Microsoft’s June GDK unlocks more memory for Xbox Series S developers

Today, Microsoft dropped details about its Game Development Kit (GDK) for June. There are many improvements, many of which are the result of direct feedback from current developers. The most crucial piece in the new update is that Microsoft will unlock more memory for developers to further push the graphics on the Xbox Series S.

If unfamiliar, the GDK is a toolset that gives anyone the power to code games for current and future Microsoft gaming platforms. The first and probably the most critical improvement in the GDK is that developers will gain access to additional memory that can be used to push the graphics on the Xbox Series S consoles. Microsoft states that there will now be “hundreds” of additional megabytes available for developers coding for the Series S and that the extra memory could improve “graphics performance in constrained conditions.”

Along with those changes, the GDK will offer auto-sync cloud saves, a simplified user model, game update checks, debugging, and more. There will also be changes with DLCs and age ratings. DLCs will now have their own independent age rating and will not have a rating attached to the original game. Furthermore, there will be improvements in how storage is handled, as developers can now enable storage control from within the game. That means players can uninstall game DLC from in-game menus, minimizing time spent outside the game. This kind of control will only apply to DLC for that specific title. While there are many more updates, these are just a few, but for the full list, please check out the video above.

When the Xbox Series S was originally announced, it was touted as the all-digital little brother to the Xbox Series X, offering a next-gen CPU, powerful GPU, 10GB of GDDR6 memory, and 512GB of solid-state memory. Additionally, it promised 1440p gaming at 120fps, and well, it hasn’t delivered. The 10GB of GDDR6 memory might seem like a lot, but it is quite a bit less when compared to the Xbox Series X, which has 16GB. Furthermore, experts found that the Series S struggled mainly due to its memory, limiting its potential to hit its peak. While the new memory allocation doesn’t seem like a lot, let’s hope it is enough for developers to bring improvements to the console.

Xbox Series S

Xbox Series S with 512GB

Buy from Best Buy

Buy from Amazon

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Source: Microsoft Game Dev (YouTube)
Via: The Verge

The post Microsoft’s June GDK unlocks more memory for Xbox Series S developers appeared first on XDA.

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Discovery Plus and HBO Max merge next year, new service debuts in summer 2023

It was bound to happen sooner or later once AT&T sold Warner Media to Discovery, the two merging to become Warner Bros. Discovery. Now it has been set in stone, with the announcement that HBO Max and Discovery Plus streaming services will cease to exist starting in the summer of 2023. The news was announced today during a Warner Bros. Discovery earnings call, where the company gave some details about its future.

While the streaming services will cease to exist, they won’t be going away entirely. Instead, Warner Bros. Discovery will be merging the two services together and launching a new streaming service in the United States during the summer of 2023. It should be interesting, as both services cater to different audiences and have different content. This could be a complete package, with two halves equalling one whole. In a move that none will find surprising, the motive is purely financial, as the company doesn’t want to maintain two different streaming services. It also wants to minimize subscribers leaving its services.

For now, the upcoming streaming service does not have a name, but the company will focus on a premium and ad-supported version. The firm did stress that the content found on the premium and ad-supported versions will be different. It also talked about the back-end of each service, stating that while HBO Max currently offers a robust catalog, it suffers from technical issues. Discover Plus is the complete opposite, offering a streamlined experience but with limited content. The good thing is that it knows its services strengths and weaknesses.

The reliability of the new service could become a big issue, especially when merging subscribers. Hopefully, it will be able to create an experience that is celebrated. Once the United States launch has stabilized, the firm will look to roll out to other regions. For now, that means expansion to Latin America in the later part of 2023, Europe in early 2024, and Asia in mid-2024. If all goes well, more regions will gain access to the service in the later part of 2024. With a current subscriber count of 92.1 million across HBO Max and Discovery Plus, the company is looking to take things further, estimating it will reach 130 million global subscribers by 2025.

What’s your take on this? How much would you pay monthly for the new service arriving next year? Let us know in the comments below.

