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AMD claims ‘regional market demand’ is why we’ve seen few 8 GB RX 9060 XT reviews, implying low VRAM isn’t really for the West

by admin June 5, 2025

Budget GPU launches over the last couple of months should have been received with mainstream excitement, but this has been hampered not just by real-world pricing issues but also by VRAM. Gamers haven’t seemed particularly happy with 8 GB options, especially when first Nvidia and then AMD seemed to keep them away from the bulk of popular reviewers. And on this point, AMD claims to have an explanation.

Veritable PC hardware demigod Linus Tech Tips (LTT) has shared what is implied to be a communication from AMD with the company stating that the lack of 8 GB AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT graphics cards given to popular reviewers is due to “regional market demand.” This is similar to what Nvidia has told us before.

Specifically, AMD says: “As for the 8 GB models, AMD has enabled global reviews of both 16 GB and 8 GB models of the Radeon RX 9060 XT based on regional market demand. So in short, yes, there are some other global publications that are receiving 8 GB models for testing.”

We ourselves received just a 16 GB version of the new graphics card which launched yesterday, and it looks like most others received the same, with only a couple of reviewers being given an 8 GB version (Uniko’s Hardware, for instance).

The concern is that AMD could be trying to limit review coverage of the 8 GB version because it knows it will be slated by the western media as not good enough for gaming in modern titles at higher resolutions than 1080p. As long as initial reviews are for the 16 GB version, positive opinion might be cemented (so the thinking goes).

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8 GB can get you by at 1080p, and it can do less asset-rich games at higher resolutions, but you’ll need more VRAM than that to make the most of some AAA games even at lower resolutions and even some non-AAA games at higher resolutions.

This is the same criticism that many pitched at Nvidia when it launched the RTX 5060 Ti and seemed to do the same as AMD has now done, limiting the number of 8 GB versions that go out for review. Then the RTX 5060 launched and that doesn’t have a 16 GB version at all, nor did Nvidia seem keen on letting us review that one ahead of release.

Though it’s worth noting the RTX 4060 Ti launched in 8 GB form first and 16 GB later, following consumer pressure to launch the higher VRAM version and despite Nvidia’s protestations. Also AMD launched the 8 GB RX 7600 first last generation, followed by the 16 GB RX 7600 XT.

Chief architect of gaming solutions and gaming marketing at AMD, Frank Azor, has been defending the existence of 8 GB GPUs.

(Image credit: Future)

AMD’s response to LTT implies that none of this is AMD trying to squash 8 GB reviews but is instead a simple matter of efficient distribution and marketing. If western markets don’t tend to go for the 8 GB versions, and if the media responds negatively to them, then why ship samples out for review there? Companies don’t have to ship review samples that they don’t think will be beneficial from a business standpoint, after all.

This might be true, but it only shines a light on the question of why the western market might not have much time for an 8 GB version of the RX 9060 XT. And this, arguably, comes down to pricing. Moving down from 16 GB to 8 GB won’t nerf performance massively in most games at 1080p or even 1440p, but the difference isn’t inconsequential, either. And of course there’s the question of longevity, too. Given this, it’s reasonable that many might want more than a mere $50 saving for the 8 GB version compared to the 16 GB one.

Though even at the lower price, would some still be critical of an 8 GB card? You can’t please everyone…

It’s also worth noting that based on what Nvidia has told us, it shared this view. In a previous discussion, Nvidia had told us that the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB was a good decision for markets outside the West; it’s for a global audience.

None of this detracts from the prowess of the 16 GB versions such as the one we tested, of course. The RX 9060 XT is a great card for its $349 MSRP. That’s $80 cheaper than the RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB and it outpaces the latter by 14–23% at both 1080p and 1440p depending on whether you use upscaling and frame gen.

All of this price talk could, of course, be rendered pointless over the coming weeks and months depending on what real-world prices are like outside of the mythical lands of MSRP. We’ll have to wait and see.

