Android users beware—a new form of Android malware dubbed Pixnapping has been revealed to the public, and in theory, all current Android devices running Android 13 or newer are vulnerable since "the core mechanisms enabling the attack are typically available in all Android devices." The attack can be leveraged from any running Android app, 
NVIDIA DGX Spark - $3,999 NVIDIA's diminutive DGX Spark development companion moves away from the robotics focus of its forebears and into the office with general AI development in its sights. Grace Blackwell GB10 is purpose-built for AI 128 GB of fast memory is more than any consumer GPU NVIDIA's Playbooks are easy to follow Sync app makes... 
Looking for a new laptop now that Microsoft has officially declared end of life (EOL) status for Windows 10? Before you do, note there are ways to extend support for free, such as syncing backups to OneDrive or redeeming 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. Or you could pony up $30, though if you need a new PC anyway, we have you covered with a 
HP chose the 2025 League of Legends World Championship event as a launchpad for its limited-edition Omen 16 gaming laptop, which incorporates design accents from the popular game with a potent selection of parts. The new laptop also sports an upgraded thermal design and intelligent performance optimization through Omen AI, the company says.
Developed Ubisoft has been a strong supporter of the Switch 2 early on, bringing Star Wars Outlaws Gold Edition to the console already. Now, a second AAA game is set to join it before the end of the year – Assassin's Creed Shadows.
Assassin's Creed Shadows launched on other platforms earlier this year and despite some controversy around certain portions of the game, it did review well and sell well across console platforms. Now, according to bilbil-kun on Dealabs, a leaker with a strong track record, retailers are now beginning to list Assassin's Creed Shadows for the Nintendo Switch 2, with a release date of December 5th 2025.
This release date has not yet been officially announced by either Nintendo or Ubisoft. There could potentially be another third-party focused Nintendo Direct stream before the end of the year to announce release dates exactly like this one.
Assassin's Creed Shadows for the Switch 2 is expected to cost €50, which is the same price as Star Wars Outlaws on the platform. Ubisoft appears to be looking to position itself in a strong position with Nintendo fans early on. Hopefully this level of Switch 2 support continues, as Nintendo's console continues to be the preferred handheld gaming platform.
KitGuru Says: Star Wars Outlaws looks really good and runs exceptionally well on the Switch 2 in my experience. I hope the same level of optimisation can be achieved with Assassin's Creed Shadows. There will be bonus points for a 40FPS mode.
The post Assassin’s Creed Shadows tipped for Switch 2 launch in December first appeared on KitGuru.Helldivers 2 has always had somewhat shaky performance on PC, but the latest major content update for the game didn't help matters. Now, Arrowhead has put in place a new plan to address the game's growing issues on PC.
As spotted by PCGamer, in a new developer diary video from the studio, Arrowhead confirms that future updates will now be restructured to allow them to fix issues at a quicker pace.
“We have made the decision to push some of our content and feature updates a little bit into the future while we're addressing these things to make sure that we can get to a much more stable state”, Arrowhead's Mikael Eriksson says in the video.
Some of the ongoing issues can be addressed ‘fairly quickly' with this studio-wide push. Some of the big improvements on the way will be announced with more detail soon.
The degradation of performance in Helldivers 2 has been partially due to growing tech debt, so the effort here is likely to be substantial. Hopefully by the new year, Helldivers 2 will be in a much healthier state, giving players room to be excited about new content and features once more.
KitGuru Says: Have you had any performance issues with Helldivers 2 after the most recent content updates?
The post Helldivers 2 devs pause new content to fix game performance first appeared on KitGuru.The be quiet! Dark Power 14 power supplies are officially launching later this month. These new units, available in up to 1200W capacity, are both 80Plus Titanium and Cybenetics Titanium rated, guaranteeing high-grade efficiency.
Dark Power 14 is certified with 80 PLUS Titanium and Cybenetics Titanium for an energy efficiency rating of up to 95.57%. This provides lots of benefits for a high-end system, including less power consumption and an overall cooler and quieter operation. At the heart of each model lies Full Bridge + Synchronous Rectifier + LLC technology that provides signal stability, supported by premium-quality Japanese capacitors rated to 105°C for maximum reliability and longevity.
