Nvidia and SK Group this week signed letters of intent to formalize their new strategic relationship valued at more than $500 billion. The strategic collaboration is multifaceted and includes a long-term memory supply agreement with SK hynix unveiled in June, SK Telecom's plans to build a 2-gigawatt AI data center based on the latest Nvidia hardware, and future expansions of AI infrastructure.

In addition to the multi-year memory supply and co-development agreement between Nvidia and SK hynix, the key part of the strategic relationship is SK Telecom's planned 2-gigawatt AI data center in South Korea. The installation will rely on Nvidia's DSX AI factory platform and deploy Vera Rubin accelerated computing systems equipped with SK hynix HBM4 memory. The first AI data center is set to enter service in 2027. The companies intend to use this infrastructure to support sovereign AI, enterprise AI, physical AI, and agentic AI deployments across South Korea and the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, the companies will work together on expansion of SK's AI infrastructure going forward, which is a rather vague way to say plans to deploy future AI platforms from Nvidia.

The most important part of the announcement is, of course, the gargantuan value — $0.5 trillion — of the intended strategic relationship. Based on what is disclosed, the figure is best interpreted as the aggregate value of commercial activity expected between the companies over several years, as it bundles together AI infrastructure construction and a long-term memory supply agreement under one umbrella. That activity likely will include the following:

• SK Telecom's purchases of Nvidia GPUs, networking equipment, systems, and other hardware for its AI data centers.
• Supplies of SK hynix memory to Nvidia under the long-term supply agreement.
• Revenue of Nvidia's ecosystem partners involved in building the DSX AI factories (OEMs, ODMs, networking, storage, cooling, power, etc.).
• Potential future expansion beyond the initial 2 GW deployment.

Speaking of the 2 GW AI data center, it is safe to say that it is going to use thousands of NVL72 VR200 racks and hundreds of thousands of Vera CPUs and Rubin AI GPUs. Unfortunately, this is as accurate as we can get with the rather vague announcement.

Nvidia describes DSX as a complete AI factory blueprint that combines its accelerated computing hardware, networking, software stack, and partner technologies into a data center-scale platform designed to deliver the lowest-cost token generation and maximum energy efficiency. Meanwhile, NVL72 VR200 will come with 166 kW – 240 kW per-rack power consumption ratings, whereas DSX can be deployed in various kinds of facilities with different power usage effectiveness (PUE). Since we do not know which NVL72 VR200 configuration SK Telecom plans to use, and since the PUE of the upcoming SK Telecom facility is unknown, it is impossible to estimate the number of racks and AI accelerators with any accuracy.

Printed Solid, the Delaware-based filament manufacturer acquired by Czech Prusa Research in 2022, is now known as Prusa USA, Inc. I chatted with Prusa Research team members at Open Sauce, who confirmed the name change was largely window dressing, with nothing changing in the company’s day-to-day operation. Josef Prusa will remain CEO of both companies, with a new Marketing Officer moving up the ranks internally.

During the changeover, Printed Solid will be known as “Printed Solid, a Prusa Company”. The website now proudly states that Prusa Research is a “European-American” company with U.S. production capabilities. The company has a duplicate print farm at its 100,000-square-foot Delaware factory for the production of 3D printers and filament. The printers are not yet fully “Made in the USA,” as some parts are still needed from the factory in Prague. This helps overcome supply chain issues for American customers.

Josef Prusa states, “We wanted to be closer to our customers. Expanding to America was the natural next step to support the most important market in the world.” His booth at Open Sauce proclaimed Prusa to be the biggest 3D printer manufacturer in the USA. Though Prusa Research ships well over 10,000 printers a month from both Prague and Wilmington, it’s a fraction of what its Chinese competitors produce overseas. 3D printing is simply getting bigger as more businesses and individual makers discover the ease of additive manufacturing.

The change comes at a difficult time for 3D printing enthusiasts, as several anti-3D printing bills are sprouting up around the country. These bills are trying to impose government oversight by installing spyware on new 3D printers to prevent the machines from manufacturing firearms. This is the antithesis of Prusa Research, which stands firmly on the side of Open Source, the right to repair, and proudly produces 3D printers that meet the high security needs of the US military and government agencies. Delaware, Prusa Research’s new home away from home, has just introduced House Bill 399, which would place so-called “blocking technology” on all 3D printers.

