Reviews

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic: two-minute review

The De’Longhi Primadonna Aromatic is a premium bean-to-cup espresso machine that’s a pleasure to use, brewing exceptionally well-balanced coffee and giving you a huge array of ways to enjoy it.

Once you’ve tailored your espresso to your liking, the Primadonna Aromatic presents you with an enormous menu of hot and cold drink options so you can enjoy it any way you like. You don’t need to worry about being blinded by choice, though, because the machine will ‘learn’ what drinks you enjoy and when, and will bump them to the front of the queue depending on the time of day.

The interface is thoughtfully designed, with a chatty tone, step-by-step instructions, and diagrams and animations to walk you through everything from brewing a macchiato to cleaning the brew unit.

(Image credit: Future)

For me, there are only two drawbacks. The first is the Primadonna Aromatic’s sheer size. I've tested some big coffee makers over the past few years, but this is definitely one of the largest.

Width isn’t much of an issue because the water tank can be removed from the front, making it possible to push the machine up against a wall and only move it out for occasional cleaning. The problem is the height. At 16in / 46.3cm this is a seriously tall appliance, and if you position it on a counter under a wall cabinet, you might struggle to open the bean hopper on top when it's time for a refill. Make sure you measure your space carefully before investing.

The second issue is the price. This is one of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines I’ve ever tested, but also one of the most expensive. In fact, only the Jura J10 is pricier. You’ll need a household of coffee lovers with varied tastes to get the most out of the Primadonna Aromatic.

(Image credit: Future)De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic: price and availability

• Costs £1,549.99 (about $2,100 / AU$3,300)
• Launched in the UK in April 2025
• Not yet available in the US (but likely to arrive soon)

The De’Longhi Primadonna Aromatic launched in the UK in April 2025, priced at £1,549.99 (about $2,100 / AU$3,300). At the time of writing, it’s not yet available in the US, but I anticipate a wider release soon.

It’s one of the more expensive coffee machines in De’Longhi’s fully automatic series, sitting between the De’Longhi Primadonna Soul (which only brews hot beverages) and the top-end De’Longhi Maestosa (which has dual bean hoppers and a special milk carafe that can combine ingredients like cocoa powder).

The Primadonna Aromatic is definitely at the upper end of the price scale when it comes to home coffee makers. However, if you’re a fan of chilled espresso-based drinks, it’s a more affordable option than the Jura J10, which is also great for hot and cold drinks, but has an eye-watering price tag of £1,795 / AU$3,990 (about $2,300).

The Primadonna Aromatic is easily one of the best coffee makers I’ve tested this year, but there’s no avoiding the fact that its price will be beyond the budget of many coffee aficionados.

• Value score: 4/5

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic: specifications

Name

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic

Type

Automatic bean-to-cup

Dimensions (W x H x D)

10.3 x 16 x 18.2in / 26.2 x 40.7 x 46.3cm

Weight

28.7lbs / 13kg

Water reservoir capacity

2.3 quarts / 2.2 liters

Milk frother

Automatic, hot and cold

Bars of pressure

19

User profiles

4

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic: design

• Very large, but stylish
• Five-inch touchscreen and intuitive interface
• Two-carafe system for hot and cold milk foam
• Easy to clean with dishwasher-safe components

The De’Longhi Primadonna Aromatic is a large but stylish espresso machine, with a brushed metal finish and black accents. Its most striking feature is a 5in color touchscreen that displays the menu options (there are 35 customizable hot and cold drinks to choose from), which is supplemented by four buttons: power, profile selection, hot drinks, and cold drinks.

The coffee dispenser on the front can be moved up and down to accommodate different-sized cups and has a magnetic cover that’s easy to remove when you want to clean the nozzles.

The Primadonna Aromatic comes with two milk carafes – one for hot milk and one for cold – that push into a connector on the left of the coffee dispenser. Each carafe has a dial on top that allows you to pick from three foam textures, from creamy to thick. Turning the dial all the way to the right will select cleaning mode, which you should run before returning the carafe to the fridge (the machine will remind you to do this if you forget).

The two milk carafes push into a connector on the front of the machine, and can be stored in the fridge between use (Image credit: Future)

Both carafes have lids to keep the milk fresh while it’s refrigerated. When it’s time to give them a deep clean, they can be easily disassembled and cleaned in the top drawer of a dishwasher, or left to soak in hot, soapy water for 30 minutes and rinsed.

The water tank is also nicely designed. It has a generous 2.3 quart / 2.2 liter capacity, and unlike some others, it's large enough to get your hand inside when you want to clean and dry it. There’s also a lid with a funnel-shaped hole for mess-free filling, and the machine comes with a water hardness testing strip that helps you set it up correctly, plus a water filter that screws inside.

The large water tank slides into the machine from the front (Image credit: Future)

The Primadonna Aromatic will alert you when it’s time to replace the filter. New ones can be purchased directly from De’Longhi for £15.99 (about $20 / AU$35), but at the time of writing, they are discounted to £8.54 (about $10 / AU$20).

In addition to the main hopper, the Primadonna Aromatic has a chute you can use to add a scoop of pre-ground coffee when you want to drink something different from your usual beans. It’s a great feature that you’ll find on most De’Longhi machines, and is ideal if you want to switch to decaf in the afternoon.

There's a large-capacity bean hopper on top, or you can use a scoop of pre-ground coffee if you want to switch to something different (Image credit: Future)

My only real issue with the Primadonna Aromatic’s design is its height. This mighty machine stands an imposing 16in / 407mm tall, which means there’s not much headroom between its lid and my wall cabinets. That usually wasn’t a problem, but it made refilling the bean hopper trickier than I’d like. I was just about able to remove the lid (which has a soft seal to keep your beans fresh) and slip scoops of coffee inside. It’s well worth measuring the space you have available to make sure this impressive machine will fit.

The good news is that you don’t need much room on the sides. The water tank is located on the right, but slides out from the front of the machine. If you position the Primadonna Aromatic right against a wall or cabinet (as I did), you’ll only need to move it out approximately once a month to clean the brew unit.

• Design score: 5/5

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic: performance

• Produces well-extracted, balanced espresso
• Hot and cold milk frothing both work very well
• User profiles provide smart recommendations for multiple users

Image 1 of 3

The drinks you make more frequently at the current time of day will be displayed first in the menu (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

You'll be prompted to create profiles for everyone who'll be using the machine during setup (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

All instructions and other text is written in a chatty style that makes the Primadonna Aromatica more pleasant to use (Image credit: Future)

The De’Longhi Primadonna Aromatic is a joy to use, and manages to nail both the fundamentals and the details.

First (and most importantly), it can brew an excellent espresso. The machine’s standard settings appear to be configured for medium roast arabica beans, because it produced a delicious, sweet, well-rounded espresso first time using my preferred beans. If the taste isn’t quite to your liking, you can delve into the Bean Adapt tool, which is accessible via a link above the main drinks menu.

Just select the type of beans you’re using, either through the machine’s touchscreen or De’Longhi’s Coffee Link mobile app, and the machine will automatically adjust its brewing settings accordingly, including the grind size. If the resulting espresso doesn’t meet your expectations, you can tinker with the options manually to achieve the optimum extraction.

Once you’ve perfected your espresso, you can take your pick from a selection of hot and cold drinks.

(Image credit: Future)

One of the Primadonna Aromatic’s main selling points is its ability to ‘learn’ which drinks you like at different times of day. This excellent feature helps you avoid scrolling through the vast menu every time you want to make a beverage, and is great for households with more than one coffee drinker.

User profiles for coffee machines sometimes feel a bit superfluous (after all, who’s actually replacing all the beans in the hopper when they want to brew a drink for themselves?), but with the Primadonna Aromatic, profiles are an integral part of the experience. When you first set up the machine, you’ll be asked to provide names for all the people who’ll be using it, and given the option to set different-colored profile icons. I set one for myself, and a second for my husband. You can switch between these profiles at the press of a button, and the menu will rearrange itself with that person’s preferred drinks listed first for quick selection. I test new coffee machines every month for TechRadar, and this is the first time I’ve found user profiles in an espresso maker genuinely useful.

The LatteCrema hot milk frothing system is excellent and produces some of the best results I’ve seen from an automatic espresso machine. De’Longhi advises that you’ll get the best results with whole dairy milk or plant milk, and during my tests, I found that dairy and oat produced the thickest, most stable foam. Push the milk carafe into place, tilt the dispenser so the nozzle is positioned over your cup, turn the dial to the position described on the machine’s screen, and you’re ready to begin.

(Image credit: Future)

Another of the Primadonna Aromatic’s key features is its ability to make tasty cold-brewed drinks. These aren’t a tacked-on extra, and are given just as much prominence in the menu as hot beverages. There are even quick-access buttons beside the touchscreen that let you filter the drink menu by temperature.

The machine comes with a silicone ice cube tray, and after selecting a cold drink, you’ll be prompted to add a certain number of cubes to your cup or glass (at least six for an iced latte macchiato, for example). For milk-based drinks, you’ll then be asked to connect the cold carafe (the one with the white lid), which should be filled with either skimmed dairy milk or a plant-based alternative for the best results.

One of the biggest drawbacks of most automatic espresso machines is the cleanup, which sometimes takes so long that I think I’d be better off making my coffee manually. The De’Longhi Primadonna Aromatic is different. It rinses itself automatically after brewing and prompts you to rinse the milk carafe, but both processes only take a couple of seconds and seem to require very little water. I tested the machine for several weeks and never noticed any change in the taste of my drinks, so this system clearly works.

When it’s time to give the machine a deep clean, the Primadonna Aromatic provides step-by-step instructions to help you disassemble and wash the coffee dispenser components, and remove and rinse the brew unit. I found a small build-up of coffee grounds in the hatch containing the brew unit, but these were easy to wipe up with a damp cloth.

I was a little nervous about cleaning the plastic milk carafe components in the dishwasher, but they came out sparkling. Washing by hand is fine too, but it's reassuring to know they've been cleaned at a high temperature to remove residue that might harbor bacteria.

• Performance score: 5/5

Should you buy the De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic?De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic: score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

It's a brilliant machine, but there's no escaping the fact that the Primadonna Aromatic will be beyond the budget of many coffee lovers.

4/5

Design

Smart and stylish, with a super-intuitive interface and dishwasher-safe components to make maintenance a breeze.

5/5

Performance

Brews consistently well-balanced and tasty espresso. Both hot and cold milk foaming work well, and user profiles that 'learn' your preferences are extremely handy.

5/5

Buy it if

You enjoy cold drinks regularly

The De’Longhi Primadonna Aromatic makes excellent iced espresso drinks, and its cold foam is particularly impressive. Use skimmed or plant-based milk for the best results.

You have a generous budget

This is one of the most expensive espresso machines I’ve tested. It’s a joy to use, but there’s no escaping the fact that it’s seriously pricey.

Don't buy it if

You have just a couple of favorite drinks

The Primadonna Aromatic learns your drink preferences, but if you only drink cappuccinos and double espressos (for example), most of this machine’s functions will be superfluous. There are over 30 drinks to choose from, and sticking with one or two would be a real shame.

You’re the only coffee drinker in your house

This machine’s smart user profiles are one of its best features, and if you don’t share your coffee machine with anyone else, you might be better off with a simpler machine that doesn’t offer such depth of customization.

De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic: also consider

De'Longhi La Specialista Touch

If you don't have the space or the budget for the Primadonna Aromatic, this compact semi-automatic machine from De'Longhi is well worth a look. It can automate the trickiest parts of making espresso-based drinks, or let you take control. It's much smaller than you'd expect, and very reasonably priced.

Read our full De'Longhi La Specialista Touch review

Jura J10

If money is no object and your coffee orders are so complicated they give baristas a headache, the J10 could be the espresso machine for you. Like the Primadonna Aromatic, it does an excellent job of brewing hot and cold (with only one milk carafe needed), and it can even infuse foam with a flavored syrup of your choice.

Read our full Jura J10 review

How I tested the De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic

I used the De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic for two weeks in place of my usual coffee machine, and brewed coffee using a blend of freshly roasted Brazilian and Colombian arabica beans. I set up a separate user profile for my partner to test the smart recommendations, and we both used the machine to brew a variety of hot and cold drinks throughout each day.

(Image credit: Future)

I tested the hot milk frother with whole dairy milk and oat milk and used the cold milk frother with skimmed dairy milk and oat milk, as instructed by De'Longhi. All milk was bought fresh and used cold from the fridge.

First reviewed May 2025.

Final VR3000 Wireless: two-minute review

The VR3000 Wireless are gaming earbuds compatible with multiple platforms, thanks to their Bluetooth and 2.4GHz support. They can be customized using the Final Connect mobile app, featuring options to toggle the touch controls and ANC modes, as well as providing a 10-band equalizer to tinker with, offering plenty of scope to sculpt the sound profile as you see fit. It’s a shame there’s only one profile slot to save your settings to, though.

They cut a refined figure, with their small, slender profile and premium feel. They also look smart with their minimal and functional design. I found the VR3000 Wireless quite comfortable to wear, and they’re light enough to feel inconspicuous, while offering a snug and secure fit at the same time. However, I did experience some aching after about an hour, owing to the lack of any soft material around the drivers.

The overall sound they produce is excellent, rivaling the best wireless gaming headsets: it’s well-balanced, although the bass, while plenty full, lacks a little punch. The binaural qualities are also great, as Final is keen to point out in marketing the VR3000 Wireless.

The microphone renders voices with enough clarity so that it’s usable for chats, although it’s hardly the best in class, given its slightly lower fidelity compared to rivals, with inputs sounding a little muffled.

The ANC function, however, is even more disappointing, appearing only to curb certain frequencies rather than attempting to block all external noise. As a result, it fails to block out environmental sounds to any noticeable degree.

Battery life, on the other hand, did seem to live up to expectations. After several days of use, the VR3000 Wireless still had plenty of charge left both in themselves and in the case.

Connectivity is similarly reliable, although there were occasions when I had to unplug and replug the 2.4GHz dongle to reestablish connection with my PS5, which was inconvenient.

However, considering their multiple wireless options and support for a variety of platforms – not to mention the build quality, features, and excellent sound – the VR3000 Wireless represent good value. They rival costlier alternatives on many of these fronts, such as the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds and the Sony Inzone Buds. All of this means that the VR3000 Wireless are definitely worth shortlisting if you’re after gaming earbuds with plenty of quality in a small package.

(Image credit: Future)Final VR3000 Wireless review: price and availability

• $129 / £129 (about AU$200)
• Available now
• Cheaper than rivals

The VR3000 Wireless cost $129 / £129 (about AU$200) and are available now. They come with a charging case and five silicone tips in various sizes. A USB-C dongle for 2.4GHz connections is also included, but unfortunately, there’s no USB-A adapter for it.

This is a good price for a pair of high-quality wireless earbuds. They’re cheaper than the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds, for instance, which are our current pick as the best gaming earbuds around.

They’re also less expensive than the Sony Inzone Buds, some of the best PS5 earbuds around. These had a less than impressive bass response than the VR3000 Wireless, though, but do feature much improved noise cancellation.

Final VR3000 Wireless review: specs

Price

$129 / £129 (about AU$200)

Weight

0.17oz / 4.8g (each bud)

Compatibility

Android, iOS, PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch

Connection type

Wireless (Bluetooth, ultra low latency wireless dongle)

Battery life

Up to 11 hours on earbuds + 38 hours from case

Features

ANC, dual MEMS microphones, touch controls, IPX5

Software

Final Connect app (mobile)

(Image credit: Future)Final VR3000 Wireless review: design and features

• Well-made and premium feeling
• Small profile
• Useful mobile app

The VR3000 Wireless make an excellent first impression, with both the buds themselves and the case adopting a sleek and premium design. Both are pleasingly small as well, which makes them a great choice for those who like to game on the go.

The buds feature vertical stems typical of many earbuds, although they’re shorter than usual. They also have a more lateral fit, with the main bulk of the drivers running parallel with your inner ear, rather than protruding outwards, which gives them a lower profile.

However, one gripe I have is that taking the VR3000 Wireless out of their case can be an awkward process. The fit is extremely snug, and the magnetic hold is strong; this at least makes them secure, and I couldn’t even shake them out by hanging the case upside down.

There’s no real dimple or gap to get any purchase, and the buds only poke out marginally, so there’s not much surface area to grab a hold of. The only real place to grab them is at either end, which is problematic since you can easily trigger the touch controls when grabbing the rear portion.

(Image credit: Future)

The VR3000 Wireless can be customized using the Final Connect mobile app, available for both iOS and Android. This functions well and offers some useful features, including battery life readouts for each earbud, and the ability to toggle the touch controls on or off, or just disable the touch control for powering on and off the buds. Speaking of which, the touch controls are responsive and easy to use, and thankfully, some functions are accompanied by a voiceover, which is clear and informative.

You also toggle the ANC, which also features an Ambient mode that plays a constant white noise in the background. There’s a 10-band EQ to tinker with as well, although unfortunately, it only allows you to save one custom profile.

Still, this equalizer provides a lot of scope, allowing you to boost and cut frequencies between 31Hz and 16KHz by 6db. However, I found the sliders for adjusting these a little awkward to use, given their small size and how close all 10 are to each other on screen.

(Image credit: Future)Final VR3000 Wireless review: Performance

• Excellent sound
• Poor ANC
• Some connectivity issues

The sound produced by the Final VR3000 Wireless is excellent. The clarity and fidelity are superb, and the frequencies are expertly balanced; the mids and highs are especially good, with next no distortion.

In fact, the overall sound even comes close to rivalling the best earbuds designed for audio playback. Bass frequencies are deep and full, although they perhaps lack the punch of the beefiest earbuds around.

The spatial representation of the VR3000 Wireless is also quite commendable, accurately tracking the location of nearby footsteps in Counter-Strike 2 and cars in Gran Turismo 7.

However, I found the ANC quite poor, providing no discernible buffer between internal and external noise. It seemed merely to reduce the low-end frequencies of my immediate environment, not render them any less prominent. If anything, it sometimes made them more apparent, which is obviously disastrous for an ANC mode.

The microphone quality is sufficient for voices to come through clearly, although unsurprisingly, the fidelity isn’t a match for what large mics equipped on the best gaming headsets produce. There’s a slightly muffled effect to captured inputs, but thankfully, this isn’t egregious enough to ruin chats.

I also found the VR3000 Wireless uncomfortable for long sessions. There’s no silicone rim around the chassis to offer any cushioning, so the hard plastic is in contact with your inner ear the whole time.

(Image credit: Future)

This meant that after more than an hour or so, I would start to experience aching. However, for sessions shorter than this, I generally didn’t have an issue, and I appreciated their snug fit and low weight. Sometimes, I even forgot I was wearing them.

Unfortunately, I experienced a few connectivity issues during my time with the VR3000 Wireless. When connected to my PS5 via the USB 2.4GHz dongle, there were times when it wouldn’t reconnect. The only solution was to unplug and replug the dongle, which is, of course, quite inconvenient, and not an issue you’d experience with the best PS5 gaming headsets.

Thankfully, I had no issues with Bluetooth, as the VR3000 Wireless connected to my Android phone instantly. However, I did find the volume quite loud, requiring me to turn down the system volume to well below halfway for an acceptable volume.

Switching back and forth between mobile and PC (that is, between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz) also proved quick and easy, just like it is with the best PC gaming headsets. Again, though, I experienced the same volume jump on Windows, so beware that the VR3000 Wireless are a loud pair of earbuds.

The battery life of the VR3000 Wireless seems very good as well, with both buds appearing to have retained close to full battery after a few days of varied use. The case dropped one bar of charge in this same timeframe, indicating it had between 51% and 75% left, which is also respectable.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Final VR3000 Wireless?Buy them if...

You want a premium design
The VR3000 Wireless certainly look the part and feature premium materials and a great build quality. They also have one of the most secure charging cases I’ve ever seen.

You want great sound
The VR3000 Wireless match some of the best earbuds for sound, with their clear and well-balanced output providing plenty of fullness while avoiding distortion.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best comfort
Admittedly, I have long-term comfort issues with many earbuds, but the VR3000 Wireless were no exception.

You want the best connectivity experience
While fine in use, I did experience issues reestablishing a connection to my PS5, requiring a replug to remedy.

Final VR3000 Wireless review: also consider

Final VR3000 Wireless

SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds

Sony Inzone Buds

Price

$129 / £129 (about AU$200)

$159.99 / £159.99 / AU$359

$199.99 / £179.99 / AU$249.95

Weight

0.17oz / 4.8g (each bud)

0.19oz / 5.3g (each bud); 1.7oz / 48.7g (case)

0.23oz / 6.5g (each bud)

Compatibility

Android, iOS, PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch

GameBuds for PlayStation: PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Meta Quest 2/3, mobile; GameBuds for Xbox: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Meta Quest 2/3

Android, PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch

Connection type

Wireless (Bluetooth, ultra low latency wireless dongle)

2.4Ghz (via USB-C), Bluetooth 5.3 (mobile)

2.4GHz (via USB-C), Bluetooth 5.3

Battery life

Up to 11 hours on earbuds + 38 hours from case

Up to 40 hours (buds 10 hours; case 30 hours)

Up to 48 hours (buds 18 hours; case 30 hours)

Features

ANC, dual MEMS microphones, touch controls, IPX5

360° Spatial Audio, Qi Wireless Charging Case, 6mm neodymium drivers, four-mic ANC, transparency mode, in-ear detection/sensor, IP55 rating, fast charge, companion app with more than 100 presets

360° Spatial Audio, IPX4 equivalent, Quick Attention, touch controls

Software

Final Connect app (mobile)

Arctis Companion App (mobile), SteelSeries Sonar (PC)

Sony Headphones Connect app (mobile), Izone Hub (PC)

SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds
If you’re after some of the most premium gaming earbuds, look no further than the Arctis GameBuds. We found little wrong with their sound, design, or features; the only drawbacks were the lack of responsiveness from the touch controls and the stock tips failing to provide a perfect fit. In all other regards, though, the GameBuds are hard to beat.

Read our full SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds review.

Sony Inzone Buds
The Inzone Buds are the best PS5 earbuds around in our view, thanks to their superb sound and outstanding noise cancellation, which we found close to faultless. The Bluetooth functionality gave us a few issues, and the bass response wasn’t as good as it could’ve been, but all things considered, the Inzone Buds are the perfect companion for your console and other devices, too.

Read our full Sony Inzone Buds review.

How I tested the Final VR3000 Wireless

• Tested for several days
• Used for gaming and music playback
• Gaming and headset experience

I tested the VR3000 Wireless for several days, during which time I used them for gaming, as well as for listening to podcasts and music.

I tested them on various platforms, including PC, PS5, and Android. I connected to these devices via Bluetooth and the 2.4GHz USB dongle.

I have been gaming for over two decades, and during that time, I’ve used a plethora of headsets and earphones. I have also reviewed a number of them made by various brands and with a range of price points, designs, and feature sets.

• First reviewed: May 2025.
• Read more about how we test

Samsung S90F 65-inch: Two-minute review

The Samsung 65S90F TV I tested features the brand’s quantum dot approach to OLED technology. It doesn’t push the brightness of this relatively new take on the best OLED TV tech as hard as the flagship Samsung S95F OLED TV does, but that doesn’t stop it from delivering a big improvement over last year’s Samsung S90D – a level of improvement that makes it arguably the most all-round attractive TV in Samsung’s 2025 TV range once you’ve taken value into account.

Movie fans will be in awe at the Samsung 65S90F’s phenomenal contrast and light control, which finds stunningly deep black levels (provided you’re not shining some sort of spotlight at the screen…) balanced with highlights that hit levels of intensity we once thought OLED would never achieve.

Samsung’s approach to OLED technology also helps the 65S90F deliver incredibly vivid colors, while its latest NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor ensures that there’s much more subtlety and nuance in the way these fantastically rich tones are used to create more natural, three-dimensional pictures than its already illustrious predecessor managed.

