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Hori Fighting Commander Octa for PlayStation 5 review – a solid fighting pad
4:30 pm | March 8, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming Gaming Accessories | Tags: | Comments: Off

If you’re searching for a wired fighting game controller, then the Hori Fighting Commander Octa for PlayStation 5 is a solid choice. Its six face buttons are pleasantly tactile and responsive with an intuitive layout that’s ideal for many of the best fighting games. Even though it takes some getting used to, the D-pad is also a major improvement over the one found on the DualSense Wireless Controller thanks to a concave design that makes it far easier to execute complex inputs.

Unfortunately, the thumbstick holds it back from being one of the best PS5 controllers as it can be quite fiddly as a result of its small size and octagonal gate (an octagon-shaped ring around the base of the thumbstick). While it’s not unusable, those who prefer to play fighting games with a thumbstick would be better served by the PS5’s own controller or even one of the best fight sticks. It’s also hard to ignore the fact that the controller is very lightweight and feels quite cheap and hollow in the hands, which is disappointing given the steep $59.99 / £51.99 / around AU$94.95 price tag.

Design and features

The Hori Fighting Commander Octa for PlayStation 5 on a white surface.

(Image credit: Dashiell Wood/Future)

The overall design of the Hori Fighting Commander Octa for PlayStation 5 is an interesting mish-mash of elements from both the DualSense and the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 controller. It roughly maintains the form factor of the DualSense but is a little wider with shorter grips and a 10ft / 3m non-detachable USB cable sticking out the top. Its buttons and touchpad look more like those found on the DualShock 4, but several key differences set them apart. 

Firstly, the buttons use tactile micro switches that offer incredibly satisfying and tangible input actions. They’re also slightly larger than the buttons of a standard controller, making it a little easier to reposition your fingers quickly. There’s also the matter of the controller’s layout, which follows a typical ‘fighting controller configuration’. This means that R1 and R2 buttons have been repositioned next to the face buttons, allowing for much speedier access to more inputs - something that could be a huge benefit in games that use those inputs to block or trigger special attacks. 

There are still shoulder buttons and basic triggers on the controller, with the left set mapped to R3 and L3 and the right set mapped to L1 and L2. Unlike the face buttons, these shoulder buttons do not use micro switches and feel noticeably mushier. The right thumbstick has been removed entirely, with the additional space now occupied by a large home button, a mic mute button, a function button, and three accompanying status LEDs. The left thumbstick is slightly smaller than that of a DualSense, with a thicker base and an octagonal gate that forces it into one of eight possible directions.

The controller’s D-pad has a concave shape and is clearly intended to be used with your thumb positioned in its center. It’s a significant departure from the design of the DualSense D-pad - which requires you to lift your thumb to hit different directions - and is a dramatic improvement on the whole. Diagonal inputs in particular feel considerably more precise and the ability to roll the tip of your thumb to execute complex directional movements in a single fluid motion is very welcome.

The back of the Hori Fighting Commander Octa for PlayStation 5.

(Image credit: Dashiell Wood/Future)

Above the D-pad is the usual create button, alongside a touchpad and the options button. Despite how it looks, it’s worth noting that the touchpad is not touch-sensitive but can still be pressed down like a regular button input. There is also a standard 3.5mm jack for use with a compatible wired gaming headset on the bottom of the controller. If you flip the controller over, you will find two small switches. The first allows you to disable the touchpad, options, and screenshot button. The second lets you alternate between PS5, PS4, and PC compatibility.

Although certain features are unavailable while playing on PC, such as the headphone jack and touchpad button, the controller is compatible with the Hori Device Manager software. This lets you save up to four custom button profiles, which can be alternated through the function button. The software is a bare-bones affair but is easy to use and performs its limited functions well.

Performance

The Hori Fighting Commander Octa for PlayStation 5 being used.

(Image credit: Dashiell Wood/Future)

The Hori Fighting Commander Octa for PlayStation 5 is at its absolute best when you’re using the D-pad. It’s reliable and remains very comfortable over extended play sessions, with its concave layout allowing for far smoother motion than the flat D-pad of the DualSense. The responsive face buttons also perform very well and have a low actuation point that helps reduce fatigue after particularly intensive combos. 

Diving into some online matches of Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, the Hori Fighting Commander Octa for PlayStation 5 almost immediately improved my performance. The positioning of the R1 button next to the face buttons made executing Skill attacks (which require the R1 button to be held) faster and much more comfortable. Its precise micro switches also helped prevent the more frantic button mashing encouraged by the spongier DualSense buttons. It took a few moments to loosen up, but the D-pad also felt much less sharp on the tip of my thumb.

Unfortunately, the controller’s weaknesses became much more apparent when I switched over to using the thumbstick. It largely functions adequately but I found that I occasionally missed diagonal inputs thanks to the octagonal gate, which caused me to skirt over corners while attempting a full rotation. Octagonal gates might be a popular choice on many fight sticks, but their inclusion on a small thumbstick seems poorly judged. 

The controller’s overall shape can also be an inconvenience depending on your playstyle. If you’re going to be using this controller with the popular ‘claw grip’, then the large right-hand grip makes it difficult to position on a table or rest on your leg.

There’s also the matter of its build. I didn’t experience any issues with the quality of the controller during my testing, but it just feels incredibly cheap in the hands. It's eerily light, coming in at roughly 4.2oz / 120g, and feels very hollow too, leaving me a little wary of gripping it with too much force during more intense moments. Wired controllers are often on the lighter side, but it’s not unreasonable to expect a product that costs just $10 / £8 shy of the DualSense to feel more substantial.

Should I buy the Hori Fighting Commander Octa for PlayStation 5?

The front of Hori Fighting Commander Octa for PlayStation 5.

(Image credit: Dashiell Wood/Future)

If you’re a fighting game player who often uses the D-pad, then the Hori Fighting Commander Octa for PlayStation 5 is a solid choice. Although the cheap feeling build is a letdown, compared to the DualSense it offers a better D-pad, a more convenient layout, and far superior micro switch buttons. Those who prefer to play using a thumbstick, however, should consider other options.

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

How we reviewed the Hori Fighting Commander Octa for PlayStation 5

I used the Hori Fighting Commander Octa for PlayStation 5 as my main fighting game controller for well over a month. During that time, I played numerous matches of the excellent Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising in addition to a fair amount of Mortal Kombat 1 and a little Dead or Alive 5 Last Round. In addition to PS5, I I tested the controller on PC and made sure to experiment with the compatible Hori Device Manager software to test all of its features and functionality.

For more on fighting games, check out our Tekken 8 review or learn why you should start with Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising if you want to get into the genre.

Robocop: Rogue City review – aye, robot
5:51 pm | October 31, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: | Comments: Off
Review information

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: November 2, 2023

It only takes the length of the pulse-pounding TV station shootout that kicks off first-person shooter Robocop: Rogue City for you to feel like ol’ chrome dome himself. Whether it’s the recognizable Auto-9 in your hand, the clunking gait, or just the fact your 9mm pistol is blowing off limbs with spurts of claret, it’s immediately apparent that this isn’t just another run-of-the-mill shooter, but a faithful adaptation of the Robocop universe.

