Lost Soul Aside has come a long way since its initial promotional video went viral back in 2016, with super slick combat and visuals being enough to catch Sony’s attention. Nine years later, the final product is a PS5 console exclusive that mostly lives up to the exhilarating battles and landscapes that were shown that day.
Still, its shallow story and poor performance on PC makes Lost Soul Aside sometimes feel like a husk of an action adventure game.
Lost Soul Aside follows a young man named Kaser as he joins a resistance group named Glimmer against the empire. It starts off as a potentially intriguing and politically engaged story, but quickly devolves into a generic adventure about saving the world against interdimensional monsters called Voidrax and their commander, Aramon. The plot twists are obvious, so it’s hard to really stay invested, even when the stakes are increased when the Voidrax steal the soul of Kaser’s sister, Louisa.
Along the way, Kaser joins forces with a floating dragon-shaped Voidrax creature named Arena, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed their banter together as they traveled across different biomes and dimensions. Arena expresses regrets about his past actions and vows to make amends by giving Kaser the ability to fight back against the Voidrax. Learning more about Arena’s backstory kept me engaged with the game outside of the combat even when the story itself was a plodding bore.
DMC meets Final Fantasy
(Image credit: Sony)
The gameplay is where it really shines. Its real-time action combat plays most like Devil May Crywith its heavy emphasis on combos, and you’ll gain access to more weapons as the game progresses. Between Kaser’s four options, a sword, greatsword, spear, and scythe, it’s immensely satisfying to seamlessly switch between each of them during the heat of battle.
While the pace at which the spear and scythe are unlocked later in the game may be a bit slow, there are plenty of combos to execute with the sword and greatsword during the first half. This is due to the excellent upgrade system. Kaser has a skill tree for each of his weapons, and each node provides a stat boost or some sort of follow up attack to his combos. It isn’t necessarily revolutionary, but its straightforward nature gets the job done. This helps to alleviate the pacing gap between unlocking all of Kaser’s weapons.
Lost Soul Aside gets even more of a visual spectacle by giving Kaser his own Voidrax-infused special attacks with Arena. They switch up the gameplay enough so it’s not a constant button mashing affair. Kaser can equip up to three at a time and they vary quite a bit.
My favorite ones include Breath Barrage, which summons two floating smaller Arena-shaped heads that automatically fire like turrets. Lifeforce Bestower summons a tree that slowly heals Kaser as long as he remains within range.
Best bit
(Image credit: Sony)
Lost Soul Aside is at its best when you've unlocked all of Kaser's weapons. The combat is the most refined aspect of the game and being able to switch between weapons on the fly makes battles feel like butter, even with the less than ideal frame rate. The weapon trinkets and accessories that Kaser can equip have a compounding impact on the moment-to-moment action, adding a surprising amount of depth and customization to combat.
These powers also add a more strategic element to the fights. After breaking an enemy’s shield, I’d activate Breath Barrage so that I can maximize my damage output before they can recover, and Lifeforce Bestower lets me reserve my own healing potions as long as I play conservatively for an amount of time. Experimenting with how Arena’s powers could synergize with Kaser’s combos gave the gameplay a new dimension to have fun with.
Kaser can also augment his weapons with accessories found throughout levels in chests or rewards for story progression. They give various effects like simply increasing your damage output by 5% or restoring some amount of HP when landing a critical hit. At first, these don’t really seem to make immediate changes. However, as you accumulate more weapon accessories and even stronger ones, their impact becomes apparent. It really scratches the min-max part of my brain even though there’s no traditional stat upgrade system.
Not so smooth
(Image credit: Sony)
On the graphical side, Lost Soul Aside is impressive. It’s got the hyper-realistic anime style that Final Fantasy is known for. The numerous biomes and environments are breathtaking to look at too. While levels can feel a bit railroaded sometimes, there are instances where you’re encouraged to explore and can find chests containing gold or sometimes even trinkets Kaser could equip on himself for passive effects.
There are also special combat trials called Dispersed Dimensions hidden throughout the levels that provide rewards for beating them under certain conditions like completing under a time limit or Kaser’s health constantly drains. The rewards were definitely worthwhile as the trinkets were rarer and had more powerful effects than the ones you’d find in chests.
However, the experience is mired by poor performance on PC. There are constant stutters and framerate drops everywhere, both in and out of battle. Even opening up the menu causes a bit of lag, and there’s about a second of a delay where the screen turns to black before returning back into the game, which is noticeably annoying. The performance is particularly detrimental considering Lost Soul Aside is a fast-paced action game and every second matters or you risk losing.
(Image credit: Sony)
For example, there’s a specific Dispersed Dimension challenge where enemies can only be damaged by Arena’s attacks. With all of the particle effects activating simultaneously, this caused my game to slow down to a crawl, and even freeze for a few seconds before resuming. This same trial also gives a bonus reward if complete without taking any damage. With performance issues like these, meeting this condition was frustratingly impossible.
The stuttering can also be a huge problem during platforming segments. Missing a platform jump really gets on the nerves, especially when it sends you all the way back to the start of the section. The platforming itself is awkward as well. His jumping range fluctuates too much, causing me to miss more platforms than I’d like to admit. When Kaser’s feet touch the ground, it never feels quite right—the sensory impact feels too soft and doesn’t quite stick with the landing for me.
Lost Soul Aside arguably excels the most where it matters: the frantic and exciting gameplay, along with the pretty visuals. Everything else around it, however, isn’t really up to par. Its story isn’t all that interesting, and the performance issues on PC leave much to be desired. Its influences are certainly apparent, but it's clear that its blade isn’t nearly as sharp.
Should you play Lost Soul Aside?
Play it if...
You love character action games If you’re a fan of Devil May Cry and recent Final Fantasy titles, you’ll enjoy Lost Soul Aside’s combat.
You love character action games If you’re a fan of Devil May Cry and recent Final Fantasy titles, you’ll enjoy Lost Soul Aside’s combat..
Don't play it if...
You want a deep story The story here gets the job done, but it's not particularly engaging.
You want a stable experience Right now, the PC version suffers from plenty of stuttering issues, so wait for a patch or update before diving in.
Accessibility features
Lost Soul Aside has disappointingly few accessibility features compared to other Sony-published games.
However, there are options for Colorblind mode (Red, Green, Blue) and a Colorblind intensity slider. There are also sliders for adjusting camera sensitivity and motion blur.
How I reviewed Lost Soul Aside
I played Lost Soul Aside on PC for 23 hours and finished the main campaign, along with doing a majority of the Dispersed Dimensions and finding as many collectibles as I could. I used an Xbox Wireless Controller.
Your first playthrough will also be on Normal difficulty, and both Hard and Nightmare difficulties are unlocked once you beat the campaign for the first time. You also get access to level replay.
When five-time NBA champion Dennis Rodman was interviewed during Netflix's Last Dance documentary, he explained how he'd have friends shoot hoops from all angles well into the morning just to more accurately track rebounds and work out where he needed to be to scoop up possession.
Review info
Platform reviewed: PS5 (on PS5 Pro) Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2,PC Release date: September 5, 2025 (Early access one week prior)
Why do I bring that up when talking about basketball game NBA 2K26? Because, as much as rebounds are less show-stopping than acrobatic dunks, they're the basis on which successful teams build attacks, and every single late-night session predicting angles and flight paths led to Rodman becoming an NBA legend.
While NBA 2K26 may not hit those heights (at least not yet), what's here plasters over some of the cracks in last year's game to offer the best digital basketball experience in years.
No More Bricks
(Image credit: 2K/NBA)
I enjoyed my time with NBA 2K25, but I know I’m in the minority for that. A big reason that the community found itself divided by last year’s game was 2K’s commitment to revamping a core part of the experience, which we’ve been used to over the last decade and change: the shot meter.
While last year put an awful lot of emphasis on the ever-present danger of shooting a brick and fluffing your lines, this year it’s much more forgiving. It’s not quite a walkback to earlier games, but it feels like Visual Concepts has done an awful lot to rework the act of shooting the basketball, or driving to the rim, this time around.
You’ll still throw some absolute honkers if you’re not careful, but you always feel more in control, whereas last year things felt a little too random.
Last year, it took a major shine off of the otherwise stellar animation system that did a better job of making players feel like they were moving more realistically, and in vastly improving offense this year, the whole game feels like it’s faster. It’s not quite arcadey, but it’s a more exciting sim than it’s been in years.
Now, you’re not missing easy layups or having to spam dribbling moves to find a tiny opening, because all players feel much more capable of scoring points from anywhere, and player locomotion feels just a little slicker.
That also ties into the long-running player builds system. Last year, unless you invested a ton of stat points into your player (or real currency), you’d find yourself missing simple shots. This time around, the new ‘MP’ (your in-game avatar in MyPlayer) feels much more like the talented prospect they’re supposed to be at the start of the story.
Rags to Riches (Again)
(Image credit: 2K/NBA)
That brings us nicely to MyPlayer, the mode from which many of NBA 2K26’s others flow. Let’s start with the good: Visual Concepts’ commitment to having a single, central created player remains something I wish rivals would adopt.
It’s awesome to be able to build up your version of MP in one mode before taking them online, and while the story here is pretty predictable, it remains a fun way to build your player’s legend from high school to the NBA.
Cutscenes look better, although they naturally pale in comparison to the on-court action, but what’s here is more of the same.
There’s a downside to that, too, and it’s VC. You’ll earn currency through playing, but as with any NBA 2K instalment, you can spend plenty of real cash to grow your player quickly and into one of the in-game archetypes.
My Small Forward has enjoyed a meteoric rise (at least according to the MyPlayer storyline), but he’s still nowhere near as impressive as anyone who’s thrown their currency of choice at the game.
Elsewhere, MyGM remains one of my favorite ways to play despite not having any major improvements this year after its re-emergence in 2K25. There are fresh long-term goals called Offseason Scenarios, and they feature real-world examples like a Bulls rebuild or weighing up how to follow up the Warriors’ Steph Curry era.
Best Bit
(Image credit: 2K/NBA)
Jettisoning the controversial shooting meter from last year, NBA 2K26 feels like a game full of subtle changes that make scoring points more fun than ever, whether you’re in the paint or shooting from distance.
They’re not the kind of things that you’ll necessarily be entirely drawn into, but they’re a neat addition that gives you something to strive for. Still, for a longstanding NBA fan, the continued support for MyNBA Eras remains something that puts rivals to shame. You can now copy a MyPlayer into a classic era of the NBA, letting you rub shoulders with Larry Bird or Michael Jordan.
Speaking of dream scenarios, MyTeam is back and, as always, it’s very easy to throw VC points at pack openings. I do appreciate that the mode is pretty rewarding when it comes to offline play. I’m decent at 2K, but the game’s fervent community could slap me six ways to Sunday, so it’s nice to be in control of what I play if I want to push for better players for my squad.
This year sees the debut of the WNBA in the mode, which is a huge move that’s been a long time coming. EA FC has seen plenty of success by adding the women’s game into Ultimate Team, but the nature of basketball as a sport where height makes a big difference means that it’s not uncommon for one player to absolutely tower over another.
It perhaps wouldn’t be a huge issue if you could rotate your squad to place smaller, faster players in more attacking roles rather than expecting them to stop a 7ft 7 juggernaut, but that’s at odds with having players with roles and positions assigned to them when they’re fresh out of packs.
Back to the city
(Image credit: 2K/NBA)
Look, I’ll be honest: I’ve never really enjoyed The City. The mode has always felt like a good idea that’s had too much executive input, designed to draw players in to drop their VC to build their player and buy clothing and shoes.
Last year took the smart step of finally shrinking the playspace, and NBA 2K26 goes one step further with interconnected areas that make it much easier to get to where you need to be.
Perhaps the best thing I can say about The City is that performance is vastly improved. Last year’s game got a PS5 Pro update, but it always felt laggy on Sony’s newest system. This year, it’s still not as responsive as playing on the court, but it’s noticeably easier to navigate.
