Welcome to the last full week of October and boy is it going to be a busy week of new game releases. This week's AAA release is said to force you to go rogue on your tour of duty. Next you'll be starting your own tentacle cult, which if followed by being kicked out of hell for the second time, an inaccurate history lesson, being blown away by the wind and finally being turned into a blue hedgehog.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 / This week's AAA title / Friday 25 October
Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops. The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity. Steam link

It's time for Classic and Modern Sonic to reunite in a remastered collection of iconic 2D and 3D Sonic levels! We unveiled Sonic X Shadow Generations during State of Play—the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog platformer delivering blistering platforming challenges at speeds only Sonic and Shadow can deliver. It's a greatest hits playlist of iconic 2D and 3D Sonic levels from Sonic Generations, both remastered and expanded for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. But that's not all—Sonic X Shadow Generations also introduces an all-new standalone campaign for Shadow the Hedgehog, making this the definitive blend of Classic Sonic, Modern Sonic and Shadow gameplay.

The announcement that premiered last week shows off a glimpse of the title with action-packed footage to get fans excited for the new additions to come. The original Sonic Generations provided an unforgettable experience to Sonic fans old and new, as it combined nostalgia from the early days of Sonic with the latest modern Sonic gameplay at the time. The story centers around Sonic and friends as their universe is thrown into chaos when an ominous power appears, creating "time holes," which take Sonic and his friends back in time. While in the past, Sonic runs into some familiar faces including a classic version of himself! Together, they must team up to defeat enemies, save their friends, and find out who is behind this diabolical deed.

Adventure through the mystical Northstar Islands in this all-new take on classic 2D Sonic high-speed action platforming. Play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy and harness all-new Emerald powers to move and attack in dynamic new ways. Navigate gorgeous, never-before-seen environments solo or with up to 3 other players and stop Dr. Eggman, Fang, and a mysterious new adversary from converting the islands' giant animals into Badniks before it's too late!

A new Spin on a Classic
The 2D Sonic high-speed sidescrolling action platforming you know and love, reimagined with fully 3D graphics, new powers and abilities, an all-new setting, and new ways to play! You've never played classic Sonic like this before!

MSI is thrilled to announce an incredible offer for all gaming enthusiasts - Starting from October 17th to November 17th, 2023, when purchase MSI latest liquid cooling products - MAG CORELIQUID E360 / WHITE, you will get a free Sonic Superstars game key!

Sonic Superstars game key
MSI has always been dedicated to upgrading users' gaming experience, and our new E series liquid cooling models are no exception. Designed for optimum performance and reliability, these cooling solutions will keep your gaming rig running smoothly. And now, when you invest in our latest liquid cooling technology, you'll also get rewarded with a FREE Sonic Superstars game key.

October appears to be yet a busy month with many new game releases and this coming week is jam packed with new releases, even though none of them can exactly be called a AAA release. That said, we do have a couple of big releases nonetheless, the major one being a new take on a classic console game. The rest of this week's releases range from strategy puzzles to action-adventures and a touch of hell, to dungeons and hot wheels, to finally finishing the week with some horror.

Sonic Superstars / This week's major release / Tuesday 17 October
Adventure through the mystical Northstar Islands in this all-new take on classic 2D Sonic high-speed action platforming. Play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy and harness all-new Emerald powers to move and attack in dynamic new ways. Navigate gorgeous, never-before-seen environments solo or with up to 3 other players and stop Dr. Eggman, Fang, and a mysterious new adversary from converting the islands' giant animals into Badniks before it's too late!

Today, SEGA of America, Inc. and PowerA, a leader in officially licensed gaming accessories, announced a new partnership to create, distribute and sell a line of Sonic the Hedgehog-themed third-party gaming accessories. The initial product-line launches today and includes controllers for Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S, a branded Nintendo Switch Protective Case, as well as a TriFold Game Card Holder for Nintendo Switch cartridges.

