After AMD officially announced the Ryzen AI 300 series back at Computex 2024, various reports claimed the new mobile APU series would debut on July 15th. However, that seems to have changed as new reports and listings suggest AMD has ‘pushed' the release of the first devices powered by these APUs to July 28th.

Leakers Golden Pig Upgrade and Hoang Anh Phu (via VideoCardz) have reported the alleged update to the release date. It is important to note that AMD has not officially confirmed this change, so saying that the company “moved”, “pushed”, or “delayed” might not be entirely correct just yet.

According to Hoang Anh, the July 28th date might pertain to lifting the sales embargo and the review NDA. This uncharacteristic choice of a Sunday for the launch date could impact the distribution schedule across different regions.

The alleged change in the release date has prompted retailers like BestBuy (via Hassan Mujtaba) to update their product launch schedules. Several Asus laptops, previously slated for presale in mid-July, have had their launch dates rescheduled to July 28th. As of now, Asus has not updated the release date on its website. However, unless an early presale agreement is reached between Asus and AMD, changes to the website are expected to reflect the revised release date.

KitGuru says: If you were planning on getting a Ryzen AI 300-powered laptop at launch, it seems you'll have to wait a bit longer.

The post AMD Ryzen AI 300 launch date apparently “pushed” to July 28th first appeared on KitGuru.

FromSoftware has cautioned players experiencing performance issues while playing Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, suggesting that the culprit may be related to third-party computer mouse software running in the background…

The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, which launched to critical acclaim on June 21st, has unfortunately been marred by reports of significant performance problems on both console and PC. This has led to a ‘mixed' user rating on Steam despite numerous perfect scores from critics worldwide.

【ELDEN RING】PC版において、マウス制御関連のアプリを起動している状態でゲームをプレイするとフレームレートが安定しない場合がございます。その場合、マウス制御関連のアプリを停止してゲームプレイをお試しいただきますようお願いいたします。

— FROMSOFTWARE PLAYER SUPPORT (@fromsoftware_sp) June 28, 2024

According to a recent tweet from FromSoftware's support page, players may see improvements in performance by closing any third-party mouse control software before launching the game. The tweet, translated by Google Translate, states: “In the PC version, the framerate may not be stable when playing the game while running a mouse-control app. In that case, please try playing the game after stopping the mouse-control app.”

Some players have already reported that following this advice helped to alleviate stuttering issues caused by mouse software, though we are sceptical considering the widely-reported performance issues that have been present since Elden Ring's launch. FromSoftware has also advised players to ensure that ray-tracing settings are not accidentally enabled when loading save data from a previous version of the game, as this could also lead to unstable frame rates. Furthermore, FromSoftware has stated that additional bug fixes and balancing tweaks are in the pipeline for future updates, though we will have to see if performance is improved.

KitGuru says: Have you been playing Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree on PC? What has your experience been with in-game stutters?

The post FromSoftware suggests Elden Ring perf issues could be down to… mouse software? first appeared on KitGuru.

Lian Li has launched its new line of HydroShift AIOs, first introduced at Computex 2024. Featuring a “tubeless” design, the HydroShift AIOs come in three variants: HydroShift S, HydroShift R, and HydroShift TL. All models pack a 2.88″ LCD on the pump block, customisable through L-Connect 3.

The HydroShift 360S, 360R, and 360TL liquid cooling AIOs sport a unique design that conceals tubing to the side of the radiator, aimed at delivering a cleaner aesthetic. Constructed with ribbed tubing for optimal performance and aesthetics, the tubing curves around the radiator with the assistance of pre-installed retaining brackets. The units also sport a brushed aluminium plate, left/right tube cover plates, and a pump mounting hardware cover.

Diving deeper into the specifics, the HydroShift 360S features a revamped pump design, operating at 3800 RPM, enhancing performance while minimising noise. The pump comes with two cables: one to synchronise with the motherboard via PWM and another that divides into SATA, PWM for the fans, and USB 2.0 for L-Connect communications. The 27mm thick radiator houses three pre-installed 28mm non-RGB fans, prioritising silent operation without compromising on performance. The fans reach speeds of up to 2500 RPM and support Uni Fan P28's side ARGB kit.

