Team Ninja have been great in supporting their upcoming releases with free demos for all to check out and enjoy. Such has been the case with the Nioh series, offering various alpha, beta and timed-limited demos across its previous two entries. Following the initial Nioh 3 demo from last year, the studio has now released a more complete demo ahead of the game’s February release date.
With Nioh 3 just a week away from launch, Team Ninja have now published a brand new demo for the game, letting you try out the title for yourself ahead of its 6th of February release date.
Unlike the limited-time demo released back in June following its initial unveiling, this new demo is available on both PS5 and PC, and will allow you to transfer your save data over to the full game upon its release.
As expected, the demo features the opening section of the game and so switching over to the full release should be relatively painless. Those who do complete the demo prior to the 15th of February will also receive a bonus in-game item as a small reward.
While no end date has been given for this demo, Team Ninja have delisted various demos in the past, and so you might want to check Nioh 3 out for free while you can – even if you don’t plan on buying the title immediately.
KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to Nioh 3? What’s your favourite modern Team Ninja game? Let us know your thoughts down below.
Today we're checking out the AOC Agon Pro AG276QSG2. The model number may not make it immediately obvious, but this is a rather exciting monitor for one main reason – it supports Nvidia's new G-Sync Pulsar backlight strobing technology that was officially launched at CES 2026. It's built around a 27in 1440p IPS panel with a 360Hz refresh rate, so that alone sounds pretty competitive – but what does Pulsar bring to the table? We find out today.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:57 Pricing and other Pulsar models
01:31 But what is G-Sync Pulsar?
03:43 Pulsar motion clarity examples
06:00 Overdrive and response times
07:28 Panel testing
10:30 Real-world gaming experience
12:17 Monitor design
13:36 Closing thoughts
First things first – pricing. The AOC AG276QSG2 is listed for pre-order on both Scan and OCUK for just under £560, making it the cheapest of the two other G-Sync Pulsar monitors that are currently listed here in the UK, given Acer's model is £600, and the ASUS is £629. Given all Pulsar monitors use the same panel, and considering Pulsar behaviour itself is tuned by Nvidia, performance between all three is likely to be near-identical, so the lower price alone could swing a lot of buyers towards this AOC model.
G-Sync Pulsar
But we're getting ahead of ourselves, so let's take a step back and first answer the question – what exactly is G-Sync Pulsar?
We don't need to go into too much depth here, as it was announced back at CES 2024, we got hands-on in April that year, and more recently Nvidia published an in-depth blog explaining exactly how the technology works.
In a nutshell, Pulsar is the combination of high-tech backlight strobing and G-Sync variable refresh rate technology. While some monitors have married adaptive sync and backlight strobing together in the past, Pulsar is a much more advanced system that is designed to dramatically improve perceived motion clarity throughout the VRR window.
At its most basic level, backlight strobing works by reducing the amount of time each frame is visible. With Pulsar, Nvidia says that the backlight is only pulsed for 25% of the frame time, meaning each image is only briefly illuminated once the pixels have fully settled. In theory, that 1/4 frame visibility translates into 4x lower persistence, and this is how the company claims ‘1000Hz+ effective motion clarity'.
The G-Sync integration is the added secret sauce. More basic backlight strobing implementations typically run at fixed refresh rates and fire the backlight at a fixed point in the refresh cycle, regardless of how long the GPU took to deliver the frame or how well the panel transitions have completed. That leads to the usual strobing artifacts we're used to seeing, like crosstalk, double images, and inconsistent clarity especially at lower refresh rates. Pulsar, however, is driven directly by the MediaTek scaler which now has G-Sync built in, so the display knows exactly when a frame starts, when pixel response has stabilised, and when to flash the backlight.
On top of that, Pulsar incorporates what Nvidia calls a ‘rolling scan'. By utilising multiple horizontal backlight strips that can be pulsed independently, Pulsar strobes different sections of the panel sequentially, rather than the whole panel being strobed at once. This should lead to dramatically reduced crosstalk and consistent clarity from top to bottom, something that isn't true for previous backlight strobing implementations.
With its latest TR300 Series TG (and WS) cases, Thermaltake includes a 6-inch 1480 x 720 display for users that want to take their customization to the next level. We've seen case mods integrate mini-monitor before, and ASRock even sold an entire 1080p monitor made to be attached to your case, but this is one of the more practical solutions
In its fourth major update since release, Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow refines its gameplay mechanics for a smoother experience.
