Montech will give you a unique look at your next LAN party with the new Heritage Pro and it's vegan leather highlights. To add to it's uniqueness it also offers support for…
Apple TV+ hit drama "Severance" has pulled another elaborate stunt with the partial release of the book, "The You You Are," as featured and taken far too seriously in the show.
Cover of "The You You Are"
It's had Tim Cook deciding to quit Apple for Lumon Industries, it's had a pop-up set at Grand Central Terminal. It's had a free tell-all book, and the "Severance" company has also had — and continues to maintain — a deeply disturbing page on LinkedIn.
That LinkedIn page is on the latest stunt, too, with a post of "utmost concern" about how chapters of Dr Ricken Lazlo Hale, PhD's book has been released. "The You You Are" is a profound book — or at least it is shown to be that in the drama.
Sandfall Interactive has unveiled the official PC system requirements for its upcoming turn-based RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. This title, powered by Unreal Engine 5, promises a captivating blend of strategic combat and real-time exploration, bringing a spin to the traditional turn-based combat of RPGs.
Before you embark on your journey into the mysterious world of Clair Obscur, make sure your PC is up to the task. To experience the game at 1080p resolution with low settings at 30 FPS, you'll need at least an Intel Core i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X processor, 8 GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070, an AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, or an Intel Arc A580 graphics card. It also requires 55 GB of free disk space for installation.
For those seeking a more visually stunning and fluid experience at 1080p with high settings and 60 FPS, the developers recommend an Intel Core i7-11700K or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a more powerful GPU like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT. Here are the detailed system requirements for Clair Obscur:
Additional Notes: For 1080p 60FPS high settings gameplay.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will be released on April 24 on PC (Steam, Microsoft Store), Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. It will also be available at launch via Game Pass on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Cloud.
KitGuru says: Are you interested in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Is your PC ready for it?
Having been denied full inclusion at the forthcoming trial to determine Google's future, Apple has filed a motion to delay the whole proceedings.
In 2022, Alphabet paid Apple $20 billion
It was formally and legally decided in August 2024 that Google and its Alphabet parent company, represent a search and advertising monopoly. What Apple wants and has previously been denied, is a seat at a trial determining what steps Google must take next.
Apple had asked to be a participant in this remedy trial specifically because of its annual $20 billion contract with Google. But it asked by filing a motion on December 23, 2024, and Judge Amit Metha has ruled Apple's motion was simply too late.
We're taking a look at the completely passive Cooler Master X Silent Edge power supply. It is 80 Plus Titanium rated and operates without fan, which means it is able to deliver the perfect noise-free experience, even when feeding a power hungry high-end graphics card.
Following years of laying dormant, the Prince of Persia franchise returned in a big way with the releases of both Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and The Rogue Prince of Persia. Just over one year on from the former’s initial release, the much-loved metroidvania (which unfortunately will not be getting a sequel) has been reported to have sold 1.3 million copies.
As noted by Twitter user Timur222, the Associate Marketing Director at Ubisoft ‘Alexandre Guenounou’ recently updated their LinkedIn profile (though has since been removed) with claims that 2024’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown sold over 1.3 million units within its first year.
Ubisoft is in a weird place right now, and so regardless of whether the game sold 1 million or 1000 copies, things likely wouldn’t have changed too much. Hopefully The Lost Crown sub-series isn’t gone forever.
KitGuru says: What did you think of The Lost Crown? Did it deserve more sales? Would you have liked to see a sequel? Let us know down below.
B&H's blowout MacBook Pro sale features a variety of deals on M3 Pro and M3 Max models, with prices as low as $1,599.
Save up to $1,200 on MacBooks - Image credit: Apple
Many of the deals end today and B&H's online checkout closes at sundown Eastern Time tonight. So if you see a discounted config that catches your eye, you may want to snap it up right away. You can also check out our Mac Price Guide to compare prices on these closeout configs against Apple's current M4 models.
Apple's AirTag location tracking device is over three years old, and it is rumored to get a refresh soon. Here's what to expect from the AirTag in 2025.
Apple's AirTag
Since its launch, Apple's AirTag has proven itself to be a very useful item. Reports have repeatedly surfaced of owners tracking down stolen property, and even finding where their airport luggage has disappeared to, thanks to the cheap white disc.
While there's not much that can realistically change, there's still an opportunity for Apple to refine the extremely useful item. Here's what rumors say could be updated on the second-generation model.
