TechRadar Reviews

Finding a reliable and efficient web hosting service is often a big challenge. Amongst the many web hosting providers out there, GoogieHost has steadily gained recognition as a reliable provider when comparing the best free web hosting service providers on the market. 

This review will discuss the performance, ease of use and pricing of Googiehost and to help you decide if it is the right web hosting provider for you. 

Who is Googiehost?

Googiehost only offers free hosting while doing affiliate sales for other hosts. (Image credit: Future)

Established in 2012, Googiehost is considered a veteran in the web hosting industry. Headquartered in India, the company is also among a handful that offer a free web hosting plan. Even more bizarre is that, unlike similar companies, it doesn’t offer its own premium hosting; instead, it earns money by selling affiliate links to other web hosts. The site's homepage is basically a long list of web hosting coupons from other companies.

The Googiehost site is structured to look like a traditional web hosting company. However, the links that it displays are deceptive. For example, the “Paid Hosting” link leads to another coupon page for other hosting company plans, while the “VPS/Servers” link takes you to a blog section with articles about web hosting.

Essentially, Googiehost isn’t really a web hosting company, but an affiliate sales blog that uses free web hosting as a customer magnet. It even throws on a ton of intrusive, highly annoying ads everywhere to round out a somewhat nightmarish user experience.

GoogieHost features

Googiehost offers DirectAdmin for hosting management. (Image credit: Future)

Since we’re now aware that Googiehost isn’t a typical web hosting company, it offers a single free plan to attract users. With that plan, you get 1GB of storage, 100GB of bandwidth, and email capabilities (provided you don’t need more than 1GB of space).

You also get free SSL, but that's pretty normal today, and something that hosts have to offer to stay even the least bit competitive.

Compared to other free hosting companies, that’s pretty much par for the course. However, we recently updated another host, Infinity Free, which offers a free plan with a much better deal.

Googiehost’s free web hosting plan is indeed quite limited in resources, but it’s made more usable thanks to DirectAdmin for hosting management and Softaculous for one-click application installation.

Beyond that, however, things get a little edgy - but we’ll cover more on that in our next section.

Performance

Website reliability and speed are two of the most vital factors. Even if you’re using a free hosting plan for a simple, personal website, you’d at least want some level of consistency. That’s a keyword that seems sorely missing almost anywhere on Googiehost.

To begin with, signing up for an account on Googiehost was, to say the least, weird. Their site is in English, but once we clicked on the “sign up” link, everything converted to Italian. Attempting to change it back to English (via a dropdown menu) resulted in blank menus with no conversion options.

Looking past that, we filled in the user information form and submitted the application. Things were processed quickly, but when we checked the user profile in their system, they changed our country profile to India. Why? We have no idea.

Again, moving on, we tried to upload our standard test website to Googiehost. Uploading a 171MB backup file took about 20 minutes, following which the backup restoration promptly failed. We repeated the process three times, after which we gave up.

The following day, attempting to access the client control panel returned a 502 error, after which we decided to abandon further testing with Googiehost.

How easy is GoogieHost to use?

When it comes to ease of use, GoogieHost has taken steps to simplify website management by offering tools such as DirectAdmin and Softaculous. They even throw in free SSL, but seem to fail badly at configuring their own systems.

If you’re used to any web hosting control panel like cPanel or Plesk, DirectAdmin offers a similar experience, albeit one that doesn’t look as pretty. Softaculous also does a neat job of installing apps relatively quickly and efficiently. In that sense, Googiehost doesn’t lag behind the competition.

Unfortunately, the overall experience leaves one very confused due to the language changes, user data being auto-corrected for no reason, random system failures like the 502 we encountered, and a ton of ads being constantly thrown at you.

This makes it challenging to accept, even if it’s offered for free.

The competition

Bluehost, renowned for its user-friendly interface and versatile hosting options, is just one of GoogieHost’s competitors. Bluehost offers shared hosting, virtual private servers (VPS), and dedicated hosting, catering to a wide range of user needs. With a reputation for reliable customer support and an array of features, Bluehost presents a robust alternative.

Namecheap provides a significantly more professional and reliable foundation compared to Googiehost for any serious digital project. At the very least, you get a range of cheap hosting plans to choose from, alongside a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Even their domain names come with freebies like lifetime domain name privacy protection.

Hostinger offers a massive leap in performance and professional utility, essential for any growing site. Built on high-speed LiteSpeed servers and utilizing NVMe storage on higher tiers, Hostinger is much more reputable and reliable than Googiehost in almost all aspects. Plus, it offers dirt-cheap plans that aren't far off from being free.

SiteGround, with its solid reputation for performance and security, stands as a fierce rival. Offering managed WordPress hosting, cloud hosting, and dedicated servers, SiteGround's focus on speed and technical excellence positions it as a contender for users seeking top-tier performance.

Liquid Web is in an entirely different league from Googiehost. If you want mission-critical stability and high-end performance. Liquid Web is one of the go-to hosts. Built on a robust infrastructure of dedicated and VPS solutions, these guys offer an industry-leading 100% Power and Network Uptime Guarantee.

Final verdict

GoogieHost is a very hard option for us to recommend. Since it doesn’t offer premium plans of its own, there’s no need to discuss that option here. If you’re looking for a cheap web hosting alternative, there are many notable brands around, like Namecheap and Hostinger. For high reliability and performance, consider SiteGround or LiquidWeb.

Even among free web hosting providers, most other options are far ahead of Googiehost. Here, we’d recommend Infinity Free, which does a much better job while also using free control panels and the like.

Remember, Googiehost isn’t really a web hosting company - it’s an affiliate sales site disguised as one. So don’t get carried away.

• Here's a list of the best web hosting services on the market

This past week or so, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Saros. Housemarque’s intense roguelite third-person shooter is a tremendous refinement of its previous work, Returnal (a game I feel is one of this console generation’s best). Yet its harrowing, cosmic horror-influenced narrative elevates it to something especially memorable.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5
Release date: April 30, 2026

If you’re familiar with Returnal, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that Housemarque has once again deployed the Torment Nexus for Saros’s doomed spacefarers, and the concept of its protagonist being forced into a seemingly eternal cyclical hell is very much present here. That said, Saros is decidedly more manageable than its predecessor, featuring gameplay and progression systems that allow for a more forgiving experience overall.

Don’t get me wrong, though; Saros is still a tough PS5 game. Strip away all its new systems, and I’d say it’s about on par with Returnal in terms of difficulty. Enemies hit hard, and bosses demand keen focus when it comes to learning and dodging their bullet patterns. You’re going to die a lot in Saros, but given I reached the true ending in a tidy 20 hours, it’s a good bit friendlier to the average player.

A skill tree packed with permanent upgrades — alongside a very clever modifier system unlocked early on — ensures that protagonist Arjun grows steelier with each run. Furthermore, checkpoints placed at the start of each biome mean that, unlike Returnal, you don’t have to play through the whole thing in one flawless run. That alone condenses runs from Returnal’s 2-3 hours to a far more manageable 30 or so minutes, depending on what you’re looking to achieve on each run.

And like its predecessor, Saros is polished to a mirror sheen. Arjun’s movements are fast and snappily responsive. Color-coded bullet patterns instantly communicate the approach you need for each enemy. Weapons are varied and often creative in design and their sub-weapon functionality. And those haptics and adaptive triggers? Simply the best I’ve ever experienced and reminded me that, for all its faults, the DualSense is still capable of wowing me after all these years.

All in all, Saros is very much another slam dunk from a studio that has mastered the art of blending arcade-like trappings with AAA production values. It’s not quite perfect; I wish there were more post-game activities (and no daily challenge system yet, a la Returnal), and there are very (and I do mean very) occasional performance dips on base PS5 hardware. But there’s nothing that puts a serious dent in what I’m sure will be a game of the year frontrunner for many who seek Saros’s yellow shores.

Hail to the King

(Image credit: PlayStation / Housemarque)

Saros puts you in the role of Arjun Devraj, portrayed by actor Rahul Kohli. Arjun is a member of Echelon IV, a team sent by megacorporation Soltari to the planet Carcosa. Their purpose is twofold: to continue the extraction of a valuable resource called Lucenite, as well as to uncover what happened to the previous three Echelon teams that have made no contact with Soltari since planetfall months ago.

It’s not long before the truths of Carcosa are laid bare. In a phenomenon unique to the planet, it undergoes regular eclipse phases that rapidly advance time. Oh, and people who look directly at the eclipse are driven mad. This is all spelled out pretty early on through collectable audio and text logs left behind by prior Echelon expedition teams. From there, the madness only increases at a rate of knots.

If you’re familiar with Returnal, then you’ll know that there was more to its protagonist, Selene, than met the eye. It’s a similar case with Arjun in Saros. I won’t spoil the finer details here, but there’s still an element of his trauma seemingly manifesting itself in the form of Carcosa’s horrors.

That said, I find Carcosa to be a tremendously compelling setting. Housemarque certainly isn’t shy about its horror inspirations here. Namely, the stunning H.R. Giger-esque architecture left behind by the planet’s former inhabitants, and The King in Yellow, a collection of short stories that revolve around a stage play of the same name, which causes all of its readers to go inexplicably mad. It’s rather on the nose with the latter, actually, but it all serves to create an aggressive brand of horror here that pairs beautifully with Saros’s fast-paced third-person shooting.

I'm Blue

(Image credit: Sony / Housemarque)

Saros, at its heart, is a third-person shooter with roguelite elements. There’s no trudging movement speed or ducking behind cover here, though. Arjun’s default run speed would be enough to set off a highway speed camera, and he can dodge, jump, and air dash on a dime to quickly reposition or blink through incoming projectiles.

It’s a game with myriad arcade sensibilities. Enemies’ primary method of attack is intricate bullet patterns reminiscent of danmaku shoot-em-ups like DoDonpachi Resurrection or Ikaruga. Okay, Saros never gets as intimidatingly screen-filling as that, but I think it does take some inspiration, especially from that latter title.

Best bit

(Image credit: PlayStation / Housemarque)

I love Saros for many of the same reasons I did Returnal, but the new Carcosan Modifier system is brilliant to play around with. This is where you can add a bit (or a lot) of extra bite to the game's difficulty, or give yourself a bit more favor depending on your preferences.

A new addition to Saros is Arjun’s Soltari Shield. Bound to R1 by default, holding the button down produces a protective globe around Arjun that absorbs projectiles, converting them into ammunition for his currently equipped power weapon. As a result, Saros directly encourages you to get stuck into the line of fire. You’ll need to watch out here, though; only blue projectiles can be absorbed without penalty. You can absorb yellow projectiles, but they’ll cause corruption, eating into your maximum health until cleansed with power weapon usage. Red projectiles, meanwhile, cannot be absorbed or even dodged through.

There’s plenty of weapon variety in Saros. From powerful revolvers and close-range shotguns to energy crossbows and auto-targeting smart rifles. You’ll need to use power weapons in tandem with these to deal devastating damage and effectively turn dire situations in your favor. Some are great for immediate single-target damage, while others excel at crowd control, spreading damage-over-time projectiles around the room.

One thing I adore about Saros’s weapons is that they all come fitted with an alternate fire module. By holding down L2 about halfway, your weapon’s behaviour changes. These typically consume more energy, but can do things like turn your shotgun into a grenade launcher, or your energy crossbow beams into a single concentrated blast. My favorite weapon comes a bit later in the game, though; a chakram launcher that embeds blades into enemies, spinning inside them to deal damage when you activate its alt fire. It’s so awesome.

Helping hands

(Image credit: PlayStation / Housemarque)

As I said at the top, Saros has a similar difficulty curve to Returnal, but it’s much less mean. Early on, you’ll unlock the ‘Armor Matrix’, a massive skill tree that improves stats and offers various perks (such as a ‘second chance’, allowing you to get back up once when you die) when you pump collectible Lucenite currency into it. A secondary resource, Halcyon, can also be gathered to unlock particularly potent enhancements.

You’ll typically be faced with a boss at the end of a biome. Levels can take around 20-30 minutes per run, depending on how much optional exploration you undertake, and beating a boss will unlock a checkpoint for you to return to upon death. These checkpoints can be teleported to from your home base of the Passage, letting you begin a run from your most recent one, or for returning to older areas for side collectibles like audio logs and Halcyon.

This is probably the main thing that makes Saros a much more manageable beast compared to its predecessor. Returnal (outside of its split halfway through the game) demanded a full run every time. Dying to a late-game boss there often meant 2-3 hours of lost progress. Saros is far more forgiving in this regard, making it a far more accessible game for those who were put off by Returnal’s difficulty and the time investment it demanded.

Fear not if you’re after a meatier challenge in Saros, though. After a few early biomes, you’ll unlock Carcosan Modifiers at your base. This system presents you with a range of modifiers to make your life on Carcosa both easier and more difficult. You can give yourself stronger firepower and better defenses, but you’ll have to balance that out with detrimental modifiers, like the loss of your second chance or more aggressive enemies.

Easy modifiers decrease the number on the scale, while hard ones increase it. There is no upper limit to this, either; you’re free to pack on as many modifiers as you choose, so long as the scale doesn’t dip too far in the easier direction. In short, if you want to bring all the modifiers that make your life easier, you are required to pile up the ones that increase the game’s challenge. It’s a really smart way of increasing difficulty and adds tons of flavor to runs once you have a good grasp on the game.

Bathed in yellow

(Image credit: PlayStation / Housemarque)

I found Saros to be a deeply enjoyable game, then, and I didn’t find its additional safeguards and progression systems made it any less when compared to Returnal. But one area where I think Saros surpasses its prequel is in presentation.

It’s one of the most visually stunning games put out by a PlayStation Studios team to date. Biomes are vast and varied, ranging from chalk-like canyons and underground mines to dilapidated docks and swampy marshlands. Draw distance is also remarkable, and you can often see entire levels span out when you look out over a vista. You can even spot landmarks from areas further in the game off in the distance. It’s awe-inspiring stuff.

I would also strongly, strongly recommend bolstering your experience with a pair of headphones. Sound design in Saros feels tailor-made for the PS5’s Tempest 3D audio. Roaring winds and distant alien screams fill the soundstage, while gunshots and explosions all sound satisfyingly chunky. The soundtrack is also a massive highlight for me, blending chaotic synths with wailing electric guitars.

Once again, Housemarque has really put the DualSense Wireless Controller through its paces. The novelty of its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers has long worn off for me, but Saros really surprised me with its usage of these. Things like the pattering of rain and feedback from power weapons echo through the controller’s vibrations accurately and immersively. And the usage of those adaptive triggers to open up secondary fire options is a brilliant touch, as it was in Returnal, too.

To close out, I really have very few complaints from my time with Saros. The game largely holds an impressive 60fps (frames per second) on base PS5, but there was the very occasional slight chug in busier, enemy-filled rooms. It’s never anything game-breaking, though.

Beyond that, I’d really like to see more postgame activities come to Saros. Returning to older areas for collectibles is fun, but it’s currently lacking anything like leaderboards or Returnal’s daily challenge runs. That game did eventually receive a chunky free expansion with new story elements, so I’d love to see the same thing happen again in Saros. Right now, I’ve just been left wanting more, which is hardly a bad thing.

Should you play Saros?

(Image credit: PlayStation / Housemarque)Play it if...

You’re down for a moreish challenge
Saros might be easier than Returnal overall, but it’s still no slouch. Many enemies and bosses will give you something to think about. Plus, the act of shooting, dodging, and managing resources like power weapons, it all just feels so great once you’ve got it down to a science.

You loved Returnal’s horror trappings
Saros features a different, more chaotic kind of horror, but it’s no less compelling as a narrative vehicle. Its environmental design and scattered audio and text logs create a truly horrifying picture; one that stays harrowing right up to the end.

Don't play it if...

You're not keen on split-second action
Saros can be a fast game, almost unrelentingly so. It might not be for you if dodging several high-speed, intricate bullet patterns all at once while managing energy resources sounds like a lot.

Accessibility features

Like most contemporary PlayStation Studios titles, Saros has plenty of accommodating options for gamers of all stripes. Up front, you can disable the Carcosan Modifier limiter if you desire an easier experience, and there’s no penalty or trophy-gating for doing so. Full button remapping is also supported.

There are plenty of colorblind options, too, to the point where you can even change the default color of different projectile types. Meanwhile, subtitle options are robust. You can change their size, color, and background opacity.

Audio options are especially broad. A dialogue priority slider ensures spoken lines aren’t drowned out by other audio sources, and you can fine-tune bass, treble, and the lower and higher ends of dynamic range. There’s even an average loudness setting if you’re hard of hearing or don’t have access to speakers or a surround sound system.

How I reviewed Saros

I reached Saros’s true ending in 20 hours of play. In addition to the main campaign, I spent plenty of time gathering optional collectibles and collecting currencies to build up the Armor Matrix skill tree.

I played with a DualSense Wireless Controller on a base PS5, often pairing my play time with the RIG R5 Spear Pro HS gaming headset for more immersive audio. My display of choice is the LG CX OLED TV.

I went into this review with extensive playtime in Housemarque’s previous games, most notably Returnal. It was one of my favorite games in the year it came out, so I was excited and plenty prepared to take on the horrors of Saros using Returnal as one of my frames of reference.

First reviewed April-May 2026

Supermassive Games' The Dark Pictures Anthology poses the question: how would you actually fare in a horror movie? And the studio's latest horror game, Directive 8020, is no different.

The interactive survival horror series as a whole has seen us unearthing the secrets of a ghost ship, navigating the fog of an eerie New England town, descending into the depths of a Sumerian temple, and even investigating a replica of H.H. Holmes’ notorious Murder Castle.

Meanwhile, the studio’s standalone titles, The Quarry and Until Dawn, have placed us in the bloodied sneakers of oblivious teens trapped in scenarios ripped straight from the slasher playbook. While the cast, locations, and twists have changed, the goal has ultimately remained the same: try to keep everyone alive. Well, if that’s what you want to do – who am I to judge if you take pleasure in the demise of a mouthy jock?

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam)
Release date: May 12, 2026

This core element remains unchanged in The Dark Pictures Anthology's latest entry, Directive 8020. Once again, you act as the puppet master of fate for a cast of diverse personalities, trapped in a nightmare situation that is up to you (and maybe some friends) to navigate them through. This time, the unfortunate bunch is the crew of the Cassiopea, a colony spaceship travelling to the planet Tau Ceti f in hopes that it can be terraformed into a livable planet, offering humanity salvation as Earth withers and dies.

Yes, a bit like Interstellar. But, as you may expect, the mission isn’t quite as straightforward as it seems. 12 light-years from home, having just awoken from a four-year cryogenic nap, the crew finds that they’re far from alone, as a shape-shifting extraterrestrial (much like The Thing) being has infiltrated the ship and is impersonating them, making it hard to know who to trust.

Directive 8020’s story plays out across eight episodes, each roughly an hour long, meaning you can feasibly play through them all in a day if you’re so inclined. It’s a bit of a slow-burn, almost too slow at times, but the many twists and turns (that I won’t spoil here), combined with the constant sense of uneasiness about who you can trust, keep the story gripping. As with previous games in the series, picking up the breadcrumbs of clues scattered through the eight episodes is pivotal in helping you make critical decisions down the line that could lead to the death of a character.

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)

Collectibles, including documents, video logs, and personal belongings, are worth seeking out as they delve deeper into the crew, their mission, and hint at what exactly is tormenting them. Unlike in previous entries, there are no premonitions here to steer you; some detective work is required to connect the dots and make the “right” choices.

On rare occasions, these collectibles require you to solve a puzzle to access them, but these feel superficial for the most part: the ease of their solutions makes them feel like an unnecessary obstacle. Some require you to find and move a power cell or reroute power to unlock a door, while some require you to solve a rudimentary lock-picking puzzle that simply tasks you to select segments of a circle to complete it (or select an orange segment that immediately unlocks it). While finding another piece of the story puzzle feels rewarding, I wish there were more to find, with more challenging ways to access them, or more environmental clues.

While Directive 8020 looks great – especially its cutscenes – the ship itself feels a bit bare at times. Sure, practicality is the aim of the game in space, but a few more personal touches and varied environments – as we’ve seen in previous Dark Pictures games – could have helped immerse us in Supermassive’s sci-fi world, especially given the detail of its characters.

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)

There are five playable members of the Cassiopea for the majority of the game, but seven in total if you include those in the first episode. Each looks incredibly detailed, with pilot Briana Young instantly recognizable as No Time To Die’s Lashana Lynch. However, as we’ve seen with some Dark Pictures characters before (most notably, personally, Ashley Tisdale in House of Ashes), there is, at times, a hint of them looking dead behind the eyes. However, the acting and voice performances are excellent, with Kathryn Wilder and Danny Sapani in particular knocking it out of the park as Anders and Commander Stafford, respectively.

Supermassive has worked to flesh these characters out through dialogue, collectibles, and backstories, but some are definitely more interesting than others. The friendship between ballsy medical specialist Cooper and plucky science officer Anders never failed to make me smile, while technical engineer Cernan’s philosophical takes on life and death struck a chord. However, it was much more difficult to connect to Young, Eiselle, and Stafford, with each falling a bit flat.

Playing in Solo Story Mode enables you to take control of all crew members, while the return of Movie Night Mode offers you the ability to play couch co-op with up to five players, with each player able to control a member of the crew. While online multiplayer isn’t available at launch, Supermassive Games has confirmed this mode will be released in a free update after launch.

Second chances

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)

While the core of Directive 8020 stays true to what we’ve come to expect from The Dark Pictures Anthology, there are a few new additions that may split series fans. The first is the new Turning Points feature, which allows you to rewind a scenario at any time. For example, if you are in a chase and you miss a quick-time event (QTE) resulting in a character’s death or make the “wrong” decision in a conversation, which results in an unwanted outcome, you can immediately replay the scene and do it differently. All your decisions and the overall story path are tracked in the Turning Points tree, allowing you to replay scenes whenever you wish.

I had mixed feelings about this at first, as a large part of what makes Dark Pictures games unique and tense is the weight (and irrelevance) of your actions. If you screw up, you have to live with the consequences. However, this can be frustrating for many players – especially if someone dies early and you want a no-death run. The good news is you don’t have to use the feature.

Directive 8020 offers two Playstyles: Explorer and Survivor. Explorer gives you access to Turning Points, while Survivor offers the classic experience, where there are no second chances. You can switch between playstyles during the game, too, so if you think you don’t need a safety net, there’s always the option to implement it later.

Best bit

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)

To date, throughout The Dark Pictures Anthology, one character has been constant: The Curator (voiced by Pip Torrens and modelled after the late Tony Pankhurst). This enigmatic and omnipresent voyeur oversees the lives and deaths of players – and isn’t afraid to chastise you when you screw up. Usually, The Curator intervenes throughout the story to sort of summarise how you’re doing and provide cryptic clues about what’s coming next. But not this time. Instead, near the end of the game, you can find an O Death Secret, which unlocks these collectibles throughout the game. Once you find this secret, glimpses of The Curator will appear before death. Finding them all not only unlocks a special cutscene from the man himself but a teaser trailer for the next Dark Pictures game.

But Turning Points isn’t perfect. While it makes it easier to see the game’s various endings and outcomes, and to pick up missed collectibles, navigating the paths can be a pain. My first piece of advice is to first play through Explorer without using this replay feature as much as possible, using it only to rectify major mistakes or deaths. Initially, I jumped back and forth in episode one to see different outcomes, and it seriously impacted the flow and impact of the story. Once I used it sparingly, I enjoyed the game much more.

However, upon completing the game, I thought the feature would make it pretty easy to explore different paths and endings quickly, as I could jump back in time like Dr. Strange, change a choice, then jump forward to a different outcome. That’s not the case. While it is easier to explore the full game than in previous Dark Pictures titles, this can become monotonous as you rewatch the same cutscenes repeatedly without the option to skip.

What’s more, to alter certain outcomes, and therefore unlock new ones, you must replay an entire path again from one pivotal choice, or make several smaller choices. This may be lazy from my side, but for a feature meant to encourage exploring the story’s various facets, it can make it a serious slog, and I can’t help but think it would be more beneficial to players if you could replay a pivotal decision and then jump forward to just before when that decision takes effect (so long as you’ve already reached that point before).

Silent as the grave

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)

To date, the action elements in Supermassive’s interactive survival horror games have boiled down to running for your life or smashing a QTE. While this survival horror certainly sees you legging it from the shape-shifting beasties, there are (thankfully) fewer QTEs than we’ve seen before. Instead, there are stealth sequences that see you sneaking around the lifeform, hiding behind crates, walls, and seating, to get to your destination, using a scanner to keep track of the enemy.

While these stealth elements do add to the tension, they’re pretty mundane. You see your destination, keep track of the creature’s predictable patrol sequence, and sneak over there – occasionally triggering a distraction to help or maneuvering around noisy glass. If they catch you, you will either be smooshed or, more than likely, given a QTE chance to stun them and run to the end point. Supermassive almost plays it too safe with this new feature.

These slower sequences have the potential to instill an Alien Isolation-esque terror in you. Supermassive could have included unpredictable enemy movements or alternative escape route options to up the ante and make you feel like you’re one misstep from being torn open like a bag of crisps. I understand, the studio likely doesn’t want to alienate its fanbase, but it's hard not to make comparisons to sci-fi horrors like SOMA and Alien Isolation, which simply implemented this better.

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)

Similarly, there are a few first-person elements included, too, that don’t feel fully utilized. When you crawl into a vent, the camera view shifts from third-person to first-person, reflecting the uneasy, claustrophobic feel of these tight spaces. The shape-shifting creature can’t get you in the vents; you simply use them to bypass obstacles and occasionally the enemy, which seems like a wasted opportunity. Pairing more hair-raising stealth moments with those oppressive spaces feels like a match made in heaven (or more likely hell), and yet Supermassive appears to simply dip its toe in the water.

Overall, Directive 8020 evolves The Dark Pictures Anthology series by offering improved graphics, more forgiving gameplay, and introducing new gameplay elements, but it doesn’t quite push the boundaries enough and lacks the bite of other sci-fi survival horrors – and prior titles in the series. If you’re a Dark Pictures fan, it’s well worth checking out, but I can’t help but wonder if it will mark a welcome turning point for the series as a whole.

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)Should you play Directive 8020?Play it if...

You're looking for a gripping survival horror to play with friends
For many, one of the biggest draws of The Dark Pictures Anthology is its Movie Night Mode, allowing you to play couch co-op with friends. Directive 8020 offers this too; up to five players can play couch co-op, with each taking control of one Cassiopeia crew member and passing the controller when needed. In addition, Directive 8020 will support online multiplayer mode for up to five players. However, this online mode isn't available at launch and will roll out as part of a free post-launch update.

You're a fan of the sci-fi horror genre
If you love games like Alien Isolation, Dead Space, and SOMA, Directive 8020 offers a similar sci-fi horror vibe. It's perhaps not as outright scary as some of these titles – though there are a few jump scares – but those who enjoy the palpable tension of sneaking past grotesque extraterrestrial beings and slow-burning twists will likely find this to be right up their street.

You want a forgiving horror experience
The Dark Pictures Anthology to date has been pretty brutal: miss a QTE or make a wrong choice, and it could easily result in a character's death. If, like me, you aim to keep everyone alive, it can be a frustrating experience. However, playing in Explorer mode gives you unlimited access to Directive 8020's new Turning Points feature, allowing you to immediately rewind and make an alternative (more palatable) decision, while offering an easier way to explore the game's various endings and outcomes or pick up missed collectibles.

Don't play it if...

You want challenging stealth
Unlike previous Dark Pictures games, Directive 8020 features stealth sequences that see you sneaking past the shape-shifting beastie plaguing the Cassiopeia crew. If you’re not a fan of stealth games, then this addition may be disappointing. On the other hand, those who lap up stealth scenarios that have you on the edge of your seat may be disappointed, too. While these sequences are a delicate operation, they’re not particularly challenging – largely due to predictable enemy patterns – nor do they drip with the sort of sweat-inducing tension the likes of Alien Isolation offers.

You're looking for real scares
While there are a few jump scares, Directive 8020 isn't inherently scary. While previous games in the series leaned more into the slasher or thriller genres, this game is more of a body horror (AKA grotesque alien creatures). If you are looking for some serious scares, you won't find them here, but if you're a fan of The Thing's blend of paranoia, suspense, and gross, this is probably one for you.

You want to solve head-scratching puzzles
Like any good survival horror, Directive 8020 features some puzzle elements. However, don’t expect to be breaking out a pen and paper to solve them. In fact, many of the puzzles are frustratingly easy, requiring you to re-route power sources, turn off or on control panels, or select segments of a circle to unlock a door, making them feel like pesky obstacles rather than gameplay elements. There are a couple of puzzles that are slightly more complicated, but even these take just a few minutes to solve. So, if you’re looking for Silent Hill level puzzles here, you won’t find them.

Accessibility features

Directive 8020 offers a handful of accessibility features, primarily focused on UI, QTEs, and subtitles. QTEs can be adjusted so that players can hold a button instead of bashing it, so the button you use on your controller for QTEs remains the same, and to disable the QTE timer. In addition, accessibility options offer the ability to enable a simplified UI font, to set puzzles to be completed with one input, remap controls, and to change the background opacity, size, colour, and more of subtitles and in-game text.

Directive 8020 also offers three preset difficulty options – Forgiving, Challenging, and Lethal – alongside a custom difficulty option that allows you to change QTE difficulty, enable or disable QTE warnings and threat indicators (and their colour), and adjust parry recharge time. However, we’d have loved to see the inclusion of a few more accessibility options, such as a dedicated colorblind mode.

