Technologies

I Saw the AI Future of Video Games: It Starts With a Character Hopping Over a Box

At the 2025 Game Developers Conference, graphics-chip maker Nvidia showed off its latest tools that use generative AI to augment future games.

At its own GTC AI show in San Jose, California, earlier this month, graphics-chip maker Nvidia unveiled a plethora of partnerships and announcements for its generative AI products and platforms. At the same time, in San Francisco, Nvidia held behind-closed-doors showcases alongside the Game Developers Conference to show game-makers and media how its generative AI technology could augment the video games of the future.

Last year, Nvidia’s GDC 2024 showcase had hands-on demonstrations where I was able to speak with AI-powered nonplayable characters, or NPCs, in pseudo-conversations. They replied to things I typed out, with reasonably contextual responses (though not quite as natural as scripted ones). AI also radically modernized old games for a contemporary graphics look.

This year, at GDC 2025, Nvidia once again invited industry members and press into a hotel room near the Moscone Center, where the convention was held. In a large room ringed with computer rigs packed with its latest GeForce 5070, 5080 and 5090 GPUs, the company showed off more ways gamers could see generative AI remastering old games, offering new options for animators, and evolving NPC interactions.

Nvidia also demonstrated how its latest AI graphics rendering tech, DLSS 4 for its GPU line, improves image quality, light path and framerates in modern games, features that affect gamers every day, though these efforts by Nvidia are more conventional than its other experiments. While some of these advancements rely on studios to implement new tech into their games, others are available right now for gamers to try.

Making animations from text prompts

Nvidia detailed a new tool that generates character model animations based on text prompts — sort of like if you could use ChatGPT in iMovie to make your game’s characters move around in scripted action. The goal? Save developers time. Using the tool could turn programming a several-hour sequence into a several-minute task.

Body Motion, as the tool is called, can be plugged into many digital content creation platforms; Nvidia Senior Product Manager John Malaska, who ran my demo, used Autodesk Maya. To start the demonstration, Malaska set up a sample situation in which he wanted one character to hop over a box, land and move forward. On the timeline for the scene, he selected the moment for each of those three actions and wrote text prompts to have the software generate the animation. Then it was time to tinker.

To refine his animation, he used Body Motion to generate four different variations of the character hopping and chose the one he wanted. (All animations are generated from licensed motion capture data, Malaska said.) Then he specified where exactly he wanted the character to land, and then selected where he wanted them to end up. Body Motion simulated all the frames in between those carefully selected motion pivot points, and boom: animation segment achieved.

In the next section of the demo, Malaska had the same character walking through a fountain to get to a set of stairs. He could edit with text prompts and timeline markers to have the character sneak around and circumvent the courtyard fixtures.

«We’re excited about this,» Malaska said. «It’s really going to help people speed up and accelerate workflows.»

He pointed to situations where a developer may get an animation but want it to run slightly differently and send it back to the animators for edits. A far more time-consuming scenario would be if the animations had been based on actual motion capture, and if the game required such fidelity, getting mocap actors back to record could take days, weeks or months. Tweaking animations with Body Motion based on a library of motion capture data can circumvent all that.

I’d be remiss not to worry for motion capture artists and whether Body Motion could be used to circumvent their work in part or in whole. Generously, this tool could be put to good use making animatics and virtually storyboarding sequences before bringing in professional artists to motion capture finalized scenes. But like any tool, it all depends on who’s using it.

Body Motion is scheduled to be released later in 2025 under the Nvidia Enterprise License.

Another stab at remastering Half-Life 2 using RTX Remix

At last year’s GDC, I’d seen some remastering of Half-Life 2 with Nvidia’s platform for modders, RTX Remix, which is meant to breathe new life into old games. Nvidia’s latest stab at reviving Valve’s classic game was released to the public as a free demo, which gamers can download on Steam to check out for themselves. What I saw of it in Nvidia’s press room was ultimately a tech demo (and not the full game), but it still shows off what RTX Remix can do to update old games to meet modern graphics expectations.

Last year’s RTX Remix Half-Life 2 demonstration was about seeing how old, flat wall textures could be updated with depth effects to, say, make them look like grouted cobblestone, and that’s present here too. When looking at a wall, «the bricks seem to jut out because they use parallax occlusion mapping,» said Nyle Usmani, senior product manager of RTX Remix, who led the demo. But this year’s demo was more about lighting interaction — even to the point of simulating the shadow passing through the glass covering the dial of a gas meter.

