• Nintendo has reported that 61.5% of its sales between March 30 and June 30, 2026, were digital purchases
• This means 38.5% were physical sales
• Digital sales also include other add-on software and downloadable content (DLC)

While Sony commits to ending the production of game discs, Nintendo has reported that almost 40% of its software sales are physical.

That's according to Nintendo's latest financial report for the first quarter of fiscal year ending March 2027, which confirms that between March 30 and June 30, 2026, 61.5% of Nintendo's sales were from digital purchases, meaning 38.5% came from physical sales.

The Mario maker reports that in the previous quarter, it earned 132.7 billion yen from digital sales alone, a 90% year-on-year increase and a 2.2% increase in the proportion of digital sales compared to the same time last year.

Software sales for the Switch 2 also increased by 9.2% year-on-year to 9.46 million units, and original Switch software increased by 38.6% year-on-year to 33.81 million units.

However, Nintendo confirmed the 61.5% digital sales include other software, such as Switch Online subscriptions, Switch 2 Edition upgrades, download-only titles, and downloadable content (DLC) purchases, which would boost digital sales. It also doesn't include digital copies of Mario Kart World, that would be bundled with a console.

Meanwhile, for physical units, net sales for software bundled with hardware are classified as hardware sales.

"As a result, although bundled software such as Mario Kart World is included in the number of software units sold, the corresponding revenue is not recognized as software sales or digital sales," Nintendo said.

Nevertheless, the ratio is significant, and 38.5% in physical sales suggests that Nintendo doesn't plan to abandon boxed games any time soon, unlike Sony.

The PlayStation company shared its plan to retire the production of game discs by January 2028 last month, and has recently confirmed that it is "cautiously" moving forward with its decision despite the backlash (via IGN).

Although some game companies are willing to fight to keep physical games alive, Capcom has recently stated it's unlikely to be significantly impacted by the death of physical games, because 90% of its unit sales are digital.

Glorious GHS Wireless InfinitePlay: one-minute review

There’s something deeply satisfying about the way Glorious goes about speccing its gaming peripherals. The company has a sharp eye for nonsense, and ruthlessly strips it out of the mice and, now, the headset that it brings to the gaming market. Behold, then, the GHS Wireless InfinitePlay, a wireless gaming headset featuring precisely zero RGB, built around normal-sized 40mm drivers, just quietly getting on with giving you multiplatform audio with infinite battery life and two mic options for $230.

With one swappable battery pack placed in the base station, it’s charging ready for use while you have the other one of the pair in your headset. Each one offers 85 hours of use from a full charge, and in case that wasn’t enough, a ‘guardian’ 45mAh built-in battery handles the changeover so you don’t need to turn the headset back on again after you swap. Handy.

That same ‘you won’t need it, but just in case…’ ethos is evident in the mic spec. You’ve got a detachable 70Hz-10KHz noise-cancelling mic for when you’re seated, locked in and ready to absolutely bellow at your team-mates away from prying eyes, and a built-in mic to use when you’re out and about using the Bluetooth connection to a mobile device or Nintendo Switch, and don’t fancy looking like an air traffic controller. Yes, it has 2.4GHz and Bluetooth 5.4 connections, swappable with one button press.

And that’s a very impressive feature set at any price, but especially for $229.99 / £199.99 / AU$239.99. It’s not even super clear where the concessions have been made to hit the price point. The audio quality is simply good rather than audiophile-grade, but that’s totally in line with what this headset is for: gaming. It’s trying to articulate useful audio cues, not trick your ears into thinking they’re in the expensive seats at an IMAX cinema.

Similarly, the construction materials are almost exclusively lightweight, brushed black plastic rather than anything showier, but that serves the sprightly 360g headset weight.

One area of that headset build and design I did run into issues with is the headband. Your experience will vary depending on your head size, but I found a degree of pressure that becomes slightly uncomfortable during longer sessions. This being an elasticated suspended band design, it’s possible that this may ease as the band slackens over time, but during the month I’ve been using my unit I do still notice discomfort.

Besides that, there’s very little to grumble about. The power button isn’t clearly labelled, and the Bluetooth button can easily be confused for it, but this is a one-time issue. Once you know what’s what, that moment of unintuitive design becomes moot and you can enjoy the fantastic feature set of these cans.

Glorious GHS Wireless InfinitePlay: Price and availability

• List price: $229.99 / £199.99 / AU$239.99
• Swappable batteries like the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, for less
• Packed with useful extras

The extremely competitive pricing of this package is certainly one of its biggest assets. Packing a dual swappable battery design for less than Steelseries’ Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is a great way to announce one’s presence in the headset market, and Glorious backs that head-turning spec up with a number of handy additions that justify the price point.

Namely, a choice of mics (detachable or built-in) and a ‘guardian’ built-in battery that kicks in when you swap between the rechargeable packs, along with some serious configuration flexibility offered by the base station and dongle.

In this challenging economy, to put it mildly, you’d simply expect to see this package priced higher. The construction materials aren’t comparable with ultra-high-end models like the Audeze Maxwell 2 or the Logitech Astro A50 X, but they’re sturdy and finished to a high standard.

Glorious GHS Wireless InfinitePlay: Specs

Glorious GHS Wireless InfinitePlay: Design and features

• Black and orange design is Valve-esque
• Prioritises light weight over looks
• Battery packs look like retro FPS keycards

There’s a duality here to Glorious’ headset stylings. On the one hand, it's extremely restrained with the brushed black plastic on the base station and headset, an elegant amount of orange contrast trim on the whole package, and battery packs that look like they’d unlock a door in a ‘90’s shooter.

On the other hand, the company’s fundamental branding is based on a joke that got old quite a while ago. The brand's name references the glorious PC gaming master race meme and subreddit, which worked as a self-aware joke about PC gaming elitism in 2008 and 2011, but in 2026 works… less so. Look, this could just be an age thing, but to me the GabeN-like brand logo and ‘GGWP’ text on the lower-left earcup feel just a few steps away from a ‘Keep out mom, I’m gaming!’ poster. Given that this headset works with PS5, PS4, Switch and mobile devices (there’s no Xbox version), it’s also just confusing branding at this point.

With that chiding out of the way, I do like the look of this headset. The orange trim feels Valve-esque in the right way, like someone very clever sat and thought about this for a long time. The base station is compact and smart, with indicator lights to show when it’s connected to your headset and the charge status of the battery pack slotted into it. Two USB-C ports to the rear connect to a wireless dongle which sits flush with the base station when connected, and a USB-C-to-USB-C cable to connect to your PC or console. A USB-C to A adapter is also provided.

The base station, dongle, cables, and Bluetooth connection create tons of setup configurations. You can ditch the base station and just use the dongle if you like, although that does mean you don’t have a spare battery charging while you use it. You can even ditch the dongle too and connect the headset with the USB-C cable, although I haven’t found a use case yet where that makes sense, since the built-in battery has a few hours of life even when both swappable packs are depleted.

The headset itself is pretty lightweight for a wireless model with a battery pack, eschewing flashy finishes for an all-plastic body with a fabric headband on suspended elastic, and breathable fabric earcups covering reasonably plush memory foam cushions. If you love that pulsing, sealed-in feeling of closed-back headphones like the HyperX Cloud, these aren’t your cans. They’re certainly closed-back, but the fabric around the earcups does affect the way you experience the audio from its 40mm drivers, producing a flat, detailed but not very low-end heavy response that’s reminiscent of Steelseries’ excellent Arctis Nova 7 and upwards.

I don’t get on with the physical control layout here, though. The location of the (unmarked) power button on the upper-left earcup threw me initially, and I think this control and its right-hand earcup mate are trying to do too much. Both are rotary dials as well as buttons, and while the left controls chat mix, profile swapping and battery status, the right controls volume and media controls. I’m all for minimalist design, but try navigating that while you’re concentrating on something in-game. It took me a couple of weeks to memorise how to perform all those actions.

Just one more gripe – the battery status readout would be much better if it gave you a percentage rather than simply an ‘ok’ or ‘charge now’. Maybe one for a future firmware update.

Glorious GHS Wireless InfinitePlay: Performance

• Tuned for gaming performance
• Good suite of software tweaks
• Battery life true to claims

We all know by now that buying a mouse, keyboard, or headset doesn’t turn you into a Faze Clan member, and the gaming performance gains in the headset vertical are especially marginal. That said, if you’re listening out for footsteps in PUBG Battlegrounds and your 2014 cans with their 60mm grotesquely tuned drivers are too busy making a far-off gunfight sound like a drum and bass gig, you might notice a bit of an advantage when you update your audio hardware.

That’s why it’s important that these drivers are tuned with a nice flat EQ response. That means that they don’t strongly emphasise one particular area of the EQ spectrum, unlike the aforementioned early 2010s models with their ‘scooped’ profiles that boosted the lows and highs like a sound engineer at a Metallica gig.

Sticking with a roughly even volume distribution along the spectrum means that the GHS Wireless InfinitePlay gives all frequencies space to voice and be heard. It might not sound mind-blowing like Audio-Technica or Audeze drivers, but it’s well-suited to games that reward a keen ear, from competitive shooters to singleplayer titles.

I find headsets tuned this way really useful in racing sims too, where I need to hear brake lockups and tire squeals as early as possible, and as prominently in the mix as I can.

Over in Glorious Core, the accompanying software, there’s a welcome and well-judged suite of options including a sidetone toggle, EQ tuning including some basic provided profiles, mic settings like noise cancellation toggling, and several options to tweak the headset behaviour, like when it auto-powers down and whether it gives you voice prompts. I don’t love that it’s taking up 0.99GB of my SSD space to do that, though, and would much prefer a browser-based tuning app.

The battery life really is as long per pack as Glorious states, and swapping them out is easy while you’re mid-session. Just take the spent one out, let the ‘guardian’ battery take over until the end of the round or the next quiet moment, then swap in the other pack.

I didn’t run into any setup issues when I used this with PC, PS5 or Switch, and found that the dual-wireless is pretty rock solid. It’s less suited as a console headset, particularly the Switch, since it really needs the base station to be connected in order to keep a battery pack charged and ready. But as a multiplatform solution (marketing types like to call these ‘battle station’ setups), it offers a no-fuss means to switch between devices.

Should you buy the Glorious GHS Wireless InfinitePlay?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Glorious GHS Wireless InfinitePlay: Also consider

Not feeling like swapping in this wireless headset? Consider these premium wireless alternatives.

How I tested the Glorious GHS Wireless InfinitePlay

• One month of use on PC, PS5, Switch and mobile.
• All configurations tested
• Tested with shooters, battle royales, racing games and more

Something about the black and orange design of this headset and base station gave me an overwhelming urge to replay Half-Life 2 episodes 1 and 2, so that is where I began. Hearing those familiar audio files through new drivers is a good reference point, actually, which helps to suss out how good the GHS Wireless InfinitePlay is at positional audio.

I’ve also been playing PUBG Battlegrounds, Counter-Strike 2 and F1 25 with this headset, and putting the mic through its paces with amateur found footage horror simulator, Content Warning.

Since it offers an array of connection types – with or without the base station, wired connection – I’ve spent some time playing on all of them, across my PC, Switch, and PS5.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2026.

• The Legend of Zelda Movie has reportedly found its Ganondorf and Impa
• Uli Latukefu and Dichen Lachmann are set to play the aforementioned pair
• The film also expected to feature Yvonna Strahovski and the late Sam Neill

The Legend of Zelda Movie just got a big cast update — and now we know who'll play the franchise's primary villain in Ganondorf.

Per Deadline, relative newcomer and Australian actor Uli Latukefu (Young Rock, Marco Polo) will play the imposing Big Bad in Sony's live-action film adaptation of Nintendo's beloved videogame franchise.

Deadline's report also claims that Latukefu has inked a multi-picture deal — a crucial detail that implies that, should the Zelda film be a critical and commercial success, Latukefu will return as the power-hungry Gerudo warlock in at least one sequel.

Latukefu isn't the only actor who's all but confirmed to appear in The Legend of Zelda's big-screen reimagining.

In a separate article, Deadline reported that Severance star Dichen Lachmann will portray Zelda's bodyguard Impa in the live-action film. This apparent confirmation comes months after Lachmann was supposedly spotted on set with Bo Bragason's Zelda — the latter of whom was announced as the titular character in July 2025. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth was also revealed to be playing Link, aka The Legend of Zelda's male protagonist and hero, at the same time.

Furthermore, Deadline's sources have suggested that Yvonna Strahovski (The Handmaid's Tale) and the late, great actor Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) are also set to feature, though the identities of their characters is unknown.

Who are Sam Neill and Yvonne Strahovski playing in The Legend of Zelda Movie?

According to Deadline's sources, Strahovski will portray an unnamed queen. Immediately, fans' attentions will immediately turn to Princess Zelda's mother, who's never actually showed up in a Legend of Zelda game.

However, there are numerous other female monarchs who Strahovski could portray. That includes Queen Sonia, who — spoiler — is revealed to be Hyrule's co-founder in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This game, which is the latest entry in Nintendo's long-running and universally adored franchise, is the sequel to Breath of the Wild, which, based on The Legend of Zelda Movie's first-look images, many fans think the film is largely inspired by. If that's the case, it's possible that Strahovski could play Queen Sonia in a flashback sequence if the Zelda film incorporates aspect of Tears of the Kingdom's story into its plot.

As for Neill, who passed away from pneumonia in mid-July after a lengthy cancer battle, he might play King Rauru, aka Queen Sonia's husband. Other alternatives — in my mind, anyway — that Neill could embody in one of his final on-screen performances include King Rhoam, aka the last ruler of Hyrule, the 100-year-old Sheikh scientist Doctor Robbie, or a popular member of the Goron tribe, such as Daruk or Bludo.

Who do you think Strahovski and Neill are playing? Let me know in the comments. Once you have, find out everything we know so far about The Legend of Zelda Movie, which is now set to land in theaters worldwide on April 30, 2027.

A new entry in Capcom's cult-classic Onimusha franchise has been a long time coming, and there was no better time than now for its resurgence, during the developer's largely successful RE Engine era.

So far, it seems that the resurgence will pay off extremely well: I spent three hours with the upcoming demon-hunting slasher, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and I came away absolutely amazed by just how well Capcom has taken the formula from previous entries and modernized it brilliantly.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword absolutely shines within every combat encounter, with its weighty, methodical, and stylish sword clashes. It very much reminds me of From Software's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which might sound concerning for those who aren't fans of excessively hard souls games.

You can throw that thought out, though: Way of the Sword is a challenging but very accessible and enjoyable experience, with a variety of boss battles that will test your mettle.

However, with enough practice via boss rematches or against standard enemies in training arenas, similar to previous entries, you'll become accustomed to its combat in no time.

Poised to be the best yet

Rasho-gan's boss battle was intense; a clash with one of the best-designed demons in the game I saw. The opening cutscene was creepy, and it quickly became apparent how cruel the demons are. (Video credit: Capcom)

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is poised to be the best entry in the franchise, without a doubt. It's fair to say that potential acclaim is heavily carried by Capcom's magical RE Engine, responsible for major hits like Resident Evil 4 (2023), Resident Evil Requiem, Monster Hunter World, and other titles in both franchises for almost a decade.

Visuals are at their best in Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Character models, environment details, and the art style all lend to the immersive samurai demon-hunting experience Capcom is trying to deliver — but it's not just about visuals.

I spoke highly of the animations during combat in my coverage of the public demo. After the three-hour preview, I'm convinced that Onimusha: Way of the Sword will set a new standard for sword clashes and how detailed they are.

The 'Issen' technique (evident in the video above) was a core aspect of combat in previous titles and is back and better than ever. It allows players to perform a deadly counterattack right before an enemy attack, and it was a maneuver I spent plenty of time practicing during the preview.

It's not easy to pull off, as it requires very precise timing, but it comes in clutch when outnumbered or facing off against the three tough bosses during my preview (which I won't spoil), by doing plenty of stagger damage. Once I unlocked Chain Issen, I could take out multiple enemies in rapid fashion — and the new flashy and stylish animation makes it so much more satisfying.

Byakue is the hardest boss I've come across in Way of the Sword so far, with constant erratic and unpredictable movements. You've got to have your guard up at all times against this one. (Video credit: Capcom)

My mention of stagger damage is important because Onimusha: Way of the Sword's combat, especially during boss battles where parries are pivotal, reminds me very much of From Software's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Again, this isn't a souls-like, so don't expect much similarity to Sekiro elsewhere, and thankfully, Way of the Sword is much more forgiving for mistimed parries.

However, the sword clashes with bosses like Byakue are incredibly well designed, with audio and visuals that are fantastically gripping, creating the same back-and-forth flow that worked so well in Sekiro.

The great thing is that it seems as though Capcom has used Sekiro as inspiration for combat and built on it, adding extra details like a brief slowdown and zoom when a perfect parry is performed, creating openings for further attacks.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is also not heavily reliant on parries in normal enemy encounters or boss battles, thanks to the presence of perfect dodges and Issen. Those three elements combined make for a pleasant experience — and outside of the practice arena, there are side quests you can take on for non-player characters (NPCs) with semi-open hubs (similar to Resident Evil 4's boat segment) to explore.

Wind-Whipper is a secondary weapon, but it's certainly a room clearer. It saved me numerous times when encountering more formidable foes while travelling across one of the game's semi-open hubs. (Video credit: Capcom)

Perhaps the only worry I do have is that Way of the Sword seemingly won't have any other primary weapons for Miyamoto Musashi, the main protagonist, to wield. There are indeed secondary weapons, but they are seemingly limited to Oni Armaments, which can only be used when their meters are filled when engaging in duels.

Don't get me wrong, those secondary weapons like the Two Celestials (dual blades) and the Wind-Whipper spear-like weapon I unlocked in my three-hour run are great — but I'm hoping there are enough skills for Musashi's katana to keep gameplay fresh through the game's runtime.

Either way, I'm incredibly excited for Onimusha: Way of the Sword's launch on September 4, 2026, releasing on PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC — and I'm sure it will be yet another massive hit.

• The actors behind Resident Evil Requiem's Leon S. Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft, Nick Apostolides and Angela Sant’Albano, will co-host the Future Games Show at Gamescom
• The showcase will feature more than 40 games from AAA and indie studios
• Fans can expect "exclusive gameplay reveals and brand-new trailers for some of the most exciting upcoming games"

The Future Games Show at Gamescom 2026 has found its co-hosts in Resident Evil Requiem stars Nick Apostolides and Angela Sant’Albano.

Apostolides and Sant’Albano played Leon S. Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft in the most recent Resident Evil entry, and they will reunite once more on August 26 for the Future Games Show at Gamescom, which begins at 10AM PDT / 1PM EDT / 6PM BST / 7PM CEST / 1AM CST.

"I’m thrilled to be co-hosting the Future Games Show at Gamescom alongside Angela Sant’Albano on August 26!" said Apostolides. "I can't wait to share an incredible lineup of games with fans around the world. Whether you’re into pulse-pounding horror, samurai adventures or anything in between, we’ve got first looks, exciting reveals and plenty of surprises in store. Join us for one hell of a show."

The showcase is expected to feature more than 40 games from some of the industry's biggest AAA and indie studioes, including a behind the scenes look at Tides of Annihilation from Eclipse Glow Games, a closer look at samurai swordplay action game Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and an interview with Neon Giant for their immersive open-world game on their new immersive open world game NO LAW.

"I'm thrilled to be joining Nick Apostolides to co-host the Future Games Show at gamescom on 26 August," Sant’Albano said. "We’re putting the zombie-dodging to one side to bring you world premieres, exclusive gameplay reveals and brand-new trailers for some of the most exciting upcoming games. Nick and I can't wait to share it all with you - see you there!"

FGS Live From Gamescom will immediately follow the main showcase on August 26, hosted by the FGS editorial team, and feature more world premieres and exclusive trailers, as well as news and interviews from the Gamescom show floor.

To round out the event, the FGS Best Of Gamescom broadcast will kick off on August 30 and take viewers to the show floor to wrap up the best games of the event.

You'll be able to tune in and watch the Future Games Show at Gamescom 2026 at Twitch, YouTube, X, TikTok, Facebook, and GamesRadar+.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni: One-minute review

The most succinct way to describe the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni gaming headset is that it feels like a 2026-ified version of its excellent predecessor, the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless — one of my favorite gaming headsets ever.

The Omni is a fantastic wireless gaming headset and offers a whole heap of improvements and enhancements over its older brethren, and in its own right, will tick every box most gamers can think of. Each feature that’s been tweaked or upgraded might not be huge in isolation, but every single one adds up, and it absolutely is greater than the sum of its parts when everything’s considered.

The design and build will be very familiar to anyone who’s used any of the Nova line, as it shares identical design language and aesthetics, while retaining a robust build quality you can have confidence in. The GameHub dongle is also identical in form to the one found on the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite and the Nova Pro Wireless, but is boosted to offer an upgraded level of connectivity: you can connect and mix up to four different inputs on the Omni, which is somewhat ludicrous but offers excellent versatility.

