Following years of laying dormant, the Prince of Persia franchise returned in a big way with the releases of both Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and The Rogue Prince of Persia. Just over one year on from the former’s initial release, the much-loved metroidvania (which unfortunately will not be getting a sequel) has been reported to have sold 1.3 million copies.

As noted by Twitter user Timur222, the Associate Marketing Director at Ubisoft ‘Alexandre Guenounou’ recently updated their LinkedIn profile (though has since been removed) with claims that 2024’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown sold over 1.3 million units within its first year.

For the uninitiated, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown launched on the 18th of January to high praise from both critics and fans alike, becoming the second-highest rated entry in the series history.

Unfortunately, despite plenty of free post-launch updates and continued critical success, Ubisoft confirmed that the studio behind the game (Ubisoft Montpellier) was shifted over to work on different projects – seemingly ending future work on The Lost Crown.

Ubisoft is in a weird place right now, and so regardless of whether the game sold 1 million or 1000 copies, things likely wouldn’t have changed too much. Hopefully The Lost Crown sub-series isn’t gone forever.

KitGuru says: What did you think of The Lost Crown? Did it deserve more sales? Would you have liked to see a sequel? Let us know down below.

The post Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown sold 1.3 million copies in its first year first appeared on KitGuru.

Following the conclusion of last year’s Summer Game Fest, event creator Geoff Keighley confirmed that the annual show would return in 2025. True to his word, this year’s SGF has now been officially dated and detailed – set to go live on the 6th of June.

Making the announcement on Twitter, Game Awards and SGF creator Geoff Keighley wrote “Mark your calendar for Friday, June 6 — @SummerGameFest returns to @youtubetheater in LA to showcase what’s next from the entire video game industry.  Streaming live everywhere. Followed by SGF Play Days from @iam8bit for media + Influencers in downtown LA.”

As mentioned, a 2025 edition of Summer Game Fest was already announced in the immediacy following the conclusion of last year’s event. Still, having a concrete date means that studios and publishers can begin to properly formulate their plans for the event, including trailers, vertical gameplay slices and more.

Since 2021, each successive Summer Game Fest has taken place one day earlier than the year prior. Given this, it will be interesting to see whether the event eventually falls back into being a May showcase – as the very first SGF was.

Regardless, while there will never be anything quite like E3 again, Summer Game Fest is a suitable replacement, and so it is nice to have a consistent (somewhat singular) annual video games expo once again.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to this year’s Summer Game Fest? Has it fully replaced E3 in your mind? What one game do you hope will be present at the event? Let us know down below.

The post Summer Game Fest 2025 kicks off on the 6th of June first appeared on KitGuru.

In celebration of the PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, Sony released a bunch of cool throwback themes for the PS5, designed around the PlayStation’s four previous console generations. While intended to be a limited-time feature, the overwhelmingly positive response to the themes has led Sony to announce that they are making it a permanent fixture.

Making the announcement on Twitter, the official PlayStation page wrote: “Thank you for the fantastic response to the classic PlayStation, PS2, PS3, and PS4 limited-time console themes, which will be leaving tomorrow. Due to the positive response on these 4 themes, we’re doing some work behind the scenes to bring these special designs back in the months ahead.”

It is worth noting that these will be the only themes coming to PS5, with the company making sure to clarify that “while there aren’t plans to create additional themes in the future, we're excited to keep celebrating legacy PlayStation hardware with you all.”

While the anniversary themes were a welcome surprise, they were clearly intended to be time-limited – if nothing else due to the somewhat janky nature of a couple of them.

That said, they were incredibly cool to have, and so hopefully when they do return on a more permanent basis, a few extra surprises are included.

KitGuru says: What did you think of the anniversary themes? Which was your favourite? How would you like to see them enhanced when they are brought back permanently? Let us know down below.

The post Sony promises to bring back its anniversary PlayStation themes permanently in the future first appeared on KitGuru.

Today I get my first ever look at an ASRock branded power supply branded as the ‘Phantom Gaming'. This power supply is fully modular, is 80 Plus Gold certified and ships with a comprehensive 10 year warranty. The ASRock OEM of choice for this unit is FSP, and we will take a closer look to see if the performance can match up to the high aspirations, later in the review.

ASRock do not seem to be messing around with the PG-1000G, their website has a lot of data on display such as the adoption of 100% Japanese capacitors, a high grade fluid dynamic bearing fan, a semi passive fan control mode, along with a 5V ‘Boost Mode'. For the interests of my sanity I will be referring to this power supply throughout this review as simply ‘PG-1000G'.

Product highlights:

• 80 Plus Gold Certified
• Cybenetics GOLD and LAMBDA A Certified
• ATX 3.1 & PCIe 5.1 Ready
• Fully modular cable design
• Native 12V-2×6 Connector Dual Colour Design with Tempguard
• 100% Highly reliable Japanese capacitors
• 135mm Intelligent Fan Control Mode
• 5V ‘boost Mode'
• 10 year warranty.

