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 and 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.

To be considered for this position you need:

• Skillset to present well on camera – and in English.
• The ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Strong communication skills.
• Some knowledge of video editing would be useful, but we have that capability in-house if we find the right candidate.
• Strong writing ability.
• This is a freelance position.

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, extremely demanding sector then please send your CV along with any samples of your work to our Deputy Editor in Chief, Dominic Moass – dominic(at)kitguru.net. We would like to see samples of your work, but please note we are looking for applicants who can produce high quality videos and written articles in the in-depth KitGuru style, so your submissions should reflect that.

KitGuru says: We look forward to receiving your application. 

Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria was first announced in 2022 as part of an Epic Games reveal event. It eventually released on PS5 and PC via Epic Games in October 2023, sandwiched between a few of the biggest releases of last year. Now, around 10 months later, the game is landing on both Xbox Series X/S and Steam.

The release isn't the only noteworthy thing here though. The game, which is the first ever to be set in the 4th Age of Middle-Earth, has also received a massive new update, known as the ‘Golden Update', which crams in a ton of new content and a new game mode.

As part of the Steam launch, the game is being discounted for a limited time, bringing the price down to around £17. Throughout the game, you and your band of dwarves will travel deep into the Moria mines, gathering materials, crafting and collecting special artefacts. With the latest update, you can also play the new Sandbox mode, which encourages more nonlinear gameplay, with more varied map layouts and random elements.

The new update also includes new weapons, armour sets and building objects so you can flesh out your Dwarven fortress.

KitGuru Says: If you're a fan of LOTR, this may be worth checking out, although some of the gameplay I've seen does look a little janky.

Square Enix announced today that Foamstars will be going free-to-play starting on the 4th of October, just eight months on from the game's initial launch.

Anyone who purchased the game will be getting a ‘Legacy Gift' to try and smooth over the transition. This legacy gift will include a set of 12 exclusive skins, a ‘Legacy' player title and an exclusive slide board design.

As the game will soon be free-to-play, players on PS4 and PS5 will also no longer need an active PS+ subscription to play the game online, matching Sony's policy for other free titles, like Genshin Impact, Fortnite and others.

Unfortunately, there is no word on Foamstars coming to other platforms. While the PS4 and PS5 combined have a massive user-base, Square Enix would surely benefit from reaching players on other platforms, like PC. Fortunately, this is something the company will be focusing on more with future major releases, to the point where we may get the next mainline Final Fantasy game on PC at launch, rather than a year or so later.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: As someone who really enjoyed Splatoon on the Switch, I would be down to try this if it came to PC. For now though, the game remains PlayStation-only, but perhaps the switch to free-to-play will revitalise the player base a bit. 

The official trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has dropped today, giving us our first proper look at the film. If you've ever played the first level of Sonic Adventure 2, or even the Shadow the Hedgehog videogame, then you will immediately recognise elements, with Shadow escaping a secret lab and looking to take some rage out on the world. However, in a twist, it seems that series' villain, Dr. Robotnik, won't be siding with Shadow in this movie and will instead help Sonic and his friends.

All of the main actors from the previous films will be reprising their roles, including Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles. Keanu Reeves is stepping in to voice Shadow. We don't hear too many lines of Shadow dialogue, but in the short snippets we do hear, Keanu continues to sound exactly like himself, so if you were expecting a bit more range, I'm not convinced you'll find it in this performance.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will hit cinemas on the 20th of December this year.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The first two Sonic movies were surprisingly enjoyable, so I'll be looking forward to seeing a third. I am a bit disappointed at the lack of Chaos so far though. Sonic Adventure was my favourite game growing up, so a Chaos and Chaos Emerald-centred storyline would be right up my alley. 

After a number of leaks, Valve has decided to give up on keeping Deadlock quiet and has lifted all restrictions on talking about the game and sharing footage. However, Valve does also stress that the game is in ‘early development' so it is unlikely to see a full release this year.

As of now, there are almost 60,000 players currently playing the game and over the weekend, the total concurrent player count peaked at over 89,000. It would seem that Deadlock completely stole thunder from Sony's Concord launch, despite Valve's game being in an early alpha stage.

While Deadlock is in alpha, it is running very well and looks pretty good in its current state. Even the art used as placeholder looks pretty good, but Valve will no doubt give the game a fresh coat of paint when it comes time to launch.

While the floodgates have opened, Deadlock still requires an invite to play. Fortunately, anyone already in the test can send out invites to their friends, and the Deadlock subreddit has a thread dedicated to inviting people to the game, so if you want access at this point, it isn't hard to obtain.

For those who don't know, Deadlock is Valve's latest multiplayer shooter. This time around, we're getting a MOBA-infused hero shooter with new unique characters. It is a very different flavour to Team Fortress 2, Dota 2 and Counter-Strike.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Have you gained access to Deadlock already? What do you think of the game so far?

Breaking down the game:

Black Myth: Wukong is based on the famous Chinese story, Journey to the West, which has been adapted plenty of times in the past in various forms of media. Ninja Theory's ‘Enslaved: Odyssey to the West', was loosely based on the story. Akira Toriyama credited Journey to the West as part of his inspiration for Dragon Ball. Goku's name, Son Goku, is the Japanese pronunciation for Sun Wukong. Wukong is also the reason Goku fought with a staff, flew around on a magical cloud and had a monkey tail. These are just a couple of notable examples, but there are far more out there.

Like God of War, Black Myth: Wukong stars a magical being who has found himself on bad terms with the gods of the realm. While God of War is more focused on Greek and Norse mythology, Black Myth: Wukong is firmly based in Chinese mythology, with lots of Buddhist themes and a wide cast of characters. As someone who has always had an interest in ancient mythology, I was hooked by the premise pretty quickly and while some of the broad concepts are similar, the characters and fights feel fresh, with lots of anthropomorphic designs and grand-scale boss fights against all kinds of powerful deities.

