Another day, another update on the RAM crisis—and now, insider statements made to Bloomberg point toward both a PlayStation 6 delay and a Nintendo Switch 2 price hike, in response to current industry supply/demand conditions. For PlayStation 6, its delay could be pushed "to 2028 or even 2029," and the Nintendo Switch 2 price hike could kick 
Over on X/Twitter, the developers of the cross-platform PlayStation 3 emulator RPCS3 have touted a key compatibility milestone, with 98% of PS3 titles playable on the emulator in some form and an impressive 73% playable to completion. Of the remaining 62 games (1.74%) that aren't playable—games that simply crash before entering gameplay—46 
A public radio mainstay is taking on Big Tech over a voice he says sounds a little too familiar. David Greene, the longtime host of NPR's Morning Edition and current co-host of political talk show Left, Right & Center, has filed a lawsuit alleging that Google's AI podcast feature in NotebookLM cloned or closely replicated his voice without 
Gamers have had a tough time lately, as prices have continued to creep up on hardware and software alike. That just means that when a sale comes around, you have to strike while the iron is hot! Luckily, President’s Day is bringing some nice discounts for those who are in Nintendo’s ecosystem. Here are some of the best deals we found on the Now available in its 1.0 version, The Pirate: Republic of Nassau is greater than the sum of its parts, offering a myriad of options to fulfill the pirate fantasy.
In July 2025, I wrote an impressions piece of The Pirate: Republic of Nassau for UploadVR. Initially impressed with what was on offer, the potential for more content, including melee combat and multiplayer, led me to believe it had a promising future. Having just debuted its 1.0 version, I returned to this pirate fantasy in hopes of seeing if my prediction was correct. Better than the sum of its parts, I can confidently say it was.
To not repeat myself, I will briefly touch upon what I expounded on in my initial thoughts and focus on what is brand new. The Pirate: Republic of Nassau is light on narrative, instead opting to give players a slew of activities to fund your newly founded pirate republic on Nassau during the golden age of piracy. Equipped with nothing more than a sloop and a skeleton crew, the sole objective is to grow your empire by recruiting historical pirates such as Blackbeard and Anne Bonny by defeating them in naval battle first.
Your initial vessel being rather unfit against these legends, the only sensible choice is to improve your ship with hard-earned gold. Nassau itself will generate money as you build the town, but in the modest beginning, doing lowly work is the way to go. Looting crates from fallen ships, treasure diving, and clashing at sea against rival ships, among the novel options, is the only path forward. With your work cut out for you, it is effortless for time to slip by once you get a hold of the game's mechanics.
Not many changes in this 1.0 version positively impact the moment-to-moment gameplay, but improvements do exist. In the Early Access version, you could only fast travel from one port to another from the map in your cabin. This removed any wonder because the only way to discover new ports was by paying either the Merchant's Guild or at the tavern to hear rumors from far-off places. Now, there is an option to visually move your small ship through the map and discover uncharted territories in the process. New ports in the Caribbean mean new vendors, merchants, and quests, and finding out about them in no particular order instills a sense of free will when playing.
The clearest improvement over the initial release is the crisper visuals, especially inside the cabin. Whereas it formerly looked blurry and unfocused, now the cabin looks pristine in comparison. As the place where players strategize and choose where to embark upon next, it’s a logical rework. Other areas, such as the ship’s deck, nearby islands when sailing, and the new explorable areas on foot, still show muddy textures.
A handy spyglass lying on your right-hand side when aboard the ship goes further into feeling like a captain. Having to close one eye when looking at an enemy ship at a distance evokes Jack Sparrow's films. Amidst all the quality-of-life changes, the highlight is the time boost, bar none. The ability to sail faster is a game changer. When the wind was against the sails before this helpful mechanic, the vessel would grind to a halt. Now, turning on fast forward with the click of a button speeds things up when needing to sail to a lighthouse or catch crates of sugar or in naval battle, significantly improving the experience.
A game like The Pirate: Republic of Nassau should be judged by its full package, not each element individually. That is why sea shanties seem like an inconspicuous addition that would fade into the background if the tunes were not as catchy as they are. Developer Home Net Games is no stranger to pirate-themed games, with The Pirate: Caribbean Hunt dating back ten years. This experience is evidenced in the musical choices. Wildly fun rhymes of tall tales sung by gravelly voices sound right at home by ringing a bell on your ship's deck or when visiting taverns.
One of my most eagerly anticipated features, cave exploration, added damp, pitch-black areas hidden deep within some islands. Accessible through hearing rumors in taverns, this is a refreshing change-up to standing in your ship all the time, as no ports can be explored on foot. I would appreciate seeing that in a future update, as the developer pledged to continue supporting this pirate simulator. But I digress.
Engaging in naval combat while the crew sings their heart out fits the scene perfectly.
The caverns themselves—apparently full of treasure—leave much to be desired, only truly displaying corridor after corridor of skeleton bones, rats, and sparse gold pouches. Random small spiders hanging from stalactites creep up in surprising ways, so that at least excites in an otherwise uneventful incursion. For those with arachnophobia, these can also be entirely removed in the settings. Another option to make the cave double the size in hopes of finding more loot is also an option.