Following the conclusion of last year’s Summer Game Fest, event creator Geoff Keighley confirmed that the annual show would return in 2025. True to his word, this year’s SGF has now been officially dated and detailed – set to go live on the 6th of June.
Making the announcement on Twitter, Game Awards and SGF creator Geoff Keighley wrote “Mark your calendar for Friday, June 6 — @SummerGameFest returns to @youtubetheater in LA to showcase what’s next from the entire video game industry. Streaming live everywhere. Followed by SGF Play Days from @iam8bit for media + Influencers in downtown LA.”
As mentioned, a 2025 edition of Summer Game Fest was already announced in the immediacy following the conclusion of last year’s event. Still, having a concrete date means that studios and publishers can begin to properly formulate their plans for the event, including trailers, vertical gameplay slices and more.
Since 2021, each successive Summer Game Fest has taken place one day earlier than the year prior. Given this, it will be interesting to see whether the event eventually falls back into being a May showcase – as the very first SGF was.
Regardless, while there will never be anything quite like E3 again, Summer Game Fest is a suitable replacement, and so it is nice to have a consistent (somewhat singular) annual video games expo once again.
KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to this year’s Summer Game Fest? Has it fully replaced E3 in your mind? What one game do you hope will be present at the event? Let us know down below.
Owners of early-generation Apple Watch models are eligible for payments related to a six-year-old class action lawsuit. Here's who can file.
An affected Apple Watch | Image credit: Reddit
In 2019, a lawsuit was filed against Apple alleging that Apple Watch Series 1 through Apple Watch Series 3 were unsafe. According to the lawsuit, Apple ignored an issue that could cause the batteries to swell and break critical components, such as the screen.
Now, nearly six years later, a settlement has finally been reached. Apple has agreed to pay out $20 million to resolve the claims — but not because the company admits to any wrongdoing.
In celebration of the PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, Sony released a bunch of cool throwback themes for the PS5, designed around the PlayStation’s four previous console generations. While intended to be a limited-time feature, the overwhelmingly positive response to the themes has led Sony to announce that they are making it a permanent fixture.
Making the announcement on Twitter, the official PlayStation page wrote: “Thank you for the fantastic response to the classic PlayStation, PS2, PS3, and PS4 limited-time console themes, which will be leaving tomorrow. Due to the positive response on these 4 themes, we’re doing some work behind the scenes to bring these special designs back in the months ahead.”
It is worth noting that these will be the only themes coming to PS5, with the company making sure to clarify that “while there aren’t plans to create additional themes in the future, we're excited to keep celebrating legacy PlayStation hardware with you all.”
While the anniversary themes were a welcome surprise, they were clearly intended to be time-limited – if nothing else due to the somewhat janky nature of a couple of them.
That said, they were incredibly cool to have, and so hopefully when they do return on a more permanent basis, a few extra surprises are included.
KitGuru says: What did you think of the anniversary themes? Which was your favourite? How would you like to see them enhanced when they are brought back permanently? Let us know down below.
Apple's latest earnings have impressed some investment advisors, with Morgan Stanley inching its Apple stock price target up to $275 mostly because of the long-term strength of Services.
Tim Cook, celebrating
While Apple's iPhone sales came in at a bit over $600 million dollars short of the year-ago quarter, there was enough good news in the report for a firm generally bullish on AAPL to increase its price target.
In a note seen by AppleInsider, investment firm Morgan Stanley has hiked its price target for AAPL to $275. This is a boost over just a week ago, where the firm had a $273 target, it now has a $275 goal.
With the right-handed ergonomic Aria II, Fantech revises their Aria XD7. At 53 g, the Aria II weighs 7 g less, and instead of Kailh switches, it now features Huano switches for the main buttons. PixArt's PAW3395 sensor is used, and both 2.4 GHz wireless and Bluetooth are supported, with up to 70 hours of battery life.
The new Element 5 Hub from CalDigit won't give you a large array of different ports, but is perfect if you want more Thunderbolt 5 ports, and a few USB-A ones.
The new Element 5 hub — image credit: CalDigit
When CalDigit released its TS4 dock in February 2022, it rapidly became an AppleInsider favorite because of its speed, its number of ports, and how those ports could deliver plenty of power for charging devices. CalDigit also has a compact Element range and now that includes a Thunderbolt 5-enabled Element 5 hub.
