Kingdom Come Deliverance II offers a fantastic RPG experience with impressive attention to details and lots of freedom and immersion. In our performance review, we'll look at the game's graphics quality, VRAM consumption, and how it runs across a range of contemporary graphics cards.

KitGuru recently gave an update about the fixes Intel has put in place for its troubled family of Core Ultra 200S CPUs. After a fair amount of testing we delivered a video that clearly struck a chord with our audience so we went away and did even more testing. And now, finally, months after the original launch, we are ready to review the Core Ultra 9 285K, Core Ultra 7 265K and Core Ultra 5 245K.

You can read our original report on the launch of Core Ultra 200S HERE

and our report after three months of updates is HERE

Time stamps
00:00 Intro
01:10 Architectural recap/pricing
07:01 Retesting and hardware
10:33 Cinebench 2024 Multi Core
11:41 Cinebench 2024 Single Core
12:33 Geekbench 6 Multi Core
13:02 Geekbench 6 Single Core
13:34 CPU power consumption
14:22 7-ZIP V24 Benchmark
15:12 AIDA64 Memory Bandwidth
16:01 Memory latency
16:46 3DMark TimeSpy
17:28 Far Cry 6
18:13 Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
18:55 Assassins Creed Mirage
19:20 Total War Pharaoh
20:08 Cyberpunk 2077
20:53 Leo’s considers the platform

The post Intel Core Ultra 200S: 104 Days Later – Final Review & Performance Insights first appeared on KitGuru.

The Lian Li Digital Expo returns for 2025. If you are in the market for a new case, and you are looking to go with one of Lian Li's many aesthetically pleasing options, then the digital expo is a great way to preview some new and upcoming hardware.

Some of the highlights from the digital expo include new looks at the Lancool 217 and 207 Digital cases, the Lancool 4, the O11D Mini V2 and new AIO coolers and rotatable power supplies.

​The LANCOOL 217 stands out thanks to its wood accents and comes with five pre-installed fans. This includes two 170mm front fans, two 120mm GPU cooling fans with reversed blades positioned over the PSU shroud, and a 140mm fan located at the back. Its dual PSU mounting options provide added flexibility for cable management. On the other side of the coin we have the Lancool 207 Digital, which is the same case we saw back in October, but ships with an additional 6-inch LCD screen for an extra touch of customisation in your build.

The Lancool 4 is the latest chassis to join the line-up, offering a modular design with interchangeable panels that you can swap out based on the needs of your build. The motherboard is adjustable, the PSU chamber is movable and the case supports a whopping 12 fans for cooling, allowing you to accommodate both air-cooling and liquid-cooling setups.

​The O11D MINI V2 has a redesigned, space-efficient dual chamber that supports ATX motherboards, making it a great option for a compact but high-end PC build. Aside from ATX motherboard support, this case also supports Back Connect motherboards, where the power connectors have been moved to the backside of the board to keep cables out of sight without sacrificing any functionality. The GPU cooling has been improved with a bottom fan bracket angled at 10 degrees. Moreover, the O11D MINI V2 can now fit ATX-size PSUs due to a protruding mesh filter window on the right panel.

Moving on from cases, Lian Li also has some interesting power supplies on the market today. That includes the new RS Series PSU, which features a power port that can rotate towards the side of the PSU. This allows you to install the power supply in a rotated position for enhanced cable management and access without the need for extension cables.

On the cooling side, Lian Li is showcasing the new Hydroshift II LCD AIO cooler. Equipped with a slimmer 360mm radiator, a 60Hz LCD screen on the pump block and ARGB lighting, the AIO certainly looks the part for a high-end build.

To kit out your rig further, you may want to invest in some UNI Fans. The new UNI FAN SL-Infinity Wireless has a redesigned 4-wire receiver that ensures seamless motherboard fan speed control, enabling compatibility with PWM functionality and L-Connect’s MB RPM SYNC mode. The SL-INF Wireless receiver is also backward compatible with SL and TL Wireless models.

The Lian Li 2025 Digital Expo will be live from the 7th of February on the Lian Li YouTube channel, so if you are currently shopping around for new parts for a build or upgrade, be sure to tune in for a closer look at Lian Li's best products.

KitGuru Says: Lian Li makes some of the most aesthetically pleasing cases around. Are any of you thinking about picking up a Lian Li case, cooler or power supply this year?

The post The Lian Li Digital Expo returns for 2025 first appeared on KitGuru.

Since its initial reveal in January, AMD's Radeon RX 9070 series has been shrouded in uncertainty. While board partners showcased their custom designs at CES 2025, AMD remained tight-lipped about the release date, leaving attendees and enthusiasts scratching their heads. Subsequent, somewhat cryptic social media posts from an AMD official hinted at a March launch, promising a dedicated event to unveil the new cards properly. However, nothing has been made official yet.

