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Chuwi LarkBox S mini PC review
5:02 pm | December 14, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Chuwi LarkBox S: 30-second review

Picking up the LarkBox S, you can instantly tell that it’s a little different from your standard entry-level mini PC. Firstly, the build quality of this small machine is extremely high, with a mix of plastic and metal used for the outer casing, which instantly positions it at a much higher price level than it actually is.

Looking over the casing, everything is nicely finished, with four rubber feet on the base, a good selection of ports on the front and back, and plenty of ventilation for the i3 processor. As a mini PC, its looks and specifications mark it out as a perfect option for most offices or day-to-day home use. Even on a generous day, this won't be the best mini PC for heavier workloads. With its basic entry-level Intel i3 processor, it has enough power to handle all Microsoft Office apps as well as a little bit of multimedia production, as long as you don’t push it too hard.

In use, the LarkBox S proves to be decent enough at running all office applications. Excel loads quickly, and handling large but not overly complex documents is not an issue. Likewise, opening Edge and browsing, with a bit of streaming highlights how well it can handle 4K video streaming without issue. Additionally, connectivity through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is fast enough to keep up with demands.

Surprisingly, for this level of machine, even loading up DaVinci Resolve and working with some standard H.265 footage from a Sony Alpha 7 Mark IV was manageable for basic edits. However, output render times were quite significant for a 10–15 minute edit. Then as effects or more complex edits are applied, the machine begins to struggle.

Returning to the design, there are a few interesting highlights, such as the discreet graphic design on the top case and the LED light array that surrounds the front ports. These features are more common with gaming mini PCs than office PCs but are a nice touch and add a sense of fun.

Overall, as an office machine or one to use for day-to-day admin tasks at home, the LarkBox S is an extremely good option. The build quality is well above that of most entry-level PCs, and the choice of the internal hardware is pretty decent for non-intensive applications.

Chuwi LarkBox S: Price and availability

  • How much does it cost? From £250 / $250
  • When is it out? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Directly from Chuwi.com or Amazon.com

While the LarkBox S is directly aimed at the entry-level market, it isn’t the cheapest option available. This is reflected in the quality of the build as well as the higher-end components used. It retails for around $250 / £250 and is available directly through the CHUWI website or major online retailers such as Amazon.

  • Value: 4 / 5

Chuwi LarkBox S

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Chuwi LarkBox S: Specs

  • CPU: Intel Core i3-1220P (10 Cores, 12 Threads, 12 MB cache, up to 4.4 GHz)
  • Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics
  • RAM: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz (Dual-channel SO-DIMM Slots, Expandable up to 64GB)
  • Storage: 512GB PCIe 3.0 SSD (1× M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD Slot, Expandable up to 1TB)
  • Rear Ports: 2× USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A Ports, 2× USB 2.0 Type-A Ports, 1× HDMI 2.0 Port, 1× HDMI 1.4 Port, 1× 1000Mbps LAN Jack, 1× DC-In Jack
  • Front Ports: 1× Full-featured Type-C Port, 1× USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C Port, 1× 3.5mm Audio Jack
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1
  • Audio: 3.5mm Audio Jack
  • Camera: Not specified
  • Size: 118 × 118 × 41.3 mm
  • OS installed: Windows 11 Home
  • Accessories: 1× LarkBox S Mini PC, 1× VESA Mount, 6× Screws, 1× Power Adapter, 1× User Manual, 1× Warranty Card, 1× Inspection Report

Chuwi LarkBox S: Design

The LarkBox S is an entry-level mini PC, and its design style is both minimalistic and compact. Compared with other mini PCs, it is just a touch smaller at 118 × 118 × 41.3mm and weighs only 478 g. While most entry-level mini PCs are quite lightweight and plasticky, there’s absolutely nothing plastic-feeling about the LarkBox S.

The outer casing is made of a robust mixture of plastic and metal, giving it the durability to withstand the occasional knock during transport.

The satin effect finish is another really nice touch, reinforcing a slightly premium feel for what is essentially a relatively inexpensive machine. Similarly, the quality of the inlay around the ports, both front and back, shows that the machining and moulding are about as good as it gets for mini PCs.

Chuwi LarkBox S

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

While the design is stylish and understated, it’s interesting to note the inclusion of subtle inlay graphics on the top of the casing. These add a touch of design flair, visible only when the light catches them. Additionally, there’s an LED array on the front that changes colour as it operates. This is reminiscent of many gaming PCs but is more of a fun, decorative touch on what is otherwise aimed at office use which is a bit odd.

The general layout of the machine is well thought-out. On the front, there's a 3.5 mm audio jack, two USB Type-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, and the power button. Both sides feature plenty of venting, as does the back, which houses the AC input, two HDMI ports, a LAN port, and two additional USB Type-A ports.

One of the standout features of this mini PC is the ability to upgrade both the RAM and SSD. For RAM, it uses DDR4 dual-channel SO-DIMM slots, supporting up to two 32 GB sticks, and it comes with 16 GB as standard. Storage-wise, as an entry-level machine, the hard drive is relatively modest at 512 GB. This is a PCIe 3.0 SSD, but if 512 GB feels too small, it can be upgraded with an M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD of up to 1 TB, so still not huge.

  • Design: 4.5 / 5

Chuwi LarkBox S

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Chuwi LarkBox S: Features

Starting with the size, this small machine measures 118 x 118 x 41.3 mm, making it one of the smaller mini PCs out there, although it’s relatively heavy at 478 g, which just reinforces the fact that it is made of high-quality materials.

When it comes to the internal hardware, there's an Intel Core i3-1220P with 10 cores, 12 threads, 12 MB of cache, and up to 4.4 GHz. This is supported by standard Intel UHD graphics and 16 GB of DDR4 3200 MHz RAM. The motherboard is dual-channel, so if you want to upgrade that RAM, then you can install two 32 GB sticks as mentioned before, taking you up to 64 GB, which will be useful if you are thinking about doing any multimedia editing. When it comes to storage, this is limited to a 512 GB PCIe 3.0 SSD, and again there's only a single slot for this on the motherboard. You can install an M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 SSD, and that's expandable up to 1TB.

As an entry-level machine, it comes with Windows 11 Home installed, which will give you all of the normal functions and features. It also supports Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1, so it is not the latest technology, but it still offers good, solid performance. There is also an Ethernet option if you are using a wired network that supports up to 1000 Mbps.

When it comes to ports, you have one full-feature Type-C port, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, one HDMI 2.0 port, one HDMI 1.4 port, one 1000 Mbps LAN port, one 3.5 mm audio jack, and the DC-in.

Even as an entry level machine you can connect up to three displays through the two HDMI ports alongside one of the USB Type-C ports, which is the fully featured port. From the USB Type-C, you can run one 4K resolution monitor at up to 144 Hz. Through the HDMI 2.0 port, you can run one 4K monitor at up to 60 Hz, and through the HDMI 1.4 port, you can run a monitor at 4K up to 30 Hz.

As one final point on the feature set, as is now standard with most mini PCs, the computer also comes with VESA support, so if you do want to mount it on a wall or behind your monitor, then that is perfectly possible.

Chuwi LarkBox S

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
  • Features: 4 / 5

Chuwi LarkBox S: Performance

The design of the LarkBox S makes it extremely quick and easy to get started, with the ports on the back being easily accessible for plugging in the HDMI and the two USB Type-As to connect monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Pressing the power button boots up into Windows 11 Home, and you can run through the usual setup process, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes.

While the processor and GPU are relatively low-powered, they are more than sufficient to handle Windows 11 Home, providing a smooth experience from the outset, even when connected to a 4K monitor. Once Windows has finished the set-up, you can proceed to install the applications you need. For us, this included benchmarking software, a few games, Microsoft Office, and multimedia tools such as DaVinci Resolve for video editing and Adobe Photoshop for photography.

Starting with general admin use of the machine, it quickly becomes apparent that it has been finely tuned for day-to-day office use. The LarkBox S handles Microsoft Office and Microsoft Edge (or other browsers) well enough. One minor issue we did have was the LED light array at the front, which, while aesthetically pleasing, it can become a little distracting over time. However, it is possible to turn it off via the firmware settings, though this does require a bit of technical know-how.

Pushing the machine to a higher level of demand, we loaded up DaVinci Resolve to edit some 4K video shot on the Sony Alpha 7 Mark IV in the H.265 file format. Surprisingly, the machine handled this with relative ease for a simple 10-minute video edit. The project included multiple tracks with little grading and no effects applied. However, as soon as text or effects were added to the footage, the machine began to struggle. That said, you could still manage a 10 to 15-minute edit without too much trouble. The main point where the machine struggled was during export, as it took a significant amount of time to render the video into a file ready for upload. Still, for small video projects, this machine should suffice.

Switching to Adobe Lightroom and loading a few images, the machine performed well and was more than capable of handling basic edits to enhance your imagery for print or online use. Moving on to Photoshop with high-resolution files from the Sony A7 IV, the performance remained impressive for basic edits. The only noticeable slowdown occurred when using the brush tool for dodging and burning highlights and shadows. As layers accumulated, the processor and GPU began to struggle, revealing the machine's limitations.

The final test was to assess gaming performance. For this, we selected Tekken 8 and Hogwarts Legacy. It quickly became apparent when loading Tekken 8 that the machine was going to struggle graphically. While this program is often manageable on entry-level machines, the LarkBox S couldn't quite handle the demands. Once in the game (which took some time), even with settings reduced to a minimum and resolution down to Full HD, gameplay was possible but far from a good experience. With Hogwarts Legacy, the game was simply beyond the machine's capabilities and could not run effectively. However, less graphically and processor-intensive games, such as Portal 2 or the legacy Tomb Raider series, ran smoothly and without issue.

  • Performance: 4 / 5

Chuwi LarkBox S

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Chuwi LarkBox S: Final verdict

Chuwi LarkBox S

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Taking a look at what’s on offer here with the LarkBox S, you essentially have an entry-level machine with a premium build quality and very stylish, if discreet, looks. It also has an edge of flair about it with the LED lighting array at the front, which could easily lead you to mistake it for a gaming mini PC. In reality, this is an office machine ideally suited to everyday work with Word and Excel, as well as browsing the internet and a little bit of light multimedia editing.

While the processing and graphical power of the machine isn’t huge, as a day-to-day machine that is built to a high standard and quality, it should last you for a good number of years. The LarkBox S is a great option. Alongside the quality build and relatively decent feature set for the price, there’s also the ability to upgrade the internal SSD and RAM. While the storage capacity upgrade is limited to a maximum of 1 TB, the fact that you can upgrade the RAM to 64 GB gives you a little more flexibility for multimedia editing and handling larger Excel documents.

Overall, the LarkBox S is a great option for any business looking for a compact mini PC for office administration work. Its compact size, durability, and design mean it will fit nicely into any environment. It’s a shame that it comes with Windows Home rather than Windows Pro, but you can always upgrade if needed. As a solid, well-rounded machine with a quality build and finish, the LarkBox S is a worthwhile option that justifies the extra cost over some cheaper alternatives.

Should I buy a Chuwi LarkBox S?

Buy it if...

You want a high-quality build

If you’re looking for a machine that will withstand more than the occasional knock or can be used for van life or in a workshop, the high-quality casing and solid build should meet your needs.

You need plenty of connection options

Across the front and back, there are plenty of connection options, enabling you to connect up to three monitors as well as external hard drives and other accessories neatly and easily.

Don't buy it if...

You need large internal storage

The internal hardware used means that it’s limited to just one terabyte of internal storage with the upgrade, which isn’t a great deal. If you’re looking for a machine for video editing or multimedia, you might want something with more internal storage potential.

You want to play games

Even if you’re a casual gamer and want the option to play some of the latest games, even at reduced resolution, this machine and its integrated GPU will struggle.

For productivity desktops, we reviewed the best business computers.

