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Corsair expands its Custom Lab to European customers

Corsair is bringing its popular Custom Lab service to Europe, allowing gamers to create personalised peripherals that reflect their style. Corsair Custom Lab offers a one-stop shop for creating custom gear, allowing users to express themselves through mice, keyboards, and mousepads, with plans to expand the product offerings.

Corsair Custom Lab allows customers to personalise the appearance of gaming peripherals, enabling them to curate a workspace aesthetic that is uniquely their own. Users can select from various colours and themes, ranging from retro gaming designs to futuristic graphics, giving them a canvas for self-expression.

The K65 Plus Wireless gaming keyboard, the M75 Wireless gaming mouse, and the MM300 mousepad are the first products available through Custom Lab in Europe, but expect more to come. Corsair Custom Lab will be accessible through all EU Corsair webstores, with keyboard layouts for North America, the UK, Germany, and France available at launch.

The Corsair Custom Lab platform is now live on Corsair websites in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Poland. Artist series selections currently available on the US website will be offered to EU customers at a later date.

KitGuru says: Corsair's Custom Lab is a nice option for users who want to avoid the hassle of customising keyboards or searching for specific parts in various stores. However, that comes at a price, literally.

The post Corsair expands its Custom Lab to European customers first appeared on KitGuru.
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Survey claims AMD RX 9070 series is outselling Nvidia RTX 50

With both Nvidia and AMD having launched new-generation graphics cards this year, it is now time to take a look at the state of the market. Nvidia's RTX 50 series GPUs have been available since the end of January and as of last week, the AMD RX 9070 series GPUs are also available. Early stats indicate that AMD is currently outselling by volume.

The team at ComputerBase (via 3DCenter) has revealed the results of its latest survey, finding that around 60 percent of 4,200 readers surveyed have bought an RX 90000 series graphics card over an RTX 50 unit. Of those surveyed, around 25 percent opted for a current-gen Nvidia GPU, while a further 20 percent opted to pick up an older generation graphics card instead.

These results confirm something industry onlookers had already suspected – RTX 50 stock is in extremely low supply and AMD did a much better job building up stock for its RX 9070 launch compared to Nvidia's RTX 5090, 5080 and 5070 launches.

As the stock situation fluctuates, we expect these results to eventually change. As Nvidia provides multiple higher-end options compared to AMD, we would expect Nvidia to still accrue more money from GPU sales, even if it doesn't shift as much overall volume over the coming months.

KitGuru Says: Have you attempted to pick up a new-gen graphics card in recent weeks? Were you successful or have you struggled to find stock?

The post Survey claims AMD RX 9070 series is outselling Nvidia RTX 50 first appeared on KitGuru.
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Blizzcon targets 2026 return

BlizzCon is coming back in 2026! The ultimate celebration of Blizzard's games and the vibrant community that unites players will again grace the Anaheim Convention Center on September 12th and 13th, 2026.

BlizzCon is a cherished tradition for Blizzard and its fans. For many, it goes beyond simply showcasing games. It's where fans celebrate their shared passion for Blizzard's universes. Since its inaugural event in 2005, BlizzCon has been a staple for fans of its work. Now, nearly 20 years later, Blizzard aims to elevate this iconic event to new heights.

After skipping 2024 and 2025 (Blizzard confirmed we wouldn't get one this year), BlizzCon is returning in 2026. Blizzard plans to deliver an exceptional experience for all attendees, building upon BlizzCon traditions such as the Opening Ceremony, in-depth panels, the Darkmoon Faire, friendly competition, and hands-on gameplay.

Expect to learn more details between now and the event's date. Users can always subscribe to BlizzCon's newsletter to be notified when tickets go on sale and receive access to BlizzCon news, special offers, and announcements.

KitGuru says: Have you ever gone to a BlizzCon? Would you like to?

The post Blizzcon targets 2026 return first appeared on KitGuru.
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Ori series surpasses 15 million copies sold

Moon Studios' critically acclaimed Ori series has achieved a remarkable milestone, surpassing 15 million copies sold across Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

Thomas Mahler, the series' director, celebrated this achievement on social media, noting that it's “not too shabby” for a genre that many considered dead when development of the first game started. Funny enough, Steam now receives new metroidvania games every week or so, and in part, that could be explained by how Ori revitalised the genre.

Adding to this accomplishment, Mahler revealed that these sales figures do not include players who experienced the games through Xbox Game Pass. As such, the game has likely been played by well over the 15 million players who've bought it.

In other news, Moon Studios has announced its independence following months of negotiations with what remains of Private Division. The studio is now focusing on its action RPG, No Rest for the Wicked, which is currently in early access. The announcement was made during a recent Wicked Inside Showcase, where the studio revealed what's coming to its latest game.

The studio unveiled the game's upcoming update, “The Breach,” scheduled for release on April 30th, 2025. This update will introduce new content, including new regions like the Lowland Meadows and Marin Woods, weapon archetypes such as Gauntlets and Wands, and various cosmetic and performance enhancements. The update also focuses on replayability, implementing QoL improvements like direct teleportation to your house, an enhanced storage system, and a Hardcore mode.

KitGuru says: Have you ever played an Ori game?

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Palit RTX 5090 GameRock Review

Ever since the release of Palit's RTX 4090 GameRock, I've been waiting to see what the company would do next, and today we finally get our answer. That's because we're reviewing the RTX 5090 GameRock, featuring a bold, eye-catching design and a fat – effectively quad-slot – cooler. Concerns around pricing and availability remain just as pressing as they did when the RTX 5090 first launched, but what can this partner card bring to the table?

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:44 5090 pricing/availability – no pre-orders at all
01:21 GameRock design impressions
03:10 PCB and heatsink analysis
04:25 Test setup
04:52 Thermals and noise
06:05 Game benchmarks
06:51 Power – 12VHPWR is a huge concern
10:07 Overclocking
10:50 Closing thoughts

I remember the first time I opened the box of the last-gen Palit RTX 4090 GameRock and couldn't quite believe my eyes. The shroud was almost entirely covered in a crystal-like plastic, and once the system turned on, the RGB lighting was like nothing I'd ever seen before.

Following up something like that can often be tricky, but Palit has gone for what it describes as a ‘chameleon' aesthetic with the RTX 5090 GameRock. It's still incredibly eye-catching, but we take a closer look at the design on the next page.

It's also worth pointing out that I was sent the regular GameRock, rather than the GameRock OC, so my sample ships without a factory overclock – i.e. at reference spec.

RTX 5090 RTX 5080 RTX 4090 RTX 4080 Super RTX 4080
Process TSMC N4 TSMC N4 TSMC N4 TSMC N4 TSMC N4
SMs 170 84 128 80 76
CUDA Cores 21760 10752 16384 10240 9728
Tensor Cores 680 336 512 320 304
RT Cores 170 84 128 80 76
Texture Units 680 336 512 320 304
ROPs 176 112 176 112 112
GPU Boost Clock 2407 MHz 2617 MHz 2520 MHz 2550 MHz 2505 MHz
Memory Data Rate 28 Gbps 30 Gbps 21 Gbps 23 Gbps 22.4 Gbps
L2 Cache 98304 KB 65536 KB 73729 KB 65536 KB 65536 KB
Total Video Memory 32GB GDDR7 16GB GDDR7 24GB GDDR6X 16GB GDDR6X 16GB GDDR6X
Memory Interface 512-bit 256-bit 384-bit 256-bit 256-bit
Memory Bandwidth 1792 GB/Sec 960 GB/Sec 1008 GB/Sec 736 GB/Sec 716.8 GB/Sec
TGP 575W 360W 450W 320W 320W

First, a quick spec recap. The RTX 5090 is built on the new GB202 die, measuring 750mm2, though it's not quite a full implementation of the silicon. Instead we find a total of 11 Graphics Processing Clusters (GPCs), each holding up to eight Texture Processing Clusters (TPCs), for a total of 85. Each TPC is home to two Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs), giving us 170, and each SM still holds 128 CUDA Cores, meaning the RTX 5090 has an eye-watering total of 21760 shaders. We also find 170 RT cores, 680 Tensor cores, 680 Texture Units, and 176 ROPs.

This time around, however, there's no node-shrink, and GB202 remains fabricated on TSMC's N4 node, as per the RTX 40-series. As such, rated clock speed is not increased this generation and is actually touted slightly below that of the RTX 4090, with the RTX 5090 delivering a rated 2407MHz boost clock, compared to its predecessor's 2520MHz boost.

The memory configuration has seen significant upgrades, though. The RTX 5090 now comes equipped with a super-wide 512-bit memory interface, paired with 32GB GDDR7 memory running at 28Gbps, and that puts total memory bandwidth at a staggering 1792 GB/s. L2 cache is also increased to 98MB, up from the 74MB of the RTX 4090.

Considering the large increases to die size and core count, but with no node shrink, it's perhaps unsurprising to see power draw has increased, this time boasting a 575W TGP. This is something we focus on closely in this review, using our enhanced GPU power testing methodology, so read on for our most detailed power and efficiency testing yet.

The post Palit RTX 5090 GameRock Review first appeared on KitGuru.
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LEGO is “building up” internal game dev studios

For well over a decade LEGO has had a strong relationship with TT Games, letting the studio use its IP to craft co-op focused LEGO titles across a range of franchises. Despite this, the company has now announced that it’s gearing up to build its own internal game dev studios.

As reported by the Financial Times (paywalled), LEGO looks set to take a further step into the video games industry, with the company’s CEO ‘Niels Christiansen’ telling the publication:

“We can definitely say as long as we're under the Lego brand we can cover experiences for kids of all ages, digital or physical. [Games development in-house] is something we're building up.”

LEGO Dev

This comes in the wake of a number of major moves made by the company in recent years across the video games space.

Alongside a reduction in the number of TT Games developed LEGO titles, the company has partnered with Epic for a Fortnite spin-off as well as Sony for LEGO Horizon Adventures.

Given the success they have seen with such partnerships, it is interesting to hear that the company plans to get into video game development directly. Hopefully this doesn’t end with studio closures and mass lay-offs. We will simply have to wait and see.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this announcement? Should the company stick to partnering with others? What would you want to see done differently for these internal titles? Let us know down below.

The post LEGO is “building up” internal game dev studios first appeared on KitGuru.
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Apple Arcade to add 6 new titles including Katamari and Space Invaders

Apple Arcade was created with the intention to bring wider awareness to the many great video games available on mobile platforms. With a monthly subscription, iOS users can get their hands on a range of interesting and unique games, all of which are free from microtransactions. Following the last major update, the service is set to get 6 new titles next month, including a new Katamari.

Making the announcement on their blog, the Arcade team at Apple wrote: “Six fun games and exciting updates for Apple Arcade are launching over the next month.”

Set to go go live on the 3rd of April, the full line-up of new titles is as follows:

Arcade Katamari

Easily the biggest upcoming addition is that of Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE. The first new entry in almost a decade, this Apple Arcade exclusive takes the classic Katamari format and adds a twist, having players:

“energize the king’s ‘live stream’ by rolling their Katamari to create stars. As users advance, comments from in-game fans appear, and the longer they play, the larger their audience grows. By completing the king’s challenges and boosting their subscriber count, players can unlock dynamic new stages.”

Fortunately for fans of the series, you might not need to purchase an Apple device in order to get a new taste of the King of all Cosmos, as Bandai Namco recently trademarked the name ‘Once Upon a KATAMARI’ – suggesting more games are in the works. Regardless, it is exciting to see the series finally rise from its slumber.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the line-up? Will you check out Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE? What Apple Arcade exclusive has been your favourite so far? Let us know down below.

The post Apple Arcade to add 6 new titles including Katamari and Space Invaders first appeared on KitGuru.
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HITMAN World of Assassination comes to PSVR2 later this month

During Sony’s State of Play last September, the console manufacturer announced that the highly successful HITMAN World of Assassination Trilogy would be coming to PlayStation VR2 in December 2024. Following a slight delay, the game is finally ready for deployment, with the game set to come to PSVR2 later this month.

Announced during the VR Games Showcase, IO Interactive offered fans another look at HITMAN World of Assassination running on PSVR2. Set to launch on the 27th of March, this PSVR2 port won’t be free, however will be relatively cheap at just £8.99 for current owners of the flat-screen version.

Fans of this trilogy might remember the previous VR port made for the OG PSVR / PS4. Given its rather rudimentary hardware, the experience was far from perfect. Fortunately, this new release looks to be significantly more comprehensive, featuring “dual-wielding, full ambidexterity, room-scale implementation, as well as general improved VR experience through new intuitive controls and gameplay mechanics.”

Beyond this, the port also adds “the possibility of performing actions with both controllers at the same time, active reloading, on-body weapon holstering, aiming through the sniper’s scope, and manual interactions to take disguises,” alongside “spatial interactions to touch, grab, and position, integration of the PlayStation VR2 controllers’ adaptative triggers, and many more.”

This marks the 3rd attempt at a VR port for HITMAN, following the aforementioned PSVR1 version and the more recent Meta Quest release. That said, hopefully IOI have managed to hit the nail on its head this time. 3rd time lucky and all that.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to this PSVR2 port? Have you tried any of the other VR Hitman experiences? Could this be a system seller if done right? Let us know down below.

The post HITMAN World of Assassination comes to PSVR2 later this month first appeared on KitGuru.
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Capcom files new trademark for Dino Crisis in Japan

Dino Crisis is a beloved series from Capcom which has unfortunately seen little to no activity in decades. Following surveys conducted by the publisher asking whether they’d be interested in more Dino Crisis, Capcom has now registered a trademark for the game franchise in Japan.

As reported by Gematsu, Capcom recently published a trademark listing for Dino Crisis just a week ago as it pertains to video games.

While in and of itself perhaps not a big deal, as explained by Dino Crisis Community Rep Jawmuncher on BlueSky: “The [trademark] system doesn't work like it does in the US, so such a trademark means they must be planning to do SOMETHING with the IP.”

Capcom Dino Crisis

Lending further credence to this, it’s been well under 10 years since the IP was last re-trademarked, indicating that this could be more than just a case of maintaining the property rights.

As mentioned, Capcom has surveyed fans on a number of occasions asking which dormant IPs they would like to see return. With the likes of Onimusha finally getting the attention it deserves once again, perhaps Dino Crisis could be next in line? We can hope.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you think this recent filing means anything? Would you want a new entry or a remake first? Let us know down below.

The post Capcom files new trademark for Dino Crisis in Japan first appeared on KitGuru.
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Dutch etailer sends out long-awaited RTX 5090 after fake recall claim

Last week, a dutch etailer caused quite a stir after telling RTX 5090 pre-order customers that they would have to wait longer for their graphics cards to arrive. Despite having units in stock, the store claimed that Nvidia had issued a recall of RTX 50 GPUs. We were quickly able to establish that no such recall is or was taking place, and now, customers who have been kept waiting for over a month are starting to get their graphics cards.

One of our YouTube channel subscribers, Ben, got in touch with us about the situation last week, producing proof of purchase for the RTX 5090 at uwgamespecialist.nl, as well as the email from their customer service stating that Nvidia had recalled a number of graphics cards. Ben had purchased the RTX 5090 for 3399 euros in January but despite the card showing as in stock on the retailer's website, he could not get an update on when the card would ship. This eventually led to the now infamous ‘recall' claim. The CEO for uwgamespecialist.nl later admitted in email to KitGuru that there was no recall and promised to get Ben the unit he ordered.

In an email this morning, Ben confirmed to us that he did indeed receive his MSI RTX 5090 Suprim graphics card from uwgamespecialist.nl on Monday. We know of at least one other customer who bought the same graphics card at a similar price, on the same day as Ben, who is also awaiting their unit. It is our hope that they also get their unit in the coming days.

To catch up on the whole story surrounding this situation, be sure to check out the editorial from our Editor-in-Chief, Allan Campbell, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If you are buying an in-demand item like the RTX 5090, be sure to keep an eye on the store you ordered from for any stock updates and raise the alarm if you notice something suspicious, like a dubious recall claim. You'll always be able to tell if a legitimate recall has been issued or not, as product recalls always require a public announcement from the original product manufacturer.  

