Biwin has partnered with OC Lab to launch the new OC Lab Gold Edition DW100 RGB DDR5 memory kits, the world's first dual EXPO profile DDR5 memory sticks. Whether you choose the EXPO DDR5-8000 CL34/36 profile or the DDR5-6400 CL28 profile, changing between the two is as simple as flipping a switch.

According to TechPowerUP, the Biwin OC Lab Gold Edition DW100 DDR5-8000 is available in CL34 and CL36 with a 32GB (2x 16GB) capacity. For those seeking a balance of speed and responsiveness, the kits also include a secondary EXPO profile at DDR5-6400 CL28, prioritising low latency for smoother gameplay and faster application loading.

Biwin claims these kits have undergone rigorous tests and die selection to minimise the trade-off between frequency and latency that often plagues high-performance memory. The company added that these modules can be manually overclocked even further, reaching an impressive 8400 MT/s with CL34 latency. The secondary EXPO profile at DDR5-6400 CL28 adds another layer of versatility. Optimised timings and efficient voltage control provide further overclocking headroom while maintaining stability, allowing users to achieve even lower latencies. As per Biwin, reaching 8000MT/s at CL30 and 6400MT/s at CL26 under optimal conditions is possible.

Beyond raw performance, the Biwin OC Lab Gold Edition DW100 prioritises stability and reliability. A sophisticated 10-layer PCB design minimises electromagnetic interference and ensures stable data transmission. An unlocked PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit) dynamically adjusts voltage based on demand, guaranteeing consistent power delivery and aiding in thermal management. The three-fin heat spreader design further enhances cooling, maintaining optimal operating temperatures even under heavy loads. Stress testing at 1.45V and 1.50V revealed average temperatures below 50°C, showcasing the kit's exceptional thermal performance.

The Biwin OC Lab Gold Edition DW100 series also makes a visual statement with its sleek black design accented by gold elements, adding a touch of luxury to any build. Customisable RGB lighting with eight zones allows further personalisation, creating a cohesive and dynamic aesthetic. These new kits will join the Biwin DW100 family and will be available in late March, starting at $169.

KitGuru says: Should other companies follow the approach of adding distinct EXPO profiles for different use cases?

The Intel LGA 1700 platform was launched three years ago in 2021 and it has since seen a total of 3 generations of CPUs, Alder Lake (12th Gen), Raptor Lake (13th Gen), and Raptor Lake Refresh (14th Gen). We have seen at least three generations of motherboards, first with the 600-series which had Z690 as the top SKU, and then two generations of 700-series based on the top Z790 chipset which included a soft refresh for the 14th Gen lineup. Intel has now introduced its next-generation 800-series chipsets and with the Core Ultra 200S CPU series, the company is also […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/biostar-z890a-silver-motherboard-review-entry-level-price-white-aesthetics/

In the past week, Marvel Rivals saw its first major controversy when it was revealed that one of the support studios for the highly-successful live-service title was pulled from the project, with its developers being laid off as a result. In the wake of this, publisher NetEase has shared its latest fiscal earnings reports, with revenue surpassing $11 Billion.

As part of the company’s latest fiscal earnings report, NetEase revealed that during FY2024 the publisher made over $11.5 billion in revenue. Of course, this didn’t all come from the success of Marvel Rivals, but the live-service hero shooter was certainly a major component – with them confirming the title has been downloaded over 40 million times so far.

In discussing Marvel Rivals specifically, during the company’s conference call CEO Ding Lei stated: “If we launch a game product that isn't suited for market demand, we will aggressively and decisively discontinue it; we will also boost our investment in projects that meet quality and efficiency standards.”

Lei continued, “Game production is time-consuming and it may take three or more years to ship a game. So, during the entire process, from the start of the project to its completion, it is critical to constantly adapt to the market. Depending on the circumstances, support for a project may be increased or withdrawn entirely.”

The lack of a more concrete and candid response is a shame to see, but not surprising. Hopefully this won’t be the last time that NetEase addresses this disturbing situation.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the whole Marvel Rivals situation? Has it soured your opinion of the game? Let us know down below.

In the past few years, publisher Nacon has developed a following thanks to their string of unique and fun games which typically manage to do a lot on a AA budget. As part of their annual tradition, the publisher/accessories manufacturer has confirmed their next Nacon Connect is set to go live in a week’s time.

Releasing a teaser trailer onto YouTube, the team at Nacon officially announced the 2025 edition of their Nacon Connect livestream.

