Klevv has unveiled its latest SSD offerings: the Genuine PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 SSD for those looking for the fastest storage and the refreshed CRAS C715 PCIe 3.0 NVMe M.2 SSD.

The Genuine G560 PCIe 5.0 SSD uses 23-layer 3D NAND flash memory, offering sequential read and write speeds of up to 14,000MB/s and 12,000MB/s, respectively, and up to 1,400K 4K random IOPS. Designed with professional gamers, content creators, and everyday users in mind, the Genuine SSD is available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities, offering enhanced endurance of up to 3,000TBW. Its aluminium fin-style heatsink complements its elegant design and ensures optimal thermal management for sustained performance under heavy workloads.

Klevv also the revamped CRAS C715 SSD for budget-conscious consumers seeking high-performance upgrades. Available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB capacities, the CRAS C715 features a single-sided form factor, making it ideal for compact devices such as laptops and mini-PCs. With read/write speeds of up to 3,200/2,000MB/s and an advanced LDPC ECC engine, the CRAS SSD ensures consistent performance and durability. Its smart thermal throttling system and SMART technology further enhance its reliability and longevity.

The Genuine G560 and the CRAS C715 SSDs come with a copy of Klevv's Acronis True Image 2023 software, allowing users to backup and clone data. Backed by a 5-year limited warranty, these SSDs are expected to hit the market in October 2024.

KitGuru says: Are you in the market for a new SSD? 

The post Klevv unveils Genuine G560 PCIe 5.0 and CRAS C715 PCIe 3.0 M.2 SSDs first appeared on KitGuru.

After showing at Computex 2024 and Gamescom 2024, be quiet! is officially launching the Light Base PC cases. There will be four Light Base models featuring a panoramic design with fully windowed front and side panels. These are the Light Base 900 FX, the Light Base 900 DX, the Light Base 600 LX, and the Light Base 600 DX, all of which are available in black and white.

The Light Base 900 and 600 series offer three orientation options: conventional (right side), inverted (left side), and horizontal (desktop style). Its design makes this flexibility possible, allowing users to easily switch between layouts in seconds. Additionally, the series incorporates a large ARGB strip that wraps around the casing, providing various lighting effects to complement the hardware display.

Designed to showcase a system's internals, the Light Base series includes thoughtful features such as a VGA holder compatible with any orientation, two ARGB/fan hubs with a total of 12 connectors, support for a 3.5-inch drive and two 2.5-inch drives, dust filters, and a motherboard tray that accommodates all backside connector designs. The I/O panel features a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 connector, a reset button, and an ARGB controller button, ensuring seamless connectivity and control.

The flagship model, Light Base 900 FX, stands out with its removable radiator and fan mounts on both the top and bottom, supporting up to 420mm radiators. It also offers complete support for an additional 360mm radiator on the side. Pre-installed with a combination of standard and reverse-blade Light Wings 140mm PWM fans, the Light Base 900 FX guarantees efficient cooling and stunning illumination. Additionally, there's a Light Base 900 DX without the fans.

For users seeking a more compact option with ATX motherboard compatibility, the Light Base 600 LX is a compelling choice. With support for radiators up to 360mm on the top and bottom, as well as an extra 240mm radiator on the side, the Light Base 600 LX offers an excellent balance of size and performance. The case comes equipped with be quiet!'s Light Wings LX 120mm PWM fans for effective cooling with sleek lighting. If you already have a different set of fans, the Light Base 600 DX comes with the same feature set but without the fans.

All models in the Light Base series will be available for purchase on October 10th and come with a 3-year manufacturer's warranty.

KitGuru says: Would you go for the bigger Light Base 900 case, or would the more compact Light Base 600 series be enough?

The post The new be quiet! Light Base case is perfect for RGB enthusiasts first appeared on KitGuru.

AMD seems to be doing things differently with the upcoming Ryzen X3D series. In addition to reports claiming that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D will be the first CPU of the series, there are also rumours that a Ryzen 5 9600X3D is already planned.

Hoang Anh Phu claims that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D will be available in early November, and that AMD has a 6-core Ryzen 5 X3D variant on the way too.

