The next Apple TV is on the way, long overdue, and likely to bring with it multiple updates. Here's what the rumor mill believes is on the way for Apple's set-top box.
Current-gen Apple TV 4K
Apple's last update to the Apple TV was in 2022. A new model is likely to arrive sometime in 2025, if rumors about the set-top box are to be believed.
As usual for Apple hardware, there are a wide variety of changes expected for the device. What follows is what the rumor mill and online chatter propose Apple will do to its smallest device for the home's biggest screen.
Apple has launched a website and downloadable wallpaper for Apple Miami Worldcenter, a new store due to open on January 24.
Downloadable wallpaper for Apple Miami Worldcenter
As part of its expansion in Miami, Apple has been working on adding a new store in the currently under construction luxury Worldcenter development. It's now officially due to open on Friday, January 24, 2025.
"Our brand-new store in downtown Miami is opening soon," says Apple on its new retail website for the store. "Get ready to discover an oasis in the heart of the city, where nature thrives and creativity flourishes."
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that previous reports of an iPhone 17 Slim being 6mm are underestimating its thinness, at least for part of the device.
A render of what the iPhone 17 Slim could look like
While rumors of a slim iPhone 17 have been circulating since at least June 2024, there was initially little news of just how much slimmer it could be than the 7.3mm of the iPhone SE. Then in November 2024, reports claimed that it would come in at a significantly thinner 6mm.
Now according to Ming-Chi Kuo, the actual figure is going to be just 5.5mm — but perhaps only for part of the iPhone.
A new report claims that popular iPhone apps are being used by advertisers to get your location details, despite Apple's App Tracking Transparency — and even without the app developers' knowledge.
Popular apps like Candy Crush & Tinder used for location tracking
Apple introduced App Tracking Transparency (ATT) with iOS 14 back in 2020, and was so effective at blocking advertisers from harvesting and then selling user data, that it reportedly made Facebook's revenue drop by $12.8 billion in a year. However, a new report claims that advertisers have found other ways to track and monetise user data.
Some widely used apps, including Candy Crush, Tinder, and MyFitnessPal, are allegedly being exploited by rogue actors within the advertising industry to collect sensitive location data on an enormous scale. This has been claimed before, but now 404 Media reports that a hack of location data company Gravy Analytics has revealed evidence of thousands of popular apps being unknowingly utilized to provide mass location data to advertisers.
A fresh price cut on AirPods Pro 2 is in effect at Amazon this Friday, delivering the lowest price seen in 2025.
Amazon has discounted AirPods Pro 2 by $70.
Steeper discounts on Apple products continue to launch at Amazon, with the retailer slashing the price of Apple AirPods Pro 2 this morning to $179.99. This reflects at $70 discount off retail, providing shoppers with the lowest price we've seen on the earbuds in 2025.
Summing up the whole Consumer Electronics Show in one word, explaining the sudden over-stressing about Siri privacy, and scratching our heads over just what Brazil and Indonesia want from Apple.
Credit: AppleCredit: Apple
It's the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) week and, perhaps disappointingly, perhaps predictably, there isn't a huge amount to say about it other than it came, it stayed around a bit, and it's going again until next year. Still, it's quite an event when you can summarize all of the many releases there with just one word.
Whereas, there have been very many words spoken this week about the absolute fact that we're getting the iPhone SE 4 and next iPad any minute now — except we're not. Wes Hilliard takes apart the rumors and shows why wishful thinking won't get us these devices any sooner.
The Los Angeles wildfires are causing some major problems to the city, beyond property damage. With events canceled and filming delayed, it's causing new logistical issues for Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ logo - Image Credit: Apple
The LA wildfires are decimating homes and buildings in the area, as strong winds help the fire spread quickly. With over 30,000 acres hit by the fire, and thousands of structures affected by it, it will be a long time before restoration efforts return things to normal.
The fire doesn't just cause long-term issues, as it also introduces many short-term ones as well. With livelihoods affected by it, the fire is already impacting production and event schedules in the media-centric city.
When it comes to ultra high-speed DDR5 memory, typically names like G.Skill and Corsair spring to mind. However, Patriot looks to be making a push to rank amongst the fastest DDR5 memory providers with its new 9600MT/s kit. Join Leo as we take a closer look, live from the CES show floor.
Watch on YouTube below:
At the top of Patriot's line-up is the Signature series of memory, offering speeds of 6400MT/s and capacities up to 64GB but without a heatshield mounted over it. It is perfectly safe to run memory like this and you'll likely save some money, but if you are going for an aesthetically pleasing build, then you'll want to find memory with a heatspreader, which is where the Signature Premium series comes in, with a black shroud covering the memory and aiding in passive cooling, while keeping the same specs.
