TechRadar Reviews

Aqara Camera G100: two-minute review

Security cameras now come in many different varieties, including those meant solely for indoor use and those meant mainly for outdoors. However, what the Aqara G100 offers is, on the face of it, the best of both worlds

Weatherproof with an IP65 rating, it can be used indoors (to keep an eye on pets and children), or outdoors (to see who is at the front door or in the backyard). It’s small too, perfect for placing on a bookshelf or mounting upside down in a porch using the screw and wall plug provided.

However, what really differentiates the Aqara G100 from many of its competitors is its comprehensive smart home compatibility. Whereas many of the best home security cameras are now compatible with Amazon’s Alexa (including the Amazon-owned Ring and Blink, of course), the Aqara G100 is also compatible with Google Home, Samsung SmartThings and – crucially for those invested in the Apple ecosystem – Apple HomeKit including Home KitSecureVideo (HSV).

Not only can the camera’s built-in motion sensor and spotlight be used within home automation routines, it’s also possible to stream a live feed from the Aqara G100 on Apple TV. The only technical limitation here is that Apple caps the video resolution at 1080p for some reason, despite the camera being capable of a more impressive 2K resolution (2,304 x 1,296 pixels). It’s even possible to hook up your Apple Photos library to the Aqara camera to recognize faces it captures via the motion sensor.

Nor is smart home compatibility the only trick up the Aqara’s sleeve either. It works perfectly well as a standalone security camera too. Indeed that’s how most buyers will probably use it. Mains powered via a USB-C cable, it usefully boasts a MicroSD card slot for storing up to 512Gb of footage. This means you don’t have to pay a monthly fee to store video in the cloud as you do with many cameras, especially some of the cheaper models (Apple users can also use their iCloud storage via HomeKit Secure Video).

(Image credit: Chris Price)

You don’t even have to pay a monthly subscription fee for basic AI functionality. However, if you want the full shebang, including pet and parcel detection, then you will need to pay for Aqara’s HomeGuardian subscription service (see details below).

If you have multiple Aqara cameras, the HomeGuardian Unlimited package also includes an innovative Fire Detection feature based on a flame recognition function. However, this isn’t intended to replace conventional fire-detection systems such as smoke alarms and heat sensors

Finally, the camera offers two-way audio so you can reassure your pets if they seem distressed, or tell your family members when you’ll be home.

(Image credit: Chris Price)Aqara Camera G100: subscription options

HomeGuardian Single Camera: £3.99 (about $5 / AU$8) per month, or £39.99 (about $50 / AU$80) per year for a single device. Includes: 90 days of video event history, person, animal, vehicle, package, fire detection.

HomeGuardian Unlimited: £7.99 (about $10 / AU$16) per month, or £79.99 (about $100 / AU$160) per year. Supports unlimited cameras in one home, 90 days of video event history, person, face, animal, vehicle, package, fire detection, Premium AI Event Detection, AI Video Summary, AI Video Search.

Aqara Camera G100: price and availability

• Costs £34.99, $34.99, AU$89
• Available since July 2025
• Sold in the US, UK, and Australia

Generally, security cameras are not expensive to buy. Even the most advanced models offering solar power and mobile phone (4G/5G) connectivity tend to cost less than £200. However, many are priced quite cheaply because you need to pay a monthly fee to store video clips in the cloud.

The Aqara G100 is unusual in that not only is it very cheap, it also comes with a built in MicroSD card slot for video storage. Yes, you will have to buy a MicroSD card, but these only cost around $15 / £10 / AU$20 so you soon make your money back from not having to fork out the cost of a subscription. That said, you can pay a monthly fee for storage if you want (Aqara’s HomeGuardian costs from £3.99 (about $5 / AU$8) a month) if you want advanced AI functionality, such as the ability to differentiate between different people and objects.

Given its low price tag, it’s also worth noting just how well equipped the Aqara G100 is for the money. One of my criticisms of Aqara’s recently-launched G410 Video Doorbell is that, despite costing over £100, it didn’t incorporate waterproofing – unbelievably remiss for a product that’s going to sit on the outside of your house all year round.

Yet this G100 camera – which is intended for indoor and outdoor use – does feature decent IP65 water resistance. Not only that, but it also comes with other useful features that make it a very versatile piece of kit. These include compatibility with a number of smart home platforms as well as AI functionality.

• Value score: 5/5

Aqara Camera G100: design

• Versatile indoor/outdoor mounting
• Available in black or white
• Waterproof connectivity

Again, one of my criticisms of the recently reviewed Aqara G410 video doorbell was its design which was extremely big and bulky. In fairness, that’s partly because it is powered by four AA batteries, whereas the G100 only uses mains power. Nevertheless, it’s true to say that its stablemate, the G100, is a much more compact and better-looking piece of kit – similar in looks to a Nest camera, but not quite so sturdy.

Available in black or white (we tested the black), it comes with a simple mount for standing on top of a cupboard or bookshelf. Alternatively, you can do what I did and install it inside a cabinet using the wall plug and screw provided (remembering to change the viewing setting to upside down in the Aqara app). Usefully, the camera can be rotated 360 degrees within the mount to get the perfect angle, while the field of view is a decent 140 degrees.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

While most people will probably choose to use the camera indoors, there is the option for mounting it outdoors providing you have access to mains power (it doesn’t have a built-in rechargeable lithium battery). Unusually, the USB-C cable provided connects to the camera via a waterproof sleeve below the camera. This can easily be swapped over to a much longer USB cable if you're running the cable from an indoor power source.

A waterproof cover is also provided for the MicroSD card slot and reset buttons while at the back of the camera is a small speaker. On the front of the camera is the lens itself plus a surprisingly powerful spotlight, blue power light button and a microphone.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Aqara Camera G100: performance

• 2K image quality
• Good night vision
• Slightly complex menus

When it comes to performance it’s fair to say that the Aqara Camera G100 is solid, rather than spectacular. Certainly, the 2K camera won’t win any awards and the field of view isn’t the widest either. However, for the super-low price tag we didn’t have any major complaints – it simply does the job.

Night vision is actually quite good thanks to dual night vision modes that gives you a choice between color night vision (with the built-in spotlight) or black and white night vision which is the default mode. The camera isn’t overly sensitive either which is a good thing as sometimes they are triggered by the slightest movement.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

Less impressive is the two-way audio through the tinny speaker, but again this isn’t unusual and in reality you probably won’t use it that often (unless you want to have a chat with your dog while you are out!). One unusual feature is the voice disguising option which can turn your voice into that of a robot or clown, or otherwise disguise it.

This feature is also provided on Aqara’s recently launched G410 video doorbell where it makes more sense, especially for women who may want to protect their identity from those ringing the doorbell. However, it probably isn’t that useful on a general camera which is probably going to be used mostly indoors.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

One small gripe is around the onscreen menus within the app which take a little bit of getting used to, partly because there are so many different options. For example, as well as being able to see a Live View from the camera, you can view a Video Event history divided into different categories (person, motion etc). You can also program different actions, such as turning on the lights in the house when the motion sensor is triggered or opening and closing the curtains.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

For advanced users, these are all useful perhaps, but if you want a simple plug and play solution, then there are easier cameras to use. That said, it's not difficult to set the camera up in the first place thanks to voice-based instructions, and we didn’t have any issues with broadband connectivity between the camera and router despite the device only working on the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi frequency, not 5GHz. It was also straightforward adding the Aqara camera to Apple HomeKit, although as previously noted, picture resolution is restricted to 1080p.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Should you buy the Aqara Camera G100?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

Put simply, the Aqara is unbelievably good value for money. Featuring a MicroSD card slot you don’t even have to pay a monthly subscription for storing video clips.

5/5

Design

Available in black or white, the Aqara is a compact circular shaped camera with a versatile mount and waterproofing for installation either indoors or outdoors.

4.5/5

Performance

Offering 2K video quality, the Aqara Camera G100 provides reasonable quality images although sound quality from the built-in speaker isn’t the best.

3.5/5

Overall

An extremely versatile security camera with a very competitive price tag. Can be used indoors or outdoors and with multiple smart home platforms - including Apple Home.

4.5/5

Buy it if

You need a versatile home security solution

Undoubtedly this is one of the most versatile security cameras on the market, suitable for either an indoor or outdoor installation and compatible with multiple smart home platforms.

You have a limited budget

It’s difficult to imagine a security camera offering better value for money, especially when you consider you can store video clips on a MicroSD card rather than having to pay a monthly subscription.

Don't buy it if

You want to install outdoors but don’t have mains power nearby

The Aqara can certainly be used outdoors but will need to be connected to the mains as it doesn’t offer battery power. At the very least, you will probably need to invest in a new USB-C lead for outdoor use.

You want the highest sound and video quality available

Don’t get me wrong, the Aqara’s sound and video quality is OK, but there are much better performing security cameras around if you have a bigger budget.

Aqara Camera G100: also consider

Product

Aqara Camera G100

Blink Outdoor 4

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro (Battery)

Eufy 4K S330 Security Camera

Subscription price

From £3.99 a month

From £2.50 a month

From £4.99 a month

None

Viewing angle

140 degrees horizontal

143 degrees horizontal

140 degrees horizontal

360 degree view

Network connection

Wi-Fi (2.4GHz)

Wi-Fi (2.4GHz)

Wi-Fi (2.4G/5Hz)

Wi-Fi/4G

Audio

Two-way audio

Two-way audio

Two-way audio

Two-way audio

Video

2,304 x 1,296 pixels

1080p

1080p Full HD resolution

4K video resolution

Power

Mains

Battery

Battery

Battery, solar

Hardware price

£34.99

£69

£199 (battery model only)

£189 (with solar panel)

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro (battery)

Available in black or white, this outdoor security camera boasts two 3000°K spotlights. You can also buy a mains-powered version as well as a separate solar panel.

Read our full Ring Spotlight Cam Pro review

Eufy 4K S330 security camera

An extremely innovative battery and solar-powered camera, the Eufy 4K S330 can be used with the supplied 4G Sim card to capture recordings - ideal for those who live in areas with poor Wi-Fi/broadband.

Read our full Eufy 4K Security Camera review

How I tested the Aqara Camera G100

• I used the camera indoors
• I installed it myself
• The camera was connected to Apple Home

As is clear from the review, the Aqara Camera is a very versatile piece of kit, so I installed it in several places around the home – including the kitchen and my home office. However, it wasn’t installed outside because I didn’t have a suitable mains power connection outdoors.

Using the wall plug and screw provided I mounted the camera inside a cabinet to focus on a small balcony. I also adjusted the mount to focus on the door and other areas of the room to see how sensitive the lens was to movement (it is quite sensitive).

The camera was used over a period of seven days mostly via the Aqara app. However, I also connected it to Apple Home, where I was also able to control the camera’s functionality including switching the spotlight on and off, testing two-way audio and viewing live footage.

First reviewed October 2025

GL.iNet Comet: 30-second review

The GL.iNet Comet (GL-RM1) is a compact, hardware-based KVM-over-IP device. It allows you to remotely control a computer (desktop, server, or headless system) at the BIOS level, even if the OS isn’t running. It’s designed for IT professionals, homelab enthusiasts, and anyone needing reliable remote access without ongoing subscription fees.
With a base price of around $80-90, and discounts for bulk purchases, this isn’t an expensive option for those who need to control computers that aren’t in the same location.

Yes, it is entirely possible to achieve that purely with software, but that assumes you have a mechanism to remotely power the system on, and those options are generally limited in terms of screen resolution and performance.
Acting like a conventional KVM, with cables that connect to USB, HDMI and Ethernet, and powered by USB, the GL.iNet Comet circumvents many of the classic issues with this type of technology by clever design and provisioning.

There are alternative options, like JetKVM, that offer a WiFi connection the Comet doesn’t include, but they are also more expensive.

For another $13, GL.iNet makes a small board that can be fitted to a desktop PC, which will help remotely power up that machine without getting Wake-on-LAN to work reliably or having someone physically power it up. The brand also has another gizmo intended to help power remote laptops: the Fingerbot, which is designed to press the laptop's power button.

One good reason not to buy this device, from our perspective, is that the Comet PoE (GL-RM1PE) exists —a version of this hardware that can be powered by a PoE network connection for even greater flexibility. That costs another $25, but it allows you to use this with systems that don’t power their USB ports when they shut down.

Overall, the GL.iNet Comet is a product that lives up to its promises, and for a small outlay, it could avoid unnecessary journeys or the need for assistance.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)GL.iNet Comet: price and availability

• How much does it cost? $90/£90/€90
• When is it out? Available now globally
• Where can you get it? Direct from GL-iNet and online retailers.

GL-iNet keeps the pricing of the Comet remarkably straightforward, costing $89.99 in the USA, £89.90 in the UK and €89.87 in Europe. That seems like a better deal for Americans, for some inexplicable reason, but GL-iNet picks up the bill for international shipping for US, Canadian, European, and Asia Pacific customers.

The two potential accessories are the ATX board for desktop systems, costing $15.90/£12.90/€18,92 and the hilariously named Fingerbot, which is $29.99/£22.90/€30.93, making the UK the best place to source those items.

As an alternative made by GL-iNet themselves, the Comet PoE (GL-RM1PE) is  $109.99/£106.99/€119.99, but his model has proven so popular that it's out of stock in some regions at this time.

Most of these items can be found on Amazon for the same prices, if you prefer that retailer. I'm seeing it on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk right now.

The most popular product with a similar capability is the JetKVM, which sells for the same price in the UK via wisfPi. And the makers of that hardware also have a $19 ATX card and a $35 separate PoE splitter. What they don’t offer is anything like the Fingerbot, yet.

There are some options for cards that combine the functionality of the Comet with the ATX card, but these are exclusively for desktop or server installs. These can be found as cheaply as $60.

But for self-contained solutions, the Comet seems reasonably priced, and the accessories also won’t bust the budget.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Value score: 4/5

GL.iNet Comet: Specs

Feature

GL.iNet Comet (GL-RM1)

Type

KVM-over-IP (hardware-based)

Video Support

Up to 4K @ 30fps, audio passthrough

Remote Access

BIOS-level (even if OS/network is down)

Connectivity

Ethernet only (no Wi-Fi)

USB Ports

1 x USB-A 2.0 (no USB 3.0/3.2)

Power Input

USB-C (5V/2A, adapter not included)

Onboard Storage

8GB eMMC

Web Interface

Yes (no client software required)

Security

Hardware isolation, 2FA, Tailscale VPN

Accessories

Optional ATX board, Fingerbot

Subscription Fees

None

Firmware

Updatable

Dimensions

80 x 60 x 17.5mm

Weight

85g

Included Cables

All except the power adapter

Warranty

2 years

GL.iNet Comet: design

• Small and potent
• Lacks a power adapter
• No through-ports

There is a fine irony with this device, in that GL.iNet made it remarkably small at just 8cm long and 60 cm wide, but the number of cable connections makes it seem much larger.

Thankfully, you don’t need to attach every cable, and I was able to get the review Comet operational with just four wires.

Obviously, the box needs power, and it accepts a 2A USB-C input, the sort of power that modern phone chargers output.

One slight curiosity is that the GL-iNet website states that you should only use the PSU provided, even though no PSU is actually included. Despite that confused messaging, I found it worked with a phone charger with no problems. Maybe, if you have a PC that supports the charge-while-off feature on one of its ports, you could power it from the host system.

The obvious weaknesses of this design are that it doesn’t have through-HDMI or through-LAN capability. The lack of a through HDMI solution means that if the host system has only a single HDMI port, it must be unplugged and reconnected to a local monitor to use it locally.

If the host has dual video outputs, then that’s not an issue. But what GL.iNet needs to consider is a USB-C connected version where the video comes over that connection, along with keyboard, mouse and LAN port, making deploying that model even simpler.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The Ethernet port is less of an issue, but it does require two network lines to operate both the host system and the Comet. A cheap five-port 1GbE Switch would solve that issue if only a single line is available.

To make this solution work locally, only the Comet's IP address is required. However, those wanting to connect from another network, on the other side of the world, will need to use a Cloud service. Unlike some similar products, there are no ongoing costs for Cloud connections, irrespective of use or the number of Comets you use.

What I didn’t try with my Comet was the ATX card or the Fingerbot, as neither of these was supplied for this review. From what I understand, the ATX card is designed for server or PC installation, where it connects between the power and reset buttons and the motherboard, so you can press those buttons remotely. And, the port on the Comet marked USB 2.0 is designed to connect to the external backplane plate of the ATX card to square that circle.

As we’ll get into in the user experience section, the Achilles heel of any remote KVM technology is finding a reliable way to power a system back up from either a shutdown or hibernation. If you have a system that wakes from USB input (keyboard or mouse) or can be woken via Wake-on-LAN, you should be able to deploy the Comet successfully.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Design score: 4.5/5

GL.iNet Comet: In use

• Windows and Mac app
• Slow virtual media
• Security options
• Needs a fall-back plan

As I mentioned previously, it is possible to have direct access to the system on the same network by knowing its IP address and having a login to that system. Those wanting to control a system from farther away need to register for a GL.iNet account and use the web portal to select the target device.

I used the Windows application, which lists all the registered Comets and provides more control over the connection once it's established.

When you first connect, the system will be presented as being in its typical screen resolution, and the speaker and microphone will be disabled. But the settings control of the app allows these to be enabled, which might prove to be highly useful for someone trying to fix an issue with the help of someone standing next to the computer.

One mild confusion I had was that by default, there are two mouse cursors, one on the remote system and another on my viewing PC. The remote cursor follows my local one around with a tiny delay, which is odd to see. However, I soon discovered you can disable this by toggling ‘Show Local Cursor’ and have only the local mouse pointer.

Using the settings sidebar, you can set alternative resolutions, orientations, the quality of the graphics, and choose between WebRTC H.264 or Direct H.264. On a local LAN, I didn’t notice any significant difference in high quality. The LAN port on the Comet is 1GbE, but for those connecting from another site over the Internet, the broadband performance could be the limiting factor to the quality and lag levels you might experience.

One of the classic limitations of LAN KVMs is that if you press Ctrl-Alt-Delete, the local computer will react, not the remote system. The app provides a clever way around that by having shortcuts for that and a few other special key sequences, and you can create your own.

You can also cut and paste to the remote system, send a Wake On LAN command and open a BASH terminal to the Comet, which, if you hadn’t guessed, runs Linux. And, you can SSH into it.

For those interested, the source code for this device is available in a GitHub repository, and it's based on PiKVM but with a newly created GUI by GL.iNet.

Where I was less impressed was with the Virtual Media functionality, a mechanism that GL.iNet put in the Comet that allows bootable images to be uploaded and mounted so the host system can boot off that virtual drive.

There are two issues with this, the first of which is how slow it is to upload images to the flash memory on the Comet. And the speed of that memory isn’t the only issue, as it only offers a total capacity of 5.73 GB. That’s barely enough for a Windows 11 distro, if you are prepared to wait long enough to load it on there. What this device needed was a USB 3.0 port to connect an external drive to and then mount it.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Security wasn’t an afterthought here, and it impressed me that when you initially set the Comet up, it doesn’t have a silly admin/admin default. You must set a password, and you will need this and that of the remote system to get to its desktop.

For those who are more security-minded, 2FA can be activated, and there is also now the option for Tailscale, a VPN solution built on Wireguard. This should be reasonably secure if you have the proper protocols in place for when those with passwords leave and regular changes are made every few months.

What I really liked about this hardware was that when it links to a host system that’s booting, the keyboard becomes active early enough to get into the BIOS, enabling all manner of changes to be made.

The only snags I ran into were getting the system to reboot after a full shutdown, since the system I picked to use for testing appeared to ignore wake-on-LAN magic packets on occasion.

Without the ATX card, or on a system that couldn’t use that or the Fingerbot, the best solution would probably be to set the BIOS to start on power loss and use a smart socket to toggle the power. And, even if WOL or hibernation work as intended, that might be a good backup plan if you can’t get the system to wake when required.

Overall, with the exception of the Virtual Media aspect, the Comet works exceptionally well, and is certainly fit for purpose.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• In Use: 4/5

GL.iNet Comet: Final verdict

There are only two valid reasons not to buy this excellent solution, and one of those is the PoE version also sold by GL-iNet. The other is the third incarnation of this concept, currently being promoted on Kickstarter —the Comet Pro —which bears an uncanny resemblance to the JetKVM, with its front-facing display. That hardware can be obtained for $129.99 via Kickstarter, suggesting it will cost more when sold through standard retail channels.

Before the Comet launched, the JetKVM held sway over the sub-$100 remote KVM market, but since then, tariffs have increased the device's cost in America and reduced its availability.

For that same market, the Comet is available and competitively priced, and does the job that many IT departments need.

I’d probably recommend the PoE version for those who use PoE, and I’ll be curious to see what extra the Pro model offers once it's available in retail.

Should I buy a GL.iNet Comet?GL-iNet Comet Score Card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

One of the cheaper remote KVMs available

4/5

Design

Small device, but lots of cables, and you need a 5V power adapter

4.5/5

In Use

Works with any system, and you can even enter the BIOS

4/5

Overall

Does what IT people want with a few minor caveats

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You need to remotely control a system
If the system you need to control is on the other side of the building, campus or in another country, the GL.iNet Comet works just as well. It’s OS-agnostic, and it offers options for remotely powering up systems.

You need a secure KVM
With WireGuard support via Tailscale, it's possible to establish secure remote control from one network to another across the internet. But you need a Tailscale account to have that option.

Don't buy it if...

If the host system is also used on a daily basis
Because there is no through port on the HDMI, if the host system only has one video output, it will be necessary to unplug this device for the system to be used locally. Which isn’t ideal.

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Beyerdynamic Aventho 100: Two-minute review

I really like the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 and have enjoyed my time reviewing them, but feel a little conflicted because their sound quality may actually be one of their least interesting qualities.

That’s not to say that they don’t sound good – in fact, I think anyone shopping for a pair of headphones for under $250 (and are used to cheaper headphones) will have nothing but great things to say about how these sound. They’re fun to listen to, just a little exaggerated in their tuning (a little hyped, if you will) particularly through the low end and not as detailed as I would expect, especially from an audio specialist such as Beyerdynamic.

But if their big brother, the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300, can hang with the best wireless headphones in terms of audio quality, the Aventho 100’s best attributes have more to do with their design, from the cool old-school Aviator look to the fact that they fold up to a relatively small size for easy portability. They also come with a very healthy battery life that adds to their long-haul flight appeal.

Overall, these are fun headphones that are great for anyone looking for something a little distinctive or a bit more portable, where the last word in audio quality is not the most important factor (again, they sound good, but they don’t do anything particularly special on the audio front at this level either).

(Image credit: Future)Beyerdynamic Aventho 100: Price and release date

• Priced $229.99 / £199.00 / AU$314.00
• Released on July 8, 2025
• Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The Beyerdynamic Aventho 100‘s price tag of $229.99 / £199.00 / AU$314.00 is firmly in mid-range territory. And that’s appropriate for these headphones. They have a solid feature set, but it’s not the full kitchen sink. And these on-ear headphones are meant a little more for those looking for a unique looking pair of 'lifestyle' headphones than those wanting the ultimate audio performance, which in the Beyerdynamic ecosystem are the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300.

The Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 are available in the US, UK, and Australia. If you’re in the EU, they’ve been available since July of this year whereas those in North America have been able to order them since September.

Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 review: Specs

Drivers

Not stated

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

More than 60 hours (or more than 40 hours with ANC)

Weight

220g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive; USB-C charging

Waterproofing

N/A

(Image credit: Future)Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 review: Features

• No proprietary spatial audio or headtracking
• Supports lossless over Bluetooth
• Adaptive ANC and transparency modes available via app

While the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 doesn’t have the full bag of tricks of more expensive headphones like head tracking or Dolby Atmos, they have enough to satisfy most people. To start, these headphones support lossless audio including aptX Lossless and the aptX Adaptive codec (which automatically balances quality and latency over Bluetooth) as well as the more vanilla AAC and SBC. Multipoint connectivity is on offer as well, which is useful.

Most of the Aventho 100’s adjustable features are accessible via the easy-to-use mobile app. The presses and holds on the action button can be remapped to a small number of different options, though I do wish Beyerdynamic could have facilitated the enabling / disabling of active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes here.

On that note, not only are both ANC and transparency modes available in the companion app, but both have three levels (low, medium, high). Both work reasonably well. I was able to use the ANC while working in a cafe and didn’t hear anything but the music I was listening to. The transparency mode does a good job as well, though as soon as I play music at anything but a low level, I can’t really hear my surroundings.

Overall, I appreciate the inclusion and think these profiles work well, particularly so given that these are on-ear headphones, but they aren’t going to be quite as robust as what you'll find in flagship Bose or Sony headphones – Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), I'm looking at you… 

• Features score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 review: Design

• Cool if not quite premium old-school Aviator aesthetic
• Foldable with soft case
• Very long battery life

The Beyerdynamic Aventho 100’s design are notable in comparison to other headphones not only because they’re on-ear as opposed to over-ear (as the majority of $200+ headphones tend to be these days), but because they sport an old aviator-style aesthetic that is marked contrast from the competition.

Of course, the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 aren’t the only aviator-inspired on-ear headphones out there. The Master and Dynamic MH40 already fit the bill (see the heritage MW50 Wireless too), but are also often double the price. Unlike those M&D headphones, the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 are half metal and half molded plastic, which keeps them from feeling as premium on my ears as they look in their advertising images. Still, whether you get the black, brown, or cream colorway, they do have quite the vibe.

