If you need a fast and fully featured multifunction printer at a sensible price for your business or home office, I’d recommend the Xerox C235. It’s a mid-price printer retailing around $400 (£275), which is at the affordable end of Xerox’s own laser line-up.
With a print rate of 24 pages per minute (22ppm outside the US) it’s faster than any inkjet and it comes with strong security features, a large touchscreen and a high monthly print volume that all suggest it would function well as a workgroup printer in a shared office. It’s a compact desktop design capable of holding 50 sheets of letter or A4 paper in its ADF (automatic document feed), another 250 sheets in its main tray, and a single sheet in its multi-purpose tray.
There’s frustratingly little toner in the box, but high-yield cartridges for this model are available and they’re fairly economical, so if it lives up to Xerox’s usual standard for print quality, this could be a very safe purchase. Let’s find out.
Dimensions/Weight: 411 x 349 x 344 mm (WxDxH)/19.4kg
This conveniently compact MFD (multifunction device) weighs almost 43lbs or 20kg and it feels as sturdy as Xerox’s more expensive machines. The desktop design is small enough to share your desk, but too big and heavy to sit on a shelf or stow away after use. The main tray at the bottom can hold 250 sheets of paper and, unfortunately, you cannot add paper cassettes to this mode. The single-sheet multi-purpose tray is at the front for easy access and the 50-sheet ADF sits on top, above the scanner.
The large 7.1-inch touchscreen display is angled upwards for easy viewing and beside it is a USB Host port for printing from, or scanning to a flash memory drive. Connections for an Ethernet, fax modem and USB data cables are at the rear with the power cable port. It’s a very familiar form factor and its two-tone off-white casing with rounded-off corners looks functional rather than stylish. It’s your typical Xerox design.
Xerox C235: Features & specifications
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(Image credit: Xerox // Future)
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(Image credit: Xerox // Future)
This variant of the Xerox C235, or C235dni comes with all the features essential for use in a shared office and a couple of extras. That includes duplex printing, scalable copying, a fax facility, a multi-purpose input for single print jobs, integrated Wi-Fi with AirPrint and Chromebook compatibility, and some strong security software. The extras are a color touchscreen interface and USB Host port for walk-up printing from a thumb drive. Note that the C235dw variant has no fax facility.
I can think of a few features that I’d like to have seen at this price. There’s no Bluetooth or NFC connectivity, for instance, no automatic two-side scanning, and only 2.4GHz Wi-Fi (not 5GHz). To be fair, it’s almost the same feature set as the slightly more expensive Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw. However, Canon beats this Xerox on three key points. With a maximum print speed of 24ppm (timed using letter-sized paper), the Xerox is slower, and it cannot be upgraded by adding paper cassettes as you can with the Canon.
It also ships with way less toner. The setup cartridges that come with the Xerox yield a measly 500 black pages and 500 color, compared with Canon’s 2,300 black and 1,200 color pages.
Xerox C235: Setup and operation
(Image credit: Xerox // Future)
I had no problem setting up the Xerox C235. The printed quick start guide is clear, but it’s unlikely you’ll need it. The four cartridges come pre-loaded, so it’s simply a case of removing all the orange packaging tape, loading your paper and plugging in.
The printer’s touchscreen display will tell you when to input the date and your Wi-Fi password. Alternatively, you can download the helpful iOS/Android app called Xerox Easy Assist, which will connect you to your Wi-Fi network without bothering with passwords.
The conveniently angled touchscreen interface is a lot smaller than those found on Xerox’s more expensive models, but it is sensitive and makes the Xerox C235 an easy printer to operate. The paper tray slides smoothly and the multi-purpose slot is handily located at the front.
Xerox C235: Performance
The print quality is up to Xerox’s usual high standard, with uniformly bold and precise pages of text emerging reliably and promptly every time. For a laser printer, it’s rather slow to print, but it’s faster than the best inkjet printers and probably fast enough for any small to medium sized business. It also produces a finer finish than any inkjet when it comes to printing crisp characters on plain paper.
The Xerox C235 is also good at producing eye-catching color documents, maps and line drawings thanks to its vivid colored toner. Glossy photo paper for laser printers is harder to find than inkjet photo paper, but it is available and Xerox has a paper setting to support it. In fact, it is better than most lasers at recognizing paper types with 17 different presets to choose from.
But like nearly all laser printers, the print resolution is limited to 600 x 600 dpi and it’s not able to deliver the enhanced resolution and fine detail needed for photography. It’s good enough for printing handouts and mixed media documents, but the dots that make up the images will always be visible.
The ADF proved perfectly capable of pulling in piles of documents and copying them as single-sided or duplex duplicates, and it was hard to tell the copy from the original. Without the ability to duplex scan, however, did mean turning each document to copy the other side. If you want automatic 2-sided scanning, you’ll need to step up to the Xerox C325, or Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw.
Xerox C235: Consumables
(Image credit: Xerox // Future)
The CPP (cost per page) for this printer is about average for a laser printer at around 3 cents (2p) per black page, and 12 cents (9p) per color page. That’s for standard yield cartridges. The setup cartridges in the box contain considerably less toner and will only yield up to 500 pages per cartridge. That seems pretty mean at a time when most ink tank printers are shipping with enough bottled ink for around 10,000 pages.
Xerox C235: Maintenance
Being a laser printer, you won’t need to worry about it drying out if left unused, but you will need to change the drum cartridges as they run out and replace the waste toner container when prompted by the printer. This container costs around US$20 (£18) and Xerox reckons it’s good for around 30,000 prints.
Xerox C235: Final verdict
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(Image credit: Xerox // Future)
The Xerox C235 put in a strong enough performance to justify its US$400 (£275) price tag and proved itself a reliable and easy to operate multifunction printer. Xerox has come up with a solid and compact design that would fit well in any home or small office and given it the features it needs to serve a workgroup in a small business.
It’s a pity there’s no scope to upgrade the 250-sheet paper capacity and the miserly amount of toner in the supplied setup cartridges is annoying, but the rest is all good. The touchscreen makes it easy to use, the front-loading multi-purpose tray and USB Host port are very convenient and the print quality is excellent.
The Marshall Kilburn III is the latest entry in the brand's mid-sized Bluetooth speaker range, aiming to combine huge, impactful audio with a pleasingly portable design. It’s also a model that hopes to outdo its predecessor, delivering far superior battery life, refined looks, and revamped acoustics. But that all comes with quite a bump up in price. So, is the Kilburn III truly worth the additional spend?
Well, given the truly swathing improvements across the board, I honestly believe that the answer is "yes". Some of the upgrades here are totally game-changing, none more so than the boost to battery life. The Marshall Kilburn III can offer 50 hours – yes, 50 hours – of playtime, which is more than double its predecessor, at just over 20 hours. That bolstered battery life means that the Kilburn III has more playtime than any other Marshall speaker – and far more than the majority of competition in this size and price category.
What really makes this model stand out – even compared to some of the best Bluetooth speakers – is its stellar audio performance. But let me be clear, other enhancements, such as an IP54 dust- and water-resistance rating, sleeker overall build and a premium gold control panel all come together to make the Kilburn III so much better than its predecessor, the Marshall Kilburn II.
Yes, the Kilburn III has fully reengineered acoustics, as well as bolstered 360-degree stereophonic sound. And the results from these adjustments are astonishingly good. This speaker served up incredibly clean, impactful bass, fantastically expressive mids, and energetic treble. No matter the genre of music you throw at it – it could be classical, it could be house, it could be rock – the Kilburn III nails it all, with beautifully full-sounding, omni-directional audio that’s seriously addictive.
It's also super-easy to adjust sound to your taste, either using the tactile knobs on top of the speaker, or via the Marshall app. The companion software opens up a number of EQ presets, a five-band equalizer, and even Placement Compensation, which optimizes audio for your space. It really is so easy to forge a sound that’s tailored to you, wherever you’re listening.
There are a bunch more features to unlock, too, such as battery preservation, Auracast, and charging bank functionality – which enables you to charge your phone through the Kilburn III’s USB-C port.
Arguably, though, the biggest draw of this model is its stunning looks. We’ve come to expect boundless beauty from Marshall over the years, with its eye-catching retro, amp-inspired design work translating beautifully into the world of speakers, headphones, and now even soundbars, following the launch of the five star-rated Marshall Heston 120. And it's no different with the Kilburn III.
Unlike the Kilburn II, gorgeous golden details used here for the logo and the controls really hammer home a premium feel. Pair that with neat speaker grilles on the front and reverse sides, pleasant knob and switch controls, as well as a red velvet-infused strap, and you’re looking at a masterclass in design.
The catch, as I flagged earlier, is that you’ll have to splash a fair amount of cash for the Kilburn III’s services. It will set you back $379 / £299 / AU$599 – which is by no means cheap. And it's also $80 / £50 / AU$100 more than the Kilburn II cost at launch. Having said that, the improvements are seismic and this is a model that's right up there with premium rivals such as the Sonos Move 2 and Bose SoundLink Max.
All in all, the Marshall Kilburn III is an exemplary Bluetooth speaker that absolutely aces everything that matters most. Amazing sound? Check. Luxury looks? Check. And a tasty set of features? Also, check.
Sure, if you want an option that’s perfect for taking to the beach, its IP54 durability may not quite do the trick, and I’d point you in the direction of our best waterproof speakers guide. But if you want a true statement piece with class-leading battery life and audacious audio, this is one of the best Bluetooth speakers on the market.
(Image credit: Future)
Marshall Kilburn III review: price and release date
$379 / £299 / AU$599
Launched in May 2025
The Marshall Kilburn III first released at the end of May 2025, almost seven years after its predecessor, the Kilburn II. It has a list price of $379 / £299 / AU$599, which is $80 / £50 / AU$100 more than the Kilburn II at the point of release. But the price reflects a slew of improvements, which I’ll tackle in depth below.
You can grab the Kilburn III in either Black & Brass or Cream, but the variant you select should have little to no impact on the price you pay for the speaker.
Marshall Kilburn III review: specs
Weight
6.2lbs / 2.8kg
Dimensions
10.7 x 5.9 x 6.7 inches /
273 x 150 x 169mm
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3, AUX
Battery life
50 hours
Speaker drivers
1x 30W woofer; 2x 10W full ranges
Waterproofing
IP54
(Image credit: Future)
Marshall Kilburn III review: features
Effective Placement Compensation
Nifty companion app with decent EQ options
Colossal battery life
The Marshall Kilburn III has many of the key features you’d be looking for in a modern Bluetooth speaker. You get all the basics, such as multi-point connectivity and fast-pairing, but there’s so much more to unlock in the Marshall app.
For instance, there’s Placement Compensation, where you can state if the speaker is positioned close to an edge, a wall or corner, and the speaker will adapt its audio output accordingly. I tried all of the different calibrations and found that the adjustments all make a significant difference, so ensure that you have the right setup for your space.
There are also some tasty EQ options to sink your teeth into. Yes, gone are the days of simply making adjustments to the bass and treble; Marshall has included a five-band equalizer here, enabling you to make a custom EQ that's to your taste. Alternatively, you can pick from a number of presets, such as bass, mid, and treble boost.
Some other nuggets include: battery preservation options, such as the choice to lower charging speed if temperature is outside the ideal range; Auracast broadcast tune-in; and M-button customization, which enables you to alter the function of the "M" shortcut on the speaker’s control panel.
The bottom line is, all of the crucial features are present – and super-easy to play around with in the Marshall app. Although, there are a few omissions that you’ll find on rival speakers.
For instance, there’s no built-in mic for high-quality, hands-free calling, something you’ll find on a model such as the Sony ULT Field 3. In addition, there’s no multi-speaker pairing (ie. no JBL PartyBoost equivalent), so if 100% volume isn’t enough or you want to create a multi-room setup over Bluetooth, it may be worth checking out a larger option in our guide to the best party speakers. I don’t typically keep multiple units of the same speaker at hand, and I prefer to keep calls more private, meaning neither of these missing features bothered me all too much.
Perhaps the best feature of this speaker, though, is its ridiculously long battery life. It delivers 50 hours of playtime, which is far, far more than most rivals in its price and weight class. Even the brilliant JBL Xtreme 4 can only just knock out 30 hours with PlayTime Boost active. Combine that with the ability to charge external devices via the speaker’s USB-C port, and you’re looking at a true powerhouse.
Features score: 4.5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Marshall Kilburn III review: sound quality
"True" 360-degree stereophonic sound
Incredible bass output
But overall sound is still brilliantly balanced
I was lucky enough to have the chance to try the Kilburn III out early at Marshall’s HQ in Stockholm, Sweden, so I already had a decent idea of this speaker’s talents. However, having spent a bit more time with it at our music testing room at Future Labs, I have realized that the Kilburn III is even better than I’d first thought.
