Earlier this month, No More Rainbowsand DigiGodsdeveloper Squido Studio announced that it was partnering up with gaming streamer jmancurly's video game publishing company CurlyBlue to create VR experiences - the first being a colorful dungeon crawler named Wizherd.
The lore of Wizherd goes that in ancient times, the world was protected by a magical group called "the herd." Life was once peaceful, but now zombies and other evil forces threaten the world. As a result, players now take on the role of wizards as they embark on missions to hold off the forces of darkness.
The Facts
What is it?: A magic-based, dungeon-crawling adventure title that lets players conjure spells and team up with other would-be wizards. Platforms: Meta Quest Release Date: February 12, 2026 Developer: Squido Studio Publisher: CurlyBlue LTD. Price: Free To Play
As a fan of magic and fantasy games, I was curious to see Wizherd in action, especially after seeing the game's blocky art style that calls back to the old Final Fantasy games from the original PlayStation era. Unfortunately, new players are greeted to a steep and confusing learning curve that could sour the experience for most.
When you first boot up Wizherd, you are instantly thrust into a magical hub with little in the way of an introduction to the world you and your fellow would-be sorcerers must explore. There are tutorial missions posted to a bulletin board, but they amount to little more than grinding the player's experience level by venturing off into the wilderness to battle undead monsters. The bulletin board also features daily and weekly quests that any player can perform. Once you complete a mission, you can claim your reward by opening a treasure chest beside the board.
Players can customize their Wizherd character.
Players can move their character in one of two ways in Wizherd, by either moving the right joystick or physically swinging their arms at the ground to propel forward. The former doesn't always work, and the latter takes some getting used to. Once the player gets a handle on moving around, the world outside the hub consists of sunny hillsides, castle-like structures, and underground caverns flooded with lava.
Wizherd's magic system is simple enough: the player chooses between three different elemental spells at the start of the game and equips their selection to their hands. By holding down the trigger and releasing it in the middle of a tossing motion, the player can throw a ball of fire or ice at an enemy, though this action can be somewhat clunky and frustrating in the middle of a frantic battle. Melee-based spells like fire swords, on the other hand, are quite fun to swing around once you have them unlocked.
Spells can be upgraded at certain parts of the hub by spending coins and crystals. You can also customize your wizard avatar's look by purchasing cosmetic items like robes, hats, and even animal faces you can equip at a vanity. There is even a color slider you can use to adjust your character's skin tone.
Wizherd is free-to-play, though there are two different types of in-game currency. Coins are earned by defeating enemies, while crystals can be obtained by completing tasks or spending real-world money. The rewards for completing quests can be quite small at first, so you might have to either grind for a while or bust out your wallet.
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Combat and exploration can be hit or miss.
The overall presentation can be hit or miss. As mentioned before, there is a sort of retro charm to Wizherd's blocky graphics, but the music and sound isn't anything you haven't heard before in Minecraft. Most of the time you'll be hearing the chatter of other players who are just as confused as you.
So far, Wizherd has some potential, but getting started can be tedious if you don't want to spend due to the grind needed to get a decent loadout. There is some potential here, but only time will tell if the game has enough staying power to keep players coming back.
Nintendo's strangest Switch 2 accessory has arrived: a remarkably faithful recreation of the Virtual Boy.
Toward the end of last year, Nintendo dropped the surprise announcement that Virtual Boy games would soon be playable on Switch and Switch 2 via the company's subscription-based membership service, Nintendo Online + Expansion Pack. For the first time in 30 years, Nintendo fans would be able to play Virtual Boy games like Red Alarm, Wario Land, and Mario's Tennis on a current-gen Nintendo console.
Perhaps even more surprising was the announcement that the catalog of Virtual Boy games would be accompanied by two new accessories: an inexpensive cardboard "headset" priced at $24.99, and a full-on replica Virtual Boy for $99.99. In both cases, the Switch and Switch 2 slot into these accessories (like a dock) in order to play the old games.
Editor's Note: What Exactly Was The Virtual Boy?
We're aware that not everyone knows what the Virtual Boy was, so here's a quick rundown.
Released in 1995, Nintendo's Virtual Boy was the first standalone home stereoscopic 3D gaming system, providing a 384×224 red-only image to each eye via its two lenses. While often described as a "VR headset", Virtual Boy lacked any kind of head tracking, not even rotational, and had a tiny field of view of around 20 degrees. That's not to say it wasn't an interesting 3D device - it just wasn't really VR.
Virtual Boy was a market failure, selling very few units, and was discontinued after just one year. But it had a lasting cultural impact in the gaming world, and is looked back on fondly by many in the VR industry.
Virtual Boy for Switch (foreground) is a remarkably faithful remake of the original system (background).
A couple of items of note: To start, due to the way that Virtual Boy games are displayed, you will need to buy one of Nintendo's official accessory "headsets" to play the Virtual Boy's catalog on Switch and Switch 2.
Second, I'm using the term "headset" loosely. Virtual Boy was never, in fact, a headset, as Nintendo opted to sell it on a stand, rather than in a configuration that allowed mounting the unit to your head. This was the right call, since the original Virtual Boy was ridiculously heavy, and though the new replica "headset" is lighter, it's indeed a replica. The new model is not a headset, either.
