Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1143) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CAPTAIN
• CLARKS
• OTTOMAN
• EMPIRE
• ANNAPOLIS
• BOBSLED
• CAMPER
• DIRECT
• EVEREST
• FUJI
• GALA
• HEAD
• CONVERSE
• LEAD
• HONEYCRISP
• CROCS

NYT Connections today (game #1143) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Take charge
• GREEN: Varieties of a type of fruit
• BLUE: Footwear
• PURPLE: The same backward and forward

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1143) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: COMMAND
• GREEN: HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES
• BLUE: SHOE BRANDS STARTING WITH "C"
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH PALINDROMIC NAMES

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1143) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1143, are…

• YELLOW: COMMAND: CAPTAIN, DIRECT, HEAD, LEAD
• GREEN: HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES: EMPIRE, FUJI, GALA, HONEYCRISP
• BLUE: SHOE BRANDS STARTING WITH "C": CAMPER, CLARKS, CONVERSE, CROCS
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH PALINDROMIC NAMES: ANNAPOLIS, BOBSLED, EVEREST, OTTOMAN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

I knew that HONEYCRISP and GALA were apple varieties, but I struggled to find the other pair and made a mistake picking CAPTAIN instead of FUJI.

In my defence these are unavailable in the UK, where I am based, where we are all about the Granny Smith and the Golden Delicious. HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES? Very much, actually.

After munching my way through this troublesome quartet the remaining three groups came together relatively easy, with the SHOE BRANDS STARTING WITH "C" appearing ahead of COMMAND — both of which remind me of the Clarks Commandos shoes I coveted as a small child, largely because they came with a compass in the sole; very useful for a six-year-old.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, July 27, 2026, game #1142)

• YELLOW: GYMNASTICS APPARATUS: BEAM, HORSE, RINGS, VAULT
• GREEN: LONG TAPERED THINGS: CARROT, ICICLE, KNITTING NEEDLE, STALACTITE
• BLUE: KINDS OF SHIFTS: DOPPLER, GRAVEYARD, PARADIGM, STICK
• PURPLE: ICONS ON A SHOPPING SITE: BELL, CART, HEART, MAGNIFYING GLASS

My day usually starts with a scan around major retailers, specialist sites, and deals aggregators to get a snapshot of the best tech offers that are available - and then I share the very best with you. Results can be mixed, depending on the time of year and whether there’s a major sale on, but there’s been one consistent theme lately: the deals on most PC components are atrocious.

If you’re a regular in this space, then you’re probably already well aware of the situation with RAM and storage prices over the past few months. It’s got to the point where I’ve all but given up on finding any good deals in this space, especially when there are no signs that it's improving.

Where did all the deals go?

There’s no clearer evidence of just how dire the situation is with this Samsung SSD ‘deal’ that’s currently live on Amazon. This Samsung 870 EVO is advertised as a whopping 62% off. But that’s from the current list price of, um, $1,039.99. With that price cut, it’s now down to $399.99. Almost $400 for a 2TB SATA SSD? One that has been as low as $79.99 in the past? And this counts as a deal?

That’s just a snapshot of how bleak it is shopping for PC gaming components in 2026. Worst of all, there doesn’t seem to be any positive news on the horizon. You have SSD controller manufacturers saying that “the retail SSD market has almost disappeared”, RAM prices have increased by at least 400% in some regions, and now one chip maker says its production costs are set to increase by 10% next year - so CPUs are potentially next up for price hikes.

It puts into perspective just how lucky I was when I chose to upgrade my PC towards the end of 2025. There were rumblings of price increases and stock shortages in those few months towards the end of the year, but it hadn’t reached the disastrous depths we find ourselves in now for wannabe PC builders.

I did have to wait a few months for my RAM to arrive, after the manufacturer I was about to buy RAM from completely shut down, but the cost didn’t make up nearly 50% of my entire budget like it would in today’s prices.

And my PC is very much a mid-range device with a Ryzen 9600x, a 9060XT, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB NVMe SSD, which is about all I wanted given I mostly use it for work. I do like to play the occasional game on PC that I can’t get on the PS5, or if there’s one I would prefer to play on that platform, or when prices make the PC version a more sensible choice. Those specs cover my needs nicely at a reasonable budget.

Calculating what the spend would be these days for the same spec is a terrifying exercise. It’s over £1,600 now, when I was comfortably under £1,000 at the end of last year.

What does the future hold?

With everything pointing to similar or increasing prices for a long time ahead, anyone looking for a PC upgrade has no choice but to put up with these prices for the foreseeable future. Yes, there will be a chance for some savings during Black Friday in November, but we are still looking at a significant markup compared to the savings of old.

In fact, and I usually wouldn't recommend this, but with the way component prices are lately, I'd actually lean more towards buying a pre-built PC if you're shopping around now. Sure, these companies are still suffering from the same price increases, but you can actually find some good value rigs.

Most recently, for example, the Presidents' Day and 4th of July sales at iBuyPower had some strong discounts on high-end gaming PC, with extra savings of up to $350 available on PCs with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D, an RX 9070 XT, and 32GB of RAM.

That would be my advice based on the poor quality of deals that are available on many PC components. Yes, there are still a few genuinely good offers out there that I've seen on the likes of CPUs and GPUs, but storage and RAM are certainly beyond saving right now — and I'd move quickly if there's anything good on the former, as those deals may be disappearing before long as well.

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1142) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CART
• HORSE
• CARROT
• STICK
• KNITTING NEEDLE
• MAGNIFYING GLASS
• BEAM
• GRAVEYARD
• BELL
• ICICLE
• RINGS
• HEART
• PARADIGM
• STALACTITE
• DOPPLER
• VAULT

NYT Connections today (game #1142) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Equipment used by Simone Biles and co
• GREEN: Thin and skinny
• BLUE: A word that rhymes with “lift” in common
• PURPLE: As seen whilst making a purchase

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1142) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: GYMNASTICS APPARATUS
• GREEN: LONG TAPERED THINGS
• BLUE: KINDS OF SHIFTS
• PURPLE: ICONS ON A SHOPPING SITE

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1142) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1142, are…

• YELLOW: GYMNASTICS APPARATUS: BEAM, HORSE, RINGS, VAULT
• GREEN: LONG TAPERED THINGS: CARROT, ICICLE, KNITTING NEEDLE, STALACTITE
• BLUE: KINDS OF SHIFTS: DOPPLER, GRAVEYARD, PARADIGM, STICK
• PURPLE: ICONS ON A SHOPPING SITE: BELL, CART, HEART, MAGNIFYING GLASS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

I managed to get through today’s game without making any mistakes but I am still classing it as a tricky game.

The reason for this is that I got extremely lucky once the game got down to eight tiles; unable to find a group, I just went with the four tiles that were in a line.

GRAVEYARD shift and PARADIGM shift I may have got, but DOPPLER and STICK needed a Google. Meanwhile, perhaps I do not do enough online shopping but CART aside the other three icons didn’t trigger me to connect them.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, July 26, 2026, game #1141)

• YELLOW: BABY MILESTONES: CRAWLING, FIRST WORDS, ROLLING OVER, SOLID FOOD
• GREEN: OUTMODED CONSUMER TECH: BLACKBERRY, DISCMAN, DVD PLAYER, PLASMA TV
• BLUE: EXPRESSIONS FOR RAIN: APRIL SHOWERS, LIQUID SUNSHINE, SCOTCH MIST, WET WEATHER
• PURPLE: WHAT "SHELL" MIGHT REFER TO: CARAPACE, GAS STATION, PASTRY CRUST, ROWING BOAT

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: One-minute review

The GameSir G8+ Bluetooth is the wireless mobile controller in the G8 family and bolsters compatibility from being simply mobile, to the Nintendo Switch, tablets, and PC. The same full-size grips, Hall effect joysticks and triggers, and programmable back buttons that made the wired versions of the G8 so impressive remain, and at $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129, so does the price.

On paper, you’d think it’s a no-brainer to go wireless, particularly with the addition of a six-axis gyroscope adding to that strong core experience, but the wireless freedom you gain comes with meaningful trade-offs. Noticeably, the lack of passthrough charging and the lack of a headphone jack, both obvious casualties of the move to Bluetooth.

More importantly for iPhone gamers, the GameSir iOS app doesn't recognize the controller, which means the stick calibration, dead zone tuning, hair-trigger configuration, and back button mapping that make the G8 Plus so compelling as an option on other platforms go completely to waste. The Bluetooth connection itself also feels less locked-in than the wired experience on iPhone, with small stick movements occasionally getting lost along the way.

On Android and PC, the experience is significantly better. The app works, the back buttons are configurable, and there’s haptic feedback on offer as well (albeit with patchy support, particularly on mobile). For the first time, you can even use the G8 Plus with your Nintendo Switch. But if an iPhone is your primary device, the wired GameSir G8+ MFi delivers a more complete, more reliable experience for the same money.

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: Price and availability

• List price: $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129
• Available from GameSir and major retailers
• Same price as the rest of the G8 range

The middle sibling, the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth launched in mid-2024 at $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129, matching the rest of the G8 family.

Each variant has pros and cons, so the consistent price puts the onus firmly on the buyer to decide which set of trade-offs works best for their setup. GameSir has also released a couple of special edition color variants in some regions, including a Hulk and a Thanos Edition, which will set you back slightly more.

At this price, it remains highly competitive against the Backbone One 2nd Gen and is significantly cheaper than the Razer Kishi Ultra, though the Bluetooth limitations on iPhone mean it's not the straightforward recommendation the wired models are.

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: Specs

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: Design and features

• Comfortable, console controller-like ergonomics shared with the rest of the G8 range
• Bluetooth versatility across five platforms, but mode switching is a hassle
• Special edition designs are only available in certain markets

The G8+ Bluetooth is the first and only member of the G8 family that cuts the cord entirely. Wireless freedom and the versatility it brings are the entire pitch, and it helps broaden the G8’s platform compatibility too.

Unlike the original G8 Galileo and the G8+ MFi, which are limited to mobile only, this controller works with iOS, Android, the Nintendo Switch, PC (via wired USB-C or Bluetooth, with a wireless dongle sold separately), and macOS. Console gaming aside, in theory, that means the G8+ is ready to follow you anywhere on your gaming journey.

The reality, unfortunately, is a little more complicated. Each platform requires its own Bluetooth pairing mode, triggered by holding different button combinations on the controller. If you're a one-device person, this is a simple pair-once-and-forget situation, and you can skip to the next paragraph.

If you're hopping between platforms, as I was during testing, it gets tedious fast. Switching modes caused regular reconnection failures with devices the controller had previously been paired with, and keeping track of which mode goes with which platform isn't intuitive. It's workable, and we’re in first-world problem territory here for sure, but it's not the seamless experience it should be.

On the plus side, turning it on couldn’t be simpler because stretching the controller open automatically powers it on and letting it close fully again powers it down. This isn’t a life-changing feature but certainly a nice convenience that worked reliably throughout testing.

A 1000mAh battery sits split across both grips, charging via USB-C. The GameSir app tracks each side independently, which is how I discovered the left and right grips drain at slightly different rates despite charging as a single unit. I saw a couple of percent drop over half an hour of active use, and the rated eight-hour battery life seems about right based on that.

The black colorway is a clean, classic look that feels more like a traditional controller than the grey and grey-and-white of its wired siblings. GameSir has also released rather jazzy Hulk- and Thanos-themed special editions in some regions, making this the only G8 variant with cosmetic variety, though they’ll set you back a little more for the paint job.

The build quality and overall shape match the rest of the family; it’s well designed and well built with the same full-size, Xbox-like grips, textured backs and a solid chassis. It’s comfortable to hold for extended sessions, and while at 11oz/314g it's the heaviest of the three on paper, the balance is good, and the weight didn't register during testing.

Case compatibility is a mixed bag, as is often the case with mobile controller grips. Without a USB-C connector going into the phone, there's no port angle to stress about, thankfully, but the physical cradle can still be tight.

My iPhone 17 Pro fit with a slim case on but sat at a noticeable angle towards the left side, which saw it protrude more than I’d like. There is a rubber pad on the phone deck that appears to serve the same purpose as the G8+ MFi's removable magnetic panel for camera bump clearance, but this one is glued down rather than magnetically attached.

GameSir’s marketing suggests this is still meant to be removed to accommodate camera bumps, but it really didn't feel like it wanted to come off, and I wasn't willing to force it. If you do take it off, don’t expect it to go back on neatly and expect to trap plenty of dust in the residue.

The D-pad shares the same feel as the rest of the G8 family: slightly mushy initial movement but with a clicky, short-travel feel once you commit to an input. Swappable ABXY caps and thumbstick caps carry over, too, as do the three alternate stick options, and they’re easily adjusted by popping off the magnetic faceplates.

Once again, however, GameSir only includes one of each of these replaceable sticks, so you can’t run the same option on both sides. One annoyance that cropped up here for the first time on any G8 I’ve tested: on iOS, the controller connects as a DualShock controller, so all on-screen UI elements in compatible games display PlayStation button labels.

GameSir doesn't include any PlayStation-legended alternative keycaps in the box, so you’ll need to remember that triangle is Y, for example.

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: Performance

• Hall effect inputs are excellent and responsive, but Bluetooth feels a step behind wired
• iPhone users lose app support, back buttons, and customization entirely
• Vibration motors remain largely a spec-sheet feature with no real-world use

As you’d expect, the core gameplay experience with the G8+ Bluetooth mirrors the other options in the G8 range. The Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers are smooth and precise with a high level of sensitivity.

Resistance in these is just right for my taste; I found I was able to confidently hold the sticks at a midpoint for fine adjustments without the sense that the stick was itching to return to its starting point. The triggers offer full analog travel with a responsive hair-trigger mode (assuming you can enable it, more on that shortly). In analog mode, I felt like I had a nice level of control and was able to modulate the throttle in Forza Horizon 6 with plenty of detail.

That said, the Bluetooth connection introduced a subtle but noticeable difference in feel I hadn’t experienced before with a GameSir G8. I couldn’t quite quantify it, but I didn't feel as locked-in using the G8+ Wireless as I did with the wired equivalents.

It's not consistent, obvious latency, or any kind of genuine stutter or interference; it's more that small thumbstick movements occasionally felt like they were getting lost along the way. Everything was perfectly playable, and my skill as a gamer is certainly not high enough for this to be a make-or-break thing, but if you're serious about your gaming, the wired experience is definitely tighter.

The biggest issue I came across, and the one that separates this controller from the rest of the G8 family, is the iPhone experience. It’s somewhat lacking. Because iOS sees the controller as a DualShock 4, the GameSir app doesn’t recognize the G8+ Bluetooth. That means no stick calibration, no deadzone adjustment, no hair-trigger toggling, and no back button mapping.

The two rear programmable buttons, labeled M1 and M2, ship unbound by default, and there's no way to configure them on iOS. They don't appear in the iPhone's native controller settings either because iOS thinks this is a DualShock 4, which doesn't have back buttons. On macOS, I was able to rebind other buttons through native system options, but back button mapping wasn't available there either for the same reason.

On Android, the picture is much better. The app recognized the controller (though admittedly it took a couple of attempts at first), and once connected, all the usual calibration, deadzone, hair-trigger, and back button configuration options were available. Gaming on the POCO X5 Pro was a smooth experience, with Fortnite and Call of Duty Mobile both running well after the usual game-side controller recognition quirks.

PC gaming was the most pleasant surprise. Connected via either USB-C or Bluetooth, the controller was recognized immediately as a PlayStation 4 controller and was fully mapped out of the box for both local and cloud gaming. Gyro tracking worked here too, which is a nice bonus for games that support it. On macOS, things were less smooth.

The controller initially tried to connect as a "GameSir G8" which required manual Steam configuration and then wasn't recognized in-game. Reverting to DualShock mode fixed the issue, and games worked with automated mapping after that.

Shoudl you buy the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider...

Trying to work out if the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth is the one to get? Here's how it compares to other, similar controller grips.

How I tested the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth

• Tested with multiple devices
• A wide variety of games tried
• Compared to other mobile controllers

I spent several days testing across iOS, Android, PC, and macOS, with a focus on comparing the experience to the wired G8 and G8+ MFi I'd previously reviewed.

I tested on an iPhone 17 Pro and POCO X5 Pro 5G, playing Fortnite, Call of Duty Mobile, and Forza Horizon 6 via Xbox Cloud Gaming on mobile, and Stardew Valley via Steam on PC. I evaluated Bluetooth connectivity, app compatibility, back button functionality, latency feel, vibration motors, and cross-platform mode switching.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed June-July 2026

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1141) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• SOLID FOOD
• PASTRY CRUST
• ROLLING OVER
• LIQUID SUNSHINE
• PLASMA TV
• SCOTCH MIST
• BLACKBERRY
• GAS STATION
• ROWING BOAT
• FIRST WORDS
• APRIL SHOWERS
• DISCMAN
• WET WEATHER
• CARAPACE
• DVD PLAYER
• CRAWLING

NYT Connections today (game #1141) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: A little one’s achievements
• GREEN: Outdated electronics
• BLUE: Getting soaked
• PURPLE: Connected by a word that rhymes with “well”

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1141) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: BABY MILESTONES
• GREEN: OUTMODED CONSUMER TECH
• BLUE: EXPRESSIONS FOR RAIN
• PURPLE: WHAT "SHELL" MIGHT REFER TO

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1141) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1141, are…

• YELLOW: BABY MILESTONES: CRAWLING, FIRST WORDS, ROLLING OVER, SOLID FOOD
• GREEN: OUTMODED CONSUMER TECH: BLACKBERRY, DISCMAN, DVD PLAYER, PLASMA TV
• BLUE: EXPRESSIONS FOR RAIN: APRIL SHOWERS, LIQUID SUNSHINE, SCOTCH MIST, WET WEATHER
• PURPLE: WHAT "SHELL" MIGHT REFER TO: CARAPACE, GAS STATION, PASTRY CRUST, ROWING BOAT

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

If you’re like me then tiles such as today’s — mostly made up of two words – make you feel confused and discombobulated.

However, once the brain has calmed these types of games tend to be far easier than the appear at first sight.

