Summary
Overview
This WAN Show episode features Linus broadcasting from Connecticut after attending a creator event, while discussing major tech news including AMD's HDMI 2.1 Linux support, GameStop's bizarre $56 billion eBay acquisition offer, and Valve's mysterious 50-ton shipment of game consoles. The hosts also cover Nintendo's price increase for the Switch 2, Toyota's surveillance-heavy tech city, and various other tech industry developments in their signature conversational style.
AMD HDMI 2.1 Coming to Linux and Valve Hardware Speculation
AMD has submitted patches for full HDMI 2.1 support on Linux through their open-source drivers, a massive development after the HDMI forum previously rejected these efforts. The timing is especially interesting given Valve's recent import of 50 tons of game consoles, which could be around 20,000 Steam Machines if the weight calculations are accurate. This HDMI 2.1 support could enable SteamOS devices to support high refresh rates and resolutions over HDMI at or near launch.
- AMD submitted patches to add HDMI Fixed Rate Link (FRL) support to open-source Linux GPU drivers, enabling HDMI 2.1
- HDMI forum rejected AMD's earlier 2024 attempt over concerns about exposing proprietary details
- Full implementation is pending compliance testing, with Display Stream Compression coming in later patches
- Valve imported 50 tons of game consoles, potentially around 20,000 Steam Machines based on weight calculations
- If this shipment represents the entire initial wave, units would sell out immediately given Steam Controller's 30-minute sellout
" If Microsoft bought Project Red and made the Cyberpunk sequel an exclusive to Xbox, I would definitely go back. I think that's literally the only title I can think of that would bring me back to Xbox. "
" Is this like me offering to buy YouTube? This isn't even a merger, they're the smaller company and they're not even offering a merger of peers, they're like we're gonna acquire. What are you even talking about? "
Microsoft Xbox Leadership and Hardware Strategy Discussion
The hosts discuss new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's early moves including slashing Game Pass prices and removing day-one Call of Duty access, killing Xbox Copilot AI, and changing messaging away from 'everything is an Xbox.' They debate whether Microsoft could win the next console generation by being the affordable option while Sony and Nintendo raise prices, and whether Xbox can succeed without exclusive games given their strategy of releasing on PC and even PlayStation.
- New Xbox CEO slashed Game Pass price but removed day-one COD access
- Microsoft discontinued Xbox Copilot AI project
- Discussion of whether Microsoft could win by being affordable while competitors raise prices
- Debate over exclusives necessity given PC releases and cross-platform strategy
- Microsoft needs compelling first-party games like new Halo, Fable, or Titanfall 3
" I like the new leadership at Xbox. One of the first things she did was slash the price of Game Pass. Yes, removed day one access to COD which is a big boatload of suck for people who bought Game Pass just for COD, but in my opinion actually a boon for everyone who enjoys the variety of Game Pass. "
" If they somehow get the IP and actually do right by it with Titanfall, that would be amazing. Because honestly, I don't think they can make Halo... I feel like Halo's aged out. I don't know how you fix it. "
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