Now, whispers from the industry suggest that the RX 9070 series could be upon us sooner than expected. According to Benchlife (via @harukaze5719), AMD is aiming for an announcement before the end of this month. Interestingly, the Chinese website points to a press conference rather than a full-blown launch event. While AMD hasn't held a formal announcement event, the details of the new cards, including their names, did appear in their CES press kit, blurring the lines somewhat.

Although the report mentions the date for the event, it doesn't say anything regarding the actual release. However, the latest reports point to late March, so it could take about a month after the announcement to see the first Radeon RX 9070 series GPUs hitting the shelves.

While the usual suspects like stock levels and software optimisation might have been part of the reason for the delay of these cards, Nvidia has also undoubtedly played a significant role here. With the GeForce RTX 5070 series also expected to launch in the latter half of February, AMD is likely playing a waiting game, carefully assessing the market response to Nvidia's offerings before finalising its pricing strategy.

KitGuru says: Do you have high hopes for the AMD Radeon RX 9070 series graphics cards?

The post AMD RX 9070 launch reportedly coming late February first appeared on KitGuru.

In recent years, high refresh rate gaming monitors have dropped in price quite dramatically. While we used to have to spend north of £300 for a 144Hz monitor, nowadays, new-generation Fast IPS panels can be found for under £200. This week, AOC is launching its most wallet-friendly gaming monitors yet in the G42 series. 

The new G42 series is perfect for those getting into PC gaming for the first time. Each of the new models offer Fast IPS panel technology, delivering up to 180Hz refresh rates – three times higher than the standard of 60Hz. This results in better motion clarity, as well as a smoother image while gaming.

There are three monitors to choose from here – the 23.8-inch 24G42E, the 24.5-inch 25G42E, and the 27-inch 27G42E. All three offer 1080p resolution and super-fast 1ms GtG response times, or 0.5ms MPRT with Motion Blur Reduction switched on. The panels cover 90 percent of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and 120% of the sRGB colour gamut. Thanks to the IPS panel technology, you'll get all of this on top of wide viewing angles with minimal colour shift when looking at the display from an off angle.

AOC's goal is clear here – to set 180Hz as the new entry level standard for PC gaming. With prices starting at just £114.99 for the 23-inch monitor, going up to just £129.99 for the 27-inch model, these monitors are an easy recommendation for those looking to jump into PC gaming for the first time, or those who simply need a new display that doesn't break the bank.

All three AOC Gaming G42 series monitors will be available starting this month.

KitGuru Says: AOC has been offering some extremely good deals in the gaming monitor market in recent years. The new G42 series should set a new standard for all monitors hitting the market at under £150. 

The post AOC unleashes its best budget gaming monitors yet – 180Hz for under £130 first appeared on KitGuru.

AMD's CES 2025 keynote unveiled the Ryzen 9000HX series codenamed “Fire Range”, the successor to the 7000HX “Dragon Range”. Effectively, a BGA-packaged version of a “Granite Ridge” chip, Fire Range CPUs combine one or two “Zen 5” CCDs with a client I/O die. While it lacks an integrated NPU and sports a basic iGPU, its focus is clear: enthusiast gaming laptops and mobile workstations. 

The 28 PCIe Gen 5 lanes provide ample bandwidth for the discrete GPUs it's designed to complement. The Ryzen 9 9955HX3D is the headlining model in the series, the sole model featuring 3D V-Cache. This chip has the potential to claim the crown of the fastest mobile CPU for gaming, potentially even outpacing Intel's Arrow Lake-HX, especially if the desktop 9800X3D's performance relative to the Core Ultra 9 285K is anything to go by.

Dream Machines (via VideoCardz) has already announced its intention to bring laptops powered by the 9955HX3D to market, with an estimated arrival window of late March or early April 2025. Reports suggest AMD has secured various contracts with several major laptop OEMs, pointing towards a potentially successful market run for these new Fire Range chips, unlike its predecessors.

However, this top-tier performance will come at a cost. Dream Machines listings of these upcoming laptops start at €2,530 (~£2100) for configurations pairing the 9955HX3D with an RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU, while the flagship RTX 5090 Laptop GPU variant is predicted to command a price tag closer to €3,860 (~£3200). These laptops will have 16-inch 300 Hz displays, 16 GB of DDR5-5200/5600 memory, and a 1 TB NVMe SSD.

KitGuru says: Would you consider getting a high-end gaming laptop? If so, would you go for one with an AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D CPU or something less capable (and potentially cheaper) would be enough?

The post AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D laptops should release in late March first appeared on KitGuru.

Corsair's Elgato brand is launching the Wave Link 2.0 this week. The latest evolution of Elgato's audio management software brings new features to the table, and a host of quality-of-life improvements to make usage easier for customers.

One of the new features in Wave Link 2.0 is Voice Focus, a tool developed in collaboration with the team at ai|coustics. By leveraging machine learning technology, this tool can remove unwanted background noises, room reverb and echo, isolating the user's voice further for more professional audio presentation. You'll be able to get close to vocal-booth levels of quality without having to decorate your room with acoustic foam panels and corner traps.