Last year, we started to see prototypes popping up for LPCAMM2 memory, a new standard designed to work with both laptops and desktops. Patriot has one of its LPCAMM2 engineering samples here on show, but we're still some ways off from seeing these hit the market. For cooling, Patriot also has a Viper Steel heatshield prototype. If this new memory format hits the market, you would likely slot your memory in horizontally, next to your CPU. That way, you can cover it up with a heatshield solution, similar to M.2 SSDs.
The star of the show is Patriot's Viper Xtreme 5 memory, offering speeds up to a staggering 9600MT/s and capacities up to 48GB. These units use high quality CKD, exclusive thermal pads for the PMIC and comes with a special edition silver heatshield.
As Patriot is celebrating its 40th anniversary, the company is also launching Anniversary Edition Viper Xtreme 5 DDR5 kits with speeds up to 8,000MT/s.
Be sure to watch the video for a look at all of the custom PC builds at the Patriot booth – they look great and will serve as good inspiration for your next upgrade.
KitGuru Says: What do you all think of Patriot's CES showing? Would you like to see LPCAMM2 memory become the next standard?
AMD's Radeon RX 9070 XT is back in the spotlight, with leaked 3DMark benchmark scores suggesting an impressive performance uplift, more so considering that it has been reported that these weren't obtained with a stable graphics driver.
Chiphell forum user nApoleon (via VideoCardz) has shared a cryptic message urging users to hold off on purchasing Nvidia's RTX 50 series, claiming that “everything has changed”. This has fueled speculation that AMD's RX 9070 XT's performance could compete with Nvidia's next-generation GPUs.
Moreover, hardware leaker Zhanghonghao claims that AMD has increased the RX 9070 XT's Total Board Power (TBP) through a new BIOS update for reference models. A leaked Furmark screenshot of a custom card shows a maximum board power of 329W, significantly higher than previously rumoured. As for the rest of the specs, these can be confirmed on the screenshots shared on Chiphell (via Wukongmyth). The leaked specifications reveal a base clock of 2520 MHz, a boost clock of 3060 MHz, and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory clocked at 20 Gbps. The card is reportedly an Asus custom model with 4096 Stream Processors.
Moving on to the leaked scores, the card reportedly achieved a graphics score of 14,591 in Time Spy Extreme and 6,345 in Speed Way. These results place it between the RX 7900 XTX and the RTX 4070 Ti in the ray tracing-focused Speed Way benchmark and above the RTX 4080 Super in the rasterisation-heavy Time Spy Extreme test. It's important to note that these benchmarks were conducted on an early sample with pre-release drivers. Further optimizations and driver updates could improve performance before the official launch.
AMD is expected to share more details about the Radeon RX 9070 series later this month. Rumours claim the official release date will be on January 24th.
KitGuru says: If these results are accurate, even considering they're achievable using pre-release drivers, the RX 9070 XT could be a formidable contender in the mid/high-end market, assuming the rumoured ~£500 price tag.
AMD has finally lifted the curtain on FSR 4. At CES 2025, the red team revealed its next-generation upscaling technology, and it sure looks impressive. Leveraging the power of machine learning to deliver a significant leap in image quality, we had our first look at the tech used on Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.
While AMD's official presentation was limited to a single slide confirming FSR 4's AI-driven foundation and its support in upcoming titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Hardware Unboxed managed to capture some footage of FSR 4 in action on the CES show floor. The demo, running on a system equipped with a Radeon RX 9000 series GPU (likely from the RX 9070 family), showcased FSR 4's capabilities.
Hardware Unboxed conducted a side-by-side comparison of FSR 3.1 and FSR 4 in Performance Mode (1080p to 4K), and the results were impressive. Although AMD didn't display any FPS counters, FSR 4 demonstrated noticeable improvements in areas where previous FSR iterations struggled, including rendering fast-moving objects, reproducing accurate colours, and handling translucent elements. The enhancements were particularly evident in the confetti, which no longer exhibited distracting streaks. Crowd details, textures, and character models also appeared more refined and lifelike, with significantly reduced shimmering and improved overall clarity.
While FSR 4 might not yet reach the level of visual fidelity offered by Nvidia's DLSS technology, the improvements are undeniable. Interestingly, the demo was titled “AMD Graphics Research AI-based Upscaling” rather than explicitly mentioning FSR 4, suggesting the naming of the new upscaling technology might change.
KitGuru says: What do you think of the visual quality improvements brought by “FSR 4”?
Pico is bringing the power of cloud gaming to its VR headsets with the integration of Nvidia GeForce Now. This exciting partnership opens up a world of AAA gaming experiences for Pico users, offering seamless access to a vast library of titles without needing a powerful PC or console.
Announced at CES 2025, this collaboration allows Pico headset owners to stream games directly from Nvidia's GeForce RTX servers, delivering high-fidelity visuals and smooth gameplay on the go. The integration leverages the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard and Nvidia DLSS technology to minimise latency and enhance image quality, ensuring a responsive and immersive VR gaming experience. Also worth noting is that Bluetooth controllers are supported.
