Today we review one of Corsair's new power supplies from their updated HX series. Corsair are releasing three models in this range – the HX1000i Shift, the HX1200i Shift and the one we are looking at today, the HX1500i Shift. These modular units have achieved Cybenetics Platinum certification which is reassuring to see.

These new units are the first HXi series power supplies with a side mounted Shift interface. We covered these power supplies recently in our news stories along with seeing them at Computex earlier in the year. They also ship with a built in iCUE LINK system hub to ease system building and aid cable management.

This built in iCUE LINK System hub is not designed as a passthrough system, as it is external to the power supply, so iCUE LINK systems do not need to mount a system hub inside the case. The benefits of this are obvious as system builders will no longer need a six pin PCIe connector for power. This System Hub supports up to 24 devices across two channels, so it is just as capable as the other model.

While Corsair are still selling the standard HXi models, the Shift versions have the following updates:

• HXi Shift has side-mounted connectors.
• HXi Shift has a built-in iCUE LINK System Hub.
• HXi Shift has a native 12V-2×6 connector/cable, with 2x connectors on HX1500i Shift. HXi uses standard Type 4 connectors and Type 4 to 12V-2×6 cables.
• HXi Shift has outlines around the connectors to reduce confusion about connector types.
• The HX1500i Shift includes dual 12V-2×6 connectors for multi-GPU builds.
• HXi Shift uses flexible Type-5 cables, and HXi uses Type-4 cables.

Key Features:

• Integrated iCUE LINK System Hub – The first power supply with an embedded iCUE LINK System Hub makes it easier than ever before to configure an iCUE LINK cooling system. You can attach iCUE LINK devices directly to the power supply, which can control and synchronize a total of 24 devices.
• Fully Modular Cabling: Connect only the cables your system needs, making clean and tidy builds easy.
• ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 Ready.
• Dual EPS12V Connectors: For full compatibility with modern motherboards.
• 140mm Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) Fan: Delivers extremely quiet and long-lasting fan performance.
• Powerful CORSAIR iCUE Software: Create custom fan speed, monitor power settings, and toggle between single and multi-rail overcurrent protection (OCP) on-the-fly.
• Zero RPM Fan Mode: At low and medium loads the cooling fan switches off entirely for near-silent operation.
• Cybenetics Platinum Certified: Up to 91% overall efficiency for low power consumption and cooler temperatures.
• 100% Japanese 105°C Electrolytic Capacitors: Premium internal components ensure reliable power delivery and long-term reliability.
• Fully Digital Platform: Resonant LLC topology and DC-to-DC conversion provides clean, consistent power and minimizes coil whine and noise for quiet operation.
• Ten-Year Warranty: Your guarantee of reliable operation that will last across several system builds.

The post Corsair HX1500i Shift (2025) PSU Review first appeared on KitGuru.

Steam Next Fest has returned. This week, there are hundreds of new game demos to try, giving you the opportunity to sample a lot of promising new indie titles due out later this year and beyond. Here, we lay out a few of our recommendations for some of the standout demos available this week. 

There are thousands of games included in this event overall. Some of them range from big-name IPs, like Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown, to experimental indie titles like Final Sentence, which combines elements of battle royale with a typing simulation.

Here are a few recommendations for those looking for a place to start:

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era – a turn-based grand strategy game based on the Heroes of Might and Magic saga.

Final Sentence – a Battle Royale where players compete with typewriters. It is such a wild idea that you really should try it.

The Midnight Walkers – a new PvPvE zombie shooter due to launch in November. This one is for fans of games like Left 4 Dead or The Killing Floor, but with some more tactically-driven gameplay elements.

Painkiller – a classic fast-paced arena shooter in which you take on a relentless horde of demons, either solo or with friends.

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus 2 – due for release next year, this demo gives you an early look at this sequel featuring fast-paced tactical combat with strategic management sim components.

Let It Die: Inferno – the original Let it Die was a legendary free-to-play soulslike game. This new game, Inferno, challenges players to descend into the abyss and conquer the Reaper's challenge.