With the recent launch of Zen 3-based 5600X3D and Zen 4-based 7600X3D models, it's no surprise that AMD is expanding the X3D series. The rumoured Ryzen 5 9600X3D is expected to be the fourth and potentially the most affordable CPU in the upcoming lineup, featuring 64MB of 3D V-Cache on top of the Ryzen 5 9600X cache configuration. That would put the upcoming 6-core X3D chip with 102.5 MB of cache (L1 + L2 + L3 + 3D V-Cache).

However, a potential hurdle for the 6-core model is AMD's historical reluctance to release it across all regions and retailers. Previous-generation versions had limited availability, but with the release of the 9600X3D seemingly coming around quicker then prior generations, we hope to also see a wider release.

KitGuru says: Would you be tempted to upgrade to a Ryzen 9000 X3D CPU once they land? Do you think they'll be ready for launch as soon as November? 

The post The first AMD Ryzen 9000 3D V-Cache CPU reportedly launching in November first appeared on KitGuru.

Bandai Namco has recently revealed the official PC system requirements for the much-anticipated Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO. Let's dive into the details to ensure your PC is ready for this new Dragon Ball gaming experience.

According to the specifications, PC players will need a minimum of an Intel Core i5-9600K or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 with 8GB of RAM. Additionally, an Nvidia GTX 1050, AMD Radeon RX 590, or Intel Arc A750 and 29GB of free disk space are essential. This setup is projected to deliver a smooth 60FPS experience at 1080p/Low settings. For those aiming for a more enhanced gaming experience at 1080p/High settings, Bandai Namco suggests an Intel Core i7-9700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 with 16GB of memory and an Nvidia GTX 1660 or AMD Radeon RX Vega 64.

For a detailed look at the system requirements, check below:

MINIMUM:

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Windows 10
• Processor: Intel Core i5-9600K / AMD Ryzen 5 2600
• Memory: 8GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 / AMD Radeon RX 590 / Intel Arc A750
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 29GB available space
• Additional Notes: Estimated performance: 1080p/60fps with graphics settings at “Low”. Framerate might drop in graphics-intensive scenes. – 64-bit processor and operating system are required.

RECOMMENDED:

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Windows 10 / Windows 11
• Processor: Intel Core i7-9700K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600
• Memory: 16GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 29GB available space
• Additional Notes: Estimated performance: 1080p/60fps with graphics settings at “High”. Framerate might drop in graphics-intensive scenes. – 64-bit processor and operating system are required. – Windows 10 (Version 1809 or later) and a 4GB VRAM GPU (graphics board or video card) are required for DirectX 12 API.

Despite being a 2024 release and using Unreal Engine 5, the game's minimal PC requirements are quite accessible. This suggests the game may not use some of the engine's more advanced features, such as Lumen or Nanite. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is slated for release on October 11th.

KitGuru says: Is your PC ready for the upcoming Dragon Ball game? 

The post Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero PC system requirements announced first appeared on KitGuru.

Photos of the Lenovo Legion Go Lite have recently been leaked. This new device differs significantly from the original Legion Go, featuring a smaller screen and non-removable gamepads, deviating from the original's design and features. Lenovo has already confirmed the new console via the Legion Go Dock's spec sheet, where the Legion Go 2 is also mentioned.

On Lenovo's website, the Legion Go Dock page (via VideoCardz) states it's compatible with two gaming handhelds that have yet to be released: the second-generation Legion Go (Gen 2) and the Legion Go Lite. While some details about the Go Lite have already surfaced, little is known about Gen 2.

Image credit: Nittrx

If the Legion Go Gen Two follows the path of its predecessor, we should expect it to feature a Ryzen Z2 Extreme. Reports hint at it being an 8-core APU, but the graphics specifications remain uncertain. Should the APU be based on Strix Point, it could feature up to 16 RDNA 3.5 CUs, presenting a 33% performance boost compared to the Z1 Extreme. On the other hand, the Legion Go Lite is rumoured to run on the standard Ryzen Z1, positioning itself as an alternative to the Z1-based ROG Ally 2023.

Lenovo has refrained from making any promises or official statements regarding the future of the Legion Go. However, considering the Ryzen Z2 series is expected to debut early next year, we should be getting official news around that time.

