While the system has in some ways failed to become the standard, Microsoft continues to support and push its Xbox Play Anywhere cross-buy feature between consoles and PC. Based on a new discovery from data miners, it appears as though Sony / PlayStation may be investigating going down a similar route.

As shared by data miner Amethxst via Twitter, new symbols have appeared in the PSN’s backend, revealing what appears to be a cross-buy system between the PlayStation 5 and PC.

Seemingly coming to both the website and PlayStation app, games on the PS Store may soon include symbols/tags showing (likely first-party) games which are also available on PC alongside PS5.

Though an odd inclusion in and of itself, this appears to be coming in alignment with a new cross-buy system. How this will function is currently unknown as in the case of Xbox Play Anywhere, users are given a PC copy of the game via the Xbox store on PC.

Seeing as how Sony’s PC titles have been published through the likes of Steam and the Epic Games Store, it will be interesting to see whether Sony is planning to set up some sort of PlayStation launcher on PC.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this leak? Do you believe it? How do you think Sony would implement something like cross-buy? Let us know down below.

The post Data miner uncovers potential cross-buy feature coming to PlayStation games first appeared on KitGuru.

It's been three years since the AMD AM5 motherboard platform and the 600-series motherboards launched. Since its launch, the platform has seen the launch of several CPUs in the Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000, and Ryzen 9000 families. While the 600-series motherboards provide great features & compatibility with newer Zen 5 CPUs, motherboard makers are always looking to enhance user experiences through the latest technologies, so AMD has introduced a new chipset line called the 800-series. Now, AMD has introduced both X870 and B850 series chipsets for high-end and mainstream AM5 motherboards. Both of these chips provide brand-new designs and brand-new […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/asrock-x870e-taichi-ocf-motherboard-review-first-oc-formula-for-the-am5-platform-brings-top-notch-oc-features/

Last week, we reported on a discovery by some fans which seemed to suggest that Sony’s remote play PlayStation Portal handheld could receive extended functionality via an upcoming and impending firmware update. Sure enough, Sony has now officially announced library cloud streaming; a new UI and much more.

Making the announcement on the PlayStation Blog, the Senior Manager for Product Management ‘Takuro Fushimi’ wrote:

“Today, we’re excited to share that PS Portal is receiving one of its biggest updates yet. Starting on November 6 at 2am GMT, Cloud Streaming for PS5 Games officially launches on PS Portal for PlayStation Plus Premium members, along with a variety of new features that enhance how you can play.”

The full blog post can be found HERE, but the most notable addition is of course the aforementioned cloud streaming. Prior to this update, Cloud streaming on the Portal was limited to titles available through PlayStation Plus. Now, Portal owners will be able to stream their own library of games through the cloud instead of relying on it being on PS Plus Extra/Premium. The full list of supported titles can be found HERE.

Beyond this however, the Portal has also received a bunch of other ancillary improvements/additions, including:

• Redesigned UI featuring:
  • Remote Play home screen
  • Cloud Streaming home screen
  • Search screen
• 3D Audio Support
• Passcode Lock
• Network Status Screen
• In-Game Store to view / purchase games
• New accessibility options
• Game Invitations

While the Portal may still be far from the PSP 3 which many have been hoping for, it is encouraging at the very least to see Sony continue to support the PS Portal in a pretty major way.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this firmware update? Are any of these features game-changers? Do you believe that Sony is working on a dedicated local handheld? Let us know down below.

The post PlayStation Portal gets cloud streaming improvements, new UI and more in major update first appeared on KitGuru.

The ALLIWAVA GH9 breaks from the usual Mini-PC mold with a tall Cyberpunk-esque hexagonal case. Its Core i9-12900HK CPU, 32 GB RAM, and 1 TB SSD make it strong for everyday work and multitasking. Graphics hold it back, with DDR4 limiting the Iris Xe iGPU against newer rivals. At $500–$550, it’s a capable productivity box with dual 2.5 GbE, Thunderbolt 4, and a unique style.

During the early launch months for the Switch 2, Nintendo made sure to treat the last-gen Switch as a contemporary console, continuing to support the nearly 9 year old hardware with new first-party titles. While this may still be the case, Nintendo has now confirmed that they “will shift our primary development focus to Nintendo Switch 2.”

As part of Nintendo’s most recent fiscal earnings report, the Switch maker not only revealed updated sales stats for their consoles and first-party titles, but also spoke on their development plans moving forward.