Bladesong – the new demo features the full first chapter of the game's story mode, putting players at the gates of Eren Keep, one of the last few safe havens for mankind. Here, you will forge blades for the refugees in the camp and explore the ruins of the Lost City.

Steam Next Fest will end on October 20th but many demos may remain available past that date. You can find every demo from the entire event, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Are there any demos you'll be trying during Steam Next Fest? 

The post Steam Next Fest is back – here are some demo recommendations first appeared on KitGuru.

The be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 3 is ready to hit the market. The new cooler makes use of a slimmer and more compact design, allowing for taller RAM to be used, and making the cooler more suitable for Mini-ITX systems.

The Pure Rock Slim 3 ships with dedicated AMD and Intel mounting frames, simplifying installation through the use of minimal screws. At its core, three nickel-plated high-performance 6mm heat pipes with heat-pipe direct-touch technology transport heat efficiently to the fin stack, delivering a high 130W TDP cooling capacity for entry-level gaming and multimedia systems.

A specially designed be quiet! 100mm PWM fan is rated for a claimed maximum noise level of just 24.8 dBA. PWM control allows users to fine-tune the balance between airflow and acoustics, ensuring smooth system performance under varying loads.

The be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 3 will be available starting October 28, at a suggested retail price of $29.90/€26.90.

KitGuru Says: Are you building a compact system for media playback or maybe some low-power gaming?

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Black Myth Wukong achieved huge success following the game’s arrival last year – selling over 25 million copies and amassing a peak concurrent player count of more than 2.4 million on Steam alone. That said, the action-RPG was far from perfect, with performance issues holding the overall experience back. Though this did improve somewhat with time, the team at Game Science have now announced and released a massive 90GB patch.

Making the announcement on their socials, the Black Myth Wukong team unveiled and detailed this massive surprise patch, writing: “Dear Destined Ones, A new update for #BlackMythWukong is on the way. In addition to regular bug fixes, it will also include some performance optimizations.”

The full patch notes can be found HERE, but some of the most notable changes/improvements include the following:

• AMD’s FSR4 integration
• Improved Compatibility Mode
• Adjusted the default graphics settings for certain graphics cards
• Significantly improved the lighting quality when Global Illumination is set to low
• Adjusted Performance Mode (on PS5) back to 60Hz, reducing input latency and achieving higher resolution than before

• Previous PS5 Performance mode renamed to ‘Legacy’
• Improved the game's loading speed (PS5)
• Improved the clarity of certain textures (PS5)
• Improved CPU and rendering performance in numerous scenarios
• Improved memory usage in numerous scenarios
• Improved the quality of motion blur to mitigate the aliasing issues that occur when the camera pans

As mentioned, these are just some of the many improvements made with this latest update, with other more specific issues also being addressed (such as DLSS and XeSS related bugs, rendering errors and more).

Black Myth Wukong is a visual showpiece which was unfortunately hampered by its inconsistent performance. Hopefully this update has resolved a majority of these issues, making it not only prettier, but a more enjoyable experience to physically play.

KitGuru says: Did you struggle with Black Myth Wukong’s performance at launch? Why do you think it’s taken so long for this patch to come out? Let us know down below.

The post Black Myth Wukong gets massive performance patch on PS5 and PC first appeared on KitGuru.

SpongeBob Square Pants has made a surprising comeback in the video game space, with THQ Nordic reviving the franchise via the Battle for Bikini Bottom remake a couple years ago – followed up by The Cosmic Shake in 2023. Ahead of the official launch of Purple Lamp Studios’ 3rd SpongeBob title ‘Titans of the Tide’ next month, THQ Nordic has now made available a free demo for all to enjoy.

With SpongeBob Square Pants: Titans of the Tide set to officially launch in just over a month’s time, developer Purple Lamp Studios and publisher THQ Nordic have now released a free demo for all to download and enjoy.

Featuring “the first levels of the game” this demo gives players the opportunity to try Titans of the Tide’s new gimmick – that being the ability to “switch seamlessly between SpongeBob and Patrick” while checking out each of their unique abilities.

