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This explains why the company released the Nintendo Today app on Thursday.

Welcome, Garmin fans! After yesterday's announcement of Garmin Connect+, the new premium tier available in the Garmin Connect app, we've seen a big conversation begin to take place online.

Some Garmin users are furious, stating they want to "take a stand" against the company for introducing a paid tier. Even though the existing free features will remain free, user sentiment is generally that this is the beginning of a slippery slope for Garmin, and more and more features will be added to Connect+ instead of being available on the app's free tier.

Especially egregious is the price of the best Garmin watches, some of them numbering among the most expensive smartwatches ever, and having to now pay still more on top for the whole package.

Want to make your voice heard? Email us at matt.evans@futurenet.com, and we'll feature your reply here as part of this live blog. Stay tuned!

What is Garmin Connect+, anyway?

For those not in the know, Garmin Connect+ is Garmin's new premium tier available for its previously-free Garmin Connect app, costing $6.99 / £6.99 / AU$12 per month or $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$120 annually, with a one-month free trial available.

For this privilege, Garmin Connect+ will supply Garmin users with new features on top of their free ones, including AI-powered insights dubbed "Active Intelligence" which puts all your stats into context, a Performance Dashboard that allows you to view historic graphs, and improvements to Garmin’s LiveTrack service, including a text-based alerts system.

This isn't the first time it's charged for a service (it also charges for an Outdoor Maps+ subscription plan) but this is a service aimed at all Garmin users, not a specific subsection or service.

Why has this angered Garmin users?

Existing Garmin users are angry, in part, because they feel like their app is going to slowly get taken away. While Garmin has been very careful in its messaging, insisting that everything currently free will remain free, users believe they will eventually have to either leave the platform or resort to paying for a usable version of it.

Even if all current features remain free, as new ones are added and older ones are no longer supported, the existence of a Connect+ tier invites the possibility that future features will only be available to premium subscribers, a galling prospect if you bought an expensive smartwatch with the expectation it would be supported for years to come.

One of the top comments on the video above reads: "No. Bait and switch. We pay premium prices, like my £800 for my Garmin Descent Mk2s, with the understanding that the extra price is subsidising the Garmin Connect platform and its development. Now with just the existence of this, there's little to no chance we'll see any meaningful updates to the free Connect platform from now on. Class action anyone?"

Another commenter puts it more succintly: "Is this the beginning of the end?"

Garmin Reddit is furious

(Image credit: Reddit)

With 7,100 upvotes at the time of writing, this thread has prompted an enormous outcry from the community determined to make their voices heard. Here are a few comments from the 431 and counting:

Comment from r/Garmin Comment from r/Garmin Comment from r/Garmin @techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar

We took to TikTok to ask Garmin users what they thought about the changes, and got quite a few comments there. One user writes "This is bad news. All new features from now on will be behind a paywall. And in few years, then the initial rage settles, they will move more and more features behind paywall like strava did."

Another said: "wow! I love paywalled AI which tells me the most basic of information which I could gather my self easily."

However, in the interest of balance, not everyone is irate about it. Another TikTok user writes: "If the current features are to stay free then nonworries, pay for the new stuff if you want them if not, don't."

"A greedy company"

The emails have begun to roll in. Remember, if you want to get in touch, email matt.evans@futurenet.com. This one's from Michelangelo:

"I'm writing this email to show Garmin what they are risking by being a greedy company... We have probably around 20 devices from Garmin. We just like the quality and the details you get from a premium device.

"This is why I'm so vocal right now. If Connect+ goes on, I'm definitely done with Garmin. I'll buy another watch for my SO (I was planning for one in May) and I will start doing the opposite of what I've been doing since receiving my original watch. I'll start discouraging people from buying Garmin and propose a valid, European, alternative.

"Tread lightly Garmin, people hate subscription models, especially on PREMIUM products!

Sincerely, A very, VERY, angry customer."

Garmin's AI-powered insights

(Image credit: Garmin)

What exactly is "Active Intelligence", anyway?

Similar to Strava's Athlete Intelligence (also on a premium tier: AI's apparently expensive to run), Garmin's Active Intelligence will offer personalized in-app advice based on your training metrics.

The example above is a good indication of the kind of AI-generated advice you can expect: top-line, general, quick-fire tips to guide your training based on past and current performance, rather than anything too granular and concrete like a workout plan. You'll reportedly be able to get these messages multiple times a day as your activity and recovery levels change.

It's worth noting a Garmin representative emailed and confirmed that the AI was built with user data security in mind. Garmin's aware how sensitive health data is, and the need to keep it secure – especially after a high-profile cyberattack five years ago.

More messages coming through

An email from Vasil says he'll switch away from Garmin if the decision isn't reversed. "Even though I have been a fan of the brand for over 10 years and always buy the latest Fenix model, if the paid version of the mobile application is introduced, I will change the brand!"

Meanwhile, a new comment on TikTok simply says "How do you sign up to it?". Sounds like someone's convinced!

The Garmin subreddit is not taking this well Garmin is getting rid of what makes it special from r/Garmin

The Reddit post above has some particularly poignant things to say.

"They were different than smartwatch companies locking you to a specific phone. They were different than smartwatch companies forcing you to pay a monthly fee just to use the watch. Heck, they were even different than gaming companies providing you games on a platform and then being able to ban you or change the rules after the fact.

"They felt like one of those companies you loved being associated with.... Yet another great company losing track of its identity and tacking on or removing things that just don't speak to its customer base."

Below are some more examples of negative, highly-upvoted feedback from the subreddit.

I paid $700 for a fenix to avoid the subscription bullshit from r/Garmin It’s the beginning of the end for Garmin. from r/Garmin

I mean, you've got to laugh...

Me buying my first Garmin watch 2 days ago and joining this sub from r/Garmin Is the panic overblown?

If you're a new Garmin owner, don't panic. Garmin users aren't going to suddenly see the bottom fall out of their watches' ecosystem; as of now, pretty much all the features on your watch remain unchanged. You can still create routes, generate plans, get your Fitness Age, Body Battery, Endurance Score, workouts, and all the rest of Garmin's goodies as well as ever, without paying a subscription fee. Garmin was keen to emphasize this in all communications about Connect+.

Most of the fear is hypothetical, and based on a term coined by blogger-activist Cory Doctorow called "enshittification". This refers to the process of platform decay, as those in charge of online platforms make things worse for users in order to maximize profit.