Beelink EQ14 mini PC with Intel N150 review
7:17 pm | December 8, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: | Comments: Off

Introduction and unboxing Mini PCs are a great way to cater to your computing needs while keeping your desk clean and minimalist. The days of old tower PCs you tuck under the desk only to take away space from your feet (collect dust) are truly over. Most people are fine with a laptop, a Mini PC, or even a powerful tablet (what's a computer, eh?). Here's where the Beelink EQ14 comes in. It's built around the very new Intel N150 - the successor to 2023's Intel N100 - a staple for entry-level systems. The Beelink EQ14 comes in this Navy Blue option and features a honeycomb pattern...

GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus mini PC review
10:42 am | December 7, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off

GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus: 30-second review

Every Mini PC is trying to make its mark, and now the focus seems to be on high-powered machines with mass appeal. The GMKtec NUC Box K8 Plus is an interesting option, with a spec sheet that pitches it at the mid to higher end of this style of machine. Inside, the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU and AMD Radeon 780M graphics provide ample processing and graphical power to handle day-to-day tasks, as well as a decent level of creative work such as high-resolution photo and video editing. That combination will also see you through mid-level gaming, although a few settings may need slight reductions. 

However, then you come to the build quality. The main metal casing, finished in matte black, initially gives you a good impression of the machine and the high-quality. However, the transparent twist off top adds little to the design, and if anything cheapens and otherwise stylish mini PC. What this design does allow, however, is easy access to the inside in case you need to upgrade the RAM or SSD. 

The outside of the machine is similarly designed with ease of use and functionality at its heart, featuring plenty of ports and even the Oculink PCIe 4.0 on the front, which enables you to plug in an eGPU to boost the graphics processing and overall performance of the machine. This makes the NUC Box K8 Plus a very different proposition from many of the best mini PCs we've reviewed and, at the price, makes it an absolute bargain. What GMKtec has done is balance absolute performance with cost, resulting in a mediocre-looking machine, due to that transparent top, that can actually hold its own against machines almost double its price.

GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus: Price and availability

  • How much does it cost? $424.97
  • When is it out? Now
  • Where can you get it? Widely available

The GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus is widely available and can be purchased directly from the GMKtec for £424.97

  • Value: 5 / 5

GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus: Specs

GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus: Design

The design of the NUC Box K8 Plus is understated, featuring the usual compact, box-like form that makes it easy to position on a desk or take with you when you need something small and portable, that has more ports and expansion options than your average laptop. 

The build quality is solid, with a metal casing that gives the machine a premium feel. The transparent top, which cheapens the design, covers the large Hyper Ice Chamber 2.0 cooling system—essentially a large top and bottom fan with a copper base—that helps to keep heat in check. The transparent top is positioned slightly above the body of the machine to enable airflow. While the dark grey transparency could add to the aesthetics, it seems to lack impact here.

In terms of size, this Mini PC is about average, measuring 127 mm x 132 mm x 58 mm and weighing 640g. This compact size makes it easy to position on your desk or mount using the included VESA mount. Its weight and dimensions also make it perfectly portable for users who need a machine on the go and makes it a great Van life option.

GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The rest of the machine is neatly laid out. At the back, you'll find a good range of ports, including 2 x USB 2.0, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1, 2 x RJ45 2.5G, USB4.0 Type-C, and a Kensington Lock for security. Below these ports is additional venting, highlighting GMKtec's focus on effective cooling. More vents appear on either side of the machine, further aiding airflow.

At the front, there's the signature green GMKtec power button, an Oculink PCIe 4.0, USB4.0 Type-C, 2 x USB3.2, and a 3.5mm audio-out for headphones. The most impressive design feature is the inclusion of the Oculink display port. While this might not be the most intuitive display connector out there, the port does offers performance and reliability that few other connectors can match, making it perfect for those working with 4K or 8K video or high end gaming where the connection of a powerful eGPU can be used.

  • Design: 4 / 5

GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus: Features

Mini PCs have recently leapt forward in performance and features, and again here, the GMKtec NUC Box K8 follows this recent trend with an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU with 8 cores, 16 threads, 54W TDP, 16MB L3 Cache and 4nm processor tech. This is coupled with AMD Radeon 780M graphics which seems to be the choice for high performance mini PCs. While this mini PC is priced in the mid-range, the performance, components and features all seem to hit well above its weight. The CPU and GPU are joined by PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 SSD, and a nice feature here is that there are dual slots, which will enable you to maximise the internal storage with the ultrafast SSDs to a maximum of 8TB, 4TB in each. Alongside the ROM is a DDR5 5600MHz SO-DIMM dual channel, which means that you could potentially increase the RAM to 96GB, which is again impressive for a small machine. Our review sample came equipped with a 1TB SSD and 32GB of RAM.

One of the big features of the machine is the ability to connect up to four displays, two from the USB4.0 ports and one each from the HDMI 2.1 and DP (2.1). While this would have been unusual in the past, it's a feature that is becoming progressively more common. Although, it's worth noting that while three of the ports are at the back of the machine, the fourth is the USB4.0 on the front.

Connectivity for the machine is a big feature, with Intel i226V dual 2.5G LAN ports, WiFi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2 offering plenty of connection options for both networks and gaming.

One of the issues with all this power in a small box is inevitably heat, and here is the GMKtec Hyper Ice Chamber 2.0, which is all part of the cooling system. This sees a mini fan at the top which vents air under the twist top and draws heat away from the main components, then under the main board is a larger cooling fan with a heat sink that pulls heat away from the base of the motherboard and the CPU and GPU. This cooling is essential for the smooth running of these compact machines.

When it comes to power draw, the small machine can actually be quite power-hungry in comparison with some of the latest mini PCs. However, you do have the option to adjust the power draw with different performance settings, with the sleep mode consuming 35W, compared with full performance at 70W. This makes it a great solution if you need to manage your power consumption out in the field, and it will enable you to balance computer use with performance.

If you're looking for a machine for gaming or higher-end video work, then the addition of the Oculink port is really exciting. The nature of the port means that it's more complex to use than a standard HDMI, DP or USB4.0, but the quality of the connection, as well as its versatility, is a step up. To make use of the port, however, you will need the correct type of eGPU, and while these are less common than your standard eGPUs, they are generally cheaper and easy enough to set up.

GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
  • Features: 5 / 5

GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus: Performance

Considering this is a mid-range mini PC with the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU, the performance of this small machine is outstanding. When the demands on the machine increase, such as rendering 4K video in DaVinci Resolve, you can hear the fans fire up, and things start to slow slightly. However, considering how much this mini PC costs, the performance is exceptionally well-balanced and pretty close to far more expensive models. 

Starting with a few easy tests, the Microsoft Office suite was loaded, and documents from Word and Excel were opened, edited, and saved. The power of this PC is more than enough to handle large multi-sheet spreadsheets with calculations without issue. Likewise, opening large Word documents as well as working on PowerPoint presentations was well within its abilities. The benchmark Windows Experience score of 8.2 mirrors the smooth use of the machine for day-to-day admin.

Digging a bit deeper into the higher-end performance and starting with the SSD: as standard, there's just one SSD installed used for the OS and base storage, and a second SSD can be added. Checking the results of the SSD and CrystalDiskMark results in scores of 5190.23MB/s for read and 4741.77MB/s for write, which demonstrate the speed at which data is accessed from the drives and made available to the applications. In DaVinci Resolve, this presented itself with fast loading times for video within the timeline along with fast render speeds, especially when converting MXF video ready for use within the application. This speed from the SSDs was apparent throughout the test.

Taking a look at the processing power, we noticed that in applications for editing video and images, the machine handled higher-resolution files with relative ease. In Photoshop, the machine didn't have an issue with applying brushes and filters as being able to handling multi-layer files. Likewise, all options in Lightroom ran smoothly. In DaVinci, scrubbing through 4K footage and editing it on the timeline was again surprisingly smooth for edits up to 10 minutes without too many graphics, text, or effects applied. When it came to more complex tasks such as applying effects and rendering videos, the multi-threads worked well, and again, while there is a bit of a wait for renders, the speeds are surprisingly fast considering the pricing of the machine.

Switching to gaming to push the abilities of the GPU, the results were interesting. In Hogwarts Legacy, with the resolution set to 1080p and medium-to-high settings, the gameplay was excellent with steady frame rates, although ray tracing was reduced. In Cyberpunk 2077, this was also playable at 1080p with low-to-medium settings without ray tracing. Finally, in Tekken 8, again at 1080p and high settings, smooth frame rates and excellent gameplay were achieved. Increasing the resolution of these games to 4K showed the system beginning to struggle. Hogwarts Legacy required all settings to be reduced, and the same was true for Cyberpunk 2077 However, both games were still very playable, while Tekken 8 ran without issue!

  • Performance: 5 / 5

GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus: Final verdict

GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The performance of the NUC Box K8 Plus for general day-to-day tasks is exceptional, handling Microsoft Office apps effortlessly, as well as browsing the internet and most other office-based applications. Taking a look at applications that require a little more processing power, the compact K8 Plus was able to handle the additional load from creative application with ease. Editing in DaVinci Resolve or Photoshop proved just how powerful this machine is. As long as you're sensible about its abilities, it packs in more than enough power for everyday editing of short-form high-resolution video. However, some render times may take a while.

When used for gaming, the performance is impressive again, with all games tested running well at 1080p and only starting to struggle as the resolution was boosted to 4K and the settings increased.

Overall, considering the price, the NUC Box K8 Plus is an exceptional machine with the bonus that the USB4.0 and Oculink ports enable a huge amount of flexibility when it comes to the upgradability of this machine.

Should I buy a GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus?

Buy it if...

You want a machine you can upgrade

This is one of a new breed of machines that enables not just the standard upgrades of ROM and RAM but also connected devices such as eGPUs and hard drives, vastly expanding its potential.

You like the idea of Oculink

HDMI or other display ports are more complex, but what you sacrifice in convenience, you more than makeup for in performance.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a restricted budget

While the machine itself is relatively affordable, once you start to look at the upgrade and expansion options, the price will quickly rise. What initially looks like a budget-friendly option might not remain so in the long run.

It would help if you had a tidy machine.

The upgradability and expansion of this machine are key features, but this does mean it will become the heart of a larger system of connected boxes. If you prefer a neat setup, this is for someone else.

Looking for something larger? We've tested the best business PCs around.

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 review: a super-solid analog gaming keyboard with top performance
5:40 pm | November 27, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Keyboards Peripherals & Accessories | Tags: | Comments: Off

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3: one-minute review

The Steelseries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 is a premium gaming keyboard with analog switches, designed to provide the most accurate and tweakable gaming experience possible.

It certainly looks the part: its understated appearance doesn’t scream gaming prowess, but when you peer further, the quality is evident from every angle.

The chassis is relatively thick but not as weighty as you might expect, and it feels solid and expertly put together, easily among the best gaming keyboards around. The same is true of the wrist pad and the stock double-shot PBT keycaps, which have a slight but smooth texture that’s satisfying to touch.

The inbuilt Smart Screen sits in the top right corner, and can be used to select profiles, change the global actuation point and toggle Rapid Trigger. It can also be customized to display information pertaining to your system or popular games and apps. You can even upload your own images and GIFs too.

Further customizations can be made via Steelseries peripheral software, GG. Here, you can tinker with the actuation points further, on a global or key-by-key basis. You can also set functions to trigger on press or release, and add two binds to a single key, with each triggered at different actuation points of your choosing.

It’s a shame, though, that GG provides no visual feedback when making such adjustments, and there’s no option to emulate the joysticks or triggers of a controller, as can be done on some other analog keyboards, such as the Turtle Beach Vulcan 2 TKL Pro.

However, the gaming performance of the Apex Pro makes up for this omission. The switches are extremely responsive yet offer enough feedback to make hitting actuation points easy. The relatively compact layout also makes the bottom row accessible, as does the sloped nature of these keys. All keycaps are also nicely indented, making for secure presses. The only gripe I have is with the short, flat wrist rest, which caused my palm to hang off the edge when in the WASD position.

I didn’t find the Apex Pro to be as amenable for typing. However, I generally prefer shallow keycaps to glide around on, so those who prefer thicker keycaps may have no issue here.

The Apex Pro is expensive, costing the same as the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro, another analog offering. But with the high price tag comes supreme build quality and performance, and although it misses out on a few analog tweaks, it’s still well worth your consideration.