That said there were several tiles here that were new to me — LIQUID SUNSHINE seems like an odd way to describe a rainy day, although, my goodness there are plenty of them (I like mizzle, which is misty drizzle) and I thought CARAPACE was an Ecuadorian cyclist, but I now know it’s the word for a tortoise shell.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, July 25, 2026, game #1140)

• YELLOW: SPANISH RELATIVES: ABUELA, HIJO, MADRE, PRIMO
• GREEN: START TO CRY, WITH "UP": CHOKE, MIST, TEAR, WELL
• BLUE: AFRICAN CURRENCIES: KWANZA, LEONE, NAIRA, RAND
• PURPLE: STRIP____: CLUB, MALL, POKER, STEAK

There’s nothing I like more than playing a game that lets me switch off entirely. Mundane tasks that require minimal brain power are my greatest escape (apart from a good book) and it’s even better when I’m able to gain a deep sense of achievement from completing them.

I’ve played countless hours of The Sims 4 and Stardew Valley over the years, or more recently Starsand Island. These titles earn their impressive ratings and big sales for providing exactly what cozy gamers like me want – a place to unwind, relax and tick boxes. But, I’m always on the hunt more. Little did I know that an evening scroll on TikTok was about to kick up my next cozy obsession that almost went Under the Radar.

As if by magic, videos were appearing on my feed of a library littered with thousands of books, all out of place. The players gaze over the chaotic collection with a visual aesthetic akin to Harry Potter saying things like: “You’re seriously telling me I have to put all these back away where they’re supposed to go” and “Oh my god, there’s a second floor.” And that’s when I got really intrigued.

Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library! is exactly as the name suggests, a game where you become the librarian and must tidy everything up.

Serenely sorting shelves

It’s a big, big mess. Huge. There are books strewn everywhere, piled on tables, disordered in corners like some massive puzzle you need to solve. The task is simple, really, even if it does require you to sort out over 3,000 books. But, with a cozy vibe and a lot of time on my hands, I was so utterly ready to get stuck in.

What Tidy Up the Arcane Library! wants you to do is place all the books on the correct shelves, in the correct order, before you’re allowed to leave. There’s a couple of maps on the walls explaining which category of book belongs on which shelf and to start, you just need to, well, get going.

Don’t get me wrong, I was a little worried that the sheer mess would unsettle any promise of coziness. It’s not quite the same as tending to your crops or gathering resources, but it was the kind of task I get a kick out of – and I’m hopeful comfort gamers will agree.

It reminds me of silly little tasks I’ve always loved to do like sorting out coins or writing addresses on a tower of envelopes, but no-one ever threw all those coins or envelopes haphazardly across a room and asked me to tidy them up. Fortunately, my worries were quickly cast aside when the game began, offering me the chance to play a specifically-made cozy mode with no time restraints, just chilled out sorting.

Every time you put a book on the shelf in the right place, it glitters gold and I almost felt like I was shimmering with satisfaction. The dopamine rush in games like these are hard to beat, especially when it’s so simply gained.

But, if you put a book in the wrong place, there’s no glimmering reward, only a desperation to figure out where it goes instead. But, no bother, I told myself, there are always more books to sort.

List-slaying

Now, it’s worth mentioning here that book-sorting isn’t something you have to take on alone. No, you can also harness a little bit of magic. As you begin to fill up shelves correctly, you level up, unlocking points that can be spent on different magical abilities.

From illuminating the correct shelf for the top book you’re holding to placing the book onto said shelf without you having to lift a finger, it’s entirely up to you if you want to tackle Tidy Up the Arcane Library! without using any magic. But, if you want to protect your peace, I strongly recommend you do.

It’s also entirely up to you whether you spent your points on all the abilities. I didn’t. While Sort automatically arranges the books in your possession in numerical order, I actually quite liked just taking my time over it, rifling through my books like a proper librarian. But, I did lean heavily on the other abilities to make sure I didn’t go crazy.

I even ended up using those TikTok videos that led me here in the first place to teach me about the hidden keys that transformed me into a much more efficient librarian – carrying more books, moving faster and even jumping.

I’ve worked in a library, I’ve also worked in a bookshop, but I can safely say that the calmness and magic of Tidy Up the Arcane Library! makes it a far cozier experience than real life, especially with absolutely no customers.

I’m still clocking up hours in the game taking my sweet, sweet time because I know once it’s over, I’ll miss it. If you're interested in playing too, you can pick it up on Steam.

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

Valve Steam Machine: Two-minute review

It's finally happening! Valve's long-awaited Steam Machine has landed at last, promising to bring gaming-PC-level performance to an ultra-compact console-style device ideal for couch gamers who want to dip their toes into PC gaming for the first time. This is Valve's second run at the console-style PC market, and the gaming giant seems a lot more committed this time around.

And... well, I'm not entirely underwhelmed by it, but it's also not overwhelmingly impressive. I guess you could say I'm distinctly whelmed by the Steam Machine; it's a lovingly crafted piece of hardware that arguably achieves what it sets out to do, but falls down in two extremely important areas.

As you might have already guessed, those areas are performance and pricing. At the default 1080p resolution, it's a capable little machine that should be able to give you a good gaming experience with minimal fuss, but anyone expecting beefy 4K performance on par with the existing slate of top-tier home consoles is going to be disappointed.

Of course, this boils down to what sort of games you want to play. If you've got a 4K TV in your living room and want a compact PC specifically so you can enjoy older games, or the sort of indie game experiences that aren't so freely available on consoles – I'm talking the low-budget viral titles that so frequently dominate TikTok and Instagram Reels – then the Steam Machine might actually be an excellent choice.

Another key aspect of Valve's new console-PC hybrid is SteamOS, the recently updated operating system designed to provide a more console-like experience than conventional platforms like Windows and macOS. It's already available for anyone to put on their own PC, and of course powers Valve's own Steam Deck handheld. In a break from tradition for PC reviews, I've added an extra section to this review to specifically discuss SteamOS, but for now all I'll say is that it gets the job done well.

Moving on to pricing, it's painfully clear that the ongoing RAM crisis has taken a toll on the Steam Machine's value proposition. Starting at $1,049 / £879 / AU$1,609, it's a fair bit more costly than the PS5 Pro, which my esteemed colleague Rob Dwiar already noted was "too expensive" for the average gamer in his review here on TechRadar - and that was before Sony hiked the price of its home consoles earlier this year.

Considering that the Steam Machine was widely expected to represent an accessible path into the world of PC gaming for those who have previously not ventured beyond the confines of the console market, that price tag is sure to upset some gamers who were eagerly awaiting Valve's return to the console market. Hell, you might even be better off building your own Steam Machine killer.

But it's important to remember that the Steam Machine was probably never going to live up to the price-to-performance ratio of modern home consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X, even though it is ostensibly using newer, better hardware. This is due to the game development process and how developers implement platform optimization; if you're making a game for PS5, you're just making a game for PS5. You'll have to take the Pro model's specs into account now too, but at the end of the day you only need to optimize your game's performance for a specific set of hardware components with clearly defined limitations.

On the other hand, optimizing a game for PC means optimizing it for the uncountable millions of possible hardware configurations that exist across pre-built and custom gaming PCs, plus every gaming laptop on the market, plus handheld gaming PCs, and now plus the Steam Machine. It's a wildly different ballgame, and while some developers might skimp on good PC optimization, it's borderline impossible to get a game running consistently well on PC versus a specific console.

Does this entirely excuse the lackluster bang for your buck the Steam Machine offers? No, probably not. It's a mitigating factor that I have taken into account for this review – but quite frankly, I think Valve's second attempt at bringing PC gaming to the masses has slightly missed the mark.

Valve Steam Machine review: Price & availability

• Starts at $1,049 / £879 / AU$1,609
• Available now in the US, UK, and Australia
• Steam Controller can be added as a bundle

As I mentioned already, the Steam Machine starts at a rather steep $1,049 / £879 / AU$1,609, which gets you the standard configuration with no controller and 512GB of high-speed SSD storage. The actual performance spec doesn't change if you upgrade to the 2TB SSD model for $1,349 / £1,149 / AU$2,109, so you're essentially just paying for the extra storage – and even by current component pricing standards, that's an expensive upgrade.

Whether you pick the 512GB or 2TB model – and despite the price, I'd definitely recommend the latter if you play triple-A PC games, since install sizes have become frighteningly bloated as of late – you get the same semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU and discrete AMD RDNA 3 GPU, along with 16GB of RAM and a separate 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM.

Both models can also be bundled with Valve's Steam Controller (which also comes with a charging 'puck' and USB cable), which adds $79 / £59 / AU$119 to the base price of either model. This is actually a pretty decent add-on, since the Steam Controller is a genuinely good gamepad and normally costs $99 / £85 / AU$149 direct from Valve if you buy it separately. Unless you already own one of the best PC controllers, I'd strongly recommend getting the bundle.

It's also worth noting that pre-orders for the Steam Machine sold out almost immediately, so if you want to get your hands on one, you'll have to sign up for the waitlist directly through Steam.

• Value: 2.5 / 5

Valve Steam Deck review: Specs

Valve Steam Machine review: Design

• Compact, cubic design
• Tidy internals and front lightbar
• Somewhat limited port selection compared to most PCs

For a product that I found a little disappointing overall, I have to say that I have very little to criticize when it comes to the physical design of the Steam Machine.

Simply put, it looks great. The whole unit is a neat black cube of matte metal measuring roughly six inches along each edge and weighing a little under six pounds, with a thin indentation near the base on the front side, inside which nestles a bright LED lightbar. Beneath this, there's a power button with an additional LED (which stays illuminated while the Steam Machine is in sleep mode) along with two USB-A ports and a microSD card slot for easily adding extra storage. The cube sits atop four small rubber feet, which feel quite durable.

The 17-LED lightbar is more than just a simple power indicator, which I quite like. If your Steam Machine is downloading a game, it 'fills' from left to right to indicate the download's progress, and you can customize it with extra colors and functions in SteamOS too.

It's significantly smaller than any current-gen home console and the vast majority of pre-built gaming PCs, and certainly a lot smaller than any custom desktop PC the average system-builder could assemble - you'd need to be seriously confident with graphics card disassembly and custom cooling to even get close to something this small.

In fact, it's immediately reminiscent of the Nintendo GameCube I treasured in my teenage years, though I promise I haven't let nostalgia cloud my opinion here. The closest you're likely to get to this sort of compact gaming PC now is probably the Asus ROG NUC that I personally reviewed last year - and while that offers far superior performance, it's also so eye-wateringly expensive that it makes the Steam Machine look cheap.

The front panel is removable and can be easily swapped out with magnetic faceplates. If you spring for the 2TB model, you get two of these included: a red felt fabric one and a rather nice wood-effect one that matches my TV stand perfectly... it looks right at home there, actually. Wink wink, nudge nudge, Valve.

The power supply is (somehow) built into the breathtakingly compact chassis, meaning there's no chunky adapter brick here either - just a regular cable with a two-pin power connector. This is included in the box, along with an HDMI cable (though the rear I/O also features a DisplayPort 1.4 output, which may be preferable if you're connecting it to a desktop monitor rather than a TV).

That rear I/O is where you'll find the rest of the ports: the aforementioned HDMI and DisplayPort, along with an RJ-45 Ethernet port, two USB-As, and one USB-C. I'll confess that as a fan of physical connectivity, I find this port selection a little lacking, but it's realistically going to be plenty for the target audience of the Steam Machine. It might be less than a fully-fledged desktop PC, but it's comparable to any modern home console. Wireless connectivity uses Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 – I would've liked to see Wi-Fi 7 here, but it's not a dealbreaker.

The internals are very tidy, with a large air intake grille behind the magnetic faceplate behind which sits the mainboard. A single large upright fan draws air through and out of the rear exhaust. This is (surprisingly) an upgradable system, though it's more along the lines of a gaming laptop than the average desktop PC; you can swap out the M.2 SSD and the RAM, but that's it.

Lastly, I'll briefly touch on the new Steam Controller. We reviewed it separately here, so I won't go into too much detail, but it's certainly good (if overpriced, like the Steam Machine itself). Pairing the pad and the 'puck' that doubles as a wireless transmitter and charging dock is a seamless process, and the controller itself feels good to use in games. The lack of an audio jack, as seen on other mainline console controllers, is a bit of a shame, however.

I have to admit that I really, genuinely love the design of the Steam Machine. My only real criticism here (and the only thing stopping me from giving it a perfect score in this section) is that it only has one single USB-C port, and it's on the rear. This is a minor gripe, though; for the most part, this is a very well-designed piece of hardware.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Valve Steam Machine review: Performance

• Strong gaming performance at 1080p
• Cracks start to show at 1440p; falls apart completely at 4K
• Runs quietly and doesn't get too hot

Benchmarking the Steam Machine was... interesting, to say the least. I had hoped to mostly stick to our usual suite of tests used for benchmarking the best gaming PCs and best gaming laptops, but the vast majority of those systems are running on Windows 10 or 11. SteamOS, while a very solid platform these days, simply doesn't have the same degree of flexibility as Microsoft's flagship operating system.

For starters, the Steam Machine locks itself to a maximum framerate based on the refresh rate of the monitor it's connected to, which meant I had to seek out a different high-refresh-rate display to get accurate results. Notably, the Steam Deck does something similar with its built-in 60/90Hz screen, so I suspect that this is a SteamOS quirk rather than any hardware-imposed limitation, but I wasn't able to find any way to disable it.

Then I got to the compatibility issues. Half the tests we usually run (most pertinently Geekbench and 3DMark) simply can't be installed and run natively in SteamOS's default Big Picture Mode, so I had to cut down my testing selection fairly significantly. To compensate (and to provide a better idea of how well the Steam Machine can actually handle gaming), I expanded my gaming tests to include more graphical configurations than usual.

Furthermore, you have to dig into the settings of SteamOS itself to uncap the resolution, which is set to FHD 1080p by default. Eagle-eyed gamers clocked prior to the Steam Machine's release that Valve had quietly lowered expectations by adjusting the language used in the product's store page from "4K gaming at 60 FPS" to "Up to 4K gaming with FSR", crushing hopes that it would be a true competitor to the likes of the PS5 Pro. Clearly, 1080p is the ideal target, which will no doubt be a disappointment for some potential customers.

Anyway, let's talk about the actual performance. At 1080p with graphical settings maxed out, the Steam Machine can handle almost anything you throw at it; the discrete semi-custom AMD RDNA 3 GPU inside this little black box was able to crack 60fps in most games I tested at FHD resolution (sometimes requiring the use of AMD's FSR upscaling tech, though this had virtually zero impact on visual fidelity), with the exception of titles that use ray tracing.

With ray tracing turned off, you'll be fine; turn it on, and you can expect framerates to tank even if you also switch on FSR. Cyberpunk 2077 looked and played great at 1080p Ultra settings with no upscaling, but switching to the Ray Tracing Ultra preset (with AMD FSR 3 set to Balanced) saw my average framerate drop to a little over 30 in the built-in benchmark, while actual in-game performance was even choppier.

Annoyingly, some games don't seem to properly support the most recent version of FSR on SteamOS; while I've been able to use it in games like Civilization VII and Shadow of the Tomb Raider while testing Windows-based gaming laptops and PCs, FSR 3 was conspicuously absent from the settings menu of both games on the Steam Machine - Civilization would only let me select FSR 1, while Shadow had no upscaling options available at all.

Once I started to crank things up to 1440p and 4K resolution, though, the cracks started to show. Older titles (and 2D games, like my current obsession, Slay the Spire 2) largely run fine at higher resolutions - but unfortunately, I could probably say the same about any home console and plenty of cheaper desktop PCs.

Modern triple-A games start to struggle a little at 1440p, but remain playable provided you're willing to tone down the settings a bit. I've only included the full suite of 1080p and 4K results in the results box above, but to give you a few quick examples: Cyberpunk 2077 remained playable with an average framerate of 68fps at 1440p Ultra with FSR 3 set to balanced (no ray tracing), while Total War: Warhammer III dropped to 45fps at Ultra - but could be salvaged to a stable 63fps with the Medium graphical preset.

At 4K, don't expect to be playing the latest hit games at high framerates; at least, not without some very significant graphical tweaks. The now eight-year-old Shadow of the Tomb Raider was the only game I tested that made it above 60fps at 4K resolution, and that was with the graphical settings turned down significantly.

As for more demanding titles, just don't bother. Total War: Warhammer III barely made it above a 30fps average at Low settings, with frequent drops into sub-30 territory, while Cyberpunk 2077 gave abysmal benchmarking at anything above the lowest possible graphical settings, even with FSR upscaling turned on, and struggled heavily to maintain a consistent framerate during actual gameplay. Turning on FSR frame generation did technically give a stable 30fps at 4K Ultra, but with the added issue of some visual tearing and artifacting, especially during busy scenes.

I also experienced a small number of crashes during my testing process, specifically in Total War: Warhammer III and Marathon. It's possible that these were merely down to game instability rather than any specific fault with the Steam Machine or SteamOS (I've personally had Marathon crash at least once on my Windows 10 gaming desktop), so I won't mark it down for this, but I've opted to include it for the sake of comprehensiveness.

Lastly, I'd like to briefly discuss the thermal performance of the Steam Machine, which is a shining beacon amidst the otherwise fairly underwhelming overall performance. The large cooling fan at the rear of this little cube was whisper-quiet throughout all my testing, and the casing barely got more than a little warm. Whatever thermal wizardry Valve pulled off here, it clearly works.

• Performance: 3 / 5

Valve Steam Machine review: SteamOS

• SteamOS 3 is a very solid operating system
• Accessible for newcomers, but still packs advanced features
• Optional Linux desktop mode

A bonus section appears! Yes, I'm going to take a moment here to discuss SteamOS, since it's arguably the linchpin of the Steam Machine's whole 'console rival' mission statement. Does it really make PC gaming more accessible? I'm pleased to say yes, it certainly does.

An Arch Linux-based operating system, SteamOS is now in its third main iteration, and it's improved greatly from its humble beginnings as the full-screen version of the Steam desktop app. It's easy to set up and offers a pleasingly straightforward interface that even a gaming rookie should be able to navigate, while also packing the full suite of settings found in the Windows desktop version of Steam.

