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• Marvel Studios is currently making a big announcement about the MCU
• A live feed appeared on the comic titan's YouTube page at 11AM ET today (March 26)
• It's all but confirmed that a full cast reveal for the next two Avengers movies is taking place

Editor's note: this is a developing story. New updates will appear further down the page!

Marvel is making a huge announcement about the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), according to a live feed that's, well, gone live on its social media platforms.

Yesterday (March 25), there were tentative rumors that the comic book giant would make a big announcement today (March 26) at 11AM ET / 3PM GMT. And, as if by magic, a live video appeared on the studio's YouTube channel, as well as the likes of X/Twitter, at that exact time.

The live feed began with an out-of-focus individual (Marvel chief Kevin Feige, is that you?) walking into frame to place a chair bearing Chris Hemsworth's name on it. Unsurprisingly, that sent MCU fans into a frenzy over a possible Thor 5 reveal.

Fun though it would be to get confirmation that another Thor movie is on the way, though, that's not the big announcement I'd expect Marvel to make, especially one that's devoting an entire live feed to.

18 minutes later, another chair bearing the name of Vanessa Kirby, who'll play Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, was placed next to Hemsworth's. Moments later, a piece of music slowly started to kick in and, 23 minutes into the live feed, the Avengers' iconic MCU theme began to play, and it's been rising and falling ever since.

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Update 1: More chairs are being periodically added, too. One minute after the Avengers musical score began, a third chair adorned with Anthony Mackie, aka the latest actor to play Captain America, was brought in. At the 40-minute mark, Sebastian Stan's (i.e. Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier) seat was added to the mix.

Update 2: At 11:50AM ET, 12:05PM ET, and 12:15PM ET respectively, current Black Panther star Letitia Wright, whose character Shuri assumed the mantle in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Paul Rudd's Scott Lang/Ant-Man, and Wyatt Russell's John Walker/US Agent, who'll next appear in Thunderbolts* in early May, joined the aforementioned quartet on the confirmed cast roster.

Update 3: In perhaps the most surprising cast reveal so far, Tenoch Huerta Meija's anti-hero Namor was confirmed to feature at 12:30PM ET. He was last seen licking his wounds after getting a severe whopping from Wright's Shuri in Black Panther 2. Then, at 12:40PM ET, Ebon Moss-Bachrach's The Thing was also added to the roster. Next, at 12:52PM ET, Simu Liu's Shang-Chi – yes, he's finally in another MCU project – was revealed to be part of the cast.

Update 4: Two hours in, and the reveals keep coming. This time (i.e. 1:05PM ET), Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova was added to the roster. At 1:18PM ET, Kelsey Grammer's Beast – yes, he of X-Men fame who was last seen in The Marvels' mid-credits scene – was announced, so there'll be at least one mutant in Doomsday!

2019's Avengers: Endgame was the last time that Earth's Mightiest Heroes assembled on the big screen (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

That, my friends, means one thing: we're getting a full cast reveal for the next two Avengers movies – those being Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

It's in Marvel's best interests to take control of the cast roster narrative. With filming expected to start on Doomsday and Secret Wars in April, there has been, and would've continued to be, plenty of speculation about which heroes might appear in either or both films. This is Marvel's way of getting ahead of any industry leaks or rumored appearances before principal photography begins.

More cast reveals are going to be made about the aforementioned Marvel Phase 6 projects in the coming minutes and hours. So, stay tuned to TechRadar for more details as and when I have it!

In the meantime, read on for some exclusive coverage from my recent chat with Doomsday and Secret Wars directors Joe and Anthony Russo, plus the latest actors linked with roles in the films. Alternatively, tell me in the comments who you want to see in the Multiverse Saga's movie duo capper.

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• Third-party cybersecurity risks are a growing threat, report claims
• More than a third of all breaches in 2024 were related to third parties
• Retail and hospitality were most heavily hit

Third-party security issues are probably the biggest threat your business is facing, new research has claimed.