"As big fans ourselves, the PowerA team is thrilled to partner with the team at SEGA to bring Sonic the Hedgehog and friends to our controllers and accessories," said Akio Strasser, Senior Global Marketing Director for PowerA. "With more than 30 years of Sonic, and multiple generations of gamers experiencing this franchise, we are so excited to bring these characters to life on our accessories for the first time."

Sonic Origins Plus is out now! This all-in-one bundle includes Sonic Origins and the Plus Expansion Pack, featuring 12 Sonic Game Gear titles, playable Knuckles in Sonic CD, and for the first time ever, Amy Rose as a playable character in Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic CD! This pack also includes the previously released Premium Fun Pack and Classic Music Pack.

When Sonic Origins Plus launches on June 23rd, the Sonic Origins: Digital Deluxe Edition, the Premium Fun Pack, and the Classic Music Pack will no longer be available to purchase separately on digital storefronts. But don't worry! All the content from these packs will be included in Sonic Origins Plus! For those who currently own Sonic Origins, you can purchase the Plus Expansion Pack to upgrade to receive the Classic Music Pack and the Premium Fun Pack content, as well as all of the new content being added to Sonic Origins Plus!

Leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, proudly announces its new series of Intel B760 motherboards, including B760M Steel Legend WiFi, B760M Pro RS, and special edition B760M PG SONIC WiFi. These feature-filled motherboards are designed to bring supreme performance and the latest technologies - including up to PCI-Express 5.0 & overclocked DDR5 - to benefit more PC enthusiasts, gamers, and office/workstation builds than ever before. The B760 chipset is designed for the latest 13th Generation Intel Core 'K' or 'non-K' series processors (socket LGA1700), while also supporting the previous 12th generation.

Followed by the success and critical acclaim of the ASRock Z790 PG SONIC, the company has released another officially licensed motherboard featuring SEGA's Sonic the Hedgehog: the B760M PG SONIC WiFi. Based on the mainstream Intel B760 chipset, this micro ATX motherboard features all the exciting SONIC elements in a small form factor and budget friendly design.

Leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, proudly announces its new ASRock Z790 PG SONIC, an officially licensed motherboard featuring SEGA's Sonic the Hedgehog. A 16-bit spinning ring emblazons the rear IO cover, while on the rear side you'll even catch a glimpse of Sonic mid-run. The ASRock motherboard is co-launched to celebrate the release of SEGA's new Sonic Frontiers game.

"Designed to bring back epic memories of catching rings in Green Hill Zone, the motherboard echoes Sonic's lightning speed with its fast blue and silver shards and Sonic silhouette, besides the motherboard outlook is designed around the Sonic the Hedgehog theme, the ASRock Z790 PG SONIC also features a SONIC-inspired UEFI BIOS interface", Said Chris Lee, Vice President of ASRock motherboard & gaming monitor business unit.

Today Intel launched its 13th gen Core processors alongside the Z790 chipset, which in turn lead to a lot of new motherboards being available. However, it appears that ASRock is working on a special edition of its Z790 PG Riptide board that has something of an unusual twist. The board is known as the Z790 PG Sonic and appears to be some kind of cooperation with Sega, since the board carries clear Sonic the Hedgehog branding.

The board seems to be some kind of limited edition version of the Z790 PG Riptide, as we can't spot any features that have changed, at least not based on the pictures posted by @momomo_us on Twitter. The top of the board has Sonic themed heatsinks, as well as some of the printing on the PCB and the rear is adorned with a rather large Sonic in white on the black PCB. Obviously the packaging is also adorned with a Sonic print, but there doesn't appear to be any other connection to Sonic or Sega, which makes the whole partnership a bit of a mystery at the moment, but it's highly likely that we're looking at a limited edition product for the Asian markets here.

