With their on-field action in 2025 done and dusted, the draw in just over a week’s time now takes centre stage. Read...

New Zealand to open campaign with huge game against Afghanistan as full draw and venues confirmed. Read...

Anyone who’s ever owned a gaming laptop knows of its fundamental weakness: Plugged in, it can game forever. Unplugged, its gaming capabilities can be measured in minutes. Microsoft and its “handheld gaming PC,” the ROG Xbox Ally, have struck a balance with new Default Game Profiles. It’s a smart addition to the handheld PC. Microsoft knows that most gamers want to hit a target frame rate on their favorite games, and anything else is just overkill. (Well, not really, but when battery life is factored in, sure.) These new Default Game Profiles are available via the “latest updates for Armoury Crate SE, the Xbox PC app, and Windows 11,” Microsoft says. About 40 games are supported, Microsoft says, including these: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Call of Duty: Warzone DOOM Eternal DOOM: The Dark Ages Forza Horizon 5 Gears 5 Gears of War: Reloaded Gears Tactics Halo: The Master Chief Collection Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Minecraft Sea of Thieves Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 Here’s what’s going on: Each game has a targeted frame rate, which Microsoft has “hand-crafted” for the specific game itself, according to Microsoft’s blog post on the subject. If the game isn’t consistently hitting that frame rate, Microsoft’s Xbox app and the ROG Xbox Ally will increase the power that the battery supplies to the GPU. If the game is running too well at the expense of battery life, Microsoft will throttle down the ROG Xbox Ally’s components, reducing power and extending battery life. In Hollow Knight: Silksong, for example, Microsoft says that these new settings will extend the handheld’s battery life by an hour while still maintaining a 120fps frame rate. How to enable the new Default Game Profile on the ROG Xbox Ally. (Here’s how to enable the new Default Game Profiles on the Xbox Ally: Go into the Armoury Crate Command Center widget, than scroll down to Game Profiles entry. Next to it is a toggle switch, which should be toggled on to enable the new profiles.) The November updates also include quicker library loading and improved performance on the Cloud Gaming page, plus a Performance filter for your game gallery. The last filter will allow you to see how well each game will run on your device, a nice complement to the Default Game Profile update. On the roadmap: a game save indicator that will debut next week. Microsoft also plans to bring Automatic Super Resolution (Auto SR) and highlight reel to the platform, increasing frame rates further using AI. That addition should occur “early next year,” Microsoft said, following the recent release of the Xbox Full Screen Experience on all Windows handhelds. Read...

Microsoft and Crocs—the brand of polyethelene clogs that are as divisive as they are ubiquitous—seem to have a thing goin’ on. Just a short time after causing an online sensation with the limited edition Windows XP shoes, the brands are back with an Xbox edition. The “Xbox Classic Clog” doesn’t actually play games, but it might fool you with toes covered in Xbox controller buttons and even joysticks. With typical Xbox green-on-black styling and an air of intentional ridiculousness, the crossover is perhaps leaning into the irony. And somebody at Microsoft is certainly trying to make a bit of synergy with the “This Is An Xbox” campaign, in which Xbox Game Pass flouts its near-universal availability on everything from phones to cars. Microsoft is also trying to extend the Xbox brand into the PC gaming space with devices like the Asus ROG Xbox Ally handheld, which is not an Xbox but does get access to tons of Xbox features and a streamlined Windows 11 interface tuned for gaming. That interface is now available on other handhelds (and even laptops and desktops if you’re willing to tinker with Windows Insider settings). View this post on Instagram Meanwhile, the Xbox console brand has never been weaker versus the PlayStation and Nintendo, and Valve is now positioning itself as a stalking horse for the entire gaming industry. The PC gaming giant is building off the success of the Steam platform and the Steam Deck to make a console-style mini PC in the revamped Steam Machine. But enough about industry stuff. You’re here for the shoes. They’re going for $80 on the Crocs site, which is pretty typical for the brand, in US sizes from 6 to 12 for women and 4 to 13 for men. At the time of writing, it looks like pretty much all of them are in stock. Unlike the Windows XP Crocs, these don’t seem to be limited edition. Read...

ANALYSIS: There is a cold tension between the two events that sailing hasn’t navigated, but the Peter Burling saga might be the match to heat things up. Read...

Despite numerous close calls and a recommendation dating to the Wahine disaster inquiry, the Government has cancelled plans for an emergency Cook Strait tug. Read...

After a flurry of red-card reversals and TMO interference during the Autumn Nations Series - what state is international rugby in? Read...

The Bears are scrambling for players, as one star revealed what he told Mal Meninga when rejecting their pursuit. It may be time to look beneath the surface. Read...

As Zach Merrett settles back into life at Essendon after his failed trade bid, the club’s boom draftees say they’re ready to help with the heavy lifting in 2026. Read...

The tourists have their reasons for brushing a day-night warm-up before the second Test. But their pink-ball numbers are nothing short of alarming. Read...