Close-up of SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

(Image credit: Future)

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 review: price and availability

  • $219 / £209 (about AU$336)
  • Available now in black
  • Same price as Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless

The Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 costs $219 / £209 (about AU$336) and is available now. It comes in one colorway, black. It also includes a wrist rest and a keycap puller, with Steelseries selling replacement keycaps on its website.

Unsurprisingly, it’s less expensive than the wireless variant, which costs $269 – but as well as ditching the wires, that model offers multiple connectivity modes, meaning you can easily switch it between multiple devices.

The Apex Pro is certainly towards the top end of the wired gaming keyboard market. It’s the same price as the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Tenkeyless, for instance, which uses Hall-effect analog technology as well. That board can also be tweaked using Razer Synapse, the brand’s excellent, feature-packed peripheral software.

If you’re after a more budget-friendly analog keyboard, then the Turtle Beach Vulcan 2 TKL Pro is a possible contender. Unlike the Apex Pro, it offers controller emulation, although its switches aren’t as precise as we would’ve liked for this purpose. Even though it has its issues, it’s still one to consider.

Value: 3 / 5

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 review: specs

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 with wrist rest on desk

(Image credit: Future)

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 review: design and features

  • Superlative build quality
  • Useful inbuilt screen
  • Some analog tweaks missing

The Apex Pro is a fairly imposing slab, with a thick yet sleek chassis, and its muted looks belie its gaming intentions; the RGB lighting is about the only giveaway in this regard.

The build quality is where the Apex Pro really stands out, though. It’s quite weighty, although not as heavy as you might expect, but every material and joint is exquisite. There’s also a handy compartment underneath housing the keycap puller, with a rubber flap to close it that works well.

The double-shot PBT keycaps feel premium to the touch, with a slight yet smooth texture. The overall layout is reasonably compact, but I didn’t have any issues with mispresses.

The Apex Pro also features Steelseries’ own modifier key, called the Meta key. This allows you to perform various shortcuts, such as adjusting the actuation point and selecting profile slots.

Such alterations can also be made via the Smart Screen. This uses a black and white OLED display, with navigation controlled via a scroll wheel and a small button below – both of which are just as well engineered as the rest of the Apex Pro.

You can set the global actuation point from anywhere between 0.1mm and 4mm, and toggle Rapid Trigger. The Smart Screen can also be used to display certain system information, including workloads for the CPU, GPU and RAM, which is very useful. In-game information can be displayed too, with many popular games having their own default layouts, including those for Counter-Strike 2, Minecraft, and League of Legends. You can even upload your own images and GIFs to display.

Rear of SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

(Image credit: Future)

Further actuation settings can be adjusted in SteelSeris’ GG software. You can change the actuation of individual keys, and set keys to trigger on press or release. There’s also a dual actuation mode, letting you bind two functions to a single key, each triggered at certain actuation points of your choosing.

Other rebinding options include those for common shortcuts, media playback and system-level functions, although there aren’t as many on the latter front as some other peripheral tools offer. You can also customize the information the Smart Screen displays with a pleasing amount of depth and detail, selecting the timings for when certain information is displayed and what triggers it.

In Counter-Strike 2, for example, you can view your health, as well as your K/D ratio at the end of each round. As well as games, some apps are also integrated, such as Discord, which can display messages.

Overall, GG is easy to navigate and responsive. One aspect that is disappointing, though, is the lack of visual feedback when adjusting settings, which would’ve been useful when setting actuation points to see how your inputs actually translate in real time.

Design & features: 4 / 5

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 review: performance

  • Excellent keycaps and switches
  • Actuation points easy to hit
  • Wrist rest issues

Put simply, the Apex Pro is a joy to use. The damping of the switches is superb, feeling incredibly satisfying to use while still being snappy enough for fast movements. The indentations of the keycaps also makes them secure and easy to use, and the bottom row is easy to hit with your thumb and little fingers, thanks to the slope of these keys and the aforementioned compact layout.

Hitting certain actuation points is also much easier than I’ve experienced with other analog keyboards, as there’s enough feedback to get a good feel as to how far down you’ve pressed. Rapid trigger also works brilliantly, letting you make those twitchy movements even quicker, by dynamically raising the actuation point when repeated presses are registered.

Keycap puller compartment underneath the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

(Image credit: Future)

My chief nag from an ergonomic standpoint, though, is with the wrist rest. Given the aforementioned thickness of the Apex Pro’s chassis, I found the rest was definitely needed. However, since it’s quite short and provides very little slope, I found that the edge of my palm would hang awkwardly off the end when in the WASD position.

Also, when it comes to typing, I didn’t find the Apex Pro to be easiest to use. However, I should say that I mostly prefer shallow, laptop-style keyboards, as I find them easier to glide around on, which the stock keycaps on the Apex Pro are not particularly conducive to. But if you’re someone who prefers thicker keycaps for typing, then you’ll likely not have an issue here.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3?

Buy it if…

You want precise analog control
The analog switches are a dream, providing plenty of feedback for accurate actuation-point hitting.

You want the best gaming performance
Aside from that analog control, the switches are snappy when needs be, so there’s no gaming situation that catches it out.

Don’t buy it if…

You want to use it with multiple devices
Since there’s only a wired connection, you can’t easily hotswap between multiple devices, as you can with the wireless variant.

You want to emulate a controller
Despite the analog switches, you can’t emulate controller joysticks or triggers (not natively anyway).

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 review: also consider

Razer Huntsman V2 Analog
If you have your heart set on an analog keyboard, then the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog is a worthy choice (it’s our pick as the best gaming keyboard around, after all). With its excellent performance and myriad of customization options courtesy of Razer Synapse, you can’t go far wrong with this board. And since the release of version 3, the V2 can be found for a good price. Read our Razer Huntsman V2 Analog review.

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless Gen 3
For $50 more, you can get the wireless version of the Apex Pro TKL, which helps to eliminate the clutter from your desk, and allows you to do some sofa gaming too. And since it features Bluetooth and wired options in addition to the 2.4GHz dongle, you can use it with multiple devices and switch between them with ease.

How I tested the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3

  • Tested for several days
  • Used for gaming, work, and general use
  • Over 10 years of PC gaming experience

I tested the Apex Pro for several days and used it to game, work, and browse. I used both with and without the included wrist rest.

I played games such as Counter-Strike 2, which is a great test for a keyboard’s responsiveness and accuracy. I also made sure to try out as many features as possible, and tinker with as many settings as I could using the GG software.

I have been PC gaming for over a decade, and I have used plenty of keyboards during that time. I have also reviewed a number of keyboards with varying price tags, sizes, and switch types.

  • First reviewed November 2024
  • Read more about how we test
Manba One review: a tweakable controller with a few design issues
5:00 pm | November 24, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Manba One: one-minute review

Back of Manba One on table

(Image credit: Future)

The Manba One is a wireless controller with an inbuilt screen for accessing the various tweaks available to tailor the gaming experience to your preferences.

Its design mimics the Xbox Wireless Controller, although the white variant features a removable transparent front cover that reveals some of the inner workings – which, along with the RGB lighting on either side, helps to make the Manba One more distinctive.

However, the relatively short grips caused me some discomfort, mainly due to the sharp angle at which they tail off towards the triggers. Those with smaller hands may be fine (although mine aren’t even that big), but I prefer the grip designs of popular controllers, such as the aforementioned Xbox controller and PlayStation’s DualSense.

The overall build quality is good: the face buttons are more akin to mouse clicks, but pleasingly tactile all the same, while the D-pad is more damped and operates smoothly. However, the rear 'M' buttons are too small and thin to be convenient, and all too easy to mispress. The bumpers are also a little awkward to reach given their thickness, and the triggers are quite short and less indented than those on some of the best PC controllers.

Worst of all, though, is that the left stick – on my unit at least – can stick in an elevated position, in turn causing it to get stuck in certain directions when using it, which is a serious problem. Thankfully, this issue was resolved easily by pressing the stick back into place, but it’s a design fault that needs to be addressed, if indeed it affects all units.

Since there’s no software for the Manba One, all adjustments are made via its onboard display, and thankfully the interface is clear and easy to use. From here, you can rebind buttons, activate turbo mode, and assign the four remappable M buttons to a series of button presses. You can also adjust trigger travel, as well as the deadzone and curve for the joysticks. Four profile slots are available to save your configurations, including one dedicated to Switch controls.

In practice, the Manba One performs well, on both PC and the Nintendo Switch. The buttons are snappy and easy to use, although the triggers don’t offer the most feedback, since their travel is quite short. However, the ability to lock the travel is a welcome addition, and proves very useful for shooters when you want to perform quick taps.

The joysticks are also precise and smooth, and the curve options do make a difference. I found that the High Performance curve, for instance, was especially useful for racing games, as it allowed for both precise micro-adjustments and full-lock steering quickly.

Given its asking price, the Manba One represents good value considering its features and performance. The official Xbox Wireless Controller is cheaper, but barebones in comparison, and it doesn’t even come with a rechargeable battery. If you’re after similar levels of customization, then you’ll usually have to part with a lot more cash. The Manba One, therefore, is a worthy choice for those after a precise, tweakable controller.

Manba One review: Price and availability

  • $69.99 (about £54 / AU$105)
  • Available now in Black and White colorways
  • Good price compared to the competition

The Manba One costs $69.99 (about £54 / AU$105) and is available now. It comes in two colorways, black and white, the latter of which features a transparent front cover. The joysticks are replaceable, with a taller pair included in the box. Also included is a dock for wireless charging.

It’s more expensive than the Xbox Wireless Controller, one of the best PC controllers around and a popular choice for many PC players, but not by much. It has more features than this pad, including a built-in display, four programmable rear buttons, and numerous other tweaks and customizations. However, unlike the Xbox Wireless Controller, the Manba One has no 3.5mm headphone jack.

Compared to more feature-laden controllers, the Manba One looks like a veritable bargain. The Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra, for example – our pick as the best PC controller for those with cash to splash – is considerably more expensive. However, this gamepad is more advanced, featuring mechanical buttons and the headset audio control.

The Manba One matches it for joystick hardware, though, as both pads use Hall effect technology – but the thumbsticks themselves can’t be switched out on the Stealth Ultra, as they can on the Manba One. Also, as mentioned in our Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra review, we weren’t fans of its companion software.

Manba One review: specs

Manba One in charging dock on table

(Image credit: Future)

Manba One review: design and features

  • Inbuilt screen
  • Snappy, tactile buttons
  • Some comfort issues

The Manba One adopts a rather classic controller design, with a similar shape and layout to Xbox controllers, but with a slightly more angular, aggressive appearance. There’s also some customizable RGB lighting on the sides to liven up proceedings, as well as some subtle gray accents on the white variant.

This colorway also features a transparent front cover, letting you see the exoskeleton lurking beneath, which fades to silver towards the bottom. The rear of the pad is lightly textured on the grips, but there’s no additional padding as some of the best PC controllers and best Xbox controllers feature.

The grips themselves are also quite short and curve abruptly towards the triggers. As a result, I didn’t find the Manba One as comfortable to hold as more popular controllers, such as the Xbox controller and PlayStation’s DualSense. However, those with smaller hands may have no issue.

Compared to those other controllers, the face buttons on the Manba One are less damped as well, feeling and sounding more like mouse buttons, but satisfying to use nonetheless. The D-pad, though, feels more cushioned and is smooth to operate. The sticks are average in size and feature a soft rubber material on top, offering just enough grip. A taller pair of sticks are included in the box and are easy to replace.

The triggers are another point of departure for the Manba One. They’re quite short with shallow indentations, and offer less travel and resistance than you might expect. However, the stroke lock is a clever addition, as it reduces travel considerably to allow for rapid firing.

Another welcome feature is their dotted texture, which does help with grip. This can also be found on the bumpers, although it’s a shame these are bulky with an awkward shape, as it makes them uncomfortable to use for long periods. Thankfully, the same can’t be said about the home buttons: these are positioned right at the bottom of the controller, below the D-pad and right analog stick. This keeps them out of the way, yet they’re still easy to access when needed.

