The rumour mill is buzzing again about Valve's long-awaited next entry in the Half-Life series. According to rumours, the game is currently “playable end-to-end”, which would mean that Valve may make a full announcement later this year. 

In a video posted on YouTube, Tyler McVicker, known for reporting on Valve rumors, has stated that Half-Life 3 is entirely playable, and an official reveal might be around the corner. Although a shadowdrop is unlikely for a game like this, there's always a first time for everything. However, the leaker stated that the release date is likely set for later this year. For reference, Half-Life Alyx was first announced in November 2019, before releasing in March 2020.

Beyond McVicker's insights, there have been other clues recently. In March, Valve concept artist Evgeniy Evstratiy reportedly claimed to have been in the room where Valve created Half-Life 3. In the same month, fellow Valve leaker Gabe Follower suggested the game will mark the “end of Gordon's adventure”. Internet rumblings have also uncovered code mentioning “HLX”, widely assumed to be the codename for Half-Life 3, appearing in recent updates to Valve titles like Deadlock and Dota 2.

KitGuru says: Do you believe Valve will reveal Half-Life 3 soon? 

Warhorse Studios' Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is proving to be a major hit, quickly racking up impressive sales figures. The studio has announced that the game has officially sold over three million copies just three months and one day after its release, solidifying its position as one of the most successful games of 2025 so far. In addition, the developer also announced that the first game has sold a total of 10 million copies.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 broke the two million sales mark in February and added another million in just over two months. While the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance has sold over ten million copies to date, reports from March indicated the sequel outsold its predecessor five times over during their respective first months on the market. This strong start suggests that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 might surpass the original's lifetime sales total.

A combination of factors is likely driving these strong sales figures. The game received excellent reviews at launch (90 over at OpenCritic), with critics praising its evolution from the 2018 original. Word-of-mouth from players has also clearly translated into sales. Warhorse Studios' commitment to post-launch support hasn't hurt either, with the studio providing free content updates for the game.

Players can also look forward to plenty more content soon. Warhorse Studios recently unveiled details about the game's first expansion, which is set to be released later this month, in May 2025. It has also been reported that three paid DLCs are planned for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 throughout 2025, so there's still much to come for this medieval RPG.

KitGuru says: Have you tried any of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance games? Which one was your favourite?

While Skype was at one point the dominant VOIP software in the market, over the 2010s, Microsoft saw a rapid decline in users thanks to competing technologies and nowadays, services like Discord, Microsoft Teams and Zoom have essentially replaced Skype entirely. Now, Microsoft is shutting Skype down for good. 

Microsoft officially announced plans to shut down Skype earlier this year, citing the emergence of Microsoft Teams as a key reason behind the shutdown. Rather than working on two competing VOIP apps at once, Microsoft is cutting Skype off and focusing all future efforts on Teams.

The shutdown date happens to be today, May 5th. After today, Skype will no longer be functional, and you won't be able to continue making calls, or access Skype's Premium features.

At its peak, Skype attracted over 300 million users, a figure that had dropped to around 36 million in 2023 – a number that I personally find quite hard to believe given how irrelevant Skype has become over the past five years.

KitGuru Says: When was the last time you used Skype? Are you sad to see it go, or have you moved over to another platform already?

In an unexpected shift for a studio long synonymous with the genre, Codemasters is officially stepping away from rally racing simulators. While Formula One has become their primary focus under EA, rally sims have been an integral part of Codemasters' identity for decades, from the days of Colin McRae Rally to the Dirt series.

In an official blog post, the studio revealed they are ceasing development support for EA Sports WRC and ending their WRC cooperation after just one game. Not only that, but Codemasters stated they do not intend to create any further rally racing simulations for the time being.

As some may have anticipated following this significant shift, the studio has confirmed that layoffs sadly accompany this transition. Speaking to VGC, Codemasters confirmed they are “eliminating roles” as they complete their rally development pipeline. The exact number of affected positions wasn't specified, though the studio noted that efforts are being made to reassign some employees to other EA Sports projects and teams.

These layoffs at Codemasters are not isolated incidents within EA. They come shortly after EA announced broader job cuts affecting around 300 positions across the company, which reportedly included Respawn Entertainment cutting about 100 staff and cancelling a Titanfall extraction shooter project. Unfortunately, this also marks the second time Codemasters has recently had to reduce its workforce, having also laid off staff in December 2023.

KitGuru says: Did you play any of Codemasters' rally games? Which one was your favourite?

If you've been following Raccoon Logic in anticipation of Revenge of the Savage Planet coming out, then you're probably already aware of the journey the studio has been through to get here. Founded in Montreal in 2017 as an independent team under the name Typhoon Studios and acquired two years later by Google, Typhoon would end up being hit by the collateral damage caused by Google not knowing what to do with Stadia. When Stadia was shuttered, Typhoon went with it. And, as we've seen before in video games, it didn't matter that their first game, Journey to the Savage […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/revenge-of-the-savage-planet-review-funny-beautiful-and-tedious/

Last year, a writer sued Bungie, claiming that Destiny 2's Red War campaign copied from his own stories published online. The Red War campaign was the original set of story missions that launched with Destiny 2. This campaign hasn't been available in Destiny 2 for several years at this stage and now, that fact is causing issues for Bungie as it attempts to fight the lawsuit. 

Bungie filed to have the lawsuit dismissed, claiming that its Red War campaign is ‘demonstrably' different to this author's writings. However, as the Red War missions now sit locked in the Bungie Content Vault, Bungie cannot actually ‘demonstrate' the differences at all.

As reported by VGC, Bungie tried to explain to the court that this ‘legacy' content can no longer be accessed and as a result, it can't be provided to the court in any “operable or reviewable form”. To work around this, Bungie submitted YouTube videos showcasing Destiny 2's launch campaign, as well as Wiki articles explaining the story events that are no longer present in the live game.

The judge ultimately ruled that third-party retellings of the Destiny 2 campaign can't be considered as evidence as their “authenticity has not been established”.

As a result, the case will move forward, which could lead to Bungie having to waste time and resources going through an expensive trial process.

KitGuru Says: My question here is if content can't be brought back out of the ‘Content Vault', then what purpose does it serve? 

Call of Duty 2025 will be announced within the next few months and we're starting to hear more rumblings about the changes this year's game will bring. One of the big changes may be coming to monetisation, as one prominent leaker claims that Activision plans to make limited time modes exclusive to the Battle Pass. 

Currently, Call of Duty has many limited time modes that appear for a few weeks or months at a time, before being retired. These modes, like last year's limited-time Squid Games event, often garner a lot of traction and have become a core part of the annual COD experience.

According to COD leaker, GhostofHope, in COD 2025, limited time modes will no longer be free for all players and will instead be locked behind the Battle Pass.

