In a presentation at IFA 2025 in Berlin, Acer has given us a glimpse into the future of thin-and-light laptops. The laptop manufacturer has revealed the new Swift 16 AI, the very first notebook to be powered by Intel's upcoming “Panther Lake” CPU architecture.

The Acer Swift 16 AI is powered by an Intel Panther Lake CPU, built on the company's highly anticipated 18A process node, paired with up to 32GB of LPDDR5X memory and Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Moreover, the upcoming laptop features a high-resolution 16-inch, 3K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, along with some innovative features, all packed into a chassis that weighs less than a kilogram.

Another distinctive feature on display is the redesigned, oversized haptic trackpad, which supports active stylus input, enabling creatives to sketch or take notes directly on the large touch surface. This new, larger pad has prompted a redesigned chassis that still manages to come in at under 1 kg in certain configurations. The laptop doesn't skimp on connectivity either, offering two Thunderbolt 4 ports for high-speed transfer and docking, alongside USB-A, HDMI, and a microSD card slot.

While Acer is planning a more extensive showcase for CES 2026, the company confirmed that the Swift 16 AI is expected to launch before the end of this year.

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

The post Acer announces the world’s first Intel Panther Lake powered laptop first appeared on KitGuru.

Following its announcement at Computex 2025, Intel has officially released the new Arc Pro B50. This is the first workstation card based on the “Battlemage” architecture, and it's aimed squarely at the compact, small-form-factor professional market, where power and size are key considerations.

The Arc Pro B50 (via VideoCardz) is built on the “BMG-G21” silicon and features 16 of the new Xe2 cores. This is paired with a generous 16GB of GDDR6 memory running at 14 Gbps on a 128-bit bus, which provides a total of 224 GB/s of memory bandwidth. For AI workloads, Intel rates the card for a respectable 170 TOPS of INT8 compute performance.

The Arc Pro B50 features a board power of just 70W, which means it draws all of its power directly from the motherboard's PCIe slot, eliminating the need for external power connectors. The card itself is a dual-slot, low-profile design, making it ideal for SFF workstations. It connects via a PCIe 5.0 x8 interface and features four mini DisplayPort outputs, making it suitable for multi-monitor setups.

Intel has announced a suggested retail price of $349 for the card, which will be available both as a standalone product and in pre-built systems.

KitGuru says: Although it won't top performance charts, the Intel Arc Pro B50 appears to be worth considering if you're looking for an entry-level workstation card.

The post Intel officially launches Arc Pro B50 graphics card first appeared on KitGuru.

Acer is preparing to launch its own dual-mode OLED monitor with a 720Hz refresh rate. The new Predator X27U F8 is a 27-inch class QHD monitor built on the same next-generation panel technology as Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27AQWP-W, setting the stage for fierce competition at the very high end of the gaming display market.

Acer's press release describes the Predator X27U F8 as a 26.5-inch OLED panel (probably using LG's 4th Gen Primary RGB Tandem), featuring a 2560×1440 resolution, a native 540Hz refresh rate, 10-bit colour depth, and a claimed 0.01/0.03ms GtG response time. The panel is factory calibrated to a Delta E <1, and covers 99% of the DCI-P3 gamut, so image quality should be excellent. It is also expected to be VESA DisplayHDR 500 True Black certified, with a peak brightness of around 1500 nits.

For gamers who require every possible frame, the monitor also features a ‘dual-mode' option (DFR). This allows users to drop the resolution to 1280×720 and push the refresh rate to 720Hz, an interesting option for competitive players who prioritise speed above all else. The monitor supports AMD Freesync Premium Pro to provide a tear-free experience.

For connectivity, it features two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 2.1, a 90W USB-C port with DP Alt Mode, and a built-in KVM switch. Additionally, it features two 5W speakers, a height-adjustable stand with pivot, tilt, and swivel capabilities, as well as VESA 100×100 wall mounting support. Acer is targeting a Q1 2026 release in the United States for $1,299, with a European launch to follow in Q2 for €1,199.

KitGuru says: Are you considering a dual-mode gaming monitor for a future upgrade? The refresh rates are really starting to impress but to hit 720Hz, you'll also need some seriously high-end hardware to drive that kind of frame rate. 

The post Acer unveils its new 720Hz OLED gaming monitor first appeared on KitGuru.

While we haven't had a new Batman Arkham game for PC and consoles in over a decade, the series has been living on in VR. Last year, Batman Arkham Shadow launched for Meta Quest VR headsets and now, it looks like a sequel is on the way. 

Batman Arkham Shadow was one of the best VR games of 2024, offering a full campaign and access to many of Batman's usual gadgets. While not officially announced yet, a sequel has been confirmed to be in development by one of the main voice actors involved.

UploadVR spotted an interview conducted by Culture Combine, in which the voice actor for Commissioner Gordon, Mark Rolston, volunteered the information when responding to a somewhat unrelated question. Here is the full quote:

Culture Combine: “What's the difference between, I guess, Blade Runner and Spider-Man 2 as far as voice acting?”