That brings us, finally, to NBA 2K26’s presentation. Put simply, this is the best-looking sports game around, at least on PS5 Pro. When Visual Concepts boasted about being able to see the pores on players' faces ahead of launch, I scoffed. As it turns out, you really can see the pores on player faces, as well as stitching on shoes, and those all-important reflective surfaces like the shiny court.
Should you play NBA 2K26?
Play it if...
You sidestepped last year If you’re a keen basketball fan, NBA 2K26 is the most fun the series has been in literal years. If you fell off with last year’s game, this is a great time to come back.
You want a sports game that shines on console On PS5 Pro, NBA 2K26 looks staggeringly good, with a whole host of subtle broadcast package effects and lighting tweaks that make it look magnitudes better than NBA 2K25, which was already impressive.
You want the best virtual basketball experience going NBA 2K26 is the best basketball game in years, even if you’re looking to play it offline in MyGM or tooling around in MyNBA Eras.
Don't play it if...
You’re hoping for a MyTeam overhaul This year’s MyTeam mode feels mostly the same as it did last year, outside of the long-awaited introduction of the WNBA, which itself causes some balance issues that are diametrically opposed to the way MyTeam operates (and has operated for years).
You don’t want to spend VC VC still makes the world go round, and if you’re worried about wanting to spend money here and there for a few stat points or some new digital shoes, you might want to consider keeping your payment card out of sight.
Accessibility
NBA 2K26 has a few accessibility features. You can adjust shot timing windows and visual cues, while there are difficulty settings, too. Vibration and DualSense triggers can be tweaked, too.
Perhaps most impressively is that the shot meter, which can be tricky to spot in the chaos of an ongoing match, can be customized with a variety of options. It’s not strictly there for accessibility purposes, but that customization could be a huge boon for those who need extra visual clarity.
I’ve most recently played NBA 2K25 in the last couple of months, so I have a good grasp of what’s changed. I built up a decent starting line-up in MyTeam during this current review period and spent some time working my way through the ranks in MyTeam.
I also explored The City, was destroyed by other players in pick-up games, and began the journey to take the Chicago Bulls back to a new era of dominance.
The WiZ Filament Bulb Clear 25W ST19 E26 is a color-changing smart bulb that features a coiled LED strip in place of a traditional filament.
It’s available in the US and the UK under slightly different names to reflect the difference in wattage, bulb shape, and fitment, but they have the same feature set and look very similar.
Known as the WiZ Filament Bulb Clear 25W ST19 E26 in the US, or the WiZ Filament Bulb Clear 40 W ST64 E27 in the UK, it has a list price of $32.99 / £27.99, and can be found at WiZ and Amazon.
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(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
I love the Filament Bulb’s classic shape, and was pleased to find that it didn’t feel overly fragile. I have mixed opinions about the coiled LED strip. I found it looked nice in warmer whites and red, but due to the combination of different colored LEDs, it proved a bit of an eyesore when in other colors, with the brightness turned up when using it in my lamp.
If you want a light that can light up a room in addition to providing some nice mood lighting, then this bulb won’t be suitable. It’ll just about do as a reading light if your book is positioned right next to it, but it’s not ideal – although I believe this is often the case due to the nature of filament-style bulbs.
(Image credit: Future)
While it looks pretty on certain settings, the width of the LED strip may prove off-putting if you’re looking for a more authentic-looking filament bulb. If so, you may be better off looking for a non-color filament-style alternative, which you can also find from WiZ, Philips Hue, and various other brands.
The Filament Bulb was pleasingly straightforward to sync with the WiZ V2 app, as it was automatically detected, and it connected to my Wi-Fi quickly and without any fuss.
(Image credit: Future)
Unfortunately, the WiZ V2 app isn’t as intuitive as the Govee and Nanoleaf companion apps – although it would take a lot for an app to compare to the Govee Home app, which you’ll have probably guessed if you’ve already read my review of the Govee Table Lamp 2. Despite this, the WiZ V2 app provides access to a variety of useful functions, such as the control menu, which offers some static presets that include warm and cool options, and night, TV, and relax lighting modes, along with a few others.
I could also choose hues from a color graph, adjust the color temperature using a slider, or choose one of the twenty-five dynamic presets, each offering different color palettes and motions. I could also alter the speed of the color changes, though this adjustment was applied to all of the dynamic presets, rather than individually.
(Image credit: Future)
The brightness was easy to adjust using a slider on the home screen or when adjusting settings in the control menu. Thanks to the rhythm function, which I set to change between different modes based on the local time, I was able to get the brightness and color temperature to adjust automatically throughout the day. There’s also a schedule feature, which I used to get the Filament Bulb to turn off at a set time.
I found the Filament Bulb could be slow to respond when switching between the Dynamic lights. And it was also a bit long-winded applying each one, as it asked me which room I wanted to apply it to each time, despite only having one setup. But I could set four of my preferred light settings on the home screen, up to eighteen in the quick action folder, or save them as scenes, so at least the process was quicker once I’d picked my favorites.
(Image credit: Future)
On the subject of scenes, I found it far more efficient to fine-tune the lighting effect I wanted in the control menu before saving it as a scene. While the same settings are available when creating a new scene, the bulb didn’t immediately reflect any changes I made. Instead I would only get to check the result after creating and enabling the new scene, which wasn’t ideal, meaning it was often better to tweak the lighting settings first.
Connecting the Filament Bulb to my Echo Dot (5th Gen) was nice and simple, as it was automatically detected by my Alexa app. I needed to put the Filament Bulb into pairing mode, which was a case of switching the light off and on until it began to pulse blue, and the syncing process took just moments to complete. I could then use voice commands to get the Filament Bulb to change colors, temperature, and brightness, which was very convenient, especially as my requested changes were applied promptly.
(Image credit: Future)
Despite the disappointing elements of the app, once I’d fine-tuned the lighting effects and set up the automations and voice control, I quite enjoyed testing the Filament Bulb. Overall, I was pleased with the quality for the price. So, if you’re looking for a vintage-style bulb with modern smart features and want to change up the ambience with a little color, it’s worth checking out the WiZ Filament Bulb Clear 25W ST19 E26.
If you love smart lighting as much as I do and want to explore some other fantastic options, then I highly recommend checking out our best smart lights buying guide.
WiZ Filament Bulb review: Price and specs
Price
$32.99 / £27.99
Model
US: Filament Globe Clear 25W ST19 E26
UK: Filament Bulb Clear 40 W ST64 E27
Colors
Multicolor
Lumens
US: 300 / UK: 470
Temperature
US: 1800-2100K / UK: 2200-6500K
Connectivity
2.4GHz WiFi, Bluetooth
App
Yes
Voice control
Yes
Dimmable
Yes, using the app
Additional features
Matter compatible, motion sensor (with 2+ bulbs)
Should I buy the WiZ Filament Bulb?
Buy it if...
You want vintage style with modern features The shape of the bulb is gorgeous, and while the coiled LED isn’t exactly traditional, it has its own charm in the right setting. This, combined with the smart features, makes it an eye-catching choice.
You want automation and voice control The rhythms and schedules are easy to set up and work well, and controlling the light becomes pretty effortless when synced to smart home devices like Alexa.
Don't buy it if...
You want to light up the room This bulb’s definitely destined for mood lighting rather than illuminating a space, so it wouldn’t be the brightest choice if you plan to use it as a solo pendant light.
You want a traditional-looking filament Although the LED strip allows for colorful lighting effects, it has a noticeably different aesthetic compared to white filament-style smart bulbs.
WiZ Filament Bulb review: Also consider
Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb If you’re looking for an alternative smart light with a difference, this Nanoleaf bulb may do the trick, thanks to its quirky faceted bulb. It’s cheaper than the WiZ Filament Bulb, yet also Matter compatible, vividly colorful, and can mirror your PC or Mac screen when used with the desktop app. If you’d like the learn more, check out our full Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb review.
How I tested the WiZ Filament Bulb
I tested the WiZ Filament Bulb for one week
I tested the different features and customizable settings
I observed its performance and brightness levels
I used the WiZ Filament Bulb on my desk in my office and in my living room. I screwed the bulb into a table lamp before powering it on and evaluating the setup process on the WiZ V2 companion app.
I explored the features, testing how different colors and settings looked, and created my own presets and scenes. I also tested how bright the bulb was both in daylight and in a dark room.
I synced the WiZ Filament Bulb with my Alexa app to check how straightforward the process was and to test out voice commands, which I did by altering the brightness, colors, and powering the bulb on and off.
The Geekom A9 Max is a stylish, premium-styled mini PC that incorporates the latest AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with NPU and integrated AMD graphics. It is a small, stylish machine that has been designed to handle general office work, AI workloads and applications that utilise an AI, such as CoPilot or Photoshop, are given a generative boost.
As I've seen from this line of mini PCs before, the machine is well equipped, with the review sample arriving with 32 GB of RAM and a 2 TB SSD that backs up the powerful CPU and integrated GPU. Sure enough, through the test, it proved to be an exceptional office-focused machine with more than enough power to handle heavy-duty day-to-day tasks, such as Microsoft Office and more intensive applications to a point.
The speed of handling large files and browsing documents on a 4K monitor all worked well within the processing abilities of this small machine. I also liked the fact that there were plenty of connectivity options, with LAN ports enabling me to plug directly into my NAS as well as the network for increased transfer rates.
Other connectivity options, such as Wi-Fi 7, proved robust, although I did have a few connection issues with the Eero 6 router. Once swapped to an updated Wi-Fi 7 network, the connection transformed in speed and reliability.
In use, the machine handled 1080p video editing in Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve with ease. However, as I started to tackle a couple of 4K video edits, it became apparent that although the CPU was capable, the integrated GPU slightly held it back.
For social media edits, the machine proved superb, offering plenty of power and flexibility, especially in CapCut. One aspect I liked about the design, especially if you need to handle larger files, is the ability to install a secondary M.2 SSD to boost internal storage.
The volume of connection options came in handy, enabling easy integration within an office or studio setup, with four USB ports in a line across the front. Working in the creative sector, it's also always nice to see an SD card slot at the side to quickly offload image and video files.
By the end of the test, I was genuinely impressed with the performance. It handled Windows, Office, and creative applications with relative ease, up to a certain point, where the GPU seemed to hold back its potential.
A key feature of this machine is that it's enhanced for any application that has AI integration, such as Photoshop, Copilot, Zoom, Teams background blur, noise cancellation, and real-time translation. During testing, I used the AI NPU in Photoshop and Lightroom for AI-powered selection, upscaling, and background removal.
The AI CPU also supports running local machine learning models and your own AI test bench, if that's your thing.
I finished the test with a bit of gaming. The limitations of the GPU became more apparent at this point. While gaming at 1080p was OK, once graphics were enhanced and resolution increased, frame drops became noticeable. Lighter games like DiRT Rally ran fine and were playable.
However, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle required all graphics settings to be reduced, and even then, there were still occasional image breakups.
It was clear this stylish machine has been finely tuned for office and creative space use. It's an ideal option with robust connectivity options and enough power for day-to-day office tasks and a bit more. It can handle many standard creative tasks, such as video editing and image enhancement, without many issues. Only when stepping up to high-resolution, high-bitrate 4K video did its limits become clear.
If you're in the market for one of the best mini PC units, with high-quality, high-performance for the home or office, then the Geekom A9 Max is a superb option.
Geekom A9 Max Mini PC: Price & availability
How much does it cost? $999 / £999
When is it out? Now
Where can you get it? Widely available
The GEEKOM A9 Max AI Mini PC is available directly from Geekom US for $999 and Geekom UK for £999 at time of review. This includes 32 GB of RAM and a 2 TB PCIe SSD.