This is not great news considering that this year will also likely see Call of Duty rising to $80 for the standard edition at launch. Microsoft announced last week that it intends to begin pricing some of its first-party games at $80, with premium editions rising to $100 or more.

KitGuru Says: For me, this might be the last straw for COD. I tend to only play the game for a couple of weeks at a time and it is often the limited time mode pushing me to reinstall. If all of that gets locked behind a battle pass, my few weeks a year of playtime is going to turn into zero weeks a year. 

Back at CES, many attendees were shocked to see one company showing off a Nintendo Switch 2 right there on the show floor. The company known as Genki, had boldly brought along a Switch 2 dummy unit to showcase its upcoming accessories for the unannounced console. Now, Nintendo is suing them. 

Nintendo has filed a lawsuit in California, targeting Genki parent company, Human Things. The lawsuit alleges that Genki committed trademark infringement and false advertising when it brought its fake Switch 2 model to CES. Nintendo didn't officially detail the Switch 2 and all of its features until April, four months after CES.

In the lawsuit (via VGC) Nintendo puts together a timeline of events, beginning in December 2024, when Genki tweeted at Gamestop CEO, Ryan Cohen, saying: “Would love to DM you with some of the launch Switch 2 accessories we are working on”. They then took things a step further by bringing those accessories to CES in January 2025, along with 3D-printed mock-ups of the Switch 2 console.

The lawsuit also takes issue with Genki's media interviews, claiming that in these interviews, employees confirmed “specific, highly confidential designs and functionality of the not-yet announced Nintendo Switch 2”.

Nintendo alleges that Genki's actions were an attempt to “confuse the public as to whether Genki had access to a Nintendo Switch 2 and/or an affiliation with Nintendo”.

KitGuru Says: The lawsuit has just been filed, so Human Things / Genki have not yet responded. They'll have 30 days to respond to the lawsuit with their own filings, so there should be an update soon. 

Tyler Mcvicker became a well-known figure in the Valve fandom during the run-up to Half-Life Alyx, after leaking many accurate details about the game prior to Valve's official announcement. Now with Valve seemingly working on a new Half-Life game, Mcvicker is making news once again with claims that the game could be launching later this year. 

According to his latest video, the new Half-Life game from Valve is not a VR title. The game is said to be undergoing an extensive round of playtesting right now, which opens the door up for a Summer announcement followed by a Q4 release. It is also speculated that the new Half-Life title may open things up for a multiverse, as Portal's Chell may make an appearance.

With Half-Life Alyx, Valve announced the game in November 2019, followed by a release in 2020, so while fans may hope for a traditional Summer announcement – Holiday release timeline, Valve tends to operate on its own timeline and has never really cared for industry norms. When Valve is ready to announce something, it will do so itself, right on Steam, without any real build up.

Everything we know about the next Half-Life game has been revealed by datamined code. This is the same way details about Half-Life Alyx leaked well before the game's announcement.

KitGuru Says: I'm not sure Valve will use the title Half-Life 3, but at the very least, Valve is working on a new single-player Half-Life game, featuring content and mechanics not seen in any of the previous games. 

Asus has just announced its latest pre-built desktop PC, the TUF Gaming T500. While it looks like an ordinary gaming system from the outside, it happens that this system utilises Intel's 13th Gen mobile CPU, The Core i7-13620H with a desktop RTX 5060 Ti graphics card. 

Measuring 15.55 x 29.64 x 35.68 cm, the T500 can be configured with some potent components for its size. It's available with up to an Intel Core i7-13620H CPU, featuring six P-cores and eight E-cores with a maximum boost clock of 5.0GHz, providing ample processing power. Graphics are handled by up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti GPU, offering strong performance for modern gaming and creative applications with support for the latest features. Memory options go up to a generous 32GB of DDR5 RAM clocked at 5200MHz (support for up to 64GB), while storage can reach up to 2TB via a speedy PCIe 4.0 SSD for fast game load times. All this is powered by an 80+ Platinum PSU with either 330W or 500W of power.

Visually, the TUF Gaming T500 embraces a mecha anime-inspired design aesthetic. Builders have a choice of side panels, with options for a translucent panel to showcase the internal components or a solid metal side panel with an “X” mesh for a more understated look. Subtle lighting on the front of the machine illuminates the front I/O panel.

True to the TUF Gaming brand, the T500 desktop meets MIL-STD durability standards. It has undergone rigorous testing against environmental stresses like drops, temperature extremes, and vibration to ensure reliability.

KitGuru says: This is a very compact system, making it ideal for student living. 

MSI is preparing to launch a new 4K OLED gaming monitor, potentially offering a more streamlined, value-oriented option in their OLED lineup. Named MAG 272UP X24, this 26.5-inch model features a latest-generation QD-OLED panel boasting a 240Hz maximum refresh rate.

As expected from an OLED panel, the MAG 272UP X24 offers a near-instantaneous 0.03ms response time for sharp motion, alongside a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio. Colour performance is robust with a Delta-E value of less than 2, a 10-bit colour depth and wide colour coverage, hitting 138% sRGB, 99% DCI-P3, 98% Adobe RGB. HDR highlights can reach up to 1,000 cd/m² peak, while SDR luminance is rated at 250 cd/m². Moreover, it carries DisplayHDR True Black 400 and ClearMR 13000 certifications.

For gamers, the monitor supports Adaptive Sync technology to prevent screen tearing, and its HDMI 2.1 inputs mean it can handle 4K at 120 Hz with VRR from modern consoles. On-screen gaming features include an AI-supported black stabiliser and a smart crosshair overlay. There's also a handy feature to convert the display to a 24.5-inch mode for potentially higher frame rates and reduced input latency in fast-paced games.

Port selection includes two HDMI 2.1 inputs, one DisplayPort 1.4a, a headphone output, and a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort (alt. mode and 15 W of PD). It's worth noting that this model does not have a standard USB hub, suggesting a focus on core display functionality. The stand is versatile, offering tilt, swivel, pivot, and 110mm of height adjustment, plus standard 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility. The monitor incorporates MSI's OLED Care 2.0 suite of features to combat OLED burn-in, including a fanless custom heatsink and a three-year warranty.

KitGuru says: Although pricing is still unknown for Western regions, this monitor is the cheapest MSI 4K QD-OLED monitor for sale in China. Hopefully, the same will happen on this side of the globe.

Intel has a new hardware game bundle available. Over the next few months, those buying an 14th Gen Intel Core CPU, or an Intel Core Ultra CPU, will be eligible to claim free codes for two games – Dying Light: The Beast and Civilization VII. 

This new bundle includes a selection of games and creative tools. Gamers can get a free key for the upcoming Dying Light: The Beast, which is set to be released sometime in summer 2025. They'll also receive a key for the recently released Sid Meier's Civilization VII. On the software side, the bundle adds valuable creative tools, including Vegas Pro 365, XSplit Premium Suite, and Canvid.