Available now on all major platforms, Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow launched its 4.0 update, focusing on refining the gameplay experience for an overall smoother feel. As its 3.0 patch was released just shy of two weeks ago, it is clear developer Maze Theory and publisher Vertigo Games are on top of things, quick to apply any feedback shared to deliver a better game. Other improvements include more flexible customization options for the Steam version, such as higher-quality dynamic shadows and character models, and general quality-of-life bug fixes.
One of the flagship upgrades to this new patch is revamped crouch mechanics. As a marquee ability, players are supposed to spend a lot of time doing so while hiding in the shadows. While never broken since its initial release, it did feel that certain aspects of the game could have done with more time in the oven, as we mentioned in our review: “Sometimes objects fail to load in properly, like a treasure chest going transparent whenever I face it from the front—or an entire basement visually deloading momentarily if I walk too close to an adjoining wall.”
0:00
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A gameplay video recorded by UploadVR showcasing patch 4.0.
Previous upgrades mainly brought visual improvements and continued stability to the experience. No DLC or sequel has been mentioned as yet, but this ongoing support is at least a step in the right direction.
Another ASRock motherboard that packs in a generous set of hardware features despite a sub-$200 price tag. It also offers impressive VRM and SSD cooling. The Livemixer is not without its niggles, but you do get an awful lot of motherboard for the money.
It has come, the long rumoured and much awaited Ryzen 7 9850X3D is here ... well the reviews are anyway. It offers the same 4.7GHz base clock, 120W TDP, 96MB L3 cache…
The development team behind the wildly popular ARC Raiders has already set out its goals for this year, which include a new set of maps alongside tweaks to gameplay it hopes will challenge players in new and interesting ways. The latest update, however, is incremental and delivers several quality-of-life improvements, along with new rules
The controversy around the Windows 11 January 2026 Update won't stop rolling in—and now, Microsoft is intentionally disabling support for legacy hardware, not simply breaking it on accident. Specifically, in the January 13th KB5074109 update, four essential dial-up modem drivers were removed. These driver files included agrsm64.sys, agrsm.sys,
Meta CFO Susan Li says the company still has "optimism in the future of VR", and confirmed that it's still "building future headsets".
Li made the comment during Meta's Q4 2025 earnings call this week, in response to a Deutsche Bank analyst asking whether the Reality Labs division would have a "narrow focus on wearables".
"However, consumer adoption of VR has generally been on a slower growth path than wearables, and we are rebalancing our Reality Labs portfolio to reflect this", Li also said, reiterating what CTO Andrew Bosworth declared in Davos last week.
"So, we are meaningfully reducing our investment in VR and Horizon this year, but we’re growing our investment in wearables to capitalize on the momentum that we’re seeing in our position as a market leader", she continued.
Meta first officially confirmed this shifting spending strategy in December. Then, earlier this month the company shut down three of its acquired VR game studios, conducted significant layoffs at a fourth, canceled the Batman: Arkham Shadow sequel, and announced the shutdown of Horizon Workrooms and its Quest headsets for business offering.
That decision came after 2025 saw Quest headset sales decrease compared to 2024, while Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses sales tripled.
Earlier in the Q4 earnings call, Mark Zuckerberg told investors that the company's reduction in spending would make VR "a profitable ecosystem over the coming years".
The Reality Labs division of Meta, which handles VR, Horizon Worlds, and smart glasses, recorded record spending in Q4, just shy of $7 billion. Given revenue of just under $1 billion, that resulted in a "loss" of around $6 billion.
Reality Labs continues to be heavily focused on research and development, though, and much of this "loss" is actually the spending towards developing true AR glasses, the consumer tech product that companies like Apple, Meta, and Google believe will define the next wave of personal computing.
Zuckerberg told investors to expect Reality Labs losses to finally peak in 2026, with Li stating that it's Meta's "expectation" that the losses will start to decrease in 2027, depending on how the market develops.
As to the "headsets", plural, that Susan Li was referring to, leaked internal memos from early December revealed that in addition to the widely reported ultralight headset with a tethered puck, Meta was also now working on a traditional new Quest focused on "immersive gaming".
The memo indicated that the headset, which wouldn't be expected until late 2027 at the very earliest, should bring a "large upgrade" over Quest 3, but no longer be subsidized, carrying a higher price. That tracks with Zuckerberg's reference to VR becoming "profitable" for Meta "over the coming years".