Mark Rolston: “In the Blade Runner game, I was a voiceover, but for Spider-Man, I do complete Motion Capture, voice, and everything. Same thing with the Batman Arkham Shadow VR game. We're about to start another one of those. I play Commissioner Gordon”.

The new Batman Arkham VR games are developed by Camouflaj, the same studio behind Iron Man VR and Republique.

KitGuru Says: Did any of you play Batman Arkham Shadow on the Quest 3 headset? What did you think of the first game and are you looking forward to a sequel? 

The post Voice actor confirms Batman Arkham Shadow sequel in development first appeared on KitGuru.

We've hit the first Thursday of the month, which means it is time for another mega-update for GeForce Now. This week. Nvidia revealed 17 new games joining the cloud gaming library over the next several weeks, including the long-anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong.

The game was originally planned as an expansion to the original game, but later evolved into a full sequel, all developed by a small team of three developers from Australia. The game has been in development for five years but finally launches on September 4th for Xbox, PC and Nintendo Switch. On top of that, the game will be available to play on almost any device through the GeForce Now service.

Borderlands 4 is another major highlight for GeForce Now this month. The latest game in the series from Gearbox is due out on September 11th and will be a day-one addition to the GeForce Now library.

Here is the full list of games available on GeForce Now this week:

• Hell Is Us (New release on Steam, Advanced Access on Sept. 1)
• METAL EDEN (New release on Steam, Sept. 2)
• Hollow Knight: Silksong (New release on Steam and Xbox, available on PC Game Pass, Sept. 4)
• Cataclismo (New release on Xbox, available on PC Game Pass, Sept. 4)
• Cronos: The New Dawn (New release on Steam, Advanced Access Sept 3, general availability Sept. 5)

Throughout September, other titles like Borderlands 4, Dying Light: The Beast, Predecessor, Cloverpit, Lost Rift, Baby Steps, Endless Legend 2, Jump Space, Firefighting Simulator, Fata Deum- The God Sim, Warborne Above Ashes and Aztecs: The Last Sun will also join the library.

KitGuru Says: What do you think of this month's GeForce Now lineup? Will you be playing any of this month's new releases?

The post Nvidia brings 17 new games to GeForce Now this month first appeared on KitGuru.

MindsEye had a lot going for it pre-launch. The game was a new open-world shooter produced by former Rockstar alumni but the game launched in a rough state and ultimately flopped. Now, IO Interactive has spoken up about the project, which may have killed the company's future plans for publishing third-party games. 

MindsEye was developed by Build a Rocket Boy, a new studio founded by former Rockstar producer, Leslie Benzies. However, IO Interactive acted as the publisher for this game. It was the first major third-party publishing deal at the company and because of the game's poor commercial and critical performance, IO is unsure if it will risk doing more publishing deals like this.

Speaking with IGN in an interview, IO Interactive CEO, Hakan Abrak, commented on the impact of MindsEye on the company's future publishing plans, saying:

“It was a tough reception. It wasn't what they hoped for, and also what we didn't hope for at IOI Partners. So, IO Interactive will publish our own games internally. IOI Partners? That remains to be seen.”

The statement leaves the door open for future deals but it is likely that IO will be more cautious moving forward with potential publishing deals outside of the games it develops in-house.

KitGuru Says: Did any of you play MindsEye? How was your experience with the game? 

The post IO Interactive hits the brakes on third-party publishing after MindsEye flop first appeared on KitGuru.

Yesterday we reported on a data mine which seemed to suggest that the current-gen exclusive live-service Hero Shooter Marvel Rivals would be coming to last-gen consoles as part of the game’s 4th Seasonal update. Sure enough, a PS4 version of Marvel Rivals has now been officially announced – though last-gen Xbox owners seem to be out of luck.

Making the announcement as part of their Season 4 content unveiling, the team at NetEase Games officially confirmed that Marvel Rivals will be landing on PlayStation 4 at the launch of Season 4; come the 12th of September.

Interestingly, it seems as though the only last-gen machine to receive such a backport is the PlayStation 4, with no word of an Xbox One X|S release.

While the lower-powered Xbox One S is technically inferior to the PS4 hardware-wise, the decision to not ship on Xbox is likely more to do with each system’s total user base.

Though Microsoft has not shared any sales data for a couple generations now, the PS4 is confirmed to have sold over 117 million units.

Even if every single PS5 console was purchased by a PS4 owner (which we know isn’t the case), there would still remain a solid 40 million or so PS4s out there which Marvel Rivals could be installed on.

Of course, amongst all this is the question of performance, especially with Rivals utilising many Unreal Engine 5 features. We will have to wait and see when Season 4 officially arrives in a little over a week’s time.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this port? Will they try to hit 60fps? Why do you think they’re skipping last-gen Xbox consoles? Let us know down below.

The post Marvel Rivals is officially coming to PS4; no Xbox One version in sight first appeared on KitGuru.

AVM always likes to do things a little differently from other router manufacturers. Throughout the years, we've been impressed by the company's unusual features. The AVM FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro is the second WiFi 7 router we have seen from the company, adding a tri-band radio and direct connectivity for optical fibre broadband. But it still includes some of AVM's unique telephony abilities and, on paper at least, ups the bandwidth considerably over the 7690 router we looked at a few months ago.