It's also available from most major online retailers, including Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
Value: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennnings)
Geekom A9 Max Mini PC: Design
(Image credit: Alastair Jennnings)
Specifications
CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Graphics: AMD Radeon 890M RAM: 32GB Dual Channel DDR5-5600 SODIMM (128GB MAX) Storage: 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe Gen4x4 SSD, 1 x M.2 2230 SSD Front Ports: 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 3.5mm stereo headphone Rear Ports: USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 2.0 Type-A, USB 4.0 Type-C DP-Alt mode / PD, USB 4.0 Type-C DP-Alt mode, 2 x RJ45, 2 x HDMI 2.1, DC Side Ports: SD Card slot Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 Audio: 3.5mm Audio in Camera: N/A Size: 1135 x 132 x 46.9 mm OS Installed: Windows 11 Pro Accessories: VESA Mount
The A9 Max is a premium mini PC with a CNC-machined aluminium chassis, offering a durable and sleek aesthetic. Lifting it out of the box, there's no doubt this machine has a distinct premium feel.
It measures 135 x 132 x 46.9 mm, making it fairly average in size for this style of computer, and with a slightly heavier weight, it feels more substantial than many cheaper mini PCs on the market.
The premium build and extensive connectivity pitch this mini PC towards professional and mid-to-high-end home environments. It wouldn't look out of place in any design studio with its minimalistic design.
One feature that's instantly apparent over many other mini PCs is the sheer volume of connectivity options, both wireless and wired. Around the body of the machine, there's a row of four USB-A ports across the front, all of which are USB 3.2 Gen 2. The rest of the front is relatively minimalistic with just a 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack.
On the side, there's an SD card 4.0 slot to quickly download files from your camera or other devices.
Around the back, there's another USB 3.2 Gen 2 alongside a USB-A and USB 2.0. Also present are two USB 4.0 ports, one of which supports PD power. These are joined by two RJ45 networking ports, two HDMI 2.1 FRL ports, and the DC-in socket.
Inside, once opened, both RAM and storage are upgradeable. The RAM is dual-channel DDR5 5600 MHz, upgradeable to 128 GB. Storage includes two M.2 2280 SSD NVMe Gen 4 slots, and our review sample came pre-installed with 2 TB.
The aluminium chassis also contributes to cooling, integrating with a large heatsink, heat pipes, and a fan. While not fanless, the cooling system is necessary for the powerful CPU, NPU, and GPU.
A VESA mount is included, so it can be wall-mounted or attached to the back of a monitor.
Ultimately, the A9 Max offers a stunning minimalistic design that offers plenty of processing power, connectivity and a boost in performance for applications that support AI.
Design: 5 / 5
Geekom A9 Max Mini PC: Features
(Image credit: Alastair Jennnings)
The core highlight of this machine is its AI potential. Alongside the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU, there's an integrated AMD Radeon 890M GPU and NPU powered by the XDNA 2 engine. This offers up to 50 TOPS of NPU performance and a total AI acceleration of 77–80 TOPS, ideal for Copilot, local LLMs, object detection, voice recognition, and any AI-integrated applications such as Windows 11 and Adobe Photoshop with generative features.
On the back, display options include two HDMI and two USB4 ports, supporting up to 8K monitor output.
The machine also offers ample flexibility for upgrades. Dual-channel DDR5 SO-DIMM slots can be upgraded to 128 GB, and the two PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSD slots support up to 8 TB, which is substantial for a machine of this size.
Network connectivity is also good with Wi-Fi 7 and dual LAN for fast wired and wireless connections, making it suitable for both setups and streaming. The fact that it comes pre-installed with Windows 11 Pro means that it's ready to be used as part of a mid to large scale business, but if you're not a Windows fan it will also support alternative operating systems such as Ubuntu.
Features: 4.5 / 5
Geekom A9 Max Mini PC: Performance
(Image credit: Alastair Jennnings)
CrystalDiskMark Read: 6234.88MB/s CrystalDiskMark Write: 5371.08MB/s Geekbench CPU Multi: 15190 Geekbench CPU Single: 2938 Geekbench GPU: 41100 PCMark Overall: 7638 Cinebench CPU Multi: 20802 Cinebench CPU Single: 2026 Fire Strike Overall: 8631 Fire Strike Graphics: 9396 Fire Strike Physics: 30023 Fire Strike Combined: 3222 Time Spy Overall: 3622 Time Spy Graphics: 3284 Time Spy CPU: 10559 Wild Life Overall: 19157 Steel Nomad Overall: 546 Windows Experience Overall: 8.2
Getting started with the Geekom A9 Max is straightforward. Simply run through the Windows 11 Pro setup, which takes around five to ten minutes, then after the updates, it's ready for your choice of applications to be installed.
Windows 11 Pro runs extremely smoothly from the outset, with the only issue I encountered being the wireless connectivity with my Eero 6 router. After switching to a Wi-Fi 7 router, both speed and reliability significantly improved, suggesting a conflict between the A9 Max and the Eero 6, which I've experienced before with Wi-Fi 7-enabled machines.
Running Windows 11 Pro and Microsoft Office applications went without issue. Using Microsoft Word with Copilot was fast and responsive, and that performance was pretty much reflected across all Office applications. In Adobe Photoshop, the generative fill feature processed quickly with good results.
Because applications were able to use the local AI CPU and NPU, there was no reliance on cloud-based AI, essentially helping to speed up the amount of processing time, especially with the Adobe Creative Apps, compared to machines that aren't AI-enhanced.
The performance in Photoshop and Lightroom was impressive and far smoother than I expected for a machine of this size, which led me on to testing higher resolution video. Using CapCut, Adobe Premiere Pro, and DaVinci Resolve, initially for a simple 1080p edit with effects, the A9 Max handled everything smoothly. The 2 TB SSD and fast transfer speeds meant it could manage social media and small-scale video production, making it ideal for small-scale creative work.
However, when working with 4K footage shot on a Sony A7 IV, the GPU began to show its limits. Fans ramped up under load, timeline rendering slowed, and clip import times increased. That said, for a small form factor, performance remained impressive, and fan noise was generally well managed.
In gaming tests, DiRT Rally performed well, though it isn't graphically demanding. Tekken 8 also played well, though effects had to be reduced; however, when it came to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the performance was less fluid, with dropped frames and occasional stuttering. The gaming highlighted how the integrated GPU is adequate for light gaming, but not for graphics-intensive titles.
Benchmark results confirmed real-world impressions. Windows 11 Pro and Office are performing well, reflected in a PCMark score of 7638 and a Windows Experience Index of 8.2, both typical for premium mini PCs. Office applications such as Excel and PowerPoint loaded quickly and allowed for fast multitasking, thanks to strong Geekbench CPU single and multi-core scores.
Creative applications also performed well as a whole, with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom running smoothly, and the Geekbench GPU score of 41100 highlighted the machine's potential for mid-range graphics processing.
SSD speeds were particularly impressive, with a read speed of 6234 MB/s and a write speed of 5371 MB/s. These speeds helped with video editing, especially when handling larger files.
In Premiere Pro, 1080p editing went well, but at 4K, performance dropped as effects were applied. DaVinci Resolve was less stable overall and demanded more from the graphics system. While usable at 1080p, the experience was definitely less fluid as I had to wait for the renders to catch up.
By the end of testing, it was clear that the A9 Max is very capable for Windows 11 Pro, Office, and general productivity tasks. With internal upgrades available, there's good potential. Even the base 32 GB RAM and 2 TB storage are enough for social media editing at 1080p. It's worth noting that, like other Geekom machines of this level, replacing the RAM and SSD is relatively easy; simply take off the base, remove the antenna wires, and then remove the next plate to gain access. While some machines enable you to leave the antenna wires in place, here there isn't quite enough length, and if you do leave them in place, they'll disconnect from the wireless card, and refitting them can be a tedious and painstaking task.
Through the test the speed of the machine generally impressed with the only significant slowdown occurring during editing of high-bitrate 4K footage from a mirrorless camera. Standard 4K from a smartphone was manageable, though it has lower data rates by comparison.
In gaming, performance was average. The machine is clearly designed more for work than play. The extensive connectivity, four front USB-A ports, USB4 at the back, and dual LAN make integration into an office network easy, making it a great office-based solution.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennnings)
Geekom A9 Max Mini PC: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennnings)
The Geekom A9 Max is a great mini PC that looks fantastic, with a CNC-machined aluminium chassis that fits perfectly in any office or studio.
Its standout features include build quality and upgradeability, essentially as your needs grow, internal storage and RAM can be increased. For multimedia editing, more RAM would help with higher-bitrate video and effect-heavy workflows. Storage can also be expanded from 2 TB up to 8 TB, reducing the need for external drives.
The dual LAN ports allow high-speed connections to a local network or NAS. For small office setups, this is a real advantage, although it's worth noting that LAN speeds are capped at 2.5 GbE, rather than the 5 or 10 GbE you might expect in a premium system.
If you find yourself regularly plugging and unplugging accessories, the row of front USB-A ports is a big time-saver; however, it's a shame there's no USB-C on the front for faster devices.
I also liked the fact that there's the inclusion of the SD card reader, which makes it easy to quickly offload image and video files to the internal SSD, which offers exceptionally fast read/write speeds and helps significantly in workflows involving large files or media.
By the end of testing, it was clear this is a premium-level office machine. There are some omissions, such as the lack of a front USB4 port or faster LAN, but for its main purpose as an office-based machine, it delivers.
Should I buy a Geekom A9 Max Mini PC?
Value
A great machine that is a perfect solution for office use, though the quality does come with a price premium
4
Design
The solid CNC-machined aluminium chassis looks fantastic and feels incredibly robust
5
Features
With AMD's latest CPU, NPU, and GPU all integrated into a single chip, this machine is office-ready
4.5
Performance
With AMD's latest CPU, NPU, and GPU all integrated into a single chip, this machine is office-ready
4.5
Overalls
A great option for any office, especially if you use Copilot or other applications that utilise AI integration
4.5
Buy it if...
You want an AI-ready PC
The latest CPU with NPU enables full use of AI services through local processing, which helps speed up results and improve workflow.
You need a future-proof option.
With the latest CPU, USB4, and Wi-Fi, this system includes new technologies that should remain relevant for years.
Don't buy it if...
You need discrete GPU performance.
The integrated graphics are good, but for high-end creative tasks or gaming, a dedicated GPU is still preferable.
You're on a tight budget.
This is a premium mini PC with premium pricing. Entry-level models may offer better value depending on your needs.
I've tested out a number of xTool laser cutters before, and I've always walked away impressed.
Whether it's the feature-rich, easy-to-use xTool P2 or the precise xTool S1, I've always found the units to be innovative and accurate, ranking them among the best laser engravers and cutters around.
So, I was excited to get my hands on the xTool F2 Ultra. And after some comprehensive testing, let me tell you, this one is in a league of its own.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The xTool F2 Ultra follows on from the impressive F1 but boosts speed, power and design to offer one of the most powerful yet easy-to-use desktop laser engravers on the market. While the working area might be relatively small, the fact that it features a 60W MOPA fibre laser enabling you to engrave, emboss and cut various metals is a feature that's rather unique. Then there's the fact that this is coupled with a more standard 20W diode laser for non-metallic materials, such as wood, meaning that if you own a small business, it offers a powerful tool that will enable you to create and customise a wide range of products.
While machines like this have been available in the past, they've often been ultra-complex and required additional software to handle the speed and power of the fibre laser. However, with integrated software and streamlined workflow, it is pretty much unmatched by any other system I've used. I'm pretty confident that even a complete beginner would be able to get up and running with the F2 Ultra.
From the outset, I was impressed not just by the user setup but also by how quick and easy it was to use the xTool software. You just need to select your design, place it over the material in the software, select the material type from the library, then select engrave, cut or emboss before hitting go and watching the design appear within seconds.
The price point of this machine really reflects the quality and speed of what is possible, with the Galvo system enabling speeds of up to 15,000 mm/s and the smart dual-camera setup helping you accurately position items in the machine. It's impressive what you can do and create in very little time.
Many of the more complex manual setup procedures are removed, with the machine essentially taking over everything, such as focusing automatically. There's just a small alignment procedure at the beginning of the setup process, but once that's done, aside from dialling in material and positioning your designs, the machine takes care of everything else.