The post ASRock Phantom Gaming PG-1000G (ATX v3.1) Review first appeared on KitGuru.

Philips is entering the gaming projector scene with a bang! The GamePix 900, the company's first dedicated gaming projector, is now available for pre-order at an enticing introductory price.

This projector combines high-end specs with good value (at least during its initial campaign), offering a compelling alternative to traditional gaming displays. The GamePix 900 boasts 4K resolution at 60Hz, 1440p at 120Hz, and a 240 Hz refresh rate at 1080p. With a claimed input lag of just 6 ms at 240 Hz, it should offer a decently responsive gaming experience.

The GamePix 900 delivers up to a 120-inch display with HDR10 support and 95% Rec. 709 colour space coverage, bringing games to life with vibrant colours and deep contrast. Its 1000 ANSI lumens LED light source ensures bright and vivid images, even in well-lit environments. Philips has tailored the GamePix 900 to the needs of gamers with three dedicated gaming modes for different genres: Action, Adventure, and Sports. Its compact 2 kg design makes it easy to transport and set up for gaming on the go. The GamePix 900's LED light source is rated for an impressive 30,000 hours of operation, providing years of reliable performance.

For a limited time, the first 1,000 pre-orders of the GamePix 900 will be available at a special introductory price of £495/$599/€699 (excluding VAT, US taxes, and shipping). This represents a significant discount from the regular MSRP of £819/$999/€1199. Pre-orders are now available on the official Philips Projection website. Regular retail availability is expected in April 2025.

KitGuru says: Have you ever played games on a projector? Would you replace a projector for your TV or monitor?

The post Philips’s new GamePix 900 projector is now available for pre-order at a discount first appeared on KitGuru.

Asus has addressed the recent concerns surrounding its PCIe Q-Release Slim, a GPU release mechanism built into some motherboards to simplify graphics card removal. While acknowledging the potential for cosmetic wear and tear on the PCIe connector, Asus maintains that the mechanism does not cause functional damage to the graphics card or the motherboard.

The Asus Q-Release Slim graphics card release mechanism, featured on premium AMD and Intel 800-series motherboards, allows users to eject their graphics cards by tilting the card and tugging it upward (or sideways) while the PCIe push-latch automatically releases it. While this sounds simple, various reports claim that small bits of the PCIe connector can be damaged in certain circumstances. Based on the photos supplied, this does not affect actual PCIe connection pins, meaning functionality and performance should be unaffected. However, PCB abrasion is never a good thing.

In response to these reports, Asus said that “In [its] internal testing and evaluation of the extremely small number of cases reported, [it] found no damage to the motherboard or graphics card that would affect functionality and/or performance. However, it is important to emphasise that any type of PCIe add-in card will exhibit signs of usage and wear marking after 60 continuous insertions and removals”.

Asus also stressed that following the proper removal procedure minimises the risk of damage. Still, reports of wear after only 60 insertions and removals raise questions about the long-term durability of the Q-Release Slim mechanism. PCIe slots and card-edge connectors are typically rated for a limited number of mating cycles. While the exact number varies depending on the manufacturer and design, the industry standard is around 50 cycles for regular slots.

It's possible that specific slot configurations or usage patterns might increase the risk of wear with the Q-Release Slim mechanism. However, Asus maintains that the wear observed in the reported cases is within the expected range for normal usage and does not pose a functional risk to the graphics card or the motherboard.

KitGuru says: Do you own a motherboard with this GPU release system? Have you ever noticed if it has caused damage or wear to your graphics card?

The post Asus releases statement on reported issues with PCIe Q-Release Slim system first appeared on KitGuru.

The last 18 months have seen a lot of talk in the market about AI, especially at trade shows. However, outside the data centre, there have been few products that offer any kind of practical solution to users wanting a local solution on their desktop. The reason is simple: Every one has been waiting for the ‘killer app'. The thing that can run on a PC you can build yourself – and which has the potential to deliver significant benefits for little investment. On 20th January , a software package was made available free online and on Thursday 24th January – history was made.

On 20th January 2025, Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek released a powerful AI package that could be downloaded and run locally, offering high-performance capabilities without reliance on cloud-based infrastructure.

This breakthrough rAIsed concerns that demand for Nvidia's high-end AI chips could decline, triggering a significant sell-off in tech stocks. By the time the markets closed on 24th January, Nvidia's market capitalisation value had plummeted by around $589 billion (more than the annual GDP of Sweden) – representing the largest single-day loss in history. The rapid adoption of DeepSeek’s technology, amplified by social media, fuelled fears of a shift in AI dominance away from the data centre/the USA.

While the long-term implications won't be known for a long time, a new market appears to have been created overnight: Powerful, affordable, local AI that will run on desktop PCs and workstations.

At Computex 2024, we saw a lot of companies pushing a very strong AI message, but with no clear target in terms of application. One of those was Silverstone. They told us that they were in the process of a revolution inside the company, with a shift in focus from the DIY/PC market toward AI driven tasks. For Silverstone, that meant using the skills and knowledge acquired over the last 21 years in the enthusiast sector, to create products for both the data centre and the desktop.