We see it with social networks, media websites, online stores, gaming and all other rmanner of online platforms. Garmin users are afraid that their free experience will eventually get worse, as the company attempts to move more of its users onto the paid platform. We've seen it happen enough times that these fears are not unfounded.

On his Pluralistic blog, Doctorow explains it best: "Here is how platforms die: first, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves. Then, they die. I call this enshittification."

Has LiveTrack changed?!

(Image credit: Garmin)

More discourse in our TikTok video, with one user sounding very optimistic: "Probably not for the AI, but I would be interested in the Live Track, I use it anyway as I cycle a lot in the mountains, so would be keen to see what the difference is".

The updated Live Tracking service offers a personalized LiveTrack profile to share with followers (useful for cross-posting on Strava, for example) and the ability for family and friends to be notified via text when a workout has begun, along with the usual link to share your current location that you get in the free version.

However, our Homes Editor (and former Fitness Editor) Cat Ellis, herself an avid user of the Garmin Fenix 7, uses LiveTrack a lot, and told me her LiveTracking recently changed. The LiveTrack text messages to show auto-starts and finishes used to be part of the free version, but seems to have been removed this week ahead of the GC+ announcement.

Check out her screenshot from this Monday, then swipe to check out Tuesday's:

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future)

While Garmin mentioned that all features currently free will remain so, this may indicate a feature was changed shortly in advance of the announcement, which is very disingenuous if so. TechRadar has reached out to Garmin for comment, but email in and let us know if this has changed for you.

Two very different reactions with the same sentiment there

(Image credit: Reddit) How much does Garmin Connect+ cost, and what do you get?

Garmin Connect+ will cost $6.99 / £6.99 / AU$12 per month or $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$120 annually, with a one-month free trial available.

For the price, you're getting those Active Intelligence AI messages, the LiveTrack texts mentioned below, exclusive badges and challenges not available to free-tier Connect users (something which isn't helping quell the ire of badge-hunters unwilling to subscribe) new social features and a Performance Dashboard which allows you to customize how you view historic data.

This is confirmed to be different to the Performance Stats tab in the free version.

President Trump's new executive order ends collective bargaining for wide swaths of federal employees, as part of his broader campaign to reshape the government's workforce. Unions are vowing to sue.

(Image credit: Alex Wroblewski)

Black Ops 6 Season 3 launches Wednesday, April 2, adding new maps, some new weapons, as well as a set of iconic tie-in skins (this one's for Kevin Smith fans). This means that next week, players will have a whole host of new features to check out, whether that's in Zombies, Warzone, or core Multiplayer.

Even without extra Season Three, we're still having a blast with Black Ops 6, landing it a place on our list of the best FPS games to play in 2025. This upcoming refresh sees the return of Verdansk to Warzone, and it's looking very close to the original indeed.

Here's what we know about Black Ops Season 3 so far, including a closer look at Wednesday's confirmed release time, as well as what's set to be added. It's worth noting that times do vary depending on your time zone, so be sure to check out the information below for when Season 3 launches in the US, UK, Europe, Australia, and Japan.

Update (April 1, 2025): Added the news of the fresh zombies enemies coming to the game alongside tomorrow's update, as well as some info on new Gobblegums. We can't wait to unlock the Die Pitched Gobblegum, which gives all enemies high-pitched voices for three minutes!

Black Ops 6 Season 3 release time in your time zone

(Image credit: Activision)

The Black Ops 6 Season 3 release time is April 2 at 9AM PST / 12PM EST / 5PM GMT. Here are some more specifics related to the release schedule per your timezone:

• 9AM PST: West Coast (US)
• 12PM EST: East Coast (US)
• 5PM BST: United Kingdom (UK)
• 6PM CET: Europe
• 2AM JST (Friday, February 21): Japan
• 4AM AEDT: (Friday, February 21): Australia

Black Ops 6 Season 3 - what's being added?

(Image credit: Activision)

Activision has now announced what'll be added to Black Ops 6 as part of Season 3. This includes new maps, weapons, and modes, as well as big updates to Warzone. Here's a brief summary of what's being added:

• Maps: Barrage (6v6), Nomad (6v6, 2v2), Firing Range (6v6)
• Weapons: CR-56 AMAX Assault Rifle, HDR Sniper Rifle, Nail Gun Special Weapon, Kali Sticks (Melee)
• Attachments: Monolithic Suppressor, SWAT 5.56 Grau Conversion, C9 10MM Auto 30-Round Mags
• Modes: Sharpshooter, Demolition
• Perk: Close Shave - Automatically use your Dedicated Melee attack when you perform a weapon butt attack. Simply tap the Melee button to attack. Like the old days
• Bundle: Jay & Silent Bob, Digital Dreamin', United Force Tracer Pack
• Warzone: Return of Verdansk, back to basics gameplay tweaks. More in this blog.
• Zombies: Shattered Veil map, Double Tap Perk, Ray Gun Mark II & Wunderwaffle DG - 2 Wonder Weapons. Elder Disciple and Toxic Zombie enemies. New Gobblegums.
• Events: Black Ops Tribute
• Operators: Hudson, Mace, R0-Z3

For a full breakdown of Black Ops 6 Season 3, visit the Call of Duty blog. You'll be able to see the specifics on the new maps and modes that'll arrive soon.

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Razer Blade 16 (2025): Two minute review

Weeks of stock shortages and scalping later, I can finally breathe: RTX 5000 laptops are here, offering a fresh path into Nvidia's glorious ray-traced future that doesn't involve selling your soul on Ebay - though you might need to sell a kidney to afford the new Razer Blade 16, especially if you're eyeing the top-of-the-line RTX 5090 configuration graciously provided to me for this review.

Yes, Razer is not beating the 'pricey hardware' allegations any time soon; the new Blade 16 starts at a wallet-battering $2,999.99 / £2,699.99 / AU$4,899.95, and the higher-spec configurations rocket beyond the four-thousand mark in the US, UK, and Europe.

Don't get me wrong, though: the sky-high pricing is just about the only criticism I have here. Razer's iconic 16-inch laptop has undergone a subtle redesign - and I mean subtle, bordering on indistinguishable - that provides a range of small but worthy improvements, and at the heart of it all, Nvidia's Blackwell GPU lineup delivers boosted performance and a new wealth of features ready to do battle with the best gaming laptops.

(Image credit: Future)

I'll get into the real meat of these graphics upgrades later on, but here's the short version: this thing goes hard. Between DLSS 4, Multi Frame Generation, Reflex 2, and the general generational improvements from RTX 4000, even the most demanding titles deliver crisp, speedy frame rates on the QHD+ OLED screen - and the 240Hz refresh rate means you won't find your game performance capped by the display.

