I couldn’t get enough of Pokémon Champions at launch. The Nintendo Switch 2 pokémon battler was a game I’d been waiting for since its announcement and it was close to everything I hoped for— but after a couple of weeks I fell off.

Between a mixture of other games releasing, not always having my Switch 2 on me, and several real life commitments taking up my time, my quest to climb up through Mater rank petered out.

Now Champions has hit smartphones — launching on iOS and Android earlier this week — and the game feels more at home here than it ever did on Nintendo’s hardware. The quest to be the very best is back on.

There’s something somewhat surreal playing an official full-on Pokémon battling game on mobile, especially a mobile game that’s so microtransactions light compared to other Android and iOS releases from the franchise — it’s possible to spend real money on more storage space, teams and a Battle Pass for premium rewards, but nothing beyond cosmetics is exclusive to folks who pay up and the free-to-play experience is fantastic especially if you have transferred in critters from Pokémon Go or a mainline entry via Pokémon Home.

Despite this strangeness, Pokémon Champions works so well because any time your phone is connected to the internet (via wi-fi or a cell network) you can boot into a battle. I’ve battled on London’ tube while commuting to work, when kicking back in bed, while sat at a restaurant waiting for friends to arrive, and I might have snuck a game or two from my work desk….

Because this is all on a device you can slip into your pocket it’s super easier to pick up an impromptu game or two when the moment arises — there’s no prior thought or prep required compared to playing on a Switch. Wile the graphics are a little tuned down compared to what you’ll get on Switch 2, my experience so far has been very smooth on mobile.

I started out using my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 with the tablet-like inner display giving me a great view of battles even with menus sharing the screen, however I didn’t feel the experience was especially cramped when I switched to its smaller front display, or the screen of my Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

In fact, there was a strange nostalgia to using the Ultra, with the S Pen stylus making me feel like I was back in 2005 playing Pokémon Diamond on Nintendo DS.

No matter what Android or iOS device you have, the Pokémon Champions experience should feel like a delight and much more fulfilling than other free mobile games out there, but if my words so far aren’t enough to convince you to hop onto the ladder The Pokémon Company is sweetening the deal…

Let’s Go Raichu!

To celebrate the Android and iOS launch all players (who log in by September 1) will receive a free gift: Raichu and both of its Pokémon Legends Z-A DLC Mega Stones to mega evolve it into either Mega Raichu X or Mega Raichu Y.

Having fallen down the ladder in my hiatus I decided to climb back up to Master Rank using Raichu, and as some expected ahead of its debut Raichu Y and its No Guard ability is an absolute beast. A speedy special attacker with 100% accurate Zap Cannon and Focus Blast is a force to be reckoned with, and this pocket monster pairs very well into many of Champion’s biggest threats.

Life Orb Garchomp, or Raichu itself (with its un-mega evolved Lightning Rod ability), are two solid counters if you’re struggling against it on other teams, but I’ve found it’s a lot more fun to ride the Mega Raichu Y wave than try to fight it.

Mega Raichu X is nothing to sniff at, though in Champions’ current doubles meta — which is low on sleep control or future paradox pokémon — its ability to set up electric terrain isn’t super impactful. If/when the future paradoxes and threats like Amoonguss rear their head I see Raichu X finally emerging from hibernation.

That’s the joy of Champions’ approach so far. Slowly rolling out new ‘mons and items to mix things up often enough to keep the game fresh, but not yet so often to feel overwhelming for more casual fans.

If you’re still here I’m not sure what excuse you have. Go download Pokémon Champions, there’s nothing better you could be doing with your phone.

I recently downloaded the Star Fox demo from the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop and thought it had the smoothest, most perfectly-framed camera in gaming history. And you’d write hyperbolic sentences like that, too, if you’d also spent the last week wrestling with the nightmare that is its predecessor.

The Wii U’s Star Fox Zero should have been brilliant. Itself a reimagining of the beloved Star Fox 64 (similar to the upcoming remake), it was developed by Platinum Games, hot off the one-two punch of Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101 — both essential Wii U titles.

Miyamoto was personally involved, saying that Star Fox had skipped the Wii because they felt that it lacked a strong enough idea. Now, to its credit, Star Fox Zero has loads of ideas. Unfortunately, none of them are very good…

For fox sake

The brilliance of Star Fox 64 was its easy-to-learn, hard-to-master controls. It was simple and intuitive to fly your Arwing and blast enemies with lasers. Fun, too, which made the process of gradually getting good enough to avoid all incoming fire with somersaults and barrel rolls joyous.

The Wii U incarnation attempts to innovate by pretending that Star Fox was always missing a second screen. On your TV, you get a third-person view of the action while the Wii U gamepad screen shows the POV of the cockpit. In theory this is meant to simultaneously give you the advantages of a wider view and a more zoomed-in sharpshooting one.

But Star Fox isn’t exactly a game about sniping. It’s a big, loud star war where you’re painting the skies with laser fire. Mostly you’re charging up attacks and locking on to enemies anyway with a generously-sized targeting reticule, so the view on your TV is 99.99% more useful than the gamepad one.

The game’s horrible solution to that is to have the TV camera operated by a hyperactive five-year-old who’s just downed six barrels of Lucozade. Zero is in love with shots that would be described as ‘absolute cinema’ by young people, and ‘game-breakingly misguided’ by my ancient, bitter tongue.

Some enemy ships can’t just explode in peace. The camera has to zoom out and spin around to capture the most epic angle. You’re left lost and wondering where the hell you even are on-screen. Oh, it turns out you were well within the blast range of that explosion, based on how loudly Fox is screaming and how much fire is on the gamepad screen.

Camewahhhh

This particular torment kept happening in a mission where I had to destroy several massive missiles before they reached a teleport. I was about to down the missile with mere seconds left on the clock, only for the camera to go “whoa, what’s this hot new threat?” and immediately abandon the action to get a better look. I glanced down at the gamepad just in time to get a lovely zoomed-in view of me crashing into my target.

It even whiffs clear opportunities for the dual screens to be useful. At one point you have to lock onto a giant mechanical gorilla (the perfectly-named Gigarilla) to get it to follow you. Gigarilla will kindly crush any enemy you lead it to, you see. Well, you don’t see much, actually. Because when you’re locked on to Gigarilla, you’re stuck looking directly at it and have to reverse blindly.

Aha! But with the power of the Wii U, I can look down on the gamepad and see a reversed-view or a wing mirror, surely? Nope. You just see the exact same view as what’s on the TV. Or your disappointed face when the gamepad battery dies again (out of shame, I can only assume.)

Direct why

If you think a stealth level in a spaceship-flying game sounds stupid, then it’s a real pity you weren’t on the Star Fox Zero development team. Operating a slow hovercraft around security beams is boring, with the game barely even bothering to punish you for getting caught. But the real “fun” begins when you have to hack computers to proceed by lowering a little robot called Direct-I. Congratulations to Slippy Toad, who in this exact moment becomes only the second-most hated Star Fox character.

Direct-I is a helium-voiced horrorshow who you lower from a tether out of your ship’s belly. A tiny tether that’s just short enough to make anything as complex as ‘going around a corner’ too much for the poor little robot to comprehend. “Leave it to me!” it squeals merrily, before crashing into a wall and forcing me to try again.

At one point Fox has to save a woman who keeps constantly spouting the exact same request to be saved over and over and over. Imagine her constantly repeating quips, occasionally broken up with Direct-I’s requests to “leave it to me!” as it merrily botches another attempt, and you might be starting to realise why this game didn’t turn things around for the Wii U and drive Microsoft and Sony out of business.

Is Star Fox Zero an abomination then? Well, yes, for the most part. But it’s not quite a total disaster. Platinum may have made more missteps here than someone hosting a tap-dancing contest on a minefield, but the creators of Bayonetta didn’t suddenly lose their eye for over-the-top action. There are still plenty of good boss fights, and can you truly hate a game that features Gigarilla?

It can have so much more on-screen chaos than the Nintendo 64 game could ever dream of as well. When the screen is full of killer robots, colourful laser fire, and the right kind of escalating chaos — and actually letting you see what you’re doing — it occasionally becomes the great next step for Star Fox that Nintendo frustratingly no longer seems interested in taking.

Exciting as the prospect of Ocarina of Time being remade with megagraphics is, wouldn’t it be more satisfying if they’d taken another crack at Wind Waker? The one with all the cut corners and missing dungeons, finally added back in? Likewise, I don’t want to serve in the Lylat Wars yet again, when another go at Zero has so much more potential.

Give it a coherent camera and a snip of the tether that sends Direct-I squealing into a black hole, and I’d be there day one. Let’s hope Star Fox’s Phantom Menace moment hasn’t put Nintendo off ever taking a risk with this series again.

• Valve has pushed out SteamOS 3.8 as a stable release
• It contains "initial support for upcoming Steam Machine hardware"
• This groundwork being laid suggests the Steam Machine is close now, and that's backed up by a bunch of other rumors of late

It seems the Steam Machine really could be on the brink of arriving, as the ground is now officially prepared for the device in SteamOS.

Valve announced the debut of SteamOS 3.8, which has the following line in the release notes: "Initial support for upcoming Steam Machine hardware."

In other words, the foundational support for the Steam Machine is now in the full, stable release of SteamOS, which is obviously one of the final steps toward the device hitting shelves.

And this move comes on top of a bunch of other clues that Valve is about to launch the compact gaming PC. For starters, we know the release is set for the summer, as Valve has told us itself, which means a June launch is possible (it's either that, or July or August).

Furthermore, the Steam Machine has been spotted in various guises online recently, notably a Vulkan conformance test, and there have been Geekbench leaks too (as highlighted by VideoCardz), along with suggestions that reviewers have the PC already.

Elsewhere in SteamOS 3.8, Valve has provided a raft of fixes, including numerous general stability tweaks alongside game performance and stability improvements via an updated GPU driver.

There's also a very welcome upgrade to KDE Plasma version 6.4.3 with Wayland support, which should improve the performance in Desktop Mode considerably on the Steam Deck (as well as bolster support for external displays, including VRR).

Away from the Steam Deck, we have a couple of key changes, with Valve introducing "improved compatibility with recent Intel and AMD platforms", meaning SteamOS will be slicker on rival handhelds, including those with Intel chips.

Valve also promises "greatly improved video memory management" for discrete GPUs, and this will, of course, benefit the Steam Machine (which sports a semi-custom AMD RDNA 3 discrete GPU with 8GB of VRAM).

Analysis: a mainstream machine or niche appeal?

Adding all these clues up, the expectation is that the Steam Machine is planned for a launch very soon – barring any last-minute hiccups. Furthermore, a June launch would be good to hit, as it'd mean that the device would just sneak in for Valve's planned release timeframe of the first half of 2026.

Also, I think the sooner the launch comes, the better, as it doesn't seem like the pressure from the RAM and component crisis on the PC market is going to ease anytime soon. In fact, matters are likely to get worse based on the vibe that's been prevalent this month. That includes Nvidia's CEO dropping one giant pessimistic cloud (no pun intended) in saying that he expects the RAM crisis to last for "quite a few years". There's precious little hope of a recovery from pricing woes anytime soon based on what we've been hearing most recently.

The main worry about the Steam Machine remains its price, of course, and Valve hasn't given us any real indication of where that might fall – save for the fact that the company won't be subsidizing the hardware to drive adoption (which was hardly comforting to learn).

Expectations have been for an MSRP of $1,000 or more for the base model – recently, an analyst floated the idea of a $1,200 launch price in the US. The problem then is that this makes it very challenging to push the Steam Machine as a mainstream device to take over living rooms around the globe, when such pricing will consign the compact PC to a much more niche appeal.

Mind you, we shouldn't jump the pricing gun, so to speak, and maybe the outlay for the Steam Machine won't be quite as painful as the internet is imagining. However, in the current climate of everything getting considerably more expensive – and you can add Apple's Macs to that list as of today – it's difficult to remain positive on potential hardware costs.

Handheld gaming PCs have come a long way since Valve's Steam Deck launched in 2022, back when the handheld market was still very much in a niche form.

The Steam Deck appealed to so many gamers simply because of its affordability and performance, running both indie and triple-A games with little difficulty (with reasonable graphics settings). The device provided gamers with an easy way to tackle their game libraries when away from their desks.

Unfortunately, the ongoing RAM crisis, combined with other difficult market conditions in 2026, has not only forced Valve to delay the launch of new hardware, but also drastically increased the price of the Steam Deck OLED. That handheld is now $789 / £649 / AU$1,199 and $949 / £779 / AU$1,429 for the 512GB and 1TB models respectively.

We're not focusing on the Steam Deck today, though. Instead, our attention has been grabbed by the new MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, coming straight out of Computex 2026 and delivering exceptional performance across several games we tested. And frankly, it may turn out to be the best handheld of 2026 in terms of raw power and performance, but there's one massive problem – the same one Valve faced with its Steam Deck OLED.

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ price is a joke

While I can happily admit that the Steam Deck OLED isn't worth its new price by a long shot, the cost of that device doesn't even come close to the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ in terms of absurdity.

The Claw 8 EX AI+ will be available at retailers and from the MSI Store priced at $1,799 (around £1,340 / AU$2,540). Yes, you read that right. MSI's new handheld is almost the same price as an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 (going by the GPU's MSRP, that is), or to look at it another way, the Claw is the same price as an full desktop gaming PC.

There's no denying how great MSI's new handheld is, especially considering the claims of its Intel G3 Extreme processor being 44% faster at 1080p than the MSI Claw 8 AI+'s Intel Core Ultra 258V. On paper, the only benefit it seems to be missing compared to other upcoming handhelds like the OneXPlayer 3 is an OLED screen.

However, I suppose it's a good thing there's still no OLED panel with this new Claw handheld, as I can only imagine how much more expensive the device would be if that was included. And frankly, the $1,799 price still wouldn't be justified if an OLED panel was part of the picture.

Simply put, it's pretty difficult to imagine anyone who will be willing to spend so much for a device like this when, as noted, you can get a full-blown gaming rig for this money. Okay, it's a handheld packing a lot of power and top quality performance, so it's definitely going to cost more, sure — but pushing close to $2,000? Absolutely not.

It's fair to point out that the RAM crisis has definitely had a part to play in the obscene pricing here, as shortages have put the entire PC market in disarray. Regardless, even with the memory shortage and other problems with PC components, I don't think the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has any business being as costly as it is — and I believe MSI will find that out sooner rather than later.

I also fear that this won't be the only seriously overpriced gaming portable to be winging our way in the future.

• Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked has just launched on Nintendo Switch 2
• The port arrives alongside an update that adds a new playable character
• The game is a Dungeons & Dragons themed version of the digital board game Demeo

The smash hit Baldur’s Gate 3 might not be coming to Nintendo Switch 2, but that doesn't mean that you should sleep on some of the other brilliant Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying games (RPGs) out on the platform. In fact, one just launched today in Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked.

As the name would suggest, it's a distinctly D&D take on the existing digital board game Demeo, which has players exploring dungeons and fighting monsters with tactical card-based combat. If you have fond memories of the physical board game HeroQuest, then you’ll feel right at home in Demeo, as it’s almost like a modernised version with a unique deck-builder twist.

Battlemarked adds a whole heap of D&D goodness into the mix, and it’s a match made in heaven. There are eight playable heroes to choose from, including one that’s just been added in time for the Nintendo Switch 2 port, all based on classic D&D classes. There’s a paladin, of course, alongside the expected sorcerer, ranger, fighter, bard, and rogue, all with their own weapons and unique abilities. I’m usually drawn towards playing a versatile bard character, but I’m very keen to unlock the newest addition to the roster: an orc druid who can literally turn into a giant bear.

D&D features like skill checks are present and accounted for throughout the two available story campaigns (more are set to be added in future), but this is by no means a proper adaptation of the ruleset. This is a more casual experience that can be enjoyed with up to three friends regardless of their individual levels of experience with the wider D&D universe.

You don't need to worry if nobody in your friend group has played Demeo before either. There's no prior knowledge of that game needed, as a detailed tutorial explains everything you need to know right when you first start.

The art direction is strong as well, with a presentation that makes it really feel like a board game come to life. The different classes are represented by little miniatures with a set design, though I do appreciate the fact that you can mix up their color schemes or change their in-game names if you’re eager for a little more role-play.

I rarely use the touchscreen on Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld mode, but the support for it in Battlemarked is superb. Dragging your pieces around the board feels totally natural and flicking the die every time you need to roll it is so satisfying that it's become my favorite way to play.

Joy-Con 2 mouse controls are similarly well implemented, with an on-screen cursor appearing automatically and letting you have a similarly enjoyable experience even if you're playing in docked mode on a TV.

This is definitely good thing, as I had one major complaint from my time so far: the regular thumbstick and button controls can be a little fiddly.

You can pick up Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons via the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop for $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$41.99.

It’s also out on PlayStation 5, PC, and Meta Quest with full support for cross-platform multiplayer. If you already own it, there’s no need to worry about missing out on the new content added to the Switch 2 release — it’s coming to other platforms as a free update today.

Nintendo announced in May that it soon plans to increase the Australian price of its Switch 2 console as a “response to various market conditions” — by which it means the industry-wide higher component costs caused by AI-driven shortages. That harsh reality means that, come September 1, the console's RRP is set to jump up AU$70, from AU$699.95 to AU$769.95.

While it’s true that the date for the increase is still a couple of months away, if you're looking to pick up a discounted Switch 2 before then, we can wholly endorse this EOFY deal on Amazon for AU$629 — even if more opportunities arise before September, this is Amazon's lowest Australian price yet, and very competitive as far as Switch 2 deals go.

Our Nintendo Switch 2 review gave the console 4.5 stars for being a massive upgrade over its predecessor, and the growing library of exclusive games like Pokémon Pokopia and the upcoming Star Fox, Donkey Kong and Fire Emblem games will make this deal even more tempting.

The main improvements in the Switch 2 from its predecessor are support for 4K and 1440p resolutions (vs up to 1080p), a 120Hz refresh rate (up from 60Hz) and overall performance improvements with an Nvidia Tegra T239 processor, 12GB of RAM (vs 4GB) and starting storage of 256GB.

One criticism from our reviewer was the relatively sparse game library at the time of launch, but with a full year having passed since then, there are a lot more options like the exclusives I mentioned above and a growing pipeline of games set to launch this year like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, Kingdom Hearts IV, and even a port of Minecraft.

The Switch 2 is a solid step up from its very popular predecessor, but it’s not flawless — our tests found the 5,220mAh battery only ran between 2-5 hours, falling short of Nintendo’s estimates of 2-6.5 hours, and while GameChat (and its Bluetooth audio support) works, it isn’t on the same level of voice comms as what you get on PlayStation or Xbox. Ultimately, these still shouldn’t detract much from how good the Switch 2 is, especially with this discount.

PowerA Protection Case for PS Portal review

The PowerA Protection Case for PlayStation Portal is designed to keep your beloved remote player protected from scratches, drops, bolts of lightning…you name it. OK, I was lying about that last one, but this case is a very durable option indeed, and during my two weeks testing it, it’s proved to be a highly reliable carry case — here’s why.

First of all, let’s talk about the case’s exterior. This is a hard case, so it’s not the most flexible or anything, but it’s very resistant to damage of all kinds. When dropping the case, scratching it, throwing it in a bag, it didn’t show any signs of wear whatsoever.

The case’s interior is also well optimized for damage-prevention in a number of key ways. First of all, the inside is molded to your remote player, enabling it to securely slot into place. There’s also a couple of hook-and-loop straps, which keep it fastened when you’re on the go. On top of that, you’ll find a padded screen-protector flap for preventing scratches. There are so many layers of protection here, enabling this model to compete with some of the very best PS5 accessories.

This screen-shielding flap does even more, though. That’s right, it also has a mesh flap on the top side, which is excellent for storing small accessories. I found it very useful for storing cables and wireless earbuds, for instance, making it easy to take plenty of gaming gear on the go. Sure, there’s no room for a headset or anything large, but this case is meant to fall on the more minimalist side.

While some may still find PowerA's case to be on the bulky side — I found the Venom Carry Case for PlayStation Portal to have a more modest footprint — this model is still very portable, and it easily fits in my work bag alongside my laptop, Nintendo Switch 2, and Sony WH-1000XM6.

Something else worth mentioning is the inclusion of a cable passthrough feature. There’s a tab on the underside of the case that you can insert a USB-C cable into and charge up your Portal, even when it’s boxed away. This is very convenient, and I used it to safely charge my system in my bag, with it connected up to a power bank.

Before we wrap up, let’s talk looks. This model is available in either Black or White, and I used the latter variant. This looks incredibly on-brand for the Portal — and indeed the PS5 — retaining that fairly futuristic aesthetic. My only complaint in terms of the look would be the fabric handle, which appears a little cheap in comparison to the rest of the case. But this can be forgiven for a case that only costs $34.99 / £19.99 / AU$49.95.

So, is the PowerA Protection Case for PlayStation Portal worth the money? Absolutely. It’s relatively rugged, it’s well-priced, and it even looks the part. The molded interior and screen-protecting flap keep your remote player safe and secure, and the cable passthrough feature is something you won’t get on every case out there. Therefore, it’s an easy recommendation from me.

PowerA Protection Case for PS Portal review: price & specs

Should I buy the PowerA Protection Case for PS Portal?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

PowerA Protection Case for PS Portal review: also consider

How I tested the PowerA Protection Case for PS Portal

• Used the case for multiple weeks
• Directly compared against other models
• Tested by a seasoned gaming accessories reviewer

I spent weeks testing the PowerA Protection Case for PlayStation Portal, taking it with me just about everywhere I went throughout the process. While testing, I made sure to try stuffing various accessories in the case and also try out the cable passthrough feature.

To test the case’s durability, I tried dropping it from a controlled height, performed some scratch tests, and reviewed wear and tear after the testing period concluded. I also assessed it against rivals, including the Venom Carry Case for PlayStation Portal, on factors such as robustness and storage space.

More generally, I’ve been reviewing all kinds of gadgets at TechRadar for more than two years. I’ve tested a whole lot of gaming accessories, including cases like the Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case and screen protectors, such as the Genki Aegis Shield.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: June 2026

Home entertainment brand TCL was out in force at Summer Game Fest 2026, with a big booth dedicated to its new line of gaming monitors right in the middle of the Play Days show floor.

Its flagship model, the TCL C2A Pro, was the big attraction and is intended to deliver "the ultimate AAA gameplay experience" no matter what you like to play.

Those that love immersing themselves in cinematic experiences like The Last of Us Part 1 or Red Dead Redemption 2 will appreciate its vibrant QD-Mini LED colors and high 2,000 nits peak brightness. It's DisplayHDR 1400 certified, denoting a high level of brightness paired with excellent contrast, too.

The crisp 4K resolution of its 27-inch panel offers a strong level of detail while the 160Hz refresh rate keeps the action butter-smooth (provided you have the hardware chops to support it, of course).

Smooth and stylish

I took the monitor for a spin and found it particularly impressive, noting its fluid motion and excellent picture clarity. That said, as a huge Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 player (with more than 370 hours clocked in-game since launch), the TCL C2A Pro has one secret weapon that makes it especially appealing — its 'Game Accelerator' dual mode.

This bumps the resolution down to 1080p and cranks the refresh rate up to 320Hz, which is perfect if you want to maximize responsiveness and your frame rate to give you the edge in such a fast-paced game. It's almost no surprise that the brand is the official partner of Call of Duty.

TCL has also nailed the monitor's aesthetics. The almost sci-fi, white panelled look is tastefully elevated by colorful RGB lighting for an overall design that's distinctly geared towards gamers without seeming overly garish. It means the monitor would also look right at home in a PS5 setup. Out of the box, it comes with a multi-function stand that's geared towards a variety of adjustments and seating positions.