The new 2025 Global Third-Party Breach Report from SecurityScorecard analyzed 1,000 breaches across different industries and regions, and concluded that more than a third (35.5%) of all breaches in 2024 were related to third parties.

To make matters even worse, this figure is “likely conservative,” the company said, due to underreporting and misclassification.

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Retail and hospitality

The report further states that there has been a significant diversification of attack surfaces in 2025, compared to the year before, since less than half (46.75%) of third-party breaches involved technology products and services (down from 75% the year prior).

Looking at specific industries, SecurityScorecard found retail and hospitality to have suffered the highest third-party breach rate (52.4%), followed by the technology industry (47.3%), and the energy and utilities industry (46.7%).

Even though it had a below-average rate of 32.2%, the healthcare industry suffered the most third-party breaches in absolute numbers (78).

Geographically, Singapore fared worst (71.4%), followed by the Netherlands (70.4%), and Japan (60%).

SecurityScorecard also warned about the dangers of ransomware through third-party risk. More than two in five (41.4%) of all ransomware attacks now start through third parties, with the infamous Cl0p group leading the charge.

“Threat actors are prioritizing third-party access for its scalability. Our research shows ransomware groups and state-sponsored attackers increasingly leveraging supply chains as entry points. To stay ahead of these threats, security leaders must move from periodic vendor reviews to real-time monitoring to contain these risks before they escalate throughout their supply chain,” said Ryan Sherstobitoff, SVP of SecurityScorecard’s STRIKE Threat Research and Intelligence.

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The Malcolm in the Middle revival continues to gather steam over at Disney+, with more new cast members announced.

The four-episode arc comes from original show creator Linwood Boomer and will pick up with Malcolm and the rest of the family some twenty years since they last appeared on our screens.

For the uninitiated, Malcolm in the Middle, which originally ran for seven seasons – 151 episodes – on Fox in the US from 2000 to 2006, followed child prodigy Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) and his often dysfunctional, always loving, working class family, including parents Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) and Hal (Bryan Cranston). As the family made one pratfall after another, Malcolm would often break the fourth wall to make sarcastic asides to the audience.

The new mini-season sees “Malcolm and his daughter drawn into the family’s chaos when Hal and Lois demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party.” It sounds like a perfect hook for a short but hopefully sweet, return to Malcolm’s universe, especially as the heart of the original show was the titular character’s relationship with Cranston’s long-suffering Hal, so it’ll be interesting to see Muniz character in the reverse of that dynamic, grappling with fatherhood himself.

Who is returning to Malcolm in the Middle?

Of the original cast, Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, and Jane Kaczmarek were confirmed to be returning to their respective roles when the revival was announced, and Variety has now confirmed that more familiar faces will be rejoining the cast with Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield set to be reprising their roles as Malcolm’s older brothers Francis and Reese.

However, Malcolm’s younger siblings, Dewey and Jamie, have been recast with Caleb Ellsworth-Clark and Anthony Timpano taking on the roles. Neither replacement comes as a huge surprise mind you, with original Dewey star Erik Per Sullivan having quit acting after the show’s conclusion, and Jamie – introduced in season four – still a toddler when the show ended.

Meanwhile, the revival will introduce a fifth sibling for Malcolm to contend with with confirmation that post-series, Lois and Hal finally gave birth to a daughter, Kelly, played in the new episodes by Vaughn Murrae. Additional casting news sees Keeley Karsten take on the role of Malcolm’s daughter Leah, while Kiana Madeira will play his girlfriend, Tristan.

We can’t wait to check back in with Malcolm and the gang, and confirmation that a whole host of familiar faces will be returning has got us very excited for the return of Malcolm in the Middle on one of the best streaming services. If you're in the US, make sure to check out the below Disney+ bundle deal before it expires to save on your next subscription.