KitGuru says: Are you considering getting a new gaming handheld? Are you looking for something more affordable, like the Legion Go Lite is expected to be, or a higher-end model like the Legion Go 2?

The post Lenovo confirms Legion Go 2 and Go Lite through Legion Go Dock spec sheet first appeared on KitGuru.

If you've ever wanted to review PC gear, 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, extremely demanding sector then please send your CV along with any samples of your work to our Deputy Editor in Chief, Dominic Moass – dominic(at)kitguru.net. We would like to see samples of your work, but please note we are looking for applicants who can produce high quality videos and written articles in the in-depth KitGuru style, so your submissions should reflect that.

KitGuru says: We look forward to receiving your application. 

The post KitGuru is hiring – Tech Reviewer applications open! first appeared on KitGuru.

The specifications for Nvidia's flagship next-gen RTX 50 series graphics cards may have been leaked. Fresh claims say that the RTX 5090 will feature as much as 32GB of GDDR7 memory, as well as a GB202-300 GPU with 21,769 CUDA cores. The RTX 5080 has also been detailed. 

Regarding the RTX 5090, kopite7kimi claims that the upcoming GPU will feature a 512-bit memory bus (up from the rumoured 448-bit) and 32GB of GDDR7 RAM. The flagship card is said to use the GB202-300 GPU with 21,760 FP32 (CUDA) cores. Additionally, the card is rumoured to have a power specification of 600W, but it's unclear whether this refers to TBP or TGP.

In a separate report from Benchlife (via VideoCardz), it's also claimed that the flagship RTX 50 series card will feature a 14-layer PCB, a PCIe 5.0 interface, and UHBR20's DisplayPort 2.1a. Moreover, the card will be powered by a single 12V-2×6 connector, as there is currently no power solution using two of these connectors.

Moving on to the leaked specifications for the RTX 5080, kopite7kimi claimed the graphics card would be based on the GB203-400 and pack 10,752 CUDA cores, along with 16GB of GDDR7 memory and a 256-bit memory bus. Notably, the RTX 5080 features almost half the cores and memory of the GB202, including the memory bus width, and is expected to require 400W of power, up from the RTX 4080's 320W. Given the gap between the RTX 5080 and the RTX 5090, there is plenty of room for a Ti or Super variant.

It is currently unknown when Nvidia plans to announce its next-generation gaming graphics cards. Previous rumours have both claimed late 2024 and early 2025 release windows, so we'll just have to wait and see.

KitGuru says: Nvidia hasn't announced anything official for its next-gen RTX GPUs yet, so for now, all of this falls into the rumour category. 

The post Report claims Nvidia RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 specs first appeared on KitGuru.

Vampire Survivors became an instant hit when it launched in 2022, in part due to its low asking price. Subsequently, many owners have supported the game's DLC releases. Now, the company behind Vampire Survivors has made enough that they can open up a games publishing arm. 

Poncle, the company behind Vampire Survivors, confirmed plans to start striking game publishing deals. As reported by GI.biz, the Poncle team was pitching the new publishing arm to investors at an industry event in the UK this week.

There are some stipulations – Poncle doesn't just want to snap up IP or operate as a ‘traditional' publisher. Instead, the company is targeting independent games developed with “sincerity, passion and depth”. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Poncle also doesn't want to support any free-to-play mobile games or anything related to Web3 or AI.

Poncle hasn't announced its first game publishing deal yet, but something should fall into place in 2025. I expect they'll get to meet a lot of developers at GDC in March. In the meantime, work on Vampire Survivors continues, with the most recent DLC having dropped back in May – a Contra crossover DLC with new maps and characters.

KitGuru Says: Poncle deserves all the success it has had from Vampire Survivors so far. Hopefully as part of the publishing world, the company can help a similarly experimental and fun game reach the market. 

The post Vampire Survivors studio expands into game publishing first appeared on KitGuru.

Earlier this week, a mod for God of War: Ragnarok disabled all PlayStation runtime elements for the game, allowing users to play the game without linking a Steam account to a PSN account. Just a few days later, the mod was deleted. Now, after being contacted by Nexus Mods, the mod creator has explained exactly why they pulled it offline. 