MSI has recently announced the Vigor GK71 Sonic and Vigor GK50 Low Profile TKL gaming keyboards. The MSI Vigor GK71 is a full-size mechanical keyboard featuring MSI Sonic Red 35 g Linear switches paired with translucent keycaps and MSI Mystic RGB lighting. The keyboard features integrated volume and media controls along with a detachable memory foam wrist rest. The MSI Vigor GK71 will be available to purchase exclusively from the MSI US online store for 119.99 USD from February 2022.

The MSI GK50 Low Profile TKL is an 80% mechanical keyboard featuring Kalih White low-profile switches paired with octagonal keycaps and MSI Mystic RGB lighting. The keyboard features an ergonomic floating keycap design with a detachable USB Type-C cable and included drawstring bag for transportation. The integrated feet support three different angles at 5°, 8°, or 11° and anti-slip pads for increased support. The MSI GK50 Low Profile TKL will be available to purchase in Asia and Europe soon with an MSRP of 84.99 USD.

NVIDIA Reflex is a new innovation designed to minimize input latency with competitive e-sports games. When it comes out later this month with patches to popular e-sports titles such as Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Valorant, along with a GeForce driver update, the feature could improve input latencies even without any specialized hardware. Input latency is defined as the time it takes for a user input (such as a mouse click) in a game, to reflect as output on the screen, or the time it takes for your mouse click to register as a gunshot in an online shooter, and appear on-screen. The feature is compatible with any NVIDIA GeForce GPU, GTX 900 series or later.

NVIDIA briefly detailed how this works. On the software side, the NVIDIA driver co-operates with a compatible game engine to optimize the game's 3D rendering pipeline. This is accomplished by dynamically reducing the rendering queue, so fewer frames are queued up for the GPU to render. NVIDIA claims that the technology can also keep the GPU perfectly in sync with the CPU (1:1 render queue), reducing the "back-pressure" on the GPU, letting the game sample mouse input at the last possible moment. NVIDIA is releasing Reflex to gamers as GeForce driver updates, and to game developers as the Reflex SDK. This allows them to integrate the technology with their game engine, providing a toggle for the technology, and also put out in-game performance metrics.

SEGA has confirmed that they are planning to use Denuvo on its future releases (subject to change, of course). The company's affirmation comes hot on the heels of the recent Resident Evil 2's executable release on Steam that didn't pack in the custom-tailored DRM solution, which saw users flying to test the impact of the Denuvo DRM on the games' performance. A difference of 4-12 FPS in the same game and system configurations (in favor of the DRM-less version) have been reported by users that benchmarked both releases, which does amount to a discernible difference in final frame output.

Following the public's reaction to this, SEGA has reaffirmed, in an answer of sorts, that their upcoming Total War: THREE KINGDOMS (May 23rd release) and Team Sonic Racing (May 21st release) will still be using Denuvo so as to protect early sales of the titles. It's interesting that the company has already removed the protection system from Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami and Sonic Mania, and has recently released Yakuza Kiwami 2 without the same tech. It seems that the higher profile the release, the more SEGA tends to opt for the anti-tamper tech - which does make some sense in the grand scheme of things.

At an industry event in Taipei today, Hermann Eul, general manager of Intel's Mobile and Communications Group, unveiled new details about the company's forthcoming Intel Atom processor-based SoC for tablets ("Bay Trail-T") due in market for holiday this year. Based on the new Silvermont microarchitecture, the next generation 22nm Intel technology for tablets and ultra-mobile devices will enable sleek designs with 8 or more hours of battery life2 and weeks of standby, as well as support Android* and Windows 8.1*.

Eul also spoke to recent momentum and announcements around the smartphone business and demonstrated the Intel XMM 7160 multimode 4G LTE solution, now in final interoperability testing (IOT) with Tier 1 service providers across North America, Europe and Asia. "The mobile category is undergoing a tremendous amount of innovation and constant change," said Eul. "As we look at growing it, we continue to invest in and accelerate our efforts across all aspects of mobility with a focus on smartphones, tablets and wireless communications. Intel's unique assets will enable more compelling and differentiated products and experiences, while at the same time helping to shape and lead markets in the future."