Gamers are in for a treat with the 65S90F too, as it delivers such console and PC-friendly features as support for 4K at up to 144Hz, variable refresh rates across all four of its HDMI 2.1 ports, and one of the fastest response times I've ever seen from a TV.

Its Tizen smart system is packed with content and increasingly easy to use, too, and notwithstanding the occasional bass fumble, the 65S90F even manages to sound good despite its ultra-slim design.

Add to all this the fact that the 65-inch S90F costs hundreds less than its flagship S95F sibling, and it starts to become seriously hard to resist. But let me point out that this review and the performance figures only apply to the 65-inch version – at other sizes, instead of a QD-OLED panel, you may get a W-OLED panel, with different performance.

Samsung S90F series: Prices and release date

The mid-range Samsung S90F brings the picture benefits of QD-OLED to a lower price point (Image credit: Future)

• Release date: April 2025
• 42-inch: $1,299 / £N/A / AU$1,799
• 48-inch: $1,499 / £1,499 / AU$2,499
• 55-inch: $1,799 / £1,899 / AU$3,299
• 65-inch: $2,499 / £2,699 / AU$4,299
• 77-inch: $3,499 / £3,799 / AU$5,999
• 83-inch: $5,399 / £5,999/ AU$7,999

The 65-inch S90F was released worldwide during April 2025. It sits in the second tier of Samsung’s 2025 OLED TV range, below the significantly brighter and more expensive S95F flagship series.

Its $2,499 / £2,699 / AU$4,299 pricing places it right at the heart of today’s upper mid-range TV marketplace, and pitches it squarely against such key rivals as the LG C5 and Samsung’s premium mini-LED TV for 2025, the Samsung QN90F.

The sizes above are the official prices for the other options in the S90F model range, but again, we're only focusing on the 65-inch here.

Samsung S90F 65-inch review: Specs

Screen type:

QD-OLED

Refresh rate:

144Hz

HDR support:

HDR10+, HDR10, HLG

Audio support:

Dolby Atmos, Eclipsa Audio

Smart TV:

Tizen 9.0

HDMI ports:

4 x HDMI 2.1

Built-in tuner:

ATSC 1.0 (US)

Samsung 65S90F review: Benchmark resultsSamsung S90F 65-inch review: Features

The S90F has four HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 144Hz support for gaming (Image credit: Future)

• 4K quantum dot OLED TV
• HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ HDR support
• Gaming support up to 4K 144Hz with VRR

For many AV fans, the 65S90F’s key appeal will be getting Samsung’s QD-OLED technology for substantially less money than the brand’s S95F flagship OLED costs.

The attraction of QD-OLED technology is that it delivers red, green and blue colors without the additional white element used by traditional OLED screens, yet still manages to at least match those ‘WRGB’ OLEDs when it comes to high dynamic range-friendly brightness for video and gaming content.

The tech has already delivered some truly spectacular picture quality results since Samsung first launched the technology back in 2022, including multiple TV of the Year award-winners.

Samsung claims to have improved the performance of the 65S90F over its S90D predecessor with increased brightness and more granular control of its QD-OLED panel, as well as an upgraded NQ4 AI Gen 3 processor.

This is stated to run NPU and GPUs that are twice as fast as the ones used in Samsung’s step-down S85F OLEDs, as well as a 17% faster CPU, while introducing new AI-driven picture and sound elements on the back of a 6.4 times increase in the number of neural networks the TV carries.

The 65S90F’s sound also benefits from Samsung’s OTS technology, which, despite the TV only having a 2.1-channel speaker configuration, uses clever audio processing to try and make sounds appear to be coming from the correct part of the screen. Or even the precise area beyond the screen’s edges if that’s what an audio mix dictates.

If you partner the 65S90F with a Samsung soundbar, you get the additional advantage of Samsung’s Q-Symphony feature, where the speakers in the TV join forces with those in the soundbar (rather than being replaced by them) to deliver a larger center channel sound with more accurate detail placement.

The 65S90F’s connections are outstanding for a mid-range TV, dominated as they are by a set of four HDMI ports that are all built to cope with the latest gaming features of 4K 120Hz feeds (actually 4K 144Hz is supported via Samsung’s Motion Xcelerator technology), variable refresh rates (including both AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync, with the latter coming in a software update), and auto game mode switching.

All of that is backed up by both a dedicated gaming hub within the TV’s Tizen operating system and a specific game monitoring and adjustment menu, but more on this later.

As ever with Samsung TVs, the 65S90F’s HDR support includes the ‘core’ HDR10 and HLG formats, as well as the premium HDR10+ system that adds extra scene-by-scene image data to help compatible displays deliver more accurate and punchy results.

This HDR10+ support extends to the Adaptive version that can adjust its output to compensate for ambient light conditions, and HDR10+ gaming.

Samsung continues, though, not to support the Dolby Vision HDR format on its TVs.

One other thing the 65S90F does not have is one of the potent anti-glare screen filters sported by Samsung’s S95F flagship OLED TVs and some of its 2025 premium LCD TVs.

That doesn’t mean the 65S90F’s screen is so reflective that it often or severely gets between you and the TV’s outstanding picture quality in a regular living room set up, though. And while I personally have a lot of time for Samsung’s anti-glare TV filters, some people actually prefer a slightly glossy screen, and for those people, the 65S90F is therefore a potentially great QD-OLED alternative to the S95F.

• Features Score: 5/5

Samsung S90F 65-inch review: Picture quality

The S90F's above-average brightness makes it good for bright room viewing, though it lacks the anti-reflective screen coating found in the flagship S95F (Image credit: Future)

• Exceptional contrast
• Rich, pure RGB colors
• No viewing angle limitations

Despite not being the flagship 65-inch model from Samsung’s 2025 OLED range, the 65S90F still delivers a gorgeously potent demonstration of what the latest QD-OLED panels are capable of.

Its light control and contrast are particularly phenomenal. The ability of each pixel in any OLED screen to deliver its own brightness and color entirely independently of its neighbors always gives OLED TVs an instant and important area of advantage with home theater fans, of course – but for the vast majority of the time the 65S90F manages to combine the sort of phenomenally inky, deep black tones expected of OLED TVs with brighter HDR image highlights than its S90D predecessor managed.

And that’s while also revealing substantially more consistently visible shadow detail in the darkest image corners – it's better in both bright and dark scenes.

Its brightness sees the 65S90F managing to reach as high as 1,500 nits on a 10% white HDR test window – a huge increase of almost 50% over the brightness in the same test circumstances achieved by 2024’s 65S90D.

This can be delivered on the 65S90F, too, without causing any of the backlight haloing and clouding problems rival LCD TV technology would typically present when dealing with the sort of contrast the 65S90F loves to show.

Just occasionally, the 65S90F can still sometimes crush the subtle detail out of the picture in some of its presets – but if this becomes problematic to you, then nudging the TV’s Shadow Detail adjustment up to level three or four pretty much fixes the issue without causing any unwanted side effects.

I was also struck by how clean the 65S90F’s dark picture areas and scenes look. There’s really zero sign of the sort of graininess or grey blocking noise that less able OLED screens can show in dark areas, revealing a fantastically granular level of control over the QD-OLED panel even in challenging near-black image areas.

Having so much extra brightness in its arsenal hugely increases the intensity the 65S90F can pump into HDR playback, resulting in HDR images that look more natural and realistic as well as more dynamic.

It feeds also into a significantly richer color performance than the S90D served up, getting much more value out of the QD-OLED pixel design. This is particularly and spectacularly obvious in the hard-to-resist Standard picture preset, but crucially, the more accurate Movie and Filmmaker Mode presets also look richer and warmer than they did on the 65S90D without losing that sense of ‘as the director intended’ authenticity home cinema fans are so often looking for.

On that accuracy point, the 65S90F’s measured color and white balance results with SDR content in Filmmaker Mode average out at marginally above the Delta E average error level of three – anything below this is where the human eye is considered incapable of perceiving a visible difference between what the TV is showing and the established video standards.

But since the results average only misses that Delta E error margin goal of three by a puny 0.48, I’m pretty confident that only the most trained eye will have any chance of spotting anything off-key about the Filmmaker Mode’s glorious efforts.

In fact, thanks to the refinements the 65S90F can apply to its more vibrant colors, the Filmmaker Mode looks as gorgeous in its own calmer, more nuanced way as the much more vibrant Standard mode does, with both presets bringing out the extremes of the QD-OLED panel’s capabilities. Extremes that now include a level of subtlety to go with the potency that just wasn’t there before.

The S90F's brightness reserves give highlights and colors in images added punch (Image credit: Future)

The 65S90F’s extremes of light and color precision also play their part in creating a beautifully crisp and clean picture with both native 4K sources and, thanks to the efforts of Samsung’s latest AI picture engine, upscaled HD images.

The only thing that damages the 65S90F’s sense of clarity and detail is the out-of-the-box motion settings Samsung applies to some of its picture presets, which can cause quite aggressive glitches in the picture during camera pans or around/over fast-moving objects.

Happily, though, it’s possible to tweak these issues away pretty straightforwardly by choosing a Custom setting for the Picture Clarity settings, and then turning off noise reduction and reducing the judder and blur reduction processing components to around level three or four.

Unlike most LCD and even some rival OLED screens, the 65S90F’s pictures don’t lose contrast or suffer from shifting color tones when viewed from even a really wide angle, making it a great option for big families or awkward room layouts.

I could find only two real issues with the 65S90F’s pictures. First, despite being much brighter than its predecessor, its brightness falls a fair way short of the sort of numbers we’re seeing now from the high-end OLEDs out there from the likes of LG, Samsung, and Philips. And second, if the 65S90F is being watched in very high levels of ambient light, its typically stunning black levels can start to look a bit gray.

The brighter OLEDs out there are typically much more expensive than the 65S90F, though, unless you pick up a 2024 model if you can find one. And the circumstances that cause grayness to creep into black areas are rarer and the degree of grayness milder than it was with the 65S90D, so much so that most home setups will seldom notice it.

• Picture quality score: 5/5

Samsung S90F 65-inch review: Sound quality

The S90F's stand uses a pair of feet that slot screw-free into the TV’s bodywork (Image credit: Future)

• 2.1-channel, 40W speaker array
• OTS Lite system accurately positions sound effects
• Dolby Atmos and AI sound modes

The 65S90F’s sound isn’t quite as talented as its pictures, but it still is much better and louder than you might expect from such an ultra-thin TV.

For starters, it gets good traction from its Object Tracking Sound (OTS) system. As its name suggests, this enhancement ensures that soundtrack elements are coming not just from the screen generally, but from the correct part of the screen. The system also manages to stage ambient sounds and music so that they appear, correctly, to be hanging out somewhere beyond the on-screen action.

The 65S90F’s OTS Lite system isn’t quite as uncannily precise with its sound effect positioning as Samsung’s higher-end TVs are – not least because it only carries a 2.1-channel speaker system versus the 4.2.2-channel speaker setups typically provided by those more premium models. But it’s still effective enough to make soundtracks feel detailed, busy and immersive.

The staging includes a good sense of forward impact with hard sounds like gunfire, punches and explosions too, despite the TV lacking any forward-facing speakers, while shrill treble effects avoid sounding distractingly harsh or thin.

The 65S90F isn’t the loudest TV we’ve heard – at least at the sort of volume levels you’ll need to stick to if you don’t want the speakers to start feeling a bit strained. Its speakers have enough headroom, though, to be capable of shifting up at least a few gears as action or horror scenes escalate towards a crescendo – even if they don’t quite have that ‘fifth gear’ required to carry the movie world’s loudest moments all the way home.

The 65S90F even manages to find a bit of bass from somewhere, despite its skinny form. This can succumb to buzzing interference, however, and sound a bit strained with the most extreme bass drops, but such moments don’t crop up all that often.

• Sound quality score: 4/5

Samsung S90F 65-inch review: Design

The S90F's pedestal stand (Image credit: Future)

• ‘LaserSlim’ design at its extremities
• Screw-free stand design
• Ultra-thin bezel

At first glance, the 65S90F looks like one of the most futuristic TVs you’ll see. This is because at its outer edges, the screen is incredibly thin – barely deeper than a couple of credit cards stacked on top of each other. The width of the frame around the screen is also unusually narrow, adding to the feeling that you’re watching pictures being conjured up out of thin air.

The 65S90F is not actually as skinny as it initially appears, though. There’s a much deeper mid-section on its rear hosting the TV’s speakers, connections and electronics. This results in a slightly awkward two-tier appearance if you’re looking at the back of the TV, with the screen seeming like it’s just been stuck onto the chunky section rather than the two areas coming together to forge a truly unified design.

Who in their right mind, though, wants to look at the back of a TV rather than its front? And from the front – and, actually, even from quite wide viewing angles – the 65S90F is a futuristic cutie.

While the 65S90F can be hung on a wall if you wish, most users will probably opt to place it on its included stand. This features a unique design that finds a pair of feet slotting screw-free into the TV’s bodywork, and a metallic plate then slotting onto the feet to create what looks like a centrally mounted pedestal support. The resulting central pedestal enables the TV to sit on pretty much as narrow a piece of furniture as you want.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Samsung S90F 65-inch review: Smart TV and menus

The S90F's Tizen 9.0 smart interface (Image credit: Future)

• Tizen 9.0 smart TV system
• Multiple voice control systems
• AI-bolstered content recommendation

The Tizen OS carried by all Samsung TVs is now in its ninth generation, and after a few stumbles along the way, all that experience has paid off handsomely.

For starters, Tizen is now extremely rich with content, including – so far as I can tell – all of the main streaming apps used around the world, as well as many more obscure ones besides.

The only obvious absentee in the UK is the Freeview Play app that brings together all of the streaming services of the UK’s main terrestrial broadcasters. But crucially, each of those catch-up apps is still available on an individual basis.

The Tizen interface can feel a little overwhelming when you’re first presented with it, and it can also run a touch sluggishly for a moment or two after the 65S90F is switched on. Once it’s settled down, though, and you’ve spent just a few moments exploring what it can do, it’s now a friendly and – in the way it learns your viewing habits and recommends content accordingly – highly intelligent TV OS.

Tizen 9.0 has also now resolved most of the navigational quirks that used to affect it when it first switched to a full-screen interface, and it’s customizable enough to easily be adapted to your personal preferences. Also, it can adapt to the personal preferences and viewing habits of different members of your household thanks to its support for multiple user profiles.

Accessing the 65S90F’s setup menus from within the Tizen OS is a bit long-winded, but pressing the settings menu on either of the two remote controls the TV ships with offers a shortcut to all the most-used adjustments.

A notable addition to Samsung’s 2025 menu system is a new AI shortcut option that both makes Samsung’s AI-based picture and sound enhancements easier to access, and makes users more aware that such AI features exist.

Purists likely won’t care for the AI enhancements, of course, and things can get a bit complicated when it turns out that some of the other picture settings you can choose can have an impact on how aspects of the AI enhancements work. But I’d recommend that most people at least experiment with them, even if only with broadcast or sub-4K content too if you prefer how it sharpens things up.

One of the remote controls I just mentioned is a fairly chunky, button-crowded ‘standard’ one, while the other is a much sleeker, less button-heavy smart handset that I suspect will become the one most people use.

• Smart TV & menus score: 4.5/5

Samsung S90F 65-inch review: Gaming

Samsung includes its Solar Cell rechargeable remote control with the S90F (Image credit: Future)

• 4K 144Hz support on all four HDMI ports
• Variable refresh rates support, including FreeSync and G-Sync
• Game hub and Game Bar screens

The 65S90F is an outstanding gaming display. For starters, all of its HDMI ports can take in full bandwidth gaming feeds, meaning you could simultaneously attach four 4K 120Hz-capable consoles and PCs if you wanted to.

All four HDMIs also support variable refresh rates, including in the AMD Freesync Premium Pro format and Nvidia G-Sync (though this is being added via an update), as well as auto low latency mode switching so that the TV automatically switches into its fastest response mode when the TV detects a game is incoming.

When in its Game mode, the 65S90F only takes 9.2ms to render incoming 60Hz feeds – a truly outstanding result for a TV that pretty much halves, too, if the game you’re playing supports 120Hz.

The 65S90F also lets you call up a dedicated Game Bar menu screen rather than the usual TV menus when it knows a game is being played, and from this Game Bar you can both get key information about the incoming gaming feed and access a few gaming aids, including a mini map zoom, the option to raise the brightness of dark picture areas without impacting bright areas, and a crosshair superimposed over the center of the screen.

The Tizen OS homescreen, meanwhile, includes a dedicated Game Hub page, where all of your gaming sources, from connected consoles to game streaming services, are gathered together.

The 65S90F’s gaming performance, finally, is fantastic. Its rich color and contrast are perfectly placed to deliver gaming graphics with exceptional exuberance and dynamism, especially with titles that make particularly aggressive use of high dynamic range. The speedy input lag time ensures that gaming always feels ultra fluid and responsive, too.

The only negative thing to say about the 65S90F’s gaming performance is that unless you’re taking advantage of its HDR Gaming Interest Group (HGiG) support, where the console takes control of the HDR that’s fed out to the TV, the default game settings can cause some distracting brightness fluctuations as you run around any map that has a mix of light and dark areas.

If this is troubling you with whatever game you’re playing, though, you just need to turn off the TV’s dynamic tone mapping setting.

• Gaming score: 5/5

Samsung S90F 65-inch review: Value

The S90F's design weds an ultra-thin display panel with a comparatively bulky section for the inputs and electronics (Image credit: Future)

• Cheaper QD-OLED option than flagship Samsung S95F
• Enhanced picture quality over S90D predecessor
• Lacks S95F's anti-reflection filter

While the 65S90F is not by any stretch of the imagination cheap, it does sit slightly at the right end of the same price ball park as its key rivals.

Also, more importantly, it’s around £700 / $800 cheaper than its 65-inch S95F sibling, while delivering a more potent sense of QD-OLED technology’s strengths than its S90D predecessor.

The S95F series does look set to deliver a major brightness upgrade over the S90F, to be fair, as well as carrying a really strong anti-reflection filter that the S90F does not have.

But that price difference adds up to a lot of 4K Blu-rays and/or other home theater gear.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Samsung S90F 65-inch?

Dual bass drivers on the TV's rear convey the ".1" subwoofer channel in Atmos soundtracks (Image credit: Future)Samsung S90F 65-inch

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Aside from not supporting the Dolby Vision HDR format, the 65S90F overall delivers a mammoth set of smart, gaming, audio and video features for its money.

5/5

Picture quality

The 65S90F’s pictures radically improve on those of its already excellent predecessor, delivering a mid-range OLED masterclass.

5/5

Sound quality

While more robust bass handling would have been nice, the 65S90F is loud enough, detailed enough and clever enough with the accuracy of its staging.

4/5

Design

While its two-tier design feels a little awkward during setup, the narrow, well-built bezel, and stunning thinness at its outer edges make it an opulent, elegant addition to your living room.

4.5/5

Smart TV and menus

It takes a little getting used to, but once you do, the rewards offered by the intelligence and scope of its content recommendation and voice recognition systems are immense.

4.5/5

Gaming

As well as looking gorgeous thanks to the screen’s rich colors and sensational contrast, games on the 65S90F feel fantastically responsive and crisp.

4.5/5

Value

The 65S90F delivers a massive chunk of QD-OLED goodness for way less than Samsung’s flagship S95F range.

4/5

Buy it if...

You want spectacular QD-OLED pictures without breaking the bank: With its stunning colors and spectacular contrast, the 65S90F still delivers truly premium picture quality despite its mid-range price.

You love gaming as much as movies: The 65S90F’s outstanding response time, excellent gaming features and spectacularly rich, dynamic pictures make it a stellar gaming screen – so long as you turn Dynamic Tone Mapping off, anyway.

You want a sophisticated smart TV system: The latest Tizen platform is exceptionally good at learning what different members of your household like to watch and recommending relevant content accordingly. Its voice control system is particularly good, too.

Don't buy it if…

You want Dolby Vision support: Samsung has never supported the Dolby Vision HDR format yet, and that doesn’t change with the 65S90F.

Your TV will sit in direct sunlight: The 65S90F doesn’t get one of the extreme anti-reflection screens the step-up S95Fs get, and QD-OLED technology can lose black level in strong direct light.

You’re not prepared to tweak a setting or two: Unhelpful default motion processing and slight black crush with some presets means you should be prepared to tinker with some of the 65S90F’s settings to get the best out of it.

Samsung S90F 65-inch review: Also consider...

Samsung 65S90F

LG OLED65C5

Panasonic 65Z85A

Philips 65OLED909

Price

£2,699 / $2,499

£2,699 / $2,699

£1,999 / $1,799

£2,499 / $N/A

Screen type

QD-OLED

OLED

OLED

OLED (w/ MLA)

Refresh rate

144Hz

144Hz

144Hz

144Hz

HDR support

HDR10+/HDR10/HLG

HDR10, HLG, HDR10+, Dolby Vision

HDR10, HLG, HDR10+, Dolby Vision

HDR10, HLG HDR10+, Dolby Vision

Smart TV

Tizen 9.0

webOS 25

Fire TV

Google TV

HDMI ports

4x HDMI 2.1

4x HDMI 2.1

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

LG OLED65C5
LG has long dominated the OLED TV scene, and the brand’s new 2025 mid-range C5 series still represents the 65S90F’s closest competition. Its pictures are capable of outstanding accuracy and support Dolby Vision, but there’s no HDR10+ support, and it also has lower peak brightness.

Here's our full LG OLED65C5 review

Panasonic 65Z85A
This Panasonic mid-range isn’t as bright or vibrant as the 65S90F, and only supports advanced gaming features over two HDMI ports. Its pictures are extremely refined and natural, though, and it supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ and is substantially cheaper.

Here's our full Panasonic 65Z85A review

Philips 65OLED909
Remarkably, this Philips OLED TV provides both brightness boosting micro lens array technology and a bold Ambilight design for just £2,499 at the time of writing. While its pictures can be truly spectacular, though, you have to learn your way around the TV’s complicated menus to get the best from it.

Here's our full Philips 65OLED909 review

How I tested the Samsung 65S90F

• Tested over 13 days
• Tested with 4K Blu-rays, multiple streaming platforms and resolutions, Freeview HD broadcasts, and HD Blu-rays
• Reviewed in both dark and light dedicated test room conditions, on its stand in both corner and flat wall positions

The nature of the 65S95F’s QD-OLED technology required me to spend as much time testing it in daylight conditions as I did testing it in darkened rooms, to make sure I wasn’t disturbed by the potential for bright light to impact the screen’s contrast. So it became my full-time living room TV for much of the nearly two weeks I spent with it.

That said, I also tested it under the same specific dark test room conditions TechRadar tests all of our TVs in, with a wide range of disc, game and streaming test content. Disc content included the 4K and HD Blu-rays of It: Chapter One, Blade Runner 2049 and Pan, while for gaming tests, I deployed both a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X running such titles as Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6, Forza Horizon 5 and South Of Midnight.

Finally, as ever I put the 65S90F through a barrage of objective tests using Portrait Displays’ Calman Ultimate analysis software, G1 signal generator, and newly released C6 HDR5000 light meter.

You can read an in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar for more information.

• First reviewed: May 2025
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Laptops are the new normal in today's working world. PCs, especially desktops, are kept for high-powered machines or other reasons that may need to stay. Most of today's workers, especially remote workers, operate from a laptop. And, while laptops are great, they do not promote the best ergonomics on their own; that's where ProtoArc chose to step in and create an all-in-one combo pack that can help with the ergonomics and functionality of laptop users on the go.

This combo pack includes a carrying case, a laptop stand, a folding keyboard, and a mouse. Each piece is good, nothing outstanding, but they are all good. What makes this pack special, though, is the bundle into a single carrying case, providing an easy-to-use solution for those who want a mouse and keyboard on the go or don't want to stare down at their laptop all day long.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )ProtoArc XKM01 CaseUp: Pricing and Availability

You can grab this setup from ProtoArc's website by clicking here, where it's priced between $80 to $100 (or £55 to £68). It' also widely available from online retailers like Amazon.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )ProtoArc XKM01 CaseUp: Unboxing & first impressions

The keyboard and mouse feel sturdy despite their lightweight design. Additionally, the carrying case adds a nice and easy way to protect the gear when moving or tossed into a bag.