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June 5, 2025 0 comments

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OnePlus’ new ‘small’ phone isn’t coming to the US, but its AI tools are

by admin May 27, 2025

While the latest phone in the OnePlus 13 lineup is exclusive to India, the AI features that it comes with will be making their way to US users. The most notable is Plus Mind, which allows users to easily save information to a dedicated “Mind Space” instead of manually logging important dates or appointments.

Schedules, reservations, event information, and other data can be extracted from images or text and then automatically added to a user’s calendar, and then it can be quickly retrieved later using OnePlus’ AI search feature. OnePlus says a new Plus Mind feature will be rolling out “later this year,” which will automatically categorize saved information to help improve organization.

Plus Mind will initially be available on the compact OnePlus 13S that’s launching in India on June 5th, a variant of the 13T that was recently released in China. Both phones, which are unavailable in the US and Europe, have the new customizable Plus Key button, which replaces OnePlus’ signature Alert Slider. Like the Alert Slider, Plus Key can be used to switch between normal, mute, and vibrate-only modes, alongside other actions like launching the camera, recording audio, or translation.

Plus Mind will be rolled out to the rest of the OnePlus 13 series via a future software update, and the company says that more devices will follow. Plus Mind can be activated with the new Plus Key button or an upward three-finger swipe on older phones that lack the Plus Key, such as the OnePlus 13. Every OnePlus phone launching this year is expected to feature the new Plus Key.

Alongside Plus Mind, OnePlus is developing a suite of AI tools, including an AI translation app that combines text, live voice, camera-based, and screen translation capabilities, and an image-reframing tool that analyzes photos to suggest the best cropping options. Another AI editing tool that’s rolling out “this summer” will be able to automatically correct facial expressions and blinking.

Two features that are only launching in India are AI VoiceScribe, which OnePlus says can “record, summarize, and translate calls and meetings” directly within messaging and meeting apps, and AI Call Assist, which provides automatic summaries and real-time translation during calls. OnePlus global PR manager James Paterson told The Verge that “OnePlus is working to bring these features to other regions in the future, subject to local AI regulations.”

Update, May 27th: added availability information from OnePlus.

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May 27, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

This Wireless CarPlay Adapter Costs Peanuts on Amazon, Memorial Day May be Over but the Deal Isn’t

by admin May 27, 2025

If you don’t have a car that has automatic Apple CarPlay connectivity, you’re probably sick and tired of having to connect it. It’s one of those small tasks that starts to feel a little clunky after a while, especially if you’re just hopping in for a short drive or juggling groceries and keys. That’s where a wireless CarPlay adapter comes in.

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If you’ve never heard of one, now’s the time to learn. You’ll be glad you can finally ditch that annoying plug once and for all, and you can use CarPlay and all the niceties it provides without plugging and unplugging constantly.

Head on over to Amazon right now to get the Teeran Wireless CarPlay Adapter for $50, down from its usual price of $70. That’s $20 off and a discount of 29%. And beyond being a great deal, it’s an awesome time-saver that you’ll wonder why you didn’t get one much sooner.

CarPlay for every vehicle make and model

The Teeran Wireless CarPlay Adapter plugs directly into your vehicle’s existing USB port and instantly transforms your wired CarPlay setup into a wireless one. No fancy tools. No trip to the mechanic. Just plug it in, pair it with your phone once, and from then on, it connects automatically whenever you start your car. That means your favorite maps, music, messages, and apps all pop up on your display without a single cord in sight.

Instead of making you connect with a cord, this adapter makes it simple by using Bluetooth instead. But even so, unlike with other devices, there’s virtually no lag during use, whether you’re skipping songs on Spotify, making a hands-free call, or navigating with Apple Maps. And you should know that it’s always a good idea to have multiple types of navigation help.

It also comes with both USB-A and USB-C connectors in the box, so you’re covered regardless of your car’s setup. And because it’s such a compact unit, it stays tucked away and out of sight, blending right into your dashboard. If you don’t plan on leaving it connected, just unplug it and put it in your glove compartment. Done and dusted.