The audio quality, microphone, and overall performance of the Omni is spectacular, and can’t really be faulted. I think I might just prefer the bottom-end audio of my Audeze Maxwell 2 over the Omni, but that’s nitpicking as the overall audio experience is fantastic, no matter which platform you're connected to. Being able to change EQ on the fly with the Arctis Companion App is a great boost over the Nova Pro Wireless and an excellent feature of modern Nova headsets.

It’s an excellent headset, no doubt, but its pricing and the fact that Nova Pro Wireless will still be available mean the Omni’s place in the lineup is a little muddy for me. It performs fantastically, offers the full set of gaming headset features you could ask for, but I’m just not totally convinced it’s a great value option right now.

In isolation, however, this is a fantastic multiplatform wireless gaming headset and probably the one to go for if you really want the maximum flexibility and versatility.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni: Price and availability

• List price: $399.99 / £349.99 / AU$799
• Closely priced to the Nova Pro Wireless, which will inevitably be cheaper
• Way under the Nova Elite, but in direct competition to headsets like the Audeze Maxwell 2

In isolation, the Arctis Nova Pro Omni is pretty well placed price-wise at $399.99 / £349.99. However, its position alongside the rest of the Nova lineup raises an eyebrow.

A large part of this is because of the continued availability of the headset that the Omni feels like it was made to replace: the Nova Pro Wireless. With the latter now readily available for far less than the Omni’s list price, I think — as a fan of both — that the value proposition of the Omni is lessened.

Unless you really really want the four-device connectivity (as opposed to two), and really want the latest and greatest in a SteelSeries headset without going for the much more premium Nova Elite, then I still think the Nova Pro Wireless is going to be a better value purchase for you. Especially if you’re on just one platform.

The Omni is also up against formidable competition outside of its own brethren at this price point. My absolute favorite headset right now, and my top pick ever in terms of pure audio quality, the Audeze Maxwell 2 is in the same price territory and would be my recommendation for someone prioritizing that.

Then there’s also the likes of the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro 2, and the Sony Inzone H9 2 in the $300-ish zone, along with the likes of the Fractal Scape and the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro that come in slightly cheaper and all offer incredible wireless gaming headset experiences with a host of features.

Having said all that, the Omni does do a lot in and of itself to justify its price tag as a high-end, brilliantly flexible and top-performing wireless headset. It will definitely be the best wireless option in this part of the Nova lineup when or if the Nova Pro Wireless ceases to be made, but until then it’s not a slam dunk for me.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni: Specs

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni: Design & features

• Class-leading set of features and connectivity options
• Reliable and fantastic build quality and battery solution
• Very much from the Nova line of SteelSeries headsets

Straight out of the box, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Omni really is a Nova Pro Wireless in disguise, as all the parts are there. That isn’t a criticism, as the Omni is simply another SteelSeries headset cut from the Arctis Nova cloth.

It’s a familiar design to anyone who’s seen or held a Nova headset, but it does have a tangible level of robustness and solidity that instils confidence — I’ve already dropped my unit a few times, but you wouldn’t be able to tell. The ear cushions are incredibly comfortable too, and I’ve been able to wear this headset for full work days without ever fully realising it too.

The GameHub is basically the same as on other Nova headsets that use it, but there are a few more options within the OLED display, and the addition of a texture to the navigation wheel is a welcome touch.

It’s this kind of small design change that’s present in a few areas across the Nova Pro Omni too: the multi-function volume wheel on the left cup has a new texture to it, the ear cushions are thicker and more padded compared to the Nova Pro Wireless, the mic is new and improved, and so on.

On top of intuitive controls, Arctis Companion App integration, boosted connectivity (Bluetooth 5.3 features here), greater battery life, and quicker fast charge, and more, all the Omni’s improvements over the Nova Pro Wireless do stand on their own feet, and, importantly, add up to a wonderfully designed and feature-filled wireless gaming headset that will offer everything even those with three consoles and a PC could ever want.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni: Performance

• Fantastic SteelSeries audio quality out of the box
• Every upgrade feels worthwhile
• Audio quality and overall performance still close to its predecessor

In terms of performance, the audio is the least difficult thing to cast an opinion on: it’s fantastic. Once again, this is from the SteelSeries Arctis Nova line so shares in all the excellent out-of-the-box audio quality the series is known for and does not disappoint in any way.

What’s more, the audio is now Hi-Res certified, and on PC you’ll be getting 96kHz/24bit, which is a sheer, immersive joy to behold in games like Cyberpunk 2077, and even the atmospheric noises in Frostpunk 2 are detailed and clear. But even away from that, on PS5 Pro (Sony’s console can’t take advantage of 96kHz audio), the gaming audio delivered by the Omni is, predictably, a treat.

Sea shanties, explosive ship combat, and swashbuckling sword action in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced are fantastically vivid and rich; the audio in 007 First Light is even more cinematic and bombastic; and even audio in older online games like my go-to, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, is elevated excellently, with enemy audio presented accurately, and the action and soundtrack mixed perfectly.

The ability to change EQ presets for individual games and preferences via the Arctis Companion App remains a brilliant feature too, expanding the Omni’s already excellent versatility.

On top of that, being wireless but plugged into a host of different devices as well as Bluetooth on my phone was very handy — in my particular setup. If you do have a multi-device setup and are looking for one headset that can be used on all of them with ease, even if not simultaneously, then this is a quality feature. For others on single-device setups, this is a bit overkill.

Away from games, music and entertainment is superb on the Omni, and using it for work calls - and multiplayer gaming sessions — with its new (compared with the Nova Pro Wireless) omnidirectional ClearCast Pro mic is brilliant. I found the overall quality of the mic to be excellent, though its omnidirectional design did mean a little more background noise escaped to my friends down the line at times, and it’s certainly a big step up over the Nova Pro Wireless’ microphone.

The way the headset feels to use is also a notable step up over the Nova Pro Wireless, and thus feels closer to the Nova Elite too. The wheel on the left ear cup is incredibly pleasing to use, the GameHub that offers more options is intuitive and easy to use, the new ear cushions are thicker and more comfy than the Pro Wireless (but only just), and there’s also improved ANC which I found worked well, as well as a hoist of boosts to Bluetooth (up to 5.3), longer battery life on the batteries and faster quick charge, and a few more to boot.

Each of the improvements over the Nova Pro Wireless do add up to something much greater than each in isolation.

Should I buy the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider...

If the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni might seem overkill in some departments, then check out these two fine offerings as alternatives.

How I tested the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni

• Used as a daily driver for a few months
• Tested on PC, PS5, and mobile
• Deployed across a host of games, as well as daily work calls and more

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni headset has been my sole unit for gaming on PS5 and PC, as well as work tasks and calls, for the best part of three months.

I have used it to play a bunch of 007 First Light, a full review playthrough and subsequent platinum playthrough of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, and a whole host of Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 on PS5, and also dived into Cyberpunk 2077, Frostpunk 2, and Crusader Kings 3 on Acer Predator Orion 5000 gaming PC (supplied by Acer) teamed with a productivity monitor and an Acer Predator X32QFS gaming monitor (also supplied by Acer).

For a lot of that game-time testing, the Omni was connected to my PC and PS5 simultaneously on one setup, deploying its multi-connectivity. I was then also able to use it for all my work calls, and listening to music.

During this time, I was able to directly compare the Omni with some other gaming headsets I had to hand, such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless and Nova Elite, as well as the Audeze Maxwell 2 and Maxwell 2 ANC.

First reviewed May-August 2026

Read more about how we test

• Secretlab has revealed new skins for its Pokémon Titan Evo collection
• Three new skins inspired by Grass-, Fire-, and Water-Type Pokémon will be included in the collection
• The designs highlight fan-favorite Pokémon Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise

Following the launch of its Secretlab Pokémon Collection for its Titan Evo gaming chair, Secretlab is expanding the collaboration with three new Pokémon-inspired skins.

The Secretlab SKINS Pokémon Pixel Art Collection celebrates Grass, Fire, and Water-Type Pokémon, including the fan-favorite First Partner Evolutions: Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise.

Each design is tailored to each Pokémon, with stunning green, orange, and blue gradients that fade from light to dark along the backrest. Patterned panels along the side feature more pixel art themed after Grass, Fire, and Water-Type Pokémon, like Arcanine, Bulbasaur, Vaporeon, and many more.

"The Secretlab SKINS Pokémon Pixel Art Fire-Type Edition sports a scorching hot look, just like Charizard's Flamethrower," reads one description. "Charmander, Charmeleon, Arcanine, Rapidash, Flareon, and more round out the fiery company."

The designs rendered in adorable pixel art for Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise are featured in the middle of the chair, showcasing your chosen Pokémon.

Currently, the Pokémon Titan Evo collection includes the Pokémon Pikachu Edition, the Pokémon Eevee Edition, and the Pokémon Gengar Edition.

"We wanted this chair collection to speak to the inner child in all of us, while still being elevated with craftmanship that would appeal to our now grown-up selves," said Secretlab senior product graphic designer Irene Tee of the chair designs.

With these three new Pokémon Secretlab skins, you can easily slip the sleeve over a Titan Evo chair, one of the best gaming chairs you can buy right now, and you're done.

I still consider Lies of P to be the very best of the best soulslike games you can play today. Others have come close, like the tremendously underrated Wuchang: Fallen Feathers (I also have a soft spot for 2023's flawed-but-interesting Lords of the Fallen), but none have been able to match this macabre take on the tale of Pinocchio. And I'm happy to report the game really shines on Nintendo Switch 2 with the arrival of Lies of P: Complete Edition.

It's very much the same game that fans have loved since its 2023 release. However, Lies of P: Complete Edition also bundles in the phenomenal Overture expansion and all previously released cosmetic downloadable content (DLC).

As a result, this review will broadly focus on the game's performance on Nintendo Switch 2 and its overall value for money of Lies of P: Complete Edition. Be sure to read our original Lies of P review for a more complete rundown of the game itself, as well as our Lies of P: Overture review if you're curious about the unmissable massive expansion that released last year.

If you own a Nintendo Switch 2 and you've been waiting for a chance to play Lies of P, then you'll be well-served with Lies of P: Complete Edition. Not only does it bundle the base game and the expansion at a reasonable asking price, but it's also a winner in the performance department with robust graphics options and speedy load times. I really can't recommend it enough, especially after completing my third playthrough of the game via this Complete Edition.

It's not a perfect package; the more quality-centric graphics options are perhaps a tad too ambitious, leading to a very noticeable performance compromise. Plus, the inability to disable motion blur means you'll probably get sick of the smeary image created whenever you adjust the in-game camera.

But if you stick to the performance- or balance-oriented graphics modes in either docked or handheld play, you'll find that Lies of P mostly plays like a dream on Nintendo Switch 2.

Arms' length

As a quick catch-up (though once again I'll direct you to the review links above if you want to really learn more about the game before making a purchasing decision), Lies of P is a soulslike action game in the vein of FromSoftware-developed titles like Elden Ring and the Dark Souls trilogy.

That means you can expect a high level of difficulty, with tough boss encounters and tricky enemies. You can also expect intricate level design with plenty to explore off the beaten path, and robust build variety that lets you craft a playstyle that suits your preferences.

Where Lies of P sets itself apart is in its gameplay particulars. The player character, as a puppet, can equip a variety of Legion Arms, which offer effects like applying harmful status elements, pulling enemies toward you, or laying down proximity mines for crowd control.

You can also mix and match the blade and hilt of most of the game's weapons, with different combinations changing how you swing the weapon, as well as the special moves it has access to. Finally, exploring is greatly incentivized by Quartz - a rare item that lets you unlock strong passive abilities via your P-Organ setup at the homebase of Hotel Krat. Such passives include more healing item uses, more amulet slots for applying strong combat effects, and greater effectiveness of your dodge roll.

Lies of P can be an extremely tough game, but there are two easier difficulty options if you'd prefer a more casual experience. These can be changed at any time, so feel free to switch them around if you find you're having too hard (or too easy) of a time; the game does not punish you or lock away any content on those easier difficulties.

P for Performance

So let's break down how Lies of P: Complete Edition runs on Nintendo Switch 2, specifically. In docked mode, on TV, you have three settings. The performance-centered option lets you play at a full 60fps, and it's tremendously smooth with little in the way of hiccups. The downside here is you lose quite a bit of graphical detail, with greatly simplified environmental detail and particle effects.

The quality-centered option swings a bit too far in the opposite direction, and while it does offer some nice-looking ray-tracing, the Switch 2 isn't quite able to keep up the pace and performance really suffers as a result. This setting also makes the camera-based motion blur very apparent, creating a Vaseline-like smear whenever you shift the camera in-game. There's no option to turn off the motion blur, either, so I would recommend avoiding this setting in both docked and handheld modes.

I personally found that the 'Balanced' setting offered the best results. This had the best balance between frame rate (a stable 30fps) and graphical detail. If you're going to play on TV, this is the graphics option I would strongly recommend.

There are still some caveats that are apparent across all graphics modes, though. There's very noticeable object pop-in for distant objects, especially in the game's denser areas like the Lorenzini Arcade or Overture's Krat Zoo. It's not game-breaking by any means, but it shows that some compromises had to be made for more stable performance on Switch 2.

Another annoying thing about this Switch 2 version is that you can only change graphics options from the title screen menu. That means you'll have to back out from the game to the menu every single time you want to change things up. This is another reason why I recommend just setting the game to Balanced mode from the jump. It offers the best visual quality to performance balance, and I would only suggest swapping to the performance-centered mode if you're desperate for 60fps gameplay.

On that note, a 60fps graphics option is coming to handheld mode via a day-one patch, so I was unable to test that during the review period.

Should I play Lies of P: Complete Edition?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

Lies of P: Complete Edition has a basic set of accessibility options. There are three colorblind modes (protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia), as well as the option to adjust subtitle display and size. Full button rebinding is also supported, and as mentioned in the review, there are two easier difficulty options if the going gets a bit too tough.

How I reviewed Lies of P: Complete Edition

I played Lies of P: Complete Edition for 20 hours for this review. That playtime included most of the base game and the first handful of areas within the Overture DLC. I tested all graphics modes available during the review period, including quality, performance, and balanced options.

I played Lies of P: Complete Edition primarily in docked mode on an LG CX OLED TV with a Switch 2 Pro Controller, swapping over to handheld mode every so often to get a feel for overall performance there, too. I also hooked up my RIG R5 Spear Pro HS gaming headset for more immersive audio while playing in handheld mode.

First reviewed July-August 2026

It's time to bid farewell to July 2026 — and, if you won't be heading out to catch Spider-Man: Brand New Day this weekend, you're going to need something to watch at home instead.

Thankfully, the world's best streaming services have plenty of great-looking new movies and shows for you to check out before Monday arrives once more. Don't delay, then — scroll on to see what you'll be adding to your watchlist ahead of the new working week. — Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

The Devil Wears Prada 2 (Hulu/Disney+)

Gird your loins, people: The Devil Wears Prada 2 is finally available to stream on Hulu and Disney+. As an 11-year old girl who grew up wanting to be Andy Sachs, I can safely say that nothing has changed 20 years later.

This time around, Andy is brought back into the Runway Magazine fold when Miranda comes under fire for printing false information in an article. As the new Features Editor, it's Andy's job to navigate a PR crisis fit for the 2020s, which includes getting a little help from Emily.

With all of the nostalgia and dreamy fashion montages you could hope for, and an new original song by Doechii and Lady Gaga that slaps, I'll be watching this over and again. — Jasmine Valentine, entertainment reporter

• Watch The Devil Wears Prada 2 on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally)

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (Peacock)

Yahoo! Almost fourh months after it initially landed in theaters, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has finally made its official streaming debut on Peacock.

Mario's latest animated adventure is way more polarizing than its predecessor, yet it still managed to pull in $1 billion at the worldwide box office. For that reason alone, it's probably worth giving it a whirl — but, seeing as you'll need something to entertain the kids for 90 minutes or so, it's definitely worth putting on.

But, I digress. For those who might not know: this time around, Mario and his allies traverse the cosmos as they attempt to stop Bowser and Bowser Jr from enacting a new masterplan that would see them kidnap Princess Rosalina and drain her cosmic powers to build a super weapon. Expect plenty of Nintendo Easter eggs and references in this multiverse-esque sequel that certainly acts as a jumping off point for a shared Nintendo cinematic universe. — TP

• Watch The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on Peacock

The Drama (HBO Max)

The first of three films that Zendaya and Robert Pattinson appear in this year, A24's dark rom-com drama called, well, The Drama has made its debut on HBO Max.

Starring the aforementioned A-listers, it tells the tale of soon-to-be-newlyweds Emma and Charlie, whose forthcoming wedding is derailed when a particularly dark secret comes to light. The twist in question? Honestly, it's best if you go into the movie knowing as little as humanly possible, because it's such a blind-siding narrative device that it's too good to spoil here. Get it watched ASAP, because I imagine it's all you and your work colleagues will be talking about come Monday. — TP

• Watch The Drama on HBO Max

The Bombing of Pan Am 103 (Netflix)

There are some national tragedies that are so horrifically terrible, history is forever changed. In Scotland and the US, this was the Bombing of Pan Am 103, which is now a Netflix docuseries of the same name.

In a nutshell: on 21 December 1988, flight Pan Am 103 was en route from Heathrow to JFK when a bomb exploded in its hold over Lockerbie, killing all 270 people, including 43 British citizens and 190 Americans, on board, and spawning an international investigation involving local law enforcement and the FBI.

The community of Lockerbie has definitely never been the same since, with the attack leading to the Aviation Security Improvement Act of 1990. Be prepared for a difficult yet emotionally poignant watch. — JV

• Watch The Bombing of Pan Am 103 on Netflix

Batman: Caped Crusader season 2 (Prime Video)

Batman is back — well, in Amazon's animated TV show, that is. That's right, season 2 of Batman: Caped Crusader has made its Prime Video debut, so fans of the Dark Knight have some new content to consume while the wait for The Batman Part II goes on.

This season, the eponymous vigilante and friends are forced to navigate an increasingly combustible turf war and the arrival of new iterations of the Caped Crusader's packed rogues gallery. Eager to see the Big Bad Bat go up against Joker, Scarecrow, Riddler, and more for the umpteenth time? Caped Crusader season 2 should be your first streaming port of call this weekend. — TP

• Watch Batman: Caped Crusader season 2 on Prime Video

Furious (Hulu/Disney+)

Female police chasing female serial killers? It's almost as if the glory days of Killing Eve are back. This time, the dynamic comes courtesy of Furious, which has already been described by critics as one of the best shows of 2026, which is seriously high praise.

I've got a hunch that this is mostly down to its leads in Shameless' Emmy Rossum, and Lola Petticrew, who was absolutely astonishing in Trespasses and Say Nothing. What's even better is that it's set in the 1980s and allegedly has a vert satisfying payoff. Ticks all of the great crime drama boxes, if you ask me. — JV

• Watch Furious on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally)

Lioness season 3 (Paramount+)

We've been without a new Taylor Sheridan show for the first time in 2026 this month, but never fear... Lioness season 3 is here. And, by here, I mean on Paramount+.

Joe continues to walk the line between duty and home as "unseen forces" circle her world. Frankly, I think this means that we should do a fan sweepstake on just how many minutes of each episode she's going to be shouting for. My guess is 42 out of 48 minutes.

What's even more impressive is how Lioness season 3 has managed to retain Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman in their supporting roles. That's the brilliance of a Taylor Sheridan series, I guess. — JV

• Watch Lioness season 3 on Paramount+

The Nintendo Switch was nothing short of a phenomenon. It won the hearts of millions, possesses one of the greatest games libraries in console history, and became one of the highest selling systems of all time. It brought the best parts of its failing predecessor, the Wii U, forward, assuming an ultra-convenient hybrid form, and during the COVID 19 pandemic, it felt like everyone and their dog were building their perfect island on Animal Crossing: New Horizons, or racing to the finish line in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

All of that is to say, that whatever came next would have huge shoes to fill. And so, in came the Nintendo Switch 2 — a system that appeared to be less of a revolution, and more of an evolution. It took what made the Switch great and ran with it, offering higher resolution and refresh rates, a larger screen for handheld mode, and even a mouse mode.

And in some respects, the Switch 2 has hit the ground running. It’s the second-fastest selling games console in recorded US history, and at just over a year old it's already seen multiple exclusives (such as Donkey Kong Bananza and Pokémon Pokopia) release to critical acclaim. But at the same time, some have been disappointed over the lack of a 3D Mario or truly new Zelda title on the horizon, while issues around battery life and pricing have also proved to be a turn off for others.

So, this got me thinking. Would gamers consider the Switch 2 to be more of a hit, or a flop? Sure, its sales figures have been impressive, but are users satisfied with the hardware upgrades? What are their thoughts on its game catalogue?

