The DDR5 memory segment has been experiencing significant activity as it becomes standardized across all PC platforms. With memory prices dropping and the latest platforms becoming affordable, memory makers are constantly offering new solutions. Some focus on high-end specifications, while others focus on strengthening their gaming product portfolios. Two years ago, Crucial (Micron) introduced its first desktop-ready DDR5 UDIMMs & more recently, we saw the PRO overclocking series, offering speeds of up to 6000 MT/s. While the former are designed following JEDEC specs to make sure that they are compatible with all PC platforms, the latter are designed for more performant […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/crucial-pro-oc-32-gb-ddr5-6400-cl32-memory-review-amd-intel-gaming-pc-ready/

The first benchmark results for Panther Lake's Xe3 iGPU have surfaced online, giving us our first look at the performance potential of the new 12-core integrated GPU. The leak comes from a Geekbench entry for the upcoming Core Ultra X7 358H CPU, one of the first chips confirmed to carry Intel's new top-tier mobile branding.

Various Panther Lake benchmark scores were spotted by Benchleaks, all linked to an unannounced Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 laptop. These entries showed the Core Ultra X7 358H as a 16-core CPU, featuring 4 P-cores, 8 E-cores, and 4 LPE-cores, boosting up to nearly 4.8 GHz. This CPU is paired with 32 GB of LPDDR5X.

The focus of these benchmarks, however, is the integrated Xe3 GPU. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the 12-core iGPU scored between 51K and 53K points. While Geekbench's OpenCL test isn't always the most flattering benchmark for Intel's integrated graphics, this score still represents a healthy 25% improvement over the previous generation “Arrow Lake-H” Arc iGPU in the same test. Perhaps more interestingly, this level of performance puts the Panther Lake iGPU roughly on par with Nvidia's laptop GeForce RTX 3050 and even outperforms Intel's own discrete Arc A550M laptop GPU.

Note that this is almost certainly an early engineering sample running on unoptimised drivers. Performance could still improve as Intel refines the software stack ahead of the official launch. Still, this early result is a promising sign for the graphics capabilities of the upcoming Panther Lake platform.

KitGuru says: What kind of performance are you expecting from Intel's Xe3 iGPUs on Panther Lake chips?

The post Intel Xe3 iGPU benchmark leak shows significant improvement first appeared on KitGuru.

Earlier this month, Remedy Entertainment was forced to issue a profit warning to investors, after their most recent game, FBC: Firebreak, failed to garner significant sales. Now just weeks later, the company's long-time CEO,

Tero Virtala, who has served as the CEO of Remedy Entertainment since 2016, announced that he is stepping down today. Under his tenure, Remedy shipped multiple games, including Control and Alan Wake 2. During this time, Remedy Entertainment also signed a deal with Rockstar Games, allowing them to develop remakes of the original Max Payne games.

Remedy co-founder, Markus Mäki, will be the interim CEO until a permanent replacement is found. In a statement, Mäki thanked Virtala for his “good cooperation” during this transition. It is unclear if the underperformance of FBC: Firebreak had an impact on this change.

Moving forward, Remedy has a slate of single-player action games on the way, playing to the studio's core strengths. These include Control 2 and the Max Payne remakes.

KitGuru Says: I'm a huge Control fan, but there was nothing about FBC: Firebreak that really drew me in. The monetary gains of a successful live service multiplayer game can be tempting, but I hope that moving forward, Remedy continues to focus on the single-player games it is best known for.

The post Remedy Entertainment CEO steps down first appeared on KitGuru.

This week, gaming fans were surprised to find that the 2006 cult-classic, Scarface: The World is Yours, had re-appeared for sale on PC platforms like Steam, from a new publisher known as EC Digital. As it turns out, there may be something fishy going on here, as the Scarface rights holders may not even be aware that this re-release is happening. 

Scarface: The World is Yours originally released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles, as well as PC back in 2006. The game has suddenly re-appeared on Steam and the Epic Games Store as a HD remaster, utilising AI upscaling to improve textures throughout the game. This is an optional DLC though, so you can also play the game in its original form, with the exception of a few curious files.

As it turns out, this re-release includes two fan-made patches for the game to get it running on modern PCs. However, as spotted by VGC, the modder behind the game's Silent Patch has spoken out saying that they were not informed about this release at all. On top of that, they have also stated that the rightsholder had previously been unwilling to re-release the game, casting doubt on the authenticity of this release.

EC Digital, the publisher listed behind this re-release, also has no prior history on Steam. According to the publisher, the store pages for the game were accidentally made live early, so it is possible that there is a proper announcement coming down the pipeline. For now though, it is unclear whether or not this is an official re-release, or if it's an illegal cash grab. If it's the latter, then the game files could be hiding something more nefarious than uncredited fan patches, such as malware.

