Aoostar released an updated teaser image of its AMD Ryzen Strix Halo-powered mini PC, the Aoostar Nex395, with a much different design than the original. The new design looks much smoother and more streamlined, whereas the former had sharper edges and a darker color scheme.
The new teaser image (originally spotted by @realVictor_M on X/Twitter), 
The proliferation of digital game libraries and cloud streaming services has raised concerns about game preservation. Some publishers, such as EA, have stepped up in a big way by open sourcing older titles in their back catalogs. Now, Microsoft is adding its own contribution by open sourcing the classic Zork trilogy.
Microsoft will be releasing 
Intel has already established that the graphics parts of Panther Lake are using the Xe3 architecture, but that they will be branded as part of the Arc B-series. The given rationale is that the first-generation Xe3 graphics products utilizing the "Xe3-LPG" architecture will be something more like an evolution of the Xe2 architecture used in 
Roboquest VR takes an already exhilarating FPS roguelite to deliver a near-flawless adaptation, becoming one of my new favorite games to experience in a VR headset.
VR is no stranger to flatscreen conversions, and Flat2VR Studios quickly made a name for itself doing exactly that. Roboquest VR is the latest example, taking RyseUp Studios' 2023 roguelite FPS and thoroughly overhauling it. You control a Guardian robot taking down waves of hostile enemy machines, blazing a path for your human companion Max towards Haven 8 - an oasis in the desert that makes up most of this post-apocalyptic Earth.
During a run, players can find any number of weapons with Borderlands-esque modifiers from chests, dropped from enemies, found as rewards from challenge rooms, and offered for sale at rest points. The variety on display here is impressive, and that's not even accounting for the different variables weapons can be rolled with. They range from standard rifles and shotguns to energy weapons, joined by handheld fare such as tomahawks, kunai, boomerangs, bows, and more.
This is where Roboquest VR first differentiates itself from the original release. With a keyboard and mouse, range, rate of fire, and such were different - actually controlling each weapon feels much the same. In VR, that's not quite the case.
Bows need you to manually notch an arrow much like other VR experiences; for throwable weapons, instead of merely aiming and holding down the trigger, you instead hold down the trigger, aim a swing, and then let go once you've achieved your desired arc. You can reload weapons with a button click, though Flat2VR has pleasingly added a manual reload function where you actively eject and load magazines. It feels incredible in action, especially with the optional laser sight enabled.
Other retooled elements relate to the user interface; while by default there's a floating health bar for your convenience, you can check your left wrist for more granular information on your status, including HP and how close you are to leveling up. The right wrist can showcase a minimap when raised and can be expanded by holding down the right grip button. Upon level-up, the perks you're offered are portrayed as physical cards that you must grab and then confirm your choice by holding down the trigger while the perk card is in your hand. All very welcome changes, and these go a long way towards grounding the VR experience.
Many of your various Guardian classes' unique abilities have also been retooled to better suit VR gameplay. The default class has a recharging shield tied to pushing in the right analog stick, while holding down the right grip and trigger lets you use a melee attack with the thrust of your arm. That can even be upgraded into a sledgehammer through the selection of random level-up perks, and of course a slightly different focus on swings rather than thrusts. Other classes provide functions like summonable drones that distract and attack enemies, an explosive laser charge, and more. If you didn't know any better, you'd struggle to tell that Roboquest wasn't a VR native release to begin with.
While we had no noticeable performance issues, it's worth noting that I was using top-of-the-line hardware with a Ryzen 7 9800x3D and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090.
This was good for 90FPS on a Quest 3 via Godlike Virtual Desktop settings and maxed out in-game - albeit with Temporal Antialiasing rather than MSAA. We even tested it at 120 FPS, thanks to the recent Virtual Desktop 2-pass encoding update, and it holds up brilliantly for me.
You can find the minimum requirements and recommended specs on the Steam page.
Still, Roboquest was already a fairly brutal experience, and its VR conversion makes it even more difficult. Once you get to grips with the controls, however, it's an exhilarating experience unlike anything else - Roboquest isn't just a fast-paced game, but verticality is a core element of its gameplay loop. Jumping onto grind rails and rocketing yourself across the map with a double jump while peppering bullets on the enemies below isn't just a possibility; it's basically expected when you near a run's end game. Some bosses even outright depend on it! It's one thing when all that aiming only requires a mouse, but when you get your whole body in the equation, what was already a taxing experience feels like it asks even more from you. Even if in return is a far more memorable experience.
There are, of course, additional difficulty options (four in total) for players looking for them. Easy mode offers a slightly less oppressive difficulty curve while still maintaining most of the friction that makes the game shine; a sensible choice as you accustom yourself to Roboquest VR and its controls. Levels are randomly generated, though it's best to think of it like Risk of Rain's procedural generation; the bulk of each level's layout remains the same, so you can quickly learn the best way to beeline from point A to point B.
Roboquest VR is not a game I would recommend to anyone but the most seasoned VR veterans. By its very nature, the comfort options at your disposal are fairly limited.
You can use smooth and snap camera turning, there's an option to enable a motion vignette, and there's the ability to choose either standing and seated play. Movement direction can be based on your head's position or your hand, using artificial stick-based locomotion. Roboquest also features heavy use of high-speed, verticality-focused gameplay.
Adaptive triggers on PS VR2 can be switched off alongside controller vibration, you can select your dominant hand, and a motion vignette is also available. Lastly, you can select to automatically face the movement direction when using a bounce pad.
