When Microsoft released the first Insider preview of Windows 11 earlier today, it made an already confusing situation even harder to parse. As you may have noticed, you don't need a specific CPU or a TPM 2.0 chip to install the preview. In a new blog post, the company has outlined its reasons for doing that, and it comes down to a desire on Microsoft's part to get a better idea of what systems can run Windows 11.

"By providing preview builds to the diverse systems in our Windows Insider Program, we will learn how Windows 11 performs across CPU models more comprehensively, informing any adjustments we should make to our minimum system requirements in the future," the company said.

Microsoft says its "confident" PCs with 8th-generation Intel and AMD Zen 2 processors will meet the security, reliability and compatibility standards it plans to set with Windows 11. The company plans to pay close attention to those who test the OS on systems with 7th-generation Intel and AMD Zen 1 CPUs to see if some of the models in those families meet its standards.

Microsoft has also temporarily stopped offering its PC Health Check. The software was at the center of a lot of the confusion that came out over whether a specific computer could run Windows 11 or not. Acknowledging that fact, Microsoft said the app "was not fully prepared to share the level of detail or accuracy you expected from us." The company plans to address the faults of the app before rereleasing it later this year, ahead of the general availability of Windows 11 in the fall.

If you recently bought a Windows laptop, there's a good chance it may include a high refresh rate display. As far as recent computer advances go, it's one of the more noticeable upgrades you can get since they help make every interaction, including scrolling, look and feel significantly smoother. But turning up the refresh rate on your laptop's display is also a major battery drain. You can get the best of both worlds by manually switching between different refresh rates, but that's time-consuming to do and so Microsoft is introducing a new feature called Dynamic refresh rate (DRR) with the first Windows 11 Insider preview

As the name suggests, DRR will lower your laptop's refresh rate to 60Hz when you're doing things like writing emails and documents and then increase it to 120Hz when inking and scrolling so that those interactions feel more instantaneous. As of today, support for the feature is mainly limited to a handful of apps from Microsoft and Adobe. For instance, your computer's refresh rate will increase to a faster refresh rate when you're inking and scrolling in Office. However, Microsoft says more apps will support the feature over time. One thing to note is DDR won't turn on while you're playing a game, so no need to worry about putting you at a disadvantage in a competitve multiplayer match.

To try out DRR, you'll need a laptop that features a display with support for a variable refresh rate of at least 120Hz. You'll also need a graphics driver that supports the feature. As such, even if you have a laptop that meets the above requirements, you may not be able to enable DRR after installing the first Windows 11 Insider build. That's something Microsoft says it's working with manufacturers to address. But if your laptop has the necessary driver support, you'll find the option to turn on DRR in the Systems menu. 

Nier fans won't have to wait much longer to play the franchise's first mobile entry. First teased in 2020, Square Enix announced today via IGN it will release Nier Reincarnation on July 28th. The outlet also shared a new trailer for the game that hints at some of the major story beats that will play out.

Styled as an action RPG, Reincarnation sees a character named the Girl in White wake up in a place called the Cage. A ghost named Mama is there to help the girl and narrate the story as it unfolds. As with past Nier titles, it looks like the gameplay in Reincarnation will sometimes shift between different perspectives. While developed by Applibot, a Japanese developer best known for mobile games like Grimoire A, Reincarnation features contributions from those most closely associated with the series, including Yoko Taro and Keiichi Okabe. You can hear one of the new songs Okabe composed for the game in the trailer IGN shared.

Reincarnation will be free to download when it comes out on Android and iOS. If you pre-register for the game, you'll get a welcome package that comes with its in-game Gems currency. Square Enix told IGN it would increase the number of Gems it gives out for every 100,000 players that pre-register.

Nothing says summer quite like a cooler full of beer, but it wouldn’t be 2021 without a modern twist on the concept. Meet the Beer Outdoor Transporter or BOT from Heineken. It can hold up to 12 cans of beer, will follow you almost anywhere and has a “charming” AI personality. Think Wall-E but with garish corporate branding, and you’re most of the way. 

But just by virtue of being a robot instead of something you wear, the Heineken BOT is way cooler than the Smooth Operator Vest Keystone Light put out earlier in the month, and it can carry more beer to boot. Like the Smooth Operator Vest, BOT is a limited edition item. The only way you can get yourself one is by entering the competition Heineken plans to hold on July 1st. 

When Halo Infinite comes out later this year, it will allow you to do something you’ve not been to do in any previous game in the series: push enemies off the edge of the Halo ring itself. The tidbit of information came from the latest community Q&A Infinite developer 343 Industries held this week (via IGN). A fan asked the team if it’s possible to knock enemies off the game’s new Zeta Halo setting. “The answer is yes,” said Gameplay Director Troy Mashburn, who went on to share how he did exactly that while playing the game recently.

He says he was driving Halo’s iconic Scorpion tank when he encountered a Wraith. “Out of pure luck,” he pushed the Covenant tank over the edge, allowing him to watch it slowly tilt back and fall into the abyss. “So absolutely, you can push things off the edge. It’s going to be difficult, but if you manage to time it just right, you’re going to see it,” Mashburn said.

The fact you’ll be able to do that in Infinite reflects a return to a more sandbox-style design philosophy on part of 343 Industries. The team says they were inspired by levels like The Silent Cartographer from Halo: Combat Evolved to design the game in a way that you could approach an objective with all the tools at your disposal. 