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• Windows 11 has a new update, although it’s optional (in preview) for now
• It brings in some really handy features, including an important accessibility tweak for a core part of the Windows 11 interface
• New PC spec cards in the Settings app are a surprise addition, coming through testing very swiftly – albeit without the key FAQ feature

Microsoft just released a new update for Windows 11, albeit an optional one (still in preview), and it delivers some useful work – not to mention a surprise.

Windows Latest flagged up the changes that are part of the March preview update for Windows 11 23H2 (known as KB5053657). They include a smoothing over of accessibility wrinkles in File Explorer, and the addition of PC spec info cards that have previously been seen in testing.

Regarding File Explorer – which is the app that powers the windows that show your folders, and files within them, on the desktop – those of you who use larger text sizes for better visibility in this part of the interface have doubtless noticed that text scaling isn’t uniform here.

In other words, only some parts of File Explorer have the user’s specified text scaling applied, and some text, or indeed parts of the interface like buttons, remains overly small (with no scaling).

Obviously, that’s awkward and unhelpful, plus it just looks messy, but thankfully, Microsoft has fixed this so the scaling is correctly applied across all elements of File Explorer, as per testing conducted by Windows Latest.

Moving onto the new spec cards, these were spotted in testing early in 2025, but seem to have been put in place very quickly, shuttling through testing and into this new optional update. That’s a pleasant surprise indeed, and these cards provide at-a-glance info on your CPU, RAM, storage, and graphics card – although it doesn’t look like the FAQ element has been implemented yet.

Another significant change with KB5053657 is the new gamepad keyboard layout, which allows you to type using Windows 11’s virtual keyboard with an Xbox controller (including button shortcuts for spacebar, delete, and so on).

Finally, there’s a new emoji button on the taskbar, which pulls up the combined emoji, GIF, and clipboard panel. It’s an optional feature, so you can turn off the icon in Settings if you’ll never use it. Oh, and the Voice Access functionality in Windows 11 now has support for the Chinese language (for both Simplified and Traditional Chinese).

Remember, this is for Windows 11 23H2, and we haven’t yet seen the release of the new update for 24H2 (though it’s likely imminent, and it’ll probably turn up later today). It should carry these same changes, and perhaps more besides.

(Image credit: Future / Jasmine Mannan) Analysis: Caution > Valor with preview updates, especially as the wait for full release won’t be long

This is a very worthwhile update, then, given its accessibility improvements and that gamepad keyboard. The latter is going to be very handy for those running Windows 11 on a gaming handheld (and it’s a sign that Microsoft is still perhaps thinking about that full-on handheld mode for Windows 11, which has been rumored for some time).

It’s also good to have the spec cards present, and I can’t believe how quickly these have transformed from a hidden feature not even visible in testing to going through into an optional update. I guess it’s a relatively easy piece of work to implement (it must’ve been), although the FAQ section – providing tailored advice, which as noted, isn’t present yet – is going to be the key element (as I recently discussed). With any luck, that extra feature will be incorporated here before too long.

If you’re keen to see this shiny new stuff, I should caution you that installing a preview update isn’t without potential perils. These features remain in testing, and could still be wonky, even if it is the very last stage of testing, and nothing’s too likely to be seriously awry (those could be famous last words, of course).

Generally, unless you’re super-stoked for one of the above features, I’d wait until next month for the full release. That’s when this preview update will become the April cumulative update for Windows 11, and that’s not far off now (it’ll be April 8, so it’s an early debut for the upgrade next month).

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• Upcoming life sim game inZOI has hit the top of the Steam wishlist charts
• It's currently ahead of Hollow Knight: Silksong and Deadlock
• It comes to PC in early access on March 28

The excitement around the upcoming life sim game inZOI seems to know no bounds as it shoots to the top of the Steam wishlist charts.

According to publisher Krafton, the game amassed more than 50,000 new followers in a single week - a seriously impressive figure that would suggest the game is on track to become one of the biggest releases of the year.

This certainly goes to show that there is a lot of pent up demand in the life sim market, which has been almost entirely dominated by the The Sims series from Electronic Arts (EA) for two decades.