(Image credit: Supermassive Games)How I reviewed Directive 8020

I reviewed Directive 8020 on PS5 on a Samsung Q80T QLED TV, using a DualSense Wireless Controller. I spent over 10 hours playing Directive 8020 in Solo Story mode, on Challenge difficulty, primarily using the Explorer playstyle. During this time, I completed all eight of the game's episodes (each of which takes around one hour to complete), explored various story paths and outcomes via the Turning Points feature, and aimed to collect as many collectibles as possible.

Having played every entry in the Supermassive Games' The Dark Pictures Anthology, as well as standalone titles The Quarry and Until Dawn – and being a keen survival horror fan – I was able to compare Directive 8020 to the studio's previous offerings and therefore offer insight into the key similarities and differences between their latest choice-based survival horror adventure and previous games.

First reviewed May 2026.

InfinityFree is a US-based web hosting provider launched in 2016, and, as its name suggests, it offers one of the best free web hosting services for an indeterminate period of time. We all know that not everything presented as free hosting is truly free, but Infinity Free manages to live up to its name and does that without overloading your site with ads.

• Want to try Infinity Free? Check out the website here

Despite providing fully free services, InfinityFree is sustainable thanks to its business deal with iFastNet, whose services are marketed on Infinity Free’s official site. Therefore, if you ever feel the need to upgrade your free plan to one of the premium ones, expect to be forwarded to iFastNet’s site.

Although we can’t be fully confident, InfinityFree’s data center appears to be located in Chicago (Illinois, the USA).

InfinityFree’s official site is pretty plain and overrun with ads, but it is easy-to-use (partly due to its simplicity). Unfortunately, like with most free hosts, it doesn’t feature an official blog nor is it particularly active on social media sites.

Plans and pricing

You can manage your settings, domains, subdomains and account details from InfinityFree's client area (Image credit: Future)

There's one plan, and it's free. However, the site advertises paid-for hosting plans. If you click on premium hosting, you're directed to iFastNet. For this review, I'm leaving out iFastNet, as this is just a review of InfinityFree's free hosting.

The free hosting plan is surprisingly robust, offering 5GB of SSD storage and unlimited bandwidth (with some terms and conditions). It supports PHP versions up to 8.2/8.3, 400 MySQL databases, and full .htaccess support.

A standout feature is the integrated SSL tool, which allows users to provision and renew Let's Encrypt certificates directly from the dashboard without needing external technical workarounds.

Ease of use

To start your free hosting trip, tap the “Register Now” button, insert your email address, think up a password, go through terms of service and deny being a robot (sorry, robots). After verifying your email, it is time to create your hosting account through three simple steps.

The first step includes choosing a domain name and there you can use a free subdomain (seven of them are available as we write) or a domain you already own and point it to Infinity Free nameservers. If you decide on a second option but are not sure how it all works, there is an in-depth guide describing every step of the way (with screenshots and everything).

After this, your account username will be generated at random, and the same goes for your account password if you (for whatever reason) decided to leave the space empty. In any case, your account will be created within seconds making this one of the simplest and most straightforward experiences of this kind. That being said, you might need to wait for up to 72 hours for your hosting account to “start working everywhere” and your newly created site to become accessible.

You can manage your settings, domains, subdomains and account details from InfinityFree's client area (Image credit: Infinity Free)

Managing your hosting account is done through VistaPanel, a specialized control panel for free hosting environments. This control panel is surprisingly similar to cPanel, right down to design and color scheme. In any case, if you're used to web hosting control panels, this should be a breeze to handle.

Infinity Free's version of VistaPanel covers all the essentials, including an online FTP manager, MySQL database control, phpMyAdmin, domain name management, mail management, and more.

The biggest plus is that Softaculous is included, letting you access one-click setups for over 400 applications, including WordPress and Joomla. The combination of freebies at Infinity Free is impressive, to say the least.

Speed and reliability

We used GTmetrix to test the uptime and response time of InfinityFree's main site (Image credit: GTmetrix)

Given that we are testing a free service, we didn’t expect to be blown away by either speed or uptime. Using our pre-built standard test site, we tested Infinity Free with a WordPress benchmarking tool and then hit it with Siege, our load tester.

WordPress benchmark test

CPU & Memory

Operations with large text data

9.58

Random binary data operations

7.28

Recursive mathematical calculations

3.54

Iterative mathematical calculations

7.3

Floating point operations

6.61

Filesystem

Filesystem write ability

0

Local file copy and access speed

0

Small file IO test

2.89

Database

Importing large amount of data to database

6.07

Simple queries on single table

7.73

Complex database queries on multiple tables

3.82

Object cache

Persistent object cache enabled

0

Shortcode processing

4.98

Wordpress Hooks

7.3

Wordpress option manipulation

7.78

REGEX string processing

6.43

Taxonomy benchmark

6.42

Object capability benchmark

7.39

Content filtering

2.43

JSON manipulations

4.93

Network

Network download speed test

7.28

Overall

Your server score

5.7

Core WordPress speeds at Infinity Free were a real eye-opener. With an overall score of 5.7, this free hosting provider outperformed several paid hosting providers. The downsides, notably, were in file system performance, which we suspect is due to limitations in the plan provided.

Siege test results

Concurrent users

5

9

15

Transactions

7376

7088

6683

Availability

100

100

100

Elapsed time

299.26

299.13

298.97

Data transferred

51.19

49.18

46.41

Response time

1.01

1.05

1.12

Transaction rate

24.65

23.70

22.35

Throughput

0.17

0.16

0.16

Concurrency

24.96

23.70

24.95

Successful transactions

7376

7088

6683

Failed transactions

0

0

0

Longest transaction

6.39

6.26

6.72

Shortest transaction

0.69

0.69

0.69

Load testing results at Infinity Free were even more surprising, and in a highly positive manner. This is perhaps the only free host that's managed to survive a load test from Siege. With up to 15 concurrent users over a 5-minute period, Infinity Free successfully processed all transactions.

Not only did it pass, but Infinity Free produced such consistent results that we ended up re-running the tests several more times. In the end, we concluded that, aside from limitations, Infinity Free servers are quite well configured for load balancing, even without the benefit of a CDN.

Support

As you might have guessed, customer support provided by a free host is almost always nothing to write home about. Such is the case with Infinity Free, so don’t expect to get one-on-one consultation via telephone, live chat, or email. Although there are a few email addresses available for contact, it is stated that they are not meant for support and that all of your questions are going to be left unanswered.

You can find answers to common web hosting problems by checking the responses on InfinityFree's forum (Image credit: Infinity Free)

The one alternative you are left with is to seek help on their community forum, which is actually an amazing option to have since most of the questions there (if not all) are answered by fellow users.

InfinityFree also provides a comprehensive knowledgebase (Image credit: Infinity Free)

The other one is to consult InfinityFree’s comprehensive knowledgebase that contains, among others, a novice-friendly category called “Getting Started”. There are ten categories in total and over 80 in-depth guides that cover everything from managing your domain and DNS to making your SSL certificate work with WordPress.

The competition

A nice alternative to InfinityFree and one of the better free hosting providers out there is India-based GoogieHost (not to be confused with Googlehost). It comes with a bit more in terms of features, since their free plan includes Cloudflare, VistaPanel web hosting control panel, a user-friendly website builder, and up to 2 business emails (Infinity Free currently provides none). However, in terms of security and stability, Infinity Free wins the day.

FreeHostingNoAds is another noteworthy alternative to Infinity Free, and it delivers exactly what its name implies - free hosting without ads. What is more, it also includes a drag-and-drop website builder, while Infinity Free doesn’t. However, unlike InfinityFree, which puts no limits on disk space and bandwidth, FreeHostingNoAds is severely limited.

If you are not looking exclusively for free web hosting, there are quite a few budget-friendly hosts able to cover all the basics and more while providing round-the-clock customer support. Some of the fan-favorites are HostGator, Bluehost, and DreamHost, and all of them offer a wide variety of services and hosting packages, ranging from simple shared and flexible cloud setups to VPS and dedicated server hosting. They may not be completely free-of-charge, but as with most things in life (web hosting included) you get what you pay for.

Final verdict

Are you trying to find a free host for a blog, small portfolio, or any other personal project on a similar scale? If the answer is yes, then InfinityFree is worth a look. With user-friendly VistaPanel, Softaculous, and easy-to-follow how-tos you’ll be able to build a captivating website without too much trouble.

However, if you have bigger dreams for your website and don’t mind spending a few bucks each month to make these dreams come true, check out hosts such as HostGator and Bluehost.

Namecheap is known as one of the best domain registrars where you can find and buy whatever dot-com or other TLD you'd like to use for your website. According to Domainstate, it handles more than 14 million domains: only GoDaddy has more.

But there's much more to Namecheap than domains. The company has steadily been increasing its range of the best web hosting products, covering everyone from bargain-hunting first-timers to demanding business users.

Recent additions include Namecheap's own content delivery network (CDN), which accelerates your website's speed for visitors worldwide. The company even offers a budget VPN to keep you safe on public Wi-Fi and let you access regional content from other countries.

• Want to try Namecheap? Check out the website here

What types of hosting does Namecheap offer? 

Namecheap's range starts with low cost and easy-to-use shared hosting, a perfect choice for first-timers and less demanding websites. There are Namecheap promo codes for bringing the cost down even more too.

Namecheap also offers EasyWP, a managed WordPress hosting option with valuable site management features and more resources delivering extra speed. If you need more power and freedom than that Namecheap' also offers VPS and dedicated hosting.

Namecheap's shared hosting plans start off incredibly cheap though they do increase in price upon renewal (Image credit: Namecheap)Namecheap shared hosting

Using a shared hosting plan means your site is hosted on a single server along with many others. That's great for value, as the server costs are shared across multiple accounts, but it can hurt speed and reliability. Sharing a server's CPU, RAM, and network connection with other sites can disrupt your services because they may experience traffic spikes that consume shared resources. There's no sign that Namecheap's shared hosting is overloaded, but it's always something you need to keep in mind when choosing a shared hosting service.

Namecheap's shared hosting range is very low-priced, with headline prices starting at $1.88/mo for a two-year subscription ($5.88/mo on renewal). This price was recently updated to reflect a lower starting point and higher renewal prices. They dropped the starting prices but significantly increased renewal fees, which isn't great overall.

A good set of core features includes a free domain, free migration, a bundled website builder, unlimited bandwidth, and at least twice-weekly backups. Softaculous is on hand to speedily install WordPress and 150+ other apps, and cPanel has all the power you'll need to manage your web space.

Even the cheapest plan supports hosting three websites, too (the others allow unlimited sites). Most providers only allow a single site on their starter shared plan.

All shared hosting plans come with 50 free SSL certificates for the first year. If you do not want to pay the $6.99/year to renew one, you still get free SSL through cPanel.

Prices before and after renewal (2 year plan)

Plan

Starting price

Renewal price

Stellar

$1.88

$5.88

Stellar Plus

$2.28

$7.88

Stellar Business

$4.48

$11.88

(Image credit: Namecheap)Namecheap WordPress hosting 

WordPress is a hugely popular website creation platform with over 40% of the world's sites using the CMS. It's easy for beginners to use, yet powerful enough to build huge business websites and leading-edge web stores.

Namecheap's EasyWP plans are more expensive than its shared hosting plans, but they offer more resources and are specifically optimized to deliver faster WordPress speeds (Namecheap says they're at least three times faster than regular WordPress on its shared hosting account).

EasyWP Starter offers 10GB of NVMe storage, a free CDN to boost performance, and support for a single site with unlimited monthly visitors. It looks cheap at $3.14 a month on the annual plan and $5.24 on renewal, though there is one catch: the SSL is free only for Namecheap domains.

This is where the price can start to increase: Positive SSL for 5 years is $5.99 and renews at $6.99 per year. If you want to manage all your hosting and services in one place, Namecheap is a good option, but if you want to distribute your services across multiple providers, hosting with Namecheap might not be the best option.

The other EasyWP plans add more storage and resources. The top-of-the-range EasyWP Supersonic plan comes with the most goodies, but still offers fair value at $5.32 a month on the annual plan and $10.22 on renewal.

These prices were updated in 2026 and show a surprisingly large overall drop. In fact, Namecheap is the only vendor I've come across so far this year that has lowered its WordPress hosting prices, even if only by a few cents.

The plans have some weaknesses. They support creating only one website, and you don't get the same range of WordPress-oriented features as some of its top competitors offer.

If Namecheap doesn't have the power you need, consider SiteGround's WordPress hosting range. These start at $3.99/mo with relatively modest resources. However, SiteGround also offers advanced WordPress and AI-based tools for you to play with.

Namecheap WordPress (2-year plans)

Plan

Starting price

Renewal price

EasyWP Starter

$3.14

$5.25

EasyWP Turbo

$4.48

$8.63

EasyWP Supersonic

$5.32

$19.22

(Image credit: Namecheap)Namecheap VPS hosting

Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is faster and more configurable than shared hosting. But it's also relatively expensive, and more complex to set up and manage, which means it's not an ideal choice for novice users with simple, low-traffic sites.

If you're an expert or have a more demanding website, though, it's a very different story. A good VPS can give you massive control over your server, and the power to handle hundreds of thousands of visits a month, sometimes for less than the cost of high-end shared hosting.

Namecheap's VPS hosting starts at $6.88 a month, billed annually, for a 2-core CPU, 2GB RAM, 40GB NVMe storage, and 1 TB bandwidth (renews at $9.88). While that looks cheap, keep in mind that it's an unmanaged system, which means you're left to run the server yourself (add, install, and update software, restore a failed server, and more). You don't even get a control panel.

Managed VPS is easier to use, but also more expensive. The unmanaged Quasar plan is $12.88 billed monthly for a 4-core, 6GB RAM, 120GB storage, and 3TB bandwidth system. Adding complete server management and cPanel lifts the price to $54.76 (and you can add $1.50 a month if you need Softaculous to install WordPress or anything else).

Namecheap's top-of-the-range Magnetar VPS plan is more powerful, with 8 CPU cores, 12GB RAM, 240GB storage, and 6TB bandwidth. It's $28.88 billed monthly for an unmanaged system, rising to $63.76 with the managed option.

The significant advantage of Namecheap's VPS range is its price. We often recommend Hostwinds' extensive VPS range, but what do you get for $29 a month there? Two CPU cores, 6GB RAM, and 100GB storage, a far less capable system.

The problem with Namecheap is that it offers only three VPS plans, and they're not as configurable as the best in the competition. If Namecheap's choices don't suit your needs, you'll find far more appealing deals elsewhere.

If you're on a budget, IONOS' cheapest VPS plan starts at $2 billed monthly, for instance. It's as basic as a VPS gets (1 core, 1GB RAM), but it's ideal for learning how the technology works.

At the other end of the market, InMotion Hosting's VPS hosting is crammed with features, with great support, and is primarily for more demanding business users.

Namecheap's unmanaged VPS plans after renewal

Plan

Starting price

Renewal price

Spark (1 CPU cores, 1 GB RAM, 20 GB storage)

$3.88

$4.88

Pulsar (2 CPU cores, 2 GB RAM, 40 GB storage)

$6.88

$9.88

Quasar (4 CPU cores, 6 GB RAM, 120 GB storage)

$12.88

$15.88

Magnetar (8 CPU cores, 12 GB RAM, 240 GB storage)

$24.88

$28.88

Hypernova (12 CPU cores, 24 GB RAM, 500 GB storage)

$46.88

$52.88

(Image credit: Namecheap)Namecheap dedicated hosting

Opt for shared or VPS hosting and you're forced to share your web server with others. Sign for a dedicated package, though, and it's entirely yours. RAM, CPU time, the network connection, it's all reserved for your website only, so you'll never again be slowed down by what's happening with other accounts.

Namecheap used to offer only a handful of dedicated server deals, but right now there are 58. There's something for everyone, with prices starting low at under $50 billed monthly for an unmanaged 4 core, 8GB RAM system, rising to around $250 for a 16 core CPU with 128GB RAM and fast-as-it-gets 4 x 1.92TB SSD NVMe storage. All plans include free site migration and a 99.99% uptime guarantee.

As with VPS hosting, the lowest prices are for unmanaged systems (you must run the server yourself.) Choosing the Complete Management option (Namecheap maintains the server for you) with a cPanel Solo license adds around $65 to the server cost (billed monthly.) But that's still great value, especially as there's no setup fee, and you can pay significantly more elsewhere.

The main issue with Namecheap is the lack of configuration options. You can't take a base server and pay extra to add more RAM, or an extra backup drive, for instance: what you see is more or less what you'll get. There's still no Windows hosting option, and servers are only available in the Arizona data center: you can't choose the UK or Netherlands.

If you don't have any special configuration needs, and you're looking to run a high-traffic or business-critical site where speed and reliability are vital, then Namecheap's lengthy list of base servers and great value should earn it a place on your shortlist.

Also consider IONOS. It doesn't have as many server plans, but there are some very cheap managed and unmanaged deals, and other options you won't find at Namecheap (Windows hosting on some servers, storage servers with up to 48TB storage and US or Europe data centers).

Elsewhere, both A2 Hosting and InMotion Hosting have a wide range of managed and unmanaged plans, with unusually flexible billing to keep costs down (1, 3, 6 and 12 months.) And if you're looking for real power, check out Liquid Web. Its high-end servers can handle just about anything, and the company's 100% uptime and power guarantee (and excellent support) should get you an ultra-reliable service.

Bundled with shared hosting, Namecheap's no-code website builder allows you to easily create a website thanks to the inclusion of over 200 templates (Image credit: Namecheap)Namecheap domain names

Historically, Namecheap built its reputation on offering cheap domain names. While that may still be relatively true in some cases (special offers, $0.99 promos, etc), I find that Namecheap is no longer as competitive as before.

Normally, domain name renewal prices fly by me since I have so many in hand. However, one renewal fee gave me a rude wakeup call recently. I happen to have a .consulting domain with Namecheap, and they wanted $68 or something like that for my annual renewal.

That piqued my interest, and I shopped around, eventually discovering that the renewal cost for this TLD at Namecheap was significantly higher than at many other places. Renewal fees for other TLDs have also gone up, though mostly in line with approved registrar annual increases.

Does Namecheap have a website builder? 

If you don't have a website yet, and WordPress looks too complicated, a website builder could be the answer. Choose a starting design from a site gallery, then add content to a page by dragging and dropping text, images, maps, contact forms and more.

Namecheap includes a free website builder with its shared hosting packages. This has 230 templates of various types (business, blogs, food, more), and a decent selection of widgets allows you to add plenty of content to your site: image galleries, maps, forms, blogs, product listings, payment buttons, and more. It's not a bad product, especially for free, and it provides an easy alternative to WordPress for simple site creation.

Namecheap also has a paid website builder called Site Maker, which is part of the Visual suite of design tools. Answer a few questions, upload an image or two, choose a color scheme, and Visual automatically creates your site. You can then replace the default text with your own and add pre-built blocks to insert new content, such as forms and photo galleries.

Namecheap doesn't stop with the website. Bonus free tools allow you to create a logo, design business cards, and more.

This isn't the most powerful of website builders (there's no web store support, for instance), but it's enough for simple personal sites, and the price is right. Visual is $3.88 billed monthly, with a free SSL certificate, 99.99% uptime, and support for creating a single site. There's a free .contact, .design, or .xyz domain, too, though beware, .com, .net, and other top-level domains must be purchased separately.

Sign up for Namecheap's shared hostin and you'll get a copy of Softaculous (Image credit: Namecheap)Can I build a web store with Namecheap? 

Namecheap doesn't have any specialist ecommerce products, at least yet (we suspect the new Visual website builder will add something soon), but you're free to build a web store using any of the company's shared, dedicated or VPS hosting plans.

Sign up for shared hosting, for instance, and you'll get a copy of Softaculous. It's a capable platform which can help you install OpenCart, PrestaShop, WooCommerce or other ecommerce systems. Namecheap doesn't give you any special tools or store-building support to point you in the right direction, so you'll have to learn the basics yourself, but it's not too difficult (if you know your way around WordPress, you can learn WooCommerce.)

If you're looking for something simpler, try HostGator's website builder, which has the option to add a web store. Bluehost's WooCommerce plans are a good mid-range alternative that add a bunch of useful business-friendly marketing extras, and Wix offers great templates, a wealth of features, and the power to build almost anything.

How fast is Namecheap?

To test Namecheap shared hosting performance, we uploaded a pre-created WordPress website, then ran core benchmark and load tests. This enables us to see a snapshot of how the server should perform for WordPress websites and how it can cope with increasing user loads.

Reliability is also a factor in a hosting provider's performance, so, as a side note, Namecheap offers a 100% uptime guarantee for many of its hosting plans. That includes much of its shared hosting range, VPS, and Dedicated server accounts.

WordPress benchmark test (Stellar Business)

CPU & Memory

Operations with large text data

4.91

Random binary data operations

5.28

Recursive mathematical calculations

3.61

Iterative mathematical calculations

6.84

Filesystem

Filesystem write ability

3.6

Local file copy and access speed

4.85

Small file IO test

8.59

Database

Importing large amount of data to database

3.88

Simple queries on single table

7.38

Complex database queries on multiple tables

1.31

Object Cache

Persistent object cache enabled

0

Network

Network download speed test

8.25

Overall

Your server score

4.7

Unfortunately, Namecheap's shared hosting didn't do quite as well as we would have liked. The overall score is 4.7, which wasn't dragged down by any particular WordPress key performance segment, but showed overall weakness across the board.

There are several other hosts in the best cheap web hosting space to have this lacklustre performance in shared hosting. It's only unfortunate that some cheap yet high-performance solutions also exist, such as Hostinger, which scored an impressive 8.1 for its WordPress core benchmark test.

Siege test (Stellar Business)

Concurrent users

5

9

15

Transactions

1677

2903

4917

Availability

100

100

100

Elapsed time

299.15

299.02

299.78

Data transactions

72.19

129.47

216.13

Response time

0.89

0.92

0.91

Transaction rate

5.61

9.71

16.4

Throughput

0.24

0.43

0.72

Concurrency

4.99

8.97

14.97

Successful transactions

1677

2903

4917

Failed transactions

0

0

0

Longest transaction

7.25

7.16

8.95

Shortest transaction

0.63

0.63

0.63

Given the not-so-great results in core WordPress benchmarks, we weren't too hopeful about Namecheap's load test. This is where we were proven wrong, and Namecheap pulled a whopper on us.

As user loads increased, Namecheap's shared hosting server maintained a 100% successful transaction rate and a reasonably low longest transaction time of 8.95 seconds. While the overall transaction volume was middling, it does mean that Namecheap's servers are highly reliable under load.

Based on these results alone, we can definitely recommend them if you're in the market for a reasonably priced host that can run a steady WordPress website.

How easy is Namecheap to use? 

Easy to use cPanel (Image credit: Namecheap)

Namecheap's account control panel looks a little cluttered at first glance, with lists, and sidebars, and menus and icons everywhere you look. But spend just a moment exploring, and it begins to make a lot more sense.

There's a list of your domains over here, for instance, hosting panels over there, and some of these pages are hugely useful. Visit your hosting plan's Manage panel, for instance, and you'll find its disk space and bandwidth allowance; server hostname, IP address and data center; cPanel Launch button and shortcuts; usage stats, auto-renewal settings, a Cancel button and more.

That's a huge improvement on many providers, where key settings and options are scattered around, and you can spend an age trying to find the features and details you need.

You'll probably spend more time managing your website rather than your hosting plan, of course, but Namecheap scores here, too. While IONOS, iPage and some other hosts try to cut corners by providing their own custom management tools, Namecheap uses industry standards such as Softaculous to install and manage WordPress, and cPanel to set up your domains, emails and just about everything else.

This is good news, for a couple of reasons. First, it's a guarantee of quality (that's how these tools got to be industry standards.) But mostly, it makes life easier for everyone. If you've ever used cPanel or Softaculous before, you'll feel at home here immediately. And even if you haven't, the time you spend learning the cPanel basics won't be wasted. If you move from Namecheap in a few years, there's a good chance your next provider will also use cPanel, and you'll already know how to do all your most important hosting tasks.

What is Namecheap's support like? 

You can find how-to videos, guides and more in Namecheap's help center (Image credit: Namecheap)

Namecheap has 24/7 support via its website, live chat and ticket (there's no telephone support).

The web knowledgebase is a vast collection of articles organized into common hosting categories: email, SSL certificates, domains, EasyWP (Namecheap's WordPress range), and more.

Choosing a section like WordPress displays articles in subsections: Getting Started (Dashboard Overview, How to create a website etc.), WordPress migration, plugins and themes (How to install a new theme), database access, domains and more.

It's both hugely comprehensive, and also surprisingly easy to use. Just scrolling down the WordPress category page reveals articles that many users will want to read: 'What's the different between managed WordPress hosting and shared hosting?', 'How to access your WordPress dashboard?', 'How to improve WordPress website security', and many more. This isn't just a place for troubleshooting specific issues; it's somewhere we might happily visit just to learn about a product.

Sometimes you need to solve an immediate problem, of course, and that's where live chat comes in. This worked well for us: chat was always available, the longest we waited for a conversation to begin was around three minutes, and the agents did a good job of identifying our issues, and clearly explaining what to do next.

Our test ticket left us waiting for a little longer, but we still had a reply in around 90 minutes. It was helpful, summarizing everything we needed to know in a single paragraph, and providing a link if we needed to know more.

The lack of any phone option might be an issue for some, but overall Namecheap's support worked well for us, especially considering the (very low) prices you're paying. If this is a key priority for you, check out the support site for yourself; you don't have to be a customer to view it, and just browsing the categories and articles will give you a good idea of how the service could work for you.

Final verdict

Namecheap’s hosting doesn’t quite have the power or features you’ll see with the best of the competition. Still, it could be a wise value choice for first-timers with relatively basic sites, or businesses that can make good use of its more powerful dedicated hosting range.

While the plans we tested didn't offer blazing-fast speeds, we did note that they're steady workhorses that can pull along just fine even at somewhat heavy loads. Combined with their "all-in" services, Namecheap is as good as it gets if you want decent hosting and everything else in one service provider.

Namecheap web hosting FAQsWhat payment types does Namecheap support?

Namecheap accepts payments via card, PayPal and Bitcoin.

(Image credit: Namecheap)Does Namecheap offer refunds?

Namecheap's refund policy is far more complicated than most providers, with all kinds of special clauses and exceptions. Scala Hosting describes its money-back guarantee in under 140 words; Hostwinds, under 180; Namecheap needs more than 1,500.

If we summarize that, as a general rule, Namecheap offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for most shared and VPS hosting packages, and 7 days for dedicated hosting. Add-on products and services mostly aren't covered, with a few exceptions (some domain name renewals are refundable if you make a request within five days of purchase, for instance).

Although we'd prefer a policy that's a little simpler to follow, Namecheap's 30 day refund period is standard for the industry. If you need more, HostGator offers 45 days, InMotion Hosting an exceptional 90 days on many plans.

Does Namecheap have an uptime guarantee?

Namecheap has a 99.9% uptime guarantee for its VPS and reseller accounts, and, unusually, a 100% uptime guarantee for its other shared and dedicated hosting plans.

For every hour of unscheduled maintenance or downtime you experience in a month, Namecheap will offer you a day for free, up to a maximum of one month's free hosting.

This isn't quite as good as it sounds. Other providers typically have a 99.9% uptime guarantee, which translates to an acceptable downtime of 43.83 minutes a month. Although Namecheap specifies a 100% uptime guarantee, it won't begin to pay out until your site has been down for a total of one hour: the company is allowing itself more downtime, not less.

Despite that, Namecheap's deal is still better than we see with many providers. GoDaddy has a 99.9% uptime guarantee, for instance, but if it doesn't meet that, you can only receive a maximum 5% credit for your monthly fee.

Where are Namecheap's data centers?

Web hosts run and maintain their servers in buildings called data centers. A good web host should have plenty of web hosts around the world, and allow you to choose which one will host your site. If your audience is in California, say, selecting a US data center will get you much better performance than something in Australia.

Namecheap has data centers in the USA, UK and Netherlands. There's a catch in an unusual extra $1 a month for choosing the UK or Netherlands locations for some plans (look carefully in the shopping cart when you pick a data center, to be sure you're not caught out.) But if you can live with the price, that should deliver good results for both North American and European customers.

Namecheap's locations aren't much help if you're in Asia, though, and some providers have a more global reach. For example, GoDaddy has data centers in North America, India, Singapore and Europe.

What is my Namecheap IP address?

It's sometimes useful to know the IP address of the server hosting your website. For example, this can help you point a domain you've registered elsewhere to point at your Namecheap web space. Whatever the reason you need the IP, it only takes a moment to locate. Here's what to do.

Log into your Namecheap control panel (ap.www.namecheap.com).

Click 'Hosting List' in the left-hand sidebar.

Find your plan in the Hosting Subscription list, and click its 'GO TO CPANEL' button on the right-hand side.

Look at the General Information box on the right-hand side. Your server IP is listed as the 'Shared IP Address'.

(If you don't see a General Information, find and click the Server Information link).

What are Namecheap's nameservers?

If you have a Namecheap shared hosting package (Stellar, Stellar Plus or Stellar Business), you must use the nameservers dns1.namecheaphosting.com and dns2.namecheaphosting.com.

With other plans, check Namecheap's 'How to connect a domain to a server or hosting’ support document for more information.

(Image credit: Namecheap)How do I cancel a Namecheap product?

Log into your Namecheap control panel (ap.www.namecheap.com).

Click 'Hosting List' on the left-hand side.

If you'd like a plan to expire when its subscription ends, click Auto-Renew to turn it off.