Rogue City makes a hell of a first impression, and while it doesn’t deliver on its promises all of the time, it’s charming and full of ambition. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun, a combination of my own personal nostalgia and the fact that it’s a very solid shooter that constantly mixes up what you’re fighting against. There are, however, a lot of bugs here - I had to restart at a checkpoint several times because a gate wouldn’t open or a hidden enemy was blocking progression, and when that happened I was happy with the generous checkpointing. Elsewhere, some assets were in Polish and had not been translated, and at the start of one gunfight, I strafed left and dropped through the world.

These experiences showed off the game’s low-budget status, but they didn’t really hinder my enjoyment.

If you’ve never seen RoboCop, it’s a dystopian vision of the '80s but flung into the future. It’s 2043 in Detroit, Michigan, and capitalism has won. The police force is privatized and Robocop is a, er, robot cop. It’s a vision of 2043 where people still use VCRs and payphones, a terrible future where the criminals are all tremendously evil people and nuance is just a thing Robocop has crushed under his big metal feet on the way to gunning down another perpetrator.

The Robocop of the films immediately feels like a video game character already, with an unlimited ammo sidearm built into his leg, nigh-invulnerability, and a built-in targeting visor that highlights enemies and has a little heads-up display too. As a result, developers Teyon have merely lent into this and given us a faithful rendition.

He’s the cop that can’t be stopped

Robocop: Rogue City screenshot

(Image credit: Nacon)

In the original trilogy of films, it’s all a satire - although I try to forget the terrible Robocop 3 exists - and the game is clearly swinging for that same position. This is, ultimately, a story about corporate greed and the militarization of police that’s as relevant today as it was back in the late 80s. It doesn’t quite have the same bite of Verhoeven’s original movie, but it feels like a facsimile of this, and the branching storylines and skill-specific dialogue options remind me of Alpha Protocol, an unsung classic that I suspect will be joined in the cult status basket by Robocop: Rogue City.

This story is set between Robocop 2 and 3 and does a much better job of capping things off than the third movie, and it’s incredibly compelling. Welling returns to give his likeness and voice to the role of Robocop, a role he’s returned to for KFC commercials and an appearance in Mortal Kombat 11, but hasn’t been the lead in since 1990’s Robocop 2. 

Best bit

Robocop: Rogue City

(Image credit: Nacon)

A shootout at an arms fair highlights everything Robocop: Rogue City is best at. The flimsy walls come apart under the heavy gunfire and explosives while you can get your hands on some of the meatiest weapons in the game, even hurling prototype missiles at your opponents. It’s an arena shooter moment in the best way.  

When you’re not blasting baddies you’re digging into investigations and exploring a chunk of downtown Detroit in a hub world that you’ll revisit time and again. This is most involved the first time and has you solving murders, investigating an arcade, and issuing citations for crimes, with the choice often being a binary one of warning the criminal or fining them for their misdemeanor. This can be a little agonizing because the area is decently sized and Robocop moves slowly, but it’s almost like the game is bored of serving this up to you too because there are fewer and fewer of them each time you revisit the hub.

Combat feels pretty distinct in Robocop: Rogue City too. Part of this is down to your sluggish movement and the fact you feel like a tank, with even sustained small-arms fire being barely an inconvenience. Enemies will throw grenades at you or open up with heavy machine guns and sniper rifles to do damage, but generally in the early days, you’re free to move through combat in a fairly relaxed way, a predator amongst a pool of enemies that really can only hope to overwhelm you with numbers.

Later, you’ll fight more heavily armed gangs, corporate mercenaries, and even a variety of different robots, but the power curve is often just about right and you never feel outmatched, at worst it’s just harried by the enemies that have the sheer insolence to try and bring you down.

Robocop: Rogue City screenshot

(Image credit: Nacon)

Of course, Robocop’s iconic Auto-9 is the star of the show. This would have happened regardless - the three-round burst is iconic and makes an absolute mess of enemies. But the game has a ridiculously convoluted upgrade system for the sidearm that means you can power it up and ensure it’s a high-quality weapon throughout. Elsewhere, every weapon from the Robocop series shows up for a little bit, whether it’s the Steyr Aug’s used by megacorp OCP, junky submachine guns, and even the iconic Cobra assault cannon, used in one memorable scene.

There’s an RPG-lite skill system that gives you percentage-based increases to different stats (the worst), which is a series of linear paths with unlocks given when you hit certain milestones. These are often very powerful: max out your armor and not only will you negate 50 percent of your damage, but all small arms fire will also ricochet off you, hitting nearby enemies. Max out your health and you’ll regenerate 75 percent of your health without needing healing items.

As you can see, I built my Robocop in the “being a tank” style, but I felt like the combat was already punchy enough. I also put a lot of points into scanning so I could ricochet bullets around corners to hit enemies - a cool idea that rarely works in the game as I just throw explosives at anyone silly enough to hide and most enemies just assault you regardless - and deduction which gave me a 30 percent experience point boost, which is incredibly useful but very boring to write about. It’s a lightweight system but like everything else in Robocop: Rogue City punches way above its weight class.

Robocop: Rogue City screenshot

(Image credit: Nacon)

You can feel this particularly in how authentic the game feels. Whether it’s in how “Robocop” you feel as the leading man, the exhausting police griping in the station, or even just the way everyone in a suit is trying to ruin your day. It also looks the part, whether that’s the grainy scanlines when you hold right-click to enable Robocop-vision or just the haze coming off the streets. It’s also clearly made by fans, because there are a lot of fan-serving moments here, both in terms of some impressive boss fights but also in terms of beats of dialogue and even some of the areas you’ll throw down in.

At times, Rogue City feels like a five-star game. Flashes of brilliance that go above and beyond what I’d expect. Sadly, the lack of budget means that things feel unpolished and occasionally cheap. Again, it doesn’t hinder my enjoyment, but with a little extra polish, this could have been an all-timer, instead of a faithful adaptation of the franchise.

Still, perhaps that’s fitting. The game here feels like Robocop himself, a shiny exterior sitting on top of a mechanically sound but clunky chassis, backed up with a human side that elevates the mechanical.

Accessibility

There’s no dedicated accessibility menu here and the offering is fairly weak. Subtitles can be turned on and off and there are options to lessen screen shake, but that’s about your lot. There’s also a toggle to reduce how loud Robocop’s footsteps are, which may not seem useful now but is likely to feel incredibly worthwhile after playing the game for ten hours. 

How we reviewed Robocop: Rogue City

I played Robocop: Rogue City for 13 hours on PC, finishing the main campaign, every quest, and only missing out one secret area - I have 25 of 27 achievements for the game so I feel like I’ve seen pretty much all of it. 

There’s no New Game+ mode or anything of the sort, so it feels very much like a one-and-done game.

Want even more game recommendations? Visit our list of the best FPS games or the best free games.

HP Omen 16 review: a great mid-ranger held back by some design quirks
11:14 am | October 27, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Laptops | Tags: , | Comments: Off

HP Omen 16: Two-minute review

Shopping for laptops can be difficult. You have to ask yourself so many questions just so you have an idea of what you're looking for. Do you want the best laptop out there or do you want something more run-of-the-mill for work? Or maybe you prefer a gaming rig? If you find yourself agonizing over the right laptop, allow me to introduce the HP Omen 16.