The AVM FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro has a more angular design aesthetic than the AVM FRITZ!Box 7690 we looked at in January. The Pro nomenclature would imply this is more directly aimed at small businesses than homes, and indeed it does still offer DECT cordless telephony for up to six handsets. But there are still smart home features, primarily via support for Zigbee, a wireless standard for controlling smart home devices such as lightbulbs, roller blinds, temperature and motion sensors, smart plugs, and switches.

The headline features are the upgraded networking capabilities of the 5690 Pro. You're spoiled for choice for broadband connectivity. Not only is there a port for DSL and another for 2.5Gbit WAN/LAN, but also a third one for an SFP (small form-factor pluggable) module. In the box, you get AON and GPON optical options, depending on the kind of fibre home connection you might have. The tri-band WiFi has an aggregate bandwidth of 18,490Mbits/sec, divided into 11,530Mbits/sec at 6GHz, 5,760Mbits/sec at 5GHz, and 1,200Mbits/sec at 2.4GHz. The 7690 did not offer the 6GHz waveband. As well as WiFi 7, the 5690 also supports WiFi 6E, which more devices support already than 7. There are optional extras to create a mesh network, too.

There are wired RJ11 and German TAE analog phone ports on the back plus a four-port Gigabit Ethernet switch (albeit no faster LAN connections unless you don't use the WAN port for broadband). You also get a single USB 3.1 connection for media server storage or NAS options. All this comes in at well under £400, which is pricey for a router but not one with this range of features available. Read on to see how the promising specifications shape up in reality.

The AVM FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro is available from Amazon UK for £356.32 inc VAT.

Specification:

• Wireless protocols: MU-MIMO with 802.11b/g/n/be 2.4GHz, 802.11a/n/ac/ax/be 5GHz and 6GHz
• Performance: BE18490 (11,530 + 5,760 + 1,200 Mbits/sec)
• Antenna Configuration: 4×4 internal antennas
• Ports: 4 x Gigabit Ethernet, 1 x 2.5Gigabit Ethernet WAN/LAN, 1 x ADSL,  1 x SFP AON or GPON fibre optic, 1 x USB 3.1, 1 x RJ11 phone, 1 x TAE phone
• Modem Support: Fibre, VDSL/ADSL 2+ or cable

The post AVM FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro WiFi 7 Router Review first appeared on KitGuru.

Following its announcement earlier this Summer, the teams at IO Interactive and PlayStation held a State of Play dedicated to the upcoming 007 First Light. As part of this rather lengthy deep-dive it was officially confirmed that 007 First Light will arrive early next year – launching on the 27th of March 2026.

As part of the 007 First Light State of Play, it was officially confirmed that the upcoming espionage action-adventure title from IOI will launch on the 27th of March 2026.

Coming to all current-gen systems (including the Nintendo Switch 2), 007 First Light looks to follow in the freeform footsteps of IOI’s previous franchise HITMAN, while also upping the stakes with greater action set-pieces and driving sequences.

Unlike many AAA games released nowadays, 007 First Light will cost ‘just’ £60 – though there is of course a fancy Legacy Edition available to purchase which includes a Golden Gun Figurine, a certificate of authenticity and a slick steelbook case – among other miscellaneous extras.

Interestingly, all those who pre-order the game will receive the full suite of Deluxe Edition additions for free, including:

• 4 exclusive outfits
• 1 new weapon skin
• The Gleaming pack featuring various golden accessories
• 24 hours of Advanced Access

Finally, it is worth noting that Switch 2 owners wanting to purchase 007 First Light physically will be able to do so – however, as with many 3rd-party Switch 2 titles, the game will make use of the controversial Game-Key Card system.

Assuming this isn’t a dealbreaker, the Switch 2’s ‘Specialist Edition’ offers a couple exclusives in the form of “standout and unique packaging” (which is ruined by an ugly ‘Game-Key Card’ label) as well as “an exclusive original outfit for Bond, the Classic Tux, for even more flair.”

The full gameplay breakdown for 007 First Light can be found HERE.

KitGuru says: What did you think of the State of Play? Will you be picking up First Light on day-one? Let us know down below.

The post 007 First Light officially launches in March of next year first appeared on KitGuru.

Iiyama has three new gaming monitors hitting the market this month, all hitting incredibly competitive price points. Better yet, these are all large screens, offering 32″ to 43″ panels. 

The Iiyama G-Master Gold Phoenix GB3290QSU-B1and Red Eagle GB3271QSU-B2 are at the top of the list. Both are 32″ monitors with IPS panels, but the Gold Phoenix offers a 240Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 for £319.99, while the Red Eagle has a lower 180Hz refresh rate and a lower £249.99 price tag to go with it. Both monitors have FreeSync Premium, so you can eliminate screen tearing too, as well as a 1ms response time, which is pretty much as fast as IPS monitors get.