The latest major instalment in that franchise, The Sims 4, launched all the way back in 2014. Although it has received a steady stream of free updates an countless paid downloadable content (DLC) packs over the years, many players now want a full-on sequel with more modern features but there is no indication that this is in the works at EA.

If you head over to the Steam Top Wishlists page, you can see that inZOI is currently sitting just ahead of hugely anticipated titles including the long-awaited indie sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong, Valve's own Deadlock, and Elden Ring Nightreign. It's also substantially ahead of the likes of Doom: The Dark Ages, Dying Light: The Beast, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, and much more.

inZOI is set to release in early access on March 28, 2025. Developer Inzoi Studio has confirmed that it will cost $39.99 throughout the early access period, which is expected to last for over a year. The game will then come to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.

Is it worth getting excited for?

On paper, inZOI looks like a perfect successor to The Sims, with almost photorealistic visuals and loads of customization options. Many fellow life sim fans seem to be looking forward to it a great deal, though I would personally suggest tempering your expectations somewhat.

I've had to opportunity to play an early build throughout the last couple of weeks and I was ultimately quite disappointed with it. Everything here would be a great foundation, especially the pretty visuals and superb character creation plus building mechanics, but there's not much proper meat to keep you entertained during day-to-day life.

Throw in some annoying glitches and you have a game that would likely be a lot more enjoyable after a substantial patch or two. Of course, this isn't too unusual when it comes to early access products, and I'm optimistic that inZOI will improve a great deal over the coming weeks and months.

Just don't expect anything too ground-breaking if you plan to dive in on day one.

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• Google Chrome has patched its first zero-day flaw of the year
• The bug allowed cyber-espionage, primarily against targets in Russia
• Kaspersky researchers thanked for finding bug, and users told to update now

Google has fixed a high-severity zero-day vulnerability in its Chrome browser that was being exploited in the wild.

In a security advisory, the company described the bug as an “incorrect handle provided in unspecified circumstances in Mojo on Windows”.

The flaw is tracked as CVE-2’25-2783, and it’s yet to be given a severity score. Google just lists it as “high” in its advisory. It was fixed with version 134.0.6998.178 that already rolled out, so make sure to double-check if you’ve already received it.

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Operation ForumTroll

The company did not detail who the attackers, or the victims, are, and just said it will restrict access to bug details and links until the majority of users update their browsers. It did, however, thank two Kaspersky researchers - Boris Larin and Igor Kuznetsov, for uncovering the flaw.

In a separate report, Kaspersky said the vulnerability was being used to escape the browser’s sandbox and deploy malware against targets in Russia.

The researchers spotted it while investigating a "spike in infections" from a previously unknown malware strain, Cyberinsider reported.

The campaign involves phishing, redirecting victims to primakovreadings[dot]info. The entire campaign was dubbed Operation ForumTroll and apparently, the goal is to conduct cyber-espionage.

Kaspersky also said Operation ForumTroll attackers also used a separate vulnerability to enable remote code execution on compromised endpoints. However, patching the Chrome flaw breaks the entire infection chain.

​"While research is still ongoing, but judging by the functionality of the sophisticated malware used in the attack, Kaspersky says the attackers' goal was likely espionage," Kaspersky said.

"The malicious emails contained invitations supposedly from the organizers of a scientific and expert forum, 'Primakov Readings,' targeting media outlets, educational institutions and government organizations in Russia. Based on the content of the emails, we dubbed the campaign Operation ForumTroll."

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Kiwi design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap: One-minute review

At $99.99 / £82.00 / AU$161 this Kiwi design H4 Boost Halo Battery strap is not cheap. But if you use your VR headset frequently it could be a worthwhile upgrade to your Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S – it’s already become my favorite Quest 3 accessory.

The built-in battery – the main reason to buy this strap – boasts a 5,300mAh capacity, which is a little more than the battery life of either the Quest 3 or Quest 3S. This doubles your VR and MR sessions, an advantage anyone who has ever had to cut a session far too short because their battery ran out will appreciate.