According to Nexus Mods, the mod was deleted by the author, rather than being removed via a DMCA takedown request sent through to the site. Having spoken to the mod creator, iArtoriasUA explained that after the mod received press coverage from major sites like IGN and PC Gamer, they opted to delete the mod to avoid any potential legal threats from Sony.

We've had a chat with the mod author about this and can confirm that the mod was removed due to a personal decision after it received significant traction, including coverage from prominent news outlets, to avoid any future action by Sony. pic.twitter.com/rsMp3YEqnO

— Nexus Mods (@NexusSites) September 25, 2024

While the mod didn't make any changes to game code, it did still remove Sony's PSN features and completely stripped the PlayStation runtime from the game, something that the company was no doubt unhappy with. God of War: Ragnarök is part of the first wave of PlayStation PC ports to require a PSN account to play, something that has been protested heavily online, but it appears that Sony is not willing to budge.

While the mod is no longer directly available, the files were downloaded thousands of times and as a result, reuploads are inevitable.

KitGuru Says: It seems that on Twitter there is a bit of a conspiracy theory going around, with some claiming that Nexus itself removed the mod at Sony's request. If that were true though, the mod author wouldn't be sharing their explanation on the forums. 

The post God of War: Ragnarök modder pulled PSN-deleting mod to avoid legal battle with Sony first appeared on KitGuru.

We all remember the tragedy that was StarCraft: Ghost, Blizzard's cancelled shooter game. However, it would seem that the dream of a StarCraft shooter is still alive and well, as it emerges that Blizzard is working on something new. 

Speaking on the IGN Unlocked podcast, Jason Schreier shared a bit about one of the many stories compiled in his new book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. It is claimed that former Far Cry lead, Dan Hay, has spun up a team to work on a new StarCraft game, and that it will be a shooter.

While Schreier's book isn't intended to reveal any unannounced news, such as the StarCraft shooter being in development, it is likely to generate a few more headlines. This week, a snippet of Schreier's book also revealed the intense behind the scenes relationship between Mike Morhaime and Bobby Kotick, as Activision began to take a more active role on Blizzard's operations. Ultimately, changes from Activision's end led to Mohaime's resignation as CEO of Blizzard, and since beginning a new game publishing company.

Phil Spencer has previously spoken fondly of StarCraft and has hinted at the idea of a shooter. This could be just one of a number of unannounced projects currently in early development at Blizzard.

KitGuru Says: We don't know much at this stage and it does sound like the game is in early stages, so it could be years before Blizzard is ready to announce or show anything – and that's if it doesn't get cancelled like the previous two attempts. 

The post StarCraft shooter reportedly in development at Blizzard first appeared on KitGuru.

EA struck gold in the early 2010s with The Simpsons Tapped Out, which quickly went on to become one of the most popular mobile games on the market. Now, after 12 years online, Tapped Out is being shut down. 

The Simpsons: Tapped Out will no longer be playable starting on the 24th of January 2025. On top of that, the game will be removed from download on the iOS App Store and the Google Play store on the 31st of October.

During its time, The Simpsons: Tapped Out received over 300 content updates, and grew to contain over 800 characters and well over 1,400 quests to play through. As the game was primarily driven by microtransactions in the form of premium currency, which could be used to skip timers to continue progressing, there is no offline mode for the game, so once the servers shut down, the title will be inaccessible.

As of 2014, the game had generated over $130 million for EA, but we don't know how much money the game generated since then. Given the boom in the mobile market, I would expect that the game ended up making over $1 billion over its lifetime.

KitGuru Says: The Simpsons: Tapped Out seemed like a fun game but was too heavily bogged down by microtransactions for my liking. Did any of you play this game back around launch? Do you still play it currently? 

The post The Simpsons: Tapped Out is being delisted in October, shut down in January first appeared on KitGuru.