To cancel a plan right now, click the arrow to the right of the 'GO TO CPANEL' link and click Manage.

Click Cancel Service to open the cancellation page and complete its various steps. Be sure to read everything carefully, because there are important details here. You may be told if you can (or can't) get a refund, for instance, and if there's anything else you need to do to cancel the account.

Where can I find my Namecheap support PIN?

Contact Namecheap support with any account-related question and the agent will ask for a support PIN, a secret number which verifies that you're the real account owner.

If you can't remember your PIN, log into the Namecheap account panel (ap.www.namecheap.com), then hover your mouse over (or just click) your account name top-left of the screen. The Security page appears, and your support PIN is listed on the left, in the Access section.

Alternatively, to access the Security page directly, click Profile, Security in the left-hand sidebar.

Edifier M90: One-minute review

When you get into audio, it quickly becomes clear that the best stereo speakers won't be enough. Sure, they'll cover your living room, but what about your desktop? Your TV set-up? It's time to buy more speakers!

...or you could accept the the Edifier M90 speakers' pitch, which is to just buy one pair of speakers that have absolutely loads of connection options. Not only do they have the basics — Bluetooth 6.0 and aux-in — they have support for optical, USB-C in and HDMI eARC.

That latter's a big selling point here, so you can plug the Edifier M90 speakers into your TV without losing audio fidelity, as it's something not offered by too many similar options.

But the real appeal is being able to do all of these things at once: I could connect the Edifier M90 to my TV, turntable, MP3 player and phone all at the same time, and use the remote to flick between them easily. They replaced every part of my hi-fi set-up, just like that.

And you're not replacing them with just anything, either. Thanks to their big mid-bass drivers, these things deliver powerful mids and bass frequencies, defying their relatively compact stature to fill small and medium rooms.

In some cases, the treble was a little weaker than it could have been, but the Connex app equalizer can go some way in fixing that. Although, that may be the only time you use the app, as it doesn't do much else…

If anything will put buyers off the Edifier M90, it's the price. It's not expensive for what you get, but it's a big step up from the Edifier M60, and some might not deem the improved specs or eARC addition worth it.

Edifier M90 review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Announced in January 2026
• On sale in US, not UK or AU yet
• Priced at $369 (about £270, AU$520)

The Edifier M90 were unveiled at the start of 2026, at CES on January 6, and have been slowly rolling out to physical and online store shelves ever since.

They’re priced at $369 (about £270 / AU$520, but a release in the UK or Australia has yet to be confirmed). That’s quite a step up from the $199 / £159 / AU$289 Edifier M60, but it’s fitting for the spec and size increase.

Depending on where you live, these are cheaper or pricier than the five-star Dali Kupid, which go for $599 / £299 / AU$599, and they closely match the $399.99 / £333.32 / A$620 Fluance RI71, two options that are on our list of the best stereo speakers.

Edifier M90 review: Specs

Drivers

1-inch tweeter, 4-inch mid-bass driver

Bluetooth

Bluetooth 6.0

Connections:

Bluetooth, AUX, USB-C, HDMI eARC, optical

Edifier M90 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• USB-C, Bluetooth, optical, 3.5mm and HDMI eARC connections
• App lets you change remote presets
• Built-in amplification and DAC

Perhaps the most tempting reason to buy the Edifier M90 is its range of connection options. You can hook it up to outputs via Bluetooth (at the 6.0 standard), 3.5mm aux-in, USB-C, optical, or HDMI eARC — all at the same time, to jump between using the remote.

The last of those connections is perhaps the most intriguing addition, letting you connect them to your TV so they can be an alternative to a soundbar. This is still relatively uncommon in bookshelf speakers like this (though it's growing).

Edifier has an app, called ConneX, which you can use for a few extra features. Like the remote, ConneX lets you jump between input sources, control your media playback, and see what you’re actually listening to.

But you can also use the app to customize what the remote’s EQ buttons do, tweaking the settings on a nine-band equalizer. You can also set up a custom mode, which I turned into a movie-tuned balance.

As you can tell from that short list of features, ConneX is far from necessary — I didn’t use it for the first few weeks of testing, and didn’t open it again after setting up my equalizers — and I can see many users ignoring it completely.

This means you're not getting any in-app streaming support (since there's no Wi-Fi) or multi-room support. There's no automatic room correction for the sound or anything like that either.

• Features score: 3.5 / 5

Edifier M90 review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• 1-inch driver + 4-inch mid-bass driver
• 50W output for each unit
• Solid bass and mids, trebles could fall out a little

Each Edifier M90 unit has a one-inch tweeter and four-inch mid-bass driver, totaling 50W of amplification, which is naturally doubled for the pair. That’s 100W in total, and it was sufficient for my medium-sized living room as an ersatz soundbar or bookshelf speaker — for a desktop setup, it’ll offer more than enough oomph.

The larger driver does a great job in making a subwoofer feel unnecessary, with bass lines broadcast around my living room and mids given glorious prominence in tunes. Frankly, I was surprised by how much low-end I’d get from songs, given that it’s only 2.0 sound, but it was a supported, scooping bass that maintained clarity.

Higher lines such as tinkling piano, higher-pitched vocals and strings maintained the clarity and detail of bass, but were sometimes a little lost in the mix for certain tracks. Dope Lemon’s Marinade is my go-to track for stereo imaging, and its rhythm guitar was hard to make out from the specific speaker I should have been able to hear it in.

Meanwhile, Michigan Rattlers’ Desert Heat’s sax wasn’t as sparkling as on some other speakers I’ve tested.

Testing the M90s alongside a TV, you’re naturally not getting the soundstage or blasting power of a really big soundbar, but I was pleased with the performance as a solid step up from my set’s built-in speakers. I put it through its paces through a variety of genres, and it was only big, bombastic battle scenes where it felt like it was struggling to express everything.

• Sound quality: 4 / 5

Edifier M90 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Familiar boxy design in white or black
• 8.35 x 5.24 x 8.86 in / 21.2 x 13.3 x 22.5cm, 6.6lbs / 3kg each
• Some controls on back of unit

The Edifier M90 will look familiar to people who’ve been shopping around the brand’s options, as it’s a doppelganger for the M60. You’re getting two clean and simple speakers, with a large woofer topped by a smaller tweeter, in either white or black.

The speakers are 8.35 inches tall, 5.24 inches wide and 8.86 inches deep, so they can fit on your desktop by your monitor, or on a bookshelf (as you can see in the pictures). They’re light enough not to worry fragile shelves, and to be easy to move about your apartment too.

While the M90 look clean at the front, there’s a mess at the back. One of the speakers has five different jacks hidden around the corner – not including the audio input – as well as a power switch and volume dial. We’ll get more into this jacks in the Features section, but because of them, the back of my unit quickly became a mess of cables (as you’ll see in the images).

It’s a little annoying that these controls are hidden around the back of the speaker, but the remote makes up for it.

The in-box remote takes two AAA batteries, and it’s nice and small. It has the expected buttons — volume, skip tracks, mute — as well as options to quickly change the input, which I found useful for changing between my TV connection, Bluetooth phone, and any wired options such as a turntable.

You can also use the remote to flick between three presets: Classic Dynamic and Monitor, which you can set up yourself.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Edifier M90 review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

• Fits many niches in your home hi-fi set-up
• Not quite as good as any one unit it replaces

The Edifier M90’s price step up from its sibling might give some buyers pause, and a good argument would be made for other stereo speaker setups, which could get you more for your money — especially when it comes to better stereo imaging.

But when you consider how versatile the M90s are, the value proposition becomes a little clearer. These aren’t just for your bookshelf, but can be used for your desktop and TV as well. And so they could be a great value option rather than buying separate pieces of tech for your hi-fi setup — a real all-rounder.

• Value: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Edifier M90?

(Image credit: Future)Edifier M90 scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The range of connection options is great, but the app doesn't add much.

3.5 / 5

Sound quality

I was impressed by the bass capability and volume, though could have done with clearer treble.

4 / 5

Design

They're relatively compact and clean-looking, with a useful remote.

4 / 5

Value

As a Swiss Army Knife for audio, they're good value for what they offer.

4 / 5

Buy them if…

You want speakers that connect to your TV
While a soundbar will offer TV-specific sound, the M90 is a music player that just so happens to work with your set.

You have a small or mid-sized room
These won't fill up a huge living room, but for townhouses or rental flats, they're the perfect size.

Don’t buy them if…

You want Wi-Fi streaming
The M90 has a lot of connectivity, but stopped short of Wi-Fi and direct streaming via its app.

You don't want another remote
The remote is the heart of the Edifier M90 experience, and if you have more than you want already, you'll be annoyed that it's all but mandatory here.

Edifier M90 review: Also consider

Dali Kupid
These Dali speakers sound fantastic, don't take up much room and look great too. They're cheaper than the Edifier, except in the US where they cost a lot more.

See our full Dali Kupid review

Fluance Ri71
For detailed high-end sound you'll want the Fluance, which also have loads of connection options and only cost a little more than the M90s.

See our full Fluance Ri71 review

How I tested the Edifier M90

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for several months
• Tested at home connected to phones, laptops, TVs, turntables and more

I used the Edifier M90 for several months before writing this review. In that time I used the M90 alongside a vast range of devices. I connected them wirelessly to several smartphones, via USB-C or aux to phones, MP3 players and laptops, and also to my TV and turntable.

That means they were used for streaming music, records, MP3 tracks, lossless music, movies, TV shows and games. Several devices I've tested in the last few months, including the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Majority MP3 Player, got particular time with the M90.

I've been testing audio products for TechRadar for years, including other Edifier speakers, Bluetooth speakers and headphones.

• First reviewed: May 2026
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Dame Jilly Cooper may no longer be with us, but her legacy continues to speak for itself — and frankly, Rivals season 2 on Hulu and Disney+ is the perfect tribute to the bonkbusting chaos that's synonymous with her name.

Picking up shortly after where we left off in season one, our Rutshire ensemble's collective horniness has turned somewhat sour. Cameron (Nafessa Williams) is lying low after being convinced she's killed her boss, Tony (David Tennant), after battering him with a TV award in self-defense.

Lothario Rupert (Alex Hassell) has immediately jumped to Cameron's defense, which puts his on-off relationship with neighbor Taggie (Bella Maclean) back in the shade. Meanwhile, Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson) and Freddie (Danny Dyer) are desperately trying to hide their feelings for one another, while Sarah (Emily Atack) is trying to climb the ranks at Tony's Corinium TV station, despite some harmful obstacles.

Basically, we've got everything and the kitchen sink on the go, with some signature streamy sex scenes drizzled on top for good measure. But despite getting our pound of naked flesh out of each of the three new episodes, the gang's general air of horniness is nowhere to be seen.

In short, things are on the cusp of taking a turn for the worse in Rivals season 2, so it's almost no wonder that we're being left on tenterhooks before the remainder of the season drops later in the year. But one man's tale of desperation (Rupert's) is another's insatiable binge (ours).

Rivals season 2 opens up another hornet's nest — but it's not full of headiness or heartache

If I'm honest, I'm still not entirely sure if I love or loathe Rivals season 2's swing further into clothes-on heated rivalry. Tennant's Tony Baddingham is somehow even more odious than in season 1, intent on getting revenge against Rupert, Cameron, Declan (Aiden Turner), and even Sarah in one fell swoop.

For me, Declan and family are easily the weakest link of the season. While Declan gets lost in Cameron and Rupert's drama with Tony, wife, Maud (Victoria Smurfit), is on screen for what feels like all of two seconds. Taggie, relentlessly pining after Rupert, is starting to get tiresome, too.

But their loss means gains are made elsewhere, especially with Tony's long-suffering wife Monica (Claire Rushbrook). She's finally starting to bite back against Tony's adulterous ways, and instead of moping in bed with a pile of shaggy dogs on her lap (not a euphemism), she's starting to see the benefits. More of this energy in season two, part two, please.

Everyone else is feeling too stressed or fearful to be in desperate need of sex — so while steamy scenes are still present, they're often blink-and-you 'll-miss-them. The boisterous bonking in Rivals is both half the fun of watching and is integral to the show's DNA, so the missing heady energy is noticeable.

Dame Jilly Cooper's legacy is continuing in the safest of hands

A pantry lock-in...? (Image credit: Disney+)

What is clear about Rivals season 2 is that Cooper has obvious involvement over every inch of these episodes, with the bulk of production happening before her death in October 2025. Her input is clear, concise and has been carried off with aplomb, speaking to how highly the show will be treated in her absence.

What's more is that we're starting to see the seedlings of the JCU (Jilly Cooper Universe) being sown. Avid novel readers will know that Polo takes place between Cooper novels Riders and Rivals... and without giving anything away, there's an eye-popping ode to how the Rutshire Chronicles could easily be expanded into on TV.

My personal shoutouts of the season? Emily Atack's quietly devastating portrayal of Sarah's solo storyline, and the gift that keeps on giving in the form of Lizzie and Freddie's will-they-won't-they-affair. It's the most wholesome part of the salacious series, and that's considering the fact that they're literally cheating on their spouses.

Has Rivals season 2 made sure that it's the most bashful, bawdy and bonkers show available to stream? Absolutely. Is it a slight step down from season 1? Possibly. But will it likely pick back up with a vengeance later in the year? I'd put money on it.

8BitDo Pro 3: One-minute review

In the half-decade or so I’ve been testing gaming hardware, I’ve loved almost every 8BitDo product I’ve reviewed. The 8BitDo Pro 3 is no exception. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s the best budget-friendly controller on the market today. Yes, even beating out other desirable choices like the GameSir Nova Lite.

Contrary to its appearance, the 8BitDo Pro 3 isn’t just the Pro 2 in a particularly slim-fitting trenchcoat. It looks identical to its predecessor, sure, but 8BitDo has refined the newer gamepad to what feels like its logical conclusion. TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance; essentially an improvement over Hall effect) thumbsticks, swappable magnetic face buttons, micro switch trigger locks, charging dock, and two additional remappable buttons for a total of four are all additions here.

Then there’s the d-pad, which, despite being a simpler cardinal design, is one of the nicest-feeling I’ve ever had the chance to play around with. It’s rugged and precise, smartly avoiding that spongy, mushy feel that you find on a lot of retro-inspired controllers.

(Image credit: Future)

You’re getting a symmetrical stick layout here, which isn’t too common in the third-party controller space, especially beyond the realm of PlayStation and its current DualSense controller. And while you’re not getting compatibility with Sony’s machine (or Xbox consoles for that matter), the 8BitDo Pro 3 is broadly compatible with PC, Switch, Switch 2, as well as iOS and Android devices. For connectivity, your options are 2.4GHz (with dongle included), Bluetooth, and good ol’ wired via USB-C.

Battery life can vary, though I found the 8BitDo Pro 3 outlasts the pricier 8BitDo Ultimate 2 on this front. The brand states you’ll get around 20 hours per charge, but this all depends on your personal usage. Hopping between Switch 2 and PC (Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connectivity, respectively), I managed around 15 hours before needing to top up. On average, that still beats out the Ultimate 2’s 10-15 hours.

The only gripes I have with the Pro 3 are minimal; nice-to-haves, if anything. I’m not a fan of the Start/Select buttons being crammed right in the center, and they’re a bit mushy to the touch. And I think the lack of a 3.5mm port for wired headphones is a shame, though the Ultimate controllers didn’t have one of these, either.

Those nitpicks aside, if you’re in the market for a new PC and/or Switch-facing controller and you don’t want to break the bank, buy the 8BitDo Pro 3. For now, it’s the last word in budget-friendly controllers and, astonishingly, has none of the usual concessions made to get it down to a price this low.

(Image credit: Future)8BitDo Pro 3: Price and availability

• Costs $59.99 / £40 (around AU$84)
• Available to buy now at 8BitDo’s Amazon store page
• No set price in the UK, but hovers around £40-£50 depending on colorway

The 8BitDo Pro 3 launched in 2025 and is available to buy right now from 8BitDo’s Amazon store page. In the US, you can get it for $59.99, which puts it in roughly the same price range as the GameSir Tarantula Pro — a similarly brilliant Switch-facing symmetrical controller. That’s also cheaper than the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller; ideal if you’re shopping for a pad for the handheld hybrid that doesn't empty your bank account.

Things get a bit weird in the UK, price-wise. At Amazon, I’ve seen the 8BitDo Pro 3 hover anywhere between £40-£50 on the brand’s official store page, and there doesn’t appear to be a set-in-stone retail price for it. It’s worth noting that these aren’t second-hand listings, either. Best not to look a gift horse in the mouth, though; if you’re in the UK, you’re getting the 8BitDo Pro 3 at an aggressive price given its quality and feature set.

8BitDo Pro 3: Specs

Price

$59.99 / £40 (around AU$84)

Weight

8.5oz / 242g

Dimensions

6.1 x 3.9 x 2.6in / 154 x 101 x 65mm

Compatibility

Switch, Switch 2, PC, iOS, Android

Connection type

Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)

Battery life

15-20 hours

8BitDo Pro 3: Design and features

• Build looks like a SNES controller with modern flourishes
• A focus on tactility and immediacy
• Neat extras like trigger locks and swappable face buttons

Put the 8BitDo Pro 3 and its predecessor side-by-side, and you might not notice any immediate differences. They broadly share the same silhouette, looking like a SNES pad with grips bolted on. And those flat, slightly curved shoulder buttons almost look like they were taken wholesale from that iconic 16-bit era controller.

It’s not just looks that 8BitDo has borrowed from Nintendo’s playbook, though. Nearly every module on the controller — from sticks and d-pad to face buttons and triggers — has been implemented with tactility in mind. I know, that’s not uncommon for the modern controller, but it’s still fairly rare to see in the Pro 3’s price bracket.

One example is the simply sublime d-pad here. It’s not much of a looker, and its bumpy texturing gives the impression of something clunky and toy-like. In reality, it’s exceptionally comfortable and offers a level of precision that even Nintendo’s pricey Switch 2 Pro Controller d-pad can’t match.

(Image credit: Future)

Another more interesting feature the 8BitDo Pro 3 has is its magnetic, swappable face buttons. These are more for show than anything, but they’re a neat extra that lends the controller some personality. An obvious usage here is that you can swap around the ‘ABXY’ layout based on Switch/XInput preferences.

There’s also a multicolored set of face buttons included in a latch underneath the charging dock (where you’ll also find the 2.4GHz dongle) and a small plunger-like item that you stick onto the buttons to remove them with ease. Don’t worry, though; the buttons themselves don’t feel loose and won’t come off during play.

All around, it’s a great-feeling package, though the one area where design lets me down (and hasn’t been improved on since the Pro 2) is the rather mushy Start and Select buttons. These are reminiscent of the squishier buttons found on the SNES pad, so it’s likely this is another continued design inspiration. They just don’t feel particularly great to press and lack that immediacy shown off by everything else on the Pro 3.

8BitDo Pro 3: Performance

• Heaps of customizability
• 15-20 hours of battery life
• Trigger locks and claw grip bumper buttons feel great

I test and review controllers pretty frequently, and often, switching from one to another can take a bit of getting used to, especially when there are differences in size and button/stick layouts. In contrast, the 8BitDo Pro 3 felt immediately comfortable to use thanks to a rounded design that sits in the hands just right.

Except for the Start and Select buttons, which I feel are just a bit too crammed together in the center, everything else rests under your thumbs and index fingers just right. Those long, rounded bumper buttons act as a nice cushion for your fingers, and the new claw-grip remappable bumpers next to them sit under your fingertips. I love these, especially, as they’re wonderfully clicky and responsive. I’ve even taken to mapping them to my trigger actions in Final Fantasy 14 Online, for extremely quick access to skills on my hotbars.

Briefly, I’ll go over how you can actually make use of these extra remappable buttons yourself, because it’s not immediately obvious. You can set them in the excellent Ultimate Software V2 app for PC (which also lets you tinker with vibration strength, button macros, and stick sensitivity). But a quicker way to do it is to hold one of these buttons in tandem with your input of choice and the ‘Star’ button found on the bottom-left of the controller. It can be fiddly, especially if you’re binding multiple inputs, but it’s much faster and easier this way if you don’t have immediate access to a PC.

A similar series of inputs applies to the Pro 3’s ‘Turbo’ functionality, which enables the repeated pressing of an input simply by holding a button down — handy for arcade games and shoot-em-ups that don’t already have a turbo function built in. To enable Turbo on the Pro 3, just hold down the button you’d like to assign Turbo to, in addition to the Star and Home buttons. To disable it, repeat that very same input.

Now, I’ve yapped on about responsiveness a lot, but it really is the name of the game here. There’s wonderful precision to every module found on the 8BitDo Pro 3. The exceptional d-pad is a highlight, as I mentioned at the top. Those TMR thumbsticks are incredibly smooth, too, and as someone who prefers a shorter trigger pull, the digital trigger locks featured here work wonderfully.

That last point is important, as I’ve tested many a budget pad like the HyperX Clutch Gladiate, which had trigger locks that rendered the triggers completely unusable for most games. That’s why I appreciate it all the more when a cheap controller actually puts the effort in.

Battery life isn’t exactly class-leading, but I managed around 15-20 hours on a full charge, which is in line with what 8BitDo estimates on its website. Out of the box, battery life is at roughly half, so I recommend topping up via USB-C or with the included charging dock before your first use.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the 8BitDo Pro 3?Buy it if…

You want something highly customizable
Hardware-wise, you’ve got those swappable magnetic face buttons, which are a real delight. And on the software front, the excellent Ultimate Software V2 lets you get really granular with vibration strength, stick sensitivity, and more.

You’re in need of a performant controller suitable for all genres
I adore the responsiveness and durability of the Pro 3. Drift-beating TMR sticks, tactile buttons, and that glorious d-pad make playing games both old and new a real joy.

Don’t buy it if…

You want a pad for other consoles
I’ve no doubt that there’ll be at least an Xbox version of the Pro 3 down the line. But right now, if you’re in need of a controller for Xbox or PlayStation consoles, the Pro 3 won’t fit the bill unfortunately.

You like hooking up wired headphones to your controller
A lack of 3.5mm headphone port here is a real shame, especially as the Xbox version of the Pro 2 (not to mention the Ultimate 2) had one. It’s true that this is a more Bluetooth-centric gamepad, but Bluetooth headset connectivity on Switch and Switch 2 is pretty dire, so a wired option would’ve been nice to have here.

Also consider...

If the 8BitDo Pro 3 isn’t quite what you’re after, I’ve highlighted a couple more products from the brand that I recommend.

8BitDo Pro 3

8BitDo Ultimate 2

8BitDo Pro 2

Price

$59.99 / £40 (around AU$84)

$59.99 / £49.99 (around AU$90)

$49.99 / £33.89 (around AU$74)

Weight

8.5oz / 242g

8.7oz / 246g

8.0oz / 228g

Dimensions

6.1 x 3.9 x 2.6in / 154 x 101 x 65mm

5.7 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 147 x 103 x 61mm

6.1 x 3.9 x 2.6in / 154 x 101 x 65mm

Compatibility

Switch, Switch 2, PC, iOS, Android

PC, Android (Switch version sold separately)

Switch, Switch 2, PC, iOS, Android

Connection type

Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)

Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)

Wireless (Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)

Battery life

15-20 hours

10-15 hours

15-20 hours

8BitDo Ultimate 2
While I honestly think the Pro 3 goes toe-to-toe with the Ultimate 2, the latter is one I still highly recommend if you prefer an Xbox-like asymmetrical stick layout. Other flourishes like RGB ring lights add some nice cosmetic flair, and you’ll find many of the same desirable features here, like claw-grip buttons, trigger locks, and TMR thumbsticks. A real winner.

Read our full 8BitDo Ultimate 2 review

8BitDo Pro 2
Older, but cheaper than the 8BitDo Pro 3. If you don’t mind losing 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, and are okay with Hall effect sticks as opposed to TMR, you’ll find a similarly high quality play experience here.

Read our full 8BitDo Pro 2 review

How I tested the 8BitDo Pro 3

• Tested for three weeks
• Primarily tested on PC and Switch 2 with both wireless and wired connections
• Played a variety of single and multiplayer games

For this review, I ended up testing the 8BitDo Pro 3 for around three weeks. I put it through its paces with games of all kinds, from the high-difficulty Savage raids of Final Fantasy 14 Online to the hilariously off-kilter vibes of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream.

The controller felt more than well-equipped for any kind of game thrown at it. That extends to fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8, and retro racers on PC via emulation, including NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona and Ridge Racer Type 4.

Naturally, I also found the Pro 3 to be fantastic for arcade games thanks to its remappable buttons and Turbo functionality. On this front, playing titles like DoDonPachi Resurrection on PC as well as Metal Slug 3 and Rave Racer on Nintendo Switch 2 felt just right.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2026

I’m a nerd when it comes to monitors. And, a bougie, particular, and spoiled nerd at that. I have had the great honor of working with and owning some of the best-of-the-best for years now.

For this monitor, I’ll be honest, I expected it to be a subpar tool that I'd try and love, only to realize I would rather go back to what I know and love. I thought it would be one of those things where I think “ok, on paper it’s good, but I’ll just give it a shot to see if it’s any good in person.” Well, it’s been 128 days since I put this monitor on one of my heavily used setups, and now I can’t imagine ever taking it off my desk.

I spend 5+ days a week, around 45+ hours total, on-site at a larger church where I serve on staff. I sit or stand at my desk there for a good chunk of that time, pouring over whatever system I am working on at that given time. I’m pulling up documents, databases, programming tools, webpages, third-party tools, custom tools, web-developer tools, coding windows, and so much more.

All of it so far has been absolutely gorgeous on this panel. My desk is right next to a window too, and the nano matte panel doesn’t show much glare at all, which I am truly appreciative of, because otherwise I probably wouldn’t be able to have my desk in this perfect location.

This is the kind of monitor that is a jack of all business professional trades. It’s one of the best monitors for programming, but of course, that’s what it’s built for, but outside of that, it’s also just a really good productivity monitor. The 3:2 aspect ratio matters, offering more vertical space without compromising horizontal space.

I could go on and on, but let’s get to the review of this BenQ RD280UG panel.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )BenQ RD280UG: Unboxing and First Impressions

BenQ unboxings are all pretty much the same. A well-built box with a bit of origami to open it up, and then unfold the base, stand, monitor, cables, and documentation. Within the cables, there is an HDMI 2.1 cable, a USB-C Cable, a USB upstream cable, and an IEC power cable, which is a big deal since some monitors I see these days don’t have a standard IEC.

I put the monitor on the stand for about 12 seconds, and then chose to pop this display up on my monitor arms for this desk. Right away, I noticed the extra height from a standard 16:9 monitor, and I quickly got used to the chin. Sadly, this means that you won’t get to do some orientations you could with other monitors that have a standard chin, such as flipping this guy around to be vertical or stacked with this one on top, etc. however, if you plan to use this as a primary monitor or even side by side, or if you’re feeling crazy putting this as a top monitor but upside down in a stacked orientation, then you’ll be great.

Within the box, BenQ managed to fit in an HDMI 2.1 Cable, a USB-C cable, another USB-C to use if you want to connect your HDMI Device to the KVM, an IEC Power cable, and the documentation, in addition to the stand and panel, of course.

Right off the bat, this monitor screams business and professional. It’s like a utility truck, not a sports car. This is the kind of display you want to rely on for everything, not show off to all your friends. The three-tubed panel immediately changes how you work within the provided workspace, allowing significantly more content, even though there's not much more screen. With how macOS scales, it feels significantly larger.

The last thing I'll mention in this section is the Moon Halo bias lighting, which is the light ring around the back of the monitor. That is built into the center circle surrounding the mounting bracket's face. This kind of bias lighting provides smooth, soft, diffused light across the entire back of the monitor. Just the top half or just the bottom half allows for both brightness and temperature changes. While it may seem like a small thing, it actually makes this monitor feel significantly more premium and far more enjoyable to use, especially in a dark environment or against a wall.

BenQ RD280UG: Design & Build Quality

I said it up above, but the 3:2 aspect ratio is the clear headline design choice for this kind of monitor. It's what makes this one stand out from the others in its class, along with other elements that make this monitor great, but the aspect ratio is what stands out.

This panel also has a great 120Hz refresh rate, fantastic ports, 2000:1 contrast upgrade, and P3 color coverage. In short, this monitor feels like it has no compromises because for 99% of people, it does not. The only people who may feel limited in this are those who need a very specific monitor type, particularly those who need a specific color rendering or another niche specialty. For everyone else, this monitor feels like overkill — in the best way possible.

The last thing I’ll mention regarding the design and build quality of the fantastic RD28OUG is the ease of connecting to a single cable to a monitor or docking station. Sure, if you want to run through the other video ports, you are more than welcome to. But if you want a simple design or setup, you can charge your laptop with a single cable, 90W to your monitor, for full use.

BenQ RD280UG: In use

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

I’ve had this monitor at one of my primary workstations for three months now. In that time, I’ve used it for an average of 8 hours a day, 4-5 days a week. And, I have not been able to say enough good things about it.

It has been spectacular for productivity, some light coding I have tested just to try it out, research, AI work, project management, web development, writing, AI tooling, and so much more. It has been my primary monitor for all of the many things I do at this desk, and I have loved using this panel.

The extra height makes a massive difference, especially if you switch back to a 16:9 right after using this, you notice that everything feels squatty and wide, not able to give you a full height understanding of the page.

Further, while it may not be the most color-accurate display on paper, I have found it to be wonderful to look at for some light photo work, light video work, and website work. This is made even better with the bias lighting created via the MoonHalo on the back.

