Want to score some last-minute savings before Amazon Prime Day 2026 draws to a close? I’ve found 12 board games for under $20 that you can shop right now — though the deals won’t last much longer.

What’s more, these aren’t cheap but ultimately terrible games; these are some really solid picks with options to suit any occasion — with my personal favorites being Herd Mentality, Monopoly Big Deal, and Cheers to the Governor.

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

There are party picks like Throw Throw Burrito and The Cameleon, which are ideal for larger groups of all ages; meanwhile, Twisted Cryptids and Exploding Kittens require a little more strategy if you want to secure victory.

Plus, several picks on this list come in small boxes, making them ideal travel games to take with you on your summer vacation — and all of them make excellent ice breakers if you’re heading off to college when the summer’s over.

Best of all, as I said in the intro, none of them will set you back more than $20, though that promise is only true while Prime Day deals are still live.

12 board games under $20

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

Not only do I review gaming gear for a living, I game every day, which is how I know how important a truly reliable gamepad can be. Fortunately, while we're on the final day of Prime Day, I'm still seeing loads of offers out there on some of my favorite Xbox controllers. That's why I've brought you together the best I've found.

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

For a long time, when gaming on my PC and Xbox Series X, I just stuck with the Robot White Xbox Wireless Controller that came with my console. And who could blame me? It's a seriously well-designed controller, from its multi-platform connectivity to its Impulse Triggers. But there's a whole rainbow of different colorways out there: given they're so cheap, why not opt for the badass bubblegum vibes of Deep Pink or the exhilarating Electric Volt?

And although it may have taken me a while, I have since upgraded to a pro-grade pad: the fantastic Asus ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless, one of the many premium controllers you can get an enormous discount on this Prime Day. Can't quite stretch to a high-end controller? Fortunately, plenty of cheaper options like the PowerA Wired Controller are still going for a song, so there's never been a better time to get your hands on a new one.

If you're keen to browse the deals where you are, feel free to skip straight to the US links or UK links. And if you're also on the hunt for other bargains, don't forget to follow our Amazon Prime Day US live blog or our Amazon Prime Day UK live blog.

Xbox controller sale — top picks

• Xbox Wireless Controller — Robot White: now $49.99 at Amazon (was $64.99)
• Asus ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless: now $149.99 at Best Buy (was $189.99)
• GameSir Kaleid: now $32.51 at Amazon (was $40.40)

Xbox controllers — US deals

Xbox controllers — UK deals

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Amazon Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Fans: from £20
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

The hunt for a new gaming chair during Amazon's Prime Day sale has been relentless, and I've been hesitant to act on most of them despite the hefty discounts.

There are several Secretlab and Razer options on the market, and we've explored these previously. They all promise high-level comfort and prioritize customization with adjustable armrest, recline, and backrest height — but there's an alternative I've found that goes beyond the basics.

The AutoFull M6 Ultra 2.0 is now available on Amazon for £483.99 (was £599.99), thanks to a 19% discount. This is a gaming chair that has premium features you won't find on most gaming or office chairs, with dual-zone vibration massaging, highly adjustable armrests, and 2-in-1 ventilation and heating.

With 2-in-1 ventilation, it makes the perfect companion for hot summer days, notably ideal for the ongoing heatwave in the UK, and that's important for long gaming or work sessions.

For US consumers, the AutoFull M6 is available on Amazon for $424.99 (was $499.99), thanks to a 15% discount. This version still comes with the heating and cooling functionality of the Ultra 2.0, but doesn't have the massaging functionality found in its upgraded counterpart.

Regardless, both versions seemingly aim for the best level of comfort, with dynamic lumbar support, including a footrest that should drastically improve periods of resting after gaming or work.

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

We're fast approaching the end of Prime Day, and there are still plenty of deals left to take full advantage of. This is especially more important than ever for gamers across PC and console, as prices continue to skyrocket for hardware due to the RAM crisis.

If you're already lucky enough to own a PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, or PC, then it's worth considering which new accessories will further help enhance your visual and audio experience — and I've found the best deals for the latter.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is available on Amazon for $179.95 (was $279.99), with a 36% discount, making it one of the most affordable gaming headsets currently available.

The Nova Pro is undoubtedly one of the best headsets any gamer could opt for, thanks to its wide range of compatibility, working with a PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It thrives in audio immersion with premium hi-fi drivers and 360 spatial audio.

Fortunately, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is available on Amazon for £199.99 (was £329.99) in the UK, with a slightly bigger 39% discount, making it an easier acquisition this Prime Day.

It doesn't stop there, though. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro for Xbox is available on Amazon for $249.99 (was $379.99), with a steep 34% discount knocking $130 off the original price. It's the ideal option for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S owners, as it's designed for the platform via a dedicated Xbox port — but can also work on other platforms via its second USB port.

The same white model of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro for Xbox is available on Amazon for £249.99 (was £329.99), great for UK consumers.

Today's best Prime Day SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro deals in the US

Today's best Prime Day SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro deals in the UK

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

Catan is a board game icon for a reason. It takes everything you love about childhood classics and serves them with gameplay that's much more satisfying, properly blending luck and skill. But which version should you play?

With Amazon Prime Day US deals serving up so many different versions of Catan it can feel impossible to choose one, thankfully for you I’ve played them all and I know the answer.

The base game is at a phenomenally good asking price of $29.99 — saving you 45% at Amazon if you’re a Prime member — but there are plenty of alternatives and expansions to consider sticking in your basket too.

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Of course, the classic base game is the best starting point, especially with the Prime Day deal Amazon has going on right now. The only issue is that the game can have an awkward number of players at exactly three or four, which is why the five-to-six player expansion is an excellent pickup if, like me, you find your game nights are rarely small enough for the base limit.

Alternatively my partner I have loved the two-player Rivals game as it provides a lot of the same strategic rivalry without needing a group over to get a game in.

If you’ve opted for the classic original, you also have the option to enhance it with one of three expansions (which can be expanded further with components for five or six-player games). My favorite is Cities & Knights as it takes core elements in the base game and makes them a little more complex — such as expanding the role of cities, and giving your army of knights an enemy to oppose — without altering the game so much that it feels inaccessible. Explorers & Pirates alters the game board to include islands to be explored (and harvested), as well as pirates to contend with; much like Cities & Knights, it expands the core elements of the base game without making it feel unfamiliar.

Traders & Barbarians includes several smaller changes in one larger package. There are new two-player rules, you can replace dice rolls with event cards, there are new trading mechanics, and the addition of fishing — a mechanic all games need in my opinion.

Lastly, I’ve included three entirely different standalone versions of Catan. New Energies will feel very familiar except there’s now an energy mechanic, with consequences to contend with as you pollute the world (and benefits to be gained by investing in renewables). Dawn of Humankind introduces a much larger map (essentially the whole globe) and encourages true exploration and travel supported by the game’s familiar resource gathering. Meanwhile, On the Road turns the classic into a portable card game with streamlined rules that make it excellent for playing while traveling.

Dawn of Humankind is pricier than we’ve seen in the past, unfortunately, but I love these Catan alternatives so much that I can’t include them.

Prime Day board game sale — top picks

• All of Amazon Prime Day's board game deals
• Catan Board Game (6th Edition) was $54.99 now $29.99

The best Catan games and expansions

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

Warhammer 11th Edition has arrived with the Armageddon launch box, and although a new edition seems like the perfect way into the hobby, it's a daunting prospect. What do you need to build your models? What do you need to play the game? I've tried to make it easy for you by scouring Amazon for some Prime Day deals to get started.

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

I've found deals on paints, brushes, Citadel plastic glue, gaming accessories and some models to complement the main starter set, whether you pick the bestial orks or the dogmatic Space Marines.

Obviously the Armageddon 11th Edition launch box set including 23 Space marines, 38 orks & rulebooks is the big-ticket item with $50 off, but I'd also recommend the Infernus Marines & Paints Set, which comes with starter paints and a paintbrush. It's good value although there's no discount: it's a gentler introduction to the build and paint side of things, and easier on your wallet, too. I've also recommended cheaper, well-known brands like Army Painter to save you money.

Check out the deals below, or visit our Amazon Prime Day US live blog for more deals as we find them.

Amazon Prime Day Warhammer sale — top picks

• Armageddon 11th Edition Launch Box Set: was $299.99 now $250.75
• Space Marines Infernus Marines & Paint Set: now $29.75

Amazon Prime Day Warhammer sale

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

Have you finally decided to jump into Dungeons & Dragons? Well this guide is for you, as I’ve been playing the game for over a decade and have gathered up essential books and accessories you’ll need to go on your first adventure.

There’s no fluff here like D&D-inspired coffee cups or t-shirts; it’s all genuinely useful stuff that I’ve used in my own games (or very similar to the accessories I have at home).

Best of all, they’re all discounted for Amazon Prime Day. Scroll down for the collection of gear, or quickly read through my description of what each item is, and what it’s best for.

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

The Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual are known collectively as the core rulebooks; they have everything your playgroup will need to build characters and head out on an adventure together. They were revised in 2024 to make them more beginner-friendly and to update some rules, and they're some of the best places to start.

If you want more help with your adventures, the Heroes of Faerun, and Adventures of Faerun books are ideal for players and DMs who loved the Baldur’s Gate 3 setting. You’ll see familiar faces and places from those games, plus there are some premade adventures to help get the ball rolling on your own game. Alternatively, the Dragon Delves book will give you a collection of dragon-based adventures to enjoy if you want a more literal Dungeons and Dragons experience.

Then, if you’re playing in person, maps and tokens are super helpful at tracking where players and monsters are while they’re battling. Dice are also essential, you can’t play D&D without them, and a set of five should be enough to cover my preferred group size — four players and one Dungeon Master. Meanwhile, the DM screen and notebook are ideal for keeping track of story details, core D&D rules, and adding an air of mystery to what the DM is doing.

Finally, if you want to simply dip your toe into D&D, the Welcome to the Hellfire Club adventure is a box set with pre-made characters, DM notes, and everything you need to play out of the box. You might just want some extra dice.

Prime Day Dungeons and Dragons sale — top picks

• Save 20%: Dungeons & Dragons 2024 Player's Handbook for $39.99
• Get 5 sets of dice for just $8.49

The ultimate D&D beginner setup

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Back-to-school tech: 48% off laptops, headphones & tablets
• Cheap TVs: Samsung, Sony & LG from $89.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

Finally, Rockstar Games has announced GTA 6's price, which retails at $79.99 (likely £75 / AU$114.40), and the excitement has unsurprisingly reached an all-time high among gamers.

With the game now locked in for a November 19 launch, there are plenty of ways to get prepared for gaming's biggest event in decades. Whether that's via buying a PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X, or Xbox Series S console, or acquiring necessary accessories, this announcement comes at a perfect time.

It's Prime Day, and if you're a PS5 owner, you're in luck, as several deals on headsets and controllers will certainly come in handy once the long-awaited day finally arrives later this November.

First and foremost, the Razer Raiju V3 Pro is available on Amazon for $144 (was $219.99), with a strong 35% discount, making this top-of-the-line controller much more affordable.

You can find the Razer Raiju V3 Pro available in the UK on Amazon for £142.08 (was £199.99), at a slightly lower price.

If you're all set on your controller setup already, and you need a gaming headset to enjoy GTA 6's immersive audio, look no further.

The Logitech G Pro X 2 wireless gaming headset is available on Amazon for $199 (was $279.99), thanks to a 29% discount. This is a gaming headset that will keep you locked into your games for hours, only requiring 5 minutes of charging for 1 hour of playtime, compatible with PC, PS5, PS4, and the Nintendo Switch 2.

Another big highlight is the Razer BlackShark V3, which is available for $85.49 (was $149.99), a wireless gaming headset that prioritizes great surround sound audio, long battery life, and ultra-low latency.

Effectively, there's something for everyone this Prime Day — and it's one of the best times to prepare for one of the biggest games of all-time and celebrate your GTA 6 pre-order.

Today's best Prime Day controller & headset deals in the US

Today's best Prime Day controller & headset deals in the UK

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

If you’ve had to struggle through a heatwave like the one cooking the UK right now (where I’m based), then you know that you’ll do anything to try to stay cool: bumping up the AC if you have it, or turning on as many fans as you can find, and drinking gallons of water.

And I have a new cooling hack for you: sitting in a cooling office chair. Because thanks to Prime Day you can get the AutoFull M6 Pro Gaming Chair for $424.99 at Amazon, saving you 15% off the usual price. In the UK, Amazon has the AutoFull M6 Pro on sale for £299.99 — that's £150 off the usual price.

• • Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

I’m currently chilling in my DXRacer Martian Pro as it pulls cool air through my shorts thanks to in-built ventilation fans. It’s not like sitting on a block of ice — and I still have a Dyson Cool CF1 desk fan blasting at my face — but the chair’s cooling has been a noticeable improvement compared to a desk fan-only setup.

I’m much less sweaty, and I don’t feel bothered by the heat baking my upper-floor flat — the only trouble is, it makes the times I need to get up and out of my seat a little less bearable by comparison.

Now, I have some bad news: the Martian Pro I ride is out of stock in the US and UK right now — but there’s a solid alternative that we’ve tested, and which is not only in stock, but on sale at Amazon thanks to Prime Day deals.

Last year during the UK’s 2025 summer heatwave we took the AutoFull M6 Ultra for a spin, and our reviewer Christian Guyton can confirm that the cooling fans made a noticeable difference after sitting in the chair for a while — which matches my DX Racer experience.

Looking for more deals on cooling tech? Check out our pick of the 3 best super-quiet fans to help you sleep comfortably, and the best fan and air-con deals for beating the UK heatwave.

Today's best gaming chair deals

What’s extra special about these ventilated chairs is that they’re perfect right now in the sweltering heat, but they'll also keep you cosy in the winter thanks to in-built heaters. Much like their cooling fans, the seat warmers are again very effective at keeping your body comfortable.

And these seats aren’t just electronic gimmicks. You’ll find a full suite of comfort features like 4D armrests, neck and lumbar support, and your usual recline and height options.

The only thing that might be a slight let-down is the massaging which the chairs can provide. It can be fun and relaxing during a stressful gaming session or day at work, but it isn’t super rigorous.

That said, I love my cooling gaming chair, and I’m considering picking up a second for my partner having looked at these deals; the AutoFull M6 Ultra 2.0 looks like a solid option in the UK, though I might see if I can stretch to the Ultra+.

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

I've spent most of my life drifting from one fleeting entanglement to another, never really taking the risk to actually invest in something significant. But then, four months ago, I finally made a real commitment: my life changed for the better and I haven't looked back since. That's right, I finally bought myself a premium gaming controller. And, this Prime Day, I think should take the leap too.

But there are lots of great PC and Xbox controllers out there, so how do you know when you've found the one? Trust me: when you know, you know. And for me, that controller is the Asus ROG Raikiri II.

If you want a super low-latency, wireless controller for PC or Xbox, the Asus ROG Raikiri II is an excellent choice, thanks to its great feature-set and impressive build. And while it usually has a unflinchingly high price tag, you're currently in luck, as right now you can pick up the ROG Raikiri II at Amazon for $189.99 (was $143.99). In my book, that turns it from a strong candidate to an absolute must-have.

I've not exactly tried to hide my love for this controller, as you can see from my Asus ROG Raikiri II review. I gave it a glowing 4.5 stars, thanks to its compelling features.

Those dual-mode triggers mean you can easily set it to a shallow tap for clicking heads in shooters or set them to their full range for granular control over your accelerator for driving games.

The thumbsticks also feel wonderfully precise, making it easy to sneak past fascists on Indiana Jones and The Great Circle. Also, its 2.4GHz wireless connectivity offers super low-latency of just 2.3ms, making it always feel really responsive.

And when it comes to design, it's no less impressive. It feels solidly built in your hand and comes with its own charging dock and replacement thumbsticks. Meanwhile, its customizable RGB lightning adds just enough flair without it feel overdone or garish. Finally, ROG's Gear Link software allows to set response curves for its sticks and triggers and changes its lighting patterns. Not bad for less that $150 / £200.

Want to peruse some other controllers before making your decision? Then check out our guide to the best PC controllers. Alternatively, keep an eye on our Amazon Prime Day live blog for all the latest deals as we unearth them.

As a gaming gadget reviewer, there's a roster of gaming gear I rely on literally every day. So if you're looking for some recommendations for products to upgrade your gaming setup this Prime Day, I've got plenty of tips for you!

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

You might not be surprised to hear this but I'm a serious gaming nerd. As I write this, I have at least six gaming devices within 10 feet of me and more hidden away upstairs. I use at least one or two of these consoles every day — and that's totally ignoring my favorite accessories. So here's just a handful of the gadgets I currently couldn't game without.