The post Dutch etailer sends out long-awaited RTX 5090 after fake recall claim first appeared on KitGuru.
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Nvidia RTX 5060 reportedly packs 25% more CUDA cores than its predecessor

Following yesterday's leak detailing the RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5050 specifications, the missing piece of the puzzle has finally fallen into place: the RTX 5060. The same leaker has now provided the full specifications of the upcoming GPU.

According to kopite7kimi (via videocardz), all three cards will use the same PG152 board design, which apparently supports two distinct GPUs (GB206 and GB207) and two memory types (GDDR6 and GDDR7). This suggests a unified platform, potentially streamlining production and reducing costs.

As predicted, the RTX 5060 non-Ti appears to be a slightly less powerful variant of the 5060 Ti. It features 3,840 CUDA cores, approximately 25% more than the RTX 4060, a higher 150W TGP, 35W more than its predecessor, and 8 GB of GDDR7 memory across a 128-bit memory bus. While clock speeds remain undisclosed, the core count increase, faster VRAM, and TGP difference suggest a decent performance uplift, at least more than the rest of the RTX 50 series brought compared to its RTX 40 series counterparts.

Nvidia is reportedly planning to announce the RTX 5060 alongside the RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5050 next week. These cards are expected to become available starting in April, but we're unsure if they'll all be released simultaneously.

KitGuru says: Of all three reportedly upcoming Nvidia RTX 50 series cards, which one looks the most interesting to you?

The post Nvidia RTX 5060 reportedly packs 25% more CUDA cores than its predecessor first appeared on KitGuru.
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Microsoft reportedly set to unveil Xbox handheld this year

Microsoft has been rumoured to be working on a gaming handheld for decades. Even back during the days of the Xbox 360, there were rumours of an Xbox-style PSP or GameBoy style system. With handhelds now able to offer enough power to run even current-generation games, Microsoft finally looks to be jumping on the bandwagon. 

According to WindowsCentral, Microsoft is working on an Xbox companion handheld device to cap off the Xbox Series X/S generation. In collaboration with an unnamed OEM partner, this Xbox handheld is being developed under the codename ‘Keenan' and it should launch before the end of this year.

The handheld will run Windows 11, like several other handhelds already on the market, but with new ‘device aware' features that allow the OS to shift UI formats based on whether you're using a handheld, laptop or desktop. Think of it similarly to how the Steam Deck launches with the Big Picture UI, but you can opt to switch to desktop mode for more advanced tasks.

The handheld would be the last major hardware release of the Xbox Series X/S generation, as Microsoft is also reportedly moving ahead with plans to ship a new-gen Xbox console in 2027.

KitGuru Says: The issue I have with this strategy if that going via the OEM route almost always leads to increased costs. If the handheld can't compete with the Steam Deck on price, then I don't see any chance for widespread success. 

The post Microsoft reportedly set to unveil Xbox handheld this year first appeared on KitGuru.
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Konami to reveal new Silent Hill game this week

Konami's big Silent Hill revival has been a success thanks to Blooper Team's highly rated remake of Silent Hill 2. Now, Konami is gearing up to announce the next game in the franchise. 

This week, Konami will hold its latest Silent Hill Transmission stream, during which we will get new details on the project known as “Silent Hill F”.

Silent Hill F was first teased back in 2022, but Konami has revealed little else about it since. That will change during the stream on March 13th, as we'll get a fresh look at the game and its “completely new story set in 1960s Japan”.

Silent Hill F is being developed by Neoboards Entertainment, which previously worked on Resident Evil Resistance and RE:Verse. Blooper Team has also confirmed plans to work with Konami again on a new game in the future.

KitGuru Says: Following on from last year's remake, are you looking forward to seeing all-new Silent Hill games? 

The post Konami to reveal new Silent Hill game this week first appeared on KitGuru.
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Disco Elysium studio reveals new ‘Espionage RPG’

ZA/UM Studio made a name for itself years back with Disco Elysium, but we've heard very little from the studio since. It looks like 2025 is set to be another big year for the company, as their next game has now finally been revealed under the codename ‘Project C4'. 

Project C4 is described as a “mind-warping espionage RPG that blends player introspection, deep character-driven dialogue and high-stakes encounters”. Based on that description, it will feature similar gameplay to Disco Elysium, where much of the game centres around character conversations, dialogue options made, dice rolls for skill checks and multiple outcomes to explore.

While the game may also borrow a lot of inspiration from Disco Elysium, it is worth noting that many of the leads on that game no longer work at ZA/UM Studio. Back in 2022, Disco Elysium's game director and art director left the company following a slew of firings and formed a new studio.

There is no word on when Project C4 will release but we expect to learn more about the game later this year.

KitGuru Says: Hopefully whatever behind-the-scenes issues took place following the release of Disco Elysium have been resolved. After all, an Espionage RPG in a similar style to Disco Elysium could end up being a huge hit. 

The post Disco Elysium studio reveals new ‘Espionage RPG’ first appeared on KitGuru.
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AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D Review

AMD announced the Ryzen 9 9900X3D at CES 2025 which allies twelve cores of Zen 5 goodness with a slab of 2nd Gen V-Cache. This approach works superbly well with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and today we find out how well it works in a grunty Ryzen 9.

Time stamps

00:00 Start
01:33 9900X3D Hardware Specs
02:40 A look at AMD charts
03:58 AMD Chipset Drivers – the importance
04:46 Hardware test setup
05:58 BIOS settings and core latencies
06:30 Cinebench 2024 Single Core
07:21 Cinebench 2024 Multi Core
07:29 Geekbench 6 Multi Core
07:41 Geekbench 6 Single Core
07:53 Cinebench 2024 Multi Core per £ of cost
09:28 CPU Power Consumption
10:00 Cinebench 2024 Multi Core Per Watt
10:42 7 ZIP v24 Benchmark
11:01 AIDA 64 Memory Bandwidth
11:20 3DMark Time Spy
11:50 Far Cry 6 1080p
12:12 Far Cry 6 1440p
12:28 Avatar Frontiers of Pandora 1080p
12:50 Avatar Frontiers of Pandora 1440p
13:05 Assassins Creed Mirage 1080p
13:23 Assassins Creed Mirage 1440p
13:37 Cyberpunk 2077 1080p
13:48 Cyberpunk 2077 1440p
14:02 Total War Pharaoh 1080p
14:17 Total War Pharaoh 1440p
14:44 Leo’s views on this launch / 9900X3D
18:17 Closing thoughts

As background reading to this review of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D we suggest you look at our reviews of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D HERE and the Ryzen 9 9900X HERE as AMD has used their clever 2nd Gen V-Cache Technology to enhance the Zen 5 Ryzen 9 9900X. The result, as you will see in our video, is a CPU that AMD claims is ‘The Perfect Processor for Elite Gamers'.

The post AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D Review first appeared on KitGuru.
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XFX releases files for removable “wings”, opening up 3D print mods for RX 9070 Quick Silver cards

XFX has revealed a unique customisation feature for its Radeon RX 9070 Quicksilver graphics cards. Using the 3D print files released by XFX, owners of these cards can personalise the appearance of their cards with magnetically attached, 3D-printable “wings”.

As spotted by VideoCardz, this level of customisation provides a unique degree of personalisation, allowing users to tailor the look of their graphics card to their individual preferences. Note, however, that in addition to printing the wings, users will still need magnets to attach them to the graphics card.

XFX has announced the availability of these files but has not provided a direct link. Users must go to the product page and locate the “Support and Download” section to get the files. The downloadable archive includes three folders: one-piece and two-piece wing designs for each side of the card and a separate folder for the PCIe side wing. Users can also choose to print versions with or without the XFX branding. The one-piece files are available in STEP, STL, and IGS formats, ensuring compatibility with various 3D printing solutions. Unfortunately, the two-piece files are only available in STL format.

Currently, XFX has not confirmed whether pre-printed wings will be available for purchase separately for users who do not own 3D printers.

KitGuru says: Did you grab one of these XFX RX 9070 Quicksilver series graphics cards? Are you planning to print these wings to add some flair to it?

The post XFX releases files for removable “wings”, opening up 3D print mods for RX 9070 Quick Silver cards first appeared on KitGuru.
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Control gets surprise update with tons of new PC settings

Remedy Entertainment’s Control was an excellent game when it released back in 2019, only getting better with time thanks to an enhanced Ultimate Edition. Years on from its last major update, Control has gotten a surprise patch, bringing previously-locked content to all alongside a boatload of new PC settings.

Making the announcement on their blog, the team at Remedy wrote: “Hello Director! We’re happy to announce that all owners of Control Ultimate Edition will be receiving a free content update. The update is hitting PC players (Steam and Epic Games Store, GOG to follow later) today, including several improvements to support newer hardware.”

Control PC

Said to also be coming to consoles at some point in the “near future” this update is clearly focused on PC as a platform, as alongside the unlocking of previously-exclusive content for all to enjoy, the update adds a bunch of new and appreciated graphics settings, including:

  • Added HDR support
  • Added new Ultra ray tracing preset
  • Added ultrawide monitor support for up to 48:9 monitors
  • Added an FOV scaling setting for the gameplay camera
  • Updated SDR to 10bit (from 8bit)
  • Added rendering resolution support beyond 4K
  • Added DLSS support for arbitrary resolutions
  • Added DLAA support
  • Updated DLSS to DLSS 3.7, with higher temporal stability

The full list of changes and additions can be found HERE. Given how long it's been since an update of this size, it is welcome yet surprising to see Remedy revisiting this title so many years later. The improvements to DLSS and HDR in particular are quite exciting.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you surprised by this update? Did the lack of proper HDR support bother you? Let us know down below.

The post Control gets surprise update with tons of new PC settings first appeared on KitGuru.
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Sapphire showcases new Edge+ VPR-5050 boards at Embedded World

Sapphire has unveiled its new Edge+ VPR-5050 Series mini-ITX motherboards for edge computing and industrial AI applications. These platforms, the Edge+ VPR-5050-MB and Edge+ VPR-5050A-MB, leverage AMD's Embedded+ architecture, combining the power of Ryzen Embedded V2748 processors with Versal AI Edge VE2302 adaptive SoCs.

The Edge+ VPR-5050 series provides a scalable and high-performance computing platform, reducing development cycles and accelerating time-to-market for advanced embedded systems. These motherboards are ideally suited for various applications, including AI-driven industrial control, smart security and AI vision, autonomous mobile robotics, medical imaging and surgery, and embedded PC applications. Both models are optimised for power efficiency, with AI acceleration capabilities starting at just 30W.

The cornerstone of the Edge+ VPR-5050 Series is AMD Embedded+, a hybrid architecture that integrates high-performance x86 processing with adaptive AI acceleration. This combination enables real-time sensor data processing, low-latency AI inference, robust industrial networking, and precise control applications.

The Edge+ VPR-5050-MB is designed for AI-driven industrial control and real-time sensor fusion. It features the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2748 Processor, powered by “Zen” cores and Radeon graphics, and 8 GB of memory. The AMD Versal AI Edge VE2302 Adaptive SoC facilitates low-latency AI inference and deterministic sensor processing. Connectivity options include 2.5 Gb Ethernet, USB 3.2 Gen2, SATA3, RS232/422/485, and GPIO, ensuring seamless integration into industrial environments. The motherboard also supports M.2 storage, M.2 WiFi/BT, and PCIe x8 expansion, allowing for flexible customisation.

The Edge+ VPR-5050A-MB builds upon the foundation of the VPR-5050-MB, catering to applications requiring more complex embedded software topologies. It has dual 10/25 Gb Ethernet and 16 GPIO for high-speed industrial connectivity and enhanced sensor support via programmable I/O. The Versal AI Edge device now features 64 GB of eMMC storage and 16 GB of RAM. A dedicated USB connector is provided for direct IO, and an auto-IO board with Octo GMSL2, Dual GbE, and Dual CAN bus interfaces further expands its capabilities.

Optional plugin expansion boards are also available for customised industrial, AI vision, and automation applications. The Sapphire Edge+ VPR-5050-MB and VPR-5050A-MB are now available for developers and OEMs.

KitGuru says: Embedded solutions are becoming more capable, and the new Sapphire Edge+ VPR-5050 series boards are no exception.

The post Sapphire showcases new Edge+ VPR-5050 boards at Embedded World first appeared on KitGuru.
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Split Fiction has sold over 1 million copies in 48 hours

Hazelight Studios has amassed a reputation over the past years for its dedication to creating new and unique co-op experiences. So far, this seems to be working out, with each successive game selling millions more than the last. While it’s too early to tell whether it can surpass its predecessor, the recently-released Split Fiction is already doing numbers – having sold over 1 million copies in just two days.

Making the announcement on BlueSky, the official Hazelight Studios page wrote: “SPLIT FICTION sold 1 MILLION units in its first 48 hours!!! The love you all show for our game is overwhelming! Everyone here at Hazelight are beyond happy – and we can’t stop enjoying your amazing reactions!”

Split fiction Million

Despite being published by EA, Hazelight Studios is a relatively small studio whose games operate on budgets far lower than the typical AAA release from the publisher, making its success even more notable.

As mentioned, Hazelight’s prior games sold incredibly well over the long-term, with 2018’s A Way Out and 2021’s It Takes Two selling 11 and 23 million copies respectively – doubly impressive when considering that you don’t need two copies to play together.

With Split Fiction being not only the highest rated game by Hazelight, but currently sitting as the highest rated title of 2025, we’ll likely see the game break milestone sales on a rather consistent basis over the coming months.

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KitGuru says: Have you played Split Fiction? Is it Hazelight’s best work yet? What do you hope to see next from the studio? Let us know down below.

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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s PS5 release date has leaked

Prior to its release on the Xbox Series X|S last year, Microsoft confirmed that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would also be swinging its way onto PS5 in 2025. A couple weeks ago, leakers narrowed down the release window to sometime in April. Now, we seem to have a concrete release date alongside pre-order details.

As reported by known industry insider Billbil-kun via Dealabs, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is set to come to PS5 on the 17th of April – though as Microsoft has made a habit of – ‘Advanced AAAccess’ players will get it a couple days early.

Beyond this, pre-orders are reportedly planned to go live on the 25th of March and will be offered in two forms: a £70 Standard Edition and a £100 Premium Edition.

Indiana Jones PS5

Given the fact that Indiana Jones originally released last year, it is a bit surprising to see Microsoft charging full price while also offering advanced access for premium buyers.

Then again, with the upcoming Forza Horizon 5 priced at £55 despite first launching in 2021, the price is to be expected.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Which of the upcoming Microsoft PS5 games are you most excited for? Are the prices fair? What’s your opinion on Advanced Access? Let us know down below.

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PSSR in 2026 and beyond will match FSR 4 claims Mark Cerny

One of the many benefits touted by Sony regarding the PS5 Pro is its hardware support for the company’s PSSR upscaler. While results for early adopters have been somewhat mixed, lead console architect Mark Cerny has promised that PSSR will continue to improve over time – matching the recently-announced FSR 4 in quality by next year.

Following the recent official unveiling of FSR4, AMD revealed that the ML-based upscaler was developed in collaboration with Sony.

Speaking on this, and what it means for the future of PlayStation, Mark Cerny told Eurogamer: “The neural network (and training recipe) in FSR 4's upscaler are the first results of the Amethyst collaboration. And results are excellent, it's a more advanced approach that can exceed the crispness of PSSR. I'm very proud of the work of the joint team!”

PSSR FSR

Cerny continued, “Our focus for 2025 is working with developers to integrate PSSR into their titles; in parallel, though, we have already started to implement the new neural network on PS5 Pro. Our target is to have something very similar to FSR 4's upscaler available on PS5 Pro for 2026 titles as the next evolution of PSSR; it should take the same inputs and produce essentially the same outputs. Doing that implementation is rather ambitious and time consuming, which is why you haven't already seen this new upscaler on PS5 Pro.”

As mentioned, results for PSSR so far have been somewhat mixed, with some games displaying excellent results, while others required hotfixes in order to resolve major unexpected issues. As such, it is highly exciting to see that the technology will improve greatly in the relatively near future – meaning that the value prospects of the PS5 Pro should also get better with time.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of PSSR so far? Are you impressed with FSR 4? Could PS5 Pro justify its existence with these upcoming improvements? Let us know down below.