The build quality of the Manba One is hard to fault – in most places. The screen is prone to micro-scratches all too easily, but more worrying is an issue I experienced on my test unit: the left analog stick managed to get stuck in a raised position, and in this state, it would in turn catch in certain directions when operating it – a cardinal sin for any joystick. Thankfully, this was a one-off problem, and simply pushing the stick back down into its original, intended seat was enough to prevent it reoccurring. However, it’s still a fault worth noting.

The included charging station matches the simple yet sleek design of the controller itself, into which the Manba One fits like a glove. It also features a compartment underneath to store the sizable Bluetooth dongle.

There’s no external software app for the Manba One on either PC or mobile: every adjustment and tweak is made via a menu displayed on its screen. There are options to rebind buttons and toggle turbo mode, as well as assign the four back M buttons to a series of up to 20 buttons in a row.

You can also adjust the deadzone for the analog sticks, as well the curve. There are four options to choose from on this front, ranging from a default, linear curve to a High Performance option, which Manba claims is ideal for racing and shooting games.

There are four profile slots to store your setups, including one dedicated to Switch controls, but unfortunately, you can’t rename them. There are also tools for testing buttons and calibrating the joysticks, triggers, and motion control (for the gyroscope when playing certain Switch games). You can set the vibration strength too, with four levels to choose from, or turn it off completely.

Back of Manba One on table

(Image credit: Future)

Manba One review: performance

  • Snappy and responsive
  • Useful adjustments
  • Triggers lack feel

Gaming with the Manba One is mostly an enjoyable experience. The sticks offer smooth and precise movements, while the buttons are responsive and tactile. However, the triggers fail to offer the best feedback, as their travel is too short to offer the kind of finely graded control you want from analog inputs. The underneath M buttons are also hard to use in the heat of the moment, given their small size and awkward position; you can’t use a more flat-fingered approach, as you can with a more traditional, paddle-like designs.

Personally, I’ve always preferred D-pads with separate buttons for each direction, rather than the integrated design on the Manba One, as I find they give me more control and precision in games where such inputs are crucial. I needn’t have worried, though. When playing Tekken 8, for instance, where D-pad inputs are complex, I had little issue hitting the directions I wanted to hit. That circular shape also helps to roll seamlessly between multiple directions, yet each is still easy to actuate individually without accidentally triggering adjacent directions, which can happen on D-pads with a singular component.

The various tweaks available on the Manba One also made a difference. Using the High Performance curve for racing games, for instance, was a marked improvement. When playing Assetto Corsa, it offered much better car control, as I could make minute steering corrections and drastic changes of direction equally well, depending on how far I moved the stick.

This same curve is also recommended for shooters, although I found that the default, linear curve offered less sensitive and more precise looking and aiming. The locks on the back that shorten the trigger length also work for enabling rapid shooting.

One of the great advantages of the display is the ability to adjust settings on the fly. Accessing the menu mid-game works well for the most part, although having to hold the home button for three seconds to activate it is a little inconvenient; I wish it were a little quicker.

It’s a shame also that the M buttons can’t be programmed as modifiers; to toggle the curve of the analog sticks, for instance, which would be useful for situations requiring momentary decreases in sensitivity, such as aiming, acting like a sniper button on a mouse. I found the M buttons all too easy to trigger too, especially when using the D-pad or face buttons intensely, as I naturally tightened my grip on the back of the controller.

In addition to PC, I also used the Manba One with a Nintendo Switch, connecting via Bluetooth without needing the included dongle. Like the best Nintendo Switch controllers, connecting the Manba One to the console is easy, and it worked flawlessly.

The battery life of the Manba One is claimed to be about 10 hours or more, and this was roughly in line with what I experienced, although it was hard to get an accurate measurement of battery levels, since no percentage is given on the inbuilt screen. Charging via the included dock takes about four and a half hours according to Manba, and again this proved relatively accurate.

Close-up of Manba One d-pad and left joystick

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Manba One?

Buy it if...

You want solid performance
The buttons are mostly great to use, and the Hall effect joysticks offer precise movements and different curves to choose from.

You want tweakable inputs
There are plenty of adjustments you can make on the Manba One, plus the display means you can make them on the fly.

Don't buy it if...

You want the most comfortable pad
Personally, I found the contours of the Manba One didn’t fit my hand as neatly as I would’ve liked, and the rear M buttons can get in the way.

You want console play
Although it’s compatible with the Switch, PS5 and Xbox gaming are out of the picture here.

Also consider...

If the Manba One isn't doing it for you, here's a couple of other controllers we recommend

Microsoft Xbox Wireless Controller
As the best PC controller and best Xbox controller, the official Microsoft Xbox Wireless Controller is hard to beat for unadulterated gaming. There’s no fancy features to be found here, but it nails the basics: it’s comfortable, practical, versatile and performs very well. It’s also reasonably priced, although a few missteps, such as no rechargeable battery as standard, go against it.

Read our Microsoft Xbox Wireless Controller review

Victrix Pro BFG
If you want modularity, then the Victrix Pro BFG is hard to beat. Not only is it compatible with PC, it’s also one of the best PS5 controllers you can buy, thanks to its multiple face buttons, joystick, and D-pad upgrades – including a module designed for fighting games. There’s four reprogrammable back paddles as well. It will set you back, though.

Read our Victrix Pro BFG review

How I tested the Manba One

  • Tested for several days
  • Played a variety of genres on PC and Switch
  • 25+ years gaming experience

I tested the Manba One for several days. During that time, I used it to play a variety of titles, including shooters, racing simulators and fighting games, in order to test every aspect of the controller. These included Black Mesa, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - Master Collection Version, Assetto Corsa, and Tekken 8. I tested the Manba One on PCs – both Windows 10 and 11 – and the Nintendo Switch.

I also made sure to use and tweak every available feature and setting on the Manba One via the built-in display. I also tried out the included replaceable joysticks and the wireless charging dock.

I have been gaming for over 25 years across numerous platforms, all the way from the NES and other Nintendo consoles to most generations of PlayStation and PC. During that time I have used a number of controllers, from official devices to third-party ones. I’ve also tested many other gaming peripherals, including mice and keyboards.

Thrustmaster Heart controller review: a competent Hall effect gamepad that fails to stand out in a competitive space
4:00 pm | November 23, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Thrustmaster Heart: one-minute review

The Thrustmaster Heart is being positioned by the Oregon-based hardware specialist as an entry-level, performance-focused controller for Xbox consoles and PC. But ‘entry-level’ is more of a half-truth. It’s certainly very simple and straightforward but comes in at a rather lofty price tag that betrays that description somewhat.

That’s not to say the Thrustmaster Heart isn’t necessarily a controller you should avoid; there’s really a lot to like about it. From its comfortable Hall effect thumbsticks and tactile buttons to that lovely juxtaposed aesthetic dividing black and white colors with a strip of LED lighting, it could be one of the best PC controllers or best Xbox controllers for you if you’re looking for a simple gamepad that’s a cut above the standard Xbox Wireless Controller.

On the other hand, the Thrustmaster Heart doesn’t do a whole lot to justify its price. Cheaper controllers from competing brands like GameSir and Turtle Beach have the Heart beaten on features, and the complete lack of a wireless connectivity option is genuinely quite baffling at this price point - as it is with the brand’s even more expensive eSwap range.

That being said, the things the Heart does well, it does very well. It’s an impressively responsive controller that (aside from the disappointingly spongy feel of the triggers) provides rapid actuation. The face buttons and mechanical d-pad both feel fantastic, and the Hall effect sticks are exceptionally well-designed and comfortable to rest your thumbs on.

All in all, the Thrustmaster Heart is a very solid controller, but not an absolute must when other products are offering more at significantly lower prices.

Thrustmaster Heart

(Image credit: Future)

Thrustmaster Heart: price and availability

  • Retails at $99.99 / £89.99
  • Available from October 2024
  • Fairly pricey given its relative lack of features

The Thrustmaster Heart is available to buy now for $99.99 / £89.99. It’s purchasable at Thrustmaster’s own website, as well as Best Buy, Amazon US, and Amazon UK. It appears that it currently is not available for purchase in Australia, though.

On the overall price spectrum, the Thrustmaster Heart finds itself in a pretty awkward spot. It’s not a premium product, but certainly not budget-friendly by any means. And when you consider that other PC controllers like the GameSir Tarantula Pro are doing more for less at $69.99 / £69.99, the Thrustmaster Heart becomes a tough sell.

That said, if Thrustmaster is a go-to brand for you, then the Heart is one of its cheaper options available. Especially when you factor in the likes of the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 and its $169.99 / £169.99 sticker price. The eSwap controllers also don’t ship with Hall effect controls; you’ll need to buy a separate module for that. In that regard, the Thrustmaster Heart provides decent value over its premium siblings.

Thrustmaster Heart: specs

Thrustmaster Heart

(Image credit: Future)

Thrustmaster Heart: design and features

  • Incredibly pleasing in the aesthetics department
  • Convenient on-board multifunction options
  • ThrustmapperX software is simple, convenient, and available on console and PC

On the design front, the Thrustmaster Heart really impresses. I’m a huge fan of the divided black-and-white look, separated down the middle by a strip of LED lighting. That strip tapers off to the left about halfway up, giving the controller’s aesthetic a stylish uneven split.

I don’t particularly care for the Thrustmaster and ‘H.E.A.R.T.’ (which stands for Hall Effect AccuRate Technology) logos plastered onto either side of the controller, but they don’t overpower the overall design here. The controller is then accentuated with some lovely textured grips that offer a comfortable fit in your hands. That said, the Heart is an extremely light controller, which lends it a hollow feel.

Otherwise, you’re getting a fairly standard Xbox Wireless Controller-esque layout with some key differences. Flanking the Menu and Share buttons are two unique buttons. One of these is a multifunction button used to switch profiles and adjust LED color and brightness. The other is a mapping button used to assign the two rear remappable buttons. The bottom of the controller has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a mic mute button which is a welcome addition.

The Thrustmaster Heart lacks any on-board trigger lock settings. However, trigger travel time as well as stick sensitivity can be adjusted in the ThrustmapperX software which can be downloaded for free on PC and Xbox consoles. You can also set individual profiles here which you can swap between with that aforementioned profile button.

Thrustmaster Heart

(Image credit: Future)

Thrustmaster Heart: performance

  • Overall pin-sharp responsiveness
  • D-pad, face buttons, and sticks all feel fantastic
  • Triggers are a letdown with a bit of a spongy feel

While I’ve had some issues with the Thrustmaster Heart’s feature set and price point, few such frustrations exist with its overall performance. Thrustmaster has nailed what it sets out to do here, offering a sublime play experience with some of the best feeling Hall effect thumbsticks in the business. The amount of concavity on each stick feels just right, and there’s not even a pinch of stiffness to be found. If you’re looking for a controller with immensely precise stick movement, then the Thrustmaster Heart is it.

That same high level of quality applies to the mechanical buttons and satisfyingly tactile d-pad. The latter is quite simple in its design, but extremely effective thanks to its clicky and speedy feedback. The buttons and bumpers are similar here, with lightning-quick travel time that again will be a boon to players after utmost precision.

It’s a slight shame that the triggers are the weakest aspect of the performance package. They’re fully analog which isn’t a problem in and of itself. It’s more in how they feel - in this case, they’re a touch on the loose side, lacking that feeling of precision shared by other elements of the play experience. I think the lack of trigger locks (especially at this price) compounds this issue; it would’ve been great to have them for the option to switch to instant, digital trigger input which also would offset that overly spongy feel.

It’s also a shame that there’s no option for wireless connectivity with the Thrustmaster Heart. Like the Thrustmaster eSwap X2 - an otherwise excellent controller - the Heart is strictly wired via USB Type-C connectivity. Obviously, this is in line with the objective of peak responsiveness, but when even cheap pads like the 8BitDo Ultimate C Bluetooth controller are offering wireless connectivity for less, I don’t see any real reason why Thrustmaster can’t either.

Thrustmaster Heart

(Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Thrustmaster Heart controller?

Buy it if...