One of the first things that struck me about this speaker was its booming bass output – something I also loved about the brand’s Heston 120 soundbar. When blasting Keep That Groove by Vitess, the pumping low-end was translated ultra-cleanly, with no noticeable distortion or muffling. Bass didn't ever overpower synths or vocals, and I didn’t even feel the need to activate the Bass Boost EQ mode!
The Kilburn III treated me to clear audio, even when I pumped out the tunes seriously loudly. For instance, when playing One-Winged Angel by Nobuo Uematsu, the piercing strings, ominous bass drums, and fear-inducing vocals culminated beautifully, never outshining one another. This is in part thanks to the Kilburn III’s dynamic loudness tech, which automatically adjusts bass, mids, and treble, so you don’t lose out on any detail.
Speaking of which, the Kilburn III is able to put up a pleasingly intricate performance, even though it lacks any "hi-res" Bluetooth codec support such as LDAC or aptX Adaptive. Leading sax from In The Pocket by Eric Darius danced through our testing room, sounding tonally accurate and unrestricted, resulting in a nuanced and expressive interpretation of the track. And thanks to the speaker’s "true" stereophonic sound, it didn’t matter where I was listening from – I got full-sounding, clear audio at every angle.
Even instrument separation surprised me after throwing on Vantablack by Intervals, with in-your-face electric guitar sounds well defined in the mix, even with a deep, powerful bassline and thrashing drums running throughout.
I really did throw a huge variety of tracks at the Kilburn III, and I was truly blown away by its ability to effortlessly handle anything sent its way.
With an all-action rock banger such as Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz, intertwining guitars sounded satisfyingly forward, with drums expertly positioned for a next-level listening experience. And with an upbeat dance track – something perhaps not associated with Marshall – such as A Fresh Energy by Gaskin, pumping bass was never lethargic, while higher-pitched percussive elements came through with incredible vibrancy.
The Kilburn III really is a Jack of all trades…but it's also a master of each one.
Sound quality score: 5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Marshall Kilburn III review: design
Stunning amp-inspired looks
Excellent physical controls
IP54 waterproofing is better, but nothing special
I already own the Marshall Stanmore III and have always adored the way it looks in my living room setup. I just love the retro feel of the amp-inspired design Marshall uses for its speakers, so you won’t be shocked to hear I very much like the look of the Kilburn III.
It has a premium-looking faux leather outercasing, stunningly finished speaker grilles on its front and reverse side, a gold-plated control panel, and sleek handle that has a red velvet underside. I didn’t so much like the white logo and black control panel on the Kilburn II – but this new model feels far more high-end, and it's one that is going to look like a true statement piece in any living space.
When I spoke to Marshall about the Kilburn III, that sense of the speaker being a "statement piece" was strong in the mind. I was assured that the speaker wasn't meant to compete with the company's rugged models – think the Marshall Middleton or Marshall Emberton III. And that may explain its sort of "meh" waterproof rating.
The Kilburn III is just IP54 dust- and waterproof-rated, meaning it's only really protected against splashing water, not water jets or full on submersion. Of course, a lot of portable Bluetooth speakers are now IP67-rated – sometimes higher – so if you’re looking for the most rough-and-ready model around, you should probably look elsewhere.
Regardless, there are other design aspects of the Kilburn III of which I am a fan. First of all, the tactile knobs on top of the speaker are incredibly effective and well built. You can alter volume, bass, or treble levels with these. There’s also a pin control, which makes a return from other Marshall models, for switching the speaker on or off. Perhaps the most interesting physical control, though, is the "M" button, which can be set to a variety of functions – such as sifting through EQ options – via the Marshall app.
On the reverse side of the speaker, you'll also find a USB-C port to charge the speaker or external devices, as well as a 3.5mm AUX port if you want to indulge in wired listening.
Design score: 4.5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Marshall Kilburn III review: value
More expensive than its predecessor…
…but a seismic improvement across the board
Well-priced against rivals
I’ve flagged it a couple of times in this review, but the Marshall Kilburn III is significantly more expensive than its predecessor. Given the sheer scale and breadth of improvements, though, I think it’s totally worth it.
Battery life is much improved, it has a more premium design, and the re-engineered acoustics have taken the revamped Kilburn to new heights. Even around that $400 / £300 / AU$600 zone, it sounds well-worth every penny.
And even against some similar-sized competitors, I wouldn’t consider the Kilburn III to be overpriced. For instance, 2024’s JBL Xtreme 4 launched at $379 / £329 / AU$499, and after testing both models side-by-side, I'd give Marshall’s effort the slight edge sonically. Of course, given its age, you can often find the JBL Xtreme 4 on sale now, though.
On top of that, this model is cheaper than the Bose SoundLink Max at the point of release, which often still goes for the full $399 / £399 / AU$599. So, the Kilburn III is far from the priciest in its weight class.
Value score: 4.5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the Marshall Kilburn III?
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Features
Some small omissions can’t overshadow amazing battery life and in-app functions.
4.5/5
Sound quality
Beautifully balanced audio even at high volumes, no matter the listening angle.
5/5
Design
Attractive amp-inspired design with gorgeous golden details.
4.5/5
Value
A price bump over its predecessor, but sounds, looks, and feels well-worth it.
4.5/5
Buy it if...
You love the Marshall aesthetic The Kilburn III stays faithful to the traditional Marshall aesthetic with its retro-looking amp-inspired design, adding a golden control panel and logo, upgraded tactile knobs, and a pin-style power switch, to make the Kilburn III a real beauty.
You need plenty of battery life Arguably the most impressive aspect of this Bluetooth speaker is its outrageously long battery life. With 50 hours of playtime, depending on listening volume, there's more than enough juice to keep the party running into the next day…and maybe the day after that, too.
Don't buy it if...
You’re on a budget The Marshall Kilburn III is an expensive speaker, and significantly pricier than its predecessor. Of course, I think there's enough to justify that hike; but if you’re on a budget, consider models such as the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 and the Marshall Kilburn II – both of which we’ve tested and enjoyed.
You want a big, powerful party speaker The Kilburn III can get pretty loud, displaying great bass output given its size. But for gigantic, yet talented, sound, nothing beats the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2. It can even double up as a karaoke machine – what more could you want?
Marshall Kilburn III review: also consider
Marshall Kilburn III
JBL Xtreme 4
Bose SoundLink Max
Price
$379 / £299 / AU$599
$379 / £329 / AU$499
$399 / £399 / AU$599
Weight
6.2lbs / 2.8kg
4.63 lbs / 2.1kg
4.7lbs / 2.1kg
Dimensions
10.7 x 5.9 x 6.7 inches /
273 x 150 x 169mm
11.7 x 5.9 x 5.6 inches / 297 x 149 x 141mm
4.7 x 10.4 x 4.1 inches / 120 x 265 x 105mm
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3, AUX
Bluetooth 5.3
Bluetooth 5.3
Battery life
50 hours
24 hours (plus up to 6 hours more with Playtime Boost)
20 hours
Speaker drivers
1 x 30W woofer; 2 x 10W full ranges
2 x 30W woofers, 2 x 20W tweeters
2 x 89mm transducers, 1 x 23mm transducer, 2x passive radiators
Waterproofing
IP54
IP67
IP67
JBL Xtreme 4 I still rate the JBL Xtreme 4 as one of the best party speakers around. I used it for comparison testing against the Kilburn III, and it still displays that clear, responsive, impactful sound that I remembered from last year. This model is a little more rugged, boasting an IP67 waterproof rating. On top of that, it can be found on sale fairly regularly now, so you should be able to grab it for less than the Kilburn III. Read our full JBL Xtreme 4 review.
Bose SoundLink Max If you want big, bold, balanced audio, the Bose SoundLink Max is a top-tier option. Again, this one’s IP67-rated, so it’s a little better protected against the elements. It’s gorgeous, too, much like the other speakers in the SoundLink line – but there’s a severe drop off in battery life when you compare this to the Kilburn III. On occasion, you can find the SoundLink Max for $100 / £100 off, so if Bose has your heart, make sure you keep your eyes peeled for a sale. Read our full Bose SoundLink Max review.
Marshall Kilburn III review: how I tested
(Image credit: Future)
Tested for one week
Mainly used in our music testing facility at Future Labs
Predominantly tested using Tidal
I tested the Marshall Kilburn III over a week-long period, making use of its full set of features, playing hours of music, and assessing all aspects of its design. I mainly used the speaker in our music testing room at Future Labs, so that I could judge audio quality in an isolated, controlled environment.
When blasting tunes, I mainly used Tidal, but I occasionally played songs over Spotify too. As always, I started the testing process by streaming tracks from our carefully curated TechRadar reference playlist, but I also listened to a ton of tracks from my own personal library. I ran a comparison test with the JBL Xtreme 4 to assess aspects such as sub-bass output, instrument separation, and sonic detail.
I’ve tested all sorts of audio equipment during my time at TechRadar, from flagship headphones such as the Sony WH-1000XM6, through to home cinema products such as the Marshall Heston 120. I’ve reviewed an array of speakers along the way from brands such as Sony, JBL, and, of course, Marshall. As a result, I’m more than familiar with the Kilburn III’s rivals, as well as what it takes for a speaker to stand out in a highly competitive market.
ScalaCube has long been one of the best Minecraft server hosting options available. It offers a selection of products, all the features you could need, and some easy one-click install solutions.
In our ScalaCube review, we explain exactly why this host holds such a large share of the market. The cheapest plan costs less than a cup of coffee, while there are extensive options for those with more ambitious plans and a growing community. What more could you need?
ScalaCube plans and pricing
ScalaCube has nine different subscription options, covering different budgets. For American and European servers, Premium plans range from $2 to $96 a month for the first month, renewing at $5 to $192.
The cheapest plan comes with 768MB RAM and 10 player slots. That plan won't suffice for most needs but there are mid-range options such as 6GB RAM and 100 player slots for $18 per month (increasing to $36), right up to the $96 plan which has 600 player slots and 32GB RAM.
A dedicated IP costs a $20 one-off fee with automated backups costing a $10 one-off fee.
ScalaCube features
ScalaCube focuses on Minecraft hosting, and its products are backed by a suite of premium features. Some of the most notable are listed below.
One-click modpack installation
With ScalaCube, you will have access to one-click installations for more than a thousand modpacks. These include standard packs, Spigot, PaperMC, CurseForge, and more. You can also create and upload your own custom modpack if you would like to.
Server monitoring
On your ScalaCube dashboard, you will find a monitoring tab that enables you to keep track of your server’s RAM and storage usage. You can use this to help you decide whether or not you’re using the correct plan for your needs.
Interface and in-use
To start with ScalaCube, simply select the plan you want to sign up for and work through the checkout process. This is very straightforward, and you shouldn’t have any issues. The main dashboard is simple but easy to navigate and familiarize yourself with.
ScalaCube’s main dashboard is intuitive and easy to navigate (Image credit: ScalaCube)
One thing worth noting is that ScalaCube’s servers can take a significant amount of time to deploy. Expect to wait at least ten minutes, but this could stretch to an even longer period of time in some cases.
The server management dashboard is packed full of a great selection of tools, including a backup system, FTP/SSH access, and a Minecraft launcher. Installing a new game server takes just a few clicks, and it’s a very straightforward process in general.
The server management dashboard is packed full of tools (Image credit: ScalaCube)
Support
ScalaCube’s customer service is limited to online ticketing. You need to be signed in to your account to submit a ticket, and this is done from your main dashboard. The support team is only active from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (GMT+2).
There are a number of self-help resources available via the support page. Here, you will find dozens of Minecraft tutorials outlining how to create your server, the best ways to configure it, and various other popular actions.
ScalaCraft has many tutorials to help you get started (Image credit: ScalaCube)
Alternatives to ScalaCube
ScalaCube is a top-rated Minecraft host, and its free plan stands out as one of the best we’ve seen, but there are numerous alternatives worth considering.
For example, Hostinger offers powerful Minecraft hosting at much lower prices than ScalaCube, making it a great option for those on a tight budget. Setup is very straightforward, and you will benefit from the Game Panel, which enables you to create a new server in just a few minutes. There are numerous server types, and prices start at just $4.99 monthly (on a 24-month plan) for 4GB RAM and 1 vCPU core.
Another popular option is MCProHosting, which enables you to host and switch between multiple games on the same server—a feature that ScalaCube doesn’t have. This makes it a great choice for those who like to switch between Minecraft and other games such as ARK, CS GO, Starbound, and Rust. 24/7 support is available if you run into any problems.
Final verdict
Overall, ScalaCube presents as one of the best Minecraft hosts available. Its free plan is great for those looking to create their first server, while its premium options cater to users of all skill levels. There are some small flaws, like limited customer service. But overall, there’s a lot to like here, and we’d highly recommend giving ScalaCube a try.