Intel includes a broad range of processors in this promotion, covering recent and current generations. Eligible CPUs include models from the Core Ultra 100, Core Ultra 200 series, and the 14th Generation Core series. This covers many variants, including desktop K and T-series processors and mobile H and HX-series chips, meaning desktop and laptop users can qualify.

Claim your items by August 15th, 2025, and use the provided codes by September 15th, 2025. You can learn more about the bundle on its website.

KitGuru says: Are you planning an upgrade in the near future? 

The latest episode of the podcast features the musings of J. Hellstrom, background art by J. Hellstrom, and several segments written - in large part - by J. Hellstrom.  In a way,…

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Just days after rumours suggesting AMD might be reconsidering or even cancelling the 8GB variant of their upcoming Radeon RX 9060 XT desktop graphics card, a new report refutes those claims. According to this new report, citing reputable sources close to AMD board partners, the 8GB RX 9060 XT is, in fact, still very much on schedule.

According to Benchlife (via VideoCardz), the initial rumour about the 8GB model's potential cancellation stemmed from the poor market and review reception of Nvidia's competing RTX 5060 Ti 8GB. As seen by various media outlets and independent reviewers, that card struggled with VRAM limitations in some modern titles.

Countering this, Benchlife's sources reportedly indicate that the 8GB RX 9060 XT variant is not only still planned, but production is already underway. However, while the variant itself isn't cancelled, the report does claim that the 8GB version of the RX 9060 XT may not get a traditional rollout to the wider DIY PC market and may end up being reserved for OEMs and system integrators.

KitGuru says: With games nowadays demanding more and more VRAM, we would like to see the industry push for more 12GB+ GPUs, particularly in the £200 to £400 market segment. 

Evil Dead: The Game only just came out in 2022 but this week, the game mysteriously began disappearing from store fronts. At this point, the game is no longer available to purchase on Steam, PlayStation and Xbox. Now, publisher and developer, Saber Interactive, has spoken out. 

Saber Interactive did not comment on the game's removal earlier this week when fans first found the game missing from the PSN, Epic Games and Steam Stores. Now with the game's delisting completed, Saber has finally confirmed that yes, the game is going away.

Here is Saber Interactive's full statement on the matter (via VGC):

“We can confirm we’ve begun the process of removing the game from digital storefronts. Anyone who has purchased the game will still be able to play it as we plan to keep our servers online for everyone. We want to extend a sincere thank you to our community, to those who have been part of the game from the very beginning, and those who have recently joined us. We appreciate all of your support.”

Typically when a game is going to be delisted, developers will give fans a heads up, leaving the door open for last-minute purchases before a game disappears for good. Saber unfortunately did not take that approach here, keeping its licensing details secret until the very end.

KitGuru Says: The handling of this has been abysmal, but it wouldn't be the first time that Saber Interactive has failed to communicate with its audience effectively. 

KitGuru was first introduced to the Lian Li Lancool 217 at CES this year and our first impressions were excellent. Happily the time has now come for a full review of this chassis which is landing at £110 here in the UK. Is it just another airflow-focused case in an already crowded market, or has Lian Li managed to deliver something special? We find out today.

Specification:

• Motherboard support: SSI-EEB, E-ATX up to 280mm wide, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
• Power supply support: ATX, SFX-L, SFX.
• Expansion slots: 7.
• Included fans: 2x 170mm 1,550rpm front intake, 1x 140mm 1,800rpm rear exhaust, 2x 120mm 1,900rpm on PSU shroud.
• Fan mounts: 2x 170mm front, 3x 120mm/2x 140mm roof, 1x 120mm/140mm rear, 3x 120mm on PSU shroud.
• Radiator mounts: 360mm/280mm roof.
• 5.25-inch optical drive bays: None.
• Internal drive bays: 2x 3.5-inch, 3x 2.5-inch.
• Front I/O ports: 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, audio.
• Dimensions: 503mm H x 482mm D x 238mm W.

Testing

To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D processor, Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Lian Li Lancool 217's cooling capabilities.

Test System:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X 3D
• CPU Cooler: Lian Li Hydroshift LCD 360 Fanless + 3x Uni Fan TL Wireless 120
• Motherboard: ASRock X870E Taichi
• Memory: 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000
• Graphics card: PowerColor Red Devil RX 9070 XT 16GB
• Power supply: Seasonic Focus GX-1000 Gold
• SSD: Crucial T700 M.2 NVMe
• OS: Windows 11

Cooling Performance Overview

The Lian Li Lancool 217 does a good job and our advice would be to run the fans low and slow to keep noise levels to a minimum. You certainly can turn them up and slightly help the cooling but the noise levels rapidly get unbearable.

Closing Thoughts

The Lancool 217 continues Lian Li's habit of getting pretty much everything correct while avoiding errors with a product that caters for a mass market at a very acceptable price. Clearly some PC builders would prefer glass on four sides to mesh, while others want stacks of ARGB lighting bling, and no doubt those people will be disappointed by the Lancool 217.

On the other hand we are confident a large swathe of the buying public wants a spacious case that is populated with high quality fans and which flows air with ease. The fact the UK price is lower than the US dollar price adds to our delight and makes it even easier for us to strongly recommend this case for your next PC build.

You can buy the Lian Li Lancool 217 for £109.99 from Scan (from May 5th) HERE.

Pros:

• Immaculate quality of components and white finish.
• Impressive emphasis on cable management and neatness.
• PWM and ARGB fan hub is included.
• Accessories include rails to swap the 170mm fans for 120mm or 140mm.
• Good air flow.
• Supports E-ATX and SSI-EEB motherboards.

Cons:

• Top panel can easily come loose when you move your PC
• Front panel IO is down low and awkward if your PC is on the floor.

KitGuru says: The Lian Li Lancool 217 is packed with goodness.

Since seeing the trailer in December 2023, fans around the world have been eagerly awaiting the release date for GTA 6. Today, Rockstar finally made that announcement, pushing the game out of 2025 and landing on a May 2026 launch date. While this news is being celebrated around the industry, it has made some investors skittish. 

At the time of writing, since dropping the news that GTA 6 has been delayed, Take-Two shares have dropped by just shy of 7 percent. In a statement published on the Take-Two Investor Relations website, CEO, Strauss Zelnick, backed the decision to delay the game, adding that leadership is confident in Rockstar's ability to deliver a hit when GTA 6 does release next year.

“We support fully Rockstar Games taking additional time to realize their creative vision for Grand Theft Auto VI, which promises to bea groundbreaking, blockbuster entertainment experience that exceeds audience expectations. While we take the movement of our titles seriously and appreciate the vast and deep global anticipation for Grand Theft Auto VI, we remain steadfast in our commitment to excellence.”