The Wilmington, Delaware facility manufactures Original Prusa MK4S and the Prusa CORE One+ 3D printers, plus Prusament and the Jessie line of PLA and PETG (named after Randolph’s dog). When we toured the facility in 2025, only three filament lines were established, with a massive space left clear for future expansion.

It is also the American fulfillment center for Prusa Research’s Amazon sales and the official US Service Center for printer support, which includes repair and maintenance.

The corporate restructuring follows some major leadership changes at Printed Solid. David Randolph, the former CEO of Printed Solid, stepped down in February, and Chris Pelesky, the company’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, stepped down earlier this month. Both veterans are still deeply involved in 3D printing, with Randolph taking the reins at Cocoa Press and Pelesky still leading 3D Printopia, one of the biggest consumer-focused 3D printing expos set to take place this fall in Philadelphia.

There is no shortage of 27-inch gaming monitors to choose from. This size strikes a balance between screen area and desktop footprint. But who would turn down a 32-inch panel when it comes to the best gaming monitors? No one I can think of. It requires a bit more room, but if you have it, it’s a screen size that lets you keep multiple apps open and edit documents side by side. It’s also a great window for the detailed graphical worlds found in today’s most popular games.

Larger screens always cost more than smaller ones, or do they? Following my recent review of AOC’s U27G4XM, a 27-inch 4K Mini LED panel that sells for $350, I have the U32G4. It also uses a 4K panel with a dual-refresh operation that toggles between 4K/160 Hz and FHD 320 Hz. It forgoes the Mini LED for an edge array, but in doing so, it actually costs less while being larger, 32 inches diagonal. It also has Adaptive-Sync, wide gamut color, and HDR. Let’s take a look.

AOC U32G4 Specs

The U32G4 starts with an IPS panel that’s both fast and full of contrast. I measured around 1,100:1, which is a little higher than average for the category. Keep in mind that an OLED with similar specs will cost you close to $1,000, so this AOC is a terrific bargain. Speed comes from a 160 Hz refresh rate and a decent overdrive. You also get backlight strobing that can be used in concert with Adaptive-Sync. That’s something usually reserved for high-end gaming screens. The dual-mode feature doubles the Hertz to 320 and sets the resolution to FHD (1920x1080). That’s a bit soft for such a large screen, but it nearly eliminates motion blur.

There’s plenty of color and brightness here with 480 nits available for SDR content. Contrast is solid with respectable black levels that are a little lower than the average IPS panel. No Quantum Dots are used, but color coverage is measured at 90% of DCI-P3. HDR10 content is supported, with a VESA DisplayHDR 400 rating. And three HDR emulation modes work to increase the dynamic range of SDR material.

Gamers get a nice set of extras, including aiming points with a dynamic option, sniper modes, and a frame counter. There are no LED lights, USB ports, or internal speakers. But you do get a precise four-level overdrive and the backlight strobe, which can be used along with Adaptive-Sync. That’s a boon for those who want to stay at 4K resolution but don’t have a fast enough video card to run at 160 fps. Of course, the 320 Hz/FHD option is just a button click away.

If you’re willing to give up the U27G4XM’s Mini LED backlight, the U32G4 represents a phenomenal value. $320 for a 32-inch 4K gaming monitor? That’s a deal well worth checking out.

Assembly and Accessories

The U32G4 ships in crumbly foam packaging, with the base, upright, and panel requiring toolless assembly. Once done, it’s a reasonably solid piece with a wide stance and good stability. The power supply is internal, so you get an IEC cord plus DisplayPort and HDMI cables.

Product 360

The U32G4’s styling is simple and elegant, with the panel’s shape formed from triangles in the back. A bright red trim ring encircles the fulcrum in the back and the words “AOC Gaming” appear as well. The cooling vents are hidden inside the gap you see at the top.

The screen has an 8 mm-wide flush bezel with a 20mm strip across the bottom. Under the right corner are four OSD control keys and a power toggle. A tiny status LED glows orange in standby and white when the power is on. The screen’s anti-glare layer keeps ambient light from spoiling the image while being clear and grain-free.

The stand is secure and tight in operation. It includes a red-trimmed cable hole that’s turned to the side, so it doesn’t show from the front. Ergonomics include a 5/23-degree tilt, 20-degree swivel, and a 5-inch height adjustment. You also get a 90-degree portrait mode. Movements are firm and smooth with little to no play. Though relatively lightweight, the U32G4 is a solid piece of gear.