The Razer Blade 16 isn't all steak and no sizzle, either. This is one classy-looking gaming laptop, as I've come to expect from Razer, with an anodized aluminum chassis, per-key RGB lighting, and the same overall top-notch build quality any previous Razer owner will be well accustomed to. Again, scroll on down to that Design section for all the juicy deets, but I will take a quick moment here to remark on the new-and-improved keyboard, which now features greater key travel and smoother actuation than previous models to provide a more pleasant typing experience as well as responsive inputs when gaming.

With how difficult it's proving to get your hands on a desktop RTX 5000 GPU, many will be looking towards the incoming slate of Blackwell-equipped laptops to scratch that hardware upgrade itch. If that's you - and you can stomach the price tag - then the Razer Blade 16 is the laptop to pick.

Razer Blade 16 (2025): Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• How much is it? Starting at $2,999.99 / £2,699.99 / AU$4,899.95
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

There's no getting around it: this is one expensive laptop, even pricier than the previous RTX 4000 Razer Blade 16 we reviewed back in late 2023. Granted, you're getting a hell of a lot of gaming power for your money, but it's still pricey.

The Razer Blade 16 (2025) will cost you $2,999.99 / £2,699.99 / AU$4,899.95 for the base configuration: that gets you an RTX 5070 Ti, 10-core AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 365 processor, 32GB of ultra-speedy LPDDR5X 8,000MHz memory, and a 1TB SSD. That's right - the long-standing industry baseline of 16GB of RAM is out, 32GB is the new standard for Razer.

There are a few different configurations, with more RAM or storage and an upgrade to either an RTX 5080 or 5090. The top-spec model costs a piggy-bank-busting $4,899.99 / £4,299.99 / AU$7,999.95, packing the RTX 5090 along with a 12-core Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU, 64GB of RAM, and a huge 4TB of storage (in the form of two 2TB SSDs). Every version has the same 16-inch 240Hz QHD+ OLED display; sadly, there's no 4K model on offer, which does feel like a somewhat odd omission considering that the RTX 5090 is absolutely capable of 4K gaming.

I really can't stress enough that this is a comically enormous amount of money for the average PC gamer. As a fun little exercise, I went looking online for used cars that cost less than the Blade 16 review unit I'm typing this review on. 47,764 results. Oof.

Still, when scalpers are selling RTX 5090 cards on Ebay for upwards of four thousand bucks, it's not an entirely unattractive proposition. I mean, you're getting the whole system here, while the additional cost of a full desktop PC build capable of supporting Nvidia's latest flagship GPU without bottlenecking isn't exactly cheap. I have no doubt there will be laptops from other manufacturers that offer the same (or at least similar) specs at a lower price, but there will be sacrifices made - whether that's chassis materials, display quality, or memory speed.

• Value: 2.5 / 5

Razer Blade 16 (2025): Specs

(Image credit: Future) Razer Blade 16 (2025): Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Same classic Blade finish with premium-feel anodized metal casing
• New keyboard design is a real improvement
• Chassis is lighter and more compact than previous models

Razer has long held a reputation as a company known for using premium materials for its hardware, and the new Blade 16 certainly doesn't buck this trend: every Blade begins life as a singular slab of tempered aluminum, which is then precision-milled into shape and electrochemically anodized to create a wear-resistant color finish designed to last.

(Image credit: Future)

Although the overall aesthetic of Razer's modern Blade lineup has changed very little over the years - compare this laptop side-by-side with the Razer Blade we reviewed back in 2018, and you'll see what I mean - there have been some small adjustments this time around, and all of them are good changes.

For starters, the laptop has been retooled to reduce the overall weight and size; there's a limit to this, especially with a 16-inch display, but Razer has managed to cut down the total package volume by almost 30%. It's almost half a centimetre thinner than the previous-gen Blade 16 (4.59mm, to be precise), and it adds that half-centimete to the length of the laptop instead - in practice, this doesn't make the Blade 16's footprint any appreciably larger, but does make it look and feel a lot thinner. It's also 310 grams lighter than the previous model.

(Image credit: Future)

Razer has also seen fit to improve the keyboard this time around, and it makes for a more satisfying typing experience than previous Blades. The key travel has been increased by 50%, and the actuation force sits at a finely-tuned 63G, providing a good amount of physical feedback that helped me avoid misinputs while both gaming and typing. The keys are quite widely spaced, which makes it comfortable to use even for long periods.

Naturally, this Blade now comes with a dedicated button for Copilot, Microsoft's AI assistant for Windows, though I doubt most buyers will have much cause to use that. More interesting is the new row of five programmable macro keys, giving you instant access to the functions you use most often.

Additionally, this ain't your daddy's backlit RGB keyboard: not only does the full layout have per-key RGB lighting, but multiple keys actually feature two LEDs beneath the keycap, enabling a nifty feature where holding down Fn or Shift switches the illumination to instantly highlight the relevant keys. You can see what I mean in the GIF below - it's a small bonus, but I rather like it.

(Image credit: Future)

The touchpad is nothing to write home about (let's be honest, you'll be using a mouse anyway), but it is nice and large with a firm click to it. There's also a pretty straightforward 1080p webcam and microphone array, both of which work fine.

More impressive are the speakers: a six-speaker array with THX Spatial Audio support makes for one of the best audio experiences I've seen on a laptop. It's no secret that laptop makers often skimp on speaker quality because so many people will simply connect a headset anyway, but that's certainly not the case here. The bass is rich and punchy, and the midrange is crystal clear; high pitches are a little bit thin, but it's still a strong showing overall.

I'm not going to dedicate a huge amount of time here to the pre-loaded Razer Synapse software package, but I will say that there are some welcome improvements over the old (and rather wonky) version. Tweaking your system performance and lighting effects is nice and straightforward, as well as syncing and modifying any Razer peripherals you want to use.

(Image credit: Future)

I can't not talk about the screen, of course. Razer's hardware lineup has always offered high-end display configurations, often employing OLED panels, which remains the case here - though as I mentioned further up in this review, there's strangely no 4K configuration available this time around. Instead, every 2025 Blade 16 model comes with the exact same 16-inch 240Hz OLED display, with a resolution of 2560x1600. That's a 16:10 aspect ratio, which I'm personally a big fan of on laptops.