In a section of the presentation describing the Switch 2 as “the new standard for Nintendo Switch” the console maker revealed how they are now going all-in on Switch 2 software, writing:

“Going forward, we will shift our primary development focus to Nintendo Switch 2 and expand our business around this new platform.”

Given that the Switch 2 is Nintendo’s latest console, you would expect this to be the case. That said, earlier this year in April, the then-president for Nintendo of America ‘Doug Bowser‘ claimed that the Switch 1 was still a core part of their ecosystem. In addition, there are still a few first-party Switch 1 titles to be released, including the upcoming Metroid Prime 4.

It will be interesting to see whether any more NEW Nintendo titles get announced for the last-gen machine, or if they truly are moving on

.KitGuru says: What do you think of this latest claim? Have the true Switch 2 exclusives been good enough to satisfy? Let us know down below.

The post “Primary development focus” has shifted to Switch 2 according to Nintendo first appeared on KitGuru.

LC-Power has only been making gaming monitors since 2019 and the company launched its first OLED offerings earlier this year. Today we're assessing the 27in model, utilising the same 4K/240Hz Samsung QD-OLED panel as MSI's 272URX and AOC's AG276UZD. It promises up to 1000 nits peak brightness, infinite contrast and near-instant response times, all at the attractive price of just £669 here in the UK. Let's find out if it's worth buying.

On the topic of pricing and availability, so far I've only found the LC-Power M27UO listed on Amazon, but the £669 asking price makes it £30 cheaper than both the AOC AG276UZD and MSI 272URX, though the latter appears to be a temporary deal and the £999 MSRP is significantly more expensive. Still, it goes to show just how competitive the OLED market has become, so let's take a look and see what the M27UO can bring to the party.

Specification:

• Display size: 26.5″ / 67.31 cm
• Resolution: 4K Ultra HD / 3840×2160 pixels
• Screen refresh rate: 240 Hz
• Panel type: QD-OLED / anti-reflective (AR)
• Picture format: 16:9
• Brightness:
  • APL 100%: 250 nits
  • APL 10%: 450 nits
  • APL 3%: 1000 nits
• Contrast ratio: 1,500,000:1
• Dynamic contrast ratio: 1,500,000:1
• Screen colors: 1.07 B / 10 bit
• Viewing angle: H: 178° / V: 178°
• Pixel pitch: 589.97 (H) x 332.93 (V)
• Response time: 0.03 ms OD
• Video/USB ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DP 1.4, 2x USB-A, 1x USB-C (Video/Data/PD)
• Speakers: 2x 5 W (integrated)
• Audio out: 1x 3.5mm jack
• Included items: Monitor, stand, DP cable, manual, mains adapter, mounting material
• Features: Adaptive Sync, Game Plus, Low Blue, PiP/PbP, FPS/RTS, Flicker-Free, KVM switch, HDR400, VESA-compatible, height-adjustable stand
• Rear: black/anthracite with LED lighting
• Stand: anthracite
• Dimensions:
  • Without stand: 611 x 352 x 65 mm
  • With stand: 611 x 567 x 311 mm
• Packaging: 810 x 476 x 184 mm
• Tilt angle: -5° ~ 20°
• Swivel range: ±20°
• Pivot: ±90°
• Height adjustment: 120 mm
• VESA suspension: 75 x 75 mm
• Product / Total: 5.55 / 7.9 kg
• Warranty: 3 years

The post LC-Power M27UO Review (4K/240Hz QD-OLED) first appeared on KitGuru.

Since its launch in 2022, the Steam Deck has only improved with time, receiving countless new features and quality of life improvements through relatively consistent updates. As part of the Steam Deck’s beta branch, users will finally be able to download titles while the screen is off in an update which has been a long time coming.

Though it may seem like a relatively minor feature given that it has existed on the likes of smartphones for over a decade, being able to download games/updates while the Steam Deck’s screen is off has been a long-requested yet doubtful hope from owners of the handheld.

In a welcome announcement however, Valve has now unveiled their new low-power download mode – “enabling [Steam Deck] to complete all active downloads in a new display-off low-power mode, before going to sleep.”

This new functionality will be enabled by default while on charge, and can be set to work on battery power as well. Interestingly, it appears to be a different system entirely compared to the Deck’s typical sleep mode, with Valve explaining that “when this feature is active on battery power, Steam Deck will automatically go to full sleep mode if the battery level falls below 20%.”

Ever since the Steam Deck first arrived years ago, the lack of a screen-off download option has been frustrating. As such, this feature is highly welcome to see. Hopefully the update makes its way to the stable channels soon enough.