Beyond direct utility, the battery strap helps improve your Quest setup’s comfort to some degree as it serves as a counterweight to the headset proper and includes front and back padding. With its adjustable hard plastic mechanism, the strap will also remain comfortably attached to your head providing a more stable fit than the strap you get with your Meta Quest 3.

The only downside is that the strap weighs 446g, which is about 60g shy of what the Quest headsets weigh on their own. So while the battery is useful, a non-battery-equipped head strap like the H4 Halo Comfort (which is otherwise identical to the H4 Boost Halo) could be a better pick if you find your headset is heavy enough as it is.

(Image credit: Future) Kiwi design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap: Price

• Normally costs $99.99 / £82.00 / AU$161
• Regularly on sale for less

At $99.99 / £82.00 / AU$161 this Kiwi design H4 Boost Halo Battery strap is not cheap. But if you use your VR headset frequently this cost could be worthwhile as the strap effectively doubles how long you can use your Quest 3 for between charges.

What’s more, Kiwi design’s accessories are frequently on sale on Amazon and its store. We’ve seen it drop as much as 40% during sales so it’s worth waiting for a discount unless you’re desperate for a Quest 3 upgrade.

• Value score: 4

Kiwi design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap: Design

• Comfy and secure Meta Quets 3 or 3S headstrap
• Doubles your Quest headset's battery life

(Image credit: Future)

The Kiwi design H4 Boost Battery Halo head strap can easily replace the base head strap included with your Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S – just unclip and unloop the original, and attach the H4 in its place – and it’s a near-total upgrade.

First, the hard plastic strap is adjustable and has cushioning on the back and front of your head which combine to create a more secure and comfy setup than the basic Quest head strap. Second, and more importantly, it comes equipped with a battery that increases how long you can use your Quest 3 between charges and can be easily connected to your headset via a built-in USB-C cable.

The battery – which is housed at the back of the head strap and serves as a counterweight to the headset proper, improving comfort – boasts a 5,300mAh capacity.

This is just over the battery capacity of both the Quest 3S (4,324 mAh) and Quest 3 (4,879 mAh) so your headset’s battery life will more than double; if you got 2 hours of usage out of your Quest you’ll now get 4 hours.

Best of all, with your headset hooked up to the battery pack you can use a USB-C cable to charge the pack and headset simultaneously, and fairly quickly, too. Kiwi design promises that a 45W charger can restore 60% charge to your headset and 65% to the strap in an hour.

(Image credit: Future)

In my experience, the setup does recharge fairly speedily, and the extended battery is more than enough to game for a whole evening without needing to take a break for my headset to recharge – which is a frustration I’ve dealt with in the past.

The only notable downside is that at 446g this head strap is just 60g lighter than either the Quest 3 or Quest 3S on their own, doubling your setup’s weight as well as its battery life. If you already find your headset is too heavy as is then adding this strap could be a bad idea.

However, during my testing, I never had trouble wearing the H4 Boost Halo Battery strap for an extended play session, so I expect many VR users won’t struggle too much with it either.

• Design score: 5/5

Should you buy the Kiwi design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap? Buy it if…

You wish your headset could go the distance
If two hours of battery life per charge is never enough, then this battery strap will go a long way to solving your Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S woes.

You want comfort
If the regular Quest 3 head strap isn’t comfy or secure enough for you then you’ll appreciate the cushioning and adjustable design of the Kiwi design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap.

Don’t buy it if…

You use your headset infrequently
The H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap is excellent, but it’s not good value if you use your VR headset infrequently. If you’re new to VR wait and see how often you use it before upgrading to this head strap.

You find your headset too heavy already
This strap effectively doubles the weight of your Quest 3 setup. The battery acts as a counterweight to keep it from feeling too uncomfortable, but it’s something to consider if headset weight is already an issue for you.

