Tag:

actual

XRP: Dead Cat Bounce or Actual Recovery Attempt?

by admin September 28, 2025

XRP wants $3
Momentum not flipping

XRP has recovered modestly from the $2.70 level, where selling pressure temporarily subsided, but now finds itself at a crucial crossroads. Debate has centered on whether the bounce is the start of a recovery attempt, or just a dead cat bounce in the middle of a larger downtrend.

XRP wants $3

As can be seen from the chart, XRP is currently trading at about $2.78, below the 100-day EMA at about $2.83 as well as its descending trendline resistance. Bulls are put to the test right away by these two obstacles. It is still possible that the current move will be classified as a temporary relief rally rather than a structural recovery, until XRP can convincingly regain this zone and maintain momentum above $2.90-$3.00.

XRP/USDT Chart by TradingView

The recent decline below $2.88 was noteworthy, because it deprives XRP of a crucial mid-range support level. At $2.60, the price then fell back to the 200 EMA, which held firm and served as the foundation for the current rebound. Accordingly, even though bears control the short-term trend, the longer-term structure holds firm as long as $2.60 is not broken.

Momentum not flipping

The outlook offered by momentum indicators is not entirely clear. There are currently no clear indications of bullish divergence, and the RSI is close to 44, indicating neutral-to-weak momentum. Compared to the strong sell-side activity during the decline, volume on the rebound has also been muted, which raises doubts about how strong the recovery will be.

XRP might aim for $3.10 and possibly retest the descending resistance line close to $3.20 if it is able to break above $2.90. A move like that would start to cast doubt on the idea that this is merely a dead cat bounce. On the other hand, if $2.83-$2.90 cannot be regained, there may be more downward pressure, which could push XRP back toward $2.70, and perhaps retest $2.60.

XRP’s recovery is still uncertain. The $2.83-$2.90 range will determine whether this move is a true attempt at recovery or merely a brief rest before lowering the leg again. As of right now, it is still best to exercise caution until XRP can demonstrate that it can effectively reverse its downward trend.

Source link

September 28, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Qualcomm announces Snapdragon X2, the first 5 GHz Arm CPU, its ‘biggest advance in PC gaming’ and the chip that might finally make gaming on Arm an actual thing

by admin September 25, 2025

Qualcomm has announced its second-gen Snapdragon X2 SoC for PCs and with it come some big claims, especially for gaming performance. The new chip has 18 CPU cores, 50% more than the the OG Snapdragon X, and over double the GPU performance. But will this actually translate into usable gaming performance?

First, some more details as announced at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit 2025. Qualcomm has shrunk Snapdragon X2 down to 3 nm thanks to a newer production process from TSMC. That’s essentially the enabler for everything else that follows.

The 18 cores are all a new third-gen Oryon design that Qualcomm claims was started from a “blank slate.” The result is 39% improved per-core performance and 50% faster peak multi-threaded CPU performance. To that you can add 2.3x peak GPU performance and 78% more NPU performance.

What’s more, Qualcomm claims to have created the first 5 GHz Arm chip. Oh, and the top chip now has a 192-bit memory bus and supports 4K 144 Hz displays. This is serious stuff.

In fact, Qualcomm has introduced a whole new tier of Snapdragon for the top model. The 18-core 5 GHz variant will be know as the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme Edition. Shades of Intel, intentionally or otherwise.

Of course, it’s gaming we’re most concerned with and Qualcomm is making some pretty serious claims. Performance is up hugely compared with the first-gen Snapdragon X chips. Black Myth Wukong runs 2.1x faster than before. The same applies to Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2. Hitman World of Assassination is claimed to be 2.2x faster, and a slew of further games are around the 2x mark.

Qualcomm is making some mega claims for gaming performance. (Image credit: Qualcomm)

All told, Qualcomm’s head of compute and gaming, Kedar Kondap, says the new chip is “Snapdragon’s biggest advance in PC gaming.” However, just as important as pure performance is efficiency. Here, Qualcomm reckons the new chip delivers 44% more CPU performance per watt than an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H and 75% more performance per watt than AMD’s Ryzen 9 AI HX 370.

As for GPU efficiency, the second-gen Snapdragon X is said to be 52% better than Intel’s Lunar Lake laptop chips. The same gaming performance as Lunar Lake but with dramatically lower power consumption, or a lot more performance for the same power budget, would be very interesting for a handheld gaming PC. Bottom line, if all of this is true, then the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme Edition is one heck of a chip.

There will also be a 12-core plain-old Elite version. It’s not totally clear if that offers the same GPU and NPU performance, but the branding for the Adreno GPU implies the 12-core chip gets a lower spec. But if it does, that’s a pity as an 18-core CPU is probably overkill.

