This digest compiles the latest from Tech Spot.
Today’s Tech Spot Roundup
Valve details performance targets for Steam Machine and Steam Frame
Unsurprisingly, Steam Machine verification requirements will be more lenient than those for the Steam Deck, since the Machine is expected to provide roughly six times more performance headroom. Meanwhile, verification requirements for locally installed games on the Steam Frame will be stricter.
Fortnite "Save the World" mode will return as a free-to-play game in 2026
Originally unveiled in 2011 and released after years of redesign and delay in 2017, Save the World was Fortnite long before “dropping from the battle bus” entered gaming vocabulary. It was built as a four-player PvE (player-versus-environment) action-building title – a blend of base construction, resource gathering, and combat against AI-controlled enemies.
Cybertruck owner sues Tesla over FSD crash, claims keeping Elon Musk as CEO was negligent
According to a court filing at Harris County District Court, plaintiff Justine Saint Amour bought a Cybertruck with the FSD package from a Florida dealership in February 2025.
Hisense TVs caught showing non-skippable ads when changing inputs or channels
The same behavior has been documented on models running Hisense’s own VIDAA operating system – now rebranded Home OS – which also powers TVs sold under brands including Akai, Schneider, and Loewe. Initially dismissed as isolated reports, the issue appears to have persisted for at least a few years. One…
Windows 11 "Xbox Mode" UI coming to all PCs in April
The Windows full-screen experience, now called “Xbox Mode,” will exit beta next month in select territories. The new interface, which enables users to launch PC games and other apps using only a controller, debuted last year on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally and will soon be available on all Windows…
These Wall-E-like robots are making Texas sidewalks safer
Residents in the city of Burleson, Texas, are the first to see the Wall-E-like Daxbots trundling around their neighborhoods.
OS/2 isn't dead: ArcaOS update brings the 1980s-era OS to modern UEFI PCs
A quarter of a century after IBM released the last official version of OS/2, someone is still keeping the platform alive under the ArcaOS name. Arca Noae is now the only company licensing OS/2 technology from IBM, after Serenity Systems’ eComStation project disappeared around 14 years ago.
YouTube expands unskippable 30-second ads to TVs after $40 billion revenue year
The next phase of Google’s strategy is unskippable, 30-second commercials on YouTube’s TV app. The move nods directly to the legacy television experience YouTube has steadily displaced: longer, linear-style spots meant to capture viewers who now stream the platform’s content from their couches instead of their phones.
Google brings new PC-focused features to the Play Store, including "play anywhere"
In a developer post titled “Expanding our stage for PC and paid titles,” Google revealed a slew of new features – many of them PC-focused – coming to the Play Store.
DLSS vs FSR vs XeSS: Game Support Across 650+ Titles
We analyze over 650 PC games to compare DLSS, FSR, and XeSS support to reveal how far Nvidia, AMD, and Intel really are from each other in upscaling and frame generation adoption.
Intel launches Core Ultra 270K Plus and 250K Plus to revive its desktop gaming push
These chips arrive as Intel navigates a rocky recent history in the high-end desktop space. Past generations faced thermal woes and instability, the latest Arrow Lake entry stumbled on frame rates. With the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, Intel is now claiming the title…
Next-gen Xbox sounds a lot like a PC with an Xbox UI and AMD's FSR Diamond
After sharing the first basic details about its next Xbox console earlier this month, Microsoft has revealed more about the platform’s technology this week at the Game Developers Conference. The company confirmed that “Project Helix” will focus on neural rendering, advanced ray tracing, and closer interoperability with Windows PCs.
End of today’s Tech Spot roundup.