While GTA 6 is not coming out this year, Take-Two still has a very strong line-up ahead for 2025, including the likes of Borderlands 4 and Mafia: The Old Country.

KitGuru Says: Some investors are going to be very upset with themselves when May 2026 rolls around, as GTA 6 projects to be the biggest video game launch in history. 

It has been a while since Valve's new multiplayer game, Deadlock, made headlines. That changed this week thanks to the discovery of a secret new build of the game – one that looks to be much closer to a 1.0 launch build. 

When the masses learned about Valve's secret Deadlock alpha last summer, it didn't take long for Valve to open the floodgates, inviting hundreds of thousands of testers to try out the game. It turns out that there is a secret build not shared to all Deadlock alpha testers.

The new build was revealed by Deathy, a prominent Deadlock livestreamer who accidentally launched the wrong version of the game on Steam. The original livestream was deleted, as was the VOD version of the stream, but eagle-eyed gamers were quick to save screenshots.

The new build of Deadlock includes a much larger roster of playable characters, as well as redesigned versions of heroes already announced for the game. In general, it looks to be a much more polished version of the game, indicating that despite the public alpha, Valve has continued to work away on the game in secret.

With this new build now discovered, it seems that Valve will be making new announcements around Deadlock in the coming months.

KitGuru Says: Deadlock had its viral moment in 2024 but we still have no idea when the game will come out. With this new build of the game surfacing, it would seem that official announcements from Valve are now imminent. 

G.Skill is bringing ultra high-speed and high-capacity DDR5 memory kits to AMD Ryzen based systems. The new G.Skill DDR5-8400 128GB kit is available starting this month, packing high-performance DDR5 ICs from SK-Hynix. 

The new DDR5-8400 128GB (2x 64GB) RAM kit was tested and validated on a system using an Asus ROG Crosshair X870E APEX motherboard, paired with an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU. This speed is achieved via the high-performance SK-Hynix ICs, allowing G.Skill to crank the speeds higher on larger capacity modules.

This latest overclock achievement showcases G.Skill's continued pursuit for high speeds. The company has continually raised the bar for high-speed RAM in the past and G.Skill has not slowed down at all during the DDR5 era.

Just recently, G.Skill memory was used to set the world record for DDR5 overclock speeds and with the annual OC World Cup taking place at Computex, we may see more world records broken in just a few weeks.

KitGuru Says: How fast is the RAM in your system? 

The era of the Lian Li Lancool 216 is over. This year, Lian Li is introducing the Lancool 217, a direct successor featuring design and aesthetic tweaks to suit new PC builds. 

The new LANCOOL 217 is available in Dark Walnut or Light Beech colour options, with real wood accents a touch of warmth to the colour scheme. The chassis is designed with thermal performance in mind, with five pre-installed fans out of the box, including two unique 170mm fans in the front of the case, bringing in fresh air to cool all of your components.

You can find the full specs for the Lian Li LANCOOL 217 below:

The Lian Li Lancool 217 will be available priced at $119.99 for the Dark Walnut version, or $124.99 for the Light Beech version. We have one in house at the KitGuru labs, so expect a review soon.

KitGuru Says: Are you planning a new PC build for 2025? Are you considering a Lian Li case? 

Intel's latest generation of Arc graphics cards, codenamed Battlemage, might soon receive a new entry. The G31 GPU has been the subject of numerous rumours, with some suggesting that Intel had either abandoned or significantly changed its plans since late 2024. However, new information sourced from leaked shipping manifests contradicts those cancellation whispers.

According to the shipping manifest found by Haze, the hardware labelled ‘Battlemage G31' or ‘BGM-31' is still being transported between Intel labs. Specifically, shipments from late March were reportedly sent to Intel Vietnam, the facility previously responsible for producing Intel's Limited Edition (reference) Arc cards like the B580 and B570. This could hint that Intel is working on a new Limited Edition design for an upcoming Battlemage desktop GPU based on the G31 die.

Despite this apparent confirmation of ongoing development, the exact release timing for G31 remains unknown.

In addition to the BMG G31 GPU, there are rumours of an Arc GPU with 24GB of VRAM. It's unclear if this GPU is targeting gamers or professionals, but the sheer amount of VRAM suggests the latter.

KitGuru says: Do you think Intel will still launch a higher-end Battlemage GPU? If so, how would it compare with AMD and Nvidia graphics cards?

Intel's next-generation mobile platform, Panther Lake, is officially confirmed to launch this year. While Intel has reiterated a 2025 debut multiple times, they haven't specified the exact scope of this initial rollout, and new reports suggest it might be quite narrow.

According to Meng (via VideoCardz), only a single Panther Lake variant is set to arrive this year, with remaining versions pushed back to 2026. This configuration is rumoured to feature 4 P-cores and 8 E-cores but will not include low-power cores. Instead, it's said to come equipped with four Xe 3 graphics cores. The platform is predicted to have a 45W TDP, indicating a significantly higher power envelope compared to Lunar Lake's typical 17W-28W range.

This rumoured variant lacking low-power E-cores hasn't been mentioned in previous reports, suggesting it's a new configuration developed more recently. Without the low-power E-cores, this configuration is likely aimed at gaming laptops, where a powerful integrated GPU is less important. Meanwhile, the other Panther Lake variants expected to be released later are likely targeting premium laptops without discrete graphics.

Panther Lake succeeds Lunar Lake in Intel's roadmap, although it won't feature the same memory-on-package design due to associated costs.

KitGuru says: What are your expectations for Intel Panther Lake? 

We've been waiting months for Rockstar to give an update on GTA 6. The game was officially announced last year, with a record-breaking trailer garnering hundreds of millions of views. At the time, Rockstar has a 2025 release window in mind, but today's announcement has pushed GTA 6 to 2026. 

Grand Theft Auto VI is no longer releasing this year but Rockstar has narrowed down a date – May 26th 2026. In a statement, Rockstar thanked fans for their patience and said that the delay would aid in achieving “the level of quality” fans expect from a Rockstar game.

Here is Rockstar's statement in full:

“We are very sorry that this is later than you expected. The interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team. We want to thank you for your support and your patience as we work to finish the game. With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception. We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.”

The GTA 6 release date has been a hot topic of debate recently. As Rockstar announced a 2025 release window for the game, many publishers have been holding off on announcing release dates for their own games. Now with the GTA 6 release date confirmed, we can expect to see a flurry of release date announcements as we head towards Summer Game Fest in June.

KitGuru Says: GTA 6 is coming to consoles in May. Hopefully by this time next year, we'll start to hear rumblings about the PC version. 

Each month, those who are subscribed to Amazon Prime are able to acquire a wide range of ‘free’ games as part of the company’s Prime Gaming initiative. Over the course of May, subscribers will be able to claim 22 different titles, including but not limited to LEGO Star Wars; Wolfenstein II; Saints Row and more.

