Australian players of online role-playing game Final Fantasy XIV say a local server, launched by developer Square Enix in January 2022, has transformed their gaming experience. Before the server arrived, players faced delays and difficulty finding English-speaking teammates. Community organisers now run events, including an annual meet-up at PAX Australia in Melbourne. Developers Michael-Christopher Koji Fox and Toshio Murouchi attended this year's gathering. Players say the local server has given them a stronger sense of ownership over the game.
Turtle Beach's Vulcan II XP keyboard includes five onboard profiles, a macro manager and presets for many games and office apps. The reviewer found typing pleasant, though the smooth linear keys can be pressed by accident in games. The keys are hot-swappable rather than Hall effect, trading long-term reliability for easy replacement. The reviewer reported a media wheel that was inverted by default and NumPad lights that stayed white. The board suits newcomers to mechanical keyboards, but serious players may want something higher-end.
Gambling Harm Awareness Week, running from 24 to 31 October, highlights how gambling can harm individuals, families and communities. Gambling advertising and gambling-like features such as loot boxes now reach young people through the apps and games they use daily. Research suggests repeated exposure can normalise gambling before young people are legally allowed to gamble. More than one in four Victorians aged 18 to 24 who gamble experience gambling-related harm. Parents are encouraged to discuss gambling content with young people and consider parental controls and purchase approvals. Free, confidential support is available from Gambler's Help services.
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Grand Theft Auto VI will launch in November, featuring a vast open-world setting and ambitious gameplay. The game's success is already guaranteed by hype alone, with estimates suggesting it could generate $1 billion to $4 billion in preorder revenue. However, the industry faces a crisis as developers struggle with layoffs and financial instability, even after successful game releases. Critics argue that the pursuit of larger, more detailed games is harming both game quality and the people who make them.
Fortune reports that Microsoft has asked the hardware team to bring forward Project Helix timelines by at least several months, partly by using AI tools. Some current and former staff reportedly believe Sharma was placed to carry out cuts before a planned sale of an Xbox spinoff. Microsoft executive Judson Althoff rejected that idea, saying the company would not have placed Sharma on a business it intends to sell.
Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra largely meets its promise of one machine for AI, development and gaming. The reviewer found its 15-inch mini-LED display and trackpad premium, and it ran a 70-billion-parameter AI model and demanding games. However, the starting price is $2,599, and key features such as Copilot+ are not yet available. Several tools also failed to use the graphics chip properly, and some software remains unfinished. The reviewer concludes that the hardware is impressive, but buyers should wait for the software to mature.
Razer's new Wolverine V4 Pro gaming controller for Xbox and PC features removable magnetic rear buttons, interchangeable thumbsticks, and a customisable faceplate. The wireless model costs $329.95, while the wired Tournament Edition is priced at $179.95. Both versions include capacitive thumbstick sensors for improved precision and adjustable triggers. The Pro model offers up to 27 hours of battery life and 8,000 Hz polling rates on PC. The wired version has fixed rear buttons and lacks the Pro's interchangeable faceplate. Both controllers will start shipping in October 2026.
Google has launched an AI-powered game-creation platform called Playground, allowing users to build browser-based games using simple text prompts. The platform, available to users aged 18 and older in the U.S., lets creators select genres, game types, and visual styles without needing coding expertise. Games can be played on mobile devices and computers, with options to keep them private, share them via links, or publish them to a public gallery. Google plans to expand the platform's availability to additional countries and add Unity Spark integration for enhanced 3D capabilities.