It's a slim, lightweight laptop able to fit snuggly in almost any bag. You can lug it around and hardly know it's there. I used it as my main computer for everyday work for a few weeks. Typing on the keyboard was quite pleasant since the keys have a nice, springy feel to them and the deep travel distance made it easy on my hands. The touchpad itself sports a smooth, responsive, enjoyably clicky feel. And its large size makes it great for productivity.

My review unit had an AMD Ryzen 7-7840HS processor paired up with a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card. Although it comes equipped with a low-end model from the GeForce 40 series, the performance of the Omen 16 was still phenomenal. Its matte Shadow Black color is a real head-turner, I have to say. The deep black is a great backdrop for the RGB lights and the stunning Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixel) resolution display.

Speaking of the screen, there's a problem with it that I find baffling. The bottom of the screen has a huge, 1.5-inch bezel taking up a large amount of space. The laptop's display is 16 inches and that bezel cuts in way too much for my liking. Also, the colors look muted on this - not sure why this is the case. I think it could be because the anti-coating on the glass is getting in the way, or maybe the Omen 16 doesn't properly offer all of the DCI-P3 color gamut. You can bump up the brightness and saturation via the on-device Omen app, but it can only do so much.

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HP Omen 16 facing forward

(Image credit: Future)
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HP Omen 16 keyboard glowing at night

(Image credit: Future)

But despite all the complaints I have, I would argue that the Omen 16 has a place among our list of the best gaming laptops. If you look at the ranking, the Omen 16 takes some of the best parts of those entries for itself. It's great at being a work/gaming laptop hybrid. If you need an all-rounder, this might just be the best computer out there.

Despite my recommendation, it does have questionable design choices that may make or break it for some people out there. Don't get me wrong: I liked it a lot, but certain things do frustrate me.

HP Omen 16: Price & availability

  • How much does it cost? Prices start at $1,269.99
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Dell's website/Best Buy

With prices starting at $1,270, the HP Omen 16 is a well-priced gaming laptop especially if you plan on using it for other workloads. Gaming hardware can be handy in helping professional video editors in their work or developers render projects. It's able to handle intense visual workloads with aplomb. However, if you have to do color-sensitive work, this computer isn't the best choice. As stated earlier, colors can look dull on the screen.

Low-end models come with a GeForce RTX 4050 while the high-end configurations come with the more powerful GeForce RTX 4070. Sure, the high model capping out with a GeForce RTX 4070 GPU may disappoint some. But considering the price point, I think it's a fair tradeoff. 

  • Price score: 4 / 5

HP M16: Specs

The HP Omen 16 is available in four different configurations, with the base model coming with an AMD Ryzen 5-7640HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, and 512GB of storage.

HP Omen 16: Design

  • Comfortable keyboard  
  • Robust ventilation
  • Little storage space

HP made some interesting design choices with the Omen 16. Most of them are great, some not so much. 

It features a 75 percent keyboard meaning it's your standard tenkeyless layout with directional and navigation keys on the side. As stated earlier, typing on it felt pretty nice thanks to its springy feel. Structure-wise, the laptop as a whole is quite solid so it can survive a bit of rough handling. I should mention the keys are quiet. They lack the clicky or tactile feel of a traditional gaming keyboard. 

One of the areas the Omen 16 impressed was its cooling system. Heat sinks are located on the sides, rear, and underneath the laptop. What's more the Omen 16 stands on slightly raised feet ensuring good airflow. During the majority of my time using the Omen 16, it never once got hot. It did get a little warm a few times, but that was because it was charging. No matter how hard I pushed the machine, it never got uncomfortably hot which is wonderful. I've typed on gaming laptops that got so hot I had to stop. It was awful. I'm very happy to not have had that experience with the Omen 16.

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HP Omen 16 keyboard

(Image credit: Future)
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HP Omen 16 USB-A port

(Image credit: Future)
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HP Omen 16 rear ports

(Image credit: Future)
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HP Omen 16 USB-C ports

(Image credit: Future)

Additionally, I enjoy the array of ports present on the laptop. Each model comes with two USB-C ports, two USB-As, a headphone jack, an HDMI port, and an ethernet input. All these are situated on the sides and back of the Omen 16, which I appreciated; I didn't have to deal with the cables becoming intertwined with each other.

What I am not a fan of is the storage space. 512GB for three of the four primary configurations just doesn't cut it nowadays, especially when you realize how some AAA games take up over 100GB of storage space. With so many big games coming out every year, players need more. I need more. 1TB would've been more appropriate for everything above the entry-level model.

  • Design score: 3.5 / 5

HP Omen 16: Performance

  • Great performance
  • High refresh rate
  • Easy on the eyes
HP Omen 16: Benchmarks

Here's how the HP Omen 16 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 58,705; Fire Strike: 26,797; Time Spy: 11,141; Port Royal: 7,003
GeekBench 5: 1,993 (single-core); 11,377 (multi-core)
Geekbench 6: 12,097 (multi-core)
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 91 fps; (1080p, Low): 205 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 82 fps; (1080p, Low): 128 fps
Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 103 fps; (1080p, Low): 189 fps
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 2 hours

If you look at our benchmark results across several tests, you can see Omen 16 is pulling some big numbers, but are they good? Yes. In fact, they're very good. To put it all into perspective, let's take a look at a similarly sized gaming laptop — the Alienware M16. If you compare the benchmarks, you'll notice HP's device outperforms in several areas. It was able to achieve higher framerates than the Alienware in every listed game at 1080p Ultra resolution. The Omen 16 did better than a computer that already had very high scores.

This power is thanks to the internal Ryzen 9 processor, GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, and 16 GB of RAM. This hardware combination results in a 165Hz refresh rate which is a perfect number for competitive play. If you're someone who enjoys climbing the leaderboards on your favorite game, you should be smiling from ear to ear looking at that number.

During my testing period, I played several rounds of the Mortal Kombat 1. Fighting games necessitate having a high frame rate. You need to be able to see your opponent's attack coming, so you can adequately respond with your own combo. To have a high FPS (frames per second), you need a high refresh rate to allow smooth, lifelike animations. Because the visuals were so clear and stable, I was able to keep up my corner combos with Reptile. I knew exactly when to throw out a punch or force ball keeping my opponent pinned to the wall. This is all due to that stellar refresh rate.

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HP Omen 16 on table

(Image credit: Future)
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HP Omen 16 closed

(Image credit: Future)

Additionally, the powerful hardware greatly increases the immersion. Mortal Kombat 1 features amazing-looking stages and I was able to truly enjoy every bit of detail NetherRealm Studios (the game's developer) put into the title. The Flesh Pits looked absolutely horrifying on the screen seeing all the body parts strung from the ceiling on chains. Conversely, stages like Sindel's Palace look beautiful with the light leaking through giving the area an ethereal look.

Things could be better, admittedly. The screen peaks at Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels). That is a perfectly good resolution, don't get me wrong. Games will look great, but it won't be winning any awards either.