Meanwhile, the 360R model has a larger propeller, allowing it to function optimally at up to 3200 RPM speeds. It features a single cable solution with SATA for power, PWM for fan daisy-chaining, and USB 2.0 for L-Connect connectivity. With a 31mm thick radiator and three pre-installed 28mm thick ARGB and PWM fans capable of reaching speeds of up to 2400 RPM, the 360R offers efficient cooling solutions.

Lastly, the HydroShift 360TL shares the 3200 RPM pump and radiator dimensions of the 360R but distinguishes itself with three pre-installed Uni Fan TL fans. The AIO features a single cable solution enabling comprehensive control over the pump and fans through L-Connect 3, with the pump cable designed for discreet routing behind the tubes, connecting to daisy-chained TL fans and the accompanying TL hub.

The HydroShift 360S, 360R, and 360TL AIOs, available in black and white colour options, come with a 6-year guarantee and are now available for pre-order. The MSRPs are $179.99 (360S), $199.99 (360R), and $259.99 (360TL).

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: The idea of hiding a portion of the cables is interesting. However, because it is side-mounted, users have to ensure that their case is wide enough to fit the cooler with the bracket.

The post Lian Li aims for nearly tubeless aesthetic with HydroShift LCD AIO series first appeared on KitGuru.

Forza Motorsport has unfortunately not hit in the way Microsoft were hoping – not helped by the fact that the final product appeared visually downgraded from its pre-release material. Though RTGI has yet to make its way into the game, some subtle visual tweaks were discovered in Motorsport’s latest patch.

As discovered by MotoGamesTV, the most recent ‘update 9.0’ for Forza Motorsport seems to have stealthily included some visual tweaks which were absent from the patch notes.

Based on the comparison, players have deduced that the update introduces improvements to the overall colour grading and contrast; better atmospheric scattering as well as sky rendering changes.

As mentioned, the much-advertised and long-promised ray-traced global illumination is still nowhere to be seen. Still, an improvement is an improvement.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Did you notice the changes? How big of a difference is it to you? Let us know down below.

The post Forza Motorsport gets stealth visuals boost in latest patch first appeared on KitGuru.

Valve has been on a spree recently, updating many of its services while giving others a facelift. Following the Steam Families revamp and the just-announced Steam Screen Recording function, Valve’s Steam Charts page has just gotten a new section.

Making the announcement on Twitter, the official Steam Deck page revealed that “We just shipped a new Steam Charts page featuring the top-played games on Steam Deck. This list is updated daily, and you can explore the top 100 games on Deck by week, month, or year.”

Valve had been highly proactive when it came to sharing Steam Deck player charts, but being able to check it out yourself at any point is welcome.

Unsurprisingly, in going to the Steam Deck Top 100, Elden Ring is currently the most-played game – followed by Stardew Valley; Balatro; Baldur’s Gate 3 and Kingdom Hearts.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: How much do you game on Steam Deck? Do you care about charts like these? What’s been your most-played Deck game over the past week? Let us know down below.

The post Valve adds new Steam Deck section to ‘Top Played’ charts first appeared on KitGuru.

Ubisoft has made it well known that it plans to go all out on Assassin’s Creed over the coming years, with almost a dozen games in the works and a hub to play them all in. It therefore comes as little surprise that at least a couple of those games are set to be remakes.

In an interview published by Ubisoft themselves titled ‘CEO Yves Guillemot on Ubisoft’s Upcoming Portfolio, the Future of Assassin’s Creed’ the aforementioned CEO revealed (among other things) that multiple remakes are currently in the works, saying:

“Firstly, players can be excited about some remakes, which will allow us to revisit some of the games we've created in the past and modernize them.”

He continued, “There are worlds in some of our older Assassin's Creed games that are still extremely rich.”

We’ve heard word of an Assassin’s Creed Remake for a while now, with reports claiming that Black Flag will be getting the remake treatment.

That said, with Ubisoft having stuck to remasters for the AC series so far, it’ll be interesting to see how much they decide to switch things up.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for the remakes? What games are you hoping will be included? What game needs it the most? Let us know down below.