Feeling isolated is a strong emotion recreated in these tunnels. Always holding a torch to guide you in the dark severely increases the eerie atmosphere. Bats, the hollow echoes, and water dropping do their best to convince the mind that you are in fact spelunking. Because the only true danger faced exploring these desolate caves is falling to your death, it ends up being a rather introspective activity.
A second land-based foray is exploring jungles to exact revenge on another pirate captain who stole from you. Set in the middle of the day, the suspiciously hallway-shaped islands focus more on melee combat as there is not much in the way of exploration. The ability to crouch and try to be stealthy in the process of approaching enemy camps is an option, with twigs littered around that can reveal your location to enemies and ruin the surprise.
Once getting rid of said foes, it does not feel particularly rewarding to explore every nook and cranny, because there is not much to see. Occasional gold pouches will be left by corpses or left near campsites, but other types of items like cannonballs, planks, or oil are nowhere to be seen. This makes the exploration limiting, resulting in a very straightforward experience that is only salvageable by the combat, which in and of itself is a mixed bag.
This combat demonstration speaks for itself.
The combat feels undercooked, with collisions being a notable hit or miss. Armed to the teeth with a sword, a hatchet, bombs that explode on contact with campfires, and three daggers on your chest, no foe stands a chance. That said, while fighting the pirate captain, who naturally donned the flashier clothes, his attacks did not register from my perspective when gesturing my sword swings, so a baffling “You lost. Try Again?” message was deflating. A video game that tries to do too much might end up not doing everything well, and that seems to be the case here.
Ultimately, as a diversion taking away from the commerce and naval combat, it serves as a nice complement, but not the main course. On my second try with the boss, I threw a hatchet at his head before he could get close, and he collapsed right then and there. I earned a good bit of gold coins from a chest nearby in that incursion that would have taken me longer otherwise. At least that was satisfying.
The Pirate: Republic of Nassau is a bit unsatisfactory when it comes to comfort. Other than the expected smooth or snap turning, there’s the ability to turn off or on hand commands to signal your crew to raise the sails and to use hand motion to rotate when swimming. New options like Auto-Aim and Auto-Fire are welcome for naval combat, but since Early Access there is no option to teleport instead of artificial stick-based locomotion. This is most noticeable with the new on-foot explorable levels.
Another lacking feature related to those walkable areas is that there is no option to toggle instead of holding down the button to grab items. When holding a torch while spelunking or carrying both swords when fighting, this can become cumbersome the longer the time played.
The final new mode is multiplayer. PvE, PvP, and Port Attack are the possible sessions prospective players can choose. Deciding how many players—or bots—can enter, the tier of both your and your enemy's ship, and if Auto Aim should be allowed or not are some variables to fiddle with. Playing the entire campaign with friends sounded like a more enticing idea, but it certainly would be a lot more complex than the currently available skirmishes at sea.
There is no one defining aspect of The Pirate: Republic of Nassau that stands out above the rest. It is every element working in tandem that makes it a worthwhile golden age of piracy fantasy. A veritable time sink, the pleasant hands-on activities to expand your criminal empire, from wreck diving to engaging in spontaneous naval combat, hark back to the best moments of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag. The newly added tasks, such as exploring gloomy caves and fighting buccaneers, while not spectacular, add a sense of variety to easily spend several hours in. The result is a worthwhile endeavor that those intrigued by the pirate's life should sail away.
UploadVR uses a 5-Star rating system for our game reviews – you can read a breakdown of each star rating in our review guidelines.
Sony has launched PlayStation Flex in the UK, a hardware leasing programme that allows gamers to rent a PlayStation 5 for a monthly fee with no upfront cost. Developed in partnership with London-based fintech firm Raylo, the programme marks a shift in Sony's strategy, targeting audiences who may not want to pay for a console they plan to replace soon or want to have some fun for a couple of months or so.
The subscription service offers tiered pricing based on the length of the commitment, with the lowest rates reserved for those who sign up for 36-month leases. For the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition (825GB), prices start at £9.59 per month for a three-year term. Shorter 24-month and 12-month terms increase the monthly cost to £10.49 and £14.59, respectively. For those seeking ultimate flexibility, a monthly rolling plan is available for £19.49, allowing users to cancel at any time, provided the console is returned. In addition to the Digital Edition with one controller or two controllers (starting at £10.99), there are also options for the 1TB version with a single controller (£11.59) or two DualSense controllers (£12.49).
Beyond the standard console models, the Flex programme encompasses a wide range of hardware, including the PS5 Pro (starting at £16.99/month), PlayStation VR2 (from £11.99/month), PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle (from £10.99/month), the PlayStation Portal remote player (from £7.49/month), and a DualSense Edge controller (from £6.49). Every leased device comes with a lifetime warranty and free next-day delivery. At the end of the term, users have three primary choices: return the console to exit the plan, upgrade to the latest model for no additional fee, or continue paying the monthly subscription indefinitely.
KitGuru says: While PlayStation Flex makes upgrading more accessible, it can also be seen as the beginning of “end of ownership” in gaming. Unlike financing programmes like Xbox All Access, Flex is a pure rental model; after paying roughly £358 over three years for a PS5 Digital Edition, the customer still does not own the device.
The post Sony partners with Raylo to bring PS5 console subscription to the UK first appeared on KitGuru.The director behind Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 has been discussing the game in interviews for quite a few months now. In his latest, he confirms plans to develop the third-game as a multiplatform title from the jump, adding that PC is technically the lead platform this time.
