Cooler Master has unveiled the Qube 540, a new 40L compact case with a heavy focus on builder flexibility. Following the geometric design of the Qube series, this new model is designed to be built in either a vertical or horizontal orientation, giving builders more choice when piecing together their rig.
Despite its smaller footprint, the Qube 540 is built to handle high-performance hardware. The chassis supports motherboards from ITX up to E-ATX (as wide as 280mm) and has clearance for flagship graphics cards up to 415mm in length. For cooling, the case accommodates 360mm liquid-cooling radiators and supports CPU cooling towers up to 172mm in height.
The interior is modular, allowing builders to adjust the layout for components and airflow, and the I/O panel and handles can be repositioned. Available in dark grey and light grey, the case features one pre-installed 120mm fan at the rear and can accommodate a 3.5-inch drive, as well as up to three 2.5-inch drives. Additionally, it features dust filters on the top, bottom, and front.
Another interesting thing about the Qube 540 is its emphasis on 3D-printed customization. Cooler Master is providing official and community-developed open-source 3D files for owners to print their own accessories. To support this, the company is collaborating with 3D-printing firm Prusa to make these add-ons more accessible to builders.
KitGuru says: The Qube 540 looks like an improvement over the previous Qube cases. Would you be interested in building with one of these?
The post Cooler Master launches modular Qube 540 chassis first appeared on KitGuru.While Contraband was announced in 2021 with a planned 2022 release date, the game continued to face delays and as a result, Microsoft ultimately pulled the publishing deal for the title. It is still unclear whether or not Avalanche will be able to revive the project, but in the meantime, newly leaked screenshots have given us a good look at what could have been.
Contraband was going to be an open-world co-op shooter set in a fictional Southeast Asia inspired country, with a mix of 1970s flavour. The game would have seen players teaming up to smuggle contraband across borders, engage in black market trading and go on heists. The game was described officially as a “smuggler's paradise”.
In the gallery above, you can see some of the screenshots discovered by MP1st. These screenshots are primarily concept art, rather than a look at the final product, but it shows some of the UI menus and character portraits. Notably though, the character portraits in particular were not final and were merely in place for prototyping purposes.
It is unclear what Avalanche Studios will move on to next. Contraband is seemingly not coming out and recently, it came to light that the studio doesn't have full control over the Just Cause IP, and with the previous instalment not achieving high commercial success, along with the fact that many of the Just Cause creators are no longer with Avalanche, it is unlikely that we'll see Just Cause 5 instead.
KitGuru Says: Due to the Just Cause 2 multiplayer mod, Avalanche spent a lot of effort transforming into a multiplayer-first studio. Unfortunately, projects like Generation Zero failed to catch on and without some extra backing, Contraband may never see the light of day.
The post Concept art leaks for cancelled Avalanche game ‘Contraband’ first appeared on KitGuru.Recently, the Japanese patent office rejected Nintendo's application for a patent what would cover monster capturing and throwing mechanics, something that could serve quite the blow to the company's ongoing lawsuit against the creators of Palworld. Now, the US version of this patent, which Nintendo was granted earlier this year, is also in trouble, as the USPTO is now re-examining the patent's validity.
Nintendo filed for patents covering monster catching, throwing and battle mechanics earlier this year in an effort to leverage those patents against PocketPair, the studio behind Palworld. While Palworld does take some inspiration from Pokémon, it is by and large a very different game to anything GameFreak has ever made. When the patent filings were initially reported, many came out to state that they should not be validated, as the vague language could impact hundreds of games, both new and old, not just Palworld.
As spotted by Gamesfray, the director of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), John Squires, has now ordered that Nintendo's recently granted patent be re-examined, as conflict has been found with a previous patent from Konami, who also seemingly has a claim over automatic and manual sub-character summoning and battle mechanics.
This doesn't mean that the patent will automatically be revoked, but in a sensible world, it would be. The patent is worded in such a way that could impact all kinds of games, from Ark: Survival Evolved, to Monster Hunter and many, many more.
KitGuru Says: While Palworld may have some Pokémon flavour in the form of its monster designs, Nintendo isn't suing over that. Instead, it is suing over mechanics that have existed in many different games for decades. If this is allowed to go ahead, it will hamper a lot of potential future innovation.
The post US Patent Office to ‘re-examine’ crucial Nintendo patent at centre of Palworld lawsuit first appeared on KitGuru.Following the ransomware attack on Insomniac a couple of years ago, a roadmap from the studio began doing the rounds, claiming that Insomniac would move on from Wolverine and Spider-Man in the coming years to focus on an X-Men series of games. Recent comments from Marvel Games seem to hint at that roadmap being accurate.