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Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5050 detailed in new leak

Nvidia appears to be bolstering its entry-level graphics card offerings, with an increasing number of leaks suggesting we'll get an RTX 5050. This budget-friendly card is reported to launch in the coming weeks, positioning itself as a direct competitor to Intel's Arc B580.

Leaker kopite7kimi has been relatively quiet since the RTX 50 series' initial announcements, but they recently resurfaced with detailed specifications for both the RTX 5050 and the upcoming RTX 5060 Ti.

The leaker corroborated the RTX 5060 Ti's dual memory configurations, which stated that 16 GB and 8 GB GDDR7 variants will use a 128-bit memory bus. The card is expected to feature a 180W TGP (Total Graphics Power), aligning with previous rumors. The report also reads that the RTX 5060 Ti is based on the PG152 board design and uses the GB206-300 GPU, packing 4,608 CUDA cores.

Intriguingly, the leaker claims that the RTX 5050 will share the same PG152 board design but paired with the smaller GB207-300 GPU with 2,560 CUDA cores. Matching earlier rumors, kopite7kimi said that the RTX 5050 will feature 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 128-bit memory bus, making it the sole RTX 50 series card to use this type of memory.

Rumours suggest that Nvidia may unveil the RTX 5060 series and potentially the RTX 5050 as early as next week. However, these cards are only expected to be released in April or May.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you planning to buy an entry-level or mid-range graphics card soon? Are you considering one of Nvidia's upcoming RTX 50 series GPUs?

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Nvidia RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell leaks via retail listing

Nvidia's professional workstation graphics card lineup is probably getting an update like the gaming series did with the RTX 50 GPUs. Nvidia hasn't confirmed it yet, but the supposed new flagship card, RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell, has recently been spotted online.

The listing spotted on Leadtek's website by Mark Brown (via @harukaze5719) confirms the “RTX Pro” branding will remain and unveils the specifications of this monstrous GPU. The RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell is purported to feature a staggering 24,064 CUDA cores, exceeding the RTX 5090 count by 2,304 cores. Furthermore, the card has 96 GB of GDDR7 memory, triple the capacity of the flagship gaming card. The Leadtek listing suggests a 600W TGP for the RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell, surpassing the RTX 5090's TGP. This strongly indicates the presence of one or two 16-pin power connectors.

Image credit: VideoCardz

Compared to its predecessor, the RTX 6000 Ada, the RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell boasts a 32% increase in CUDA cores and doubles the memory capacity. The reported 600W power consumption also represents a significant leap from the RTX 6000 Ada's 300W TDP.

The RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell's enormous TGP necessitates a robust cooling solution. Gone is the traditional blower-style design, replaced by a cooling solution (shared by VideoCardz) that appears to be a variation of the dual-flow-through design found on the RTX 5090. Images accompanying the leak reveal a dual-slot design with a more exposed heatsink on the front and a redesigned backplate. The card also features a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface and four DisplayPort 2.1 ports.

The RTX Pro Blackwell series is expected to be officially unveiled at Nvidia's GTC 2025 conference, which will run from March 17th to the 20th.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Considering the RTX 6000 Ada released at around £7,500, how do you think Nvidia will price the RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell?

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AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D shows up on PassMark with improved single-core performance

Early benchmarks are promising for AMD's upcoming Ryzen 9 9950X3D, with the 16-core CPU reportedly topping the PassMark multi-threaded charts. A single benchmark run has yielded a score of 69,702 points, placing it 10% ahead of the previous-generation 7950X3D and 5% ahead of its non-3D V-Cache counterpart in multi-threaded performance.

Note that these results are based on a single benchmark run compared to the hundreds of data points typically used for comprehensive analysis. RAM configuration and overclocking or PBO could significantly influence these scores. Nevertheless, this initial result shared by @x86deadandback suggests that the 16-core 9950X3D is currently leading the pack among flagship consumer CPUs, outperforming the 7950X3D, 9950X, and Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K. This 170W CPU, armed with 16 Zen 4 cores and second-generation 3D V-Cache, is set to launch in three days.

Analysing the 9950X3D's single-threaded performance reveals near-identical scores to the 9950X, indicating that the addition of 3D V-Cache doesn't compromise single-threaded speed. Both CPUs share the same core count, peak boost frequency, and 170W TDP. The key difference lies in the 9950X3D's usage of 3D V-Cache on one of its chipsets.

AMD recently confirmed the 9950X3D's $699 price tag, representing a $100 premium over the 9950X's launch price. Alongside it, AMD will also release the Ryzen 9 9900X3D. Both processors are expected to release on March 12th

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you thinking about getting one of AMD's new Ryzen 9000X3D processors? If so, which one are you considering buying?

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Next-gen Xbox to be ‘a PC with a TV-friendly shell’

Recently it was claimed that next year's Call of Duty is already in development for the next-gen Xbox. However, a reliable source has now rebuked this claim, as the next generation Xbox hardware is being planned for 2027 and no development kits exist yet.

According to Microsoft-focused reporter, Jez Corden, the next generation Xbox will be with us in 2027 and currently, development kits do not exist. In a recent podcast, Corden also shed some light on the concept behind Microsoft's future console.

“The whole idea of the next Xbox is that it's going to be a PC in essence but with a TV friendly shell that also has a specific set of specs in mind”, Corden said. He adds that this will mean that developers will be developing for a Windows PC in a way.

Microsoft's next-generation Xbox will need to focus on being a more open platform, as the company has opted to move away from exclusive games entirely.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What are you expecting to see from the next Xbox?

 

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Insomniac brings back three of its best VR games

Prior to being acquired by Sony, Insomniac had signed a deal with Oculus to bring three VR games to the Oculus Rift headset. These games were later made compatible with the Meta Quest headsets but all of Insomniac's VR titles mysteriously disappeared from the store a few years back. Now after a lengthy hiatus, they are finally becoming available again. 

Insomniac's VR classics, Edge of Nowhere, Stormland and Feral Rites, are now available on Meta Quest devices once again. Insomniac is also working on bringing back its fourth VR title, The Unspoken.

There was no reason given for the initial removal for any of these titles. What made the move particularly surprising was the fact that Meta did put money upfront to get these games made. Whatever the issue was, however, it appears to be resolved.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If you missed out on Insomniac's VR titles previously, you should consider giving them a look now that they are back on the store. 

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Death Stranding 2 gets extended gameplay trailer and June release date

At SXSW this week, Kojima Productions made the most out of its panel appearance by debuting a new trailer for Death Stranding 2. Not only did we get a new look at the game, but a June 2025 release has also been confirmed. 

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will be releasing for PS5 on the 26th of June. Below you can watch the new 10-minute trailer, showcasing an extensive look at gameplay, as well as the upcoming Collector's Edition of the game.

Pre-orders for the game go live on the 17th of March. The Collector's Edition, which includes early access to the game starting on June 24th, ships in a fancy box, complete with a Magellan Man statue, a Dollman figurine, Art Cards and a letter from Hideo Kojima. Collector's Edition buyers will also unlock a selection of in-game items, as well as all pre-order bonus content.

While Death Stranding 2 is releasing for PS5 initially, the game is expected to come to PC eventually, and potentially Xbox too, as the original game just landed on Xbox consoles last year.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Are you looking forward to Death Stranding 2? How long do you think we'll have to wait to see it on PC? 

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Spelunky 2 gets free PS5 upgrade with 120fps support

While the added power of the PS5 allows for last-gen games to look and run better thanks to the newer and faster hardware, its updated HDMI spec allows for even small indie games to receive notable benefits. In the case of Spelunky, the pixel-art platformer roguelike has now gotten a surprise PS5 update which brings support for 120fps.

As reported by Polygon, the hardcore indie rogue-like Spelunky 2 has received a surprise free current-gen upgrade. Available now, this enhanced release brings with it one massive feature: support for 120fps.

Given its rather basic visuals, the PS4 would have likely been able to run such a game at higher framerates. That said, the console’s lack of a HDMI 2.1 port meant the system was hardware-locked out of such a feature.

Spelunky 2 PS5

With the rather twitchy nature of movement and gameplay in Spelunky, having twice the responsiveness could help alleviate many of the deaths you would otherwise succumb to.

Regardless, smoother games almost always feel better to play, and so it is welcome to see an indie title such as Spelunky 2 utilise one of the current-gen’s unique features. Hopefully more indies follow suit.

KitGuru says: Are you glad to see such an update? Is 120fps necessary? Should more indie games offer 120fps options? Let us know down below.

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Killing Floor 3 delayed from March to “later” in 2025

The Killing Floor series has grown from humble beginnings to becoming a massive and well-loved round-based co-op Zombie shooter – not too dissimilar to the likes of Call of Duty Zombies. After years of waiting, Killing Floor 3 was announced to be coming in March of this year. Unfortunately, the game has now been delayed to an unknown point “later” in 2025.

Making the announcement on BlueSky, the team at Tripwire Interactive wrote:

“Dear Killing Floor Fans, We've made the decision to postpone Killing Floor 3's launch to an undecided date later in 2025. After taking the time to gather and discuss feedback from our recent closed beta, we've realized that we missed the mark. Our goal isn't just to make Killing Floor 3 an ambitious step forward for the franchise, but also to maintain the core experience that you've come to know and love.”

Killing Floor 3 2025

They continued, “With the full support of our parent company Embracer Group, we're working together on a timeline to address many of the common issues players had during the beta, including performance/stability, Ul/UX, lighting, and weapon feel. While it's too early to say which fixes will be implemented by launch, we can confirm that an update allowing you to independently select your perk class and character is planned for post-release.”

As mentioned, Killing Floor 3’s beta received quite a mixed reception, with fan complaints ranging from the technical to creative. Given the overwhelming success and love for Killing Floor 2, it is encouraging to see the team willing to go back to the drawing board somewhat to ensure a more satisfying and successful launch.

That said, with Killing Floor 2 being almost 10 years old at this point, you’d think the team would have figured out long ago what it meant to be a successful and well-loved Killing Floor game. Hopefully the delay proves to be a wise move.

KitGuru says: Did you partake in the Killing Floor 3 beta? What did you think? How much extra time do you believe would be needed to fix all the issues? Let us know down below.

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You can now vote for the 2025 Video Game Hall of Fame inductees

Each year, the Museum of Play hosts a vote in which the public can decide among a line-up of classics as to which titles will wind up joining the video game hall of fame. For 2025, 12 titles have made the shortlist, including the likes of COD4: Modern Warfare; Angry Birds; Frogger and more.

Available to vote on from now until the 13th of March, the nominees for the 2025 video game hall of fame are as follows:

  • Age of Empires
  • Angry Birds
  • Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
  • Defender
  • Frogger
  • Golden Eye
  • Golden Tee
  • Harvest Moon
  • Mattel Football
  • Quake
  • NBA 2K
  • Tamagotchi

2025 Hall of Fame

For the uninitiated, fans can vote for their favourite game once per day leading up until the 13th of March – at which point the top games will be officially inducted.

The full list of previous inductees can be found HERE, but last year’s winners were Asteroids; Myst; Resident Evil; SimCity and Ultima.

In its (relatively) short life, the video games industry has produced countless revolutionary and classic titles, and so it is welcome to have a program dedicated to celebrating games in this manner.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this year’s finalists? Which games would make your top 5? Which of the above would you deem an undeniable classic? Let us know down below.

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Switch 2 confirmed to feature WIFI-6, NFC support and more

Back in January after years of leaks, rumours and speculation, the Switch 2 was officially unveiled. That said, we still know relatively little about Nintendo’s upcoming sequel system. Ahead of the promised April Direct, new details on the Switch 2’s hardware has been revealed, including its support for WIFI-6, NFC and more.

As published by The Verge, the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) recently filed new reports revealing some of the hardware functionality of the upcoming Switch 2.

More specifically, the filings revealed that the upcoming sequel system will retain Nintendo’s long-standing use of NFC support – presumably for Amiibo compatibility.

Switch 2 NFC

Perhaps more exciting is the fact that the console will also offer hardware support for WIFI-6 – a notable improvement over the OG Switch. That said, the newer/faster WIFI 6E and WIFI 7 will not be present; though hopefully this shouldn’t be too noticeable.

Finally, the filings confirmed that both the upper and lower USB-C ports on the Switch will be usable for charging (which while not surprising is still welcome to have confirmed).

As mentioned, Nintendo is set to have a full Switch 2 Direct Showcase on the 2nd of April, and so we will likely get a ton more official and confirmed details there and then. That said, with what we know so far, the Switch 2 is shaping up to be a rather exciting successor.

KitGuru says: What do you think of these filings? Which of the 3 confirmed features are you most excited for? Is the lack of WIFI 6E/7 disappointing? Let us know down below.

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An RTX 5050 desktop GPU with 8GB of memory might be on the way

New rumors claim that Nvidia's RTX 50 series lineup is getting an RTX 5050 SKU. This budget-oriented card could significantly expand the series' reach, offering gamers a more affordable entry point and an alternative to Intel's B500-series.

While we've previously talked about Zotac's EEC entries that mentioned the RTX 5050, this new report from Wccftech includes a few more details than just the name. Examining Nvidia's Blackwell GPU family lineup reveals five distinct GPUs, with the entry-level GB207 being the most likely candidate for the rumoured RTX 5050.

However, it's plausible that Nvidia could leverage the same board design for the RTX 5060 and RTX 5050 to further optimise production costs and simplify the manufacturing process. If so, the RTX 5050 could feature a cut-down GB206 GPU.

This report also mentions that the RTX 5050 is expected to be priced between $199 and $249 (£200-£250 with VAT included), placing it in direct competition with Intel's Arc B570/B580 GPUs. It's also rumoured to feature 8 GB of memory, though the type of memory and memory bus width remain unknown. Using GDDR6 memory would be a logical choice to keep costs down. Moreover, the 5050 should target a TDP of 135/145W. Like the RTX 5060 series, this GPU could also launch in April.

KitGuru says: Seeing Nvidia coming back to the xx50 GPUs in the desktop segment could motivate AMD to do the same.

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has reached six million players

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has achieved a significant milestone, surpassing six million players just over three months after its release. This success is particularly noteworthy given the game's tumultuous development, which was marked by numerous delays and challenges faced by Ukrainian developer GSC Game World.

The long-awaited sequel, released in November 2024, is the fourth mainline entry in the STALKER series, arriving 15 years after 2009's Call of Pripyat. Players once again step into the boots of “stalkers”, exploring the atmospheric post-apocalyptic exclusion zone surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Various updates have been released since the game launched, squashing thousands of bugs and improving AI, balancing, optimisation, and various systems.

GSC Game World expressed its gratitude to the community for its support. The game's development was fraught with difficulties, including conflict, cyberattacks, and a devastating fire, leading to multiple delays. This milestone is a testament to the team's resilience and the enduring passion of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. fans.

Players have praised the game's immersive atmosphere and gameplay, with many commenting on the feeling of returning to Pripyat. The community has also expressed excitement for the game's upcoming DLC and provided valuable feedback, including requests for a New Game Plus mode. GSC Game World previously announced it would share a content roadmap for the game, but nothing has been shown yet. While some details are still pending, this roadmap was supposed to include post-launch content, including a free PvP multiplayer mode and at least two paid DLC expansions.

KitGuru says: Have you already tried S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2? Does it stand on par with its predecessors?

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Nvidia RTX 5060 launch reportedly scheduled for April

New reports suggest that Nvidia is gearing up to announce the RTX 5060 series in the next two weeks, potentially as early as March 13th. While this date hasn't been officially confirmed, sources indicate that Nvidia has informed its board partners about the upcoming announcement.

Leaker MEGAsizeGPU has also reported that the reveal will occur within ten days, while VideoCardz points to March 13th. Nvidia has reportedly confirmed to its AIB partners that the GeForce RTX 5060 series will consist of three models: the RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB, RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB, and RTX 5060 (8 GB). The availability dates have not been shared yet, but MEGAsizeGPU claimed they'll be coming out in April.

Rumours suggest that the RTX 5060 Ti will have a 180W TDP, though it's unclear whether this applies to both the 16 GB and 8 GB variants. The 5060 Ti is expected to use either the GB205 GPU, a cut-down version of the chip powering the RTX 5070, or the GB206 GPU. The latter seems to be the likely candidate for the non-Ti RTX 5060, which is rumoured to feature 8 GB of GDDR6 memory.