There are some similarities to Souls like games. There are multiple paths to explore, secret bosses and shrines to find throughout the world, which act as save/respawn points. The game also has Souls-style boss fights, many of which will take multiple attempts to beat, but it is nowhere near as high a difficulty level and that primarily comes down to how agile your character is compared to the Souls games. It is far more like God of War, with its combination of exploration and storytelling. While many Souls games have passive storytelling, with lore drip-fed through environmental exploration, Black Myth: Wukong takes on a ‘show don't tell approach', with plenty of high-quality cutscenes and character interactions. You can't really play this game and ignore or miss the story in the same way you can in a Souls game, as so much of your character growth is tied to the trials and tribulations you face along the journey, and the characters you meet – akin to Kratos in God of War (2018), but with less of a stern attitude.

Sun Wukong is a fun character to play as, there is a playfulness to his personality, and it shines through in the way Wukong moves in battle. It is a similar marriage between combat utility and character that Insomniac achieved with Spider-Man. Wukong is very spry and athletic, leading to lots of spectacle moments in the heat of battle, whether you are going up against a massive boss or a lesser Yaoguai. While you start off with a basic spell and move-set, you can greatly expand your abilities through levelling up and spending ‘Sparks'. Certain abilities are locked behind a level cap or can't be unlocked until a certain point in the story, so you'll build up your powers one step at a time until you truly feel like the Monkey King.

The game features three distinct stances: smash, pillar, and thrust. Each stance comes with its own unique set of upgrades that players can unlock as they progress through the game. The stances primarily influence the heavy attacks, while your light attack combo will remain consistent across all three stances. Each stance seems to be geared towards helping in different situations. The Thrust stance is great for quickly closing gaps on the battlefield and catching enemies off-guard with a dashing heavy attack, which can be good for keeping up the offense against fast-moving bosses. The Smash stance is the basic stance that you start off the game with and is serviceable for most situations, with a combo that ends with you slamming the staff down in a hammer motion. The Pillar stance is my favourite and allows you to extend the staff to dodge ground attacks, and swing on the staff to hit multiple enemies at once, before leaping back and charging in for one big sweeping attack. During my time with the game so far, this is the stance that I have had the easiest time with.

You can further customise your combat with various spells. The first spell you obtain, Immobilize, is one of the most useful in the game, allowing you to instantly lock an enemy in place, even bosses, to get a quick flurry of attacks in, or to create a break in the fight for healing. Later on, you'll also have access to Cloud Step, a quick dash move that turns you invisible and distracts enemies with a decoy. You can exit your invisible form at any time with a hard-hitting attack that will knock enemies back. A Pluck of Many is another extremely useful spell, allowing you to summon clones to overwhelm enemies. If you've ever watched Naruto, it is essentially the Shadow Clone Jutsu, and like in Naruto, this ability can be quite overpowered in a lot of situations. As this game has no parry function, only allowing for quick dodges to avoid hits, Rock Solid is an ability that many will likely find useful. With this spell, you can momentarily turn to stone to deflect attacks and with some upgrades, deflecting an attack with Rock Solid will allow you to counterattack for big damage.

You also have access to a number of transformations. With your magical gourd, you can not only heal but also absorb the essence of a number of creatures in the game, some of which are obtained as part of the story, while others are obtained through level exploration.

Gear is not a huge focus of this game, but there is room to play around if you are looking to focus on a specific ability. You'll have the option to craft new gear sets, usually after a pivotal boss fight, and typically, the gear you craft has benefits for the ability you unlock for defeating the boss. For instance, defeating the Tiger in Chapter 2 will net you new gear that empowers the Rock Solid ability. The annoying thing I have found is that with the way each new gear set and ability is presented to you, you'll often feel like you have to switch to the newer gear due to the higher defensive rating, even if you have little need for the ability buff it provides. For instance, you'll obtain gear that buffs the Rock Solid spell shortly after unlocking it. This new gear set had higher defensive stats than my previous gear. However, I prefer using Cloud Step and had committed a number of resources into its upgrade tree, taking away the excitement from obtaining the new gear. I simply don't enjoy playing with Rock Solid as it doesn't fit with my shifty, speedy playstyle, but I didn't have any other high level gear that truly fit with my play style, creating a bit of a split between the way the game was guiding me to play and the way I actually wanted to play.

The good news is if you do prefer Rock Solid over Cloud Step, then you can respec your character at any time from a shrine, refunding all of your skill points to reassign. If you run into a boss that is giving you real trouble, then I would suggest going back to a shrine, playing around with some other abilities that might be more useful for the fight, practising a bit in the area before the boss and then going back in for the battle.

While I do love the combat in Black Myth: Wukong and the many, many boss fights, some of which are secret bosses that take a little extra effort to unlock, there are some issues. At launch, the camera can occasionally get stuck in awkward positions, particularly against large bosses, and sometimes you'll see hits not landing on bosses properly, seemingly due to hitboxes that don't quite match the visual representation of the boss. For me, this was particularly noticeable with one large, but skinny boss early on in Chapter 3. This will no doubt be cleaned up in future patches, but it is far from game breaking and the fights rarely have truly ‘unfair' moments.

PC Performance and Visuals:

Touching on PC performance and graphics, I have played the game both natively on my gaming PC, equipped with an RTX 4080 graphics card and Ryzen 9 5900X CPU, as well as on my Steam Deck via GeForce Now Ultimate, Nvidia's cloud gaming service powered by RTX 4080 GPUs. On my main PC, I run the game with the Cinematic graphics preset, DLSS 3 with Frame Generation ON, and Ray-Tracing turned all the way up. With these settings, I can easily run the game above 60FPS, usually around the 90FPS mark. However, in some later areas of the game, I have encountered a few more frame drops and stutters, so it can dip. Fortunately, as this is an Unreal Engine 5 game with support for Lumen lighting, you can switch off ray-tracing and still have a similar lighting effect driven through software. This will save you a ton of performance as ray-tracing effects are expensive to run, even on today's high-end hardware. I would recommend switching off ray-tracing if you have issues with DLSS 3 Frame Generation. I personally always use DLSS whenever its available and have become very used to it and rarely have issues with latency, although I'll occasionally spot the odd visual issue. However, others swear against Frame Generation and its latency effect. Unfortunately, Frame Generation is the only way to get this game running above 60FPS with ray-tracing ramped up.