How I tested the Kiwi design H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap

To put this strap through its paces I used it for a few weeks with my Meta Quest 3 and made sure to swap back to the base strap every so often to get a sense of the advantages and disadvantages of each design. I also compared it to the Razer head strap and the K4 Battery strap from Kiwi to judge its effectiveness against other third-party headsets.

Read more about how we test.

• First reviewed March 2025

Kiwi design K4 Boost Battery strap: One-minute review

This battery-equipped head strap might not be as impressive as Kiwi design’s H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap from a design perspective, but it still ticks many boxes.

It boasts a 5,300mAh battery capacity – effectively doubling the battery life of your Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S – and the padding and adjustable plastic deliver a secure yet comfortable fit that’s an upgrade on the default fabric strap that would have arrived with your VR headset.

Best of all, it costs only $69.99 / £57 / AU$113. As such, it’s a relatively affordable option and the perfect choice for first-time or more casual Meta Quest users who aren’t ready to splash out on top-of-the line upgrades, but still want something worthwhile.

The only negative of note is that at 358g this strap weighs about 70% of what the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S each weigh on their own. So, if you’ve been struggling with the headset’s weight already then this will add over half as much weight again and could make your VR system unmanageable.

(Image credit: Future) Kiwi design K4 Boost Battery strap: Price

• Usually costs $69.99 / £57 / AU$113
• Typcially discounted during sales like Black Friday and Prime

You can pick up the Kiwi design K4 Boost Battery Strap from Kiwi design’s official store or Amazon for $69.99 / £57 / AU$113 – although it can regularly be found at a discount through both outlets.

At this price, the K4 is a more affordable battery strap for your Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S – being cheaper than Kiwi’s own H4 strap, and Meta’s official Elite Strap with battery.

• Value score: 5

(Image credit: Future) Kiwi design K4 Boost Battery strap: Design

• Like an upgraded version of the official Meta Quest 3 Elite strap with battery
• Just over doubles your Meta Quest 3 headset's battery life

The K4 Boost Battery Strap shares several design similarities with the official Meta Quest 3 Elite Strap with Battery. It’s a hard plastic strap with a battery at the rear, which can be adjusted to fit the size of your head. The hard plastic with padding ensures the design delivers a secure yet comfortable fit on your head; it feels significantly more solid on the head over the fabric strap the Quest 3 headset comes with in its box.

There are some differences between this and the official plastic battery strap, however. The first is that the head strap is padded for additional comfort, and the other is the Kiwi design has a hinge half way along each side.

Not only does this hinge help you to find a better position for the strap on your head; it means you can more easily put on and take off the headset without putting stress on the arms as it just folds up.

I had previously used an official Elite Strap with my Meta Quest 2, but it snapped on one side – roughly where the K4’s hinge is positioned – following just a few months’ use. Based on the K4 Boost Battery Strap’s design then, I expect it to be more durable.

As for the battery itself, beyond serving as a counterweight to the front of the headset, helping improve the comfort of your setup, the 5,300mAh unit will more than double the length of time for which your Meta Quest setup can be used. The Quest 3S features a 4,324mAh capacity battery and Quest 3 a 4,879mAh battery, so with the K4 supplying an extra 5,300mAh, you can expect to run each device for just over double the time.

(Image credit: Future)

What’s more, while the K4’s battery pack is hooked up to your Quest 3 using the built-in USB-C cable, you can use your Quest’s USB-C charger to refuel both the headset and strap simultaneously. Kiwi design promises that a 45W charger can restore 60% charge to your headset and 65% to the strap in an hour – just like its H4 battery strap – by dividing 22.5W of power between the battery and headset.

The only downside to consider here is that the battery isn’t light. At 358g, the K4 strap weighs about 70% of the Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S on their own. It’s lighter than some battery straps, and from my experience makes up for the weight with added comfort. However, if you already struggle with the weight of either headset then you may prefer Kiwi’s K4 Comfort Strap (which is identical except it lacks the built-in battery).

