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A leading expert has raised critical questions about the validity of claims surrounding "Zettascale" and "Exascale-class" AI supercomputers.

In an article that delves deep into the technical intricacies of these terms, Doug Eadline from HPCWire explains how terms like exascale, which traditionally denote computers achieving one quintillion floating-point operations per second (FLOPS), are often misused or misrepresented, especially in the context of AI workloads.

Eadline points out that many of the recent announcements touting "exascale" or even "zettascale" performance are based on speculative metrics, rather than tested results. He writes, "How do these 'snort your coffee' numbers arise from unbuilt systems?" - a question that highlights the gap between theoretical peak performance and actual measured results in the field of high-performance computing. The term exascale has historically been reserved for systems that achieve at least 10^18 FLOPS in sustained, double-precision (64-bit) calculations, a standard verified by benchmarks such as the High-Performance LINPACK (HPLinpack).

Car comparison

As Eadline explains, the distinction between FLOPS in AI and HPC is crucial. While AI workloads often rely on lower-precision floating-point formats such as FP16, FP8, or even FP4, traditional HPC systems demand higher precision for accurate results.

The use of these lower-precision numbers is what leads to inflated claims of exaFLOP or even zettaFLOP performance. According to Eadline, "calling it 'AI zetaFLOPS' is silly because no AI was run on this unfinished machine."

He further emphasizes the importance of using verified benchmarks like HPLinpack, which has been the standard for measuring HPC performance since 1993, and how using theoretical peak numbers can be misleading.

The two supercomputers that are currently part of the exascale club - Frontier at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Aurora at Argonne National Laboratory - have been tested with real applications, unlike many of the AI systems making exascale claims.

To explain the difference between various floating-point formats, Eadline offers a car analogy: "The average double precision FP64 car weighs about 4,000 pounds (1814 Kilos). It is great at navigating terrain, holds four people comfortably, and gets 30 MPG. Now, consider the FP4 car, which has been stripped down to 250 pounds (113 Kilos) and gets an astounding 480 MPG. Great news. You have the best gas mileage ever! Except, you don’t mention a few features of your fantastic FP4 car. First, the car has been stripped down of everything except a small engine and maybe a seat. What’s more, the wheels are 16-sided (2^4) and provide a bumpy ride as compared to the smooth FP64 sedan ride with wheels that have somewhere around 2^64 sides. There may be places where your FP4 car works just fine, like cruising down Inference Lane, but it will not do well heading down the FP64 HPC highway."

Eadline’s article serves as a reminder that while AI and HPC are converging, the standards for measuring performance in these fields remain distinct. As he puts it, "Fuzzing things up with 'AI FLOPS' will not help either," pointing out that only verified systems that meet the stringent requirements for double-precision calculations should be considered true exascale or zettascale systems.

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Garr's breakout role was as sexy Inga in Young Frankenstein. She earned an Oscar nomination for her role in the 1982 film Tootsie, and played Phoebe's mom on the sitcom Friends.

(Image credit: Frederick M. Brown)

If you're like me and have broken your phone on more than one occasion, these credit cards could come in handy.

Bitwarden has sought to calm user backlash in the wake of source code changes that had raised concerns among users.

Phoronix readers recently flagged concerns about the company's apparent shift away from an open source model. The password manager platform has traditionally operated on a ‘freemium’ model, providing some code as open source.

But a pull request earlier in October 2024 raised eyebrows due to the fact the Bitwarden client introduced a “bitwarden/sdk-internal” dependence to the desktop client.

Bitwarden changes

The firm’s license statement noted: “You may not use this SDK to develop applications for use with software other than Bitwarden (including non-compatible implementations of Bitwarden) or to develop another SDK.”

This statement in particular prompted speculation that the move could mean the Bitwarden client would no longer be freely available to users, with a GitHub issue further fueling speculation over the rumored move.

It looks like this is part of a deliberate campaign by Bitwarden to fully transition Bitwarden to proprietary software, despite consistently advertising it as open source, without informing customers about this change,” one user wrote.

“For wherever the opinion of one user is worth, I’ve switched away from Bitwarden due to this.”

While initial concerns were raised, Bitwarden has since clarified the issue. In a comment on GitHub, Bitwarden founder and CTO Kyle Spearrin sought to calm user concerns, commenting this was the result of a ‘packaging bug’.

Spearrin confirmed that Bitwarden has “made some adjustments” to how the SDK code is organized and packaged. This will allow users to continue building and running the app with only GPL/OSI licenses included, Spearrin added.

“The sdk-internal package references in the clients now come from a new sdk-internal repository, which follows the licensing model we have historically used for all of our clients,” he said.

“The sdk-internal reference only uses GPL licenses at this time. If the reference were to include Bitwarden License code in the future, we will provide a way to produce multiple build variants of the client, similar to what we do with web vault client builds,” Spearrin added.