You’re a multiplayer gamer after peak performance
It’s a joy to play online with the Thrustmaster Heart thanks to its high responsiveness and lightning-fast actuation. Titles like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and PUBG Battlegrounds really shine with the Heart because of this.View Deal

You enjoy tactile button feedback
The Thrustmaster Heart’s d-pad and buttons simply feel excellent to press due to their mechanical nature, offering satisfyingly clicky and responsive feedback that’s seriously tough to beat.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget
The Thrustmaster Heart is very expensive for what you’re getting. It provides a great play experience, but its lack of features and no wireless connectivity hurt its value proposition.View Deal

You like controllers with lots of extra features
If you enjoy features like trigger locks, multiple remappable buttons, and so on, then you’ll want to look elsewhere. Even cheaper gamepads like the GameSir Tarantula Pro seriously excel in this regard. The Heart also lacks the modular design of the eSwap range, so I’d consider that one if you’re after something more customizable.View Deal

Also consider...

If the Thrustmaster Heart isn’t quite what you’re looking for, you should also consider these other two excellent controller options.

GameSir Tarantula Pro
With a symmetrical thumbstick layout, Hall effect, tons of remappable buttons, great build quality, and a nifty button layout-switch feature, the Tarantula Pro is the full PC controller package. And it’s cheaper than the Thrustmaster Heart.

Read our full GameSir Tarantula Pro reviewView Deal

Thrustmaster eSwap X2
Thrustmaster’s premium modular controller is absolutely fantastic, and superbly accessible thanks to its swappable module layout. It is pricey, but a brilliant option for those who like to tinker with their overall controller layout in an accessible manner while retaining premium features.

Read our full Thrustmaster eSwap X2 reviewView Deal

Thrustmaster Heart

(Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Thrustmaster Heart

  • Tested for one week
  • Platforms tested: Xbox Series X, PC
  • Played a mixture of single-player and multiplayer titles

I tested the Thrustmaster Heart controller over the course of a week across Xbox Series X and PC. On console, I played a wide variety of multiplayer games including Fortnite and PUBG Battlegrounds, finding that the controller’s pinpoint responsiveness is a perfect fit for intense multiplayer environments. Over on PC, I extensively played games like Final Fantasy 14 Online, Slitterhead, and Ys Origin to get a feel for the controller’s sublime Hall effect sticks.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed November 2024

Razer Kraken V4 review: a feature-filled gaming headset with a bass problem
5:00 pm | November 17, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Razer Kraken V4: two-minute review

The Razer Kraken V4 is the latest incarnation in Razer’s mid-range line of wireless gaming headsets, promising improvements over previous generations. True to Razer’s recent design language, the Kraken V4 keeps the gaming accouterments to a minimum, although the RGB lighting does enough to brighten the otherwise austere black colorway.

Every aspect of Kraken V4's construction feels premium, from the outer shell and swivel mechanisms to the switchgear and microphone. My one gripe is that the volume control is a little too loose, and leaning back in your chair can trigger accidental scrolls.

Wearing the Kraken V4 is a pleasant experience, if a little bulky given how wide the drivers are. The headband and earcups are as plush and comfortable as many of the best wireless gaming headsets, and glasses wearers should also get on well with them. However, the inside of the drivers did press into my ears slightly, which can cause discomfort over time, but not to the extent of other headsets I’ve tried.

There are plenty of features on the Kraken V4, including various listening modes. These can be toggled via a button, or customized in greater depth using the Razer Synapse software. There are detailed EQ settings and various modes to toggle, including the near-essential Bass Boost function. There are also mic settings in a similar vein, including EQ and noise cancellation settings.

In practice, I didn’t find the various sound modes to be particularly useful. Barring Music mode, the rest reduce low and mid frequencies too much. And even with Music mode selected and Bass Boost activated, the low-end is still left wanting.

Another feature I would recommend keeping on is THX Spatial Audio. Unfortunately, this only works on PC, but it conveys a much fuller sound. Using a wired connection via USB is marginally better too. However, even with these recommendations, there are still better-sounding gaming headsets out there, such as those in Beyerdynamic’s MMX lineup.

The microphone offers good vocal quality, and the various settings are useful, especially noise cancellation, which prevents unwanted sounds from coming through with aplomb.

Battery life is good too, although as Razer indicates, it can vary wildly depending on usage. I managed to get around a couple of days worth of use out of it, which is on par with most other wireless gaming headsets.

While it’s priced slightly below the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, that headset offers bigger drivers and a longer battery life. Still, both share numerous specs, so you’re not missing out on much.

It also undercuts some of the best wireless headsets around, such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, our pick as the best PC gaming headset. And if you’re happy to keep the cables, then there are wired gaming headsets out there with even better value, such as the Epos H3.

Close-up of driver on Razer Kraken V4

(Image credit: Future)

Razer Kraken V4 review: price and availability

  • $179 / £179 / AU$329
  • Available now
  • Black colorway only

The Kraken V4 costs $179 / £179 / AU$329 and is available now. It comes in one colorway: black.

As wireless gaming headsets go, the Kraken V4 is priced quite well. It’s slightly cheaper than the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, our pick as the best wireless gaming headset overall. However, that is a headset designed for esports, and although both feature Razer’s HyperSpeed Wireless technology and HyperClear Super Wideband microphones, the TriForce titanium drivers are 50mm on the BlackShark V2 Pro as opposed to 40mm on the Kraken V4. The BlackShark also has a battery life of up to 70 hours, whereas the Kraken can only manage up to 50 hours.

If you’re after superlative sound over features, then Beyerdynamic’s MMX range of gaming headsets could fit the bill. However, these are considerably more expensive, even though the MMX 300 and 330 Pro are wired. And as we noted in our MMX 200 Wireless review, this headset suffers from awkward setup and connectivity.

If you can live with a cable-only connection, then you can’t do much better than the Epos H3, our pick as the best wired gaming headset overall.

Razer Kraken V4 review: Specs

Close-up of ear cup height adjustment on Razer Kraken V4

(Image credit: Future)

Razer Kraken V4 review: design and features

  • Understated design
  • Relatively comfortable
  • Razer Synapse integration

In the flesh, the Kraken V4 is relatively understated for a piece of gaming hardware, although the key indicators are still there. The black design is illuminated by a large RGB light display on both drivers, which can be customized in-depth via Razer’s peripheral software, Synapse.

Although the oval driver design helps to keep their profile slim, the Kraken V4 is still relatively bulky thanks to the protrusion of the drivers, although the drivers do swivel 90 degrees, which makes them easier to hang around your neck and store.

The drivers themselves don’t get in the way when leaning back in your chair or sofa, but annoyingly the volume wheel does, which led to frequent accidental scrolls and made me reluctant to ever recline fully. Therefore, this isn’t a headset I could recommend for sofa players.

The padding on the headband and earcups is soft and well-cushioned, allowing for long gaming sessions, even for those who wear glasses. It also doesn’t seem like the kind of material that will flake over time, which bodes well for its longevity – although the headband isn’t replaceable should it perish.

Despite the overall comfort, I did find the inside of the drivers pressed slightly into my ears – a common problem I experience with many headsets and headphones – which can cause aching after a long time.

The build quality of the Kraken V4 is up to the usual Razer standards, with a solid yet lightweight construction and premium, easy-operating buttons. The included USB cable is braided yet thick and seems quite durable. It also doesn’t weigh down the headset, as other headset USB cables can. The aforementioned issue with the volume wheel is one of the only missteps and is mainly due to the looseness of the incremental notches.

The party piece of the Kraken V4, though, is the retractable microphone. For the most part, this is easy to operate, although it can be a little cumbersome to put back, as the gooseneck design tends to fold as you attempt to push it back in. Once you get the knack, however, it’s an elegant solution to keeping the mic stowed. Adjusting and fixing the mic into position is also easy, although the cable isn’t that long, so you may struggle to place the tip right in front of your mouth (it only managed to reach the side of my lips). Again, as with the rest of the headset, the microphone feels premium and hard-wearing. There’s no cloth tip either, removing another point of potential degradation.

Close-up of driver and mic on Razer Kraken V4

(Image credit: Future)

As for features, the Kraken V4 includes various listening modes depending on the type of media you’re consuming, including Movie, Music and Gaming modes, which can be activated with the press of a button.

This same button can be pressed twice to quickly switch between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz modes, which works quite quickly and efficiently. There’s also a mute mic button, and a button that can be held to allow for the volume wheel to adjust the balance between game and mic audio, although this implementation is somewhat awkward, and failed to work consistently during my tests. Thankfully, many of these button presses are accompanied by clear audio cues, so you’re sure when they are activated.

The Kraken V4 can be customized further using Razer Synapse. In this software, you’ll find adjustments for the RGB lighting, including options for different colors and patterns. There are also audio enhancements including bass boost and vocal clarity enhancements.

The aforementioned media modes can be altered to your liking, thanks to the 10-band EQ, letting you drag points on a graph to boost or reduce certain frequencies. This offers more in-depth sound sculpting than software from other rivals.

You can also alter mic settings, again with EQ adjustments available, although there’s only three modes to choose from here. You can also turn on monitoring to hear yourself through the headset, and there are various useful parameters to adjust thresholds for sound being picked up.

The Kraken V4 works on PC and various consoles, including the PS5 and Nintendo Switch. As the PS5 doesn't support audio over Bluetooth, the Kraken V4 can only connect wirelessly via the 2.4GHz USB-C dongle. Like the best PS5 headsets, the Kraken V4 connection is instant and works flawlessly with the console. Connecting via Bluetooth to the Switch is similarly easy and trouble-free. If you’re on Xbox, though, you’re out of luck as the Kraken V4 isn’t compatible; consider one of the best Xbox Series X headsets instead.

Close-up of Razer Kraken V4 headband

(Image credit: Future)

Razer Kraken V4 review: Performance

  • Tweakable in Synapse
  • Weak bass
  • High-quality mic

The Kraken V4 offers well-balanced audio for gaming, although the low-end is lacking somewhat. The different listening modes, however, can alter the sound.

In theory, these different listening modes are nice, but in practice, I found that Music mode offers the best experience for all occasions, as it provides the fullest sound with the best bass response. This makes the other modes redundant: Gaming mode sounds too weak in the lower frequencies, whereas Movie mode scoops the mid-range frequencies far too much, which makes for a frankly bizarre listening experience that I can’t imagine anyone wanting to use.

There are also various enhancements, including Bass Boost. I would recommend having this on all the time, as it noticeably increases the low end without being overbearing. However, even with this activated, the bass still lacks the impact of headphones designed for audio playback. This weakness could also be attributed to the lack of isolation from the earcups, so the sense of immersion isn’t as strong as you might expect from over-ear headphones.

You might think this could be remedied by activating THX Spatial Audio, as the Kraken V4 supports this standard. However, I wouldn’t characterize the mode as adding more space – but again, it does offer a much fuller sound with more bottom end, and without overshadowing mids and highs. It’s a shame that this mode is only available on PC and not console.

There’s no discernible difference in sound quality between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless dongle, although the latency is reduced slightly when connected via the latter. I also experienced a bug whereby the volume wheel wouldn’t work when in 2.4GHz mode on a Windows 10 machine, although this could’ve been a quirk of my particular setup. Sound is further improved when using a wired connection via USB. The bass response is fuller still, and the overall fidelity seems slightly improved as well.

The microphone quality is also good. Voices are rendered clearly, although some microphones do offer slightly better quality, such as the Beyerdynamic MMX models, but it’s still more than sufficient.

The various microphone adjustments work well too, especially the Noise Isolation and Voice Gate modes, the former of which prevents unwanted sounds and the latter lets you choose the threshold for input detection.

Battery life varies depending on usage, with a claimed maximum of up to 50 hours when the RGB lighting is turned off, or up to 35 hours when on. During my tests, I managed to get several days of use out of the Kraken V4, which is on par with other wireless gaming headsets.

Close-up of buttons on Razer Kraken V4

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Razer Kraken V4?

Buy it if...

You want plenty of features
Thanks to its integration with Razer Synapse, you can tinker with the audio input and output, as well as the RGB lighting.

You want a retractable mic
There aren’t too many gaming headsets with a retractable mic, providing a neat solution to stowing it away.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t want to look like 'a gamer'
The RGB lighting and bulky design play into the gamer aesthetic, so if that’s not your thing, there are less gaming-centric alternatives out there.

