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A modder has built a tiny handheld called SteamBoy by fitting Steam Deck hardware into a shell roughly the size of a Game Boy. The project uses the motherboard from an LCD Steam Deck along with its battery and other internal components. The hardware has been heavily modified to fit inside the much smaller case, while custom controls were added to make the device usable. SteamBoy can run Steam games just like a regular Steam Deck, but much smaller

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2087145164951163148

Published: August 11, 2026 11:52

A modder has built a tiny handheld called SteamBoy by fitting Steam Deck hardware into a shell roughly the size of a Game Boy.The project uses the motherboard from an LCD Steam Deck along with its battery and other internal components. The hardware has…

uBlock Origin is no longer planning to keep chasing Facebook’s latest tricks to get ads past its filters, dev described Facebook as a “disgusting anti-user site.” They say Facebook has been repeatedly changing how ads are identified, watching open-source projects like uBlock Origin and changing its code to get around them. After years of this cat-and-mouse game, the small uBlock Origin team has decided it’s not worth constantly updating its filters specifically for Facebook.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2087132922100756556

Published: August 11, 2026 11:04

uBlock Origin is no longer planning to keep chasing Facebook’s latest tricks to get ads past its filters, dev described Facebook as a “disgusting anti-user site.”They say Facebook has been repeatedly changing how ads are identified, watching open-source…

Stop Killing Games is backing a lawsuit in the Netherlands that challenges Sony’s control over digital game sales on PlayStation. The lawsuit argues that Sony has a monopoly over digital game sales because PlayStation users can only buy digital games through the PlayStation Store. The group says the situation could become even more serious once Sony stops producing physical PlayStation games in 2028. Without physical discs, there would be no second-hand market or alternative way to buy games, leaving Sony and its publishing partners with much more control over digital prices. Stop Killing Games and DoesItPlay? are backing the case and encouraging Dutch gamers to support the campaign.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2087117571078476075

Published: August 11, 2026 10:03

Stop Killing Games is backing a lawsuit in the Netherlands that challenges Sony’s control over digital game sales on PlayStation.The lawsuit argues that Sony has a monopoly over digital game sales because PlayStation users can only buy digital games…

Anthropic is working on invisible watermarks for text generated by Claude which would not be visible to normal readers. The watermark would be hidden in the text but could still be detected later, even after the text is copied, pasted or edited. They want to make it easier to identify text created or changed with AI and help meet new AI transparency rules in the EU. It also wouldn’t necessarily mean Claude wrote the whole thing; someone could use Claude to edit, translate or summarize text that was originally written by a person.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2087098270740820232

Published: August 11, 2026 08:46

Anthropic is working on invisible watermarks for text generated by Claude which would not be visible to normal readers.The watermark would be hidden in the text but could still be detected later, even after the text is copied, pasted or edited. They want…

Xbox PC games could be coming to Linux. Developers are working on an open-source project called Xodus that aims to let Xbox PC games run on Linux. The project can already handle Xbox accounts, game downloads and licenses. Developers are now working on the technology needed to run the games. PC Game Pass does not work through Xodus yet, and the project is still in development.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2087087120108175781

Published: August 11, 2026 08:02

Xbox PC games could be coming to Linux.Developers are working on an open-source project called Xodus that aims to let Xbox PC games run on Linux.The project can already handle Xbox accounts, game downloads and licenses. Developers are now working on the…

Digimon just had its most profitable year ever. Bandai Namco says 2025 was the most profitable year ever for the Digimon franchise, even beating the money it made during the big anime boom in the early 2000s. Digimon Story: Time Stranger was a key factor, selling over 1 million copies in two months and becoming the fastest-selling Digimon Story game.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2087072020626313469

Published: August 11, 2026 07:02

Digimon just had its most profitable year ever.Bandai Namco says 2025 was the most profitable year ever for the Digimon franchise, even beating the money it made during the big anime boom in the early 2000s.Digimon Story: Time Stranger was a key factor,…

The Witcher 3’s Geralt was originally meant to show very little emotion Doug Cockle, the voice actor behind Geralt, says CD Projekt Red often told him: “No emotion, Doug. No emotion. Flatten him out.” But Cockle pushed back because he believed Geralt needed an emotional side for players to connect with him His interpretation was that Geralt does have feelings, but tries not to let those emotions control his decisions Cockle also pointed to Geralt’s relationship with Ciri as an example, saying it shows that Geralt is not actually emotionless

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2087056921253876002

Published: August 11, 2026 06:02

The Witcher 3’s Geralt was originally meant to show very little emotionDoug Cockle, the voice actor behind Geralt, says CD Projekt Red often told him: “No emotion, Doug. No emotion. Flatten him out.”But Cockle pushed back because he believed Geralt needed…

Persona 1 and Persona 2 remakes could happen someday. Kazuhisa Wada, producer of Persona 4 Revival and a longtime Persona developer, was asked about remaking the first two Persona games. His answer was direct: he can’t confirm anything now, but he thinks Atlus “has to do it.” Persona 1 and the two Persona 2 games are harder to remake than Persona 3 and 4 because they play very differently from modern Persona games. Still, Wada believes the older games deserve another chance.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2087042324970786989

Published: August 11, 2026 05:04

Persona 1 and Persona 2 remakes could happen someday.Kazuhisa Wada, producer of Persona 4 Revival and a longtime Persona developer, was asked about remaking the first two Persona games. His answer was direct: he can’t confirm anything now, but he thinks…

Micron faces backlash over handling warranty claims for Crucial RAM. After announcing its exit from the consumer RAM market, some customers returned faulty Crucial memory for warranty replacement but were initially offered refunds based on the original price. RAM prices have risen massively; in one case, the refund was only 37% of the current market value The customer also complained about having to return the entire kit even though only one stick was faulty, as well as having to pay the return shipping. After the customer pushed back, Micron changed its offer and agreed to send three 16GB Crucial modules, giving the customer the same 48GB capacity

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2087027225636040933

Published: August 11, 2026 04:04

Micron faces backlash over handling warranty claims for Crucial RAM.After announcing its exit from the consumer RAM market, some customers returned faulty Crucial memory for warranty replacement but were initially offered refunds based on the original…

The Witcher 3 modding community has restored a menu that CD Projekt Red originally cut from the game just in time for the new DLC The menu lets players rewatch the story recap videos that normally appear during loading screens or when moving into new parts of the map. These short recaps, narrated by Dandelion, help remind players what has happened in the story.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2087011130359308480

Published: August 11, 2026 03:00

The Witcher 3 modding community has restored a menu that CD Projekt Red originally cut from the game just in time for the new DLCThe menu lets players rewatch the story recap videos that normally appear during loading screens or when moving into new parts…

Square Enix is finally seeing a major improvement in its financial results. In the first quarter of fiscal 2027, the company reported: - Revenue reached ¥78.4 billion, up 32.3% from the same period last year. - Operating profit jumped 88.6% to ¥17.1 billion. - Ordinary profit increased 172.4% to ¥18.8 billion. > Digital Entertainment business saw revenue rise 51.8% > operating profit increased 91.8%. One of the biggest factors was the performance of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on Nintendo Switch 2.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086996774884163855

Published: August 11, 2026 02:03

Square Enix is finally seeing a major improvement in its financial results.In the first quarter of fiscal 2027, the company reported:- Revenue reached ¥78.4 billion, up 32.3% from the same period last year.- Operating profit jumped 88.6% to ¥17.1 billion.-…

Someone turned the Steam Machine into a tissue box. A 3D-printable design recreates the look of Valve’s upcoming Steam Machine, but instead of being a gaming PC, it’s designed to hold tissues. The design is available to 3D print yourself, with two versions based on the Steam Machine’s storage options: 512GB and 2TB.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086980925921824768

Published: August 11, 2026 01:00

Someone turned the Steam Machine into a tissue box.A 3D-printable design recreates the look of Valve’s upcoming Steam Machine, but instead of being a gaming PC, it’s designed to hold tissues.The design is available to 3D print yourself, with two versions…