Currently, my personal fave accessory in my home setup is the wonderfully engineered ASUS ROG Raikiri II controller. You can buy the ASUS ROG Raikiri II at Amazon for $143.99 (was $189.99) — that's an epic bargain in my eyes.

When it comes to consoles, I'd definitely recommend the superb performance and graphical fidelity of the Xbox Series X Digital Edition, which you can currently get at Amazon for $574.99 (was $649.99).

The Nintendo Switch 2 is also well worth it, particularly before its price hike this September — and you can net yourself the Choose Your Game Bundle at Amazon for $499, which allows you to get it with a digital download of Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, or Pokémon Pokopia into the bargain.

But while it's not purely a gaming device, my biggest tip this sale might be the fact you can grab the TCL QM8K 65-inch at Amazon for $997.99 (was $1,499.99). Given it's both seriously vibrant and crammed with great gaming features, that's a seriously good discount.

Based in the UK? Don't worry! I've dug up the best equivalent UK deals and prices I could find for all of these items below. And if you want the drop on other top price reductions out there, I've got a pro-tip for you — check out our Amazon Prime Day UK deals roundup for the hottest bargains.

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

I adore board games, and probably have close to 100 lining the shelves in my living room. Be it a classic like Catan, a chaotic party game like Exploding Kittens, or a 1v1 strategy game like Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth I can’t think of many better ways to pass the time.

Thanks to Prime Day, Amazon has made it much cheaper for you to join me and in my love of board games with some fantastic deals — though you don’t have very long left to snatch them up before they’re gone.

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

I’ve scoured this whole list to check the prices are accurate, and I’ve added a few more board game discounts that have appeared in the last couple of days including a junior edition bundle of Catan and Ticket to Ride, the kaiju battling co-op epic King of Monster Island, and the all-in-one mini strategy game Star Wars Rebellion.

Plus there's still a mix with something for everybody. If you want a more classic board game vibe, but something still accessible then you could grab Ticket to Ride or Catan, or Carcassonne and Splendor.

For larger groups and parties Poetry for Neanderthals and Herd Mentality are perfect. Play them sober, play them tipsy, play them as a drinking game (remember: drink responsibly), whichever you choose will be a blast.

Prime Day sale – quick links

• All of Amazon Prime Day's board game deals

My favorite board game Prime Day deals

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

Hot summer weather is perfect for a BBQ, getting a rare UK tan, or heading to the beach, but when it’s a heatwave I know I want to do nothing more than sit in front of a fan to avoid overheating.

If you’re also stuck inside with your family can I suggest a board game?

No matter the weather games can be a great way to spend your evenings together, and thanks to Amazon Prime Day deals, you can save big on some of my favourites, including all-star Catan.

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

If you're after a more classic board game vibe then you'll be after something like Catan or Wingspan, or 7 Wonders. There's strategy, a little trading, and slightly chunkier rules, though these titles are all still accessible to folks who consider Monopoly their complexity limit.

Would you rather work together? Pandemic is your game, whilst Duel is ideal for 1v1 head-to-head gaming.

Sounds Fishy, Bananagrams, and Herd Mentality are much more group friendly, and are ideal party games. Whether sober or a bit tipsy these games are a blast.

Prime Day sale – quick links

• Check out Amazon Prime Day's Catan board game deals
• Amazon Prime Day's board game deals

The best beat the heat board games

More Amazon Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £21.99
• Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage
• Essentials: household goods from under £10
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
• TVs: from £129.99

It's been a long three years since I last found myself in the market for a new office or gaming chair. Since gambling on the Noblewell NWOC6 ergonomic office chair, I've had few to no issues with its comfort or functionality, especially with its mesh design aiding breathability during hot summer days.

That all came crashing down recently when attempting a normal recline, with the mechanism failing and nearly sending me and my desk into the abyss. Now, the chair no longer locks in recline at the initial or, in other words, 'standard' level.

It's hard to pinpoint whether the failure is a simple case of wear and tear due to long-term use, or if I had put way too much pressure on the tilt and recline mechanism — but it seems there's no going back now.

Essentially, all desktop activities, which include working, gaming, or watching movies, are so much more difficult, as there's practically no resistance from the NWOC6 to keep me locked in position.

That's exactly why these three options, some of which are in our rankings of the most comfortable gaming chairs, have been on my radar for days. With Prime Day here, I'm primed to buy.

1. Razer Iskur V2 X

The Razer Iskur V2 X is one of the most affordable and comfy gaming chairs any gamer (or casual desktop user) could opt for, with a fairly simple but comfortable design that seemingly prioritizes lumbar support with the additional memory foam lumbar cushion.

Fortunately, the Razer Iskur V2 X is available on Amazon for $269.99 (was $299.99), thanks to a reasonable 10% discount.

While this is a step away from my preferred mesh material design, which makes gaming and PC usage easier on hotter days, it's still worth a shot considering its push for comfort — and hopefully, this one doesn't try to end me.

2. Secretlab Titan Evo 2022

The Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 is my dream gaming chair upgrade. Again, it's not using a mesh design, but the SoftWeave Plus Fabric promises a breathable design that will help keep gamers cool in the summer.

Fortunately, the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 is available on Amazon for $535.20 (was $669). Still, it's best to keep your eyes peeled for any more Prime Day discounts.

It's ranked among our best office chairs, best gaming chairs, and the most comfortable chairs, and that's no surprise considering its fantastic top-of-the-line build quality and features, so it's one I'll be looking to buy.

3. ThundrX3 Flex Pro

Perhaps the strongest contender in the list is the ThunderX3 Flex Pro, an ergonomic office chair, also designed for gamers, but with a mesh design, making it a fantastic option for summer comfort.

It's a chair that is frustratingly not on sale just yet, but Prime Day can throw surprises with heavy discounts when least expected, so keeping tabs open for this one is the right move.

The Flex Pro features fully retractable armrests, 5D flip-up support (providing support for handheld gaming), and adjustable height and seat depth. It's effectively the ideal option for a user who may need to adjust almost every part of the chair to their liking, and I'm hoping it's one I can land this Prime Day.

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

With temperatures spiking on either side of the Atlantic, now seems like a great time to go on holiday. Possibly to Antarctica. But if you're as avid a gamer as I am, I'm sure that no matter where you end up taking your summer vaycaysh, you'll want to make sure your handheld gaming gear is juiced up and protected. Fortunately, with Amazon Prime Day underway, there's never been a better time to pick up some upgrades.

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

As a handheld gaming fan and TechRadar's reviews editor, I've personally selected some of the best upgrades I can find for your Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch 2 or other portable gaming devices. Whether you want to keep your console charged for days on end, immerse yourself in that fantastic soundtrack or prevent a clumsy moment cracking your screen, I've got some great finds for you.

If you want to know about the hottest US gaming deals as soon as they drop, make sure to follow our Amazon Prime Day live blog for all the latest price drops. Based in the UK? Don't worry: our Amazon Prime Day UK deals roundup has got you covered.

Handheld gaming accessories sale – quick links

• SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds: now £89.95 at Amazon (was £159.99)
• Ugreen Steam Deck Dock (6-In-1): now $31.99 at Amazon (was $45.99)
• Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch 2: now £39.99 at Amazon (was £49.99)

Handheld gaming accessories — US deals

Handheld gaming accessories — UK deals

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

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

Corsair Makr Pro 75 one-minute review

It's difficult to ignore just how big of an impact the custom keyboard community has had on mainstreaming gaming options in the last decade or so.

Jump back in time three, four, or even five years, and the very idea of the Makr Pro 75 would've been inconceivable, certainly in Corsair's product arsenal. Eight layers of sound-dampening, gasket plates, magnetic hot-swappable hall effect switches, the spec sheet is rich and detailed, and would make 21-year-old me, with his first-ever mechanical Cherry MX Red, weep if he saw it 14 years ago.

Just take a look at the switches, they're linear magnetic hall effect, MGX Hyperdrive models (a mouthful, I know). Aside from being hot-swappable, they're pre-lubed, dual-rail designs with a shine-through PBT keycap that actuate at a fully custom-calibrated actuation point of your choosing. If you want to bottom the thing all the way out, you can; if you want it to actuate the instant your finger barely touches the top, it'll do that too.

The build is just on another level, and it shows. What's less enticing, however, is the price. At £220 UK or $250 US at time of writing, it's a serious chunk of cash to lay out, and although the quality is there, there's a good argument to be had as to just whether that's worth it compared to competitor solutions at nearly half the cost.

If you're after a small form factor, 75% keyboard that's more than capable of handling gaming and typing, one of the best gaming keyboards money can buy, while delivering a class that straddles the line between a custom build and an off-the-shelf model, without the faff of getting out the soldering iron, the Makr Pro 75 is well worth considering.

Corsair Makr Pro 75 review: Price & release date

• Almost DIY price, but, y'know, it's built
• Available in the UK, US, and Australia
• Hard to find a prebuilt solution quite like this

Now here's the kicker: Corsair's Makr series is a bit of a three-headed hydra in terms of product stack. It's all built around that custom aftermarket DIY keyboard ethos. You've got the standard Makr 75, where you can customise exactly what parts you want, and Corsair will ship you the bundle to construct yourself. You can have that same bespoke model, but pre-assembled, or grab this more "off-the-shelf"-esque Makr Pro instead.

The latter has colourways, switch-types, backplates, and LCD/Wireless modules, and keycaps, to add at your leisure along the way. The Makr Pro, however, is a single model and a single model only. There's no alternative colours, no keycap variations (bar regional layouts), and well, that's it. That does come with some wins, though, firstly it's the only board that supports hot-swappable magnetic switches (and comes with those MGX options by default), and secondly, it's quite a bit cheaper.

The equivalent Makr line built to spec using minimal components will set you back $265 on Corsair's website, versus the Pro's $250.

Corsair Makr Pro 75 review: Specs

Corsair Makr Pro 75 review: Design

• Outstanding build quality and exceptional sound deadening
• No full-size variant
• Rotary dial looks awesome, and a welcome addition

This is, without a doubt, the heaviest board I've ever had in for review. It weighs a staggering 1.282 KG (or 2.83 lbs), and honestly, it feels like you could club someone to death with it, it's that ridiculous. It's got a fully built custom aluminum housing, and inside of that live eight layers of sound dampening.

Let me take a breath because the list is long. You've got… silicon rubber padding, pad foam PET backing, PU pad foam, socket foam, PET film, IXPE switch foam, transparent PET backing, and PU plate foam, all situated around that hall effect compatible PCB, which is further secured in place, with both a gasket mount solution for the switches, and stabilisation with an FR4 switch plate for even more rigidity. Like, seriously, guys… It's just not good enough. I expect 14 layers on the next one (that's a joke).

I mention that hall effect PCB because it's an important detail here. Although you can swap out the keys, it's only compatible with magnetic switches that can take advantage of the hall effect sensors.

If you've got a slew of old Gateron switches that you just love, you're going to have to grab the Makr 75 instead of this slightly cheaper model (frustrating I know). Albeit that is a niche in a niche.

There's some other customisation options you can add in here, too, if you're looking to bump the price higher. You can get a wireless module to ditch the cables (effectively strapping a 50-hour battery life to the thing with no RGB enabled, although it is worth noting that's a fraction of the time you get compared to the standard mechanical switch variant at 172 hours). And, you can chuck out the lovely rotary dial for a teeny tiny LCD display, for some reason.

One thing I will say. After spending some time with the latest Corsair Galleon 100 SD, the build here is just outstanding by comparison (which is bizarre given it comes from the same company, and the Galleon costs significantly more).

The only downside? No, full-size variant. And I know I know, the ergonomics are better, and proper gamers only use 75% boards. But I'm an old man now, I game just as much as I mash in my credit card details to buy yet another air fryer.

Corsair Makr Pro 75 review: Performance

• Key switches are gorgeous, Hall effect are stunning for typists and gamers alike
• The argument about dampening feels subjective
• iCUE vs Web Hub is a confusing mess

Can we talk about iCUE quickly, because it seriously frustrates me? Now, this is less of an issue with the Makr Pro directly as it's compatible with both iCUE and Corsair's new Web Hub, thing, but, right now, we're in this weird world where we have not one, but three different programs to manage your Corsair umbrella hardware, with a transition over to Web Hub for the newer products.

What's Web Hub? Glad you asked. Effectively, a lightweight replacement for iCUE, built out of a webpage connecting directly to your Corsair hardware, and fully installable as a PWA app on your desktop.

What's the problem then? Not everything supports it, that Galleon 100 SD I mentioned earlier fails to show on iCUE entirely and is only picked up on Web Hub (and the Elgato Stream Deck app…). That's particularly annoying because if you're running Firefox, Web Hub simply won't work.

As I say, thankfully, the Makr Pro 75 is compatible with both, but if this is a sign of things to come, well, I'm a lot less enthusiastic about it. Particularly as we've only had a promise that legacy component support is coming later down the line, but as and when that happens? Who knows.

Software drama aside, overall typing is just a joy. My heavy-handed (read: hench) fingers absolutely love these keycaps and the surprisingly tactile feedback that each gives on full depression is just stunning. It's smooth, clean, and rapid. Actuation is beautifully clean, and the fact that you can adjust them to your absolute preference (again, so my heavy sausage fingers don't accidentally actuate while resting) is a real treat.

An added bonus on that front is FlashTap SOCD Handling, which effectively allows you to decide how your strafe keys behave on accidental keypress. Pressing D, but your finger slips on A, you can have it still move left with A, continue pressing D, or cancel both key presses simultaneously to stop you moving. It's a neat addition, particularly given how sensitive you can make the actuation point.

There has been some criticism around the industry that the sound dampening might be too aggressive, but honestly, I just don't see it. It may well be that your mileage varies depending on how you type. If you're a heavy keypress lubber like I am, you'll be more than at home on this thing.

There's one minor caveat I have on this thing, though, and that's the cost. It ain't cheap, chief. Asus's ROG Strix Scope II RX, for example, currently slides in at nearly half the price of this thing on Amazon, and you get similar performance from it. Pre-lubed optical red linear switches, sound dampening, a (singular) comprehensive software suite, and dare I say a numpad? Is it at the same level as the Makr Pro? No… But it's damn close.

Should I buy the Corsair Makr Pro 75?

Corsair Makr Pro 75 Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

How I tested the Corsair Makr Pro 75

• Two weeks as my daily driver
• Tested across all types of content (gaming, novel-writing, day-to-day work)
• Used across multiple PCs
• Over a decade of testing PC hardware and 14 years of being keyboard-obsessed

Me and the Makr Pro 75 spent a lovely two weeks together straight. I swapped it out as my daily driver, and used it across both my own digital agency and freelance journalism as well, and leaned on it heavily for everything from hammering out chapters in a novel I'm writing, to long sessions in Total War: Warhammer 3, World of Warcraft as a healer, and dabbling in Cyberpunk 2077 too.

I wanted to ensure it was used across a mix of different applications and games, and thoroughly tested across all genres as well. The keyboard market is no longer targeted solely at young adults and kids, but also to those of us with full-time jobs as well, so ensuring it was capable of a bit of everything was tantamount to this review. I wanted to make certain that it was capable of handling a 2,000-word after-market PC build feature, as it was in a quick three-hour raid sesh.

Alongside the hands-on time, I also dug into the wider keyboard market as well, researching competing boards at and around the Makr Pro 75's price to place its build, switches, and value in proper context. I've spent over a decade testing PC hardware and peripherals, so I've got plenty of experience to draw on, both for how a board this expensive should feel and whether the asking price genuinely adds up.

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

Razer Huntsman V3 Tenkeyless 8KHz: One-minute review

The Razer Huntsman V3 Tenkeyless 8KHz is one of the brand’s new flagship gaming keyboards. It features analog switches with huge customization potential, designed to meet the exacting requirements of esport professionals.

It has a simple and basic form, although there are few touches that add a little flair. The shiny, brushed top plate and high floating keycaps are sleek, while the bright but subtle RGB lighting adds some much needed color.

It’s also light and compact, but very solid at the same time. The materials feel premium, with the Doubleshot PBT keycaps being the highlight. Some might not like their prominent graining, but to me they’re among the best gaming keyboard caps around in terms of texture.

Razer’s Synapse software has a smorgasbord of options to play around with. There are plenty of rebinding options and performance-related settings, including in-depth Rapid Trigger, Snap Tap, and controller emulation features, to name a few. The app is clear and easy to use, although I did experience a few minor issues with settings failing to take hold at certain points, although these are ultimately fixable.

The optical switches in the Huntsman V3 lack the dampening or clickiness of other boards, and can feel a little harsh at times. This is especially evident when typing, which is also made difficult by the sheer height of the keycaps themselves. Overall, though, they’re still pleasant to use, and the smooth and easy travel of the keys makes them effective when gaming.

