Word on the web is that graphics card pricing is about to go up as add-in board (AIB) partners for both AMD and NVIDIA look to pass along the cost of rising DRAM prices. If the reports are true, we'll start to see higher-priced GPUs next month for AMD and February for NVIDIA, followed by more price increases as 2026 stretches its legs. That's
Less than a year into its mission, NASA’s SPHEREx has already completed its first full survey of the sky, producing a near-infrared map that captures the entire cosmos in a staggering 102 colors. Words can't really convey the true splendor of the achievement, though, so have a look for yourself at the panoramic video NASA released.
Unlike
Old school PC geeks may remember a time when AMD and Intel were in a race to 1GHz and beyond, back before multiple cores, hybrid designs, and mountains of stacked cache took center stage. Those days may be gone forever, but now we have monitor makers trying to one-up each other with increasingly fast speeds, and HKC is touting a gaming monitor
Hold on a second, Samsung designers were allowed to actually design something? Ahead of the upcoming CES 2026, the South Korean company has unveiled not just a soundbar, but some very fresh-looking Wi-Fi speakers that combine artistic design and high-fidelity performance (on paper anyway).
Music Studio 7
Undoubtedly the eye-catcher during
While you're planning your New Year's resolutions, add-in board (AIB) partners for both AMD and NVIDIA are getting ready to ring in 2026 with a round of price increases, followed by more price hikes as the year goes on, according to multiple reports. The culprit, as you can probably guess, is the rising cost of DRAM, which has already impacted
The Danganronpa series is generally regarded as one of the best and most successful visual novels in the gaming medium. The franchise, which has seen three mainline titles, alongside spin-off games; an anime adaptation; as well as novels and manga has continued to see new fans on an annual basis – despite the last mainline entry arriving all the way back in 2017. 15 years on from the franchise’s inception, Danganronpa has now officially sold over 10 million copies.
Making the announcement via a press release, publisher Spike Chunsoft confirmed that the “widely beloved Danganronpa video game series has surpassed 10 million units shipped worldwide” as of the 10th of December 2025.
As mentioned, the Danganronpa franchise has amassed a dedicated fanbase over the past 15 years, helping to keep the series relevant despite the lack of any new mainline entries in almost a decade.
With various titles having been added to subscription services over the years, the total number of players is likely even greater than the 10 million sales figure.
Though we did not get any concrete details on what’s next for the series, the team concluded their press release by stating: “Spike Chunsoft looks forward to continuing to elevate the Danganronpa franchise through a variety of products and initiatives.”
KitGuru says: Are you a fan of the Danganronpa series? How does it compare to other visual novels? Are you hoping for a 4th mainline entry in the coming years? Let us know down below.
The post The Danganronpa series has officially surpassed 10 million copies sold first appeared on KitGuru.Throughout 2025 we have seen a number of different games hold the top spot for the best-selling title of the year. With 2026 just a couple days away now, we have started to get a more complete look at the past 12 months in the industry – with EA’s Battlefield 6 confirmed to be the best-selling game of 2025 in the US (and Mario Kart World topping the UK physical charts).
As shared by the publication Gameindustry.biz, we’ve now gotten a more complete look at the video games industry’s performance across 2025.
The full list of stats can be found HERE, and covers all sorts from the most discussed games of the year, to the biggest publisher, most viewed trailers and more.
For our purposes however, the most interesting stats pertain to the best-selling games of the year, with the top 10 titles in the US being as follows:
The UK’s top 10 meanwhile shows quite a different story:
It is worth noting however that the US figures in particular only go up to November and do not include games offered as part of hardware bundles (likely why Mario Kart World is not featured).
The UK Figures are also somewhat incomplete. While they do count hardware bundles and include sales up to mid December, the top 10 does not feature any digital software sales – hence why Nintendo games have such a big presence on the list.
Regardless, it is interesting to see how the past 12 months of video games have performed, and how other regions’ purchasing habits differ from one another. The full stats for 2025 (including Japanese sales, mobile game performance and more) can be found HERE.