For the first two titles in the series, Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, PlayStation consoles were the lead development platform, as each game launched as a timed exclusive for Sony's platform. With Part 3, this will no longer be the case, so Part 3 is already being made with PC, Xbox and the Switch 2 in mind.
In an interview with Automaton, Naoki Hamaguchi said that it is “correct” to view PC as the lead platform for Final Fantasy Remake Part 3, adding that the development team creates assets for the ‘highest possible' spec first, before scaling things down to optimise for platforms like the Switch 2 or Xbox Series S, where memory and GPU resources are a bit more limited.
With that in mind, Hamaguchi states that there will be no impact on the quality of the launch version of the new game, as it focuses on what can be achieved at the high-end first, before scaling down to mid-range systems like the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Then it does additional optimisation work to get the games running on lower-spec systems like the Steam Deck, Switch 2 and Xbox Series S.
Final Fantasy Remake Part 3 doesn't have a release date yet but all signs are currently pointing to a 2027 launch, and perhaps an initial reveal of the game later this year. In the meantime, Square Enix is bringing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to more platforms, including the Switch 2 and Xbox in June.
KitGuru Says: Are you looking forward to the finale for the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy?
The post PC is the lead development platform for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 first appeared on KitGuru.Ubisoft has confirmed that the iconic protagonist of the Metal Gear Solid series, Solid Snake, will join the tactical roster of Rainbow Six Siege as a permanent new operator. Making his debut on March 3rd as part of Year 11, Season 1 (Operation Silent Hunt), Snake is being positioned as a high-speed, high-intel attacker.
Reflecting his origins in stealth and infiltration, Snake is categorised as a 3-speed, 1-health operator, making him agile but fragile. His signature gadget is the Soliton Radar MKIII, a handheld device that materialises a floor plan of his immediate surroundings to detect enemy threats and cameras. The radar features a Precision-Finding Mode that recharges over time, allowing Snake to see the exact real-time position and vision cones of nearby defenders.
Snake's loadout is equally distinctive, headlined by a new secondary weapon: the TACIT .45 pistol, a semi-automatic handgun featuring an integrated suppressor and reflex sight. For his primary weapons, players can choose between the F2 assault rifle and the PMR90A2 battle rifle. He also introduces the OSP (On-Site Procurement) Pouch, which allows him to scavenge a secondary gadget from fallen operators' bodies.
To further delight long-time fans, the character is voiced by the legendary David Hayter (Solid Snake's voice on Metal Gear Solid 3), who returned to record new, unique voice lines specifically for this collaboration.
The collaboration extends beyond just the new operator, as the premium battle pass for Operation Silent Hunt includes several themed cosmetics. Those include a Psycho Mantis skin for Smoke, a Gray Fox outfit for Jackal, and a Meryl skin for Ash. The season will also feature a limited-time 4v4 infiltration event where Snake and Zero (Sam Fisher) team up to recover stolen data, marking the first time these two stealth legends have officially appeared on-screen together.
KitGuru says: Landing Solid Snake is perhaps the biggest crossover in the game's history. While some fans may have hoped for a cardboard box gadget, the decision to prioritise the Soliton Radar and David Hayter's voice work shows a deep respect for the source material.
The post Rainbow Six Siege is getting a Metal Gear Solid crossover that brings Solid Snake as a playable character first appeared on KitGuru.TT Games caught some heat a couple of weeks ago when it revealed the PC system requirements for its new Lego Batman game. At the time, the recommended requirements called on users to have as much as 32GB of RAM in their, which sounds pretty ridiculous for a Lego game. Fortunately, the PC system requirements have since been revised.
In a new statement shared on the game's Steam Community page, TT Games confirms that LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight now has reduced PC system requirements. The specs are still higher than what was necessary to run 2022's LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, but the insane 32GB RAM recommendation has indeed been fixed.
The revised PC system requirements for the new LEGO Batman game are as follows –
Minimum:
OS: Windows 11
Processor: Intel Core i5-9600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Memory: 16GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, 8GB or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, 8GB or INTEL Arc A770, 16GB
Storage: 50GB available space
Recommended:
OS: Windows 11
Processor: Intel Core i7-12700K or AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
Memory: 16GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, 10GB or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, 16GB
Given that the memory chip market is currently facing massive shortages and price hikes, impacting both the gaming PC market and console markets alike, software developers are really going to have to hone-in on optimisation, as very few will be able to upgrade their systems over the next couple of years. Part of that will have to include creating games that work well on limited memory budgets.
KitGuru Says: Game developers have worked magic with limited memory resources in the past but ever since the Xbox One era and beyond, all of that seems to have been thrown out of the window. Now with RAM no longer being a plentiful resource, the industry will have to shift back and shake the mindset that consumers have plenty of spare memory to work with.
The post Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight removes 32GB RAM recommendation first appeared on KitGuru.Akko has steadily expanded its presence in the peripheral market, moving beyond the mechanical keyboards that established its reputation. The Verge gaming headset is the latest product of that expansion, representing a calculated attempt to balance enthusiast-grade components with a chassis designed for prolonged usage.
The Verge headset uses 53mm N52 neodymium drivers, a notable step up from the 40mm or 50mm units typically found at its price point. The headset also features a three-chamber TCB design that increases the effective cavity volume to 39 mm³, a technical choice intended to improve spatial separation. For the user, this translates to a more defined soundstage where low-frequency impacts do not overwhelm the high-frequency details required for directional tracking.
