Nintendo executive and Mario's papa Shigeru Miyamoto says that he wants to give people as many reasons as possible to buy Nintendo consoles, and hopes parents might give them to their children as coming of age gifts.

In an interview with Famitsu that's been translated by GamesRadar+ Miyamoto talks about his philosophy on selling consoles, and imagines a world where everyone receives one of the company's consoles when they're old enough.

"I am always saying that the company should 'create reasons for people from all over the world to pick Nintendo,'" he says. "In Japan, when children start elementary school you buy them their own school bag. In the same way, I think it would be great if there was a selection to choose from like, 'Now that you're six, I've got you a Nintendo', 'Which Nintendo would make you the happiest?'"

You might be confused how buying your child a Nintendo Switch 2 is remotely similar to picking up a backpack, but in Japan the hybrid console is usually the cheaper option. This is because Japanese elementary school children have a special type of backpack that they use called a randoseru.

These are hand-made luxury goods that usually cost hundreds of dollars. Unlike a standard backpack, they have a hard shell, multiple pockets and are exceptionally robust. The cost is high, but your randoseru is expected to last your entire six years of elementary school, and if necessary, can be passed down to younger siblings.

Technically, elementary school children can bring any type of backpack to school, but you're unlikely to see young school kids carrying anything except a randoseru. In the West, receiving a bag doesn't seem like a momentous occasion, but to a Japanese six-year-old it's a sign they're coming-of-age. Receiving your randoseru means that you are about to start school, which is your first minor step into adulthood.

Getting your child a Nintendo Switch 2 might be cheaper than picking up a randoseru, but there aren't nearly as many color combinations to choose from and you can't fit an A4 file inside. However, given how long the Nintendo Switch lasted, you might get a few more years out of it.

Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto says PCs were once "held in higher regard than consoles," so the NES was made to bridge "the gap" – "It wasn't just a toy"

Former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata blamed the public's perception of gaming as non-standard for the GameCube's poor sales, says Nintendo executive Shigeru Miyamoto. This led to the development of the DS and Wii as a way to attract both gamers and "non-gamers."

In an interview with Famitsu, that's been translated by GamesRadar+, Miyamoto discusses why Nintendo chose such unique input methods for both the DS and the Wii. He claims that the GameCube's poor sales was the catalyst for discussions at the company about why consoles solely dedicated to video games might fail to sell.

"Before we made the DS, there was the highly versatile, simple to use, easy for any developer to make games for, cheap to buy, Nintendo GameCube, but it didn't get the reception we expected," Miyamoto laments. "Some consoles sold well for what they were, but there were also a lot of people who bought them to watch DVDs. The GameCube was only purchased by gamers."

Both of the competing consoles that outsold the GameCube, the PS2 and original Xbox, featured a DVD player. The Xbox is particularly notable as the new console on the block without a proven track record of excellent games that Nintendo had.

"At that time, we analyzed the [sales] numbers of dedicated game consoles, and [late-Nintendo president Satoru] Iwata identified that part of the reason [for poor sales] is that 'being a gamer has not been normalized all over the world,'" Miyamoto says. "If you think about it, we don't say 'book readers and non-book readers.' Though maybe people do nowadays."

Nintendo has done a lot over the years to normalize gaming, and Miyamoto says he often spoke with Iwata about how video games should be for "everyone and their mom." However, despite how widespread gaming is, it still fails to integrate into our speech as we still say gamer, but as Miyamoto points out, we don't say things like 'reader' or 'watcher,' for hobbies that are considered 'normal.'

"We were making products for one type of customer, but we were discussing how there was a time when Nintendo was a company that handled a wide variety of entertainment worldwide," he says. "The conclusion we drew from these discussions was that if we design a complicated controller like the ones currently made for consoles, then we'll never attract non-gamers. We didn't want to be restricted by making a 'video game console,' but instead make a 'new tool for play.'"

Both the Wii and DS were famous for their popularity with people who had never purchased a console before. Games like Wii Sports, Wii Fit, and Brain Training all offered people who didn't usually play video games a more mainstream and easy to understand way to play.

"So when it came to the DS, we wrote taglines for every player like 'everyone is at the starting line' and 'play with just one pen.' For the Wii it was something like 'Use your body to play,'" Miyamoto says. "With the DS and the Wii, we wanted to spread video game consoles as a new way to play, quickly all around the world, and that worked to some extent. I think that made us conscious of creating a [hardware] interface as part of play. I think that was a big deal."

Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto says PCs were once "held in higher regard than consoles," so the NES was made to bridge "the gap" – "It wasn't just a toy."

Pokemon Pokopia's first-ever DLC is landing on the Nintendo Switch 2 on August 5, 2026, introducing a new underwater 'Bubby Basin' habitat that you can help bring to life. The new trailer showed off the adorable Popplio and other water-types frolicking under the waves, and if those drops of cuteness have convinced you to finally invest in the new handheld, then you should check out this Nintendo Switch 2 + Pokopia bundle.

It includes the handheld and a digital copy of Pokopia, and you get that adorable box with Ditto's infectious grin printed on the side. Better yet, it's down to just £399 at Amazon right now, instead of its usual £429.99 MSRP. Over the past couple of weeks, the bundle has been sitting at £424, so you're saving £25 here - just gather £4 more, and you can pick up the Bubbly Basin expansion too.

This Nintendo Switch 2 bundle might have been sitting at £424 recently at Amazon, but if you factor in that it's typically found at its full £429.99 price at the official Nintendo store, then you're really saving £30.99 today. That more than covers the £29.99 (Nintendo) cost of the new Pokopia DLC. Which, by the way, provides you with access to not just Part 1 of the game's new content, but the next two waves of DLC too.

Part 2 of the Pokopia expansion is set to arrive in late 2026 and introduces the option to give your Poke pals a little makeover. Just when I thought Peakychu couldn't get even cuter, Nintendo chose to include them in a little maid hat and wings in the trailer, which was cuteness overload. While Nintendo states that there's no new town included with Part 2, you will get access to "add some new flair to your surroundings", alongside new furniture and new Pokemon. Fingers crossed that means we'll get some new wallpaper options, as I'm getting a bit sick and tired of seeing plain white walls when it comes to my Palette Town builds.

Part 3 doesn't launch until sometime in 2027, so you'll have to be a little patient. Of course, you don't have to bother with the DLC if you don't want to. If you don't grab it, I do recommend buying this cheap Nintendo Switch bundle as soon as possible, not only to ensure you save £25, but as the handheld is getting its first price increase this coming September. In a month's time, it's going to be at least £30 more expensive here in the UK, and that's without a download code for Pokemon Pokopia too.

• View all Nintendo Switch 2 gaming deals at Amazon

New to Switch 2? Our team has also rounded up the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers, the best Nintendo Switch headsets, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards that can help transform your Pokemon Pokopia adventures.

Square Enix's Final Fantasy 14 is finally making its way onto the Nintendo Switch 2, but if you want to install the beloved MMO, you'll need to free up a massive 117GB worth of space. That's almost half of the console's 256GB onboard storage, but as has been the case since the handheld's inception, you can invest in a Switch 2 SD card to prepare for the RPG and other storage-demanding games like it.

The best microSD Express Cards are available in capacities from 128GB up to 1TB, and while more expensive than the previous generation's cards, they have remained free of the pricing woes plaguing SSDs, or so I thought. While doing my usual check of some Switch 2 cards for possible deal coverage, I noticed that the once $199.99 1TB PNY microSD Express card is now listed for as high as $371.99 at Amazon, and it's entirely sold out on the UK storefront.

That's a $172 increase since when I originally reviewed it in March earlier this year, and now I'm worried that SD cards are now going the way of the best SSDs for gaming and being affected by the RAMpocalypse. I had hoped they'd be spared from the current gaming storage pricing hellscape, but the evidence is pointing to the contrary.

There was a chance that this escalation was just an Amazon US anomaly. Yet a quick glance at the official US PNY online store reveals that not to be the case. That very card with the P-SDU1TBP31EXP-GE SKU is listed with the same $371.99 (PNY) price tag, a sum that's depressingly not that far behind the current $499 price of the Nintendo Switch 2 console. According to my CamelCamelCamel price checker, its 512GB card hasn't stuck at its $113.99 MSRP either. It shot up to $146.16 on February 6, earlier this year, so even the smaller capacity cards aren't safe from fluctuating pricing.

Of course, if it were only PNY cards being affected, it wouldn't be as big of a deal. Yet, a quick scan of the few storage brands with microSD Express Cards that provide as much as 1TB extra space reveals they too are being affected. The Lexar 1TB Play PRO Micro SD Express Card, the very first 1TB model to hit the market, launched for $199.99 / £199.99. As you've likely guessed, it's not sitting at Amazon US for $200, and instead is available for $349.99 (Amazon). That's a $150 price increase since it became available late last year, and another disheartening sign that the eye-watering SSD prices we've been witnessing over the past year have now got their claws into these Switch 2's already limited storage options.

I'm not the only one who has noticed these changes. 19 days ago, Reddit user dairy_free_bacon shared a screenshot from the GameStop storefront on r/Switch2 subreddit stating, "Anyone else notice that 1tb sd cards went up by $100??" They explained that they had previously bought the GameStop-branded 1TB microSD Express card for $199, and it's now listed for $299.99 instead, the price that it still sticks to today.

The comments of this post were ablaze with the reasoning behind this dramatic increase, and plenty of Switch 2 owners seem to have come to the same conclusion I have - that the RAMpocalypse has claimed another victim. User pikachuyann replied to the post stating, "The "RAM price crisis" doesn't affect only RAM, but all sorts of storage too," and I believe they're bang on the money, though I'm definitely not happy about it.

You see, microSD Express Cards don't function like older SD Cards. These newer, speedier Switch 2 accessories have hung up the standard UHS-I interface that powered your older Switch's storage and utilize a PCIe interface with an NVMe protocol instead, much like the solid-state drives you pop into your gaming PC. That's how they manage to provide lightning-fast speeds up to 890MB/s read & up to 810MB/s write like that of the 1TB PNY microSD Express Card I picked out earlier, compared to up to 100MB/s of alternatives like the $189.99 (Amazon) 1TB Amazon Basics microSDXC card.

If the storage crisis has already got M.2 SSDs in its midst, it makes entire sense why microSD Express Cards would also be affected. The correlation feels even more accurate when you remember that Sony announced during March of this year that it was suspending orders of its CFexpress memory cards and SD memory cards "due to the global shortage of semiconductors (memory) and other factors." When I originally covered that news, prices of Switch 2 SD cards were unaffected, but it seems the dwindling supply of DRAM and NAND storage may have finally taken its toll.

As of writing, you can still grab the officially licenced cards from Samsung and SanDisk that even feature some Super Mario art and provide an extra 256GB, which is plenty for Final Fantasy 14 when it launches on August 4, 2026. However, if you wanted to pick up 1TB just to be extra cautious for any patch updates and other Switch 2 releases, you're going to have to pay a pretty price, and I fully expect them to get even more expensive in the months to come.

As an alternative, I recommend sticking with a 256GB or 512GB model. Their prices have also been up and down, you can generally find brands sticking to their MSRP in most instances, especially if you grab options like the Samsung 256GB microSD Express card, which has even experienced discounts during sales events like Amazon's Prime Day. While you always receive a little less than stipulated, the combined 512GB is plenty for Final Fantasy 14, and further upcoming releases like Pokemon Pokopia's Bubbly Basin DLC and Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave.

I'd just grab any Switch 2 SD card sooner rather than later. As we've discovered, no storage is seemingly safe from the ongoing RAM Storage Crisis, even that of the lower-end capacity cards. Though I'll keep my fingers crossed that they won't go the way of the 1TB models and that of the Nintendo Switch 2, which is receiving a price increase of its own this coming September.

If you're settled for storage, check out our guides to the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers, the best Nintendo Switch headsets, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 cases instead.

Another month down, another roster of gaming gadgets to have passed our test bench. July saw new entries to the world of the best gaming keyboards with the Corsair Clipper Pro Mini 60 joining the ranks of five-star gaming tech while the Razer Blade 18 gave the MSI Raider A18 HX A9W something to think about in its position among the best gaming laptops.

On a component level, the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is heading straight for the best CPUs for gaming, let's just hope Intel keeps up on those socket promises. Meanwhile, the Secretlab Atlas has shot to the top of our recommendations from this brand, replacing the Titan Evo among the best gaming chairs we've tested so far.

July's top gaming tech isn't all PC focused, though. The Scuf Omega has made its way through our tests to join the gamepads currently sitting on our guide to the best PS5 controllers.

You'll find all the 3-star-and-up gaming tech we've tested in July 2026 just below, and be sure to hit the 'view details' button for more information from our reviews. If you're keen for more, you'll find many of these picks among the best gaming gadgets we've tested so far this year.

5-Star gaming gadgets

4.5-Star gaming gadgets

4-Star gaming gadgets

3.5-Star gaming gadgets

3-Star gaming gadgets

2026 has been a tough innings for Meta's Reality Labs division. From the word go in January, it's seen lay-offs, studio closures, price hikes on its popular VR headsets, and yet more layoffs. It doesn't seem like things are getting any better yet, as it's just been revealed this segment of the Facebook company lost $4.6 billion in the second quarter of 2026.

The numbers were shown in a Q2 earnings call that showed Reality Labs' continual losses flow even further from the 4.03 billion it lost in Q1. It may surprise you to learn that these numbers are actually par for the course in terms of quarterly losses from Reality Labs since 2023. Its worst-performing quarter ever was Q4 of 2025 when it lost $6.02 billion, so you can see why drastic measures were taken at the start of 2026.

These losses come despite the company's revenue for Q2 2026 sitting at $431 million, up from $370 million compared to the same time period in 2025.

I'm hardly an economist, but it seems like Reality Labs is pulling in plenty of money; it's just that its spending is massively outweighing it. This could be down to loads of factors. The workforce alone will be pretty large, even after the rounds of layoffs from this year.

Funnily enough, in a recent AMA on his Instagram, Meta's CTO Andrew Boz Bosworth took a question about if Meta was "done" with VR, and said, "We've talked openly about the fact we're building multiple next-generation headsets. We did get ourselves into a more sustainable shape, that's true, but we continue to invest quite a bit there."

If we take his word as bond, the question remains where the losses are coming from, because they're not all that different from before the company's three biggest VR studios were closed and thousands of people lost their jobs.

A lot of the spending could be directed at R&D and the development of new hardware, since a lot of it will take innovation and trial and error. Even after price hikes, it could easily be the case that Meta is selling its wearables at a loss. This seemed to be the tactic while the Metaverse strategy was still in play, as there was an incentive to get mixed-reality devices on the faces of as many people as possible.

Moreover, manufacturing headsets and smart glasses will be costly too, and it's been fairly widely reported in recent times that selling gaming hardware isn't always profitable on its own. That much is clear from Xbox reporting a 29% drop in hardware sales in its Q2 results for the year.

News of Meta's losses comes while Valve's Steam Frame waits in the wings for its launch, and I'm sure this isn't settling the Steam company's nerves about entering the market. It's long been said that the Meta Quest headsets have been sold at a loss, however, which is maybe why people should expect a higher price tag on the Steam Frame.

In a poll I held in a recent article, I asked readers how much the Steam Frame should cost, and I was surprised to see 42% of people suggesting those numbers should be upwards of $899. With Meta's more affordable headsets strategy proving difficult to profit from, maybe those voters are actually onto something if they want to see a sustainable VR ecosystem that's built to last at Valve.

Looking for more power for VR gaming? Check out the best CPU for gaming, the best RAM for gaming, and the best graphics cards.

Sony published its Q1 Consolidated Financial Results today, and it's quick to assure prospective console buyers that it has enough RAM to manufacture its expected PS5 quota through the rest of the year. That's going to be big for anyone waiting on their purchase until GTA 6 hits the shelves, the title is expect to cause a surge in demand that Sony needs to be able to accommodate.

The report makes specific mention of "the impact of memory market conditions on PlayStation 5 hardware," before continuing to state "there is no change to our plan for hardware profitability for FY26 to remain similar to FY25." Considering retailers have been stoking fears of a console shortage during Rockstar's release window, that's a relief.

With GTA 6 pre-orders already alive and kicking, and the game set to land as one of the biggest of the last few years (at least), a rush on consoles is expected, price increases be damned. Rising component costs have doubled down on previous supply shortage fears, after RAM shortages and soaring SSD prices dominated the first half of the year.

Sony's already selling fewer consoles than expected, though those expectations were likely based on a world where six-year-old hardware gets cheaper, not more expensive. 1.6 million devices were sold in the first quarter of 2026 (down from 2.5 million in the same period last year), albeit at a higher price. That means hardware revenue has levelled out at a 9.8% drop.

Will the PS5 see its own GTA 6 bundle options? It's looking likely Sony will package up its Pro and Slim devices with GTA 6 during that initial launch period, though I wouldn't put a bet on it. The brand has already come out the gate storming its allegiance with Rockstar, putting heavy emphasis on its range of consoles as the place to play GTA, a sentiment the developer has jumped on as well.

• See all PS5 deals at Amazon

We're also rounding up all the best PS5 accessories as well as the best PS5 controllers and best PS5 headsets in more detail.

Razer kicked off its adjustable switch operations with analog clackers in its Huntsman keyboard line; now it's gone full Hall effect. The new Razer Huntsman V3 HE ditches the analog optical in favor of the trendier HE moniker, but while it's not quite at the TMR forefront, those prices are certainly a sight for sore eyes.

If you've been perusing the world of the best gaming keyboards over the last couple of years, you'll notice a rising cost associated with newer magnetic switches. As mainstream brands like Corsair, Logitech, and SteelSeries have jumped on the adjustable actuation bandwagon, costs have soared to the $400s in some cases (looking at you, Asus). While most Hall effect keyboards now land in the $150 to $250 range, though, the new Huntsman V3 HE line starts life at $119.99.

I know! Razer, of all brands, coming in cheaper than the rest of the industry? What in the 2026?

Well, Hall effect isn't the buzzword it used to be. The cool kids are all about TMR with its improved power efficiency and (this is a personal take) better feel overall. It's why Corsair managed to impress with the Clipper Pro Mini 60 at just $99.99 earlier this month. Contrary to the way most of the industry seems to be going, those HE clackers are getting cheaper surprisingly quickly, and new releases are proving it.

That's not to rain on Razer's parade. Corsair's cheaper option comes in a 60% form factor, whereas you're paying just $20 more for Sneki's 65%-er and $139.99 all in for the TKL. That's undercutting the mid-range market (populated by the Logitech G Pro X TKL Rapid and, funnily enough, Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Mini) quite considerably.

So what do you get for your cash?

Barrie Ooi, Head of PC Gaming at Razer, states that "while our analog optical keyboards remain the benchmark for players seeking the absolute best in esports performance, the Huntsman V3 HE Magnetic 8KHz line is designed for competitive players looking for the best magnetic keyboard." If you can parse the difference between those two players there, be sure to let me know.

Regardless of who it's for, the latest Huntsman offers all the usual features you'd expect: 'Snap Flex' for assigning two inputs to a single key and "Dynamic Keystroke" for packing four actions based on the depth of your keypress. But we've also got "Instant Cancel Control" that allows you to halt that sequence of actions immediately.

Switches can be configured for actuation between the usual 0.1-4mm, with the usual suspects Rapid Trigger, adjustable actuation and Snap Tap (SOCD when it's at home) all invited to the party as well.

There are a few newbies here that I look forward to testing out, between that instant cancel and the Dual-Keypress system ensuring directional priority is assigned as quickly as possible. Perhaps more notably for most of us, though, Razer's boasting that its Huntsman V3 HE comes with thick foam dampening and individually lubricated switches. With the rattle and echo of the Huntsman V3 Pro Mini still ringing in my ears, Sneki's new sound profile better live up to its hype.

• See all gaming keyboards at Amazon

I'm also hunting down all the best hot-swappable keyboards and the best wireless gaming keyboards on the market.

Despite the high demand for its hardware, the lengthy delays for its launch, and a shortage of computing parts to manufacture them with, Valve is reassuring us that it's staying on pace with Steam Machine orders. In fact, the brand says anyone currently on the reserve list for the best gaming PC alternative will have the option to buy before the year is out.

Conversely, Valve previously said that the Steam Controller is in such high demand that it will be running late until 2027. The brand issued an update via blog post to report its progress on Steam Machine supply and demand.

"We’re fulfilling orders on a daily basis, sending out emails to reservation holders with the option to purchase in the order in which they landed on the list post-randomization", it reads.

"We expect everyone in the reservation queue will have the option to purchase by the end of this year."

Of course, the caveat here is that this changes per region, and per SKU/bundle of the Steam Machine you've reserved. Numbers of all of these configurations will vary from region to region, and so comparing to the pace of orders in different territories probably isn't an accurate marker of how long you'll need to wait.

There's also the waitlist to think about, as not everyone was able to reserve the mini-PC/console right away. "Importantly, no one on the waitlist is leapfrogging over anyone currently holding a reservation;" Valve said on the matter. "We're only dipping into waitlists if and when we reach the end of the reservation queue for that product and region."

Valve says folks on the reservation list should expect an email to offer a chance to purchase, and if they still plan to buy the Machine, they need to act on it within 72 hours or risk being left to the side:

"If you have a reservation, you can expect an email offering you the chance to purchase by the end of the year. If you have a spot on one of the waitlists, there is a chance you could be moved into reservations depending on which product you're on the list for; in those instances we will email you about your new reservation status first, with a purchase email to follow once your spot in that queue comes up."