KitGuru says: Was 2025 a good year for video games? Are you surprised by any of the best-sellers? What do you think the UK chart would look like had digital sales been included? Let us know down below.
The post Battlefield 6 was officially the best-selling game of 2025 in the US first appeared on KitGuru.For Day 29 of the KitGuru Advent Calendar, we have teamed up with FSP to give away THREE prizes. Each winner today will get a new FSP 850W or 1000W PSU!
FSP’s Hydro PTM PRO 1000W, Dagger PRO 850W, and VITA GM 850W cover three very different segments of the PSU market while sharing the brand’s emphasis on efficiency, protection features, and long warranties. The Hydro PTM PRO 1000W is a high‑end ATX unit, offering 80 Plus Platinum efficiency, a fully modular layout and a 10‑year warranty. The Dagger PRO 850W targets small‑form‑factor builds with its compact SFX design, 80 Plus Gold efficiency, semi‑fanless operation, Japanese capacitors, and a strong single‑rail 12V output, making it one of the more capable SFX units available. The VITA GM 850W is FSP’s value‑oriented ATX 3.1 Gold model, delivering modern PCIe 5.1 support, fully modular cabling, a 120mm HYB fan, and a 10‑year warranty, positioning it as a cost‑efficient option for mainstream gaming systems.
To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is head over to our competition announcement post on Facebook, HERE. In the comments, leave an answer to the following question – What is the wattage of your current PSU?
This competition is open worldwide.
The winner will be picked randomly shortly after 11AM GMT December 30th, and a new competition will be announced for Day 30. The chosen winner has 48 hours to respond, if we do not hear from them, a new winner will be picked.
Terms and Conditions: This competition is open worldwide, starting at 11AM GMT on December 29th and ending at 10:59AM GMT on December 30th. Due to the busy Christmas season, prize deliveries could take longer than usual, and some prizes may not ship until January. In compliance with GDPR, we will not collect or store any personal information as part of this competition. Once the winner has been contacted and their prize received, personal details will be deleted from our email servers. Your details will not be shared, we respect your privacy.
KitGuru Says: Good luck to all who enter, we'll be back tomorrow morning to announce a winner and turn the calendar over to Day 30!
The post KitGuru Advent Calendar Day 29: Win one of THREE FSP PSUs! first appeared on KitGuru.OLED monitors are getting cheaper and cheaper, and today's screen is quite possibly the most affordable we have ever looked at. We're talking about the Philips Evnia 27M2N6501L, a display which utilises a 3rd Gen Samsung QD-OLED panel with a 27in 1440p resolution and 240Hz refresh rate. It offers all the key benefits of OLED technology, including effectively infinite contrast, near-instant response times and super-wide gamut coverage to give just three examples. Launching at just £399 here in the UK, we find out if it's worth buying.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:54 Affordable OLEDs and pricing info
02:10 Design first impressions
02:28 Ambiglow lighting
03:15 I/O + OSD menu
04:20 QD-OLED characteristics
05:34 Out of the box panel testing
07:38 sRGB and calibrated results
08:18 Response time / motion clarity examples
09:35 Real-world gaming experience
10:41 HDR testing
12:37 Closing thoughts
If you're looking for an affordable OLED monitor, chances are you will have come across both the Philips Evnia 27M2N6501L, and AOC's Q27G4ZDR. Both share the same panel and cost £400, but we decided to focus on the Philips offering as it also offers Ambiglow lighting, plus I think the design is more visually appealing.
Prices for other QD-OLEDs have been getting lower and lower though, with AOC's AG276QZD2 hitting £379 during Black Friday, while Gigabyte's MO27Q2 is currently £429. Safe to say there's a lot of competition, so let's find out how the 27M2N6501L performs.
Specification:
Firmware tested: V1.01
The post Philips Evnia 27M2N6501L Review (Affordable 1440p/240Hz QD-OLED) first appeared on KitGuru.
Ever dreamt of an iPhone that transforms into an iPad? If you have, the iPhone Fold renders leaked by Jon Prosser, aka YouTube's fpt., will be of interest. Jon uploaded a video showcasing the some official-looking renders of the upcoming device, which when folded, appears similar to a standard 5.5-inch iPhone with 9 millimeters of thickness.