I've used quite a few dual-fibre and diode laser machines in the last year, and while I'm always impressed with what is achievable, there's usually a bit of tuning and fiddling with calibration and configuring software like LightBurn to accurately mark or engrave. However, here the software aligns everything; you just push the green bar on the control panel, and the machine takes care of the rest.
With the F1, I was impressed by the speed, utility and flexibility of the machine, but the F2 Ultra is in another league, obviously reflected in the price point. Compared with any other system on the market, the F2 Ultra, especially when coupled with the conveyor belt, offers a huge amount of options and possibilities. For any small business dealing with laser engraving and embossing, there's now only one machine, the F2 Ultra.
I'm also seeing the unit retailing for $5499 on Amazon.com. However, it doesn't appear to be available on Amazon.co.uk at the time of review.
xTool F2 Ultra: Design
Specs
Laser Technology: Dual-laser: 60W MOPA fibre + 20W blue diode Work Area: 220 × 220 mm (expandable to 220 × 500 mm with conveyor) Spot Size: 0.03 × 0.03 mm (fibre); 0.08 × 0.06 mm (diode) Engraving Speed: Up to 15,000 mm/s Positioning Accuracy: Up to 0.0001 mm Camera System: Dual 48 MP with AI recognition Dimensions: 730 × 320 × 265 mm Weight: 20 kg Supported Materials: Metals, wood, acrylic, leather, glass, ceramics, plastic Safety: Fully enclosed with auto-shutdown and fire detection Software: xTool Creative Space + LightBurn compatible
One of the standout features of the xTool products is just how well-designed they are. This is from a company that, a few years ago, was producing simple open-frame laser cutting machines with a distinct DIY feel. Those machines are far removed from the F2, which is highly refined and of exceptionally high quality, aimed at small to medium-sized businesses rather than the casual consumer or prosumer.
While the machine itself is relatively compact with a footprint that will sit perfectly on a desktop, it has a high-quality build that reflects not only its price point but also its suitability for years of use.
The machine is relatively simple, with a slide-up enclosure that encloses the working area. If you need to have it open for larger materials, that's possible. There's also the ability to add an air filter to extract fumes, and as you'd expect with a professional-level machine, there's a kill switch and a decent touchscreen display to monitor the process and access many settings.
As with many other laser engravers and CNC machines, most interaction is done through complementary software. xTool provides its own ecosystem, which is one of the best on the market, streamlined and easy to use. Unlike some other fibre lasers, there's no need to purchase expensive extra software or plug-ins. Once you've paid (admittedly a lot) for the F2 Ultra, it should work out of the box and be set up within about 10 to 15 minutes.
The design is also clever in that you can use it as a fully enclosed system with smart safety features like emergency stop, flame detection, and automatic shutdown when open, or bypass some of those for conveyor belt use with larger objects.
In terms of size and weight, it comes in at roughly 20 kg and measures 730 × 320 × 265 mm. This smallish footprint will sit comfortably on your desktop, though you do need to allow for the machine's height and a small side control panel.
If you're using the conveyor belt, you'll need even more space. It's an optional extra, but if you're planning to use it, it's well worth having a full workbench left free to easily operate the machine.
On initial setup, I used the USB connection to sync with my laptop. After initial calibration, I switched to the Wi-Fi connection, which I found strong and reliable, even on my underpowered workshop network.
The overall build is premium and extremely sturdy. The two internal cameras and full autofocus add to the ease of use and high-end feel. However, compared with something like the ComMarker B6, this is a far larger and heavier machine.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
xTool F2 Ultra: Features
The F2 Ultra is an interesting machine as it combines two laser types in one enclosed engraver. The first is a powerful 60W MOPA fibre laser used for engraving, embossing and cutting thinner metals, the second laser is a 20W diode laser used for cutting and engraving organic materials such as leather and wood.
Not long ago, it was unusual to find both lasers in one machine, but as we saw with the ACMER P3, combining the two is becoming more common. The big difference between the Atomstack P3 and the xTool F2 Ultra, aside from the price, is the build area. The ACMER P3 is designed for far larger objects, while the F2 Ultra features a far more powerful fibre laser and is designed for more intricate work. In terms of product design and finish, the F2 Ultra is in another league.
One of the biggest advantages of having a dual-laser system is that it enables automatic switching between laser types depending on the material. In the past, other machines with dual lasers required you to manually swap out the tool heads, fibre or diode. We've seen this before with older xTool and Creality machines.
The fibre laser not only cuts through thin metals but also enables colourful anodisation of aluminium and steel. The diode laser can cut through relatively thick organic materials, ideal for a 3mm base ply, and in some cases up to 20mm in thickness.
In terms of laser power, the MOPA fibre laser for metals comes in at 60W, which is extremely powerful for this type of machine. The 20W blue diode laser is mid-range but perfectly suited to the small platform and build area the F2 Ultra offers.
When it comes to engraving speed, the fibre laser uses Galvo scanning technology, enabling speeds up to 15,000 mm/s. This sounds fast, and when you see it in action, it is. You can engrave a MacBook Pro in a matter of seconds, although, while the temptation was there to do so in this review, I held off, at least for the moment.
The more I used the machine, the more impressed I became with its features. The dual 48MP cameras enable AI-powered alignment, making a real difference to positioning. The cameras feed into the xTool software, allowing for precise placement on the material. With a positioning accuracy of up to 0.0001 mm, even the finest materials are handled with extreme precision.
While the working area of the F2 Ultra is smaller than many large-scale engravers, it's designed for small businesses looking to engrave and cut smaller items. The base size is 220 × 220 mm, which suits a wide variety of objects. If more space is needed, a conveyor accessory expands this to 220 × 500 mm.
One of the areas that excited me most was the precision; the fibre laser offers a spot size of 0.03 × 0.03 mm and the diode laser 0.08 × 0.06 mm, allowing for extremely fine detail.
Thanks to the dual-laser setup, there's decent material compatibility, most notably stainless steel, aluminium, titanium, gold, and even silver. With very thin materials, it's possible to cut as well as engrave metal, which is rare even among fibre laser engravers, but that additional power boosts that potential.
The machine also handles all the usual materials, acrylic, leather, rubber, ceramics, and glass (though some surfaces may require preparation). It's designed for precision, not bulk processing, and while cheaper machines exist for large-scale cutting, the F2 Ultra excels in high-quality, fine-detail work.
Supporting that precision are smart features like smart focus, autofocus, and automatic Z-axis adjustment. Unlike other engravers, where you manually enter material thickness or use gauges, this machine does it all for you.
The fully enclosed enclosure offers Class 1 safety so that you can be sure to be protected from those high-power lasers, which, if you're using this in a small workshop or shop, is well worth considering. Built-in sensors include flame detection, which triggered several times during testing when pushing the machine's limits of power, and an emergency stop is also available.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
xTool also supplied a smoke filtration unit, which connects to the machine and keeps fumes to a minimum. This is an optional extra, but if you're spending on the F2 Ultra, it's well worth the investment.
Although the F2 Ultra is well above many machines I've tested in terms of quality, it still supports popular laser engraver accessories, including the rotary tool, conveyor feeder, and air-assist smoke purifier, all of which enhance cut quality and streamline workflow.
As for software, I really like xTool Creative Space. It's fully featured, with helpful tools and instructions, and is very easy to use for laying out designs. If you're a more advanced user, the machine is fully compatible with LightBurn, although you'll need the Galvo plug-in. Once installed, all the cameras and configurations work through that as well.
xTool F2 Ultra: Performance
Starting out with the xTool F2 Ultra, this is one of the easiest machines I've come across to set up and use of its type. While the machine is relatively large, its actual footprint is quite compact, meaning it sits comfortably on your work surface without taking up too much space. It's more vertical than wide or deep.
Once positioned, with the dongle and control panel plugged in, you can switch on the machine, and it runs through its initial checks, ready for calibration. I connected it to my MacBook Air via USB and used the Creative Space software to complete the alignment and calibration process. This involved placing a piece of material inside, clicking 'next', and allowing the software to mark two points, which were used to align everything automatically. Once complete, the machine was ready to go.
In the box with the review sample were a few test materials. Over a three-hour period, I cut, engraved, and embossed various items, from metals to wood and leather, and was impressed by how quick and easy the machine was to use. I liked that the fully enclosed nature meant I could just pull down the lid, hit start in the software, then press the green bar on the control panel and watch the engraving, cut, or emboss process begin.
In almost all cases, the output quality was excellent. Only the first few materials required some adjustment as I got a feel for the machine's power. For example, my first attempt at engraving a 3mm base ply used too much power and burned the material to ash. On the second run, the result was far better. The standard 20W diode laser was very capable, and with the air assist and smoke filter extracting fumes, the quality and precision of the cut were impressive.
One thing I really liked, whether working with metal, wood, or leather, was the camera-assisted positioning. Through xTool Creative Space, you can capture a live image of the material on the work area and place your design directly on top. This allows for near-100% accurate placement.
If you're unsure about positioning, you can also click the 'frame' button, which projects your design outline onto the material inside the machine. This projection is sharp and precise, allowing for fine adjustments before committing to a cut or engraving.
As with any laser engraver, I ran a series of test passes on different materials, especially metals and woods, to get a feel for the required power and speed settings for both diode and fibre lasers. Although the 20W diode laser is mid-range by today's standards, its power and accuracy deliver clean, high-quality cuts through 3mm base ply.
Switching to the fibre laser highlighted just how capable this machine is. The 60W power output provided more engraving depth than I've seen in other fibre lasers I've tested, and the speed and accuracy are unmatched so far.
For the first few engravings, I used sample files included with the software, most of which completed in a few seconds. Even though I know these machines are fast, the speed of the xTool F2 Ultra still surprised me.
One of my early projects was engraving a set of dog tags for my dog and a few friends. Usually, this might take a few attempts to get right, but here, the accuracy and speed were such that each tag was engraved in under five seconds.
What's more, by laying out a batch of tags on the surface and applying different text to each through the software, I was able to engrave up to 20 tags in one go and faster than anything I've used before.
The more I used the fibre laser, the more intuitive the software became. Unlike other fibre lasers that take time to learn and have complex configuration steps, with the F2 Ultra, I felt confident within an hour, engraving coins included in the material pack with intricate designs.
The small work area is ideal for this kind of precision engraving. But of course, this is a dual-laser machine, and I wanted to test the diode laser on more materials. I engraved the cover of a book, lowering the laser power to about 5% and increasing the speed. After a few test dots to fine-tune power levels, I ran the full design, which was completed in under a minute with excellent quality.
As I continued engraving tools, creating more coasters and keyrings, the one thing that stood out was the precision of the engravings. When using my own materials, I learned that careful attention to power and speed settings was essential. My first batch of coasters burned quickly, but a test pass and adjustment solved that.
The quality of the lines, especially with air assist and the filter removing fumes, was excellent. That said, the limited work area is noticeable. This machine is built for precision tasks, not large-scale projects. For that, something like the xTool P2 would be more appropriate.
All this use was good and standard, but the point of the F2 Ultra is that it's far more, especially with the ability to emboss metal. How you do this isn't exactly straightforward initially, as there's a little delving into the menu; the same is the case when using the Rotary attachment. Essentially, in the XCS software, you click the Select Processing Mode, then scroll down past the "Roller - Use Rotory attachment", "Use Converyor Large" to the "Emboss" option. Once selected, you can then start to lay out your chosen design.
The next step is to select the material, in this case, a brass coin blank supplied by xTool. This is selected from the material menu; here, you need to select "More Materials", type in Brass and 1.57" (40mm) Blank Commemorative Coins Brass" will appear. From here, you can select the material, select the F2 Ultra, then click "Add to XCS". Then click back onto the material and select the "1.57" (40mm) Blank Commemorative Coins Brass.
Now the coin can be placed into the F2 Ultra, and by clicking "Refresh Background" then "Auto Measure", the coin will appear on the screen, ready for you to position the design.
The design is the next stage of processing, as a straight image won't get you the emboss effect, and a depth map needs to be created.