I love how it automatically turns on and off and also, paired with my BenQ ScreenBar, I walk up to my workspace and plug in my machine to be then greeted by warm light that fills my space, and when I unplug and walk away, it turns off, almost making my workspace feel alive, ready to work with me.

BenQ RD280UG: Final verdict

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

This display is premium, elegant, functional, and great for most. While it is absolutely overkill for many, if you want a no-compromise monitor with some fun functionality in the MoonHalo, KVM, and PD, then this is well worth the consideration. That’s even without discussing every key feature of this monitor.

Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future

For more top-performers, we've tested the best business monitors.

Now that two of us from the TechRadar Gaming team have spent hours in free-to-play third-person action looter-shooter Tom Clancy's The Division: Resurgence - and I, as the big Division fan, am still committing hours to it - we are happy to report that it's a terrific mobile game and proof that big AAA series from console and PC can successfully make the jump over to the small screen to produce something excellent.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Android
Available on: Android, iOS, PC
Release date: March 31, 2026

Every element of the core Division experience is here. The systems work and are easily navigable on a different scale, the combat is still fun and engaging, and the loot-and-improve loop is just as moreish.

Combine that with a story that’s relatively plain but one that perfectly complements the events of the first game and will be best enjoyed by existing fans, and a well-realized version of that post-apocalyptic New York City setting (complete with weather effects and a robust standard of graphical quality) as well as an intuitive and excellent control scheme on mobile, and the experience is complete.

It’s winter in NYC again

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

As an agent of the Strategic Homeland Division (SHD) activated after the deadly Green Poison rips through the populace after spreading on money during Black Friday, your job is to save what’s left of the civilized world, help out its inhabitants, defeat factions looking to take control, and build up the SHD’s presence.

You might not have a military background, but you do have access to weapons, gear, and specialist skills and abilities. You’ll choose the latter by picking a specialization based on some pretty typical video game archetypes: there’s a tanky one, a healer, an assault expert, and an engineer type. Familiar skills such as the shield and gun combo, turrets and drones, and an excellent pulse ability work beautifully once again as you tear up Resurgence’s streets.

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

It’s worth noting that the protagonist actually offers something more than those found in the main games, too: they’re fully voiced and, as such, feel like more of a character. It’s a welcome move as spending hundreds of hours in the likes of The Division 2 and its many expansions, and even the Ghost Recon games, without saying a single word felt odd. Still, it is a shame that there aren’t more character customization options for the lead in Resurgence, which may irk some used to more expansion character creation systems.

Your chatty agent can combine your preferred specialization with a host of different weapons, which provide a huge range of ways to play. From assault rifles to sub-machine guns and high-powered shotguns to marksman rifles, there are loads of combos to try out, and you’ll also have lots of opportunity to level up and improve gear, and make it your own with a variety of attachments.

Best bit

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

The loot-improve-loot loop is incredibly satisfying in The Division: Resurgence and will constantly have you chasing better weapons and gear to optimize builds and improve your power score, and take down baddies with greater ease.

Most of your time will be spent in the expansive PvE part of the New York map, which features a host of recognizable foes for returning players. There’s the Rikers and fire-crazy Cleaners, as well as a newer faction in the form of the Freemen.

As you cross the map, unlocking safe houses and new areas, you’ll carry out a lot of story missions and side missions that take place up and down the streets. Th overall story are nothing to really write home about, but one specific gripe I do have is that at multiple points in the main story (and thus overall progress) are level gated, requiring you to grind.

At least the selection of enemy nests, alcoves, and urban squares all make for fun and action-packed arenas. The world is very nicely executed on the whole, and does a great job of nailing the aesthetic and vibes of the original game.

Encounters can feel straightforward in design, but still manage to be suitably high-octane and high-tension. It’s a great mix to have, as you can settle into the rhythm of looting, but still have to sometimes get creative and tactical to get yourself out of sticky situations.

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

For committed looter shooter players, the extraction shooter style Dark Zone is back to provide a sterner PvPvE test, while Conflict offers a dedicated PvP mode for those who fancy testing their skills against other players directly. As someone who prefers cooperation over competition, I’ve really enjoyed the fact that the open world is shared with other players, and there are ample informal opportunities to help others or be helped by them with no matchmaking necessary.

While pouring time into the game to level up my character, I soon found that Resurgence really scratched that looter-shooter itch of needing to find more gear to improve, take down enemies more efficiently, and get even more gear in the process. The steady stream of upgrades keeps pulling you along, as does the desire for the XP gained from main and side missions.

The handful of ongoing elements in the game, such as weekly and daily tasks and plenty of fresh bounties, should also be enough to keep fans engaged over the long term, too. Adjacent to this, the series' monetization and microtransactions are, naturally, present too, and while they can largely be ignored and not engaged with, it is a looming factor.

Running the streets

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

While the game successfully translates the core experience established in The Division series, it’s another thing to have it perform on smaller, less powerful hardware.

With the visual settings cranked up to max, environments in Resurgence certainly look the part. It feels very faithful to the original 2016 game, thanks to its highly atmospheric snowy New York streets and a great level of environmental detail. It can achieve a mostly solid 30fps on a beefy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered gaming tablet, though cracks do start to show if you want to hit a higher framerate.

Dash mostly plays on the medium pre-set in order to reach a smooth 45 fps, and the difference in quality is stark. The models of prominent objects, like abandoned cars, look slightly lower fidelity, and the textures become quite muddy. Render distance takes a bit of a hit, too, resulting in quite obvious pop-in on the horizon as you explore. The game is still perfectly playable and holds up decently well on a smaller phone screen, but it’s not as good-looking as similar AAA mobile releases like Delta Force and Once Human.

Even when it looks a bit grim, the game still feels fantastic to play as touch controls are brilliantly implemented. The layout (which includes a wealth of movement options like vaulting, diving, and jumping into cover in addition to your standard virtual thumbstick and aiming stroke firing buttons) does a commendable job of translating a The Division 2-like control scheme to a touch screen format.

The control scheme will be instantly familiar to existing fans and intuitive to those new to the franchise, but we think it really excels when played with a controller

Although it's no trouble for experienced touch control players, there are still loads of options to simplify the controls if you’re finding it a little too much. This includes the ability to automate entering cover, aiming down sights, climbing, or vaulting. You even have the option to aim weapons from a first-person perspective, something found in the recent Ghost Recon games but a new and welcome addition for The Division.

Mobile controller support is top-notch, too, as we tested multiple mobile pads from the likes of GameSir, Nacon, SteelSeries, and 8BitDo that all enabled the game to be played exactly like one can play The Division 2 on console.

The control scheme will be instantly familiar to existing fans and intuitive to those new to the franchise, but we think it really excels when played with a controller.

Should I play Tom Clancy's: The Division Resurgence?Play it if...

You’re a Division fan looking for a brand-new adventure in the universe
If, like Rob you’re a committed Division fan, then you’ll find Resurgence goes a long way to fulfilling the desire for a new Division experience. The story is canon and fits into the wider lore, the loop is excellent and moreish, the action is satisfying and punchy, and it looks great if you have the appropriate hardware.

You’re looking for your next mobile game to commit to and really spend some time in
There’s a lot to get your teeth into in this mobile , and if you’ve been looking for your next — or first — big live service mobile game, then this will keep you interested for ages.

You’ve been curious about mobile gaming and wanted a high-profile game to dive into
Gone are the days when ‘mobile gaming’ would conjure up images of boring puzzle games. Resurgence shows that high-profile AAA series can masterfully make the jump over to mobile.

Don't play it if...

You only have access to slightly older hardware
Sadly, The Division Resurgence will struggle on older devices, so if you have something more than a few years old, then you may have to pass on the game for now.

You hate level-gating and the presence of monetization
The monetization in the game isn't too aggressive or invasive — I've managed to ignore it mostly — but it lingers in the game. The level-gating in the main storyline is more egregious, though, and really will irk folks who just want seamless progression of both story and game.

Accessibility features

Tested as it was initially released as a mobile game, The Division Resurgence sadly doesn’t have a huge number of accessibility features. While there are a host of settings around controls that allow you to change sensitivity across touch, controller, or even mouse and keyboard inputs and gyro sensitivity, there is no way to change subtitle size or color (though you can change languages), no colorblind modes, or extra audio settings.

There are also some assists you can alter with to find the right balance of play, such as aim assists, aiming down sights settings, and things like vaulting and climbing can be toggled to become automatic.

How we reviewed The Division Resurgence

We tested The Division Resurgence in both single-player and multiplayer modes for many hours. Dash tested the game on an Honor Magic 8 Pro, while Rob used a Samsung S20 Ultra (which was only capable of running it on the lowest settings), and then an Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro combined with a Nacon MGX-Pro mobile gaming controller.

Rob also tested the game using other mobile controllers such as the 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller, the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth controller, and a Stratus+ from SteelSeries. Often using the ROG Phone 8 Pro's own speakers for audio, he also tried the game through the new SteelSeries Arcits Nova Pro Omni headset.

While Dash is TechRadar Gaming’s mobile gaming expert, Rob is a longtime fan of the Division series, having committed hundreds and hundreds of hours to both main games on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 since 2018. He still plays The Division 2 regularly with friends, and is perfectly placed to know what works and what doesn’t in this mobile version.

First reviewed March-May 2026.

iFi GO Link 2 review: two minute reviewSpecifications

Dimensions: 137 x 12 x 7.6mm (5.4 x 0.47 x 0.31”)

Weight: 7.8g (0.3oz)

Frequency response: 10Hz-80kHz (-0.5dB)

Output: 3.5mm stereo/S-Balanced

Hi-Res support: PCM 32-bit/384kHz; DSD256

Output power: ≥1.59V/79mW @ 32Ω / ≥2.0V/14mW @ 300Ω

Connection: USB-C/A/Lightning

The iFi GO Link 2 is designed to do one thing, and it does it very well: it upgrades your laptop or smartphone's audio output to deliver impressive hi-res audio with no fuss and no unnecessary features.

It's a very good way to add wired headphone support to devices that have long since dropped the headphone jack, although if you want to connect 4.4mm headphones you'll need to look at one of iFi's larger DACs: the tiny GO Link 2 has just enough space for one 3.5mm headphone output.

This model delivers lower harmonic distortion and a wider dynamic range, and it does so in a device that's even smaller than the already tiny original. With an unchanged price tag the second-generation GO Link is one of the most affordable ways to improve your audio experience, especially for music on the move.

iFi GO Link 2 review: price and release date

• Released February 2026
• $59 / £59 (about AU$111)

The GO Link 2 was announced in February 2026 with a recommended retail prices of $59 / £59 (about AU$111). That's the same price as the original model and slightly less than the larger GO Link Max, which has a balanced 4.4mm output as well as the standard 3.5mm socket.

Pricing is competitive with the likes of the FiiO KA11 and KA1 headphone DAC/amps.

iFi GO Link 2 review: features

The cable feels a little flimsy but it helps keep the GO Link 2 from being bulky. (Image credit: Future)

• ESS SABRE DAC with up to 6dB extra range
• Low noise floor and low distortion
• S-Balanced 3.5mm output

The GO Link 2 is based on the same ESS SABRE DAC as before, but this time around it comes with what iFi calls Dynamic Range Enhancement, which adds up to 6dB between the loudest and quietest moments. It also features lower harmonic distortion — up to 62% lower than the first-gen model, iFi says.

Although there's only a 3.5mm output, the GO Link 2 features iFi's S-Balanced system which iFi claims significantly reduces crosstalk between channels by "applying balanced circuitry principles to a single-ended headphone output".

This is the first GO Link model that's fully compatible with iFi's Nexis app, which you can use to customize the filters and apply firmware updates — but only on Android so far. As an iPhone/iPad user I wasn't able to take advantage of those features, as the iPhone app wouldn't communicate with the DAC. Hopefully an update is incoming.

Features score: 4 / 5

iFi GO Link 2 review: sound quality

iFi keeps it simple: there's one output and a single color changing status light. (Image credit: Future)

• Impressively loud with great bass
• Excellent clarity and positioning
• Best suited to lower impedance headphones

The GO Link 2 will make you smile. It delivers excellent clarity, a spacious soundstage and a really inviting audio experience, especially on nice headphones. It's pretty great on budget ones, too.

I already have an iFi desktop DAC/amp, and I was pleased by how close this comparatively microscopic model sounded to its much more expensive sibling at sensible listening levels. It's particularly impressive at the low end, which it handles with power and precision, and if you're upgrading your phone or laptop you'll be really pleased that you did.

One of my favourite songs for testing audio is the live version of Peter Gabriel's Digging in the Dirt. It's beautifully performed and recorded, but there's a lot going on from the very low end to the very high, with a subterranean percussive bass, all kinds of instruments, and powerful vocals from Gabriel and Paula Cole. The GO Link 2 took it all in its stride, delivering a deeply involving sound from an Apple Lossless stream. I had a lot of fun with FLACs too, for instance U2's remastered Achtung Baby and Talk Talk's various masterpieces.

The GO Link 2 is surprisingly loud, and louder still when you connect it to a computer: there was a noticeable increase in volume when I played the same Apple Lossless audio on my Mac compared to on my iPhone.

However, I did find that being able to push the headphones harder on my Mac was counter-productive: towards full volume, snare drums and distorted guitars became harsh, while deliberately loud-mastered pop music such as Kygo and Selina Gomez's It Ain't Me became too bright and noticeably distorted by the deep bass notes. The same thing didn't happen on iPhone.

If you like to listen loud on a computer then a desktop DAC or one of iFi's more powerful DACs will have more headroom for your headphones.

Sound quality: 5 / 5

iFi GO Link 2 review: design

• Tiny and minimalist
• 137mm x 12mm x 7.6mm
• 7.8g

Dongles don't get much dinkier than this. The GO Link 2 is absolutely tiny, with the main section smaller than half of a Biro pen. It's 8% smaller than the first generation model, and it's 29% lighter.

There are no buttons, no switches, nothing to turn or poke or press, and because it's too small to have a screen it has a colour-changing status LED instead. That LED is green for PCM audio from 44.1 to 96kHz; yellow for PCM from 176.4 to 384kHz; and blue for DSD256.

The USB-C connector is attached with a short braided cable to the main unit, which has a 3.5mm headphone socket. Although the GO Link 2 is USB-C it comes with adapters for USB-A and Lightning ports, covering all the bases.

The cable feels very thin and I'd worry about it fraying long term; it's a known issue with some of the first-generation models, so it's probably wise to treat the GO Link 2 with care.

Design score: 4 / 5

iFi GO Link 2 review: ease of use and setup

• Plug...
• ...and play
• No buttons, screens or switches

It doesn't get much easier than this: plug it in and you're good to go, although as ever with USB audio devices if you're connecting to a Mac you'll need to tweak Audio and MIDI setup on your computer to enable higher quality than 16-bit/44.1KHz.

It's a shame that the app that enables you to adjust filters and other settings is currently Android-only, although I was quite happy with the out-of-box settings.

Usability and setup score: 4 / 5

iFi GO Link 2 review: value

• Superb value for money
• No unnecessary features or gimmicks
• Even better than the original

The original GO Link is much-loved, and iFi has very sensibly decided not to mess with its winning formula. Instead it's refined it with more dynamic range, even smaller dimensions and the same plug-and-go ease of use. The GO Link 2 is cheap and it'll make you cheerful.

Value score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the iFi GO Link 2?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

S-balanced 3.5mm output and good hi-res audio support. App compatibility is currently Android-only.

4/5

Design

Function over form: tiny size means little room for design flair or fancy features.

4/5

Sound quality

Even better than before with wider range.

5/5

Value

An instant, enjoyable audio upgrade that's perfect for phones.

5/5

Buy it if...

You travel light:
DACs don't get much more diminutive than this. The GO Link 2 is a pocket rocket.

You're hungry for hi-res:
The GO Link 2 supports DSD256 and up to 384kHz PCM audio.

You're into IEMs
Low noise, punchy lows and great clarity make this an excellent partner for IEMs.

Don't buy it if...

You have hungry headphones
The GO Link 2 is too small to pack the power output of a dedicated desktop DAC.

You keep losing your keys
If you tend to misplace or lose small things, this is not the device for you.View Deal

iFi GO Link 2 review: Also consider

FiiO's KA1 is similarly small and equally affordable, but unlike the GO Link 2 it also supports MQA rendering. It's available in both USB-C and Lightning options.

For an extra 20% over the GO Link 2 or KA1's price you could buy iFi's larger but still eminently portable GO Link Max, which has higher power output and both 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced outputs.

How I tested the iFi GO Link 2

• Open-back, closed-back and IEM headphones
• Lossy streaming, lossless FLAC and multitrack Logic Pro projects

I tested the iFi GO Link 2 for 10 days using my usual headphones and IEMs: BeyerDynamic DT990 Pro open-back headphones, DT770 closed-back headphones, and the affordable and punchy SoundMagic E11C IEMs.

I listened to a range of music on my iPhone 16 Pro, my iPad Pro and my Mac mini, with sources including lossy and lossless streaming, uncompressed multitrack projects on my Mac, and FLAC audio files.

• First reviewed: May 2026
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

ZimaBoard 2: 30-second review

IceWhale built its reputation on a simple idea: affordable, hackable, x86 single-board servers for people who want control over their own data. The original ZimaBoard launched in 2021 on Kickstarter. Using an Intel Apollo Lake processor, it offered a level of expandability that ARM-based boards crowding the market at the time couldn’t match. Four years later, the company is back with the ZimaBoard 2, and the update is substantial in all the ways that matter most.

The new board harnesses the power of the Intel N150 processor from the Twin Lake family, silicon that IceWhale claims delivers roughly three times the CPU performance over the Apollo.

Alongside that comes faster LPDDR5x memory, an upgraded PCIe Gen 3 x4 slot, dual 2.5GbE networking, and the same passively cooled all-aluminium chassis concept that made the first board so appealing to homelab builders.

Two variants are available at retail: the ZimaBoard 2 832 with 8GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC, and the ZimaBoard 2 1664 with 16GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC. Both ship pre-installed with ZimaOS, and both support a wide range of alternative operating systems if you prefer something else.

While it is possible to get N150 PC systems for less than even the cheaper 832 model, these don’t typically offer a PCIe slot, so this hardware might interest those developing a solution based on an X4 slot. But it might also be useful, as it's passively cooled, to those creating embedded solutions, such as automated signage.

The ZimaBoard 2, like its predecessor, is a unique offering that isn’t expensive for the flexibility it provides. However, there are cheaper ways to get a small N150 system running TrueNAS or Proxmox, and a Raspberry Pi can run some of the apps, like Pi-Hole, that this system might otherwise be useful for.

I'm not sure this hardware is generic enough to be one of our best NAS devices for home and small business users, but there are people who will be attracted to what it has to offer.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)ZimaBoard 2: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $279
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Direct from IceWhale

There are two versions of the Zimaboard 2: a cheaper 832 model with 8GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage, and a slightly more expensive 1664 model with double the memory and storage. Since you can’t upgrade either the memory or the eMMC storage, it would be a good idea to choose wisely before purchasing either.

Direct from IceWhale, the pricing is $279 for the 832 and $349 for the 1664 model, though shipping costs vary by location.

It is possible to get it from an online retailer, such as Amazon, but the 1664 model is $399.90 in the US and £322.99 in the UK.

For those in Europe, the Euro prices are €238.62 and €298.49 respectively. Currently, the online shop allows you to buy from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Korea. All these locations can be paid either in the local currency or US dollars, with the curious exception of the UK, where it can only be paid in dollars.

That doesn’t seem expensive, until you put these numbers against what you might pay for a mini PC.

For example, the GMK NucBox G3 Pro costs less, $259 on Amazon.com, which gets you an Intel Core i3-10110U Processor (Beats 4300U/N150), 8GB DDR4, 256GB of M.2 SATA storage, and it includes WiFi and Bluetooth. Storage and memory are upgradable, and there is a second M.2 slot.

That’s from a known brand. But if you just want an N150 mini PC or NAS, then less than $200 is possible via Amazon, and even cheaper systems can be found on AliExpress.

Unless you want a specific feature of the ZimaBoard 2, such as passive cooling or an external PCIe slot, there are cheaper options available.

• Value: 3.5 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)ZimaBoard 2: Specs

Model:

1664 Model

CPU:

Intel Processor N150 (Twin Lake), quad-core, up to 3.6GHz Turbo

Architecture:

x86-64, 4 cores / 4 threads

Cache:

6MB

GPU:

Intel UHD Graphics (24 EUs) at 1000MHz

TDP:

6W PBP (configured at 10W)

Memory:

16GB LPDDR5x at 4800MHz (soldered)

Storage:

64GB eMMC (OS storage)

SATA Ports

2 x SATA III (6Gbps) for HDD or SSD

Max SATA Capacity

Up to 36TB via two drives

PCIe Expansion

NVMe SSD, 10GbE NIC, GPU, AI accelerator via PCIe Gen 3x4 slot

Ethernet

2 x 2.5GbE (Intel i226 controllers)

USB

2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A)

Display

1 x Mini DisplayPort 1.4 (4K60 output)

Audio

None onboard

WiFi / Bluetooth

None onboard (PCIe expansion required)

PCIe Slot

1 x PCIe 3.0 x4 (side-mounted, external)

Supported Add-ins

10GbE NIC, NVMe adapter, GPU, AI accelerator, WiFi card

Fan Header

Optional fan header for PCIe card cooling

Pre-cut PCIe Section

Accommodates longer PCIe cards

Dimensions

140 x 83 x 31mm

Chassis

Full aluminium enclosure doubling as a heatsink

Cooling

Fully passive (fanless); optional fan via header

Power Supply

12V DC 60W adapter included

Packaging

Box can be repurposed as a stand for the board and two 2.5in drives

Bundled OS

ZimaOS (Linux-based, pre-installed on eMMC)

Alt OS Support

TrueNAS, Proxmox, Debian, Ubuntu Server, pfSense, OpenWrt, Windows, LibreELEC

App Store

372 one-click install applications via ZimaOS

Container Support

Docker built in via ZimaOS

VM Support

Yes (limited by 4-core CPU; single VM recommended)

Remote Access

Via Zima Client (Mac, PC, iOS, Android)

Warranty

2-year warranty

ZimaBoard 2: Design

• All-metal construction
• Passively cooled
• PCIe 3.0 x4 slot

While I’ve seen even smaller, the ZimaBoard 2 is tiny for an Intel X86 platform. At just 140 x 83 x 31 mm, it sits comfortably in the palm of one hand, and the full aluminium chassis that encloses it is doing two jobs at once: protecting the electronics and acting as a radiator for internal heat ace. There is no fan, no vent, and no thermal compound to manage. The board runs silently under all circumstances, which is either its most appealing feature or a cause for concern, depending on what stress you plan to put it under.

IceWhale has kept the layout practical. Ports are clearly labelled, and the side-mounted PCIe 3.0 x4 slot is pre-cut to accept longer cards. A fan header is present for those who add a PCIe card that runs warm. The packaging has a clever trick: the cardboard box is designed so that cutting the lid converts it into a stand for the board and two 2.5in drives, which is a small but thoughtful touch for a product aimed squarely at budget-conscious builders.

However, in this reviewer's view, hot electronics and cardboard aren’t perfect bedfellows, and I do recommend spending another $30 on the aluminium rack tray accessory IceWhale offers.

It’s a bit of an exercise to mount the ZimaBoard 2 to that rack, but it makes the drives and any PCIe cards you attach seem much more secure and part of the system.

As a method to reduce the amount of internal heat generated, this system doesn’t have an internal PSU, opting instead for an external 12V wall socket PSU.

That’s fine, since I’d have expected an external supply, but what I’m less thrilled by is the lack of a power button. If you shut this down, unless you’ve configured wake-on-LAN, the only way to restart it is to pull the PSU out and then jam it back into the socket.

The other obvious absence, onboard WiFi, is a deliberate omission rather than an oversight, I believe. IceWhale positions the PCIe slot as the expansion path for wireless, which keeps the base board cost down but means an additional purchase for anyone who cannot run Ethernet. And, to be honest, WiFi seems like a poor use of the only slot, given what else it can be used for.

As I’ll get into in more depth in this review, the PCIe slot is called upon to do plenty of heavy lifting, possibly beyond the point of practicality.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

There is so much focus on the PCIe slot because the unit only has two USB ports. If you intend to attach a keyboard, mouse and anything else USB, you will need a hub. There is only Mini DisplayPort video output, so IceWhale sells a cheap adapter that converts it to HDMI. Which begs the question, why didn’t they just use Mini HDMI and include a cable?

What you do get is dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, which could be channel-bonded to send and receive up to 5Gbps over the network. That works out to about 600 MB/s of transfer, which is faster than the internal eMMC, a SATA-connected SSD, or a hard drive. The only way that network bandwidth could be saturated is for an NVMe to be attached using the PCIe slot.

However, the dual LAN configuration could be extremely useful for those wanting a hardware Firewall or to run Pi-Hole for trapping web adverts before they reach network users.

In conclusion, this is an extremely compact, silent-in-operation design that draws relatively little power and can be used interactively or as an embedded solution.

However, to achieve those things has involved some sacrifices to the specification that may or may not be the sort of trade-off that you are happy with.

• Design: 3.5 / 5

ZimaBoard 2: Features

• Intel N150
• Zero internal upgrades
• Storage choices

The Intel N150 is a Twin Lake processor built on a refined version of Intel's low-power architecture. Four cores running at up to 3.6GHz turbo, with a 6W base power budget and 6MB of cache, represent a clean generational leap over the original ZimaBoard's Apollo Lake silicon, which was already ageing when that product launched.

IceWhale's claim of roughly three times the CPU performance is plausible on paper, and the move to LPDDR5x at 4800MHz sharpens the memory bandwidth picture considerably.

Those things said, the N150 is patently not a multi-VM workhorse. Four cores and four threads impose a real ceiling on anything involving multiple concurrent virtual machines, and those who push the board in that direction will find it hits its limits rapidly under combined GUI VM workloads. For single-VM use cases, light virtualisation, Docker containers, Pi-hole, Home Assistant, Plex, Jellyfin, and general NAS duties, the processor is more than adequate.

But the N150 was never a great experience for Windows, and fitting that OS onto the 64GB of eMMC storage could be challenging. Using the M.2 addon board could provide more space for a larger OS and apps, but with only four cores at its disposal, this is a system to be pragmatic about rather than optimistic.

Where this system is compromised, compared to a typical N150 Mini PC, is that it offers no internal upgrades whatsoever. The memory is soldered in place, and the eMMC storage is also fixed. Yes, you can boot from external storage attached via the PCIe slot or USB, but whatever memory and storage are in the ZimaBoard 2 at purchase is all it will ever have.

In my testing, I explored many of the potential configurations this design allows. These included using it with nothing attached, using USB devices, and using PCIe cards. As this hardware was reviewed alongside the ZimaCube 2, I was able to borrow a PCIe to NVMe card intended for the Zima Cube, and put an NVMe drive on that, which worked fine.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

I also attached a 20TB Seagate IronWolf Pro, which also functioned normally, and I was able to format it in ZimaOS. The reason I mentioned this seemingly obvious success is that the IceWhale specifications for this machine say that the maximum amount of SATA storage is 36TB from two drives, which by definition would be 18TB.

While I don’t have the drives to test this assertion, I suspect that it would work with 24TB, 28TB, 30TB, 32TB and even 34TB SATA drives. For those curious, the SATA interface, in conjunction with 64-bit GPT (GUID Partition Table) partitioning, has a maximum theoretical capacity of 9.4 Zettabytes (\(9.4 \times 10^9\) TB). So going from 18TB to 36TB isn’t much of a leap.

More of an issue than just buying bigger hard drives is that, in constant use, these drives will get hot, and even with the aluminium cradle, there is no fan cooling to prevent overheating. It’s somewhat ironic that this is a passively cooled computer, but if you use it in certain arrangements, you would be forced to add active cooling for subcomponents, not the system. As part of the cradle kit, you do get a tiny 25mm fan meant to help cool the electronics on a PCIe card. But this wouldn’t practically cool a hard drive or an NVMe.

Any video card needs to work with only four PCIe lanes, have its own cooling and if it needs power beyond that provided by the PCIe slot, its own power supply.

Unless you are looking for a modest GPU upgrade or to enhance AI, the PCIe slot is probably best used for devices other than video cards.

• Features: 4 / 5

ZimaBoard 2: Software

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• ZimaOS Plus
• Paid licensing tier
• TrueNAS approved

ZimaOS comes pre-installed on the eMMC and boots directly to a web dashboard the moment the board finds a network connection. IceWhale's approach is to make the first-run NAS experience as close to frictionless as possible, and it largely succeeds.

The dashboard provides access to an app store with over 370 one-click-install applications covering media servers, backup tools, containers, smart home integrations, and more.

There is a minimalist aesthetic that is attractive, and owners are guided through the installation of drives and applications neatly.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

,The Zima Client companion app for Mac, PC, iOS, and Android handles remote access and picks the best available connection path automatically. For users who want to go further, the full x86 platform means TrueNAS, Proxmox, Debian, pfSense, OpenWrt, and even Windows are all valid options with no compatibility caveats. The ZimaOS Plus licence costs $29 as a lifetime purchase and unlocks unlimited disk support and unlimited users beyond the free tier.

I mentioned this previously in my ZimaCube 2 review, and I’d prefer that the $29 fee be bundled with the cost of the hardware rather than owners discovering it when they try to add their second child. Debian is free, so if you are willing to grasp the technicalities of that OS you can exploit this hardware without further investment.