One nifty feature is the optional Linux desktop mode. It's quite effective, if basic, letting you install Linux-compatible programs like LibreOffice and the Firefox browser. It's neat, but it's a feature that will likely only be used by a small subset of buyers since it doesn't really offer anything for pure gaming users.

Naturally, you can connect a keyboard and mouse as well as a controller, which is useful for games where typing is necessary, but it turned out to be even more vital. I wasn't actually able to complete the SteamOS setup without first connecting a mouse to select the system language, and when playing some other games after my initial benchmarking process, I found that I couldn't complete the initial setup for Forza Horizon 5 using just the Steam Controller, which was annoying.

As effective as SteamOS is, compatibility issues are an inevitability when dealing with a Linux-based system. While the vast majority of games on Steam are fully compatible, there will be specific outliers, and there are plenty of non-gaming programs that aren't available. And of course, you can't play games from other storefronts like Epic and GOG, unless you decide to go the whole hog and install Windows 11 on it instead - which is an option!

Should I buy the Valve Steam Machine?

Valve Steam Machine: Scorecard

Buy the Valve Steam Machine if…

Don't buy it if…

Valve Steam Machine review: Also consider

How I tested the Valve Steam Machine

• Ran multiple PC game benchmarks
• Connected to my TV to use for 'couch gaming'
• 8+ years of experience reviewing dozens of laptops and PCs

My review process for the Steam Machine was a little different from how I'd usually approach a gaming PC or laptop review, due largely to SteamOS's Big Picture Mode not supporting our non-gaming tests.

Still, I ran the Machine through all the usual gaming tests, then took it downstairs to my living room and set it up on my TV stand to use it for some good old-fashioned couch gaming. As someone who was raised on Nintendo consoles but made the jump to PC gaming in my teens, I was keen to get the full intended experience out of the Steam Machine.

In addition to our usual game tests, I played a bunch of other games over a full weekend spent rigorously testing (read: having lots of fun with) the Steam Machine. These included Marathon, Warframe, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and the frighteningly addictive Slay the Spire 2.

I've been testing and reviewing computer hardware for almost a decade, and I've been a gamer for much longer than that. Before joining the TechRadar team, I worked at the PC-building hobbyist magazine Maximum PC, so you can trust that I'm putting every ounce of knowledge and experience at my disposal into bringing you high-quality, insightful, and non-biased reviews.

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

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1140) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• STEAK
• LEONE
• PRIMO
• MALL
• MADRE
• MIST
• POKER
• CHOKE
• CLUB
• RAND
• TEAR
• NAIRA
• HIJO
• KWANZA
• WELL
• ABUELA

NYT Connections today (game #1140) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Family members in another language
• GREEN: Sob
• BLUE: Money on the second largest continent
• PURPLE: Begin with a word that rhymes with “dip”

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1140) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: SPANISH RELATIVES
• GREEN: START TO CRY, WITH "UP"
• BLUE: AFRICAN CURRENCIES
• PURPLE: STRIP____

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1140) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1140, are…

• YELLOW: SPANISH RELATIVES: ABUELA, HIJO, MADRE, PRIMO
• GREEN: START TO CRY, WITH "UP": CHOKE, MIST, TEAR, WELL
• BLUE: AFRICAN CURRENCIES: KWANZA, LEONE, NAIRA, RAND
• PURPLE: STRIP____: CLUB, MALL, POKER, STEAK

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

Well this was annoying. As I was submitting AFRICAN CURRENCIES I couldn’t help but think to myself “I bet this bit of knowledge is worth a purple”, but no.

Sadly, knowing that KWANZA is used in Angola, the RAND in South Africa, LEONE in Sierra Leone, and NAIRA in Nigeria was only worth a blue. So where was the purple?

The answer came in the form of, in my view, the far easier thread of STRIP____.

I ended without any mistakes on what felt like a tricky game, so I’m not that annoyed really.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, July 24, 2026, game #1139)

• YELLOW: TALK AT LENGTH: BABBLE, DRONE, RAMBLE, YAK
• GREEN: OUTCOMES FOR A BATTER: HOME RUN, SINGLE, STRIKEOUT, WALK
• BLUE: BRING TO MIND, AS A MEMORY: JOG, PROMPT, REFRESH, SPARK
• PURPLE: HOMOPHONES OF RELIGIOUS ROLES: CANTER, FRYER, LLAMA, NONE

• The Star Wars Zero Company cast has been revealed
• The player character Hawks will be played by Jonathan Freeman (masculine) and Erica Luttrell (feminine)
• The Clone Wars stars Matt Lanter and Dee Bradley Baker will also return to voice Anakin Skywalker and a new Clone Trooper, Trick, respectively

Bit Reactor and Lucasfilm Games have revealed the stacked cast for Star Wars Zero Company, featuring some very familiar, fan-favorite voice actors from The Clone Wars.

Announced ahead of San Diego Comic Con on StarWars.com, it's confirmed that the player character, Hawks, will be played by Goliath actor Jonathan Freeman (masculine) and Erica Luttrell (feminine), who has also starred in another Star Wars game in the past, Squadrons.

"As the leader of Zero Company, an unconventional outfit of professionals for hire from across the galaxy, which includes a Clone Trooper, a Mandalorian, a Jedi Padawan and more, players must hunt down and stop Kundri Fathom (Rekha Sharma), the ruthless leader of the Separatist-aligned cult known as the Infinite Coil," a press release informs us.

In Zero Company, players will meet a collection of characters beyond their team members, and they're all played by some amazing talent.

Some of these characters include Kabb Uppercut, played by Arcane's JB Blanc; Jae Mordant, played by Judy Alice Lee of Marvel Rivals; and Neesh Renark, played by Marvel's Spider-Man 2's Jim Pirri. There's also D.C. Douglas, best known for Mass Effect 2 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, who will play M-3VO ('Meevo').

The game will also feature two veteran Star Wars voice cast performers, Matt Lanter and Dee Bradley Baker. Lanter played Anakin Skywalker in the hit animated series The Clone Wars and will reprise this role in Zero Company.

Baker is best known for voicing the Clone Troopers in the show, including Captain Rex and Commander Cody, as well as others in The Bad Batch, but will star in Zero Company as the Clone Trooper, Trick.

You can read the full cast list below:

• Hawks (Masculine): Jonathan Freeman
• Hawks (Feminine): Erica Luttrell
• Kundri Fathom: Rekha Sharma
• Trick: Dee Bradley Baker
• Anakin Skywalker: Matt Lanter
• Runa Blask: Vic Michaelis
• Kabb Uppercut: JB Blanc
• Jae Mordant: Judy Alice Lee
• Cly Kullervo: Alex McKenna
• Bennic Halloren: Leo Howard
• Visser: Dylan Kenin
• Tel-Rea: Nicole Rainteau
• Neesh Renark: Jim Pirri
• M-3VO / Meevo: D.C. Douglas
• Typhon: Hunter Smith

Star Wars Zero Company launches on August 27 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Series S.

Bit Reactor has confirmed that the turn-based tactics game will take 30-40 hours to beat, "depending on your difficulty level and experience with the strategy genre," and it won't feature a New Game Plus mode.

• Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot says Sony's plan to end physical game disc production won't have a major impact on the industry
• Guillemot says there are pros and cons to the decision
• He says, "I think it will not disturb the industry too much"

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot doesn't think Sony's decision to retire the production of physical game discs will have a considerable impact on the industry.

Guillemot's comment comes from an earnings call following the release of its first-quarter 2026-27 sales (via VGC), during which the CEO was asked if Sony's plan to end disc production starting January 2028 could have a positive or negative effect on the future of the games industry.

While many disagree with Sony's decision, and some analysts predict it will endanger the $7.2 billion second-hand game market, Guillemot doesn't believe it will have a major impact on the industry at large.

Bold statements

"What we saw on the PC is that it helped to grow the market," Guillemot said. "There’s also some pressure for the future on the cost of machines, and being able to be only digital will help to have a more accessible machine, I would think.

"As you said, there are pluses and minuses, but I think it will not disturb the industry too much."

Sony announced its plan earlier this month and saw overwhelming backlash from fans. According to Wedbush Securities managing director of strategic planning Michael Pachter, Sony's plan to phase out discs in two years is now a threat to the used game market.

"Realistically, at least one-third of games have been sold historically as used, and the games that were sold also provided currency to the gamer who traded them in as cash to pay for new games," Pachter said. "Brick and mortar game retail is doomed."

Sega president Shuji Utsumi has also addressed the controversy and said that while the digital shift is "crucial," the company still understands the importance of physical media.

Similarly, former Nippon Ichi Software CEO Sohei Niikawa understands the decision "from a purely business perspective" but says physical editions are still "very important" to fans.

"If they’re going to go as far as eliminating physical packages, they may as well eliminate the hardware too," Niikawa said. "A television would be enough. Why would you need the console? If you’re going to get rid of physical games, you may as well go all the way."

• Sega president Shuji Utsumi has addressed Sony's decision to end the production of game discs
• Utsumi says, "We still value the culture of physical media," but "a digital shift is crucial"
• He adds, "It is important to strengthen our digitalisation" in the current market

Sega president Shuji Utsumi has addressed the controversy surrounding Sony's decision to end the production of game discs in 2028, acknowledging the importance of physical media but that the digital shift is "crucial."

In a recent interview with Japanese publication Famitsu (via Eurogamer), Utsumi explained that the digital market needs to be cultivated and Sega believes in bolstering digitalisation.

"When it comes to titles we call 'full games' for consoles and PCs, we believe that a digital shift is crucial," Utsumi said. "Of course, consoles are important, but the proportion of people who play on PCs is steadily increasing. Even in areas where consoles are not widely available, there are many people who say, 'I can play it on PC.'"

He added, "In order to cultivate that market, we believe it is important to strengthen our digitalisation. We tend to think from a physical perspective, so I think we need to be more digitally conscious and become more global."

Utsumi then touched on Sega's hardware history, saying that while it isn't in the console market anymore and now primarily publishes games, the company hasn't forgotten its roots and the importance of physical media.

"We were originally a platform provider, and of course, we still value the culture of physical media," the president said. "Rather than completely abandoning that, we are currently challenging ourselves to shift so that we can think about and act on the important aspects of digital media in parallel."

Sony announced its plan to retire new physical discs earlier this month, explaining that the transition to all-digital games "will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today."

PlayStation fans continue to push back against the decision, but analysts believe the company won't change its mind.

It's also said that the $7.2 billion second-hand video game market could be in danger as a result of Sony's decision, with Wedbush Securities managing director of strategic planning, Michael Pachter, reporting that "Brick and mortar game retail is doomed."

Elsewhere, Former Nippon Ichi Software CEO has objected to the plan, saying that while he understands it "From a purely business perspective," Sony doesn't "understand the feelings of those fans."

"If they’re going to go as far as eliminating physical packages, they may as well eliminate the hardware too," he said. "A television would be enough. Why would you need the console? If you’re going to get rid of physical games, you may as well go all the way."

• 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.

• The official story trailer for Marvel's Wolverine has been released
• The trailer features Jean Grey, Team X, and a multitude of villains
• It looks like The Last of Us actor Troy Baker will also star in the game

Insomniac Games has revealed brand new story details for Marvel's Wolverine alongside an official story trailer, featuring bloody battles, mutants, and a ton of villains.

Revealed at San Diego Comic-Con, the trailer kicks off with Logan, aka Wolverine, confronting Jean Grey in what looks to be the aftermath of a battle. The pair clearly share a lot of history in this story, and Jean can be shown accompanying Logan on missions as they rescue mutants and investigate threats as part of Team X.

"New allies and formidable adversaries emerge in the clash for mutant survival," the new story description reads. "As Wolverine, unite with Jean Grey to protect those most vulnerable. Fight alongside Team X to confront the world’s deadliest villains in the caliber of Bolivar Trask, Omega Red, and Deathstrike, and stand against oppressive forces like The Reavers and The Hand."

We also get a look at more members of Team X - the X-Men don't exist in this story - which includes Sabretooth, Mystique, and Sunfire. At one point, we also see a quick glimpse of another unnamed character, who appears to be played by The Last of Us actor Troy Baker.

There are plenty of shots of Logan in different cities around the world as he takes on enemies like Deathstrike and, notably, The Hand, which you might be familiar with because they're one of the major villainous organizations of the Daredevil TV series and the upcoming movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Insomniac also dropped some brand new artwork for the game as well, showing Logan taking on The Hand, and it looks awesome.

In addition to a new story trailer, the studio also announced a collaboration with Arc System Works to bring Wolverine’s suit from Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls to Marvel’s Wolverine, as well as revealed a digital prequel comic book that takes place before the game.

It was also confirmed that award-winning composer David Fleming crafted the music behind Marvel’s Wolverine, which will be released on August 28, but fans can listen to the first track, "Logan," on available platforms like Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and Amazon.

Marvel's Wolverine launches exclusively on PlayStation 5 on September 15.

• 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.

• Former Nippon Ichi Software CEO Sohei Niikawa has criticized Sony's decision to end the production of game discs
• The Disgaea creator says the company doesn't "understand the feelings" of physical game fans
• He adds, "If they’re going to go as far as eliminating physical packages, they may as well eliminate the hardware too"

Former Nippon Ichi Software CEO and creator of the tactical role-playing video game series Disgaea, Sohei Niikawa, has objected to Sony's plan to end disc production, saying the company might as well eliminate hardware too.

Sony announced its decision earlier this month, calling it a "natural direction" for the company that will come into effect by January 2028. It means that in the future, PlayStation owners won't be able to purchase discs for new games.

Fans have been vocal about their anger at the decision and have called on Sony to change its mind. Even Former PlayStation Worldwide Studios boss Shawn Layden has called the plan to move all-digital "a fairly dramatic decision."

Now, speaking to Noisy Pixel at Anime Expo 2026, Niikawa has also criticized Sony, saying that while he understands the plan "From a purely business perspective," it will hurt PlayStation fans.

"I think physical editions of games are very important," Niikawa said, explaining that fans who buy physical copies can hold a "great deal of value" and memories, and can even be taken to events to be signed by their creators.

"Physical games are important because they can carry that kind of meaning," he said.

"I can understand why the people at Sony would make that decision. However, the executives who decided it have probably never experienced coming to an event like Anime Expo and having someone approach them with a physical game to ask for an autograph.

"I don’t think they understand the feelings of those fans, and they may never have considered what physical editions mean to the people who value them."

He added, "If they’re going to go as far as eliminating physical packages, they may as well eliminate the hardware too. A television would be enough. Why would you need the console? If you’re going to get rid of physical games, you may as well go all the way."

For now, Sony appears firm in its decision, and analysts have determined that it won't change its mind, despite the backlash, arguing that "Digital is just too lucrative," in the current business.

Circana's Mat Piscatella also believes that Sony is taking advantage of the current digital market, and recently reported that only seven PlayStation games have sold more than 100,000 physical units year-to-date in the US.

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1139) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• SPARK
• CANTER
• LLAMA
• JOG
• WALK
• YAK
• SINGLE
• NONE
• RAMBLE
• PROMPT
• FRYER
• DRONE
• REFRESH
• STRIKEOUT
• BABBLE
• HOME RUN

NYT Connections today (game #1139) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Chat for too long
• GREEN: Baseball terms
• BLUE: Reboot the brain
• PURPLE: Sounds divine

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1139) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: TALK AT LENGTH
• GREEN: OUTCOMES FOR A BATTER
• BLUE: BRING TO MIND, AS A MEMORY
• PURPLE: HOMOPHONES OF RELIGIOUS ROLES

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1139) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1139, are…

• YELLOW: TALK AT LENGTH: BABBLE, DRONE, RAMBLE, YAK
• GREEN: OUTCOMES FOR A BATTER: HOME RUN, SINGLE, STRIKEOUT, WALK
• BLUE: BRING TO MIND, AS A MEMORY: JOG, PROMPT, REFRESH, SPARK
• PURPLE: HOMOPHONES OF RELIGIOUS ROLES: CANTER, FRYER, LLAMA, NONE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

Yesterday, “baseball” was one of the tiles and today it appeared to be one of the categories. However, I was wary of a trap so decided to steer clear of HOME RUN, WALK and STRIKEOUT until later in the game — not least because I couldn’t see a fourth obvious baseball term.

Instead, I decided to collect WALK, RAMBLE, JOG and CANTER in a group I was thinking signified slow movement. Alas, I was very wrong. Finally, I saw the correct group for RAMBLE and was on my way.

Feeling brave, I added SINGLE to my baseball list and landed the OUTCOMES FOR A BATTER group and then successfully saw the four tiles connected to BRING TO MIND, AS A MEMORY. Close to a STRIKEOUT, but far from a HOME RUN.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, July 23, 2026, game #1138)

• YELLOW: SPHERICAL THINGS: BASEBALL, GLOBE, MARBLE, ORANGE
• GREEN: IN AN ANXIOUS STATE: EXCITED, FEBRILE, FRENETIC, INTENSE
• BLUE: PARTS OF AN AIRPORT: APRON, HANGAR, RUNWAY, TERMINAL
• PURPLE: ENDING IN GEOMETRY TERMS: APPOINT, DEPLANE, FELINE, JANGLE

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K: One-minute review

The K2 Ultra 8K is a wireless mechanical keyboard that aims to compete with the big names in the space.

It adopts a fairly basic design, harking back to keyboards of yore with its chunky chassis and tall keycaps. This substantial form is complimented by a reassuring weight that keeps the unit in place, without being too heavy to move around when needed.

The aluminum frame is also welcome thanks to its pleasingly solidity, although its texture isn’t the most alluring. The keycaps are of a better quality, though, since they’re Double Shot PBT, which often adorns the best gaming keyboards. Their opaque lettering means the backlighting fails to shine through them, which is an oversight committed by many Keychron keyboards.

To customize the inputs of the K2 Ultra 8K, you can use Keychron’s Web App. There are plenty of remapping options here, with numerous system and media commands available. There’s also a SOCD feature with a few different modes to choose from. You can also adjust the bounce time of both down and up strokes.