Set to go live on the 6th of March at 6PM UK time, the stream will include many upcoming games, including but not limited to:

• Hell is Us
• Edge of Memories
• Dragonkin: The Banished

Being a hardware manufacturer, fans can also expect a couple new accessory announcements – in particular on the controller front.

As mentioned, Nacon has amassed a reputation in recent years for their high quality AA releases. That said, the publisher has had a few stinkers in the past, most recently the critically panned Lord of the Rings: Gollum.

On the other hand, the company has also been responsible for the likes of The Sinking City; the WRC series; Steelrising and RoboCop: Rogue City – so all-in-all a mixed bag, but an interesting one nonetheless.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to the showcase? What are your expectations for Hell is Us? What’s your favourite 3rd party accessory manufacturer? Let us know down below.

Call of Duty recently saw itself in some hot water when it was discovered that a number of the game’s voice actors were replaced in response to their requests for protections against AI. Unfortunately, it seems as though wanting to replace VAs with AI is the latest trend, as EA’s Apex Legends has now found itself in a similar controversy.

As posted by the French voice actor for Apex Legends character Wraith (Pascale Chemin), the artist claimed that a new agreement was shared which would require the actors to allow for their performances to be used for generative AI purposes, writing on Instagram (as translated by ResetEra user Rouk’):

“Before being even called in for a recording session of a video game, the studio sent me (and the 31 other VA in the casting) a mail containing an annex of confidentiality and handover directly from the publisher. I needed to accept these terms before being able to go work. I thought so when I read through them and a legal expert specialised in audiovisual confirmed it: these terms weren't acceptable. I was now forced to give up the role I had been working on for almost 6 years. In no way could I force the rest of the casting members to do the same, but one thing was certain: if we all refused, it could maybe have an impact. Otherwise, it would have been in vain.”

Chemin continued, “Without any hesitation, the 31 other VAs all refused to sign this annex. We wrote a collective letter of refusal that we sent to the publisher and are waiting for an answer. If we aren't united now so that a clause that protects our voices can be officially added in our contracts – and not just for us here, but for every video game dubbing studios – we'll never get one and we'll be heading for a disaster.”

The message concluded with: “Of course, to refuse to work in the present day is nonsensical. There is barely any work available for some (many) of us, if any, and we are increasingly struggling with money. Yes, a salary would be welcome. But we aren't simply asked to work. We are asked to give up our expertise to train the generative AI that will replace us tomorrow. We are asked to agree to what we specifically fight against. We are asked to shoot ourselves in the foot. We are asked to support AI.”

While the VA didn’t explicitly name the game being referred to, the claim that the title released 6 years ago (and the list of other French VA’s named) all but confirms that they are referring to Apex Legends.

As mentioned, it seems as though all major game publishers are now pushing for any and all uses of AI in their games for the sake of money. Hopefully those affected continue to speak out against it.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the recent influx of generative AI? Will this cause the bursting of this current gaming bubble? Let us know down below.

Biwin has entered the Gen5 SSD arena with the X570 PRO, a drive which sits in the company's Black Opal premium gaming product line. Rated at up to 14,000MB/s for Sequential reads, it is the current flagship of the company's SSD range.

Powered by a Silicon Motion SM2508 8-channel controller, the X570 PRO uses 232-layer 3D TLC NAND together with an LPDDR4 DRAM cache chip (the size of which is based on drive capacity at the ratio of 1GB per 1TB). At launch, the X570 PRO range consists of three capacities; 1TB, 2TB and a flagship 4TB (the drive we are reviewing here) model.

Biwin rates the Sequential read performance of all three capacities as up to 14,000MB/s. As for Sequential writes, the 1TB and 2TB drives are rated up to 13,000MB/s and the 1TB drive, 10,500MB/s.

Random reads are quoted as up to 2000K IOPS for the 4TB and 2TB drives with the 1TB drive getting a rating of up to 1600K IOPS. Random writes are quoted as up to 1600K IOPS for all three drives.

The endurance figures quoted for the range are impressive with the 4TB drive getting a 3,000 TBW rating, 1,500 TBW for the 1TB drive and 750 TBW for the 1TB model. The drives are backed by a 5-year warranty.

Physical Specifications:

• Usable Capacities:  4TB.
• NAND Components: 232-layer TLC NAND.
• NAND Controller: Silicon Motion SM2508.
• Cache: 4GB LPDDR4.
• Interface: PCIe Gen 5 x4, NVMe 2.0.
• Form Factor:  M.2 2280.
• Dimensions: 80 x 22 x 2.5 mm.
• Drive Weight: 9g.