Connectivity is handled through a quad-mode system. While many manufacturers force a choice between USB-A and Type-C for wireless dongles, the Verge Gaming Headset implements a dual-port receiver that supports both. This is supplemented by Bluetooth 5.3 and a traditional wired Type-C connection, ensuring compatibility across PC, PlayStation, and mobile platforms. Powering the wireless experience is a 2000 mAh battery that delivers up to 250 hours of playback.
Processing is handled by a 32-bit dual-core DSP, which enables onboard virtual 7.1 surround sound and toggleable audio profiles. Users can cycle between dedicated modes for music, cinema, and FPS gaming directly on the headset. For voice capture, there's a detachable unidirectional microphone featuring environmental noise cancellation, designed to filter out approximately 20 dB of ambient room noise. The microphone itself connects via a gold-plated 3.5mm jack to maintain signal integrity during intense sessions.
Physically, the Verge Gaming Headset focuses on an understated aesthetic using CNC-machined aluminium arms for the headband adjustment, finished with a sandblasted texture to balance structural rigidity and weight. At 270 grams, it sits comfortably in the lightweight category. The headset is available for £54,00/$73.00/€73,79 (Early Bird price) in three colour options: black, white, and black and red.
KitGuru says: Although not as cheap as other Akko headsets, the higher-end feature set and simple design make the Verge worth checking out.
The post Akko expands its audio lineup with Verge gaming headset first appeared on KitGuru.In recent weeks, we've heard from one analyst that Sony is pushing back its next-gen PlayStation console plans due to the on-going RAM shortage. We have also heard from Nintendo's CEO about the possibility of a Switch 2 price hike due to rising component costs. Now, a new report claims that both of these scenarios are indeed due to take place.
According to Bloomberg, Sony is indeed considering delaying the launch of the PlayStation 6 from its apparently planned 2027 launch to 2028 or 2029. This is due to a global memory shortage, with AI corporations buying up nearly all available supply, leaving little left over for consumer electronics.
On top of that, the same report also claims that Nintendo is also contemplating a Switch 2 price hike, due to the rising cost of components like memory. Previously during a recent earnings call, Nintendo's CEO said that there were ‘no immediate plans' to raise the Switch 2 price but that it would have to reconsider that should the component market continue to face price increases.
Meanwhile, it appears that Microsoft is apparently still intending to release its next-generation Xbox in 2027, a move that seems ill-advised at this stage. The component market is impacting many hardware launches this year already, with even Valve delaying the Steam Machine by a number of months while it assesses the market.
KitGuru Says: 2026 is not a great time to be a PC hardware enthusiast, but the wider gaming market is also suffering.
The post Report claims PlayStation 6 to be delayed and Switch 2 may see price hike due to chip shortage first appeared on KitGuru.Nintendo is continuing to issue DMCA takedown notices to a growing number of Switch emulator projects. While Nintendo has moved on to its next-generation Switch 2 at this stage, support for the original Switch is still continuing due to its large user-base, with new first-party and third-party titles still coming to the older console in 2026.
Nintendo began its fight against Switch emulators back in 2024, when it took down prolific projects like Yuzu and Ryujinx. However, many still had access to the files for these emulators and as a result, numerous groups began providing forks, and releasing newly-named Switch emulators.
With its latest takedown effort, Nintendo is targeting various Switch emulator projects, including the likes of Citron, Eden, Kenji-NX, MeloNX, Pine, Pomelo, Ryubing, Ryujinx, Skyline, Sudachi, Sumi, Suyu and Yuzu.
Previously, Nintendo had limited its efforts to targeting ROM sites offering illegal downloads of games for its platforms, but that tactic didn't really work either, as every time a piracy site would shut down, several more would appear in their place. For a long time, it was believed that emulators existed in a legal ‘grey area' and could not be targeted, but Nintendo is quickly changing that narrative, despite no actual court cases coming to fruition yet. The developers behind the emulator Eden have already spoken out saying they intend to continue development despite Nintendo's DMCA but it still remains to be seen if the other projects will live on.
KitGuru Says: Once a product has reached end-of-life, then emulators can be very useful, as it keeps a platform alive and its games accessible long after the creators have lost interest. However, when a platform is still alive, thriving and selling millions of units a year, it is hard to justify emulators for reasons outside of piracy.
The post Nintendo continues to take down Switch emulator projects first appeared on KitGuru.
So, this one's really straightforward. If you've kept up with news about Intel's Nova Lake—its next-next-gen desktop processors—you'll have already heard that the chip is said to support the use of two compute tiles, much as AMD's desktop processors can use two CCDs for additional cores. The full-fat Nova Lake compute tile is said to have 
The current component shortage the technology industry finds itself in, driven by the insatiable appetite of enormous AI data centers, started out with memory but has quickly spread to other components including GPUs and solid-state storage. The carnage continues to spread as Western Digital has shared that its spinning platter hard drives 
George Washington never binged-watched a TV series on a big and glorious OLED display, but you certainly can. Upgrading to an OLED TV doesn't have to put a big hit on your bank account, either. Best Buy is serving up discounts on whole bunch of OLED TVs in its Presidents' Day sale, with savings of up to $1,300 off the suggested pricing.