KitGuru Says: There is something very strange going on here. Hopefully soon some answers are provided. 

The post Scarface: The World is Yours gets fishy re-release first appeared on KitGuru.

Battlefield 6 launched earlier this month and instantly saw massive success, with over seven million copies sold in just a few days. Now, EA is gearing up for the first post-launch seasonal content drop, with a new trailer giving us a sneak peek at what's to come between now and early December. 

Battlefield 6 Season 1 begins with Rogue Ops on October 28th. The first phase drop is titled Rogue Ops, which includes a new map called Blackwell Fields built for all-out warfare and an intense new 4v4 mode called Strikepoint. This update also includes the new APC Traverser Mark 2 vehicle and three new weapons including the SOR-300C carbine, Mini Fix sniper rifle, and GGH-22 sidearm, plus fresh attachments like the Rail Cover and LPVO optic.

On November 18, the California Resistance phase expands the conflict to Eastwood, a suburban map disrupted by sleeper agent uprisings. This update adds the Sabotage mode, an 8v8 objective-based battle where teams alternate between offense and defense to destroy sites. Returning to the franchise is the Battle Pickups feature, offering powerful but limited weapons scattered across the map. Players will also gain access to the DB-12 dual-barrel shotgun, the M327 Trait revolver, and the Troy Angled grip attachment.

The season concludes on December 9 with Winter Offensive, plunging the Empire State into a frozen warzone. A limited-time update transforms Brooklyn into an icy battlefield, accompanied by the Ice Lock event, which introduces the Freeze mechanic as a gameplay modifier. A new melee weapon, the Ice Climbing Axe, joins the arsenal, offering both combat and environmental utility.

For now, it is unclear exactly when ‘Season 2' will begin, as there will be the Christmas and New Years break in late December. Chances are, we'll get the first Season 2 content in January, giving us a three-month cadence for Battlefield 6 seasons, which is essentially the industry standard.

KitGuru Says: With its structured rollout of monthly content, Battlefield 6 Season 1 promises to deliver a steady stream of new experiences for players. 

The post Battlefield 6 Season One preview first appeared on KitGuru.

The past week has been an odd one for Call of Duty news. Out of nowhere, rumour mongers began predicting that Black Ops 7 would release early, perhaps in response to the strong sales of Battlefield 6 this month. However, Treyarch's most recent dev diary makes it clear that the November 14th launch date has not changed. 

Treyarch released a video yesterday discussing the changes made to Black Ops 7 multiplayer following the open beta earlier this month. As spotted by Insider Gaming, In the promotion for that video, Treyarch reaffirms that Black Ops 7 is releasing on November 14th, seemingly shutting down rumours that the game might launch a week early.

In the videogame world, we are very used to seeing delays, but from time to time, we do also see release dates moved forward. Some notable examples include the likes of The Last of Us Part 2, which ended up releasing a week early, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which had its release window moved from February 2024 to January 2024 and Minecraft Dungeons, which also released a few days earlier than initially announced.

However, from the looks of it, we will not see this happen with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which makes sense, as it is Microsoft's biggest game franchise and likely already has a lot of marketing activations locked in that can't be suddenly rearranged.

KitGuru Says: This rumour always sounded a bit ridiculous and I have a feeling it was sparked by the recent Battlefield 6 sales announcement, where EA confirmed that the game sold 7 million copies at launch. Call of Duty is a big business with a lot of planning around it. It would be incredibly difficult for Microsoft to suddenly heel-turn on its plans for this year's entry unless it had been planned months in advance. 

The post Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 won’t be releasing early as rumours claimed first appeared on KitGuru.

Crucial, Micron's consumer brand, is making a stronger push into the enthusiast gaming market with the launch of its new DDR5 Pro Overclocking (OC) 6400 CL32 gaming memory. These new sticks aim to deliver a sweet spot of high speed and relatively low latency, wrapped in a fresh heat spreader design.

Available in 16GB single modules or 32GB kits (2x 16GB), the new memory runs at 6400 MT/s with CL32 timings, which Crucial states offers up to 37.5% lower latency than standard JEDEC DDR5. The company is making some bold performance claims, suggesting users could see average frame rate increases of up to 25% in memory-sensitive titles compared to slower memory. However, real-world gains will naturally vary depending on the game and system configuration.

The modules support both Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO profiles for easy one-click overclocking (though manual BIOS enablement might be needed for EXPO) and are validated for compatibility with the latest Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors. Crucial has also given the heat spreader a visual overhaul. The new design features a slightly raised profile with a subtle camo-inspired pattern and comes in either black or white, offering a more modern and tactical look compared to previous Crucial designs.

