MSI unveils its new lineup of AI gaming desktops, following the introduction of Intel's Arrow Lake-S desktop processors. The lineup features two advanced models: the MPG Infinite X3 AI and the MEG Vision X. These desktops harness the power of Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2) with built-in Neural Processing Units (NPUs), coupled with NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics cards. This powerful combination delivers enhanced performance in both AI-accelerated gaming and complex processing tasks, aiming to optimize the gaming experiences.

These new desktops are equipped with up to Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 285K, boasting 8 P-Cores, 16 E-Cores, and an integrated 13 trillion operations per second (TOPS) NPU. When paired with up to a GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card, the systems achieve an impressive total of over 1300 TOPS, enabling them to handle advanced AI tasks effortlessly while enhancing gaming performance and AI-generated content (AIGC) efficiency. The integrated NPU significantly enhances processing capabilities, particularly for AI-related tasks. In applications like DIGIME software, it boosts AI inference efficiency while simultaneously reducing GPU load. This optimization not only improves performance in specific applications but also benefits overall AI computation across various tasks.

Corsair, a leading global developer and manufacturer of high-performance gear and technology for gamers, content creators, and PC enthusiasts, has begun to release the first products in its multi-year, full cross-brand collaboration with the critically acclaimed Call of Duty franchise. This powerful new integration sees two of the world's best-known gaming brands come together for the first time with the collaboration extending across multiple product categories at Corsair including Drop, Elgato, ORIGIN PC and SCUF Gaming.

"We are thrilled to be teaming up with Activision and have our world-class brands come together as Corsair is set to deliver premium performance for Call of Duty players across all platforms whether it's playing Black Ops 6, capturing amazing content or streaming with friends," said Thi La, President and COO at Corsair. "Our goal has always been to fuel the Call of Duty fandom with best-in-class products built for today's gamers and we couldn't be more thrilled to partner with Corsair for the launch of Black Ops 6. The suite of officially licensed products will help elevate gaming stations everywhere in true Call of Duty Black Ops style," said Brooke Carpenter, Senior Director, Global Consumer Products at Activision.

There was a bit of upheaval in the indie gaming space this July, when game publisher, Humble Games, effectively shuttered its doors due to budgeting concerns at its parent company, Ziff Davis. Back then, the entire staff was laid off when the publisher shuttered its doors. Now, the former Humble Games general manager, Alan Patmore, and ex-global publishing VP, Mark Nash, have come together to form Good Games Group—a game publishing group with more or less the same set of values and goals as Humble Games, but without the corporate oversight.

The new team's first order of business is helping Humble Games support indie titles previously launched under the Humble Games—a task that was apparently given over to a third-party game publisher after the 36-person crew of Humble Games was laid off earlier this year. Given that Good Games Group's first step involves Humble Games and projects that would previously have been worked on by the same team, it seems likely that the same developers that published games via Humble Games will continue to work with Good Games Group.

HexGaming, a leader in customizable game controllers, is setting a new standard for eSports performance with the release of the PHANTOM Gaming Pro Controller for PS5. Built for serious competitive gamers, the PHANTOM combines precision engineering with unparalleled customization, empowering players to dominate in any high-pressure gaming scenario.

Key Features Include:

• Well-Designed Controller Layout:
  The PHANTOM Controller boasts an ergonomic design that enhances the hands-on feeling, allowing for an outstanding gaming experience. Its integrated structure provides multiple solutions and ensures precise, quick button responses. Soft rubber grips reduce fatigue during long gaming sessions, letting players enjoy every moment of gameplay.

MSI proudly announces the launch of two cutting-edge wireless gaming controllers: the FORCE PRO WIRELESS and the FORCE GC300 WIRELESS. Building on the success of their predecessors, the FORCE GC30 and GC20, these new controllers deliver superior performance, enhanced features, and maximum comfort for gamers seeking the ultimate control experience across various platforms.