The post Multiple Assassin’s Creed Remakes are in the works according to Ubisoft CEO first appeared on KitGuru.

More benchmarks for Intel's upcoming Lunar Lake CPUs are slowly trickling out ahead of launch. The new data gives us the first glimpse of the integrated Xe2 graphics performance, which apparently matches the AMD Radeon 890M that will power the upcoming Ryzen AI 9 HX370.

Designed for low-power devices like lightweight laptops, the Intel Lunar Lake CPUs are expected to target the U-series (17-30W) segment. On the other hand, AMD's Strix Point will target systems with power requirements ranging from 15W to 54W. The Lunar Lake CPUs bring a new CPU architecture, an updated NPU (AI accelerator), and the new Xe2 graphics.

Image credit: Jaykihn

Further into the integrated graphics of Intel's upcoming platform, we expect two models: Arc A130V and Arc 140V, each boasting 7 and 8 Xe2 cores, respectively. These cores are based on the Battlemage architecture. According to the data shared by Jaykihn (via VideoCardz), the Intel Lunar Lake iGPU will be pretty capable, achieving a Timespy graphics score of 3438 at 17W and a 4151 score at 30W. The latter is on par with what we've seen from the Radeon 890M seen in the flagship Strix Point APUs.

However, it's worth noting that the Lunar Lake system used 16 GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory (soldered to the base tile). This configuration introduces considerations around power usage, particularly as it impacts the comparison, which does not account for memory power usage estimated at 2-3W. In addition, there's also the memory speed itself, which could significantly boost Intel's CPU performance.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Were you expecting this level of performance of the Lunar Lake iGPU? 

The post Early Intel Core Ultra 200V iGPU benchmarks show it matching Radeon 890M first appeared on KitGuru.

Just yesterday, we reported on Microsoft’s cancelled cloud-streaming Xbox console, with details on the abandoned technology being discovered through submitted patents. It appears Microsoft has no need for its own cloud streaming box, as they have just announced a partnership to bring Xbox Game Pass to Amazon’s Fire TV stick.

Announcing the collaboration on their Xbox Wire Blog, Ashley McKissick – the Corporate Vice President of Xbox Experiences and Platforms Engineering – said:

“At Xbox, we’re committed to bringing the joy and community of gaming to everyone. Today, we’re announcing a collaboration with Amazon where Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in over 25 countries can play games directly from the Xbox app on select Fire TV devices via cloud gaming, giving people even more choice in how they play their favorite games.”

The app will be made available sometime next month for Amazon’s latest Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) and its ‘Max’ variant, with McKissick concluding by stating:

“Over the past several years, we have been on a journey to deliver cloud gaming to more devices and to more people around the globe. We are excited to add Fire TV to our growing family of cloud gaming devices and eager to welcome new players into this experience.”

It makes sense for Microsoft to partner with hardware makers who already have their products in millions of people’s homes. It’ll be interesting to see how much this boosts Game Pass sign-ups.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think about the upcoming app? Is it better than buying a dedicated cloud box? Could you see yourself casually using this? Let us know down below

The post Xbox partners with Amazon to bring Game Pass to Fire TV Sticks first appeared on KitGuru.

Fractal Design has done something unusual with its new Mood case, starting with the fact it is named Mood. In addition to giving it a name, they have covered it in fabric and have completely avoided the use of tempered glass and RGB lighting. The result is a 20 litre Mini-ITX PC case that barely resembles a piece of technology. The swish looks earn it pride of place on your desk or somewhere in your living room.

Time Stamps

00:00 Start
00:40 The Mood
01:30 Taking it apart
03:47 Hardware support
04:47 Installing hardware in the case
11:18 Graphics card support / install
14:47 Thermal and Noise tests
16:30 Leo's closing thoughts

Main features

• Discrete SFF case with sliding textile enclosure
• Supports GPUs up to 325 mm in length
• Large 180 mm fan included
• Tool-less removal of rear panel and casing
• Water-cooling support for radiators up to 280 mm
• Small footprint through slim design
• Sliding textile enclosure allows for easy hardware access
• Accessible 2.5” SSD brackets with ball catchers
• Supports installing a 3.5” HDD
• Removable dust filter (magnet-fastened on reverse/GPU side)
• Front IO for easy access
• Many tie-points for easy cable routing