With the TCL C2A Pro retailing at $799, it faces some stiff competition from cheaper alternatives with similar dual-mode features such as the Asus ROG Strix XG27UCG. Still, no competitors have TCL's proprietary QD-Mini LED tech, which the monitor shares with the brand's high-end TVs, and few can come close to offering the premium build here.

It arrives alongside the slightly cheaper TCL C2A gaming monitor. Retailing at $699, that $100 saving loses you some peak brightness (with the monitor capable of 1,200 nits rather than 2,000) and fewer local dimming zones.

There's also the budget-friendly $499 TCL P3A. It's 27 inches still, but at a more modest 1440p resolution and a 260Hz refresh rate.

If you're a gamer with a pulse, you may have noticed that a few new titles were announced at this year's Summer Game Fest. Of course, if you're a Bethesda Softworks stalwart who'd hoped the event would yield fresh intel on the game maker's next Fallout and Elder Scrolls entries, then, well, you may have been more disappointed than delighted by its many reveals.

While both Fallout 76 and The Elder Scrolls Online shared peeks of future updates – and a Doom: The Dark Ages expansion was announced – details on the studio's most anticipated, long-awaited games were sadly a no-show. All that said, one of Bethesda's biggest, most ambitious efforts has recently been released on PlayStation platforms.

Arriving two-plus years after its exclusive launch on PC and Xbox Series X and Series S, sprawling sci-fi role-playing game Starfield has finally landed on Sony's systems…but with little fanfare. That's a bit surprising, as the 2023 role-playing game (RPG) is not only one of Bethesda's best original efforts in recent years, but one that has reserved its most polished, content-packed version for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro owners.

A Bethesda RPG, evolved

If you're a new Constellation recruit, let's catch you up real quick. Starfield is a big, ambitious Bethesda RPG not unlike the studio's other staple series within the genre. While it's not exactly The Elder Scrolls in space, its systems-fueled gameplay, expansive open-world, and author-your-own-adventure formula will feel comfortably familiar to anyone who's sunk hours into the fantasy RPG series or the Fallout franchise.

Starfield essentially refines, polishes, and expands on those games' enduring formulas…then recruits you as a starship captain and hurtles you into the scary expanse of the cosmic frontier. As you might expect, there's plenty of enemies to eviscerate, massive progression paths to evolve, resources to gather, items to craft, factions to tangle with, mysteries to uncover, and so much more.

But as a galaxy-exploring, planet-hopping sci-fi RPG, you can also count on deep starship customization, crew member recruitment, dogfights among the stars, and ugly extraterrestrials looking to turn you to pulp. Starfield allows you to dig deep into all of these elements while also steering and shaping your journey, molding it to your playstyle and preference at every turn.

While you're certainly welcome to stick to the critical path and closely adhere to the game's narrative, it's at its best when you're fulfilling your own sci-fi fantasies – whether that's becoming a pistol-packing bounty hunter, peace-keeping diplomat, or just some dude who really digs collecting and customizing a fleet of cool starships.

A galaxy of updates and improvements

Despite giving players the keys to a lightspeed-capable craft and encouraging them to author their own sci-fi epic, Starfield wasn't without its share of flaws when it was originally released. From empty-feeling planets and a confusing economy to clunky combat, sometimes sluggish travel, and an overall lack of charm and personality, it left some players as cold as deep space.

But like any ambitious AAA game with two-plus years' worth of updates, patches, and expansions in its rearview, Starfield has benefited from a spaceport full of improvements and polish since releasing in the summer of 2023. On top of countless quality-of-life tweaks, it's also seen several significant updates, like the awesome planet-roving REV-8 vehicle that makes exploring even the most boring expanses a rubber-burning blast.

But Starfield's biggest update by far has nicely coincided with the game's PS5 release, leading to what Bethesda producer Tim Lamb called its "best version" in a recent interview with TechRadar. The substantial offering introduces a ton more tweaks, improvements, and even fresh content, from a powerful new resource that deepens customization to an adorable alien pet companion you can adopt.

The update's biggest game-changers, however, are its "Free Lanes" and "Cruise Mode" additions, which blow some of Starfield's more tedious elements out an airlock. Combined, these enhancements introduce seamless, smoother, and more satisfying space travel, allowing for easier planet-to-planet navigation, as well as the ability to manage many of the game's complex systems while casually cruising through the stars.

While this latest update will likely feel long overdue for existing fans, it's just an organic, out-of-the-box part of the experience for those earning their captain stripes in the PS5 version. Those same new recruits are also treated to the game's story-based expansions, Shattered Space and the more recent Terran Armada, which add hours of content and are included in the premium edition's $70 price.

Boldly going where previous versions have not

In addition to all previous patches and enhancements – as well as the new update – PS5 players are treated to some Sony platform-specific features when they strap into the cockpit. Starfield doesn't skimp on the extras that smartly leverage the consoles' unique elements and – in the PlayStation 5 Pro's case – considerable horsepower.

PS5 players can choose between a graphics-favoring Visual mode and a frame-rate-focused Performance option. The former delivers 4K resolution – with PSSR upscaling doing some of the heavy lifting – at 30fps, while the latter ups the frames to 60-per-second at the cost of dropping the resolution to 1080p. The Pro also gets its own Enhanced mode, which further optimizes specific visual features, like foliage and draw distances, at 30fps.

I primarily played on the Pro, and found the Visual mode to offer the best overall experience, delivering fantastic fidelity and a peppy framerate that never felt compromised. I also found that the Pro's performance mode actually offered a slight visual bump over the base PS5's graphics mode. All that said, the game ran smoothly and looked great on the standard system.

More impressive is what the game accomplishes with the DualSense across all PS5 platforms. While plenty of ports take advantage of the controller's adaptive trigger and haptic feedback tech, Starfield goes above and beyond, fully integrating these features, but also leveraging the peripheral's light bar and built-in speaker to significantly up the immersion. The game ultimately serves as a great showcase of what the controller's unique features can bring to an interactive entertainment experience when fully utilized.

Much like Bethesda Softworks' PS5 port of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the studio's latest looks and plays better than ever on Sony's systems. But Starfield's PlayStation debut actually shares more with Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed, which arrived on PS5 consoles not only with the usual graphical and performance bumps, but also with a host of welcome updates and new content that made it the definitive version of the game.

Thanks to two-plus years of tweaks and enhancements – as well as a recent, significant update adding even more polish, improvements, and content – that's exactly what fans are getting with Starfield's latest release, a definitive experience that makes an already fantastic game out of this world.

Should I play Starfield on PS5?

Play it if…

Don’t play it if…

Accessibility

Starfield's accessibility features feel pretty bare bones, offering some standard options for adjusting audio settings, as well as different selections for subtitles, captions, and fonts.

There's plenty in the way of controller mapping options, but little depth in other areas. And some features that have become fairly standard, like color filter modes and other assists for visually-impaired players, are notably absent here.

How I reviewed Starfield on PS5

I spent 30-plus hours exploring, battling, and adventuring through Starfield's Settled Systems. During my time on planet surfaces and among the stars, I focused on the many updates the game has received since its launch, from its dozens of quality-of-life tweaks to its more significant inclusions and enhancements.

I also tested the various quality and performance modes on both my PS5 and PS5 Pro. Finally, I paid particular attention to how the game looked and played today – on Sony's consoles – versus how it felt when I first experienced it on my Xbox Series X. I played on my TCL 4K TV, with HDR enabled, using Sony's PlayStation Pulse Elite headset for audio.

First reviewed June 2026

• Valve's latest SteamOS beta offers improved compatibility with Intel platforms
• It also sees initial firmware added for incoming Intel G3 Extreme-powered handhelds
• Performance on SteamOS with Intel hardware should improve further with future updates

Handheld gaming is set to reach new heights in 2026 and beyond, with Intel's latest Panther Lake mobile processors providing more power for high-level performance — and Valve has just made life better for Intel-based handhelds.

Valve's SteamOS 3.8.8 beta includes improved hardware support for Intel platforms, additional controller support for MSI Claw devices, and initial firmware for upcoming Intel handhelds. That includes handhelds like the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, OneXPlayer 3, and the Acer Predator Atlas 8, all of which will use the Intel G3 Extreme processor.

Intel-based handhelds running SteamOS (or Bazzite) aren't anything new. However, performance with Intel hardware on the operating system hasn't been great, with devices like the MSI Claw 8 AI+ delivering worse game performance than Windows 11 — but it's the complete opposite for AMD-powered handhelds on SteamOS compared to Windows 11.

The appeal of SteamOS, besides its ease of use and console-like user interface, is its optimization for gaming in terms of memory usage, which Windows 11 lacks (and still falls behind Valve's SteamOS even with the Xbox Mode).

With that in mind, switching from Windows 11 to SteamOS for worse performance doesn't make much sense, and that's what has kept some owners of Intel-powered handhelds away from the Linux-based operating system.

Full Steam ahead for Intel chips

Fortunately, it's now evident that this is being addressed by Valve, as handheld enthusiast ETA Prime highlights with the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and its fluid performance results in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon.

Functions like sleep mode work as expected, which is great, but navigation and menu options still need updating, and the TDP (power consumption) can only be controlled via a Decky Loader plugin — plus the Steam menu button config needs to be added on Intel handhelds.

Regardless, this is a step in the right direction for these portables, and with more updates from Valve leading up to the launch of the new Intel-powered handhelds, this is definitely something to get excited about for those who don't have AMD-powered hardware.

“When you start off, there’s nothing," begins Klang Games co-founder and CEO Mundi Vondi as I stare at low-poly people wandering around a little city. It's displayed on a TV in an unassuming corner of the busy Summer Game Fest 2026 Play Days show floor. He adds, “Every character belongs to a player, and the characters live in the game 24/7.”

The idea of a vast shared world without any NPCs is part of the core vision behind Seed, an ambitious player-driven life simulator MMO that’s been a decade in the making for the Berlin-based development team. He explains that your custom character, or Seedling, begins with practically nothing: “There’s just a forest, so you have to start to chop the trees."

From there, a basic society starts to develop. You can place a little tent and work towards proper permanent housing as resources are acquired. These aren’t pre-made structures either, but rather wholly designed by players using what they have on hand, complete with fully modeled interiors that you can customize as you wish.

Life finds a way

The creation of more and more homes paves the way for a fully-simulated real estate market, with prices of rent and ownership dictated by player demand. “We’re actually working on a feature we call building subdivision," Vondi adds.

Although players can already build their own towering structures, this would allow them to be broken down into individual rental units. You can create a sprawling property empire if you’re savvy enough, securing a comfortable life for your Seedling purely off rental income.

It’s not just the houses that need to be made by players. Practically every object in the game is the result of a complex player-driven production process. Place an order for a chair with your Seedling, and what arrives will be crafted using wood that’s been cut and crafted by other player characters who are employed by player-created businesses in an exceptionally innovative job system.

You can hire anyone to perform basically any task that you need done (for the right price, of course) by creating a job listing and waiting for someone to apply. Seedlings all have skills that allow them to perform better at certain roles, and you’re actually able to specify what kind of proficiencies an applicant should have. Seedlings’ abilities will improve as they complete more and more tasks — just as when you practice something in real life.

The build being shown off is a closed beta that’s currently live, meaning that it’s already populated by hundreds of real players.

When I got to play, I noticed that my character’s home was pretty dirty. Vondi eagerly explains that I can simply tap a few buttons to create a listing for a personal cleaner, who would come and tidy for me while my character was busy at their own job (the not particularly glamorous task of hauling pallets of water around an industrial site in the early hours of the morning).

“I think it’s probably the most advanced player-driven economy in any game,” he says proudly. “I mean [popular space MMO] Eve Online obviously has a very advanced economy as well. My two co-founders actually came from CCP Games, and we were basically like ‘how do we bring this to a wider audience?’”

At your own pace

Time in Seed proceeds at an accelerated rate compared to the real world, with each day in our time representing about a year of your Seedling’s life. Vondi reveals that your Seedlings last for just over three months at a time, with lives that are split up into distinct stages, ranging all the way from childhood to old age.

One of the most interesting aspects of the game is the fact that the world continues to exist while you’re away from the screen. Leave for a few hours, and your Seedlings will simply get on with things, continuing to work, developing relationships with others, and attending to their various needs. It effortlessly swerves one of the lowest points of any life simulator game—those big dead periods where your character is either busy at work or sleeping while you’re left twiddling your thumbs.

In Seed you can simply leave your character to it, but the team has still come up with a cool way to let you check in while on the go. At the booth I was shown an in-development mobile companion app that lets you see your Seedling’s key stats and even send them text messages. The messaging feature is also available directly in the desktop client, and is powered by a tweaked version of an open-source large language model (LLM) hosted on the game's servers.

Seedlings can answer questions about their current stats (like why they might be feeling sad or tired) and even respond directly to commands. I asked my minion to take a selfie, and he dutifully whipped out his phone in a flash, holding it out in front of him to take a rather fetching picture that was then viewable in-game.

Other orders, like my request for him to grab a drink or take a shower, were acted upon appropriately too—it all feels seriously futuristic, and it’s exciting to see LLM technology used to create previously impossible forms of in-game interaction, rather than to cut costs or replace artists.

I was so impressed with my hands-on time that I presented the team with one of our few Best of Summer Game Fest 2026 awards at the end of my appointment. It was an accolade they apparently told their in-game character about. I smiled when I checked my phone as I boarded my flight back from Los Angeles and spotted an email from the developers with a screenshot attached showing the Seedling still excitedly discussing the award win days later.

Seed will launch into early access on July 21 via the studio’s own PC game launcher with a Steam version to follow later in 2026. It will cost $29.99 for the base game, with a limited number of more premium founders' packs also available for those that want to support development and get their hands on some extra in-game perks.

You can also pick up a “Start a Society” Bundle with three game licences if you want to dive in with your friends. You can add it to your wishlist on the studio's website to learn more.

• Valve will soon be putting an end to physical gift cards
• It has effectively been forced to end physical gift cards due to scammers' adaptations
• Once stock runs out across retailers there will be no more physical gift cards

Valve will be putting an end to physical Steam gift cards once stock runs dry across retailers.

As reported by Destructoid, this move is due to scammers using the service to take advantage of consumers.

Steam scams aren't new by any means, with many of them leading to stolen Steam accounts via scammers reaching out to users on Discord acting as Valve employees. It's also reminiscent of reports that suggest Apple's physical gift card scams cost buyers millions of dollars, as 9to5Mac highlighted.

Valve notes on Steam support FAQ page that these physical gift card cases involve scammers posing as official agencies, and contacting consumers over the phone to coerce them to purchase gift cards to cover for taxes, bills, or other debts.

Comment from r/technology

The latter doesn't sound too far off of scams for digital gift cards or Steam account theft, and this has been an ongoing battle for Valve, with the help of law enforcement and retailers, but pulling the plug appears to be the best solution.

"As we have continued to put more and more restrictions in place, scammers have adapted," Valve says. "They continue to have an impact on Steam customers and other unsuspecting individuals.

"So we've made the difficult decision to end the Steam Gift Card program at retail stores. As Steam Gift Cards run out of stock at retail locations, we will not be restocking them."

Unsurprisingly, it has left multiple Steam users frustrated, notably on Reddit, with one in particular stating: "Great job scammers, first you trick people out of their money, then you ruin gift cards for everyone."

Those frustrations are warranted as consumers will now only be able to purchase gift cards digitally, and with scammers easily adapting to changes, it's not impossible for future changes from Valve that would dramatically adjust digital gift cards. We can only hope that Valve won't ever have to go that far.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is here, but that doesn’t mean the gaming giant has stopped putting out certified bangers for the original Switch.

Hot off the heels of the release of the unbelievably viral Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, we’re getting another entry in a long-running franchise that’s been dormant for a decade in Rhythm Heaven Groove (or Rhythm Paradise Groove if you're in the UK).

This new Rhythm Heaven doesn't seem keen to reinvent the wheel, but that’s certainly not a bad thing. After playing it at a recent Nintendo event, I can already see myself nipping back into its incredibly moreish beat-based minigames whenever I have a spare few minutes once it’s out.

Feel the groove

At its core, Rhythm Heaven is all about hitting a small number of buttons in time with a musical beat. It’s a simple formula that’s easy to pick up, but one that’s deployed in loads of novel and interesting ways.

The handful of minigames that I sampled in Groove ranged all the way from prompting a little round guy to jump through hoops at the right time to chomping flowers as they fly through the air as a marching dinosaur.

My personal favorite, ‘Slice N Dice Kitchen’, had me tapping on cue to catch flying bell peppers and tomatoes to keep them out of the paws of a mischievous, greedy cat. Every game’s mechanics are demonstrated clearly via introductions that teach you exactly which beat you need to make your input on, and little twists, like the sudden changing of colors on screen or complete removal of visual prompts, keep you on your toes as you transition into the real thing.

The minigames are all accompanied by catchy music, with basic beats that gradually ramp up as the actions become more complex and even some full-on songs with Japanese lyrics here and there. Completing a sequence of minigames unlocks a special remix that combines all the games at once to really put your skills to the test, and chasing the highest ranks is likely to be a significant musical challenge.

The presentation is simply adorable too, with a charming cartoon look that just screams Nintendo and amusing text-to-speech dialogue.

Despite being comfortingly familiar for returning fans, Rhythm Heaven Groove does have some surprises up its sleeve. The local multiplayer games are a blast (this one cake-grabbing mini-game that has four eager snackers competing to get their hands on a tasty treat the exact second a clock hits 3pm was especially fun) and there’s even a more story-focused, role-playing game (RPG) style mode that has you making different button combos to cast a variety of spells and defeat enemies in a raft of dungeons.

I walked out of my hands-on session with a huge smile on my face and, honestly, can one really ask for anything more? I can’t wait to try the full thing and, judging by my experience so far, it might just become my favorite Nintendo Switch release of 2026.

Although I did preview the game on Nintendo Switch 2 via backwards compatibility, it is worth reiterating that, yes, this will be a native Nintendo Switch title when it drops on July 2, 2026, which is great news if you’re still holding on to that older hardware.

Corsair Galleon 100 SD one minute review

I still don't quite know what to make of Corsair's Galleon 100 SD gaming keyboard. On the one hand, the ethos of this thing, the switches, the design, the implementation are generally very well thought out, and it's solidly built too.

Sound-dampening is decent, the linear MLX switches are delightful to type on, and the Stream Deck integration on the right-hand panel gives the whole thing a lot more versatility than you first might think.

Whereas before your Stream Deck buttons sat beside your monitor, the Galleon 100 SD brings them within reach, taking up that numpad position instead. That makes it a more natural flow while you're gaming and streaming at the same time.

That's a long-winded way of saying you can actually use all of the Stream Deck's vast utility in-game, finally, without stretching halfway across your desk to do it. Not only can you have all of those macros and keybinds added into the numpad directly, with visual indicators as to what they actually do, but the display element gives you key system stats while you do it.

The bigger issue lies in the absolute bonanza of software you need to get this thing running. The Galleon, by default, requires two separate programs to fully function. Corsair's Web Hub, a PWA interface (or website effectively) that replaces the desktop iCUE app, allowing you to change your lighting, keybinds, polling rate, all with a lightweight web page rather than a full-blown software suite. And then the standalone desktop Stream Deck app, which you need to configure, well, the Stream Deck.

The worst part about that is that the Galleon's not backwards compatible with iCUE directly, and similarly, a lot of the "legacy" Corsair hardware hasn't made its way to the Web Hub either yet (there's a promise it's coming, but nothing confirmed). So, if you're running RGB lighting with some older fans, or a different mouse that isn't supported by Web Hub, you're effectively running iCUE, Web Hub, and the Stream Deck app to keep all of your Corsair products in line, and that just feels messy.

Then there's the price. It isn't cheap, by any measure. Yes, you are technically getting a full Stream Deck in here as well, so there's that to bear in mind, but it's near enough $100 more than the likes of Corsair's Makr Pro line (a markedly better keyboard if your sole aim is gaming).

It's a good board, and if you're not phased by the ludicrous software setup and the price tag, you'll get along with it just fine. Arguably for many, that expanded Stream Deck utility might make it one of the best gaming keyboards you could buy. But you really need to be able to justify what you gain from the Stream Deck itself. If you hesitate even for a moment on that thought, you might be better off looking elsewhere.

Corsair Galleon 100 SD review: Price & availability

• Priced astonishingly high for a standard mechanical keyboard
• Available globally today
• Only worth it if the Stream Deck is for you

Perhaps the biggest talking point of the Galleon 100 SD is that price tag. $350 and £310 (around AU$500) for a keyboard of this magnitude is a tough pill to swallow, particularly because at its bare bones, the keyboard itself doesn't really outclass boards a third of the cost.

Like yes, the MLX switches are lush to type on, pre-lubed, and there's plenty of sound dampening going on here, but those aren't exactly Corsair exclusives, and you can find a number of full-size boards from other manufacturers that feature exactly that, for a lot less.

Now, yes, of course, you do get that Stream Deck baked into the side here, sacrificing a full numpad for it (although technically that is a function that's available with a quick profile swap), but if you've already got a Stream Deck in any form, it's quite hard to justify the extra cost.

• Value: 3/5

Corsair Galleon 100 SD review: Specs

Corsair Galleon 100 SD review: Design

• Lush aluminum frame, dense and filled with sound-dampening
• Stream Deck replacing the numpad is wildly cool
• Twin dials is highly divisive, and the lighting is average

From a pure design perspective, there's a lot here that generally leans positive. The aluminum body is clean, solid, and it feels durable. There's little, if any, flex in the shell, and the sound dampening is doing its work nicely.

There's no errant pings or metallic rattlings going on here at all. Certainly not compared to the 2022 generation of K70 keyboards, that's a fact. And without a doubt, Corsair's keyboard design and build quality has come a long way in the last few years; that's very easy to see. Still, it's not quite as solid as the Makr line, nor does it feel as heavy.

Styling on the whole is a bit of a mixed bag. The aluminum outer shell mimics most of Corsair's product line right now with soft bevelled edges and this relatively satin-esque finish.

The top LED bar is a bit gauche. You've got this quite bizarre, triangular three-point pattern running along the length of it as a plastic strip with the Corsair logo embedded in the middle, which, if I'm honest, looks quite cheap. It would've been far better suited just to have a singular Corsair logo, and that's it. In fact, that's something that the Makr line does well.

I'm not entirely sold on the twin dial setup either. There's just something about it that looks a bit diabolical, and I can't quite place it. This is a bit of a hangover from the Stream Deck Plus, and I get the utility here being able to configure two dials to two different operations (particularly useful for video scrubbing, or creative work), but visually it's a bit eugh.

There's also a few other bells and whistles here, too. Namely, for some reason (despite there being a fully dedicated Stream Deck with 12 buttons, media controls, and twin dials over to the right) a fully embedded set of function keys here too. I mean, sure, why not? It's not like you're losing anything by having them.

Keycaps are clean, too. The font face is professional and sensible, more subdued than some of the more custom units out there, and the PBT touch is comfortable enough to type on, that's for sure. Corsair's also included two USB Type-C passthroughs on this thing as well.

Corsair Galleon 100 SD review: Performance

• MLX Pulse switches are smooth and satisfying, if over-damped.
• Stream Deck's finally usable in-game properly
• The three-app software stack drags the whole experience down

So the good news is, typing and gaming on the Galleon 100 is a real treat. It's smooth to use on those linear MLX switches feel buttery under touch. It's not quite as pleasant an experience for me as on the Makr Pro, or Asus ROG Strix Scope II RX, but it's still top quality. If you like a linear switch, and you're not quite as heavy-handed as I am, bottoming out every key strike, you'll love this thing.