Still, it's an undeniably gorgeous screen: colors are bright and vibrant, contrast is sharp, and blacks are deep. It looks fantastic in motion while playing games like Cyberpunk 2077; the rainy, neon-splattered streets of Night City after dark are vividly colorful and realistic on this display.

One feature that I'm always happy to see is upgradability. Unfortunately, the RAM in the Razer Blade 16 is soldered, but the SSD is user-upgradable. In fact, anything less than the 4TB configuration (which uses two 2TB SSDs) comes with an empty NVMe slot for you to easily plug in a second drive if you want to expand the storage yourself.

Lastly, we've got a nice broad port selection here, with two USB-C ports, three USB-As, an HDMI port for connecting a second display, the omnipresent 3.5mm headphone jack, and finally a full-size SD card reader for creative users - a wise inclusion considering that this laptop can comfortably pull double duty as a work system (more on that later).

• Design: 5 / 5

Razer Blade 16 (2025): Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Best-in-class performance
• RTX 5090 and Ryzen 9 AI HX 370 are a deadly combo
• New Nvidia features offer a huge performance boost

Enough about aesthetics: this is a gaming laptop, so how well does it run games? The answer is: extremely well, especially once you factor in Nvidia's DLSS and frame-gen tech.

Our standard testing process involves running games without using any form of upscaling or frame-gen tech, and you can see the results below. It's worth noting that the 2024 Razer Blade 16 with RTX 4090 I've used for comparative purposes has an Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, which quite literally has double the core count of the Ryzen 9 AI HX 370 chip in this laptop, so without implementing Nvidia's latest goodies, the differences are relatively minor in many games.

Performance is still strong, make no mistake - but if you're aiming to play the latest games at maximum graphical settings on this laptop's native 1600p resolution, you're going to want to use DLSS.

Kick DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation (MFG) into gear, and it's a totally different story. I tested a few different supported titles at their respective maximum presets with ray tracing enabled, and both enjoyed a serious performance bump with Nvidia's fancy AI-powered software enabled.

There's been quite some debate about tools such as resolution upscaling and frame generation, not least due to the use of AI for both, and I admit I've been skeptical in the past. Here, it's a revelation. Earlier iterations of DLSS - and the frame-gen model seen in the previous RTX 4000 generation - were imperfect, prone to impact lag and visual glitching, especially on hardware that would struggle to hit 60fps without any AI-assisted add-ons. But DLSS 4 and MFG work phenomenally well on a laptop packing an RTX 5090; in Alan Wake 2, a thoroughly beautiful (and therefore demanding) game, I was lucky to reach above the 60fps mark without any upscaling or frame-gen enabled. With those settings turned on? 200fps, easy.

Meanwhile, Cyberpunk 2077 and Returnal saw similarly massive framerate bumps. In Cyberpunk, the maxed-out ray-tracing preset struggled a bit at native resolution, scoring a meager average of 43 fps. With DLSS 4 and MFG, it averaged 217fps while still looking absolutely stunning. In Returnal, 113fps went to 240fps (which was the active cap) at 1440p - it doesn't have the option to run at the Blade 16's 1600p 16:10 resolution, but still, you get the idea.

It looks so good now, too; gone are the tearing and blurring I noted in my early experiments with DLSS, without any appreciable amount of input latency either. I imagine it's still there, perhaps noticeable to a pro esports gamer playing a twitchy shooter like Counter-Strike 2 or Valorant, but I certainly wasn't able to detect it.

Of course, DLSS 4 and MFG aren't available universally. Developers have to add support for the functionality, although there's also a new DLSS Override option for 'force-enabling' it in unsupported games, which I deployed for Returnal - as far as I could tell, it worked without issues, though of course that's just for one modern game.

Performance in synthetic tests was also strong, with good - though not world-beating - performance across both gaming and creative workloads. If you're hoping to use this laptop for professional creative work, it won't let you down. In fact, the performance it offers compared to the weight of the laptop is among the best I've ever seen, making it ideal for working on the go.

It's worth noting here that the 2024 Blade 16 actually outperforms the new model across several of our tests, but again, we can put that down to the significantly more powerful CPU found in the 2024 model. The power efficiency of the Ryzen chip is not to be understated, though - take a look at the battery life section, and you'll see what I mean.

• Performance: 5 / 5

Razer Blade 16 (2025): Battery life

• Surprisingly good battery life
• Almost a full day's regular use, about two and a half hours of gaming
• Charges fast but uses a proprietary charger

Battery life is rarely a selling point of gaming laptops, but I was pleasantly surprised with the battery life on the Razer Blade 16. In the PCMark 10 Gaming battery test, it lasted for almost two and a half hours; in real-world tests, I found this figure highly accurate, assuming you're playing with the battery efficiency preset on in Windows and brightness at 50% or lower.

Outside of gaming and running similarly demanding software, the Blade 16 offers some impressive longevity for a gaming laptop. The 90Whr battery lasted for almost seven and a half hours in our Battery Informant Web Surfing test, and it also holds charge remarkably well when not in use. This is likely due to the improved Nvidia Optimus tech, which offloads graphical processing to the Ryzen CPU's integrated graphics when you're not playing games or running GPU-intensive apps. Razer claims that the new Blade 16 offers 'up to 11 hours' of use, which is probably true if you really try to squeeze the battery with minimum brightness and power-saving mode turned on.

Although it needs a fairly chunky power adapter with a proprietary Razer connector, the Blade 16 also charges very quickly, charging up to 50% in about 30 minutes and 100% in just over an hour.

• Battery Life: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Razer Blade 16 (2025)? Buy the Razer Blade 16 (2025) if...

You want the best gaming performance there is
The RTX 5090 laptop GPU inside this laptop is a monster, delivering top-notch frame rates in games and offering the full suite of performance-boosting Nvidia software.

You want a gaming laptop you can use for work
Thanks to its surprisingly strong battery life and great capabilities when it comes to handling creative and AI workloads, the Razer Blade 16 can comfortably pull double duty as a work laptop when you're not using it for gaming.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a budget
Starting at over two grand, this is not a cheap gaming laptop by any means.

You want something compact
Although Razer has worked miracles reducing the weight and thickness of the new Blade 16, no 16-inch laptop can reasonably be called 'small'.

Also consider

If my Razer Blade 16 (2025) review has you considering other options, here is another laptop to consider:

Razer Blade 14 (2024)
If you're in the market for something a bit more svelte, consider the Blade 16's little sibling, the Blade 14. These aren't available with RTX 5000 GPUs, however - at least, not yet. But you still get the same excellent design and build quality, and a lower price tag too.