For the uninitiated, SpongeBob Square Pants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated was a remake of the classic PlayStation 2 title. Released back in 2020, the game received a mixed reception from critics; though a much warmer fan response.

THQ Nordic then followed this up with The Cosmic Shake in 2023. Unlike the last entry, this was a brand new original title which felt like a successor to Rehydrated in many ways – for better and for worse.

Given the somewhat split reception towards the previous two entries, it is encouraging to see Purple Lamp Studios / THQ Nordic offering a demo for all to check out and try before spending money on the title. Early impressions appear to be positive, and so hopefully the full game manages to maintain its quality. We won’t have to wait long to find out.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for Titans of the Tide? Will you check out the demo? Do you appreciate the return of SpongeBob to the video game space? Let us know down below.

The post SpongeBob Square Pants: Titans of the Tide demo available now first appeared on KitGuru.

Despite being the highest grossing media franchise of all time, GameFreak’s Pokémon games have for the better part of a decade felt as though they have been developed on a shoestring budget. Thanks to a recent data leak, we now know this to be not too far from the truth – with the upcoming Pokémon Legends Z-A having cost just $13 million to make.

In October of 2024 GameFreak was subject to a massive data breach in which a ton of internal details were publicised, including source code, codenames and more. One year later and the second half of the documents have now been shared.

Alongside details and codenames for the next 5 years worth of Pokémon games, the data breach also included a breakdown of the budgets for upcoming entries in the series.

As shared by Stealth40k via BlueSky, the soon-to-be-released Legends Z-A was developed with a measly 2 Billion Yen budget – approximately $13 million.

Of course, $13 million is no small sum, but considering many indie games wind up costing more than this, Pokémon Z-A (which will likely push between 20-30 million units) could theoretically sell for a single Dollar and still make a profit.

The next mainline Pokémon entry however will up the budget by roughly 50% to 3 Billion yen ($20 Million). Given that it will usher in the 10th generation of Pokémon however, this still feels miniscule in comparison to other first-party AAA titles (which can cost up to $300 million).

While there is of course an argument to be made that many current AAA titles have far inflated budgets, spending $13 Million on a game which will easily make over a Billion in its first few days on the market does feel quite cheap.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the leaked documents? Are you surprised by just how cheap Pokémon games are to make? What do you think is holding back the Pokémon games the most: Nintendo, GameFreak or the budget itself? Let us know down below.

The post Leak reveals just how little Pokémon Legends Z-A cost to develop first appeared on KitGuru.

Last year, the Pokémon Company / GameFreak suffered a massive data breach, causing all sorts of internal documents, codenames and more to be published online for all to see. One year later, the same hacker has resurfaced, offering a ton more details – including Pokémon’s plans for the rest of the decade.

As collated by Resetera user ‘Atheerios’ a second wave of leaks have emerged regarding the Pokémon franchise and its future.

While we of course have the upcoming Legends Z-A to look forward to, GameFreak / Nintendo already have the next 4 entries lined up.

According to the leak, the next mainline entry is codenamed Gaia. Set to arrive in 2026 (with DLC dropping in 2027), this will mark the 10th generation of Pokémon games and is said to be released under the names Pokémon ‘Wind’ and ‘Waves’.

Next up is codenamed Ringo – the 3rd entry in the Legends series. Though less is known about this game, the title will seemingly take place in the Galar region and is currently slated to arrive in 2027.

Following this is codename ‘Seed’ which appears to be a relatively ambitious title (for Pokémon at least), taking players across multiple regions: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh.

Finally, 2030 will see the release of Gen 11. Unfortunately, no other details are known about this game currently.

The Pokémon series is a highly iterative one, with each successive entry doing relatively little to separate itself from the pack. Considering the fact that GameFreak appears to be working on multiple generations worth of games at the same time, this perhaps makes sense.