Usmani walked me through all the lighting and fire effects, which modernized some of the more iconically haunting parts of Half-Life 2’s fallen Ravenholm area. But the most striking application was in an area where the iconic headcrab enemies attack, when Usmani paused and pointed out how backlight was filtering through the fleshy parts of the grotesque pseudo-zombies, which made them glow a translucent red, much like what happens when you put a finger in front of a flashlight. Coinciding with GDC, Nvidia released this effect, called subsurface scattering, in a software development kit so game developers can start using it.

RTX Remix has other tricks that Usmani pointed out, like a new neural shader for the latest version of the platform — the one in the Half-Life 2 demo. Essentially, he explained, a bunch of neural networks train live on the game data as you play, and tailor the indirect lighting to what the player sees, making areas lit more like they’d be in real life. In an example, he swapped between old and new RTX Remix versions, showing, in the new version, light properly filtering through the broken rafters of a garage. Better still, it bumped the frames per second to 100, up from 87.

«Traditionally, we would trace a ray and bounce it many times to illuminate a room,» Usmani said. «Now we trace a ray and bounce it only two to three times and then we terminate it, and the AI infers a multitude of bounces after. Over enough frames, it’s almost like it’s calculating an infinite amount of bounces, so we’re able to get more accuracy because it’s tracing less rays [and getting] more performance.»

Still, I was seeing the demo on an RTX 5070 GPU, which retails for $550, and the demo requires at least an RTX 3060 Ti, so owners of graphics cards older than that are out of luck. «That’s purely because path tracing is very expensive — I mean, it’s the future, basically the cutting edge, and it’s the most advanced path tracing,» Usmani said.

Nvidia ACE uses AI to help NPCs think

Last year’s NPC AI station demonstrated how nonplayer characters can uniquely respond to the player, but this year’s Nvidia ACE tech showed how players can suggest new thoughts for NPCs that’ll change their behavior and the lives around them.

The GPU maker demonstrated the tech as plugged into InZoi, a Sims-like game where players care for NPCs with their own behaviors. But with an upcoming update, players can toggle on Smart Zoi, which uses Nvidia ACE to insert thoughts directly into the minds of the Zois (characters) they oversee… and then watch them react accordingly. These thoughts can’t go against their own traits, explained Nvidia Geforce Tech Marketing Analyst Wynne Riawan, so they’ll send the Zoi in directions that make sense.

«So, by encouraging them, for example, ‘I want to make people’s day feel better,» it’ll encourage them to talk to more Zois around them,» Riawan said. «Try is the key word: They do still fail. They’re just like humans.»

Riawan inserted a thought into the Zoi’s head: «What if I’m just an AI in a simulation?» The poor Zoi freaked out but still ran to the public bathroom to brush her teeth, which fit her traits of, apparently, being really into dental hygiene.

Those NPC actions following up on player-inserted thoughts are powered by a small language model with half a billion parameters (large language models can go from 1 billion to over 30 billion parameters, with higher giving more opportunity for nuanced responses). The one used in-game is based on the 8 billion parameter Mistral NeMo Minitron model shrunken down to be able to be used by older and less powerful GPUs.

«We do purposely squish down the model to a smaller model so that it’s accessible to more people,» Riawan said.

The Nvidia ACE tech runs on-device using computer GPUs — Krafton, the publisher behind InZoi, recommends a minimum GPU spec of an Nvidia RTX 3060 with 8GB of virtual memory to use this feature, Riawan said. Krafton gave Nvidia a «budget» of one gigabyte of VRAM in order to ensure the graphics card has enough resources to render, well, the graphics. Hence the need to minimize the parameters.

Nvidia is still internally discussing how or whether to unlock the ability to use larger-parameter language models if players have more powerful GPUs. Players may be able to see the difference, as the NPCs «do react more dynamically as they react better to your surroundings with a bigger model,» Riawan said. «Right now, with this, the emphasis is mostly on their thoughts and feelings.»

An early access version of the Smart Zoi feature will go out to all users for free, starting March 28. Nvidia sees it and the Nvidia ACE technology as a stepping stone that could one day lead to truly dynamic NPCs.

