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MSI Vector A18 HX A9W Review: A powerhouse gaming laptop that will eat your desktop rig for breakfast

by admin June 1, 2025

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MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Two-Minute Review

This thing is heavy, seriously… (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

It’s simple. If you’re out for a powerful gaming laptop, capable of reaching high and smooth frame rates with minimal performance issues, the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W is your answer. Using Nvidia’s RTX 5080 laptop GPU and AMD’s Ryzen 9 9955HX processor, gaming is a breeze at its native 2560×1600 resolution without using Team Green’s DLSS upscaling technology; however, when it is used, achieving high frame rates is a cakewalk.

It shines best in games like Cyberpunk 2077, Indiana Jones: The Great Circle, and Resident Evil 4 remake. It can struggle when attempting to use ray tracing at maximum graphics settings and at a 4K resolution without enabling DLSS, but that’s exactly what Nvidia’s tools are there for.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 had very little trouble reaching over 100fps, and edged close to the 100fps mark when running on ECO-Silent mode (which is incredible as I’ll dive into later), helping reduce the workload and high temperatures, thanks to MSI Center’s user scenario options.

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Price & Availability

How much does it cost? Starting at $2,999.99 / £3,199 / AU$6,599 (for RTX 5080 configuration)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? In the US, UK, and Australia

There’s no denying that the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W is a very expensive piece of hardware, instantly locking most gamers out of a potential purchase. However, for those who can afford it, you’re getting the bang for your buck with a system that is capable of matching a variety of desktop builds.

With both a powerful AMD processor and Nvidia GPU, it’s more than enough to satisfy most gamers’ performance needs; the Ryzen 9 9955HX excels at single-core and multi-core processes, which you’ll see later below.

With this configuration (A9WIG-006UK), there is no OLED or mini-LED display available, which would’ve slightly softened the blow of the high price, with an immersive and brighter screen – but that shouldn’t hinder the gaming experience here.

The issue is that it’s more or just as expensive as some pre-built gaming PCs, which is somewhat reasonable since it’s using a CPU as powerful as those in high-end desktops – but the RTX 5080 discrete desktop version is the stronger GPU.

Regardless, this is a gaming laptop that packs plenty of processing power in a beefy and sturdy chassis, cooled very well with its Cooler Boost 5 tech using a ‘Dedicated Cooling Pipe’, so it’s not very surprising to see it cost so much.

Still, the point remains; unless you’re adamant on travelling with the Vector A18 HX A9W and using it on the go (which I wouldn’t recommend because portability isn’t that great here), or just want a PC you can move around your home easily, it might be a better choice to buy a desktop rig.

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Specs

You knew you’d see Resident Evil 4 at some point in this review… I’m obsessed with it (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

MSI Vector A18 HX A9WIG-006UK (Review model UK)

MSI Vector A18 HX A9WIG-223US (Base model US)

MSI Vector A18 HX A9WIG-076US (Highest config)

Price

£3,199

$2,999.99

$3,959

CPU

AMD Ryzen 9955 HX

GPU

Nvidia RTX 5080

RAM

32GB DDR5

64GB DDR5

Storage

2TB NVMe Gen 4×4

1TB NVMe Gen 4×4

2TB NVMe Gen 4×4

Display

18″ QHD+(2560×1600), 240Hz Refresh Rate, IPS-Level, 100% DCI-P3(Typical)

18″ 16:10 QHD+(2560 x 1600), 240Hz, 100% DCI-P3 IPS-Level Panel

18″ 16:10 QHD+(2560 x 1600) 240Hz 100% DCI-P3 IPS-Level Panel

Battery

4-Cell,99.9 Whrs

Ports

2x Type-A USB3.2 Gen1, 1x Type-A USB3.2 Gen2, 2x USB 4/DP&PD 3.1 (Thunderbolt 4 Compatible), HDMI 2.1

Dimensions

15.91″ x 12.09″ x 1.26″

Weight

3.6 kg / 7.9lbs

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Design

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

I absolutely love the chassis of the Vector A18 HX A9W as it has a sturdy build, and perhaps most importantly, a great cooling pipe design. Even when gaming on Extreme Performance, temperatures were never too high, often hitting a maximum of 77 degrees Celsius.

Its speakers aren’t particularly a standout, but are serviceable and get the job done, especially with an equalizer and 3D surround sound available to improve audio immersion. It’s also always easier to use Bluetooth speakers or headphones that have much better bass and clarity.

The two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports present are ideal for fast file transfers and for those who aren’t keen on expanding internal storage with a new SSD, who would rather use an external one. It also features an HDMI 2.1 port on its rear, right next to its power adapter port – and one particular aspect I don’t like is the slightly short length of the wire, which often forced me to place the chunky adapter on the desk.