I spoke with industry experts, fellow journalists — and most importantly, you, our wonderful readers, and it proved to be a fascinating experience. I heard a lot of varying viewpoints, and now I’m here to report back.

Hit or miss: the expert take

To begin with, I spoke with Mat Piscatella, Executive Director of Games at the Market Research firm Circana, who had some excellent insight into the commercial performance of the Nintendo Switch 2.

“Well, over its first 12 months in the market, Nintendo Switch 2 hit 5.9M units sold in the US,” Piscatella told me.

This, he noted, ensured it became the second fastest-selling video game hardware in the US since Circana’s records began in 1995 — finishing behind the Game Boy Advance only. “If that's not considered a hit, I'm not sure what would be,” he remarked.

“For the 2026 year-to-date period ending May, US hardware spending in total was up 37% compared to the same period a year ago,” Piscatella said. He stated that this was “entirely driven by Nintendo Switch 2 as double-digit percentage sales declines were experienced across the other in market platforms”.

He also highlighted high sales of software, such as Donkey Kong Bananza, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Pokémon: Pokopia, and Mario Kart World, a game which was largely obtained via a bundle with the system.

So far so good, then, for Piscatella, who also highlighted the benefit of the Switch 2’s backwards compatibility — giving users access to thousands of unique titles from the original system.

He did flag that June date may indicate “tough year-on-year comp for the system,” largely due to sales being compared to the launch month. “After that we should see Switch 2 continue to perform well into its announced September price increase. Then we'll have to see what happens."

What does the TechRadar team think?

The early signs have been promising, commercially speaking, but our Managing Editor of Social & Engagement (and Nintendo enthusiast), Josephine Watson, says that “the Switch 2 needed more than sales to break Nintendo’s generational curse of yo-yo-ing console success. It needed sticking power”. So, one year on, has it stuck the landing?

She argued that the Switch 2’s weaker holiday sales and subsequent production cuts suggest that “the console has yet to prove its mettle in the same way the first-generation [Switch] did, even with such high sales figures in its first year.” Despite this, she did acknowledge the mid-lifecycle boom that the OG Switch experienced, largely due to the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons during the pandemic.

In terms of games, Watson had a somewhat mixed take, arguing that the Switch 2 had “a concerningly hollow launch title line-up carried mostly by Mario Kart World,” though she did suggest that the system gained momentum moving into the new year, especially with titles like Pokémon Pokopia and strong third-party additions like Resident Evil Requiem.

Is the Switch 2 a success one year on for Watson? “No — but yes, kinda,” she said. She lamented the lackluster battery life and pointed to how Nintendo could’ve done more to eradicate stick drift from the Joy-Con 2 controllers, but did express satisfaction with the improved processing power and refined eShop. And even though her views on the game library haven’t been entirely positive, the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, scheduled for release in 2026, “is the game-changer,” she said.

TechRadar Senior Writer, Hamish Hector, admitted that he was “a little skeptical” of the Nintendo Switch 2 — both a little before and a little after its launch. But since grabbing one in the latter stages of 2025, those worries seem to have largely dissipated.

“It has cemented itself as my go-to gaming handheld,” Hector told me. “While it doesn’t have the raw power or library breadth of my Asus ROG Xbox Ally X — a handheld gaming PC with access to Steam’s vast suite of games — the Switch 2 does still boast a solid selection of AAA ports, incredible first-party hits and superb indie darlings”.

He noted how some AAA third-party ports have varied in quality, although hit the mark more often than they miss, and most issues manifest themselves as simple “graphical performance hitches” rather than “anything majorly frustrating”. He even hailed the Switch 2’s value for money, emphasizing that “At $449.99 / £395.99 it’s much more affordable than any worthwhile PC handheld, and even after its upcoming price hike to $499.99 it’ll still be a solid pickup”.

Here’s what our audience has to say

We’ve heard a range of views so far, albeit generally positive ones. It feels as if the general consensus is that the Nintendo Switch 2 has been an overall success, with a strong start in terms of sales and a commendable library to match. But I was most excited to hear from were you, our audience. So, I asked, and you answered: here’s whether you considered the Switch 2 to be a hit or a flop.

I asked our audience about their feelings on the Switch 2 across multiple platforms. With our poll here on the TechRadar website and over on WhatsApp, users were given four choices: 'It’s a hit'; 'it’s pretty good'; 'it’s a little disappointing'; and 'it’s a flop'. We got 892 votes, and the breakdown was as follows.

Over on YouTube, we wanted to try a more direct approach and gave our audience only two options: hit or flop. We received 446 votes (at the time of writing), with 61% selecting ‘hit’, and 39% going with ‘flop’.

But what do these results actually tell us? At a glance, the picture seems pretty divided. Across all of our polls on our website, WhatsApp, and YouTube, we received 1,338 responses. Of those, 693 (51.8%) were generally positive on the Switch 2 (respondents called it ‘a hit’ or ‘pretty good’), whereas 645 (48.2%) were generally more negative (respondents either selected ‘it’s a little disappointing’ or ‘it’s a flop’).

Over on our Facebook page, the reasons for such division became clear, with a wide range of differing opinions floating around.

Of course, the very meaning of ‘hit or flop’ in itself can be interpreted in a number of ways. One commenter, Andreas Carmblad, stated that “hit or flop is reflected in the sales figures,” suggesting that Nintendo’s new console has been a success so far.

Others were more focused on the quality of the system’s software lineup, with most talking up the first-party line-up — though one commenter described the current set of exclusives as “woeful,” adding “hopefully a few big releases can turn it around [like] OoT and a new 3D Mario game”.

Elsewhere, commenters expressed disappointment over the console’s battery life in handheld mode — understandable given that it can run flat in around 2 hours with more demanding games.

However, many considered the new hardware changes to be a hit, with Tim McDougall saying “It's an improvement in almost every way [over the original Switch] and it's now much closer in performance to the current gen home consoles. It's 99% backwards compatible with the first Switch, with many performance benefits. I'd say it's a success”.

I was slightly surprised to see so many members of our poll select ‘slightly’ disappointed in our poll, and I expect that this comes down to a sentiment that the console is still a few games short of being a true must-have for all gamers. However, with Zelda and Pokémon games releasing soon, a lot of opinions could be swayed — and I suspect a blockbuster Mario title would only seal the deal.

What I was pleased to see, however, is that very few members of our audience (10.4% in our main poll) consider the Switch 2 to be an outright flop. After all, the sales speak for themselves, and there have been a lot of very well received exclusives early in the system’s lifecycle.

Some personal thoughts

This brings me onto my personal thoughts. I pre-ordered the Nintendo Switch 2, and my expectations were high for the new system. Although I loved the original Switch’s library and appreciated its flexibility, the truth is, I actually didn’t love it all that much. For me, quality often felt overly compromised in handheld mode, with a lot of intensive titles struggling to reach up to 60fps. But the Switch 2 changed everything.

Now, I can enjoy titles in full HD at 60fps (and sometimes up to 120fps) in handheld mode, and I feel like the gap in quality when playing on the go — rather than in front of the TV — has shortened. What’s more, the Switch 2’s Handheld Mode Boost means that I can enjoy my original Switch games as if I was playing them with my system docked — a truly fantastic feature.

Then there’s the games. Controversially, I consider Mario Kart World to be the series’ best entry since the Wii generation, with a return to the true chaos and zaniness that made the games great in the first place — with knockout mode and the bizarre cast of characters being highlights for me. I’ve also had a blast with DK and Pokémon Pokopia, have spent countless hours racing in Kirby Air Riders, and exploring in Yoshi and the Mysterious Book.

The Switch 2 has also managed to do what the original model never could for me, in that I now often choose Nintendo for third party experiences. The brilliant combination of portability and higher fidelity visuals has made grinding in Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake or playing detective in Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army feel free of compromise.

Pair that with impressive sales performance, more convenient magnetic Joy-Cons, and even some pretty impressive virtual surround sound processing, and the Switch 2, in my eyes, is a sure-fire hit.

Yes, I share many users’ battery life gripes, and I personally believe that some of the first party games are far too pricey — I mean, $79.99 / £74.99 / AU$119.95 for a physical copy of Mario Kart World? Really? But even with incoming price hikes, I’d consider Nintendo’s latest hardware to offer plenty of bang for your buck, and although I’d love to get Super Mario Odyssey 2 within the next year or so, I’m perfectly satisfied with the current, and upcoming crop of titles at this stage.

Square Enix is gearing up to kick off a brand new era of Final Fantasy 14 with the release of the Evercold expansion. The beginning of the "Godless Realms Saga" story arc, it arrives after the epic conclusion of a decade-long saga, and follows on from Dawntrail which laid the groundwork for this new adventure.

Game producer and director Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida has already teased the new threat players will face in the DLC, which I'm beyond excited for, as well as a number of incredible quality-of-life system updates, new content, and improvements to outdated gameplay features.

It's looking to be a mighty expansion that will hopefully draw in even more players when the massively multiplayer online game (MMO) officially hits Nintendo Switch 2 next month, but there are a few things I'm particularly eager to experience.

Buckle up, we're saving the world again

Final Fantasy 14 story spoilers ahead

After a decade of buildup, the Shadowbringers and Endwalker expansions saw the pieces of an overarching story finally come together and conclude the Hydaelyn-Zodiark saga, resulting in one of the best Final Fantasy stories ever to be told.

While some events were wrapped up with resolute endings, some lingering questions were left open that presented new possibilities for the MMO, and it all starts with the Reflections: mirror worlds created by the Sundering, a great calamity that saw the Source shattered into 13 Shards.

Players have visited other Reflections in past expansions, but in Evercold we'll visit the Fourth Reflection, which was beset by a calamity of ice. This means an entire new world to explore, and from the trailers and concept art, it appears that SE is leaning heavily into the fantastical style I adored in Shadowbringers and Endwalker, and drawing from what looks like Norse mythology for inspiration.

A new, unexpected threat to all Reflections has also emerged with the recent release of Patch 7.5, the Solstice, which will bring about the natural Rejoining of the Shards and threatens to wipe out all life on the Source and its Reflections.

"In the time of the Ancients, Etheirys was divided across ten and three reflections to avert a terrible calamity," the expansion description reads. "Thus, for twelve thousand years did the star survive, and by its enduring hope did the Warrior of Light at last thwart its Final Days. Yet victory comes at a cost, and fate now demands its due.

"Faced with the new threat of the Solstice, the Warrior of Light is summoned to the Fourth reflection. But what do they hope to gain from wandering a world lost to ice?"

It's a bold move on the writers' part to thrust players back into a situation where they'll be dealing with the end of the world again; however, Dawntrail's subsequent patches have done a great job of building the foundations to make it a story worth telling.

I'm a FF14 player who looks forward to new story content most of all, and in Evercold, with the way the main scenario has been playing out, I'm certain our trip to the Fourth will open new avenues to explore and deepen the lore of the Ancients, which had been drip-fed to us over the years. In particular, the mystery behind the creation of Ethos, the key that opens up the path to these Reflections, and how this new ability to world-hop will play into the larger story.

Alongside these huge stakes, we've got a new "big bad" to face, the Winterers and the Ascian Halmarut, who are working in the shadows to prevent the Solstice.

Halmarut is unique in that she is sympathetic to mankind's current state and will do anything to ensure it survives the Solstice; however, her plan of controlled Rejoinings comes at the cost of mass death and destruction, believing that it's better to sacrifice some lives so humanity has a chance. But as the Warrior of Light, we can't go along with that idea.

Interestingly, unlike other Ascians before her, Halamurut encouraged the player to find their own way to deal with the Solstice. The Ascian was only introduced in recent patches, but given how superbly the writers developed its past villains (namely the best Final Fantasy baddie ever, Emet-Selch), I'm eager to see how SE will handle another multidimensional antagonist with a world-ending goal.

Raid content galore

FF14 has always excelled at crossover raid content, whether that be the Yorha: Dark Apocalypse Alliance raid series, developed in collaboration with Nier developers Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito, or the major raid series inspired by previous Final Fantasy games, like Final Fantasy 3, Final Fantasy 8, Tactics, and more.

Dawntrail's major Alliance raid series, Echoes of Vana'diel, wrapped up with the latest patch, a 24-player crossover celebrating Final Fantasy 6, that offered incredible bosses and a challenging yet rewarding experience.

For Evercold, SE revealed that the Alliance raid series will be based on the hit series Evangelion, titled "Ghosts of Desire", which acclaimed director and animator Mahiro Maeda will join as a special guest artist and designer. Like the Nier raid series, I'm expecting a high-quality experience with some unbelievable boss encounters that push the boundaries of the MMO; however, I'm more excited about the eight-player raid series SE has just announced at FanFest EU.

In the next expansion, FF7 Remake series director Naoki Hamaguchi and Yoshi-P took to the stage to unveil "Beyond the Lifestream," a FF7-themed raid series.

It feels like I've waited years for a proper FF7 collaboration, and the series will come just in time for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the final installment in the remake series.

Ahead of Evercold's release, FF14 will also be getting a FF7-themed adjacent feature in the MMO's Gold Saucer on October 28, Keybound Brawler, a new mini-game that will reward players with a glamour bundle inspired by Tifa and Barret's outfits from FF7; a teaser for what's to come.

While SE has yet to share the full raid details, I'm expecting the usual crossover gear (I'm begging for Cloud, Sephiroth, and Aerith outfits, please!), elaborate boss fights inspired by some of FF7's most iconic moments; a confrontation with Safer-Sephiroth while a remixed medley of the FF14 and One-Winged Angel themes plays in the background is surely a given.

Raid maps are also always incredible in FF14; I remember my first time entering the first raid of the YoRHa series and being blown away by the scale of the set pieces and attention to detail, so with Hamaguchi's team working alongside the FF14 team, I'm anticipating something next-level; hopefully a recreation of the dystopian metropolis of Midgar?

It's time for improvements

FF14 has been running for more than a decade after it was rebooted into A Realm Reborn in 2013. Since then, the MMO has seen innumerable changes, including to Jobs, a huge graphics overhaul that modernized the game's visuals, not to mention the upcoming expanded character customization options that players have been yearning for.

But some things have always remained the same, primarily the battle system and activity features. With the release of Evercold, FF14 will receive a significant overhaul with the introduction of the 'Reborn' and 'Evolved' modes.

Reborn mode will be based on the current combat system and Job mechanics, while Evolved mode offers greater emphasis on "job identity", updating combat rotations and changing some abilities, and will only apply to existing Jobs.

It's an exciting new change, because while Jobs occasionally get rebalanced, this is the first time the game is getting a significant gameplay revamp that will allow long-time players to experiment with a new way of playing, and newcomers have two options at their disposal.

What's more, the expansion will also see an overhauled gear progression system with the introduction of 'Adventurer Activity.' In its current state, FF14 requires players to log in every day to complete daily roulettes to earn XP and accrue their weekly cap of 450 Allagan Tomestones, which are exchanged for high-level gear; however, this can be a downside, especially for players who can't log in every day.

With Adventurer Activity, this redesigned framework will change from a daily to a weekly-based reward system, remove the exhausting grind of completing daily roulettes, and instead offer more player freedom.

Adventurer Activity (which may look like a battle pass system, but Yoshi P insisted it absolutely is not!) will let players complete a series of missions to amass activity points instead, whether it be dungeons, PvP, Trials, and more, and SE is even considering allowing unearned points from previous weeks to be collected if players miss out.

This is perfect for people like me who sometimes don't really feel like running roulettes and also gives players a chance to explore other content they wouldn't normally engage with.

Final Fantasy 14: Evercold will arrive in January 2027 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2: One-minute review

The Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2 is far from being one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers, but it gets a lot right, and in my testing I found it to be a solid—if unremarkable—stand-in for the official Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller.

After I reviewed the frankly terrible Horipad for Steam, I didn't have high hopes for the Wireless Horipad Turbo. I've been rendered pleasantly surprised, as there is plenty to like about the brand's latest Nintendo-facing controller. There are a decent number of features for the price, and build quality is generally solid. It's just a shame that a few limitations and design quirks stop it short of an outright recommendation.

Let's frontload the review with the good, though. Hori has opted for anti-drift thumbsticks that feel great and ensure longevity. That's something the Wireless Horipad Turbo has over the Switch 2 Pro Controller, which utilizes traditional analog sticks and is thus more likely to develop stick drift over time.

Build quality is generally nice, too. While larger than the Pro Controller (and thus better suited to big adult hands), it feels solid enough, and a selection of colorways is always really nice to see.

I'm a fan of the feature set, too, with the Wireless Horipad Turbo offering a robust Turbo button option, as well as two remappable rear buttons and a button lock switch that disables utility buttons like Start, Select, Home, and Capture (for taking screenshots). There's even a GameChat button for quick access to social gaming sessions.

It's a shame, then, that the Wireless Horipad Turbo doesn't quite stick the landing in a few key areas. Battery life is paltry, falling well short of the Switch 2 Pro Controller's 40- to 50-hour gold standard. The d-pad and triggers, specifically, aren't the best—feeling incredibly mushy during play, which really isn't something you want for digital triggers in particular.

Lastly, a lack of PC compatibility means this is strictly a Nintendo Switch 2 controller. That's not necessarily a bad thing if that's solely what you're after (and it's likely a result of this being an officially licensed Nintendo product). But it does make it a less versatile controller than the likes of the 8BitDo Pro 3.

Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2: Price and availability

• Costs $64.99 / £54.99 (around AU$93)
• Available to buy now at Hori's store page, Amazon, or local retailers
• Cheaper than the Switch 2 Pro Controller, and offers several colorways

The Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2 is available to buy now, and you've got options as to where you purchase it from. You can get it directly from Hori, Amazon, or local retailers based on your region, such as Best Buy in the US and Argos in the UK.

It'll run you $64.99 / £54.99 (around AU$93), which is a good deal cheaper than the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller ($89.99 / £74.99 / AU$119.95). You'll also find a healthy amount of colorways to choose from. Hori sent me the standard Black and Frost variants for review, but there's also an Aqua model, as well as special liveries based on Nintendo properties like Kirby and Super Mario.

Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2: Specs

Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2: Design and features

• Eye-catching translucent design
• Handy Turbo and button lock features
• Generally solid build quality

One way for a controller to win me over is if it sports a translucent design. It's a style I'm happy to see come in vogue again over the last few years, at least when it comes to controllers, and it helps the Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2 really stand out. I'm a huge fan of the crystal-clear Frost colorway, especially.

It doesn't just win out in the looks department, though. Build quality is really solid here; a huge step up from the listless Horipad for Steam, which I reviewed prior to this. It's not as premium as the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, but the Wireless Horipad Turbo feels really solid and secure in the hands, with just the right amount of weight to it.

The titular 'Turbo' feature is niche; not everyone will find a use for it, but it's a nice-to-have for retro games or ones that require frequent, rapid button presses. Holding down the central Hori logo button in tandem with 'A' will then let you assign a button for the Turbo input. You can also press the Start and Select buttons to adjust the speed of the Turbo setting by three increments, too.

Another feature I quite like (but again, it is probably quite niche) is the button lock switch. It's off by default, but one setting completely disables the Hori, Home, and Capture buttons, while another turns those off in addition to Start and Select.

I know I've accidentally hit the Home button instead of Start more times than I care to admit on the Pro Controller, so this is a thoughtful addition. The button lock switch doesn't extend to the pair of remappable buttons on the rear, but you can just leave these unassigned if you prefer.

Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2: Performance

• Performant TMR thumbsticks
• Poor battery life
• Weak-feeling triggers and mushy d-pad

Controllers that make use of TMR (that's tunneling magnetoresistance) thumbsticks are a dime a dozen in today's gaming hardware marketplace. It's more common to find them than not now, but this is the first time I've tested a Hori controller with TMR. And I'm glad the brand has opted for them with the Wireless Horipad Turbo. They feel fantastically smooth during play, and as it's a form of Hall effect technology, it should ensure the pad's longevity for years to come.

Otherwise, this is a fairly unremarkable but inoffensive controller purely from a play standpoint. It lacks things like HD Rumble, an NFC touchpoint for amiibo scanning, and 'press to wake' functionality for the console itself. However, as these are niceties reserved for Nintendo's own hardware, it's hard to leverage this as a complaint at Hori. The lack of a 3.5mm port for wired headphones does irk me, though, because wireless audio via Bluetooth on Switch 2 is shoddy at best.

I'm also not a big fan of the controller's d-pad. It feels rather mushy to press, which at worst can often lead to inputs very occasionally not registering. Much the same is true of the triggers, which are supposed to be digital, but kind of feel like they're made of sponge.

Thankfully, connectivity isn't an issue. The controller paired immediately to my Switch 2 console, and I never experienced dropouts or noticeable input delay. And that's for the best, as this is a wireless-first controller.

