• More than 50 games are to receive PS5 Pro enhancement patches on launch day
• Titles include Alan Wake 2, Demon’s Souls, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• PS5 Pro launches this week on November 7

With PS5 Pro arriving in just a couple of days, you might be curious to know exactly which games you can expect to receive PS5 Pro enhancement patches especially if you’ve put down a PS5 Pro pre-order of your own.

Thankfully, Sony has you covered with an official PlayStation Blog post which confirms more than 50 PS5 games are set to receive PS5 Pro enhancement patches when the mid-gen console launches on November 7.

The regulator says a merger between Vodafone and Three could go ahead – if both companies make price promises for consumers and commit to boosting the UK’s 5G rollout.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had previously said that creating what would be the country’s biggest mobile network could drive up prices and harm competition.

But it has now provisionally concluded those concerns could be addressed – and the merger could proceed – if the firms agree to its proposed remedies.

A Vodafone spokesperson said both companies would need to study the CMA’s proposal more closely but believed on first impressions it “provides a path to final clearance”.

They insisted, as they have throughout, that the deal was in everyone’s interests.

“It will bring significant benefits to businesses and consumers throughout the UK, and it will bring advanced 5G to every school and hospital across the country,” they said.

The CMA’s findings are the latest step in its probe into the merger, which began in January.

Vodafone and Three announced their plans to merge their UK-based operations in June last year.

Their combined network would have around 27 million customers.

“We believe this deal has the potential to be pro-competitive for the UK mobile sector if our concerns are addressed,” said Stuart McIntosh, who is leading the CMA panel investigating the merger.

“We anticipate in the longer term that the significant commitment to upgrade the merged companies network over the next 10 years or so will ultimately create a competitive environment that will maintain the competition we’ve seen in mobile in recent years,” he told the Today programme, on BBC Radio Four.

But he also made clear that short term commitments not to increase the price of certain existing mobile tariffs and data plans for at least three years were also key to making sure consumers did not lose out.

The regulator also said upholding pre-agreed deals or prices with Mobile Virtual Network Operators such as Sky Mobile, Lyca and Lebara could protect consumers and and wholesale customers alike.

Industry analyst Paolo Pescatore told the BBC it marked “another key step towards approval” and showed all concerned were trying to find a way to make the deal happen.

The two largest players in the market are currently EE and 02 – Mr Pescatore said a merged Vodafone and Three would be in a better place to take them on.

“To date, both parties are demonstrating that this is genuinely in the interest of UK plc, the economy, and users which paves the way for a far stronger three-player market than the current imbalance,” he said.

The CMA is seeking responses to its proposed remedies by 12 November, with a deadline of 7 December for a final decision on the merger.

The New York Times has introduced the next title coming to its Games catalog following Wordle’s continued success — and it’s all about math. Digits has players adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers. You can play its beta for free online right now. 
In Digits, players are presented with a target number that they need to match. Players are given six numbers and have the ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide them to get as close to the target as they can. Not every number needs to be used, though, so this game should put your math skills to the test as you combine numbers and try to make the right equations to get as close to the target number as possible.

Players will get a five-star rating if they match the target number exactly, a three-star rating if they get within 10 of the target, and a one-star rating if they can get within 25 of the target number. Currently, players are also able to access five different puzzles with increasingly larger numbers as well.  I solved today’s puzzle and found it to be an enjoyable number-based game that should appeal to inquisitive minds that like puzzle games such as Threes or other The New York Times titles like Wordle and Spelling Bee.
In an article unveiling Digits and detailing The New York Time Games team’s process to game development, The Times says the team will use this free beta to fix bugs and assess if it’s worth moving into a more active development phase “where the game is coded and the designs are finalized.” So play Digits while you can, as The New York Times may move on from the project if it doesn’t get the response it is hoping for. 
Digits’ beta is available to play for free now on The New York Times Games’ website

As a 3D artist, you’re likely aware of how time-consuming and resource-demanding the rendering process can be. This is where a render farm proves invaluable. A render farm is essentially a network of computers dedicated solely to rendering visual effects and 3D animations.

With render farms, artists can transform simple sketches into realistic images that incorporate shadows, textures, lighting, and intricate details. By distributing rendering tasks across hundreds of machines, rendering times are drastically reduced, making adjustments, edits, and the entire production process faster and more efficient.

In this article, we’ll explore the advantages and drawbacks of using a render farm for animation projects. Read on to learn more!

What are the advantages of using a render farm

As you can probably guess, a render farm has some obvious advantages.

Faster rendering

The primary advantage is the boost in rendering speed. Rendering alone can take up hours or even days, and during that time, your computer is often tied up, leaving you unable to use it for other tasks. Using a render farm accelerates the rendering process significantly, allowing you to devote more time to animation or design work.

Access to the latest technology

Render farms often use the latest hardware and software updates to stay competitive, which means you get access to cutting-edge technology without the need to constantly upgrade your own equipment. This can improve rendering quality and speed, as high-performance machines can handle more complex scenes and higher resolutions with ease, providing results that might be difficult to achieve on an average workstation.

Ease of Use

You can submit your projects for rendering through an application or online interface at the majority of render farms, if not all of them. This eliminates some of the trouble involved in rendering files, particularly when working locally and transferring data between computers for rendering.

Technical assistance for clients

Render farms often provide 24/7 customer service to assist with any problems or specific questions you might have about rendering times, costs, or other needs.

Enhanced quality control

With faster rendering, you gain more time to focus on design and testing. Rather than working in the dark and hoping everything aligns in the final render, you can conduct multiple test renders, allowing for quality control and experimentation.

Scalability

Render farms are built to be scalable, giving you access to more nodes to match your project’s demands.

Remote rendering

As long as you have an internet connection, you can work from anywhere and access a vast render farm remotely, offering greater flexibility.

What are the disadvantages of using a render farm?

While there are many benefits to render farms, there are also some downsides to consider.

Security

Submitting your project to a render farm means sharing intellectual property. While most render farms will sign an NDA to protect your work, bringing a third party into the process still involves some level of risk.

Software compatibility

Different production teams use various applications and plugins to create renders. This means that a render farm must support the software and plugins you’re using; otherwise, its services won’t be compatible with your project.

Limited customization

Using a render farm means working within the parameters of their setup, which can sometimes limit your customization options. If your project requires specific software configurations, unique plug-ins, or particular hardware requirements, a render farm may not be able to accommodate these fully. This can restrict the creative control and flexibility you might have when rendering locally.

Internet dependence

Render farms rely heavily on stable internet connections for uploading and downloading files. If you have a slower or inconsistent internet connection, large uploads or downloads can take significant time and may even disrupt the workflow. This dependence on connectivity can create delays, particularly for large projects or in areas with limited internet infrastructure.

Cost

Running a render farm is costly, as it requires high-end hardware on a large scale, constant power, and potentially different plugins and software. Software licenses alone can be expensive, even in bulk.

Depending on your rendering needs, setting up one or two dedicated workstations for occasional rendering might save time and money over time. However, as projects grow more complex, a render farm can still be cost-effective. Hardware and maintenance expenses can skyrocket as workstation numbers increase. In most cases, working with a professional render farm remains easier and, in some cases, less costly—unless you’re a large production company with a generous budget.

To conclude

Outsourcing rendering to a render farm can be a fantastic way for animators and designers to save both time and money. Compared to local rendering, render farms often allow you to create higher-quality work faster.

If you’re looking to streamline your rendering, Fox Renderfarm offers dependable, fast cloud rendering solutions that can help you save time and resources. Take advantage of their $25 free render coupon and see how much easier your projects can become!