KitGuru says: Are you glad to see this feature implemented? Has the lack of a screen-off download option bothered you? Let us know down below.

The post Steam Deck beta update brings major improvements to game downloads first appeared on KitGuru.

A few months ago, we reviewed GameSir's top-of-the-line G7 Pro controller, which we found to be one of the best mid-range Xbox controllers, offering excellent build quality, aesthetics, functionality, and performance. The same month, WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers was released, and GameSir recently came up with a game-inspired design for the G7 Pro, which we have with us today. Since we have already reviewed that controller, we won't be doing the same thing in this post, but will instead take a look at the aesthetics and also include some numbers, which we didn't previously. G7 Pro WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers edition doesn't […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/gamesir-g7-pro-wuchang-fallen-feathers-edition-controller-review/

Metroid Prime 4 is right around the corner after being teased since 2017, and Samus Aran is drifting smoother than ever with her slick new motorbike. Ahead of the long-delayed game's December 4th launch, Nintendo has dropped another trailer, this time showcasing the Switch 2 version of the game at a super-clean 4K 60 FPS and showing more gameplay

Nintendo continues to roll out mobile apps that make it easier for fans to access its games, content, services and the latest news. Now, the just launched Nintendo Store app, aims to streamline the process of buying systems, games, accessories and merchandise. Additionally, it comes with a neat feature that fans will get a kick out of. Users

One-Netbook's highly anticipated OneXPlayer OneXFly Apex handheld has finally received US pricing and release date information after being announced in late September and launching in China last month. We also have a clearer look at the handheld's external liquid cooling AIO solution (pictured above), and have learned that it costs about $60

The Steam Deck just got a smart quality-of-life update that allows it to stretch further into the realm of proper dedicated gaming devices. Valve has added a new display-off, low-power mode that lets the handheld finish downloading games or updates before it goes fully to sleep—perfect for queueing up those big game installs overnight. The

Cooler Master has unveiled the Qube 540, a new 40L compact case with a heavy focus on builder flexibility. Following the geometric design of the Qube series, this new model is designed to be built in either a vertical or horizontal orientation, giving builders more choice when piecing together their rig. 

Despite its smaller footprint, the Qube 540 is built to handle high-performance hardware. The chassis supports motherboards from ITX up to E-ATX (as wide as 280mm) and has clearance for flagship graphics cards up to 415mm in length. For cooling, the case accommodates 360mm liquid-cooling radiators and supports CPU cooling towers up to 172mm in height.

The interior is modular, allowing builders to adjust the layout for components and airflow, and the I/O panel and handles can be repositioned. Available in dark grey and light grey, the case features one pre-installed 120mm fan at the rear and can accommodate a 3.5-inch drive, as well as up to three 2.5-inch drives. Additionally, it features dust filters on the top, bottom, and front.

Another interesting thing about the Qube 540 is its emphasis on 3D-printed customization. Cooler Master is providing official and community-developed open-source 3D files for owners to print their own accessories. To support this, the company is collaborating with 3D-printing firm Prusa to make these add-ons more accessible to builders.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE

KitGuru says: The Qube 540 looks like an improvement over the previous Qube cases. Would you be interested in building with one of these?

The post Cooler Master launches modular Qube 540 chassis first appeared on KitGuru.

While Contraband was announced in 2021 with a planned 2022 release date, the game continued to face delays and as a result, Microsoft ultimately pulled the publishing deal for the title. It is still unclear whether or not Avalanche will be able to revive the project, but in the meantime, newly leaked screenshots have given us a good look at what could have been. 

Contraband was going to be an open-world co-op shooter set in a fictional Southeast Asia inspired country, with a mix of 1970s flavour. The game would have seen players teaming up to smuggle contraband across borders, engage in black market trading and go on heists. The game was described officially as a “smuggler's paradise”.

In the gallery above, you can see some of the screenshots discovered by MP1st. These screenshots are primarily concept art, rather than a look at the final product, but it shows some of the UI menus and character portraits. Notably though, the character portraits in particular were not final and were merely in place for prototyping purposes.

It is unclear what Avalanche Studios will move on to next. Contraband is seemingly not coming out and recently, it came to light that the studio doesn't have full control over the Just Cause IP, and with the previous instalment not achieving high commercial success, along with the fact that many of the Just Cause creators are no longer with Avalanche, it is unlikely that we'll see Just Cause 5 instead.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Due to the Just Cause 2 multiplayer mod, Avalanche spent a lot of effort transforming into a multiplayer-first studio. Unfortunately, projects like Generation Zero failed to catch on and without some extra backing, Contraband may never see the light of day. 