You can still plug in the controller via the included USB-C for charging purposes and carry on playing. And you might be doing that frequently, as the Wireless Horipad Turbo tops out at just 10 hours of charge. That's not much better than PlayStation's DualSense Wireless Controller, and falls well short of the Switch 2 Pro Controller's monster 40-hour battery life.

Lastly, it is unfortunate that the Wireless Horipad Turbo can't be used for PC gaming. The Switch 2 Pro Controller can't either, so I suspect this is a Nintendo-issued requirement, as the Turbo bears the company's seal of approval. It just means that it's not as versatile as third-party pads from the likes of 8BitDo and GameSir.

Should I buy the Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider...

If the Wireless Horipad Turbo has a few too many issues for your liking, consider the following alternatives.

How I tested the Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2

• Tested for one week
• Tested on Nintendo Switch 2 with a variety of modern and retro titles
• Used features like the Turbo functionality and button lock switch

For this review, I tested the Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2 on the console of the same name for about a week. I played a good mix of modern and old-school titles with the controller, including Star Fox, Street Fighter 6, Rhythm Heaven Groove, as well as Ridge Racer 64 and Super Mario 64 via Nintendo Switch Online's N64 library.

During testing, I made use of the Turbo functionality to enable easier, rapid button presses in classic titles like Metal Slug 3. Meanwhile, I went back and forth with the button lock switch, and I can confidently say it stopped me from accidentally backing out to the Home dashboard on a few occasions. I'd love to see this feature make a comeback for future Hori products.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2026

• Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto has defended the company's recent remakes, like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• He says remakes allow younger gamers to experience older titles that aren't accessible anymore
• Miyamoto says remakes lead to "future developments"

Nintendo executive and representative director Shigeru Miyamoto has defended the company's recent remake releases, suggesting they'll lead to sequels.

After launching Star Fox, a remake of Star Fox 64, on Switch 2 last month, Nintendo is scheduled to launch another remake for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time sometime this year.

While many fans are excited for a modern version of the beloved Zelda game, Nintendo has been criticised for frequently re-releasing old, classic titles for its current hardware; Ocarina of Time was first released on N64 in 1998, then received a Nintendo 3DS remaster in 2011, which makes the upcoming Switch 2 title its third iteration.

Now, speaking in an interview with Famitsu(via Nintendo Everything), the Mario creator has addressed concerns that Nintendo is releasing too many remakes, explaining that the projects allow younger gamers to experience older titles that aren't accessible anymore and that the games will eventually lead to "future developments."

"Some people might say there are a lot of remakes, but after five years, a lot of people have outgrown games and stop playing them," Miyamoto said. "Young people today don’t have the opportunity to play games from 10 years ago, so remaking them to be more playable and releasing them again is a good way to meet the demand."

He added, "Letting people know the original games also leads to future developments, so we’ve been actively pursuing that recently."

It's this last comment that suggests Nintendo is actively working on projects that will follow these remakes, but whether they'll be direct sequels or projects within the same franchise, we'll have to wait and see.

In 2021, Nintendo released remakes of two games in the Famicom Detective Club series, The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind, which were then followed by a brand new Switch sequel, Emio - The Smiling Man.

It also released a remake of Metroid on 3DS, which led to Metroid Dread on Switch, as well as a The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening remake, followed by the spiritual successor in 2024, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

• Someone may have ported Grand Theft Auto 5 to Nintendo Switch
• Performance appears poor and reaches 22FPS at most
• It makes me wonder what Grand Theft Auto 6 could look like running on Switch 2

While we wait for Grand Theft Auto 6, someone has seemingly managed to port Grand Theft Auto 5 to the Nintendo Switch.

The port was apparently created by M0jso and posted to Reddit, where footage apparently shows a native v2699 (2023) version of the 13-year-old game, running on the original Switch, albeit rather poorly.

The performance overlay shows that the frame rate reaches 22FPS at most, and declines to 11FPS in some places, but it does appear to be playable.

A user explained that the footage had been taken down a while ago, but it looks like the project is in progress again. M0jso showcased more videos on X, explaining that rendering can be broken in some places, crashes are frequent, but they have seemingly managed to play GTA 5 on a real Switch console.

However, overall, performance appears poor, and the odds of the game reaching console or PC-level quality seem slim. It made me wonder what GTA 6 could look like running on the Nintendo Switch 2, a more advanced system that boasts 4K and 1440p resolutions and 60FPS.

For now, Rockstar hasn't shared any plans to port the game to Switch 2 - a PC version hasn't been announced either - but we've seen demanding games such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Hogwarts Legacy functioning on the console with minor frame rate issues.

That being said, GTA 6 will be a massive game, with a map possibly even bigger than Cyberpunk 2077 and GTA 5's. Not to mention the dense locations and level of detail that PS5 and Xbox Series X will also need to contend with.

While the game's performance features haven't been revealed yet, reports have claimed that it's likely to run at 30FPS on PS5 consoles due to CPU limitations, which could make the likelihood of a Switch 2 port rather slim.

According to Digital Foundry, GTA 6 running at 60FPS on current-gen might be pushing it, but a 40FPS mode could be possible.

There's still just under five months to go before the game launches on November 19, so we could learn more about performance, potential graphics modes, and even get a third trailer soon.

• Square Enix just released Final Fantasy 10 and Final Fantasy 10-2 for Nintendo Switch 2
• The bundle now runs at a higher resolution with improved textures and some quality of life additions
• There is no upgrade path for existing owners of the original Switch version, however

Square Enix just released new versions of its iconic role-playing games Final Fantasy 10 and Final Fantasy 10-2 for Nintendo Switch 2, but there's some bad news if you own the existing Switch editions.

The two games come as a combined HD Remaster bundle, which is currently available on the Switch 2 eShop for $49.99 / 44.99 / AU$79.95. There's no upgrade path if you bought the same remasters when they released for the original Nintendo Switch back in 2019. This means if, like me, you have a copies for Nintendo Switch, your only option to get your hands on these new ports is to buy them again at full price.

It's a huge shame, especially considering the fact that the Nintendo Switch 2 ports do look better in my experience.

The publisher provided a copy of the Switch 2 game earlier this morning and, weirdly, it turns out that it does not offer a save transfer feature — so I've only been able to compare very early sections in Final Fantasy 10.

Still, as you can see from the images above (captured in handheld mode), the Switch 2 port has a noticeably higher resolution picture (even with the Switch 2's handheld mode boost option enabled) and much better looking textures — especially if you pay attention to the background terrain while characters are speaking.

Unfortunately, it seems like the game is still locked to 30fps, though that shouldn't come as much of a surprise as every version so far has had the same restriction.

The Switch 2 edition also comes with some quality of life features that were previously added to the PC port of the games but absent on the original Switch. This includes the ability to speed up the game, turn off annoying random encounters, give yourself loads of items, and so on.

It's the kind of extra content that you would want from a $10 upgrade, but certainly does not justify paying full price. If you haven't played Final Fantasy 10 and Final Fantasy 10-2 this new port is likely to be a more tempting option, as these small changes still mean that it is the best version on Nintendo platforms right now.

First released in 2001 for PlayStation 2, Final Fantasy 10 sees protagonist Tidus as he navigates a fictional world inspired by the tropical islands of Southeast Asia in a quest to defeat a powerful evil creature.

Despite its age, it's considered one of the best RPGs with fans praising its distinctive art direction and emotional narrative. Its sequel, Final Fantasy 10-2, dropped in 2003 and continues the story in the same setting.

As TechRadar’s AV tester, I’m always on the lookout for new 4K Blu-rays to test the best TVs and best soundbars with. While I have a pretty healthy catalog, with some top-notch discs, as a 4K Blu-ray fan, it’s exciting to check out new discs to keep testing fresh.

Last month, I tested the Speed Racer 4K Blu-ray and it was a powerhouse. Not only did it deliver staggeringly vibrant colors, but it also had a superb Dolby Atmos soundtrack that demonstrated power and precision, particularly during race sequences. It was one of my top discs of the June 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, and it’s easily one of the most impressive I’ve tested.

This month, a new disc has caught my eye: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The second entry in the new Mario Bros set of films, first started in 2023 with The Super Mario Bros., I’m anticipating that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will have bright, crisp visuals and, hopefully, a great Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

While this was one of my most anticipated discs of July 2026, a first impressions Reddit thread on r/4K Blu-ray from user u/nacthenud got me even more hyped. Not only did they rate the movie’s HDR performance, but also mentioned it in the same breath as Speed Racer. So, I decided to check out how the disc fared on our reference LG G6 OLED TV, one of the best OLED TVs I’ve tested this year.

Phenomenal colors

From the moment The Super Mario Galaxy Movie starts, it’s clear just how stunning the 4K disc’s color reproduction is. As Princess Rosalina reads a bedtime story to the Lumas, the small creatures dazzle on screen. Every color, including yellow, green, red and so on, look natural and punchy in equal measure. Thanks to the high HDR highlight brightness, coupled with Dolby Vision support, the Lumas really popped on the LG G6’s screen. If your TV has high brightness with good highlights, you’ll be rewarded in this scene alone.

Soon after, as Rosalina battles Bowser Jr. in his giant robot, the sparkle from her magic, which comes out in vibrant blues, pinks and purples, shimmers on screen. This is also true later as the yellow Luma turns into a star, with the glittery stardust jumping on screen. Again, it’s another showcase of how impactful HDR highlights can look.

Later, as we see Mario and Luigi meet Yoshi for the first time, the 4K presentation gets to show the authenticity of its colors. Yes, Mario’s red jumpsuit and the green of Luigi’s overalls and Yoshi’s skin are striking, but the colors look realistic too. While I expected the colors in this movie to explode on screen as I’d seen in animated flicks like Elemental, these particular colors reminded me more of the lifelike colors I’d seen in The Wild Robot, exhibiting the wonderful depth and realism I liked in the latter.

In complete opposition to that, the neon signs of the games in the casino Peach and Toad arrive at really burst with color. This is where the G6’s highlights and peak brightness were really tested, and it did a great job. If you have a TV with high peak brightness, then again you’ll be rewarded. The same is true with the gold detail on the furnishings around Peach’s castle, as they sparkle as well.

Peach and Rosalina’s dresses are highlights in themselves, really delivering that candy-colored pop alongside the shimmer they both seem to produce. While they’re colors aren’t as natural as the Mario Bros and Yoshi, they’re accurate for the movie and really deliver a nice impact.

Dolby Atmos power

While I anticipated this disc to be a showcase for color, I didn’t expect it to be such a perfect audio powerhouse. Bass is frequently hefty, pushing the limits of the subwoofer of the Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar I was using. As Bowser Jr’s robot stomps towards Rosalina, the rumble from the Q990C’s subwoofer rattled the room and reverberated through the floor. Later, as Fox ignites the engines of the Arwing, this produces some meaty bass, akin to the igniting of the Batmobile’s engine from The Batman, my go-to audio testing scene.

The Dolby Atmos soundtrack here is also very precise. As Luigi launches fire in a panic in a cave, the flames’ trajectory was accurately mapped to the front channels, travelling from right to left across the soundbar. In another scene, as Peach and Toad first fly into space, the sound of the twinkling flight path of the trail behind them is not only mapped accurately, but clearly audible among the rousing, horn-led score, showing the soundtrack’s excellent balance.

Surround and height channels are also fully utilized. During the climactic space battle, as Fox pilots the Arwing towards Bowser Jr’s ship, the Arwing travels around the whole ship. This was mapped with real precision first to the front channels, then the rear right, to the rear left and back again, creating a fully immersive feel. It reminded me of the time-bending music sequence in Sinners, which also moved around each channel.

Throughout, there are numerous scenes where characters fly through space, using the star to move from galaxy to galaxy. These are a great demonstration for Atmos, with overhead flight paths actually coming from overhead. The same was true with Fox’s Arwing. As it avoided Bowser’s minions in the space battle, anytime the Arwing moved to the top of the screen, Atmos rendered accurate overhead flight.

Another reference disc

After watching The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it’s definitely entering my testing rotation. Not only does it deliver on color and sound, but animation is crisp throughout, with clean-looking animation. Contrast is also powerful, with the dark blues of space contrasting well with the stars, Lumas and even the bright outfits of the main characters.

There are also plenty of bright scenes that will show off a TV’s HDR highlights and brightness, plus there’s some lovely shadow detail. Any scenes with strong light, such as Mario and Luigi with their flames in the cave, or at sunset as Peach gets frustrated, there’s strong shadows cast that look realistic.

This really is a superb 4K disc, and if you’re looking for a bold, colorful and dynamic movie to show off your home theater system, this is one to consider.

If you’ve always loved the world of the Splatoon series but have been — understandably — put off by the prospect of its sweaty competitive multiplayer modes, then this latest Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive third-person shooter is for you.

Splatoon Raiders offers an incredibly compelling, single-player take on the series’ trademark ink-spewing action. It’s all underpinned by the same excellent shooting mechanics that make online matches of Splatoon 3 such a blast, now smartly recontextualized in a wholly player versus environment (PvE) format and enhanced with a plethora of satisfying progression systems that allow you to experiment with countless impactful character builds.

The sheer volume of content here is formidable: there are a vast number of highly replayable missions that can be tackled in multiple difficulty levels, more than a hundred weapons to wield, and even lend others a hand in online co-op for more unlockable rewards. This is comfortably one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games and I know I’ll be coming back to it, even now I’ve seen the credits roll.

Fishy business

While the main Splatoon games are known for their clean urban aesthetics, Splatoon Raiders sets itself apart with a much grimier, more salvaged look. Set on the distant Spirhalite Islands, it follows an unnamed mechanic working for the Deep Cut trio — the iconic TV show hosts from Splatoon 3 who apparently moonlight as treasure hunters. With the group stranded on a raft after their latest treasure hunting expedition goes awry, they’re forced to improvise gear and track down the resources necessary to escape.

Fashioned from wooden crates and metal grates, the raft functions as your hub world in between missions and can be outfitted with a range of useful features like a customizable firing range and a range of upgrade stations, in addition to more whimsical options like an arcade cabinet that offers some cute pixel-art minigames. You always feel like there’s a meaningful upgrade that you’re working towards, and watching your craft develop from a ramshackle structure into a fully-fledged mobile base as you progress through the story is immensely satisfying.

That’s not to say that you need much encouragement to complete missions, however, as they’re a load of fun. There are three main types: quickfire dens that have you beating a few waves of foes in a short time limit, longer raids where you drop into large semi-open environments to secure nearby treasure chests, and dungeons that challenge you to get to a goal with a set loadout.

It seems pretty basic at first, but there are an incredible number of unique twists that keep each new mission feeling fresh. A den, for example, might throw hundreds of the same area-denial enemies at you — coating the small arena with noxious slime that chips away at your health and forces you to stay on your feet — while a raid could surprise you with tricky platforming sections and a strict time limit.

The dungeons, meanwhile, are more focused around puzzles and cleverly serve to tutorialize many of the weapons and abilities that you can unlock.

In the tank

Your character can carry one of three ink tanks (which basically determine your chosen ‘class’), designed for raw power, speed, or more careful ranged tactics. They all play completely differently, with their own roster of powerful gadgets to unlock and an overall power level that gradually ticks up with use.

I mainly relied on the Power Tank, which, true to its name, is all about big, bombastic attacks that deal massive damage. My favorite gadgets include the inky hatchet with its huge slashing strike that is invaluable for taking out tankier foes and a charging rocket launcher that wonderfully shreds through groups of smaller ones.

It might be tempting to rely on one favorite, but there are plenty of good reasons to try the others. Fully upgrading one tank requires you to spend time with the others, and some dungeons even have specific rewards depending on which you use to complete them. I initially thought that this might prove a frustrating barrier to progression, but soon came to appreciate being made to step out of my comfort zone because all three tanks are equally enjoyable to use with a huge variety of gadgets to discover.

Every gadget is highly customizable as well, with a plethora of collectible parts that do everything from minor stat upgrades to fundamentally change how they work. You can only add a certain number of parts at a time, so you’ll need to think carefully in order to craft a new build to successfully overcome a particularly tricky challenge.

There’s just as much depth to the wide selection of weapons. The 11 types on offer will all be familiar if you’ve played Splatoon 3, with a good mix of long-range shooters, nimble pistols, sloshing buckets, and so on, all with their own mechanics to master. Tackling more difficult missions rewards more powerful weapons at a strong pace, which, alongside the steady introduction of new rarities with their own unique qualities, further stops everything from becoming stale.

The same is true of the many enemy types. It’s the same malevolent Salmonids from the Salmon Run side modes of Splatoon 2 and 3, but with a healthy number of new varieties to surprise even the most seasoned fish hunters.

It all comes together for an experience that, even when some of the more difficult challenges force you to grind up your power level, remains fresh and exciting like a delicious piece of sashimi throughout.

Should I play Splatoon Raiders?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

Like most modern Nintendo releases, Splatoon Raiders is lacking when it comes to accessibility features. It offers the ability to invert both thumbsticks, or use motion controls to aim.

The color of ink is usually random, but you can lock it to either blue or purple in order to be easier to see. In addition to offering harder versions of most missions, the game features three overall difficulty modes which decreases or increases the power of enemies.

How I reviewed Splatoon Raiders

I played nearly 20 hours of Splatoon Raiders on Nintendo Switch 2 using the Joy-Con 2 controllers in handheld mode. For audio, I used the system’s built-in speaker setup.

I experienced the whole of the game’s story, hitting the credits having tackled all of the major missions on the standard difficulty mode, in addition to some online co-op play.

First reviewed June 2026

Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed: two-minute review

The first thing I thought when I pulled the Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed gaming earbuds out of their box was “Wow, these are ugly.”

Not exactly the strongest first impression, but it’s unavoidable when each bud has a weird, bulbous design that gives them an appearance like a pair of obese AirPods. The shiny black plastic material looks cheap, as does the printed Razer logo on the outside, which (despite all the Razer Chroma branding on the box) is just a decal that doesn't illuminate.

They’re thankfully not uncomfortable to wear, but even in your ears they’re nowhere near as stylish as similarly priced competitors like the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds.

With much flatter sound, they’re significantly less versatile (especially if you’re after a pair of gaming earbuds that you can also use to listen to music) and offer fewer features than that model to boot, with inferior active noise cancellation (ANC) that fails to block out most background noise when you’re out and about.

The Razer buds’ biggest benefit is the use of the latest Bluetooth 6.0 standard, which allows for ultra-low-latency connectivity with compatible devices and is ideal if you’re a serious mobile gamer looking for something to use with the latest phones. The included 2.4GHz Razer HyperSpeed Wireless dongle is also impressively compact and offers similar low-latency performance on PC, PlayStation 5, and handhelds like the Nintendo Switch 2.

This alone might be worth the compromises elsewhere if you’re a really serious mobile gamer, though there are a few more things worthy of praise. The included case is well-designed and feels pretty high quality, with an attractive RGB strip that is illuminated to denote pairing or charging status. I also really like how you don’t have to take the dongle if you want to use it: simply plug the case into your machine, and you’re ready to go, which makes it basically impossible to leave behind.

Find the Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed gaming earbuds at the right price - and they could be a good pick.

Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed review: price & availability

• Costs $129.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.95
• Available via Razer right now
• Availability at other retailers seems spotty

The Razer Hammer V3 HyperSpeed gaming earbuds cost $129.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.95 if you buy them directly from Razer, which is where I would recommend getting them, as stock at other retailers seems spotty.

If you do choose to buy from the likes of Amazon, be mindful not to accidentally purchase the cheaper Razer Hammerhead V3 X or older Razer Hammerhead True Wireless X model, as they look very similar.

At this price, the earbuds are going head to head with the likes of the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds, which originally launched at $159.99 / £159.99 / AU$359 but are now regularly discounted to around $130 / £100 in the US and UK.

Even factoring in the added $30 / £30 at full price, I think the Arctis GameBuds are much better value. They offer a much more stylish design, versatile sound that you can easily customize with hundreds of selectable EQ profiles, in addition to slightly better overall battery life.

Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed review: specs

Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed review: design and features

• Look bulky and dated
• THX Spatial Audio support
• Case is good

You should know by now that I’m not a big fan of how these earbuds look. They have a basic stemmed in-ear design with quite a bulbous body constructed from shiny black plastic and a cheap-looking green Razer decal on the back. They honestly look like something you’d buy on Amazon for under 50 bucks rather than a product from a premium gaming brand.

The case is much better, at least. It’s large, but still easily pocketable, and has a pleasant matte texture to its exterior and a very robust hinge with satisfyingly strong magnets. There’s a subtle strip of LED lighting on it as well, which lights up in an attractive rainbow pattern when the case is opened. It also illuminates different colors to denote charging or pairing status, battery level, and so on, which makes it surprisingly practical as well.

Inside the case, there’s plenty of space for the two earbuds and a little slot for the compact HyperSpeed Wireless dongle. When in the case, the dongle is nestled inside a Type-C port with passthrough connectivity. This means you can plug the entire case directly into your PC or console in order to pair the buds, which is pretty handy and helps keep everything in one place.