The newly developed aluminum heat sink supports the semi-passive cooling concept and improves the longevity of the components. A button on the rear of the power supply allows switching between a balanced active cooling mode, where the Silent Wings fan spins all the time, or a semi-passive mode, where the fan does not spin under low load and only starts when additional cooling is required. The fan itself is integrated directly into the heat sink, making it immune to vibrations.
As you would expect from a modern high-end PSU, the Dark Power 14 is ATX 3.1 compliant and is ready out of the box for both new-generation 12v-2×6 graphics cards and GPUs that utilise standard PCIe connectors. According to be quiet!, this power supply is also particularly well suited to overclocking, thanks to the ability to switch between multi-rail and single-rail modes at the flip of a switch.
The be quiet! Dark Power 14 PSUs will be available starting on October 28th, priced at €309.90 for the 1200W model, going down to €274.90 for the 1000W model, or €229.90 for 850W.
KitGuru Says: How much do you typically spend on a new power supply?
The post be quiet!’s new Dark Power 14 PSUs launch with Titanium-grade efficiency first appeared on KitGuru.Today Nvidia has rolled out the latest GeForce Game Ready graphics driver, bringing optimisations for new titles like The Outer Worlds 2 and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, which is finally releasing after years of delays.
The new driver is available as a direct download via the Nvidia website, or you can download it and install it through the Nvidia App. It includes optimisations for ARC Raiders, Pax Dei, The Outer Worlds 2 and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. All four of these games will launch with DLSS 4 support, complete with Multi Frame Generation.
Here is the full list of titles launching with support for various Nvidia features over the next week:
KitGuru Says: Are you planning on picking up any of this month's upcoming titles? I'll be keeping my eye out for Bloodlines 2 reviews when it drops, as well as The Outer Worlds 2.
The post Nvidia rolls out new Game Ready driver for The Outer Worlds 2 and more first appeared on KitGuru.Today we review one of Corsair's new power supplies from their updated HX series. Corsair are releasing three models in this range – the HX1000i Shift, the HX1200i Shift and the one we are looking at today, the HX1500i Shift. These modular units have achieved Cybenetics Platinum certification which is reassuring to see.
These new units are the first HXi series power supplies with a side mounted Shift interface. We covered these power supplies recently in our news stories along with seeing them at Computex earlier in the year. They also ship with a built in iCUE LINK system hub to ease system building and aid cable management.
This built in iCUE LINK System hub is not designed as a passthrough system, as it is external to the power supply, so iCUE LINK systems do not need to mount a system hub inside the case. The benefits of this are obvious as system builders will no longer need a six pin PCIe connector for power. This System Hub supports up to 24 devices across two channels, so it is just as capable as the other model.
While Corsair are still selling the standard HXi models, the Shift versions have the following updates:
Key Features:
Steam Next Fest has returned. This week, there are hundreds of new game demos to try, giving you the opportunity to sample a lot of promising new indie titles due out later this year and beyond. Here, we lay out a few of our recommendations for some of the standout demos available this week.
There are thousands of games included in this event overall. Some of them range from big-name IPs, like Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown, to experimental indie titles like Final Sentence, which combines elements of battle royale with a typing simulation.
Here are a few recommendations for those looking for a place to start:
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era – a turn-based grand strategy game based on the Heroes of Might and Magic saga.
Final Sentence – a Battle Royale where players compete with typewriters. It is such a wild idea that you really should try it.
The Midnight Walkers – a new PvPvE zombie shooter due to launch in November. This one is for fans of games like Left 4 Dead or The Killing Floor, but with some more tactically-driven gameplay elements.
Painkiller – a classic fast-paced arena shooter in which you take on a relentless horde of demons, either solo or with friends.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus 2 – due for release next year, this demo gives you an early look at this sequel featuring fast-paced tactical combat with strategic management sim components.
Let It Die: Inferno – the original Let it Die was a legendary free-to-play soulslike game. This new game, Inferno, challenges players to descend into the abyss and conquer the Reaper's challenge.
Bladesong – the new demo features the full first chapter of the game's story mode, putting players at the gates of Eren Keep, one of the last few safe havens for mankind. Here, you will forge blades for the refugees in the camp and explore the ruins of the Lost City.
Steam Next Fest will end on October 20th but many demos may remain available past that date. You can find every demo from the entire event, HERE.
KitGuru Says: Are there any demos you'll be trying during Steam Next Fest?