Cool design, right? (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

With an 18-inch screen, you’re getting the best you could possibly ask for when it comes to portable gaming – and if you’ve got a spacious desktop setup, it’s a great experience.

However, the screen size and the weight are the only two main issues I have in this region, as you’re going to have trouble fitting this in most backpacks for travel, and it’s very heavy to carry around.

At 7.9 lbs, it had me paranoid that it would make my mini desk meet its demise, and while it’s understandable considering all the powerful components, you should be aware that this laptop isn’t built for portability (especially while carrying the adapter around, too).

Regardless, this is a beefy gaming laptop power-wise, and these gripes weren’t too significant to spoil my experience overall.

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Display

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

My review model of the Vector A18 doesn’t exactly have the best display available, as it’s neither OLED nor mini-LED – both of which offer greater contrast and brightness. However, that doesn’t stop it from being an immersive display that I found ideal for intense and competitive multiplayer gaming sessions.

It’s thanks to the 240Hz refresh rate and 2560×1600 resolution, which matches up well with the horsepower of the RTX 5080. There aren’t many games that are going to run at 240fps (unless you significantly lower graphics settings or resolution), but the ones that do, look absolutely incredible.

I must admit, coming from the consistent use of an OLED ultrawide, it took a little bit of an adjustment to become accustomed to an IPS LCD panel again – but that’s to be expected when scaling down from one of the best display types (and it would be unfair to knock points off here because of that).

It’s worth noting that HDR isn’t present either, which often goes a long way at providing better color accuracy and detail in both brighter and darker images.

Regardless, the Vector A18 HX A9W has a 100% DCI-P3 coverage, so I never once felt dissatisfied or urged to calibrate or adjust color profiles. It also helps that you’re getting a full 18-inch screen, which I believe is the sweet spot for portable laptop gaming (besides it probably being why it’s so heavy).

The one downside I ran into is playing games that don’t have 16:10 aspect ratio support. To put it simply, if you dislike black bars filling out portions of your screen while gaming, you’re not going to like it here. So, it’s definitely worth considering before committing to a purchase, but there are no other gripes from me.

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Performance

Sweaty Call of Duty lobbies… we love to see it (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

RTX 5080 is a beast of a laptop GPU
The combo with AMD’s Ryzen 9955HX processor is fantastic
The CPU’s performance is incredible, matching desktop processors

The biggest highlight of the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W is its performance, almost across the board. It shouldn’t come as a surprise for me to say that the RTX 5080 laptop GPU is an absolute powerhouse, and crushes the 2560×1600 resolution in most triple-A games – and DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation is a game changer when used where necessary (essentially anything as demanding as Cyberpunk 2077).

In CPU-bound games, AMD’s Ryzen 9955HX processor shines bright with 16 cores and 32 threads, ensuring the Blackwell GPU can do its job without any major bottleneck. In synthetic tests, both single-core and multi-core scores soared above chips like Apple’s M1 Max in Cinebench 2024, and in real-world gaming tests, the results were consistent, as I didn’t notice anything ominous regarding performance frame rates and frame pacing.

Most importantly, MSI Center features three different user scenario modes: ECO-Silent, Balanced, and Extreme Performance, which can all be used in any of the three Discrete, MSHybrid, or Integrated Graphics modes.

For the best results, I stuck with Discrete Graphics mode, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised at how great ECO-Silent was, in particular. Using a lower TDP (power consumption), temperatures are significantly decreased, and the fans are silent, hence the name ECO-Silent – but I came away shocked at the frame rates I was hitting using this mode.

At 1600p on ECO-Silent, Cyberpunk 2077 at maximum graphics settings without ray tracing and DLSS Quality, it ran at a solid 77fps, sometimes reaching the low 80fps mark, with a 1% low of 66fps.

In Assassin’s Creed Shadows – a game that is arguably nearly as demanding on PC hardware as Cyberpunk 2077, and frankly, needs Frame Generation for higher FPS – ran at an average of 40fps on maximum graphics settings at 1600p, using DLSS Quality on ECO-Silent.

With the same graphics settings applied to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, it hit an average of 62fps; if that doesn’t indicate how impressive ECO-Silent mode is, then I don’t know what will. It’s the best option for gamers who are bothered by fan noise and higher temperatures, while you still get very impressive performance results.

Call of Duty Black Ops 6: MSI Vector A18 HX A9W – YouTube

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It gets even better with Balanced and Extreme Performance; the former has fans only a little louder than ECO-Silent, and is the way you should use the Vector A18 HX A9W for gaming (it’s also MSI’s recommended option), as it gives you a true reflection of what this machine is capable of, evident in the performance charts above.