Elsewhere in the blog post, Valve also said there had been updates to the performance of the Steam Machine, specifically that FSR4.1 is now available on Proton Experimental for titles supporting the FSR upgrade. Moreover, the CAD file for Steam Machine external geometry is available for download.

Valve making optimistic statements about its progress with Steam Machine orders could be a sign of hope for those eagerly awaiting an announcement about the Steam Frame. Although we haven't heard about the new VR headset's price and launch date, we've been seeing similar signposting to that of before the Steam Machine and Steam Controller's launch. If Valve is making progress with the demand of the Machine, maybe its new VR headset isn't too far off.

If you're looking to build your own rig instead, you'll need to know more about the best CPU for gaming, the best graphics card, and the best RAM for gaming.

That Xbox price increase we were warned about back in June? It's coming up this weekend.

From August 1 (Saturday), you'll be paying a whopping $799.99 for a 1TB Xbox Series X console, with the cheapest 512GB Series S now coming in at $499. That's a $100 price increase at the bottom end of the market, and a $150 jump at the top.

It goes without saying, anyone looking to pick up an Xbox any time soon should do so before those rates increase, but please don't rush out and buy a brand new console. If you're set on buying an Xbox this year, I'd implore you to check out certified refurbished options from Microsoft instead.

That's because even the current rates are inflated compared to launch, this isn't Xbox's first time at the rodeo. The 512GB Xbox Series S still costs $399.99 brand new, whereas it hit the shelves for just $299.99 back in 2020. Microsoft's refurbished rates won't get get you back down to the glory days, but they're a damn sight better than $500.

Unfortunately, it looks like Microsoft only has the cheaper Series S in its warehouses at the moment, and Best Buy's Geek Squad seems to have run out of Series X devices to ship as well. That means anyone hunting down a new full-fat console before Xbox price hikes come into effect are stuck with brand new devices, and their already lofty rates.

I'd wait this one out. Stock of certified refurbished Xbox Series X consoles does periodically return to Microsoft's shelves and even if this weekend's price increases do stick with those older devices you'll still be paying a little less.

If you're dead set on picking up a fully fledged Series X before the weekend, I'd stick with Microsoft. You'll find the OG disc console for its latest $649.99 price point, whereas Best Buy and Amazon seem to have gone off the deep end with their only stock priced at $800 and higher.

How much are Xbox prices increasing by?

Most Xbox consoles are seeing prices increase by $150 after August 1, with the exception being the 512GB Series S.

• Xbox Series X (1TB, disc) | $799.99 (was $649.99)
• Xbox Series X (1TB, digital) | $749.99 (was $599.99)
• Xbox Series S (1TB) | $599 (was $449)
• Xbox Series S (512GB) | $499 (was $399)

At its new $799.99 MSRP, the disc Xbox Series X is now the most expensive non-Pro console on the market, with the PS5 Slim at $649.99 after Sony's own price increases. Sure, it's not as bad as the $899.99 PS5 Pro, but considering this is a launch device that started life at $499.99 it's pretty egregious.

Current RAM shortages are pushing prices up across the entire industry, from individual components to prebuilt gaming PCs and gaming laptops, all the way through to the Nintendo Switch 2. It may seem like consoles are disproportionately more expensive, but everything is seeing this kind of inflation, it's just that not everybody has to announce their increases every time they're made.

• See all Xbox accessories at Best Buy

If you do decide to jump in before prices increase again, check out the best Xbox Series X controllers and best Xbox Series X headsets.

After reinventing its flagship MG-1 gaming PC range earlier in the year, Maingear is today announcing the re-launch of its Zero product selection. The original Maingear Zero Ruby has sat atop our best gaming PC list since I tested it, so I've been heavily anticipating the arrival of a refreshed version.

But let's back up: what is the Zero range? Born out of the arrival of Project Zero motherboards a few years back, these PCs route all of their motherboard cabling around the backside of your case, keeping cable clutter to an absolute minimum, and allowing the PC's components and lighting to do all the talking.

The new family of Maingear Zero PCs takes that even further, opting for a chassis with full panoramic tempered glass (4mm thick) panelling with a seamless curve to allow all your PC's components to be visible from all angles.

“At MAINGEAR we design every PC from the inside out, and with the Zero we asked 'what if we let the hardware speak for itself?'" said Wallace Santos, founder and CEO of Maingear.

"That's what Zero is about... zero distractions. We've hid the motherboard cables, removed obstructions by upgrading to fully panoramic glass, and focused on making every component and your collectibles feel like they belong in a display case. It had to look just as good powered off as it does turned on, regardless of the specs", he said.

As is expected in the current PC market, however, these new Zero PCs don't come cheap. In fact, the Maingear Zero Ruby has been retired as a mid-range option, giving way to new class names filled with current-gen CPU and GPU pairings.

• Zero | Emerald: Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070. Starting at $2,799.
• Zero | Platinum: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070. Starting at $2,999.
• Zero | Sapphire: Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080. Starting at $3,799.
• Zero | Elite: AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080. Starting at $4,099.
• Zero | Amethyst: Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. Starting at $6,199.
• Zero | Champion: AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. Starting at $6,499.

If that fine-dining menu of component pairings doesn't work for you, full custom configurations are available for gamers who want ultimate control.

The revamped Zero range could also be huge for anyone who wants to show off their favourite collectibles inside their PC. The launch edition of the Zero will come with two custom Maingear display stands, a figurine stand and a brick stand that snap into the chassis floor without screws or tools, placing collectibles inside the chassis alongside the hardware. The Zero’s active airflow keeps everything inside cool and dust-free. Display stands will also be sold separately if you miss out on one of the launch versions.

Those launch editions may be extra alluring since they come with a curved panoramic OLED screen thanks to the inclusion of a TRYX Panorama SE AIO cooler. This screen is obviously fully programmable for you to set whatever looping video, GIF, images, or stats you want.

If those prices above seem steep, you can also pay flexibly, thanks to Maingear's financing program, which fittingly comes with up to zero per cent APR.

Before my review of the original Maingear Zero Ruby, the brand's marketing director told me that Maingear's CEO, Santos, had pitched the concept of reverse cable motherboards to manufacturers years prior to MSI's Project Zero boards hitting the shelves, but the idea didn't seem possible at the time, and thus didn't take.

In light of that, I'm glad to see Maingear doubling down on cable-free prebuilt machines, because it provides a premium look that's seldom seen. In fact, I can't think of any other brands that are willing to go to this kind of length to provide that premium look to customers, and Zero motherboards are hard to come by in prebuilt markets outside of custom configurators.

For more on PCs and components, check out the best CPUs for gaming, the best graphics cards, and the best RAM for gaming.

The decision to investigate the Asus ROG NUC won't be made on value. After all, this compact mini system is never going to compete with the best gaming PCs for cooling, upgradeability, or price-performance ratios. It's playing in a slightly different arena, one that purveyors of gaming laptops are more likely to spectate.

Mini PCs are rapidly growing in popularity, and it's got nothing to do with the Steam Machine. These rigs are seeing upticks everywhere, from productivity to creative workflows, and now gaming. Those who don't want to dedicate a filing cabinet's worth of space to a loud, hot, finnicky tower are turning to something a little more versatile, already configured with everything you need, but ultimately more expensive for the privilege.

While everyday mini PCs can represent excellent value for the more casual productivity user, though, gaming systems are a different beast entirely. Valve's rig runs on its own custom AMD chip, the Asus ROG NUC uses a full set of up-to-date (though, this being the 2025 model, not the latest in the CPU world) mobile AMD, Intel, and Nvidia components. It's a laptop, without the lap. That adds some zeroes to the final price tag, but is that comfortable form factor ultimately worth it? I've ditched my hunt for the best gaming laptops for two weeks to find out.

Asus ROG NUC configurations

The Asus ROG NUC takes an expansive aim across the market, utilizing mobile parts starting from mid-range RTX 5060 / Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX options and moving to the upper heights of the RTX 5080 and AMD Ryzen 9 99HX3D. Will you find pre-builts with desktop pieces for less? Yes, but this rig isn't designed for those choosing between and mini and a full sized PC.

Those numbers climb pretty quickly. An RTX 5080 model will set you back well over $5,000 with all the trimmings, that's top-spec Alienware cash. At its cheapest, you're looking at $2,399 for an RTX 5060, Intel Core Ultra 7, and 16GB RAM. That's not only more than double the price of the Steam Machine, it's double what you'd usually pay for a full prebuilt with similar specs.

You're not paying for component value in these configurations, then, but those intrigued by the Asus ROG NUC's compact form factor are well served by a breadth of options.

Asus ROG NUC performance

In true RTX 5070 fashion, the cheaper configuration I've been testing manages to hit everything thrown at it in both FHD and QHD, only ever wavering below that 60fps threshold in more demanding top-resolution runs like Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered and Cyberpunk 2077.

This is a system designed to accommodate QHD resolutions, so cranking things up to 4K will hurt a little. However, for everyday runs of demanding, modern titles, it's impressive that this little fella can keep up.

This being a mobile RTX 5070, we're a little behind the kinds of results we've seen from full desktop configurations. Still, the Asus ROG NUC manages to keep a decent pace with these larger builds, even if more demanding runs take a hit. While the numbers won't impress anyone coming from a full tower, a solid set of 60fps+ at High settings holds down the fort nicely.

Synthetic benchmarks reveal the sacrifice of that mobile GPU a little more clearly. When comparing the desktop card to AMD's Radeon RX 7900, we found it pulled in 4929 in Steel Nomad tests; here it's sitting at 3280. Just as physical size is erring on the side of the laptop rather than the desktop, our synthetic benchmark scores show performance leaning in the same direction.

Still, comparing those components like-for-like in more portable machines paints a slightly brighter picture. Putting those numbers up alongside the Razer Blade 14 and Acer Predator Triton 14 AI (two similarly premium, compact gaming machines) reveals a slight uptick across Steel Nomad, Time Spy, and Fire Strike. Even if the Asus ROG Strix G16 manages to slide in above it in one run.

On the CPU side of things, the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D scored 2,912 in its single-core tests and 24,371 in its multi-core outings across Geekbench 7. That's about right for the mobile CPU, suggesting there's nothing untoward happening that could limit it in this form factor.

Asus ROG NUC benefits

A far more manageable PC experience

Desktop towers are hot, power hungry, chunky beasts. Anyone without the space to dedicate to a 60 litre tank will be grateful for the Asus ROG NUC's slimline form factor. This thing sits calmly in the corner, not even the size of a PS5 Slim.

That's a compelling use-case, albeit one that very few players will likely be willing to fork out this amount of cash for. Asus doesn't exactly have a captive audience here, most desks will accommodate a PC case underneath and most players are going to side with the less expensive option. There are only a few of us who truly need the kind of space saving alternative Asus has provided.

That said, the ROG NUC does look fantastic, with its clean angular lines, bold RGB side lighting (customizable, of course). Coming from the world of gaming laptops there are more benefits to that design than PC builders may first consider.

More expansive port selection than a laptop

Whenever I'm not testing a laptop directly on the machine itself, it's connected to an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, chair, Stream Deck, speaker, controller and whatever other accessories have made their way onto my desk on any given day. That means I need to rely on the extra USB-A ports on my Razer Laptop Cooling Pad, as well as an external USB-4 dock. Some day (and it will be soon), I'll run out of space.

I didn't expect to find the ports on the Asus ROG NUC to be one of the biggest benefits to swapping laptop life for mini PC life. Two USB-As and a USB-C on the front take care of the gadgets I'm regularly swapping out. Meanwhile, the rear side takes care of all my more permanent USB cables, with an abundance of display connections that would have made my multi-monitor days a lot more enjoyable (and probably last longer).

Boosted performance over Steam Machine

Yes, the Asus ROG NUC costs more than double the Steam Machine, but you're getting performance you just won't find in Valve's rig. They've got different plans, sure. Valve wants its box next to a TV, running in 1080p. Asus is parking its NUC on your desk, pushing 1440p and, in more expensive configurations, 4K resolutions on demanding games.

The Steam Machine won't get near 60fps in RT: Ultra at 1440p, by all accounts you'll be lucky to see 20fps at the end of that benchmark. Without that workhorse architecture, Valve's competitor has to take aim at a more casual 1080p market and that's fair enough - but the Asus ROG NUC still offers a more compelling set of specs for those sourcing a QHD rig rather than picking up a living room console equivalent.

Asus ROG NUC drawbacks

Not as living-room-worthy as Steam Machine

As you'd expect a mini PC to, the Asus ROG NUC runs on Windows... which isn't great news for those hunting down a more powerful Steam Machine alternative. It means no easy waking from a controller, a few more steps before hitting Steam, and fewer automatic driver updates. It's certainly possible to keep this box next to your TV, but you'll need to keep a mouse and keyboard handy as well. It's missing those quality of life features baked into Valve's console replacement, by virtue of the fact it's been designed as a different device entirely.

Component value struggles to stack up

That's not as big a problem as the ultimate value of the cost you're paying here. An RTX 5070 gaming laptop like this would likely run you between $1,800 and $2,400 when the sales align right now. A desktop PC sits at around $1,600 to $2,300. The Asus ROG NUC carries its compact premium to the tune of between $1,000 and $400 more than you'll pay for similar specs in a different form factor.

It's not just the figures either. Those desktop rates are for full-fat desktop components, seated in a chassis that can handle bigger power better with more space and cooling tech. There's no getting around the fact that a tower will likely cost you less while giving more from a performance standpoint.

Should you buy the Asus ROG NUC?

All that boils down to one question, should you actually be buying Asus's baby PC? When I first looked at those costs shortly after unboxing this rig, I thought I knew the answer. $2,800 for a mobile RTX 5070 without the portability of a gaming laptop or the engineering of a tower seemed laughable two weeks ago. After kicking the foldables to the curb, 90% of me still agrees. But that 10% fits a very specific user.

I'd recommend the Asus ROG NUC as an alternative to anyone looking to invest in an 18-inch desktop replacement gaming laptop, specifically because they lack the desk space for a full tower. If you're buying a rig like that you likely have a fair whack of budget behind you and you're not going to be taking your machine on the road with you so much anyway.

In that scenario, the connection, layout, and form factor benefits of the Asus ROG NUC shine their brightest. In any other, there are better options out there.

How I tested the Asus ROG NUC

I swapped out my laptop setup for the Asus ROG NUC for two weeks, running all my daily work and play through the device. During everyday play, the NUC was running Doom: The Dark Ages, Farming Simulator 25, and Planet Coaster 2 with more dedicated benchmarking across Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Three Kingdoms, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, and Cyberpunk 2077.

Each test was run at both 1080p and 1440p at each game's high and highest graphical settings, repeated three times with a final average taken as the result. The system was also tested across 3D Mark Time Spy, Fire Strike, and Steel Nomad as well as Geekbench 7, again with three runs per benchmark and a final result taken as an average. All tests were run in the 'Turbo' power setting.

For more information on how we make our recommendations, check out the full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

For an even more compact form factor, check out the best gaming handhelds on the market. Or take a look at the best Asus gaming laptops for more ROG.

I'm in dire need of a new PS5 controller. My current DualSense spread has taken a bit of a beating, and I get a sense that they all suffer from a little bit of stick drift. That being said, I don't entirely feel comfortable forking out the $74-79 required for a replacement pad.

With that in mind, I've been considering investing in an out-of-box controller, and seeing that you can grab one for as little as $25.99 at Best Buy right now is definitely a good motivator. That's a saving of $48 off a brand new model, and better yet, it's the stunning Cobalt Blue version and not the garish-looking white pad that I already own.

If you're considering grabbing this lovely blue PS5 pad for yourself, do remember that it's an "open box" controller. That means that it's been "opened and returned by another customer" according to Best Buy, which is a nice way of saying that it's already been played with.

As is the case whenever you buy any of the best PS5 controllers second hand, you can expect some general wear and tear and light cosmetic damage to the pad, but it should be in full working order. In fact, Best Buy has given this controller in particular an "excellent" rating, which means it should work and look like new, and that includes all the parts and accessories. That being said, you're likely not getting the box it originally came in, but who needs more packaging when it's just going to end up in your recycling bin anyway?

If you aren't entirely comfortable buying a pre-loved PS5 controller, I get it. You can alternatively pick up a brand new DualSense for $69 at Best Buy, saving you $10 off the shimmering Chroma Indigo model. It also happens to be blue, but it includes a bit more of a sparkle and will be brand-new and includes all the packaging for your storing or recycling pleasure.

• View all controller deals at Best Buy

Our team's controller expert Duncan Robertson has also rounded up the best PC controllers for gaming, the best Nintendo Switch controllers, and the best Xbox Series X controllers if you're on the hunt for a new quality pad.

Nintendo fellow and Mario's dad Shigeru Miyamoto has said that the company felt the NES – known as the Family Computer or Famicom in Japan – challenged the perception that home consoles were "just toys." Originally released in 1983, it was officially part of the third generation of home consoles, but broke away from the pack with its innovative games.

In an interview with Famitsu, that's been translated by GamesRadar+, Miyamoto speaks on Nintendo's move from creating arcade cabinets to home consoles. "At the arcades people can't just spend money like water, so the idea for the Famicom came from the thought that 'they'd be able to play as many times as they wanted if they had this game at home,'" he says.

The NES wasn't part of the original wave of home consoles, but previous hardware like the Magnavox Odyssey and the Atari 2600 wasn't as sophisticated. "There were already things out there called 'home consoles' and PCs like the NEC's PC-6001 or the MSX came out around the same time as the Famicom," Miyamoto recalls. "However, PCs were held in higher regard than consoles, which were 'just toys.'"

Miyamoto believes that the NES carved its own path by showing that it was more than a toy by providing gameplay that was close to the arcade experience. "I think the Famicom bridged the gap between console and PC as it was a toy, but also it wasn't just a toy," he says. "If you can port games to it that are almost as good as the arcade versions, then I don't think it's just a toy."

Shigeru Miyamoto knows some fans have "multiple Nintendo consoles at home," and hopes that'll become "the norm" in the future: "That would be the best scenario."

Last week, I added a poll to a report I wrote up about the upcoming Steam Frame. Since we're still waiting on a price and release date for the new visor, I asked what price you think it should be. Honestly, I'm a little surprised by the results, and maybe even a little worried that the results might enable Valve to charge a lot for its new VR headset.

In a total pool of 738 votes, a safe lead of 33% of folks said that the Steam Frame should cost between $699-$799. This bracket would land it above the full-fat Meta Quest 3, but underneath the most recent generation of elite gaming handheld PCs. Personally, this is the price I'd like to see it launch at, but with the current economy of the tech world being as it is (thanks a lot, AI companies), I wouldn't be at all surprised if this range is a pipe dream.

25% of readers who responded to the poll said that the Steam Frame should be priced between $799 - $899 as a happy medium. Combined with the 244 votes for the answer above, the 184 votes here cast a majority of 58% of people who think the Steam Frame should cost under $899.

That part is reassuring; I certainly wouldn't like to see a Steam VR headset costing more than that since it's too near to the Valve Index, which was known as a prohibitively pricey bit of technology. What worries me, and what I hope Valve doesn't see, is the 42% of voters who said the new goggles should cost between $899-$1,099.

The state of the gaming hardware market is in disrepair right now, with rising costs, stock shortages, and a potential (scary) future where no one can afford to truly own anything. I fully expect the Steam Frame to be priced somewhere in these higher ranges, but I sure hope it isn't.

VR as a whole feels like it's on the ropes right now, or at least, that's my perception as someone who covers the industry from week to week.

I love VR gaming and think it has a really strong future ahead of it, but getting people to see that is only going to get more difficult if we continue to see the biggest, mainstream headsets cost that much. The Apple Vision Pro definitely seemed like an alluring concept until Apple decided to pour a bottle of hot sauce in its eyes by charging over $3,000 for it.

Let's not forget also that VR is a more niche side of gaming tech to begin with when compared to a Steam Machine, other PC, or games console. That means the potential number of people interested in buying it will be smaller, so you're narrowing down the potential consumer base for the Steam Frame if you price it prohibitively.

152 people voted for $899-$999 in the poll, and 158 voters said the Frame should cost $999-$1,099, so both answers had 41% to their names.

Maybe it's time to address the wording of the question, because I do think that could have come into play with the results. I'm sure there were plenty of people voting as though the question asked what price the headset will be. In that case, those votes for the more expensive options could be more pessimistic than they are an expression of desire.

But the question was how much should it cost, so that does lean the results into what people could want it to cost, either for the benefit of consumers or Valve.

To make it more accurate to what funds people have at their disposal to see what prices might impact Valve's sales, maybe I should have asked: "How much would you be willing to pay for the Steam Frame?"

I know I expected a much clearer-cut lean toward the cheaper options because who on earth wants to pay more than they have to for technology these days.

Regardless of the question wording and the nitty-gritty of what you folks thought when answering, the results do perhaps point to a Steam Frame that's more expensive than the majority of gamers would like it to. Yes, the sample size here is fairly small and hardly anything official, but with this long a wait for an official price announcement, I think any indication of what people are expecting is worth paying attention to.

I just hope Valve doesn't see this and think it'll be okay to charge even more than it was planning to because of those 42% of folks who voted for the more expensive options. Yes, that's unlikely, but you've all had your chance. If that were to happen, we'd probably never know, but I'll be blaming you lot.

Prepping for Steam Frame's launch by upgrading your PC? We'd recommend the best gaming PCs, the best graphics cards, and the best RAM for gaming.

Pokémon just announced that we can expect to dive into Pokopia's Bubbly Basin DLC on August 5, and my first thought was: can I grab some more Ditto-themed accessories in time?