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Source: Variety

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Apple Studio Display receives audio fix thanks to new firmware update

The Apple Studio Display has not had a good run so far. The $1,599 monitor experienced webcam issues during its launch, and more recently, users began complaining of sound issues. Apple has now issued a new firmware update that should fix the the monitor’s audio problems.

Apple has been aware of the audio issues regarding the Studio Display. The problem has persisted for several months, with users recently reporting the issues getting worse. But, that should all change now, as Apple has issued a new firmware update addressing the specific issue. According to the firmware notes, the new update will “resolves an audio issue with Studio Display.” This should be a welcome change for anyone experiencing problems.

As mentioned previously, Apple had an issue with its monitor’s webcam, with users complaining of poor image quality. In the same vein, Apple later issued firmware to fix it, improving noise reduction, contrast, and the camera. Mind you, this is happening on a $1,599 monitor. But despite its shortcomings, the Studio Display is quite impressive, making use of an A13 Bionic SoC, 64GB of onboard storage, and runs a version of iOS 15.

So if you’ve been experiencing audio issues be sure to update your firmware immediately. You can do this by heading to the Apple menu in the top left hand corner. From there, click on the Apple logo and head to the settings menu. Inside the settings menu, find and click on the software update icon. It should automatically check for updates, bringing up the firmware. If it doesn’t automatically check, manual ask it to fetch the updates. Now, just install the available updates and you should be good to go.

If you’re just sick and tired of these problems, it might be a good time to switch to a new monitor. Be sure to check out our monitor guide some recommendations.

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Source: Apple

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GPS fix rolling out to Pixel 6 handsets, August security patch rolling out in coming weeks

While many expected a new security update for their Pixel 6 devices, it looks like that has been put on hold for the time being. Instead, Pixel 6 owners will get a different update starting this week, focusing on fixing potential GPS issues with the Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6, and Pixel 6a.

The team at Google announced that a new update would be rolling out to all Pixel 6 devices starting today. The update is arriving in phases for all three devices, so if you don’t get it now, don’t worry, it should arrive in the coming weeks. According to the post, the new update addresses a GPS issue, where the handsets could experience a “GPS location failure under certain conditions.” Although the conditions weren’t disclosed, this should be a very welcome update.

The update will begin rolling out over the air (OTA) and when you get it will be dependant on your wireless carrier. In a small note on the support website, Google also addressed the delay of its August 2022 Android security update. It didn’t explain why there was a delay in delivering the update but it did say that the update would be coming in the next few weeks. So be on the look out for both updates.

While the Google Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 6 have been out for some time, the newest addition to the bunch, the Google Pixel 6a, recently arrived to retail shelves. While the mid-range device offers a lot for its $449 price, some would say that it lacks the necessary features to make it a killer mid-range smartphone. Since its release, the handset has had several promotions, with one even dropping its price to $399. At this price, some of its shortcomings could be forgiven. If you’re on the fence about picking one up, check out our full review of the Pixel 6a. If you’re already convinced to buy, check out the best current deals before making your purchase.

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Source: Google

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LG partners with Google to offer three months of Stadia Pro for free on select smart TVs

In December last year, Google extended Stadia support to LG smart TVs running webOS 5.0 and above with a new app released on the LG Content Store. In a bid to attract more users to the game streaming service, LG has now partnered with Google to offer three months of Stadia Pro for free on select models. Interestingly, the offer is available for both new and existing Stadia Pro subscribers.

According to LG, the new Stadia Pro promotion is available on all LG smart TVs running webOS 5.0 or above in all the 22 countries where Google offers its cloud-gaming service. For the unaware, Stadia Pro offers users access to over fifty games with new titles added each month, along with unique discounts on additional titles and add-on content. With the subscription, users can stream games in HDR at 4K resolution at 60 FPS and experience immersive 5.1 channel surround sound.

The following LG smart TVs are eligible for the promotion. If your TV is on the list, you can claim the offer by heading over to the LG Content Store and clicking on the Stadia Pro offer banner. You can then scan the following QR code using your smartphone to redeem the offer. As mentioned earlier, the Stadia Pro promotion is available for both new and existing Stadia Pro users. You can redeem it until January 31, 2023.