Sticking with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Balanced mode was 41% faster than ECO-Silent, with an average of 94fps and 1% low at 77fps.

In the case of Extreme Performance, expect a whole lot of fan noise and higher temperatures, in favor of the best possible performance. In most cases of casual play, I hardly needed to use this mode, as the FPS boost wasn’t significant enough coming from Balanced mode. However, it’s absolutely essential for gaming at 4K, especially if you’re using ray tracing.

It mustn’t go without mention that DLSS Multi Frame Generation (when you have a decent base frame rate) is an absolute treat. It makes Cyberpunk 2077‘s Overdrive path tracing preset playable without needing to adjust graphics settings; yes, increased latency is worth noting, but I honestly didn’t think it was too impactful in this case.

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Battery

This heavy adapter is your best friend… forget about the battery (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

As it is with most gaming laptops I’ve used, the battery life isn’t terrible, but it’s also not great either – so, decent at best. We’re still seemingly a long way off from battery tech improving, especially for gaming laptops and handheld gaming PCs, but I give the Vector A18 HX A9W its plaudits for being at least average here.

It has a 99.9WHr battery, and switching MSI Center’s user scenarios, battery life can vary. While playing Resident Evil 4 remake on Hybrid mode and Extreme Performance, the laptop lasted a full hour, starting at 85% before draining. Knocking the scenario settings down to Discrete mode and Balanced (with 50% brightness) allowed it to last another 10 minutes from the same battery percentage.

If you ask me, I wouldn’t even bother gaming without the power adapter because, as expected, performance is significantly worse. Bear in mind, there’s a 400W power adapter ready to handle the combined 260W of power from the RTX 5080 and the Ryzen 9 9955HX.

On the other hand, while web surfing in Balanced mode and Integrated Graphics, results were a little bit more impressive; at 59% battery, it took exactly 51 minutes to fall to 6%. When at 100%, it lasted 3 hours and 25 minutes during YouTube playback, so it’s decent enough for those who want to use this laptop for work or multitasking.

However, the biggest downside is the charging time, as it takes a total of 2 hours to fully charge. It’s already not great that the battery drains within 3 hours outside of gaming, but the addition of a long charge time isn’t beneficial if you’re looking to use it while on the go.

Portability isn’t a strong suit, and these battery results are one of the main reasons why, especially when paired with the hefty design.

Should you buy the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy if…

How I tested the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W

I tested the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W for three weeks, running multiple games and synthetic benchmarks. It kept me away from my main desktop gaming PC for a while, with Multi Frame Generation being a significant reason in why, and while I don’t want game developers to become over-reliant on Nvidia’s DLSS tech, it’s great when implemented properly.

Navigation and web browsing was a breeze too, with 32GB of RAM and a powerhouse CPU giving me all I needed to acknowledge that this was a gaming laptop that enthusiasts won’t want to miss out on.

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June 1, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Apple prepares to cry wolf over gaming again | Opinion

by admin May 31, 2025

Apple’s developer-focused annual WWDC event kicks off in a little over a week, which means that it’s time once again for one of the industry’s most well-established games of farce; in which Apple, the GM, tries to convince us all that this time, no this time, it’s really truly serious about gaming, and we, the players, all try to keep our faces straight and our eyes unrolled.

It’s a ritual that often skips a year or two but always comes back with a vengeance – Apple cites some impressive numbers about hours or dollars spent on games on their platforms, wheels out a famous developer to wax lyrical about the power of the hardware and demonstrate a build of their game, and announces some new iOS features related to gaming.

With love-bombing of the games industry complete for another few years, they promptly delete us from their contacts and pretend not to know us when they walk past us in the supermarket.

The reason we all still pay attention to this merry-go-round, though, is because just as it’s hard to take seriously any of Apple’s claims of yet another Damascene conversion to gaming religion, it’s also impossible not to take seriously the importance of the platforms the company controls.

There are 2.35 billion active Apple computing devices in the world right now. The company doesn’t break down those stats into Macs, iPhones, and iPads, but we know there are well over a billion iPhones in those numbers. Most of those devices are perfectly good gaming devices, at least in terms of what their hardware is capable of.

The existing mobile gaming market – while a large market by any measure – is still only scratching at the surface of the potential growth for the gaming market that could be reached through that installed base. Having one of Apple’s boy-who-cried-wolf moments actually turn into a genuine commitment to gaming would be a major step towards realising that – which makes them very hard to ignore, even if we’re pretty sure we know all the steps to this dance by now.

So what’s this year’s love-bombing going to consist of? We don’t know which development luminary they’ll bring on stage, but it does seem pretty certain that there’s a shiny new gaming-centric app that’s going to be built into the next release of iOS, replacing the rather clunky Game Centre with a more streamlined game launcher (which may encompass games bought on other stores on macOS, a bit like how the Apple TV app shows the next shows in your watchlists on Netflix and other streaming services) and providing various editorial and social features.