The analog performance is also smooth and precise. However, there’s a lack of feel and feedback at the top of each key’s travel. Press further down, though, and you’re met with more resistance, which provides more control when attempting to hit certain actuation points, or when emulating controller sticks and triggers.

With its sub-$200 price point, the Huntsman V3 represents good value considering all that it offers. There are very strong contenders in the analog gaming keyboard space, but the Huntsman V3 acquits itself just well enough to justify its place among them.

Razer Huntsman V3 Tenkeyless 8KHz review: Price and availability

• $169.99 / £169.99 / AU$299.95
• Available now in one color
• Decent price for an analog board

The Razer Huntsman V3 Tenkeyless 8KHz costs $169.99 / £169.99 / AU$299.95 and is available now in black only. The keycaps are removable, but the switches aren’t.

This is a decent price for an analog keyboard, especially one with as many software tweaks as the Huntsman V3 features. The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3, for instance, has a considerably higher list price, although we have seen it with significant discounts lately, bringing it closer in line with the Huntsman V3. The Apex Pro is a truly phenomenal board, with a superior build and performance to that of the Huntsman V3. It doesn’t have as many analog tweaks, though.

For a more budget option, there’s the Turtle Beach Vulcan 2 TKL Pro. Like the Huntsman V3, this also has plenty of analog adjustments and features, including controller emulation. However, I found its analog performance inferior, lacking the same levels of precision and control as the Huntsman V3.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Razer Huntsman V3 Tenkeyless 8KHz review: Specs

Razer Huntsman V3 Tenkeyless 8KHz review: Design and features

• Light and compact board
• Tall floating keycaps
• Wealth of settings in Synapse

The Huntsman V3 has a basic appearance, although a few touches set it apart. The aluminum faceplate has a shiny finish with a brushed effect, which is subtle but may still prove divisive. The prominent floating keycaps lend it a healthy dose of sleek minimalism.

The RGB lighting is reasonably subtle, only shining through the keycap characters, although a small amount does leak between the gaps. It’s quite bright, and there are numerous options for customizing patterns.

It’s quite a light and compact board, but it feels surprisingly solid at the same time. There’s very little flex and all materials feel premium. This includes the Doubleshot PBT keycaps; their prominent graining is satisfying to touch and also helps with traction. Again, though, this mightn’t be to every gamer’s taste, given that many keycaps are super smooth.

While the board itself is quite thin, it actually feels a lot thicker, thanks to the height at which the keycaps float above it, as well as the tallness of the keycaps themselves.

However, the tilt angle provided by the feet does help to make it more comfortable to reach the keys. There are two sets of feet which offer meaningful differences in angle.

You’ll find the USB-C port on the back left of the unit. It’s deeply recessed, which makes it a little more difficult to connect and disconnect, but this small inconvenience is a fair trade-off for the security it provides.

To customize the Huntsman V3, you’ll need to download Razer’s Synapse software. This has an impressive gamut of adjustments. There are plenty of remapping options, including a wealth of Windows and media controls you can assign to keys. You can also assign up to four inputs to a single key, each triggering depending on how far down you press.

Like many modern gaming keyboards, there’s a Snap Tap function, letting you assign priority to a single key when two are pressed simultaneously. There are various options here, with different types of priority to choose from. There’s also a Snap Flex feature, which allows you to bind a second input to a key that triggers when you release it. This can be assigned on up to four different keys.

Then there are the analog settings, which again are very extensive. Aside from being able to adjust the actuation point for each key between 0.1mm and 4mm, there’s also a Rapid Trigger function with independent upstroke and downstroke sliders, each with ranges between 0.1mm and 1mm. You can even enable Continuous Rapid Trigger.

There’s a controller emulation mode, too, allowing you to assign gamepad inputs to your keys. This includes trigger and stick inputs, where you can also adjust their curve profile to set their response and sensitivity to your liking.

Controller inputs are easy to assign, in part thanks to the ability to assign multiple common mappings with a single click. For instance, there’s an option to assign the left stick to the WASD keys. A simple but useful visualizer attends the controller section, showing trigger and stick behaviours in real time with your presses.

Aside from being able to create your own profiles, Synapse features some useful preset profiles, including those designed for certain games. For example, the Racing profile binds gamepad triggers and joysticks to the WASD keys. These profiles can be selected via Fn shortcuts, and there are hotkeys for other performance-related functions, too.

Synapse is clearly laid out and features helpful explanations and tutorials. It’s fast and smooth, although I did experience a few minor bugs. For instance, the keyboard passthrough feature for controller emulation, which allows keys not bound to controller inputs to work as normal, failed to work on occasion. However, a simple replug of the USB cable seemed to remedy the issue.

• Design and features score: 4 / 5

Razer Huntsman V3 Tenkeyless 8KHz review: Performance

• Precise analog response
• Slight harsh and numb keys
• Not great for typing

The keys in the Huntsman V3 are more clicky than thocky, although they feel less sharp than the clickiest switches out there. Their sound is both lower in pitch and quieter than many mechanical models, too.

They don’t have much dampening, which can make the board feel a little harsh at times. This is especially evident when typing — and the act isn’t made any easier by the thick keycaps, their elevated height, and the absence of a dip in the middle row. This combination makes gliding around the keys tricky, and it also causes some discomfort, owing to the angle at which you have to bend your wrists to reach them.

Thankfully, I was more comfortable when gaming in the WASD position. The keys are comfortably spaced, while the space bar and other peripheral keys are easy to reach.

The standout aspect of the Huntsman V3’s performance, though, is its analog response. It’s very precise and sensitive, reacting very well to different levels of pressure, which in turn gives you a broad range of control.

However, this precision is somewhat undermined by the lack of feel in the keys themselves. They don’t provide as much feedback as I would've liked, which can make it a little tricky to dial in the exact amount of pressure to hit certain actuation points or make smooth adjustments when emulating triggers and sticks.

What's more, there’s a small but noticeable amount of wobble to the keys, which means presses don’t feel particularly secure. Thankfully, though, most of the analog issues I’ve outlined only pertain to the top of presses; once you press further down, more resistance is generated from the springs, which allows for much smoother and more granular control.

• Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Razer Huntsman V3 Tenkeyless 8KHz?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Razer Huntsman V3 Tenkeyless 8KHz review: Also consider

How I tested the Razer Huntsman V3 Tenkeyless 8KHz

• Tested for several days
• Used many features
• Extensive gaming keyboard experience

I tested the Razer Huntsman V3 Tenkeyless 8KHz for several days, during which time I used it for gaming, working, and general use.

I played games such as Subnautica 2, which makes use of the typical first-person keys, from WASD and the number keys to the space bar and control and shift keys. I also played games that allowed me to make use of the Huntsman V3’s controller emulation, such as Assetto Corsa, by using W and S to emulate triggers and A and D in place of the left stick.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and have used a number of keyboards in that time. I’ve also reviewed a large number of them, including other Razer models.

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

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

HyperX Origins 2 1800: One-minute review

The HyperX Origins 2 1800 is a full-size gaming keyboard with mechanical switches and plenty of hardware customizations available.

It adopts a fairly typical gaming keyboard aesthetic, although the translucent body does at least offer something a little different. This also allows the RGB lighting to shine through a little more than usual. And shine it does — this is probably the brightest RGB I’ve ever seen in a keyboard, and it helps the board to stand out among its peers.

Build quality is above average, with materials feeling smooth. However, unlike the best gaming keyboard constructions around, the body is made of plastic rather than aluminum. There’s also a fair amount of flex to it.

On the other hand, it’s very light as a result, despite its thickness. It’s also easy to replace the body if you want to personalize your Origins 2, thanks to the easy-access screws underneath.

A board this thick often poses an ergonomic problem, but given the generous tilt angle of the Origins 2, I found it comfortable to use, even with the feet stowed and the lack of wrist support. The dip in the middle row allowed for natural finger positioning, too.

There is software available for the Origins 2, although it’s disappointingly basic. It does have a generous selection of remapping options, but there are no advanced or pro-level tweaks available here.

Elite gamers will be more impressed with the performance of the Origins 2, though. The stock Linear switches are very snappy and responsive, with just enough dampening and travel to impart satisfying feedback.

The stock keycaps are also comfortable, with their prominent indents providing a secure WASD position. The space bar is also pleasing to hit, thanks to its slightly rounded top, and the aforementioned tilt of the entire board prevents you from hitting its edge. However, the sheer height of the keycaps can make typing difficult.

There’s no denying that the Origins 2 commands a premium price tag, but it is a premium gaming keyboard. The mechanical switches and hardware customizations are top-tier, and it still costs less than some of its rivals. The software is disappointing and typing is difficult with those stock keycaps, but for those who want a pure mechanical experience, the Origins 2 is hard to beat at this price.

HyperX Origins 2 1800 review: Price and availability

• $139.99 / £119.99 (about AU$200)
• Available now in one colorway
• Reasonable price for a mechanical keyboard

The HyperX Origins 2 1800 costs $139.99 / £119.99 (about AU$200) and is available now in black only. The keycaps, switches, and body can all be swapped out.

This is certainly an expensive board, especially one that’s wired. However, given the high-performing mechanical switches, build quality, and hot swapping capabilities, it’s not exactly surprising.

What’s more, other high-end boards are similarly expensive, if not more so. The Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro, for instance, has a slightly higher list price, although we have seen it on offer for considerably less than this. When I tested the wireless variant of this board, the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%, I found it to be among the best mechanical keyboards in terms of feel, performance, and build quality.

For a more budget mechanical option, you could try the Gamakay TK75 V2. This is considerably cheaper than the Origins 2, yet it still offers great key feel and respectable build quality.

• Value score: 4 / 5

HyperX Origins 2 1800 review: Specs

HyperX Origins 2 1800 review: Design and features

• Hardware personalization options
• Thick but lightweight
• Premium feel as plastic constructions go

Aesthetically, the Origins 2 is hard to distinguish from many gaming keyboards. HyperX may call the color black but in reality it’s more of a dark grey, which departs somewhat from the sector’s obsidian dominance, albeit not by much.

Its translucent nature, though, is more original. What’s more, it allows the RGB backlighting to shine through. This lighting is brighter than many other instances I’ve seen, and really helps to liven up appearances. The keycap characters are fully transparent too, meaning these illuminate as well, which isn’t always a given on RGB keyboards.

The Origins 2 feels like a premium board. The base material, despite being plastic rather than metal, is of a high standard and the two panels are solidly put together. The unit is quite easy to flex by hand, but not to a concerning degree. This plastic also means the Origins 2 isn’t as heavy as it looks, given how thick it is. It’s also relatively easy to change the housing, requiring just a small crosshead screwdriver (not included) to disassemble and swap with another.

Its thickness isn’t much of a problem from an ergonomic perspective. There’s no wrist support included, but the forward tilt of the board makes for a comfortable hand position. The dip in the middle row, typical of many keyboards, also helps in this regard. There are folding feet that angle the board towards the user even more, but the difference isn’t as great as other examples.

The USB-C cable that comes with the Origins 2 is braided and quite light. This makes it easy to maneuver, although it’s not quite as light as those that come with the best gaming mice. Thankfully, drag isn’t exactly an issue when it comes to keyboards. Also, the cable seems a little stiffer and hardwearing than mice ones.

The latest version of HyperX’s Ngenuity software is required to customize the Origins 2. However, I couldn’t get this to work on my main gaming PC for some reason, with the app refusing to open once installed. Fortunately, I was able to install it on another Windows 11 machine.

However, the dearth of features available for the Origins 2 is disappointing. You can only adjust the RGB lighting, record macros, and rebind keys. There are plenty of options for the latter, with numerous system and media functions mappable, but there are no performance-related tweaks. Granted, a mechanical keyboard is never going to match the versatility of analog models on this front, but even more basic features, such as an SOCD function, are missing here, which might disappoint elite gamers.

• Design and features score: 3.5 / 5

HyperX Origins 2 1800 review: Performance

• Brilliant clicky mechanical switches
• Comfortable for WASD position
• Stock keycaps not great for typing

With its stock red Linear switches installed, the Origins 2 is a very clicky board. It produces a gratifying sound, although it’s a little louder than others. The keys are light but at the same time offer plenty of feedback, thanks to their minimal but effective dampening and generous travel distance. They rebound quickly, making them wonderfully snappy, and their actuation point is quite forgiving, which meant I didn’t suffer any mispresses.

Despite the thickness of the board, I found it comfortable to use in the WASD position, thanks to that slanted angle and central dip. Whether I had the feet up or down, I didn’t find myself wanting for wrist support, although I usually prefer a rest for long sessions.

I also found the space bar comfortable to hit, which is often a problem key for me. Its soft curve meant I rarely hit its edge. As for the other keycaps, their prominent indentations offered secure presses.

These aspects also make the Origins 2 comfortable when typing, but a bigger impediment here is the sheer height of the stock keycaps. I usually prefer low profiles as I find I can glide over them more easily. But here, I often caught their edges as I moved from key to key, which slowed me down and resulted in more errors.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the HyperX Origins 2 1800?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

HyperX Origins 2 1800 review: Also consider

How I tested the HyperX Origins 2 1800

I tested the Origins 2 for several days, during which time I used it for gaming, working, and general browsing. I tested it on two PCs. As mentioned above, I was unable to get the Ngenuity software working on my main PC, but did on another, despite both running Windows 11 with x64 CPUs.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and have used numerous keyboards in that time. I’ve also reviewed a large number of them, across a range of price points, feature sets, and switch types.

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

SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2: Two-minute review

The SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 doesn’t try to do everything. Instead, it focuses primarily on one: speed.

At 68g, it’s built to be as light and responsive as possible, targeting players who want quick reactions and minimal resistance. That approach works: it’s fast, accurate, and easy to control, particularly in competitive games where small movements make a difference.

But that focus comes with trade-offs. The honeycomb shell won’t suit everyone, and the feature set is deliberately minimal. If you’re looking for extras, you’ll likely find more elsewhere. Likewise, the smaller ambidextrous shape won’t be the best fit for all hand sizes, and the Aerox 3’s mechanical switches won’t satisfy everyone, particularly when some mid-range rivals offer optical or hybrid switches.

Nevertheless, the Gen 2 does bring some meaningful quality-of-life improvements over its predecessor. It features an up-rated 26K TrueMove sensor and boasts a 4000Hz wireless polling rate without the need for a dongle upgrade. Both represent clear upgrades in terms of gaming performance, shifting the emphasis towards fast-paced and competitive gameplay.

Battery life is similarly impressive, offering up to 120 hours on 2.4GHz, or up to 200 hours on Bluetooth. That said, this assumes 1000Hz with RGB off for both, so if you’re planning on gaming at the top end with all the bells and whistles at your disposal, expect there to be some drop-off in longevity here.

Another notable differentiator is the GG software’s 3D Aim Trainer and sensitivity converter, which can be tweaked and personalised to train your flicks, tracking, and target switching across multiple gaming environments, helping you to find the right settings before stepping into a live match.

SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 review: Design

The Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 light weight is immediately noticeable. In boxing terms, this guy is a minimumweight, clocking in at just 68g (the same as the Gen 1 model). It’s easy to move quickly and with minimal effort, it’s perfect for fast-paced gameplay.

Its low weight comes from the honeycomb chassis, which removes material to keep things light. It works well, but the perforated design may divide opinion: some will appreciate the lighter feel and added airflow, while others may find it less comfortable during longer sessions. The design feels almost skeletal, and while I didn’t find it uncomfortable per se, I remained aware of those perforations throughout testing.

Aside from its scrawny appearance then, the Aerox 3’s build quality is solid, with minimal flex during normal use. It’s zippy and responsive, with the welcome retention of the Gen 1’s IP54-rated AquaBarrier protection to help guard against dust and (coffee) splashes – which isn’t always a given in this mid-range category.

The shape is ambidextrous and broadly accessible, although it’s best suited to claw or fingertip grips. For me, an average-sized, middle-aged ape, it felt a little small. I tend to prefer a steeper curve at the back end of a mouse; the Aerox 3’s relatively flat profile doesn’t quite accommodate a comfortable grip, with too much palm left over with nowhere to sit.

Buttons are well placed, with five programmable inputs covering the basics, and the scroll wheel offers a consistent, controlled action.

The Aerox 3 Gen 2 features three-zone RGB lighting that provides a cool, neon underglow, and it can be customized via the GG app to suit your personal preferences and to complement your gaming setup. RGB lighting is subtle rather than showy, adding a bit of visual flair without becoming a distraction, switching itself off during mouse movement to conserve battery life.

SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 review: Performance

Pull the Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 out of the box, and the first thing you’ll notice is how little there is of it. At 68g, it almost doesn’t register in your hand, and that weightlessness translates directly into how it performs. This is a mouse that gets out of its own way.

The TrueMove 26K sensor is the engine under the hood, and it’s a willing one. Tracking was consistent across every surface I tested it on, including my SteelSeries Limited Edition QCK cloth gaming mousepad, my partner’s Corsair MM700 RGB Extended gaming mousepad, and bare-desk testing, with no drift or jitter across a range of DPI settings. The addition of adjustable lift-off distance over the Gen 1 is a small but welcome refinement, and was certainly noticeable with the amount of junk I have on my desk.

DPI flexibility is one of the Aerox 3 Gen 2’s quiet strengths. Spending time with Cyberpunk 2077, I found myself toggling between settings depending on the situation. I opted for high DPI (around 15,000+) when surrounded by enemies (which happens far too often), then dropped to between 500 and 800 DPI for precision aiming. The onboard DPI button makes switching on-the-fly straightforward, and I found myself efficiently eliminating such foes as John Wick on a rampage.

However, where the Aerox 3 Gen 2 really earns its stripes is in competitive gaming. Testing it in Apex Legends, the 4000Hz polling rate — which needs to be enabled in the GG app — delivered noticeably smoother cursor movement, low input lag, and killshots I’d have otherwise missed. At this price point, 4000Hz wireless polling without the need for a dongle upgrade is a big achievement and genuinely made a difference to my gameplay.

Running the mouse through mousetester.io at 3250 DPI with polling set to 4000Hz, I recorded a real-world polling rate of 3106Hz, which is a strong result and well within the expected range for a mouse of this specification. Pushing the DPI higher caused that figure to dip slightly — which is consistent with how high-polling-rate sensors behave under increased processing load, rather than any inherent limitation of the hardware. In practice, most competitive players will be running DPI settings where the Aerox 3 Gen 2 performs at its best anyway.

The mechanical switches deserve a mention, too. Rated for 80 million actuations, they’re crisp, light, and tactile. They might look plasticky, but they don’t feel cheap, which further affirms the price range. The PTFE feet glide smoothly across my mousepad, and the overall movement experience is effortless.

At $99.99 / £99.99, you’re not getting the last word in gaming mouse performance; the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro’s 45K DPI sensor and 8000Hz polling rate still sit in a different league. But that’s not what the Aerox 3 Gen 2 is trying to be. What it delivers at this price is a fast, consistent, genuinely competitive wireless experience, and it does so very well.

The Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 supports both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth. The inclusion of both at this price is worth noting, particularly as some of the Aerox 3’s rivals have opted to drop Bluetooth entirely in pursuit of raw performance (e.g., the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro and Logitech’s G Pro X2 Superstrike).

For gaming, 2.4GHz is the clear choice, offering lower latency and a more stable connection. Bluetooth is better suited to everyday tasks, multi-device setups, or commuting. What’s more, commuters can leave the dongle at home and still pair this mouse without it, boosting its portability factor.

Battery life is a genuine strength. SteelSeries rates the Aerox 3 Gen 2 at up to 200 hours on Bluetooth and up to 120 hours on 2.4GHz, both assuming 1000Hz polling with RGB off. Push that polling rate up to 4000Hz, however, and that figure is likely to drop sharply, to around 30 hours or so. That will still give you enough juice for the bulk of a working week, but it’s a notable trade-off if you’re planning on leaving that cable behind permanently.

One practical point: there’s no onboard storage for the USB dongle inside the mouse itself (no surprise there, given its aerated design). However, SteelSeries has included a desk-based extension cable for situations where signal strength may be an issue, which is a handy addition if your tower sits on the floor.

Charging is handled via USB-C with fast-charging support, which helps keep downtime to a minimum when you do eventually need to plug in.

Customization is handled through the SteelSeries GG app, which strikes a good balance between accessibility and depth.

You’ll find all the basics catered for here: you can adjust DPI across multiple levels; remap your buttons; fine-tune RGB lighting; and save profiles for different setups. Plus, its onboard memory means your key settings travel with the mouse rather than being tethered to a single machine, which is a godsend for anybody switching between computers.

One important practical note: the headline-grabbing 4000Hz polling rate isn’t enabled by default, and you’ll need to head to the GG app to unlock it. This is simple enough to enable, but worth knowing before you assume you’re getting that peak performance right off the bat.

Where the GG software genuinely stands out, however, is the 3D Aim Trainer and Sensitivity Finder. This is best described as a 10-minute mini-game that analyses your playstyle and recommends an optimal DPI setting for your chosen FPS. It even lets you apply that sensitivity across different games, so if you split your time between titles, you can maintain a consistent feel from one to the next. Considering the Aerox 3’s price point, this is a thoughtful and genuinely useful addition that goes beyond what most rival software suites offer.

The interface itself is clean and easy to navigate, and I didn’t encounter any bugs or technical issues during my time with it.

SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 review: Price & availability

• $99.99 / £99.99
• Available now in Shadow, Magenta Haze, and Ghost colorways

The SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 typically retails for around £99.99 / $99.99, although it’s frequently available at a discount, making it an even more attractive proposition at this mid-range price point.

It comes in three colorways: Shadow (black), Magenta Haze (pink), and a semi-translucent Ghost finish, the latter of which leans into the current trend for see-through tech aesthetics and looks particularly striking with RGB lighting active. I was provided with the Ghost variant for this review, and I can absolutely vouch for the cool factor that it lends to my gaming setup.

At this price, the Aerox 3 sits comfortably alongside rivals such as the Endgame Gear OP1w 4K and Be Quiet! Dark Perk Ergo, while undercutting more premium competition such as the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro and the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike by a considerable margin. For the performance on offer, it represents solid value for money.

SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 review: Specs

Should I buy the SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2?

SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 scorecard

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 review: Also consider

How I tested the SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2

• Tested across multiple gaming sessions and general desktop use
• Gaming tested in Cyberpunk 2077 and Apex Legends
• Polling rate verified using mousetester.io

I used the SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless Gen 2 across a mix of gaming, notably Cyberpunk 2077 and Apex Legends, and everyday tasks, focusing on responsiveness, comfort, and battery life. Testing included fast-paced shooters and general desktop use to assess responsiveness, comfort, and battery life across real-world conditions. I also ran the mouse through mousetester.io to verify real-world polling rate performance.

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

Every month, TechRadar's gaming team members make it their mission to test out all the buzziest new bits of gaming kit, so you know what's worth investing in and what to avoid.

This past month we tested three five-star masterpieces. The Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II is a premium headset that "takes everything that was good [about the previous version] and drives it up into the stratosphere". The GameSir G8+ MFi mobile gaming controller is also a more polished version of its predecessor, and costs the same. Impressive. Finally, there's the 8BitDo Pro 3 controller, which we crowned "the new budget champ".

It wasn't all smooth sailing, though — we had to endure a few clunkers too. The SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud dual-mode controller is "an excellent idea... poorly executed" (especially for the asking price), the GameSir Pocket Taco is the Game-Boy-style clamshell mobile controller that no one asked for or needs, and the Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2 managed to earn itself the unwelcome title of "the worst our tester had ever used".

There were plenty of worthwhile devices in-between, though, so scroll down for a rundown of all the gaming gadgets we tested this month, and exactly what we thought of them. Hit the 'View details' button for the main pros and cons, plus a link to the full review for each.

Note: you'll only see cards for the products that are available in your region.

4.5 or 5 stars

3.5 and 4 star

3 star and below

Genki Dual Wield Charging Grips and Base: Review

Genki’s Joy-Con 2 charging accessory has no pretensions of being a complicated, feature-packed gimmick. Rather, it commits to a minimal design and doing the simple things well. There are just two grips for your Joy-Con 2 pads, and two ports on the dock to charge them.

The basic square design of this dock doesn’t push the boat out aesthetically, but I was impressed by just how thin it is. There’s just enough for a USB-C port to be squeezed in on one end.

The grips attach magnetically to the dock, so there’s no need to press a button. I found it a little hard to tell whether they were correctly seated, as there’s little feedback, either physical or audible, when you slot them into place. Once in, they aren’t particularly sturdy; I can imagine a heavy knock dislodging them, but they’re fit for purpose otherwise.

There is a button to release the grips, but this doesn’t offer the smoothest operation, feeling a little cheap and flimsy. It’s big, at least, which at least makes it easy to press. Overall, the dock isn’t as well made as some of the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories around, but it’s adequate for the job.

It took just over three hours to fully charge a single Joy-Con 2 set, which is reasonable. There are LED lights either side of each docking point in the form of plus and minus signs, corresponding to their button counterparts on the Joy-Con 2. These are bright and clear, making them easy to see at a glance.

However, they don’t actually illuminate while the controllers charge, which is a little annoying. They only turn green once the Joy-Con 2s are fully charged, and even then, they go out after a short amount of time.

Like the base, the grips have a simple form. They’re also quite thin, but feel better made than the dock itself. They’re very solid and sturdy, but also quite light.

The Joy-Cons snap magnetically to the sides, just as do to the Switch 2 itself. They’re reasonably secure here, but there is a noticeable amount of play. Under normal usage, though, they remained stable and I was never worried about them coming loose. They’re also slightly translucent, which allows the battery indicators on the Joy-Cons to shine through.

They have a curious triangle shape, which means the Joy-Cons lean inwards at the top. This didn’t cause an issue for me, though, and I could play games such as Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Metroid Dread just fine.

The hole in the center allows you to partially wrap your fingers into them, but I found it too small to wrap mine all the way around. Combined with the flat top and undersides of the grips, they aren’t as ergonomic as the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers. You’d be better off combining these grips with those that provide some underhand support on the Joy-Cons themselves, to make it feel like a traditional gamepad.

There’s a USB-C port on top, allowing you to connect to the console and charge while you play. However, the included cable is quite short, so you’ll struggle to use it in a TV setup.

Genki Dual Wield Nintendo Switch 2 Charging Station review: Price and availability

The Genki Dual Wield costs £35.99 and is available now in one colorway: black.

This is a price reasonable for what it offers. Not only are there grips and charging docks for two sets of Joy-Con 2 controllers, but the fact that it has a USB-C port means you have more options to connect to sources, rather than relying on yet another single-use power adapter you’ll have to throw away once it’s served its purpose. It ticks many boxes if all you’re after is a cheap and easy way to hold and charge two sets of Joy-Con 2 controllers.

Should I buy the Genki Dual Wield Nintendo Switch 2 Charging Station?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Genki Dual Wield Charging Grips and Base review: Also consider

How I tested the Genki Dual Wield Charging Grips and Base

I tested the Genki Dual Wield for several days. I used it to charge a single set of Joy-Cons from flat to full, using a 67W charger. I also used the grips to play various Switch 2 games.

I’ve been gaming for decades, and have used all sorts of gaming accessories. I also own the DualSense Charging Station — one of the best PS5 accessories around — and have used other Switch and Switch 2 Joy-Con grips before. I’ve also reviewed a large number of controllers and other gaming peripherals.

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

GameSir Pocket Taco: review

The GameSir Pocket Taco is a novel mobile controller that clips to the bottom of your phone. It’s honestly unique enough that if you’ve seen it once, you’ll definitely remember it. With it, GameSir is attempting to cater to a niche audience of retro gamers that love old 4:3 titles but hate the pillar-boxing they cause on modern screens. Sadly, this is also its biggest weakness — if it fails to 100% nail this use case, it doesn’t have the broad appeal that will encourage other gamers to grab it instead.

When it comes to its design, I’ll admit I’m totally picking up what the GameSir Pocket Taco is throwing down. The Game-Boy-aping styling — upgraded with additional X and Y buttons for later generation games — is perfectly pitched to milk my nostalgia gland. And the clickiness of the buttons and D-pad certainly feels close enough in my mind’s eye to those halcyon days bopping ants on the head in Super Mario Land 2 almost 35 years ago.

Okay, I get that clamshell form factor is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it seems like a neat idea that’s not been covered by any of the best mobile controllers yet, allowing you to play retro games in the 4:3 format they were designed in.

Clasping your phone with just enough force that it won’t slide out, I was happy trusting my premium phone to this little clip, while the gap at the bottom allows you to charge your phone while gaming, which is a nice touch. On paper, it seems like a fun way to play your old retro titles in a format that feels more familiar — a vertical 4:3 handheld.

Unfortunately, the issue is that things in the real world often don’t work out how they do on paper. And using the Pocket Taco, I was quickly forced to confront the gap between GameSir’s ambitions for the device and the reality of what it was able to achieve.

First off, the overall user experience of the Pocket Taco is a hollow shell that quickly disintegrates when you bite into it. Pairing the device gives me flashbacks to the bad old days of Bluetooth connectivity. Adding new connections became a painful process of triggering pairing mode over and over and wondering why the device wouldn’t appear in my potential connections.

This isn’t helped by the fact that it has four different pairing modes for different operating systems — I assume this is to make switching between multiple devices quicker, but in reality makes it more of a chore than a single Bluetooth connection that pairs and unpairs smoothly.

Using the GameSir app is also a mixed experience. Even when I finally paired the Pocket Taco with my iPhone 16 Pro, the app often would claim that it was connected with a nondescript third-party controller, blocking me from accessing the Pocket Taco’s unique functions. Once I’d finally gotten it to recognize the device in the app, I was allowed to test the controls and set the screen ratio, allowing me to resize the screen to take into account the section covered by the device.

Except I have no idea what the purpose of this is. It doesn’t impact anything outside of the app — your phone screen’s aspect ratio is set at the device level, meaning the second you navigate away from this app, the screen ratio resets to its default and is once again half covered by the controller.

There’s simply no way to get native games on iOS and Android to crop to the top half of the screen or even, with many of them, play in portrait mode, which really limits the controller's utility. You can still play native games using the Pocket Taco undocked, but for a lot of people, the appeal is going to be turning their phone into an all-in-one gaming device.

Now I know some people are going to roll their eyes and say that this controller is obviously intended for emulation, not running native games. Even setting aside the ethics of emulation — we're not advocates here at TechRadar, and are all for owning your own games, and I’m not going to endorse you doing anything that could land you in legal trouble — the Pocket Taco itself seems unsure of this fact.

In the iOS app, pressing the home button takes you straight to the Games app, while on Android, you can directly link games you’ve downloaded from the Play Store to the app. So there’s clearly a bit of an identity crisis going on here.

And the added wrinkle here is that many emulators aren’t able to change the aspect ratio and positioning of the screen. While I didn’t open or play any ROMs for this review, I did try out a couple of emulator apps to test the Pocket Taco’s compatibility with them. Using one of the most popular options on Android, I found it was impossible to reposition the screen to fit the remaining portion of the display.

Fortunately, I had better luck with one iOS option, using a controller skin to nudge the display into the right position, even if it left a pretty ugly black bar between the controller and the screen. Even if it is sometimes possible, it’s not exactly elegant.

Honestly, by the time I’d been through this process of getting the Pocket Taco working, my enthusiasm had almost entirely ebbed away. And that’s a shame because, underneath it all, there’s a decent controller struggling to get out.

When I finally caved and started using the Pocket Taco undocked, it plays like a dream. I booted up the iOS version of Secret of Mana and found the Pocket Taco was pleasantly tactile to use. It’s also pretty responsive — despite a few claims I’ve read online complaining about lag, I couldn’t perceive any noticeable delay between tapping a button and Randi spanking a rabbite or mushboom with his sword. But the issue is that propping your phone up and using a separate controller is just a bit clunky — many better mobile controllers like the Backbone One 2nd Gen exist that allow you to play native games docked.

I get the feeling that the Pocket Taco dwells in a state of existential crisis, unsure exactly who it is for. Because it’s an awkward fit for native gaming, forcing you to use it undocked. And for those who are looking for a way to emulate games in 4:3, there are plenty of pocket-sized handhelds that already cater to this market without the awkward screen resizing issues you’ll encounter here. Fundamentally, that means its niche is largely going to comprise those wooed by its nostalgia-drenched concept or emulator enthusiasts that can’t quite stretch to a standalone console. Others should look elsewhere.

GameSir Pocket Taco review: price and availability

• First shipped on March 15
• List price of $34.99 / £34.99 / AU$59
• Only one colorway

Having started shipping on March 15, the GameSir Pocket Taco is available now. You can pick it up for a list price of $34.99 / £34.99 / AU$59, which is seriously cheap, even compared to other mobile controllers. By comparison, our pick for best budget mobile, the GameSir X2s Type-C, costs $44.99 / £39.99 / AU$59, so this is a very affordable device.