In addition, the K4 Boost Battery Strap doesn’t offer as much in the way of adjustments as more high-end options such as the H4 Boost Halo Battery Strap – which includes an adjustable front cushion, for example. However, the latter is also more expensive, so this is to be expected.

• Design score: 4/5

Should you buy the Kiwi design K4 Boost Battery strap? Buy it if…

You’re on a budget
If you want an affordable but capable battery strap then this is one of the best options we’ve tried.

You want to stay in VR for longer
This battery strap effectively doubles the battery life of a Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S, meaning you’ll be able to play VR and MR games for longer.

Don’t buy it if…

Your Quest 3 feels too heavy already
This battery strap weighs about 70% of a Quest 3 or Quest 3S headset alone, so you may prefer the K4 Comfort instead, which comes without the battery.

You demand something high-end
This strap lacks some of the adjustability of slightly more high-end VR headset straps.

How I tested the Kiwi design K4 Boost Battery Strap

To test the Kiwi design K4 Boost Battery Strap thoroughly, I attached it to my Meta Quest 3S and used it as my primary head strap on that headset for a few weeks. I also made sure to swap between the K4 and the base strap to compare, while also pitting against the Razer head strap and the Kiwi design H4 Boost Halo Battery strap (which was attached to my Meta Quest 3) to contrast different third-party options.

Read more about how we test.

• First reviewed March 2025

Kiwi design G4 Pro Performance Controller Grips: One-minute review

I’ve fallen in love with the Kiwi design G4 Pro Performance Controller Grips since outfitting my Meta Quest 3’s controllers with them (they’re also compatible with the identical Meta Quest 3S handsets). They offer a thorough improvement over the naked controllers – especially for fitness apps and more active VR games like Beat Saber – and I don’t think I could ever go back to standard controllers.

The textured silicone surface is easier to grip than the bare plastic, the side strap more securely attaches the controllers to my hands, and the battery hatch ensures it’s easy to replace the controller’s battery as and when needed.

(Image credit: Future)

That said, for all my praise I’m well aware that these grips fall into that luxury add-on category. Not because they’re particularly pricey – they’re just $39.99 / £29.99 / AU$65 – but because I don’t think these grips are something everyone with a VR headset needs to own.

If you use your Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S fairly regularly and have already upgraded it with a silicone facial interface (and maybe a battery head strap too), then the G4 Pro Performance Controller Grips are a solid next step. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a gift that isn’t just Meta Quest Store credit for someone you know who loves their Meta Quest 3, then these grips are an ideal purchase.

Otherwise, while the grips are great, people who use their headset infrequently would be better served spending their money on great Quest 3 software instead.

Kiwi design G4 Pro Performance Controller Grips: Price

• Normally cost $39.99 / £29.99 / AU$65 for a pair
• Often discounted during sale events like Prime Day

(Image credit: Future)

The Kiwi design G4 Pro Performance Controller Grips are available in the US, UK and Australia for $39.99 / £29.99 / AU$65 from Amazon or Kiwi’s own store, although they’re regularly available for less with discounts and limited-time vouchers. It’s worth checking both sites as you might find one has the accessory for a lot cheaper than the other.

This means they’re not overly pricey, but are in the same ballpark as an AA VR game – or a couple of indie titles. I’ll get into why the G4 Pro Performance grips are fantastic in a minute but at this price, I believe people who are complete newcomers to VR or only wear their Meta Quest 3 every so often would generally be better off buying software instead of these grips.

• Value score: 3

Kiwi design G4 Pro Performance Controller Grips: Design

• Effective Meta Quets 3 or 3S controller grips
• Perfect for active games like Just Dance VR or Supernatural

The main design advantage of Kiwi’s G4 Pro Performance Controller Grips is that they make it much easier to, well, grip your controller securely during a VR session. The silicone covering provides more friction between your hand and the controller, so you’re less likely to accidentally let go when swinging your arms around compared to the naked plastic. The adjustable side strap replaces the flimsy cord you get in the Meta Quest box to more securely attach the handsets to your hands.