While previous rumors pointed toward an April launch for the RTX 5060 series, it remains to be seen whether all three models will be released simultaneously or if Nvidia will opt for a separate release.

KitGuru says: Are you planning to upgrade your GPU with one of the upcoming RTX 5060 series GPUs? If so, which one were you planning on buying?

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Nvidia RTX 50 Laptop GPU series also affected by missing ROPs issue

Nvidia's RTX 50 series ROP issue continues. Laptop manufacturers are reportedly facing the added burden of ensuring their upcoming RTX 50-powered laptops are free from the same defect. As such, these companies are implementing additional testing measures to avoid shipping defective GPUs to customers.

This extra scrutiny comes in response to Nvidia's request to inspect RTX 50 Laptop GPUs, which, according to Heise (via VideoCardz), are believed to originate from the same production line as the affected desktop models. Moreover, the same report states that laptop manufacturers are now working extended hours to prevent complications with their upcoming laptops.

The RTX 50-powered laptops, initially unveiled at CES 2025, have faced delays, with pre-orders pushed back from late March to April. It's unclear whether laptop manufacturers will be able to meet these revised deadlines, and the delay could have broader implications, impacting production schedules for Intel, AMD, and other companies involved in the laptop supply chain.

In addition, laptop manufacturers reportedly received the final VBIOS only recently, hindering their ability to commence mass production. However, this additional testing should, at the very least, ensure that consumers don't receive laptops with compromised GPUs.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you planning on buying an RTX 50-powered laptop, or have the delays made you change your mind?

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Endorfy launches new 80-Plus Gold Supremo FM6 modular PSUs

Endorfy has expanded its power supply lineup by introducing the Supremo FM6 1000W and Supremo FM6 850W. These new PSUs are designed to meet the demands of modern high-performance systems, offering full compliance with the latest ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards, gold-level efficiency, and quiet operation.

The Supremo FM6 1000W and 850W are built to the ATX 3.1 specification, delivering improved performance, stability, and resilience against power fluctuations compared to previous standards. Including a 12V-2×6 connector ensures full compatibility with the latest PCIe 5.1 graphics cards, eliminating the need for adapters. Traditional PCIe 8-pin connectors are also provided for wider compatibility. Both models feature fully modular cabling for clean and efficient cable management.

Both PSU models feature an 80 Plus Gold certification, guaranteeing high energy efficiency and reduced operating costs. They operate quietly and maintain low temperatures even under heavy loads, increasing longevity and reliability. High-quality Japanese capacitors ensure consistent performance and stability, even at high temperatures, making these PSUs suitable for demanding applications and operating environments.

The integrated Fluctus 120mm fan is optimised for maximum airflow and efficiency while minimising noise. This quiet fan features an FDB bearing and psychoacoustically optimised fan blades, reducing noise levels and making the sound profile more pleasing to the human ear. Moreover, Endorfy has engineered these PSUs for maximum reliability and safety, incorporating a comprehensive suite of electrical and thermal protection features. Safeguards against voltage spikes, short circuits, overloads, and overheating ensure the protection of your components.

Endorfy backs the Supremo FM6 1000W and 850W with a 10-year warranty, demonstrating its confidence in the quality and reliability of these PSUs. These PSUs are available for purchase now at €119 (850W) and €145 (1000W).

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: For their pricing, the new Endorfy Supremo FM6 PSUs seem worth checking out if you're looking for a new PSU, especially considering their 10-year warranty.

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AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D launches next week for $599, 9950X3D for $699

Early retail listings already tipped us off to a March 12th retail launch for the upcoming AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and 9950X3D processors, but now, the company has made things official – complete with pricing details.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X3D processors will become available at stores starting on the 12th of March. The MSRP for these processors is set at $599 for the Ryzen 9 9900X3D and $699 for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D.

As the X3D in the name suggests, both of these high core-count processors utilise AMD's 3D V-Cache technology, which has proven very popular amongst gaming enthusiasts since its debut during the Ryzen 5000 generation.

Ryzen 9 9950X3D key specs include 16 cores and 32 threads, a boost clock speed of up to 5.7GHz, 144MB of cache and a 170W TDP. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D offers 12 cores and 24 threads instead.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Will you be picking up one of AMD's latest X3D processors?

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Lossless Scaling 3.1 update introduces new Adaptive Frame Generation

Lossless Scaling, a popular third-party tool for upscaling and frame generation, has just received a significant update with the release of version 3.1 Beta. This new version introduces Adaptive Frame Generation (AFG), promising smoother frame pacing.

For those unfamiliar with Lossless Scaling, it's a paid tool that offers an alternative to native upscaling and frame generation technologies like DLSS and FSR, which developers typically integrate directly into games. While DLSS and FSR generally offer superior performance and image quality due to their game-specific optimisations, Lossless Scaling caters to titles that lack native support for these technologies.

Image credit: Reddit

Lossless Scaling's latest update (via Reddit) introduces Adaptive Frame Generation, a feature designed to dynamically adjust frame generation multipliers to maintain a target framerate. Instead of generating a fixed number of frames, AFG only generates the number of frames needed to achieve an FPS target. The developer notes that with AFG, GPU load may increase, and image quality may be slightly lower than with fixed multiplier mode enabled.

This approach contrasts with Nvidia's recently released Smooth Motion technology and AMD's Fluid Motion Frames, both of which operate at the driver level and typically utilise fixed frame generation multipliers. The latter, however, will soon be updated to version 2.1, which could introduce new features.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Have you ever tried Lossless Scaling? While it remains a paid tool, the ability to purchase it on Steam with the option for a refund provides a degree of reassurance for those who are curious to try it out.

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Early AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X3D listings point to mid-March launch

It looks like the wait for AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D CPUs is almost over. While AMD previously confirmed these Zen 5-based processors for a Q1 2025 release, they've remained tight-lipped about the exact launch date until now. However, AMD's Chinese store might have revealed more than it should, pointing to a release on March 12th.

The listings shared by HXL include the specifications for both CPUs, which were in line with previous reports. The 16-core Ryzen 9950X3D will feature a boost clock speed of 5.7 GHz, 144 MB of cache (L2+L3+3D V-Cache), and a 170 W TDP. The 12-core Ryzen 9 9900X3D has a boost clock speed of 5.5 GHz, 140 MB of cache (L2+L3+3D V-Cache), and a 120 W TDP.

Pricing information has also surfaced, though it's better to take it with a grain of salt. According to HXL, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is currently listed at 5,599 RMB (£600), which is higher than the launch price of the 7950X3D in China (5,299 RMB) and even higher than the initial price of the 9950X (4,899 RMB). However, note that this is not official pricing from AMD but rather information extracted using a third-party tool. The same tool lists a price of 4,599 RMB (£492) for the 9900X3D, 100 RMB more than the Ryzen 9 7900X3D.

AMD China has not made any official announcements regarding pricing or availability, suggesting that these listings were likely unintentional and premature.

KitGuru says: Are you waiting for the release of the Ryzen 9 9000X3D series processors? Which processor are you more inclined to get?

The post Early AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X3D listings point to mid-March launch first appeared on KitGuru.
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Windows 11 is getting a redesigned Copilot app

Microsoft is giving its AI-powered Copilot app for Windows 11 a major makeover, shifting from a web-based approach to a fully native experience. The redesigned Copilot app, currently in preview for Windows Insiders, features a modern UI that aligns with Windows 11's design language, with enhanced visuals like mica blur effects, integrated context menus, and a streamlined sidebar for managing chat sessions.

The app's core functionality remains unchanged. Users can still engage in text chats, use Copilot Voice, and access previous conversations. However, as Windows Central notes, the redesign brings enhanced aesthetics and improved usability. Built on Microsoft's native UI framework, the new Copilot delivers faster startup times and smoother interactions, offering a more seamless and visually consistent experience.

Image credit: Windows Central

A dedicated “new chat” button and a new sidebar streamline navigation and encourage more frequent use of Copilot's AI capabilities. The update also retains other settings, such as launching Copilot at startup and activating it with the Alt+Spacebar shortcut.

This move towards a native experience follows last week's surprise release of a native Copilot app for macOS, which surprised many, considering Microsoft's historical focus on the Windows ecosystem. As things stand, it seems Microsoft is embracing a new strategy that focuses on providing a more consistent Copilot experience across different operating systems. The preview version (1.25023.106.0) is available through the Microsoft Store, and Windows Insiders are encouraged to explore the redesigned app and provide feedback. A public release is expected, but a release date hasn't been shared yet.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you use the Copilot app on Windows 11? Do you think these improvements will drive more users to use Copilot?

The post Windows 11 is getting a redesigned Copilot app first appeared on KitGuru.
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Limited edition The Last of Us DualSense controller announced

Season 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us is set to premiere in just over a month’s time on the 13th of April. In anticipation of this, Sony has now announced a Last of Us themed PS5 DualSense controller – available just in time for the impending influx of new fans.

Making the announcement on the PlayStation Blog, The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann and Naughty Dog Graphic Designer Megan Mehran wrote:

“We were excited by the chance to memorialize The Last of Us franchise in a controller that fans and our own team would love. We wanted to ensure that both installments of The Last of Us are represented, via trophy icons printed in black gloss across the controller body.”

They continued, “Among the trophies, three particular images will immediately stand out for TLOU fans: The firefly, moth, and wolf. Players will recognize the Fireflies’ iconic spray-painted logo that originated in Part I, while the moth and wolf represent the intertwining lives and duality between Ellie and Abby in Part II.“

Set to launch on the 10th of April, the controller will be a limited edition release and as such will be slightly more costly than the standard DualSense – going for £74.99 instead of £64.99 (or £69.99 for more exciting colour variants).

With The Last of Us Part II coming to PC on the 3rd of April; the DualSense on the 10th and episode 1 of Season 2 on the 13th, TLOU fans will have plenty to enjoy next month.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the design? Is it to your liking? How does it compare to the Last of Us DualShock 4? Let us know down below.

The post Limited edition The Last of Us DualSense controller announced first appeared on KitGuru.
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Bought an RTX 5090? – be aware of etailer ‘price hiking stock scams’

Regular readers of Kitguru will have seen news we published yesterday regarding dutch retailer Your Game Specialist (HERE). Today we wanted to follow up on this story after we received multiple emails from unhappy customers of the same etailer overnight. Right now, we are working our way through the emails showing screenshots and communications with the etailer and while we need to be careful what we publish from a legal standpoint I felt it was worth addressing some potential concerns I have based on what has happened so far.

We all know that Nvidia RTX 50 pricing has been very high, that is when stock is actually available. This is not exclusive to the Netherlands or the United Kingdom, it is a global issue.

Any company quoting an ‘MSRP' will argue that pricing is not their concern after all this (conveniently) is just a ‘Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price'. In reality this means that if stock is low and demand is high – any etailer can charge whatever they want, if people are willing to pay to get the product. Any etailer will be happy maximising their profit margins for an in-demand product. Sometimes I feel this is killing the industry that means so much to us all, but that is a discussion for another day.

While I could turn this editorial into a detailed piece on pricing and concerns, especially some of the prices we have seen in the United Kingdom for Nvidia partner RTX 5090 cards, I wanted to focus on something important as I feel could impact a lot of people.

After we received a lot of confirmed confidential information from one of our readers Ben detailing his experiences with (uwgamespecialist.nl) – and possible RTX 5090 ‘recalls' after their customer support team quoted ‘fire hazards' – we felt this was worth a story and further analysis.

This retailer told Ben, (a customer who spent 3399 euros in January on a custom MSI RTX 5090 GPU) that all 5 of their samples were recalled “Nvidia has recalled a large number of video cards due to various safety issues. We currently have five units of this model in stock, but they all have to be returned due to an increased fire hazard. In this situation, we do not give priority to anyone; all customers are treated equally based on the ranking when pre-ordering or ordering the video cards.”

Nvidia got in contact with me later claiming to know nothing about this recall and MSI said their custom card had not been recalled. I then spoke to uwgamespecialist CEO Jeroen Vukkink directly in email and he retracted the claims one of his customer support staff made in email to customer Ben. KitGuru then published a follow up story last night which detailed the latest experiences. In this updated editorial I ensured that people could reach out to me directly at allan (at) kitguru.net if they were experiencing any issues with the same, or any other etailer. That offer is still open.

It was rather telling at this point that Ben emailed me to say that uwgamespecialist got in touch with him claiming he would now in fact get his RTX 5090 next week. At least our story hopefully pushed this etailer to get this customer his very expensive graphics card – but why should this be needed?

I then went to bed.

I woke early this morning to several emails from other customers of uwgamespecialist.nl who said they bought RTX 5090 cards around the same time as Ben and still were waiting on shipment. They sent me some emails of communications and one of the customers called Jaap reached out to me to explain that while he paid for his MSI card in January (3399 euros same as Ben) – he had not yet received it, after being told he would get it in February.

So far this doesn't seem like much of a story update, however this is when it gets interesting.

Jaap also sent me screenshots of the card being sold on the uwgamespecialist.nl website in March – showing stock available now of the exact same MSI RTX 5090 32G Suprim SOC at a much higher price of 3999 euros.

Both Ben and Jaap have subsequent order numbers of #8004 and #8005 and while Ben said uwgamespecialist.nl emailed him yesterday to say his card would be shipping soon, Jaap has had no email. We have other customers claiming their cards have not shipped yet either even though stock has shown on the company's website at higher prices from time to time.

This raises multiple concerns for me, because while I appreciate that an etailer wants to make as much money as possible, is it ethical to take customers money at 3399 euros, make them wait for an indefinite period of time, get stock available of the exact same card, and then sell it to someone else for 3999 euros? Should the customers who paid 3399 euros in January not get the cards first?

Of course they should.

Is this etailer telling customers that the cards they ordered are showing in stock but they have to be ‘recalled as a fire hazard' because they are selling them to other people?

We wonder if this is becoming a more common practise now with etailers, but we hope this issue is isolated. I would advise any reader seeing this story to keep tabs on the website of the etailer if you are waiting for an ‘in demand' product such as an RTX 5090. If you see it in stock at a higher price while your card has not shipped then you need to take action. Take a screenshot with a time stamp in the image and save it. Contact the etailer and issue a complaint, keep all the emails and if you run into issues, then let me know. These kind of shady practices need to stop.

We would hate to think that taking money from a customer for an in-stock product and withholding it to sell at a higher price is a common practise, but it has certainly raised some concerns for us recently. While this kind of practise is likely not just related to RTX 50 graphics cards, we have a lot of correspondence from readers highlighting that this seems to be a specific problem right now. Likely due to the margins.

If you are in the Netherlands it might be worth checking out customer feedback for uwgamespecialist.nl on this page.

MSI have been quick to distance themselves from this etailer and sent us a public statement over HERE

KitGuru says: Are you waiting on a graphics card for a long time now after an etailer has taken your money? If so, be sure to check the website you bought it from to see if the card is back in stock, and at a higher price. if it is, then take action. Stand up for your rights as a consumer. If you run into problems then email me directly – allan(at)kitguru.net

The post Bought an RTX 5090? – be aware of etailer ‘price hiking stock scams’ first appeared on KitGuru.
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MSI denies claim of RTX 5090 Suprim recall

Following on from yesterday's report about a Dutch retailer informing customers of an MSI RTX 5090 recall, MSI has responded, denying that any recall is in progress and sharing a list of authorised resellers.

Here is the statement in full:

“We had the unpleasant surprise of learning on 03/06/2025, through an article on the Kitguru website, that a Dutch retailer—UW GAME SPECIALIST [https://uwgamespecialist.nl/]—allegedly informed a customer that they were unable to fulfill their order because 5 Geforce RTX 5090 32G Suprim SOC from our brand had supposedly been recalled due to a fire hazard. With this statement, we would like to make it clear that these allegations are absolutely false, that no recall program is in progress, and that our products present no such risk. Furthermore, we would like to specify that this retailer is not one of MSI’s partners, and we do not work with them. We reserve the right to initiate legal proceedings against those responsible for these highly defamatory allegations, which harm our brand’s reputation, as well as against anyone contributing to their dissemination”.