KitGuru says: As a Micron brand, the underlying memory technology is well-regarded for reliability. Crucial is positioning this kit not just for gamers, but also for content creators and users running data-intensive AI workloads who need a blend of speed and stability. 

The post Crucial debuts new Pro OC DDR5-6400 CL32 memory kits first appeared on KitGuru.

It appears that Warner Bros. is going through another massive shake-up. Just a few years after the messy merger with Discovery, the company is now looking to sell. 

In a press release issued this week, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed that it has paused its plans to split up Warner Bros. and Discovery due to “unsolicited interest” from “multiple parties”. It appears that even larger companies are looking to buy both WB and Discovery together, while others have expressed interest in just acquiring the Warner Bros. portion of the conglomerate.

Why are we reporting on this here at KitGuru? Well, Warner Bros. happens to own a number of prolific game studios and IP, even after the shutdown of teams like Monolith, who were responsible for the Middle-Earth Shadow of War titles and prior to that, F.E.A.R. Studios like Rocksteady could be invaluable for a publisher looking to put together a big new action game.

While Warner Bros. Discovery is now listening to proposals, this does not guarantee that a deal will happen. Even advanced negotiations can fall apart in the final hours. In some cases, certain mergers could also raise legal issues due to laws around monopolisation.

KitGuru Says: Outside of Hogwarts Legacy, WB's gaming division has struggled quite a bit in recent years. Personally, I'd like to see that portion of the company separated and sold to a company with more experience navigating the current gaming landscape. 

The post Warner Bros. Discovery may be sold, rather than split up first appeared on KitGuru.

Ubisoft has announced a major free update for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora that delivers two of the most highly requested features from the community since the game's launch. The new update, scheduled to arrive on December 5th, will finally allow players to experience the Western Frontier in a third-person perspective and add a New Game+ mode for players seeking a tougher challenge.

The headline feature is, of course, the third-person mode. Players will be able to switch between the original first-person view and the new over-the-shoulder perspective with the press of a button. According to Ubisoft, the development team has put significant effort into this, updating animations, controls, audio, and camera systems to ensure a fluid and intuitive experience, whether you're exploring or battling the RDA.

For those who have already completed the main story, the update also introduces New Game+. This mode allows players to replay the campaign while retaining all their unlocked skills and inventory from their previous playthrough. To keep things interesting, New Game+ will feature tougher enemies, but also offer rewards in the form of a brand-new skill tree and more powerful gear to acquire. It's worth noting, however, that the two previously released story packs, The Sky Breaker and Secrets of the Spires, will not be accessible within the New Game+ mode.

This update continues Ubisoft's post-launch support for the title, which has also seen quality-of-life improvements like a smoother 40 FPS performance mode for consoles and combat rebalancing. To celebrate the announcement, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is currently on sale at the Ubisoft store for up to 70% off on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC for a limited time.

KitGuru says: Have you already tried Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora? Are you interested in the new third-person mode?

The post Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is getting a free third-person mode and new game+ first appeared on KitGuru.

Insurgency: Sandstorm has continued to grow in popularity since its initial PC-exclusive release in 2018. Since then, the game has branched out to Xbox and PlayStation consoles, continuing to receive big content updates to keep fans engaged. The latest major update, Operation Shell Shock, has now rolled out to all platforms, offering players a mix of new free and paid content.

With Operation: Shell Shock, two new free shotguns are coming to the game – the highly requested S12K for Security and the US12 for Insurgents. The latest update also introduces a new Challenge system, offering Daily, Weekly, and Static goals that reward players with credits for completing in-game objectives. New outfit customisation options and free cosmetics are also available.

Just in time for Halloween, this update also includes a new limited-time game mode called ChadTeam666. In this mode, your squad of vampiric special forces takes on waves of zombies, capturing key checkpoints along the way.

If you own the Year 4 Pass, you'll get access to a bit more in this update, including new gear sets for Security and Insurgent teams and a new weapon skin for each side too.

Insurgency: Sandstorm is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S with crossplay across all platforms. The new update is available as of today.

KitGuru Says: Do many of you play Insurgency Sandstorm? Are you jumping back in for the new Zombies mode?

The post Insurgency: Sandstorm update brings zombified ‘ChadTeam666’ game mode first appeared on KitGuru.

Nintendo has announced the next GameCube title to join the Switch Online library, and it is a very seasonal offering – the original Luigi's Mansion, just in time for Halloween.