Read our full Razer Blade 14 (2024) review

MSI Titan 18 HX
Another absolute beast of a gaming laptop, the Titan 18 HX from MSI is a strong pick if you're looking for a gaming laptop that can also function as a premium workstation PC. With an Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU and up to 128GB(!!!) of RAM, this is one of the finest desktop-replacement systems on the market.

Read our full MSI Titan 18 HX review

How I tested the Razer Blade 16 (2025)

I spent just over a week with the Razer Blade 16 (2025), using it almost every day for both work and gaming. I don't always love working, but damn, if this didn't make it more pleasant.

Naturally, we ran plenty of performance tests on the Blade 16, taking additional time to test out the new DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation features on a handful of supported titles. What I played the most was Warframe, which isn't in our testing suite but look, I'm an addict.

In terms of work, I used the Blade 16 for everything from word processing to web browsing to image editing, and even took it out into my garden to work in the sun and put the battery life and display to the test in a real-world setting - both held up great.

• First reviewed March 2025

In an exclusive demo with Intangible's ex-Pixar and ex-Unity executives, I saw how you can create an entire 3D AI world and use it to create still images and short videos.

I spoke with director Jared McGilliard about his new treasure-hunting doc.

Read is accused of killing her boyfriend, a Boston cop, in 2022. She maintains she was framed by police. Here's a refresher on the case — and a look at what's happened since last year's mistrial.

(Image credit: John Tlumacki)

• Micro Center suddenly has loads of stock of an Asus RTX 5090 GPU
• This card is stupidly expensive at 85% over MSRP, though, so rather than improved supply, this is likely more a reflection of that asking price
• That said, there’s some hope that RTX 5080 supply is actually improving a little, so we can keep our fingers crossed there

An Asus version of the Nvidia RTX 5090 GPU has been spotted piled high on the shelves of a major US retailer, which might make you think that perhaps the stock drought for the flagship is over – but I doubt that’s the case.

Nonetheless, it’s a novelty to see such a stack of Blackwell graphics cards on the shelves, and there are some more positive hints about RTX 5080 stock, too – which I’ll come back to later. All of which comes courtesy of a Reddit post that shared a photo of a bricks-and-mortar Micro Center store in Dallas (see below) which VideoCardz flagged up.

Microcenter Dallas got tons of 5090 Astral Liquid’s in today from r/nvidia

Of course, this isn’t likely a case of supply suddenly spiking, or Nvidia’s production lines spinning up for the Blackwell flagship – rather it’s (surely) a lack of demand, due to the extortionate price tag pinned on the Asus RTX 5090 board in question.

This is the Asus ROG Astral LC RTX 5090 OC Edition, which is admittedly the top-end offering from the graphics card maker – the LC refers to liquid cooling, and OC indicates it’s overclocked – but the price is still astronomical (or astral-nomical, perhaps, ahem) at $3,719.

That’s 85% more expensive than the (lofty) MSRP set by Nvidia, and it’s even almost 10% costlier than the asking price set by Asus on its own online store for this particular ROG Astral model – and that’s already outrageously high as it is.

Yes, it’s a top-end custom board, and yes, there will always be a premium to pay in that case, for the improvements to the card and cooling that’ll (hopefully) help you get a meaningfully better overclock – but the difference won’t be that much versus an entry-level RTX 5090, in all probability.

And to be forced to pay nearly double for that? Well, even PC gaming enthusiasts won’t do so, which is (doubtless) why all these RTX 5090 models are sat on shelves – and will probably remain so for some time, until Micro Center adjusts its pricing.

That will, of course, eventually happen when the clamor for RTX 5000 graphics cards starts to calm down, and demand doesn’t outweigh supply by such an immense factor.

(Image credit: Future) Analysis: A glimmer of hope – but not for the RTX 5090

Okay, so is there any chance at all that the sudden appearance of a decent number of these flagship Blackwell graphics cards is a hopeful indication of improving stock levels? After all, that was rumored to happen for the RTX 5090 towards the end of March, where we are now. I can’t see it, frankly – whatever might be going on at that Micro Center store, if we look at the major online retailers in the US, RTX 5090 stock remains non-existent. For now, the flagship GPU is only obtainable in local stores.

However, the Reddit poster also notes that there are RTX 5080 GPUs in plentiful stock at that Micro Center – though we don’t see them, or what price they’re at. I’m guessing there won’t be any boards at MSRP level, though, but there is a glimmer of hope here in that at the time of writing, there are a couple of RTX 5080 models in stock for ordering online at Newegg.

Predictably, they aren’t anywhere near MSRP, so this isn’t cause for a true celebration yet – the cheapest model (of three boards available currently) is $1,360, which is the MSI Ventus 3X RTX 5080. That’s still 36% above the MSRP of $999, of course, but nonetheless, even seeing some stock available at all is a change for the better from what I typically discover when I check Blackwell availability.

I wouldn’t get carried away with this notion, but perhaps we are starting to turn a (slight) corner here – although clearly not with RTX 5090 stock, with some truly ridiculous price inflation still very much blighting the Blackwell flagship.

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• Nvidia rumors suggest it's working on two affordable GPUs to spoil AMD's party
• It's just a concept for now, but this RTX 5090 liquid-cooled gaming laptop is possibly the craziest thing I've seen in a while
• Nvidia releases stats that prove DLSS and Frame Generation are here to stay - sorry, angry gamers

• Micro Center suddenly has loads of stock of an Asus RTX 5090 GPU
• This card is stupidly expensive at 85% over MSRP, though, so rather than improved supply, this is likely more a reflection of that asking price
• That said, there’s some hope that RTX 5080 supply is actually improving a little, so we can keep our fingers crossed there

An Asus version of the Nvidia RTX 5090 GPU has been spotted piled high on the shelves of a major US retailer, which might make you think that perhaps the stock drought for the flagship is over – but I doubt that’s the case.

Nonetheless, it’s a novelty to see such a stack of Blackwell graphics cards on the shelves, and there are some more positive hints about RTX 5080 stock, too – which I’ll come back to later. All of which comes courtesy of a Reddit post that shared a photo of a bricks-and-mortar Micro Center store in Dallas (see below) which VideoCardz flagged up.

Microcenter Dallas got tons of 5090 Astral Liquid’s in today from r/nvidia

Of course, this isn’t likely a case of supply suddenly spiking, or Nvidia’s production lines spinning up for the Blackwell flagship – rather it’s (surely) a lack of demand, due to the extortionate price tag pinned on the Asus RTX 5090 board in question.

