Is that a Copilot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
Don’t let a couple of numbers changing at midnight confuse you. Artificial intelligence is (and will continue to be) a major player in the year ahead and Microsoft’s stealthy launch of Copilot — once dubbed Bing Chat — on mobile proves that. In the year since AI’s ‘birth’ as a cultural phenomenon, it’s become increasingly accessible to the layman. Microsoft’s release for a mobile Copilot — available on Android, iOS, and iPadOS — is just the beginning.
If you’re already familiar with something like ChatGPT (how can you not be?) or Bard, then you’ve already got a good idea of what to expect from Copilot. It’ll draft emails, compose job resumes, or summarize long texts in a way that your brain can comprehend. Pretty much anything you’d rather not spend longer than five minutes doing. It’s leveraging GPT-4 to handle all that functionality and pulls in DALL-E 3 when taking on image creation.
That GPT-4 inclusion is a big deal. For one, it’s free. And two, it’s also free. Especially when what is typically considered to be the gold standard for AI chatbots, ChatGPT is only repping GPT-3.5 tech for free users. That 0.5 GPT might not sound like much, and for the average Joe, it isn’t. But for anyone who likes to put their chatbots through their paces, it’s a substantial difference.
“By combining the power of GPT-4 with the imaginative capabilities of DALL·E 3, Copilot not only enhances your design workflow, but can also bring your creativity to inspiring new heights,” the app’s landing page reads.
According to TechCrunch, Microsoft going the quiet route didn’t do much to damage Copilot’s figures. The software giant reportedly saw around 1.5 million downloads for the app across the board — a number that’s only going to rise as word gets around.
LG’s got speed
Sure, Acer’s got a 540Hz monitor in China (and China only) that’s sure to somewhat lessen your teammate’s complaints in Rocket League and CS, but is it OLED? We’ll save you the Google: no. 540Hz OLED displays might still be a pipe dream, but LG is slowly edging towards achieving those specs, having just announced the speediest OLED display to date.
Clocking in at 27in wide and rocking a 1440p panel, LG Display’s latest, uh, display of technical prowess boasts a 480Hz refresh rate, coupled with the 0.03ms response time that could eventually make its way into more consumer monitors around. Faster response times and more frames aren’t everything LG’s brought to the table. It’s fitting the displays with what it calls “META Technology,” which nets brighter screens and wider viewing angles.
Better yet, these specs won’t be locked to the LG brand. LG Display developed the tech and isn’t snobby about selling it to other companies willing to foot the bill. At the time of writing, no companies have officially signed on to get hold of the 480Hz OLED display, but it’s still early days. LG Display is planning to release a 27in model in the first half of 2024, with a reveal of “its full lineup” of OLED gaming monitors debuting at CES 2024 (09-12 January 2024).
Infestation: Origins is all the Mickey Mouse horror you need
Who could have guessed that upon entering the public domain, there would instantly be a slew of Mickey Mouse-themed… everything? Uh, us, and just about everyone else. As of January 2024, Steamboat Willie — that black-and-white clip of Mickey Mouse that often premiered before plenty of Disney’s films — has officially entered the public domain. That means a bunch of low-effort video games and movies using that version of the character’s likeness are now fair game. Enter Mickey’s Mouse Trap and the altogether more interesting Infestation: Origins (originally titled Infestation 88, changed because of… nazis?)
Sure, a Mickey Mouse slasher might interest some, but it’s Infestation: Origins that caught our attention. Developed by Nightmare Forge, Infestation is described as a “co-op horror [title] in which you’re an exterminator treating sinister infestations caused by twisted versions of classic characters and urban legends.” Just a stab in the dark, but we’re guessing those “classic characters” will include Steamboat Willie, and possibly Minnie Mouse.
“In the 1980s, what was thought to be an outbreak of vermin morphed into something far more sinister. Infestation: Origins is an episodic, four player co-op survival horror game in which you and your friends are exterminators called in to treat these mysterious infestations,” the game’s description reads.
Besides this being a co-op survival horror that’s hitting Steam, not much else is yet known about the game. We know it’ll be landing sometime in 2024 — though they’re about as reliable as Sean Murray himself in 2024 — so take that with a grain of salt. We also know that it’s being developed for PC, though there’s nothing that suggests it won’t come to consoles eventually. Fingers crossed, huh?
Switch the 2nd, Pro Max Redux?
Seriously, now. Where is the successor to the Switch, Nintendo? Come 3 March 2024, Nintendo’s wildly popular Zelda-playing machine will be seven years old. That’s more than triple that of Google’ Stadia, though we realise that isn’t saying much. The gist? The Switch is getting up there in years, and Nintendo needs to do something about it. Soon
According to the rumours that have been swirling for the past year, we should be getting our wish sooner rather than later. Nearly every rumour points towards a 2024 release, rarely expounding on more concrete information. Last year’s Microsoft/Activision ordeal gave us some clues on a next-gen Switch — hinting at PS4/Xbox One power — but again, details were scarce.
A fresh prediction from GamesIndustry.biz or more specifically Dr. Serkan Toto reckons that we will be seeing the Switch’s successor hit shelves sometime in the latter half of 2024 with a price point of around R7,500 ($400). He added that he believed Nintendo’s games would be setting a new standard of R1,330 ($70) — something it pulled off with Tears of the Kingdom last year.
Toto, a Nintendo ‘analyst’ who’s been proven correct in the past, also noted that he believes “the next system is also likely to be an iteration rather than a revolution. Nintendo might add some bells and whistles to the device, but it will be similar to the current Switch.” That feels like the most natural and likely next step in Nintendo’s life plan, sticking with a portable design that’s got the world hooked.