WhileAsus is raising the bar for professional-grade monitors with the introduction of the PA27UCDMR, a 26.5-inch addition to the ProArt lineup that bridges the gap between high-speed gaming specifications and critical colour accuracy.
As shared by DisplaySpecifications, the PA27UCDMR is built around a 4K UHD QD-OLED panel with a 166 PPI pixel density, ensuring fine details remain sharp. While OLED is often associated with entertainment in the monitor market, Asus has tailored this specific model for the creative studio by incorporating a true 10-bit colour depth and near-total coverage of professional gamuts, including 99% DCI-P3 and 100% sRGB.
The motion handling is where the ProArt PA27UCDMR deviates from traditional creative displays. With a 240 Hz refresh rate and a 0.1 ms G2G response time, the monitor can handle high-frame-rate video review and game development workflows. This speed can then be paired with dynamic range support for HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision content. Moreover, the monitor is VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black-certified.
The PA27UCDMR has an integrated hardware calibration solution, meaning you can calibrate it without relying on software-level profiles. This allows the user to switch between different systems without losing the preset. The inclusion of the Asus ProArt Calibration software, alongside compatibility with Calman and Light Illusion systems, reinforces its position as a tool for colour perfectionists. Furthermore, built-in ambient light and proximity sensors enable the display to dynamically adjust its brightness based on the studio environment or user presence.
Connectivity is equally good, headlined by a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports that support daisy-chaining and deliver up to 96W of power to a connected laptop. This single-cable solution is complemented by DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1 inputs, alongside a high-speed USB 3.2 Gen 2 hub. Mechanically, the monitor offers the full suite of ergonomic adjustments, including a 130 mm height range and the ability to pivot to a vertical orientation, ensuring it fits virtually any professional workspace.
KitGuru says: The ProArt PA27UCDMR is a formidable entry into the professional market, effectively silencing the argument that you have to choose between high refresh rates and professional colour accuracy.
The post Asus ProArt PA27UCDMR merges 240Hz refresh rate with HDR10 and Dolby Vision first appeared on KitGuru.Nihon Falcom has released its latest “Business Plans and Growth Potential” report detailing its plan toward global self-publishing and multi-platform development. After a successful fiscal 2025 driven by the worldwide success of the Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter remake, the legendary JRPG developer is doubling down on its independent publishing efforts for the Nintendo Switch, the recently launched Switch 2, and the PlayStation 5.
As shared by Gematsu, the report includes a roadmap with multiple upcoming titles. Still, the most significant is probably the formal scheduling of Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter (the remake of Trails in the Sky SC), which is now locked for a fall 2026 release. Following the momentum of its predecessor, the title will launch simultaneously on PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. This simultaneous global release strategy marks a significant shift for Falcom, which historically relied on third-party partners for ports and regional launches.
Besides this remake, the internal roadmap reveals several high-priority projects currently in active development. Most notable is “Title C”, a new entry in the Tokyo Xanadu series. The 2026 schedule also includes a yet-to-be-announced “New Title” and a “Ported Title”, both aimed at the mid-year window.
Looking further ahead, the document confirms that unannounced mainline entries for both the Ys and Trails series (specifically referred to as Title I and Title H) are in production. The company is also exploring the potential of the Switch 2 for ports of its existing catalogue, with at least one dedicated Switch 2 port currently listed as “In Development”.
KitGuru says: Are you a fan of Falcom games? Which series is your favourite? Interested in any of Falcom's upcoming titles?
The post Nihon Falcom reveals new Trails and Ys JRPGs for 2026 first appeared on KitGuru.LG has unveiled a new lineup of high-end gaming monitors ahead of CES 2026, introducing a new flagship sub-brand named UltraGear evo. Designed to sit above its standard gaming lineup, the “evo” series prioritises high resolutions while aiming to overcome the hardware barrier to 5K gaming through integrated on-device AI upscaling.