Specification:

• Motherboard support: Mini-ITX.
• Power supply support: SFX-L, SFX.
• Expansion slots: 2.
• Included fans: 1x 180mm top exhaust.
• Fan mounts: 2x 120/140mm side, 1x 180mm top.
• Radiator mounts: 240mm/280mm side.
• 5.25-inch optical drive bays: None.
• Internal drive bays: 1x 3.5-inch, 2x 2.5-inch.
• Front I/O ports: 2x USB 3.0 5Gbps Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 2×2 20Gbps Type-C, audio.
• Dimensions: 453mm H x 212mm D x 212mm W.

Testing

To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Sapphire Radeon RX 6800 XT and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Fractal Design Mood‘s cooling capabilities.

Test System:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
• CPU Cooler: Fractal Design Lumen S24 RGB
• Motherboard: Gigabyte B650I Aorus Ultra
• Memory: 32GB G.Skill Z5 Neo DDR5-6000
• Graphics card: Sapphire Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB
• Power supply: Seasonic Focus SPX 650W Platinum
• SSD: Sabrent Rocket 4.0 M.2 NVMe
• OS: Windows 11

Cooling Performance

Cooling Performance Overview

Temperatures inside the Fractal Design Mood are reasonably low, and that is despite the novel use of materials and the compact nature of the case. Having said that, we expect that anyone expressing an interest in the Mood would be well advised to use low power hardware that minimises both heat and noise.

Closing Thoughts

The obvious point to make about the Fractal Design Mood is that it barely resembles a PC product, and only then when you look around the back and spot the mesh panel that covers the graphics card.

Clearly it is aimed at normal people who don't much like tempered glass and RGB lighting in their living room, and that is absolutely fine by us, although it raises an obvious snag. Imagine you don't like PC hardware and rarely build a system and then you are faced with a somewhat tricky 20 litre case that packs in the hardware rather snugly.

We suggest you grab the superb Fractal user guide in one hand and your screwdriver in the other and persevere. It might take you a while to build the PC  but we are confident you will be fine and the finished result will deserve pride of place on your kitchen table.

You can buy the Fractal Design Mood for £149.99 HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

Pros:

• Stylish good looks.
• Excellent user guide.
• Clean and simple design.

Cons:

• Restricted to a two-slot graphics card under 325mm.
• Price is high.
• Limited to Mini-ITX and SFX power.

KitGuru says: Fractal Design's Mood is compact and stylish and should fit equally well in your living room or home office.

The post Fractal Design Mood Case Review first appeared on KitGuru.

Yesterday, we reported on the unfortunate announcement that Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 4 will be delisted later this year “due to licensing and agreements with our partners”. As has been the case with many soon-to-be-delisted games, Forza Horizon 4 has now shot to the top of the PC charts, breaking its own peak player record.

As reported by ResetEra user ‘Theorry’, in the immediacy following the announcement that Forza Horizon 4 would be delisted from store fronts this December, the game saw an influx of players – going from a peak concurrent player count of 10,931 in May to a new record of 71,598 players.

Many of these concurrents appear to be new players too, as the game also shot to the top of the Steam Global Best Sellers list for a brief time.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Microsoft/Playground Games officially comment on this recent surge in Forza Horizon 4’s popularity.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you disappointed by the impending delisting? Did you hop into Forza Horizon 4 recently? Will Xbox renew the game’s licence? Let us know down below.

The post Forza Horizon 4 breaks player record following announcement of its delisting first appeared on KitGuru.

MSI has released new BIOS updates for various 600-series motherboards, introducing the AGESA Combo PI-1.2.0.0 microcode for its AMD X670E, X670, B650, and A620 motherboards. These updates aim to address multiple critical issues, improve system stability, and introduce new features.

These new updates bring various bug fixes and improvements to the 600-series motherboards, improving stability and performance for the upcoming AMD Ryzen 9000 series CPUs. Additionally, the update includes enhancements and workarounds aimed at Nvidia's RTX 40 series graphics cards, addressing stability concerns related to the 4070 and 4060 GPUs.