To that end, the world of Halo Infinite will be more immersive, with the game featuring a full day and night cycle that will affect how things play out. At night, for instance, you’ll see more shield Jackals and you may even catch Grunts sleeping on the job. Following the game’s fall release, 343 plans to even add snowstorms and thunderstorms. There will also be multiple biomes for players to explore. 

The studio ended up prioritizing some of those features ahead of ones players have come to expect from the series. Dual-wielding, for instance, won't be in the game at launch. "We can't do everything," Lead Sandbox Designer Quinn Delhoyo said. 

If you play Overwatchon PC frequently, there's a good chance you've disabled settings like v-sync and triple buffering to reduce system input lag as much as possible. And if you still feel like you're missing shots, additional help is on the way. Starting today, NVIDIA's latency-reducing Reflex technology is available on Overwatch's PTR, allowing those with relatively recent NVIDIA GPUs to check out the feature before it makes its way to the game's official release.

Reflex works by limiting the number of frames your GPU queues up in select scenes, thereby reducing the work your CPU needs to do. With the feature enabled, NVIDIA claims you'll see as much as a 50 percent reduction in system latency, which should help make the game feel more responsive. As you can see from the graph below, the effect is most noticeable on older and more affordable GPUs like the GTX 1660 Super. However, even NVIDIA's latest flagship gets a bump, though whether you'll be able to perceive the difference between 26ms and 16ms in latency is a separate question.

NVIDIA

Provided you own a GTX 900 series GPU or later, you can try out Reflex in Overwatch by downloading the latest GeForce Game Ready Driver from NVIDIA, switching over to the PTR client and enabling the feature in the game's display settings.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is calling on its sister agency to implement stricter regulation related to automated vehicle technology. In a letter it sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at the start of February (via CNBC), the NTSB says the regulator “must act” to “develop a strong safety foundation.” What’s notable about the document is that NTSB chair Robert Sumwalt frequently cites Tesla in a negative light to support his department’s suggestions. The automaker is referenced 16 times across the letter’s 15 pages.

For instance, in one section, Sumwalt writes of NHTSA’s “continued failure” to implement regulations that would prevent driver-assist systems like Autopilot from operating beyond their intended use. “Because NHTSA has put in place no requirements, manufacturers can operate and test vehicles virtually anywhere, even if the location exceeds the AV control system’s limitations,” Sumwalt writes. “For example, Tesla recently released a beta version of its Level 2 Autopilot system, described as having full self-driving capability. By releasing the system, Tesla is testing on public roads a highly automated AV technology but with limited oversight or reporting requirements.”

This is not the first time the NTSB has criticized both Tesla and its sister agency. When it held a hearing last year on the deadly 2018 crash that killed Apple developer Walter Haung, Sumwalt expressed frustration with both the NHTSA and Tesla. “Government regulators have provided scant oversight,” he said of the former while blasting the automaker for not responding to its recommendations. But there’s little the agency can do beyond issuing recommendations. As part of its role in investigating traffic accidents, it does not have the authority to regulate or even enforce any of the safety measures it suggests. That responsibility falls to the NHTSA. Under the Trump administration, the agency has mostly let state regulators decide how to approach the question of automated vehicle technologies.

If you play Overwatchon PC frequently, there's a good chance you've disabled settings like v-sync and triple buffering to reduce system input lag as much as possible. And if you still feel like you're missing shots, additional help is on the way. Starting today, NVIDIA's latency-reducing Reflex technology is available on Overwatch's PTR, allowing those with relatively recent NVIDIA GPUs to check out the feature before it makes its way to the game's official release.

Reflex works by limiting the number of frames your GPU queues up in select scenes, thereby reducing the work your CPU needs to do. With the feature enabled, NVIDIA claims you'll see as much as a 50 percent reduction in system latency. As you can see from the graph below, the effect is most noticeable on older and more affordable GPUs like the GTX 1660 Super. However, even NVIDIA's latest flagship gets a bump, though whether you'll be able to perceive the difference between 26ms and 16ms in latency is a separate question. 

NVIDIA

Provided you own a GTX 900 series GPU or later, you can try out Reflex in Overwatch by downloading the latest GeForce Game Ready Driver from NVIDIA, switching over to the PTR client and enabling the feature in the game's display settings.

The infectious and delightful soundtrack to PlayStation 5 exclusive Astro’s Playroom is now available to listen to outside of the game. As Polygon notes, you can stream it on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music and Tidal (if you’re fancy like that). For those who prefer to own their media, it’s $11 on Apple Music and Amazon Music. 

Not only is Astro’s Playroom one of the PS5’s best games at the moment and a compelling tech demo, it’s also available to download for free. Penned by composer Kenneth C.M. Young, the 20-song soundtrack includes standouts like “I’m Your GPU” and “CPU Plaza.” And if you’re curious how Young ended up creating a love letter to the PS5’s hardware, the composer wrote a post on the PlayStation blog on exactly that topic.

Last year, Spotify started beta testing Group Sessions. It's a feature that allows up to six people to share control over the music playing in the background of a physical or virtual get-together. Those involved can queue up songs, podcasts and playlists, as well as skip tracks they don't like. In an expansion spotted by The Verge, you can now take advantage of Group Sessions in the first (and currently only) Android Automotive car, the Polestar 2.

Once a driver starts a session, everyone else in the car can join by scanning the Spotify code that appears on the Polestar 2's front display. One important limitation is that only those with Spotify Premium accounts can join, so not just anyone can hijack your playlist and turn a fun road trip into an exercise in patience. The driver can also revoke access at any time because, as Polestar correctly points out, "passengers aren't always right."