Filling out the look are the removable ear cups and headband padding. Both have a relatively plush feel and are covered in what I can only assume is some kind of pleather-type material.

On that note, the feel and fit is comfortable. There is plenty of adjustment for different size heads via the ear cup yokes and that padding is soft enough that I’m able to wear the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 for long listening sessions without feeling fatigued. They do sit a little tight on the head initially, but this can be stretched out.

(Image credit: Future)

The controls all sit on the right earcup (left and right are marked on the cloth inside the earcups) and consist of a volume up, action, volume down, and power / bluetooth pairing button. And they responded quickly and accurately, whether I’m adjusting the volume or pressing the action button twice to go to the next track.

One thing I appreciate about the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 is that they’ve been designed for easy travel. They not only come with a soft traveling case and USB and Aux cables (the former for charging), but have foldable ear cups so that they take up less space. That makes these much more attractive for those who travel light like myself over something like their big brother, the Aventho 300, or even bigger headphones like the Apple Airpods Max or Sony WH-1000XM6.

Lastly, the battery life on the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 is quite impressive. With ANC on, they still last 40 hours, and without, can last 60 without needing a recharge. Plus, if for some reason you get really low, 15 minutes of charging turns into 15 hours of playback. That kind of fast charging is very helpful.

• Design score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 review: Sound quality

• Lots of bass
• Fun, but not very neutral or accurate sound
• Has low latency for watching media

When using the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100, I listened to all sorts of music for a benchmark. This included rock, hip hop, electronic dance to acoustic and jazz. After my extended time with these headphones, I was struck by the amount of low-end the default audio profile has.

In fact, I had to go into the EQ settings in the app and use the “neutral” setting to get a more balanced sound. Simon & Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair doesn’t sound quite as good as Kendrick Lamar's DNA. It’s no surprise then that this setting cuts the bass quite a bit, along with an extreme high-end cut.

Speaking of that high end, the Aventho 100 have plenty of presence, sometimes even sounding a tiny bit harsh (also helped with that neutral setting). Somehow though, they don’t have quite the resolution that I’ve experienced with other Beyerdynamic headphones.

I appreciate that the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 support lossless audio, but these are not audiophile-grade listening headphones. I may sound a bit negative on these headphones, but they actually do sound fun to listen to. They’re just not accurate in the way the Aventho 300 are – and I also tested those.

Since many people also use headphones when watching TV and movies, it’s worth noting that these work well with streaming Netflix or Youtube. Not only do they use Bluetooth 5.4 but have a low latency mode available through the app. I didn’t notice any lag or latency when watching something on my phone or computer.

• Sound quality: 4/5

(Image credit: Future)Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 review: Value

• Not overpriced, but not exceptional value, either
• Significantly cheaper than their big brother
• Competition at this price will have other compromises

Some headphones punch way above their weight compared to their price tag and some come with a hefty price tag that are only really justified by their name or because they’re marketed as "premium".

The Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 fit into neither of those categories. At $229.99 / £199.00 / AU$314.00, they’re about what I would expect them to cost. As mentioned, they look cool but are partially molded plastic instead of more premium (and costly) materials. Their sound quality is also fairly middle-of-the-road. Of course, they’re a step down in terms of sound quality from the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300, but those have an MSRP of $399.99 / £359.00 (about AU$640). That’s almost double, and it's not lost on me – because the Aventho 300 do sound better.

I’ve also mentioned the Master & Dynamic MH40, a pair of headphones that takes similar influence from past headphones but use more premium materials, sound a little better, but also cost around $400.

At a similar price point, the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro focus less on style and more on value. They’re also slightly cheaper at $199.99 / £149.99 (about AU$300), though being an Anker product means it will see regular discounts below that price tag. They support high-res audio but aren’t any more detailed than the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100.

• Value: 4/5

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100?Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

ANC, transparency mode, and multipoint connectivity are just some of the features on hand, only missing Dolby Atmos support.

4.5/5

Design

The Aventho 100 look cool and fold into a small package, making them fairly portable

4.5/5

Sound quality

The sound quality is good with plenty of bass, but doesn’t sound as detailed as one might hope from this brand.

4/5

Value

They cost about what they should, neither being overpriced or offering a particularly excellent value

4/5

Buy them if…

You want some cool looking on-ear headphones
If you don’t mind the half plastic build, the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 look really cool with their throw-back vibes.

You want portability and a long battery life
These headphones last a long time and fold up pretty small making them ideal for on-the-road use.

Don’t buy them if…

You care about audio quality above all else
I feel bad that I keep saying this because they sound good, but you can find other headphones in the same price point with fewer features or stripped down in some other way that sound better.

You want premium
While these look very cool, they still don’t look like the premium headphones that their aesthetic presents them as. This is a small gripe, but worth noting since the Aventho 100 are big on style.

Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 review: Also consider

Anker Soundcore Space One Pro
The Anker Soundcore Space One Pro are just a little cheaper with a comparable audio quality. There’s plenty of bass and a decent (though not great) amount of detail. They also have have an impressive battery life. Of course, aesthetically, they’re a bit on the chunky side.
Read our full Anker Soundcore Space One Pro review

Beyerdynamic Aventho 300
The Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 might be almost double the price, but they offer the kind of pristine audio quality that Beyerdynamic is known for. They’re also a little more feature-filled, mainly including Dolby Atmos, not to mention have a similarly long battery life.
Read our full Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 review

How I tested the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100

• Tested the various features over two weeks
• Tested with different music as well as video streaming

I spent a week using the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 as my daily headphones. While using them, I listened to all sorts of genres from electronic and hip hop to rock and acoustic music to compare the frequency range and soundstage. I also tested them with streaming video and used the various settings such as ANC, transparency mode, EQ, and multipoint.

After testing, it seems that the Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 are best suited for those wanting a pair of headphones that look and sound fun.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing audio equipment and have spent even longer using my critical ear as a listener and musician to understand what does and doesn’t sound good.

• First reviewed in November 2025

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Freewell Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1: two-minute review

We photographers often obsess over gear, even if we may try to deny it. Despite this uncomfortable truth, it’s always great when you find something that reduces the amount of kit you need, which is exactly what the Freewell Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1 does.

With Tripod, Desktop, Monopod and Trekking Pole Modes, plus the Smartphone Clip for attaching your phone to the tripod, the Freewell Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1 is one of the best travel tripods available. This level of versatility means you can have one tripod to provide a range of solutions, which can be unbelievably useful when traveling.

It’s a well-built tripod and looks and feels more expensive than it is. The ball head is also excellent quality and offers dual panning controls. The tripod plate is on the long side, extending beyond the edges of the head. This is because the Arca-Swiss compatible plate transforms into a smartphone holder for attaching your smartphone to the tripod.

Knobs and dials are finished in a pleasing red that contrasts with the chrome and black finishes elsewhere and match the leg angle release buttons and center column locking knob on the legs. However, I didn't find the chrome or chrome-look finish at the top of the three legs to be the most visually attractive.

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The four-section legs are made of carbon fiber and feature twist locks. What I really like here is that the thinnest bottom leg sections are still chunkier than the middle sections of many other travel tripods. This makes the legs satisfyingly rigid when fully extended and improves stability as a result. The leg release buttons for changing the leg angle can be fiddly, but aside from this, they’re great.

The main limitation of the tripod, however, is that the maximum height is 1570mm / 5.15ft. On the plus side, the minimum height is 175mm / 6.9in, and the weight of the tripod and head is just 1.65kg / 3.64lbs. As a travel solution, this is perfect, but you’ll need a full-size tripod if you want something taller and/or weightier.

In the tripod kit, you also get three short carbon fiber legs made up of two sections, which feature a twist lock. These are for the Desktop Mode, which requires you to split the centre column using a hex key and then insert the shorter section with the base to attach the ball head. Transforming into this Mode is the fiddliest, but it’s still much more convenient, and reduces weight, compared to carrying both a travel and a desktop tripod.

Without the ball head attached and with the desktop legs angled out at 90 degrees, you can create a support for use in Monopod Mode. It’s nowhere near as effective as dedicated monopods with three mini legs built in, and certainly nowhere near as stable, but it’s still a potentially useful and welcome feature.

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The Trekking Pole Mode simply requires you to remove the leg without the foam and extend it, although there’s nothing to suggest the two legs with foam couldn’t be used as a pair of trekking poles instead. When you use a leg, or two, in this mode, you have to remove the rubber foot at the bottom of the leg. This can be used to cover the screw thread at the top of the leg while also revealing the metal spike at the bottom.

The maximum payload of the legs is 20kg / 44lbs, but since the head’s maximum payload is 10kg / 22.04lbs, this is the figure to go with. However, 10kg is still a respectable payload and will accommodate the vast majority of camera and lens combinations. The maximum payload of the legs also explains how one leg, or possibly more, can be used safely as trekking poles.

The Freewell 5-in-1 is a fantastic tripod that does everything it claims to, and does it well. The only use of the five that doesn’t appeal to me is the Trekking Pole Mode, because if I know I'll need trekking poles, I’ll always take them with me. However, if you’re hiking and feel the need for a trekking pole, the ability to utilize the tripod leg or even a couple of them is useful.

I’m a fan of small desktop tripods with Arca-Swiss ball heads, so I can use L-brackets with them for low-level shots, and this one fits the bill. For me, it’s Tripod, Desktop and Monopod Modes which are the most effective. The robust metal smartphone holder built into the tripod plate is a work of genius. In fact, the overall implementation of the different Modes illustrates innovative design that takes the humble tripod beyond expectations.

Freewell Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1: key specs

Head

Ball head

Leg sections

Four

Height

175mm – 1570mm / 6.9 inches – 5.15ft

Weight

1.65kg / 3.64lbs (head & legs)

Max Payload

10kg / 22.04lbs (head)

Material

Carbon fiber

Freewell Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1: Price and availability

The Freewell Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1 launched on October 8, 2025, and is priced in US dollars at $330, which at the time of writing converts to £246 / AU$500. This is a reasonable and attractive price for a carbon fiber travel tripod, and excellent value when you consider the versatility of this model. Amazon sells Freewell gear, so the tripod will likely be available on Amazon soon.

The tripod comes with a smart padded carry bag with handles and a shoulder strap. Inside the bag are the short Desktop Mode legs, a carabiner clip that can be screwed into the tripod to hang filter kits, and a couple of hex keys. The larger one is used to tighten the legs, and the smaller is used to split the center column. Splitting the center column allows you to set the tripod to Desktop Mode and also use the shorter legs as a base in Monopod Mode.

Freewell Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1: Also consider

Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod

The Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod is a small, lightweight travel tripod with three functions and a different basic design from the Freewell. Just like the Freewell, it can support multiple camera types, including smartphones, but it's ultimately more limited because it doesn't offer the same number of modes or functions.

Read our Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod review

Vanguard VEO 3T+ 234CB travel tripod

The Vanguard VEO 3T+ 234CB travel tripod is a unique model due to its articulating center column, which isn't a common travel tripod feature. It's well-made, but one of the heavier travel tripods available at 4.4lbs / 1.98kg.

Read our Vanguard VEO 3T+ 234CB travel tripod review

Should I buy the Freewell Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1?

(Image credit: James Abbott)Buy it if...

You need versatility

This tripod performs several functions of different types of tripods and does all of them well.

You’d like portability

This is a compact and lightweight travel tripod that won’t take up too much space or weigh you down.

Don't buy it if...

You need height

At 1570mm / 5.15ft, this isn’t the tallest travel tripod available, but it is adequate in many situations.

You mainly shoot video

If you mainly shoot video, there are video travel tripods available with fluid heads and other video-specific features.

How I tested the Freewell Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1

• The tripod was tested for several weeks
• Handling, stiffness and rigidity were assessed
• All five uses were tested

I tested the Freewell Real Multi Tripod 5-in-1 over several weeks, mainly for stills photography but also for some videography, despite it not being a video tripod. The tripod was tested in all five modes to assess effectiveness and handling.

I used the tripod with several different camera and lens combinations, shooting subjects including landscapes, cityscapes and product photography. I carried the tripod extensively using the carry case and also with the tripod attached directly to my camera bag.

First reviewed October 2025

Lenovo Yoga AiO 27: One-minute review

The Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 might make me a convert to the all-in-one PC, thanks to its sleek and ergonomic build, vibrant screen, and solid performance. The fact that it can be used as an external monitor is not only the cherry on top, but a point in favor of it being considered among the best all-in-one computers out there.

Of course, the lack of modularity, as with any all-in-one, can frustrate those who are used to digging into cases and upgrading parts, but as far as a hassle-free package, this is one of the best computers you're going to find on the market.

That said, even outside of its form factor, there are a few issues, such as the 'just okay' sound quality and a confusing array of configurations.

I will admit that if you go on the Lenovo website or Best Buy in the US (where my review unit can be purchased), you won’t be quite as confused as me. But UK and Australia shoppers will have some very different configurations available to you.

Whatever configuration you go with though, they're all more than enough to satisfy your general computing and productivity needs, so if you’re in the market for an all-in-one PC, the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 is a very easy recommendation.

Lenovo Yoga AiO 27: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• How much does it cost? Starting at $979.99 / £1,020.00 / AU$1,149.00
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Thanks in part to the continuing relevance of the Apple iMac and its current iteration, the Apple iMac 24-inch M4, every brand has some kind of sleek, attractive all-in-One computer on offer. And like the iMac, the hardware seems eerily similar to what you would get from a powerful Ultrabook or Macbook.

As such, AiO models like the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 are generally reasonably priced. The Yoga AiO 27 starts at $979.99 / £1,020.00 / AU$1,149.00, while the iMac M4 has a more expensive starting price of $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$1,999, plus it has a smaller 24-inch screen. On top of that, Apple’s upgrades, whether for RAM or hard drive space, come at a premium.

Another good benchmark as far as price goes is the HP OmniStudio X 31.5. Its lowest configuration is actually cheaper at $830.99 (about £620 / AU$1,270) for an Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD, as well as a 1080p 27-inch screen.

It’s worth noting that there are some serious variations between what’s available in the US, UK, and Australia. The UK and Australia both have customizations (more on that below) unlike the US with Australia actually offering discrete graphics.

So, Australians, at least, can probably game with this AiO, though everyone else will need to temper their expectations.

• Value: 4.5 / 5

Lenovo Yoga AiO 27: Specs

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Soldered RAM
• Configurations can vary widely by region

The offerings from Lenovo on the Yoga AiO 27 (specifically the 27IAH10 model) is pretty straightforward, however, there’s a lot of variance between territories.

In the US, you have two models available directly through Lenovo. The base configuration comes with a Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD.

The more expensive model is the same, but with a more powerful Intel Core Ultra 7 255H CPU and 1GB SSD. Best Buy offers a different model that’s similar to the more robust one, but without the touchscreen, which is what was reviewed here.

Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 specs

Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 base configuration

Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 review configuration

Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 max configuration

Price:

$979.99 / £1,020.00 / AU$1,149.00

$1,319.99 (about £990 / AU$2020)

AU$4,559.00 (about $2990 / £2230)

CPU:

Intel Core Ultra 5 125H

Intel Core Ultra 7 255H

Intel Core Ultra 9 285H

Graphics:

Integrated Intel Arc Graphics

Integrated Intel Arc 140T GPU

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 6GB GDDR6

RAM:

16 GB LPDDR5X-7467MT/s (Soldered)

16 GB LPDDR5X-7467MT/s (Soldered)

32 GB LPDDR5X-7467MT/s (Soldered)

Storage:

512 GB SSD M.2

1 TB SSD M.2

1 TB SSD M.2

Display:

27" QHD (2560 x 1440), IPS, Anti-Glare, Touch, 99%sRGB, 400 nits, 120Hz, 4 Side Narrow Bezel

27" QHD (2560 x 1440), IPS, Anti-Glare, Non-Touch, 99%sRGB, 400 nits, 120Hz, 4 Side Narrow Bezel

27" QHD (2560 x 1440), IPS, Anti-Glare, Touch, 99%sRGB, 400 nits, 120Hz, 4 Side Narrow Bezel

Ports:

Ethernet (RJ45), USB-C, 2x USB-A, HDMI-in, HDMI-out / Side: USB-C (USB 10Gbps), USB-A (USB 10Gbps), Headphone / mic combo

Ethernet (RJ45), USB-C, 2x USB-A, HDMI-in, HDMI-out / Side: USB-C (USB 10Gbps), USB-A (USB 10Gbps), Headphone / mic combo

Ethernet (RJ45), USB-C, 2x USB-A, HDMI-in, HDMI-out / Side: USB-C (USB 10Gbps), USB-A (USB 10Gbps), Headphone / mic combo

Wireless:

Wi-Fi 7 2x2 BE 160MHz & Bluetooth® 5.4

Wi-Fi 7 2x2 BE 160MHz & Bluetooth® 5.4

Wi-Fi 7 2x2 BE 160MHz & Bluetooth® 5.4

Camera:

5MP IR/RGB with Dual Array Microphone

5MP IR/RGB with Dual Array Microphone

5MP IR/RGB with Dual Array Microphone

Weight:

Starting at 18.51 lbs | 8.4 kg

Starting at 18.51 lbs | 8.4 kg

Starting at 18.51 lbs | 8.4 kg

Dimensions (H x W x D):

22.26 x 24.13 x 9.25 ins | 565.5 x 613 x 235 mm

565.5mm x 613mm x 235mm / 22.26″ x 24.13″ x 9.25″

565.5mm x 613mm x 235mm / 22.26″ x 24.13″ x 9.25″

In the UK, you can choose CPUs including an even more powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, between 512GB and a 1TB SSD, and you can choose between touch and non-touch screens. You are locked into 32GB of RAM.

Australia only allows you to choose the size of the hard drive, but is more powerful since it has that Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, 32GB of RAM, and actual discrete graphics in the form of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU.

Regardless of what you choose (or have available to you), the RAM is soldered in, unfortunately.

As mentioned earlier, you are able to choose between a touch and non-touch screen, though the resolution (1440p), refresh rate (120Hz), and basically everything else about it is the same.

You can also choose whether you get an IR-enabled webcam or not for a nominal upgrade. Otherwise, everything on the exterior including the color called Luna Grey is the same regardless of model.

• Specs: 3.5 / 5

Lenovo Yoga AiO 27: design

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Sleek, attractive look with good ergonomics
• Good ergonomics
• Great looking screen that can be used with other computers

I remember when I first started seeing Windows all-in-one computers start to pop (long before I was a writer) and they were not pretty. The word I would probably use is egalitarian. So it was a bit of a surprise when I got the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 in all its Ultrabook glory.

Yes, in my opinion, this AiO is basically what you get when you take a Lenovo Yoga laptop and turn it into an all-in-one. It’s sleek, comes in a very attractive colorway called Luna Grey, and has a gorgeous screen (more on that later).

In fact, it’s so nice looking, I had to double check that it didn’t have an aluminum case. Instead, it’s made of 30% ocean-bound plastic – pretty cool for those worried about the environment. The box it comes in is also fairly sustainable as it’s all paper or cardboard.

Back to the computer, it has some good ergonomics. First, it has a round base that can pivot in either direction 90 degrees, while the screen itself can pivot and additional 45 degrees to each side. Its tilt is up 10 degrees and down 5, which I do wish was a little more. And it has a lift of 70mm. It’s pretty easy to adjust the screen to your liking.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Speaking of the 27-inch screen, its resolution is decent at 1440p, much higher than I'm used to seeing on AiOs. But what’s more impressive are its other aspects. It has a solid refresh rate of 120Hz, supports HDR (though Lenovo doesn’t specify to what degree), and has quite wide color coverage and accuracy.

In our benchmarks, it had a sRGB rating of 116.5% and DCI-P3 of 82.6%, meaning it’s great for colors but not as good for contrast. It does have an accuracy of Delta>0.21.

Other design details include two three watt tweeters and two five watt tweeters to support Dolby Atmos, dual microphones, and a five megapixel camera.

Some models have IR capabilities like the one reviewed and some do not, a feature useful for Windows Hello that unlocks the computer when you log in instead of having to type in a password or use a fingerprint reader.

If that’s worrisome, don’t worry. Among the buttons on the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 is an e-privacy shutter.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

There’s also a power button, an OSD button for controlling screen settings, and a switch button as you can actually use the screen as a standalone screen for another computer or use just the computer part with an external screen.

That means that there are two HDMI ports, one out and one in. The port selection in general is pretty robust and also includes three USB-A and two USB-C ports along with an ethernet and aux jack. Some of them are on the back of the stand while some of them are on the side.

Lastly, the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 comes with its own matching keyboard and mouse. They’re both wireless and work fine, but if you’re particular about your accessories, you might want to upgrade to one of the best keyboards and best mice, especially the mouse as it doesn’t have any side buttons.

That said, I didn't have any issues with them during general use or even spending a bit of time working on them.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Lenovo Yoga AiO 27: Performance

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

• Good performance for most work
• Using it as a monitor for another PC is seamless
• Sound quality is OK

Here's how the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

GeekBench 6.4 (single-core) 2889; (multi-core): 15,500

3DMark Fire Strike: 8,072; Time Spy: 4,396; Night Raid: 34,260

CrossMark Overall: 1,865; Productivity: 1,756; Responsiveness: 1,430; Creativity: 2,164

Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm (1080p, High): 56 fps; (1440p, High) 47 fps

I threw around the Ultrabook label earlier for the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27, and I mean it. The PC comes with the same CPU, integrated graphics, and RAM configurations that you would find on one of the best laptops that wasn't specifically for gaming.

In terms of day-to-day use, that means you can easily have a bunch of tabs open and do just about any productivity work you could think of. It can handle some creative work, such as photo editing, but is a bit underpowered for editing video or 3D design. That is unless you like long rendering times.

It can do light gaming, but won’t be able to handle the latest AAA titles unless you can get your hands on a model with a discrete Nvidia GPU, which is currently limited to Australia.

Really, I find this best for having a large, pretty screen to do regular productivity work and maybe some streaming.

I’m more impressed by the fact I can use the screen as a monitor for another computer. That 1440p resolution can be limiting if you have a souped up gaming laptop, but it does allow some device consolidation if you like to have one computer for productivity and one for gaming. Regardless, using it as an external monitor is pretty seamless.

While it’s nice that the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 can support Dolby Atmos, the sound quality is decent but not great. It’s a bit mid-heavy and doesn’t quite have the clarity that having the best computer speakers would.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27?Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Though the various configurations in different territories is a bit confusing, what you get for the price is pretty good.

4.5 / 5

Specs

The specs on the Yoga AiO 27 are more akin to an ultrabook than a dedicated desktop PC, but its components are more than enough for general computing, streaming, and even light gaming in some cases.

3.5 / 5

Design

It’s sleek and attractive. More importantly, it has a great screen and very flexible ergonomics.

4.5 / 5

Performance

The performance is more than enough for most people. The only real let down is the sound quality, which is still fine.

4.5 / 5

Total score

As a package, the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 punches above its weight considering the price, flexibility, and vibrant screen.

4.25 / 5

Buy the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 if...

You want an attractive all-in-one computer
This AiO is not like the models of yore. It’s sleek and attractive the way Ultrabooks are. Plus, it has a great, vibrant screen.

You need ergonomics
This AiO can turn every which way, so it’s very easy to adjust it to your eye level or to swivel it around to show someone else your screen.

You want something that also works as a monitor
The fact that you can plug another computer into the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 as if it’s a monitor is a very cool feature and adds to its versatility.

Don't buy it if...

You want upgradability
This computer is the opposite of upgradability. Not only is the screen and computer in one package (as is always the case with these types of computers), the RAM is soldered in place. There’s no upgrading this down the line.

You want discrete graphics
If you’re in Australia, you can get this with an Nvidia GPU. Otherwise, you’re just not going to be able to get it (at least for now), meaning demanding tasks like 3D design, video editing, or AAA gaming will struggle.

Also consider

If my Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 review has you considering other options, here are two other AiO PCs to consider...

Apple iMac 24-inch M4
The Apple iMac 24-inch M4 is the pinacle of this type of computer and still sets the bar, especially in the looks department. It’s also fairly powerful thanks to Apple’s M4 chip, but it hasn’t gotten a meaningful update outside of that Apple silicon and upgraded RAM in quite awhile.

Read the full Apple iMac 24-inch M4 review

HP OmniStudio X 31.5
The HP OmniStudio X 31.5 is a bit more powerful than the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 thanks to its discrete graphics, plus it comes with a 4K display. It is a bit more utilitarian, though, not to mention its base model is much weaker than the Yoga AiO 27 I've been using.

Read the full HP OmniStudio X 31.5 review

How I tested the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27

• Tested for a couple weeks
• Used it for productivity, streaming, gaming
• Tried out its various features

I used the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 for a couple weeks, mainly for productivity, and I also used it for some streaming and tried to do some light gaming as well, not to mention tested its various features.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.

• First reviewed November 2025

Usually, by the time I've gone through the first litre of resin, I'm tired of the mess that these resin 3D printers tend to create. So, while I was excited about the innovative new feature design of the Piocreat Halot-X1, I was also slightly reserved about this new machine.

As yet, there is only one resin 3D printer that I feel 100% confident about using all the time, and that is the Formlabs Form 4, but as that particular printer is well out of the price range of most people, there have to be other options available to supply ultra-high-resolution prints from this format.

The Halot-X1 has come a long way compared with many other resin 3D printers on the market, and it promised to provide some very fine detail prints, which I can totally confirm it does. In fact, I was impressed with the quality of the models it produced.

The initial set-up was incredibly easy, just remove the packaging, fill the tank with resin, and select the print impression. There's no levelling process or anything else. The one thing that struck me from the outset was the change in the build plate design, which was completely different from anything I'd seen before.