Considering that some of the game's branching paths are locked behind fairly strict time requirements - many of which eventually lead to crystals that, once activated, make the final level less difficult - it's all well and good that's the case. It's a good enough hook to keep playing, even though the story is by no means the game's focus. There's worldbuilding for players to look out for if that's their fancy, however - and some of that does tie into some of the game's optional objectives.
Sometimes one path provides a quest item to hand over to an NPC found on an entirely different route from the one you took; maybe you'll be rewarded the passcode or ticket to access an area you couldn't reach the first time. Individual locations don't change much beyond the enemies you find there, yet there's still plenty of strategy to be had with each run and deciding what your ultimate goal is. These feel like the perfect length for VR; not accounting for moments where the timer is paused while in camps, a successful run typically lasts between 30-45 minutes.
Upon ending your run, you can spend resources accrued within to upgrade your base. These include upgrading the amount of HP you gain from a level-up or increasing the rarity of weapons you might find in chests, alongside spawning NPCs that can reroll or add new abilities to your weapons. You can even increase their rarity when using Powercells gained during a run.
While James reviewed the PC VR edition, Roboquest VR has some subtle differences on PlayStation VR2 worth mentioning. Performance runs at 60Hz reprojected to 120Hz, which you naturally won't find on Steam. Flat2VR Studios is working to patch in native 90Hz support, though the fast-paced, colorful visuals means reprojection is sometimes noticeable.
Beyond this, Roboquest VR makes great use of haptic feedback across the headset and controllers. Adaptive trigger support feels nice, and its using dynamic foveated rendering. Cutscenes can be skipped by pressing buttons, and my only major complaint right now is how sensitive this is. I accidentally skipped cutscenes on several occasions.
If you're sensitive to reprojection, it may be worth waiting slightly longer for that 90Hz patch. Generally speaking though, it's a solid option for PS VR2 owners right now and I encountered no framerate drops on PS5 Pro.
This section was written by the Senior Editor, Henry Stockdale.
Completing NPC quests rewards you with gadgets, permanent toggleable modifiers that apply from the outset of a run. Some quests, beyond simply requiring items from other branching paths, might require specific actions. You may need to bring a specific weapon to show an NPC, save up on Powercells to open a door, or use a specific Guardian class to get past a wall of lasers. Some of these are pure upgrades - one will net you a free Powercell upon level-up, for example - while others offer trade-offs, like the Shades which increase your base damage but limit your starting health. They're still well worth seeking out regardless, as toggling them on and off back at your basecamp can radically change how runs play out in some cases.
Like any good roguelite, Roboquest VR delivers a satisfying loop that both complements the moment-to-moment gameplay and actively pushes you outside of your comfort zone. Exploring these zones and figuring out where to find these hidden areas or logs detailing some of the game's lore also benefits from the transition to VR. Looking out for level geometry you can use as a makeshift parkour track to reach somewhere out of reach feels all the more engaging when it feels like you're the one making those jumps, and finding these hidden areas.
Roboquest VR takes what was already a great flatscreen roguelite experience and transforms it into a new VR classic. Moment-to-moment gameplay feels fantastic, and the game is right at home on the platform. Flat2VR Studios should take pride in the work they've accomplished, as it feels like an essential experience for hardcore VR players without being revolutionary. I just wish that co-op was available at launch; I'd like any reason to hop back in for another round.
UploadVR uses a 5-Star rating system for our game reviews – you can read a breakdown of each star rating in our review guidelines.
Intel has somewhat confirmed the unveiling of its highly anticipated Panther Lake CPU family, scheduled for the first week of January to coincide with CES 2026. The launch event is officially slated for January 5th, signaling a broad, mainstream introduction for the new processors.
Spotted by @momomo_us (via Wccftech), Intel is planning to reveal the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 Processors on January 5th. Seeing there's a literal panther in the imagery for the event, it seems pretty clear that we're talking about Panther Lake.
This architecture is set to be one of the most important consumer launches of next year, as it will be the first CPU family to adopt Intel's cutting-edge 18A manufacturing process, which incorporates innovations such as RibbonFET and PowerVia. The new lineup is expected to deliver significant architectural advancements, including new P/E-core designs, the ‘Celestial' Xe3 iGPU architecture with up to 12 cores, and a 5th-generation NPU designed to push edge AI capabilities.
Intel will be using a slightly modified naming strategy this time, introducing the ‘Core Ultra X' branding. This designation is reportedly reserved for SKUs that feature the full 12-core Xe3 iGPU. These models will range from Core Ultra 9 down to Core Ultra 5 SKUs.
KitGuru says: What are your expectations for Panther Lake? Do you think it will help Intel turn the tide back in its favour?
The post Intel teases Core Ultra 3 debut for CES 2026 first appeared on KitGuru.You check into a hotel, but no one’s there. Not even at the reception desk. You sign your name, but then the paper disappears. Things only make less sense from there.
The entire structure of the hotel makes no sense. Turn a corner, and suddenly you can see where you were before at the other side of the room, or an impossible corridor that turns in on itself. And what’s that oozing red substance that seems to be everywhere?
Hotel Infinity is a geometrically impossible labyrinth of an escape room, and that’s precisely what makes it one of the best VR experiences I’ve ever had in the medium.