Specifically, it comes with nine ports, of which three are Thunderbolt 5. Those ports are also backwards compatible with both Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4, plus they can deliver up to 15W of power each.
Today I get my first ever look at an ASRock branded power supply branded as the ‘Phantom Gaming'. This power supply is fully modular, is 80 Plus Gold certified and ships with a comprehensive 10 year warranty. The ASRock OEM of choice for this unit is FSP, and we will take a closer look to see if the performance can match up to the high aspirations, later in the review.
ASRock do not seem to be messing around with the PG-1000G, their website has a lot of data on display such as the adoption of 100% Japanese capacitors, a high grade fluid dynamic bearing fan, a semi passive fan control mode, along with a 5V ‘Boost Mode'. For the interests of my sanity I will be referring to this power supply throughout this review as simply ‘PG-1000G'.
Product highlights:
80 Plus Gold Certified
Cybenetics GOLD and LAMBDA A Certified
ATX 3.1 & PCIe 5.1 Ready
Fully modular cable design
Native 12V-2×6 Connector Dual Colour Design with Tempguard
It's the one-year anniversary of the Apple Vision Pro — and also the 15th anniversary of the iPad. Special guest Tim Chaten joins the show to discuss those, plus Samsung's very familiar new headset and more on the AppleInsider Podcast.
Apple Vision Pro
After so very many years of rumors and expectations, the Apple Vision Pro got into buyers' hands for the first time 12 months ago. Host Wes Hilliard became and remains a proponent of it, and for this special edition, he's talking with Tim Chaten, host of the Vision Pros podcast, about what a year using this headset has shown us.
Chaten, though, is also host of the iPad Pros podcast — and we've now reached the 15th anniversary of the iPad.
Philips is entering the gaming projector scene with a bang! The GamePix 900, the company's first dedicated gaming projector, is now available for pre-order at an enticing introductory price.
This projector combines high-end specs with good value (at least during its initial campaign), offering a compelling alternative to traditional gaming displays. The GamePix 900 boasts 4K resolution at 60Hz, 1440p at 120Hz, and a 240 Hz refresh rate at 1080p. With a claimed input lag of just 6 ms at 240 Hz, it should offer a decently responsive gaming experience.
The GamePix 900 delivers up to a 120-inch display with HDR10 support and 95% Rec. 709 colour space coverage, bringing games to life with vibrant colours and deep contrast. Its 1000 ANSI lumens LED light source ensures bright and vivid images, even in well-lit environments. Philips has tailored the GamePix 900 to the needs of gamers with three dedicated gaming modes for different genres: Action, Adventure, and Sports. Its compact 2 kg design makes it easy to transport and set up for gaming on the go. The GamePix 900's LED light source is rated for an impressive 30,000 hours of operation, providing years of reliable performance.
For a limited time, the first 1,000 pre-orders of the GamePix 900 will be available at a special introductory price of £495/$599/€699 (excluding VAT, US taxes, and shipping). This represents a significant discount from the regular MSRP of £819/$999/€1199. Pre-orders are now available on the official Philips Projection website. Regular retail availability is expected in April 2025.
KitGuru says: Have you ever played games on a projector? Would you replace a projector for your TV or monitor?
Asus has addressed the recent concerns surrounding its PCIe Q-Release Slim, a GPU release mechanism built into some motherboards to simplify graphics card removal. While acknowledging the potential for cosmetic wear and tear on the PCIe connector, Asus maintains that the mechanism does not cause functional damage to the graphics card or the motherboard.
The Asus Q-Release Slim graphics card release mechanism, featured on premium AMD and Intel 800-series motherboards, allows users to eject their graphics cards by tilting the card and tugging it upward (or sideways) while the PCIe push-latch automatically releases it. While this sounds simple, various reports claim that small bits of the PCIe connector can be damaged in certain circumstances. Based on the photos supplied, this does not affect actual PCIe connection pins, meaning functionality and performance should be unaffected. However, PCB abrasion is never a good thing.
In response to these reports, Asus said that “In [its] internal testing and evaluation of the extremely small number of cases reported, [it] found no damage to the motherboard or graphics card that would affect functionality and/or performance. However, it is important to emphasise that any type of PCIe add-in card will exhibit signs of usage and wear marking after 60 continuous insertions and removals”.