One such product is the ALTA D1, a mega-tower workstation chassis designed for system builds that are focused on 3D rendering and AI/machine learning. At first glance, you might be forgiven for thinking that it looks a lot like a regular (albeit large) system chassis, but the ALTA D1 is all about modularity – supporting SSI-EEB motherboards (Service System Infrastructure – Compact Electronics Bay specification). That means pro-motherboards that are 12″ by 13″ or even 15.12″ by 13.2″ will fit. One look at the back and you can see differences start to appear, with space for 11 PCI expansion slots. Clearance for graphic cards is 407mm – way longer than the 304mmm you see with the RTX 5090 Founders Edition and 348mm in the ASUS TUF Gaming variant. As a case designed for important tasks, it has a pair of PSU bays – either to safeguard stability or help boost available wattage. It comes with two 180mm intake fans and a 140mm rear exhaust. The final configuration is down to the specialist building the AI system.

A dual-CPU, multi-GPU system can easily be built into such a chassis, but the flexibility doesn't stop with processing hardware. There are also modular cages for storage drives, radiators and PSU brackets etc – which allows users the freedom to redefine system component locations – depending on where you need your workload to be focused/supported.

What might the chassis criteria be for a powerful/local AI system?

With GPUs now pulling close to 600 watts each, you need to think about high airflow, robust power delivery and ample space for E-ATX/SSI-EEB motherboards. With a ‘9000' refresh of AMD's Threadripper expected in 2025, you'll want ample space for cooling as well – with easy mounting for multiple radiators.

These are the kind of challenges that companies producing chassis etc for serious gamers, have been looking at for years. Now it seems that all of that learning/knowledge will be needed in the local AI system space. So will DeepSeek be the ‘killer app' that's needed to drive the high-end, professional hardware market forward in 2025/26?

One thing is for sure: Nvidia's loss looks likely to be a blip in the grand scheme of things. As KitGuru's recent testing of the latest RTX 50 series shows, even on the desktop level, Nvidia continues to have a huge lead in AI processing tasks. How big a lead? Well it was scoring almost 4x higher than the fastest Radeon card in our latest Image Generation benchmarks.

KitGuru says: It will be interesting to see if this interest in DeepSeek creates new markets – and how much growth there will be in the high-end chassis/PSU sectors as a result. One thing the last two Bitcoin surges taught us, if that if money can be made from GPUs, then gamers end up queuing for a long time if they want the latest cards.

The post Will DeepSeek create a massive market for desktop Ai systems? first appeared on KitGuru.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the latest major first party release from Xbox Game Studios. Launching for the Xbox Series X|S and PC back in early December, we’ve now gotten our first details on how the game has performed commercially – with Microsoft confirming the title has surpassed 4 million total players.

As part of the company’s latest fiscal earnings report, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella offered some recent updates on the Xbox brand. Alongside Black Ops 6 continuing to break records, Nadella revealed (as collated by analyst DomsPlaying) that Machine Games’ Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has reached an audience of over 4 million players.

Of course, being a first party Xbox title, the game was made available day-and-date on Game Pass, meaning it did not necessarily sell 4 million copies.

That said, with the game set to come to PlayStation this year, it will be interesting to see whether Microsoft will choose to share more concrete sales figures for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5 in due time – assuming it sells well.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this announcement? Is 4 million lower or greater than you expected? How many copies do you think it will sell on PS5? Let us know down below.

The post Indiana Jones and the Great Circle surpasses 4 million players first appeared on KitGuru.

Monster Hunter Wilds is almost here, with Capcom having recently announced the second and final open beta test set to take place before its launch next month. While we don’t yet have a date for this beta, Capcom has now announced a Spotlight Stream set to go live next week – featuring the much-anticipated Monster Hunter Wilds, Onimusha and more.

Taking to Twitter, the official Capcom USA page announced their next Nintendo Direct-styled online showcase (Capcom Spotlight) writing:

“Tune in live on Feb. 4 at 2pm PT for Capcom doubleheader! Join us for a 20-minute Capcom Spotlight followed immediately by a 15-minute Monster Hunter Wilds Showcase!”

The general Capcom Spotlight will feature new information and updates on Onimusha: Way of the Sword; Street Fighter 6; Capcom Fighting Collection 2; and MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics.

The Monster Hunter Wilds presentation meanwhile will unsurprisingly feature a brand new trailer, alongside details on the previously-announced second beta test.

Typically with Capcom Spotlights, what you see is what you get, and so don’t expect any major surprise announcements. Still, it is exciting to finally be hearing more about the second beta test for Monster Hunter Wilds – and given the fact that the game is under a month away, its arrival could be imminent.

KitGuru says: Will you tune into the Capcom Spotlight? When do you think beta 2 will go live? What do you hope to see from Onimusha? Let us know down below.