The brainchild of Manifold Garden developer William Chyr and his team at Studio Chyr, Hotel Infinity takes the abstract puzzle exploration of his previous work and implants it into a roomscale VR experience like few others. Indeed, it builds on many of those ideas of impossible spaces and portals to new areas that the game deployed to allow that unique puzzle title to thrive, naturally translating the idea to this very different medium.
Basic techniques that Hotel Infinity employs to make its physically 2×2 meter space feel much larger are not itself new, and you may have experienced the idea before in Tea For God. But how it combines the approach with interesting puzzles makes for a unique experience.
Your reasons for arriving at the hotel are unexplained, but the point once inside is to reach your room, then find a way out. Which, when no corner or object in this space obeys the laws of physics and order you’re used to, is more difficult than it sounds. It’s also incredibly unnerving to never know where you’re going next, witnessing everything from dense corridors to sights of massive hedge mazes and the ever-present glowing neon sign of Hotel Infinity. There’s no dialogue, and there’s barely any music bar the occasional riff and subtle audio cues during puzzles to guide your way. But that doesn’t mean that the game doesn’t raise your heartbeat for its unique atmosphere and the uncertainty over what’s to come.
It's split into five chapters, each taking you through a set route through the hotel before warping you back to your hotel room and venturing deeper. There are puzzles that must be cleared along the way but beyond some basic math and spatial awareness, these are hardly challenging for anyone with even a base intelligence for these sorts of titles. That’s not the point when taking in this space and discovering (or interpreting in your own terms) the secrets are more important.
For those who lack a 2×2 meter physical space, there is a stationary mode, but I strongly recommend finding the space to play Hotel Infinity how it's designed to be played. Trust me, as someone living in a Japanese apartment that, while not small, did require a bit of reorganization to make work, I know how challenging this can be if you don’t live in a large place. But it's worth it. Hotel Infinity is so clearly designed around having the space to make it work that without it, it feels lacking in the spark necessary to get into its many joys under the surface.
If you can find the space, the experience that Hotel Infinity delivers is magical. It's like a bridge between home VR and the location-based spaces that take advantage of huge, expansive locations to offer a free-roaming experience enhanced by VR. Having experienced many of these in Japan, it’s hard not to see the wonders of being fully transported into a haunted house or location using the tech as you physically, carefully wander the eerie corridors one step at a time. There are many great at-home VR horror experiences or titles in other genres that can transport you to new worlds with more depth. Still, I won’t lie about occasionally wishing I could take that next step myself, and not with a thumbstick.
Hotel Infinity manages to find that happy medium by using impossible space to create the immersive exploratory feel of these commercial VR attractions with a longer adventure, puzzles, and greater possibilities than ever. It’s precisely what makes the roomscale mode of this game such a wonder. Within this 2×2 meter space, corridors are designed in such a way that you can fully walk and duck your way through every area in the game without needing the controllers for anything other than gripping, holding, and interacting with objects or levers in the environment. Walking through this hotel and turning each corridor not knowing what you’ll see next brings an added layer of fear and excitement, and before long you forget where you are. Sure, you don’t need to step over that gap or duck to get through the door; it doesn’t exist, but I bet you will anyhow.
It makes Hotel Infinity one of the most immersive VR games on the market, and a showcase of the technology that should become the standard for showing newcomers what’s possible in VR moving forward. This can also have the opposite effect, though, where every exciting and mind-blowing effect is coupled with moments of genuine terror that feel so much more real when you have to take a step towards them. For that reason, I can’t recommend the later moments of this game to anyone with a major fear of heights. I have a partial and circumstantial fear that manifests when I feel directly in control of whether I can fall from such a height, leaving me genuinely worried traversing some of these later areas.
But isn’t that a testament to just how well this game can transport you by virtue of its free-standing 360-degree movement? The core design of moving within this contained and transforming space is its biggest asset, making this idea possible and bringing the immersive free-roaming VR into the home in a way often impossible for setpiece-driven narrative works.
Sure, some of its puzzles can feel overly simplistic, and it's a very short adventure that can be cleared in about 2 hours in a single sitting before the battery notification of your headset even buzzes. But when it’s this much of a wonder to explore, that hardly matters.
Hotel Infinity is a standout example of true room-scale VR, and a must-own for anyone interested in understanding the potential of this medium. Notably, the potential is not merely to be a new way to experience familiar ideas, but to offer experiences only possible in VR. What a revelation of a game this is.
UploadVR uses a 5-Star rating system for our game reviews – you can read a breakdown of each star rating in our review guidelines.
Tracked: Shoot to Survive released its first patch with visual upgrades and new features.
Recently launched on Quest 3 and 3S, we had mixed feelings in our Tracked: Shoot to Survive review. Though we considered it to be an engaging survival adventure with great VR-focused crafting mechanics, we had notable criticisms at launch for its presentation, enemy AI, and performance. Now, developer Incuvo has released its first big patch just over a week later.
TRACKED’s first BIG patch is here! 🔥
— TRACKED: Shoot To Survive (@TRACKEDVR) November 21, 2025
Bringing you visual improvements, new features, and tons of fixes.
Huge thanks to everyone helping us shape the game. Keep on sending the feedback!
And if you're playing TRACKED, drop us a review. It helps more than you think. pic.twitter.com/UdFWbq8ot9
Most notable here is a series of visual upgrades, with Incuvo promising better resolution and improvements to lighting, tree shadows, and the skybox. Stealth grass is also visually thicker, and contaminated meat has been adjusted to be “visually more repulsive.”