To do this, you click the "Ai" icon, select "Image Processing", and select "Embossment". You're then given the option to upload your image, select the Emboss type, and then click "Generate" Once the processing is finished, you can drag and drop the coin design onto the workspace and over the preview of the coin. Once you're happy, you can click process, and the embossing will start. For most projects, this process is considerably slower than general engraving and can take well over an hour; however, the end results are incredible, especially once polished and finished off.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
It's worth noting that the depth map creation isn't an exact science, and there's no way to adjust the map, but after a while and with the 3D preview, you start to get an idea of what works and what doesn't.
By the end of the test, I was genuinely impressed by the fibre laser, which is clearly the core of the F2 Ultra. The inclusion of a powerful diode laser fine-tuned for detailed work adds even more versatility, ideal for small businesses.
It's clear this machine is designed for small to medium-sized businesses that rely on laser engraving, whether to create and customise products or for crafts requiring precision, such as jewellery work. It offers a level of detail and reliability that many other fibre and diode systems cannot match.
xTool F2 Ultra: Final verdict
The xTool F2 Ultra is one of the best fibre laser engravers on the market, with a premium build and a product-designed enclosure that makes it an ideal option for many small to medium-sized businesses. It's perfect for small-scale production, customisation, and any business that needs to laser engrave a wide range of surfaces. What it is not is a large-scale laser engraver for oversized projects. This is focused on absolute precision.
The inclusion of two lasers and the dual cameras for AI alignment onto smaller objects helps ensure ultimate precision. If you need to do batch engraving, it speeds up the entire process, essentially handling much of the setup and configuration for you.
After using it for a month, this is by far the best fibre laser engraver I've tested. The major downside is the cost. The base machine is expensive, and once you add in the conveyor, rotary tool, and smoke filtration units, though combo packs are available from xTool, it still adds up to several thousand pounds, which is a considerable investment for a small business.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
However, this is a professional machine. It's not just a starting point; it's a system you can build your business around. Its precision and quality are high-end, and if you're looking for a solid, reliable machine to support or expand your business, the F2 Ultra is an obvious choice.
What I also appreciate is how well xTool Creative Space is designed. It's robust, intuitive, and simple to use. While you can use third-party options like LightBurn, which offers more advanced control, you will need the Galvo plug-in and some setup time to get everything calibrated properly.
For experienced users, this opens up even more potential; however, if you're a small business looking for a fast and versatile laser engraver, the F2 Ultra stands out as the best option on the market. Paired with one of xTool's straight diode machines, it gives you a powerful ecosystem capable of handling a huge variety of projects with ease and speed, making it a sound investment.
Should you buy the xTools F2 Ultra
Value:
Premium machine for pro users with deep pockets
4
Design:
Durable, enclosed, and workbench-friendly layout
4.5
Features
Dual-laser + AI + Galvo = professional flexibility
5
Performance
Flawless output across materials and batch work
5
Total
Among the best all-in-one engravers available today
5
Buy it if...
You want to engrave both metals and wood.
This dual-laser system saves time, money, and space versus owning two machines.
You want a fast engraving machine.
With 15,000 mm/s Galvo scanning and conveyor support, it's built for bulk production.View Deal
Don't buy it if...
You're just starting out or working on a budget.
There are cheaper diode-only options if you only need basic cutting and engraving.
You need portability for on-site work.
At 20kg and a desktop-only format, this isn't made for mobile use or field jobs.View Deal
For more crafting tech, I've tested and reviewed all the best 3D printers.
Matt Nava must have wild dreams. At thatgamecompany, he was art director on 2012’s universally acclaimed Journey, a minimal but deep, near existential exploration of humanity, played out via the widescreen vistas of the worlds within our heads and beyond our minds.
Since he founded Giant Squid Games, the studio released another pair of titles – Abzû and The Pathless – that sought to further depict the immensity of nature as the de facto meaning of life, drawing these settings in a technicolor style and captivating storytelling format that they believe – with some justification – is unreachable via any other medium.
Review info
Platform reviewed: PS5 Available on: PS5 and PC Release date: August 19, 2025
Sword Of The Sea is Giant Squid’s first game in five years and compounds Neva’s reputation as a figure driven by a fantastical imagination, his vision once again shot through with a vividly absorbing amalgamation of the past, present and future. But despite the otherworldly, psychedelic triggers that ignite this and his other releases, it turns out Nava’s inspirations are rather more prosaic than those salvaged from the far-out dimensions of his psyche.
Because, beneath the ablaze surface – which flickers with activity and adventure – Sword Of The Sea actually has its roots in the everyday. That’s not to say these core inspirations – snowboarding, surfing and skateboarding – are humdrum, pedestrian pleasures, rather the pastimes of the brave and the bold who want to live on the edge of both life and a thick wedge of solid and – ideally – unbreakable matter.
As his previous titles have suggested, Nava is a fan of extreme sports, particularly when they intersect with the ocean and its underwater residents. He believes there is more to these pursuits than a base rush of adrenaline, explaining in a recent interview: “I don't think we can force you to have, like, a spiritual awakening or something. But I do think that we can emulate the kind of environment and conditions that gave me something like that.”
The Wraith's progress
(Image credit: Giant Squid)
You play as the Wraith, a wordless, airborne gladiator who doesn’t need to speak because the blue flames billowing from his skull tell you all there is to know. Something like a Tony Hawk for the Blade Runner generation, he rides a gleaming, indestructible plank that is part board, part sword and is – disappointingly – unlikely to be available in your nearest Supreme stockists anytime soon.
Once more, the premise of the game is simple and the storyline, as such, perfunctory. That said, an allegory for the real world, real time decline of Earth’s ecosystem is apparent as you navigate a vibrantly eye-popping spectrum of locations, solving the rudimentary, repeating puzzles that are built into each region and deliver water to the ravaged land, reawakening a verdant landscape and aquatic cast. However, the mind-bending mechanics and attendant cosmic backdrops are anything but straightforward.
Best bit
(Image credit: Giant Squid)
The interactive settings produce countless breathtaking, poetic moments. But perhaps the game’s most uncanny scenes take place during the Frozen Drifts level, where you can parkour towards the heavens and – to misquote Sir Isaac Newton – stand on the shoulder of giant and mostly buried warrior statues in the middle of a blizzard.
Across Saharan sand dunes, turquoise Maldivian seas and Massif Central whiteouts – frequently embedded with half pipes – you navigate the Wraith on his supersonic ‘Hoversword’, using an expanding but never complex set of controls.
Seemingly informed by both reality and fantasy, he can traverse sun scorched ruins in what could be the last days of the Roman Empire, leave a holographic vapor trail in his wake pulling stunts through the dusty canyons of a reimagined Tatooine and skid to a dashing stop in an eerie, cavernous gothic monastery, illuminated by the primary colors of a stained-glass window. It’s a beautiful experience.
Flow motion
(Image credit: Giant Squid)
In many ways Sword Of The Sea establishes a new high score in video gaming’s ongoing quest to incarnate the hallowed concept of flow. Popularized in the 1975 book Beyond Boredom And Anxiety by Hungarian-American psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, this locked on state of mind has long been associated with the most captivating and immersive titles.
“Our games celebrate fluid movement, avoid hyper violence, and are approachable for kids and adults alike without compromising on depth, stakes, or meaning,” explain Giant Squid of their modus operandi.
In the lead up to release, Nava has spoken of the “meditative” qualities of this game, which is an addictive headspace to many of those who participate in the aforementioned activities, particularly when carving new pathways through water or snow, as you frequently can in Sword Of The Sea. With spectacular graphical fluidity and fidelity, the impossible is made possible in the mountainous (uphill) downhill racing and 300mph ski jumping of the Shadow Tundra level game highlight. Certainly, Ski Sunday never went this far off-piste.
While there are few other participants, the hypnotic aura is underscored by the inclusion of an elegant catalogue of marine life that – at their most heavyweight – provide an additional vehicle to uncover the eight levels spanning the single digit runtime. The awe-inspiring appearance of Megalodon-sized orcas, sting rays and now extinct Elasmosaur reptiles – and the opportunity to climb onboard – has a singular appeal, which amplifies the epic sense of scale framing both them and the graphically abundant environments within which the game is housed.
Behold “the time before time”
(Image credit: Giant Squid)
In its mythical lore – fittingly, the game takes place in “the time before time” – and reconfigurable terrain, there’s something of Zelda here. As the ice cool lead bounces across tangerine terracotta rooftops, you are reminded of the physical urban challenges presented by Strayor the Assassin’s Creed series. Elsewhere, the endless runner, sword attack DNA of Neva is also redolent of this game world. But, really, Sword Of The Sea is unlike anything else you might have played.
Equally, that’s not to say it feels entirely original. Anyone who has picked up a title helmed by Nava will be familiar with many of the atmospheric, recurrent creative design archetypes – Arabic-style scriptures and ancient cave drawings – and the insistently wise and wistful soundtrack, which is once again crafted by Austin Wintory, who remains the only video game composer to be nominated for a Grammy for Journey.
In truth, as the game progresses, the dazzling ambience and rote gameplay become somewhat cloying and repetitive. For example, driving a great white shark through a mountainside, nihilistically smashing icebergs, feels much less like the cited “spiritual awakening” and rather more a curious and deadening task. Moreover, as Sword Of The Sea nears its conclusion, Giant Squid reach for a conventional and overblown final boss dogfight, when so much that comes before indicates a determination not to be hamstrung by such limitations.
Does it matter? A little. But I’d still like to take a bite of the cheese Matt Nava is chomping on before he falls asleep.
Should I play Sword Of The Sea?:
Play it if...
You’re a fan of the games made by this design team Matt Nava and Giant Squid have created another truly distinctive and thoughtful tale contemplating what makes us human.
You want to get lost in a wild and colorful virtual space existing at the ends of your imagination Not so much the land that time forgot, Sword Of The Sea is the worlds that few imagine and are – arguably – only discoverable via video games.
Don't play it if...
You were bored by Journey Although the mechanics and movement of Sword Of The Sea are entirely fresh and innovative, the references to this series of games remain enduringly familiar.
You favor plot over experience The narrative of Sword Of The Sea is propelled by your interactions with its inhabitants rather than other ‘human’ characters. Given the total absence of spoken language, this is perhaps inevitable.
Accessibility features
Accessibility features here are limited.
There are a range of language options for the menus and in-game storytelling content and adjustments can be made to the camera and gameplay presets.
While the game can be completed in three or four, it’s also possible – for completists who want to cover every inch of the experience – to take twice as long.
The Astell & Kern A&ultima SP4000 is the brand’s newest flagship digital audio player, and it is priced accordingly. If you measure the worth of a product by how relatively heavy and remarkably shiny it is, though, you won’t be able to argue with the $3,999 asking price.
The SP4000 goes a distance towards justifying its cost in the way it’s specified to perform, too. Numerous technological highlights abound, none of them in any way ‘affordable’, and between the sheer heft of the physical item and the lengthy list of technologies Astell & Kern has brought to bear, the SP4000 seems about as purposeful as these things ever get.
And in action, it is an uncomplicated pleasure to listen to, fully befitting a place in the best MP3 players around. In every meaningful way, the SP4000 is an extremely accomplished device, able to combine brute muscularity with deft insight, rhythmic positivity with outright scale. No matter what you choose to listen to, the Astell & Kern seems to enjoy it just as much as you do – and it’s not about to sit in judgement on your choice of headphones either.
Astell & Kern A&ultima SP4000 review: Price and release date
(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)
Priced at $3,999 / £3,799 / AU$6,599
The Astell & Kern A&ultima SP4000 is on sale now, and in the United States it sells for $3,999. In the United Kingdom the asking price is £3,799, and in Australia you’ll have to part with AU$6,599.