«If you have MMORPGs with Nvidia ACE in it, NPCs will not be stagnant and just keep repeating the same dialogue — they can just be more dynamic and generate their own responses based on your reputation or something. Like, Hey, you’re a bad person, I don’t want to sell my goods to you,» Riawan said.

Technologies

In a World Without BlackBerry, Physical Keyboards on Phones Are Making a Comeback

Commentary: You might not even need a new phone to get clicky buttons.

If you have fond memories of clicking away on the BlackBerry, the Palm Treo, the T-Mobile Sidekick or similar handhelds from back in the day, I have good news for you: Phones with keyboards are making a comeback. Sort of.

There’s a growing number of companies looking to bring back clicky, tactile buttons, whether for that nostalgic appeal or to reinvent phone keyboards as an addition to your iPhone or Android device. Some of these have even just announced their plans at CES 2026 or will be bringing these button-filled phones to this year’s Mobile World Congress.

From keyboard cases to modern-day BlackBerry clones, here’s what we know about the potential QWERTY renaissance.

Why are keyboards on phones making a comeback?

It’s difficult to assess the exact turning point for when physical phone keyboards made a comeback, but we have a couple of guesses. Perhaps the biggest reason this is happening is that people rely on their phones as their primary computer. As such, they’re probably typing long emails or editing documentation with just their phone’s touch keyboard.

While that’s perfectly fine for most people, some yearn for the comfort and tactile feel of physical keys. And perhaps getting tired of bad autocorrect errors when typing too quickly.

Another potential case for phones with keyboards is simply the desire for variety. Some people might feel a general fatigue over the familiar look and feel of modern smartphones. Having a handset that functions differently — see the popularity of recent flip and folding phones — is a welcome change.

Plus, phones with keyboards appeal not just to the older generation who miss them, but also to the younger generation who are increasingly into retro tech.

Can I get a BlackBerry in 2026?

Not really. If you want to get a new BlackBerry right out of the factory, you’re out of luck, as the company discontinued hardware production in 2020 and further discontinued its software services in 2022.

You could try to get a BlackBerry on the secondary market (like the TCL-made KeyOne or Key2), but the Android version is outdated and won’t be as functional as other smartphones. Wirecutter’s Brenda Stolyar recently attempted to revive a Blackberry Classic Q20 from 2015 and discovered that, while it can still run modern apps, it takes a lot of patience to sideload them onto the device.

Zinwa is one company that’s buying up old stock of BlackBerry hardware, replacing the internals with new components, installing Android and then reselling them. Its first «product» is the Zinwa Q25, which is essentially a retrofitted BlackBerry Classic. You can buy the finished product for $400 or get a conversion kit for $300.

What keyboard phones and accessories are currently available?

There are several options for keyboard phones on the market.

Clicks keyboard case

The easiest way to get a phone with a keyboard is to turn your existing phone into one. That’s the promise of the Clicks keyboard case, which adds a physical keyboard to most modern smartphones. It made a big splash at CES 2024 and has continued to expand its lineup (we’ll get to that shortly). Simply pop your phone inside the case, and voila, you’ll have a phone with a keyboard.

In our hands-on, we liked the extra screen real estate, how quickly the keyboard interface worked, the preprogrammed keyboard shortcuts and the tactile keys. That said, the keyboard does feel a bit crowded, and it’s unclear if it’s that much more comfortable than the default touch keyboard. Currently, the Clicks keyboard case works with the iPhone 14 and newer, the Razr 2024 and newer and the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro. Its price starts at $139.

There are also plans to release a Clicks Power Keyboard, that attaches to your phone via MagSafe or Qi2 magnetic connection. The Power Keyboard has a slider that accommodates phones of different sizes, plus it can be paired with a tablet, a smart TV or anything that uses Bluetooth. This makes the Power Keyboard much more flexible than the Clicks case, since it doesn’t need to be made for a particular device.

The preorder price is $79, though that could go up in the future.

Clicks Communicator

If you feel ready to get a dedicated keyboard-equipped phone, Clicks also recently announced the Clicks Communicator, an Android smartphone centered around the keyboard experience. It is designed by a former BlackBerry designer to show what a new BlackBerry phone would be like for 2026. It has a slimmed-down interface that prioritizes messaging apps, a text-based home screen and of course, a tactile and clicky keyboard.

As it’s not as full-featured as other modern smartphones, Clicks is positioning the Communicator as a secondary productivity-focused device, which might be a good thing if you’re trying to limit your social media screen time.