The post Capcom to host a Spotlight Stream next week, featuring Monster Hunter Wilds and more first appeared on KitGuru.

Back in August, we began to hear rumours that Microsoft was planning to bring Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 5 to PlayStation – following on from the likes of Grounded, Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves. Reports later claimed that this port had been internally delayed, but not cancelled. Finally, seemingly out of nowhere, Forza Horizon 5 has officially been announced for PS5.

Taking to their blog to make the announcement, the team at Playground Games officially unveiled and dated the PS5 version of Forza Horizon 5, writing:

“The Horizon Festival Welcomes a New Community of Players. With nearly 900 cars available in the game, over 40 thematic game updates, two expansions, and so much more content, our team is excited to announce that this spring, PlayStation 5 players will be able to explore Mexico’s beautiful roads and experience the Horizon Festival for the first time as we are officially launching Forza Horizon 5 on PS5.”

Said to be coming this Spring, the PS5 release is being developed by Panic Button (in collaboration with Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios) and is promised to include “the same content as the Xbox and PC releases of the game”. Unfortunately, while previously-released car packs will be available on Sony’s console, they will still need to be purchased separately.

Beyond this, little has been shared regarding specifics, such as whether the game will utilise the PS5’s more unique features (Advanced Haptics, Adaptive Triggers etc…) and so we will likely have to wait until closer to the time of release for a more comprehensive breakdown.

KitGuru says: Are you surprised by the sudden announcement? Was this done in alignment with Microsoft’s fiscal earning reports? Will the game properly support the DualSense? Let us know your thoughts down below.

The post Forza Horizon 5 is coming to PlayStation 5 this Spring first appeared on KitGuru.

Quantic Dream are known best for their work on narrative-driven choice-based games tackling various themes and tough topics – to greater and lesser success. Interestingly, one of their more forgotten releases, 2013’s Beyond: Two Souls, is now getting a TV show adaptation headed by the original game’s star ‘Elliot Page’.

As reported by Deadline, Elliot Page’s Pageboy production company has acquired the rights to develop a TV show based on Quantic Dream’s Beyond: Two Souls.

‘Beyond’ the fact that Beyond: Two Souls is easily one of the studio’s more forgotten entries, this announcement comes as a surprise due to previous controversies surrounding the game following its release.

For the uninitiated, the game’s star Elliot Page and Quantic Dream strained their relationship when it was discovered that fully nude models of Page were created by the studio without consent – leading to the actor considering legal action against Quantic Dream.

It seems as though Elliot Page has let bygones be bygones, releasing a statement on this latest announcement, writing “Filming the game was one of the most challenging and fulfilling acting experiences of my career. The story’s rich narrative and emotional depth offer us a fantastic foundation. We want to create a unique vision of the characters and their journeys that resonates with fans and newcomers.”

Quantic Dream Founder and president David Cage offered his own take on the announcement, saying “We are absolutely thrilled to collaborate again with Elliot Page on this project. I was blown away by his acting performance in the game, and I couldn’t think of anyone else to tell this story with the same passion on another medium.”

Given the unique story-telling methods utilised in Beyond: Two Souls, it will be interesting to see how this adaptation is ultimately…adapted – and whether it will wind up being better than the game itself.

KitGuru says: Are you surprised by the announcement? What did you think of Beyond: Two Souls? What’s your favourite Quantic Dream game? Let us know down below.

The post Beyond: Two Souls TV show adaptation announced first appeared on KitGuru.

When it was first announced, there were fears that the Silent Hill 2 Remake from Bloober Team would not be able to do the PS2 survival horror classic justice. Fortunately, since its launch last October, the game has not only gone to be a critical hit, but a sales success too, having now sold over 2 million copies.

Making the announcement via a press release (translated by Gematsu), publisher Konami revealed that Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 Remake has sold over 2 million copies as of the 23rd of January.

For context, the title surpassed its first major milestone with 1 million total copies sold in under two weeks – easily making it one of the fastest selling entries in the relatively niche series.

While it may have taken a few extra months for the game to sell a further million, Silent Hill 2 Remake alone now represents around 20% of the franchise’s total sales.

Given the continued ongoing success of Silent Hill 2 Remake, it will be interesting to see how Bloober Team and Konami’s relationship evolves from here on out.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the Silent Hill 2 Remake? Does it do the original justice? What do you want to see next from Bloober Team? Let us know down below.

The post Silent Hill 2 Remake surpasses 2 million copies sold first appeared on KitGuru.

Ever since the PlayStation 5 launched, Sony’s monthly PS Plus Essential game service has offered a mix of both PS4 and PS5 titles. With the 9th-gen console well into its mid-life-cycle right now, Sony has determined it’s finally time to move on, with all future PS Plus games being PS5 titles starting from next year.