Other new changes include a new sleeping feature, which allows you to rest at your Father's Cabin to recover HP and skip some time. UI adjustments have been made to the fast travel board “for easier identification,” new cooking icons have been introduced, and your notepad's interactivity has also been adjusted. You can find the full patch notes here.
Our reviewer, Luis Aviles, went hands-on directly with this update following its release. He informed me that loading times are noticeably reduced and textures appear more detailed, though he's still noticing performance stuttering and advised the sound effects are still “hit or miss.” However, he considers this a “step in the right direction” compared to the launch version.
Tracked: Shoot to Survive is out now on Quest 3 and 3S.
Little Planet allows you to become a city planner and socialite on a world of your own making, and it recently went free-to-play on Quest.
In Little Planet, you become the architect of a world in almost every sense. You can shape it on a macro level, shifting rivers and cliffs to your liking. Then, roam around your curated space, chopping trees and crafting furniture, all while living among adorable anthropomorphic villagers. It's a comforting setup that's easy to get lost in, and after exploring and fine-tuning my digital home away from home, I'm impressed by how deep these systems can go.
Alas, an adorable utopia isn't built in a day, and your time with Little Planet begins with the basics. Taught through a series of approachable tutorials, you'll quickly learn how to collect materials, earn recipes to craft with, and interact with the all-important inventory system at the center of it all. Each aspect is introduced quickly, though given their practical nature, it doesn't take long to feel at home with these systems.
Similar to other sandbox experiences like Minecraft and Animal Crossing, much of Little Planet's world is engaged with through the moreish process of experimentation and exploration. What happens if I chop down this tree? Or if you're like me, how much random junk can I fit in my inventory before it's full? These questions create a sense of intrigue that's easy to invest in, further bolstered by Little Planet's Pedia, which serves as an enticing scavenger hunt list.
For our hands-on experience, the developers at VRWood provided UploadVR with a late-game account for Little Planet, which also allowed me to experience the simulator with all its systems unlocked. This gave me a brief taste of the expanded building types, such as the furniture shop and fashion house, as well as a full range of equipment, including the peashooter, fishing rod, gardening tools, axe, and a watering can.
When compared to the sparse planet you began with, it's impressive how much you can accomplish if you invest your time in its sizable open world. As someone who puts a lot of stock into customization, I'm particularly impressed by the range of dress-up and accessory options available to jazz up your avatar. That includes everything from glitzy star glasses to bucket hats and adorable coquette-collared tops.
Perhaps my favourite aspect of Little Planet was the fishing minigame, and I'm embarrassed to admit how much time I've spent happily staring at a bobber. Similar to real-world fishing, here you equip a rod and fling your arm back before casting your line out as if you're Indiana Jones cracking your whip. Then, once a fish has nibbled your bobber, you can use your free hand to grip the reel and hastily crank it backward. It's a simple yet surprisingly meditative process, made even better by the sloshing of the waves and the clicky reel sounds of the rod.
I would be remiss not to mention the residents of the world, dubbed Planet Pals, whose playful banter garnered a few giggles from me across my hands-on. It can be lonely working away on the planet by yourself, especially if you aren't keen on the game's social features, and I appreciated having someone to chat to besides myself. While their dialogue isn't overly complex or moving, at least in my experience, they do well to imbue the world with a sense of much-needed personality. Of the bunch, fishing fanatic Rusty is a particular standout, thanks to their pirate quips and comical seafaring attire.
One thing has become clear across my time with Little Planet so far, and it's that I'm only scratching the surface. Beyond the plethora of day-to-day activities to tackle, I didn't get a chance to test out the social features or travel to other worlds. Even so, Little Planet leaves a confident first impression, providing life sim players an opportunity to curate custom worlds in VR.
Little Planet is available now on Quest.
During the recent Xbox Partner Preview, Microsoft announced several upcoming Xbox and PC games, but also highlighted that the Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE) would be rolling out to all PC gaming handhelds and eventually expanding to other Windows 11 PCs through the Windows Insider Program.
If you've been paying attention, though, you 
Remember when getting into virtual reality was cost prohibitive? Yeah, neither do we at this point. VR has outlasted 'passing fad' status and appears here to stay—even Valve is getting in on the action with its upcoming Steam Frame headset (alongside other hardware, including another Steam Machine). Meanwhile, there are a affordable options, 
With the arrival of Google’s Nano Banana Pro (officially the Gemini 3 Pro Image model) the AI image generation landscape has once again moved forward into deeper usefulness and hyper-realism. Along with the creative power it now gives users, Nano Banana Pro brings up more debates over digital authenticity and image manipulation, especially 
If a price hike is a sickness, than Black Friday is the cure. Black Friday deals on PlayStation 5 consoles are now in effect, providing a salve against recent price adjustments made by Sony. And yes, it's easy to be soured by a so-called deal on items that recently went up in price, but the Black Friday discounts bring PS5 console costs to 
After eons of Android users relying on cumbersome cloud links or email attachments to share content with iPhones, Google dropped a bombshell yesterday that its Quick Share function can now directly communicate with Apple’s proprietary AirDrop feature, forever ending the agonizing cross-platform file sharing wall.