Ultimate Customization & Performance: FORCE PRO WIRELESS
The MSI FORCE PRO WIRELESS takes customization and precision to a whole new level. Featuring auto-calibrating interchangeable thumbsticks with built-in drift correction and 3-level Hall Effect triggers, this controller is built for peak performance. With 4 rear programmable buttons and 4 vibration motors, the FORCE PRO WIRELESS offers gamers full control and an immersive gaming experience, all with secure handling thanks to its anti-slip texture and firm handgrip.

Welcome to the first full week of October and another busy week of new game releases. This week's AAA release involves balls and dragons, but no need to worry, it's not an adult only game. This is followed by a co-op metroidvania game that actually appears to have a story, this week's remake which involves a ghost town on a hill, a shady parkour platformer, an old-school style JRPG, a turn-based RPG and finally a peaceful exploration game. Also out this week is the Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred DLC.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero / This week's AAA release / Friday 11 October
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero takes the legendary gameplay of the Budokai Tenkaichi series and raises it to whole new levels. Become a super warrior and experience the earth-shaking, limit-breaking power of Dragon Ball battles! Engage in heart-pounding, high-speed 3D battles that stay true to the anime and video game series, with breathtaking visuals and authentic combat moves like beam clashes, rush attacks, movements too quick for the eyes to see, and planet-razing ultimate attacks. Steam link

Motion Twin, of Dead Cells fame, has announced the early access release date for its next roguelite, Windblown, which looks to be a much more cheerful affair than the grim-dark Dead Cells, and it's designed for multiplayer, too. Windblown will feature many of the same gameplay elements as Dead Cells, though, including fast-paced hack-and-slash combat, platforming, and permanent death. This time, though, Motion Twin has gone for an isometric perspective, instead of the side-scroller style, and the pixel graphics are swapped out for a cutesy cartoon style and color palette somewhat reminiscent of the likes of Paladins. There also appear to be some nifty bullet-hell-style battles thrown into the mix.

As for the release date and playable demo, Motion Twin has not yet announced when the game will fully release, but a Windblown demo will launch on October 14 during the upcoming Steam Next Fest, and Steam Early Access for the full game arrives on October 24. Motion Twin also says that any progress and unlocks achieved during the playable demo will carry over once the full game launches, which is a nice touch.

Starfield's Shattered Space DLC launched on September 30, and it was meant to address many of the base game's major issues, with a more hand-crafted feel, more intimate encounters, and a more narrative-driven gameplay experience. Instead, Steam gamers and critics alike have lambasted the expansion online for boring and underwhelming, repetitive gameplay, calling it "more Starfield," essentially repeating the story of Starfield's initial launch. At the time of writing, the Shattered Space DLC has 1,601 reviews on Steam, with only just over 34% of those reviews rating the expansion positively—placing it squarely in the "Mostly Negative" category on Steam.

Likely the biggest disappointment when it comes to Shattered Space's poor reception is that the Starfield player base actually seemed quite optimistic about the expansion, thanks to previous gameplay and interviews about the intention behind the expansion. Critically, however, Starfield developer, Bethesda, deliberately didn't send out game keys to the press for review prior to the launch of the game, so there was no real way for players to know whether they would enjoy the $29.99 expansion before buying it.

Nintendo is living up to its litigious reputation this week, with news reports emerging of the gaming giant issuing a massive wave of copyright strikes on any YouTube videos containing footage of emulation. In addition to this, it seems like Nintendo may have had some harsh words for the lead developer of a popular open-source Switch emulator.

As of an announcement today, the open-source Switch emulator, Ryujinx, is no longer available for download from its GitHub repository. One of the more active developers for the project confirmed via a message in the official Discord that the lead developer, who goes by gdkchan, was contacted by Nintendo with an "offer," although given the outcome of the interaction, it was likely less an offer and more a threat. Shortly before that, Retro Game Corps, a popular content creator in the Nintendo emulation community, posted on X that his YouTube channel had received multiple copyright strikes, requiring that he move away from showing game emulation on-screen.

Humble Bundle has just announced its monthly Humble Choice game bundle, a monthly selection of games that Humble Bundle members can download and keep forever for free. While the intention is obviously to tempt gamers to sign up for a recurring Humble Bundle membership, there's nothing stopping you from signing up for a month for $11.99 to claim the Humble Choice bundle and then cancelling the membership.