When I think "gaming laptop," I think of a portable machine with just enough juice to squeeze out 60 FPS in modern titles at medium settings. The MSI Titan 18 HX AI, however, seeks to break that mold and offer something closer to a desktop replacement, boasting a tagline of "total dominance."
With enough power under the hood to crank out 90+ FPS in fairly demanding titles like NBA 2K25 and Black Myth: Wukong, the MSI Titan 18 HX AI lives up to its name. It's a behemoth of a laptop, weighing in at 7.93 lbs (3.6kg) and sporting an RTX 50-series GPU.
It's not going to live out of your backpack - it's going to sit still on your desk and look pretty doing it. But it does offer much more portability than a traditional desktop PC.
As for that massive 18-inch display, it's a joy to game on. The miniLED 4K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate offer the perfect balance between high refresh rate competitive gaming and high fidelity story gameplay. You're probably not going to hit 4K and 120 FPS in most titles, but the ability to pick is enough for me, especially on a laptop.
There are only a few areas I wish the Titan 18 HX executed differently - namely, the trackpad and cooling system. While the trackpad is a nice size, I found myself muttering under my breath at the accidental inputs and unclear distinction between left- and right-clicks far too often.
As for the cooling system, I can tell you with complete certainty that this is not a fanless laptop. If you've ever heard a jet engine whirring up, you have a good idea of what the MSI Titan 18 HX AI sounds like under load.
And then there's the price. There's no beating around the bush; this system is going to cost you an arm and a leg. But when you consider the hardware on offer in a (somewhat) portable machine, that price point starts to make more sense. Still, it's a tough pill to swallow.
When all is said and done, the MSI Titan 18 HX AI is an incredibly performant machine with a few scant drawbacks and a price point that makes it perfect for a select few.
MSI Titan 18 HX AI: Price and availability
How much does it cost? Starting at $5,799.99 / £5,999.99 / $11,799AU
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? US, UK, and Australia
With great power comes great...asking prices. You get what you pay for with the MSI Titan 18 HX AI, and you get quite a bit. At a starting price point of just under $6,000, with options to upgrade the CPU, RAM, and display for a higher premium, that's going to prove a very high barrier to entry for most.
Frankly, you can find a lot of the best gaming PCs on the market well under that price point and still have some cash left over to get yourself a gaming handheld or decent gaming laptop.
But if you're set on a top-of-the-line laptop, you'll have to pay for it.
It looks like the only model available in Australia is the MSI Titan 18 HX AI Dragon Edition Norse Myth, which features the same set of specs along with a unique graphic on the lid and trackpad.
In terms of design, the first thing you'll notice is how large this laptop really is. It's not afraid to take up space, and at 7.93 lbs (3.6kg), there's some serious heft to it. It's not making our list of the best thin and light gaming laptops anytime soon, but it was never trying to.
Instead, the MSI Titan 18 HX AI's design lends itself more to a desktop replacement than a portable gaming rig. Don't get me wrong, it would still be far easier to lug this laptop around in a large backpack, tote, or suitcase than a traditional gaming PC. But I wouldn't opt for a Titan if you're planning to take your gaming laptop to and from college or a friend's house.
Imposing size aside, the Titan 18 HX looks great. It features an understated black and grey design with subtle accents like an MSI logo on the clamshell lid and light texturing on the speakers and chassis. If you have to have your RGB, you'll be happy to know the Cherry mechanical keyboard is per-key customizable.
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(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)
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(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)
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(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)
Speaking of the keys, this is one of the first gaming laptops that didn't make me want to break out my own typing piece. It does come with a high-pitched metallic pinging sound on some keys that I'm not crazy about, but the typing feel is quite springy and satisfying. Plus, you get a full-sized keyboard with a tenkey numpad and function keys here, which is a big plus for quick adjustments and games that utilize a lot of inputs.
Moving to the port selection, you've got a Kensington security slot, two USB-A 3.2 Gen2 ports, and an SD Express card reader on the left side. On the right, you get two Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, another USB-A 3.2 Gen2 slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Around the back side, there's an HDMI 2.1 port, an RJ45 slot, and a slot for your 400W power adapter.
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(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)
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(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)
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(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)
Overall, that's a really solid port selection you'd be hard-pressed to complain about. I love seeing the USB-A and USB-C combo here as a lot of PC peripherals (including the best gaming mice) still use that tried and true USB-A connection.
Now, for something I wish were a bit different: the cooling. When I tell you these fans are loud, it doesn't quite do it justice until you've heard them yourself. I had to raise the volume of the game I was playing multiple times just to hear over the whir required to keep that RTX 5090 cool.
This is only when the laptop is under load, so if you're just browsing the web or listening to music, you get a pretty noise-free experience. But this is a gaming laptop after all, and unless you're sticking to Stardew Valley (in which case, don't shell out for this laptop), those fans are going to make themselves known.
Design: 4 / 5
MSI Titan 18 HX AI: Performance
(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)
Outstanding 1080p and 1440p performance
Solid 4K capabilities
Offers fast-paced, competitive gaming and gorgeous story gameplay
Performance is the name of the game for the MSI Titan 18 HX AI. With an Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX processor, RTX 5090 laptop GPU, and a whopping 64GB of DDR5 RAM (upgradeable to 96GB), this laptop is the heavyweight main event of the evening.
MSI Titan 18 HX AI Benchmarks
Benchmark
Score
Geekbench 6.4 Single Core
3,046
Geekbench 6.4 Single Core
22,082
Crossmark Overall
2,269
Crossmark Productivity
2,033
Crossmark Creativity
2,757
Crossmark Responsiveness
1,760
25GB File Copy Transfer Rate (MB/s)
2,636
3DMark Fire Strike
40,374
3DMark Time Spy
22,437
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra
15,621
3DMark Time Spy Extreme
11,644
3DMark Speed Way
6,094
3DMark Steel Nomad
5,530
3DMark Port Royal
15,289
Assassin's Creed Shadows (Ultra High, 1080p)
54 fps
Black Myth: Wukong (Cinematic, 1080p)
59 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra, 1080p)
71 fps
Metro: Exodus (Extreme, 1080p)
93 fps
Monster Hunter Wilds (Very High, 1080p)
87 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Very High, 1080p)
196 fps
Total War: Warhammer III (Ultra, 1080p)
220 fps
Web Surfing Battery Informant
2:16
PCMark 10 Gaming Battery Test
1:37
I've been on a sports sim kick lately, with titles like NBA 2K25 and Rematch dominating my playtime. While 2K25 is fairly demanding, the Titan chewed through it like nothing, easily spitting out 90-120 FPS at 2K resolution. Rematch, on the other hand, is pretty lightweight, but that just means the 120Hz display can really shine.
I also ran the MSI Titan 18 HX AI through synthetic benchmarks and tested it in several triple-A games, including Cyberpunk 2077, Black Myth: Wukong, and more, which you can check out in the chart above.
Performance definitely takes a hit at 4K, but many of the games are still playable at around 30-70 FPS. Plus, if you tweak a few settings and use upscaling where available, you can definitely land a sweet spot between decent frame rates and gorgeous 4K visuals, even without Frame Generation.
You'll also get a solid rendered FPS at 4K with DLSS 4, so Multi-Frame Generation won't introduce the kind of noticeable input latency that it would on less powerful devices, so feel free to turn it on and maximize the capacity of the 120Hz display when you can.
Performance: 5 / 5
MSI Titan 18 HX AI: Battery life
(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)
Considering this is a gaming laptop with a 50 series GPU, Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and a massive 120Hz display, the battery life here is actually pretty passable. Not to mention that with a machine this bulky, it's going to be plugged in most of the time anyway, so battery life isn't a big concern in my eyes.
It's not going head-to-head with the Razer Blade 16 anytime soon in terms of battery life, so if you're looking to game on the go at 4K without a power bank or outlet nearby, forget it.
But it does buy you about an hour and a half from full charge to dead under moderate stress (at 60Hz with RGB off), and if you need to break it out of your bag to send a few quick emails and watch a little Netflix, it'll get the job done.
Battery life: 3 / 5
Should you buy the MSI Titan 18 HX AI?
MSI Titan 18 HX AI scorecard
Category
Notes
Rating
Value
While you do get a lot of horsepower with the MSI Titan 18 HX AI, the price tag isn't pretty. You're looking at well over $5,000 for a gaming laptop here, even if you do get a mobile RTX 5090.
2.5 / 5
Design
Gripes are far and few between when it comes to design - I wish the trackpad was a bit more consistent, and the fans get very loud under load. But you get a fantastic port selection, gorgeous display, satisfying keyboard, and sleek aesthetics.
4 / 5
Performance
This is where the Titan 18 HX really shines. You can crank the settings at 1080p or 1440p, and even get a respectable 60FPS at 4K with some settings tweaks.
5 / 5
Battery Life
It's a powerful gaming laptop, so you shouldn't expect all-day battery here. But for the hardware under the hood, it's actually pretty decent.
3 / 5
Final score
Overall, the MSI Titan 18 HX AI is a fantastic desktop replacement that offers more portability than a traditional tower PC.
4 / 5
Buy the MSI Titan 18 HX AI if...
You need more portability than a tower PC While "portable" isn't one of the first words I would use to describe the MSI Titan 18 HX AI, it is definitely easier to move than a traditional tower PC, monitor, and peripherals setup.
You want paramount performance from your laptop There's serious power packed into this gaming laptop, including an RTX 5090, Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, and 64GB of DDR5 RAM.
Don't buy it if...
You're looking for something affordable While the MSI Titan 18 HX AI is many things, affordable is far from one of them. You're going to have to pay for what you get here, and there are plenty of gaming laptops at half the price or cheaper.
You need to move your laptop often While the Titan offers some semblance of portability, it wouldn't be my first pick for tossing in a bag and taking to work or a friend's house.
Also consider
MSI Vector A18 HX A9W The Vector A18 HX A9W is like the Titan's little brother. It still packs a punch in the performance department, but at half the asking price.
Razer Blade 16 (2025) The Razer Blade 16 (2025)is our top pick of the best gaming laptops for a reason - well, several reasons actually. It also comes equipped with an RTX 5090, but comes in at nearly $2,000 cheaper.
I used the MSI Titan 18 HX AI for over three weeks
Gaming, media, and everyday browsing
Our suite of gaming laptop benchmarks, including synthetic and in-game
I used the MSI Titan 18 HX AI A2XWJG as my primary gaming system for three weeks. I played several different titles, including NBA 2K25, Rematch, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. I also put the Titan to the test with everyday browsing and media enjoyment on YouTube, Max, Gmail, and more.
We put the Titan 18 HX through its paces in our suite of gaming laptop benchmarks, including synthetic tests and in-game benchmarking.
If you want to learn more about how we test our laptops and desktops, check out this page.
Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube Controller: one-minute review
After around 15 hours with the Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube controller, I can safely recommend it if you’re looking for an authentic retro experience on the console. This is a pin-sharp, accurate recreation of the original pad, and thus is ideal if you’re planning to dive into those classic GameCube games as part of your Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription.
It’s a faithful revision, but that doesn’t mean the purple wonder hasn’t been modernized in some ways. You’re getting wireless connectivity here - a key selling point of the original GameCube’s Wavebird controller back in the day. Battery life also seems to be incredibly impressive; after around 15 hours of play, its battery indicator on the Switch 2’s ‘Controllers’ menu appears about half full. As such, I estimate you’ll get around 25-30 hours of life before needing to charge it up again.
Still, ‘authentic’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘perfect’, and there are definitely some more improvements I’d like to have seen, even if purists would cry foul. The controller’s d-pad is still far and away its weakest element, being incredibly small and fairly mushy to the touch. And while I do enjoy those pressure-sensitive triggers, they certainly do feel clunky in comparison to the best Nintendo Switch controllers of today.
The only other real downside to talk about is availability. That’s because the Switch 2 GameCube controller is only available brand new via Nintendo’s online store, which requires a Nintendo account to log in and buy products.
On top of that, you’ll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to be eligible for purchase. This will be a hurdle to some, but if you’re planning on buying the controller for its intended purpose, then you’re likely to already be subscribed to Nintendo’s online service.
(Image credit: Future)
Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube Controller review: price and availability
$64.99 / £58.99 / AU$89.95
Available exclusively via Nintendo’s online store
A Nintendo Switch Online-subbed account is required for purchase
The Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube controller released the same day as the Nintendo Switch 2 console (June 5, 2025), and is available to buy now for $64.99 / £58.99 / AU$89.95.
While this is a good deal cheaper than the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller ($84.99 / £74.99 / AU$119.95), keep in mind that the use case for the GameCube pad is more limited, as it’s primarily designed for the Switch 2’s GameCube Nintendo Classics library.