Many in the industry have speculated that this headset may have already been canceled in the wake of Meta's other VR cuts, but Li's reference to "headsets" may suggest it's still in the works. Only time – or yet another leak – will tell.
What's the purpose of a computer chassis? If you said "to protect my parts from the environment," (or to protect your home from your parts), you might as well click off this post right now. If you instead said "to hold my parts in place," well, we've got exactly the minimalist micro-ATX chassis for you. Check out Geeek's new EXO 1, an open-air
Remember the Samsung 9100 PRO? We reviewed it back in August. It's an amazing performer, and despite being a high-end PCI Express 5.0 SSD offering sequential speeds in excess of 13GB/second, it actually runs pretty cool thanks to the use of a custom 5nm "Presto" SSD controller. If you wanted an SSD 9100 PRO but you've only got an M.2-2242
Forget rotisserie chicken and oversized barrels of mayo, Costco's hottest commodity right now just might be RAM and GPUs. With prices of computer memory, storage, and graphics cards going for two to three times more than normal, shoplifters have been hitting big box stores like Costco and Walmart, and those business are now taking action.
Costco
Thermaltake has announced the TR300 Series Mid Tower Chassis, a new ATX lineup focused on space efficiency, airflow, and modern customisation. The range includes two models, the TR300 TG and TR300 WS, both available in black or white colour options.
The key difference between the TR300 TG and the TR300 WS is the front panel. The latter uses real wood slats at the front, while the TG uses a more standard mesh front panel. Both should offer good airflow for your intake fans, so choosing between them should primarily come down to whether or not you like the modern wood-PC fusion.
The chassis uses a front‑mounted PSU layout with an adjustable rack offering four mounting positions, improving internal space, airflow, GPU clearance, and radiator support. It accommodates up to ATX motherboards, with optimised PCIe slot placement to maintain proper GPU alignment. Cooling support includes up to eight 120mm fans and room for a 360mm radiator at the top.
Both models support Thermaltake’s optional 6‑inch LCD Screen Kit (1480 × 720), enabling system monitoring, JPG/GIF playback, AI Forge visuals, and mobile control via the TT PlayLink app. Additional features include removable dust filters, support for two 3.5‑inch HDDs and three 2.5‑inch SSDs, and front I/O with dual USB 3.0 Type‑A, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type‑C, HD Audio, and dedicated power/reset buttons.
At CES earlier this month, Corsair officially revealed the Galleon 100 SD, a new full-size keyboard that replaces the numpad with Elgato Stream Deck functionality. Now following on from multiple ‘Best of CES' awards, the new keyboard is ready to hit the market.
The new Corsair Galleon 100 SD is a new full-size keyboard from Corsair, but rather than having a numpad, the keyboard has been equipped with a 12-key Elgato Stream Deck. Corsair says the device combines engineering from both Corsair and Elgato to meet long‑standing community requests for a single input solution that handles gameplay, apps, and device control.
The keyboard includes 12 LCD keys, two multifunction dials, and a 5‑inch colour display for real‑time system and game information. All controls are configured through the Stream Deck app, with support for folders, profile switching, and the full plugin ecosystem.
Beyond the Stream Deck features, the Galleon 100 SD uses Corsair’s AXON engine with polling rates up to 8000Hz, plus FlashTap SOCD handling for directional‑input control. The board ships with pre‑lubed MLX Pulse switches, gasket mounting, six layers of dampening, and an aluminium frame.
The Corsair Galleon 100 SD is now shipping worldwide as of today. Over in the US, it will cost $349.99. Here in the UK, it is retailing for £309.99 directly via Corsair's webstore.
The next round of games for GeForce Now has been announced. There are ten new titles joining the cloud gaming library this week, including new releases like Half Sword, as well as classics like Prototype.
Aside from the new games joining the library, there is another major GeForce Now update happening this week. For the first time, a native Linux client is now available, expanding GeForce Now's reach across native Linux PCs, Windows, macOS, Chromebooks, smart TVs and mobile devices.
