
Phil Hayton
I’ve been messing around with PCs, video game consoles, and tech since before I could speak. Don’t get me wrong, I kickstarted my relationship with technology by jamming a Hot Wheels double-decker bus into my parent’s VCR, but we all have to start somewhere. I even somehow managed to become a walking, talking buyer’s guide at my teenage supermarket job, which helped me accept my career fate. So, rather than try to realise my musician dreams, or see out my University degree, I started running my own retro pop culture site and writing about video games and tech for the likes of TechRadar, The Daily Star, and the BBC before eventually ending up with a job covering graphics card shenanigans at PCGamesN. Now, I’m your friendly neighbourhood Hardware Editor at GamesRadar, and it’s my job to make sure you can kick butt in all your favourite games using the best gaming hardware, whether you’re a sucker for handhelds like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch or a hardcore gaming PC enthusiast.
Latest articles by Phil Hayton

Prime Day PS5 deals 2025: The biggest Sony savings still available in Amazon's final day of sales
By Rosalie Newcombe last updated
Deals Prime Day PS5 deals are making a comeback this week, and today, the biggest Sony savings began rolling out.

I'd catch these Prime Day retro handheld offers before midnight tonight to avoid any regrets
By Phil Hayton published
Deals Here are three retro handheld deals I'd check out before Prime Day ends, including an homage to the Game Boy Advance SP and a cartridge-based console.

This Prime Day RTX 5090 "deal" is making my head hurt, but there are graphics card offers to ease the pain
By Phil Hayton published
deals The RTX 5090 is technically discounted in line with Prime Day, but I've got GPU recommendations for players not looking to spend over $2,000.

Last-chance Prime Day tablet deals 2025: the biggest sales still available on Amazon
By Rosalie Newcombe last updated
Deals Amazon Prime Day Tablet deals have made a comeback today, with various savings rolling in for the week.

This ridiculous Prime Day deal nets you a retro handheld and all three Tomb Raiders for less than the price of a Switch 2 game
By Phil Hayton published
Deals You can now grab a Super Pocket handheld and the Evercade Tomb Raider collection for under $60 thanks to Prime Day, and it's my favorite retro console deal yet.

The number of retro handhelds out there is frankly terrifying, but here are three I'd hit first over Prime Day
By Phil Hayton last updated
Deals Here are three Prime Day Retro handheld deals that will help you pick the perfect portable pal for emulating classic games.

Newegg is taking the fight to Prime Day, so I've searched the entire site for the 11 best discounts available now
By Phil Hayton last updated
Deals It might be Prime Day, but I've picked out 11 PC gaming deals at Newegg that beat the Amazon sale.

This "boring" Prime Day purchase is what I'd call an essential buy for Game Boy fans and retro handheld lovers
By Phil Hayton published
Deals If you've got an old Game Boy or retro handheld that uses AA cells, picking up a rechargeable battery pack during Prime Day could prove invaluable.

I'm putting together a Steam Deck pack for a friend using Prime Day, and these three accessories are non-negotiable
By Phil Hayton published
Deals Here are three Prime Day Steam Deck deals on accessories I think every handheld gaming PC owner should pick up during the sale.

I can't believe a Nintendo Wii accessory is one of Amazon's top Prime Day products in 2025
By Phil Hayton published
Deals The PORTHOLIC Wii to HDMI Converter is one of Amazon's top-selling gadgets this Prime Day, and while that sounds wild, it will help you hook up Ninty's console.

The tween in my life uses her "iPad" constantly for Roblox, and a Prime Day discount is only the second reason I'd grab the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro
By Phil Hayton published
Deals The Fire HD 8 Kids Pro is perfect for tween gamers who aren't quite ready for an iPad, and Prime Day has knocked the tablet under $70.

Prime Day doesn't always provide retro console riches, but here are three gadgets I'd actually grab
By Phil Hayton published
Deals Here are three retro gaming goodies I'd grab ahead of Prime Day 2025, including plug-and-play consoles, handhelds, and controllers.

The Super Pocket is still keeping the heart of physical gaming alive, and the latest retro handheld flavors are distracting me from the Switch 2
By Phil Hayton published
News The new Super Pocket Data East and Neo Geo Edition handhelds come with a new range of built-in games, but still boast physical cartridge support.

I missed Sonic the Hedgehog's birthday, so I'm making up for it by playing his best game on a Sega Saturn-inspired handheld
By Phil Hayton published
News The Anbernic RG ARC-D is a fantastic handheld for retro Sega games, but I can't stop playing Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Saturn-themed portable.

This tiny Atari console is naturally great for Pac-Man, but I use it to play one of the most cursed retro games from the '80s
By Phil Hayton published
News The Atari 400 Mini is a fantastic retro console time capsule for playing classics like Pac-Man, but it'll also help you easily try forgotten oddities.

Alienware gaming PCs aren't cheap, but I'd grab a discounted Aurora rig over a single graphics card right now
By Phil Hayton published
Deals You can currently grab up to $700 off Alienware Aurora gaming PCs at Dell, and there's a specific RTX 5070 Ti build I'd grab over a single GPU.

The ultimate Nintendo Switch 2 starter pack
By Phil Hayton published
Feature This is the ultimate Nintendo Switch 2 starter pack for players picking up Ninty's new handheld, with accessories and gadgets hand-picked by the GR+ team.

HDMI 2.2 cables will theoretically help the PS6 hit 16K, but I'd maybe focus on perfecting your 4K setup instead
By Phil Hayton published
News HDMI 2.2 specs highlight what future console and PC performance could look like, but while the new cables can handle 16K, you'll want to focus on 4K for now.

The 55-inch LG OLED C4 has transformed my living room gaming setup, but just know that I'll be jealous of anyone who grabs the 65-inch version
By Phil Hayton published
News The 65-inch LG OLED C4 is currently the same price as the 55-inch version, and that could be a sign to grab the gaming TV before it retires from shelves.

Look, I'm loving Mario Kart World, but it won't keep me from playing my favorite PS1 racer on this $40 retro handheld
By Phil Hayton published
News For half the price of Mario Kart World, you can currently grab Anbernic RG28XX and re-visit the Nintendo racer's biggest PS1 rival.

Time Crisis is my favorite arcade shooter, so I'm naturally losing it over this upcoming light gun plug and play console
By Phil Hayton published
News The G’AIM’E: Plug & Play Time Crisis Gun system offers up a way to play classic light gun games on your modern TV, and it's set to arrive in November 2025.

The Lenovo Legion Go isn't my favorite, but it could end up being the better Xbox handheld for under $500
By Phil Hayton published
News The ROG Xbox Ally is on the horizon, but discounts on the Lenovo Legion Go could give it a serious edge over the Microsoft handheld gaming PC.

I'd pair this NES-themed gaming mouse with a sleeper PC, but it boasts plenty of modern clicker tricks
By Phil Hayton published
News The 8Bitdo Retro R8 is a gaming mouse that looks like an old NES accessory, but it boasts high specs that'll help it pair perfectly with a punchy sleeper PC.

I use this stylish retro mini PC as a living room indie games portal, and it's effectively a tiny Xbox that rivals handhelds
By Phil Hayton published
News The Ayaneo AM02 is a mini PC that looks like a futuristic NES, performs like a high-end handheld, and can act like a tiny Xbox using Windows 11.
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