As mentioned above, there are some hoops to jump through in order to buy the GameCube controller for yourself. It’s only available through Nintendo’s online store, which you’ll need a Nintendo Account in order to make purchases from. On top of that, Nintendo is limiting purchases to those who have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
While that’s an annoying limitation, it does make some sense. The Switch 2’s library of GameCube titles can only be accessed through Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Pack tier. Thus, if you’re buying the controller for that reason, you’ll probably already have a subscription to the online service.
Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube Controller review: Specs
Price
$64.99 / £58.99 / AU$89.95
Weight
7.4oz / 210g
Dimensions
5.5 x 3.9 x 2.6in / 140 x 100 x 65mm
Compatibility
Nintendo Switch 2
Connection type
Wireless
Battery life
Around 25-30 hours
(Image credit: Future)
Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube Controller review: design and features
After the Sega Dreamcast, the Nintendo GameCube was my childhood system from that sixth generation of consoles (yes, I’m old, shut up). I spent those days playing hundreds of hours of amazing titles like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Phantasy Star Online Episode 1 & 2, F-Zero GX, and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. As a result, I’m deeply familiar with the original GameCube controller, and it’s one of my all-time favorite gamepads.
In my eyes, then, the Switch 2 version of the GameCube controller had a lot to live up to. And I’m happy to report that this is very much the same controller, albeit with some modernities to make it more usable as a contemporary pad. Aside from the obvious wireless connectivity, that includes the introduction of Home, Screenshot, and GameChat buttons, as well as a small ‘ZL’ button that sort of acts as a left trigger for regular Switch and Switch 2 games (in addition to accessing the quick menu for the GameCube Classics library).
Otherwise, this is practically identical to the original controller, sans the wired port being replaced with a USB-C port. The analog stick, C-stick, d-pad, and that iconic-yet-unorthodox face button layout are all exactly where they should be, and all feel very similar to that 2001 pad.
Nintendo has even gotten the smaller details right. Like how the face buttons feel ever so slightly loose in the places, not so much as to feel flimsy, but enough where they can rock around under your thumb. It’s a weirdly tactile feel that I’ve always enjoyed. Elsewhere, the left analog stick has all the right contours, bearing the same grippy feel as the OG version. Fear not if you were after authenticity, then this is a GameCube controller through and through.
(Image credit: Future)
Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube Controller review: Performance
With all that in mind, design-wise, it should come as no surprise that the Switch 2 GameCube controller feels as good now as it did back then, even with my larger adult hands. Its curved design is a blessing even among contemporary controllers, and during play, my hands still rest comfortably around its grips with index fingers wrapping snugly over the triggers.
I primarily tested the Switch 2 GameCube controller with its relevant Switch Online game collection. At the time of writing, that meant plenty of gameplay in F-Zero GX, Soul Calibur 2, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Super Mario Strikers. Aside from some slightly noticeable input lag in Wind Waker (which is a problem with the emulation, as I’ve experienced the same with the Switch 2 Pro Controller), the GameCube pad performed excellently through wireless play.
There are two layers to my reasoning here. The first and rather obvious one is that the GameCube’s button layout is drastically at odds with the standard Switch format. On the GameCube controller, you have the A button in the middle, with B, X, and Y all orbiting it. If you’re dead set on using the GameCube controller for Switch 2 games, you’ll need to rely on in-game controller settings to form a more comfortable layout.
Additionally, the pad’s triggers register bumper inputs (L and R on Switch 2 Pro Controller, and Joy-Con 2), while the Z and ZL buttons are the triggers by default. That essentially means the placement has swapped around, which is more than a little awkward.
(Image credit: Future)
That’s where my second point comes in. The Switch 2 does not currently support GameCube controller button mapping from the Home dashboard, as it does for other official pads. This is a bit of a weird omission, and one I hope gets patched in somewhere down the line. Ultimately, though, I am happy that Nintendo at least offers GameCube controller compatibility as an option.
There are other control-related issues, but these are legacy problems at the very least. The triggers will definitely feel a little too clunky for some, and the d-pad is still far too small, rugged, and mushy-feeling. Would I have liked to have seen some improvements in these areas? Sure, but given my attachment to the original GameCube controller, I’m similarly hesitant to introduce any sweeping changes from a purist perspective.
Lastly, the controller at least seriously impresses in the realm of battery life. I tested the GameCube controller for around 15 hours, and while I didn’t fully drain the tank, I ended up using about half, according to the Switch 2’s controller menu. With that in mind, I’d estimate the pad houses anywhere between 25-30 hours of battery life, a similarly impressive number to that of the Switch 2 Pro Controller.
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube Controller?
Buy it if...
You want that authentic GameCube experience Switch Online’s GameCube library is set to grow each month. The controller is the best way to play these games in a faithful manner, and means you won’t have to fiddle around with the button layout on the Switch 2 Pro Controller or Joy-Con 2.
You want the full suite of official Switch 2 accessories There’s already a decent handful of official Switch 2 accessories available to buy, including the Switch 2 Pro Controller and the Switch 2 Camera. The GameCube controller is another quality Switch 2-compatible product from Nintendo, and shouldn’t be missed if you’re after the lot.
Don't buy it if...
You’re not a GameCube enjoyer Quite simply, if you’ve no interest in the Switch 2’s GameCube library, there’s little reason to own the controller. While its native Switch and Switch 2 game support is nice, it isn’t designed around them, thus its relatively awkward button layout could cause issues there.
Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube Controller review: Also consider
The Switch 2 GameCube controller is a pretty specific piece of kit, made for a very specific set of games. Here are some alternatives in case you’re having second thoughts.
Switch 2 GameCube Controller
Switch 2 Pro Controller
8BitDo Ultimate 2
Price
$64.99 / £58.99 / AU$89.95
$84.99 / £74.99 / AU$119.95
$69.99 / £59.99 / AU$90
Weight
7.4oz / 210g
8.3oz / 235g
8.7oz / 246g
Dimensions
5.5 x 3.9 x 2.6in / 140 x 100 x 65mm
5.8 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 148 x 105 x 60mm
5.7 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 147 x 103 x 61mm
Compatibility
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Connection type
Wireless
Bluetooth, USB Type-C
2.4GHz, Bluetooth, USB Type-C
Battery life
Around 25-30 hours
Around 40 hours
10-15 hours
Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller Simply the best Nintendo Switch 2 controller available right now. Sublime build quality and best-in-class battery life make it a must-own for every Switch 2 owner.
8BitDo Ultimate 2 A superb upgrade over the original model, the Ultimate 2 brings drift-resistant TMR sticks, remappable extra buttons, trigger locks, and some lovely RGB ring lights around the thumbsticks. A solid, cheaper option overall if the Switch 2 Pro Controller is pricing you out.
How I tested the Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube Controller
Tested for approximately 15 hours
Played a range of GameCube classics and Switch 2 games
Compared to the Switch 2 Pro Controller in terms of feel, performance, and battery life
I tested the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller for around 15 hours total, primarily using it for its intended purpose of playing with Nintendo Switch Online’s GameCube library. I also mixed in testing with some Switch 2 games, including Mario Kart World, Street Fighter 6, and Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Results were admittedly mixed here, as the GameCube controller’s button layout isn’t best suited for more modern titles.
I primarily played on my LG CX OLED TV, and compared its performance with GameCube games to that of the Switch 2 Pro Controller. Both are well-suited, though I did find myself having to tweak button settings for the latter to better suit the control schemes of titles like F-Zero GX and Soul Calibur 2. With the GameCube controller, I didn’t have to worry about this as the controls are all mapped as intended.
There’s an old saying about the zeal of the convert, and Netgear certainly seems to have changed its ways – or perhaps just its management – in recent months.
After establishing itself as the Apple of the Wi-Fi world, with a series of stylish but expensive routers and mesh systems, the company has recently brought out a number of more affordable products, culminating in the new Nighthawk RS100, which is not just Netgear’s most affordable Wi-Fi 7 router, but also more affordable than many of its rivals too.
Inevitably, though, that low price involves some compromises, and like several of the less expensive Wi-Fi 7 products that we’ve seen recently, the RS100 is a fairly basic dual-band router.
This means that it supports just the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequency bands, and omits the high-speed 6.0GHz band that is also available with both Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7. Even so, the RS100 provides Wi-Fi speeds of up to 3.6Gbps, which is still more than fast enough for most home broadband services.
One of the other advantages of Wi-Fi 7 is that the RS100 should also be more reliable than older routers when connecting to lots of computers, mobile devices and other smart devices within your home simultaneously.
That makes it a good, affordable Wi-Fi upgrade for many home users who may still have older computers and mobile devices that don’t need the full speed available with tri-band routers that also support 6.0GHz Wi-Fi.
(Image credit: Future)
Netgear Nighthawk RS100: Price And Availability
How much does it cost? $129.99/£129.99/ AU$259
When is it available? Now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
Product prices are wildly erratic all over the world at the moment because of he-who-shall-not-be-named. But, at the time of its launch, the RS100 was priced at $129.99/£129.99 and we were pleased to see that – unlike many Wi-Fi 7 products – it’s also available to our friends down under for AU$259.
That makes the RS100 a full $100 less expensive than the RS200 that we reviewed from Netgear recently. The RS200 is also a dual-band router, but it’s faster, with a top speed of 6.5Gbps.
Even so, the 3.6Gbps of the RS100 should still be perfectly adequate for most home broadband connections. Netgear also states that the RS100 can connect to as many as 50 devices simultaneously, and can cover areas of up to 2,000sq.ft, making it a good option for most small and medium-sized homes (although regions outside the US may quote an area of 1,500sq.ft due to differences in regional regulations).
Value: 4/5
Netgear Nighthawk RS100: Design
Compact design
2.5Gb Ethernet for broadband connection
4 Ethernet ports for wired connections
Unsurprisingly, the RS100 shares the ominous-black-obelisk design of other Nighthawk routers, although it’s actually quite a bit smaller than other models in the range.
The RS100 stands just 184mm high, 66mm wide and 122mm deep, so it’s easy to set it up on any convenient shelf or desk without taking up too much space.
That’s partly because the relatively modest speed of the RS100 only requires two internal antennae, compared to four antennae in the RS200 and RS300 models that we have reviewed recently.
(Image credit: Future)
However, one sign of cost-cutting is that the router’s black plastic casing does feel a little flimsy, so it’s probably a good idea for parents to place it somewhere that’s out of reach for curious little hands.
Netgear hasn’t cut too many corners, though. The RS100 provides a 2.5Gb Ethernet port for your broadband connection (WAN), along with four Gigabit Ethernet ports to provide wired (LAN) connections for a PC or games console if required.
The only minor compromise here is the lack of a USB port that would allow you to connect a USB storage device (or printer) to your network, but that’s not a major problem at this price.
Design: 4/5
Netgear Nighthawk RS100: Features
Easy to set up and use
Poor parental controls
Useful diagnostic tools
As always, Netgear makes it very easy to get started. You can just plug in the power supply and connect the RS100 to your existing router, and Netgear provides a QR code for downloading the Nighthawk app, and a second code that connects you to the new RS100 network.
But, reflecting the router’s low price, the Nighthawk app is a bit basic when it comes to providing additional features. The app automatically merges the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequency bands into a single network, which keeps things simple for home users, although more experienced users might prefer an app that provides more detailed control over their network settings.
(Image credit: Netgear)
There are some basic diagnostic tools, such as a speed test to check network performance, and you have the ability to create two guest networks for visitors, or to block network access for individual devices. However, there are no parental controls available within the app, and the information on Netgear’s website indicates that the RS100 isn’t currently compatible with Netgear’s Smart Parental Controls subscription service.
Security features are also fairly limited, as you get just a one-month trial of Netgear’s Armor security service, but then have to pay $99.99 (around £75 / AU$150) per year to continue using the service.
To be fair, most rival manufacturers offer software subscription services as well, but there are other routers that still provide better parental controls and other features within their apps free of charge.
Features: 3/5
Netgear Nighthawk RS100: Performance
Dual-band Wi-Fi 7
3.6Gbps maximum speed
2.5Gbps Ethernet for broadband connection
Netgear Nighthawk RS100: Benchmarks
Ookla Speed Test – Single merged network
Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps/150Mbps Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps/150Mbps
20GB Steam Download –Single merged network
Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps
The lack of support for the 6.0GHz frequency means that the RS100 is very much an entry-level router, but Wi-Fi 7 is so ridiculously fast that the router’s relatively modest 3.6Gbps should still be more than fast enough to handle most domestic broadband connections.
My aging office router struggles even with a modest 150Mbps broadband connection, and can only manage a speed of around 120Mbps even for devices that are in the same room as the router.
And, at the rear of the building, I actually have a ‘deadspot’ where the Wi-Fi signal is so unreliable that I end up using powerline adaptors to provide a wired network connection instead.