For October, there are eight new games joining the Humble Choice bundle, ranging from colorful, action-packed, third-person RPGs to indie simulation games, and meditative puzzle exploration games. The main attractions of the October Humble Choice bundle, though, have to be Remnant II, Persona 5 Strikers, Jusant, and Dome Keeper, which have each earned positive reviews both from critics and gamers alike.

Today, Razer announces two significant updates to its revered Basilisk V3 line of gaming mice - favored by gamers who prioritize customizability, immersion and convenience. The all-new Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K, a fully customizable wireless ergonomic gaming mouse, and the Razer Basilisk V3 35K, a wired version, both feature quality of life upgrades to redefine personalization. These updated models, available in both black and white editions, also retain the 13 customizable controls, multi-zone Chroma RGB with underglow and wireless charging compatibility as well.

Upgrades include:

• Razer Focus Pro 35K Optical Sensor Gen-2: First used in the mouse of champions, the Razer Viper V3 Pro, this sensor delivers unrivaled precision on any surface. Enhanced by intelligent features like Smart Tracking, the sensor automatically detects surface types to adjust the tracking algorithm accordingly, ensuring optimal performance on different materials. This feature, combined with Motion Sync, synchronizes data from input to PC for more responsive tracking. Gamers can adjust to 1-DPI precision, or port over the sensitivity settings that they are accustomed to, in just three quick steps.
• Extended Battery Life: Enjoy up to 140 hours on Razer HyperSpeed Wireless, or up to 210 hours on Bluetooth, on a single charge, allowing for marathon-long gaming sessions without interruption.
• Configurable Razer HyperScroll Tilt Wheel: Offers customizable scrolling experiences from smooth, free-spinning to tactile incremental movements. Users can also auto-switch between the two based on their scroll speed in Smart-Reel mode—now configurable on the new Synapse 4. In addition, gamers can layer on preferred scroll acceleration settings to amplify their virtual scrolling speed.

Creative Technology today announced the release of the Sound Blaster GS5, a sleek and compact soundbar designed to elevate the audio experience while taking up minimal space. With versatile connectivity and exceptional audio performance powered by SuperWide technology, the Sound Blaster GS5 creates a wider, more immersive soundstage—perfect for intimate gaming sessions or cozy movie nights with family and friends.

Despite its compact size, this soundbar packs a punch with deep bass and crystal-clear sound. It is powered by advanced full-range racetrack drivers and a built-in port tube with a peak power output of up to 60 W, making every sound—from subtle whispers to dramatic explosions—come alive.

Philips launches two exciting additions to the Evnia 5000 gaming monitor series: the 27" (68.5 cm) Philips Evnia 27M2C5501 and the 31.5" (80 cm) 32M2C5501. These new models are designed to pull gamers deeper into the action, offering high-performance to elevate the gaming experience. Featuring Quad HD Fast VA panels, a 180 Hz refresh rate, and 0.5 ms MPRT with Smart MBR feature, these monitors deliver fast, smooth gameplay, while HDR10 and AI-enhanced Ambiglow lighting create an immersive, visually stunning environment.

Speed and precision for competitive gamers
The Philips Evnia 27M2C5501 and 32M2C5501 offer gaming enthusiasts all the features they need to get the most out of even the most intense, competitive games. The curved Fast VA panel matches beautifully with these monitors' 180 Hz refresh rate, low input lag, Adaptive-Sync and a fast response time of 0.5 ms MPRT with Smart MBR, which together ensure that players enjoy swift, precise, seamless movements that appear immediately on-screen without any tearing, smearing, or blurring. With these features, nothing stands in the way of pure enjoyment.

Amazon Games recently launched the long-awaited free-to-play MMORPG, Throne and Liberty, in early access, and the game appears to have gone down quite well with the community. On Thursday, mere moments after the launch, Throne and Liberty already had a peak player count of 53,884—a figure it likely earned during its advanced access period in South East Asia and Korea, where it has been available since as early as December 2023.