It is time again for another one of our build videos, and this time it is sponsored by Thermaltake. Today we're using the Tower 600 case, Thermaltake CT140 EX RGB forward and reverse fans, and a custom loop made up of Thermaltake Pacific Parts including the PR12-D5 Plus pump res combo, the Pacific SW1 Plus CPU block and a 420mm Pacific SR420 Slim radiator.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:51 Meet the Tower 600
01:35 New CT 140 EX ARGB fans
02:45 Custom loop hardware
03:42 PSU and other hardware
04:45 Timelapse build!
14:56 James on the finished build

Tower 600 Features:

• The Tower 600 Is Thermaltake's latest addition to its octagonal prism-style case series.
• It supports up to ATX form factor motherboard including back connect such as MSI Project Zero and Asus BTF, 420mm radiators and up to thirteen fans.
• It’s available in several different colour schemes including Black, Matcha Green, Hydrangea Blue and Snow White.
• It can be mounted vertically or horizontally using an optional chassis stand kit sold separately and has rotating PCIe slots for graphics cards to be mounted in various ways.
• Tower 600 also includes tool-free panels for easy access, it comes with two CT140 fans pre-installed and there's an optional LCD that can be mounted in the front of the case which is sold separately.

Price: MSRP £159.99 – £179.99 – End of Sept PCSpecialist

CT140 EX RGB Sync Features:

• Thermaltake CT140 EX ARGB Sync fans feature MagForce 2.0 magnetic connections using two times larger pogo pin contact pads to reduce the chance of faulty alignment and boost installation efficiency.
• CT140 EX ARGB Sync is equipped with nine addressable LEDs to customise lighting effects using motherboard sync software, forward and reverse blade options and antivibration rubber pad mounts to reduce vibration and noise.
• The fans have a PWM speed range of 500-1800RPM, maximum airflow of 90.2 CFM, maximum static pressure of 3.07 mm-H2O and maximum noise output of 30.7dBA.

Price: £44.99 for 3 packs from Scan.co.uk HERE.

ToughPower GF A3 1200W Features:

• 1200W 80 Plus Gold rated ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0 specifications.
• Fully modular with native 16-pin 12VHPWR connections.

Price: £129.99 from Scan.co.uk HERE.

Build Specification:

• CPU – Intel Core i9-14900K
• Motherboard – MSI Z790 Project Zero
• Graphics Card – MSI RTX 4080 Gaming X Trio
• Memory – 32GB (2 x 16GB Modules) Thermaltake ToughRam XG RGB D5 DDR5-5600
• Storage – 2TB Patriot Viper VP4300 PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD
• CPU Cooler – Thermaltake Pacific Custom Loop
• Power Supply – Thermaltake ToughPower GF A3 1200W ATX 3.0 PCIE 5.0 80+ Gold
• Case fans – Thermaltake CT140 EX ARGB Sync Forward/Reverse Blades
• Chassis – Thermaltake Tower 600 Black
• Operating System – Windows 11

Cooling System Specification:

• CPU Block – Thermaltake Pacific SW1 Plus
• Radiator – Thermaltake Pacific SR420 Slim Radiator
• Reservoir – Thermaltake Pacific PR12-D5 Plus
• Fittings – Assorted Thermaltake Pacific SF
• Tubing – 16mm Thermaltake V-Tubler PETG

KitGuru says: The Thermaltake Tower 600 is an interesting case that provides a different aspect for showcasing hardware that you just don't get with regular ATX layout cases. It is great for custom cooling, back connect ATX boards and big GPUs. We like it, do you?

The post Thermaltake Tower 600 Featured Build – Acid Green Custom Loop! first appeared on KitGuru.

Gris is one of the most visually stunning games released, with the debut title from Nomada Studios launching in 2018 to a welcoming reception from both critics and players alike – thanks in part to its unique visual aesthetic. Ahead of the release of their second title ‘Neva’, the team have revealed that Gris surpassed 3 million copies sold.

Making the announcement on Twitter, the team at Nomada Studio said “GRIS has sold over 3 million copies! We couldn’t have asked for a better reception for our first project. Thank you so much to everyone who made this possible. All of us at Nomada are grateful for your support and hope you’ll stick with us in our next adventure, NEVA.”

For context, Gris released at the tail end of 2018 and managed to sell 300,000 copies in its first 3 months – pushing this to 1 million by April of 2020.

As such, to see the game sell an additional 2 million copies years on from its initial release is encouraging to see. Hopefully the team’s next game ‘Neva’ proves to have an equally long life.

KitGuru says: What did you think of Gris? Are you looking forward to Neva? What games do you think have a distinctly unique and beautiful art style? Let us know down below.