You can finally give your car an easy and convenient way to use CarPlay, and you should absolutely take the opportunity, especially since the adapter itself is just $50. You get 29% off, which you can take and spend instead on a Starbucks run. There you go. Don’t tell us we never did you any favors.

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May 27, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Elon Musk Says He’ll Step Back From the Government. DOGE Isn’t Going Anywhere

by admin May 24, 2025

What to make of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency at this stage of the Trump administration? Elon Musk has purportedly stepped away from his government duties. Courts are trying to strike down some of DOGE’s most egregious efforts. It may seem as though the worst excesses of DOGE have passed, replaced by something closer to a stasis.

This isn’t true. Not even close.

While the image of DOGE most likely burned into your retina is that of Elon Musk wielding a literal chain saw, the theatrics belie an organization that has quietly permeated all corners of the federal government. More than that, it’s increasingly clear that its objectives are now indistinguishable from that of the broader Trump administration. Removing DOGE at this point would be like trying to remove a drop of food coloring from a glass of water.

And what is it doing from its perch? Not loudly, clumsily attempting to fire thousands of government employees, but working in secrecy to collect, combine, and analyze data that was never intended to comingle. Using that information to find and surveil immigrants. Giving the Justice Department an assist on alleged voter fraud indictments.

Even if Musk claims he’s stepping away—though he met with House Republicans just this week—his lieutenants are still firmly in place at the agencies that control the federal workforce and regulate his companies. DOGE is reportedly using his xAI Grok chatbot to parse sensitive data, which potentially means millions of Americans’ personal information is doubling as training data for the model. A 19-year-old who goes by Big Balls online is still a central figure.

Meanwhile, the victories against DOGE may be short-lived. The Trump administration used it as a battering ram to push its policies through with overwhelming force. While the courts have held firm in some cases—just this week, a judge declared DOGE’s takeover of the United States Institute of Peace to be unlawful—the policies still exist, and there are other ways to achieve them. The Wall Street Journal reported recently that director of the White House Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought would pick up DOGE’s cost-cutting mantle in the post-Musk era. Expect him to wield not a hammer but a finely edged blade.

This has always been the plan. Vought is the architect of Project 2025, the policy road map that DOGE has been following turn by turn. He has been explaining for months what happens after DOGE’s first assault.

“We’re going to use all of our executive tools to make those savings permanent,” Vought said in an interview with Fox Business anchor Larry Kudlow on March 11. “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that those are not merely something that goes on a website, but becomes permanent … We’ll work with Congress to do it, but we’ve also been aware the extent to which Congress has had a hard time passing cuts of any magnitude, and so what we want to do is everything we can to use presidential tools to bank those savings home.”

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May 24, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

The Switch 2’s most important launch game isn’t Mario Kart World

by admin May 23, 2025

On June 5, the Nintendo Switch 2 will finally grace us with its presence. Nintendo is rolling out the big guns for the big day too, as it will launch the system with Mario Kart World. The racing game is all but assured to be a hit, giving the console a Breath of the Wild-like water cooler game that everyone will be playing at the same time. A lot is riding on that one game, as it has the burden of being the Switch 2’s all-important killer app. If it fails to move millions of units in its first month, Nintendo might have to rethink its whole strategy for its new generation. While those are some high stakes, they’re ones that Mario Kart World will realistically clear without issue.

With that in mind, there’s another Switch 2 launch game coming on June 5 that’s just as important, if not more so, from my perspective. That would be Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition. While it won’t be crucial to Nintendo’s bottom line, it’s the first real test of the hardware, which looks to make a name for itself in a much more crowded portable landscape than the one the original Switch launched in.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is essentially a “game of the year” version for the 2020 game, one that played an instrumental tole in the PS5 and Xbox Series X’s launch that same year. It doesn’t just contain the base game and its critically beloved Phantom Liberty DLC, but it also adds some mouse and motion control support built to take advantage of the newly redesigned Joy-cons. It is a key benchmark game for a device like the Nintendo Switch 2 in every conceivable way.