Speaking with Game Informer, Marvel Games head, Haluk Mentes, confirmed that they plan on working with Insomniac well into the future, beyond next year's release of Marvel's Wolverine, which will launch as a PS5 exclusive, but is also expected to release on PC eventually.
Here is the relevant quote:
“We have been working together for more than a decade and developed such a shorthand across multiple Marvel’s Spider-Man games that when the time finally came to bring Logan back in spectacular and visceral fashion, it was obvious to everyone on our team that Insomniac was the perfect choice. It was our shared culture and values that brought us together, and we’re so proud to continue collaborating for many years to come.”
The leaked roadmap claims that after Wolverine's release in 2026, Insomniac will be focusing on getting Spider-Man 3 out of the door by late 2028. After that, X-Men games will begin dropping starting from 2030. This timeline fits with Mentes' statement that Marvel and Insomniac plan to continue working together “for many years to come”. Interestingly, it was also previously claimed in leaks that the X-Men games will be multiplatform from the get-go, so we could see an end to the timed exclusivity on PlayStation.
KitGuru Says: Insomniac struggled to juggle multiple major characters in Spider-Man 2, with one of the game's biggest drawbacks being the constant shift between Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Hopefully that is an area that will improve, because an X-Men game would require a lot more shifting between character perspectives.
The post Marvel teases plans for more Insomniac-led superhero games first appeared on KitGuru.Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is launching very soon. Ahead of the game's November 14th release, Activision has now confirmed the final PC system requirements for the game, with minimum & recommended specs, alongside an Ultra specification guideline for those looking to play at 4K or chasing extremely high frame rates.
At a minimum, players will need a system equipped with a 1st generation AMD Ryzen 5 processor, or a 6th Gen Intel Core i5, along with 8GB of RAM and a Radeon RX 470 or GeForce GTX 970 or Intel Arc A580 graphics card. In all cases, it is recommended that you run the game on an SSD rather than a traditional hard drive, and you'll need 116GB of space to install the game, a number that is likely to grow overtime, as is often the case with Call of Duty each year.
Here are the remaining recommended and Ultra PC system requirements:
Recommended Specifications
Recommended specs to run at 60FPS in most situations with all options set to high:
Competitive / Ultra 4k
Competitive specs to run at a high FPS for use with a high refresh monitor, and Ultra specs to run the game at a high FPS in 4K resolution.
The specifications are roughly in line with the requirements for the beta. If you were able to run the beta well, then you should have no issues running the final release when it drops next week.
KitGuru Says: Are you planning on grabbing Black Ops 7?
The post Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 PC system requirements confirmed first appeared on KitGuru.Prior to EA's confirmation that Battlefield 6 sold 7 million copies at launch, analysts at Alinea Analytics predicted the result. Now with October fully behind us, they've updated their sales estimates to 10 million.
Battlefield 6 has already surpassed 10 million copies sold, according to data from Alinea Analytics. Speaking with GI.biz, the analyst firm said that a lot of this popularity is being generated on the PC market, so we may not see Battlefield overtake Call of Duty this year, as Black Ops 7 is expected to generate more sales on consoles.
The analyst also reckons that despite the perception of good will for Battlefield and distaste for Call of Duty amongst many gamers at the moment, these factors are not expected to significantly impact sales. Of course, we have seen confidence in Call of Duty falter once or twice over the years, most notably with Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Call of Duty: Vanguard, but the series has consistently bounced back and retained industry-leading sales.
We'll see just how well Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 performs very soon, as the game is due to drop on the 14th of November.
KitGuru Says: Have you been playing Battlefield 6 since launch? Will you also be picking up this year's Call of Duty?
The post Battlefield 6 has surpassed 10 million copies sold, with PC leading the charge first appeared on KitGuru.Mchose has launched its latest mechanical keyboard, the Ace 68 Turbo, targeting the competitive gaming market. The new model is built around Hall-effect magnetic switches and features a dual-chip architecture. The keyboard has an MSRP of $119, but it is currently available for a promotional launch price.
The Ace 68 Turbo (via Xiaomi Today) features a dual-core, dual-chip design specifically designed to manage its 16K polling rate. Mchose claims this configuration delivers a 0.06 ms response time, intended to ensure stable input during gaming. The board utilises North Pole magnetic (Hall Effect) switches, which avoid physical contact for actuation. This design should reduce wear and maintain a smooth press over the keyboard's lifespan.