Outside of gaming, the HP Omen 16 runs well as a day-to-day computer. I should note the screen is Eyesafe Certified which is great for someone like me who spends hours in front of a screen. This tech lowers the amount of blue light your eyes receive to lessen fatigue. Also, the laptop comes with a 1080p webcam — great for streamers or people who want to look good in Zoom calls.

  • Performance score: 4.5 / 5

HP Omen 16: Battery life

  • Doesn't last long while gaming
  • Doesn't last long while working

I strongly recommend keeping the charger close at hand, because the Omen 16's battery doesn't last very long. The short battery life is, without a doubt, the laptop's biggest flaw.

As part of testing, I played Final Fantasy 14 with its in-game settings maxed out and performance further boosted via the Omen Gaming Hub app. It lasted about an hour and a half before it completely died on me. That amount of time shocked me because the game is a decade old. I didn't think a 10-year title would draw so much power that the battery drains completely in less time than it takes to kill a raid boss. I figured since the game is pretty old at this point it wouldn't be a huge burden. I guess I was wrong.

When it comes to less intense workloads, the Omen 16 does last a lot longer but not by much. It lasted about three and a half hours, nearly four before I had to run off and grab the charger. This is with Battery Saver as well as Eco Mode turned on. On average, it lasts about two hours. The machine performs well, but it has low stamina.

  • Battery score: 1 / 5

Should you buy the HP Omen 16?

Buy it if...

You want an affordable gaming laptop
The Omen 16 offers great performance at a mid-range level price.  

You want a well-performing laptop
Although it may not have the greatest hardware, the Omen 16 can still churn out high-quality gaming.

Don't buy it if...

You want a long battery life
The HP Omen 16 struggles to last longer than an hour and a half while gaming - poor even for a gaming laptop.

HP Omen 16: Also consider

If you're curious about other options for the HP Omen 16. there are a couple you should consider...

How I tested the HP Omen 16

  • Tested the laptop over the course of two and a half weeks
  • Used it for both work and gaming
  • Ran it through several stress tests

I tested the HP Omen 16 for about two and a half weeks in various use cases. Half of the time was spent using the Omen 16 for everyday things like responding to emails, writing, and watching videos. I wanted to see how the laptop performs on a light workload.

Besides that, I spent several hours gaming on, trying out recent and older titles. Final Fantasy 14 was one of those titles. I wanted to see how well the Omen 16 boosted the performance of a 10-year-old game. As stated earlier, I tried out Mortal Kombat 1 plus Monster Hunter Rise. I wanted to the high refresh rate in action. Those titles are games where smooth character animations matter immensely.

Of course, the team at TechRadar ran the Omen 16 through several benchmark tests to see how it performs while firing on all cylinders, too.

Read more about how we test

Logitech Yeti GX review – a great-sounding microphone for streamers
2:00 pm | September 19, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Consoles & PC Gadgets Gaming PC Gaming | Tags: | Comments: Off

The Logitech Yeti GX is the latest microphone aimed at gamers and streamers from the company as the next iteration of the tried-and-true Blue Yeti before it. With its compact design, stellar stand, decent RGB lighting, and intuitive controls, it can easily be considered one of the best microphones for streaming and one of the best USB microphones, however, there’s little new here to blow anyone away. 

Few USB microphones are as well established as the Blue Yeti and this new take carries the torch toward with the signature sound profile, ease of use, and metal construction. If you’re after something plug-and-play that sounds decent then the Logitech Yeti GX could be the microphone for you. 

Price and availability

The Logitech Yeti GX launched on September 19 in territories such as the US and the UK for $149 (around £119 / AU$230) placing it in the mid-range of USB microphone offerings. For context, that’s around the same price as the standard Blue Yeti before it, and comparable to the Logitech Yeti Nano. It also comes in a little cheaper than the similarly-sized USB-powered Rode X XCM-50.  

Design and features

Stand of the Logitech Yeti GX

(Image credit: Future)

The Logitech Yeti GX is a compact USB microphone with a small footprint built to take up minimal space on your gaming desk. The condenser itself measures at less than 5 inches / 12cm tall and is suspended on the metal desktop stand with a large rounded dial on the right-hand side. The USB-C cable feeds in at the bottom, and the microphone itself can be angled upwards or away from you. As with other Yeti microphones, this one is a side-address model, which means you speak into it from the side instead of angling it at the top for the best results. 

New to the Logitech Yeti GX is RGB lighting which can be customized in the Logitech G Hub. The bottom of the microphone features an RGB light strap with the Logitech G emblem also lighting up. It’s not the brightest display, but it adds a good touch of color to what would otherwise be a plain black mic setup. 

The Logitech Yeti GX is about convenience and this can evidenced with the simple controls on offer. There’s a gain dial and a mute button but that’s your lot. What’s handy, though, is that a red light will come on when muted, and even appear when the audio starts spiking when recording or streaming, which is appreciated shorthand. A neat touch is that the scroll wheel is actually one that you would find on some of the company’s best gaming mice with a satisfying click and scroll. 

Performance

Logitech Yeti GX muted

(Image credit: Future)

The Logitech Yeti GX is one of the better-sounding USB microphones that I’ve used in my years of testing, with a pleasing flat sound profile that’s ideal for game streaming. Within seconds of plugging it into my PC’s front I/O, it was instantly detected, and Windows had balanced the input at 100%. I didn’t have to install any new drivers or mess around in settings, it was good to go straight out of the box. 

While testing the pickup pattern, I noticed that the custom dynamic capsule did a solid job of picking up everything from a whisper to a normal speaking voice, and even singing as well as harsh metal vocals. You aren’t going to get the depth and clarity of something like the far larger and more expensive Rode X XDM-100 here, but for something this straightforward, the overall audio quality impresses, even though it doesn’t wow. 

During my time with the Yeti GX, I was using it as my main microphone when chatting with friends playing Mortal Kombat 11 online, and going through Starfield. These are quite noisy games at the best of times, especially when the action gets intense, and I noticed that the sounds of my gaming keyboard, Victrix Pro BFG, and mouse were rarely picked up despite only being a few inches away. The pickup itself isn’t super sensitive, and that’s for the best as you won’t necessarily have to be recording in a studio where you can hear a pin drop. 

What I did notice is that the audio can peak quite aggressively even from a moderate shout or scream with the gain dial reduced and the recording volume lowered. It’s not a massive problem, and something I encountered rarely, but if you happen to speak louder or more animated than most then you will need to bear this in mind. Popping words and tongue clicks can also appear if you’re close up, but it wasn’t something that plagued me much in my testing. 

Overall the Logitech Yeti GX is a great microphone for gamers and streamers that marries up good design, ease of use, attractive lighting, and solid overall performance, but it isn’t going to win over any audiophiles. If you’re after bleeding-edge audio then you’re going to have to look elsewhere, but there’s very little you can fault this model on for what it offers for its price. 

Rear of the Logitech Yeti GX

(Image credit: Future)

Verdict

Buy it if…  

You want a decent-performing, easy-to-use microphone for streaming 

The Logitech Yeti GX is about as plug-and-play as they come working straight out of the box with minimal messing around, and it happens to sound good, too. 

You’re after a compact microphone for streaming 

The compact size of the Logitech Yeti GX makes it ideal for those with limited desk space for their setup, and the custom pickup pattern means you don’t have to be too close either. 