First, there’s the new control features. Ever since the Wii era, Nintendo has struggled to get third-party developers to embrace its wackiest ideas. Games like Red Steel gave the Wiimote the old college try in that era, but it was ultimately up to Nintendo to support motion controls. The Switch faced similar challenges, as few third-party studios played around with the Joy-cons’ IR sensors during the console’s eight year lifespan. CD Projekt Red is going all out for Cyberpunk 2077 and that makes it a perfect guinea pig. Will those features excite players enough to convince others to follow suit? Or will they quickly reveal the controls to be another gimmick that’s best left to Nintendo? Considering that Mario Kart World has fairly straightforward controls, this will be the launch day game to prove Nintendo’s sales pitch.

That’s a small test compared to the much bigger one Nintendo faces here. Cyberpunk 2077 is a very technically demanding game. It famously launched in a disaster state on PS4 and Xbox One in 2020, killing its reputation for years before CD Projekt Red could retake the narrative. It has since accomplished just that with regular updates that have stabilized the sprawling RPG and made it easier to appreciate the density of detail in it. It runs great on PC and current-gen consoles, but the Switch 2 is a big test. How well it runs there is going to give us our first taste of how capable the hardware is. We already know that CD Projekt Red is making some concessions to make it work, as its expected to run at about 40 frames per second even in performance mode, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be able to impress. This is the game that feels like it’ll show off features like the 4K dock and VRR-supporting display the most.

That’s crucial for Nintendo even if this isn’t it’s own game. Were the Switch 2 the only portable device of its kind, it would have a lot of flexibility. Getting Cyberpunk 2077 to run at all would feel like a miracle, even at 30fps. Of course, the elephant hanging around launch day is that it isn’t the only handheld console out there. Devices like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally now exist and are capable of running high-end PC games. I’ve played Cyberpunk 2077 on my Steam Deck plenty of times. It struggled to hit a consistent framerate, but I could get it to a playable state with enough system-level tweaking.

For Nintendo, it won’t be enough to prove that big games can run on its hardware; it has to prove that they run better on Switch 2 than its competitors. Being able to output Cyberpunk 2077 to a TV in 4K without buying a third-party dock already gives the console a leg up, as does its unique controls, but it will need to pass some basic performance tests to convince gaming audiences who don’t care as much about Nintendo’s first party output that the Switch 2 is a viable alternative to something like the Steam Deck. If it can’t, it’s going to reinforce the idea that Nintendo’s system still isn’t a welcoming home base for hardcore players.

The good news is that Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2 doesn’t seem like it will disappoint. When I demoed it in April, I was astounded that it ran so well on the hardware while retaining such a high density of detail. It held up significantly better than Split Fiction, which suffers from very compressed visuals. I only experienced Cyberpunk on a big TV screen too. I imagine it will look far superior on a small screen where any flaws will be less noticeable. If the final version can stick the landing, Nintendo will have the kind of launch game that gets YouTube populated with impressive comparison videos that will sell the system to those who are on the fence about picking one up instead of a portable PC. That’s the exact win Nintendo needs on day one. Its future may just be in Projekt CD Red’s hands now.

The Nintendo Switch 2 and Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition launch on June 5.

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May 23, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Rayman isn’t dead: against all odds, Ubisoft has started hiring for a “triple-A Rayman game” at the same studio that made Mario + Rabbids

by admin May 21, 2025

It looks as though, against all odds, Rayman is still alive after all. Job postings spotted for a “AAA Rayman game” have been hastily taken down, but not before they were archived by eagle-eyed Reddit users.

The roles advertised include a job as a senior game designer and a 3D gameplay animator, that last role asking for someone to be “involved in the production of a prestigious AAA title for the Rayman brand”. You can still see these posts on Reddit, where they have been saved for all eternity despite Ubisoft’s best efforts to take them down.