The post Concept art leaks for cancelled Avalanche game ‘Contraband’ first appeared on KitGuru.

Recently, the Japanese patent office rejected Nintendo's application for a patent what would cover monster capturing and throwing mechanics, something that could serve quite the blow to the company's ongoing lawsuit against the creators of Palworld. Now, the US version of this patent, which Nintendo was granted earlier this year, is also in trouble, as the USPTO is now re-examining the patent's validity. 

Nintendo filed for patents covering monster catching, throwing and battle mechanics earlier this year in an effort to leverage those patents against PocketPair, the studio behind Palworld. While Palworld does take some inspiration from Pokémon, it is by and large a very different game to anything GameFreak has ever made. When the patent filings were initially reported, many came out to state that they should not be validated, as the vague language could impact hundreds of games, both new and old, not just Palworld.

As spotted by Gamesfray, the director of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), John Squires, has now ordered that Nintendo's recently granted patent be re-examined, as conflict has been found with a previous patent from Konami, who also seemingly has a claim over automatic and manual sub-character summoning and battle mechanics.

This doesn't mean that the patent will automatically be revoked, but in a sensible world, it would be. The patent is worded in such a way that could impact all kinds of games, from Ark: Survival Evolved, to Monster Hunter and many, many more.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While Palworld may have some Pokémon flavour in the form of its monster designs, Nintendo isn't suing over that. Instead, it is suing over mechanics that have existed in many different games for decades. If this is allowed to go ahead, it will hamper a lot of potential future innovation. 

The post US Patent Office to ‘re-examine’ crucial Nintendo patent at centre of Palworld lawsuit first appeared on KitGuru.

Following the ransomware attack on Insomniac a couple of years ago, a roadmap from the studio began doing the rounds, claiming that Insomniac would move on from Wolverine and Spider-Man in the coming years to focus on an X-Men series of games. Recent comments from Marvel Games seem to hint at that roadmap being accurate.

Speaking with Game Informer, Marvel Games head, Haluk Mentes, confirmed that they plan on working with Insomniac well into the future, beyond next year's release of Marvel's Wolverine, which will launch as a PS5 exclusive, but is also expected to release on PC eventually.

Here is the relevant quote:

“We have been working together for more than a decade and developed such a shorthand across multiple Marvel’s Spider-Man games that when the time finally came to bring Logan back in spectacular and visceral fashion, it was obvious to everyone on our team that Insomniac was the perfect choice. It was our shared culture and values that brought us together, and we’re so proud to continue collaborating for many years to come.”

The leaked roadmap claims that after Wolverine's release in 2026, Insomniac will be focusing on getting Spider-Man 3 out of the door by late 2028. After that, X-Men games will begin dropping starting from 2030. This timeline fits with Mentes' statement that Marvel and Insomniac plan to continue working together “for many years to come”. Interestingly, it was also previously claimed in leaks that the X-Men games will be multiplatform from the get-go, so we could see an end to the timed exclusivity on PlayStation.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Insomniac struggled to juggle multiple major characters in Spider-Man 2, with one of the game's biggest drawbacks being the constant shift between Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Hopefully that is an area that will improve, because an X-Men game would require a lot more shifting between character perspectives.

The post Marvel teases plans for more Insomniac-led superhero games first appeared on KitGuru.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is launching very soon. Ahead of the game's November 14th release, Activision has now confirmed the final PC system requirements for the game, with minimum & recommended specs, alongside an Ultra specification guideline for those looking to play at 4K or chasing extremely high frame rates. 

At a minimum, players will need a system equipped with a 1st generation AMD Ryzen 5 processor, or a 6th Gen Intel Core i5, along with 8GB of RAM and a Radeon RX 470 or GeForce GTX 970 or Intel Arc A580 graphics card. In all cases, it is recommended that you run the game on an SSD rather than a traditional hard drive, and you'll need 116GB of space to install the game, a number that is likely to grow overtime, as is often the case with Call of Duty each year.

Here are the remaining recommended and Ultra PC system requirements:

Recommended Specifications

Recommended specs to run at 60FPS in most situations with all options set to high:

• OS: Windows 11 64 Bit (latest update)
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600X or Intel Core i7-6700K
• RAM: 12 GB
• Video Card: AMD Radeon RX 6600XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 or Intel Arc B580
• Video Memory: 8 GB
• Storage Space: SSD with 116 GB available space

Competitive / Ultra 4k

Competitive specs to run at a high FPS for use with a high refresh monitor, and Ultra specs to run the game at a high FPS in 4K resolution.