A Japanese indie developer has released a bizarre free dating game that turns talking to your crush into a Soulslike boss fight. You play as a student spending time with your crush, Kobayakawa-san, but instead of choosing normal dialogue options, you have to respond to her questions using Soulslike-style actions: Light Attack Heavy Attack Parry Dodge After she discovers you were hanging out with another girl, she transforms into a “Twilight Inquisitor” and gives you only a few seconds to react. Choose the wrong response and it’s an instant “YOU DIED.” The game takes around five minutes to complete and is available for free in both Japanese and English on browser and PC.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086966072670871785

Published: August 11, 2026 00:01

A Japanese indie developer has released a bizarre free dating game that turns talking to your crush into a Soulslike boss fight.You play as a student spending time with your crush, Kobayakawa-san, but instead of choosing normal dialogue options, you have…

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is now completely unplayable on Nintendo Switch after its cloud servers were shut down. Whether you paid $29.99 for the Standard Edition or $59.99 for the Ultimate Edition, you can no longer play the Switch version. The game has also been delisted from the Nintendo eShop, so it can no longer be purchased. The PS5, Xbox and PC versions are unaffected and remain playable.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086951728021455103

Published: August 10, 2026 23:04

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is now completely unplayable on Nintendo Switch after its cloud servers were shut down.Whether you paid $29.99 for the Standard Edition or $59.99 for the Ultimate Edition, you can no longer play the Switch version.The game has also…

Sean Murray says he doesn’t care how much money No Man’s Sky could have made through paid DLC, and the game’s updates will stay free. Murray says he doesn’t even want to know how much money Hello Games might have made from paid content: “I never want to see that PowerPoint.” The team enjoys knowing that every player will experience the new updates: “Every player that we have is going to experience this.” Murray also says keeping updates free allows Hello Games to build on previous features without splitting the player base. “That doesn’t work if you’re fragmenting your audience.”

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086935369954836902

Published: August 10, 2026 21:59

Sean Murray says he doesn’t care how much money No Man’s Sky could have made through paid DLC, and the game’s updates will stay free.Murray says he doesn’t even want to know how much money Hello Games might have made from paid content:“I never want to see…

Xbox has fixed the bug that stopped some players from launching their games, including physical disc games. The problem started after a system update caused an Xbox service to fail. This then triggered another bug in the Xbox software, causing license checks to fail and preventing some players from starting their games. Xbox CTO Scott Van Vliet called the situation “unacceptable.” Xbox will now take control of the service that caused the problem, and the fix will become mandatory on August 17. Van Vliet also says Xbox is working on making its products and services more reliable so problems like this don’t happen again.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086920791942369330

Published: August 10, 2026 21:01

Xbox has fixed the bug that stopped some players from launching their games, including physical disc games.The problem started after a system update caused an Xbox service to fail. This then triggered another bug in the Xbox software, causing license…

Terraria’s Calamity mod is shutting down after nearly 10 years. The mod’s new lead developer faced grooming allegations, leading to major controversy within the community. The Calamity team cited his “troubled past” and an “irrecoverably tainted reputation” as reasons for ending development. Calamity launched in 2016 and became one of Terraria’s biggest mods

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086914761552175192

Published: August 10, 2026 20:37

Terraria’s Calamity mod is shutting down after nearly 10 years.The mod’s new lead developer faced grooming allegations, leading to major controversy within the community.The Calamity team cited his “troubled past” and an “irrecoverably tainted reputation”…

Linus Torvalds says huge Linux kernel updates are becoming the “new normal,” partly because of AI tools. The upcoming Linux 7.2 release is unusually big, with Torvalds admitting he’s not exactly happy about how large it has gotten. He says AI tools are now being used more during development and code reviews, which has contributed to the growing number of changes going into the kernel. Despite the size of the update, Torvalds doesn’t see anything particularly worrying in it and expects Linux 7.2 to move forward as planned.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086906177913344458

Published: August 10, 2026 20:03

Linus Torvalds says huge Linux kernel updates are becoming the “new normal,” partly because of AI tools.The upcoming Linux 7.2 release is unusually big, with Torvalds admitting he’s not exactly happy about how large it has gotten.He says AI tools are now…

Jason Schreier has shared more details on Rockstar’s plans for GTA 6 following Take-Two’s latest earnings call. > Jason Schreier asked Zelnick why Rockstar and Take-Two decided to make the GTA 6 “extended look” a Netflix exclusive for six hours. Zelnick said viewers would understand the reason when they watch it. When Schreier asked if that meant it would feel like watching a Netflix show, Zelnick simply replied: “Yes.” > Schreier said Rockstar has no plans to discuss the next GTA Online anytime soon. > He also doesn’t expect GTA 6’s story mode to include microtransactions > Take-Two generated $6.7 billion in revenue during fiscal 2026, with $5.22 billion coming from recurrent consumer spend

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086884470347661609

Published: August 10, 2026 18:36

Jason Schreier has shared more details on Rockstar’s plans for GTA 6 following Take-Two’s latest earnings call.>Jason Schreier asked Zelnick why Rockstar and Take-Two decided to make the GTA 6 “extended look” a Netflix exclusive for six hours.Zelnick said…

The rumored Final Fantasy IX Remake was reportedly planned as a single game, but development has now stalled. According to RPGSite’s Alex Donaldson, the remake was being developed with the idea of telling the entire Final Fantasy IX story in one game, and not splitting it into multiple parts like Final Fantasy VII Remake. The project had reportedly progressed quite far, but development has since stalled. It could potentially be picked up again in the future, but there is currently no official confirmation from Square Enix.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086875227502338114

Published: August 10, 2026 18:00

The rumored Final Fantasy IX Remake was reportedly planned as a single game, but development has now stalled.According to RPGSite’s Alex Donaldson, the remake was being developed with the idea of telling the entire Final Fantasy IX story in one game, and…

Halloween: The Game has been banned in Australia and won’t be officially released there or in New Zealand. The Australian Classification Board banned the game because of the presence of a controlled substance. According to developer IllFonic, the decision was not related to Michael Myers or the game’s violent kills.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086867982337339800

Published: August 10, 2026 17:31

Halloween: The Game has been banned in Australia and won’t be officially released there or in New Zealand.The Australian Classification Board banned the game because of the presence of a controlled substance. According to developer IllFonic, the decision…

Sony’s move away from physical PlayStation games could make it very difficult for anyone else to produce official PlayStation discs in the future. Official PlayStation discs use Sony’s proprietary manufacturing process and technology. Industry sources say the details are not public, and companies contacted about making them were unwilling to explain how it works. Disc manufacturing can be expensive, costing around 15% of a game’s suggested retail price. This could affect more than store sales. Smaller publishers may struggle to release physical PlayStation games without Sony’s involvement.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086860375933456678

Published: August 10, 2026 17:01

Sony’s move away from physical PlayStation games could make it very difficult for anyone else to produce official PlayStation discs in the future.Official PlayStation discs use Sony’s proprietary manufacturing process and technology. Industry sources say…

After 10 years, No Man’s Sky players have explored less than 1% of its planets. No Man’s Sky contains more than 18 quintillion procedurally generated planets 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 to be exact. It would take 585 billion years to see them all.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086845528441025010

Published: August 10, 2026 16:02

After 10 years, No Man’s Sky players have explored less than 1% of its planets.No Man’s Sky contains more than 18 quintillion procedurally generated planets 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 to be exact.It would take 585 billion years to see them all.—…

A Beijing court has ruled that online gaming accounts can be inherited after a player dies. The case involved a gamer who died last year at the age of 36 and had built up 87 gaming accounts over more than a decade, along with valuable in-game items. After his death, his mother asked Chinese developer Changyou to transfer the accounts to her, but the company refused, saying its user agreement does not allow accounts to be transferred and that the company owns the account data and virtual items. The court found that while the company still owns the accounts, the right to use them has economic value because Gu had spent years investing time and money into them. The court ruled that his mother c

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086829926536151097

Published: August 10, 2026 15:00

A Beijing court has ruled that online gaming accounts can be inherited after a player dies.The case involved a gamer who died last year at the age of 36 and had built up 87 gaming accounts over more than a decade, along with valuable in-game items.After…

Game Science’s art director and co-founder Yang Qi says there is no rush to use AI to speed up development of Black Myth: Zhong Kui and was inspired by Christopher Nolan Yang said the game’s design and asset-production stages will stay away from AI-generated content, explaining that this isn’t because the studio is against AI, but because they want to stick with their current approach. He also praised Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, saying he was deeply inspired by how Nolan continues to achieve major results using older filmmaking techniques.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086817258412687461