Don’t buy it if…  

You don’t care about RGB 

You can find the Yeti Nano cheaper than the Yeti GX, which doesn’t add much aside from the lighting and a newer visual design. 

You want the absolute best audio quality for streaming 

While the Logitech Yeti GX sounds solid, you aren’t going to be getting the same level of quality as you were from a dedicated XLR microphone setup. 

The Logitech Yeti GX should pair great with one of the best green screens and the best webcams for a top-tier streaming setup. 

Mortal Kombat 1 review – a definitive new beginning
3:07 pm | September 14, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off
Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, PC, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
Release date: Early Access Sep 14, full release Sep 19 

If you’re all in on brutal and bloody fighting game action then Mortal Kombat 1 has it in spades. When you look closer, however, you’ll find some of the most polished combat of the entire series, a great narrative, a wealth of content to explore, and exciting new additions that mean that the latest entry in NetherRealm Studios' saga is one of the best fighting games you can play right now. 

Mortal Kombat 1 had an uphill battle ahead of it, serving as both a sequel and a soft reboot to over 30 years of established franchise history. With that said, the 12th mainline entry in the series excels across the board by going back to what made the bloody brawler so enthralling in the first place. This is reflected in an intelligently designed roster and a return to stripped-back fighting game fundamentals that make this one a series best. 

One thing that NetherRealm has always been good at delivering is its single-player content in its fighting games - Mortal Kombat 1 is no exception. The centre piece is the new story which takes around eight hours to complete. The plot follows Raiden, now EarthRealm’s champion, after the Fire God Liu Kang restarted history. You’ll also see the Lin Kuei at the height of its power, and Outworld during peacetime in a story that goes in unexpected directions. While billed as a reboot this narrative is actually intertwined with the previous trilogy of NetherRealm-developed titles (spanning Mortal Kombat (2011) to Mortal Kombat 11, but spins its own yarn and is the sharpest writing the team has delivered yet. 

Geras in Mortal Kombat 1

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Despite the attempts made at making the story as self-contained as possible, it is still likely to alienate some newcomers. That’s because the events are tied into the previous game, Mortal Kombat 11, so if you missed NetherRealm’s last outing, you could struggle to put all the pieces together. Furthermore, as the story develops it unravels and starts to draw in influences from throughout Mortal Kombat history, with several moments likely leaving new players nothing but confused. It plays out in chapters where you assume control of a member of the roster for a few fights in between lengthy cinematics. You earn new characters and cosmetics for finishing each chapter, so it’s definitely worth experiencing at least once. 

It’s the narrative that will raise a few eyebrows among long-time fans as characters have been brought back in new ways. Sub Zero and Scorpion show up in all new forms, while thunder god Raiden appears as a young mortal man. Liu Kang’s fiddling with the timeline has changed the world fundamentally, so while you might recognize the characters here, they’ll often act in ways you wouldn’t expect. For example, sharp-toothed and blade-armed Baraka is a good guy now, for example. This story is a complete rework of the franchise's established lore, which builds to an epic conclusion. 

New to Mortal Kombat 1 is the Invasions mode which replaces the Krypt and is a mixture of a board game and top-down RPG. The main reason for exploring these areas, which are fleshed-out environments based on the core stages, is to unlock chests that contain goodies like concept art, character palettes, new skins, brutalities, fatalities, and other cosmetics. While these dioramas have heart and charm, the actual process of finding and getting these items is long and drawn out. That’s because each encounter takes place as a single-round fight with a reskin of a member of the roster. While initially novel, these quickly grow tiresome as the repetition sets in. 

Outside of this, there are the tower modes with varying difficulty levels, as well as survivor, and an endless gauntlet option. The three main difficulties are Novice, Warrior, and Champion where you go up against six, eight, and 10 opponents respectively, and Survivor mode means you keep your health bar from your prior fights. When you do choose to fight other players, there’s local co-op, and online options that include ranked and casual play, with Kombat League returning as well as King of the Hill making a reappearance. 

Time for a makeover 

Kitana in Mortal Kombat 1

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Sure, it’s a reboot, but Mortal Kombat 1 doesn’t shy away from the series’ extensive history, and that’s reflected in the cast of characters. Yes, many of the staples are here including Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Liu Kang, and Johnny Cage, however, an equal amount of room among the 23 roster spaces is dedicated to 3D-era combatants and new faces. Reiko returns, alongside Havik, Ashrah, Nitara, and Li Mei. Geras, who debuted in Mortal Kombat 11, makes the cut, too. While it may be disappointing to some to relegate the likes of Sonya Blade and Kano to Kameo fighters, NetherRealm should be applauded for being bold with its choices here instead of retreading old ground. 

It also doesn’t hurt that the character designs are expressive and impressively detailed, and this can also be said of the new environments which are stunning. It’s in the background design that you can really see the upgrade in the engine as there’s a level of detail in these stages that eclipses prior games, and they are far more dynamic in motion. There’s a pop of color to even the darkest and dingiest arenas, with vastly improved animations, particle effects, and lighting. 

At times it’s tough to believe that this is running on a custom version of Unreal Engine 4. Performance on the PS5 is also a rock solid 60fps with no frame drops or stuttering. It’s a game that looks great in motion and is awesome to behold due to the speed and fluidity of the characters. It’s thrilling to see a Kameo fighter emerge from the background during a lengthy combo and hit a breaker, or pop a character up for an unexpected 'turning of the tables' moment.  

The fatalities are as unflinching as ever with the gore and viscera made even more gruesome by the capabilities of current-generation technology. While brutal, there’s a tongue-in-cheek sense to the over-the-top violence and literal liters of blood pouring out of your opponent. However, if you’re a little squeamish then you’ll want to avoid the game altogether. There is no option to disable blood or fatalities at this time. 

Rip and tear 

Raiden and Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat 1

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
Best bit

Sub-Zero kicks Liu Kang

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Getting to see all the ways that the story mode subverts expectations, reinventing the universe and making older characters and locations feel fresh

The core fighting experience of Mortal Kombat 1 is the deepest the series has ever been, and it all started by trimming the fat from the previous NetherRealm-developed titles in order to go back to the drawing board. Additions like the variation system, interactable objects in the environment, and the ability to meter burn have been cut in favor of a cleaner mechanical experience.,

Also not returning from Mortal Kombat 11 specifically are the breakaway system, Krushing blows, and the dual gauges for attack and defense. Instead, it’s back to the classic method of enhancing moves and using combo breakers which were introduced in Mortal Kombat (2011). In place of the ditched mechanics is the new Kameo system, which has you picking a second character that can be called upon during a fight to do a variety of different moves. There’s also the return of aerial combat, which was last utilized in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon when the franchise was still in 3D.

Every character has some form of meterless air-launch attack, whether through a string or a special move, which means combos can be taken to the air, or your opponent can be juggled or bounced to keep grounded combat going longer. This fundamentally changes not only the progression of matches, which are considerably faster than they were in Mortal Kombat 11 but also the way in which combos work themselves, as there’s so much you can do in this game than in any other Mortal Kombat title before it. This is especially true when factoring in a well-timed Kameo assist as well, as the likes of Sektor’s uppercut or Frost’s ice ball can give you the crucial milliseconds you need to keep a deadly combo going.