While some mobile controllers will give you different colorways that mimic various consoles across the ages, the Pocket Taco only comes in this GameBoy-style color palette. That’s pure catnip for someone of my age but if you're more of an OG PlayStation or GameCube fanboi, you’re not going to be catered to here.

Should I buy the GameSir Pocket Taco?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

GameSir Pocket Taco review: also consider

How I tested the GameSir Pocket Taco

• Tested over the course of a week
• Tried it out on a variety of handsets, operating systems, and games
• I play way too many retro handheld games

I used the GameSir Pocket Taco over the course of a week. Not only did I download the GameSir app and try out all of its features and settings, but I also paired the device with both an iOS and an Android-powered handset: the iPhone 16 Pro and the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro.

When it comes to software, I used the GameSir Pocket Taco with multiple native games on iOS and Android. I also set it up with several highly rated emulators to see how compatible they were with the Pocket Taco’s screen coverage.

In terms of my own experience, I’ve been testing and reviewing gadgets for many years. I’m an avid handheld gamer, regularly playing on my Steam Deck, Switch 2, and iPhone 16 Pro. I’m also a keen retro gamer — I’ve completed games like Chrono Trigger and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap more times than is strictly good for me.

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

One-minute review

The SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud positions itself as the “world's first true dual-mode cloud controller”. It starts out as a generic-looking Bluetooth gamepad before doing its best Autobot impersonation and extending out to become a mobile grip that connects to your phone via USB-C, too.

It’s a clever idea and it’s backed up by an impressive spec sheet that ticks all the usual premium controller boxes. Hall Effect thumbsticks and triggers, mechanical face buttons, programmable rear buttons, and compatibility with Mac, PC, iOS, and Android.

That all sounds great, but after a week of using the Nimbus Cloud, it sadly lived up to its name. Cumulonimbus clouds are the type that bring heavy rain and thunderstorms, and my parade has been well and truly rained on.

When it works, it’s not a bad controller and falls neatly in line with the likes of the stock Xbox Wireless Controller. However, for a $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$359.99 controller, the Nimbus Cloud simply has too many flaws that spoil the day-to-day experience. There’s a list of buts coming here and it doesn’t make for particularly pleasant reading.

Build quality is fine, but it’s generic rather than carrying any kind of premium vibe. The triggers use Hall Effect sensors, which is good, but they feel mushy and throttle control in racing games proved a frustrating experience. The mechanical face buttons are crisp, but over both Bluetooth and USB-C I encountered missed inputs when pressing them more than once.

My iPhone 17 Pro fit, but it was far from a secure hold and it required the removal of the rubber inserts, leaving the phone resting and rubbing against bare plastic. SteelSeries lists Mac as a compatible platform, but my testing on a MacBook Air was a mess, with inverted sticks, wrongly mapped inputs, and Steam not playing nice either.

If this were a cheaper option or first attempt from a challenger brand then I’d find it easier to focus on the decent core elements and look past the finer details. However, at $149.99, you're paying over the odds for an under par experience, regardless of which mode you’re running it in.

SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud: Price and availability

• Costs $149.99 / £129.00 / AU$359.99
• Available from SteelSeries and some third-party retailers
• Released September 2025

The SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud is a relatively new addition to the range, launching in the back half of 2025 at $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$359.99. That’s top-end territory for a mobile grip or PC controller on its own, though it’s certainly more palatable for a device aiming to be both in one.

For comparison, the Backbone Pro mobile grip and Razer Wolverine V3 Pro PC controller will both set you back around the same on their own. But you could grab both the GameSir G8+ for mobile and 8BitDo Ultimate 2 for PC and have a little budget to spare.

It is worth shopping around, too, because the price seems to vary dramatically. Apple lists the Nimbus Cloud £20 higher in the UK than SteelSeries on its own website. And I’ve seen the price drop as low as £64 while writing this piece.

SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud: Specs

SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud: Design and features

• Cleverly extends from a compact PC controller to a full-width mobile controller grip
• Broad compatibility across platforms
• Nicely sized and positioned rear buttons

Pick up the SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud in its collapsed form, and, apart from a curious split down the middle, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a fairly standard Bluetooth gamepad. It has the familiar Xbox-style stick layout, ABXY face buttons, bumpers, triggers, a d-pad, and view/menu buttons.

There's no center button like an Xbox guide button, though there is a Home button that directs you to your device's home screen or, on iOS, Apple's Games app. It’s all pretty standard stuff.

Build quality is alright rather than impressive. I wasn’t blown away by how it felt in my hands but equally there wasn’t any area of particular concern. It's surprisingly light at just over 250g, which is welcome for a mobile controller with a battery, but that lightness comes with a hollow feeling that doesn't scream premium.

Nothing rattles or creaks, but it's no better than a stock Xbox controller and lacks the little premium touches like rubberized or textured grips that you’d expect for $150. SteelSeries says the battery is good for 20 hours of play over Bluetooth and that seems about right based on my testing. There’s passthrough USB-C charging too, but no 3.5mm audio output.

The magic trick is when it engages Transformer mode (an unofficial name I’m giving it). Pull the two halves apart and the Nimbus Cloud unfurls into a telescopic mobile grip, revealing a USB-C connector on the upper right side that plugs directly into your phone.

The mechanism involves multiple overlapping sections that extend, and credit where it's due, it's a very clever bit of mechanical design. It just seems to keep going with more and more phone deck appearing from nowhere. It’s satisfying in a fidget-toy sort of way and while using it in PC controller mode I caught myself idly expanding and collapsing it a few times during cutscenes.

Phone compatibility is a mixed bag and unlike other dedicated mobile grips it’s not simply a matter of case on vs case off. I tested with both an iPhone 17 Pro and a POCO X5 Pro. The POCO has a slim, nearly flat profile and fit physically with the stock set of rubber inserts.

By design your phone is seated in the upper half of the grip rather than centrally, though, which leaves it feeling somewhat exposed and prone to knocks. The iPhone 17 Pro was almost a non-starter as with either size of the included rubber inserts the camera bump was too thick to fit neatly.

Even after removing the inserts entirely, which leaves the phone resting against bare hard plastic, it didn't fit in a way I’d consider usable long term. Beyond worries about it getting scratched to bits, I was concerned about the amount of stress going through the USB-C connector. There's noticeable movement and wobble with the phone inserted, it never feels square, and one bad bump feels like it could snap the connector off inside your phone's port.

The rear of the SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud has two programmable buttons that sit in a natural resting position for your middle fingers. I’d call them a hybrid between a paddle and a button and it’s a design that works well ergonomically, requiring just the right amount of force to activate while avoiding accidental clicks.

However, the lack of any official companion app means you can only bind or remap these through iOS's built-in Game Controller settings. On Android, I couldn't remap them at all.

For a controller at this price from a brand with the resources of SteelSeries, the absence of a dedicated app for customization is difficult to understand. Competitors like Razer, GameSir, and Backbone all offer robust software companions, and some of those are half the price.

SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud: Performance

• Hall Effect sticks and mechanical face buttons feel great
• Triggers are mushy and lack control
• Connectivity and compatibility is a real mixed bag across platforms

Whether in controller or grip trim, the Hall Effect thumbsticks are the SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud's strongest performing feature.

They're quite firm with a relatively fast spring-back and slightly shorter travel than some competitors I've tested. That means they're precise enough for shooters and responsive enough for general gaming, though the smaller range of movement might take some adjustment. Unlike some competitors, there’s no option to swap or adjust the sticks and SteelSeries has played it reasonably safe with a shortish stick height and traditional caps.

The triggers also use Hall Effect sensors, but they’re muddy and I didn’t feel like they consistently recreated their physical movement in game. It's hard to explain, but where good thumbsticks let you feel dialed in when playing racing games like Forza Horizon 6, on the Nimbus Cloud I felt disconnected when trying to modulate the throttle. This was the same whether I was playing locally on my PC or via cloud gaming on mobile, so wasn’t a Bluetooth latency issue.

The mechanical face buttons are super clicky, tactile, and satisfying to press, as is the d-pad. They’re responsive for general gameplay; however, I noticed the Nimbus Cloud would occasionally miss inputs in situations where I was pressing the same button repeatedly.

This originally cropped up when spam jumping waiting for the Battle Bus in a Fortnite lobby and I was able to confirm it with dedicated testing after getting eliminated. Interestingly, this didn't seem to be an issue when pressing a combination of buttons so appears to be a debounce problem. The face buttons are pretty quiet but the same can’t be said for the bumpers. It’s nice to see these use mechanical switches, but unlike the face buttons they’re loud and almost sound like a cheap old-fashioned mouse.

When stretched out in mobile grip mode the SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud performs well. On both iOS and Android it was immediately recognized, though the controller itself is a little shy in confirming this for you. The four battery LEDs do briefly light up initially, but I’d like a persistent indicator like you find on rivals.

Both Fortnite and Call of Duty Mobile recognized the controller on launch with no extra config or mapping needed, as did Xbox Cloud Gaming. It all worked nicely and naturally out of the box, which is just as well, because without an app you’d be completely stuck otherwise. I mentioned it before, but the Nimbus Cloud having no companion app feels like a real misstep. Rivals like the GameSir G8+ allow for deep customization like dead zone adjustment and hair trigger modes, both of which are notably absent here on a controller that costs nearly twice as much.

Where things fell apart completely in my testing was when I tried to use the Nimbus Cloud with macOS. SteelSeries lists Mac as a compatible platform, but in my experience it was borderline unusable. It happily connected via Bluetooth without any fuss, but that’s where the joy ended.

In Forza Horizon 6 via Xbox Cloud Gaming I was greeted by the left stick input being inverted and triggers that were mapped to start and select. It turned out the bumpers were acting as triggers instead, and while I attempted to remap through macOS system settings, it didn't seem to be respected in game. This wasn’t a Forza problem; either, Stardew Valley didn’t even recognize it at all. Steam fared just as badly, albeit in a different way. There it detected the Nimbus Cloud as two separate controllers simultaneously, neither of which worked correctly.

The good news is that I was actually quite impressed with how the SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud performed over Bluetooth (as long as you’re not a Mac main, of course). My iPad Pro immediately recognized the Nimbus Cloud without issue and playing Fortnite natively could easily have been mistaken for a scaled-down console experience.

Connected to my Windows gaming PC I happily spent a couple of hours in Roadcraft and at this slower pace the Nimbus Cloud kept up nicely. I did have to go through the full Steam controller setup procedure, however, something I’ve not needed to do with controllers in the past. Cloud gaming was fine on Windows too, up was up, down was down, and triggers were triggers.

Should I buy the SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

After a more consistent experience? Here are two capable alternatives.

How I tested the SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud

• I spent a few days testing across devices, including an iPhone 17 Pro and POCO X5 Pro, an iPad Pro, a MacBook Air, and a gaming PC
• I played Fortnite and Call of Duty Mobile natively on mobile and iPad, Roadcraft on desktop, and Forza Horizon 6 via Xbox Cloud Gaming.
• I tested it in both collapsed and expanded modes

Over the course of a week I tested the SteelSeries Nimbus Cloud across multiple platforms and game genres. Mobile testing was split between an iPhone 17 Pro and a POCO X5 Pro, covering both iOS and Android in the extended USB-C mode. I played a mix of native mobile games and cloud-streamed titles via Xbox GamePass.

For Bluetooth testing, I paired the Nimbus Cloud with a Windows PC and a MacBook Air, looking at games on Steam and cloud gaming on both platforms. When I noticed potential missed button inputs during regular gameplay, I used a dedicated button testing app to verify.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2025

GameSir X5 Lite: one-minute review

The GameSir X5 Lite is a basic mobile controller designed to work with Android and iOS devices ranging from 105mm / 4.13 inches to 213mm / 8.39 inches long.

It has a functional and minimalist form with little fanfare. It looks more striking in its green ‘Wasabi’ guise, but this is about the only flourish the controller displays. There’s no lighting, save for a small LED ring around the GameSir button.

The build quality of the X5 Lite is quite good. The materials don’t feel as premium as those of the best mobile controllers, but they’re sufficient nonetheless. Thankfully, GameSir doesn’t seem to have skimped on the engineering of the central retractable bar; its spring mechanism is as smooth and strong as I could’ve wished for, while still being fairly easy to pull apart.

The X5 Lite provides a secure fit for your phone, thanks to the selection of silicone pads provided. The USB-C jack also provides a strong connection, and it flexes to make it easier to insert. The X5 Lite also features a USB-C port for passthrough phone charging, which is a nice touch and is positioned to allow for its use while gaming.

Speaking of which, the gaming performance of the X5 Lite is very good. The grips are ergonomic and comfortable, although they might be too small for those with larger hands. Thanks to their generous dampening, the buttons are satisfying and easy to press. The same can be said about the bumpers and triggers, although these are a little more snappy, which is ideal. The D-pad is very easy and comfortable to use, too.

The real highlight of the X5 Lite, though, is its Hall Effect analog sticks. Despite their small size, they’re smooth and precise, and rebound quickly to their starting position. They’re also very comfortable, thanks to the ergonomic caps.

It's a shame that the GameSir app doesn’t offer much in the way of adjustments or customizations, and the hardware of the X5 Lite can’t be swapped out. However, given its relatively low price, the X5 Lite is a great value mobile controller all the same.

GameSir X5 Lite review: Price & availability

• $34.99 / £34.99 / AU$44.99
• Available now in black and light green
• Budget end of the market

The GameSir X5 Lite costs $34.99 / £34.99 / AU$44.99 and is available now. It comes in two colorways: black and a light green shade called Wasabi.

This is a great price for a mobile controller of this caliber. It may lack the sophistication and customization options of more premium models, but it does the basics very well.

For a more upmarket experience, you could try the Razer Kishi V3 Pro. This has bigger grips, so more players should be able to get their hands around it. Its app also allows for far more adjustments than GameSir’s. The V3 Pro is considerably more expensive than the X5 Lite, although its antecedent, the Rishi Ultra, is now considerably cheaper, yet offers comparable performance.

If it’s hardware customization you want, but still don’t want to spend the earth, there’s the GameSir G8+ MFi. This model features swappable stick caps and face buttons, as well two extra buttons on the back of each grip.

GameSir X5 Lite review: Specs

GameSir X5 Lite review: Design and features

• Functional appearance
• Secure fit for phones
• Basic app

The X5 Lite puts function first, with its chunky, ergonomic grips standing out above all else. There’s no RGB lighting here, just a small LED ring around the GameSir button at the bottom of the right grip.

The black colorway is a little bland, but the light green version, which GameSir calls Wasabi, is certainly more conspicuous. There are also yellow accents on the bases of the analog sticks and on the inside of the central bar.

It feels quite well made, although the plastics don’t look or feel particularly upmarket. They should hold up well enough, however, and they’re a fair compromise given how light the X5 Lite is; this truly a mobile gamepad.

More impressive, though, is its sliding mechanism for the phone slot. There’s a lot of resistance, which is a positive since it provides a strong clasp for your device. A good tug or drop will likely dislodge it, but under normal usage your phone shouldn’t go anywhere. Despite this, it isn’t too difficult to prise open, since it slides very smoothly.

The secure fit is also aided by the silicone pad inserts on the inside of the grips. There are three to choose from, each with different thicknesses in order to accommodate various phone sizes and phone cases. I had no trouble finding ones that allowed my test phone — the Xiaomi 17T with a case attached — to fit inside the X5 Lite. They’re easy to replace, too.

Unlike some mobile controllers, the X5 Lite doesn’t have wireless connectivity. Instead, there’s a USB-C jack tucked inside the left grip. Thankfully, it’s flexible enough to connect to your phone easily. However, this does mean you have no choice but to orient your phone with the power and volume buttons at the bottom, which some users might find inconvenient.

There’s also a USB-C port on the bottom of the left grip to allow for passthrough charging of your phone. This is a good location as it doesn’t get in the way; my palm just managed to curve around my charging cable as I held the controller.

You can download the GameSir mobile app to adjust various settings on the X5 Lite, but the options here are limited. You can alter the deadzone of both sticks, and switch the face buttons from an Xbox to a Switch layout, but that’s it.

This pales in comparison to the number of tweaks available in other controller software. Also, there’s supposed to be a setting to let you control your phone’s UI with the X5 Lite, but I couldn’t see this option anywhere.

GameSir X5 Lite review: Performance

• Comfortable but small grips
• Satisfying button presses
• Precise and fast analog sticks

In action, the X5 Lite is excellent. The grips are a little stunted compared to more traditional gamepads, which meant I could only get my first two fingers fully around them. This wasn’t uncomfortable for me, but those with bigger hands might struggle to hold the pad securely.

The face buttons are very satisfying to press, owing to their dampening. They’re also very snappy and responsive, and are easy to hit thanks to their positioning and spacing.