Speaking of odd visual issues, I will say that sometimes with DLSS 3, the fog in this game can display pixelated artifacts from time to time and you'll also notice shimmering on Wukong's hair. This isn't noticeable in the heat of battle, but if you are standing still to scope out an area and turn the camera, it becomes very noticeable. I'm hoping this is something that can be improved in later patches, as this is not an entirely uncommon issue with DLSS-supported games and has been fixed in many other titles.

The game itself looks incredible. It is a true graphical showcase and looks fantastic on PC with all of the visual eye-candy turned up. Even at lower graphics presets, the game still looks great and there is a level of scalability here that means you can turn settings all the way down to run natively on a Steam Deck at 30FPS. With that in mind, even if you don't have the most up to date hardware, as long as you've put together your gaming PC sometime since 2016, you should be able to find a combination of graphics settings that works well for you.

I have also been highly impressed by how well the game runs via GeForce Now. Using the Linux beta version of GFN on my Steam Deck, I had the game set to Cinematic settings with RT and Frame Generation OFF, and the game capped at 60FPS to match the refresh rate of the Steam Deck display, as the Steam Deck does not have Variable Refresh Rate. My reasoning behind switching RT off here is simply due to the resolution and screen size of the Deck display – if I were playing on GeForce Now with a larger, higher-resolution display, then I would have played with RT switched on and it would have worked perfectly fine, as it does when streaming Cyberpunk 2077 on the Psycho preset. While I have had trouble with cloud gaming on certain devices, like a phone or tablet, on the Steam Deck, GeForce Now runs as perfectly as it does on my PC. The service has made great strides since I first began testing GeForce Cloud Gaming a decade ago. Nowadays, latency and control issues have been ironed out entirely and the visual presentation of the game displays no artifacts. At this point, GeForce Now Ultimate is so close to playing a natively installed game that I question if any of us should be spending thousands on our own gaming PCs nowadays, on top of the electricity cost for running high-end PC hardware.

With the game capped at 60FPS on the Steam Deck, you eliminate many instances of frame drops and get a very smooth experience, the kind of rock-solid performance that we typically associate with console games, but streamed over the cloud, without cooking your Steam Deck APU. I don't have the greatest WiFi in the world either, while I do get Gigabit speeds over Ethernet, my standard Virgin Media WiFi access points only manage around 20% of that speed, which is more than enough to stream a game nowadays. I don't know how Nvidia has done it, but many of the issues I have with other cloud services just aren't present here with GeForce Now Ultimate.

Should you buy Black Myth: Wukong?

Black Myth: Wukong is an exceptionally well-crafted game for a newer game studio like Game Science. There are some bugs here and there, but I haven't encountered anything game breaking, nor have I had the game crash on me in my 25ish hours of playtime so far. If you are highly skilled at action games, then you may be able to breeze through the story, but if you are more like me and spend a lot of time gaming across different genres, then you will find a good level of challenge here and you will get that same feeling of triumph and relief when finally toppling a major boss. Don't be afraid to go back to an area and grind a little if you are struggling. Sometimes, a few extra skill points can make all the difference. Speaking of grinding, the game is very respectful of the player's time, with level-ups being easy to obtain and you won't lose any XP upon death.

If you were expecting a really tough Souls-like game, you may be disappointed with Black Myth: Wukong as while it shares some similarities with those types of games, it is far more of a story-driven cinematic title. It doesn't have the same level of exploration as something like Elden Ring, as it has far more linear pathways in its level design, but you will want to look around in each level as there are secrets to discover, including easy to miss upgrades and special items and the occasional side-quest. Each area of the game also has its own secret boss and unlocking it will require that you explore each area thoroughly. It can be frustrating at times, as the game is so visually dense that spotting some pathways can be difficult and you'll often mistake pieces of the environment as pathways only to hit an invisible wall.

If you can look past that and simply want a fun new game to play with an interesting premise based in Asian mythology, and some of the coolest boss fights ever made, you should absolutely pick this game up. It is very beginner-friendly for an action game, just pay attention, make good use of all your abilities – even outside of boss fights, and if you have to, take fights slow so you can get comfortable with when to back away and create distance, and when to go ham on the combos. Finishing the game will likely take over 30 hours, but a veteran of the melee-action genre will be able to cut that down considerably by simply avoiding death and restarts.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Have any of you picked up Black Myth: Wukong already? What do you think of the game so far?

Back when Bethesda began really showcasing Starfield, it made statements that it chose to limit the game to 30FPS in order to dial things up on the graphics/visuals front. Then months after launch, Bethesda changed its mind and added a 60FPS mode, a mode that has very little impact on the visual presentation of the game but makes a huge impact in playability and responsiveness.

Now, Obsidian Art Director, Matt Hansen, has echoed similar statements on the Iron Lords podcast, stating that the team was “targeting 30 frames per second” from an early stage, adding that “you don't necessarily need 60 frames” for a “first-person , single-player” game. According to Hansen, the frame rate sacrifice allowed the team to “get a lot juicer with VFX and lighting”.

I would argue that single-player games benefit from higher frame rates just as much as multiplayer games. I would also make the argument that the higher frame rate is almost imperative for a first-person game, more so than a third-person title, as you have a smaller field of view.