Firmware Version: FWX1221A

Sonic Rumble is SEGA’s take on the party game genre, with the upcoming free-to-play title adapting the Fall Guys style of gameplay – but with a heavy dosage of Sonic. Initially planned to release sometime during this past Winter season, the team has now confirmed that Sonic Rumble is instead launching in Spring.

Making the announcement on the game’s official site, SEGA confirmed that “Sonic Rumble is coming this spring! Before it crosses the global release finish line, we're packing it with some exciting new content and features to deliver the best experience for our players.”

They continued, “We would like to extend a huge thank you to our players and Sonic fans for their patience in waiting for the global launch of Sonic Rumble. The team is committed to delivering a memorable experience for Sonic fans with even more new game mechanics, new features, and more exciting content to look forward to.”

Alongside the delay, the team shared an updated roadmap, showcasing some of the features planned ahead of and during the global launch, including but not limited to:

• Quick Rumble (single round quick play)
• Rival Rank (ranked mode)
• New Crews feature (aka clans)

Given that this is the first game from the Angry Birds team (Rovio) since they were acquired by SEGA, it will be interesting to see how Sonic Rumble performs when it launches on mobile and PC some time this Spring.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to Sonic Rumble? Could it be a success? What’s your favourite Sonic mobile game? Let us know down below.

be quiet! is breathing new life into its popular Pure Rock CPU cooler series with the launch of five new models: Pure Rock 3 Black, Pure Rock 3 LX, Pure Rock Pro 3 Silver, Pure Rock Pro 3 Black, and Pure Rock Pro 3 LX. This refresh introduces exciting new features, including the company's first foray into dual-tower air coolers for mainstream systems, new fan configurations, and enhanced compatibility with the latest CPUs.

Leading the charge are the Pure Rock Pro 3 models, marking be quiet!'s first dual-tower air coolers designed for mainstream users. Despite their compact size, these coolers boast a 250W TDP, thanks to a combination of six high-performance heat pipes, a nickel-plated base, and optimised fan configurations. The standard Pro 3 has a silver and black aesthetic, while the Pro 3 Black offers an all-black stealthy look. Both models feature two Pure Wings 3 120mm PWM fans with funnel-shaped air inlets for enhanced airflow and quiet operation. The Pro 3 LX, also sporting an all-black design, comes equipped with two Light Wings LX 120mm PWM fans, featuring ARGB lighting while packing similar cooling performance. Even at full speed, all Pure Rock Pro 3 models maintain a maximum noise level of 34.8 dB(A).

Thanks to a user-friendly mounting kit, installation is a breeze. The asymmetrical design and adjustable front fan height ensure excellent compatibility with RAM and VRM heatsinks. AMD AM5 users can use the offset mounting option, which centers the cooler's base plate over the CPU's hotspots for optimal thermal performance. Moreover, the Pure Rock Pro 3 coolers can be used with liquid metal thermal paste for those looking to improve their cooling setup further.

For those seeking a more traditional single-tower design, be quiet! offers the Pure Rock 3 Black and Pure Rock 3 LX. Both models feature an all-black aesthetic and four high-performance 6mm heat pipes with HDT technology, delivering a 190W TDP cooling capacity suitable for many modern CPUs. The Pure Rock 3 Black includes a pre-installed Pure Wings 3 120mm PWM fan, while the Pure Rock 3 LX has a Light Wings LX 120mm fan with customisable ARGB lighting, complementing the all-black heatsink and heat pipes. Given they only come with one fan, the noise level is lower, as both models generate no more than 31.2 dB(A) at maximum fan speed.

Installation is straightforward, thanks to a pre-installed mounting bridge and convenient screw placement. Offset mounting is also supported to enhance compatibility with the latest AMD Ryzen CPUs. The Pure Rock 3's compact footprint maximises compatibility with RAM and VRM heatsinks, making it an ideal choice for space-constrained builds. The entire Pure Rock 3 lineup will be available for purchase starting March 11th starting at £27.99/$34.90/€34.90.

KitGuru says: Of all new Puro Rock 3 CPU coolers, would you consider any as an upgrade for your setup?

Klevv's CRAS C910 is a Gen 4 SSD aimed at the mainstream market. It combines decent performance at a competitive price point, landing at under $100 for the 2TB model we are reviewing today. UK availability is more scarce, but is this drive one to consider?