Not cheap, is it? Anyone who takes an interest in this sort of thing will know Astell & Kern has no problem in pitching its products as uber-high-end propositions, but no matter how many times I see one of its products priced this way, it remains difficult not to do a double-take…
Astell & Kern A&ultima SP4000 review: Features
(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)
4 x AKM4191 and 4 x AKM4499EX DACs in 1:1 architecture
4 x opamps per analogue output
Snapdragon 6125 octa-core processor
Something would seem amiss, wouldn’t it, if a digital audio player costing very nearly four thousand of your US dollars wasn’t groaning under the weight of its specification? Well, when you consider the extensive nature of the SP4000, it’s a wonder it’s not even bigger and even heavier than it actually is.
It follows that I should try to be reasonably brief, otherwise we’ll be here all day.
At its most fundamental, the SP4000 is built around ‘octa’ audio architecture. The digital-to-analogue signal processing is in a 1:1 structure, with one AKM4191 digital processor paired with one AKM4499EX DAC. This allows digital signals to be delivered to a single DAC, four times over – this is a true quad-DAC design, with the aim of allowing precise signal transfer with a vanishingly low signal-to-noise ratio. The ability to deal with PCM resolutions of up to 32bit/768kHz and DSD512 means any realistic digital audio file is catered for.
There are eight opamps deployed, four attending to the unbalanced 3.5mm analogue output and four dealing with the 4.4mm balanced equivalent. The intention is to increase dynamic range and enhance detail retrieval – Astell & Kern calls this arrangement ‘high driving mode’ and suggests it provides powerful and stable signal output.
A newly developed LDO (‘low drop-out’) regulator in the power supply stabilizes battery voltage in an effort to suppress noise. Proprietary ESA (‘enhanced signal alignment’) technology is designed to improve the alignment of frequency signals (sometimes opaquely referred to as ‘timing’) to minimize distortion and enhance clarity. The PCB is a high-end ‘Any Layer HDI’ design that allows for extremely complex circuitry to be laid out in a very small space, minimizing signal loss.
(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)
What else? The audio block sits behind a 99.9% pure copper shielding can, offering significant shielding from electromagnetic interference. The audio block itself is Astell & Kern’s ‘Teraton X’ design, which incorporates HEXA-Audio circuitry along with power-efficient amplification and considerable power noise cancellation, to deliver what the company suggests is the ‘ultimate sound solution’.
The entire show is run by a Snapdragon 6125 Octa-core processor that features a high-performance CPU and 8GB of DDR4. CPU, memory and wireless comms circuitry are configured as a single module, and with the digital circuit components arranged in the same area it’s effectively a system on a chip.
I could go on. There are six digital filters available to allow the user to, in a small way, design their own sound. The ‘crossfeed’ feature allows a little of the left-channel mix into the right channel (and vice versa) and, in conjunction with some adjustment options, tries to replicate the effect of listening to speakers when listening to headphones. The second generation of Astell & Kern’s DAR (‘digital audio remaster’) technology, dubbed ‘Advanced DAR’, uses a ‘virtual sound extender’ as part of a two-stage upsampling process that can convert PCM signals of up to 48kHz to 385kHz or to DSD128, and signals of greater than 96kHz to DSD256, for playback.
Surely, though, the broad point is made by now. Astell & Kern didn’t leave space for the kitchen sink, but it has thrown pretty much everything else at the A&ultima SP4000.
Yes, you can fiddle around the edges of the way the A&ultima SP4000 sounds – investigate filters, fool around with EQs, you name it – but what you can’t do is alter its overarching sonic character. Which is just as well, because this Astell & Kern digital audio player is a staggeringly direct, informative and, ultimately, complete listen. Few are the sources of audio information, of any type and at any price, that can match its powers of communication – and I have heard plenty.
No matter if you’re listening to a 16bit/44.1kHz FLAC file of Ride’s Leave Them All Behind, a 24bit/48kHz FLAC file of James Holden’s Common Land or a DSD64 file of The Band’s I Shall Be Released: it’s all the same to the SP4000. In every circumstance it’s a profoundly detailed, rhythmically positive, articulate and energetic listen. There really isn’t an aspect of music-making at which it doesn’t prove itself masterful.
And it’s not as if I can offer a “yes, but…” or two in the name of balance. The longer I listen to the SP4000, the more beguiled I become.
Tonal balance? It’s basically impeccable. Frequency response? Smooth and even from way down at the low frequencies to the vertiginous top end. The Astell & Kern sounds naturalistic and unforced, and it’s completely even-handed in the way it presents the frequency range. And at every point, it’s absolutely alive with detail both broad and fine. The minutiae of tone, timbre and texture are made absolutely apparent, and the player loads all of this information onto the listener without being in any way showy or uptight about it. This fanatical attention to detail is simply a way of ensuring you get as complete a rendition of your digital audio files as possible.
The presentation is spacious and well-defined at the same time, and no matter if it’s a large ensemble all packing the stage or just one voice with a single guitar as accompaniment, the SP4000 lays it all out in confident and coherent fashion.
It deals with rhythm and tempo with similar authority, keeping momentum levels high and observing the attack and decay of bass sounds (in particular) with obvious care. It can ease back if necessary, though - nothing gets hurried along, but rather is allowed to proceed at its own chosen speed. Dynamic headroom is, to all intents and purposes, limitless. From the smallest, quietest event in a recording to the last almighty crescendo, the SP4000 is on top of things - the distance between these two states is prodigious. And the smaller, but no less crucial, dynamics of harmonic variation, the attention to the over- and undertones that surround the fundamental when listening to a solo instrument, are given very judicious weighting. Context is everything, and the SP4000 seems to almost instinctively understand it.
And the Astell & Kern even has the decency not to be sniffy either about the music you listen to or the headphones via which you access it. Obviously it does better work (or, rather, its potential is best exploited) by hi-res files and high-end headphones - but if you want to connect your bog-standard true wireless in-ear via Bluetooth and listen to Spotify’s free tier the SP4000 won’t judge you. Not too badly, anyway.
Sound quality score: 5 / 5
Astell & Kern A&ultima SP4000 review: Design
(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)
Polished 904L stainless steel and PVD-coated ceramic
150 x 85 x 20mm
615g
Ordinarily, a digital audio player is designed to be reasonably compact, and light enough to be slipped into a pocket. Of course, Astell & Kern sets out for its digital audio players to be anything but ordinary.
So the SP4000 is a fairly large (150 x 85 x 20mm) device that weighs a considerable 615g. Too big and heavy, in other words, to be comfortably carried in any pocket smaller and less robust than that of a military greatcoat. This is its naked weight, too. If you add one of the included screen protectors (which is, admittedly, going to make negligible difference to the weight) and slip the player into its supplied Perlinger leather* protective case, it becomes heavier still. At least that case prevents the player’s sharp, pointy corners from digging into hands or pocket linings, mind you.
(*I’m not a vegetarian. I know people who are, though, and some of them are just as interested in high-quality audio as I am. So once again I find myself wondering why companies like Astell & Kern imagine real leather – in this instance, leather made from "the soft, delicate hide of calves under one year old" – to be the untouchable height of luxury. Surely it’s possible to offer a protective case for the SP4000 that looks and feels upmarket but that isn’t going to alienate who knows how many prospective customers? Or is that just me?)
The four sides of the SP4000 are built of 904L stainless steel (the same stuff the likes of Rolex uses, on the basis that it will accept an extremely high polish), and feature some of the angularity and asymmetry that Astell & Kern established as part of its design vocabulary a good while ago. The front is of toughened glass, 152mm on the diagonal, and is almost entirely touchscreen. The rear panel, meanwhile, is finished in PVD-coated ceramic.
It really goes without saying that the standard of build and finish on display here is flawless. With the design of the SP4000, Astell & Kern has set out to deliver a product that blurs the line between ‘electrical hardware’ and ‘luxury accessory’. Or, as the company’s website rather feverishly has it, "a work of art where technology, design, intuition and performance converge". You may feel that Astell & Kern has done exactly what it set out to do, you may find the design rather self-consciously opulent. Taste is a very personal thing, after all.
It’s worth noting the grandeur of SP4000 ownership starts well before you peel the protective covering off the player itself. It arrives in a branded box that’s a similar size to that which contained a pair of size 10 Tricker’s boots I bought the other day. Inside there is another, branded, clasp-fastening box covered in what I strongly suspect is a further quantity of leather.
Inside that you’ll find the SP4000, along with compartments that contain that Perlinger leather cover, a case with a flap covering into which the player (in its cover) can be slipped (more leather, I presume), various guides and warranty documents, a congratulatory note from the company, and a reasonably heavyweight, branded USB-C to USB-C cable. I am pretty sure this all comes under the heading of ‘the experience’.
Design score: 4 / 5
Astell & Kern A&ultima SP4000 review: Usability and setup
(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)
2160 x 1080 touchscreen
Supports Full Android OS
Qualcomm QC3.0 fast charging
The SP4000 represents the first time an Astell & Kern product has supported full Android OS. The convenience and all-around common sense of the operating system is intended to help the SP4000 be as flexible and convenient as possible, while some of the Snapdragon 6125 octa-core processor’s responsibilities center around rapidity of the OS response and the smooth, comfortable user interface motion.
Happily, it all works very well. The big 2K (2160 x 1080) touchscreen is responsive and swift, smooth-scrolling and consistent. The operating system will be mercifully familiar to anyone whose smartphone isn’t an iOS device, and it’s just as wide-ranging and usable here as it is in its most successful smartphone applications.
Setting up the SP4000 is no kind of hardship. It’s simply a question of connecting it to your local network (its dual-band Wi-Fi is tenacious when it comes to making and maintaining a connection to your router or tethering to your smartphone if you’re out and about), and from there it’s simple to load the apps you require. The ‘AK File Drop’ function makes transferring files from a PC, smartphone or FTP program on a common network faster and easier than before, too.
The Astell & Kern also supports Qualcomm QC 3.0 fast charging, which means it can be charged more rapidly (and more efficiently) than previous flagship A&ultima models. Mind you, ‘fast’ and ‘rapid’ are definitely relative terms in this instance. From ‘flat’ to ‘full’ takes around five hours, which is about half the time it takes for the SP4000 to flatten its battery if you’re listening to ordinary files at ordinary volume levels.
There are a few physical controls arranged around the edges of the SP4000. As you look at its touchscreen, there’s an elaborate volume control/power on/off on the top-right edge – it’s pleasantly shaped and knurled, and a light behind it glows in one of a variety of different colors to indicate the resolution of the audio file it’s currently playing.
On the opposite side there are three buttons that deal with skip backwards/rewind (accessible via ‘press’ or ‘press and hold’ respectively), skip forwards/fast-forward (same) and play/pause. There’s a ‘button lock’ switch on the top edge, to the right of the 3.5mm hybrid optical/unbalanced analogue and 4.4mm balanced analogue outputs, and on the bottom edge you’ll find a USB-C socket and a microSD card slot, which will accept cards of up to 1.5TB.
Usability and setup score: 4.5 / 5
Astell & Kern A&ultima SP4000 review: Value
(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)
First things first: you don’t contemplate ownership of the Astell & Kern A&ultima SP4000 because you’re in any way concerned about value for money. Is it the best-sounding DAP out there? Sure. Is it twice as good as alternatives from the likes of FiiO or Astell & Kern itself that cost comfortably less than $2k? Not a chance.
No, the value in the SP4000 comes from its status as the shiny flagship of the Astell & Kern range. It comes from the knowledge that no one you bump into when in the First Class Lounge has a more expensive DAP than you. It comes from the ability to add ‘DAP’ to the list of ‘madly luxurious accessories I own’.
Should I buy the Astell & Kern A&ultima SP4000?
(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)
Buy it if...
You want more from your digital audio player than just digital audio In the same way as there’s more to a Montblanc fountain pen than just the ability to function as a pen…
You admire extremely thorough specification Astell & Kern has left no stone unturned here.
You take good care of your belongings That super-shiny stainless steel is quite fingerprint-hungry…
Don't buy it if...
You pay the slightest attention to value for money It’s it’s true value you’re after, virtually any other Astell & Kern DAP will suit you better than the SP4000.
You’re vegetarian or vegan Astell & Kern considers leather to be shorthand for ‘sophisticated’.