Samsung's 
Attention all Chrome users, Google is rolling out an emergency patch to address a high-severity zero-day security flaw in the world's most popular browser (by market share), and it's not one you want to ignore. That is because Google confirmed attackers are actively exploiting the flaw in the wild, making it an actual threat rather than a 
There has been considerable chatter over the past several months about Apple releasing a lower-cost MacBook, perhaps in an attempt to combat the growing army of budget Windows laptops and Chromebooks. If such a thing comes to fruition, there will obviously need to be concessions made to lower the cost, but the overall design could end up being At the latest IEM Katowice tournament, Acer provided competitors with Predator Orion 7000 gaming PCs to play on. Now that the event has come to an end, Acer is now shipping this PC to the masses with stock now available throughout the UK.
The Acer Predator Orion 7000 is a prebuilt PC built for high-performance gaming, packing an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, along with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU. With this combination, you'll have more than enough horsepower to drive games at ultra-fast frame rates, even at resolutions as high as 4K. The PC also boasts high-end cooling, thanks to its unique CycloneX 360 triple fan array and AIO liquid cooler.
Other important specs include 32GB of DDR5 memory, a 2TB M.2 SSD, support for WiFi 7 and Gigabit Ethernet, and customisable RGB lighting, which can be controlled via Acer's PredatorSense control centre.
For a limited time, any UK buyers picking one of these up can also claim £139 in free gaming accessories, so you can get a full peripheral set-up to go with your new rig. The Acer Predator Orion 7000 is in stock now at Curry's, priced at £3,299.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: Are you in the market for a new prebuilt gaming PC?
The post Tournament-grade Acer Predator Orion 7000 gaming PC lands in the UK first appeared on KitGuru.In our previous video we looked at a final engineering sample of the Thermal Grizzly DeltaMate water block for the ROG Astral RTX 5090. This time around, it’s all about performance. We’re putting up the final retail version against three competing GPU blocks, from Corsair HydroX, Alphacool and EK, testing under identical conditions, to see how it stacks up for temperatures, overall performance and value. So let's dive straight into it…
Timestamps:
00:00 Thermal Grizzly DeltaMate
00:49 Final retail version / pricing against others
02:06 Unboxing
05:14 Install process
06:49 Block is installed -a closer look
08:29 Test Methodology
08:50 Temperatures
09:20 Core Frequency
09:42 Power Draw
10:01 Benchmark Performance
10:23 Results?
11:00 Installation thoughts and accessories
12:38 The Overall Experience
Thermal Grizzly DeltaMate ROG Astral RTX 5090 Features:
High-density microfin coldplate design – DeltaMate uses a 0.20 mm microfin array over the GPU core for maximum cooling surface area and optimal heat transfer efficiency.
Full-cover cooling for memory and VRM – Integrated dedicated nickel-plated copper contact surfaces for the VRAM and power delivery components, ensuring comprehensive thermal management across the PCB.
Robust metal construction with configurable terminal options – The block features a full metal housing for rigidity, an acrylic RGB illuminated window and a choice of 2 terminal configurations (pass-through sold separately), offering loop layout flexibility.
Specifications:
The Alternatives:
Alphacool Core Geforce RTX 5090 ROG Astral – £199.99 Scan
Corsair Hydro X XG5 RGB Asus 5090 Astral – £299.99 Scan
EKWB Quantum Vector³ Astral RTX 5090 – £253.99 Scan
Test Results:
To measure the thermal performance, GPU core frequency and power draw of the ROG Astral RTX 5090, we run a 30-minute 3Dmark Speed Way stress test. An additional 3Dmark Speed Way Benchmark is performed with each water block installed to measure potential gaming performance.
Test System Specifications:
Thermal Performance: GPU Core / VRAM
If we look at the temperature first we can see that compared with the stock ASUS cooler, there's a huge drop in GPU core and VRAM temperature, from mid-50s over ambient on the GPU core using the stock cooler, down to mid 20s on all GPU blocks, but there's virtually nothing in terms of GPU core and VRAM temperature between all of the custom blocks, just 3 degrees Celsius between the best and worst. However, the Corsair block produces the best VRAM temperature.
GPU Core Frequency
Looking at core frequency, the drop in temperature with the custom blocks also gives us a modest improvement in GPU core temperature when the GPU is allowed to boost automatically. Installing the custom water blocks gives an extra 50 MHz GPU frequency, but again there's not much at all to separate the performance of the custom water blocks.
Power Draw
Average power draw follows a similar pattern, but in all scenarios, the peak power draw is 600 watts, even with the stock cooler. There is some slight variation between the custom water blocks, with the EK block achieving the lowest average power draw and the Alphacool block the highest, but only 8 watts separate them.
3DMark Speed Way Benchmark
Then finally benchmark performance. As we have seen with the other tests, there is a noticeable improvement in 3DMARK Speed Way benchmark performance with the custom blocks installed. Speed Way performance increases by 400 plus points using the custom water blocks with Thermal Grizzly DeltaMate, EK and Alphacool blocks, all very close at around 15000 points.
Closing Thoughts
Since thermal performance, GPU core frequency benchmark performance is very close between all of the GPU blocks tested, it all comes down to build quality, the installation process, looks and the overall experience of using the block which will determine the one you choose. There's no denying that installing a water block to the Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 will give you a significant improvement in thermal headroom, so if you want to overclock the card this will be the path you need to take.