Published: August 10, 2026 14:09

Game Science’s art director and co-founder Yang Qi says there is no rush to use AI to speed up development of Black Myth: Zhong Kui and was inspired by Christopher NolanYang said the game’s design and asset-production stages will stay away from…

Square Enix’s latest financial results show how heavily game sales have shifted toward digital. During Q1: > Physical: 9.8% > Digital: 90.2% Digital sales now make up 90.2% of Square Enix’s total game unit sales, compared to 9.8% for physical. The digital share increased by 4.1% year over year. More than 9 out of every 10 games sold were digital during the quarter. More and more companies are reporting their main audience is digital, this is the future…

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086815078486028374

Published: August 10, 2026 14:01

Square Enix’s latest financial results show how heavily game sales have shifted toward digital.During Q1:>Physical: 9.8%>Digital: 90.2%Digital sales now make up 90.2% of Square Enix’s total game unit sales, compared to 9.8% for physical.The digital share…

A new Counter-Strike: Global Offensive source-code leak is reportedly circulating online. The files are said to come from a March 2019 version of CS:GO, they are from a much newer build than the source code that was leaked in 2020. Valve has not officially confirmed the authenticity of the newly leaked files, so the exact contents and origin are still unclear.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086797964660605247

Published: August 10, 2026 12:53

A new Counter-Strike: Global Offensive source-code leak is reportedly circulating online.The files are said to come from a March 2019 version of CS:GO, they are from a much newer build than the source code that was leaked in 2020.Valve has not officially…

Valve is warning European Steam hardware customers after its logistics partner, CEVA Logistics, was hit by a cyberattack. The attack happened between July 29 and August 1, 2026. Valve says it learned on August 7 that some customer delivery information may have been compromised. The potentially exposed information includes: - Name - Street address, city and postal code - Country - Phone number - Email address linked to the Steam account - Type and price of the hardware ordered Valve says payment information, passwords, Steam Guard codes and other Steam account information were not affected. Scammers could use the leaked delivery information to send convincing emails, SMS messages or phone cal

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086782527079911520

Published: August 10, 2026 11:51

Valve is warning European Steam hardware customers after its logistics partner, CEVA Logistics, was hit by a cyberattack.The attack happened between July 29 and August 1, 2026. Valve says it learned on August 7 that some customer delivery information may…

The Division Resurgence has launched on Steam, but it’s getting a pretty rough reception calling it “slop” Ubisoft’s free-to-play looter shooter, which originally launched on mobile before coming to PC, currently sits at a Mixed rating on Steam, with only around 46% of reviews positive. “Calling it slop disrespects actual slop. I've seen Korean gacha games with less microtransaction than this.”

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086769779537506538

Published: August 10, 2026 11:01

The Division Resurgence has launched on Steam, but it’s getting a pretty rough reception calling it “slop”Ubisoft’s free-to-play looter shooter, which originally launched on mobile before coming to PC, currently sits at a Mixed rating on Steam, with only…

A Chinese scientist wants to bring the world of Avatar to Earth. Researchers in China have created plants that glow in the dark using bioluminescent genes from organisms such as fungi and fireflies. They have already made more than 20 types of plants glow, including orchids, sunflowers and chrysanthemums. The idea is to eventually use these glowing plants for lighting and outdoor spaces.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086755183401336949

Published: August 10, 2026 10:03

A Chinese scientist wants to bring the world of Avatar to Earth.Researchers in China have created plants that glow in the dark using bioluminescent genes from organisms such as fungi and fireflies.They have already made more than 20 types of plants glow,…

The Persona x NIKKE collaboration is getting backlash from fans over the character designs. Some NIKKE players feel Atlus has censored and toned down the Persona characters compared to NIKKE’s usual style. Fans expected the crossover characters to be adapted with the same level of fanservice as NIKKE’s own character but the designs have left some players disappointed compared with the original games “What a pathetic joke Why even bother doing collabs if you're just gonna give them the most flat ass out”

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086738302032371809

Published: August 10, 2026 08:55

The Persona x NIKKE collaboration is getting backlash from fans over the character designs.Some NIKKE players feel Atlus has censored and toned down the Persona characters compared to NIKKE’s usual style. Fans expected the crossover characters to be…

You can now run Microsoft Word from 1990 directly on a modern Windows 11 PC. A developer has ported Word 1.1a to 64-bit Windows, so the 36-year-old word processor can run natively without needing an old version of Windows or an emulator. Word 1.1a was released in 1990 and was designed for computers with only a few MHz of processing power and around 1 MB of RAM.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086724480806555719

Published: August 10, 2026 08:01

You can now run Microsoft Word from 1990 directly on a modern Windows 11 PC.A developer has ported Word 1.1a to 64-bit Windows, so the 36-year-old word processor can run natively without needing an old version of Windows or an emulator.Word 1.1a was…

A Steam Deck owner says a recent system update caused the screen on their 1.5-year-old Deck to stop working. They say they tried several fixes they found online, but nothing brought the built-in display back. The Deck still works when connected to an external monitor. Valve told them the issue is not covered by the warranty and offered a paid repair estimated at $185 plus taxes. Valve also warned that the final price could be higher if the repair team finds additional damage. Valve also said the device’s age made it less likely that the problem was related to a defect present when it was originally delivered. The owner says they now have a factory-reset Steam Deck that can only be used with

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086709884415078419

Published: August 10, 2026 07:03

A Steam Deck owner says a recent system update caused the screen on their 1.5-year-old Deck to stop working.They say they tried several fixes they found online, but nothing brought the built-in display back. The Deck still works when connected to an…

A Battlefield 6 player says Steam gave them a full refund for the Phantom Edition despite 470 hours played. The player requested the refund after several popular modes were removed, including King of the Hill, Squad Deathmatch and Rush. Rush was the mode they had spent the most time playing. He contacted Steam Support, explained that the modes had been removed nearly a year after launch, and provided links to Battlefield’s matchmaking information and the latest Community Broadcast. The support agent agreed with their complaint and refunded the full amount paid for the Phantom Edition.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086695288320741476

Published: August 10, 2026 06:05

A Battlefield 6 player says Steam gave them a full refund for the Phantom Edition despite 470 hours played.The player requested the refund after several popular modes were removed, including King of the Hill, Squad Deathmatch and Rush. Rush was the mode…

Apple could raise iPhone 17 prices as soon as tomorrow, August 10. A new report says Apple may increase prices of the current iPhone 17 lineup, potentially just weeks before the expected iPhone 18 Pro launch. The rumor is linked to rising memory and component costs, which have already affected prices of some other Apple products.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086679937013129329

Published: August 10, 2026 05:04

Apple could raise iPhone 17 prices as soon as tomorrow, August 10.A new report says Apple may increase prices of the current iPhone 17 lineup, potentially just weeks before the expected iPhone 18 Pro launch.The rumor is linked to rising memory and…

Roku now offers a 24/7 channel dedicated to AI slop. The channel is from AI entertainment startup Fairground and available through Roku’s free, ad-supported TV lineup. It continuously plays AI-slop videos in genres including horror, fantasy and other entertainment. Fairground says creators can earn money from the AI content they make and share in the platform’s revenue. Fairground has not revealed which AI models it uses or whether the training data was properly licensed.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086649235047628992

Published: August 10, 2026 03:02

Roku now offers a 24/7 channel dedicated to AI slop.The channel is from AI entertainment startup Fairground and available through Roku’s free, ad-supported TV lineup.It continuously plays AI-slop videos in genres including horror, fantasy and other…

A modder has brought The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to VR on PC. The BetterVR mod works with the Wii U version via the Cemu emulator and adds full VR support, motion controls and a first-person mode. You can explore Hyrule, fight enemies and solve puzzles in VR, there is also optional third-person mode that keeps the original view. The mod has received around 20 updates and supports most other Breath of the Wild mods, multiplayer mods and Linux. It uses OpenXR, so it works with most VR headsets.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086634386875973824

Published: August 10, 2026 02:03

A modder has brought The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to VR on PC.The BetterVR mod works with the Wii U version via the Cemu emulator and adds full VR support, motion controls and a first-person mode.You can explore Hyrule, fight enemies and solve…