I was able to quickly and easily get up and running with this setup; no instructions are necessary, though some guides are included. I paired the mouse and keyboard to my MacBook and my iPad Mini, and I have the dongle accessible so I can plug it into any of the computers I am testing at the time.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

Right away, I was mesmerized by the tri-fold keyboard, wanting to see how it could be so smooth; once I looked at it for a while, I started fiddling with the stand and the mouse, appreciating how compact and minimalist they all were.

ProtoArc XKM01 CaseUp: Design & Build Quality

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Specs

Keyboard
Folded Dimensions: 8.48 x 4.71 x 0.82 inches
Expanded Dimensions: 15.21 x 4.71 x 0.49 inches

Mouse
Dimensions: 0.92 x 2.32 x 4.25 inches

ProtoArc XKM01 CaseUp: In use

This portable productivity kit has been with my team for 173 days. We have gotten a good amount of testing in. Over that time, it has become a staple in one of my team member's arsenal of focus and daily work. So much so that when I want to use it myself, I have to convince him not to use it for a bit so I can get some work done with it.

The best part about this combo is that each part can be used by itself, or you can use the combo. That becomes essential for how I use this gear in a moment. As a whole kit, it genuinely transforms whatever laptop into a more ergonomic, full-keyboard, external mouse setup, all with the ability to collapse back down to a backpack setup. Especially if you already have a larger laptop, this could be all you need to take your productivity to the next level.

If you have a portable screen with you or a tablet, like an iPad that you use in sidecar, you could prop your laptop up at the highest angle, put your tablet or portable screen on your laptop's keyboard, and then use the ProtoArc keyboard as your keyboard, creating a dual-screen, stacked setup all without expensive or hefty equipment that would slow you down. In short, adding this combo to your workflow can enhance your productivity with very little extra gear in your bag.

The keyboard is comfortable; it's not fancy mechanical, but it is easy to type on, even for extended periods. Impressively, it also has a full numpad, making it stand out even among most laptop keyboards. If you're working remotely and inputting many numbers, having a true numpad may be an absolute game-changer for you.

The mouse is decent. If you are used to an MX Master 3 or some other high-end mouse, this is not that; it is a good basic mouse with good tracking and basic ergonomics.

The last use case that I didn't even think of at first until I was working on my iPad to finish up this review is that I could use the stand to prop up my iPad (regardless of the model) and then use the mouse and keyboard paired to the iPad making a full-on productivity set up out of a slab of glass and this combo.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Great compact design

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ease of use

Easy to use

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Practicality

Great for most

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price

Priced well for the product

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ProtoArc XKM01 CaseUp: Final verdict

The ProtoArc XKM01 CaseUp is a well-designed and well-thought-out combo to enhance productivity. Whether you're a commuter trying to fit in every ounce of productivity, you can, or if you are a remote worker trying to make an efficient setup in a cafe on the coast of some tropical island, the ProtoArc XKM01 CaseUp can help you get there.

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Two-Minute Review

This thing is heavy, seriously... (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

It's simple. If you're out for a powerful gaming laptop, capable of reaching high and smooth frame rates with minimal performance issues, the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W is your answer. Using Nvidia's RTX 5080 laptop GPU and AMD's Ryzen 9 9955HX processor, gaming is a breeze at its native 2560x1600 resolution without using Team Green's DLSS upscaling technology; however, when it is used, achieving high frame rates is a cakewalk.

It shines best in games like Cyberpunk 2077, Indiana Jones: The Great Circle, and Resident Evil 4 remake. It can struggle when attempting to use ray tracing at maximum graphics settings and at a 4K resolution without enabling DLSS, but that's exactly what Nvidia's tools are there for.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 had very little trouble reaching over 100fps, and edged close to the 100fps mark when running on ECO-Silent mode (which is incredible as I'll dive into later), helping reduce the workload and high temperatures, thanks to MSI Center's user scenario options.

With a 240Hz refresh rate, playing less demanding titles like Hades that can reach such frame rates, was an immersive and astonishing gaming experience. I know I've previously said that 144 or 165Hz refresh rates are more than enough for gaming, but with any game that can stay at 240fps without any significant dips, it's very impressive.

It's not all perfect though; this laptop is not ideal for long trips or playing on the go, as it's incredibly heavy (especially when including its 400W power adapter), and you'd need a large backpack to fit the 18-inch laptop in for travels. I found it difficult to use for long hours on a sturdy mini bed desk, with worries that it would snap its legs in pieces, and even at my main gaming desk, with its power adapter taking up space – so, portability isn't the best here.

This isn't an inexpensive system either - however, if you can afford the expense and you're looking for one of the best gaming laptops to provide great gaming performance, look no further.

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Price & Availability

• How much does it cost? Starting at $2,999.99 / £3,199 / AU$6,599 (for RTX 5080 configuration)
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? In the US, UK, and Australia

There's no denying that the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W is a very expensive piece of hardware, instantly locking most gamers out of a potential purchase. However, for those who can afford it, you're getting the bang for your buck with a system that is capable of matching a variety of desktop builds.

With both a powerful AMD processor and Nvidia GPU, it's more than enough to satisfy most gamers' performance needs; the Ryzen 9 9955HX excels at single-core and multi-core processes, which you'll see later below.

With this configuration (A9WIG-006UK), there is no OLED or mini-LED display available, which would've slightly softened the blow of the high price, with an immersive and brighter screen – but that shouldn't hinder the gaming experience here.

The issue is that it's more or just as expensive as some pre-built gaming PCs, which is somewhat reasonable since it's using a CPU as powerful as those in high-end desktops – but the RTX 5080 discrete desktop version is the stronger GPU.

Regardless, this is a gaming laptop that packs plenty of processing power in a beefy and sturdy chassis, cooled very well with its Cooler Boost 5 tech using a 'Dedicated Cooling Pipe', so it's not very surprising to see it cost so much.

Still, the point remains; unless you're adamant on travelling with the Vector A18 HX A9W and using it on the go (which I wouldn't recommend because portability isn't that great here), or just want a PC you can move around your home easily, it might be a better choice to buy a desktop rig.

• Value: 2.5 / 5

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Specs

You knew you'd see Resident Evil 4 at some point in this review... I'm obsessed with it (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

MSI Vector A18 HX A9WIG-006UK (Review model UK)

MSI Vector A18 HX A9WIG-223US (Base model US)

MSI Vector A18 HX A9WIG-076US (Highest config)

Price

£3,199

$2,999.99

$3,959

CPU

AMD Ryzen 9955 HX

AMD Ryzen 9955 HX

AMD Ryzen 9955 HX

GPU

Nvidia RTX 5080

Nvidia RTX 5080

Nvidia RTX 5080

RAM

32GB DDR5

32GB DDR5

64GB DDR5

Storage

2TB NVMe Gen 4x4

1TB NVMe Gen 4x4

2TB NVMe Gen 4x4

Display

18" QHD+(2560x1600), 240Hz Refresh Rate, IPS-Level, 100% DCI-P3(Typical)

18" 16:10 QHD+(2560 x 1600), 240Hz, 100% DCI-P3 IPS-Level Panel

18" 16:10 QHD+(2560 x 1600) 240Hz 100% DCI-P3 IPS-Level Panel

Battery

4-Cell,
99.9 Whrs

4-Cell,
99.9 Whrs

4-Cell,
99.9 Whrs

Ports

2x Type-A USB3.2 Gen1, 1x Type-A USB3.2 Gen2, 2x USB 4/DP&PD 3.1 (Thunderbolt 4 Compatible), HDMI 2.1

2x Type-A USB3.2 Gen1, 1x Type-A USB3.2 Gen2, 2x USB 4/DP&PD 3.1 (Thunderbolt 4 Compatible), HDMI 2.1

2x Type-A USB3.2 Gen1, 1x Type-A USB3.2 Gen2, 2x USB 4/DP&PD 3.1 (Thunderbolt 4 Compatible), HDMI 2.1

Dimensions

15.91" x 12.09" x 1.26"

15.91" x 12.09" x 1.26"

15.91" x 12.09" x 1.26"

Weight

3.6 kg / 7.9lbs

3.6 kg / 7.9lbs

3.6 kg / 7.9lbs

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Design

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

I absolutely love the chassis of the Vector A18 HX A9W as it has a sturdy build, and perhaps most importantly, a great cooling pipe design. Even when gaming on Extreme Performance, temperatures were never too high, often hitting a maximum of 77 degrees Celsius.

Its speakers aren't particularly a standout, but are serviceable and get the job done, especially with an equalizer and 3D surround sound available to improve audio immersion. It's also always easier to use Bluetooth speakers or headphones that have much better bass and clarity.

The two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports present are ideal for fast file transfers and for those who aren't keen on expanding internal storage with a new SSD, who would rather use an external one. It also features an HDMI 2.1 port on its rear, right next to its power adapter port – and one particular aspect I don't like is the slightly short length of the wire, which often forced me to place the chunky adapter on the desk.

Cool design, right? (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

With an 18-inch screen, you're getting the best you could possibly ask for when it comes to portable gaming – and if you've got a spacious desktop setup, it's a great experience.

However, the screen size and the weight are the only two main issues I have in this region, as you're going to have trouble fitting this in most backpacks for travel, and it's very heavy to carry around.

At 7.9 lbs, it had me paranoid that it would make my mini desk meet its demise, and while it's understandable considering all the powerful components, you should be aware that this laptop isn't built for portability (especially while carrying the adapter around, too).

Regardless, this is a beefy gaming laptop power-wise, and these gripes weren't too significant to spoil my experience overall.

• Design: 4 / 5

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Display

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

My review model of the Vector A18 doesn't exactly have the best display available, as it's neither OLED nor mini-LED – both of which offer greater contrast and brightness. However, that doesn't stop it from being an immersive display that I found ideal for intense and competitive multiplayer gaming sessions.

It's thanks to the 240Hz refresh rate and 2560x1600 resolution, which matches up well with the horsepower of the RTX 5080. There aren't many games that are going to run at 240fps (unless you significantly lower graphics settings or resolution), but the ones that do, look absolutely incredible.

I must admit, coming from the consistent use of an OLED ultrawide, it took a little bit of an adjustment to become accustomed to an IPS LCD panel again – but that's to be expected when scaling down from one of the best display types (and it would be unfair to knock points off here because of that).

It's worth noting that HDR isn't present either, which often goes a long way at providing better color accuracy and detail in both brighter and darker images.

Regardless, the Vector A18 HX A9W has a 100% DCI-P3 coverage, so I never once felt dissatisfied or urged to calibrate or adjust color profiles. It also helps that you're getting a full 18-inch screen, which I believe is the sweet spot for portable laptop gaming (besides it probably being why it's so heavy).

The one downside I ran into is playing games that don't have 16:10 aspect ratio support. To put it simply, if you dislike black bars filling out portions of your screen while gaming, you're not going to like it here. So, it's definitely worth considering before committing to a purchase, but there are no other gripes from me.

• Display: 4 / 5

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Performance

Sweaty Call of Duty lobbies... we love to see it (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

• RTX 5080 is a beast of a laptop GPU
• The combo with AMD's Ryzen 9955HX processor is fantastic
• The CPU's performance is incredible, matching desktop processors

The biggest highlight of the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W is its performance, almost across the board. It shouldn't come as a surprise for me to say that the RTX 5080 laptop GPU is an absolute powerhouse, and crushes the 2560x1600 resolution in most triple-A games – and DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation is a game changer when used where necessary (essentially anything as demanding as Cyberpunk 2077).

In CPU-bound games, AMD's Ryzen 9955HX processor shines bright with 16 cores and 32 threads, ensuring the Blackwell GPU can do its job without any major bottleneck. In synthetic tests, both single-core and multi-core scores soared above chips like Apple's M1 Max in Cinebench 2024, and in real-world gaming tests, the results were consistent, as I didn't notice anything ominous regarding performance frame rates and frame pacing.

Most importantly, MSI Center features three different user scenario modes: ECO-Silent, Balanced, and Extreme Performance, which can all be used in any of the three Discrete, MSHybrid, or Integrated Graphics modes.

For the best results, I stuck with Discrete Graphics mode, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised at how great ECO-Silent was, in particular. Using a lower TDP (power consumption), temperatures are significantly decreased, and the fans are silent, hence the name ECO-Silent – but I came away shocked at the frame rates I was hitting using this mode.

At 1600p on ECO-Silent, Cyberpunk 2077 at maximum graphics settings without ray tracing and DLSS Quality, it ran at a solid 77fps, sometimes reaching the low 80fps mark, with a 1% low of 66fps.

In Assassin's Creed Shadows – a game that is arguably nearly as demanding on PC hardware as Cyberpunk 2077, and frankly, needs Frame Generation for higher FPS – ran at an average of 40fps on maximum graphics settings at 1600p, using DLSS Quality on ECO-Silent.

With the same graphics settings applied to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, it hit an average of 62fps; if that doesn't indicate how impressive ECO-Silent mode is, then I don't know what will. It's the best option for gamers who are bothered by fan noise and higher temperatures, while you still get very impressive performance results.

It gets even better with Balanced and Extreme Performance; the former has fans only a little louder than ECO-Silent, and is the way you should use the Vector A18 HX A9W for gaming (it's also MSI's recommended option), as it gives you a true reflection of what this machine is capable of, evident in the performance charts above.

Sticking with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Balanced mode was 41% faster than ECO-Silent, with an average of 94fps and 1% low at 77fps.

In the case of Extreme Performance, expect a whole lot of fan noise and higher temperatures, in favor of the best possible performance. In most cases of casual play, I hardly needed to use this mode, as the FPS boost wasn't significant enough coming from Balanced mode. However, it's absolutely essential for gaming at 4K, especially if you're using ray tracing.

It mustn't go without mention that DLSS Multi Frame Generation (when you have a decent base frame rate) is an absolute treat. It makes Cyberpunk 2077's Overdrive path tracing preset playable without needing to adjust graphics settings; yes, increased latency is worth noting, but I honestly didn't think it was too impactful in this case.

• Performance: 5 / 5

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Battery

This heavy adapter is your best friend... forget about the battery (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

As it is with most gaming laptops I've used, the battery life isn't terrible, but it's also not great either – so, decent at best. We're still seemingly a long way off from battery tech improving, especially for gaming laptops and handheld gaming PCs, but I give the Vector A18 HX A9W its plaudits for being at least average here.

It has a 99.9WHr battery, and switching MSI Center's user scenarios, battery life can vary. While playing Resident Evil 4 remake on Hybrid mode and Extreme Performance, the laptop lasted a full hour, starting at 85% before draining. Knocking the scenario settings down to Discrete mode and Balanced (with 50% brightness) allowed it to last another 10 minutes from the same battery percentage.

If you ask me, I wouldn't even bother gaming without the power adapter because, as expected, performance is significantly worse. Bear in mind, there's a 400W power adapter ready to handle the combined 260W of power from the RTX 5080 and the Ryzen 9 9955HX.

On the other hand, while web surfing in Balanced mode and Integrated Graphics, results were a little bit more impressive; at 59% battery, it took exactly 51 minutes to fall to 6%. When at 100%, it lasted 3 hours and 25 minutes during YouTube playback, so it's decent enough for those who want to use this laptop for work or multitasking.

However, the biggest downside is the charging time, as it takes a total of 2 hours to fully charge. It's already not great that the battery drains within 3 hours outside of gaming, but the addition of a long charge time isn't beneficial if you're looking to use it while on the go.

Portability isn't a strong suit, and these battery results are one of the main reasons why, especially when paired with the hefty design.

• Battery: 3 / 5

Should you buy the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W?Buy it if...

You're looking for one of the best gaming laptops

The MSI Vector A18 HX A9W is one of the best gaming laptops you can find on the market, providing fantastic performance results in games with Nvidia's powerful Blackwell RTX 5080 GPU and AMD's desktop-rivalling Ryzen 9955HX processor.

You want an immersive high refresh rate display

It's great for games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 or Counter-Strike 2, which rely on fast refresh rates, with access to 240Hz here. The laptop GPU is capable of achieving high frame rates with the right graphics settings.

You plan on moving around your home with a powerful gaming machine

The Vector A18 HX A9W is great for those who wish to move around their home using different displays in different rooms, without a big desktop PC case taking up space.

Don't buy if...

You need a laptop with long battery life

While the Vector A18 HX A9W's battery life isn't bad, it's also not the best either, as you might find with most gaming laptops, and you shouldn't consider this if that is a dealbreaker.

You want to game or work on the go

Coinciding with its average battery life, you won't get great performance without using its 400W power adapter, which is required to utilize the RTX 5080 and Ryzen 9955HX's combined 260W of power.

It's also very heavy and won't fit in most backpacks due to the display's 18-inch size.

You want an affordable gaming laptop

Affordability and the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W are completely distant, as all configurations have an eye-watering cost using either the RTX 5070 Ti or the RTX 5080.

How I tested the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W

I tested the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W for three weeks, running multiple games and synthetic benchmarks. It kept me away from my main desktop gaming PC for a while, with Multi Frame Generation being a significant reason in why, and while I don't want game developers to become over-reliant on Nvidia's DLSS tech, it's great when implemented properly.

Navigation and web browsing was a breeze too, with 32GB of RAM and a powerhouse CPU giving me all I needed to acknowledge that this was a gaming laptop that enthusiasts won't want to miss out on.

The BenQ RD280U is the 28-inch variant without the cool ergo arm of the BenQ RD320UA.

With this RD line-up, BenQ has clearly focused on the engineering front, delivering some of the best monitors for programming I've seen, and effectively perfect for those who spend most, if not their entire days, coding software.

Another area that is super helpful with this style monitor is that it is 3:2, meaning that you'll get more vertical space than you would on a typical 16:9 display, and for coding, that's usually fantastic news. It means you can fit more lines of code, helping you finish that script faster.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )BenQ RD280U: Pricing and Availability

The BenQ RD280U is priced at $659.99, making it a premium display for those looking for an engineering monitor. You can pick one up through BenQ's official website or one of their many distributors and online retailers.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )BenQ RD280U: Unboxing & first impressions

BenQ's packaging is pretty straightforward. In the box is the monitor itself, packaged neatly so that it won't be damaged in transit, the monitor arm, the base for the monitor, and any helpful cables you could want. Since this is the standard version and not the Ergo-Arm version, I decided to put the display on a VESA arm quickly, but to each their own.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

I am so used to 16:9 monitors that it took me a second to get used to looking at a 3:2 display. Not as long as it took me to adjust to the LG Dual Up, but it still took me a minute. It looks similar to the 16:9 aspect ratio monitors, but you immediately notice a difference once you start using it.

Outside of using the monitor itself, the display's physical casing is solid and durable, and the light ring in the back is a charming touch. I am one who semi-regularly writes late at night or early in the morning depending on the season and how busy I am - I'm writing this at 11:56pm on a Monday. So, with that being said I enjoy the light ring and using it to bounce light off the wall behind my display to alleviate some eye strain from a bright display and the dark wall behind it.

BenQ RD280U: Design & Build QualitySpecs

Screen: 28.2-inch
Panel: IPS
Resolution: 3840 x 2560.
Refresh Rate: 60Hz
Response Time: 5ms
Brightness: 400 nits.
Color Coverage: 95% DCI-P3
Connectivity: HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C with 90W PD, and USB-A ports.

I've been a fan of BenQ monitors for a while now. They are hitting above their weight class if you ask me. The RD models are no exception to this rule either. I don't personally love the giant chin, but I understand what they were going for. Outside of that, though, I love this monitor.

The 3:2 aspect ratio is growing on me, and I notice myself missing the extra height when I am not using this monitor. The matte finish on the screen reduces glare, much like my Paperlike screen protector on my iPad, which I cannot live without now. It also helps enhance visibility if your office is in a room with a lot of natural light, a window, or a lamp behind you. If you had a non-matte screen in those environments, you'd get a crazy glare, but with that matte finish, you can still see the screen.

The stand with this display is super simple and good if you don't need anything fancy. I usually like to put my monitors on a monitor arm to give them a more ergonomic orientation. For this monitor, I have it on a Corsair desk with a built-in rack and monitor arm that's ideal for this display and desk setup.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )BenQ RD280U: In use

I've had this monitor on my team, and it's been rotating for a while now. So far, it has been an absolutely fantastic monitor for day to day use, while over-featured for basic users, for those who do any coding and want a coding mode, for those who would benefit from the halo light built into the back, or those who wish to that matte screen, this monitor is a great option.

As mentioned above, the 3:2 aspect ratio has been excellent for day-to-day productivity tasks and standard work. It seems like such a small change, but it makes a massive difference in the right contexts. I can fit a lot more vertical space on the screen, meaning I can see more on a webpage, more of my windows arranged during a work day, or more of a terminal, GitHub, Postman, and project management tools. It's been a great little productivity hack for the last few months. You notice it more if you are in a full-screen application, but the vertical space is super helpful even if you have multiple windows open.

The clarity of text on this display is outstanding, making long working hours comfortable for your eyes, whether you're working during the day or at night. This is especially true when paired with the soft light reflecting off the wall behind the display, which helps to reduce eye strain even further.

One thing that I have come to appreciate in the last year is monitors that have USB-C connectivity. Now, I still will put one of the best laptop docking stations on a few of my desk setups, but on a simple setup like this one, I love the ease of a single cable setup. Even for my more complex setups, like my main setup that is truly a beast of a setup, I utilize the USB-C connection to the display so I can run the USB ports on the monitor, control the monitor with Display Pilot 2, and so on. No matter which setup it is, I love how easy the USB-C cable setup is, reducing cable clutter, and making the whole setup feel seamless.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Technical, high quality

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ease of use

Easy to use

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Practicality

Right for the right people

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price

Priced well for the product

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

BenQ RD280U: Final verdict

The BenQ RD280U is a niche monitor, there is no doubt about that. Take one look at it and you can tell right away if this monitor is marketed to you or not.

I have some people on my team that do not like the look of this monitor and will quickly tell you this is not for them, yet I also have other people on my team who absolutely love the look, functionality, aspect ratio, and design of this display. So, to each their own.

It might not rank among the best business monitors I've tried, but if you're in coding, engineering, or have the same style tastes, then this monitor will be a fantastic option.

Capcom has been on a tear with its compilations recently, and now Capcom Fighting Collection 2 has arrived hot on the heels of the also-excellent Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics.

Review information

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC
Release date: May 16, 2025

What makes Capcom Fighting Collection 2 extra special is its diversity. The first Capcom Fighting Collection was very Darkstalkers/Vampire Savior flavored. This latest compilation, however, manages to deliver something for everyone, with some games that fans have been pining to have re-released on modern platforms for years now.

The big draw in this collection is, of course, Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001. Fighting game legends and casuals alike largely consider it to be one of the greatest the genre has ever seen - owing to its large crossover roster, exceptional soundtrack, and the innovative Groove system.

But that’s not to say the rest of the collection is a dud. You absolutely shouldn’t sleep on the original Capcom vs. SNK and its glorious presentation, nor 3D curiosities like Project Justice and Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein. Both Power Stone games are here, too, and those are among the best party platforming fighters of all time.

The only real stinker in Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is Capcom Fighting Evolution. It’s a bizarre inclusion given its infamous reputation, confusing systems, and roughshod presentation. On the other hand, it’s an interesting one from a curiosity standpoint, and it is still worthy of preservation.

You can also expect the usual smattering of extras, including concept art galleries, achievements, and sound test options. Some games also have fully remixed soundtracks courtesy of the CAP-JAMs team, and there’s plenty of bangers here, especially for Capcom vs. SNK 2.

Go for broke

(Image credit: Capcom)

Before diving into the review proper, here’s a quick rundown of the eight games you can expect to play in Capcom Fighting Collection 2.

• Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro
• Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001
• Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper
• Project Justice
• Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein
• Power Stone
• Power Stone 2
• Capcom Fighting Evolution

I won’t be giving a full review of each game individually, as to be quite honest, I’d need around 5,000 words to do so. But what you should know is that - aside from Capcom Fighting Evolution - each game in this collection is absolutely worth playing, whether you’ve done the rounds with fighting games before or not.