Following the move, the original sdk repository will be renamed to ‘sdk-secrets’, Spearrin revealed. This will retain its existing Bitwarden SDK License structure for the platform’s secrets manager business products.

“The sdk-secrets repository and packages will no longer be referenced from the client apps, since that code is not used there."

Open source licensing concerns continue

While Spearrin and Bitwarden have since clarified the changes, user concerns over a potential shift away from open source licensing aren’t without justification.

A host of open source solutions providers in recent years have made shock moves away from open licensing to more restrictive terms of use, such as MongoDB.

In 2023, HashiCorp sparked criticism from some industry stakeholders after it changed its source code license to the Business Source License (BSL).

More recently, Redis again prompted criticism when it revealed future Redis releases were to be made available under RSALv2 (Redis Source Available License) and SSPLv1 (Server Side Public License) licenses.

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Maine has pretty good solar incentives. Here's what to know before deciding to go solar.

I used to only recommend the Deco X90 as an upgrade pick, but it's come down significantly in price.

Turtle Beach has announced the Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot, a brand-new wireless smart controller that features unique rotating button modules.

Launching on November 26, the Turtle Beach Stealth Pivot will cost $129.99 / £119.99 and, while the smart controller works both wirelessly and in wired mode for Windows PCs, it's designed specifically for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One. Pre-orders for the controller are now open.

The standout feature of the Stealth Pivot is its unique, rotating thumbstick and button control modules. They offer precise and enhanced control that can be switched depending on the game, whether it's first-person shooters, action, or racing games.

According to Turtle Beach, one layout provides traditional PC and Xbox pad controls, and the modules can be easily rotated and locked back into place to produce a stick-and-button layout more suitable for fighting games.

Crafted from premium materials, including built-in Hall effect sensors in the rotating control modules, users will be able to fully customize their controller from an extensive list of options available.

It also boasts Bluetooth 5.2, which is compatible with Android devices and smart TVs, a 20-hour wireless battery life, "lag-free" connectivity on PC using the 2.4GHz wireless transmitter, and anti-drift thumbsticks for smoother gameplay.

The controller's D-pad is also customizable and can be set to classic digital input, and there are four mappable quick-action buttons with the "Pro-Aim" feature, along with a "Quick-Slide Switch" for in-game adjustments.

"Turtle Beach’s Stealth Pivot delivers a new level of innovation in controllers by giving gamers the ability to play more of their favorite games using one controller," said Cris Keirn, CEO of Turtle Beach Corporation.

"The Stealth Pivot’s unique rotating modules that switch between traditional, fighting game, FPS, and MMO button and stick layouts is an industry-first, and its premium design and compatibility with PC, Xbox, and via Bluetooth make it a great controller for playing more games on more platforms."

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Leica Q3 43: two-minute review

You know a camera’s special when you don’t want to return it after a review. Almost as soon as I got it in my hands, I knew that would be the case with the Leica Q3 43. To call this one of the best compact cameras is to do it a serious disservice: we’ve already waxed lyrical about how incredible the Q3 model is in our full Leica Q3 review – and this edition shares the same core qualities.

All of the Leica hallmarks are here: beautiful design, stunning build quality, and tactile handling. You get a powerful 60.3MP full-frame sensor, comfortably the most capable you’ll find in any compact camera, with support for 8K 30p video. You also get the same niggles as the standard Q3, including relatively average battery life and autofocus that’s bettered elsewhere. And, of course, there’s the eye-watering Leica price tag.

What sets this edition apart is the glass. This is still a fast, fixed-focal length affair, but the clue with the 43 is in the name: it’s fronted by a 43mm prime lens that’s meant to mimic the natural perspective of your eyes. Wider than 35mm, tighter than 50mm, that focal length offers an unusual field of view which somehow feels instantly and intuitively familiar.

(Image credit: Future)

Even more so than the standard Q3, the Q3 43 feels like the perfect everyday camera. Set aside the cost factor and you’ve got a sublime camera with a focal length that really invites you to view the world, and which also gives you the tools to capture it effectively. With a fast f/2 aperture at its widest, the specially designed APO-Summicron lens nails all of the benchmarks: beautifully smooth bokeh, minimal distortion, and absolutely pin-sharp detail.

That, combined with the high-resolution sensor, makes the Q3 43 a camera that's at home in almost any scenario. Having shot with it for a week, the 43mm focal length lends itself wonderfully to street portraiture, producing stills with a real sense of intimacy. Should you need to re-frame, you have a whole lot of pixels to play with.

There are many things that make the Leica Q3 43 truly unique. No other compact ships with a 43mm prime lens. And you don’t find too many cameras of any description with a 60MP full-frame sensor inside, let alone one that looks and feels this good to shoot with. In short, the Q3 43 is everything a compact camera should be. If you can afford its inordinate price tag, it’s one you’ll never want to leave home without.