My review unit came with Red switches, which performed quite well. They were slightly lubed and well-damped, while still retaining a certain snappiness. However, I found their actuation a little too deep, which did result in some of my presses failing to register. Also, the sheer thickness of the keyboard did cause my wrists to ache after a while.

Using the WASD position when gaming was a little more comfortable than a typing position, and the generous spacing of the keys made navigating them quite easy. The quick rebound of the keys was also something I appreciated, and helped to make up somewhat for that aforementioned deep actuation point. Both wireless connectivity options worked well, and hot-swapping between devices was easy, thanks to the switch on the side of the unit.

The K2 Ultra 8K is competitively priced for a wireless mechanical keyboard with hot-swappable hardware. It can’t match the sheer performance and premium designs of its more notable rivals, such as the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% and the HyperX Origins 2 1800, but considering all that it offers, the K2 Ultra 8K is good value.

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Price and availability

• $119.99 (about £90 / AU$170)
• Available now with various switch types
• Reasonable for a wireless gaming keyboard

The K2 Ultra 8K costs $119.99 (about £90 / AU$170) and is available now. Three stock switches are available to choose from: Red, Brown, or Banana.

This is a reasonable price for a hot-swappable, wireless mechanical keyboard with premium materials and numerous customizations available. Equivalent models from bigger brands are generally more expensive. Take the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%, which is an eyewatering $299 / £299 / AU$499. However, this is one of the best mechanical gaming keyboards I’ve ever tested, and it offers a wealth of customizations that put many others, including the K2 Ultra 8K, to shame.

Then there’s the HyperX Origins 2 1800, another superb mechanical keyboard, but one that’s only marginally more expensive than the K2 Ultra 8K. Again, I thought this performed better than the K2 Ultra 8K when I tested it, although its customizations aren’t as extensive. It’s also wired only, which diminishes its value somewhat relative to the K2 Ultra 8K.

• Value: 4.5 / 5

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Specs

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Design and features

• Very thick
• Solid aluminum frame
• Numerous customizations via web app

The K2 Ultra 8K has a somewhat retro design with some modern touches. The chunky chassis and squared off frame are certainly throwbacks to simpler time, but the keycaps are more contemporary affairs, thanks to their soft, rounded form.

With that thick body comes a considerable weight. This helps keep the K2 Ultra 8K planted, yet it’s not too heavy to make moving it around a chore when needed. It also contributes to the unit’s durability, as does the aluminum construction of the frame. This doesn’t feel quite as premium as others, owing to its slightly rough texture, but it’s welcome all the same. Better are the keycaps, since they’re Double Shot PBT, which is the gold standard in the keyboard world.

Somewhat unusually, the USB-C port is located on the left side of the K2 Ultra 8K rather than the rear. This may prove inconvenient for certain setups, but thankfully it’s positioned quite far back, so the difference isn’t that huge. Also, the provided USB cable has an L-shaped jack, so it doesn’t protrude outwards all that much, with the cable naturally running towards the likely location of your device.

There is some RGB backlighting on the K2 Ultra 8K, but like other Keychron keyboards, this is quite lackluster. It barely shines through the spaces between each keycap and since the keycap symbols are opaque, you still can’t make them out in a dark environment, which rather defeats the point of backlighting in the first place. Keychron does sell transparent keycaps, but this is an add-on you have to purchase separately rather than being a configurable substitute.

At least this lighting can be customized, either by using the dedicated key in the top-right corner or Keychron’s Web App. This app contains a lot of options for patterns and colors. It also features input customizations, with a wealth of rebinding options that includes various media and system shortcuts.

There aren’t any advanced performance-based features here, save for bounce time settings and an SOCD function. The former lets you set the press and reset times independently for keys. There are two sliders for this purpose with a range of 10-50ms, with millisecond increments. The latter lets you adjust key priority when two are pressed at the same time — you can set the first pressed key to take priority, a chosen key to always take priority, or both to cancel.

As web apps go, Keychron’s is fast and easy to use. I didn’t encounter any frustrating loading times and or major bugs. Still, I would’ve preferred a standalone app for the sake of convenience, saving you from having to load your browser every time.

• Design and features: 4 / 5

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Performance

• Actuation too deep for effective typing
• Good key spacing and response for gaming
• Unit thickness can cause discomfort

My review unit came with Keychron’s Red switches, which felt a little heavier than I’m used to. They’re damped and lubed to a reasonable degree, though, which made their operation smooth, and I found the clicky impact at the end of a key’s travel quite satisfying.

I was less enamored with the actuation point. It felt like I had to press down quite far for inputs to register, which caused me issues when typing fast, as characters were often missed. Typing isn’t helped by the tall keycaps, either: as someone who usually prefers a low profile, my ability to glide around the board was limited.

What’s more, that aforementioned thickness of the chassis caused me some discomfort after a while, even with the feet folded out, as I had to angle my wrists a fair amount. The K2 Ultra 8K is crying out for a wrist rest, but alas it doesn’t come with one.

Thankfully, I found gaming in the WASD position less problematic. Despite the compact nature of the layout, the keys are still generously separated, while the ergonomic shape makes navigating them quite easy. They also rebound quickly, too, which somewhat makes up for that deep actuation point.

I didn’t have any issues when connecting the K2 Ultra 8K to my PCs wirelessly via the 2.4GHz USB dongle or via Bluetooth. Hot-switching between two devices was also easy and effective, thanks to the slider on the side of the unit.

• Performance: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K?

Scorecard

Buy it if…

Don't buy it if…

Keychron K2 Ultra 8K review: Also consider

How I tested the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K

• Tested for a few days
• Used for a variety of tasks
• Plenty keyboard reviewing experience

I used the Keychron K2 Ultra 8K for a couple of days, during which time I used it for working, gaming, and general browsing. I connected to two different Windows 11 PCs, one via the 2.4GHz dongle and the other via Bluetooth. I also used it in wired mode with the supplied cable.

I played games such as 007 First Light and Counter-Strike 2, both of which are good tests for the responsiveness of key presses and the comfort of using the all-important WASD position.

I’ve been using keyboards for decades for all sorts of purposes, from working to gaming. I’ve also reviewed a large number of them, from budget offerings to high-performing, feature-filled extravagances.

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

• A new trailer for Zach Cregger's Resident Evil film has just been released
• The full-length trailer offers a deeper look at the story, setting, and main character Bryan
• It also features several references and easter eggs related to the video game series

A new trailer for Zach Cregger's Resident Evil film has been released, and it's filled with easter eggs referring the beloved video game series.

The first teaser for the upcoming adaptation already had me sold, but the latest full-length official trailer has convinced me that it could be as good as Cregger's other horror flicks, Weapons and Barbarian.

"In an all-new story, Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed, non-stop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos," the official synopsis reads.

The trailer features Bryan, who is on his way to Raccoon City to deliver medical materials to the general hospital, when he crashes into what looks like a zombie. It seems like a call-back to the Resident Evil 2 opening sequence and is just one of many easter eggs and references fans have also picked up on in the trailer.

In classic Resident Evil fashion, Bryan finds a shotgun on a wall but no ammo, and he can be seen desperately searching a creepy, abandoned home while hiding from a zombie.

When he does eventually find some shotgun shells, they're very clearly the same ones featured in Resident Evil 4, oddly enough. There is also a quick shot of a dark room, and a typewriter can be seen on the desk, a neat little reference to the save points in safe rooms from the games.

It's confirmed that the Cregger adaptation is set in 1998 during the events of Resident Evil 2, but the director has confirmed Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield won't make an appearance.

Resident Evil releases in theatres on September 18.

• Amazon's gaming boss thinks ballooning hardware prices could push more hardcore gamers towards cloud streaming services
• He argued that the price of consoles increasing by 'six, seven times' would mean some gamers become 'priced out of the market'
• He thinks the RAM crisis, and rising prices, will not be 'going away anytime soon'

Amazon GM of gaming Jeff Gattis thinks the rising cost of consoles and PC components could push more hardcore gamers towards cloud streaming, via services such as Amazon's own Luna.

In a recent interview about the service, I asked whether Gattis anticipates cloud gaming becoming a more popular option for core players as traditional systems become much more expensive.

"Yeah. I wouldn't have said that 18 months ago, and I will say our business model is not really predicated on this this massive shift where everybody turns in their consoles and PCs and comes over to cloud" he said.

"But gosh, when you start to see the prices of the Steam Machine and the rumors of PlayStation and Xbox. As you get to $1,000, $1,500 hardware [...] you're going to see more people that are priced out of the market. They're going to consider other technologies".

Gattis, who previously led platform and subscriptions at Xbox, went on to share an anecdote to illustrate just how much prices have risen.

"I was telling somebody the other day that when I was back at Xbox a couple of years ago, we had our Series S console on discount [for a] holiday. I think it was about $199. To think in a span of two to three years we've gone from $200 to what's likely going to be six, seven times that price.

"I understand it's a it's a RAM crisis, it's worldwide, but I don't think that's going away anytime soon."

He was, however, careful to clarify that hardcore gamers moving to the cloud isn't a core part of Amazon's strategy: "It's not our strategy to accelerate that, but it's a nice tailwind if it does happen, and it's realistic to think that it might."

The comments come as Amazon rolls out a Fire TV update that gives Amazon Prime subscribers the ability to stream games like Fallout 4 or Fortnite from directly within Prime Video via Luna in a bid to get more eyes on the service.

• Steam gifting and wishlists have received big improvements in recent updates from Valve
• Users can now gift games to friends and family directly via email
• Wishlists now have categories and a new 'Demo Available' highlight

Valve's updates to Steam have consistently enhanced the user experience for PC gamers, and fortunately, two of its most recent additions continue that trend.

On Steam News Hub, Valve announced two major improvements to the Steam gifting system and wishlists: users can now gift games to friends and family via guest checkout, without being limited to digital gift cards and hardware purchases, and gift games via email.

As for wishlists: categories are now available, with options to filter the wishlist via category name, a new 'Demo Available' highlight once a demo becomes available, and share a link to a specific category or filtered view of a wishlist, ultimately allowing users to sort further and organize wishlisted titles.

Both updates have made wishlisting and gifting much easier, especially since the latter now has cross-region gifting. Essentially, in a scenario where a friend is in a higher-priced region, Steam will 'calculate the cost in your friend's region' at checkout – but it's important to note that this must be a friend for this type of gift to work.

Most importantly, the improvements made to Steam wishlists should come in handy for future purposes beyond 2026, but also arrive at the ideal time considering the very busy game release schedule this year.

Not only do gamers have plenty of triple-A titles to look forward to on Steam (notably in September), with the likes of The Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Control Resonant all in the same month, but numerous indie games are arriving too, like Blackwood.

The demo highlight is a necessary update as well, since there are a significant number of games that either launch in early access or have been in development for years with long-running demo requests (i.e., Spine).

Updates as such are great for SteamOS PCs, especially the Steam Machine, and the more improvements made for each feature on the Steam client, the better.

The Halo series is in an awkward spot right now. With 2021’s Halo Infinite being the last major release, the franchise’s status as a system seller isn’t as strong as it was two decades ago. Halo: Campaign Evolved is a safe yet surprisingly competent remake of Halo: Combat Evolved that attempts to bring back the glory days.

My earliest memory of Combat Evolved on the original Xbox was when I could barely read. My dad was visiting his university friends from back in the day, and he left me with their college-aged children. I remember getting absolutely cooked in PvP, as the only video game I had ever played before that point was Pokémon.

25 years later, I’ve played every major Halo release, and even revisited 2011’s Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary remaster to see how it fared before diving into Campaign Evolved. When playing these two back-to-back, they really put into perspective how much small changes could yield substantially different experiences.

The same old story

Like the original game, Halo: Campaign Evolved follows the space marine Master Chief after his starship, the Pillar of Autumn, crash-lands on a large ring world. The Covenant alien race wants to destroy Earth, and it's up to Master Chief, along with his AI companion Cortana, to fight back against them. It’s the same exact story told in the original. Although it’s not particularly deep, it sets up an enticing universe that makes you eager to discover more about the Covenant, as well as the secrets of this new ring world.

Campaign Evolved offers three new bonus missions that, together, act as a prequel to the events of the main story. Here, Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson join up, and the duo infiltrates an enemy ship to steal some data that could point them towards the Covenant’s home world. In these missions, Master Chief doesn’t have Cortana yet and is surprisingly more of a chatterbox than his usual stoic self. He and Sergeant Johnson constantly exchange quips — Johnson’s sarcasm juxtaposes well with the Chief’s more nonchalant attitude.

However, it’s tonally inconsistent. Without going into spoilers, the ending doesn’t explain Master Chief’s stoicism in the following events of Campaign Evolved. Chief’s demeanor here would fit better in a post-Bungie universe, where the series became more character-driven beginning with Halo 4. But as a prequel to the original trilogy, his frequent yapping feels out of character.

Additionally, the three missions trade the original’s streamlined level design in favor of the more modern Halo combat arena approach. Large-scale firefights across long structures and domes are everywhere. Halo is no stranger to enemy skirmishes, but they were kept at close to medium range encounters. I won’t lie and say I didn’t have fun playing these, but I just wish Halo Studios kept the new levels more uniform with the original’s design philosophy.

The prequel missions also reintroduce the Jiralhanae brutes, which were first introduced in Halo 2. These furry monstrosities are a nice change of pace when considering that enemy variety was limited in the original.

Back to basics

The first-person-shooter gameplay isn’t as revolutionary as it was back in 2001, but I enjoyed going back to the more boots-on-the-ground experience compared to flying around everywhere with Chief’s grappling hook in Infinite. There are so many small adjustments and additions to the gameplay that actually made me take modern Halo gameplay mechanics for granted.

For starters, you can now hijack enemy vehicles, something you couldn’t do in the original or even the Anniversary remaster. You instead had to either shoot the enemy piloting the vehicle first, or blow it up, hoping that it was still operable afterwards. When I replayed Anniversary ahead of Campaign Evolved, years of muscle memory conditioned me to hijack a vehicle, only to remember that Chief can’t do that and subsequently get run over and die!

Along with the typical weapons like the pistols, assault rifles, and rocket launchers, Campaign Evolved includes new weapons found in later Halo games like the Needle Rifle and the Brute Spiker.

These new weapons actually feel more of a fit for the bonus missions. The Needle Rifle almost felt like a cheat code when I used it during the main campaign. Energy Swords were also in the original game, but Chief couldn’t pick those up. Now he can, and I never got tired of hearing the satisfying sizzling plasma every time I pulled it out. Effectively doubling the total weapon count, the minute-to-minute gunplay is more varied and fun than ever.

The radar now also shows an arrow up or down on red dots to indicate whether an enemy is above or below you. Verticality was always a personal issue for me in these games, so this is much appreciated. Power-ups can be held like in Infinite, letting you activate them when you want rather than in older Halo games where they activated upon pickup. This had a tangible impact on how I approached certain levels compared to the original, like Truth and Reconciliation, where I could choose the optimal time to turn invisible and sneak past enemies.

On the surface, these changes may seem minuscule. But when actually playing Campaign Evolved, I came to appreciate the gameplay iterations that came with later Halo games.

The human connection

Whereas the original only supported two-player co-op, Campaign Evolved can support up to four. This increase makes shootouts even more hectic and exciting, especially during the bonus missions where having a full team fits the combat design ethos. Online co-op is an easy process, as all you need to do is invite other players to your fireteam. Crossplay between PC, PlayStation, and Xbox players is a big plus too.

Performance is solid, even with bullets and explosions going off every second, although cutscenes can lag sometimes.

You can also find skull collectibles scattered throughout the campaign, which are gameplay modifiers that make your runs easier or harder, like enabling infinite ammo or disabling your sprint function. There’s a whopping 42 skulls to find, so not only do finding the skulls add more replayability to the campaign, but also turning them on does too.

The biggest letdown of Campaign Evolved is the lack of any PvP multiplayer. It’s a staple of the Halo series that makes this remake feel a bit lesser.

Even with the lack of PvP multiplayer, Halo: Campaign Evolved is comfortably the best way to play the first Halo adventure with all the bells and whistles that come with the modernized features of later games. The new bonus missions are fun if not a bit uneven. Campaign Evolved feels good to play, whether solo or with friends.

Should I play Halo: Campaign Evolved?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility features

Halo: Campaign Evolved has an extensive suite of accessibility features. This includes text options like subtitles, HUD text, and voice chat text size. You can also adjust font, line spacing, and dialogue color for friends and foes.

There’s screen narration with volume and speed sliders, as well as color filters. You can adjust color correction strength, brightness, and contrast. Furthermore, you can turn on and off screen shake, flashing effects, and motion blur. For crosshairs, you can change the size, color, opacity, and thickness to see what works best for you.

There are also options to change directional damage indicators, navigation points, and even teammate markers to make finding things easier. Things like voice chat volume, widget opacity, and fade-out timer can be adjusted too.

How I reviewed Halo: Campaign Evolved

I played about 15 hours of Halo: Campaign Evolved (and counting) on Xbox Series X with a SANSUI 34-Inch Curved Gaming Monitor UWQHD. I finished the campaign, finding as many collectibles as I could along the way. I also played through the three prequel missions, as well as participated in a few missions with other reviewers in co-op.

First reviewed July 2026

• Star Wars Zero Company will take 30-40 hours to beat the main campaign
• The game won't feature New Game Plus mode, romance systems, or branching story paths
• Post-launch content is also unconfirmed at this time

Bit Reactor has confirmed that Star Wars Zero Company will take up to 40 hours to finish, and it won't have a New Game Plus mode.

The single-player turn-based tactics game is one of my most anticipated titles of the year, and ahead of its launch next month, the studio has conducted a community Q&A to answer a long series of questions.

One of the first questions asked how long the campaign will be, and lead producer Caydence Funk has confirmed that "Depending on your difficulty level and experience with the strategy genre," it's estimated that it can take between 30 and 40 hours for the average player to beat.

It's also confirmed that the story will be linear with no romance systems or branching paths.