If budget is no worry and you want a water block that feels special, then the Thermal Grizzly block wins hands down. The build quality and attention to detail with the GPU water block are top-tier. There are quality-of-life features included with the DeltaMate that you don’t get with the others, like the dummy PCB, which is a great accessory for helping cut thermal pads to the correct size and laying out the placement of them, but also the user can install the block into their system and build the loop using the dummy PCB before installing the actual graphics card.
Thermal Grizzly also includes thermal putty with the DeltaMate block, so if you want to use putty or thermal pads you have the choice. Putty may offer some thermal benefit, but it can be messy which is why Thermal Grizzly includes both, which the others don’t do. However, you are paying a high premium for these options since the DeltaMate block is almost twice the cost of the EK block and more than double the cost of the Alphacool.
But when you are splashing out over £2500 on a graphics card, you will no doubt want the very best GPU block when it comes to water cooling so for most, it might be a price worth paying. Plus the attention to detail in terms of the engineering that has gone into making the DeltaMate block is second to none – it truly is the very highest of high-end and makes the other blocks look like budget lower quality budget models, even if they are not.
The Thermal Grizzly DeltaMate ROG Astral RTX 5090 is available to purchase now directly from Thermal Grizzly priced at €499.90 HERE.
Pros:
Cons:
KitGuru says: If you have an Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 and want to water cool it, this is the option to go for if you have change left over from your £3000+ graphics card purchase.
The post Thermal Grizzly DeltaMate ROG Astral RTX 5090 GPU Block first appeared on KitGuru.Just weeks after the game was finally officially released to the world, Riot Games’ 2XKO has already encountered a number of roadblocks, with the much-anticipated title seeing its dev team majorly downsized following a less-than-explosive launch. Despite this, the team are planning to continue to support the 2v2 fighter, officially announcing the next two Champions alongside a new local duo mode.
Taking to their blog to make the announcement, the team at Riot Games officially detailed the first major post-launch update for 2XKO, writing: “We wanted to give you a quick preview of what’s upcoming for 2XKO. We would have made a video to talk about this face-to-face, but the team is heads down and we wanted to chat ASAP.”
The full blog post can be found HERE and goes into various details surrounding the game’s competitive scene, community support and more. The most interesting however is confirmation that “we've been prototyping a Local Duo Mode experience that will let you and a friend play couch co-op together against the world”. Though not yet available, this feature is said to be “a top priority and we're working to get it into the game as quickly as possible.”
In terms of characters, Riot have teased the next two Champions planned to release. Though no official date has been given, the team confirmed that the “sharp, stylish ninja” Akali, and Senna (who “wields the power of light and shadow”) are next in line to join the roster.
As mentioned, 2XKO is in a bit of a weird place, with the long-awaited title finally releasing after years of development and testing to lower-than-expected player numbers. That said, the game itself is fun and so hopefully over time, as more Champions and features get added, 2XKO will find a solid and dedicated audience.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
KitGuru says: what do you think of 2XKO so far? Does it have the potential to blow up in popularity? What’s your favourite style of fighting game? Let us know down below.
The post 2XKO to get local duos mode and more in future update first appeared on KitGuru.Looking to stretch your mind in VR? Here are some of our favorite puzzle games available on Quest today.
There’s something unique about puzzle games in VR. When you can reach out and touch the world around you, the genre transforms into something magical. Games like Lumines Arise and Tetris Effect: Connected wrap you in a warm sensory blanket while narrative puzzlers like Red Matter and Ghost Town immerse you in their story in ways wholly unique to VR.
Meta Quest users have no shortage of puzzle games. From meditative and musical experiences to emotionally powerful narrative puzzlers that challenge your mind and stir your emotions, here are some of the best the genre has to offer.
With Tetris Effect, Tetsuya Mizuguchi and his colleagues at Enhance tapped into something remarkable. The 2018 release took the classic puzzle game from the 1980s and transformed it into a musical trance masterpiece. In 2020, the updated Tetris Effect: Connected added co-op and competitive multiplayer, and it remains one of the best puzzle games to this day.
Tetris Effect: Connected wraps you in reactive visuals and music that evolve with your moves. Every rotation, every slammed block, every cleared row adds a new dimension to the soundtrack so that playing Tetris Effect: Connected becomes less about traditional gaming and more about entering a flow state. It’s the ultimate VR vibe game, and beautifully demonstrates VR’s power to elevate traditional gameplay into something greater.
UploadVRJames Tocchio
If you love mechanical puzzles, secret compartments, and mysterious artifacts, Fireproof Games’ The Room VR: A Dark Matter is an essential game for your Quest collection. Not only is it one of the most immersive puzzle games on Quest, it’s also one of the most visually impressive.
In this narrative puzzle game built exclusively for VR and set in 1908 London, you’re tasked with investigating the mysterious disappearance of a renowned Egyptologist after a police investigation yields no result. The 5-6 hour-long adventure will have you exploring cryptic locations with fantastic gadgets as you work your way through an opaque mystery.
In addition to its standalone release, Fireproof Games has also bundled The Room VR: A Dark Matter into a two-pack alongside the team’s extraordinary Ghost Town (mentioned later in this list).