As part of the latest blog post detailing PS Plus Essential’s line-up for February, Sony offered an “update on PS4 games for PlayStation Plus” with the Director for game services and content at SIE – Adam Michel – writing:

“As many of our players are currently playing on PS5 and have shifted toward redeeming and accessing PS5 titles from the Monthly Games and Game Catalog benefit, PlayStation Plus is also evolving with this trend and will focus on offering PS5 titles through the Monthly Games and Game Catalog benefit starting January 2026.”

Explaining exactly how this will work, Michel continued, “As we shift to PS5, PS4 games will no longer be a key benefit and will only be occasionally offered for PlayStation Plus Monthly Games and Game Catalog starting January 2026. We may still provide titles that can be playable on both PS4 and PS5 consoles after this date.”

While there have been plenty of months in which all three titles have featured PS5 versions (as is the case with February’s line-up), it’s nice to know that this will soon become more of a rule than the exception.

With the PS5 supporting backwards compatibility, redeeming PS4 games still offered plenty of benefits, but given the fact that the console is over a decade old it is perhaps for the best optically that Sony moves on.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this change? Should it have happened years ago? Is PS Plus Essential worth it? Let us know your thoughts down below.

The post Sony will soon no longer include PS4-only titles through PlayStation Plus first appeared on KitGuru.

Intel's Arc Battlemage GPU family might be getting a few new members. New PCI IDs spotted in Intel's Linux patches suggest the company is preparing to launch three additional Battlemage graphics cards.

While the current Battlemage lineup consists of only the Arc B580 and B570, rumours have been swirling about a more powerful Battlemage GPU, the BMG-G31. The new PCI IDs found by @GawroskiT differ from the existing IDs for the B580 and B570, suggesting that Intel plans to release more Battlemage cards.

In addition, there are reports that Intel has started shipping cards with a clamshell memory configuration. This could allow for increased VRAM capacity, potentially paving the way for a 24GB Arc Battlemage graphics card. This aligns with previous rumours suggesting a 24GB Arc Pro model for workstations and AI workloads could be on the way.

With their upcoming GPU releases, Nvidia and AMD are focusing on the high-end and mainstream segments. As such, Intel could well capitalise on the demand for capable and affordable gaming graphics cards. We've already seen what Battlemage can do in the £200-£300 bracket, and it's generally solid – at least when talking about raw performance. Expanding to other pricing segments would surely put some welcome pressure on AMD and Nvidia.

KitGuru says: What do you think these three new Intel PCI IDs stand for? Are they for workstation solutions, consumer cards, or a mix of both?

The post Three new PCI IDs for Arc Battlemage series added to Intel’s Linux kernel driver first appeared on KitGuru.

GOG is replacing the Community Wishlist tool with a new system called Dreamlist. Like its predecessor, Dreamlist will give gamers the power to revive their favourite classic titles, allowing users to vote on which retro games they want to see restored and preserved on the GOG platform.

GOG, known for its dedication to bringing classic games to modern audiences, has long championed game preservation. Its latest project, Dreamlist, takes this commitment further by giving the community a direct voice in the preservation process.

Essentially an evolution of GOG's Community Wishlist, Dreamlist allows users to vote on the games they want to see updated and supported on the platform. This feedback helps GOG prioritise its preservation efforts and signals to rights holders that there's a demand for these classic titles, potentially paving the way for their re-release.

GOG's Preservation Program focuses on revitalising classic games that their original developers or publishers might have abandoned. This can involve adding support for higher resolutions, modern controllers, cloud saves, and other enhancements that make these games more accessible and enjoyable for today's players. Dreamlist streamlines this process by providing a direct channel for community feedback. Some of the games advanced by GOG's staff include Freelancer, Resident Evil: Code Veronica X, Command & Conquer: The Ultimate Collection, Final Fantasy VII, The Operative: No One Lives Forever, Alien Trilogy, Diablo II and Discworld 1.

KitGuru says: While Dreamlist offers a promising avenue for game preservation, it's important to acknowledge the challenges involved. Reviving retro PC games can be complex, often requiring technical expertise and navigating complicated rights issues. However, the power of a passionate community shouldn't be underestimated. Together, gamers can demonstrate demand for these games and potentially influence their re-release, ensuring that these gems of gaming history are not forgotten.

The post GOG launches new “Dreamlist” system to replace Community Wishlist tool first appeared on KitGuru.

In a surprising move, Sony has announced it will no longer require players to link their PlayStation Network (PSN) accounts to play certain PC titles.

This decision comes after widespread criticism from PC gamers who objected to the PSN account requirement for games like Marvel's Spider-Man 2, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, God of War Ragnarök, and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. Starting with the launch of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on PC, these titles will no longer require a PSN account to play. This change will also be applied retroactively to previously released PC versions of these games.

However, Sony isn't completely abandoning the idea of connecting PSN accounts to PC games. They've recognised the benefits of integration and have announced plans to offer exclusive perks to players who link their accounts. Players who link their PSN accounts to PC games can receive various in-game bonuses. For example, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will offer early access to suits, while God of War Ragnarök will provide a resource bundle and an armour set. Other benefits may include access to exclusive content and trophy support for their PC gameplay.