This is also true of the shoulder buttons. I had no issue reaching either the bumpers or the triggers with my fingers, and their ergonomic shape makes them comfortable to rest on. The bumpers have a satisfying click to them, and although they’re slightly less damped than the face buttons, they’re certainly not harsh. Additionally, they provide enough feedback to inspire confidence that they’ve registered, too.

If anything, the triggers feel even better. Striking the ideal balance between clicky and damped, they again offer satisfying feedback and have a generous amount of travel. It’s a shame they aren’t analog, although it has to be said not many mobile games make use of such triggers.

Perhaps the highlight of the X5 Lite is its Hall Effect analog sticks. They’re much smoother than I was expecting, moving effortlessly and snapping back to the center with plenty of spring. They’re also impressively solid, with next to no play to them.

What’s more, they offer plenty of control, despite their small size. I had no problem performing complex and nuanced movements in games such as Hitman Blood Money — Reprisal or Lara Croft: Guardian of Light. In fact, they even rival those of the best PC controllers.

They’re also comfortable to use, thanks to their caps being soft to the touch and slightly indented. Like the best Xbox controllers, they’re laid out asymmetrically, which I and many others find more ergonomic.

The D-pad in the X5 Lite is very easy to use. It’s light and forgiving, with plenty of dampening and travel in all directions, which makes it more comfortable than many others I’ve experienced. Pressing multiple directions in quick succession, therefore, is a cinch, even though it’s topped with a traditional four-pronged hat, rather than a more modern circular one.

I didn’t experience any connectivity issues during my time with the X5 Lite. The USB jack maintained a secure connection and I didn’t have any concerns about it coming loose at any point.

Should I buy the GameSir X5 Lite?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

GameSir X5 Lite review: Also consider

How I tested the GameSir X5 Lite

• Tested for several days
• Played different games
• Plentiful gaming experience

I tested the GameSir X5 Lite for several days. I used it with two different Android phones: the Google Pixel 7a and the Xiaomi 17T. I used the different silicone pads that came in the box.

I played Hitman: Blood Money — Reprisal, Lara Croft: Guardian of Light, and Asphalt Legends. I downloaded GameSir’s mobile app to try out its various features and customizations.

I’ve been gaming for decades, and have used all kinds of systems in that time, from home consoles and PCs to laptops and other handheld systems. I also have plenty of experience with controllers, and have reviewed a number of them before, including another mobile model from GameSir, the GameSir X4 Aileron.

• Read more about how we test
• First reviewed June 2026

• 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

Sony’s new Pulse Elevate speakers are aiming to bring “lifelike desktop audio” to your gaming sessions and beyond, and I travelled over to PlayStation’s UK headquarters in London to try them for myself.

I got to experience their in-game audio capabilities, music streaming skills, and even talk to PlayStation’s Vice President of Product Development, Edwin Foo, about the speakers’ creation process.

But just how good are the Pulse Elevate? And what exactly sets them apart from the swathe of competing desktop stereo speakers? Here’s what I think after my time with the upcoming product.

Sony’s new speakers: an overview

The moment that Edwin and I sat down with the Pulse Elevate, he responded to a question that he already knew I’d ask: “Why would we [Sony] need to make [desktop] speakers?” The answer came in two parts.

First of all, he said, since the release of the PS5 in 2020, Sony has identified a significant and growing portion of the user base that is not playing “in front of a TV on a couch,” but instead, while sitting at a monitor. “We realize that this trend is growing and we really need to acknowledge it,” Foo told me.

And the second part of the answer, he revealed, was that Sony felt that the display side of the desktop gaming equation was already well-served. “There are just lots of options out there for monitors,” Foo said. “But we realized that the audio portion of that experience could use some help”.

For many, relying on monitors for audio won’t be an option — many aren’t equipped with speakers in the first place, and when they are, they’re often pretty poor.

But Foo was also keen to highlight how headphones or headsets might not be a great alternative for some gamers, citing issues such as discomfort, ears overheating, and isolation from the rest of the household.

Headphone-like immersion on your desktop

Instead, Sony felt that speakers were the way to go — but it wanted to ensure that players could almost recreate the immersive experience of using headphones. Foo’s team was responsible for the Pulse Elite headset, released in 2024. And a lot of key tech from that model has been placed within the new Pulse Elevate.

The first example is PlayStation Link, Sony’s proprietary ultra-low-latency tech, which is ideal for gaming — and an important inclusion given that these speakers cannot be used wired; they either sit on charging docks or can run off the dock for 12 hours, according to Foo.

The second technology carried over is the Planar magnetic drivers, and this is the exciting stuff. These studio-inspired drivers offer tremendous accuracy and directionality, which makes them ideal for gaming, where you want a precise sense of where specific sounds are emanating from.

It’s worth mentioning that both speaker units also have a built-in woofer, which provides punchy, almost cinematic bass. Sony says that with the woofers and planar magnetic drivers combined, users can enjoy “a varied soundscape that’s perfect for desktop gaming”.

Sound check

After getting the lowdown on the Pulse Elevate’s inception, it was time for me to give them a go. I sat down at a desk, placed the speakers into their raised position, and entered a demo of Ghost of Yōtei.

This demo contained a story overview from 2025’s State of Play deep dive, and was very dialogue-focused. A narration running throughout the demo came through with exceptional clarity, never getting drowned out by music stirring in the backdrop or impactful bass. But it was in my second demo where I got a real taste of the Pulse Elevate’s full capabilities.

Yes, I got the chance to play the opening segment of Saros using the Pulse Elevate, and this is where the speakers impressed me most. When running through the environment, I was blown away by the directionality of ambient effects beside me, as well as enemies flying up and overhead. In addition, gunshots sounded agile and concise, rather than muddy or shrill, while dialogue remained well-balanced in the mix.

The planar magnetic drivers go a long way in providing precise stereo imaging, but there’s also Tempest 3D AudioTech on board, which endeavours to conjure up immersive surround sound for games that support it.

As well as gaming, I got to try listening to some music, which you can stream via Bluetooth on the Pulse Elevate for ultimate convenience. We tuned into Stay by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber, and I was impressed with the bass output of the speakers as well as the energetic percussion.

We’ll need more time to test the speakers to determine just how good they are — especially for music, but they certainly made a good first impression. However, I’ve not even mentioned one of the best parts about these speakers yet: their noise-rejecting microphone.

With music turned up to the max, Foo spoke a few words, which were recorded at a Teams meeting. When we listened back, the music was totally inaudible, and Foo’s voice came through with spectacular clarity. This really blew me away, as I tested a lot of audio tech with AI algorithms for ‘crystal clear calls’ and they can often be underwhelming. But this works incredibly well, and means you can enjoy in-game audio while talking to your pals without any compromise in terms of speech clarity.

Talk about a first impression

I have to say, I was pretty impressed by the Sony Pulse Elevate during my time with them. They offered an impressive sense of space while retaining clarity across the frequency range, and their noise-reducing mic feels very well equipped for online gaming.

There are some slight compromises; for example, Foo told me that the speakers don’t support LDAC, and with no wired alternative, that means that true hi-res audio is off the table. Still, the AAC codec is supported, and with a good quality signal, that can often be enough to deliver outstanding audio.

The planar magnetic drivers are also a fantastic inclusion, and I felt that they captured the feeling of headphones for desktop gaming to great effect. Again, though, we’ll need to test them for an extended period to get the full picture.

One more thing I’ll say is that I like the design of these. They can stand flat or raised, depending on your preference, and they easily slot on or off their charging docks. Their sloped appearance is also pretty eye-catching, and they look classy in both of their color variants: Midnight Black or White.

Some details remain unknown, such as the speakers’ price — which Foo was unable to tell me just yet — as well as their release date. However, Sony previously touted them for a 2026 launch, so hopefully we can get our hands on them sooner rather than later.

Sony is bringing a wireless fight stick to new audiences with its upcoming FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick. The tech giant is looking to pitch its new PS5 peripheral to those who have never owned a fightstick before — perhaps those who grew up with gamepads rather than arcade cabs — as well as relative newcomers to the fighting game genre.

Why? Well, to find out, I sat down with PlayStation’s Vice President of Product Development, Edwin Foo — a man who has overseen the development of products like the PlayStation Portal and Pulse Elite Headphones. I also got to try out the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick for myself — and I’ve got the lowdown on its price, release date, and more.

So, here’s everything you need to know about the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick, and how I rated my time with the new PS5 peripheral.

Enter Sony’s beginner-friendly FlexStrike

Before we get into the details, allow me to introduce Sony’s new fight stick. The FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick can be used without a cable via PlayStation Link or wired via USB-C. I was told that the model offers 4ms latency when connected over PlayStation Link — favored over Bluetooth for its highly stable and speedier connectivity.

The model features a custom-built digital stick, which is fairly short — for an ergonomic yet fast and responsive feel. Pair that with well-sized buttons featuring mechanical switches, and you have a very solid foundation to work from.

But who exactly is this for? For Foo, this model is squarely aimed at fight stick first-timers — those who have grown up using gamepads rather than arcade cabs — but also newer fighting game fans.

He was keen to highlight how a lot of models boast an almost intimidating array of buttons, and can be pretty hefty to boot. The FlexStrike’s simplistic layout makes it more approachable, and its ergonomic design is ideal for people who just want to “pick it up, put it in their lap, and play,” he said.

But this got me wondering: why would Sony target players who are new to fight sticks, rather than more experienced fighting game fans? For Foo, this came down to two key reasons. The first, he said, is that “we [Sony] think it’s an experience that those people who have grown up with the DualSense and gamepads deserve to give a shot. It’s another way to play”. The second, he said, is that “we think the market is actually pretty well served already for people who already know and love fight sticks and have already made their choice, so to speak”.

Getting hands on

After chatting away about Sony’s upcoming peripheral, I was given a chance to try it out for myself. We loaded up the upcoming fighter Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, and both my opponent and I picked up a FlexStrike each. Interestingly, you can connect two of Sony’s fight sticks up to a single dongle and maintain ultra-low latency.

Now, time for a confession. I kinda suck at 2D fighters. I enjoy the odd bit of Guilty Gear or Street Fighter, but I am by no means up to competitive standards, and inevitably, I got my butt kicked.

However, I did get to experience everything the fight stick had to offer, and I found it really pleasant to use.

First of all, let’s talk about the control stick. Its relatively short stature made movement feel incredibly snappy and responsive, and I never suffered from pesky mis-inputs or anything. The click of the stick moving was satisfying and relatively light — it wasn’t obnoxiously loud or distracting, and Sony found a great balance in my view.

It was a similar story for the buttons, which felt tactile and reactive, and were placed in a convenient way to ensure maximum comfort. I never felt like I was overstretched, and the layout felt very beginner-friendly — ideal for the target audience. I also appreciated a lock button on the fight stick, which prevents you from accidentally triggering buttons like options or pressing the ‘PS’ button — after all, accidentally pausing the game can be grounds for disqualification in some competitive situations.

One more thing that struck me about the FlexStrike was how secure and ergonomic it was to use. The model’s tilted, textured base kept it fixed in place on my lap; it never seemed as if it was slipping off, and its lightweight construction kept it feeling comfortable in use.

Final thoughts: a well-made model, but a slightly tough sell?

Performance-wise, I think this model hits the right notes, especially for the target market. It's approachable and straightforward to use, and offers ultra-low latency in both wired and wireless capacities. Something I also discovered is that the model has a battery life of 40 hours, which is very solid indeed, and means you won’t have to charge it very often at all — another user-friendly feature.

But something that may prove to be a point of contention is the FlexStrike’s price. Sony told me that the upcoming peripheral will launch at $199.99 / £179.99. And while that’s not extortionate, I do think that the intended audience — i.e., fight stick newcomers — may feel that the cost is hard to justify.

Although it’s high in quality and has welcome features such as a carry case with a protective slot for the stick, and mechanical switch-powered buttons, almost $200 / £180 is quite a bit to spend on a peripheral — especially one that some will find not essential for play.

Having said that, Sony told me that the FlexStrike will release on August 6, 2026 — the same day as Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, meaning that a lot of new players could be tempted to go all in on the ultimate fighting game setup. Foo told me that there are no plans for a game and fight stick bundle on day one, but if we saw bundles in the future, that could be an effective way of shipping more controller units.

But what do you think? Do you see the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick being a success? Are you excited to try it out for yourself? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

The FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick will release on August 6, 2026, and pre-orders will start on June 12.

• A Redditor said they "almost started a fire" with the Steam Controller's charging puck
• This happened when their metallic smartwatch strap made contact with the puck's exposed pins
• It caused a short circuit and "started sizzling" — although Valve does warn about this in the manual

A Redditor warns that they "almost started a fire" with the charger for the Steam Controller when it made contact with their metallic smartwatch strap.

This happened when charging the smartwatch close to the puck, with the watch strap accidentally touching the Steam Controller's charging puck at the "exact wrong angle".

The Redditor explains: "So my smartwatch's metallic strap accidentally touched the Puck's exposed contacts and started sizzling due to a short circuit."

They also added that they consider this to be their own fault, and as several of the other Redditors posting on the thread point out, Valve does warn about this in the manual for the Steam Controller.

There's a section in the health and safety booklet which warns that the charging puck contains a magnet, and that: "Magnetic parts may attract metallic items. To reduce the potential risk of sparks and resulting property damage or possible injury, make sure that the wireless adapter and charging puck and Controller are free of metallic objects before connecting."

Analysis: reading manuals is fundamental

The trouble with manuals, of course, is: who reads them? Many don't — it's just human nature not to bother — but this is quite an important nugget of information to skip over.

Even if you do read it, there is the possibility that other people in your house — or visitors, even — will not be at all aware of this potential issue, and could put something metallic down next to the charging puck without realizing what might happen.

Which begs the question: should Valve have designed the charging puck better? That point is raised in the Reddit thread, and the original poster observes that Valve's hardware isn't the only device that has this issue. They note that the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller has a similar exposed pin design, but that the charging dock has a raised ridge around the pins that makes it harder for accidental direct contact to happen.

Valve could have made a similar move, then, or, as others suggest, used some sort of a 'handshake' to make sure the controller is the attached device before sending power over from the puck.

We've asked Valve for a comment on this issue and will update this article if we hear back from the company.

Hot summer days are on the horizon, and there is nothing worse than gaming in an environment without sufficient cooling, with a gaming PC or console making temperatures much worse.

If you're also using a leather office or gaming chair, you're only making matters worse, especially if you're unlucky enough not to have some form of air conditioning. All of those factors contribute to making gaming experiences more miserable than they should be.

Besides investing in a new fan or air conditioner, there's one step that needs to be taken, and that's eyeballing a comfortable chair that works best for those high-temperature occasions.

That's exactly where ergonomic mesh office chairs come into play, as they provide a breathable and flexible design suitable for those long playing sessions, and I think I've found the ideal one that will work for both work (since it is an office chair after all) and play, from a brand that has some of the best office chairs available.

The Sihoo B100 is available on Best Buy for $199.99 (was $299.99), serving as one of the best deals during its Memorial Day sale, providing several features that are a best fit for workers and gamers who spend long hours seated.

With dynamic lumbar support suited to adapt to your movements, up to a 135-degree recline, flip-up armrests, and most importantly, its breathable mesh design, this Sihoo B100 addresses comfort in a high-quality standard, while working to keep you cool at your desk.

Switching from a leather and mesh chair myself, the difference the latter has on ensuring you aren't a sweaty mess is quite substantial. The B100 promises "all-day comfort", and considering all of its main features, there are no surprises regarding Sihoo's claim.

Gaming earbuds have plenty of perks, including portability, easy storage, and more that both PC and console gamers can benefit from. If you're a proud PS5 owner, I'd suggest getting these Sony Inzone Buds at Amazon while they're on sale for $178 (was $239.99). That's just $20 more than the record-low price.

The Sony Inzone Earbuds, as their name might suggest, are our pick for the best PS5 gaming earbuds. However, even though these buds are marketed for PS5, they can also work with PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. In that sense, the Inzone Earbuds are convenient for both those who play games exclusively on the PS5 and those who play on several other platforms.

Today's best gaming earbuds deal

In our Sony Inzone Earbuds review, we praise the "near-perfect active noise canceling" and "excellent overall sound quality." The long-lasting battery life doesn't hurt, either. You get up to 24 hours of battery life with the carrying case, and up to 12 hours in just the buds themselves.

The Inzone Earbuds also come with 360 Spatial Sound and a 2.4GHz wireless connection through the included USB-C dongle. The touch sensors on the buds are especially useful for controlling ANC, muting, and more options that can be customized through the Inzone Hub feature.