Depth and death

Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Smoke

(Image credit: Warner Bros. )

Mortal Kombat 1 features the most robust tutorial mode that I’ve ever seen from a big-budget fighting game which does an excellent job of teaching you the basics and prepping you for competitive play. That’s because there are dedicated step-by-step sections for effective offense, defense, and combos as well as more advanced mechanics like how to apply pressure, how to flawless block, effectively use wakeup attacks, dash cancel, dash block, and even understand frame data. There are even challenges for every member on the roster which includes some full combos to master, too. These tutorials are thorough and encompassing and can take players all the way through to competing in Kombat League or going to tournaments. 

It’s a good thing because the combatants in Mortal Kombat 1 have intricacies. This latest entry has taken some clear inspiration from the likes of Guilty Gear Strive with the new archetypes that established fan favorites now embody. For example, Johnny Cage now has a hype meter that is built from effective parrying and taunting so that you can go into show-off mode which means you can use multiple special moves in rapid succession. That means lining up a ton of shadow kicks in the corner, chaining strings together with the Ball Buster (a groin punch), and an all-out aerial assault for a brief window. Cage isn’t the only person with unique mechanics, with several other characters boasting their own gimmicks - none more complicated than Kenshi, who can fight with a sword or just straight-up control his own ancestor while also getting stuck into the fighting himself. 

There are a few settings that can make Mortal Kombat 1 easier for new players as well. You’re able to tweak the input window timing from long (on by default), to short, or medium which tightens how long you have to pull off a string, combo, or hit special cancels. This includes the ability to turn the release check on or off, which means special moves land on release instead of press, and button shortcuts as well. All told, there are many options for the game to be as forgiving or as punishing as you need. I played some of the game with the default settings before switching to the shortest input window with the release check turned off, as is preferable when playing competitively, especially if using one of the best fight sticks. 

The more time I invest in Mortal Kombat 1, the more eager I am to jump into practice mode with an all-new character and learn what they're all about. Even after hundreds of matches, I am still discovering new strategies with the combatants, and the combo opportunities feel great to pull off. This is the most fun I've ever had with Mortal Kombat game to date, and I can't wait to see how the community and pro scene embrace the toolset that it offers. 

Accessibility features 

Mortal Kombat 1 accessibility menu

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Mortal Kombat 1 features extensive accessibility features from a dedicated menu in the settings that include a screen reader option, color blindness mode with an intensity slider, descriptive audio, speech-to-text, keyboard-to-speech, and different audio mixes for those hard of hearing. It’s really encouraging to see a fighting game be this accessible and is a step up from prior efforts. 

How we reviewed Mortal Kombat 1

I spent around 30 hours with Mortal Kombat 1 on PS5 and in that time I finished the story mode, completed the towers with almost the entire roster, thoroughly explored the first two playable maps in Invasions mode, and had around 100 matches outside of these modes with a mixture of the DualSense Wireless Controller, Victrix Pro BFG gamepad, and the Victrix Pros FS. 

Gear up for Mortal Kombat 1 with one of the best PS5 controllers and one of the best monitors for PS5, or you can game on Team Green hardware with one of the best Xbox controllers and the best monitors for Xbox Series X. 

Victrix Pro FS review – one of the best fight sticks ever made
4:11 pm | August 31, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off

The Victrix Pro FS aims to cater to fighting game enthusiasts with a high-end model that’s made with money as no object. Sporting a stunning aluminum design and leading hardware inside, there are no compromises made with this PS5 and PC fight stick. Without question, it’s one of the best fight sticks around, but you’re paying a premium here overall. 

Unlike some other fight sticks, the Victrix Pro FS is sleeker and lighter than many alternatives you’ll find on the platform. If you’re someone who wants to take the best fighting games seriously then this is the high-end option to consider. However, if you’re more cash-strapped, you may want to look for some other alternatives as this is one of the priciest offerings around. 

Price and availability

The Victrix Pro FS is currently available in the US, the UK, and Australia for $399.99 / £349.99 / AU$799.95 making it one of the most expensive fight sticks on the market to date. You have the choice of two colors, either the brand’s signature purple or a white variant. For context, this is significantly more expensive than the Nacon Daija ($249.99 / £254 / AU$499) and the Hori Fighting Alpha ($199 / £199 / AU$398) which have options for the PS5 console, too. 

Design and features

Side of the Victrix Pro FS showing the lighting

(Image credit: Future)

What immediately separates the Victrix Pro FS from its competition is the physical design of the fight stick itself. Instead of being made up of a mixture of plastic materials, this company opted to forge this model out of a single sheet of aluminum. The manufacturer claims that it’s “aircraft-grade” and while I’m unable to verify this, the chassis itself is seriously premium in both feel and construction to the touch. This also adds to the overall lighter feel than something like the Nacon Daija (10.2 lbs / 4.64kg) with its body weight of 7.6 lbs / 3.4kg when on your lap. A neat touch is the 6.28-inch wrist slope which means you can wrest on the metal when playing without discomfort, something no other current-gen fight stick offers. 

Body aside, the Victrix Pro FS is rocking Sanwa Denshi buttons and a joystick complete with microswitches with the eight-way gate which truly delivers that arcade-quality feel. These components are known for their accuracy, precision, and reliability and are a smart choice for a fight stick that costs this much. However, much like with the Hori Fighting Alpha, you’re able to open the rear of the device up to modify the stick and buttons, and tools are included to easily tune the gear to your liking. This means you can keep the chassis but opt for the likes of Qanba or Seimitsu if so desired.  

One thing that I really appreciate is the carrying handles for Victrix Pro FS which makes transportation easy. If you’re someone who gets shuffled around a lot in tournaments, being able to pick it up with ease is a good inclusion. There’s also a lockout button that disables the control bar (such as the start button and other console-specific commands) so they won’t get in the way during competition. The bar is integrated nicely at the top with the eight buttons below marked with which PlayStation input they correspond with.

Performance

Buttons on the Victrix Pro FS

(Image credit: Future)

As someone who has been playing fighting games for decades and has used many fight sticks, I can say with confidence that the Victrix Pro FS is one of the best on the market. The lightweight feel of the chassis combined with the dedicated wrist space and Sanwa Denshi hardware made for an overall user experience that was seriously hard to beat. Within just a couple of rounds of Mortal Kombat 1 during its open beta, Tekken 7, and Street Fighter 6, I was pulling off commands that I had struggled with, even when utilizing one of the best PS5 controllers.

I am very familiar with Sanwa Denshi parts, having used them in the past with the Hit Box Cross|Up and the Hori Fighting Alpha, but the way the Victrix Pro FS utilizes the stick and buttons is a cut above. The gate on the stick and the feel of the buttons themselves feel that little bit more tuned, owing in part to the metal chassis, meaning I didn’t have to press down as hard or aggressively as I had on the plastic boxes of the past. 