KitGuru says: What do you think of GameFreak’s development formula? Are they doing too much at once? What are your expectations for Gen 10 aka Wind / Waves? Let us know down below.

The post Data breach reveals the next 5 years worth of Pokémon games first appeared on KitGuru.

The world of Avatar is returning to the fighting game scene, but this time, it's getting a dedicated title all to itself. A new studio, Gameplay Group International, has revealed Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, a new one-on-one fighter featuring a hand-drawn 2D art style that perfectly captures the look of the beloved animated series.

Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game is a traditional 1v1 fighter, but with a couple of interesting twists. Similar to the Kameo system in Mortal Kombat 1, players can call on support characters to assist with special moves and combos. The combat itself is built around a “flow system” that is said to emphasise fluid movement and mobility.

Moreover, the game will feature a single-player campaign with its own unique plot, offering a new story for fans of the franchise. The game will launch with a roster of 12 playable characters, including fan favourites like Aang, Korra, Zuko, and Toph, with more fighters planned as post-launch DLC.

Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game will launch on Steam, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox Series X|S in summer 2026. Developers have confirmed that the game will support full crossplay across all platforms.

KitGuru says: While fans have been able to play as Aang and Korra in other games, this one is the first dedicated fighting game for the franchise. It's also not the only Avatar game in the works, as Saber Interactive is also creating an action RPG based on the property.

The post New Avatar fighting game coming to PC and consoles first appeared on KitGuru.

For anyone who has invested in AMD's AM5 platform, news has just surfaced that confirms the socket's long-term viability. Leaked marketing materials and official videos from motherboard partners Asus and ASRock have provided the first concrete proof that upcoming B850 series motherboards will be compatible with the upcoming Zen 6-based CPUs.

The evidence, spotted by Ruby_Rapids and on ASRock's own Bilibili channel (via VideoCardz), explicitly lists “Zen 6” support on promotional materials for new B850 motherboards. This is the first time we've seen motherboard manufacturers themselves confirm forward compatibility beyond the current Zen 5 generation, effectively guaranteeing a simple, drop-in upgrade path for anyone on the AM5 platform.

This is a massive validation of AMD's promise to support the AM5 socket until at least 2027. While reputable leakers had suggested this would be the case, seeing it printed in official marketing materials from major board partners all but cements it as fact. It means that a B850 motherboard purchased today for a Ryzen 9000 series CPU should only require a BIOS update to support a next-generation Zen 6 processor when it launches.

Although the marketing material only confirms that the B850 will support the upcoming processors, we assume the same can be said for the X870(E) and B840 motherboards.

KitGuru says: AMD's commitment to socket longevity continues to impress, assuming this is all accurate. 

The post AM5 motherboards will reportedly support Zen 6 CPUs first appeared on KitGuru.

The external GPU market is rife with clunky solutions, with questionable expansion possibilities and exorbitant pricing, but there may be a new device coming that address all of those concerns. The Humbird 3 Thunderbolt 5 docking station is one of the most promising eGPU docks we've seen yet. The Humbird 3 is a Thunderbolt 5-powered docking

Wi-Fi 7 is still relatively new, but that hasn’t stopped industry players such as TP-Link from working on the next generation of wireless connectivity. The company has announced a “critical milestone” in the development of Wi-Fi 8 (802.11bn) and successfully demonstrated connectivity between devices using the new technology. TP-Link didn’t

AMD's Socket AM4 launched way back in September 2016, and it's still getting new CPUs released to this very day. However, some of the earliest boards may not have ever gotten the necessary BIOS updates to support newer-generation CPUs, while others that did receive the necessary BIOS updates had to drop support for earlier generations of Socket

While Age of Empires 2 has been eating up all the headlines recently thanks to new DLCs, the latest entry in the series, Age of Empires 4, was a very decent comeback game. Now, it appears that World's Edge is gearing up for Age of Empires 5, which may utilise an entirely new engine for the series. 

As spotted by eagle-eyed fans on Reddit, World's Edge is now hiring for developers to aid in the support of “AAA pipeline for unannounced titles using Unreal Engine 5”. The job listings indicate a shift away from the previous engines to Epic Games' popular Unreal Engine technology.