(Image credit: Future) Leica Q3 43: Specs Leica Q3 43: Price and availability

• Launched on 26 September 2024
• Priced at $6,295 / £5,900 / AU$11,890

The Leica Q3 43 was released on 26 September 2024. It’s priced at $6,295 / £5,900 / AU$11,890, which means it will set you back more than many of the best mirrorless cameras. It’s an undeniably premium piece of kit with niche appeal. Red-dot cameras never come cheap, and what you’re paying for here goes beyond the spec sheet; it’s the Leica design, build quality, and shooting experience.

The 43 is slightly more expensive than the standard Leica Q3, which is priced at $5,995 / £5,300 / AU$9,790. At this end of the price spectrum, though, you won’t be choosing between the two cameras based on cost. Instead, it’ll come down to whether you’d prefer your full-frame Leica compact with a 28mm or 43mm focal length.

Leica Q3 43: Design

• Identical body to the Leica Q3
• Modern, minimalist design
• Tactile controls and tilting touchscreen

Besides the lens, everything about the 43 is physically identical to the Leica Q3. That means you get the same weighty, magnesium die-cast construction, with the same beautifully pared-back design and the same wonderfully tactile control layout. There’s nothing quite like it at any price point, and you really have to hold the Q3 43 in your hands to appreciate the way it feels.

Everything about this camera is premium, from the weighting of the body to the perfectly judged resistance of the control rings. This is a camera that you want to handle, and one that rewards you with satisfying physical feedback at every turn. The manual focus ring is just one example: it’s so enjoyable to use that you might forget the Q3 43 also has an excellent autofocus option. It's the same story with the macro ring, which twists to reveal a different set of markings for close-up focusing.

This is the kind of camera that you’ll come back to, when it’s sitting on your kitchen counter or entrance hall table, just to pick it up and appreciate it. It's a camera that you’ll never want to leave home without – not only because you want to shoot stills with it, but because the Q3 43 makes it such a joy to do so.

That also extends to the interface, both physical and digital. Pressing and holding to customize buttons makes it easy to adapt the user experience to your liking, while the quick touch menu on the screen feels responsive and intuitive.

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That’s not to say it’s a perfect camera. Like the Leica Q3, the 43 has a small indentation on the rear which serves as a thumb rest, but the compact dimensions mean there isn’t much room for ergonomic sculpting – there are more comfortable cameras to grip over long periods.

As in our review of the Leica Q3, we also felt that the tilting touchscreen isn’t perfectly implemented. While it’s theoretically useful when you're shooting from the hip, it’s not the easiest display to pull out and adjust. During our time with the 43, we were more naturally drawn to the high-res 5.76m-dot viewfinder.

Really, though, it’s very hard to pick fault with a camera that feels as good to use as the Q3 43. Shoot with it for a day, and you’ll wonder how you’ll ever fully enjoy a different camera again.

Leica Q3 43: Features and performance

• Phase detection autofocus
• Lens-based image stabilization
• Single SD UHS-II card slot

In most respects, the Leica Q3 43 shares its spec sheet with the Leica Q3. That includes the 60.3MP full-frame sensor, 8K 30p video recording, and Leica’s best phase-detection autofocus to date, complete with human tracking that’s broadly sticky. And like the Leica Q3, it also has some features which highlight its status as an everyday camera – albeit a very expensive one.

There’s the maximum burst speed of 15fps, which you can only use with the electronic shutter. You also get just one SD UHS-II card slot, while the lens-based image stabilization still can’t compete with the best. You can read more fully about how these features perform in our Leica Q3 review, but the takeaway is that this isn’t a camera with the outright performance to rival the best mirrorless cameras.

What you’re getting here is not a heavyweight workhorse, but a sublime tool for everyday use. That’s reflected in features such as Leica Looks: preset image styles which can be loaded via the Leica Fotos app over Wi-Fi, allowing less-experienced photographers to achieve different and dynamic effects with no editing. The original DNG files are kept, so it’s non-destructive.

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(Image credit: Future) Leica Q3 43: Image quality

• 60.3MP full-frame sensor
• Fixed 43mm f/2 prime lens
• Digital cropping up to 150mm

Where the Leica Q3 has an uncropped 28mm field of view similar to that of your smartphone’s primary camera, the 43 mimics human vision with its APO-Summicron 43mm f/2 ASPH lens. That gives you a slightly tighter crop than the more familiar 50mm prime, but a wider angle than the Q3, or any 35mm lenses you might have used. While it’s an unfamiliar number, it’s also an incredibly intuitive one.

By offering a natural, distortion-free view, that glass offers an intimate perspective. It’s one that invites you to look at the world and capture it, whether that’s a portrait, a street scene or something else entirely. Both when framing and reviewing what you’ve shot, there’s a sense of scenes being true to life, both in stills and video.

Specially designed for the 43, the APO-Summicron lens is tightly packaged and pin-sharp. Thanks to its fast f/2 aperture it’s capable of soft backgrounds and beautifully smooth bokeh, strengthening its credentials as a portrait star. We also detected minimal distortion in stills.