I was dubious about the design working when it started due to the complete lack of needing to set anything up. It just seemed too good to be true that there was no fiddling around with sheets of paper and other checks. Literally, it was a straightforward switch-on and press go.

However, after 30 minutes, I could see the print emerging, and it looked absolutely spot-on. As the process continued, the print formed beneath the build plate. I could see that the auto-levelling process had worked 100%. I've now had the machine for well over a month. I've not been running it continuously, but every few days, printing out objects and small characters just to see how far I could go with this particular printer. So far, it's been incredibly consistent.

There have been a few issues along the way, and inevitably, quite soon, I am going to have to change the nFEP film. But for now, with several litres through the machine, all seems to be working absolutely fine.

While for the most part the use is simple and easy, there have been a few hiccups, the auto resin feed system just doesn't seem to work, however much I fiddle with it, and there have been a few support structure fails. From experience with previous resin printers, I've found checking the tank after each model is always a good idea.

Then there's the age-old issue of the mess. After each print finishes, it needs to be transferred over to a wash, then cured, and along the way, gloves and goggles still need to be worn and disposed of. So while you might get that additional quality, it does come at the cost of time.

However, this resin 3D printer is definitely a step forward, and with that new build plate design, making it so much easier to extract the prints, it does help reduce a lot of the mess that's usually created. So, while it's by no means perfect, this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Piocreat Halot-X1: Price & availability

The Piocreat Halot-X1 can be purchased directly through the Piocreat website, although you do need to ask for a quote on the price rather than make a direct purchase.

Otherwise, retailers such as 123-3D.co.uk retail the printer for £579, and in the US, companies such as 3DWithUs.com list the printer between $579 and $749. The availability of the printer will become more widespread soon, and you should be able to purchase it through many online retailers such as Amazon.com.

Piocreat Halot-X1: Design

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Piocreat Halot-X1 has descended from the Creality Halot series and features much of the same consistency and quality we saw on those machines. In fact, Creality have passed over their resin printers to this new company, Piocreat, which usually deals with more B2B machines, with the Halot-X1 being one of their first consumer-level options.

Compared with the old Halot machines, the X1 takes on a new style and design. It's has a smaller footprint and overall form factor. It's also more ergonomically designed, with a touchscreen on top, a visor-style shield protecting the resin area, and a tank that raises, rather than using the traditional mechanism of the print bed lowering into the tank.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The machine also comes with an automatic resin feed system in the combo version, which just adds to the level of professionalism. It's something we've seen on previous machines with various rates of success. Again, as with many 3D printers, there are multiple ways to transfer files over to the system, either through USB or Wi-Fi, and it's good to see this did seem solid with our review sample.

Compared to many other resin 3D printers, the footprint is relatively small, 344 x 331 mm with a height of 434 mm. You do then have to consider the visor when that's open, but to be honest, compared to many others, it's nice and small and definitely easier to use due to the design, compared with those that still utilise a lift-off cover.

The weight is also relatively light at 12.9 kg, lighter than most FFF printers. This essentially means it's very easy to stick in the corner of an office. However, because it's resin, you do really need to make sure that it's well vented, at the very least by a window, and ideally with its own enclosure and extractor to ensure that any toxic fumes don't enter your workspace.

When it comes to the design, it just looks completely different to the past HALOT machines, with a more modern design. There are a few big changes alongside the aesthetics when compared with previous generations, most notably the quick-release platform, which features a twist-release mechanism that can release any print in around three seconds. That time proved pretty much correct during testing.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Piocreat Halot-X1: FeaturesSpecs

Connectivity: USB + Wi-Fi support
Size: 344 × 331 × 434 mm approx
Accessories: Quick-release build plate, resin vat, tools, optionally AFU (auto resin feed unit)
Build Volume: 211.68 × 118.37 × 200 mm
Layer thickness: 0.01–0.2 mm
Print speed: Up to ~170 mm/h
Resolution: 16K Mono LCD: 15,120 × 6,230 px, pixel size ~14 × 19 µm
Motion system: Fixed build plate, moving optics/vat

Initially, the Halot-X1 looks like any other resin 3D printer, but there are some major changes in the technology and design. Starting off, however, with some of the more traditional features, the 16K mono LCD offers a 15,120 x 6,230 resolution with a pixel size of 14 x 19 µm. This should guarantee extremely fine prints, and that’s certainly what I saw during the test.

Print speed is also finely tuned with speeds up to 170 mm/h, which is relatively fast, by no means the fastest on the market, but considering the small footprint and balanced pricing, that’s not a bad rate at all. Likewise, the build volume is impressive for the size of the machine at 211.68 x 118.37 x 200 mm, large enough for most character and miniature printing, and also suitable for a good amount of prototype engineering prints. However, if you want to go larger than that, an FDM printer is a better idea.

On to some of the more major new features, including the auto-levelling. This works with a fixed build plate, so there’s no need for manual calibration, and throughout testing, this actually proved incredibly effective.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

There’s also a motion detection system so that the vat screen light moves instead of the build plate, this helps to reduce shaking and improve stability during the print.

The LCD and exposure system have also been overhauled with a 92-zone intelligent exposure system, which only enables the areas that need to be lit. This helps to improve the longevity of the LCD.

There’s also an optional Double AFU or auto-feed unit, and this enables resin monitoring, auto resin refill, preheating of the resin, RFID identification for the bottles, and generally less need to interact with any resin. While I had this kit for the review, the bottles of Creality resin that I had didn’t seem to be compatible, so this is something I’ll return to when I have compatible resin bottles to test.

The most notable new feature, as I mentioned in the build section, is the new quick-release build plate. At the same time, it might seem like a small change, as we saw with the Formlabs Form 4, a quick-release plate can make a huge difference to the ease of use of these machines.

Piocreat Halot-X1: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The setup of the Halot-X1 was probably one of the quickest of any resin 3D printer that I’ve used. Essentially, all I needed to do was remove the packaging, make sure everything was in place, switch it on, pour the resin into the tank, and press go. There’s a single model pre-installed onto the system, and as I just pressed play, after no more than 10 minutes of set-up, the Halot-X1 got to work printing.

The initial print took a few hours to run through, and from the intricate network of support material, I could already see the quality of the print within. While there was quite a bit of support structure, it was all very fine and detailed.

Once the print had finished, I pulled the platform away from the printer, twisted the two handles on the side and the print dropped the short distance into the wash basket. It was then left to wash for around 30 minutes. On removing the print, the support structure was removed relatively easily, revealing an extremely detailed print below.

This is, of course, the highly optimised print that comes with the printer, so I did expect it to be exceptionally good, and thankfully, it was. Despite my choice of resin color, the detail and quality of the modelling really stood out. It is a bit of a shame that only one test model is included on the machine, I would’ve liked two or three, just to test out what the machine was capable of before trying my own options.

However, switching over to Halot Box and loading in my first few test prints, I transferred them to the machine via a USB stick, due to the fact that I was having some initial connection issues between the machine and my network. That issue seemed to be resolved later on through a firmware update.

As the first few prints emerged, I was once again struck by just how quick and easy this was. I think taking out the step where you have to use a spatula to extract your prints, which can often be a really messy process, just makes using the printer much easier. You still need gloves and eye protection, but it's far easier than with most other printers.

I’ll also say that I always use these printers in an extremely well-ventilated room. So while there might have been some fumes coming from the resin, there was a constant draught of air through the workshop to ensure that those fumes didn’t hang around. And actually, with a fully sealed environment, it did appear that the fumes inside this machine are well contained.

Alongside the printer, I also had the AFU unit, which should’ve enabled me to use the auto resin filling option. To be honest, the AFU unit looks great. However, once I plugged it in and tried to install a Creality resin bottle, I found that the height of the bottle wasn’t sufficient for the tube. Then, when I tried to adjust the tube, I found I couldn’t get a decent seal for the screw cap onto the resin bottle. Eventually, I realised this wasn’t the correct bottle to use with the system.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Trying out a few other options and bottles that correctly fit the cap, I still couldn’t get the system to feed properly. So in the end, I just left it aside, something I’ll take a look at again at a later date.

Ultimately, now with several litres of resin poured through the system, and lots of characters and small prototype objects printed, I’m impressed, firstly by the speed, and secondly by the pure accuracy of the prints. There’s a high quality to the finish, and the surface detail was really well produced. There were a few situations where the support structure was missing, it obviously started to print, but then got stuck at some point, only to partially reappear on a later overhang. But this was rare, and always easy to clear from the main print.

When it came to straight lines and the visibility of layers, the fine resolution really does make a difference, and the final print is as close to injection moulding as I’ve seen from any resin printer at this price. So if you’re looking for a resin 3D printer for modelling, small production runs, or printing miniatures, then, actually, for the price, this is the best option I’ve yet seen.

Piocreat Halot-X1: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

This is the first of the Piocreat Halot-X machines that I’ve seen, and it’s a really good start, although they do have a foundation with the Creality Halot machines, which I was extremely impressed with in the past. The new mechanism and design really do seem to work, and I like the fact that it has such a small form factor compared with the older machines.

But for me, the real winner here is that new build plate, just a simple twist action to release the 3D print makes a huge difference, not only in time but in the amount of mess and faff that can be involved with resin 3D printing.

Extracting the print from the build platform is one of my pet hates with these machines, and the fact that they’ve actually come up with a very good and simple solution makes a huge difference.

Then there’s the auto-levelling system, which also just seems to work. I’ve printed several litres of resin through the Halot-X1, and while on a couple of occasions the resin has run low and needed refilling, the success rate has been exceptionally good. I’ve only seen a few incidents where the support structure has failed, with the usual odd gaps in the print, but those have been rare. For the most part, I’ve had a near 100% success rate on the printing process.

There’s still the issue of having to clean and cure the print afterwards. If you just want a quick and easy solution, then don’t use resin, go directly to FFF. However, if you want the best possible detail from your prints, and as close to injection moulding as you can get, then this is a superb option. If you’re printing miniatures or jewellery designs, then the fine detail and accuracy make this a superb option.

Should You Buy the Piocreat Halot-X1?

Value:

High-quality resin printers don’t come cheap, but for the quality of detail and build, this is exceptionally well priced

4

Design:

This is the first generation of this innovative design, but it does appear to work, despite a few small quirks.

4.5

Features:

One of the great things about resin printers is their relative simplicity, and here the refinement of levelling and the build platform make a huge difference.

4

Performance:

The detail is as good as any, and the speed sits around the mid-range, giving a good, balanced approach to this new resin printer.

4.5

Total:

As one of the first Piocreat 3D printers I’ve looked at, I have to say it’s extremely impressive — especially considering the size and price.

4.5

Buy it if...

You want high‑detail prototyping

You regularly print miniatures, jewellery prototypes, dental models, or other parts where ultra‑fine resolution matters.

You're a regular user

If you need a reliable, compact resin 3D printer, the quick-release build plate just makes it easier to use.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a budget

You want a cheaper resin printer and don’t need 16K resolution or the extra automation.

You hate a messy workflow

Resin printing always demands cleaning, ventilation, and materials handling. If you prefer plug‑and‑play with minimal fuss, an FDM machine might be better.

For more essential crafting tools, I tested the best 3D printers and best laser engravers

Dell 16 Plus: Two-minute review

Dell’s 16-inch laptop lineup has become a staple in the company’s catalog, known for striking a balance between portability and performance. Offering both 14- and 16-inch display options, these devices typically deliver reliable build quality with a design that feels solid yet travel-friendly. Most importantly, the line of laptops usually comes at an aggressively affordable price. The same goes for the latest Dell 16 Plus, one of the best Dell laptops you can buy today.

Starting at $799 / £1,454.23 / $1,598, the 16 Plus features the latest Intel Lunar Lake chips, up to 32GB RAM, and up to 2TB of SSD storage.

Other features include a full QWERTY keyboard and number pad, a 16-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, an FHD webcam with privacy slider, and more. Of course, internal components can be pushed a little higher for additional cost.

For those who are always on the move and need a truly portable device, the Dell 16 Plus delivers with a relatively lightweight build at around four pounds. When closed, it measures under an inch thick, making it easy to slip into most backpacks without adding bulk.

This makes it one of the best student laptops for those who need more screen real estate, or someone who needs a laptop to do occasional web browsing, word processing, number crunching, and some light media needs on the creative or consumption front. The low price comes at the cost of missing features like an SD card reader slot or even a touchscreen display.

Anyone looking to watch the occasional YouTube or Netflix video or listen to music while plugging away, the 16 Plus is a bit of a mixed bag. When it comes to the display, as mentioned earlier, the 120Hz refresh rate display is beautiful to look at despite lacking HDR.

The 2.5K (2560 x 1600) resolution does a fine job in making text and images clear and legible. Meanwhile, eye strain is reduced thanks to ComfortView Plus and TUVRheinland certification. When it comes to audio quality, it might be best to use external speakers or headphones, especially if in a loud room.

Though the lower and mid volume levels allow for some nice sonic nuance, that falls apart at higher volume levels. It doesn’t help that overall bass is on the weaker side of things as well.

Adding to the portability is a solid battery that Dell promises will work up to 20 hours. However, our tests didn’t show that much battery life, the results were still good enough for most people.

Overall, the Dell 16 Plus stands out as a solid mid-range option for users who value portability, respectable performance, and a budget-conscious price point, even rivaling those of the best laptops on the market. While it may fall short for power users or gamers, its sleek build, reliable battery life, and sharp display make it a worthy companion for everyday productivity and media tasks.

Dell 16 Plus: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

How much does it cost? Starting at $799 / £1,455 / $1,598

When is it available? Available now

Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia from Dell.com and other retailers

Available now, the Dell 16 Plus can be purchased from Dell’s online store alongside other retailers in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. There are also a variety of options at different price points as well.

Starting in the U.S., the 16 Plus can be purchased between $799 and as high as $1,299 with the same GPU and display spread across them. Our review unit sat at the lowest cost while the mid-priced configuration rounded out at around $949.99. That’ll net potential buyers an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V CPU, 32GB RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. At the highest pricepoint comes an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V, 32GB RAM and 2TB SSD storage packed in.

Interested buyers living in the UK have a slew of customization options that’ll range between £1,454.23 and £2,143.61. The lowest-end model comes with an Intel Core Ultra 5 236V, integrated Intel Arc, 16GB and 512GB SSD storage. Interestingly enough, the lowest price point lacks a backlit keyboard and fingerprint scanner. The highest priced configuration comes with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265U, Integrated Intel Graphics, 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Also, this tier also allows for a touchscreen as well.

Finally, Australian citizens have a few options, including an AU$1,598 configuration with an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD. The highest option at AU$2,197 has an Intel Core Ultra9 288V, 32GB RAM, and 2TB SSD. Both of those configurations have the same Integrated Intel Arc Graphics GPU and 16-inch 2560 x 1600 display.

Compared to other ultra-thin laptops, including the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition and MacBook Air, the Dell 16 Plus is the most affordable option at its base level while offering similar performance.

If you want the macOS experience and don’t mind losing about an inch of display real estate, the MacBook Air might be a better option. On the flip side, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition performs nearly the same.

• Value: 4.5 / 5

Dell 16 Plus: Specs

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The Dell 16 Plus is available in several configurations and options.

Dell 16 Plus (Review)

Dell 16 Plus (Mid Configuration)

Dell 16 Plus (Highest Configuration)

Price:

$799.99

$949.99

$1,299.98

CPU:

Intel Core Ultra 7 256V

Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, 8 cores

Intel Core Ultra 9 288V, 8 cores

GPU:

Intel Arc 140V (8GB)

Intel Arc 140V (8GB)

Intel Arc 140V (8GB)

RAM:

16GB LPDDR5X

32GB LPDDR5X

32GB LPDDR5X

Screen:

16-inch 2560x1600

16-inch 2560x1600

16-inch 2560x1600

Storage:

1TB

1TB

2TB

Ports:

1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) port

1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C® port with DisplayPort™ 1.4 and Power Delivery

1 Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort 2.1 and Power Delivery

1 HDMI 2.1 port

1 Universal Audio jack

1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) port

1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C® port with DisplayPort™ 1.4 and Power Delivery

1 Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort 2.1 and Power Delivery

1 HDMI 2.1 port

1 Universal Audio jack

1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) port

1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C® port with DisplayPort™ 1.4 and Power Delivery

1 Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort 2.1 and Power Delivery

1 HDMI 2.1 port

1 Universal Audio jack

Wireless:

Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE201, 2x2, 802.11be, Bluetooth wireless card

Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE201, 2x2, 802.11be, Bluetooth wireless card

Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE201, 2x2, 802.11be, Bluetooth wireless card

Camera:

1080p at 30 fps FHD camera, dual-array microphones

1080p at 30 fps FHD camera, dual-array microphones

1080p at 30 fps FHD camera, dual-array microphones

Weight:

3.96 pounds

3.96 pounds

3.96 pounds

Dimensions:

Height: 0.67 in. (16.99 mm) X Width: 14.05 in. (356.78 mm) X Depth: 9.87 in. (250.60 mm)

Height: 0.67 in. (16.99 mm) X Width: 14.05 in. (356.78 mm) X Depth: 9.87 in. (250.60 mm)

Height: 0.67 in. (16.99 mm) X Width: 14.05 in. (356.78 mm) X Depth: 9.87 in. (250.60 mm)

Dell 16 Plus: Design

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

• Fairly boring design helped by nice portability
• Full numberpad alongside keyboard
• An SD card slot would have been nice to have

The Dell 16 Plus features a chassis made with sustainable materials like recycled and low-emissions aluminum, recycled steel and ocean-bound plastics. For the envornmentally-conscious individual, they’ll be happy to know that the laptop has EPEAT Gold with Climate+ and ENERGY STAR certification.

Though the colorway may look a bit boring with the silver chassis with a gray keyboard, it goes a long way toward being more functional than sleek. The Dell 16 Plus weighs around four pounds, and when closed is about an inch thick. The top display half has a Dell logo, and the bottom does feature a rubber strip which raises the laptop at a slight angle for comfort.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

On the sides is where users will see various ports. A singular USB-A and headphone jack on the right while the left side has duel USB-C ports and HDMI port. The left side also has a small LED light to give battery status when charging as well. Unfortunately, there isn’t an SD card slot which means users are going to need an adapter for more creative tasks.

Once open, users are going to notice the 16-inch display which has a standard FHD webcam with a manual privacy slider at the top. The bottom portion of the display is connected to two hinges that fold back to 180 degrees. Regardless of what angle the laptop is in, it’s pretty sturdy.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The full-size keyboard, complete with a number pad, offers a satisfying typing experience with well-balanced tactile feedback and minimal noise.

Integrated into the top-right corner of the number pad is a fingerprint scanner that also serves as the power button, working reliably in everyday use. The trackpad is impressively smooth and responsive, making navigation feel seamless—though the physical click could be more refined.

• Design: 4 / 5

Dell 16 Plus: Performance

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

• General performance, like web browsing and co-pilot AI, is fast and smooth
• There are several performance settings in the Dell Optimizer app
• Not good for heavy creative workloads or AAA gaming

Dell 16 Plus benchmarks

Here's how the Dell 16 Plus performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

GeekBench 6 (single-core): 2,718; (multi-core): 10,914
3DMark Night Raid: 32,114; Time Spy: 4,065; Steel Nomad: 624
Crossmark Overall: 1,691; Productivity: 1,641; Responsiveness: 1,276; Creativity: 1,916
Civilization VII (1600p, High): 19 fps; (1080p, High): 36 fps
Web Surfing Battery Informant: 13 hours 3 minutes

During my time with the Dell 16 Plus, I was impressed by its ability to handle demanding multitasking without noticeable slowdowns, even with 20 to 30 Google Chrome tabs open.

Whether I was drafting this review in Google Docs or managing projects in Asana, everything ran smoothly. The laptop also performed well when launching apps like Tidal, Microsoft Mahjong, and even Adobe Photoshop.

In terms of creative workloads, Photoshop handled high-resolution images comfortably, though performance dipped when working with numerous complex layers.

Similarly, Premiere Pro worked well for 1080p editing, but more demanding 4K projects introduced occasional lag and slowdown. The Intel Core Ultra 7 256V is a fairly powerful mobile CPU that works well with the 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD storage.

As with many Intel Arc GPUs, the Dell 16 Plus faces some limitations in gaming compatibility, especially with older titles and newer AAA releases.

Given the 2.5K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, don’t expect demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 to run smoothly on the integrated GPU, which offers around 8GB of VRAM.

However, CPU-driven games like Sid Meier’s Civilization VII fared better, averaging around 59 FPS on medium settings at 1080p and approximately 37 FPS at native 2.5K resolution.

Naturally, performance dropped further when pushed to high settings at either resolution.

It’s a shame as the display looks fantastic with crips characters and text that are easily readable and that ultra smooth 120Hz refresh rate that looks outstanding in motion.

Image quality is great as well, despite lacking HDR as colors look bold, contrast is nice alongside brightness. Users who want to watch the occasional YouTube video and Netflix movie have something they can champion between work-focused tasks. Helps that the display is compatible with Dolby Vision as well.

Through the Dell Optimizer app, there are four settings for thermal management, including one optimized through AI.

During heavy Google Chrome usage, we noticed the bottom half of the laptop wasn’t too warm, and the fan noise wasn’t loud. The rest of the settings include cool, quiet, and ultra performance.

As I mentioned earlier, the 16 Plus is an adequate mid-tiered laptop that’ll work great for people who just need something to browse the web and do lighter, more general tasks, just expect too much from it.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Dell 16 Plus: Battery life

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

• Average battery life is around 13 hours

During our week and some days span with the Dell 16 Plus, rigorous daily use meant that I was able to get a real feel for how battery life would work on the laptop.

Though Dell promises up to 20 hours, we were able to squeeze 13 hours on one charge. A lot of that has to go with the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V alongside Dell’s Optimizer, which does a great job of balancing performance and power usage.

For sure, the 16 Plus will be more than enough for bi-coastal travelers and could technically make a flight from Los Angeles to London with a few hours to spare.

While working on the laptop during a full day, I only needed to charge it once through one of the USB-C ports on the left side. To charge from around 0 percent to around 50, it took around 40 minutes with a little under two hours to fully charge. When it comes to battery life, the 16 Plus holds its own among the best available at the moment.

• Battery life: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Dell 16 Plus?

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Notes

Rating

Value

The $799 starting price works wonders for anyone looking for a quality Windows laptop that’s seriously portable.

4.5 / 5

Design

A boring looking laptop, the Dell 16 Plus, is thin, lightweight and also offers a number pad to its keyboard. Just understand this doesn’t have an SD Card slot and only one USB-A.

4 / 5

Performance

Performance is pretty standard when it comes to general computing tasks. Apps like Google Chrome and Tidal open quickly. Just understand its heavier creative tasks and higher tier gaming performance. A shame considering the display can run 120Hz.

4 / 5

Battery

Battery life is really great on the laptop thanks to a great CPU and accompanying software from Dell. Even charging to full doesn’t take too long.

4 / 5

Final rating

4 / 5

Buy the Dell 16 Plus if...

You need an affordable general tasks laptop
The Dell 16 Plus performs well for anyone who wants to do activities from multi-tab Google Chrome browsing to light photo editing for a sub-$800 price tag.

You want a lightweight design with a full keyboard
The laptop design is around four pounds and less than an inch tall when closed. A full keyboard with ten-key numpad makes this one of the best in its class.

You’d like a nice display
The 16-inch, 120Hz display looks great when trying to lightly edit photos, handle general computing tasks, and some light gaming for titles with low-level visual fidelity.

Don’t buy it if…

You want a better webcam
The Full-HD webcam isn’t the best in less-than-ideal lighting scenarios, and there aren't many software features, though the manual privacy slider is a nice touch.

You’d like something a bit more powerful
Users who want to do more heavy lifting in the gaming department to make better use of that 2.5K display running at 120Hz may be a bit disappointed.

You need better speakers
The speakers lack some serious bass and sound fairly hollow. Unless you want to get some external speakers or headphones, you'll be disappointed.

Also Consider

If my Dell 16 Plus review has you considering other options, here are two other laptops to consider...

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition
A slightly more expensive option is the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition, which outclasses the Dell 16 Plus's audio/visual capabilities while offering a touchscreen. Of course, that’s if users can get past some design issues.

Read the full Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition review

Apple Macbook Air 15-inch (M4)
Creatives looking for a lightweight and affordable laptop may find the MacBook Air 15-inch a great option, so long as you're OK with losing an inch in display real estate and lack of Wi-Fi 7.

Read the full Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) review

How I tested the Dell 16 Plus

• Tested for around a week and a half
• I used productivity and creative apps like Google Chrome, Tida, and Adobe Suite
• Played lighter-weight games through Xbox Gamepass

I spent about a week testing the Dell 16 Plus, using it daily to get a solid sense of its performance and everyday functionality.

I used TechRadar's standard suite of benchmarks, including 3DMark, CrossMark, and built-in gaming benchmarks for games like Civilization VII.

Most of my work was done through Google Chrome, which gave me easy access to tools like Google Docs, Gmail, Asana, and Slack.

To evaluate the audio and display quality, I streamed music through Tidal and watched several YouTube videos, both of which helped showcase the system's speaker and vibrant screen.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed November 2025

Don't tell Amazon, but my heart sank when I first heard that yet another Robin Hood adaptation was coming to MGM+. But after watching it, I've mostly been won over. As it turns out, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

I've always been of the firm belief that the 2010 Robin Hood movie starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett is the best we've had (I didn't grow up watching the animated Disney movie from 1973, so I'm discounting that). However, newcomer Jack Patten in the titular role and Lauren McQueen as Marian are a breath of fresh air.