France bans unsolicited telemarketing calls from 11 August 2026. From that date, companies generally need prior consent before calling for commercial purposes. This applies across industries, with exceptions such as certain calls under an existing contract. Companies that ignore them face fines of up to €375,000 per violation. The rules replace France’s opt-out system, so consumers no longer need to register their number to avoid most sales calls.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086619035811377558

Published: August 10, 2026 01:02

France bans unsolicited telemarketing calls from 11 August 2026.From that date, companies generally need prior consent before calling for commercial purposes. This applies across industries, with exceptions such as certain calls under an existing…

Amazon is planning a massive AI data center in Texas, and the power plant built to run it could become the biggest single source of air pollution from a power plant in the US. The plant in Pecos County will use 35 natural gas turbines with a combined capacity of 7.65 GW. Texas has approved the project to release up to 33 million tons of greenhouse gases a year. That number is the maximum allowed, not a guarantee that the plant will actually emit 33 million tons every year.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086604439717396902

Published: August 10, 2026 00:04

Amazon is planning a massive AI data center in Texas, and the power plant built to run it could become the biggest single source of air pollution from a power plant in the US.The plant in Pecos County will use 35 natural gas turbines with a combined…

GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption actor Robert Bogue says he auditioned for more than 60 roles in GTA 6 and didn’t get a single one. Bogue, who previously worked with Rockstar on games including GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption, says he really wanted to return for GTA 6. “I must have auditioned for more than 60 roles,” he never heard back about any of them. Bogue said the experience left him disappointed, he even wondered if Rockstar had an unofficial policy of not bringing back actors who had already appeared in its games.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086589843254247507

Published: August 9, 2026 23:06

GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption actor Robert Bogue says he auditioned for more than 60 roles in GTA 6 and didn’t get a single one.Bogue, who previously worked with Rockstar on games including GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption, says he really wanted to return for…

Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth has told employees that they shouldn’t expect AI to give them more time off. During a recent Q&A, an employee asked if Meta could bring back “Meta Days,” which gave workers additional days off. Bosworth responded: “Stop asking about Meta Days. It’s very dumb.” He said employees should use the time saved by AI to “do even more and cooler stuff” for Meta users instead. Bosworth also said that when AI saves him an hour of work, he uses that extra time to do more work rather than taking the hour off.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086572982177087620

Published: August 9, 2026 21:59

Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth has told employees that they shouldn’t expect AI to give them more time off.During a recent Q&A, an employee asked if Meta could bring back “Meta Days,” which gave workers additional days off. Bosworth responded:“Stop asking about…

Gears of War: E-Day is already setting a new Steam record for the franchise, despite still being in its limited beta. The beta reached 14,331 concurrent players on Steam, beating the previous series record held by Gears 5, which peaked at just over 10,000 players. For comparison, Gears Tactics reached 7,351 concurrent players, while last year’s Gears of War Reloaded stayed below 5,000. The game isn’t even the full open beta yet.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086558386192269781

Published: August 9, 2026 21:01

Gears of War: E-Day is already setting a new Steam record for the franchise, despite still being in its limited beta.The beta reached 14,331 concurrent players on Steam, beating the previous series record held by Gears 5, which peaked at just over 10,000…

A former Bethesda developer says he would have handled Starfield very differently. Nate Purkeypile, who worked on Fallout 3, Skyrim, Fallout 4 and the early years of Starfield, says he wouldn’t have built the game around 1,000 planets. “It’s very accurate that if I was in charge of Starfield, I would not have done it that way at all.” Instead, he would have focused on “a handful of planets with bespoke layouts” filled with more unique, handcrafted content. “If you’re going to do the 1000s of planets thing, you really need to go the full No Man’s Sky route and have it actually be generating unique content all the time.” He also criticized how some areas of Starfield feel empty outside major l

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086544293246751135

Published: August 9, 2026 20:05

A former Bethesda developer says he would have handled Starfield very differently.Nate Purkeypile, who worked on Fallout 3, Skyrim, Fallout 4 and the early years of Starfield, says he wouldn’t have built the game around 1,000 planets.“It’s very accurate…

Steam Deck is getting one of the PlayStation Portal’s most useful features. A new third-party app called Asobi: Remote Play is now available as a Steam Playtest for Steam Deck and other Linux devices. The app supports PS4 and PS5 Remote Play as well as Sony’s cloud streaming, letting you stream supported PS5 games to your Steam Deck without owning a PS5. You’ll need a PlayStation Network account and a PS Plus Premium subscription. You can stream games from the supported PS Plus catalog, as well as eligible digital PS5 games you already “own” The Playtest also supports up to 1080p at 60 FPS, HDR and options designed to reduce latency.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086529193874252218

Published: August 9, 2026 19:05

Steam Deck is getting one of the PlayStation Portal’s most useful features.A new third-party app called Asobi: Remote Play is now available as a Steam Playtest for Steam Deck and other Linux devices.The app supports PS4 and PS5 Remote Play as well as…

According to leaked internal emails verified by Windows Central, Blizzard ended FY26 as Xbox’s top-performing studio, despite Xbox overall being down 11% for the year. It was also Blizzard’s third-highest fiscal year ever for top-line revenue. In an internal email, Blizzard president Johanna Faries said the studio achieved consecutive quarters of growth throughout the fiscal year, something it hadn’t done since Overwatch launched in 2016.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086514094392086800

Published: August 9, 2026 18:05

According to leaked internal emails verified by Windows Central, Blizzard ended FY26 as Xbox’s top-performing studio, despite Xbox overall being down 11% for the year. It was also Blizzard’s third-highest fiscal year ever for top-line revenue.In an…

SEGA is auctioning off a real-life motorcycle inspired by Shadow the Hedgehog, with the money going to charity. The custom bike, called the “Dark Rider,” was built for SEGA’s 2024 Fearless: Year of Shadow campaign. The 1,750cc motorcycle is expected to sell for around £10,000–£15,000 when it goes under the hammer at Bonhams’ Autumn Stafford Sale on October 10–11. The proceeds will support the Luca Guintoli Foundation, which helps children with autism or cancer and their families across England and Wales.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086497988244115495

Published: August 9, 2026 17:01

SEGA is auctioning off a real-life motorcycle inspired by Shadow the Hedgehog, with the money going to charity.The custom bike, called the “Dark Rider,” was built for SEGA’s 2024 Fearless: Year of Shadow campaign. The 1,750cc motorcycle is expected to sell…

Windows 11’s Weather app is using surprisingly large amounts of RAM. In a recent test by Windows Latest, the Weather app used more than 1.2GB of RAM while running on Windows 11. For comparison, Apple’s Weather app on macOS used around 247MB in the same type of test. That makes the Windows app roughly 5 times more memory-hungry. The reason is that Microsoft’s Weather experience is built around WebView2, meaning it relies on web-based Chromium processes rather than being a traditional Windows app. And despite using all that memory, the app also shows ads and sponsored content. https://www.windowslatesm/2026/08/09/windows-11s-weather-app-uses-5x-the-ram-of-macos-weather-and-it-still-shows-ads/

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086482636873363672

Published: August 9, 2026 16:00

Windows 11’s Weather app is using surprisingly large amounts of RAM.In a recent test by Windows Latest, the Weather app used more than 1.2GB of RAM while running on Windows 11.For comparison, Apple’s Weather app on macOS used around 247MB in the same type…

Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and Black Ops 2 are massively outselling Halo on PS5. According to Alinea Analytics estimates, the two Black Ops ports have sold around 11.2 million copies combined on PS5: > Black Ops 2: 8.2 million > Black Ops: 3 million By comparison, Halo: Campaign Evolved reportedly sold around 351,000 copies on PS5 in July. The two Call of Duty games sold roughly 32 times more than Halo’s PS5 sales in the measured period.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086468545274151198

Published: August 9, 2026 15:04

Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and Black Ops 2 are massively outselling Halo on PS5.According to Alinea Analytics estimates, the two Black Ops ports have sold around 11.2 million copies combined on PS5:>Black Ops 2: 8.2 million>Black Ops: 3 millionBy…

A Japanese watchdog is investigating complaints about the new anime Yani Neko, which follows a cat-eared character who smokes heavily. Viewers complained about repeated scenes showing smoking and a scene involving what appears to be a character injecting a drug-like substance. Japan's broadcasting ethics organization, the BPO, is reviewing the complaints to decide if there are any broadcasting ethics issues.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086452689806991764