There isn’t much happening on the I/O panel, except for a DisplayPort 1.4 port and two HDMI 2.1 ports. There are no internal speakers, but you can plug headphones into the 3.5mm jack. There are no USB ports or LED lighting. If you prefer to use a monitor arm, a 100mm VESA mount is provided with fasteners included.

OSD Features

To summon the U32G4’s OSD, press the right-most control key. Don’t press the power toggle by mistake, as I did several times. The menu is convenient and concise, and divided into seven sections.

The Game Setting menu starts with the dual mode feature, which includes 4K 120 Hz, 160 Hz, and FHD 320 Hz modes. The quicker way to switch is to press the second button, which pops up a quick menu and changes modes in a few seconds. You’ll need to visit the Nvidia or AMD control panel once to set each mode, then you can toggle back and forth at will.

There are also game modes in addition to the Eco picture modes. That makes for many possible combinations, so I suggest sticking with Standard/Standard for all content. It’s the closest to spec and calibrates to a high standard. This menu also offers shadow control for low-end gamma, a color saturation slider, a dial point (the aiming point, static or dynamic), and three sniper magnifications. The second screen has MBR and MBR Sync, which is the blur-reducing backlight strobe. Sync means you can use it along with Adaptive-Sync. There is a little phasing, but it is effective at keeping blur at bay when frame rates drop below 120fps. You can also turn on a frame rate indicator. The overdrive has four levels, of which Faster strikes the best balance between ghosting and blur reduction at 160fps.

The Picture menu contains the eight main picture modes. Standard works the best, and I used it for all testing and gameplay. You can adjust the color temp with fixed modes and a set of RGB sliders. There are five gamma presets, color management and three gamut options. Panel Native covers around 90% of DCI-P3 and is suitable for all SDR and HDR content. The sRGB mode is accurate enough to qualify for color-critical applications.

There are three HDR emulation modes that extend the perceived dynamic range of SDR content. When HDR10 signals are present, a fourth mode appears, Display HDR. It is the best choice for its accurate grayscale, EOTF, and color tracking.

The only other peripheral feature I noted here was PIP and PBP. You can view two sources at once and the PIP window can be moved and sized. You can swap the windows and select which one plays audio through the DisplayPort or HDMI inputs.

AOC U32G4 Calibration Settings

The U32G4 looked a tad warm to my eyes, and initial measurements showed it was a little short on blue in grayscale patterns. It can be used without calibration, but a few tweaks to the RGB sliders removed all visible errors. Gamma runs a shade dark on the 2.2 setting. Changing it to 2.0 was too much; it washed out the image. I noted that the sRGB mode had no calibration options, but it tracked grayscale and color with reasonable accuracy, though it showed a few gamma quirks. I’ll tell you more about that on page four. HDR signals have four modes available, with Display being the best choice. They cannot be calibrated. Below are my recommended SDR settings. Please enjoy.

Gaming and Hands-on

Right out of the gate, I could see how quick the U32G4 was. Even at a “mere” 160 Hz, it delivered smooth motion thanks to its precise and artifact-free overdrive. It’s one of the better implementations I’ve seen, especially at this price point. I used the Faster setting (third of four) and was rewarded with no perceivable motion blur. I was able to stay at 160fps thanks to a GeForce RTX 4090.

I tried the backlight strobe and found it effective at lower frame rates. I capped the action at 120 Hz and still had a smooth experience. It keeps Adaptive-Sync on, which is something I’m rarely able to do. There aren’t many monitors at any price that have that ability. If you have a slower video card, you can still enjoy 4K resolution at lower frame rates.

The dual-mode switch worked without issue once I set it up in the Nvidia control panel. You can toggle it in the OSD or press the second control key for a quick menu that does it faster. Running FHD on a 32-inch monitor is soft at best, but there’s no denying the benefit of 320fps. The U32G4 is quick at 160 Hz and super-quick at 320 Hz. This is also a good way to enjoy high frame rates from a budget gaming PC.

There are no Quantum Dots here, so I missed a little green saturation. But otherwise, the U32G4 is very colorful. DCI-P3 coverage is around 90%, so there is plenty of color for SDR content. The sRGB gamut option is useful when a smaller color space is needed, but I noticed slight gamma issues. Shadow areas were a bit light, and some highlights were muted. You can see why in the tests on page four.