In addition to these improvements, the BIOS updates also deliver general bug fixes and optimisations to enhance overall system performance. For all users of AMD X670E, X670, B650, and A620 motherboards, upgrading to the latest BIOS version is recommended to fully leverage these improvements.

Most MSI motherboards already have the BIOS update available on their respective support page. However, it's worth noting that it's still in Beta. As such, we recommend you download it only if you really need it or believe it will improve your system's performance.

You can read more directly on MSI's website HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Although MSI was the first, other motherboard vendors should soon launch the updates for their 600-series motherboards.

The post MSI launches new BIOS updates with AGESA 1.2.0.0 for 600-series motherboards first appeared on KitGuru.

MSI faced some controversy recently over the lack of firmware update support for its MAG QD-OLED monitors, when its MPG series screens have already received significant enhancements with the latest firmware. Following consumer feedback and demand, MSI has now taken steps to address this concern, announcing that firmware updates will soon be made available for the MAG 271QPX and MAG 321UPX monitors.

To ensure that MAG series monitors are ready to receive firmware updates, the displays must be already on specific firmware versions (FW.012 or newer for the 271QPX and FW.015 for the 321UPX) that support this capability. According to TFTCentral, all stock should already be on the required firmware versions for European markets. However, in other regions, some early stock may have been shipped with older firmware versions that do not support updates. In such cases, users will need to contact MSI support to arrange a return of the monitor to a service centre for a firmware update.

According to MSI, the first firmware updates for the MAG series are expected to be available around mid-July. Users will be able to download firmware update files and the necessary tool from MSI’s support pages. MSI advises users to utilise a DisplayPort > DisplayPort connection without any adapters for the firmware flashing process. Further guidance will be provided alongside the firmware files, with the update process expected to take approximately 10 minutes.

While specific details regarding the firmware updates are currently unavailable, we'd expect the update to follow a similar trend to the MPG series screens.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you have one of these MSI MAG QD-OLEDs? Is your monitor ready to receive firmware updates, or will you have to take it to a service centre so they can update it?

The post MSI MAG QD-OLED monitors will get firmware updates after all first appeared on KitGuru.

AMD’s FSR 3.1 is the latest and greatest iteration of their upscaling technology, separating the frame generation feature from their upscaler while also introducing improvements to said upscaler. Following its official unveiling in March, AMD FSR 3.1 has now arrived – and is coming first to five Sony games.

Making the announcement on their blog, the team at AMD said “During our FSR 3 developer session at GDC 2024 (Game Developer Conference), we announced AMD FSR 3.1 would be coming in Q2 with exciting improvements and new capabilities. We are excited to share with you that AMD FSR 3.1 is available starting today in five fantastic games, including Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.”

Interestingly, as mentioned, all 5 titles are in fact SIE productions, with the full list of supported titles being as follows:

• Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut
• Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
• God of War Ragnarok (coming soon)

For the uninitiated, FSR 3.1 is focused on refinements and making the upscaler more user/dev friendly, with the notable enhancements being:

• Improved temporal stability, reducing flickering and shimmering.
• Enhanced ghosting reduction and better detail preservation.
• Decoupled frame generation technology that works seamlessly with other upscaling solutions.
• Simplified upgrades for developers to future versions of FSR.
• Added support for Vulkan and Xbox Game Development Kit (GDK).

AMD’s FSR 3 is an impressive achievement which could benefit all PC users, and so it is exciting to see the company’s latest efforts now beginning to be made available.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you going to hop into any of these games? What’s your opinion on FSR? Is the decoupled frame generation a big deal to you? Let us know down below.

The post FSR 3.1 available now in 5 PlayStation Studios games first appeared on KitGuru.

Apple took a big swing with their iPhone 15 series of phones, introducing a renewed focus on gaming with the announcement of iOS ports for a number of major AAA titles. Despite heavy hitters such as Resident Evil 4 Remake, Death Stranding and more being added to iOS, the initiative has so far underperformed.