Published: August 9, 2026 14:01

A Japanese watchdog is investigating complaints about the new anime Yani Neko, which follows a cat-eared character who smokes heavily. Viewers complained about repeated scenes showing smoking and a scene involving what appears to be a character injecting a…

New Orleans is testing AI in its 911 system to handle the high volume of calls to emergency dispatch. The AI mainly sorts calls to identify those needing immediate attention. For example, if a major accident occurs and dozens of people call 911 about the same incident, the AI can recognize they are all reporting the same event. This aims to ease pressure on the 911 center so human dispatchers can focus on those who need help. If the AI errs, it could delay emergency help.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086438345593295338

Published: August 9, 2026 13:04

New Orleans is testing AI in its 911 system to handle the high volume of calls to emergency dispatch.The AI mainly sorts calls to identify those needing immediate attention. For example, if a major accident occurs and dozens of people call 911 about the…

Microsoft is rolling out age verification in Australia for 18+ games and apps on Xbox and the Microsoft Store. According to the Xbox notification, starting in late August 2026, Australian users will need to verify their age to access apps and games rated 18+. Users will need to provide an ID to verify their age, If they don’t complete the verification, access to 18+ content may be restricted.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086422994566709529

Published: August 9, 2026 12:03

Microsoft is rolling out age verification in Australia for 18+ games and apps on Xbox and the Microsoft Store.According to the Xbox notification, starting in late August 2026, Australian users will need to verify their age to access apps and games rated…

Asmongold says his latest Twitch suspension will last 14 days, and he plans to appeal it in hopes of getting the ban reduced to one week. But the suspension wasn’t the only reason he was away. Before the ban, Asmongold went to the ER after experiencing a symptom that he said was “identical” to one his father had before being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. “I got really upset. I was freaking out,” he explained, saying he was “petrified” and “panicked.” Doctors examined him and reassured him that he was okay. He says the symptoms have since “totally gone away,” but he still plans to get further testing. As for the Twitch suspension, Asmongold believes it could be related to comments he made

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086404034076832239

Published: August 9, 2026 10:47

Asmongold says his latest Twitch suspension will last 14 days, and he plans to appeal it in hopes of getting the ban reduced to one week.But the suspension wasn’t the only reason he was away.Before the ban, Asmongold went to the ER after experiencing a…

Project Zomboid players are angry after developers removed access to PZmap, a popular community-made map tool that helps explore the game's huge world and find hard-to-spot locations. The Indie Stone had hosted and supported it, but suddenly removed access on August 7, shortly after its Build 42 update. PZmap’s manager, Calvy, said The Indie Stone’s management had decided it no longer wanted to officially support the project and had asked him to remove it from their servers. He said he would work on bringing it back as a community-hosted resource.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086393298487590979

Published: August 9, 2026 10:05

Project Zomboid players are angry after developers removed access to PZmap, a popular community-made map tool that helps explore the game's huge world and find hard-to-spot locations.The Indie Stone had hosted and supported it, but suddenly removed access…

Mario Kart 64 is now playable in VR thanks to a fan-made project from RaYRoD TV. Built on SpaghettiKart, an unofficial PC port of the game, the project adds stereoscopic 3D and head tracking, letting you look around while racing from inside the kart. It includes settings for the VR view, world scale and 3D depth, along with support for custom texture packs such as MK64 Reloaded. The project is free and open source, but you’ll need your own Mario Kart 64 ROM to play it.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086377444043620552

Published: August 9, 2026 09:02

Mario Kart 64 is now playable in VR thanks to a fan-made project from RaYRoD TV.Built on SpaghettiKart, an unofficial PC port of the game, the project adds stereoscopic 3D and head tracking, letting you look around while racing from inside the kart.It…

Modders have found a way to access a full Windows desktop through NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW cloud gaming service. The workaround uses a game called Trove and takes advantage of access available through its Steam session. Once working, users can see the Windows desktop, taskbar and icons, and even launch other programs. One demonstration showed LM Studio running an AI model on the GeForce NOW machine.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086361843254071466

Published: August 9, 2026 08:00

Modders have found a way to access a full Windows desktop through NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW cloud gaming service.The workaround uses a game called Trove and takes advantage of access available through its Steam session. Once working, users can see the Windows…

Valve has released SteamOS 3.8.25 Beta, bringing fixes and improvements for the Steam Machine and several third-party handhelds. - An issue where the system could wake up immediately after going to sleep. - CPU performance sometimes staying reduced after waking from sleep. - HDMI display lockups. - HDMI audio dropouts. - Screen flashing when TVs switch to Game Mode. > SteamOS also improves support for MSI Claw and OneXPlayer handhelds. > New or updated gamepad support has been added for devices including the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, Konkr FIT, AYANEO Pocket S2 and OneXPlayer Apex. The update also moves SteamOS to Linux kernel 6.18.42.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086339946785477007

Published: August 9, 2026 06:33

Valve has released SteamOS 3.8.25 Beta, bringing fixes and improvements for the Steam Machine and several third-party handhelds.- An issue where the system could wake up immediately after going to sleep.- CPU performance sometimes staying reduced after…

Cloudflare says humans could become a tiny fraction of internet traffic as AI and automated systems grow. According to Cloudflare CFO Thomas Seifert, non-human traffic overtook human traffic in May 2026, much earlier than Cloudflare’s previous prediction of 2027. Seifert now expects the gap to widen and if current trends continue, non-human traffic could reach up to 1,000 times human traffic within five years. “Humans will be a rounding error on the internet”

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086317297774284966

Published: August 9, 2026 05:03

Cloudflare says humans could become a tiny fraction of internet traffic as AI and automated systems grow.  According to Cloudflare CFO Thomas Seifert, non-human traffic overtook human traffic in May 2026, much earlier than Cloudflare’s previous prediction…

The studio behind Netflix’s FIFA World Cup game has laid off around 85% of its staff just seven weeks after the game launched. According to the studio’s founder, the layoffs happened after publisher Delphi Interactive pulled its funding following the game’s release. The game is still available on Netflix, but most of the team that made it has now lost their jobs.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086301444269809817

Published: August 9, 2026 04:00

The studio behind Netflix’s FIFA World Cup game has laid off around 85% of its staff just seven weeks after the game launched.According to the studio’s founder, the layoffs happened after publisher Delphi Interactive pulled its funding following the game’s…

Officials in Nova Scotia are investigating how a Skyrim username mistake led to an innocent man spending 18 months in prison. Police sought the username “fus__ro_dah”, a reference to Skyrim’s “Fus Ro Dah” shout, but searched for “fus_ro_dah” with one underscore instead of two. That username belonged to a Nova Scotia man. Police searched his home and devices but found no evidence linking him to the crime. Despite this, he was convicted and spent 18 months in prison. In July 2026, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal overturned his conviction and found him innocent.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086286595435749605

Published: August 9, 2026 03:01

Officials in Nova Scotia are investigating how a Skyrim username mistake led to an innocent man spending 18 months in prison.Police sought the username “fus__ro_dah”, a reference to Skyrim’s “Fus Ro Dah” shout, but searched for “fus_ro_dah” with one…

A BioWare veteran believes Baldur’s Gate 3 became such a successful sequel because Larian Studios didn’t try to simply recreate Baldur’s Gate 2. Mark Darrah, who worked on the original Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2, says Larian took the right direction by mixing the classic games’ influence with its own Divinity games and the evolution of CRPGs over the past 20 years. According to Darrah, Baldur’s Gate 3 feels like Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2, but also clearly carries Larian’s own identity. “I think it’s a great sequel. I think they did what is the right thing to do given that large of a gap.” Via:pcgamer

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086271243821682757

Published: August 9, 2026 02:00

A BioWare veteran believes Baldur’s Gate 3 became such a successful sequel because Larian Studios didn’t try to simply recreate Baldur’s Gate 2.Mark Darrah, who worked on the original Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2, says Larian took the right direction…

BR1: Infinite is an upcoming extraction shooter where players can use real money to play and earn money from kills, this actually sounds terrible due to cheaters and gambling. In paid matches, you choose how much you want to risk before entering. For example, on a $1 server, you can earn $1 for each kill. If you die, you have to pay again to get back into the match. There will also be free matches for people who don’t want to spend money. The developers say players have already earned more than $100,000 during testing.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086256145992454637

Published: August 9, 2026 01:00

BR1: Infinite is an upcoming extraction shooter where players can use real money to play and earn money from kills, this actually sounds terrible due to cheaters and gambling.In paid matches, you choose how much you want to risk before entering. For…

A PC user got tired of his cat sleeping onto it and created a “hostile architecture for cats.” He added a bunch of small rods to the ventilation area to stop the cat from sitting on top of the PC. The owner calls the setup “kitty-diddlers.”