You want the best sound across media
Although the sound suffices for gaming, for music the Kraken V4 pales in comparison to some other headsets, such as Beyerdynamic’s MMX series.

Also consider...

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro
Razer’s other gaming headset, the BlackShark V2 Pro takes our top spot as the best wireless gaming headset, and for good reason. The sound is great, and it features slightly bigger drivers and longer battery life than the Kraken V4. It’s also not much more expensive. Read our Razer BlackShark V2 Pro review.

Epos H3
If you’re happy to go wired, then the Epos H3 is simply the best wired gaming headset in our view. It offers terrific value, considering its exceptional sound quality and comfort. The large mic and awkward volume wheel are about the only drawbacks we found with it. If you’re prepared to pay substantially more, there’s a wireless version available too. Read our Epos H3 review.

How I tested the Razer Kraken V4

  • Tested for several weeks
  • Played on PC and on consoles
  • 20+ years gaming experience

I tested the Kraken V4 for over a week. During that time, I used it for gaming, listening to music, and watching videos. I tried to use as many features and tweak as many settings as possible using the Razer Synapse software.

I played a variety of titles on PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch, including Sea of Thieves, Silent Hill 2 Remake, Counter-Strike 2, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. I played online multiplayer in order to test the microphone in a true-to-life environment.

I have over 20 years of gaming experience and have tried numerous headphones and headsets during that time. I have also reviewed other gaming headsets.

  • First reviewed October 2024.
  • Read more about how we test
Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One review: a great beginner’s flight stick
4:00 pm | November 10, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: One-minute review

Can you believe the Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One has been around for years? The entry-level stick offers everything you need to get started in Microsoft Flight Simulator or something more exotic, with a throttle, a comfortable stick, and the option to attach each or keep them separate.

The entire unit is cheaper than many flight sticks you can pick up without an additional throttle, meaning you’re getting plenty of bulk for your buck, if not bang. The throttle is lacking in resistance, and the casing of both halves is made of a relatively cheap-feeling plastic. Thankfully that does make it lightweight, meaning it’s easy to haul between desk and sofa setups across PC and Xbox.

Still, 14 buttons and 5 axes are more than enough for you to earn your pilot wings, and more intermediate features like a tactile hat switch and a nice, springy trigger make it feel much more comprehensive than rivals at this price point.

PlayStation gamers will also need to look elsewhere, but the Hotas One will work on PC and current generation Xbox consoles and will go as far back as the Xbox One. If you’ve got one of those platforms, the plug-and-play nature makes it easy to get started, and the Xbox buttons replicated across the unit can make it easy to make the jump for traditionally console-bound flyers.

All of this makes it an attractive entry-level flight stick that lacks additional axes and controls but offers a more cockpit-adjacent split throttle and stick form factor that it’s easy to feel impressed by. It’s not getting any younger, but with Thrustmaster continuing to re-release it in fresh colorways (including a Microsoft Flight Simulator option), it’s clear the company is standing by it as a first taste of flight stick for beginners.

The Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One flight stick on a desk

(Image credit: Future/Lloyd Coombes)

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: Price and availability

  • List price: $99.99 / £89.99
  • Available in black and Microsoft Flight Simulator options
  • Launched in October 2017

The T-Flight Hotas One has been around for a while (there was a PS3 version at one point, which should tell you how long it’s lasted), and this particular model has been getting PC and Xbox gamers in the air since 2017.

It’s getting harder to find the plain black version now, but the Microsoft Flight Simulator version is the same product with a white finish, suggesting the stick isn’t going anywhere. That new color option is a lot brighter and makes the stick look more modern.

Regardless, you’ll find either for under $100 with discounts, making it more than competitive with some throttle-less options like the Turtle Beach VelocityOne. It’s drastically cheaper than mid-range options like Logitech’s X56 Hotas RGB, too, and it remains a great starter option because of its price.

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: Specs

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: Design and features

  • Ideal for desk usage
  • Plastic feels cheap
  • Can collect dust on the throttle base

The Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One was the first official flight stick released for the Xbox One (a console that launched in 2013), so it’s had some longevity. Still, its design feels very much of its time - it’s relatively sleek in all black, with some silver accenting and a striped F2 button on the stick.

Still, it’s very plasticky, which can lead to it audibly creaking during use - thank goodness it’s not a real plane! On the one hand that’s likely kept the price down, but on the other, it feels far from premium in comparison to more expensive sticks like Thrustmaster’s own T.16000M FCS Flight Pack.

While buttons can be remapped in your game of choice within their individual settings since the stick is a ‘generic’ option, I’m pleased to see the Xbox buttons represented here. So many flight sticks cater to PC almost exclusively that it’s nice to see the face buttons here, in color, for easier recognition. There’s even the Xbox button to call up the Xbox menu on PC or console.

The rubber under the stick helps prevent dust from getting into the mechanism, but the same can’t be said of the throttle which has no shielding from dust or the elements underneath - if you’re using it regularly that won’t be a problem, but it’s definitely worth mentioning that it’s likely to collect dust.

The stick plugs in via USB-A, with a breakaway cable that’s ideal in case someone yanks the cable while you’re playing. It calls to mind the original Xbox’s cables, and you’ll be thankful for it if it stops your console or PC from toppling.

The Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One flight stick on a desk

(Image credit: Future/Lloyd Coombes)

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: Performance

  • Plug and play on console and PC via USB-A
  • Splitting sections is easy, although cable management can get fiddly
  • Hat switch is a nice touch

Setting up the T.Flight Hotas One couldn’t be simpler - just plug it in via USB-A. While the industry is moving away from it, it lives on here, so bear in mind you may need a USB-C adapter depending on your port selection.

Once it’s plugged in, it just works, both on console and PC. I enjoyed Elite Dangerous on each, and was barrel-rolling and nosediving with reckless abandon within minutes either at my desk or on the couch. The stick is responsive, and the Z-axis rudder can be used via the rocker on the throttle which I found to offer more granular control when listing left or right.

One of my favorite parts is the hat switch, which comes in a four-way version here. This nifty input on the top of the flight stick can act as a D-Pad, letting you do things like open the landing gear in Elite Dangerous with a press. It’ll be hard to go back to mouse and keyboard or controller, that’s for sure, but naturally eight-way hat switches will double the available commands that are a thumb flick away.

It’s easy to take the stick and throttle apart, but the two are connected by a cable. Once you put them back together, you’ll likely want to run the wire underneath through a trench on the underside, and that can be fiddly in my experience.

The Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One flight stick on a desk

(Image credit: Future/Lloyd Coombes)

The relatively low price of admission can also be felt in the throttle. It’s not bad, it’s just lacking any resistance which makes it feel less like a piece of aerospace equipment and more like a toy. It’s hard to escape the feeling that this is where corners were cut, and when pushing to hyperspace in a space sim like Elite Dangerous, it feels lacking in any meaningly pushback. It makes sense at this price point but it’s worth mentioning.

On the flip side, I will say the trigger on the stick feels nice and snappy, springing back into place in a way that feels nice and tactile while also ensuring you can line up those laser cannon blasts in something like Star Wars: Squadrons and have the trigger ready to fire again almost instantly.

I’m also pleased to report the T.Flight Hotas One is great for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which might be to be expected with its officially branded version. The split design means you can position a keyboard in the middle of the throttle and flight stick which then allows for a much broader array of commands than the T.Flight Hotas One is able to provide because of its lower button count.

As I mentioned earlier, though, the plastic construction can cause the stick to creak a little, and it’s lightweight enough that it’s not too difficult to accidentally shift it about the desk with relatively minor effort.

Should I buy the Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One?

Buy it if...

You want to try a flight stick without spending too much money
What’s on offer here is great value, with a detachable throttle setup that similarly priced rivals simply can’t match.

You’re planning to play across PC and console
This helps save you from buying two sticks, so long as you’re on Xbox. PS5 players will need to look elsewhere. Still, its split sections make it ideal for couch and desk use.

Don't buy it if...

You want a stick geared more for experienced pilots
There are better, more premium sticks for anyone looking for something more extensive.

Also consider...

Still not sold on the T.Flight Hotas One? Here’s how it compares to two similar products.

Turtle Beach VelocityOne

The Turtle Beach VelocityOne is priced very closely to the T.Flight Hotas One but is just a stick with no additional throttle. Offering more buttons, the VelocityOne features an improved hat switch and a more premium feel but comes at the cost of a full-sized throttle. It does offer some satisfying resistance, however, and a nifty OLED display, and will also work on both PC and Xbox.

For more information, check out our full Turtle Beach VelocityOne review.View Deal

Thrustmaster Viper TQS Mission Pack

This Thrustmaster effort looks like it’s been ripped straight from a fighter jet. It’s incredibly premium-feeling, with a whole host of buttons and switches, but it does require a joystick, too - making it a pricey option. We’ll have a full review in the coming days, but if you’re looking for mechanical switches and a true-to-life throttle, you’ll struggle to find anything more realistic.

How I tested the Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One

  • Tested over the course of two weeks
  • Used both in split and singular unit modes
  • Tested on multiple games across two platforms

I spent around 15 hours playing Elite Dangerous and Star Wars: Squadrons, both on PC and via an Xbox Series X.

I played each game for several hours, before switching platforms and switching back again to ensure consistent performance across games and platforms.

I also played Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC for a further five hours, splitting the Hotas One and using it as one unit to test its comfort in both configurations.

Read more about how we test 

First reviewed November 2024

Apple Mac mini (M4, 2024): smaller, faster, better
5:02 pm | November 7, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Macbooks | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Two-minute review

The new Mac mini (M4, 2024) doesn’t just prove that good things come in small packages – it also confirms the old adage that good things come to those who wait.

That’s because ever since Apple’s rather strange decision to debut the M4 chip in the iPad Pro in early 2024, myself – and I’m sure other Mac fans – have been not-so-patiently waiting for Apple devices that can take full advantage of the M4 chip (as good as the iPad Pro is, you can only run iPadOS apps on it – which by their very nature are not that demanding).

The fact that Apple has launched a new Mac mini that not only comes with the new M4 chip (or the more powerful M4 Pro), but has redesigned it to be smaller than ever – while also keeping the price of entry the same – is incredibly exciting. In my review of the Mac mini (2023), I gave a rare five stars and called it the best mini PC you can buy, and even before the launch I was banging on about how any rumored new Mac mini for 2024 would be more exciting than new MacBooks.

Now that I’ve actually got the Mac mini (M4, 2024) in my hands (and on my desk), I’m pleased to say that I’ve not been disappointed, and once again the Mac mini is the most affordable way to get into the Mac ecosystem, while also proving that if you’re looking for a small form factor desktop PC, there’s not a single Windows 11 PC out there that can even come close.

Perhaps the best news (apart from the mere fact that the M4 Mac mini exists) is that Apple has kept the price of the base model at just $599 / £599 / AU$999, a welcome decision that—combined with the new design and improved specs—means the Mac mini is now better value than ever. If you’ve been keen to join the macOS ecosystem but can’t afford a MacBook or iMac, then the Mac mini remains an excellent choice.

Mac mini M4 in studio

(Image credit: Future)

For people after even more power, there’s an M4 Pro model as well that costs $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,199. Both models come with 16GB unified memory as standard (double the amount as the previous model), and will receive Apple Intelligence AI features as they are rolled out.

Not only do you get the latest slice of Apple Silicon with the new Mac mini, but it has also had a major redesign – its biggest in over a decade – making it more compact than ever. It’s seriously impressive how small the new Mac mini is, and it makes placing it in any room of your home (or office) easier than ever. Thanks to two USB-C ports at the front, the Mac mini (M4, 2024) is an ideal mini PC for your front room – especially as gaming is a renewed focus for Apple. This could be the closest we ever come to an Apple games console – and with a price tag below the PS5 Pro, this could be the start of a resurgence for Mac gaming.

From my time with the Mac mini I was incredibly impressed with the performance of this tiny PC. The latest version of macOS, Sequoia, ran smoothly, and even advanced tasks such as video editing were handled with ease – and the Mac mini kept virtually silent throughout. The model I reviewed is the M4 version, and to be honest it performed so well for all the tasks I used it for that I would recommend this model over the far more expensive M4 Pro iteration.