Here is the full list of new games joining GeForce Now today:
The Midnight Walkers (New release on Steam, Jan. 28, GeForce RTX 5080-ready)
Cairn (New release on Steam, Jan. 29, GeForce RTX 5080-ready)
Prototype (New release on Ubisoft Connect, Jan. 29)
Prototype 2 (New release on Ubisoft Connect, Jan. 29)
Warhammer 40,000: SPACE MARINE 2 (New release on Xbox, available on Game Pass, Jan. 29, GeForce RTX 5080-ready)
Half Sword (New release on Steam, Jan.30, GeForce RTX 5080-ready)
Vampires: Bloodlord Rising (New release on Steam, Jan. 30, GeForce RTX 5080-ready)
The Bard’s Tale Trilogy (Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass)
The Bard’s Tale IV: Director’s Cut (Steam and Xbox, available on Game Pass)
Total War: Three Kingdoms (Epic Games Store)
There are four titles joining the RTX 5080 servers for GeForce Now Ultimate members too, including Cairn, The Midnight Walkers, Half Sword and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.
Last year, Amazon made the decision to stop development on its MMO, New World, and wind back its game development practices through major cuts at its studios. Now, Amazon Games VP, Christoph Hartmann, is leaving the company behind.
Following a wave of layoffs at Amazon Game Studios last year, Jason Schreier reports that the long-running Vice President has stepped down. Christoph Hartmann had previously been the head of 2K Games under Take-Two, before leaving to help Amazon ramp up its own game development and publishing business more than eight years ago.
While Amazon Games has operated for more than a decade, it has only managed to successfully ship one in-house developed game. New World had a strong start but failed to retain its momentum post-launch. Amazon has had a bit more success in publishing, having served as the publisher for Lost Ark in the west. Currently, Amazon is also expected to publish the next Tomb Raider game from Crystal Dynamics.
Amazon underwent restructuring and cost-cutting efforts in October 2025, leading to more than 14,000 layoffs.
KitGuru Says: Amazon Games has gone through a lot of change in recent months. At this point, it is unclear if they will make another game internally, or if they'll stick to publishing going forward.
PlayStation fans have been hoping for Sony's return to the handheld console market for many years now, but so far, there has been no sign of a new, official PSP. One hardware modder took it upon themselves to make one though, showcasing a full PS4 console, fitted into a custom handheld casing.
Sharing their work on Reddit, Wewillmakeitnow showcased a video along with several images of their handheld PS4. It utilises the motherboard of a PS4 Slim, cleverly cut down and fitted into a handheld style case, complete with a 7-inch OLED display and integrated controller buttons and thumbsticks at either side.
There are some drawbacks, for instance, the handheld is much thicker than most comparable devices, and the cooling required is much larger than we are used to seeing in consumer-grade devices, but that should be expected. After all, this modder only had last-generation tech to work with.
The device manages to last for around 90 minutes running some of the PS4's most demanding titles, but can run for up to three hours while playing less graphically intensive games.
If Sony were to make its own PS4-level handheld, it would be able to make some very clear improvements. For starters, Sony would be able to replace the chip with a more modern AMD SoC with better efficiency and performance at lower wattages. They would also be able to custom-design the motherboard and engineer a slimmer cooler to reduce the overall profile.
Right now, there are no official plans for a new PlayStation Portable. This generation, Sony instead opted to release the Portal, a handheld streaming device for PS5 Remote Play, as well as cloud streaming. Rumour has it that there may be bigger portable plans in place for the PS6, but right now, there are conflicting reports on when that next-gen console will arrive.
Google's dream of Android for desktop is not dead yet. Recently, Aluminium OS (ALOS) leaked through a bug report on Google's Issue Tracker. This new feature appears to be a built-in Samsung DeX-style visualisation for Android 16.
The leak, which surfaced through screen recordings from an HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook (via 9to5Google), shows a hybrid UI that blends the simplicity of Android with the heavy-duty multitasking capabilities of a desktop OS. The “Aluminium OS” interface features a recognisable Android taskbar at the bottom and a status bar at the top, complete with mobile-like WiFi and battery indicators. However, the functionality is purely desktop, supporting windowed applications, split-screen multitasking, and a Chrome browser with desktop extensions. You can see ALOS in action in the video uploaded by Android Authority.
This development suggests that Google may be looking to bridge the gap between Android and ChromeOS, potentially allowing future Android tablets and high-end phones to function as full-scale workstations when docked.
KitGuru says: Would you like to see Google offering Aluminium OS as standard for all Android-based devices? Would such a feature make you more inclined to choose Android over iOS?