• OS: Windows 11 64 Bit (latest update)
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X or Intel Core i7-10700K
• RAM: 16 GB
• Video Card: AMD Radeon RX 9070XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 / 5070
• Video Memory: 16 GB
• Storage Space: SSD with 116 GB available space at launch

The specifications are roughly in line with the requirements for the beta. If you were able to run the beta well, then you should have no issues running the final release when it drops next week.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Are you planning on grabbing Black Ops 7?

The post Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 PC system requirements confirmed first appeared on KitGuru.

Prior to EA's confirmation that Battlefield 6 sold 7 million copies at launch, analysts at Alinea Analytics predicted the result. Now with October fully behind us, they've updated their sales estimates to 10 million. 

Battlefield 6 has already surpassed 10 million copies sold, according to data from Alinea Analytics. Speaking with GI.biz, the analyst firm said that a lot of this popularity is being generated on the PC market, so we may not see Battlefield overtake Call of Duty this year, as Black Ops 7 is expected to generate more sales on consoles.

The analyst also reckons that despite the perception of good will for Battlefield and distaste for Call of Duty amongst many gamers at the moment, these factors are not expected to significantly impact sales. Of course, we have seen confidence in Call of Duty falter once or twice over the years, most notably with Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Call of Duty: Vanguard, but the series has consistently bounced back and retained industry-leading sales.

We'll see just how well Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 performs very soon, as the game is due to drop on the 14th of November.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Have you been playing Battlefield 6 since launch? Will you also be picking up this year's Call of Duty? 

The post Battlefield 6 has surpassed 10 million copies sold, with PC leading the charge first appeared on KitGuru.

Mchose has launched its latest mechanical keyboard, the Ace 68 Turbo, targeting the competitive gaming market. The new model is built around Hall-effect magnetic switches and features a dual-chip architecture. The keyboard has an MSRP of $119, but it is currently available for a promotional launch price. 

The Ace 68 Turbo (via Xiaomi Today) features a dual-core, dual-chip design specifically designed to manage its 16K polling rate. Mchose claims this configuration delivers a 0.06 ms response time, intended to ensure stable input during gaming. The board utilises North Pole magnetic (Hall Effect) switches, which avoid physical contact for actuation. This design should reduce wear and maintain a smooth press over the keyboard's lifespan.

The hardware is housed in an aluminum chassis for a solid, durable build. On the software side, the keyboard features “RT Smart control”, which allows users to customise the actuation point of individual keys to suit their preference. The Ace 68 Turbo also includes “Self-adaptive dynamic calibration 2.0” technology, which Mchose states automatically aligns key response based on ambient conditions.

Connectivity is handled via tri-mode support, including wired USB, 2.4 GHz wireless, and Bluetooth, making it compatible with a wide range of devices. Users can manage settings through the Mchose software, which handles key remapping, macro creation, and the multi-zone RGB lighting. Customers can pay an $8 deposit to secure a $40 discount, dropping the price of the keyboard to $79.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you think a 16K polling rate is overkill, or is it just the next step for the peripheral market?

The post The world’s first 16K polling keyboard has arrived first appeared on KitGuru.

When AMD revealed the Ryzen AI Max 300 series, also known by its codename "Strix Halo", there were only three models: the eight-core 385, the twelve-core 390, and the 16-core "Max+ 395". That plus sign on the "Max" in the product name is meaningful; it indicates that the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has the complete GPU, with no less than 20 RDNA 3.5

Tonight will host what scientists have confirmed to the biggest, brightest full moon of the entire year. Some know it better as a supermoon, which is a full moon near its perigee (or closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit). This closeness means that the lunar disc will be visually stunning, shining up to 30% brighter and presenting

More Black Friday discounts are appearing by the day. Earlier this week, we highlighted a fantastic early Black Friday deal on a premium Samsung wireless soundbar system (as well as several other soundbars), and now we're turning our attention to a batch of discounted gaming laptops rocking GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs. Game on, folks! Gigabyte

Murmurs of Apple releasing a lower-cost MacBook to compete in the budget laptop segment are growing louder. If such a device comes to fruition, Apple would find itself competing with the likes of cheaper Chromebooks and entry-level Windows PCs, whereas traditionally the company has primarily focused its efforts on more premium categories. It's

The FX360 LCD marks ID-Cooling's entry into the display-equipped AIO market. With daisy-chainable fans, user-friendly installation, solid performance, and an impressively low noise output, this cooler appears to cover all bases. It's safe to say ID-Cooling are hitting their stride!