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Last year, Ubisoft publically announced it was musing a revival of the Rayman IP, after he showed up as a cameo in a weird NFT game the company had pushed out to the joy of like five bozos. It looks like these musings weren’t just talk, as the job listings look to indicate some Rayman-related movement is happening. Good news for fans of one of Ubi’s most beloved characters, a guy who desperately needs some more attention.

Ubisoft Milan, for those who don’t know, was resposible for the brilliant Mario + Rabbids games, so Rayman is likely in good hands as far as the upcoming big project he’ll be featured in. This news also comes following Ubisoft and Tencent’s big collaboration in a new subsidiary company which will act as the home for Ubi’s biggest IPs. Now, Rayman doesn’t exactly fit into that category any more, but it does mean that he’ll probably be showing up at a less dire time for the Frnech video game giant.

Are you excited for more Rayman? Let us know below, as well as what sort of game you’d like to see him show up in. Something classic? Or a totally new approach?

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May 21, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

The Tesla bot isn’t superhuman yet, but it can make dinner

by admin May 21, 2025

A week ago we saw Tesla’s Optimus robot showing off some nifty dance moves. This week, you can watch it performing a bunch of mundane tasks, though admittedly with a great deal of skill — for a humanoid robot.

Instructed via natural language prompts, the so-called “Tesla bot” is shown in a new video dumping trash in a bin, cleaning food off a table with a dustpan and brush, tearing off a sheet of paper towel, stirring a pot of food, and vacuuming the floor, among other tasks.

The performance may not shake the world of humanoid robotics to its core, but it nevertheless shows the kind of steady progress that Tesla engineers are making, with the bot’s actions and movements becoming evermore complex.

Commenting on the latest clip, Optimus team boss Milan Kovac said in a post on X: “One of our goals is to have Optimus learn straight from internet videos of humans doing tasks.” Just to be clear, that doesn’t mean the robot will literally watch videos like a human. Instead, it suggests that the robot will learn from the vast amount of data available in those videos, such as demonstrations of tasks, movements, or behaviors.

Kovac said that his team recently had a “significant breakthrough” that means it can now transfer “a big chunk of the learning directly from human videos to the bots (1st- person views for now),” explaining that this allows his team to bootstrap new tasks much more quickly compared to using teleoperated bot data alone.

Next, the plan is to make Optimus more reliable by getting it to practice tasks on its own — either in the real world or in simulations — using reinforcement learning, a method that improves actions through trial and error.

Tesla boss Elon Musk, who has spoken enthusiastically of Optimus ever since the company first announced it in 2021, has claimed that “thousands” of the robots may one day be deployed alongside human staff at Tesla factories, taking care of “dangerous, repetitive, [and] boring tasks.”

The company, better known for making electric cars than humanoid robots, is racing against a growing number of tech firms globally that are intent on commercializing their humanoid robots, whether for the workplace, home, or perhaps some entirely new human-robot ecosystems yet to be imagined.

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May 21, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Don’t be shocked that Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein isn’t horror

by admin May 21, 2025

Guillermo del Toro recently spoke at the Cannes Film Festival, sharing some details about his upcoming film Frankenstein, set to release on Netflix later this year. As reported by Variety, he said he’s been asked whether his movie will have “really scary scenes.” That prompted the Academy Award-winning director to ponder how people would receive the movie made: “For the first time, I considered that. It’s an emotional story for me. It’s as personal as anything. I’m asking a question about being a father, being a son… I’m not doing a horror movie — ever. I’m not trying to do that.”

While it can be confusing to hear a man with story and producer credits on a film literally called Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (adapted from the excellent book of the same name) say he’s “not trying to do” horror, that mindset aligns with most of his career.

Del Toro’s early movies, like Cronos and The Devil’s Backbone, can certainly be classified as horror. While his later films feature frightening elements, though, they break away from conventional horror and lean more into gothic fantasies and dark fairy tales. I was as scared as anyone by the Pale Man in Pan’s Labyrinth, perhaps his most famous film, but that doesn’t make it a horror movie. It’s more of a fantasy and a parable, examining the realities of war through the eyes and imaginative reinterpretations of a young girl.