As reported by mobilegamer.biz, in using calculations from the publications AppFigures and AppMagic, it appears as though all of the major console games which have been ported to iOS have been less-than-stellar sales-wise, with the estimates being as follows:

• Assassin’s Creed Mirage: 3000-5750 copies sold
• Resident Evil 4: 7000-15000 copies sold
• Resident Evil Village: 5750-34000 copies sold
• Death Stranding: 10600-23000 copies sold

Of course, as mentioned these games are only available to play on the iPhone 15 series alongside some select high-end iPads, and so expectations should have been kept in check.

Still, it seems so far as though these iOS ports serve more as a showpiece for what Apple’s devices are capable of – more so than being used as actual console replacements. It’ll be interesting to see how the games perform in the long term.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this new initiative? Do you welcome more iOS ports? What game would you buy on mobile if it were available? Let us know down below.

The post iOS ports of RE4, Death Stranding and more have reportedly underperformed first appeared on KitGuru.

EVO is one of the biggest competitive gaming tournaments in the industry, dating all the way back to 1996 and offering an arena where the biggest and best fighting game champions can clash. Almost 30 years on from its inception and the event is bigger than ever, breaking the all-time esports record for total number of competitors.

As revealed by EVO themselves, ahead of the event’s 2024’s kick-off on the 19th of July, this year’s competition has already broken a world record, writing:

“History was made when sign-ups for the featured titles at Evo 2024 closed this past Monday, June 24. Last year, the event brought in a total of 9,221 unique competitors between the games in the main lineup, breaking multiple all-time registration records in the process.”

They continued, “At the time of this post, there are 16,231 total bracket entries from 10,224 players who are entered in at least one of the featured games at Evo 2024. This marks the first time a video game tournament has reached over 10,000 unique competitors, setting a new all-time record, not just for Evo, but for all of esports.”

Alongside this, more records have also been broken when it comes to particular games such as Tekken 8, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike and more.

EVO is truly a spectacle every single year, and so it is not surprising to see so many players wanting to take a shot at the crown.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for EVO 2024? Will you be watching? What game are you most looking forward to? Let us know down below.

The post EVO breaks esports record with over 10,000 competitors first appeared on KitGuru.

Intel's Core Ultra 200 CPU family debut is just around the corner, slated for release as early as September. This series is geared towards low-power mobile devices and is expected to be Copilot+ ready due to its AI performance. However, CPU and GPU performance are still important and fortunately, a recent Geekbench leak has shed light on single-core and multi-core performance.

The Geekbench entries (#1, #2) shared by VideoCardz indicate a maximum frequency of 4.9 GHz on an engineering sample. The LP-Cores are expected to reach 3.7 GHz, though Geekbench does not register them. The testing system was equipped with 32 GB of memory and was running Windows 11 Enterprise.

The processor scored 2713-2739 points in the single-core test, outperforming the Core Ultra 9 185H by 20%. As for its multi-core performance, the CPU scored around 10K points, about 20% lower than the Core Ultra 9 185H. Compared to the newly tested Ryzen AI 9 365 SKU, this score suggests that AMD Strix Point (54W) will outperform Intel's CPU in single- and multi-core loads. However, it's worth noting that while Lunar Lake caps at 30 W, both Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and AMD Ryzen 9 365 go up to 54W.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 268V will come with four Lion Cove P-Cores and four Skymont E-Cores. Additionally, the SoC/processor comes with an Arc A140V iGPU with 8 Xe2-Cores capable of boosting up to 2.0 GHz. Contrary to earlier reports, the Core Ultra 7 268V is expected to be the flagship model. Intel is also unveiling the Core Ultra 9 288V variant, boasting a higher clock speed of 5.1 GHz and a 30W PL1, whereas the Ultra 7 268V will feature a 5.0 GHz boost clock speed and a 17W PL1.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Seeing these scores, do you believe the retail Lunar Lake samples will score higher?

The post Intel “Lunar Lake” Core Ultra 7 268V CPU shows up on Geekbench first appeared on KitGuru.

One issue which many video game developers have come across at some point is the need to delist their games from digital stores due to expiring licensing agreements. One of the biggest culprits of this are racing games. Many fans of the Forza series were hoping that 2018’s Forza Horizon 4 might not suffer the same fate due to prior statements from Microsoft themselves. Unfortunately, the game is now set to be delisted later this year.