Sega is continuing to reach into its back catalog, and fans are loving it. The latest HD remaster from the house of Sonic is the Saturn classic, Nights into Dreams. The digital re-release will be available on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and Windows PC this fall. The updated version adds widescreen HD graphics, as well as support for leaderboards, trophies, and achievements. The original game will be available to play in "Saturn Mode," just in case you're not fond of the sharper graphics and textures.

ViewSonic released two new 27-inch PC monitors, the VG2732m-LED and VP2765-LED. Part of the gamer-oriented VG series, the VG2732m-LED has low response time of 3 ms. The VP2765-LED, on the other hand, is fine-tuned for graphics professionals, making use of an Advanced MVA (AMVA) panel, with a response time of 5 ms, and packs 2W stereo speakers. Both displays make use of a slim bezel design, use LED-backlit illumination, full-HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution, 300 cd/m² brightness, and 20 million to 1 dynamic contrast ratio. Further, both displays feature 4-port USB 2.0 hubs, display inputs that include DVI, D-Sub, and DisplayPort; and stands that allow 90° pivot, tilt and height adjustments. The VG2732m-LED is priced at US $429. The VP2765-LED goes for $459. Both are expected to be released next week.

ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih has unveiled the highly-anticipated Padfone along with the latest ASUS innovations, which include new UX Series notebooks, redesigned N Series notebooks with SonicMaster audio technology, the revolutionary and versatile Eee Pad Memo 3D, ultra-thin Eee PC X101 netbooks, and unique home entertainment devices such as the motion-sensing WAVI Xtion and the 27" All-in-One high-definition ET2700XVT desktop PC. With "Break the Rules, Innovation Beyond Expectations" as the dominant theme this year, Mr. Shih has reiterated the company's strength in cutting-edge designs and superior engineering skills to help bring users the devices of their dreams. "Breaking the rules and changing the status quo are the keys to our success, and we strive to offer customers an experience that surpasses their expectations," said Mr. Shih.

Palit Microsystems Ltd, the leading graphics card manufacturer, announces the new generation of performance level graphics cards - GeForce GTX 560 Ti Series. Including GTX 560 Ti Sonic, GTX 560 Ti 2GB and GTX 560 Ti, Palit customized design GTX 560 Ti Series come with complete line to bring you best gaming experience.

Featuring 4.2GHz for the 1GB GDDR5 frame buffer and a 10% bump for core speed from 822MHz to 900MHz, Palit GTX 560 Ti Sonic can boost 9% higher than non-OCed in DX10 performance and 4% faster in DX11. The massive factory overclock also enables Palit GTX 560 Ti Sonic beating Radeon HD6950 with ease. An 11% faster performance, Palit GTX 560 Ti scored 10320 in 3DMark Vantage benchmark. Moreover, Palit GTX 560 Ti Sonic provides killer performance in the hottest titles, 32% faster in Lost Planet 2 and 19% in FarCry2. Palit GTX 560 Ti is the top choice for enthusiast gamers! Palit also offers a 2GB option in GTX 560 Ti series. With 2X memory size, Palit GTX 560 Ti 2GB support better performance at maximum resolution monitor while GPU works alongside the CPU to drive fantastic graphics performance. You can enjoy the extreme performance while playing the latest DX10/DX11 PC games under HD large screen with Palit GTX 560 Ti 2GB. Equipping the premium GTX gaming technologies such as NVIDIA Surround, 3D Vision, PhysX and powerful SLI technology, Palit GTX 560 Ti Series is built for the best in gaming performances!

Palit joined the GeForce GTX 580 party with two offerings, both using NVIDIA reference board design, but one of them being a factory-overclocked Sonic variant. The base model sticks to NVIDIA reference clocks of 772/1544/4008 MHz (core/shader/memory), while the Sonic model goes all the way up to 832/1670/4200 MHz. The GeForce GTX 580 packs 512 CUDA cores, and 1536 MHz of memory across a 384-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface. Palit's GTX 580 base model is priced at €480, and the Sonic model at €500.