"While we are excited about pushing the genre forward with a more cinematic approach, this is still a turn-based tactics game at its heart where adept skill and strategy are needed to overcome tense combat challenges," Bit Reactor said. "That said, there are story moments that can alter based on who you have in your squad, but the overall story is a linear one from beginning to end."

Personally, 40 hours is the ideal length, and a linear story means I can experience everything the story without having to worry about missing out on additional storylines.

"As far as exploration goes, yes, you’ll have the ability to explore a section of some planets prior to engaging in turn-based combat on them," the studio added.

"This is a minor facet of the game that we feel adds a unique, immersive quality to Star Wars Zero Company. These small segments are a chance for you, as Hawks, to conduct the espionage that Zero Company excels at, and are main-story-only segments that can affect the subsequent combat by granting Intel and Advantage Points."

Unfortunately, the game won't launch with New Game Plus mode, so new playthroughs will have to be completely fresh, "but players will unlock certain customization options on subsequent playthroughs" through progress.

Zero Company is set during one of my favorite Star Wars eras, the Clone Wars, so I'm very excited to experience a new story during this time period.

We can expect battles across the galaxy with the Separatist Alliance, a team consisting of a Clone Trooper, a Mandalorian, a Jedi Padawan, an Umbaran sniper, and more, as well as the appearance of Anakin Skywalker.

Customization will also play a big role in the game, and while players can't have an entire team of Clone Troopers, Bit Reactor confirmed that you'll have access to Clone armor cosmetics with the ability to customize your team's armor from the start. Outfits don't impact gameplay, but Clone Trooper helmets will provide a voice modulation effect, which sounds neat!

Even cooler, The Clone Wars TV series voice actor Dee Bradley Baker will provide his iconic voice to the character Trick and additional Clone Troopers, but the full cast has yet to be announced.

As for additional content, good news, there are no plans for microtransactions to be added to the game; however, the "Arc Trooper" Armor Set is only part of the "Grand Army of the Republic" Cosmetic Pack for the Deluxe Edition, but players will still have access to other cosmetic options in the base game.

The game also won't have mod support, and "right now" post-launch content isn't confirmed because Bit Reactor is "focused on making the best game we can at launch."

Star Wars Zero Company launches on August 27 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Series S.

Prime Video just got a massive free upgrade that should be on your radar if you're interested in playing popular video games like Fallout 4, Fortnite, and EA Sports FC 26 on your TV at no extra cost.

From today, Amazon Prime subscribers using Fire TV devices in the US or UK will be able to access Amazon Luna titles from directly within the Prime Video app. Luna is the company's cloud gaming service, and lets you play entire games by streaming them directly to your device like you would a TV show or movie — simply pick what you want to play in the new games tab, connect your phone (or a compatible gamepad) to use as a controller, and you can dive straight in, with no download required.

You don't need to pay extra for this either, as a formidable library of games is already included with your Prime subscription. This includes a wide range of casual GameNight titles designed for playing with a group of family or friends (including an exclusive Angry Birds and digital versions of popular board games like Clue and Exploding Kittens), in addition to some more hardcore titles available on a rotating basis.

If you want even more games, you can upgrade to Luna Premium for an additional $9.99 / £8.99 per month.

Prime placement

The move comes as Amazon tries to get more eyes on its game streaming service, which many Prime subscribers don't even know they have access to.

"You could argue we're the largest paid gaming subscription in the world," Amazon GM of gaming Jeff Gattis laughs in a conversation ahead of today's reveal. "Problem is, not enough people know about it."

Although he argues that the service is "really easy to get to if you know where you're going," he reckons the decision to initially roll it out via a dedicated Luna website and app that you "have to actively seek out and go find" has inadvertently created too many "friction points" for otherwise potentially interested users.

"It's crazy how much value we're putting in to the Prime tier," he added. "The fact that we just had the World Cup, and the you could play FC 26 if you're a Prime member for essentially free is is amazing. But again, it's only as good as people's ability to know about it."

In addition to the prominent positioning of the new games tab, Amazon is currently working on brand awareness campaigns to help get the word out.

According to Gattis, Fire TV is also just the beginning of a wider rollout that might see the update coming to the Prime Video mobile app, and so be in front of even more eyes, in future. "The grander vision is to get it to everywhere Prime Video is, and so we're excited just for more people to discover the benefit," he teased.

Overall, he believes that all of this will help align Luna more closely with the core principles that make other Amazon services like its e-commerce offering so successful. "It's convenience," he adds, "and I think it's value. And when you think about Amazon, what are the things that it does well worldwide?"

From the scourge of Generative AI to the RAM crisis, from PlayStation axing discs to Xbox cutting legendary studios off at the knees, it seems like gaming is under attack from every angle. The industry is in dire straits, with studios seemingly no longer able to bank on the success of AAA blockbusters or Live Service behemoths like it used to. Even the biggest game ever, the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6, has had a troubled announcement, with its $80 price tag and discless contents getting people’s backs up.

It’s easy to feel helpless when seemingly insurmountable problems hit a medium you love, and speaking out feels like you’re merely howling into the void. But based on historic events, it's true that when enough gamers make themselves heard — and when they vote with their wallets — positive changes can occur, bad decisions can be reversed and better futures can be laid. Hey, even Xbox rolled back its Game Pass price hike (to an extent).

So we want to hear from you — which issue are you most concerned about? Participate in our poll below and tell everyone what you think. No doubt many if not all of these issues are interconnected. For instance, I can’t help but laugh at the cruel irony of the RAM being used to power the Gen AI tools for the purposes of developing games more cheaply is pushing up the price of the systems for playing those games. Of course, there’s no easy fix to any one of them, but we’ll follow up by dissecting the results and discussing the potential routes to bring gaming out from the dark place it’s currently stuck in.

• Dataintelo reports that the used video game market is worth $7.2 billion
• The firm thinks that Sony's decision to end the production of discs will cause it to decline
• Analysts say the market will "keep shrinking and eventually disappear"

The second-hand video game market could be in danger as a result of Sony's decision to end production of physical discs starting in January 2028.

A new story from CNBC included analysis from market research firm Dataintelo, which reported that the used game market was worth $7.2 billion in 2025 and predicted it could grow to $13.8 billion by 2034.

The figure represents all pre-owned games, console hardware, accessories, and peripherals, but consoles account for 42.3% of revenue, with North America being the biggest part of the market. That's compared to Europe, which captured 28.3% of global second-hand revenue last year.

The company explained that the second-hand game market is fuelled mainly by affordability concerns, an interest in retro gaming, and a "digital-to-physical gaming transition."

With Sony's plan to phase out discs in just two years, there's now a threat to the used game market.

"Realistically, at least one-third of games have been sold historically as used, and the games that were sold also provided currency to the gamer who traded them in as cash to pay for new games," said Wedbush Securities managing director of strategic planning, Michael Pachter. "Brick and mortar game retail is doomed."

However, physical discs and the second-hand market aren't likely to disappear all at once. Kazunori Ito, director of equity research at Morningstar, explained that the market will "keep shrinking and eventually disappear."

"There is an important difference between players accepting that shift because they see value in it, and having it effectively forced on them by taking away the alternative," Ito said.

"Most would prefer to make that transition in their own way and at their own pace, rather than having it driven by the end of physical discs."

In Sony's announcement earlier this month, it called it a "natural direction" for the company, arguing that the transition from physical to digital discs "will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today."

While fans continue to push back against the decision, analysts have determined that the PlayStation company won't change its mind.

"Their current profit margin has been too weak for years now, so they feel like they must act," explained Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Japanese game industry consultancy firm Kantan Games. "From an economic perspective, digital sales just make too much sense especially for platform holders."

A recent report from Circana senior director and video game industry advisor Mat Piscatella also suggested that the digital market is in Sony's favor right now, explaining that only seven PlayStation games "have sold more than 100,000 physical units year-to-date" in the US.

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97: two-minute review

It seems everyone and their dog is betting on where the high end gaming mouse market is going next, and the AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 is betting big on super light and powerful mice that nail the basics.

Okay, we've already seen this with the Razer Viper V4 Pro, but AngryMiao takes a different approach, with a heavily perforated chassis that looks like it's escaped from a sci-fi film rather than the gaming section of a branch of Currys or Best Buy.

Look past the aesthetics, though, and there's a genuinely accomplished mouse underneath. A sub-50g weight with or without a battery, a zippy 30,000 DPI PixArt PAW3950 sensor and true 8000Hz wireless polling put it right up there with the best ultralight mice I've tested this year, and its swappable battery system is a genuinely clever solution to the age-old wireless mouse problem of battery anxiety, with spares stashed inside the wireless receiver box for whenever you need them.

It's not a mouse without its flaws, though. The companion software is basic and has an annoying habit of running in the background, there's no dedicated DPI button or clutch anywhere on the chassis, and at $189 it's more expensive than its direct rivals. Whether that's a dealbreaker depends on how much you value standing out from the crowd.

That's ultimately what I feel you're paying for here. The AM Infinity.97 looks and feels like nothing else on the market, and backs that up with performance that goes toe-to-toe with mice from far bigger names. If you want a boutique ultralight mouse that doesn't sacrifice substance for style, this is one of the most compelling options I've tested all year.

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Price & release date

• $189 (approx £141/AU$270)
• Released in January 2026
• Towards the top end of the market

The AM Infinity.97 costs $189, and that puts it right at the top of the ultralight gaming mouse market against some genuinely excellent competition. The Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike costs $179.99, and the Razer Viper V4 Pro is $159.99 — meaning AngryMiao's boutique option is comfortably the priciest of the three.

It launched in January 2026 as the slightly smaller brother to the brand's original AM Infinity mouse, offering a different take on the highly competitive ultralight mouse sector from a brand better known for its keyboards than such potent mice.

For the price, it's competitive in features, too, with a flagship wireless sensor and polling rate specs, clever swappable batteries and a magnesium alloy chassis that's lighter than both Razer and Logitech's choices. In terms of features. It's perhaps closer to the Viper V4 Pro in that it seeeks to nail the basics of being a competitive ultralight mouse, rather than introducing new features such as rapid trigger, as the G Pro X2 Superstrike does.

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Specs

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Design

• Sci-fi-inspired looks
• Magnesium alloy chassis keeps things sturdy
• Software has very little frills

AngryMiao is a brand I associate more for its wacky keyboards than mice, but its house style is unmistakeable. As with the likes of Gravastar, it leans into a sci-fi aesthetic with a perforated chassis in keeping with the older guard of what ultralight gaming mice used to look like.

Intriguingly, it's slightly smaller than rivals, too, being only 97% of the size of a standard gaming mouse. That's because of AngryMiao's own market research that demonstrated this kind of size was what players preferred, not least for a mouse designed more for claw grippers than palm or fingertip users. Saying that, I had no issues using this high-power rodent with my usual palm grip, and the little orange piece on the rear of the chassis acts as a useful grip that does more of the heavy lifting than you might initially expect.

The AM Infinity.97 is available in three colors: black, white, and pink. I asked for my sample in the vivid pink, but ended up with a white one – no harm done, though, as it's a nice white that's almost got a creamy, off-white hue in some lighting environments.

At 47g with the battery in, it's one of the lightest mice I've used this year, and pulling out the battery for wired use drops that to a genuinely absurd 39g. That's a fair bit lighter than both Logitech and Razer's choices, although not quite as light as the Corsair Sabre V2 Pro, which weighs 36g with its internal battery.

That lightness doesn't feel flimsy, either. The AM Infinity.97's chassis is magnesium-aluminium alloy, and it's properly sturdy under the fingers, with gentle contouring to to sit well in the hand and a cool metallic touch that's oddly pleasant during longer sessions.

The button layout here is sensible, with two main clickers and a scroll wheel on top, side buttons within easy reach on the left, and a Bluetooth/2.4GHz toggle tucked underneath. What you don't get is a dedicated DPI button – an odd omission at this price, and the first real crack in an otherwise polished package. The main clicks use custom TTC Orange Dot Optical V2 switches, and I've become a big fan of these in my two weeks with this mouse. They're snappy and positive under finger, and because they're optical rather than mechanical, they're also noticeably quicker to register than more traditional gaming mice.

Okay, there isn't the rapid trigger or haptic feedback you'll get from the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike, but the short, sharp travel with ample tactility still feels pleasantly brisk and solid under finger.

If there's one area where things get less impressive for this AngryMiao mouse, it's th software. Being a web-based UI means things should be lightweight, although it's paired with a a downloadable executable that has an annoying habit of nibbling away at system resources you'd rather it left alone when running in the background.

When you do open it, it's easy enough to navigate, but there isn't much to it — DPI and polling rate, remapping, macros, profiles, lift-off distance and acceleration is about where the feature list ends. The bigger brand rivals offer much more complete software customisation.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

AngryMiao AM Infinity.97 review: Performance

• Flagship 30,000 DPI sensor
• 8000Hz wireless polling
• Innovative swappable batteries

AngryMiao has fitted the AM Infinity.97 with a 30,000 DPI PixArt PAW3950 sensor, one I've put through its paces in plenty of other mice as a top-end flagship sensor, and it's every bit as sharp and responsive here either for general navigation or for getting stuck into Counter Strike 2 – my usual test for peripherals.

You won't get away for using the full 30,000 DPI all the time, as it turns this rodent into a jittery nightmare, hence why it can be moved down to a number of preset levels between 100 and 30,000 DPI in the mouse's software. Somewhere between 1600 DPI and 3200 DPI is where I ended up, preferring the former for more precise aiming in CS2, and the latter for navigating Windows and productivity workloads.

Alongside the beefy sensor, the AM Infinity.97 benefits from true 8000Hz polling across both wired and 2.4GHz connectivity, plus you get Bluetooth as an added bonus. In my testing, both wireless connectivity methods felt rock solid throughout testing, whether I was on Bluetooth with a MacBook Pro or the 2.4GHz receiver box on my Windows gaming PC.

As much as 8000Hz wireless polling isn't the standout feature it was a couple of years ago, and its efficacy for normal folks is debatable, it's still very nice to see for a competitive oriented rodent such as this AngryMiao choice. It's something competitive players will feel more than us normal folks, but is still handy for peace of mind your mouse is performing at its best.

The fact is that the high DPI sensor, fast wireless polling, superlight chassis and snappy optical switches combine to make the AM Infinity.97 one of the best gaming mice I've tested this year, and I've given both the G Pro X2 Superstrike and Viper V4 Pro a run for their money, too. I'd wager it's closer in philosophy to Razer, nailing the fundamentals rather than throwing haptics and rapid trigger into a light chassis the way Logitech does — but as a first impression, it's a knockout.

I found its low mass makes wrist flicks and sweeping CS2 movements almost effortless, while those optical switches give you brisk, satisfying clicks and its sensor felt dead accurate to boot.This is a mouse that nails the basics and turns that into something genuinely excellent.

The AM Infinity.97 also has one further trick up its sleeve with a feature I've only seen on a couple of other gaming mice – the Glorious Model O3 and D3 Wireless – with swappable batteries. In this instance, the batteries clip on magnetically to the underside of the mouse, and can be swapped out for a spare kept inside the 2.4GHz wireless receiver box that connects to your PC with the bundled USB-C to USB-A cable.

The mouse also works wired, so a dead battery is never really a crisis. What you don't get is an internal backup cell, meaning if both external batteries die, you're out of luck until you plug in – Glorious has a 'Guardian battery' inside the mouse chassis itself, which is the one area where I think they win.

This swappable battery system leads AngryMiao to claim 'infinite' battery life in its marketing bumf, although a little further down the product page, it's more reasonable. With 1,000Hz polling, you'll see up to 165 hours, while at the full 8,000Hz, this drops to up to 30 hours. For reference, I was getting between 25 or so hours on a charge on one battery with 8,000Hz enabled, demonstrating just how thirsty a higher polling rate continues to be.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the AngryMiao AM Infinity.97?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

How I tested the AngryMiao AM Infinity.97

• Tested over two weeks of use
• Used across both Windows and macOS
• Extensive gaming mouse review experience

I used the AM Infinity.97 for a couple of weeks across both a Windows gaming PC and a MacBook Pro, testing it over Bluetooth, the bundled 2.4GHz receiver, and wired via USB-C.

Counter-Strike 2 formed the backbone of my performance testing, given how heavily it leans on quick, accurate mouse movement, alongside general everyday use for browsing and productivity to assess comfort and grip over longer sessions. I also used the web-based software extensively to test each of its functions.

I've been a tech journalist for the best part of a decade, and have reviewed plenty of gaming and productivity mice in that time from brands big and small from up and down the price ladder.

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

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1138) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• JANGLE
• INTENSE
• ORANGE
• FELINE
• FEBRILE
• BASEBALL
• MARBLE
• APRON
• APPOINT
• TERMINAL
• EXCITED
• RUNWAY
• FRENETIC
• HANGAR
• DEPLANE
• GLOBE

NYT Connections today (game #1138) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Round stuff
• GREEN:On edge
• BLUE: Elements of an airline’s hub
• PURPLE: Math final

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1138) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: SPHERICAL THINGS
• GREEN: IN AN ANXIOUS STATE
• BLUE: PARTS OF AN AIRPORT
• PURPLE: ENDING IN GEOMETRY TERMS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1138) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1138, are…

• YELLOW: SPHERICAL THINGS: BASEBALL, GLOBE, MARBLE, ORANGE
• GREEN: IN AN ANXIOUS STATE: EXCITED, FEBRILE, FRENETIC, INTENSE
• BLUE: PARTS OF AN AIRPORT: APRON, HANGAR, RUNWAY, TERMINAL
• PURPLE: ENDING IN GEOMETRY TERMS: APPOINT, DEPLANE, FELINE, JANGLE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

I made two, what I will call, good mistakes today. 'Good', as in I was on the right track and the errors helped me hone in on the correct quartet.

The first was picking JANGLE instead of EXCITED. I correctly thought the group was about anxiety and picked JANGLE because that's how I feel when I’m nervous or on edge.