LG smart TVs eligible for the Stadia Pro promotion

• 2022 models
  • OLED: 42LX1QPUA, 42LX3QPUA, 48LX1QPUA, 55LX1QPUA, 65ART90EPQA, OLED42C2AUA, OLED42C2PUA, OLED48A2AUA, OLED48A2PUA, OLED48C2AUA, OLED48C2PUA, OLED55A2AUA, OLED55A2PUA, OLED55B2AUA, OLED55B2PUA, OLED55C2AUA, OLED55C2PUA, OLED55G2PUA, OLED65A2AUA, OLED65A2PUA, OLED65B2AUA, OLED65B2PUA, OLED65C2AUA, OLED65C2PUA, OLED65G2PUA, OLED77A2AUA, OLED77A2PUA, OLED77B2AUA, OLED77B2PUA, OLED77C2AUA, OLED77C2PUA, OLED77G2PUA, OLED77Z2PUA, OLED83C2AUA, OLED83C2PUA, OLED83G2PUA, OLED88Z2PUA, OLED97G2PUA
  • QNED: 50QNED80AQA, 50QNED80UQA, 55QNED80AQA, 55QNED80UQA, 55QNED85AQA, 55QNED85UQA, 65QNED80AQA, 65QNED80UQA, 65QNED83UPA, 65QNED85AQA, 65QNED85UQA, 65QNED90UQA, 65QNED99UQA, 75QNED80AQA, 75QNED80UQA, 75QNED83UPA, 75QNED85AQA, 75QNED85UQA, 75QNED90UQA, 75QNED99UQA, 86QNED80AQA, 86QNED80UQA, 86QNED83UPA, 86QNED85AQA, 86QNED85UQA, 86QNED90UQA, 86QNED99UQA
  • Nano Cell: 43NANO75UQA, 50NANO75UQA, 50NANO80AQA, 55NANO75UQA, 55NANO80AQA, 65NANO75UQA, 65NANO80AQA, 70NANO75UQA, 75NANO75UQA, 75NANO80AQA, 86NANO75UQA
  • UHD: 43UQ7070ZUD, 43UQ7590PUB, 43UQ8000AUB, 43UQ9000PUD, 50UQ7070ZUE, 50UQ7570PUA, 50UQ7570PUJ, 50UQ8000AUB, 50UQ9000PUD, 55UP7050ZUA, 55UQ7070ZUE, 55UQ7570PUA, 55UQ7570PUJ, 55UQ8000AUB, 55UQ9000PUD, 65UP7050ZUA, 65UQ7070ZUE, 65UQ7570PUA, 65UQ7570PUJ, 65UQ8000AUB, 65UQ9000PUD, 70UQ7070ZUD, 70UQ7590PUB, 70UQ8000AUB, 70UQ9000PUD, 75UP7300PUC, 75UQ7070ZUD, 75UQ7590PUB, 75UQ8000AUB, 75UQ9000PUD, 86UQ7070ZUD, 86UQ7590PUD, 86UQ8000AUB, 86UQ9000PUD
  • FHD: 27ART10AKPL
  • HD: 32LQ630BAUA, 32LQ630BPUA
• 2021 models:
  • OLED: OLED48A1AUA, OLED48A1PUA, OLED48C1AUB, OLED48C1PUB, OLED55A1AUA, OLED55A1PUA, OLED55B1PUA, OLED55C1AUB, OLED55C1PUB, OLED55G1PUA, OLED65A1AUA, OLED65A1PUA, OLED65B1PUA, OLED65C1AUB, OLED65C1PUB, OLED65G1PUA, OLED65R1PUA, OLED77A1AUA, OLED77A1PUA, OLED77B1PUA, OLED77C1AUB, OLED77C1PUB, OLED77G1PUA, OLED83C1AUA, OLED83C1PUA