Despite how great they are, the Inzone Earbuds might not be what you're looking for if you want multi-purpose earbuds you can wear on-the-go. For that, I'd look at our overall best earbuds or best budget earbuds.

Valve's Steam Controller is currently in high demand, with PC users desperate to get hands-on one ahead of the Steam Machine's launch. However, with stock running dry and scalpers snatching units, Valve has consequently introduced a reservation queue system for purchase.

There's no harm in patiently waiting for that reservation email — after all, the Steam Controller is easily one of the best PC controllers available. However, what if I told you there was an alternative option that's arguably as good (if not better) than the Steam Controller?

In comes the 8BitDo Ultimate 2, not only compatible on PC, but also Android and the Nintendo Switch 2. It may not have as long a battery life as the Steam Controller, nor does it have the trackpads that are handy for navigation on SteamOS, but it certainly makes up for it in ergonomics and connectivity.

I'm fortunate enough to have two custom gaming PCs, with one running Bazzite (a SteamOS clone), but I'd like to dedicate a new controller to each system, and there's no better time than now to do so.

Unlike the Steam Controller, which costs $99, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 is a very affordable option, available at retailers for $59.99 (or slightly more at some online retailers).

However, Memorial Day sales are well underway, which means the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 is available on Amazon for $57.99 (was $69.99), thanks to a 17% discount.

It's the best controller I've used in terms of comfort, and it has enough extra features (notably back buttons and additional bumpers) to help the controller serve as a worthy competitor to the Steam Controller — and frankly, a better option to the PS5's DualSense Wireless Controller and the Xbox Wireless Controller for PC gaming.

Better yet, it's so much more convenient for me and anyone else with a dual-PC and Switch 2 dock setup via the included 2.4GHz dongle, and that's why two of these controllers are a great move.

I've still got my eyes peeled for the Steam Controller, especially considering some of its more funny features via the controller's haptics (producing custom sounds), but until the high demand plummets, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 seems like the ideal solution.

MSI Versa 300 Wireless 8K review

The MSI Versa 300 Wireless 8K is a gaming mouse with a pro level spec and some useful features. Despite this, it also has a pretty competitive price.

There's nothing spectacular or gamerish about the way it looks, maintaining as it does a relatively understated aesthetic. There’s only a small logo that allows some subtle RGB lighting to pass through.

In the hand, I found the Versa 300 more bulbous than I’m accustomed to, with a more prominent hump in the middle. However, I adjusted quickly to the shape and found it comfortable thereafter. In fact, it actually fitted my palm as well as the best gaming mouse shapes.

This fit also helps to impart a secure feeling, making me confident in performing lift-offs. This is further aided by the concave side walls and their diamond grip pattern. It’s a shame, though, that this grip area isn’t made from a soft touch material like silicone or rubber; it merely adopts the same smooth plastic as the rest of the unit. Regardless, I still found it provided sufficient grip and feedback.

The Versa 300 is quite a light mouse, weighing just 66g, which makes it easy to maneuver. However, there are certainly lighter mice around, and what’s more the weight doesn’t feel evenly distributed. Most of its mass seems to be concentrated near the rear, which can cause the whole unit to tilt backwards when lifting off. At least the Versa 300 feels solid and durable, which is always a positive. The body material feels smooth and upmarket, too, belying its budget price tag.

In action, the Versa 300 is quite impressive. The first aspect I noticed was just how smoothly it glided. This surprised me, given the PTFE skates are quite small compared to those on more premium gaming mice.

The included USB cable is braided and quite long, which makes it amenable to a wide variety of setups. It’s also quite light, although it still adds a small but noticeable element of drag to movements. The connection to the USB-C port is as solid as I could’ve wished for, so I wasn’t concerned about accidentally yanking it out.

The Omron mechanical switches feel satisfying enough, but they’re a little heavier and travel a little further than those on more elite gaming mice. This makes them feel less snappy. I still found them just about light enough for competitive play, but more serious head clickers might find them too sluggish for their needs.

The scroll wheel is somewhat unusual, due to its prominent, spiky finish. Far from being uncomfortable, though, I found this texture pleasing and it provided good feedback.

The middle click is also very satisfying, feeling more like a true button press than many others, thanks to its long travel and definitive thud when actuated. It’s probably one of the best middle clicks I’ve experienced.

However, the notching of the wheel is a little too light for my tastes, making it somewhat harder to judge single flicks compared to others. There’s no free scroll or tilt scroll feature, either, which some premium gaming mice get.

MSI Center, the brand’s peripheral software, is simple to use and laid out clearly. There is a reasonable amount of adjustments here, including five customizable levels for the DPI selector, ranging from 100 to 26,000, as well as rebinding options.

These are quite limited, though. You can only swap inputs around, assign media playback controls, and trigger macros (a fairly basic macro recording facility is included). It’s a shame you can’t customize the RGB lighting from here; for that, you’ll need to download another app, Portal X, which just creates more inefficiency.

You can enable more advanced features, such as Motion Sync and Angle Snapping, as well as alter the debounce time between 0ms and 30ms (in increments of 1ms). You can also adjust the lift-off distance, but this only has two settings: low and high.

Battery life is also excellent. After using the mouse consistently for several days, in both Bluetooth and 2.4GHz modes, it only dropped around 10-15%. I didn’t experience any connectivity issues, either, with the two wireless modes maintaining a stable, lag-free signal.

Other gaming mice may have a greater selection of advanced performance based features, but it’s hard to complain about their absence in the Versa 300, given its competitive pricing. There aren’t many in this sector that offer a top-draw spec for so little, making it a compelling pick for those on a budget.

MSI Versa 300 Wireless 8K review: Price & availability

• $99.99 / £59.99 (about AU$140)
• Available now
• Well-priced for its spec

The MSI Versa 300 Wireless 8K costs $99.99 / £59.99 (about AU$140) and is available now in black only. It comes with a braided USB cable but no grip tape or spare skates.

Considering its spec, the Versa 300 is well-priced. There aren’t many gaming mice at this price point offering dual wireless connectivity modes, an 8K polling rate, and advanced tweaks.

It’s significantly cheaper than the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro, which is one of our current favorites in the sector. But the Razer has more advanced software, granting you access to more adjustments and functions. We also loved its snappy mouse clicks, an area where the Versa 300 falls short.

However, if you’re after a truly budget gaming mouse, it’s hard to beat the Cooler Master MM311. We found it performed much better than it had any right to. It may lack multiple connectivity modes and a rechargeable battery, but you can’t really get better performance for less.

Should I buy the MSI Versa 300 Wireless 8K?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

MSI Versa 300 Wireless 8K review: Also consider

How I tested the MSI Versa 300 Wireless 8K

• Tested for several days
• Used for a variety of games and tasks
• Extensive gaming mouse experience

I tested the Versa 300 for several days, during which time I used it for gaming, working, and general productivity. I used all of its connectivity methods with two different Windows PCs.

I played a variety of games, from fast-paced shooters such as Counter-Strike 2, where speed and precision matter most, to games requiring a more considered and versatile and more encompassing mouse functionality, such as Subnautica 2.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and have experienced many gaming mice in that time. I’ve also reviewed a large number of them, from budget offerings to pro-level and feature-packed premium models.

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

• Multiple users online have discovered a Steam Controller easter egg
• The Steam Controller lets out a Wilhelm scream when dropped
• It's unclear how Valve implemented this, but it may be via a built-in speaker or haptic motors

Valve's Steam Controller is highly regarded as one of the best PC controllers available for many reasons, and another one has just been added to the list to further justify its high ranking.

On Reddit, users have discovered that a Steam Controller easter egg, as the controller quite literally lets out a Wilhelm scream when dropped. The Wilhelm scream is a famous stock sound effect used throughout cinema – often when minor characters are falling to their doom. It can be heard in films such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Lord Of The Rings and many, many others. Below, you can hear a few examples.

This feature has already been corroborated by several other users and PC Gamer.

This is no game-changing feature by any means, but it simply serves as a funny addition and one of the most unique gimmicks I've ever seen with any gaming accessory. Valve seemingly wants every Steam Controller user to treat the controller with care — but I suppose we'll all want to drop it at least once, just to see what it's like.

It's also not exactly clear how Valve has even made this possible — could it be the spirit of the original Wilhelm scream is living inside the controller? Probably not, but I'd wager there's likely a built-in speaker muffled by the controller's casing (which would explain why it's fairly quiet) or haptic motors, which can produce sound.

Apparently, the new Steam Controller sometimes does the Wilhelm scream when dropped while in Big Picture Mode. from r/Steam

It's a goofy feature, sure, but it's yet another small bonus on why the Steam Controller is critically acclaimed, especially for PC players and those eyeing the upcoming Steam Machine, which may be imminent after facing delays due to the RAM crisis.

Unfortunately, the Steam Controller isn't easily accessible as it stands, due to scalpers effectively forcing Valve to introduce a reservation system to buy one, but I'm willing to wait patiently in the queue.

It will join my 8BitDo Ultimate 2 controller as my go-to when using my main gaming PC, SteamOS-dedicated (actually Bazzite) gaming PC, and my Nintendo Switch 2. Now, if you will excuse me, I'll resume my task of keeping an eye out for my reservation email.

PlayStation is no stranger to limited-edition or fresh colorway accessories, and maybe no product gets that treatment more than the DualSense Wireless Controller. For many, the unique designs and fresh looks let you match the controller to whatever game you’re playing — or even your personality.

While I am still holding out hope for a 30th Anniversary DualSense restock, PlayStation’s recent drop, which debuted back in March 2025, is bursting with color and might even have gotten its inspiration from the Icon Blue edition that dropped in late 2025.

The Hyperpop Collection is a clan of three PS5 pads: Techno Red, Remix Green, and Rhythm Blue. So while the names might make you think of Rock Band or Guitar Hero, PlayStation’s team shared that these designs are all about bursts of color and are inspired by the impressive RGB-lit setups many players use.

Essentially, these pops of color extend from your setup — or even the screen of some of your favorite PS5 games — into your hands via the DualSense Controller. Neither the Techno Red, Remix Green, nor Rhythm Blue gets a full paint job, though. Rather, each is presented more like a gradient, with the bottom half of the controller getting the vibrant treatment while the top remains black.

Even though the paint job doesn’t cover the entirety of the controller, these really do stand out thanks to the glossy finish across all three. The result is a smooth-feeling controller, which may or may not be the best fit for you, as it lacks some of the texture found on other DualSense Controllers.

These do have a certain amount of sparkle and spectacle to them. I especially like the Rhythm Blue. As the vibrant blue starts to fade to black, I really liked the tapering effect PlayStation accomplished here as well.

Remix Green, as you can see from the photos above, has some more yellow undertones, making it effectively a lime-green. Remix Red is likely the runner-up in my books, offering a really nice shade of red that any fan of Spider-Man or Marvel would likely jive quite well with.

If you’re after an eye-catching DualSense Controller, though, and your favorite color is green, red, or blue, you really can’t go wrong with this set. And if you’re really after a full-circle look, PlayStation offers matching PS5 covers in the same shades.

PlayStation’s DualSense Controllers in Hyperpop Techno Red, Remix Green, and Rhythm Blue are available for $84.99 / £74.99 / AU$134.99 at major retailers. I’ll include a few links for them below, but it looks like all three are sticking around for a while.

Hyperpop DualSense Collection in the US

Hyperpop DualSense Collection in the UK

Creative Sound Blaster GS5: One-minute review

The Creative Sound Blaster GS5 is a gaming soundbar that can be used with all sorts of devices, with a form factor that’s suitable for desktops, according to the brand.

Its plain appearance won’t set hearts ablaze, but it has a certain minimalist charm that’s unlikely to offend. Customizable RGB lighting is on hand for those who want to brighten their setup, too.

The build quality of the GS5 is reasonable. It feels quite solid without being too heavy, although the chassis material doesn’t feel particularly premium. It falls short of the best soundbars in this regard, and no doubt contributes to its relatively low price tag. And while it’s a compact unit, I still think it’s a bit too large to sit comfortably on your desk.

The remote is similarly compact and functional. It’s well made and easy to use, although it can be slow to respond, especially when trying to adjust certain parameters with quick, repeated presses.

The GS5 produces a good sound for gaming. Audio effects are impactful, but overall fidelity is lacking somewhat, which is especially noticeable when listening to music or watching movies.

Altering the sound in Creative’s desktop app can help, though. There are plenty of adjustments here, including a 10-point EQ graph and other audio-enhancing features. Some of these improve clarity and impact, while others, such as the volume-leveling function, are less effective.

It’s a shame that these alterations only take effect when listening to the GS5 on PC via USB, and it’s also disappointing that the mobile app offers nowhere near the same number of adjustments as the desktop app.

I have fewer complaints about the connectivity of the GS5, though. Bluetooth works very well, pairing quickly to my devices and making it easy to hotswitch to wired connections. Speaking of which, you get many options here, with USB, Optical, and AUX ports on board. There’s even a 3.5mm headphone jack on the side of the unit.

All these options and features are impressive for a soundbar of this price. Many of its rivals are a lot more expensive, and while they may offer better audio quality, the GS5 is still worth considering if you’re on a budget. Just don’t expect a space-saving desktop unit with pristine sound.

Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Price & availability

• $99.99 / £74.99 / AU$129.95
• Available now
• Cheaper than many rivals

The Creative Sound Blaster GS5 costs $99.99 / £74.99 / AU$129.95 and is available now in one colorway: black.

This is a reasonable price for a gaming soundbar, especially one that offers so many features. For something even cheaper, there’s the GS3, the younger sibling to the GS5. However, this is smaller, less powerful, and lacks the same features.

For more premium options, there’s the Creative Katana SE, which has a similar feature-set and audio quality, while the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro has more advanced features, including an infrared camera with AI tracking to keep the sound centered on where you are.

Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Specs

Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Design

• Restrained looks
• A little too big for desktops
• Feature-packed desktop app

The GS5 has a rather functional appearance; the all-black design looks smart, but also a little dull. The RGB lighting, however, does impart some interest, with its keen luminescence and plenty of customization options on tap.

Although the GS5 is smaller than your typical soundbar, it’s still a bit too cumbersome for desktop use, despite Creative’s intentions for it. It mightn’t be particularly wide but it's quite tall and deep, so it takes up more space than you might think. At least the overall form is sleek and minimal, lacking unnecessary angles or protrusions.

Build quality is reasonable, too. It feels solid in the main, and although the materials employed don’t feel particularly upmarket, they’re sufficient for the job. I also appreciated the soft rubber feet, which help to stabilize the soundbar, as well as protect the underlying surface.

The LED display is limited to just two characters, but it’s clear enough without being distracting, and is sufficient for conveying information. The side knob is similarly discreet, and rotates smoothly with light notching. Also operating well, the surrounding buttons only require a light press to work. They’re coated in a soft rubber that feels comfortable, although it's a little pointless in my view.

Feeling of a similar quality, the IR remote control is compact and sits nicely in the hand. The buttons operate with a satisfying solidity, too, and there are plenty of adjustments available, from volume and track skipping to toggles for various audio features.

However, not every feature and function that the GS5 has to offer is present here. To gain access to further tweaks, you’ll need to install Creative’s free desktop app. Here you’ll find plenty of in-depth options to tinker with, including EQ graphs and various enhancements.

It’s clearly laid out for the most part, although adjusting some of the functions for the sound mode are a little confusing. It’s not immediately clear how the Sound Mode, Acoustic Stage, and Equalizer sections are linked, but they are. What’s more, adjustments made in the app fail to sync up with the GS5’s LED readout. For instance, if you’ve selected Gaming mode via the app, this won’t show up.

The app’s interface isn’t the most appealing, with certain UI elements looking a little low-res. Also, some clickable objects, such as drop-down boxes, didn’t always respond properly in my experience. What’s more, I was disappointed that the app won’t recognize the GS5 if connected wirelessly via Bluetooth; you must have a wired USB connection. Ultimately, though, these are minor niggles, and overall the software is stable and usable.

It’s frustrating that the mobile app is far more limited than its desktop counterpart. It only offers a few adjustments, and these are ones that are already present on the remote, although I understand it may be more convenient for some to use their phone rather than the remote to control the GS5.

Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Performance

• Impactful and punchy sound
• Lacks fidelity
• App settings only take effect on PC

The GS5 is an effective companion to your gaming sessions. Sound effects are punchy and impactful, adding real bite to sword swings when I played The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered and gunfire in Counter-Strike 2. Sadly, the overall fidelity of the GS5 isn’t particularly great, which is especially noticeable when listening to music. It’s certainly not in the same league as the best speakers for audio enthusiasts, nor is it on a par with the best gaming headsets.

There’s plenty of volume, although it’s a shame that the increments aren’t very precise; you’ll find the sound hardly changes as you increase or decrease the volume by one or two digits, before it suddenly jumps on the third or forth.