I currently have a pair of unofficial yet remarkably cute Ditto thumb grips on my Joy-Cons, but I'd much rather have Hori's Ditto-themed goodies in my collection instead. The brand has a Ditto Wireless HORIPAD Turbo controller and a Ditto Compact Carry All available starting from £34.99 on Amazon, and they just so happen to release on August 6, a day after the DLC. So the answer is yes, I can grab some more Ditto accessories, but I'll have to wait one full day until I can fully transform my setup into one that feels more befitting of the iconic pink-purple Pokémon.

I'm sure I can wait, as these official accessories are plenty adorable and look to be worth it. I've had my eyes on the Compact Carry All ever since it was officially announced on June 19 by Hori of Japan on its official X (Twitter) page, and I have a feeling I'm not alone. In the US, this case, which can store the Nintendo Switch 2, its dock, and some extra accessories including the official Joy-Con controller grip, the handheld's HDMI cable and AC adapter, is sold out across retailers like Walmart, Best Buy and Amazon.

Fortunately, here in the UK, pre-orders are still available for the £34.99 (Amazon) case. However, I'm about to add it to my online basket as soon as possible, just in case stock starts to dwindle here too. At least it's not a similar situation with the matching Wireless HORIPAD Turbo controller. It's available for £54.99 (Amazon) / $64.99 (Amazon) here in the UK and in the US, and there seems to be no stock shortages of the gamepad and its funky arcade-floor-like Ditto design.

As a HORIPAD Turbo controller, the pad comes with TMR sticks like previous models, and there are even back buttons featuring little Ditto too. Where it doesn't quite measure up to the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers is that it only includes 10 hours of battery life. I have a feeling I'll be spending more than just 10 hours of my time exploring Bubbly Basin and all the new Pokémon hiding within its many habitats, so that's a little disappointing. At least it has a USB-C port for easy charging for when I need to give it more juice, and I always have 8BitDo Ultimate 2 on me for when I need a pad that lasts a little longer.

Both the Ditto Compact Carry All and the Ditto Wireless HORIPAD Turbo controller launch on August 6 in the US and UK, but you can always check out the upcoming Hori Pokemon Pixel art accessories if you're not a Ditto devotee.

• View all Hori Switch 2 gaming accessories at Amazon

Check out our guides to the best Nintendo Switch headsets, the best Nintendo Switch 2 cameras and the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards if you want to upgrade your setup in time for Pokemon Pokopia's new DLC.

Colorful PS5 console covers are pretty commonplace, and Sony has even churned out a few based on games like Ghost of Yotei. But officially licensed covers sporting art of iconic anime characters aren't quite as widespread. Want the likes of Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Trunks, and Piccolo on your console? This Dragon Ball Z Silicone Cover for the Disc Edition PS5 Slim by FRTEC has you covered.

The brand behind the £29.99 (Argos) accessory has created some of the best PS5 accessories for Dragon Ball fans in the past. I even own a pair of their official Dragon Ball thumb grips that transform the classic 4-star ball into a comfortable add-on for my plain and boring DualSense. This silicone case entirely slipped me by when it released in March earlier this year, however. It's not a typical set that you can swap with the default white chassis, but a silicone cover that wraps around the console as is, and as big a Dragon Ball fan as I am, I can't tell if I love or hate it - but I'm glad it exists.

The variety of console covers is pretty lacking throughout the PS5's almost 6-year lifespan. Right now, if you were to pop onto the official PS Direct storefront, you could choose between the three Hyperpop collection color combos, the Ghost of Yotei set I referenced above, and a couple of other colorways, but there's nothing for anime fans.

Third-party brands have plenty, but in a world where Gen AI images are running rampant, I'd rather not accidentally invest in a set of covers for my PS5 only for them to arrive and have Goku sporting 6 fingers.

Where I'm hesitant is that I'm not the biggest fan of how it looks. If I were tasked with designing the Dragon Ball accessory, I'd likely not have chosen to re-use the same Super Saiyan 2 Gohan art we've seen time and time again.

A Capsule Corp look, making the PS5 look like a contraption Bulma had conjured up in her spare time, would have felt more suiting. However, I'd take seeing Gohan's shining yellow Saiyan hairdo over having no official Dragon Ball PS5 covers at all. At least FRTEC ensured to include my boy Shenron at the back, which is a pretty neat addition as the brand could have easily left it blank instead.

I'm a little uneasy that it's a silicone casing rather than a traditional cover, as there's the chance that extra dust and grime can get stuck in its crevices. Not to mention, it could insulate the console if a vent or port got accidentally covered.

Regrettably, I can't even pick it up to try it out for size as it's only compatible with the Disc Edition PS5 Slim. I'm still sporting the chonky old launch model console, so when Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 launches sometime next year, I'll have to stick with my Dbrand Spider-Man inspired covers instead. If you're based in the US, you'll sadly have to do the same, as I haven't managed to find these available across the pond.

That being said, a range of FRTEC's anime goodies are available starting from $24.99 at Amazon in the US, including a Dragon Ball case for the PS5 DualSense controller, if you're eager to show off your love of Goku and friends.

• View all FRTEC gaming accessories at Amazon

Our team has also rounded up the best SSDs for PS5, the best PS5 controllers, and the best PS5 headsets that are worth adding to your Sony setup.

In recent years, Moza Racing has become a mainstay of the sim racing market, but it's never brought its wares to a PlayStation platform before, until now. Via the Gran Turismo news blog, an announcement has been made about Moza joining the GT World Series as an official peripheral partner.

Moza has become known for making some of the best racing wheels on PC and the best Xbox steering wheels, especially thanks to their great value for money and modular designs. As part of this new partnership with Polyphony Digital (and by proxy, Sony), the brands will be collaborating to produce an officially licensed, Gran Turismo-branded sim racing wheel controller.

Interestingly, there hasn't been a mention of pedals or peripherals like gear shifters and handbrakes, but it may well be that compatibility will exist for existing Moza accessories once a wheelbase and wheel have the correct protocols.

"At MOZA Racing, our mission has always been to make professional-grade sim racing more accessible while continually pushing the boundaries of performance and immersion," said Moza's CEO and Founder, Chenyong Guan.

"Partnering with the Gran Turismo World Series is an exciting milestone for us. Gran Turismo has inspired generations of racing enthusiasts, and we are honoured to contribute to a championship that represents the very best of virtual motorsport. Together, we look forward to creating new possibilities for racers around the world.”

We've previously reviewed the Moza R12 and Moza R3 bundles, and we're big fans of their open, modular designs that let you upgrade them regardless of your initial investment. Moza has a solid selection of DirectDrive, Force Feedback wheels, but also loads of ways to customize your setup to lean into the niche of sim racing you like best.

Perhaps most importantly, Moza charges super reasonable prices for its bundles when compared to Logitech, Fanatec, and even Nacon's relatively new Revosim brand. Since sim racing can have weighty setup costs, that could be massive for PlayStation gamers who have never typically been able to afford the best specs.

Something I always respect about Moza wheelbases is that they tend to have compact sizes too, which is always a boon for people who don't want it to be a mainstay on their desks. Storing away or bolting one to a desk is a lot more of an inconvenience if it's a bulky size.

I, for one, hope we see Moza hold true to its value price tags, as this is one of the best draws to them on Xbox and PC against the rest of the market. That said, as we know from the rest of the best PS5 controller pantheon, price tags and licensing on this platform tend to draw a high price.

There's been no time frame given for the arrival of the new wheel, but licensing for controllers can take years to implement properly. From the sounds of this announcement, it seems like Moza and PlayStation have been in talks for a while already, so hopefully it won't be that long.

Talking to Traxion, Moza supplied a statement saying, "Moza Racing looks forward to sharing more in the coming months as it continues expanding its ecosystem and delivering new experiences for Gran Turismo players worldwide. This is only the beginning, with more exciting announcements to come.”

• View Moza gear at Amazon US / Amazon UK

I can also recommend keeping an eye out for the best TMR controllers, the best PC controllers, and the best Switch 2 controllers.

The Corsair HS35 V3 Wireless gaming headset is currently on my testing bench, and its 250g weight is the saving grace of my summer. For whatever reason, the hot weather likes to be a major migraine trigger, and I've been struggling the last couple of months as here in Scotland we've already seen temperatures up to 29 degrees (that's 84.2 Fahrenheit for those of you outside the UK).

That might not seem that hot to some, but here, where we're used to gray skies, rain, and have buildings designed to store heat, it's not a pleasant experience, and it can be made all the worse when one of the best gaming headsets is putting extra pressure on your head. Yet, testing the HS35 V3 right now seems like fate as it doesn't just sound great, but it's so lightweight that my head has never felt better.

The HS35 V3 feels so light; had it not been for the fact that there's no ANC on board, I'd easily forget it was on my head altogether. It helps too that the suspended headband doesn't dig into my skull, which is unfortunately a pretty common experience with plenty of other pairs.

Nothing is worse then experience the sweltering heat of a hot day while testing a new headset (like that of the recent Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II) only to have it putting needless pressure on the top of my skull. Hot weather likes to plague me with migraines regardless, making my head extremely sensitive to any changes in the temperature, so adding an uncomfortable bit of tech into the mix is a good recipe to truly ruin my day. Fortunately, the HS35 V3 has done quite the opposite, and I feel far more chipper that I don't have to deal with any comfort issues.

The suspended headband, which is made up of a stretchy piece of fabric that's pulled tight to sit on top of my head, is also aided by the ultra-plush ear cushions. With these two features working in tandem, I've had an extremely pleasant week testing the headset so far that I'm considering taking it in place of my everyday headphones - something I don't typically do. Gaming headsets have a specific 'gamer' look to them that I don't like sporting in public, but I'm willing to make the sacrifice of looking a bit silly if it means I get to be comfortable.

This isn't technically the lightest headset I've ever tested. That award would go to the Logitech G325 Lightspeed, which was only 212g compared to the Corsair HS35 V3's 250g. However, I not only prefer how the HS35 V3 feels on the head, but how it looks in comparison to Logitech's lightweight pair.

Logitech chose not to include a physical microphone with its G325 Lightspeed headset, which I get, as that choice likely contributed to its light form factor. However, beamforming microphones personally give me a bit of an ick, as I prefer a physical boom arm that I can adjust as needs be. If I'm getting comments from my friends that I'm too loud while playing Marvel Rivals, it's far easier to just move the mic away from my mouth than it is to pull up any mic settings on my PS5, so a physical mic is always the better choice in my eyes.

I'm still in the early stages of testing for now, and I still have plenty of time to see how the HS35 V3 Wireless truly compares to the rest of the headsets I've looked at in 2026. Yet judging from its comfortable fit, physical microphone, and the fact that it has 50mm neodymium audio drivers and Dolby Atmos in its corner, it's looking pretty promising.

• View all Corsair gaming headsets at Amazon

If you can handle a little extra weight, I've also rounded up the best PC headsets for gaming, the best PS5 headsets, and the best Xbox Series X headsets for your setup.

There's a very particular niche of technology I really enjoy testing. When there's a popular, well-known, or even dominant device in a market, sometimes you see imitators pop up at a lesser price point to scoop up the budget end. That's exactly what the OneOdio Solocaster is trying to do, because it could very easily take the fall for any crime the RodeCaster Duo commits. It's about time the best streaming mixer had some budget competition, but I'm not sure OneOdio has stuck the landing.

Priced at just $59.99 / £49.99 compared to Rode's $499 powerhouse, it wouldn't need to do all that much to impress me. As it turns out, the Solocaster works, and when it's this cheap in comparison, I find it hard not to count the bare minimum as a win. The difficulty is saying objectively that it's not worth buying, because if you can't afford the best gear for streaming out there, you don't have many other options. Budget streaming mixers don't really exist, but that doesn't mean you should be okay with lacklustre gear.

There are some really bad bits about the OneOdio Solocaster, but there are also some pretty decent things here for the money you pay for it. Maybe part of the problem is that its natural comparison is one of my favorite bits of technology I've ever used. The RodeCaster Duo this is not, but it certainly deserves a closer look.

Design

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the Solocaster's aesthetic, design language, and SMART pad lookalikes are all the spitting image of the RodeCaster Duo. The OneOdio Solocaster's name is even a play on Rode's nomenclature.

The Solocaster is about one-third of the size of the RodeCaster Duo, dumbing things down to three physical faders but providing a total of nine square pad buttons, with additional mute and feature pads as well. For the most part, these pads feel pretty identical to the RodeCaster Duo I've had sat on my desk for years now. I wish I could say the same for the physical faders and dials, however. These work, but they don't glide half as smoothly as Rode's.

Overall, there's just a really cheap feeling to the Solocaster. It's thankfully got enough weight to it that routing cables into its rear won't hoist it up on one end (XLR cables can be pretty heavy, so this is a common problem), but it's hollow where the RodeCaster is solid. Thankfully, lighting all over it will fool you into thinking you got a more professional-grade device.

I think there's something to be said for OneOdio's attempts to make a premium audio interface's design language a bit more intelligible. Unlike the RodeCasters, there are some text labels on a lot of the function pads that try to show you what it is you're pressing. This is ideal for those buying budget tech as entry-level users. The RodeCaster Duo certainly has a steep learning curve to it.

Unfortunately, some of these labels aren't clear at all. In fact, they opt not to use terminology like "ducking", which forces you to consult the manual to find out what "Side Chain" means. Funnily enough, it'll straight up tell you that it means ducking - so why not just say that to begin with??

Elsewhere, "mute" and "voice changer" are a bit more self-explanatory, but I do feel like execution on labelling language overall could have been better.

For all its imitation, the design of the Solocaster misses the point a bit. It's dubbed as an audio interface for podcasting, and while that's certainly a strength of the RodeCaster Duo, it's just one piece of a very versatile puzzle. The Duo is so good because it can record natively, manage multiple audio sources with ease, add loads of effects, bend to your will with those customizable SMART pads, call your podcast hosts thanks to Rode CallMe, and filter all of your audio sources to streamline echoes and mixes. It can podcast, but it's a live streaming mixer too, and an audiophile's dream desk companion all in one.

The Solocaster might be keen to help you podcast, but it doesn't stay in that lane long enough to really be good at it. It's got native USB support for PC and consoles, which suggests it'd be a strong live streaming tool, but not enough thought has gone into live mixing audio for that to be true. There are a few ways to make it your own, but there's no dedicated software or onboard screen so you can customize fully.

There's a bit of connection power, but the faders and volume knobs are pre-assigned and can't be changed, and that feels like a total waste. One fader controls your mic gain, the second your USB audio, and the third, your headphone volume. There's then a separate dial for speaker audio, but that's not tied to your headphone volume for some reason? Your mic will also come through your speakers during live monitoring if you don't turn that down, so there's a lack of synergy going on.

The other two dials control an echo sound effect on your mic, which is a total waste of a physical control. Then the X-volume dial controls the volume of the customizable pads. Again, a total waste when these could have been custom dials for you to assign to different audio sources in something similar to BEACN's software, or even Windows 11's built-in mixer.

My favorite ability of the RodeCaster Duo is its dual-USB connection, which lets me split my USB PC audio into two halves. That lets me dim music from applications like Spotify or Pretzel when I'm streaming, and not lose game audio. The Solocaster feels like it should be able to do that, but it cares more about silly echo effects and sound pads.

Features

The Solocaster features a single XLR connection and 48V Phantom Power, so it's a solid budget pick if you're looking for something to connect with a premium microphone. The same isn't true of USB mics. There's a single USB-C port on the back of the Solocaster that helpfully powers and delivers latency-free audio. The downside of that is that if you want to plug in a USB mic, you're not going to be able to power the mixer.

There are four audio jack ports on the back: one for Line in, one for Line out, one for headphones, and one for a headset.

In theory, that would mean you can put audio into the Solocaster through Line in, but with no fader to control it, or software to set it to something, you're going to lose it in the mix of your other USB-C noise. The existence of a dedicated 3.5mm jack for headsets would, again, suggest that it could detect audio from a headset's microphone, but I couldn't get that to work, and from my testing, it does the exact same thing as the regular headphone port. Feels to me like you could take one of these out and throw another USB-C slot in. Why would you even need two 3.5mm jacks if you're only able to plug in one microphone?

There's also a Bluetooth connection, but again, that's really foiled by the lack of a physical control to fade it in and out with. I get that might be the way some podcasts are recorded, but it just feels like a waste of a connection when there's no dedicated control.

There are a couple of features that surprised me at this price point, which I really commend OneOdio for including. Sidechain is a Ducking feature that intuitively dips your game or music volume when input into the mic channel is detected. That's a really professional feature, and it isn't always the easiest to find, especially for streamers. Similarly, there's a loopback button that cancels all the audio from other sources for your listeners besides your microphone. Again, useful to have, especially if you're mid-stream and you need to block out some copyrighted sounds or your friends are being noisy in the Discord chat.

Additionally, there's a Direct Monitor button that lets you listen to your own mic input in real time, but it will come through your speakers if you don't turn them all the way down first, so that could cause some echoes or discomfort if you're not careful.

Perhaps the best features here are two that are completely useless as far as most gaming-centric content creators go, but work really well. There's a voice changer with multiple modes to it. This is so funny to mess around with, and I'm sure that more creative streamers than me, or even V-tubers, could make use of it, but it feels a bit silly when more basic broadcasting features are missing.

There's also a Denoise Karaoke button. This dims the vocal track of the music you're listening to so you essentially get a free karaoke backing track to sing along to. I super didn't expect it to work, but it actually does. Vocals won't be cut out completely; instead, they're dimmed and then echoed slightly, but the fact the Solocaster can detect vocals in the first place and apply this setting is actually pretty impressive. If nothing else, this could be a really nifty little audio interface for budding musical theatre performers who want to try and record higher-budget showreels to send to agents and casting teams.

Performance

If you come at the king, you best not miss. In this context, that means that if you're going to impersonate the best streaming mixer on the market in order to show that it's possible to sell the same features for much cheaper, you best back it up with doing the basics well.

The Solocaster is certainly capable of a fairly simplistic XLR streaming setup. It can take audio from a USB-C connection, capture it alongside an XLR microphone, and I suppose it could technically take line-in from a secondary PC as well, and what the audience hears is pretty darn good. I did plenty of test sample recordings to see what different configurations sounded like, and all of them were great.

The problems start to arise when you want to do anything more than that. I can't really do much with the few faders and dials that are present because of a very irritating feedback buzzing. I tried everything I could to ensure this wasn't human error. No cables were touching, no wires were crossed, no connections were loose or dodgy, and it didn't make a difference. There's feedback whatever I do, which I put down to cheaper connection ports or parts inside. Thankfully, this wasn't picked up in any recordings I did, and it disappeared entirely when I had either the headphone or background noise fader up at full volume.

But this is why I say anything more than basic content creation isn't going to be a strength with the Solocaster. The microphone gain was also pretty darn quiet when I didn't have it up at full blast, and that's generally not where you want to leave these mics because they're prone to damage from that kind of sensitivity level. To make matters worse, the Direct Monitor volume is really weak, and that makes it hard to tell if your audio is peaking or not. If you want to dim volumes like a radio host, you're going to struggle because the second things aren't at full, problems appear.

While you can certainly say that these aren't major issues if they aren't showing up on the audience side, I'd argue the opposite. The top streaming mixers cater to both creator and audience. It's about ease of control, it's about knowing what your audience is hearing, and it's definitely not about a creator sacrificing their own audio for the sake of clean audience mixes.

For the money, this thing is certainly capable if you don't care about background music in between your games. The Ducking feature sounds great and works really well balancing multiple sources of audio you might want to talk over. It's $60, so that's a really nice feature for your investment, but creators who actually want a RodeCaster Duo-like experience are going to need to keep shopping, because this thing ain't it.

And that's just what I mean by "if you come at the king, you best not miss". Comparing yourself to the very best in the market is ambitious on its own, but to sort of miss the best points and biggest appeals of a device you're imitating is much harder to defend.

Should you buy the OneOdio Solocaster?

The Hyperkin Competitor, the Razer Stream Controller X, and the Maono PD200W are all examples of times brands have successfully imitated a dominant device in their tech markets. But in all of those examples, the brands shooting for their respective kings haven't missed. They've given people a bit extra despite the budget price, they've corrected wrongs of the thing they're imitating, or they at least offer the exact same kind of experience for a more reasonable price.

It feels to me like OneOdio has tried to be a little too ambitious with the Solocaster. The RodeCaster Duo costs $499; it's objectively way too expensive for most people. If you're making a cheaper alternative, you do not need to be shooting for as low as $60 to make it appealing. I would happily have recommended a $150 Solocaster if it meant it had more faders, a bit of customization depth, or a secondary USB-C slot. As it stands, there's a functional device here that will fulfil basic needs for some creators, but its extremely budget parts let it down. Moreover, its waste of the physical faders and dials it does have makes me think OneOdio had no idea what sort of creator to go after. The novel features and effects are fun, but they're taking up space that could have been used to take the fight to Rode.

If you are looking for a dedicated XLR streaming mixer on a tight budget, then the OneOdio Solocaster will fulfil a few requirements. But you're likely going to need to spend more on a conclusive mixer down the line. If I were you, and you were taking content creation seriously enough to buy a streaming mixer, I'd think about saving a bit more and looking at a mid-range option, because those do exist.

How I tested the OneOdio Solocaster

I integrated the OneOdio Solocaster into my setup for a few days before writing this review. In that time, I tested its various features and audio mixing powers with different configurations and settings applied. I swapped out a few pieces of gear to ensure it had solid compatibility with accompanying audio peripherals. I compared it to the RodeCaster Duo since it's obviously taking a lot of design cues from it, but also used my experiences of testing other audio mixers to evaluate how it performs.