I’ve found this is especially useful for active fitness games and apps with a lot of movement like Just Dance VR or Supernatural.

(Image credit: Future)

What I particularly like is that you can completely let go of the controller and the strap will still keep it pressed against your palm. So if you’ve ever found it awkward or slightly strange immersion-wise to let go of a virtual object without completely letting go of your controller, this grip’s design could help you out a lot.

An issue I was anticipating with the grips is that the silicone would make it significantly harder to access the Quest controllers’ batteries whenever they need replacing. Thankfully, Kiwi design thought ahead with a built-in battery hatch. A custom plastic battery cover replaces the default Quest controllers’ covers to add a window and pull cord – if you run this cord under the battery you can later tug it to easily free the cell from its cage – then a hatch built into the silicone can be peeled back to reveal the battery without removing the grip.

These simple yet effective design features make the grips a delight to use and a complete upgrade on the base Meta Quest controllers.

• Design score: 5/5

Should you buy the Kiwi design G4 Pro Performance Controller Grips?

(Image credit: Future) Buy it if…

You love VR
If you use your Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S regularly then these grips are worth picking up.

You’re getting a Meta Quest 3 user a gift
I think these G4 Pro grips might be the perfect gift for a Meta Quest 3 user as they’re something I can’t see someone buying for themselves, but they’ll love using them when they get a pair.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re a VR newbie
You don’t need to get the perfect VR setup right away. Use your Quest 3 for a bit, see how often you put it on, and if you’re convinced you still need to upgrade, then consider picking these grips up.

You don’t own a Quest 3 or 3S
These grips are designed to fit Meta Quest 3 or 3S controllers. So even if your handsets look really similar you’ll probably find these grips don’t fit and will be a wasted purchase.

How I tested the Kiwi design G4 Pro Performance Controller Grips

To test these Kiwi design G4 Pro Performance Controller Grips I put them onto my Quest 3 controllers and used them for a few weeks in a wide variety of different VR games. I’d also make sure to swap between my Quest 3 and Quest 3S – which still uses naked controllers – to compare the experience.

Read more about how we test.

• First reviewed March 2025

• Xbox is testing a new feature known as Game Hubs
• It displays a one-stop dashboard for your game when you attempt to launch it
• Game Hubs are currently available to just a small number of Xbox Insiders

If you're part of the Xbox Insider program on Xbox Series X|S consoles, you might have been rolled into the testing of a new feature known as Game Hubs.

As reported by VGC, Game Hubs are appearing for Insiders when choosing a game to launch. Game Hubs are unique to the game you're choosing to play, and appear as a sort of dashboard before launching the game.

The hub displays information including total play time and achievements earned for each individual game. There are also tabs for quick access to DLC purchases and any screenshots you've captured.

According to VGC, some Hubs - like one for Disney Dreamlight Valley - may also show an 'Events' section which will detail upcoming or current in-game events. Presumably, such sections will show up in popular live service titles like Monster Hunter Wilds or Fortnite.

At present, the feature is only available to a select number of Xbox Insiders, and it's not yet known if or when it'll roll out to the wider Xbox user base.

Personally, it's a feature I've got mixed feelings on. It's certainly handy to have a one-stop dashboard for each game - PS5 games have a similar layout on the home dashboard.

However, I feel the PS5 implementation is less intrusive, as all this information is presented without opening up a separate menu. I'm also not a huge fan of having a good portion of the Game Hub dashboard dedicated to the display of downloadable content.

This will seemingly be on a game-by-game basis of course, and Game Hubs appear to default to the 'Play' button without exception. So at least you can still jump right into a game when they're implemented.

And with the way the Xbox dashboard is designed, this was probably the best way to add such a feature without doing a total user interface overhaul. For now, I'll reserve judgment until I get to try out Game Hubs for myself.

But I can't shake the feeling that it'll be a feature that I'll want to disable fairly swiftly.

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