(Image credit: Future)
The RS100 solved all my network problems, though, immediately allowing devices in the same room to hit the maximum 150Mbps for both the Ookla Speed Test and game downloads on Steam. The router’s speed did dip slightly as I walked with our laptop along the corridor to the deadspot in the back office, but quickly recovered again and hit 150Mbps once more for both tests.
So, while the RS100 is no speed demon, it can still provide a worthwhile upgrade for many people who own an older router that only uses Wi-Fi 5 or 6, and my only real complaint is the lack of parental controls and additional features within the Nighthawk app.
Should you buy the Netgear Nighthawk RS100?
Category
Verdict
Score
Value
It’s very much an entry-level dual-band router, but the RS100 does provide a very affordable upgrade for owners of older routers.
4/5
Design
The plastic casing feels a little flimsy, so you’ll need to keep it on a safe shelf or desk. The hardware features are up to scratch, though, with 2.5Gb Ethernet for your broadband connection and four gigabit ports for wired connections.
4/5
Features
The Nighthawk app is easy to use, but it’s a little threadbare, especially when it comes to parental controls, and Netgear’s habit of trying to sell you additional subscriptions remains irksome.
3/5
Performance
It’s relatively slow for a Wi-Fi 7 router, and the lack of 6.0GHz support could be a deal-breaker for more demanding users, but a speed of 3.6Gbps will still be a welcome upgrade for owners of older routers.
3.5/5
Overall
It’s undeniably a basic, entry-level router, but at this price the RS100 is one of the most affordable Wi-Fi 7 routers currently available and worth considering if you’re still using an old router provided by your ISP.
4/5
Buy it if...
You’re on a budget It can’t match the speed of more expensive Wi-Fi 7 routers, but the RS100 can handle most domestic broadband connections with ease.
You have a lot of gadgets Millions of people are still using computers and mobile devices that only support Wi-Fi 5 or 6, so they really don’t need to splash the cash on a cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 router.
Don't buy it if...
You’re a gamer The RS100 is a basic, dual-band router and lack support for the high-speed 6.0GHz band, so it’s not the best option for gamers who need fast and reliable network coverage.
You're a parent The Nighthawk app doesn’t provide any free parental controls and – at the moment – doesn’t even support Netgear’s separate Smart Parental Controls subscription service.View Deal
It’s twice the price, but at 9.3Gbps the tri-band RS300 is more than twice as fast as the RS100, and will be a good option for owners of new computers and mobile devices that support Wi-Fi 7 and the 6.0GHz frequency band.
Mesh wi-fi systems that support Wi-Fi 7 are still fairly expensive, but the Eero 7 is one of the more affordable options for larger homes that need a far-reaching mesh system.
Action adventure title Donkey Kong Bananza harnesses the powerful Nintendo Switch 2 hardware to offer a gigantic, open-ended world with dazzling destruction that lets you bash, smash, and crash through practically anything.
Its seemingly endless stream of hidden collectibles and secrets makes exploration especially rewarding and ensures that each of its many massive layers presents tens of hours of entertainment, even after the credits roll.
Review info
Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2 Available on: Nintendo Switch 2 Release date: July 17, 2025
It feels like a true follow-up to 2017’s ground-breaking Super Mario Odyssey, with everything that made that game so enjoyable dialed up to the max. That includes an attempt at more elaborate storytelling, though unfortunately this is the one area where the overall package falters. Its basic plot is enhanced by compelling voice acting, though it feels a tad rushed - especially when the action kicks into overdrive towards the end.
This isn’t a dealbreaker by any means as the beautiful visuals and wonderfully expressive animations ensure that every cutscene is still thoroughly enjoyable, and ultimately does little to detract from what is undoubtedly one of the very best Nintendo Switch 2 games right now.
Go bananas
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Set in a labyrinthine subterranean world beneath the distant Ingot Isle, you would be forgiven for thinking that the environments in Donkey Kong Bananza would be nothing more than a series of dark caves. Although it’s true that the story starts in a rather cramped, conventional mineshaft, this quickly gives way to a string of bright and colorful locations that wouldn’t look out of place in a Super Mario game.
The themes of each one aren’t anything that you haven’t experienced before, an ice world or a poison jungle is hardly uncharted territory, but are nevertheless elevated by some imaginative flair. The ice world, for example, is styled like a massive freezer drawer, its rolling snowing hills covered with colorful scoops of ice cream and mounds of densely packed chocolate sprinkles, while the poison jungle is home to a fancy egg-shaped hotel. It’s admirable that, after all these years, Nintendo can still find ways to make such well-worn concepts feel exciting and fresh.
The distinct animal residents of each world contribute to this too, and there are plenty of non-playable characters (NPCs) to chat to on your travels that dispense everything from useful tips to interesting worldbuilding and occasionally little jokes or references. The end result are stages that you desperately want to spend as much time as possible in, which is easy to do given the sheer volume of collectibles here
Best bit
(Image credit: Nintendo)
There’s plenty of variety, with some levels featuring their own memorable segments. A favorite is a full-on racing minigame which sees DK and Pauline facing off against Diddy and Dixie Kong on the back of a charging rhinoceros.
Donkey Kong Bananza is densely packed with hidden goodies, the most significant of which are the Banandium gems. These crystalline bananas are Donkey Kong’s favorite snack, and can be found absolutely anywhere, buried beneath mounds of earth, hanging from the top of undersides of hard-to-reach ledges, and so much more.
You’re practically always within a few meters of a new gem, highlighted on screen every time you use a sonar-like clap, and it’s impossible to resist the temptation of going after each and every one.
Most of the time, this involves exploiting the fully destructible terrain, tearing through layers of material with immensely cathartic punches. Building tunnels is as simple as mashing the B button for a downward hit or pushing Y for a forward attack while walking in the direction that you’re facing. X targets the surface above you, ideal for breaking up through to the surface once you’ve reached your destination.
The destruction is absolutely glorious, and your efforts are rewarded with constant bursts of gold that you can hoover up and later spend on constructing hideouts (little rest points that allow you to restore health easily), placing things like barrel launchers that let you traverse more easily, or in at a vendor that sells useful items like health boosts.
Monkeying around
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Early on, you’re introduced to the young Pauline, who accompanies DK throughout much of his adventure. The pair have a great chemistry, with plenty of amusing facial expressions to chuckle at, though the overall plot, which follows DK and Pauline’s quest to reach the magical core buried deep beneath the surface, is sloppy at times.
The main antagonists, three employees of the sinister mining group VoidCo, don’t get a huge amount of screen time, and a dramatic reveal in the final hour is sudden and unexpected, but as a result seems almost shoehorned in.
Still, I was never bored by the events unfolding on screen as they’re conveyed with some beautifully animated cutscenes. In fact, every aspect of Donkey Kong Bananza is absolutely stunning and brimming with remarkably complex effects.
Materials are all heavily stylized, but just lifelike enough to look believable. Every hit on a surface spawns realistic debris, and you can frequently set off complex chain reactions as more destructive materials, such as explosive gold chunks, interact.
In addition to providing plenty of charming interactions as the pair explores, Pauline also has her own destructive special abilities based on her singing. She can clear magical purple obstacles placed by VoidCo and, if you’ve managed to accumulate enough gold, trigger a powerful Bananza transformation.
This morphs DK into another giant animal, be that a flying ostrich that allows you to float for a short amount of time or a racing zebra that can sprint over collapsing surfaces.
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Each one is unique with some creative skills and can be enhanced, alongside your base abilities, by investing points into the robust skill tree. To quickly rack up skill points, granted for every five Banandium gems consumed, I’d recommend pursuing the challenge levels.
These are accessed via little doors strewn throughout each world, and are all memorable and unique. Highlights for me include a full-on 2D section in the style of Donkey Kong Country Returns, complete with a few cool easter eggs to discover, and the many combat challenges that have you using all of your moves to try and defeat a set number of foes within a strict time limit.
(Image credit: Nintendo)
The clothing system is also surprisingly important. Like Super Mario Odyssey, you can outfit your protagonists with a wide range of eye-catching options using a currency acquired in each level (fossils embedded in rocks), though this time around, each item of clothing can provide powerful bonuses too. Experimentation is encouraged, and you can upgrade certain clothing to dramatically enhance its effects if you're relying on it frequently.
Investing in your gear can make a big difference when it's time to face off against one of the powerful bosses, usually found at the end of each layer. Encounters are well-designed, taking full advantage of the destruction system and each Bananza transformation. It’s a shame that some are repeated a couple of times later on, which certainly diminishes the novelty, but the repeats are at least well spaced out so as not to become annoying.
This all comes together in a game that is a delight to pick and play, and almost impossible to put down. Donkey Kong Bananza is a brilliant showcase of the power of the Nintendo Switch 2, thanks to its crisp visuals and showstopping destruction, and the hundreds of collectibles will provide tens of hours of entertainment even after the credits roll for those willing to put the time in.
It’s a worthy Super Mario Odyssey successor in almost every regard, and if Nintendo can keep this level of quality up with future Nintendo Switch 2 releases, it’s clear that the console will have a long and successful run just like its predecessor.
Should I play Donkey Kong Bananza?
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Play it if…
You want hours and hours of fun With loads of levels and hundreds of hidden collectibles, Donkey Kong Bananza is a massive adventure that can easily provide hours and hours of entertainment. Pick it up if you want a Nintendo Switch 2 title that’s going to last you a very long time.
You crave bombastic destruction The destruction system in Donkey Kong Bananza is particularly impressive, letting you smash your way through almost the entire world. It’s a great showcase of what the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware can do.
You loved Super Mario Odyssey Hailing from the same development team, it shouldn't come as much surprise that Donkey Kong Bananza shares a lot in common with Super Mario Odyssey. If you loved that high-quality Nintendo Switch platformer, then you’re going to adore this.View Deal
Don’t play it if…
You expect the best story around Although entertaining, the story here could be better. The main antagonists don’t get much screen time, and a big reveal feels out of place.
Accessibility
Donkey Kong Bananza has some accessibility features. This includes an assist mode, which makes the game easier overall. Camera controls can also be adjusted with inverted options.
Your main actions can also be tweaked with a variety of button presets. Subtitles are enabled by default and featured throughout though the size, font, and color cannot be adjusted.
How I reviewed Donkey Kong Bananza
I played almost 20 hours of Donkey Kong Bananza on Nintendo Switch 2. During that time, I reached the credits of the main game and made a fair dent in hoovering up many of the available collectibles.
I relied on the Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld mode for the majority of my playtime, though I also tested it in docked mode with a 4K TV and the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. For audio, I used the console’s built-in speakers and a pair of Final VR500gaming earbuds.
There are ample means by which you could learn about the fascinating intricacies of feudal Japan. Still, Koei Tecmo presents the option for a doubly steep learning curve with the latest addition to its turn-based grand strategy RPG series, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition (a repackaged edition of the initial 2023 game released for Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5).
Review info
Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2 Available on: PS5 (Complete Edition); PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, (original edition) Release date: June 5, 2025
In this Nintendo Switch 2 game (also available on PlayStation 5), you play as a contemporary daimyō, acting as a Japanese feudal lord ruling over a province during the turbulent Sengoku period. There’s the option to follow the story of the series’ titular character, Nobunaga, head of the Oda clan, but you can also play as a host of other historical leaders from the era.
So, what is Nobunaga’s ambition? Oh, just the small feat of unifying Japan; a contentious matter among those he wished to suppress to achieve his dream. Your objective in Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening is to help realize this vision – whether or not you’re playing as the man himself – by developing your lands, conducting diplomacy, and, of course, a healthy dose of feudal warfare as you strive to dominate the various territories of Japan.
Along the way, you’ll also encounter cutscenes reimagining famous battles from the time, as well as rumors from your various officers, which reflect the era’s propensity for near-constant drama and gossip among its magnates.
(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)
It’s a game that struggles to find its footing; in one part, it’s a gruelling uphill battle to learn complex political systems, heightened only by the game’s stunted UI and some slightly half-baked gameplay mechanics that I accidentally manipulated to win the game in less than a minute (more on that later).
On the other hand, there is something intangibly captivating about this historical part-fiction. Combat mechanics are satisfying, there’s a fulfilling base management system, and great care and attention have been paid to injecting the game with ample historical education and context-based events to keep things interesting. It’s just so brutally difficult that any enjoyment I could find is as yet out of reach.
I played over 30 hours of the game (it felt like at least ten of those were spent reading endless text boxes and tutorials) before I got to a point where I was happy upping the difficulty to medium.
Naturally, I instantly lost, and another ten hours later, I’m still in the throes of learning the next level of strategy required to win past dumb-dumb difficulty; but I’m comforted to read online that I am one of so, so many gamers to say the same.
Humble beginnings
(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)
You begin the game by selecting a date from 1543 to 1614 and then choosing a clan to play as. Each begins the game with different setups: alliances, provinces, and officers, which you’ll take custody of and command as you grow your control of Japan.