You can make several adjustments to tailor the sound of the GS5 to your needs. You can control the tone by seven levels: 0 is the neutral point between the two extremes of ‘warmth’ and ‘brilliance’ (as Creative terms them), with three either side for more bass or more treble.

The brighter tones were impressive, enhancing the clarity of that aforementioned punch to game sound effects. However, the lower tones were disappointing, muddying the bass rather than making it fuller.

On top of this, there's also a SuperWide setting, which promises a more expansive soundstage. You can toggle between Near and Far modes (or disable it altogether), based on your distance from the bar. I found this to be an effective feature, as it really does impart a greater sense of space. The Far setting adds some unwanted airiness, but not to the extent that it undermines clarity and depth entirely.

Then there are the plethora of what Creative calls Sound Modes. On the remote, you can only toggle between two of these: Gaming and Movie. The latter seemed to offer greater fidelity at the expense of impact, whereas the former had the opposite effect, emphasizing mids and lows at the expense of clear trebles.

In the Creative desktop app, there are many more of these modes to choose from, including those designed for specific games. You can even design and save your own custom profiles, with independent sections for speaker and headphone settings, should you wish to connect one via the 3.5mm jack on the side of the GS5.

To shape your sound, there’s an EQ graph with a range of 31Hz to 16KHz, plotted with 10 points that you can drag to boost or cut frequencies by 6dBs. For convenience, there are additional sliders for overall bass and treble, allowing you to adjust multiple frequencies in those domains simultaneously. There’s also a Preamp slider that can be used to alter overall volume.

Alongside this traditional EQ, the app also has a feature that Creative calls Acoustic Engine. Here, you can adjust more sound-related aspects. There are further sliders for enhancing bass and treble frequencies, which stack on top of what can be achieved with the EQ. There’s also a setting called Dialog+ that’s designed to make dialog clearer, and in my experience this does indeed achieve its aim.

I found the Smart Volume setting less effective. This claims to intelligently ride levels to prevent loud and unpleasant spikes in volume. Unfortunately, in action, it sounds like an unsubtle audio compressor, causing a slight pumping effect but not actually taming peaks all that well.

All these options are a little overwhelming at first, but on the whole they’re welcome and meaningful additions. However, it’s a shame that any custom sound mode you create can’t be selected via the remote. Worse still, these only work on PC via USB — you won’t be able to use them when connected via Bluetooth, or when connected to consoles and other devices, wired or wirelessly.

Connecting to various devices via Bluetooth was as quick and as painless as I could’ve wished for. I couldn’t discern any difference in sound quality between USB and Bluetooth connections, either.

What’s more, switching between Bluetooth and USB connections was also seamless. I could switch between them without needing to unplug and replug the cable, which made hot-switching that much easier. There are also ports for AUX and optical connection, which means that overall the GS5 has an impressive range of connectivity options.

The performance of the IR remote was somewhat disappointing. I often experienced delayed inputs, especially when adjusting the Tone parameter, for some reason. And while I appreciated the media controls for play / pause and track skipping, these only worked on PC via USB, not on console.

Should I buy the Creative Sound Blaster GS5?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Creative Sound Blaster GS5 review: Also consider

How I tested the Creative Sound Blaster GS5

• Tested for several days
• Used for various content on various devices
• Plenty of gaming and audio experience

I tested the GS5 for several days. I used it for all kinds of content, from gaming to watching videos and listening to music.

I also used it with various devices via its various connections. I used it with my PS5, gaming PC, Nintendo Switch, and Android phone, with a mixture of USB and Bluetooth connections.

I have experience testing a range of audio gear, including headsets designed for gaming and headphones and speakers designed for audiophiles. Such products have spanned a range of price points, form factors, and feature sets.

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

Tomodachi Life fever is well and truly here. This highly anticipated, absolutely unhinged Nintendo Switch game lets you create Mii avatars and watch them get up to all kinds of antics and hijinks. It's packed with creative and drawing features, so if you want to get the most from it, a stylus is absolutely essential.

Getting your hands on an official Nintendo stylus on its own is impossible right now — unless you feel like taking a chance on an imported, very overpriced Japanese one. Thankfully, there's no real need to do that, because there are plenty of cheap, effective, generic styluses that'll happily do the job. I've rounded up some suggestions below, with options for both the US and the UK.

These are generic styluses, so as well as helping you level up your sketches on your Switch or Switch 2, most will also work with whatever other touchscreen devices you have lying about.

Nintendo Switch stylus: US picks

Nintendo Switch stylus: UK picks

• RIG has revealed the R8 Spectre Pro gaming headset
• There are two models available, one for PlayStation and the other for Xbox
• They cost $179.99 (around £130 / AU$250) and have a decent feature set

Gaming accessory brand RIG has revealed a new wireless gaming headset, the R8 Spectre Pro. Designed to deliver "studio-grade" audio, the company claims the headset has been "purpose-built for competitive gaming" and offers sound that's "custom-tuned for first-person shooters" and enhances key audio cues in-game.

There are two models available: the R8 Spectre Pro HX and R8 Spectre Pro HS. The HX variant is intended for Xbox, while the HS version is a licensed PlayStation accessory. In addition to their respective consoles, both models work with PC, Nintendo Switch 2, and mobile.

Both of them have 40mm graphene drivers and over 60 hours of battery life. They also come bundled with an RGB-illuminated charging base station and include a 16-bit / 48kHz resolution cardioid boom microphone.

The HX has Dolby Atmos 3D audio support and includes a lifetime subscription to the Dolby Access app, while the HS is tuned for PlayStation's Tempest 3D Audio on compatible platforms.

Although the default sound profile has been designed with competitive online games in mind, you can tweak the sound in the compatible RIG Navigator mobile app.

Like the recently released RIG R5 Max HD, the R8 Spectre Pro can be customized with magnetic ear cushions and modified earcup plates thanks to the brand's 'Snap+Lock' system.

All in all, they sound like decent packages - especially if the audio quality can deliver. That said, at the mid-range price of $179.99 (that's around £130 / AU$250), they have some pretty stiff competition in some of the best wireless gaming headsets like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 and Logitech Astro A20 X.

Back in my prime Counter Strike and MOBA days, I refused to use anything but a wired mouse. Sure, I was never going to win any esports tournaments, but a boy can dream. Now that gaming habits are far more casual and I spend more time working on my PC rather than playing, I swapped to a wireless mouse for convenience. With the Razer DeathAdder Essential down to £16.09 at Amazon, though, I'm strongly tempted to return to my go-to mouse for years.

Sure, it is the most basic gaming mouse out there, but it has all the crucial features you might need at a bargain price. You get a precise 6400 DPI sensor for smooth and responsive movement, five reprogrammable buttons with macro support, including some handy side buttons, and an understated design with tasteful RGB.

I always found my Razer mouse was good for longevity, too, both in terms of how comfortable it was to hold and it would survive extended use thanks to some durable mechanical switches.

Now, there are clearly better and more advanced gaming mice out there if you want something even more precise or with extra features. However, for under £20, I think the Razer DeathAdder Essential is extremely hard to beat. That's especially true if you're someone like me who enjoys competitive gaming but is fully aware they're unlikely to hit the pro leagues any time soon.

Buy the Razer DeathAdder at Amazon

This Razer DeathAdder Essential deal is part of the current Amazon Tech Week sale, which features dozens of other offers on laptops, smartwatches, appliances, and more gaming gear.

I've had a look through the event and picked out some of the best deals that are currently live. You can find record-low prices on some top-rated tech, such as one of our favourite Garmin running watches, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally handheld gaming PC, and a portable fan from Shark.

Deals on this gaming mouse and everything mentioned end on Sunday, though, so do check them out before it's too late to see if anything grabs you.

Sony Inzone H6 Air: two-minute review

True to its name, the new Sony Inzone H6 Air wired gaming headset is incredibly lightweight. Coming in at just 7oz / 199g (and only slightly more with the detachable cardioid microphone attached), it’s among the lightest gaming headsets on the market.

This isn’t just impressive on the spec sheet either; when paired with the wonderfully soft earcups, it easily creates one of the most comfortable headsets I’ve tested. You can wear the Sony Inzone H6 Air for hours at a time with minimal fatigue. In fact, it’s easy to forget that you’re even wearing it at all.

Sony hasn’t made many compromises to achieve that impressively slight weight either. The overall design is very similar to the equally superb Sony Inzone H9 2, albeit with numerous holes in the aluminum outer earcup shells to create an open back. Under the hood, the Sony Inzone H6 Air packs the same drivers as Sony’s open-back MDR-MV1 studio monitor headphones, which is known for excellent sound. Studio monitor headphones are generally quite flat, but the drivers have been specifically adapted for gaming with enhanced bass.

The sound is far from unbalanced, though, and I’d argue that the default profile is pretty much perfect for almost all uses. The open-back design creates a lovely, wide soundstage that adds a real depth to gaming audio. Every time I fired a weapon in a match of Battlefield Redsec, the soft clink of spent bullet casings was impressively life-like and sounded just like it existed in a real 3D space.

The Inzone H6 Air is still good for music listening and more general use, too, as the bass isn’t overly strong in its default configuration. Jumping into the compatible Inzone Hub software lets you customize the equalizer (EQ) profiles and save them to the included USB-C audio box for use across console platforms.

Although I stuck with the default settings for the most part (finding them to be by far the most balanced), the ‘RPG/Adventure’ profile (designed in collaboration with the PlayStation Studios team) is a highlight — enabling an immersive spatial effect that’s perfect for getting lost in vast virtual worlds.

Sadly, this is pretty much the only reason to touch the software, as the few other features it offers aren’t particularly compelling. The aggressive bass boost mode is frankly unlistenable, while the dedicated first-person shooter (FPS) settings seem a tad unnecessary when the strong directional sound already gives you a decent advantage in competitive settings. The software’s dedicated 360 spatial mode is also highly unpleasant, creating an unconvincing surround effect at the cost of rendering all sound incredibly tinny and weak.

These software shortcomings are only minor gripes, though. At the end of the day, you’re still getting absolutely amazing audio right out of the box.

Sony Inzone H6 Air review: price & availability

• $199 / £175 / around AU$330
• Mid-range price for high-end components
• Strong value proposition

The Sony Inzone H6 Air is priced at $199 / £175 / around AU$330, putting it in the mid-range market segment. It is slightly more expensive than the Turtle Beach Atlas Air — another open-back model designed for gaming, which costs $179.99 / £159.99 / AU$299 but lacks the premium materials of the Sony headset.

Sharing its studio-grade drivers with the MDR-MV1, the Sony Inzone H6 Air also has significantly stronger audio chops. Better still, Sony’s Inzone offering is roughly half the price of its MDR-MV1, making for a strong value proposition.

Sony Inzone H6 Air review: specs

Sony Inzone H6 Air review: design and features

• Similar design to the Sony Inzone H9 2
• Intuitive controls
• Premium materials

There’s a tendency for particularly lightweight products to feel cheap, but that’s far from the case with the Sony Inzone H6 Air. Its design is similar to the sleek and stylish Sony Inzone H9 2, maintaining the same overall shape and a winning headband that offers a good level of adjustment. The main difference between the two is the perforated shells on the outside of the H6 Air’s earcups, which are constructed from a premium, sturdy-feeling aluminum.

These holes are what make the H6 Air an open-back headset and allow for a much wider, more natural-feeling soundstage than closed-back designs. There are some caveats inherent with all open-back models, though, namely the tendency for background noise to seep through. Sound also leaks out of the headset through these holes, so it’s not a design you’ll want to wear in a public setting.

The on-board controls are very basic but highly intuitive, with everything located on the left earcup. There’s a big clicky microphone mute button (with a distinct bumpy texture that makes it easy to find without looking), volume dial, 3.5mm audio input, and a 3.5mm port for the detachable cardioid microphone. My headset came with the volume dial cranked down all the way to mute, so don’t panic if your model doesn’t make any sound when you first plug it in — fiddle around with it for a moment and set it to your desired level.

The headset comes bundled with a USB-C audio box — a little dongle that can save any settings you create in the Inzone Hub software and allow you to bring them over to your console or phone. It seems to be the same audio box included with the Inzone E9 in-ear gaming headphones, which offer similar functionality.

Sony Inzone H6 Air review: performance

• Pristine audio
• Ideal for gaming and audio listening
• Background noise can be an issue

Unlike most gaming headsets, the Sony Inzone H6 Air has quite a neutral sound profile. There is some level of punchy bass, but unlike some gaming models, it’s never overpowering.

Clarity and directionality seem to have been the goal for Sony here, and the Inzone H6 Air excels on both fronts. This is most obvious when listening to music, as the impressively wide soundstage allows for excellent instrument separation.

In a gaming context, every individual sound effect is clearly defined, even in moments of intense action. Dropping into a match of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on the hectic Nuketown 2025 map, I was pleased to find that enemy footsteps were easy to track despite an abundance of gunfire, explosions, and other loud audio cues.

The same was true in a few matches of Battlefield Redsec, where the clean, crisp sound gave me a newfound appreciation for the game’s high-fidelity weapon effects.

It’s not just great for FPS titles, either; the Sony Inzone H6 Air excels at a wide variety of genres. Modern open-world role-playing games (RPGs) are a particular treat, especially ones that already benefit from strong sound design.

Wandering 16th-century Japan in Assassin’s Creed Shadows showcased this well; the game’s strong atmosphere was elevated by perfectly reproduced details like the faint trickle of running water from nearby rivers and the subtle rustlings of trees in the wind. Enabling the ‘RPG/Adventure’ profile in the Inzone Hub software kicks all of this into overdrive, adding an extra layer of directionality to the sound.

The included microphone is great too. It won’t replace a premium standalone model, but it captures your voice and does a decent job of drowning out background noise. You still won’t want to use this headset in loud environments, though, as it lets in a lot of background sound.

You can hear your own voice clearly while chatting with friends, keyboard taps, and any passing sirens. This is an inevitable trade-off in any open-back model. I think the sound quality on offer more than makes up for it here, but it will make the Sony Inzone H6 Air a poor choice for some.

If you need strong noise cancellation, consider the Sony Inzone H9 2 (which boasts some effective ANC) instead.

Should I buy the Sony Inzone H6 Air?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Sony Inzone H6 Air review: also consider

Here are two other great headsets to consider alongside the Sony Inzone H6 Air.

How I tested the Sony Inzone H6 Air

• Used for over a week
• Tested with a wide range of games
• Compared to other gaming headsets

I tested the Sony Inzone H6 Air ahead of its official reveal, going hands-on with a unit for more than a week. During that time, I used it extensively for work (that meant plenty of meetings), play, and music listening.

I tried the headset with a wide range of games from a variety of genres, including racing in Forza Horizon 5 and Need for Speed Unbound, FPS with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Battlefield Redsec, and RPG in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Although the majority of my time spent with the headset was on PC, I also used it with my PlayStation 5, mobile phone, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2 to assess its compatibility.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2026

• Plaion Replai and SNK have announced a new retro console
• The Neo Geo AES+ brings back the seriously pricey '90s system
• This re-release costs $249.99 / £179.99 / AU$329.99 and launches on November 12, 2026

Retro video game brand Plaion Replai has announced a new retro console in collaboration with publisher SNK, and it's a revival of the infamously expensive Neo Geo AES.

Originally released in the 1990s, the Neo Geo AES was basically the PlayStation 5 Pro of its age - a luxury enthusiast console aimed at the most hardcore gamers. One of the most powerful consoles on the market at the time, it retailed for $649.99 in the US, which is roughly just over $1,600 in today's money when adjusted for inflation.

Luckily, its modern incarnation, the Neo Geo AES+, which is set to hit shelves on November 12 this year, is considerably cheaper at $249.99 / £179.99 / AU$329.99. It maintains the exact look of the original console and doesn't rely on emulation. Rather, it's powered by re-engineered ASIC chips that should deliver an experience as close to the original hardware as possible.

Despite this, the Neo Geo AES+ has been upgraded with a number of quality-of-life features, namely the addition of a modern HDMI display output, though CRT owners will undoubtedly be pleased to hear that the original AV output is still there too.

There's also an overclocking mode, language selection switches, and the ability to save high scores with a compatible memory card accessory.

Loads of classic Neo Geo games are being re-released too, including the original Metal Slug, King of Fighters 2002, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, and more. I'm particularly keen to try Twinkle Star Sprites, a top-down shooter with some adorably colorful graphics.

The titles I've named all retail for $89.99 / £69.99 / AU$139.99 a pop, which is pretty pricey for such old games, but still significantly cheaper than buying most of the original cartridges second-hand. They'll also work with the original Neo Geo AES.