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Lynx-R2 Has 126° Field Of View & 3K Passthrough

Lynx-R2, coming "this summer", is set to have the widest field of view and highest passthrough resolution of any standalone headset to date.

French startup Lynx repeatedly failed to meet its deadlines for its R1 headset, which it Kickstarted, and while originally envisioned as a $500 competitor to Meta Quest headsets, the price for new orders rose to $850 and then $1300 as the company pivoted to primarily targeting businesses.

Lynx’s New Headset Won’t Run Android XR, But Will Have Widest Standalone FOV
Lynx says its new headset won’t run Android XR, as Google “terminated” its agreement, but will have by far the widest field of view of any standalone.
UploadVRDavid Heaney

Now, Lynx has revealed the key specifications of its next headset, which it first teased in October.

At the time, Lynx founder Stan Larroque told UploadVR that his company has "learned so much with the R1", and will not do a crowdfunding campaign. A month later, Lynx revealed that Google had "terminated" its agreement to use Android XR, such that it will instead run LynxOS, the company's own open-source Android fork.

Lynx-R2

Similar to Quest 3 and Pico 4 Ultra, Lynx-R2 is a fully standalone headset powered by Qualcomm's XR2 Gen 2 chipset and 16GB RAM, with two color passthrough cameras, four tracking cameras, as well as a depth sensor and IR illuminators.

It has an open periphery design, like Samsung Galaxy XR, with the ability to flip the visor up at any time.

What distinguishes Lynx-R2 from these other standalone headsets is its aspheric pancake lenses, developed in partnership with Israeli startup Hypervision. According to Lynx, R2 achieves a field of view of 126° horizontal and 103° vertical. That would make it one of the widest field of view VR headsets to ship as a product anyone can buy, and by far the widest standalone of any kind.

These remarkable lenses are paired with 2312×2160 LCD displays. And Lynx says it's getting the displays for just $30 each, because its development was paid for by Meta, which according to Lynx, planned to use them in the canceled 2026 Quest 4 candidate.

To achieve a reasonable passthrough image quality over the wide field of view, Lynx is using 3K×3K color cameras, advanced Sony IMX616 sensors capturing 9 megapixels per eye at a 90Hz rate, higher than Apple Vision Pro.

Lynx claims an end-to-end latency of between 12 and 20 milliseconds, compared to the 12 milliseconds of Apple Vision Pro.

Further, Lynx says R2 has the slimmest "black line" between passthrough and natural peripheral vision of any passthrough headset, obstructing just 6% of the total field of view of the wearer. This black line is slimmer than even typical smart glasses, the startup claims, and it shared a short through-the-lens video captured by a GoPro with a wide-angle lens.

0:00
/1:59

Through-the-lens shot of Lynx-R2, shot with a wide-angle GoPro.

Meanwhile, the four tracking cameras on the corners of the front enable positional, hand, and controller tracking, while the 0.5 megapixel depth sensor enables 3D room scanning and spatial anchors.

According to the company, Lynx-R2 is designed to be open, modular, and repairable. LynxOS, its Android fork, is open source, and the headset has an open bootloader. Buyers will have raw unrestricted access to the sensors via APIs. Lynx says it will publish IO schematics for developers who want to add additional sensors. And R2 is built with screws instead of glue, with the company planning to sell spare parts like batteries, mainboards, and camera modules to customers.