There is a tutorial, but as you may expect if you’re familiar with the genre, it’s pretty bare-bones, covering only the fundamentals you’ll need to get started and win a campaign on the easiest settings. After that, you’re on your own, left to unpack the other 70% of the game that the tutorial scarcely mentions.
It’s worth noting that, as the game advises, you’ll want to pick one of the easier levels first, not least because the tutorial can almost sabotage you at higher difficulties. I mistakenly jumped straight in at a medium difficulty level and followed the tutorial religiously, which led me straight into war with a far more powerful enemy.
You’ll want to start your game by checking out your territories, each of which consists of a castle and counties that contribute to resource production. Each district has a farm and fair that you can harvest to increase your monthly earnings, as well as slots for settlements that offer different benefits.
The castle county also has a town square that you can develop with various facilities. That’s not always down to you to decide, though; the art of Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening, really, is delegation.
Rise above your station
(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)
The first port of call, then, is assigning dominion over your lands to your officers. Officers can make or break your strategy; they’ll make judgment calls for you within their lands, though you can give guidance and structure if you want to micro-manage. You’ll recruit more and more as the game progresses through covert operations and recruitment drives, and you can choose which ones to hire based on how well their unique traits, skills, and relationships mesh with your strategy.
Each castle will need a Lord stationed from your more senior officers, and then you’ll want to assign dominion to counties to ensure the land is worked efficiently. As your Lord’s station improves, they’ll be able to pick up the slack and manage counties within their territory, too.
Officers will also recommend actions and make suggestions for how to engage in military or covert operations, which you can choose to accept or decline; but lean too far and you may find they’ll start acting on their own accord or lose loyalty towards you. As the fearless leader, you’ll also have your own castle; this can be managed autonomously by Substitutes instead.
Occasionally, they’ll even want to barter with you, whether because their loyalty has dropped low enough that they wish to part ways or because they’re offering a boon in exchange for land holdings. In each trade, you’ll need to hit a certain point value to secure the officer, and if you really want what they’re offering, you can up the ante to ensure they stick around for longer.
I found this mechanic to be a bit frustrating, given that I rarely seemed to have much to barter with, and when I did, it either drastically overdelivered or underdelivered.
Overall, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening’s staff management mechanics are pretty satisfying and well-rounded. The game does well to give you tips and pointers in this department, and you can really affect the game’s outcomes with your staffing decisions. Unique traits of officers really can drive the game, especially when it comes to battle mechanics and officer proposals.
A council of your peers
(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)
Another core tenet of running an effective kingdom is consulting your council. However, much of this council management is left unexplained, and as the game gets pretty tied up in its own Sengoku-specific vocabulary, it’s hard to even find the help you need within game guides.
User guides online are fairly scant, too, but I can understand why. I can’t see myself pouring my blood, sweat, and tears into learning this behemoth of a strategy game and then spelling it out for the next player for free, either.
Policies are the backbone of progress in the game, and one of the areas I enjoyed the most during my playthroughs; they allow you to unlock new features, better delegation, and strengthen your forces. However, you’ll want to wait until you have excess gold before setting up any new ones, as some are pricey.
From the council menu, you can also bestow accolades to your officers, which increases their abilities and can even grant them special effects. These are earned by achieving significant accomplishments like clan targets and demonstrating loyalty.
You can also choose to give gifts of treasure to your officers to improve their stats and loyalty, marry them to an eligible Hime, and grant titles earned by appeasing the Imperial Court from this menu.
As you grow your lands, you’ll also want to divest more responsibilities onto your officers by heading to your council and setting up a new province to be ruled over by a regent.
These run fairly autonomously, and especially on harder difficulties, the choices you make to staff these regions can make or break your game; choose a warmongering Lord and you stand to lose a fair few allies.
Friends we made along the way
(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)
With your ultimate goal being unification, you might want to make some friends in high places, so you’ll need to put on your diplomacy hat and send your highest officers – or your daimyō – as a diplomat to rack up some goodwill with your neighbors, including a monthly gold stipend to woo them.
Once you’ve built trust, you can ask them to be your allies and help you in combat, negotiate peace between warring territories, or even solidify your alliance through marriage. You’ll also want to conduct diplomacy with powerful entities like the Shōgun and the Imperial Court, the latter of which can offer you official postsin exchange for (costly) diplomatic activities to help you improve your prestige.
I’ve mentioned vassals already; once you’re allied with a smaller clan that may want or need protection and acknowledges you as a superior force, you can ask them to become your vassal and effectively join your territory.In time, and especially under pressure, your vassals might decide to just absorb themselves into your clan altogether, but either way, these relationships count towards the end goal of unification.
Do be warned, though, if you don’t want to cheese the game too much; there’s at least one clan scenario you can play where the goal territory is occupied entirely by allies, meaning you can just load a new save, vassal-ize your allies and win before you’ve even assigned your first officer.
Generally speaking, the diplomacy in Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening is a good enough system, though you’ll want to really think about which allies make the most sense based on your goals; some allies may end up getting in the way of your expansion or be more trouble than they’re worth when enemies come knocking at their doors.
That being said, diplomacy lacks the intricacy required to offer a rewarding alternative to war. One frustration I found was that you seemingly can’t make a country with existing vassals your own vassal. I say seemingly because in the rafts of game guides available within the software, I can’t for the life of me find an alternative other than straight-up demolishing the vassal and then building relations with your target nation, at which point it’s likely better to just chip away at the territory of theirs that you want.
It’s also really frustrating that you work so hard for what can often be so little; it can take anywhere from two to six months even to accrue enough goodwill for reinforcements, and you don’t always get the all-out assault you want.
Considering it’s six to ten months to achieve enough goodwill for an alliance, too, you can wipe out a senior officer all year-round with diplomacy if you’re not careful, leaving their civil affairs at home unmanaged.
What are we doing today, brain?
(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)
Okay then, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening – if it’s war you want, it’s war you’ll get. It’s nigh-on impossible to dodge combat for an entire save, so if you enjoy a pacifist playthrough, you might be better off with a more flexible strategy game like Sid Meier's Civilization 7.
Once you’ve chosen an enemy's castle as your target, your castles will start amassing soldiers and readying supplies for war, indicating preparedness with a little flame icon next to the castle town(s) selected as your militarization base. Once completed, you’ll direct troops to march, choosing from various strategies suggested by your officers as to the route taken as well as which, if any, provinces you control will join the fray. You can also conduct covert operations to spread rumors or incite revolts across enemy territory and weaken forces, or just raze or destroy target castles to help with upcoming battles.
En route, you’ll undoubtedly encounter enemy units, and if your senior commanders or daimyō are on the field, you’ll be able to trigger a battle event. Instead of passively watching the unit counters trickle down in an autonomous head-to-head, you have the opportunity to command each of your troops yourself with the assistance of your officer’s recommendations, and broadly speaking, I’d recommend doing so if you really want to cut down their troops.
Battling is generally quite fun, especially when the game throws you a historical fight sequence with a good lore drop.
Best bit
(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)
After hours of trial and error in higher difficulties, followed by more hours of learning the ropes in lower difficulties, I returned to the scenario that had me stumped to begin with and opted to manually control my troops for a challenging siege that I won in the first try. Nothing beats that feeling.
There are a few ways to win here: destroy the enemies’ path to escape, decimate their forces, or crush their morale with consecutive defeats on the field. Some battlefields also have strategic key points, and controlling these improves your armies’ standings and morale, too.
Battling is fun, but Siege encounters are a bit trickier. Maps are slightly more complex, and if you don’t manage to launch your attack on the castle before it’s finished preparing for your attack, you’ll have an even harder time as you encounter traps and barricades. These can be brutal, especially in the early stages, and if you don’t follow your officers’ advice to always bring three to five times the units your enemy has – and I’d really recommend you aim high.
If you want to skip these siege sequences altogether, you can – and they can be a little tedious if you mostly want to auto-play – but then you miss out on the authority mechanic. Winning battles will earn you authority, which can mean anything from lands submitting themselves to you to new (or fallen) alliances.
A beautiful mess
(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)
So, that’s gameplay covered, but what about the actual user experience of the game?
I mentioned already that the user interface is a little disappointing, and that point stands; crowded menus, unclear navigation, and clumsy controls make an already challenging game downright frustrating. It’s a shame, because the game itself isn’t bad, aesthetically. Sure, the map and menus are all dated, but the splash art is delightful, the music is immersive, and the voice lines are delivered with conviction and minimal cheese.
The standard button layout is really confusing and unintuitive, especially for navigation and menu access, but the biggest crime is the UI clarity and visibility. Battle and siege interactions play out on an unzoomable field, and when more than three or four units on each side are on the battlefield, it’s nigh-on impossible to see where your forces start and your enemies end, which can make manual controls for retreating and resting troops hard.
Thankfully, some of these complaints are deftly handled by having the Switch 2 as my platform of choice for this review; mouse mode makes navigating through rafts of menus and directing your troops far smoother than using a controller. In fact, I’d say unless you’re used to how the games lay out their UI on a controller, it’s the de facto way to enjoy Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening (outside of a PC, of course).
Still, there’s just a lot of chaos in the game and abundant quick fixes that could be made to streamline the interface. For example, annoyingly, if you want allies to send reinforcements as you march to battle, you’ll have to head to the alliance interface instead of conducting from your marching orders screen, which can often mean they arrive long after or before your troops.
Generally, automation and management are fine, but more options to issue mass directives for castle or province management would really help to reduce time spent clicking through various menus.
Not easy to love
(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)
Over time, I grew to really enjoy Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening. It’s an addictive uphill slouch for infrequent strategy players, but even for the more experienced, the work needed to fully learn the game might come as a blow.
Had I not needed to play it for this review, I might just have given up after the third or fourth false start, but having to persevere has earned the series a new fan. I can’t, in good conscience, rate it more highly than I have; it’s just too messy and inconsistent, and too many parts of the game stick out like a sore thumb for their shallowness when compared to the richness and complexity elsewhere.
Winning feels good, though, and not just because it’s despite the issues the game presents. Even on easier modes, nothing is handed to you on a platter, and you need to engage with the game’s source material and setting to reap the many rewards of playing Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening. If you’re up to the challenge, this game will bring it.
Should I play Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening?
Play it if…
You love grand strategy As far as strategy games go, this one has got most others beat with the sheer amount of micro controls, all while also giving you plenty to do at a macro level. View Deal
You enjoy battle tactics War mechanics in this game are rich and fulfilling, offering a few different ways to play and clear direction to victory. Provided you can read the UI. View Deal
You want to keep coming back for more There is so much replayability to Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening; not only to beat your own runtime, but also to play all the various clans across the years.View Deal
Don't play it if…
You hate a steep learning curve Hoo boy, this is not the game for you. From controls all the way to core functions in the game, it’s a long road to knowing how to play.View Deal
You want more ways to win Diplomacy plays a role in the game, yes, but I’ve yet to find a way you can achieve Nobunaga’s Ambition without at least a little bloodshed.View Deal
You can’t tolerate bad UI and UX From confusing button layouts to nonsensical menus to its weak tutorial and hard-to-parse interfaces, sometimes Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening is physically tiring in its poor design. View Deal
Accessibility
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening is far from an accessibility-first game, but there are some features of note.
The difficulty is adjustable to a fairly granular level; different scenarios offer different star ratings, but you can also head to settings before starting a scenario to adjust AI difficulty and behaviors right down to how clans form alliances.
You can also opt to spend more of the game delegating and focusing on macro controls if the micro management proves challenging.
Mouse controls are a boon to the game’s unwieldy AI, and could double as useful alternatives for those who can’t use Joy-Con control layouts. There are no specific audio accessibility features, nor are there colorblind or graphics settings.
How I reviewed Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening
I played Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition on the Nintendo Switch 2, racking up over thirty hours of gameplay. In that time, I set up multiple campaigns in different scenarios and difficulty settings, playing through to the victory scenario in each and trying all of the various features.
While using docked mode, I was playing on a 4K TV with the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. I also tried handheld mode using the Joy-Con 2 controllers and used mouse mode.
I love a good strategy game, clocking in over 250 hours playing Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 (and that’s only on one console where I own it!) and reviewing strategy games like Age of Empires 4.
The Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo feels like a missed opportunity given iRobot's recent restructuring and slew of new upgraded floor bots. The unique dust compactor is an intriguing concept – the bot houses an oversized internal dustbin with a motorized paddle that compresses all debris, theoretically negating the need for a large self-emptying dustbin dock. However, in practice it's messy to deal with and ultimately impractical, especially if you have shedding pets in the home.
Granted, the 205's suction performance is acceptable enough – although not up there with what you'd get with one of the best robot vacuum on the market – its halfhearted mopping system is extremely outdated and when the mop pad is fitted, it prevents the robot from traversing rugs or carpet. The 205 is also a much noisier machine than any other robot vacuum cleaner I've thus far reviewed. And while its newly-adopted LiDAR navigation is clearly better than the company's previous V-SLAM camera-based incarnations, it also feels erratic and unsophisticated, at least when compared to other LiDAR systems.