To make managing audio sources, inputs and outputs easier, Wave Link 2.0 now has a revamped app routing system, allowing you to assign apps to different audio channels with just a single click. You can also group up a number of apps for routing together, helping you consolidate the process.

To jazz up your streams or videos, Wave Link also offers a range of audio effects. The De-Esser tool will be useful for those looking to use their microphone without an additional pop filter. You can also add compression, adjust EQ or add Reverb. Wave Link also supports third-party plugins to unlock even more effects.

If you are looking to find new digital assets and software tools for your Elgato set-up, the Elgato marketplace is your one-stop shop for everything, from plugins and FX tools to custom digital icons for your Elgato Stream Deck.

KitGuru Says: Are you already using an Elgato audio set-up? What do you think of the Wave Link 2.0 upgrade?

The post Elgato Wave Link 2.0 brings massive improvements first appeared on KitGuru.

Razer has just unveiled a fresh look for its premium Xbox controllers. The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro and Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition are now available in a new white colourway. This crisp aesthetic contrasts the original design, appealing to competitive console and PC gamers who appreciate clean and minimalist aesthetics.

The white Wolverine V3 range delivers the same lightning-fast responsiveness, esports-optimised ergonomics, and tournament-grade performance as the standard models. The four mouse click-back buttons and the two claw gripper bumpers are all remappable, giving the player an extra layer of control. The controllers also feature Razer Pro Hyper Triggers, which can be configured for short or long trigger pulls, mecha-tactile action buttons, an 8-way floating D-pad, and Hall-effect thumbsticks.

 

The Wolverine V3 Pro, Razer's flagship wireless esports controller, is officially licensed by Xbox and designed to give players the edge in competitive scenarios. For those who prefer a wired connection, the Razer Wolverine V3 Tournament Edition is an equally good option (and also cheaper). Also officially licensed by Xbox, this wired controller offers a 1000 Hz polling rate, giving competitive gamers the confidence they need to perform at their best on Xbox and PC.

The Wolverine V3 Pro white comes with a carrying case and costs £199.99/$199.99/€219.99. The Tournament Edition white controller costs £99.99/$99.99/€109.99.

KitGuru says: Although 100 pounds for a wired controller looks steep, the rest of Wolverine V3 ProTournament Edition's feature set sure looks impressive. Whether that justifies its price is up to the buyer.

The post Razer launches white variants of the Wolverine V3 wireless controllers first appeared on KitGuru.

With Formovie being the manufacturer behind a lot of other brands it is no surprise that the Cinema Edge 4K looks similar to those. But the Cinema Edge 4K manages to provide a potent package that makes it a solid TV replacement - especially with the fully integrated streaming services compatibility.

Despite the airline previously banning AirTags for reasons understood only by itself, Lufthansa has now support for them in its app and is celebrating the integration.


Officially, AirTags were somehow dangerous and somehow in contravention of some laws somewhere, said Lufthansa in 2022 as it tried to find any excuse to ban them. This was not in any way a response to how all airlines were being caught out with luggage going missing or, say, baggage handlers stealing from passengers.

Lufthansa's ban lasted a whole three days before the airline said enough already, AirTags are fine. This was less from some technical testing and less from some actual reading of FCC regulations, though the airline tried to safe face by rustling up someone to say the words "risk assessment."


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South Korean media claims that Apple Silicon M5 chips are in mass production, which makes a lot of sense considering that the first devices that will use them are expected ship before the end of 2025.


A report on Wednesday morning by South Korean venue ETnews says that TSMC is in the process of packaging early M5 chip production. Packaging is the last step before a new chip can be put in devices, meaning that the M5 chip is now officially in mass production.

Rumors have already laid out the timetable for the M5 chip, and appearance in Apple products. The M5 iPad Pro is expected in late 2025, Macs will get M5 late in the year, and another rumor places it in a second-generation Apple Vision Pro product before the end of the year.


Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely


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The Nintendo Switch is currently in its home stretch, with the console’s successor finally having been announced last month. Still, when all is said and done, the OG Switch will go down in history as one of the most successful consoles of all time – having now surpassed 150 million units sold.

As part of the company’s latest fiscal earnings report, Nintendo published an updated list of their hardware and software sales, revealing that (as of the 31st of December 2024) 2017’s Nintendo Switch has officially reached a sales milestone only witnessed by two other systems: selling more than 150 million units (150.86 million to be specific).

This puts the Switch just shy of the DS’ total sales (154.02m) and around 10 million less than the best-selling system of all time – the PS2 with over 160 million units sold.

Whether the Switch will be able to surpass these systems is yet to be seen, however the company did recently proclaim that they are willing to support the OG Switch past the launch of its successor “if there is demand”, so it may have a couple more years left in it still.
Beyond this, the team have also confirmed that Mario Kart 8 + Deluxe has sold north of 75 million copies, making it now the 4th best-selling game of all time, surpassing PUBG and sitting behind Wii Sports.

Other notable milestones include Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Switch Sports both selling more than 15 million copies each.