The GeForce Now app will be available for download from the Pico Store later this month, coinciding with the latest GeForce Now update. This update will allow users to stream games at up to 1440p resolution, delivering a more immersive experience when using the app with VR and MR headsets.
Pico users can choose from various GeForce Now subscription plans, including day passes, monthly subscriptions, and 6-month memberships. The “Performance” membership offers priority access to GeForce RTX servers with DLSS and ray tracing enabled for £9.99 monthly. The “Ultimate” membership, which provides access to GeForce RTX 4080-powered servers, costs £19.99 per month.
KitGuru says: Do you own a Pico headset? Will you play games through GeForce Now on it?
This week at CES, Nvidia officially announced its new generation of graphics cards. The RTX 50 / RTX 5000 series, based on the Blackwell architecture, is launching later this month and plenty of board partners are showing off custom-cooled models. In this video, Leo checks in with Inno3D to see all of their upcoming graphics cards.
Watch via YouTube below:
For custom-cooled models, Inno3D has the RTX 5090 X3 at the top of the pile, featuring a chunky triple-fan cooler. We are anticipating a £2000 price tag here, so you'll need deep pockets to grab Nvidia's latest top-range GPU.
The RTX 5070 Ti X3 is a heavy triple-slot card, but it does have a slimmer profile compared to the RTX 5090. For the standard RTX 5070, Inno3D has gone for a smaller dual-fan cooler, which will more comfortably fit in most cases. For the slimmest RTX 5090 possible, you'll want the Inno3D iChill RTX 5090, which comes with a water block attached for easy connection to custom liquid cooling loops.
As a reminder, here are the full specs for the RTX 50 series:
RTX 5090
RTX 5080
RTX 5070 Ti
RTX 5070
RTX 4090
NVIDIA Architecture
Blackwell
Blackwell
Blackwell
Blackwell
Ada Lovelace
DLSS
DLSS 4
DLSS 4
DLSS 4
DLSS 4
DLSS 3
AI TOPS
3352
1801
1406
988
1321
Tensor Cores
5th Gen
5th Gen
5th Gen
5th Gen
4th Gen
Ray Tracing Cores
4th Gen
4th Gen
4th Gen
4th Gen
3rd Gen
NVIDIA Encoder (NVENC)
3x 9th Gen
2x 9th Gen
2x 9th Gen
1x 9th Gen
2x 8th Gen
NVIDIA Decoder (NVDEC)
2x 6th Gen
2x 6th Gen
1x 6th Gen
1x 6th Gen
1x 5th Gen
Memory Configuration
32 GB
GDDR7
16 GB
GDDR7
16 GB
GDDR7
12 GB
GDDR7
24 GB
GDDR6X
Memory Bandwidth
1792 GB/sec
960 GB/sec
896 GB/sec
672 GB/sec
1008 GB/sec
Inno3D's first custom-cooled RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 graphics cards will be available starting January 30th. The RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti will be available starting in February. Out of the box clock speeds for custom-cooled cards will be confirmed when retail availability begins.
KitGuru Says: Are you thinking of making the jump to an RTX 50 series graphics card?
It's once again a fan favorite with its new M4 version, but 20 years after Steve Jobs launched the Mac mini, it has had an extraordinary life of rave reviews — and criticism.
Apple's website announces the Mac mini in 2005
Steve Jobs introduced the Mac mini with the explicit aim of attracting Windows switchers. Yet it never quite seemed to do what Apple wanted, and instead became a cult favorite Mac, even when the company has tried to forget about it.
Jobs unveiled the Mac mini on January 10, 2005. Apple didn't issue a press release until the following day, though, and the Mac mini itself didn't ship until January 22.
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will both benefit from 48-megapixel sensors for all cameras on the rear, according to one prolific leaker.
Rear cameras on an iPhone
Apple's iPhone camera system is frequently the topic of rumors, and the iPhone 17 Pro's cameras are no different. If believed, the latest circulating rumor will make the Pro models in 2025 the best iPhone camera system ever.
The rumor, posted by "Digital Chat Station" on Weibo on Friday, makes the claim that the three camera sensors on the back of the Pro models will all use 48-megapixel sensors. Digital Chat Station adds that the Telephoto camera will still have a 5-times magnification, and will use "glass plastic lenses."
It's fair to say that VLC player is popular, as it has one download for just about every person on the planet. Of course the distribution isn't quite that even, those reading…
Calculator app has been around in macOS forever. Here's how to use its four modes in macOS Sequoia.
macOS's Calculator app.
Apple's Calculator app lives in the /Applications folder at the root of your Startup Disk. One of the simplest of all the macOS apps, it was also one of the first utilities shipped with Mac OS X when it was released in 2000.