• Software: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)ZimaBoard 2: Performance

• Expansion possibilities are limited
• Ambition versus reality

Where I see this platform being most useful is as a Proxmox backup server, or a hardware Firewall. You can’t attach enough storage to make it that useful as a NAS, in my opinion, although technically you could attach two very large hard drives and use them both if you are willing to forgo drive-failure resilience. The alternative is to mirror the drives, cutting the capacity in half.

It should be possible to attach an external RAID array via USB, but frankly if you are investing in equipment like that, then why not just buy a proper four or six bay NAS, like the ZimaCube 2?

Networking tops out at 2.5GbE per port. For most home NAS scenarios, that is sufficient, but anyone wanting higher throughput will need to occupy the PCIe slot with a 10GbE card, which trades away the slot's other potential uses. Thermal behaviour under the passive chassis is worth watching closely on test, as the aluminium body does all the work, and a PCIe card installation will add heat to an already closed thermal loop.

Adding things to this system is a bit like the whack-a-mole game. Because you upgrade the networking to support 10GbE, but the storage isn’t quick enough to saturate that. So you use the M.2 card and have NVMe drives that can offer the performance, but you are back to a 2.5GbE LAN. A single Gen3 x4 slot isn’t enough to enhance the storage and network, and there aren’t enough USB ports to use them as a workaround.

For most people, they’ll eventually conclude they need a platform with more PCIe lanes than the 9 that the N150 sports, because once the four are used in the slot, and the other five are allocated to the LAN ports and the USB, there is nothing left.

The next tier of Intel hardware has 20 lanes that mix Gen 4, providing the equivalent of 40 lanes of Gen3, or more than four times as much bandwidth. This is why IceWhale used that in the ZimaCube 2, a system that costs more than double what the ZimaBoard 2 costs.

To summarise my thinking on the performance of the ZimaBoard 2, any system that runs with passive cooling isn’t going to be massively powerful. There is an old quote attributed to Dr Samuel Johnson, the first author of a dictionary, “Sir, a woman's preaching is like a dog's walking on his hinder legs. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all."

If we can ignore the Doctor’s misogyny and see the parallels with this hardware, that it can run a VM or Docker containers is amazing, but don’t expect miracles when it does.

Realistically, one VM is all I’d use, and I’d limit it to a few Docker containers. Because, as efficient Linux platforms can be, what is under the hood of the ZimaBoard 2 isn’t going to break any performance records any time soon.

This is the trade-off for the size of the ZimaBoard 2 and its passive cooling operation.

I limited my performance testing of the ZimaBoard 2 to copying large files to and from the NAS, using a 20GB video file as the blunt instrument of my assault. I’d initially intended to use SSH and an on-client CLI to do more extensive testing, but due to some issues, in the end, I merely copied files across the network and locally on the NAS.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The ZimaOS client on the PC connects storage to specific virtual drives, and so I was able to test the eMMC inbuilt storage, the 20TB Seagate IronWolf Pro and the 1TB Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 that I’d connected via the PCIe slot.

All transfers used a single 2.5GbE LAN connection, and they all managed 280MB/s when the transfers were initiated. However, it became apparent that when writing a file, most of the data was heading into the 16GB of RAM to be written to the storage device later. This was most apparent on the eMMC, since it was so slow that the system ran out of memory for cache at about 17GB, where it dropped dramatically to around 60MB/s.

Equally, the hard drive blipped in the middle of its write, caught between what the system had memory cached and its own internal cache. The best experience, unsurprisingly, was on the NVMe drive that could write the whole 20GB file at 280MB/s without missing a beat. I estimate that the NVMe drive is capable of between 2000 and 3000Mb/s on a PCIe Gen 3x4 slot, but you can’t attach a 10GbE to deliver some of that over the network, since you only have one slot.

I could have found another NVMe drive and tried moving files between them, although this would have cut the performance in half, since one would be reading and the other writing.

A few users in the ZimaOS community have noted that if you use the GUI file manager that, transfers appear to be capped at 600MB/s, but CLI operations aren’t. I can’t confirm this, and it may have been subsequently patched.

As with many NAS, the ZimaBoard 2 can find itself hamstrung trying to express internal performance to outside services. And, those are limitations owners will need to accept.

• Performance: 3.5/5

ZimaBoard 2: Final verdict

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The ZimaBoard 2 is a serious upgrade on the original in every area that counted against it: faster processor, faster memory, faster networking, and a better PCIe slot.

At $279 for the base model, it sits in a competitive price bracket, but the combination of x86 compatibility, dual 2.5GbE, passive cooling, and a genuine PCIe expansion path is difficult to replicate at this size and price point. The soldered memory and external drive arrangement are compromises worth knowing about before buying, and the four-core processor imposes real limits on multi-VM ambitions.

For homelab builders, NAS enthusiasts, router experimenters, and anyone who wants a genuinely hackable low-power server that can run almost any OS without argument, however, the ZimaBoard 2 makes a compelling case for itself.

Should you buy a ZimaBoard 2?

Value

Lots of features, solidly built but not cheap

3.5 / 5

Design

Ultra compact and passively cooled

3.5 / 5

Features

Limited USB, but it has a PCIe 3.0 4x slot

4 / 5

Software

Workable NAS OS, or use TrueNAS

4 / 5

Performance

Difficult to saturate the LAN using SATA and one PCIe slot

3.5 / 5

Overall

Highly flexible, but silence comes with a cost

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You need a silent system
The ZimaBoard 2 is perfect if you want a fanless, passively cooled server that runs 24/7 without making a sound. However, some items you connect might need active cooling, undermining the silence offered by the system.

You need a flexible x86 platform
While supplied with ZimaOS installed, it is possible to run TrueNAS, Proxmox, pfSense, or Docker without any compatibility workarounds. This provides a level of flexibility that many NAS do not offer.

Don't buy it if...

You need multiple VMs
For those who need to run multiple concurrent GUI-based virtual machines; the four-core N150 will struggle. This chip was designed for low-end laptops and tablets, and therefore, having more than one VM is unrealistic.

You need 10GbE and NVMe storage
With only one PCIe slot, you get to choose what aspect of this machine you want most to upgrade, but only one. That could be adding 10GbE networking, an enhanced GPU or NVMe storage. You can’t add more than one of these things to this system.View Deal

For more NAS solutions we've collated the best NAS hard drives around

OnePlus 15R: two-minute review

Even though the competition among the latest mid-range phones has never been hotter, OnePlus’ offerings have certainly held their own against those from Samsung, Apple, and Google. The OnePlus 13R managed to hit a home run in practically every area, from battery life to performance, so constructing a successor was always going to be a tall order (to avoid confusion, there was no OnePlus 14R).

For the OnePlus 15R, the company has gone in a slightly different direction. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing phone, but it lacks the one big upgrade that was added in the 13R: a telephoto lens. While that fact alone is sure to turn some potential adopters towards triple-sensor phones like the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro and Xiaomi 15T Pro, know that there is a trade-off at play with the OnePlus 15R.

By doing away with the telephoto lens, OnePlus has given the 15R’s battery a boost. It boasts a larger 7,400mAh cell than its predecessor, which can easily see most users through two days at a time, and it certainly means that you won’t have anything to worry about over a single day. As someone who uses their phone for a lot of things, including checking up on social media, hotspotting to other devices, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts, I prefer having the larger battery.

(Image credit: Future)

Plus, the phone's 50MP main camera still takes amazing shots, especially during the daytime. Colors look amazing, and the upgraded 32MP front camera does the rare thing of capturing selfies that I’d actually want to share online.

There are other welcome upgrades, too, including a move to the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset — which rarely buckled in my time using it (even while running more demanding games) — and the faster 165Hz refresh rate, which has been pinched straight from the excellent OnePlus 15.

If it wasn’t for the fact that you’re only getting four years of software updates (with six years of security patches), then I’d be giving the OnePlus 15R a higher score. But for anyone who’s happy to upgrade again in roughly four years’ time, you’ll have a blast with this good-looking, long-lasting mid-ranger.

OnePlus 15R review: price and availability

• Starts at $699.99 / £649 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage
• Although cheaper than its predecessor in the UK, the phone is $100 more expensive in the US
• It's not available in Australia

The OnePlus 15R is available in two storage configurations, 256GB and 512GB (both of which come with 12GB RAM), and is currently sold in the UK, US, and Europe.

It starts at $699.99/ £649, but that price jumps up to $799.99 / £729 if you want the extra internal storage, which may be more tempting to those who prefer to avoid cloud storage costs.

Oddly enough, depending on where you’re buying the OnePlus 15R, it’s either slightly cheaper than its predecessor or significantly more expensive. The OnePlus 13R had a starting price of £679 in the UK, making the 15R just a tad more cost-effective as an upgrade. But for buyers in the US, you’re looking at an extra $100, which feels utterly absurd. I fully understand that price increases are, unfortunately, becoming the norm in the current economic climate (just take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S26 range), but this is such a massive increase for a mid-range phone that the 15R risks pricing itself out of affordability entirely.

So, if you are in the US and you want a decent mid-range phone that doesn’t cost a fortune, you might be better suited with the iPhone 17e or Nothing Phone (4a) Pro.

• Value score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 15R review: specs

Easily the most eye-catching of all the OnePlus 15R's specs is its 7,400mAh battery, which is one of the largest phone batteries you can get outside of China. The 15R's cell is even slightly bigger than the 7,300mAh equivalent found within the flagship OnePlus 15.

Here are the specs for the OnePlus 15R in full:

Dimensions:

163.41 x 77.04 x 8.3mm

Weight

213g/219g

Chipset:

Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

Operating system:

OxygenOS 16

RAM:

12GB

Storage:

256GB/512GB

Display:

6.83-inch 1272 x 2800 AMOLED, 165Hz

Cameras:

50MP wide, 8MP ultra-wide, 32MP front

Battery:

7,400mAh

Charging:

80W wired charging

OnePlus 15R review: designFutureFutureFuture

• Same design language as the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus Nord 5
• More durable build than before

One of the best things I can say about the OnePlus 15R is that, when you hold it in your hand for the first time, there’s nothing about it that suggests it costs anything less than the current crop of flagship smartphones. It packs an aluminum frame and a glass rear panel, which feels very premium — it reminds me a great deal of the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, a phone that also punches above its weight on the design front.

From a visual standpoint, the OnePlus 15R is a departure from the OnePlus 13R, especially as the round camera bump has been ditched for a slightly more rectangular one. But this aesthetic aligns with OnePlus' most recent phones.

Both the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus Nord 5 opted for a more professional look versus their respective predecessors. Their camera bumps and chassis adhere to a single color, making the marble-like aesthetic of the OnePlus 12 feel like a lifetime away. If I'm being completely honest, I did find the overall look of the Nord 5 to be a tad mundane, but this approach feels far more at home on the 15R because of one thing: the Mint Breeze colorway.

This lighter green option, which I’ve had in for review, is just stunning. Although I do have a penchant for any tech that comes in green, I think the injection of color here makes the overall look of the OnePlus 15R more exciting than the Charcoal Black option. It’s a similar story with the Ultra Violet OnePlus 15, and I only hope that more companies follow suit.

All of the OnePlus 15R’s good looks aren’t just for show, however, as the phone is now a great deal more durable than before, boasting IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K certifications. While that might sound like a lot of jargon, it basically means that the 15R can do a lot more to withstand the elements than its predecessor, which is great to see in the mid-range market.

I do, however, think that the slightly larger build of the 15R can make things a bit difficult when reaching for the top of the display. This won’t be an issue for everyone, but I did find myself having to rely on both hands fairly often to comfortably use the device, although it’s nowhere near as cumbersome as something like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, with its 6.9-inch screen.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

OnePlus 15R review: display

(Image credit: Future)

• The 6.83-inch screen is larger than the 13R's
• Screen brightness peaks at a slightly lesser 3600 nits

I’ll never fully understand the urge for phone manufacturers to go bigger when it comes to displays, but for whatever reason, OnePlus has decided to ditch the 6.78-inch norm of the last two R-series phones and adopt a 6.83-inch panel instead. Like I said before, the slightly larger build now means that the OnePlus 15R is just a bit too big to be comfortably used one-handed (something like the Honor Magic 8 Pro’s 6.71-inch panel hits the sweet spot for me), but there’s still a lot to like about this display.

The larger panel makes the phone great for a bit of entertainment, and I’ve really enjoyed using the OnePlus 15R to catch up on the latest season of Invincible, as it depicts the show’s colorful visuals with eye-catching intensity. Plus, with more room for having multiple apps open side by side, OnePlus’ Open Canvas multitasking software works like a charm here.

When it comes to screen brightness, there is a slight downgrade at play, but I don’t think it’s a dealbreaker for the phone. Instead of the 4,500 nits of peak brightness possible on the OnePlus 13R for HDR content, the 15R now tops out at 3,600, but I never found myself squinting at the screen when trying to take a picture outdoors or check train times. Plus, it’s still a brighter display than you'll get on a lot of phones in this price range (the iPhone 17e, for instance, can only reach 1200 nits).

(Image credit: Future)

What is more impressive, and something I’m far happier to have as a trade-off on screen brightness, is the 165Hz refresh rate pinched from the flagship OnePlus 15. The faster speed here is perfect for gaming, and for a fast-paced title like Call of Duty: Mobile, it just goes that extra step in drawing you into the action. It also makes everything from social media scrolling to web browsing feel that much smoother.

As a final note, the OnePlus 15R's screen itself is also very responsive, with a great feeling of cohesion between the fast refresh rate and the onboard chipset to the point where using the phone never really feels like a mid-range experience. I think that if you were to hand the 15R to someone without providing any background information, they would just assume that it’s a flagship device, which is a great compliment.

• Display score: 4.5 / 5

OnePlus 15R review: software

(Image credit: Future)

• OxygenOS remains one of the best Android overlays
• Four years of software updates, six for security patches

One thing I always love about reviewing OnePlus products is that I get to step back into the OxygenOS platform, which is a big step up compared to some other Android overlays that are filled to the brim with bloatware and unintuitive designs. From a software perspective, it’s like getting into a comforting warm bath — everything just works as you’d hope, and because the experience isn’t filled with pre-installed third-party apps, there’s very little friction from the jump.

As a new dad, I now have to rely on my phone a lot more than usual for getting work done during small pockets of time throughout the day, and to that end, the OnePlus 15R has been very helpful via its Open Canvas software. If you haven’t used it, just know that Open Canvas is one of the best examples of multitasking done right on Android, and the whole thing shines particularly on the OnePlus Pad 3, but it’s still just as good on a smartphone.

You can have one app on top of another in a 50/50 split or, as I prefer to have it, a 90/10 split that allows me to swap between two mostly full-screen apps in just a tap, which is very helpful for writing in Google Docs while checking my review notes in Google Keep. When in this mode, I’ve also been able to open a windowed version of WhatsApp to quickly respond to a message, all without ever closing the multitasking setup. It all works seamlessly, and it’s right up there with what Samsung provides through One UI.

When it comes to artificial intelligence, OnePlus’ suite of AI features isn’t quite as robust as Samsung’s Galaxy AI platter, but I feel that it’s definitely a step up from Honor AI, which feels as if it’s constantly thrust at the user and just isn’t very good at what it attempts to do. By comparison, OnePlus AI does a few things quite well, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

(Image credit: Future)

OnePlus’ Mind Space, which isn’t too dissimilar to Essential Space found on the Nothing Phone (4a) and (4a) Pro, acts as a hub for notes, screenshots, and voice recordings, all of which can then be analysed by the onboard AI to provide more detailed information. For instance, a quick photo of my desk, which features a mouse mat with Stormtroopers on it, led the AI to tell me all about the Star Wars universe and what it entails.

I do think that there’s a lot of potential here, but I would like to use Mind Space as a means of collecting interesting articles I’ve come across online, and when I attempted to do just that with the dedicated Plus Key, which activates Mind Space, it could only collect a single screenshot and wouldn’t save the link to the article either. Thankfully, the AI tools available when browsing the web are a lot better.

For when I’m pushed for time, I find AI article summaries to be incredibly helpful for staying in the loop with the latest tech launches, and the style that OnePlus employs is easily among the best out there. It works very quickly, and it does a great job of highlighting key points in either a detailed or concise format.

What I most appreciate, however, is that it never feels as if OnePlus is pushing you to use these AI features. They’re readily available for when you need them, but they’re also easily ignored if you have no taste for the software, which is an approach that a few other manufacturers could definitely take note of.

In terms of support over time, OnePlus promises a total of four years’ worth of software updates and six years of security patches to extend that lifecycle a bit further. Four years isn’t bad, but it pales in comparison to the six years of support that you'll get with the Samsung Galaxy A57 or Google Pixel 10a, so it’s worth having a think about how long you’re comfortable with waiting before your next upgrade.

• Software score: 4 / 5

OnePlus 15R review: cameras

(Image credit: Future)

• 50MP wide angle, 8MP ultra-wide, and 32MP front camera
• Last year's telephoto lens is gone

Although the OnePlus 15R comes out swinging in most other categories, the one area where there’s been an undeniable step backwards is in the camera department. One of the big additions to the OnePlus 13R was the inclusion of a 50MP 2x telephoto lens, which was great for capturing subjects that were just out of reach for the main camera. Alas, that telephoto lens is nowhere to be seen on the 15R, which I can only assume is a trade-off for its much larger battery.

What’s left is a 50MP (f/1.8) wide-angle lens and an 8MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide, both of which are identical to the ones found on the 13R. The only part of the camera set-up that’s had any kind of upgrade is the selfie camera, which has jumped from 16MP to 32MP. With that kind of reality facing potential adopters, the 15R is certainly not a must-buy for anyone who already owns the 13R, and if you’re interested in smartphone photography above all, then you may want to buy that older handset anyway, now that it can be found for less. For most people, however, I think they’ll get on just fine with what the OnePlus 15R has to offer.

Not too dissimilar to the latest Google Pixel phones, I’ve always found OnePlus’ eye for color to be very attractive, and here it’s backed up by the large megapixel count of the main camera to produce very sharp pictures that look great on the 15R’s display.

Taking the phone down to a nearby canal during a sunset, you can see just how well the camera handles the dynamic range across the sky, as well as in the reflections across the water. I’ve taken plenty of phones down to that same spot, and rarely has that location looked better than it does here.

(Image credit: Future)

Even though the 2x zoom within the camera app is a digital crop, the phone still captures enough data in these shots that they look great on the surface. I just don’t recommend zooming in any further beyond that, otherwise the composition starts to fall apart unless there’s a ton of natural light available.

On sunny days, even though it’s just an 8MP sensor, the ultra-wide camera can hold its own against the main lens with great-looking shots. It’s only when things get a bit cloudy that you notice the color is slightly muted by comparison.

Taking a few pictures during a night out around London Waterloo, I was impressed to see that the 15R did a great job of recreating the color palette around me in a fairly natural way, although I definitely recommend sticking to 1x in low light, as these shots can get a tad blurry under a microscope, but they look solid enough when viewed from a full perspective.

Something I definitely have to compliment OnePlus on is its understanding of what makes a selfie camera great. I’ve seen this before in the OnePlus Nord 5, as its 50MP front-camera is one of the best I’ve ever used, and it’s a similar experience with the 32MP alternative found on the 15R. Much like the main camera, the colors are so good that I can overlook my sleep-deprived expression and enjoy these photos for what they are.

Again, I completely understand why the removal of the telephoto lens might be enough for some to write off the OnePlus 15R, but I have still enjoyed my time with its cameras.

• Camera score: 4 / 5

Cameras samplesFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureOnePlus 15R review: performance

(Image credit: Future)

• The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset can handle almost any task
• 3D games aren't an issue here

Before writing this review, I wrote a separate piece on how the OnePlus 15R feels like another entry in the growing sector of all-rounder phones that, despite costing less than the latest flagships, manage to hit a certain bar of quality across the board, and won't leave the majority of users wanting for anything. One of the main reasons why I felt that to be the case here was because of the performance offered by the phone's Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset.

Skipping two generations of Snapdragon chipset ahead of its immediate predecessor, the OnePlus 15R feels every bit like a flagship phone in everyday use. Scrolling through apps is as smooth as you’d want it to be, and when running multiple apps at one time through Open Canvas, the phone never buckled under the pressure.

Gaming is a similarly fluid experience, and it’s only further emboldened by the phone's 165Hz refresh rate. Running through a few rounds of Call of Duty: Mobile, the game felt like it was meant for this type of handset, as the large screen gives you a good view of the battlefield while the chipset keeps everything running without any signs of tearing or stuttering.

The only instance where I could see a noticeable gap between the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 and the even more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 was when loading in larger areas in Honkai: Star Rail. This is quite a demanding game for those who haven’t played it, but I was impressed to see that, outside of those moments, the combat and exploitation ran to a high standard on the OnePlus 15R.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

OnePlus 15R review: battery

(Image credit: Future)

• The 7,400mAh cell can run for at least two days
• No wireless charging

Saving the best for last, the OnePlus 15R boasts something of an anomaly when it comes to batteries in the mid-range category. Although the proliferation of silicon-carbon tech has paved the way for larger batteries, it’s typically been flagship phones that have benefited from this innovation, with the Oppo Find X9 Pro and the OnePlus 15, for example, packing 7,500mAh and 7,300mAh batteries, respectively. Following in their footsteps, the OnePlus 15R has a gigantic 7,400mAh cell to draw on, something that you simply won’t find on any other mid-range phone right now.

I mentioned earlier that it appears as though OnePlus made the decision to do away with the telephoto lens on this phone so it could go all in on battery, and as someone who would prefer not to have to deal with any battery anxiety during a day out, even if I am in the minority here, it’s a trade-off I’m happy to accept. After all, if you’re dead set on having a triple camera set-up, there are plenty of alternatives out there, including the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, and the Xiaomi 15T Pro.

With this kind of longevity in the tank, I had no issues with getting the OnePlus 15R to last at least two days between charges. On a more relaxed day, when working from home and only accruing an hour and a half of screen time, plus several hours of Spotify playback, the phone only dropped to 74%. As an iPhone user who is constantly having to keep one eye on how much battery is left, I can’t tell you how freeing it felt to not have to worry about endurance at all, and it allowed me to use the OnePlus 15R unencumbered.

The phone's 80W charging speed remains unchanged from the OnePlus 13R, but that’s fine by me given that it’s still much further ahead than most phones (the 45W speed of the S25 FE seems glacial by comparison). From my testing, you can get from 0% to a full battery in 1 hour and 25 minutes. If you’re really pressed for time, then you’ll be glad to know that I clawed back 67% after just 50 minutes, which is more than enough to get you safely through an entire day.

It would have been nice to see OnePlus add wireless charging into the mix, as it would have paired well with the idea of the 15R being a battery beast, but it’s not the worst omission, given how fast the wired charging is here.

• Battery score: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the OnePlus 15R?OnePlus 15R scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The OnePlus 15R is great-value for UK buyers, but its price is harder to justify in the States.

4 / 5

Display

The larger display looks great but the peak brightness is lower than before.

4.5 / 5

Design

A sophisticated and very well built phone that looks exceptional in green.

4.5 / 5

Software

OxygenOS works brilliantly, but you're only getting four years of software updates.

4 / 5

Cameras

The main sensor does a great job in all settings, but the telephoto lens is missed.

4 / 5

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is a beast for mid-range value, making short work of 3D games.

5 / 5

Battery

The 7,400mAh cell is unmatched on the mid-range market. No wireless charging is a letdown though.

4.5 / 5

Buy it if…

You want a phone that lasts two days
With the OnePlus 15R in tow, you won’t have to worry about racing back to a power outlet for a battery top-up.

You want a 165Hz screen for gaming
While it’s not a necessity, a 165Hz refresh rate is a wonderful luxury that really takes mobile gaming to the next level.

You need a smooth operating system
OnePlus’ OxygenOS is right up there with One UI and Google’s stock Android, as it’s thankfully free of bloatware and clunky design choices.

Don’t buy it if…

You need a telephoto lens
The removal of the telephoto lens definitely makes the OnePlus 15R less appealing to photographers.

You need wireless charging
Although you do get 80W wired charging, the lack of wireless charging on a phone at this price feels odd.

You want a phone for the long haul
The limited amount of software updates compared to what Samsung and Google provide is a letdown.

Also consider

Still on the fence about the OnePlus 15R? Here are some contemporaries worth checking out:

OnePlus 15R

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

Apple iPhone 17e

Price

$699 / £649

$499 / £499

$599 / £599

Storage

256GB / 512GB

128GB / 256GB

256GB / 512GB

Screen size

6.83-inch 1272 x 2800 AMOLED, 165Hz

6.83-inch AMOLED, 144Hz

6.1-inch 1170 x 2532 Super Retina, 60Hz

Chipset

Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

Snapdragon 7 Gen 4

Apple A19

Battery

7,400mAh

5,080mAh

4,005mAh

Charging

80W

50W

40W

Cameras

50MP wide, 8MP ultra-wide, 32MP front

50MP wide, 8MP ultra-wide, 50MP telephoto, 12MP front

48MP wide, 12MP front

OS

OxygenOS 16

Nothing OS 4.1

iOS 26

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro
The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is another solid all-rounder that leaves you wanting for very little, but it packs a more eye-catching look than the OnePlus 15R, can be bought for less, and even has a telephoto lens for zoom photography. The chipset isn’t quite as speedy as the 15R’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, but it’s powerful enough for most users.

Read our full Nothing Phone (4a) Pro review

Apple iPhone 17e
Even though it’s only got one rear-facing camera, there’s a lot to like about the iPhone 17e. Apple’s mid-range phone now packs MagSafe charging, the super-fast A19 chipset, and 256GB storage as standard. There’s also the far more scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield 2 glass on the front, which, alongside Apple’s lengthy update cycles, should allow the 17e to last you for quite some time.

Read our full Apple iPhone 17e review

How I tested the OnePlus 15R

I used the OnePlus 15R over a period of two weeks for this review. This involved using the phone during a trip to London and a trip to Cambridge, alongside visits to local cafes to have the phone operate as a hotspot for my laptop.

To test the screen, I streamed Avengers: Infinity War and Invincible over Disney Plus and Prime Video, respectively, and for gaming performance, I tapped into Call of Duty Mobile and Honkai: Star Rail.

First reviewed May 2026

Ugreen DXP4800 Pro: 30-second review

Ugreen has been a busy bee since the DXP4800 Plus launched in 2024. The DXP series made a considerable impression on the NAS market, arriving with proper build quality, a sensible feature set and pricing that put established names under pressure.

Two years on, and the company has returned to that same four-bay formula with a notable upgrade. The DXP4800 Pro is here, and it does not mess about.

This is not a ground-up redesign. Ugreen has kept what worked and focused on what needed changing. The chassis is largely the same excellent aluminium alloy shell. The networking remains a combination of 10GbE and 2.5GbE. The storage layout of four SATA bays and two M.2 NVMe slots is unchanged. What Ugreen has done is swap out the processor, push the memory ceiling higher, and rework a few smaller details along the way.

Having spent time with the Plus model previously, I found the Pro immediately familiar. That is not a complaint. The Plus was already one of the better-built four-bay units on the market, and the Pro continues in that tradition. The question is whether the upgrade justifies the price premium over its predecessor.

What it offers is a punchier CPU, a more capable GPU, better M.2 slots, faster memory and a greater total memory capacity.

But Ugreen is not immediately removing its predecessor from its shelves. Therefore, those who don’t think all those improvements are worth the roughly $60/£60/€60 price increase over the DXP4800 Plus can still buy that model and save some money.

From this reviewer's perspective, these enhancements are easily worth the extra, and the DXP4800 Pro is destined to become one of the best NAS devices for home and small business users.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Ugreen DXP4800 Pro: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $680/£586
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Direct from Ugreen or through an online retailer

Before we get into pricing, we need to talk about how Ugreen initially wanted to repeat its Kickstarter approach with newer hardware, since that's how they launched the original DXP machines.

This all went horribly wrong when Ugreen changed its mind about how it wished to launch the iDX series, having already taken deposits on the hardware, throwing a complete curveball at those who thought they’d secured an early system at a reduced price.

I’ve long been critical of companies that use Kickstarter as a marketing tool rather than for what it was meant to achieve. And, after this public relations mess, I suspect Ugreen will probably avoid using it in the future to channel interest.

You will be glad to know that the DXP4800 Pro isn’t part of a Kickstarter exercise, so you can buy it directly from Ugreen without jumping through any overly complicated marketing hoops.

For Americans, the Pro is $679.99 versus $619.99 for the Plus, a $60 hike. And for EU countries, the cost is €679.99, a €60 difference from the Plus model.

The official UK price for this NAS is £689.99, but the current offer is a much more realistic £585.99, more than £100 less.

That makes it £59 more expensive than the DXP4800 Plus, which seems reasonable considering the enhancements. At this time, Ugreen seems happy to sell both, but perhaps once the Plus model's stock runs out, the Pro might replace it.

I've also seen it available for $679.99 at Amazon.com and £585.99 at Amazon.co.uk.

Who gets the best deal? Converting the UK and EU prices to US dollars, the UK is paying $797.33, and the EU is paying $798.36. Therefore, the US price is about $120 lower than in Europe, but much of this is due to the current weakness of the dollar.

Heading the competition is the Synology DS925+ at around $640. It runs an AMD Ryzen V1500B, which is a genuinely old chip at this point, supports only DDR4, has dual 2.5GbE rather than 10GbE built in, and getting 10GbE requires a pricey add-in card.

It could be argued that DSM is the best NAS operating system available, but the hardware is not in the same league as the Pro. Synology has also had well-publicised issues with its drive compatibility policies recently. It rolled back on the SATA drive limitations, but you must use Synology-branded M.2 drives in the DS925+. That makes it a non-starter for many.