Below is a list of authorised MSI resellers offering GPUs throughout the Benelux region:

  • Megekko
  • Azerty
  • Alternate NL
  • Alternate BE
  • SHS
  • CPS
  • PDC
  • Bol
  • Coolblue
  • Copaco

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If you are looking to buy an RTX 5090, make sure you check the list of authorised etailers. Above, you can find the list of MSI's authorised resale partners. 

The post MSI denies claim of RTX 5090 Suprim recall first appeared on KitGuru.
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March’s free Prime Gaming line-up includes Saints Row: The Third and much more

Each month, those who are subscribed to Amazon Prime are able to acquire a wide range of ‘free’ games as part of the company’s Prime Gaming initiative. Over the course of March, subscribers will be able to claim 20 different titles, including but not limited to Mafia II; Saints Row: The Third and Mortal Shell.

Available as a staggered release throughout the month, March’s Prime Gaming offerings range from AAA open world titles to small indies, with the following games being added:

Available Now:

  • Saints Row: The Third Remastered [GOG Code]
  • Mafia II: Definitive Edition [GOG Code]
  • Crime Boss: Rockay City [Epic Games]
  • Naheulbeuk's Dungeon Master [Amazon]

Arriving on the 13th of March:

  • Wall World [Amazon]
  • Syberia: The World Before [GOG Code]
  • Endling — Extinction is Forever [Amazon]
  • Dark Deity: Complete Edition [GOG Code]
  • Beholder 3 [Amazon]

Prime Gaming Saints Row

Available on the 20th:

  • Wolfenstein: The Old Blood [Microsoft Store]
  • Mutazione [GOG Code]
  • Figment 2: Creed Valley[Amazon]
  • Legacy of Kain: Defiance [GOG Code]
  • Mortal Shell [Epic Games]

Dropping on the 27th of March:

  • The Forgotten City [Amazon]
  • Deus Ex: Invisible War [GOG Code]
  • Session: Skate Sim [Epic Games]
  • Let's Build A Zoo [Epic Games]
  • Gamedec — Definitive Edition [GOG Code]
  • The Wisbey Mystery

While it would be preferable that all of the games given away were made available through a single platform, it is still welcome to see Amazon continuing to give subscribers a massive pool of titles to obtain and play every single month.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you subscribed to Amazon Prime? Do you like the current system or would you rather they offer fewer-but-higher-quality games? Let us know down below.

The post March’s free Prime Gaming line-up includes Saints Row: The Third and much more first appeared on KitGuru.
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RoboCop: Rogue City gets standalone expansion ‘Unfinished Business‘

Nacon recently held its Connect showcase where the publisher announced and detailed a ton of titles, both known and unknown quantities. One of the most exciting games to come from the showcase was the unveiling of RoboCop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business; a standalone expansion launching this Summer.

Making the announcement during the Nacon Connect Showcase, RoboCop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business is a standalone expansion for the 2023 cult-hit FPS which is set to introduce a bunch of new additions including weapons; special missions; finishing moves and more.

The aforementioned missions will be of particular interest to long-time fans of the franchise, allowing you to “play as Alex Murphy for the first time in a video game” through “intense flashbacks.”

Neither a price nor release date was given for the expansion, though we do know it will launch sometime this Summer – and given the base game costs
£44.99 the expansion should hopefully be a little bit less.

The description for Unfinished Business reads as follows: “OCP’s latest project, OmniTower, a massive complex built for the residents of Old Detroit has been seized by a group of highly trained mercenaries who shoot first and ask questions… well never.”

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Did you watch the Nacon Connect showcase live? What was your favourite announcement? What aspect of the base game would you like to see them build upon with this standalone expansion? Let us know down below.

The post RoboCop: Rogue City gets standalone expansion ‘Unfinished Business‘ first appeared on KitGuru.
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Last-gen versions of The First Descendant to be delisted in June

The First Descendant launched last year to an influx of players thanks to its free-to-play nature and looter-shooter mechanics. Though the game did receive some criticism for its monetisation methods, publisher Nexon has promised to support the title despite its dwindling player base. Unfortunately for last-gen players however, the updates are set to cease in just a few months.

Making the announcement during their recent developer livestream, the team at Nexon revealed that the PS4 and Xbox One versions of The First Descendant will soon be discontinued.

Following an official in-game notice planned for the 20th of March, come the 19th of June The First Descendant will be delisted from digital storefronts and no longer playable – a fate common to many live-service titles.

The First Descendant last

Of course, The First Descendant isn’t going anywhere yet, with the team claiming that this shake-up is in order to allow for bigger updates with greater scope, saying (as translated by TheGamer):

“Since season 3 is a ‘mega season' update for us, we wanted to focus our development team on increasing player satisfaction.”

While the PS4 and Xbox One have been clinging on for dear life for years now, this particular situation is somewhat odd as it comes less than a year on from the game’s initial release.

At the very least, thanks to cross-save, those who do want to keep playing The First Descendant will be able to pick right back up where they left off on a more modern system.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the announcement? Are you surprised to see it discontinued so soon? Could better updates bring more players back? Let us know your thoughts down below.

The post Last-gen versions of The First Descendant to be delisted in June first appeared on KitGuru.
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Dutch Retailer talks to Kitguru and retracts ‘RTX 5090 recall’ claim

Earlier today, a KitGuru reader reached out to us to let us know about a rather bold claim from a retailer based in the Netherlands. Our reader Ben, who spent €3399 on an MSI RTX 5090 Suprim more than a month ago, was informed by the store that they would not receive their graphics card anytime soon due to a ‘product recall'. Specifically, the claim was made that Nvidia had recalled a number of RTX 5090 graphics cards due to a potential fire hazard. Naturally, this piqued our interest, so we began getting in touch with our industry contacts to find out what was going on – MSI claimed to know nothing about the issue. We also reached out to Nvidia to get a statement.

To be clear, a product recall is a very serious claim and is usually a last resort in response to a very severe safety issue and public announcement is a requirement of any recall, for any product. We were surprised to see the message claiming that a product recall had been issued, as nothing had been announced publicly and our board partners and UK retail contacts had not heard anything about this.

Here is what the retailer email told Ben, their customer, translated from Dutch to English: “Nvidia has recalled a large number of video cards due to various safety issues. We currently have five units of this model in stock, but they all have to be returned due to an increased fire hazard. In this situation, we do not give priority to anyone; all customers are treated equally based on the ranking when pre-ordering or ordering the video cards.”

We got in touch with Jeroen Vukkink, CEO of the retail outlet Your Game Specialist, based in The Netherlands to find out exactly what was going on. When I detailed the email that Ben had received from customer service representative Robbe detailing a ‘fire hazard recall' it appeared that the CEO was not aware of this email and it ‘could not be found in our system'.

Obviously the images above could be faked, but Ben not only sent us the original email he received from uwgamespecialist, but also details of the payment to the company for the graphics card. CEO Jeroen at this stage did confirm that Ben was in fact a customer who did purchase an MSI Geforce RTX 5090 32G Suprim SOC for 3,399.00 euros on the 30th of January 2025. Ben confirmed with us the money was taken from his bank account more than a month ago and showed us images.  This completely validated Ben's side of the story. He still has not received the RTX5090 – as it was claimed 5 in stock were ‘recalled'. What on earth was going on?

After a little back and forth in email Jeroen claimed that ‘is correct that the customer purchased this MSI RTX 5090, and there are no issues with the card. We will further investigate the emails and see what we can find. However, these emails are private, and at this stage, it appears to be a miscommunication.'

Our last email from Kitguru Editor In Chief Allan Campbell, said ‘We will update our story now. However I would consider telling a customer that 5x MSI RTX5090 cards returned due to a fire hazard recall is a little more serious than a simple 'email miscommunication'.

Jeroen ended the email chain stating they would be thoroughly investigating this matter and apologised for the situation. Ben has since emailed us tonight to say he will be getting his MSI RTX5090 next week which seems fortuitous. We asked Ben to let us know if he doesn't receive the card.

As of right now, there is no product recall on RTX 50 graphics cards, and the retail outlet has retracted the claim made by their customer service representative. We can't (legally) speculate on why this happened, but further investigation is taking place according to Jeroen. We will likely not get any update on exactly what happened internally at https://uwgamespecialist.nl/

We should also note that this situation is completely separate to the issue with defective GPUs going out to customers with missing ROPs. It also has nothing to do with earlier reports of RTX 5090 connectors melting due to overloading cables – an issue that so far, has impacted very few RTX 50 GPU buyers.

KitGuru Says: At the end of the day, KitGuru is here to support the enthusiast hardware audience. We would never want to see one of our readers getting ripped off and if we can help by leveraging our own reach – we absolutely will. Be sure to contact our editor in chief allan(at)kitguru.net if you need any help.

The post Dutch Retailer talks to Kitguru and retracts ‘RTX 5090 recall’ claim first appeared on KitGuru.
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Samsung is now prototyping foldable gaming handhelds

Samsung has been showcasing its foldable display technology at events like CES for over a decade, long before the first foldable smartphones hit the market in 2018. Now, Samsung looks to be showcasing a new use for this technology, with a prototype foldable handheld games console. 

What if the Nintendo Switch could fold in half? I'm sure none of you have asked yourself that question but the team at Samsung certainly has. At Mobile World Congress this week, Samsung began showing off its new concept device – the Samsung Flex Gaming.

The Samsung Flex Gaming uses foldable OLED screen, so you can snap it shut to fit into your pocket, and then unfold it for a full picture while gaming. The design honestly reminds me a little of the Gameboy Advance SP, but with the ability to fold out into the size of a standard Gameboy Advance with more convenient controls at the sides.

Whether or not Samsung ever releases this device still remains to be seen. While Samsung doesn't have the biggest presence in the gaming market, its Odyssey gaming monitors have become quite popular in recent years and the company has embarked on a number of mobile gaming initiatives, including a partnership with Microsoft for Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What do you all think of the Samsung Flex Gaming? Would you like to see gaming handhelds evolve into this form factor? 

The post Samsung is now prototyping foldable gaming handhelds first appeared on KitGuru.
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Sony now offers PS5 consoles, controllers and VR headsets on monthly contract

When Microsoft first launched the Xbox Series X/S consoles, it also introduced an option for customers to pay a smartphone-style monthly contract to obtain the console and two years of Game Pass for a monthly fee, rather than buying the console outright. Now, Sony has also adopted this idea for PS5, PS5 Pro, PS VR2, PS Portal and other products. 

On the PS Direct UK website, Sony now offers the option to ‘lease' a console. Depending on the product chosen, the monthly fee could be as low as £6.50 or as high as £20.

PlayStation 5 Pro PS4

Those opting for this can choose between a 12-month, 24-month or 36-month contract. Below you can find the full list of products and the starting monthly price for each:

  • DualSense Wireless Edge Controller – starts at £7.99 per month
  • PlayStation Portal Remote Player – starts at £6.49 per month
  • PS5 Digital Edition console – starts at £10.99 per month
  • PS5 Slim – Starts at £11.99 per month
  • PS5 Digital Edition with Two DualSense controllers – starts at £13.49 per month
  • PlayStation VR2 headset – starts at £18.49 per month
  • PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle – starts at £19.99 per month
  • PlayStation 5 Pro console – starts at £18.95 per month

While Microsoft received some online criticism for doing this back in 2020, it is also worth noting that the leased consoles did sell out pretty quickly. I expect that with Grand Theft Auto 6 coming out this year, PlayStation will see quite a bit of interest for this too.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Obviously, I wouldn't recommend anyone ‘rent' a console, but the option is now there. Console makers have been trying to garner the same level of repeated revenue as smartphones for quite some time, so to see a literal console contract system is not too surprising and could lead to more frequent generational upgrades in line with the graphics card and CPU market. 

The post Sony now offers PS5 consoles, controllers and VR headsets on monthly contract first appeared on KitGuru.
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Gears of War collection leaks via PSN

Recent evidence shows that the PlayStation Store has been updated with a hidden listing for the Gears of War Collection. Typically, these PSN Store backend leaks are legitimate, so it appears that after a decade of appearing in rumours, the Gears Trilogy will finally return in remastered form. 

As reported by Detective Seeds, the Gears of War Collection has now appeared on the PlayStation Store backend, revealing an apparent mid-August release date. The collection will include the three original Gears of War games, giving fans a chance to catch up and relive the story ahead of next year's prequel, Gears of War E-Day, featuring a much younger Marcus Fenix fighting in the first locust invasion, before being popped in a cell, leading directly into the events of the original Gears of War.

According to Jez Corden, fans should not expect multiplayer to be part of this collection. While the Gears of War PvP and Horde modes have always been popular, for this release, Microsoft appears to be focused purely on the campaign and bringing the trilogy to new players who never owned an Xbox 360 or Xbox One console.

With this collection set to arrive later this year, Microsoft will have more time to polish up Gears E-Day for 2026, although some rumours have suggested that the prequel could also potentially arrive this year.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The Gears of War trilogy is incredible and will be well worth playing for anyone who never got to experience it before. Hopefully this collection spruces up the graphics a bit though, rather than just delivering a resolution and frame rate bump. 

The post Gears of War collection leaks via PSN first appeared on KitGuru.
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AMD RX 9070 prices rise to over £600, over £700 for RX 9070 XT models

AMD's RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 graphics cards officially hit store shelves today but it appears that demand is astronomically high. Due to the sheer number of people trying to buy one of these graphics cards, OCUK has had to put a queue system in place just to access the storefront. 

Currently if you go to the OverclockersUK website, you will be placed in a queue due to “high volume of traffic”. For an idea of how high demand is, I've been sat in the queue to get onto the store for around 30 minutes at the time of publishing and my wait time just shot up from two minutes to an hour and 30 minutes – chances are, there'll be no graphics cards left by the time I am able to get onto the store to assess the pricing situation.

Alternatively, you can get straight onto the SCAN UK store and find RX 9070 XT graphics cards available. However, they are all going for well above the £599 MSRP set by AMD. The closest we can find in stock is a Gigabyte RX 9070 XT Gaming GPU at £570, but from there, prices for other models shoot up to £670 and some models are going for more than £700.

We have had better luck on Scan with the standard RX 9070, with several PowerColor listings to be found around the £525 mark, but other models are going for over £600, which puts it well into RX 9070 XT pricing territory. Be sure to double check you are ordering the correct version, as we would hate for any readers to spend £100 over MSRP just to get the standard, non-XT version of this GPU.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Have you been looking to pick up an RX 9070 graphics card today? What do you think of the pricing situation, and have you had any luck placing an order? 

The post AMD RX 9070 prices rise to over £600, over £700 for RX 9070 XT models first appeared on KitGuru.
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UPDATED: Retailer claims Nvidia is recalling ‘large number’ of RTX 5090 graphics cards

UPDATE: Your Game Specialist has retracted the claim that Nvidia has issued an RTX 5090 recall. The customer who was told that they could not receive their graphics card due to the recall is now getting their unit next week and the retail outlet is conducting an internal investigation. The new story can be found HERE

UPDATE 2: MSI has responded, here is their statement in full: 

Here is the statement in full:

“We had the unpleasant surprise of learning on 03/06/2025, through an article on the Kitguru website, that a Dutch retailer—UW GAME SPECIALIST [https://uwgamespecialist.nl/]—allegedly informed a customer that they were unable to fulfill their order because 5 Geforce RTX 5090 32G Suprim SOC from our brand had supposedly been recalled due to a fire hazard. With this statement, we would like to make it clear that these allegations are absolutely false, that no recall program is in progress, and that our products present no such risk. Furthermore, we would like to specify that this retailer is not one of MSI’s partners, and we do not work with them. We reserve the right to initiate legal proceedings against those responsible for these highly defamatory allegations, which harm our brand’s reputation, as well as against anyone contributing to their dissemination”.

Below is a list of authorised MSI resellers offering GPUs throughout the Benelux region:

  • Megekko
  • Azerty
  • Alternate NL
  • Alternate BE
  • SHS
  • CPS
  • PDC
  • Bol
  • Coolblue
  • Copaco

There have already been a few RTX 5090 graphics cards sold only to burn out due to the amount of power going through the 12V-2×6 power connector. When this happened with the first RTX 4090 graphics cards two years ago, the issue was primarily pinned on user error due to the power cable not being pushed all the way in. However, this time around, it may not have anything to do with the user at all, as we have received reports of a recall in direct relation to a potential fire hazard.