Aside from this, the Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed gaming earbuds don’t have a particularly expansive feature set compared to the offerings of other brands. The earbuds support ANC and a transparency mode, in addition to automatic pausing when removed from your ears. The compatible software offers three default EQ profiles (for gaming, music, and movies, respectively) plus the ability to create your own.

On PC, the buds come with a license key for THX Spatial Audio, which simulates 360-degree sound decently well and is a solid bonus.

Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed review: performance

• Sound is okay
• ANC is poor
• Decent battery life

Although it is impressively low-latency and thus suited for competitive gaming, I found the sound of the Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed to be so-so compared to similarly priced alternatives. In the default gaming preset, the bass is plenty punchy, but they lack clarity and sounds quite muffled in the high end. It’s good enough for the likes of PUBG: Battlegrounds or Counter-Strike 2, but would be an incredibly poor fit for more story-driven titles.

The music-listening experience is bad, and no amount of EQ tweaking could remedy the uninspiring sound. I would recommend swerving the default music EQ as well, as it’s absolutely rancid and tanks not only the bass but also the low mids, leading to sound that’s not dissimilar to that produced by the free earbuds you get on an airplane.

Alternating between the Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed and the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds, there is simply no contest: the SteelSeries pair sounds better no matter what you throw at it, and the fact that it can handle music too means that you don’t need to buy a second pair to use with your phone.

The ANC also underperforms compared to alternatives, be they the GameBuds or others such as the Sony Inzone Buds. It fails to block out much background sound and even struggles to drown out the consistent, low noise from a desk fan. If you want to take these on a plane, just forget about it.

The microphones are okay, but not particularly reliable. With any kind of background noise, they can begin to struggle to pick up your voice - which had me relying on my desktop mic instead. Touch controls are quite awkward as well. They feel unresponsive and struggle to pick up inputs, leading to frequent accidental pauses or skips if you’re trying to use them for your tunes.

The battery life is at least one area where the Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed doesn't disappoint. I easily managed 7-8 hours per charge with the buds, and the case holds enough to fully top them up about four times when you're on the go.

Should I buy the Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed review: also consider

Here are two more compelling options to weigh up.

How I tested the Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed

• Tested for multiple weeks
• Used with PC and mobile
• Compared to other gaming earbuds

I tested the Razer Hammerhead V3 HyperSpeed gaming earbuds for multiple weeks across both PC and mobile, playing a range of different games.

This included plenty of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Battlefield 6, Forza Horizon 6, Grand Theft Auto 5, and more, in addition to mobile titles like Neverness to Everness, and Call of Duty Mobile.

Throughout my time with the buds, I compared the experience to my hands-on testing of other gaming earbuds, including the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds and other products featured on our best gaming earbuds guide.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2026

• Dragon's Dogma 2 producer Naoto Oyama says Performance Mode will reach 60FPS on console ahead of the Dark Arisen release
• Oyama says the Switch 2 version will hit 30FPS and "even higher"
• He adds that Capcom's RE Engine has been "a really great fit" for Switch 2

Dragon's Dogma 2 is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 later this year alongside the launch of its Dark Arisen expansion, and Capcom has been making some major improvements to the base game in preparation.

Speaking in an interview with Eurogamer about the process of porting the fantasy role-playing game (RPG) to Switch 2, producer Naoto Oyama said that Capcom's RE Engine "has actually been a really great fit for Nintendo Switch 2."

He explained that the team has been able to use knowledge of previous Switch 2 ports, like Pragmata and Resident Evil Requiem, and the improvements made to the RE engine to create a solid port for Dragon's Dogma.

"Because this is an internal [Capcom-owned] engine, we've been able to accumulate knowledge and know-how from other teams," Oyama said. "And that means that the improvements that are made to the engine with each title, and the different features that are added with new games, get to stay with us - and we get to benefit from them on future titles. It's a really positive cycle for us."

The producer confirmed that the team has also been working to improve the game's overall performance, not just on Switch 2, but also on the launch PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S platforms.

"In particular, we've been trying to find as many small tweaks as we can make so we can build up and have a big performance improvement on consoles when it comes to Performance Mode itself," he said, adding that this will be a feature of the August title update, allowing the game to reach 60FPS in Performance Mode on console.

Oyama continued, confirming that the game can reach 30FPS on Switch 2 and "even higher" during many scenes.

"That means that, commensurately, all that effort we've put into the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game also pays off in the Switch 2 version," he said, "and we're currently seeing a minimum 30 frames per second rate performance on that hardware (and, in many scenes, it's even higher!).

"So it's a little while to go until the game releases, but it's exceeding our expectations on Switch 2, and I hope the players agree that we've done a great job again with bringing this game to that platform."

Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, which introduces a new region, Norgan, new armor, weapons, dungeons, and more, launches on October 9.

• The Duskbloods closed network tests begin next month
• Players can sign up to participate and test the game from August 21 to August 24
• The Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive will allow up to eight-player multiplayer matches

FromSoftware has announced the dates for The Duskbloods' closed network test happening next month.

The Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive was announced over a year ago, and details about the renowned Elden Ring studio's next PvPvE multiplayer have been few and far between.

After teasing the closed network test last month alongside a new trailer, FromSoftware has confirmed that there will be four tests over four days, between August 21 and August 24. You can check out the start dates and times below.

"To all prospective Bloodsworn, your participation in the coming Dusk Battles is eagerly awaited!" a post from Nintendo reads on X.

Fans can apply here, starting July 22 at 4PM CEST / 3PM BST until July 28 at 3:59PM CEST / 2:59PM BST.

The player selection announcement will be revealed on August 7 at 3PM CEST / 2PM BST.

The Duskbloods Closed Network Test

• August 21 - 12PM to 4PM CEST / 11 AM to 3 PM BST
• August 22 - 4AM to 8AM CEST / 3 AM to 7 AM BST
• August 22 - 8PM to 12AM CEST / 7 PM to 11 PM BST
• August 23 - 12PM to 4PM CEST / 11 AM to 3 PM BST
• August 24 - 4AM to 8AM CEST / 3 AM to 7 AM BST

"A network test involves using a pre-release version of the game to test performance prior to the commencement of service. We plan to conduct large-scale network load tests to check different technical aspects of the game's online systems," FromSoftware explained on its website.

The campaign will be able to test server load, gameplay balance, and various problems that may occur when multiple people play together across different network environments.

The Duskbloods was one of the highlights of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct last year, but unfortunately, there's still no release date.

There's also not a lot of information regarding gameplay, setting, and story; however, the studio has confirmed that the network test will feature multiplayer matches that "allows for up to eight players to participate together."

I didn't buy a Switch 2 at launch; I've been holding off on getting one for the time being - I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a limited edition The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time console - but The Duskbloods, and the upcoming closed network tests have me seriously considering finally investing in the console sooner.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been out for just over a year now, and it’s had a fascinating start to life.

It’s undoubtedly been a commercial success, becoming the second-fastest selling console in recorded US history, and it’s already seen its fair share of hits, whether that be the phenomenon that is Pokémon Pokopia or the 2025 Game of the Year nominee, Donkey Kong Bananza. But some are still unconvinced.

It’s not a stretch to say that, in spite of its high sales, the console has been highly contentious among gamers. While many speak with positivity about the Switch 2, there have been criticisms around the consoles battery life and performance, for instance.

Some gamers have also noted concerns around the lack of big first party hitters, such as a brand new 3D Mario, a new entry in the Legend of Zelda series (rather than a remake), and the system’s slightly patchy release schedule for 2026. Bundle that with some high-priced software and incoming console price rises, and I can see why some fans are yet to be won over.

My thoughts: a brief summary

In my personal opinion, though, the Switch 2 has had a pretty strong start. Growing up, I saw the messy launch of consoles such as the PlayStation 3, and the simply woeful launch titles for its successor, the PlayStation 4 and its counterpart, the Xbox One. Meanwhile, the Switch 2 has some great multiplayer fun in titles like Mario Kart World and Kirby Air Riders, some exceptional single player experiences like the aforementioned Donkey Kong and Pokémon games, and a healthy dosage of third-party support to boot.

What’s more, I’d argue that performance is pretty strong, and with a 1080p 120fps display for handheld mode, it no longer feels like I’m sacrificing too much quality just to play without my TV. Throw in 4K visuals in docked mode, far comfier Joy Con 2 controllers, and surprisingly good virtual surround sound, and I for one am happy with the hardware upgrade brought to the table by Nintendo’s new hybrid console.

I do wish that some games were a little more affordable — $79.99 / £74.99 / AU$119.95 for a physical copy of Mario Kart World definitely feels excessive, even with modern pricing standards. And I really wish the console’s battery life was a bit better too, even if I have found a workaround of sorts.

All in all, though, I’ve had a great first year with the Switch 2, and its prolific sales are there for all to see. But I’m not just here to share my view — there’s something else I’m far more interested in.

Tell us what you think about the Switch 2

That’s right: TechRadar Gaming wants to hear from you.

I’ve briefly spoken about some contentious points, but I want to gauge the thoughts and feelings of all of you out there. Do you think the Nintendo Switch 2 has been a hit or a flop?

Below, you’ll find a poll, where you can tell us what you think.

However, I’m also really keen to draw some specifics from our readers. If you’d like, you can comment below and make your voice heard — has the Switch 2 been a disappointment for you? Is it already among the console elite? We want to hear it all — and your comments may even feature in an upcoming article!

• Future Games Show will return for Gamescom 2026
• The main showcase will begin on August 26, followed by the FGS Live, and the FGS Best Of Gamescom will air on August 30
• Future Games Show at Gamescom will feature world premieres, new trailers, and more

The Future Games Show will officially return next month for Gamescom 2026 with three digital showcases.

Future Games Show at Gamescom will air the same day the industry event kicks off, on August 26, and feature new announcements from "some of the industry’s most creative studios," including world premieres, exclusive trailers, developer deep dives, and brand-new game demos.

The recent Future Game Show Summer Showcase in June included 40+ games and 11 world premieres, and reached over 17.8 million live and launch-weekend views, so viewers should expect some more exciting game reveals.

FGS Live From Gamescom will immediately follow the main showcase on August 26, be hosted by the FGS editorial team, and feature more world premieres and exclusive trailers, as well as news and interviews from the Gamescom show floor.

To round out the event, the FGS Best Of Gamescom broadcast will kick off on August 30 and take viewers to the show floor to wrap up the best games of the event. Those tuning in can also expect exclusive booth tours, developer interviews, and a recap of Gamescom’s most exciting announcements.

All three digital shows can be watched on Future Games Shows' Twitch, YouTube, X, TikTok, Facebook, and GamesRadar+.

"The Future Games Show is the best place to discover new games, from indie gems like acclaimed-puzzler Blue Prince to AAA blockbusters such as sci-fi RPG Exodus," said Daniel Dawkins, Content Director of Future Games Show at Future. "Our Summer Showcase delivered 3.72 wishlists per live viewer, comfortably outperforming industry averages, thanks to our super-engaged viewers.

"Since launching in 2020, we have been proud to showcase the industry's most exciting titles alongside premier hosts like Troy Baker, Alix Wilton Regan and Ben Starr. This Gamescom, we are delivering three massive digital showcases packed with the latest news and world premieres for PC and consoles. Don’t miss it!”

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

Which is why this Amazon Prime Day deal on the Nintendo Switch 2 for AU$624 is a discount that's going to be hard to pass up for many gamers, especially since it's the cheapest it's ever been (it was AU$629 in June on Amazon).

At a time when the Nintendo Switch 2's library is coming into its own with exclusive games like Pokémon Pokopia, Star Fox, Donkey Kong Bonanza and more, there has never been a better time to get your hands on the console before it's too late.

Our Nintendo Switch 2 review gave the console 4.5 stars for being a massive upgrade over its predecessor. The headline improvements are are support for 4K and 1440p resolutions (vs up to 1080p), a 120Hz refresh rate (up from 60Hz) and overall performance improvements with an Nvidia Tegra T239 processor, 12GB of RAM (vs 4GB) and starting storage of 256GB.

The main criticism in the review was around the relatively sparse exclusive game library at the time, but the landscape has since changed with the games I mentioned above. In fact, there's more where that came from — a handful more exclusives like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and Kingdom Hearts IV are set to come out this year, and there's even a port of Minecraft in the pipeline, too.

It's also worth noting that the Nintendo Switch 2's battery has fallen short of the brand's estimated 2-6.5 hours, with our tests finding it running between 2-5 hours, and that GameChat still doesn't compare to voice comms in PlayStation or Xbox.

Otherwise, these shortcomings shouldn't detract much from how much better the Nintendo Switch 2 is over its predecessor. The console is still the best way to experience Nintendo's best game offerings, and this discount makes it an even more compelling buy.

• Mario Kart Tour will shut down on September 29
• Nintendo has confirmed that an offline mode is not planned for release
• Nintendo said "We sincerely thank the many players who have loved and supported the game since service began so long ago"

Nintendo has announced that the servers for Mario Kart Tour will be shut down later this year.

The company notified players in a new blog post, confirming that the mobile racing spin-off, which first launched in 2019 for iOS and Android, will cease operating on September 29 at 11PM PT / 2AM ET / 7AM BST.

"Service for the Mario Kart Tour game for smart devices will come to an end as of 11:00 p.m. Pacific on September 29," the post reads.

"We sincerely thank the many players who have loved and supported the game since service began so long ago. Thank you for playing Mario Kart Tour."

In the FAQ, Nintendo confirmed that "An offline version is not scheduled for release," meaning it's officially the end of the mobile Mario Kart game for now.

All automatic subscription renewals and new subscriptions to the Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass were stopped during the game's maintenance on July 7, in conjunction with the game's end-of-service time frame.

Mario Kart Tour was centered around a race seasons mode and featured online multiplayer that allowed players to compete in live races against others around the world.

The mobile game also featured tracks that were later added to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as part of the Nintendo Switch game's Booster Course Pack DLC.

Nintendo didn't offer a reason for the game's shutdown, although the company may be attempting to encourage more mobile players to make the jump to the recently released Mario Kart World.

The way that consumers buy video games is changing, with Sony recently announcing that it would cease the production of new PlayStation game discs in January 2028 in a bid to push consumers towards more profitable digital purchases.

It's a big shift for the $500+ billion dollar video game industry, which once had a significant retail presence in the US, but one that has been predicted for some time.

A matter of time

Speaking in an investor Q&A session all the way back in 2009, then Nintendo president and Satoru Iwata correctly stated that it would take "20 years or so" for digital distribution to render physical copies in stores obsolete.

He dismissed notions that it could happen sooner as "radical" and argued that it would take a significant number of years for consumer behaviour to change.

His belief has been proven correct by empirical data as Nintendo's latest financial report revealed that the proportion of digital sales have just surpassed physical ones for the first time in the company's 137 year history.

While it seems safe assume that Sony's next console will not feature disc reader, and credible reports suggest Microsoft-owned competitor Xbox headed the same way, Nintendo is ironically the last major industry player that seems fully committed to physical releases — at least for the time being.

Part of a wider trend

Digital game sales are even more dominant on other platforms, hence the Sony decision to ditch physical formats entirely.

According to data from market research firm Ampere Analysis, when the PlayStation 4 originally launched in 2013 just 13% of games sold for Sony platforms were digital.

12 years later in 2025, and the share of digital game sales had steadily grown to almost 80%. Unless plans change, this will presumably be 100% come 2028 — almost exactly two decades since Iwata's 20 year prediction.

• Nintendo will release a new Switch 2 featuring a replaceable battery in Europe to comply with new EU legislation
• Other Nintendo accessories will also be updated and available throughout the year and in early 2027
• The sale of original Switch hardware will also end starting mid-February 2027

Nintendo has announced plans to sell a new Switch 2 console featuring a replaceable battery in Europe later this year and confirmed that it will end the sale of all original Switch hardware in early 2027.

Last month, the Super Mario creator shared a statement saying that it would comply with a new regulation called the EU Batteries Legislation, which was passed in 2023 and requires companies to make products with built-in batteries replaceable by February 18, 2027.

Now, in an updated support post, Nintendo has confirmed that it will launch new versions of the Switch 2 in the EU that will allow users to replace the battery, with the first revised hardware arriving this summer, with additional products becoming available later this year and early 2027.

"Starting summer 2026, in preparation for upcoming changes in European battery regulations coming into effect in mid-February 2027, selected Nintendo products in Europe will begin to be replaced on a rolling basis by revisions that contain a user-replaceable battery," Nintendo said.

The company noted, however, that "There is no difference in functionality between current products and revised products containing user-replaceable batteries."

"The first revised products are expected to become available from summer 2026, with additional products becoming available in autumn, winter, and early 2027. Due to a variety of factors, revised products may not become available in all European countries simultaneously."

The products that will be affected include: the Nintendo Switch 2, Joy-Con pair, Joy-Con (L&R) in Neon Blue and Red, Joy-Con 2 pair, Joy-Con 2 (L&R), Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, N64 Controller for Nintendo Switch, and GameCube Controller for Nintendo Switch 2.

Seemingly as a result, the company also confirmed in the FAQ that it will stop selling all original Switch hardware next year, almost a decade after the console launched.

"From mid-February 2027, almost ten years after Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017, Nintendo will no longer sell to retailers hardware in the Nintendo Switch family of systems – specifically Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite and Nintendo Switch – OLED Model," the company said.

"Sales of Nintendo Switch hardware on Nintendo Store will also end in mid-February 2027."

For now, the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, and Nintendo Switch – OLED Model will all continue to be manufactured for the rest of 2026 "and should be widely available in Europe all year."

• Xbox has announced that it is undergoing a "significant restructure"
• This will include the loss of 3,200 jobs over the fiscal year
• This includes 1,600 job losses today

Microsoft has announced that Xbox is to undergo the "most significant restructure" in the brand's history, with 1,600 jobs being cut today, for a total 3,200 jobs going over the coming months including four studios being jettisoned.

In another crushing blow for the people who make the games we love, these layoffs were strongly rumored to be coming this week — the sheer scale was unknown but predicted to be big. It turns out that was true.

In an email sent to Xbox employees that has now been made public via Xbox Wire, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma began by saying, "After careful consideration, I’ve made the difficult decision to reduce our team by approximately 3,200 throughout FY27. This will include approximately 1,600 role eliminations today, and in addition, four studios will leave Xbox to new management."

Sharma added: "Our business today is not healthy. We are operating at margins that are 3-10x lower than comparable platform and publishing businesses. We entered Gen 9 with a smaller install base and a higher cost structure. To grow, we bet on Game Pass, multi-platform, and a broader portfolio of content. While those businesses have created meaningful value, they did not grow at the pace we expected."

As well as the total of 3,200 jobs going this fiscal year, four studios are also affected. Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions are returning to being independent studios, while Ninja Theory and Undead Labs will gain new ownership with funding to complete their upcoming games, Senua and State of Decay 3.

Arkane — a studio many feared for in the run-up to this restructuring — is "beginning required consultation with its Works Council to review potential strategic options."

In a series of moves over the past decade or so, which has seen Microsoft acquire multiple studios, spend billions and billions of dollars, and make some curious decisions about Game Pass, prices, and more — all to take the brand from third in the console space to, well, third — this kind of feels like the bubble bursting before our very eyes. And the people who will pay the price will be the developers who make the games we all love playing.

Snakebyte Ergo Grip S2 review

The Snakebyte Ergo Grip 2 is a basic grip for the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons, although it has a few tricks up its sleeve.

Its design is very much a case of function over form. There’s no RGB lighting, and the all-black colorway leaves no room for levity. At least it's simple and unfussy, consisting merely of a central bar and two grip handles on either side. These handles are reasonably long but quite thin compared to more traditional controllers.

The build quality isn’t particularly great, it has to be said. There’s quite a bit of flex to the whole unit, although it's solid enough and the plastic feels smooth in the hand. But it’s certainly not going to challenge the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers on this front.

There’s a small switch underneath the Ergo Grip 2 to release the central bar from the bottom of the pad, allowing it to pivot upwards and out of the way of the grip handles so you can insert the Joy-Cons. This seems a little gimmicky, and what’s more, it’s not strictly necessary: by inserting my Joy-Cons at an angle, I managed to get around the handles while the center was locked down.

I think it would’ve been simpler to engineer a solution where the handles didn’t get in the way at all, rather than have a rotating mechanism. I’m also mildly concerned about the button that locks it down. I noticed a small amount of play while it’s locked down, which could spell failure further down the line.

Happily, the fit for the Joy-Cons is more secure. They slot into the Ergo Grip 2 just as well as they do into the Switch 2 itself. The hold feels strong, and the handles effectively partially cover their outsides, which prevents them from being prised out easily.

In action, it’s quite comfortable. The Joy-Cons sit fairly close together, but not so close as to cause issues. However, the grip handles took me a little while to get used to. At first, I had to slide my hands upwards to reach the Joy-Cons' bumpers when playing games such as Super Mario Bros. Wonder. However, I discovered that I could slot my last two fingers into the handles’ small indents for better purchase, which helped alleviate this problem somewhat.