The hardware is housed in an aluminum chassis for a solid, durable build. On the software side, the keyboard features “RT Smart control”, which allows users to customise the actuation point of individual keys to suit their preference. The Ace 68 Turbo also includes “Self-adaptive dynamic calibration 2.0” technology, which Mchose states automatically aligns key response based on ambient conditions.
Connectivity is handled via tri-mode support, including wired USB, 2.4 GHz wireless, and Bluetooth, making it compatible with a wide range of devices. Users can manage settings through the Mchose software, which handles key remapping, macro creation, and the multi-zone RGB lighting. Customers can pay an $8 deposit to secure a $40 discount, dropping the price of the keyboard to $79.
KitGuru says: Do you think a 16K polling rate is overkill, or is it just the next step for the peripheral market?
The post The world’s first 16K polling keyboard has arrived first appeared on KitGuru.
Tonight will host what scientists have confirmed to the biggest, brightest full moon of the entire year. Some know it better as a supermoon, which is a full moon near its perigee (or closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit). This closeness means that the lunar disc will be visually stunning, shining up to 30% brighter and presenting 
More Black Friday discounts are appearing by the day. Earlier this week, we highlighted a fantastic early Black Friday deal on a premium Samsung wireless soundbar system (as well as several other soundbars), and now we're turning our attention to a batch of discounted gaming laptops rocking GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs. Game on, folks!
Gigabyte 
Murmurs of Apple releasing a lower-cost MacBook to compete in the budget laptop segment are growing louder. If such a device comes to fruition, Apple would find itself competing with the likes of cheaper Chromebooks and entry-level Windows PCs, whereas traditionally the company has primarily focused its efforts on more premium categories.
It's 
OnePlus has unveiled an all-encompassing solution to mobile gaming called OnePlus Gaming Technology. This holistic system, debuting on the upcoming OnePlus 15 series, combines software, hardware, and chip-level innovations under three key pillars: OnePlus Gaming Core, Performance Tri-Chip, and OnePlus FPS Max. The company is taking its signature 
AMD's latest earnings are in and they reflect another record quarter with revenue boosting to $9.2 billion on strong gains across the board, including client and gaming products (think: Ryzen CPUs and Radeon GPUs). That figure represents a 20% sequential increase from AMD's previous record high, and is up 36% year-over-year. To put it in AMD Minecraft's latest crossover DLC is very interesting for anime fans. While we typically see a lot of licensed skin packs in Minecraft, the new Dragon Ball Z DLC goes much further, offering new gameplay elements and game modes, alongside fan favourite characters from the series.
The Minecraft DLC features playable versions of characters like Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Trunks, Piccolo, Krillin, Cell, Majin Buu, Frieza, Android 18 and even Bulma. On top of that, the DLC includes a new fighting game mode, allowing players to battle it out in 1v1, 5v5 or co-op in the World Martial Arts Tournament.
Each character will have access to their usual special skills, from Goku's Kamehameha and Vegeta's Galick Gun to Krillin's Destructo Disc. Fan favourite locations from the Dragon Ball series also appear as playable maps in the game, including the Cell Games arena, Planet Namek, Kami's Temple, Capsule Corp and more.
Beyond the new gameplay elements, the DLC also includes 17 character skins that can be used in normal Minecraft games, and fans will also get a Scouter cosmetic item for a limited time as well.
The Dragon Ball Z Minecraft DLC is available now for Minecraft Bedrock Edition, priced at $8.99.
KitGuru Says: It is cool to see some experimental gameplay features in Minecraft, going a full step beyond the usual cosmetic packs. The gameplay reminds me a little of Earth's Special Forces, which was a fantastic mod for Half-Life back in the 2000s.
The post Minecraft gets Dragon Ball Z DLC with full fighting game mode first appeared on KitGuru.NZXT has announced its entry into the premium fan market with the introduction of the Performance series. The new models include the F120X, F140X, F240X, F280X, and F360X, all featuring a single-frame design, Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) construction, and RGB lighting.
The frame and blades of each fan are constructed from LCP, an ultra-rigid material intended to resist flex and vibration at high speeds. This is paired with an optimised aerodynamic design that features a thicker 30 mm frame (up from the standard 25 mm), allowing the blades to move more air. NZXT also claims a minimal blade-to-frame gap to reduce turbulence.
Internally, the fans use a hybrid magnetic levitation and fluid dynamic bearing system. This is supported by a reinforced metal bearing enclosure and a 3-phase, 6-pole motor, which NZXT states is more efficient and provides smoother speed control. For aesthetics, the fans feature brushed aluminum side panels and subtle RGB lighting.
While the F120X and F140X are single-fan models, the other three are not. The F240X, F280X, and F360X integrate multiple fans into a single, solid frame, simplifying installation and significantly reducing cable clutter. All fans in the series are PWM-controlled and come with anti-vibration rubber corners.