Sony's decision to remove the mandatory PSN account requirement is a positive step towards fostering a more inclusive and accessible PC gaming experience. It removes a barrier that many gamers find frustrating and allows them to enjoy these titles without the hassle of creating a new account.

KitGuru says: While the option to link accounts and receive exclusive perks remains, the choice is now entirely up to the player. This flexibility gives gamers more control over their experience and respects their privacy preferences.

The post Sony removes PSN requirement to play PlayStation games on PC first appeared on KitGuru.

In the past few years, we have seen Bungie’s Destiny 2 crossover with an increasing number of franchises – from Ghost of Tsushima to The Witcher and Mass Effect. Joining the Destiny universe from a galaxy far far away, Bungie have officially announced a new crossover with Star Wars.

Destiny 2: Heresy is the next major update coming to the game. Set to arrive on the 4th of February, the team at Bungie officially detailed the upcoming Episode via a dev livestream.

Alongside this, they also unveiled the next major crossover coming to the game with Destiny 2 x Star Wars, writing “Conquer the galaxy with new armour ornaments, accessories, emotes, and finishers inspired by Star Wars.”

As with prior crossovers, each Guardian class will feature its own armour set ornament inspired by a different character.

Perhaps the coolest cosmetic however is the new DS-2 Ghost Shell which is inspired by the iconic Death Star – superlaser included.

As with pretty much every crossover nowadays, expect the bundles to be quite costly. Still, for those who are a fan of Star Wars, this collab does make quite a bit of sense – both IPs being space Sci-Fis and all that.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to Episode Heresy? How do you think Destiny 2 has handled its crossovers so far? Let us know down below.

The post Destiny 2 x Star Wars arrives next month first appeared on KitGuru.

In the almost decade-long redemption arc for Hello Games and No Man’s Sky, the game has received countless transformative updates – from visual overhauls to engine optimisations, new features and so much more. One of the biggest came with Part 1 of the Worlds Update, released back in July. Less than a year later, and the concluding half to this major overhaul is now here.

Releasing the surprise update (as they have done for years now), Hello Games officially unveiled update 5.5 – ‘Worlds Part II’, transforming the universe with “with new stars, new story, and new planets.”

As with pretty much every single No Man’s Sky update, the list of changes and additions are far too many to list here, however, some of the most notable include:

• Evolved world generation algorithm bringing new mountains, valleys, plains and more
• New Purple-class solar systems
• Incredibly deep oceans
• Gas Giant planets
• Expanded story
• Dense jungles
• Revamped local hazards
• Graphics overhaul
• Relic Worlds
• Dynamic water simulation
• Spore Worlds
• Faster loading

As mentioned, this is but a small taste of the hundreds of major and minor additions/changes made with this latest update. The full and incredibly exhaustive list can be found HERE.

With every new update to No Man’s Sky, it feels as though Hello Games have finished turning the title into the ultimate form of itself. Yet, they somehow managed to continue to surprise and delight every single time.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Worlds Part II? Will you hop back into No Man’s Sky? What’s your favourite new addition? Let us know down below.

The post Biggest No Man’s Sky update arrives with ‘Worlds Part II’ first appeared on KitGuru.

Each month, all those with a PlayStation Plus Essential subscription are able to get their hands on a few select games which can be added to your library – and remain playable as long as you have an active subscription. Sony has now announced February’s line-up, including the co-op heist FPS Payday 3 and the comedic High on Life.

Available to add to your library from the 4th of February, all those with a PlayStation Plus Essential subscription (as well as Extra/Premium members) will be privy to the following titles:

• Payday 3 | PS5
• High on Life | PS4, PS5
• Pac-Man World Re-Pac | PS4, PS5

As mentioned, Payday 3 is a co-op focused heist shooter which – while it did launch in a troubling state – has turned into a solid successor to the highly-popular Payday 2, so is worth giving a try now more so than ever.

High on Life is a comedic take on the FPS genre with a style of humour not too dissimilar to that of Rick and Morty (due to the direct involvement of the show’s (now controversial) co-creator Justin Roiland). While certainly a love-it-or-hate-it type of experience, those who do gel with the humour will find plenty to enjoy.

All three titles will be available to claim from the 4th of February, meaning you have just under a week to add January’s PS Plus Essential titles to your library before they are removed.

In case you missed it, this month’s free games include Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League; The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered.

KitGuru says: What do you think of February’s line-up? Have you tried Payday 3? Do you think it’s improved since launch? Let us know down below.

The post February’s PS Plus Essential line-up includes Payday 3 and High on Life first appeared on KitGuru.

The classic MOBA Heroes of Newerth is returning with an updated version, Heroes of Newerth: Reborn. Developed by Kongor Studios and published by Garena, this reimagining aims to recapture the magic of the original while introducing modern enhancements and a refreshed gameplay experience.