For now, it appears that Avowed will only offer a 30FPS mode at launch. However, as we saw with Redfall and Starfield, that could very well change within the first year of release. Those of us playing on PC should be able to play the game without any frame rate cap at all.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: For many, 30FPS is an unacceptable level of performance due to factors like jitter/stutter and the direct impact it has over the feel of the game. Sure, you can get the frame pacing smoothed out, but 30FPS is always going to feel worse than 60FPS and I don't think there is a single example in all of videogames where a game felt smoother and more responsive at a lower frame rate. 

While Gearbox announced that it was working on Borderlands 4 quite some time ago, this is the first time we've had anything substantial to look at. The minute-and-a-half trailer shows off Lilith's firehawk symbol, before a meteor shower reigns down on an unnamed planet.

The trailer gives off a more realistic art style compared to the comic-bookish graphics found in the previous games. Whether or not this is a hint at a more grounded take on the Borderlands universe still remains to be seen.

We'll see much more of Borderlands 4 next year, as the game is slated to release in 2025 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: At this point, I think I'm done with the Borderlands series unless this new instalment can genuinely bring something fresh and new to the table. Are you looking forward to Borderlands 4? Are you invested in the story at all, or do you just enjoy the gameplay?

At Gamescom this week, the Batman: Arkham Shadow gameplay trailer finally dropped. While the game was announced months ago with a teaser image, this is our first look at the game in action:

As the trailer shows, we'll be using various gadgets, mixed with hand-to-hand combat to take down enemies on our search for Gotham's Rat King and his cult. As this is a VR game, motion controls are going to be heavily relied on here, so if you don't have much space to play, you'll want to be extra careful to avoid punching a wall, or a TV.

For now, Batman: Arkham Shadow is an exclusive for the Quest 3 VR headset, but we'll keep our fingers crossed for a wider release that includes more PC VR platforms and headsets in the future.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: My Quest 3 has sat in a cupboard for months so it will be nice to finally have a reason to jump back into VR. However, I'll be waiting to see the full scope of the game relative to its price first, especially after Batman: Arkham VR turned out to be nothing more than a tech demo. 

Mafia: The Old Country is a prequel, set years before the events of the first game. This is essentially an origin story, exploring the earliest days of organised crime mobs in Italy.

While the announcement trailer is very short, it is accompanied by a written description that teases the game a bit further:

“Uncover the origins of organized crime in Mafia: The Old Country, a gritty mob story set in the brutal underworld of 1900s Sicily. Fight to survive in this dangerous and unforgiving era, with action brought to life by the authentic realism and rich storytelling that the critically acclaimed Mafia series is known for.”

Mafia: The Old Country will return in December 2024, likely as part of The Game Awards, for a ‘closer look'. Developed with Unreal Engine 5, the game is currently planned to be released in 2025.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While I didn't enjoy Mafia 3 much, I am very excited to see a new game in the series with a fresh setting. Are you looking forward to this prequel, or are you holding off for a true Mafia 4?

After titles like Halo Infinite and Starfield failed to move the needle for Xbox hardware sales this generation, Microsoft has been exploring a new multi-platform strategy. This kicked off earlier this year, with the release of Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush, Grounded and Pentiment on PS5. Now, the strategy is extending to some of Microsoft's bigger titles, starting with Indiana Jones.

During the Xbox @ Gamescom broadcast this week, Phil Spencer brought up the multiplatform situation, saying: “We run a business, and that's definitely true inside of Microsoft. The bar is high for us in terms of the delivery we have to give back to the company, because we get a level of support from the company”.

Reading between the lines, it seems that at this stage, Microsoft has invested so much money into Xbox through studio acquisitions, that it needs to begin delivering on that investment. As Xbox consoles aren't exactly booming, they need to find those customers elsewhere, which means we will see more Xbox games on PS5.

This is very in-line with the policies put into place by Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, back when he first took over the company. Microsoft doubled down on software and ditched hardware projects like Windows Phone, instead choosing to supply software and services on platforms like Android and iOS to ‘meet customers where they are'. A similar trend is now happening with Xbox. Tens of billions of dollars have been funnelled into Microsoft's gaming division over the past five years, and that comes with the expectation of sales growth, even if it means sacrifices.

Phil Spencer added that “there's a lot of pressure on the industry” right now, so he expects other publishers to begin changing up  “some of the traditional ways that games are built and distributed”.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Do you think Xbox consoles have much of a future, or do you think Xbox will transition into being a games publishing force after this current generation? 

Dying Light: The Beast will bring about the return of Kyle Crane, the protagonist from the first game. Techland claims the game is around 20 hours long, with an all-new setting. Taking inspiration from Dying Light: The Following, this new game will feature co-op elements and vehicles.

The surprise twist here is that Dying Light: The Beast is replacing the planned second DLC for Dying Light 2. Those who bought the Dying Light 2: Ultimate Edition will get a code for the new game free of charge.

While Dying Light 2 received plenty of praise, there is a large group of fans that preferred the first game. Techland looks to be capitalising on that with the return of the first game's main character. The new setting should be a breath of fresh air too, moving away from dense urban environments to a more rural setting.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Are you going to pick up Dying Light: The Beast when it drops? There is no release date yet but hopefully Techland will shed some light on that before the end of the year. 

Here is AMD's explanation for AMD-generated gaming data differing from reviewer benchmarks:

“For our Ryzen 9000 launch, AMD internal labs generated data that showed a 9% average generational uplift in 1080P gaming versus Ryzen 7000 Series, and an average of 6% higher performance across more than 30 games when compared against the competition’s best. Not all reviews are seeing these results, and this reflects the complexity of high-performance PC testing today given the number of system and software variables. There are several factors specifically creating these differences in some Ryzen 9000 reviews:

• The AMD gaming test suite includes a broad set of esports, AAA, and popular older games, which are a combination of CPU- and GPU-bound titles. Game performance conclusions can be influenced significantly by the makeup of the test suite.
• AMD tested Intel configurations using comparable DDR5-6000 memory as well as Intel default settings-baseline power profile which can have a small impact on gaming performance.
• AMD also tests with Windows Virtualization-based Security (VBS) enabled.  This is the default Windows behavior and Microsoft recommends activating VBS to improve security, however it can affect gaming performance.