It is unlikely that a new Age of Empires game would be announced in the coming year. However, 2027 marks the series' 30th anniversary, which would make it an excellent landing spot for a new game after a lengthy break from Age of Empires 4.

Fans should expect a new round of historical single-player campaign scenarios, as well as a renewed push for Age of Empires multiplayer should a new game come around in the next couple of years.

KitGuru Says: Did you play Age of Empires 4 when it came out? Would you play Age of Empires 5? 

The post Age of Empires studio hiring for unannounced Unreal Engine 5 game first appeared on KitGuru.

Apple isn’t done releasing new products this year after it launched its latest set of iPhones last month. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is reporting that the company has a slew of device updates coming this week that will be powered by the M5 chip (sorry, no iPhone 18 Fold just yet, though it's coming). Instead of a keynote event video, Apple will

For years, fans have been hoping for a revival of the Dissidia Final Fantasy series. This weekend, Square Enix granted that wish, but with a twist. A new entry in the Final Fantasy fighting game series has been officially announced, but it's not coming to consoles or PC. Instead, the next battle between heroes and villains will take place exclusively on iOS and Android mobile devices.

The announcement, which dropped on social media and the official Square Enix website, was met with scepticism from much of the community. This is rooted in Square Enix's less-than-stellar track record with its live-service mobile spin-offs. Fans were quick to point to the fates of past Final Fantasy mobile titles like Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia and Final Fantasy: Record Keeper, both of which were shut down after a few years.

For now, the future of the Dissidia franchise lies on mobile. A full reveal, including the game's official title and a first look at gameplay, is scheduled for this Tuesday, October 14th.

KitGuru says: Final Fantasy mobile games have been a bit of a mixed bag in the past. It will be interesting to see how this one looks when its revealed tomorrow.

The post A new Dissidia Final Fantasy is coming, but it’s a mobile game first appeared on KitGuru.

Battlefield 6 is enjoying a healthy launch, but not without issues. To that end, EA has been fairly communicative with its community, declaring a set of benefits for preorder players who were locked out of the game during this critical launch window and addressing a jump momentum bug. For those not in the loop, there were actually two major

After more than a decade of service, Windows 10, once pitched as the last monolithic version of Windows ever, is just hours away from officially reaching end of life (EOL) status, which Consumer Reports deemed a national security threat. That means no more technical support or free security updates (with caveats) despite a petition to compel

It has long been rumoured that Valve is working on a new VR headset under the codename Deckard. Now, it is claimed that production on Valve's next generation VR product has begun. 

UploadVR reports that Chinese analyst firm, XR Research Institute, estimates that around 400,000 to 600,000 new VR headsets are being produced, with a potential announcement due before the end of the year.

The next VR headset from Valve may launch under the name ‘Steam Frame‘, which was a recently filed trademark from Valve. It is also expected that the new VR headset will be a wireless device but not necessarily a Quest competitor. The headset may focus on low-latency streaming from your PC, rather than running games on the headset itself.

If Valve is indeed making moves, then there will likely be some leaks via software like SteamVR. Recent leaks have also pointed to the existence of a new Half Life title deep in development, although it is expected to be a PC game, not a VR exclusive.

KitGuru Says: How much would a new VR headset from Valve need to cost in order for you to consider buying one? 

The post Report claims Valve has begun production on new Steam VR headset first appeared on KitGuru.

Here's a secret that every DIY PC builder knows -- piecing together a system is not that difficult. The real challenge comes in selecting the parts, and of course some setups require more effort than others, like a small form factor (SFF) build. But for the most part, building a PC is easy. It can also be affordable, especially if you take

In recent weeks, art leaks have revealed evidence of several cancelled Xbox games, ranging from Perfect Dark to Zenimax Online Studios' cancelled MMO. Now, a new leak has revealed a few screenshots from Rare's now cancelled game, Everwild. 