The CRAS C910 model range consists of four capacities: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB (the drive we are reviewing here), and a flagship 4TB model. The drive uses Essencore-branded 3D TLC NAND, which is looked after by a Realtek RTS5772DL, a PCIe 4 x4 eight-channel controller with a rated interface speed of up to 1600MT/s.

Klevv rates the C910 Sequential read performance as up to 5,000MB/s for the 500GB and 1TB drives and up to 5,200MB/s for the 2TB and 4TB models. Sequential writes are quoted as up to 3,700MB/s for the 500GB drive and up to 4,800MB/s for the other three models.

Random 4K read performance is rated as up to 545,000 IOPS for the 500GB drive, 620,000 IOPS (the fastest of the range) for the 1TB drive, up to 560,000 IOPS for the 2TB drive and 540,000 IOPS for the 4TB drive. When it comes to random writes, the 1TB and 2TB drives are the fastest at up to 615,000 IOPS, next up is the 4TB drive at up to 600,000 IOPS and the 500GB drive gets 510,000 IOPS.

The endurance for the 2TB drive is rated as 1,400 TBW.

Physical Specifications:

• Usable Capacities: 2TB.
• NAND Components: Essencore 3D TLC NAND.
• NAND Controller: Realtek RTS5772DL.
• Cache: none, HMB technology.
• Interface: PCIe Gen 4 x4, NVMe 1.4.
• Form Factor: M.2, 2280.
• Dimensions: 80 x 22 x 3.4mm (with heatshield).
• Drive Weight: 10g (with heatshield).

Firmware Version: VF001C4E.

China-based games publisher NetEase has been on a bit of an acquisition spree in recent years, picking up a bunch of international studios across the US, Europe and other regions. Unfortunately, NetEase is now rethinking its investments, putting a number of studios at risk of closure. 

According to Venturebeat and GameFile, NetEase is apparently ‘offloading' a number of its overseas holdings, as it looks to reduce the amount of money spent developing titles overseas. This is in part due to the high cost of running a US-based game studio.

One source told GameFile that if some of these studios are unable to get outside funding, they will face closure as NetEase looks to reduce costs. These concerns arose following the firing of NetEase's Seattle-based team that worked on Marvel Rivals. The studio was closed despite the game's incredibly successful launch, which has brought in over 40 million players so far.

Studios like Quantic Dream (Star Wars Eclipse) and Rebel Wolves (Blood of Dawnwalker) are thought to be safe at this time.

KitGuru Says: We'll have to wait and see how things shake out but since this story initially broke, it is worth noting that a few studios have released statements to say that they are still operational and have not yet heard anything. 

Corsair's streaming-focused brand, Elgato, is now a Diamond-level sponsor of the OBS project. OBS, otherwise known as Open Broadcaster Software is a tool used by thousands of creators to record and livestream content to sites like Twitch, YouTube, Kick, Rumble and others. The free open-source platform relies on partnerships to fund further development and Elgato is stepping up to provide exactly that, alongside more integration for OBS with Elgato products to make getting started as a content creator easier than ever. 

Speaking on the new partnership, Elgato ecosystem director, Taylor Ward, said: “This partnership builds on a long history of collaboration. Elgato tools and OBS Studio have always gone hand in hand—now we’re taking that connection to the next level. Together, we’re excited to bring creators new ways to enhance and streamline their workflows.”

The funding will help OBS out in a few areas, allowing for the hiring of additional developers to fix bugs, create new features and expand the plugin infrastructure. Some of those new tools are already available through the new Elgato OBS Studio plugin, Marketplace Connect, which links OBS with your Elgato products to make workflows faster and easier. The Elgato storefront also now includes a dedicated OBS section, where creators can browse full scene collections and install them directly to OBS Studio, taking the setup process down from a multi-hour affair to just a few clicks.

Creators can also share their own OBS setups too thanks to an export tool that automatically gathers files and settings to bundle together. Creators can test out a number of these through the Elgato Marketplace.

KitGuru Says: OBS is an incredibly useful piece of software and thanks to support from companies like Elgato, YouTube and Nvidia, it has been able to remain free for all users. Now with Elgato's new integrations, setting up a stream should be easier than ever for anyone wanting to dip their toes into content creation. 