You don’t own any expensive, high-performance headphones You’d better be budgeting for some, that’s all I can say.
Astell & Kern A&ultima SP4000 review: Also consider
FiiO M23 The FiiO represents remarkable value at $699 for a DAP with such balanced, eloquent and entertaining sound. And think of what you could do with all the money you’ll have saved... Read our full FiiO M23 review
Astell & Kern Kann Ultra Don’t bother looking for like-for-like alternatives to the A&ultima SP4000 – there aren’t any. But there are some extremely capable digital audio players available for a fraction of SP4000 money, many of them well worth considering. The Astell & Kern Kann Ultra, for instance, is a great-sounding and well-specified device that’s yours for $1,759.
How I tested the Astell & Kern A&ultima SP4000
Tested for over a week
Tested with streamed and downloaded content
Tested with wired and wireless headphones
I slotted a microSD card filled with hi-res content (up to 24bit/192kHz and DSD64, anyway) into the SP4000, and I downloaded the Tidal and Presto music streaming apps while I was at it.
I listened to lots of different types of music, via lots of different file types and sizes – and I did so indoors and (with some trepidation, I don’t mind telling you) outdoors too.
From the outset, the potential of the KTC MegPad A25Q5 is obvious, essentially offering a completely portable touchscreen monitor with the Android 14 operating system that gives you full access to the Play Store and all of the apps that come with it.
Starting out, everything looked positive with a solid build and great design, so I started by looking at some of the usual Android apps that I use when testing other Android devices. The integration proved to be good, especially if you want to watch streaming video from YouTube or your favourite streaming service.
However, while it's great seeing the Android 14 at such a scale, some apps seemed soft in clarity, as if the scale of the display was slightly beyond the limits of the screen size, as there was sometimes a lack of crispness of icons and text in some but not all apps.
The more I started to delve into video and games, the more I started to see the limitations of this monitor that's pushing physical size with the display resolution. It still looks good, but sit too close and you'll notice that the colour lacks tonal graduation and details are smoothed in much of the video content. The HD resolution just starts to make everything look a little bit soft, especially when I'm so used to high-resolution monitors 4K and above.
The ability to plug into a laptop is handy with that 25-inch screen. However, once again, because the pixel depth is reduced, the clarity of the text on screen, whilst perfectly readable, just isn't as crisp and smooth as I've come to expect with the latest laptops, phones and tablets, even at the entry level. And once again, there's the fine detail, and the colour that once again lacks. So if you are thinking of this as a portable monitor for creative or even office use, then it is going to be a little bit limiting.
I really did like the fact that it has an internal battery and gives you a relatively decent amount of usage time, but once again, if you're thinking about using this portable monitor out on site, then that battery life at 5 hours will be a limit. Whilst it's fine for the odd meeting or lengthy presentation, anything ongoing just isn't possible.
The other aspect to consider is if you think this monitor could be useful for gaming, but again, with a 1080p resolution and maximum refresh rate of only 60Hz, games lack the impact of other smaller portable monitors, and that refresh rate does make some games look a little bit jerky, and then there's the actual power of the processor and CPU to contend with.
So, whilst the design and build quality of this monitor is good and I love the concept, it lacks the quality of hardware to enable it to reach its potential.
KTC MegPad A25Q5 monitor: Price & availability
How much does it cost? $399
When is it out? Now
Where can you get it? Widely available
At present, the KTC MegPad A25Q5 is available directly from the KTC US website and is priced at US$399, with the usual regular price of US$599.
In the US, I'm also seeing it on Amazon.com for $390 and on Newegg, where it's priced at $346.
Value: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
KTC MegPad A25Q5 monitor: Design
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Specifications
CPU: Qualcomm SM6115 (Snapdragon 662-class) Graphics: Adreno 610 (integrated) RAM: 8GB LPDDR4 Storage: 128GB internal (expandable) Left Ports: USB-C, DC in Onboard controls: Power button, volume rocker Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2 Audio: Dual stereo speakers, 3.5mm jack Camera: 720p front camera with privacy slider Size: 568 × 332 × 39 mm OS Installed: Android 14 Accessories: Remote control, charger,
The aesthetic design of the KTC MegPad A25Q5 is striking, with its matte cream finish giving it a stylish and friendly aesthetic. The body is nicely curved with a textured back and fabric carry handle with a robust fold-out stand that enables you to position the monitor in both landscape and portrait orientation.
When it comes to the size, it measures in at 22.37 in x 13.09 in (568.3 mm x 332.5 mm) with the thickness just 1.54 in (39 mm). Overall, the build quality of the monitor is exceptionally high, not quite premium, but not far off.
Taking a look around the body of the monitor, there are only two ports: the first is for the power, and the second is for the USB-C connection that enables you to plug into a laptop or tablet so that the machine can be used as an external display. Alternatively, you can plug in an external storage device. Otherwise, the only other physical feature is the small webcam with a privacy slider that enables you to slide a physical cover over the camera.
The display itself has a gloss finish that handles reflections well, with bezels that are relatively thick at roughly 10 mm, although, as they're flat to the display, these days, you would expect a slightly thinner design.
The diagonal of the display is essentially 25 inches, which does give you a good viewing area, especially for a portable monitor. And as well as being an IPS, it also offers 10-point touch functionality, which, for the Android operating system,. However, if you're connecting to a laptop with touchscreen functionality, that touchscreen functionality isn't carried across to the monitor for Windows 11 or macOS.
Alongside the monitor comes a very handy remote control that enables you to sit back and actually interact with the monitor without needing to get up and touch the screen. The layout of the remote is intuitive, with physical buttons that make it easy to navigate around the Android screen interface and also adjust volume and the monitor settings, and has a nifty pointer option, which is more intuitive to use when using streaming and TV apps.
As a portable monitor, there is quite a lot on offer here. The fact that it can be used as a touchscreen Android tablet at scale for streaming and watching back web content, and also used as an external monitor for your laptop or tablet, and will playback media from external storage devices does give it plenty of potential, especially with a design and build quality that means it's durable enough to easily be carried around, making it a seemingly ideal solution for many creative and business users.
Design: 4 / 5
KTC MegPad A25Q5 monitor: Features
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The feature list here is impressive, with the standout feature being the pure portability, thanks to the built-in internal battery that supplies it with a good few hours of use. Unlike other portable monitors, there's also an integrated Android device with full Android 14 OS, including the Play Store, readily accessible once powered up.
The monitor has also been exceptionally well conceived, so it's simple plug and play, so when you plug your laptop or another tablet device into the monitor through the USB-C connection on the side, the monitor instantly recognises that it is being required as an external display and automatically swaps its usage type from tablet to external display.
Going into some of the features and settings within the Android operating system enables you to adjust a lot of the visual settings, including the brightness and screen colour temperature. Through this test, I found that the default screen brightness of 55% was actually a really good balance for everyday use.
Internally powering the Android 14 operating system is 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which is relatively good for storing apps on the system. While the internal storage isn't huge, there is the option to connect other external storage devices through the side USB-C port, and this supports the ExFat file format, which is quite generic and widely used.
As I mentioned in the build section, there is an 8 million pixel webcam, which is good enough for 720p quality, not as high as you'd find on many premium mobile phones, but decent enough for a bit of web conferencing. One of the things I liked about the webcam is that it has a privacy shutter, so you can be absolutely 100% sure that when the shutter is slid across the lens, you won't be broadcasting.
If you're looking for a portable monitor for use as part of a display, then the touchscreen functionality is obviously quite handy, especially for presentations or interactive displays where you want people to interact with the monitor itself, as long as what you're using is Android-based.
There's also a physical remote control, so if you are using it for media or kiosk use, then you can interact with it using the remote from a distance. Whilst the remote is simple, it does give you lots of control over all of the options and settings, including playing back media.
Again, when it comes to the features, it is a shame that there is no HDMI, DP input, or Bluetooth; there's just that one USB-C port. However, through the test, I did find that the Wi-Fi connection was extremely robust.
Disk Speed Test Read 822 MB/s Disk Speed Test Write 185 MB/s Geekbench Single 319 Geekbench Multi 948 Geekbench GPU 297 3DMark Wildlife: 504 3DMark Slingshot: 1732
The KTC MegPad A25Q5 has, from the outset, so much potential. The design is elegant, it feels really robust, and with that carry handle on top, it is ultra-portable. So, if you need to carry it around the office or you're at a show and need to use this as a kiosk display, then its portability is a real bonus.
Personally, I also really like the simplicity of the design. The front of the screen is just nice and clean, and although it does have that rather thick bezel going all the way around, it isn't overly distracting.
While the number of input/output ports is relatively meagre, just the power and USB Type-C, they do offer enough to make this an extremely flexible portable monitor in use. With the ability to use it as a large-screen Android tablet, an external monitor for your laptop, or if you plug in external storage, it can be used as a playback device, obviously using the Android 14 operating system.
I started the test by taking a look at the Android functionality. And whilst at 25 inches the screen does push the Android operating system user interface, it still looks nice and clean and is very easy to navigate. In use, with that 8GB of RAM and decent volume of storage, the operating system does seem to run exceptionally smoothly. Loading up web streaming services from Netflix to YouTube, the streaming quality of video does seem exceptionally good. And whilst the screen is limited to 60Hz, for most TV and movies, the smoothness of motion is perfectly adequate.
However, I will say that with the resolution limited to just 1080p, you can really see that downscaling, detail and tonal graduation compared with a laptop or even many other higher resolution portable monitors.
I will say, however, that the two built-in speakers do provide a good depth of audio, which gives a far better audio experience than many other monitors, portable or otherwise.
Flicking through a few of the other Android apps, and for the most part, there is just enough processing power supplied by this Android operating system to plough through most tasks without too much issue.
Applications such as CapCut enable some video editing, although you do need to keep it light, and delving into a few Android games, while nice to see them on the larger screen, the system did struggle. But there again, the resolution is a little bit of an issue, as is the rather low refresh rate for gaming.
Where it did excel was with Google Docs and the Google Suite. That larger screen gave a much larger interface to type up and read documents, and whether it was typing on a document or scrolling through spreadsheets, the large font and space just make things nice and fluid.
Starting to push the processing again, and I loaded Lightroom to edit some photos again, which showed that there was a real issue with the lack of resolution for apps when displayed at this size. Essentially, it felt like the colour depth and the gradient handling just weren't up to scratch, and any issues just seemed to be amplified with this huge screen; however, the actual use and processing were absolutely fine.
As I started to run through the benchmarking tests, they reinforced that this is a mid-level Android device, perfectly good for basic use, browsing the internet, and streaming content. However, at all times, the lower resolution at 1080p on a 25-inch display just highlights those visual issues of lack of colour depth and detail.
Whilst you can weigh up the balance of cost, as this portable monitor does only cost $399, you can excuse some of that visual quality. And if you're looking for a portable display that can be used in meetings or in show kiosks, then it is actually a good option.
Through my test, running a series of benchmarking, streaming, and productivity tests on the monitor, I was able to get 5 hours of use. For me, I feel that's relatively decent. But if you want a monitor that lasts the distance, say half a day to a full day, then you will need to look at some sort of external power source for the monitor.
Performance: 2 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
KTC MegPad A25Q5 monitor: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The KTC MegPad A25Q5 has so much potential. It looks great and, on paper, everything about it seems to point at a product that will meet many different criteria, from a sleek portable monitor that you can use at home or in the office to stream back content, do video calls, watch TV and play games. And, of course, you can do all of this.
It also offers a full Android 14 touchscreen tablet experience, so you can utilise all the usual Android apps, and you have full access to the Google Play Store, which does give it plenty more potential.
So, when it comes to a functional smart display, the KTC A25Q5 could have been exceptional. However, it's limited by the quality of the actual display, with all of the innovation seemingly put into its workflow and functionality rather than its main focus, display quality.
From the outset, the quality of the display just seems to lack clarity. The Android 14 operating system, whilst working perfectly and generally giving a smooth experience (aside from gaming, where it's a little bit limited), just looks a little bit soft on this 25-inch screen. And the reason for that is not the size of the screen, but the resolution, which limits its pixel density.