Since then, Throne and Liberty has continued its success, rising to as many as 54,720 concurrent players on Saturday, September 28. While this only places it in third place for current top sellers on Steam, this player count is in spite of the free-to-play game's early access pass costing a minimum of $40 on Steam. Throne and Liberty has also garnered its significant following despite only 60% of its Steam user reviews being positive, making its success even more anomalous.

Welcome to week 40, which is also the beginning of October and another week packed full of new game releases. This week's major release is a F2P MMORPG by NCSoft, for those that are into those kinds of things. This is followed by an animal horror game, an open world zombie survival, an arcade inspired isometric action shooter of sorts, some roguelike magic, a remake of a 2015 adventure game and finally a Japanese co-op action RPG. In addition to this, the first DLC for Starfield is out this week.

Throne and Liberty / This week's major release / Tuesday 1 October
Welcome to Throne and Liberty, a free-to-play MMORPG that takes place in the vast open world of Solisium. You can scale expansive mountain ranges for new vantage points, scan open skies, traverse sprawling plains, explore a land full of depth and opportunity. Adapt your fight to survive and thrive through strategic decisions in PvP, PvE or both as you encounter evolving battlefields impacted by weather, time of day, and other players. There is no single path to victory as you seek to defeat Kazar and claim the throne while keeping rival guilds at bay. Steam link

Since its inception, Razer Synapse has been designed with the goal of empowering gamers and elevating their experience; with core functions like key remapping and macro creation, Synapse enables users to create personally tailored setups to make Razer peripherals truly their own. For years, Synapse has been constantly innovating to meet evolving user needs. And now, as the Vice President of Software at Razer, it is with great pleasure and excitement that I am able to announce the official full rollout of Razer Synapse 4.

What's new with Synapse 4
In this latest evolution, after nearly a year of intensive beta testing, Synapse 4 has redefined performance and usability, ensuring that all users will be able to enjoy a more reliable and intuitive experience on the platform.

Today we are thrilled to unveil the Razer Kraken V4 Pro at RazerCon 2024—a testament to more than 12 years of legacy with our iconic Kraken headset series, which has been a cornerstone in gaming audio. Joining the recently launched Kraken V4 and Kraken V4 X, the Kraken V4 Pro with its pioneering OLED Control Hub, brings a new dimension of audio immersion and control, pushing the limits of what an immersive wireless gaming headset can offer.

Engineered for Comprehensive Audio Control
Our journey in developing the Kraken V4 Pro was driven by a singular vision: to create a headset that not only provides unparalleled sound but also gives gamers complete control over their immersive gaming experience.

Today at RazerCon 2024, we proudly unveiled the Razer Freyja, the world's first HD Haptics Gaming Cushion. This pioneering device is designed to significantly enhance sensory experiences, transforming gaming into a vividly immersive journey.

Next-Gen Tactile Immersion
At the core of the Razer Freyja is our Razer Sensa HD Haptics technology. This advanced system extends sensory feedback beyond the visual, allowing you to feel every detail of your gameplay. Imagine feeling the adrenaline of a race car's roar or the tense quiet of a stealth mission with such realism that it blurs the lines between game environments and reality.

Digital Extremes's free-to-play third-person looter-shooter, Warframe, has changed radically over the years, serving as something of a golden example of how to do live-service games. The developer also shows no sign of slowing that progress, with the game's upcoming Warframe 1999 and Koumei & the Five Fates updates looking to introduce a slew of new content and gameplay updates. While both updates were previously announced, Digital Extremes revealed additional details about the rollout of the updates and their content at the Tokyo Game Show.

For starters, Digital Extremes announced that Warframe 1999—the 90s- and cyberpunk-themed story update—will be getting a playable demo on October 16, with an in-game cosmetic reward for players that try out the demo, to boot. The Koumei & the Five Fates update is slated to land on October 2 and deliver a new playable Warframe, Koumei, and a new Shrine Defense game mode with enemies inspired by Japanese folklore. There are also quality-of-life changes, new weapons, and weapon and Warframe mods coming in the same update, and an old Warframe will get a drastic rework and be available as a free login reward between October 3 and 16.