For workday tasks, I stuck with Panel Native and a few tweaks to the RGB sliders to remove all grayscale errors. Gamma is a shade dark, but there is no loss of detail. Set the brightness slider to 200 nits, and you’ll enjoy a vivid and pleasing image.

4K at 32 inches has plenty of pixel density at 139ppi. That’s fine enough to hide the dot structure unless you sit inches from the screen. Text is smoothly rendered without visible jaggies. Graphics look realistic with photos being particularly enjoyable. That might have something to do with the large format. 32 inches is my go-to and it’s the size of my reference screen. It’s perfect for writing where I need to keep extra windows open to refer to charts and data. Spreadsheets can be viewed with much less scrolling, and webpages display more of their content too. Photoshop lets you see the picture and keep lots of toolbars at hand.

Takeaway: For $320, it’s hard to imagine a better 4K gaming monitor than the U32G4. It’s fast, bright, and colorful. It doesn’t have USB ports or internal speakers, but it does have all the goods for high-performance gaming with low input lag, smooth motion resolution, and accurate color. It’s equally adept at productivity with lots of screen area for documents and large, clear text. If you have the desktop space for something bigger, a 32-inch monitor is a great option.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

MORE: How We Test PC Monitors

MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor

For all tests except panel response, I’ll be comparing the U32G4 to a group of 27-inch 4K screens. My database doesn’t have any current 32-inchers except for BenQ’s PD3226G. The other displays are AOC’s U27G4XM, ViewSonic’s VX2730D-4K, Titan Army’s P2712V, and Gigabyte’s GS27U.

Pixel Response and Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

The response test group consists of the last five LCD panels I’ve tested, so their sizes and resolutions vary. It’s interesting to note that refresh rate doesn’t always mean faster screen draw. That is a function of the overdrive. When I test, I set it to where there are no ghosting artifacts. This is usually not the fastest setting. In the U32G4’s case, doubling the refresh rate adds a scant 0.16ms to the score. This is an imperceptible amount. The overdrive is effective, but the first three panels will be a touch smoother at the indicated refresh rates. Remember that an OLED panel is about ten times quicker with draw times around 0.25ms.

In the lag test, the U32G4 takes the win at 320 Hz with a 13.4ms score. This puts it on par with many premium gaming monitors. At 160 Hz, it manages to outdo three monitors with higher refresh rates. For the price, this kind of performance is hard to beat.

Test Takeaway: The U32G4 is one of the faster gaming monitors I’ve tested. It’s worth pairing with a video card powerful enough to run at 160 Hz at 4K resolution, as it offers excellent overdrive and very low input lag. To get smoother processing, you’ll need an OLED, which will cost you around three times as much. This is impressive performance to say the least.

Viewing Angles

The green tint seen in the U32G4’s 45-degree side photo shows its IPS origin. But it isn’t the most tint I’ve seen. And there is no change to gamma or brightness, which is a major plus. This is a very shareable monitor. The top view has a red cast with reduced gamma and luminance.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

I noticed a Uniformity picture mode, which indeed improves uniformity but at the cost of peak brightness and contrast. No matter, because my U32G4 sample scored an excellent 6.58% in its Standard mode. There are no visible issues here in any test pattern or content. This is excellent performance.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

MORE: How We Test PC Monitors

MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor

To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level

The U32G4 is fairly bright for its size. Most 32-inch screens do well to hit 400 nits unless they have Mini LED backlights. At 480, the U32G4 is nearly as bright as its 27-inch Mini LED stablemate, the U27G4XM. If you use a 32-inch monitor at 480 nits, you will tire quickly unless your room is sunlit, or you’re outside, say in a location shoot tent. The black level is respectable for an IPS monitor, so you get 1,154.9:1 contrast, which is a tad above average. Only the ViewSonic boasts more dynamic range.

After Calibration to 200 nits

After calibration, the U32G4’s black level goes up to second place behind the overachieving VX2730D-4K, and contrast stays consistent at 1,147.4:1. ANSI contrast is also very consistent at 1,088.4:1, keeping it ahead of all but the ViewSonic in this group of tests. This is excellent performance.