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086241296612548938

Published: August 9, 2026 00:01

A PC user got tired of his cat sleeping onto it and created a “hostile architecture for cats.” He added a bunch of small rods to the ventilation area to stop the cat from sitting on top of the PC. The owner calls the setup “kitty-diddlers.”— Pirat_Nation 🔴…

Marvel Rivals’ Season 9.5 update is now available, and it comes with a major storage optimization. NetEase has reworked the game’s texture compression, significantly reducing the amount of storage Marvel Rivals needs without sacrificing visual quality. On PC, some installations can recover up to around 70 GB of storage. Console players also get a substantial reduction in the game’s installed size.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086227455225057300

Published: August 8, 2026 23:06

Marvel Rivals’ Season 9.5 update is now available, and it comes with a major storage optimization.NetEase has reworked the game’s texture compression, significantly reducing the amount of storage Marvel Rivals needs without sacrificing visual quality.On…

Layoffs have hit That’s No Moon, the studio developing the new “reimagination” single-player game from the popular Crossfire franchise. Just weeks after the studio showed Crossfire publicly for the first time, the game is not even out and has no launch date. The Los Angeles-based studio was founded in 2021 by veterans who previously worked on major games including The Last of Us. The first pic is from the new game and second pic is from the original game

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086210342573748413

Published: August 8, 2026 21:58

Layoffs have hit That’s No Moon, the studio developing the new “reimagination” single-player game from the popular Crossfire franchise.Just weeks after the studio showed Crossfire publicly for the first time, the game is not even out and has no launch…

An Arab Bleach fan spent nearly a week censoring Yoruichi’s outfit in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War to make it more modest. The fan edited the footage of the episode frame by frame, digitally adding clothing over Yoruichi’s original outfit. The edit was made to follow his religious beliefs. He used his pc and capcut

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086195749268713922

Published: August 8, 2026 21:00

An Arab Bleach fan spent nearly a week censoring Yoruichi’s outfit in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War to make it more modest.The fan edited the footage of the episode frame by frame, digitally adding clothing over Yoruichi’s original outfit. The edit was…

Alanah Pearce says America “sucks” when it comes to job security, especially in the video game industry. > In her latest video, she examines why the US and Europe have seen huge gaming layoffs since 2022, while Japan has largely avoided similar cuts. > Her main point is that it comes down to both law and culture. In the US, “at-will” employment makes it relatively easy for companies to lay people off. Japan has much stronger protections for permanent workers, making layoffs far more difficult. > Japanese companies also tend to value keeping experienced employees more. That matters in game development, where losing a veteran developer can mean losing years of knowledge and experience.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086181150431609233

Published: August 8, 2026 20:02

Alanah Pearce says America “sucks” when it comes to job security, especially in the video game industry.>In her latest video, she examines why the US and Europe have seen huge gaming layoffs since 2022, while Japan has largely avoided similar cuts.>Her…

A buyer says Newegg shipped a $500 RAM kit in surprisingly flimsy packaging, with the package arriving badly bent and folded, fortunately, the RAM survived “Both sticks were still secure in the plastic housing and are undamaged.” They also said they normally would have returned something in that condition, but this was the final part needed for a PC they were building for their nephew’s birthday and they were short on time. “It’s crazy to me a ‘reputable’ vendor would cheap out so much, especially given how high memory prices are right now.”

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086166050911981696

Published: August 8, 2026 19:02

A buyer says Newegg shipped a $500 RAM kit in surprisingly flimsy packaging, with the package arriving badly bent and folded, fortunately, the RAM survived“Both sticks were still secure in the plastic housing and are undamaged.”They also said they normally…

A ZOTAC customer sent his RTX 4090 in for warranty service four times after dealing with crashes, freezing, visual artifacts and PCIe errors. After the fourth RMA, ZOTAC decided to replace the RTX 4090 with a brand-new RTX 5090 instead completely free of charge. The replacement apparently came with a 30-day warranty, based on the remaining warranty period of the original card.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086150951333769381

Published: August 8, 2026 18:02

A ZOTAC customer sent his RTX 4090 in for warranty service four times after dealing with crashes, freezing, visual artifacts and PCIe errors.After the fourth RMA, ZOTAC decided to replace the RTX 4090 with a brand-new RTX 5090 instead completely free of…

MSI Afterburner is getting a useful new feature for people who like to overclock or undervolt their graphics cards. The latest beta adds a V/F hit map to the Voltage/Frequency curve and shows which voltage and clock speed points your GPU is actually using while you’re gaming or running a workload. This is useful because the curve you set in Afterburner doesn’t necessarily tell you exactly how the GPU behaves in real-world use. The hit map records the last 256 points and show the areas the GPU uses most often. There is also a return of GPUProbe, a low-level monitoring tool that can provide additional GPU sensor information on supported hardware.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086136858296435061

Published: August 8, 2026 17:06

MSI Afterburner is getting a useful new feature for people who like to overclock or undervolt their graphics cards.The latest beta adds a V/F hit map to the Voltage/Frequency curve and shows which voltage and clock speed points your GPU is actually using…

It’s official: Sony’s PlayStation Direct store has also added the “NOTICE” to PS5 consoles with disc drives and the detachable disc drive itself. ``From Jan 2028, newly released games on PlayStation will be available for purchase on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital format only. Discs for games released before Jan 2028 can continue to be played on this console.´´

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086107229267038351

Published: August 8, 2026 15:08

It’s official: Sony’s PlayStation Direct store has also added the “NOTICE” to PS5 consoles with disc drives and the detachable disc drive itself.``From Jan 2028, newly released games on PlayStation will be available for purchase on PlayStation Store and at…

Cloudflare says humans could become a tiny fraction of internet traffic as AI and automated systems grow. According to Cloudflare CFO Thomas Seifert, non-human traffic overtook human traffic in May 2026, much earlier than Cloudflare’s previous prediction of 2027. Seifert now expects the gap to widen and if current trends continue, non-human traffic could reach up to 1,000 times human traffic within five years. “Humans will be a rounding error on the internet,”

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086105654368887084

Published: August 8, 2026 15:02

Cloudflare says humans could become a tiny fraction of internet traffic as AI and automated systems grow.According to Cloudflare CFO Thomas Seifert, non-human traffic overtook human traffic in May 2026, much earlier than Cloudflare’s previous prediction of…

Intel is proposing a new way to build data centers in space using a two-level satellite network. The idea would use thousands of smaller, simpler satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). Instead of putting powerful computers on every satellite, these would send their data to a second layer of more powerful computing satellites in higher orbit. Those higher satellites would act as the network’s “brains,” processing and managing data from the larger constellation. The concept could reduce the expensive computing hardware needed on individual satellites and make huge satellite networks easier to manage.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086091057268228545

Published: August 8, 2026 14:04

Intel is proposing a new way to build data centers in space using a two-level satellite network.The idea would use thousands of smaller, simpler satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). Instead of putting powerful computers on every satellite, these would send…

AI has been used to design 16 viruses that have never existed in nature. Scientists trained the AI on around 9 trillion DNA nucleotides, allowing it to learn patterns from existing genomes and create new viral designs. The viruses were bacteriophages, which infect bacteria such as E. coli, not humans. Researchers tested the AI-generated designs and found 16 that were functional. Experts are warning that AI’s ability to design new biological systems is advancing faster than the safeguards needed to control the potential risks.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086076209335783881

Published: August 8, 2026 13:05

AI has been used to design 16 viruses that have never existed in nature.Scientists trained the AI on around 9 trillion DNA nucleotides, allowing it to learn patterns from existing genomes and create new viral designs.The viruses were bacteriophages, which…