Then, after successfully spotting PARTS OF AN AIRPORT, I decided to collect the math words hidden in some tiles and picked ORANGE, because of range, over DEPLANE. Meanwhile, how I completely overlooked SPHERICAL THINGS is uncertain.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, July 22, 2026, game #1137)

• YELLOW: SYMPTOMS OF AN ALLERGIC REACTION: HIVES, ITCHING, RASH, REDNESS
• GREEN: ON A GOLF SCORECARD: HOLE, PAR, SCORE, STROKES
• BLUE: PLATFORM-SPECIFIC POSTS: PINS, SNAPS, TWEETS, VINES
• PURPLE: FEATURES OF A ZEBRA: HOOVES, MANE, TAIL, WHITE STRIPES

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: One-minute review

The 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition takes the brand’s existing wireless mobile controller grip and makes a couple of surface-level changes.

The overall shape, style, and functions remain, but official Xbox licensing sees the Turbo button swapped for a dedicated Xbox button. It retains the $49.99 / £43.99 / AU$89 price tag of the original, meaning it's significantly cheaper than alternatives like the Backbone One or GameSir G8.

The Hall effect joysticks and triggers from the original are still here too, with clicky bumpers and what 8BitDo describes as a refined D-pad, though it felt pretty standard to me. For Xbox Cloud Gaming specifically, which is what I imagine most gamers would turn to this option for, it’s excellent on the whole. Cruising the streets of Japan in Forza Horizon 6 across iOS, Android, and Mac was smooth and responsive, with no perceptible latency over its wireless Bluetooth connection. The telescopic grip is the most secure I've seen in this category, confidently holding an iPhone 17 Pro with a case without any flex or creaking, and it’s comfortable enough for longer sessions.

The problems start when you step outside cloud gaming and into native mobile titles. Call of Duty Mobile refused to recognize the controller on both iOS and Android, and games that do work natively, like Fortnite, display PlayStation button prompts on screen despite the controller's physical ABXY layout and Xbox branding. The two back paddle buttons, a feature prominently listed on the spec sheet, also weren't recognized in any game or cloud gaming scenario I tested.

The core experience, however, is a pleasant one. If Xbox Cloud Gaming is your primary use case, the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition is close to a bargain. For native mobile gaming, the experience is a harder sell, and you’d be better off exploring other options on our list of the best mobile controllers.

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: Price and availability

• List price: $49.99 / ~£43.99 / AU$89
• Retains the same price as the original and undercuts similar competitors
• Available in white or black from 8BitDo and retailers

The 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition launched in July 2025, half a year after the non-branded version, keeping the same $49.99 / £43.99 / AU$89 price. You’ll find it at a range of retailers, though 8BitDo is keen to push you towards Amazon, as well as from its own online store.

It’s worth checking out different options because at the time of writing, 8BitDo's store has it on sale for $38.99 in the US, making an already competitive price even more attractive.

For context, the Backbone One 2nd Gen runs $99.99, and the GameSir G8 Wireless sits at $79.99, so even at full price, the 8BitDo undercuts its closest competitors by a comfortable margin.

If you’re not too fussed about that Xbox tie-in, it’s worth noting that the original version of this controller now shares the same iOS and Android compatibility and has been spotted as low as $25 on sale. The day-to-day differences are extremely minor, so if budget is a concern, it’s worth keeping an eye on both.

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: Specs

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: Design and features

• The most secure phone grip I've tested in a mobile controller
• Hall effect sticks and triggers are impressive at this price
• Quite a small overall profile

The 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition carries that familiar 8BitDo styling with rounded edges everywhere that almost look like they’re gently melting. It’s not, thankfully, and build quality is good across the board.

The textured rubber surface on the back of the phone deck is a highlight with a fun input-themed pattern, and the small amount of texture on the back of the main grips feels nice under your fingers. It’s available in your choice of black or white. I’ve been testing the former, and it’s a magnet for greasy marks, and I can see it getting shiny over time. Keep a microfibre cloth handy.

I don’t have massive hands, but the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition feels slightly small to hold, and it’s the length of the main grips that is the culprit. The left stick falls in a natural position, but the right one ends up nearly at the base of my thumb, and I essentially had to claw-grip the right side to reach it. It's not a dealbreaker, though coming from the stock Xbox Wireless Controller or even another mobile grip like the GameSir G8, it’s certainly a downgrade in comfort.

Where this controller definitely impresses is the phone deck. The telescopic action extends smoothly, and in testing, it held both my phones in a reassuringly sturdy way. This is the first mobile controller grip I've tested that confidently holds both a super slim POCO X5 Pro 5G and a chunky iPhone 17 Pro with a case still on without any sense that the phone might pop loose. There are no replaceable pads or removable elements to fiddle with; it’s just a good base design that’s wonderfully fit for purpose.

Feedback from the bumpers is sharp and clicky, with a responsiveness that feels better than you'd expect at this price point. The face buttons are a more standard fare, neither exceptional nor disappointing, though they are a little rattly. The D-pad has a noticeable wobble before the input registers, though the actual click is short and responsive once it fires.

There are Hall effect sticks and triggers on offer here, which is impressive for the price, and the sticks feel great with just the right amount of resistance. The triggers have a good level of detail but have a quirk: both left and right complete their full input range before the trigger is physically all the way down, leaving roughly 5% of dead travel at the bottom of the press. They don’t have the longest travel to begin with, so it’s a shame not to be using all of it.

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition: Performance

• Xbox Cloud Gaming works excellently across iOS, Android, and Mac
• Native mobile game compatibility is highly inconsistent
• Back buttons weren't recognized in any scenario I tested

Given its name, it should be no surprise that the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition is at its best when playing games via Xbox Cloud Gaming. I’d even go so far as to say that if you’re not a Game Pass subscriber, you can probably stop reading now and look to another mobile grip instead.

Initial pairing to devices is straightforward, and thankfully, there are no multiple connectivity modes to fumble with like on the GameSir G8 Bluetooth. The whole experience works smoothly out of the box, and I didn’t even need to consult the user guide for pairing mode instructions. I took a punt on holding a button until a light flashed, and I was right.

Switching the controller between devices wasn’t quite so simple, though admittedly my testing environment is a real stress test for this kind of thing. I attempted to jump around between my iPhone, MacBook Air, and Android phone, and things got rather temperamental.

The controller seemed to want to cling on to a previously paired device, even if Bluetooth was now switched off on it, so moving between a phone and a laptop usually required repairing from scratch rather than reconnecting to a previously paired device. If you’re not hopping back and forth as I have been, this won’t be an issue, though after a few days of testing I’ve ended up with four separate "Ultimate MGX" entries in my Android Bluetooth list.

No matter which of those devices I was connected to, the Xbox Cloud Gaming experience was excellent. I drove around Japan in Forza Horizon 6 without a hitch; the controls were responsive, and there was no noticeable Bluetooth latency.

The triggers offer plenty of granular control for working the throttle, though that dead zone at the end I mentioned earlier took some getting used to when it came to small throttle lifts around high-speed corners. There's no rumble or vibration support, but I’ll happily admit I didn't miss it. Cloud gaming and mobile titles rarely lean heavily on haptic feedback anyway.

Steam had a love-hate relationship with the controller, depending on the platform. Connecting to my MacBook Air over Bluetooth had Steam recognizing it as a different, previously paired controller, which then failed to work in-game. Plugging it in via USB-C looked promising at first with macOS referencing it by name, but it was never seen by Steam or Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Windows fared much better across both Steam and cloud; over USB-C, it was instantly set up as a general XInput device, fully mapped and compatible with both.

8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition gains a dedicated Xbox home button on the front, replacing the turbo button from the standard version. When in the cloud gaming app, this button opens the guide just like it would on console; outside cloud gaming, it’ll open either the Apple Gaming app or act as a home button on Android. It’s a nice-to-have sort of feature rather than a game-changing one, but I’ll admit I did use it a few times in testing and wouldn’t have looked twice at a turbo button.

The moment you step into native mobile games, however, things start to get messier, and you’re at the mercy of individual developers. Fortnite recognized the controller immediately on both iOS and Android, and the gameplay experience was responsive and reliable. But the on-screen button labels display PlayStation symbols (Circle, Cross, Square, Triangle) despite the controller's physical ABXY layout and Xbox branding.

That’s a little awkward. This usually happens because the controller identifies itself as a generic gamepad rather than as an actual Xbox controller, which means the Xbox licensing doesn't extend to how games see it. Call of Duty Mobile, one of the biggest mobile shooters on the planet, simply doesn't recognize the controller at all. Not on iOS, not on Android, and there’s no hardware mapping workaround either.

Depending on your play style, the back paddle buttons are perhaps the most frustrating limitation. They're physically well-designed, nicely positioned, and require just the right amount of force to trigger, but they weren't recognized in any scenario I tested. Not in Fortnite, not in cloud gaming, not anywhere. Even after binding them to specific inputs through the 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 app, games simply didn't see them.

Speaking of the app, it’s incredibly basic and falls far behind competitors in this space. Firstly, there are confusingly two versions on the App Store; V1 doesn't recognize the controller at all, and V2 requires you to manually select and pair your controller model during setup despite the device already being Bluetooth-paired to your phone.

Once you're in, the customization options are barebones: button remapping, dead zone adjustments, and trigger tuning. It worked on both iOS and Android, though anything you configure is device-specific and doesn’t save on the controller itself.

Shoudl you buy the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider...

Here are two strong alternatives to weigh up.

How I tested the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller - Xbox Edition

• Spent several days testing across multiple devices and platforms
• I tested native mobile games, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Steam on Mac and Windows
• Tried the companion app on both iOS and Android

I tested the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller Xbox Edition with an iPhone 17 Pro and a POCO X5 Pro 5G for mobile gaming, as well as a Mac and Windows PC for cloud gaming and Steam. I tested native mobile games, including Fortnite (on both iOS and Android), and attempted Call of Duty Mobile on both platforms. Cloud gaming testing focused on Forza Horizon 6 via Xbox Cloud Gaming on all devices.

I evaluated the companion app experience on both iOS and Android, including firmware checking, profile setup, and button remapping. I tested the back paddle buttons across multiple scenarios, including native games, cloud gaming, and through the 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 app. I also tested the controller's behavior on Steam, including calibration and in-game recognition.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2026

• Four original Xbox titles just arrived on PC
• The games are all available to buy or via any Xbox Game Pass plan
• They're part of a new Xbox backward compatibility on PC program

Microsoft just launched a new Xbox backward compatibility on PC program that makes it possible to officially play a selection of original Xbox games on Windows for the very first time.

As detailed in a new Xbox Wire post, the program is geared towards both traditional laptops and desktops in addition to handheld PCs such as the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X and currently includes four games: Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy. These can be purchased individually or accessed with any Xbox Game Pass plan (yes, even the budget-oriented Essential tier).

All of these titles have never been officially released on PC before. They were, however, already available on Xbox consoles via backward compatibility and if you have previously purchased a license on Xbox One or Xbox Series X and Series S it will now carry over to PC.

They're not just basic ports either. There are new graphics features like up to 4x resolution upscaling, vsync, anisotropic filtering, and enhanced anti-aliasing. A new achievement system is also in the works and will be added to these four titles some time in the coming months.

The release of these games is presumably just the beginning, and I'm hoping that we will see more and more original Xbox exclusives come over to PC. It not only gives consumers a convenient way to experience classic games on a new platform, but also forms an important part of digital preservation by keeping these releases readily accessible on modern hardware.

It's also a big win for PC gamers, who previously would have had to shell out for dedicated Xbox console hardware in order to play these releases.

If you're interested in checking any of them out, you can see the minimum and recommended system requirements below to make sure your machine is up to scratch.

Minimum system requirements:

• GPU: Nvidia GTX 950 or AMD Radeon RX 550 or Intel UHD 770 or Intel Arc A310
• CPU: Min 4 Cores Intel Core i3-8100 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 or AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor
• RAM: 8GB
• OS: Windows 11

Recommended system requirements:

• GPU: Radeon RX 68005 or Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti or Intel Arc A770 
• CPU: 6 cores and 12 threads Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme 
• DirectX Version: DirectX12 API, Hardware Feature Level 11 
• GPU VRAM: 8GB 
• OS: Windows 11

Also make sure that your operating system and drivers are up to date.

• Nvidia again showed off DLSS 5 at its Siggraph 2026 keynote
• Team Green made it clear that developers will have a level of control, with a choice of three different AI models
• There will be two sliders to play with, and masks to keep DLSS 5 from interfering with game assets where it's not wanted – but many gamers think devs should have much more control than this

Nvidia has given us another showing of DLSS 5, the incoming tech for its GeForce GPUs which received a very stormy reception when first revealed at GTC 2026 – and unsurprisingly, changes have been made in the past few months.

Tom's Hardware reports that Nvidia revealed more about how DLSS 5 will be implemented at Siggraph 2026 over in Los Angeles, where the tech was the foremost topic in Team Green's keynote.

Nvidia was keen to point out how it has changed the neural rendering model in some key ways since DLSS 5 was first announced. Of course, it's obvious that a lot of this is about combating the idea that the tech is 'AI slop' which makes games look worse rather than better, and characters (particularly faces) look bad and have that undesirable 'uncanny valley' effect. And indeed the criticism that DLSS 5 is messing with the art direction and overall feel of a game's graphics.

On the latter point, back at the original reveal, Nvidia stressed that it would give game developers control over the end result with DLSS 5, and now we're seeing how this will work. Team Green has brought in three different AI models which offer varying levels of detail (and impact on performance), so devs can choose between three different filters, essentially.

This isn't a game-wide choice, though, as the developer can apply any of those models to any different scene, mixing and matching as needed. There are also two sliders to adjust the 'structure' and 'tone' intensity of the effects.

On top of that, the developer can mask off any game asset where they don't want DLSS 5 to be applied. That's good news as it means that, for example, character's heads (and faces) could be marked as out-of-bounds, and therefore not subject to Nvidia's tech. The developer could just get DLSS 5 to enhance background objects and details, and maybe only in a relatively minor way (by toning down those intensity sliders).

To clarify, DLSS 5 is essentially an AI filter that sits atop the existing DLSS suite of technology. Underneath that, you still have upscaling (and frame generation), and Nvidia applies what's essentially a photorealism filter on top of that in the form of this new neural rendering model.

If you want to grab some popcorn, Nvidia's full Siggraph presentation is available to watch on YouTube, check it out below. All the DLSS 5 stuff is at the start (well, past the usual preamble).

Analysis: a step forward, but the doubters remain

Has Nvidia managed to placate the DLSS 5 haters, then? No, in a word. Did you really think it would?

As one Redditor put it: "I had so much hope for DLSS in the early days, what a dumpster fire it's turned into."

Another observed: "So just confirming what anyone with a basic understanding of AI already knew. Glorified Instagram filter."

To be fair, in general the reaction has been somewhat more positive compared to the original reveal, and clearly it's a good thing that game developers can at least keep 'yassified' faces out of the mix with characters. Clearly, there is a level of control here, but despite Nvidia treading more carefully in this respect, there's still a feeling that it isn't doing enough.

A choice of three AI models and a pair of intensity sliders is relatively limited, really, and a far cry from anything like a full level of control over how DLSS 5 imposes itself on a game. Although admittedly there's still some way to go before DLSS 5 comes out – it'll supposedly arrive later this year, in the fall (so theoretically any time from September through to November) – and Nvidia could put in additional controls before the launch.

Aside from disappointment around the level of control Nvidia is giving devs, the other beef being raised is how much of a performance hit this AI filter might be burdened with. When Nvidia first demoed DLSS 5, it was running on a pair of RTX 5090 graphics cards, and in this more recent outing, there's no mention of the hardware involved.

It's fairly easy to guess that the GPU demands haven't been meaningfully reduced yet, otherwise Nvidia would likely be shouting about that – and this is being read as a worry by some. I get where they're coming from, although Nvidia has clarified that the tech will run on a single graphics card (it'll have to, of course), adding at Siggraph that DLSS 5 is "VRAM efficient" (a nicely vague assertion).

I'd expect it probably won't run on anything less than an RTX 5080 to begin with, or indeed an RTX 5090. And the other fear is that the initial incarnation could be quite rough in terms of artifacts and the like, and that's a danger with the first take on any tech. Just look at the original DLSS (version 1), which suffered from blurriness and glitches, before they were polished out and it became a seriously impressive upscaler. Perhaps the same will be true of DLSS 5, but there's a long road ahead yet, and notably, a lot more doubts and question marks here.

• Valve's Steam Deck has reportedly seen 82% fewer units sold, due to price increases
• The estimates are based on the handheld's position in Steam's global weekly top seller rankings
• The purported demand plummet suggests the hype for handheld gaming PCs may be spoiled, as a result of the RAM crisis

It's fair to say that Valve was largely responsible for the resurgence in popularity of handheld gaming with the Steam Deck (of course, Nintendo also played its part with its Switch console), but the RAM crisis has apparently undone a lot of the work.

According to an analysis from Boiling Steam, the Steam Deck's sales have reportedly fallen by 82% on average, due to the price increase for both LCD and OLED models. The analysis is based on the Steam Deck's position in the weekly top seller rankings on Steam, including calculations and estimates made regarding revenue from the devices.

Boiling Steam claims that a 72% revenue contraction and a 54% price increase have "completely shut down the demand" for the Steam Deck, which has ultimately resulted in the suggested 82% fewer units sold on average.

These certainly aren't far-fetched suggestions, especially because some of the official data from Valve indicates that. In the global weekly top seller rankings, the Steam Deck is currently in 14th place, a drastic fall from a position in the top five.

It's also worth noting that the LCD model is discontinued (still pending discontinuation in Australia), meaning the minimum consumers would have to spend for a Steam Deck would be $789 / £649 / AU$1,199 for the 512GB OLED model. Stock for the latter and its 1TB counterpart is also intermittent due to RAM and memory shortages.

Worse value

Most importantly, both OLED models are priced much closer to the Steam Machine ($1,049 / £879 / AU$1,609) than before, which is a more powerful fully-fledged desktop gaming PC — and perhaps that explains why the mini gaming PC is currently third in weekly top seller rankings on Steam (even if it's only been there for a week).