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Paired with the Q3 43's 60.3MP full-frame sensor, this is a lens that can produce stunning images in a whole range of scenarios, from high-contrast backlit portraits to detailed macro shots. Low light wasn’t an issue either: the lens and sensor pairing seemed able to gather a fair amount of light, and where it was necessary to bump up the ISO we didn’t notice a huge loss of detail in the fine grain of noise.

Like the Leica Q3, you have the option to apply a digital crop. This doesn’t alter the perspective or depth of field, but it does give you the versatility to frame in on subjects. Starting at 43mm, you can apply the digital crop all the way up to 150mm, which is notably tighter than the 90mm maximum of the Leica Q3. It’s a useful trick, although I would generally prefer to crop in after the fact. Helpfully, the crop is only applied to JPEG files, with the full area retained in DNG raw files.

On the standard setting, JPEG images out of the Q3 43 are pleasingly sharp and dynamic. Colors can feel a little understated, but there’s a realism to JPEG stills that nicely complements the 43mm field of view. That said, we’d always advise recording shots in both JPEG and Leica’s DNG format, to give yourself maximum editing flexibility.

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(Image credit: Chris Rowlands) Should I buy the Leica Q3 43?

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

You want the ultimate compact camera
With a high-resolution sensor, an incredibly sharp lens and a beautifully designed body, the Leica Q3 43 sets the benchmark for what a premium compact should look, feel, and shoot like.

You want a fresh, unique perspective
Giving a natural and intuitive perspective similar to that of the human eye, the 43mm prime lens is a unique proposition among premium compacts, offering a real sense of immersion.

You want to fall in love with photography again
Quite simply, the Leica Q3 43 is a sublime camera to shoot with. From the tactile handling to the familiar field of view, it’s exactly what photography should feel like.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on any kind of budget
The Q3 43 is a stunning camera in almost every respect, but you’ll also have to pay a hefty sum for the privilege of owning it. Its price tag will mean it stays in wish-list territory for most people.

You want different focal lengths
You can crop in on the 60.3MP sensor to simulate zoom up to 150mm, but you’ll need to look elsewhere if you want the genuine versatility of different focal lengths.

You shoot a lot of video

While it can record 8K footage at 30fps, recording limits, the absence of a 3.5mm input, and average image stabilization mean this is a camera for stills first and foremost.

How I tested the Leica Q3 43

(Image credit: Future)

• I used the camera for a week
• I shot more than 300 stills
• I took pictures in a range of conditions

Premium or not, the Leica Q3 43 is pitched as the kind of compact you’ll want to take with you everywhere – so that’s exactly what I did. With a loan period of only a week, I made the most of every day: it went wherever I went. That meant taking the 43 about town, on a drive to the beach, and just about everywhere else.

I shot more than 300 stills over the course of seven days, covering a whole range of scenes and conditions. That included the brightest sunlight that an autumn day in the UK could muster, the more familiar cloudy skies of September, the honey tones of the golden hour, and dark nights sat by a fire pit.

Because the 43mm prime lens is what distinguishes this edition from the standard Q3, I paid particular attention to how that felt when framing different subjects in different scenarios. That spanned taking portraits, street shots, landscapes, and close-ups, to get a full impression of how it feels to work with that unique frame of view.

First reviewed October 2024

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Salesforce has made its Agentforce platform open in general availability, bringing what the company says is the next generation of AI for businesses.

First unveiled at its Dreamforce 2024 event earlier this year, Agentforce marks a new way for companies to develop and build AI agents.

Available as part of the Salesforce platform, the company hopes Agentforce will go beyond current chatbots and copilot tools to offer customers a truly smart and personal experience.

Go go super Agentforce

“Agentforce is redefining what’s possible in business and beyond, ushering in a new era of AI abundance and limitless workforces that augment every employee, build deeper customer relationships and drive unprecedented growth and profitability,” said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO, Salesforce.

“Built on Salesforce’s trusted, fully customizable platform — seamlessly integrating enterprise data, metadata, AI models, workflows, security and applications — Agentforce is what AI was meant to be.”

Salesforce’s initial set of AI agents will focus on roles like sales reps, service agents, personal shoppers and sales coaches, with companies able to quick edit or customize for their specific needs.

Agentforce is designed to carry out many of the early stages of an interaction before producing a summary for a human agent to review and take further steps, with Salesforce saying the platform will free up human workers to focus on more rewarding workloads.

Besides a series of out-of-the-box agents based on Salesforce’s Atlas Reasoning Engine, customers can also customize and deploy their own agents with a low-code builder.

Salesforce confirmed that Agentforce Service Agent pricing starts at $2 per conversation.

Alongside the news, the company revealed new research claiming consumers can spend up to nine hours interacting with customer service trying to resolve a single issue, leading to major frustration and abandoned purchases and interactions.

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Full spoilers follow for Arcane season 1.