Through the Nintendo Switch Online subscription, players can access a range of classic titles, all emulated from older systems, ranging from the NES, right up to the GameCube. So far, just a handful of GameCube titles have been added to the library, including The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Super Mario Strikers, F-Zero GX and Soul Calibur 2.

Luigi's Mansion will be the next major title to join the service. It will arrive on October 30th for all subscribers – as long as you own the Switch Online expansion pack + a Nintendo Switch 2 console. Currently, GameCube titles can't be played on the original Nintendo Switch.

Luigi's Mansion first released for the GameCube back in 2001 and was an instant hit. A sequel, Luigi's Mansion 2, released in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS, followed by Luigi's Mansion 3 on the Nintendo Switch in October 2019.

KitGuru Says: Are you a fan of Luigi's Mansion? Will you be revisiting the game when it comes to the Switch Online library? 

The post Luigi’s Mansion is the next GameCube title coming to Switch Online first appeared on KitGuru.

Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 offers a strong single-player story experience, with detective elements and vampire fighting. In our performance review, we examine its graphical fidelity, VRAM usage, and how well it runs on a variety of modern GPUs.

In an industry rapidly accelerating toward an all-electric future, Porsche has just reminded us that the age of the internal combustion engine is far from over. How so? A newly-uncovered patent filing has revealed that engineers at Zuffenhausen have developed the design for a radical space-optimized W-arrangement engine featuring 18 cylinders

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) continues to peel back layers of our cosmic viewpoint: its latest discovery reveals that the youth of the universe was sometimes quite the jumbled mess. Astronomers have found that galaxies just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang were not the tidy, well-organized structures that current models

NVIDIA is determined to share the fruits of its labor with Unreal Engine 5 developers, and has now released a Bonsai Diorama demo showcasing several features, including RTX Mega Geometry, to the public. Before AMD users get too concerned: no, RTX Mega Geometry won't make an end product NVIDIA-exclusive—rather, it's meant to accelerate the

With the impending OnePlus 15 debuting in China on October 27, OnePlus has, like in the past, the potential to shake up the flagship smartphone market once more. The device's final details, pieced together from new leaks, point to a flagship that not only pushes the high-performance angle but comes with a more accessible MSRP plus upgraded

Lenovo is currently serving up the least expensive gaming laptop to sport a mid-range GeForce RTX 5060 GPU, though to get the low price, you need to input a couple of stackable coupon codes. Once you do, the retail cost drops by a staggering $530 versus MSRP, making this the most affordable laptop option with the aforementioned GPU. It's also

The teardown specialists at iFixIt got their hands on the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X handheld (same model we reviewed) and promptly took it apart, and you can view all of the gory (and not-so-gory) details of the surgery in a short video spanning just under six minutes long. How did it fare? Quite well overall, with the ROG Xbox Ally X largely mimicking

The F1 X120 is a 28-mm thick ARGB fan from CPS PCCOOLER that aims to offer high build quality, an innovative and clean daisy-chaining approach, dual LED rings for lighting, three fan speed modes, and impressive performance in a wide range of applications.

Ubisoft has been quietly working away on the Splinter Cell remake for over four years at this point. Unfortunately, it appears that we are no closer to seeing the game in action, as recent job listings indicate yet another change in creative leadership. 

Less than one year after announcing the remake to the world, Ubisoft hit a crossroads when the game's director left the company. A new director was appointed but as of September 2025, they too have departed Ubisoft.

As spotted by Tech4Gamers, a now deleted job post on the Ubisoft website confirmed that the studio was now looking for a third director for the Splinter Cell remake. Considering the job listing is no longer active, it could mean Ubisoft have already found someone, or it could mean that they are undergoing private recruiting.

The timing of this is pretty disappointing, as the animated series, Splinter Cell Deathwatch, has attracted an audience on Netflix and has already been greenlit for a second season.

At this point in time, it is entirely unclear how far along this remake project is. Splinter Cell isn't the only remake having some trouble either, as the Prince of Persia remake has also suffered numerous delays, despite initially being announced with a 2021 release date.

KitGuru Says: We've only really received bad news since the announcements of the Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia remakes. Hopefully that will change soon. Splinter Cell in particular should come out within the next few years to capitalise on the reignited brand recognition from the Netflix series. 

The post Splinter Cell remake loses another director first appeared on KitGuru.

Known for their work on the somewhat charming Sherlock Holmes series of games, Frogwares’ single most high-profile title is likely The Sinking City. Released back in 2019, the game received a generally warm reception, leading the team to introduce a remaster and announce a sequel. Initially planned to arrive sometime this year, the team have now confirmed that The Sinking City 2 will launch during the first half of 2026 instead.