For more on our testing methods, check out the GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

For more on content creation, brush up on the best capture cards, the best ring lights for streaming, and the best microphones for streaming and gaming.

Final Fantasy 9 isn't a PS2 game, but I've just noticed my PS2 memory card has a Final Fantasy save that looks like it has the wrong text. It's actually taken me 20 years to realise that the tiny low-res icon looks like it belongs to the earlier PS1 RPG, and there's a very silly reason why it looks that way.

You see, I've been messing around with an upscaler that solves jittery PS2 visuals using motion-adaptive interlacing. It'll also scale up any retro console that supports RGB output, but it's the systems that rely on interlaced graphics that benefit most from the gizmo.

While the GBS-C's motion-adaptive deinterlacing does an excellent job weaving separated horizontal fields together into a static frame, it's far from perfect. For the most part, you won't notice anything out of sorts, but after sharing a quick photo of my old PS2 memory card screen running through the upscaler, I received comments asking, "What's with the Final Fantasy "9" save icon?"

I originally figured the internet at large was getting its Final Fantasy roman numerals mixed up, but soon realised my old save really looks like it says "Final Fantasy IX" over the villainous Judge Gabranth sprite. Trust me when I say I squinted at the tiny icon for a solid 10 minutes on my actual display rather than through my hastily snapped photo, and I'm pretty certain the pixels read "IX" rather than "XII."

I'll admit, I started to get excited that Square Enix had somehow managed to typo its Final Fantasy 12 save icon art, or that there was perhaps another more interesting developmental reason for the blip. That was before I realized this was very likely a symptom tied to deinterlacing a low-resolution icon, and it all ties back to the way low-res CRTs used to work.

Here's the thing: the text on the Final Fantasy 12 logo on the memory card grid isn't meant to be legible. If you really want to get a good look at it, you can press X and bring up the full rotating 3D rendered model along with the copy and delete menu. What you're actually seeing before that is a version compressed to very few pixels that, when displayed on a CRT at the mercy of interlacing, pixel bleed, and phosphor glow, still vaguely looks like "Final Fantasy XII" at a normal distance.

When you take that same icon, blow it up on a modern screen using nearest-neighbour upscaling and deinterlacing techniques, you end up with distorted pixels. It just so happens that, in the case of Final Fantasy 12, it warps its roman numerals to look like they belong to a different game in the series, which serves as an eye-catching example of an upscaling caveat.

Using a "line doubler" like the OSSC stands a better chance of accurately representing even the lowest pixel text on the PS2, but you still end up with something that doesn't read like the full-resolution text. I suspect Bob de-interlacing still distorts the pixels in the same way regardless, changing their alignment to a completely different numeral, but I can't speak for more expensive FPGA-powered devices by the likes of RetroTink.

Big whoop, I hear you cry. Why should you remotely care about a few distorted pixels on an old PS2 memory card screen? I'll admit that I don't think this is a reason not to upscale your PlayStation 2, but I want to record the incident so no one gets the wrong idea.

I previously went searching to see if anyone had reported their Final Fantasy 12 PS2 memory card save showing the wrong thumbnail text, just in case there was a more elaborate reason. Immediately, I was rushed with Google AI claims that it's likely a "placeholder left over from development," which isn't remotely the case.

Therefore, this is me taking the opportunity to pre-empt any weird theories on why it looks like the PS2 memory card icon reads "Final Fantasy IX", as all it takes is someone to regurgitate AI nonsense to circulate falsified history. At the same time, this does help highlight how retro console upscaling technology works and why it will struggle to provide the exact same look as an old CRT TV, and while quirks like this aren't remotely a biggie, it could influence your setup plans.

• PS2 memory cards at Amazon
• Retro upscalers at Amazon

Swing by the best retro handhelds for portable emulators you can take on your travels.

Last Friday, X (Twitter) user MikeOdysseyYT posted that an "Ocarina of Time Pro Controller may be coming" to the Nintendo Switch 2. This rumour was then doubled down on by known insider and Editor-in-Chief of Universo Nintendo Necrolipe, who shared on X (Twitter) that MikeOdyssey was not only right, but that he's "seen the design" of this elusive gamepad, which is described as green and gold, with a Triforce crest in the center of the faceplate - perfectly fitting for what I'd imagine when conjuring up a new Switch 2 Zelda controller in my head.

I've avoided picking up the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller since the handheld arrived on the scene. I already have a premium pad that works just fine, but my decision against picking up the official pad is primarily because I've been patiently hoping that we'd one day see a Legend of Zelda version hit the shelves. Looks like my patience may finally be rewarded.

Nintendo has not announced that a new Switch 2 Pro controller is incoming, including one that sports a Legend of Zelda design. So as always, do take these statements with a Goron-sized grain of salt, but I really hope this rumored controller turns out to be a reality. Despite the gaming handheld being over a year old, we've only had one new version of the premium pad in the form of the Resident Evil Requiem Edition Pro Controller.

It's not a bad-looking Nintendo Switch 2 controller by any means, but it's disappointing that no Nintendo franchises have had a model of their own this generation. The original Nintendo Switch had a flurry of Pro Controller designs, including a Splatoon 3 version that featured blue and orange handles and subtle ink splotch imagery across the faceplate. I was expecting a similar release for the brand new Splatoon Raiders in the game's orange and green color palette, but alas, we saw nothing of the sort.

There was also an official Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Pro Controller, which utilized black and white handles and gold embellishments across the front of the pad, which mimicked the look of the Zonai's tech found within the game. Both of these pads are compatible with the Switch 2, though, so nothing is stopping me from adding them to my setup. However, I'd be more inclined to grab a newer Zelda Switch 2 pad for the back buttons, fast charging, and the ability to wake the handheld up from sleep mode.

It's worth mentioning that while we're all well aware that a Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Remake is on its way for the Nintendo Switch 2, this new controller is allegedly not based on the new game. Necrolipe clarifies on X (Twitter) that the proposed gamepad "is not tied to Ocarina of Time" and corrected himself by dubbing it the "The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition" controller.

Honestly, that has me far more excited than anything else. The Legend of Zelda anniversary came and went on February 21, 2026, earlier this year, without so much of a peep from Nintendo. It'd be nice to not only see some sort of celebration on Ninty's part for the four-decade-long series and one I hold near and dear to my heart, but also see a shiny new Zelda Switch 2 Pro controller in the works. Picking up new official Zelda gadgets is my favorite way to celebrate.

• View all Nintendo Switch 2 controllers at Amazon

Check out our guides to the best Nintendo Switch headsets, the best Nintendo Switch 2 cameras and the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards if you already have plenty of Ninty controllers at hand.

The Razer Blade 18 took its place on my list of the best gaming laptops on the market last week, after making it out off the test bench with a 4/5 review score. It wasn't the dual 4K / 1200p resolution display or the slimmer 18-inch chassis that put it there, though, it was the fact that the Razer Blade 18 nearly beat the MSI Raider A18 HX's performance.

That's a big deal considering no gaming laptop has managed to near that beast's benchmark records since I reviewed it last year. Of course, time has moved on for the MSI Raider, and the numbers today tell a different story where value is concerned. With an extra 12 months under its belt, the RTX 5090 MSI Raider A19 HX A9W is a little harder to find on the shelves. Instead, you're more likely looking at an RTX 5080 model (16GB vs 24GB), which isn't going to give you the same payoff for 4K gaming. The invoice is far kinder, though.

Right now, the RTX 5090 model is only available at Excalbur PC on backorder, but its age means it still undercuts the Blade 18 at $4,499.99. So what does that mean in real-world play?

At full 4K resolution, the two machines are tying. The Blade 18 bookends its runs, with wins in the lightest title, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and the most demanding, Cyberpunk 2077 (though only just), while the Raider scores higher in Total War: Three Kingdoms and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. These are still neck and neck scores, though, a trend that continues further down the resolution ladder.

In FHD and QHD+, we've got a similar situation, though the Blade takes a lead in QHD performance overall.

Numbers match up once more when we looked at synthetic benchmarks, though, with MSI taking the more demanding Steel Nomad test alongside the easier Fire Strike run.

It all comes down to Geekbench 6, then, and the MSI Raider A18 HX A9W's higher average single-core test. This is a machine using the abominably powerful AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, after all - even the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus inside Sneki's rig can't quite compete. The Blade scored 3,053 in its single-core test, while the Ryzen 9 typically averages at around 3,186. This is the only test in which a winner is decided.

Does that mean big spenders should buy the MSI Raider A18 HX A9W? Not quite.

The Razer Blade 18 has still made its way to my top list, now sitting as the best luxury gaming laptop I've tested so far. That's because, while it just whiskers out of the performance race against the MSI Raider it does so in a far sturdier chassis, with a much better keyboard, a higher refresh rate display, and a surprisingly solid battery life.

If I had $5,500 to spend on a gaming laptop, the lack of OLED or Mini LED display would be the only turn off here. Razer's decision to instead fit a dual-resolution 4K (240Hz) / FHD (440Hz) screen up top means you're not getting the more immersive contrast, color profile, and impact of a more luxurious panel. It's also unlikely that most players will be looking to fully take advantage of the top end of that 440Hz refresh rate - outside of elite competition, the vast majority of us will be able to get along just fine with framerates coming out of that RTX 5090 in 4K. The dual screen is an added expense that doesn't serve the majority of the market and cuts the Blade 18 off from the kinds of premium upgrades readily available in much cheaper machines.

That being said, there are very few 18-inch 4K gaming laptops on the market right now, and if that high-end build quality, excellent performance, and 240Hz refresh rate are worth more to you than color contrast it's a difficult one to beat.

• See all gaming laptop deals at Best Buy

I'm also hunting down all the best Asus gaming laptops and the best Razer laptops on the market. For something a little chunkier, check out the best Alienware laptops I've tested so far.

Legendary Nintendo fellow Shigeru Miyamoto has said that the major gaming hardware and software company is planning for a future where people purchase and keep multiple generations of the company's consoles. He hopes that this will make game development easier as studios won't have to worry about the new console generation cannibalizing the older platform's sales.

In an interview with Famitsu, that's been translated by GamesRadar+, Miyamoto speaks about how he wants Nintendo's hardware to make game development easier for creators. "We all want to put minimal effort into making a living; live the easy life… I'm half joking," he says with a chuckle. "I think it's really important to reduce workload and streamline development, and in this regard, I think we created the perfect environment."

The "perfect environment" he's referring to is one where developers can reach a wider base of players by making games for both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 simultaneously. "There are people who have multiple Nintendo consoles at home," Miyamoto explains. "Those who want to play on high performance hardware use the Switch 2, and games can be developed specifically for that console."

Nintendo wants to offer hardware capable of running high-performance games, but for those who don't need the extra power, they can target both generations at once thanks to the shared hardware architecture. "In a few years, there will come a time when this is the norm," Miyamoto says. "Nintendo is planning for a situation where a new market emerges. We can create different games without asking if [game] sales for the new console will compete with the old. I think that would be the best scenario."

Nintendo hopes to offer developers two options; reach a wider playerbase by releasing on both platforms, or take the greater power of the Switch 2. This is contrary to Xbox's plans with the Xbox Series X|S, where developers are forced to create games with the exact same features that work on both the high performance and lower performance consoles simultaneously.

While Miyamoto's talking points focus on making development easier for creators, the company obviously benefits financially from having multiple Nintendo consoles in each home. As the Switch and Switch 2 are also handheld consoles, many families, particularly those with children, have more than one Switch lingering in their abode.

Nintendo also supports homes with multiple consoles by releasing titles that can use features like Game Share and foster co-operative play. There is also the Nintendo Online Family Plan, which offers online benefits for multiple consoles at a discount. Shrewd move, Nintendo.

Shigeru Miyamoto was "pleased" to sell the original Nintendo Switch for 8 years as "customers aren't always looking for the best specs."

The Nintendo Switch 2's first-ever price increase is rolling out this September, making now the best chance you've got to try and grab the console for as cheap as you possibly can.

Once September 1 rolls around, you'll be looking at spending $500 on the Ninty machine alone, but today you can pick up the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle for $419 at Woot instead. This bundle includes the console and a download code for Mario Kart World, which typically costs you $499.99, but thanks to Woot, you're saving a massive $80.99, which is more than enough to pick up an extra game, or a shiny new Switch 2 Pro controller if that's what you fancy.

As a pre-loved console, you should expect some minor cosmetic damage for sure, but Woot insists that the handheld has "successfully passed a full diagnostic test" that ensures "like-new functionality" and the removal of any of the previous owner's information and logins. Even though it has been owned by someone previously, the download code for the game has not been used either, so you can feel at ease knowing you'll be able to redeem your Mario Kart World download and start drifting through the new free-roam mode in no time.

If it weren't for pre-owned Nintendo consoles, I wouldn't be here writing these very words, so I appreciate that they can still be a more affordable option to get newer tech in many people's handhelds. However, if for whatever reason you aren't comfortable with a second-hand machine, you could alternatively grab the Nintendo Switch 2 Choose Your Game bundle.

You'll be looking at spending $499 at Amazon for it, so you won't get that lovely $80 discount like at Woot today. However, it's still a cheaper option than Nintendo Switch bundle deals you can expect when September rears its ugly head in a little over a months time. Better yet, you can actually pick the game you want too. Not a Mario Kart fan? That's fine, as you can grab a download code for Donkey Kong Bananza or Pokemon Pokopia instead, the choice is yours.

• View all gaming deals at Woot

New to Switch 2? Our team has also rounded up the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers, the best Nintendo Switch headsets, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 cameras so you can complete your Ninty gaming setup.

It feels like nothing you can play games on is safe from price hikes right now, and that includes previously affordable retro handhelds. In fact, the demanding AI data centre demons released from the Pandora's Box ravaging RAM prices are also biting at Qualcomm's heels, and portable console brands like Retroid are already firing metaphorical flares.

Qualcomm chips are the beating heart of many of the best retro handheld newcomers scheduled for 2026. Existing popular portables, like the Ayn Thor and Retroid Pocket 5, are also powered by Snapdragon 865 and 8 Gen 2 SoCs, so plans to "raise prices by double digits" shared by Bloomberg are an undeniable omen.

Four days on from that original report, and Retroid has already signalled that its new Nova handheld could be impacted. In an update posted to X, the portable console maker actually kicks off with some good news, announcing that the black version starts shipping tomorrow. The company further clarifies launch plans, explaining that the 16-bit, Crystal, GameCube, Ice Blue, Clear, Purple, and Watermelon models will be on a 1-2 day rotation, and a dedicated assembly line means the "current backlog should be gone within three weeks."

The last thing the retro handheld scene needs is more component hikes, as memory prices are already causing a ruckus. Ayaneo has already had to adjust pricing on its Pocket models, and its handheld gaming PCs now cost up to and beyond $4,000. Yes, the latter is the same situation even the big dogs like Valve find themselves in with hardware like the Steam Machine, but it feels like the walls are narrowing in on affordable, mobile-based options.

Even the excellently priced Super Pocket has been hit with a price increase, which is surprising given the Evercade console is armed with a mere 256MB RAM and a low-spec Cortex-A7 quad-core chipset. It's becoming evidently clear that's its not just devices using the components being gobbled by the AI industry falling victim to "RAMageddon"; it's actually just anything that uses parts made in a fab or foundry, as TSMC, Intel, Samsung, and all the other fabrication giants now have new, multi-billion-dollar priorities.

That's not to say new retro handhelds will completely come to a halt in 2026, as newbies like the Anbernic RG SP and Ayaneo GBA clone are still inbound, and the Retroid Nova is rolling out to players who pre-ordered. In the current climate, not taking prices for granted and picking up portables when you can seems to be the way to go, even if that means paying slightly more than previous years.

• More retro handhelds at Amazon
• More retro consoles at Amazon

Swing by the best retro consoles for classic remakes and emulation machines.

I've been trying to perfect my PS2 setup for years now, but there's been one modern upscaler symptom haunting my favorite 2000s outings. While Sony's iconic sequel system looks perfectly fine on an old CRT TV, most of the console's releases rely on interlaced graphics that don't play nice with new screens. The result is jittery visuals that just look plain weird compared to 20 years ago, and solutions used to be far too pricey.

For a while now, I've had an OSSC at the heart of my retro console setup. FYI, that stands for Open Source Scan Converter, and I fully believe it's one of the top upscalers out there that comes with minimal caveats, and that's in part because it's a "line doubler" that multiplies horizontal pixel rows to ramp up resolutions.

That approach introduces practically no lag since it's processing visuals line by line, not unlike a CRT. Unfortunately, my relationship with the OSSC has its demons, as its Bob deinterlacing techniques fail to solve my flickery woes. The good news is that I've found a side upscaler that is specifically great for PS2 games, even if I won't be leaving the OSSC for it.

The other upscaler in my current affair is none other than the GBS Control (GBS-C for short), an open-source HDMI converter that started life as a DIY kit. It's effectively another doohickey that will allow you to connect retro consoles to modern TVs or monitors, and it boasts specific abilities that give it an edge when dealing with pesky interlaced graphics.

Interlacing is a tricksy workaround that's been used since the dawn of television sets, and it was originally developed to combat broadcast bandwidth. The technique essentially splits a frame into odd and even fields, then displays both rapidly on screen.

If you caught my deep dive on retro console scanlines, the same idea of lines appearing on screen so fast that your eye sees a completed frame applies, but rather than drawing each horizontal row progressively, interlacing will technically scan odd fields then even to make a perceivable full frame.

I should be clear that some PS2 games are compatible with progressive scan, but there are reasons why the console didn't default to 480p. The biggest is that most consumer CRT TVs in the early 2000s tapped out at 240p or 480i (576i in PAL regions like the UK and Australia), so sticking with interlaced visuals helped avoid compatibility issues. It also helped save on memory, which in turn enabled developers to work with enhanced textures and high-detail assets.

CRT TVs weren't immune to the intrinsic flicker on interlaced graphics, but it was less notable on a tube screen. That's largely thanks to the way phosphors gradually fade on screen, which helped soften the rapid interlacing of horizontal rows in conjunction with the display's shadow mask/apperture grille layer and pixel bleeding. If you take those same visuals and let deinterlacing convert them into solid frames, though, the jitter is extremely visible.

The main issue with standard deinterlacing techniques today is that it doesn't remedy the previous masked symptoms. While upscalers like the OSSC run circles around native TV solutions by eliminating lag, blurriness, and ghosting tied to using algorithms that weave horizontal lines together, "bob" deinterlacing emphasises the way interlacing inherently works.

To actually make a single frame, Bob takes even horizontal pixels and uses them to fill the odd interlaced lines and vice versa. That results in a pixel shift effect with every frame that switches pixel positions, leading to a repeated bobbing effect tied to the respective refresh rate. Simply put, PS2 games running at 60Hz will switch back and forth from odd and even rows 60 times a second, and that's the flicker you'll see on things like text and background textures.

Enter motion-adaptive deinterlacing, a technique that can actively detect if pixels are changing. It will still use the old weave approach with odd and even lines with no movement, while applying Bob algorithms to anything with movement. It's a "best of both worlds" solution that ditches the jitter while embracing the sharpness, low latency, and smoothness of Bob for when fast-paced movement is most likely to cause artifacts.

Here lies the GBS-C's specific PS2 superpower, as unlike the OSSC, it can apply motion-adaptive techniques to interlaced signals. Keep in mind I've been using the latter line doubler with gaming monitors and TVs for years now, so I'm well used to the flicker of Bob deinterlacing, especially when static menus and background textures are present. Therefore, when I clapped my eyes on the GBS-C's algorithms in action, I was pretty blown away.

I had almost gotten used to the janky jitter when playing some of my go-to PS2 romps, and I'll admit that the symptoms are sometimes subtle. For instance, in Silent Hill 2, the chaotic jiggle largely applies to background elements, like brick wall textures and static objects that calm down when James is running around. Seeing the lines on the pavement or building masonry shake around does hamper efforts to soak in the survival horror's eerie atmosphere, though, and it's easy to spot the difference with motion adaptive interlacing applied.

Having access to motion adaptive upscaling is absolutely a sole reason to grab a GBS-C, especially if your eyeballs have already wrestled with more aggressive PS2 examples like Dead or Alive 2. However, it also happens to be an impressive upscaler in its own right, offering up a wide array of settings you can control via built-in screen or a more expansive Wi-Fi menu.

The latter was a bit of a pain to get up and running, as you have to use the GBS-C as a hotspot then point it towards your home connection. Once you've got that sorted, however, you'll have access to vital settings like motion adaptive upscaling, resolution presets up to 1080p, and plenty of picture control dials. There's even a pretty in-depth dev mode that provides access to even more bells and whistles if you're really nerdy about retro console outputs.

At the same time, if my time using the GBS-C has taught me anything so far, it's that it lacks the same visual punch as the OSSC. Line doubling provides far sharper results than a "traditional" frame buffer device, as multiplying raw pixel rows simply looks better than the softer Bilinear Scaling used by the GBS-C.

I'm planning to experiment with using both the OSSC and GBS-C in conjunction, as it could be the perfect solution for my PS2 setup specifically. I'm wary that picking up two upscalers isn't remotely cost-effective, though, so if you want sharp line doubling and motion adaptive deinterlacing, it might be worth looking at the pricier OSSC Pro.