The Stream Deck, too, is immensely satisfying to use. Once you've got it set up and it's swapping into profiles on game load, with your keybinds and macros set, it's a real treat. I've already mentioned, but having the keys within reach like that makes it far more useful than leaning across your desk to whack a macro real fast. Star Citizen in particular, and well, any simulator, rife with keybinds, benefits a ton.

I will say, the feel of those switches, though, sucks. Certainly, when you have the direct comparison of a mechanical switch right next to them. That's particularly jarring if you just need to use a numpad quickly to enter a pin, or your phone number. It's mentally very jarring. Almost like you're going back in time for a second, using a membrane board.

Then there's the software stack. Oh boy. You effectively need two programs to run this board efficiently. The Stream Deck app, to configure your deck profiles and each key, along with the display. That's local, sits on your desktop. Then, the Web Hub to configure the Corsair side of the keyboard. That's web-based (although you can install it on desktop via the "Save and Share -> Install page as an app" feature).

Web Hub is effectively a lighter-weight replacement for iCUE. You access it via URL. Configure your settings once, and it disappears into the ether. The problem with it is that it's not entirely backwards compatible with the rest of Corsair's legacy hardware. So, older products still need to be configured and set up via iCUE on your desktop. What's worse is that the Galleon isn't compatible with iCUE, so if you are embedded in the Corsair ecosystem, you're then left in a position where you have effectively three apps to control your products.

There's a more pressing issue, too, in that Web Hub isn't supported by all browsers currently. In short, it uses two browser APIs to access the keyboard directly via USB: WebHID, and WebUSB. Firefox doesn't natively support those APIs as it (rightly) views it as a harmful fingerprint/security attack vector that exposes your USB hardware unnecessarily to web pages. So it's not even a case of "Mozilla will catch up eventually", the company has taken a philosophical stance against the implementation of it, and it doesn't have anyone working on it.

Similarly, Brave, although Chromium-based, will only allow device configuration through Web Hub with permission enabled, and doesn't allow you to update the firmware at all. If you want to do any of that, you're effectively forced to install Chrome, Edge, or Opera.

It's a tricky one to justify. Particularly as iCUE itself was already stripped down in the last few years anyway. Currently, it only installs modules based on what you actually need and what products you have plugged in, rather than the entire back catalog.

Theoretically, yes, you could install a second browser specifically just for Web Hub. Then install that as a PWA app, but this just feels so hard to justify from a user experience perspective. It'd be far better just to add compatibility into iCUE directly, and it's hard to see why Corsair didn't.

Should I buy the Corsair Galleon 100 SD?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

How I tested the Corsair Galleon 100 SD

• Tested over three weeks as my daily driver
• Used for gaming, professional writing, and creative work
• Full Stream Deck integration tested
• Compared to competitors and my back catalogue, with 11 years of experience in the tech field

I lived with the Galleon 100 SD for about three weeks, running it as my main board. I tested it across all manner of different tasks, from creative agency work to freelance journalism and, of course, gaming sessions in Total War: Warhammer 3 and World of Warcraft as well.

During my time with it, it was the Stream Deck that I focused on most; after all, keyboards are very similar, and Corsair's got a name for making good ones, but implementing a Stream Deck into the side of it and swapping out the numpad? Had to be put through its paces.

I benchmarked it against a selection of modern-day keyboards I have in-house, and compared it to the wider market at the time of testing, including the Makr Pro 75, which I'd just finished up reviewing as well. I've spent over a decade testing PC hardware and peripherals, so I've got plenty of knowledge to draw on when it comes to mechanical keebs and the plucky old Stream Deck, too.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: June 2026

• AMD's David McAfee expects DDR5 RAM prices to 'recover slowly in the future'
• However, the exec added that DDR5 won't return to 'normal' pricing levels for some two years
• Meanwhile chatter from the rumor mill claims Lenovo is going to implement another sizeable round of price hikes with its PCs

An AMD exec has told us that DDR5 RAM pricing isn't likely to normalize until 2028, and in other news, fresh from the memory and wider component crisis, Lenovo seemingly has more price hikes in the works for its PCs.

Let's start with the AMD story. VideoCardz flagged up the interview that 4Gamers conducted at Computex 2026, in which the Taiwanese site spoke with David McAfee, who is VP and general manager of Ryzen CPU and Radeon Graphics.

When questioned on the memory shortage (bearing in mind translation issues with the article), McAfee said he expects prices to 'recover slowly in the future' but that DDR5 RAM won't return to normal pricing levels for about another two years.

VideoCardz also highlighted a post on X from leaker Harukaze5719, which in turn points to a report from Sina Finance in China that tells a separate tale of the Lenovo price hikes.

Obviously, this is just whispers from the rumor mill, but the theory is that Lenovo plans to jack up prices in China by the equivalent of $150 in July. This applies to its PCs and laptops, and, in fact, to every product line Lenovo sells, we're told (though common sense would indicate that cheap peripherals, like a basic Lenovo mouse, won't get a $150 price hike).

While this is a (rumored) move over in Asia, it would clearly make sense that mirroring cost increases in the same order (perhaps even a bit more) would be implemented in other regions.

Analysis: more urgency for laptop buyers?

The AMD exec has essentially thrown his lot in with the forecasters who see the RAM crisis ebbing away during 2028. While that still means it has a fair way to go, this is actually a relatively optimistic prediction compared to some more recent thoughts – notably from Nvidia's CEO. Jensen Huang said the memory crisis will last "quite a few years", suggesting that we may have to be patient until 2029 or 2030 to see the worst of this over. Others have guessed that we'll be sailing rough waters with RAM pricing until 2030, too.

The sad truth is that at this point, if I could have a guaranteed end-in-2028 outcome for these RAM woes (somehow), I'd take that prospect – and run. Of course, there's the question of what McAfee means exactly by returning to 'normal levels', complicated by the fact that this is a translated interview. Broadly speaking, I assume this means that prices will drop back down to more palatable levels relative to now – though I don't see them ever returning to pre-crisis levels, frankly.

It's a bleak old outlook, for sure, although there is some hope in Chinese memory chip makers tackling the RAM shortfall to some extent with increased production from these Asian giants. McAfee alludes to this when mentioning Changxin Memory in China increasing its DDR5 production capacity, but others – notably Huang – seem distinctly unswayed by such arguments.

A lot, of course, could rest on what happens with AI going forward. However, with predictions of increased memory demands one way or another in that sphere – and no remote indication of the AI 'bubble' bursting, or clever tech innovations helping out as much as some folks think they might – I'm not optimistic on the whole.

On top of this, the news from Lenovo is a further blow. If you recall, the computer giant already hiked PC prices earlier this year, and so this is another helping of RAM crisis-related cost rises for laptops and desktops (and other hardware besides, apparently).

As I've been discussing recently, after the Nvidia CEO's recent end-of-decade prediction for the extent of the memory crisis, now really does seem to be the right time to buy a laptop. The news that Lenovo may be about to pull the trigger on yet more substantial PC price rises only puts more urgency into that theory, because this surely won't happen in isolation among PC vendors.

• After four years, we finally get a second Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer
• Disney characters were few and far between, but two worlds were teased
• We also didn't get a release date

It’s tough being a Kingdom Hearts fan. The series is an all-time great, but if its platform-hopping origins weren’t frustrating enough — with entries exclusive to different consoles and even different regions for a while — we must now face the fact that Square Enix loves taking its time between entries, and between a new game’s announcement and release.

Kingdom Hearts 3 was first showcased around five and a half years before its release, and it seemed Kingdom Hearts 4 might take just as long between merely its first and second trailers. That is, until we got a brand new look at the game at Nintendo Direct, saving this year’s Summer Game Fest event for me just as I had conceded the Disney meets Final Fantasy crossover would be absent yet again.

The minute and a half of footage blended combat gameplay with cutscenes of black robe-clad figures, protagonist Sora facing off against a Heartless behemoth on the streets of Tokyo, and a few new and familiar faces — including several from Kingdom Hearts’ now-defunct mobile and browser games.

Despite these more obscure inclusions, Square has said KH4 is meant as a jumping-on point for the series, with the game’s director, Tetsuya Nomura, describing the KH3 ending in a interview as a “reset” — one which “should make it even easier for newcomers to join the story starting from KH4.”

Disney who?

I’m not convinced the latest trailer supports Nomura’s claims, though, as a long-time fan who has loved the series’ weird spin-offs, I’m not complaining.

The one other interesting detail of the trailer for me is how short it is on Disney characters. We only get the briefest glimpse of Donald and Goofy surrounded by blue flames.

Though we did get hints at two possible Disney worlds we’ll get to visit in some capacity. The first comes from those blue flames, which strongly hint at the return of Hades, the god of the underworld, from Hercules. Hercules’s world has appeared in almost every entry in the series so far, so its inclusion in 4 makes plenty of sense.

Further, while Sora’s fate at the end of Kingdom Hearts 3 is a little strange, it seems he has died in a way, so a god of death would likely be involved in his friend’s quest to find him. Plus, Hades’ voice actor has since teased his involvement online, saying “I might have a little bit of inside knowledge on this” and sharing the latest trailer.

The other hint comes from Sora’s keyblade — a swirl of fire and water combined into one weapon. While we don’t get the best look at it while it’s swung around in combat, this feels like a clear reference to 2023’s Elemental, especially as the keyblade creates a flower effect when it hits enemies, which looks a little bit like the film’s vivisteria flowers.

Interestingly, Sora has this keyblade while battling in the realistic version of Tokyo, suggesting he’ll be world-hopping while still trapped in this alternate reality — one which didn’t experience the visceral conflict of light and darkness before his arrival, we learn in this new clip.

One missing detail

The only thing missing is a release date or even a release year. After four years since it was first teased, you’d hope Square Enix would be able to give us some kind of timeline for this game’s release.

My guess is sometime in late 2027 at the earliest, maybe early 2028. That’s based on a new Kingdom Hearts collection that is landing this October, and that we have the final part of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy dropping in Spring next year (that’ll be sometime in March through May).

This is certainly frustrating. I can’t tell you how desperate I am to jump back into the Kingdom Hearts world, but hopefully the wait will be worth it.

Admittedly, this trailer makes me a little concerned. Perhaps it’s the wide open space of Tokyo’s streets, but the combat felt a little sparse, and something seemed a little off about Sora’s fight against the giant Heartless. Footage, so perhaps things will change come Kingdom Hearts 4’s eventual full release.

At least we found out it’ll be yet another multi-platform launch across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PC, and the Nintendo Switch 2.

Don’t get me wrong — I’m pretty darn excited for a Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake. But boy, I would have been so much more excited for a sequel instead.

If you’ve somehow missed it, at the most recent Nintendo Direct, we saw a brief teaser for a Switch 2 version of Ocarina of Time. Admittedly, the brief trailer is light on details — merely showcasing a cinematic intro for the iconic adventure with some voice acting and vastly improved graphics over the Nintendo 64 original — but the promise to return to Hyrule later this year has left many (myself included) ecstatic with the hope this is Zelda’s Resident Evil 2 Remake equivalent.

Anyone who has touched Ocarina of Time knows why it’s regarded as one of the best games ever made. It perfectly translated the previously 2D-only series’ sense of adventure into a 3D world, and even close to three decades later, Ocarina’s Hyrule is a delight to explore — with its dungeons to solve, monsters to slay, and songs to learn.

A return to this world with a graphical and gameplay overhaul — taking learnings from titles like Breath of the Wild — would be the perfect way to revisit the classic, and introduce it to a new generation.

More to the story

Though it doesn’t quite hold a candle to its direct sequel, Majora’s Mask.

The darker tone and the repeating three-day cycle create a claustrophobic aspect that pairs perfectly with the game’s expansive world and its various branching stories. You don’t have time to solve every problem at once, so you have to slowly piece together each puzzle through what you learn in previous cycles, and the items and abilities you unlock.

Majora’s Mask could easily have been a mess, but instead it pioneered the Groundhog Day-like genre, setting the bar for what time loop games should deliver.

Everything is perfect… but ultimately unfinished too.

Majora’s Mask picks up where Ocarina of Time ends, with Link on a quest to find his fairy companion Navi after she leaves him at the end of the first game.

While he does save yet another realm, his inciting quest doesn’t have a conclusion, as Majora’s Mask ends with Link venturing on once more to find his fairy friend.

While the Zelda series has had plenty more entries since these two games, it has long felt like there should be a third story in the Ocarina of Time duology — one that ties up this loose end adventure in some way.

So while I’m excited for a new Ocarina of Time, I am left desperately wishing we were getting a fresh follow-up instead, one that finally concludes this long-time Zelda series mystery rather than simply being the fourth Ocarina of Time re-release.

Why not both?

My mixed feelings aside, this remake doesn’t rule out the possibility of a sequel. In fact, it could make one more likely as players are refamiliarized with the game’s story and finale.

Adding to my hope (read: cope) is that we’re coming up fast on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s 30th anniversary — which lands at the tail end of 2028. Concluding this mystery would be quite the birthday treat for longtime fans of this game.

Now that would be quite a swift turnaround time, but the Zelda series does comfortably hit one entry every couple of years — since 2023, the franchise has actually had a release every year if you count the Switch 2 Editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

We’ll have to wait and see what Nintendo has up its sleeve, but as I play through Ocarina of Time on my Switch 2 later this year, I’ll be desperately hoping a brand-new sequel to it is just around the corner.

• Xbox has revealed a new limited edition Series X console
• It's based on the classic translucent green colorway of the original Xbox
• It features special 25th anniversary branding

Xbox has revealed a cool limited edition Xbox Series X console as part of the Xbox Games Showcase 2026.

Designed to celebrate the brand's 25th anniversary, the new Xbox Series X 25 Limited Edition is based on the iconic translucent green look of the original Xbox. The system's Xbox button lights up in green, which is intended to pay homage to the classic Xbox start up animation, at least according to VP next generation Jason Ronald in a new Xbox wire post.

"You’ll also discover a few hidden surprises throughout, as a thank you to the community," he teases.

Alongside the console we're also getting a special edition 25th anniversary Xbox Wireless Controller. It's translucent green as well, with loads of little details to help it look a bit like the legendary old 'Duke' pad — albeit thankfully much slimmer.

The controller will be bundled with the limited edition console, but is also available to buy separately if you want to secure one without having to refinance your house.

I'm only assuming the limited edition console will be pricey though, as Microsoft hasn't released any information regarding pricing yet.

"The console and controller will be available together in select markets as a limited edition collection in November," the post continues. "We’ll have more to share on pricing and preorder availability at select retailers soon."

The console will also be given free to fans attending Xbox Fanfest at Summer Game Fest 2026 today"?"The console will also be given free to fans attending Xbox Fanfest at Summer Game Fest 2026 today"?

Tactical role-playing game (RPG) Divinity: Original Sin 2 has been in my backlog for a couple of years now. Ever since I completed developer Larian’s next game, the superlative Baldur’s Gate 3, I’ve been looking for something that scratches that same itch. And when Larian announced its sequel, Divinity, I knew I had to stop dragging my heels and find out what I’d been missing.

Having racked up a slightly terrifying 257 hours on my first playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s safe to say that I was going to like Divinity: Original Sin 2. It’s the franchise that helped Larian hone their formula after all. And yet for all the similarities it shares with the game that followed it, the franchise is its own beast.

Far from being the same formula denuded of its D&D dressing, Divinity: Original Sin 2 very much stands apart, hewing closer to the CRPGs of old than Baldur’s Gate 3’s tabletop-imitating trappings. It feels far more tactical and strategically freer than the later game — if Larian is able to add to its solid bones some of the fantastic polish and depth it brought to BG3, I’ll be very excited about the upcoming Divinity.

Class action

Building a character in Divinity: Original Sin 2 feels incredibly fluid. Nominal classes exist as a starting point, with each focusing largely on two families of combat abilities. And these skill families steer away from CRPG cliches just enough to feel novel — yes, you can create standard rogue, cleric, or fighter builds, but others are more of a departure.

Each of the elemental magic schools feels unique and deep, while polymorph allows you to transform your limbs and body parts to suit the situation, and summoning lets you call up totems and demons that match elements on the battlefield, making it super versatile.

But it goes deeper than this. For those who are tired of being railroaded into specific class combinations, Divinity largely tears down class boundaries entirely. You can invest points in whichever stats and combat abilities you see fit, then learn any skills you meet the criteria for by using consumable skill books. That allows you to create complicated classes for every character that suit your playstyle — or create unworkable builds that will get pulverized in every battle.

Not every element of its roleplay feels this deep and rewarding, though. The character creator feels limited, even for a game released in 2017, making it feel a little less immersive than it could have. And while the story and voice acting are perfectly decent, I rarely felt the kind of close connection with my party members and their struggles that I did while playing Baldur’s Gate 3. I engaged with Divinity: Original Sin 2’s lore as much as I could, but often Rivellon felt more like a gauntlet to run with my party than a living, breathing world in its own right.

Fight me, bro

While I have a lot of praise and some reservations over the roleplay elements, the area where I think Divinity: Original Sin 2 is unimpeachable is when it comes to combat.

Read almost any user comments about the game online, you’ll see people talking about how they struggled to get to grips with its combat system. I’ll happily admit: battles can be gruellingly hard if you’ve made mistakes with your build. And if you tangle with enemies above your level, you should expect to be spanked down hard – as anyone whose party ended up in the belly of a teleporting crocodile can attest.

Fortunately, once you understand the tactics involved, things start to slam into place like Tetris pieces. First off, enemies and allies have two types of shield, physical and magical, that soak up damage of each type before it reduces health. As a result, you have to focus on specific damage types for each enemy to ensure you’re maximizing the wounds inflicted. Rather than focusing on buffing or defence, this really rewards gung-ho, high-damage playstyles — that really appeals to me as someone who’ll always opt for a glass cannon over a bard or paladin.

But combat is at its most rewarding once you learn how to dominate and utilize the battlefield. Abilities like teleport make it easier to kite enemies or group them together to be pulped by an area of effect (AoE) spell. Higher terrain gives you a damage advantage over enemies in ranged attacks, while low terrain gives you a corresponding penalty.

Even more critical, the battlefield is splattered with a range of surfaces, including blood, poison, ice, and fire. Depending on your resistances and weaknesses, many of these can either heal or harm your allies and enemies, meaning where you stand is often as important as the attacks you choose.

And each surface causes its own effect. For instance, oil slows people down, but it’s also flammable, making enemies standing there vulnerable to a tossed flame. Water can be frozen into ice to trip characters, evaporated into steam, or electrified to stun enemies drenched in it. There’s a complicated interplay of these elements — and that’s before we even get into their blessed or cursed variants…

While most CRPG battles come down to the interplay of attacks and status effects, Divinity: Original Sin 2’s battlefields are an ally and an enemy in their own right. That makes every encounter satisfyingly knotty, and it’s something I’m glad I’ve mastered for the day that Divinity finally drops.

I wouldn’t exactly call the Nintendo Switch 2’s first year revolutionary. The numbers were impressive, yes; Nintendo reported over 3.5 million hardware units sold in its first four days — its fastest-selling hardware launch ever. By December 31, 2025, the company reported 17.37 million units sold in its 30-week lifespan; by comparison, the first-generation Switch sold around 14.86 million units by December 31, 2017, in its first 36 weeks.

But the Switch 2 needed more than sales to break Nintendo’s generational curse of yo-yo-ing console success. It needed sticking power.

Watch the video version of this article below…

Personally, I’ve not been quite as glued to the second-generation handheld console as I was the first, but I’m also no longer an undergraduate student with more free time than sense. That being said, whenever I do have an evening to myself, it’s most often spent playing on my Switch 2 rather than my gaming PC or other rival consoles.

While its first year undoubtedly set it off on a solid trajectory despite rising concerns over its pricing, hardware supply chain issues, tariffs and the absence of system-selling software, did the Switch 2 gain enough momentum to secure its future? Let’s review.

A lukewarm reception

From the moment Nintendo revealed the Switch 2 in April 2025, it was positioned as an iterative upgrade. This, naturally, reignited age-old debates between those who have long bemoaned Nintendo’s inferior performance and dated hardware and those prizing the focus on affordability and portability.

Hardware changes included a bigger 7.9-inch 1080p screen, 120Hz support, 4K docked output on compatible displays, better performance and 256GB of storage; all welcome, but still lagging behind the competition. But then, the Switch 2 is no handheld gaming PC — comparisons between it and the likes of the Steam Deck OLED or the Asus ROG Ally have always been slightly fraught, in my opinion.

Still, these complaints muddied the waters, and new social features GameChat and GameShare failed to generate hype, despite marking a significant move from Nintendo to keep pace with its competitors. That being said, I don’t know anyone regularly using either feature today…

Similarly, the novel Joy-Con 2 mouse mode controls weren’t met with the emphatic excitement I’m sure Nintendo hoped for. It was a well-measured reaction, in fairness; while the feature has come in handy in a few grand strategy titles like Civilization VII that port PC interfaces, I’ve yet to find a use case that makes the wrist strain induced by mouse mode worthwhile.

The Elephant Mario in the room

Without hardware to dazzle prospective customers, the real issue facing the Switch 2 at launch was that it wasn’t exciting enough, and without momentum, a console launch can easily fail. Despite the robust Japanese gaming audience in their camp, Nintendo struggled a little to win favor globally, and that was only doubled by a concerningly hollow launch title line-up carried mostly by Mario Kart World.

*Software units include the quantity bundled with hardware or other products and downloadable versions.

Add to the mix a sour taste over Nintendo’s paid-for tutorial software, Welcome Tour, and the general confusion and discourse around the nature of Virtual Game Cards, and by the time June rolled around, many onlookers expected the Switch 2 to face a disappointing first few weeks. Still, the fans turned out in droves, and Nintendo even managed to one-up Sony by side-stepping supply and demand issues faced by the PlayStation 5.

The best feathers in Nintendo’s cap were the offer of backward compatibility with OG Switch software, upgraded Switch 2 editions for more demanding first-gen titles, and better-designed Joy-Con controllers; it’s largely for these reasons that the Switch 2 faced a warm reception in the face of so much doubt.

I’m notoriously weak in the knees for The Legend of Zelda, and the upgraded Switch 2 Editions were enough to abate my side-eye at the otherwise vacant launch library. Still, I struggled in those early months — along with many others — to justify owning a Switch 2. If I hadn’t received one through work for review purposes, I probably would have held fire on purchasing one, too.

It’s on like Donkey Kong

For many, everything changed when Donkey Kong Bananza was released a month later; with a Metacritic score of 91 (and our own 4.5-star review in the mix), it was the early win the console needed to see a successful summer. Pokémon Legends: Z-A later in the year didn’t quite stick the landing so well, but the two titles, along with a library back-filled with ports like Cyberpunk 2077 and Yakuza helped to soften the blow.

For me, though, it wasn’t until late 2025 that the Switch 2 really found its rhythm. Further ports and release-day third-party launches like Hades 2 and Resident Evil Requiem have breathed life into the console, giving those of us who prize a quick 20-minute game sesh while commuting and don’t mind a lower-performance rendering the chance to keep pace with the rest of the gaming community.

The good times kept coming for Nintendo even in its comparatively smaller releases; in my household, my Switch 2 usage has increased significantly thanks to the release of Pokopia and Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream this year — we cozy gamers are consistently well-serviced by Nintendo.

The same can’t be said for many fans of meatier, AAA titles, though, and one question has haunted the Switch 2 since the moment it was announced: a rumbling, unanswered anxiety over what’s next.