Test Takeaway: You won’t mistake the U32G4 for an OLED or VA monitor, but among IPS screens, the most common tech, it stands out with solid contrast and good black levels. It also has high brightness, which is an asset for outdoor use or if you have a very sunny office like me.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

MORE: How We Test PC Monitors

MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor

The U32G4 is on the edge of needing calibration. I expect most users will be satisfied with the image as it comes out of the box. If you do tweak, stick to the Standard/Standard mode which allows access to RGB sliders, gamma presets and color gamut options.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.

In the first chart, you can see that the U32G4 is a tad warm in tone, but the errors are close to the 3dE threshold. Brightness levels below 50% have no visible issues. This is solid performance for the money. Gamma runs a tad dark with rising values in the 60-90% range. This is a small error that won’t adversely affect real-world content. Some highlights may look muted, but problems will be hard to spot.

Calibration tightens up grayscale tracking by bringing all errors below 2dE. You won’t see anything but perfectly neutral tones here. Gamma is a shade lighter too, which is a subtle but positive change. Considering that the U32G4 is a 32-inch 4K monitor for $320, I can’t complain.

The sRGB mode has similar grayscale tracking, but gamma is a bit askew. The dip at 10% means dark areas will be too light. As the values rise, it mutes highlight areas, especially in the 80-90% brightness region. The U32G4 can be considered qualified for critical applications, but some compensation for the gamma error should be made.

Comparisons

In the default comparison, the U32G4 sits right on the edge of “needs calibration.” I would say it does, but I’m pickier than most. It’s an occupational hazard. I doubt too many gamers would complain. But if you tweak, at least with my recommended settings, you’ll make visible gains in image quality. Not only are the neutral tones more neutral, but the gamma is also a tad lighter, which gives the picture more verve.

Though gamma is a shade dark, its tight range of values mitigates the visual impact of any inaccuracy. The range is small at 0.12 while the deviation is 3.64%. That equates to an actual value of 2.28, not too far from 2.2. This is excellent performance for a budget gaming monitor.

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

The default color chart shows excellent tuning on AOC’s part, with only slight hue errors in magenta and cyan. Green comes up a tad short of full coverage thanks to the lack of Quantum Dots. The inner points hit their marks, but you only get around 85% of the green primary. This is typical of non-QD LCD panels.

Calibration corrects secondary hue errors without changing any saturation points. The improvement is subtle but visible. This is excellent performance.

The sRGB chart adheres well to the standard despite the gamma errors I noted earlier. This is why you can use the U32G4 for critical work. Gamma issues can be compensated for using a software profile if you wish.

Comparisons

This is a solid group of color-accurate monitors, with the U32G4 in fourth place. If you lined them all up, you’d see very little difference except for the top three, which cover more of the green primary. From a precision perspective, the U32G4 holds its own with more expensive displays. DCI-P3 coverage comes up a little short of 90%, but for the price, there is nothing to complain about. sRGB coverage is ideal at 99.32%.

Test Takeaway: The U32G4 is very accurate out of the box when price is considered. You’re getting a 32-inch 4K display for $320. That alone is enough. With calibration, it delivers solid accuracy with its only weakness being green primary coverage when referenced to DCI-P3. The sRGB mode has excellent gamut accuracy and only needs improvement to its gamma tracking. Overall, the U32G4’s color performance is more than good enough to satisfy users looking to save a bit of money on a large screen.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

MORE: How We Test PC Monitors

MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor

Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The U32G4 supports HDR10 content with an automatic switch and four specific picture modes. It can also mimic HDR’s dynamic range with three emulation modes for SDR signals.

HDR Brightness and Contrast

I was surprised to see that the U32G4’s HDR peak was a little lower than its SDR number. This isn’t a huge deal, but it does narrow the gap between SDR and HDR in terms of impact. I also noted that there was no dynamic contrast in play. There is no edge-zone or field dimming, and the DCR option in the picture menu is grayed out. This means there is no difference in black levels or contrast between SDR and HDR. In both modes, you get around 1,100:1. The U32G4 supports HDR but doesn’t embrace it. This is also true of the ViewSonic, Titan Army, and Gigabyte displays. If you want high-impact HDR from an LCD, go for a Mini LED screen like the U27G4XM.

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

In the HDR grayscale test, there is a slightly warm tone, but the error is barely visible in content. That’s a good thing because there are no adjustments available. The highest errors just crack 4dE, not bad for a budget display. The EOTF tracks very closely to the reference with a little lightness around 40-50% brightness and an elevated black level seen at the 0-5% part of the chart. The tone map transition at 65% is correct for the measured black and white thresholds.