For most players, the first port of call will almost certainly be Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001. What seems like a simple crossover fighter on its surface quickly reveals itself as perhaps one of the deepest fighting games ever made. And it’s all thanks to the Ratio and Groove systems.

First of all, Ratio determines the power scaling of the character(s) you select. You have four Ratio points with which to build your team, with higher numbers granting your characters more health and attack strength. For example, you can pick a single Ratio 4 character, or one Ratio 2 and two Ratio 1 fighters.

The Groove system is vastly more complex and will fundamentally change how your team operates. There are six grooves: C, A, P, S, N, and K. Each can apply different properties and abilities, but there are unique quirks within each. C-Groove, for example, is the only Groove that grants you access to Level 2 Super moves. P-Groove gives you a Street Fighter 3: Third Strike-style parry, while K-Groove lets you enter a powered-up rage state. You can only select one Groove, and learning which you like best (not to mention which works best with your chosen characters) is an incredibly rewarding process for those willing to put the time in.

The original Capcom vs. SNK may not be as fondly remembered, but skip on it at your peril. It arguably has the stronger presentation of the two, with charming stage intro animations and one of the slickest attract screens to ever grace the arcades. There are some limitations here compared to its sequel, though. Characters have a preset Ratio, for one, and there are just two Grooves to choose from (either Capcom or SNK). It’s still well worth checking out, though, if only for its mesmerizing Y2K-style presentation.

Party on

(Image credit: Capcom)

If you prefer more casual-friendly 3D fighters, this collection has you covered there, too, in the forms of Project Justice and Plasma Sword. The former is a team-based fighter that pits characters from rivaling high schools against each other, making use of powerful team synergy attacks to quickly turn the tables.

The latter is an interesting one; Plasma Sword (and its predecessor, Star Gladiator) was, allegedly, originally envisioned as a Star Wars fighting game. You’ll be able to see that influence in many of its character designs, too. A four-button fighter not dissimilar to the Soul Calibur games, it’s not the most complex game out there, but it is well worth experiencing for its lighthearted sci-fi charm and bonkers special moves.

Best bit

(Image credit: Capcom)

The crown jewel of the package is undoubtedly Capcom vs. SNK 2. It’s a highly technical fighting game, but certainly one of the most rewarding to this day. Fine-tuning your team and matching them with one of six Groove styles is incredibly satisfying, if only to see what kinds of crazy synergies you can come up with. It truly feels like a game of limitless possibilities, and I can only hope Capcom and SNK revisit the concept in the future.

Then you have Power Stone and Power Stone 2, both of which are a real treat and - for those who prefer less technical fighters that flourish in casual multiplayer environments - perhaps the best games in this collection. The Power Stone games combine melee fighting with a range of fun items, including gatling guns, lasers, and hammers. Both are an unbelievably fun time despite their age, with a cast of charming characters, a lovely art style, and stages that evolve over time. Power Stone 2 does bump things up from two players to four and features all-new stages. But you can’t go wrong with either title, really.

Rounding out the package is Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper, a fantastic arcade version of Alpha 3 with balance changes and extra characters. Then there’s Capcom Fighting Evolution, which - to be polite - is the black sheep of the collection. It’s one you can safely skip due to its frankly horrible presentation, with muddy low-resolution backgrounds and a grossly unbalanced roster.

It’s a curiosity for sure, as a game that chucks in characters from Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, Red Earth, and more, but also one that simply isn’t as fun or rewarding as the other titles in Capcom Fighting Collection 2.

Should I buy Capcom Fighting Collection 2?

(Image credit: Capcom)Buy it if...

You want to play classic Capcom fighters online
Online play works fantastically in Capcom Fighting Collection 2. In my online sessions, I found the connection to be very stable, and ranked play provides incentive to keep on pushing and improving, as it does in all the best fighting games.

You love browsing development material
Capcom Fighting Collection 2’s Museum is chock full of interesting concept art, marquee cards, and promotional material - some of which has never been publicly released before. You can also experience the full soundtracks of all games, with some receiving superb remixes from the CAP-JAMs music team.

You’re looking for a new couch staple
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 fully supports local play with friends across all titles. The Power Stone games are, of course, excellent for this, but the rest all provide offline multiplayer fun in addition to their online suites.

Don't buy it if...

You’ve no interest in older games
Cynical as it might be to say, there’s nothing objectively ‘new’ in Capcom Fighting Collection 2 when it comes to the games. If you prefer more modern fighters or simply have no interest in turn-of-the-century titles, you can give this a miss. Though missing out, you certainly would be, in my opinion.

Accessibility

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 does have a couple of noteworthy accessibility options. One-button supers apply to most games here, letting you input your favorite characters’ flashiest and most damaging moves with little effort - perfect for casual and beginner play. You can also access various CRT filters or disable them entirely based on your preferences.

How I reviewed Capcom Fighting Collection 2

I played Capcom Fighting Collection 2 for 15 hours on a gaming PC, via Steam. I primarily played with my Razer Wolverine V3 Pro controller, but also switched to the Hori Fighting Stick Alpha for a bit to confirm the game’s compatibility with the best fight sticks.

First reviewed May 2025

JBL Tour One M3: two-minute review

JBL has pitched its new Tour One M3 wireless over-ear noise-cancellers right into the heart of the action. They’re priced to compete with hitters as big as Bose and Sony, but the company hasn’t just slapped a premium price-tag on and hoped for the best. These headphones are specified to compete, and even have an optional extra that elevates their functionality beyond that of any price-comparable rival.

Wireless connectivity, frequency response and battery life are all well up to standard. Control options are numerous and well implemented. And with the optional Smart Tx transmitter, JBL is able to turn the Tour One M3 into a wireless receiver of non-wireless sources, as well as facilitating group listening for as many people who have Auracast-compatible headphones would like to participate.

There’s no arguing with the standard of build and finish that’s on display here, either, though the majority of the plastics used in the construction don’t feel as expensive as you might expect in a product as pricey as this. Still, at least the comfort quotient is high, thanks to some judicious padding and a low overall weight.

And if you like your sound punchy, upfront and animated, there’s plenty to enjoy here and the JBL don’t scrimp on the details, either. Their spatial audio effect is subtle and effective, and the noise cancellation puts them up there among the best noise cancelling headphones mix with anything that hasn’t got the word ‘Bose’ on it.

Don’t venture into bigger (higher) volume levels, though, because no good can come of it. The treble response, which is assertive at the best of times, can become unruly and the overall sound becomes two-dimensional and rather shouty.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)JBL Tour One M3 review: Price and release date

• Release date: April 15th, 2025
• Price: $349 ($399 with Smart Tx transmitter); £329 (£379); AU$479 (AU$549)

You don’t need me to tell you this is serious money for a pair of wireless over-ear noise-cancellers, even before you add in the cost of the Smart Tx transmitter – $349 ($399 with the transmitter); £329 (£379); AU$479 (AU$549).

JBL has picked a fight with brands as credible as Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, Sennheiser and Sony (to name just four) by pricing the Tour ONE M3 this way, which can mean one of only two things. Either JBL is completely confident or JBL is utterly rash.

Whichever your preference, it's probably not enough to put the JBL Tour One M3 among the contenders in the best wireless headphones market.

JBL Tour One M3 review: Specs

Weight:

278g

Drivers:

40mm mica dome dynamic

Battery life:

40 hours (ANC on); up to 70 hours (ANC off)

Control:

app; physical/touch; voice

Bluetooth:

5.3 (SBC, AAC, LC3, LDAC)

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)JBL Tour One M3 review: Features

• Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC codec compatibility
• Up to 70 hours of battery life
• Optional Smart Tx transmitter

There are boxes to be ticked when you’re charging this sort of money for a pair of wireless noise-cancelling over-ears, most of which are marked ‘the best version of X’, and the JBL Tour One M3 ticks all of them.

For instance, they use Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity, and feature multipoint connectivity as well as compatibility with LC3 and LDAC codecs as well as SBC and AAC. They will run for as much as 70 hours (at moderate volume and with noise-cancellation switched off) between charges, and you can expect 40 hours even if you listen at high volume and with ANC switched on.

The ANC itself is a three-stage system: choose between ‘ambient aware’ (an in-app slider controls how much of the outside world is allowed in), ‘talk-thru’ (which pauses music while significantly boosting external sounds, voices in particular) and ‘noise-cancelling’. There’s another slider here, to adjust ANC intensity - or you can switch on ‘adaptive ANC’ to automatically adjust the level based on ambient conditions. ‘Auto compensation’, meanwhile, assesses the headphones’ position on your ear relative to your ear canal in order to adjust ANC on the fly.

JBL suggests the Tour ONE M3 have a frequency response of 10Hz to 40kHz, which, if it’s anything like accurate, should be ample. Sound is served via a couple of 40mm mica dome dynamic drivers.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

The control app itself has plenty of functionality beyond fiddling with active noise-cancellation, of course – ‘JBL Headphones’ is free for iOS and Android and is one of the most comprehensive apps around.

For instance, it allows you to select a ‘spatial audio’ setting (‘fixed’, ‘head-tracking’ or ‘off’) and investigate your EQ options (there are six presets and the ability to specify some custom settings using a 10-band equalizer). You can take a hearing test to help the headphones adapt to your specific hearing profile, exert some influence of the physical methods of control, set a volume limiter and plenty more besides. These include checking on firmware updates and remaining battery life, plus adjusting the length of time without an incoming signal required before the headphones power down – basically, this app is a model of usefulness and stability.

Then there's the Smart Tx transmitter (a cost option, let’s not forget), through which JBL has an authentic Point of Difference. If you’re familiar with the ‘retransmission case’ that the top-end Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 true wireless in-ears have been supplied with for the past few years, you’ll know one of the things the Smart Tx can do – attach it to a non-wireless source of music, such as the in-flight entertainment system, via one of its USB-C slots and it will wirelessly stream to the headphones.

But there’s more to this little brick than that. It also uses Auracast to allow multiple devices to listen to whatever is playing into it (as long as all headphones are Auracast-compatible, of course). Its full-colour touch-screen duplicates quite a lot of the app’s functions, too, so to make changes you don’t have to fish your phone out of the pocket on the back of the seat in front of you. Yes, it needs charging (via its second USB-C) and, also yes, it’s another thing to disappear down the back of the sofa or something, but for those who fancy its functionality, it’s a very useful little device indeed.

• Features score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)JBL Tour One M3 review: Sound quality

• Punch, drive and detail in fairly equal measure
• Effective and quite nuanced spatial audio effect
• Easily spooked by bigger volumes

Some headphones don’t really mind the sort of stuff you listen to, or how you choose to listen to it – they just get on with the job, regardless. The JBL Tour One M3, I think I can safely say, are not those headphones.

As far as music styles are concerned, they’re not especially fussy, but where quality of recording is concerned, they have definite preferences. It’s mostly due to their treble response – the top end as reproduced by the Tour One M3 is absolutely as bright and bitey as is acceptable. So if you provoke it with a recording that shares that same high-end edginess – Nick Lowe’s You Got the Look I Like is a good example – things can get compounded into something very close to hardness.

There’s no shortage of detail revealed at the top of the frequency range, though, and that’s the case throughout. At every point the JBL are an observant and insightful listen, able to identify even the most fleeting episodes in a recording. Midrange resolution is impressive, and at the bottom end they punch with the sort of weight and determination we’ve all come to expect from JBL equipment. There’s a slight bias towards the bottom of the frequency range when EQ settings are left alone, but this can be mitigated a little in the app. What EQ adjustment can’t do, though, is affect tonality that’s nicely naturalistic right until the top end gets involved.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Dynamic impetus is considerable, especially where the biggest shifts in volume or intensity are concerned, and the upheavals in Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters are described in full. The smaller, but no less significant, harmonic variations get appropriate weighting, too. Soundstaging, when listening in straight stereo, is organized and reasonably expansive, but there’s a pleasant unity to the stage, an idea of performance, that makes for a confident and convincing presentation.

Switch on spatial audio and the effect is much less showy than some rival designs shoot for, and it’s all to the good as far as I’m concerned. The stage opens up in every direction without losing too much of its definition, and the sensation of space doesn’t feel in any way artificial.

No, the major issue here concerns volume, and the Tour One M3's inability to cope with it. Turn up the volume and the sound becomes two-dimensional and rather too assertive – every part of a recording seems to rush to the front of the stage, and the top-end tonality (which is problematic all the time) becomes quite abrasive and almost glassy. ‘Composure’ is the word I’m after, and it deserts the JBL the moment you decide to listen at big levels.

The active noise-cancellation, by way of contrast, needs no excuses making for it. Does it cloak you in an eerie blanket of silence like the equivalent Bose headphones can manage? No, it doesn't. Does it bear comparison to the very best alternatives out there that aren’t by Bose? Most definitely. Without altering their sonic characteristics or introducing a suggestion of counter-signal, the Tour One M3 deal with the vast majority of external distractions and leave you free to get on with listening.

Not too loud, though, obviously.

• Sound quality score: 3 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)JBL Tour One M3 review: Design

• Fold flat and inwards, so have quite a small carry-case
• Choice of three finishes
• Perceived value is not all it might be

Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the way the JBL Tour One M3 are built and finished. Despite having so much articulation in the frame that they can fold up into a winningly compact carry-case, they give every impression of being carefully constructed and ready to last. But when it comes to perceived value, the embodiment of the word ‘premium’ that comes from the look, the feel and, let’s face it, the smell of a pair of headphones, the Tour One M3 don’t have it in anything like the quantities of their price-comparable rivals.

In terms of the look, that might be down to the fact that my review sample is in an insipid finish called ‘mocha’ – perhaps the appearance is a bit classier in the black or blue alternatives. But the color has nothing to do with the way the Tour One M3 feel and the plastics which make up a lot of the frame are hard and feel inexpensive. All of which is unfortunate, given how expensive these headphones actually are.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

The practicalities of the design are absolutely fine, though. The contact points are pleather-covered memory foam, and they’re softly pliant. The headband adjusts with a very positive action, and the clamping force it exerts is nicely judged. These 278g headphones are easy to wear and it’s simple to get and remain comfortable inside them. JBL isn’t quoting an IP rating, though, so it’s worth making sure you don’t get too comfortable in inappropriate environments.

On the left earcup there’s a slender ‘volume up/down’ rocker switch. On the right, meanwhile, a ‘power on/off/Bluetooth pairing’ slider is positioned above an ‘action’ button that cycles through ‘noise-cancelling’, ‘ambient aware’ and ‘talk-thru’. The surface of this earcup also has a touch surface that allows control over ‘play/pause’, ‘skip forwards’, ‘skip backwards’ and ‘summon voice assistant’, and this is where telephony functions are accessed, too. It’s possible to unintentionally trigger touch controls when feeling for that ‘action’ button, but broadly speaking these are effective, well-implemented user interfaces.

The USB-C slot can be used both for charging the battery and for data transfer - which means the Tour One M3 are genuinely high-resolution headphones if hard-wired to an appropriate source. And there are eight mics spread over the two earcups taking care of voice-assistant interaction, telephony and noise-cancellation.

• Design score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)JBL Tour One M3 review: Value

• Variable sound
• So-so perceived value
• Excellent control options, including the Smart Tx transmitter

Ultimately, the JBL Tour ONE M3 can’t be said to offer cast-iron value for money. They have a lot going for them where comfort is concerned, their noise-cancelling is very good, their control options are all very well realized and, in some ways, they sound very enjoyable and entertaining, too.

But the hard, quite cheap-feeling plastics that make up a lot of the frame, the tendency to lose a little self-control at volume, and the sheer strength of the products they’re competing against all conspire to make the JBL a diverting alternative rather than a nailed-on candidate for your ‘value for money’ shortlist.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Should I buy the JBL Tour One M3?

Section

Notes

Score

Features

Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC codec compatibility; optional Smart Tx transmitter a potential game-changer

5 / 5

Sound quality

Excellent ANC; dynamic impetus; nuanced spatial audio; but too easily spooked at high volumes

3 / 5

Design

Fold flat into neat carry-case; comfortable; hard plastic don't lend premium finish

4 / 5

Value

Very good control options; so-so perceived value

3.5 / 5

Buy them if…

You like quite forceful sound
There’s no denying the upfront and vigorous nature of the JBL sound in general, and that goes double for the Tour One M3.

You enjoy a USP
The Smart Tx transmitter brings a lot of additional functionality to the headphones (as long as you remember to keep it charged).

Comfort is important
These headphones are relatively light, the fit is nicely judged, and the contact points are all nice and soft.

Don't buy them if…

You’re especially sensitive to treble sounds
At best, the JBL are lively at the top end; at worst, they’re quite hard and unyielding.

You’re big on perceived value
It’s not about the build or the finish, they’re both fine. It’s just that the JBL don’t look or feel anything special.

You like to listen at bigger volumes
The Tour One M3 are prone to over-excitement at high volume, and lose some of what makes them an enjoyable listen in the first place.

JBL Tour One M3 review: Also consider

Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony’s ubiquitous-for-a-reason WH-1000XM5 are now routinely available at around $299 / £249 (they launched at $399 / £299) and, on a pound-for-pound basis, wireless over-ear noise-cancelling cans don’t get any more rounded or across-the-board excellent than this.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM5 review

Bose QuietComfort Ultra
You may prioritize noise-cancelling, of course, and if that’s the case then don’t look any further than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. Where ANC is concerned, everyone else is playing catch-up.
Read the full Bose QuietComfort Ultra review

Edifier Stax Spirit S5
If you prefer the road less traveled, though, and you can live without active noise-cancellation, the Stax Spirit 5 from Edifier uses their planar magnetic driver technology to deliver the sweetest of sounds.
Read our full Edifier Stax Spirit S5 review

How I tested JBL Tour One M3

• Connected to iOS and Android music players, wired and wirelessly
• Connected using the Smart Tx transmitter to a laptop
• Lots of different music, lots of different file types and sizes

I listened at my desk, connecting the Smart Tx transmitter to a laptop, I listened while out and about and I listened on public transport, to lots of music of many different file types and sizes. I spent over a week critically to get the best feel possible for the JBL.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: May 2025

I love a good permanent desk setup. However, something that is also very real in my life is that I am always on the go, working away from my principal, beloved home office, and I cannot risk losing productivity, nor slowing down while working away from home.

So, I went down the rabbit hole of finding the best portable monitors a few months ago. I had spent time using my iPad as a second screen, but since moving to an iPad Mini 7 from my M1 iPad Pro 11-inch, I lost the screen real estate I wanted.

When I found the Sotsu FlipAction monitors, I snagged the Pro variant without hesitation. I thought it would be perfect for me, but I only upgraded it to the flagship Elite Model shortly after. That was 166 days ago from writing this review (whilst using the Flip Action Elite 16 and my MacBook Pro). Since then, I've had this monitor go everywhere in the laptop sleeve of my 20L Nomatic Backpack, and I have used it almost every day. I have some thoughts.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Sotsu FlipAction Elite 16: Pricing and Availability

The Sotsu FlipAction Elite 16 Portable Monitor can be purchased through the Sotsu website by clicking here. It's currently priced for pre-order at $789 / £594, and is available in a silver or space black, perfectly complementing a MacBook colorway.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Sotsu FlipAction Elite 16: Unboxing & first impressions

Right away, when I opened the box, I was struck by just how Apple-esque the Sotsu FlipAction Elite 16 looked, and in the best way. The silver color, the rounded edges, the black bezel matching the silver edge, and the gorgeous display. I

immediately noticed that without changing any settings, I plugged the display into my MacBook Pro, which perfectly matched my MacBook screen. Then, I saw the base and stand. At first, it looked like it would be complex or not exactly what I wanted, but I was sold when I noticed that I could extend the monitor out and have it raise above my MacBook.

When I realized I could set the display in portrait, horizontal, next to my MacBook display, above my MacBook display, or on its own, I was hooked.

Sotsu FlipAction Elite 16: Design & Build QualitySpecs

Screen Size: 16-inches
Resolution: 3840 x 2400
Aspect Ratio: 16:10
Brightness: 450 nits
Contrast Ratio: 1200:1
Color: 100% DCI-P3
Refresh Rate: 60Hz
Power Consumption: 15W
Dimensions: 14.4" x 9.3" x 0.5"
Monitor Weight: 925g
Base Weight: 435g

As I mentioned, this looks like an Apple product. If Apple were to make a portable monitor, it should buy out Sotsu and make this display itself. It's that good, and matches that well.

The build quality is spectacular and still looks brand new after nearly 200 days of daily use. The hinges work great, the IO is still tight, and the display has had zero issues.

The design is fantastic, and I find myself returning to this portable monitor repeatedly, even when testing others, or having other co-working setups I could plug into.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Sotsu FlipAction Elite 16: In use

After nearly 200 days of use, I found the absolute sweet spot for this display. I've made a straightforward modification; other than that, I am using this screen as intended, and it has been a dream to use. My single modification was swapping the cable that came with it to a 1m Thunderbolt 4 cable. I added a 40 Gbps right-angle adapter to it, so I still got the cable pointing to the back of my Mac towards the portable monitor.

I did this simply with the ease of my EDC in mind. There was nothing wrong with the cable Sotsu sent, but I knew I'd have some bigger files to transfer that I would want a Thunderbolt 4 cable in my bag for, so I may as well have one that is multi-purpose.

For many reasons, the Sotsu FlipAction Elite 16 has been my secret to productivity. First of all, I can now easily get a two (or three) screen setup, all out of my sleek EDC backpack, all powered with a single power in, one cable connecting my Mac to the display, and then if I want zero latency, one cable running from my Mac to my iPad Mini. Second of all, depending on what I am working on, I can swap between having a stacked monitor layout, to a portrait monitor next to my Mac, to a second display for my iPad, to a completely independent monitor for a Mac Mini, a camera setup, or another device I am working on.

Third, it is lightweight and easy to fit in my backpack without needing to reorganize or shove things in there; it just collapses to almost nothing and slides into a sleeve in my bag. And fourth, it has better screen resolution than the average monitor and most monitors that would even be available. At the same time, I travel, making this an even easier no-brainer to use.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

My daily setup experience now includes the Sotsu FlipAction Elite 16-inch. Setting up my entire workspace only takes seconds, and I can do it nearly anywhere. I usually spend most of my time with the display above my MacBook, at a more ergonomic eye level, and operating as my primary display. My 13-inch MacBook screen below is for my secondary things, running two virtual screens, one for admin, and one for project management. Then my iPad Mini runs anything from research to Spotify, Reminders, Slack, or sometimes Notion.

When I am working on something where I want more vertical space, I'll rotate the display to portrait mode so I can see more lines of whatever I am working on, and then when I am done, I'll rotate it back and move it back to above my MacBook.

If I'm working in an area where stacked monitors don't make sense for some reason, then I'll put it to the left and still have a multi-display setup.

There are a few things that I wish this display had, that would simply be icing on the cake. First, would be a USB-A port. Since I am on a newer MacBook Pro, I don't have any USB-A ports and there have been two instances where I have had to pull out a dongle to use that USB-A device. I wish that up by my SD Card slot reader on the base there could also be a USB-A port.

Secondly, I wish that there was an app integration with the display much like DisplayPilot 2 on any newer BenQ Monitor. However, I have gotten around needing to control display brightness by using an app called Monitor Control. Third, I wish the panel was OLED for the added brightness, and fourth, I wish there was a nano texture display option too, much like what I have on my iPad with a Paperlike screen. However, none of those qualms are cons, just wishes for a customized option.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Beautiful, High quality

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ease of use

Easy to use

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Practicality

Right for most people

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price

Priced well for the product

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sotsu FlipAction Elite 16: Final verdict

In short, this display has become a staple in my EDC Setup for a reason. It has been the perfect portable monitor for me, and its largely due to the design, the 4K panel, and the remarkable multi-function stand. I have no plans to take this out of my everyday carry bag anytime soon, and I plan to continue using this panel nearly daily.

