The system build that is wrapped around a coffee machine might look cool but it certainly doesn't run cool, while this all copper system both looks and runs cool.  Hidden underneath…

Intel's Application Optimisation (APO) technology, which offers game-specific performance boosts for its CPUs, is here to stay, but its future development may leave some users behind. In a Reddit discussion, a user claiming to be an Intel developer shed some light on the future of the software, confirming that support for more games is coming soon, and more is planned for the future. 

According to Intel developers who wrote on Reddit (via Uniko's Hardware), the company is still actively developing APO and plans to grow its capabilities for future applications. Additionally, the developer claims APO will start to have updates in a “~quarterly release cadence”. This should reassure users of the new Core Ultra 200 series that the technology will still be relevant in the future.

However, the developer also shared unfortunate news for owners of older-gen CPUs. When asked about APO's future, they explained that due to resource constraints and the complexity of testing across different hardware configurations, the team is now focusing its efforts on supporting current and upcoming processor generations. Support for the older 12th and 13th Gen CPUs is reportedly no longer a priority.

While APO was officially expanded to support the entire LGA-1700 platform after its initial 14th Gen launch, the developer claims suggest that owners of 12th and 13th Gen CPUs are unlikely to see a significant number of new game profiles added in the future. The existing optimisations will likely remain, but it seems that new game support will be primarily targeted at the Core Ultra 200 series and whatever comes next.

This is a fairly standard industry practice as platforms mature. Still, it serves as a valuable example for those who invested in the LGA-1700 platform, hoping for long-term APO game updates.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Intel APO? Do you think it will become more relevant and valuable, or will it just be a gimmick Intel will be using in its marketing material?

Lexar has thrown itself into the high-end storage ring with the announcement of its new flagship M.2 NVMe SSD series, the Ares Pro. Aimed at PC enthusiasts and hardcore gamers, these new drives leverage the PCIe 5.0 interface to deliver some impressive performance figures.

The Ares Pro series will be available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities, all of which are rated for a blistering sequential read speed of up to 14GB/s. Sequential write speeds vary by model, with the 4TB flagship hitting up to 11GB/s, the 2TB model reaching up to 10GB/s, and the 1TB version coming in at 7.5GB/s. Random performance is also top-tier, with the 4TB drive boasting up to 2 million read and 1.5 million write IOPS.

Interestingly, Lexar has opted not to use a large, bulky heatsink on the Ares Pro. Instead, the drive comes equipped with a thin, graphene-based heat spreader. This design choice should ensure better compatibility, lower costs, and allow the drive to be easily installed in tight spaces or under a motherboard's own M.2 cooling solution without interference.

The drives come with some solid endurance ratings, starting at 750 TBW for the 1 TB model and scaling up to an impressive 3000 TBW for the 4 TB variant. Lexar is backing the entire Ares Pro series with a 5-year warranty, which is standard for a premium drive of this class.

KitGuru says: Even if it doesn't bring anything new, it's always good to have more options in the high-end segment.

Pearl Abyss has announced that its highly anticipated open-world action fantasy game, Crimson Desert, has been delayed. During its latest investor call, the developer confirmed that the release has been pushed back from its original Q4 2025 window to Q1 2026.

Despite the delay, Pearl Abyss confirmed that it is still planning a major marketing push in the coming months. As reported by PCGamer, the company intends to show off an “open-world prototype” at both Gamescom in Cologne next week and PAX West in Seattle at the end of the month. The game will also have a presence at the Tokyo Game Show in September to bolster its promotion in the Japanese market.

The developer explained that the delay is an “unavoidable” consequence of the complexities of a major global launch. The official statement cited “longer than expected timelines” related to coordinating with multiple partners for tasks like offline distribution, voiceover recording, and the console certification process for PlayStation and Xbox.

The delay is certainly disappointing for those eager to play, but the promise of seeing the game at three major upcoming events should keep the hype train rolling towards its new launch window. A more specific release date is expected to be announced at Gamescom. The game will be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

KitGuru says: Are you interested in Crimson Desert? Do you think the game can deliver on its promises?