But there are a few more ergonomic issues with the Ergo Grip 2. The bottom parts of the grips aren’t particularly long, and what’s more, they’re completely vertical, rather than angling outwards. This meant that they didn’t sit in the palms of my hands as well as more traditional gamepads, leading to a less secure feeling of grip.

This verticality extends to the orientation of the Joy-Cons. They don’t angle outwards at the bottom, which is part of the reason why reaching the bumpers can be a struggle. Other grips, such as the Genki Dual Wield, create such an angle, which feels like a more natural way to use the Joy-Cons.

The Ergo Grip 2 features a USB-C port for charging while you play. There are LEDs on top to indicate charging status, although these are basic, merely lighting up red while charging and green once complete.

At 200cm, the included USB-C cable is quite long, but it's made from rubber. This contrasts with the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories, including other controllers and grips, that come with braided cables for better flexibility. Thankfully, the cable is quite light, so I didn’t feel much resistance while playing, and I wasn’t worried about the cable disconnecting. However, it’s quite hard to unbunch, meaning it fails to maximize its entire length.

At less than £20, though, such shortcomings are easier to swallow. If all you’re after is a cheap way to securely hold your Joy-Con 2 controllers and want to play and charge at the same time, you could do worse than the Ergo Grip 2.

Snakebyte Ergo Grip S2 review: Price and availability

The Ergo Grip 2 can be ordered from Snakebyte’s website for €19.99, which is about £17. However, we have seen it for less than this at other retailers. This is a fair price for a Joy-Con 2 grip, especially one that features charge-and-play.

However, there are Switch 2 accessories that are arguably better value for money, including others from Snakebyte. Its Starter Kit S2, for instance, includes Joy-Con 2 grips, a case, wired earbuds, joystick caps, and a screen protector — all for about the same price as the Ergo Grip 2.

Should I buy the Snakebyte Ergo Grip S2?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Snakebyte Ergo Grip S2 review: Also consider

How I tested the Snakebyte Ergo Grip S2

I tested the Ergo Grip 2 for several days. I played various games with it attached to my Joy-Cons, including Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Super Mario 3D All-Stars. I attached and detached my Joy-Cons several times to test the fit and pivot mechanism of the grip.

I’ve been gaming for decades and have used many systems and controllers in that time. I’ve also reviewed other Switch 2 grips, as well as numerous controllers for the Switch, PC, Xbox, and mobile.

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

As someone who loved Batman: Arkham Asylum back when it originally launched, it might surprise you that I never got around to playing Arkham City or Arkham Knight until very recently. Despite all the hype for Arkham City that you still read online, it was Knight that genuinely wowed me. It's a near-perfect Batman game, and believe me, that near is carrying a lot of weight.

Playing Arkham Knight is like being given a key to the DC vaults in game form. The cast is deeper and richer than a chocolate layer cake, with villains ranging from the Joker (somehow returning) to Firefly, all getting their moment in the sun.

Over the course of the many hours that you'll spend in Gotham, you'll fight all of them to some degree, and learn about their particular plans, foibles, and personalities through radio broadcasts aimed at riling up the Bat.

I'm like a bat, I always fly away

And what a joy it is to spend time in this depiction of Gotham. It's split across three large islands, each about as big as the entire Arkham City map, and you're given some fantastic traversal mechanics to help make your journeys easier. Chief among these is the Grapnel Boost, upgraded from its debut in City to make launching off platforms a way to gain significant altitude very quickly.

Then you have the Batmobile, which is, in my view, unfairly maligned. It's fine, as it goes, even if the vehicle handling is far from perfect, and it's also largely secondary to most of your traversal. When you do need it for a puzzle or a mission, it's easy to summon and then easily dismissed. Even the car combat, which many seem to hate, didn't bother me.

Sure, it's not as fun as the hand-to-hand stuff, not by a long shot, but it's a means to an end and never overstays its welcome.

There is one particularly sticky sticking point, however. One thing that almost ruins the game and that's the Riddler challenges, and how the game integrates them into the plot.

Everyone's least favourite genius has an entire mission tree dedicated to him, which is actually pretty fun. He's captured Catwoman, and you need to solve a series of challenges to set her free. Do so, and the mission is over, and you can hand him over to the authorities, right? Nah. Not by a long way.

The game seems to think that you'll love the Riddler challenges so much that just doing the 10 trials to free Catwoman won't be enough. If you want to clap the Riddler in irons, you'll need to find every Riddler trophy, solve all of his riddles, destroy every breakable object, and save every rioter who had a bomb implanted in his brain by the Riddler. That sounds ridiculous, but doable. Let me explain why it's not: there are so many of these. There are 243 challenges in total.

None of them are particularly difficult by themselves, but I didn't save Catwoman until I was close to the end of the game, and had found about 10 Riddler trophies and saved one bomb rioter. As I looked at the scope of the challenge ahead of me, the sheer time that it would take me to complete all of them, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. This game has just singlehandedly ensured that there is a boss fight that I will never see. I will never fight the Riddler mano-a-mano, and I'm quite okay with that, valuing my time more than a fight that many hail as a series highlight.

If only it ended there. I'd be fine missing a snippet of content, but no, it's worse than that. If you want to see the true ending of the game, the game that you've likely put 40-50 hours into by this point, you'll need to pony up a bunch more hours and complete all of the Riddler challenges. That's right: if you want to see all those hours converted into a narratively satisfying ending, you need to go on a hidden object hunt across the length and breadth of the map.

Or, you could do what I did, and just watch the true ending on YouTube and save yourself a lot of time.

Knight and day

It's a real shame that the game's decided to lock up its ending behind such a convoluted set of tasks that aren't even very fun to do. The riddles are tolerable, but not stellar, while the Trophies are just a collectible with a tiny puzzle attached.

It's as though Assassin's Creed Shadows hid the ending away until you'd found every shrine and painted every animal, and it is patently absurd. It's a far more serious sin than giving you vehicle combat that, while fairly tedious, never lasts that long.

None of this detracts enough from the otherwise towering highs of Arkham Knight. It's a brilliant game with the best traversal and combat mechanics in the entire series. It trades the tight, claustrophobic (and coulrophobic) spaces of Asylum for a sweeping open world that is packed with villains, without landing on an unsatisfying halfway house as City did. It's got a great big bad, a wonderfully diverse set of environments, several playable characters, and is now cheap as chips. I had a huge heaping helping of fun with it.

So please, play Arkham Knight if you've not already, as you're in for a treat. Just don't try to go for the true ending if you value your sanity. Savor the gameplay, then open up YouTube.

The latest installment in Nintendo’s weird and wacky rhythm game franchise has finally landed with Rhythm Heaven Groove (known as Rhythm Paradise Groove in PAL regions). It’s a game that sticks closely to its foundations: there’s a simplistic control scheme, cartoonish art style, and a set of frankly surreal levels to sift through.

That’s not to say that Rhythm Heaven Groove brings nothing new to the table, however. There are plenty of multiplayer minigames available, and there’s a new single player mode called Beatspell, which riffs on the RPG genre.

So, is the mix of classic Rhythm Heaven charm and new content enough to place this entry among the best Nintendo Switch games? Here are my thoughts after hours upon hours of testing my skills.

More of the same — but not in a bad way

Let me begin by laying my cards on the table. I’m a long-time fan of the Rhythm Heaven series, and have poured a ton of hours into perfecting my timing on Rhythm Heaven (DS) and my personal favorite Rhythm Heaven Fever on the Wii.

I’m a sucker for the zany characters and goofy set of circumstances they find themselves in — whether that be dancing in tandem with a group of shrimp or playing badminton with a dog while piloting an airplane (yes, really).

And I’d argue that Nintendo — alongside codeveloper TNX — has re-created what made the series special effectively in Rhythm Heaven Groove. It’s a lot more of the same stuff we got before, but that’s by no means a bad thing.

A lot of the absurdism has been retained, and whether I was playing as a frog and launching my amphibian brethren off a lily pad or bouncing lemons off by biceps as a hard-core gym bro, I felt that the unorthodox appeal of what came before was still alive and breathing on Nintendo Switch.

Levels are, on the whole, pretty memorable, and while I found some to be less compelling — like using a massive hammer to crush cans, or sweeping the floor as part of a four-piece pop band — there’s plenty of personality, vibrant colors, and eccentric character designs to marvel at.

In the core solo levels, there’s a decent amount of variety too, even with the music, which spans a variety of genres, tempos, and styles. I found myself bopping my head to the tunes in Alien Alphabet — a level where you have to communicate with a chatty extra-terrestrial — as well as Hop N Slide — where you play as a computerised creature that has to jump and duck through hurdles — among many others.

If you want, you can even listen to the tracks in the Sound Studio menu, which fills out as you play through the game’s varying levels.

But let’s talk a bit about gameplay, something that there’s understandably little to discuss around. Like its predecessors, Rhythm Heaven Groove keeps things outrageously simple.

Whatever mode you’re playing, you just have to press buttons — sometimes even just one — in time with the beat. Controls are responsive and there are visual and audio cues that help you to nail your timing. You’ll either get your rhythm spot on, a little off, or straight up wrong, and this will determine how well you do in a particular level or minigame.

In the main single player levels, you can earn medals by hitting almost every note faultlessly, and this really brought the perfectionist out of me. I felt almost compelled to get a medal in every level, including the remixes, which combine multiple levels together in one brilliant collage.

You occasionally get the option to go for Perfect in some stages, which can earn you an in-game reward. This can be infuriating — but in a way that’s addictive and oh-so satisfying when you pull off a flawless run.

One minor gripe I have is that there’s no option to restart within a level when going for Perfect. For some reason, you have to jump back to the main menu, re-enter and try again. It’s a minor frustration, sure, but when you’re trying to get in the zone it can feel a tad grating.

Speaking of menus, I was slightly surprised to find that they were quite bland. The main menu is just a list, there’s little visual flair or intrigue about it. Again, this is a nit-pick, but for such a vivid and charismatic title, I expected something a little less rudimentary.

The new stuff: the good, the bad, and everything in between

Right, so despite a couple of small things, the core single player experience is very enjoyable in Rhythm Heaven Groove. But what new stuff can you sink your teeth into.

Well, perhaps the highest profile addition is the aforementioned Beatspell mode, which takes visual and gameplay inspiration from classic RPGs. By entering varying commands at different rhythms, you’re able to cast a handful of spells, including fire and water attacks, healing, and more. You must use your magic to defeat basic monsters as well as bosses, which have varying weaknesses and attack patterns.

You can level up your spells as you progress through each level, although these are reset at the beginning of each new area. It’s a neat idea, and I personally preferred to pour my points into attacking spells to defeat enemies faster — which helps you earn bonus points for a better star rating at the end of each segment. While beating your enemies is pretty easy, getting a high star rating requires consistently good timing, especially later into the campaign.

However, I wouldn’t say that Beatspell is the strongest mode ever. The levels feel pretty repetitive, and the narrative throughout the campaign failed to capture my interest. It’s very basic, and it doesn’t quite have the same quirky feel that the core levels exude.

Sure, there’s a bit more variation in terms of gameplay — you’re not restricted to one or two basic inputs and can approach levels how you see fit, but the music and enemies I encountered felt less charismatic than what the series typically delivers, making me less enthused about returning to levels and perfecting my score.

Still, some of the new additions show promise, and when my talented colleague and TechRadar Gaming Editor, Dash Wood, played the multiplayer minigames, he had an absolute blast. We loved everything here, from the catchy tunes through to the charming visuals and competitive feel, and I’m definitely going to be forcing a few friends and family members to duke it out with me.

There are more modes too, including Drum Lesson, the experimental Rhythm Toy Mode, and the Café, where you can take a break and receive tips. All in all, there’s plenty of ways to enjoy the beat-based fun in Rhythm Heaven Groove, and although I didn’t love Beatspell, the core experience alone had enough content to keep me entertained.

I liked most of the new additions overall, then, although I wasn’t a huge fan of the narrator, named Lil’ Miss Reeds. This robotic character uses text-to-speech to read menus aloud, which is a neat touch in terms of accessibility, although the voice, in my view, is pretty annoying.

Luckily, you can turn text-to-speech off in a sub-menu, which I quickly did — but again, in spite of my dislike for the robo voice, it’s a thoughtful touch. Especially given that there’s an option to describe what’s on screen as well as reading text aloud.

One final point before I wrap up, which has been a fairly big topic of discussion for this title. Although the Nintendo Switch 2 has been out for more than a year now, Nintendo decided to release this entry as an exclusive on the original Switch. In my view, this is a very sensible decision: not only is the Nintendo Switch the best-selling console in history, opening one of the more niche Nintendo franchises up to a larger player base, but the game itself is hardly the most technically demanding.

And I found performance to be consistent throughout — there were no framerate hiccups, visuals looked vibrant and relatively sharp, and controls felt responsive too, whether I was playing on my TV or using wired earbuds in handheld mode (though the latter option will be best for perfectionists due to lower latency).

So, what do I make of Rhythm Heaven Groove overall? For me, it's a continuation of everything that made its predecessors tick. With a whimsical visual style, head-bopping tunes, and zany level design, there’s plenty of the oddball rhythmic fun that we’ve come to expect from this series.

Sure, Beatspell wasn’t my favorite, and the simplistic gameplay won’t be to everyone’s taste, but if you want a beat-hitting game that’s entertaining to dip into solo or with friends, this is an easy title to recommend.

Should you play Rhythm Heaven Groove?

Play it if…

Don’t play it if…

Accessibility features

There aren’t all too many ways to customize your experience in Rhythm Heaven Groove, although you can switch between a few Read-Aloud settings.

There’s the option to have the narrator Read words, read and describe what’s on the screen, or deactivate the narrator altogether.

How I reviewed Rhythm Heaven Groove

I spent around 10 hours playing through Rhythm Heaven Groove. During this time, I played through the main solo levels, the Beatspell campaign, and tried out the other side modes.

The majority of the time, I played the game in TV mode, with my Nintendo Switch 2 connected to the Sky Glass Gen 2 TV and my Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. However, I did also dip into handheld mode a fair few times, and connected up the Sennheiser CX 80U wired earbuds to enjoy the in-game music and sounds.

More generally, I’m a long-time fan of the Rhythm Heaven series and have reviewed many video games during my time here at TechRadar. This has included plenty of Nintendo exclusive games, like Kirby Air Riders, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, and Drag x Drive.

I love every part of Splatoon... Except actually playing it — a problem the upcoming Splatoon Raiders might just fix.

In my eyes, the series’ art style is one of the best in Nintendo’s incredibly strong catalog. It has an attractive urban fantasy world populated by adorable, squid-like characters that feels both modern and fresh. The bright, shiny colors give everything a decidedly Gen Z vibe — one that’s further reinforced by the fashionable street clothes available for your in-game character to wear.

The concept of a third-person shooter all about ink is wonderfully original too, and I adore how the pristine blank stages are gradually smothered in your team’s colourful ink as matches progress. The problem, at least for me, is how incredibly sweaty the player-versus-player (PvP) side of the game inevitably becomes. Both Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 offered me a few weeks of fun around launch, but after a while it started to feel like the only people I matched up against had thousands of hours in the game and could destroy me in a flick of a wrist with the twitchy motion controls.

A skill issue, perhaps, but I know that I’m not alone, and it seems like Nintendo has cottoned on as well. While Splatoon 3 offered a single-player campaign, it wasn’t the most exciting, but the developer has clearly taken everything it learned from creating it, alongside the game’s roguelike Side Order DLC, and poured it into this new Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive.

Splatting solo

After playing for a few hours at a recent preview event, I can already see that Splatoon Raiders is shaping up to be the ultimate experience for those who, like me, are enamored with the series but just aren’t cut for competitive online play. Everything that I enjoyed in the main games is here, starting with the character creator.

You can choose to be either a squid-like Inkling or Octoling (an alternate species introduced in the Splatoon 2 expansion), with a few body types and hairstyles to flick through. The designs are all fantastic and aggressively on-trend.

I particularly appreciated the cute bangs available if you choose an Octoling, decked out in shiny plastic charms like a Fairy Kei model. Your options are limited at first, but there’s a decent roster of great-looking outfits to unlock and further customize your look as well.

The character you create is an anonymous mechanic, trapped on a remote island with Shiver, Frye, and Big Man (the iconic television hosts from the in-game Deep Cut broadcasts that trigger every time you log in to Splatoon 3, who it turns out also moonlight as a team of treasure hunters) after an expedition gone awry.

This island serves as your hub world, offering a little firing range and various stations where you can upgrade your gear. The base itself can be upgraded too, adding new targets to the firing range, unlocking new types of gear upgrades, and even introducing a little arcade cabinet where you can play charming retro-style mini games.

While I pored over every little detail, you’re only meant to spend a little bit of time here in between replayable missions. These drop you into surrounding islands to fight off waves of Salmonids — the rabid fish creatures from the other games’ Salmon Run co-op modes.

The shooting is as satisfying as ever, with all the most important weapon types of Splatoon 3 returning from the rapid-fire Splattershots and Dualie Squelchers to long-range options like the Jet Squelcher and Splat Charger.

Fighting fishy foes

There's a good level of enemy variety, with a good selection of basic grunts to mow down on top of some more advanced, and surprisingly tricky, types. I also spotted a handful of new arrivals, like the massive Salty Tongue — a huge, fat salmon that slides around the battlefield on a bed of evil goo and takes a good few shots to beat. Defeated foes drop glowing orange eggs, charging a gauge for a devastating special attack.

Most levels are quite large and open, with your main goal being to recover upgrade material and hidden treasures throughout. A compass guides you towards the available objectives, though eagle-eyed explorers will spot a small number of hidden detours filled with extra loot.

As in the main games, spraying on the ground coats it with a layer of bright slime that you can quickly swim through in a squid form while replenishing your tank of inky ammunition — a mechanic now used for platforming challenges to break up the fights against enemy waves. These are paired with fun little segments that see you surfing across water or floating through the air on wind currents.

It’s clear that Splatoon Raiders is intended to be more approachable than the multiplayer games. It offers three difficulty levels and isn’t particularly punishing if you do die: you retain most of what you’ve collected and can thus invest it in upgrades to make your next run easier. There’s co-op too, which lets you tackle the levels of the campaign with up to three friends if you really need a the added hands.

I’m eager for a second helping when Splatoon Raiders drops on July 23, 2026.

I recently visited Audeze’s HQ in California for a revealing behind-the-scenes look at how one of the most premium audio brands goes about its business, from the science and developments behind the tech to the philosophy, people, and culture driving it.

As someone who covers gaming hardware and tech, one of my most pressing lines of inquiry during my visit was to really nail down why Audeze believes that planar magnetic drivers are superior for gaming audio and in gaming headsets like the Audeze Maxwell 2.

And I got my answer: it’s the driver’s innate ability and technical functionality, but also what it allows a user to do afterwards.

All things transient

“Planar magnetic drivers have several fundamental performance advantages that benefit gaming,” Audeze marketing director Peter James tells me.

“One of those is better transient response … The driver is lighter, moves faster, reacts quicker to the changes in the signal, which means better precision and more realism.”

This can then equate to enhanced “immersion in a single-player game” or a “competitive advantage in a multiplayer game, where you're hearing more precisely and more quickly what's going on around you”, he says.

This is supported by the weighty opinion of Dragoslav Colich (or ‘Dr C’ for short), co-founder and chief technical officer of Audeze: “Transient response is much higher, so bass is much cleaner.”

If you’ve ever compared the likes of an Audeze Maxwell 2 to a competing dynamic driver gaming headset, then this is something you already know. I have had plenty of experience with overly muddy and thumping bass on many leading brands’ gaming sets, which are nowhere near as clean and detailed as the Maxwell 2’s.

The second major benefit of the drivers’ ability to offer lower distortion and the knock-on effects of that.

“Lower distortion, again, means versions of all those things you're hearing, [with] enhanced immersion and precision, regardless of whatever genre of game you're playing. But additionally, the low distortion enables better customization of the sound,” James argues.

This means planar magnetic drivers might not only sound better by default but can also allow you to tweak the sound profile more effectively than other sets.

“Because these drivers are so flexible and so low in distortion, they take EQ very easily and readily without creating even more distortion the way dynamic drivers often do, particularly when you boost bass,” he goes on. “This allows our headphones to be more customizable to people's individual tastes.”

So, better transient response for higher levels of precision and realism, lower distortion, and great flexibility in taking on EQs — and that’s on top of a level of audio quality that is, at least for me, incredible.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming: two-minute review

The Final VR3000 EX for Gaming is a multi-platform gaming headset aimed at the more affordable end of the gaming market. It offers a low-latency connection, a fold-to-mute mic, and spatial audio for a much more manageable price than many of the premium pads on the market. But does it deliver on everything it promises?