It’ll be available later this year for $499, but you can preorder it now for $399.

Unihertz Titan

Unihertz is a Chinese company that’s been making keyboard phones for a few years now. They’re all part of the Titan series and run Android. The current lineup includes the Titan, Titan Pocket, Titan Slim and Titan 2. Plus, an upcoming Titan 2 Elite has been teased for Mobile World Congress. It looks like a curvier addition to the lineup, compared with the other passport-shaped models.

These phones look a lot like BlackBerrys of yore, and the Titan 2 in particular seems to bear a passing resemblance to the BlackBerry Passport.

Prices start at around $300.

Ikko Mind One

The Ikko Mind One is a unique «card-sized» Android phone that comes with an innovative Sony 50-megapixel flip-up camera and, indeed, an optional keyboard case. It also ships with an «Ikko AI OS,» though it’s unclear how that works just yet. It looks utterly adorable, but we haven’t heard enough about it yet.

The Pro version sells for $429.

Minimal Phone

If you combined a Kindle with a BlackBerry, you might have the Minimal Phone. As the name suggests, the Minimal Phone is designed to be a super-simple distraction-free alternative to the modern smartphone. It has a generic e-paper display, a straightforward user interface, a QWERTY keyboard and the Android operating system.

The price starts at $449. You can check out PCMag’s review of the Minimal Phone here.

Which physical phone keyboard should I get?

For now, the easiest way to get a physical keyboard on your phone is likely one of the Clicks accessories, since the keyboard case and power keyboard won’t require a full phone purchase.

For most of these other devices, you’re entering a niche phone category, so support could be all over the place. You’ll want to check how many years of software and security updates these other phones are expected to receive. That way, you can have an idea about how many years of use you can safely get with these phones.

You’ll also want to consider how you want to use the device. If you’re looking for something that’s a step back from a more powerful yet constantly pinging device, the Clicks Communicator or the Minimal Phone might make a good secondary phone. The Unihertz Titan line and the Ikko Mind One may be a closer mimic of that BlackBerry experience.

Technologies

I Asked Audiologists if My Earbuds Are Damaging My Ears

I spoke with ear health experts to learn more about the risks of wearing earbuds and which headphone style is best to prevent hearing loss.

I experienced hearing loss for the first time in early 2025 due to a case of eustachian tube dysfunction, which is when the tube connecting the middle ear to the back of the nose no longer functions properly. Even after I recovered, I was scared it would happen again. So as a wellness writer with 10-plus years of experience who understands the importance of being proactive with my health, I decided to do everything in my power to prevent hearing loss from affecting me again.

While researching ear health tips, I discovered that a common piece of technology, my earbuds, could have been contributing to my hearing issues. To find out if that’s actually the case, I spoke to ear health experts. This is what they had to say, and what they taught me about preserving my ear health.

Earbuds, ear health and hearing risks

Earbuds can pose a few risks, according to Dr. Ruth Reisman, a licensed audiologist and New York hearing aid dispenser. They can trap heat and moisture in the ear, increasing the risk of ear infections. With repeated use, earbuds can also push earwax deeper into the ear, leading to buildup or impaction. Plus, if your earbuds don’t fit correctly or you wear them for long periods, they can cause irritation or soreness in your ear canal.

“Earbuds sit directly in the ear canal, which can increase several risks. The biggest concern is noise-induced hearing loss if volume is too high or listening time is too long,” said Reisman. “I have witnessed all of these problems in the course of my 15 years as an audiologist.”

When you listen to content at high volume, particularly for an extended period, Dan Troast, an audiologist at HearUSA, explains that it can permanently damage the delicate hair cells in your inner ear. Earbud use combined with high volume can cause:

Noise-induced hearing loss
Tinnitus (ringing, buzzing or hissing in the ears)
Sound sensitivity over time

Misusing earbuds is also common. If they don’t have noise cancellation, you might repeatedly turn up the volume to avoid hearing background noise, which can put you in an unsafe listening range fast. However, even listening at a moderate volume can become a problem if you do so for hours each day.

“Early signs of overexposure include temporary muffled hearing or ringing after listening sessions — both are warning signals from the auditory system,” Troast said. Even if you periodically experience temporary ringing in your ears, it can ultimately increase your risk of developing chronic tinnitus.

