Microsoft Recall returns… kinda
Few features have reached the level of infamy that Microsoft’s AI-powered Recall feature has. Hardly anybody was surprised when Microsoft took the opportunity to send Recall back to the drawing board just days ahead of release, nor when it was delayed again at the beginning of November. Microsoft is finally ready to face the music and officially dropped a preview of the feature for a very select few users last week.
Only those folks rockin’ a Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PC and who are also enrolled in the Windows Insider program can get ahold of Recall, as well as the ‘Click To Do’ feature that goes with it. Click to Do serves as Microsoft’s slightly more capable answer to Google’s Circle to Search, serving up suggestions for text, immediate image editing, and quicker access to the search bar wherever you are by using the Windows key.
Microsoft’s slower approach is certainly one that’ll garner some points from the masses eventually. It’s giving the pool of die-hard Windows fans with the right hardware to root out the bugs – and avoid an “AI Overviews” debacle. If you don’t mind the bugs, you can sign up for the Insider program right here – after which you can visit Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program.
PlayStation v Nintendo, please?
It’s no secret that we aren’t the biggest fans of Sony’s thinly veiled attempt to cash in on the gaming handheld craze with that abomination it calls the Portal. It’s true that Sony recently buffed the system by giving it some real cloud-gaming features but still, it’s not enough. When Sony can get something as technically impressive as Tears of the Kingdom to run natively on an 8in screen, we’ll consider whipping out our wallets.
Fortunately, Bloomberg reckons that might be exactly what PlayStation has cooking up in the lab: a genuine handheld gaming console that’ll play PS5 games and rival Nintendo’s entire business model before Xbox can even arrive at the party. Bloomberg’s unnamed sources mention that the tech is likely “years away from launch” and worse – “the company could still decide against bringing it to market.”
We wouldn’t stress about that last bit. Sony has eyes, and it can see the appeal of the Nintendo Switch even all these years later. Sony doesn’t just turn down profits, and we can’t see it doing so here unless something is truly wrong behind the scenes.
Goodbye, Grand Theft Auto
Exactly one year after Netflix brought Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition to its mobile library of games, Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City will disappear from the platform. Netflix cites a simple 12-month-long licence agreement reaching its expiration date on 13 December 2024 for the removal. San Andreas, which rounds out the trilogy, will not leave the platform. At least, not yet.
This is new territory for Netflix, which has collected mobile games like Infinity Stones for the past few years and only said goodbye to two of those. Now Netflix has to rid itself of two of the most popular games, ones that certainly did the heavy lifting when it came to attracting new customers and set a scary precedent for the future of Netflix’s gaming ambitions, though none quite as popular as San Andreas.
Speaking with GameSpot, a Netflix spokesperson said: “Just like with series and film, games will be removed from Netflix as licenses expire. Players will notice a ‘Leaving Soon’ badge and be notified by the app itself well in advance of removal.” On 14 December and after, players looking to play GTA III or Vice City will need to purchase them from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Microsoft’s Game Assist has arrived
Microsoft doesn’t think you have the necessary gaming skills to go even five minutes without pulling out a smartphone or alt-tabbing to a browser to get some help. They’re probably right, too. Microsoft, in retaliation to the crucial lack of critical thinking worldwide, has introduced what it calls Edge Game Assist, “the first in-game browser that delivers a rich gaming-centric browsing experience.”
This isn’t just any browser, however. Microsoft calls it “game-aware” meaning it knows what you’re playing and possibly even the section you’re struggling to beat to offer tips and suggestions accordingly. Better yet, Game Assist uses the profile logged into Edge on your PC to save all your cookies, passwords, and favourites without having to sign into everything again. There’s just one problem – who uses Edge?
At least a couple of people, apparently. Those are the people who will beta test Game Assist for Microsoft, testing out just how game-aware it really is (which is currently limited to a handful of games). If you’d like the chance to try Game Assist, you’ll need to opt-in to the public preview.
To get started, make sure your Windows 11 is up to date, as well as Game Bar (Win + G), which is where Game Assist lives. From there, you’ll need to follow these instructions. Microsoft is already aware of some issues that’ll be squashed as soon as possible.