KitGuru says: Will the Switch become the best selling console of all time, or will it fall just short of the PS2? How long before it surpasses the DS at least? Will Switch sales fall through the roof once its successor launches? Let us know your thoughts down below.

The post The Nintendo Switch has sold over 150 million units first appeared on KitGuru.

Designed for high-performance computing, enthusiasts and gamers, TeamGroup's T-Force Xtreem DDR5 memory comes in a wide range of speeds and kit sizes. We review the Snow White model, rated at 7600 MT/s, that's priced at £175 here in the UK.

The XTREEM line-up consists of seven speeds (at the time of writing) and four kit sizes. 96GB (6800MT/s CL36 1.4V), 64GB (6000MT/s CL34, 6400MT/s CL38 both 1.35V), 48GB (8200MT/s, 8000MT/s both CL38 @ 1.40V, 7600MT/s CL36 @ 1.40V, 7200MT/s CL34 @1.4V and 6800MT/s CL34 @ 1.40V) and finally seven 32GB kits (8000MT/s CL38 @ 1.45V, 7600MT/s CL36 @.1.4V, 7200MT/s and 6800MT/s both at CL34 @ 1.40V and 6400MT/s CL32 @ 1.35V). There are two 6000MT/s options, one CL38 @ 1.25V and the other CL30 @.1.35V.

According to the XTREEM product page, 8200MT/s modules and above have XMP 3.0 profiles, while 8000MT/s and below have both XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO profiles.

For this review, TeamGroup sent us a 32GB kit of DDR5-7600MT/s (FFWD532G7600HC36FDC01) containing a pair of single-rank 16GB DIMMs using SK Hynix A-die ICs XMP/EXPO rated at 7600MHz at 36-45-45-84 at 1.40V.

TeamGroup back the memory with a Lifetime warranty.

Specification

• Model Number: FFWD532G7600HC36FDC01.
• Capacity: 32GB (2 x 16).
• Rated Frequency: DDR5-7600MT/s.
• Rated Timings: CL36-45-45-84.
• Voltage: 1.40V.
• Module Height: 48.8mm.
• XMP/EXPO: XMP 3.0 / EXPO.

The post TeamGroup T-Force XTREEM DDR5-7600MT/s 32GB Review first appeared on KitGuru.

Following the introduction of trade tariffs by the US, China is said to be considering an antitrust investigation into Apple's App Store practices.


The new US trade tariffs ostensibly imposed on China will be paid by US businesses and consumers, not China or any other foreign country. But they mean higher prices for Americans, which will mean a decrease in sales, so China has been announcing retaliatory measures.

According to Bloomberg, those measures may now also include China launching an investigation into Apple's App Store fees and practices. This is despite the country having already investigated the App Store and concluding in May 2024 that Apple was not abusing its market position.


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Dragon Ball is undeniably one of the most popular anime/manga franchises of all time, with the series having a long and successful library of video games released over the past 35+ years. By far the biggest new entry in this space is Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, the latest title in the much-loved Budokai series. Unsurprisingly, the game has already reached a massive sales milestone, surpassing 5 million copies sold in under four months.

Making the announcement on Twitter, the official ‘DragonBallGames’ page celebrated this latest milestone, writing:

“We're thrilled to announce that DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO has officially sold 5 million copies worldwide!…A huge THANKS to our amazing fans for the epic journey. We truly appreciate your passion and dedication.”

While 5 million is nothing to sniff at, especially since it only released last October, Sparking Zero was announced to have sold 3 million copies in its first 24 hours, meaning it just managed to push a further 2 million in the 4 months since.

Still, given the fact that Sparking Zero was the fastest-selling entry in the series’ history (and considering other notable Dragon Ball games have gone on to sell more than 10 million copies), it’s safe to say that Sparking Zero will continue to sell well for months and years to come.

KitGuru says: What’s your opinion on Sparking Zero? Does it live up to the Budokai games? What’s your favourite Dragon Ball game of all time? Let us know down below.

The post Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero reaches major sales milestone in under 4 months first appeared on KitGuru.

Late last year, FromSoftware surprised everyone with the announcement of Elden Ring: Nightreign – a co-op focused spin-off featuring rogue-like elements and unique class abilities. Ahead of the upcoming network tests slated for later this month, FromSoftware are reportedly planning to announce a ton of new details for the standalone game sometime next week.

As reported by Insider Gaming, Elden Ring: Nightreign is planned to get an infodump sometime next week, including confirmation of the game’s release date (which is currently just stated to be coming some time in 2025).

More specifically, said infodump is reportedly planned for the 12th of February, just two days prior to the launch of the Nightreign’s network test, and will coincide with an embargo lift for media previews – meaning we should see our first proper hands-on impressions at the same time.

While Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion was mostly more of the same, Nightreign looks to be switching up the formula quite a bit, and so it will be interesting to see what the media thinks of the game when previews go live – and perhaps more importantly what players think when the network test goes live shortly after.