The “Zen 5” architecture incorporates a wider branch prediction capacity than prior “Zen” generations. Our automated test methodology was run in “Admin” mode which produced results that reflect branch prediction code optimizations not present in the version of Windows some reviewers used to test Ryzen 9000 Series.”

AMD demonstrates how the Windows version installed can impact gaming performance with fresh tests with the Ryzen 9 9950X on Windows 11 24H2 and Windows 11 23H2 in the table below, showing that some games do indeed see significant performance improvements when using Windows 11 Version 24H2:

The tests shown in the table were performed at 1080p resolution with ‘High' graphics settings. The reason for the performance gains with Windows 11 24H2 is the inclusion of AMD-specific branch prediction code, enabling better performance all around. However, this version of Windows 11 is currently only available through the Windows Insider Program. Currently, this Windows Update is in the Release Preview Channel, which means Microsoft will be planning to roll it out to all users quite soon. In the meantime, AMD is “collaborating with Microsoft” to try and get these code optimisations pushed out earlier via an optional update in Windows 11.

According to AMD, Zen 5 CPUs will see the biggest upgrade with this Windows update, but Zen 4 and Zen 3 CPUs should also see some improvements.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Leo is currently re-running some Ryzen 9000 tests, so stay tuned for updated benchmarks and comparisons in the very near future.

Starting off with keyboards, we have the new ROG Falchion Ace HFX and the ROG Strix Scope II RX 96 Wireless. The former is a 65% layout keyboard in an even more compact 60% frame. With ROG HFX Magnetic Switches, actuation points can be customised between 0.1mm to 4.0mm, and with an 8000Hz polling rate, you'll have super snappy response times. This keyboard also has its own Snap Tap mode called Speed Tap. These features were recently banned in Counter-Strike 2, but are still allowed in other popular shooters on the market.

The ROG Strix Scope II 96 RX Wireless is, as the name suggests, a wireless keyboard with a 96% key layout. Under the keycaps you'll find ROG RX Optical switches that ensure wobble-free keystrokes. There is also sound dampening foam to keep your button presses quiet. With Tri-Mode connectivity, you can utilise ROG SpeedNova Wireless, Bluetooth or 2.4GHz wireless for connecting to almost any device.

On the gaming mouse front, Asus is launching the ROG Harpe Ace Mini, a smaller, more refined version of the Harpe Ace mouse. Weighing in at just 49g, it is one of the lightest mice on the market, so you'll have no trouble with speedy mouse movements. Under the hood, you'll find a 42,000 DPI ROG AimPoint Pro optical sensor and on top of the mouse you'll find ROG Optical Micro Switches for instant actuation and long click life-span. The mouse utilises ROG SpeedNova wireless technology for ultra low-latency connectivity so every movement and button press registers exactly when you need it to.

The ROG Strix Impact III Wireless gaming mouse is another option, available in Moonlight White for the first time, with dual-wireless connectivity via Bluetooth and ROG SpeedNova. The switches on this mouse are mechanical and hot-swappable for easy upgrades or repairs, and with a 618 hour battery life via Bluetooth, you should always have plenty of charge left to finish up a fight.

Finally, we have the ROG Pelta Gaming Headset, a new wireless headset that also utilises Asus's low-latency ROG SpeedNova 2.4GHz technology. Alternatively, you can use it wired via USB, so it will be compatible with PCs, Macs, PS4 and PS5 consoles and the Nintendo Switch. The headset is powered by ROG-exclusive 50mm titanium-plated diaphragm drivers with a 20Hz to 20kHz frequency range. For comms, you'll be relying on a 10mm super-wideband boom microphone.

If you are running low on charge using the headset wirelessly, a 15-minute fast charge can power the headset for up to three hours and in 2.4GHz mode, you should get a total of up to 60 hours on a single charge, as long as you switch the RGB lighting off.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What do you think of the new suite of Asus ROG peripherals? Is there anything here you would like for your gaming setup? 

The new Asus X870 motherboards are equipped with AI optimization, Dynamic OC Switcher, Core Flex, AEMP, PCIe 5.0, and WiFi 7 with ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna (for the models with WiFi). If you spring for an ROG Crosshair X870E Hero or ROG Strix X870E motherboard, you'll also benefit from Asus's new NitroPath DRAM technology for even faster memory performance.

Below is a full list of each new Asus X870/X870E motherboard:

• ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
• ROG Strix X870-E Gaming WiFi
• ROG Strix X870-F Gaming WiFi
• ROG STRIX X870-A GAMING WIFI
• ROG STRIX X870-I GAMING WIFI
• TUF GAMING X870-PLUS WIFI
• ProArtX870E-Creator WiFi
• Prime X870-P WiFi
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AMD Ryzen 9000 Series CPUs slot into the AM5 socket, allowing owners of an X670E motherboard to upgrade their current systems after a BIOS update. However, for those building a new system today, X870/X870E is the ideal choice. If you want extra PCIe lanes to work with for SSDs and graphics cards, then X870E is your point of call as these motherboards are the most feature-rich of the bunch.

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KitGuru Says: Are any of you planning a new Ryzen 9000 powered system? Will you be going with an Asus motherboard?

For starters, we have the ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDP, sporting a WOLED panel with an impressive 480Hz refresh rate, making it one of the fastest OLEDs on the market. Asus also has a second new OLED monitor hitting the market soon, the ROG Strix XG27ACDNG, which sports a 360Hz QD-OLED panel instead. Both monitors are 27-inches, with 2560×1440 resolution, an ideal size and resolution for gaming at high refresh rates.