Lynx
R2
Meta
Quest 3
Samsung
Galaxy XR
Displays 2312×2160
LCD
2064×2208
LCD
3552×3840
micro-OLED
Refresh
Rates
90Hz 60-120Hz
(90Hz Home)
(72 App Default)
60-90Hz
(72Hz Default)
Stated
FOV
126°H × 103°V 110°H × 96°V 109°H × 100°V
Platform LynxOS
(Lynx)
Horizon OS
(Meta)
Android XR
(Google)
Chipset Qualcomm
Snapdragon
XR2 Gen 2
Qualcomm
Snapdragon
XR2 Gen 2
Qualcomm
Snapdragon
XR2+ Gen 2
RAM 16GB 8GB 16GB
Strap Rigid Plastic
(Flip-Up)
Soft
(Modular)
Rigid Plastic
(Fixed)
Face Pad Forehead
(Open)
Upper Face
(Enclosed)
Forehead
(Open)
Battery Rear
Pad
Internal Tethered
External
Hand
Tracking
Eye
Tracking
Face
Tracking
Torso & Arm
Tracking
Passthrough 9MP 4MP 6.5MP
IR
Illuminators
Active
Depth Sensor
iToF dToF
Price TBA $500
(512GB)
$1800
(256GB)

Lynx-R2 is set to arrive "this summer", priced somewhere between Meta Quest 3 and Samsung Galaxy XR. Unlike with R1, Lynx will not be doing preorders this time. According to Larroque, when it's available to buy, it will be ready to ship immediately.

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Millions At Risk As Attackers Exploit This Alarming WinRAR Security Flaw

Millions At Risk As Attackers Exploit This Alarming WinRAR Security Flaw Remember the WinRAR path handling exploit we reported on back in August? According to Google, that same flaw, officially dubbed CVE-2025-8088, is still being actively exploited, even though versions of WinRAR newer than v7.12 have been patched. Google's recent blog post on the exploit activity provides a timeline of exploits across six different
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AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D Review: The Best Gaming CPU, Boosted

AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D Review: The Best Gaming CPU, Boosted AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D: $499 MSRP The new AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a clone of the existing 8-core Ryzen 7 9800X3D, but with higher clocks to boost performance and solidify its gaming leadership.   Leading Gaming Performance Power Efficient Doesn't Require Massive Cooling Adequate General Performance For Most Users Small (Additional) Price...
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Intel Reportedly Wins Slice Of NVIDIA's 2028 GPU Chip Packaging In Strategy Shift

Intel Reportedly Wins Slice Of NVIDIA's 2028 GPU Chip Packaging In Strategy Shift Intel may take on a limited role in manufacturing and packaging NVIDIA's next-next-generation GPUs, according to a report from DigiTimes Asia. Citing supply chain sources, DigiTimes reports that NVIDIA plans to partially involve Intel in production of its post-Rubin "Feynman" GPU architecture, expected in late 2028. Under the reported arrangement,
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Valve Faces Massive $904M Lawsuit Alleging Excessive Steam Commissions

Valve Faces Massive $904M Lawsuit Alleging Excessive Steam Commissions Valve is being subjected to yet another multi-million dollar lawsuit, this time stemming from the UK and totaling £656 million British pounds, or roughly ~$904 million USD at current exchange rates. The lawsuit from children's welfare advocate Vicki Shotbolt alleges that Valve is preventing publishers from selling games earlier or at a lower
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Razer Synapse Web Arrives As A No‑Install Alternative To Tune Gaming Devices

Razer Synapse Web Arrives As A No‑Install Alternative To Tune Gaming Devices The rise of RGB lighting on the PC led to an increase in the amount of proprietary software from numerous manufacturers to control said lighting. Unfortunately, this software has varied in quality, which makes many DIYers hesitant to install it. Razer, however, is looking to shake things up by providing a different control method. The company
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MSI’s Core Ultra Series 3 powered Prestige laptops launch starting at $1,299

At CES earlier this month, MSI revealed its newly overhauled Prestige laptop line. Now just a few weeks later, the MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ and its larger Prestige 16 variants are all available in the US.

The updated lineup adopts a slimmer profile, down to 0.47 inches at its thinnest. Despite the reduced thickness, the Prestige laptops remain just as durable. All models include modern security features such as a discrete TPM 2.0 module, fingerprint reader, IR webcam with shutter, and MSI’s Smart Guard protection.