Framework had an impressive event yesterday where they showed off new 12" and 13" laptops as well as an all new mini ITX gaming PC.  The Framework Desktop is a bit of…

Samsung has announced their latest lineup of consumer NVMe drives, with the new 9100 Series SSDs offering sequential speeds of up to 14,800 MB/s reads and up to 13,400 MB/s writes. Naturally,…

The Beelink SER9 Pro mini PC contains a brand new CPU, the Ryzen AI 9 365 and it's Radeon 880M as opposed to the Radeon 890M found in the Ryzen AI 9…

FSP has impressed us greatly with its latest generation PCIe 5.0 power supplies. The company is launching its most efficient yet with the new MEGA TI PSU series, offering up to 1650W capacity, ATX 3.1 compliancy and dual PCIe 12V-2×6 connectors for the latest generation graphics cards.

The MEGA TI series is built for uncompromising performance, featuring Interleaved PFC topology and high-performance MOSFETs and SiC diodes from Infineon for exceptional power regulation. With FSP’s proprietary Micro Tolerance Load Control technology, voltage regulation is maintained at an ultra-precise ±0.5%, surpassing Intel’s ATX 3.1 standards. Certified with 80 PLUS Titanium and Cybenetics Titanium ratings, these PSUs ensure minimal power loss, lower heat output, and near-silent operation, making them an optimal choice for high-performance systems.

To ensure support for the latest generation graphics cards, the Mega TI PSU series features two PCIe 12V-2×6 connectors, alongside additional 8-pin options. The PSU features a fully modular design, so you only need to plug in the cables you need, reducing clutter in your case. As far as noise goes, the FSP MEGA Ti PSU is one of the first to achieve the Cybenetics LAMBDA 230V A++ certification for offering best-in-class acoustic performance.

As you would expect from a high-end PSU, these units are built with high-quality Japanese capacitors, and feature a host of protection measures, including OCP, OVP, SCP, OPP, UVP and OTP.

The FSP Mega Ti 1350W PSU will be available priced at $399 and the 1650W version will go for $459, not including taxes.

KitGuru Says: Are you in the market for a high-capacity power supply for a new build? Are you considering FSP for it? 

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, the eagerly anticipated remake of Metal Gear Solid 3, is due to launch in late August, so it is a bit soon to be talking about PC system requirements. Still, that hasn't stopped Konami from releasing PC specs well ahead of time, and confirming that the game will require a ray-tracing capable graphics card. 

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will have ray-traced lighting by default, meaning you'll need at least an RTX 20 series GPU, or an AMD RX 6000 series GPU in order to play. This isn't uncommon in the current gaming landscape, as other major titles like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws have also launched with ray-traced lighting effects as the default option. As a result, the need for an RTX series or AMD equivalent GPU is growing by the day, leaving those still running on a GTX series GPU, or an older AMD Radeon GPU in a difficult position.

In the table below you can find the full minimum and recommended PC system requirements for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. At this point in time, Konami does not have an AMD graphics card listed but we expect that to change closer to the August launch date for the game.

Like most other modern games too, the install size is large, coming in at 100GB and an SSD is recommended. While many modern games can still be played on a hard drive, issues like crashes, stutter, mismanaged textures and others are much more noticeable when running today's storage and memory-hungry games on an HDD.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will release for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on the 28th of August.

KitGuru Says: Are you planning on picking up the MGS 3 remake? What do you think of the PC system requirements?

The latest episode of the Official Xbox Podcast has dropped, and it has brought around one particularly big headline – Fable has been delayed from 2025 to 2026. As it turns out, this could have something to do with Microsoft's evolving multiplatform strategy, as rumour has it that Fable will now launch on PC, Xbox and PS5 simultaneously. 

During Microsoft's battle with the FTC to secure permission to acquire Activision Blizzard and the Call of Duty IP, Microsoft made it clear that it had no plans to make Call of Duty exclusive and spent much time painting the picture that exclusives are actually bad for business. In 2024, Microsoft took things a step further, bringing titles like Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment and Grounded to rival console platforms. since then, titles like Forza Horizon 5, Doom: The Dark Ages and Indiana Jones have also been confirmed for release on PS5.

Speaking on Microsoft's expanding multiplatform games strategy, Xbox Game Studios head, Craig Duncan, said on the latest Xbox Podcast that this approach is “good for gamers” and that it is “good for our studios”. Microsoft's approach now is to give its first-party games “the chance to reach the broadest audience possible”, which means taking a step back from its singular device approach to include the likes of PS5 and Nintendo Switch, as well as PCs.

Interestingly, it has been claimed by a few sources that Fable, which was just pushed back from 2025 to 2026, was already planned to come to PS5 next year. As a result, it is now expected that Fable will be one of the first Xbox titles to launch on PC, Xbox and PS5 simultaneously, doing away with the ‘timed exclusive' approach we've seen from Microsoft so far with titles like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The iffy part? Microsoft still wants to sell Xbox consoles and is planning a new generation, which seems somewhat pointless given the company's SEGA-style approach moving forward.