Inspired by the iconic Warcraft 3 mod Defense of the Ancients, Heroes of Newerth captured the hearts of MOBA fans with its strategic gameplay and diverse hero roster in the 2010s. However, the game's popularity waned due to fierce competition from giants like Dota 2 and League of Legends, leading to its shutdown in 2022.

But the spirit of Heroes of Newerth lived on through Project Kongor, a dedicated community effort to keep the game alive. Now, Kongor Studios is officially resurrecting the beloved MOBA with Heroes of Newerth: Reborn, rebuilt on the iGames engine and featuring a host of improvements, including a new role queue system and enhanced combat mechanics.

In an interview with PCGamesN, Nick “BreakyCPK” Caras, Kongor Studios' Director of Communications, explained the motivation behind this revival. “While Heroes of Newerth enjoyed significant success during its time, many, including us at Kongor Studios, felt that its closure came too soon,” Caras shared. “Our goal is not only to revive Heroes of Newerth but also to enhance it by introducing improvements while preserving the core elements that made the original so beloved.”

This delicate balance between nostalgia and modernisation is crucial for appealing to veteran players and newcomers. Caras emphasised the team's commitment to this challenge, highlighting the upgraded iGames engine, enhanced graphics and audio, and other improvements that will bring the game up to modern standards.

While Heroes of Newerth: Reborn doesn't aim to compete directly with the MOBA titans, Kongor Studios believes it can carve out its niche by offering a unique and engaging experience. This is particularly relevant in the current landscape, where Dota 2 faces declining player numbers in the West, and League of Legends has been criticised for its aggressive monetisation strategies. Caras assured us that microtransactions would be part of the game's monetisation strategy, but they won't be the sole focus.

Heroes of Newerth: Reborn will be free-to-play and launch with a roster of 80 characters. While a specific release date hasn't been announced, you can follow the project's development on the official Heroes of Newerth: Reborn website.

KitGuru says: Did you play the original Heroes of Newerth? Are you planning to come back to play the new version?

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NZXT is expanding its reach in the PC peripheral market with the launch of the Elite series. This new collection includes a magnetic Hall effect keyboard, a lightweight wireless mouse, a USB microphone, and cloth mousepads. 

Starting with the Function Elite MiniTKL, this compact and stylish keyboard is built for gamers and enthusiasts. Its magnetic switches offer a responsive experience and customisation options, with adjustable actuation points and advanced features like Rapid Trigger and Snap Overrides for enhanced gameplay. The keyboard is also gasket-mounted, has sound-dampening foam, and has an aluminium body. Customisable per-key RGB lighting, controlled through NZXT CAM software, adds a touch of flair.

Then, there's the Lift Elite Wireless mouse, weighing only 57 grams. It has a 26K DPI sensor with high polling rates to ensure accuracy and responsiveness, optical switches for faster clicks, and a textured grip to hold secure during gaming. With up to 70 hours of battery life and customisable settings through NZXT CAM, the Lift Elite Wireless offers a pretty interesting feature set for its price tag.

Moving on to the Capsule Elite USB microphone, it promises to deliver studio-quality audio for gamers and content creators. The optimised acoustic design and built-in pop filter ensure clear and natural sound reproduction. NZXT CAM software, powered by DTS, offers extensive customisation options, including EQ adjustments and noise suppression.

Lastly, the Zone mousepads provide the perfect surface for your Lift Elite Wireless mouse. Its smooth, nano-knit cotton surface offers a frictionless glide, while the foam base provides comfort and stability. The Elite variants also have a spill-resistant coating that should help if an accident happens.

All new NZXT Elite peripherals are now available. The Function Elite MiniTKL keyboard goes for £169.99/$199.99, the Lift Elite Wireless mouse for £74.99/$79.99, and the Capsule Elite microphone for £84.99/$89.99. As for the Zone mousepads, the Elite variants are priced at £26.99/$29.99 (Large), £39.99/$44.99 (XL), and £46.99/$54.99, and the standard £14.99/$14.99 (Large), £22.99/$24.99 (XL), and £26.99/$29.99.

KitGuru says: Interested in any of NZXT's new Elite PC peripherals?

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10 years ago Dying Light released, and while it may not have been the best game in the world, it quickly gained a following thanks to a fun gameplay loop and an abundance of free post launch support from the team at Techland. In celebrating the franchise’s 10th anniversary, the studio has shared a ton of interesting stats, including that the series has reached 45 million players.

Celebrating Dying Light’s 10th birthday via a press release, the team at Techland wrote: “Ten years ago, Harran and Kyle Crane were introduced to the world for the first time, and since then the Dying Light franchise has been enjoyed by more than 45 million zombie slayers.”

Alongside the lengthy post, Techland shared a bunch of player stats from over the past decade, including the fact that the aforementioned 45 million ‘slayers’ have played for a total of 1.178 billion hours – an average of 26 hours per person.

Even more impressively, over 75 billion zombies have been killed during said hours; almost 10 times the total number of humans on earth. Of course, being a parkour focused game, players have covered a ton of ground running around the open worlds, 12,139,406,645 KM to be specific.