The third monitor is for those who want an even bigger screen and 4K resolution. The Iiyama G-Master Red Eagle G4380UHSU-B2 has a 43″ VA panel with 4K resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. This model has an even lower response time compared to the other two, offering 0.3ms MPRT. You also get HDMI 2.1, making this an ideal display for both PC gaming and current-gen consoles like the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and the Switch 2, all of which support a maximum 120Hz refresh rate.

All three monitors will be available through Amazon and other retailers in the UK starting in mid-September.

KitGuru Says: Are you shopping around for a new monitor for gaming? 

The post Iiyama launches trio of super-sized gaming monitors starting at £250 first appeared on KitGuru.

Back in 2021, Insomniac Games officially announced that they were working on a brand new Marvel game, with the iconic Wolverine set to land on PlayStation 5 at some point in the console’s future. In the many years since, we’ve neither seen nor heard from the project officially. Finally however, it appears as though Insomniac Games are ready to show off what they’ve been working on – with an official unveiling for Marvel’s Wolverine reportedly set to take place later this month.

As claimed by known industry insider Tom Henderson (via Insider-Gaming), sources informed the leaker that Sony’s long-rumoured State of Play presentation will indeed take place sometime in September (echoing previous reports).

According to Henderson, the showcase is currently planned to go live “towards the end of September” and will include our first proper look at Insomniac’s Wolverine – with the sources stating that the highly-anticipated title will “almost certainly” be present at the event owing to the fact that “the production of its next trailer has now been completed.”

Henderson did make sure to note that Wolverine isn’t guaranteed to be at the State of Play, claiming that “if the game doesn’t appear at State of Play, then the trailer will undoubtedly be released in the next few months, with The Game Awards being the next likely candidate.”

Of course, Insomniac did suffer a data breach back in 2023, in which a bunch of internal documents were leaked – including gameplay footage of the aforementioned Wolverine. Even so, it will be exciting to finally get an official look at Marvel’s Wolverine (hopefully) later this month.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to the September State of Play? Do you think we’ll get to see Wolverine finally? Did you manage to avoid the various spoilers which appeared following the data breach? Let us know down below.

The post Marvel’s Wolverine will reportedly be shown off during September’s PlayStation State of Play first appeared on KitGuru.

Ever since the release of Shadow of the Tomb Raider back in 2018, the iconic Lara Croft has been in a bit of a state of limbo, with the biggest project to have been released being the animated Netflix show last year. That said, while we continue to wait for news on a new video game entry, Amazon’s previously-announced live-action TV show has made some significant progress – with the team having officially announced the casting for Lara Croft.

As confirmed by the publication Variety, Amazon’s live-action Tomb Raider series (which was first announced back in May of last year) has reached a significant development milestone, with the project having now found its Lara Croft in the form of Sophie Turner.

For the uninitiated, Sophie Turner is perhaps best known for having portrayed Sansa Stark in HBO’s Game of Thrones – though the actor also took on the role of Jean Grey in Fox’s ill-fated X-Men prequel film series.

Beyond Sophie Turner, Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been confirmed as the show’s creator, writer, and executive producer, with the mind behind Killing Eve and Fleabag commenting on the recent casting announcement:

“I’m so excited to announce the formidable Sophie Turner as our Lara alongside this phenomenal creative team. It’s not very often you get to make a show of this scale with a character you grew up loving. Everyone on board is wildly passionate about Lara and are all as outrageous, brave, and hilarious as she is. Get your artifacts out… Croft is coming…”

This will mark the 3rd live-action take on Tomb Raider, with Angelina Jolie portraying Lara Croft back in the early 2000s films – and Alicia Vikander tackling the role later on in the 2018 reboot. That said, this will be the first live-action TV show based on the IP, and so it will be interesting to see how the project is received when it eventually arrives on Amazon Prime.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this casting choice? Are you looking forward to the show? Let us know down below.

The post Sophie Turner officially cast as Lara Croft in live-action Tomb Raider show first appeared on KitGuru.

New details about Intel's next-generation desktop platform have just surfaced in a shipping manifest, giving us another glimpse at the upcoming “Nova Lake-S” architecture. The documentation mentions a 52-core CPU, likely the flagship of the series, as well as the 28-core variant that we previously reported on. 

The NBD manifest (via VideoCardz) explicitly lists the new socket as LGA-1954 and confirms its dimensions as 45 x 37.5mm. This is identical to the size of the current LGA-1851 socket used for Arrow Lake-S. While this doesn't mean the CPUs will be cross-compatible between the two sockets, the mounting mechanism could be the same, meaning it should support coolers designed for its predecessors. This is good news for anyone who has invested in a high-end air or liquid cooler for their current system and wants to update to a more recent CPU.

The appearance of the 52-core chip in the manifest corroborates earlier leaks. If those previous reports are accurate, this flagship CPU will feature a configuration of 16 P-cores, 32 E-cores, and an additional 4 LP E-cores on the SoC tile. The document also lists the 28-core variant that was spotted last week.

This leak is a strong indication that Intel's roadmap is on track for the 2026 launch of Nova Lake-S, which is set to be the desktop debut of the company's 18A process node. While the performance of the new architecture remains a mystery, the possible confirmation of cooler compatibility is a welcome development that will make the eventual upgrade path much smoother for enthusiasts.