QNAP TS-464 sits in a similar price bracket with a lower-spec Intel Celeron N5095 or N5105, dual 2.5GbE, M.2 slots, and PCIe expansion. QuTS Hero is a mature and capable OS. The PCIe slot is a meaningful advantage if you want to add a 10GbE card yourself, but you are paying extra to reach parity with what Ugreen gives you out of the box.

TerraMaster F4-424 Pro is probably the closest hardware match. It uses an Intel Core i3-N305 or similar, has 10GbE, M.2 slots and is priced competitively at around $690. TOS 5 is more mature than UGOS, but the interface is not as polished. TerraMaster is another NAS maker embracing third-party OS options, but I don’t think its hardware is as well finished as Ugreen's.

Asustor has a new 4-bay in the AS6804T. But that’s north of $1300 for a system that has a quad-core Embedded Ryzen V3C14, 16GB of ECC DDR5, dual 10GbE and 2.5GbE LAN, and USB4 ports. But at this price, you can buy a six-bay NAS with Thunderbolt.

My honest summary is that the Pro's hardware specification at $680 is difficult to match. The main trade-off buyers are making is between Ugreen's maturing software and the deeper ecosystems of Synology and QNAP.

Ignoring the software part of this equation, the DXP4800 Pro easily delivers the best hardware for the asking price in this part of the NAS market.

• Value: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Ugreen DXP4800 Pro: Specs

Item

Spec

CPU:

Intel Core i3-1315U (13th Gen Raptor Lake-U), 6-core, up to 4.5GHz Turbo

GPU:

Intel UHD Graphics (64EU)

RAM:

8GB DDR5-5600 (base), expandable to 96GB via 2x SO-DIMM

Internal Storage:

128GB SSD for UGOS Pro

SATA Storage:

4x 3.5/2.5-inch SATA III

M.2 Storage:

2x M.2 NVMe (both PCIe Gen 4 x4

Ports:

1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps)

1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps)

1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps)

2x USB-A 2.0

1x HDMI 2.0b

1x SD 4.0 slot (front)

Networking:

1x 10GbE RJ45, 1x 2.5GbE RJ45

OS:

UGOS Pro

File Systems:

EXT4, Btrfs

Maximum Capacity:

136TB (4x 30TB SATA + 2x 8TB M.2)

RAID Modes:

JBOD/Basic/RAID 0/RAID 1/RAID 5/RAID 6/RAID 10

PSU:

19V 7.2A 150.1W external

Power Consumption:

42.36 W (drive access), 18.12 W(drive hibernation)

Dimensions:

257 × 178 × 178 mm (LxWxH)

Weight:

520g (including PSU, but without drives)

Warranty:

2 Years

Ugreen DXP4800 Pro: Design

• Largely unchanged from Plus model
• Lockable Trays
• Simple and silent

If you know the DXP4800 Plus, the Pro will feel like home. The same compact aluminium alloy shell sits on the desk, looking rather purposeful in its near-black dark grey finish. Rounded edges take the industrial edge off things, but I did notice that the bend profile on the Pro is slightly tighter, saving perhaps a millimetre off the height of the NAS.

Four numbered drive bays occupy most of the front face. Numbering them is a small thing, but it avoids that horrible moment when you cannot remember which drive is which.

It’s also incredibly useful if you go from the Plus to the Pro, or from the Pro to one of the six or eight-bay designs later. All the trays seem identical, so you might not even need to take the physical drives out.

Drive trays use a tool-free telescopic mechanism for 3.5-inch drives, and SATA SSDs can be mounted in the trays using the included screws. Screws and a screwdriver are provided for 2.5-inch mechanisms, if you intend to use them. A lockable key system on the caddies adds a layer of physical security that many cheaper NAS devices simply do not bother with.

Below the bays sit the power button, activity LEDs, an SD card slot, and a pair of USB-A and USB-C 3.2 ports. The USB-C port runs at 10Gbps, which is genuinely useful.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Around the back, you find the 14cm diameter cooling fan behind its magnetic dust filter. That filter is attached magnetically, making it easy to pop off for cleaning, and it shows the kind of real-world thinking that separates good NAS designs from average ones. Also on the rear are HDMI 2.0 for 4K 60Hz output, one USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port at 5Gbps, two USB-A 2.0 ports, the 10GbE and 2.5GbE Ethernet jacks, and the DC power input.

The M.2 slots sit beneath a spring-loaded cover on the base of the unit. Access is straightforward. Two SO-DIMM slots are right next to them. The base 8GB module lives on one stick, leaving the other slot free for immediate expansion. Ugreen includes two adhesive thermal pads for the M.2 drives, which is exactly the sort of thoughtful addition that saves you a trip to the accessory drawer.

Build quality throughout is hard to fault. It was great when the DXP4800 Plus came out, and Ugreen haven’t dialled it back in any noticeable way.

• Design: 4 / 5

Ugreen DXP4800 Pro: Features

• Better CPU and GPU
• Faster memory
• Enhanced M.2 slots

The key upgrade is the processor. The DXP4800 Plus ran a 12th Gen Intel Pentium Gold 8505, a five-core part with a top frequency of 4.4GHz. Capable enough, but not a chip that was ever going to set the world on fire with heavy concurrent workloads. The DXP4800 Pro replaces it with a 13th Gen Intel Core i3-1315U.

That Core i3 is a genuinely better chip. It brings six cores in a hybrid configuration: two performance cores capable of full multi-threading and four efficiency cores handling background tasks. Turbo boost reaches 4.5GHz. The integrated GPU supports AV1 decoding natively, which matters if you are running Plex or Jellyfin and want hardware transcoding. The i3 also supports DisplayPort 1.4a and HDMI 2.1, though the hardware outputs them via HDMI 2.0.

Another significant change is the memory used. The Plus topped out at 64GB of DDR5 4800MT/s. The Pro raises that ceiling to 96GB (dual 48GB modules), which aligns with the i3-1315U specification. More importantly, the DDR5 speed steps up from 4800MT/s on the Plus to 5600MT/s on the Pro. That boosts bandwidth, although you still get a single SODIMM of 8GB by default.

Personally, I’d recommend any buyer to get at least another 8GB module, if the budget allows. I can imagine some reading this section and saying they would never buy a NAS that didn’t use ECC memory. And, it's true that this NAS doesn’t offer ECC support. Synology is keen on that technology, should you insist on it.

All the hardware changes in this NAS revolve around the improved platform, and another of those is the enhanced PCIe lanes situation. On paper, the Intel Core i3-1315U offers up to 20 PCIe lanes, with a mix of PCIe 4.0 on the CPU and PCIe 3.0 on the chipset.

That’s identical to the Intel Pentium Gold 8505, so how is it seemingly better on the Pro NAS?

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Given that the needs of all the external ports are almost the same, clearly some reorganisation of the PCIe lanes has occurred on the new Pro platform. On the Plus, one of the M.2 NVMe slots was PCIe 4.0, and the other was PCIe 3.0. Logically, that suggests that the Gen4 slot was connected directly to the CPU and the other Gen3 to the chipset.

Where now it looks like both slots on the Pro are connected to the CPU, and the chipset lanes are then reallocated for LAN ports and USB.

On the Intel Core i3-1315U, there are eight PCIe 4.0 lanes and twelve PCIe 3.0 lanes, meaning that all available PCIe 4.0 lanes have been used for the M.2 slots, unless Ugreen has introduced a PCIe switch. Why this wasn’t done on the Plus machine originally is a mystery, but it's definitely an improvement for the Pro.

The SD card reader receives a quiet upgrade to SD 4.0, which is a small but welcome improvement for anyone who shoots a lot of card-based media. Everything else, the chassis, networking, port selection and accessory bundle, remains essentially identical. The Plus is still available and costs less, so buyers need to decide whether those CPU, memory, card reader and M.2 improvements are worth the premium.

• Features: 4.5 / 5

Ugreen DXP4800 Pro: Software

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• UGOS Pro
• Limited applications
• Yes to TrueNAS and other 3rd-party OS

UGOS Pro runs everything on the DXP4800 Pro, and it continues to be a system with a genuinely friendly face. Setup is fast. Visit find.ugnas.com, let the discovery portal find the device on your network, name it, create an admin account, and you are off. UGOS walks you through pool creation with sensible guidance on RAID options for people who have never had to think about parity drives before.

Day-to-day management is handled through a clean web interface. Docker runs properly, and there is a Virtual Machine app for full hypervisor work. The Sync and Backup app handles local-to-remote and Rsync-compatible server tasks. Cloud Drives connects to seven cloud services, including OneDrive and Google Drive. Security Manager provides real-time malware scanning with quarantine. Samba sharing is disabled by default, which is a correct security decision even if it catches people out initially.

The harder truth is that UGOS still has 29 apps for this model. Synology DSM and QNAP QuTS Hero offer far larger ecosystems. Btrfs snapshots work well for shared folders, but iSCSI LUN snapshots are not yet supported. The mobile app lacks Wake-on-LAN unless you run a UPS. Power-loss notifications require the same UPS dependency. These are not dealbreakers, but they are the kinds of gaps that remind you this platform is still growing up.

Ugreen is clearly listening to its user base and pushing updates at a reasonable pace. Jumbo frame support at 9000 bytes arrived with a recent UGOS update, which makes a real difference to 10GbE throughput. A Surveillance Station equivalent remains on the roadmap but has not yet arrived. Being pragmatic, the trajectory for UGOS Pro is positive, but the destination is still some distance away.

What I do like is that Ugreen has a published roadmap for their operating system, which can be found here.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Therefore, if there is a feature you especially want to see on this hardware, you can check whether it is planned for next year. More of an issue is that some of the requested features do not appear on this list.

But, as Ugreen supports TrueNAS SCALE, Proxmox VE and Unraid, owners aren’t stuck with using UGOS Pro if an alternative provides that feature by default. Obviously, Ugreen won’t provide support for any issues you might have with TrueNAS if you install that, but it will still provide warranty support for the NAS hardware.

Overall, UGOS Pro has gotten dramatically better, but is still a little behind what QNAP and Asustor offer. However, the closure rate suggests it will be equivalent in the near future, and for many users, it already provides sufficient functionality.

• Software: 3.5 / 5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Ugreen DXP4800 Pro: Performance

• Plenty of power
• Network expansion possible
• More power consumed

With four Seagate IronWolf NAS drives fitted and a RAID 5 volume configured, the DXP4800 Pro connects to a 10GbE network and delivers what you would expect from properly specified hardware. Sequential reads reach around 9.2 GB/s with jumbo frames enabled. Sequential writes come in at approximately 8.1Gbits per second. Those numbers comfortably saturate a 10GbE connection, and that’s without needing SSD caching.

Real-world large file transfers sustain roughly 3.2Gbits per second in both directions. That is the nature of spinning disk technology. It’s fast enough for most serious workflows, but not the paper-limit headline figure. If you fit NVMe SSDs in the M.2 slots and run them as a dedicated pool, transfers between SSD pools are considerably faster, though they do not always reach theoretical ceilings.

It’s also worth noting that both LAN ports can be channel bonded with the right switch, and it is possible to add extra LAN bandwidth using USB adapters, and Ugreen also makes these.

Adding a 1GbE port will cost about $10, 2.5GbE is $26, and 5GbE is $36. Using these inexpensive add-ons can enable those sharing M.2 storage to get more of the performance they see internally out on to the network.

The Core i3-1315U earns its keep in mixed workloads. Running Docker containers alongside active file transfers while Plex transcodes video is the kind of scenario where the Plus would start to feel the pressure. The Pro handles it with more composure. The two performance cores with HyperThreading are particularly useful for tasks that benefit from high single-thread speed, while the efficiency cores absorb background processes quietly.

Power draw is higher than some competing alternatives. The external 150W PSU is a practical acknowledgement of that, but it’s no larger than the one on the Plus model.

Possibly due to the second PCIe Gen 4 drive, but also the extra performance core on the CPU, the Pro

If power efficiency is your primary concern, simpler ARM or low-wattage Intel N-series NAS units will serve you better. The DXP4800 Pro is not built for frugality; instead, it is more about capability. And, with more capability, the horizon of possibilities widens.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Performance: 4/5

Ugreen DXP4800 Pro: Final verdict

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The Ugreen NASync DXP4800 Pro does exactly what a mid-cycle refresh should do. It addresses the performance ceiling of its predecessor without trashing a perfectly workable form factor. The jump to a 13th Gen Core i3 is not a cosmetic upgrade. It translates into better concurrent workload handling, proper AV1 decode, and more headroom for virtual machines and containers. The 96GB memory ceiling and dual PCIe Gen 4 x4 M.2 slots round out a hardware package that looks very attractive at this price point.

If only memory and SSD storage were cheaper, allowing more of us to exploit these options.

Thankfully, at some point, the insanity of stockpiling memory, storage, and production capacity for AI datacentres that will never be built will end, and these systems can be enhanced with the parts needed to make the most of them.

The other elephant in the room remains UGOS. It is a capable operating system with a clean interface and a sensible setup flow, but the app ecosystem is shallow compared with what Synology and QNAP have built over many years. Missing features like iSCSI LUN snapshots and a surveillance application are genuine gaps for some buyers.

I know a surveillance app is being developed, so that one bugbear might soon be eliminated.

Given how far this OS has come since its work-in-progress launch, I’m confident that all the features people want will be added eventually. But unlike most competitor NAS, Ugreen have no issue with you installing TrueNAS on their hardware without invalidating the hardware warranty, should you want some of those features today.

The difference between this open, flexible approach and Synology’s absolute control-freakery is striking, and it’s undoubtedly driving market share toward Ugreen.

Also, for the right user, though, software limitations are perfectly manageable or even circumventable. If you need Docker, virtual machines, media serving and solid file storage performance in a well-built four-bay chassis with excellent 10GbE throughput, the DXP4800 Pro delivers all of that and more. Ugreen is improving UGOS with every update, and the hardware they have built around it gives the platform room to grow. The Pro is a compelling NAS that builds on the Plus version in a highly logical way.

Ugreen barrelled into the NAS market roughly two years ago like a bull in a china shop, and now has a reputation for exceptional hardware that’s priced competitively. And, nothing about the DXP4800 Pro suggests a misstep in their grand plan to dominate the SOHO NAS market in short order.

Should you buy a Ugreen DXP4800 Pro?

Value

More bang for the buck

4 / 5

Design

A good design largely unchanged

4 / 5

Features

Four bays and dual M.2 in a solid package

4.5 / 5

Software

Rapidly improving OS

3.5 / 5

Performance

10GbE and 2.5GbE LAN and plenty of power

4 / 5

Overall

Better than the Plus in many ways

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You want something flexible
Four drive bays have enough capacity to hold plenty of data, and the 10GbE and 2.5GbE LAN ports can distribute it effectively. While ARM processors are more power efficient, the Core i3 CPU in here can use Virtual Machines, making it great for code development.

You need transcoding
One improvement that the new silicon brought to the Pro from the Plus is AV1 hardware transcoding, making this model much more useful as a media distribution server.

Don't buy it if...

You want Thunderbolt
The next rung on the Ugreen NAS ladder is the DXP6800 Pro, and that comes with Thunderbolt ports that you can use for even faster networking or attaching even more storage. If you want Thunderbolt ports or PCIe expansion, then the DXP4800 Pro isn’t for you.

You want minimal power consumption
Ugreen makes a basic four-bay NAS, the DH4300, that consumes 22.89W when drive access is occurring and 7.23W during drive hibernation. The DXP4800 Pro uses 42.36 W when active and 18.12 W during hibernation. Therefore, the running cost in electricity for the DXP4800 Pro is almost double, and that also generates more heat.View Deal

For more storage solutions we've tested the best NAS hard drives around

FlexiSpot continues to shine with great options across a wide range of pricing tiers, making it a bit difficult to pin down a higher-priced offering or a budget option.

The C7 Morpher leans towards the higher end of mid-tier - expect to pay around $800 / £800 when not on sale. It's a nice enough ergonomic office chair, but it blends in a bit more than some of the best office chairs I've reviewed at this price, looking not too dissimilar from other 'serious' and 'professional' seats.

Depending on what you want and your own design and styling preferences, this may be preferred. I know I prefer simple black or dark grey chairs, unless it’s an accent or statement piece, but that usually comes with elegance. Some people prefer fun colors to liven up their workspace, while others prefer a specific color to match what they already have (or to avoid clashing).

The C7 Morper can fit that niche of looking nice and simple, but not cheap, but it’s still not going to be an elegant statement piece.

Flexispot C7 Morpher: Price and availability

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

The FlexiSpot C7 Morpher is available for $800 from FlexiSpot.com and £800 from FlexiSpot.co.uk. However, at the time of review, it's discounted in the US to $650, and FlexiSpot generally run sales on all its office chairs - if you can wait a bit and watch the price, I’d suggest doing so.

Cost-wise, this is akin the excellent Steelcase Series 2, sitting at the upper end of mid-tier (arguably, it's broaching the premium price-point). What it lacks in design style, it makes up for in comfort features.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Flexispot C7 Morpher: Unboxing and First Impressions

The C7 Morpher arrived in a single, unassuming box that weighed just under 80 lbs. Once we started unboxing we noticed that every piece was individually wrapped in foam to help make sure that the chair gets delivered in good condition, which is something I appreciate as some chair companies skimp on this and then the chairs can sometimes arrive damaged.

With a single person, setup took about 30 minutes from unboxing to fully assembled utilizing the included T-handle Allen wrench — though we didn’t utilize the included gloves this time.

Upon first inspection, my team and I agree that the materials for this chair are on the nicer quality side of the spectrum, especially for this price range. The wheel base and the arms are made from aluminum, while the chair frame is a durable plastic material. The chair seat and back are covered in a comfortable yet durable fabric mesh material that seems like it'll be able to last quite a while without any signs of wear and tear.

As I've mentioned in the past for other chairs, I'm a big fan of mesh backs due to the increased airflow circulation and because I naturally run a bit warmer than the average individual, so I appreciated seeing that on this chair.

Flexispot C7 Morpher: Design & Build Quality

After years now of having leg rests available on chairs and having them become more and more common, I have noticed that I rarely end up actually using it.

However, that could very well just be a personal thing, as I don't usually use these chairs for anything but work. I'm usually trying to be really intentional with my posture when sitting, but if you're the kind of person who would utilize it, this is another one of the chairs that has a built-in one that slides underneath the seat when not in use.

Beyond the largest and materials, the other adjustability points are pretty standard for Flexispot chairs, and they're still overall usually on the more adjustable side when it comes to ergonomic offerings for these office thrones.

Flexispot C7 Morpher: In use

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

I've put this chair through the test with a handful of my team members, some friends, some family, and several others who have walked past that have been interested in my ever-growing chair collection.

While I haven't tested the capacity up to 380 lb, I have tested the height range with individuals ranging from 5'7" to 6'2", and there seems to be wiggle room on both ends for comfortable seating in this chair.

If you plan to use this on a low-pile carpet or a hard floor, the standard casters will be good enough. However, if you want a smoother ride, or if you are on a rougher surface or longer carpet, you will want to upgrade the casters. If you're interested, FlexiSpot offers this at an additional cost, or you can pick some up on Amazon.

Flexispot C7 Morpher: Final verdict

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

If you're looking for a simple chair that will still provide ergonomic comfort for all-day work, but you don't want to spend an arm and a leg, then this is a chair that's worth considering. But if you're the kind of person who wants a more luxurious or elegant-looking chair that perhaps stands out a little bit more - especially at this price, then the C7 Morpher may not be the option for you.

Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future

For more office furniture, we've tested the best standing desks.

TCL QM8L: Two-minute review

The TCL QM8L SQD-Mini LED TV may be technically the company’s third-tier TV this year, but it’s good enough to give you a flagship-type experience for a very reasonable price.

In my time with the TCL QM8L, I was very impressed across the board — almost as much as my dad, who’s probably stole even more time using it than me during testing. Its bright screen makes daytime watching easy even in bright rooms, and TCL’s backlight tech does a great job of offering a clean image with no blooming, highlighting detail no matter how bright or dark the picture is.

In fact, I think that everything this TV has to offer not only makes it really strong contender among the best TVs of 2026, as well as one of the best gaming TVs thanks to its four HDMI 2.1 ports and broad current-gen gaming features.

There’s plenty more to like about the 75QM8L (I received the 75-inch size for this review). The hands-free control is always a nice feature and having Google Gemini’s conversational interaction is mostly lovely, though I did find issue with some of the information it would offer up during use.

And I also found it to not quite measure up to the best of the best when it comes to color accuracy, or for color coverage compared to what TCL claimed it would be capable of.

That said, if you were to watch this TV and not look at any benchmarks, you would — like me — not think about any of that and just be enthralled with the sharp, smooth, and bright image (and brightness is a key area where the benchmarks look pretty good).

If you're looking for an excellent mini-LED TV that comes in big sizes, and can hold up to even the brightest rooms while still delivering nuanced picture quality, I can recommend the TCL QM8L strongly.

TCL QM8L review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Release date: April 2026
• 65-inch: $1,799
• 75-inch: $1,999
• 85-inch: $2,999
• 98-inch: $4,999

TCL has taken a go-big-or-go-home approach this year, releasing impressive updates for its top couple of lines of TVs, including the QM8L series reviewed here. While the TV was on show at CES, it wasn’t available for purchase until April 2026.

It sits below the TCL X11L (which is this year's flagship) and the TCL RM9L TVs in this year's line-up, but it uses the same SQD-Mini LED panel technology as the X11L. (The RM9L uses a new RGB LED panel, just to confuse things.)

As far as actual pricing goes, the pricing is not for the faint of heart, despite being third in the list. I’ll discuss how it stacks up to the competition later (and TCL does offer good value), but that doesn’t change the fact that a price of $1,999.99 for the 65 inch, the smallest size available for the QM8L, is a lot of money to throw at a TV.

It's less than the likes of LG G6 OLED TV, but is still undeniably premium — though it's already dropped massively in the few weeks since its launch, and will drop further — as is always the case with TCL TVs.

I think adding a couple hundred bucks to upgrade to the next size up, the 75-inch reviewed here, is reasonable if you’re already considering dropping that kind of cash on a TV.

TCL QM8L review: Specs

Screen type:

SQD-Mini LED

Refresh rate:

144Hz

HDR support:

HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision IQ

Smart TV:

Google TV

HDMI ports:

4x HDMI 2.1

Built-in tuner:

ATSC 3.0

TCL QM8L review: Benchmark resultsTCL QM8L review: Features

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Supports the full range of HDR and spatial audio formats
• Uses a few different TCL technologies to improve picture quality
• Hands-free control via Google Gemini

The TCL 75QM8L has a good amount of features, as it should for TCL’s almost flagship TV. It has all the various HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and DTS support one could need, which no rivals from LG, Sony or Samsung offer in their entirety.

The TV also utilizes some proprietary features to improve picture quality. For instance, the TCL Deep Color System is meant for a wider color range, to get up to a claimed 100% BT.2020 color coverage.

I’ll go into our test results in the next section, but I’ll briefly mention that the TV does decently but doesn’t actually get to that 100% color coverage for either BT.2020 or DCI-P3 in our measurements. Still, this technology does boost the colors beyond what's been normal for mini-LED in the past (and TCL says there are multiple ways to test for BT.2020 coverage).

Available in 65-, 75-, 85-, and 98-inches (my test unit is the 75-inch model), these TVs come with up to 4,000 local dimming zones featuring precise array full local dimming thanks to the SQD-Mini LED panel, and up to 6,000 nits of peak brightness to really make the most of HDR content.

For reference, the flagship X11L claims up to 20,000 local dimming zones and 10,000 nits of brightness. Considering the 75QM8L is much more affordable (in comparison), its specs are pretty impressive.

The ‘Enhanced Halo Control System’ in the LED backlight promises to minimize blooming, partly by using 26-bit backlight controllers. Having spent a good amount of time looking at this screen with HDR content on (as well as some test videos with colorful objects against black backgrounds), I haven’t noticed much if any in the way of blooming for real-world use.

Colorful or bright objects kept their shape against darker backgrounds without spilling over, so to speak, to those darker sections.

The WHVA panel 2.0 that TCL hopes will make you forget about OLED TVs also sport a 144Hz refresh rate, and a 178º viewing angle.

A TSR AI Pro processor powers the TV, with its processing focused partly on Google’s AI-powered voice assistant Gemini. And Wi-Fi 6 is on hand for a more responsive TV – realistically, your Wi-Fi is going to be the biggest bottleneck on a newer TV so this is a welcome upgrade.

If you’re like me, the hands-free voice control, using the Google Gemini AI voice assistant, will be the most impressive and most noticeable. Every time I say “Hey Google,” I find the TV to be responsive, even when it’s off and I’m asking it to turn back on.

I can open apps and a good deal of content just by speaking to it. I can also ask out more general knowledge-type queries that one would with a voice assistant (weather, sports scores, news, etc.).

Of course, there are some limitations in that it doesn’t always lead me to the right streaming location for certain content (more on that in the smart TV section).

Beyond the voice assistant, the AI capabilities, powered by the TSR AI Pro Processor, include an AI art gallery as a screen saver, AI news briefs, and AI picture-related settings.

For gaming, you've got 144Hz at 4K and variable refresh rate support across all four HDMI ports, plus the option for a 288Hz refresh rate at 1080p (still with VRR).

• Features Score: 4.5 / 5

TCL QM8L review: Picture quality

Difficult and nuanced near-dark detail is handled remarkably well (Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Impressively limited blooming and bold colors
• Filmmaker mode and Dolby Vision help to deliver rich pictures
• Color accuracy is not totally ideal out of the box

I spent a few weeks with the TCL 75QM8L, sharing time in control of the screen with my dad, which means a combination of Phillies games, British murder mysteries, blockbusters, 90 Day Fiancé and Leave It To Beaver — as well as some next-gen gaming. I'll go into detail on that last bit in the gaming section, but it's instructive for how the screen looks too.

During use, the TCL QM8L is a stunner. What I think puts this TV above other so many other options are the color and halo control systems I mentioned above, combined with the total HDR support, meaning images look gloriously rich.

We measured 3,719 nits of peak HDR brightness in a 10% window in Filmmaker Mode, which is absolutely stunning – but the over 2,000 local dimming zones in the model I tested helped to keep clear separation between light and dark areas despite the brightness.

There’s no bleed from one color to the next, and I’m able to see details in shadows clearly thanks to high dimming capability of each section.

Fullscreen HDR brightness in a 100% window is also colossal, reaching 760 nits in Filmmaker Mode and 790 nits in Standard (which is what you're more likely to use for sports).

Even in SDR in Standard mode, it hit 518 nits. That blows away any TV I’ve tested so far, and means the screen will only have reflection issues in dark scenes — watching sports in the day won't be any kind of problem.

Also useful for sports, or family room viewing, is that it has a pretty wide viewing angle, so I can watch something at a very sharp angle and still see the picture impressively clearly.

Speaking of sports, the motion handling is smooth. Whether it's watching NBA basketball, or even a sweeping drone shot, the screen doesn't show much in the way of judder. And of course, movies come across as buttery smooth.

Regardless of what's happening on the screen, the TCL QM8L still manages to reproduce all the detail of the image. Whether it's the fine lines of a petal in one of those hi-res screen tests or the crowd in the background of a game, it all looks clear and natural.

Even lower resolution content looks plenty sharp with a decent amount of detail. I never knew Leave It To Beaver could look so good, thanks to the "super resolution" AI upscaling (which is optional, but is enabled out-of-the-box).

When it comes to color, TCL's purported 100% BT.2020 rating is a little overblown, because the best we measured was 90%. (TCL told us there are multiple ways to measure BT.2020, and that it makes a difference.)

DCI-P3 color coverage is incredibly strong for a mini-LED TV at 98% — this is what we get from the most elite OLED TVs normally, with mini-LED falling further behind.

A little more concerning is the color accuracy. We measure how close the color reproduction is to 'perfect', measured in a 'Delta E' score, which means how far the picture is from the signal it's trying to recreate. We look for a score below 3, because at that point the human eye can't distinguish any difference from the reference pattern.

In Filmmaker Mode, the TCL QM8L score 3.7, which is a little disappointing for a premium TV, but not a dealbreaker. But in Standard, we measured a score of 9.9, which is shockingly high for something in this price range.

This is out of the box, of course, but most people don't calibrate their TV. As I said above, I found the colors to be really impactful and involving, but Filmmaker Mode is definitely the way to enjoy things if you want an accurate, more natural look — Standard isn't where we'd expect it to be.

• Picture quality score: 4.5 / 5

TCL QM8L review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Sounds good enough to skip the soundbar in general
• Bass is the major area lacking
• Spatial audio sounds pretty good

The sound quality on the TCL 75QM8L is pretty impressive, as it should be, considering the price and the fact that the sound system is branded as being by Bang & Olufsen.

I’ve tested everything from blockbuster movies to reality TV to various games and music, and I believe the audio here is good enough for you to skip adding a soundbar as long as you’re not looking for a home theater-type listening experience.

The high-end has plenty of presence while not being ice-pick brittle, letting sounds like flutes, strings, cymbals, and anything one might consider ‘sparkly’ (think chimes) come through with full clarity.

The mid-range is full in a way that many TVs aren’t able to produce, and is, in my opinion, the main reason to typically add a soundbar to a setup. When listening to music, vocals and guitar have the appropriate amount of aggressiveness, while dialog has a weight to it in movies the helps it to stand out clearly.

There’s a decent amount of mid-bass, so you’ll still get a little thump when listening to music or watching an action movie, but the two built-in woofers aren’t able to reproduce the frequencies typically the responsibility of a subwoofer. If you really want to feel the audio, you’ll need to add one.