The Battlefield 6 Open Beta returned today for the second weekend of public playtesting. Unfortunately, those looking to get an early start, there have been matchmaking issues present today, something that EA is looking to quickly address. 

The second weekend for the open beta started today but early players were quick to face issues. As reported by Eurogamer, there have been complaints of not being able to load into the game with a party, being unable to start queuing for a match and even game crashes.

The open beta for Battlefield 6 did get a 2.3GB update ahead of the servers going back online earlier today. It appears a few bugs made their way through as well.

The official Battlefield social accounts have confirmed that the developers are aware of the ongoing issues today and fixes are in the works. Players will need to ensure their EA client is also up to date to help avoid some issues.

Chances are, at least one hotfix patch will be pushed before the massive influx of players logging on over the actual weekend.

KitGuru Says: Have you played much Battlefield 6 since the beta servers came back online? Have you had any issues? 

Last year after the official announcement for Tales of Graces F Remastered, a leak claimed that the former PS3 exclusive, Tales of Xillia, would be next. Now, it appears that an official announcement is imminent. 

Tales of Xillia was a late-cycle exclusive for the PlayStation 3. Since then, Bandai Namco has improved its release situation, doing away with staggered Japan, EU and US launches, and ensuring multiplatform availability. Tales of Vesperia Remastered for instance, was announced during an Xbox E3 showcase, and released across Xbox, PC, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. The most recent mainline game in the series, Tales of Arise, was also a multiplatform release with day-one availability globally.

Fans eager to return to Tales of Xillia were quick to spot an update to the Bandai Namco Europe website, which teased an announcement coming on the 18th of August. The thumbnail for the video showed characters from Tales of Xillia, confirming that an official remaster announcement is on the way.

Interestingly, the announcement will be coming the day before Geoff Keighley's Gamescom: Opening Night Live stream, leading fans to wonder if we'll see two ‘Tales Of' games announced this year.

KitGuru Says: Tales of Xillia is one of the few games in the series to have a direct sequel, so it will be interesting to see if we get remasters for both. 

The next chapter in World of Warcraft's Worldsoul saga is coming very soon. At Gamescom this year, Blizzard will be debuting much more about the new expansion, including the new opening cinematic.

Gamescom 2025 kicks off with Opening Night Live on August 19th. You can catch the reveal of Midnight for the first time during Opening Night Live. After that, Blizzard will be hosting a series of panels and other events at Gamescom, where even more information will be revealed.

There will be a couple of World of Warcraft: Midnight developer panels during Gamescom, during which attendees can hear more about the expansion and its development straight from the developers making it.

Blizzard teases that we'll hear more about the Midnight zones, quests, stories and new features. You can see Blizzard's full Gamescom schedule, including times for all livestreams, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Did you play the last WoW expansion? Are you looking forward to Midnight?

Seven more games join the ever-growing GeForce Now library this week. Beyond that, Nvidia has announced its plans for Gamescom next week. 

Nvidia will return to Gamescom this year, starting on Wednesday, 20th of August. There is no word on any announcements happening just yet but with the event starting in less than a week, we won't have to wait very long for news.

In the meantime, there are seven games joining the GeForce Now library today. This includes several new PC Game Pass titles, like 9 Kings and the recently released Heretic + Hexen remaster bundle, which shadow-dropped during QuakeCon last weekend.

Here is the full list of games joining GeForce Now today:

• Echoes of the End (New release on Steam, Aug. 12)
• 9 Kings (New release on Xbox, available on PC Game Pass, Aug. 14)
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition (New release on Steam, Aug. 14)
• Supraworld (New release on Steam, Aug. 15)
• Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (New release on Steam and Battle.net)
• Guntouchables (Steam)
• Heretic + Hexen (Steam and Xbox, available on PC Game Pass)

KitGuru Says: Will you be playing any of this week's new games? 

Image editing on your PC has typically been a complex task reserved for developers with technical knowledge. Nvidia is looking to change that, announcing the new FLUX.1 Kontext [dev] image editing model from Black Forest Labs is now available as an easy-to-deploy Nvidia NIM microservice for RTX AI PCs.