That uncertainty comes at a cost. News that weak holiday sales are leading to Switch 2 production cuts shows that the console has yet to prove its mettle in the way the first-generation did, even with such high sales figures in its first year. Plus, the Switch benefited from explosive success for mid-lifecycle releases like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, notably in part thanks to the pandemic. Without insight into the future of AAA gaming on the Switch 2, I can only see sales plateauing further.

The Japanese gaming giant holds the keys to several as-yet untouched kingdoms — including The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario — but even news of newer franchises like Splatoon 4 could help abate naysayers. Plus, we’ve likely got at least another year to wait for Pokémon: Winds and Waves, and given the franchise's recent track record for mainline flops, it’s hard to bet on the upcoming release as a system seller.

Yeah, but no, but yeah…

That only leaves the biggest question of all: Is the Switch 2 a successful follow-up to the first-generation console? A year on, the answer is a resounding “no — but yes, kinda” from me.

For one thing, I’ve already maxed out on storage, though I’d always argue an SD card should be a day-one purchase if you like handheld gaming. And yes, the battery life is worse, but at least with my lifestyle, I’m far more prone to play docked in 4K now than I am in handheld, meaning I can enjoy the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Tears of the Kingdom in all its glory — and it is truly glorious.

It’s a good thing I’m happier in docked mode, too, because while the Joy-Con 2 controllers have been “redesigned from the ground up” according to Nintendo, as seen in iFixit’s Switch 2 teardown, not enough has fundamentally changed to eradicate stick drift. It’s nowhere near the scale of the first-generation console, but I have personally experienced some early signs of drift and tend to stick with my Switch 2 Pro Controller to be safe — and to prevent Link from launching himself off a cliff without warning.

However, even if most upgrades are for quality of life, they really do make up the difference. Faster loading times are always welcome (though it remains to be seen how these will scale as software pulls further ahead of hardware capabilities), and improvements to system software like the eShop mean Nintendo might actually see some digital downloads, especially now that Nintendo has announced digital titles will cost less than physical copies.

There’s plenty of work to be done still on the Switch 2, and we don’t yet know if we’ll see more variants like a Lite or OLED model; who knows, maybe the long-rumored Switch Pro will make an appearance in this second-generation cycle. What we do know is to expect a price hike on the horizon — in the US it’s confirmed to be effective of 1 September 2026 when we’ll see the list price increase by $50. Still, the future is far from bleak, but only time will tell if Nintendo can eke another eight years out of its latest hardware before, if you’ll pardon the pun, switching things up again.

• Belkin is launching two new accessories for the Nintendo Switch 2
• The Charging Grip aims to improve comfort and extend battery life
• It could help solve one of the Switch 2's biggest handheld gaming challenges: shorter play sessions

Ahead of the Nintendo Switch 2's first anniversary on June 5, Belkin is expanding its accessories lineup for the popular gaming handheld console hybrid with two new additions.

While you might think of Belkin as a maker of wall chargers, power banks, and screen protectors for your iPhone, the accessory brand has offered some pretty awesome products for the Switch 2. I’ve already written about the Charging Case for Nintendo Switch 2, which has been out for several months, and we’ve even rated Belkin’s screen protector for the console four and a half out of five stars.

That serves as a reminder that I might need to invest in one, as I almost exclusively use the Switch 2 as a handheld. And that leads me to Belkin’s Charging Grip for the Switch 2, which is available now for $99 / £69.99 / AU$149.

The general idea here is that it snaps around the Switch 2 for a more comfortable gaming experience, though it does add a bit more heft to the unit. It also features magnets on the back, allowing a power bank — which is included — to snap on easily.

And for me, that’s the big win here. We’ve seen other power solutions, even from Belkin, but normally you’re left trying to hold the battery pack or let it dangle. Here, it snaps onto the back, and its included cable can easily plug into the Switch 2 to solve one of my biggest gripes: battery life in handheld mode.

For longer gaming sessions — which the battery naturally helps enable — and to improve overall ergonomics, the grip wraps around the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons as well. Perhaps most importantly, the grips are non-slip and still allow you to remove the Joy-Cons while the Charging Grip remains attached to the Switch 2. It’s simply smart design, and there’s even a built-in kickstand. If you also like to use the Switch 2 docked on a bigger screen, such as a TV, the grip doesn’t affect compatibility.

So, for the price, you’re getting both the grip for the Switch 2 and a 10,000mAh power bank with a cable for easy plug-and-play charging. Belkin says the power bank can recharge the Switch 2 up to 1.5 times, and you can monitor the battery level via a circular LED display on the unit.

Less electronic, but no less useful, is the Travel Bag for Nintendo Switch 2, which isn’t just a fashion-forward way to carry the console but also offers dedicated storage for key accessories. It can hold the Switch 2, a Pro Controller, and other accessories. Like Belkin’s other cases, it also includes slots for up to 10 game cards. It’s worth noting that it’s designed to work with the Charging Grip, meaning these two products go hand in hand.

You’ll also have room inside for other accessories, and whether you swear by an AirTag, a Tile tracker, or a MotoTag, there’s a dedicated slot for one. Belkin’s Travel Bag for Nintendo Switch 2 is available now for $49.99 / £29.99 / AU$54.95 from the brand's online store and Amazon.

Both the Travel Bag and the Charging Grip come in three colors: black, lilac, and olive. While the latter two add a bit of color, I’m still hoping Belkin will increase the vibrancy and introduce a few more fun shades if these accessories prove popular.

Nacon Storage Case for Nintendo Switch 2: review

If you want the most all-encompassing, compromise-free storage for your shiny new Nintendo system, then the Nacon Storage Case for Nintendo Switch 2 might be ideal for you.

This large carry case is rammed with a whole lot of space for your console, dock, Joy-Con 2 controllers, traditional controllers, and accessories. It comes equipped with individual compartments for each part of your Switch 2 set up, so if you’re planning on setting up a gaming party, tournament, or travelling for a while, then it seems like the perfect companion?

But just how good is the Nacon Storage Case for Nintendo Switch 2 really? Well, I’ve spent a few days testing it and I have plenty of thoughts. Can it compete with some of the very best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories? Here’s what I think.

Let’s talk about the storage situation first, because this is probably the most spacious Switch 2 case I’ve ever seen — let alone tested.

You get a whopping 21 game card slots, which can also be used for microSD Express cards if you’d like, and that’s probably more than you’ll ever need. There’s also a net on the top side of the case where you can store HDMI cables, power leads and the like.

The main event, though, is the giant storage compartment with bespoke slots for specific Switch 2 gear. While this compartment isn’t anything flashy, and it doesn’t look the most attractive, it is admittedly pretty practical. I had room to place two Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless Controllers, four extra Joy-Cons, my Switch 2, dock, and power cable, enabling me to take my full setup anywhere.

Even when swinging the case around and dropping it from a controlled distance, everything stayed in place without a hitch.

My only real criticism here, would be that some of the slots are on the tight side of things. The joysticks on my controllers and on my Switch 2 were being pushed out of place in order for them to fit in the case, and while I don’t expect this would create lasting damage, it isn’t ideal.

Otherwise, the case is a pretty solid all-rounder. The exterior is sturdy and rigid, and it was resistant to scratches when I tried roughing it up. It did pick up dust and fibres pretty easily, though, which some may find frustrating.

Still, the zips are well-made and firm, the handle is wide making it easy to grip, and the interior compartment is fully removable.

The main downside of this case, if you ask me, is that it just doesn’t look amazing. Frankly, it’s gigantic, and rivals like Nintendo’s official All-In-One case provide individual compartments and strong protection with about half of the overall footprint. It also has a fairly one note design, and as I say, picks up debris pretty readily.

Ultimately, this case doesn’t have to look beautiful or anything — after all it comes in at a relatively modest price-point of $44.99 / £29.90 (about AU$63). But whether it’s right for you or not will come down to one major factor: are you willing to lug such a giant case around? Do you really need quite this much space? The answer for me on both counts, would probably be no.

If you can get past the size then you have a durable and (mostly) well made case that will store just about everything you need. If not, then I’d suggest checking out my alternative picks in the ‘Also consider’ section.

Nacon Storage Case for Nintendo Switch 2 review: price & specs

Should I buy the Nacon Storage Case for Nintendo Switch 2?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Nacon Storage Case for Nintendo Switch 2 review: also consider

How I tested the Nacon Storage Case for Nintendo Switch 2

• Used the case over the course of multiple days
• Directly compared against other models
• Tested by a Switch 2 owner and experienced gaming accessories reviewer

I spent a few days putting the Nacon Storage Case to the test, bringing it with me when out and about and cramming it with just about every Switch 2 accessory I have.

During my time testing the case, I performed durability tests, which included scratching the model, as well as dropping it from a controlled height. I also compared it against rivals like Nintendo’s official all-in-one model.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing tech and gaming gear here at TechRadar, including a whole lot of Switch 2 cases. I’ve also been a Nintendo Switch 2 owner from day one, and know exactly what it takes for a case to stand out from the competition.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: June 2026

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, the continuation of the retelling started by Final Fantasy VII: Remake, has finally made it to non-PlayStation consoles, and over the weekend, I’ve been blasting through the game on my Nintendo Switch 2 to answer one question: can the handheld handle it?

The simple answer is yes; the longer answer is yes, but I’m not convinced this is how I’d want to experience this adventure, as Rebirth’s grander scale compared to its first part makes the Nintendo console’s technical deficiencies glaringly obvious.

Though being able to take this adventure on the go with you has some serious upsides — especially as it’s a game you can (and I have, on the PS5 version) sink well over 150 hours into sucking out every last morsel of blood from this stone (my PS5 tells me I spent 187 hours in this game).

Much like Remake, your platform choice for Rebirth should be decided by what you most value from your gaming: beauty or accessibility.

Rebirth reflection

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is not a sequel in the usual sense, it’s more of a disc two in the three-part retelling of the iconic JRPG. The gameplay is mostly identical to the first part, the story picks up exactly where things left off, and it’s essential you play Remake if you want to hit the ground running plot-wise in the way Rebirth expects — otherwise, more so than jumping into the second entry in a gaming series, it’ll be a challenge to get up to speed.

At the same time, Rebirth is an expansion on Remake’s formula thanks to the addition of new playable characters, folios that pave the way for more character build customization, and the open world aspects that make this feel like a grand adventure rather than a linear tale.

The story focus, while a continuation of the remade FF7 plot, is also distinct for this entry. Rebirth’s portion of the FF7 tale is one of confronting the past — for characters on an individual level such as when we return to their former homes in Nibelheim (Cloud and Tifa) and Corel (Barret), for the world as a whole as we learn more of the Cetra Ancients, their stewardship of the lifestream and how this feeds into the various conflicts between modern day factions, and for the series on a meta level as we learn the consequences and outcomes of the first-part’s finale to defy fate.

This reflective narrative (while a touch messy in that last aspect) provides an excellent throughline for this portion of the tale. It’s easy for middle parts to struggle with an identity and feeling satisfied, as they can too easily feel like a mere vehicle to take us from part one to part 3. Rebirth leaves a few loose ends dangling by its conclusions, but this entry makes space for character development and sub-plot conclusions that leave you hungry for more rather than narratively starving.

Unfortunately, where you are left demanding more, at least for the Switch 2 port, is in the performance department. Much like Remake, I didn’t find the game’s quality utterly experience-ruining, but the expanded scope of this title makes it clear that technical excellence is not the Switch 2's strong suit.

The overall technical performance is not drastically different from the Remake experience. Generally, the game runs smoothly at a constant framerate. There was maybe a touch of stutter for the flashy boss-ending finishing combos in a couple of fights, but I was never distracted from enjoying the spectacle of fights in Rebirth.

Quality leaves something to be desired, however, though I will admit my screenshots (especially my combat snaps) paint a slightly unfair picture. With the motion blur, the pace of animations, and the dazzle of colorful explosions, it’s easy not to notice the messy and unfinished nature that individual frames present.

Where the quality is tougher to ignore are the wider environments. Leaving the, at times, claustrophobic streets of Midgar's slums behind, Rebirth offers a true sense of adventure with pseudo-open-world spaces to explore across numerous regions.

On PS5, these spaces can feel dazzling; on the Switch 2, a combination of lower-quality textures, more sporadic (and lower poly) set dressing (i.e., flowers and other foliage, which decorate the Grassland's floors), and a noticeable amount of pop-in detract from the spectacle.

These issues were present in handheld mode, but also in docked mode. In fact, the low-quality textures were more frustrating when blown up on my 55-inch TV screen.

I found the lack of foliage especially amusing in the Chocobo capture section in the second chapter. Cloud had maybe five blades of grass between him and the keen eye of the iconic yellow bird, but this is apparently enough cover to remain hidden — perhaps this is thanks to special training SOLDIERs and Shinra infantry are given.

Alas, the lack of spectacle made exploring the open-world environments much less appealing. Where I had previously made sure to accomplish as many side objectives as possible before moving on, I frequently gave up after just a couple because I didn’t feel quite as immersed in this adventure.

Though if you haven’t experienced the non-Switch 2 version, this graphical contrast might not feel as stark, and with the game offering hundreds of hours of content, the ability to play it anywhere is a major accessibility win.

With free hours to play here and there — while commuting, or travelling, while in bed, or on the couch next to someone using the TV to play/watch something else — the versatility of a handheld is why we play with them, not for graphical superiority.

That said, I’m firmly in the play it on PS5 camp — or on an Xbox or a decent PC — when it comes to Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. The Switch 2 version is fine, but it’s frankly not the best way to experience the adventure

Handheld gaming continues to grow year on year, with new hardware entering the fray to improve performance results in games — and with Computex 2026 well underway, it's time for PC enthusiasts to get excited.

There have already been several hardware announcements from the likes of Asus, Acer, OneXPlayer, and more, which means there's plenty for consumers to consider when picking out their next device.

Fortunately, Intel has been hard at work on its Panther Lake processor lineup and has delivered the powerful Arc G3 Extreme, which uses 14 cores and 14 threads and 12 Xe GPU cores, delivering some of the best performance on any handheld gaming PC we've seen thus far. However, it's not all just about power and performance.

Several other manufacturers have taken the time to fine-tune the handheld gaming experience, to improve visual enjoyment, comfort, and more — and here, we'll look at the best handheld gaming PCs that have been unveiled at Computex 2026.

1. MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

MSI has gone back to the drawing board after releasing the Claw 8 AI+ and Claw 7 AI+, and now, unveiled the all-new, powerful handheld, the Claw 8 EX AI+. While the display is effectively untouched, the processor is now the Intel Arc G3 Extreme, a significant step up from the Claw 8 AI+'s Core Ultra 258V.

Intel claims the G3 Extreme is 44% faster than the Core Ultra 258V at 1080p with 2x upscaling (i.e., from 540p), at 35W, and, notably, 42% faster than one of its rival chips, the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme.

As a bonus to a monumental performance leap coming from the Core Ultra 200V series is its XeSS 3 upscaling compatibility, alongside Multi-Frame Generation, and access to Windows 11's Xbox Mode. Intel is the latest competitor to join Nvidia in utilizing Multi-Frame Generation technology, as AMD has yet to roll this out for Radeon GPU users.

With XeSS 3 upscaling, Multi-Frame Generation, and an overall raw performance boost, accompanied by better ergonomics for comfort, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ may end up being the best of the bunch among handhelds this year — however, its price could make or break it, especially if the rumored $1,500 figure is legitimate.

2. OneXPlayer 3

One-Netbook certainly isn't a mainstream manufacturer like MSI, but its new OneXPlayer 3 handheld is definitely a strong competitor to the Claw 8 EX AI+, and, on paper, in some cases arguably better.

The OneXPlayer 3 is a 3-in-one handheld gaming PC that supports AI, gaming, and productivity, and features the same Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor found in the Claw 8 EX AI+. However, it outshines MSI's device with a bigger, more immersive 8.8-inch 144Hz OLED display that is both VRR and HDR enabled.

Users have two storage options via microSD and mini SSD, while its battery has a capacity of 85 Wh. That latter might mean the handheld ranks among those with the best and longest-lasting battery life, but we'll need to see how it performs in real-world testing.

Without a doubt, this is a device that will be able to tackle any game thrown at it and provide exceptional visual quality while doing so. There's no information on its launch date nor its price, and yet again, the latter will likely be the defining factor in its potential success.

3. Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20

Doubling down on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X's impressive features, Asus revealed the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 to celebrate the ROG brand's 20th anniversary. More importantly, the X20 comes with a larger 7.4-inch OLED display with 1,400 nits of peak brightness, bundled with the ROG XReal R1 Edition 20 gaming AR glasses.

It's quite clear that Asus has prioritized visual improvements over performance or power, so it's hard to describe this as a 'mid-generation' upgrade, in the same way the Asus ROG Ally X was compared to its non-X counterpart.

The Xbox Ally X20 also features a rotatable D-pad, labeled a 'Transforming D-pad', which should cater to fighting game players when using the handheld, thanks to optimization for diagonal inputs.

The major downside is that Asus isn't currently selling this as a standalone device, and since the ROG XReal R1 Edition 20 gaming AR glasses retail for $849, the bundle will likely be priced at or around $2,000.

4. Acer Predator Atlas 8

Just like the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ and the OneXPlayer 3, the Acer Predator Atlas 8 is powered by Intel's Arc G3 Extreme, with power-ready capabilities that can bolster performance in several games for users.

Its design takes after the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X (and the new ROG Xbox Ally X20), just as MSI has, with controller-like handles that cater to comfort for those long gaming sessions. The adjustable triggers on the Lenovo Legion Go S handheld are easily one of my favorite features for any handheld, and fortunately, that's included here with the Atlas 8.

The only missing element is an OLED display for greater immersion, so it sits in a very similar ballpark as the Claw 8 EX AI+, with the only difference being the latter's comfier design.

In the same vein as all of Computex's handheld announcements, the Atlas 8 hinges on its price tag, and based on the current market conditions, thanks to the RAM crisis, it looks like it may be priced well above $1,000. Acer has confirmed that this will launch in October 2026, so price information shouldn't be too far off.

Okay, we need to talk about Star Fox 64. It’s a great game, don’t get me wrong, and was certainly pioneering for its time — innovating with not only its novel Rumble Pak integration but also its many branching paths and impressive replay value — but, almost thirty years after its release, it’s time to let it go.

It isn’t some inaccessible hidden gem: it’s been remade and re-released repeatedly over the years. Back in 2011, we got a pretty substantial remake in Star Fox 64 3D on Nintendo 3DS, followed by a virtual console port of the original game for the Wii U. Then 2016’s Star Fox Zero was a 64 reimagining at its heart, with a similar story and some near-identical levels in its campaign.

Now we have the upcoming Star Fox, a complete remake designed for Nintendo Switch 2, and things are just getting silly. With its release, almost half of the series’ nine mainline games will be some version of Star Fox 64, and when there hasn’t been a new game for almost a decade, surely now is the time for something more new and exciting.

Do a barrel roll… again

Still, it’s not hard to see why Nintendo has gone down this route. With protagonist Fox McCloud appearing in the blockbuster Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the company clearly wants to create an approachable entry point for prospective fans — one that doesn’t require knowledge of any prior games. It’s also no secret that remakes like this are much cheaper than having to create an entirely new game, with developers working from an established template rather than having to build everything from scratch.

It makes total sense from a business perspective, and if this remake is a big success, I can only assume that we’ll finally get a new Star Fox game in the next few years. The problem, having played a few hours of Star Fox at a recent Nintendo event, is that its age does show.

There’s plenty good here, don’t get me wrong, and it’s dripping with that usual level of Nintendo polish. The visuals look great in motion, and are substantially upgraded compared to past versions. Zooming through the picturesque first level, Corneria, its initial raft of green hills and shimmering ocean appears genuinely beautiful, with the subsequent city siege being even more impressive.

From the handful that I’ve seen, the new cutscenes are an improvement too (slightly uncanny, bit-too-realistic character models notwithstanding) and do a good job establishing the stakes and introducing the distinct personalities of the main crew. The controls are smooth as well and, while the game still unfolds mainly in an on-rails format, it’s pretty fun to hit barrel rolls and fire laser beams as you dart through the skies. It’s all accompanied by a brilliant orchestral score that makes it all feel super cinematic.

My main hangup comes from the levels themselves. Beyond aesthetics, they’re basically exact recreations of the N64 originals and are really quite short, a fact that’s even more noticeable now they’re sandwiched between lengthy cutscenes. On the standard difficulty, the boss fights I sampled were all comically easy too, which further compounds the issue — shredding a giant mech in four seconds isn't a very climactic end to an already fleeting encounter.

I can already hear some of you yelling at the screen that Star Fox 64 has always been a very short game — which is of course true — but if you’re going to all the effort to remake the visuals from scratch, I don’t see why some extra encounters couldn’t have been thrown in there to extend the runtime (not to mention increase the appeal for those that have already played through 64 multiple times) a little bit as well. Fingers crossed the full release has some surprises in store.

At least a new co-op mode has been added to take advantage of the Nintendo Switch 2 system, tasking one player with piloting the Arwing ship and the other with aiming its weapons with Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. The results are, as you might expect, pretty hectic, but I’m glad the option is there for younger players eager to dive in with siblings and friends or even older gamers wanting to share the action with a family member.

The online multiplayer is another great excuse to squad up with some pals, and it’s pretty different to the local action in the old game as well. It’s 4v4 now, with one team dropping in as the Star Fox team and the other as the malevolent Star Wolf mercenary squad to battle over control points in a handful of maps.

I really enjoyed my brief time with it (and I’m not just saying that because I got to play as my beloved Slippy) and am eager to try it out some more come release day. I'm hopeful that it will help me spend some more time in the game after knocking out the campaign (for the umpteenth time) in just a couple of hours.

Star Fox launches as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive on June 25, 2026.

• The Nintendo Music app has received a major update
• A new web app available, alongside Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support
• 130 tracks from Mario Kart World have also been added

Nintendo Music just got a major update, with increased compatibility, some new features, and additional tracks to boot.

Perhaps the most important news is that you can enjoy the Nintendo Music service via a new web app. As someone that often listens to music at my desk, this is a very welcome addition, and it’s easily accessible to any user with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription — required to access the service on any platform.

However, there’s another way to access Nintendo music on a larger screen, because you can now also access Nintendo Music through compatible tablets.

But that’s not all. You can take Nintendo Music on the road, thanks to the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. You can pick out tunes via your car’s built-in console or even use voice controls if you’d prefer. This feels pretty on-brand for Mario Kart World’s shortly approaching anniversary.

Speaking of Mario Kart World, you can listen to a whopping 130 tracks newly added from the game, including some absolute bangers like the theme’s from Whistlestop Summit and Rainbow Road.

In-app, I was also notified that tracks from Mario Kart World's Free Roam mode will be added on a regular basis, so I'd expect more of the game's eclectic soundtrack to drift onto the platform in coming months.

Another interesting feature that’s been added is called ‘My Mix’. This essentially takes a look at your play history on Nintendo Music and constructs a playlist based on the tracks you’ve played the most — similar to some of the mixes you’ll find on streaming apps like Spotify and Tidal.

All in all, this is a pretty comprehensive update, and makes it easier than ever to bump some of the greatest Nintendo tracks, wherever you are. In the future, it would be fantastic to see Nintendo Music roll out on the Nintendo Switch 2 itself — and potentially the original Switch as well.

I’d also be keen to see support for Wi-Fi casting, so I can use the app over Wi-Fi on my soundbar or wireless speakers. Still, it’s great to see Nintendo give its music streaming service some love, and I’m pretty hyped to blast the Mii Channel theme while on the road.