Asus also stressed that following the proper removal procedure minimises the risk of damage. Still, reports of wear after only 60 insertions and removals raise questions about the long-term durability of the Q-Release Slim mechanism. PCIe slots and card-edge connectors are typically rated for a limited number of mating cycles. While the exact number varies depending on the manufacturer and design, the industry standard is around 50 cycles for regular slots.
It's possible that specific slot configurations or usage patterns might increase the risk of wear with the Q-Release Slim mechanism. However, Asus maintains that the wear observed in the reported cases is within the expected range for normal usage and does not pose a functional risk to the graphics card or the motherboard.
KitGuru says: Do you own a motherboard with this GPU release system? Have you ever noticed if it has caused damage or wear to your graphics card?
The first two entries in the modern Ninja Gaiden series are still considered decades after their original release as two of the best action games ever released and for very good reasons. With the depth of their combat mechanics, their high-speed action, and solid level design, the two games have aged rather well and still play great to this day. With the departure of Team Ninja's founder and series creator Tomonobu Itagaki, however, the franchise kind of lost itself, with a third entry in the series that required a revamped version to steer the course and provide an experience that, […]
The last 18 months have seen a lot of talk in the market about AI, especially at trade shows. However, outside the data centre, there have been few products that offer any kind of practical solution to users wanting a local solution on their desktop. The reason is simple: Every one has been waiting for the ‘killer app'. The thing that can run on a PC you can build yourself – and which has the potential to deliver significant benefits for little investment. On 20th January , a software package was made available free online and on Thursday 24th January – history was made.
On 20th January 2025, Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek released a powerful AI package that could be downloaded and run locally, offering high-performance capabilities without reliance on cloud-based infrastructure.
This breakthrough rAIsed concerns that demand for Nvidia's high-end AI chips could decline, triggering a significant sell-off in tech stocks. By the time the markets closed on 24th January, Nvidia's market capitalisation value had plummeted by around $589 billion (more than the annual GDP of Sweden) – representing the largest single-day loss in history. The rapid adoption of DeepSeek’s technology, amplified by social media, fuelled fears of a shift in AI dominance away from the data centre/the USA.
While the long-term implications won't be known for a long time, a new market appears to have been created overnight: Powerful, affordable, local AI that will run on desktop PCs and workstations.
At Computex 2024, we saw a lot of companies pushing a very strong AI message, but with no clear target in terms of application. One of those was Silverstone. They told us that they were in the process of a revolution inside the company, with a shift in focus from the DIY/PC market toward AI driven tasks. For Silverstone, that meant using the skills and knowledge acquired over the last 21 years in the enthusiast sector, to create products for both the data centre and the desktop.
One such product is the ALTA D1, a mega-tower workstation chassis designed for system builds that are focused on 3D rendering and AI/machine learning. At first glance, you might be forgiven for thinking that it looks a lot like a regular (albeit large) system chassis, but the ALTA D1 is all about modularity – supporting SSI-EEB motherboards (Service System Infrastructure – Compact Electronics Bay specification). That means pro-motherboards that are 12″ by 13″ or even 15.12″ by 13.2″ will fit. One look at the back and you can see differences start to appear, with space for 11 PCI expansion slots. Clearance for graphic cards is 407mm – way longer than the 304mmm you see with the RTX 5090 Founders Edition and 348mm in the ASUS TUF Gaming variant. As a case designed for important tasks, it has a pair of PSU bays – either to safeguard stability or help boost available wattage. It comes with two 180mm intake fans and a 140mm rear exhaust. The final configuration is down to the specialist building the AI system.
A dual-CPU, multi-GPU system can easily be built into such a chassis, but the flexibility doesn't stop with processing hardware. There are also modular cages for storage drives, radiators and PSU brackets etc – which allows users the freedom to redefine system component locations – depending on where you need your workload to be focused/supported.
What might the chassis criteria be for a powerful/local AI system?
With GPUs now pulling close to 600 watts each, you need to think about high airflow, robust power delivery and ample space for E-ATX/SSI-EEB motherboards. With a ‘9000' refresh of AMD's Threadripper expected in 2025, you'll want ample space for cooling as well – with easy mounting for multiple radiators.
These are the kind of challenges that companies producing chassis etc for serious gamers, have been looking at for years. Now it seems that all of that learning/knowledge will be needed in the local AI system space. So will DeepSeek be the ‘killer app' that's needed to drive the high-end, professional hardware market forward in 2025/26?