The Final VR3000 EX for Gaming’s build isn’t bad, all things considered. I’m not a huge fan of the plastic on its earcups or how rattly it can be — both make it feel a bit cheap and flimsy — while the adjustable headband doesn’t really go tight enough for people with smaller heads. But the fabric section of the headband and the faux leather cups are really comfortable: despite a tiny bit of sweatiness, I found them comfortable enough to wear for the best part of a day.

Sound quality on the VR3000 EX is really solid: trebles feel crisp enough to give everything real immediacy, while the mids have sufficient clarity that I could easily differentiate the different roars of demons I gunned my way through in Doom. The only area where I’d say the headset doesn’t quite match pace with the best wireless gaming headsets out there is bass. It would be nice if guns had a little more boom — unless I’ve really misunderstood, the F in BFG9000 does not stand for ‘feeble’.

On paper, the VR3000 EX has some pretty great features for its price point, but I found this was the point it really struggled to deliver. Although Final talks a good game about the headset’s spatial audio, in practice the only dimension I really found had strong differentiation was left / right, with noises behind me being harder to pinpoint and there seemingly being no height effect that I could detect at all.

The headset’s Footstep Clarity Mode is a similar story. While creeping around the Dust II map on Counter-Strike 2, I found detecting the footfalls of rivals to be pretty easy, which is great. However, I couldn’t really appreciate a significant difference in this, whether the mode was enabled or not. It seems churlish to complain about this, given footsteps were still easy to hear, but I’m just not sure how much this feature actually adds.

I will give Final less faint praise over the headset’s foldaway mic though. Testing it out, I found it did a pretty creditable job of picking up my voice and its fold-to-mute functionality worked well to stifle the recording, even though there was a slight lag of a little under a second for it to kick in. However, it doesn’t seem to have a near-field mic or significant noise gating, as when it was recording it absolutely picked up the background music I was playing and the clack of my keyboard.

And whatever quibbles I may have about the VR3000 EX’s other features, I was pretty blown away by its battery life. During my battery tests, I found that Final was pretty on the money with its 55-hour estimate for this headset. That blows even many more premium headsets out of the water for longevity and means you’re unlikely to need to charge it more than once a week, even if you’re gaming for a significant proportion of each day.

Everything is relative. Given its price, I’d usually be pretty generous with the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming. And it doesn’t get everything wrong: it has decent enough mids and trebles and a good stereo field. But bass is pretty lacking and many of the features it professes to have are almost imperceptible. In light of that, I’d argue another budget option like the Corsair HS55 Wireless might serve you better instead.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: price & release date

• Launched on December 12, 2025
• List price of $149.99 / £99.99 / $259
• But it’s already on sale for £69.99 in the UK

Released on December 12, 2025, Final VR3000 EX for Gaming is available now. While it originally went on sale at a list price of $149.99 / £99.99 / $259, it’s already showing up for a fair amount less in some regions. You can currently pick it up for as little as £69.99 in the UK, which is a pretty low price for a gaming headset.

As for your options at that price, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that there’s not a whole load of customizability and it only comes in one colorway, black. On the plus side, there aren’t loads of different versions for different platforms: the one version of the VR3000 EX is compatible with PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC, although unfortunately there’s no Xbox Series X / S compatibility.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: specs

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: design / features

• Comfortable to wear
• Not all materials feel that premium
• Epic battery life
• Quite loose fitting

Given its price, it’s not surprising that the Final VR3000 EX’s build quality seems a little on the cheap side. Not only does the textured plastic on their cups feel pretty low quality, but they are incredibly rattly when you handle them, which doesn’t speak to a tremendously robust construction. On the plus side, they didn’t seem to rattle at all when they were on my head.

Additionally, the fabric headband and faux leather earcups are delightfully soft, meaning I actually found the VR3000 EX to be surprisingly comfortable. I wore them on and off for much of a day, and they didn’t start to squish my ears, a problem I’ve always found with cheaper headphones and headsets. However, I will say the faux leather gets decidedly sweaty during longer use, particularly during tense first-person shooters.

I’m less convinced by the VR3000 EX’s fit, unfortunately. While the clamping force feels just about right, it’s not all that easy to adjust the stiff adjustable headband while the headset is on your dome. And Final seems to have modeled this headset around Mr Mackey from South Park — I have a pretty big head and yet the VR3000 EX only just about felt stable on the shortest setting, while one of my smaller-skulled colleagues definitely found he couldn’t get it small enough for it to feel comfortable.

All of its controls are on the left earcup. There’s an on switch, the volume dial, a Mode button that lets you switch between Bluetooth and USB mode — as well as play/pause media and answer/end calls — and the Control button, which allows you to trigger Footstep Clarity Mode. Each button has a clicky enough action to provide decent tactile feedback, while the volume dial is lightly notched to make increasing the volume feel nicely precise. However, I will say that they’re positioned close enough that it’s not always easy to know right away which button is which by feel alone.

The app for the Final VR3000 EX is pretty limited. It has three features: it enables you to update the headset’s firmware, switch on Footstep Clarity Mode, and provides access to Final’s EQ settings. While it’s hard to justify using the app just for the Footstep Clarity Mode, the 10-band EQ that’s included is pretty decent, even if I’m not all that convinced that the impact of the lowest 31Hz is really that appreciable. So while it’s not like you need to rush to download this, it’s still useful so I’ll count this one as a bonus.

A far more unequivocal win for the VR3000 EX though is its battery life. Final quotes its total life as being up to 55 hours, and this was borne out by my testing. I set it streaming music constantly for six hours, and during that time the battery only dropped to 90% — a back-of-the-envelope calculation would put its total life at 60 hours. So even factoring in that battery discharge curves aren’t necessarily regular, I’d say 55 hours is a perfectly reasonable expectation for how long this headset should last you.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: performance

• Good sound performance, even if bass is weaker
• Spatial audio claims totally overblown
• Not sure Footstep Clarity mode adds much

Design and features are all well and good. But where the rubber meets the road for a gaming headset is whether those things translate into a good sonic performance in-game. And, sadly, when you actually take the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming for a test drive, it doesn’t quite deliver on the expectations it’s set for itself.

The VR3000 EX sounds very decent, but it is a little uneven in how it handles the balance of frequencies. On the plus side, it has a good level of bite in the high-end. The screams of the possessed when I was playing Doom were immediate enough to be rattling, while the whine of my chainsaw as I carved up imps felt sufficiently realistic.

But it’s when it comes to bass that the VR3000 EX is a little more lacking. When I tested the Turtle Beach Atlas 200, I heaped praise on it for the almighty boom that issued when I was clicking heads with the sniper rifle in Counter-Strike 2. With the VR3000 EX, it almost felt like I was playing a different game, with the game’s rifles having scarcely any more impact than my dual Berettas. While that has a very limited impact on your kill ratio in-game, it does make the whole thing feel a lot less immersive.

Speaking of, Final spends a lot of time hyping up the VR3000 EX’s spatial audio skills in its product description. And yet I’d say rumors of its immersiveness have been greatly exaggerated.

On the one hand, the VR3000 EX has a pretty creditable stereo field, with action occurring on either side of me always feeling pretty easy to pinpoint. Whether I was trying to spot where an inbound explosive engineer was charging from or fleeing from hell knights in Doom, the VR3000 EX generally made it easy to tell which side their howls and roars came from.

Unfortunately, I can’t say Final’s headset fares as well in other dimensions. There’s just enough variation in footsteps in front and behind you that I could tell which was which when giving it my full attention — but in the heat of battle, I’m not sure how useful I actually found these subtle cues. And while Final explicitly mentions height effects on its site, I could not spot any significant difference at all between action happening above me and gunfights happening right under my nose.

Honestly, that’s fine: I do not expect accomplished Dolby Atmos-style effects from hardware that costs roughly the same dough as a couple of AAA computer games. But I do wish brands would stop denuding the term spatial audio of its meaning by using it as a marketing gimmick.

Sadly, the VR3000 EX also treads a pretty similar path with its Footstep mode. While engaged in a free-for-all deathmatch in Counter-Strike 2, the headset did a perfectly adequate job of allowing me to pick out my rivals’ footfall and react accordingly. So far, so good, right? Except during this match I switched Footstep mode on and off many times, and I genuinely couldn’t spot whether I was actually getting an enhanced sense of steps or whether it was largely just a placebo.

One area I’ll happily give the VR3000 EX its due, though, is its connectivity. Using its USB dongle, I honestly couldn’t detect any latency between kills onscreen and the crack of gunfire. While an effective low-latency mode is pretty common with gaming headsets, it’s still a welcome feature on a headset this affordably priced. Even when connected via Bluetooth, the audio wasn’t remotely laggy and enabled me to respond pretty quickly to what was going on around me. So it definitely gets some points there.

And as long as you don’t have particularly high expectations, the VR3000 EX’s foldaway mic works well enough as well. Its action is smooth, and the fold-to-mute function absolutely works, meaning you can be sure no one is overhearing you when you want a bit of privacy — although there is a lag of around a second before it mutes, so bear that in mind. Unfortunately, though, sound quality isn’t great, with my voice sounding a little bit on the tinnier side, and there’s no noise-gating that I can tell, meaning friends and foes online will be able to hear any background chatter or music in your room.

Should I buy the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming?

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if...

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: also consider

How I tested the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming

• Tested over a week
• Tried out on a range of titles including Counter-Strike 2 and Doom
• Have 10 years experience writing about audio and 35 of gaming

I tested the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming over the course of a week. I paired it with my desktop PC at home, my MacBook Pro M4 and TechRadar’s Acer Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop. I then tested it out with multiple titles including Counter-Strike 2 and Doom, as well as listening to some playlists on Apple Music.

In terms of specifics, I tested out the spatial audio in multiple Counter-Strike 2 deathmatches and tried switching the Footstep Clarity Mode on and off to see how much difference that made to how perceptible opponents’ positions were. I recorded myself while talking, typing, and playing music to test the VR3000 EX’s foldaway mic, as well as folding it away to test how effectively it muted incoming audio.

When it comes to my personal experience, I’ve been writing about and testing audio gadgets for over ten years now, as well as using audio gear to produce and listen to music. I’ve been playing games on a daily basis since they were all 8-bit, sharing my time pretty evenly between console, handheld and PC gaming. And yet, it turns out, I still get thoroughly mogged when playing Counter-Strike 2, which I blame on my middle-aged reflexes.

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

• PlayStation boss Hideaki Nishino says "pick up and play" is the most important quality for consoles nowadays
• He says Sony wants to leverage tech "that can be used in various forms and locations"
• The CEO's comments suggest that Sony is looking to rejoin the handheld market

A new PlayStation handheld could be on the table after comments from Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino suggest the company wants to create new hardware similar to the Nintendo Switch 2.

In an interview with Famitsu (translated by IGN), Nishino was asked whether PlayStation plans to continue focusing on consoles, following a past comment he made in 2024 about how hardware won't be disappearing any time soon.

The CEO confirmed it would, saying, "My belief that a console is necessary for playing games hasn’t changed," adding that Sony "wants to continue providing its own game consoles."

But what sort of consoles? Nishino went on to mention that "pick up and play" is the most important quality for consoles nowadays, which instantly makes one think of the Switch 2 or PlayStation Portal.

Nishino continued, saying that developing new consoles will mean Sony will be "leveraging technologies that can be used in various forms and locations" and that this would enable Sony "to create something exciting."

"For example, although the PlayStation brand is strongly associated with playing on the TV in the living room, we’re planning to release monitors and speakers so that people can play comfortably in other locations as well," Nishino said. "We developed the PlayStation Portal as part of this initiative."

The PlayStation Portal is a remote player, allowing PS5 users to play their PS5 games via their handheld device, a challenge Sony took on to create a new kind of gameplay experience, according to Nishino.

"We were thinking, 'Let’s try this, let’s try that,' and I’d like us to move forward with developing products while exploring various ideas in this way," he said.

While the PlayStation Portal is a handheld console, its purpose is built for streaming and cloud gaming, unlike the PSP and the PS Vita.

While the PSP took off and became Sony's biggest handheld ever, selling 70 million units, the PS Vita didn't fare too well, shifting an estimated 15 to 16 million units before it was discontinued in 2019.

If Sony plans to rejoin the handheld market, it will have tough competition if it goes against the Switch 2, which has officially sold almost 6 million units within its first year of release.

A PS6 handheld has been rumored for some time. According to a reliable insider and leaker, Moore's Law is Dead, Sony will launch its next-generation PlayStation with three devices in 2027, including two consoles and a companion handheld.

• The Nintendo Switch 2 is now the second fastest-selling video game hardware in US tracked history
• The console sold 5.9 million units by the end of its first year of release
• The PS5 and Xbox Series consoles have seen a drop in sales due to price hikes

The Nintendo Switch 2 has just hit a huge sales record in the US within its first 12 months of release, but Xbox and PS5 console unit sales have seen a steep decline.

According to a new report from Circana, the Switch 2 was the best-selling hardware platform in both units and dollars for May and 2026 year-to-date, achieving a US install base of 5.9 million units by the end of its first year of release.

This makes the Switch 2 the second fastest-selling video game hardware in US tracked history, behind the Game Boy Advance, which sold 6.5 million units in its first year.

Thanks to the Switch 2, overall spending on gaming hardware has increased by 38% to $249 million, compared to one year ago.

However, due to recent price increases, PS5 spending was down 43% and had a significant 58% drop in unit sales, while Xbox Series hardware spending grew 7% versus a year ago, but unit sales fell by 12%.

As a result, "PlayStation hardware unit sales fell to their lowest May total since May 2000, while Xbox hardware unit sales were the lowest ever recorded for a May month."

Microsoft yesterday announced that, effective August 1, 2026, the price of the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles will increase by $100 for 512 GB models and $150 for 1 TB models. The company will also be sunsetting its 2TB model, a result of the ongoing memory crisis.

I’ve been a Pokémon fan almost as long as I can remember — starting my adventure with Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, and moving up all the way to the latest entry: Pokémon Champions, which just debuted on iOS and Android devices (and frankly it couldn’t be a better fit on smartphones).

Everyone has their favorite Pokémon entry, and Pokémon in general — mine’s Buizel — and while I have a soft spot for Pokémon Diamond (and Gen 4 as a whole), in contention for the top spot would have to be the Nintendo Switch 2 instant classic that is Pokémon Legends Z-A.

And right now it’s on sale for Amazon Prime Day — the Nintendo Switch 2 physical edition is down to $44.99 — that's a whole $25 off its list price. Just remember to run, not walk, as this is a limited-time deal — and 17% of the discounted units have already been sold at the time of writing!

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

For folks who grew up with the Pokémon anime and games, Z-A is the perfect combination of both, with its story and adapted battling mechanics; and as I said in my review, it felt like the series has finally found its way again after losing itself slightly in the 3D era.

Sure, Lumiose City can feel a little claustrophobic by the end of your adventure, but the one-city setting worked surprisingly well, and I kinda loved the scaled-back but still high-stakes adventure.

I can’t recommend this game enough, and anyone with a Switch 2 (even folks who haven’t clicked with Pokémon before) should give this title a try.

Ready to be a Champion?

Given that I’ve been playing so much of it since its mobile release, I need to talk about Pokémon Champions, and how Legends Z-A gives you the best possible head-start in that title.

You can play Champions completely on its own, collecting Pokémon through the recruitment ranch, training them up at the in-game gym, and heading out to compete in single or double battles. And you can play it completely free-to-play without too much trouble if you’re careful with your resources, complete challenges, and finish all of the tutorials.

But a big way to avoid spending in Champions is to import Pokémon from your other games via Pokémon Home. Pokémon Go is an excellent mobile-only option, but for Switch 2 owners Legends: Z-A has a major advantage.

Thanks to its mega evolution focus, all the most powerful new ‘mon can be caught and sent over to Champions. There are a couple of VGC classics who aren’t present (like the infamous Incineroar) but given Champions’ smallish pool of Pokémon, it shouldn’t take you long to find them through recruitment, especially as your resources won’t be so limited by needing to build out a whole team.

Legends: Z-A is also home to a Champions contender who can only be obtained through Z-A — it’s the only exclusive ‘mon in the battler right now, as it won’t ever appear on the ranch, no matter how many times you attempt to recruit (though we don’t know if that will change in a future update). Perhaps most annoyingly of all, this contender is arguably the best mega evolution in Champions, with raw power that requires a dedicated counter on your team in case you ever face one on the ladder.

Oh, and did I mention this exclusive is only earned deep into Legends’ post-game?

I’m, of course, referring to Mega Floette which can only be achieved by mega-evolving the special Eternal Flower form obtainable after finishing Legends: Z-A and progressing through the post-game battle competition.

Eternal Flower Floette boasts seriously lifted stats compared to its base form, which are elevated further by its mega-evolution. Its Fairy Aura ability — previously exclusive to Xerneas, a contender for the best Pokémon ever competitively speaking — then buffs fairy-type moves’ power, which in conjunction with its stats and fairy typing (lending a same-type attack bonus on top of everything else) make Mega Floette a cannon ready to eliminate almost any ‘mon that dares to stand in front of its Moonblast.

If you’re playing Champions you need an answer to Floette — popular choices are Kingambit or Sneasler — otherwise a well-supported Eternal Flower will sweep your team.

So even if you don’t care about anything other than being the very best in Pokémon’s competitive scene, for now Legends: Z-A is a game you need to play. And with this deal you can save a big chunk on its price of entry (and you can always trade-in this physical edition game for something else down the line).

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

Ludicrously excited about the announced remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time? Yeah, me too. Unfortunately, I also have issues with delaying gratification, so waiting months for it to be released feels interminable to me. Fortunately, there are lots of other nostalgic purchases available this Prime Day, so if you're as into retro gaming as I am, let me introduce you to a few of my faves.

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

My core memories of gaming were formed in about 1990. That's why I love retro gaming, as it enables me to relive those halcyon days when most beloved characters were just 16 pixels high, and soundtracks sounded like a modem composing free jazz. Pixel art, chiptune sound effects, and awkwardly translated dialogue will never cease to charm me.

That's why I'm always on the lookout for fun retro consoles and accessories. If it gives me an excuse to complete Chrono Trigger for the 12th time or be terrified by the low-poly horror of Silent Hill all over again, I'm in. And, fortunately, this Prime Day has supplied plenty of great retro gaming deals to tide both of us over until The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake or Final Fantasy VII Revelation drops at last.

If you're not on the hunt for gadgets you once owned 30 years ago, you can find plenty of deals on cutting-edge tech on our Amazon Prime Day US live blog.

Retro console & accessories sale — top picks

• Nintendo SNES Classic Edition: now $109.98 at Walmart (was $129.95)
• Atari 2600+ Pac-Man Edition: now $139.99 at Amazon (was $169.99)
• 8BitDo N64 Bluetooth Controller: now $39.24 at Amazon (was $44.99)

Retro consoles & accessories — US 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

I've been using the Nintendo Switch 2 since its launch week, playing practically every title released for the platform either as part of my work covering games here at TechRadar Gaming or my own personal enjoyment.

I've spent hours in everything from big new entries in first-party franchises like Mario Tennis Fever and Mario Kart World to groundbreaking ports such as Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition. I'm not just playing the big hitters either, and have invested loads of time in getting to grips with underrated gems including Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess and Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army.

• View all of Amazon's current prices and deals on Nintendo Switch 2 games this Prime Day

While many of these games will be discounted over the course of the ongoing Amazon Prime Day deals, every title that I've included is well worth your time and attention regardless of its price.

Amazon Prime Day game deals

• PS5 games: God of War Ragnarok for just $32 and more
• Xbox games: loads of deals, including NBA 2K26 for just $10
• Nintendo Switch 2 games: Save $12 on the likes of Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition

Amazon Prime Day – the best Nintendo Switch 2 games I'd buy right now

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

My love of all things Zelda is no secret to my colleagues, friends, and family. In fact, when The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (OoT) remake was first announced, our Global Editor-in-Chief, Marc McLaren, immediately messaged me to ask if I intended to take time off to play it (I do).

When the 40th anniversary of the franchise rolled around earlier this year, I was a little blue to see little-to-no news of a new game or remake, but my long-read ode to the lasting impact of Link's adventures through Hyrule at least gave me a distraction. Now, however, with months to go until I finally make my grand return to the Kokiri forest, my hype has reached new heights.

To pass the time, I plan to spend my money on, you guessed it, even more Zelda merchandise and Switch 2 accessories to accommodate my upcoming increase in playtime. In the current Amazon Prime Day deals, there's a wide selection of cases, storage, merchandise, and more to shop; I've included some of the best below, as well as the essential gear my gaming station will be decked with come OoT's release later this year. Not everything I've linked below is on sale, so look for the percentage-off badge if you're only looking for good deals.

Switch 2 Essentials

Legend of Zelda games

If you're not caught up on the latest and greatest Switch generation Zelda games, you've got plenty of time ahead of the Ocarina of Time's remake releasing to pour some hours into adventure.