The color test shows a little oversaturation, but no more than any other HDR monitor I’ve tested. This is a typical approach taken by most displays that gives HDR more punch. It’s effective in the U32G4’s case with no cause for complaint. Hue tracking is on point. The DCI-P3 chart is a tad short on green; also typical for non-Quantum Dot screens. In the BT.2020 test, the U32G4 runs out of color at 85% red, 70% green and 90% blue.

Test Takeaway: The U32G4 is a color-accurate HDR monitor but not a particularly bright or impactful one. It has no dynamic contrast available to extend that range but that isn’t unusual at this price point. The standard is supported with accurate color and luminance tracking, but HDR doesn’t look significantly different from SDR.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

MORE: How We Test PC Monitors

MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor

Now that 4K monitors are becoming available at truly attractive prices, the array of choices is vast. But it seems they’re mostly concentrated in the 27-inch category, if my review database is any indication. I doubt there are users who would choose a 27 over a 32 unless they just don’t have the room. 32 inches used to be a significant price jump, but no more. The AOC U32G4 is $320, and for that sum, you get a lot.

Its IPS panel has slightly higher than average contrast at around 1,100:1. Color is accurate with no real need for calibration, but you can tweak it for a small improvement. It’s bright at over 480 nits peak though HDR is a little less vivid at around 450 nits. And it doesn’t offer dynamic dimming so the quality difference between SDR and HDR is small. In all scenarios though, it is very colorful. You don’t get Quantum Dots, but you do get 90% coverage of DCI-P3.

Video processing is on par with many premium screens thanks to a precise overdrive and extremely low input lag. The U32G4 also lets you run backlight strobing with Adaptive-Sync, a feature that very few monitors offer. And the dual-mode feature works without issue if you want to race around at 320fps in FHD resolution.

If you only have a small monitor budget but want a large screen, the AOC U32G4 is pretty much a no-brainer. It’s fast, bright, and colorful, and games with the best monitors I’ve reviewed. It’s versatile too, with dual-refresh and MBR Sync. For $320, it has no real competition. Budget-conscious gaming PC owners should definitely check it out.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

MORE: How We Test PC Monitors

MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor

Microsoft just released four original Xbox games on PC as part of its efforts to bring backwards compatibility to the platform. For years, Xbox consoles have enjoyed a similar luxury, with the latest Series X|S systems being able to play two-decade-old OG Xbox titles. However, to achieve this on PC, Microsoft used a native x86 version of its in-house Xbox 360 emulator. As you might expect, modders were quick to pounce on the opportunity to run 360 games on PC, with "varying degrees of success" so far.

How do you log in to your PC?

The discovery was initially made when data miners looked at the package contents of these backwards-compatible titles. Neo Te Aika found out that they were packaged as standard Games on Demand, or GOD files, which is the official file format used by Xbox 360 hardware. A GOD package contains the actual game, its headers, and DRM. By using a GOD extractor, modders were able to open them and convert them into a base ISO that can be played with an emulator, or on a jailbroken Xbox 360. All this would be a huge development on its own.

What followed, though, has the potential to change the original Xbox and Xbox 360 emulation scene forever. Nathan on X scoured through those same files to find something called Xe03. Also called Fission, Xe03 is Microsoft's official Xbox 360 emulator that comes baked into the Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles for backwards compatibility.

Within the Xbox 360 environment, Microsoft already had another emulator called XeFu, or Fusion, that emulates the original Xbox. So, it's basically an emulator within an emulator. That's how modern Xbox consoles have been able to play OG Xbox titles. To Xe03, it's just opening a standard Xbox 360 package, but the binary inside is coded to launch XeFu, which then takes over to run the original Xbox game

When Microsoft released backwards compatible Xbox games on PC, people expected the company to have built an x86-native OG Xbox emulator from scratch. An emulator that didn't rely on an outer layer or any external components. Instead, what Microsoft did was simply recompile Xe03 to run natively on x86 PCs instead, indirectly handing over the ultimate 360 emulator to the community.

By modifying the app container and swapping out game packages, projects like XWine1 and independent reverse-engineers bypassed the inner OG Xbox layer (Fusion) and managed to load raw Xbox 360 executables (.xex files) directly into Xe03. The results have been mixed but incredibly promising, nonetheless. The XWine1 team was able to get Plants vs. Zombies, Steins: Gate, Fuzion Frenzy, and Midnight Club: Los Angeles to boot and run with varying degrees of stability.