Happily, TCL does have a wireless subwoofer that can be added for that purpose, but it does require an additional purchase. Likewise, though the TV supports Dolby Atmos and DTS, you’ll have to get TCL’s Dolby Atmos FlexConnect speakers to actually hear any surround sound if you don’t want to purchase or build a whole home theater system.

The TV does, however, manage to reproduce some spatial audio without any add-ons. Turning it on does add a sense of height to whatever I’m watching, so you should definitely give it a try.

I also appreciate the fact that there are some other audio options to fine tune, such as a bass boost, a dialog enhancer (admittedly subtle), an auto volume control that works somewhat like night mode in that it compresses audio volume, and an AI sonic adaptation feature that works to offset the reflections of your room for a more pure sound.

That last feature works, though not quite as well as something like Dirac, so don’t expect audiophile-level audio.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

TCL QM8L review: Design

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Zero edge bezels feel very premium
• Excellent dual-height stand with cable management
• Remote is larger than average

The 'zero edge' bezels on the 75QM8L make me almost feel like I’m watching on a floating screen — there's almost no frame.

The centered stand, which can be height-adjusted during installation to accommodate a soundbar, makes the TV feel more balanced and stable than many TVs that I test (and we typically get 65-inch models for testing).

The stand also has cable management built into it — it has a back panel that pops out to hide the cables — which we always appreciate.

I also like the fact that all four HDMI ports are HDMI 2.1, meaning you don't need to think about which one you're going to use and fiddle around. Well, mostly: there's still only one HDMI eARC port, so if you connect that one of the best soundbars or an AV receiver, you need to know which it is.

Lastly, the remote is actually a bit bigger than I’m usually used to, which some might like. It’s heftier and so easier to keep track of and the bottom is angled to fit snugly in the hand. It’s also backlit and has a talk button, though you can also communicate with the TV via Google Gemini.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

TCL QM8L review: Smart TV and menus

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Google Gemini is conversational and responsive though not always correct
• Good amount of free content available on Google TV, and all major apps
• There's a quick menu for common settings changes

The Google TV interface is one I’ve gotten accustomed to after reviewing a number of TVs and streaming devices that use it. The way it’s implemented on the TCL 75QM8L is essentially the same, with the only noticeable difference to most TVs being the inclusion of Google Gemini.

Google Gemini is a very robust voice assistant. Since it’s AI-powered, it’s conversational and quick, but also prone to mistakes the way generative AI generally is.

For example, I had Gemini look up the movie Swept Away, and while it offered correct information on the fact that there are two versions, it was wrong on where it was available to stream. Strangely, when I just used the interface’s search function, I was sent to a landing page that suggested it was available to stream on Tubi, which still only hosted the newer, more maligned, 2002 version.

Gemini is nice to use, though, with a selection of different timbres of voices that sound natural when speaking. I’m able to ask about much more than movies of TV, because it is a full-blown voice assistant. It even brings up a neat little graph when talking about the weather.

For some reason, it did default to pulling up relevant YouTube videos when I asked more general questions. For instance, I asked ‘Recommend a movie to me based on my viewing habits’ and it just pulled up a bunch of YouTube videos (I was not in the YouTube app, mind you) related to must-see movies.

The rest of the Google TV interface is more standard fare. A rotating banner covers the top of the home page, followed by rows of recommendations including ‘Must Watch’, ‘Continue Watching’ and more, not to mention a row of apps if you want to open one and browse.

Still, many will appreciate being able to browse much of the available content from the home page. Just be aware, it’s not comprehensive, as the interface may not pull information from certain apps.

As every manufacturer does these days, there’s a good amount of free content available. Google FreePlay, in particular, has a good deal of content and works much like a cable guide interface. Who knew that Google would be able to quench my dad’s thirst for Leave It To Beaver — there was a whole channel streaming episodes.

When you first go to the settings option via the remote or navigating the screen, a breakout box of quick settings appear at the top right corner of the screen. You have to still click once more to get the full list of settings — sometimes this is useful, sometimes it feels like it's just adding a step.

There’s a lot of fine tuning available, especially for the display, so I can imagine the menus to be a little overwhelming for anyone digging in for the first time. But it’s good to have more options than not, especially with as good of a TV as this.

• Smart TV & menus score: 4.5 / 5

TCL QM8L review: Gaming

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• All HDMI inputs support 4K at up to 144Hz, with variable refresh rate
• Game Bar menu for game-specific finetuning of settings
• Can automatically switch inputs and to game mode when console is on

Great news for gamers this year is that all four of QM8L's HDMI inputs are of the full-fat HDMI 2.1 variety, meaning that they all support 4K at 120Hz or 144Hz. Just make sure to enable faster refresh rates in the TV’s menu.

Speaking of menus, if you press on the hamburger symbol (the three stacked lines) on the remote while gaming, the TCL 75QM8L will pull up a specialized menu that the brand calls the Game Bar, enabling you to turn on things like an FPS counter, Aim Assist, Game Accelerator 288 (which doubles the perceived refresh rate to 288Hz, but drop the resolution to 1080p), and Overdrive, which is a kind of motion blur that can’t be used as the same time as high refresh rates.

To test the TV for gaming, I used a Playstation 5 and had no problem running compatible games at 120 fps. All of them looked crisp thanks to the 4K resolution with good HDR contrast despite the more limited processing you get in the gaming mode.

The 9.5ms latency is excellent for a TV, and is basically as good as you get from any of the best gaming TVs — and helps everything feel fast and snappy when playing.

Lastly, not only can the TV switch inputs automatically when a console is turned on, but the TCL QM8L will automatically switch the picture mode to game mode.

• Gaming score: 5 / 5

TCL QM8L review: Value

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• It's pricey, but not quite flagship price, thankfully
• The bigger the size, the better-value TCL sets tend to be
• Certain unique features like hands-free control are available on cheaper TVs

The 75-inch TCL QM8L is about two grand (which is a drop from the $3k is cost right at launch) — that’s not cheap and it’s out of reach for many consumer.

However, compare it to LG’s mid-range OLED offering, the LG C6, and the TCL is not looking so bad. That comes with a price tag of $3,699 for the 77-inch. The TCL has a big price advantage, but the two TVs are comparable overall for features.

The big threat to it is really last year's TCL QM8K. That's now available for around $1,500 for a 75-inch size, and is a really excellent TV without question at that price — the QM8L's better color range, improved backlight and four HDMI 2.1 ports mean that it's worth the upgrade in my opinion.

It may not be the bargain of the year at this price, it represents a great value overall, and is above average when it comes to bang for your buck.

• Value score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)TCL QM8L Series

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Excellent picture and audio format support, plus hands-free AI-based controls that can be really useful.

4.5 / 5

Picture quality

Stunning brightness and extremely impressive contrast control for a mini-LED. We wish the colors in Standard Mode were more accurate.

4.5 / 5

Sound quality

The audio sounds good enough to skip a soundbar, though there’s not much in the way of low-end.

4.5 / 5

Design

The adjustable center stand with cable management is great, as are the zero edge bezels.

4.5 / 5

Smart TV and menus

Google Gemini is conversational and easy to use though not quite reliable, while the Google TV interface is fairly intuitive to use.

4.5 / 5

Gaming

Four HDMI 2.1 ports and super-rich HDR images make this a pleasure to game on.

5 / 5

Value

The TCL QM8L is a strong value compared to similar-tier TVs from other brands, but is still pricey.

4 / 5

Should I buy the TCL QM8L Series?Buy it if...

You want a bright, rich screen

The TCL 75QM8L has a bright, vibrant screen. While not reaching quite the heights of TCL's flagship TVs, this TV’s brightness will outshine any mid-range TV, making it stunning for HDR and great at beating reflections.View Deal

You want an impressive gaming TV

This TV has gaming-centered features, a game picture mode, 2.1 HDMI ports for 4K at 144Hz, and complete HDR support. Along with the wide color coverage, that all makes this a great TV to game on.

You want to talk to your TV

The hands-free control via Google Gemini makes using the TCL QM8L even easier than it already was. Not only can you pull up content, but you can ask any question under the sun and get an answer that almost sounds human.

Don't buy it if…

You want the most accurate picture possible in multiple modes

Make no mistake, the TCL 75QM8L is a good looking TV. Still, we'd prefer the colors to be a bit more accurate in Standard Mode out of the box.

You want to save money

It's good value, but it's far from cheap — TCL's mid-range TVs, or last year's models, can offer even more bang for your buck.

Also consider...

TCL QM8L

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (2025)

Hisense U65QF

LG C6

Price (65-inch)

$1,799

$849

$999

$2,699

Screen type

SQD-Mini LED

QLED

QLED w/ mini-LED

OLED

Refresh rate

144Hz

60Hz

upt to 144Hz

165Hz

HDR support

HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision IQ

Dolby Vision/HDR10+ Adaptive/HDR10

Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Smart TV

Google TV

Fire TV

Fire TV

WebOS 26

HDMI ports

4 HDMI 2.1

4 HDMI 2.0

4 (2x HDMI 2.1)

4x HDMI 2.1

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED

If you want a souped up voice assistant but fall squarely into the Alexa ecosystem, the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED has Amazon’s own voice assistant perfectly integrated. Of course, it’s a cheaper TV so it comes with compromises like no Dolby Atmos support, a 60Hz cap, and limited brightness.

Read our full Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED review

Hisense U65QF

The Hisense U65QF is very affordable for a mini-LED TV. It’s packed with features like Dolby Atmos, a 144Hz refresh rate, and Dolby Vision IQ. It also has Alexa built in, though not Alexa+. Finding the video settings does take some deep menu diving, and the Prime-focused interface is a bit of an acquired taste.

Read our full Hisense U65QF review

LG C6

The LG C6 is a strong upgrade over last year's LG C5, delivering brilliant picture quality, perfect contrast and black tones, the best suite of gaming features you can find, and a good smart TV interface. As it's price drops, it's a very strong OLED competitor to the mini-LED tech in the QM8L.

Read our full LG C5 review

How I tested the TCL QM8L Series

• I used the TCL 75QM8L for a couple weeks
• Tested with both TV, movies, music, and games
• Benchmark measurements conducted by Future US testing lab

I used the TCL 75QM8L regularly for a couple weeks. I tested it using streaming shows, movies, music, and games (via PS5). I went through the various features, particularly the hands-free AI voice assistant, to see if they work as advertised. I also spent time listening to the audio as well as paying attention to the picture quality.

The objective data measurements were taken by Future Publishing's TV testing lab, which uses the Klein K-10A colorimeter and Jeti 15VA spectroradiometer, Murideo Six G 8K Metal test pattern generator, and Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software to record the results.

I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years, from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

You can read an in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar at that link.

• First reviewed: May 2026
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I remember it like it was yesterday. I got an email in my inbox with a link to preview an unreleased Dell display. The very moment that I saw the specs, I thought I was dreaming: 52 inches, 6K display, Thunderbolt dock, fast response time. And, from one of, if not the largest, display makers in the world.

I've said for years now that Dell monitors are a staple in the workspace; however, this is nowhere near the norm or regular in the average workspace. Most people who have seen this monitor on my desk, in the background of photos, or in virtual meetings assume it's a TV mounted on my wall. Some have even thought it's a window, depending on the content I have on it.

That's how good this monitor is.

At its core, it performs just like some of the other incredible monitors that I've tested from BenQ, Dell, LG, and beyond. However, there's one massive caveat. This monitor is absolutely massive. 52 inches sounds large when you read it on paper or see it in photos, but once you experience it in real life and realize that, as a 6-foot-2 individual, I could fit in the box it came in, it makes it all the more real.

The moment you plug in, you feel like you are entering a workspace, not just adding a panel to your machine. There's no need to switch around between what you have open or remember what was on the other screen. There's no need for multiple desktops, or even for your laptop to be open, to get just a little bit more screen real estate.

For me, this is possibly the best business monitor I've ever tested - so long as you have the space (and the need for higher resolutions). There's so much on here that I have had everything open I could possibly need for large research projects, and I have had plenty of space, especially if you have this thing scaled all the way up to 6K resolution. The amount of material you can fit on the screen is absolutely ludicrous.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )Dell UltraSharp 52 U5226KW: Unboxing and First Impressions

Keep in mind I also review an insane amount of desks, and I regularly will come home or check my cameras and see massive boxes on my front porch when this monitor got delivered, I saw it while pulling up to my house, and I immediately assumed it was a desk that I was waiting for. In fact, as I write this, I realize that one of my regularly used desks that I'm currently testing is actually smaller than this panel is — madness.

Dell sends all the goodies that it normally sends with its monitors in the box, including cables, power supply, and a base that I love to hate on a little bit. Just to try it out, I put this model on the base at first, and then realized that the base is also significantly larger than others to hold this gargantuan of a panel.

So, I quickly took it off and put it on the monitor arm and realized that my nice monitor arm could not support the insane weight of this panel on its own. I resorted to resting the weight on my Grove made desk shelf and using the monitor arm to route cables and hold the monitor from falling forward and backward.

Once I plugged in my first machine to test this panel with it, it took me about two minutes to set my display preferences correctly on my machine and make sure that all my devices were plugged into all the different ports; then I got to work.

Dell UltraSharp 52 U5226KW: Design & Build Quality

I've mentioned it a little bit, but this monitor, outside of being massive in size, actually retains a pretty standard aspect ratio. It really does truly feel like just a properly scaled up version of a standard monitor, unlike ultra-wide, where you very clearly get extra width on the side, or a 16:10, where you clearly get some extra height. This one feels pretty standard when it comes to aspect ratio.

That's not to say that you will probably ever actually use anything in full screen on this display, unless it's for a movie, potentially a large virtual main, or presenting content. If you are truly using this as a productivity machine, odds are you'll have a myriad of windows open spread across this entire thing, with some shoved up in corners that are just reference materials, others that are dead center, and the like.

The panel itself continues to hold the quality of a standard Dell monitor, which I've spoken about many, many times. It feels like it will last a lifetime and like I will never have any issues with it as long as I treat it with basic decency.

One thing that becomes glaringly obvious when you have a giant display like this is desk depth. Because it's so large and it only has a slight curve to it, you'll need to make sure that you are sat far enough away from the desk to actually be able to utilize the full amount of screen without straining your neck to be able to see the edges.

The ports stay in the center back of the monitor, which are phenomenal once you have everything plugged in and pushed back to where you may want it. For changing things out, if you do have this monitor tucked back on the edge of a desk, potentially against a wall, it will be slightly difficult to get around, as your arm can't just reach in from the edges like a standard monitor. If you are able to get up and under the monitor from the front, you could do that and find your port if needed.

Originally, I was planning on putting this on a very hefty monitor arm like what I have for my main display, which is a very large (large is now a relative term, since Dell's display dwarfs my BenQ MA320U).

However, after setting my monitor on top of my shelf, supported by a monitor bent for mid to normally large I fell in love with the sleek, floating look and decided to keep and now I am thrilled with it. It keeps my cables clean. It makes it to where I can swivel out the monitor to plug in test machines and swap out docking stations I'm testing, all while looking fantastic and having very high functionality.

Dell UltraSharp 52 U5226KW: In use

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

I've tried to use this monitor every single day since getting it set up around a hundred days ago. If this was a YouTube review, I'm sure I would have a hundred-day test somewhere in the title or metadata, like all the YouTubers do. In that time, it really does feel like I have found a cheat code that gives me the ability to have multiple monitors, all while not having the annoyance of bezels or managing multiple monitors in whatever OS I'm working with.

There are times that I don't even use more than two-thirds of the available real estate. I've learned to understand that that's 100% okay and doesn't mean that I'm not fully utilizing what is in front of me.

There are other times that I have been working on large research projects, grinding on an insanely busy day and having a thousand things that I'm doing at once and having to triple task on things. Or other days where I'm in large meetings while also presenting, and I'm able to fit it all on a screen without even needing to have my laptop open.

On my other desk setups, I'm used to swapping between desktops on my Mac or context switching a lot with multiple windows open and hidden, and having to remember what's on the other screens when I can't fit it all. On this one, I can keep it all open, and then all I have to do is remember which zip code it is in (ok it’s not THAT big).

I will say that if you have the cash for it, this is an easy choice over an ultra-wide, as you still have that vertical space that you don't have on an ultra-wide.

While using this monitor, I have tested every single computer that has come through my studio on it. I have run gaming systems just for kicks and giggles. I have worked on it as many days as possible, and I have had it in the background of almost every virtual meeting I've had, simply just as an incredibly cool background that people either think is fake or a window.

At all times, I have an Apple TV, two docking stations, a display port running to whatever desktop I am testing at the time and HDMI running to whatever extra device I may want to plug-in on the fly. For the two docking stations, I rotate the different laptops I have, testing between those, and I'm able to pop them up on the panel or run picture-in-picture or picture-by-picture.

There were a few laptops and a few desktops that I was testing that were more budget-friendly and not as high-performance as the others. I was able to quickly spot which had the cheaper or lower-performance graphics cards, as they were not able to scale to the high resolution and sheer size of this panel. This made it glaringly obvious which ones had a higher graphical output.

If there's such a thing as an endgame monitor, this would probably be it. While it may not be the best thing for gamers, and I'm sure that there aren't going to be any businesses that buy this for the cubicles. When it comes to overall productivity and business performance, I'd be willing to bet that this monitor can outperform just about all of them.

Dell UltraSharp 52 U5226KW: Final verdict

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )

This monitor has officially entered a class of its own. I know many people who don't even have TVs that are this large, and for sure there are most people who don't have monitors that have these kinds of specs.

To have both the size of a TV and the specs that outperform even some of the best monitors on the market, this monitor is in a class of its own. Like I said before, it truly transcends the idea of what a monitor can be and turns an expansion of your laptop into a true environment of productive mastery at whatever you are working on.

While I can't say this scientifically, I'd also be willing to bet that this monitor makes you smarter, more productive, better at your job, and whatever else it takes to be able to try and convince your boss to let you buy one for the office.

Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future

DJI Osmo Mobile 8P: two-minute review

When I reviewed the DJI Osmo Mobile 8 in November 2025, the only real criticism I had for it was its lack of a remote control. With the Osmo Mobile 8P, DJI has gone and fixed that issue — and in doing so has produced what I'd call the most capable lightweight smartphone stabilizer on the market right now.

The headline addition is the Osmo FrameTap, a detachable remote that snaps magnetically onto the gimbal handle for close-up work and slides off for remote shooting (with a range of up to 25m). Its 1.4-inch touchscreen can mirror your phone's camera view — directly on Android, via the Mimo app on iOS — so you can frame shots, trigger tracking, and adjust the gimbal's pan and tilt without having to peer at your phone's screen. It's a feature that the Osmo Mobile 8 was crying out for, and a match for the touchscreen remote that made the Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra one of my favorite gimbals of 2025.

The FrameTap touchscreen remote spends most of its time fixed to the gimbal's handle, but pops out when needed. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

In most other respects, the 8P is virtually identical to the Osmo Mobile 8: it has the same foldable form factor, built-in extension rod and mini tripod, magnetic phone clamp, 360° pan rotation, and up to 10 hours of battery life. DJI claims the OM 8P's 8th-generation three-axis stabilization delivers 20% more torque than the OM 8's, and while I don't doubt that on paper, I'd be surprised if most users noticed any difference in everyday shooting. The stabilization is smooth and dependable, as you'd expect from any modern DJI gimbal.

Where the 8P is more meaningfully upgraded is in its tracking skills. The Advanced Tracking Combo bundle I reviewed pairs the gimbal with the 2nd-Generation AI Tracking Module (officially the Multifunctional Module 2), which can now follow virtually any object — not just people and pets, but vehicles and more — using your phone's native camera or any third-party app. It also features a highly customizable LED fill light.

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

In testing, ActiveTrack 8.0 (only available through the Mimo app) and the Module 2's own tracking were both excellent, reliably re-acquiring me even when I ducked behind objects and re-emerged in a different spot. You can also set your position within the frame rather than being locked to the center, which is a useful tool for more compositionally minded creators. Apple DockKit tracking is also present, but with Module 2 available, it feels largely redundant. I suppose it's useful if you want the simplicity of NFC pairing, but it offers far fewer options than either of the other two modes.

Beyond tracking, the 8P's general feature set will feel familiar to anyone who has used its predecessor. You get the same four gimbal motion modes — PTF (pan and tilt follow), PF (pan follow), FPV, and SpinShot — cycled through via the FrameTap's on-screen mode button, plus a trigger on the front for re-centering, locking the gimbal axes, and flipping the phone between front and rear-facing cameras. Buttons for toggling between portrait and landscape orientation are also available (again, via the FrameTap's touchscreen), and the mini joystick handles manual pan and tilt when you want direct control over the gimbal arm.

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

There are some trade-offs here, though. By shifting much of the control scheme to the FrameTap's touchscreen, the 8P feels less immediately hands-on than the OM8 — the joystick is smaller, and functions like mode switching and camera toggling now live behind a touchscreen rather than dedicated physical buttons. The zoom/focus wheel present on the Osmo Mobile 8 is gone entirely, which feels like a regression. And if you're stepping up from a gimbal that used the original Multifunctional Module 1, note that the Module 2 has apparently dropped support for connecting a DJI wireless microphone directly to the module itself — you'll need to connect your mic to the phone instead.

All things considered, the Osmo Mobile 8P represents a small but meaningful step forward for DJI's gimbal lineup. Its tracking is class-leading, its remote control fills the one gap that held the OM 8 back, and its pricing remains competitive against rivals like the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro and Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra. The reduced physical controls and the Module 2's dropped mic receiver support are real niggles, but they're unlikely to be dealbreakers for most users. If you're in the market for a folding smartphone gimbal, the OM 8P is now the one to beat.

DJI Osmo Mobile 8P: price and availability

• Priced from £135 / AU$219
• Available in three different bundles

At £135 / AU$219 for the Standard Combo (which, importantly, includes the FrameTap), the Osmo Mobile 8P is priced at the same level as its predecessor.

The Advanced Tracking Combo (which is the configuration I tested) comes in at £169 / AU$269. It includes the same contents as the Standard Combo, plus the new Multifunctional Module 2 tracker and fill light.

Finally, there's the Creator Combo at £195 / AU$329, which features all of the above plus a DJI Mic Mini 2 transmitter and mobile receiver. Like all recent DJI products, there's no US pricing or availability at launch.

DJI Osmo Mobile 8P: specs

Dimensions:

196 x 105 x 38mm (folded)

Weight:

386g / 13.6oz

Compatible phone weight:

170 to 300g / 6 to 10.6oz

Compatible phone thickness:

6.9 to 11mm

Compatible phone width:

67 to 84mm

Connectivity:

Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C

Battery life:

4 hours (using tracking and fill light) / 10 hours (balanced and stationary)

Should you buy the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P?

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Buy it if...

You want the best gimbal for tracking
Offering three distinct ways to track diverse subjects, the OM 8P is great at keeping you in the frame.

You want an affordable, compact gimbal
Compact and competively priced, the OM 8P starts at the same price as its predecessor did upon release. Note you'll need to pay more for the tracking bundle, however.

Don't buy it if...

You own a heavy phone
If your smartphone weighs over 300g or is more than 11mm thick, the Osmo Mobile 8P won't be able to grip it.

You like hardware controls
By shifting most of its buttons to the FrameTap's touchscreen, the OM 8P ditches the immediacy of its predecessor's physical controls.

DJI Osmo Mobile 8P review: Also consider

Insta360 Flow 2 Pro
The Flow 2 Pro was once the best all-round gimbal for tracking, but since its release it has been surpassed by Hohem and DJI. It's still a capable stabilizer, however – particularly if you can pick it up at a discount price.

Read our in-depth Insta360 Flow 2 Pro review

Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra
Hohem's stabilizer offers excellent module-based tracking plus a touchscreen-equipped remote control unit – a feature now "borrowed" by DJI. It doesn't have a quick-release mount option, but it can grip heavier, larger handsets than the Osmo Mobile 8P.

Read our in-depth Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra review

How I tested the DJI Osmo Mobile 8

• One week of use
• Tested with an Apple iPhone 13
• Used for B-roll and vlog-style footage

I reviewed the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P for around a week, testing it both handheld and set up on its built-in mini tripod. It was used with my Apple iPhone 13's front-facing and rear cameras, both indoors and outdoors, and I recorded video using a range of apps (but mostly the iPhone camera and DJI Mimo). I made sure to test its tracking capabilities with all three of the available tracking methods: ActiveTrack 8.0 (via the Mimo app only); the Module 2; and Apple DockKit.

First reviewed May 2026

Windscribe's free plan is one of our favorites. It comes with a reasonable amount of monthly data, servers in key locations, and a long list of security tools that aren't hidden behind paywalls and upgrades.

Windscribe Free isn't without its downsides, though. A free VPN will always struggle to keep up with premium providers, and Windscribe's paid plan doesn't land in our overall rankings of today's best VPNs. However, if you need a free VPN that'll improve your overall online privacy and throw in some reliable tools, too, well, Windscribe Free does the job.

Keep reading, and we'll cover Windscribe Free from top to bottom, covering everything from its lightweight UI to its unblocking capabilities.

Features

Windscribe Free gives users 10 GB of data per month to use as they see fit. This is fairly generous and should be enough to get you through four weeks, but it will run out quickly if you use Windscribe Free for streaming or online gaming. However, there is the option to post on X for an extra 5 GB a month or upgrade to unlimited data for $3 a month.

If you’d rather not shout Windscribe Free’s praises from the rooftops or provide an email during signup, you’ll still receive 2 GB of data a month. It’s a great option for the more privacy-conscious who find themselves in need of a reliable free service.

We were also glad to see that Windscribe Free offers unlimited simultaneous connections. That means you can share your login details with friends and family without worrying about how many people are using the VPN at any one time. The same goes for Windscribe’s paid plans, too, if you choose to upgrade.

Windscribe Free Windows app (Image credit: Windscribe )

Windscribe Free offers up most of the core VPN features you'd expect from a well-known name in the industry. There's a kill switch, called Firewall, that's easily accessible in the Windows, Android, and Linux apps, and we found that it was pretty easy to toggle on and off.

Firewall is set to "Automatic" mode by default. This means that it's toggled on whenever you connect to a Windscribe Free server, so you'll remain protected even if the VPN connection fails for some reason. It also means that Firewall will toggle off whenever you manually disconnect from a server. The "Automatic" setting is the one that most people will use, as it removes the need to flip Firewall on and off manually.

Some folks will want to maximize the protection offered by Firewall, however, and the "Always On" option does just that. It blocks internet access entirely until you connect to a Windscribe Free server, reducing the risk of divulging any identifiable information. It'll certainly add extra steps to your usual browsing routine, but if you're considering it, you're probably at peace with trading a bit of convenience for a lot of security. We're ultimately glad that the free version of the VPN offers it.

The same goes for the auto-connect feature, which is customizable, and the split tunnelling tool. Both of these features are often excluded from free VPNs, so it's great to see that Windscribe Free doesn't water down its offering.

We were impressed by how customizable the split tunnelling tool is, too, especially compared to other free VPNs on the market. The only downside here is that it's not available on iOS. There are two modes to choose from: "Exclusive" allows users to build lists of apps that won't route traffic through the VPN tunnel, which is how most split tunneling tools work.

"Inclusive" works slightly differently, and lets you build a list where only the apps on it will have their traffic routed through the tunnel. It's a real time-saver if you only intend to use Windscribe Free for a few specific purposes (like unblocking streaming platforms) and aren't hugely concerned about your privacy.

The real star of the show, however, is R.O.B.E.R.T. - Windscribe's built-in ad and malware blocker. Paid users get more out of the tool, but it's still available and effective on the free plan, and works quietly in the background to flag potential risks. During testing on our Windows 11 Chromebook machine and iPhone 13, we found that it was effective at steering us away from malicious domains and removing invasive ads.

During our review process, we assembled a list of 50 brand-new malware-hosting links and pitted Windscribe Free against them. The provider successfully blocked 30% of these threats. It also blocked 76% of phishing links we tested it with, and, most impressively, 97% of ads.

We were intrigued by Windscribe Free's claim that none of its tools are hidden behind a paywall. That's not the norm, after all, and we just had to put the boast to the test. Windscribe Free says that its premium and free users have access to the exact same roster of tools and, well, we found that this is mostly true.

For a start, free users miss out on port forwarding, which is readily available to paid users. You'll also need to pony up for a subscription to take advantage of Windscribe's full server network spanning 71 countries - and not the meagre 10 that free users have access to. Similarly, some advanced aspects of R.O.B.E.R.T are only available to paid users.

Features score: 7/10

Server network

Free VPNs don’t offer as many servers in as many places as premium VPNs – and Windscribe Free is no exception.

Windscribe Free has servers in 10 countries (and 13 locations), total: USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Switzerland, and Hong Kong.

It's a pretty good spread for a free VPN. Proton VPN Free matches it, but doesn't allow users to actually pick which server they'd like to connect to. We're glad that Windscribe does things differently.

The server distribution is heavily weighted towards Europe, which may be an issue for folks in Asia, Africa, or South America looking for a nearby VPN server to connect to in order to maximize their performance.

Windscribe Free's server location list (on Windows 11) (Image credit: Windscribe )

We think that including a free server in Hong Kong is a pleasant surprise, as very few VPNs typically offer servers in or around China, even if they charge a subscription fee.

Windscribe Free claims that all of its servers are physically in the countries that they're advertised in. So, no virtual servers. It's something we had to see for ourselves.

After we ran some tests, we were pleased to learn that Windscribe Free lives up to its word. We didn't find any discrepancies between the advertised locations and the reality. This means that, if you need to connect to a specific location to access content, sports, or sites from back home, you can rest assured that the server will be right where it needs to be (and not on the other side of the world).