KitGuru says: A 52-core CPU in the mainstream market is definitely interesting. However, we wonder how many users can actually take advantage of this many cores.

The post An Intel Nova Lake-S processor with 52 cores has leaked first appeared on KitGuru.

Philips has announced the launch of its new Brilliance 27E3U7903 monitor, a 27-inch 5K display that looks to be a direct competitor to Apple's Studio Display. With a similar high-resolution panel and a robust feature set, Philips aims to tempt creative professionals with a more reasonable price tag.

The new Brilliance 27E3U7903 monitor features a 27-inch 5K (5120×2880) IPS panel, providing an impressive 218 PPI. Built for colour-critical work, it covers 99.5% of the Adobe RGB and 99% of the DCI-P3 colour spaces. Additionally, it's ‘Calman Ready' for easy hardware recalibration and VESA DisplayHDR 600-certified, with a 2,000:1 contrast ratio and a typical brightness of 500 nits (peaks at 600 nits).

Connectivity is a major strong point and a key advantage over the competition. The monitor features two Thunderbolt 4 ports, providing a single-cable solution for video, data, and up to 96W of power delivery, as well as support for daisy-chaining a second display. It also functions as a full workstation hub, with a built-in KVM switch, a 1GbE LAN port, and an integrated 5MP Windows Hello-compatible webcam for secure logins. Moreover, the included Philips ‘SmartErgoBase' provides full ergonomic adjustment, including height, tilt, swivel, and a 90-degree pivot into portrait mode right out of the box.

The Philips Brilliance 27E3U7903 is set to launch in early September with a suggested retail price of just £849.

KitGuru says: Compared to the Apple Studio Display, which it seems to rival, the new Brilliance 27E3U7903 appears to be a much better deal.

The post The latest Philips Brilliance monitor has specs to rival Apple Studio Display first appeared on KitGuru.

Alesh Slovak, the developer behind the popular HTPC gaming distribution ChimeraOS (a SteamOS-like operating system), has just unveiled a new project called Kazeta. It's a new, lightweight Linux-based operating system designed to replicate the simplicity of a classic games console by using SD cards as physical game cartridges.

Brought to our attention by GamingOnLinux, Kazeta was designed to be as simple as possible. Users manually load a single DRM-free game from a source like GOG or itch.io onto an SD card, which then acts as a game cartridge. Then, you insert the card into your PC and boot it up. Lastly, the OS launches you directly into the game, with no launchers, online accounts, or internet connection required. Game saves are written to the PC's internal storage, keeping the “cartridge” itself clean. If you boot without a card inserted, you're greeted with a 90s-style console BIOS menu.

 

Image credit: Kazeta

According to the developer, the project was born out of a desire to combat the growing complexity of digital storefronts and to help with the long-term preservation of games through DRM-free media. It's a direct response to the cloud-dependent, always-online nature of modern gaming, offering a completely offline, plug-and-play experience.

As you might expect from a new and ambitious project, there are some limitations in its current state. The OS does not yet support Bluetooth controllers, dual-booting, or hybrid graphics setups, and the process of creating the game cartridges is entirely manual for now. However, the developer has noted that features like Bluetooth support are planned for future iterations. Below you can find the system requirements for Kazeta:

REQUIREMENTS

• 4 GB or more RAM
• 32 GB or larger internal storage device
• AMD Radeon RX 400 series or newer GPU required (Strongly recommended for the best experience)
• NVIDIA GTX 1600 series or newer GPU required
• Intel GPUs released since 2017 may work, but have poor game compatibility
• A single connected TV or monitor
• Virtual machines are not supported
• A keyboard is usually required to select the boot disk and start the installer
• Secure boot must be disabled
• Intel RST (Rapid Storage Technology) must be disabled
• Legacy/bios is not supported

SUPPORTED HARDWARE/CONTROLLERS

• Geekom A5 2025 Edition Mini PC
• 8Bitdo Ultimate 2C Wireless Controller connected wirelessly via the included dongle or wired

The operating system is now available for download, along with complete installation instructions on the project's GitHub page.

KitGuru says: Have you ever considered changing your system to a Linux-based OS? Do you think Kazeta would motivate you to do so?

The post New Linux-based OS Kazeta takes inspiration from 90s game consoles first appeared on KitGuru.

Last week, we reported on a new round of lay-offs taking place at Crystal Dynamics. At the time, I reported that this was likely impacting the Perfect Dark team, as Microsoft/Xbox opted to cancel the game this year. Now, we have confirmation on that and as it turns out, the reason for the delayed impact at Crystal Dynamics was due to a deal that was brewing between Microsoft, Embracer and Take-Two, which would have seen Take-Two taking over the game and funding it through to completion. 

Bloomberg's Jason Schreier published his report on the Crystal Dynamics layoffs this week, confirming that it was the Perfect Dark team impacted. On top of that though, Schreier also learned that Crystal Dynamics and its parent company, Embracer Group, were in talks to try and keep the project alive.