Arcane season 2 is almost here, folks. Nearly three years after its predecessor made its Netflix debut, the hit animated series' second and final chapter is – at the time of writing – less than two weeks away.

As the clock ticks down to Arcane's return, and in light of the three-year gap between seasons, I suspect you'll want a refresher on one of the best Netflix shows' cast roster. Below, I've rounded up everything you need to know about the nine individuals who are confirmed to appear in Arcane's second season. That includes the actors who'll voice them, a bit on each character's background, and where we find them heading into season 2.

Be warned: Major spoilers are incoming for Arcane season 1, so turn back now if you haven't watched every episode.

Hailee Steinfeld as Vi

Vi's loyalties are going to be tested throughout season 2 (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

One of Arcane's deuteragonists who's famous for wielding those giant Hextech gauntlets, Vi was one of three characters confirmed to return when the League of Legends (LoL) animated show was renewed for a second season in late 2021.

The older sister of Powder/Jinx, Vi is an "act first, think later" individual who usually lets her fists do the talking – a hot-headed approach that's landed her in hot water more than once in season 1. Based on Arcane season 2's first trailer, she'll join Caitlyn's (more on her later) brand-new elite Piltover Enforcers Squad, who'll supposedly be tasked with tracking down Jinx (again, more on her in a bit) after the latter's seemingly fatal Piltover council chamber attack. However, given the new footage on show in Arcane season 2's official trailer, and a Vi-starring clip revealed alongside season 2's release date in late September, Vi and Caitlyn's relationship will break down at some point next season.

As in season 1, Vi will be voiced by Hailee Steinfeld. An increasingly popular actor, Steinfeld has also voiced Gwen Stacey/Spider-Gwen in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Readers may also know her from Dickinson on Apple TV Plus, Hawkeye on Disney Plus, and Transformers spin-off film Bumblebee.

Ella Purnell as Jinx

Jinx is public enemy number one as we head into season 2 (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

Arcane's other main character, Jinx is Vi's younger sibling who, due to numerous traumatic events she suffered as a child, is plagued by regular psychotic episodes. These cause Jinx to make impulsive, reckless, and at times fatal decisions, such as her inadvertent murdering of surrogate father Silco in season 1 episode 8. 

Her attack on Piltover's council chamber in the final moments of last season's finale means she's the City of Progress' public enemy number one as we head into season 2. Based on a suspense-filled, Jinx-starring season 2 clip, Zaun's Chem Barons will be gunning for her too due to her affiliation to Silco, who the crime lords lost patience with before last season ended.

Jinx will be voiced once more by Ella Purnell, who's best known for playing Lucy MacLean in Amazon's TV adaptation of Bethesda's iconic video game franchise Fallout, aka one of the best Prime Video shows. She's also featured in Yellowjackets on Paramount Plus, and can currently be seen starring in dark comedy-thriller show Sweetpea on Sky and Now TV in the UK.

Katie Leung as Caitlyn

Caitlyn will be gunning for Jinx as soon as season 2 begins (Image credit: Netflix)

The third and final character confirmed to return as part of Arcane's season 2 renewal announcement in November 2021, Caitlyn will be on a revenge-fuelled mission to arrest Jinx if, as I've previously predicted, Caitlyn's mom Cassandra – one of Piltover's councillors – is confirmed to have perished in Jinx's council chamber attack.

Doing so will be a complicated endeavor, though – not least because Caitlyn's quest for vengeance will likely put her at odds with Vi. Fans have bought into their "will they, won't they" dynamic ever since they crossed paths in season 1 episode 4, and desperately want 'CaitVi' to get a happy ending before season 2's final credits roll. Indeed, it's one of eight big questions we all want before Arcane's second season ends. Whether they will, however, depends on how this season's story plays out.

Katie Leung, who some readers might also recognize as Cho Chang from the live-action Harry Potter movies, returns to portray Caitlyn. She's also set to play Lady Araminta Gun in Bridgerton season 4, which will surely catapult Leung into the limelight after years of underrated performances in other shows, such as The Wheel of Time and Nightsleeper.

Reed Shannon as Ekko

I'm hoping we get to see more of Ekko this season (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

"Oh, look who it is. The Boy savior!", Jinx cried before her creatively epic duel with former best friend Ekko in season 1 episode 7. One of Arcane's most underappreciated characters didn't get too much screen time last time around but, given his prominence in season 2's various teasers and this Batman-inspired stealth mission clip, it seems Ekko is going to have a much bigger role to play in Arcane's sophomore outing.

Indeed, not only is his alliance with Heimerdinger going to bear fruit for the undercity of Zaun (I hope, anyway), but the creation of Ekko's Zero Drive – a time-warping device that'll surely be of huge importance in season 2, as it is for gamers who play as Ekko in LoL – will cement him as one of this season's indispensable individuals.

Like the trio before him, Reed Shannon re-entered the voice recording booth to play Ekko. A gifted performer whose equally adept as a comedian and musician, Shannon's other most notable acting role came in The Wilds, a Prime Video survival drama series that ran for two seasons before it was unceremoniously cancelled.