During testing, we found that Windscribe’s Free servers didn’t suffer from any discernible congestion, as the VPN doesn’t shunt free users into specifically designated free servers (which could cause slowdown).

Plus, Windscribe Free makes it perfectly clear which servers are restricted to paid users in the app, marking them with a star icon.

Server network score: 4/10

Apps

Windscribe Free is available for all of today’s most popular platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, and even Linux. In fact, we found Windscribe Free's Linux GUI to be one of the best on the market. It looks and feels just like the other desktop apps.

Additionally, Windscribe Free is compatible with Fire TV and Apple TV, and has browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. Windscribe Free doesn't support routers, however, and you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan to download the necessary configuration files.

During our day-to-day use, we found Windscribe Free’s apps to be basic and serviceable. The core features, like the on/off switch and server list, are easy enough to navigate, but the layout proved to be unintuitive – especially compared to the polished offerings from PrivadoVPN and Proton VPN.

We did enjoy that the experience remained similar across all platforms, although there are a handful of key differences to point out. The iOS app, for example, lacks split tunneling, and the Mac app doesn't support split tunneling for apps (meaning you can only exclude specified IP addresses or hostnames).

Finally, Windscribe Free's Android and iOS apps don't have a standard kill switch/firewall, but they do come with an Always-On VPN option, which works in a similar way.

Apps score: 7/10

Ease of use

Windscribe Free’s apps, while easy enough to set up and navigate, were not our favorite to actually use.

We found that the installation process was a piece of cake, however. Simply download the Windscribe Free app from the website, run through the installation wizard, and log in with credentials when prompted.

Windscribe Free opens as a small tile, similar to ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access, and clicking on options, like the server list or settings, expands dropdown menus and new tabs to explore.

We found this to be relatively easy to navigate through – the large on/off button makes connecting to a server nice and quick, and it was great to see that Windscribe Free clearly states how much data remains for the month (and gives users the option to upgrade to a paid plan).

Some of the visual elements of Windscribe Free look pretty snazzy. When we chose a location, for example, the background of the app changed to a hi-res flag, and the location list drops down like a physical panel when you click or tap it.

During our testing process,, however, we did notice areas where the UI was not as intuitive as it could (or should) be – on both desktop and mobile.

Windscribe Free's settings menu displayed on a Windows 11 machine.WindscribeWindscribe Free's settings menu displayed on a Windows 11 machine.WindscribeWindscribe Free's available protocols, as displayed on a Windows 11 machine.Windscribe

For a start, changing VPN protocol isn’t signposted clearly. You need to tap or click the protocol to choose which one you use, and this might seem obvious, but VPN newbies may be unaware that this text is a clickable element at first glance.

Similarly, there’s an odd gap between the “Firewall” text and the actual toggle switch, which had us wondering, at first, if it was something else that wasn’t labeled.

Finally, Windscribe’s settings could be grouped more intuitively. Currently, users have to do a lot of scrolling to check out all of the options and toggles which, on a mobile device, gets tiresome quickly – especially when we were just looking for one setting in particular.

These are small design quibbles, but today’s top VPNs have truly mastered the art of crafting consumer-friendly apps that don’t raise these questions, which puts Windscribe Free on the back foot in terms of ease of use.

Ease of use score: 6/10

Speed and performance

Windscribe Free impressed us during our in-house performance tests. We recorded respectable speeds of 1594 Mbps using the WireGuard protocol, marking it as one of the quickest free services available today. As you might expect, however, Windscribe's premium version was faster, clocking in at 2263 Mbps.

We found that these speeds correlated to a smooth, seamless browsing experience where we forgot that Windscribe Free was even running in the background. This was the case regardless of whether we were connected to a local UK server or a transatlantic US server. This kind of consistency is fantastic, and even the lowest speeds we recorded, of 466 Mbps, are more than the average user needs for a stress-free browsing session.

One thing to note is that Windscribe Free took over five seconds to connect to a server when we began our testing process. Subsequent connections only took a fraction of a second, however, which is what we’d expect to see, so we can’t totally knock the service.

Speed and performance score: 6/10

Unblocking

Free VPNs typically struggle when it comes to accessing streaming platforms, as they don’t have the resources necessary to evade VPN bans and blacklisting. Plus, with limited monthly data caps, free services aren’t all that suited to movie marathons or binge-watching.

The good news is that, for us, Windscribe Free accessed Netflix without any hiccups at all. We were able to browse through the UK, US, and Canada libraries without waiting an age for the page to load.

Similarly, Disney+ worked like a charm alongside smaller regional services, including BBC iPlayer, ITV, and Channel 4. YouTube US proved problematic for every VPN, so it's no surprise that Windscribe failed here, while it also had occassional problems with Amazon Prime Video.

The picture quality of these streams was high-quality, too, and we didn’t experience any dropouts or stuttering, which is in large part due to Windscribe Free’s excellent speeds.

However, as mentioned earlier, streaming in HD or 4K gobbles up a lot of data, so you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to really enjoy Windscribe’s streaming capabilities (and its dedicated Windflix servers).

If you're looking for a solid VPN for torrenting, however, Windscribe Free doesn't quite achieve a perfect score. While the service allows P2P traffic across all of its free servers, the port forwarding tool is reserved for paying customers, which means you may run into issues when seeding files.

Unblocking score: 7/10

Privacy and Security

Windscribe supports a variety of VPN protocols: WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2. WireGuard uses ChaCha20 encryption, and OpenVPN and IKEv2 use AES-256 encryption. The WSTunnel (OpenVPN over web sockets) and Stealth (OpenVPN over SSL) are also included in the mix, and are designed to bypass VPN detection.

We were able to switch between them easily – although the app did fail to connect at first when using the WireGuard protocol. After switching to IKeV2 and back again, however, the issue resolved itself.

This selection of protocols is pretty par for the course, and we found we had the best overall experience with WireGuard, as it’s a fantastic blend of speed and security.

OpenVPN is a better pick for the security-conscious, though you can expect slower overall speeds. IKEv2, as it automatically reconnects, tends to be the option of choice for mobile VPN users.

During testing, we found Windscribe Free’s R.O.B.E.R.T. tool to be especially effective. We didn’t encounter any ads while going about our day-to-day browsing while it was enabled.

It won’t take the place of a dedicated ad-blocker, but it’s a nice additional layer of security that can help save that precious data by preventing ads from loading and eating it up.

R.O.B.E.R.T. is also customizable, though we found that free users can’t tweak it quite as much as its paid counterparts. For example, R.O.B.E.R.T. allows free users to create just 3 custom rules for blacklisting sites and IPs, and customizable blocklists can only contain ads and malware, and not the adult content, cryptocurrency, social media posts, and more that paid users can add to the mix.

Windscribe’s censorship circumvention tool claims to be able to evade VPN blocks in highly restricted territories – though the service is cagey about how it actually works.

We appreciated that Windscribe Free offers other options for privacy purists, like the ability to pay with cryptocurrency. Plus, users have the option of whether to hand over an email address or not during sign-up. This gives users more control over how much identifiable data they hand over to the VPN.

Finally, Windscribe Free is quietly preparing for a post-quantum world by boosting its KEM (Key Encapsulation Mechanism) in TLS and OpenVPN protocols. In Windscribe's own words, this means: "Our encryption covers more than a 14-year-old boy with a bottle of Axe body spray".

Privacy and security score: 7/10

Track record

Windscribe Free abides by a clear no-logs policy that, refreshingly, is easy to read through and digest. It makes it clear that the VPN isn’t interested in collecting or storing identifiable data.

However, it hasn't always been smooth sailing. Back in June 2021, two Windscribe servers were seized by Ukrainian authorities, though the VPN asserts that it has: "[....] no reason to believe that the servers were compromised or that there was any unauthorized access before seizure."

Given that, on the disk of these two servers, there was an OpenVPN server certificate and private key, a bad actor could feasibly impersonate a Windscribe VPN server and capture and decrypt traffic. This is, however, extremely unlikely, and Windscribe Free invited third-party auditors to comb through its infrastructure to confirm its safety.

This is exactly what we like to see, but this audit took a seriously long time. Windscribe intended to complete the audit in 2021, but the full audit wasn't released to the public until the summer of 2024.

It is also worth noting that, according to recent release notes, there's a "known issue" with the Circumvent Censorship feature – where it does nothing when using the TCP protocol. That could be a major issue for folks living under an oppressive regime who were drawn to this tool, and we'd prefer it if Windscribe Free warned users about the issue when they select TCP and enable Circumvent Censorship. Currently, the only way to figure out that this hiccup even exists is by reading the release notes, and not everyone is going to do that.

Windscribe is headquartered in Canada, a country that’s part of the infamous Five Eyes Alliance, an intelligence-sharing network. Windscribe claims that this “doesn’t matter”, but given the scope of past NSA surveillance, it’s something that users should decide for themselves.

Track record score: 6/10

Windscribe explains that there's no long-term logging, save for what's necessary to work out data usage (Image credit: Windscribe)Customer support

Windscribe Free offers all of the most common avenues of customer support you’d expect from a VPN: live chat, email ticketing, FAQs, and a knowledge base.

During testing, our first port of call was Garry, Windscribe’s AI chatbot. It was able to point us in the direction of well-written articles related to our problem. When it comes to responses from the support team beyond Garry, however, Windscribe warns that it ‘aims’ to reply to your initial ticket within "24 hours", and that "Free users might wait a little longer than Paid users."

Windscribe has also built a chatty userbase in its years of operation, and users have the option of joining the conversation on Reddit and Discord if they want to do some community troubleshooting.

Customer support score: 6/10

Pricing and plans

Windscribe Free doesn't cost a penny, though users have the option to upgrade at any time.

A monthly subscription costs $9.00, which makes the yearly plan a better budget-saving option at $5.75 a month. Windscribe also lets users create their own plan, if they're so inclined, charging $1.00 a month per location.

These prices are pretty steep. Even ExpressVPN, the most expensive VPN in our top rankings, comes in at $4.99 per month (for a 2-year plan). Ultimately, if you're after a feature-rich VPN service that can handle ads, trackers, and malware, it's worth checking out NordVPN, instead, which costs just $3.09 per month if you pick up a 2-year plan.

Pricing and plans score: 4/10

Should you use Windscribe Free?

Windscribe Free is a decent free VPN that has your back if you need VPN protection for absolutely no cost. The addition of R.O.B.E.R.T., a wide selection of server locations, and speeds that rival premium providers make it a fairly tempting option – but it’s let down by its apps.

We found Windscribe Free’s interface to be clunky, especially on mobile, which could be a deal-breaker for VPN newbies looking for the best VPN for beginners. In that case, you’d be better off with Proton VPN or PrivadoVPN, both of which offer more user-friendly apps.

However, if your main use case is scrolling through social media, checking emails, and other day-to-day activities, Windscribe Free will serve you well, so long as you're not using it for anything mission-critical.

Overall score 60/100

Windscribe Free alternatives

1. PrivadoVPN – from $1.11 per month
The best free VPN overall
PrivadoVPN is our favorite free VPN. It packs a lot of functionality into its free plan – and, like Windscribe, is able to reliably access streaming platforms. Add sleek apps into the mix, as well as a 10 GB monthly data allowance, and you have a free service that truly ticks every box.View Deal

2. Proton VPN – from $4.49 per month
The best secure free VPN
Proton VPN Free can't quite keep up with PrivadoVPN Free when it comes to streaming, but if privacy is your main concern, you'll want to check out its full roster of tools. It's also worth noting that Proton VPN doesn't impose a monthly data cap on its free users, meaning you won't have to ration out your browsing, and a recent update made its Windows and mobile apps even easier to use. What's not to like?View Deal

3. Surfshark – from $2.19 per month
The best cheap VPN (and also the fastest)
If you're open to a paid commitment, Surfshark is a stellar choice that won't break the bank. In exchange for as little as $2.19 a month, you'll have access to servers dotted all over the globe, a full security suite, and the fastest speeds we've ever recorded in our in-house testing. As a result, Surfshark is one of the very best Netflix VPNs on the market. You can try Surfshark out in your own time, risk-free, with a handy 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

Windscribe Free FAQsWhere is Windscribe based?

Windscribe is headquartered in Canada. From a privacy perspective, this raises concerns due to the country's involvement in the Five Eyes Alliance intelligence sharing network. Windscribe's free and paid plans both adhere to a no-logs policy, however, though we'd like to see the provider invest in a third-party audit of the policy and its apps.

How to get free Windscribe data?

Windscribe Free gives users 10 GB of data per month. However, it's possible to claim an extra 5 GB of monthly data by posting about the service on X.

Honor MagicPad 4: Two-minute review

With the Honor MagicPad 4, it’s hard not to think that the Chinese tech brand read my Honor MagicPad 3 review last year and set out to address every single criticism that I raised.

Honor advertises the MagicPad 4 as the slimmest tablet on the market — and for our money, that’s true. At just 4.8mm, it's incredibly thin (beating the already impressively slim 5.1mm iPad Pro by a slight margin), which, combined with its light 450g weight, means the MagicPad 4 is a massive 12.3-inch tablet that’s easy to travel with and even hold comfortably in one hand.

Although being the thinnest tablet makes for a decent ad campaign, it’s actually the wealth of other upgrades that put the Honor MagicPad 4 among the best Android tablets right now. Seriously, Honor fixed everything negative that I pointed out last year — it’s almost a little uncanny.

The display is a gorgeous 3K OLED with a butter-smooth 164Hz OLED (compared to last year’s less vibrant LCD) and a superb 2,400-nit peak brightness. Paired with an incredibly punchy eight-speaker stereo setup, this has become my go-to tablet for media consumption both at home and while travelling.

With a viewing experience this good, it’s almost no surprise that this is one of the few IMAX Enhanced-certified tablets on the market. An OLED panel is no small feat at this price range, too, and the vibrant colors alone put the MagicPad 4 lightyears ahead of similarly priced competitors like the OnePlus Pad 3.

(Image credit: Future)

The divisive plastic material of the MagicPad 3 is also out, replaced with a full metal unibody chassis that looks very premium and is so much better to the touch.

This design refresh has been paired with a subtle spec upgrade under the hood. The MagicPad 4 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC, which is not quite the latest flagship chip, but a high-end offering that powers through productivity and holds its own in demanding games. You also get a beefy 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage (upgraded to 16GB and 512GB, respectively, if you splash out for the more expensive model that I tested).

Even this tablet's software has received a noticeable upgrade. MagicOS 10 is more Apple-like than ever (complete with its own version of Liquid Glass), but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

As an ex-Apple user, I really appreciate the familiarity of MagicOS, and find that it’s perfectly easy-to-use while still offering a decent level of customization. Importantly, though, this latest incarnation finally introduces a proper desktop mode with taskbar and apps in resizable windows, and it’s hard to overstate how much of a difference this makes to productivity.

(Image credit: Future)

I just about managed a full day of work with the MagicPad 3, but it was a little fiddly and awkward at times. Now, I can pack the MagicPad 4 for any business trip and, having already brought it with me on a couple, I haven’t found myself missing my laptop yet.

Obviously, your mileage will vary depending on your specific tasks and software, but for my day-to-day work of responding to emails, updating spreadsheets, and typing away in Google Docs (with the optional keyboard add-on), I can’t complain.

The only possible flaw here is the battery, which is smaller than that of the MagicPad 3. Still, the MagicPad 4's battery life remains excellent, and this tablet will easily put up with hours and hours of video playback in a single sitting.

Honor MagicPad 4 review: price and availability

• Starts at £599.99
• Expect regular discounts and freebies
• Not available in the US or Australia

The Honor MagicPad 4 is available via Honor's website, where it starts at £599.99 for a 12GB + 256GB model. You can upgrade to the 16GB + 512GB model that I tested for an extra £100. That’s already amazing value for the specs (you’d struggle to find anything in this price range with an OLED screen alone), but as with other Honor products, you can expect a deluge of discounts and freebies to crop up throughout the year.

At the time of writing, you can nab £100 off either version, and pay an extra £50 to add in a compatible keyboard case and the latest Honor Magic Pencil 3 stylus. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see free smartwatches, earbuds, chargers, and more thrown in over the coming months, so be sure to buy with at least a few freebies available to maximize value. Even if you pay the full asking price, you’re still getting a great deal, though.

As with other Honor devices, the MagicPad 4 isn’t officially sold in the US, so it's very tricky to get there. Australian availability also seems limited.

• Value score: 5 / 5

Honor MagicPad 4 review: specs

Here’s a look at the Honor MagicPad 4’s key specs:

Dimensions:

273.4 x 178.8 x 4.8mm

Operating system:

MagicOS 10 (Android 16)

Chipset:

Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

Weight:

450g

Memory (RAM):

12GB / 16GB

Storage:

256GB / 512GB

Display:

12.3 inch 1920 x 3000 165Hz OLED

Cameras:

12MP wide, 9MP selfie

Battery:

10,100 mAh silicon carbon

Connectivity:

USB Type-C 3.2

Honor MagicPad 4 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• iPad Pro-beating thinness
• Premium metal chassis
• Small bezels

The most impressive aspect of the MagicPad 4’s design is, of course, its thinness. This is currently the slimmest tablet you can buy, beating even the high-end iPad Pro, and it looks seriously thin in person. In fact, there seems to have been barely enough room to cram in the USB Type-C charging port. You might think that this slight profile would make the MagicPad 4 feel cheap or flimsy, but that's not the case.

The tablet has a wholly metal body, consisting of a single piece with no visible manufacturing seams. There’s absolutely no flex if you try to bend it, and my unit has picked up no noticeable scratches or marks in my use so far. The MagicPad 4’s thinness isn’t just for show either — on top of being easy to chuck into your backpack, I found that it made the tablet very easy to hold in one hand.

I conducted an hour and twenty-minute-long interview with the MagicPad 4 gripped in my left hand for notes, and experienced no noticeable fatigue. The interviewee even asked what brand the tablet was when we wrapped up, and remarked on how thin and light it looked. The screen is large and spacious, with roughly 4mm bezels for a very modern appearance. There’s actually a little 9MP selfie cam nestled in there at the top, but it’s hard to see outside of direct sunlight.

This camera isn’t amazing, but it gets the job done for video calls and would be on the better end of most laptop webcams. It’s a similar story with the rear 12MP shooter, found in a square camera module alongside the flash. It’s good enough to scan documents, but you obviously shouldn’t be using (or even expect to use) a massive tablet like this for your holiday snaps. Please, just take a few extra seconds to pull out your phone like a normal person.

FutureFuture

For sound, you’re getting an eight-speaker stereo setup that’s impressively clear and crisp. The bass isn’t as strong as that of thicker tablets, but it still offers a detailed and well-rounded listening experience.

As someone who routinely uses tablets to watch entire concert recordings with the sound blasting at full volume, I really value a good speaker setup, and the MagicPad 4 is up there as one of the best I’ve tested at this price. Just make sure that you go into the settings and turn off all of the Honor sound features that are, for some reason, enabled by default, as they can make everything sound artificially tinny.

The tablet has all the expected buttons, namely a power button and volume rocker. There’s also a little magnetic strip for attaching the compatible Magic Pencil 3 stylus if you have one. And yes, Honor’s stylus will automatically charge and pair when stuck onto the tablet. Take notes, Lenovo.

I tested the Honor MagicPad 4 in conjunction with the white Honor MagicPad 4 Smart Touch Keyboard. It seems very similar to the keyboard I was sent with the Honor MagicPad 3, and it's once again fantastic.

It attaches to the tablet via a magnetic accessory port on its rear and pairs automatically. The touchpad is quick and responsive, the keys have a good level of travel, and it’s not too bulky to be practical. I do also still love the folding design of the stand, which folds down to expose the top half of the tablet and show off its slimness.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Honor MagicPad 4 review: Display

(Image credit: Future)

• Beautiful OLED colors
• Fantastic refresh rate
• Perfect for media consumption

On the display side of things, I can’t fault the Honor MagicPad 4 in any way. This is an absurdly good screen for the price, simply decimating what OnePlus, Lenovo, and especially Apple will give you for under £600. This 12.3-inch 1920 x 3000 (3K) OLED panel is pin-sharp and delightfully crisp, with vibrant colors and rich black shades.

I’ve been on a bit of an anime binge, having recently renewed my Crunchyroll subscription, and every show that I’ve dipped into has been absolutely beautiful to watch. Games look lovely too; the high-fidelity visuals of the recently released Neverness to Everness, for instance, really blew me away. And opening the Kindle app, the 3K resolution leads to great-looking text in books and detailed panels in comics.

With HDR support and a peak brightness of roughly 2,400 nits, the MagicPad 4's display can get jaw-droppingly bright and remains visible in even the strongest possible sunlight outdoors. Honor also deserves some kudos for applying a 5,280Hz PWM dimming rate to this screen. This subtle spec isn’t going to matter for most people, but could be a game-changer for those with sensitive eyes and massively reduces the chance of eye strain or fatigue over extended periods of use.

Even if you’re just browsing the web or flicking through the system menus, motion is seriously smooth, too, as a result of the tablet's 165Hz refresh rate. The slightly pricier Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 is the only model I can think of that comes close to this level of display performance without asking that you pay a huge amount more, but that device has a lower refresh rate and is dimmer, so it loses to the MagicPad 4 overall in my book.

In other words, whatever you’re watching, playing, or reading on the MagicPad 4, this tablet is simply perfect.

• Design score: 5 / 5

Honor MagicPad 3 review: software

(Image credit: Future)

• Apple-inspired UI
• Six whole years of support in the EU
• A good level of customization

Update support is one of my biggest concerns when buying an Android tablet. There are too many brands out there that will charge iPad prices while offering only two or three years of update support. Honor was actually guilty of this last year with the MagicPad 3, which only came with one Android version upgrade and two years of security patches (something I described as the device’s “fatal flaw”).

This time around, Honor has promised six years of major Android updates for consumers in the EU. That’s without a doubt the best level of support I’ve seen for an Android tablet under £600, putting basically every other brand to shame. There’s no telling how regular these updates will be, but at least shoppers aren’t splashing out for a tablet with a looming expiration date right out of the box.

As for MagicOS 10 (which is based on Android 15), the biggest change this time around, aside from the new Liquid-Glass-like design language, is the addition of an upgraded desktop mode. It features the option of a persistent taskbar (at last!) and displays apps in easily resizable windows that you can snap to different parts of the screen. It’s much less fiddly than the equivalent ‘Floating Window mode’ of MagicOS 9 and makes serious productivity on the MagicPad 4 much easier.

Otherwise, my words from last year still ring true. In my eyes, MagicOS is the best possible middle ground between the attractive look of iOS and the customization offered by Android.

Former Apple users will find the design of menus familiar, but with a few interesting twists here and there. Quirky customization features like the 3D Avatar — a little person that you can create and set as an animated wallpaper — are still present and just as charming as before.

• Software score: 5 / 5

Honor MagicPad 4 review: performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Powers through productivity tasks
• Also a capable gaming tablet
• Stays cool under heavy loads

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 isn’t the latest and greatest flagship chipset, but it’s still a capable SoC that delivers great all-round performance when paired with 12GB (or 16GB) of RAM. The MagicPad 4's interface is always quick and responsive, with no noticeable slowdown or reloading when flicking between streams on the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube.

Effective multitasking is a piece of cake, too, and I've not had any issues running Gmail, Slack, Google Docs, and Chrome simultaneously as I work.

The MagicPad 4 is also a capable gaming tablet. It supports both WiFi 7 for speedy game downloads and holds its own in even the most demanding titles. Delta Force and Zenless Zone Zero both run very smoothly at their default graphics presets, and I’ve been particularly impressed with how well the Honor MagicPad 4 handles the extremely graphically intensive Neverness to Everness. It defaulted to the extreme graphics preset with 60fps cap and, despite the odd stutter in the most built-up areas of the city, was more than playable for driving around and tackling missions.

(Image credit: Future)

This particular title looks absolutely breathtaking, and paired with a compatible gaming controller, you’re easily getting a console-quality experience when playing it on the MagicPad 4.

The tablet's cooling system is remarkably effective as well. I was a little worried that such a thin tablet would get very hot, yet it’s not actually a big problem. You’ll feel it getting slightly warmer to the touch during sustained play, but it doesn’t become uncomfortably hot or thermal throttle to the extent that it noticeably impacts performance. Honor says this is all thanks to the MagicPad 4's dual-direction vapor chamber, which has somehow been crammed in alongside everything else.

• Performance score: 5 / 5

Honor MagicPad 4 review: battery

(Image credit: Future)

• Great battery life
• Easily lasts more than one day
• A small downgrade compared to last year

The battery is the only area where the Honor MagicPad 4 falls short in comparison to the MagicPad 3. This year’s tablet is powered by a slightly smaller 10,100mAh silicon-carbon cell, which shaves a few hours off the total running time. Luckily, you’ll likely not notice a dramatic difference, as the MagicPad 4 still packs a very big battery, and its battery life is still pretty impressive as a result.

This tablet will easily last for a full day of use, with a mix of browsing the web, watching videos, and even a few hours of gaming thrown in there. I packed the tablet for a 14-hour flight and finished with more than 70% left in the tank after completing some decently heavy tasks with brightness cranked up and an intermittent WiFi connection.

You can expect well over a week of juice from the MagicPad 4 if you only use it for an hour or two a day, which makes this a great choice if you’re looking for a tablet to keep around the house. When it does run low, charging times are refreshingly quick as well, with 66W wired speeds that should see it back up to full from zero in under an hour and a half with a compatible charger.

• Battery score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Honor MagicPad 4?Honor MagicPad 4 scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Strong specs, a gorgeous OLED screen, premium build quality, and six years of software support. You’re not going to find a better value tablet at this price.

5 / 5

Design

Record-breaking slimness aside, the new metal body is a huge upgrade compared to last year’s plastic and leads to a tablet that feels as good as it looks.

5 / 5

Display

A bright and colorful 3K OLED panel with a high refresh rate, HDR support, and IMAX Enhanced certification. What more could you want?

5 / 5

Software

The Apple-inspired UI is familiar and practical with some quirky features thrown in.

4.5 / 5

Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset powers through general use and gaming.

5 / 5

Battery

A small downgrade compared to the Honor MagicPad 3, but still more than enough juice to last through days of heavy use.

4 / 5

Buy it if…

You want the thinnest tablet around
The Honor MagicPad 4 is the thinnest tablet you can buy right now, and is pretty light to boot. As a result, it’s very easy to pack in a bag and comfortable to hold in one hand.

You’re craving a great OLED screen
The screen here is fantastic and, paired with the excellent speaker setup, makes kicking back with a movie or TV on the Honor MagicPad 4 a joy.

You’re after a capable productivity tablet
Thanks to the upgraded desktop mode of MagicOS 10, the Honor MagicPad 4 finally feels like a true laptop replacement. Pair it with the excellent keyboard case and you have a great device for work.

Don’t buy it if…

You need the Apple ecosystem
As Apple-like as it is, MagicOS is still Android. This means that you do miss out on exclusive iPad apps like Procreate, so stick with an Apple device if you need to use them.

Also consider

After some Honor MagicPad 4 alternatives? The older OnePlus Pad 3 is available at a lower price, while the iPad Air 13-inch is a good (albeit much more expensive) option for those who prefer the Apple ecosystem.

Honor MagicPad 4

OnePlus Pad 3

iPad Air 13-inch (2024)

Starting price

£599.99

£529

$799 / £799 / AU$1,299

Operating system

MagicOS 10 (Android 16)

OxygenOS (Android 15)

iPadOS 17

Chipset

Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

Snapdragon 8 Elite

Apple M2

Memory (RAM)

12GB / 16GB

12GB / 16GB

8GB / 16GB

Storage

256GB / 512GB

256GB / 512GB

128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB

Display

12.3 inch 1920 x 3000 165Hz OLED

13.2-inch 3.4k LCD, 144Hz

13-inch Liquid Retina Display

Cameras

12MP wide, 9MP front

13MP wide, 8MP front

12MP wide (rear), 12MP ultra-wide (front)

Battery

10,100mAh

12,140mAh

c. 10,000mAh

Connectivity

USB Type-C 3.2

USB Type-C 3.2

USB-C (Thunderbolt/USB 4)

Weight

450g

675g

617g

Dimensions

273.4 x 178.8 x 4.8mm

289.61 x 209.66 x 5.97mm

280.6 x 214.9 x 6.1mm

OnePlus Pad 3
Another strong Android tablet here. It’s bulkier, heavier, plus you lose out on an OLED display and overall software support (OnePlus has only promised three years of upgrades) but you can find it on sale cheaper than the Honor MagicPad 4.

Read our full OnePlus Pad 3 review

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2024)
If you’re willing to pay much more for an iPad, then the iPad Air 13-inch (2024) is the model to choose. It’s worse than the Honor MagicPad 4 in practically every regard, but does grant access to the Apple ecosystem and its exclusive apps, which is a big plus. The newer (and even more expensive) iPad Air (2025) is also worth considering, too.

Read our full iPad Air 13-inch (2024) review

How I tested the Honor MagicPad 4

I tested the 16GB + 512GB version of the Honor MagicPad 4 for multiple months, using it on an almost daily basis as my go-to tablet for work and play.

I watched a vast amount of video content on it, read some digital books and comics, and spent plenty of time browsing the web and gaming. I also took it with me on multiple business trips in place of my laptop, where I used it to edit documents and respond to emails.

Throughout my time with the tablet, I frequently compared it to other models I've tested, including multiple iPads and both the Honor MagicPad 3 and Honor MagicPad 2.

First reviewed May 2026