Coros Heart Rate Monitor: One minute review

The Coros Heart Rate Monitor is a strap-based monitor designed for your upper arm that uses optical tracking tech to measure blood volume, rather than electrocardiograph or ECG, which measures the heart's electrical signals. While many of the best heart rate monitors use ECG, optical sensors are found in the best smartwatches. Which begs the question: why does Coros' stand-alone HRM use optical sensors instead of ECG?

The short answer, from Coros, is that optical heart rate monitoring works by using light shone through your skin to see your blood flow. While watches can do a reasonable job on the wrist, there is a lot more blood higher up the arm, making a dedicated strap – which can be affixed tightly yet comfortably to that higher arm position – more accurate.

So, for your money, you are getting a more accurate optical heart rate monitor than a smartwatch, yet with arguably a more comfortable wearing position. Unlike a chest strap, it's a comfortable wear for both men and women of all body types and sizes, and to top it off you get a decent 38 hours of use with its rechargeable battery.

Thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, this can be used with many different devices from smartwatches and phones to bikes and gym machines. There's also a useful wear detection feature which means this can auto-power on and connect. All you need to do is put it on.

There is basic waterproofing, to 3ATM, but this is more to make it sweat and rain-proof – so don't expect this to be usable for swimming. You also won't find connectivity options like ANT+ here, so that may limit some people in terms of which devices this can be used with.

Coros Heart Rate Monitor key specs

Component

Coros Heart Rate Monitor

Dimensions

42.5 x 28.4 x 9.1mm

Weight

19g with strap

Fit

18-32cm standard, 24-43cm large

Case material

Plastic unit, with polyester fibre, nylon and spandex band

Connectivity

Bluetooth

Compatibility

3 simultaneous

Water resistance

3 ATM

Accelerometer

No

Battery

Rechargeable USB-A

Coros Heart Rate Monitor: Price and release date

• Available to buy now in the US, UK, and Australia
• Priced at $79 / £69 / AU$140 RRP
• A similar price point as Garmin's HRM Pro

The Coros Heart Rate Monitor launched on June 27, 2023 and is available across the globe. It launched with a price of $79 in the US, £69 in the UK and $140 in Australia.

The Coros HRM is available in several colours thanks to a selection of band options, which you can pick at purchase. These include Grey, Lime and Orange. There is also an option to get a large version of the Grey if needed – more details on that in the design section.

You can buy the Coros HRM directly from Coros via sites like Amazon.

Price-wise, it's comparable to the Garmin HRM-Pro, so it's in line with the rest of its competitors without being either outstanding value or egregiously expensive.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Coros HRM (Image credit: Future)Coros Heart Rate Monitor: Design

• Comfortable to wear
• Easy to fit
• Simple design

The Coros Heart Rate Monitor is all about simplicity and as such this is a doddle to wear. Since this is made to go on your bicep, once you've got the right size adjusted to suit you using the velcro fitting, it's a simple case of sliding it up your arm to pop it on.

The strap materials are a combination of polyester fiber, nylon and spandex, which all equate to a very comfortable feel. But, crucially, this is flexible enough to slip on and off with a stretch, but tight enough to stay in place without it feeling too tight or uncomfortable.

At 19g the total weight is barely noticeable. When you consider people run with large phones in arm strap cases and barely notice them, you can imagine how unobtrusive this feels.

Does this feel more comfy than a chest strap? The answer in my case was a yes, but that may vary from person to person. I certainly like the fact this slips on easily, and thanks to that auto-wear detection sensor it'll connect up quickly and easily too.

This is made to fit biceps of sizes between 18 and 32cm. So unless you're very slim or a bodybuilder, this is likely to fit you comfortably regardless of gender. If you are bigger in the arm area then there is the option to go for a larger variant of the strap at point of purchase, which accommodates 24-43cm biceps.

Coros HRM (Image credit: Future)

The sensor setup itself comprises five LEDs with four photodetectors. That combination, representing the best optical heart rate sensors from Coros right now, should mean this is fairly future-proof, unlikely to be eclipsed by more accurate technology for a while. That said, it won't offer SpO2 measurements, so if you're after O2 features then you may want to keep looking elsewhere.

There is an LED light on the side of the main unit which acts as a useful communication light. When on charge this will glow orange until the battery is full after two hours, and it then turns solid green so you know it's good to go.

The charger is USB-A at one end and a proprietary magnetic attachment at the end of the HRM connection. While it's easy to plug into many different power sources, we would have preferred the more efficient, up-to-date USB-C.

The strap is also washable, where the main unit can slide off, making it possible to keep that looking fresh for long periods.

• Design score: 4/5

Coros HRM (Image credit: Future)Coros Heart Rate Monitor: Features

• App is minimal
• Lots of third-party app compatibility
• No swim tracking

The Coros Heart Rate Monitor can be paired to many devices and works with the app you want to use. But there is an included Coros app that you can use, ideal if you've already got other Coros devices like the Coros Pace Pro.

The Coros app is fine for analyzing data, but it won't track you while you're out exercising. So you will need to use a third-party app, like Strava. I connected the HRM by opening the Coros app, and once connected, I could just open Strava, slip on the armband, and it would pull in the HR data directly.

I found this helpful for heart rate training or zone tracking. Generally speaking, I used the phone to collect the data and then only looked at it when analyzing my effort after I was back and showered off, so you'll need to take your phone in a chest, waist or arm-mounted running case.

Coros HRM (Image credit: Future)

It's also worth noting that if you already have a smartwatch and simply want to add a more accurate heart rate tracker than the built-in optical option, this can connect to your smartwatch too. And yes, this did prove more accurate than wrist-based options during our testing, so this could be a viable alternative to a chest strap.

The app is the only way to know an accurate measure of the HRM's battery life. Sure the light on the side can give you rough guidance, but that's not likely to serve you before a run or ride where you'll want reassurance you have enough juice to go the distance. A push notification would have been helpful when connected too.

It's worth noting that this can broadcast heart rate to up to three devices simultaneously. So you could have your watch and phone connected to your bike computer at the same time, for example. I haven't tested this feature yet, but it's good to have the option should the need arise.

• Features: 3/5

Coros app (Image credit: Future)Coros Heart Rate Monitor: Performance

• Good accuracy
• Easy to use
• Very comfortable

One of the most important things to mention here is comfort. This is more comfy to wear than a chest strap, while offering almost the same level of accuracy. It's easy to slip on and off, less noticeable to wear and can also be kept hidden to avoid knocks – with the option to slide it under your sleeve.

While a wrist-worn heart rate monitor in a watch can be useful, wearing this on your bicep is so much more accurate. As mentioned it's a better spot, with more blood, for clearer readings. But it's also higher up the arm with far less movement when running and way less bumping when riding a bike. All that combines to offer great levels of accuracy across sports while staying comfy.

Where this falls down compared to a chest strap is battery life. It's decent, hitting close to the claimed 38 hours in real-world use, but still doesn't compare to the one or two year battery power of some chest straps.

Coros HRM on the left and chest strap on the right. (Image credit: Future)

In one run (image above), with an early hill climb which I use to beat any chance of averaging explaining accuracy, I did spot some issues. I had a competitor chest strap on in addition to the arm-based Coros HRM connected to my phone. On the hill climb, my heart quickly jumped to 170 and the chest strap kept up. However, the Coros strap lagged behind, reading 155. It did catch up, but was a few seconds behind.

After that, as the distance lengthened and those averages came into play, it got even closer, but I was aware of that initial blip.

So while you can see the early discrepancy, generally both the Coros and chest-mounted HRM show similar readings with near-identical max and average heart rate data. It was certainly noticeably more accurate than a wrist-worn optical heart rate sensor is capable of offering.

• Performance score: 4/5

Coros HRM: Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

In line with competition, making it reasonable.

3.5/5

Design

Very well designed to be comfy, work well, be easy-to-use and accurate.

4.5/5

Features

Great app compatibility but loses points on lack of swim support.

3/5

Performance

Accurate, comfortable and easy to use.

4/5

Total

A superb option for accuracy and comfort with charge support.

4/5

Coros HRM (Image credit: Future)Coros Heart Rate Monitor: Buy it if...

You're need true heart rate training
A dedicated HRM detects changes to your heart rate more accurately than a watch alone, allowing you to zone train with quality.

You want comfort and ease
The Coros HRM is very comfortable and easy to slip on and off with that auto turn-on and -off functionality, making it a pleasure to use.

Coros Heart Rate Monitor: don't buy it if...

You want to see your data
Unless you own a Coros or other smartwatch, then seeing your data isn't easy when phone connected to this HRM.

You want the best battery
While battery life here is good, it's not chest strap level performance so consider that charging will be a part of this use.

Also considerAlso consider

Component

Wahoo Trackr

Garmin HRM Pro

Coros Heart Rate Monitor

Dimensions

615 x 30 x 10 mm

142 x 30 x 12 mm

42.5 x 28.4 x 9.1mm

Weight

39g with strap

59g

19g with strap

Case material

Plastic

plastic

Plastic, polyester fibre, nylon and spandex

Connectivity

Bluetooth and ANT+

ANT+, Bluetooth

Bluetooth

Operation temperatures

-10, -50°C

-10°C - 50°C

Up to 122°F

Water resistance

IPX7

5ATM (50 meters)

3 ATM

Accelerometer

No

Yes

No

Battery

CR3202 rechargeable

210mAh

38 hours

Garmin HRM-Pro (£119 / US$129.99 / AU$159.00)

Designed for multi-sport use, the HRM-Pro is the most advanced heart rate strap Garmin produces, although it’s probably of greater interest to those who already own Garmin products.

Read our full MyZone Garmin HRM-Pro review

MyZone MZ-Switch (£139.50 / $159.95 / AU$209.99.)

The MyZone MZ-Switch isn’t just a chest strap. The center sensor node features an ECG monitor as well as an optical sensor and pops out so it can be worn on the wrist like a smartwatch.

Read our full MyZone MZ-Switch review

How I tested

I used the Coros HRM for a few weeks to test. I did this across running and cycling mainly and mixed in longer steady trips out as well as hills and sprints to get a range of results. I compared using a wrist-worn Garmin, a chest strap and, at one point, an optical armband too. I used this with a few different apps to try out how the data could be used, shared and analyzed.

Samsung 25W 10,000mAh Wireless Battery Pack: review

The Samsung 25W 10,000mAh Wireless Battery Pack is a power bank designed for charging Galaxy and other small devices.

It has quite a sleek design with an organic-looking finish, emphasized by the beige colorway of my unit, which is mottled for a pebble-like appearance. It also feels quite solid, although there is some flexing to the panels, so it isn’t the most rugged power bank around.

However, it’s pleasingly thin and light, and combined with the rounded edges at one end, this makes the Samsung 25W 10,000mAh Wireless Battery Pack relatively easy to carry around. However, it’s quite long, even for a wireless power bank, and many of the best power banks with similar power and capacity specs are smaller than this.

What also mars its seamless design is the hump of the wireless charging pad, although its soft material offers extra cushioning and grip for your device, and seems quite resistant to tears and scratches.

There’s no real interface to speak of on the Samsung 25W 10,000mAh Wireless Battery Pack. It features a single power button and five LED dots: one indicating charging activity and the other four representing battery life. These are placed at the end of the unit, next to the USB ports, and are large and bright enough to be seen clearly.

The wireless charging feature is capable of outputting 7.5W of power. It also features two USB-C ports, both of which serve as inputs and outputs. These offer Super Fast Charging, providing 25W of output power each when charging a single device.

Three-way charging is also supported when using both ports and the wireless pad, although the power output drops to 7.5W for all outputs in such cases. It’s also a shame that while charging, the battery life indicators don’t remain lit, so you can’t tell how much battery the Samsung 25W 10,000mAh Wireless Battery Pack has left without pressing the power button first, which is somewhat inconvenient.

It managed to wirelessly charge a Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, which has a 4,755mAh battery, from empty to full in about three and a half hours, which is quite a good performance. In the process, the Samsung 25W 10,000mAh Wireless Battery Pack lost all but one of its LED dots, indicating that it had between 5-20% left in reserve.

This is somewhat disappointing, since it means you’ll only get one full wireless charge out of it. What’s more, charging the bank itself from empty to full took over three hours, which isn’t particularly fast; other 10K power banks are faster at charging themselves than this.

The Samsung 25W 10,000mAh Wireless Battery Pack is reasonably priced considering its wireless charging capability and the inclusion of two USB-C ports for additional charging. However, there are other wireless chargers out there with smaller form factors that perform just as well, such as the Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K), which even includes a handy flip stand for propping up your phone.

(Image credit: Future)Samsung 25W 10,000mAh Wireless Battery Pack review: price & specs

Price

$44.99 / £44 / AU$79

Capacity

10,000mAh

Total wattage

25W

Number of ports

2

USB-C

2

Wireless charging

Yes

Weight

7.8oz / 222g

Power-to-weight

45mAh/g

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Samsung 25W 10,000mAh Wireless Battery Pack Battery Pack?Buy it if…

You want to charge multiple devices at the same time
Thanks to the two USB-C ports and three-way charging support, you can charge all your small devices at the same time.

You want to charge wirelessly
The wireless charging capability is quite good, and the soft pad is durable and provides plenty of stability.

Don't buy it if…

You want multiple charges
With its 10,000mAh capacity, the Samsung 25W 10,000mAh Wireless Battery Pack won’t be enough for charging your phone more than once.

You want the best value
There are cheaper power banks out there with similar specs, and sometimes with extra features to boot.

Samsung 25W 10,000mAh Wireless Battery Pack review: Also consider

Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K)
If you’re looking for another power bank with wireless charging capabilities, then the MagGo Power Bank is a great choice, given its small dimensions and integrated stand. Although primarily designed for MagSafe iPhones (hence the name), it works with Android phones as well, although it won’t provide the same magnetic security. MagSafe cases are available for Android phones, but since these aren’t officially endorsed, there’s no guarantee they’ll work with MagSafe chargers. Read our full Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K) review.

I have not heard a lot about X-Chair before I found out about the X4 Executive Chair. I had heard of them as a company, but I haven't done any deep research into who they were or what they produced until this chair. So, I went into it pretty oblivious.

After spending a few minutes customizing what my dream chair would be, I saw the price and the features and thought, let's see if this is worth the money, or if this is an overpriced leather cushion as I have seen in the past. The only other research I did was to check where this nearly $1500 chair was in the line-up regarding other X-Chair offerings.

Surprisingly, this was not the flagship model but the one below. This made me all the more intrigued about how this chair would perform against the best office chairs I've tested - especially given the price-point puts it on par with the likes of the Branch Verve or Herman Miller's offerings.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )X-Chair X4 Leather Executive Chair: Pricing and Availability

The base model of this chair is retailing for $1428. But that price can be pushed up a whole lot more once you add extras, from headrest to heating and cooling pads.

My review unit clocks in at around $2052 in the Cognac leather variant, the X-HMT heat and massage, the headrest, the full rotational arms, the extended seat, the memory foam cushion, and the locking wheels.

You can buy this chair from online retailers like Amazon, as well as X-Chair's website by clicking here, and at the time of review, it's currently discounted by $345.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )X-Chair X4 Leather Executive Chair: Unboxing & first impressions

Even after the unboxing experience, this chair was surprisingly heavy. I was shocked at how heavy this box was when I carried it to my home office from my front step.

In the box, X-Chair sends the chair pieces, the proper assembly tools, and clear instructions for assembly. My setup also came with a power cable to recharge the heat/cool/massaging feature.

The Cognac colorway is a tad more orange than I expected, but then again, maybe that's just in comparison to the dark walnut wood in my office.

Overall, the assembly was straightforward, and I could enjoy this chair within about 38 minutes. Once I got everything together, I appreciated how beautiful this chair was. It's expensive because it's gorgeous and incredibly high-quality.

X-Chair X4 Leather Executive Chair: Design & Build QualitySpecs

Height: 48.78 - 58.38 inches
Seat Height: 17.5-20.88 inches
Weight: 56.6lbs
Weight Capacity: 275 lbs

I chose the cognac because I love the lighter leather look. This one came out a bit oranger than expected, but it is still absolutely beautiful. The stitching and leather quality are spectacular, and the frame is rigid and clean.

This chair feels premium all around, even at the connection points. It feels like it will last a lifetime and is a flagship premium chair. If nothing else, you'll feel like you're getting what you paid for.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )X-Chair X4 Leather Executive Chair: In use

This chair is interesting; I don't know if it's that the Dynamic Lumbar support took a bit to get used to or if it's because I've been in a season of working out of a lot of cafes in terrible chairs, but this chair took me a minute to get used to. Once I dialed in the tension, armrest locations, and other features, I found that I enjoyed the chair. It's comfortable for long periods, the lumbar support holds me in all the right places, and the recline is smooth and comfortable.

The features I was most excited about though are the heating, cooling, and massaging element. This little section is rechargeable with a barrel connector that has a long cable to a USB-A plug. The battery lasts a pretty decent amount of time before needing a recharge too which is great. The massaging feature is much more prominent than I expected it to be, I expected a slight vibration, but it actually does feel like a small massage for my lower back.

Same with the heating and cooling features. I thought that I would barely be able to notice these temperature changes, but in reality I could absolutely tell the heat, it even got a bit too warm for me, and the cool was excellent, especially for me since I usually run a bit warm to start with.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

I've used this chair at my secondary workstation for 159 days as of the time of writing this paragraph. So far, there have been zero issues with any of the components, it's still as clean and beautiful as the day I first got the chair, and I still love it to this day.

It's for sure a very expensive chair. However, if your budget is pretty extreme, or if you are simply looking for a fantastic office chair with some great features and the cost does not matter, then this is a fantastic option for you to look at. It's great, it's pretty customizable, and it should last you quite some time. In line with a lot of premium chairs, the frame itself has a 15-year warranty.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Beautiful, professional design

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ease of use

Easy to utilize

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Practicality

Bougie, but brilliant

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price

Hefty price for an impressive chair

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

X-Chair X4 Leather Executive Chair: Final verdict

The X-Chair X4 Leather Executive Chair is a robust, beautiful, and feature-packed office chair for those looking for a chair that offers beautiful leather combined with ergonomic comfort and fun features like heated, cooled, and massaging lower backs. The frame is sturdy, it can hold a lot of weight, and it's a chair that you'll love to have your friends, family, and co-workers test out on off hours while you enjoy the comforts during business hours.

Anker 20,000mAh 87W Power Bank: review

The Anker 20K 87W power bank has a large capacity and power output, as well as an inbuilt USB-C cable for ease of use. It’s a sleek-looking brick, although it’s quite big. Thankfully, it’s not too thick or too heavy, both of which help to make it more portable than it otherwise would be.

It features a small screen that displays the battery life as a percentage, which is bright and clear, making it easy to glance at. There’s also a relatively large power button next to it, which is very accessible owing to its size.

True to many of Anker’s products, it feels solidly constructed, equal in durability to the best power banks. This extends to the inbuilt USB-C cable, which Anker claims has 11lbs of pulling resistance, and is rated for over 10,000 bends and 5,000 twists during its lifetime.

It folds away neatly, sitting flush with the side panel, and it also feels secure in this housing, so I wasn’t concerned it would come loose or expose the jack to damage. What’s more, the cable is still easy to unsheathe when needed.

However, it isn’t that long, which, given the overall size of the bank itself, can make it a little awkward to use. It also has to be twisted around when connecting to devices in a way that feels unnatural, since the cable is flat rather than cylindrical.

In addition to this integrated cable, the Anker 20,000mAh 87W Power Bank also features a USB-C port, which is capable of input and output (as is the cable), and a USB-A port, which is output only.

The Anker 20,000mAh 87W Power Bank provides 87W of power in total, with a maximum of 65W for single-port charging, which is more than enough to charge large devices, including many modern laptops. It managed to charge my Google Pixel 7a, which has a 4,385mAh battery, in about two hours, which is respectable.

In the process, it lost 30% of its battery life, which means you should be able to get at least three charges out of it, which is acceptable, although some other 20,000mAh banks I’ve tested previously appear to retain slightly more in the tank than this.

Still, the Anker 20,000mAh 87W Power Bank is reasonably priced considering its high power output, build quality, and integrated cable. However, it might not represent great value unless you intend on charging very power-hunger devices; even many modern laptops don’t need 65W to charge quickly. But, if you do, the Anker 20,000mAh 87W Power Bank is a very solid portable and convenient option.

(Image credit: Future)Anker 20,000mAh 87W Power Bank: price & specs

Price

$69.99 / £49.99 / AU$119.99

Capacity

20,000mAh

Total wattage

87W

Number of ports

3

USB-C

2 (1 x inbuilt cable)

USB-A

1

Wireless charging

No

Weight

15.5oz / 439g

Power-to-weight

46mAh/g

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Anker 20,000mAh 87W Power Bank?Buy it if…

You want plenty of power
87W is a lot of power, meaning you should be able to charge many laptops and other similarly sized devices comfortably.

You want a solid build
The Anker 20,000mAh 87W Power Bank certainly feels durable, and even the housing for the integrated cable seems to offer plenty of security.

Don't buy it if…

You want something small
The Anker 20,000mAh 87W Power Bank is a sizable unit, and although it’s admirably thin, there are smaller 20K power banks out there.

You don’t need all that power
The 87W total power is probably too much for many, and even the 65W single-charging capability is overkill for many modern laptops.

Anker 20,000mAh 87W Power Bank review: Also consider

INIU P51L-E1
If you’re looking for a bank with the same capacity as the Anker 20,000mAh 87W Power Bank but in a much smaller package, the INIU P51L-E1 could be the ideal solution. It too features a built-in USB-C cable, but also includes a flashlight for even better practicality. However, it has a lot less power (22.5W), so it’s really only suitable for devices no bigger than iPads and the like. Read our full INIU P51L-E1 review.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360: Two-minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is a 2-in-1 Chromebook with a small form factor for easy portability. It’s this miniature size that first strikes the eye, followed by the sleek and minimal design. It also has a sturdy construction, although it’s thicker and heavier than you might expect. Regardless, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is still easy to carry around.

Opening up the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 further reveals its high level of engineering. The hinge mechanism, for instance, is silky smooth to operate yet provides plenty of stability.

Of course, as you may have guessed from its name, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is convertible, so you can flip the screen all the way back and use it as a tablet. However, this isn’t ideal, as the aforementioned heft prevents this from being practical for extended periods. It does much better, though, when tented upside down on a desk, as you can still operate it via the touchscreen, but without being burdened by the weight.

When it comes to performance, there are some disappointments. The specs of the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 are rather middling compared to the best Chromebooks, which means that multitasking and even moderate gaming can be a stretch for it. Thankfully, it does much better at light productivity and playing back video content.

The 12.4 inch display I had in my review unit was glorious, rendering images and scenes vividly and with plenty of brightness. The 2560 x 1600 resolution also provides stunning clarity, as does the high gloss finish.

However, the latter aspect can cause prominent reflections, and the contrast can be too high. However, these drawbacks aren’t persistent or egregious, and they didn’t ruin the overall experience for me.

The touchscreen is very responsive and easy to use, as is the trackpad and keyboard. I could type accurately thanks to the generous spacing of the keys, which is impressive when you consider the small form factor of the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360. They’re also very tactile for Chromebook keys.

The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 sits at the mid-to-high end of the market in terms of pricing, which may seem unjustified given its performance is lacking in certain departments, especially when compared to Windows or Mac laptops. However, that small and sublime build, combined with the exquisite display, might just be enough to win you over.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 review: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• $429.99 / £419 / AU$707
• Available now
• Higher end of the market

The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 costs $429.99 / £419 / AU$707 and is available now. However, we have seen it on sale for considerably less. It can be configured with either 32GB or 64GB of storage, and various screen sizes are available, although only one colorway is offered.

This is a good price for a convertible and expertly crafted Chromebook. However, the CPU and RAM it’s equipped with are on the weaker side, but the performance is still capable enough.

It’s still quite a lot more expensive than the Acer Spin 314 Chromebook, though, which is one of our favorite models. This has more storage and a much better battery life than the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360, although its resolution isn’t as high, and we found it can get quite hot when processing strenuous workloads – but these were about the only drawbacks we could find with it.

• Value: 4 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 review: Specs

My Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 review unit was configured with a 12.4-inch display and 64GB of storage.