Available as a staggered release throughout the month, May’s Prime Gaming offerings range from massive franchises to obscure indie games, with the following titles being added:

Available Now

• STAR WARS Galactic Battlegrounds Saga [GOG]
• LEGO Star Wars — The Complete Saga [GOG]
• Styx: Master of Shadows [GOG]
• The Invisible Hand [Prime]

Arriving on the 8th of May

• Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Digital Deluxe Edition [Microsoft Store]
• Amnesia: Rebirth [EGS]
• Hypnospace Outlaw [GOG]
• Doors — Paradox [EGS]

Available on the 15th

• Saints Row: Gat out of Hell [GOG]
• ENDLESS Legend Definitive Edition [Prime]
• Golf with Your Friends [GOG]
• Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 [GOG]
• Mail Time [GOG]

Dropping on the 22nd

• FATE [GOG]
• Thief 2: The Metal Age [GOG]
• Everdream Valley [Prime]
• Chessarama [EGS]
• The Lost Ashford Ring [Legacy Games Code]

29th of May

• Samurai Bringer [Prime]
• Trinity Fusion [Prime]
• Masterplan Tycoon [Prime]
• Liberté [EGS]

Though it would be preferable that more games be given away through Steam, having almost two dozen new games to play is certainly not worth complaining about – especially as a decent number of them are GOG codes.

KitGuru says: Are you subscribed to Amazon Prime? Do you like the current system or would you rather they offer fewer-but-higher-quality games? Which title are you most looking forward to playing? Let us know down below.

2025 has been pretty good for Xbox Game Pass so far, with the service seeing a number of major day-one additions including the highly-anticipated Oblivion Remaster and GOTY contender Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Given that they are both GP titles, it’s not surprising to see that a majority of players so far have utilised the service. Interestingly, Game Pass players have also put significantly less time into these titles compared to other platforms.

As reported by Ampere Analytics (via TheGameBusiness) the recent influx of day-one Game Pass releases seems to be sparking the interest of its subscribers.

According to the report, so far, 47% of all Oblivion players did so through Game Pass (PC and Xbox) with 45% of Clair Obscur players also using the service. The second biggest ‘platform’ for the GOTY contender was PlayStation, with 30% of the Clair Obscur market – followed by Steam with 25%.

When it came to Oblivion meanwhile, the stats are reversed somewhat, with second place going to Steam with 34% of the market; and 3rd place being PlayStation at 19%.

Interestingly, it seems those who purchased the game had more of an incentive to play though it, as Game Pass subscribers have put far less time into both titles compared to the other platforms.

For Oblivion, Game Pass subscribers have so far played for 2.2 hours on average. This represents just over half the time of the other consoles, with PlayStation at 3.8 hours and Steam with 3.6.

Offering similar results, Clair Obscur also saw roughly double the playtime on non-Game Pass platforms, with 4.4 hours on average for both Steam and PlayStation – compared to just 2.2 hours on Game Pass.

Of course, Game Pass is positioned as the Netflix of games, and so it perhaps makes sense that subscribers are putting in roughly as much time into each title as they would a standard film. It will be interesting to see how these figures evolve as more people get the chance to check out either of these two games.

KitGuru says: Have you been playing either of these titles? Which platform are you using? How many hours have you put into these games so far? Let us know down below.

A couple days ago Nintendo released one of the biggest firmware updates the Nintendo Switch has seen in its 8 years on the market – adding a ton of welcome additions while preparing the system for the upcoming Switch 2. Though a solid update overall, a number of users have encountered major issues while trying to install the patch – causing some systems to be bricked.

Earlier this week we reported on update 20.0.0 for the Nintendo Switch, preparing it for the upcoming Switch 2 by adding the likes of Game Chat; digital game keys and more. Unfortunately, the update has not been without its issues, with some users reporting that their systems have been bricked following the update – showcasing the error code ‘2206-1015’.

Fortunately, Nintendo is already aware of the issue, taking to Twitter to write: “We are currently receiving inquiries from some customers about the occurrence of ‘Error Code: 2206-1015’ after updating to Nintendo Switch system version 20.0.0. We are currently investigating how to deal with this issue. We apologize for the inconvenience, and ask that you wait for further information.”

While certainly a massive issue, it appears to be far from a permanent problem. Hopefully Nintendo will be able to resolve this through a simple over-the-air update – or at the very worst a USB-based installation.

KitGuru says: Have you updated your Switch? Did it brick your console? What do you think of the new digital game card menu? Let us know down below.

Forza Horizon 5 remains one of the few games today which publicly lists just how many players have tried the game out at any given time. Right ahead of the game’s launch on PS5, Horizon 5 was confirmed to have surpassed 45 million total players. Since the arrival of the game to PS5 mere days ago however, player counts have risen by almost 1 million.

In going to the main menu on Forza Horizon 5, it can be seen exactly just how many people have signed-in / registered to play the game (a requirement before gaining full access).

As mentioned, in the lead up to its launch on PS5, the total player count rested at just over 45 million (45,125,376 players to be exact).

Since then, as reported by ResetEra user ‘Theorry’ the total number of players has increased to 45,984,734 players – an increase of around 850,000 players.

Of course, during this time, Forza Horizon 5 would have seen new Xbox and PC players also and so the exact figure for PS5 players is not quite set in stone.

Still, it is interesting to see some early stats for how the game is likely performing on PS5. It will be curious to see whether Microsoft releases any concrete sales figures at some point.

KitGuru says: Have you picked up Forza Horizon 5 on PS5? What do you think so far? Are you more of an arcade or sim-cade racer? Let us know down below.

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When Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was announced last year, it came out of nowhere and immediately captured the attention of role-playing game enthusiasts. With traditional party-based role-playing games finding less and less representation in the AAA space, the debut game from Sandfall Interactive looked like the game that could bring the genre into the spotlight without being a nostalgia-fueled experience, as the setting, story and main cast of characters looked very unique, and far removed from those we are now used to see in similar games. In the end, the game's dark fantasy Belle Époque setting, the members of Expedition […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/clair-obscur-expedition-33-dont-fear-the-paintress/

We put Montech’s new Montech HS01 and HS02 cases through a variety of benchmarks that include thermal performance, acoustics, and tests for build quality

The Highlights

• The HS02 Pro is a fishtank-style case with a curved corner
• There are many ATX cases that can compete with the HS01 on the market
• What makes the cases interesting is that they can easily invert
• Original MSRP: $130 (HS01 Pro with fans), $140 (HS02 Pro with fans)
• Release Date: April 2025

Table of Contents

• AutoTOC

Intro

With removable feet that can be swapped from the top to the bottom, Montech has 2 new cases that can quickly invert. 
Those two cases are based on the same chassis: They are the Montech HS01 Pro and HS02 Pro cases, differentiated by the glass or mesh, and each includes 5 fans.