Image credit: Apple

It’s not clear whether this is just a new app, or if it actually represents an overhaul of the services layer of Apple’s gaming offerings – for example, whether it’s going to have things like chat, matchmaking, teams and so on implemented in a way that centres on the app but also available in games via an overlay or direct integration through an API.

That sounds fine and dandy, though of course the Game Centre app this will replace is a reminder of one of the previous iterations of the “Apple is serious about games this time” dance.

What’s perhaps more interesting, though we don’t yet know if it’ll get an on-stage mention at WWDC, is that this is coming just as Apple wraps up the acquisition of its first ever game studio – RAC7, the studio best known for creating Sneaky Sasquatch, which has been a very steadily performing hit on the Apple Arcade service since its launch.

Now, there’s a very obvious caveat here before we start speculating about Apple trying to build out a game development studio system: RAC7 is a micro-studio consisting of just two people, so while it’s apparently going to continue operating more or less autonomously as a wholly-owned studio, there’s still a bit of a whiff of an acquihire about the situation.

It makes sense for Apple to bring a studio that’s been pretty solidly committed to Arcade, and successful on the platform, into the fold in this way even if it’s only so that they can be used as consultants and testers for upcoming changes to the service offering.

The core concept of the Apple Arcade offering – a ton of well-vetted games that are guaranteed not to be packed with microtransactions and ads – remains very compelling, especially for parents

While that may be a bit of a letdown to people who got excited at the prospect that Apple would follow its efforts at building up movie and TV production studios with a similar move into gaming, this acquisition does still send a cautiously positive signal.

Apple acquires small companies all the time, but it’s never done so with a games studio before, so the willingness to do this suggests that it is tacitly aware of a lack of internal know-how and skills related to this market segment, and moreover, that it remains quite committed to Apple Arcade.

That second part is important, because honestly, it’s quite easy to forget that Apple Arcade exists sometimes. It’s a bit of a cypher to a lot of the industry, I think; it was launched with much fanfare but it now essentially just sits there occupying zero mindshare for most of the gaming sector and its consumers.

However, there have been some hints that it’s actually quite successful commercially – a tricky thing to measure given that its primary commercial target is driving subscription numbers and retention metrics for the all-encompassing Apple One service, but at the very least there’s never been a suggestion from Apple that it’s unhappy with how it’s performing in that regard.

The core concept of the offering – a ton of well-vetted games that are guaranteed not to be packed with microtransactions and ads – remains very compelling, especially for parents, and it seems reasonable to posit that it’s quietly doing a very solid amount of business off in demographic sectors that rarely engage with the traditional games industry.

This, to some extent, might explain why Apple has ghosted the industry after its most recent bouts of love-bombing; Apple Arcade and the infrastructure that supports it isn’t terribly meaningful to the traditional games industry, but actually accomplishes quite a lot of Apple’s own internal goals with regard to gaming.

That leads us to another crucially important piece of context to bear in mind when watching what the company unveils at WWDC this year – that this may be a series of strategic moves that are less about enticing the games industry to focus on Apple platforms, and more about preparing the ground for the possibility of major parts of the games business simply turning up on Apple’s turf unannounced and uninvited.

That spectre has been raised by various different legislative and legal moves in major markets over the past few years, all of which seem to be pointing in a similar direction – that Apple is going to be forced to open up its platform to third-party app stores, or at the very least streaming apps. The company is still fighting its corner in the courts in a lot of places, but I suspect it knows that the clock is ticking, especially in some of its most lucrative global markets.

While the commercial threat posed by actual app stores is probably minimal (most people just aren’t going to install a whole other app management ecosystem when the path of least resistance works fine), the threat from game storefronts is very real.

Epic, Steam, and Xbox are all potentially going to have functional storefronts on iOS in one form or another in the coming years – which means an end to Apple’s era of taking for granted that games will just keep churning out giant stacks of App Store cash despite being largely held at arm’s length by the company.

Rethinking its gaming app software and buying a small studio are far from sufficient to win a war on this new front if it opens up – but if they indicate some actual momentum building up, they might not be a bad start.

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May 31, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Bored Ape Yacht Club Maker Sells Moonbirds IP to Gaming Startup

by admin May 30, 2025

In brief

Gaming startup Orange Cap Games acquired the Moonbirds NFT IP from Yuga Labs.
Bored Ape Yacht Club creator Yuga Labs acquired Moonbirds and creator Proof in early 2024.
Yuga Labs also recently parted with the CryptoPunks and Meebits IP as it refocuses on Bored Ape projects.