The deal being discussed would have seen Take Two acquiring the rights to the game and funding the project in lieu of Microsoft. While Microsoft was open to this, the company did not want to part with ownership over the IP. Take Two wasn't going to fund a game for a franchise it has no ownership over and as a result, the deal fell apart.

Unfortunately, it is looking like Perfect Dark will be shelved for a long time. It took Microsoft over a decade to return to Perfect Dark after the release of Perfect Dark Zero, which was an Xbox 360 launch title. On top of that, Microsoft burned through millions setting up ‘The Initiative', which was based in one of the most expensive cities in all of the US, and spent even more money recruiting top talent from around the games industry, only to ultimately decide to contract development of the game out to a third-party. The whole thing was a massive waste of time and money and due to those lost funds, it is doubtful that Microsoft is keen to invest more into the Perfect Dark IP.

KitGuru Says: Perhaps this is why Microsoft is so keen on buying studios, because it clearly can't set up one of its own and manage it effectively. The Initiative didn't even get close to releasing a game. 

The post Perfect Dark was almost saved by Take Two but Microsoft wouldn’t give up IP first appeared on KitGuru.

A few months ago, a leak revealed a few new classic games due to join the Nintendo Switch Online library. Now, just ahead of next week's rumoured Nintendo Direct showcase, Nintendo appears to have confirmed this leak. 

In an announcement this week, Nintendo confirmed that Forsaken 64 will be joining the Nintendo Switch Online library. This was one of four games leaked for the service over the summer. As noted by VGC, this lends credibility to the previous leak and likely indicates that the other titles mentioned are also on the way.

For those who didn't catch the original leak, a blurry image of four game box arts revealed a set of new titles coming to the Nintendo 64 emulator, which is only accessible via the Nintendo Switch Online service. Aside from Forsaken 64, the other games mentioned included Super Smash Bros, Donkey Kong 64 and Glover.

Given how massive Super Smash Bros and Donkey Kong are, it is possible that Nintendo is saving the announcement of these titles for a segment in an upcoming Nintendo Direct. Recent rumours have claimed that a new Nintendo Direct stream will take place around September 12th.

KitGuru Says: Are there any classics that you would like to see added to the Nintendo Switch Online service? Personally, I'd like to see a massive expansion to the Game Boy Advanced library. 

The post Nintendo may have just confirmed a Nintendo Switch Online leak from earlier this year first appeared on KitGuru.

Dying Light: The Beast is just a few weeks away and now, Techland has revealed the PC system requirements. Despite this game spinning off from a Dying Light 2 DLC to its own standalone game, the PC system requirements have made a bit of a jump compared to Dying Light 2. 

Dying Light: The Beast puts players back in the shoes of Kyle Crane, the protagonist of the first Dying Light game. After being forced to undergo a series of brutal experiments, Kyle's DNA has evolved, giving him access to a range of new abilities.

In the table below, you can see the PC system requirements for Dying Light: The Beast –

Tier	Resolution & FPS	Graphics Settings	GPU	VRAM	CPU	RAM	Storage	OS
Minimum	1080p @ 30fps	LOW	GTX 1060 / RX 5500 XT / Arc A750	6GB	Intel i5-13400F / Ryzen 7 5800F	16GB	70GB SSD	Windows 10+
Recommended	1440p @ 60fps	MEDIUM	RTX 3070 Ti / RX 6750 XT / Arc B580	8GB	Intel i5-13400F / Ryzen 7 7700	16GB	70GB SSD	Windows 10+
High	4K @ 60fps	HIGH	RTX 4070 Ti / RX 7900 GRE	12GB	Intel i7-13700K / Ryzen 9 7800 X3D	32GB	70GB SSD	Windows 10+
Ultra	4K @ 60fps + RT + FG	ULTRA	RTX 5070 / RX 9070 / Arc B580	12GB	Intel i9-14900K / Ryzen 9 7950 X3D	32GB	70GB SSD	Windows 10+

The key differences between Dying Light 2 and The Beast are higher RAM requirements, moving the minimum up from 8GB to 16GB, and a target for higher resolutions. Dying Light 2's PC system requirements were all designed around 1080p gaming, while Dying Light: The Beast opts for 1440p and 4K requirements.

KitGuru Says: Are you planning on picking up Dying Light: The Beast in a few weeks' time? 

The post Dying Light: The Beast PC system requirements announced first appeared on KitGuru.

The long-rumoured “Arrow Lake Refresh” for Intel's desktop platform has been a source of much debate, but a new leak may have finally shed some light on its official branding. A new processor, identified as the Core Ultra 7 365K, has recently appeared in the Geekbench database, suggesting that the upcoming refresh will indeed be marketed as part of the Core Ultra 300 series.

The benchmark entry (via Benchleaks) shows the Core Ultra 7 365K as a 20-core, 20-thread part, featuring 8 P-Cores and 12 E-Cores with a base clock of 3.9GHz. The chip was tested on an MSI Pro Z890-A WiFi motherboard with 48GB of DDR5 memory. According to the listing, the cache structure appears to be unchanged from the current Arrow Lake CPUs.