This is the Asus ROG Astral LC RTX 5090 OC Edition, which is admittedly the top-end offering from the graphics card maker – the LC refers to liquid cooling, and OC indicates it’s overclocked – but the price is still astronomical (or astral-nomical, perhaps, ahem) at $3,719.

That’s 85% more expensive than the (lofty) MSRP set by Nvidia, and it’s even almost 10% costlier than the asking price set by Asus on its own online store for this particular ROG Astral model – and that’s already outrageously high as it is.

Yes, it’s a top-end custom board, and yes, there will always be a premium to pay in that case, for the improvements to the card and cooling that’ll (hopefully) help you get a meaningfully better overclock – but the difference won’t be that much versus an entry-level RTX 5090, in all probability.

And to be forced to pay nearly double for that? Well, even PC gaming enthusiasts won’t do so, which is (doubtless) why all these RTX 5090 models are sat on shelves – and will probably remain so for some time, until Micro Center adjusts its pricing.

That will, of course, eventually happen when the clamor for RTX 5000 graphics cards starts to calm down, and demand doesn’t outweigh supply by such an immense factor.

(Image credit: Future) Analysis: A glimmer of hope – but not for the RTX 5090

Okay, so is there any chance at all that the sudden appearance of a decent number of these flagship Blackwell graphics cards is a hopeful indication of improving stock levels? After all, that was rumored to happen for the RTX 5090 towards the end of March, where we are now. I can’t see it, frankly – whatever might be going on at that Micro Center store, if we look at the major online retailers in the US, RTX 5090 stock remains non-existent. For now, the flagship GPU is only obtainable in local stores.

However, the Reddit poster also notes that there are RTX 5080 GPUs in plentiful stock at that Micro Center – though we don’t see them, or what price they’re at. I’m guessing there won’t be any boards at MSRP level, though, but there is a glimmer of hope here in that at the time of writing, there are a couple of RTX 5080 models in stock for ordering online at Newegg.

Predictably, they aren’t anywhere near MSRP, so this isn’t cause for a true celebration yet – the cheapest model (of three boards available currently) is $1,360, which is the MSI Ventus 3X RTX 5080. That’s still 36% above the MSRP of $999, of course, but nonetheless, even seeing some stock available at all is a change for the better from what I typically discover when I check Blackwell availability.

I wouldn’t get carried away with this notion, but perhaps we are starting to turn a (slight) corner here – although clearly not with RTX 5090 stock, with some truly ridiculous price inflation still very much blighting the Blackwell flagship.

You might also like...

• Nvidia rumors suggest it's working on two affordable GPUs to spoil AMD's party
• It's just a concept for now, but this RTX 5090 liquid-cooled gaming laptop is possibly the craziest thing I've seen in a while
• Nvidia releases stats that prove DLSS and Frame Generation are here to stay - sorry, angry gamers

• The EU's HLG (High Level Group) now considers VPNs among “key challenges” to investigative work.
• End-to-end encryption is also mentioned in the final report as the biggest technical challenge
• Experts are calling for restraint and consideration on the measures, fearing civilians will carry “state spyware in their pockets”

For the first time, an EU expert group has explicitly mentioned VPN services as "key challenges" to the investigative work of law enforcement agencies, alongside encrypted devices, apps, and new communications operators.

The group's final report also refers to end-to-end encryption as "the biggest technical challenge."

Known as the High-Level Group (HLG), the expert group was tasked by the EU Council in June 2023 to develop a strategic plan "on access to data for effective law enforcement."

Lawful data access by design

The HLG's first set of recommendations leaked to the public in June last year. The goal was simple – make the digital devices we use every day, from smartphones and smart homes to IoT devices and even cars, legally and technically monitorable at all times by law enforcement bodies.

Commenting on this plan, Mullvad VPN CEO Jan Jonsson told TechRadar at the time: "It would mean total surveillance and that Europe's inhabitants carry state spyware in their pockets."

The final wording of the LHG report from March 13, 2025, shows not much has changed from the original ethos. Yet, the recommendations on achieving"lawful data access by design" look more refined.

As mentioned, experts are now considering including VPN services among the key challenges to investigations.

Previously, concerns were mostly reserved for messaging apps or secure email software using encryption to scramble users' content into an unreadable form, de facto making it difficult (if not impossible) for authorities to successfully decrypt wanted information.

Law enforcement agencies from the EU, North America and Australia continue their work to gain future lawful access to private communications within the EU initiative Going Dark.We also note that VPNs are mentioned under “key challenges”.https://t.co/ktu9HlZre0March 18, 2025

Widening the target to VPN services seems to align with experts' view on metadata access as "essential for identifying suspects."

Metadata refers to data not concerning the content, such as who's sending the message, who's receiving it, at what time, and from where. VPNs work to mask IP addresses, which provide the details of our location when we access the internet.

For experts, however, EU lawmakers need to find solutions to force service providers to retain some necessary metadata for a minimum time period. Thankfully, the need for a "harmonised and consistent" legal framework for data retention is among the latest LHG suggestions.

Introducing new obligations to collect users' identifiable metadata, however, would clash with the technical infrastructure and policies of many privacy-focused services. That's especially true for no-log VPNs that, as the name suggests, never collect information that can link users with their online activities.

The security conondrum

Despite the emphasis on the need for authorities to access people's data to carry out investigations, LHG experts recognize that "this must not be at the expense of fundamental rights or the cybersecurity of systems and products."

In particular, the report highlights on more than one occasion how encryption is also essential for people's security, protecting against data theft, state-sponsored espionage, and other forms of unauthorized data access.

Did you know?

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

The aftermath of the Salt Typhoon attacks sparked an outcry from authorities for all citizens to switch to Signal-like messaging apps to improve their online security.

It remains to be seen how EU lawmakers will find a balance between the will of accessing people's data – no matter if these are encrypted – and preserving information security.

On their side, cryptographers and other tech experts have long argued that encryption either works as intended or is broken for everyone.

Commenting on the ongoing push for encryption backdoors, Proton CEO Andy Yen recently said, "Encryption is math – it either adds up or it doesn't. You're not able to create a backdoor that will preserve encryption. It is simply not possible."

You might also like

• Secure encryption and online anonymity are now at risk in Switzerland
• New EU Chat Control makes scanning encrypted chats optional – but privacy experts are still worried
• Metadata privacy matters – and this VPN promises to help

• The EU's HLG (High Level Group) now considers VPNs among “key challenges” to investigative work.
• End-to-end encryption is also mentioned in the final report as the biggest technical challenge
• Experts are calling for restraint and consideration on the measures, fearing civilians will carry “state spyware in their pockets”

For the first time, an EU expert group has explicitly mentioned VPN services as "key challenges" to the investigative work of law enforcement agencies, alongside encrypted devices, apps, and new communications operators.