Price

$429.99 / £419 / AU$707

CPU

Intel Celeron N4500 1.10GHz (2 threads, 2.80GHz)

Graphics

Integrated, Intel UHD Graphics

RAM

4GB LPDDR4x

Screen

12.4-inch WQXGA LED Display (2560 x 1600), Touch

Storage

64GB e.MMC

Ports

1x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x microSD, 1x 3.5mm audio

Wireless

Wi-Fi 6, LTE (Option), Bluetooth v5.1

Camera

HD 720p / 8MP

Weight

2.82lbs (1.28kg)

Dimensions

11.3 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches (28.8 x 20.7 x 1.7cm)

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Looks premium
• Heavier than expected
• Great hinge mechanism

The design of the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is a notable step up from the usual budget fare of many Chromebooks. It looks very sleek, especially in the light grey colorway, and its metal-looking imparts a premium appearance that rivals even some of the best laptops around.

Every dimension is almost completely flat, save from the most minimal of protrusions of the power and volume buttons on either side. Even the underside is free from unsightly vents or etchings, and the four rubber feet are very small and thin, which also makes it easier to slide the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 into your bag.

Despite appearances, however, the unit is made from plastic, not metal, and as a result the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 doesn’t feel quite as premium as it looks. It’s still well-made, and Samsung even markets the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 as a tough device, with its spill-resistant keyboard and ability to withstand light drops.

The downside is that it’s thicker and heavier than its small form factor might lead you to believe. This is a minor disappointment from a portability perspective, although it’s still easy to carry around.

Flipping open the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 and positioning the screen at different angles is easy, thanks to the silky smooth hinge mechanism. There’s a small amount of wobble after making adjustments, but this isn’t concerning and it remains perfectly stable in use.

The screen can also rotate all the back to 360 degrees, letting you use the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 as a tablet. This works well to an extent, although the aforementioned thickness and weight means this mode isn’t practical for long periods, and isn’t a match for the best tablets in this regard. However, it works much better when you rotate the screen by about 315 degrees instead, flip it upside down, and tent it on a desk.

The keyboard is also well made, although it feels less premium than the rest of the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360, since the keys have a scratchy texture that doesn’t feel the most pleasant to touch. However, they operate very well, and despite the small layout, they’re generously spaced apart. There’s also a good selection of keys available, including various ChromeOS shortcuts on the top row, arrow keys and a long enter key.

The trackpad falls more in line with the overall standard of the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360. It’s quite small but reasonably wide and feels very smooth to the touch, making it easy to operate.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Unimpressive specs
• Some stuttering
• Excellent display

Benchmarks

These are the results of our benchmarking tests for the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360:

TechRadar Battery Life Test: 6 hours and 30 minutes
Jetstream2 Benchmark: 108.216
Kraken Benchmark: 1298.6ms
Speedometer 3.0: 4.79 (±0.23)

The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 features an Intel Celeron N4500 1.10GHz CPU and 4GB RAM, neither of which are particularly promising in terms of performance, even by Chromebook standards.

It can handle light tasks, from entertainment to general productivity, but it can come somewhat unstuck even when reasonable demands are made of it. For instance, switching between various windows isn’t always the smoothest experience, and I did experience some stuttering when loading pages and navigating between multiple tabs in Chrome, despite not having an excessive amount open.

Light productivity work is also subject to small amounts of lag on occasion, although for word processing and spreadsheet editing, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is still capable enough to be usable without frustration.

When it comes to gaming, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is even less impressive. Playing Asphalt Legends Units was a slow and stutter-ridden experience, even on moderate graphical settings.

However, it was much more competent when streaming video content, with 4K videos loading quickly and playing without buffering midway. The viewing experience is further enhanced by the excellent display of the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360.

The WQXGA resolution is very welcome on a Chromebook device, and even more so on a display this small, since the crispness and sharpness is more apparent. This benefits not just video content, but also general navigation and productivity, since the whole UI is rendered with brilliant clarity.

Colors are vivid and there’s plenty of brightness on offer too, both of which mean the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is immune to the washed-out look that some Chromebook displays suffer from.

(Image credit: Future)

However, the contrast can be a little too strong, which creates a more garish image at times. What’s more, the screen is very glossy, which, while radiant, is prone to heavy reflections. This is more noticeable at lower brightness settings, but thankfully it didn’t ruin my viewing experiences completely – although there were certainly occasions when it was less than ideal.

This high shine also means that finger marks are highlighted more than I would’ve liked, so you’ll likely want to have a cloth to hand if you’re using the touchscreen frequently.

Thankfully, the touchscreen performs excellently: it’s responsive and smooth, which makes navigation and gesturing easy. It’s also great for doodling and creating signatures, although it’s a shame no stylus is included to unleash its full potential in this regard.

The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is a joy to type on, with the aforementioned spacing of the keys helping me to achieve greater accuracy. They also have a surprising amount of depth to their travel, which makes them feel more tactile.

The trackpad is pleasant to use as well, despite its relatively small size. Cursor movements are incredibly smooth, and, as with the touchscreen, it’s responsive to the various gestures you can perform.

As for audio, the integrated speakers on the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 are sufficient for clear, distortion-free listening; however, as you might expect, they lack low-end depth. I wouldn’t recommend them for listening to music, but for the odd podcast or YouTube video, they fit the bill.

• Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 review: Battery life

(Image credit: Future)

The battery life of the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 isn’t terribly impressive. During our TechRadar test, where we play a video on a continuous loop, it managed to last six and a half hours. This is considerably down on the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023), our current pick as the best Chromebook overall, which managed over ten hours.

Still, it did better than the Acer Chromebook Plus 515, which we rate as the best student Chromebook, as this managed just over five hours. What’s more, charging the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is reassuringly quick, as it took just just over two hours to fully replenish from empty.

• Battery life: 3 / 5

Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Price

The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 verges towards the higher end of the Chromebook market, but its design and screen are class-leading.

4 / 5

Design

Small, good-looking, and well-made, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 puts many other Chromebooks to shame.

4.5 / 5

Performance

The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is capable enough, but serious multitasking and gaming are beyond its means. The display is excellent, though.

3.5 / 5

Battery life

The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is on the lower end of the longevity spectrum, and didn’t perform terribly well in our battery test.

3 / 5

Total Score

The excellent design and display of the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 are great, but don’t expect blistering multitasking or gaming performance. If you want a small device to do some light work and watch content, it could be the ideal choice.

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a high resolution
For a Chromebook, the display is very impressive, looking sharper than most.

You want a great design
The Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 is small and elegant, as well as being surprisingly sturdy and easy to move around.

Don't buy it if...

You want to use it as a tablet
Despite its convertible capabilities, it’s a little too thick and heavy to be used in tablet mode for long periods.

You want a serious multitasker
With only 4GB of RAM, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 can struggle even with basic multitasking at times. Gaming performance is also lackluster.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 review: Also consider

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360

Acer Chromebook Spin 314

Acer Chromebook Plus 515

Price

$429.99 / £419 / AU$707

$380 / £329 (around AU$661)

$399.99 / £399.99 (around AU$633)

CPU

Intel Celeron N4500 1.10GHz (2 threads, 2.80GHz)

Intel Pentium N6000 Processor

Intel Core i3-1215U

Graphics

Integrated, Intel UHD Graphics

Intel shared graphics

Intel UHD Graphics

RAM

4GB LPDDR4x

4GB DDR4

8GB

Screen

12.4-inch WQXGA LED Display (2560 x 1600), Touch

14-inch Full HD 1920 x 1080p

15.6-inch full HD (1920x1080) display with IPS, 16:9 aspect ratio

Storage

64GB e.MMC

128GB eMMC

128GB

Ports

1x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x microSD, 1x 3.5mm audio

USB Type-C x 2, USB 3.1 x 1 , HDMI x 1

1x Type-A USB port, 2x Type-C ports, 1x HDMI port, and 1x headset jack

Wireless

Wi-Fi 6, LTE (Option), Bluetooth v5.1

Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0

Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6E AX211, Bluetooth 5.1

Camera

HD 720p / 8MP

720p webcam

1080p HD video at 60 fps

Weight

2.82lbs (1.28kg)

3.42lbs (1.55kg)

3.7lbs (1.68 kg)

Dimensions

11.3 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches (28.8 x 20.7 x 1.7cm)

26.5 x 326 x 227mm

14.2 x 9.39 x 0.79 inches (360.6 x 238.5 x 19.99 mm; W x D x H)

If the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 doesn't seem right for you, here are some alternatives:

Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023)
As the best Chromebook around in our view, the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 does most things well. It’s a capable performer and has a great battery life, making it a great choice for all kinds of users. It’s also convertible like the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360, but cheaper by a not inconsiderable amount. Read our full Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023) review.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515
If you want a device for productivity, look no further than the Acer Chromebook Plus 515. We found it great for multitasking and even for gaming, while the display and speakers also impressed us. Like the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360, though, it doesn’t have a great battery life. Read our full Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review.

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360

• Tested for full day
• Ran benchmark tests
• Experienced Chromebook reviewer

I tested the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 for a full day, during which time I used it for general browsing, working, and gaming.

I also put it through TechRadar’s battery test for laptops and Chromebooks, which involves playing back a 1080p movie on a continuous loop. I also ran various benchmark tests to further assess its performance.

I have reviewed numerous laptops and Chromebooks in the past, including other Samsung models. These have ranged in price, form factors, and specs, so I am well versed in the wider portable computer market and know how the Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 stacks up to the competition.

• First reviewed May 2025
• Read more about how we test

Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM: two-minute review

Sony's lens department is on a roll. Its superb FE 85mm F1.4 GM II bagged our 2024 lens of the year award; the recent FE 28-70mm F2 GM picked up a five-star rating; and now we have the FE 50-150mm F2 GM, which is the world's first telephoto zoom with consistent f/2 maximum aperture – and it's another stunning flagship optic.

When I was first presented with the 50-150mm lens in April, I wasn't convinced by its unique focal length. Especially when you consider the 28-70mm F2 GM, plus a string of other pro 70-200mm lenses from down the years, which includes the FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II.

However, following extended use, I'm convinced the 50-150mm is probably the single most versatile lens for the type of photography I often do – events, grass-roots sports, weddings, candids – and it's easily one of the best Sony lenses ever.

The 50-150mm lens is part of Sony's professional G Master (GM) range, which means handling, durability, autofocus performance and optical quality are all top-drawer. Add its bag-of-primes-in-one-lens credentials, and the result is an eye-watering list price.

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

The real kicker, though, is the 50-150mm's heft – it weighs a wrist-tugging 1,340g. It was fine over the course of a soccer match, but all day at a wedding would be a proper workout. It's chunky, too, measuring 102.8 x 200mm – that's a particularly big diameter that will stretch the compartments of a regular camera bag.

Having what is effectively several fast aperture primes in one versatile optic makes sense for a certain type of user. It's the telephoto zoom flexibility and bright maximum f/2 aperture at any focal length that make the 50-150mm the goat for events photography, where speed, low-light performance, rapid autofocus, pin-sharp detail, shallow depth of field and buttery bokeh are needs, not wants. The 50-150mm ranks highly across the board.

Before the 50-150mm lens was announced, my go-to lens combination for events was a 24-70mm f/2.8 and a 135mm f/1.8. However, having put Sony's impressive telephoto zoom through its paces, I'm now reconsidering this setup – and even the camera system I've spent years building up. I can't think of any higher praise for a lens.

Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM: specsSony FE 50-150mm F2 GM specs

Type:

Standard to telephoto zoom

Mount:

Sony E-mount

Sensor:

Full-frame

Focal length:

50-150mm

Max aperture:

f/2

Minimum focus:

0.4(W)-0.74(T) m / 1.32(W)-2.43(T) ft

Filter size:

95mm

Dimensions:

102.8 x 200mm (4-1/8 x 7-7/8 in)

Weight:

47.3oz / 1,340g (excluding tripod mount)

Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM: price and availability

• $3,899 / £3,799 / AU$6,799
• Available for pre-order

Beyond its size and weight, if there's one thing that the FE 50-150mm F2 GM lens has going against it, it's the list price – which at the best part of $4,000 / £4,000 / AU$7,000, is eye-watering.

To put that into context, you could pick up both Sony's 24-70mm F2.8 and 135mm F1.8 G Master lenses and have change left over – or, for a little extra, the 24-70mm with Sony's 70-200mm F2.8 GM II.

Put simply, you have to really need the maximum f/2 aperture over f/2.8 to justify the extra outlay, and to put up with that extra weight. I'll get onto the benefits of the brighter aperture later in the reivew.

Naturally, the 50-150mm lens is billed as an ideal pairing with the 28-70mm F2 to cover a huge range of scenarios that would otherwise require an army of primes. I actually think the 50-150mm is the more compelling of the two f/2 lenses.

I'd happily pick up the 50-150mm and a wide prime such as the (cheaper) 24mm F1.4GM instead of the 28-70mm to cover the times when the telephoto zoom isn't wide enough – I'm not sure 28mm is wide enough for me.

Sony announced the 50-150mm lens in April, and at the time of writing it's available for pre-order, with the anticipated sales start date some time in June, 2025.

Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM: Design

• Big and heavy
• Robust, weather-sealed build
• Internal zoom and focusing

Image 1 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

The bigger the maximum aperture, the bigger the lens, so it should come as no surprise that the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM is a substantial optic – a cumbersome 47.3oz / 1,340g, excluding the tripod mount.

For context, Sony's second-generation 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II lens weighs 36.9oz / 1,045g – that's 20-25% lighter. The pair are identical in length, measuring 200mm, but the diameter of the 50-150mm lens is wider at 102.8mm.

Such is the diameter of the lens, I found it struggled to fit into the padded dividers of numerous camera bags, requiring a reconfiguration of the dividers in most instances. Naturally, the 50-150mm lens' filter thread is bigger than most, too, accepting pricey 95mm lens filters.

Paired with the a7R V, I felt the combination was a little front-heavy and wished for Sony's vertical grip, which would make for a more comfortable setup. Without the grip, I happily photographed a soccer match, while supporting the lens with my second hand.

I would hesitate using the lens for weddings, but the action on such days can be in bursts, so weight might not be an issue. For lengthier, sustained shoots, the 50-150mm isn't too far off the size and weight of pro lenses benefiting from a monopod support.

Image 1 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 5

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)

The handling of the lens is otherwise superb – every G Master lens I've tested is. Here, in the same mould of the FE 28-70mm F2 GM, you get a full complement of controls; rings for focus, zoom and aperture; plus customizable focus hold buttons, AF/MF, iris (aperture) lock and full time DMF switches – the latter lets you manually override autofocus.

However, optical stabilization is absent, which I find a little surprising. More on this later.

Aperture can be changed on the lens through smooth or clicked adjustments. In general, photographers opt for the tactile clicked feedback, while videographers prefer the smooth movement through f-stops, for whom the ridged ring will be compatible with follow-focus systems.

Zoom is internal, which means the lens barrel remains the same length whatever the focal length. That's one less point of potential weakness in this a fully weather-sealed lens built to withstand the rigors of professional use and inclement weather.

Put simply, no corners have been cut here – this is a top-quality lens. I'd just advise getting hands-on before you buy to check that its size and weight work for you.

Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM: Performance

• Fast f/2 maximum aperture at every focal length
• Strong center sharpness across the zoom range
• Four XD linear motors for rapid, accurate autofocus

In many respects, the FE 50-150mm F2 GM lens is a copy and paste of the superlative FE 28-70mm F2 GM – it's also equipped with four XD linear motors that drive autofocus. Together, these motors make light work of the sizable lens elements, for a truly rapid, reliable and remarkably quiet autofocus.

Autofocus speed and accuracy are paramount for high-pressure events and sports photography, and I've been consistently impressed by the 50-150mm. This is especially the case with the a7R V's subject-tracking capabilities – when shooting grass-roots soccer, in particular. There isn't the slightest hint of hesitation.

As mentioned, what's missing is optical stabilization (OIS). However, Sony's flagship mirrorless cameras, which are the natural choice for such a lens, are equipped with in-body image stabilization (IBIS). Armed with IBIS and the bright maximum f/2 aperture, I haven't given OIS a second thought.

Image 1 of 6

The maximum f/2 aperture, at 150mm (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 6

The same shot, but at f/2.8 aperture. See how much smaller the background bokeh is by comparison to f/2 (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 6

The same shot again, with aperture further reduced to f/4 (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 6

And one last time, at f/5.6 (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 6

Bokeh is clean and smooth with the lens set to 150mm f/2, even if there's a catseye shaping (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 6 of 6

The maximum f/2 aperture again (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

Like the Sony FE 28-70mm F2 GM, the FE 50-150mm F2 GM delivers incredible image quality across the board. And of the two, it's the telephoto option that enhances the maximum f/2 aperture with smooth focus fall-off and buttery-smooth bokeh, even if its shaping can be cat's eye.

The series of the same image, above, is shot in sequence with the aperture set to f/2, f/2.8. f/4 and f5.6. Bokeh at f/2 is notably bigger and smoother than f/2.8 – that's one of the reasons to splash out on a bright aperture lens.

A difference of one stop between f/2 and f/2.8 lenses might not sound like much, but bokeh is much bigger at f/2, and you're gathering an extra stop of light that's supremely useful in low light – as is often the case in professional work.

Image 1 of 4

Lens set to 150mm focal length and f/2 aperture (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 4

Lens set to 150mm focal length and f/2.8 aperture (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 4

A similar composition but with the lens set to the widest 50mm focal length, with f/2 aperture. See how different the images look – and just how the telephoto setting accentuates bokeh (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 4

A similar composition but with the lens set to the widest 50mm focal length, with f/2.8 aperture (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

The 50-150mm's qualities aren't all about bokeh, either – the lens is consistently sharp from center to edges across the zoom range and aperture settings, besides the natural focus fall off when shooting at wider apertures with shallow depth of field.

Having shot all pictures during my test in RAW and JPEG, I further assessed quality through Adobe Camera Raw by directly comparing like-for-like files, keen to know the extent of in-camera correction at play.

Minor pin-cushion distortion across the entire zoom range surprised me – I'd normally expect it just at the telephoto end of this zoom range, not at 50mm. JPEGs are notably sharper than in RAW, too. Still, neither pin-cushion distortion nor relative lens softness are an issue – corrected RAW images are spectacular.

Image 1 of 2

With the lens set to 150mm, I wasn't really close even to the action from the sidelines. However, with 61MP to play with, I can crop in for the following composition. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 2

That's much better. And the resolution was still an entirely usable 27MP. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

As for vignetting and color fringing, both are kept under tight control, as are ghosting and flare artifacts when shooting into direct sunlight. Optically, the 50-150mm F2 GM is pretty much flawless, save for easily corrected pin-cushion distortion.

When pairing the lens with a high-resolution full-frame sensor, like I did with the 61MP Sony a7R V, there's no trouble cropping in on stills to effectively further extend reach. I shot a solid set of soccer images, capturing players across the pitch largely from one position on the touchline with the 50-150mm lens.

And it's this cropping flexibility that has convinced me the 50-150mm's wider focal length is much more versatile than 70-200mm.

Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM: sample imagesImage 1 of 11

f/2 – notice minor vignetting (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 11

f/5.6 – vignetting is basically gone (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 11

150mm (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 11

150mm f/2 - (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 11

50mm f/2 (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 6 of 11

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 7 of 11

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 8 of 11

150mm is actually a decent focal length for grassroots sport, especially if you can crop in a little (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 9 of 11

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 10 of 11

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 11 of 11

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Should you buy the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM?Buy it if...

You shoot events photography

For weddings and other events, the 50-150mm F2 offers a versatile zoom range and maximum aperture combination. Depending on the assignment, it could be the only lens you need.

You want top quality performance

Packing prime lens quality and bright aperture versatility, together with snappy autofocus, the 50-150mm doesn't skip a beat.

You need a robust lens

Heavy and big it may be, but the 50-150mm is a superbly built lens that will withstand the rigors of demanding professional use.

Don't buy it if...

You know your focal length

Designed to do the job of several primes, the 50-150mm is overkill for users who usually stick to a specific focal length. If this is you, you'll find a cheaper and smaller alternative prime.

You want a lightweight zoom

If the maximum f/2 aperture is overkill for your work, Sony also offers f/2.8 and f/4 zooms that are both smaller and much cheaper.

How I tested the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM

• I had the lens and the Sony a7R V camera for a three-week loan
• I've shot portraits, sports and more
• I've also taken multiple series of identical images with the lens at different settings

I had a decent length of time with the Sony FE 50-150mm F2 GM lens – almost a month, during which time I was able to test it in multiple scenarios, including sports and for portraits.

Sony loaned me the a7R V to pair the lens with. With the camera's 61MP sensor and superb autofocus, the lens has felt even more versatile – giving greater scope for cropping into images such as distant players in football (soccer) match.

To really show the benefit of the f/2 aperture, I have made sure to use it regularly, and to take like-for-like images at different apertures to compare handling and quality.

• First reviewed May 2025

Nova Development produces an impressive array of design and productivity software, including a range of 3D home design tools, the top of the line version being “Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12”.

Having reviewed all the best interior design software, I wanted to see how the latest version compares to the rest. So let’s take a look at it.

• Interested in Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12? Check out the website here

Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12: Pricing & plans

• Purchase the software online, as you’d expect these days, with a price that’s to be expected for the number of available features, but we were very disappointed to learn that no trial version was available

This software is PC-only, compatible with Windows 8, 10 and 11. It requires a 64-bit OS, a minimum of 2GHz processor, 4GB of RAM and 30GB of storage, and it can be yours for $125.

Sadly, Nova Development does not offer a trial version, so there’s no way for you to check out its wares before purchasing the software. However, they do offer a 60-day money back guarantee, so if you buy it and if it turns out not to be your cup of tea, return it, no questions asked.

The easiest way to get this title is by clicking here - although we found the installation to be quite lengthy, even on full fibre, but we got there in the end.

• Score: 3 / 5

Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12: Interface

Designing your project is easy (Image credit: Nova Development )

• The interface feels somewhat antiquated, but its organization is pretty much perfect, allowing you to select the tool you need with ease

The interface feels dated, but the way the information is organised is very clean and easy to understand. The icons at the bottom of the window are used to control your environment.

This is where you get to choose which view to work in (2D or 3D), add cameras to your 3D environment, choose which level of your building to work in, along with general controls when moving objects on your canvas, such as restricting movements to right angles, and making sure objects don’t collide with each other.

You’ll find a series of tabs at the top, which is where all your design tools are stored, organised by clear categories. Further up is the traditional menu bar which contains links to those aforementioned tools, giving you multiple ways to access the same functions, which is something we greatly appreciate: the software allows you to work how you prefer, rather than forcing you to adapt to a developer’s idea of working.

To the right, is the Inspector panel, which changes its content based on the currently selected tool. It’s very clear and simple, although we found the information there to be quite small compared to the other sections.

We also found having to navigate through tiny folders inside a tiny inspector got a little frustrating at times. Thankfully there’s a search field at the top, if you know what you’re looking for.

• Score: 4 / 5

Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12: Building

The 3D interface allows you to manipulate and alter your design (Image credit: Nova Development )

• Considering the complexity of designing a building, using this software is remarkably simple as the developers have clearly gone out of their way to make the creation process as easy as they could manage it

Designing walls and rooms is very easy: select the wall tool, click on your canvas, click somewhere else, and one wall has been added between those two clicks. There’s even a function (selected by default) to ensure those walls stay straight, and go off from others at a 90 degree angle.

You can add walls by using your mouse or trackpad, or by typing the value you’re after. By default the measurements will be shown in antiquated feet and inches, but you can alter that to the much more precise metric system from the ‘Settings’ section.

There’s a lot of little touches we greatly appreciated, like the software being intelligent enough to know when the latest wall you’re adding will enclose a room, or when you reposition an existing wall, any other wall connected to it will also be resized as you do so, saving you tons of time when redesigning and fine tuning your project.

Adding doors and windows is just a matter of choosing the one you’re after from the Inspector panel, and dragging it until you’re happy with its position. These objects know they’re supposed to be embedded into a wall and will snap to one in your project as you decide where to put it, even if your cursor veers off a little.