So, Apple has done it again: it’s released the best small form factor PC in the world, and I can’t see Windows 11 or Linux alternatives coming close to the build quality, performance and value for money of the new Mac mini for a long, long time. If ever.

Mac mini M4 in studio

(Image credit: Future)

Mac mini (M4, 2024) (M4 Pro, 2024) review: Price and availability

  • Starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999
  • Same price as M2 model
  • M4 Pro model much more expensive at $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,199

When the Mac mini (M4, 2024) was announced and pre-orders went live on October 29, 2024, one of the most pleasant surprises was that the base M4 model comes with the same price tag as the M2 model - starting at $599 / £599 / AU$999.

The M2 Mac mini already represented excellent value for money – it would be extremely difficult to find a compact Windows 11 PC at that price range that offered the same level of performance – so the fact that you’re getting an upgrade in both performance and design for no extra cost is something to applaud – though if you recently bought an M2 Mac mini, you might feel a bit aggrieved.

The M4 chip inside the Mac mini is the same as the one in much more expensive devices, including the iPad Pro (starting at $1,299 / £1,299 / AU $2,199), iMac ($1,299 / £1,299 / AU$1,999) and 14-inch MacBook Pro ($1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,499). Sure, with the Mac mini you don’t get a screen, nor do you have the ability to work on it while traveling, but offering the same amount of power for around half the price still represents incredible value for money.

The M4 chip features up to a 10-core CPU (4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores) and a 10-core GPU, up from the 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU of the base M3 chip (Apple never released a Mac mini with the M3, it should be noted), and supports up to 38 trillion operations per second (TOPS) in its 16-core neural engine (Apple's version of an NPU) - so when Apple Intelligence, the company’s generative AI (artificial intelligence) feature does come to macOS, the M4 Mac mini will be more than prepared.

It’s not just the M4 chip that brings a performance upgrade, as the base model now comes with 16GB of unified memory, twice that of the M2 Mac mini’s base model. Not only does this mean the new Mac mini is much better at multitasking (as there’s more memory to support multiple apps running at once), but it’s also more future-proof.

Mac mini M4 in studio

(Image credit: Future)

You can also get the new Mac mini with the more powerful M4 Pro chip, which starts at $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,199. That’s quite a price jump, and while the M4 Pro is certainly a promising bit of silicon on paper, it’ll have to really outperform the M4 to justify the price difference.

We’ve been sent the M4 version to review, and for the majority of people, that should be more than capable enough for the kind of tasks they’ll need this tiny PC to perform. Having the M4 Pro option is nice, despite the price hike, as you are getting a seriously powerful PC in a tiny and almost silent form factor.

There was also a brief moment between Apple announcing the new Mac mini and it revealing the new MacBook Pros with M4 Pro where the M4 Pro Mac mini was arguably the most powerful Mac device ever. Remarkable.

  • Value score: 5/5

Mac mini (M4, 2024): Specs

Mac mini (M4, 2024): Design

  • Brilliant, smaller design
  • Front USB-C ports are welcome
  • Power button placement is a bit awkward

The Mac mini (M4, 2024) has received its biggest redesign since arguably 2011, and it’s now what Apple calls its “smallest computer ever”.

Where the previous model had dimensions of 197 x 197 x 35.8 mm (7.75 x 7.75 x 1.41 inches), the new Mac mini (M4, 2024) measures just 127 x 127 mm x 50 mm (5 x 5 x 2 inches). When taking it out of the box, it’s seriously impressive how small it is, easily fitting in the palm of your hand. Placing it on top of the M2 model, the older Mac mini looked big and bulky – something I’d never have imagined, as that was an impressively small bit of kit when it launched.

The new Mac mini is a bit taller than the older models, but if that’s the sacrifice that had to be made in order to shrink the overall footprint of the PC, while packing it with the latest tech, then it’s one I’m happy with. It’ll easily fit behind a monitor, and even in front of a screen, it’s unobtrusive enough that you’ll hardly notice it. Its small size also means you can plug it into your TV and it won’t look out of place in your lounge. For anyone holding out for an Apple games console, the Mac mini (M4, 2024) could end up being as close as you’re going to get.

As if to prove that the new Mac mini can be just as at home in a lounge as in an office or studio, it now comes with two USB-C ports at the front, alongside a headphone jack for easy access.

New Mac mini M4 in a studio

(Image credit: Future)

At the rear there’s a power port (impressively, despite the tiny size, there’s no bulky external PSU), an Ethernet port and an HDMI that’s capable of up to 8K at 60Hz, or 4K at 240Hz.

There are also three additional USB-C ports. While the front USB-C ports are limited to USB 3 speeds (10Gb/s), the three on the back are much faster. With the M4 model, the rear ports are Thunderbolt 4, with speeds of up to 40Gb/s. If you go for the M4 Pro model, those are upgraded to Thunderbolt 5, with speeds of up to 120Gb/s.

While it’s a shame that the front USB-C ports are slower than the rear ones, if you’re mainly using them for plugging in and charging peripherals, they’ll be fine, leaving the rear ports for tasks that need faster data transfer speeds – such as external hard drives or additional screens.

While the new design is a triumph on the whole, one element of the redesign has caused controversy – the placement of the power button. Rather than being on the rear right-hand corner of the Mac mini, as with previous models, it is now located on the bottom of the Mac mini by the rear left-hand corner. While the Mac mini is raised from the surface you place it on by a circular air vent bottom-center of the PC, you still need to lift it up to reach the button. As the new Mac mini is so small and light, and there are no moving parts inside, this isn’t too much of a problem, though if you’ve placed the Mac mini in a TV cabinet or somewhere where it’s hard to reach, it could be frustrating.

There are workarounds – you could just put the Mac mini to sleep rather than shutting it down, and waking it up by moving the mouse or tapping the keyboard, but even Macs need to be fully powered down every now and again. You could also use the Wake-on-LAN feature of macOS, which allows you to turn on the Mac mini by sending a command over the internet, though again you’ll need the Mac mini to be asleep, not fully turned off.

It’s certainly not the end of the world, but it’s not one of Apple’s better design choices. Placing the power button on the top or front of the Mac mini might ruin the aesthetics, but would have been easier to reach – or even having the power button still on the bottom, but on one of the front corners would have helped.

Mac mini M4 in studio

(Image credit: Future)

The new Mac mini only comes with the device itself and a power cord. Any other cables or peripherals will need to be bought separately (though if you’ve already got, say, an HDMI cable and a mouse and keyboard, then that shouldn’t be too much of a burden).

If you need peripherals to go with the Mac mini you can buy the Magic Keyboard for $99 / £99 / AU$149, the Magic Trackpad for $129 / £129 / AU$209, and the Magic Mouse for $79 / £79 / AU$149. These have had slight design changes as they now use the universal USB-C cable to plug in and charge, rather than Apple’s proprietary Lightning cable, which is good to see.

Sadly, Apple didn’t take the opportunity to move the charging port of the Magic Mouse – it’s still located at the bottom of the mouse, which is a baffling design choice as it means when you plug it in to charge you can’t continue using it.

Of course, you don’t need these new peripherals as any Mac-compatible mouse or keyboard (which is any mouse or keyboard, basically) will work – though there’s no full-size USB A port anymore, so if those peripherals aren’t USB-C or Bluetooth, then you might need to buy an adapter.

  • Design score: 4.5/5

Mac mini (M4, 2024) review: Performance

  • Excellent performance
  • Virtually silent
  • Can even play some games

Once upon a time I was rather worried that Apple had fallen out of love with Macs, and especially the Mac mini, as the company seemed far more enamored with its iPhone and iPads, leaving its Macs to make do with incremental hardware updates within increasingly outdated designs.

Then Apple dumped Intel and made its own chips, starting with the M1 in 2020, and my doubts have pretty much vanished, as every major Mac device has not only been upgraded to an M-series chip, but they’ve also had noticeable redesigns as well, proving that Apple is committed to its Mac lineup. So, it’s with some relief that the Mac mini has not just got the latest M4 (and M4 Pro) chips, but also a major redesign as well, as it’s likely to be one of Apple’s more niche products.

It shouldn’t be – since getting M-Series chips, the Mac mini has become the best small form factor PC you can buy. Small PCs with either Windows 11 or Linux simply cannot match the build quality, performance, and price of Apple’s tiny machine, and with the M4 chip, that gap has become even wider.

Along with the 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU of the M4, the chip contains 28 billion transistors, up from 25 billion in the M3, but is still built on the same 3nm process node from TSMC, so a generational leap is out of the question.

In synthetic benchmarks there’s around a 20% increase in CPU performance when using Geekbench 6, though GPU performance upticks are more modest, with between 5% - 14% increases in benchmarks.

New Mac mini M4 in a studio

(Image credit: Future)

While any increase is always welcome, those kind of numbers mean if you have an M3 Mac mini, you won’t really see any major differences in performance, so upgrading might not be worth it (unless you absolutely have to have the smaller design of the newer Mac mini, which I wouldn’t blame you for).

Where things do get interesting when comparing performance between the M3 and M4 Mac mini is when it comes to AI – both artificial intelligence and Apple Intelligence. With the M4, Apple has included another 16-core Neural Engine dedicated to machine learning and AI tasks, and in AI benchmarks the results are pretty remarkable, with around a 35% increase in performance over the M3. Whether or not Apple Intelligence, or AI in general, will usher in the computing revolution we’ve been promised by many manufacturers has yet to be seen, but at the very least you know that if you buy an M4 Mac mini (or any M4 device), you’ll be in good stead should you wish to use future AI tools.

According to Apple, the M4 chip is capable of 38 TOPS - that's 38,000,000,000,000 operations per second – which is incredibly impressive and means on-device AI tasks should run well. However, the Snapdragon X Elite, like the M4 an ARM-based chip built for Windows 11 devices, offers 45 TOPS. That difference in operations per second isn’t huge, and it might not even be noticeable, especially when comparing Windows 11’s Copilot AI tool to Apple Intelligence, but it’s worth noting.

Apple Intelligence is introduced to Macs in macOS Sequoia 15.1 – and you’ll need to update the new Mac mini to get that version – thankfully, it’s quick and easy process.

The model I review here is the Mac mini with M4 chip, 16GB of unified memory, and a 512GB SSD. For day-to-day tasks, where I used the Mac mini for writing this review, browsing the web and general admin, it worked brilliantly. The operating system – macOS Sequoia – booted quickly, and every app I used loaded speedily and ran smoothly.

We’re now four years on from when Apple made the major move from Intel-based hardware to ARM-based, and that has allowed pretty much every major Mac application to make the move as well. This means it’s now very rare to have to use Apple’s Rosetta 2 tool, which allows apps made for Intel Macs to run on modern Apple Silicon Macs. That tool was essential in the early M1 days, and it meant you could still run your apps with minimal impact to performance.

Now that almost every Mac app, including those from third parties, runs natively on Apple Silicon means they can fully take advantage of the power of the M4 chip (though Steam, the popular store and launcher for PC games, still requires Rosetta to run).

Benchmarks

Here’s how the Mac mini (M4, 2024) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

Cinebench 2024 CPU: Single-Core: 161; Multi-Core: 833
Geekbench 6.3 Single-Core: 3,838; Multi-Core: 14,838
Blender: Monster: 391; Junkshop: 187.6; Classroom: 185.2

One of the best things about Apple’s M-class chips is that the company has made a big commitment to making them as power-efficient as possible, and while this might benefit MacBooks more, as it means they can enjoy longer battery lives, the Mac mini also benefits, as the more efficient M4 chip runs cooler, which allowed Apple to shrink the body of the Mac mini – and it also means the built-in fans that are used to expel hot air when the components are being used rarely kick in. For almost all of my time using the new Mac mini, it was virtually silent. This is great when using it in an office or studio, and it also makes it an ideal mini PC for the front room.