In fact, the original Mac also shipped with a very simple Calculator app as a desk accessory.
Apple is donating to LA wildfire relief efforts and will let impacted Apple Card users postpone their payments.
Apple Card
Apple Card users residing in an area declared a natural disaster zone by FEMA may be eligible for delayed payments, as part of a program launched by Apple on Thursday. Eligible users can enroll in the program via the Messages app, where they must contact Apple Card Support.
As shared by Mark Gurman, those affected by the situation in Los Angeles can skip a payment in the month they enroll, and no interest will accumulate during this period. If an account is in good standing, it will remain current while it is enrolled in the program.
Apple has made the Apple TV+ show "Severance" available on the Roku Channel for a limited time to promote the second season.
An Apple TV+ teaser image for the second season of 'Severance'
The Apple TV+ workplace thriller "Severance" is arriving back on the service on January 17. As part of its promotion of the show, Apple is giving Roku owners an opportunity to catch up.
The entire first season of the show will be available on the Roku Channel as part of an "exclusive fan experience," from now until January 19. Included with the season, the channel will also preview the second season of the show and offer behind-the-scenes content, according toThe Hollywood Reporter.
The ultraportable M3 13-inch MacBook Air with an upgrade to the 10-core GPU is eligible for an exclusive $200 price cut for a limited time only.
This upgraded M3 MacBook Air is on sale for $999.
To take advantage of the $999 M3 MacBook Air deal on the 13-inch model with a 10-core GPU, head over to Apple Authorized Reseller B&H Photo and shop through the pricing links in this post from a laptop or desktop computer*.
Following the holidays, Apple has started up some Back to School promotions in a few countries, offering education customers a pair of AirPods 4.
AirPods 4th gen
While not the main Back to School period for sales, Apple is still offering bargains to customers in a few territories, as younger Apple users head back to the classroom.
Running from January 8 until March 13, customers of Apple's higher-education store can get a free pair of AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. Spotted by MacRumors, they are free with the purchase of a New MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or iMac.
At CES 2025, Bluetti, a leading name in clean energy solutions and this year's CES Innovation Award honoree, is generating buzz with the debut of its latest energy storage innovations, the Apex 300 Solar Generator and EnergyPro 6K Energy Storage System.
Bluetti has unveiled new, innovative products at CES 2025 - Image credit: Bluetti
Powered by Bluetti's cutting-edge Future Energy Tech System, the Apex 300 and EnergyPro 6K offer all-in-one power solutions for everyone, from weekend campers to small- and medium-sized homes, reducing reliance on the grid. These products are key players in Bluetti's Era 3.0 launch, marking a bold step in the company's strategy to refine and elevate its global brand.
As part of this new era, Bluetti introduces its groundbreaking product series: Elite, Apex, and EnergyPro, designed to help define exactly what a customer might need. The Bluetti Elite Series focuses on entry-level solutions aimed at outdoor enthusiasts and home backup battery users seeking energy independence.
At CES this week, MSI has a huge amount to showcase. We've already taken a look at laptops, now it is time to take a look at components, including everything from a new flagship dual-system chassis to new coolers, monitors and RTX 50 graphics cards.
Watch on YouTube below:
Timestamps:
00:00 RTX 5000 Series cards
03:53 Systems
04:33 Peripherials
05:00 MEG Maestro 900 PZ Series Modded PC
06:06 Motherboards / power supplies
07:39 Coolers
08:14 Monitors and Project Zero Builds
10:35 Gaming Desktop systems
11:25 CES Innovation awards
The new B860 and H810 motherboards cater to a wide range of users, from budget-conscious gamers to content creators and everyday users. While the B860 chipset stands out for performance enthusiasts with its PCIe 5.0 support, M.2 storage options, and memory overclocking capabilities, the H810 provides a more value-oriented solution for those seeking essential features. The “Project Zero” lineup is expanding with the new PZ series. These motherboards relocate most connectors to the rear, minimising cable clutter and creating a cleaner aesthetic. The MAG Z890 Tomahawk WIFI PZ (standard and White) and the PRO Z890-S WIFI PZ offer high-end features and stylish designs for those seeking performance and cleaner visuals.
Adding to the software side, MSI is announcing a collaboration with SignalRGB to create a new application that allows for synchronised and customisable RGB lighting control across multiple MSI motherboards. This user-friendly software simplifies RGB management by enabling users to configure all MSI products with RGB and ARGB in a single app.
The new MAG Coreliquid A15 liquid cooler combines high-performance cooling with a user-friendly design. The A15 series uses a redesigned copper base and the new CycloBlade 9 fans, improving performance compared to its previous AIO liquid coolers. For those who love a bit of bling, the A15 series features customisable ARGB Gen 2 LEDs controllable through MSI Center. MSI's focus on “EZ DIY” is evident in features like the Uni Bracket, EZ Connect, and EZ Conn-Design, simplifying the installation of the CPU cooler.