Palit is ready with its own-design GeForce GTS 450-based graphics card. Palit's design looks nearly identical to that of its GeForce GTX 460. It uses a red-colored custom-design PCB, a fan heatsink with a shroud that spans along the length of the card, and display connectivity that includes two DVI, an HDMI, and a DisplayPort. Palit will release a base-model that sticks to the reference clock speeds of 783/1566/900(3600) MHz core/shader/memory, while Sonic, and Sonic+ factory-overclocked models could be in the works. The company is also said to be working on a SFF-friendly low-profile model based on the GTS 450. Palit's base model card is priced around the $136 mark.

Known to be an innovative lot when it comes to designing graphics cards, Palit has quitely slipped in a new variant to its Radeon HD 4850 series: the Palit Radeon HD 4850 Sonic Special Edition. What makes this card special, or rather different from the HD 4850 Sonic, are its memory and connectivity options. This is perhaps the first and only Radeon HD 4850 accelerator with GDDR5 memory. The card features 512 MB of GDDR5 memory across a 256-bit wide bus.

It uses an identical dual-slot cooler design to that of the HD 4850 Sonic. If the faster memory wasn't incentive enough, Palit has also expanded the connectivity options. The card provides a DVI, D-Sub (analog), HDMI and DisplayPort connectors all on the card. Owing to the Sonic branding, the card definitely sports higher clock-speeds than what AMD specifies. Further blurring the line between this card and a Radeon HD 4870, is its requirement of two 6-pin PCI-E power inputs. We are in the process of finding out its exact clock speeds, price and a larger picture.

Palit Microsystems, leading graphics card manufacturer, introduces the 55nm graphics processor: Palit GeForce GTX260 Sonic 216SP. The overclocked edition Palit GTX260 Sonic 216SP is the first custom designed graphics card that combines the innovative DUAL FAN cooling system with the high performance ad power efficiency of 55nm GPU to deliver the perfect solution for the gaming enthusiast.

Plextor is reinforcing its product line-up of Qflix recording devices by introducing the two new PX-806SA and PX-Q840U internal and external optical drives. Both drives feature Qflix recording technology from Sonic Solutions, enabling consumers to download and burn movie and TV titles on a DVD media for immediate viewing. The PX-806SA internal SATA super multi drive supports blazing fast 20x burns on single layer DVD±R media (4.7 GB), 8x burn speed on double/dual layer DVD media (8.5 GB) and 12x on DVD-RAM media. As for the old CDs, it is capable of 48x CD-ROM and 32x CD-RW burn speeds. The drive's bundle features Roxio Venue, which connects directly to CinemaNow for media download, Roxio Creator 10 CE burning software and two recordable Qflix DVDs by Ridata. At last, both drives have 2MB of buffer memory, the standard for today's burners. The PX-Q840U model is essentially the same drive, but designed for external usage. Like most Plextors, the PX-Q840U external retails for $149.99 and the PX-806SA internal retails for $89.99, a lot above you'd expect to pay for a DVD burner. Both drives are available for purchase now through distributors and retailers in North and South America.

Palit Microsystems, leading graphics card manufacturer, follows up the release of HD 4850 Sonic by introducing the astonishing HD 4850 1GB Sonic equipped with 1024MB king size memory along with pre-overclocked 2000MHz memory speed and 685MHz core speed combining Palit's own design innovative cooling system and power management technology offering another amazing choice to performance hunters.

Palit HD 4850 1GB Sonic edition, as the 1GB Sonic naming implies, has 1024MB king size memory along with pre-overclocked 2000MHz memory speed and 685MHz core speed. This card is able to provide stunning graphics performance while offering extra memory buffer, allowing users to enjoy extreme performance improvements while playing the latest DX10 PC games under HD large screen and high quality image (such as 8xAA.).