For many, this update is 
Building a PC is not all that difficult, but assembling a totally silent (or even near silent) rig? That takes a little more research and finesse. It can also require making compromises, but to ensure that the power supply unit (PSU) is not one of them, Seasonic confirmed it's in the process of designing a fanless and ultra-efficient 1,000W MSI has rolled out a huge number of discounts across a wide range of components this week. If you are new to PC gaming and looking to build your first gaming rig, sorting through all of these components can be a bit of a daunting task, so we're here to make that process easy for you with a list of PC builds to suit different budgets, giving you a great starting point for your Black Friday shopping list.
The Case:
The right PC case is the foundation of any PC build. The space afforded to you on the interior can dictate future upgrades and the amount of cooling supported will also have an impact on component selection. MSI has a great starting point here with the MAG PANO 100L PZ, available in both black and white colour options for £99.99 during the current sales. This case supports full-size ATX motherboards, with room for a 360mm liquid cooling radiator in the roof, side or bottom of the case. It also has a 270-degree panoramic tempered glass panel, so when your build is finished, you can marvel at your craftsmanship from multiple angles.
The Motherboard:
If you are looking to go with an AMD Ryzen processor, then you can pair this with a MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI motherboard, which supports Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000 and Ryzen 9000 series desktop processors. It has a WiFi module built-in, so you'll be able to get connected to the internet as soon as your build is ready, without the need for any additional gear such as dongles. It also has a premium heatsink design for efficient M.2 SSD cooling, and support for fast DDR5 memory (up to 7600MT/s), giving you headroom for future upgrades. During the sale period, this motherboard can be found for £129.99.
For an Intel alternative, you could go with a B860 Gaming Plus WiFi instead, which offers a similar feature set, but with support for Intel Core Ultra desktop processors instead, and support for even faster DDR5 memory (up to 8800MT/s), priced at £169.99.
Pair one of these motherboards with either an Intel Core Ultra 5 or an AMD Ryzen 5 series processor and you'll be well on your way to having a solid gaming machine.
The Cooler:
As the MAG PANO 100L PZ case listed here supports 360mm radiators, we would opt to maximise that space with an MSI MAG CoreLiquid I360 AIO cooler, discounted to £89.99 during the Black Friday sales period. This should be plenty of cooling capacity to reign in the CPUs we suggested above, but it will also give you headroom for future upgrades, so if you decide to jump up a tier to a Core Ultra 7 or Ryzen 7 processor in the future, you won't have to re-invest in a new cooler.
The Graphics Card:
The graphics card is the heart of any gaming PC and is where the bulk of your gaming performance will come from. As this is a more cost-conscious build, we would recommend going for the MSI RTX 5060 Gaming OC, which is currently down to £289.99 during the sales period. This graphics card will pack plenty of punch for 1080p gaming and in titles that support DLSS 4, you'll be able to supercharge your frame rates with Multi-Frame Generation, allowing you to fully maximise your monitor's refresh rate, even in blockbuster AAA titles.
The Power Supply:
While this will make for a powerful 1080p gaming system, you won't need a massive amount of power to get it up and running. You could get away with a 650W power supply here like the MAG A650BN (£47.99), but we would opt for a 750W model like the MAG A750GL PCIE5 (£59.99) to give you some extra headroom if you ever want to upgrade to a higher-tier GPU like an RTX 5060 Ti or RTX 5070.
The Cost:
Pricing all of this up, you can get all of the MSI components listed here for a total of £639.95 (AMD) or £679.95 (Intel) during the promotional period. An Intel Core Ultra 5 245 or AMD Ryzen 5 9600X will cost you around £200 at the moment, and you'll also need some DDR5 memory, we'd suggest a 32GB kit, which can be found for around the £130 mark if you forgo RGB lighting. You will also want to add in at least a PCIe 4 M.2 SSD for current-gen games, which will add a further £70 to the build cost for a 1TB model.
Adding on those extras brings the total build cost up to just over £1000. The end result is a well-rounded gaming PC that will far outperform a current-gen console, with headroom for future upgrades later down the line.
The Case:
For this build we are going for a more compact Micro-ATX system, centred around the new Back-Connect motherboards like the MSI Project Zero, allowing you to put together a system with minimal cables visible at the front of the case. The chassis of choice this time is the MAG PANO M100R PZ, which despite its compact size, still has room for a 360mm AIO liquid cooler and as many as ten 120mm case fans to aid with airflow. It also has a 270-degree panoramic tempered glass window to show off your near cable-free build, all for £74.99 during the sale.
The Motherboard:
As this is a Micro-ATX build, we will naturally be opting for an M-ATX motherboard here, specifically, the MSI B650M Project Zero. This is an AMD motherboard, supporting Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 series desktop processors, DDR5 memory up to 7600MT/s and with lots of heatsinks covering most of the bare PCB area, creating a cohesive look all around.
Project Zero in this instance means Back-Connect power sockets, so you'll run all of your power cables and plug them in at the back of the motherboard, allowing you to hide all of your cables behind the motherboard tray. The only cable you'll need to route around the front is your graphics card cable.
The MSI B650M Project Zero motherboard is on sale for £199.99.
The Cooler:
As this case can support a 360mm AIO cooler in the roof, we will maximise our cooling with a MAG CORELIQUID i360 cooler, filling up the space nicely. This cooler embraces the philosophy of simplicity with its clean lines, which fits well in a Project Zero build. Currently, this cooler can be found for £89.
The Graphics Card:
This time around we are making the jump up from an RTX 5060 to an RTX 5060 Ti 16GB graphics card. The extra VRAM will help you out if you are running games at higher resolutions, and the extra power afforded by the Ti variant will get you comfortably into QHD gaming territory.