Depending on the model, the new Prestige laptops can be configured all the way up to a brand-new Intel Core Ultra 9 388H processor. This gives plenty of performance for AI applications, alongside improved integrated Arc graphics. Efficiency gains also have an impact on battery life, with these laptops rated for over 30 hours of continuous HD video playback on a charge. Underneath the hood, cooling is handled by a vapor chamber and a dual-fan system, keeping noise levels low and thermals in check.

To match the Prestige name, these laptops ship with very high-spec displays. The Prestige 14 Flip AI+ features a 14‑inch FHD+ OLED touchscreen with 100% DCI‑P3 coverage and SGS low‑blue‑light certification. The 16‑inch models step up to 2.8K OLED panels with up to a 120Hz refresh rate, DisplayHDR True Black 1000 certification, and optional touch support. Ambient light and adaptive color sensors are included to maintain consistent image quality in different lighting conditions.

For users who prefer flexible workflows, the Prestige Flip variants offer 2‑in‑1 convertibility with stylus support. All models include a Copilot key, Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, DTS‑enhanced audio with dual speakers and dual woofers, and a full suite of ports, including dual Thunderbolt 4, USB‑A, HDMI 2.1 and an audio combo jack.

The MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+, the Prestige 16 AI+ and the Prestige 16 Flip AI+ are all available in the US now, with prices starting at $1,299. EU availability is expected in the coming months.

KitGuru Says: Are you planning on getting a new laptop for 2026?

The post MSI’s Core Ultra Series 3 powered Prestige laptops launch starting at $1,299 first appeared on KitGuru.
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Razer introduces Synapse Web beta to customise peripherals via browser

Razer has launched the beta version of Razer Synapse Web, a lightweight web application that lets users customise their Razer peripherals in Chromium-based browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Opera. This new platform eliminates the need for full software installation, making it a handy tool for esports tournaments, LAN environments, or shared systems where administrative locks prevent traditional software setup.

The web app focuses on speed and essential features. Users can adjust Chroma RGB Quick Effects, refine key settings, and manage onboard profiles directly within the browser interface. At launch, only the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro line will be supported, but we can expect more peripherals in the future.

While Synapse 4 remains the primary hub for deep integration and multi-device synchronisation, Synapse Web serves as a high-performance alternative for rapid adjustments in competitive scenarios. This “web-native” approach ensures that a gamer's specific performance tuning is always just a URL away, regardless of the PC they are using.

KitGuru says: For any user who jumps from system to system, being able to tweak their peripherals on the go is quite handy. However, most users will probably be glad that with Synapse Web, they won't need to install any software to customise their peripherals.

The post Razer introduces Synapse Web beta to customise peripherals via browser first appeared on KitGuru.
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Analyst predicts PlayStation 6 delay and ‘extended lifecycle’ for PS5

While Sony has yet to make any official announcements regarding the PlayStation 6 console, there have been some hints along the way. For instance, PlayStation hardware lead, Mark Cerny, has discussed continuing to work with AMD on new technology for a future console. For the past couple of years, many have been anticipating a 2028 launch date for next-generation consoles, but one analyst is now predicting a longer timetable.

As spotted by VGC, an MST Financial analyst recently claimed in a forecast for Sony that the PlayStation 5 lifecycle is going to be extended, and that the successor won't be released by 2028 as previously anticipated.

PlayStation 5 UK

There are a number of good reasons for a PlayStation 6 delay right now. For starters, Sony has yet to convert a good number of PS4 users over to the new system. On top of that, the recent AI boom has led to massive price increases for things like memory and SSDs, which could make building a new console a much more expensive endeavour than initially planned over the next couple of years. Many consumers are expected to hold on to current-generation or older hardware while prices are in flux.

There are still a number of big generation-defining games also still to be released. Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to lead to the sale of many PS5 consoles towards the end of this year. Premier first party studios like Naughty Dog have also yet to release a brand-new title during the PS5 generation and many other studios also have new games in the oven, specifically targeting the PS5.