KitGuru says: Are you excited for Elden Ring: Nightreign? Did you get into the network test? How different do you think this will be to the OG Elden Ring? Let us know down below.

The post Elden Ring: Nightreign to get new details including release date next week first appeared on KitGuru.

Wreckfest is a fun and frantic destruction-derby themed racing game from Bugbear Entertainment and published by THQ Nordic. Released back in 2018, THQ announced last year that a sequel was officially in the works. Now, we’ve gotten more details on Wreckfest 2 – including an Early Access release date.

Making the announcement via a press release, Bugbear Entertainment and THQ Nordic officially confirmed that Wreckfest 2 is launching on the 20th of March…in Early Access.

While no specifics were given so far on what exactly the Early Access period entails, the team did state that “From day one, Wreckfest 2 will be shaped by your feedback. We're eager to create the greatest demolition derby-style game of all time,” so hopefully it will be a rather productive Early Access.

When it was first announced back in August last year, Wreckfest 2 was stated to be going all-in on the destruction aspect of the game, featuring “a completely overhauled physics engine for even more realistic destruction, fully customizable cars that you can share with other players and revamped game modes including a brand-new split screen mode.”

While we still don’t know too much beyond this right now, hopefully we’ll hear more from the game as we get closer to its upcoming (early access) release date.

KitGuru says: Are you looking forward to Wreckfest 2? Is them going the Early Access route a good or bad thing in your mind? Let us know your thoughts down below.

The post Wreckfest 2 launches in Early Access next month first appeared on KitGuru.

Following the disappointment of Battlefield 2042, EA and DICE seem to be going all-in for the series’ next entry, featuring more internal tests than ever before, and recently going live with its Battlefield Labs program. While details on the game overall continue to remain light, we do know that the upcoming title will launch before April 2026.

As part of the company’s latest fiscal earnings meeting (reported by VGC), EA confirmed that the next Battlefield game will launch before the end of the 2026 fiscal year – meaning by the 31st of March 2026.

Given the fact that the past three Battlefields have launched in the October-November window, it could be safe to assume that Battlefield 6 (or whatever it will be called) will target a similar timeframe.

That said, the company is seemingly trying to switch things up with the next game following the disappointment of 2042 – and so it’s entirely possible that their release strategy has been changed up as well.

We will have to wait and see, but hopefully the teams are given as much time as needed.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this tentative release window? Does the series have a chance to become relevant again? Could it ever be as big as Call of Duty? Let us know down below.

The post EA’s next Battlefield game will launch before April 2026 first appeared on KitGuru.

VirtualBox is now available for Apple Silicon-based Macs, although with spotty x86 support. Here's how to use it.


Oracle's VirtualBox emulator is a free app which allows you to run other OS'es on your Mac, PC, or Linux computer. Until this past August VirtualBox only ran on Intel x86-based Macs.

Now a "work in progress" Apple Silicon version of VirtualBox is available for download from the VirtualBox website.


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Developers and enthusiasts continue to find new ways of running Doom on increasingly unusual hardware, the latest of which is an Apple HDMI adapter cable.


In a video uploaded on February 2, first shared by MacRumors, developer nyan_satan showed off a port of the classic video game Doom running on Apple's Lightning to HDMI adapter. The YouTuber is known for their work in creating tools and dual-booting different versions of iOS.

This is only possible because the Lightning to HDMI adapter features a dedicated system-on-chip with a processor inside. It also runs a basic version of iOS, stripped down to only the most basic of features, allowing the dongle to process video signals but not much else.


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North Korean hackers are using fake job offers and disguised app updates to sneak malware onto Macs, and while Apple's latest XProtect update blocks some threats, others are still slipping through.


Security researchers from SentinelLabs have identified fresh variants of a North Korean malware family, dubbed "FlexibleFerret," which is actively exploiting macOS users. The malware is part of a broader campaign known as "Contagious Interview," where attackers pose as recruiters to trick job seekers into installing malicious software.

Apple responded with an XProtect signature update to counter these threats, blocking several variants, including FROSTYFERRET_UI, FRIENDLYFERRET_SECD, and MULTI_FROSTYFERRET_CMDCODES.


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Just days after it was rumored to happen, Apple has officially killed off prepaid multi-year AppleCare+ plans — at retail locations, at least.


On Sunday, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman announced on X that Apple would be shifting its AppleCare+ extended warranty program to a subscription model. Gurman postulated that the change would take place sooner, rather than later.

And, as anticipated, Apple has done just that.


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While the new Apple Invites app and service sounds easy to use, it joins together so many Apple Services that it takes several steps — and can confuse your invitees. Here's how to use it.


Apple Invites has been launched, though at time of writing it's still not rolled out worldwide. If an App Store search does not turn it up for you, try this direct link.

The app is so new that there is no Apple support documentation for it, which means there are certain points that are not yet clear. Specifically, it's not sure what Android users will or will not see when they have accepted an invitation from Apple Invites.


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You have a fair share of choices when it comes to USB-C cables, but you've never seen anything like Nomad's new Universal Cable for Apple Watch. It's truly the first of its kind.