The NZXT Performance fan series is now available in both black and white, and a 5-year warranty is included with all models. Pricing starts at £39.99/$44.99/€44.99 for the F120X and £44.99/$46.99/€46.99 for the F140X. The single-frame units are priced at £74.99/$84.99/€84.99 for the F240X, £79.99/$89.99/€89.99 for the F280X, and £99.99/$119.99/€119.99 for the F360X.
KitGuru says: How much would you spend on new case fans?
The post NZXT targets premium market with new Performance fans first appeared on KitGuru.Since the launch of the Switch, Nintendo has managed to achieve a level of adoption for its first-party games which we perhaps have never seen before, with countless titles selling over 10 million copies – and others like Mario Kart going even beyond 50 million. As they do each quarter, Nintendo has published updated game sales data, revealing that a solid half-dozen of their titles are about to hit new major milestones.
Taking to their investor relations site to publish the updated sales figures, Nintendo revealed just how well their legacy Switch 1 titles are doing, and how the current crop of Switch 2 games are performing.
With the data tracking up to the 30th of September, the Switch 1 titles which are set to hit major milestone sales are the following:
Given that the Switch 2 is still in its early days (and considering the fact that the data only goes up to the end of September), only two titles have made its list so far, with Mario Kart World sitting at 9.57 million copies sold and Donkey Kong Bananza bringing up the rear at 3.49 million.
We also got updated hardware sales data for the Switch 2 at the same time, allowing us to figure out the exact adoption rate for both Mario Kart World and Bananza – with the former at an impressive 92.37% and the latter at a respectable 33.69%.
Of course, Mario Kart World was given away as part of a Switch 2 launch bundle, helping its sales. Still, it appears as though like the OG, the Switch 2 will have plenty of best-selling games given time.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
KitGuru says: What do you think of the Switch 2 so far? Is it worth a purchase? Which Switch 2 exclusives are system sellers? Let us know down below.
The post Mario Kart World nears 10 million sales as Switch 1’s 8 Deluxe approaches 70 million first appeared on KitGuru.As they do each Quarter, Nintendo published its latest earnings report while updating its investor relations website, revealing just how well the console maker’s software and hardware are doing. Four months on from the launch of the Switch 2 (as of the 30th of September), Nintendo’s latest and greatest has officially sold over 10 million units.
Taking to their investor relations site to update the figures, Nintendo revealed that as of the 30th of September (almost exactly 4 months on from the console's launch) the Switch 2 has officially sold over 10 million units – 10.36 million to be specific.
While it is far too soon to come to any major conclusions from this data (especially as Nintendo made sure to offer plenty of supply during the system’s launch period), the Switch 2 has already almost reached the life-time sales for the ill-fated Wii U, which ended with just 13.56 million units sold.
The Switch 1 meanwhile continues to slowly inch its way towards becoming the best-selling console of all time, with it now sitting at 154.01 million units (just 0.01 million away from the Nintendo DS and a little over 6 million to take the top spot above the PlayStation 2).
All that said, with the Switch 1 going up in price instead of down, we will have to wait and see whether the nearly 9 year old console has enough juice in the tank to make it to the top of the podium.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
KitGuru says: What do you think of the Switch 2’s early sales? Does it have a chance of reaching Switch 1 numbers eventually? Will the PS2 be dethroned by the end of the Switch 1’s life? Let us know down below.
The post Switch 2 officially sold over 10 million units in its first 4 months first appeared on KitGuru.Back in early September it was announced that the two-year old studio T-Minus Zero Entertainment – which was established in partnership with gaming giant NetEase – was being unceremoniously shut down before they could even ship their first project. In an opportunity which very few studios have been fortunate to receive, T-Minus Zero Entertainment has now been revived.
Making the welcome and surprise announcement on their new website, the team at T-Minus Zero Entertainment wrote: “Today, we’re proud to share that T-Minus Zero Entertainment is officially returning – reimagined, refocused, and ready to build the next great player-driven experience.”
Explaining how this revival came to be, CEO Zachary Beaudoin revealed that “A small group of veteran directors & founders have acquired the T-Minus Zero Entertainment name to carry the team’s spirit forward and are relaunching as an independent production company—with a refined development model and a funding approach inspired by the independent film world: focused, project-based, and partnership-friendly.”
Their mission statement can be found HERE, but in terms of what’s next for the studio in the immediacy, Beaudoin claimed “We are now seeking co-financing partners for our next round of development financing. Our immediate goal: bring our concept to full production with the right strategic allies—those who value quality gameplay-first experiences, executional excellence, and a sustainable business model.”