Part slapstick comedy, part absurd escape room, part mid-century spy parody, the I Expect You To Die series drops you into increasingly ridiculous and deadly scenarios, and tasks you with saving yourself (and the world) from the nefarious super-villain Dr. Zor. You’ll explode, get swarmed by bees, zapped by lasers, and try to survive, all from the comfort of your Quest headset. Clever design rewards experimentation, and the tongue-in-cheek humor makes failure feel fun.
There are three mainline I Expect You To Die games on Quest, which can be purchased separately, or bundled together as part of the Phoenix Rising Trilogy.
As Leonardo Da Vinci’s most promising apprentice, you are summoned to Florence only to find that Leonardo has mysteriously disappeared. Thus begins The House of Da Vinci, a challenging puzzle mystery that our reviewer described as “one of the best VR puzzle games I've ever played, delivering an experience that's been lovingly created with reverence to its historical inspiration.”
Gameplay takes the shape of escape room-style challenges in which we manipulate complex machines, peer into the past, and solve puzzles based on Da Vinci’s real-life inventions. Gorgeous visuals and advanced riddles make this a perfect game for puzzle fans and art history buffs alike.
The latest phenomenal mystery from Fireproof Games, Ghost Town is a narrative puzzle game set in the 1980s that puts players in the shoes of Edith, an Irish witch turned exorcist and ghost hunter. “What follows,” says Henry Stockdale in our review last year, “is a thoroughly gripping narrative that sees us searching for Edith's missing brother. Fireproof's not afraid to have some fun with this story[...]”
One of Ghost Town’s great strengths is that it strikes a great balance. It tells a story, but does so with both humor and suspense, and its puzzles, while challenging, never feel overly difficult. The end result is, as our review put it, “one of the best VR games so far this year.”
UploadVRHenry Stockdale
Humanity is a third-person puzzle-action game in which your goal is to guide a massive mob of humanity to the end point of each level. You lead the pack as a cute Shiba Inu, leading the seemingly mindless humans as they jump, turn, push, float, shoot, and climb their way toward salvation across 90 story-mode stages.
Another game from Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s Enhance, Humanity is a flatscreen critical darling that has really stuck the landing on Quest. It was voted VR Game of the Year at the 2023 EDGE Awards, ranked Best Puzzle Game of 2023 by Game Informer magazine, and was nominated for Best VR / AR Game at The Game Awards in 2023.
As with most of Mizuguchi and Enhance’s games, there’s more than meets the eye here. And while the game’s online servers and user-generated level support are ending in March, 2026, there’s enough meat on the base game’s bones to warrant a thorough chewing.
These narrative-heavy adventures blend environmental puzzles with atmospheric world-building and deliver some of the most impressive visuals yet seen on Quest headsets.
The first game drops you into a retro-futuristic Cold War space race where you play as Agent Epsilon, sent to a deserted Volgravian base on Rhea, Saturn’s mysterious moon to investigate a secret project with the potential to change humanity’s destiny forever. And once you’re done with that, fire up Red Matter 2 for yet another stunning story.
Start with Red Matter here, or buy the two-game bundle.
Few games define the puzzle genre like Myst. For most gamers of a certain age, it was the first puzzle game we’d ever played (and the first we’d ever owned on CD-ROM). In VR, its enigmatic puzzles and lonesome island feel more tangible than ever.
Built from the ground up by Cyan Worlds, the indie studio that created the beloved classic way back in 1993, Myst for Quest is a definitive reimagining of one of the greatest puzzle games ever made. It brings new art, new sound, new interactions, and optional puzzle randomization.
When you’ve finished unraveling the mysterious island of Myst, you may be tempted to jump into its sequel, Riven. While Riven is a must-play for fans of the original flatscreen version, or for those who simply can’t get enough of the Myst universe, in truth, Riven on Quest is not a very strong adaptation. It’s good, just not as great as Myst.
UploadVRSarah Thwaites
Called “One of the most unique and creative VR games ever” by Polygon, and “the best puzzle game since Portal” by Beardo Benjo, The Last Clockwinder is a creative and clever game that our own review described as “a true delight and gem of a puzzle game that’s well worth your time.”
The main mechanic of the game centers on mapping your real-life physical actions to several robotic “clones” which will repeat your actions indefinitely. This allows you to create a sort of production line that moves fruit from one place to another, feeding the health of a mystical tree. It’s a gameplay hook that defies explanation, but it’s one that’s totally engaging and superbly executed. Add to this a mysterious story that’s “an absolute delight to unravel” and we have all the makings of a VR classic.
In A Fisherman’s Tale, you play as a reclusive fisherman puppet who awakens locked inside a lighthouse. In the center of the room sits a model of the very same lighthouse, with a tiny version of yourself inside, and a larger one outside, mimicking your every move. The perspective-bending puzzles begin from there.
When we reviewed the game some years ago, we gave it 5 out of 5 stars and said it "might be the first [Quest game] to achieve a perfect storm of gameplay, immersion and narrative in a single experience. [A Fisherman's Tale] fuses experience and interactivity to really show what this medium is capable of."
The game's sequel, Another Fisherman’s Tale, doubles down on the original's creativity with whole new gameplay mechanics. It’s imaginative, slightly absurd, and filled with tactile puzzle design.
Another special experience that could only exist in VR, Puzzling Places lets you build gorgeous photorealistic dioramas of beautiful places from all over the world, either in full VR or in the familiar comfort of your own space in mixed reality. There are no timers, no pressure; just pure, mindful building at a peaceful puzzling pace, alone or with others in online multiplayer and local MR co-op modes.