For year's, Nomad has had some of the most highly-rated cables on the market. But they're fairly standard, coming in USB-C to USB-C, USB-C to Lightning, and a universal with swappable tips — all in different lengths.

Its new Universal Cable for Apple Watch bucks that trend by integrating an Apple Watch puck directly into the cable. Ideal for compact storage and travel.


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AirPods Pro 2 are $80 off today, with the wireless earbuds dropping to the best price of 2025 as Amazon and Best Buy compete in a price war.


Steeper discounts on Apple products continue to launch at Amazon, with the retailer slashing the price of Apple AirPods Pro 2 to $169 in a price war with Best Buy. This reflects an $80 discount off retail, providing shoppers with the lowest price we've seen on the earbuds in 2025.

Grab the $169 price


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Nintendo is about to release a new console, which means it is time for Nintendo executives to start lying to us all about continued support for older hardware. Much like when the Switch launched in 2017 and Nintendo promised to continue supporting the 3DS, Nintendo is now claiming it will continue to support the original Switch console alongside the Switch 2.

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has said the company will continue to support the original Nintendo Switch after the launch of Nintendo Switch 2, as long as there is demand from consumers. However, the company's most recent earnings report shows that demand is rapidly waning. Currently, Switch sales have declined by 30 percent year-on-year, and that decline will only increase once Nintendo starts marketing the Switch 2 and the new games heading to the console.

With that said, the Switch 2 being backwards compatible could mean that more developers will support both systems for a couple of years. Currently, Nintendo has a few games lined up for the original Switch, including Xenoblade Chronicles X and Pokémon Legends Z-A. We will be learning more about Nintendo's game release line-up for 2025 later this week during a Nintendo Direct stream. We also expect that this stream will bring us some more Switch 2 news.

Nintendo has not yet announced a launch date for the Switch 2, nor has it revealed any exclusive Switch 2 games outside of a quick tease for a new Mario Kart. On top of all of that, we still know very little about the hardware inside.

KitGuru Says: We will no doubt see a few cross-gen games over the next couple of years, but I highly doubt Nintendo is still going to be releasing tentpole games for the original Switch in 2026.

The post Nintendo says it will support Switch 1 ‘if there is demand’ amid massive sales drop first appeared on KitGuru.

Microsoft is bringing even more of its games to PS5. Shortly after the announcement of the next wave of cross-platform titles, Microsoft has now announced plans to bring its two biggest strategy titles. 

In March, PS5 players will be able to pick up the recently released remaster, Age of Mythology: Retold, an excellent reworking of a classic strategy game centred around mythological gods.

For those who prefer something a bit more grounded, my favourite RTS game of all time, Age of Empires 2, is also heading to PS5 this Spring. It is unclear if Microsoft will also bring over the other Definitive Edition Age of Empires titles, or the most recent game in the franchise, Age of Empires IV. Better yet, these games will have full cross-play, so Xbox, PC and PS5 players will be able to battle it out online.

Another major Xbox game, Forza Horizon 5, is also due to release on PS5 later this year. Rumour has it that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will also make the jump in the coming months.

KitGuru Says: While at one time it seemed impossible to bring an RTS game to consoles, titles like Halo Wars and Halo Wars 2 really paved the way for more traditional RTS games to branch out beyond PC. We've had Age of Empires on Xbox for years at this point, with very good control schemes to replace the keyboard and mouse.

The post Xbox is bringing Age of Empires and Age of Mythology to PS5 first appeared on KitGuru.

A decade ago, Valve attempted to bring PC gaming to the living room with its own ‘console' style mini-ITX PCs known as Steam Machines. Unlike the Steam Deck, Valve opted to pass off Steam Machine development to third-party partners and focused on the software side of things. This ultimately led to Steam Machines being branded as a failure. Now ten years on and armed with more experience in hardware products, Valve looks to be bringing back the Steam Machine. 

According to eXtas1s, who has a reliable track record with leaks, Valve is readying a new Steam console to compete against Xbox and PlayStation. Apparently, this system will continue to use custom AMD hardware, this time based on the RDNA 4 architecture.

While the Steam Machines failed back in 2015, Valve has drastically improved its hardware capabilities since then. At this point, the company has sold millions of Steam Deck handheld systems, and the new version of SteamOS is far beyond what Valve started off with. On top of that, Valve has also been working on new Steam Controller designs, seemingly for a Steam Controller 2 launch. Chances are, a Steam console would ship with one of these new gamepads.

Whether or not a Steam home console could really take market share away from Xbox or PlayStation remains to be seen.

KitGuru Says: Would you like to see the Steam Machine make a return with new and improved hardware, combined with the latest version of SteamOS? Perhaps this is the kick some developers need to support SteamOS. After all, we still have major games like Destiny that don't support the Deck, despite the fact that the game's anti-cheat system can and does work with Proton, the compatibility took Valve uses to make Windows-only games run on SteamOS. 