Straight off the bat, the new series has taken a huge risk by putting two unknown actors in its lead roles, and this is a large part of why I think the 10-episode series is so successful. They're perfectly counterbalanced by heavyweights Sean Bean (Sheriff of Nottingham) and Connie Nielsen (Eleanor of Aquitaine), though for me it's Nielsen who has the most to offer us (more on this later).

That's not all that's working, though. Creators Jonathan English and John Glenn have fleshed our the Robin Hood origin story to great effect, turning an elusive urban legend into Rob, a boy who wants to do right by the people he loves. This fantastic sense of basic narrative structure also means we have some epic cliffhangers... but there are issues in Sherwood Forest, too.

Robin Hood is the perfect example of good storytelling done well with unknown faces

Instead of a distant rogue who takes from the rich and gives to the poor (though we do see this a little bit as the series progresses), the notion of who we know Robin Hood to be is instantly called into question. This version of Rob has a nickname, complicated relationships with his home and family and a lot of love for their way of living that is constantly being threatened.

Our opening episodes deftly use their time to flesh Rob out into the 3D character he's never truly been before, and this is our starting point for seeing his story in a completely new light. Though he maintains an intimately close bond with Marian (Patten and McQueen's chemistry feels as natural as breathing), it's never explicit, and we're nurturing a beautiful Romeo and Juliet-style connection right along with them.

I can't give all the credit to our leads for the narrative satisfaction, though. It's incredible how many movies and TV shows these days don't get the basics right – I'm aware I sound about 87 saying this, but as a trained scriptwriter, it annoys me endlessly.

English and Glenn know exactly what they're doing here, and uprooting the story of Robin Hood from its very beginnings allows the overall plot to stay tight and on message. Yes, there are definitely episodes that are more boring than others (there's a lot of Rob and his 'merry men' sitting around despairing in the woods), but each episode cliffhanger is an absolute blinder.

Without fail, a curveball is swiftly delivered in each episode's last 30 seconds, turning what we've learned so far on its head. This means you can't do anything else with your time other than immediately watch next episode, and I love the feeling of investment those moments give me. Frankly, I'd say it's the best part of the whole series.

Amazingly, we don't need to see every time somebody gets it on

The Marian-Rob courtship remains innocent. (Image credit: Amazon)

While physical scenes between Rob and Marian are wholesome and harmless, I couldn't believe my eyes at how unnecessarily explicit the rest of Robin Hood is. This falls particularly on Priscilla of Nottingham (Lydia Peckham), who gets back at her dad by trying to hold physical power of the chief of the guards.

Add Rob's mates getting it on in the serving chambers of Eleanor's castle, and it all feels a bit icky. Entire scenes of dialogue are acted out in questionable positions, and you already know that the women are near naked while the men remain mostly clothed.

It's 2025, and we can get across the point that women are using their 'feminine wiles' as power without including graphic sex scenes that don't serve to drive the plot forward. It's certainly not a feminist move by any stretch of the imagination – even though there will be an intimacy coordinator on set, these are creative decisions being made by men, at the end of the day.

These scenes also weirdly undermine Connie Nielsen's Eleanor of Aquitaine, who is undoubtedly the best written character in the entirety of Robin Hood. Every word that leaves Nielsen's mouth is a piece of sage wisdom, using her own wiles to coordinate attacks and alliances through international correspondence.

It's a masterclass in the continued underestimation of women throughout history, having their stories rewritten while in fact making their own in a man's world. Clearly, Nielsen has cornered the market for playing royalty, taking everything we love about Lucilla in Gladiator and expanding it in all the best ways. If Amazon gave us a spinoff focussed entirely on her, I wouldn't be mad about it.

I might be nitpicking here, but overall, I'm impressed. I won't be lobbying for more takes on the Robin Hood legend any time soon, but MGM+ has proved what is possible in the tired-out realm of adaptations.

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Playing Europa Universalis 5 as a long-time fan of Paradox grand strategy games is like going into the star gate in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Everywhere you look, whirling past you, you see influences from its predecessors and contemporaries. "Oh, look, you can change production methods like in Victoria 3, the rulers are like they are in Imperator, and the levy system feels like Crusader Kings 2!"

Review info

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: PC
Release date: November 4, 2025

If you have yet to play any of the Europa Universalis series, they have always been one of Paradox's beefier offerings, focused on early modern history. This fifth instalment has effectively cranked up the scale and given you a microscope with which to observe the minutiae of your nation.

Let's begin with the time period that it covers – your game starts in 1337, a year that saw the start of the Hundred Years War, Petrarch visiting Rome for the first time, and, apparently, the founding of Berkshire's Bisham Priory. The next few centuries are yours to seize control of, one way or another, and you can do this on an hour by hour basis, should you choose.

It starts more than a century before games in Europa Universalis 4, allowing for some extra time in the late Middle Ages, before knights give way to hussars. This also neatly allows the game to introduce situations, a new feature in EU5 that makes certain events play center stage, more than they did in its predecessor.

For example, when the Hundred Years' War kicks off (pessimistically still named that in 1337), it's easy to, at a glance, see the strength of each side and who is in whose alliance, which lets you check whether you can tip the balance. Situations spring up throughout the game and include such historical moments as the struggle between the Guelphs and Ghibellines and the Reformation.

(Image credit: Paradox Interactive)

This new starting point also comes with a price – the Black Death will start raging its way around the world after a few years. In both of my campaigns as Castille and as Holland, my population was halved by the pandemic. In EU4, a plague meant losing income or autonomy; here, it actually matters on a much greater scale. The game models your nation's population whether you are a one-province minor or a great power, and each dead subject means one less job, one less soldier, one less bit of productivity for your nation. It's my favorite change in the game, and represents a trend away from abstractions and towards more concrete, important measurements of a nation's abilities.

Best bit

(Image credit: Paradox Interactive)

Fighting for new colonies in North America with the English. They thought that they had me, but they didn't bank on me being allies with France, who promptly stomped them.

Abstractions were everywhere in EU4. Your provinces could be developed, but that didn't really mean much beyond being slightly richer and the province having a few more buildings. Administrative, diplomatic, and military points, known as mana, functioned as your ability to develop provinces, to promote generals, and to research new technologies, which were very limited in number. Mana doesn't exist here, beyond some ratings that allow you to see what your rulers and courtiers are best at. You develop provinces by directing a minister to do so, while research is now based on more concrete factors like your people's literacy.

The tech tree is a genuine delight, too – the number of techs is boosted by a ridiculous degree, with each of the game's ages, bar the very first, having more than 100 techs. It's much more like a tech tree that you might find in Civilization than the, once again, abstracted variant encountered in EU4.

Choosing a national focus at the start of a new age also unlocks certain specific techs, and you can focus on administrative, diplomatic, or military techs. As you progress along the techs, you'll unlock new laws to codify, new government reforms to shape your state, and more. States are more fluid than in previous instalments, too – gone are national missions that could railroad your progress.

Here, you can shape your nation however you like along various axes representing things like centralization vs decentralization, aristocracy vs plutocracy, and traditionalist vs innovative. These can be changed at any point by assigning one of your cabinet members to influence the nation, while government reforms represent powerful ways to change your nation's central ethoses.

Call of Ducats: Early Modern Warfare

(Image credit: Paradox Interactive)

The genre EU5 occupies is often referred to as map painting games, and, as you'd expect of a game that kicks off with the Hundred Years' War, waging wars is integral. You can't just let your neighbors have that tasty trade good, after all. The military aspect of the game feels like a mesh of EU4 and the Crusader Kings series.

As mentioned, you can call up levies, but you can also (and should) build a professional military, too. Capturing forts and cities gives you a zone of control, so focusing on those rather than individual provinces is the order of the day. It's far from exhilarating, but it does interweave wonderfully with the game's systems.

Soldiers and sailors are people, so calling up either land or naval levies reduces the population in their home area. This means that for each levy called up, local food production and raw materials output drop, and troopers lost from your levies are lost from your wider population. If your military is professionalized, you won't be calling up big Bjorn the farmer anymore, so he can keep tilling his land, making them a potentially better value proposition.

War is more expensive than it's ever been in the series, and not only because of the effects on population. You also need to factor in upkeep costs and the ability for your soldiers to find food, a new resource, while doing their grim duty. How you do this isn't particularly well-explained (one of the game's few pain points), so until you figure it out you can expect to wind up with quite a few of your men dropping dead from attrition. The Clausewitz quote that "War is the continuation of policy with other means" is made very plain here, and it affects your country to a massive degree.

A map that's truly off the charts

(Image credit: Paradox Interactive)

What a map it is to paint, though. Just staggeringly enormous, with a dizzying number of countries to play as, from the Aak'u to Zutphen. Everywhere you look, you notice little touches. Some are obvious, such as the way that all but the smallest nations will be made up of multiple locations, allowing for more development options for small countries, with each area having a good that you extract with a Resource Gathering Operation (RGO).

Others are more subtle, such as the increase in the size of the Holy Roman Empire, which is made up of many more states than it was previously, or that zooming in on a location shows individual buildings that you've built, and hovering over them will tell you what they are.

The only problem that I've noticed is that native peoples seem to be underrepresented; there's really not that many of them, particularly in North America, and that's a real shame. I imagine it will improve over time with DLC, but at the moment, they're thin on the ground.

In addition to the traditional fare of grand strategy games, that is, landed powers, you can also play as landless nations for the first time. You can, for example, play as the Bank of Peruzzi or the Hanseatic League and be a kingmaker without ever actually owning any land directly. Landless nations are pretty sparse in terms of options at the moment, but I still appreciate it, as playing a bank seems like ‘playing tall’ (developing your nation rather than conquering others' lands) taken to its logical conclusion.

(Image credit: Paradox Interactive)

Whichever type of nation you play as, you'll be up against AI that feels more aggressive than in previous games. In multiple games, I saw France (and it is always France) conquer chunks of Aragon or gobble up German provinces by the pfund. Whether I was fighting them as Spain or allying with them like a remora fish allies to a shark as Holland, they were a major force to be reckoned with. I was at one point able to break EU4 over my knee, but the same strategies don't seem to work here, so be prepared to learn it all over again.

Speaking of learning, EU5 is both the most accessible and most complex that the series has ever been. New automation features allow you to hand off control over taxes and trade to the AI, should you choose, and it's pretty darn good at it, too. This is pretty necessary, as until you've paid your deposit, measured in, conservatively, tens of hours, you're going to have some trouble reading the UI.

It's often not particularly clear how to do certain things or which menu you need to open to do them (I'm looking at you, RGO construction menu). The tutorial is noticeably better than in earlier Paradox titles, but still leaves some things unexplained, which is frustrating.

The only other small nitpick that I have with the game is that it recycles a good number of events and achievements from EU4. I appreciate that completing, say, the Lion of the North achievement is going to be different in this game, but I'd have preferred some fresh challenges. Similarly, as you roll from month to month as an experienced EU4, you'll recognise some of the event pop-ups and their options.

Despite these small issues, Europa Universalis 5 represents a huge leap forward for the series. While writing this review, I've been pondering who I would like to play as next, which economic approaches to use, and what other parts of the world I want to see. Monumentally complex but more accessible than ever before, it is already a grand strategy classic and already a worthy replacement for its predecessor.

Should you play Europa Universalis 5?

(Image credit: Paradox Interactive)Play it if...

You want a game that takes a deep dive into both politics and economics
This is a game that has a ridiculously in-depth economic system and the ability to shape your nation's politics in radically different ways.

You've ever enjoyed a grand strategy title or would like to give them a try
This is an essential title for those who are experienced with grand strategy games, but the automation features make it ideal for newcomers.

You're a history buff
Covering nearly 500 years of history, you'll experience some of the world's most important moments.

Don't play it if...

You don't want to invest significant time into learning a game
This is a game that you have to invest a decent amount of time in before really understanding how it all works. Expect your first few games to be very sub-optimal.

You want to play as native peoples, particularly in North America
Native peoples are sadly quite lacking in EU5 at release, with North America being particularly empty.

Accessibility

Accessibility features are pretty lacking in Europa Universalis 5, but there is a colorblind mode, which is likely the most important accessibility feature for a game like this. A high-contrast map mode would be a great addition, as would the ability to change the game's font.

How I reviewed Europa Universalis 5

I played as both Castille and the Netherlands, and also tried playing as the Bank of Bardi, giving me a good look at several different nation types. In addition to this, I took part in colonisation and exploration, the Reformation, and several other key events throughout the game. I played the game on my PC, which has an Intel i7 12700f CPU, 32GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card.

First reviewed October 2025

Our Zenfolio review delivers all the information, insight, pros and cons you need to make an informed decision on whether this is the right portfolio website builder for you. 

Finding the best website builder for your portfolio is a crucial step in showcasing your work, demonstrating your talent, and getting in front of a new and potentially profitable audience. Which is best for you will depend on several factors ranging from your technical skills to how you want to represent yourself online. 

Zenfolio is one of the best portfolio website builders on the market, offering a host of tools built specifically to help photographers get their work online and grow their photography businesses. 

Our experts have tested the Zenfolio portfolio website builder, assessing areas including ease of use, tools, and features to help you make an informed decision on whether it might be the best option for you. 

Plans and pricing

(Image credit: Zenfolio)

Plan

Paid annually

Paid monthly

Portfolio

$7/mo

$9/mo

PortfolioPlus

$11.50/mo

$23/mo

ProSuite

$20/mo

$40/mo

Zenfolio offers three paid plans with both monthly and annual payment options. There’s also a 14-day free trial that you can use to test the platform and get a feel for its features and tools 

Portfolio plan

At the cheaper end of the spectrum sits the Portfolio plan. This plan includes a great selection of templates, 15GB of photo storage, and the ability to connect your own domain name. 

PortfolioPlus plan

Upgrading to the PortfolioPlus plan and you will have access to everything in the Portfolio plan, along with a more powerful site editor, 150GB of photo storage, and the ability to sell prints, digital copies, and videos directly from your website. 

ProSuite plan

Finally, the ProSuite plan gives you everything in the PortfolioPlus plan, plus you will gain access to a suite of powerful features designed for professional photographers, including automated client campaigns and an all-in-one booking, invoicing, and payment solution. You'll also get access to its helpful QR code workflow.

Zenfolio features

Zenfolio boasts an excellent list of photo-specific features (Image credit: Zenfolio)

Zenfolio’s photography portfolio website builder is backed by a suite of advanced features to help you get the most out of your site. Below we list some of the most noteworthy.

When you sign up for a new Zenfolio account, you will have access to a suite of free photography website templates, mobile-friendly themes, a drag-and-drop editor, and more. 

Showcase your work through public galleries to help you gain more clients. Then, you can create custom photo galleries complete with password protection to help you share work with existing clients. Alternatively, set up a simple online store using Zenfolio's ecommerce platform to sell photos, videos, or other content. 

You will also have access to a suite of advanced marketing tools, with a focus on helping you grow your social followings. Integrations are available for all major social media platforms, and there’s even a range of SEO tools to help you increase your organic search traffic. 

Zenfolio also offers BookMe, an advanced tool that automates booking, scheduling, gallery creation, and commerce for professional photographers.

BookMe streamlines and simplifies a photographer’s daily workflow by automating a multitude of functions that traditionally added hours to a photographer’s workday. The BookMe feature comes as standard on the ProSuite plan or can be added at an additional cost to other plans. 

NextZen update

In the summer of 2025, Zenfolio launched NextZen, which it describes as a totally reimagined platform, built to speed up the workflow from shoot to sale.

This update included several new features across the board, including new AI tools for creating galleries and tagging work, as well as dedicated features for streamlining high volume photo processing. It also rolled out custom pricing for individual photos and upselling prompts that can help maximize profit via client orders.

New, modern website template options have also been added, along with improvements to the client experience with enhanced “Favorites” management across multiple galleries.

Interface and in use

The Zenfolio editor is simple and intuitive (Image credit: Zenfolio )

To get started with Zenfolio, you can either sign up for a premium plan or take advantage of the 14-day free trial. No credit card information is required to begin the free trial, and the only things you need to provide are a name and email address. 

Once you’re signed up, you will be guided through a simple four-step setup process. Here, you will be able to specify the type of site you want, select an initial design, upload a few photos, and add SEO information. 

The website editor itself is quite simplistic, but it does come with enough tools for you to customize your design. Change color schemes, rearrange or re-order design elements, and add your own content for a truly personalized portfolio. 

Finally, there’s an impressive media management area that lets you upload and organize your photos and videos. Create custom galleries on different pages, add password-protected client galleries, and showcase your work for prospective customers. 

Support

There are various support options available (Image credit: Zenfolio)

Zenfolio offers numerous support services, including live support and a range of self-help resources. Reach out to the customer service team via live chat, online ticket submission, or email, and expect an answer quite quickly.

You can also book a free one-on-one setup session to get connected with a Zenfolio expert who can help you get your site started. 

Or, take advantage of the great range of self-help resources, which include detailed guides, full webinars, and more.

Zenfolio competition

As far as portfolio website builders go, Zenfolio certainly isn’t a bad option. However, there are some alternatives that are certainly worth considering. 

For example, Wix is known as the world’s most powerful website builder. Take advantage of the platform’s power to build a highly functional, personalized portfolio. It’s similarly priced to Zenfolio, and there are numerous add-ons available through the Wix App Market that you can use to add extra portfolio functionality to your site. 

Squarespace is another decent option, particularly for those who value high-quality designs over all else. It’s known for its excellent portfolio templates, highly attractive designs, and impressive editing tools. And while Squarespace certainly isn’t the easiest website builder to use, its section-based editor allows a passable amount of design flexibility. 

Zenfolio review: Summary

At the end of the day, there’s a reason why Zenfolio is one of the world’s top-rated portfolio website builders. It offers an array of tools to help you showcase photo and video content, along with eCommerce features to help you sell your work, a beginner-friendly editor, and more. 

On top of this, Zenfolio is very competitively priced, has great customer support, and boasts a noteworthy media organization portal. 

The bottom line: If you’re looking for an affordable, highly functional portfolio website builder, Zenfolio should certainly be among your top options. 

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS): Two-minute review

Lighter, cheaper, and more portable than the OG Lenovo Legion Go, the Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) has a lot going for it.

First is its starting $649.99 / £699 / $1,329 price tag, which makes it much cheaper than most of the best budget gaming laptops on the market. And weighing just under two pounds, the Legion Go S is substantially lighter, too.

The result is a compact beauty that can play most of the games in your Steam library, although you might have to adjust a few settings.

The not-so-secret sauce in the Go S is the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go, or AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme if you're willing to pay a bit more for better performance. In my case, the Z2 Go brings solid performance to a remarkably compact system.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Can you play some of the more demanding games out there, like Cyberpunk 2077? Not really, unless you're willing to make some serious compromises on graphics quality and resolution, but there are plenty of AAA titles that will run beautifully on a device that fits nicely in the palms of your hands.

There are some caveats to consider. The Go S suffers from a short battery life, just like the best gaming laptops, and it has a slightly smaller display with a lower resolution than the original Lenovo Legion Go. And unlike its chunkier brethren, the joysticks on the Legion Go S aren't detachable.

But the biggest concession on the SteamOS version of the handheld is the platform. While there is a version of the Legion Go S with Windows 11 installed, almost everyone using the SteamOS version is going to use Valve's Steam storefront exclusively.

Sure, you could find a way to dual-boot another OS or jury rig a way to get GOG or the Epic Games Store installed on SteamOS, but it's going to be a bit of a hassle, especially for more casual users. For the hard-core Steam fans like me, though, it's not just a non-issue; it's part of the Lenovo Legion Go S's appeal.

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS): Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• How much does it cost? Starting at $649.99 / £699 / $1,329
• When is it available? It is available now
• Where can you get it? It is available in the US, UK, and Australia

The base model of the Legion Go S is available now in the US, UK, and Australia, starting at $649.99 / £699 / $1,329. It comes with the new AMD Ryzen Z2 Go SoC, 16GB RAM, a 512TB SSD, and an 8-inch, 120Hz IPS touchscreen.

There is also the more powerful Z1 Extreme configuration that sells for $829.99 / £699 / AU$1,599. It has more RAM and storage, and it sports the more powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme SoC that powered the original Legion Go.

This is a good bit more expensive than the base Steam Deck, but the slightly more powerful Z2 Go processor in the Legion Go S will get you 50% more RDNA 2 compute units to help with performance.

• Value: 4 / 5

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS): Specs

Lenovo Legion Go S (Steam OS) base configuration

Lenovo Legion Go S (Steam OS) max configuration

CPU

AMD Ryzen Z2 Go

AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme

GPU

Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics (12 RDNA 2 GPU Cores)

Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics (12 AMD RDNA 3 Cores)

Display

8-inch WQXGA (1920 x 1200p) LCD, 16:10, 120Hz, 500 nits, 97% DCI-P3

8-inch WQXGA (1920 x 1200p) LCD, 16:10, 120Hz, 500 nits, 97% DCI-P3

Memory

16GB LPDDR5X-6400

32GB LPDDR5X-6400

Storage

512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD (2242, 2280 compatible)

1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD (2242, 2280 compatible)

Battery

55.5WHr

55.5WHr

Connectivity

WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3

WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3

Ports

2 x USB4, 1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 1 x microSD card

2 x USB4, 1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 1 x microSD card

Dimensions (W x H x D)

11.77 x 5.02 x 0.88 ins | 299 x 127.55 x 22.6mm

11.77 x 5.02 x 0.88 ins | 299 x 127.55 x 22.6mm

Weight

1.63 lbs | 740g

1.63 lbs | 740g

• Specs: 4 / 5

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS): Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Excellent hand feel with ergonomic grips; sturdy build
• Hall-effect sticks, responsive triggers, handy top/bottom port layout
• Louder fans than I’d like during long, heavy sessions

Personally, I’m a big fan of the original Legion Go, bulky as it is. But the Legion Go S (SteamOS) has its own unique appeal, starting with the color.

The midnight blue chassis is a nice change from the black and white we’ve been getting lately from PC gaming handhelds.

The hard plastic casing fits comfortably in my hands with textured hand grips as a bonus. It’s not fingerprint proof, but it is resistant, holding off most smudging until I get my hands in a batch of freshly popped popcorn with truffle oil. Then all bets were off.

(Image credit: Future)

Similar to the Windows 11 version of the Legion Go S, the controllers don’t detach, and there's no kickstand like on the Legion Go. It’s a shame, but the Go S is noticeably lighter than the Legion Go, weighing in at only 1.63 pounds compared to the latter’s 1.88 pounds, with controllers, so it's not that much of an issue.

The asymmetrical analog anti-drift joysticks are sturdy and provide accurate input, and I especially appreciate that they don’t detach as easily as the Go’s joysticks.

The D-Pad is fine, but it’s a little too stiff to deliver the precision needed to input quarter or half-circle inputs for fighting games. However, the buttons, shoulder, and rear bumpers deliver firm feedback with a nice, gentle click. A tiny square under the right joystick acts as one of the tiniest touchpads I’ve ever seen.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

Despite not being OLED, the 8-inch 2560 x 1600p WUXGA display on the Legion Go S is absolutely stunning.

The near technicolor vibrance of Hades II was a feast for the eyes as I threw out barrages of attacks against seemingly endless waves of enemies.

Cuphead and its 1930s-style animations also looked lovely when I wasn’t cursing the screen out after yet another defeat. In both cases, the display’s 120Hz refresh rate ensured smooth rendering without any noticeable latency, which in games like these can make all the difference.

(Image credit: Future)

In addition to the Steam button that summons a sidebar with your usual tabs (Home, Library, Store, etc), you also have a Quick Access button, which gives you a sidebar where you can toggle performance profiles and settings such as brightness, audio, and Wi-fi. It’s a seamless way to quickly interact with key features without having to completely exit your game.

• Design: 4 / 5

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS): Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• The Z2 Go is more than enough for casual or less-demanding AAA games, but visually robust titles struggle
• Surprisingly good audio quality
• Controls are responsive and comfortable for long sessions

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) benchmarks

Here is how the Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

Assassin's Creed Mirage (Highest, 720p): 32 fps; (Highest, 1200p): 21 fps
Black Myth: Wukong (1200p, Medium): 19 fps; (1200p, Cinematic): 12 fps; (720p, Cinematic): 17 fps; (720p, Medium): 39 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra preset, 1200p): 3 fps; (720p, Ultra perset): 6 fps
Dirt 5 (Very High, 1200p): 20 fps; (Medium, 720p): 50 fps
Doom: The Dark Ages (Handheld preset, 1080p, FSR Balanced): 37 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest, 1200p): 16 fps; (Highest, 720p): 30 fps

It’s one thing to play Cuphead or Hades II on a PC handheld, but it’s quite another to play the likes of Cyberpunk 2077, God of War, or Baldur’s Gate III.

And yet, there I was, dying for the umpteenth time as I worked my way through Black Myth: Wukong. Thanks to the handheld’s Z2 Go processor, the game played smoothly on lower settings, consistently reaching frame rates approaching 40 fps at 720p.

I also tried playing the game on Cinematic, and that didn't work nearly as well. At the highest performance setting at 720p, the game really chugged along at an unplayable 17 fps.

Games such as Baldur’s Gate 3, Hades II, and Hollow Knight, however, ran smoothly with maxed-out settings, letting me quickly immerse myself in the gameplay.

While not as captivating as the original Go’s QHD panel, the display's colors are vibrant, and details are crisp. This is especially true on Hades II, a technicolor beauty of mythic proportions.