During the Black Friday sale, MSI's RTX 5060 Ti 16G Ventus 3X OC graphics card can be found for £429.99.
The Power Supply:
For the PSU, we'll go with the same MAG A750GL PCIE5 featured in the previous build. This offers plenty of headroom if you'd prefer to go with a Ryzen 7 CPU over a Ryzen 5 model, and you'll have plenty of power left for things like extra fans and storage drives. As noted earlier, this power supply can be found for £59.99 during the sale.
The Cost:
The total cost of the MSI components here comes to £824.95. Add on £200 for a Ryzen 5 9600X, £130 for 32GB of non-RGB DDR5 memory and £120 for a 2TB PCIe 4 M.2 SSD and we have a total build cost of £1,274.95, a reasonable price considering the upgrades made here compared to the £1000 build.
The Case:
With this build, we are moving up a performance tier, so we've opted for the MSI MPG VELOX 300R AIRFLOW PZ instead. This case supports dual 360mm radiators, so if you ever want to make the jump to liquid cooling for both your CPU and GPU, you'll have room to do so. This case also supports larger E-ATX sized motherboards and comes with two large 160mm dual-layer blade fans behind the mesh front panel, bringing lots of cool air into your system to battle the heat generated by high-end components.
The MSI MPG VELOX 300R AIRFLOW PZ is currently on sale for £99.99.
The Motherboard:
The AMD option for this build is the MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI, which supports Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 series desktop processors, and DDR5 memory up to 8400MT/s. This board stands out thanks to its 14+2+1 Duet Rail Power System, making it a good choice for those who want to squeeze out some extra CPU performance through overclocking. Currently during the sales period, this motherboard can be found for £229.99.
If you are looking to build your PC around an Intel processor, then the MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI is our choice here. This motherboard supports the latest generation Intel Core Ultra desktop processors and DDR5 memory with speeds up to 9200MT/s. It has a 16+1+1+1 Duet Rail Power System and is built to last using server-grade materials. This motherboard can currently be found for £239.99.
As this system falls into the higher-end tier of gaming PCs, we would recommend going with a Ryzen 7 9800X for an AMD-based system, or an Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, both of which can be found for under £300.
The Cooler:
For this system, we are going with the MAG CORELIQUID I360 AIO cooler. This cooler comes with enhanced aesthetics thanks to its dual-sided infinity mirror on the CPU block, and the cooler comes with a fan cable management cover so you can hide your cables and keep the system looking clutter-free. The fans are equipped with LDB bearings, improving the total lifespan and keeping operation stable.
The included mounting hardware supports both current-gen Intel and AMD sockets, so you won't have to worry if you ever decide to make the move from one CPU vendor to the other. This cooler should also be perfectly capable of transitioning with you through future CPU upgrades. Currently, it is discounted to £89.99.
The Graphics Card:
For this system, we want to make sure it is capable for high refresh rate QHD (1440p) gaming, so we've opted for the MSI RTX 5070 Ti 16G EXPERT OC, which is currently down to £799.99. If you prefer the look of the MSI Gaming TRIO cooler, then the MSI RTX 5070 Ti Gaming TRIO OC is also on sale for £849.99.
With an RTX 5070 Ti, you'll have plenty of VRAM for high-resolution gaming and as we've seen in our previous reviews, this GPU is more than capable at both 1440p and 4K resolutions, even when turning on performance-hitting effects like ray-tracing. With DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation, you can supercharge frame rates even further to enable 120Hz-240Hz gaming in supported AAA titles.
The Power Supply:
As this is a more powerful system with plenty of capability for overclocking, we will also need a higher capacity power supply. Based on the suggested CPUs, paired with an RTX 5070 Ti, you'll need at least an 850W unit, but that won't leave much headroom if you decide to upgrade to something like an RTX 5080 later on. As a result, we are opting for the MSI MPG A1000G PCIE5 power supply for this build. With 1000W of power, you'll have plenty of headroom for overclocking your CPU and GPU, and you won't have to swap out the PSU if you later decide to move up to a higher tier GPU.
Currently the MSI MAG A1000GLS PCIE5 PSU can be found for £129.99.
The Cost:
Pricing all of this up, you can get all of the MSI components listed here for £1,399.95 for the AMD motherboard variant, or £1,409.95 for the Intel motherboard version. Add on an extra £300 for your CPU, £150 for some RGB-lit DDR5 memory and £120 for a high-speed 2TB M.2 SSD and we're looking at a total build cost just under £2000, less than the price of a single RTX 5090.
If you have a bit more money on-hand, then you can upgrade the RTX 5070 Ti to an MSI RTX 5080 Gaming Trio OC for £999 during the current sale.
If you do opt for an MSI build, then you'll also be eligible to take part in several promotions. Many of the products listed here are part of the MSI Shout Out campaign, which you can participate in to earn up to £35 in Steam credit. The ‘Empower your Final Quest‘ promotion is also running concurrently, offering additional opportunities to obtain free Steam codes from your purchase. With the next Steam sale just around the corner, now is a good time to have some spare Steam credit handy to boost your library.
If you need a gaming monitor to go with your new system, then MSI also has a ton of discounts there too, including massive price cuts on their best OLED displays.
You can find all of MSI's Black Friday deals and promotions, HERE.