The FLUX.1 model is a generative tool designed to modify existing images using simple text and image prompts in a guided, step-by-step process. The magic here is the NIM (Nvidia Inference Microservice), which acts as a pre-packaged, highly optimised container. It takes the raw, complex AI model and handles all the difficult setup work that used to require expert knowledge, making it accessible to enthusiasts through popular tools like ComfyUI.

To make this feasible on consumer hardware, Nvidia and Black Forest Labs have heavily optimised the model. Through a process called quantisation (SVDQuant), the original 24 GB model has been shrunk down to a 12 GB FP8 version for GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs and an even smaller 7 GB FP4 version for the latest RTX 50 Series cards. On top of this, the NIM uses Nvidia's TensorRT framework to deliver more than double the performance compared to running the original model in PyTorch.

For those interested in trying it out, getting started is straightforward. Start by installing the Nvidia AI Workbench and then get ComfyUI. Using the ComfyUI manager, install the NIM nodes for FLUX.1 and accept the model licenses on Black Forest Labs' FLUX.1 Kontext's [dev] Hugging Face. Once you click “Run”, the node will help download the required models and set up the appropriate process.

KitGuru says: Image editing models like these are a good example of simplification of complex processes using AI. Instead of losing hours in image edits, the FLUX.1 Kontext can make it probably better (especially if you're not well-versed in this area) and faster using simple prompts.

Gamescom has always had a strong PC focus, with many PC hardware companies often attending. This year, ThermalTake will be making its first-ever appearance at Gamescom to showcase its new racing sim gear.

Over the past few years, ThermalTake has been building out its own line-up of Racing Sim gear. We've seen quite a few of these products at events like CES and Computex. Earlier this year, ThermalTake launched its G6 Direct Drive Racing Wheel at CES and now, you'll have the chance to win one, along with a set of pedals, at the ThermalTake booth.

ThermalTake teases that Gamescom attendees will be treated to an interactive booth with a number of activities planned for the chance to win prizes. The grand prize is, as mentioned above, the G6 Direct Drive Racing Wheel with Pedals bundle. However, there will be other exclusive rewards and you'll also get to play around with different setups with games running.

If you are going to Gamescom, you'll find Thermaltake in Hall 10.1, Booth D060. Gamescom begins on the 20th of August.

KitGuru Says: Are you planning on going to Gamescom this year? 

ASRock has a new thin Mini-ITX motherboard hitting the market. The new H810M-ITX is a very small motherboard designed for commercial environments, complete with support for Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPUs.

The ASRock H810TM-ITX supports Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors and dual DDR5 memory configurations. Despite the small size, this motherboard does support up to four storage drives, and has outputs for up to five displays.

ASRock highlights the highly customisable I/O configuration as well, which includes HDMI, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4 and you can keep everything secure through TPM 2.0.

Here are the full technical specifications:

Category	Specification
CPU Support	Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2), LGA1851 socket, up to 65W
Memory Options	CSO-DIMM: 2 x DDR5-6400MHz slots, up to 128GB; SO-DIMM: 2 x DDR5-5600MHz slots, up to 128GB
Video Outputs	1 x DisplayPort 1.4; 1 x HDMI 2.1 (Rear Side); 1 x HDMI 2.1 (Internal); 1 x LVDS; 1 x Intel® Thunderbolt 4 (optional)
Storage Devices	1 x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen5x4 SSD; 1 x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 SSD; 2 x SATA3 6.0Gb/s ports
USB Ports	2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A; 2 x USB 2.0

Naturally, the motherboard also meets all of the requirements for a modern Windows 11 system.

KitGuru Says: Do you use an ASRock motherboard? 

While many fans had hoped that the Nintendo Switch 2’s performance upgrade over its last-gen counterpart would allow for a greater degree of cross-platform parity, developers still need to go through their games with a fine-toothed comb in order to optimise the experience for Switch 2. Though many studios have already started to put in the work, Tekken 8 Director Katsuhiro Harada admitted that bringing the latest entry in the fighting game franchise to Switch 2 would “require a lot of work on the game to get it running on that hardware.”