(Image credit: Future)

One thing the Legion Go S has in common with its bigger brother is the audio. After weeks of playing this thing, I’m still surprised at how loud the Go S actually gets.

And while it can’t compete with the best gaming headsets, more often than not, I found myself vibing to the soundtrack of whatever game I was playing. In-game dialogue is crisp, while sound effects like explosions have some weight behind them. And on instrumentals, particularly string instruments like violins, there wasn’t any distortion.

I don’t know if it’s just because the Legion Go S is lighter, but the controls felt much better than on the original Legion Go, with my thumbs nestled comfortably into the concave seat of the analog sticks.

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The bumpers and triggers depressed with a firm click, as did the buttons, and using the D-Pad during Black Myth: Wukong to switch stances was a comfortable, fluid experience.

In order to keep the Go S from overheating, Lenovo outfitted the device with several preset Thermal Modes. These set an appropriate fan speed for a corresponding performance level, and while fan noise is negligible on the Quiet or Balanced settings, Performance is a whole other story. There’s also a separate option to optimize fan speeds to make things simpler.

As for thermals, when I wasn't pushing the Legion Go S too hard, the high-contact touch points like the D-Pad, X, Y, A, B buttons, underside, display, etc., never got especially hot, though things got noticeably warmer during more intense sessions. It never felt uncomfortable, though, even during extended play.

• Performance: 3 / 5

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS): Battery life

(Image credit: Future)

Since the Legion Go S is basically a handheld gaming laptop, don’t expect it to last as long as a Nintendo Switch 2.

During my gameplay testing, the Legion would typically last about 2 hours and 30 minutes on Balanced settings before it shut down, though if you do utilize the Legion Go S's SteamOS desktop for non-gaming tasks, I was able to stretch this out to about 8 hours and 30 minutes, but no one is going to use the Legion Go S for that kind of thing regularly enough to matter.

Overall, then, the Legion Go S is more than good enough for a work commute, but if you’ve got a long flight or train ride, you’ll definitely want to keep a charger nearby.

• Battery life: 2 / 5

Should you buy the Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS)?Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) scorecard

Category

Rating

Value

The Legion Go is one of the more affordable PC gaming handhelds on the market. And outside of a slightly smaller display and a less powerful processor, you're not losing too much on this SteamOS device.

4 / 5

Specs

With options for both the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme and Z2 Go, as well as up to 32GB RAM and 1TB storage, this is a well-specced handheld, especially for the price.

4 / 5

Design

While it's not the lightest PC handheld on the market, it's definitely lighter than the original Legion Go. It makes holding the Legion Go S much more comfortable over longer gaming sessions, so while some might miss the kickstand and detachable joysticks, most gamers will call it a fair trade.

4 / 5

Performance

Can you play every GPU-taxing opus on the Legion Go S’s AMD Z2 Go chip? No, but you can play most of what you have in your Steam library at solid frame rates with a few resolution adjustments. Honestly, you'd be surprised at just how many games are handheld compatible these days.

3 / 5

Battery Life

The Legion Go S shares one fatal flaw with its gaming laptop brethren: its blink-and-you-miss-it battery life. At about two and a hald hours while gaming, it's fine for a work commute, but any longer and you'll need to pack a charger.

2 / 5

Final score

The Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) is a good choice for SteamOS diehards. However, if you want something with more oomph, make sure you spend a bit more to get the Z1 Extreme configuration, or look at more powerful gaming PCs, handheld or otherwise.

3.4 / 5

Buy the Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) if...

You value portability
The Legion Go S (SteamOS) is a lightweight, portable option to play AAA titles on the go or in your bed.

You have a huge Steam library
Particularly for those Steam Sale binges, the Legion Go S (SteamOS) is an elegant way to finally play all those indie darlings you’ve been meaning to play.

You want a large screen with big audio
Although not as big as the original Go’s screen, the Legion Go’s 1600p touchpanel is lovely and one of the larger screens available on a handheld. Plus, it’s packing stellar audio.

Don't buy it if...

You want longer battery life
If you don’t want to carry a portable charger with you all the time, you might be better off investing in a more traditional gaming laptop.

You want a lighter system
While the Legion Go S is lighter than the Legion Go, the Asus ROG Ally is the lighter handheld overall.

You want easy access to all your games
While you can technically get non-Steam games on the Legion Go S, it's not an easy or straightforward process.

How I tested the Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS)

• Tested the device for several weeks
• Played several graphically taxing games at the highest settings
• Used in-game benchmark tools where possible

I played several popular and GPU-taxing games on the Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) over the course of six weeks, including Black Myth Wukong, Baldur's Gate 3, Forza Horizon 5, Hades II, Hollow Knight, and Hitman 3.

In addition to anecdotal play time, I also ran several in-game benchmarks at different settings and resolutions with graphical upscaling enabled and disabled.

I've been a life-long gamer on both PCs and consoles, and have covered tech and PC gaming devices for several publications, so I know what to look for in a PC gaming device of any kind and how to accurately and quantitatively measure their performance against its competitors.

• First reviewed October 2025

Quoted Tech Shield: Two-minute review

The Quoted Tech Shield is the latest pre-built gaming PC from boutique Canadian PC maker, and it's an ideal gaming PC for anyone looking to get started playing the latest AAA games.

Everything about the Shield feels like it’s made to bring first-time PC gamers into the hobby by offering great components, easy setup and access to internals, and simple repairs (and warranties) in case things go awry.

The configuration I received, the Shield Extreme—which currently retails for CA$1299 (US$927, £975, AU$1,993)—features an AMD Ryzen 7 9700X CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB SSD storage. This is a fantastic spec for blistering-fast framerates at 1080p and with very respectable framerates at 1440p, though some settings tweaks might be necessary for QHD gaming.

First-time PC gamers might not immediately appreciate just how easy everything is to set up. I have reviewed dozens of gaming PCs over the years, and I can say that few gaming PCs make it this straightforward to get going, while lower-quality PCs can be a downright nightmare.

This extends to the easy access to the internals through a pin-drop hinged door, and the relieving lack of complicated bloatware that plagues most pre-built PCs.

Probably the most impressive part of the Shield is its three-year parts and five-year labor warranties, which deliver peace of mind for first-timers navigating their way through the intricacies of a gaming PC by ensuring a more reliable and less complicated experience than many established competitors.

(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)

Those positives don’t mean that there aren’t some issues potential buyers should understand before buying.

Most of the Quoted Tech Shield’s problems are with the case design and port selection.

First, the Shield skips out on USB-C ports entirely, which might complicate things if you want to buy the best gaming mouse and best gaming keyboard you can afford to complement your new PC, as many modern peripherals are making the move to USB-C.

The overall case design also feels a bit fragile, and more serious PC gaming enthusiasts may have an issue with the lack of personalization software—especially RGB aficionados, as the Shield only has a few pre-configured RGB effects that you can cycle through with buttons on the top panel. That said, the Shield is all about keeping things simple, so the lighting presets might actually be a plus for some users.

Overall, however, the Quoted Tech Shield makes up for its faults by delivering fantastic 1080p and strong 1440p performance, quiet operation, and a user-friendly design to account for future upgrades. Combined with its generous three-year parts and five-year labor warranties, the Shield is unquestionably one of the best gaming PC options available for an inviting, low-risk PC gaming experience without the intimidation of traditional PC building or more complicated pre-built offerings.

Quoted Tech Shield: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)

• The Quoted Tech Shield starts at $1299 CAD (about USD $930 / £975 / AU$1,995)
• Available now in the US, UK, and Australia through Quoted Tech's website

The Quoted Tech Shield can be purchased through the company's website, starting at $1299 CAD (about US$930 / £975 / AU$1,995).

There are eight different configurations ranging from the starting 1080p esports build to high-end 4K set-ups, which will set you back CA$3,049 (about US$2,205 / £1,820 / AU$3,530).

My Quoted Tech Shield "Extreme" configuration targets 1440p gaming, and will set you back CA$2,449, or about US$1,775 / £1,465 / AU$3,530.

Overall, these are respectable price points for a gaming PC at any level, though those looking for something cheaper or more premium can easily do so.

• Value: 4 / 5

Quoted Tech Shield: Specs Quoted Tech Shield specs

Starting configuration

Review configuration

Max configuration

Price

$1,299 CAD (about USD $930 / £975 / AU$1,995)

CA$2,449 (about US$1,775 / £1,465 / AU$3,530)

CA$2,449 (about US$1,775 / £1,465 / AU$3,530)

CPU

AMD Ryzen 5 7500F

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

GPU

Nvidia RTX 5050

Nvidia RTX 5070

Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti

Memory

16GB DDR5-5600

32GB DDR5-5600

32GB DDR5-5600

Storage

1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD

2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD

2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD

Connectivity

WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 1Gbps Ethernet

WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 1Gbps Ethernet

WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, 1Gbps Ethernet

Ports

9xUSB-A

9xUSB-A

9xUSB-A

CPU Cooling

120mm Tower Air Cooler

120mm Tower Air Cooler

120mm Tower Air Cooler

PSU

650W 80+ Bronze (Non-modular)

650W 80+ Bronze (Non-modular)

750W 80+ Gold, Full Modular

Dimensions (L x W x H)

40.5 x 21.0 x 42.5 cm

40.5 x 21.0 x 42.5 cm

40.5 x 21.0 x 42.5 cm

Weight

25 lbs | 11.34kg

25 lbs | 11.34kg

35 lbs | 15.88kg

• Specs: 4 / 5

Quoted Tech Shield: Design

(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)

• Internals are easily accessible through the hinged side panel
• Chassis is very basic and lacks customizable RGB lighting
• No USB-C ports

One of the best things about the Quoted Tech Shield design is how simple everything is, from the side panel that’s opened with a simple pin-drop hinge to the easily removable front panel screen for quick fan maintenance.

There isn’t a part that doesn’t have easy access on this gaming PC, making future upgradability a straightforward process, especially for those who are new to PC gaming.

That does come at the cost of a case that doesn’t necessarily feel durable. In fact, I would go further to say that the overall design of the chassis feels somewhat flimsy compared to others on the market.

(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)

Though the all black colorway looks great, the case feels like it's made of very thin steel; something that was apparent when our review unit arrived and the rear panel port panel and front screen panel had small dents in them. As such, the Quoted Tech Shield isn’t the type of gaming desktop that you'll0 want to move around too much if you're concerned about its aesthetic.

The RGB lighting will also strike you as entirely simple or entirely problematic, depending on your tastes. The Quoted Tech Shield prides itself on not offering bloatware, which I genuinely love, but that means you need to cycle through preset RGB color schemes via a button on the top panel. Thankfully, one of the settings allows users to turn off the lighting completely.

(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)

When it comes to port selections, there are plenty of standard USB-A ports, including three top-panel USB-A ports, as well as a pair of 3.5mm jacks for a headset and a dedicated mic. That’s more than enough for many gamers, content creators, and everyone else in between.

The biggest problem comes from the lack of a USB-C ports, as many accessories are making the switch to this interface, so you might have to invest in USB adapters to use new peripherals in the future.

• Design: 3 / 5

Quoted Tech Shield: Performance

• 1080p performance is outstanding
• 1440p performance is respectable
• Don’t expect any performance customization options

The plug-and-play design of the Quoted Tech Shield Extreme configuration I received is complemented by its impressive gaming performance. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 serve as a solid middle ground between basic gaming and high-end 4K performance, with very high frame rates at 1080p resolution and great performance at 1440p, even without having to rely on frame generation.

As mentioned previously, this is great for those who don’t feel like thinking much about customizing performance modes, wattage usage, fan speed, and the like.

CPU benchmarks vs competition

Quoted Tech Shield

Alienware Aurora ACT1250

NZXT Player PC

Lenovo Legion Tower 5

Geekbench 6 (Single)

3,355

3,071

3,081

2,594

Geekbench 6 (Multi)

16,234

20,010

18,984

13,554

Cinebench R23 (Single)

2,223

2,257

2,263

1,693

Cinebench R23 (Multi)

19,778

35,446

35,226

17,376

Cinebench R24 (Single)

136

136

137

104

Cinebench R24 (Multi)

1,157

1,979

1,923

934

Crossmark Overall

2,311

2,301

2,298

1,846

Crossmark Productivity

2,147

2,152

2,159

1,734

Crossmark Creativity

2,628

2,548

2,495

2,127

Crossmark Responsiveness

1,960

2,069

2,166

1,454

For the more competitive side of gaming, the Shield Extreme will work perfectly in both 1080p and 1440p.

Games like Battlefield 6, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Valorant ran well past 100 fps at 1440p with settings maxed out. Meanwhile, Marvel Rivals at max settings averaged around 60fps at 1440p. All of this was without relying on upscaling, much less frame generation, so you can definitely push the visual framerate much higher for a smoother experience.

GPU benchmarks vs competition

Quoted Tech Shield

Alienware Aurora ACT1250

NZXT Player PC

Lenovo Legion Tower 5

3DMark Fire Strike

45,474

44,913

45,049

43,845

3DMark Steel Nomad

5,308

5,224

4,967

5,495

3DMark Speed Way

5,898

5,741

5,855

5,960

3DMark Port Royal

14,318

14,062

14,139

14,302

For non-competitive titles, especially newer, more visually demanding games like Assassin's Creed Shadows and Black Myth: Wukong are going to need upscaling to maintain high frame rates at 1440p, though native-only gamers can still get high framerates at 1080p with settings maxed out without ray tracing.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows ran at about 58 fps at 1080p on ultra high settings without upscaling, while it hit around 33 fps on average without upscaling. Likewise, with Black Myth: Wukong, I was able to achieve an average of 55 fps at 1080p with Cinematic settings, and about 30fps at 1440p on the same settings without upscaling.

The worst results were for Cyberpunk 2077, which hit around 20fps on the Ultra preset at native 1440p. Turn on DLSS 4 with the transformer model set to balanced, without frame generation, and at 1440p, I consistently hit an average of 74 fps.

Gaming benchmarks (average FPS) vs competition

Quoted Tech Shield

Alienware Aurora ACT1250

NZXT Player PC

Lenovo Legion Tower 5

Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra)

69

69

70

72

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, Highest)

204

202

201

207

F1 2024 (1080p, Very High)

99

104

97

119

Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness (1080p, Ultra)

180

181

182

172

General computing and creative content curation worked well outside of gaming. Opening multiple tabs in Google Chrome didn’t lead to any slowdown or OS hangs, while Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro not only ran well but also exported files fairly quickly.

Overall, the Quoted Tech Shield proves itself as a strong, no-fuss gaming desktop that balances accessibility with performance, making it an appealing, well-rounded choice for both casual gamers and multitasking creators.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Quoted Tech Shield?

(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)Quoted Tech Shield scorecard

Notes

Rating

Value

Regardless of which configuration you go go for, the Quoted Tech Shield offers a nice no-frills purchase backed by a nice warranty package.

4 / 5

Specs

With a very wide selection of configurations, there's a build to target every gaming resolution.

4 / 5

Design

The easy access through the pin-drop hinge is great for upgrades and maintenance. However, the chassis feels flimsy, lacks USB-C ports, or any customizable RGB lighting.

3 / 5

Performance

Though performance benchmarks favor 1080p more, 1440p resolutions run just fine at acceptable frame rates.

4 / 5

Total Score

Despite being held back by some questionable design choices, the performance, upgradability, and warranty-protection of the Shield are more than enough to recommend this PC, especially for PC gaming newcomers.

3.75 / 5

Buy the Quoted Tech Shield if…

You are looking for respectable 1080p / 1440p performance
The AMD Ryzen 7 9700 CPU matches well with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5070 for high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p from visual spectacles to competitive leaning games.

You need easy set-up and upgrade potential
Opening and closing the case is as simple as pulling the pin drop hinge. Also, anyone new to PC gaming has an easy guide to set it up.

You want some great customer-friendly additives
A three year warranty on parts will be clutch for those who have issues going down the line and five years of labor warranty couldn’t be more of a cherry on top.

Don’t buy it if…

You need a USB-C port
Many modern PC gaming accessories utilize USB-C ports, and the Quoted Tech Shield has none, forcing you to use an adapter for USB-C peripherals.

You want a more durable case
Despite having easy access to internal components and even fans, the overall chassis feels somewhat flimsy and prone to denting.

You want customizable RGB lighting
The no-frills package of the Quoted Tech Shield means no bloatware. This also means that RGB lighting is cycled through a handful of presets via a button on the top panel.

Also Consider

If my Quoted Tech Shield review has you considering other options, here are two other gaming desktops to consider...

Alienware Aurora ACT1250
The Alienware Aurora gaming desktop is an iconic gaming PC, and its latest iteration features fantastic performance at a decent enough price, though internal component access and upgradability are more limited.

Read the full Alienware Aurora ACT1250 review

Lenovo Legion Tower 5
The Lenovo Legion Tower 5 is a fantastic gaming PC with solid hardware and one of the best first-party apps for tweaking performance in the Lenovo Advantage tuner. It's a bit cramped though, making future upgradability a bit more complicated.

Read the full Lenovo Legion Tower 5 review

How I tested the Quoted Tech Shield

• I tested the Quoted Tech Shield for a little over a week
• I ran our standard battery of benchmark tests, as well as games like Ninja Gaiden 4, Battlefield 6, Dying Light: The Beast, Valorant, and Forza Motorsport (2023).

I spent a little over a week testing the Quoted Tech Shield, using TechRadar's standard benchmarking suite and real-world experience across a range of demanding tasks.

During work hours, I used Google Chrome for multitasking—running several tabs for productivity tools and browsing sessions—alongside Adobe Creative Suite for video editing and design work.

For gaming, I split my time between games like Dying Light: The Beast, Black Myth: Wukong, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II to measure performance in visually demanding titles.

For competitive gaming, I spent time with Battlefield 6, Valorant, and Marvel Rivals.

I've been reviewing gaming PCs for several years now, so I know exactly how a gaming PC at this level should perform, so you can trust that anything I recommend is worth the investment.

• First reviewed October 2025

Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9: Two-minute review

The Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 aims to take the lead as the best budget gaming laptop on the market, and in terms of performance for the price, it pretty much nails it.

At first glance, you’d be hard-pressed to distinguish it from any other workaday laptop. It lacks the bulk and RGB lighting of its rivals, which may be a positive or a negative depending on how you feel about the modern gamer aesthetic.

Regardless, it certainly looks and feels premium. Smooth materials with elegant finishes are featured all over, with the keyboard being a particular highlight, thanks to the solid placement and subtle texturing of the keys.

What’s more, the LOQ Essential 15 is pleasingly light, which makes it more portable than a lot of the competition. However, while build quality is good, the LOQ Essential 15 isn’t as sturdy as the best gaming laptops on the market, since there’s a fair amount of flex to both the chassis and the lid.

There’s a welcome selection of ports on the LOQ Essential 15, featuring all the interfaces a gamer would need. There’s even an SD card reader, which isn’t something you often see on a gaming laptop. Most of these ports are located on the left, and there are none on the back, which may prove inconvenient depending on your particular setup.

(Image credit: Future)

The LOQ Essential 15 comes preinstalled with Lenovo Vantage, a utility app for viewing system information and adjusting performance settings. This is one of the best utility apps I’ve come across, providing plenty of useful information and tweaks. It also has a very clear interface, and during my time with it, it ran without a hitch.

Less impressive, however, was the outright performance of my review unit. The Intel i5 and RTX 3050 combination in my review unit struggled to run the latest AAA titles smoothly, especially if you enable even the slightest amount of ray tracing. At least the heat and fan noise were kept to a minimum throughout.

Thankfully, the display on the LOQ Essential 15 is more impressive. Despite the 1080p resolution stretching across 15 inches, the interface always looked clear and sharp. There’s plenty of vibrancy, too, and although the maximum brightness isn’t particularly high, the worst reflections are kept at bay.

The keyboard feels a little cramped when gaming, and the lack of travel and dampening hampers feedback somewhat. It’s a different story, however, when typing, as the snappy clicks and ergonomic layout make this easy. And since the touchpad is quite small, it doesn’t get in the way when typing, either.

With its reasonable price tag, the LOQ Essential 15 is certainly a tempting proposition. While there’s plenty of quality here, the middling performance and keyboard hamstring its gaming prowess somewhat. If you can live with these drawbacks, though, the LOQ Essential 15 is still worth considering if you’re after a budget gaming laptop.

Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 review: Price & Availability

(Image credit: Future)

• Starting from $569 / £689 / AU$742.35
• Available now
• Budget end of the market

The LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 starts from $569 / £689 / AU$742.35 and is available now in the US, UK, and Australia. Various RTX GPU options are available as well, from the RTX 2050 all the way up to the RTX 5050. There are also different Intel and AMD CPUs available. RAM capacities range from 8GB to 32GB, while storage ranges from 512GB to 4TB.

The starting price on the LOQ Essential 15 is about as low as I've seen for a laptop of this quality. Better yet, I’ve seen the latest models with their RTX 50-series GPUs on sale at a significant discount, making them an even better value despite being more expensive.

However, there might be cheaper gaming laptops out there, depending on your region. The MSI Cyborg 15, for example, starts at a cheaper price in the UK and is similarly specced with a high-quality design.

If you're able to spend a little more, there’s also the Acer Nitro V 15, which—while more expensive than the LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 in the US—is a better gaming laptop right now, in my view, thanks to its more capable performance.

• Value: 4 / 5

Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 review: SpecsLenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 review configuration

Price

£799

CPU

Intel Core i5-12450HX (2.4GHz, 8 Cores)

GPU

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050, 6GB

RAM

16GB DDR5

Storage

1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD

Display

15.6" FHD (1920x1080), IPS, 144Hz, Anti-glare

Ports and Connectivity

2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x RJ-45, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, 1x SD card reader; Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2

Battery

57Wh

Dimensions

14.15 x 9.29 x 0.78-0.90in (359.3 x 236 x 19.9-22.95mm)

Weight

3.9lbs (1.77kg)

Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Premium feel
• Not the sturdiest
• Great utility app

If you didn’t know, you could easily mistake the Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 for a mainstream laptop. It has the same form and looks, without any of the extraneous bulges or aggressive aesthetics typical of many gaming laptops.

It looks quite elegant, owing to the subtle sheen of the finish. It’s also impressively thin and light for a laptop in this class, which makes carrying it around easier. The materials look and feel fairly premium, although the LOQ Essential 15 isn’t as sturdy as others, with some flex to various panels and the display enclosure.

The keyboard is a more premium affair, with a smooth yet noticeable texture to the keycaps. They have the typical Lenovo ergonomic shape, although they seem less indented than other models from the brand.

There are plenty of handy shortcuts on the F row, including one to open Windows 11 settings, which I wish would feature on every laptop. There are also some unlabelled Fn shortcuts, such as Fn+Q, which toggles performance modes. I only happened to chance upon it when looking at Lenovo’s website.

You can also find it listed in a pre-installed app called Lenovo Hotkeys, in addition to a plethora of other useful shortcuts. For instance, you can also instantly toggle the refresh rate between 60 and 144Hz with Fn+R.

(Image credit: Future)

One of the most disappointing aspects of the keyboard, though, is the lack of backlighting. Higher spec models have it, but it’s still a fairly egregious omission on base models. Not only does it add spectacle, it also serves a practical purpose by helping with key location when gaming in dimly-lit rooms, as is often the case for many.

What won’t disappoint is the number of ports on the LOQ Essential 15. All those relevant to gamers are present: there are two USB-A ports and one USB-C, as well as ethernet and HDMI interfaces. There’s even an SD card reader, which isn’t always seen on gaming laptops, but it's great for creator-gamers who might use their laptop for both work and play.

The placement of the ports might prove more divisive, though. All but two are loaded on the left-hand side, and there are none on the back. This layout might be inconvenient for certain setups; personally, I like to see at least the power port on the back.

The LOQ Essential 15 comes preinstalled with Lenovo Vantage, which is one of the best first-party utility suites I’ve come across. It contains a wealth of useful information and settings to tweak, especially the gaming section, which naturally has various cooling and performance modes to choose from.

What’s more, Vantage is clear and easy to navigate, and I didn’t experience any bugs or glitches when using it—not something that can be said about every first-party software.

• Design: 4 / 5

Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Middling 1080p performance
• Vibrant, non-reflective display
• Keyboard lacks gaming prowess

Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 benchmarks

Geekbench 6 (Single Core): 2,207; (Multi Core): 8,297
Cinebench R23 (Single Core): 1,588; (Multi Core): 9,774
Cinebench R24 (Single Core): 94 (Multi Core): 562
Crossmark Overall: 1,441
3DMark Night Raid: 37,229; Fire Strike: 11,392; Steel Nomad: 998; Solar Bay: 23,855; Solar Bay Unlimited: 25,530; Solar Bay Extreme: 4,391; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 4,436
BlackMagicDisk Read: 3,502MB/s; Write: 3,063MB/s
Civilization VII (1080p, AMD FSR, High): 200fps; (1080p, High): 136fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, Highest, Balanced upscaling): 98fps; (1080p, Highest, SMAA x4, no upscaling): 53fps
Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness (1080p, Ultra): 28fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra, Balanced upscaling): 57fps; (1080p, Ray Tracing: Ultra, Balanced upscaling): 34fps; (1080p, Ultra, no upscaling): 37fps
Marvel Rivals (1080p, Ultra, Balanced upscaling): 33fps; (1080p, no upscaling, Low): 49fps

My review unit of the LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 was equipped with an Intel Core i5 CPU and an RTX 3050 GPU, so as you might expect, gaming performance wasn’t exactly top-tier. When I played Cyberpunk 2077 with the Ray Tracing: Low preset, fps figures were in the high thirties and early forties on average, with some significant stuttering in busy scenes.