Editor's note: This was originally published on April 30, 2025 as a video. This content has been adapted to written format for this article and is unchanged from the original publication.

Credits

Test Lead, Host, Writing

Steve Burke

Testing, Writing

Patrick Lathan

Camera, Video Editing

Vitalii Makhnovets

Camera

Tim Phetdara

Writing, Web Editing

Jimmy Thang

Major points of interest include the recessed motherboard tray, ventilated rear chamber cover, and abnormal power supply location up in the front. It’s not all good news, however. The power-supply area has some ventilation problems we’re not happy about, but there are some mechanical upsides. 

The rear fans remove as a single piece without becoming a proprietary nightmare, which is a welcomed feature. The case tries to plan around back-connect boards, running into the chicken-or-egg problem that both boards and cases are facing.

As always, we have some critiques of the case, but we were also overall happy with its build quality and assembly. The cases land at $130 to $140 with fans or $100 to $110 without them. 

Specs

Specs copied from manufacturer materials, please read review for our own measurements and opinions

The Build

Montech is probably best-known for its King 95 chassis. The company has had some hits and some misses since it started, but the HS01 and HS02 blur the lines between a more traditional case and a dual-chamber case.

The big marketing play is toward inversion. Cases have inverted in the past, but some of the original invertible cases we covered were difficult to flip around and required dozens of screws.

Modern invertible cases, like the be quiet! Light Base series, have made this process way faster.

Inversion is the headlining feature of the HS cases, and the process is extremely easy. The top cover moves to the bottom, the bottom filter and legs move to the top. That's it. 

The process is optionally toolless: the legs are magnetic, but they can also be screwed into place when the case isn't inverted. The main downside of making the process so simple is that aspects of the case which are designed to work right-side-up aren't altered at all in the inversion process, so the side panels and rear fan bracket are installed upside-down when the case is inverted and the PSU power switch becomes inaccessible. 

Other aspects of case configuration are also easy to deal with. The top panel is magnetic and pulls off easily. The company uses a rubber/fake leather strap at the back. The rear two-fan bracket comes off as a single unit (which we liked), and the rear expansion slots rotate vertically with minimal effort. Removing the top panel gives immediate access to the PSU switches (like power and eco mode), as well as the RGB hub connections in Pro variants.

The HS02 has what Montech calls "an 8° Curved Glass front pane." It’s not 8 degrees -- it’s 90, so maybe they meant the radius of the bend was 8mm. 

The media kit came complete with an illustration of the corner with an 8° label though. Either way, the bend is, in fact, 90 degrees in total, and the front panel butts up against the side panel to look (sort of) like a continuous pane, similar in some parts to the King 95. It's not as impressive as the HAVN HS420 (read our review), but it's definitely less expensive. The glass panels are beveled where they meet the angled plastic pillars for a flush fit.

The chassis design strikes us as being optimized for back-connect boards. Back-connect boards have gotten some traction, but they aren’t a significant portion of the market yet. Case makers have a challenge: It's too early to prioritize back-connect at the expense of compatibility with normal boards (unless marketing specifically for a back-connect board), but also, not building for it at all means no adoption of change.

The motherboard and fans have what Montech describes as a "sink-in design," meaning that ATX or even mATX boards are surrounded by metal on all sides. As a consequence, it's difficult to reach board connections with normal motherboards (which is most of them): for example, we were forced to use the stock flat EPS12V cables for our SilverStone PSU because our custom-sleeved CableMod replacements couldn't cleanly fit. Routing the 24-pin cable required an uncomfortable bend, and fitting the USB headers into place was nearly impossible. There's no good route for the GPU power cable either, although that's a common issue with open-bottomed cases and not specific to Montech.

The PSU area leaves a lot to be desired: Unfortunately, we end up with 3 layers of blockages from the PSU case mesh, the interior cover door mesh, and the exterior panel mesh. The two case panels overlap and obstruct each other, which already overlap with the PSU ventilation. Stacking 3 layers atop each other reduces flow and increases resistance, which can increase noise or minimally reduce cooling. Fortunately, PSUs tend to be less thermally sensitive, but we’d like to see fewer overlapping obstructions.

With the PSU fastened down, we found our normal SilverStone PSU pushed the cover up without screws to hold it in place, which we added.

The PSU mounting bracket can be rotated to mount either a standard ATX or a smaller SFX PSU; this bracket then slides into place and is screwed to the top of the chassis. There's no particular reason to use an SFX PSU with this case. The extension cable that runs from the rear of the case to the bracket at the front must be routed through the bracket before it's installed.

This is mostly an air cooling case, which is how we’re testing it. Radiator support is restricted, though. The front of the HS02 obviously doesn't support radiators since there are no mounts, but even in the HS01, the PSU placement overlaps with the front fan mount. That means there's only space for mounting on the outside of the chassis, and only normal 25mm thick fans fit (no radiators and no extra-thick fans). At the top of the case, Montech claims support for radiators up to 123mm wide, which is a strict limit due to the bumps on the ATX PSU bracket that pokes through, leaving small bumps to interfere with clearance. The bottom mount works fine for radiators other than obstructing the bottom edge of ATX boards, but Montech (correctly) doesn't claim compatibility above 240mm due to the cramped space. There's no 140mm-wide radiator compatibility in either case, and only the HS01 has support for any 140mm fans.

Generally speaking, we don't like all the plates and covers and brackets that Montech has stuffed into the HS01 and HS02. They hide some cable clutter, sometimes at the cost of thermals, but most clutter would be invisible behind the steel side panel anyway. There are times where we like this type of feature, but with this case, there are already tradeoffs in the depth and the accessibility for some connectors in some areas. Sacrificing more of that for the metal plates can sometimes work against it. Even still, cable management space is generous, but we'd happily trade some of that space for better access to normal motherboard connectors and some small clearances in the main chamber.

Moving on to the hardware: Cases generally include a set of "SSD" screws for attaching 2.5" drives. The HS01 and HS02 do not, however: as the manual notes, every screw included in the accessory kit is 6-32 TPI. The cases claim compatibility with up to four 2.5" drives, so the screws are a strange omission. It’s not a big deal to bring your own screws, but not standard for a case to cut this corner.

The front panels of the HS01 and HS02 aren't directly interchangeable since there are some differences to the support structures, like the support corner pillar in the HS01 and some plastic trim in the HS02 that’s not on the HS01. This was inconvenient for our testing, but it's unlikely to ever come up from a customer perspective, so it doesn’t matter much unless you wanted to swap it later.

All variants include ARGB lighting strips at the bottom of the case, with the Pro cases also including ARGB fans and a built-in controller. The fans use separate (standard) connections for ARGB and fan control, which we generally prefer, but it does lead to a confusing mess of wires. If you've bought into one of the proprietary RGB ecosystems, the Pro cases really aren't the best for working with that.  