While fighting game fans have plenty to enjoy on Switch 2, with the likes of Street Fighter 6 already present on the system, its contemporary – Tekken 8 – might not make it to Nintendo’s latest console.

Speaking to Eurogamer, Tekken 8 director Katsuhiro Harada spoke on the possibility of the latest Tekken coming to the Switch 2, stating:

“It's an interesting option, and not totally off the table. But it would require a lot of work on the game to get it running on that hardware. From a business standpoint, [the Switch 2] is doing quite well, so it would be a very good business decision if you're trying to get a bigger audience. But the amount of work that would have to be done on the game makes it not a very easy decision.”

As expected, Harada didn’t entirely rule out the possibility, concluding by saying “At this point in time, there are no… (laughs) There is nothing to announce.”

As we saw with the aforementioned Street Fighter 6, developers are of course able to tweak many of the game’s aspects in order to squeeze out the necessary frame times for a competent Switch 2 port. As explained by Harada however, this takes time and work, and so we will have to wait and see whether Bandai Namco chooses to (eventually) bring Tekken 8 to Switch.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Harada’s statement? Would you welcome a Switch 2 port of Tekken 8? Let us know down below.

Thanks to the introduction of Call of Duty’s unified launcher CODHQ, leakers and dataminers have been able to gather details on future content updates and even future titles far ahead of their official announcements. While we’ve only seen a brief teaser cinematic for the game so far, many of Call of Duty Black Ops 7’s biggest upcoming gameplay changes have now leaked.

As reported by known COD insider TheGhostofHope, the upcoming Black Ops 7 is set to make some interesting changes to its core gameplay.

Though far from the biggest change, the insider claimed that the next Call of Duty entry will get rid of openable doors in its 6v6 multiplayer maps (a feature popularised by 2019’s COD Modern Warfare reboot).

Another major gameplay change which was introduced with MW2019 was the tac-sprint, allowing you to run forwards at greater speeds for a short amount of time. While a welcome addition back then, this movement mechanic clashes somewhat with COD’s current omni-movement system, and as such according to Hope, BO7 will be getting rid of tac-sprint.

Other notable gameplay changes said to be coming include the return of looping killstreaks (though only available as a perk) and new specialist-styled abilities such as active camos; grappling hooks etc…

Other miscellaneous details include ‘confirmation’ that BO7 won’t feature the classic pick-10 system; will only have 3 remastered Black Ops 2 maps at launch; and will see the return of weekly challenge events for improved rewards.

Black Ops 6 launched with a ton of potential, but Treyarch dropped the ball somewhat with their post-launch support. Unfortunately, this was to be expected somewhat due to them working on a direct successor (BO7) for the following year. Still, though it’s too early to tell, Treyarch seems to be making a lot of correct moves so far with Black Ops 7.

KitGuru says: What do you think of these leaked details so far? Are there any other changes you’d like to see? Let us know down below.

We have reviewed a wide variety of systems from PCSpecialist over the years, so this time we wanted to take a different approach. PCSpecialist offers the ability to choose a custom list of components to make up your build, so today we're running through their system configurator to customise a prebuilt gaming desktop. We'll then give you the rundown on how this system was built and how it performs in a variety of games and benchmarks…

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:47 Getting started with the configurator
01:52 Case, CPU and mobo
03:47 Memory + GPU
05:46 Storage / PSU / cooling
08:55 Other components and extras
14:04 The system is here! First impressions
15:19 Mat looks at fan config
16:59 Build quality and other thoughts
18:33 Cable management
21:20 1440p gaming examples
26:49 CPU / GPU power and thermals
28:58 Noise levels
29:25 Closing thoughts

Specifications:

• Case – Thermaltake Tower 600
• CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
• Motherboard – ASUS TUF Gaming B850-Plus WiFi
• RAM – 32GB Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 6000MT/s CL30
• GPU – 16GB Gigabyte Radeon RX 9060 XT
• SSD – 2TB Samsung 990 Pro M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD
• PSU – Corsair RMx 750w Cybernetics Gold
• CPU Cooler – PCS FrostFlow 360 Series ARGB Liquid Cooler
• OS – Windows 11 Home

The core specs are confirmed in the following CPU-Z and GPU-Z screenshots:

While the main focus of our video was looking at the ability to customise the specification of a gaming desktop when ordering a machine from PCSpecialist, we did test the machine through a selection of gaming titles at 1440p resolution with maximum graphics settings. Examples of the performance in some of the titles can be seen in the below screenshots. For full details of system performance, including synthetic benchmarks and thermal output, watch our full review on YouTube.

Cyberpunk 2077 (1440p – FSR Quality and Frame Generation On)

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (1440p)

Black Myth: Wukong (1440p – FSR Quality and Frame Generation On)

Closing Thoughts

PCSpecialist built the system well and delivered the exact specification which was chosen in the first half of the video (and don't forget the full review is on YouTube, linked at the top of this page).

Cable management was finished to a high standard, with lots of zip ties being used alongside the cable management options included on the ThermalTake Tower 600 case.

The case was chosen not only for aesthetic reasons, but it's something a bit different compared to the system we regularly look at from PCSpecialist. It has a plethora of fan mounting locations as well as support for two different GPU orientations. No additional fans were added to the parts list when configuring the system, so the system arrived with just the included 2 x 140mm fans (installed as top exhaust) which come with the case.

This, when coupled with the fact that the PCS FrostFlow 360mm AIO CPU cooler had been installed as side exhaust, left the system with no air intake at all. While this is understandable due to no additional fans being included in the specification, it was not highlighted during the ordering process which could lead to issues for potential customers if they do not realise it will ship this way. It would be nice to see PCSpecialist add a reminder related to this, as well as the option to choose GPU orientation (with purchasing a PCIe riser cable if needed) during the customisation that highlights this potential issue.

That being said, during our full video review we did test the system with this ‘out of the box' fan set up, as well as moving the two case fans to intake – but this didn't result in any notable improvement in thermal performance, with the GPU temperature sensors in fact increasing by a couple degrees.

Aside from that, the system was set up and configured well out of the box. Memory was running at the stated 6000MT/s, all cables were connected and still place after delivery and all drivers were up to date.

Overall, the machine has been built with care and attention to detail and the experience of speccing up a custom prebuilt desktop from PCSpecialist was a positive one. Adding a few more in-depth options related to customisation (GPU orientation, RGB setup, personalisation options) to the specification process could see it be elevated to feel more 'boutique', but the end result speaks for itself.

You can access the desktop gaming PC system configurator over on the PCSpecialist website HERE. You can also buy this system with our exact spec for £1499 HERE.

Pros:

• The system was built and packaged well when it arrived.
• All chosen parts were installed and set up correctly.
• Cable management was done mostly to a high standard.

Cons:

• When configuring the system on the PCSpecialist website using the Thermaltake Tower 600 case, there was no notification that the system did not include any intake fans.
• There was no option to choose a different GPU installation orientation (which is supported by the selected case).

KitGuru says: The system configurator provides a relatively easy way to pick up a custom gaming PC, with our machine well built and set up correctly. It could be made to feel more 'boutique' with a few additions relating to system personalisation and cooling, though. 

LEGO Voyagers is the next game from Light Brick Studio – the team behind the visually stunning LEGO Builder’s Journey. First announced back during Summer Game Fest, this much-expanded co-op successor has now gotten a confirmed release date; officially launching next month.

Publishing their ‘official release date trailer’ the team at Light Brick Studios and Annapurna Interactive confirmed that the “mandatory co-op physics-puzzle-platformer” LEGO Voyagers is a mere month away – officially launching on the 15th of September 2025.

For the uninitiated, LEGO Voyagers is a 2-player co-op puzzler which sees you play as LEGO bricks attempting to “rescue an abandoned spaceship”. Being a LEGO brick, you will of course be able to snap yourself to various other pieces in order to navigate the world and solve puzzles.