While a fight stick won’t necessarily give you an advantage, I found in my testing that I was gravitating more towards the Victrix Pro FS than my Victrix BFG Pro or the DualSense wireless controller when playing on PS5 and PC for comfort. Instead of clawing my hands around a gamepad, I was able to use both hands more freely to pull off inputs I would have found more difficult on a D-pad. That’s in large part due to the excellent joystick found on this model, with a sharp and deliberate gate which meant each flick of the stick was captured well. 

The arcade layout is also great for bringing a more immersive experience to some of the best arcade games, particularly with beat ‘em ups available on Xbox Game Pass for PC such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, and I also enjoyed more hours than I am willing to admit in both Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 and Magical Drop 6 as well. Ultimately, if you’re looking for the hardware that can give you the fighting game edge and performs well with other genres then the Victrix Pro FS could be what you’ve been waiting for. 

Verdict

Aerial view of the Victrix Pro FS

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if… 

You want a high-quality fight stick for PS5 and PC

The Victrix Pro FS is an excellently designed fight stick for Sony consoles and PC made out of a single piece of aluminum and featuring Sanwa Denshi stick and buttons for a premium feel. 

You want to customize your fight stick

Thanks to its open hatch design, you’re able to open up the Victrix Pro FS and use the included tools to swap out the sticks and buttons at your leisure. 

Don’t buy it if… 

You want good value for money 

For as great as the Victrix Pro FS is, you can find the same hardware inside in cheaper fight sticks for the PS5 and PC in the Nacon Daija which offers better value for money overall.

The Victrix Pro FS will pair well with one of the best monitors for PS5 and you can make room for all the fighting games you'll want to play with one of the best SSDs for PS5, too. 

Crucial P5 Plus review – competitively priced but lacking in performance
7:46 pm | August 25, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , | Comments: Off

The Crucial P5 Plus is a budget PS5 SSD that looks to rival some of the cheaper options for internal console storage in 2023. However, with sequential performance that falls behind the majority of the competition, this is one drive that can’t quite be considered one of the best SSDs for PS5 despite having a good heatsink. 

At a time when the prices of Gen 4 models are continuing to fall, any major advantage that the Crucial P5 Plus would have is subdued. It isn’t fast enough or packed with leading features to rival the top-end brands, nor cheap enough to be considered in higher capacities than some of the budget picks I’ve had past my desk over the past couple of years.

Price and Availability

You can get your hands on the Crucial P5 Plus in the US and the UK for as low as $44.99 / £44.99 for 500GB, but things get more aggressive at the 1TB and 2TB variants at $55 / £57 and $97 / £98 being one of the cheapest PS5 SSDs available now. It’s not quite the cheapest on the market - that would be the Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade, which performs a lot better - but for a Gen 4 NVMe in 2TB in the sub-$100 / £100 range, this value proposition cannot be ignored. With the heatsink models specifically, you’re looking at 1TB and 2TB variants for £65 / $62.99 and $199.99 / £104.99 respectively which is still incredibly competitive. 

Design and features

Using a proprietary Crucial NVMe controller with LPDDR4 DRAM cache and Micron 176L TLC flash memory, the Crucial P5 Plus is technically capable of pumping out sequential figures of up to 6,600 MB/s read with 5,000 MB/s write. These are respectable figures, sure, however, they fall far from what the now four-year-old Gen 4 NVMe technology is capable of. Most moderately priced models, such as the once-premium Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850 are capable of producing sequential and random performance pushing 7,300 MB/s read and 7,000 MB/s write respectively. 

The write endurance (TBW) is also pretty average from the Crucial P5 Plus. It’s rated for up to 300TB (500GB), 600TB (1TB), and 1,200TB (2TB) which lags behind the competition as well. Specs aside, this heatsink variant of the Gen 4 drive is rocking one of the nicer heatsinks that I’ve seen in some time. Available for the 1TB and 2TB versions, it’s a thick, rugged aluminium model that’s layered in such a way that lets heat glide off it. It’s a good touch and spares you from having to consider a standalone PS5 SSD heatsink instead. 

Performance

Back of the Crucial P5 Plus

(Image credit: Future)

I won’t mince words here: while technically competent, the Crucial P5 Plus is the slowest PS5 SSD that I have ever tested in the console. It achieved a benchmark score of 5,624 MB/s - a number which led me to re-test the drive several times and even clean the connector before re-inserting to try again. The speeds actually got gradually lower every time by a couple of MB/s, too. The measure of 5,624 MB/s however is just 100 MB/s faster than the absolute minimum recommended spec set by Sony - something usually comfortably surpassed by other PS5 SSDs. After the benchmark was done, there was a message stating to transfer games back onto the internal storage should there be any issues during play, which isn’t the most encouraging first impression. 

While many console-compatible Gen 4 drives are easily able to transfer files at around 1GB/sec, this wasn’t quite the case for Micron’s latest model. This can be evidenced by smaller titles such as Crash Team Rumble and Stray which leaped over from the internal SSD to the Crucial P5 Plus in 8 seconds and 9 seconds respectively. However, with larger file sizes, the gap did increase to almost 1GB/sec when transferring over the likes of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart which was written onto the drive in 31 seconds, and Sonic Frontiers which copied over in 24 seconds. 

Curiously, as some of the best PS5 games I used got larger in size, the transfer speeds increased. This is also what occurred with the Nextorage NEM-PA, too, but it is good to see rates becoming consistent under heavy loads, likely due to the 176-layer memory and DRAM cache on the chip. Death Stranding: Director’s Cut and Demon’s Souls transferred in just 56 seconds and 45 seconds respectively which deserves commending. While the rates are far from special, the consistency should be praised, as the Crucial P5 Plus ticks the necessary boxes - albeit unexceptionally. 

The message of instability from the benchmark didn’t seem to matter in game. When I was playing through some of the aforementioned titles (as well as Mortal Kombat 11) while installed on the drive, everything ran as expected with no technical hiccups to speak of.

While the Crucial P5 Plus does a good job in the PS5 console under some circumstances, it lags behind the vast majority of the similarly priced competition in almost every aspect. The bottom line is that it isn’t cheap enough to beat out a budget competitor, nor fast enough to compete with the dozens of PS5 SSDs offering higher sequential performance out of the gate. 

Crucial P5 Plus heatsink

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if…  

You want a budget PS5 SSD

For the right price, the Crucial P5 Plus could be worth it for you as it performs well enough inside the PS5 for loading games and transferring data. 

You want a PS5 SSD with a specialized heatsink 

The Crucial P5 Plus features one of the nicest and sturdiest heatsinks I’ve seen on a PS5 SSD to date.

Don't buy it if...

You can find other, better PS5 SSDs for the same price

With the rates on once top-end flagships from Samsung, WD Black, Corsair, PNY, and Seagate continuing to get cheaper every day, there’s little incentive to throw money at Crucial P5 Plus over them. 

You want a 4TB PS5 SSD

If you’re after a high-capacity PS5 SSD then you’re out of luck as the Crucial P5 Plus only goes up to 2TB. Viable alternatives include the Nextorage NEM-PA 4TB and the Seagate FireCuda 530 which are available at this size with a heatsink. 

We're also rounding up the best PS5 external hard drives and the best monitors for PS5 as well so you can fill out your PlayStation 5 setup.