Thermals

The Pro variants ship with fans and the non-Pros do not, so all stock tests shown here represent Pro performance. We tested the HS01 stock and inverted, but Montech's marketing materials push the "natural airflow" chimney effect angle, so by that logic, inverting the case without rearranging the fans should lead to worse performance. We'll see.

CPU Full Load Thermals - Noise-Normalized

We’ll start with noise-normalized CPU thermals, which means we use our hemi-anechoic chamber in the lab to collect highly controlled noise data for comparison.

Inverting the case didn’t produce a significant change. The HS01 Pro ran at about the same temperature in both tests. The glass panel versus mesh panel also had minimal impact.

The stock fan layout is the same in both cases, meaning that the HS01's mesh front won’t do much unless the fans are re-arranged; if anything, it could allow some air to escape where we’d rather keep it in. The CPU averaged 49 degrees Celsius above ambient in the HS01 Pro, 52 degrees on the P-cores, and the results for the inverted HS01 and for the HS02 were within the normal range of variance. The fans were run at slightly different speeds in each of the three configurations to hit the 27 dBA threshold, which is where the chamber comes into play (as we can actually measure those tiny acoustic differences now), but that wasn't enough to make a difference thermally.

Montech's own moderately more expensive King 95 Pro with a glass front beat the HS cases in this test with an average of 47 degrees above ambient. The Antec C8 ARGB (read our review) is also more expensive, but it has relatively weak CPU cooling with the stock fan layout, and the HS cases beat it by 1-2 degrees. More traditional designs like the Lancool 207 (read our review) and 216 (watch our review) fly past the HS01 and HS02, setting a ceiling and giving perspective on cooling. The G400A (read our review) also accompanies these two.

GPU Full Load Thermals - Noise-Normalized

The range for the GPU thermal results was just as tight, with the inverted HS01 averaging 42.8 degrees above ambient and the HS02 averaging 43.2, which is within variance, but that’s still not even one full degree of difference. 

It's not a surprise that the chimney effect isn't a factor when active airflow is involved, nor is it a surprise that changing the front panel has no impact when there aren’t any fans installed at the front of the case.

Although the different configurations didn't make much difference, the HS cases performed well overall for GPU thermals, respectably close to the C8 ARGB's 42 degree average. Like the C8, the HS cases have bottom intake fans that force cool air directly into and through the GPU and with minimal obstruction beyond a dust filter. The King 95 Pro also has bottom intake fans, but they're less effective, resulting in a 48 degree average. The Flux Pro and Lancool 207 remain leaders here, but one is in a different price class and both are different styles.

GPU Full Load Thermals - Full Speed

Full speed case fans are next, dropping the noise control and testing GPU thermals.

At full speed, we can finally see a difference between at least the regular and inverted HS01 results, with the inverted layout averaging 40 degrees above ambient to the regular layout's 42 degrees above ambient. The bottom intake fans move enough air that flipping them to the top of the case where they can breathe more freely is beneficial. The inverted layout also directed slightly more noise towards our mic placement, but not enough for an audible difference at 38.5 versus 38.0 dBA. The regular HS02 result closely matched the HS01 result at 42 degrees, but the HS02 was quieter (as measured from the front) due to its solid front panel blocking noise egress. The drop to 35.8 dBA is noticeable, if barely. However, remember that at the 27 dBA threshold performance and noise levels were both equal.

As before, the Antec C8 ARGB's GPU cooling is on par with the performance of the HS cases at 41 degrees above ambient, with noise levels equivalent to the HS01. The King 95 also averaged about 37 dBA, but with worse GPU thermals, averaging 46 degrees.

CPU Full Load Thermals - Standardized Fans

Our standardized set of fans can't be installed in the HS02 due to the lack of 140mm mounts, which made this test simple. We installed the two 140mm intake fans at the front of the HS01 and the single 120mm exhaust in the lower of the two rear slots.

With this layout, average CPU temperature was 41 degrees above ambient and 45 degrees for the P-cores. For this case specifically, those are lower than the stock results, but that's not surprising given the more direct airflow aimed at the CPU cooler. It’s also completely normal performance for a mesh-fronted case in this test, landing between the Fractal Meshify 2 Compact (watch our review) and Phanteks P400A Digital (watch our review). The Antec C8 and King 95 Pro results on this chart were both tested with side intake, so performance is predictably worse than the HS01.

GPU Full Load Thermals - Standardized Fans

On the other hand, moving to the normal front-to-back layout with the standardized fans hurt GPU thermals. Removing the stock bottom intake fans that made the HS01 competitive in this category led to an average GPU temperature of 45 degrees above ambient, which isn't terrible, but allowed the King 95 Pro and C8 ARGB to take the lead at 43 degrees for both. Montech's stock fan layout seems like the best compromise.

VRM & RAM Full Load Thermals - Noise Normalized

To finish things off, we'll move back to the noise normalized testing. VRM thermals were nearly identical for each of the three tested configurations, averaging 33 degrees above ambient in the HS02 Pro, which lands the HS cases in the middle of the chart between the C8 ARGB at 33 degrees and the King 95 Pro at 31.

The SPD Hub sensor readings from the RAM told a similar story: all three configurations averaged close to 25 degrees above ambient, close to the C8 ARGB's 24 degree average, although the King 95 Pro scored well in this specific instance at 21 degrees.

Conclusion

Montech's strength has always been in the budget space. The Montech HS01 Pro and HS02, however, are sort of in that mid-range category with their prices. The recent tariff situation is obviously going to affect that market. Montech contacted us to confirm MSRPs a few days prior to launch, so hopefully these prices will stay stable for some time.

As a fishtank case with a curved corner, the $140 HS02 Pro is a reasonably priced alternative to the more expensive cases that match that description like the HAVN HS420, Antec C8 Curve, HYTE Y60 (watch our review), or even Montech's own King 95 Pro. We seriously recommend watching the build section of our video review, because there were some features we didn't like, but it's up to you to decide whether the savings are worth it. If you use a back-connect motherboard, that may solve many of the issues we saw, including with cabling.

The HS02's thermal performance wasn't abysmal or amazing. It was fine. Of these two cases, we're more willing to accept middling performance from the one that looks interesting, in other words, the glass-fronted option. 

The HS01 has greater cooling potential thanks to its mesh-front panel, but it's also more generic: there aren't a ton of fish-tank cases that can compete with the HS02's price, but there are many, many $100-$150 mesh-fronted cases that can compete with the HS01. These include options like the Lian Li Lancool 207, Fractal North (watch our review), Phanteks G400A, or many of the other cases we've reviewed in the past couple years are all viable alternatives to a mesh-fronted case. There’s a lot of competition at that price class. 