KitGuru Says: Would you still buy an Xbox console if Microsoft were to start bringing its first-party games to rival consoles day-and-date with PC and Xbox? 

We are just days away from the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds, Capcom's massive next-gen follow-up to Monster Hunter Worlds, which launched back in 2018 and went on to become the franchise's biggest game in the west so far. There are high hopes for Wilds to capture that same level of interest and now with pre-loading available, the unlock times for the game have been revealed. 

If you want to play Monster Hunter Wilds as soon as possible, then you will need an Xbox Series X/S or PS5 console. Due to concerns around datamining, the game on PC will have a global unlock time, while on console, the game simply unlocks at midnight on the 28th of February in whatever region you are in.

For those of us on PC, the game will unlock at 5AM UTC. Here in the UK, that means the game will become playable at 5AM on the 28th of February. In the US, that works out to 12AM EST on the 28th of February or 9PM PST on the 27th of February if you are on the west coast.

If you have the game pre-ordered and are looking to dive in as soon as possible, then you will be happy to know that you can download it ahead of time. Pre-loading for the game is now live on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, so you'll only have to sit through a quick patch download at launch, rather than waiting for the entire game to install.

KitGuru Says: Are you picking up Monster Hunter Wilds this week? Have you already got the game preloaded and ready to go? 

Given the massive $300 million hole left in WB Games' balance sheet in 2024 due to the unsuccessful launches of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Quidditch Champions and Multiversus, we had a feeling that some form of restructuring would be taking place. Now, WB Games has confirmed plans to close down three of its game development studios, including Monolith Productions.

Monolith Productions, Player First Games and WB Games San Diego are all closing down. Whatever projects they were working on, like Monolith's Wonder Woman game, have been cancelled but the likes of NetherRealm, TT Games and Rocksteady have survived the fallout. The biggest shock here to fans is the closure of Monolith, who developed excellent games like Shadow of Mordor and its innovative Nemesis system, as well as classics like F.E.A.R. and Condemned.

Speaking on the studio closures, a Warner Bros spokesperson gave the following statement to Kotaku:

“We have had to make some very difficult decisions to structure our development studios and investments around building the best games possible with our key franchises – Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC and Game of Thrones. After careful consideration, we are closing three of our development studios – Monolith Productions, Player First Games and Warner Bros. Games San Diego. This is a strategic change in direction and not a reflection of these teams or the talent that consists within them.”

“The development of Monolith’s Wonder Woman videogame will not move forward. Our hope was to give players and fans the highest quality experience possible for the iconic character, and unfortunately this is no longer possible within our strategic priorities. This is another tough decision, as we recognize Monolith’s storied history of delivering epic fan experiences through amazing games. We greatly admire the passion of the three teams and thank every employee for their contributions. As difficult as today is, we remain focused on and excited about getting back to producing high-quality games for our passionate fans and developed by our world class studios and getting our Games business back to profitability and growth in 2025 and beyond.”

Unfortunately, this likely means that the Nemesis system, which Warner Bros locked down with a patent, will not be used again for at least another decade. The patent is due to expire in the 2030s and Warner Bros just fired the very people responsible for building it, so they are unlikely to get much use out of it themselves.

KitGuru Says: I'm not shocked to see some WB Games studios closing down, but I am shocked that Monolith Productions got caught in the crossfire. With that said, it sounds like development of the Wonder Woman game wasn't going to plan behind the scenes, as it had just been rebooted in 2024.

I often get emails in my inbox showcasing interesting stats about the games market, the titles dominating playtime and the threat they pose to other entertainment mediums, like video streaming services (Netflix, Disney+ etc). There is just one problem, these are often coming from online casino websites looking to boost their SEO. Today, I have interesting numbers we can actually trust, thanks to the analysts at Circana. 

As reported by games industry analyst, Mat Piscatella, the latest Circana Player Engagement Study has revealed that over 70 percent of PS5 and Xbox Series X/S players in the USA are actively playing one of the top ten live-service games. Of that subset of players, over 40 percent spend all their gaming hours in one of those top live-service games, never venturing out to try other titles.

The top ten live service games on console in the US include the likes of Call of Duty, Fortnite, Roblox, GTA Online, NBA 2K25, Marvel Rivals, Minecraft and Madden NFL, with other titles like Destiny 2, Apex Legends and Rocket League dropping in and out of the top ten depending on the month.