What I will say is that the results provided by all these upscalers will fall short compared to the RetroTINK-5X Pro or RetroTINK-4K. Those are two enthusiast-grade options with FPGA chips that will run rings around the GBS-C's motion adaptive upscaling with zero lag and ridiculously sharp visuals. The catch is that they cost between $300 and $750, which will absolutely be out of bounds for a lot of retro enjoyers.

For those of you on a budget, I'd say the GBS-C will provide you with a superior PS2 experience compared to using your TV's native abilities or a cheap upscaler. Just keep in mind that, just like the base OSSC, this gadget exclusively deals in RGB signals via SCART, component, or VGA, so you'll need to use the right cables or convert composite-only consoles like the NES.

Check out the best retro controllers for authentic gamepads with modern perks.

Qualcomm, the manufacturer behind the processing chips inside devices sold by Samsung, Meta, Pico, Xiaomi, OnePlus and a slew of Windows Laptops and Android wearables, has reportedly announced to its partners that it can no longer absorb the rising cost of manufacturing computing parts in 2026. As such, it'll be issuing higher prices, and it could throw a spanner in the works of the imminent Steam Frame VR headset.

The Steam Frame is confirmed to use a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which is built on ARM architecture. This is a step up from the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip used inside the Meta Quest 3 headsets and the Pico 4 Ultra, which could also come under fire as a result of these price hikes.

The rising costs are to be implemented as soon as September 1st, and are said to be going up by "double digits". We still don't have a confirmed release date for the Steam Frame, but Valve did say it'd arrive at some point this Summer. Judging by shipping manifests and intensifying signposting for the new headset on the Steam storefront, it could hit the shelves any week now.

Let us not forget that the Steam Frame's initial launch was meant to be "early 2026", but Valve has already cited rising manufacturing costs and the ongoing RAM shortages as a reason for its delay until now.

Those very same RAM issues are the reason Qualcomm's also feeling the squeeze. With industry-wide semiconductor and memory supply chain issues, many of Qualcomm's partners have steadily upped their prices, to the point where the Snapdragon maker now needs to do the same.

This could impact end-costs for consumers, which it already has in some instances. Meta upped the prices of its Meta Quest 3 headsets in 2026, but there are so many mobile consumer electronics brands in Qualcomm's partnership that this could now trickle down to. It would be a real blow to Meta to have to raise the prices of the Quest 3 devices again, but it could have bigger, unreported consequences for the launch price of the Steam Frame.

If Valve had previously settled on an unannounced price tag for its new VR hardware, and its first batch is already manufactured and ready to ship from warehouses, it's going to become a PR game. Does Valve shoot with the cost it was already hypothetically decided on, or does it readjust now that one of its most expensive manufacturing components is about to steal more of its profits? Likely, it'll be the latter.

Let's be honest, it was already likely that the Steam Frame's price tag was going to spark outrage amongst gamers. The Steam Controller's $100 actually isn't that bad relative to some of the official PS5 and Xbox Series X pro controllers, but it was touted as too pricey by the public when it was properly revealed. The Steam Machine was met with a similar reaction too based on the equivalent cost of a desktop gaming PC. So, in Valve's eyes, it'll probably be a case of raising the cost of the Steam Frame a little further than it had planned - it's not as though we'll ever know.

That said, it's worth noting that at least for the first few batches of Steam Frames, Valve will have already cut a deal and secured pricing for the parts used, so it could well be that we see a price rise at some point in the future depending on how much Valve has prepped for the future.

It doesn't seem like the high costs of the Controller or Machine have impacted sales, as both are still in and out of stock due to demand.

Qualcomm announced its plans on Friday last week, as was reported by Bloomberg. According to the outlet, a letter was sent to customers explaining that Qualcomm had sought alternative components from new suppliers, but to no avail. The letter doesn't seem to be designed as a publicly facing message, but the company is due to report third-quarter financial results on July 29, so we may hear more official word soon.

Looking to upgrade your rig before Steam Frame arrives? Take a look at the best gaming PCs, the best graphics cards, and the best RAM for gaming.

Sony's Days of Play sales have long since ended, and I had assumed all of its deals ended with it. However, both the Death Stranding 2 On the Beach Collector's Edition and the Ghost of Yotei Collector's Edition, which include copies of the game and a smorgasbord of exclusive physical goodies, have returned with the same set of savings as the annual Sony event.

For a limited time, you can grab the Death Stranding 2 On the Beach CE for just $129.99 (PS Direct) and the Ghost of Yotei CE for as low as $149.99 (PS Direct), saving yourself $100 off each. These savings are part of a wider sale at PS Direct, which includes discounts on PSVR2 and even a rare deal on the 8TB WD BLACK Internal SN850P SSD. However, unless you have a spare $1,099.99 to spend on a spot of storage, I recommend sticking to these collector editions to get your PS5 deal fill while they're available until August 10, 2026.

Before you add either Death Stranding 2 or Ghost of Yotei to your online PS Direct shopping basket, I do need to give you a major heads up: neither one of these collector's editions includes a physical game.

As if the fact that there will be no new physical PS5 games after 2028 wasn't disappointing enough, these fancy and merch-filled versions of both games have included a digital download far before Sony made its big announcement earlier this month. That means that while you'll get a boatload of physical merchandise for each title, both Death Stranding 2 On the Beach and Ghost of Yotei are included as digital downloads. There aren't even empty boxes to add to your shelf, as is the case with the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6, which is mega disappointing.

With that in mind, it's better if you see these deals as ways to get your hands on some exclusive collectibles above all else. The glorious 15-inch Magellan Man Statue, which was CG modeled, 3D printed, and produced under the watchful eyes of Metal Gear Solid artist and industry legend Yoji Shinkawa, is only found within this version of Death Stranding 2, and cannot be bought separately unless you're okay searching through the mines of second-hand sites like eBay and dealing with its extortionate prices.

Considering you get it, a 3-inch Dollman figure, art cards, a letter from big-man Hideo Kojima, and a fancy box to keep it all in feels worthwhile enough at $100 off today. You could think of the fact that the game and some in-game extras are included as a little extra, rather than the focus. At least, that's what I'm going to do as a physical game girlie.

View all PS5 gaming deals at Amazon

Check out our guides to the best PS5 headsets, the best PS5 controllers, and the best SSDs for PS5 if you've already got plenty to play.

Those last minute Back to School shoppers are getting their money's worth this week, with Best Buy launching its own sale to join countless others in their student discounts. Things can still get pretty pricey, though, so PC gamers will want to make sure their investments can handle both work and play.

Take it from someone whose only gaming came from an old Nintendo DSI for a year of college (and we were years past the device's actual era, before anyone Uncs me), that's easier said than done. Being smart with your budget means prioritizing gadgets that can fit both worlds seamlessly, so I've picked one of the best gaming laptops, the best gaming earbuds, and one of my favorite gaming mice to prioritize in this balancing act.

That means a gaming laptop that doesn't sag your backpack, a set of earbuds that can handle ranked matches just as well as your playlists, and a rodent that uses its buttons for far more than your inventory.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Gaming laptops come with their own drawbacks when used for school. Their chunkier chassis', shorter battery lives, and loud designs can be a bit much for library sessions, but if you want to keep your hours up while studying they're a far better investment than a desktop PC. That versatility to travel, and the extra computing power you're playing with from a productivity standpoint, make them ideal two-in-one devices for work and play.

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is one of the more expensive options on the market, but it does nail the compact form factor particularly well. The slimline chassis won't bulk out a bag any more than a regular mid-range laptop, and it still packs a sturdy keyboard worthy of all-day typing. Its battery life lets it down, coming in at about four hours for study. If you prioritize performance and don't mind carrying a spare charger with you, though, this is always my first recommendation.

Side note: If your priorities do swing the other way, the Asus TUF A14's AMD Ryzen AI CPU is far more focused on power efficiency and can still put up a good fight in games. It's also slightly cheaper, coming in at around $1,500 on Best Buy's good days.

SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds

The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds aren't just the best in-ears for gaming, they can also carry your playlists pretty well as well. It's tough to find low-latency 2.4GHz earbuds with an easy Bluetooth connection, this much attention to the lower ranges, and handy onboard controls for playback and calls. Many gaming-focused earbuds aim for speed and speed alone, making them a little awkward in everyday use. Here, you're getting everything you need in one set.

There are a few small twinges in the plan. The fit relies on a sturdy twist to ensure the buds stay in place, and should they wiggle out just a little you'll find annoying repeated pauses. After a couple of years' use, I eventually switched off the ear detection feature to avoid these cut-outs.

Still, for an all-round set of buds that will replace both your EDC and gaming headset, there's nothing else quite like these on the market.

Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE

Sure, you can use a trackpad for gameplay, if you're a sociopath. The rest of us will need a separate rodent for gameplay. Thankfully, the Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE will help you out with your inventory and macros, while also adding to your control roster for every day study.

That's because the 12-button side panel often seen in MMO-flavored gaming mice is also fully customizable with Stream Deck functions. That means all your usual key combinations can be easily matched up on the side, but the panel can also be used as a launcher or per-program macro deck. It's a gaming mouse first and foremost, but in the last few years I've had far more fun using it as a productivity device.

• See all Back to School Sales at Best Buy

I've tested over 60 gaming laptops to find you the best option for college, but we're also rounding up the best gaming handhelds and the best gaming tablets for more lightweight tech.

I spent an evening this week virtually hanging out with two of my closest friends as we put on some VR headsets and met up on the charming links of Walkabout Mini Golf. As much as catching up with my friends (and smoking them at mini golf) was the main focus here, as a VR headset nerd, I was also enjoying the fact that all three of us were accessing VR in different ways.

My friend Olly was playing on PSVR 2, a simple connection job to his console, which was probably the most streamlined of us all. I was playing on the new, lightweight, and ultra high-fidelity Pimax Dream Air, a direct-to-PC wired headset which I'm currently testing for review.

My friend Stewart, the newest of us to VR gaming, has had some trouble getting Steam Link to work wirelessly on his Meta Quest 2 headset, so he was using a Link Cable to plug into his PC and play via Steam.

After a good couple of hours (and some comfortable wins for me, which I definitely didn't gloat about), Stewart's headset, the oldest of the three we were using, died.

"Did you not say you got an Elite headstrap with a battery attachment?" I asked him. He had, but he explained that because the Meta Quest 2 only has one USB-C port, he wasn't able to play via the Link Cable and charge simultaneously.

Little did Stewart know that he had stumbled upon a design flaw that also plagues the much newer Meta Quest 3 and 3S, and it's a big reason a lot of folks will need to choose their Meta Quest accessories very carefully.

My mind immediately drifted to the upcoming Steam Frame. From what we know about it so far, it's not taking the same sort of accessory-ready outlook as the Quest headsets. It also, as far as we know, can only work wirelessly. It has one solitary USB-C port too, which is for power delivery/charging, maybe a few accessories, and limited data transfer through USB 2.0 speeds. You're not going to be able to hook up a link cable to play on PC.

Thankfully, it's had a true wireless outlook from the beginning. Its USB dongle will do all the linking work you want it to (supposedly), and it can also run games natively, but should the selection of accessories for it start to grow, it could run into the same issues as the Quest devices where you have multiple peripherals fighting over a single USB port.

With such a diverse selection of accessories available for the Quest 2 during its tenure, you'd think the Quest 3 headsets would have seen an expansion to two different USB-C ports. This would allow for linking up to a PC, as well as the option to keep the thing charged while you're using it, or even a separate USB-C option like latency-free earbuds and headsets.

For those wondering, a USB Link cable will supply a small amount of charge to a Quest headset while you play, but not enough to keep it alive indefinitely. The solution in recent years has been fancier wires like the Syntech Link Cable, which throw a divider into the middle of the connection so you can plug that into a wall outlet and provide super-fast charging, but this is less than ideal since you're then tethered to a secondary point in your room as you play, which could limit movement.

Even with one of the fanciest link cables, you'll still be limited in terms of the other accessories you can use. If you want to use the PrismXR earbuds, for example, or anything else that'll need a USB-C port to work, you're going to be limited.

Depending on how you use your Quest headset, this could be a minor gripe or a continual plague on your VR downtime. Either way, with rumors beginning to swirl about the Quest 4 being a larger upgrade and departure from the Quest 3, maybe we'll see expandable connectivity in the next generation.

Upping your PC power in time for the Steam Frame? Check out the best CPU for gaming, the best RAM for gaming, and the best graphics cards.

Scanlines! It's a phrase often hurled around the retro gaming space, and one you'll find on your "an enthusiast said I'm playing old games wrong" bingo card. The issue is that while it is indeed a visual effect that can be enabled when using emulators and retro console remakes, they won't always make your shiny new screen look like an old CRT TV, and that could put you off using the effect.

As someone who specializes in connecting retro consoles to modern TVs and monitors while also being a CRT TV enthusiast, there is a big fat myth tied to scanlines. While using an overlay that adds horizontal black gaps can enhance definition and add pixel separation, you won't magically get the same visuals as a tube set. There's way more going on with your old idiot box than that, and understanding those old visuals will help set your expectations.

When testing the best retro consoles today or using the originals, I typically enable scanlines. Adding in horizontal black lines can come with caveats, but for the most part, it will add useful pixel separation that helps sprites and textures look less like blocky blobs on modern displays. But, to help you work out whether you actually care about using the effect, I want to dive into what scanlines actually are and the various ways systems today can mimic an old CRT.

What even is a scanline?

By definition, a "scanline" is a horizontal row of pixels drawn rapidly by an electron beam to make a full CRT TV picture. Yes, your old box would make up a full image within a split second by blasting electrons against a phosphor-coated screen, which made for a very rock 'n' roll way of generating frames.

Unless you've got some really high refresh rate eyeballs, you won't be able to see a CRT actively drawing horizontal lines. In fact, there's every chance that if you grab an old tube set right now and feed it a clean signal that matches its native resolution, you won't even see the distinctive black spaces that are dubbed "scanlines" today. That's because those gaps were more of a symptom rather than a feature, one that just so happened to add some extra pixel separation when gaming.

I own too many CRTs for my own good, ranging from a backbreaking 32-inch Aiwa set to an impossibly small 3.7-inch Sony Trinitron TV. Whether or not you can actually see distinct scanlines on each comes down to the resolution of a retro console, the cable type, and the display's own screen type, as all three can work to make the black space between rows less visible.

Standard Definition used to be, and still techniclly is, 480p, meaning 480 lines drawn horizontally using progressive scan. That's fancy speak for every one of those lines being drawn in order from top to bottom, but that means some trickery is required when using a 240p retro console like the NES, SNES or Sega Genesis.

The workaround involves the CRT filling its 480p screen with 240 rows of pixels by leaving every odd line blank. That results in a full image still being displayed on screen, but with distinctive black spaces between. That quirk is exactly what modern scanline effects attempt to replicate today, but there are other forces at play also messing with the look of raw pixels.

Behind the mask

When letting a CRT TV blast your eyeballs, scanlines likely won't be the first thing you see. If anything, you're more likely to notice the defined pixels that look like separate dots rather than a linear line of squares. What you're actually seeing is the image being drawn behind a metal plate, or "shadow mask", designed to guide electron beams directly to red, green, and blue phosphor dots.

Most consumer CRT TVs use a shadow mask, and it actually provides a distinct look that may distract you from scanlines altogether. The metal plate actually channels the electron beams into a triangle formation, or triad, that can reduce the visibility of direct, horizontal rows, portraying a more staggered pixel look.

Naturally, simply adding in horizontal black lines to retro console visuals on a modern LCD or OLED doesn't quite hit the same CRT notes as a shadow mask screen. Rather than getting that staggered triad color effect that adds pixel definition, you instead get a bolder horizontal effect that won't quite look like an old tube.

At the same time, not every CRT uses the same phosphor plate either. For instance, Sony Trinitron models are heralded for their Aperture Grille technology, which separates phosphors with tiny vertical wires. The idea is that the positioning will only allow the appropriate color through, rather than trying to block more light with a solid mask.

As a result, Trinitron CRT images are brighter, boast better color accuracy, and have enhanced sharpness thanks to the higher-pitch vertical dots. That is to say, there's less of a gap within each vertical stripe compared to using Shadow Mask triad clusters, and that in turn produces a pretty different look in terms of pixel separation.

Effectively, there's way more to making your classic games look like they're on a faux Cathode-Ray Tube. Scanlines are really just one part of a visual symphony that presents old sprites and textures the way their designers intended, rather than a bunch of scaled-up blocky pixels. Knowing that elements like CRT masking techniques, color bleeding, and phosphor positioning will provide different results will ultimately help you achieve the look you're looking for, whether that's based on something from memory or a collectively agreed gold standard.

Modern scanline techniques

It might feel like CRT TVs vanished from gaming setups aeons ago, but in reality, the screen type only properly retired in the late 2000s. That's the point where I noticed LCD panels properly take over the consumer market, and as someone who kept using old consoles with those displays, it became quickly apparent that they were missing a trick when it comes to classic visuals.

I was actually extremely late to the LCD part, having only picked up a budget 720p 28-inch LCD set in 2007 for my Xbox 360. It only took me a couple of months to realise that, while Bioshock looks phenomenal in "HD", consoles like my Sega Mega Drive looked a bit off even when using a clean RGB SCART input.

Naturally, the subpar upscaler in that supermarket brand LCD TV was committing more than just visual atrocities, but my immediate concerns were sparked by pixel separation. I really couldn't jam with Blaze in Streets of Rage looking like a bunch of blocks, and it kickstarted what would be a decade long quest to bring scanlines back to my setup.

I should note that for years, the only way to really inject scanlines back into my favorite games was by way of "modern" retro consoles. Yes, I did experiment with using standalone VGA scanline generators, like the SLG3000, but that was more designed for CRT arcade play rather than mimicking consumer sets. It wouldn't be until 2014 when the Hyperkin Retron 5 arrived on the scene that I'd first get a taste for scanline overlay effects as a feature baked into a system.

The approach with basic modern scanlines is pretty straightforward, as it simply requires adding an overlay of odd or even horizontal black lines over retro console images. That helps provide pixel separation and something that is reminiscent of old CRT TV visuals, and the Retron 5 was one of the first to provide that.

Since then, scanline overlays have matured, but basic implementations still come with the same caveats attached. Firstly, adding horizontal black lines alone isn't really enough to give proper CRT vibes, and scaling-related symptoms like uneven thickness and unadjustable intensity can be distracting. Darkening half the lines on screen also reduces overall image brightness, and depending on your screen, the remaining active pixels might look a bit too dim.

These are issues that still persist with systems like the Hyperkin Retron GX, and even scanlines with some layer of adjustability included in the likes of the Evercade Alpha still aren't super close to a real CRT. That's not to say we aren't seeing progress, though, as HDMI upscalers and FPGA consoles like the Analogue 3D are introducing more elaborate effects that leverage the latest screen tech and add more than just horizontal black lines.

Analogue's 4K N64 specifically proudly provides "display filters" rather than just basic scanlines. Rather than just slapping an overlay on top, the feature is a real-time processing option that weaves in accurate CRT effects that mimic every classic display type. The system includes everything from the look of a Sony Trinitron PVM and BVM sets to consumer-grade tube TVs that use Aperture Grille or Shadow Mask tech.

Better still, the Analogue 3D can now even leverage "advanced HDR" tricks to facilitate the same pixel brightness on new screens. That helps each phosphor look like it's actually firing from an electron gun rather than just being mimicked on an OLED or LCD, and the result is damn convincing.

Analogue isn't the only company going the extra mile with CRT effects, though, as I'm seeing more ways than ever to add more convincing scanlines and masking. The OSSC line doubler I use for most consoles has a wide array of dials for adding in scanlines in real time; the newer OSSC Pro can even enable Shadow Mask and Aperture Grille overlays.

If you'd bring the Analogue 3D's advanced CRT filters to your entire setup, Retrotink also has you covered with its 5X Pro and 4K upscalers. They will make your bank account weep, but on top of providing FPGA-powered upscaling with motion-adaptive deinterlacing, they can also produce the same look as a Sony Trinitron or classic consumer set using similar processing techniques.

I'm fully aware I've been exclusively talking about hardware solutions, but modern emulators can also provide excellent scanline and CRT effects. Frontends like RetroArch include preset shaders for retro console cores, with CRT Royale being a prime example of a shader that can do more than just horizontal lines. Almost every emulation suite today at least has basic filters built-in, so it's worth messing around with those if you exclusively run your own ROMs on a retro handheld or PC.

Sneaking scanlines into your entire setup

I've been routinely asked whether there's a magic solution for adding scanlines to an entire setup. The answer is yes, as I've tested a doohickey that adds CRT scanline effects using HDMI, and it's not as atrocious as you'd think. Naturally, you'll have to use an upscaler or an adapter if you're using retro consoles with analogue output, but once you've got that sorted, it will inject adjustable effects into the pipeline before the image reaches your modern screen.

Of course, the effect produced by the standalone HDMI scanline generator still suffers from those classic caveats mentioned above. However, it includes on-board dials and switches for everything from scanline thickness to aspect ratio and even RGB color adjustment. The cherry on top is being able to switch between odd and even black lines, which will really help get you closer to the look you're after.

Your mileage with a standalone HDMI scanline generator will vary depending on your system of choice and screen. I do think it's worth a look if you can grab one for cheap, though, as it hooked my HDMI-modded N64 up with some much-needed pixel separation (the console's raw signal is pretty messy).

My hope is that by understanding why players rave about scanlines in retro games, you'll have an easier time deciding whether you care about the effect. Simply playing games raw without any overlayers or processing effects added in is completely valid no matter what those pesky enthusiasts shout at you online. That said, if you are craving CRT vibes but don't want to find a real tube set, you'll now know exactly how to go about transforming your modern display into a faux 20+ year old television set.