• Asus has revealed the new ROG Xbox Ally X20 handheld at Computex 2026
• It features a bigger 7.4-inch screen and now has an OLED panel
• The handheld will come bundled with the ROG XReal R1 Edition 20 gaming AR glasses

June has certainly kicked off with a bang for gamers, with Summer Game Fest 2026 imminent, and notably, several new hardware announcements at Computex 2026 — and we've spotted one of the best yet.

Asus just announced the new ROG Xbox Ally X20 handheld gaming PC at Computex 2026, serving as an upgrade to the ROG Xbox Ally X. This time, it features a bigger 7.4-inch display and, notably, an OLED panel, rivaling the Lenovo Legion Go 2.

Notably, the ROG XReal R1 Edition 20 gaming AR glasses are bundled with the ROG Xbox Ally X20, allowing gamers to project their games onto a bigger, more immersive 171-inch micro-OLED 240Hz display with a 0.01ms response time.

The X20 possibly features one of the best displays in terms of brightness, with 1,400-nit peak HDR brightness, 0.2ms response time, and a VESA DisplayHDR 1000 rating. Combined with an anti-reflective coating, which reduces glare by 65%, gaming is made much easier when in bright environments.

Comment from r/Handhelds

Essentially, it sounds like Asus has landed a winner with this handheld, particularly in its specifications, and it has, unsurprisingly, left some consumers excited.

As noted on Reddit, with one user stating it's "almost the perfect handheld for many". However, there is one question among consumers that Asus hasn't answered yet: the ROG Xbox Ally X20's price.

The newly announced MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, using Intel's Arc G3 Extreme processor, is reportedly starting at $1,500 (around £1,120 / AU$2,100), but MSI has yet to confirm this. If the purported price is legitimate, it will effectively spoil any form of excitement built around the device ahead of its eventual launch, and the ROG Xbox Ally X20 could be placed in the same expensive category.

It's also worth noting that the XReal R1 Edition 20 gaming AR glasses already cost $849 / £749 / around AU$1,799 individually, so that likely pushes the bundle's price at or just under $2,000.

Prices for consoles, desktop PC components, and handhelds have skyrocketed to unaffordable levels in 2026 due to the RAM crisis, and the more feature-rich a handheld device sounds coming out of Computex 2026, the more expensive it will be — and the OLED addition for the Ally X20 sounds like the perfect case for a high price.

When Bethesda Softworks launched Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for Xbox and PC in late 2024, it surprised both fans of the film franchise and loyal followers of developer MachineGames.

While many expected the licensed entry to be an Indy-themed re-skin of the studio's popular first-person Wolfenstein games, others thought it might be just another familiar Uncharted or Tomb Raider romp…only topped with a fedora.

Of course, those assumptions proved to be about as reliable as a pet monkey when the game ultimately delivered a sprawling, epic adventure that not only captured the spirit of its beloved source material, but rivaled the legendary archaeologist's big screen exploits.

While the Great Circle indeed packed a literal punch in the combat department, and featured its fair share of tombs to raid, its action and puzzles were organically balanced with immersive exploration, rich world-building, nuanced characterizations, and cinematic storytelling.

But it seems crafting a successful, expectation-subverting Indiana Jones was just the beginning, as MachineGames has unearthed another shiny treasure in the form of the Great Circle's Switch 2 release. Much more than a competent port that retains and optimizes the original's (whip) cracking formula, Indy's debut on Nintendo's new system significantly raises the bar for what's possible on the hybrid hardware.

As pretty as the Lost Ark

The first thing that hit me in the Great Circle on Switch 2 wasn't a foe's jaw-shattering punch, but its striking presentation. Having previously reviewed the game on the powerful PlayStation 5 Pro, I was well acquainted with its eye-popping visuals. That said, I wasn't expecting Nintendo's lower-powered console to serve up a comparable graphical feast, especially when I was playing in its resolution-reducing handheld and tabletop modes.

But the incredible level of detail on display impressed at every turn, whether I was ogling blinding sunbeams being filtered through lush foliage or marveling at the realistic shadows my torches cast on crypt walls. Thanks to DLSS upscaling doing some of the heavy lifting, the game looks as sharp as a Cairo swordsman's blade running at 1080p resolution when docked and played on a separate screen.

It was my time punching Nazis and cracking conundrums in handheld mode, however, that continually had me scooping my jaw from the floor. Whether playing the Great Circle in the palm of my hand or propped on my desk or dining room table, it shined like a golden idol on the system's portable display. While the resolution is dropped to 720p in handheld mode, nothing else is sacrificed in terms of tech, from its leveraging of ray-traced global illumination to the strand-based hair that ratchet's the realism of character models.

Coupled with the game's artistic excellence, this means every last detail, particle effect, shadow and lighting trick — from Marshall College's many reflective surfaces to that intimidating cleft in villain Emmerih Voss' chin — makes a confident leap onto the small screen. And while side-by-side comparisons with more powerful hardware — looking at you, PS5 Pro – will reveal subtle shortcomings, such as fuzzier up-close textures — the differences are generally negligible and never break the immersion.

Smooth as a slithering snake

Indy's search for fortune and glory on the Switch 2 is forced to make a bigger sacrifice in the performance department, as the game is locked at 30fps. But while that dip – down from other versions' 60fps – might sound as detrimental as a massive, rolling boulder on your tail, it barely makes a blip.

Without the luxury of being able to offer the "quality" and "performance" modes that've become commonplace with higher-end consoles, MachineGames (which smartly handled the port in-house) decided to prioritize the former for Switch 2. And, as detailed above, that choice has paid off in spades, resulting in one of the most visually impressive experiences to ever grace the system's 7.9-inch LCD screen.

Of course, the presentation-pushing decision wasn't made hastily, as the optimization-obsessed studio seemed to know exactly what it was doing, cutting corners where necessary, but not at the cost of quality. The Great Circle is a rip-roaring Indiana Jones adventure, but it generally favors measured exploration, careful stealth, and thoughtful puzzle-solving over seat-of-the-pants action.

Sure, the fists fly, Indy's whip cracks, and plenty of makeshift melee weapons break over bad guys' skulls; the story also packs its share of thrilling chases, frantic shootouts, and explosive set pieces. But none of this ever becomes so performance-intensive that it slows the game in the same way a massive open-world or cluttered battlefield might. As such, the rock solid 30fps performance rarely presents more than the occasional hiccup — a bit of pop-in here, a cutscene stutter there.

One of the game's most absorbing aspects is its globe-spanning, semi-open areas — from the Vatican and Gizeh to the Himalayas and Shanghai — all ripe for exploration and discovery. These dense, detail-drenched locales are living, breathing hubs and, to maintain the game's visual splendor and peppy performance, the studio has reduced the number of NPCs populating some of these environments. But unless you've played the previous versions — and took a census of their various hub areas — you likely won't notice.

Ninten-difference

The Great Circle made some small concessions to properly run on the Switch 2, but it's also leveraged many of the hardware's unique features, from mouse and gyro controls to HD Rumble (sadly, motion controls have not been implemented for gesture-based whip-wielding.) The mouse-like functionality works as advertised and is fun to fool around with, but it didn't pull me in to the point I'd trade it for traditional mechanics. The gyro motion, however, definitely upped the immersion, especially when carefully exploring environments and closely inspecting items. If I ever wanted to level-up the first-person perspective, I'd use the feature to truly feel like I was under Indy's weathered hat.

The real star though, is the HD Rumble, which surprised me with every new interaction I had. Incredibly layered and nuanced, the feature injected extra realism into even the simplest inputs, like brushing spiders off double-crossing Satipo's back. But while sweeping away the creepy crawlies triggers a satisfying tactile sensation, that's just a taste of what the tech can do.

The slow-building vibration that pulses over your palms when that oversized rock nips at your heels is a fantastic showcase of the feature, and everything — from enemy-ensnaring whip strikes to the gentle placement of puzzle pieces — significantly benefits from the HD Rumble's masterful implementation. Not since using Sony's innovative DualSense controller have I been so taken with a peripheral's ability to bring something fresh to the medium.

A visually stunning, cinema-rivaling adventure that put players in Indy's well-trodden boots like never before, the Great Circle had already cemented itself as a must-play for fans of the series, as well as armchair adventures of all stripes. On top of providing all the whip-cracking, crypt-exploring, mystery-deciphering fun you'd expect from the franchise, it excelled in its world-building, storytelling, and characterizations — including Troy Baker's spot-on performance as the Harrison Ford-originated hero.

Amazingly, all of this has been retained and optimized — with little sacrifice – to be successfully squeezed onto the Switch 2, giving owners of the system not just one of its best games to date, but one that paves a promising path for the future of highly ambitious, AAA titles destined for Nintendo's hybrid hardware.

Should I play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Nintendo Switch 2?

Play it if…

Don’t play it if…

Accessibility

As with previous versions the game, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's Switch 2 release offers a treasure trove of accessibility options. On top of a ton of customizations for subtitles, closed captions, and user interface elements, camera modes — such as screen shake and motion blur — can be toggled.

Color filter modes – protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia – are available for visually-impaired players, while various HUD settings and adjustments allow for further customization.

The game also features separate difficulty options for its action and adventure elements, allowing for specific aspects – like enemy quantity and behavior — to be tweaked for the former, while the latter offers assists for puzzles, navigation, item location, and more.

How I reviewed Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Nintendo Switch 2

I played Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for 30-plus hours, with the majority of that time spent in the Switch 2's handheld and tabletop modes.

I paid particular attention to its visual quality and performance, especially in comparison to the PS5 Pro version, which I previously reviewed.

I also focused on Switch 2-specific features, like the mouse and gyro controls, as well as the HD Rumble integration.

First reviewed June 2026

• Nintendo has released a new mobile game
• It's called Pictonico! and it's a minigame collection similar to the WarioWare titles
• The game is free to start and available for both iOS and Android devices

Nintendo has launched a new mobile game out of the blue, and it's pretty similar to the WarioWare series.

The game is called Pictonico! and it's a minigame collection that uses photos of people from your phone's gallery in up to 80 rather amusing minigames. These range from chomping on dragging on someone's mouth to force them to devour fruit to plucking their nose hairs.

In addition to accessing past snaps, you can take new photos to use right from within the app.

The wacky tone and aesthetic are certainly reminiscent of WarioWare titles, and, having played it for a little bit before writing this, it very much takes me back to memories messing around with the similarly camera-focused WarioWare: Snapped! on the Nintendo DSi.

If you're interested in giving it a go, a demo version can be downloaded completely for free on both Android and iOS devices. This edition includes three minigames to mess around with, but if you want more, you can purchase two extra volumes with 50 and 30 games for $7.69 / £6.99 and $5.99 / £5.39 respectively.

Buying one unlocks loads of extra features, including a selection of challenge stages to beat, a score attack mode, and more.

Purchasing both volumes also grants access to a mix mode that combines games from everything that you have purchased. The wording in the app makes me think that there will be future volumes released too, which is definitely interesting.

Oh, and if you're particularly privacy-conscious, then you'll be relieved to hear that the App Store listing specifies that none of your photos are sent to Nintendo.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is a big departure from its predecessors
• It offers new movement systems, upgraded shooting, a fresh UI and a raft of new mechanics
• A developer tells me the game is "the most impressive Call of Duty" they've worked on

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 could redefine the long-running first-person shooter (FPS) series with its unapologetically gritty campaign, overhauled multiplayer offering, and fully-featured DMZ extraction shooter mode.

Fan-favorite mechanics from older games, like the pick-three perk system, are back, alongside bold new additions such as an automated AI gunsmith assistant and the series' first dynamic multiplayer map called Kill Block. Everything is underpinned by a raft of core mechanical changes that reshape how you navigate environments and engage in combat.

The game even has an all-new user interface, which eschews the boxy Netflix-like look of recent entries in favor of something that feels like a fittingly modern reimagining of the classic 2009 Modern Warfare 2 menu screens.

"I think with the combination of the changes to core multiplayer, with Kill Block and the dynamic multiplayer map experience, and then combining that with DMZ being a game within a game," begins studio multiplayer creative director Joe Cecot.

"It is the biggest, and I think for us even the most impressive Call of Duty that we've ever had a chance to work on. I think I could speak sincerely and say it's my favorite."

Asked whether he's worried that Modern Warfare 4 might feel a little too different, Cecot replies: "I don't think so, because we're looking at the genre, we're looking at how our game plays, we're bringing people in. So the differences we've made, I think, are all healthy changes."

He went on to reiterate the fact that the studio's efforts are all rooted in community feedback. "You don't make changes for the sake of change," he says. "The things you're putting in the game, they need to be making the game play better and feel better, and maybe you're providing a new experience or solving a problem."

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's movement is considerably faster and more fluid than Modern Warfare 2
• It also offers new parkour mechanics
• The developers say the goal is "being able to move the way you want to"

Multiplayer matches in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 are underpinned by an overhauled movement system that facilitates smoother slides that carry your momentum, a new ledge grab mechanic, and more.

The result is the most fluid feeling Modern Warfare game yet, offering a new level of freedom in contrast to the comparatively clunky Modern Warfare 2.

"We wanted to make sure this time around that being able to move the way you want to and play the way you want to was also supported," lead game designer Jackie Reynolds tells me at a preview event in Los Angeles.

"We looked at all these systems that would have made the game feel sluggish and cumbersome before, and we actually rebuilt them from the ground up to support that more fluid play. We want you to still feel like a gritty badass, but we also want you to feel like you can move with some parkour, kind of like a call back to the Jason Bourne movies."

Adding extra speed to movement is almost certainly going to increase the game's skill ceiling and widen the gap between newcomers and the most experienced players. Still, the team at developer Infinity Ward tells me that they are confident everything is balanced.

"I think the elegance in our movement stuff is that we generally prioritize your forward movement," studio multiplayer creative director Joe Cecot explains.

"We're not moving as rapidly horizontally as the other games, and so you still feel very fluid. You can move quickly, but those players should be a bit easier to track, to pick up, and that sort of thing.

"For us, it's that balance again. We want to make sure that it feels really good to move, but it also feels good for the person who wants to shoot you, and that's the challenge we kind of set for us at the beginning of the project."

According to Cecot, those who prefer to play more slowly will still have plenty of options to do so.

"We have certain equipment in the game that, if you're more of a tactical player and you want to hold down a location, allows you to set up," he adds.

"The razor wire is a great example, where you can pop it like it's a trap that will catch people. It's not very lethal, but it halts them a little bit and gives you a moment to react. Then we have other equipment that helps you search out and find people on the move, so the seeker drone, you throw it out and actually zips through the world, and it finds people, and you can follow it."

This approach comes as the result of plenty of fan feedback, with many players finding recent Modern Warfare games a little too slow.

"You could argue in our previous game, Modern Warfare 2, we tried to push too hard into the tactical at the expense of responsiveness," Cecot says.

"We're not trying to point fingers; we want to be better. We want to provide a better game for those players."

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 boasts plenty of changes based on fan feedback from Modern Warfare 2
• The team paid careful attention to the visual recoil of weapons
• Guns "shouldn't feel frustrating," a developer tells me

Many long-time Call of Duty fans are undoubtedly worried about the gunplay of the upcoming Modern Warfare 4. After all, much of the arsenal in developer Infinity Ward's previous effort, 2022's Modern Warfare 2, was criticized for what some felt were unpleasantly high levels of visual recoil.

Visual recoil is the screen shake and other similar effects that occur when you pull the trigger. It was a big part of Modern Warfare 2's gunplay, lending rifles quite a realistic and aggressive feel but simultaneously making them harder to aim and appear more difficult to control, leading to complaints on social media and even YouTube guides on how to reduce it.

"When we made Modern Warfare 2, we made some changes that were healthy for the game, but actually made the game feel a little bit less fun and less responsive," studio multiplayer creative director Joe Cecot tells me at Infinity Ward's Los Angeles office. "We learned from that."

This is apparent in the overhauled movement system, which is noticeably sleeker than before, but also extends to the weapons, which in my brief hands-on time seemed much more manageable.

"We're always trying to walk that line that weapons should feel powerful. We want them to feel like real weapons, but they shouldn't feel frustrating," Cecot says.

He explains that some level of unwieldiness is intentional, as it leaves room for players to improve their gear with the many unlockable attachments in the gunsmith, but that addressing these kinds of complaints was still a big focus.

"It's a challenge for us, but there is a goal that the recoil be more understandable and more clear this game," he adds.

Modern Warfare 4 also boasts wholly rebuilt hip-fire mechanics that more accurately simulate where bullets land. Muzzle smoke has been looked at, too, with a new system that should prevent muzzle effects from ever obscuring a target.

These all sound like promising upgrades, but we'll have to wait and see what the community thinks when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 drops on October 23, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

• Modern Warfare 4 is shaping up to be one of the most grounded Call of Duty experiences in years
• It features realistic character designs and playable 'Mil-Sim' operators
• The lead game designer says, "with the gritty stuff, there's a lot of depth"

One of the first things I noticed dropping into multiplayer Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is its grittier tone and overall art direction. It's night and day compared to the more bombastic and stylized direction of Black Ops 7, populated by playable characters that look much more like modern soldiers.

A handful of the beloved 'Mil-Sim' (short for military simulation) operators from past Modern Warfare games are back as well, giving the most realism-focused players the ability to drop in as anonymous soldiers from the likes of the SAS or Korean military rather than the roster of distinct, named heroes.

"We want those characters to feel set in our world and hit the tone and feel of our world," explains multiplayer creative director Joe Cecot as we chat in one of the many meeting rooms of developer Infinity Ward's Los Angeles office.

Even central characters like Ghost have all-new designs that embody a somewhat more down-to-earth aesthetic.

"Joel Emsley, who is our studio art director, is the person behind Price and Ghost and all these different iconic characters," he continues.

"Every game he's leveling up, and thinking 'how do I improve?' We have those kind of 'Mil-Sim' characters, and then we have Ghost, who's like both 'Mil-Sim,' but now he's got the new mask that he's retrofitted from pieces of things he's found. He's this badass character that fits in our world but feels brand new."

"I feel like with the gritty stuff, there's a lot of depth, and we want to continue to explore that," adds lead game designer Jackie Reynolds, possibly hinting at the studio's approach to any post-launch skins.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is set to launch on October 23, 2026. It will be the first modern Call of Duty game to skip previous generations of consoles, launching exclusively on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

I’ve played some multiplayer matches of the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, and it might be the most different the long-running first-person shooter franchise has felt since the Modern Warfare reboot took it in a new direction back in 2019.

Everything once again feels rebuilt from the ground up, with a plethora of unique systems designed to improve the look and feel of both gunplay and movement. Weapons now convincingly fit in the virtual environment, lowering when you press up against walls and benefitting from more realistic bullet trajectories when you hip-fire. Meanwhile, maintaining momentum from your slides, automatically leaning around walls, and being able to latch on to ledges adds a new level of fluidity and creates plenty of novel ways to navigate maps.

According to studio multiplayer creative director Joe Cecot, all of these changes have been carefully tested and are rooted in player feedback from 2019's Modern Warfare and 2022's Modern Warfare 2.

"When we made Modern Warfare 2019 and when we made Modern Warfare 2, we made some changes that were healthy for the game, but actually made the game feel a little bit less fun and less responsive. So we learned from that," he tells me at a behind-closed-doors preview event in developer Infinity Ward's Los Angeles office.

"We said 'no, with this game, anything you want to do, we let you do,' but we make sure the result is balanced."

Moving forward

The intention is to create systems that appease fans of both the more tactical pacing of recent Modern Warfare games, but also the faster, arcade action of classic Call of Duty titles.

"When we look at the game being more tactical, we look at the more accurate hip fire, the gun actually shooting where you're shooting, so you feel like you're more connected to the weapon," he said. "I think that helps with the player who wants to play more tactically.

"But then the player who wants to be fluid and move, once you get going, we make sure that you don't feel like [you're being restricted]."

Lead game designer Jackie Reynolds also seems confident that Modern Warfare 4 will deliver the best of both worlds for fans. "I think what we've seen a lot with the franchise over the years is that one of those play styles seems to be the best," he adds.

"One thing that we're really tirelessly running, whether that's through movement or any of the other systems, is whether we think each individual play style is being addressed."

"You can only go so far playing the game every day, so we've brought in higher-skilled users, we've brought in other influencers, we've brought in Call of Duty League pros," reveals Cecot. "We've brought in all these people to play and give feedback, so we're making sure that we're hitting all those notes."

It's a major departure from how previous games have felt, but both developers are optimistic that all these changes will go down well with the community and help give the upcoming title its own distinct identity.

"We're looking at the genre, we're looking at how our game plays, we're bringing people in. So the differences we've made, I think, are all healthy changes," Cecot argues.

"If you're going from Modern Warfare 2 to our game, it's way more responsive, way more clear.

"Players are more visible, red dots on the mini map, the game's way more understandable. We feel very strongly that it's healthy that within the franchise we are different because if you're buying the same game each year, that's not healthy, so we want to make sure that the changes we make in our game are true to what we believe Modern Warfare should be, and that we're making the right changes to make that feel unique and different enough."

It all seems very promising, and I was impressed by my brief hands-on time, but we'll have to wait and see what other fans think when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 drops on October 23, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

• June 2026 PS Plus Games have been revealed
• Among them is Grounded Fully Yolked Edition
• This Xbox-published game was once an Xbox exclusive, and now PS Plus members get it for free

June is days away and that means a fresh new batch of PS Plus Essential games is about to be handed out to subscribers. While we usually have to wait to find out the selection, Sony’s Day of Play 2026 campaign has just told us what we’ll be playing early.

The titles are:

• Grounded Fully Yoked Edition
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
• Warhammer 40,000 Darktide

There’s a definite multiplayer focus here. Warhammer and Grounded are solid co-op titles to head into with a squad, while Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is a great character fighter that fans of Nintendo’s Smash Bros. series will very much enjoy.

The first two are playable across both the PS4 and PS5, while Darktide is restricted to current-gen hardware.

Notably, Grounded was, until 2024, an Xbox exclusive. The Obsidian co-op survival adventure about shrunken children attempting to thrive in their perilous backyard is published by Xbox Game Studios.

It has been playable on rival systems for a couple of years now, but seeing it get given away by Sony to its PS Plus members does hit me in a way as a former Xbox fanboy (though I have been loving the Asus Rog Xbox Ally X handheld).

It continues the trend of Xbox’s changing gaming priorities, about getting players into its experiences where they are rather than forcing them into one specific system.

And as more former Xbox exclusives hit Sony’s digital shelves we’ll probably see more in its PS Plus catalogue — either as free games like this or in the rotating catalogue. Indiana Jones seems like a PS Plus title waiting to happen, especially if/when a sequel is close to launch.

For now, we have this trio of titles to dive into while we wait to see what else is in store when the next State of Play rolls in on June 2.

It was somewhere between sprinting to capture a flag, evading instructors and shooting moving targets in a Maltese training course during my playthrough of 007 First Light that I realized IO Interactive has managed to make a third person shooter game that truly feels like you’re playing a James Bond in a movie.

The sequence plays out like a classic training montage straight out of a Rocky film, quickly switching you from one exercise to the next. One minute you’re learning hand-to-hand combat mechanics like parrying and throwing your opponent into walls, the next you’re driving around a historical fort looking to set a new record for your fastest lap.

That blockbuster energy runs throughout this reboot, which introduces players to a younger version of the spy before he became 007. Meeting Bond as a fresh-faced, 26-year-old Royal Navy air crewman means there’s no Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan shadow hanging over him, making this an original take that shows him still learning when to follow orders and when to improvise.

The heart of the matter

After washing up on an Icelandic shore as the lone survivor of a helicopter crash, Bond quickly finds himself on an M16 mission without any security clearance or training.