Adding a ceiling can be done in a single click if you just want to cover the entire level in one go, but you’ve also got the option of being much more precise, choosing different types of ceilings for each room, say, or even creating partial ceilings. The flexibility and ease of use is impressive. Same goes for when it’s time to add a roof.

You’ll likely primarily be working in the 2D environment, but you can also switch to 3D, and not just to appreciate your design in three dimensions: unlike some competing products, you also have design control in that environment as well, and we had a lot of fun with that.

• Score: 4.5 / 5

Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12: Wizards

A few ‘wizards’ are available to speed up the creation process even more (Image credit: Nova Development )

• If you need another helping hand, conjure up a wizard to speed up some common design necessities, such as a kitchen, bathroom or deck

Despite all the features created to facilitate the building of complex projects, sometimes you may need things to be speeded up somewhat. That’s where wizards come in. This software has a handful of them, to create the bare bones structure of a house, a kitchen, bathroom, a house’s foundations, or even a deck or shed.

The wizard won’t do it all for you, of course, but through a series of simple choices, you can apply a template to your project, and then customize it further after it’s been inserted.

For instance, the Kitchen Wizard will ask you for the basic shape you’re after (L-Shape, Galley, or U-Shape), its orientation, the generic placement of most units, and the style you’re after. After that, you add it to your plan, resize it to suit, and its job is done. You’re then free to take individual items, such as the sink or fridge, and move it around until you’re happy with its position.

It’s a great way to get the basics done in a few seconds, giving you more time to fine tune and personalize your creation.

• Score: 4.5 / 5

Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12: Indoor and Outdoor Decoration

Landscaping, and creating decks, is all part and parcel of the software (Image credit: Nova Development )

• The software has a large catalog of objects you can use to furnish your design, and comes with powerful tools to shape the landscape

Adding furniture, both indoor or outdoor, is as easy as selecting a door or window: choose the right category, then scroll down the list in the Inspector until you find the item you’re after.

We were unable to find a way to customize the available objects though (just like we couldn’t resize a chosen door or window), but there are so many options available you’re bound to find the one that matches your needs.

And speaking of outdoor, this software goes beyond your house, and grants you the ability to design the outside, complete with altering the terrain, creating hills, retaining walls, the works, and of course, has a slew of plants and vegetation you can use to bring your design to life.

As you’d expect for a program with such versatility, its minimum specs should be seen as that: minimum, and likely not even worth trying to match. As long as your computer swims in RAM and has a powerful processor, it should easily handle the software.

• Score: 4 / 5

Should I buy Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12?Image 1 of 2

Alter the terrain to your heart’s desire (Image credit: Nova Development )Image 2 of 2

The furniture inventory is vast (Image credit: Nova Development )Buy it if...

You’re on a PC, and you’re looking for a powerful, versatile, yet easy to use software package to design a project in 2D and 3D.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t need something with so many options, your PC isn’t powerful enough, and the lack of trial software really puts you off.

For more home design tools, we've reviewed the best landscape design software and the best architecture software.

Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer: one-minute review

Since Philips introduced the world to the first air fryer back in 2010, the market for this health-conscious kitchen appliance has boomed. Manufacturers like Ninja dominate best air fryers lists, but British Philips continues to improve upon its patented Rapid Air Technology, and its most recent offerings, like the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Steam Air Fryer, are increasingly impressive.

The Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer NA150X isn't quite on par with the 5000 and suffers from some of the same issues around ease of use, but it's also considerably cheaper at £133.99. For that price tag, you get a well-performing air fryer with plenty of room and a handful of useful features, such as a shaking reminder and sync cooking, without bombarding you with a bunch of extras.

When the 1000 Series works well, it's excellent: chicken is succulent with just enough crispiness on the skin, muffins are soft inside without being dry, and chips (homemade and frozen) are golden and fluffy inside. I found the presets are mostly accurate and provide top-notch – though you do need to keep an eye on cooking at times – and the recipes provided in the accompanying Home ID app (though limited) are delicious.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

Frustratingly, you have to rely on that Home ID app a lot, especially at the start. Like the Steam Air Fryer, this appliance comes with a limited physical user manual. You need to download the Home ID app to access the full digital manual that gives clear instructions on each button's functionality and the food tables listing recommended weights and food types. While these tables are helpful, they aren't as thorough as others we've seen and don't cover some commonly air-fried foods. For example, I need to know what weight and settings to use for individual vegetables, like carrots and broccoli, more than I likely need to know the weight to cook meatballs with baked gnocchi.

However, once you get to grips with how the air fryer works, the digital interface is straightforward to use. You have the option to cook in one 7.1L XXL basket or to add the provided divider to create two individually programmable baskets – these can also be set to sync and finish cooking at the same time or to have matching settings. This air fryer is surprisingly compact (compared to its competitors) given its capacity, and the deep baskets are deceptively spacious, with a handy Max line indicating how much you can fill each.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

The XXL basket and crisping plates are dishwasher friendly (though we always advise against this), and their non-stick coating makes them straightforward to clean – in theory. The XXL basket is cumbersome to clean, especially in a sink, and even if you just use one side, the entire basket needs to be removed and washed. Similarly, if you are cooking two foods at once and need to shake one side, you inadvertently remove and shake the other at the same time.

Ultimately, this is a great air fryer with an affordable price tag, even if the user experience isn't ideal. You may just need some patience (like with many air fryers) to find the optimal settings and weights for foods not listed in the table.

Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer: price and availability

• £133.99 at Philips (roughly $181.45 / AU$281.43)
• Available in the UK, but not in the US or Australia currently
• Available at third party retailers like Amazon, but cheaper from Philips directly

The Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer is a budget to mid-range appliance at £133.99 (roughly $181.45 / AU$281.43). At that price, it's worth considering if you don't want to shell out £200+ on a premium air fryer like the Ninja Double Oven and Dreo ChefMaker. While it does come with fewer bells and whistles than more premium options, including the excellent Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Steam Air Fryer, it gets the job done. While the results aren't always as consistent, this is a solid air fryer for this price tag.

At the time of writing, the Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer NA15X is only available in the UK as the NA150/09 (the Australian model has seemingly been discontinued). In the US, the closest model to the one we tested appears to be the Philips 3000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer, which costs $199.99.

You can pick up the model we reviewed from third-party retailers like Currys or Amazon for £159.99, though you'll save some cash purchasing from Philips directly (£133.99).

• Value score: 4.5/5

Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer: specifications

Review model

NA15X

Number of baskets

2 (with divider), or one XXL basket

Number of cooking functions

6 presets, plus three extra functions

Cooking functions and modes

Presets: Frozen Fries, Steak, Chicken Drumsticks, Mixed Vegetables, Cake/Muffin, Reheat

Extra functions: Copy (apply same settings to both baskets), Time (syncs cooking times), Shaking reminder

Smart control

No

Rated power

2,450W

Capacity

7.1 liters

Temperature range

40C-200C / 104F-392F

Time range

Up to 60 minutes

Dimensions (including handles)

17.23 in (L) x 11.87 in (W) x 11.61 in (H) / 437.69mm (L) x 301.43mm (W) x 294.91mm (H)

Dishwasher safe

Yes

Weight

12.79lbs / 5.8kg

Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer: design

• Black modern design
• Fairly compact for an XXL air fryer
• Spacious 7.1L capacity
• Clear digital LED interface
• Cumbersome to hand wash
• Full user manual is digital only

The Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer has a matte black body with a black digital LED interface on the top, a glossy black plastic strip around the middle, and two large handles. The XXL basket is pulled out using the handles, like a drawer, and has two crisping plates inside, with each drawer also showing two maximum fill lines, one indicating the max capacity for frozen potato snacks and the other for other food types. A plastic divider is provided, which slides into slots between the two plates, creating two individually programmable, smaller baskets rather than the one XXL basket.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

Given its 7.1 liter capacity, this air fryer is much more compact than others we've tested of similar size, measuring 17.23 in (L) x 11.87 in (W) x 11.61 in (H) and weighing 5.8kg. So, while it will take up some room in your kitchen, it's nowhere near as chunky as the likes of the Russell Hobbs Satisfry 9L Dual Basket Air Fryer. If you've kids at home, you'll be pleased to hear it's cool to the touch when on, with the airflow temperature out the back (on XXL cooking) averaging around 43C, and it's not too intrusive volume-wise either, averaging around 60 decibels (again on XXL cooking),

The digital LED interface is clear and easy to use, with minimal clutter on the screen. However, to understand how to use its various presets and functions, you need to download the companion Home ID app using the QR code on the front of the appliance. The physical user manual provided mostly consists of confusing illustrations that try to explain how to use the air fryer, but the digital user manual accessible through the app is much more thorough.

t's extremely frustrating that you can only read the 918-page user manual on your phone as a sort of PDF, though, and if you don't have a smartphone to download the app, you're snookered. This is a recurring issue with Philips air fryers we've found, but at least the QR code on this one works, and the app's recommended recipes are actually pretty tasty.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

The digital user manual provides clearer instructions on the air fryer's presets and features, and how to use them, alongside food tables which recommend the weights and settings to use for certain food types. While these tables cover common food types like fries, chicken breast, and muffins, they could be more detailed – and some of the times listed in the tables are slightly different than the presets on the appliance. Instead of recommendations for cooking turkey roulade and veggies, a clear table on the settings for individual vegetables would be much more useful or what type of vegetables to use for the Mixed Vegetable preset would be much more helpful.

Another annoying issue I found with this appliance was cleaning it. While the Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer's basket and crisping plates can be put in the dishwasher, and I successfully did, we typically advise not to use a dishwasher to clean anything with a non-stick coating (as this has) to ensure it doesn't wear away over time.

You may have difficulty dishwashing the basket on this one anyway because it's pretty cumbersome and will take up a lot of room in your dishwasher. The entire XXL basket comes out as one and therefore the whole thing must be cleaned, even if you only use one of the baskets within it. While it cleans easily with dish soap and water, it can be a bit tricky to get it in the sink and give it a thorough clean.

While it's a shame Philips has dropped the ball again when it comes to a clear, physical user manual (which would benefit older, less savvy users), once you do get to grips with this air fryer, it's straightforward and convenient to use.

• Design score: 4/5

Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer: performance

• What it cooks well, it does brilliantly
• Six presets, mixed accuracy
• Time function to sync cooking
• Copy function to match basket settings
• Quality of life features, like shaking reminder

The Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer comes with six cooking presets (Frozen Fries, Steak, Chicken Drumsticks, Mixed Vegetables, Cake/Muffin, Reheat) and three extra functions (Time, Copy, and a Shaking reminder).

When the Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer works well, the results are impressive. I started my testing with frozen chips, adding 400g of frozen steak cut fries to one of the smaller baskets and selecting the Frozen Fries/Potato Snacks preset. This automatically adds the Shaking reminder (which can also be selected manually), which sees the appliance chirping about halfway through cooking to indicate when to shake or turn your food.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Vic Hood)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

Frustratingly, this does mean you need to shake the whole basket, whether you want the other half shaken or not. The results were excellent, with the chips cooked pretty evenly (though some were a tad more done than others) and crispy outside but fluffy inside. I had similar results when cooking homemade fries, following the food table instructions, though I had to pull the chips out a few minutes earlier than the recommended time to prevent them from becoming overdone.

The results for chicken wings and muffins were perhaps the best I've had from an air fryer yet. Into the XXL pan, I added six full-size wings coated in a Louisiana dry rub and selected the Chicken Drumstick preset (the food tables have no chicken wing recommendation).

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Vic Hood)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Vic Hood)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

Apart from turning the wings when prompted, I made no changes, and the resulting wings were perfectly crispy outside and juicy inside without being too much of either. Likewise, using a Ninja (sorry, Philips) blueberry and lemon muffin recipe with the Muffin preset in the XXL basket resulted in perfect muffins: soft and fluffy inside but not too dry.

While the recipes in the Home ID app are somewhat limited, at least for my specific appliance, they have stellar results. When you sign up for the app, you choose your appliance and are offered recipes that are suited to your specific air fryer. To start, I tried a green bean recipe that was simple but resulted in the most delicious green beans I've ever had from an air fryer: not too soggy, just perfectly cooked.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Vic Hood)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Vic Hood)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

The spicy drumstick recipe was even more impressive and produced eight piping-hot drumsticks from the XXL basket that tasted and smelled amazing. Again, they weren't "grab a napkin, quick!" juicy and had just the right amount of crisp on the skin.

But not every food test worked out this well, and I found a lot of my issues boiled down to the food tables not being detailed enough. I'm always intrigued by an air fryer steak preset and have yet to find one that produces pan quality. The Philips 1000 Series has a Steak preset, but the food table only gives a rough weight for the steak and doesn't recommend the type of steak to cook or if the recommended weight (150g-200g) is per steak or total. I opted for two medallion steaks weighing 340g total and added them to one basket.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Vic Hood)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Vic Hood)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

The food table recommends one basket can fit four steaks, but I seriously doubt it, as I would have struggled to add more than two. How you like your steak is a personal preference, and with no notes on timings for specific doneness, I left the steaks in the full preset time and was left with two leather-like chunks of meat. They were like chewing on old shoes. One side of each was nicely seared, and the other wasn't, and they were drier than the Sahara. This is something you could probably experiment with to get the right level of doneness, but my advice is this: just don't cook steak in an air fryer.

I also had disappointing results with mixed veg. Again, the food table wasn't clear on what type of mixed veg it recommends or whether to add oil, but it does state timings may vary due to preference and to cut the veg roughly. I added the recommended weight in broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower to each basket and selected the Mixed Vegetable preset – making use of the Copy function to match the settings for both baskets. When I shook the veg halfway through the 20-minute cooking time, I saw my cauliflower and broccoli had browned on top, but, on tasting, my carrots weren't cooked properly.

(Image credit: Vic Hood)

This could, like the steak, likely be rectified with some experimentation, but without clear instructions on what individual vegetable cooking times are recommended or what to include in your mixed vegetables, it's difficult to know off the bat what the best approach is.

Overall, this Philips air fryer is a solid appliance, and it provides great results more often than poor ones. If you've never owned an air fryer before or don't have the patience to get the most out of some of its peskier presets, you may struggle with it. But if you're a seasoned air fryer user or don't mind a few failed attempts before getting optimal results, it's worth the time, money, and potential effort.

• Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air FryerPhilips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer: score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

Great value for a solid air fryer, but don't expect the consistency and high quality of more premium appliances.

4.5/5

Design

A sleek and fairly compact air fryer given its spacious capacity. The XXL basket can be divided into two separate programmable baskets, which are easy (but cumbersome) to hand wash. But Philips has dropped the ball with its user manual and instructions, so you'll need to use the Home ID app for thorough instructions.

4/5

Performance

What this air fryer does well, it does brilliantly. It has produced some of the best air-fried food I've had in all my testing. However, the user manual food tables could have more detail on optimal preparation and the settings to use for more common foods, as the results with some of the presets were thoroughly disappointing.

4/5

Buy it if

You want a spacious air fryer that isn't massive

This air fryer offers good capacity but isn't huge and bulky. It will still take up some counter space, but it's relatively small given its size.

You want an air fryer for under £150

This air fryer may have some pesky issues, but it's great value at £133.99 and offers a much higher quality than others we've seen in this price range.

You want an air fryer for simple, day-to-day meals

While mixed veg was a mixed bag, I found it easy to cook common air fryer foods in this appliance, like chicken, chips, and muffins. If you want a convenient air fryer that will cover the basics well (with some adjustment), this is a good option.

Don't buy it if

You have a small sink or dishwasher

While this air fryer's components can be cleaned easily thanks to their non-stick coat, the act of cleaning it can be a pain. The XXL basket is chunky and a struggle to clean, even in our fairly large Belfast sink. That's mainly because it's cumbersome and you need to clean the whole basket even if you just use one side of it. It's dishwasher safe if you have the room, but I advise against it to ensure the longevity of your components.

You want clear, physical instructions

The physical user manual provided with this air fryer is pretty useless and doesn't cover what its functions and features are or how to work them. You can access a digital user manual via the Home ID app, but if you haven't got a smartphone or struggle reading smaller digital print, this may not be the air fryer for you.

You want a heap of extra features

This air fryer doesn't come with a bunch of extra features, functions, or smart control – it sticks to the basics. So, if you do want extra functions like steaming, dehydrating, or grilling, this isn't the appliance for you.

Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer: also consider

Ninja Double Stack

If you don't have space for a full-width two-drawer air fryer, the Double Stack is the appliance for you. It's deeper and taller, but much narrower than the Russell Hobbs Satisfry or the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone, and in our tests it produced evenly browned, crispy fries every time.

Read our full Ninja Double Stack review

Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone

If you live outside the UK where the Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer isn't available, this is two-drawer air fryer is a great alternative. It looks smart, and produces consistently good results (though we'd appreciate a reminder to shake to food for even cooking).

Read our full Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone review

How I tested the Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer

I used the Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer for a week, cooking a wide variety of foods including fries, chicken drumsticks, steak, fresh vegetables, and muffins. I tested all the air fryer's various modes and cleaned the air fryer in line with the instructions provided in the manual. For more details, see how we test.

First reviewed May 2025.

Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: One-Minute Review

Acer is well-known for its Predator range of gaming PCs and displays, but the company also makes a number of Wi-Fi routers and mesh systems that are designed for gaming as well. There are several models in the Predator range, including some very affordable Wi-Fi 6 routers, but at the top of the range is the blazing fast Predator Connect T7 Mesh Router, which Acer claims can provide ‘wired-level latency’ for serious gamers with lightning fast reflexes, potentially making it one of the best gaming routers money can buy.

Its rigidly rectangular design may not be much to look at, but the T7 provides state-of-the-art Wi-Fi performance, with tri-band Wi-Fi 7 that offers a top speed of 11Gbps. And, as the name suggests, you can buy additional T7 routers and use them together to create a far-reaching mesh wi-fi system for larger homes.

Admittedly, those features will probably be overkill for many people – especially if you’re still using older computers and mobile devices that don’t have full support for Wi-Fi 7 – but the T7 is competitively priced for a high-end router, and will certainly appeal to the hard-core gaming audience.

Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: Price And Availability

• How much does it cost? $329.99/£236.22/AU$699
• When is it available? Now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Tracking down Acer products can sometimes be a little tricky, as it often relies on third-party retailers to stock its products. Customers in the US are fortunate as they can buy the T7 direct from Acer’s own website for $329.99, which is a similar price to Netgear’s Nighthawk RS300 that runs at 9.3GBps.

We were also pleased to find that the T7 doesn’t require an additional subscription for parental controls and security features, so it’s certainly competitively priced for such a high-end model. Customers in the UK, Australia and other regions will have to look around online, with the T7 selling for £236.22/AU$699 on Amazon and other sites.

• Value: 4/5

Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Mini-tower design, available in black or white
• 2.5Gb Ethernet for broadband connection
• 2x Gigabit Ethernet for wired (LAN) connections

The T7 has a fairly subdued design for a gaming router. You do get a choice of a black or white for the main casing, and there’s a stylised ‘mask’ LED on the top panel, but this is primarily used to provide status information, and the T7 doesn’t have the over-the-top RGB lighting and effects offered by some of its gaming rivals.

Instead, the T7 opts for a rather staid rectangular obelisk that stands an imposing 212mm high, so you’ll need a shelf or table with quite a bit of room available when you’re setting it up.

One minor oddity is that the On/Off switch is cunningly hidden on the base of the router, while the power connector is more visible on the back panel. The Quickstart guide and the longer PDF manual that we downloaded from Acer’s website both fail to mention this, simply telling you to plug in the power connector and then download the Predator app. That left me wondering why the router wasn’t working when I first plugged it in - until I turned it upside down and found the power switch lurking below.

The back panel isn’t exactly overflowing with other ports and connectors, either. There’s a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port for a high-speed broadband connection, but it’s disappointing that such a high-end router only includes two 1Gb Ethernet ports to provide a wired connection for a PC or games console. There’s a USB-C port on the back as well, which will allow you to connect a hard drive or other storage device to you network. Again, though, this only supports the aging USB 2.0 standard, which is disappointing.

• Design: 3/5

Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: Features

It’s also slightly irritating that you’re forced to create an account with Acer before you can use the Predator Connect app to get started. However, the app does provide a number of useful features that will appeal to gamers and more experienced users. Many routers aimed at a more general audience will try to keep things simply by merging the router’s different frequency bands into a single network, but the T7 creates three separate networks using the 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz bands. This allows you to reserve the high-speed 6.0GHz band for gaming, while you connect other devices to the 2.4GHz or 5.0GHz bands.

There’s a QoS option – quality of service – that allows you to prioritise high-bandwidth tasks such as gaming or streaming video for specific devices. The T7 even provides useful security features and parental controls without requiring an additional subscription as some of its rivals do.

The app is a little jargon-heavy at times, and if you don’t know what ‘band steering’ or ‘NAT acceleration’ mean then you might struggle with the app at times. Acer’s manual also makes the rookie mistake of simply listing features without really explaining how they work, so you will need a bit of network know-how to make the most of the Predator app.

• Features: 4/5

Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: PerformanceImage 1 of 3

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Future)

• Tri-band Wi-Fi 7
• Top speed of 11Gbps
• QoS to prioritise gaming

Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: Specifications

Wi-Fi: tri-band Wi-Fi 7 (2.4GHz, 5.0GHz, 6.0GHz)

Wi-Fi Speed: 11Gbps

Ports: 1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN), 2x Gigabit Ethernet (LAN), 1x USB-C (2.0)

Processor: Quad-core ARM Cortex @ 1.5GHz

Memory: 1GB RAM

Storage: 512MB Flash

Dimensions: 212 x 109 x 109mm, 0.9kg

Predator Connect T7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: Benchmarks

Ookla Speed Test – 2.4GHz (download/upload)

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 125Mbps/125Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 125Mbps/125Mbps

20GB Steam Download – 2.4GHz

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 125Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 125Mbps

Ookla Speed Test – 5.0GHz (download/upload)

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps/150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps/150Mbps

20GB Steam Download - 5.0GHz

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps

Ookla Speed Test – 6.0GHz (download/upload)

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps/150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps/150Mbps

20GB Steam Download - 6.0GHz

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps

The T7 creates three networks on different frequency bands, but with its top speed of 11Gbps it comes as no surprise to find that it walks all over my aging office router even on the slowest 2.4GHz band.

Our office Internet service provides a top speed of 150Mbps, but my normal router can only manage 80Mbps on the 2.4GHz band when running the Ookla speed test even for devices that are close by in the same room as the router.

Steam downloads are even worse with a sustained speed of only 40Mbps. The 5.0GHz band is slightly better but can still only manage 120Mbps on the Ookla speed test, and 100Mbps for Steam downloads. Even worse is the fact that both frequency bands struggle to reach an office at the back of the building, forcing me to use Ethernet cables to provide a wired connection instead.

Unsurprisingly, the T7 takes this in its stride. Its slower 2.4GHz band hits 125Mbps for both Ookla and Steam downloads in both locations, while the 5.0GHz and 6.0GHz bands simply shrug their shoulders and give us a pitying look as they breeze along at the maximum speed of 150Mbps even in our back office deadzone.

Admittedly, the T7’s top speed of 11Gbps will be massive overkill for many homes, but if you’re a keen gamer who wants fast, lag-free Wi-Fi for competitive gaming, then the Predator T7 is hard to beat. Then again, it's a router that's not strictly going to be for today's gaming (or business) market, but for the near future (or enthusiasts) instead. If you want to be on the cutting edge, you can be for a price.

(Image credit: Future)Should you buy the Predator Connect T7?

Category

Verdict

Score

Value

Wi-Fi 7 routers are still relatively expensive, but the T7 is competitively priced for a high-end tri-band router.

4/5

Design

The design is fairly staid, but we’re more concerned about the limited selection of ports available for wired connections.

3/5

Features

Acer’s app can be a bit full of jargon at times, but its tri-band networking features will appeal to serious gamers.

4/5

Performance

A speed of 11Gbps is completely over-the-top for most users, but it’s ideal for the latest gaming rigs that support Wi-Fi 7.