The post Steam Next Fest is back – here are some demo recommendations first appeared on KitGuru.The be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 3 is ready to hit the market. The new cooler makes use of a slimmer and more compact design, allowing for taller RAM to be used, and making the cooler more suitable for Mini-ITX systems.
The Pure Rock Slim 3 ships with dedicated AMD and Intel mounting frames, simplifying installation through the use of minimal screws. At its core, three nickel-plated high-performance 6mm heat pipes with heat-pipe direct-touch technology transport heat efficiently to the fin stack, delivering a high 130W TDP cooling capacity for entry-level gaming and multimedia systems.
A specially designed be quiet! 100mm PWM fan is rated for a claimed maximum noise level of just 24.8 dBA. PWM control allows users to fine-tune the balance between airflow and acoustics, ensuring smooth system performance under varying loads.
The be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 3 will be available starting October 28, at a suggested retail price of $29.90/€26.90.
KitGuru Says: Are you building a compact system for media playback or maybe some low-power gaming?
The post be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 3 debuts for ultra-compact PCs first appeared on KitGuru.
Google announced a landmark investment in India tallying $15 billion over the next five years—its largest in the region to date—to build its first artificial intelligence (AI) hub in the country. Located in the port city of Visakhapatnam (Vizag), Andhra Pradesh, this multi-faceted project is not only Google's most significant investment in Black Myth Wukong achieved huge success following the game’s arrival last year – selling over 25 million copies and amassing a peak concurrent player count of more than 2.4 million on Steam alone. That said, the action-RPG was far from perfect, with performance issues holding the overall experience back. Though this did improve somewhat with time, the team at Game Science have now announced and released a massive 90GB patch.
Making the announcement on their socials, the Black Myth Wukong team unveiled and detailed this massive surprise patch, writing: “Dear Destined Ones, A new update for #BlackMythWukong is on the way. In addition to regular bug fixes, it will also include some performance optimizations.”
The full patch notes can be found HERE, but some of the most notable changes/improvements include the following:
As mentioned, these are just some of the many improvements made with this latest update, with other more specific issues also being addressed (such as DLSS and XeSS related bugs, rendering errors and more).
Black Myth Wukong is a visual showpiece which was unfortunately hampered by its inconsistent performance. Hopefully this update has resolved a majority of these issues, making it not only prettier, but a more enjoyable experience to physically play.
KitGuru says: Did you struggle with Black Myth Wukong’s performance at launch? Why do you think it’s taken so long for this patch to come out? Let us know down below.
The post Black Myth Wukong gets massive performance patch on PS5 and PC first appeared on KitGuru.SpongeBob Square Pants has made a surprising comeback in the video game space, with THQ Nordic reviving the franchise via the Battle for Bikini Bottom remake a couple years ago – followed up by The Cosmic Shake in 2023. Ahead of the official launch of Purple Lamp Studios’ 3rd SpongeBob title ‘Titans of the Tide’ next month, THQ Nordic has now made available a free demo for all to enjoy.
With SpongeBob Square Pants: Titans of the Tide set to officially launch in just over a month’s time, developer Purple Lamp Studios and publisher THQ Nordic have now released a free demo for all to download and enjoy.
Featuring “the first levels of the game” this demo gives players the opportunity to try Titans of the Tide’s new gimmick – that being the ability to “switch seamlessly between SpongeBob and Patrick” while checking out each of their unique abilities.
For the uninitiated, SpongeBob Square Pants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated was a remake of the classic PlayStation 2 title. Released back in 2020, the game received a mixed reception from critics; though a much warmer fan response.
THQ Nordic then followed this up with The Cosmic Shake in 2023. Unlike the last entry, this was a brand new original title which felt like a successor to Rehydrated in many ways – for better and for worse.
Given the somewhat split reception towards the previous two entries, it is encouraging to see Purple Lamp Studios / THQ Nordic offering a demo for all to check out and try before spending money on the title. Early impressions appear to be positive, and so hopefully the full game manages to maintain its quality. We won’t have to wait long to find out.
KitGuru says: Are you excited for Titans of the Tide? Will you check out the demo? Do you appreciate the return of SpongeBob to the video game space? Let us know down below.
The post SpongeBob Square Pants: Titans of the Tide demo available now first appeared on KitGuru.Despite being the highest grossing media franchise of all time, GameFreak’s Pokémon games have for the better part of a decade felt as though they have been developed on a shoestring budget. Thanks to a recent data leak, we now know this to be not too far from the truth – with the upcoming Pokémon Legends Z-A having cost just $13 million to make.