As mentioned, very few studios manage to be revived following a closure, with even fewer doing so while maintaining their independence. As such, here’s to hoping that the new and improved T-Minus Zero Entertainment manage to achieve great success.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
KitGuru says: Are you glad to see T-Minus Zero brought back? What are your hopes for the studio? Is NetEase too trigger happy with shutting down studios? Let us know down below.
The post T-Minus Zero Entertainment revived following shutdown by NetEase first appeared on KitGuru.Each month, all those with a Humble Choice membership are able to get their hands on 8 or so titles as part of the company’s Choice subscription service. For November, members can look forward to a decent variety of titles, including Etrian Odyssey HD; Another Crab’s Treasure and more.
Available to add to your library from now until the end of the month, November’s Humble Choice line-up features the following:
Though far from Humble’s best month, you’re still getting a solid selection of varied titles for £11.49, with the likes of Another Crab’s Treasure being a surprisingly excellent souls-like in which you play as a crab “on a treasure hunt to buy back his repossessed shell.”
No More Heroes 3 meanwhile is the latest entry in the wacky series from known game director Suda51 and Grasshopper Manufacture; starring ‘The otaku assassin’ Travis Touchdown in an experience described as “stylish, ridiculous, and a blast” for fans of the unique director.
As always, a portion of your subscription’s proceedings will go towards charity, with this month’s being ‘No Kid Hungry’ – a group “working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive.”
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
KitGuru says: What do you think of this month’s offerings? Is it worth the subscription price? Has Humble justified Choice’s price hike yet? Let us know down below.
The post November’s Humble Choice line-up includes Another Crab’s Treasure and No More Heroes 3 first appeared on KitGuru.Rockstar’s PS3 exclusive ‘Agent’ had long existed in limbo, with nothing seen of the game since its reveal in 2009. Finally after well over a decade, the game was confirmed to have been cancelled. Since then, former team members have started to speak more candidly regarding Agent, with Rockstar Games’ own co-founder Dan Houser now weighing in on the matter.
In an interview with Lex Fridman (and transcribed by VGC), ex-Rockstar head writer and studio co-founder Dan Houser spoke rather candidly on the ill-fated PS3 exclusive Agent, revealing that “We worked a lot on multiple iterations of an open world spy game, and it never came together.”
Offering additional context, Houser continued, “It had about five different iterations. I don’t think it works, I concluded – and I keep thinking about it sometimes, I sometimes lie in bed thinking about it – and I’ve concluded that what makes them really good as film stories makes them not work as video games. We need to think through how to do it in a different way as a video game.”
Despite not being officially cancelled until 2021, Houser claimed that the game never left the early stages of development, stating: “I don’t know what it would’ve been because we never got it enough to even do a proper story on it. We were doing the early work where you get the world up and running, and it never really found its feet in either of them.”
Considering the lack of pretty much any development details previously regarding the ill-fated Agent, it is highly interesting to hear exactly why the project never came to be.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
KitGuru says: How long did you hold out hope for Agent to be re-revealed? Does Houser’s explanation make sense to you? Would you like to see a modern day Rockstar have a second go at trying to make a spy game? Let us know down below.
The post Rockstar co-founder reveals why the ill-fated PS3 exclusive ‘Agent’ failed to release first appeared on KitGuru.
Every year, there are games that are, in the minds of some, criminally underrated and not given the credit they deserve, whether by the large-scale media, awards season, or public tone. For a certain subset of narrative indie game fans, last year's underrated game was 1000xResist by a new Canadian studio, Sunset Visitor. It was released first on PC and Nintendo Switch and was nominated for several awards, including Outstanding Achievement in Game Director, Story, and Character at the DICE Awards, Best Debut and Best Narrative game at the GDC Awards, and Excellence in Narrative at the IGF Awards, but […]
Read full article at https://wccftech.com/review/1000xresist-review-perhaps-the-best-narrative-experience-in-video-games/
A huge part of the draw of social online games like Fortnite is purchasing and showing off fun in-game cosmetic items, like character skins, accessories, animated emotes, and more. It’s a way for players to express themselves while spending time in the vast game world. However, it seems that Epic might’ve misread the room with its latest additions, 
If you were ordered to pick a random number and guess "zero", it may be a great choice—but not if it's what you pick every time you're asked, as current AMD Zen 5 CPUs are prone to do in certain conditions. Specifically, AMD has confirmed that in very specific circumstances, the RDSEED CPU instruction is returns a value of 0 "at a rate inconsistent 
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