The post Indie adventure-platformer ‘Gris’ has sold over 3 million copies first appeared on KitGuru.

One way in which video games are leaked ahead of time can be attributed to games rating boards, who publicly publish their content reports on titles ahead of their release – making such projects visible for all. One of the biggest culprits in this regard is the Korean Games Rating Board – who have now seemingly leaked the return of the much loved ‘Siren’ series.

As discovered by ResetEra user –R, the Korean Game Rating Board has published a listing for Siren by Sony Interactive Entertainment with the same description as the PS2 original.

This seems to suggest that the game is set to get a re-release of sorts; how extensive of a re-release is yet to be seen however.

For context, Siren is already available on PlayStation through Sony’s old PSClassics, which seems to suggest that this listing could be more substantial.

That said, Sony has more recently evolved its PS2 emulation, bringing some notable improvements, and so it could also be a simple case of republishing this improved version of the game?

Last and most likely least, the game could be getting a remaster or remake, something which many fans would certainly welcome – as unexpected as it would be.

Siren is one of Sony’s more niche and forgotten franchises, and so seeing any activity surrounding the IP is exciting. Don’t get your hopes up too high though.

KitGuru says: Did you play Siren back in the day? Would you like to see the series return? What do you think this latest activity signifies? Let us know down below.

The post Classic PS2 horror game ‘Siren’ listed by Korean Ratings Board first appeared on KitGuru.

Recently, we have seen Blizzard bring an increasing number of anime-themed crossovers to its free-to-play Hero Shooter Overwatch 2, including One Punch Man and Cowboy Bebop. In a surprise announcement, the team have revealed the next crossover, with Overwatch x My Hero Academia set to arrive in October.

Making the announcement, the team at Blizzard said “Get ready to go Ultra in the newest Overwatch 2 collaboration with My Hero Academia! From October 17-30, step into the roles of your favorite anime heroes or villains with exclusive legendary skins that bring the action of My Hero Academia to life in the Overwatch universe.”

In total, 5 heroes are being transformed with MHA-themed skins, namely:

• Tracer as Deku
• Juno as Uravity
• Reinhardt as All Might
• Kiriko as Himiko Toga
• Reaper as Tomura Shigaraki

Of course, all of these skins will cost you quite a bit of money, however those who prefer not to pay can still get a couple items as part of the collab…five sprays and a mighty charm.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to the crossover? Which anime would you like to see OW2 collab with next? Let us know down below.

The post Overwatch x My Hero Academia arrives next month first appeared on KitGuru.

Tokyo Game Show is officially underway, with Microsoft’s Xbox having a notable presence at this year’s event. Amongst the console manufacturer’s announcements was the surprise drop of 4 titles onto their Xbox’s Game Pass service.

Announced during TGS and also via Twitter, Microsoft revealed a total of 4 games which have been shadow dropped onto Xbox Game Pass, saying: “only thing we like better than new games dropping are SURPRISE new games dropping.”

With that, the list of titles which have now been added to Game Pass is the following:

• All You Need is Help
• Legend of Mana
• Trials of Mana
• We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie

It is worth noting that We Love Katamari is the only title of the 4 available on Game Pass Standard, with the remaining 3 requiring either PC Game Pass or an Ultimate subscription.

That said, this does make some sense and while the Mana games certainly aren't new, this is the first time they have come to Xbox, and so is technically a day-one Game Pass release. Similarly, All You Need is Help is a true day-one Game Pass addition, with the indie title having just been released.

As Microsoft mentioned, surprise new games are always a fun time, and so these Game Pass additions are certainly welcome.

KitGuru says: What did you think of Xbox’s TGS showcase? What was your favourite announcement? Which of these new games will you be hopping into first? Let us know down below.

The post 4 surprise titles join Xbox Game Pass first appeared on KitGuru.

Each year on the 26th of September, Naughty Dog celebrates The Last of Us Day – previously known as Outbreak Day. For 2024, and in alignment with PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, fans can get their hands on a bunch of neat PlayStation avatars; play TLOU Part I on PS Plus and watch the first proper teaser for HBO’s Season 2 of The Last of Us.