Swing by the best retro controllers for modern versions of classic console pads.

Razer is on a roll with its new cute releases, from its Pokemon Espeon and Umbreon Collection to its Pikachu and Eevee Collection - but now it's got Sanrio Edition keycaps out in the wild.

The new Sanrio Edition Razer Keycap Blind Box set was originally unveiled on Razer's community blog on July 12, 2026, but a new X (Twitter) post now reveals that it's available at Target stores in the US. These keycaps feature five designs of Hello Kitty and friends and can be swapped for your ESC key to inject it with that 'cute and cozy' factor. Only if you're okay with pressing a large replica of Sanrio's top mascot characters over the far easier-to-press original key of your gaming board.

Cute keycaps aren't exactly a new phenomenon. If you're as chronically online and immersed in the 'cute and cozy' world of gaming builds as I am, you've likely seen plenty of videos of them in the past and have been contemplating adding them to one of the best gaming keyboards you've got in your setup. However, these cute keycaps in particular include the likes of Hello Kitty and my personal favorite Sanrio character, Kuromi, holding real-life Razer tech.

While Razer doesn't state exactly what each character has amongst the palm of their paws, I could spot the white model Razer BlackShark V2 Pro that's perched on Cinnamoroll's head from a while away. It also appears that Pompompurin has managed to get his hands on the white model Razer Wolverine V3 controller. It's hard to decipher what laptop Kuromi has her hands on, but I at least hope she's got the Razer Blade 16, which currently sits on our best gaming laptops guide.

These keycaps are designed to fit MX cross-stem switches, which include the likes of the Razer BlackWidow V4 line-up. Their pricing hasn't yet been unveiled so I can't let you know what you can expect to fork out for these cute bling bags. However, if you're heading to a local Target near you to grab a few bags regardless, do make sure to check what board you have first to ensure it's compatible before spending a fortune on these randomized keycaps.

Talking of which, as you'd likely already surmised by now, they're available in blind boxes and cannot be purchased as a set. You have your "chance" to unbox one of the five designs and a secret chrome variant, which appears in one out of every 24 boxes, according to Razer. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of blind boxes, as you don't know what you're buying. There's every chance you could end up with just five Kuromi keycaps, and as much as I adore her, there is such a thing as too much Kuromi.

If you're in the same boat, you could alternatively grab Razer's Sanrio accessories from its Hello Kitty and Friends lineup starting from $27.99 at Amazon, no blind boxes included.

• View all Razer Sanrio PC gaming accessories at Target

Not a Sanrio fan? Our team has also rounded up the best gaming chairs, the best gaming headsets, and the best gaming mice if you're looking to refresh your PC setup.

Storage brands usually start with a standard model and wait a few years to launch a more premium version down the line, but not Samsung.

The Samsung 990 Pro has topped our best SSD for gaming guide for as long as I can remember, but now the Samsung 990 SSD has landed long after its premium predecessor. While bizarre, I'm appreciative to see any new drive hit the market. Especially one that provides speeds that aren't too far behind those of its Pro model, which has reached staggering prices in 2026 as a knock-on effect from the RAM Storage Crisis, which is still having its fun with pricing and availability of the best PS5 SSDs and PC drives alike.

I'm honestly thankful to see any new storage that's £212.19 / $269.99 (1TB) and £411.99 / $529.99 (2TB) launch prices have yet to be shaken up a notch. That being said, Samsung's newest 990 SSD shouldn't be your top choice if you're after the speediest drive, and if you can manage to find its Pro counterpart at a similar or cheaper price point, which is still achievable if you know where to look.

Design

There isn't anything that really separates this DRAM-less drive from others available today. Much like the Samsung 990 Pro SSD, this is your standard M.2 SSD with an all-black PCB and some Samsung branding pasted on top so you don't forget what drive you're inserting into your gaming rig.

I will note that this model is not yet available with a heatsink, so you don't get access to that swanky cyberpunk-looking red and black version which you can grab for the Pro model. However, both drives share the same M.2 2280 form factor, so nothing is stopping you from using it with this SSD, should you have one lying around.

Features

The 2TB Samsung 990 SD is a PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 drive available in 1TB and 2TB capacities that utilizes a DRAM-less design that's powered by Samsung's V-NAND and HMB (Host Memory Buffer) tech. It has a 400 endurance rating and comes with a 3 year warrantly. As a DRAM-less SSD, it's not intended to be as speedy as its Pro counterpart, but the line as to what speeds it's meant to be competing with gets a bit blurry.

The 2TB model I was provided with for this review states the drive provides read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s. That's all well and good, but meanwhile the official Samsung product page and marketing for the drive state it can achieve sequential read and write speeds up to 7,250 and 6,450 MB/s. I'm going to guess the sticker on the box that was provided to me ahead of release might be a little inaccurate, but I wanted to state it here in case the images of the provided box made matters a bit confusing.

Besides its speeds, the 990 is designed to be more efficient and power-savvy than previous models in the 990 lineup. Samsung exclaims that it provides "up to 38% improved performance per Watt" over the 990 Pro and that it can handle large files with ease. The drive and its data can also be managed by Samsung's Magician suite, the brand's proprietary software, which allows you to transfer data and track the health of the latest solid-state drive.

Performance

After spending some time with our CrystalDiskMark benchmarking tool, it was the box sticker that was closer to the mark for the 2TB capacity model, at least where my testing was concerned.

The Gen 4 drive managed to achieve an average 7,094.84 MB/s and 5,851.1 MB/s read and write speeds after being put through a series of four tests. This is not quite the 7,250 and 6,450 MB/s as found on the Samsung website and not enough to take the 990 Pro down a peg, but it's still pretty impressive. Let's not forget, the 990 Pro achieved 7,462MB/s reads and 6,877MB/s writes during our older review, so I'd assume this DRAM-less release would be far, far behind its more premium counterpart instead.

As always, speeds need to be put to practice, so I dug out some of my favorite PC games to see what the 990 was truly capable of. There's only so much that numbers on a screen can tell you. My favorite team-based hero shooter, Marvel Rivals, loaded up in an average of 38.13 seconds (over a period of three tests) from its launch menu to its start screen. I was pretty happy about that, as Season 9 just recently dropped and the sooner I can get into the game and work my way through the new battle pass, the better. In comparison, the game loaded to its start screen in 39.5 seconds from the onboard PNY CS1030 drive of my testing rig, so there was a tiny improvement - though it was not all that noticeable in practice.

Counter-Strike 2 loaded in an average of 26.80 seconds on the 990 SSD, which was a few seconds behind my rig's onboard PNY drive. It was a similar case for Dispatch, which loaded to its start screen at an average of 17.11 seconds compared to the PNY drive's 15.21 seconds. Of course, as I was using a stopwatch to time each game, it wasn't an exact science, so there should be a little margin of error to take into consideration. Either way, I had no issue bouncing into a variety of my go-to PC games practically as fast as I'm used to, and the SSD didn't falter or have any issues throughout the entirety of my testing time.

When it came to actually running Marvel Rivals off the 990 SSD, the drive continued to thrive. These days, there's a lot of on-screen clutter now that we've got characters like Jubilee setting off a barrage of fireworks and bright lights everywhere, so I was more concerned about my graphics card giving up the ghost than this SSD. Yet, after many hours of matches under my belt, Samsung's 990 kept chugging along just fine, and I didn't notice any dramatic difference whether I was rumaging through the various event screens or trying to get to the character select screen to select my main, Invisible Woman, as soon as possible.

During testing, I regrettably did not have a DC meter to check the temperature of the drive. Yet after a few check-ins throughout my time loading up games and spending far too many hours diving back in Marvel Rivals, Windows 11 informed me that the 990 SSD sat around the 48-degree mark.

Should you buy the Samsung 990 SSD?

Recommending SSDs in this day and age is tricky. While there are still plenty of impressive drives to go around, and the 2TB Samsung 990 counts as one of those in my eyes, but it's pricing leaves a little to be desired.

The Samsung 990 SSD launched for £411.99 / $529.99, which is a lot to pay for a little bit of extra storage. Especially when you consider that the 2TB 990 Pro originally launched for $309. That's a little over a $220 difference in just a few years, and without jynxing the situation, I fully expect the 990 SSD to rise from its $529.9 MSRP in the future if current SSD prices are anything to go by. (Thanks RAM Storage Crisis.)

That being said, as of the time of this review, its price thankfully hasn't shifted. This is where I'd usually recommend you grab it now before stock is all gobbled up and gone for good, but you can grab alternatives like the WD_Black SN7100 for just $289.99 at Amazon, and even the 2TB 990 Pro is down to $389.99 at Amazon.

If you're browsing retailers at a time when its Pro counterpart is bouncing between eye-watering prices, and yet the Samsung 990 SSD is still at its original price? Then I'd absolutely recommend you grab it to give your PC a boost. However, if luck is on your side and the same-capacity 990 Pro is the same price or even cheaper, you might as well still go for the more premium (and faster) option, even if the speed difference is only marginally higher than this DRAM-less drive.

How I tested the Samsung 990 SSD

As with all of the SSDs that come past my testing bench, I put the Samsung 990 through its paces by hooking it up to the M.2 drive of my testing PC, and running it through the benchmarking tool CrystalDiskMark. With it, I ran the drive through a series of four tests and calculated an average from those speeds. That average was then compared to its advertised on-the-box speeds. Additionally, I downloaded titles like Marvel Rivals, Counter-Strike 2, and Dispatch t via Steam and timed how long it took to load to their respective start screens and compared this to past SSDs that I've tested so far. To read more about the ways we test SSDs and the rest of our gaming tech, have a look at how we test SSDs and our hardware policy.

Check out our guides to the best SSDs for PS5, the best PS5 external hard drive, and the best Xbox Series X hard drive if your gaming platform of choice could use a little boost.

The momentum in the desktop CPU market has been going all AMD's way for years now, and while that's down to AMD for making the right choices, it's also been due to multiple missteps by Intel. I don't want to speak too soon, but Intel feels like it's turned over a new leaf in 2026, to the point where the competition could be about to get very fierce. Even the way Team Blue is getting its messaging across has shifted. AI is so far from its desktop CPU conversation; gamers are a priority, and there's been a brilliant refocusing on value for money. As someone who's really interested in the best CPU market, I'm daring to hope, but there's a lot still to prove.

I'm sure I don't need to fill you in on the PR and consumer nightmare that was the Raptor Lake refresh issues. I'm sure I don't need to talk to you about Intel's longstanding reluctance to support its motherboard sockets compared to AMD. And even if you didn't hear about the lacklustre price-to-performance of the first batch of Core Ultra CPUs at their launch, I'm sure you've been hesitant to grab one because of all the noise AMD's been making.

Intel's course correcting with two new flagship desktop processors this year. It's not calling them flagship products because neither of them has the number 9 in their name, but I'm calling them flagship because their reasonable price tags and refreshed attitude toward gamers feels like a statement of intent for where the brand wants to go. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus stands as a budget option at $199 / £199, but its specs, performance, and remedies of past Intel CPU generations are nowhere close to the "budget" end of the scale.

Specs & Features

So, after one thoroughly whelming generation of processors on the LGA 1851 motherboard socket, we really weren't sure whether a follow-up was going to arrive. Rumors swirled that Intel was already finished with it before the Plus variants were announced. By all accounts, it looked ready to move straight onto the next "Lake". Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and we've seen this latest refreshed generation use the same motherboard socket as 2024. Intel now claims it's planning AMD-style support and longevity for its platforms, including Raptor Lake, but in a PC market this volatile due to AI-induced RAMflation, it all remains to be seen.

In other words, Intel has a lot of good faith to build up with consumers again. I certainly hope we see this platform get support into the future, because as I'll come onto, there's some really strong performance to be unlocked from it. I want to believe that Intel has turned a new leaf, but it's going to have to back up the talk with action if it wants to become the trusted CPU maker AMD has become known as.

It's certainly going to be hard to argue with a decade of AM4 support.

All of that is to say that the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus uses the same motherboard socket as the original batch of Core Ultra products, but it's not one you can upgrade to if you have an Intel 12th, 13th, or 14th generation CPU/motherboard.

The 250K Plus might feel like a successor in name to the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K, but its specs land it somewhere between last gen's Ultra 5 and Intel Core Ultra 7 265K. It has 18 cores and 18 threads with a 5.3Ghz boost clock. That's up from last gen's Ultra 5 at 14 cores and threads at 5.2GHz, but just under the 265K at 20 cores and threads at 5.5GHz.

Considering the 265K retails for £269-£300 in the UK and roughly $300 in the US, and the 245K sells for ~$194 / ~£170, the new-gen model provides a serious price-to-performance boost and is clearly all about value for money. That's bold, because it's trying to beat AMD at its own game, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

There's a 30MB total cache on board, which isn't close to AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which offers a 96MB L3 cache - remember, this is the part of the CPU that the X3D options double up on to provide better gaming and content creation performance. Considering that chip is usually sold in the $350 range on a good day, you're getting some great value for money here with the 250K Plus.

The latest set of Intel processors doesn't have an answer for AMD's X3D architecture, but that doesn't mean they don't have other tricks up their sleeve. The Intel Binary Optimization Tool is a feature to watch. It's, I suppose, akin to DLSS in a way in that it's a subliminal software perk that goes hand in hand with the latest generation of hardware. There's no AI upscaling happening here though; the Binary Optimization Tool simply allows Intel's software to run games more efficiently on its hardware (in theory), which could lead to better performance overall in certain games.

The reason I say it's one to watch is that, like with DLSS, it is going to rely on compatibility within games on a software level. It's not like AMD's 3D V-cache where the hardware supplies performance boosts across the board because it's a result of architecture. It's still in its early phases, and I haven't heard a whole lot of noise about it since Intel launched the Core Ultra Plus chips. So far, looking at the list of games it can provide you boosts in, things are fairly thin.

To make matters more confusing, some games have compatibility with Intel's APO Optimization, but only some within that list (bolded ones) have compatibility with the Binary Optimization Tool.

• Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
• League of Legends
• Serious Sam 4
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider
• Watch Dogs Legion
• Assassin's Creed Mirage
• Battlefield V
• Borderlands 3
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Far Cry 6
• Geekbench 6.3+
• Hitman 3
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Kerbal Space Program 2
• Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered
• Naraka: Bladepoint
• Remnant 2
• The Callisto Protocol
• Tiny Tina's Wonderlands
• World of Warships

Performance

Intel's desktop CPUs have never really had all that much trouble offering decent gaming and content creation performance, especially because they cram so many cores and threads in that there's always enough muscle within to handle even the heaviest lifting in demanding games.

The questions for me going into testing were more about thermal control, volatility, and a bit of bloody peace and quiet.

For context, I reviewed the Intel Core i5-3600K, which I loved. But then I moved on to the Intel Core i7-13700K and after that, the 14700K. While both of the Raptor Lake i7 chips booted out some really decent power, they were just a pain in the arse.

Thankfully, I didn't get hit with major volatility issues to the point of damaged CPUs or anything, but even with the BIOS updates to counter the issue, I was still getting the most annoying, random fan flare-ups because thermal control was just non-existent and voltages were doing whatever they felt like. This resulted in an irreversibly loud PC while working day-to-day, but manifested in random and very annoying frame stutters and dips while playing games. I also couldn't play games without the CPU riding a low of at least 70 degrees no matter the title, and that was with a full-sized NZXT AIO cooler.

I immediately noticed a massive difference with the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus. Ambient temperatures were sitting in the mid 30s with an ambient power of 30-42W when idling or running my work applications. And even during this ludicrous heatwave-riddled summer in the UK, it's sitting at about 42 degrees when I'm working, and there are no random, annoying temperature spikes. Playing my go-to Hunt Showdown with a 14700K meant temps in the 70s and even 80s, but with the 250K Plus it's so steady in the high 50s and 60s with no trouble at all.

In this entire sitting of review tests, I've only seen a peak of 75 in one of Blender's benchmarks. For the most part it's still calm, cool, and collected under pressure and tends to sit in the 60s. That's all with the same thermal paste and NZXT Kraken Plus AIO cooler I was using with the 14700K, which shows you the serious performance boosts of this motherboard platform versus Raptor Lake.

Non-gaming benchmarks are pretty impressive. The Core Ultra 5 250K Plus demolishes the Ryzen 7 7800X3D in Blender. I haven't gone back to test that Ryzen CPU in the updated form of Cinebench, but compared to the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F I tested in the Quoted Tech Horizon, the 250K Plus does come out on top. Content creation is pretty great for the money then, even if these comparisons aren't exactly like-for-like because my testing rig is using a PNY RTX 5080 Slim, while the AMD reviews used a 7900 GRE and RX 9070 XT respectively.

The question I wanted to ask with gaming tests in this review was: could the latest Intel Core Ultra 5 keep up with an RTX 5080, to the point of negating the need for spending more on the Ultra 7 Plus. Honestly, while I haven't tested the more powerful 270K Plus yet, I'd argue the answer here is yes. While I'm sure there are better gaming performances to be netted, I think for $200 you're getting a really great 4K gaming processor here. The caveat to that is whether or not you're playing CPU-intensive games all the time. Let's look at some numbers.

In Total War: Warhammer 3's Battle benchmark, the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus combined with the RTX 5080 scored 86fps, which is up from Quoted Tech's Ryzen 7 9700F score of 72fps, and up from the Ryzen 7 7800X3D's 53fps. Across the board, the Intel Core Ultra provided strong scores in Total War against comparable Ryzen chips, but that could be due to the better GPU used in these tests. In less formal testing, things are interesting because the Ryzen 7 7800X3D did pack some inexplicable performance boosts.

Cities: Skyline's community-made scenarios still fall in favor of AMD, despite Intel's updated architecture and a more powerful GPU. While these numbers aren't as set in stone as formal benchmarks, they're averages taken while playing the same sequences, and AMD wins it comfortably. In Planet Zoo, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D scored an average of 95, the 250K Plus was a bit humbler at 78fps when operating a fully populated scenario at normal speed and 57fps when speeding up time and zooming into those busy areas of a park. Keep in mind the slowly ageing 7800X3D has ten fewer cores than Intel's latest Ultra 5.

I wouldn't argue these more modest scores are reasons not to opt for the Ultra 5, but it does show you that the X3D chips are capable of some really bold performances, especially since those numbers were recorded with an older GPU that's not got the oomph of the RTX 5080.

The only other gaming-based question I wanted to address was how the Binary Optimization Tool can impact things. I went into Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Cyberpunk for that, and compared my benchmarks with when it was turned off.

Unfortunately, in both the games I had access to that have support for this feature, I saw only tiny differences in benchmarking scores with and without Binary Optimization switched on. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, I saw an increase by one solitary frame, and in Cyberpunk it actually decreased the benchmarking score by two. There is also the chance that I haven't managed to get it to work properly, because other sites have reported a 5% to 20% performance boost from it on average.

One more thing I will say as a general use note is that if you're planning to overclock your RAM with this CPU, maybe look elsewhere. I've paired the 250K Plus with some G.Skill performance memory that was provided by Intel to review both of its new chips with. I can see one XMP profile onboard which attempts to unlock 7200MT/s, but anytime I've attempted to boost past 4800MT/s with the 250K Plus I've been kicked back to the BIOS and told no. I'm sure with your motherboard and RAM, your mileage may vary. It's unlikely this is going to be an overclocker's first pick anyway, but it's worth keeping in mind.

Should you buy the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus?

Intel has said that it plans to support its existing motherboard platforms from here on out, and although there are rumors around the next motherboard socket arriving, I'd be inclined to believe that Intel isn't going to go back on its word, especially since we all see how the momentum in the CPU market is drifting more and more in AMD's favor. Intel needs to provide long-term socket support to win back some good faith, but judging by its track record, it all remains to be seen. That's maybe one of the bigger question marks looming over the Intel Core Ultra Plus CPUs right now, but if you're willing to trust this new-age Intel culture, there isn't much preventing me from recommending the 250K Plus.

Because that's the real issue for Intel here. Putting the lacklustre launch of Core Ultra behind us, and ignoring the blip of Raptor Lake volatility, the problem with Intel in recent years hasn't been to do with poor CPUs. Sure maybe small upgrades for full prices haven't been the most inspiring thing, but it can't be disputed that this brand makes really good desktop processors. But excellent entries alone haven't been enough. AMD has been beating Team Blue through value for money, socket longevity, and innovative architectural developments.

You can't really just determine whether a CPU is worth investing in based on performance alone anymore, because AMD has it beat through years' worth of upgrade paths. If LGA 1851 is indeed a dead platform, then the insane value for money here is a small blip that'll fade into obscurity very quickly.

There's excellent gaming and content creation to be had here for the money, and the value is hard to argue with, even if X3D chips can offer you bolder frame rates in a wider suite of games. Binary Optimization is there to be built on, and I hope it becomes a feather in the brand's cap. Personally, I'm just happy with the genuine improvements that have been made to thermals and stability since the Raptor Lake refresh scandal.

I'd thoroughly recommend this processor for its price, and for many it's all the 4K power you're going to need for gaming, work, and content creation.

How I tested the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

I used the latest Core Ultra 5 in my own gaming PC for over a month before writing this review. In that time, I used it for all sorts of work, play, and creative tasks, but also undertook more formal benchmarking to put it through its paces.

I evaluated its performance through comparisons with spec-similar AMD chips, as well as price comparisons with the rest of the market. I also used my knowledge of the CPU market to make a thorough review for consumers to help them while making a buying decision.

For more on how we test gaming PCs, check out the full-length GamesRadar+ hardware policy.