MSI is also introducing two new flagship power supplies: the MEG Ai1600T PCIE5 and MPG A1250GS PCIE5. Both models feature dual native 12VHPWR connectors for high-end GPUs and comply with the latest ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards. With 80 Plus, Cybenetics, and PPLP certifications, these PSUs have been tested to ensure they offer the performance, efficiency, and reliability that you want from high-end power supplies.
The star of the show is the MEG Maestro 900L PZ concept case, a revolutionary case inspired by stage displays. This modular chassis supports dual-system configurations (ATX and Mini-ITX), offering unparalleled flexibility and expandability. It can accommodate up to 16x 120mm fans or two 420mm radiators, ensuring exceptional cooling for even the most demanding systems. The modular motherboard tray can be rotated 90º for customised layouts, allowing for personalised builds.
If a pre-built desktop is what you are after, then the new MSI MEG VISION X AI combines next-level power with smart control, featuring the latest NVIDIA RTX 50 series graphics cards and Intel Core Ultra 200 processors. With its 13-inch AI HMI touchscreen, gamers can enjoy intuitive system control via the MSI AI app and voice interaction. This combination led to this system winning two CES Innovation Awards. For a smaller desktop system, the Cubi NUC AI+ 2M and NUC AI 1UM systems are available, packing Intel Core Ultra 200 CPUs and AI capabilities in a chassis that measures less than 1L.
On the monitor side, MSI is launching its latest generation QD-OLED displays. At 27-inches, the new MPG 272URX QD-OLED offers increased pixel density compared to the larger 32-inch 4K QD-OLED monitor that MSI released last year. This model comes equipped with a 5-layer tandem OLED panel featuring EL Gen 3 technology. This new material composition improves efficiency up to 30%. While increased pixel density and sharpness is nice, some of us like to have a bit more size, especially when dealing with 4K resolutions. That is where the MPG 322URX QD-OLED comes in, offering a larger 32-inch 4K QD-OLED display with 240Hz refresh rate for ultra smooth gaming.
The final monitor MSI is showcasing at CES this year is the new MPG 274URDFW E16M, which features a MIni-LED backlight with 1152 local dimming zones. The monitor also offers dual-mode technology, so you can switch between 4K/160Hz or 1080p/320Hz modes. That means you can have access to sharper graphics and more virtual space to work in the 4K mode, and then you can swap to 1080p to access even faster refresh rates for competitive games like Counter-Strike, Marvel Rivals, Call of Duty or Fortnite.
KitGuru Says: Do you have your eyes on any of MSI's new products for a new build or PC upgrade this year?
We always like to swing by and visit the big liquid cooling component makers at events like CES and Computex. This year, Leo spent some time with Alphacool, getting an early look at the new generation water blocks for RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 graphics cards.
Watch on YouTube below:
Alphacool has been working hard to get these blocks ready in time for Nvidia's launch this week. After getting dimension details for the RTX 5080 and 5090, the Alphacool team went back and completely redesigned its Core GPU block, optimising the distance between the cooler and components on the PCB, and simulating waterflow tests to verify the design works as intended. Alphacool has also paid special attention to the cooler base and nozzle to ensure the best possible cooling performance for enthusiasts looking to upgrade this year.
Alphacool continues to rely on pure brass fittings in the Core series to ensure the highest quality and safety. A Core emblem can be found above the jetplate and you will find chrome plating on the copper cooler instead of nickel plating. Chrome plating is more durable and appears significantly brighter and smoother than pure nickel plating. As always, a backplate is included with the Core GPU block, alongside a complete set of mounting materials, pre-cut thermal pads and extra thermal paste.
Alphacool Core block for RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 will support various models, including the MSI Suprim and MSI Gaming cards, Asus ROG Strix and TUF Gaming, Inno3D, Gainward and Palit.
Pricing for these blocks is set to land at €199.98, but if you want, you can get an Enterprise edition that comes with a slimmer 1-slot design for €299.98.
KitGuru Says: Are you planning on putting together a custom liquid cooling loop this year? Be sure to have a look at Alphacool's range, we've used a lot of their parts in our own custom builds.
Aside from being larger than the regular Maya, the ambidextrous Maya X also comes with LAMZU's latest tech: PixArt's PAW3950 sensor, Omron optical main button switches, LAMZU scroll wheel encoder, a 48 g lightweight build, and the 8K dongle included by default.
Following various announcements of new AMD Ryzen Z2-powered consoles over at CES 2025, reports emerged that MSI would also join the party by launching a Claw handheld using a Z2 APU.
This intriguing tidbit comes from CodeCommando (via VideoCardz), a leaker with a reliable track record for AMD and MSI-related leaks. Unfortunately, the leaker has remained tight-lipped about the details, only confirming the information without providing a specific timeframe or model details.