5/5

Overall

Wired connectivity could be improved, and the Acer app isn’t very user-friendly, but the T7’s Wi-Fi performance is hard to beat, and it won’t break the bank either.

4/5

Buy it if...

You’re a serious gamer
The high-speed Wi-Fi of the T7 is ideal for hardcore gamers with lightning reflexes and super-fast broadband.

You’re an early adopter
The adoption of Wi-Fi 7 is still in its early stages, but Wi-Fi 7 is still backwards-compatible with older devices, so the T7 is a good way of future-proofing your network for years to come.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget
Routers with Wi-Fi 7 are still relatively expensive, and most home broadband services really don’t need this sort of speed, so you can get perfectly good performance from less expensive routers.

Your PC is a bit old
Millions – maybe even billions – of people are still using older devices that only have Wi-Fi 5 or 6, so the tri-band Wi-Fi 7 provided by the T7 really isn’t necessary for most of us right now.View Deal

Predator Connect T7: Also consider

Netgear Nighthawk RS300

Netgear’s making an effort to produce more affordable routers and mesh systems, and the RS300 provides tri-band Wi-Fi 7 with a top speed of 9.3Gbps for roughly the same price as the Acer Predator T7.

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98

Another router for hard-core gamers, the Rapture GT-BE98 from Asus is even faster and more expensive than the Predator T7. With quad-band Wi-Fi 7 and a top speed of 24.4Gbps the Rapture is an utterly no-compromise option for gamers who have cash to burn.

Acer Predator Connect T7 vs its competition

Router

Acer Predator Connect T7

Netgear Nighthawk RS300

Asus ROG Rapture GT-BE98

Price (as reviewed)

$329.99/£236.22/AU$699.00

$329.99/£299.99/AU$1497.00

$749.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,499

Wi-Fi Type

Tri-band Wi-Fi 7

Tri-band Wi-Fi 7

Quad-band Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi Speed

11Gbps

9.3Gbps

24.4Gbps

Connectivity

1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN), 2x Gigabit Ethernet (LAN), 1x USB-C (2.0)

1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN), 2x 2.5Gb Ethernet (LAN), 2x Gigabit Ethernet (LAN), 1x USB-A (3.0)

1x 10Gb Ethernet (WAN/LAN), 1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN/LAN), 1x 10Gb Ethernet (LAN), 3x 2.5Gb Ethernet (LAN), 1x USB-A (3.0), 1x USB-A (2.0)

Processor

Quad-core 1.5GHz

Quad-core 2.0GHz

Quad-core 2.6GHz

Memory

1GB RAM

2GB RAM

2GB RAM

Storage

512MB Flash

512MB Flash

256MB Flash

Dimensions

212 x 109 x 109mm

249 x 150 x 102mm

350 x 350 x 221mm

• First reviewed: May 2025

PeckPerk Smart Bird Feeder camera: one-minute review

If you're interested in installing one of the best bird feeder cameras in your garden but don't quite know where to start, the PeckPerk Smart Bird Feeder camera is a great option.

It's not only one of the more affordable options (on sale for $119 / £85 at the time of writing), it also offers superb 2K image quality, live broadcasting, a night vision camera, playback features, a built-in feeder compartment, and a unique perch, plus the option for smart AI bird detection of over 10,000 species if you subscribe to PeckPerk's VIP package.

I hadn't used a bird camera before getting my hands on the PeckPerk, and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy this camera was to set up and operate in just a few minutes. The camera arrived pre-charged and ready to go right out of the box; I just needed to add some bird seed, download the free PeckPerk app to my phone, and connect the camera to Wi-Fi.

The PeckPerk comes with a separate optional solar panel, which makes it easy to keep the camera charged up 24/7 without needing to move it indoors. The package also includes an array of assembly tools, including brackets and screws, offering plenty of options for installing the camera. I initially opted for the belt strap tied around a tree, which I highly recommend starting with if you plan on moving the camera around to test multiple spots in your garden or outdoor space.

The PeckPerk camera and connected solar panel (Image credit: Beth Nicholls)

It might take a day or two for local birds to find and adjust to your new feeder camera, but once they do, you can sit back and enjoy the different bird species visiting your space and interacting with the camera – and if you subscribe to PeckPerk's VIP features, the app will identify bird species for you. I had no idea that there were so many blue tits in my local area in south-west England, but other frequent visitors caught on the camera included crows, seagulls, pigeons, cats, and even a few foxes at night.

Top tip: set up your bird feeder camera opposite a bird bath if you want to capture the most interaction – I found that birds loved to bathe later in the evening as the sun set.

I didn't have the highest of hopes that I'd get much activity with the PeckPerk bird feeder camera at first, considering that my dog tends to scare off most of the local wildlife, and the sheer size of the feeder stood out like a sore thumb against our smaller tree. But I was pleasantly surprised, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time testing out this camera and spotting all of the different bird species.

The sensors on the PeckPerk are excellent at detecting movement, the setup process is quick and easy, the app offers everything you could need, and it has superb battery life thanks to the included solar panel.

PeckPerk Smart Bird Feeder camera: price and availability

• US$319 / £247 / AU$505
• VIP subscription plan US$36.99 / £29 per year or US$3.99 / £4 per month

The PeckPerk has a pretty high list price of $319 / £247 / AU$505. However, at the time of writing, it perches at the more affordable end of the scale, having been reduced to just $109 / £85 / AU$173 at PeckPerk's website.

That discount suggests that PeckPerk feels it's overpriced this camera, and my opinion it's very much worth the current asking price – though I'd be reluctant to spend anything over $200 on it, unless the camera quality could be boosted to 4K or higher. There's nothing much wrong with the image quality of the PeckPerk, but there's certainly room for improvement to match its high full asking price.

Compared to more premium yet similarly styled options like the Birdfy Feeder 2 Duo ($419.99 / £379.99 / AU$665), the PeckPerk does offer a lot for your money, considering that the Birdfy Feeder is only capable of Full HD resolution, whereas the PeckPerk has a generous UHD 2K output. For a more affordable option than both of these models, check out our review of the FeatherSnap Scout bird feeder camera which costs $179.99 / £159.99 (and the design is great, too).

Image 1 of 4

What's in the box? (Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 2 of 4

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 3 of 4

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 4 of 4

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)PeckPerk Smart Bird Feeder camera: specsPeckPerk Smart Bird Feeder camera specs

Camera

Built-in

Video output

2K UHD live stream

Field of view

165 degrees

Memory

MicroSD (not included)

Sensor

Detection proprietary

Microphone

Yes + audio

Battery

5200mAh (USB-C rechargeable)

Weather resistance

IP65

Operating temp

(-20.5C to 48.5C)

Seed capacity

1.6qt / 1.8 liters

Dimensions

25.3 x 16 x 19.2cm

Weight

1.45lbs / 660g (Unfilled)

PeckPerk Smart Bird Feeder camera: design

• Bird-friendly IP65 weatherproof design
• Multiple install options supplied
• Made from Recycled Plastics (BPA Free)

The PeckPerk stands out compared to more traditional-style bird cameras thanks to its large and slightly odd acorn-like design, which is necessitated by the camera's size and the large-capacity seed tray surrounding it. You can get the PeckPerk in a beige color, which is the variant that I was sent and which blended in nicely with the bark of our tree, or a more vibrant orange hue, which I'm less of a fan of).

The nature-inspired design of the PekPerk makes it appealing to birds, and it's easy to remove from the mount and clean, too. It's made from recycled plastics and food-grade ABS materials, along with UV-resistant, anti-oxidation materials intended for lasting protection.

Design and aesthetic aside, the PeckPerk is built to be robust and sturdy, with its IP65 rating ensuring that it'll survive outdoors all year round. It arrives fully assembled, minus the perch and solar panel, which are great-quality optional accessories that you can choose to attach or leave out.

Image 1 of 5

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 2 of 5

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 3 of 5

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 4 of 5

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 5 of 5

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)

I think the perch is a really nice touch that encourages birds to visit the PeckPerk, and the solar panel works wonderfully (at least in the spring season in the UK) to keep the camera fully charged without the need to bring it indoors to charge via the USB-C port every so often.

The fiddliest part of setting the bird feeder camera up was keeping it in place while strapping it securely to our tree, but this installation option is the best method for getting started with the PeckPerk, as you might decide that you want to change its location at a later time while getting to grips with using it, and this way you can avoid having to unscrew it each time.

PeckPerk Smart Bird Feeder camera: performance

• 2K Infrared night vision or color night vision
• Two-way communication and live broadcast
• Free 7-day looped cloud recording included

The PeckPerk bird feeder is a lot fun to use, and I was impressed by its performance. The unit comprises a single camera with an ultra-wide 165-degree field of view, and makes use of proprietary motion sensors to detect when a bird is visiting.

You can adjust the sensitivity of the motion detectors via the free PeckPerk app, and I found that it worked extremely well at detecting any movement in the garden from several meters away. The Playback feature is excellent, and will instantly record 10-second clips whenever motion is detected to ensure you never miss a moment.

You can view all of the playback events from the day and up to seven days prior via the app, and download or save any video captures to your phone or the in-app album as you please. The best part is that all of this is accessible for free, and not hidden behind a subscription fee or paywall, as you might find with other bird cameras on the market.

Image 1 of 14

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 2 of 14

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 3 of 14

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 4 of 14

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 5 of 14

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 6 of 14

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 7 of 14

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 8 of 14

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 9 of 14

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 10 of 14

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 11 of 14

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 12 of 14

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 13 of 14

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 14 of 14

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)

PeckPerk gave me a free trial code to test out the AI services it offers through its VIP subscription plan, but this really didn't hit the mark for me. On several occasions the AI would state that no birds were detected when there was very clearly a bird in the frame, and I would often get notifications that a squirrel was visiting the feeder, but there was nothing to be seen, and no evidence on playback either. I think the PeckPerk bird camera performs just as well on its own, and you really aren't missing anything by not upgrading to the VIP subscription.

I also found it just as easy and sometimes more accurate to use Google's Circle to Search feature on my Samsung phone to identify birds, and after a few weeks of use the only bird that PeckPerk's AI managed to detect and register in the app was a common pigeon.

Image 1 of 8

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 2 of 8

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 3 of 8

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 4 of 8

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 5 of 8

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 6 of 8

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 7 of 8

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)Image 8 of 8

(Image credit: Beth Nicholls)

While the AI might need some work, the overall performance of the PeckPerk has been wonderful, and it's a breeze to use. I started off by setting the PeckPerk up in my garden, but, as I suspected, no birds arrived after five days of me patiently waiting, adding more seed, and regularly checking the app (this is not fault of the PeckPerk, I should add).

I then moved the camera to my mother-in-law's house a few doors down, where we set the camera up opposite her bird bath. This worked an absolute treat, and within a few hours we were getting blue tits, magpies and blackbirds drinking from the fountain and hesitantly approaching the feeder.

The camera's real-time observation via live streaming through the app is easy to access, making it suitable for users young or old who might not be especially tech savvy. There were a few occasions where it would take a minute or longer for my phone to connect to PeckPerk's live feed, but given that it relies on a stable 2.4GHz network connection, this could be down to poor Wi-Fi coverage where the camera was placed, and not necessarily an issue with the device.

Image 1 of 1

Are you sure, PeckPerk? (Image credit: Beth Nicholls)

If you tend to get a lot of wildlife wandering through your garden at night you'll definitely appreciate the PeckPerk's infrared night vision and color night vision options. The camera's playback feature is activated 24/7, so you can check on any nighttime visitors you may have had the next morning – I spotted a few foxes and cats dropping by during the night.

The PeckPerk is equipped with a mic and two-way audio, so you can not only hear the chirps of birds but you can talk through the camera should you wish (though I never found a use for this). There's also an alarm feature via the app which allows the camera to blast a sound scaring away any unwanted guests, animal or otherwise.

I'll finish off by saying that the camera quality of the PeckPerk is more than enough for spotting and detecting birds, though it could definitely be better (especially for the price). This is the first bird feeder camera that I've used, and I have no complaints about its 2K camera quality, other than that the playback feature can sometimes be a bit blink-and-you-miss-it, and I'd like the option to record for longer or watch the footage back at a slower speed.

Should you buy the PeckPerk Smart Bird Feeder camera?Buy it if...

You want to spy on your backyard wildlife
Bird feeder cameras are an affordable option for getting a close-up view of the wildlife around you, and could technically double as a deterrent to put off potential intruders.

You want a gift for a budding bird watcher
The PeckPerk is relatively affordable (when on sale) and would make an excellent gift for anyone interested in bird spotting. The app is very user-friendly and suitable for all.

You want a bird feeder camera that you can leave outdoors
The PeckPerk is weatherproof and comes with a separate solar panel, which can be positioned close to the camera to maintain stable charging in warmer months. View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You're looking for 4K quality
The PeckPerk is great for bird watching, but it won't win you any prizes for wildlife photography. The quality isn't up to par with a smartphone, but it's fine for fun.

You want reliable AI bird detection
The PeckPerk has an optional VIP package for detecting thousands of bird species with AI, but I found that it's not quite up to scratch yet.

You want a budget bird feeder camera
While the PeckPerk is excellent value for money at its current price (see the price section above), it's not the most budget-friendly when retailing at full price.

How I tested the PeckPerk Smart Bird Feeder camera

• I set it up in multiple areas across two different gardens
• I monitored the feed via the app during both the day and night
• I tested the paid VIP upgrade subscription

I attached the PeckPerk Smart Bird Feeder camera to a tree in my garden to begin with, and it performed just fine, although very few birds made an appearance. After I moved to a more discrete location near a bird bath I saw much more activity, bird and otherwise, which the camera had no issues detecting.

I tested the PeckPerk in the UK during the warmer spring months of April and May, and it withstood several rain showers, though I'd be interested to see how this camera holds up in the colder months when more birds and animals are seeking warmth and shelter.

I used the paid VIP PeckPerk upgrade to test the full capabilities of AI bird detection and registering of species in the app's database.

With Elden Ring Nightreign, FromSoftware has created the definitive blueprint of how to use the parts of an existing game to craft an entirely different experience. In doing so, the developer has built a refreshingly freeing and flexible co-op experience that draws upon Elden Ring’s best bits while continuing to innovate and push FromSoftware into new territory, even if the matchmaking and co-op still feel partially stuck in the past.

Review information

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: May 30, 2025

FromSoftware has always reused aspects of its previous games for new IPs or titles. For example, Bloodborne and Dark Souls animations can be found in Elden Ring, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice bosses like the Blazing Bull were given a new paint job in Elden Ring to create the Fallingstar Beast. It’s a smart, efficient way to constantly generate new content and worlds without having to redo a bunch of work.

But here, the studio goes one step further and uses Elden Ring’s bones to craft a game in an entirely new genre, resulting in a clever roguelike with a lot more going on than first meets the eye. On top of that, unsurprisingly, Elden Ring Nightreign is an incredibly fun and addictive combat experience on par with FromSoftware’s other work.

A convergence of worlds

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Set in an alternate timeline from the main lore of Elden Ring, in Nightreign, you play as one of eight Nightfarers. These are mysterious characters with their own combat specialisms that act as classes. They have been summoned to the land of Limveld and the Roundtable Hold. Upon meeting a mysterious hooded maiden, you are urged to survive three days in Limveld and defeat the Nightlord who appears on the third day. Fail and you begin your journey in Limveld again from the beginning of your first day.

During each day, you will drop into a random spot in Limveld and explore the map, gearing up as a ring of rain called The Night’s Tide closes in on you from all directions. Upon exploring during a 45-minute run, you will come across an assortment of castles, outposts, camps, and landmarks from Elden Ring that are filled with randomized enemies, loot, items, consumables, and, most importantly, bosses from the base game and even some of the older Dark Souls titles.

You can also find nods to other FromSoftware games, whether it be a character’s ability that resembles a Bloodborne weapon or reference to a beloved Souls NPC.

Despite seeing bosses and references from old games pop up, they never felt like eye-rolling fan-service moments. It was actually fascinating to see how these challenges from older games have been updated to keep up with Elden Ring’s combat, and there are compelling lore tidbits hidden away in the game that hint at what has caused these many worlds to collide and why these Nightfarers have been brought together.

Learning the lay of the land

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

While it takes a few runs through Limveld to attune to the game’s faster pace and freeform structure, by the time I tackled my first Nightlord, I was already addicted to the captivating concoction FromSoftware had cooked up.

Instead of a guiding path pulling you and your friends from location to location, Nightreign is all about learning how to make the most of each day in Limveld. Whether that is running from boss to boss at each landmark to stock up on Runes and upgrades to obtain new weapons or level up, exploring caves to find smithing stones to enhance your armaments, or traversing the map to find extra healing flasks to improve your survivability.

Best bit

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Finally defeating the Darkdrift Knight after several attempts, only succeeding because my rapier dealt rot damage and slowly ticked down his health as we all dodged attacks with low health and no healing flasks left. The Darkdrift Knight is the hardest fight in the game, I think, and the satisfaction, rush, and relief at finally beating it was immense.

It is very easy to think Nightreign is a brainless boss rush, combat sandbox at first glance, but it is actually a considered roguelite that focuses on map knowledge, where to find the best loot, and when it is best to adjust strategies in a similar way to a battle royale or extraction game. The satisfaction of doing this also reminds me a lot of the best puzzle games like Return of the Obra Dinn or Blue Prince, where you finally decipher how a mechanic works or uncover a clue.

Learning the map and how to optimize my runs through Limveld was one of the most satisfying parts of Nightreign. It is not something I expected to be as vital as it is, but through talking with others in voice chat, sharing findings from our own individual runs, and combining ideas, we eventually found buried strategies.

Examples include figuring out how to max out our level or discovering how to obtain the most legendary weapons in a run to increase our chances of defeating the Nightlords. This sense of player discovery and word-of-mouth knowledge that was rife throughout Elden Ring’s launch is just as potent here in Nightreign, and it’s part of the magic that makes it work, especially if you are able to play with a large group of friends or Discord server.

The same goes for the game’s overarching progression, which revolves around randomized relics you unlock at the end of runs through Limveld. Three of these can be equipped before each run on each character in the Roundtable Hold and unlock small buffs like extra elemental damage, or bigger Nightfarer bonuses like enhancing Nightfarer abilities or allowing you to share the healing from your healing flasks with your co-op partners - giving you triple the healing if standing near each other.

I heard about abilities on these that I never saw from other people while playing during the review period, and the flexibility of Elden Ring’s many levelling systems, elemental damage types, weapons, and the Nightfarers themselves open up the possibility for hundreds, if not thousands, of build combinations and optimizations.

Play your way

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Nightreign is about doing as much as you can with the little time you have, rewarding players who stick together and melt bosses in seconds. It encourages teams to combine abilities and attacks to stun foes quickly, while communicating to ensure they are all on the same page.

This makes it an incredibly hard game to play alone (which is an option that is available). While it can be done, the game’s enemy scaling and progression rewards teams that can complete as many objectives as possible, which just isn’t easy to do on your own.

I could spend ages talking at length about the Nightlords themselves, but in reality, fans already know what to expect, and the actual structure and systems in Nightreign are far more innovative. Even still, these Nightfarer fights are incredible spectacles, and some of the best FromSoftware has made. They are brimming with difficult moves to master and a combination of abilities and forms to learn, all set against an impressive, bombastic orchestral soundtrack for each one. FromSoftware simply doesn’t miss when it comes to combat and enemy design, and Nightreign is no different.

One area FromSoftware could have fumbled is the Nightfarers. While they could have felt like cheap forced classes, they are actually really flexible and well-rounded archetypes, with abilities that have a variety of uses. For starters, every Nightfarer can use any weapon or item. If you want to play the katana-wielding, parry-centric Executor with a dagger, you can, even though you won’t be as effective as you would be with a katana.

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

This means you can craft your build on the fly and you never feel locked into a certain playstyle, allowing you to adapt during your run through Limveld. Bows don’t have ammo, and weight isn’t factored in either, which gives the game’s combat a brisk speed and pace that isn’t found in Elden Ring. It also removes a lot of the barriers to enjoying the game’s wide variety of weapon types, as you can basically pick up anything and begin using it right away. Yes, they actually made ranged combat and magic fun here.

On top of that, the ability kits for each Nightfarer are multi-faceted with several uses that aren’t immediately obvious. For example, Ironeye, the archer, can use his Single Shot ultimate ability to fire a huge supersonic arrow. That arrow can be used to stun larger bosses, wipe out hordes of mobs, and also revive teammates instantly if they are downed. Not only can it do those things individually, but you can also do all three at once with a well-placed shot, and it has saved my team’s run many times.

Each character and their abilities can be used in many ways to deal damage and also support your party and discovering how to utilise them in new ways is just as satisfying as discovering Limveld itself. You can also easily use three of one Nightfarer or any combination and succeed, removing even more barriers, as you don’t need any particular Nightfarer to come out victorious (even if some of them have stronger abilities than others).

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Some major barriers to Nightreign, however, do emerge after a few hours. Because so much of Nightreign comes from Elden Ring, it is imperative that you have that existing knowledge to enjoy what Nightreign is offering. You can’t sit and try to fight the Golden Hippopotamus again and again to learn its attacks, because the next time you run through Limveld, it could be in a different location or not spawn at all.

The same goes for the Nightlords. You can’t just skip to the third day and practice them over and over, you need to complete a full 45-minute run through Limveld to reach them again, which is taxing. So, you need to be familiar with Elden Ring’s combat and have completed both the base game and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion because of the difficulty of some of those Nightlords.

While returning players will be able to pick things up after a few runs, it feels like Nightreign is built for the hardcore Soulslike players and addicts who have memorised every attack pattern in Elden Ring and across FromSoftware’s pantheon of titles.

Another key issue at the time of this review is the matchmaking and lack of crossplay. During the pre-release period, we had issues creating lobbies using passwords where matchmaking would fail or simply not put players together when we all tried to matchmake with the same password set. Nightreign definitely retains some of the dated multiplayer quirks of FromSoftware’s other games.

It is also unforgivable in my eye that in the year 2025 Nightreign doesn’t have crossplay, and because of the demanding nature of the game and the reliance on communication, I simply do not see how you can complete any of the Nightlord bosses reliably, especially the tougher ones, without friends whom you know and people you can talk to. I don’t necessarily think this is a straight-up weakness of the game, but it's a huge condition attached to the game that will prevent a lot of people from seeing everything it has to offer.

Should I play Elden Ring Nightreign?

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)Play it if...

You are an Elden Ring veteran with a lot of experience with FromSoftware’s other games
Nightreign is built on Elden Ring’s foundations, and the roguelike nature rewards those who have already memorised existing bosses and are familiar with the franchise’s combat.

You have a group of friends whom you can rely on and play with consistently
Trying to play Nightreign solo is not a fun time initially, and remains a challenge even for experienced players. The game is built for 3-player co-op, and you need to be able to strategize and talk to your teammates to assist each other and optimize your builds.

Don't play it if...

You don’t have any experience with Elden Ring or other soulslikes
Nightreign is not a game you can use to introduce yourself to FromSoftware’s behemoth world, especially if you want an experience you can enjoy at your own pace, as the game is focused on time-limited, fast-paced 45-minute runs through the world.

Accessibility

Elden Ring Nightreign offers limited accessibility options. There are basic speed adjustments for the camera and aiming with ranged weapons. There are no difficulty settings, and the game is best played in a co-op party of three, where you can communicate, which may not be possible for everyone.

There is also no subtitle customization or HUD alteration options, and there are no specialist options for those with eyesight or hearing issues. While you can rebind some controls on console, you cannot rebind every button, potentially preventing some people from playing on custom controllers.

How I reviewed Elden Ring Nightreign

I played Elden Ring Nightreign for 30 hours, completing all of the game’s Nightlord bosses and experiencing most of the world and map events available. I played the game entirely in performance mode on PS5 with a DualSense Edge controller on a Gigabyte M28U gaming monitor and using SteelSeries Arena 3 computer speakers.

This review was conducted in an environment where I was able to team up with other creators and journalists reviewing the game to play with them and complete the game’s various challenges.

First reviewed May 2025