Ars Technica Gaming

1. Nvidia rolls out its fix for PC gaming's "compiling shaders" wait times

   Microsoft, Intel are also working on their own solutions for the issue.

2. Playing Wolfenstein 3D with one hand in 2026

   Over three decades later, this historical curiosity has more than a few rough edges

3. Sony is raising PlayStation 5 prices again, this time by between $100 and $150

   Memory, storage shortages have made all kinds of consumer tech more expensive.

4. AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition crams 208MB of cache into a single chip

   Both of the chip's CPU dies will include 64MB of extra cache stacked beneath.

5. Nintendo's physical Switch 2 games will soon cost more than digital copies

   The first physical game affected will cost $10 more than a digital copy.

6. Nvidia CEO tries to explain why DLSS 5 isn’t just “AI slop”

   If game makers don’t like it, “they could decide not to use it, you know?"

7. Major SteamOS update adds support for Steam Machine, even more third-party hardware

   Both AMD- and Intel-based hardware is getting better support in SteamOS 3.8.

8. Counter-Strike 2’s new reload system could upend the entire game

   Full-magazine reloads throw out muscle memory in favor of "higher stakes" decisions.

9. Gamers react with overwhelming disgust to DLSS 5's generative AI glow-ups

   Nvidia's next frame-gen tech goes way beyond upscaling, and not in a good way.

10. Switch 2's new "Handheld Mode Boost" can run original Switch games at 1080p

    Switch games running at 720p can look worse on the Switch 2's 1080p display.

11. New "vibe coded" AI translation tool splits the video game preservation community

    Creator apologizes after using Patreon funds for Gemini-powered magazine scan processor.

12. Slay the Spire 2 is a bit too familiar for its own good

    Early Access impressions: New characters shine, but it feels like we've done this before.

13. Microsoft is working to eliminate PC gaming's "compiling shaders" wait times

    Advanced Shader Delivery uses precompiled shaders for "console-like load times" across PC hardware.

14. Valve compares its loot boxes to Labubus in lawsuit defense

    Steam maker says settling the case would be easier but would set a bad precedent.

15. Remembering the 30-year-old computer game that introduced me to Star Wars

    Looking back at Dash Rendar, 3DFX cards, and a pivotal moment for Star Wars.

16. Google Play Games for PC is getting more premium titles and cross-buy with Android

    Google is more focused on desktop gaming than ever before.

17. Windows 11's Steam Deck-ish, streamlined Xbox gaming UI comes to all PCs in April

    Running Windows on gaming handhelds is currently a blessing and a curse.

18. Don't worry, Valve still plans to launch the Steam Machine "this year"

    What part of "this year," exactly, is still anyone's guess.

19. “It doesn't feel safe”—Many international game developers plan to skip GDC in US

    Stories of border issues lead to pervasive travel fears across the worldwide industry.

20. Which of these two arcades is the "world largest"—and does it matter?

    While semantics count for some, gamers win either way.