However, don't read too much into the performance numbers just yet. The chip scored just 2,140 points in the single-core test and 19,744 in the multi-core test, both of which are notably lower than the average scores for the existing Core Ultra 7 265K. This is almost certainly an early engineering sample running with unoptimised drivers and is not representative of the final product's expected performance. Given it's a refresh, it only makes sense that it will perform similarly to or better than its predecessor.

This leak comes after months of evolving rumours about the Arrow Lake Refresh. What started as speculation about higher core count parts and NPU upgrades has now settled on the much more sober expectation of a minor clock speed bump for a few select K-series SKUs. The main point of contention was whether Intel would brand this as a new 300-series or keep it under the 200-series.

KitGuru says: This is unlikely to move the needle much for Intel considering the small upgrades. 

The post Intel Arrow Lake refresh may release under ‘Core Ultra 300’ series as Core Ultra 7 365K leaks first appeared on KitGuru.

Earlier this year, we heard from a number of readers who had issues obtaining their paid-for product after pre-ordering RTX 5090 graphics cards from uwgamespecialist.nl, a tech retailer in the Netherlands. Following our initial report, the CEO of uwgamespecialist claimed that an internal investigation would be launched but by July of this year, we learned that the company was in fact still scamming customers. Now another couple of months later, the company appears to have shut down.

As spotted by Tweakers, the uwgamespecialist webshop is now closed and is no longer accepting any orders, the company's LinkedIn page has been taken down and the company owner declined to answer any of Tweakers' questions. The website now states that “unfortunately Your Game Specialist is no longer available”. The company listing on Google has also been marked down as closed.

In the image above, you will see one of several screenshots we received from verified customers a few months ago, in which the uwgamespecialist website falsely reports RTX 5090 GPUs as being ‘available', only for customers to be left waiting for months.

One commenter on the article, Joostbakker, claimed to have reached out to Jeroen Vukkink, the former CEO of the company and learned that a bankruptcy petition has begun. This means that customers with pending orders likely won't have their purchases fulfilled. However, if you are impacted, you may be able to contact your bank and have the charge reversed after explaining the situation.

KitGuru Says: We've been following this story closely for months, having reported on the initial RTX 5090 recall claim, which we quickly learned was a lie. Months later, they were still up to dodgy antics. If you had a pending order with this company, we would love to hear from you about your experience. You can reach us by going to our Contact Us page (HERE) and selecting the Editorial option. 

The post Dodgy tech retailer closes down after scamming RTX 5090 buyers for months first appeared on KitGuru.

In this video I'll be taking a look at the highly anticipated DeltaMate GPU water block for the Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 from Thermal Grizzly. If you watched our Computex coverage you will have seen that Leo got a first look at the block, alongside the lowdown on how it's made from Thermal Grizzly's own Joe Robey. Today, I get to do the fun stuff and install this beast of a water block on the RTX 5090 Asus ROG Astral and take it for a spin.

Timestamps

00:00 The DeltaMate and Pricing
02:00 The Incredible backplate! / dummy plate
03:56 PCIe Bracket / PCB Removal
05:30 Copper Coldplate / Up Close
07:00 Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090
07:33 New Deltamate Fittings
08:55 Getting some ‘stock’ results
09:41 Installing the deltamate block
11:36 DeltaMate results!

Specification

• Dimensions (L x W x H): 282 x 135 x 28mm
• Weight: 2142g
• Port Spacing: 28mm
• Port Threads: 2 x Female G1/4″ (1/4″ BSPP)
• Backplate Thickness: 4.5mm
• Number of PCIe Slots: 1.5
• Coolant Capacity: 76ml
• Cold Plate Material:  Copper
• Coldplate Design: 86 x 0.2mm Micro Fins
• Terminal Material: Brass
• Exterior Material: Aluminium (6082)
• O-Ring: EPDM
• Lighting: D-RGB 3-pin 27 diodes

Thermal Grizzly unveiled the DeltaMate GPU block for RTX 5090 Asus ROG Astral at Computex this year. We got our hands on the very same block that was on show at Computex, installed it on the Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 and ran some thermal load tests and checked out the performance in 3DMark Speed Way.

 

This is still a pre-release version of the block, so these are early performance figures. However, we are assured by Thermal Grizzly that this version of the DeltaMate waterblock is identical in terms of specification and manufacturing process as the retail version. You can check the progress of the final retail version availability via the blog on the official Thermal Grizzly website.

KitGuru says:  If you have an Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 and want to squeeze a little more performance from it or think it's time to delve into serious overclocking, then this waterblock could be ideal for you!

The post Thermal Grizzly DeltaMate RTX 5090 ROG Astral Water Block first appeared on KitGuru.

Over the past few months we’ve seen a number of live-service titles announce that they will no longer support last-gen consoles – with the likes of Genshin Impact and PUBG leading the charge. It therefore comes as a bit of a surprise that the current-gen exclusive Hero Shooter Marvel Rivals is reportedly set to get a release on PS4.