Your Game Specialist, a retailer in the Netherlands, has emailed customers stating that “Nvidia has recalled a large number of video cards due to various safety issues”. One of our YouTube channel viewers reached out to us to supply us with a copy of the email along with proof of their RTX 5090 order. This viewer specifically ordered an MSI RTX 5090 Suprim graphics card.

Here is what the retailer email said, translated from Dutch to English: “Nvidia has recalled a large number of video cards due to various safety issues. We currently have five units of this model in stock, but they all have to be returned due to an increased fire hazard. In this situation, we do not give priority to anyone; all customers are treated equally based on the ranking when pre-ordering or ordering the video cards.”

 

 

Based on the email, the recall in question appears to have more to do with fire hazard concerns rather than the other situation currently going around – defective GPUs with missing ROPs, hampering performance by double digit percentage points.

The confusing part to us is, there have been no announcements and nobody we've spoken to has been made aware of any recall plans. We reached out to one of our contacts at MSI, but they did not have any information on the apparent recall. Nvidia has also not made any public announcement about a recall at this stage. In a conversation with a representative for UK retailer SCAN, we learned that there has been no recall announcement for the UK at this point in time. With that in mind, we also have to wonder if Your Game Specialist was mistaken.

We should also note that this situation is completely separate to the issue with defective GPUs going out to customers with missing ROPs. It also has nothing to do with earlier reports of RTX 5090 connectors melting due to overloading cables – an issue that so far, has impacted very few RTX 50 GPU buyers.

KitGuru Says: Have you managed to grab an RTX 50 series graphics card already? Have you faced any issues with yours so far?

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Apple introduces M4-powered Macbook Air

Apple has refreshed its popular MacBook Air lineup, bringing a welcome performance boost, a fresh new colour option, and an improved camera to its ultra-portable laptops. While the overall design remains unchanged, these key updates enhance the MacBook Air's capabilities and appeal.

The most significant upgrade lies under the hood. The new MacBook Air models are now powered by Apple's latest M4 processor, which debuted last year in the iMac and Mac mini. This powerful chip boasts ten CPU cores and eight or ten GPU cores. Apple claims the M4 delivers significant performance gains over the previous M1 models, with up to 1.6 times faster performance in Excel, 2 times faster in iMovie, and 2 times faster in Adobe Photoshop.

Beyond raw performance, the M4 chip also enables enhanced external display support. The new MacBook Air can now drive up to two 6K external monitors at 60Hz, a significant upgrade from its predecessor's single external display support. Adding a touch of style, Apple has introduced a blue colour option for the MacBook Air.

The front-facing camera also gets an upgrade. The new MacBook Air models now feature an improved 12MP camera, also found in the latest MacBook Pro models. Its ultra-wide focal length enables features like Center Stage, which keeps you centered in the frame as you move around, and Desk View, which captures both you and a perspective-corrected view of your desk.

Besides these updates, the 2025 MacBook Air retains its predecessor's sleek design and features, including the display, keyboard and trackpad, RAM and storage options, speakers, and microphone array. The battery has seen a slight increase in capacity, from 52.6Wh to 53.8Wh, but battery life estimates remain unchanged. The updated MacBook Air with the M4 chip is available in 13-inch and 15-inch configurations, starting at £999/$999/€1249 and £1199/$1199/€1549, respectively.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Given their specs and price, the new Air laptops sure look worth considering if you're on the market for a new MacBook.

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  •  

Humble announces upcoming games showcase

While they are known best for bundling a bunch of games into one relatively cheap package, Humble Games has been increasingly stepping into the publishing space over the past many years (despite some controversial lay-offs). Gearing up for its next major event, the Humble Games Showcase has now been announced – set to go live on the 12th of March.

As reported by Gematsu, Humble have announced their next ‘Humble Games Showcase’. Set to go live on the 12th of March at 5PM UK time, the stream will be hosted on YouTube and will include a pre-show featuring the likes of Akupara Games, Alawar, and more.

Following this will be the main event, which according to Humble will include both new and previously-announced games, including:

  • “New reveals from Lost Skies and Monaco 2
  • An exciting new reveal from upcoming 2.5D JRPG Threads of Time
  • Updates from the recently released On Your Tail and Wizard of Legend II
  • A toe-tapping new look at Billie Bust Up
  • Two never-before-seen world premieres
  • And more!”

humble showcase

As mentioned, Humble Games have suffered from a number of controversies in recent months, with the publisher greatly restructuring itself last year due to “challenging economic times for indie game publishing” – leading to a bunch of lay-offs.

While this remains a bit of a stain on the company’s reputation, it will still be interesting to see what the publisher has planned for the upcoming showcase, and what exactly these two surprise world premieres will be.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to the Games Showcase? Which of the announced games are you most excited to see? Let us know down below.

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Goodbye Nvidia, Hello AMD – Leo buys PowerColor RX 9070 XT Red Devil Limited Edition

Nvidia and AMD have launched their new graphics cards and we are all set for gaming in 2025, however there have been some shocks along the way. Naturally we expected Nvidia would soak us for a fortune but who would have predicted that Nvidia RTX 50-series would turn out to be an utter disaster? Or that AMD RX 9070 XT looks good? Wow!

00:00 Start
01:19 Unboxing
03:00 The GPU
03:45 The power connectors
06:20 Reasons why
06:35 Missing ROPS – Nvidia reply
08:15 Decision was made easy for Leo

I was so confident that Nvidia's new GPUs would be great that I placed my order for an RTX 5080 Founders Edition before Jensen took to the CES stage for his keynote address, and by the time he finsihed speaking I knew I had made the correct decision. By contrast AMD mucked things up by delaying their launch of RX 9070 XT and that made me sad.

Once the Nvidia reviews started to flow I had to rethink my position. Nvidia 50-series delivered less performance than I expected, despite the huge power draw, and we had reports of melting 12V 2×6 power connectors and chips that were missing ROPs. In the blink of an eye I cancelled my unfulfilled order – availability of Nvidia graphics sucks, hard – and ordered a PowerColor RX 9070 XT Red Devil 16GB Limited Edition instead.

KitGuru says: Nvidia has run into a series of problems with RTX 50-series while AMD RX 9070 XT looks like a winner

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  •  

“Don’t bet on there being more of Last of Us” claims Neil Druckmann

When The Last of Us released in 2013, it offered a highly emotional and compelling story which managed to stand on its own as a great experience, but also left room for a potential sequel. Of course, a sequel would come in the form of TLOU Part II in 2020. While the team at Naughty Dog have expressed interest in doing a 3rd title, game director Neil Druckmann has now told fans “Don't bet on there being more of Last of Us.”

Ahead of the upcoming Season 2 premiere of HBO’s The Last of Us, game director Neil Druckmann sat down with Variety to discuss all manner of topics.

When asked about “the long-whispered possibility of The Last of Us Part III” Druckmann offered a rather surprising response:

“I was waiting for this question. I guess the only thing I would say is don't bet on there being more of ‘Last of Us.' This could be it.”

Last of Us Druckmann

Just as with the original game, TLOU Part II works well as the end of Joel and Ellie’s story should no more games in the series be made. That said, as we saw with Part II, the world of The Last of Us holds a great deal of potential and so could totally see further entries made if they so desired.

However, with game development taking longer and longer with each passing generation – and Naughty Dog now being able to flex their TLOU muscles with the show, it’s possible that Druckmann and co. feel as though they have done as much as they wish to with The Last of Us for the time being. We will have to wait and see.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What did you think of Part II? Does the game lend itself to more stories in the future? What would you like to see from a potential 3rd TLOU? Let us know down below.

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  •  

Until Dawn Remake studio Ballistic Moon has “effectively closed” according to reports

It seems as though the Until Dawn series is slowly becoming a bit of a cursed IP, with any and all who touch the project suffering from lay-offs. Following the release of the Until Dawn remake last year, Ballistic Moon – the team behind the project – have now reportedly been “effectively closed.”

In a report by known leakers insider-gaming, the publication revealed that Ballistic Moon Studios – the team behind last year’s Until Dawn Remake – are now little more than a skeleton crew, with sources claiming:

“People are sharing bugs they've found in the game to make the team aware but there is no one working on patch support for the game anymore. The studio has effectively closed now.”

According to the sources, all that remains from Ballistic Moon are the studio founders and “possibly” a handful of employees “at most.”

Until Dawn Ballistic Moon

In terms of why things panned out the way they have, the studio was said to have been pitching projects while looking for funding – but unfortunately nothing managed to stick.

Given the fact that the Until Dawn remake was the first project from Ballistic Moon (a studio founded by ex-Supermassive Games devs), the current state of the studio is unfortunate to see. Hopefully the team are able to build themselves back up (though given the volatility of the industry this seems unlikely).

KitGuru says: Are you surprised by the news? Did you have high hopes for Ballistic Moon? Is the Until Dawn IP dead and buried at this point, or can the upcoming film save it? Let us know down below.

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  •  

Denuvo DRM removed from Final Fantasy XVI

DRM is the bane of many PC players, with DENUVO being the most famous (or infamous). While almost all games with DRM eventually get cracked by fans, developers have begun taking it into their own hands, patching the DRM out soon after launch. While it took a bit longer than usual, Square Enix has now removed Denuvo from a number of its games – including Final Fantasy XVI.

As discovered by ResetEra user ‘nsilvias’ the Steamdb pages for both Final Fantasy XVI and Visions of Mana have been updated highlighting the removal of Denuvo from both titles.

Based on the timing of its removal, it appears as though the publisher had a 6 months deal with Denuvo, and so now following its expiration the controversial software has been removed.

Final Fantasy DRM

For the uninitiated, major video game releases are typically front loaded sales-wise, with a large portion of the game’s revenue being amassed from pre-orders and day-one sales – leading publishers to feel as though they need to protect these early sales through the likes of DENUVO.

DENUVO in particular has historically been the cause of many issues, both performance and graphics related and so its removal only serves to benefit the gaming experience overall.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you that bothered by DRM? What about Denuvo specifically? If DRM must be implemented, how many months do you think strikes the right balance? Let us know down below.

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Sega crowned as Metacritic’s best publisher of 2024

While Capcom was crowned as the best publisher in 2023 thanks to its high-ranking game releases, another Japanese publisher usurped them in 2024. Metacritic has now revealed that Sega was the highest-rated publisher of 2024. 

Sega released several projects in 2024. It kicked off the year strong with the release of Persona 3 Reload and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, a fantastic sequel to Yakuza 7 that further reinvented the franchise by taking our core group of characters to new parts of the world. Sega had another hit on its hands over the summer with the multiplatform release of Shin Megami Tensei V, which had previously only been available on Nintendo Switch. Sega's best game of 2024 was a brand new IP from Atlus – Metaphor: ReFantazio, which won a number of awards for its story and gameplay.

Metacritic takes the average metascore for each publisher's games, then factors in the percentage of good reviews versus bad reviews to calculate which publisher fared best each year. Sega ended up scoring 325.5 points based on this system, catipulting it from 9th place in 2023 to 1st place in 2024.

Capcom almost repeated as Metacritic's best publisher. After winning the award in 2023, the publisher went on to score 323 points in 2024, putting it just shy of Sega's total. This year also saw Microsoft rising through the ranks, achieving 9th place with 301 points.

KitGuru Says: Sega certainly released some great games last year, but for me, Square Enix was the best of 2024, in large part thanks to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, as well as the excellent PC version of Final Fantasy 16, which is a personal favourite of mine. 

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Bungie is preparing for imminent Marathon launch announcement

Bungie had to scale back pretty heavily on Destiny 2 content last year following the release of The Final Shape. This happened, in large part, due to the need for additional resources to get their next game ready – Marathon. Following multiple delays, Bungie appears to finally be set for a big launch in the coming months. 

The Steam backend has been updated, showing that Bungie is making behind-the-scenes changes to the Marathon store page. The new changes include extra ‘game editions', as well as pre-order bonuses. One of those free pre-order bonuses is exactly what you would expect – a set of Marathon-themed skins for Destiny 2. While the two games are not connected, Bungie looks to be planning on leveraging its multiple IPs to cross-promote each game. With that in mind, we wouldn't be surprised to see some type of promotional event for the game within Destiny 2 as well.

According to industry insider, Jeff Grubb, Bungie is going to announce Marathon details in April, during its own event, separate to Sony's State of Play streams for PlayStation first-party games. This would be in line with Bungie's usual schedule, as the company often makes announcements in April and August, with smaller updates from the studio sprinkled in-between.

Marathon is a PvP focused shooter with extraction-based gameplay, pitting teams of three players against each other to gather loot and get out of the zone alive. The game is set to release for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

KitGuru Says: Given how little Bungie has done with Destiny's PvP mode, I do wonder how many fans are going to be willing to pay more money to finally get a decent PvP experience. 

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Assassin’s Creed Shadows pre-load details announced – game unlocks early on Ubisoft Connect

Ubisoft has a lot riding on the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows later this month. Ahead of the March 20th launch day, the publisher has now announced details on pre-loading, as well as global unlock times for digital copies of the game across PC, PS5 and Xbox. 

Following on from two delays, Assassin's Creed Shadows is due to launch on the 20th of March. While fans have been asking for an Assassin's Creed game set in Japan for decades, much of the discussion around the game pre-release has been negative. This launch day will tell us whether or not that was a vocal minority, or if fans are, by large, done with Ubisoft.

It wouldn't be unprecedented to see this game do incredibly well despite the negativity online. After all, there was also a lot of negativity surrounding Hogwarts Legacy prior to that game's launch, but ultimately, that game went on to be the best-selling game of the year.

Those who have pre-ordered Assassin's Creed Shadows can begin pre-loading on March 4th for Xbox, March 17th for PC and March 18th of PS5. The game will unlock early for those on Ubisoft Connect, with the game becoming available at 10PM GMT on March 19th, those buying the game on Steam will have to wait several hours longer, with the game set to unlock at 4AM GMT on March 20th. On consoles, the game will unlock at midnight local time.

Assassin's Creed Shadows releases on March 20th for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

KitGuru Says: I have a feeling that this game is going to review better than expected and ultimately do well enough to keep Ubisoft afloat for a bit longer. 

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  •  

Gears of War E-Day tipped for 2026 launch for Xbox, PC and PS5

It has been almost six years since the release of Gears 5, leaving fans with a lengthy wait for the next entry in Microsoft's famed third-person shooter franchise. While initially announced for 2025, it is now being reported that Gears E-Day will now be coming in 2026. 

According to reliable leaker eXtas1s, Gears of War E-Day is now targeting a 2026 launch date. This lines up with another recent delay from Xbox, with the company confirming that Fable is also now releasing in 2026.

According to the source, this delay also lines the game up to release day-one on PS5, alongside PC and Xbox. Fable is also rumoured to be releasing day-one on PS5 now, following its delay to 2026. There is no word on a version for the Nintendo Switch 2 and it is unclear if any Microsoft studios have development kits for Nintendo's next console.

It is also suggested that the long-rumoured Gears of War Collection, packaging together the original trilogy, plus Gears of War Judgement, is due out this year. However, we've been hearing that for about a decade now, so I wouldn't hold my breath for that one.

KitGuru Says: Gears of War E-Day was a great surprise when it was announced last year. Given how packed this year is about to be, in no small part thanks to the impending release of GTA 6, I wouldn't be surprised to see more Xbox titles being pushed to 2026 to give them a better chance of making a big splash. 

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Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra reportedly targeting December release window

Former Uncharted writer and director, Amy Hennig, has been working away on a new Marvel game for quite some time. Her new studio at Skydance revealed more details about Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra last year, including a 2025 release window. Unfortunately, the game is going to arrive much later than anticipated and is likely to be delayed due to its proximity to Grand Theft Auto 6. 

Marvel, DC and Star Wars-focused news outlet, The Direct, spoke with Khary Payton, one of the voice actors involved in the project, revealing that the studio is planning on a Christmas-time release, meaning we are unlikely to get our hands on the game until December. Typically when games target a release that late in the year, it means that a delay is also being considered. However, the situation might not be that simple in 2025 due to one large elephant in the room.