You can also look up the best gaming PCs, the best graphics cards, and the best RAM for gaming.

Japanese brand Taito is releasing one of the strangest mice I've ever laid my eyes on that's officially licensed for anime fans: the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood PC Mouse.

As discovered by Siliconera, this new mouse doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the best gaming mice and is a simple plug-and-play wired rodent, but instead, Taito has put all of its focus on recreating the iconic cursed item, down to its haunting illuminating eyes and stone-textured face. Unfortunately, it's not the kind of thing you can just walk into any old tech store and pick up, but an exclusive Japanese arcade prize item. Yet, I can only hope that anime fans alike can still find a way to get their hands on this official piece of JoJo tech - I just hope there's no vampirism side effects that come with it.

While it's always disappointing to see neat pieces of tech like this remain prize figures that require a costly trip to Japan to find, it might not all be doom and gloom. Jenni Lada at Siliconera pointed out that there are listings for it across some retailers, including at Hobby Genki, which states it will be available on July 31, 2026. Though there is a massive "out of stock" banner across the photo too.

It's also not entirely impossible to get your hands on Taito prizes and other merch that's typically reserved for prize machines in Japan. Personally, I regularly use online stores like Surugaya to import items like it that would otherwise be out of my reach. However, with stores like it, you do have to be okay with accepting that you'll be getting a second-hand item, rather than a brand-spanking new gaming mouse for your PC.

If you're a hardcore JoJo fan though, I imagine that won't stop you. I've only watched the first few series' of the anime, and even I'm contemplating adding this mouse to my setup as I'm infatuated with the fact that it's not just got official JoJo art printed across like MSI's Frieren Beyond Journey's End accessories. Instead, the entirety of the surface of this mouse recreates the various nooks and crannies of the mask's surface.

The Hobby Genki description describes the mouse as "highly ergonomic" but I'm not entirely sure it'd be all that comfortable to actually use. Though who knows, maybe having a nose poking into the palm of your hand would actually be pretty comfortable?

As a heads up to fellow anime enjoyers, this isn't the first time an iconic piece of anime history has been transformed into a mouse. Shuichi Shigeno's well-known Initial D series (which you may know more from its memes if you aren't an anime fan of a certain age like me) has resulted in a series of bizarre mice of its own. Rather than being based on a mask, naturally, these are based on the iconic cars used in the series, and can regularly be found on the likes of eBay.

They're not cheap by any means, and you can expect to pay $124.80 (eBay) for the privilege of having your mouse shaped like a Toyota AE86 car. But it's got Bluetooth connectivity over Taito's wired Stone Mask mouse, and the headlights even pop up and actually light up. It doesn't get any more anime than that.

• View all anime PC gaming accessories at Amazon

Our team has rounded up the best gaming keyboards, the best gaming headsets, and the best gaming chairs if you want to give your setup a boost.

I've spent over a year getting deep, down, and dirty with a smorgasbord of the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories, but the Lululook Gaming Pillow Stand might be the weirdest I've tested so far.

This big boy (and trust me, it's pretty big) is a $64.99 (Amazon) stand that can suspend your handheld while providing a place to put your phone, and a few handfuls of crisps should you be peckish for some carbohydrates. Rather than being a device that hooks onto your bedside table, which I use frequently alongside my iPad for catching up with Netflix in bed, this stand is attached to a large padded pillow which you can place directly on your lap.

Curling up with my Switch 2 under the covers is my favorite pastime, and this Lululook accessory has made it considerably more enjoyable. That being said, its full price is on par with new Switch 2 games, which might be an understandably hard sell for many. Fortunately, it's at least down to £64.99 at Amazon in the UK right now, which makes me slightly more comfortable with recommending it today if you too love nothing more than getting cozy in bed with your Ninty handheld.

I've mentioned it a few times in my past accessory write-ups, but I have something called hypothyroidism. One of the main symptoms of the illness is joint pain, which I get predominantly in my knees, wrists, and fingers. As you can imagine, it makes gaming a sometimes painful experience (and not just when I frequently lose a match in Marvel Rivals), but during the past few weeks, I've been able to take the pressure off my wrists by using this Switch 2 pillow.

The Switch 2 isn't as notoriously heavy as the best gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck OLD, but any time I can negate a bit of its weight off my wrists is an opportunity I'm going to take full advantage of. This accessory allows just that, and I've had a far nicer time only having to put up with the weight of the Joy-Cons and not the console as a whole. I know it's not designed as an accessibility aid, but I appreciate that it can be one, and one I'm going to continue to rely on during all future pain flare-ups.

While taking the pillow out for a spin, I had less achy wrists and games like Pokemon Pokopia at eye level while cozied up in my duvet's warm embrace, and it was pretty sweet. The stand is so lightweight that I barely felt it on my achy legs either, and it was just as comfortable to play on the sofa, especially as I didn't have to crank my neck to look up at my TV.

The only big part of the pillow I didn't resonate with (besides its price) was its bowl. There's a little ridge just above it that's handy for keeping your smartphone upright, which I appreciated as a tool to easily look at Pokopia guides. Yet the bowl always felt like it was trying to coerce me into mindlessly snacking. There's nothing in the brand's marketing spiel that suggests you have to use it to store 'unhealthy' snacks, but the marketing images do include crisps, which is a bit annoying when I'm actively trying not to mindlessly game and snack at the same time.

I imagine anyone with a healthier relationship to food would probably find the bowl pretty neat, but I wasn't a fan. I ended up using it to store my Joy-Con controllers when I needed a break, and I advise anyone else to do the same who doesn't want to get into a habit of late-night snacking in bed. On a positive note, the bowl is at least really easy to clean. It features a large dial underneath that can be turned to unlock it from the foam padding so you can easily run it under the tap. It really feels like Lululook thought of everything - well, besides that some may not be comfortable with its eye-watering price tag.

All in all, this is not an accessory that I'd insist every Switch 2 player needs in their setup. But if you prefer handheld mode, love gaming in bed and don't already own a Switch 2 stand of any kind, it's a weird and wonderful gadget to have at your disposal. Hopefully it's £12 off in the UK right now should help make it a little more accessible too.

• View all Nintendo Switch 2 accessory deals at Amazon

Check out our guides to the best Nintendo Switch headsets, the best Nintendo Switch 2 cameras, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards if you're more in the market for less niche Ninty accessories.

Last week, Eyepatch Entertainment unveiled their bananas attempt at Super Mario 64 on the 3DO. That initial version was actually pretty impressive, featuring a distinguishable Peach's Castle and even Bob-omb Battlefield, but its Mario spite has been keeping me up at night.

Thankfully, the developer has shared a Super Mario 64 3DO update, and the plumber is looking far less haunted (cheers, Time Extension). In fact, the whole N64 conversion is looking a lot better running on the real retro console hardware, with Eyepatch Entertainment signalling that "real progress" has been made with the project.

"The frame rate is better and worse than last time you saw this," admits the dev before explaining that it "costs time to get the renderer looking better." That creates a time dilemma between working on performance versus fidelity, which feels like the real challenge ahead of Mario 64 on the 3DO specifically.

I'm pretty astounded at what Eyepatch Entertainment has achieved in just a week. Yes, the game still looks jittery, and the dev is clearly still ironing out how the 3D assets are drawn and pulled based on proximity, but it's looking real close to an actual playable conversion of Mario 64. The demonstration even features some classic penguin rescue gameplay, but you thankfully can't yeet the babies off any cliffs right now (that has always upset me.)

Eyepatch Entertainment's new video features both good and bad news for anyone hyped about Mario 64 on anything other than a 64. The first tidbit is that there's also a Sega Saturn version in the works that runs at 60fps, but it's not quite ready to show yet. The part that's a bummer is that, while plenty of players have already asked for an ISO for running on emulators or an actual 3DO, they apparently don't want to invoke Nintendo's wrath.

"I don't think Nintendo, even though this does not really look like Mario 64, would be very happy with me distributing this," the developer caveats. "If it were possible, I would give it away. I don't care if you want to torture yourself with this. But until then, I guess that makes me the number one player in the world at 3DO Mario 64, which I guess someone has to claim."

I need Eyepatch Entertainment to know that I'd happily give myself a migraine playing Mario 64 on the 3DO. It'll likely always be a cursed endeavour, but I'm even more invested now that Mario doesn't look like pixelated creepypasta. At the same time, I get why the dev is wary of the big N, but it would be funny to see it get riled up about its first 3D game replicated for a system that had no chance against the N64.

Swing by the best retro controllers to pair an authentic new pad with your classic console.

Upon catching Anbernic's RG SP teaser, I assumed an old clip had reached my feed. After all, the handheld maker already has two GBA SP clones, so it's reasonable to think it wouldn't have a third stab. It turns out I'm a big idiot, as it is indeed cooking up another model that ditches the previous portable's embedded thumbsticks.

The trailer in question reveals the Anbernic RG SP in all its clamshell glory, but not before highlighting its prior retro handhelds. In a bid not to mask over previous GBA SP clone portables like the Anbernic RG35XXSP from 2024 and its RG34XXSP successor, the teaser presents both in a timeline before revealing what's actually changed.

As I've already spoiled, highlighted improvements actually include taking away a feature, as it's now "stickless for pure nostalgia." The resulting eyeroll almost injured my peepers, but I am actually happy that Anbernic is focused on making something that looks close to a GBA SP.

Contributing to those latter GBA SP clone efforts is a 25% thinner top screen bezel, which should help reduce some of the previous bulk to OG Nintendo handheld levels. The overall profile is 10% slimmer too, so I'm pretty keen to inflict a weird Game Boy Advance Pepsi challenge on my friends.

Just like before, though, modern prevents the Anbernic RG SP from creating a Spider-Man pointing meme scenario. The control panel is still uncanny, largely thanks to the d-pad, four face buttons, and the middle toggle that Ninty original used for brightness, but the side microSD card slot and bottom 3.5mm jack are tells. You've also got a momentary power button on the side instead of a slider and an "R" reset button, not to mention that the cartridge slot is understandably gone.

As for the specs, you're getting the same H700 quad-core chipset as before, meaning the RG SP should be capable of emulating up to the PS1 and Dreamcast on its 3.4-inch 720 x 480 IPS screen. It hasn't revealed a full spec sheet yet, as it's unclear how much RAM the Linux handheld will be rocking, although I suspect we'll get 1GB.

I'll be sure to fill you in on full specs when they land, but at least we've got an Anbernic RG SP flavors list. It'll be available in metallic silver, pink, blue, and black, matching Nintendo's original colorways. The other biggie is that there's no MSRP yet, but I'd be slightly insulted if it's way more than the RG34XXSP since that clamshell is $67.99 at AliExpress. I'm not holding my breath since component prices are continually spoiling handheld releases in 2026, but perhaps Anbernic will weather RAMageddon by sticking with what it knows.

Swing by the best retro consoles for FPGA remakes, emulation machines, and more.

From here on out, it feels like the rumors and speculation about next-gen consoles are only going to ramp up more. We know for sure the next PlayStation isn't going to give us the disc drive console gaming has become synonymous with, but what shape will the other hardware take? I for one, feel like it's about damn time stock console controllers come with back buttons as standard. They've become the norm on even budget PC controllers, so why not Sony and Microsoft's official ones?

Maybe this is just my hot take as a controller reviewer, but back buttons should really be a guarantee in 2026. Hell, by the time the next consoles roll out, we'll probably be in 2028, with over a decade of the controller market integrating them into our gaming peripherals.

But what's your take? For some gamers (me), back buttons have become a must-have feature, and one that's hard to go back to doing without. But I have heard other folks saying the opposite, that back buttons aren't a necessity, or are annoying and even get in the way of pressing the standard buttons on a gamepad.

Thankfully, a few pro controllers that have back buttons will have lockable switches on them so that if you don't want to use them, they're not going to get in the way, which could surely be a happy medium.

I feel like the reason for Sony and Microsoft not putting them in stock controllers until now has been all about pricing, which is bound to be a controversial topic in the next console generation.

The performative reasoning is probably "it would cost more to put them on controllers, so we don't want to do it", but I'm not sure that holds weight these days. You can look at the majority of the best TMR controllers these days, and despite their advanced thumbstick technology, loads of the ones designed for PC and Switch cost less than, or around the same as, a DualSense. Oh, and all but one of the top nine I've recommended on that list have back buttons.

The Hyperkin Competitor, a DualSense knock-off for Xbox that comes in cheaper than Sony's PS5 controller, has back buttons, and I can think of loads of others from GameSir, 8BitDo, Flydigi, PowerA, and EasySMX that offer back buttons for less than the cost of a DualSense, so I don't think Sony or Microsoft could possibly say they'd cost too much to integrate.

Money could well be the reason back buttons are reserved for the Elite Series 2 and the DualSense Edge, but it's got nothing to do with costs. Sony and Microsoft likely see the value and demand for controllers with extra functionality, but they know people are willing to pay more for them. Ie, they want to charge you a premium for it through their more expensive homemade pro controllers.

But as gaming continues to get more expensive, and the lines between PC and console gaming continue to blur, I'm not sure this is going to hold up anymore. With so many affordable third-party gamepads in the mix these days that offer more in terms of design, features, and customization than the stock PS5 and Xbox controller, people have so many reasons to look elsewhere.

The reasons for considering a PC versus a console are getting louder and louder, and more affordable controllers that don't need to be licensed to a console platform could be one of them.

The DualSense has had a pretty rough time on the shelves since 2020, with stick drift issues and longevity problems that have forced people to buy replacements - and expensive ones at that, seeing as it has a lofty $70-$100 price tag depending on the colorway. If the next PlayStation or Xbox will cost you the same as a Steam Machine (or more), then the next gamepads for those consoles need to be built to last. They at least need to offer enough of a bargain to get people on board who are burned by the decision to end physical media access.

For reference, the Official Switch 2 Pro Controller has two back buttons, and the official Steam Controller has four back buttons, grip sensor buttons, and trackpads for maximum utility.

If you can't tell, I really hope to see back buttons as standard on next-gen controllers. If anything, just to offer some value for money in what will surely be a generation where the concept of ownership of hardware and software will go under the microscope.

For more, take a look at the best Xbox Series X controllers, the best Switch 2 controllers, and the best PC racing wheels.

The Corsair Clipper Pro Mini 60 has a particularly interesting proposition. A 60% deck coming at a time when smaller form factors are falling a little out of favor, but one that holds a much lower price tag compared to the rest of the mainstream magnetic gaming market. A deck with more adjustable switch controls than most, but fewer keys to use them with.

After two weeks in hand, the Clipper is one of the best gaming keyboards you can pick up right now. Yes, that 60% form factor is going to limit its users to those who truly can get by on as few keys as possible, and its 8,000Hz polling rate isn't even going to be noticed by 99% of players. But its price, actually useful customization features, and light, fast typing feel, all come together to form a compelling alternative to the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Mini that's sat atop the 60% thrown for a little while now.

What I loved about the Corsair Clipper Pro Mini 60

Light, snappy switches

The Corsair Clipper Pro Mini 60 is the first to use the brand's MGX Hyperdrive Core magnetic switches. While Hall effect giants like the Corsair Vanguard Pro 96 opt for the MGX Hyperdrive V2, the newer Core clackers come with a minimum of 27g actuation force. Under the hands they've got far less resistance behind them compared to the Vanguard. This is a smooth, fast, slip down to the full extension of the switch rather than a thocky, potentially more satisfying (for some) actuation.

That can mean a less textured sound profile, with these lighter clacks in a smaller chassis popping with a slightly higher frequency than the deeper Vanguard.

Corsair Clipper Pro Mini 60 (MGX Hyperdrive Core):

Corsair Vanguard Pro 96 (MGX Hyperdrive):

However, it makes perfect sense for competitive play.

This is a 60%er designed to keep your high-ranked gameplay as fast as possible, and that's where the smoother stems come into their own. Dancing across these keys is a particularly nimble experience, but combine that with super short actuation points and barely a thought registers a keypress.

In typing tests I averaged 99 words per minute at 97% accuracy, that's higher than both my typical 95WPM and 95.5% accuracy.

Subtle but still interesting aesthetic

Larger Corsair keyboards can suffer from a shadowy all-black aesthetic relying only on LED lighting for a bit of visual flair. However, I've always found that smaller 60% and 65% Corsair decks manage to weave a little more interest into their designs. The Clipper doesn't have large panels of extra LED lights or logos strewn across its frame, but its simple two-tone gray accent keys certainly help it stand out without leaping off the desk.

Lighting is uniform even across longer legends, something very few gaming keyboards manage to nail. While the LEDs themselves come across more pastel in-person, compared to the bold colors of Logitech and Razer decks, they're plenty bright and functionally helpful when lighting up only dual-function keys.

Extra switch customization options

The best Hall effect keyboards typically share a set of features; customizable actuation points, multi-step inputs, and rapid trigger. All that's here, but Corsair has added a few neat little extras of its own.

Tap Lock allows for any hold command to act as a toggle while Smart Tap allows for different commands based on whether you're tapping or holding. The former is a nice addition to the arsenal, even though it's usually covered by in-game settings anyway. However, the latter came in particularly handy - more so than the four-step actuation options common on many magnetic decks.

While assigning multiple inputs to one keypress is faster, it's rarely a necessary aspect of my playstyle. Loading a grenade, throwing, and returning to the weapon wheel in one keypress is neat, but I actually found myself using Smart Tap features a lot more.

Assigning heal to a tap and opening up different healing options with a hold, or even just swapping between a main interaction key and a secondary one, all my controls feel a lot tighter together and far more organized. There's also no need to learn how far down a keypress I need to be to trigger my full list of commands.

The feature also helps in productivity scenarios, with directional inputs easily mapped to taps on the cluster of right-hand keys, somewhat removing some of the roadblocks of the 60% layout.

Actually, not a bad price

While some of Corsair's roster of keyboards can suffer a little brand tax, its Hall effect options are surprisingly some of the more competitively priced in its arsenal. The Clipper Pro Mini 60 doesn't deviate. At $99.99 / £89.99, it's significantly cheaper than the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini ($219.99 / £209.99) and Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Mini ($179.99 / £179.99). Even a look at the wider market puts Corsair in a favorable position.

It's not the cheapest on the market - Epomaker's AULA WIN68 sits at $49.99 / £49.99, you can grab an Attack Shark 65%-er for $59.99, and RK Royal Kludge and Redragon have the absolute bottom of the market at $30 - $40, but after that we've only really got Womier competing in the same $90-$100 price range. Options from Keychron, Asus, Razer, Nuphy, Logitech, and SteelSeries will all run you well over $100.

It's not the cheapest option out there, but for full-featured, mainstream gaming keyboards it's certainly on the right side of the numbers.

What to consider about the Corsair Clipper Pro Mini 60

Some crunch on the space bar

While the majority of the typing experience here is smooth and snappy there is a little crunch on the spacebar every so often. It's only noticeable when hit in the middle of the bar with a little more force, but could suggest further degradation with longer term use.

Adding a little lubrication to the top of the stabilizer bar housing doesn't massively help the problem, and with the bar itself mounted under the plastic housing it's a little tricky to dive in there for a quicker fix. It's not too harsh on the ears and I was able to temper my space bar use so as to not hit that louder clack pretty easily in testing.

Cheaper casing

This isn't exactly a slight against the Corsair Clipper, after all it's designed to be a lightweight, portable 60% keyboard and its pricing is certainly competitive. However, if you're after a more luxurious feeling keyboard there are sturdier cases out there.

This is a plastic construction, with a lighter, more hollow feel to it overall. That's purely aesthetic, though. The sound dampening is still top notch, and everything still feels nicely bouncy.

Should you buy the Corsair Clipper Pro Mini 60?

The Corsair Clipper Pro Mini 60 is among the cheapest mainstream gaming-branded magnetic gaming keyboards, and yet it still feels great in the hand (barring some space bar twinges), runs light and speedy for competitive play, and offers an extra set of switch customization tools over its competitors.

That means it's giving the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Mini something to think about. While my current top pick for the best 60% gaming keyboard does have its own way around the arrow-key problem, and adds a pretty slick joystick function, Corsair's Smart Tap feature provides the same fix while avoiding the echo problems of Sneki's offering. With a lower starting price, it's now my go-to recommendation for anyone after a more compact form factor.

How I tested the Corsair Clipper Pro Mini 60

I mainlined the Corsair Clipper Pro Mini 60 for two weeks, running the keyboard for all my daily gameplay, work, and everything in between. In that time I primarily played across Doom: The Dark Ages, High on Life 2, and Planet Coaster 2, with dedicated testing in CS2 and Apex Legends. I also completed three one-minute typing tests on TypingTest.com at the end of my testing period, taking the average of each test as my final result. For more information on how we test gaming keyboards, check out the full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

I'm also rounding up all the best wireless gaming keyboards as well as the best hot-swappable keyboards on the market.

Audeze recently announced the launch of the brand-new Maxwell 2 ANC headset. The pair finally brings active and adaptive noise cancellation and "enhanced smart-audio capabilities" to the fan-favorite audiophile cups so you can play your favorite games and entirely shut out the world around you - just the way plenty of us nerds like it.

This upgraded Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC is available now for $429 (Audeze) / £429 (HiFiheadphones) for PC and PS5, and there's an Xbox model arriving shortly if you don't mind parting with an additional $20 / £20. Both models are a bit pricier than previous Maxwell pairs, but Audeze states that this new bundled ANC is the "most advanced quieting system ever"

If you're sitting there thinking "wait, didn't the Audeze Maxwell 2 already release?" then you'd be entirely correct.