Making the announcement on their store page, the team at Frogwares confirmed the delay, writing: “As many of you know, we’d been aiming to launch The Sinking City 2 in 2025. After extensive internal discussions, we’ve made the decision to move the release into the first half of 2026.”

Unfortunately, as with many games being worked on in Ukraine, the ongoing conflict with Russia / Putin has impacted development, with Frogwares explaining “Developing a game during an ongoing war continues to bring challenges that are difficult to predict – from drone and missile strikes to the incoming power outages and the constant need to adapt to unstable conditions.”

They continued, adding that “these realities inevitably slow our pace, and rather than rushing to meet a date that no longer makes sense, we’re choosing to take the time needed to finish the game properly and deliver it at the quality you deserve.”

As a bit of a consolation, the team shared a bunch of new screenshots, showcasing the game’s dark, moody and depressing atmosphere. In addition, Frogwares partook in an interview with Epic Games to discuss the team’s use of Unreal Engine 5 while also answering more general questions regarding the upcoming horror-focused sequel (available HERE).

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to The Sinking City 2? What do you think of their shift to a more horror-first experience? Let us know down below.

The post The Sinking City 2 delayed to the first half of 2026 due to ongoing war first appeared on KitGuru.

Each month, Sony updates its PlayStation Plus Extra / Premium libraries with a number of new and returning titles. Unfortunately, the company also removes games from the service on a monthly basis. With October’s PS Plus line-up officially available to claim, the console maker has now unveiled 7 titles which are set to depart the service next month.

In going to the last chance to play section on the PlayStation 5’s PS Plus tab, subscribers can find a list of 7 titles which are set to be removed from the service next month (likely mid-November):

• Battlefield V
• Like a Dragon: Ishin!
• Digimon Survive
• Synapse
• Travis Strikes Back: No More Heroes
• Football Manager 2024 Console
• Daedalus: The Awakening of Golden Jazz

Interestingly, a number of the games leaving have recently gotten new entries (or are set to receive a sequel), including Battlefield, Digimon and Football Manager. Similarly, those sad to see Like a Dragon: Ishin! being removed after roughly a year on the service have Yakuza: Like a Dragon to enjoy – being one of the headlining titles for October.

Finally it is worth pointing out that we are set to lose yet another VR title next month (Synapse) despite PS Plus Premium’s offerings being relatively lacking in this department.

As mentioned, October’s PS Plus Extra / Premium line-up is now available, including the likes of V Rising; Silent Hill 2 Remake; Until Dawn and the aforementioned Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The full line-up for October can be found HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you sad to see any of these games go? Should PS Plus Premium include more VR titles? Let us know down below.

The post 7 titles are set to leave PlayStation Plus Extra / Premium next month first appeared on KitGuru.

The PAYDAY series is in a bit of an awkward spot. Following the disappointing launch of PAYDAY 3, many fans opted to go back to the previous entry in the series – leading studio Starbreeze to make some less-than-popular decisions regarding the decade-old title. Fortunately, Starbreeze seems to have now found a healthy medium between the two titles, announcing that they have hired a support studio to work on PAYDAY 2 while the core team continues to work on the latest entry.

Making the announcement via their Steam page, the team at Starbreeze wrote: “Hello heisters, We’re excited to announce that we’re partnering with Sidetrack Games to support the PC-versions of PAYDAY 2 with quality-of-life improvements and general game fixes.”

For the uninitiated, Sidetrack Games is composed of PAYDAY modders who have proven themselves within the community over the years. In partnership with Starbreeze, Sidetrack Games are working on an update for PAYDAY 2 which is set to go live later today, focused on “the stability of the game and improving the overall player experience.”

The team concluded by stating “Collaborating with Sidetrack Games allows Starbreeze to maintain full focus on PAYDAY 3, while PAYDAY 2 continues to deliver value for all players with the dedicated, expert support they deserve.”

In many ways it feels as though PAYDAY 2 was a lightning in a bottle type situation. Whether its successor can ever reach such heights, we will have to wait and see. That said, it is encouraging to see that the team appear to have found a solution which works for the developers, the fans, and hopefully the future of PAYDAY itself.

KitGuru says: What do you think of PAYDAY 3 in 2025? Could it surpass its predecessor with enough time and care? Let us know your thoughts down below.

The post Starbreeze partners with ex-modders to support PAYDAY 2 in the long-term first appeared on KitGuru.

There will definitely be another Xbox console and it's going to deliver a "very premium" experience, according to remarks made by Xbox CEO Sarah Bond. During an interview with Mashable's Timothy Bech Werth, Bond shared the first details about what to expect from Microsoft's next-gen console, essentially confirming that there will be at least