If you've ever wondered why so many publishers are obsessed with trying to capture a piece of the live service game market – this is why.

KitGuru Says: Live service games often get ragged on, but unfortunately, the numbers show that these games are popular. However, the statistics also show that it is incredibly difficult for a new game to dethrone any established title already in the top ten. Will that stop executives from funding these projects? Probably not, but hopefully after disasters like Concord and Suicide Squad, we'll start to see a fairer balance. 

At this point, all of the Xenoblade Chronicles games are available to play on Nintendo Switch, with one notable exception – Xenoblade Chronicles X. Nintendo quietly announced a Switch port for the game back in November and now, just ahead of its re-launch next month, we have an extensive overview trailer for the game. 

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is heading to Nintendo Switch on the 20th of March, completing the collection of Xenoblade Chronicles titles on the system. This game originally launched exclusively for the Wii U back in 2015, and due to that console's lacklustre sales record, not many fans had the chance to experience this one.

Fans have been asking for Xenoblade Chronicles X on Nintendo Switch ever since the console's first year on the market, which saw the release of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. This release will mark the first time that the complete Xenoblade Chronicles collection will be available on one platform. As the Nintendo Switch 2 is confirmed to be backwards compatible with Switch 1 titles, that means all of these games will remain playable well into the future.

In Xenoblade Chronicles X, you play as one of the last surviving members of the human race following Earth's destruction. Players will find themselves on the planet Mira, learning to pilot Mechs to survive and join the ranks of the BLADE organisation. It acts as a prequel to the later Xenoblade Chronicles games and was well received by fans for its gameplay and large open-world.

KitGuru Says: The Xenoblade Chronicles games are some of my favourite JRPGs but due to Xenoblade Chronicles X only being on Wii U, I never had the chance to play it. I'm glad to see that finally change next month and hopefully, all of the Xenoblade games get a performance update for the Switch 2, as they look particularly rough on the original system in handheld mode. 

March is shaping up to be a surprisingly big month for PlayStation Plus. Despite releasing less than six months ago, BioWare's latest RPG, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, is already hitting subscription services. 

Dragon Age: The Veilguard (PS5) is the headliner for next month's set of PlayStation Plus monthly games. Anyone with a PS+ Essential tier (or higher) subscription will be able to add the game to their digital library to play in full whenever the mood strikes. While Dragon Age: The Veilguard made some rather stark changes compared to previous games in the series, it was still a fun game and is certainly worth claiming if you have a PS+ subscription.

Sonic Colors: Ultimate is the second game available to claim in March 2025. In this game, Sonic must head to Eggman's new interstellar amusement park in order to free the Wisps, an alien race captured by Eggman and forced to power his big space theme-park. This is the PS4 remaster of the original game, offering upscaled visuals, a new game mode and other enhancements.

The final game on our list is a personal favourite of mine. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection packages together 13 classic TMNT games, some of which are from the early arcade days. Each title has been updated with a range of QoL features, online support has been added, and you can also play local co-op.

All three games will be available to PlayStation Plus members on March 4 until March 31. That means you have until the end of March 3rd to claim February's PS+ monthly games, which include High on Life, Payday 3 and Pac-Man World Re-Pac.

KitGuru Says: Will you be installing any of this month's PS+ titles? 

We've known for quite some time that Valve has been quietly working on a new VR headset. At one point, it was thought to be a Meta Quest competitor, bringing costs down and offering cable-free VR. However, the plan appears to have changed, with the new headset, codenamed ‘Deckard', poised to go for as much as $1200. 

According to reliable Valve leaker, GabeFollower, who also accurately leaked details about Deadlock and Counter-Strike 2 ahead of announcement, Valve's new VR headset should launch by the end of 2025. Like previous rumours suggested, this new headset is believed to be a wireless headset, but the price tag will not make it competitive with the likes of the Quest 2 or Quest 3.

It is thought that the new Valve VR headset will release in a $1200 bundle that will also include some ‘in-house' games. At its core, the headset will utilise a new version of SteamOS adapted for VR headsets, which could open the door for expanded game compatibility, perhaps through an easily accessible ‘Big Screen' mode where non-VR games can be played in-headset on a giant virtual cinema screen.

Valve has not yet announced any plans for a new VR headset. Currently, Valve still sells its original Index headset at £999 for the bundle including controllers and tracking stations.