Few studios have announced their planned release dates this year due to the looming threat of Grand Theft Auto 6, a game that is expected to break sales records and actively take sales away from other popular franchises. It is one of the reasons Microsoft recently delayed Fable from 2025 to 2026, and it is rumoured that Gears of War: E-Day has suffered a similar fate.

In an interview published in December last year, Marvel 1943 director, Amy Hennig, confirmed a few story details about the game, which is set to feature a young Captain America, and a Black Panther looking to shield Wakanda from the effects of World War 2.

KitGuru Says: If this release window is accurate, then I do expect a delay for this game. It would have to be out months before GTA 6 to avoid the impact that game is going to have on the market. A 2026 release date several months later could serve them better, particularly if you factor in the rise in current-gen console sales that is likely to take place alongside the launch of GTA 6. 

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Battlefield Labs playtests begin this week

A few weeks ago, EA officially announced Battlefield Labs, a new testing program intended to show more transparency on plans for future Battlefield titles and allow developers to gather feedback much earlier in the development process. Thousands of fans have already signed up to participate and now, the first playtest is ready to begin. 

According to Insider Gaming, the first Battlefield Labs playtest is set to begin this Friday (March 7th). However, you'll have a very limited time window to get in on the action, as the first test is reportedly planned to last just two hours, and it will only be playable on PC, which is common for alpha-phase playtesting.

EA previously called Battlefield Labs its “most ambitious community development collaboration ever”, but we'll have to wait and see how frequently these playtests appear. One two-hour session a month – on a weekday no less, likely isn't going to garner the level of feedback required to really get a finger on the pulse of what fans are looking for.

The next Battlefield game is expected to release later this year, so we would anticipate many more Battlefield Labs playtests to pick up steam in the months ahead.

KitGuru Says: Did any of you sign up for Battlefield Labs? Were you invited to this week's playtest? 

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  •  

Nacon launches new RIG 900 Max HS wireless headset for PlayStation 5 users

Nacon has unveiled its latest wireless gaming headset: the RIG 900 Max HS, officially licensed for PlayStation 5. This headset boasts dual-mode wireless connectivity and promises exceptional audio quality and a comfortable, lightweight design, making it an ideal choice for gamers seeking a premium gaming audio experience when playing on PlayStation 5 consoles.

The 900 Max HS offers the best of both worlds regarding wireless connectivity. Its low-latency 2.4GHz wireless connection, via a dedicated base station or USB adapter, ensures low latency, while Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity offers seamless compatibility with mobile devices and other Bluetooth-enabled platforms.

This headset has high-sensitivity 40mm drivers, providing enhanced bass and exceptional clarity. A tuned acoustic chamber refines the audio experience, reducing listening fatigue during extended gaming sessions. The headset also features a chat-optimised omnidirectional microphone with noise-canceling technology, ensuring clear communication with teammates and friends. A convenient flip-to-mute function allows for quick and easy muting without interrupting gameplay.

Comfort was also considered when designing the 900 Max HS, which is crafted with reinforced steel for durability and features a lightweight and flexible design, weighing just 290 grams. Snap-Fit earcups with breathable fabric and a sling headband provide exceptional comfort for all-day gaming sessions. Battery life is equally impressive, offering up to 50 hours of playtime on a 2.4GHz connection and up to 60 hours via Bluetooth. To recharge the headset, simply dock it on the included base station.

While officially licensed for PlayStation 5, the 900 Max HS offers broad compatibility. The included USB-A 2.4GHz wireless adapter extends its reach to a PC, while Bluetooth connectivity enables pairing with mobile phones and portable gaming devices. To further personalise your audio experience, the 900 Max HS offers advanced customisation options via the 900 Max Navigator app for iOS and Android devices, including equaliser profiles (preset and custom). The RIG 900 Max HS is available now for €249.90/$249.90

KitGuru says: If you were in the market for a wireless headset that worked with PlayStation 5 consoles, would you consider Nacon's new RIG 900 Max HS?

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AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT to come with 16GB and 8GB memory configs

AMD seems to be mirroring Nvidia's strategies in the mid-range segment. Following recent leaks suggesting that Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5060 Ti will launch with both 16GB and 8GB memory options, a new EEC (Eurasian Economic Commission) filing hints that AMD might be taking a similar approach with its Radeon RX 9060 series.

Acer's filing (via @harukaze5719) lists a range of AMD and Intel GPUs, including the upcoming RX 9070 XT and RX 9070. However, the most intriguing entry is the unexpected appearance of the RX 9060 XT, which, unlike its higher-tier siblings, has yet to be officially confirmed. The filing reveals that the RX 9060 XT will also be available in two memory configurations: 16GB and 8GB, both using GDDR6 memory.

This mirrors Nvidia's rumoured approach with the RTX 5060 Ti, which is expected to offer 16 GB GDDR7 and 8 GB GDDR6 variants. Considering the rumoured memory capacities of both RTX 5060 Ti and RX 9060 XT cards, there's a good chance both series will also use the same bus width (128-bit) for their respective mid-range offerings.

The EEC filing also reveals a broader range of upcoming AMD GPUs, including models from the Bifrost Predator, Nitro, and unnamed series. These additional models are likely intended for OEM pre-built systems.

While the specific GPU powering the RX 9060 XT remains unconfirmed, it's likely to be either a cut-down Navi 48 (the same GPU used in the RX 9070) with a 128-bit memory bus or, more likely, the smaller Navi 44 GPU, also featuring a 128-bit memory bus. AMD has previously stated that the Radeon RX 9060 series will launch sometime in Q2 2025, with rumors suggesting an April release, coinciding with the expected launch of Nvidia's RTX 5060 series.

KitGuru says: How do you think the Radeon RX 9060 XT cards will compare against the RTX 5060 Ti models?

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  •  

Nvidia states RTX 5070 Founders Edition cards won’t be available at launch

In a surprising turn of events, Nvidia has announced a last-minute delay for the Founders Edition of its GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card. While the RTX 5070 is still scheduled to launch today, the Founders Edition model will not be available until later this month.

This news, initially reported by Andreas Schilling, comes as a disappointment to those hoping to snag Nvidia's version of the card. The company has confirmed that the delay affects the Founders Edition worldwide.

While this delay doesn't mean the RTX 5070 launch is entirely canceled, it does raise concerns about overall availability. Custom models from board partners will still be released today, but recent reports suggest that stock levels might be lower than anticipated.

This delay creates an interesting opportunity for AMD, whose Radeon RX 9070 series is right around the corner. Early indications suggest that AMD has secured healthy stock levels for its latest GPUs, potentially giving it an advantage in this segment while Nvidia grapples with supply constraints.

KitGuru says: Were you planning on getting an RTX 5070 Founders Edition graphics card at launch? Without that possibility, will you wait for the Founders Edition cards to come in stock, go for an AIB partner card, or move on to another alternative?

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Sony cancels more live service projects and lets go of more PlayStation staff

2024 didn't exactly go to plan for many teams across the PlayStation Studios business. Many ‘live service' games have now been cancelled, two studios have closed entirely and on top of that, there have been multiple waves of lay-offs. Unfortunately, things aren't quite turning around in 2025 just yet, as more lay-offs have been announced. 

Sony is undergoing a restructuring effort across its US-based studios. As part of this, employees at Sony's Visual Arts studio in San Diego have now been let go. This follows a series of cancellations in recent weeks.

As reported by Eurogamer, the cuts have something to do with the recent cancellation of the next game from Days Gone developer, Bend Studios. Additionally, Sony had Bluepoint working on a live-service game set in the God of War universe, which has also been cancelled.

Under previous head, Jim Ryan, PlayStation spent billions embarking on a mission to reinvent its studios as live service teams. At one point, Sony had more than a dozen live service games in development at first party studios. Now just a few years later, the vast majority of those projects have been cancelled, with Sony scaling back its live service ambitions.

KitGuru Says: Jim Ryan really made a mess of things with the acquisition of Bungie and the big push towards live service. We're now at a point where even mentioning the term leads to bad PR for your game, as we saw with the announcement and eventual failed launch of Concord. 

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  •  

Intel expands Core Ultra 200 line-up and launches Assured Supply Chain program

Today, at MWC 2025, Intel unveiled its new lineup of Intel Core Ultra 200U, 200H, 200HX and 200S series processors, alongside the Intel Core Ultra 200V series. This expanded portfolio is aimed at ‘AI PCs' and businesses looking to improve compute performance, efficiency and manageability across desktop and mobile form factors. 

Speaking on the launch, Intel Client Computing Group VP, David Feng, said: “2025 is a pivotal year for PC refresh, and with Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) processors, we’re delivering the most advanced commercial systems to date. Our AI PC processors cater to every form factor – from thin-and-light productivity devices to high-performance workstations – all backed by Intel vPro, which sets the industry standard in business computing with unmatched manageability and security.”

Compared with a four-year-old Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor, the new Intel Core Ultra 7 265H processor delivers up to 2.84x higher multicore performance in Cinebench 2024, up to 1.39x faster performance in Procyon office productivity tests and up to 1.97x faster video editing performance in Procyon tests.

Targeting the business sector, these processors use Intel vPro, which is built to provide advanced fleet provisioning and additional security.

Intel also introduced the Intel Assured Supply Chain (ASC) program, designed to provide customers with greater visibility and assurance in the silicon manufacturing process. This specialized client system-on-chip (SoC) solution, initially offered on select Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) mobile and desktop SKUs, ensures a digitally attestable chain of custody for each chip, leveraging a dedicated manufacturing pathway through specific production facilities. This added layer of transparency assures customers of the integrity and reliability of their silicon supply chain.

KitGuru Says: Intel Core Ultra 200 had a bit of a disastrous launch on desktop last year, but things have been fixed up at this stage and now, the rollout of additional chips is ready to kick off. Intel's future in the semiconductor segment is also starting to look up, as major tech companies have reportedly begun testing the Intel 18A process technology.

KitGuru Says: Intel's 2024 did not go to plan but perhaps things will turn around in 2025 now that Intel Foundry Services is beginning to get off the ground. 

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Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 launches at £539

Nvidia continues its rollout of RTX 50 series graphics cards today with the RTX 5070. While this card is decidedly an unambitious product, it can still serve a purpose on the market, particularly for those with an older RTX 20 series GPU, or a lower tier RTX 30 series GPU. We've rounded up details on UK pricing and availability, with a focus on GPUs targeting Nvidia's £539 MRSP price point. 

The RTX 5070 is launching at an MSRP price point of £539. Typically, we see very few GPUs actually meeting this price point, as we saw recently with the launch of the RTX 5070 Ti. There are a few more MSRP options available for the RTX 5070 at launch, coming from the likes of MSI, Asus, Palit and Zotac.

Over at SCAN, the MSI Ventus 2x OC RTX 5070, the Zotac RTX 5070 Solid, the Palit RTX 5070 Gaming Pro and the Asus RTX 5070 Prime cards can all be found at MSRP. The teams at CCL Online and ebuyer have the Asus RTX 5070 Prime in stock at this price too. Over at Overclockers UK, the Zotax RTX 5070 Solid can be found at MSRP.

What this does mean is that anyone looking for a higher-tier cooler, like the MSI Gaming Trio X, or an Asus Strix graphics card, should expect to pay a bit more, likely in the region of £100 to £200 more. It is also worth noting that we often see MSRP-level cards going up in price after launch depending on how quickly units sell out, so if you aren't ready right now on day-one, there is a chance that prices change by the time you go to make a purchase. With no RTX 5070 Founders Edition available on day-one either, board partners could use this opportunity to improve margins. We will assess the pricing situation further in future reviews over the course of the year.

KitGuru Says: Are you planning on picking up an RTX 5070? Are you happy with this card's starting price, or do you think it should go down a bit further considering its performance versus the previous-gen RTX 4070 Super? 

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AMD RX 9070 XT Review ft. ASRock

Officially announced – at long last! – in a livestreamed event last week, AMD's RDNA 4 architecture is here with the RX 9070 XT leading the charge. Landing with a $599 MSRP, this GPU is firmly targeting Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti, with AMD promising compelling rasterisation performance alongside huge improvements to ray tracing. FSR 4 also touts significant image quality improvements thanks to its new ML-powered algorithm, so on paper AMD looks to have ticked all the boxes. But how does that translate into the real world experience? We find out today…

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:41 Recap and spec overview
01:48 Test setup
03:02 Alan Wake 2
03:41 Black Myth: Wukong
04:11 Cyberpunk 2077
04:14 Final Fantasy XVI
05:14 Forza Horizon 5
05:47 Ghost of Tsushima
06:21 Horizon Forbidden West
06:54 The Last of Us Part 1
07:20 Plague Tale: Requiem
07:42 Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
08:09 Starfield
08:36 Total War: Warhammer III
08:55 12-game average results
10:57 Cost per frame analysis
11:55 RT Alan Wake II
12:28 RT Black Myth: Wukong
12:57 RT Cyberpunk 2077
13:19 RT F1 24
13:40 RT Ratchet & Clank
14:00 RT Returnal
14:12 RT Shadow of the Tomb Raider
14:23 RT Star Wars Outlaws
14:43 RT 8-game average
15:18 FSR 4 analysis
18:56 Meet the Sapphire Pulse & ASRock Taichi
20:19 Thermals and acoustics
21:24 Power draw and efficiency
23:18 Closing thoughts

In lieu of an official AMD reference (or MBA) card, today we are using the ASRock RX 9070 XT Taichi for our testing. This card does come factory overclocked when using the default Gaming BIOS, but I did all my testing with the Quiet BIOS that runs at reference specifications.

It's also worth noting that while this is a standalone review for the RX 9070 XT, we do have a day one review for the RX 9070 (non-XT), and you can find that HERE.

RX 9070 XT RX 9070 RX 7900 GRE RX 7800 XT RX 7700 XT
Architecture RDNA 4 RDNA 4 RDNA 3 RDNA 3 RDNA 3
Manufacturing Process TSMC N4 TSMC N4 TSMC N5 GCD + N6 MCD TSMC N5 GCD + N6 MCD TSMC N5 GCD + N6 MCD
Transistor Count 53.9 billion 53.9 billion 57.7 billion 28.1 billion 28.1 billion
Die Size  357 mm² 357 mm² 300 mm² GCD

220 mm² MCD

200 mm² GCD

150 mm² MCD

200 mm² GCD

150 mm² MCD

Compute Units 64 56 80 60 54
Ray Accelerators 64 56 80 60 54
Stream Processors  4096 3584 5120 3840 3456
Game GPU Clock 2400 MHz 2070 MHz 1880 MHz 2124 MHz 2171 MHz
Boost GPU Clock Up to 2970 MHz Up to 2520 MHz Up to 2245 MHz Up to 2430 MHz Up to 2544 MHz
ROPs 128 128 192 96 96
AMD Infinity Cache 64MB 64MB 64MB 64MB 48MB
Memory 16GB GDDR6 16GB GDDR6 16GB GDDR6 16GB GDDR6 12GB GDDR6
Memory Data Rate 20 Gbps 20 Gbps 18 Gbps 19.5 Gbps 18 Gbps
Memory Bandwidth 645 GB/s 645 GB/s 576 GB/s 624 GB/s 432 GB/s
Memory Interface  256-bit 256-bit 256-bit 256-bit 192-bit
Board Power  304W 220W 260 W 263W 245W

First, let's take a quick look at the specs. The RX 9070 XT is built on the new Navi 48 die, measuring 357mm², and it's worth pointing out this is a monolithic chip, so AMD is not using a chiplet-based design as per RDNA 3. In total, Navi 48 silicon packs in 53.9 billion transistors.

As a full implementation of Navi 48, the RX 9070 XT packs in 64 Compute Units, and each CU houses 64 Steam Processors, for a total of 4096 shaders. There's also 64 Ray Accelerators – one per CU – and 128 ROPs.

As for clock speed, the RX 9070 XT runs notably faster than its sibling, the RX 9070, given it sports a rated game clock of 2400MHz and a boost clock of up to 2970MHz.