KitGuru says: It will be interesting to see if this interest in DeepSeek creates new markets – and how much growth there will be in the high-end chassis/PSU sectors as a result. One thing the last two Bitcoin surges taught us, if that if money can be made from GPUs, then gamers end up queuing for a long time if they want the latest cards.
A new report claims Apple's decision over a supplier for a foldable screen is imminent, although it's not clear whether that's for an iPhone Fold or another device.
Render of a possible iPhone Fold
Despite recent rumors that Apple will not release a foldable device before 2027, a new leak says that the company is finalizing its supply chain's main contractor for a folding screen.
"Apple's new foldable display core supplier decision is imminent," writes leaker yeux1122 (in translation). "The industry expects [Apple] to make a decision by the end of February to the beginning of April."
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the latest major first party release from Xbox Game Studios. Launching for the Xbox Series X|S and PC back in early December, we’ve now gotten our first details on how the game has performed commercially – with Microsoft confirming the title has surpassed 4 million total players.
As part of the company’s latest fiscal earnings report, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella offered some recent updates on the Xbox brand. Alongside Black Ops 6 continuing to break records, Nadella revealed (as collated by analyst DomsPlaying) that Machine Games’ Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has reached an audience of over 4 million players.
Of course, being a first party Xbox title, the game was made available day-and-date on Game Pass, meaning it did not necessarily sell 4 million copies.
That said, with the game set to come to PlayStation this year, it will be interesting to see whether Microsoft will choose to share more concrete sales figures for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5 in due time – assuming it sells well.
KitGuru says: What do you think of this announcement? Is 4 million lower or greater than you expected? How many copies do you think it will sell on PS5? Let us know down below.
Monster Hunter Wilds is almost here, with Capcom having recently announced the second and final open beta test set to take place before its launch next month. While we don’t yet have a date for this beta, Capcom has now announced a Spotlight Stream set to go live next week – featuring the much-anticipated Monster Hunter Wilds, Onimusha and more.
Taking to Twitter, the official Capcom USA page announced their next Nintendo Direct-styled online showcase (Capcom Spotlight) writing:
“Tune in live on Feb. 4 at 2pm PT for Capcom doubleheader! Join us for a 20-minute Capcom Spotlight followed immediately by a 15-minute Monster Hunter Wilds Showcase!”
The general Capcom Spotlight will feature new information and updates on Onimusha: Way of the Sword; Street Fighter 6; Capcom Fighting Collection 2; and MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics.
The Monster Hunter Wilds presentation meanwhile will unsurprisingly feature a brand new trailer, alongside details on the previously-announced second beta test.
Typically with Capcom Spotlights, what you see is what you get, and so don’t expect any major surprise announcements. Still, it is exciting to finally be hearing more about the second beta test for Monster Hunter Wilds – and given the fact that the game is under a month away, its arrival could be imminent.
KitGuru says: Will you tune into the Capcom Spotlight? When do you think beta 2 will go live? What do you hope to see from Onimusha? Let us know down below.
Back in August, we began to hear rumours that Microsoft was planning to bring Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 5 to PlayStation – following on from the likes of Grounded, Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves. Reports later claimed that this port had been internally delayed, but not cancelled. Finally, seemingly out of nowhere, Forza Horizon 5 has officially been announced for PS5.
“The Horizon Festival Welcomes a New Community of Players. With nearly 900 cars available in the game, over 40 thematic game updates, two expansions, and so much more content, our team is excited to announce that this spring, PlayStation 5 players will be able to explore Mexico’s beautiful roads and experience the Horizon Festival for the first time as we are officially launching Forza Horizon 5 on PS5.”
Said to be coming this Spring, the PS5 release is being developed by Panic Button (in collaboration with Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios) and is promised to include “the same content as the Xbox and PC releases of the game”. Unfortunately, while previously-released car packs will be available on Sony’s console, they will still need to be purchased separately.
Beyond this, little has been shared regarding specifics, such as whether the game will utilise the PS5’s more unique features (Advanced Haptics, Adaptive Triggers etc…) and so we will likely have to wait until closer to the time of release for a more comprehensive breakdown.
KitGuru says: Are you surprised by the sudden announcement? Was this done in alignment with Microsoft’s fiscal earning reports? Will the game properly support the DualSense? Let us know your thoughts down below.
Connexion