Yuga Labs is serious about refocusing on the Bored Ape Yacht Club, the Otherside metaverse game, and related projects.

On Friday, the crypto startup said that it had sold off yet another previously acquired NFT project IP, dumping the Moonbirds property that it purchased just over a year ago.

The buyer is Orange Cap Games, a young gaming startup that builds digital and physical trading card games. The firm’s first game, the Pudgy Penguins-themed Vibes TCG, launched on Ethereum layer-2 network Abstract.

Moonbirds has been acquired by @ocapgames

Spencer and the team at Orange Cap Games are among the smartest, most detail-oriented builders in consumer crypto.

They put love, genuine craft, and a fair bit of neurotic perfectionism in everything they touch (ask @spencer to tell you… https://t.co/5ADNebM0wD

— Garga.eth (Greg Solano) (@CryptoGarga) May 30, 2025

“Spencer [Gordon-Sand, CEO] and the team at Orange Cap Games are among the smartest, most detail-oriented builders in consumer crypto,” Yuga Labs co-founder and CEO Greg “Garga” Solano wrote on X. “Moonbirds deserve a team whose whole world is the birds, and there’s no one better than Orange Cap Games to help them reach their potential.”

Orange Cap Games has yet to share concrete plans for the Moonbirds IP and associated Mythics and Oddities collections. However, in an X post, the studio said that any future on-chain assets tied to Moonbirds will either be minted on a layer-1 chain or on the Yuga-linked ApeChain, an Ethereum layer-2 network.

Additionally, Moonbirds characters will still come to Yuga’s long-in-the-works Otherside game.

Terms of the deal were not announced. Decrypt reached out to both Yuga Labs and Orange Cap Games seeking that information, but did not immediately receive a response.

Already this year, Yuga Labs has parted ways with the CryptoPunks and Meebits IP that it acquired from Larva Labs in 2022. The Meebits IP was sold in February to a new startup, The Meebit Company, while the nonprofit Infinite Node Foundation picked up the influential CryptoPunks IP earlier this month.

The original Moonbirds NFT collection was launched on Ethereum in April 2022, with immense demand generating $280 million worth of primary and secondary sales in the initial weekend.

Original creator Proof, led by Digg co-founder and venture capitalist Kevin Rose, raised some $60 million in funding after the mint to create a crypto ecosystem of content, assets, and events. However, as the NFT market collapsed into late 2022 and throughout 2023, the firm faced increasing pushback from collectors.

Yuga Labs ultimately acquired Proof and the Moonbirds IP in February 2024, with Rose becoming an advisor to the Bored Ape maker as part of the deal.

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May 30, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Crypto.com and NEXAPACE partner to Power Crypto Gaming Payments

by admin May 30, 2025

Crypto.com is working together with NEXAPACE, the Web3 branch of Nexon, by signing an MOU. This partnership will add the Crypto.com Pay service to NEXAPACE’s game and blockchain network.

Users on NEXAPACE platforms can now pay safely and easily across all games and the marketplace using several cryptocurrencies, thanks to Crypto.com Pay.

Along with payment tools, the two companies will also identify and develop wider areas of collaboration. For Example, they work on customer proxy programs, develop NFT concepts, partner in marketing, and join in producing innovative blockchain games.

“We are thrilled to partner with a forward-thinking innovator like NEXPACE that shares our vision of the power of digital payments,” said Eric Anziani, President and COO of Crypto.com. “Integrating Crypto.com Pay into NEXPACE’s ecosystem represents a major milestone in providing seamless payment infrastructure to the next generation of gamers.”

Sunyoung Hwang, CEO of NEXPACE, echoed the enthusiasm: “This partnership represents our commitment to building intuitive and open digital economies for our global player base. By integrating Crypto.com Pay, we hope to further reduce friction in blockchain gaming and continue driving efforts in enhancing the overall gaming experience for users worldwide.”

NEXAPACE is spearheading Nexon’s plan to use blockchain. It follows in the wake of MapleStory Universe, which just became a blockchain-powered gaming ecosystem. Nexon is a Korean company leading the way worldwide in gaming, running over 100 live games across 190 nations, and is famous for MapleStory, Dungeon & Fighter, and KartRider.

The agreement shows that Web3 is coming together with real-time payment networks. The alliance brings together Crypto.com’s resourceful crypto wallet and NEXPACE’s advanced blockchain networks to encourage new ideas, wider access, and better enjoyment in future digital entertainment.

Also Read: XRP Strike Options Go Live on Crypto.com Amid ETF Hype

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May 30, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

MindsEye studio confirms its map editory bits come from the weird “community-driven gaming platform” that was originally set to host it, clearing up like 5% of the confusion

by admin May 29, 2025

MindsEye, the GTA-ish, Cyberpunk-ish action game about fighting killer AI bots that also includes UGC systems that’ll let you create your own races and levels actually pulled those systems from the weird platform thingy it was originally planned to launch as part of.