Fuzion Frenzy is actually one of four OG Xbox titles that Microsoft officially released so that one is particularly well-optimized. Since the hard part of reverse engineering first-party code has already been done by Microsoft, optimization remains the only challenge. As time goes on, and the specific emulator files are fine-tuned for general usage, we should expect more and more titles to run flawlessly.

Microsoft has also promised to release more official backwards compatible titles on PC, but it hasn't said anything about Xbox 360 games. Therefore, the discovery of Xe03 holds immense potential for the future of Xbox 360 emulation on PC — the community just has to focus on optimization now. This development can be particularly fruitful for handhelds that are power-constrained; Xe03 has very light minimum requirements for devices like the ROG (Xbox) Ally and Lenovo's Legion Go lineup.

Moreover, Microsoft's PC version of Xe03 also upscales the original 480p output of OG Xbox games to 4K. It also adds built-in V-Sync, anisotropic filtering, enhanced anti-aliasing, and borderless windowed modes. Since the games were distributed though the Xbox PC app, they're part of the Xbox Anywhere program so if you own the digital license of said game on console, you get it for free on PC (and other places). Microsoft will also bring Xbox Achievements support to backwards compatible titles soon.

The last two elements will likely be ignored by the modding community since the OG Xbox virtualization is the important part, enabled by the Xe03 engine that has now become the main takeaway from all this. To be clear, open-source emulators such as Xenia have existed for years and provide a highly-satisfactory Xbox emulation experience, but Microsoft's official, in-house solution should be more efficient.

What OG Xbox or 360 games would you like play on PC?

With NAND prices flying into the stratosphere, buying a large SSD has become a cold-sweat-inducing event, with even the cheapest 2 TB models now approaching $250 — and desirable performant models going for well beyond that. With no end to either memory or storage shortages in sight, the next best option for gamers is to save on used disk space — and the recently-upgraded Game Compressor utility is a fine tool for that end.

Depending on the game in question, savings can be massive, with ARK Survival Evolved reportedly going down from 169 GB to 91 GB (54% of the original size) and Crimson Desert slimming down by 32 GB. Not every game bears high compressibility, but if even just one of your titles goes down by tens of gigabytes, that's enough to install another. This is handy on most every PC, and even more so for handhelds and machines where disk space is at a premium.

How do you log in to your PC?

The application, which costs $5.99 / 5.99€ on Steam, leverages Windows' built-in LZX folder and file compression to transparently compress on-disk games — sometimes with massive savings. I've used NTFS compression for over two decades with no ill effects, and I occasionally enjoy improved game load times. That might sound counterintuitive, but with a compressed game, there's less I/O data to shuffle around. The only cost is a little bit of CPU overhead, which is almost guaranteed to be available as almost no games can fully utilize all the system's cores.

While it's easy to say that Game Compressor is just a UI for Windows' built-in functionality, the amount of convenience is impressive. You first set up a number of watched folders, of which presumably the ones for Steam games will be filled in. After Compressor scans which games are available, it will actually preview what kind of space savings you can expect, to save you the hassle of going through a long-running task for no benefit.

Once you select your games to compress, the tasks go into a queue, and can be paused or cancelled at any point — a convenience the Windows command line doesn't offer. You can also selectively decompress games later, and there's a log of operations just in case something goes awry. As you might expect, Compressor tries to detect which files (such as videos) aren't worth squeezing further.

One of Game Compressor's neat tricks is that it can monitor games that have received patches to reapply compression. Normally if, say, a 50GB game file gets a patch, it could be decompressed post-patch — this way, the space savings are kept in place.

Just about the only "con" to this notion is that it's not advisable to use compression on DirectStorage-enabled games, because that API relies on IO-to-VRAM operations and adding a CPU decompression step could introduce stuttering. Those titles are few and far between, though.

Some of you may be scoffing at this article and pointing out that ever since Windows 10, the "compress" command supports LZX compression. But paying just $5.99/5.99€ for Game Compressor will save your time, add visibility into compression status, and automatically recompress patches. If you'd rather strike a middle ground, there's also the open-source CompressGUI — which is also pretty nifty, though not quite as feature-filled.