Relying solely on quick reflexes and some Montenegrin he picked up during past travels, it doesn’t take long before he’s recruited into M16 and thrown into a conspiracy involving rogue agents, buried secrets and, as is now a permanent plot device of various action movies of the 21st century (think Minority Report crossed with Mission Impossible — The Final Reckoning), dangerous experimental technology.

Patrick Gibson’s version of Bond is cocky, impulsive and occasionally "a bit of a b***end", as Moneypenny, voiced by Kiera Lester, puts it at one point. I can't say I don't agree with her, either, after hearing all those repetitive smart ass quips about how enemies take their tea while you lob cups and saucers at them during tense combat sequences — it's more eye-roll inducing than funny.

Often the immaturity works in the game’s favour, though, as this is Bond before the polished charm and cold professionalism fully set in. After all, Bond is more than just a generic run-and-gun action hero — and this is where IO Interactive’s expertise in stealth action games comes in.

Much of the game revolves around learning new ways to stealthily approach situations, from disguising yourself as valet to infiltrate a world chess championship competition to pickpocketing an invitation to get into an exclusive gala in Kensington.

These more open world sections of the game allow for the most experimentation outside of the cutscenes and platforming that features throughout the game, creating an undeniable rhythm.

Missions often begin back at M16 with a briefing from Moneypenny before sending Bond downstairs to the brilliant Q (who’s voiced by Alastair Mackenzie) to field test some new gadgets. From there, you’re deployed into luxury hotels, hostile compounds, crowded marketplaces and snowy mountains, where you almost always manage to devise a cunning escape worthy of an IMAX screen.

A matter of considerable delicacy

Let’s get one thing out of the way, the stealth sandbox gameplay isn’t quite as open-ended or realistic as IO Interactive's Hitman series. Instead, it’s more of a stripped back version of the studio's gaming DNA.

The core suite of mechanics are here, though, letting you quietly infiltrate guarded areas in several different ways by either bluffing out of conversations or creating distractions to reach your objective unnoticed.

Just don’t expect the same unforgiving realism, where if you look or do something suspicious you’ll immediately trigger the NPCs to be cautious of you, stopping you from progressing and making you restart the level. 007 First Light is much more forgiving — even letting you take down enemies in the same room without others reacting (more on this later).

That’s not say that you don’t have the same varied gameplay, though. The standout mission for me was in Mauritania, where Bond infiltrates a dusty shipping graveyard settlement built around the wreckage of a giant cargo ship in the Sahara Desert. In order to enter a criminal auction, you first need to raise enough money through underground brawls, shooting contests and other side activities scattered around a dense marketplace.

It’s one of the missions where the game fully embraces player freedom, and it feels closest to IO Interactive’s work with Hitman as you don't have to complete every side mission available to progress to the next section, making the level varied enough for multiple playthroughs on different difficulties.

In true Bond fashion, gadgets also play a big role. From hacking electronics to disabling lights with your Omega watch, there's a variety of spy tools that you can access through a gadget wheel reminiscent of Batman: Arkham. These mechanics are crucial to the stealth sections of the game, allowing you to create distractions and progress through locked down buildings.

Punctuating every stealth mission are enormous set pieces very clearly inspired by Naughty Dog's Uncharted series of adventure games that see you evading a sniper's fire while running across rooftops, jumping onto airplanes and car chases that feel ripped straight from a Bond finale. There's even that signature platforming and few puzzles thrown in for good measure.

Against the odds

At times, though, the game's cinematic action pieces can break that sense of immersion with bugs pre-emptively triggering a cutscene that suddenly repositions Bond to a place he was otherwise nowhere near a moment ago. During one sequence, the game forced Bond onto a mobile staircase because a cutscene had been triggered, despite me being in the middle of a shootout on the other side of the tarmac. (Although, it's worth noting a new update has just rolled out).

The stealth areas occasionally interrupted the realism, too. For instance, when I was given a 'license to kill', which is the game's shoot-em-up mode, I would abandon stealth entirely to fight my way through, bashing enemies into nearby walls and tables, only for nearby NPCs to seemingly ignore the chaos unfolding in the room they're closely guarding.

While I can fully appreciate the certain restrictions IO Interactive has made to make you play the game in a certain way, I can't help but feel slightly cheated by the driving mechanic. It felt tacked on because of the spy franchise's iconic vehicles and not nearly as dynamic as it could've been — this might very well all be stemming from my frustrations around not being able to drive the Aston Martin Valhalla more than two-feet though, so take it with a pinch of salt as I had been excited to get behind the wheel ever since catching a glimpse of it in M16 headquarters.

Thankfully, these frustrations rarely outweigh the sheer expansiveness of what IO Interactive has created here. 007First Light brings to life what makes Bond so thrilling beyond the explosions, weaving together a multi-layered espionage plot, sophisticated spy toys and stunning locations that you don't want to leave.

While its stealth gameplay isn't quite as polished as Hitman and its cinematic pacing occasionally cuts through the spell, it's easy to see past. IO Interactive has delivered the most immersive Bond game in years.

Should I play 007 First Light?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility

007 First Light has most of the usual controls and accessibility features you'd find on a AAA game, including subtitles, adjustable difficulty settings, which you can change anytime throughout, tutorials, as well as motion and sensitivity controls.

Because the game is so linear, you don't have a map to help guide you through the more sandbox-style levels but that doesn't matter too much as it allows for experimentation to occur.

How I reviewed 007 First Light

I played 007 First Light for just under 20 hours on a PlayStation 5 Pro hooked up to a Sky Glass TV and Sonos sound system made up of two speakers, a soundbar and subwoofer.

I completed the story during that time, and even replayed a couple of sections to test out the variations that could occur depending on the way I played the game. However, I did not unlock everything, so I'm sure there's plenty more worth exploring.

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge launched in 1991, and I picked up a copy not long after, in the early years of high school. It became the experience that basically defined my youth, as far as computer games went: I spent hours immersed in the swashbuckling, wisecracking world of Monkey Island and its pirates, clicking on and exploring every pixel on my 286 computer (that didn't yet have Windows).

Three Monkey Island games followed, though without the involvement of series creator Ron Gilbert, which I dipped in and out of. Then, in 2022, we got Return to Monkey Island: Gilbert was back on board, the game was being positioned as a direct successor to Monkey Island 2, and I bought it as soon as I could.

And then — I never got around to playing it, for one reason and another (there are obviously a lot of different pressures on your time in your 40s, compared to when you're a teenager). When TechRadar Gaming started up its From the Backlog series, though, I knew it was a sign — I had to get reacquainted with lovable rogue Guybrush Threepwood and the ghost pirate LeChuck.

Back in the game

Just to reiterate: there were 31 years between Monkey Island 2 and Return to Monkey Island. That's a long time by any measure — in terms of video games and technology, it's eons. And yet Ron Gilbert and his team have managed to produce an experience that's very similar to what got me so absorbed back in the 1990s.

There's even an option to get a recap of the Monkey Island story so far, much like you might see something done for TV shows, but I suspect this is a game you're only going to get the most out of if you're already a long-time fan of the series — otherwise a lot of the jokes and references may go sailing over your head.

This is very much a game that gives the fans what they want: lashings of nostalgia. A lot of the old Monkey Island 2 locations and characters are back, from cartographer Wally to smooth-talking used ship salesman Stan, and it's fun to see these places and people get a graphical revamp for the 2020s.

And the graphics are probably what have impressed me most in my playthrough. This is a gorgeous-looking game, with artwork that's rich, detailed, and full of character — it's like the exact opposite of AI slop. There are so many neat touches here, and the sound design is almost as impressive too (complete with the classic Monkey Island theme tunes).

When I'm standing on the deck of LeChuck's ship as Guybrush Threepwood, for example, I've got swaying lights casting ever-changing patterns on the boards beneath my feet, jagged drops of rain shooting down from the sky in front of me, and the atmospheric sounds of rain and thunder all around me.

The game may use a simplified, cartoon style, but it's done with heart and care. Each scene comes with so many cool details to explore (which will often advance the plot or solve a puzzle), and I quickly found myself as invested in the Return as I was in Monkey Island 2 all those years ago.

The point-and-click approach

Monkey Island 2 was part of a wave of games that used a 'point-and-click' interface in the 1990s, an early precursor to the open-world games of today. It lets you interact with the environments around you, talk to other characters, pick up and use items, and navigate the world — and the same basic mechanics are here in Return to Monkey Island, too, albeit updated with a more modern feel.

It's refreshing to go back to the old way of gaming, where options are more limited, the pace is slower, and the emphasis is on plot rather than action (the sword fights here are won by the quality of your jokes and comebacks). There are puzzles to solve and challenges to overcome, but the game is as much about exploring a story and its characters as it is about achieving objectives.

That can be frustrating, on occasion — "this all seems needlessly complicated" is a line Guybrush says, at one point — but I've really enjoyed wandering around chatting to characters and exploring scenes to figure out how to progress, rather than blasting away enemies or trying to beat countdown clocks.

And the sense of humor so prevalent in the earlier games is here again. The dialog and indeed the storylines come packed with gags and whimsy, which means that spending an hour or two inside this game is a genuinely fun and relaxing experience, a welcome respite from the stresses and strains of the day — and isn't that what games are for?

I've not yet finished the game and discovered the true secret of Monkey Island, but I'm more than half the way there (I think). I've crawled along the sides of ships in turbulent seas, played tunes on impaled skulls, stolen eyepatches by distracting parrots, and followed maps to mop trees, and I've loved every minute. I really should have started this game a lot earlier.

Game franchises are incredibly common, of course, but it's hard to think of one that's quite like Monkey Island — in its longevity, its idiosyncrasies, or its complicated history. I'm very glad Ron Gilbert and the team came back for another adventure, though, and it's reminded me just how much I like this world and these characters.

• IO Interactive has added Denuvo DRM to 007 First Light, a few days before launch
• Users on Steam have voiced frustrations and started refund requests
• Denuvo is a controversial DRM due to the potential impact on performance, and other PC restrictions

Gamers have been eager to get hands-on with 007 First Light, which is just days away from launch on May 27, 2026, but one recent controversial move from IO Interactive has left fans upset.

As reported by Notebookcheck, developer IO Interactive has added Denuvo DRM to 007 First Light ahead of its launch, and numerous Steam users have started requesting refunds. This comes amid a noticeable trend of game publishers adding the controversial DRM to games, only after accepting pre-orders.

Unsurprisingly, fans are concerned about the impact Denuvo will have on the game's performance and, perhaps most importantly, the restrictions caused by the DRM (notable for SteamOS users when switching Proton versions).

This includes the long-term ramifications that may stem from Denuvo's invasive nature on users' PCs, since it has kernel-level access, which is essentially the highest level of authority on a system.

Users have taken to Steam forums to share frustrations, with one in particular stating: "Off the wishlist it comes. Denuvo will be bypassed day one or sooner, and I'll be waiting for a steep sale on a third-party website to buy this now, when it was going to be what I dove into at launch next week."

User complaints suggest IO Interactive, and frankly, many other game publishers, aren't forthcoming when it comes to Denuvo additions, which seem to happen only after pre-orders are made available.

While the DRM is used to prevent piracy, which it has been successful at doing over the last few years, that's not the case anymore, with numerous versions of games available via the Hypervisor crack, and an alarming number of playable builds are being leaked before their official launch.

Denuvo is more of a negative for consumers than a positive, but unfortunately, a potential removal from 007 First Light is unlikely at this stage.

It’s official. The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to receive a price hike around the world, largely as a result of the ongoing memory crisis.

In the US, the Switch 2 will get a $50 increase, effective 1 September 2026, meaning it will cost $499.99. Consumers in the UK, Europe, Canada, and beyond can also expect to pay more for the console in coming months. The announcement has led a lot of people to wonder whether they should act now and grab the console at its current lower price.

But is the Switch 2 actually worth spending the (pre-price-rise) price of almost $450 / £400 / AU$700 on?

Well, I’ve played five of the biggest Switch 2-exclusive games in the console's current lineup to help answer that question, and I’m pretty set on my answer. So, let’s take a look at each of the Switch 2’s heaviest hitters, and find out whether the console is really worth buying sooner rather than later.

Mario Kart World: the series’ most chaotic entry since the Wii era

Let’s start with the Switch 2’s leading launch title, Mario Kart World. It’s proven to be fairly divisive with fans, due to many finding the connections between tracks in Grand Prix and online modes to be uninspired, and the open world mode to be a little plain.

However, I personally find the open world mode to be pretty solid. Could it be improved? Certainly. But roaming around while listening to the game’s masterful and eclectic soundtrack, completing missions, and practicing shortcuts is very enjoyable on the whole. The interconnected sections also got a a revamp in the 1.4 update, and can be avoided in VS mode, which is a big plus.

A lot of this is pretty secondary as well, as the main draw — at least in my view — is the new Knockout Tour mode, where four players are eliminated per lap and only one can take the crown. Knockout Tour is phenomenal with friends, and has led to a lot of highly tense moments, shouting at the TV, as well as some crazy photo finishes.

More generally, Mario Kart World absolutely nails it with smooth controls, an incredible character roster, and beautiful visuals. There are 24 racers now, and items feel a lot more punishing than they did in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, resulting in a more chaotic, action-packed karting experience. Despite some small hiccups, I’d argue that World is the best game that the series has produced since the Wii era.

Donkey Kong Bananza: a great action platformer, but not a true system-seller

Donkey Kong Bananza really doesn't require an introduction. This Game of the Year-nominee was a smash hit with critics — including our very own Dash Wood, who scored the game 4.5 stars out of five.

This title — which is developed by the same team that handled Super Mario Odyssey — is quite unique, in that so much of the game is centered around smashing your environment into smithereens. Doing so can net you hidden collectibles and coins, and help you progress through the game’s story, which has an absolutely iconic ending, I have to say.

For DK fans, this title is absolutely essential. Everything from the charismatic cutscenes through to the bizarre power-ups and addictive destruction will please almost any Nintendo gamer. Is it a real system-seller? Perhaps not quite. Although Nintendo went in hard on the marketing for this title, everyone’s favorite ape lacks the draw of a 3D Mario game or new entry in the Legend of Zelda series.

The game itself, though, is certainly high in quality. The performance can be a little shaky at times, and I found that some of the layers lacked the raw creativity of the Kingdoms in Odyssey. All in all, though, Bananza is a good time.

Pokémon Pokopia: like Animal Crossing, but better

I don’t think it’s even slightly controversial to say that Pokémon Pokopia is the best exclusive that the Nintendo Switch 2 has to offer.

This social sim, co-developed by Game Freak and Koei Tecmo’s Omega Force, has received many comparisons to Animal Crossing, but for me, is better than just about every game that series has offered. Playing as Ditto, you’ll enter a post-apocalyptic world, where humans are nowhere to be seen. You’ll help to rebuild a fractured environment, build communities of Pokémon, and uncover the mystery of the world’s upheaval.

What really makes this Switch 2 exclusive so special is its charisma. All of the Pokémon are bursting with personality, and come out with hilarious lines. Whether it's Pidgey telling you that it’s “time to lock in” or Bulbasaur exclaiming, "Let’s get this place HUMID,” there’s just so much charm and character to admire.

Pair that with simple yet enjoyable crafting mechanics, varied and vast environments, and a surprisingly dark story (for a Pokémon game), and Pokopia is one of the best games on Switch 2 — and one of the greatest games of 2026 in general.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book: a charming exploration game for all ages

I recently reviewed this new release, and although I can’t see people buying a Switch 2 for this title alone, it's still a great addition to the system’s lineup.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book isn’t your typical platformer. It’s not even a typical Yoshi game; it’s something that feels brand new. The whole experience is centered around exploration, with a host of whimsical creatures hiding in the pages of a sentient encyclopedia named Mr. E. Yoshi can hop into each page, learn more about the curious critters inside, and hunt down collectibles like Smiley Flowers.

This game is all about charm and whimsy. I adored the stop-motion animation and hand-drawn characters, and the strikingly vibrant art style instantly hooked me during my play-through.

It’s a game best played in segments rather than long sessions, and some players will certainly want a bit more challenge in terms of platforming and combat. But families and long-time fans alike will certainly find things to love about Yoshi’s latest adventure.

Kirby Air Riders: like Smash on wheels

Let’s finish with the weirdest and whackiest title of them all, Kirby Air Riders, which was developed by Super Smash Bros. lead Masahiro Sakurai’s Sora Ltd alongside Bandai Namco Studios.

And believe me, the Smash Bros. influence is clear in just about every way. The sound design, music, visual style, and even UI all have big Super Smash Bros. Ultimate vibes, but I kinda love it. The gameplay also draws a lot from Smash, with fast-paced, all-action racing sprinkled in with combat mechanics that result in an even more chaotic experience than Mario Kart World can provide.

Everything about this game has an oddball vibe, whether that be the strange and sometimes obscure cast of characters, the unconventional control scheme, or the pure disorder of the City Trial mode. There’s even a way to customize vehicles, and as you can imagine, people have created all sorts of cursed, nightmarish designs that will either make you laugh or cry.

Despite wearing its inspirations on its sleeve, Kirby Air Riders really is a gaming experience like no other, and if you want high-octane, full-throttle racing/battling then this one’s for you. Shoutout to the brilliant visuals and technical performance too.

The verdict: buy it now and save your future self some money

There you have it. That’s what I made of my time with the Switch 2’s five biggest exclusives, and as you can probably tell, I’ve had a pretty great time with what the console has had to offer so far.

All of the games above have their flaws — some more than others. But for one year in, the Switch 2 has a really admirable library, with fun racers, a GoTY-nominated 3D action platformer, and one of the best Pokémon games ever made.

There’s a lot of exciting stuff on the horizon too, with The Duskbloods, a new Fire Emblem entry, and Splatoon Raiders all confirmed. There are rumors of a Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and a new 3D Mario game too — both of which would likely excite those yet to buy into Nintendo’s latest system. Of course, we’ve got Pokémon Winds and Waves arriving in 2027 as well.

So should you buy a Switch 2 before the price hikes? Well yes, I think you should. Sure, the upcoming stuff is exciting, but what’s already here makes the system worth investing in. Beyond the impressive titles, you get 4K capabilities in docked mode, a beautiful 1080p display in handheld mode, 120fps gameplay for select titles, and impressive virtual surround sound.

The system is backwards-compatible, meaning you can use it to play your old Switch games, too. And thanks to a new Handheld Mode Boost, you can enjoy them in 1080p on the go, which is an absolute treat.

• Sony's PlayStation State of Play returns on June 2, 2026, featuring Marvel's Wolverine as the headline act
• The showcase will last over an hour, with news and announcements on games from top studios worldwide
• It will also be showcased in Alamo Drafthouse theatres, suggesting a big reveal is on the horizon

Gaming in 2026 is already stacked with plenty of games in the pipeline for launch, notably the most anticipated of them all in Grand Theft Auto 6 from Rockstar Games — and it's seemingly about to get even better this June.

Sony has announced its next PlayStation State of Play will take place on June 2, which will feature a new reveal of Marvel's Wolverine, with 'more than 60 minutes' of updates, announcements, and gameplay reveals from 'top studios around the world'.

The showcase will kick off with Insomniac Games' Marvel's Wolverine, focusing on the gritty combat and new details on what the third-person action-adventure game will have to offer when it launches on September 15, 2026.

As for other games, we can expect almost anything to show up, based on Sony's brief description of worldwide high-quality studios being featured — and Sony is also holding a fan-viewing event at multiple Alamo Drafthouse theatres for the State of Play, so it appears as though something significant besides Marvel's Wolverine is on the horizon.

It's worth noting that Summer Game Fest 2026 kicks off three days later on June 5, so there's plenty of speculation to be made in the meantime. With that being said, here's what I hope shows up.

Dragon's Dogma 2 Expansion

Dragon's Dogma 2 hasn't left the discussion among gamers since its 2024 launch, with the expectation of an expansion. Capcom inevitably did just that for the first entry in the franchise, with Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen adding a new region, story, bosses, gear, and enemies to tackle, in Bitterblack Isle.

Fans also believe Capcom recently teased the existence of an expansion within its latest anniversary celebration post, alongside some mysterious additions to the game on Steam's backend. In that case, it wouldn't be a stretch to suggest there's a strong chance a reveal is on the cards.

Stellar Blade 2

Shift Up hasn't been shy of teasing the development of the Stellar Blade's sequel, as it recently stated development is progressing smoothly within its latest earnings report, so it may indeed be time to reveal what the developers have been cooking behind closed doors.

The sequel will be self-published on this occasion and will likely arrive on PC day one, stepping away from the first entry's timed exclusive format. That doesn't necessarily mean Shift Up won't be revealing the game at a State of Play, so this isn't an unrealistic expectation or wish for the June 2 event.

Grand Theft Auto 6

Without a doubt, GTA 6 is one title that is highly unlikely to be revealed at Sony's upcoming State of Play, as Rockstar Games is more than confident to host a big reveal itself.

However, rumors have been active regarding Rockstar and PlayStation's marketing collaboration for the game, and since Take-Two Interactive's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, has already stated that marketing for GTA 6 will begin during the summer, June 2 (or frankly, June 5 during Summer Game Fest) seems like the ideal time for that.

It's a bit of a long shot, but it would make sense since Sony is showcasing the event at a theatre, a move it hasn't committed to in years, setting the stage for massive crowd reactions.

Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2: one-minute review

The Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2 is a wireless Nintendo Switch 2 controller that comes in at the fairly modest price-point of $39.99 / £29.99 (about AU$55).

With Hall effect thumbsticks, rumble, and customizable RGB lights, it seems like an absolute bargain. Especially when you consider that the official Switch 2 Pro Controller is twice as expensive. But is it actually any good?

Well, the answer, unfortunately, is: not really.

See, the RGB S2 is plagued by a few too many issues when being used wirelessly, that it's impossible to recommend. Firstly, it requires a dongle to connect to the Switch 2, which is already a little inconvenient compared to many rivals in our guide to the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories.

But the controller refused to connect to said dongle for some time, until I eventually discovered that it needed a firmware update, accessible via my Windows PC. Despite some initial problems, I eventually got the firmware update downloaded, and was able to connect the RGB S2 to my Nintendo Switch 2. But there was more trouble ahead.

A combination of input lag issues and random disconnections made using the controller feel extremely grating. And although it worked decently with a wired connection, I'd expected much better wireless performance.

This is a shame, too, as this Snakebyte controller actually has a decent feature-set given its low price. I mentioned the Hall effect sticks, but there are also remappable M1 and M2 buttons, switchable analogue and digital triggers, a 3.5mm port for wired headsets, and rumble as well.

OK, there's no NFC or gyro, and the controller is hardly the prettiest I've seen — the translucent design is a little cheap-looking, in my view. But its fairly comfortable to hold, and I can see the customizable RGB lights appealing to some gamers.

Ultimately, though the Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2 is impossible to recommend, due to its painful pairing process, input lag issues, and unreliable connectivity. If you're looking for a more solid budget-friendly Switch 2 controller, then the Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch 2 is well-worth checking out — or you can even go for the official Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller if you've got the cash.

Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2 review: price and release date

• List price of $39.99 / £29.99 (about AU$55)
• Which is significantly cheaper than the official Switch 2 Pro Controller
• Launched in June 2025

The Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2 was released in June 2025 with a list price of $39.99 / £29.99 (about AU$55). This wireless controller is firmly in the budget category — after all, it's far cheaper than the official Switch 2 Pro Controller, which comes in at $84.99 / £74.99 / AU$119.95.

Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2 review: specs

Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2 review: design and features

• Not the prettiest controller, but RGB lights are customizable
• Relatively comfortable and includes rumble, C button, and 3.5mm port
• Leaves out NFC and gyro

In total honesty, I'm not a huge fan of the Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2's look. Its fully transparent plastic outer casing just feels a little bit cheap — although in fairness, this whole controller is. I also felt that some of the buttons — especially the D-pad — just lacked that quality I'd expect, even if this isn't a particularly pricey model.