Even when switching to more intensive tasks, such as editing videos in Adobe Premiere Pro, the Mac mini kept pace brilliantly as I added 4K footage and scrolled between scenes. When it comes to gaming, the Mac mini (M4, 2024) was surprisingly good – on high graphical settings, it ran Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 44fps, well above the 30fps I consider to be minimum for a game to be playable, and with a bit of tweaking I think you’d get to 60fps.

Running Total War: Warhammer 3 at Ultra scored just 22.1fps, however. This game is more strenuous on the CPU rather than the GPU, though when I set the visual settings to low it hit 55.4fps. These are modern and ambitious games, so for a compact PC that’s not designed for gaming at this price, that performance is pretty darn great, and you have access to a huge library of Mac games through Steam and other platforms. Throughout playing, the Mac mini remained completely silent.

While the M4 model isn’t going to trouble the PS5 Pro any time soon when it comes to playing games, the fact that such a small device can still give a decent experience is pretty cool, and I assume the M4 Pro model is an even more competent gaming device, though for the price that is a lot steeper than any console - and even many gaming laptops.

Apple has also made a big deal about the M4 chip and its AI abilities, and from my tests it's... fine. Apple Intelligence is in its infancy, so I could not try out all the features that are coming, but I was able to edit a photo in the included Photos app and use the AI-powered Clean Up feature to remove elements from a photo. It worked as well as you might expect these early AI features to perform - it was quick and easy to do, but the background the AI generates in order for the objects you select (by painting over them with a brush) left mistakes and errors that mean it's far from perfect, and you can easily tell AI has been used.

From the AI tools so far, they are interesting yet not essential - bascially the same problem many AI tools have at the moment. For the Mac mini's part, it performed those AI feats all on-device, and they were done quickly and speedily. This is an area where I can see the Mac mini improving.

  • Performance score: 4.5/5

Mac mini (M4, 2024): Should you buy it?

Buy it if…

You want an affordable Mac
This is the cheapest way to get into the Mac ecosystem, and it's worth every cent thanks to excellent performance and a gorgeous design.

You're looking for a mini PC
Put simply, if you want a small form factor PC, this is the one to get. No Windows 11 mini PC can come close.

You've been waiting for an Apple console
Thanks to its compact size, you can easily fit this below (or behind) a TV, and it does a decent job of playing games, though the M4 Pro model may offer a better experience with modern titles.

Don’t buy it if…

You want a gaming PC
While you can play a growing library of Mac-compatible games, if you want to play the latest titles at high definitions and graphical settings whacked up to the max, buy a dedicated gaming PC instead.

You like to tinker and upgrade your PCs
Due to the size, and Apple's general disdain for allowing its customers to open up their devices, this is not a PC you can upgrade yourself. A barebones mini PC like a NUC will be much better.

First reviewed November 2024

GameSir Tarantula Pro review: one of our favorite brands goes symmetrical – and it’s rad
2:50 pm | November 5, 2024
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

GameSir Tarantula Pro: one-minute review

The GameSir Tarantula Pro is yet another winner from one of our favorite third-party gamepad brands. After seriously impressing us with the GameSir Kaleid, GameSir Nova, and the GameSir X2S Type-C mobile controller, it has now followed up with something a bit different.

The GameSir Tarantula Pro features a symmetrical thumbstick layout much like the PS5’s DualSense. However, this controller is compatible with PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices. Not only does that make it one of the very few Nintendo Switch controllers with symmetrical sticks, but it’s also perfect for gamers who prefer that layout on PC and mobile.

Otherwise, the Tarantula Pro is packed to the gills with desirable controller features, including drift-resisting TMR (that’s short for tunnel magnetoresistance, for those curious) sticks, trigger stops, nine (yes, nine!) remappable buttons, and even near field communication (NFC) scanning for amiibo figures on Nintendo Switch. You’re also getting excellent build quality here, as well as an impressively compact design that’s shorter than the average asymmetrical Xbox-style gamepad.

Perhaps the controller’s coolest feature, though, has to be its quick switching for button layouts. With a quick touch of the multifunction button on the rear of the pad, you can swap between Xbox and Switch face button layouts. These buttons are LED-powered too, and leads to a very stylish controller aesthetic in tandem with the small strip of RGB lighting underneath the central remappable button. All this lighting is fully customizable, too, letting you add a personal touch to the controller which is always welcome.

There’s a lot you can do with the GameSir Tarantula Pro, then, and it might take a while for you to fully grasp and remember all the multifunction button macros. But overall, this is an impressively robust Pro-adjacent controller that - like most other GameSir pads - comes at an aggressively affordable price. It can absolutely be considered one of the best PC controllers and best Nintendo Switch controllers released this year.

GameSir Tarantula Pro

(Image credit: Future)

GameSir Tarantula Pro: Price and availability

  • $69.99 / £69.99 (around AU$105)
  • Available from October 10, 2024
  • Comparable in price to the 8BitDo Ultimate and Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

The GameSir Tarantula Pro is available to buy now for $69.99 / £69.99 (around AU$105), and you can purchase one either from GameSir’s own website or the brand’s Amazon store page. It is worth noting, however, that the bundle with the charging stand will cost you a bit extra, at $79.99 / £79.99.

This is a pretty competitive price point that places it squarely in the same bracket as some of the best Nintendo Switch controllers, including the 8BitDo Ultimate and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.

You’re getting exceptional value for money here; the Tarantula Pro’s feature set vastly outclasses what you’ll find on other similarly priced gamepads. If you’re after a PC or Switch controller that offers optimal performance across a wide variety of game genres, then the GameSir Tarantula Pro comes highly recommended.

GameSir Tarantula Pro: specs

GameSir Tarantula Pro

(Image credit: Future)

GameSir Tarantula Pro: design and features

  • Smart, compact design
  • Symmetrical stick layout
  • Swappable button layout is a blessing

The most immediately noticeable design element of the GameSir Tarantula Pro is its symmetrical thumbstick layout, making it ideal for players who prefer a PlayStation-style layout over the offset, asymmetrical design seen on most Xbox and Nintendo Switch compatible controllers. These sticks are joined by a large, tactile d-pad and the usual face buttons, as well as a smattering of remappable buttons, trigger locks, and a rear multifunction button.

Compared to controllers with an Xbox Wireless Controller-esque silhouette like the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro or GameSir’s own T4 Kaleid, the Tarantula Pro is impressively compact in terms of size. It’s about as wide as those gamepads, but slightly stouter in terms of top-to-bottom length. The subtle, camo-like finish on the front of the controller’s shell (not to mention the pleasing RGB light strip) lends it a pretty eye-catching look too.

The charging bay is a nice addition as well, though it is lacking in build quality compared to the controller itself. It’s basically a charging dock sat atop a rather flimsy plastic frame, powered by a USB Type-C cable. You’ll want to handle this with extra care, as that thin frame seems like it’ll be prone to snapping under even slight pressure. Still, its lightweight and unassuming design means it can take up desk space without being the least bit intrusive.

I’ve saved my favorite feature for last here; the GameSir Tarantula Pro features a swappable face button layout that’s incredibly slick. By holding down the multifunction and ‘A’ (or ‘B’ for the Switch layout) buttons for a few seconds, the controller will swap between Xbox and Switch layouts. This is accompanied by a satisfying mechanical whirr, and the buttons will even change color based on your chosen layout (multicolored for Xbox, white for Switch).

This addresses my biggest issue with multiplatform controllers like the T4 Kaleid; they may work across PC and Switch, but you’re typically stuck with a single layout for the face buttons. The Tarantula Pro sidesteps this entirely by letting you swap layouts on the fly, thus aligning it with your platform of choice. It’s worth noting that the controller will work regardless of button layout, but this is a nice, thoughtful extra for those who often find themselves glancing at the face buttons to better align themselves.

GameSir Tarantula Pro

(Image credit: Future)

GameSir Tarantula Pro: performance

  • GameSir’s TMR thumbsticks are delightfully responsive
  • A whopping total of nine remappable buttons is excellent for competitive players
  • Multifunction button is handy for accessing more features on the fly

The GameSir Tarantula Pro is an absolute joy to use across PC and Nintendo Switch, and it’s honestly replaced the T4 Kaleid as my go-to PC controller. This is, in part, down to the fact that this new controller can be used wirelessly. You’re getting a 2.4GHz dongle included in the box, allowing you to connect to PC wirelessly with no fuss. Over on Switch, you can also rely on Bluetooth connectivity.

The controller is exceptional to play games with, offering drift-resistant TMR thumbsticks which GameSir claims have greater longevity and durability than traditional Hall effect sticks. That’d take a good few years to know for sure, but in my time with the pad, I found these thumbsticks to be brilliantly responsive. Meanwhile, while I prefer floating circular d-pads like that of the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, the Tarantula Pro’s still feels great thanks to its micro switch feedback, allowing for very swift and decisive inputs.

You’ve got plenty of options when it comes to tailoring your very own Tarantula Pro experience too. Trigger locks allow you to switch between full-press Hall effect and more immediate micro switch presses. As mentioned, there are also nine remappable buttons (two on the rear of the controller next to the grips, four more around the central menu buttons, and three all in that central touchpad-style button (that’s one in the center, and two on the top which essentially act as two extra bumpers).

Remappable buttons aren’t for everyone, and having nine of them is arguably overkill, but if you’re the kind of person to make use of secondary inputs - be that for shooters or fighting games, for example - then you’ll be flush with options. To assign these, simply hold the multifunction button, your desired remappable button, and then the button you wish to assign. It’s quite a convoluted process at first glance, but very easy to get used to.

Battery life unfortunately isn’t the best ever here. I managed around 12 hours on a full charge during my playthrough of the Silent Hill 2 remake. That’s not dreadful, but is outclassed by other pads at this price range. Charge time also isn’t the greatest ever, coming in at around 3 hours whether you use the charging dock or USB-C.

Lastly, I’ll touch on the GameSir Connect software for PC, which is really quite good. It’s got a simple, one-screen interface that contains most of the gamepad’s customization options. That includes the RGB profile, trigger and stick deadzone alteration, remappable button mapping, and the activation or disabling of certain functions such as gyro aiming. It’s not particularly robust but offers most of what you’ll need all on one handy screen.

GameSir Tarantula Pro

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the GameSir Tarantula Pro?

Buy it if...

You want a real kitchen sink of a controller
Bespoke Hall effect sticks, nine remappable buttons, trigger stops, and a handy multifunction button all make for an impressively robust gamepad that’s ideal for tinkerers.

You’re after a controller that’s perfect for both PC and Switch
If PC and Switch are your go-to gaming platforms, the GameSir Tarantula Pro is ideal for you. Especially with its quick-switch face button layouts.

Don't buy it if...

You were hoping for better battery life
12 hours isn’t terrible. But you’ll find greater amounts with competing controllers like the 8BitDo Ultimate (around 20-30 hours) and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller (40-50 hours).

Also consider...

Not sure about the GameSir Tarantula Pro? We’ve got a couple of other options reviewed here for your consideration.

8BitDo Ultimate
Among the very best Nintendo Switch controllers you can buy today, the 8BitDo Ultimate is an impressive package featuring Hall effect sticks, remappable buttons, and a charging dock.

Read our full 8BitDo Ultimate review

Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
While sorely lacking in features compared to the competition, practically nothing has the official Switch controller beat on battery life. If you want to potentially play through an entire, lengthy RPG without needing to charge, then this is your best bet.

Read our full Nintendo Switch Pro Controller review

How I tested the GameSir Tarantula Pro

  • Tested for two weeks
  • Platforms tested: PC, Nintendo Switch
  • Made use of all the controller’s major features

I tested the GameSir Tarantula Pro over the course of a fortnight, primarily on PC but also with some of the best Nintendo Switch games. In endeavored to make use of the controller’s features where best applicable, such as micro switch trigger stops for quicker inputs in fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, as well as a number of remappable buttons in shooters like Halo Infinite for quick access to jumping, grenades and melee attacks.

The GameSir Tarantula Pro is currently my go-to PC controller, and I’ve been using it to play through Silent Hill 2 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. This is largely because I’ve also found the controller to be a comfortable fit thanks to its symmetrical design, and the ability to play wirelessly is a boon on PC for eliminating the need for extra cables.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed November 2024

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