While not an OLED display, the new ROG Swift PG27AQNR has captured our interest. This is a new LCD monitor, with 1440p resolution and a great 360Hz refresh rate. The real benefit of going with this over an OLED is the inclusion of Nvidia's new G-Sync Pulsar technology.

After working with Mediatek, Nvidia's G-Sync module can now be integrated into Mediatek's widely used display scalers, removing the need for additional hardware to be included. Additionally, G-Sync Pulsar enables much greater motion clarity, comparable to a 1000Hz display according to Nvidia, combining the best elements of Ultra Low Motion Blur (ULMB) mode and G-Sync. Previously, users had to sacrifice Variable Refresh Rate in order to use ULMB but with G-Sync Pulsar monitors, this will no longer be the case.

The Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDP will be available first, starting in Q3 for €1,099. The ROG Swift 360Hz PG27AQNR and ROG Strix XG27ACDNG will be available in Q4, with pricing still to be confirmed.

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KitGuru Says: What do you think of the latest gaming monitors from Asus? Will you be looking to pick up a G-Sync Pulsar display when they become available, or are you more tempted by one of the OLED models?

The release date trailer for Indiana Jones and The Great Circle has now dropped, months after the game's big reveal at the Xbox Games Showcase in June. After a couple of months of mystery and rumours of a delay, the game's release date has now been set for the 9th of December.

While the game is not playable at Gamescom, Microsoft is showcasing gameplay at the event and so far, the game is looking great. While the game will only be available on Xbox consoles and PC this year, PS5 owners won't have to wait long, as the game is set for a PlayStation release in ‘Spring 2025'.

According to Xbox head, Phil Spencer, this is a continuation of Microsoft's multiplatform ambitions, which were made clear earlier this year with the release of four formerly exclusive games on platforms like the Nintendo Switch and PS5. However, Xbox still maintains that it will evaluate games on a ‘case by case' basis for exclusivity.

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KitGuru Says: At this stage, I think Microsoft should just do away with exclusives altogether. This whole ‘case by case' strategy has done nothing but stir up rumours for every single new game announced by Xbox. 

The House of Va'ruun is a secretive religious group in Starfield and you'll encounter some members throughout the game. One of the main characters in the constellation group, Andreja, who is also a romance option in the base game, has close ties to the House of Va'ruun, so she will no doubt be a big part of the upcoming Shattered Space expansion.

While the House of Va'ruun is a known quantity in the Starfield universe, their exact location, number of members and home city of Darza are all shrouded in mystery. Shattered Space will explore this exact plot thread, after picking up a mysterious distress signal from a derelict star station. The expansion promises to put players “on a path to Va'ruun'kai”, where we will “uncover the secrets surrounding the followers of the Great Serpent and ultimately decide the future of House Va'ruun”.

Ultimately, it sounds like another big main faction quest, similar in scope to the other faction questlines currently in Starfield. The Shattered Space expansion officially launches on the 30th of September for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Anyone who picked up the Premium Edition of the game will get access to the expansion at no extra cost. It will also be sold separately for those who only bought the base game.

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KitGuru Says: Andreja was my main companion throughout my first Starfield playthrough, so I already had a keen interest in this plot thread. With that in mind, I am very excited to jump into Shattered Space. The best part of most Bethesda games tends to be the faction quests, so hopefully this one can rank amongst the best.

Marvel Rivals, the new shooter starring a huge roster of Marvel characters, each with their own unique abilities and split between three main categories – Damage, Tank and Support. It takes inspiration from games like Overwatch, with a keen focus on overall team-play and hero synergies.

During last night's Gamescom Opening Night Live stream, the release date trailer for the game finally dropped, revealing a December 6th launch. The new trailer also confirms two fan-favourite characters for the game – Captain America and The Winter Soldier.

Marvel Rivals will launch as a free-to-play game, with monetisation through skins and possibly an additional battle pass model. All characters on the roster will be free on day-one. If you want to try the game out before release, there will be more beta tests running over the next couple of months.

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KitGuru Says: Have you tried Marvel Rivals already? Are you looking forward to the final game in December? 

The big new launch here is the Pure Base 501, which follows in the footsteps of the extremely successful and award-winning Pure Base 500 series. This makes for an ideal case for a new PC builder, or even an experienced builder just looking to make the job easy. The case is flexible despite its compact dimensions. It supports liquid cooling radiators up to 360mm, and you'll get two Pure Wings 3 140mm PWM fans pre-installed to get you started.

In the table below, you can see each new Pure Base 501 option and pricing:

Also, on display at Gamescom are the Light Base 900 FX and Light Base 600 LX, Light Loop 360mm/240mm AIOs, and Light Wings LX 140mm and 120mm mainstream ARGB fans in regular and high-speed versions. All of these ARGB products can be used together for a bright and colourful build, with limitless colour customisation options.

All of be quiet!'s new products are expected to launch in Q3 and Q4 this year, so we'll keep an eye out for availability in the months ahead.

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KitGuru Says: What do you all think of be quiet!'s latest? Are you thinking of picking up some of their gear for a new build?

The big highlight from DeepCool's case line-up at Gamescom is the new CG580 Series, DeepCool’s new panoramic ATX single-chamber case. With its premium tempered glass design and support for 360mm radiators, it offers exceptional versatility for DIY PC builders. The company is also launching the CH560R Series, which presents an updated design supporting BTF form factor motherboards, allowing you plug all of your motherboard cables into the back of the board, keeping the front of your system cable-free.