Of course, the big question hanging over all this is game support. “We are collaborating across the industry to bring more titles on Snapdragon,” Kondap said in front of a presentation slide showing a long list of supported titles.

In our testing, Snapdragon’s gaming support thus far has fallen well short of Qualcomm’s bullish claims, whatever the raw capabilities of its chips. And that remains the doubt. Even if the new Snapdragon X2 is super fast, will games actually run reliably?

The top chip even gets a 192-bit memory bus. (Image credit: Qualcomm)

But here’s the thing. Sometimes you get a sense from a product launch that a company knows they have something special. That’s the vibe I got from the Snapdragon X2 launch. A lot of that is probably down to the use of TSMC 3 nm technology. No other PC vendor is currently offering 3 nm GPU tech, integrated or discrete.

On paper, then, this thing looks like a huge advance and the best APU for handheld PCs. It should be far faster than anything AMD or Intel can currently offer, if you ignore AMD’s Strix Halo, which isn’t truly a chip for handhelds and costs megabucks.

In the end, of course, it will all hinge on software, both the games themselves and Qualcomm’s GPU drivers. We’ve heard it all before when it comes to gaming on Arm. But if Qualcomm can make some strides on the software, then this chip needs to be taken very seriously in the handheld gaming market. It could be awesome.

Best handheld PC 2025

All our current recommendations

Source link

September 25, 2025 0 comments

Alien ambassadors sit around a circular, white table with a holographic display of a ringed planet hovering above its centre.

Product Reviews

X4: Foundations’ massive diplomacy update adds an actual embassy room to your HQ, where you can entreat with aliens from across the galaxy and establish yourself as space Machiavelli

by admin September 14, 2025

While not as flashy as Star Citizen or as popular as No Man’s Sky, X4: Foundations is one of the most comprehensive space sims you can play today. Representing a return to form after the failed experiment that was X: Rebirth, X4 continues the series tradition of offering a preposterously detailed simulation of space—featuring trading, combat, space exploration, and dynamic faction politics—while also letting players build and expand their own interstellar empire.

X4 can be a hugely rewarding experience, provided you can handle its vertiginous learning curve and millions of menus. The space sim has quietly trundled along with a small but dedicated community for years now. But its latest update caught my eye. Patch 8.00 introduces a detailed diplomacy system to the sequel, letting you liaise with the universe’s many alien factions, mess with inter-faction relationships to your advantage, and conduct daring espionage operations, essentially adding a slice of Crusader Kings to your adventures through the void.

Described as a “deeply integrated new gameplay feature” by developer Egosoft, X4’s diplomacy system is built around three key components. At its heart is the embassy room, where ambassadors from across the galaxy gather to entreat with you around an actual round table.

The embassy room can be unlocked and constructed at your player headquarters. Once unlocked, you can invite other factions to send representatives to your embassy, though you can only do this if you have a friendly (or better) relationship with that faction. I like this physical representation of something that could easily be confined to a menu, though it seems these representatives function mainly as a quick access to the relevant faction menu, so it isn’t quite as simple as it appears.

As well as interacting with factions directly, you can also manipulate them behind their backs through espionage. The diplomacy update introduces agents, recruitable NPCs who can serve both as negotiators and spies. Agents can be given their own ship and dispatched on a variety of missions, including spying on enemy ships, stealing valuable blueprints from other factions, and initiating “diplomatic interference”.

X4: Foundations 🚀 Diplomacy Update (8.00) + Envoy Pack Release Trailer – YouTube

Watch On

What is diplomatic interference? Well, it lets you trigger diplomatic incidents and then influence them to your advantage, altering relationships between factions and improving your own position as a result. Depending on the current standing between the relevant factions, you can wade into trade disputes, arbitrate peace talks, manage territorial claims, and deal with cyber attacks and accusations of espionage. The results of your interference may result in changes to resource claims, redrawn borders, altered alliances, and even wars.

Egosoft describes diplomatic interference as “the most game changing element” of the update. “Changes in faction relations can have an extraordinary impact on the galaxy, as alliances, trade partners and supply chains shift.” The big question, of course, is how well all this works with the rest of X4’s voluminous network of systems. Recent Steam reviews are slightly less positive than the overall rating (76% versus 78%). But they don’t say much about the diplomacy system one way or the other. At least nobody is complaining, I suppose.

The diplomacy update is available now. The free update coincides with the release of X4’s Envoy Pack. This paid DLC introduces a “stealth-ready” frigate perfect for spies and sneaky negotiators, as well as a new mission chain, a new game-start that throws you right into that storyline, and an extra space sector. The Envoy Pack is available for $8 (£7).

Source link

September 14, 2025 0 comments