Valve's latest third-person MOBA-like hero shooter, Deadlock, has had a pretty serious cheater problem, despite still being an invite-only public test. While the game has thus far operated on a player reporting system to identify and punish cheaters, a recent game patch has introduced a rather comical—and seemingly effective—anti-cheat system that can either ban cheating players or turn them into frogs until the end of the match.

Valve says that the new anti-cheat system is set up to be fairly conservative at the moment to avoid any false positives. Aside from the new anti-cheat, Deadlock's September 26 update introduced a new hero, Mirage, whose design and gameplay seem rooted in the jinn from Arabic myths (aka djinn or genie) and added a pretty vast collection of gameplay updates, balances, and quality-of-life improvements throughout the game.

Sucker Punch, developer of the wildly popular Ghost of Tsushima, recently announced Ghost of Yōtei as the follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima and confirmed that this is only the beginning of a seemingly expansive franchise. Ghost of Yōtei is the first indirect sequel to Ghost of Tsushima to take place in what Sony calls the Ghost franchise and follows a new character, Atsu, on a quest for revenge in feudal Japan. It will launch on PS5 in 2025, although Sony has yet to reveal a firm release date.

In an interview with The New York Times, Sucker Punch revealed that it had already started planning Ghost of Yōtei as a follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima before the original game was even announced. It also revealed that it had already started working with Chad Stahelski, director of the John Wick franchise, on a cinematic adaptation of Ghost of Tsushima, and that there are other games coming to the Ghost franchise in the future.

At Razer, innovation is in our DNA. We consistently push boundaries to create features that not only enhance the gaming experience but also often set new industry standards. Today, I'm excited to share an update on one of our latest innovations—Razer Snap Tap—initially introduced on the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro line, is now extending across more devices, including the now-available Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%.

Innovation at the Core of Razer
Razer has always been at the forefront of gaming technology, introducing features ahead of their time. These innovations typically stir robust debates but ultimately pave the way for new standards within the gaming industry. Razer Snap Tap is no exception. Following its successful introduction, we've observed others in the industry follow and implement similar technology, validating our leadership in gaming innovation, and cementing the Razer Advantage.

There have been a slew of changes for the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows launch, and the latest announcement out of Ubisoft promises some serious changes to the game's launch strategy. Not only will the game be delayed by almost four months, but it will now launch on PC via Steam at the same time as PS5 and Xbox consoles, and Ubisoft is apparently ditching the season pass model that it previously resorted to for major game launches.

In a previous article, we detailed the delays to Assassin's Creed Shadows, but further information was revealed in a Ubisoft trading update (PDF):

We are departing from the traditional Season Pass model. All players will be able to enjoy the game at the same time on February 14 and those who preorder the game will be granted the first expansion for free.

Today at Connect, we unveiled Meta Quest 3S, a headset with the same mixed reality capabilities and fast performance as Meta Quest 3, but at a lower price point. Starting at just $299.99 USD, Quest 3S is the best headset for those new to mixed reality and immersive experiences, or who might have been waiting for a low-cost upgrade from Quest and Quest 2.

From watching your favorite TV shows on a cinema-sized screen to your own personal trainer that you can take with you anywhere you go, plus multitasking capabilities, gaming and more, there's no better mixed reality device on the market at this price.

Ubisoft and the Assassin's Creed game franchise have had a bit of a rough time of late, with recent installments to the franchise largely having received a lukewarm or even negative reception. Now, just two months ahead of the official launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows—which is slated to revive much of the allure of some of the older Assassin's Creed games—Ubisoft is reportedly pulling out of the Tokyo Game Show and cancelling early media previews of the game.

Ubisoft Japan broke the news via a post to the company's official X account, although it doesn't reveal why it cancelled the September 26 broadcast, citing only "various circumstances" for the cancelled appearance. Alongside the cancelled Tokyo Game Show showcase, Ubisoft has also reportedly cancelled the subsequent Assassin's Creed press previews, which were scheduled for next week. The cancellation of both of these events has led fans to speculate about potential launch delays for the next Assassin's Creed game.