If you love Montech’s case here or really like how it looks, we can say “it’s fine.” We do think the fish-tank version makes a little more sense for most people. If you really want a mesh case, there are better alternatives.

Leakers digging through official AMD repositories and related databases have found new details about Team Red's future processor roadmap. Based on their posts, they've discovered entries about upcoming desktop, mobile, and workstation product lines, offering a glimpse into products beyond what has been officially announced.

Among the Olrak29 and InstLatX64's findings (via VideoCardz) are more mentions of Zen 5-based products that we have heard about previously. This includes the purported Ryzen Threadripper ‘Shimada Peak' 9000WX family for workstations, which should be announced soon, potentially during Computex 2025 in early June. For the desktop space, the Ryzen 9000G ‘Gorgon Point' APU series, combining Zen 5 cores with RDNA 3.5 integrated graphics, has also reappeared in these databases, seemingly confirmed for the AM5 desktop socket.

The leaks extend into the mobile space and beyond. Entries related to Ryzen AI Mobile SoCs on an FP8 socket were found, with one of them suggesting ‘Gorgon Point' would succeed ‘Strix Point' mobile APUs, contradicting the previous reports and rumours. Additionally, a ‘Krackan2' appears to be a refresh of the current ‘Krackan Point' APUs.

Another rumoured AM5-bound lineup discovered is the EPYC 4005 ‘Grado' series, which some believe could be built on existing designs but adapted for entry-level commercial/enterprise use, potentially succeeding processors like the EPYC 4004. Perhaps most intriguingly, an FF5-based ‘Soundwave' processor design has surfaced alongside these future mobile chipsets, fuelling industry rumours that AMD might be exploring or planning to use Arm architecture at a lower product tier.

KitGuru says: Of all AMD's upcoming products, which one are you the most curious about?

The InWin Prism chassis matches its name nicely with its tilted tempered glass panels. The new case uses a three-piece glass panel to form a frameless wall for those looking to show off their systems. 

Beyond its looks, the Prism is designed with ample cooling in mind. Large mesh filters provide tool-free dust prevention and are intended to ensure optimal air circulation. The case supports up to 10 fans in total and accommodates radiators up to 360mm for extensive liquid cooling setups (including 240mm and 280mm options). InWin preloads the case with four of their Vortex fans, featuring PWM control and vibrant ARGB illumination.

The Prism offers broad compatibility for high-end hardware, including BTF motherboards. There's generous clearance for large components, supporting CPU coolers up to 175mm tall and graphics cards up to 435mm long. For those wanting to display their GPU vertically, the case supports this via a modular PCI-E slot bracket. Keeping things tidy, two 2.5-inch SSD bays are hidden behind the motherboard tray.

Managing the included ARGB fans and preinstalled LED strips (located at the top, bottom, and front) is done via the integrated 6-channel ARGB hub. This hub supports multiple coordinated lighting effects, easily controlled through a button on the front I/O panel. The front panel also features two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a 3.5mm HD audio combo jack, and a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (40 Gbps) Type-C port.

KitGuru says: As expected from InWin, its new Prism PC case can easily stand out in this crowded market. However, do you like the aesthetics of it, or do you find it a bit over the top?

PlayStation Plus subscribers have some interesting new titles coming their way in May. Leading the lineup for this month are the hugely popular Poker/roguelike hybrid Balatro, the retro-styled shooter Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, and the ambitious survival title Ark: Survival Ascended. All three games will become available to add to your library starting Tuesday, May 6th.

Balatro has taken the gaming world by storm with its incredibly addictive poker-meets-roguelike gameplay, and PS Plus members can now see what all the hype is about on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. For old-school shooter lovers, dive into the grimdark universe of Warhammer 40,000 with Boltgun, a fast-paced first-person shooter featuring graphics reminiscent of classic 1990s titles, a varied arsenal, and satisfyingly frantic action. Boltgun will be available on both PS4 and PS5.

Lastly, for those seeking a survival experience, Ark: Survival Ascended is a remaster of the 2015 original, utilising Unreal Engine 5. This version includes all previously released DLC (Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Ark: Genesis Part 1, and Ark: Genesis Part 2), supports up to 70-player online multiplayer, and features two-player local split-screen. However, note that this version is exclusive to PlayStation 5.

As the digital doors open for new titles, others must make way. PlayStation Plus subscribers have a short window left to claim the April PlayStation Plus games. You'll need to make sure you've added titles like the well-received RoboCop: Rogue City and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker's Memory to your game collection by Monday, May 5th, before they depart the service.

KitGuru says: Are you subscribed to PlayStation Plus? Are you planning on claiming any of these games?

Weeks following Sony's price hike for PS5, Microsoft has now announced plans to increase Xbox Series X/S prices. The price increase will take effect in Europe, Australia, the US and the UK. Microsoft has also announced plans to follow in Nintendo's footsteps and raise the price of “some first party games” to $80.

The timing here is odd as Xbox revenue was up in Microsoft's recent quarterly earnings report, however, most of this growth is attributed to content sales. Xbox console sales actually did drop year-on-year for the quarter. There are other economic factors likely at play here too, as the effect of US tariffs on tech begins to take effect.

In the UK, The Xbox Series X will be going up from £479 to £499, and the Xbox Series S will go up from £279 to £299. These are the prices for base storage models, so 1TB for the Xbox Series X and 512GB for the Xbox Series S. The larger storage version (2TB) of the Series X is going up to £589.99.

In a statement sent to Eurogamer, Microsoft confirmed the price adjustments, saying: “As of 1st May, we have adjusted recommended retailer pricing for our consoles and controllers worldwide. We also expect to adjust the pricing of some of our new, first-party games starting this holiday season to $79.99. Those titles purchased on the Xbox store have the benefit of Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing players to buy once and play on console and PC at no additional cost. We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development. Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and ensuring value for Xbox players”.

The game price hike will take longer to go into effect, but this statement essentially confirms that Call of Duty is going to be more expensive starting this year.

KitGuru Says: It is only a matter of time before the industry at large accepts this new $80 standard for new games. There is already a strong push for it from Nintendo and Microsoft, so I'd be shocked if Ubisoft, EA and Square Enix didn't follow.

In early 2023, we got our first taste of the latest PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSDs, offering up to 10,000 MB/s read and write capabilities. These drives were fast, but we knew that faster drives would enter the market sooner or later as the technology matured. Furthermore, these Gen5 drives became more accessible to a wider range of audiences with the introduction of mainstream AMD & Intel boards. While offering 10 GB/s speeds as a start, SSD manufacturers have quickly started rolling out faster drives by optimizing thermal designs and utilizing enhanced NAND solutions. Crucial has been at the top of […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/crucial-p510-1-tb-2280-with-heatsink-nvme-ssd-review-dram-less-gen5-is-here/