In October of 2024 GameFreak was subject to a massive data breach in which a ton of internal details were publicised, including source code, codenames and more. One year later and the second half of the documents have now been shared.
Alongside details and codenames for the next 5 years worth of Pokémon games, the data breach also included a breakdown of the budgets for upcoming entries in the series.
As shared by Stealth40k via BlueSky, the soon-to-be-released Legends Z-A was developed with a measly 2 Billion Yen budget – approximately $13 million.
Of course, $13 million is no small sum, but considering many indie games wind up costing more than this, Pokémon Z-A (which will likely push between 20-30 million units) could theoretically sell for a single Dollar and still make a profit.
The next mainline Pokémon entry however will up the budget by roughly 50% to 3 Billion yen ($20 Million). Given that it will usher in the 10th generation of Pokémon however, this still feels miniscule in comparison to other first-party AAA titles (which can cost up to $300 million).
While there is of course an argument to be made that many current AAA titles have far inflated budgets, spending $13 Million on a game which will easily make over a Billion in its first few days on the market does feel quite cheap.
KitGuru says: What do you think of the leaked documents? Are you surprised by just how cheap Pokémon games are to make? What do you think is holding back the Pokémon games the most: Nintendo, GameFreak or the budget itself? Let us know down below.
The post Leak reveals just how little Pokémon Legends Z-A cost to develop first appeared on KitGuru.Last year, the Pokémon Company / GameFreak suffered a massive data breach, causing all sorts of internal documents, codenames and more to be published online for all to see. One year later, the same hacker has resurfaced, offering a ton more details – including Pokémon’s plans for the rest of the decade.
As collated by Resetera user ‘Atheerios’ a second wave of leaks have emerged regarding the Pokémon franchise and its future.
While we of course have the upcoming Legends Z-A to look forward to, GameFreak / Nintendo already have the next 4 entries lined up.
According to the leak, the next mainline entry is codenamed Gaia. Set to arrive in 2026 (with DLC dropping in 2027), this will mark the 10th generation of Pokémon games and is said to be released under the names Pokémon ‘Wind’ and ‘Waves’.
Next up is codenamed Ringo – the 3rd entry in the Legends series. Though less is known about this game, the title will seemingly take place in the Galar region and is currently slated to arrive in 2027.
Following this is codename ‘Seed’ which appears to be a relatively ambitious title (for Pokémon at least), taking players across multiple regions: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh.
Finally, 2030 will see the release of Gen 11. Unfortunately, no other details are known about this game currently.
The Pokémon series is a highly iterative one, with each successive entry doing relatively little to separate itself from the pack. Considering the fact that GameFreak appears to be working on multiple generations worth of games at the same time, this perhaps makes sense.
KitGuru says: What do you think of GameFreak’s development formula? Are they doing too much at once? What are your expectations for Gen 10 aka Wind / Waves? Let us know down below.
The post Data breach reveals the next 5 years worth of Pokémon games first appeared on KitGuru.The world of Avatar is returning to the fighting game scene, but this time, it's getting a dedicated title all to itself. A new studio, Gameplay Group International, has revealed Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, a new one-on-one fighter featuring a hand-drawn 2D art style that perfectly captures the look of the beloved animated series.
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game is a traditional 1v1 fighter, but with a couple of interesting twists. Similar to the Kameo system in Mortal Kombat 1, players can call on support characters to assist with special moves and combos. The combat itself is built around a “flow system” that is said to emphasise fluid movement and mobility.
Moreover, the game will feature a single-player campaign with its own unique plot, offering a new story for fans of the franchise. The game will launch with a roster of 12 playable characters, including fan favourites like Aang, Korra, Zuko, and Toph, with more fighters planned as post-launch DLC.
Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game will launch on Steam, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox Series X|S in summer 2026. Developers have confirmed that the game will support full crossplay across all platforms.
KitGuru says: While fans have been able to play as Aang and Korra in other games, this one is the first dedicated fighting game for the franchise. It's also not the only Avatar game in the works, as Saber Interactive is also creating an action RPG based on the property.
