rogue City. Let’s get into it.

Robocop: Rogue City came as a huge surprise back in 2023. A game based on a decades-old sci-fi franchise by a relatively unknown developer? It should have been a train wreck. Instead, it’s a solid 3D action title that perfectly captures the vibe of the original film. This is a must-play for children of the 1980s. It’ll be available on July 17 for subscribers on all tiers.

Grounded 2 looks to be a fantastic take on the “shrunken teens navigating a yard” genre, as first pioneered in the film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. The first game was great and Obsidian looks to be upping the ante here in nearly every way, with a larger focus on story, a more immersive world and insects to ride around on. This is a day one Game Pass release, which happens on July 29. It’ll only be playable for PC and Ultimate subscribers.

The Annapurna-published Wheel World is finally heading our way on July 23, and it’s a day one Game Pass release. This is an open-world bicycle sim with gorgeous cel-shaded graphics. The title promises “impressive vistas, hidden secrets and races that will test your skills.” It’ll be available for Ultimate and PC subscribers.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is another day one release, with availability on July 24. This is a Souls-like action RPG set in the final days of the Ming Dynasty. The combat looks absolutely brutal. Again, only Ultimate and PC subscribers will have access to the game.

Those are just the titles that caught my interest. The shooter High On Life returns to the platform today and the survival horror adventure My Friendly Neighborhood drops on July 17. The prison-based RPG Back to the Dawn will be playable on July 18 and the survival crafting title Abiotic Factor releases on July 22. As always, Game Pass remains one heck of a deal.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xboxs-second-batch-of-game-pass-additions-for-july-includes-grounded-2-and-wheel-world-164450594.html?src=rss 

Google has closed a $3 billion deal to secure 3,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power, as it looks to meet the data demands of its growing AI and cloud computing platforms by harnessing low-cost clean energy. Brookfield Asset Management’s renewables division says that its deal with Google is the largest deal of its kind for hydroelectricity. The first phase of this deal will provide Google with 670MW of carbon-free electricity from Brookfield’s Holtwood and Safe Harbor plants in Pennsylvania.

The Hydro Framework Agreement (HFA) allows Google to upgrade or develop the existing facilities as it sees fit in an ongoing commitment to adding more power to the grid. At the outset, Google’s efforts will largely be focused on the PJM, the largest grid in the US with 65 million customers, which is currently struggling to keep up with the data demands of big tech’s seemingly insatiably power-hungry AI projects. In time, the new partners will have the option of expanding into other regions in the country. Google said in a statement that it was dedicated to “responsibly growing the digital infrastructure that powers daily life for people, communities and businesses.”

Google’s latest energy deal comes in the same week that AI rival Meta said it will spend hundreds of billions of dollars on a number of gigwatt-sized data centers, as part of its quest to create better-than-human-level “superintelligence” in all of its AI domains. The new campuses will be among the largest on earth, with the first to arrive being the Ohio-based Prometheus at some point next year.

A typical data center consumes around 500,000 gallons of water each day, but the emerging AI-focused complexes being built by tech giants could reportedly push this figure into the millions, as recently reported by The New York Times. When the volume of water needed to power these facilities eclipses what is readily available, local communities often bear the brunt through rising prices and potential water shortages in the future.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-spends-%C2%A33-billion-on-securing-energy-for-its-data-centers-and-ai-expansion-145145966.html?src=rss 

Sony just surprised the photography world by unveiling the RX1R III, a fixed-lens 35mm full-frame compact camera. Coming nearly ten years after the RX1R II, it has a 61MP Exmor R sensor along with Sony’s latest image processing technology that promises low noise and high dynamic range. 

Apart from all the new tech, the RX1R III is smaller and more streamlined than before and considerably lighter at 17 ounces than its main competition, Leica’s Q3 and the Fujifilm GFX100RF. With that, it’s designed to be a “carrying around” camera for street photographers, serious amateurs and others. 

That small size is due in part to the Zeiss Sonnar T 35mm f2 lens that sits partly inside the body. While more compact than before, it has the same optics as the last model and offers high levels of sharpness and color rendering, according to Sony. It comes with a macro ring that enables users to get as close as 20cm to subjects and feature’s Sony’s new “Step Crop Shooting” function that allows 35mm, 50mm and 70mm focal lengths by cropping into the sensor, just like the GFX100RF can do with a similar button. 

It has up to 15 stops of dynamic range thanks to the high-res sensor and image processing engine. It also features an anti-reflection coating and no optical low-pass filter to boost image quality, though that can cause some moire and other artifacts. Shooting speeds aren’t quick at just 5 fps, though it’s obviously not designed to shoot sports.

The EVF is middling with 2.36 million dots and 0.7x magnification, though the rear panel offers a decent 2 million dots of resolution. However, unlike the one on the previous model that tilted out and up, it’s fixed in order to save weight and size. It also lacks any in-body or optical stabilization, relying solely on electronic stablization. 

With Sony’s latest Bionz XR and AI processors, it promises accurate tracking of “subjects, human bodies, heads and the position of eyes,” Sony said, even if their faces aren’t visible. It uses 693 phase-detection AF points covering around 78 percent of the image, just like Sony’s A7R V. 

It’s not nearly as powerful as the A7R V for video, but can still handle 4K 30 fps video with 10-bit 4:2:2 color sampling, along with 1080p video at up to 120 fps. No log mode is available, but you do get the log-like S-Cinetone that boosts dynamic range a bit. Other features include a single SDXC UHS II slot, a mic input (but not headphone jack), a microHDMI port and a USB-C input. 

As you might expect, the RX1R II is not cheap. It’ll go on pre-order soon for $5,100, with shipping set to start on July 31st. Sony is also offering a handful of accessories (also expensive), including the $300 (!) thumb grip, $250 body case and $200 lens hood (!!). 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/sonys-61mp-rx1r-iii-fixed-lens-compact-camera-is-finally-here-after-a-ten-year-wait-152707087.html?src=rss 

Apple just announced a commitment of $500 million over several years to buy rare earth magnets from the US-based company MP Materials. These rare earth magnets are used in a number of products, including iPhones, MacBooks and the Apple Pencil stylus. The American-made magnets will be shipped throughout the world, to help “meet increasing global demand for the material.”

MP Materials is the only fully integrated rare earth producer in the country. The two companies have also pledged to work together to improve upon a processing facility in Texas, building a series of manufacturing lines specifically designed for Apple products. Once finished, the factory will “support dozens of new jobs in advanced manufacturing and R&D.”

“American innovation drives everything we do at Apple, and we’re proud to deepen our investment in the U.S. economy,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “Rare earth materials are essential for making advanced technology, and this partnership will help strengthen the supply of these vital materials here in the United States.”

Apple and MP will also team up to create a recycling facility in California and have promised to develop “novel magnet materials and innovative processing technologies” to enhance magnet performance. 

This is all part of Apple’s pre-existing pledge to invest $500 billion in the US over the next four years, which is a slight increase over the $430 billion pledged in 2021. Adjusted for inflation, these amounts are essentially the same.

Apple basically pioneered the use of recycled rare earth elements in consumer electronics. It began using these materials back in 2019, in the Taptic Engine of the iPhone 11. The Pentagon recently became the largest shareholder of MP Materials, as rare earth materials are also key components in a range of military weapons systems.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-commits-500-million-over-several-years-to-buy-us-made-rare-earth-magnets-152930080.html?src=rss