As with many co-op titles released nowadays, LEGO Voyagers will include a friend pass, allowing you to play with any of your friends for free (a highly welcome feature popularised by Josef Fares and Hazelight Studios).

LEGO Builder’s Journey was a cute and relaxing title which in many ways left players wanting more. As such, it will be exciting to see what the team have come up with for Voyagers and how it will expand on the first game’s blueprint. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait long to find out.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for LEGO Voyagers? Did you enjoy the team’s previous title? What’s been your favourite co-op game of 2025 so far? Let us know down below.

Earlier this month, the team at HoYoverse announced that they would be shutting down the PS4 version of the  free-to-play open-world gacha game Genshin Impact in April of 2026. Following this, insiders claimed that more titles were set to see support end come next year. As it turns out, we didn’t need to wait long, as PUBG has now announced that they will be ceasing last-gen support in just a few months.

Making the announcement on their site, the PUBG team confirmed their move away from ‘legacy’ consoles, writing: “Starting November 13, PUBG Console will be supported only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.”

This switch to current-gen is said to allow for “improved visuals and more stable frame rates,” alongside a reduction in “ongoing crash issues through memory-related optimizations”. Beyond this, PlayStation users will finally be treated to a native PS5 version, potentially allowing for improved haptics and adaptive trigger utilisation – should PUBG Studios choose to support these features.

Regardless, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S users should see a notable boost in visuals come the 13th of November, albeit with some curious disparities.

Unlike a majority of cross-gen releases, PUBG on the PS5 and Xbox Series X will target different resolutions – with the former going for 1440p and the latter a full (dynamic) 2160p; though both at 60fps.

On the lower end of the spectrum, the Xbox Series S will offer two modes: 1080p at 60fps, or 1440p at 30fps. Finally, the PlayStation 5 Pro will offer the same dynamic 2160p at 60fps as the Series X (though possibly with a higher average resolution).

All that said, the current-gen upgrade will bring with it much more than a simple resolution and framerate boost, with the comparison pictures shared showing a clear improvement across the board, from the shadows; to LODs; object render distances and anisotropic filtering – among other minor enhancements.

Considering the fact that the PlayStation 5 and Series X|S are nearing 5 years old at this point, it was high time that the systems received native versions of PUBG.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to the current-gen upgrade? Was it time for last-gen support to end? What other live-service titles do you think will be next in line? Let us know down below.

If you've ever wanted to review tech, then this is a perfect opportunity as we are now hiring for a new reviewer to join our team! Prior experience is not strictly necessary, but we would like to see some example works from applicants. 

We are looking for someone who will be able to produce reviews of a range of tech gear in video format and in the KitGuru style. Any experience in this sector is beneficial, however we are open to all applicants provided you can give us a sample of your written and video work so we can assess your abilities.

KitGuru is a great company to work with, we are all tech enthusiasts who enjoy gaming, so we all have very similar interests. Behind the scenes it is very close-knit environment and many of our team have been with us for several years.

To be considered for this position you need:

• Skillset to present well on camera – and in English.
• The ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Strong communication skills.
• Some knowledge of video editing would be useful, but we have that capability in-house if we find the right candidate.
• Strong writing ability.
• This is a freelance position.

The successful applicant must be based in the United Kingdom, and we pay very well for this kind of work. If you are interested and feel you can meet the criteria above and want to work in this fast-moving sector then please send your CV along with any samples of your work to our Editor in Chief, Allan Campbell – allan(at)kitguru.net.

KitGuru says: We look forward to receiving your application!

Everything old is new again, as the Video Game History Foundation just uploaded what might be the first ever official reviews of the original Legend of Zelda and Super Mario…

Hackaday has a dream, a very unlikely one, but one likely shared with a lot of tech enthusiasts; the ability to tinker with our smartphones.  It is deeply unfair that only hackers…

The first independent benchmarks for AMD's recently launched Radeon RX 9060 have surfaced, giving us a glimpse at the performance of this OEM-exclusive graphics card. A South Korean outlet managed to get its hands on a Sapphire model, putting it through its paces to see how it stacks up against Nvidia's low-end RTX 50-series cards and AMD's XT model.