I used to be a massive fan of iRobot products but I'm absolutely dumbfounded by how poorly its latest machines have behaved. The Roomba Combo 10 Max was mostly disappointing but I actually think that the Roomba 205 is worse. It's just so frustrating to use and requires too much intervention from the user. I wish I could recommend this model but it just doesn't perform as you'd expect for a robot vacuum cleaner in the year 2025.
With a list price of $469.99 in the US and £399 in the UK, the iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo sits towards the top of the mid-range price bracket. Note that at time of writing, there's a $170 discount in the US.
Given all the peculiarities with this machine, if you don't mind making a little more space for a simple, small-bodied, self-emptying dock in your home, I would recommend doing some research on other models in the same price range. For instance, the Roborock Q5 Pro+ has a list price of $699.99 / £499.99 but can often be picked up for a similar price to the Roomba 205, and offers far more reliable performance.
Alternatively, if a small dock is the priority and you're not dealing with huge amounts of dust, it could be worth considering a model without dust compression. There are a number of cheaper options in this category, for example, the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2, which costs $299.99 / £219 at list price and impressed our reviewer.
If you're hellbent on going for the Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo simply because of its unique bin system, by all means go ahead. But make sure your home is on the smaller side and with no rugs or carpet to block its path when the mopping pad is attached.
Value for money score: 2.5 out of 5
Roomba 205 DustCompactor specs
Max suction:
Not stated
Robot size:
14 x 14.1in / 35.9 x 35.8cm
Robot height:
4in / 10.1cm
Dock dimensions (W x D x H):
3.5 x 5.9 x 5.3in / 9 x 15 x 13.5cm
Dust bin volume (onboard):
~ 1.5L
Water tank volume:
0.25L
Base type:
Charge only
Max noise level:
78dB at 5ft
Roomba 205 DustCompactor review: design
Hybrid robot vacuum and mop with internal dust compression
Compact, charge-only dock that refuses to stay put
Only one rubber roller rather than iRobot's usual double rollers
Given the financial troubles that have besieged US brand iRobot during the past few years, it's good to see that the company has since restructured itself and developed a new range of robot vacs and mops entirely from the ground up. However, in design terms, I feel that the Roomba 205 is a pale shadow of its forebears like the Roomba ‘i' and ‘j' series, and especially the excellent S9+ (for my money, by far and away the best robot the company ever made).
The USP for the Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo I'm reviewing here is that it's equipped with an extra large onboard dustbin (about 1.5 liters) with an internal motorized plastic paddle that swings back and forth to compact all detritus towards the back of the bin, thereby creating more space for subsequent cleaning sessions. That means it can offer a large dust capacity without the need to make space for a large auto-empty dock.
iRobot states a period of about 60 days before the bin needs emptying but I can see it filling up with dust and hair within a week or so if you have shedding pets in the home (this is not one to consider if you're on the hunt for the best robot vacuum for pet hair). On the plus side, you will never need to buy any extra dust bags.
(Image credit: Future)
From an aesthetics point of view, the 205's dock is almost invisible in a room so I can see the appeal of a back-to-basics approach like this. However, from my tests I've found that emptying the bin myself has been quite messy and not especially pleasant (I'll get into this more in the Performance section).
Personally, I'm not sure such an innovation is necessary, either. The are models on the market that have petite, unobtrusive self-empty docks equipped with large dustbin bags – I'd happily sacrifice those few more inches of floorspace for the relative ease of this setup.
Another drawback of iRobot's solution is that the 205's titchy dock is so light in weight that it shifts around when the robot is docking and this often causes the robot's contacts to fail to connect with the dock. It's even worse when the dock is placed on carpet – I tried this the first time I used the 205 and it failed to dock at all; the charging base simply refused to stay put.
(Image credit: Future)
Let's take a look at the unit itself. The Roomba 205 is roughly the same width as most robot vacs but a bit taller, which means it might not reach under some low furnishings.
Flip it over and you'll notice that the 205 has only one rubber roller brush, which is a bit strange considering that iRobot invented the twin roller brush that so many high-end robot vacs use these days. I'm not sure why, but this roller brush tends to clatter across my hard wooden floors and jitter over one of my Persian-style rugs as if it were on a corrugated surface, which is distinctly annoying.
iRobot doesn't list any of its robots' suction power in Pascals so it's difficult to tell how powerful it is in comparison to other bots on the market. But, hey, you can take it from iRobot that it's ‘70x the suction of the older 600 series', whatever that means. Incidentally, you get three levels of suction power with this unit – Light, Normal and Deep.
The 205 also comes with the obligatory side spinning brush for flinging wayward debris along edges into the path of its suction. However, unlike many newer (and perhaps pricier) robovacs with side brushes that automatically articulate outwards when traveling along edges and in corners, the 205's side brush is firmly fixed in position.
(Image credit: Future)
The 205 DustCompactor's mopping system comprises a simple mop pad with its own 250ml water container above it. The user takes charge of filling the tank and washing the pad – the dock won't help with this, as is the case with some bots.
For mopping, the robot will simply drag the pad along the floor. You can set the amount of water that's dispensed but just don't expect any miracles, especially when it comes to deep stain removal. This kind of basic mopping setup isn't unusual setup for an affordable robovac, and for general day-to-day floor cleaning it does pass some muster.
Me? I've removed it entirely because I've since discovered that the robot refuses to cross rugs or carpet if the mopping pad is attached, but more on that in the Performance chapter.
(Image credit: Future)
Given that iRobot has refused for years to include LiDAR as part of its navigation system, even when every other manufacturer and their dogs have, it's refreshing to note that the company has at last seen fit to include LiDAR navigation on the 205.
However, while most bots have their LiDAR turret in a raised puck their top surface, to allow a full 360-degree view, here iRobot has hidden it behind a narrow slot just above the camera, thus restricting the view to around 180 degrees. Thankfully the camera provides backup, although it's not AI enabled like so many models these days.
Setup
The iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo arrives in a small box containing the robot, its tiny charging dock, a clip-on side brush and rear mop mount. Initial setup was relatively easy but only once I'd discovered that the old iRobot Home app isn't compatible with this model, so I downloaded the newly upgraded Roomba Home app instead.
All went according to plan until it connected to my Wi-Fi and then proceeded to automatically download the latest firmware update. That's normal, I thought, but then a warning popped up saying that ‘Roomba is having some trouble updating and to make sure Rosie (Rosie?) is docked with a good Wi-Fi connection'.
‘Rosie' was docked and the internet was fine so I waited a while, then got impatient and restarted it. It sprang to life again and gave the impression it was ready to work, so I commanded it to and it proceeded to spin round on its dock for about a minute, entangling itself on its own power cable.
(Image credit: Future)
I took it off the dock and placed it on the floor, whereby it started spinning again. At this point I thought I'd been handed a dud so I took it to a different area downstairs, plugged it in and left it to fully charge. Lo and behold, when I launched the app again, it showed the ‘start mapping' screen which suggests it was updating all along, only without any icons or progress bars to tell me so.
Anyway, I tapped the mapping button and it proceeded to map my entire floor plan efficiently and – because the roller brush was turned off – without getting caught on any rugs. The upshot of all this is that if you decide to buy a Roomba 205, just be patient and let it fully charge and complete its first firmware update, even if it says it's having trouble connecting, before trying to request any cleaning.
Woeful mopping and won't ride over carpet with mop attached
Below average obstacle avoidance
After a confusing setup, the 205 started behaving as expected and mapped my open-planned, four-room downstairs area surprisingly quickly, even if it did create nine different rooms that I had to merge in the app. This is common with most robot vacs when mapping open-plan environments though it has to said that nine divisions is a record for me.
Also, for a LiDAR-equipped robot, the detail of its mapping in the app is lamentable and way behind the likes of Roborock, which displays every nook and cranny instead of just a basic overview of one's floor plan.
(Image credit: Future)
Since it's been running, the 205's LiDAR-based navigation has been mostly okay though I have had one or two issues where it has either got stuck while trying to cross a loose rug – a common issue with some models – or suddenly stopped dead next to a kitchen cupboard for no apparent reason. With most other robot vacuum I've tested, I've learned their working methods to some degree, but this model's navigation process remains largely a mystery to me.
Obstacle avoidance
As mentioned above, the Roomba 205's LiDAR is tucked under a slotted housing so it doesn't appear to give the robot a full 360–degree view. There is a camera on the front, however, and this seems to help with its obstacle avoidance. In my test I placed the usual assortment of dog toys in front of it, plus the obligatory phone cable. It carefully avoided the first two large toys but simply snow-ploughed all the others. As expected, it also rode over the phone cable and then dragged it along behind it for a while.
(Image credit: Future)
In the pantheon of obstacle avoidance, the Roomba 205 isn't the worst I've seen but it's not that great either, and clearly not a machine to have running around if you have (for example) a non-house trained puppy in the home.
Vacuum performance
Let's take a look at the vacuuming performance. There are few niggles to note up top. Firstly, as noted above, the Roomba 205's rubber roller made quite a racket as it trundled across my wooden hard floors. But perhaps worse than that was the monotonous high-pitched sound of the suction motor, which was clearly audible from meters away. I measured the sound waves at an average 78dB from five feet away and at an annoyingly high-pitched frequency of 660Hz.
Aside from the noise issues, the side sweeping brush fell off twice during my tests, despite being firmly connected before setting off.
(Image credit: Future)
To get an objective ideal of this bot's suction powers, I ran TechRadar's standard vacuuming tests. This involved sprinkling debris of different sizes – specifically, flour, muesli and rice – on the floor and assessing how efficiently the robot picked it up. Here, the Roomba 205 was pretty decent, though it did leave traces of flour in the cracks.
(Image credit: Future)
However, when I later went to the dock to grab a photo of the robot returning after a standard cleaning session, I noticed a small scattering of rice and muesli that it had deposited in front of the dock from its previous cleaning test, which suggests it never fully sucked all the rice and muesli into its bin and instead simply held some of it in its brush housing. This anomaly hasn't repeated itself on subsequent tests, so hopefully it was just a glitch.
(Image credit: Future)
I then proceeded to run the same tests on carpet. This proved to be quite a challenge, because although the app has a menu item called ‘furniture and zones' under the heading ‘routines', nothing happens when you tap it. What it should do is provide an editable square that can be expanded or contracted over a specific cleaning area.
In the end I opted to select ‘spot clean' which was equally tricky because the map for each room is very basic and cannot be expanded so it takes trial and error to find the exact spot that relates to a specific area. Anyway, I'm pleased – indeed surprised – to report that the 205 collected all evidence of rice and muesli though, like other robots I've tested using this method, it did leave some flour marks behind.
Dust compactor performance
Moving on to the unusual bin system. While the Compactor's paddle does indeed push all detritus to the outer edges of the bin, I found that emptying it has been quite messy and not especially pleasant.
Firstly, the lid of the robot's bin doesn't open anywhere near wide enough, so I couldn't find a practical solution for emptying its dusty and hairy contents into my average-sized Brabantia kitchen bin without some of the contents spilling all over the floor. Worse, my model has a sticky bin latch so I've had to be doubly careful when trying to open the bin lest its contents end up all over the floor and my clothing.
(Image credit: Future)
iRobot states ‘up to 60 days' of cleaning before the dustbin requires emptying but my test model required emptying after just eight days of vacuuming. I should add that I have two Labradors and two cats that regularly shed hair and my home is also surrounded by woodland and farm fields so it's dustier than most urban environments.
Mopping performance
Onto the mopping. First things first: if you have any rugs or carpet dividing your hard floors, this may be the last hybrid robot you want, because it will not traverse any rug or carpet when the mopping pad is fitted. I first thought that it was the small protruding lip at the bottom of the mop mount that was catching on my rugs but it transpires that the unit has a carpet sensor on board that, in my case, refused to allow the robot to proceed the moment the front half of the robot touched the rug.
It did do its darnedest to head over the rug en route to the hard floor kitchen, but after 10 minutes of trying at every conceivable angle, it eventually announced that it was unable to continue cleaning before returning to the dock, having not performed the assigned mopping task. I can't believe that I'm the only household in the world with rugs scattered over hard flooring but what I do know is that, for me, this model has proved to be as useless as a chocolate teapot when it comes to complete household cleaning without any human interjection.
(Image credit: Future)
Anyway, having failed to ride over my rugs, I resorted to carrying the bot to the kitchen so it could perform a spot clean on a spill of milk. I had to make several attempts at this because, as I had discovered for the carpet vacuuming test, the app's map is so unrefined that it's almost impossible to select a specific cleaning spot. Anyway, I eventually spilled some milk in its path and it duly soaked up the milk leaving no signs of it. But then I expected that – much like I'd expect a single swipe with a paper towel to do the same thing.