DeepCool's new Assassin IV VC Vision cooler will also be present. This is one of the better air coolers on the market today and with this version's improved vapor chamber base, you'll benefit from faster heat transfer, allowing the cooler to tame even the most power-hungry processors. For quick thermal monitoring, there is a display included on the cooler too, which will show you real-time CPU temperatures. Other coolers in the DeepCool line-up include the AK Digital Pro series, featuring multi-data screens and Core Touch 2.0 technology, as well as the new LP Matrix AIO liquid coolers, with diffused ARGB lighting and a 5th Gen pump for improved flow rate.

Lastly, we have DeepCool's new PN-M series power supplies, sporting the latest Intel ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards, providing stable power with a dedicated 12V-2×6, 5 EPS/PCle ports for modern high-power components. SFX PSUs are also available under the PX-S series, for those looking to build a compact but powerful system.

If you are after something a bit more creative to personalise your PC setup, then DeepCool has also recently launched PIXELS, which are little silicone bits moulded and cut to perfectly fit into the grills of various DeepCool cases. Some unique designes are on show at Gamescom, such as this Jujutsu Kaisen inspired design:

The case we designed for #gamescom2024 is finally here! Are there any #jujutsukaisen fans around?

Join in and design your own case with 10 different pixel colors!

*Experience it here: https://t.co/SKwmvFE6FD

Case: CH170 DIGITAL WH + CH560R#deepcool #gamers #setup pic.twitter.com/sDo89Dtjtl

— DeepCool UK (@DeepCoolUK) August 19, 2024

KitGuru Says: Are any of you attending Gamescom this week? Be sure to swing by the DeepCool booth!

Half-Life 2 RTX is being developed with Nvidia's RTX Remix toolkit. The team behind the project is working with over 100 artists to breathe new life into the iconic levels of Half-Life 2, with 4K textures, ray-traced lighting and more. In our latest look at the game, we get to take a good long look at the legendary Nova Prospekt level of the game, which has now been fully remastered.

The gallery above shows various screenshots from this level with RTX on and off for comparison. If you happen to be attending Gamescom this week, then you can even get some hands-on time with the game at the Nvidia booth, where demo stations will be set up with Half-Life 2 RTX running. It is a limited demo though, so you'll only get to explore Nova Prospekt, with the development team keeping other parts of the game under wraps for now.

There is still no release date for Half-Life 2 RTX, but Orbifold Studios seems to be making good progress. Aside from ray-tracing and 4K textures, this new version of the game also includes new assets and models to get the entire game looking better than ever. With DLSS 3.5, you can also minimise the performance loss from switching ray-tracing on without losing visual lustre.

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KitGuru Says: Half-Life 2 RTX is shaping up well. Hopefully by Gamescom next year, we'll have the full game in our hands.

To put this into perspective, this player count outdoes major single-player hits like Elden Ring, Hogwarts Legacy, Cyberpunk 2077 and is close to rivalling massive multiplayer titles like Counter-Strike, Dota and PUBG on Steam.

Currently, Black Myth Wukong also holds the title of the #1 selling game on Steam and in the weeks leading up to launch, it was also one of the most pre-ordered games on the store. While some press reviews have been more critical of the game, the current Steam User Reviews are very positive, with over 70,000 positive reviews, versus just 2,500 negative reviews, giving the game a 96% positive rating.

In all, these numbers show that Game Science, the small indie studio behind the game, has landed on a big hit. The game is also one heck of a graphical showcase, with full ray-tracing features, as well as tools like DLSS to keep your frame rate from dipping too far after switching on some of the heavier graphical effects.

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KitGuru Says: Black Myth Wukong is already making a solid impression amongst Steam gamers. Have any of you had the chance to try the game out already? What do you think of it so far?

G-SYNC Pulsar is the next evolution of Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology. While G-Sync is already great at eliminating stutter, the big upgrade here is the addition of Variable Frequency Strobing, which boosts motion clarity to a high level. With upcoming G-Sync Pulsar 360Hz monitors, you should get motion clarity comparable to a 1000Hz display. This clip below demonstrates the effect:

In the past, users have often had to make the tough decision between Ultra Low Motion Blur for its motion clarity characteristics, or G-Sync for perfect frame management without stutter or tearing. With G-Sync Pulsar, you should get the best of both worlds.

The other big benefit from Nvidia's new partnership with MediaTek is that moving forward, G-Sync will be incorporated directly into MediaTek's widely used scalers, removing the need for monitor makers to include an additional G-Sync module.

The first G-Sync Pulsar monitors will hit the market later this year, including the ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG27AQNR, the Acer Predator XB273U F5 and the AOC AGON PRO AG276QSG2. All three displays will boast 1440p resolution at up to 360Hz, as well as HDR. We'll be learning more about these displays at Gamescom, so stay tuned for more information.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It will be interesting to get a first-hand look at this. Many of us rushed to upgrade to VRR displays when G-Sync first hit the market in 2014. Ten years later, could this be the next big evolution?

Late last year, Nvidia announced that it had hit a big milestone – over 500 games and applications with RTX features. Now at Gamescom this year, that number has grown to over 600 RTX supported games and applications. Some of the biggest games of the year are dropping over the next few months and many of them will sport RTX features too, including the likes of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Dune: Awakening, Black State, Final Fantasy 16, Black Myth Wukong and Star Wars Outlaws, all of which include DLSS 3 and Nvidia Reflex.

GeForce Now has also crossed a new milestone, with over 2000 games now available to stream via the cloud, and if you make the jump to a Premium or Ultimate level membership, you can also access RTX features at any time. The GeForce Now Ultimate tier is particularly impressive, allowing you to power your games with a full-fledged RTX 4080 graphics card.

Upcoming releases like Black Myth Wukong, Star Wars Outlaws and Final Fantasy 16 will all be available to play through GeForce Now on day-one. If you are a Game Pass user, you'll be pleased to know that Xbox Automatic Sign-On is also being implemented, so you can quickly and easily access all of your Windows Store or Game Pass titles without having to go through the log-in process. Additionally, Nvidia is opening up a new EU data centre in Poland, enabling even more EU customers to access GeForce Now.

