NVIDIA's DLSS 5 marks a major shift for the company's AI-powered graphics technologies, using Neural Rendering to enhance lighting, materials, skin, hair, and other visual elements in real time. NVIDIA is positioning it as a “significant step” toward more photorealistic game graphics, while still giving developers and artists control over how the effect is applied. Although DLSS 5 isn't officially available in games yet, PC gaming enthusiasts have already managed to get an early and unofficial version working. An experimental runtime library shipped with the early access PC build of NBA 2K27, and members of the RenoDX Discord server quickly […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/nvidia-dlss-5-neural-rendering-in-10-modern-games-the-best-unofficial-dlss-5-on-vs-off-comparisons-so-far/

GSC Game World has announced that Update 2.0 for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will launch on August 20th alongside its first major expansion, Cost of Hope.

Update 2.0 provides a free engine upgrade that overhauls lighting, shadows, reflections, and foliage. GSC Game World states that A-Life artificial intelligence now brings more contested points of interest, alongside bug fixes addressing wall-shooting and overpopulation. Fog now acts as a gameplay mechanic that reduces visibility and hearing, while mutant appearances vary by habitat. A statistics page has also been added to the PDA.

Players gain Custom Rules to adjust difficulty settings, three binocular variants, and a PDA statistics page. Weapon additions include the Arev assault rifle, GP3A and SKP designated marksman rifles, and the Fora-230 submachine gun, each with a unique variant found in the Zone. Also, new optics have been added, including a red dot sight for Eastern-bloc weapons and a 3x scope for Western-bloc ones.

Releasing the same day, the Cost of Hope expansion explores the conflict between the Duty and Freedom factions. It's included with the base game's Ultimate Edition or available as a standalone purchase for $29.99/€29.99. To mark the release, GSC launched a website where players can vote for their chosen faction to compete for limited themed prizes.

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KitGuru says: Are you planning on jumping back into Stalker 2 when the new expansion lands next week? 

Ukrainian developer GSC Game World is preparing to release Update 2.0 for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, delivering a substantial collection of free improvements for all players. The update launches on August 20, the same day as Cost of Hope, the game's first major expansion. Update 2.0 focuses on visual improvements, more dynamic Zone activity, expanded customization, and new weapons. When it comes to graphics, players can expect an enhanced environmental presentation across the Zone, thanks to more natural lighting, more realistic shadows, and improved reflections throughout the world, including inside buildings and in underground areas. GSC has also reportedly […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/stalker-2-update-2-0-new-weapons-smarter-a-life-cost-of-hope/

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is among the few third-party Xbox Series X|S exclusive releases, which wasn't too surprising, considering the quality of the latest entry in the series and how unique the franchise generally is. What is surprising to learn, on the other hand, is how the exclusivity deal with Microsoft was reportedly decided. In a recent interview with OLDboi, GSC Game World founder Serhiy Hryhorovych revealed that Microsoft agreed to fund the game's console exclusivity primarily because of the overwhelming view count on one of the game's YouTube trailers. "We put out a STALKER 2 video, and when […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/stalker-2-xbox-exclusivity-sealed-views-stunned-microsoft/

STALKER 2: Cost of Hope is the upcoming DLC expansion for GSC Game World's powerhouse of tense first-person shooter survival gameplay that is STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl. It'll arrive at some point this coming summer, and ahead of that launch, GSC Game World just debuted a new story trailer, setting the stage for another journey into the Zone. This new expansion puts players in the middle of the conflict between two factions, while joining Zulu and Mavka as they endure the Zone to try to uncover a deeper mystery amidst the fighting. It's nothing less than the kind of […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/stalker-2-cost-of-hope-dlc-new-trailer-release-date/

In the world of PC gaming, "badly optimized" is a phrase that gets tossed around more than a grenade in a crowded lobby. Usually, the story goes like this: a shiny new game launches, players crank everything to Ultra, watch their frames per second (FPS) counter like a hawk, and reach a verdict in seconds. If the frame rate isn't high enough to their liking, then the game is deemed "unoptimized". If it runs like butter, then it’s "well optimized". The reality, however, is that PC game optimization is a massive, complicated puzzle. Performance isn't just about how hard a […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/the-truth-about-pc-game-optimization/