KitGuru Says: Are you planning on picking up some new hardware during the Black Friday sales this month?
The post From Budget to Beast: PC Builds Using MSI Black Friday Deals first appeared on KitGuru.JEDEC has updated its classification system for DDR5 memory modules as higher-capacity unbuffered variants begin entering production. The organization is replacing the previous general CUDIMM label for 4-rank designs, introducing the new, specific term: CQDIMM (Client Quad-Rank Unbuffered DIMM).
Brought to our attention by Guru3D, this new terminology is being made to distinguish 1- or 2-rank modules from the much higher-density 4-rank designs, which include the upcoming 128 GB and eventual 192 GB variants. Previously, all unbuffered DDR5 DIMMs fell under the CUDIMM umbrella. However, 4-rank modules pose distinct challenges for memory training and compatibility due to the higher load they place on the memory controller and bus.
The new classification will be useful to motherboard manufacturers and system integrators. It allows for greater precision when developing firmware and Qualified Vendor List (QVL) entries for next-generation platforms like AM5 and the upcoming LGA-1851, where rank structure directly impacts stability.
Manufacturers have already begun migrating their engineering sample documentation and roadmaps to the new CQDIMM label, confirming the industry's move toward standardised nomenclature for high-capacity builds.
KitGuru says: Although CQDIMM will easily find its way into the professional segment, most mainstream consumers won't have to worry about the new nomenclature for a few years.
The post JEDEC introduces CQDIMM standard for 128GB 4-rank DDR5 modules first appeared on KitGuru.Dispatch consistently garnered more and more hype as each episode dropped over the past few weeks. Now with all eight episodes out, the game has hit a new sales milestone, achieving over two million players.
The milestone, shared on BlueSky, is particularly notable given the developer's pedigree. AdHoc Studio was founded by former talent from Telltale Games and Night School Studio, with expertise that is clearly resonating with fans of the narrative adventure genre.
The current season, which has consistently grown its audience throughout October and November, wrapped up with its final episode just a week ago. The finale left a few threads open for a potential sequel, although a season two has not yet been confirmed.
As of now, the game has over 84K reviews on Steam with a user score of 97%, making it one of the highest-rated games of the year on the platform. Critics received the game equally well, with a score of 88 (94% recommended) on OpenCritic.
KitGuru says: Have you already tried Dispatch? Do you think it deserves the praise it's getting?
The post Episodic superhero game Dispatch hits 2 million players first appeared on KitGuru.Gamdias has been expanding its lineup with a focus on airflow inside a small form factor, but what happens when you combine the Athena M4M chassis, a full setup of Notus M1 ARGB fans, a Chione P5 360 AIO and the Helios P2A 1300G power supply? You get a compact system with cooling ready to take on anything from gaming to heavier workloads, all within the Gamdias ecosystem. Join us to see how it comes together in our latest featured build video!
Timestamps:
00:00 Smoke intro
00:19 Unboxing the Case: Gamdias Athena M4M
00:42 B Roll Of Empty Case
01:21 Unboxing the Fans: Gamdias Notus M1 ARGB
01:41: B-Roll Of fans
03:03 Motherboard: MSI B650M Project Zero
03:07 CPU Installation: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
03:13 RAM Installation: 32GB XPG Lancer RGB DDR5-6000MT/s
03:30 M.2 SSD Installation: 1TB Corsair MP700 PCIe Gen5 NVMe M.2 SSD
04:28 AIO Unboxing: Gamdias CHIONE P5 360
05:16 AIO B Roll
08:03 Power Supply Unboxing: Gamdias Helios P2A 1300G
08:40 PSU B Roll
09:57 Graphics Card Installation: ASRock Taichi Radeon RX 9070 XT
Case: Gamdias Athena M4M – Available to purchase now from Amazon UK priced at £66.99 HERE.
Specifications
CPU Cooler: Gamdias CHIONE P5 360 – Available to purchase now from Amazon UK priced at £126.37 HERE.
Specifications
Fans: Gamdias Notus M1 ARGB – 3 pack available to purchase now from Amazon UK priced at £12.99 HERE. (Black Friday deal, normally £19.99)
Specifications
Power Supply: Gamdias Helios P2A 1300G – Currently unavailable in the UK
Specifications
Build Specification:
KitGuru says: Gamdias might not be a familiar name for all, but the company has an extensive range of reasonably priced hardware. Will you check Gamdias out for your next build?
The post Gamdias Athena mATX Featured Build (9070 XT + 9800X3D) first appeared on KitGuru.Poncle, the developer behind the breakout hit Vampire Survivors, has unveiled a spin-off game called Vampire Crawlers. The announcement, teased with a satirical trailer promising high-fidelity graphics before revealing more 2D pixel art, shows the studio is applying its unique chaos engine to an entirely new genre.
Set for a global rollout next year on Xbox and Steam, Vampire Crawlers is described as a deckbuilding dungeon crawler played from a first-person perspective. Poncle founder Luca confirmed that the game will reimagine characters, enemies, and artifacts from Vampire Survivors as cards, but the pace is entirely up to the player. As per the developer, “it's about mowing down hordes of enemies with cards while exploring dungeons, playing as slowly or as quickly as you want”.
Luca notes that the design borrows from the largely forgotten ‘blobber' genre, which was popular on PC in the 80s with titles like Eye of the Beholder and Legend of Grimrock. In essence, the game presents a first-person, grid-based dungeon interface married to a fast-paced card combat system.