If the forecast is accurate, then the PS6 may not arrive until 2029 or later. However, it is worth noting that this is just one analyst's opinion, and the tech space tends to move at a rapid pace. Sony itself has not yet made any statements around its next-gen hardware plans.

KitGuru Says: Rumour has it that the PlayStation 6 will see Sony tapping back into the portable market. As for when we'll see it, that is still up for debate.

The post Analyst predicts PlayStation 6 delay and ‘extended lifecycle’ for PS5 first appeared on KitGuru.
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Kingston IronKey KP200 achieves FIPS 140‑3 Level 3 certificatio

This week, Kingston announced that its IronKey Keypad 200 USB drives, including the KP200 and KP200C, have achieved NIST FIPS 140‑3 Level 3 validation. The certification places the KP200 line alongside the already‑approved IronKey D500S, strengthening Kingston’s position in supplying independently verified, tamper‑resistant data storage.

FIPS 140‑3 Level 3 is the latest U.S. government cryptographic hardware standard and is widely recognised across Europe as a benchmark for security. Level 3 requires physical tamper resistance, identity‑based authentication, protected key handling, separation of critical interfaces, and safeguards against abnormal voltage or temperature conditions. Certification is granted following testing by NIST‑accredited labs and a final review by NIST.

The KP200 series are keypad‑based drives compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, and mobile devices via USB‑A or USB‑C. They are designed for environments where encrypted removable media is required to load or transfer software on medical, industrial, scientific, and other OT systems. NIST’s new SP 1334 guidance also highlights the need for stronger USB security in OT infrastructure.

The KP200 series includes dual Admin/User PINs, optional Global and Session Read‑Only modes to prevent unauthorised changes or malware exposure, and IP68 dust‑ and water‑resistance. The USB drives are available with up to 512GB of storage and come with a three-year warranty.

KitGuru Says: The number of cyber attacks carried out has grown each year, so data security is always important, especially when working in sensitive fields.

The post Kingston IronKey KP200 achieves FIPS 140‑3 Level 3 certificatio first appeared on KitGuru.
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Grounded 2 gets first major content update

Obsidian has been slowly working away on Grounded 2 in early access since its reveal last year. This month, the game is getting its first major update, titled ‘The Toxic Tangle', adding a new biome to explore, alongside new enemies and even a new gun-toting mount.

First up is the new Garden biome, which transforms the greenhouse into a dense, vertical maze of vines, crawlspaces, and hidden stashes. Players will encounter everything from pumpkin patches to carrot thickets, alongside aggressive wildlife and plenty of resources to overcome new hazards.

Players will also be able to use a giant ladybug as a tank-style mount, complete with its own water cannon for clearing out pests. Speaking of pests, players will encounter new enemy types, including earwigs, potato beetles, wooly aphid and even a giant snake for a late-game challenge. The Masked Stranger also makes a return, hinting at new mysteries still to come.

Mutations have been reworked into active and passive types, with passives now tied to weapon loadouts for smoother combat flow. Builders gain expanded options with new sets such as the Pumpkin Kit, updated Mushroom Kit, Scale Roof Set, improved Acorn Stairs, and long‑requested floor hatches.

Looking ahead, Playgrounds Mode returns in February via the Public Test Beta, bringing back creation tools from the first Grounded.

KitGuru Says: Did many of you play the original Grounded? Have you jumped into Grounded 2 yet or are you waiting for it to get closer to V1.0?

The post Grounded 2 gets first major content update first appeared on KitGuru.
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Intel rolls out XeSS 3 with Multi-Frame Generation in new drivers

Intel has officially entered the next era of AI upscaling with the release of XeSS 3, featuring Multi-Frame Generation (MFG) technology. Integrated into the latest graphics driver (versions 32.0.101.8425 and 32.0.101.8362), XeSS 3 supports 2x, 3x, and 4x frame multiplication, similar to Nvidia's DLSS 4. One of the most significant advantages of this rollout is backward compatibility. Users can enable Frame Generation in any XeSS 2 supported game through the Intel Graphics control panel. 