The Audeze Maxwell 2 headset launched earlier this year and ended up in our best gaming headset guide after our team's Tabitha Baker took it for a test run and was a fan of its "balanced, clear, high quality audio" and its comfort upgrades over the original. It's the long-awaited follow-up to the Audeze Maxwell, and includes a newly fangled headband that helped offset the previous pair's comfort issues.

It launched without any noise cancelling, which is where the Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC comes in. This is the same headset as before but with ANC in tow, powered by a system that combines feedforward (outside microphones) and feedback noise (interior microphones) to combat unwanted sounds.

According to Audeze, this quieting audio system reduces that outside noise while still "preserving positional audio accuracy", which basically means that it doesn't negatively impact the sound conjured up by the headset's 90mm Planar Magnetic audio drivers. The new Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC also includes AI-controlled ANC parameters, alongside some voice-activated commands, and simultaneous wired and Bluetooth audio.

Unfortunately, there's still no sign of any simultaneous Bluetooth and 2.4GHz audio, which was sorely missing from the previous Maxwell 2 despite it being a common feature of most premium and high-end headsets. Remind me to break that news to our team's Tabtha Baker later, and she was "shocked to find out the Maxwell 2s won't play ball" with such a common high-end feature during her original Audeze Maxwell 2 review.

However, at least this pair keeps its compatibility with the interchangeable ReSkin earcup covers intact, alongside the older Maxwell 2's long list of features, which is ideally what you'd hope for from a headset that has a $400+ MSRP and is $100 more than its predecessor.

• View all wireless gaming headsets at Amazon

Looking for a new headset? I've also rounded up the best PC headsets for gaming, the best PS5 headsets, and the best Xbox Series X headsets worth checking out.

The Playdate is a handheld haven of low-spec creativity, but one dev is going the extra mile by making a 3D "Metroidbrainia" for Panic's portable. Not only does the outing use its own "tiny" 3D renderer that even gets DOOM running on the monochrome indie game machine, but it also allows for outdoor cityscape platforming inspired by Mirror's Edge.

In a Bluesky clip, developer Cristina Ramos shows off her first-person exploration game Katavatis running on Panic's gaming handheld using the aforementioned 3D renderer. "I was told you couldn't do 3D on the Playdate, so I did it," proclaims Ramos before adding, "Then I was told there was no way I could create exterior levels like those in Mirror's Edge, so I proved them wrong again."

The developer's clips provide receipts for that claim, as she clearly demonstrates what appears to be a 1-bit Mirror's Edge running on the Playdate. The defiance accompanying the clip does appear to be slightly tongue-in-cheek, referencing the "back of the box" synopsis for Katravatis that reads "they told us climate change is a hoax," but honestly? I also figured 3D rendering would be a stretch for Panic's plucky portable.

I was told you couldn't do 3D on the Playdate, so I did it.Then I was told there was no way I could create exterior levels like those in Mirror's Edge, so I proved them wrong again.

— @saffroncr.bsky.social (@saffroncr.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-07-22T12:13:47.276Z

Naturally, I'm more than hyped to try this climate-apocalyptic, Metroidvania romp on an actual Playdate, but Katavatis is also coming to Steam and Itchio. The indie dev has actually documented their journey making a 3D renderer for the handheld on her latter page, and while the deep dive admits that the portable lacks the power to draw 3D scenes like a '90s 3DFX Voodoo PC card or the OG PS1, the results are closer to the likes of the 3DO or Sega Saturn.

The full devblog for the Playdate 3D renderer is a fascinating read, and does a fantastic job explaining what three-dimensional graphics actually are and how they're even possible on something like the Playdate. Keep in mind the portable is powered by a very low-key ARM Cortex-M7 chipset and just 16 MB of RAM, so seeing a perceivable 3D adventure platformer running on the hardware is wild.

Ramos says now that the 3D renderer is in a "good enough" state, it's paving the way for gameplay prototypes. The dev has already uploaded snippets of these to YouTube, and she's already answered the age-old question of whether it can run DOOM (it can). Again, if you've not got the indie retro handheld, Katavatis will be hitting Steam and Itchio, and I can't wait to explore the Metroidvania's abandoned deep-sea facility in all its 1-bit 3D glory.

Check out the best retro consoles for remakes of OG systems and emulation machines.

Pointing out that Steam Deck sales are down following Valve's price hikes feels a little silly, but the figures are pretty rough. While between 11,000 and 18,000 portables were previously being snapped up by players per week, that respectable number has reportedly dropped by 82%. I'm not convinced pricing is completely to blame for this massive dip, though.

First highlighted by Boiling Steam, Steam Deck sales analysis using SteamDB suggests Valve is now shifting between 1,400 and 3,000 handhelds per week. The site estimates that the portable was previously bringing in $6-10 million per week, with revenue potentially plummeting to between $1.2 and $2.5M after the drop.

Keep in mind these aren't official Valve Steam Deck sales figures, as Boiling Steam has rather cleverly used weekly chart data and revenue range calculations to generate an estimated figure, as its position has slipped from around #4 to #5 last year to as low as #15 in mid 2026.

I'm not remotely shocked that increasing the Steam Deck OLED by over 40% has impacted its sales, even if it is still my best gaming handheld pick. The portable was never designed to exist within the upper premium bracket of portable gaming, especially since punchier contenders like the ROG Xbox Ally X are hanging out just under $1,000.

At the same time, I'm not convinced Valve's seeming mandatory price increase is entirely to blame for the Steam Deck's flatlining figures. I'd be surprised if the Steam Machine hasn't had some impact, with players choosing to hold off and invest in the mini PC instead. I'm also all too aware the handheld is now over four years old, so some of you might be waiting on the Steam Deck 2 rather than splashing out just under $800 for something "last gen".

Don't get me wrong - pricing still sits at the centre of the Steam Deck's sharp sales dip. Even if the additional player motives are true, the handheld would still draw more attention if it were available for its original $399 launch price, as it's still an extraordinary portable that focuses on the overall gaming experience rather than raw performance.

Yes, things look pretty shaky for my favorite handheld, but I don't think it's all over for the Steam Deck. I reckon that it will see a slight uplift in demand once the Steam Machine hype leaves the station, but its affordability thunder has currently been snatched by the white ROG Xbox Ally since it's $599.99 at Best Buy. If I'm being real, I don't even think that latter alternative is a "bargain", but given that Ayaneo wants over $4,000 for its top-end Next 2 model, Microsoft's system is one of the only options that has a semi-reasonable MSRP.

Take a peek at the best retro handhelds if you'd rather revisit your favorite classics.

RTX 5080 gaming laptop deals haven't been looking too healthy as of late. The high-end rigs have taken the year's component shortages hard, with MSRPs scaling up the price ladder and the regular sale prices we'd grown accustomed to disappearing from the shelves. HP seems to have a surplus of older HP Omen Max machines in its warehouse this week, though.

The RTX 5080 configuration of the best gaming laptop I've tested has taken a tumble all the way down to $2,299.99 (was $3,799.99) in a sale that makes me feel a year younger already. There was a time when these machines settled at between $2,000 and $2,500 when discounts were applied (depending on whether you opted for an OLED or IPS display), but prices have been stuck closer to $3,000 for a few months now.

This is last year's model, the newer versions are branded as HyperX Omen Max, but it's those 2025 releases that hold all the power right now. 2026 has seen RAM shortages pushing prices of new gaming laptops sky-high - RTX 5060 machines now cost RTX 5070 prices and even the new 12GB RTX 5070 models are going to have a tough time defending their rates. Stock of last year's machines, however, has managed to fend off these increases a little longer. Yes, they're seeing their own surges now that demand is starting to squeeze supplies a little tighter, but you'll generally find better rates overall.

• Join GamesRadar+ Deals on WhatsApp for our top daily discounts

It's handy, then, that the HP Omen Max 16 is actually a standout machine in its own right. I gave this rig 4.5/5 stars in my review last year, with only that particularly low battery life taking away from full marks. This isn't one to cart around all day without access to a plug point, but if you're happy keeping a charger (or USB-C) in your bag, you're getting a fantastic design and excellent performance all in one.

The spec on offer above matches the laptop I had on my test bench exactly, with that high-end Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor supporting the full RTX 5080 experience. In testing, it beat the similarly specced Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 and even the RTX 5090 Razer Blade 16 across Time Spy and Fire Strike, only just nudging under the latter in Steel Nomad.

At full QHD+ resolution and in each game's highest graphical setting, this 16-incher was pummelling lighter benchmarks like Shadow of the Tomb Raider (average 192fps) and Total War: Three Kingdoms (average 113fps), while keeping well above the 60fps baseline in Cyberpunk 2077's RT:Ultra run (average 70fps).

In short, this is a slimline and stylish gaming laptop that doesn't sacrifice performance for a more manageable form factor. That's something even the Asus ROG Zephyrus G and Razer Blade lines can't always match.

• See all gaming laptop deals at Best Buy

For some different brand options, check out the best Asus gaming laptops I've tested as well as the best Razer laptops and best Alienware laptops on the market.

30 years ago today, the Game Boy Pocket arrived to show up its '80s DMG sibling. While Ninty's OG brick started the handheld fire way before July 21, 1996, the slimmer, refined portable doubled down on everything that made the original so great while resetting the bar for what a good portable experience feels like to this very day.

Alright, I'll admit that the lack of backlight makes the Game Boy Pocket feel super primitive compared to the best retro handhelds today. Nintendo was seemingly allergic to lighting (outside of its Japan-exclusive Game Boy Light experiment) until the 2000s, when it released the GBA SP, but that doesn't mean it simply slimmed down the DMG.

In fact, side by side, the Pocket makes the 1989 Nintendo Game Boy feel like stoneage tech. By ditching the murky green bogwater screen and swapping to a monochrome LCD with less ghosting and an enhanced polarizing film, Ninty was able to keep the handheld throne from more advanced competitors like the existing Game Gear, Atari Lynx, and the Nomad, Sega's full-blown portable version of the Genesis.

Yes, the Pocket was a stopgap until the Game Boy Color arrived on the scene, but it's still arguably more important. Nintendo could have done what many combatants in the gaming handheld scene do today and reactively aim for big specs and features to keep up with its competitors, but instead, it focused on incremental quality-of-life improvements that refined an already great formula rather than pouring it down the sink and trying to brew something punchier.

Even if modern contenders biting at the heels of devices like the Steam Deck OLED aren't with the Pocket's program, Ninty's second handheld has become somewhat of a blueprint. That makes sense given that it directly addressed criticisms with the original, like the aforementioned ghosting, the DMG's bulky brick nature, and better power efficiency, but it's an idea that companies today still embrace.

You could say the storm of emulation handhelds that's been roaring since the arrival of the Bittboy in 2019 is thanks to the Pocket's principles. The whole ecosystem today is still based on that idea of embracing the original Game Boy tech, with portable makers like Anbernic making homages like the RG35XX Plus that do more than Ninty's handheld, but borrow the exact vertical spirit and pockatable vibes.

Sure, the Pocket isn't the only handheld pleasantly haunting the modern handheld scene. Recently, Ayaneo announced a remake of the GBA, and Anbernic already has its and a clamshell RG35XXSP. That's driven by players who used those specific originals back in the day, but the Pocket format persists regardless, and sticking with refining the basics has helped produce some wonderful modern takes.

Some Pocket homages feel obvious by name, but might not actually look like a tribute. I'm specifically thinking of the Super Pocket, a budget Evercade handheld that is designed to provide excellent portable access to Blaze's cartridge ecosystem. It admittedly does squeeze extra shoulder buttons and four face inputs onto its vertical layout, but boons like battery longevity and its pocket-friendly size all link back to Ninty's second Game Boy.

On the premium side of things, the Analogue Pocket feels like an "on the nose" Game Boy Pocket tribute. This time, the name is a massive giveaway, as despite being significantly larger than the Ninty original and boasting a superior modern 1660 x 1440 3.5-inch LCD display, it sticks with the same flat, rectangular design with subtly curved edges.

The whole point I'm making is that, despite being a sequel to a more iconic handheld that arrived 30 years ago, the Game Boy Pocket is still making an impact. You can even transform your original portable into something that'll visually trade blows with the top emulation contenders today, thanks to screen mods that are similar to the Game Boy Color AMOLED touchscreen I showcased a few years ago.

TLDR: Happy Birthday, Game Boy Pocket! I'm sure you'll continue to inspire the handheld scene with your pocketability and refined vertical looks as they continue to age gracefully.

Swing by the best retro consoles if you're looking for a way to emulate classics or run original carts.

Nintendo's latest Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers swap the usual red and blue for colors that perfectly match those of the Deep Cut trio from Splatoon Raiders.

That makes sense, as these upcoming $99 (Amazon) / £72.95 (Amazon) Switch 2 controllers were unveiled alongside one of the many trailers for the game and launch on the exact same day on July 23, 20026. That's only five days away, but while the game's release is closer than ever, there's at least plenty of pre-order stock available for these new Joy-Cons at US and UK retailers, if you want them.

Personally, I'd have preferred something a bit more vivid and fitting for a new Splatoon game, especially when Nintendo has teamed up with brands behind the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers to release Joy-Con covers that are coated in funky and fresh Inkling and Octoling designs in the past. However, as a big Splatoon nerd, if I am ever in the market for a spare set of Joy-Cons, these are the ones I'd grab.

If you were hoping for new Joy-Cons that were a bit more obvious in their Splatoon-inspired design, don't worry. I was hoping for something more intricate too. The only real difference here is that instead of the blue and red peeking out from the edges and the sticks of the official gamepads, you've got some dollops of blue and light yellow which match with Deep Cut's Shiver and Frye's squishy Inkling and Octoling hairdos.

That's not too exciting, but honestly, it's nice to see alternative colorings available for the Joy-Cons that aren't any different in price from the default. You can't knock a bit of variation, that's for sure. Not to mention, there's plenty more elaborate Splatoon Raiders goodies to come.

Japan accessories brand KeysFactory unveiled a batch of officially licensed Splatoon Raiders accessories, which include covers for your existing Joy-Cons. Instead of just changing the color of the pads, these make your controllers look exactly like what I'd imagine when dreaming up 'Splatoon Joy-Cons' in my head, and are decked out with splodges of orange and green ink and the upcoming game's logo.

Hori, the brand behind some of the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories available today, also has a Splatoon Raiders collection up its sleeve. It doesn't include a set of Joy-Con covers, but the brand has given its Wireless Horipad Turbo a Splatoon Raiders makeover. It carries a black transparent chassis covered in those vivid ink splotches and aptly chosen sea imagery of coral and seaweed, and I can't get enough of it.

For now, neither KeysFactory nor Hori has announced if and when these Splatoon Raiders accessories will come to US and UK shores, but at least we have these blue and yellow Joy-Cons to fall back on in the meantime. They aren't the most exciting, but I'll take it over having to stick with the plain versions instead.

• View all Nintendo Switch 2 controllers at Amazon

New to Switch 2? Check out our guides to the best Nintendo Switch headsets, the best Nintendo Switch 2 cameras, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards.

We all know it seems like dark days ahead for console gamers, what with the end of physical media and ever-increasing hardware prices. But something that I think has gone unreported is that peripherals for PS5 and Xbox Series X tend to be more expensive than PC equivalents. Case in point, the best PC controller in my opinion is the Victrix Pro BFG, and while it has bespoke versions for PS5, Xbox, and PC, the latter doesn't need to make up for expensive licensing costs.

As such, it's seeing a $50 discount right now while the console editions stay at their regular price. Over in Best Buy's Black Friday in July sale, you can get the BFG Reloaded for $139.99 when it usually costs you $189.99.

Now, to be fair, the Xbox and PS5 versions of the Victrix Pro BFG will work on their respective consoles, as well as on a PC. I'm not sure the same can be said of the PC model, as without official licensing for either machine and potentially incorrect connectivity protocols, you'll be locked to just PC gaming with it. That might be absolutely fine for a large swathe of you, but it does call into question the value for money if you do own more than one platform.

Regardless, the lack of that official licensing is likely why we're seeing it discounted when the other two are at full price. I review all sorts of PS5 controllers, Xbox Series X controllers, and TMR controllers, and if there's a common trend, it's that the "pro" level ones for consoles tend to be pricier than a lot of the ones just designed for PC, even while they're all essentially offering the same features.

Regardless, the Victrix Pro BFG and Victrix Pro BFG for Xbox have been long-reigning monarchs at the top of our controller buying guides. Even as this pad begins to age, it still offers a lot of value for money thanks to its fully modular design that lets you flip it between a symmetrical and asymmetrical controller on a whim. It has four large back buttons that make them easy to implement into your gameplay, and a slew of attachments in its carrying case.

Interestingly, with this PC-only version, you miss out on the fight-pad module from the console editions. I'm not really sure why, since this is a big perk of the controller's offering that allows fighting game fans to have six face buttons like they would on an arcade fightstick.

However, if you've been looking at the Steam Controller for its fancy mouse-emulating trackpads, the PC version might be a nice alternative, since its touchpad is said to emulate a mouse too. I haven't gone hands-on with this version of the controller, nor tested this particular feature, so I can't speak to how well that works, but it could be a really great way to navigate your PC from the couch if it works.

You can also look at what Switch 2 controllers I'd recommend, or find your perfect PC racing wheel.

I'm not gonna make a splash by pretending that 13.1 GB is a lot of space. As it's simply not, especially when you consider that games like Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade demand 90.4 GB instead.

Yet, if your handheld is already struggling to make room, there's every chance you might want to make sure you have one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards in your corner. Savings of these speedy storage options pop up all the time, but the fluctuating costs of SSDs have had their effect on these cards too, making it hard to decipher what's actually a reasonable price worth grabbing.

I've waded my way through the sea of current discounted Switch 2 compatible cards and picked out the three I'd grab if I were looking for 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB worth of space. That way, you should be sorted when Splatoon Raiders launches on July 23, and for all the Switch 2 games that 2026 still has to bring to the surface.

The first wave of Switch 2 microSD Express Cards launched for $54.99 from Samsung and SanDisk and are usually the ones I recommend first and foremost. However, they very rarely budge from their $59.99 (Amazon) price tag, and so you're much better off settling for this PNY alternative instead if you want a bargain. That is, if you're okay going without the fancy Super Mario branding.

The PNY alternative I've listed first above provides the same additional 256GB worth of space. Not to mention that it boasts similar faster 890MB/s read and up to 750MB/s write speeds compared to the Samsung 256GB microSD Express Card's quoted 800 MB/s.

For those after a bit more, as of typing, PNY has also dropped $20 off the next capacity up - its 512GB card. Being able to add an extra 512GB to your Switch 2 for under the $100 mark is pretty unheard of these days, especially when alternatives like Lexar have their equivalent model for $199.99 at Amazon instead. Naturally, Lexar's version boasts higher speeds, but if you care more about sticking to your budget, the PNY option is one of the best ways to go today.

When it comes to grabbing 1TB for the Switch 2, the pricing situation is a little prickly. For example, I reviewed the 1TB PNY microSD Express Card earlier this year, and it launched for $199.99. It's currently sitting at $371.99 at Amazon, and I have a feeling that the rising costs of the best SSDs for gaming and the ongoing RAM storage crisis are to blame.

It's pretty challenging to find any 1TB options below the $300 mark in fact, which is little disconcerting. However, I did spot that the Lexar 1TB Play PRO microSD Express Card, which is as high as $349.99 at other retailers, is down to $314.95 at Best Buy instead. That's still a huge amount to spend on storage when it comes to the Switch 2. However, that $35 off option is one of the best I've found amongst the sea of 1TB cards out there.

• View all Switch 2 microSD Express Card deals at Amazon

Check out our guides to the best Nintendo Switch headsets, the best Nintendo Switch 2 cameras, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers if you want to make a splash with your Splatoon Raiders setup.

After a year of component shortages, demand squeezes, and rising prices it's refreshing to be able to talk about the tech that could well bring the best gaming laptop prices down over the next few years, and it's all in the display.

The Lenovo Legion R9000P took to market last week, offering the world's first Inkjet-Printed OLED display on a gaming laptop. The 240Hz panel sits atop the more premium rig, but it's not the sharpness, speed, or vibrancy we're talking about here. Instead, it's the manufacturing process that has fans like me excited.

How does Inkjet-Printed OLED manufacturing work?

OLED panels are typically produced using a Vacuum Thermal Evaporation process, in which the materials used to form the light-emitting diodes of the display itself are funnelled through a vacuum chamber and splattered over the top of a 'fine metal mask' to make sure all their red, green, and blue parts end up in the correct places. It's expensive and wastes a lot of material in the process, part of the reason OLED machines still command a higher price tag.

Instead, TCL CSOT's been working up to mass produced Inkjet-Printed OLEDs, most recently kickstarting its Gen 5.5 production line in 2024. What does that mean for you and me? The technology, in its barest terms, swaps that evaporated material for a liquid one.

Rather than wasting materials on a fine metal mask (like a stencil for layering the right parts over a glass substrate panel), Inkjet-Printed OLED manufacturing combines these materials into a soluble solution that is instead precisely positioned exactly where it needs to be. In its most basic terms, it's like printing a picture rather than spray painting over a cut-out.

The result is a much cheaper manufacturing process that Omdia estimated would cut "OLED notebook panel manufacturing costs by approximately 30 to 35%" earlier this year. We'll take anything we can get at a time like this.

For now, Lenovo's R9000P is generally stuck in the Chinese market but often make their way over to the West in the form of the Legion 5 Pro line.

• See all gaming laptop deals at Best Buy

I'm also getting my hands on all the best Asus gaming laptops as well as the best Razer laptops and best Alienware laptops on the market.