The Steam Deck is also an aging device, with more powerful mobile hardware for handheld gaming having been released since the launch of Valve's handheld. The Steam Deck used to get a pass as it was a lot cheaper than newer, more powerful, competitors, but due to the price increase that's no longer the case.

It's not all Valve's fault, as the RAM crisis has effectively hit every PC manufacturer in 2026. After all, it's the reason why the Steam Machine costs as much as it does, as the market conditions forced Valve's hand to avoid selling at a loss.

However, the supposed significant drop in Steam Deck demand from consumers, combined with the $1,000+ prices for other handheld gaming PCs, serves as a strong indication that handheld PC gaming is becoming a very niche option for gamers once again — and it wasn't exactly mainstream to begin with.

• Xbox users face account recovery issues ahead of the all-digital console future
• Xbox support offered help to more users after one had their account deleted after being hacked
• Some gamers are now hesitant to buy any of Microsoft's digital games or software

Sony's disc-less future for PlayStation consoles commences in 2028, and unsurprisingly it's left gamers unsettled, with Microsoft reportedly following in a similar direction. Unfortunately, it comes at a time when a digital future looks unsafe and insecure.

As reported by GamesRadar, Xbox has recently offered support to gamers who have lost access to their accounts due to hackers, in order to recover access to game libraries. This is directly involved with the case where one user had their 25-year-old Microsoft account hacked, and subsequently deleted, losing access to tons of personal OneDrive data and games.

In a response to the user, Joshua Khane, and the initial account deletion post, the Xbox support account issued an apology, stating it is actively working to 'restore access' to Khane's purchases, despite the account deletion email stating that it was 'irreversible'. Notably, it also highlighted that its 'DMs are open' for other users facing account recovery issues.

However, that's not done enough to satisfy users, as most suggest that Xbox support's DMs are simply full of bots, while others suggest that buying games on any of Microsoft's gaming ecosystems might be a risky move.

One user stated: "I was not affected by this, but watching the developments makes me feel very unsafe as an Xbox customer. Not sure if I should keep buying games and software from Microsoft if this is the way I'll be treated if my account ever gets hacked."

Most importantly, the drama arrives ahead of a disc-less console future, not just for Sony PlayStation users. Microsoft's Project Helix is reportedly set to feature a disc-to-digital function, known as 'Positron', allowing gamers to turn discs into permanent digital copies.

Xbox issues with account deletion after being hacked, and over 500 movies instantly removed from user libraries on PlayStation, aren't doing much to instil faith in users on both ecosystems to trust in an all-digital future.

It's now evidently clear that once physical game copies are out of the picture, users' access to games will be at the disposal of Microsoft and Sony, and that explains why gamers are continuously voicing their frustrations — but it's hard to say if those complaints will change anything.

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1137) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• WHITE STRIPES
• HOLE
• PINS
• STROKES
• HIVES
• HOOVES
• VINES
• SCORE
• SNAPS
• RASH
• MANE
• TWEETS
• PAR
• REDNESS
• TAIL
• ITCHING

NYT Connections today (game #1137) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Involuntary biological response
• GREEN: Marks for completing 18
• BLUE: Social media messages
• PURPLE: Like a striped horse

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1137) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: SYMPTOMS OF AN ALLERGIC REACTION
• GREEN: ON A GOLF SCORECARD
• BLUE: PLATFORM-SPECIFIC POSTS
• PURPLE: FEATURES OF A ZEBRA

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1137) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1137, are…

• YELLOW: SYMPTOMS OF AN ALLERGIC REACTION: HIVES, ITCHING, RASH, REDNESS
• GREEN: ON A GOLF SCORECARD: HOLE, PAR, SCORE, STROKES
• BLUE: PLATFORM-SPECIFIC POSTS: PINS, SNAPS, TWEETS, VINES
• PURPLE: FEATURES OF A ZEBRA: HOOVES, MANE, TAIL, WHITE STRIPES

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

WHITE STRIPES, STROKES, and HIVES are all alt-rock bands from the same era, but being unable to find a fourth, I added HOLE — whose main period of activity was a decade earlier. I really should have known this was a trap, but I just couldn’t help myself.

Pulling myself together I saw that HIVES instead belonged to a group made up of SYMPTOMS OF AN ALLERGIC REACTION, but it took getting HOOVES, MANE and TAIL before I saw where WHITE STRIPES fitted into a world beyond music.

With eight tiles left, PINS caused me some dilemma as it belonged both in the world of social media (Pinterest, to be precise) and golf. Fortunately, I chose to link it with VINES, TWEETS, and SNAPS instead of ON A GOLF SCORECARD.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, July 21, 2026, game #1136)

• YELLOW: KINDS OF TOPS: CROP, HALTER, TANK, TUBE
• GREEN: SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS: APP, DRIVER, EXTENSION, PLUGIN
• BLUE: ELEMENTS OF A MUSICAL: BOOK, LYRICS, MUSIC, ORCHESTRATION
• PURPLE: TELE____: GRAM, KINESIS, PROMPTER, VISION

• Waterpark Simulator is set to leave early access on July 31, 2026
• The game will also come to consoles on that date, and will not receive a price hike
• The launch comes alongside the release of a massive free update

A viral simulator game with thousands of positive reviews is coming to consoles later this month — on the same day that it receives a massive free update.

Currently available in early access, Waterpark Simulator has already been downloaded more than a million times on Steam, where it has an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' user rating thanks to hundreds of glowing reviews from players.

It's a wacky first-person management simulator that has you constructing and managing your own water park. And, while the simulator genre might be filled with low-effort cash grabs, it's actually a pretty well-crafted and in-depth experience.

From creating slides and pools to painting surfaces and placing a huge number of decorative objects for visitors to enjoy, it offers all the tools you need to create the water park of your dreams. Making a successful park is very rewarding, but thanks to some crazy ragdoll physics, messing up can be just as fun.

You might have seen clips of the game on TikTok or Instagram Reels, as it's already proved popular with content creators. It's even been played by the likes of v-tubing giant Ironmouse.

Now, it's finally coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S consoles with its 1.0 release on July 31, which also introduces a huge number of highly-requested features.

These include a full multiplayer co-op mode, a dynamic weather system, a new night mode, and overhauled progression.

Best of all, the game isn't receiving a price hike with its full launch. It will continue to cost just $12.99 / £9.99 / AU$17.95 in what Travis Richardson, co-founder of developer CayPlay Studios, says is the studio's way of "saying thank you" to fans.

• Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced game director Richard Knight is keeping future content plans under wraps for now
• He says post-launch support "doesn't feel like a crazy bet"
• He hopes fans will continue playing the game after Grand Theft Auto 6 launches

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced game director Richard Knight can't confirm if the title will receive post-launch content yet, but he hopes players will continue playing after Grand Theft Auto 6 releases.

In the same interview with YouTuber JorRaptor where Knight confirmed that Resynced will get a New Game Plus update at some point, the director was asked to discuss the game's post-launch roadmap and the plans moving forward.

"I can't say anything officially, but you know, it doesn't feel like a crazy bet," Knight said.

"We definitely need to support the game. We need to fix bugs. Sorry for anyone running into bugs. They hurt. They're painful for us, too. And we do want to add some quality-of-life stuff. So it's a pretty reasonable guess."

Then, as if considering the stiff competition when the game launches on November 19, he joked, "Also, please play us when GTA 6 comes out.”

As the first Assassin's Creed remake, it's unclear what the future holds for the game compared to new titles like Shadows and Mirage. While some hope for a remake of the original game's Freedom Cry expansion, Knight has said that it's still early days and plans aren't set in stone.

The director teased that there are team members who have "[DLC ideas," but balancing and updating the core game is currently the focus.

"Beyond that, I just want to say our focus with Black Flag remake has always been Edward," he added. "He's the kind of heart soul of the original game, and so you know maybe there could be more to tell there too."

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is now available on PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.

• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake will reportedly be re-revealed later this year
• A content creator reports that development at Saber Interactive has been "ramping up" and going "smoothly"
• Recent reports suggest the game could launch in 2028

Five years after being announced, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake will reportedly be re-revealed later this year.

That's according to reliable Star Wars insider and YouTuber 100% Star Wars (via Bespin Bulletin), who addressed reports that the KOTOR remake could launch in 2028.

In a new video, 100% Star Wars claims that Saber Interactive sources said the game's "best-case scenario" was a mid-to-late 2027 launch to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Star Wars, but a 2028 release window would align with the original 2003 game's 25th anniversary.

"A reveal later this year has been planned," 100% Star Wars said.

The KOTOR remake was announced in 2021 and was originally being developed by Aspyr Media. However, development was paused for some time before the project was eventually handed over to Saber Interactive in August 2022.

When asked about the game's progress earlier this year, Saber's chief creative officer, Tim Willits, said, "Yes, it is still in development. That's all I can say."

Aside from the teaser trailer revealed five years ago, we haven't heard or seen anything else about the game since, but according to 100% Star Wars, development has been smooth sailing since Saber took up the reins.

"I know about the extremely positive development cycle since the game has been at Saber since 2023," the YouTuber said. "Development on the game has not only been ramping up, but it’s been going extremely smoothly over the past 3 years since Saber started from scratch.

"They’ve been hiring some extremely high-end talent from across the industry and Saber is very much a unified front when it comes to the development of this game with resources and talent being pulled from all over the company."

While we wait for the KOTOR remake, Star Wars fans can look forward to Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a role-playing game (RPG) from Arcnaut Studios being led by KOTOR and Mass Effect trilogy director Casey Hudson.

A new turn-based single-player game, Star Wars: Zero Company, from Bit Reactor will also launch this year on August 27, as well as Fuse Games' Star Wars: Galactic Racer, which arrives on October 6.

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

• Senior director and video game industry advisor at Circana, Mat Piscatella, reports only seven PlayStation games have sold more than 100,000 physical units year-to-date in the US
• He says two games "sold more than 10,000 physical units in the US during the week ending July 11, 2026"
• This comes as fans push Sony to reverse its plan to end the production of physical discs

In light of Sony's decision to retire the production of physical game discs, an industry analyst has reported that physical PlayStation games aren't selling too well in the United States.

Last week, angry PlayStation fans descended on the comment section of the latest Marvel's Wolverine trailer, another effort to push Sony to backtrack on its plan to end the production of physical discs starting January 2028.

As of writing, the video has over 12,600 comments, with the vast majority from fans sharing their thoughts on the decision.

Now, in response to a news story about the situation, Circana senior director and video game industry advisor Mat Piscatella has shared some interesting stats about the state of physical game sales in the US.

Writing on Bluesky, Piscatella said, "Two PlayStation video games sold more than 10,000 physical units in the US during the week ending July 11, 2026.

"Seven have sold more than 100,000 physical units year-to-date." He also clarified later that the figures didn't refer just to first-party PlayStation games, but "total PlayStation. All games, all publishers, all PlayStation platforms."

Addressing the fan backlash, the analyst added, "Commenting is cool, use your voice and all that. But commenting is cheap, [I don't know] idk."

Which games those are is unclear, but global estimates shared earlier this month by Alinea Analytics (via GamesRadar) suggest EA Sports FC 26, Resident Evil Requiem, and 007 First Light could be among those seven. It's estimated for Requiem specifically that 27.8% of its 3.5 million copies sold came from physical discs.

Sony has been notably quiet in the face of the backlash, and according to multiple analysts, despite the fan backlash, the PlayStation maker won't reverse its decision because "digital is just too lucrative."

"They of course knew what the online reaction would look like, and they now wait for this storm to pass," said Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Japanese game industry consultancy firm Kantan Games.

"Sony has over 120 million active PlayStation users. Around 50 million people subscribe to PlayStation Plus. As a thought experiment, let's say 500,000 cancel in protest, that would be just 1% of that business gone — of course not enough to Sony to start rethinking. Digital is just too lucrative.

He added, "Their current profit margin has been too weak for years now, so they feel like they must act," Toto added. "From an economic perspective, digital sales just make too much sense especially for platform holders."

• Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball confirms Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution "are just the first" exclusive Xbox titles
• Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty says, "There has to be a reason for people to buy an Xbox"
• Ball says this plan doesn't mean every Xbox single-player game will be console exclusive

Xbox has confirmed that the Microsoft-owned company is looking to expand its console-exclusive portfolio, and Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution won't be the only two exclusives coming to Xbox consoles and PC.

During the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 last month, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced that The Coalition's next Gears of War game will be an Xbox console exclusive, meaning the game won't be coming to PlayStation 5.

Later, Clockwork Revolution, inXile Entertainment's steampunk role-playing game (RPG), will also drop PS5 and launch exclusively on Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.

Xbox began exploring multi-platform a few years ago, but amidst Microsoft's major Xbox restructuring, which included mass layoffs of 3,200 people, and what Sharma is calling a "reset" of the business, it seems things are reverting to the way things used to be with an emphasis on console exclusivity.

According to Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty, who discussed the matter with GamesRadar, "There has to be a reason for people to buy an Xbox," and console exclusives can act as "a reward" for players.

Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball also confirmed that Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution won't be timed exclusives, unlike games like Starfield, but "permanent ones," and the company is looking to embrace exclusivity more.

"I can assure you, Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are not the only titles we're planning," Ball said. "To grow a platform like ours, you have to have exclusive games and services. These are not going to be the only two titles."

Ball added that "large live-service titles" will be multiplatform moving forward, but suggested that this won't mean every Xbox single-player game will be console exclusive.

For instance, Fable will launch on PS5, Xbox and PC on the same day, along with Halo: Campaign Evolved, which is the first Halo game to ever release on PlayStation.

"I wouldn't overly fixate on single-player," he said. "I think that's a good rule of thumb, but it certainly isn't something that's carved in stone."

The executive explained that Microsoft has a "framework" for deciding which games will be exclusive and which ones will be multiplatform and recognizes "this approach is not obvious to all of our players, and we are committed to making this clearer."

• Someone has made a custom version of the Companion Cube case for the Steam Machine
• This DIY effort is on Printables, and can be 3D-printed for those with the hardware and necessary skills
• There are a growing number of custom projects around the Steam Machine, from faceplates through to full-on alternative takes on the gaming PC

Remember the ill-fated Companion Cube case for the Steam Machine? It had the plug pulled on it by Valve a few weeks ago, after maker Dbrand failed to get official permission to make its hard-shell case for the gaming PC, but now the concept has returned, in DIY form.

Tom's Hardware reports that a user on Printables, Jaron, has provided files that allow you to 3D-print your own version of the Dbrand Companion Cube (as flagged on X). You can print the pieces, and a full set of assembly instructions (including smart video illustrations) and extra necessary parts (screws and so forth) are supplied.

As made clear on X, this is a fan-made creation implemented "from scratch" and it's based on images of Dbrand's Companion Cube. Whether it'll attract the attention of Dbrand's own lawyers, well, we'll just have to see, but you'd imagine that some leeway might be granted here given the situation and what happened with Valve.

The creator makes it clear that the case isn't an official product, is nothing to do with Valve, and that it doesn't use "any official assets from any game".

An additional caveat is that Jaron notes: "I have not done any extensive thermal tests but no airflow or venting is blocked, and the additional vent provided by the front face plate aperture logo can help provide a little extra airflow. So I don't believe there will be any cooling issues caused by this case."

My main concerns about the original Dbrand Companion Cube were bound up in cooling issues — especially on warm days, in confined spaces like a TV cabinet — and that remains true with this creation.

Still, if you were disappointed that Dbrand's case was cancelled, and you have a 3D printer and want to have a crack at making your own — and you're pretty decent with a soldering iron — you can now do just that.

Other Steam Machine companions

Since the Steam Machine came out, there's inevitably been a lot of interest around the device, despite the high price. So, as well as this clone of the abandoned Companion Cube case, what else is out there in terms of Steam Machine customization?

New faceplates (front panels) are popular, and a much easier project than the above case, such as this example on Reddit (see the image above). I really like the slat effort here, and I can see why it's gone down very well with other Redditors (although I'm not so keen on the blue one).

What's also quite common is the number of custom small form-factor (SFF) PCs which are DIY takes on the Steam Machine, generally featuring beefier components (and at the same time, inevitably being larger than Valve's PC). 'The Orange Box' as shared on Reddit is a particularly smart example of one such effort with a strong Valve theme, built in a SilverStone SG05BB-Lite case. It has a Ryzen 7 5800X processor inside and an RX 9060 XT graphics card to give this considerably more pep than Valve's gaming PC.

There are other custom SFF PCs on Printables and this one from 3DCatt, which looks like a sized-up Steam Machine, has very similar aesthetics to fit your living room nicely, and a finished version someone has completed went very well indeed by all accounts.

Of course, there are issues around these alternatives to the Steam Machine as I explored in detail recently, and downsides to these custom SFF builds – albeit definite positives too, better performance being the main one. A PC that looks as good as The Orange Box doesn't hurt, either, and I'm sure we'll see more of these kind of SFF spins on the Steam Machine going forward.

Turtle Beach Command Series KB7: one-minute review

Want a high-performing gaming keyboard with an integrated touchscreen for streaming and seamless customization? Then the Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 could be exactly what you’re looking for.

I replaced my usual mechanical keyboard with this TKL model for a few days, and instantly found it to be a joy to use. The low-profile Hall effect switches supply precise, responsive, and buttery smooth typing, with a muted sound that’s great for focusing in-game or for general day-to-day productivity. It's less ‘clicky’ and snappy than some may like, but the lowkey sound and feel was ideal for me.

Like a lot of the best gaming keyboards, there’s also 8K polling, alongside 0.125 latency for instant response typing. On top of this, you get important features like Rapid Trigger, adjustable actuation and remappable keys.

The true highlight, though, is the integrated 4.3-inch touchscreen. This has built-in controls for streamers, providing quick access to OBS and StreamLabs, but also has shortcuts for apps like Spotify and Steam among others. I appreciated how you could use the screen to view PC performance, in-game stats, or set web page bookmarks. You can also use the touchscreen as a numpad, and it feels highly responsive in use.

I also really like the design of the KB7. Its slim aluminum chassis, tactical media control knob, customizable RGB lighting, and generally high standard of build help it to feel worth its relatively high asking price.