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G.Skill has just announced its latest memory kit. At CES, we saw new low-latency kits for AMD Ryzen based systems. This time, we are focused on Intel Core Ultra, with new large-capacity CL32 kits set to hit the market. 

The new G.Skill CL32 96GB (2x 48GB) and the CL28 32GB kit are hitting the market soon under the Trident Z5, Royal, and Ripjaws series. The key differentiator between these is the heatspreader, with the Trident Z5 offering a sleek RGB lightbar at the top, while the royal version adds a crystalised pattern on the top. The Ripjaws series is G.Skill's standard kit, with a low-profile heatspreader.

CL32-42-42 at up to 96GB (2x48GB). This new specification have been validated on both Intel Z790 and Z890 platforms. Above, you can find the Memtest validation on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero motherboard with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K desktop processor, and the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero motherboard with the Intel Core i9-14900K desktop processor.

These kits will be hitting the market starting in March.

KitGuru Says: Are you in the market for a new system upgrade? Will you be going with G.Skill RAM? If so, be sure to check out our reviews.

The post G.Skill debuts 96GB DDR5 CL32 and 32GB CL28 memory kits for Intel PCs first appeared on KitGuru.

Dan Clark Audio shakes up the premium closed-back headphones market with the NOIRE X, bringing the brand's patented AMTS technology in its most affordable entry yet. The NOIRE X also uses the same, excellent industrial design from the far more expensive E3, and gives you a good execution of the Harman Over-Ear tonality for the money.

Galaxy S25 Series - Starting at $799.99 Samsung's latest flagship devices don't break new ground, but they're among the fastest, prettiest, and most well-made Android phones you can buy.    Gorgeous OLED displays Speedy performance Durable titanium frame on S25 Ultra Tons of AI Great cameras No Bluetooth in S Pen AI features are...

February is set to be a big month for Game Pass. We already know that Obsidian's new fantasy RPG, Avowed, will be a day-one title for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. Now, we know the full list of games joining the service over the next two weeks. 

As Avowed is a new first-party game, it won't be available to Game Pass standard subscribers. However, like Starfield, it should join the Game Pass Standard library eventually. If you want to play it on February 18th via Game Pass, you'll need a Game Pass Ultimate or a Game Pass PC subscription. As Microsoft is still actively trying to grow Game Pass for PC, that version of the service still gets day-one first party games.

For a look at the timeline Game Pass Standard subscribers can expect, we can see that Starfield, which first launched in September 2023, is now available through Game Pass Standard, meaning it joined the library almost a year and a half after launch. With that in mind, we can expect Avowed to join the Game Pass Standard library sometime in 2026.

Below is the full list of Game Pass titles announced for February 2025, including platforms and release dates:

• Far Cry New Dawn (Cloud, Console and PC) – February 4th.
• Another Crab's Treasure (Console) – February 5th.
• Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Console) – February 5th.
• Starfield (Xbox Series X/S) – February 5th.
• Madden NFL 25 (Cloud, Console and PC) – February 6th.
• Kingdom Two Crowns (Cloud and Console) – February 13th.
• Avowed (Cloud, PC, Xbox Series X/S) – February 18th.

As for games leaving the library, on February 15th, Game Pass subscribers will lose access to Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, EA Sports UFC 3, Indivisible, Merge and Blade, Return to Grace, A Little to the Left and Tales of Arise.

KitGuru Says: What do you think of this month's Game Pass line-up? Will you be jumping into Avowed when it drops? 

The post Avowed and six more titles join Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass first appeared on KitGuru.

Intel's upcoming Core Ultra 7 255H mobile processor shows impressive single-threaded performance in a leaked PassMark benchmark, but its multi-core capabilities raise concerns.

The Passmark results (via Notebookcheck) reveal a significant generational leap in single-threaded performance. The Core Ultra 7 255H scored 4631 points, a 32% increase over the Core Ultra 7 155H CPU. This impressive gain can be attributed to the new “Lion Cove” P-cores and TSMC's N3B process technology. Interestingly, the 255H even outperforms the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 “Strix Point” APU by around 17% in single-threaded performance.

However, the tables turn regarding its multi-core performance, where the 255H falls behind the Strix Point chip by over 20%. This discrepancy highlights the impact of Intel's decision to remove hyperthreading support from its non-K Core Ultra 200 series CPUs. While this move benefits single-threaded performance, it limits the multi-core capabilities of these processors. Despite the disappointing multi-core results, the Core Ultra 7 255H still shows a respectable 12% multi-threaded performance improvement over its predecessor.

It's worth noting that Arrow Lake-H CPUs will feature integrated GPUs with up to eight Xe LPG+ cores. While these iGPUs are expected to be slower than the Xe2-based graphics in Lunar Lake processors, they should still offer decent performance for casual gaming and everyday tasks. These processors should be available this quarter with new laptops from different manufacturers.

KitGuru says: Based on these results, the Arrow Lake-H processors will likely perform better than AMD's latest Ryzen AI 300 series in gaming when paired with a discrete GPU. However, we expect AMD Strix Point processors to be the better option for productivity.