The full breakdown of funny and interesting stats can be found HERE, and a more in-depth thank you video can be viewed HERE.

Perhaps the most interesting announcement was the confirmation that more games in the Dying Light series are planned beyond the upcoming ‘The Beast,’ with Techland stating “We'll continue the series with multiple unannounced projects and will also go beyond video games with new board games, exclusive merchandise, original webcomic series and more on the horizon.”

While both Dying Light 1 and 2 have been given away for free across various platforms, having an audience of over 45 million players from just two titles suggests that there is a great hunger for more Dying Light.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the Dying Light series? Do you prefer the first game or the second? What do you hope to see from the franchise in future? Let us know down below.

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Hazelight founder Josef Fares has amassed a reputation not only for making interesting and humorous speeches during the annual Game Awards, but also for releasing consistently excellent co-op titles including A Way Out and GOTY winner It Takes Two. Their next game, Split Fiction is set to launch in just over a month – with the team announcing that it has now gone Gold.

Taking to Twitter, Josef Fares shared the latest co-op gameplay trailer for Split Fiction, which is set to launch on the 6th of March.

Alongside this, Fares revealed that the game has hit its final major pre-launch milestone, writing “And also #splitfiction has now gone gold. So get ready on March 6.”

For the uninitiated, ‘Going Gold’ means that the Split Fiction master disc has been submitted to the game’s publisher. After this, discs can then be pressed with finalised software and digital storefronts can upload the 1.0 version of the game ready for release.

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

While still a relatively new studio (with only two games currently under its belt), Josef Fares and Hazelight have shown that they know how to make compelling and unique co-op games, and so hopefully Split Fiction manages to reach similar heights when it arrives in just over a month’s time.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to Split Fiction? Will Hazelight Score a hattrick with their third game? Could it be a GOTY contender? Let us know your thoughts down below.

The post Hazelight Studios’ Split Fiction has now gone Gold first appeared on KitGuru.

Hot on the heels of the RTX 5090, today we can present our full review of Nvidia's RTX 5080. While still hugely expensive at £979/$999, this GPU is at least slightly more accessible than the RTX 50 series flagship given it comes in at roughly half the price. But does that mean the RTX 5080 is only half as fast? Today we assess raw performance, ray tracing, DLSS 4, power draw, efficiency and more in this in-depth analysis.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:48 RTX 5080 specs
02:01 Test setup
03:49 Alan Wake 2
04:30 Black Myth: Wukong
05:01 Cyberpunk 2077
05:33 Final Fantasy XVI
06:06 Forza Horizon 5
06:38 Ghost of Tsushima
07:02 Horizon Forbidden West
07:26 The Last of Us Part 1
08:01 Plague Tale: Requiem
08:27 Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
08:52 Starfield
09:21 Total War: Warhammer III
09:45 12-game average results
11:03 Cost per frame analysis
12:21 RT Alan Wake II
12:50 RT Black Myth: Wukong
13:15 RT Cyberpunk 2077
13:39 RT F1 24
14:03 RT Ratchet & Clank
14:28 RT Returnal
14:53 RT Shadow of the Tomb Raider
15:22 RT Star Wars Outlaws
15:44 RT 8-game average
17:13 DLSS 4 – Multi Frame Generation
19:46 AI & productivity benchmarks
21:02 Founders Edition design, thermals & acoustics
22:33 Power draw and efficiency
24:23 Closing thoughts

Launching at retail on January 30th, we're hearing that there will be slightly wider availability of the RTX 5080 than the RTX 5090, though it will certainly take at least a few weeks for supply to stabilise. But before you rush to try and buy one, you’ll want to know exactly what you're getting for the £979 asking price—so without further ado, let’s dive into the review.

	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. Unlike the RTX 5090, which is built on the GB202 die, RTX 5080 uses smaller silicon as it is a full implementation of the GB203 die, measuring 378mm². Comprised of 7 Graphics Processing Clusters (GPCs), each holds up to eight Texture Processing Clusters (TPC), with a total of 42. Each TPC is home to two Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs), giving us 84, and each SM still holds 256 CUDA Cores, meaning the RTX 5080 has a total of 10752 shaders. We also find 84 RT cores, 336 Tensor cores, 336 Texture Units, and 112 ROPs.

This time around, however, there's no node-shrink, and GB203 remains fabricated on TSMC's N4 node, as per the RTX 40-series. As such, rated clock speed is barely changed this generation, with the RTX 5080 rated at 2617MHz, compared to the RTX 4080 Super's 2550MHz boost.

The memory configuration is also fairly similar, but sports one key upgrade – GDDR7 memory. The RTX 5080 comes equipped with 16GB, running at 30Gbps, and that puts total memory bandwidth at 960 GB/s, a 30% increase over the RTX 4080 Super. L2 cache remains at 65MB.

Power draw has also increased, with the RTX 5080 sporting a 360W 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 Nvidia RTX 5080 Review: Efficiency Gains, Performance Letdown first appeared on KitGuru.