There’s no battery option if you want to use the keyboard wirelessly, largely due to the power required to keep the touchscreen going, but those focused on optimized performance will want to go for a wired option anyway. And all things considered, I think the Turtle Beach KB7 is a fantastic gaming keyboard, and one I just might have to continue using for all my PC gaming needs.

Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 review: price & availability

• $199.99 / £189.99 / AU$349
• Released in May 2026
• Arrived alongside Turtle Beach’s KB5 keyboard

The Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 was released in May 2026 alongside the Command Series KB5 — a full-sized keyboard with a smaller touchscreen and mechanical switches.

Unsurprisingly, then the KB7 is pricier than its sibling, and has a list price of $199.99 / £189.99 / AU$349. It goes without saying that it’s undoubtedly a pricey keyboard, but for a TKL with this much tech, it’s not too far from the competition. For instance, the Corsair K70 Pro TKL, which comes without a touchscreen, will typically set you back about $179.99 / £169.99 / AU$239.

Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 review: specs

Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 review: design & features

• Great standard of build
• Touchscreen with streaming controls
• Customizable lighting

First things first, I have to say that the build and quality of the KB7 impressed me. It has a slim aluminum chassis, stylish and sleek look, and premium-feeling keycaps. The keyboard also has a modular design, meaning you can add on the Turtle Beach KP7 keypad as well as the included wrist rest.

And I found said wrist rest to be a great addition — it’s comfortable, well-made, and ensured that using the keyboard for extended periods still felt comfortable. The only real downside is that it increases the keyboard’s footprint a fair bit, so you’ll need a decent-sized desk if you’ve also got a PC / laptop hooked up to a couple of monitors like I do. It’s also worth noting that the KB7 has a double kickstand, and this also helped to reduce fatigue after furiously typing for multiple work days in a row.

The keyboard also features customizable per-key RGB lighting with Turtle Beach’s Swarm II software, accessible via the built-in touchscreen. In my view, the lighting looks great, especially in low-lit conditions. I also really like how there’s an option to create dynamic effects and sync your lighting setup across multiple devices.

I touched on it a moment ago, but the stand-out feature of the KB7 is the built-in touchscreen. The real highlight here is that the touchscreen features streaming controls. You can easily access OBS and StreamLabs with a single button touch. It’s a useful inclusion, but if you’re not a streamer, there are options for you too. For instance, you can use the touchscreen to set shortcuts for apps like Steam and Spotify, or for websites you frequently visit — you know, like TechRadar.

What’s more, the Swarm II software enables you to personalize aspects like Rapid Trigger and actuation settings or remap keys. You can actually alter the actuation of every key individually, and while I don’t expect most users will need that level of granular control, the sheer degree of customization is undoubtedly impressive.

Finally, there are a few useful buttons, for things like skipping and rewinding media and muting your mic. I also love the tactile control wheel for adjusting volume, although there’s also a dedicated volume mixer available on the touchscreen.

Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 review: performance

• Fantastic typing experience
• Although lighter, more muted feel won’t suit all
• Great for gaming or general productivity

I typically use a mechanical Keychron mini keyboard, and so moving over to the KB7 felt like quite the jump.

Why? Well, it comes down to how typing feels on this TKL keyboard. The low-profiled Hall effect keys feel phenomenally smooth and buttery to press down on, and they produce very little noise. The more muted sound and feel was very different from my usual mechanical keyboard — which has more of a clicky, snappy profile. I much preferred the KB7 to my usual keyboard, though, and although the more lowkey sound and feel won’t suit all, I think it’s ideal for focusing while gaming or working.

Speaking of, I found the KB7 to be a great performer, whether I was playing games or just carrying out typical tasks at work. It’s an extremely responsive model too, carrying an 8K polling rate and 0.125ms latency. Those kind of numbers are certainly good enough for competitive gamers, and I found the KB7 offered pin[point precision at all times.

The touchscreen is also well-sized, and using commands feels highly reactive and reliable. The touchscreen can also display PC performance info and show in-game stats (such as ammo and games won, for instance).

One thing that’s definitely worth flagging, though, is that this keyboard is wired only. The 4.3-inch touchscreen requires quite a bit too much power to run off a battery, so you do lose some of the flexibility that some rivals supply. Having said that, you’ll want to be using your keyboard wired for the best performance and lowest latency anyway, and as a gaming keyboard first and foremost, I don’t consider its wired-only setup to be a major issue.

Should I buy the Turtle Beach Command Series KB7?

Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 review: also consider

How I tested the Turtle Beach Command Series KB7

• Tested across multiple days
• Used for gaming and general productivity
• Tested by an experienced tech reviewer

I spent days testing the Turtle Beach Command Series KB7. I replaced my typical Keychron keyboard with this one, using it every day at work for general productivity. But I also used the keyboard when dipping into a few games here and there.

On top of this, I made sure to exhaust the keyboard’s various features and settings and compared it directly against rivals.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing gadgets here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve tested all sorts of gear, from premium wireless headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM6 to TVs like the Sky Glass Gen 2.

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

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1136) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• MUSIC
• GRAM
• DRIVER
• VISION
• TUBE
• CROP
• BOOK
• APP
• ORCHESTRATION
• EXTENSION
• TANK
• KINESIS
• PROMPTER
• HALTER
• LYRICS
• PLUGIN

NYT Connections today (game #1136) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Types of a similar garment
• GREEN: Computer terms
• BLUE: Parts of a composition
• PURPLE: Begin with word that rhymes with Nelly

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1136) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: KINDS OF TOPS
• GREEN: SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS
• BLUE: ELEMENTS OF A MUSICAL
• PURPLE: TELE____

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1136) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1136, are…

• YELLOW: KINDS OF TOPS: CROP, HALTER, TANK, TUBE
• GREEN: SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS: APP, DRIVER, EXTENSION, PLUGIN
• BLUE: ELEMENTS OF A MUSICAL: BOOK, LYRICS, MUSIC, ORCHESTRATION
• PURPLE: TELE____: GRAM, KINESIS, PROMPTER, VISION

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

This happens very rarely to me, but I saw the hardest group immediately today, with PROMPTER and VISION helping me connect GRAM and KINESIS.

It felt like an easy purple, but maybe telegram caught a few people out seeing as they are now a fairly pointless form of communication.

Regardless, I was rewarded with my 50th Purple First badge — it has taken me a while to reach this milestone, with my haphazard play style instead being to just connect the first group I see, rather than looking for the most likely to be a purple. I can’t imagine being that tactical with Connections.

In truth, this felt like a game where any of the groups could have been yellow on any other day, although all of the groups did contain things that have largely disappeared.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, July 20, 2026, game #1135)

• YELLOW: ANNOUNCE: BLARE, HERALD, SOUND, TRUMPET
• GREEN: THINGS TO CLICK: BUTTON, ICON, LINK, MENU
• BLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH PEARLS: BUBBLE TEA, OYSTER, SWINE, WISDOM
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: ALEXA, MEADOW, PORTOBELLO, SAKES

• Topping has unveiled its new and compact desktop DX1 II DAC
• It's relatively affordable at £119 (about $160, AU$240)
• Multiple inputs and outputs, some clearly designed for gamers

If you've been considering buying one of the best headphone DACs, it's probably because you want to connect them to an audiophile-friendly hi-fi system — or even to your phone or dedicated music player on the commute. But Topping's latest option aims squarely at a very different audience: gamers.

The Topping DX1 II is a new piece of kit which is slowly being released in different regions; it's just been released in the UK from Electromod. It costs £119 (about $160, AU$240), so it undercuts many other options save for models built specifically for smartphones or digital audio players.

The DX1 II seems to have a specific user in mind though. The DAC is designed for all budget-conscious, audiophile-curious buyers, but it does feel aimed at gamers more than most. And that is thanks to a few key considerations that seemingly make it a good pick for enhancing your games' sound.

For example, while the DAC has two headphone outputs (3.5mm and 4.4mm), they're two-way, so you can use headsets with microphones. It can also switch between USB Audio Classes, allowing you to use it alongside the Nintendo Switch and PS5 which are some of the few gadgets only using UAC 1.0.

A DAC is for life, not just for gaming

Despite some gaming features being the headline tools, the Topping DX1 II seems to be a solid all-rounder too — and given how much we loved the larger and more expensive Topping DX5 II, it's well worth taking a closer look.

The DAC can input from USB-C as well as optical, and output to optical, stereo RCA, 3.5mm or 4.4mm. There's support for 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD 256, so high-quality audio won't be a problem. There are also EQ tools as well as filter and gain settings.

A built-in amp can deliver up to 1,000mW audio, and since it's quite compact at 10x10x3.2cm, it'll fit into various existing set-ups — and that glossy white casework will make it look right at home next to a PS5.

As a prolific gamer, I'm not sure that I can see a DAC being crucial to a hardware set-up — although I absolutely recommend any one of the best wired gaming headsets. That said, the Topping is still very useful as an affordable entry-level DAC for my music that can get double use for gaming.

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1135) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• OYSTER
• MEADOW
• WISDOM
• SOUND
• BUTTON
• BUBBLE TEA
• PORTOBELLO
• MENU
• TRUMPET
• ICON
• HERALD
• SWINE
• SAKES
• BLARE
• LINK
• ALEXA

NYT Connections today (game #1135) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Say it loud
• GREEN: Move your mouse here
• BLUE: A jewel in common
• PURPLE: Begin with old booze

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1135) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: ANNOUNCE
• GREEN: THINGS TO CLICK
• BLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH PEARLS
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1135) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1135, are…

• YELLOW: ANNOUNCE: BLARE, HERALD, SOUND, TRUMPET
• GREEN: THINGS TO CLICK: BUTTON, ICON, LINK, MENU
• BLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH PEARLS: BUBBLE TEA, OYSTER, SWINE, WISDOM
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: ALEXA, MEADOW, PORTOBELLO, SAKES

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

I hope I wasn’t the only person to struggle over this game. I had a stinker.

My first mistake was to connect the four mushroom varieties of OYSTER, BUTTON, PORTOBELLO, and TRUMPET. It is annoying when you find a genuine foursome but it is not part of the game.

However, my next mistake was of my own doing: I connected BUBBLE TEA, SAKES, ALEXA and OYSTER, thinking there was some vague Asian connection.

After two very wrong attempts I studied the tiles more closely and got the ANNOUNCE foursome and even the old-fashioned drinks that made up the purple group.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, July 19, 2026, game #1134)

• YELLOW: CIRCUIT COMPONENTS: BREAKER, FUSE, RELAY, SWITCH
• GREEN: DIGITAL COUPLING VERBS: CONNECT, JOIN, PAIR, SYNC
• BLUE: THINGS TOILETS DO: DRAIN, FLUSH, REFILL, SWIRL
• PURPLE: ____ FACE EXPRESSIONS: GAME, LONG, POKER, STRAIGHT

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

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1134) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• SWITCH
• SWIRL
• LONG
• GAME
• POKER
• PAIR
• FLUSH
• STRAIGHT
• RELAY
• SYNC
• DRAIN
• FUSE
• CONNECT
• BREAKER
• REFILL
• JOIN

NYT Connections today (game #1134) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Elements of an electrical loop
• GREEN: Stick together, technically
• BLUE: What a loo does
• PURPLE: Add a word that rhymes with “race”

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1134) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: CIRCUIT COMPONENTS
• GREEN: DIGITAL COUPLING VERBS
• BLUE: THINGS TOILETS DO
• PURPLE: ____ FACE EXPRESSIONS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1134) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1134, are…

• YELLOW: CIRCUIT COMPONENTS: BREAKER, FUSE, RELAY, SWITCH
• GREEN: DIGITAL COUPLING VERBS: CONNECT, JOIN, PAIR, SYNC
• BLUE: THINGS TOILETS DO: DRAIN, FLUSH, REFILL, SWIRL
• PURPLE: ____ FACE EXPRESSIONS: GAME, LONG, POKER, STRAIGHT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

My mistake came by including FUSE instead of SYNC in the group that became DIGITAL COUPLING VERBS. Although I’d argue that FUSE could be classed as a coupling verb, I attempted this grouping before seeing the far more appropriate CIRCUIT COMPONENTS.

It didn't matter, though, because I managed to score a purple first — in large part this was due to seeing POKER and automatically singing Lady Gaga’s debut chart hit Pokerface.

From there, GAME and STRAIGHT automatically followed, as well as the punchline to the only joke I can ever remember: a depressed horse walks into a bar and the barman asks him “why the long face”?

Meanwhile, THINGS TOILETS DO eluded me.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, July 18, 2026, game #1133)

• YELLOW: COMMIT A BASKETBALL VIOLATION: CARRY, DOUBLE DRIBBLE, GOALTEND, TRAVEL
• GREEN: BELIEF: ATTITUDE, MIND, OPINION, VIEW
• BLUE: THINGS TRACKED IN VIDEO GAMES: HEALTH, LIVES, SCORE, TIME
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER "POP": CULTURE, FLY, QUIZ, TART

When developer Campo Santo released Firewatch in 2016, it was an unexpected hit. A debut title launching from a tiny indie studio with zero combat and doing really well is usually the stuff of fantasy, but Firewatch surpassed expectations – and it certainly surprised me.

Firewatch follows Henry, a man with a harrowing past. His wife, diagnosed with early-onset dementia, has been moved across the world to be cared for by her family. So, Henry makes a complicated decision to throw himself into an even lonelier situation by becoming a fire lookout in an expansive national park. He’s searching, perhaps, for an answer to all his problems.

It’s one of those games that doesn’t sound incredibly captivating. I mean, how hard can living in a remote tower looking out for flames really be? But it’s Firewatch’s narrative-driven storyline where the true magic lies, carrying you on an unsuspecting journey over a number of hours.

For some players, it could be a dull proposition. If I’m honest, 10 years ago, I wasn’t really into solely storytelling games. My brain worked a lot faster, and I was heavy into The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (and I’m still busy writing my feature wishlist for The Witcher 4). Yet, I played Firewatch on a whim, and it changed my mind.

Still burning bright

As the From the Backlog series launched, it felt like the perfect excuse to replay it. Oh, and the fact it’s celebrating its 10th anniversary!

The biggest surprise for me was how little I remembered. I had forgotten the immediate depth the narrative throws at you as conversations unfold on screen. I almost felt like I’d never played the game at all. I became lost in thought about whether I actually paid enough attention the first time around.

Everything I loved back then was still here – the art style, the mystery, and the problem-solving. But, as I’ve told people over the last ten years that they should play Firewatch, I’ve always been at a loss when it comes to explaining why. Now, I know exactly why. While Firewatch presents as a game that’ll follow just Henry, it’s the conversations he holds over his radio with Deliah, another lookout based across the park, that are utterly captivating.

Like Rob Dwiar’s Eastshade retrospective, Firewatch is a lesson in how to slow down wrapped up in a video game. This second time around, my mid-30s brain appreciated the pace, and for a replay, it almost felt like I was playing an entirely different game.

Solitude and substance

Through voice acting alone, they banter, swear, and even flirt at times. There are laughs shared, memories unravelled, and a deep connection sets itself firmly at the center of the game.

Perhaps it’s because you’re alone, or perhaps it’s because Campo Santo knew how to make you care, but whatever it was, it still works. Delilah’s constant reassurance (and occasional squabbling) over the radio is so much richer when there’s absolutely nothing to distract you. I realised I’ve been searching for this same feeling in games over the last decade.

I’ve played titles from What Remains of Edith Finch to, most recently, 2026’s Will: Follow The Light, but while their storytelling is enchanting, nothing looks the way Firewatch does. Something about the vibrant hues and vintage aesthetic makes me listen, and it turns out, all I needed was a replay to remember how intense and emotionally compelling the story really is.

As the days passed in my fire lookout tower, I didn’t want the story to end. I didn’t want to bury Firewatch for another ten years. And yet, after a handful of hours, it had come to an end once again.

At least, I thought, I’m finishing this time round safe in the knowledge that if I played again in 2036, I’d still get to feel the same way about this game. Oh, and I’ll also remember that I’ll always be bad at reading maps.

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1133) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TRAVEL
• FLY
• QUIZ
• SCORE
• OPINION
• CARRY
• HEALTH
• TART
• CULTURE
• MIND
• TIME
• GOALTEND
• VIEW
• LIVES
• DOUBLE DRIBBLE
• ATTITUDE

NYT Connections today (game #1133) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: NBA fouls
• GREEN: Your convictions
• BLUE: Arcade scoring systems
• PURPLE: Begin with a musical sound

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1133) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: COMMIT A BASKETBALL VIOLATION
• GREEN: BELIEF
• BLUE: THINGS TRACKED IN VIDEO GAMES
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER "POP"

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1133) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1133, are…

• YELLOW: COMMIT A BASKETBALL VIOLATION: CARRY, DOUBLE DRIBBLE, GOALTEND, TRAVEL
• GREEN: BELIEF: ATTITUDE, MIND, OPINION, VIEW
• BLUE: THINGS TRACKED IN VIDEO GAMES: HEALTH, LIVES, SCORE, TIME
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER "POP": CULTURE, FLY, QUIZ, TART

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

I made my mistake after successfully threading ATTITUDE, MIND, OPINION and VIEW, although I was thinking about components of a debate rather than a BELIEF.

My error was, of course, confusion over basketball terminology. DOUBLE DRIBBLE and GOALTEND I knew, but instead of TRAVEL I selected SCORE. Which, on reflection, makes no sense.

Meanwhile my confidence over WORDS AFTER “POP” was fragile, but I successfully guessed FLY instead of SCORE. Before googling I thought it was an alternative to a zip fly. I now know it’s a baseball term.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, July 17, 2026, game #1132)

• YELLOW: GRAND FINALE: EPILOGUE, FAREWELL, LAST DANCE, SWAN SONG
• GREEN: SEEN IN AN ARCADE: CRANE GAME, PINBALL, TICKETS, TOKENS
• BLUE: FOUR GROUPS OF FOUR: CARDINAL DIRECTIONS, CLASSICAL ELEMENTS, SEASONS, SUITS
• PURPLE: ENDING IN PARTS OF A CAR: PLOT SPOILER, ROBIN HOOD, SATIRES, TREE TRUNK