The driver update also marks the launch of Intel's new integrated graphics solutions, the Arc B390 and B370, which power the Core Ultra 3 (Panther Lake) mobile CPU family. XeSS 3 is designed to run on any Arc hardware equipped with XMX units, covering the original A-series, the new B-series discrete cards, and integrated solutions across the Meteor Lake, Lunar Lake, and Arrow Lake families. Early hands-on testing suggests that while image quality is high with minimal artefacts, users may experience higher input lag in fast-paced titles, a common hurdle for frame generation technologies that Intel is working to mitigate.

Beyond the new features, the driver also introduces critical stability fixes, including a resolution for crashes in the Pragmata demo and a fix for incorrect Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) reporting in the display settings. Moreover, Intel has acknowledged several known issues under investigation, including application crashes in games such as Star Citizen, The Finals, and Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. Users experiencing these issues are encouraged to report them through the Intel Arc Control feedback tool. The full patch notes can be found below:

Highlights:

  • Launch driver for Intel Core Ultra Series 3 with built-in Intel Arc B390, B370 GPUs (Codename Panther Lake).
    • Intel XeSS 3 Support: Introducing Multi-Frame Generation
      • XeSS Multi-Frame Generation builds upon XeSS Frame Generation by inserting up to 3 generated frames between two rendered frames, going from a 1:1 ratio to 3:1 for an ultra-smooth gameplay experience.

Fixed Issues:

  • Intel Arc B-Series Graphics Products
    • PRAGMATA SKETCHBOOK Demo (DX12) may experience an application crash while launching the game.
  • Intel Core Ultra Series 2 with built-in Intel Arc GPUs
    • PRAGMATA SKETCHBOOK Demo (DX12) may experience an application crash while launching the game.
  • Intel Graphics Software Fixed Issues
    • Variable Refresh Rate range in Display page may show incorrect values.

Known Issues:

  • Intel Core Ultra Series 3 with built-in Intel Arc GPUs
    • Ghost of Tsushima (DX12) may exhibit color corruption on terrains during gameplay.
    • The Finals (DX12) may experience an intermittent application crash.
    • No Man's Sky (Vulkan) may exhibit corruptions on certain terrains during gameplay.
    • Star Citizen (Vulkan) may experience an application crash on game launch.
    • Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord (DX11) may experience an application crash during game launch.
  • Intel Arc B-Series Graphics Products
    • Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (DX12) may exhibit intermittent corruptions on certain water surfaces during gameplay.
    • Star Citizen (Vulkan) may experience an application crash on game launch.
    • PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve Studio may experience an intermittent application crash while running the benchmark.
    • Recommendation: change the timeout slider to 1500 seconds or higher in PugetBench benchmark settings to wait for each test to complete.
  • Intel Arc A-Series Graphics Products
    • PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve Studio may experience an intermittent application crash while running the benchmark.
    • Recommendation: change the timeout slider to 1500 seconds or higher in PugetBench benchmark settings to wait for each test to complete.
  • Intel Core Ultra Series 1 with built-in Intel Arc GPUs
    • Battlefield 6 (DX12) may exhibit intermittent corruptions on certain maps during gameplay.
    • Intel Core Ultra Series 2 with built-in Intel Arc GPUs
    • Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (DX12) may exhibit intermittent corruptions on certain water surfaces during gameplay.
    • Battlefield 6 (DX12) may exhibit intermittent corruptions on certain maps during gameplay on some notebooks with Intel Core Ultra Series 2 with built-in Intel Arc GPUs.
    • No Man's Sky (Vulkan) may exhibit corruptions on certain terrains during gameplay.
    • Topaz Video AI may experience visual artifacts when using certain AI models.
  • Intel Graphics Software Known Issues
    • When using the Settings > Preferences > Reset all settings option in Windows 10, the application may experience an intermittent crash. Settings can be reset from individual pages without issue.
    • Intel Graphics Software may sometimes experience a single application crash on the first re-arrange of metrics within the Select metrics window. Subsequent usage will not be affected by this crash again.
    • Combined Display may intermittently not function as expected while combining displays or resetting settings.