Though Crimson Peak tells a ghost story, it features romance at its core. And The Shape of Water continues a focus on romance, as well as telling a story centered around embracing the Other. With an ending that sees protagonist Elisa (Sally Hawkins) becoming a mythical creature herself, it’s more of a fairy tale than a horror film.

Emphasizing with the ostracized is at the core of plenty of del Toro’s work, whether its Elisa and The Amphibian Man’s fairy-tale-esque love story or Hellboy’s pursuit of normalcy in del Toro’s adaptation of Mike Mignola’s comics. “The first time I thought I was going to avenge the creature was when Marilyn Monroe is coming out [of 1954’s The Creature from the Black Lagoon] in The Seven Year Itch with Tom Ewell, and she says the creature just needed somebody to like him,” del Toro said at Cannes. “I fell in love with Marilyn, and I fell in love with the creature in that scene at a very early age. And I thought, you know, all we have is people that look at people the wrong way. That’s what we have in this world.”

Don’t expect Frankenstein to be any different. “[F]or me, it’s an incredibly emotional movie,” del Toro said. With its focus on the parental relationship between Victor Frankenstein and his creation, Frankenstein sounds similar to del Toro’s last film, the stop-motion Pinocchio. “[Geppetto] has asked, almost like in a horror tale: ‘I want my child back.’ And the child comes back in a way that he doesn’t recognize,” del Toro told Polygon about Pinocchio in 2022. It marked his return to animation after a pooping burglar destroyed his first attempt at the medium. Now that’s what I’d consider a horror story.

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May 21, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

The Witcher 4 being about Ciri isn’t “woke” and all the fuss is “stupid” Geralt himself says, fittingly in a video where he offers advice about talking to girls

by admin May 20, 2025

Remember all that whinging from internet weirdos when Ciri was revealed as The Witcher 4’s protagonist late last year? Well, having come out in support of the move at the time, Geralt’s voice actor has now doubled down in even more emphatic fashion, suggesting that you’re a fool if you think it was a “woke” thing to do.

Doug Cockle did so in a video for Fall Damage which saw him react to some Witcher memes. Seriously, at one point he explains that he understands what the distracted boyfriend is, but doesn’t reckon it accurately reflects big Gerry’s love triangle with Yenny from the block and the ginger one.

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Confronted with a post about people spamming “woke” when TW4’s trailer rocked up at last year’s Game Awards being “everything that is wrong with gaming culture”, the actor didn’t mince words.

“I wouldn’t say that’s everything that’s wrong with gaming culture, but I do think that’s just stupid,” he said, “It’s not woke. There’s nothing woke about it. It’s a cool character from The Witcher, and they’re gonna focus on that character, and that’s awesome.

“We can’t just have Geralt for every single game for The Witcher ad nauseam, out through eternity. Besides, we’ve seen the end of Geralt’s journey. Blood and Wine was supposed to wrap up Geralt’s journey. I celebrate Ciri. I celebrate her being the protagonist.” He then blew a raspberry at folks who still think it’s “woke”, whatever that word means aside from a thing I don’t like because it might be a tiny bit diverse.

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If you do still think it’s woke, the start of the video might help you. It sees Cockle advise us all to be a bit like Geralt and gather up the confidence enough to talk to girls – or whoever you might be interested in – because “they probably don’t bite”. Well, as the actor admitted, “unless you ask them to, probably”.

Later on in the video, Cockle also encounters one of those ‘I bet he’s thinking about other girls’ menes, and goes on to suggest that Geralt isn’t a distracted boyfriend, reasoning: “I think he’s pretty focused on the present. I think when Geralt’s with Yen, he’s thinking about Yen, and when he’s with Triss, he’s thinking about Triss.”

Yes, this is all as surreal to hear said in Geralt’s voice as you might think having just read it in text form.

For more Witcher-related news, you can check out some of its devs reminiscing as TW3 turned 10 the other day, or this mod that has a go at giving that game a Witcher 1-style skill system.

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May 20, 2025 0 comments