If the RTX 4080’s $1,199 price point has stopped you from jumping on NVIDIA’s Ada Lovelace architecture, you can now access the power of one of the most powerful GPUs on the market through the company’s cloud gaming service. Alongside the RTX 4070 Ti (…
‘Hitman 3’ owners will get the previous two games for free
IO Interactive is making things easier to parse for newcomers to the Hitman series and giving Hitman 3 owners who don’t already own the previous two games a bonus. On January 26th, the company will rename Hitman 3 to Hitman: World of Assassination. That’s the moniker IOI gave to the recent rebooted trilogy. What’s more, Hitman: WOA will include access to all three games.
Those who already owned Hitman 1 and Hitman 2 were supposed to be able to access levels from them in the third installment. However, the approach caused some confusion. This change should streamline things a bit.
If you own Hitman 3, you’ll get a free upgrade to Hitman: WOA. IOI will delist the previous two games, though you’ll still be able to download them again if you already own them. Hitman: WOA, which will cost $70, will be the only entry point for the trilogy moving forward. Hitman 3‘s current standard price is $60, but it’s on sale for $21 on Steam until January 5th. You might find PlayStation, Xbox and Switch deals elsewhere.
A new $30 Deluxe Pack will grant you access to three expansion packs, which include two extra levels, a pair of sniper maps, the Seven Deadly Sins expansion for Hitman 3 and other challenges. The three expansions (Hitman 3 Deluxe Pack, Hitman 3 Seven Deadly Sins Collection and Hitman 2 Expansion Access Pass) will still be available separately on consoles and Epic Games Store. The Deluxe Pack will be pro-rated on Steam if you already own one or two of those DLCs.
IOI noted in a blog post that a key consideration for the updates was the roguelite Freelancer mode, as being able to access all levels from across the trilogy is important for players to get the most out of it. The Freelancer mode was supposed to debut last year, but it will go live on January 26th as well.
“We’re absolutely certain that these changes will have a hugely positive effect on existing players and new players alike. It will also make our lives a lot easier too, there’s no doubting that,” IOI wrote. “For many players, it will mean free content to enjoy. For others, it will mean significantly cheaper DLC prices. For new players, who probably aren’t reading this here, they’ll have a much better experience buying Hitman games.”
Nintendo Switch Online deal brings a one-year family plan and a 256GB microSD card down to $50
If you just picked up a new Switch over the holidays, a new deal on Nintendo’s Switch Online service may be of interest: As of this writing, both Amazon and Best Buy are bundling a 12-month Switch Online family plan with a 256GB model of SanDisk’s offi…
Dell’s revamped G-series might be the best looking new budget gaming laptops at CES
Normally, Dell’s Alienware division gets most of the attention when it comes to gaming notebooks. But with their revamped designs, the new G15 and G16 prove you don’t need to spend a ton of money to get an awesome-looking system.Unlike Alienware laptop…
Alienware reveals its first 500Hz gaming monitor
Folks looking for ultra-smooth gaming may be interested in Alienware’s latest display. The Dell brand has unveiled its first 500Hz monitor. The inventively named 24.5-inch 500Hz Gaming Monitor has a Full HD display and a native refresh rate of 480Hz, w…
Alienware’s new gaming laptops include an 18-inch beast
Alienware’s gaming laptops are getting a new look, and one will even offer a massive 18-inch screen. Dell’s gaming brand has been on a roll over the last few years with its bold “Legend” design language, which veered into a very sci-fi aesthetic, as we…
Acer updates its range of gaming laptops for 2023
One problem with Acer’s Nitro marque is that it’s hard to shake the perception it’s the scrawny kid brother of its brawny Predator range. You know, the gaming laptop you buy when money’s tight but you need something newer than what you’re rocking at th…
Acer simplifies its Swift laptop lineup for 2023
No shade on Acer before now, but I’ve always found its laptop naming scheme to be a little bit obtuse. For instance, can you tell me the qualitative difference between Acer’s Swift 3 and Swift 5 without looking? To address this, the company has dumped …
NVIDIA brings GeForce RTX 40 graphics to laptops
It didn’t take long for NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 40 graphics to reach portable PCs. The company has introduced RTX 40 GPUs for laptops that promise large leaps in performance, even in lower-end systems. The flagship RTX 4080 and 4090 GPUs are reportedly powerful enough to play games across three 4K monitors at 60 frames per second — you might not need a desktop to immerse yourself in a flight or racing sim.
Even the mainstream GeForce RTX 4050, 4060 and 4070 chips are billed as faster than the outgoing RTX 3080. They’re quick enough to deliver 1440p gaming at up to 80FPS, and are supposedly up to twice as fast as a PlayStation 5. They also make it more practical to handle pro tasks like 3D modelling and AI-based media editing on 14-inch laptops, according to NVIDIA.
The RTX 40 architecture is notoriously power-hungry on desktops, but NVIDIA claims it’s keeping energy efficiency in check with the laptop variants. DLSS 3 AI upscaling is now optimized for mobile use, while finer-grained “tri-speed” memory control lets the GPU drop to lower-power RAM states. On-chip memory tweaks(such as doubled bandwidth) and low-voltage GDDR6 RAM also help wring the most out of the video hardware.
You’ll have to wait a little while to buy a laptop with GeForce RTX 40 tech. The first RTX 4080 and 4090 models will be available February 8th at a starting price of $1,999. If you want an RTX 4050 machine, you can buy them beginning February 22nd with an entry price of $999. NVIDIA didn’t provide a full list of laptops, but you can expect adoption from well-known brands like Acer, Alienware, ASUS, Dell, Gigabyte, HP, Lenovo, MSI, Razer and Samsung. It’s too soon to say if the GPUs live up to NVIDIA’s billing, but they’ll be welcome updates if you were already eying RTX 30-based computers.
NVIDIA’s GeForce Now game streaming is coming to cars
You’ll soon have access to a host of PC games in your car without buying a Tesla. NVIDIA has announced that it’s bringing GeForce Now game streaming to cars using the company’s Drive platform. The rollout will offer access to titles like Cyberpunk 2077 on a driver display while you’re charging or parked, or any time from the backseat. That could be more than a little helpful on a vacation, especially if you’d rather not buy a Steam Deck or Switch for a budding young gamer.
The cloud gaming option already has initial support from major brands like the Hyundai group (including Genesis and Kia), Polestar and China’s BYD. NVIDIA didn’t offer a timeframe for GeForce Now access, although it noted that BYD would offer Drive Hyperion-powered cars in the first half of 2023. The Polestar 3 SUV (built using Drive Orin) arrives in late 2023.
The in-car GeForce Now client works on either Android or web-based infotainment systems. NVIDIA’s service provides a catalog of 1,500 games, over 1,000 of which are playable using gamepads. While most of the selection is paid, there are free-to-play options like Destiny 2 and Fortnite.
As with other game streaming services, this could get costly if you plan to use it often. While basic GeForce Now use is free, you can pay up to $200 per year for the full experience before you factor in the cost of the games themselves. In some cases, though, this might make more sense than buying a handheld console or tablet. You only need to pay for a higher-end plan when you expect to use it, after all — you could subscribe during a road trip and stick to free usage when you’re commuting around town.