Personally, this stuttering didn’t derail the experience for me, but it was certainly noticeable and will likely bother more elite players. Disabling Ray Tracing altogether and applying the Ultra preset barely made a difference to frame rates or the stuttering, albeit the latter occurred with slightly less frequency.

Almost as soon as I started playing, the area around the WASD keys warmed up, but thankfully, it never peaked above lukewarm. The rest of the chassis stayed cool, save for the portion above the keyboard – but even this area remained touchable.

There is some fan noise during heavy workloads, but it’s quieter than others in this category, and nothing the best PC gaming headsets couldn’t drown out.

The display is also quite impressive. It’s remarkably clear and sharp, especially when you consider its 1080p resolution is stretched out over 15 inches. It’s also pleasingly vivid, and although it isn’t quite as bright as I would’ve liked, it still does enough to fend off troublesome reflections.

(Image credit: Future)

Harder to praise is the keyboard. It’s great for typing, thanks to the light and snappy actuation, as well as the generous spacing and aforementioned shape of the keys. What’s more, despite the inclusion of a number pad, the layout doesn’t feel cramped.

For gaming, however, the keyboard is less fit for purpose. In the WASD position, my fingers suddenly felt more confined, perhaps due to the relatively small size of the keys themselves. They also have little travel and next to no dampening, both of which result in a lack of feel, certainly when compared to the best gaming keyboard switches.

Thankfully, the touchpad on the LOQ Essential 15 rarely gets in the way when gaming or typing, thanks to its small size. However, this also means that navigation is more awkward than with larger pads, although this may be a moot point, since even the best touchpad is no match for the best gaming mouse.

• Performance: 3.5 / 5

Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 review: Battery Life

• Great playback result
• Power-hungry Balanced mode
• Very quick to charge

The battery life of the LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 is quite good by gaming laptop standards. It managed to last close to eight hours during our movie playback test, which bests many others in this sector. However, this is still below the standards of the best laptops for general use, as some can achieve more than double that time.

In my PCMark Gaming battery test, the LOQ Essential 15 lasted about 32 minutes, which is significantly down on rivals. This was with the Balanced mode applied in Vantage, which also applies the Balanced mode in Windows 11 itself (the same mode used for the movie playback test).

This score doesn’t seem to square with its playback result, so your day-to-day use will land somewhere in the middle of the two results. I can only presume this is because Vantage’s Balanced mode is more eager than its rivals’ counterparts to boost power to the GPU while gaming. Charging performance is much better, though, taking a mere hour to go from empty to full.

• Battery Life: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9?Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 Scorecard

Notes

Score

Value

The LOQ Essential 15 offers exceptional quality for its starting price, but different configurations will vary in overall value.

4 / 5

Design

Remarkably thin and un-gamerish with premium-seeming materials, though it's not the most solidly constructed.

4 / 5

Performance

It won’t handle the highest settings in AAA titles, but it still just about suffices to have a good time. The display is good, too.

3.5 / 5

Battery Life

Good for this class of laptop, but still behind more general laptops. Vantage’s Balanced mode lets the side down a little, too.

3.5 / 5

Total Score

The Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 is a well-made gaming laptop that's even more impressive thanks to its low starting price. The design quality makes up for the middling AAA performance, but overall it’s one of the best values you're going to find in a budget gaming laptop.

3.75 / 5

Buy the Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 if...

You don’t need a flashy design
It might not be the most exciting thing to look at, but the materials look and feel more expensive than its price tag suggests.

You want a good display
Vivid and surprisingly sharp for a 1080p resolution. It also does a fine job of combating reflections, despite not being the brightest around.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best gaming keyboard
Although it’s perfectly fine for typing, the keyboard isn’t ideal for gaming.

You want top-tier performance on a budget
With an RTX 30-Series GPU inside, the LOQ Essential 15 couldn’t achieve the high frame rates of more recent GPUs, so you'll have to pay extra for better performance.

Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 review: Also Consider

Acer Nitro V 15 Intel
Although it's considerably more expensive than the LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9, it’s still within the budget realm as far as gaming laptops are concerned. What’s more, it has a much beefier spec, featuring an RTX 5050 in its base model. This means the 1080p performance is far superior, although the corollary is a fair amount of heat.

Read our full Acer Nitro V 15 Intel review

MSI Cyborg 15
The Cyborg 15 is another gaming laptop with an invitingly low price. In fact, even the model with the RTX 3050 is significantly cheaper than the LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9. It doesn’t have the same level of quality, though, and the display isn’t quite as good, but the keyboard is much better.

Read our full MSI Cyborg 15 review

How I tested the Lenovo LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9

• Tested for several days
• Gamed and benchmarked
• Wealth of gaming laptop experience

I tested the LOQ Essential 15 Gen 9 for several days, during which time I used it for gaming, working, and general entertainment.

I played AAA titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 at various settings, and ran our comprehensive series of benchmark tests. This included those for the battery life.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade and have experienced numerous systems and components during that time. I’ve also reviewed many gaming laptops before, ranging in their price points and specs.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed October 2025

Corsair Novablade Pro: One-minute review

I’ve spent the past week testing the Corsair Novablade Pro, and I’ve come away extremely impressed with this leverless fighting game controller. Like the more budget-friendly 8BitDo Arcade Controller and other contenders for the best fight stick, there’s no traditional joystick here; opting instead for a pure button layout that handles everything from movement to motion inputs.

What’s immediately striking about the Novablade Pro is its luxurious build quality. Made from high-quality plastic and metal materials, it also avoids the trap many leverless controllers fall into of being too bulky. In comparison, the Novablade Pro is remarkably thin, making it easy to play at home or out with you at in-person tournaments.

The Novablade Pro is also incredibly easy to customize to your liking. The magnetic aluminum face plate can be easily removed, allowing you to swap out buttons, keyswitches, or the face plate itself should you desire. Remapping buttons and creating your own layout profiles is also simple, with onboard function controls dedicated to such actions.

And that’s something I’d recommend looking into, as the default black face plate is unfortunately effective at picking up prints and smudges from your gaming sessions. And trust me, when you’re deep into a tense Tekken 8 ranked session, that’s going to be unavoidable.

Lastly, I’m personally not the biggest fan of the pressure-sensitive keyswitches Corsair has opted for here. Don’t get me wrong; they work great and let you fully customize button travel time, but I personally prefer the more tactile and immediately clicky switches found on the 8BitDo Arcade Controller and from manufacturers like Sanwa. But I must stress that this is purely a preference thing, and not necessarily a knock on the Novablade Pro itself.

(Image credit: Future)Corsair Novablade Pro: Price and availability

• $249.99 / £229.99 / AU$349
• Compatible with PS5, PS4, and PC only
• Matches the Victrix Pro KO on price

The Corsair Novablade Pro is available to buy for $249.99 / £229.99 / AU$349 (the latter as per a listing at JB Hi-Fi in Australia) and comes in one configuration, compatible with PS5, PS4, and PC. The product is available to buy from Corsair’s own website or participating retailers in your region.

This is a fairly mid-range to premium price tag for a leverless controller, coming in much pricier than the 8BitDo Arcade Controller’s $89.99 / £75.99 (around AU$136), but matches the price of the Victrix Pro KO at $249.99 / £229.99 / AU$399.95. In the latter regard, this positions the Novablade Pro as a competitively priced product, and one you might want to consider if you’ve also been looking at Victrix’s output.

Corsair Novablade Pro: Specs

Price

$249.99 / £229.99 / AU$349)

Weight

3.9lbs / 1.8kg

Dimensions

12.6 x 9.1 x 1.2in / 320 x 231 x 30mm

Compatibility

PS5, PS4, PC

Connection type

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

Battery life

Around 40 hours

Software

N/A

Corsair Novablade Pro: Design and features

Almost everything about the Corsair Novablade Pro feels carefully considered for customizability and a premium, high-end play experience. You’re looking at a very high-quality build here, with an aluminum finish for the face plate and rock-solid plastic for the unit itself and its buttons. The underside is completely covered in textured, non-slip rubber, providing utmost stability on flat surfaces.

As is pretty standard for leverless controllers, there are 15 buttons and keyswitches on the Novablade Pro. At the top, there are six dedicated function buttons that encompass actions like pausing, profile switching, activating tournament-ready modes (which prevent pausing or resets), and, of course, a power button. Off to the top right, you’ve got L3 and R3 buttons as well as a DualSense-like touchpad.

To the right of said touchpad are five additional function buttons aligned vertically, and these can be used for mapping various button macros, something I found handy in various fighting game training modes for recording inputs, resetting positions, and the like.

The rear of the controller has a really handy USB-C cable lock, along with a slider that can both unlock and lock it in place. This keeps your cable nice and secure with minimal disconnection risk if you opt for a wired connection via USB-C.

I have to mention the Novablade Pro’s excellent RGB lighting, too, which is something I initially thought would be distracting during games. That couldn’t be further from the truth; the lights aren’t overly bright, and customizable color coding helps you to visually identify which buttons are where at a glance. This can all be customized on the controller, of course, on a per-profile basis.

The face plate can be removed by placing a finger underneath the notch at the top and easily pulling it free. Underneath it, you’ll find a 2.4GHz dongle for wireless connectivity, as well as switches for swapping between platforms (PS5, PS4, and PC) and connectivity options (Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, or wired).

The plate itself is quite a fingerprint magnet, though, so I’d recommend routinely wiping it down after play sessions, or swapping it out for other compatible face plates - especially if you like to alter your controller’s looks (and support commissioning artists while you’re at it!).

(Image credit: Future)Corsair Novablade Pro: Performance

As mentioned, Corsair definitely has intermediate to professional-level fighting game players in mind with the Novablade Pro. This is apparent with its choice of pressure-sensitive keyswitches. This is a standout feature of the controller, and you can fully alter the travel time of your buttons from 0.1mm all the way up to 4mm. So, you have the choice of sharply immediate presses or longer ones, depending on the situation. I found that this could also prevent mispresses with certain buttons by not pushing them in all the way.

Personally, I do prefer the clicky, more tactile results of microswitches. I find them to be more satisfying to press, as was the case on the 8BitDo Arcade Controller, which I reviewed previously. By no means does this make the Novablade Pro deliver an unsatisfying or inaccurate play experience. The buttons here still feel great, bouncy, and responsive. That’s just a matter of personal preference on my end, but something you may want to consider based on your own experience with leverless controllers.

Otherwise, the Novablade Pro is exceptionally responsive, no matter what type of connection you go with, though I would suggest avoiding Bluetooth connectivity altogether. It’s not bad here, but in general, it offers a slightly higher degree of input latency compared to 2.4GHz and especially wired. On PC, both wired and 2.4GHz connections offer a 1,000Hz polling rate, level with some of the best PS5 controllers and best PC controllers. Though due to the PS5 and PS4’s design, you’ll only get that 1,000Hz polling rate with a strictly wired USB-C connection. Again, something to keep in mind if you’re playing on console.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Corsair Novablade Pro?Buy it if…

You want a premium leverless experience
The Corsair Novablade Pro, from build to performance, is all about quality. It’s rare that controllers I test have build quality and attention to detail at this level. So I can wholeheartedly recommend it if you’re looking for a premium experience.

You love customizability
15 buttons, plenty of functions, and five custom profile slots mean you’ll very likely be able to find setups on a per-game basis that work just right for you.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re a leverless beginner
It’s costly, for one thing, but the Novablade Pro’s high amount of utility can be a little daunting if you’re brand new to the leverless world. In this case, I’d recommend dipping a toe in with a cheaper model like the 8BitDo Arcade Controller.

Also consider...

If the Corsair Novablade Pro isn’t quite what you’re looking for, consider the following two alternatives.

Corsair Novablade Pro

Victrix Pro KO

8BitDo Arcade Controller

Price

$249.99 / £229.99 (around AU$399)

$249.99 / £229.99 / AU$399.95

$89.99 / £75.99 (around AU$136)

Weight

3.9lbs / 1.8kg

2.7lbs / 1.225kg

2.42lbs / 1.1kg

Dimensions

12.6 x 9.1 x 1.2in / 320 x 231 x 30mm

13.35 x 9.23 x 0.8in / 235 x 334 x 22mm

11.9 x 7.9 x 0.9in / 301 x 201 x 22mm

Compatibility

PS5, PS4, PC

PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC (PlayStation and Xbox models sold separately)

Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC (Switch and Xbox models sold separately)

Connection type

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

Wired (USB-C)

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

Battery life

Around 40 hours

N/A

Around 20 hours

Software

N/A

N/A

Ultimate Software V2

Victrix Pro KO
It’s priced the same as the Novablade Pro, and pretty comparable in terms of specs and capabilities. While wired only, it’s certainly worth considering if you want a highly customizable pad, and there’s even an Xbox version available if you play on those consoles.

Read our full Victrix Pro KO review

8BitDo Arcade Controller
An excellent introduction to the world of leverless controllers. It’s affordable, but still impressively versatile with 15 tactile buttons, profile creation, and a superb lightweight build that makes it a perfect travel companion.

Read our full 8BitDo Arcade Controller review

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Corsair Novablade Pro

• Tested for one week
• Played a variety of fighting games on PS5 and PC
• Compared to the 8BitDo Arcade Controller and Victrix Pro KO

I tested the Corsair Novablade Pro over the course of one week, and having now got a proper feel for leverless controllers after the 8BitDo Arcade Controller, I felt incredibly comfortable with the Novablade Pro’s layout and high build quality.

I played a variety of the best fighting games with it across PS5 and PC, including Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, and Guilty Gear Strive.

In my time with the Novablade Pro, I was able to compare it directly to a cheaper model I also have in for testing - the 8BitDo Arcade Controller - and one of comparable price and features in the Victrix Pro KO. Both being some of the best fight sticks around. If you’re after a premium leverless controller, you likely won’t be disappointed here. Especially given its superb build quality and high level of customization.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2025

After two years of waiting, The Witcher season 4 has finally returned to our screens – and boy does it feel like we've been waiting that long in the worst possible way.

The hit Netflix show is a complex one to keep up with at the best of times, and that's even more exaggerated when so much has happened in the interim. Liam Hemsworth has taken over from Henry Cavill in the role of Geralt of Rivia, we've got a whole host of brand-new roles who make up his rag-tag crew, and Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu) is far from finished wreaking havoc with his unhinged chaos magic.

Add in the remaining witches of Aretuza, the White Flame and the introduction of infamous savage Leo Bonhart (Sharlto Copley), and there's a lot of plates spinning. Unfortunately, I don't think season 4 does the best job of easing us back into the drama, and that's to the detriment of the first four episodes.

However, I implore you to stick with it, even when it feels like you need a specially-made dictionary to decode what's going on. Episodes 5-8 might just be some of the strongest in the franchise, and the stakes are getting bigger and better for what promises to be an explosive final (and fifth) season.

This is possibly the only time I'd advocate in favor of Netflix's split-season drop – while shows like Emily in Paris season 4 and Wednesday season 2 really didn't need to be released in two goes, The Witcher seasons 4 and 5 are part of the same ongoing story.

By the end of season 4, the fictional engines are finally up and running, but are now left to thaw while we wait for season 5 to be announced. Good things come to those who wait, but is this a step too far?

The Witcher season 4 starts off as a slog, and that's a storytelling problem

For at least the first two episodes of The Witcher season 4, I didn't know if I was coming or going. Unless you're a diehard fan of the books and games or have rewatched the previous three seasons in preparation, you're going to be as lost as a kid on their first day of high school.

As someone who doesn't fit into either of those categories, I think episode 1 has done a particularly poor job of bringing us up to speed. We're reminded that Geralt, Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) and Ciri (Freya Allen) have been separated after the fallout of the Battle of Aretuza, but the details are woolly.

Instead of a traditional 'previously on...' recap that would have worked a lot better – or a standalone recap on the platform like Netflix has done with The Witcher before – we're reminded of how things stand through a young girl reading a book about the legend of The Witcher. It's clear she's going to be important in season 5, but the creative risk isn't helpful to getting the simple understanding that we need.

By the halfway point of season 4, you're back in the swing of things. Geralt has become a side plot in his own story, and the action we are seeing often feels like the CGI budget has obviously been spent on Stranger Things season 5 instead.

While there's a distinct cutback on nudity and intimate scenes this season (which was a conscious decision from showrunner Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich), those that do still appear feel somewhat gratuitous. I hate to sound like my Nan, but it's the swearing that rubs me up the wrong way the most in season 4. There's often no linguistic blueprint from the show, swinging from Ye Olde English to "I'm gonna f**cking kill you" in seconds.

The second half of The Witcher season 4 is where it truly shines

Geralt's new gang in The Witcher season 4. (Image credit: Netflix)

Get through these issues in the first four episodes, and you're onto a winner in the second four. Where I've been harsh on the first half of season four, I couldn't sing the praises of episodes 5-8 loud enough. They're some of the strongest in the franchise, upping their visuals, storytelling, and worldbuilding to deliver something we genuinely don't want to stop watching.

Rather than our final episode being the pinnacle of the season, I think it's actually episode 6. Here, we see Vilgefortz and Yennefer come face-to-face in the Battle of Montecalvo, something that's been hugely expanded on from the original books. The action sequences are dynamic and push creative boundaries, while there are plenty of genuine surprises in store (that may or may not change the game for season 5).

I've also got to take a moment for the new cast member who's the actual star of season 4: Laurence Fishburne. Though fans were quick to criticize his casting as thoughtful vampire Regis, Fishburne brings the perfect balance of wisdom and curiosity. It's honestly a wonder that he's not been cast in an old-world fantasy series before this, but now he's truly part of the furniture.

Now viewers are more settled back into The Witcher's lore and overarching narrative, these later episodes in the season also take more creative risks. Without giving too much away, we've got full-out musical numbers, animated sequences and unlikely alliances waiting for us, and I think each has spinoff potential (but more on that another time).

Is The Witcher season 4 the best outing Netflix has had so far? No – and that's largely because it's a placeholder for season 5. In order to give us the jaw-dropping ending we're all waiting for, the show has to give us a lot of context and build-up ready for that moment, and we have to ride out the underwhelming bits as a result.

If anything, think of this as season 4 part 1. Just like the Deathly Hallows or Mockingjay movies in Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, the calm comes before the storm... and what a storm The Witcher season 5 is going to be.

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Levoit Aero: two-minute review

The Levoit Aero is a lightweight, nimble stick vacuum that comes with a convenient auto-empty charging base. It's one of the most lightweight vacuums I've used, and comes with a smaller-than-usual floorhead that tucks easily into tight spaces. I also appreciated the clear display, which tells you which suction level you're in and how much battery you have left.

While it's not the most outright powerful cordless vacuum I've used, it's great for everyday cleaning and especially good when it comes to edge cleaning. I found that even in the Minimum power mode it lifted most dirt from my floors, although I did need to bump up to Med or even Max mode to clear chunkier debris. The edge cleaning was outstanding, however.

Battery life is good but not great – while the Max mode lasts an impressive 15 minutes, in Min mode it only runs for 40 mins, which is short for a lowest-power option. I missed having a battery-maximizing Auto mode, where the power adjusts intelligently based on dirt levels or floor type.

The auto-empty base is a big effort-saver and works well, although there does seem to be a flaw that means the dustbin flap on the vacuum itself doesn't always close securely afterwards, which meant some cleaning sessions began rather messily.

Keep reading for a deeper dive into what the Levoit Aero vacuum cleaner has to offer, and how it compares to the rest of the best cordless vacuums on the market.

(Image credit: Future)Levoit Aero review: price & availability

• List price: $499
• Available: October 2025
• Availability: US

The Levoit Aero Vacuum Cleaner launched in October 2025, with a list price of $499. It's available in the US on the Levoit website. This price includes the self-standing stick vacuum, charging dock that doubles as an auto-empty base, four accessories, and an extra dust bag.

In the wider market, this vacuum sits on the cusp between mid-range and premium. I'd usually expect better battery life and some smart features for this price, although the inclusion of the auto-empty dock does help justify the higher price somewhat. It's perhaps worth keeping an eye out for any deals over Black Friday.

Other auto-empty vacuum options include the Shark PowerDetect Cordless Clean&Empty, which is cheaper and better value at $429.99, and the Roborock H60 Hub Ultra which is pricier and worse value at $599.99.

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Levoit Aero specs

Weight:

4.4 lbs / 2kg

Bin size (vacuum):

Not stated

Bin size (dock):

3.5L

Max runtime:

40 mins

Charge time:

< 4hrs

Size (H x W x L):

43.3 x 9.8 x 7.7in / 110 x 25 x 19.5cm

Filter:

HEPA

Max suction:

180AW

Modes:

Min, Med, Max, Turbo

Levoit Aero review: design

• A lightweight, streamlined stick vacuum that can stand up on its own
• Display screen shows battery life and suction power
• Auto-empty station that doubles as a charger

The Levoit Aero vacuum cleaner is a cordless stick vacuum that can stand on its own when the head and shaft are locked in place. At only 4.4 lbs / 2kg, it's incredibly lightweight, which makes it easy to maneuver on the floor or use to grab dust on high ceilings.

The vacuum cleaner is black and white, and looks sleek and modern. It differs from some other vacuums in that the 0.45L dust bin is positioned on the front of the vacuum, rather than the back. Above the dustbin is a small display screen and the power button.

(Image credit: Future)

Upon pressing the power button, the suction level and battery countdown timer appear on the display screen. If I want to move between the different suction level options, I have to hit the four-square button below the power button to scroll through them. My pre-launch test model had three suction modes: Min, Med and Max. Now the vacuum is on sale, there seems to have been a fourth mode added, called Turbo. The Max suction power hasn't changed, though – it's still 180AW.

(Image credit: Future)

Like pretty much every stick vacuum, the design is modular and can be reconfigured for use as a handheld by removing the main wand. Four accessories are provided, including a 2-in-1 crevice tool, 2-in-1 combination tool (for vacuuming hair and such from furniture), a mini motorized brush, and an extension hose. There's also an attachment clip that can be added to the vacuum wand for easy detail tool storage.

(Image credit: Future)

The charging station is slim with a round base and a hidden dust bag with a generous 3.5L capacity. When you dock the vacuum, the charging station pulls the dirt and debris from its dustbin into the larger dust bag, so you don't need to worry about emptying it manually.

In terms of noise, the vacuum cleaner has an average sound rating. When the Min suction level is being used, it emits a sound rating of 79 dB. On Med and Max suction level powers, the rating is 81 and 83 dB respectively.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Levoit Aero review: performance

• Easy to maneuver with helpful accessories
• Superb edge cleaning
• Little maintenance required on a day-to-day basis

Upon powering on the Levoit Aero vacuum cleaner, it automatically begins running on the Med suction level. Most of the time when vacuuming my house, I used this suction level, no matter the floor type, as it resulted in top-notch cleaning. The vacuum is very lightweight, and the vacuum head swivels easily, allowing me to vacuum around furniture without having to move it. I also noticed that the vacuum head is smaller in width than some of the other vacuums I've tested, which allows me to vacuum in tighter spaces. Better yet, the vacuum can flatten to 180 degrees, so I'm able to reach further under furniture, as long as I squat down to the ground.

(Image credit: Future)

To see just how well the vacuum works, I ran the same test on two different floor types. I sprinkled dry tea and oats on my hard floor and on one of my thickest rugs, then I turned the vacuum on the lowest suction level – Min – to see how well it picked up the different materials.

I was really impressed by how well the Levoit Aero vacuumed both the tea and the oats from the rug on the lowest power level. It only took one pass, in a forward or reverse direction, for the vacuum to pick up the dried tea. Similarly, the vacuum picked up the oats perfectly when pushing the vacuum in a forward motion. When reverse cleaning over the oats, some pieces got stuck behind the wheels. This didn't surprise me as I've seen this happen with other vacuum cleaners I've tested.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

The results were a bit different when running the same test on my hard floors. When vacuuming over the dry tea in a forward direction with Min suction power, all the tea was picked up. However, I was surprised when I vacuumed over the dried tea in reverse because a lot of tea got caught behind the wheels. I did not expect this.

Unfortunately, the Levoit Aero struggled with vacuuming the oats no matter if I was vacuuming forward or in reverse. Most of the time, the vacuum head pushed the oats away from the vacuum, unless I went very slowly over them. The Min suction level didn't seem to be powerful enough to suck up the oats, so I adjusted the power to Med and Max. It's perhaps no surprise that on the Max suction level, the oats were more easily suctioned into the vacuum.

(Image credit: Future)

To test the edge cleaning, I poured some dry tea along the edge of a wall. The vacuum only needs to rest against an edge for all the debris to be picked up in a single pass, no matter the suction level. You won't need a crevice or edge cleaning tool to clean along the bottom of walls, cabinets, or appliances.

(Image credit: Future)

Four accessories come with the purchase of this vacuum: a 2-in-1 crevice tool, 2-in-1 combination tool (for vacuuming hair from furniture), a mini motorized brush, and an extension hose.

I used the 2-in-1 crevice tool to vacuum windowsills, blinds, baseboards, and the corners of ceilings. It worked wonderfully, though I did notice that it worked best on the Med or Max suction level. My only complaint is that when I was using the tool as a brush, it would sometimes snap down to a crevice tool when I didn't want it to.

This is because the button that transforms the tool between a brush and a crevice tool is located on the top of the brush. If I barely hit the button or tapped the edge of the tool against the edge of a windowsill, it would transition to a crevice tool. I'd then have to stop cleaning and re-click the brush tool into place. This happened a lot, which makes me think the button needs to be placed along the sides of the tool instead, or that the mechanism that holds the brush in place needs to be stronger.