Essential Zelda merch

From Lego sets to card games and novelty toys, there's a lot of great Zelda merch out there. I own a lot (really, an embarassing amount) of the below merchandise already; join me in my submission to capitalism's whim.

I know we're all buzzed about the imminent opening of pre-orders for GTA VI. But for me, that ties for most exciting gaming news this month, after Nintendo announced The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is also dropping later on this year. So if you're as into Zelda games as I am and have a decent chunk of cash spare, I'd absolutely recommend you pick up a Nintendo Switch 2 this Prime Day.

As an ardent fan, The Legend of Zelda series lives absolutely rent-free in my head. I cut my teeth on the sublime pixel art of A Link to the Past on the SNES, donned many mantles in Majora's Mask, and banished the gloom in Twilight Princess. But it's almost certainly Ocarina of Time that made the biggest impression on me at the time, thanks to its epic time-hopping story and, at the time, groundbreaking 3D visuals.

So even though I've played the game to completion an almost shameful number of times, you better believe that I'll be picking up the remake on day one of its release. If you're similarly set on reliving one of the greatest games of all time but don't yet have a Nintendo Switch 2, I have one piece of advice for you: grab your console now.

While epic Prime Day discounts are pretty thin on the ground, there's still a good reason to pick one up now. Thanks to the ongoing RAM crisis, Nintendo has already revealed that price rises are coming to the Switch 2. It's been confirmed that, come September, the price US buyers will pay is increasing from $449 to $499 — and while the exact price rise hitting the UK market is yet to be revealed, expectations are that it will be in roughly the same ballpark as in the US.

I'll admit I didn't upgrade from my Switch right away, in a large part because of the lack of killer exclusives available for Nintendo's new console in the first few months after its release. But when I finally did, I could absolutely see why we awarded it 4.5 stars in our Nintendo Switch 2 review.

Not only is its screen flat out gorgeous, packing plenty of brightness and vibrant colors, but it's silky smooth, hitting highs of 120Hz for compatible games. And performance is impressive — even a much more demanding title like the recent Indiana Jones and The Great Circle port feels great, despite being locked at 30fps rather than the 60fps (or above) hit by other platforms. That's an impressive feat for a handheld console this compact.

And the roster of games available for the Switch 2 has expanded massively since release. Donkey Kong Bananza feels like the exact breath of fresh air the series needed, adding a fun new gimmick in its landscape-smashing shenanigans, while I've genuinely been hoping to see a Metroid Prime 4 for almost two decades now. But it's Pokémon Pokopia that has most thoroughly hijacked my brain's dopamine system, allowing me to pour countless hours into building mansions and amusements for my 'mons.

However, if I hadn't already upgraded, there's no doubt that The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time remake would have pushed me over the top. Getting to relive my nostalgia-soaked memories of one of the greatest adventures of all time with a fresh new coat of paint is a compelling hook indeed. And for any fan dead set on experiencing it, I'd honestly recommend you getting your Switch 2 ordered now before you have to fork out for that extra markup.

If you're still dead set on holding out for a bargain price, keep an eye on our widget below or check out our Amazon Prime Day live blog if you're in the US or our Amazon Prime Day deals roundup 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

With protagonist Fox McCloud appearing in a surprise cameo in the recent Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it’s clear that Nintendo wants to bring its niche on-rail space shooter series to a wider audience. To that end, this new Star Fox makes a lot of sense. It’s a remake of the 1997 title Star Fox 64, which is beloved by fans and a good starting point if you’ve never played one of the games before.

The problem for me is that this is far from the first time that Nintendo has brought Star Fox 64 back. I grew up with the Nintendo 3DS, and experienced it as Star Fox 64 3D. This was followed by some hands-on time with the Wii U reimagining Star Fox Zero, and then finally a playthrough of the original release when it came to Nintendo Switch via Nintendo Switch Online.

Every single mainline Star Fox game that’s come out since I was about eight years old has been a version of Star Fox 64, and now, as an adult, I’m getting yet another one in Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2.

I really wish the gaming giant had been a little bolder with this release, adding even just a smidge of new gameplay to freshen up the old campaign. Still, Star Fox 64 is a cult classic for a reason, and thanks to its strong base, this remake is still plenty of fun to play through for what is, hopefully, one last time

Into the Lylat Wars

The premise is simple, if a little unconventional. You’re a dashing fox in a universe populated by anthropomorphic animals where civilization has managed to crack space colonization despite an apparent lack of opposable thumbs.

Rather than rooting through sci-fi bins, you’re the leader of a mercenary squad (staffed by you, the bird-like Falco, the lagomorphic Peppy, and slimy Slippy toad) that lends its services to the highest bidder — in this case an intergalactic army that’s waging war against the evil scientist dictator Andross.

Fully voiced and animated cutscenes to convey all this information are one of this remake’s biggest new additions, and they feel like a natural inclusion. They’re not super long or expansive by any means, but all flow well and are decently acted throughout even if there are a few moments where the animation can look a bit cheap.

They provide some much-needed downtime in between each of the levels, which are hectic, high-score challenges that see you steering your ship, the Arwing, through intense battles. The action unfurls in a largely on-rails format, but that doesn't mean that this isn’t a degree of strategy to it.

You can swerve all across the screen, hitting barrel rolls to deflect incoming fire and blasting your laser canons. Your craft very much exists in a 3D space, so enemies often come up behind you, requiring evasive maneuvers like somersaults or hitting the brakes.

There's a boost too, which, deployed at the right time, can see you zooming under falling debris or through closing gaps — often picking up a power-up or two in the process. It’s all remarkably smooth to control, and sections where you pilot other vehicles keep the stages feeling fresh.

Each campaign is extremely short, taking just over an hour to complete, and has you working your way through a map of the galaxy littered with 16 unique planets.

You can’t visit all of them in one playthrough, which, alongside the two main story paths, gives you plenty of reasons to replay it at least a couple of times. That said even when you bear that in mind, the experience is still pretty fleeting and doesn’t feel befitting of the $49.99 / £41.99 / AU$84.95 digital (or $59.99 / £44.99 / AU$99.95 physical) asking price.

This is especially true if you’ve played all the other versions of Star Fox 64, as you’re basically just paying for a new, admittedly quite pretty, coat of paint.

There is thankfully a new battle mode to try out, and it’s pretty good on the whole. It’s in an online 4v4 player versus player (PvP) format, with one team playing as the Star Fox squad and the other cast as their rivals Star Wolf. Each of the three maps has its own associated game mode, ranging from simple control point capture to fighting to drag limited space cargo back to base.

I’ve had a great time with it so far, though I can imagine that online populations will quickly dwindle given the small map pool. Hopefully a post-launch update will add some more.

Should I play Star Fox?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

As with most first-party Nintendo releases, the accessibility features here are thin. Subtitles are used throughout the game, though their appearance cannot be customized. You can invert the axis of the control scheme and disable features like controller rumble, but that’s basically it.

How I reviewed Star Fox

I played Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2 for roughly eight hours, experiencing all of its major campaign routes, unlocking every planet, and trying out challenge mode.

I also dived into its multiplayer offering, using my earlier hands-on experience with other players when trying it at Nintendo HQ and testing matches against bots. I mainly played the game in handheld mode using the Joy-Con 2 controllers, though I did briefly test it in docked mode on a 4K Samsung TV to ensure the performance and Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller support is up to scratch.

First reviewed June 2026

I test a whole heap of gaming headsets, and have done so for nearly a decade now. I've also worked with a whole load of excellent freelancers who offer brilliantly clear, thoughtful, analytical, and fair takes on the products we test as a collective.

And I've agreed with every single review we've published in my time here at TechRadar Gaming — up until now. While very accurate and full of great advice, especially when the headset launched, I think my writer Phil's (who is one of the best in the business) review of the Audeze Maxwell 2 scored the gaming headset too low with a four-star rating.

I think it's a five-star headset.

Simply put, it is the best-sounding gaming headset I have ever used. After using it for a few months as a daily driver, nothing has come close before or since — even some of my absolute favorites can't hold a candle to it on sheer audio quality, detail, richness, and balance.

As a result, I have been recommending the headset at every opportunity possible. For anyone looking to upgrade their audio and take a step up, no matter your platform, this is absolutely worth the price tag — even at full price.

The whole audio spectrum is served so well by the Maxwell 2's 95mm planar magnetic drivers and design that I have been immersed further into my games, picked up details I didn't realise were there, and been blasted by a full-bodied richness that's just so dang enjoyable.

Further backing this up was my recent visit to Audeze in California, where I got to see the magic, science, and philosophy up close and personal. Hearing the approach that Audeze takes to audio, as well as learning about the planar magnetic tech under the hood, including the patented SLAM technology too, only cemented my newfound opinion on this quality set.

No headset is perfect, of course, and folks will point out that its mic is just OK, or that it's weightier than other headsets — though I think we all have a tendency to be too afraid of heavier headsets, or think that heavy = bad — but the default audio quality, out of the box, is so good that it definitely, absolutely, categorically outweighs all of the potential negatives.

At launch, Phil pointed out the fact that the original Maxwell was still available and this posed a bit of a problem for the Maxwell 2, as it offered also-excellent audio but was much cheaper. However, there are genuine improvements over the Maxwell 1 that the 2 offers (like SLAM), and now, a few months after release, the OG model is harder to find, making the case for going to the Maxwell 2 even stronger.

If you want premium gaming audio, then there is none better on the market right now.

If you're shopping for a family-friendly game console this Amazon Prime Day, then there are two major products that should be on your radar: the Nintendo Switch 2 and the Nex Playground.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Both products are suitable for families, though the Nintendo Switch 2 is more of a traditional games console. It is compatible with Nintendo Switch 2 (or original Nintendo Switch) games that range from those geared primarily towards kids with franchises like Super Mario or Mario Kart to ones intended for adults such as Doom. These need to be purchased separately.

The Switch 2 also offers online chat features and multiplayer play - though these can be restricted via parental controls. Personally, it's the one I would pick if I were shopping for a child in their teens.

The Playground, in contrast, is aimed primarily at kids aged five to ten. It comes with a selection of kid-friendly games out of the box, with the option to get more via a relatively affordable subscription service. While the Switch 2 relies on more conventional controllers, the Playground uses easy-to-learn motion controls, making it a better choice for those with younger gamers.

How to choose the best family game console for you in the US

How to choose the best family game console for you in the UK

The Nex Playground made headlines when it outsold the Nintendo Switch 2 and other consoles on Amazon in the US briefly over Black Friday last year. Having gone hands-on with the system, it's easy to see why.

It's basically the perfect option for young kids, with features designed to offer parents the most peace of mind possible.

Our Nex Playground review said that "Though it won’t replace mainstream gaming consoles or PCs, the Nex Playground is a strong option for anyone who wants an affordable, easy-to-set-up experience built around games that take great advantage of its high-quality ultra-wide camera and Nex’s AI-powered motion engine.

"Its game library is varied and approachable, with quick-play sessions that feel simple to pick up yet surprisingly intuitive"

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

• The UK is experiencing another heatwave, with temperatures expected to exceed 35°C
• Nintendo Switch users should be reminded of the risks of overheating their console
• Nintendo has previously said that the consoles can "malfunction" in temperatures above 35°C

As we enter another UK heatwave, Nintendo Switch users should be reminded of the risks of overheating their console.

Recent weather reports have forecast that temperatures in certain parts of the UK will exceed 35°C this week, reaching as high as 40°C.

An amber warning has been issued, in addition to a rare red extreme heat warning, for some regions and those spending time outside should be prepared for the sweltering heat. Even those indoors should take similar precautions to stay cool, especially if they have any running hardware that can contribute to the heat.

Whether it be a PC, PS5 console, or Xbox Series X, these devices do run the risk of overheating, particularly during a heatwave. The same goes for Switch and Switch 2 consoles, which Nintendo has previously cautioned can "malfunction" if temperatures are above 35°C.

"Using a Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 in places with high temperatures may cause the console's temperature to rise," the company said in a post shared last year.

"This could potentially lead to malfunctions, so please use it in locations between 5–35°C. Lately, there have been consecutive days exceeding 35°C. Please take care when using it outdoors."

For this reason, we'd highly recommend avoiding using your Switch or Switch 2 when temperatures are at their highest.

In other news, Nintendo has officially announced The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, and it launches this year on Switch 2.

If you're hoping to pick the console up before the game drops, the Switch 2 just got an absurd Amazon Prime discount thanks to Amazon Prime Day.

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

Whether you’re a longtime Pokémon fan looking to hop into recent adventures you’ve missed, a complete newcomer who wants more out of their Nintendo Switch 2, or someone excited to improve their Pokémon Champions prowess with a powerful team, this collection of gaming deals is for you.

I've been a fan of the series for years, and there's frankly never been a better time to experience it than right now with the franchise celebrating its 30th anniversary this year — take our Pokémon quiz to see if you can ace all 30 questions.

Best of all, there’s a host of discounts available on several recent, and slightly older, Pokémon titles across the US and UK. Meaning you can kick back with a new game without breaking the bank, and despite these deals cropping up during Amazon Prime Day in the US (and in the UK) these discounts aren’t exclusive to subscribers!

• View the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Pokémon Prime Day sale – quick links

• Amazon Prime Day Pokémon deals
• Nintendo Switch 2: Choose Your Game Bundle: $499 at Amazon
• Nintendo Switch 2 Console: now £369.95 was £385at Amazon

Today's best Pokémon game 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
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Upgrading any area of one's gaming setup is something I can always get behind, and regardless of budget, need, desire, or platform, I'm often able to find recommendations across all kinds of gear.

Shop more early Prime Day deals at Amazon US

However, audiophile or high-end gaming headsets is one of my favourite areas in which to delve and recommend. We've seen a surge of new products in recent years either targeting the audiophile market directly or at least the audiophile-adjacent, premium and high-end part of the spectrum. As such, there's now a good few products to choose from nowadays.

But there's only a few I recommend over the others. Each offers something slightly different, but all are excellent and are my personal picks for the best audiophile gaming headsets going right now. They're so good, they justify their price tag even when at full price, I believe, too. So if you're looking to enhance your gaming audio ahead of GTA 6 pre-orders starting this Thursday, then check out my recommendations below.

Planar-magnetic drivers FTW

For me, the Audeze Maxwell 2 is the greatest-sounding gaming headset money can buy right now. It is now my default go-to set of cups for all gaming, no matter the genre or type of game I'm playing, and I absolutely love it.

At the core of the headset are its 90mm planar magnetic drivers, which are frankly absurd. I am a big fan of a lot of brands' default audio quality, but I have never had better audio out of the box than the Maxwell 2's. It's the best going right now, and literally can't speak highly enough about it.

The science and philosophy of Audeze really make it exquisite for those looking to get better audio for single-player games, stemming from the company's history in making premium headphones for music and media. The reality is that it is still brilliant for multiplayer games, and you also get some flexibility via the Audeze app for tweaking your own EQ settings if you need to.

There are very few chinks in the armor, but some things to be aware of might be its good but unspectacular mic, and its overall bulkiness — though I think we are all a bit too scared of headsets that are big and that weigh more than others; it's genuinely OK if a headset weighs a few more ounces or grams, don't worry! I really like the chunky feel and slightly heavier feel of the set myself, and find the set incredibly comfortable.

Otherwise, I simply cannot reiterate this again: if you really want to get the best gaming audio, and something that'll make GTA 6 sing beautifully no matter the scenario, then this is the audiophile gaming headset to buy right now.

An Elite experience

While the Maxwell 2 rules on the driver and audio quality front, if you're looking for an audiophile-level, premium headset that offers a complete solution and all the bells and whistles — along with some excellent audio, of course — that you need from a headset on any platform, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is worth considering.

It's pricey, I know, but as I said in my review, it really is the best gaming headset I've ever tested. It simply offers it all in one truly excellent package, from audio quality and versatility — you can use it across every platform, simultaneously — to feature set, build quality, comfort, and microphone performance — literally everything.

If you really want one high-grade headset to rule them all while offering audiophile-level gaming audio, then this is the upgrade to make this year, ahead of GTA 6.

It's an old one, but a great one

The PC38X is a wonderful wired audiophile-level headset which I have loved using on both PC and PS5. It sounds fantastic, and is a pretty no-nonsense gaming headset with genuine pedigree behind it.

You might see it styled as Drop + Epos PC38X or just a Drop PC38X, but whichever title you see it under, I really recommend this as a wired set for anyone who wants to keep things simple and get a brilliant-sounding open-backed set of audio givers.

It is a bit old now, but you know what they say: class and quality endures (or something like that. Now, there is one caveat with this headset, and one that is directly related to it being a slightly older model: its availability is a bit spotty. Our automatic price-finding tool below should surface the headset, however, and I have seen it with my own eyes at Amazon US and Amazon UK this week.

However, if you are looking for some wired audiophile gaming headset alternatives to the PC38X if it's not available in your region, then I have some picks for you too.

The Audeze LCD-GX is an open-back premium set of headphones that have been built for gaming. Channeling all that planar magnetic goodness that the brand is known for, these are a seriously high-end set of cups. The massive 106mm drivers pack an almighty punch and offer immense detail, while it comes with a mic, so it's a genuine wired headset option.

The Sennheiser HD 550s are one of my favorite sets of headphones from recent years, and while they may appear as another headphone offering from Sennheiser, these are definitely targeted at gamers who want higher quality audio. You'll need to buy a mic attachment separately to elevate it to a full gaming headset offering.

The Asus ROG Kithara is another option, and is a recent release into the audiophile market. Developed with HiFiMan, this headset has huge 100mm planar-magnetic drivers (not too dissimilar to the Maxwell 2), an open-backed design, and sounds wonderful.

And while not an audiophile gaming headset in the truest sense, per se, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wired gaming headset is an excellent option for those looking for a complete wired gaming headset experience, with brilliant audio and all the features to boot.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s Go Raichu!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For fox sake

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

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

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

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

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

Camewahhhh

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

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

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

Direct why

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• 007 First Light game director Hakan Abrak says the game was always planned as an origin story
• He says the team pitched to MGM and had ideas for a young Bond story that was a "non-negotiable"
• He adds that there were weekly feedback meetings, but IO was always in charge of the story

IO Interactive has confirmed that 007 First Light was always intended to be a young James Bond story, and it collaborated frequently with the franchise owner, Amazon MGM Studios.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming at an event adjacent to Summer Game Fest 2026, game director Hakan Abrak discussed the conceptual phase of the game and confirmed that First Light was "always supposed to be a young Bond story," and the pitching process to MGM and Bond IP co-owners Barbara Broccolo and Michael G. Wilson was "massively intimidating."

Abrak recalled the pitching process being in a room decked in old books from James Bond novelist Ian Fleming, a grand piano, and "the atmosphere of history was so thick you could just cut through it."

When he and other IO team members went in to pitch, he remembered the MGM heads came into the room and were "completely silent" before telling the developers to go ahead and pitch.

"We pitch the story, we pitch our approach, and why this would be different from other Bond games," Abrak said. "[They were] very silent, and then Barbara just says, after a while, stonefaced just says, 'I quite like it,' and then the room just erupted right after; [they said] 'These guys are so cool, like they didn't really get it, I was like keeping my cool and whatnot, but deep inside I was like 'phew' that was something."

The game director did note that he thought IO's initial pitch was "a bit ballsy" and the team had lots of ideas of introducing aspects from Ian Fleming novels, like James Bond's scar, and create a young coming-of-age story "where it's not like he has figured everything out."

Abrak said the team didn't want to recreate a "perfect digital version of Daniel Craig, I love Daniel Craig, but it just wanted to make something that feels original."

"More importantly, what we also told them was that we want to go for the gamers, we want to create a Bond for the gamers," he said, explaining that some young gamers might not have a familiar attachment to Bond like the older generation.

"We [wanted] to take that risk and introduce a fresh Bond for the gamers," he said, "We want to make a Bond for the gamers, not the gamification of a movie. It's difficult [to go there] with non-negotiables, but this was a non-negotiable for us. If we did this, we needed to get this freedom for this approach. So, this was very, very clear from the get-go."

While IO had creative control over the story, Abrak said there was input from MGM, as well as several sessions of casting before Patrick Gibson was cast as Bond. The team also had weekly meetings with Eon Productions, the British film production company that primarily produced the Bond film series.

"Although the story was written by IO and delivered by us, we got a lot of feedback," he said. "I think we had some affinity, and we had something to start with, like with the Danish dark humor, dry humor, but getting the British humor right, there [was] still some way to go.

"It's been massively helpful, and we're really into it, and I think for the younger generation of Eon creators that we had meetings with, and the artwork from the movies, which [was] attached to it as well, it was very, very exciting for them to get to do, because they were actually making a new one [Bond] from the ground up.

"It was a collaboration; they were very much involved, but it was always IO, doing the story, doing the characters and things, and then getting feedback and working closely."

007 First Light is out now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is slated to launch sometime this year.