KitGuru says: Intel may have taken a while to launch its own MFG tech, but now that it's finally here, gamers playing games on Arc graphics can easily get an FPS boost in a bunch of games.

The post Intel rolls out XeSS 3 with Multi-Frame Generation in new drivers first appeared on KitGuru.
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Google Accidentally Leaks Secret Android Desktop OS User Interface

Google Accidentally Leaks Secret Android Desktop OS User Interface Google just might've (inadvertently) revealed the first look at its ambitious Android for PC project, bringing the long-awaited unification of ChromeOS and Android to desktop closer to reality. The leak (as spotted by our friends at 9to5Google) originated from a bug report on the Chromium Issue Tracker, which contained two screen recordings
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Genesis Reveals X Skorpio Concept With 1,100-HP V8 For Rugged Desert Performance

Genesis Reveals X Skorpio Concept With 1,100-HP V8 For Rugged Desert Performance Genesis has unleashed a guttural, 1,100-horsepower roar across the dunes of the Arabian Peninsula. Could the radical X Scorpio concept off-roader be a hint of the brand's upcoming Dakar or WEC aspirations? As you can see, the Genesis X Scorpio concept is a departure from the brand’s typical luxury offerings. Debuting in the Rub' al Khali,
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Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold Launches In The US Soon For $2900, Are You In?

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold Launches In The US Soon For $2900, Are You In? Samsung is set to make a splash in the U.S. market with release of its Galaxy Z TriFold on Friday, January 30, 2026. How big of a splash are we talking about? A sizable one, like a cannonball from a high-rise diving board, and that's regardless of whether you're talking about its ginormous display that folds out twice into a tablet-like form
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NASA Says AI Found Hundreds Of Hidden Galaxies And Cosmic Oddities In Hubble Data

NASA Says AI Found Hundreds Of Hidden Galaxies And Cosmic Oddities In Hubble Data Deep in the digital bedrock of 35 years of Hubble observation archives, a new AI tool has uncovered more than 800 previously undocumented cosmic anomalies in a scant two and a half days.  Using a sophisticated neural network called AnomalyMatch, astronomers have unearthed nearly 1,400 bizarre astronomical objects hidden within the Hubble
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SK Hynix Spins Off Solidigm To Form A $10 Billion AI Company In The US

SK Hynix Spins Off Solidigm To Form A $10 Billion AI Company In The US SK hynix is making a major investment on U.S. soil with the formation of an AI solutions firm that it is tentatively calling AI Company (or AI Co.). Most of the finer grain details are light at the moment, though from a high-level overview, the South Korean memory chip maker says its new firm will be focused on finding "new AI growth engines." As
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China Shifts Stance On NVIDIA H200 Chip Imports During CEO's Visit

China Shifts Stance On NVIDIA H200 Chip Imports During CEO's Visit At long last, Beijing has given several domestic tech giants its stamp of approval to buy H200 chips based on NVIDIA's Hopper architecture, with the green light coming while NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang was visiting China, Reuters reports. Sources who are purportedly familiar with the matter told the outlet that ByteDance, the owner of TikTok,
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AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D Review - The Best Just Got Better

The AMD Ryzen 9850X3D builds on the already excellent 9800X3D without trying to shake up the market. Instead, it focuses on refining what already works. AMD delivers modest improvements with smarter tuning, and the same cache magic that gamers love. Thanks to a reasonable price increase, this processor will be a no-brainer pick for future high-end gaming rigs.