As reported by PlayStation data miner ‘PlayStation Game Size’, a listing for a PS4 version of Marvel Rivals has popped up on Sony’s back-end servers, suggesting that a last-gen version of the game is gearing up for release – likely around the launch of Season 4.

As mentioned, this move would be a rather interesting one as many other live-service titles are doing the complete opposite; ceasing last-gen support for their games.

Furthermore, in being a competitive multiplayer title, Marvel Rivals on last-gen would need to have some level of solid performance for it to be viable – a tough ask given Rivals’ Unreal Engine 5 roots and destructible environments.

All that said, assuming the team wanted to bring Marvel Rivals over to Switch 2 eventually, then optimisations would need to take place; so perhaps this port is partially being done in order to prep for the inevitable Switch 2 release.

We likely won’t have to wait too long to find out as Marvel Rivals Season 4 is expected to go live in just under two weeks’ time.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What are your opinions on backporting current-gen games? Will Marvel Rivals on PS4 be a solid enough experience? How do you think the console will handle Dr. Strange’s portals? Let us know down below.

The post Marvel Rivals reportedly coming to last-gen consoles first appeared on KitGuru.

Each month, all those subscribed to Humble’s Choice membership can get their hands on a solid 8 or so titles for the ‘low’ (though recently-raised) price of just £11.49. For the month of September, subscribers can look forward to a variety of titles – ranging from Destiny 2: Legacy Collection to WWE 2K25; The Plucky Squire and more.

Available to add to your library from now until the end of September, this month’s Humble Choice line-up features the following:

• WWE 2K25
• Destiny 2: Legacy Collection (2025)
• The Plucky Squire
• SpellForce: Conquest of Eo
• Return to Monkey Island
• Eastern Exorcist
• Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks
• Grapple Dog
• One Month of IGN Plus

Though in some ways less exciting than August’s offerings (which included the likes of Persona 5 Royal; Banishers: Ghost of New Eden and more), this month’s Choice line-up features plenty of variety.

Perhaps the most notable is Destiny 2’s Legacy Collection. For the uninitiated, this 2025 edition of the Collection includes a majority of the past content from Destiny 2, including:

• The Final Shape; Lightfall and The Witch Queen Expansions
• Beyond Light; Shadowkeep; Forsaken and 30th Anniversary Packs
• Pit of Heresy; Shattered Throne and Grasp of Avarice Dungeons

In essence, this Collection should include all of the content from the past 8 years of Destiny 2, with the main exceptions being the likes of the Red War Campaign, the Forsaken Story and other vaulted items/planets – as well as the most recent Edge of Fate Expansion (and select Dungeon Keys).

Outside of Destiny 2, this month’s Humble Choice offers plenty to enjoy, with the likes of The Plucky Squire giving you a fun, and visually unique 2D/3D platformer, and Return to Monkey Island throwing you back to the early days of video games.

In case you missed it, Humble are currently also offering a bunch of themed bundles, including the WB Play The Legends Bundle and the Duo of Justice – Ace Attorney and Mega Man bundle; the full details of which can be found HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this month’s Choice line-up? Which title are you most excited to check out? Have Destiny 2’s Collections become too confusing for the average person? Let us know your thoughts down below.

The post September’s Humble Choice line-up officially announced first appeared on KitGuru.

There was once a time when Rayman was easily Ubisoft’s most recognisable character, with the platforming mascot sitting alongside Crash Bandicoot, Spyro and the like during the 1990s and 2000s. That said, we’ve not seen a new mainline entry in over a decade – with the most recent attempt being the cancelled project from 2021. That said, fans now have something official to look forward to, with Ubisoft confirming that they are currently working “on the future of Rayman.”

Making the official announcement as part of Rayman’s 30th anniversary celebrations, the publisher confirmed that “A very talented team at Ubisoft Montpellier and Ubisoft Milan are currently working together on the future of Rayman.”

For the uninitiated, Ubisoft Montpellier’s very first game was the original Rayman from back in 1995. In the decades since, the studio has worked on many different Ubisoft franchises, with their most recent release being the highly-underrated Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

That said, while it’s been quite some time since the team worked on their founding franchise, the last mainline entry – 2013’s Rayman Legends – did hail from Montpellier, proving that the team still has what it takes to make an excellent platformer.

In the wake of this official announcement, known leakers Insider-Gaming offered some early details on this upcoming title, with codename ‘Steambot’ said to be a remake currently targeting a “late 2026” release.

Assuming things go to plan, Ubisoft is set to further invest in Rayman, with Insider-Gaming claiming that the publisher “has already made preliminary plans to develop Rayman 4…but will depend on Steambot’s success,” adding that “If put into production, it is expected to be released by the end of the decade.”

Following a solid 10 years of little more than various Far Cry, Assassin’s Creed, Tom Clancy and Just Dance entries, it is exciting to see Ubisoft finally returning to many of the franchises which made the publisher what it is today.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for this upcoming project? Would you want it to be a 2D or 3D platformer? What’s your favourite entry in the series? Let us know your thoughts down below.

The post Ubisoft announces new Rayman game during franchise’s 30th anniversary celebrations first appeared on KitGuru.