The group's final report also refers to end-to-end encryption as "the biggest technical challenge."

Known as the High-Level Group (HLG), the expert group was tasked by the EU Council in June 2023 to develop a strategic plan "on access to data for effective law enforcement."

Lawful data access by design

The HLG's first set of recommendations leaked to the public in June last year. The goal was simple – make the digital devices we use every day, from smartphones and smart homes to IoT devices and even cars, legally and technically monitorable at all times by law enforcement bodies.

Commenting on this plan, Mullvad VPN CEO Jan Jonsson told TechRadar at the time: "It would mean total surveillance and that Europe's inhabitants carry state spyware in their pockets."

The final wording of the LHG report from March 13, 2025, shows not much has changed from the original ethos. Yet, the recommendations on achieving"lawful data access by design" look more refined.

As mentioned, experts are now considering including VPN services among the key challenges to investigations.

Previously, concerns were mostly reserved for messaging apps or secure email software using encryption to scramble users' content into an unreadable form, de facto making it difficult (if not impossible) for authorities to successfully decrypt wanted information.

Law enforcement agencies from the EU, North America and Australia continue their work to gain future lawful access to private communications within the EU initiative Going Dark.We also note that VPNs are mentioned under “key challenges”.https://t.co/ktu9HlZre0March 18, 2025

Widening the target to VPN services seems to align with experts' view on metadata access as "essential for identifying suspects."

Metadata refers to data not concerning the content, such as who's sending the message, who's receiving it, at what time, and from where. VPNs work to mask IP addresses, which provide the details of our location when we access the internet.

For experts, however, EU lawmakers need to find solutions to force service providers to retain some necessary metadata for a minimum time period. Thankfully, the need for a "harmonised and consistent" legal framework for data retention is among the latest LHG suggestions.

Introducing new obligations to collect users' identifiable metadata, however, would clash with the technical infrastructure and policies of many privacy-focused services. That's especially true for no-log VPNs that, as the name suggests, never collect information that can link users with their online activities.

The security conondrum

Despite the emphasis on the need for authorities to access people's data to carry out investigations, LHG experts recognize that "this must not be at the expense of fundamental rights or the cybersecurity of systems and products."

In particular, the report highlights on more than one occasion how encryption is also essential for people's security, protecting against data theft, state-sponsored espionage, and other forms of unauthorized data access.

Did you know?

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

The aftermath of the Salt Typhoon attacks sparked an outcry from authorities for all citizens to switch to Signal-like messaging apps to improve their online security.

It remains to be seen how EU lawmakers will find a balance between the will of accessing people's data – no matter if these are encrypted – and preserving information security.

On their side, cryptographers and other tech experts have long argued that encryption either works as intended or is broken for everyone.

Commenting on the ongoing push for encryption backdoors, Proton CEO Andy Yen recently said, "Encryption is math – it either adds up or it doesn't. You're not able to create a backdoor that will preserve encryption. It is simply not possible."

You might also like

• Secure encryption and online anonymity are now at risk in Switzerland
• New EU Chat Control makes scanning encrypted chats optional – but privacy experts are still worried
• Metadata privacy matters – and this VPN promises to help

The attack came as cross-border fire has escalated between Israel and militants in Lebanon, raising doubts about the state of a shaky ceasefire.

(Image credit: Hassan Ammar)

• Report warns legacy systems are a barrier to AI adoption
• Almost a third of central UK government systems are end-of-life
• These systems also present serious cybersecurity risks

The UK’s public spending watchdog has released a report outlining barriers to AI adoption, and cites “out–of–date legacy IT systems” as a contributing factor, as well as poor quality data, and data sharing obstacles.

The Department’s recommendations come as part of the UK Government’s plans to “unleash AI” with a plan to inject the tech into all corners of British industry with a £14 billion private sector investment.

The Committee of Public Accounts estimates as much as 28% of central government systems are “end-of-life” products that can no longer be updated, receive support from suppliers, or are no longer cost effective.

A matter of urgency

These legacy systems are of high priority for the Department of Science and Technology (DSIT), not just so AI can be used more widely, but because out-of-date tech can cause serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

But, DSIT warns there “is no magic bullet” and that hardware will take time and effort to replace and fix, even admitting it needs “to get a better grip on the issue”. Of the 72 “red-rated” legacy systems that are highest risk, 21 still lack remediation funding, so there is a long way to go.

“The Government has said it wants to mainline AI into the veins of the nation, but our report raises questions over whether the public sector is ready for such a procedure,” says Committee Chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP.

“The ambition to harness the potential of one of the most significant technological developments of modern times is of course to be welcomed. Unfortunately, those familiar with our Committee’s past scrutiny of the Government’s frankly sclerotic digital architecture will know that any promises of sudden transformation are for the birds.”

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• Tackling the UK's cybersecurity skills shortage
• Many schools still don’t have basic cybersecurity measures, research reveals

• Report warns legacy systems are a barrier to AI adoption
• Almost a third of central UK government systems are end-of-life
• These systems also present serious cybersecurity risks

The UK’s public spending watchdog has released a report outlining barriers to AI adoption, and cites “out–of–date legacy IT systems” as a contributing factor, as well as poor quality data, and data sharing obstacles.

The Department’s recommendations come as part of the UK Government’s plans to “unleash AI” with a plan to inject the tech into all corners of British industry with a £14 billion private sector investment.

The Committee of Public Accounts estimates as much as 28% of central government systems are “end-of-life” products that can no longer be updated, receive support from suppliers, or are no longer cost effective.

A matter of urgency

These legacy systems are of high priority for the Department of Science and Technology (DSIT), not just so AI can be used more widely, but because out-of-date tech can cause serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

But, DSIT warns there “is no magic bullet” and that hardware will take time and effort to replace and fix, even admitting it needs “to get a better grip on the issue”. Of the 72 “red-rated” legacy systems that are highest risk, 21 still lack remediation funding, so there is a long way to go.

“The Government has said it wants to mainline AI into the veins of the nation, but our report raises questions over whether the public sector is ready for such a procedure,” says Committee Chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP.