Hardware First
What most surprised me when the headset arrived was just how faithful its design is to the original system. Owning my launch edition Virtual Boy from 1995 gave me a great opportunity to put the two pieces of hardware side by side, to compare the units and take some photos.
It's so identical that my ten-year-old daughter (who I taught to solder on my original Virtual Boy when its ribbon cables detached) saw the new unit and asked, "You bought another Virtual Boy?"
It's true that the new Virtual Boy is slightly larger than the original, but then again, we need to slot a Switch or Switch 2 inside it. That naturally requires some extra space. That said, the small details are incredibly accurate. The rubber bumpers on the side of the unit, the rubber nubs at the end of the stand's legs, the focus and IPD controls, the (fake) volume control and headphone jack and EXT. port, they're all here and replicated perfectly. Even the stand's adjustment mechanism utilizes a virtually identical acorn nut as the original.
The next thing you'll notice is that it's remarkably well made. The stand feels good, deploys tightly, and holds the unit well. The adjustment point on the stand also cinches tightly. The plastic feels dense and solid, the spring-loaded docking cradles work beautifully and hold the Switch in place nicely, and the satin foam of the eye-shroud feels more comfortable than the original.
In short, Nintendo did a great job making an almost perfect replica of their least successful gaming system.
It should also be noted that the new Virtual Boy arrives configured to work with Switch 2. To use the original Switch, we are required to install an adapter plate, which involves unscrewing four screws, swapping the plate, and reattaching the screws. The adapter plate comes packaged with the unit.
Do you need to spend $99.99 on a replica Virtual Boy headset? Probably not. Despite it being well made and effective at its one and only job, unless you're a big fan of weird tech and oddball experimental products, you'll almost certainly regret buying this thing.
Additional strikes against it would come down to the fact that these games are only accessible on Switch or Switch 2 via Nintendo's subscription service. You won't really own these games on Switch unless Nintendo releases some sort of purchasable collection. As of now, you're buying a headset to play games that you're essentially renting.
And if you've never played Virtual Boy and simply want to try out some old, weird games, there are cheaper and easier ways to experience Virtual Boy's compact library.
But if you're like me and love the Virtual Boy, well, you've probably already spent the money.
If you'd like your own Virtual Boy for Switch and Switch 2, you'll have to be a member of Nintendo Online, and then grab one via the company's website. We'll have an overview of all the Virtual Boy games playable on Switch and Switch 2 soon.
Cyber Acoustics sent over their creatively named CA-2110USB stereo speakers, with a handy integral cable that supports both USB-A and USB-C. They are plug and play audio for a Mac, PC…
Try getting your hands on a Steam Deck these days and you're likely to be frustrated by the lack of inventory. That's understandable for the original LCD version of the Steam Deck, which also happens to be the most affordable variant, as Valve confirmed in December that it had discontinued that model. But even the Steam Deck OLED models are
One of the biggest first-party Nintendo titles scheduled to release this year (so far) is Pokemon Pokopia – a life-sim sandbox experience “devoted to crafting, creating, and building”. While initial impressions upon its reveal left plenty to be desired, the spin-off appears to be more than meets the eye, with Pokopia said to be partner studio Omega Force’s biggest project to date.
Ahead of the game’s launch on the 5th of March, the Japanese publication Famitsu sat down with Pokopia’s leads to discuss the upcoming title. When asked about the scale of the game and its development, Omega Force’s Takuto Edagawa stated (as translated by ResetEra user Neha):
“I can't share the exact number of staff, but among all the titles developed by ω-Force [Omega Force] up to now, this one involves the largest number of people in the team's history.”
All that said, with a price tag of $70, Pokemon Pokopia could be a bit of a tough sell for fans – even with it being Omega Force’s biggest game so far.
KitGuru says: What do you think of Pokemon Pokopia? Does this latest revelation give you more hope for the project? Have you tried Dragon Quest Builders 2 previously? Let us know down below.
Amongst all the battle royale shooters which have come and gone, Respawn Entertainment’s Apex Legends remains a consistent performer. Even so, the live-service title has slowly but surely seen a drop in players over the game’s two-dozen plus Seasons. As part of the game’s 7th anniversary celebrations however, the team have unveiled the next year’s worth of planned updates.
Making the announcement via a video titled ‘the road ahead’ (and expanded upon via a blog post), the team at Respawn Entertainment officially detailed Apex Legends’ next 4 Seasons. The full breakdown can be found HERE, but the most notable additions coming with each Season is as follows:
Season 29 (May-July 2026):
New Legend ‘Skirmisher’
Respawn Evolution Update
Map updates for improved mobility / QoL
Season 30 (August-October 2026):
Legend Rework
Weapon and looting overhaul
World’s Edge competitive update
Season 31 (November 2026 – January 2027):
Another Legend rework
New akimbo weapon
BR mode update
Season 32 (February-April 2027):
New Legend
Legend class overhaul
Major map update
Alongside all this, each season will also feature a couple different Wildcard events, with other ancillary improvements (such as weapon balance patches) occurring on a regular basis.