The LED lights aren't too bad, though. Again, the loud RGB design isn't my favorite, but the lights are customizable, and can even be switched off if you want to conserve some battery life. The controller is also relatively comfortable in-use, with a smooth, rounded feel.

In terms of features, this Snakebyte model has a fair bit to offer. It's good to see customizable M1 and M2 buttons on the reverse side of the controller, which can easily be remapped — useful for inventory management in games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, for instance.

You can also physically toggle trigger stops on or off on the controller, there's a C button for accessing GameChat in an instant, and there's a turbo button on the reverse side — though I never felt the need to use this. A 3.5mm port is also present on the underside of the controller if you want to hook up a wired headset.

However, there are some notable omissions to point out. First of all, there's no gyro, which means that motion controls in titles like Mario Kart World and Super Mario Galaxy won't be accessible. There's also no NFC support, meaning you can't tap amiibo figures, which can be used in titles like Kirby Air Riders and Donkey Kong Bananza.

Still, there is rumble — something the Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch 2 left out, and the feedback is relatively powerful on Snakebyte's wireless controller.

Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2 review: performance

• Clunky set-up and pairing process
• Constant input lag issues and occasional disconnections
• Hall effect sticks are welcome, but controller only really usable wired

Although the Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2 has a solid feature-set for a budget-friendly controller, I have to say, I had a pretty awful time using it.

Let's start by talking about setup. Now, in order to use the controller wirelessly, you need to use a dongle, which is included in the box. This is already a bit of a sore point, given that many rival budget Switch 2 controllers can connect without one, but I inserted it into the system, and got ready for pairing. However, I was surprised to find that the controller wouldn't pair to my console at all.

I was able to set it up wired, by toggling on 'Pro Controller Wired Communication' in system settings, but whatever I tried, I couldn't get a wireless connection. After a bit of research, though, I discovered that the controller and dongle required a firmware update, available on my Windows PC, before using on my Switch 2.

The update itself — available on Snakebyte's website — wouldn't work for me at first, but after swapping the included USB-A to USB-C cable for one of my own, I managed to see it through. But I wasn't expecting what followed.

Sure, after updating the controller's firmware, I was finally able to pair it to my Nintendo Switch 2, but I soon realized that my troubles had only just started. While sifting through the console's main menu, I encountered constant input delays, making basic navigation feel troublesome.

And after firing up Mario Kart World, I realized that these issues weren't going to go away. While drifting, the release felt sluggish and unresponsive. Turning also seemed less fluid than usual, and input lag delayed my ability to use items.

It was the same for other games too. When trying the GameCube Classics version of Chibi-Robo! I encountered similar problems, with the titular character's movement often lagging behind my inputs. After a few minutes, the controller even randomly disconnected, which was pretty frustrating.

For reference, I was sitting close to my Switch 2 console, with the dongle inserted into the USB-A port. After this, I decided to use the dongle in the USB-C port instead, and the controller did feel a lot more responsive. However, I did still experience the odd bit of input lag, even when sitting closer to my console than usual.

So, even though this Snakebyte controller comes with Hall Effect thumbsticks — something that even the official Switch 2 Pro Controller leaves out, these wireless problems largely dampen the joy of that inclusion.

In fairness, the controller worked totally fine in wired mode, and while playing Pikuniku, I wasn't subjected to the same input lag issues or random disconnections. But if I wanted a wired controller, I'd easily be able to grab a competent one for less than $39.99 / £29.99 (about AU$55).

When combining the clunky pairing process, occasional input lag, and random disconnections, I have to say, the Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2 is tough to recommend.

Should I buy the Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2 review: also consider

How I tested the Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2

• Tested across multiple days
• Compared against other wireless controllers
• Played a range of Nintendo Switch 2, original Switch, and retro titles

I spent days testing the Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2 controller, during which time I played a number of games, made use of its various features, and compared it against a a few rivals.

To fully assess the controller’s capabilities, I played classic titles via Nintendo Switch Online, such as Chibi-Robo!, as well as games for the original Switch and the Switch 2. I typically used the controller while my Nintendo Switch 2 was docked, and connected to my Sky Glass Gen 2 TV and Marshall Heston 120 soundbar.

More generally, I’ve tested a bunch of Nintendo Switch 2 accessories – not only controllers, but also cameras like the Hori Piranha Plant Camera, screen protectors including the Genki Aegis Shield, and cases such as the official Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case.

• First reviewed: May 2026
• Read more about how we test

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight sees everyone’s favorite morally dubious hero return to the streets of Gotham once more in TT Games’ latest brick-based adventure. It’s a real mish-mash of genres, combining RPG and brawler elements with classic Lego action-adventure platforming fun, but it makes for a charming adventure that Bat-fans are sure to love.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and if nothing else, it’s something Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight has turned into an art form. Riddled with references, jam-packed with jokes, and quintessential comic book ka-powery, there’s no denying that this is an ode to all things Batman.

But in particular, it’s evident how much the Batman: Arkham series by Rocksteady Studios and WB Games heavily inspired gameplay. If you’re more a fan of Lego than you are Batman, you might have missed the trilogy and its many accolades; released in 2009, 2011, and 2015, the three games in the series were met with abundant praise for their inventive free-flow combat, excellent stealth gameplay, and exploration mechanics.

Of note is that the original Lego Batman trilogy was released almost in parallel (across 2008, 2012, and 2014). While creative and well-received, ultimately, a Lego game is a Lego game; it’s for all ages and somewhat limited by its own bricky source material. Times have changed, and Lego has since gutted its typical game formula enough for Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight to make a pretty big swing at being more Arkham-like, combining the best of these two trilogies and Bat-media beyond. But does it hit or miss?

Put ‘em up…

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is still a Lego game at heart; its slapstick humor, goofy parodies of iconic scenes, and low-stakes couch co-op fun form the beating heart of its success. Broadly speaking, Legacy of the Dark Knight respects the Lego gameplay loop: fight, smash stuff, build something grossly overequipped to progress through the level, and repeat.

But hold your horses before you decry it as “just another Lego game”; there are some tweaks to the formula here, including some that fans may take issue with. That starts with the slimmer roster of seven playable characters (compared to over 100 in the most recent Lego Batman game), each with unique skills you’ll unlock as the game progresses. Broadly, these are inventive and distinct, though some fare better than others — I’m looking at you, Batgirl.

Newly added to the mix is a more fleshed-out combat system that mimics the Batman: Arkham series’ free-flow combat system. Now, your heroes can build combo stacks as they attack, dodge, counter, and land satisfying environmental takedowns, combining unique skills with melee combat in a super-fun brawl-style showdown, enunciated by the occasional “THAKK!” or “KAPOW!”.

Fights such as these are a dime a dozen in both the overworld and in-level, and while they can be a little repetitive towards the late game, it’s still a marked improvement over older Lego titles. That being said, it feels like a lot was added in half measures to keep things simple; for example, I was a little disappointed by the skill tree for weapons, which offered a rather uninspiring array of movesets and upgrades, especially for the wider Bat-family.

A lot of fights are entirely avoidable if you opt for the stealthier approach; the game is littered with rafters, tunnels, and alcoves you can traverse or use to surprise enemies with a sneak attack. I got a lot of fun out of this, but again, it does make things a little too easy in places, especially when paired with the Detective Mode-like area scan that will help you locate intractable items and enemies.

Thanks to new difficulty settings, you can choose to make these encounters a little more consequential in play; I played mostly in the medium difficulty Caped Crusader mode, which still has infinite health but with more enemies. That’s more so because, for some reason, enemies could see me through walls on a few levels when I’d switched up to the more difficult Dark Knight mode. I’m hoping that’s a bug we’ll see fixed soon, because I enjoyed the higher stakes of having a finite number of lives… even if it was still pretty easy.

A feast for Bat-fans

So, how does Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight distinguish itself from Arkham and the original Lego trilogy? Well, the game is packed to the brim with trivia, old and new, parodying everything from more obscure comic book references like Bat-Mite right through to The Batman (2022), laced with ample pop culture references to tie in the humor of Will Arnett’s portrayal in The Lego Batman Movie. As a lifelong fan of Batman, it’s a real joy, and the hits just keep coming.

This mashup of references could well have led to frequent tonal whiplash between bleaker Gotham skies and campier retellings of the Caped Crusader’s escapades, but TT Games has sewn together these disparate storylines wonderfully through the power of parody. Still, over the course of its six chapters, the story does, in places, lose its way, but I was too enamoured by the imaginative level design, slapstick humor, and endless reel of references to really care about whether or not a game built around kids' toys is delivering a powerful narrative experience.

For me, Lego games have always scratched my collectathon itch, and this new Batman adventure is no different; you’ll collect everything from driveable vehicles, wearable costumes, and props inspired by the franchise, which you can proudly display in your customizable Batcave between bouts of pummeling through mindless hordes of henchmen.

Exploring Gotham City is also great fun as you zip and glide between the looming skyscrapers, scoring Wayne Tech and hidden loot from the rooftops and alleyways. It’s teeming with life and, despite the gloomy backdrop, there’s a real vibrancy to the game — not to mention the somewhat excessive levels of detail. You can literally see the texture of the Lego character paint as though they were real toys, and I’m not sure I even liked it as much as I was impressed with it.

On that note, I had never imagined — or hoped — a Lego game could be one of the more demanding games in my library, and had to drop a fair few settings to eke out the best performance from the game, especially when playing on my Steam Deck. Plus, I’m slightly disappointed to see that the same wall glitches I found in my demo playthrough are still there in the pre-launch software I’ve been reviewing, and I also found a fair few more bugs in the overworld. I was rewarded for completing encounters without ever going near them, the Sub-Wayne entry points frequently reset mid-solution, henchmen didn’t always spawn, and when they did, as aforementioned, they were sometimes X-Ray visioned.

All that being said, it’s undoubtedly up there with my favorite Lego games, and the magic is in how much love and appreciation the developers clearly have for both Lego and Batman. I doubt the new additions to Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight spell too much about the future of Lego games overall; in fact, it tells me that TT Games might just be itching to do more new and exciting things with each franchise, and that’s never a bad thing. There’s still plenty of fun to be had with the Lego formula, though, and Legacy of the Dark Knight stands as a fantastic example.

Should you play Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

There’s great attention to accessibility options within Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight; on first launch, players can select from Vision, Hearing, Motor, and Motion Sickness accessibility presets, as well as between the three difficulty levels, two of which have no fail state (Classic and Caped Crusader).

If these presets aren’t quite right, there’s a litany of settings to customize; for visual needs, you can toggle audio description, high contrast mode, color blindness, full screen effects, text size, HUD visibility, marker display, camera shake, persistent center dot, and third-person camera reset, set up customizable subtitles, and choose between adjustable and dynamic field of view. For auditory accessibility, there are volume controls, closed captions, voiceover icons, night mode and audio output settings, and for any motor needs you can remap controls including sticks, invert the camera and tweak sensitivity, adjust controller deadzone and held or repeated button inputs, toggle aim snap and lock-on assist, adjust the game speed, aiming mode, gadget rapid fire, and skip quick time events or simplify them.

You can also toggle stud loss so the game is less punishing, it auto-saves for ease, and you can review text logs and tutorials at any time from the pause menu. Certain events are skippable via the pause menu (indicated on the HUD), and you can pause any time, even during cinematics.

How I reviewed Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

I spent over 20 hours in Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, playing on my custom-built gaming PC with a Dell S3225QS monitor, 8BitDo Ultimate controller, and Razer Kraken Kitty headset, but also on my Steam Deck.

I covered a majority of the main storyline, explored Gotham to complete side quests and unlockable content, and played in all three difficulties to assess their impact on play. I compared my experience to other recent Lego games like the Skywalker Saga as well as my fond memories of playing the original Lego Batman trilogy.

First reviewed Mat 2026.

I was lucky enough to preview Yoshi and the Mysterious Book back in April, and it genuinely caught me off guard. After all, this Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive seemed to break the mold. Not only did it swap Yoshi’s usual platforming-focused formula for a more explorative and puzzle-oriented adventure, but it also felt like it held the substance and creativity that the dino’s more recent outings lacked.

And I’m glad to report that the full game only reinforced my initial impression — Yoshi and the Mysterious Book feels like a step-up on many of its predecessors, offering a level of intrigue and ingenuity that’s sure to entice players of various ages.

But is this the right game for you? And does it stand among the very best Nintendo Switch 2 games? Well, after playing through the main story and collecting no end of Smiley Flowers, I have a fair few thoughts — which are mostly, but not entirely positive. So, here’s what I made of Yoshi’s latest game.

Whimsy overload

As I mentioned in my preview, two words come to mind when I think of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book: charm and whimsy.

A lot of this stems from the Nintendo Switch 2 title’s art direction, which is truly exceptional. Everything from the hand drawn creatures through to the stop-motion style animation is executed brilliantly, and provides each character with bags of personality and uniqueness. The game is just overflowing with charisma, and I can see the visual style being a hit with younger players and fans of cozy games, for instance.

For anyone out of the loop, this game follows Yoshi’s journey of discovery through the many pages of Mr. E, a sentient encyclopedia filled with many mystical creatures. Yoshi will have to learn about the behaviour, abilities — and even taste — of these characters, and help Mr. E recover knowledge about them.

I loved how each creature had a distinct set of skills, all of which can be utilized to solve puzzles in the game’s various levels. The main puzzles are usually straightforward, and won’t have more experienced gamers scratching their heads for too long, I expect. Younger players may need a while to solve later-game conundrums, although Mr. E is at hand to offer advice if things get too confusing.

Where the real challenge comes in, is in finding the numerous collectibles dispersed throughout each page. There are occasionally secret hollows that you can uncover, and there are coins buried away in harder-to-reach areas too. But the main collectible is the Smiley Flowers, which often require the player to get creative with creature abilities or to stray far from the beaten path.

Some of these flowers are super-easy to find, but many are hidden with great care. Even as someone who’s played many platformers — and indeed, Yoshi games — I still struggled to hunt a bunch of the Flowers down. By keeping some of the collectibles shrouded in mystery, I’d argue that Yoshi and the Mysterious Book does just about enough to maintain appeal for all ages.

Having said that, I did occasionally wish there was a little more difficulty mixed in. Most of the platforming is very easy, and Yoshi’s continuous flutter jump makes getting to distant segments pretty seamless. Most enemies pose little to no threat as well, and Yoshi will quickly respawn in the rare event of a deadly fall or attack. This remains the case in boss fights, which are creatively crafted, but lack threat.

So many secrets

Again, though, the game is not centered around its platforming and action — it’s all about the exploration. As much as I was hoping for a little more difficulty here and there, the straightforward action did keep me laser-focused on learning more about the various creatures and searching for new secrets.

And there are so many secrets to discover. One of my favorites came during a level with Shy Guys, where I was able to give them a range of items to unveil a hidden room and obscured Smiley Flowers. There are six chapters in the main story, and a further four after that, so there really are a huge amount of creatures to learn about and discoveries to make.

These chapters aren’t massively rich in terms of narrative —Yoshi and the Mysterious Book isn’t trying to be a deep or layered piece of media. You’ll repeat the same loop in just about each one: discover a few creatures, run into Bowser Jr. and Kamek, fight the boss, and move onto the next.

In terms of length, then, each chapter can be completed quite quickly — especially if you’re playing through levels without finding each and every secret. Still, I found the game to be best-played in short sessions. The discovery formula is enjoyable, but not addicting to the point that I wanted to play for hours on end. And personally, I enjoyed finishing one chapter per night — almost as if I was reading an actual book.

Wrapping up the story

There’s only one main game mode in Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, but there are a few ways to customize and enhance your experience.

The first thing that comes to mind is your ability to play as multiple different color Yoshi. I played through most of the game in orange, but there’s the typical green, as well as yellow, pink, purple, and more. Another neat addition is Amiibo compatibility. If you’ve got any kind of Yoshi, Poochey, or Bowser Jr. figure, you can ask Mr. E to tell your fortune, and unlock in-game currency.

This currency can be used to reveal hints to new discoveries, enabling you to fill out Mr, E’s pages more rapidly. But it’s also possible to exchange Smiley Flowers that you collect for exploration tools. You can get a radar to discover nearby Flowers, creatures, and the like, a heart-rate tracker, a speedometer, and more.

Yoshi can actually get up to some impressive top speeds, but even when the game is at its most chaotic, it runs without a hitch. I experienced very little in the way of frame drops or delays, with just a couple of rare performance dips in handheld mode. In docked, the game played flawlessly and looked stunning in 4K. It’s hardly the most demanding game, of course, but this is great to see regardless. Yoshi also feels great to control, and I never got frustrated with awkward platforming or janky combat.

With its endearing visual style, enticing exploration, and charisma-filled creatures, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a delight on Nintendo Switch 2. Yes, its low difficulty could leave me wanting more during boss fights, and those hoping for perilous platforming may not gel with this entry so well. But this title concentrates carefully on its core objective — of being an exploration-focused puzzle platformer — and gives Yoshi his most enjoyable game in many a year.

Should you play Yoshi and the Mysterious Book?

Play it if…

Don’t play it if…

Accessibility features

There are only a handful of ways to customize your experience in Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. You can pick between three control schemes, set a ‘patient’ or ‘hasty’ egg toss style, disable rumble, and choose to advance Mr. E’s dialogue manually or automatically. There’s no colorblind mode or way to zoom in the camera, which could’ve been a nice touch.

How I reviewed Yoshi and the Mysterious Book

I spent more than ten hours venturing through Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, during which time I completed the main story and collected a whole bunch of Smiley Flowers.

Most of the time, I played the game in docked mode using the Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch 2, with my system connected to the Sky Glass Gen 2 TV and Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. However, I did dip into handheld mode now and then, during which time I connected to the console with my JBL Tour One M3 wireless headphones.

I’ve been a Nintendo Switch 2 owner from day one, and have played many Yoshi games, including newer entries, like Yoshi’s Woolly World and Yoshi’s New Island. I’ve also reviewed a number of Switch 2 games here at TechRadar, such as Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, Kirby Air Riders and Drag x Drive.

• PlayStation is ending single-player PC ports, according to Bloomberg and confirmed by PlayStation boss
• Ghost of Yotei and Saros were likely the next games to be ported onto PC
• Kena: Scars of Kosmora will still be on PS5 and PC, when it launches in 2026

PlayStation's presence on PC has gradually expanded over the years, with its exclusive single-player games arriving on the platform a year or so after launch — but that's now coming to an end.

As reported by VGC, PlayStation boss Hermen Hulst has confirmed that single-player PS5 exclusives won't be coming to PC anymore, according to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier. This comes after its initial report in March, which is now corroborated via Hulst's internal confirmation to staff.

The most recent exclusives, Ghost of Yotei and Saros, were heavily rumored and expected to be ported to PC, particularly the former, following in the footsteps of its predecessor, Ghost of Tsushima, which was released on PC three years after its console debut.

Unfortunately, that's not happening anymore, marking the end of an era when many of PlayStation's blockbuster titles were available on Steam and Epic Games. One title, Kena: Scars of Kosmora, is still scheduled for launch on PC in 2026, and that's only because Ember Lab isn't a first-party PlayStation studio, but Sony is responsible as its publisher.

Bloomberg also stated that PlayStation believes PC ports risk damaging the 'console's brand' and the sales of the PS5. However, it feels as though Sony has taken two steps backwards, as this hurts consumers more than it benefits them.

The staggered release system that would see exclusives arrive on PC at least one year later was good for consumers who were either exclusively on PC or owned a PS5 console, whilst also on PC, with the freedom of playing at launch or patiently waiting for a better version in terms of graphics and performance.

It's an understandable move from PlayStation in a financial aspect, especially since a continuation of PC releases would actually benefit Valve's upcoming Steam Machine — which is poised to be a direct rival in the console space as a console-like PC.

While this stance can change again in the future, it's highly unlikely at this rate, especially if the rumors of Project Helix (the next Xbox console) will be able to run Steam, effectively acting as a PC, as that would mean Sony would be lending its exclusives over to rivals in both Valve and Microsoft.

• Discord has released a major update for Linux users
• Game and screen sharing has been improved with hardware-accelerated video encoding now supported via Nvidia, AMD, and Intel GPUs
• It comes as users remain frustrated about global age verification plans

Discord on Linux, particularly on the Steam Deck or SteamOS handhelds, has been plagued by functionality issues, and a new update has finally addressed them — but users aren't buying it.

As reported by TweakTown, Discord announced a new major update for Linux in a video titled the 'year of the Linux desktop', providing significant improvements to game (or screen) capturing capabilities, including smaller updates to notifications and game detection.

Notably, hardware-accelerated video encoding is now supported on Nvidia, AMD, and Intel GPUs for Discord, for better video quality without a drawback on game performance.

Discord will also capture games using Vulkan or Valve's Gamescope, and that's great news for devices like the Steam Deck or the Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS, as more system resources can be used on games, ultimately improving performance and battery life while streaming to friends.

That's all good and well in the eyes of Discord users on Linux, and it has even joined in on the year of the Linux desktop meme (essentially the hope that Linux will surpass Windows) — and sure, this update has definitely taken it a step closer to that, but it's not enough to win fans over.

Instead, the comments on the video are consistent with users stating it's the 'year of age verification', criticizing Discord for its global age verification plans, which are still slated for late 2026.

This major Linux update comes around the same time as the Discord and Xbox collaboration, which gives Nitro users access to a starter edition of Xbox Game Pass. It seems as though Discord is trying its best to soften the blow from its controversial move, but it's quite clear that users aren't willing to let the age verification issues go.

In upcoming role-playing game (RPG) The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, players step into the shoes of the titular hero and his fairy companion Faie as they travel the beast-ravaged continent of Philabieldia.

The last remnants of humanity live there and are led by Princess Heuria, who tasks Elliot with uncovering a mysterious artifact known as the Doorway of Time, This leads to a story where our hero and Faie travel between four distinct time periods.

Blast from the past

Announced last Summer alongside a free 90-minute gameplay demo for Nintendo Switch 2, there was much to appreciate about the direction Square Enix was going in with The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales.

That trademark HD-2D style felt more alive than ever with beautiful environments, sprites and effects, while the gameplay itself felt steeped in nostalgia. The developers also used the demo to actively request feedback from players in order to improve the experience. It looks like Square Enix heard those criticisms loud and clear after a hands-on event at their El Segundo, California office.

The demo’s combat was exceptionally easy. Making things even less challenging was allowing players to either start from the last checkpoint or spend currency to instantly revive Elliot if he died in combat. This gave death a low-stakes consequence during battles against simple enemies or bosses. They addressed this by creating four difficulty options, including Easy, Medium, Hard and Extra Hard.

Another change was in Faie herself. In the game, the fairy serves as a companion to provide advice, environmental commentary and more. This problem is that Faie talked a bit too much. That created a sliding scale of annoyance for enough players to become an issue. To remedy that, there is a setting in the options menu to lessen how often she speaks.

This new hands-on starts outside of a dungeon built around various mirror reflection puzzles. Some mirror puzzles stretched across an entire room and required Elliot to move things around. The goal was to get a large boss key, which led to a boss fight against two mechanical enemies. One had a large sword, while the other one had a large crossbow. Fighting both of them wasn’t difficult thanks to a mix of Elliot’s weaponry and Faie’s abilities.

After that, the demo concluded at the Age of Time that allows our hero to travel to different time periods in the story. We were prevented from going any further, but the world of Philabieldia has plenty of things to do in the meantime.