“The ambition to harness the potential of one of the most significant technological developments of modern times is of course to be welcomed. Unfortunately, those familiar with our Committee’s past scrutiny of the Government’s frankly sclerotic digital architecture will know that any promises of sudden transformation are for the birds.”

You might also like

• Take a look at our picks for the best AI tools around
• Tackling the UK's cybersecurity skills shortage
• Many schools still don’t have basic cybersecurity measures, research reveals

These crucial shopping tips will help you spend wisely, whether you want an iPhone or Android phone.

Commentary: I want to see improvements to Apple Intelligence and Siri at WWDC 25 -- and recent rumors make me think Apple wants to level up Siri's visual smarts.

When it comes to whatever Nintendo might announce next week, expect the unexpected.

• Intel's rumored high-end Battlemage GPUs have been canceled according to a reliable leaker
• Its 'BMG-G31' die was rumored to have a 256-bit memory bus with 32 Xe cores
• We could still see high-end offerings with the upcoming Celestial Arc lineup

While Intel's Battlemage Arc B580 and B570 GPUs have provided great and affordable mid-range options for PC gamers, Team Blue is yet to make a high-end GPU to compete with Nvidia (since AMD is also focusing primarily on the mid-range space going forward). Unfortunately, it now looks like the wait will continue.

According to a reputable leaker, Jaykihn0 on X, Intel's supposed high-end Battlemage GPU plans were cut short in Q3 of 2024: in other words, Xe2-based GPUs reportedly featuring up to 24GB of VRAM have been canceled. The 'BMG-G31' die supposedly had a 256-bit memory bus with 32 Xe cores and at least 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM.

Any hopes of a strong high-end alternative to Nvidia's RTX GPUs are seemingly slimmer than ever, as both AMD and Intel continue to target affordable options for consumers.

While Jaykihn0 suggests there are currently no updates on the upcoming Celestial discrete GPU lineup, it's certainly not over for Intel potentially delving into the high-end market. Celestial GPUs are rumored to use Xe3P architecture, which could involve some high-end GPUs and improved features like XeSS Frame Generation - however, it's not yet clear when they will be ready for consumers.

In the meantime, Intel's Xe3 architecture will be used for the upcoming Panther Lake processors, likely including mobile processors for ultrabooks and handhelds. There's plenty to look forward to on Team Blue's end, especially after the success of its current Battlemage GPUs, and processors like the Core Ultra 7 258V.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) We seriously need any high-end competition we can get from Intel

If it wasn't clear enough already, the GPU market is in dire need of a helping hand: scalping, price inflation, and low availability are at an all-time high, and the only way I can see this changing is if consumers don't acquiesce to purchasing overpriced GPUs. However, most importantly, we need more high-end GPUs that aren't from Nvidia.

Team Green's Blackwell GPU lineup is the only product range that includes true high-end options this generation, and it's not a surprise that there's hardly any stock for Founders Edition cards, considering their popularity and demand.

While AMD's mid-range Radeon RX 9070 XT comes at an incredible $599/£569, there are no reference cards, which means consumers must rely on AIB partner cards sold by retailers - which are currently charging over $200 more than MSRP. Don't believe me? Just have a look at Best Buy.

With this in mind, Intel is potentially the only one in the market that could offer high-end alternatives in the near future: I'll admit it's hard to suggest any of these GPUs would beat Nvidia's RTX 5090, but PC gamers need all the industry competition we can get.

You may also like...

• Intel Arc B580 vs Nvidia RTX 4060: Which mainstream GPU is right for you?
• Intel makes its XeSS 2 upscaling tech easier to add to games - here's why that's good news for PC gamers with tight budgets
• Motherboard sizes explained: which should you buy in 2025?

• Intel's rumored high-end Battlemage GPUs have been canceled according to a reliable leaker
• Its 'BMG-G31' die was rumored to have a 256-bit memory bus with 32 Xe cores
• We could still see high-end offerings with the upcoming Celestial Arc lineup

While Intel's Battlemage Arc B580 and B570 GPUs have provided great and affordable mid-range options for PC gamers, Team Blue is yet to make a high-end GPU to compete with Nvidia (since AMD is also focusing primarily on the mid-range space going forward). Unfortunately, it now looks like the wait will continue.

According to a reputable leaker, Jaykihn0 on X, Intel's supposed high-end Battlemage GPU plans were cut short in Q3 of 2024: in other words, Xe2-based GPUs reportedly featuring up to 24GB of VRAM have been canceled. The 'BMG-G31' die supposedly had a 256-bit memory bus with 32 Xe cores and at least 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM.

Any hopes of a strong high-end alternative to Nvidia's RTX GPUs are seemingly slimmer than ever, as both AMD and Intel continue to target affordable options for consumers.

While Jaykihn0 suggests there are currently no updates on the upcoming Celestial discrete GPU lineup, it's certainly not over for Intel potentially delving into the high-end market. Celestial GPUs are rumored to use Xe3P architecture, which could involve some high-end GPUs and improved features like XeSS Frame Generation - however, it's not yet clear when they will be ready for consumers.

In the meantime, Intel's Xe3 architecture will be used for the upcoming Panther Lake processors, likely including mobile processors for ultrabooks and handhelds. There's plenty to look forward to on Team Blue's end, especially after the success of its current Battlemage GPUs, and processors like the Core Ultra 7 258V.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) We seriously need any high-end competition we can get from Intel

If it wasn't clear enough already, the GPU market is in dire need of a helping hand: scalping, price inflation, and low availability are at an all-time high, and the only way I can see this changing is if consumers don't acquiesce to purchasing overpriced GPUs. However, most importantly, we need more high-end GPUs that aren't from Nvidia.

Team Green's Blackwell GPU lineup is the only product range that includes true high-end options this generation, and it's not a surprise that there's hardly any stock for Founders Edition cards, considering their popularity and demand.

While AMD's mid-range Radeon RX 9070 XT comes at an incredible $599/£569, there are no reference cards, which means consumers must rely on AIB partner cards sold by retailers - which are currently charging over $200 more than MSRP. Don't believe me? Just have a look at Best Buy.

With this in mind, Intel is potentially the only one in the market that could offer high-end alternatives in the near future: I'll admit it's hard to suggest any of these GPUs would beat Nvidia's RTX 5090, but PC gamers need all the industry competition we can get.

You may also like...

• Intel Arc B580 vs Nvidia RTX 4060: Which mainstream GPU is right for you?
• Intel makes its XeSS 2 upscaling tech easier to add to games - here's why that's good news for PC gamers with tight budgets
• Motherboard sizes explained: which should you buy in 2025?