Mick Wingert as Heimerdinger

Heimerdinger (left) has ambitions on helping Zaunites these days (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

A renowned albeit eccentric inventor who helped Piltover to flourish, the Yordle known as Heimerdinger no longer resides in the City of Progress after he was voted off Piltover's council in season 1 episode 6. Instead, the long-lived individual finds himself working in conjunction with Ekko to improve the lives of Zaunites. Season 2's numerous teasers confirm that he'll be putting his centuries-old body on the line to do so, too, with one blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment in the official trailer showing Heimerdinger getting a bit too close for comfort with a highly volatile object.

Tenacious and talented voice actor Mick Wingert, whose extensive back catalog is filled with roles in various video games, Marvel projects, and other animated and live-action films and shows, returns to portray Heimerdinger.

Amirah Vann as Sevika

Silco's second-in-command may join forces with Jinx in season 2 (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

With her serving as Silco's second-in-command (I'm not counting Jinx) before his death, some viewers may have expected Sevika to be suffering from an identity crisis as season 2 begins. Indeed, Silco's demise means his criminal empire has lost its leader, so Zaun won't just have to deal with the full weight of Piltover's law enforcers crashing down on it, but also an internal turf war as various factions fight for control of the undercity.

However, despite her clear dislike for Jinx, it seems – based on the aforementioned Jinx-starring clip and season 2's trailers – that Sevika will help Silco's adoptive daughter to unite Zaun and lead a revolution against its elitist contemporary. Of course, the footage spliced together for these videos could be misdirects but, if not Jinx, who else would Sevika lend her services to?

Regardless, Amirah Vann is on hand again to lend her vocal talents to Silco's former lieutenant. Best known for her work in How to Get Away With Murder on US cable network ABC, Vann has also starred in Apple's The Changeling series, The Fugitive on defunct streaming platform Quibi, and one of 2024's new Netflix movies in Shirley.

Ellen Thomas as Ambessa

I'm not convinced that Ambessa will be Arcane's main villain (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

A Noxian warlord who has eyes on acquiring Hextech for her brutal, expanionist empire nation, Ambessa – like Ekko – is being primed for a much more expansive role in Arcane season 2.

With her daughter and Piltover counciller Mel caught in the crossfire of Jinx's council chamber attack, the war-hungry Ambessa will likely join Caitlyn in leading the charge to locate Jinx. Of course, due to her country's imperialistic ambitions, she'll be looking to bring Piltover under Noxus' blood-red banner, too, which is evident in the footage we've seen prior in next season's arrival. That said, as is the case with Jinx, I don't think she'll be the arch-villain of the piece – and Arcane fans already have a magical theory about who the critically acclaimed show's Big Bad will be.

Ellen Thomas, who voiced LoL's newest champion in season 1's final two episodes, is back as Ambessa in the sequel season. UK viewers might recognize her from British soaps including EastEnders, but Thomas has played roles in a variety of other big-name shows, including Doctor Who.

Brett Tucker as Singed

The man who created Shimmer will return in season 2 (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

The antagonistic but incredibly intelligent chemist who created Shimmer, the addictive substance that flooded Zaun's streets under Silco's leadership, Singed's impact on this corner of Runeterra – the world LoL and Arcane are set in – cannot be understated.

Outside of him creating a new, terrifying threat that Zaun and Piltover will have to deal with – a gorgeous Arcane season 2 poster hints that a heroic, fan-favorite character will return as Singed's latest monstrous creation – it's unclear what role Singed will play this time. It'll be interesting to see if we learn more about his back story, too, in light of the revelation that he had a daughter who died before the events of Arcane. Just as he did last season, Brett Tucker (Station 19, Neighbours) will voice Singed.

Lenny Citrano as Smeech

Smeech is one of Zaun's many Chem Barons (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

The only confirmed 'newcomer' – he made a very brief, non-speaking role in season 1 episode 8, hence the quotation marks – to this season's cast so far, Smeech is a Yordle Chem Baron who leads the criminal gang known as the Scrap Hackers.

As with Singed, I don't know how integral he'll be to this season's plot. We know he'll find Jinx before the rest of Piltover and Zaun does, though, as he and his goons are seen doing so in the previously mentioned Jinx-starring season 2 clip. Nonetheless, according to Netflix's press image database, Lenny Citrano (Dutch, iCarly) will play Smeech throughout the show's final installment.

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XFX’s Speedster MERC 310 model of the AMD RX 7900 XTX GPU is falling in price across multiple retailer sites in the UK and US, amidst rumors of Nvidia’s imminent RTX 5000 series reveal.

It’s available for $879.99 (was $929.99) on Newegg in the US and £789.99 (was £899.99) on eBuyer in the UK - as an added bonus, the Newegg deal has a game bundle containing Unknown 9: Awakening and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. While the discounts are much better for PC gamers in the UK for now, we could see more price drops in the near future with AMD ditching high-end GPUs - not to mention the fact that Black Friday is now on the horizon.