That includes a few outside dungeons to get special weapons and abilities for Faie. One new ability showcased in the demo was an Ignite ability. Not only could it serve as a way to light torches for light and various puzzles, but had some usages in combat. This joins other abilities that the fairy can use, like a flight ability that lets Elliot move faster and a warp ability that places our hero anywhere Faie is.

While exploring another dungeon, I also came across the Catala Bow. This bow is not only more powerful than the standard bow but also has a charge ability. This serves as a great addition to the arsenal of weapons Elliot has in the new demo. Joining the sword (and Dusk Sword upgrade), shield, bow and bomb weapons from the original demos are several other weapons. This includes the Sapling Spear, Hammer and Scythe Cain which serve many purposes depending on the enemy.

Another ranged weapon addition is the boomerang that comes in pretty handy against enemies who are at a distance. These weapons are easily swappable via a press of the shoulder button. The same thing also works for Faie’s abilities. There is an ability to upgrade weapons through the Magicite system, but that wasn’t available for me to try out.

Making my way around Philabieldia I found myself in a Grandtree dungeon which featured a forest setting filled with bouncy lily pads and a cat companion that could be collected. However, I could only go so far as Faie suggested I come back during another time period. This definitely opens up the possibilities of time period-based puzzles.

There was also a desert cave with quick sand puzzles that I was able to play around in for a moment. Faie even suggested I leave one dungeon entrance alone as it might be beyond what Elliot could do in the game at the moment.

Playing the new build on a base PlayStation 5, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales visually looks on par with the Switch 2 demo with a tad bit more sharpness. The HD-2D graphics look better than previous Square Enix games that have utilized that style thanks to the faster real-time action.

Plus, the art direction is pretty cool as well. On the audio side, the music is already sounding epic with a beautiful orchestral soundtrack (cleverly stripping down to piano when in menus) alongside some convincing voice acting.

After playing for an hour, I was left wanting to dive more into Elliot’s adventures with Faie when it launches on June 18, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.

• Disconcerting indie game HoverGrease 2 is set to launch this week
• It's a top-down hero shooter with both a story campaign and multiplayer modes
• The oddly realistic art direction and bizarre title has gamers confused on social media

Everywhere I go, I see HoverGrease 2. At least, everywhere I go on Instagram, because for some reason, my algorithm has decided that I simply have to know all about it.

It's an onslaught, with endless posts about the upcoming game (mainly from the official HoverGrease account) appearing after every other reel that I watch. Although the account only has a few hundred followers, many of these posts have thousands of likes, so I'm obviously not alone in this experience.

Now, this isn't an entirely new phenomenon (and anyone who has used the Instagram app will know that your personalized algorithm can sometimes become fixated on often quite bizarre topics), but it's the first time I've been devoutly served content about a title that's so... unsettling.

On paper, HoverGrease 2 sounds like it might be up my street. It's a top-down hero shooter with both a single-player story and a suite of competitive online multiplayer modes. It's got ten playable characters, with each boasting 18 unique weapons or attacks to play around with.

The online offering sounds surprisingly fleshed out, too, with talk of a battle pass and various unlockable items on the game's Steam store page.

The first problem, at least for me, is the art direction. The developers describe the game's world as "bio-cyberpunk," which basically means that it's a sci-fi setting populated by weird mutants.

There's a guy with a chicken head, some kind of horse lady, a human-rabbit hybrid, and more. It's not a bad idea in and of itself, but the quite realistic visual style just leaves each one of them looking seriously uncanny.

Then there's the sexualization. Every playable woman in the game seems to be wearing the skimpiest outfit possible (in contrast to the comparatively clothed men), which, combined with the realistic animal features, just feels a bit weird and gross. Are you really meant to sit there and leer at the exposed, slimy, yellow skin of a talking humanoid frog? Greasy indeed.

I'm clearly not alone either in being left feeling a bit icky, as the comments on the game's initial reveal trailer (posted to the official IGN channel, of all places) are a wall of reactions that range from bemused to downright uncomfortable.

"Is this game a prank? What even is this?" wrote one user. "This is terrifying... Why do the bunny and squirrel look more human than animal?" asked another. One commenter simply wrote: "I'm confused and I need an adult."

And the elephant in the room to top it all off is the question of what on earth "HoverGrease" actually means. In fact, how is this even HoverGrease 2 when there doesn't seem to have ever been a HoverGrease 1? The more I think about it, the more confused I get.

You could argue that all this strangeness has actually worked out in the developer's favor, though. Here I am writing about the game, and here you are reading about it. I'm honestly even a little tempted to dive in come its May 22, 2026 launch to see what it's all about.

If you're keen on joining in, you can wishlist the game on Steam now. Just be warned that your friends might judge you for doing so.

Developer ZA/UM’s new title Zero Parades: For Dead Spies has the unenviable task of following Disco Elysium, an award-winning role-playing game (RPG) widely praised for its unique voice and philosophical insight. It seemed like lighting in a bottle, something that likely could never be matched or replicated — even more so when most of the writers who worked on the game departed in a messy (and controversial) change in leadership.

Zero Parades looks and acts like Disco Elysium. It's another text-heavy RPG where the rolling of dice determines the outcomes of most encounters, and you stumble your way through major events by making inspired, occasionally diabolical choices, and interacting with a bizarre cast of characters. Dig beneath the surface, however, and it's not like Disco Elysium — in fact, in many ways it's really not trying to be. This is a more grounded and ambitious experience that builds on its predecessor's identity rather than trying to imitate it.

It seems less exciting at first, as the tone is more grounded, and it's harder to feel connected to the less bombastic protagonist initially. However, it's vastly more ambitious in scope and subject matter, and it makes small, but influential, improvements that raise the standard of what dice-driven RPGs like this can achieve.

I spy

You are Hershel Wilk, a spy who wakes up in the coastal city of Portofiro after a particularly disturbing dissociative episode that's left you not quite able to remember what just happened. Her angry handler suggests that whatever "it" was, it wasn't very good, and your job is to try and uncover your mission and get it back on track.

Unlike Disco Elysium's amnesiac cop Harry DuBois, Hershel still knows who she is. Reality is less easy to grasp, though, and that's partly because reality is complicated. It's a messy tangle of international conspiracies, post-industrial fallout, bad faith actors manipulating innocent people, and an ever-widening gap between those who have means and those who don't.

Zero Parades is Disco's ideological successor and a natural follow-up to that game's conclusion: that the pursuit of capital and power infects everything, even unions and progressive movements. Zero Parades examines what happens when labor loses the class conflict, when work dries up and the bankers turn your once-thriving urban center into a tourist trap, and when the much-vaunted opportunities of the privileged world turn out to be unavailable for you. It's the 2000s to Disco Elysium's 1970s, in other words.

As in real life, class consciousness has faded in the world of Zero Parades. The angry embers of it still exist in those old enough to remember the days when change seemed possible if everyone worked together but they're incapable of pushing back against the entrenched power of the monied classes (or to use the game's favorite phrase, the techno-fascists) who police their morality, close down their places of gathering on technicalities, and threaten to take what few liberties they have left unless they adopt the culture of their imperialistic neighbors. Consumerism and dozens of fragmented ideologies, many of which are entirely unhinged, flood in to fill the gap left by the death of class identity.

Zero Parades is quieter than Disco Elysium. It puts fewer manifestos in its characters' mouths, and it's also generally more interested in showing how conditions shape people and societies than it is in making a specific statement. You're trusted to come to your own conclusions based on what you see and how it aligns with your experience but it's no less observant and incisive than its predecessor and just as adept at using a Marxist lens to examine the faults of government and society.

It takes a while to recognize that, though. In the early hours, Zero Parades seems far too disorganized. It lumps together gentrification, post-modern cynicism, gun control commentary, the disadvantages of the Global South, weaponized bureaucracy, critiques against globalism, and the outsized cultural influence of superpowers like the US with commentary on Peronism, dangerous and deluded talk show hosts, and a whole lot more.

You can spend a good five or six hours wandering around the city's starting zones with a protagonist who feels more like a shadow than a human, picking up various pieces of seemingly disconnected history and personal trivia with no clue why it matters, if any of it does at all. It does, eventually, and Zero Parades deserves credit for how expertly it brings all of these disparate pieces together as the game progresses — even if it takes a long time to pay off.

Less easy to overlook is the off-putting use of commas. Zero Parades would benefit from another editing pass in the future, partly to correct some typos, but mostly to deal with the egregious number of comma splices, where a comma separates two complete ideas instead of a sentence. The script is bursting with them, and it's incredibly distracting.

Skill issue

You might not be able to do anything about Zero Parades' grammar, but you can do something about how messed up the world is. Or try to, though your efforts cause mayhem as much as they help anyone. You have multiple ways to tackle almost every encounter, all of which are effective, even if they may not all be ethical.

That's standard for this kind of RPG, but one of the most exciting things the game does is open new paths through failure. Normally in games like these, including Disco Elysium, if you fail a check or make the "wrong" choice, the consequence is either having an option removed or suffering some kind of negative effect. Zero Parades also makes you suffer negative effects, but through these you gain new ways to interact.

The more dramatic ones happen when you fail active dice rolls like, for example, failing to match the nerve of a psychotic doctor who just drank a formaldehyde cocktail. You can still get what you want from him, but on his terms (in this case, prying teeth out of a teenager's head with a crowbar), which leads to a whole new network of possibilities with their own permutations of outcomes.

However, there's a decent number of passive checks — the ones that happen in the background without you seeing — that you can fail as well, and some of these have even longer-lasting effects. In one instance, I failed a personality-related check that kept Hershel from understanding the true motivations of someone she was speaking with. That naivete pushed Hershel into a completely different relationship with this person, giving her a disadvantage in future checks and opening an otherwise-blocked branch of interaction. This scenario wasn't the only one of its kind, and it goes a long way toward making every encounter feel important.

Hershel's skills influence whether you're likely to fail a check, and while they're fewer in total compared to Disco Elysium, Zero Parades tends to do grander things with them. Skills like coordination have little value early in the game, but later, in tense situations where you need to make a quick escape or disarm an opponent, it's an essential tool for survival.

Cold Read seems like it imitates some of Disco Elysium's observation skills, except getting an accurate read of a stranger often makes a vital difference in how conflicts with them progress. Zero Parades deftly scatters these more action-packed sequences throughout the game without straying too far from its genre roots, and they make good use of another new feature.

Mental health check

Where Harry had morale and health in Disco Elysium, Hershel has fatigue, anxiety, and delusion. These fluctuate based on your choices, circumstances, and certain items you wear or consume. Alcohol has benefits, for example, but increases delusion, while chugging coffee lowers fatigue and spikes anxiety. Alone, these seem inconsequential but conversations can quickly go off the rails and dredge up something from Hershel's psyche to push her delusion toward dangerous levels.

Hershel suffers negative effects once these levels pass certain thresholds and, if they keep rising, loses a skill point in a related area. You can also exert yourself to raise chances of succeeding with certain roles at the cost of increasing your pressure levels. Managing these is straightforward in the early game, but as events escalate and quickly grow out of control, keeping Hershel healthy and still having a decent chance of passing important checks becomes much more complicated. It's a perfect fit for a psychological drama, but it's also an excellent way to make your choices feel like they matter in ways you don't typically see in other RPGs

That's less true for conditioning, Zero Parades' refined and expanded version of Disco Elysium's thought cabinet. Hershel can ponder several thoughts at once, about things like the futility (or aspirational nature) of credit debt and gain special bonuses. They start out quite tame, like getting +1 for a personality skill, but steadily become more complex and influence things like your interactions with specific people or groups. They also have violation criteria, where saying the "wrong" thing or purchasing certain items goes against the conditioning, removes your bonuses, potentially adds new ones, and gives you unique disadvantages in certain situations.

How these thoughts affect your actions is more interesting than what the system tries to say. Zero Parades is a game where Hershel can be whoever you think she should be, and freedom of choice is essential in that. Deciding not to smoke cigarettes for a few hours or not picking one kind of dialogue just to get a specific bonus doesn't change who she ends up becoming, as most of the choices aren't tied to important outcomes. Managing bonuses and consequences adds a welcome extra layer of strategy, but it feels gamified and disconnected from Zero Parades' themes.

Zero Parades aims high and only rarely misses. It's confident enough in its message to leave you to figure it out for yourself, and the improvements to Disco Elysium's foundations make its roleplaying among the best in the genre. It just takes a bit of patience to get there.

Should I play Zero Parades: For Dead Spies?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

Zero Parades includes text size toggles and an option for dyslexic-friendly font. There's also a suite of color options so you can change outline colors for characters and objects and another set of color options for dice checks and interface features.

How I reviewed Zero Parades: For Dead Spies

I played Zero Parades for more than 35 hours on PC (with an RTX 4080 Super GPU and Intel i9-14900F) using a Razer Viper mouse, SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3 wired keyboard, and Beyerdynamic DT990 headphones.

In that time I completed the main story once and multiple side quests, though there are many different outcomes I didn't see and some quests I unknowingly locked myself out of based on my choices.

First reviewed March 2026

• Blades of Fire has just arrived on Steam
• The game originally came out for PC via the Epic Games Store and consoles in May last year
• It comes alongside the launch of a huge content update and a 25% discount

One of the most underrated games of 2025 has just arrived on Steam alongside the release of a massive new update.

Blades of Fire first came out in May last year, releasing for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC via the Epic Games Store. It's a third-person action game with plenty of soulslike qualities, including a vast interconnected world, challenging enemies, and a brutal checkpointing system.

What sets it apart from countless other similar titles is its blacksmithing theme, which extends to almost every facet of the game. You have to build your own weapons, for example, via a surprisingly comprehensive forging system that directly impacts their stats.

There are loads of weapon types to try, with more gradually unlocked as you progress, and multiple stances with distinct advantages and disadvantages. It's also very pretty, with a surprisingly lush selection of environments that span from massive fantasy castles to vibrant forests.

This Steam version launches alongside the game's big 2.0 update, which introduces a wealth of new features. This includes new game plus, a new extra-hard difficulty level, arena-style trials to conquer, special spells for your in-game companion Adso, and more. There's even a photo mode to snap some of your favorite shots.

If you already own the game, you'll be pleased to hear that the update is also out on other platforms and is free of charge.

You can visit the Steam store page to pick up the game with a special, limited time 25% launch discount that lasts until May 21, 2026.

Forza Horizon 6 is the long-awaited latest entry in Playground Games’ open-world racing game series — and there’s a lot that’s been riding on this one. Many, myself included, found Forza Horizon 5 to be underwhelming. After that, Forza Motorsport — while decent at release — suffered from an array of glitches and poor post-launch updates.

Even though it’s operating well within the series’ trappings, Forza Horizon 6 is a breath of fresh air. The setting of Japan doesn’t disappoint, with impressively varied biomes and sublime vistas. From Tokyo City to the Japanese Alps and the gorgeous countryside and quaint little villages dotted in-between, there’s a ton of brilliant environmental design to marvel at.

The game’s race events are greatly helped by this variety. The usual selection of road, dirt, cross-country, and street racing events is all still here. But clever routing and vehicle categorization make almost all of them feel one-of-a-kind. There are even a handful of purpose-built circuits and drag strips, with their own time attack events and leader boards.

The solo experience is by and large excellent, but Forza Horizon 6 does a much better job than its predecessors at encouraging you to enter multiplayer spaces. A new recommended event menu highlights ongoing multiplayer activities like Eliminator and playlist events. Car Meet locations let you hang out with players to check out their cars or start lobbies. Plus, fully customizable garages and an entire compound for you to build on are huge wins for the more creatively-minded players out there.

My favorite new addition, though, has to be the aftermarket cars you can find dotted about the map. These always have more oomph than stock vehicles you can buy in the showroom, and often come with unique aero or livery touches.

Throw in some of the best Horizon Showcase events to date and a further refinement of that wonderful ‘simcade’ handling, and you have what is the best Forza Horizon game to date. No small feat when the third and fourth entries in particular were so great back in the day.

I do have the odd qualm or two. Voiced side characters are still pretty one-dimensional, but decidedly less insufferable in this game. I’ve spotted some visual oddities, too, like NPC vehicles duplicating themselves occasionally when you rewind after a crash, or the camera freaking out a bit if you drive under a low-enough surface but overall, Forza Horizon 6 has been more than worth the wait.

Place, Japan

If you know one thing about Forza Horizon 6, it’ll be that it’s taken the open-world racing formula to Japan. Japan, by Playground Games’ own admission, has been the most-requested setting for a Horizon game among the fanbase. So the pressure to not disappoint said fans must’ve been palpable.

Fortunately for us, the developer has delivered one of the most striking, impeccably-designed open worlds I’ve seen in any game — let alone within the racing genre. Some of my previous favorites have been Forza Horizon 4’s United Kingdom, and The Crew Motorfest’s Hawaii but I think Forza Horizon 6’s Japan is more compelling than both in variety, level design, and just plain looks.

Virtual tourists will find much to love here. The sweeping highways, luscious countryside, temples and shrines off the beaten path, radio stations, quaint gardens and villages, docks, the coastline, and the Japanese alps off to the north. It’s seriously impressive just how much variety Playground Games has placed into a map that in reality isn’t all that much larger than Forza Horizon 5’s Mexico.

There are plenty of real-world locations to discover, too. Tokyo City is the most obvious, and it’s massive. It’s a real visual treat, with tons of winding slow-speed corners and subtle back alleys. You’ll spot some iconic landmarks here, too, such as Tokyo Tower and the Shibuya Scramble. Beyond the city, you’ll find plenty of iconic racing spots like the Daikoku Parking Area, the C1 loop, and yes, even Mt. Haruna where you can attempt intense touge race battles.

Really, the only glaring omission I can think of is Mt. Fuji. It does loom in the background, looking mightily impressive, but you can’t actually go there in-game. It's rather baffling considering the mountain and its surroundings featured prominently in Horizon 6’s original reveal trailer. Maybe it’s a location Playground Games is saving for a DLC expansion? We’ll have to wait and see.

Let's go away

If you’re familiar with the series, Forza Horizon 6 doesn’t change up the campaign structure too much, but there are some notable tweaks.

Your main goal in the campaign is to obtain higher tiers of wristband by participating in road, dirt, and cross-country races. And if you fancy a break from those, smaller activities like speed traps and danger zone jumps contribute to your campaign progress, too.

Each wristband tier is bookended by showcase events, which act as nice palette cleansers and set piece marvels. Showcases in this game aren’t my favorite in the series, but it’s hard not to grin from ear to ear when you’re racing a giant mech while Ado’s New Genesis blasts from your car stereo.

I want to highlight the impressive event variety, too, in that Horizon 6’s wonderful map design allows for rapid and seamless changes to scenery. Tracks that start in the snowy alps can rocket down into rocky ravines.

Street races through Tokyo City can end in lovely countryside villages. The various actual circuits dotted around the map also have their own race events, and allow for a variety of surfaces and corner speeds. It’s all great stuff.

You have the usual Horizon Festival stuff, then, but another avenue of progression available to you in Forza Horizon 6 is labeled Discover Japan. This is a pretty clever repackaging of events like street races, side stories, smashing mascots and EXP boards, photography, barn finds, and general exploration.

I found these really nice to dip into when I wanted a break from more traditional racing, and it has its own progression rewards ranging from cars and credits to horns and clothing for your avatar. Like Forza Horizon 5, all progression is tracked in the handy Collection Journal, giving you pointers on what you can be doing next.

Start your engines

Forza Horizon 6 would obviously be nothing without its cars, and there’s great variety here. You’re getting over 600 cars in the base game, and as you might expect, there’s heightened focus on Japanese manufacturers.

That means you’re getting everything from lovely little kei cars to roaring R-class hypercars and everything in between. It’s not all makes from Japan, though, of course. You can still expect tons of whips from international manufacturers; BMW to Volkswagen, Lamborghini to Ferrari.

You should absolutely be on the lookout for aftermarket cars — a new addition. As I said earlier, these are modified rides you can find dotted about the map. Many of them helpfully spawn near relevant race events, too, often giving you a chance to buy something seriously cool before signing up. Aftermarket cars and their parts seem randomly generated to a degree, meaning you can often find Legendary class cars in the middle of nowhere (though you’ll be paying a fair chunk of credits for these, mind).

Another neat addition are the Treasure Cars. There’s one for each region, making for nine in total. Unlike barn finds, the map won’t tell you the general area of where to find these. Instead, the Treasure Cars menu will offer a photo and some text, and you’ll figure out the location from there. Most of these were really enjoyable to find and, honestly, I wish there were more. Horizon as a series could really do with more cool little scavenger hunts like these.

That brings me onto customization, which for the most part is equally brilliant. Your personal garages (which are part of every house you buy on the map) are now fully customizable, and you can place down your favorite vehicles here, as well as add furniture and other visual flair. You can share these online, too, making garage customization a fun social endeavor.

This extends on a macro scale with the compound, which you can unlock early on. This is, essentially, a huge blank slate out in the countryside for you to build basically anything you want. You’ll work with prefabricated parts in the map editor, and you can make anything from custom circuits to even more ambitious projects like a driveable village, if you desire.

There is a bit of a learning curve involved, and it is a bit annoying that your compound is gated behind a loading screen (and thus separate from the rest of the map), but it’s really fun to tinker around with ideas.

Views for days

Presentation is another highlight in Forza Horizon 6. In terms of visual fidelity, it’s not that far removed from the last couple of Horizon entries. But that’s not to say there haven’t been improvements. For one, cars look and sound fantastic, most of which have unique interiors and engine sounds.

Japan is rendered beautifully here. Playground Games has clearly put tons of time and effort into creating an authentic map. Draw distance is really quite breathtaking, but what’s most impressive is that there’s tons of elevation, winding roads, and obscured sightlines. That means you’ll never quite be able to see the whole map from any given vantage point, making your journey through it feel much more immersive.

There are some visual oddities to make note of. There’s a bit of noticeable pop-in with distant objects; most notable when you’re on the highway or within Tokyo City. I also had a few instances where, upon using the rewind mechanic, a vehicle I collided with would duplicate itself. A bit strange, but likely something future patches can hone in on.

I’m a big fan of the licensed soundtrack this time around, too. I was worried that the game would pay lip service to just a few Japanese artists, but I’m happy to be wrong. The new Gacha City Radio station houses the lion’s share, but tracks from Japanese groups are shared across pretty much all radio stations.

It’s a lot of acts you’ll probably recognize, including Ado, Babymetal, Yoasobi, Creepy Nuts, and Hikaru Utada among others. But there are loads of bangers from overseas, too. Even some of my favorites have shown up, including Spiritbox, Ninajirachi, Turnstile, Biffy Clyro, and Linkin Park.

Should you play Forza Horizon 6?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

Like prior games in the series, Forza Horizon 6 offers an array of accessibility features. Difficulty options are robust, letting you set AI capability and assists like traction control and anti-lock braking. Meanwhile, subtitle customization and screen reader options are available in the accessibility tab. You can also slow down offline game speed if the default action is a bit hard to keep track of.

In the visual accessibility tab, you can adjust game and user interface motion blur, as well as alter environmental color filters with the deuteranopia, protanopia, and tritanopia colorblind sliders. There is a robust high contrast mode available, too, letting you add highlights to terrain, cars, objects, and more.

How I reviewed Forza Horizon 6

I played 20 hours of Forza Horizon 6 for this review. That was enough to progress through the entire campaign, and unlock the endgame Legend Island location. In that time, I participated in almost every race event, and tackled a handful of street races and Discover Japan objectives like barn finds, side stories, and the like.

I primarily played Forza Horizon 6 with the Valve Steam Controller (2026) and greatly enjoyed the haptic feedback it provided during play. I also played on PC, able to run the game at High-Ultra settings with an Nvidia RTX GeForce 5060 GPU.

First reviewed May 2026