The memory configuration is the same between both GPUs though, with 16GB of GDDR6 memory clocked at 20Gbps, operating over a 256-bit memory interface, for total memory bandwidth of 645 GB/s. 64MB of Infinity Cache is also present.

Power draw for the RX 9070 XT rated at 304W Total Board Power (TBP), but we are using our updated GPU power testing methodology in this review, so read on for our most detailed power and efficiency testing yet.

The post AMD RX 9070 XT Review ft. ASRock first appeared on KitGuru.
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AMD RX 9070 Review ft. Sapphire

Launching alongside the RX 9070 XT, today we also have a full review of the slightly cheaper RX 9070 (non-XT). This cut-down Navi 48 GPU targets a $549 MSRP and, as such, is going head-to-head with Nvidia's RTX 5070 which we reviewed only yesterday. But with just a $50 gap between the RX 9070 and the XT model, does AMD's own product positioning make sense? All that and more is explored in this analysis.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:41 Recap and spec overview
01:48 Test setup
03:02 Alan Wake 2
03:41 Black Myth: Wukong
04:11 Cyberpunk 2077
04:14 Final Fantasy XVI
05:14 Forza Horizon 5
05:47 Ghost of Tsushima
06:21 Horizon Forbidden West
06:54 The Last of Us Part 1
07:20 Plague Tale: Requiem
07:42 Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
08:09 Starfield
08:36 Total War: Warhammer III
08:55 12-game average results
10:57 Cost per frame analysis
11:55 RT Alan Wake II
12:28 RT Black Myth: Wukong
12:57 RT Cyberpunk 2077
13:19 RT F1 24
13:40 RT Ratchet & Clank
14:00 RT Returnal
14:12 RT Shadow of the Tomb Raider
14:23 RT Star Wars Outlaws
14:43 RT 8-game average
15:18 FSR 4 analysis
18:56 Meet the Sapphire Pulse & ASRock Taichi
20:19 Thermals and acoustics
21:24 Power draw and efficiency
23:18 Closing thoughts

In lieu of an official AMD reference (or MBA) card, today we are using the Sapphire RX 9070 Pulse for our testing. This card still comes at reference specifications, however, while there's a range of factory overclocked models set to launch at retail tomorrow.

It's also worth noting that while this is a standalone review for the RX 9070, we do have a day one review for the RX 9070 XT, and you can find that HERE.

RX 9070 XT RX 9070 RX 7900 GRE RX 7800 XT RX 7700 XT
Architecture RDNA 4 RDNA 4 RDNA 3 RDNA 3 RDNA 3
Manufacturing Process TSMC N4 TSMC N4 TSMC N5 GCD + N6 MCD TSMC N5 GCD + N6 MCD TSMC N5 GCD + N6 MCD
Transistor Count 53.9 billion 53.9 billion 57.7 billion 28.1 billion 28.1 billion
Die Size  357 mm² 357 mm² 300 mm² GCD

220 mm² MCD

200 mm² GCD

150 mm² MCD

200 mm² GCD

150 mm² MCD

Compute Units 64 56 80 60 54
Ray Accelerators 64 56 80 60 54
Stream Processors  4096 3584 5120 3840 3456
Game GPU Clock 2400 MHz 2070 MHz 1880 MHz 2124 MHz 2171 MHz
Boost GPU Clock Up to 2970 MHz Up to 2520 MHz Up to 2245 MHz Up to 2430 MHz Up to 2544 MHz
ROPs 128 128 192 96 96
AMD Infinity Cache 64MB 64MB 64MB 64MB 48MB
Memory 16GB GDDR6 16GB GDDR6 16GB GDDR6 16GB GDDR6 12GB GDDR6
Memory Data Rate 20 Gbps 20 Gbps 18 Gbps 19.5 Gbps 18 Gbps
Memory Bandwidth 645 GB/s 645 GB/s 576 GB/s 624 GB/s 432 GB/s
Memory Interface  256-bit 256-bit 256-bit 256-bit 192-bit
Board Power  304W 220W 260 W 263W 245W

First, let's take a quick look at the specs. The RX 9070 is built on the new Navi 48 die, measuring 357mm², and it's worth pointing out this is a monolithic chip, so AMD is not using a chiplet-based design as per RDNA 3. In total, Navi 48 silicon packs in 53.9 billion transistors.

While a full Navi 48 GPU packs in 64 Compute Units, the 9070 is cut down to 56 CUs, and each CU houses 64 Steam Processors, for a total of 3584 shaders. There's also 56 Ray Accelerators – one per CU – and 128 ROPs.

As for clock speed, the RX 9070 runs notably slower than its sibling, the RX 9070 XT, and instead it sports a rated game clock of 2070MHz and a boost clock of up to 2520MHz.

The memory configuration is the same between both GPUs though, with 16GB of GDDR6 memory clocked at 20Gbps, operating over a 256-bit memory interface, for total memory bandwidth of 645 GB/s. 64MB of Infinity Cache is also present.

Power draw for the RX 9070 rated at 220W Total Board Power (TBP), but we are using our updated GPU power testing methodology in this review, so read on for our most detailed power and efficiency testing yet.

The post AMD RX 9070 Review ft. Sapphire first appeared on KitGuru.
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March’s Humble Choice line-up available now

Each month, all those with a Humble subscription are privy to a select number of titles for ‘free’ as part of the company’s Humble Choice service. For the month of March, subscribers can get their hands on a bunch of interesting titles, including Pacific Drive and Tales of Kenzera: Zau.

Costing £8.99 a month and available to add to your library from now until early April, this month’s Humble Choice line-up features the following:

  • Pacific Drive
  • Homeworld 3
  • Wild Hearts
  • Tales of Kenzera: Zau
  • Gravity Circuit
  • Sir Whoopass
  • Racine
  • Cavern of Dreams

Tales of Kenzera Humble Choice

While a solid selection of games, it’s worth noting that both Wild Hearts and Tales of Kenzera: Zau are claimed through EA’s Origin app as opposed to Steam. That said, Tales of Kenzera is a fun and slick metroidvania and so it could be worth booting up EA’s (unnecessary) launcher.

Beyond this, Pacific Drive is a unique car-based rogue-lite which sees you navigating strange terrain to uncover the secrets of the region, all the while slowly but surely upgrading your car with new parts that you find across the map.

As always, a small portion of the profits will go towards a charity, with this month’s supporting Care.org: “A long running charity that saves lives and helps millions of people find the way to a better life worldwide.”

KitGuru says: What do you think of this month’s offerings? Are you bothered by the Origin keys? What’s your favourite metroidvania from the past couple years? Let us know down below.

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Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 officially announced

Over the past month we’ve heard an increasing number of leaks and rumours hinting at the return of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series with THPS 3+4. Following a teaser from Activision, the publisher has now officially announced and dated Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 – coming this July.

Making the announcement, the team wrote: “Get hyped for the legendary franchise to return with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4. Everything you loved is back, but revamped with more skaters, new parks, gnarlier tricks, eardrum shattering music, plus a whole lot more.”

Launching on the 11th of July, this remake is being developed by Iron Galaxy studios, known for their work on a bunch of ports, including the PC version of THPS 1+2. Unfortunately however, this does mean that the team behind the original THPS 1+2 – Vicarious Visions – are not involved in this project.

Coming to PlayStation 4/5; Xbox One/Series, PC and the Switch (alongside Game Pass Ultimate), Pro Skater 3+4 will cost £39.99 for the standard cross-gen version, with the Deluxe Edition upping the price to £59.99 while netting you 3 days of early access’ a bunch of bonus skins’ and even a Doom Slayer skater option.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 was an excellent remake of these classic titles, and so hopefully THPS 3+4 is able to match its quality.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4? What’s your favourite game in the series? Would you welcome a brand new Tony Hawk game at some point? Let us know down below.

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Sony announces new PlayStation Beta Program

For years, PlayStation users have been able to participate in various software betas for their consoles, letting you gain access to new and upcoming features ahead of time. In an effort to greatly expand this service, Sony has now announced a new and revamped PlayStation beta program.

Making the announcement on the PlayStation Blog, Sid Shuman, the Senior Director for SIE Content Communications wrote:

“I’m pleased to introduce the Beta Program at PlayStation initiative. It’s an easier, more consolidated way for gamers to sign up to participate in future PlayStation betas across a wide range of PlayStation experiences.”

Shuman continued, “The Beta Program at PlayStation will create an easy, centralized place for you to register your interest in a range of future PlayStation betas. A single registration for Beta Program at PlayStation will allow you to express interest in gaining beta access to test participating games for the PS5 console and PC, new PS5 console features, PlayStation App features, and even user experience features on PlayStation.com.”

PlayStation Beta Program

As mentioned, this is far from the first time that PlayStation has allowed its users to install beta software, but it does seem as though the console manufacturer is wanting to expand the service greatly to all of PlayStation’s various products.

Joining PlayStation’s betas has always been a bit more complicated than perhaps necessary, and so it is exciting to see the company introduce a whole new and much more streamlined process.

It will be interesting to see what ends up being included in the first beta following this launch.

KitGuru says: What do you think of betas in general? Do you risk stability for the sake of new features? Which of PlayStation’s services need the most work? Let us know down below.

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Split Fiction is the highest rated game of 2025 so far

Split Fiction is the next big game from Josef Fares and Hazelight Studios. Known for their work on co-op focused titles such as A Way Out and It Takes Two, the upcoming Split Fiction appears to be an early game of the year contender if critics are anything to go by – receiving universal acclaim and becoming the highest rated game of 2025 so far.

With a Metacritic score of 91 and an Opencritic rating of 90, Split Fiction is officially the highest rated game of the year so far – just beating out Monster Hunter Wilds and Kingdom Come Deliverance II for the top spot.

Once again, it seems that Hazelight have managed to elevate the co-op space, quickly becoming one of the premiere studios for inventive and new cooperative experiences.

Split fiction 2025

Given its success, it will be interesting to see whether Split Fiction winds up on any Game of the Years lists later on in 2025. While the team’s last title It Takes Two managed to snag the GOTY back in 2021, 2025 could be a much more competitive year, with GTA VI still expected to launch sometime this calendar period.

Regardless, it is exciting and encouraging to see Hazelight continue to succeed in what has become a relatively niche space within the games industry. Hopefully they continue to thrive for years to come.

KitGuru says: Will you be picking up Split Fiction day-one? What’s your favourite game from Josef Fares? What do you predict will be the GOTY nominees for 2025? Let us know down below.

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LM Tek is taking over EK operations with the aim of improving services and customer experience

EK has announced a change in its webshop management. As of yesterday, March 3rd, 2025, LM Tek has taken over the operation of the EK webshop. This transition aims to enhance customer service, streamline operations, and ensure the continued delivery of the high-quality liquid cooling solutions that EK is known for.

This shift in webshop management comes after last year's controversy over EK management issues, including not paying suppliers, employees working overtime, and a lack of communication with third parties and employees. Soon after EK admitted to these issues, the company claimed it had taken steps to fix them. However, it seems that wasn't enough, so LM Tek is now taking over brand operations.

According to the press release issued by EK, this change promises benefits for customers. Product availability will remain a priority, with the webshop continuing to offer uninterrupted access to EK's extensive range of liquid cooling components. Customer accounts and order history will be transferred to LM Tek, and customer support and warranty services will be handled through a unified channel for greater efficiency and convenience.

Existing EK customers will continue receiving email communications the same way. Newsletter subscribers will be asked to reconfirm their subscription to ensure they continue to receive it. EK emphasises that customer privacy and data protection remain top priorities, and users can modify their subscription settings anytime.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Have you ever had any issues buying directly from EK? Will you continue to purchase products from their webshop?

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Nvidia and Broadcom are reportedly testing Intel’s 18A process node

Intel's 18A manufacturing process is gaining traction, with industry giants Nvidia and Broadcom reportedly testing chips using this process node. This news comes as a welcome boost for Intel, which is striving to regain its footing in the competitive semiconductor landscape.

Sources close to the matter have revealed to Reuters that Nvidia and Broadcom are evaluating the capabilities of Intel's 18A process. Intel's 18A is the company's first process node to utilize gate-all-around RibbonFET transistors and a backside power delivery network called PowerVia. While comparable to TSMC's N2 node in transistor density, 18A is projected to offer superior performance due to these two technologies.

It's important to note that Nvidia and Broadcom are not testing full chip designs at this stage but instead evaluating the performance and characteristics of the 18A process itself. This is standard practice in the industry, allowing potential customers to assess the suitability of a fabrication process before committing to full-scale production.

Broadcom's involvement with 18A dates back to September 2024, though initial reports suggested that the tests might not have met expectations. However, these reports remain unconfirmed, and Broadcom has stated that its evaluation is ongoing. Nvidia's interest in Intel's foundry services is also well-documented. CEO Jensen Huang expressed his openness to using Intel-fabricated chips as early as 2022, and test chips were reportedly being evaluated in 2023.

While these developments are encouraging for Intel, challenges remain. Reuters reports that supplier documents have revealed issues with certain unnamed third-party IP providers, potentially causing further delays for some contract manufacturing customers. These delays could push back launch dates for smaller and mid-sized clients to mid-2026. However, Intel maintains that it is on track to begin production of 18A chips in the second half of this year.

Intel has been actively promoting its 18A technology, even launching a dedicated website to showcase its capabilities. The company's Panther Lake CPUs, built on the 18A process, are expected to enter full production in mid-2025.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: This news comes at a critical time for Intel, which is navigating a challenging period marked by financial losses and increased competition in the data center and foundry markets. The success of the 18A process is crucial for Intel's long-term strategy, and securing major clients like Nvidia and Broadcom would be a significant win.

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33 Immortals and five other indie hits join Game Pass this month

Microsoft is kicking off March with a bang by bringing six titles to Game Pass over the next couple of weeks. The big headliner is one of my most anticipated indie games of the year – 33 Immortals. 

33 Immortals featured prominently on my list of indie games to watch out for in 2024. Unfortunately, the title was delayed to 2025, but it is now just a few weeks away. In this game, teams of up to 33 players will embark on massive raids, synergising abilities to take down powerful bosses along the way. The game enters Early Access (Game Preview in Xbox terms), on the 18th of March and will be available day-one to all PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.

Here is the full list of titles heading to Game Pass over the next couple of weeks, including dates and platforms:

  • Monster Train (Cloud, Console and PC) – Available Now
  • Galacticare (Xbox Series X/S – March 5th
  • One Lonely Outpost (Cloud, Console and PC) – March 6th
  • Enter the Gungeon (Cloud, Console and PC) – March 11th
  • Mullet Madjack (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC) – March 13th
  • 33 Immortals (Cloud, Xbox Series X/S and PC) – March 18th

There will be another wave of Xbox Game Pass titles announced in two weeks' time.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Will you be installing any of this month's new Game Pass titles? 

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Activision delays Season 3 content for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

While we were all expecting the next season of Call of Duty to kick off this month, complete with a return to the original Verdansk map for Warzone, Activision is opting to take a bit more time, pushing the new season back to April. 

If you've been keeping up with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2, you may be a tad disappointed to learn that you'll have to wait a bit longer for new content. However, if you are like me and struggle to finish the season pass, you could look at this as more of a blessing, as you'll now have a few extra weeks to earn the rest of the tiers.

Season 03 is a big moment for Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops 6, and we’re taking the time to deliver a great experience starting on April 3.

More to come following Call of Duty: Warzone’s 5th anniversary next week… pic.twitter.com/TmPJnoYBZS

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) March 3, 2025

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 3 is now launching on the 3rd of April. The new season will kick off celebrations for the fifth anniversary of Call of Duty: Warzone, by bringing back the game's original map, Verdansk.

While the return to Verdansk is supposed to be a celebratory event, there is some concern for the future of Warzone. One Call of Duty leaker has claimed that this upcoming season will serve as a test, meaning if player retention doesn't improve, Activision may axe plans for Warzone 3.0 with Call of Duty 2026, which is also supposedly going to be the first COD title for Microsoft's next-gen Xbox console.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Warzone is now a pillar of the COD experience, so I'm not sure I buy the rumour that Activision is looking to axe it. If it were to go, Activision would need to rethink its strategy as not having a free-to-play mode in today's gaming market could be disastrous for the future of the series. 

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