Earbuds and radiation

In my search for ear health tips, I came across several articles discussing whether wireless Bluetooth earbuds can cause harm through radiation. I asked Reisman if this is true.

“Current scientific evidence doesn’t show that the energy from Bluetooth earbuds causes harm,” she said. “These devices emit far less radiation than cell phones and remain well below established safety limits. From an audiology standpoint, sound exposure is a far greater risk than radiation.”

The 60/60 rule you’ll want to follow if you wear earbuds

Both Reisman and Troast recommend the “60/60 rule” to people who wear earbuds. The 60/60 rule means you listen at no more than 60% of the maximum volume for no more than 60 minutes at a time.

“Daily use is fine if the volume stays safe and ears are given time to rest,” Reisman advises. “I usually tell patients to take a 15- to 20-minute break for every hour of use.”

If you haven’t already, Troast recommends checking whether your devices have built-in hearing health settings that automatically monitor volume exposure. For instance, on your iPhone, Apple Watch or iPad, you can set up headphone notifications to alert you to lower the volume when you’ve reached the seven-day audio exposure limit (such as 80 decibels for 40 hours over seven days). Or, you can activate the Reduce Loud Audio feature to have your headphone volume automatically lowered once it exceeds your set decibel level.

Safer types of headphones for your ears

Over-the-ear headphones are generally safer, according to Reisman, because they sit outside the ear canal and don’t concentrate sound as directly on the eardrum. Since they aren’t in the ear canal like earbuds, they’re also less likely to cause irritation or earwax buildup.

“Over-the-ear headphones can be safer — if they allow for lower listening volumes,” said Troast. “Even better are noise-canceling headphones, which reduce background noise, so listeners don’t feel the need to crank up the volume.” Just make sure you’re still aware of your surroundings, especially if you’re outdoors near traffic.

Open earbuds could also be a safer option. They use bone-conduction technology, which transmits sound through the earbones and the skull rather than directly to the eardrum. «Several headphone companies claim open earbuds are better for your hearing health and are more hygienic,» said David Carnoy, CNET’s resident headphone expert.

Since open earbuds don’t sit inside or cover the ear:

Warmth and moisture, like sweat, won’t build up, which can cause ear infections.
Debris, such as dust, won’t transfer from the earbuds into the ear.
They won’t push earwax deeper in your ear, which can lead to impaction.
Don’t rub or press on the ear canal, reducing discomfort or irritation.

However, if you listen to content at high volumes, no headphone style is completely safe. What matters most for your ear and hearing health is total sound exposure over time, so make sure you’re monitoring your volume level and giving your ears breaks.

Expert earbud tips

If earbuds are your preferred headphone type for listening to your favorite music, shows and podcasts, Troast offers the following tips from an audiology perspective:

Use built-in volume limit settings on smartphones.
Choose noise-canceling earbuds or headphones to avoid increasing volume in loud environments.
Take regular listening breaks.
Avoid sleeping in earbuds.
Get a baseline hearing test, especially if you use earbuds daily.

If you’re already experiencing tinnitus, it’s especially important that you manage your volume level to prevent it from worsening.

Carnoy adds that there have also been instances of people being allergic to the materials used for earbud tips. If you have a known allergy, make sure your earbuds don’t use that material, or replace the tips. If you do have an allergic reaction, stop using the earbud tips until you can find a substitute.

Lastly, Reisman advises keeping your earbuds clean, avoiding sharing them and ensuring they fit properly. Most earbuds come with tips in different sizes, so you can find the right fit for your ear size.

When to see an audiologist or doctor

If you experience ringing in the ears, muffled hearing, ear pain or frequent infections, Reisman recommends you consider an evaluation with an audiologist.

You’ll also want to pay attention to early warning signs of inner ear damage from noise exposure, such as ringing in the ears, difficulty hearing or needing to turn up the volume over time.

If you’re already experiencing hearing loss, Troast said that addressing it with hearing aids can provide relief. Tinnitus, on the other hand, can be treated with evidence-based approaches such as sound therapy or specific counseling strategies.

“Hearing damage is gradual and cumulative,” Reisman said, “but it’s also largely preventable with smart and healthy listening habits.” And that includes using your headphones — or, in my case, earbuds — responsibly.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Feb. 21

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 21.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s the long Saturday version, and some of the clues are stumpers. I was really thrown by 10-Across. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.