The feature that sets all these new monitors apart is LG's proprietary 5K AI upscaling solution. LG claims this is the world's first on-device upscaler capable of taking lower-resolution signals and outputting them with “5K-class clarity” without taxing the user's graphics card. By moving the heavy lifting of spatial reconstruction from the PC to the monitor's internal scaler, LG suggests that gamers may even be able to skip a GPU upgrade.
The lineup includes the 39GX950B, a 39-inch 5K2K (5120×2160) ultrawide that uses LG's Primary RGB Tandem OLED technology. This “four-stack” architecture, which stacks multiple light-emitting layers, improves peak brightness and panel longevity compared to traditional WOLED. For enthusiasts who split their time between immersive sims and Twitch shooters, the 39-inch model features a Dual Mode toggle that lets users switch between 165 Hz at 5K2K and a blistering 330 Hz at WFHD.
For those who prefer high-brightness HDR over perfect blacks, the 27GM950B arrives as the world's first 5K “New MiniLED” monitor. This 27-inch display addresses the common “blooming” or haloing issues found in older MiniLED designs through LG's Zero Optical Distance engineering. By physically minimising the gap between the 2,304 local dimming zones and the panel itself, LG claims it has achieved professional-grade optical clarity. This model also supports Dual Mode, reaching up to 330 Hz at QHD resolution with a peak brightness of 1,250 nits.
Rounding out the “evo” family is the 52G930B, currently the world's largest 5K2K gaming monitor. With a 52-inch diagonal and a 1000R curvature, it offers a 12:9 panoramic aspect ratio. Despite its sheer scale, it maintains a native 240 Hz refresh rate. Finally, for those who crave high refresh rates, LG confirmed that the UltraGear GX7 (27GX790B) will go on sale the day CES 2026 opens. This QHD Tandem OLED display reaches a native 540 Hz, with a secondary Dual Mode pushing to 720 Hz at HD resolution, directly challenging the latest TN and Fast-IPS esports panels.
KitGuru says: G's push into 5K AI upscaling is a clever move to mitigate the rising cost of GPUs. If the on-device processing can truly deliver a crisp 5K image without the shimmering associated with poor spatial upscalers, it could change how we value high-pixel-density monitors.
The post LG unveils new UltraGear evo lineup with built-in AI upscaling tech first appeared on KitGuru.Sapphire has officially entered the “cable-less” PC building arena with the launch of its Nitro+ PhantomLink series. Currently debuting in the Chinese market, this release signals Sapphire's adoption of the back-connector power delivery standard, offering a solution to the cluttered aesthetics that often plague high-end builds. The new lineup includes a dark grey motherboard, a limited white edition motherboard, and a GPU.
According to VideoCardz, Sapphire's implementation of the Asus-pioneered BTF 2.5 (GC-HPWR) standard is named PhantomLink. By using a high-power header adjacent to the primary PCIe slot, the graphics card draws power directly from the motherboard. This eliminates the need for the traditional power cables that typically trail across the front of the chassis. For builders not yet ready to commit to a specialised motherboard, Sapphire has wisely opted for a detachable GC-HPWR module, allowing the card to function with standard hardware via a traditional 12V-2×6 connector.
Image credit: VideoCardz
To complement the new GPUs, Sapphire has also unveiled two matching motherboards built on the AM5 X870E chipset: the Nitro+ X870EA PhantomLink and the Nitro+ “Aurora” X870EA PhantomLink Polar Edition. These boards act as the power delivery hub for the system, featuring a rear-mounted power interface that keeps all primary cabling hidden behind the motherboard tray. Beyond the aesthetic clean-up, these boards are high-spec enthusiast offerings, featuring support for PCIe 5.0 storage and graphics, as well as modern connectivity standards like Wi-Fi 7 and USB4.
Underneath the hood, the Nitro+ RX 9070 XT PhantomLink shares identical specifications (via VideoCardz) with the standard Nitro+ model, featuring 4,096 stream processors and a core clock that boosts up to 3,060 MHz. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory sits on a 256-bit bus operating at 20 Gbps, supported by 64 MB of Infinity Cache. Sapphire has also included a safety feature: a “PWR CONFLICT” LED that prevents the card from operating if a user accidentally connects both the PhantomLink header and the traditional 12V-2×6 cable simultaneously.