Following a leadership shift involving one of its original co-founders, GOG is now apparently expanding its technical reach by developing a native Linux version of GOG Galaxy.
The move was revealed through a job posting (via The Bryant Review) for a Senior C++ Software Engineer, specifically tasked with building the application's architecture with Linux compatibility as a core priority “from day one”. This marks a major pivot for the platform, which has historically relied on community-driven or third-party tools, such as the Heroic Games Launcher, to serve Linux users.
The initiative aims to bring native high-value features such as cloud saves, automatic updates, and cross-platform library management (including Epic, Xbox, and Steam) to the Linux ecosystem.
While GOG has always been praised for its DRM-free standalone installers, the lack of a dedicated Linux client has been a significant point of friction for Steam Deck and Linux desktop users who want a unified experience. By designing for a “wide array of hardware” and prioritising long-term platform development, GOG signals that its Linux support will be a pillar of its commitment to preserving retro games.
In recent years, Sharkoon has been rolling out a series of office chairs. This month, the company is launching its best yet, the OfficePal C50 and C50M, both offering a classic mesh style suitable for offices, along with plenty of adjustments so you can dial it in for optimal posture support.
The OfficePal C50 features a breathable mesh backrest paired with a traditionally upholstered seat base. It also has 5D armrests that can be adjusted in five directions, giving users the freedom to fine‑tune arm support for typing, reading, or general desk work.
To support optimal ergonomics, the C50 offers adjustable seat depth, seat height, and a flexible backrest that can be adapted to individual requirements. An integrated lumbar support system and height‑adjustable headrest provide targeted support for the lower back and neck, helping maintain a healthy posture throughout the day.
The chair also includes a tilt function, enabling gentle movement while seated to promote circulation during long periods of sitting. A sturdy metal five‑star base and large 60mm casters ensure stability and smooth mobility across a variety of floor surfaces.
The OfficePal C50 and OfficePal C50M are now available at a recommended retail price of €299.90 each. While the standard C50 has an upholstered seat base, the C50M swaps this out for a mesh seat instead.
KitGuru Says: What do you think of the latest chairs from Sharkoon?
Cooler Master has showcased a new AIO liquid cooling concept at a recent event in Huizhou, China, breaking away from the traditional linear fan arrangement. Instead of the standard three-fan row, this massive workstation-oriented cooler features four 180mm fans arranged in a 2×2 square grid. This creates a radiator footprint of approximately 360 x 360mm, making it compatible with the manufacturer's recently announced Cosmos case.
According to ITHome (via VideoCardz), this AIO uses a dual-rotor pump and specialised “180×30” fans that reportedly reduce high-frequency noise by 20%. Most impressively, Cooler Master claims the whole cooling system can dissipate over 2000W of heat, positioning it as a specialised tool for extreme workstation builds rather than standard consumer PCs. The square shape presents unique mounting challenges, meaning this likely won't fit in your average mid-tower without some serious modifications.
While this remains a concept for now, the company confirmed that other AIO models shown at the event will hit the market in March, followed by the B360 TV, a CPU cooler featuring a 7-inch 16:9 display, in April 2026.
KitGuru says: As expected from a 360 x 360 AIO cooler, it offers a massive amount of surface area to cool high-TDP CPUs. As far as we know, there isn't any commercially available CPU with a rated 2000W TDP that the cooler is ready for. Still, if it ever comes, Cooler Master is already prepared.
The OWC Express 1M2 is a portable enclosure for M.2 NVMe SSDs that supports 40 Gbps on USB4 or Thunderbolt systems. It is among the rare few enclosures in its category that doesn't need active cooling, with its body doubling up as heatsink. It's also sold with preinstalled SSDs, but we're testing the one you pair with your own drive.
NASA has taken the wraps off Athena, the space agency's most potent supercomputer yet. It'll be tasked with things like aircraft and spacecraft modeling, rocket launch simulations, large-scale AI training, etc.
Housed at NASA’s Modular Supercomputing Facility (within Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley) and just brought fully online
If you've been patiently waiting for NVIDIA to release a native Linux app for its GeForce NOW cloud gaming service, your wait is now over. After announcing it earlier this month at CES, NVIDIA today unlocked the native app available in beta form, the caveat being that GeForce NOW's journey into Linux territory starts with Ubuntu (version 24.04
Connexion