As I started to run through the performance tests with Geekbench and 3DMark, it highlighted the limited processing power of the monitor. Then, as I delved into the more important feature, the qualities of the display, using Datacolor Spyder X2, it really started to highlight the limitations.
Across the board, the results in the Spyder X2 were average, again reinforcing the lack of detail and clarity that I was seeing, either using Android or a direct connection into a laptop, for both Mac and PC. So, whilst this portable monitor has huge potential, it really is limited by that display.
The battery was a highlight and I wasn't expecting much, however, it did seem to last the distance with a decent 5 hours of use. All things considered, especially the price that this monitor offers, is pure flexibility.
The fact that it could be used as a large-scale Android tablet so that you can watch back media at okay quality, that you can plug it into your laptop to give a bigger display when giving a presentation, and the ability to plug in external media so that you can play back content on the larger display using the Android operating system, still makes it extremely useful, just not the high quality that I would've expected.
Essentially, the concept for this monitor is absolutely spot on, and it's very easy to see how useful and how much potential this monitor has. It's just so unfortunate that the quality of the display underdelivers and lacks the sharpness and polish that I wanted.
Should I buy a KTC MegPad A25Q5 monitor?
Value
Great value for money considering that you get a large-scale Android tablet, external display and media playback monitor in one
4
Design
The build quality, design and aesthetics all look great, and with a simple carry handle, it just finishes off the design nicely
4
Features
Checking through the features, and on the surface at least it certainly has potential
4
Performance
While the MegPad shows potential, the lack of processing power and low resolution let it down
2
Overall
The concept is valid and the design aesthetically pleasing, but it is let down by the real-world performance
3
Buy it if...
You want a large Android display
Having the Android OS on such a large scale is definitely handy, and native apps run smoothly with good integration into Google's ecosystem.
You want a meeting screen with Android support
Running meetings through the tablet offers a large display with a relatively decent webcam for PC-free conferencing.
Don't buy it if...
You need to watch movies.
For both movies and gaming, the power of the hardware is slightly lacking, and the depth and low resolution really highlight the image issues.
You need to edit creative media.
Again, while the large screen lends itself to use for creative media, the lack of power and low resolution cancel this out as a viable option.
UGreen Nexode 65W Charger with Retractable USB-C Cable review
Want a convenient all-in-one charger for your phone, laptop, tablet, and more? Then the UGreen Nexode 65W Charger with Retractable USB-C Cable might be exactly what you’re looking for! Yes, the model names are almost always this long.
This charging block comes with an integrated USB-C cable, meaning you don’t have to purchase one separately or worry about your charging wire falling out. It can be pulled out gradually to a range of lengths up to 2.3ft (0.69m), and snugly tucked away by gently pulling the cable and returning it to its magnetic cradle. On top of that, the integrated cable is nice and flexible, meaning it can flex to your environment without too much trouble.
And, if that wasn’t enough, there are two additional USB slots on the unit, enabling you to charge three devices simultaneously. One is a USB-C slot and must be used on its own to get the full 65W (the retractable cable is only capable of 60W in single-port mode), and the other is USB-A if you want to make use of an old wire.
All of this flexibility and versatility is great, but how about performance? Well, I charged my Samsung Galaxy S24 FE – which has a 4,700mAh battery – using the retractable cable. I also juiced up my Sony WH-1000XM6 via the USB-C port and LG Tone Free T90S with the USB-A alternative. And even with all ports in use, my phone went from 1% to 100% in well under 80 minutes – which is very speedy indeed.
With that said, there are a couple of performance quirks that are worth pointing too. I already mentioned that the retractable cable can’t hit the max 65W power output, but it also omits support for Samsung Super Charge 2.0 45W. That is, however, admittedly only relevant to a small crop of Samsung devices at the moment.
In addition, multi-port power disruption may not suit all users. If you charge three devices simultaneously, you get 45W from the retractable cable, but just 7.5W out of the other two. I was also perplexed by the fact that when dual-charging with the USB-C and USB-A port only, you’re still capped at 7.5W per port, even without using the integrated wire.
But, regardless, if you just need to charge your phone and say, a pair of earbuds and headphones, the triple-port distribution should still be good enough overall.
Elsewhere, the charger is well built. It’s durable, compact given its 65W maximum power output, and has an attractive silvery finish. The UK model doesn't have foldable prongs, which is a shame, but this isn’t the case over in the US.
The charger also harnesses GaN technology to offer a strong suite of protection against issues like overheating, short-circuiting, overvoltage, and more. I never felt this model get too hot during the testing process, and I didn’t experience any performance dips whatsoever.
So it’s safe to say that I’m a fan of this UGreen charger. I love the convenience of the built-in cable, it can charge my phone in a pinch, and it’s pleasingly compact for when I’m on the go. It's also pretty cost efficient with a list price of $49.99 / £39.99 – though I’ve already seen it on sale for less than $35 / £28, so keep your eyes peeled for a sweet deal.
2.1 x 2 x 2 inches / 53 x 50.9 x 50.4mm (without prongs)
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the UGreen Nexode 65W Charger with Retractable USB-C Cable?
Buy it if…
You want an ultra-convenient phone charger The inbuilt retractable cable is really useful if you want a secure, hassle-free charging hub. The inclusion of separate USB-C and USB-A ports is also a nice touch if you’re out and about and realize your wireless earbuds or headphones have died, and you need some extra playtime.
You don’t have any USB-C cables lying around Still stuck with the old USB-A cables? Reluctant to spend your money on… you know, just a wire that juices up your phone? I get it. Thankfully, this model has its own retractable cable built in, so you won’t have to worry about any of that.
Don't buy it if…
You need to charge multiple power-hungry devices at once If you’re making use of tri-port charging on this model, the separate USB ports can only supply up to 7.5W each. Now, that’s not a lot of power if you want to charge more demanding devices like a second phone or tablet, for example. A model like the UGreen Uno Charger 100W could be better, as it offers 45W in port 1 and 30W in port 2, even when quad charging! Pretty impressive, no?
You need a top-performing laptop charger Now don’t get me wrong, 65W is a solid amount of power and will be enough to fast-charge a large portion of modern phones. But if you’re looking to charge a newer laptop at peak capacity, this model might be a tad underpowered. Instead, you can check out a model like the Anker Prime 100W GaN Wall Charger (3 Ports).
UGreen Nexode 65W Charger with Retractable USB-C Cable review: also consider
UGreen Nexode Pro 65W Ultra-Slim 3-Port charger Yep, it's UGreen again, and this model is super unique. The Nexode Pro 65W Ultra-Slim has the same power, and (essentially) number of ports as this retractable cable-equipped alternative. However, it has an unbelievably thin form, meaning it can be placed in tight spaces with ease – very useful if your power plug is close to a desk or bed, for example. It also has interchangeable adapters for US, UK, and EU power sockets. Talk about a handy travel companion! Read our full UGreen Nexode Pro 65W Ultra-Slim 3-Port charger review.
Site123 ranks on our list of the best free website builders and for good reason. The platform is as easy as - well, 123 - making it ideal for those that want to get online quickly such as small businesses or affiliate marketers that want to start driving traffic right away.
However, those looking for more advanced tools may find the platform a little limiting. In this review, we get hands on with Site123, helping you gather all the insight and information you need to decide whether it is the best website builder for you.
As you start exploring, you’re asked to define the main function of your site… (Image credit: Site123)
Click on the service’s welcome page’s ‘Start here’ to grab yourself 250MB of storage, 250MB of bandwidth a month and your first design decision: what type of website do you want to create? You have to choose from one of sixteen options, from Business, to Online Store, Blog, Music, and Creativity, amongst others.
Many options are available to customise the various sections (Image credit: Site123)
Interface
Once your site is created, you’ll be graced with a large preview of the template Site123 has designed for you. As you’d expect, it’s fully customisable, and you can even delete those pages and start afresh.
Click on some placeholder text to change it. The selection box has a couple of white squares which are used to resize your text, Some basic formatting tools appear above, while more detailed options are presented to the left of the screen. You could for instance select to animate your selection, browse through a list of various styles, or choose from one of hundreds of available fonts.
That part is easy. Others can be frustrating. Click on the ‘gear’ icon for instance. This reveals the various Background Settings of your selected page. You’ll be graced with 25 tiny preview thumbnails of the same image altered in some minor way. It’s impossible to see clearly what each of them offers, and it’s really best to click on them in turn, to see what they look like as they’re implemented in the main preview section of the interface.
Add as many pages as you like.... (Image credit: Site123)
Building pages
Expanding your site is a simple matter of clicking on the Pages menu and choosing to add additional ones. You’ll find a long list of categories, with various templates within each. These include Music, Testimonials, Articles, Events and Blog. Click on the style you’re interested in, and it’ll be automatically added at the bottom of your site.
One thing to bear in mind though: pages aren’t technically pages; they’re more like sections, each added under the other. This means your site is actually one giant scrolling page, and the more sections you add to it, the longer it becomes.
You’re also not limited to a single type of the above pages: you could have multiple blogs, galleries and e-commerce pages within the same website should you so choose. As long as you give them different names, it won’t get too confusing in the navigation menu.
And reorder them with ease (Image credit: Site123)
That menu, locked at the top of the page, just takes you straight to these various sections, but you can also scroll up or down to get to where you want to go. Reordering sections is a simple matter of dragging their handle from the sidebar and repositioning them elsewhere.
However the more you populate your site, the more confusing it can get, especially as you add more posts to your blogs or additional photos in your galleries. Although the customisation invites complexity and numerous sections, we wouldn’t recommend you go too crazy, and limit your design to just a handful of them.
Site123 features
Looking at the blog options, the design will feel familiar to anyone who’s used a word processor. Click on the blog section’s ‘Edit’ button to see all posts already created. You’ll see that a few are already there - examples to show you how the blog looks like and works. Click on them to edit them, or just get rid and start anew. You can add images and videos, include tags and a featured image. It’s all pretty easy and straightforward, enabling you to get started in no time at all.
The ecommerce features are easy to use, customize and make your own (Image credit: Site123)
What stands out the most about Site123 is its ecommerce abilities. While there’s plenty of web builders out there with the ability to create your own store (like Jimdo, Fasthosts, and SimpleSite), not many web hosts have ecommerce options that are so flexible and easy to customise.
You can add new items, create new categories, highlight the fact some products are new or for sale, etc. The free version of the service only allows your customers to pay by bank transfer, cash on delivery, check, money order, in person, or by phone. The more vital features for an online business, like PayPal, AmazonPay, or Stripe, amongst others, can only be accessed if you upgrade to the ‘Premium’ plan.
Site 123 gives you a free ‘temporary subdomain’ to publish your site to, but it’s as far from memorable as you can get - just a series of random letter and numbers, followed by ‘.site123.me'. If you want a more catchy URL, or if you already have one and would like to link your site to it, you have to pay for the privilege.
Plans and pricing
Site123 pricing and plans
Plan
Price
Free
$0/month
Premium
$12.80/month
Site123 has two main web hosting plans on their website. They also offer a 14 day money-back guarantee, so you can easily test Site123 to see if it’s right for you. Here’s a quick overview of both of them:
As its name implies, ’Free' comes with no charge. This option grants you 250MB of storage, 250MB of bandwidth, and one subdomain. Best if all, there’s no credit card required to sign up for it. This plan works best for those just starting on their online journey.
‘Premium’ is $12.80 per month. It includes your own domain name (for the first year), 10GB of storage space, 5GB of bandwidth, grants you more advanced ecommerce capabilities, and removes ‘Site123’ branding. This plan is great for small business, entrepreneurs, and freelancers who want more storage space and enjoy having their own domain.
Site123 review: Final verdict
Overall, Site123 is easy to use. Although somewhat limited, your customisation options are clear and easy to implement. The main preview of your website as you create it and experiment works great, but the layout options don’t favour a complex site with too many sections. If your needs are simple, and want something that looks good with little effort, Site123 is worth checking out.