While these products are currently appearing on Chinese retail sites, a broader global rollout is expected to follow, likely coinciding with CES 2026. In terms of pricing, the Titanium model is listed at 5,799 RMB (approximately £611), while the white Aurora edition carries a premium at 5,999 RMB (roughly £632).
KitGuru says: Sapphire is clearly banking on the “clean build” trend becoming standard. While the reliance on a specific motherboard remains a barrier to entry, the inclusion of a detachable adapter makes this a much more sensible purchase for those planning a multi-stage system upgrade.
The post Sapphire joins the hidden-cable movement with PhantomLink GPU and motherboard first appeared on KitGuru.Ubisoft has been forced to pull Rainbow Six Siege offline due to a recent hack. Someone managed to gain access to Ubisoft servers and began giving out billions of free R6 credits to random players across the game, while also issuing false bans and sending out unusual in-game system messages to players.
Considering the events of this weekend, it seems likely that someone gained access to Ubisoft's game-wide moderation system, allowing them to press all kinds of buttons to mess with thousands of players across the world all at once. As you may expect, Ubisoft has pulled Rainbow Six Siege offline and frozen the skin marketplace while it looks into what happened.
As the attacker gave out free credits to players, some had already spent their credits on skins. If you were one of those people, then you won't have to worry about being banned, however, there will be a rollback of all store transactions, so anything you did purchase may disappear from your inventory, and your currency balance should revert back to what it was before the attack took place.
There is no word on when the game will come back online just yet, but we should get an update next week.
KitGuru Says: This is one of the wilder attacks we've seen in an online game. We're used to seeing people cheat in shooters, but we aren't used to seeing someone gifting thousands of dollars' worth of premium currency out to random players, sending out random game-wide messages to players and issuing bans and unbans.
The post Rainbow Six Siege pulled offline after massive hack first appeared on KitGuru.Update: This competition is now CLOSED. Our winners today are Steven Hunter and Marcin Kulbarsz! If you missed out this time then keep an eye out as we still have a couple more giveaways to finish off the month. Today's giveaway can be found HERE.
For Day 28 of the KitGuru Advent Calendar we have teamed up with Silverstone to give two lucky readers a hardware bundle including an SSR-FLP01W chassis and either an SST-DA1000R power supply or an SST-IM360 ARGB liquid cooler.
SilverStone’s SST‑DA1000R‑GM is a fully modular 1000W ATX 3.0/PCIe 5.0 power supply featuring Cybenetics Gold efficiency, a 12VHPWR connector, Japanese capacitors, and a semi‑fanless 135mm FDB fan for high‑end gaming or workstation builds. The FLP01 is a compact retro‑styled PC case designed to evoke classic home‑computer aesthetics while accommodating modern components in a small‑form‑factor layout. The IM360‑ARGB is a 360mm all‑in‑one liquid CPU cooler equipped with ARGB lighting, three 120mm fans, and broad Intel/AMD socket compatibility, offering strong thermal performance for mid‑ to high‑end processors.
To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is head over to our competition announcement post on Facebook, HERE. In the comments, leave an answer to the following question – What was your first PC case?
This competition is open worldwide.
The winner will be picked randomly shortly after 11AM GMT December 29th, and a new competition will be announced for Day 29. The chosen winner has 48 hours to respond, if we do not hear from them, a new winner will be picked.
Terms and Conditions: This competition is open worldwide, starting at 11AM GMT on December 28th and ending at 10:59AM GMT on December 29th. Due to the busy Christmas season, prize deliveries could take longer than usual, and some prizes may not ship until January. In compliance with GDPR, we will not collect or store any personal information as part of this competition. Once the winner has been contacted and their prize received, personal details will be deleted from our email servers. Your details will not be shared, we respect your privacy.
KitGuru Says: Good luck to all who enter, we'll be back tomorrow morning to announce a winner and turn the calendar over to Day 29!
The post KitGuru Advent Calendar Day 28: Win a Silverstone hardware bundle! (Closed) first appeared on KitGuru.
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