That’s according to Leslie Benzies-helmed studio Build a Rocket Boy, which has confirmed to VGC that this is the case, but hasn’t indicated what it means for the future of that weird “community-driven gaming platform where you can build, remix, and play together in a vast connected world” – Everywhere.

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The level and race-building systems included in MindsEye were a big part of its gameplay trailer the other day. Christened Build.MindsEye (the bit where you build stuff) and Play.MindsEye (the bit where you share stuff you’ve built so people can give it a go), it turns out these two bits comprise a creation suite dubbed Arcadia, which Build a Rocket Boy has now confirmed is the same creation suite developed for Everywhere.

“As with all new products, things evolve,” the studio said, “Arcadia was originally envisioned as our creation platform, but as we continued developing MindsEye and building out BARB’s ecosystem, it naturally grew into something more focused — Play.MindsEye and Build.MindsEye.”

It went on to re-iterate that those two creatory bits go alongside MindsEye’s campaign to form “three seamlessly interconnected experiences”, adding: “For BARB to fully realize our vision, we had to beta test our creation system with a community of builders in real-time and started with Everywhere while we were in stealth mode developing MindsEye.”

Ok, cool. What does that mean for Everywhere, the website link of which VGC points out now redirects you to MindsEye’s website? Well, the studio hasn’t said. VG247 has reached out to Build a Rocket Boy for comment on that.

So, to recap as I understand it, prior to becoming a standalone game punlished by IO Interactive, MindsEye was originally set to be launched as a part of weird platform thingy Everywhere. Now, it turns out some bits of Everywhere are part of MindsEye, and it’s not clear whether Everywhere is going somewhere. Easy.

In other MindsEye-related news, Build A Rocket Boy’s co-ceo seemingly suggested on Discord the other day that he thinks there might be some kind of co-ordinated campaign to make people think it’s crap.

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May 29, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Nvidia posts record $44 billion revenue, H20 export ban bites as gaming rises

by admin May 29, 2025

Nvidia on Wednesday disclosed its financial results for the first quarter of its fiscal 2026, posting revenue of $44.062 billion, its best quarter ever. The company’s sales increased almost across the board both in terms of quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year comparisons. As the company ramped up its Blackwell GPUs, it also set revenue records both for gaming and datacenter revenues. However, the recent shipments ban of H20 GPUs to China hurt Nvidia’s margins quite significantly.

Record quarter

For the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Nvida reported GAAP revenue of $44.062 billion, marking a 12% rise quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) and a 69% increase year-over-year (YoY). The company’s gross margin fell sharply to 60.5%, primarily due to a $4.5 billion charge related to writing down of H20 inventory due to the latest U.S. export restrictions imposed in early April.

(Image credit: Nvidia)

Without the charge, Nvidia’s non-GAAP margin would have been 71.3%, still considerably lower than 78.9% in Q1 FY2025 or 73.5% in Q4 FY2025. Nvidia’s operating income was $21.6 billion, down 10% from the prior quarter but up 28% year-over-year, as for net income, it reached $18.8 billion, a 15% sequential decline but a 26% increase from the same period a year ago.

Driven by AI and gaming

Nvidia’s data center revenue set a new record $39.112 billion, comprising of $34.155 billion compute revenue and $4.957 billion networking revenue. The result represented a 10% quarter-over-quarter growth and 73% year-over-year growth, driven by surging global demand for AI infrastructure. Nvidia does not provide the split between sales of Blackwell and Hopper AI GPUs as well as Blackwell and Hopper systems, but it said that transition to Blackwell is almost complete. This means that while there are still some customers interested in Hopper processors, the vast majority of its clients now want Blackwell products. In addition, the company highlighted strong momentum in Blackwell-based systems as NVL72 GB200 machines ramped to full-scale production during the quarter.

“Our breakthrough Blackwell NVL72 AI supercomputer — a ‘thinking machine’ designed for reasoning — is now in full-scale production across system makers and cloud service providers,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia. “Global demand for Nvidia’s AI infrastructure is incredibly strong. AI inference token generation has surged tenfold in just one year, and as AI agents become mainstream, the demand for AI computing will accelerate.”

(Image credit: Nvidia)

Nvidia’s gaming products also achieved record-breaking revenue of $3.8 billion — a 48% increase from the previous quarter and a 42% rise YoY — in the first quarter of FY2025. This growth was driven by multiple factors, including insufficient gaming GPU shipments in the previous quarter as well as launch of Nvidia’s mainstream GeForce RTX 5070 and 5060-series products based on the Blackwell architecture. As for OEM and other segment, it generated $111 million, down 12% sequentially but up 42% year-over-year.