Three years after Lies of P became one of the most successful Soulslike games not made by FromSoftware, the devs feel pressure to make the sequel even better. Art lead Cha Byungjun admitted there is “definitely pressure” after the original’s game success. Director Choi Juwon says that while the team was excited when developing Lies of P, they are now constantly asking themselves how they can do even better. The developers are trying to rise the bar even more

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086059864170623228

Published: August 8, 2026 12:00

Three years after Lies of P became one of the most successful Soulslike games not made by FromSoftware, the devs feel pressure to make the sequel even better. Art lead Cha Byungjun admitted there is “definitely pressure” after the original’s game success.…

OpenAI is changing how ChatGPT works for Free and Go users, starting next week, they can use unlimited text chats. The rollout begins the week of August 10, so it may not appear for everyone immediately. -Limits remain on file uploads, image creation and other tools. -Unlimited access applies only to normal text conversations. Free and Go users also get GPT-5.6 Luna as the default model, and a new Think button for harder questions needing more reasoning.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086045507206422765

Published: August 8, 2026 11:03

OpenAI is changing how ChatGPT works for Free and Go users, starting next week, they can use unlimited text chats. The rollout begins the week of August 10, so it may not appear for everyone immediately.-Limits remain on file uploads, image creation and…

An id Software developer has criticized Xbox after recent layoffs hit the studio. Chris Hays, a lead services programmer with more than 15 years at id Software, says Microsoft does not fully understand the creative side of making games. Hays says entire departments have been heavily reduced, which could make big AAA games like Doom: The Dark Ages much harder to create in future.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086030407259291836

Published: August 8, 2026 10:03

An id Software developer has criticized Xbox after recent layoffs hit the studio.Chris Hays, a lead services programmer with more than 15 years at id Software, says Microsoft does not fully understand the creative side of making games.Hays says entire…

The Witcher Season 5 has reportedly been delayed until 2027. The final season was originally expected to premiere in 2026, but new reports say Netflix has pushed the release back by around a year, despite filming having wrapped in September 2025. Season 5 will be the final chapter of Netflix’s The Witcher, with Liam Hemsworth returning as Geralt of Rivia after taking over the role from Henry Cavill.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086014804582695013

Published: August 8, 2026 09:01

The Witcher Season 5 has reportedly been delayed until 2027.The final season was originally expected to premiere in 2026, but new reports say Netflix has pushed the release back by around a year, despite filming having wrapped in September 2025.Season 5…

The GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is making an unexpected comeback. Pre-modded RTX 2080 Ti graphics cards with 22GB of VRAM are now being sold on eBay for $499. The upgrade doubles the card’s original 11GB of memory These cards still use NVIDIA’s original Turing GPU from 2018, so gaming performance hasn’t changed.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2086000208182169802

Published: August 8, 2026 08:03

The GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is making an unexpected comeback.Pre-modded RTX 2080 Ti graphics cards with 22GB of VRAM are now being sold on eBay for $499. The upgrade doubles the card’s original 11GB of memoryThese cards still use NVIDIA’s original Turing GPU…

Microsoft has confirmed it automatically installed a new OneDrive Photos app on some Windows 11 PCs. The app includes AI-powered features, such as a “People” feature that groups photos by the people in them. Microsoft says the facial grouping feature is off by default and photos are not used to train its AI models. Users are not happy the app was installed automatically and cannot be uninstalled separately, removing it also removes OneDrive. https://www.windowslatesm/2026/08/07/microsoft-admits-it-force-installed-ai-powered-onedrive-on-windows-11-says-its-not-training-on-your-faces-really/

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085969505965244610

Published: August 8, 2026 06:01

Microsoft has confirmed it automatically installed a new OneDrive Photos app on some Windows 11 PCs.The app includes AI-powered features, such as a “People” feature that groups photos by the people in them.Microsoft says the facial grouping feature is off…

A Texas man has been arrested after threatening the Governor’s Office over being unable to watch anime due to age verification 35-year-old man called the Texas Governor’s Office and left a voicemail complaining about a new law that he believed was blocking his anime. “I don’t know which one of you sons of **** passed this motherf* bill to get this damn sh*t blocking my mother* anime…” “Unlock my f*cking anime.” The state has introduced age-verification laws covering certain sexually explicit websites

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085954909661196638

Published: August 8, 2026 05:03

A Texas man has been arrested after threatening the Governor’s Office over being unable to watch anime due to age verification35-year-old man called the Texas Governor’s Office and left a voicemail complaining about a new law that he believed was blocking…

RAM prices have gone back to levels we haven’t seen since around 2007, according to a recent analysis. For years, RAM became cheaper as technology improved and manufacturers became more efficient. But the AI boom has changed that very quickly. Around 20 years of progress in falling memory prices has been wiped out in just a few months. https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ram/scientist-says-ram-pricing-has-reverted-to-normalized-2007-levels-memory-prices-have-been-falling-exponentially-for-decades-but-the-ai-shortage-undid-20-years-of-progress-in-a-matter-of-months

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085940313538039978

Published: August 8, 2026 04:05

RAM prices have gone back to levels we haven’t seen since around 2007, according to a recent analysis.For years, RAM became cheaper as technology improved and manufacturers became more efficient. But the AI boom has changed that very quickly.Around 20…

A former employee claims more than 100 MacBook Pro laptops with 48GB of RAM are being destroyed instead of given to employees or donated. According to the employee, the company is shutting down an office after layoffs and decided to destroy the working MacBooks. The laptops reportedly use Apple’s M4 chips and have 48GB of unified memory. The company has not been named https://wccftech.com/ex-employee-reveals-company-destroying-48gb-ram-macbooks-amid-ram-crisis/

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085925214802547015

Published: August 8, 2026 03:05

A former employee claims more than 100 MacBook Pro laptops with 48GB of RAM are being destroyed instead of given to employees or donated.According to the employee, the company is shutting down an office after layoffs and decided to destroy the working…

Meta has been hit with a massive $567 million fine in New Mexico over how Facebook and Instagram handle young users. The judge found that Meta’s platforms can encourage addictive use and that the company failed to do enough to protect kids from harmful content and sexual exploitation. The $567 million comes on top of an earlier $375 million penalty, meaning Meta could face $942 million in total from the case The ruling also introduces new restrictions for users under 18 in New Mexico.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085909611203453016

Published: August 8, 2026 02:03

Meta has been hit with a massive $567 million fine in New Mexico over how Facebook and Instagram handle young users.The judge found that Meta’s platforms can encourage addictive use and that the company failed to do enough to protect kids from harmful…

Square Enix is working with Google to use AI for testing video games, the project is also backed by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The company has introduced an AI-powered QA system built with Google Gemini, the AI can play a game, understand on-screen events, listen to sounds, check the map and control the character while searching for problems. They want to automate repetitive testing tasks such as finding bugs, checking graphics and verifying text. Square Enix says the technology could reduce the work for developers and testers, freeing them to focus on other aspects of game development.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085894763681898686

Published: August 8, 2026 01:04

Square Enix is working with Google to use AI for testing video games, the project is also backed by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.The company has introduced an AI-powered QA system built with Google Gemini, the  AI can play a game,…

Sony makes a small amount of money from physical Xbox games, even though PlayStation and Xbox are competitors thanks to Blu-ray licensing. Xbox game discs are manufactured by third-party companies, and producing Blu-ray discs requires technology licensed from Sony and other patent holders. Sony can thus receive licensing revenue when certain physical Xbox games are produced. When someone buys a physical Xbox game, Sony indirectly earns a small fee from the disc itself.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085879622751981676

Published: August 8, 2026 00:03

Sony makes a small amount of money from physical Xbox games, even though PlayStation and Xbox are competitors thanks to Blu-ray licensing.Xbox game discs are manufactured by third-party companies, and producing Blu-ray discs requires technology licensed…

An inventor has created a real-life “home screen” for physical game discs, making it much easier to browse a game collection without opening cases or searching through shelves. The setup uses a display that shows the cover art of every game in the collection. When you select a title, a motorized system automatically rotates the shelf and brings the correct game case to the front https://www.gamesradar.com/hardware/retro/inventor-creates-irl-home-screen-for-physical-discs-that-brings-the-convenience-of-a-digital-library-to-an-actual-game-shelf/