  • QNED: 65QNED90UPA, 65QNED99UPA, 75QNED90UPA, 75QNED99UPA, 86QNED90UPA, 86QNED99UPA
  • Nano Cell: 43NANO75UPA, 50NANO75UPA, 50NANO80UPA, 55NANO75UPA, 55NANO80UPA, 55NANO85APA, 55NANO90UPA,  65NANO75UPA, 65NANO80UPA, 65NANO85APA, 65NANO90UPA, 65NANO99UPA, 70NANO75UPA, 75NANO75UPA, 75NANO80UPA, 75NANO85APA, 75NANO90UPA, 75NANO99UPA, 86NANO75UPA, 86NANO85APA, 86NANO90UPA, 86NANO99UPA
  • UHD: 43UN6955ZUF, 43UP7000PUA, 43UP7560AUD, 43UP7670PUC, 43UP8000PUA, 43UP8000PUR, 50UN6955ZUF, 50UP7000PUA, 50UP7560AUD, 50UP7670PUC, 50UP8000PUA, 50UP8000PUR, 55UN6955ZUF, 55UP7000PUA, 55UP7560AUD, 55UP7670PUC, 55UP8000PUA, 55UP8000PUR, 60UP8000PUA, 60UP8000PUR, 65UN6955ZUF, 65UN9000AUJ, 65UP7000PUA, 65UP7560AUD, 65UP7670PUC, 65UP8000PUA, 65UP8000PUR, 70UN6955ZUC, 70UP7070PUE, 70UP7570AUD, 70UP7670PUB, 70UP8070PUA, 70UP8070PUR, 75UN6955ZUD, 75UN9070AUD, 75UP7070PUD, 75UP7570AUE, 75UP7670PUB, 75UP8070PUA, 75UP8070PUR, 82UP8770PUA, 86UN9070AUD, 86UP8770PUA
• 2020 models:
  • OLED: OLED48CXAUB, OLED48CXPUB, OLED55BXAUA, OLED55BXPUA, OLED55CXAUA, OLED55CXPUA, OLED55GXPUA, OLED65BXAUA, OLED65BXPUA, OLED65CXAUA, OLED65CXPUA, OLED65GXPUA, OLED65WXPUA, OLED77CXAUA, OLED77CXPUA, OLED77GXPUA, OLED77ZXPUA, OLED88ZXPUA
  • Nano Cell: 49NANO85UNA, 55NANO81ANA, 55NANO85UNA, 55NANO85UNF, 55NANO90UNA, 65NANO81ANA, 65NANO85UNA, 65NANO85UNF, 65NANO90UNA, 65NANO91ANA, 65NANO95UNA, 65NANO99UNA, 75NANO80UNA, 75NANO85UNA, 75NANO90UNA, 75NANO91ANA, 75NANO95UNA, 75NANO97UNA, 75NANO99UNA, 86NANO90UNA, 86NANO91ANA
  • UHD: 43UN6950ZUA, 43UN7000PUB, 43UN7300AUD, 43UN7300PUF, 50UN6950ZUF, 50UN7000PUC, 50UN7300AUD, 50UN7300PUF, 55UN6950ZUA, 55UN7000PUB, 55UN7300AUD, 55UN7300PUF, 60UN7000PUB, 65UN6950ZUA, 65UN7000PUD, 65UN7300AUD, 65UN7300PUF, 65UN8500AUJ, 65UN8500PUI, 70UN6950ZUA, 70UN7070PUA, 70UN7370PUC, 75UN6950ZUD, 75UN6970PUD, 75UN7070PUC, 75UN7370AUH, 75UN7370PUE, 75UN8570AUD, 75UN8570PUC, 82UN8570AUD, 82UN8570PUC, 86UN8570AUD, 86UN8570PUC