The post Intel Core Ultra 7 255H beats AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 in Passmark single-thread benchmark first appeared on KitGuru.

As expected, Nvidia's RTX 50 series launch didn't have enough stock for the demand. It was predictable that stock would run relatively fast, especially considering the reported low product count arriving at retailers. As if that wasn't enough, it seems the next batch of cards will take a while to arrive, with some retailers expecting that it could be months before we see a new RTX 5090 card for sale.

While the initial launch of the RTX 5090 and 5080 Founders Edition cards went smoothly, with positive reviews and impressive benchmarks, gamers eager to get their hands on the new cards face a frustrating reality: limited availability. OverclockersUK has reported that its initial RTX 50 series cards stock has completely sold out, and pre-orders are currently unavailable. According to the retailer, more RTX 5080 cards are expected to arrive in 2 to 6 weeks. As for the RTX 5090 cards, they can take 3 to 16 weeks.

Similar reports are emerging from other regions. In the Netherlands (via Megekko forums), sources suggest that the Asus RTX 50 series cards are being shipped in batches, with varying availability depending on the specific model. Furthermore, there are claims that Nvidia won't be shipping any more Founders Edition cards until March, potentially leaving gamers with limited options for purchasing the reference designs.

Later this month, we're expected to see the launch of the RTX 5070 series cards. Hopefully, these won't have the same stock issues.

KitGuru says: Were you planning to get an RTX 5080 or RTX 5090? Were you lucky enough to get one of these at launch?

The post UK retailer sets out 16-week timeline for new RTX 5090 stock first appeared on KitGuru.

Fans of Need for Speed might have to temper their expectations for a new entry in the franchise. Criterion Games, the studio behind the franchise, has confirmed that the next Need for Speed game won't come anytime soon as the team shifts its focus to developing the next Battlefield title.

This isn't the first time Criterion has lent its expertise to the Battlefield franchise. The studio played a significant role in developing Battlefield 2042, Battlefield V, and Battlefield 1. However, this time, it seems their involvement in the upcoming Battlefield title is taking priority, putting the next Need for Speed game into second plan.

Given the current development timeline for the next Battlefield game, which, according to recent footage, is in pre-alpha, it's unlikely a new fully-fledged NFS game will be released for several years. Considering the typical development cycle for AAA games and Criterion's statement (via Eurogamer), active production on the next Need for Speed won't begin until the new Battlefield is complete. If that's the case, fans might have to wait until the early 2030s for a new entry in the racing franchise.

While EA could assign another studio to develop a new Need for Speed game, this seems unlikely. Criterion Games has a wealth of experience in the racing genre, and finding another studio with the same expertise in this genre would be a challenge. We could argue that Codemasters might be able to do something out of the Need For Speed franchise, but it would probably go into a more realistic racing experience than your usual NFS game.

KitGuru says: This extended hiatus marks a significant shift for the Need for Speed series, which enjoyed annual releases between 1997 and 2013. If the current release cadence holds, December 2025 will mark the longest gap between two Need for Speed titles since the franchise's inception in 1994.

The post Need For Speed is ‘on hold’ for now first appeared on KitGuru.

Apple has launched its Apple Invites app for iPhone, a way to help arrange events, parties, and any occasion, with invitations, RSVP managing, plus shared photo albums and music.


Reportedly known internally as Confetti, Apple Invites was expected to be launched for testing among employees. But instead it has now been released publicly, and is appears to be currently rolling out to all users.

"With Apple Invites, an event comes to life from the moment the invitation is created, and users can share lasting memories even after they get together," Brent Chiu-Watson, Apple's senior director of Worldwide Product Marketing for Apps and iCloud, said in a statement. "Apple Invites brings together capabilities our users already know and love across iPhone, iCloud, and Apple Music, making it easy to plan special events."


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You shouldn't have to touch devices or tap on apps to control them, says a new Apple patent, you should be able to just wave your iPhone and let it figure out what you want.


Sometimes you can see a clear connection between different Apple patents, and this may be one of them. For Apple was recently granted a patent for what appears to be a remote control for the expected Home Hub — and now it's gone further.

In a newly-granted patent called "Controlling Electronic Devices Based On Wireless Ranging," Apple expands its idea to remotely controlling anything from real-life physical devices, to virtual ones. Right now you can control a TV set from your iPhone or unlock a car, but this new patent wants one device that controls everything, and figures out for itself what you want.


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Cybercriminals are upping their game in 2025 with smarter AI and stealthier ransomware targeting Mac users, leaving defenders scrambling to keep up.


The year 2025 may mark the turning point for AI's role in cybersecurity, according to a recent report from Malwarebytes. While generative AI tools like ChatGPT have made minor waves since their debut, their capabilities have largely been limited to assisting with coding and research tasks.

However, the arrival of agentic AI — artificial intelligence capable of acting autonomously and solving complex tasks — is set to change this dynamic.


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