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AMD Ryzen 9850X3D in workstation test against the Ryzen 7 9800X3D – The cache as a real game changer

Today’s test of the Ryzen 7 9850X3D deliberately focuses on several aspects that go beyond a mere snapshot of gaming performance and examine the processor in a broader technical context. The focus is on productive and workstation-related loads as well as the influence of different memory configurations in order to classify the interaction between architecture, […]

Source

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AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D Review

AMD has launched an update to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D (aka The Best Gaming CPU) and named it the Ryzen 7 9850X3D because it is ever so slightly faster. Frankly it's a rubbish name but there are some points we need to discuss so buckle up and prepare yourself for many charts and loads of data.

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:49 Specifications
01:35 Hardware
03:12 A quick look at behaviour
04:39 Multi Core Performance
05:23 Ryzen Master Software / Curve Optimiser
06:31 Efficiency / Per watt points
07:22 Geekbench 6 Multi Core
08:04 Geekbench 6 Single Core
08:33 Aida 64 Memory Bandwidth
08:59 Far Cry 6
10:07 Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
10:44 Assassins Creed Mirage
11:19 Cyberpunk 2077
11:58 Total War Pharaoh
12:36 Leo’s verdict

Testing and Performance

Test systems

CPUs: AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, 9800X3D and 7800X3D
Motherboard: ASRock X870E Taichi
Memory: 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Royal Neo RGB DDR5-8000

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
Motherboard: MSI MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi
Memory: 48GB G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-8200

Graphics Card: MSI RTX 4090 Ventus 3X 24GB
CPU cooler: Phanteks Glacier One 360D30
SSD: 1TB Crucial T700
Power Supply: Seasonic Focus ATX3.1 GX-1000 Gold

Geekbench 6 Single Core

In Geekbench 6 Single Core we see the benefit of the improved boost speed with Ryzen 7 9850X3D leaping to the top of the chart.

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

You will have seen in our video that we showed a great many charts and this chart is a focussed view of the larger Geekbench 6 chart. We can see the 9850X3D has a significant lead over 9800X3D and that is enhanced when we bring Ryzen Master Curve Optimiser into the equation.

Far Cry 6 at 1080p

Far Cry 6 at 1080p demonstrates the impressive nature of AMD's 3D V-Cache technology in gaming, and the way it improves with each new generation of processors.

Closing Thoughts

When AMD announced the Ryzen 7 9850X3D we felt the increase to Maximum Boost Speed was a minor tweak for the amazing Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

Now we have dug into the CPU in some depth we feel there is slightly more to the story than we first expected. Clearly AMD has improved the silicon in 9850X3D compared to 9800X3D, but where we assumed this was merely a better CPU chiplet we now feel the IO die has also been improved.

Our takeaway with Ryzen 7 9850X3D is that this is an interesting update to the 9800X3D that lays the groundwork for the rumoured Ryzen 9 9950X3D2. That should be the ultimate Zen 5 CPU for the desktop and will be AMD's best chance to fight off Intel Nova Lake at the end of 2026. You might think that 2026 is looking to be a grim year but it will certainly have its points of interest.

AMD told us the official MSRP is £439.99, though we expect retail pricing to be closer to £469.99 inc VAT based on conversations with UK retailers.

Pros:

  • Superb gaming performance.
  • Compatible with AM5 motherboards and coolers.
  • Low power draw, easy to cool.

Cons:

  • Ryzen 7 9850X3D only offers an incremental improvement over 9800X3D.
  • Our guess is that AMD will use 9850X3D to jack up prices.
  • £70 premium over 9800X3D.

KitGuru says: The Ryzen 7 9850X3D boosts frame rates in your favourite games.

 

The post AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D Review first appeared on KitGuru.
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Xbox overhauls cloud gaming interface with refreshed design

Microsoft has begun testing a refreshed web experience for Xbox Cloud Gaming, designed to streamline navigation and look closer to the Xbox console dashboard. Xbox Cloud Gaming users can already opt in to the new interface, although there could be lingering issues in the early build. 

Players can access the preview by visiting xbox.com/play in a compatible browser, signing in, and enabling the “Preview Features” toggle in the settings menu. Once enabled, users can either follow the on-screen prompts or navigate directly to the new site (it may take up to 10 minutes for the prompts and links to appear).