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KitGuru Says: Are you planning on picking up any of the upcoming RTX-supported games over the next few months?

At Gamescom this week, Microsoft will give us the latest update on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Developed by Machine Games, we had a good long look at gameplay back in June during the Xbox Games Showcase. At that time, the game was announced as an Xbox console exclusive for 2024, although a more specific release date has yet to be revealed. We are expecting that to change within hours, as a new trailer is due to drop later today.

While the game will initially only be available on Xbox Series X/S consoles, and PC, according to Nate the Hate, one of the first leakers to reveal Microsoft's multi-platform game plans, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will follow in the footsteps of titles like Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush and Grounded as a multi-platform console game.

It is claimed that the timed exclusivity window will only last for six months, so assuming Indiana Jones lands on Xbox in December, it should be available on PS5 by the end of June next year. This lines up with an earlier report from The Verge, a site well known for its links to Microsoft insiders. Back in February, the site claimed that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would be arriving on PS5 “some months” after the initial Xbox and PC launch.

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KitGuru Says: At this point, there are going to be question marks surrounding every ‘exclusive' Xbox announces. In the long run though, I think this is the best move for Microsoft, as the few exclusives they've had so far have done little to move the needle for Xbox hardware sales. 

Valve is now banning Counter-Strike 2 players from using keyboard features like the Razer Huntsman's ‘Snap Tap'. Wooting has a similar feature, which is also seeing players getting caught up in the VAC system. These features automate multiple button presses to perfectly strafe, taking some of the skill-element out of movement in CS2. For instance, typically strafing requires a complete press and depress of the opposing directional buttons, so if you are moving side to side, you would need to be tapping A and D rapidly. However, features like Snap Tap take this element out, allowing users to strafe and counter-strafe from a single button press, without the need for spamming. While this can be a great accessibility feature in a lot of games, in a competitive game like Counter-Strike, this level of automation is seen as an unfair competitive advantage.

As a result, Valve has now banned all “automation” in Counter-Strike 2, whether it comes via scripting or hardware, like the Razer Huntsman keyboarrd. Moving forward, “players suspected of automating multiple player actions from a single game input may be kicked from their match”. As I noticed yesterday, this practise already seemed to be in place hours before Valve's official announcement.

Currently, while players are getting kicked and asked to switch off any software that may interfere with Counter-Strike 2, permanent bans do not seem to be on the table at this stage. Chances are, Valve is giving users an opportunity to catch up on the news for now, and may issue harsher punishment later down the line.

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KitGuru Says: Do you think this ban is fair, or are there other areas Valve should be focusing on to improve VAC and fair online play?

Final Fantasy 16 is the latest mainline game in the franchise, taking inspiration from western fantasy media, like Game of Thrones. There is a big world with several conflicting kingdoms and an all-new action-based combat system developed by the lead combat designer behind Devil May Cry 5, which was widely hailed as one of the best action games made to date. Due to this new combat system, we get some of the most visually impressive fights in the entire series, especially the boss fights.

The PC trailer shows us what to expect from the game from a graphics perspective. We are still awaiting details on PC system requirements. With that said. if you want to just try running the game for yourself, a demo is now available for all PC players, giving access to the first couple of hours worth of the main story, ending at a pretty major cliffhanger point, so if you hate that sort of thing, you may want to just play a little bit and then hold out for the full release.

On PC, Final Fantasy 16 will launch as a ‘Complete Edition' with all DLC included from day-one, like The Rising Tide and Echoes of the Fallen expansions. The game will be available starting on the 17th of September.

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KitGuru Says: I've been waiting a long time for this. Will any of you be picking up Final Fantasy 16 on PC next month? If you've tried the demo, how is the game running so far on your system? 

The Zotac Zone is the latest gaming handheld to by powered by an AMD Ryzen APU. In this case, we're looking at a Ryzen 7 8840U, which uses Zen 4 CPU cores and RDNA 3 graphics. The APU is paired with 16GB of LPDDR5 memory and a 512GB NVMe SSD for speedy storage – an SD Card slot is also present so you can easily add more storage. For cooling, there is a small fan under the hood, as well as a large vent, surrounded by an ARGB LED on the back of the device, in the middle of your two additional paddle buttons, which can be customised for quicker access to shortcuts or in-game button presses.

Setting itself apart from the crowd, the Zotac Zone uses Hall Effect joysticks and triggers, as well as a large 120Hz AMOLED display with better brightness than the screens currently found on the ROG Ally and MSI Claw.

The Zotac Zone will hit the US market at around $800 and we expect to learn more about EU pricing and availability during Gamescom this week. The system ships with a free 1 month trial for Xbox Game Pass, which you'll readily be able to use out of the box thanks to the Zotac Zone's use of Windows, rather than Linux or Android.

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KitGuru Says: The Zotac Zone has some good features, specifically for the integrated controllers, with drift-resistant joy sticks, a pair of touch pads for any situation where a mouse is required, and dual-stage triggers for those who prefer a shorter actuation distance. Now we'll have to see if Zotac can carve out a space for itself in this rapidly growing market.

The Lance is a very defensive weapon type, with guard moves and multiple counters, so you can catch monsters off-guard and deal some damage by exploiting weak points. Despite the Lance's enormous size, it is a one-handed weapon, so you get a shield too.

Next up we have the Dual Blades, for those who prefer a more fast-paced, offensive style of play. The Dual Blades also grants the weilder access to ‘Demon Mode', which when activated, allows for a fast flurry of attacks.

Gamescom: Opening Night Live airs tomorrow evening. At this point, we are expecting to see a release date trailer during the show.

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KitGuru Says: Are you looking forward to Monster Hunter Wilds? Which weapon is your favourite in the Monster Hunter series?