(Image credit: Future)

The 2-in-1 combination tool did a pretty decent job suctioning hair from my furniture. I think this had to do with the fact that there is a little rough strip of material in the middle of the brush that catches hair and helps pull it up from the fabric. That said, I found that I had the best results when using this tool with max power.

The mini motorized brush is essentially a vacuum head that is about half the size of the regular vacuum head on the Levoit Aero. I used it to clean around my toilet and between my oven and the wall, spaces where I usually can't reach with a regular vacuum head. This was definitely my favorite accessory, and it did a fantastic job cleaning those tricky areas. I wish, however, that the mini motorized brush had the ability to swivel, to make it easier to vacuum in tight spaces. (I haven't come across a mini motorized tool that can swivel, but I think vacuum makers are missing a trick here.)

(Image credit: Future)

It's unlikely that you'll use the extension hose often, except perhaps to clean your car. In that case, you'd probably connect the extension hose to the handheld portion of the Levoit Aero and then add the mini motorized brush to the end.

I tried seeing if there was any practical use for the extension hose in the cleaning of my house and didn't really find one. To be fair, I was able to connect the hose between the handheld and the shaft, which enabled me to swing the vacuum under the bed to vacuum hard to reach spots. This sort-of worked, but I didn't have much control over the direction of the vacuum head. Since the Levoit IQ can flatten to the ground, it's probably better to just squat and vacuum under furniture rather than use the extension hose in this manner.

(Image credit: Future)

After using the vacuum, I set it on the charging base and let the base automatically pull the debris and dirt from the dust bin into the dust bag. This meant that on a day-to-day basis, I wasn't really doing any maintenance. When the dust bag fills, the vacuum will inform me on the display, and I'll have to replace the dust bag. The foam, felt, and station filters need to be washed at least once a month and replaced every three months. The HEPA filter has to be washed every two months and replaced every 6 months.

My biggest gripe with the Levoit Aero vacuum cleaner has to do with the dust bin. Half the time when I removed the vacuum from the base, the dust bin flap would be open. I didn't always realize this until I started to clean and noticed that the dirt and debris falling back to the floor. Sometimes, the dustbin opened when I was cleaning. I'm not sure how it opened on its own or why, but it was frustrating to have to re-clean an area twice in a row.

(Image credit: Future)

It's increasingly common for a premium vacuum to have automation features that enables it to adjust suction based on floor type or dirt detected. I have come to appreciate when a vacuum has the ability to read the cleanliness of a floor, because even though the Levoit Aero Vacuum has a headlight on the front of the vacuum head, I can't always see when there is dirt or not. At this kind of price, I'd expect some kind of automation features.

That said, the Aero is still a solid vacuum cleaner with phenomenal edge cleaning and the capability to pick up most all debris with the Min suction level (most large debris can be picked up on the Med power level). It's a good option for those who have mostly hard floors and like the convenience of an auto-empty charging base.

• Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Levoit Aero review: battery life

• Lasts up to 40 mins in Min mode with main floorhead attached
• A decent 15 mins in Max mode, and 30 mins in Med mode
• Takes three hours to recharge on charging base

One of the great things about the Levoit Aero vacuum cleaner is that it displays the battery life on the screen, so you don't have to wonder how much time you have left to vacuum your house. The battery life depends solely on the suction level you're using, so if you're using the Max suction level, you only get 15 minutes of battery life. The Med suction level results in a 30 minutes of battery life, while the battery lasts 40 minutes when using the Min mode.

15 minutes for a Max suction level is pretty decent, and 30 minutes is very acceptable in Med mode. However, most vacuums these days will last longer than 40 minutes on their lowest suction level. My house is 1,600 square feet, and I was able to vacuum everything in 40 minutes, though I had to rush slightly.

(Image credit: Future)

Couple of notes here: Levoit quotes a Max of 70 minutes' cleaning per charge, but if you read the fine print, that's with the Crevice tool attached, rather than the main floorhead. On the current version of the vacuum, Levoit also seems to have added a fourth mode – Turbo, which sits above Max. The brand promises 6 minutes of cleaning per charge in Turbo with the main floorhead attached. I wasn't able to test this mode as it didn't exist on my review model.

It takes three hours for the base to fully recharge the battery, which is fairly speedy. If you can't clean your house completely before needing to recharge, it might be helpful to know that the battery recharges to 20% after 30 minutes.

• Battery life score: 3.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Levoit Aero?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

On the cusp between mid-range and premium. Decent value when you factor in the auto-empty base, although I'd usually expect auto features at that price.

3.5 / 5

Design

A super lightweight stick vacuum cleaner with four suction levels, a screen displaying the battery countdown, and an auto-empty station.

4 / 5

Performance

Smaller floorhead can tuck into tight spaces, and edge cleaning is excellent. Not the most powerful vacuum I've tested, but great for everyday light cleans.

3.5 / 5

Battery life

15 mins in Max mode is good, but 40 in Min is rather short. Recharge is speedy at 3 hours.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You want a lightweight vacuum

The Levoit Aero vacuum cleaner barely weighs more than 4 lbs, making it easy to maneuver and clean your home. Most people will be able to lift the vacuum cleaner above their head or reach far under beds without tiring.

You like vacuums with little maintenance

This vacuum comes with a charging base that doubles as an auto-empty station, meaning it automatically empties the dustbin each time you place it on the base to charge. Filters and dust bags will need to be cleaned or replaced but such tasks aren't a weekly occurrence.

You like knowing how much battery you have left

Some vacuum cleaners indicate battery life by bars or pie charts, which can be confusing. The Levoit Aero lets you know the exact amount of time left before the battery dies thanks to a countdown on the display screen.

Don't buy it if...

You have a lot of carpets

While the Levoit Aero is well-equipped to vacuum some rugs and low pile carpet, those whose houses are half or mostly covered in carpet would do better with an upright vacuum or a heavier, more powerful cordless stick vacuum – check TechRadar's best vacuum for carpet guide for our top recommendations.

You need more than 40 minutes to vacuum your house

Despite Levoit claiming that this vacuum offers up to 70 minutes of battery life, it only lasts 15-40 minutes depending on the suction level you use. If your house is particularly large or requires a lot of complicated cleaning maneuvers or use of different accessories, the battery might not last.

You want a vacuum with smart features.

This vacuum lacks any smart features. On the one hand, this makes it easier for everyone to use (not just the technologically-savvy), however, if you're looking for a vacuum that can detect dirt on the ground or provide cleaning stats, this isn't the product for you. View Deal

How I tested the Levoit Aero

I tested the Levoit Aero vacuum cleaner in my 1,600-square foot home. As someone who has laminate and wood flooring – as well as some thick rugs – I was able to get a sense of how well the vacuum suctions fine and large materials through a series of tests. I also utilized the various accessories on my baseboards, windowpanes, blinds, and furniture to provide thorough insight into the value of this vacuum cleaner.

Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners

• Tested May 2025 (launch delayed to October 2025)

Here goes, I’m going to try and review two games in one. Yes, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is a revival of the legendary series’ first two titles, combined into one shiny package. Square Enix and Artdink are back again after their triumphant remake of Dragon Quest III, bringing a similar promise forward. A promise of significantly revamped visuals, full voice acting, new in-game content, and a much more user-friendly experience for modern gamers.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: PS5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC
Release date: October 30, 2025

And good news, Dragon Quest fans, this is yet another brilliant remake, sure to win the series new admirers and satisfy long-time fans simultaneously. With this 2-in-1 release, the so-called Erdrick trilogy is complete, as the first two chapters in the Dragon Quest story follow up on the events that took place in the third game. A little confusing, I know.

For anyone unfamiliar with the first two stories, allow me to introduce you. In Dragon Quest I, you play as a solitary Hero who is descended from Erdrick. In the past, Erdrick foiled the dastardly plans of a character known as the Lord of the Underworld and restored peace to the land of Alefgard. But now, the scheming Dragonlord has made an unwelcome return, and it is up to you, and you alone, to deliver the land from evil.

And then, after the Hero of Dragon Quest I was able to save Alefgard again, we move to Dragon Quest II, where you take control of four young princes and princesses, themselves also descended from Erdrick. After foul beasts suddenly invade Alefgard, it is up to the band of young nobles to honor Erdrick’s legacy and ensure the realm’s safety once more.

So, how engaging are these stories? And just how well do these remakes bring the world, combat, and characters of classic Dragon Quest into the modern era of gaming? Having played this duology for well over 40 hours on my Nintendo Switch 2, I’ll break it all down for you below.

A remake fit for a king

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SPIKE CHUNSOFT / SQUARE ENIX)

I want to start by discussing some of my general feelings about the duology before I speak about the two games individually.

As soon as you’ve been thrust into either title’s fantasy world, you’re treated to a delicious cocktail of sublime HD-2D graphics, wonderful voice acting, and head-spinningly beautiful music. No, seriously, the score here is majestic. It’s grandiose, orchestral, and emotive – it really does complement the medieval-inspired fantasy world to absolute perfection.

Meanwhile, the duology is a visual delight. Character sprites are detailed and faithful to the series' origin, while light is used in a way that makes each environment feel deeply natural. The polish on display through each building, mountain, and piece of equipment makes the game a joy to look at.

Square Enix is the pioneer of the HD-2D graphical style, so it may not be a huge surprise that it nailed the visuals, but I was still bowled over by the appearance of each new area and enemy I encountered.

Best bit

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SPIKE CHUNSOFT / SQUARE ENIX)

This one’s easy. My favorite moment by far was the Hero’s interaction with Robin ‘Ood in DQI. The dialogue is hilarious and had me laughing out loud – voice acting here is top-notch, too. When you battle it out against the masked figure and his band (well…two guys) of merry men, it is challenging – but not overwhelming. It’s just a wonderful segment of the game.

As I mentioned above, the voice acting across both games is top-notch, too. There’s so much character running through the veins of each performance.

Comedic moments are delivered with expert timing, while moments of heartbreak feel raw and convincing. I criticized Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles for a few flat-sounding performances and small inconsistencies, but this wasn’t the case here at all.

But one thing that was slightly disappointing was the decision to only partially voice the main story. A few segments have no voice acting whatsoever, which can really break up your immersion in the action. As the voice acting is so great, I would have loved it to have featured throughout, although this is a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things.

Me against the world

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SPIKE CHUNSOFT / SQUARE ENIX)

Right, let’s drill into both games in a little more depth. Naturally, I started with Dragon Quest I, and I had a fantastic time during my playthrough.

In this title, it’s you against the world. No, really, there are no additional team members to recruit. You’ve got to fight your way through enemy encounters – where you can sometimes be significantly outnumbered – totally by yourself.

This remake does a masterful job of making you feel like David in his plight against Goliath. Especially because combat is no longer one-on-one only – you can face large groups of enemies now. I faced some absolutely gruelling turn-based battles during my time playing, both from aggressive hordes of foes and ruthless standalone bosses.

Luckily, the game has an auto-save feature, so if you die (spoiler alert, this will probably happen quite a bit), you can continue from the point of the last successful battle. This means you can rapidly progress through the game without having to trek through entire areas from the beginning. What an addition!

At times, I did feel like the odds were stacked a little too far against me. A few bosses, like the very last one, caused me a fair bit of bother. But the game gives you the tools to overcome your challenges. If I went away and grinded up against random enemies, I was always able to level up enough to best my enemies. Levelling increases stats like HP, MP, strength, and resilience (defense), and you’ll often learn new abilities and spells too.

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SPIKE CHUNSOFT / SQUARE ENIX)

Scrolls have also been added, which can be found scattered across the world, and contain abilities that can be learned at any time. They’ll disappear after use – a bit like how TMs used to work in Pokémon (in the good old days, at least). Combine that with Sigils, which can ‘soup up’ the skills you already possess, and you’ve got everything you need to crack through the Hero’s quest.

At its core, Dragon Quest I is still a classic JRPG. You’ll have to grind now and then. Sometimes, you’ll get straight up unlucky and get wiped out in an instant.

Turn-based combat is fairly simple too – it just comes down to attacking, defending against incoming attacks, and healing. But when you master the balance of those three actions, seemingly basic battle becomes addictive, surprisingly strategic, and straight up exhilarating.

Narrative-wise, there’s nothing crazy going on. The kingdom is in trouble, you’re tasked with saving it, and you overcome the threat. It’s really classic stuff, but I found beauty in the simplicity, with endearing characters like the faeries, Princess Gwaelin, and of course Robin ‘Ood. And there have been plenty of new additions to the plot, with new battles, character dialogue, and areas to explore. I’m a big fan of this one.

Me… and my three pals against the world

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SPIKE CHUNSOFT / SQUARE ENIX)

Moving on to Dragon Quest II now, and the added variation of having four members in the party is very refreshing. That’s one additional team member than the original game had, but it still feels like your party is excellently balanced.

I found myself dying a lot less in the sequel, with the expanded team enabling me to dedicate one unit to healing, and others to hitting hard with magic and physical attacks, for instance. As a result of the larger team, you’ll have to manage scrolls a little more carefully, though – you have to consider who will suit the relevant ability best before waving goodbye to your scroll forever!

The world is more developed in the sequel, with multiple kingdoms established through Erdrick’s descendants. Said world is vast (and expanded for this remake), the runtime of your adventure is considerably longer than DQ I, and the amount of content additions is larger than that found in the revamped editions of DQ I and indeed DQ III. I found the story to be engaging, and I felt compelled to explore the world that lay before me.

And that’s because both of these games, especially the sequel, reward curiosity handsomely. If you take that extra time to look around a castle, to wander off into a random part of the overworld, or even search the local inn, you’re almost certain to find something of interest. I’m talking scrolls, money, armor, weapons…you name it! You can also find mini medals now, which can be redeemed for swanky prizes.

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SPIKE CHUNSOFT / SQUARE ENIX)

There are just so many excellent quality of life additions across both games. Difficulty options are there if you want to make things a touch easier…or if you want to punish yourself and turn up the heat. Fast-travel has been refined, there are more customization settings, and objective markers make for a much more accessible user experience.

If I were to nitpick, I’d argue that the new UI is still too basic, and menus could’ve been both a little more stylish and developed. For instance, the ‘Misc.’ menu feels quite cluttered, holding everything from unit status, through to system settings and traveller’s tips. It does appear faithful to its classic JRPG roots, though, which some may still appreciate.

Overall, I had the adventure of a lifetime during my playthrough of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. Not only did it run like a dream on my Nintendo Switch 2, but I felt genuinely excited to fire this game up every single time. I knew there would be new items to discover, new enemies that would probably beat the life out of me, and new areas to soak in. Combine that with a legendary score, excellent voice acting, and a gorgeous visual overhaul, and you’re looking at a very special remake indeed.

Should you play Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake?

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SPIKE CHUNSOFT / SQUARE ENIX)Play it if...

You’re a fan of classic JRPGs
If you love the old school JRPG formula, then this duology is going to rock your world. The bones of DQ I and II are very much intact; they’ve just been fleshed out with some top-notch quality of life updates like voice acting, revamped visuals, and expanded storylines.

You’re looking for a challenge
These games aren’t the easiest I’ve played, I’ll be honest. I found the remake of Dragon Quest I to be especially tough, even though I played on the standard Dragon Quest difficulty. But having said that, I was able to overcome each challenge by re-strategizing and/or grinding.

Don't play it if...

You don’t dig the HD-2D visual style
I know that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, even though I love the HD-2D style. But of course, if that’s not for you, I’d suggest skipping this duology. If you’re into more modern, 3D RPGs, you’ve gotta play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, game of the year for sure (and it’s not close).

Turn-based combat isn’t your thing
And if you don’t really like turn-based combat, this certainly won’t tickle your pickle. You’re getting that traditional ‘I hit you, now you hit me’ formula with simple menus, which I personally really like, but if you’re after a more action-based system, it might not be your thing.

Accessibility features

You can adjust the camera to a zoomed-in mode if you prefer, and adjust aspects like text and battle speed using the system settings menu. You can also toggle controls like running, removing the need to hold down a button.

Voices can be set to English or Japanese, with text available in a wider range of languages, such as Simplified Chinese, French, Italian, and Spanish. There is no color blind mode, unfortunately.

How I reviewed Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake

(Image credit: ARMOR PROJECT / BIRD STUDIO / SPIKE CHUNSOFT / SQUARE ENIX)

I spent more than 40 hours playing Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, playing through the main story of both titles and tackling a bunch of side content. I played both titles in the ‘Dragon Quest’ mode, which is the normal difficulty equivalent.

As I downloaded the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, I was able to split my time fairly evenly between TV and handheld play. When in docked mode, I had my console hooked up to the Sky Glass Gen 2 television and the Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. In handheld mode, I sometimes connected my Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones to the Switch 2 via a 3.5mm cable.

Personally, I’ve reviewed a variety of games here at TechRadar, including a number of RPGs like Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army and Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. I’m also a seasoned RPG player, with some of my favorite games of all time including Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, Yakuza 0, and Final Fantasy VII (the original, of course).

First reviewed October 2025

VanTrue Nexus 5S: two-minute review

I thought the 70mai 4K T800 three-dash cam bundle, which I reviewed recently, was one of the best dash cams I’d tried in a while. It’s still my first choice currently, because it’s such a well-rounded package; however, anyone wanting to top that particular trio of cameras now has the VanTrue Nexus 5S, which goes one better and offers full four-channel coverage. Overkill? Or a sensible option now that our highways and byways seem to be peppered with less-than-great drivers? I’m going with sensible I think.

The bundle consists of two cameras, with the front-facing unit also boasting a rearward or cabin-facing lens. Meanwhile, the second camera mounts on to the rear windshield and has a pair of lenses, one of which shoots video out of the back of your vehicle while the other lens captures the cockpit from a rearward perspective. This means the VanTrue Nexus 5S captures 360-degree coverage using the combined field of view of its lens combo. It’s a neat idea.

VanTrue’s thinking is that a lot of accidents occur from the side, so having this complete recording overview means all points are covered. The other benefit is the inward-facing cameras are useful for keeping tabs on occupants in the back, most notably small children and what they’re getting up to while you’re behind the wheel.

The 1944p, 1080p, 1080p, 1080P at 30fps combined video capture provided by Sony IMX675 chips and Starvis 2 tech delivers great results in less-than-ideal conditions.

(Image credit: Future)

Although the VanTrue Nexus 5S is a bumper bundle, it’s actually easy to set up and manage all of the content. This is down to 5G Wi-Fi for quick and easy transfer of files, while there’s a very good VanTrue app to help with the task. The package boasts all of the latest features and functions too, with voice control proving handy for hands-free operation, while the option to hardwire the unit into a vehicle will unlock a 24/7 parking mode. This is in addition to everyday essentials that include GPS tracking and buffered motion detection. The latter means all four cameras record 10 seconds before, during and after any event.

While the VanTrue Nexus 5S dash cam package comes with everything you need to get started, including the twin camera units, all cables, clips and mounting accessories, you can add to it. There’s the option of a two-level hardwire kit, a wireless remote control unit, and a CPL filter for diffusing light coming into the main camera lens, while you'll likely need a 512GB microSD card, given the volume of files created by the combo.

VanTrue Nexus 5S: price and availability

The VanTrue Nexus 5S dash cam is available direct from VanTrue in the US for $399.99, which puts it in the premium arena, but it still seems like good value given its four-channel capabilities. The VanTrue Nexus 5S dash cam can be purchased in the UK from Amazon, which currently has it priced at £299.99. Again, this is a higher price for a dash cam, but the bundle does justify its cost. UK purchasers can also buy it direct from VanTrue if preferred, though it’s currently slightly pricier there than at Amazon, at £339.99.

VanTrue Nexus 5S: specsVanTrue Nexus 5S specs

Video

Front: 2592 x 1944p
Rear: 1944 x 1080p
Interior x 2: 1944 x 1080p @30fps

Field of view (FOV)

158 degrees front / 160 degrees rear / 158 degrees interior / 160 degrees rear

Storage

MicroSD up to 512GB, Cloud

GPS

Yes

Parking mode

Yes, with constant power cable, not included

App support

VanTrue app

Dimensions

6.8 x 3.8 x 5.6 inches / 17.5 x 9.7 x 14.3cm

Weight

2.42lb / 1.1 kg

Battery

Yes

VanTrue Nexus 5S: Design

My VanTrue Nexus 5S dash cam review unit arrived in a large white box that contained the twin camera units that make up the core of this bundle. The front-facing camera is quite a chunky thing, and I’d imagine it might seem a little obtrusive in a car with a smaller windshield, but I tested it in an SUV and had no issues.

At the front, the lens protrudes from the body of the camera unit, while at the back there’s a rotatable inward-facing lens and a landscape screen. The latter can be used for initial setup purposes, with four buttons along the bottom that you press to cycle through the options.

Once it's been powered up, the same screen delivers all of the views from any camera that’s plugged in. The front-facing lens gets the bulk of the screen real estate, while cabin views, and the video being captured by the rearward-facing lenses, are shown in small boxes within the bigger screen. The main screen also displays the icons for the various features and functions, so I was able to see which of them were working and which – Wi-Fi for example – was switched off. I think the overall look, feel and visual quality here is excellent.

There’s a mounting bracket that clicks on to the camera, and this then slides into a piece of plastic with a 3M self-adhesive pad that fixes either directly to the windshield or to a standard static sheet for easier removal. Usefully, the mounting bracket can also be slid off the sticky pad base for removal too.

(Image credit: Future)

Meanwhile, the rear-facing camera unit is a fairly standard barrel-type design, which is slightly larger than some models I’ve tested. It also has a rotatable lens for the rear view, so this can be tweaked to capture the view of the road correctly depending on the slant of the rear glass. I got lucky and found my guesswork during setup got my views just about right, but if not, the view displayed on the screen can help you make adjustments before hitting the road.

I did have to double check the manual to find the microSD card slot, which is hidden behind the end of the main camera unit. You need to open the circular cover with the orange button, and the card then pops into the slot behind. Cable-wise, there’s plenty of length for reaching to the back end of the vehicle for connecting the rearward camera, while the main unit has another cable that runs into a standard 12V vehicle power port. An optional hardwiring kit will unlock the usual parking features and functions.

(Image credit: Future)VanTrue Nexus 5S : Performance

I was expecting the VanTrue Nexus 5S dash cam to be a bit of a fuss to get up and running, but it was surprisingly straightforward. Plugging it into the 12V power socket in my vehicle, I found it quick and easy to configure the unit. This is a simple step-by-step process during which I set the date, time and various functionality preferences, although it seemed to have everything right by default anyway. When I plugged in the rear camera, the screen became full of views from all four lenses, which was an impressive sight.

I did get the angle of capture about right from the off too, so there was little reconfiguring or adjustment needed. The cameras themselves offer solid video content from all angles, with all the trip details added along the bottom of the screen including date, time, speed and so on. I could also hear the stills capture working every so often, usually when I hit a more pronounced bump or sizable pothole, which would automatically trigger the function. All content is stored in its own dedicated folder on the card, which I found easy to get from the camera to my phone using the app.

(Image credit: Future)

File management was smooth too, considering the volume of files created by a four-lens capture arrangement, with the 5GHz wireless transfer capability helping here. Looking at the video on my phone, I'd say the overall quality and clarity was up there with any other premium rival. The performance in low-light conditions as also dependable, and I was impressed by the details all four lenses could pick out. In fact, the cabin detail was almost too impressive for something that's really just a compliment to the all-important exterior-facing video.

(Image credit: Future)

One important thing to note is that if you want to access the parking monitoring features you'll need the optional hardwire kit. This does increase the potential of the bundle, although I found the VanTrue Nexus 5S dash cam to be an impressive proposition out of the box.

Should you buy the VanTrue Nexus 5S ?

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

Twin cameras just aren't enough
The VanTrue Nexus 5S packs no less than four lenses, with the added benefit of a rear cabin dash cam. It's ideal for 360-degree coverage for many types of vehicle.

You prefer a dash cam with a screen
Another bonus with the VanTrue Nexus 5S is its impressive landscape-oriented rear screen, which provides a great view of all camera positions.

You're happy to hardwire the camera
You'll need the optional hardwiring kit to enable this, but the 24/7 parking features add extra value to this comprehensive bundle.

Don't buy it if...

Four cameras is simply overkill
Not everyone wants or needs the 360-degree coverage offered by the VanTrue Nexus 5S, and there are plenty of dual- or single-camera models that also measure up for quality.

You prefer plug-and-go installation
The VanTrue Nexus 5S dash cam is actually very easy to install, but positioning the units and plumbing in the cables does take a little more time than for a single unit.

Your windshield space is limited
The VanTrue Nexus 5S bundle features a front-facing camera that's quite bulky, so it's worth checking the dimensions if your screen area is relatively small.

How I tested the VanTrue Nexus 5S

• I installed the dash cam in an SUV for an initial period of two weeks
• I used it for various day and night journeys in all types of weather
• I connected it to my phone, and downloaded recordings to check their quality

VanTrue loaned me the Nexus 5S dash cam and supplied everything I needed to test it, including a microSD card.

I tested the package over a period of a couple of weeks, after plumbing in all of the hardware and wiring. The box contained everything I needed, although the microSD card was an extra which VanTrue also supplied. I didn't hard-wire the bundle into my loan vehicle, however, and so I was unable to test the additional parking features.

During the course of testing I downloaded the VanTrue app, which proved useful for managing the files generated by a four-camera arrangement. I was using the app on an Apple iPhone 17, and it's also available for Android devices. While transferring files between the cameras and the app I was able to check the efficacy of the 5GHz Wi-Fi, which enabled me to transfer multiple files quickly and easily.