You can enjoy Stadia Pro on your LG smart TV using a wide range of controllers, including popular wired USB controllers, like the Nvidia Shield controller and the Xbox 360 controller, and wireless Bluetooth controllers, like the Sony Dualshock4 controller and the Xbox One S/Series X controller.

Note that you will have to enable auto-renew with a valid form of payment on your Google Account to redeem the offer. You will have to manually cancel the subscription if you don’t want to continue it after the promotion ends.

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Source: LG
Via: 9to5Google

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Samsung Gaming Hub now supports over 1000 games thanks to Amazon Luna addition

While traditional gaming via consoles or PC will continue to dominate, game streaming services are having a moment, offering an alternative way to play video games on the go or at home. Samsung Gaming Hub was released towards the end of June and allows 2022 Samsung Smart TV and Smart Monitor series owners instant access to an extensive library of streaming games from leading game streaming services. Today, Samsung announced it is adding Amazon Luna to its Gaming Hub platform, ushering in even more games into the service.

Amazon Luna was only recently made available to those in the US. Several different tiers are available, with the lowest costing $2.99 a month and the highest costing $17.99 a month. Some examples of tiers include a retro tier, a family tier, and even a tier with Ubisoft. There is also a free tier included with an Amazon Prime membership. Each offers a different assortment of games that change each month.

Previously, Samsung Gaming Hub partners included heavy hitters like Xbox, Nvidia, Google Stadia, Utomik, and others. With Amazon Luna becoming a partner, consumers will have more options, gaining access to over 250 or so additional games. While the number is impressive, Samsung Gaming Hub now has a total offering of over 1000 games. This is quite impressive.

Thanks to optimizations from Samsung’s Tizen software, Samsung Gaming Hub provides crisp graphics and solid performance. While you can play without a proper controller using your smartphone, Gaming Hub offers support for external hardware, which means you can also pair up your existing Amazon Luna controller to the service for the best experience. Gaming Hub users can seamlessly connect their Amazon Luna controller or other supported controllers without issues. Like magic, controllers automatically connect to each supported service without needing individual pairing. Gaming Hub will also support media streaming with services like Spotify and YouTube.

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Source: Samsung

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T-Mobile OnePlus 8 and 8T finally updated to OxygenOS 12

In March, OnePlus released the first stable OxygenOS 12 update for the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8T. The update was an important one, bringing Android 12 to both handsets. While some rejoiced with the new update, others, like those in the United States, wondered when their handsets would be updated. After several months, T-Mobile has finally released the update, making it available as an over-the-air (OTA) download.

XDA Forums: OnePlus 8 | OnePlus 8T

The notes for the update are relatively sparse, relaying that the update will upgrade the OS from its current state to Android 12. In addition, it also contains the July 2022 Android security update. The build number for the OnePlus 8 version is IN2017_11_C.41, while the build number for the OnePlus 8T update is KB2007_11_C.41.

The Android 12 is an important one, bringing many changes not only cosmetically but also under the hood.  Perhaps what users will notice first is the improved user interface. Android 12 utilizes Google’s Material You, bringing dynamic color theming. Dynamic theming will make customizing a breeze, automatically sampling colors from your wallpaper and injecting them into icons and system menus.

Image credit: OnePlus Reddit member u/CityKid2100

A new privacy dashboard gives users more control over their personal information. You can even deny camera and microphone access for specific apps. There are also improved accessibility tools, with one allowing you to dim the screen lower than what was previously allowed. While this all sounds impressive, this is just the tip of the iceberg, with so many more additional improvements in every corner of the OS.

The update should be rolling out OTA, but there is a chance that it could take longer to reach your phone. If you want to update now, you can sideload the updates using our download links below.

Download:

• OnePlus 8 T-Mobile (IN2017_11_C.41)
  • Full: https://android.googleapis.com/packages/ota-api/package/872a443d114d5608ee533561fe1f7e39fcd71628.zip

• OnePlus 8T T-Mobile (KB2007_11_C.41)
  • Full: https://android.googleapis.com/packages/ota-api/package/29b3a30801aa1dc92a1e3435527b424376d73df3.zip

Thanks to XDA Recognized Developer mlgmxyysd and XDA Senior Member Some_Random_Username for the download links!

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Source: Reddit (OnePlus), OnePlus Community Forums

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