KitGuru Says: I feel like interest in VR headsets is at a low point currently, in part due to a lack of ambitious games. We are five years on from Half-Life Alyx and yet, it remains unchallenged as the best single-player VR game on the market. With that in mind, I do question how much interest there will be in a new headset. That could of course change if Valve has a new Half-Life game up its sleeve for 2025. 

At CES, Razer unveiled its latest Razer Blade 18 and 16 laptops, powered by RTX 50 graphics. Now, both are up for pre-order. The new Razer Blade 18 utilises the world's first dual-mode laptop display with 4K/240Hz and 1080p/440Hz modes, while the new Razer Blade 16 is Razer's thinnest laptop ever. 

Here are some of the key features for the new Razer Blade 18 (2025):

• Big Screen Experience Made Faster: The world's first 18″ dual mode display letting you switch seamlessly between UHD+ 240HZ for detail and FHD+ 440Hz for maximum speed.
• The Most Powerful Laptop Graphics: Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU – Unlocking the maximum Total Graphics Power (TGP) available for the most demanding tasks and games.
• Latest Desktop-Grade Processing: Intel® Core Ultra 200HX series processors give gamers, creators, and professionals enthusiasts level performance for consuming and creating on the go.
• 280W of TPP (Total Package Power): Pushing mobile compute to the max with our most advanced thermal engineering solution ever.
• Desktop Features Made Portable: Bringing advanced connectivity, enhanced audio-visual experience, and gaming keyboard features to portable computing.

Here are some of the key features of the smaller Razer Blade 16:        

• Reimagined Design
  • The thinnest gaming laptop ever designed by Razer achieving a slim 0.59-inch profile at its thinnest point.
  • New thermal hood design that effectively manages thermals with a new vapor chamber cooling solution that covers 57% of the motherboard and features 0.05 mm thin exhaust fins for greater heat dissipation.
• Peak AI-Powered Performance
  • Features up to a NVIDIA® GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, with 24 GB of GDDR7 VRAM and pushes up to 160W of maximum graphics power.
  • First Blade First Blade 16 to be powered by an AMD Ryzen processor, up to an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, with an NPU that features up to 50 TOPS for access to Copilot+ experiences, including powerful image creation tools with Cocreator, live translations when watching international content with Live Captions, and improved Windows Studio Effects to boost their presentations.
  • Packs a crystal clear QHD+ 240Hz OLED display offering Calman Verified color profiles and a blazing fast .2ms response time.
• Best-in-Class Experience
  • Redesigned keyboard with a deeper 1.5mm travel distance, for 50% more travel vs the last generation Blade 16, and ~63g of actuation force for a more responsive typing experience.
  • Upgraded 6-speaker audio system for a richer listening experience featuring THX Spatial Audio.

Both the Razer Blade 18 and Razer Blade 16 models are now available for pre-order, but you'll need deep pockets to afford one. The Razer Blade 16 is starting at £2699.99, while the Razer Blade 18 is starting at £3099.99.

KitGuru Says: Are you considering an RTX 50-powered laptop for 2025? How much would you be willing to spend on a gaming laptop?

Back in 2014, Monolith Productions impressed us all with Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor and its central game mechanic – the Nemesis System. The technology allowed for dynamic NPCs that would hunt the player character down and level up if it managed to beat you, adding an interesting twist to gameplay that could be used to improve hundreds of other games. Unfortunately, WB Games patented the technology and as a result, developers aren't able to produce a similar system for at least another decade. 

Warner Bros filed the patent for the Nemesis System back in 2016, one year ahead of the release of Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. As the patent was approved, that means Warner Bros has exclusive rights to use this technology for 20 years after the filing date. The patent will not expire until August 11th 2036.

The situation goes a little beyond that though. This week, Warner Bros made the decision to shut down Monolith Productions and cancel the studio's upcoming Wonder Woman game, the only other title in production to make use of this technology. With the studio shutting down and the developers behind the system being forced to find work elsewhere, it is unlikely that even WB will make use of this patent again anytime soon.

Warner Bros could potentially license out the patent, but most publishers don't exactly like giving out a piece of their pie to a third-party. A good example of this is NetEase with Marvel Rivals, as we recently learned that the game was almost scrapped due to the company's CEO not wanting to give Disney their licensing fee.

KitGuru Says: This is a good example of the patent system being used for the wrong reasons. Rather than locking down an innovative technology and making good use of it, WB has squandered its opportunity and taken something cool away from the gaming community, much like Namco did back in the 90s with its patent on ‘playable mini games during loading screens'.