Currently, MSI's Claw AI+ handhelds exclusively utilise Intel's platforms (Core Ultra 100H and 200V series). This makes the Claw series the only gaming handheld lineup solely reliant on Intel processors, despite AMD's dominance in the handheld market with its Ryzen Z1 series.
AMD recently unveiled its next-generation Ryzen Z2 APUs at CES 2025, with confirmed designs for Lenovo's Legion Go devices. While MSI also launched its refreshed Claw AI+ series in December, these models are not expected to ship until mid-January.
KitGuru says: Is MSI planning to offer Intel and AMD options in its Claw lineup? Or could this be a sign of a strategic shift towards AMD for future handhelds?
Valve has made a significant move to expand the reach of SteamOS, officially licensing the operating system for third-party handheld gaming PCs. And leading the charge is Lenovo, with its newly announced Legion Go S.
This marks a major milestone for SteamOS, which was previously exclusive to Valve's own Steam Deck. While other manufacturers have expressed interest in using SteamOS, Lenovo is the first to officially partner with Valve and release a “Powered by SteamOS” device. Valve's licensing program allows manufacturers like Lenovo to pre-install SteamOS and utilise the “Powered by SteamOS” branding, ensuring a consistent and optimised user experience.
Besides the SteamOS Legion Go S, Lenovo also announced other two new Legion Go handhelds, all powered by AMD's Ryzen Z2 series APUs. These are the Legion Go S with Windows 11 and Ryzen Z2 Go, and the Legion Go 2 prototype powered by the Ryzen Z2 series and featuring an 8.8-inch OLED display and Windows 11.
Valve plans to release a beta version of SteamOS before the Legion Go S hits the market in May. This will allow users to test the operating system and provide feedback. While not officially part of Valve's CES announcement, GPD, another handheld PC manufacturer, has also revealed its intention to offer SteamOS on its devices.
KitGuru says: Do you think handheld manufacturers should follow Lenovo's footsteps and launch their own “Powered by SteamOS” handhelds?
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU is already flexing its muscles in a leaked Geekbench benchmark, giving us a glimpse of the performance leap it brings over the previous generation.
Just days after its official unveiling, the RTX 5080 Laptop GPU has appeared in an OpenCL test on Geekbench (via Benchleaks), courtesy of an Alienware 18 Area-51 gaming laptop. While OpenCL performance isn't a direct indicator of gaming prowess, it can give an idea of the capabilities of Nvidia's next-generation mobile GPU.
The benchmark confirms that the RTX 5080 Laptop GPU features 60 SMs (7680 CUDA cores) and 16 GB of GDDR7 memory, as previously rumoured. The GPU reportedly reached a maximum clock speed of 1.5 GHz during the test, although higher clocks are expected in optimised scenarios.
In the OpenCL test, the RTX 5080 Laptop GPU achieved a score of 190,326 points. This represents an 18% increase over the RTX 4080 Laptop GPU and even surpasses the RTX 4090 Laptop GPU by 6%, based on the official Geekbench chart. It's uncertain whether the benchmark was conducted with the latest drivers, meaning these numbers might not be final.
KitGuru says: Would you be happy if the Nvidia RTX Laptop GPU's generational uplift was the same 18% in games as it's in Geekbench's OpenCL test?
With the PlayStation 5 well into its mid-lifecycle, we have seen Sony begin to release an increasing number of custom accessory variants. Arriving in February, the ‘Midnight Black collection’ offers a matte black colourwave for all currently available PS5 accessories.
Announced via the PlayStation Blog, Sony officially detailed their latest suite of PS5 accessory colours, stating “The latest PS5 accessories get a new look with the Midnight Black Collection – bringing the galaxy-inspired Midnight Black colorway to the PlayStation Portal remote player, DualSense Edge wireless controller, Pulse Elite wireless headset, and Pulse Explore wireless earbuds.”
Set to drop on the 20th of February, the Midnight Black Collection joins the PS5’s previously-released all-black accessories (in particular the regular DualSense and PS5 covers) – allowing fans to fully deck out their systems with a matte black colour scheme.
Given just how popular the previously-released Midnight Black accessories were, it is interesting to see Sony taking so long to complete the collection.
That said, for those who have always been bothered by the PS5’s White and Black colour scheme, these latest additions will finally allow you to remove all sense of colour from your console/accessories if you so desire.
KitGuru says: What do you think of the latest Collection? Do you prefer it to the original colour scheme? Which custom controller has been your favourite so far? Let us know down below.
AMD's latest Ryzen AI Max chips probably wouldn't have existed without Apple, an AMD executive has admitted, thanks to the popularity of Apple Silicon.
AMD Ryzen AI Max - Image Credit: AMD
At CES, AMD introduced Ryzen AI Max chips, an upgraded version of its Ryzen AI architecture with up to 16 CPU cores and up to 40 AMD RDNA 3.5 graphics compute units, and a neural processing unit with up to 50 trillion operations per second.