Nvidia’s professional vizualization (ProViz) business reported revenue of $509 million, down from $511 million QoQ, but up 19% from $427 million in the same quarter a year go. Such results may indicate that workstation makers continued to purchase Ada Lovelace-based professional graphics cards despite the imminent release of Blackwell-based RTX Pro graphics boards in May, perhaps because of uncertainities with the U.S. tariffs.

It is noteworthy that sales of Nvidia’s client and professional GPUs — which are reported under gaming, ProViz, OEMs, and other monikers — totaled $4.42 billion, which is lower than sales of Nvidia’s networking gear.

Nvidia’s automotive and robotics segment earned $567 million, down from $570 million in the previous quarter, but up a whopping 72% from $329 million in Q1 FY2025.

(Image credit: Nvidia)

Impressive outlook

For the second quarter of fiscal 2026, Nvidia expects revenue of approximately $45.0 billion ± 2%. The company’s Q2 revenue outlook could have been $8.0 billion higher if there was no H20 export restrictions. However, the company projects GAAP gross margins of 71.8% and Nvidia’s goal is to reach mid-70% gross margins later in the year. This recovery reflects improving product mix and normalization after the Q1 inventory charge related to unsellable H20 units.

Operating expenses in Q2 FY2026 are projected to be around $5.7 billion on a GAAP basis. The vast majority of that sum will be used for research and development (R&D).

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May 29, 2025 0 comments

Fortnite edited to be running on an iPhone

Gaming Gear

Apple’s rumored iOS 19 gaming app is exciting for Apple fans, but it won’t tempt gamers from Windows

by admin May 28, 2025

Apple may be developing a dedicated gaming app for iOS, macOS and more
The app will contain things like achievements, leaderboards and messages
It could be announced at WWDC in June

For years, Apple has been trying to convince the world that it’s taking gaming seriously, and with the popularity of IOS gaming and the appearance of AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077 on macOS, there’s some truth to the company’s assertion.

Just in case you needed more convincing, there’s a new rumor from Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman that Apple will soon launch a dedicated gaming app in iOS 19 to woo players to its platforms. As a Mac-owning gamer, I’m cautiously optimistic about the rumors – even if we still need more affordable hardware and games before it gets anywhere close to being a Windows competitor.

If you missed the news, the app will apparently “serve as a launcher for titles and centralize in-game achievements, leaderboards, communications and other activity,” Gurman said, adding that it will also feature “editorial content from Apple about new titles, offer access to the App Store’s game section and promote [Apple] Arcade.” It’s expected to be revealed on iOS, macOS, iPadOS and tvOS as soon as Apple’s WWDC 2025 event on June 9.

Destination of choice for gamers

(Image credit: Apple)

This app might work well in iOS 19, where gaming tends to be a little more casual than on desktop computers. But things might look very different on macOS.

As a gamer who also owns a Mac, I’ve been encouraged over the last few years by Apple’s strides in the gaming world. It’s nowhere near parity with Windows yet, but the situation today is much better than it was just a few years ago.

For a long time, the problem was the chicken-and-egg nature of Mac gaming. Gamers didn’t want to switch to macOS due to the lack of games, and developers didn’t want to bring games to the Mac due to the lack of players. That’s slowly starting to change, with big-name titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Baldur’s Gate 3 helping to dispel the idea that the Mac is a gaming wasteland.

However, the impact of a dedicated gaming app will likely be limited. Beyond my contention that gamers care more about hardware and game availability than launcher apps, Gurman is also skeptical, saying that “testers of the software say it probably won’t change the perception among players and makers of high-end titles.”

Any advance for gaming on Apple’s platforms is welcome in my eyes, and this app could help by making gaming more prominent among users of iOS and macOS. But what’s really needed – on the Mac at least – is a greater number of attention-grabbing titles and more affordable access to components that offer exceptional gaming performance.

Until that happens, Windows will always be the destination of choice for gamers.

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May 28, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Apple Planning To Release Gaming App Near Nintendo Switch 2’s Launch – Report

by admin May 28, 2025

There’s reportedly a new dedicated gaming app from Apple planned for all of its devices–from iPhone to Apple TV–that the company looks to launch around Nintendo Switch 2’s release on June 5. The app sounds like a mix of a store launcher to pick up games as well as a social hub to replace Game Center.

According to Bloomberg, this will be a major push from Apple to appeal to players and game developers. The app will apparently feature achievements, leaderboards, and social features. Additionally, the Mac version supposedly will include games bought and downloaded from other storefronts. Rumblings of a dedicated gaming app first appeared late last year at 9to5Mac.