The concept has been in development for roughly 4 years, stemming from the founder's desire to create genre spin-offs shortly after Vampire Survivors' success. Luca clarified that exploration will not be “a too heavy component” of Vampire Crawlers. Instead, the dungeon layout is intended to add structure and provide “interesting choices about what to do in between fights”, offering more dynamic decisions than simple menu navigation.
KitGuru says: Did you try the original Vampire Survivors? Will you be trying Vampire Crawlers when it gets out?
The post Vampire Survivors studio reveals spin-off Vampire Crawlers first appeared on KitGuru.Back at the start of 2025, Epic Games released their annual year-in-review, revealing a ton of stats from the past 12 months, including the fact that the storefront was nearing a total user base of 300 million. In looking forwards towards the future, Epic confirmed that game gifting would be coming to the platform at some point. The future is now finally here, with Epic announcing that “Gifting is live on the Epic Games Store.”
Making the official announcement on their blog, the Epic Games Store team finally unveiled this long-awaited feature, writing:
“Gifting is live on the Epic Games Store. Players can now purchase and send games directly to friends on their Epic friends list, making it easier to celebrate special occasions, share favorite titles, or just surprise a friend with a new game.”
As with many Epic Games Store transactions, gifting a friend with a game will net you Epic Rewards which can then be further used for gifting (or whatever else you wish to use them for).
Going into specifics, Epic explained that “recipients have 14 days to accept the gift. If they already own the game, the gift cannot be accepted, and the purchase is refunded. Gifts can also be rejected, in which case the sender will receive a refund.”
Finally, Epic made sure to note that not everything on its store can be gifted, with free games; pre-purchase offers; subscriptions; and in-game currency or other consumable items being ineligible.
Of course, gifting has been available on other PC storefronts/launchers for years now, and so this addition is nothing new. That said, it is encouraging nonetheless to see the feature finally available on the Epic Games Store.
KitGuru says: What do you think of the Epic Games Store in 2025? Is it a robust enough platform at this point? What other missing features would you like to see introduced next? Let us know down below.
The post You can finally send gifts to friends through the Epic Games Store first appeared on KitGuru.
Dragon’s Dogma is one of Capcom’s more interesting franchises. While the first game failed to set the world on fire due to a variety of reasons, it managed to achieve cult-hit status in the years following – eventually leading to the surprise announcement and release of a sequel last year. Though the game suffered from a similar number of issues, Dragon’s Dogma 2 has continued to find new audiences, with the game having now officially sold over 4 million copies.
Making the announcement on Twitter, the official Dragon’s Dogma team wrote: “Thank you to the 4 million Arisen around the world! We’re grateful to share the immersive fantasy world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 with you all, where freedom and adventure await.”
While this represents just over half of the total sales witnessed with the first entry in the series (7.9 million), the original Dragon’s Dogma launched all the way back in 2012 compared to DD2’s arrival back in March of 2024.
For some further context, Dragon’s Dogma 2 was confirmed to have surpassed 2.5 million copies back in early April of last year – less than two weeks after the game’s official launch.
Of course, as mentioned, the game was far from perfect, with players noting a plethora of both visual and performance issues at launch, leading to an overall ‘mixed’ rating on Steam.
Despite this, it appears as though the unique series has continued to find an audience. Whether it will manage to surpass the first game’s total sales, we will have to wait and see, but so far Dragon’s Dogma 2 seems to be on a solid sales trajectory.
KitGuru says: What do you think of Dragon’s Dogma 2? Are the various issues a dealbreaker to you? Will we ever get a Dragon’s Dogma 3? Let us know your thoughts down below.
The post Dragon’s Dogma 2 has officially sold 4 million copies first appeared on KitGuru.The ‘Tales' franchise is a long-running though oft-forgotten series of JRPGs which started its life all the way back in 1995. In the 30 years since, we’ve seen well over a dozen titles released across a plethora of platforms. While the last mainline entry ‘Tales of Arise’ launched back in 2021, publisher Bandai Namco has kept the series alive with a bunch of remasters; the latest of which will see 2016’s Tales of Berseria come to modern platforms – including Xbox and Switch for the first time.
Releasing a surprise announcement trailer, Bandai Namco officially unveiled Tales of Berseria Remastered. Set to launch on the 27th of February 2026 for the PlayStation 5; PC and for the first time the Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch, the remaster includes the base game alongside its MANY different cosmetic DLCs (aside from some select licensed items).
Beyond this, not much was shared regarding enhancements, with the only confirmed improvements being the addition of “new quality-of-life updates including destination icon, the ability to toggle encounters, early grade shop access, and more!”
Interestingly, it appears as though Berseria Remastered has been developed with the OG Switch in mind – at least when it comes to Nintendo consoles – with Bandai noting that “we are currently testing compatibility of the Nintendo Switch 2.”
While the Tales of series may feel daunting due to the sheer number of entries, a majority of the titles are able to be played and understood as standalone experiences, and so if you have not tried Tales of Berseria, this upcoming remaster presents a great opportunity to do so.
Tales of Berseria Remastered arrives on the 27th of February 2026 for the relatively low price of £34.99.
KitGuru says: What do you think of the Tales of series? Which entry is your favourite? What other enhancements do you hope to see included with this remaster? Let us know down below.
The post Tales of Berseria Remastered announced for PS5, PC, Series X|S and Switch first appeared on KitGuru.
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