MP1st found the screenshots through the website of an unnamed artist who worked on the game. It shows a handful of in-game scenes, as well as UI elements like inventory menus and the graphics settings screen. Some of the collectable resources in this early development build were figments, mosaics, seeds and plants.

Apparently, the images come from a version of the game “relatively close” to its cancellation. It is clear that a plan for the game was taking shape prior to the cancellation, but it was still very early on.

At this point, Everwild will no longer be coming out. Rare was one of a number of studios to be hit by layoffs at Microsoft this year, although a small portion of the Everwild team is now working on Sea of Thieves instead. At this time, it is unclear what we can expect out of Rare beyond continued updates for Sea of Thieves.

KitGuru Says: Previous reports have claimed that Everwild went through many stops and starts after being announced in 2019. Based on these screenshots, it would have been a survival / crafting game of sorts. 

The post Screenshots of Rare’s Everwild leak following cancellation first appeared on KitGuru.

Antec has two new cases heading to the European market in November. The new P30 Air and P30 ARGB cases offer support for multiple cooling configurations, with a design prioritised towards ventilation for optimal airflow.

Both versions have the same overall design with large, perforated intake areas around the case. However, the P30 ARGB has the added benefit of pre-installed RGB fans, while the P30 Air has standard black fans.

These cases offer space for up to a 360mm radiator for liquid cooling, with large cable-management space at the back to minimise airflow obstruction within the main chamber. A tempered glass side panel gives a suitably sized window into your system.

The case has a steel frame with mesh front panels, with removable dust filters placed around to protect your components. The Front-panel I/O includes USB, USB 3.x, audio jacks and LED control.

The P30 Air and P30 ARGB will be available starting November, priced at £79.99 / €89.99.

KitGuru Says: Are you shopping around for a new build? Will you be opting for an airflow focused chassis like this?

The post Antec launches P30 Air and P30 ARGB airflow-optimised PC cases first appeared on KitGuru.

If you have no need for the extras that X870 or X870E provide, but still want a great-performing board, Gigabyte continues its run of impressive B850 motherboard offerings. For less than $250 this board offers a well executed PCIe Gen 5 M.2 and GPU package with no major downsides.

If you want to buy an Xbox console, be it an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, chances are good you can waltz into your local Target or Walmart and pick one up. And if not, there's always the online route. Despite some recent hysteria suggesting otherwise, Target and Walmart have no plans of phasing out Xbox consoles, Microsoft confirmed in

While the immediate reaction to Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds 2 was spoiled by Microsoft’s reveal that it would be the first title from the publisher to launch at $80, the game itself looks to be a solid follow-up to 2017’s RPG. Of course, Microsoft ultimately rescinded on their $80 price tag, and so with just under two weeks to go the team at Obsidian have now revealed that The Outer Worlds 2 has officially gone Gold.

As reported by the Xbox-focused Klobrille, The Outer Worlds 2 has now officially Gone Gold ahead of its launch on the 29th of October (or the 23rd/24th for those with ‘Advanced Access’ via the Premium Edition).

For the uninitiated, ‘Going Gold’ means that The Outer Worlds 2 master disc (if it has one) has been submitted to the game’s publisher. After this, discs can then be pressed with finalised software and digital storefronts can upload the 1.0 version of the game ready for release.

It’s a process that every game in development goes through, and means that (aside from post-launch patches and DLC) The Outer Worlds 2 should be complete and ready to play.

As mentioned, The Outer Worlds 2 did not have the smoothest of introductions, with its big blowout showcase earlier this year being mired by talk of Microsoft’s game price hike to $80.

While the revised price tag of $70 is still too much for some, as a sequel, The Outer Worlds 2 looks to offer plenty of improvements over the first entry. Hopefully the relatively short period between going gold and its official release is no cause for concern.

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KitGuru says: Are you excited for the next Outer Worlds? Is the game worth $70 in your mind? What are your expectations for the sequel? Let us know down below.

The post The Outer Worlds 2 has gone Gold ahead of launch later this month first appeared on KitGuru.