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Now Playing: iPhone 16 and 16 Pro Step Up AAA Gaming On Mobile

That’s not all from Apple on the gaming front, either. Earlier this week, the company acquired Sneaky Sasquatch maker RAC7, per Digital Trends. The purchase of the two-person studio is reportedly the first time Apple has ever bought a gaming developer. Sneaky Sasquatch is one of the most popular games on the subscription service Apple Arcade.

The dedicated gaming app also comes almost five years after Fortnite maker Epic took Apple (and Google) to court over App Store policies that didn’t allow for companies to get direct payment from users. In fact, Fortnite finally returned to iOS in the US just over a week ago after almost a half-decade off the platform.

Apple has also spent years touting its gaming pedigree, even stating the iPhone 15 Pro was going to be the best gaming console in 2023. Then, last year, Apple launched the iPhone 16 with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and support for AAA games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Death Stranding.

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May 28, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Apple is ready to replace Game Center with a more Xbox-like gaming app

by admin May 28, 2025

Apple plans to announce an app focused on video games for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV at its Worldwide Developer Conference next week, according to Bloomberg. The app will let you launch games you’ve installed on your devices and serve as a hub for things like achievements and leaderboards.

Apple is expected to launch its gaming app alongside the next version of iOS this September, Bloomberg reports. It will apparently replace Apple’s Game Center, feature editorial content, and let you access games also available on the App Store. A 9to5Mac report from last year described the app as working similarly to the Xbox app for iPhone.

A Mac version of the new app will let users “tap into games downloaded outside of the App Store,” Bloomberg says.

Bloomberg’s report follows news that Apple bought its first gaming studio. The company confirmed to Digital Trends that it acquired RAC7, the two-person studio behind Sneaky Sasquatch, one of the first games released on its Apple Arcade games subscription service. RAC7 won’t be folding into any other teams at the company, but will instead continue to operate as a game studio all its own, according to Digital Trends.

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May 28, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

More claims of Apple dedicated iOS gaming app surface as company acquires first game studio

by admin May 28, 2025

A new report has lend further credence to last year’s claims Apple is working on game-focused iOS app that’ll integrate store, social features, achievements and more – with the company now said to be “seeking to sell gamers and developers on the idea that it’s a leader in the market.”

Word that Apple was looking to expand its gaming strategy with a dedicated iOS app first surfaced last year, when news site 9to5 Mac reported efforts were underway at the company to combine the functionality of iOS’ App Store and its long-defunct Game Center service – which previously offered a centralised place to view likes of challenges, leaderboards, and achievements before the app was removed from iOS in 2016.

And now, eight months later, Bloomberg has corroborated 9to5’s story with a similar report, saying Apple is looking to preinstall the new gaming app on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV set-top boxes later this year. There’s also talk of a Mac version, capable of displaying games downloaded outside of the App Store. As in 9to5’s earlier report, Bloomberg – citing “people with knowledge of the matter” – says the app will serve as a launcher for games and centralise in-game achievements, leaderboards, communications, and other activities.

Apple now owns Sneaky Sasquatch developer RAC7.Watch on YouTube

It’ll reportedly also feature internally produced editorial content highlighting new games available within the app, which will include those from the App Store’s game section and the company’s Apple Arcade game subscription service. Bloomberg says the app is due to launch as part of Apple’s next iOS version, iOS 19, and will be showcased during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference on 9th June ahead of a September arrival.

Apple’s push to create a prominent games destination for iOS users does, of course, follow the EU’s mandate last year that Apple must allow sideloading and alternate marketplaces on its devices to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Since then, a number of third-party marketplaces have taken advantage of the EU’s new rules, most notably the Epic Games Store.

A new game-focused iOS app from Apple would mark another small step in the company’s slowly evolving gaming strategy, which has so far included the launch of its Apple Arcade games subscription service in 2019, new tools to help developer easily port their Mac games to iOS, and even a push to woo major publishers like Capcom and Ubisoft onto its platform in recent years – although efforts to sell full-price AAA games such as Resident Evil 7, Death Stranding, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage to iOS users have reportedly proved disappointing.

Reports of Apple’s new app come as the company announces its first video game studio acquisition. It now owns RAC7, the two-person studio responsible for Apple Arcade hit Sneaky Sasquatch – although an Apple spokesperson told Digital Trends the move was a “unique circumstance”, as it saw an opportunity to help the team grow its game further.

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May 28, 2025 0 comments

Gaming

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Two-Minute Review

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Price & Availability

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Specs

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Design

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Display

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Performance

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Battery

Should you buy the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy if…

How I tested the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W

In brief

GG Newsletter

Record quarter

Driven by AI and gaming

Impressive outlook

Destination of choice for gamers

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