The post New Avatar fighting game coming to PC and consoles first appeared on KitGuru.For anyone who has invested in AMD's AM5 platform, news has just surfaced that confirms the socket's long-term viability. Leaked marketing materials and official videos from motherboard partners Asus and ASRock have provided the first concrete proof that upcoming B850 series motherboards will be compatible with the upcoming Zen 6-based CPUs.
The evidence, spotted by Ruby_Rapids and on ASRock's own Bilibili channel (via VideoCardz), explicitly lists “Zen 6” support on promotional materials for new B850 motherboards. This is the first time we've seen motherboard manufacturers themselves confirm forward compatibility beyond the current Zen 5 generation, effectively guaranteeing a simple, drop-in upgrade path for anyone on the AM5 platform.
This is a massive validation of AMD's promise to support the AM5 socket until at least 2027. While reputable leakers had suggested this would be the case, seeing it printed in official marketing materials from major board partners all but cements it as fact. It means that a B850 motherboard purchased today for a Ryzen 9000 series CPU should only require a BIOS update to support a next-generation Zen 6 processor when it launches.
Although the marketing material only confirms that the B850 will support the upcoming processors, we assume the same can be said for the X870(E) and B840 motherboards.
KitGuru says: AMD's commitment to socket longevity continues to impress, assuming this is all accurate.
The post AM5 motherboards will reportedly support Zen 6 CPUs first appeared on KitGuru.
The external GPU market is rife with clunky solutions, with questionable expansion possibilities and exorbitant pricing, but there may be a new device coming that address all of those concerns. The Humbird 3 Thunderbolt 5 docking station is one of the most promising eGPU docks we've seen yet.
The Humbird 3 is a Thunderbolt 5-powered docking 
Wi-Fi 7 is still relatively new, but that hasn’t stopped industry players such as TP-Link from working on the next generation of wireless connectivity. The company has announced a “critical milestone” in the development of Wi-Fi 8 (802.11bn) and successfully demonstrated connectivity between devices using the new technology.
TP-Link didn’t 
AMD's Socket AM4 launched way back in September 2016, and it's still getting new CPUs released to this very day. However, some of the earliest boards may not have ever gotten the necessary BIOS updates to support newer-generation CPUs, while others that did receive the necessary BIOS updates had to drop support for earlier generations of Socket While Age of Empires 2 has been eating up all the headlines recently thanks to new DLCs, the latest entry in the series, Age of Empires 4, was a very decent comeback game. Now, it appears that World's Edge is gearing up for Age of Empires 5, which may utilise an entirely new engine for the series.
As spotted by eagle-eyed fans on Reddit, World's Edge is now hiring for developers to aid in the support of “AAA pipeline for unannounced titles using Unreal Engine 5”. The job listings indicate a shift away from the previous engines to Epic Games' popular Unreal Engine technology.
It is unlikely that a new Age of Empires game would be announced in the coming year. However, 2027 marks the series' 30th anniversary, which would make it an excellent landing spot for a new game after a lengthy break from Age of Empires 4.
Fans should expect a new round of historical single-player campaign scenarios, as well as a renewed push for Age of Empires multiplayer should a new game come around in the next couple of years.
KitGuru Says: Did you play Age of Empires 4 when it came out? Would you play Age of Empires 5?
The post Age of Empires studio hiring for unannounced Unreal Engine 5 game first appeared on KitGuru.For years, fans have been hoping for a revival of the Dissidia Final Fantasy series. This weekend, Square Enix granted that wish, but with a twist. A new entry in the Final Fantasy fighting game series has been officially announced, but it's not coming to consoles or PC. Instead, the next battle between heroes and villains will take place exclusively on iOS and Android mobile devices.
The announcement, which dropped on social media and the official Square Enix website, was met with scepticism from much of the community. This is rooted in Square Enix's less-than-stellar track record with its live-service mobile spin-offs. Fans were quick to point to the fates of past Final Fantasy mobile titles like Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia and Final Fantasy: Record Keeper, both of which were shut down after a few years.
For now, the future of the Dissidia franchise lies on mobile. A full reveal, including the game's official title and a first look at gameplay, is scheduled for this Tuesday, October 14th.
KitGuru says: Final Fantasy mobile games have been a bit of a mixed bag in the past. It will be interesting to see how this one looks when its revealed tomorrow.
The post A new Dissidia Final Fantasy is coming, but it’s a mobile game first appeared on KitGuru.
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