Making the announcement on the PlayStation Blog, this year’s The Last of Us Day comes with some cool free digital items as well as a discount on merch from the PlayStation Gear Store.

In terms of freebies, PlayStation owners can acquire and use 3 new profile avatars, featuring Joel, Ellie and a Clicker. Those who use Sony’s PlayStation Stars program will also be able to obtain “a fearsome Clicker Digital Collectible” to show off as part of your digital display case.

As we previously reported, The Last of Us Part I Remake has also been added to PlayStation Plus Extra, letting fans experience the heart wrenching story of Joel and Ellie in greater detail than ever.

Last but certainly not least, HBO released its first proper teaser trailer for Season 2 of The Last of Us, giving fans a taste of what’s to come when the show returns next year.

While certainly not the most eventful TLOU Day, all of the various freebies are highly appreciated – and the trailer for TLOU’s Second season is a healthy dollop of icing on top.

KitGuru says: How did you celebrate The Last of Us Day? Are you looking forward to Season 2 of the show? How many times have you played the first TLOU? Let us know down below.

The post The Last of Us Day brings Season 2 trailer and more first appeared on KitGuru.

Developed by a single person, Balatro is a unique poker-themed rogue-like deckbuilder which launched back in February to a wave of success – selling over 1 million copies in just a month. Thanks to its relatively simple controls, the game is perfectly suited to a mobile port. Finally, Balatro is officially available on both iOS as well as Android right now.

Available right now across both iOS and Android (as well as Apple Arcade if you’re subscribed), Balatro is described as “a magical mix of card games like Solitaire and Poker, that lets you twist the rules in ways never seen before!”

First released on PC back in February, the game proved to be so addictive that some fans even went so far as to create their own Android port of the game.

Of course, having a proper, official mobile port is certainly welcome, even if it does cost a relatively hefty £9.99 – well, hefty for mobile games at least.

That said, given the quality of Balatro, it’s safe to say that the asking price is more than worth it.

KitGuru says: Have you been waiting for Balatro to come to mobile? Is the asking price fair? Would you like to see more indie games ported to phones? Let us know down below.

The post Balatro is available now on iOS + Android first appeared on KitGuru.

Horizon Zero Dawn is around seven years old at this stage and as a result, the game's price had reduced significantly from launch, retailing for a standard price of £15.99 on the digital PlayStation store. However, immediately following the announcement of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, Sony has opted to up the price for the original version of the game, bringing it up to £34.99.

The PSN digital price is now closely aligned with the Steam version of the game when not discounted for a sale. Sony will no doubt drop the price down again during sales season, which is just around the corner with multiple sales set to take place between October and December. However, it will be interesting to see if the ‘on sale' price would then match the old standard price of £15.99, or if Sony would drop the game down a bit further.

Due to Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered having a $10 upgrade fee for owners of the standard edition, it is easy to see why Sony went back and hiked up the price of the original game. Prior to this, you could have bought Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for around £25 by picking up the original game and then buying the upgrade.

While Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered doesn't seem to be of much interest to PC gamers, who only just got to play the game for the first time within the last couple of years, those who primarily game on PlayStation will no doubt be a bit more tempted by the upgrade. Much like Spider-Man Remastered, the new version of Horizon Zero Dawn includes the updated version of Aloy, as the character design changed during development of the sequel. The game also has all-new foliage and other details to help the game match the look of Horizon Forbidden West on PS5.

On top of that, the upcoming release of LEGO Horizon will no doubt bring in a new audience who have not yet played through the main games. Those people may not even know that the base game recently had its price hiked, and they'll likely opt straight for the remastered version.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If you have a PS5 with a disc drive, you can skirt around this quite easily by picking up a physical copy of the original game, but for those who have gone all-in on digital gaming, this is another sign that perhaps we are giving up too much by dropping physical media from our gaming habits.

The post Horizon Zero Dawn gets price hike ahead of Remaster release first appeared on KitGuru.

Ubisoft is having a particularly rough year. At this point, the company has lost over 80 percent of its market value since 2018, and shares have dropped further following the delay of Assassin's Creed Shadows, as well as the announcement that Star Wars Outlaws did not sell as well as anticipated. Now, Ubisoft's Board of Directors is launching an investigation into the company. 