The results from Technosaurus (via VideoCardz) show the RX 9060 is a formidable 1080p performer, landing just 2% behind the GeForce RTX 5060 on average across a suite of games. This makes the two cards virtually indistinguishable in terms of real-world performance.

Against the lower-end RTX 5050, the RX 9060 storms ahead, offering over 20% more performance. Perhaps most surprisingly, the review shows the RX 9060 XT is only about 6% faster than the non-XT model. The tests were conducted with both an entry-level Ryzen 5 7500F (paired with RTX 5050) and a high-end Ryzen 7 9800X3D (with the RTX 5060 and RX 9060 XT).

The reviewer noted a few other interesting details. The Sapphire RX 9060 model is physically smaller than its XT counterpart, featuring a more compact custom cooler. It was also discovered that the card was already supported by older AMD drivers, suggesting it had been ready for launch for some time.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Would you like to see the Radeon RX 9060 in the DIY market? If they were available in retailers, how do you think these graphics cards should be priced?

Brendan ‘PlayerUnknown' Greene, the creative mind who kickstarted the entire battle royale genre with the Arma 3 mod PlayerUnknown's Battle Royale, followed by PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, is back with a very different kind of challenge. His new studio, PlayerUnknown Productions, has surprise-launched an open beta for its upcoming hardcore survival game, Prologue: Go Wayback!, and it's available to play right now.

Prologue sounds simple on paper. Your only objective is to survive the wilderness and find a weather station marked on your map. In practice, however, it's a brutal and unforgiving experience, as players must contend with sudden, extreme weather events like blizzards and thunderstorms, manage hunger and thirst, and navigate a massive 8×8 km map with nothing but a compass and a paper map. No waypoints or minimaps can help you, just like in real life.

The game's most ambitious feature is its technology. Every single time you start a new run, Prologue procedurally generates an entirely new and unique map. While the biome remains a vast, forested region inspired by real-world landscape data from Czechia, the layout of rivers, cliffs, cabins, and your final objective will be different every time.

After a period of relatively quiet, closed testing, the developer is now opening the doors to everyone. As first spotted by PCGamesN, Prologue has quietly entered open beta and is now free to download on both Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you like hardcore survival games? Will you try out PlayerUnknown's new game during its open beta, or do you prefer to wait for the final release?

Razer has today unveiled its next generation of competitive controllers, the Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC and the Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition 8K PC. As the names suggest, these new gamepads are aimed squarely at the esports scene, offering an 8000 Hz polling rate and new anti-drift thumbsticks.

Razer is launching two versions of the controller. The flagship is the Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC, which Razer claims is its lightest wireless esports controller to date. For players who prefer a guaranteed zero-latency wired connection for tournament play, the Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition 8K PC offers all the same core performance features in a cabled-only format.

The headline feature for many will be the new TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance) thumbsticks. This is Razer's implementation of magnetic, non-contact sensor technology, similar to Hall Effect, which promises to eliminate the stick drift that has plagued traditional controllers for years while also providing consistent tension and precision for FPS and action games. Moreover, the new Wolverine V3 Pro boasts an 8000 Hz polling rate, a feature previously reserved for high-end gaming mice. This is available in both wired and wireless modes on the Pro model, drastically reducing input latency for near-instantaneous response times.

Beyond the new tech, the controller is loaded with customisable features. It includes six remappable buttons, of which four are on the back and the remaining two are extra “claw grip” bumpers. In addition, the “Pro HyperTriggers” can be switched on the fly from a full analogue pull to a short click. All customisation is done via Synapse 4. Lastly, the buttons and the 8-way floating D-pad use tactile microswitches with double-shot PBT caps.

The Wolverine V3 Pro 8K and Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition 8K are now available for €179.99/$199.99/€199.99 and £99.99/$119.99/€99.99.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Knowing the prices, which Wolverine V3 controller model would you prefer?