In its favor, it did also mop the rest of the area quite effectively, leaving only a damp swathe that dried up quickly. I then had to pick the robot up again and place it near its dock so it could get back to charging.
It's not unusual for a budget robot vacuum to have this kind of simple mopping setup (not including the refusal to pass over carpet – that is very unusual). More advanced bots will have pads that vibrate, rotate or press down to dislodge dirt, but you might need to pay a little more for this kind of setup.
Performance score: 2.5 out of 5
iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo review: app
New app for this current range of Roombas
Very basic with incomplete menus and unrefined maps
Frustrating and slow to use
The new iRobot Home app was recently launched as a replacement for the older app that's now been renamed iRobot (Classic). Having used it extensively during the past week I can report that there's a lot of work to be done on making this app more user-friendly. Firstly, it's slow to send commands to the Roomba 205 and some user inputs cause a spinning cog wheel to pop up on screen while it sends its signal.
Perhaps I'm too used to Roborock's fully comprehensive app but I found the iRobot Home app to be too simplistic and, at times, very irritating to use. For instance, the floor plan maps it creates are so basic it's difficult to tell where one room ends and another begins. Also, its Spot Clean function is almost impossible to use since you can't expand the map in this menu and the little spot cleaning square it provides can't be placed exactly where you need it.
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(Image credit: iRobot)
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(Image credit: iRobot)
Although the app allows you to create routines and standard cleaning schedules, and make adjustments to both vacuum power and water amount for mopping, you can't create any specific cleaning zones, like in front of the dog bed or a specific rug. Bizarrely, there is an option to select ‘Furniture and Zones' but when you click on this function, nothing at all happens. I'm sure iRobot will be adding improvements to this app going forward but, as it stands, it's woefully inadequate.
App score: 1.5 out of 5
Should you buy the iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo?
Attribute
Notes
Rating
Value
Mid-friendly price, but performance issues make it a poor investment. Other cheap bots work much better.
2.5 / 5
Design
Hybrid robot vacuum and mop with internal dust compaction and a simple, small dock. An intriguing idea let down by multiple design flaws.
2 / 5
Performance
Decent vacuuming but mopping is basic, and navigation and obstacle avoidance are mediocre at best. Noisy and glitchy in use.
2.5 / 5
App
Overly simplistic, buggy and irritating to use, the new iRobot Home app needs a serious overhaul.
1.5 / 5
Buy it if...
You absolutely do not want a large dock The Roomba 205's dust compactor system means it can hold more dust than most bots with charge-only docks.
Your home has a simple layout The 205's basic navigation means it's best suited for simple floor plans.
Don't buy it if...
You have pets The compacting bin will fill too quickly with hair – if you have shedding pets, it's worth investing in a bot that comes with a self-empty dock.
You want hands-off cleaning You will need to empty the bin and clean the mop yourself here, and I experienced various issues that required manual intervention in use.
It's at full price Although not expensive within the market, there are similarly priced (and indeed, cheaper) robovacs that offer much better performance.
How I tested the iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo
As is the way with all TechRadar tests, we live with the product for as long as possible, observing its day-to-day functions and generally appraising it from afar. We then get down to some serious testing while making copious notes on the product's performance.
In the case of the iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo, I had it installed at home for just over a week while I observed its navigation behaviour. I then proceeded with my vacuum, mopping tests on both hard floor and carpet using a variety of household ingredients in order to replicate a real-world scenario. I then tested its obstacle avoidance system using some dog toys and the obligatory phone cable.
I should add that this particular review took me a lot longer to complete than usual because the machine in question failed to behave as I expected. Hence, I had to spend extra time repeating tests to make sure its previous hiccups weren't just one-off glitches.
This year has seen some of the best gaming laptops and gaming handhelds ever made hit the market, which means it can be hard to decide which device you want to pick up for your on-the-go gaming needs.
However, what if you were to take both device categories and smoosh them together? You get the Asus ROG Flow Z13: a high-performance gaming tablet which, unlike other gaming tablets on the market, actually allows you to play ambitious AAA titles and achieve not just playable but good frame rates, all while staying cool and quiet.
(Image credit: Future)
The downsides, which stop this device from achieving a perfect score, is the battery life not being great when gaming. However, it does last a decent amount of time when using it for general browsing or watching videos.
It’s also very expensive, coming in at over $2,000, which means this device is not for those who are on a budget, with gaming laptops in the same price range delivering much higher performance.
Asus ROG Flow Z13 review: Price and availability
How much does it cost? $2,099 / £2,199
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Only available in certain regions
Coming in at $2,099 / £2,199, this is an exceptionally expensive device in terms of gaming tablets. However, with alternatives unbale to offer a similar level of performance, it's hard to compare price-wise with other gaming tablets.
More similar alternatives are products like the Asus ROG Ally X, the gaming handheld from the same company, which comes in at $799 / £799 and provides you with the same kind of performance.
The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is available in certain regions including the UK and US, however unfortunately it cannot be picked up worldwide.
Value: 3 / 5
Asus ROG Flow Z13 review: Specs
This gaming tablet from Asus ROG Flow Z13 comes in one iteration in 2025. You get an AMD CPU with a built-in NPU and GPU paired with 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD making for a powerful machine.
Unfortunately you only get a 1TB SSD with no way to expand the storage, so you may have to invest in an external hard drive if you’re planning on installing large games.
There are other iterations of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 from previous years if you’re looking for other specifications.
Asus ROG Flow Z13 review: Design
Very portable
Fantastic design
Good selection of ports
One of my favourite parts of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 is how compact it is, as you’d expect from a gaming tablet.
This is a device you can take pretty much anywhere, chucking it into any bag, even a small handbag thanks to how small it is (measuring 30 x 20.4 x 1.30cm). Compared to many gaming laptops that weigh around 3kg, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 comes in at just 1.2kg, perfect for taking your device on the go.
In terms of style, you get a simple and sleek tablet with a detachable keyboard and trackpad. There’s a small window on the back of the device that allows you to view some of the components inside, which is a really nice touch.
(Image credit: Future)
While it doesn’t have an OLED screen - something that did shock me initially - the Asus ROG Flow Z13 still has a pretty nice display. It won’t blow you away by any means, but it has a great color range and an exceptional refresh rate for a tablet at 180Hz.
There are a fair amount of ports on the Asus ROG Flow Z13 , including USB-A, two USB-C ports (either can be used for charging), HDMI, an audio jack, and a microSD card reader. This is great for those who are hoping to use other gaming peripherals with their device as there are plenty of options to plug in.
(Image credit: Future)
The included keyboard is extremely slim, and while I usually despise tablet keyboards, this one wasn’t as squidgy as alternative options. It made for a satisfying typing and gaming experience, however for those playing competitive titles, I would recommend opting for an external gaming keyboard for those precise responses.
Design score: 5 / 5
Asus ROG Flow Z13 review: Performance
Gaming performance is impressive
Overall user experience is great
Quiet when in use
Benchmarks
These are the results of our benchmarking tests for the Asus ROG Flow Z13:
3DMark: Night Raid: 36,307; Fire Strike: 11,230; Time Spy: 4,634 GeekBench 6: 2,162 (single-core); 11,575 (multi-core) CrossMark: Overall: 1,417; Productivity: 1,241; Creativity: 1,760; Responsiveness: 1,100 Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 63; (1080p, Low): 122 Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 73; (1080p, Low): 93 Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 39; (1080p, Low): 80 PCMark 10 Battery Life: 6 hr 4 min TechRadar movie test: 5hr 55 min
In terms of performance, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 delivers some pretty good framerates for a gaming tablet, however considering the price point, I was actually expecting more.
While for the most part, you get above 60 fps when playing in 1080p at Ultra graphics presets, equivalently-priced gaming laptops would likely be delivering significantly better performance, as they can make use off more powerful hardware without having to fit it into a tablet-like form factor.
The Asus ROG Flow Z13 stayed very quiet the whole time I was using it. Even when putting it through its paces, like running AAA titles at Ultra, I was barely able to hear the device which makes it perfect for using on the go so you’re not disturbing everyone around you.
(Image credit: Future)
As you’d expect, due to how quiet it was, it also stayed very cool which is great for a tablet as it means you can still hold it and use the touchscreen as intended without worrying about burning your hands and fingers.
The speakers are pretty good, however as always I would recommend plugging in and using a headset to ensure the best gaming experience. For watching videos and movies, the speakers are absolutely perfect since you don’t need the directional precision.
(Image credit: Future)
Outside of the actual performance I was getting in-game, using the device itself has been a very pleasant experience. I enjoyed typing on it, and I found it easy to switch between tablet and laptop mode by just removing or flipping the keyboard back.
One downside for me was the built in trackpad, I found it a little bit slow in terms of responsiveness, while fine for browsing and general use, I obviously opted for a gaming mouse when playing.
Performance score: 3.5 / 5
Asus ROG Flow Z13 review: Battery life
The battery life of the Asus ROG Flow Z13 is actually surprisingly great, surpassing even some of the highest-performance and more expensive gaming laptops I’ve tried recently.
When benchmarking the battery, I was able to get around sixhours of usage, which is more representative of watching videos on the device rather than gaming. When gaming on the Asus ROG Flow Z13, I found I got closer to four hours of battery, with AAA games draining the device even faster.
For example, when playing Cyberpunk I only got around an hour of half of game time before the device shut off, which certainly limits how portable this device actually is, no matter how thin and light it might be.
Battery life: 3 / 5
Should I buy the Asus ROG Flow Z13?
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Price
This is a very expensive device, but it’s hard to compare to alternatives as it's so unique.
3 / 5
Design
You get a sleek and stunning device which is lightweight and has an excellent range of ports.
5 / 5
Performance
This tablet delivers great performance while staying cool and quiet however laptops at a similar price point would surpass this easily.
4 / 5
Battery life
While delivering a better battery life than some gaming laptops on the market, it's significantly reduced when gaming.
3 / 5
Total Score
This unique gaming tablet can be used as a more traditional laptop, and offers impressive performance and a fantastic and innovative design. Its high price and compromised battery life prevent it from being perfect, however.
3.5 / 5
Buy it if...
You want a portable gaming device This is super lightweight and compact, making for a great on-the-go gaming device.
You want something cool and quiet Even when put through its paces, it stays very cool and quiet.
You’re looking for good performance across AAA titles I got decent frames in all of the titles I tested out, including AAA titles at 'Ultra' graphical settings.
Don't buy it if...
You’re on a budget You do get a decent battery capacity here, but it won’t last you very long when gaming.
You want a long-lasting battery You do get a decent battery capacity here, but it won’t last you very long when gaming.
Asus ROG Flow Z13 review: Also consider
Asus ROG Flow Z13
Razer Blade 14 (2024)
MSI Katana 15
Price
$2,099 / £2,199
From $2,199.99 / £2,149.99 / AU$3,999
$999 (about £785 / AU$1,543)
CPU
AMD Ryzen AI MAX 390 12-Core Processor
AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS
Intel Core i7-13620H
Graphics
Integrated
Nvidia RTX 4060 - RTX 4070
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 - 4070
RAM
32GB DDR5
16GB DDR5 - 32GB DDR5
16GB DDR5 - 32GB DDR5
Screen
13.4-inch WQXGA IPS 180Hz 100% DCI-P3 Screen
14-inch QHD+ 240Hz, 2560 x 1600p, up to 100% DCI-P3, Factory calibrated, Calman Verified
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A , 2 x USB4 Type-C Ports with Power Delivery and Display Port 1.4, Charging supported with 20V USB-C chargers with PD 3.0 (100W), 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x Power port, 1 x 3.5mm combo jack
12.23 x 8.97 x 0.70 inches (310.7 x 228 x 17.99mm)
14.13 x 10.20 x 0.98 inches (359 x 259 x 25mm)
Here are some alternatives if the Asus ROG Flow Z13 doesn't sound right for your needs:
Razer Blade 14 You can grab this powerful gaming laptop which provides you with immaculate performance regardless of if you’re looking for stunning visuals or high frame rates all packed into a compact and stunning chassis, then the Razer Blade 14 is a great option.
MSI Katana 15 For those not looking to spend too much, then the MSI Katana 15 is a great budget option for those who are looking for a powerful gaming laptop. You can pick it up at less than $1,000 and still get decent AAA performance in 1080p.
I spent two weeks using the Asus ROG Flow Z13 as my everyday laptop for work and leisure. I was sure to use the device all day for my typical workday, and then also used it for gaming in the evening.
I took it on the go with me to different locations where I needed to work to see how it would feel outside of my workstation. As well as using it every day, I also benchmarked the laptop using a range of different benchmarking software and in-game benchmarking tools for a range of titles.