Making the announcement on their blog, the team at Playground Games shared the unfortunate news: “Due to licensing and agreements with our partners, Forza Horizon 4 will be delisted from digital platforms (Microsoft Store and Steam) on December 15, 2024. This means the game and its additional content will no longer be available for purchase through online stores.”

While some achievements will become unachieveable, the team revealed that “players who already own the game and its content will be able to download and play it as normal, including its offline, online, and multiplayer features; physical copies of the game purchased after this date will also work and will be able to use online features.”

While not necessarily a surprising outcome for the game, back in late 2022 a Forza representative did claim that “we’re not planning on delisting Forza Horizon 4 anytime soon!”

It’s arguable whether a year and a half later would be considered soon, but regardless it is a shame to see pretty much every racing game ultimately succumb to the same fate.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What did you think of Forza Horizon 4? Are you sad to see it going away? How can future racing games avoid what seems to be inevitable? Let us know your thoughts down below.

The post Forza Horizon 4 will be delisted later this year first appeared on KitGuru.

A recently found patent has shed light on Microsoft's cancelled Xbox streaming device codenamed ‘Keystone'. The device, originally unveiled in 2021, was designed to enable users to stream Xbox games to TVs or monitors without needing a console. However, it was reportedly put on the back burner after Microsoft struggled to bring the cost of production down to a level that would make sense.

The patent (via Windows Central) was submitted in June 2022 and provides a look at how Microsoft envisioned the gadget. Described as a square with a circular shape on top, akin to the circular vent on the Xbox Series S, the device featured an Xbox power button and a USB-A connector on the front panel, as shown in the photo shared by Phil Spencer.

Image credit: United States Patent and Trademark Office

The rear panel was equipped with HDMI, ethernet, and power connectors, while the right side included what appeared to be a controller pairing button. Additionally, there was a circular plate at the bottom, similar to the one used for the Xbox Series X console.

In a previous interview in late 2022, Phil Spencer explained that the development of Keystone had been deprioritised due to the challenges associated with manufacturing the device at a reasonable cost. Although the device worked well, the cost was too high for Spencer, who was targeting a price tag between $99 and $129.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: If Xbox launches a streaming-only ‘console', will you consider getting one?

The post Microsoft patent sheds light on unreleased ‘Keystone’ streaming device first appeared on KitGuru.

Marvel Rivals is an upcoming Hero shooter in the vein of Overwatch, Paladins and other contemporaries. Ahead of its release at some point in the hopefully not-too-distant future, the PvP shooter has gotten a couple closed alpha tests on PC. Now, it's time for console players to give the game a go, as signs-up for the upcoming closed beta have now gone live.

Making the announcement on Twitter, the official Marvel Rivals page shared the following: “Console sign-ups are open! Complete the form [HERE]. Keep an eye on your email to see if you get selected and stay tuned to our socials and Discord for updates.”

PC players will also get the chance to hop into the beta when it goes live on the 23rd of July, however you won’t be able to register for it until just a couple days before on the 20th.

While it may feel as though the hero shooter space is a crowded market, there is still plenty of opportunity for a new title to come in and take over. We will have to wait and see what the public think of Marvel Rivals during the beta.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Will you sign up for the beta? Can it compete with overwatch? What’s your favourite hero shooter? Let us know down below.

The post Console beta sign-ups for Marvel Rivals is now live first appeared on KitGuru.

Dead Rising stands out as a timeless gem, transforming the tired concept of zombies in a shopping mall into a unique survival game that captures the madcap fun of improvising weapons and capturing undead mayhem on film. The original 2006 release, which broke new ground by bringing the living dead to a shopping centre, is now set for a deluxe remaster over a decade after its PC debut and almost two decades since its original launch.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is essentially a remaster of a remaster, updating the 2016 HD Remaster that expanded the original 2006 game beyond its Xbox 360 exclusivity and onto PC.