Of course, all of this is subject to change, but assuming it does go to plan then Apex Legends could be quite the different experience come this time next year. Hopefully these plans aren’t too rigid however. The full blog post can be found HERE.
KitGuru says: What do you think of Apex Legends in 2026? Has the game grown stale for you? Is the next year of updates enough in your opinion? Let us know down below.
As part of the closer for Sony’s recent PlayStation State of Play, the console maker revealed that Sony Santa Monica is currently working on remaking the original God of War trilogy. While the project remains in its early stages, the studio is reportedly gearing up to announce another as-of-yet-unknown title later this year – with its releases scheduled for 2027.
Reportedly under the direction of Cory Barlog (who served as creative director for 2018’s God of War and Ragnarok), Sony Santa Monica is seemingly set to officially unveil this illusive new IP this year, with insiders Shinobi602 and NateTheHate both suggesting that the game will likely be announced this Summer alongside a 2027 release date “unless a major delay happens.”
bring night space wallpaper with glowing starfield vector
As mentioned, there has been no official announcement for this project, and so everything revealed so far should be taken with a pinch of salt. That said, we have heard various different details pertaining to the project, with previous leaks and rumours claiming that it would be a brand new IP in a sci-fi setting (though this has seemingly since been somewhat disproven).
Regardless of what this new project winds up being, here’s to hoping that we do get an official announcement sooner rather than later – if for no other reason than to satiate the ongoing curiosity.
KitGuru says: What do you think Cory Barlog’s next project is? Would you want it to be a new IP? Let us know down below.
Known industry leakers insider-gaming recently published a piece discussing the half a dozen games which Ubisoft recently cancelled, including multiple Assassin’s Creed titles and the aforementioned Sands of Time Remake.
While certainly a disappointment, the one silver lining seems to be the fact that the long-rumoured Black Flag Remake is still planned to release.
Of course, as we just saw with 6 other projects, the future of this remake is not guaranteed until it is in the direct hands of players. Still, it is somewhat encouraging at the very least to learn that one of the most anticipated projects has not been unceremoniously deleted from existence.
KitGuru says: What do you think of Ubisoft’s recent actions? If you could save one game from being cancelled, which one would it have been? Let us know down below.
As an enthusiast model, the GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z traditionally stands for maximum technical ambition, sophisticated power supply, uncompromising cooling concepts, and a manufacturing quality that is deliberately designed to stand out from the mainstream. It is therefore not surprising that this model in particular is currently attracting increased attention, not because of overclocking […]
While the AI market has almost reflexively focused on NVIDIA’s Blackwell accelerators, SoftBank is attempting to redefine the playing field with a comparatively modest but strategically astute idea: hardware-level GPU partitioning for AMD’s Instinct accelerators. At the heart of this is close collaboration with AMD and the use of a proprietary orchestrator that divides AMD […]
The next stage in the BIOS arms race has been reached. After 800W and 1000W versions, a 2500W XOC BIOS for the MSI RTX 5090 Lightning Z is now circulating. What sounds like overclocking romance is, in practice, a high-risk experiment – especially for cards that were never designed for such power consumption. 600 watts […]
While iOS 26 is remembered as a visually striking update with its comprehensive redesign and the introduction of the so-called Liquid Glass interface, iOS 27 is shaping up to be significantly different. Instead of another radical change in design and operating concept, Apple seems to be focusing on technical consolidation, code optimization, and targeted efficiency […]
The threat situation in cyberspace continued to escalate at the beginning of 2026. In January, German companies were exposed to an average of 1,314 cyberattacks per week. This represents a 16 percent increase over the same month last year and illustrates that the pace of attacks continues to accelerate despite growing investments in IT security. […]
Google Chrome has been the most widely used web browser worldwide for years and is the first choice for many users on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The reasons are obvious. The browser works quickly, offers high compatibility with modern web standards, and presents itself in a minimalist, uncluttered interface. At the same time, Chrome is […]
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. While I was 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. I can confidently say it was better than the sum of its parts.
The Facts
What is it?: An open-world 18th-century pirate VR game. Platforms: Quest (Reviewed on Quest 3) Release Date: Out Now Developer/Publisher: Home Net Games Price: $19.99
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.
Diving for treasure offers gorgeous underwater vistas.
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, are 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 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.
Looking at castaways with the spyglass from afar aids in the immersion.
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 the Jack Sparrow 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 catch crates of sugar, or engage 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 when 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.
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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. Making 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 you get 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 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.
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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.
Comfort
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.
Sailing to unknown lands on the map is a welcome addition.
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 set sail for.
UploadVR uses a 5-Star rating system for our game reviews – you can read a breakdown of each star rating in our review guidelines.
Today's review takes a closer look at the Patriot Elite 5 Ultra CL28 high-capacity memory kit. Patriot designed it for content creators and streamers who demand top-tier performance. In this review, we'll dive deep into its capabilities and see how it measures up against other contenders in the market.
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 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.
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.
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.
Connexion