The chips, offering tons of performance in various ways in one focused component, has considerable echoes to the way Apple Silicon works. During the launch, AMD VP Joe Macri hinted that Apple Silicon helped with getting the product made and out the door, reportsEngadget.
Apple has responded to a lawsuit over its iPhone 15 camera technology, asking a court to strike claims based on a pre-trial agreement between it and a Boston-based camera maker.
Cameras on the iPhone 15 Pro Max
In September, Apple was the target of a patent infringement lawsuit from SiOnyx, for allegedly encroaching on patents for full-color night vision imaging sensors.
At the time, it was claimed that Apple had infringed on the patents, referred to as "Pixel Isolation Elements, Devices, and Associated Methods," discussing improvements to photosensitive devices. By using silicon-based photonics, the complaint said that companies could create smaller, lower-cost, and higher-performance photonic devices for imaging purposes.
Back in October of last year, Capcom officially confirmed that their latest and greatest Resident Evil entry – Resident Evil 4 Remake – had reached a new sales milestone of 8 million copies. Just a few months later, the game has managed to hit another major milestone – now sitting at over 9 million copies sold.
Making the announcement on Twitter, the official Capcom page celebrated this latest milestone, saying “To you, the 9 million-plus agents, Happy New Year and thank you for your support. RE4 Team.”
While only officially announced recently, this 9 million figure was actually achieved back in late December of last year (more specifically the 19th) and so it’s possible that the game is now nearing the all-important 10 million sales milestone.
For context, 9 million copies sold puts Resident Evil 4 Remake as one of Capcom’s best-selling games of all time, currently resting at 10th place between Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak (8.8 million) and Resident Evil 3 Remake (9.2 million).
As stated however, given the slightly outdated nature of the figures released, RE4 Remake could easily already be the 7th-best selling Capcom game of all time – beating out RE6 (9.3 million) and RE5 (9.4 million).
When all is said and done, Resident Evil 4 Remake could crack Capcom’s top 5 best-selling games ever, though it would have to surpass Iceborne’s 14 million copies to do so.
We will have to wait and see – but given how RE4 Remake is less than two years old at this point, there is plenty of time left to achieve this target.
KitGuru says: Are you one of the 9 million players? How does it compare to the 2005 original? Will it beat out RE2 Remake to become the best-selling Resident Evil game of all time? Let us know your thoughts down below.
At CES today, we stopped by one of two MSI booths to check out all of the latest laptops. Of particular interest are the latest generation of gaming laptops sporting RTX 50 GPUs, which will be available starting in March.
Watch on YouTube below:
Timestamps:
00:00 Titan 18 HX Ai
01:10 Raider 18
01:45 Stealth 18
02:09 Vector 16 / 17 HX
02:27 MSI Ai Robot
02:58 Crosshair, Stealth & Raider laptops
03:44 Pulse 16/A17
04:02 Katana 15/17
04:27 Claw 7 and 8 Ai+
05:26 Dragon Edition Norse Myth
06:23 Other laptops
The flagship laptop from MSI is of course the latest Titan. The new MSI Titan 18 HX leverages an Intel Core Ultra 9 HX series processor and RTX 50 series graphics, up to an RTX 5090. With a total of 270W of peak performance to work with, you should manage to achieve true desktop replacement level performance in a portable package. Advanced vapor chamber cooling and dedicated SSD thermal design allows for sustained peak performance.
The MSI Raider and Vector series laptops are all getting an upgrade too, with up to Ryzen 9000HX or Intel Core Ultra 200HX series processors and RTX 50 graphics. MSI Stealth laptops will have the option of an AMD Ryzen AI 300 series processor or Intel Core Ultra 200HX CPU and are CoPilot+ certified.
MSI is introducing a brand-new line of laptops this year too. The MSI Venture and Venture Pro series laptops are aimed at business and productivity, offering screen sizes up to 17-inches, powerful CPU options and, in the Venture Pro models, you will also have the option of a discrete GPU. MSI has also created an exclusive battery boost feature for these laptops, which aims to deliver up to 5 hours of extra battery life.
Last year, MSI entered the handheld gaming market with the MSI Claw. At CES this year, we get a look at the latest model, the Claw 8 AI+ and Claw 7 AI+. These systems are engineered to sit in the natural contours of the hand, allowing for comfortable use for all hand sizes. MSI has redesigned the analog sticks, D-Pad, bumpers and hall-effect triggers too for smoother operation and accuracy. The MSI Center M software has also been refined for seamless device management. As this is a Windows handheld powered by Intel Core Ultra, it also has CoPilot+ capabilities. Dual Thunderbolt 4 ports allow you to dock the handheld and hook up multiple monitors.
KitGuru Says: Are you planning on picking up a new laptop in 2025? Will you be looking to pick up one of MSI's latest models?