This isn’t the first time that AMD’s top-of-the-line GPU’s price has dropped significantly in price, as we saw it fall below $850 for the first time ever earlier this year. This stands in direct opposition to Nvidia’s competing flagship GPU (the RTX 4090), which has seen much smaller discounts since its 2022 release - based on Nvidia’s current success, I expect this to continue with the RTX 5000 series GPUs, after the inevitable wave of post-release scalping.

It might be time to give AMD’s GPU a chance…

While it’s clear that Nvidia’s RTX 4080 Super and 4090 are more popular options, I’d say you shouldn’t scoff at the RX 7900 XTX. Perhaps, the most appealing aspect of Nvidia’s GPUs is DLSS, which when compared to AMD’s FSR has somewhat weaker image quality when utilizing its upscaling modes.

I don’t think this alone should be a reason to totally ignore the RX 7900 XTX, especially since it sits alongside the 4080 Super in gaming performance across a plethora of titles (even outperforming it in some). The major downside is its ray-tracing performance, which struggles to provide consistent frame rates at higher resolutions - conversely, Nvidia’s GPUs have nailed this, at least within the RTX 4000 series.

Fortunately, it provides high-level performance outside of ray-traced games, with consistent frame rates over 100fps at 4K when using FSR with Fluid Motion Frames (AMD’s software for generating and inserting additional frames, which has its own rival in Nvidia’s DLSS Frame Generation).

Even with Nvidia’s RTX 5000 series reveal no doubt coming sometime in the near future, there’s a high chance that prices for both of the brand’s current high-end GPUs will remain unchanged for now - at least, until Black Friday. If you aren’t too bothered by poor ray-tracing performance and can deal with the weaker performance of FSR in comparison to DLSS, the RX 7900 XTX is certainly worth a shot.

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Batman: Arkham Shadow is a masterclass in what a VR game should be. It thrusts you into an immersive experience with gameplay that encourages realistic fighting movement and interacting with your environment in ways a flat console title could never offer, and the narrative-driven mystery is packed with emotionally powerful scenes that’ll have you forgetting you aren’t really Bruce Wayne for a moment.

Review Info

Platform reviewed: Meta Quest 3
Available on: Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S
Release date: October 21, 2024

These elements culminate in an experience that I never wanted to put down. Every one of my Arkham Shadow play sessions would begin with me unplugging my fully charged Meta Quest 3, and end with me taking it off because my battery had hit zero.

The only letdown from this otherwise flawless VR game is Arkham Shadow is chocked full of glitches.

The vast majority are minor – visual defects here and there – and anything actually game-breaking is easily solved by resetting to the last generously doled-out checkpoint (meaning I lost at most 10s of progress any time I had to reload). However, a few bugs near the finale caused my game to crash partway through what felt like a significant flashback (when I rebooted the title I had skipped it, with no way to rewatch it) and the final challenging puzzle of the adventure became an utter frustration as I was forced to replay it half a dozen times because interactable items wouldn’t behave properly causing me to fail (with it only being solved by another hard reset).

Can you save Gotham? (Image credit: Meta / Camouflaj)

Batman: Arkham Shadow is easily up there with the best VR games ever, there are even arguments to be made that it’s the best VR game of all time. It's such a delightful experience I’d count it among the top games of 2024, period. Everyone with a Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S should play it whether they got it free with a recent headset purchase or not, and those of you who have previously dismissed VR should seriously consider getting a Quest 3 to try this game (and then explore everything else the platform has to offer like Vendetta Forever, Asgard’s Wrath 2, and Walkabout Mini Golf).

Unfortunately, the glitches have to knock it down a peg right now – which is why it’s not getting a five-star score despite my praise. I’m sure in a month or two when the holes have been patched it’ll be perfect, but as it stands today it’s not quite there.

Ready for a brawl

Now that I’ve frontloaded my only issue with Arkham Shadow, let’s get into everything that makes it special starting with combat.

Arkhamverse titles are defined by their fighting, a flowing dance of blows interspersed with combo finishers and gadget trickery. Beyond moving the camera from third to first person, Arkham Shadow is a perfect recreation of this system with fights feeling utterly thrilling.

To build up your combo you must do more than merely fling your arms wildly, instead like a boxer you must mix up your straight punches with hooks or a quick flurry of blows as the game instructs you. You’ll also want to dodge out of the way of attacks or punch to counter them and keep building your combo. And just like any other Batman game, you can rely on a well-timed Batarang or small explosive to disorientate your enemies to earn a few extra points in your combat scorecard and level up faster.

Leveling up allows you to upgrade your skills, armor, and gadgets – with my favorite being a quick takedown option for knife enemies that have you pull off a brutal finishing blow after dodging their swipes.