Logitech G Cloud review – No one’s handheld
6:14 pm | May 16, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , | Comments: Off

The Logitech G Cloud is the line of handheld games consoles following in the success of the Nintendo Switch and Valve's Steam Deck. Unlike those devices, though, this one's focus isn't to run games natively, but to stream them from the cloud as its name would imply. Armed with respectable hardware for this purpose and an ergonomic form factor, there's a lot going for it on paper. 

The reality of the matter is much different though, as its limited usability (thanks in part to a complete lack of 4G/5G support) and high price tag means it cannot be considered one of the best handheld games consoles when compared to the competition. It's built for a very particular niche that I don't think exists; an audience that wants less functionality than what the best tablets can offer to stream content from the best games consoles on the market. 

Price and Availability

The Logitech G Cloud initially launched in the US in October 2022 and is now available in the UK and Europe for $349.99 / £329.99. Australian pricing and availability have not been confirmed. However, it should be launching in the next few weeks, given the further availability of the handheld as of May 2023. It’s a steep rate wherever you’re based on the globe, costing the same amount (if not more) than the Nintendo Switch OLED and is comparable to the base 64GB Steam Deck model, which retails at $399.99 / £349.99. 

Design and Features

A side view of the Logitech G Cloud showing the form factor

(Image credit: Future)

The Logitech G Cloud utilizes a 1080p 7-inch IPS 60 Hz multi-touch screen as its panel of touch and is bolstered by console quality controls and an ergonomic grip on either side. The stick and face button layout should be familiar to those who use the best Xbox controllers with its XYAB format and asymmetrical placement. The D-pad here is solid but isn’t quite as good as what you’ll find on the Xbox Wireless Controller; it’s satisfying enough but doesn’t have the same tactile click with its quiet feedback. As well as the more standard approach, there are buttons acting as start and options, as well as dedicated home and hub ones.  

The most striking thing about the Logitech G Cloud is how thin and light it is, even compared to other gaming handhelds from Valve, Nintendo, and AyaNeo. Weighing in at just 463g and measuring at just 1.3 inches in thickness, it’s a slight machine, to say the least. Unfortunately, the main reason Logitech’s latest device comes in lighter and slimmer than its rivals is due to the guts inside. That’s because the Logitech G Cloud is essentially an Android tablet running the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G octa-core processor instead of something more hardware intensive, such as the Nvidia Tegra X1 or an AMD Ryzen APU. 

The hardware manufacturer claims you can expect around 12 hours of playback from the Logitech G Cloud’s 6000 mAh battery. From my testing, I can confirm that that’s about right when used purely for cloud streaming through in-built applications like Nvidia GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Steam Link. However, your mileage may seriously vary when gaming natively on Android in titles that will flex the hardware a little further. If you’re looking at having this as a machine to do both, then you’re looking at a more inconsistent 8-10 hours when all is said and done, but that’s still reasonably good for a handheld, all told. 

The Logitech G Cloud features two modes in the software for handheld and tablet use; the former is a streamlined approach with a console-style menu similar to Steam’s Big Picture, and the latter is a basic vanilla Android experience. For the bulk of my testing, I kept the machine in its Logitech G Hub menu just to make navigation straightforward, as it was the fastest way to jump between the various game streaming applications, the Google Play store, and the mobile titles I had installed and ready to go.  

Performance

Snake.io running on the Logitech G Cloud

(Image credit: Future)

The performance of the Logitech G Cloud is wildly inconsistent depending on the streaming service you choose to run for it. Many of my hours were spent with the Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, provided by the PR for review purposes. While I can respect the convenience of being able to boot up any number of titles available to Xbox Series X users on the platform and play some of the best Xbox Series X games without the need for the system itself, the experience is incredibly mixed. 

There’s close to what feels like a half-second of delay, regardless of which game I was playing through the Xbox Cloud Gaming’s servers. To make matters worse, the video quality itself was lackluster. It was frequently fuzzy in motion, making faster-paced titles, such as Forza Horizon 5 and Doom Eternal, close to unplayable as the roads merged together and the demons were a blur. Less intense games such as Powerwash Simulator and Skate 3 didn’t have this problem, but I found text hard to read, and the slight lag between pressing buttons and things reacting was frustrating more often than not. Yes, the service is in Beta (and also available for Android and iOS outside of the Logitech G Cloud), but seeing as this handheld pushes Xbox so heavily, it’s far from ideal that the performance is this lacking. 

For the record, I have a decent wireless internet connection. Through an internet speed test conducted from the Logitech G Cloud, I got 495.4 MB/s download and 35.7 MB/s upload which greatly exceeds the minimum recommend rates cited by Microsoft itself. It wasn’t the best first impression of the handheld, but things quickly improved when switching over to Nvidia GeForce Now’s Ultimate package. Similar to the ill-fated Google Stadia, this service utilizes high-end gaming PCs to stream gameplay on far weaker devices. My subscription granted me access to rigs running the Nvidia RTX 4080, which meant I was getting far better-looking games overall. 

The streaming quality of Nvidia GeForce Now is genuinely excellent. There are only around nine frames of input delay, which is similar to what you’ll find when playing low ping multiplayer titles (near seamless), and the image quality was considerably sharper than through Xbox Game Pass. The trade-off is that you don’t have a vast game library to choose from. Instead, you can boot and stream games you already own through Steam, GOG, Epic, and Ubisoft Connect as licenses. It’s a cool idea for sure, and it made playing through Cyberpunk 2077 and Rayman Legends a breeze as if they were running on native hardware. It’s not all good news, though. That’s because this service tier will run you $19.99 / £14.99 a month to play games you already own, requiring you to have an extensive PC gaming library to make the most of this. 

WWE 2K19 streaming to the Logitech G Cloud

(Image credit: Future)

Lastly, I tried out Steam Link, which works similarly to Nvidia GeForce Now but uses local hardware. Streaming from my gaming PC to the Logitech G Cloud was the best of the three services I tried and wouldn’t cost me anything. Playing through the likes of WWE 2K23, Hotline Miami, and Mortal Kombat 11 was nice, as I could kick back on the sofa or lounge on the bed and have the same overall experience. The fact that this works so well as it is free to any Steam users further made the idea of paying an additional fee through Nvidia’s offerings even more baffling.

Comparing the Logitech G Cloud to some of the best Android tablets is where the cracks really begin to show. While the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G isn’t the weakest mobile processor on the market, it’s far from a flagship, as running games from the Google Play store didn’t exactly paint this handheld in the best light. I was stunned to see occasional stuttering in the likes of Snake.io and even Subway Surfers, but things were shakier when playing through PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact, and Call of Duty Mobile with the settings scaled down. To make matters worse, there was little I could do to make the latter two games recognize the built-in controller, meaning I was stuck awkwardly using the touchscreen, which was far from ideal.

The reliance on an internet connection to play games instead of being able to natively render them as the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch can for a similar price makes this handheld nearly impossible to recommend. It’s not a great Android tablet on its own, and the streaming services available feature too many caveats to consider prioritizing when Steam Link does it better. There’s also the fact that all these apps are available on Android phones and iOS, with the price of something like the BackBone One ($99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179.99) or Razer Kishi ($79.99 / £79.99 / AU$115) giving you the same fundamental experience with a device you already own.