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085864564609204466

Published: August 7, 2026 23:04

An inventor has created a real-life “home screen” for physical game discs, making it much easier to browse a game collection without opening cases or searching through shelves.The setup uses a display that shows the cover art of every game in the…

Valve will celebrate its 30th anniversary on August 24, 2026. The company was founded on August 24, 1996, by Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington after they left Microsoft. That was the same day Gabe Newell married his then-wife, the couple later divorced.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085847954531975552

Published: August 7, 2026 21:58

Valve will celebrate its 30th anniversary on August 24, 2026.The company was founded on August 24, 1996, by Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington after they left Microsoft.That was the same day Gabe Newell married his then-wife, the couple later divorced.—…

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick believes the gaming industry could enter “commercial streaming mode” within the next three years. He says improvements in cloud tech and the rising cost of gaming hardware could push more people toward streaming games instead of running them on their own consoles or PCs. He also believes this could massively expand the potential gaming audience, with Take-Two estimating its reach could grow by as much as 10 times. Another major step toward a future where you don't really own the games you buy.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085830649844281485

Published: August 7, 2026 20:49

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick believes the gaming industry could enter “commercial streaming mode” within the next three years.He says improvements in cloud tech and the rising cost of gaming hardware could push more people toward streaming games instead of…

DOOM co-creator John Romero has responded to claims that piracy was a main reason for the game’s success and hurt id Software. All started after former id Software dev said 70–90% of DOOM players pirated the game, costing the studio millions. Romero disagreed explaining that the original DOOM was released as shareware, so the first episode was free to copy and share legally. Players were encouraged to distribute it widely. According to Romero, DOOM had around 20 million free shareware downloads and sold over 2 million full copies. He said those free players should not be counted as pirates, as they used the game as id Software intended.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085818511008428300

Published: August 7, 2026 20:01

DOOM co-creator John Romero has responded to claims that piracy was a main reason for the game’s success and hurt id Software.All started after former id Software dev said 70–90% of DOOM players pirated the game, costing the studio millions.Romero…

A Google Play user says he purchased Lord of the Rings Extended Trilogy suddenly disappeared from their library after Google removed it from its catalog. According to screenshots shared by the user, Google Support confirmed the films were no longer available and said they couldn’t issue a refund because the purchase was made in 2022, which is outside the company’s standard 120-day refund window. “I bought these in 2022, all of a sudden they aren’t available and there is no possibility of a refund or gift card. Hardly seems fair.”

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085800945963913469

Published: August 7, 2026 18:51

A Google Play user says he purchased Lord of the Rings Extended Trilogy suddenly disappeared from their library after Google removed it from its catalog.According to screenshots shared by the user, Google Support confirmed the films were no longer…

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says GTA 6 will be “an incredible bargain” at its $80 price, as the company focuses on delivering value rather than charging as much as possible. “Our goal is to deliver way more value to consumers than what we charge them.” He called GTA 6 “an incredible bargain as experiences go.” Zelnick said they don’t want to maximize the price despite high demand and want to give players an experience worth far more than its cost.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085790520194777435

Published: August 7, 2026 18:09

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says GTA 6 will be “an incredible bargain” at its $80 price, as the company focuses on delivering value rather than charging as much as possible.“Our goal is to deliver way more value to consumers than what we charge them.” He…

Pocketpair says it made Palworld 1.0 for its players, not for review scores. Pocketpair’s head of publishing and communications, John “Bucky” Buckley, said the team “weren’t really thinking about critic reception at all” while making the full release. Instead, he said the goal was simple: “Palworld 1.0 is very much for the fans.” The studio wanted to make “the survival crafting game everyone always wanted.”

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085773464234086842

Published: August 7, 2026 17:02

Pocketpair says it made Palworld 1.0 for its players, not for review scores.Pocketpair’s head of publishing and communications, John “Bucky” Buckley, said the team “weren’t really thinking about critic reception at all” while making the full…

Rockstar is getting backlash after paywalling the Grand Theft Auto VI Extended Look on Netflix. Some called the decision “unbelievably scummy,” and fans are questioning why a game showcase should be temporarily locked behind a paid subscription. The extended look will become free for everyone after the six-hour exclusivity period ends.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085758616628314171

Published: August 7, 2026 16:03

Rockstar is getting backlash after paywalling the Grand Theft Auto VI Extended Look on Netflix.Some called the decision “unbelievably scummy,” and fans are questioning why a game showcase should be temporarily locked behind a paid subscription.The extended…

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has defended the move away from physical games, saying the company’s business is now “well over 90% digitally distributed.” “Our business is well over 90% digitally distributed. It’s already a digital business. So in certain instances, especially if it’s a big game, discs just don’t really make sense for the consumer.” I don’t expect a physical GTA VI version after he said this

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085730274457891097

Published: August 7, 2026 14:10

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has defended the move away from physical games, saying the company’s business is now “well over 90% digitally distributed.”“Our business is well over 90% digitally distributed. It’s already a digital business. So in certain…

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick believes physical game discs no longer make sense because most players now prefer buying games digitally. Zelnick said digital is simply more convenient for most people, and that’s why the industry has been moving in that direction. He says that publishers are responding to how players choose to buy games, not trying to force the change

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085720716326949197

Published: August 7, 2026 13:32

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick believes physical game discs no longer make sense because most players now prefer buying games digitally.Zelnick said digital is simply more convenient for most people, and that’s why the industry has been moving in that…

Take-Two has revealed that GTA 6 pre-orders are off to an “exceptional start,” according to CEO Strauss Zelnick during the company’s latest earnings call but did not disclose how many copies have been pre-ordered. The company reported $1.39 billion in net bookings for the April–June quarter, when GTA 6 pre-orders opened, that represents Take-Two’s overall business Via Reuters

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085715389653074084

Published: August 7, 2026 13:11

Take-Two has revealed that GTA 6 pre-orders are off to an “exceptional start,” according to CEO Strauss Zelnick during the company’s latest earnings call but did not disclose how many copies have been pre-ordered.The company reported $1.39 billion in net…

Scalping has become such a big problem in Japan that The Pokémon Company is now requiring buyers to be Japanese citizens to purchase certain Pokémon TCG products through Pokémon Center Online. For selected booster packs, decks, and lottery sales, customers will need to verify their identity using Japan’s My Number Card. This verification requires a Japanese government-issued ID so only Japanese citizens can buy these eligible products.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085713821432209629

Published: August 7, 2026 13:05

Scalping has become such a big problem in Japan that The Pokémon Company is now requiring buyers to be Japanese citizens to purchase certain Pokémon TCG products through Pokémon Center Online.For selected booster packs, decks, and lottery sales, customers…

EA is reportedly thinking about selling BioWare, according to industry insider Mike Straw. The report says EA is looking at ways to reduce costs after its recent Saudi-led acquisition, and BioWare could be one of the studios considered for a sale.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085697715418419394

Published: August 7, 2026 12:01

EA is reportedly thinking about selling BioWare, according to industry insider Mike Straw.The report says EA is looking at ways to reduce costs after its recent Saudi-led acquisition, and BioWare could be one of the studios considered for a sale.—…

A fan-made project called Green Trainers Online is turning Pokémon Emerald into an online multiplayer game. It runs directly in a web browser with no emulator needed. To stay legal, Players use their own Pokémon Emerald ROM. Recent updates include: - Guilds - Custom quest system - In-game character customization - Real-time trading and trade evolutions - Friends, private messaging, and global chat - Auto-save, server-synced time, and other quality-of-life improvements

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085683370894430663

Published: August 7, 2026 11:04

A fan-made project called Green Trainers Online is turning Pokémon Emerald into an online multiplayer game.It runs directly in a web browser with no emulator needed. To stay legal, Players use their own Pokémon Emerald ROM.Recent updates include:- Guilds-…

A new website is turning your streaming services into a virtual Blockbuster. Called Virtual Video Store, it lets you browse movies and TV shows on virtual shelves, just like you would in an old video rental store. The website works with streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max, Hulu, Apple TV+, Peacock, and more. It shows everything you already have access to in one place, making it easier to find something to watch.

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2085663541596430452

Published: August 7, 2026 09:45

A new website is turning your streaming services into a virtual Blockbuster.Called Virtual Video Store, it lets you browse movies and TV shows on virtual shelves, just like you would in an old video rental store.The website works with streaming services…