Arkham Shadow's combat is fantastic (Image credit: Meta / Camouflaj)

There’s also the iconic predator mode stealth sections in which Batman is encouraged to take a more discrete approach – silently taking enemies down by choking them out while they’re not looking or suspending them from perches.

These more puzzle-like combats require a mixture of patience and out-of-the-box thinking to solve them silently, though you can always rely on a quick smokescreen if stealth isn’t your forte.

Once you have mastered your predator and combat skills you can put them to the test in three bonus challenge scenarios respectively. They’re short and sweet but give you a chance to truly flex once you’ve unlocked every upgrade and finished the campaign.

Who is the Rat King?

Speaking of, while I’ll keep things spoiler-lite, know that the Arkham Shadow narrative is a treat – even Batman super fans will get caught up in the Cult of the Rat King mystery that will keep you guessing until the credits roll.

Best Bit

(Image credit: Meta / Camouflaj)

I adored the mystery of Arkham Shadow, even as an Arkhamverse and Batman fan I was caught off guard by the narrative's twists.

One big deviation Arkham Shadow takes from the rest of the series is a decent chunk of your time (I’d say about 15 to 20% of the game) is spent out of the suit. This gives you the chance to interact with members of Gotham City on a more human level, even RP as Bruce Wayne a bit with dialogue choices. This isn’t the Batman Telltale game, your actions won’t impact the story’s outcome at all, though it will change a few interactions and make it feel like you’re able to put your stamp on Batman.

Through its Batman, and non-Batman, encounters, Arkham Shadow does well to carve out its take on the series’ allies and Rogues Gallery too. Given the title's placement between Origins and Asylum developer Camouflaj is somewhat restricted in what it can and can’t do. Jim Gordon, for example, can’t be killed off because we know he survives into future entries.

You wouldn’t notice these constraints while playing, however. The compelling narrative has a believable flow, and Arkham Shadow finds time and space to show us a different side to the likes of Jim Gordon, Harleen Quinzel, Harvey Dent, and others while still making them feel like the characters we love (or love to hate).

While you can get more up close and personal with the Arkhamverse lore in this entry, fans of the series’ collectibles which reward you with bonus side-stories and background info will appreciate the litany of secrets hidden in Shadow.

There are Rat King Idols and Broadcasts to destroy, patient tapes to recover, memories of Arkham Origins to recollect, and carvings to decipher. Each is hidden just out of sight, behind a tricky puzzle, or requiring you to come back later once you’ve picked up a gadget in Asylum’s Metroidvania style.

Collectathons can feel tedious, but gathering up every item was a lot of fun with a really solid mix of puzzles relying on uniquely VR gameplay or simple brain teasers – or in some cases, not so simple.

Gathering them all as I did should mean Arkham Shadow will last you between 10 and 15 hours, which is about as long as the campaign of Arkham Asylum with a side quest or two thrown in.

Should you play Batman: Arkham Shadow? Play it if...

You've always wanted to be Batman
More so than any game before it Arkham Shadow turns you into Gotham's vigilante that'll leave you wanting to shout iconic quotes long into the night.

You have a Meta Quest 3
If you have a Quest 3 or Quest 3S even if you didn't get this title for free with your headset you need to play it ASAP.

Don't play it if

You hate glitches
Arkham Shadow is fun but darn glitchy. If you want a smooth experience wait for a few more patches then give it a try.View Deal

You get very easily motion sick
With no teleportation movement Arkham Shadow is a little inaccessible to VR newcomers and those of you who get easily motion sick. That said, I can struggle with motion sickness in VR too still, but this game's other comfort controls helped my enjoy hours long play sessions.View Deal

Accessibility

Like other VR games, Arkham Shadow requires a fair amount of movement. You can play it seated using the height calibration setting (though standing is more immersive), but you will need a full range of arm movement to engage with the combat and its mobility puzzles.

Additionally, this game can only be played with smooth control stick movement giving it a ‘Moderate’ score on Meta’s comfort scale. Even though I’m a VR veteran at this point I still get motion sickness very easily so this did worry me, however, I found that with the vignette turned to medium I was able to play for hours – literally the whole battery life of my Meta Quest 3 – without feeling sick. Absolute newcomers may want to get a little more used to VR before diving in quite so deeply, but from my experience, the lack of teleportation movement shouldn’t be a major accessibility issue.

How I tested Batman: Arkham Shadow

For this review of Batman: Arkham Shadow I achieved a 100% completion rate – that means I found every collectible and finished the story. I had intended to simply complete the main quest, but I found the experience so gripping I wanted to squeeze every last drop of Batman I could out of this title. I also played on Hard difficulty which provided a decent challenge. If you’ve played Arkham games or a few VR action titles before this is the level I’d recommend.

To review it I did try the game on my Meta Quest 3S, but the vast majority of the time I used my Meta Quest 3. It’s the standard headset outfitted with the Razer head strap and facial interface for added comfort – something I greatly appreciated during my hours-long play sessions.

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