Ubisoft's Board has opted to launch a full review of the company in order to figure out exactly where things are going wrong. Ubisoft's sales have been steadily dropping for years at this stage and while almost any clued-in gamer could tell you why, Ubisoft has struggled to move on from its formulaic open world game design and produce anything truly innovative. While Ubisoft's open world titles were once a novel concept, nowadays, there is much more competition in the space and many games simply handle the concept better.

with Ubisoft's board launching this investigation, they aim to identify areas where they can become more efficient and better please the player base to the benefit of stakeholders and shareholders.

Ubisoft CEO, Yves Guillemot, did also comment on the situation, saying “I want to reaffirm that we are an entertainment-first company, creating games for the broadest possible audience, and our goal is not to push any specific agenda”, seemingly to directly address the ‘go woke, go broke' crowd.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: In my mind, trying to create games for the ‘broadest possible audience' is what got Ubisoft into this position. If Ubisoft survives all of this, I do hope that we see a return to franchises like Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia, and far fewer ‘open world' titles, or at the very least, fewer open world titles that feel like a copy/paste job when directly compared. 

The post Ubisoft Board of Directors launches investigation into the company first appeared on KitGuru.

It's Thursday and that means it is time for another GeForce Now update. This week, Nvidia brings seven more games to the cloud gaming library, all of which are brand new releases.

All seven games in today's update are brand-new titles, having launched between the 23rd of September and today, the 26th of September. The big headliner this week is Greedfall II: The Dying World, a bigger and improved sequel to Spiders' most successful RPG game to date.

Here is the full list of games joining GeForce Now this week:

• Witchfire (New release on Steam, Sept. 23)
• Tiny Glade (New release on Steam, Sept. 23)
• Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (New release on Steam, Sept. 24)
• Greedfall II: The Dying World (New release on Steam, Sept. 24)
• Breachway (New release on Steam, Sept. 26)
• Mechabellum (New release on Steam, Sept. 26)
• Monopoly (New release on Ubisoft Connect, Sept. 26)

This is the last update of the month, which means next week's update will be much bigger, with a preview of what's to come in October. No doubt, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be on that list.

KitGuru Says: What do you think of this week's GFN update? Are you playing any of this week's new additions?

The post GeForce Now adds GreedFall 2 and six other brand new games first appeared on KitGuru.

Intel Battlemage GPUs are rumoured to be released in early 2025, but the company has been conservative in sharing details on the upcoming series of graphics cards. However, the recent reviews of the Core Ultra 200V “Lunar Lake” with integrated Xe2-LPG graphics gave us a glimpse of how the new GPU architecture performs in a laptop format. What many want to know now is how well it works in a desktop format.

The recently spotted Geekbench entry (via Wccftech) might gives us more information on that point. The results have unveiled a model named “Iris Xe Graphics RI” boasting 160 CUs (possibly 20 Xe2-cores), a maximum frequency of 2,850 MHz, and 11.6 GB of VRAM (read 12 GB). The entry shows the GPU was tested on a PC equipped with an Intel Core i5-13600K processor and an MSI Pro Z790-A WIFI motherboard with 32GB of DDR5-4800 memory.

Determining the exact specifications of this GPU has proven challenging, with questions raised about how Geekbench detects cores for Battlemage. Suggestions point to a 160/8 arrangement, equating to 20 Xe2-Cores. Furthermore, the 12GB VRAM config instead of 16GB suggest this isn't a flagship model. Instead, it should be something more akin to a mid-range variant (B750/B730?).

Performance-wise, with 97,943 points, the Battlemage GPU has shown lower performance in OpenCL benchmarks compared to its competitors. Moreover, it also seems to be on par with Intel's own Arc A750 (28 Xe-cores). However, it is worth noting that we are still some ways off from this architecture debuting on desktop graphics cards and as a result, there won't be mature drivers for it yet. During Intel's first run of GPUs, performance has improved tremendously through driver updates, so we are better off waiting until launch to truly judge performance.

KitGuru says: How well do you think the Battlemage desktop GPUs will perform? 

The post Intel Arc Battlemage GPU spotted on Geekbench running at 2.85GHz first appeared on KitGuru.