Microsoft notes that, as this is a foundation-building phase, some features may behave differently or be temporarily unavailable as they iterate based on feedback. Users are encouraged to report bugs via the profile menu or the Xbox Web Guide to help refine the platform during the testing period.

KitGuru says: Do you use Xbox Cloud Gaming? Have you already tried the new interface? Do you prefer the new UI over the old one?

The post Xbox overhauls cloud gaming interface with refreshed design first appeared on KitGuru.
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Insider claims Expedition 33 and Metaphor: ReFantazio will come to Switch 2 this year

Just as has been the case with many previous Nintendo consoles, the Switch 2 is slowly but surely receiving a backcatalogue of titles from 3rd party publishers. While better late than never, one insider has claimed that 2025’s Game of the Year winner Expedition 33 will land on the Switch 2 at some point this year – with Final Fantasy XVI reportedly coming in 2027.

As reported by known industry insider Nate the Hate via their podcast of the same name, the Nintendo Switch 2 is seemingly set to slowly-but-surely continue getting a number of major 3rd-party releases from the past few years.

According to Nate, 2025’s GOTY winner Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 “will be coming to Switch 2 in 2026”. Given that the game utilises Epic’s rather demanding Unreal Engine 5, it will be interesting to see how the game looks/performs on the handheld-hybrid.

Switch 2 Expedition

Going back to 2024 meanwhile, ATLUS’ JRPG Metaphor: ReFantazio is said to also be coming to the Switch 2 some time this year. This comes as little surprise however, with ATLUS / SEGA having supported both the Switch (and now Switch 2) quite strongly over the years.

Last but not least, going another year back, 2023’s Final Fantasy XVI is said to be also coming to Switch 2. Unlike Metaphor and Clair Obscur however, the ex-PS5 exclusive is apparently not set to arrive until 2027 (though an official announcement is expected some time this year).

Given that all three of these titles are from years prior, it will be interesting to see how the games look; perform and most importantly cost when they are finally officially announced and released.

KitGuru says: Will Nintendo ever reach parity with other systems? Are you bothered by the fact that 3rd party titles usually come out later? Let us know down below.

The post Insider claims Expedition 33 and Metaphor: ReFantazio will come to Switch 2 this year first appeared on KitGuru.
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Monster Hunter Wilds finally surpasses 11 million sales, 9 months after hitting 10 million

Following years of hype and anticipation, Monster Hunter Wilds finally arrived last year to an explosive launch, selling over 10 million copies within its first month on the market. Since then however, the game’s adoption has slowed to an absolute crawl, with Wilds taking an additional 9 months to go from the 10 million mark to 11 million.

As part of the company’s latest fiscal earnings report, Capcom released updated sales data for many of its titles and franchises. Alongside confirmation that 2019’s Devil May Cry 5 has surpassed 11 million copies sold, the publisher revealed that Monster Hunter Wilds sales have fallen off a cliff.

As mentioned, Wilds managed to shift a massive 10 million units within its first month on the market. Unfortunately, the game suffered from plenty of performance issues – particularly on PC – leading to an influx of negative reviews.

Monster hunter Million

While the game has gotten some performance patches in recent months, it seems Monster Hunter Wilds will not manage to have the same legs as its past two entries. Thanks to the latest reports, we now know that Wilds has officially sold a total of 11.09 million copies as of the 31st of December; meaning it sold just 1 million more units over the past 9 months (fewer copies than MH: Rise managed in the same period).

All that being said, it is possible that Wilds could have a resurgence come the inevitable release of its post-launch expansion(s). We will have to wait and see.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Monster Hunter Wilds in 2026? Is it worth playing? Will the game ever be able to fully recover from its launch woes? Let us know down below.

The post Monster Hunter Wilds finally surpasses 11 million sales, 9 months after hitting 10 million first appeared on KitGuru.
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