Following its explosive popularity in the wake of 2017’s Monster Hunter World, hype for the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds has been at an all-time high, with last year’s beta seeing around half a million concurrent players on Steam alone. Ahead of the game’s launch next month, Capcom have confirmed that a second playtest is on its way.
“Open Beta Test 2 is your second chance to try out the evolved hunting experience in Monster Hunter Wilds, this time featuring an additional monster! Following the first Open Beta Test, the development team have been reading all of the feedback and requests we've received, and are working hard to improve the quality of the game for launch.”
No exact date has been shared regarding when the beta will go live, though it will take place at some point next month, prior to launch.
Given just how popular the first test was, it will be interesting to see whether the upcoming beta surpasses the former’s peak concurrent player count – especially as it will take place within week’s of the game’s official release. Regardless, it is safe to assume that when it does arrive, Monster Hunter Wilds will break a ton of records for Capcom. We won’t have to wait long to find out.
KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to Monster Hunter Wilds? Will you partake in the upcoming test, or will you wait for the full release? Let us know down below.
With 2025 well underway, we have started to see an increasing number of leaks detailing Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2. Though we have yet to hear anything official from Nintendo themselves, a new leak claims to give fans a first look at the system’s – admittedly simplistic – logo.
As shared by known Nintendo leaker Necro Felipe via BlueSky, the official logo for Nintendo’s upcoming Switch successor has now been revealed – confirming that the system will indeed be called the Switch 2.
It seems as though the company does not want to create another Wii-to-WiiU type situation, and so the number 2 appears to be the most prominent part of the logo itself, leaving no room for confusion.
The Switch 2 is easily one of Nintendo’s most important console releases in its history, and so it will be interesting to see exactly how they choose to talk about and push the upcoming system. We won’t have to wait too much longer to find out.
KitGuru says: Are you excited for the Switch 2? What do you think of the logo? Does it give us any indication of what to expect from the upcoming console? Let us know your thoughts down below.
2018 was a massive year for Bethesda Game Studios, with the team not only showing off Starfield for the first time during their E3 presentation, but also giving fans their first teaser for The Elder Scrolls VI. Unfortunately, this momentous occasion is now well over 6 years old – longer than the period between the 2011 launch of Skyrim and the official teaser for TESVI.
With the official – and only – teaser trailer for The Elder Scrolls VI now being over 2400 days old, the ever-elusive TESVI has now surpassed the amount of time between the release of Skyrim and said TESVI announcement.
This figure is especially shocking given just how long the wait felt at the time between Skyrim’s release in November 2011 and the 2018 teaser for TESVI.
Of course, since the release of the teaser, BGS have launched a couple major projects – namely their joint venture with Fallout 76, but more notably the 2023 release of Starfield.
Given just how long it’s been taking for Bethesda Game Studios to release new titles, it’s likely that Skyrim will be well over 15 years old by the time we even hear about The Elder Scrolls VI in any notable manner. Hopefully we won’t have to wait another 6 years though.
KitGuru says: Are you surprised by just how long ago the teaser for TESVI released? What’s your most optimistic time frame for a possible release date? Will Bethesda squeeze out another Skyrim re-release before TESVI arrives? Let us know your thoughts down below.
Late last year, we reported on a leak which claimed that Microsoft’s xCloud game streaming app would finally be coming to LG TVs in the not-too-distant future. Microsoft has now officially confirmed that the app is set to arrive at some point later this year.
“Today, we’re excited to announce our collaboration with LG Electronics to bring the Xbox app to their new LG Smart TVs later this year. This means Game Pass Ultimate members will be able to play their games directly from the Xbox app on supported LG Smart TVs via Xbox Cloud Gaming. This gives players even more choice in how they enjoy their favorite games.”
It is currently unknown exactly just how many of LG's TVs will be supported, but given the fact that they all run on the same operating system – WebOS – hopefully the app should function across its full suite of Smart TVs, both past and present.
LG continues to be one of the biggest sellers of TVs every year, and so it makes sense for Microsoft to want to bring its xCloud streaming service to the platform – especially as the likes of Samsung TVs already support the app.
KitGuru says: Do you care about xCloud game streaming? Would you stream certain games/genres? Will the streaming tech ever be good enough for full-time use? Let us know your thoughts down below.
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Apple will be announcing the first-quarter results for 2025 on January 30. Here's what to expect from what should be a blockbuster financial release.
Apple CEO Tim Cook
Apple's Q1 2025 financial results will be released on Thursday, January 30, a short time ahead of the analyst and investor conference call at 5p.m. Eastern.
The call will feature CEO Tim Cook explaining the financial details from the results, but he will have a new person on the call with him. Former CEO Luca Maestri bid farewell in October's earnings call, with Kevan Parekh set to take his seat in the quarterly call.
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