The base game includes 25 puzzles, and a massive collection of DLC puzzles continues to grow. The most recent, a gorgeous Van Gogh-inspired impressionist diorama, joins previous themed puzzles such as cities of the world, a haunted house, underwater seascapes, and dozens more.
Clean shapes and floating blocks, Cubism strips puzzle design down to its essentials. You rotate and place geometric shapes into transparent containers, building increasingly complex forms in full VR or MR modes. Hand tracking makes the game play seamlessly and intuitively, and the balance of relaxation and challenge is perfectly struck.
While the concept of Cubism is great, what really sets it above is the game's minimalist aesthetic. As in old Japan Studio games like Echochrome, or Keita Takahashi's Katamari Damacy, there's a simplicity of concept that we also find in Cubism. As we shift pastel-colored shapes into place, the resonant strings of a rich piano strum a beautiful backing soundtrack. The overall vibe is elegant, calming, and clever.
Gadgeteer lets you build elaborate chain-reaction machines in both VR and MR using ramps, marbles, dominoes, and motors, creating chain reactions that may even end up tearing apart the fabric of space-time.
There are over 60 physics puzzles, plus sandbox environments that let you build whatever wild machines you like. Hundreds of community-made puzzles round out the experience. For older gamers who might remember launching the MS-DOS build of The Incredible Machine on some ancient PC, watching your Gadgeteer contraption unfold in 3D space feels like a dream come true.
Shadow Point is a story-driven puzzle game in which you'll explore a vibrant kingdom and solve mind-bending puzzles as you uncover the mystery of missing schoolgirl, Lorna McCabe who vanished from Shadow Point Observatory twelve years ago. As your adventure unfolds, you will manipulate gravity, play with shadows, work with your own reflection, walk on walls, peer through a magical lens to reveal an alternate reality and much more.
Narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart, Shadow Point combines over 80 puzzles with a reflective story about memory and mentorship. Its paper doll-esque art style is gorgeous and evocative and its light-and-shadow mechanics are clever. We recommended the game in our review some years ago, though we felt Stewart to be underutilized. More than anything else, however, the game's emotional framing elevates it to a must-play.
UploadVRJamie Feltham
Whether you want a musical flow state (Tetris Effect, Lumines Arise), a story-rich adventure (Red Matter, Shadow Point), or relaxing brain training (Cubism, Puzzling Places), Quest offers some of the most inventive puzzle design in gaming today.
For more of the best of VR, check these out:
Stellar Blade has been one of the most successful new IPs released in recent years under Sony, with the PlayStation Studios’ published title selling millions of copies across both the PlayStation 5 (and later on) PC. While a sequel is already announced to be in the works, it appears as though studio SHIFTUP are planning to further expand Stellar Blade to additional platforms this year.
As part of the company’s latest fiscal earnings report (translated by ResetEra user Neha) Stellar Blade studio SHIFTUP were asked about their plans for the IP in 2026. According to the studio:
“Stellar Blade has established itself as a steady, long-tail IP, supported by sustained sales momentum and strong user reception since launch. Building on this foundation, development of the next project is progressing in a structured manner, and we are reviewing plans to share additional details on the follow-up project within the year.”
Adding further context, they continued, “In parallel, we are reviewing platform expansion beyond PS5 and PC to broaden audience reach. This approach is expected to both introduce the title to new players and gradually build anticipation for the next chapter in the series. We expect 2026 to be a year in which more users experience the existing title while momentum and anticipation builds toward the next phase of the franchise.”
As mentioned, Stellar Blade initially started life as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. In the wake of its success however, the title was ported over to PC one year later. Given this fact, the only two platforms which the studio is likely referring to is Xbox and the Switch 2.
While it is possible that Stellar Blade could come to Xbox, the Switch 2 seems more likely – especially as all SHIFTUP developers were gifted free Switch 2’s following the game’s strong launch.
Regardless, it is exciting to see that Stellar Blade is continuing to be a success and will hopefully find an even wider audience throughout the next year as the title is eventually brought over to more platforms.
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KitGuru says: What do you think of Stellar Blade? Would you like to see it ported to more platforms? Is an Xbox or Switch 2 release more likely? Let us know down below.
The post SHIFTUP details plans to bring Stellar Blade to more platforms first appeared on KitGuru.If you've ever wanted to review tech, then this is a perfect opportunity as we are now hiring for a new reviewer to join our team! Prior experience is not strictly necessary, but we would like to see some example works from applicants.
We are looking for someone who will be able to produce reviews of a range of tech gear in video format and in the KitGuru style. Any experience in this sector is beneficial; however, we are open to all applicants provided you can give us a sample of your written or video work so we can assess your abilities.
KitGuru is a great company to work with, we are all tech enthusiasts who enjoy gaming, so we all have very similar interests. Behind the scenes it is very close-knit environment and many of our team have been with us for several years.
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The successful applicant must be based in the United Kingdom, and we pay very well for this kind of work. If you are interested and feel you can meet the criteria above and want to work in this fast-moving sector then please send your CV along with any samples of your work to our Editor in Chief, Allan Campbell – allan(at)kitguru.net.
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The post KitGuru is hiring – tech reviewer applications open! first appeared on KitGuru.
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