Capcom's teaser (above) features photographer and zombie-slayer Frank West plunging out of a helicopter at the Willamette Parkview Mall. Even in the short cutscenes, it appears notably different from the HD Remaster, with better textures and even a redesigned character model of Frank. It also seems that Frank may get a new voice, with fragments of lines re-recorded from original actor TJ Rotolo.

Capcom's description of the remaster as ‘an updated release with a brand new look' hints at potential gameplay enhancements and additional content to complement the enhanced visuals. With the power of modern hardware, it's reasonable to expect more zombies swarming the screen, intensifying the chaos and action. The teaser's reference to a 2024 release signals an imminent launch, yet specific launch platforms and dates are yet to be disclosed.

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KitGuru says: Have you ever played the original Dead Rising or the 2016 remaster? What do you expect from this new remaster?

The post Capcom’s original Dead Rising is getting a new remaster first appeared on KitGuru.

As they do each month, Sony gives away a number of titles to all those with a PlayStation Plus subscription. Available to keep forever and play as long as you are actively subscribed, July’s monthly PS Plus titles have now been revealed.

Making the announcement on the PlayStation Blog, the Director of Content Acquisition & Operations at SIE ‘Adam Michel’ said: “July brings a billion guns, puck slapshots and the threat of sabotage to PlayStation Plus with the Monthly Games lineup”. With that, the full line-up of games (available from the 2nd of July) is as follows:

• Borderlands 3 | PS4, PS5 
• NHL 24 | PS4, PS5
• Among Us | PS4, PS5

Additionally, PS Plus members will be able to claim some new in-game rewards for the free-to-play Genshin Impact. Arriving on the 16th of July, the PS Plus bundle includes:

• Primogems × 160
• Fragile Resin × 4
• Hero’s Wit × 20
• Mystic Enhancement Ore × 30
• Mora × 150,000

While in no way the most exciting month in PS Plus history, it is nice to see that both PS4 and PS5 owners will be able to play all of the games being included. The full line-up of PS Plus Extra/Premium titles meanwhile can be found HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of next month’s offerings? How has PlayStation Plus been for you this year? Which of the three games interest you the most? Let us know down below.

The post July’s PS Plus Essential line-up includes Borderlands 3 first appeared on KitGuru.

You will likely have seen the news that DeepCool was recently placed on the US sanctions list, preventing the company from operating in the USA, as a result of alleged sales to Russian businesses. We reached out to DeepCool to clarify the situation, and they sent us a response via a PDF document. While we initially published the contents of this document verbatim, it was made clear shortly afterwards by DeepCool that this had not passed through the legal channels. We did get authority that we could take sections of the document and interpret what they were saying in our own words. 

The document we were sent is broken down into five sections, where DeepCool breaks down and clarifies the situation from its perspective.

In the first part, the company states that they were placed on the ‘Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List,' or ‘SDN list' for short, due to sales worth over $1 million to two Russian companies who were placed on sanctions list in September last year – Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Taskom and OOO Novi AI Ti Proekt. DeepCool later clarified that they only used Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Taskom for logistics, and OOO Novyi Ai Ti Proekt is a memory/computer manufacturer that they were directly dealing with.

DeepCool states that it sold various cases, coolers and PSUs to OOO Novyi Ai Ti Proekt, up until 14th September 2023, at which point the Russian company was placed on the SDN blacklist by the US and DeepCool ceased trading with them. DeepCool adds that there were no rules preventing sales of its components to OOO Novyi Ai Ti Proekt until that point, and PSUs were only added to the Common High Priority List (CHPL) of banned items on February 23 2024. DeepCool also maintains that any sales were strictly intended for civilian use only, and nothing was intended for military use.

DeepCool then outlined how the sanctions meant they essentially had to stop trading as a US entity. However, the company says it immediately hired lawyers to develop a rectification plan, and re-iterated that the Russian companies it dealt with were not sanctioned while DeepCool sold its components to them.

DeepCool ends the statement by reaffirming its commitment to the laws and regulations of the countries it operates in, and vows to resolve its sanctions in compliance with said laws and regulations.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: We wanted to share the crux of the statement we received from DeepCool so you can hear their side of the story. We will on hand to post any more coverage as the story develops.

The post DeepCool issues response to US sanctions first appeared on KitGuru.