• First reviewed October 2025

Google Sites is a simple website builder that stands out, mostly, for its complete lack of cost and complexity. While it may not offer the sophisticated features of premium builders like Wix or Squarespace, it still offers some limited utility through its integration with Google Workspace.

While it's hard to recommend Google Sites among the best website builder platforms, it still presents a viable entry point for first-timers, hobbyists, or students looking for one of the best free website builders to get online without cost. It serves mainly to keep users within Google's product ecosystem, offering unlimited websites, storage, and bandwidth at zero cost.

However, most businesses serious about their online presence quickly encounter its limitations. With no ecommerce or blogging features and very limited room to grow, Google Sites is merely a gateway and not a replacement for serious website building solutions like Wix.

Google Sites: 2-minute review

Google Sites is a relic of Google's early attempts to democratize web development by removing traditional barriers like cost, complexity, and technical knowledge requirements. As part of Google's free suite of productivity tools, it integrates seamlessly with Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Workspace, allowing users to create collaborative websites as easily as sharing a Google Doc.

However, Google Sites occupies a unique position in the website builder market by deliberately limiting features rather than expanding them. While competitors like Wix and Squarespace compete on advanced functionality and design sophistication, Google Sites focuses exclusively on simplicity and collaboration.

This makes it excellent for internal company sites, educational projects, and basic portfolios, but inadequate for ecommerce, professional marketing sites, or any project requiring custom code or advanced SEO optimization. Sites can serve as an entry point but not as a comprehensive solution, with most users eventually migrating to more feature-rich platforms as their needs grow.

What is Google Sites?

Google Sites is a free web-based website builder that allows anyone with a Google account to create simple websites without any coding knowledge or technical expertise. Think of it as the website equivalent of Google Docs, it uses the same drag-and-drop approach but for building web pages instead of documents.

You can create unlimited websites, add text and images, embed content from other Google services like Drive and Forms, and share your site with others for collaborative editing — all through a simple browser interface.

Google automatically handles all the technical aspects of web hosting, security, and mobile optimization, so you don't need to worry about servers, databases, or responsive design. Your finished website gets stored in your Google Drive like any other file, and you can publish it instantly to a free Google subdomain (like yourname.sites.google.com) or connect a custom domain if you have a paid Google Workspace account.

Features

(Image credit: Google Sites)

Google Sites deliberately prioritizes simplicity over feature richness, offering a streamlined set of tools designed for basic website creation rather than comprehensive web development. It includes 17 pre-designed templates, a drag-and-drop editor, basic text formatting options, image galleries, embedded content capabilities, and integration with Google Workspace.

These features are executed competently within their limited scope — the drag-and-drop interface is intuitive, templates are mobile-responsive, and Google service integration works seamlessly. But the feature set targets specific user groups like educators, small businesses, internal teams, and professionals looking to create extremely basic online experiences.

Google Sites is really good within collaborative scenarios where multiple users need to edit content simultaneously, using the same sharing and permissions system used across Google Workspace. However, the platform lacks essential features that competitors consider standard. There's no blog functionality, limited options for SEO, no ecommerce capabilities, minimal third-party integrations, and restricted customization options.

Compared to feature-rich alternatives like Wix (800+ templates) or Squarespace, Google Sites feels deliberately constrained. Advanced users will quickly encounter limitations in custom HTML, CSS modifications, advanced forms, marketing tools, and analytics integration beyond basic Google Analytics. The platform lacks password-protected pages, contact forms, and the ability to add custom code or scripts.

At zero cost, Google Sites offers exceptional value for its intended use cases, but the feature limitations mean most users outgrow the platform as their website needs evolve. The pricing model essentially trades advanced functionality for accessibility. Perfect for getting started, but inadequate for long-term professional web presence.

Tools

(Image credit: Google Sites)

Google Sites has a focused selection of built-in tools designed for straightforward content creation and collaboration. It emphasizes integration with Google's ecosystem rather than offering extensive standalone features, making it ideal for users already invested in other products within Google Workspace.

Drag-and-drop editor

Sites' core website building tool uses a simple UI where users can add, move, and modify elements by simply dragging them into position. An editor includes basic content blocks for text, images, embedded content, and layout elements, with real-time preview capabilities that show exactly how the site will appear to visitors.

Google Workspace integration

Sites seamlessly embeds content from Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Maps, and Calendar directly into web pages. This allows users to display live documents, spreadsheets, and presentations that automatically update when the source files change, making it easier for teams to share dynamic content.

Collaboration tools

Multiple users can simultaneously edit website drafts using the same sharing system as Google Docs, with commenting, suggestion, and version control capabilities. Site owners can control permissions for different collaborators and manage who can view the published website separately from editing access.

Template system

Google Sites offers 17 pre-designed and mobile-responsive templates covering basic website types like portfolios, project sites, and informational pages. While limited compared to competitors, these templates provide professional starting points that automatically adapt to different screen sizes.

Publishing and domain management

You can instantly publish sites to free Google subdomains or connect custom domains through Google Workspace. Sites' publishing system includes basic privacy controls, with the ability to make sites public, restricted to specific users, or accessible only to people with a link.

Ease of use

(Image credit: Google Sites)

Logging in with your Google account at sites.google.com will take you to the Sites editor. Google Sites offers an extremely minimalist environment, where you can choose to start a site with a blank page or use one of the few available templates. Launching your first project opens a very sparse-looking and minimalist editor. If you choose a template, it will be loaded for you and ready to be customized.

The bulk of the window is taken up by a preview of the current page. A toolbar on the right displays a list of widgets. You have the ability to add text boxes, images, embed code, and connect to your Google Drive. You have a handful of layout options, as well as tools to create collapsible text, image carousels, and a table of content among others. Additional options let you connect to other Google services like YouTube, Calendar, Map, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms and Charts.

There’s also a Themes tab which gives you a choice of six header and site styles, along with simple tweaks to your colours and font. There’s a good amount of flexibility when adding text and images. And when you add an image to the header, it’s automatically ‘adjusted for readability’, which alters its settings. If you don’t like the result, you can always click on the button lower right of the image to revert it. There doesn’t seem to be a way to manually alter the photo.

While the editor always displays your site in Desktop mode, tapping the preview button enables viewing your site in desktop, tablet or mobile views. The editor isn't exactly powerful, but it's more capable than it initially seems. Sadly, Google has mostly stopped making updates to Sites, although there is a possibility for renewed interest in the platform thanks to the success of Google Gemini.

Pricing

(Image credit: Google Sites)

Google Sites operates on a completely free model for personal use, letting you create unlimited websites with no hosting fees. This makes it one of the most cost-effective website builders available, as users can build, host, and maintain their sites indefinitely without any subscription costs. The platform includes generous storage quotas and doesn't count embedded Google documents, calendars, or videos against storage limits.

For businesses requiring custom domains and advanced administrative features, Google Sites integrates with Google Workspace plans starting at $6 per user per month for Business Starter, $12 per user per month for Business Standard, and $18 per user per month for Business Plus. These paid plans unlock custom domain hosting, enhanced security features, and administrative controls, but the core website building functionality remains the same.

Security

(Image credit: Google Sites)

Google Sites benefits from Google's enterprise-grade security infrastructure, implementing multiple layers of protection for user data and websites. All data transmission uses HTTPS encryption with TLS 1.2 or higher and automatic SSL certificates ensure secure connections without user intervention. Sites also leverages Google Cloud Armor for DDoS protection, providing always-on monitoring and automatic attack mitigation to safeguard websites from volumetric network attacks.

Google Sites inherits the same security standards as other Google Drive files, with automatic backup and recovery options preventing data loss. But additional security features are available, like regular automatic security updates, fine-grained sharing controls, and integration with Google's Advanced Protection Program. You can also set precise permissions to control website access, ranging from public visibility to specific individuals or groups.

Support

(Image credit: Google Sites)

Google Sites support operates through Google's standard help system, primarily offering self-service resources through the Google Help Center. You can access documentation, tutorials, and community forums, but direct support options are limited for free account holders. The platform relies heavily on its intuitive design philosophy to minimize support needs, though this can leave users stranded when encountering complex issues.

Google Workspace subscribers receive enhanced support options, including phone and chat support depending on their plan tier. For example, Business Standard and Business Plus plans typically include faster response times and more comprehensive assistance. However, even paid support focuses primarily on account and billing issues rather than design guidance or website troubleshooting.

Google’s support ecosystem includes active community forums and third-party resources, but no dedicated website building support like with competitors like Wix or Squarespace. Users mostly rely on community-generated content and unofficial tutorials, which can be inconsistent in quality and currency.

Alternatives

Google Sites occupies a unique niche in the website builder market by prioritizing simplicity and cost-effectiveness to an uncanny degree. It’s an ideal entry point for users creating basic informational sites but lacks the advanced features required for professional marketing or e-commerce operations.

Primary competitors include Wix, WordPress.com, Squarespace, Weebly, and specialized platforms like Webflow. Wix offers superior design flexibility and hundreds of templates, while Squarespace provides professional aesthetics and better SEO tools. Meanwhile, WordPress.com delivers more robust content management capabilities. However, none of these alternatives offer zero cost websites, unlimited hosting, and free real-time collaboration.

Google Sites: Summary

Google Sites delivers exactly what it promises: a completely free, user-friendly website builder that removes traditional barriers to web publishing while integrating seamlessly with Google's productivity ecosystem.

Its strength lies in collaborative website creation for educational, internal, and basic informational purposes, offering unlimited sites and hosting at zero cost with enterprise-grade security.

However, the platform's deliberate simplicity becomes a significant limitation for users requiring advanced features like ecommerce, sophisticated SEO tools, or extensive design customization. While it’s just usable as an entry-level solution for budget-conscious users, most will eventually outgrow its capabilities and need to migrate to more feature-rich platforms.

Google Sites review: FAQsIs Google Sites really free?

Yes, Google Sites is entirely free for personal use with a Google account. You can create unlimited websites, use Google hosting, and access all core features without any subscription fees or hidden costs. The only limitations are storage quotas (which are generous) and the inability to use custom domains without a paid Google Workspace account. Even with these restrictions, you get more value than most paid website builders offer in their basic plans.

Can I use my own domain name with Google Sites?

Custom domains are only available through paid Google Workspace plans, starting at $6 per user per month. Free Google Sites accounts must use Google's subdomain format (yourname.sites.google.com). While this limitation may seem restrictive, the subdomain is perfectly functional for most use cases, and the upgrade cost is reasonable if custom branding becomes essential for your project.

How does Google Sites compare to WordPress or Wix?

Google Sites prioritizes simplicity over functionality, making it ideal for basic websites but inadequate for complex projects. WordPress offers superior content management and customization options, while Wix provides more templates and design flexibility. However, neither matches Google Sites' combination of zero cost, unlimited hosting, and collaborative editing capabilities. Choose Google Sites for simple, collaborative projects; select WordPress or Wix when you need advanced features and don't mind paying for them.

Can multiple people edit a Google Sites website simultaneously?

Yes, Google Sites supports real-time collaborative editing using the same system as Google Docs. Multiple users can simultaneously edit website content, leave comments, and track changes with full version control. This collaborative functionality is one of Google Sites' strongest features, making it exceptional for team projects, educational assignments, and organizational websites where multiple contributors need editing access.

What happens to my Google Sites if I delete my Google account?

Your Google Sites will be permanently deleted along with your Google account, as they're stored within Google's ecosystem. Unlike some website builders that allow account transfers or data exports, Google Sites doesn't offer migration tools to preserve your content outside of Google's platform. Always maintain backups of important content and consider the long-term implications of building your web presence on a free platform tied to a specific account.

Creative Aurvana Ace 3: Two-minute review

Earbuds specialist Creative is back with another fully-fledged assault on our list of the best earbuds with its Aurvana Ace 3. And like 2024’s Aurvana Ace 2, one small piece of tech makes these a shoo-in for audiophiles’ wish-lists.

The Creative Aurvana Ace 3 are the latest earbuds to have thoroughly modern solid-state drivers by tech manufacturer xMEMS, which are designed to bump up the phase consistency and allow audio to be dynamic while still coming from small drivers (and by ‘small’, I mean ‘ones that fit in tiny earbuds’). People who are put off by tech jargon may be scratching their head and preparing to tab out, but the gist is that the buds are designed to sound especially great. They do.

I said this about the Ace 2, and it’s true again: the buds provide high-quality well-defined sounds, bristling with energy and with a cosy, all-embracing soundstage. Fantastic. Audio spec-wise, though, the Aurvana Ace 3 take this pairing of xMEMS driver and a 10mm dynamic driver, and copy it wholesale. No hardware changes, but given what I thought about the previous buds, that’s no bad thing.

Instead, Creative has made improvements across the board to lots of other aspects of the previous buds that needed some help – mostly, but more on that in a moment – and brought some extras which make it easy to award the buds a higher star rating.

The battery life of the Ace 3 is greatly improved from the previous buds, touch controls feel a little bit more intuitive, the maximum volume has seen a bump, there’s LDAC support and the equalizer has a more palpable impact on sound quality. Plus, the introduction of a sound profile test (in collaboration with experts Mimi) provides you with a bespoke sound mix and, in my humble opinion, it’s one of the best listening tests I’ve taken in a pair of earbuds.

One area hasn’t seen a major improvement, and it’s ANC – noise cancellation still isn’t on par with rivals. And if you’ve just tabbed out to read my Ace 2 review, and were curious about the strange screaming sound the buds could make when in ANC mode, you’ll be confused to hear that it’s back – but only for ambient mode.

I first noticed this when I cycled to the cinema early on in my testing. I used ambient to be safe on the road but when I stepped into the foyer while removing my buds, I started getting odd looks: they were making a loud, shrill screaming sound, one far more pronounced than on the Ace 2. It stopped when I put the buds in the case, but on other occurrences, this wasn’t a reliable way to silence the noise; on one occasion they started making the sound out of the blue a few seconds after I’d cased them. It’s a shame, but having experienced the issue with the Ace 2, I did not request a fresh sample since I knew it had happened before. I’ve also occasionally faced it with other buds – it’s an odd side-effect of how noise cancellation works. Still, it's my job to notice these things and the simple fact is that many of the rival earbuds I have tested over the years do not suffer from this issue (and that is largely why this set of earbuds get the star rating you see above). If you use ambient and ANC sound profiles a lot, this will likely affect your decision on whether or not to purchase Creative's Aurvana Ace 3 earbuds – excellent audio performance or not.

Creative Aurvana Ace 3 review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Announced on October 1, 2025
• Priced $149.99 / £139.99 / AU$259.95
• Price increase, decrease or no change depending on where you live

The Creative Aurvana Ace 3 were released on October 1, 2025, roughly 18 months on from the release of their predecessor.

Oddly, at the time of writing it seems difficult to buy the buds from anywhere other than Creative's own website, but I'll keep checking since major third-party retailer support is expected.

Anyway, the Creative Aurvana Ace 3 can be bought for $149.99 / £139.99 / AU$259.95, a fairly mid-ranged price for earbuds. For a bit of context, the Ace 2 sold for $149.99 / £169.99 / AU$229.95 so the new buds are cheaper in some places, more expensive in others but the same in the US.

That’s quite a competitive price point. Furthermore, out of all my favorite pairs of buds I tested in 2025, none are more than $50 / £40 above or below that (that’s about AU$80, but not all of the pairs were actually released in Australia, making it a harder comparison). You’ve already read the introduction though; you know the Ace 3 hold their own.

Creative Aurvana Ace 3 review: Specs

Drivers

xMEMS solid state driver + 10mm dynamic driver

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

7 hours (buds) 26 hours (case)

Weight

4.7g (buds) 43g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3

Frequency response

5 - 40,000Hz

Waterproofing

IPX5

Creative Aurvana Ace 3 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• 7-hour buds battery, 26-hour with case
• ANC doesn't cut the mustard
• Highly intuitive sound profile test

One of my gripes with the Aurvana Ace 3’s predecessor was that the Active Noise Cancellation (or ANC) didn’t match up to rivals. Unfortunately that’s no different here and if there are improvements they’re not on par with the big leaps rivals are making. The buds will dampen surrounding sounds but you can still hear most of what’s going on around you – essentially, the ANC still leaves a lot to be desired.

The Ambient mode is a little worse though, and sadly the buds seem to amplify all surrounding whispers to deafening proportions when in this configuration. That’s not the worst of it either; the older Ace 2 had an odd ANC issue which would cause the buds to make a squealing sound when held tight in the hand, and while I didn’t have this issue with the Ace 3 in standard ANC mode, it was a lot more pronounced when I was in Ambient. Thankfully, simply using the buds in ANC mode (or with ANC off) stopped me facing this issue, but it’s something to know about if you often use ambient modes in earbuds.

Another problem of the Ace 2 that’s been nipped in the bud is battery life; no more 4 hours of listening time, or 16 hours in the case. The figure’s been nearly doubled, to 7 hours per earbud and 26 hours from the case. That’s still far from industry-leading (some buds can go for 8-10 hours now before needing a jolt of juice), but it’s a welcome upgrade nonetheless. Just note: listening with ANC or LDAC enabled will give you a lower stat, and I got 5.5 hours with ANC on.

(Image credit: Future)

The Creative app reveals some of the earbuds’ best features; if you buy the Aurvana Ace 3, don’t be one of those people who never bothers downloading the companion software. The standards are here: you can customize the buds’ touch controls, toggle ANC, play with an equalizer and set up Auracast (although I wish the buds’ assistant wouldn’t loudly announce that it was scanning for broadcasts every time I opened the app).

There’s more: the Ace 3 has perhaps the best listening test I’ve used on a pair of wireless earbuds. It’s easy to use, not overly long and delivers noticeable results that significantly improve music. Creative’s partnership with audio profiling company Mimi for the buds pays dividends.

The buds connect to your phone via Bluetooth 5.4, and they support low-latency mode for gaming and movies as well as LDAC if you don’t mind your battery life taking a hit. I had a few issues with Bluetooth connectivity, most of which were solved by my returning the buds to the case for a few seconds and then trying again, though the app struggled to detect the buds when I began testing and it took quite a few tries to get it working.

• Features score: 3.5/5

Creative Aurvana Ace 3 review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Understated purple hue
• Lightweight case and buds
• IPX5 rating

The Creative Aurvana Ace 3 earbuds have benefitted from big changes, but these are definitely not reflected in the design. I had to get right into the nitty-gritty of my review of the predecessors to discover that the case is in fact 3g lighter, at 43g, but to me they’re identical (other than a slight color difference).

That’s no bad thing given how the distinctive hue and zingy inside help the Aurvana stand out from the line-up. It doesn’t quite translate on camera, but the case has a purple sheen that catches the light well.

A few tiny design tweaks and a slightly lighter build do little to differentiate the Ace 3 buds from the Ace 2, but again there are no complaints on my part. They fit like a dream, didn’t feel achy even after long listening sessions, and stuck strong in my ear even when I was at the gym or cycling.

I had a little bit of trouble with the touch controls, as finding the exact correct spot at the top of the stem takes some practice. It doesn’t help that there’s no single-tap gesture, so you need to hit the right spot at least twice in a row to trigger a command. But I still found it a lot more usable than the Ace 2’s, especially when I’d gotten the knack.

One thing to note is that the buds have an IPX5 rating, which means they’re protected against jets of water. This is fine for rain or sweat but it’s not the highest kind of protection you see on earbuds – the new AirPods Pro 3 have an IP57 rating, for example, which means that Apple's newest can actually be submerged in up to one meter of water and survive (for a limited time).

• Design score: 4/5

Creative Aurvana Ace 3 review: Sound quality

• xMEMS + 10mm dynamic driver
• Range of codecs supported
• For natural-sounding detail and clarity, the audio quality is sublime

(Image credit: Future)

The bad news: while the Creative Aurvana Ace 3 enjoys a series of improvements across the board, that's not the case in the sonic department. The good news: that's because last year's buds were such a slam dunk that no upgrade was necessary to the sonic recipe.

So we're looking at a fancy xMEMS solid state driver paired with a 10mm dynamic driver. The first of those is the selling point: they can deliver high-quality, natural-sounding audio that's as true as possible to the artist's (well, sound engineer and producers') vision. The effect on your ears is that music is imbued with a sparkle and energy that you're simply not getting on lesser buds: it's palpable that these aren't electronic signals being blasted into your ears, but real musical instruments being played by real people (well, unless you listen to electronic music, that is).

The glorious bagpipe solo of John Farnham's You're The Voice rocks just as much as the later guitar solo and anthemic vocals, and you can hear the vibrato of The Boss' voice in Dancing in the Dark when it comes up on shuffle next. Next up is Chesney Hawkes' The One and Only, and I've never heard the harmonies as powerful and succinct as with the Ace 3.

(Image credit: Future)

I've been focusing on treble and mids because there's no denying that the Aurvana maintain their predecessors' lovely neutral sound; you're not getting your tunes blown out by thumping bass like many cheap and mid-range earbud makers love to do.

Despite that, bass is lovely and scooping, enough that you can picture the bassist's fingers walking on the string. And when lower pitches are important, the Ace 3 delivers; Sayonara by The 502s offers a well-defined bassline that sits harmoniously against the brass stings without either losing any energy (see, I can use musical examples from the last half-century!). The encompassing soundstage of the buds gives all of the instruments in a busy composition like this enough breathing room that you don't miss a note or a line.

All of these points could equally be made about the Ace 2 (well, except Sayonara, which wasn't out when those buds were released), but that's not to say that nothing's new in the Aurvana Ace 3. The addition of LDAC and aptX Lossless means the buds are better at supporting lossless audio and there's also now support for Snapdragon Sound, which will have a similar effect if your broadcasting device also is compatible.

• Sound quality: 4.5/5

Creative Aurvana Ace 3 review: Value

(Image credit: Future)

• A textbook example of getting what you paid for
• Ace 2 discounts may make it a tempting alternative

At $149.99 / £139.99 / AU$259.95, you’re getting what you pay for with the Creative Aurvana Ace 3 – they deliver a good sound quality and commendable feature set at a price that’s a little higher than some people can afford, but sits as a much more tempting alternative to many of the top-end buds on the market.

Don’t buy these expecting a bargain, but you’re certainly getting bang for your buck. Rather, you’re not getting bangs, but getting nice, well-tuned audio.

The messy price increase / decrease / maintenance of the Creative Aurvana Ace 3 compared to its predecessor, make a value comparison hard, especially with the older buds having seen a pretty significant price cut since release. The improvements may win over some people, but if all you care is the sound quality, you can save money with the Ace 2.

• Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Creative Aurvana Ace 3?Creative Aurvana Ace 3 score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The ANC isn't great but the battery life is okay and the sound personalization is great.

3.5/5

Design

These are lovely little buds that fit well, look good and don't weigh you down.

4/5

Sound quality

The detailed, crystal-clear and naturalistic audio all create one wonderful musical package.

4.5/5

Value

The price is chosen well: you get as much as you pay for.

3.5/5

Buy it if…

You want a guiding hand with your sound mix
The Mimi customization mode is all but guaranteed to help you find a music mix for you – if you’re not keen to mess around with an equalizer, it’ll sort you right out.

You need buds that are lightweight
Even amongst other stem earbuds, the Aurvana Ace 3 are lovely and light, and you can listen for hours without feeling anything (or until the battery runs out). Perfect for people who readily feel buds in the ear.View Deal

Don’t buy it if…

You listen in ambient mode
I’ve already mentioned the strange screaming issues with ambient mode. If you tend to listen with ambient mode turned on, perhaps consider other earbuds.

You want a bassy sound profile
Some people need warm-sounding bassy buds, and the Aurvana Ace 3 are too neutral to give you those thumping rhythms that might help at the gym.

Creative Aurvana Ace 3 review: Also consider

Creative Aurvana Ace 3

Nothing Ear (3)

Soundpeats H3

Drivers

xMEMS solid state driver + 10mm dynamic driver

12mm

12mm + dual balanced armatures

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life

7 hours (buds) 26 hours total ( withcase)

5.5 hours (buds) 22 hours total (with case)

7 hours (buds) 37 hours total (with case)

Weight

4.7g (buds) 43g (case)

5.2g (buds); 61g (case)

6g (buds); 53g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.4

Waterproofing

IPX5

IP54

IPX5

Soundpeats H3
A pair of similar-costing earbuds, the Soundpeats use a cocktail of drivers to offer fantastic-sound music with an equally neutral sound profile. In fact they’re pretty similar in a lot of ways, but with a different design and a feature set that gains and loses various aspects of the Ace 3.
Read our full Soundpeats H3 review here

Nothing Ear (3)
Another pair of buds with a great personal hearing system, albeit one for a little more money, is Nothing’s latest pair of earbuds. The battery life and price leave something to be desired, but Nothing earbuds have long graced loads of our ‘best-of’ lists and the (3) is no exception.
Check out our full Nothing Ear (3) review here

How I tested the Creative Aurvana Ace 3

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for 2 weeks
• Tested at home, on walks, and the gym and while cycling

The testing period for the Creative Aurvana Ace 3 was just over two weeks, and the buds were connected to my Android phone for the entirety of the testing process.

I mostly listened to the buds using Spotify, both with Lossless and standard quality, but I also watched some Netflix and played some games with them. I tested in loads of environments: at home, at my office, on walks around my neighborhood, on buses and trains, while cycling (in ambient mode for safety, of course), and while at several different gyms.

I've been testing gadgets for TechRadar for over six years now, which has included plenty of other similar-price earbuds, the previous Aurvana Ace last year and certain other Creative products.

• First reviewed in October 2025

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee