Resident Evil - Organizer

I tried Logitech’s new G325 Lightspeed gaming headset, and it was so comfortable I forgot I was wearing it

5:00 pm | March 6, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: PC, Resident Evil | Comments: Off

Logitech G325 Lightspeed: Two-minute review

Logitech definitely knows the strengths of the G325 Lightspeed, its new budget wireless gaming headset.

Advertised as a model that’s “just as suitable for an OOTD selfie or wearing out and about” as gaming, the impressively lightweight design and unique look make it well worth considering if you're after something more stylish than your standard gamer fare.

This is an incredibly comfortable headset that you should have no trouble wearing for extended periods of time, whether you’re gaming or taking calls at the office. Its memory foam earcups are super soft, and the thin plastic headband is reinforced with some effective padding.

The fact that it’s made almost entirely from thin plastic means that it doesn't feel anywhere near as premium as competitors like HyperX Cloud III or Razer BlackShark V3 X, but this is a reasonable compromise given the high level of comfort the resulting lightness brings.

The Logitech G325 Lightspeed on a white table. — (Image credit: Future)

The microphone represents a similar trade-off. On one hand, I love how streamlined the built-in beamforming microphone is - in fact, it’s almost invisible aside from a tiny little grille on the left earcup. There’s no messing around with a retractable arm or removable parts that you might end up losing.

On the other hand, there’s no denying that those models with dedicated microphone arms sound much better, even if they are a bit more frustrating to use. The mic of the G325 Lightspeed picks up a lot of background noise, despite the best efforts of Logitech’s “AI-powered noise reduction”, and leaves you sounding quite distant and grainy.

It’s perfectly adequate if you’re chatting with friends on a Discord call, but there are gaming headsets with much better microphone performance out there at this price, like those aforementioned alternatives.

This is also a very basic headset when it comes to features. The built-in controls are a volume rocker, Bluetooth pairing button, microphone mute switch, and that’s your lot. The headset is compatible with Logitech’s brilliant G Hub software, but it doesn’t offer much here aside from some EQ options and a couple of extra settings. This is going to be more than enough for most casual gamers.

The sound here is also good for the asking price, but not exceptional. Like other Logitech headsets, it sounds a bit flat out of the box without much bass, but it’s decently detailed and performs well in games.

With all of this in mind, you should already know whether the G325 Lightspeed is for you. If comfort and aesthetics are your priority, it’s an easy recommendation given the relatively low asking price - but those after booming sound or a crystal clear mic are better served with other options.

Logitech G325 Lightspeed: Price and availability

Costs $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$199.95
Three colors available
One of Logitech’s cheapest wireless models

Priced at $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$199.95, the G325 Lightspeed is one of the cheapest wireless gaming headsets Logitech makes right now.

This price point puts it in budget territory and, given the brand’s frequent generous discounts on other products, I wouldn’t be surprised you could scoop it up for around the $50 / £50 / AU$95 mark in the future.

At full price, it still represents quite good value, though, with much of the cost accounted for in the wireless capabilities and attractive design. There are three colorways available: a black with subtle purple accents, white with grey and mint green highlights, and a cute lilac with hints of orange.

Logitech G325 Lightspeed: Specs

	Logitech G325 Lightspeed
Price	$79.99 / £69.99 / AU$199.95
Weight	7.4oz / 212g
Compatibility	PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, mobile
Connection type	Wireless (Lightspeed, Bluetooth 5.2)
Battery life	~24 hours
Features	Beamforming microphone
Software	Logitech G Hub (PC / Mobile)

Logitech G325 Lightspeed: Design and features

Attractive overall look
Very lightweight
Basic set of features

The design of the Logitech G325 Lightspeed eschews the usual gamer aesthetic of most headsets in favor of a more subtle look.

They’re sleek and seem more like a pair of music listening headphones than a gaming headset, which I quite like. You could easily wear these out of the house or in the office without embarrassment, which is certainly one of the biggest reasons to choose this model over others.

At only 7.4oz / 212g, the G325 Lightspeed is impressively lightweight, though it’s easy to see where Logitech has made the biggest sacrifices to achieve this. The headband feels particularly thin and cheap, with lots of flex to it. Importantly, it is still comfortable thanks to generous memory foam padding. The earcups, which can be adjusted up and down by a few inches, are similarly well-padded with memory foam cushioning.

The right earcup is completely plain aside from some subtle G325 branding, with all of this headset’s controls located on the back of the left one. There’s a power switch (situated beneath an LED indicator to denote battery level and charging status), a Bluetooth pairing button, a volume rocker, and a button to mute the microphone with a built-in and flush design on the front of the earcup.

The headset is compatible with the Logitech G Hub app, though it doesn’t give you access to many extra features. You can turn on side tone (which lets you hear yourself as you speak) or enable the microphone’s AI noise reduction features. There are also a number of audio presets to choose from, but the default one is well-balanced and a good fit for most uses.

Logitech G325 Lightspeed: Performance

Decent, balanced sound
As suitable for office work as gaming
Microphone could be better

Like other Logitech gaming headsets, the G325 Lightspeed sounds quite neutral out of the box. There is definitely some bass, but not overemphasized, and the mids and highs are decently presented. Is it the most detailed or breathtaking sound I’ve ever heard? No, but it’s firmly in line with what you should expect at this price.

I’ve been using the Logitech G325 Lightspeed for a few weeks now, and I never found the listening experience unpleasant, even when bobbing along to music as I worked. In games, the sound is more than sufficient for an enjoyable experience for a casual player, and this has been my go-to throughout my recent co-op playthrough of Resident Evil 6 and daily Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 matches.

Although I do have access to much better-sounding models, the ease of use of this one, not to mention the sheer comfort, is hard to argue with. Just plug the USB dongle in, and you’re ready to go.

I even like the built-in microphone despite its obvious flaws, too. This is not a gaming headset that you should use to start your streaming career, but the fact that the microphone is always present and incredibly unobtrusive is a plus. When I’m using the Astro A20 X, for example, I always have to dig the removable microphone out of my drawer and consciously attach it to my headset before I play - often struggling to find it in the process. Here, you just put the headset on, and you’re ready to go.

I do wish it did a better job of picking up your voice, though. I found that I often sounded quite quiet in comparison to other headsets, with a noticeably grainy quality to my voice. It also lets in an awful lot of background noise, with everything from typing to controller button presses picked up. This is easy to remedy with something like the Krisp noise suppression built into Discord, but still a clear area for improvement.

The battery life here isn’t anything special, but it’s good enough. Logitech claims that this headset will last more than 24 hours at 50% volume, and, in normal use, I found that it easily lasted about 20 hours at a time.

Should I buy the Logitech G325 Lightspeed?

Buy it if…

You want a light and comfortable headset
The Logitech G325 Lightspeed is incredibly comfortable thanks to its lightweight and generous memory foam padding. It’s one to choose if you want something that you can wear for hours and hours at a time.

You love the look
This headset also has quite a unique look that’s very different from most gaming models. Pick it up if you want something understated.

Don’t buy it if…

You need better sound
The sound here is good, but you can still get better performers for around the same price from brands like Razer or HyperX - especially if you don’t mind going for a wired alternative.

You want a great mic
The microphone here could do with some work. It gets the job done, but the performance isn’t as good as most models with a microphone arm.

Also consider...

Not sold on the Logitech G325 Lightspeed? See these two alternatives.

	Logitech G325 Lightspeed	Razer BlackShark V3 X	HyperX Cloud III
Price	$79.99 / £69.99 / AU$199.95	$99.99 / £99.99 / around AU$141	$99.99 / about £99.99 / AU$150
Weight	7.4oz / 212g	9.5oz / 270g	10.9oz / 310g
Compatibility	PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, mobile	PC, Xbox Series X/S (Xbox version), Playstation 4/5, (PlayStation version), mobile	PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, mobile
Connection type	Wireless (Lightspeed, Bluetooth 5.2)	2.4 GHz Wireless / Bluetooth / USB Wired	Wired (3.5mm)
Battery life	~24 hours	70 hours	N/A
Features	Beamforming microphone	7.1 virtual surround sound, unidirectional detachable cardioid mic	Detachable 10mm mic, DTS Headphone:X Spatial Audio
Software	Logitech G Hub (PC / Mobile)	Razer Synapse (PC)	HyperX NGENUITY (PC)

Razer BlackShark V3 X
This budget-oriented BlackShark headset from Razer is more expensive and heavier than the G325, but it offers significantly better battery life and much punchier sound, not to mention plenty more features.

For more information, check out our full Razer BlackShark V3 X review

HyperX Cloud III
The HyperX Cloud III might be getting on in years, but it’s still a top contender and regularly on sale for around the same price as the G325. It’s wired, but it comes with a phenomenal microphone.

For more information, check out our full HyperX Cloud III reviewView Deal

How I tested the Logitech G325 Lightspeed

Tested for multiple weeks
Used with PC, PS5, and Xbox
Relied on for both work and play

I tested the Logitech G325 Lightspeed for multiple weeks, using it as my primary wireless gaming headset for both work and play.

I used it with my PC in addition to my PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles, squeezing in plenty of game time with friends to test out the built-in mic. I also wore it daily while working, wearing it for online meetings and while listening to music, and found it to be a worthy companion.

I frequently compared its performance to a range of other models that I’ve tested, including the Logitech G522 Lightspeed, Astro A20 X, and SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5, plus more premium alternatives like the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro and Astro A50 X.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed February-March 2026

Resident Evil Requiem is a blast, but after 30 years it’s time the series’ narrative let go of the past

6:00 pm | February 25, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Resident Evil | Comments: Off

Resident Evil Requiem is quite literally a game of two halves.

Its dual protagonists, newcomer Grace Ashcroft and series veteran Leon S. Kennedy, both represent disparate aspects of the long-running survival horror franchise brought together to appease fans of tense first-person exploration and resource management and bombastic third-person action, respectively.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2 / PC
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: February 27, 2026

An intriguing formula which, on paper, should offer something for all kinds of Resident Evil lover and this is certainly true throughout the game’s strong first half. Navigating wonderfully designed, interconnected environments filled with mysterious puzzles to scrounge for resources while dodging prowling horrors, as Grace is a consistent delight, punctuated by the refreshing moments where you can briefly let loose as Leon and tear through zombie hordes with an almost unlimited supply of guns and ammunition.

Unfortunately, this careful balance is upset by the overwhelming number of sequences in the action camp later on. They’re still a blast to fight through, even as the plot becomes increasingly bizarre, but I still found myself hoping for more of the serious scares experienced early on.

Spencer Mansion memories

A Resident Evil Requiem screenshot captured on Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld mode showing a city street in the rain. — (Image credit: Capcom)

It’s clear that Resident Evil Requiem is intended to be a celebration of the series, smartly blending elements from almost every entry thus far. Grace inherits not only the first-person perspective of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, but also the classic puzzle-solving of the original Resident Evil and its immediate follow-ups. The Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, the first section where you play as Grace, is a showstopping example of this formula at its best, with some of the greatest level design in Resident Evil history.

The whole area is an unsettling blend of tight corridors and small rooms, with objectives that require you to carefully scour your surroundings as you match keys with their respective locks, decipher secret codes, or collect other important items. Moving forward is always intuitive, and I never found myself scratching my head, wondering what to do next, in part because there are often multiple possible ways to progress with what you have on hand.

Rooms like the ornate banquet hall and the facility's expansive main foyer also echo the iconic design of the Spencer Mansion, a tasteful throwback for long-time fans, while a barrage of new enemy types keep things feeling fresh and prevent you from ever getting too comfortable. The new viral strain at the heart of this game's outbreak gives us some of the most intelligent zombies yet, repeating phrases that often hint at ways to counter their unique behaviours.

A zombie obsessed with turning off the lights, for example, can be lured out of your path by the flicking of a distant switch in order to preserve valuable ammo. Even if you do choose to go guns blazing, a handful of powerful horrors like the kitchen's huge, mutated chef can only be taken on with ample reserves of equipment. Successfully down them and you're treated to a deluge of goodies, namely collectible coins that can be spent on useful upgrades, appropriately rewarding those players prepared to take the risk.

Saving is restricted to set points where you can access a typewriter in dedicated safe rooms, adding an extra layer of tension even if, in reality, their plentiful nature means you're never really short of opportunities to use them.

Despite this safety blanket, as Grace, you're never really out of harm's way, as you’re perpetually on the run from an invincible foe. A terrifying, long-limbed woman, she appears in both scripted scares and more dynamic moments where she stalks you through the building.

She has a good range of possible behaviors, like suddenly reaching under tables to grab you if you make too much noise, or prowling towards your path after catching a whiff of your scent as you creep by. The creature is easy to outsmart if you make liberal use of distraction items like glass bottles, but the persistent dread that she might appear around any corner is hard to shake.

Your fear is reflected in Grace, who is an incredibly relatable protagonist compared to the emotional brick wall that was 7 and Village’s Ethan Winters.

Her trembling hands and haggard breaths are a brilliant contrast to Leon’s quippy confidence, and she’s endearingly awkward in the many stunningly animated cutscenes, too. Her desire to discover the truth of her mother’s grisly murder eight years ago is also a compelling hook that drives you to push on in spite of the horrors that you face.

Back in '98

A Resident Evil Requiem screenshot captured on Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld mode showing Leon aiming at a zombie construction worker on a city street. — (Image credit: Capcom)

It’s a shame, then, that she practically vanishes from the story at the halfway mark as the focus turns almost entirely towards Leon. Returning to the ruins of Raccoon City in some surprisingly hefty semi-open-world sections, it’s an unrelenting bombardment of combat gauntlets, boss fights, and cinematic action sequences.

Some moments, like a rocket launcher motorbike chase that extends up the side of a collapsed building, are certainly reminiscent of the much-derided over-the-top events of Resident Evil 6, while others feel like something you’d watch stone-faced in one of the franchise’s many terrible live action movies.

A Resident Evil Requiem screenshot captured on Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld mode showing Leon entering a medical facility. — (Image credit: Capcom)

Throw in heaps of gratuitous fan service and an unsatisfying ending that leaves loads of unanswered questions (presumably for the sake of setting up future sequels or DLC), and it left me yearning for a tighter, more self-contained, and emotionally impactful experience.

That’s not to say that these moments are ever dull, though. To developer Capcom’s credit, while events may veer unapologetically into the camp and ridiculous, I was practically on the edge of my seat, wondering what on Earth could possibly happen next.

It definitely helps that Resident Evil Requiem is never boring to look at. This is a visually stunning game that really pushes the envelope with environmental fidelity, beautiful ray-traced reflections, fluid animation, and even subtle character details like strands of hair or droplets of blood and sweat. Yes, even on Nintendo Switch 2, despite some noticeable cutbacks to resolution and the odd framerate stutter.

I enjoyed my playthroughs thoroughly, but I can’t help but wish that Capcom was a little bolder with the plot. After more than 30 years, surely now is the time to be moving the series forward decisively rather than constantly harking back to the past?

Should I play Resident Evil Requiem?

Play it if...

You love classic Resident Evil
If you love the classic trilogy, or even newer entries like Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, then the Grace segments of Requiem make it well worth playing. You’re getting a decent chunk of old-fashioned puzzle solving and survival horror exploration here, even if it does skew towards action near the end.

You prefer the more bombastic action
If you loved the action-packed events of Resident Evil 4, the Leon sections here feature some of the best third-person combat in the series so far.

Don't play it if...

You’re not up to date with the story so far
The strong reliance on fan-service and call backs is going to really diminish the experience for those that aren’t long-time Resident Evil fans. If that’s you, my recommendation is to start with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard or the Resident Evil 2 remake and then play through the rest of the series before reaching this one.

Accessibility features

Resident Evil Requiem has multiple difficulty levels, including a Casual mode that’s designed to be more forgiving as well as Standard (Modern) and Standard (Classic). Standard (Classic) restricts your ability to save during Grace sections, requiring a consumable ink ribbon item each time.

The game has a dedicated accessibility menu with a suite of available options geared towards visual, auditory, motion sickness, and physical accessibility. On the visual front, you can customize the HUD and text size, plus subtitle presentation and size.

For auditory needs, you can enable closed captions with optional speaker name display, while motion sickness settings allow you to adjust camera wobble, motion blur, and turn on a dot in the middle of the screen to focus on.

Physical accessibility options include the options to disable repeated inputs in favor of holding a button, turn of vibration, and configure your controller layout.

A Resident Evil Requiem screenshot captured on Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld mode. — (Image credit: Capcom)

How I reviewed Resident Evil Requiem

I played more than 20 hours of Resident Evil Requiem on Nintendo Switch 2, my primary platform for review, in which time I completed the game and then began a second run. I tested it almost exclusively in handheld mode, relying on the Joy-Con 2 controllers and the system’s built-in speakers.

I then tested the PC version on my system from retailer Scan. It features a compact Corsair 2000d RGB Airflow case, Asus ROG Strix B860-I Gaming Wifi motherboard, Intel Core Ultra 7 265K CPU, a 2TB WD Black SN770 SSD, 32GB of DDR5 Corsair Vengeance RAM, and an Nvidia 5070 Ti manufactured by Asus.

This proved more than capable of running the game on maximum graphics settings with full path tracing enabled at 1080p 60fps. On PC, I relied on my Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro mouse and Cherry XTRFY K5V2 keyboard, plus an Astro A20 X gaming headset for audio.

I’m a long-time Resident Evil fan and have played almost every entry (most on more than one occasion). Yes, I’ve even subjected myself to the likes of Operation Raccoon City and Umbrella Corps.

Throughout my time with Requiem, I compared my experience to the other games (particularly Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, the remakes of 2, 3, and 4, Village, and the original three games) plus the wider survival horror and action horror genres.

First reviewed February 2026

Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 QD-OLED review: A strong highlight among the greatest super ultrawide monitors

3:00 am | November 9, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Monitors Peripherals & Accessories | Tags: Resident Evil | Comments: Off

Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 QD-OLED: Two-minute review

Resident Evil 4 running on Philips Evnia super ultrawide — (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

I was specifically drawn towards the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 in hopes that its Ambilight RGB feature would enhance my gaming experience, and I'm quite happy to report that it did, with color shifts that made my favorite games like Resident Evil 4 remake and Cyberpunk 2077 blossom even more – but not without some downsides. As I mentioned in a previous feature, my love for super-ultrawide monitors hasn't faded, but I've felt I needed a break from them.

Issues with desk space and games not supporting the 32:9 aspect ratio are one thing, but the 49-inch display size made the Auto Brightness Limiter (ABL) far more noticeable than it would be on a smaller display, as I realized when testing on other OLED ultrawide monitors like the Alienware AW3423DWF OLED ultrawide.

In my experience, I couldn't fully enjoy the Ambilight feature as much as I thought I would, considering the length of the display (which can serve as a compliment to how immersive it is), and yes, I tried it without another monitor mounted on top of it, and came to the same conclusion. It's also worth noting that the Ambilight feature can sometimes fail at representing accurate colors.

That doesn't mean it's bad by any means, but it made me realize that I likely would have enjoyed the feature far more on the 34-inch 1440p or 42-inch 4K Philips Evnia models. It just gets to a point where you wonder if the 32:9 aspect ratio is a little bit too much, but ultimately, if those aren't dealbreakers for you, you'll absolutely love this display.

Side image of Philips Evnia monitor — (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

On a more positive note, though, gaming in titles like Call of Duty or Battlefield 6 on this display gives you an extra edge and lets you take advantage of a 240Hz refresh rate. If you have the hardware capable of pushing high frame rates, you'll reap the benefits with smooth gameplay and a 0.03ms Grey-to-Grey (GtG) response time, minimizing ghosting and blur as pixels transition.

It's not just multiplayer FPS shooters where this shines, as this is an exceptional display in narrative-driven action games, and truly makes you feel like you're at the center of the action. The increased point of view you get with super ultrawide displays, as such, should not be understated, providing a cinematic experience to get lost in, and I felt that across the numerous single-player games I tested on this display.

The 49M2C8900 is another display that highlights how much better OLED is when compared to regular LED or even mini-LED monitors. Sure, mini-LED displays can provide better, more consistent brightness levels, notably because there's no frustration with ABL. However, OLED is simply undefeated when it comes to deep black levels, and you can see that in my Wallpaper Engine screenshots below – truly fascinating.

Image 1 of 2

Wallpaper Engine running on desktop screen — Now imagine that deep black level accuracy in a horror game... (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

Image 2 of 2

Showcase of Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 QD-OLED monitor — Now imagine that deep black level accuracy in a horror game... (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

Just to highlight, if you're a big fan of horror games that take full advantage of dark environments or even those with constant color changes like Cronos The New Dawn, then there's plenty of fun to be had with this display. The images don't do it enough justice, and some might even suggest there's major bloom or over exposure, but that isn't the case at all with this display.

It gets even better when Ambilight is working at its best, blending in perfectly with jumpscares or sequences in games where colors shift rapidly on screen, lending extra ammunition to an immersive visual experience. I can definitely see this being loved by those who aren't particularly enthused by Ambilight when buying this monitor, as opposed to me, who was underwhelmed with its inconsistencies.

Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 QD-OLED: Price & Availability

How much does it cost? $1,500 (retail) / £799 / AU$1,799
When is it available? Available now (first released in 2023)
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 is a pricey super ultrawide monitor, retailing at $1,500 and around £1,649.99 in the UK, which would have been an instant dealbreaker for me and many others. Still, it's been available since 2023, so pricing has inevitably plummeted, meaning you can find it at much lower prices – specifically £799 (around $1,050) – with more active sales seeing it drop even further.

Is it worth the retail price it was at previously? No, and that's no shade on the display's quality, because $1,500 is a tough ask for any gaming monitor. However, at its current pricing, I can easily recommend this for anyone who's adamant to dive into the QD-OLED super ultrawide gaming experience, with the added productivity benefits.

However, it's worth noting that if you do plan on getting this display, it's best to act fast, as it can be quite difficult to find it at various online stores. It doesn't appear to be discontinued yet, but new Philips Evnia monitors are likely on the horizon to take the limelight.

Ambilight LEDs on Philips Evnia monitor — (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 QD-OLED: Specs

Screen Size	49-inch
Aspect Ratio	32:9
Resolution	5120x1440
Brightness	1000 nits (Max)
Contrast Ratio	1,500,000:1
Refresh Rate	240 Hz
Color Gamut	10-bit / DCI-P3
Speakers	7.5 W x 4, DTS
HDR	DisplayHDR True Black 400 certified
Weight	13.96 kg (with stand) \| 10.82kg (without stand)
Wall Mountable (VESA)	100 x 100 mm
FreeSync Premium technology	Premium Pro
Power Delivery	Up to 90 W
Panel Type	QD-OLED
Connections	HDMI 2.1 x 2 USB-C x 1 (PD) DP 1.4 x 1 USB 3.2 x 5 (incl upstream) Audio Out

Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 QD-OLED: Performance & Design

Again, on a more consistent basis, I was left happy using the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900, as it gave me what I needed for almost all of my games (excluding those that don't support the 32:9 aspect ratio).

It's simple, really: if immersion is your top priority and you've never used a display like this, I have no doubt this will be right up your alley. I must admit that I'm an ultrawide enthusiast, so I do have an element of bias towards these displays. Still, if anything, that ultimately makes me more critical of them with nitpicks – but aside from the issues with Ambilight and ABL, there are hardly any complaints from me with this display.

When ABL isn't an issue, you really notice just how great high brightness is for gaming, and thanks to the QD-OLED panel, I had no problems with any form of ghosting or smearing, which is something you might find with a VA mini-LED monitor, like the Mobile Pixels 34-inch ultrawide monitor I reviewed.

Image of Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 — (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

It's also worth noting that while this monitor is FreeSync Premium Pro certified, it supports G-Sync, so both AMD and Nvidia GPU users will be able to enjoy screen-tearing-free gameplay.

Speaking of GPUs, it would be worth investing in a beefy GPU; to give you an idea, I was using the Asus TUF RTX 4080 Super OC GPU (the second GPU behind the RTX 4090), and the 5120x1440 display resolution gives it a run for its money, knocking Cyberpunk 2077's frame rate down to its knees around 50 to 60fps with ray tracing enabled and Frame Generation disabled.

In terms of design, there's a lot to love regarding the Ambilight feature when it's functioning without glitches, and, excusing my personal issues with the width of these super ultrawide monitors, I believe many others will appreciate color shifts and effects even more than I do.

I didn't get to use a monitor mount, and the stand that comes with it is serviceable, but I would recommend buying a desk mount as the stand's base takes up a decent amount of space on the desk – and the screen itself is already wide enough, taking up a majority of the room available.

Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 QD-OLED: Productivity & OSD

Image of Philips Evnia On Screen Display — (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

It isn't just gaming where it shines, though, as productivity was a highlight while testing this display. If you thought that the 32:9 aspect ratio would serve as a detriment to your work-from-home duties, think again, because I was left very pleased with what the 49M2C8900 had to offer.

I tend to multitask a lot when working, with multiple browser tabs left open, and perhaps some videos playing in the background, and this is the monitor built just for that. Yes, there are readability issues, as you'll find with a wide variety of OLED displays with fringing around text, but this has never been a major issue for me, and it wasn't the case with this display either.

While my review unit didn't come with a remote control, the addition of one is a godsend, and another aspect I don't see nearly enough monitor manufacturers considering. I haven't got my hands on the remote control at all, but I don't need it, as I know that anything other than constantly reaching for the power button and OSD control behind the display is significantly more convenient.

The OSD itself is serviceable with numerous tabs on settings for Ambilight (in the Ambiglow tab), SmartImage, and other input and audio options. Besides the option of a remote control or the OSD control on the monitor rear, the Philips Evnia Precision Center software works wonders as a replacement, allowing you to change settings via mouse and keyboard.

Should you buy the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 QD-OLED?

Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 QD-OLED Scorecard
Value	While the initial retail price would have knocked some points off here, the price drop makes all the features across the board much better.	4 / 5
Design	The Ambilight (or Ambiglow) feature can be frustrating to use sometimes with a some glitches and inconsistencies in color accuracy, but for the most part, it gets the job done and is great for a boost in immersion	4 / 5
Performance	The 49M2C8900 is easily one of the best gaming monitors on the market, providing exceptional quality with its 240Hz refresh rate, 32:9 aspect ratio, and a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio, thanks to the QD-OLED panel.	4.5 / 5
Productivity	With a 32:9 aspect ratio at 49 inches, there is so much that can be simultaneously with this monitor, despite any case of text smearing.	4 / 5
Final Score	It's not perfect, specifically due to issues with brightness limitations under certain conditions, and some Ambilight inconsistences, but there's hardly any major issues to be had, and it certainly provides an experience many will love.	4 / 5

Buy the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 QD-OLED if...

Like many similar super ultrawide monitors, the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 fits the bill for a widened, immersive gaming experience, and it excels with its QD-OLED panel.

There aren't many gaming monitors on the market that use this feature, but the Philips Evnia's Ambilight feature takes game entertainment a step up, by syncing RGB LEDs with colors on screen.

Don't buy it if...

If ABL was a reason you moved away from another OLED monitor, you're not going to find it any less frustrating here.

The 49M2C8900 will take up most of your desk space if your desk isn't big enough, so if you're unwilling to upgrade on desk space, you'll have trouble making room for other components alongside the display.

Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 QD-OLED: also consider

The LG Ultragear GX9 45GX950A-B is a very expensive gaming monitor, but its price is close to the 49M2C8900's retail price, and it is possibly the best gaming monitor you can buy right now. It's a 45-inch display with an 800R curve, running at 5120x2160 resolution, which many would label a '4K ultrawide'.

Read the full LG Ultragear GX9 45GX960A-B review

How I tested the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 QD-OLED

I used the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900 QD-OLED for just over a month, for both work and play, testing numerous games and movies to grasp the performance of the screen and the Ambilight color capabilities.

This is a 32:9 display, so multiplayer shooters like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 were tested to take full advantage of the screen estate and enhanced perspective of action on screen. It's incredibly ideal for games that rely on instant reactions and better views of peripherals, and it's one of the highlights that I noticed consistently.

After using a handful of displays now (particularly QD-OLED), I've been able to differentiate the pros and cons of these displays compared to regular LEDs or mini-LED, which is why I'm certain that this is among the best you'll ever find on the market.

I time-travelled to save the world in Cronos: The New Dawn and it felt like going back two decades to play Dead Space again

5:00 pm | September 3, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Dead Space, Resident Evil | Comments: Off

A few hours into Cronos: The New Dawn, I saw it. A corpse slumped against the wall, a message scrawled in blood above him: “Don’t let them merge”. If it wasn’t already clear that the latest survival horror game from Bloober Team was drawing from some of the genre's greats, that warning, a nod to “cut off their limbs” seen in equally foreboding lines of jagged crimson in Dead Space, hammered the point home as subtly as a boot stomp to the skull.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2, Mac
Release date: September 5, 2025

A feeling of déjà vu was a running theme in my time playing through Cronos. Here’s the main character, gun hoisted high in Leon S. Kennedy’s iconic pose from Resident Evil 4. Here are my limited crafting resources straight out of The Last of Us, ones I must choose to make either ammo or health items. Here are my gravity boots, pinched from Isaac Clarke’s locker on the USG Ishimura.

It’s perfectly fine to be influenced by other works, especially when they are as iconic and genre-defining as the ones I’ve listed above. But when it just feels like you’re retreading the same path with less confidence and not bringing enough new ideas, what’s really the point of it all?

Following in their footsteps

The main character from Cronos looking at a message written in blood on the wall — (Image credit: Bloober Team)

Now, that opening may read like I came away massively disappointed by Cronos: The New Dawn. In some aspects, I certainly did. It is painfully derivative in many areas, to the point where it made me question if anything has changed in sci-fi survival horror games in the last 20 years.

But, unsurprisingly, given its influences, it’s also a game that plays well. Combat is tense, shooting is solid, resource management is challenging, exploration is unsettling, and the environments drip with atmosphere. And there are kernels of ideas that, if only they were more fully realised or executed better, could have elevated the game beyond a decent – if standard – survival horror.

Let’s start with the premise: you play as the Traveler, an undefined being encased in a cross between a spacesuit and a diving suit. The game starts as you're activated by a mysterious organisation known as The Collective and told to travel through time to extract important survivors after an apocalyptic infection dubbed the ‘Change’ turns most people on Earth into grotesque and amalgamated monstrosities.

The nexus point of the disaster is Poland in the 1980s, which at least makes for a unique setting that’s far from the spaceships and abandoned mining planets we usually find ourselves stomping around. There’s an inventiveness to the world design, too, which not only sees the infestation overrun dilapidated buildings, roads, and subways with a gloopy and pulsating biomass, but also fractures entire structures to create floating, twisted, and mind-bending new forms.

Add to that violent sandstorms and heavy snowfall, and safe to say, it’s not a pleasant stroll. I had to seriously pluck up some courage to carefully inch forward in many locations, especially towards the latter half of the game, when everything is so consumed by the effects of the infection and dotted with poisonous pustules that you feel suffocated by it – even if this trap is overplayed a dozen too many times.

Skin-crawling

An enemy approaches in the distance in Cronos The New Dawn — (Image credit: Bloober Team)

Visually, it is disgusting (in all the right ways), but huge credit has to go to the audio. It masterfully ramps up that oppressive and stomach-churning atmosphere with all sorts of sloshing and wheezing and bubbling that gives a terrifying sense of life to the coagulated mass that surrounds you. One of the best gaming headsets is recommended.

If Cronos was all just trudging through fleshy corridors, then Bloober Team would have smashed it. Unfortunately, other parts of the game don’t excel in the same way and are merely fine or disappointing in comparison.

Combat is one. The gimmick here is that dead enemies remain on the ground and can be assimilated by other creatures to become larger and stronger foes – hence the bloody message of “don’t let them merge”. Fortunately, you come equipped with a torch. Nope, it’s not a bright light, but a burst of flames that can incinerate corpses and stop this merging from taking place.

Best bit

An out of order elevator in Cronos The New Dawn — (Image credit: Future)

Cronos: The New Dawn finds its identity more as the game progresses and the section in the Unity Hospital is when the game hits its stride. It’s one of the scariest and creepiest places to explore, as you descend further into the bowels of the building, where the infection has taken even greater hold and you uncover some horrifying secrets about the impact of the Change.

That leads to the main flow of combat. Take down targets with your weapons, then prevent any survivors from merging by setting the bodies ablaze. It’s a setup that can create some tense encounters – ones where you’re busy dealing with one target, only to hear the awful sounds of two bodies smushing together in the distance (shoutout to the audio design again), and knowing there’ll be an even greater threat if you don’t introduce them to the cleansing flames immediately.

The problem is that I could count on one hand the number of times I felt seriously threatened by the risk of enemies merging. Too many encounters had too few enemies, were in too small spaces, or were littered with too many (respawning) explosive barrels, that I could comfortably handle the situation. It was only towards the end of the game when I felt overwhelmed in some encounters, needing to more strategically pick my targets, hurriedly craft ammo on the fly, and regularly reposition to burn dead enemies so they couldn’t merge.

Burn, baby, burn

A hidden cat in Cronos The New Dawn — (Image credit: Bloober Team)

It isn’t a disaster, just a shame that Cronos doesn’t really make the most of its main idea. Instead, the overwhelming feeling I had was that I was just playing Dead Space again, swapping between the limited ammo in my pistol, shotgun, and rifle to blast away everything. Outside of rare encounters, the mechanics of merging and burning feel like massively underused and unimpactful parts of the game.

It’s a common feeling. Take your main objective of ‘rescuing’ the specific survivors. I use quotation marks there because the actual process of saving them is kept ominously vague, and is instead best described as extracting and absorbing their soul to gain the knowledge needed to save humanity.

It’s here when I thought Cronos might step up from its clear inspirations with some fresh ideas. Not only is there a morbid mirroring at play (wait, are we the baddies?), but those other lives bouncing around inside your head lead to all sorts of different visions and hallucinations, depending on the characters you choose to save.

In its cleverest moments, who’s knocking about in your noggin can influence the environment or completely change how you perceive things in the world to create some genuinely spooky moments. Once again, though, outside of less than a handful of instances, this idea isn’t explored any further when it’s rife for some really interesting, exciting, and unique possibilities.

It frustrates and disappoints me more than anything. I really want to be clear that Cronos: The New Dawn isn’t a bad game: it plays fine, looks good enough, and runs well. Although I’d stick to performance mode on consoles if you can to get a smooth 60fps, as the quality mode feels far too jittery.

I just can’t help but feel that with the way it relies so heavily on what worked in classic survival horror games from yesteryear, I may have travelled back two decades myself to play it.

Should I play Cronos: The New Dawn?

A time anomaly in a building in Cronos The New Dawn — (Image credit: Bloober Team)

Play it if…

You’re looking for your next survival horror fix
Survival horror fans who are craving a new game will find enough to enjoy here, even if it’s mostly just playing the hits.

You want a different setting and an intriguing story
Signalis this ain’t, but the setting, story, and commentary in Cronos does tickle the brain in new ways, even if some aspects are too enigmatic

Don’t play it if…

You want an action game
This isn’t the bombastic and set-piece rollercoaster of a modern Resident Evil. Cronos is tense, slow, full of dread, and light on ammunition.

You have any aversion to body horror
Cronos relies heavily on body horror for its story, enemy design, and environments, so if you find this overly unsettling, then it’s best to avoid.

Accessibility

Cronos offers a range of standard accessibility options, including three color blind modes for green, red, and blue color blindness, as well as the option to add clear interaction indicators and subtitles in multiple languages that can be fully customised in terms of size and color.

The game has one Normal difficulty setting, with a Hard mode unlocked after you finish the game once. To customise the difficulty, though, you can adjust settings to get a more generous aim assist and alter whether you hold or tap for quick time events.

A center dot can be added to help alleviate motion sickness, while the game also provides options to reduce or turn off camera shake and sway.

How I reviewed Cronos: The New Dawn

I played Cronos: The New Dawn for around 16 hours on a PlayStation 5 Pro on a Samsung S90C OLED TV using a DualSense Wireless Controller. I mainly played in Performance mode, but I also tried Quality mode for a brief time and found the graphical improvements minimal compared to the benefits of a smoother frame rate.

I swapped between playing audio through a Samsung HW-Q930C soundbar and a SteelSeries Arctic Nova 7, and I definitely suggest headphones for the best experience.

I completed the main game and spent a lot of time exploring the environment to uncover as much of the story and as many hidden extras as I could find.

I spent 30 hours sneaking through Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and it’s still as incredible as the original, because it’s almost the exact same game

11:00 am | August 22, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil | Comments: Off

Konami’s 2004 stealth classic Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is one of the best games ever made. Yet the idea of a remake didn’t exactly conjure the joy that one would usually get from hearing their favourite game is getting remade. After the fallout between Konami and series creator Hideo Kojima and the 10-year series hiatus that ensued (not counting the dreadful Metal Gear Survive), I had my doubts.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5 Pro
Available on: Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PS5, PC
Release date: August 29, 2025

And yet, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is fantastic; there are no awkward changes to the story or pacing like the Silent Hill 2 remake, or really any attempts to touch the game I love so much… because it is still that game.

Metal Gear Solid Delta is firmly in the Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster or The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening camp of remakes as it is so beholden to the source material that it struggles to find an identity of its own outside of the fact that it looks pretty now.

Remember the Alamo

A Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater screenshot. — (Image credit: Konami)

Snake Eater represents the earliest point in the Metal Gear timeline, in which you play as Naked Snake before he goes on to become the legendary soldier Big Boss in the midst of the Cold War. A rescue mission gone wrong means he has to battle his mentor, The Boss, destroy the not-quite-a-Metal-Gear, Shagohod robot, and prevent the Cold War from becoming a hot one.

Naked Snake is by far the most compelling protagonist in the series, by the sheer virtue of being the most relatable. Both Solid Snake and Raiden were bred to be the greatest possible soldiers, while Naked Snake is just a guy.

Early on you see him pull a stupid grin because he realises he can drop a beehive on someone; he completely blanks out sleeper agent Eva’s advances because he’s so enamoured with the cool gun she gave him. These little touches make him a far more compelling character and allow for the finale to deliver an absolute gut punch at its emotional climax.

Your main adversaries this time are the Cobra unit, a group of legendary soldiers like one who shoots bees out of his mouth or the sniper who is 100 years old and can die of old age if you save the game during his fight and come back later.

Then there’s the main antagonistic trio of Snake’s mentor, The Boss; series staple Revolver Ocelot in his awkward early years; and Volgin, a sadistic colonel who is as filled with pomp as he is an abhorrent human being.

There really isn’t a character in Snake Eater that feels underdeveloped. I’m not typically a big audio log person, but I found myself returning to the codec call screen to chat with Snake’s allies – even after beating the game many times before now – just because I love the banter between them.

There are even characters who appear for literally one scene – like the Soviet scientist Aleksandr Granin – and are unforgettable thanks to Kojima’s signature monologue and exposition sequences.

The mission, or your beliefs?

Snake Eater moved the series away from its then-standard military base infiltrations – where stealth was more straightforward – and moved into the Russian jungles. Now that you’re dealing with foliage, caves, mountains, and the odd encampment, stealth is very freeform.

In Metal Gear Solid Delta, it’s all pretty much how you remember it, the only difference being that the game’s control scheme has been updated to be more in line with later entries in the series. It introduces the over-the-shoulder camera and crouch-walk from Metal Gear Solid 4 (which was implemented into the 3DS version of Snake Eater) and makes the controls more in line with a standard third-person shooter (triggers to aim and shoot, circle to crouch etc.). But you shouldn’t expect something revolutionary.

Snake Eater’s other major addition was that of survival mechanics. You could change camo to help you blend into environments, eat food (including snakes, funnily enough) to keep your stamina up, and heal various injuries and ailments. In the original these were accessed through the pause menu, but while that’s still the case, this time it’s been streamlined somewhat.

Holding up on the d-pad will open up a camo menu for you, showing some combinations that you can switch to in an instant; when you’re injured, pressing up will take you straight to the cure screen too. Again, it’s nothing transformative, but it’s a nice quality of life update. You also get an autosave every time you enter a new area, which makes doing the hardest challenge run – Foxhound rank – less obnoxious.

Best bit

Snake Eater is a game filled to the brim with memorable moments, but the updated visual fidelity and foliage really add to the intensity of the sniper battle with The End. What was already one of the best boss battles in the series gets a boost from it being even harder to find your opponent.

But Metal Gear Solid Delta isn’t really doing anything new. All of the level layouts, enemy placement and items are the exact same as they were on the PS2. It’s so strictly beholden to the original that you can interrogate guards, and they will still give you codes to use in the PSP’s Metal Gear Acid, which isn’t even a game you can buy officially anymore. Plus the opening and closing credits are ripped straight from the original (a lot of Hideo Kojima name drops), with you having to go into the extras menu to actually see the new development team.

Granted, it does bring back some of the things I would not expect, including things that were taken out of later re-releases like the Snake Vs Monkey mode, which isn’t as fantastic as the other half of that Metal Gear x Ape Escape crossover, but it’s a fun little distraction.

Plus, there’s a “Legacy Mode” option that lets you revert to the original control scheme complete with fixed cameras, a visual filter, and the old versions of the opening theme and main menu.

Kuwabara kuwabara

The other major change with Metal Gear Solid Delta is how it looks, with the Russian jungle rendered beautifully in Unreal Engine 5, and I really can’t fault it on that front. The character models do present an issue, though. On paper they look great, and some characters really take to the new style – like Volgin, whose facial scarring looks much better and more identifiable with the new tech. But others like Ocelot and The Boss, look somewhat uncanny at points, with their faces feeling off at certain angles.

This is paired with Metal Gear Solid Delta using the original voice recordings from Metal Gear Solid 3 with only minor new lines recorded to cover for the different control scheme and a couple of easter eggs during codec calls. Metal Gear voice acting is always quite over the top, and as such feels a little weird coming out of the mouths of these hyper realistic character models.

Metal Gear Solid Delta is in a weird spot. I don’t think a massive overhaul like the Resident Evil remakes would have gone down well in a post-Kojima release, so I get why Konami remade it this way (and frankly it’s probably the way I wanted to see it remade). But, at the same time, I don’t really get a sense of what the series looks like going forward like I could with the Silent Hill 2 remake because it is so faithful.

But regardless, it’s still a remake that feels great to play and (mostly) looks fantastic. It doesn't do much to carve out its own unique identity, but as an entire package Metal Gear Solid Delta is as much of a masterpiece as the original Snake Eater was in 2004.

Should you play Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater?

Play it if...

You haven’t played Snake Eater in a while
While Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater doesn’t have a whole lot to actually update the game, it’s a nice way to return to it. The updated controls – while not transformative – do streamline things somewhat, and the game looks fantastic.

You haven’t played a Metal Gear game
As much as the purist in me shudders at not starting with Metal Gear Solid (which you can get in the Master Collection), some just don’t vibe with older games. So out of the modern Metal Gear games available, it’s the best starting point for the story compared to 5.

You like a game with a good story
The original Metal Gear Solid 3 is one of my favourite stories in gaming, and it’s untouched here, and even after playing through it god knows how many times, the story still hits. It’s a far more personal story than your typical spy thriller but has the usual world-ending threat and camp silliness of your average Bond film.

Don't play it if...

You want a new experience from Snake Eater
Ultimately this is an incredibly faithful remake. Outside of updated visuals and the controls from the 3DS version, it’s almost literally the exact same game down to the smallest details. So if you don’t enjoy remakes akin to Link’s Awakening and Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster and prefer something transformative like the Resident Evil remakes, you’re not going to get your money’s worth.

Accessibility

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater features a number of accessibility options.

The majority of these are control-based allowing you to swap held inputs into tap. For example, when dragging an enemy, you typically would have to hold the button the entire time, but you have the option now to tap once to grab and tap again to let go.

There are also in-depth subtitle options allowing you to choose sizes, backgrounds, and speaker names with separate options for gameplay and cutscenes. There are colourblind filters present, but these are specifically for the UI and don’t seem to have any effect in-game.

How I reviewed Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater

I played 30 hours of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater on PS5 Pro on a Samsung Q60D TV and a Samsung HW-T450 soundbar.

During this time I completed a 16 hour run of the game on Normal in the New Style with the majority of hidden items and weapons collected, defeated every enemy and boss non-lethally, attained the Tsuchinoko rank, and learnt the parry timing of the final boss the hard way.

I also completed the Virtuous Mission in Legacy mode on Hard and completed the New Game+ on Extreme, attaining the Foxhound Rank which is the toughest challenge in the game - made a bit less extreme thanks to autosaves.

First reviewed August 2025

Every time I put these over-ear noise-cancelling headphones on during testing, it felt like they were giving my lobes a big fuzzy hug

1:30 pm | June 14, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones | Tags: Alien Isolation, ANC, Resident Evil | Comments: Off

Earfun Wave Life: two-minute review

To misquote Futurama’s robotic delinquent Bender, you’re in for “Earfun on a bun” if you take the plunge on the Chinese brand’s latest budget cans. Assuming I still have a job to take this review any further [only just – Ed.], I’ve been taken aback by the quality of the Earfun Wave Life. Seeing as they only cost around $50 / £50, these over-ear headphones are far better than I was expecting.

The Earfun Wave Life pack in enough features and sufficiently robust audio performance to make them absolutely worth considering if you’re on the hunt for a new pair of cheap over-ear cans. Sturdily built, extremely easy on the ears thanks to their lush foam cups and sporting an app that’s both intuitive and comprehensive with its EQ options, there’s a lot to like about these competitively priced noise cancelling headphones.

It’s a pity the Wave Life’s ANC features don’t fully convince. For the price Earfun are selling them, I was never expecting these over-ears to rival the best noise-cancelling headphones out there. Still, when it comes to snuffing out distracting ambient noise, ANC performance with these cheap cans is almost aggressively average.

On the flipside, if you’re lucky enough not to have to endure regular noisy commutes, the Earfun Wave Life have more than enough plus points to make them worth recommending if you’re on a tight budget.

Bolstered by stellar software, a dedicated game mode and 40mm drivers that hand in convincingly deep bass levels, Earfun’s affordable headphones are thoroughly enjoyable. They might be cheap, but they certainly don’t feel it.

Not only are the Wave Life some of the most comfortable cheap cans I’ve ever worn, they’re also great for hands-free voice calls. During one of my least glamorous chats in recent memory – one that involved asking a plumber pal of mine about a broken toilet seat – I was reassured my voice was clear during the entire abode-centric chinwag despite me being in a different room than my phone during the call. Thank you very much, Bluetooth 5.4.

Will these cans' soundscape blow you away (even after you tweak frequency settings with Earfun’s fantastic EQ software)? Probably not. Yet for the price, these supremely comfortable headphones, which also boast staying power of up to 60 hours if you switch ANC off, deliver more than they disappoint even they may not quite make it into the best over-ear headphones available.

If you want a pair of budget over-ears that will be comfortable on your cranium while (mostly) delivering satisfying sounds, you could do a whole lot worse than the Earfun Wave Life.

Earfun Wave Life over-ear noise-cancelling headphones on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

Earfun Wave Life review: Price and release date

Release date: February, 2025
Price: $59.99 / £49.99 / AU$105 (approx.)

The Earfun Wave Life are priced super-aggressively at just $59.99 / £49.99 / AU$105 (approx.). They can often be found even cheaper than their official retail price courtesy of Amazon sales, too.

Though they’re obviously not as premium as the $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$167 (where sold) Earfun Wave Pro that impressed us big style early last year, they still deliver a satisfying sonic experience.

Sure, they’re not going to make audiophiles’ socks roll up and down. Yet considering their budget price point, I reckon most folks will be pleasantly surprised by these over-ear headphones’ pleasingly deep bass and relatively convincing trebles. The Earfun Wave Life are also far more comfy than I was expecting from such an affordable pair of cans.

In terms of alternative options, if you’re looking for some of the best cheap headphones for under $/£100, you’ll struggle to do better than the superb 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 (catchy moniker, right?). The Sony WH-CH520 are another great option if you’re in the market for a budget pair of noise-cancelling cans.

Earfun Wave Life review: Specs

Weight:	264g
Drivers:	40mm Composite
Battery life:	37 hours (ANC on); up to 60 hours (ANC off)
Control:	app; physical/touch; voice
Connectivity:	Bluetooth 5.4; USB-C

Earfun Wave Life review: Features

Up to 60 hours' battery life
Intuitive app improves sound quality
Two devices can be paired simultaneously

Aside from their stellar battery life – more on which shortly – the Earfun Wave Life feature that impresses me most is their excellent software. The Earfun Audio app is available on both Android and iOS, and I’d consider it an essential download if you want to squeeze the best sound out of these cheap over-ear cans.

Easy to use, sporting an uncluttered design and with intuitive custom EQ calibration tools, the Earfun app can significantly improve the Wave Life’s already decent out-of-the-box audio.

I’m a big fan of the software’s custom equalizer that allows you to adjust the headphones’ soundscape across a variety of frequencies via a set of sliders. It’s a doddle to use, as you simply tweak each frequency until the app’s repeating ‘drip’ sound fades away.

After a couple of minutes of adjustments, I found the customized results to be significantly more satisfying than any of the 30 preset EQ profiles Earfun’s software offers. These span various musical genres, while various bass and treble boost presets are also provided.

The wide variety of profiles the firm serves up may be impressive, but I found the majority to be a little too quiet. And not to be overly nitpicking, but flicking between these presets on both my iPhone 14 Pro and iPad Pro (2024) is painfully sloooooow.

Earfun’s app also lets you switch between the Wave Life’s four ANC modes. First up, there’s ‘normal’, which somewhat confusingly turns noise cancelling off. There’s then ‘ambient sound’, ‘wind noise cancellation’ and ‘noise cancelling’; with the latter two options snuffing out sounds most effectively.

Screenshot of the Earfun Audio app's adjustable EQ settings, an optional extra for the Earfun Wave Life headphones — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

Sadly, Earfun hasn’t really cracked the ANC code with its cheap cans and I could still easily make out passing traffic when going out for strolls. Next to my Apple AirPods Max, noise cancelling on the Wave Life isn’t up to scratch. That said, comparing $60 headphones to Crew Cupertino’s $500 over-ear cans is like pitting a Morris Minor against a Lamborghini Aventador in a drag race.

Another selling point of the Earfun Wave Life that thankfully proves more effective is their multi-phone connectivity that lets you pair two devices simultaneously. During my testing it proved largely reliable, with the headphones syncing to my tablet and smartphone with little hassle. The only slight hitch I’ve encountered is when I enter the app on my duo of Apple devices, which often requires me to unpair one gizmo before I can tweak software settings on the other.

The Earfun Wave Life are battery beasts. On a full charge, they’ll last for 60 hours, with that number dropping to a still-impressive 37 hours with ANC enabled. During my fortnight of testing these cans, I only had to charge them twice, which is super-commendable considering how kind these headphones are on your change purse.

However, there’s no getting around the fact the bundled-in USB-C charging cable is comically short. I’m talking Smurf short. Still, I’m not going to grumble too much when I can get the Wafe Life to 100% juice in less than 30 minutes on my GaN charger.

As mentioned in the two-minute review, the four-mic, AI-assisted algorithm also makes hands-free calling a breeze. With a 49ft range, you don’t have to worry about being cut off when wandering around your apartment/house, either.

Features score: 4 / 5

Earfun Wave Life over-ear headphones, the earcups folded inwards, on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

Earfun Wave Life review: Design

Incredibly comfy to wear
Easy-to-reach on-cup controls
Materials feel premium for budget cans

No-frills is the name of the ultra-plain game when it comes to the Earfun Wave Life. With an inoffensive yet entirely forgettable design, these cans won't keep you from hitting the hay and dreaming about how alluring they look.

Crucially, though, they don’t feel cheap. The quality of the plastics used in the construction of these over-ears feels far more premium than I’d expect from $60 headphones. I also appreciate the brushed metal that appears when you extend the Wave Life’s headband.

In terms of comfort, Earfun has absolutely nailed it with its latest budget cans. I wore them on a three-hour walk with my husky on an uncommonly warm Scottish afternoon recently and never once did they cause me any discomfort. That’s mainly due to their super-comfy foam cups which rotate 90 degrees, making them both easy to fold up and an absolute pleasure to wear.

The Earfun Wave Life weigh a relatively breezy 264g, which also means you don’t have to worry about neck strain or earache. Every time I put these cans on, it feels like giving my lobes a big fuzzy hug. I’ll take comfort over style all the livelong day.

The on-cup controls are also enjoyable to interact with. A soft plastic power button is wedged between equally squishy and easy-to-locate volume up/down controls, while I also had no problems switching between noise-cancelling controls thanks to the dedicated ANC button. My only slight beef? You have to hold down the power button a little too long for my liking.

There’s also a USB-C slot for both wired play and charging. As I stated previously, the cable that comes in the box is way too short, so you’d be better off investing in a longer third-party one if you want to go down the wired listening route.

As for colors, you’re limited to a single shade of black. If you like your headphones to be unfussy and not make you stand out on, say, a crowded train or bus, the Wave Life’s bog-standard noir won’t bother you. Personally, I like both white and colored cans, so I would have appreciated more than one hue.

Design score: 4 / 5

Earfun Wave Life over-ear headphones, folded inwards, held in-hand over a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

Earfun Wave Life review: Sound quality

A touch quiet without app tweaks
Software EQ adjustments save the day
Well-judged bass levels

Considering how affordable the Wave Life are, I don’t want to overly dunk on their sound shortcomings, and there are few glaring weaknesses with these cheap cans’ audio quality. There are, though, some that warrant mentioning.

My biggest bugbear is the default sound profile when you first unbox these over-ears. This is subjective, but the Wave Life were a tad too quiet when I first clamped them around my skull. Although initially underwhelmed by their audio, I calibrated a custom EQ via the Earfun Audio app to produce a listening experience that felt far more well-balanced and punchy.

Without software tweaks, vocals during my favorite tunes and dialogue on some of the best Netflix movies on my iPad felt muted and flat, so I definitely recommend downloading Earfun’s app. Considering the firm’s software is both robust yet never feels daunting to interact with, it would be uncharitable to slam the Wave Life’s default soundscape when it’s so simple and quick to make it appreciably better through minor app adjustments.

Within minutes of fiddling about with its frequency sliders, I landed on a custom profile that delivered a soundscape with decently weighty bass that dovetailed well with the treble levels I settled on. Yes, mids on the Wave Life get lost in the sonic shuffle somewhat, but overall, I’ve had far more enjoyable audio sessions with these cans than disappointing ones.

When testing headphones for the first time, I’ve got a small clutch of go-to bangers I always fire up. The almost hymn-like electronic stylings of Death in Vegas’ Girls sounds way more impactful than I was expecting from sub-$100 cans, while the pulsating trance beats of F*ck Buttons nine-minute The Lisbon Maru delivered all the bass my eardrums craved – thank you, Wave Life.

Reviewer wearing the Earfun Wave Life over-ear headphones in his home — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

I was less taken with my favorite live performance ever when listening to The Verve’s astonishing rendition of Sonnet from their spellbinding 1998 home concert from Wigan’s Haigh Hall, though. This classic Cool Britannia tune sounds amazing on my Sony Inzone H9 – surprising, considering it’s a gaming headset first and foremost. But on the Wave Life, Richard Ashcroft’s normally haunting vocals lack the audio oomph my Inzone cans drum up.

Speaking of which, Earfun’s budget over-ears come with a low-latency Game Mode that automatically kicks in if you fire up a title on either your Android or iOS device. Not that I actually noticed much difference when I disabled the feature when playing some of the best iPad games.

That’s not to say the Wave Life don’t do a more than passable job at being a decent gaming headset. Even though gamers aren’t Earfun’s target market, their latest over-ears' ability to pick out subtle sounds during gameplay is admirable. I was particularly impressed (and oh so flustered) by how effectively they conveyed the constant nearby Xenomorph screeches in the nerve-shredding Alien Isolation. The Resident Evil 4 remake’s undead-slaughtering gun battles also popped in an impactful way I wasn’t expecting from such cheap cans.

It’s best to go in with low expectations regarding the Wave Life’s noise cancelling, though. Even the most effective of its modes isn’t great at kiboshing ambient sounds, so if quality ANC is important to you, look elsewhere.

Sound quality score: 3.5 / 5

Earfun Wave Life over-ear headphones, with extended headband and folded inwards, on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

Earfun Wave Life review: Value

Great value for money, given the features
Sound quality expectations met for the price
No carry case

Considering the amount of features and general build quality, there’s zero doubt the Earfun Wave Life represent fantastic value for money.

Overall sound quality also surpasses the expectations I’d generally go in with when it comes to reviewing such a cheap set of headphones. Unless you’re a real elitist audiophile, you’ll be pretty smitten with what your $60 / £50 / AU$105 (approx.) outlay serves up sound-wise.

While a carry case would have been appreciated, that’s a bit too much to ask for such affordable cans. Earfun deserves a lot of credit for selling its Wave Life over-ears at such an attractive price point.

Value score: 4.5 / 5

Earfun Wave Life over-ear headphones on a wooden surface — (Image credit: Future / Dave Meikleham)

Should I buy the Earfun Wave Life?

Section	Notes	Score
Features	Bluetooth 5.4; excellent 60-hour battery life; simultaneous device pairing	4 / 5
Design	Incredibly comfy; easy-to-reach on-cup controls; another color would be nice	4 / 5
Sound quality	Optional app essential to overcome limited EQ presets; a touch quiet; ANC could be far better	3.5 / 5
Value	Fantastic value for money; sound quality to be expected at the price point	4.5 / 5

Buy them if…

You want strong sound on a budget
For $60 / £50 / AU$105 (approx.), you’re going to struggle to find a better all-round, feature-packed set of cans than the Earfun Wave Life. They’re awesome value for money.

You value comfort
Reasonably lightweight and with lovely foam earcups, these budget headphones are so comfortable, it’s often easy to forget you’re wearing them.

Don't buy them if…

You need strong ANC
The Wave Life’s noise-cancelling features are merely adequate at best. If you regularly deal with noisy environments, there are far better options out there.

You don’t want to tweak settings
Straight out of the box, these headphones’ audio performance underwhelms. To get the most out of them, tinkering with Earfun’s app settings is essential.

Earfun Wave Life review: Also consider

	Earfun Wave Life	1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51	Sony WH-CH520
Drivers:	40mm composite	40mm dynamic	30mm
Active noise cancellation:	Yes	Yes	No
Battery life:	60 hours (37 hours ANC on)	100 hours (65 hours ANC on)	50 hours
Weight:	264g	246g	137g
Connectivity:	Bluetooth 5.4; USB-C	Bluetooth 5.2; 3.5mm	Bluetooth 5.2
Waterproofing:	N/A	N/A	N/A

1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51
The current king of cheap headphones offer granite-strong battery life, effective ANC and a super-sleek design.
See our full 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51 review

Sony WH-CH520
If noise cancelling isn’t a deal-breaker for you, consider these well-balanced Sony cans that boast a great app.
See our full Sony WH-CH520 review

How I tested Earfun Wave Life

Tested for nearly three weeks
Tested at home, on long walks and in ride shares

I tested the Earfun Wave Pro in a variety of conditions spanning songs, streaming content and video games over roughly a three-week period. This gave me the chance to get to know how versatile these over-ears can be.

Most of my time with these budget headphones was spent listening to music and podcasts on my iPhone 14 Pro. Away from revisiting my favourite tunes, I also used the Earfun Wave Life for Netflix and Disney Plus streaming, plus playing several games on my iPad Pro.

While most of my background centres around covering the best TVs and almost 20 years writing about video games, I’ve owned an absurd amount of headphones and earbuds in my life – from $500 Apple Airpods Max to budget buds from brands you’ve probably never heard of.

Currently, I have more sets of cans in my apartment than I do meals in my fridge. I should perhaps adjust my priorities in life, but hey, what can I say? I really love the best headphones.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: June 2025

I ditched my PC for the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W gaming laptop – here’s my verdict after three weeks

11:00 pm | May 31, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers Gaming Laptops | Tags: GPU, Indiana Jones, PC, Resident Evil | Comments: Off

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Two-Minute Review

Holding the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W — This thing is heavy, seriously... (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

It's simple. If you're out for a powerful gaming laptop, capable of reaching high and smooth frame rates with minimal performance issues, the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W is your answer. Using Nvidia's RTX 5080 laptop GPU and AMD's Ryzen 9 9955HX processor, gaming is a breeze at its native 2560x1600 resolution without using Team Green's DLSS upscaling technology; however, when it is used, achieving high frame rates is a cakewalk.

It shines best in games like Cyberpunk 2077, Indiana Jones: The Great Circle, and Resident Evil 4 remake. It can struggle when attempting to use ray tracing at maximum graphics settings and at a 4K resolution without enabling DLSS, but that's exactly what Nvidia's tools are there for.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 had very little trouble reaching over 100fps, and edged close to the 100fps mark when running on ECO-Silent mode (which is incredible as I'll dive into later), helping reduce the workload and high temperatures, thanks to MSI Center's user scenario options.

With a 240Hz refresh rate, playing less demanding titles like Hades that can reach such frame rates, was an immersive and astonishing gaming experience. I know I've previously said that 144 or 165Hz refresh rates are more than enough for gaming, but with any game that can stay at 240fps without any significant dips, it's very impressive.

It's not all perfect though; this laptop is not ideal for long trips or playing on the go, as it's incredibly heavy (especially when including its 400W power adapter), and you'd need a large backpack to fit the 18-inch laptop in for travels. I found it difficult to use for long hours on a sturdy mini bed desk, with worries that it would snap its legs in pieces, and even at my main gaming desk, with its power adapter taking up space – so, portability isn't the best here.

This isn't an inexpensive system either - however, if you can afford the expense and you're looking for one of the best gaming laptops to provide great gaming performance, look no further.

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Price & Availability

How much does it cost? Starting at $2,999.99 / £3,199 / AU$6,599 (for RTX 5080 configuration)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? In the US, UK, and Australia

There's no denying that the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W is a very expensive piece of hardware, instantly locking most gamers out of a potential purchase. However, for those who can afford it, you're getting the bang for your buck with a system that is capable of matching a variety of desktop builds.

With both a powerful AMD processor and Nvidia GPU, it's more than enough to satisfy most gamers' performance needs; the Ryzen 9 9955HX excels at single-core and multi-core processes, which you'll see later below.

With this configuration (A9WIG-006UK), there is no OLED or mini-LED display available, which would've slightly softened the blow of the high price, with an immersive and brighter screen – but that shouldn't hinder the gaming experience here.

The issue is that it's more or just as expensive as some pre-built gaming PCs, which is somewhat reasonable since it's using a CPU as powerful as those in high-end desktops – but the RTX 5080 discrete desktop version is the stronger GPU.

Regardless, this is a gaming laptop that packs plenty of processing power in a beefy and sturdy chassis, cooled very well with its Cooler Boost 5 tech using a 'Dedicated Cooling Pipe', so it's not very surprising to see it cost so much.

Still, the point remains; unless you're adamant on travelling with the Vector A18 HX A9W and using it on the go (which I wouldn't recommend because portability isn't that great here), or just want a PC you can move around your home easily, it might be a better choice to buy a desktop rig.

Value: 2.5 / 5

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Specs

Resident Evil 4 remake running on MSI Vector A18 HX A9W — You knew you'd see Resident Evil 4 at some point in this review... I'm obsessed with it (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

	MSI Vector A18 HX A9WIG-006UK (Review model UK)	MSI Vector A18 HX A9WIG-223US (Base model US)	MSI Vector A18 HX A9WIG-076US (Highest config)
Price	£3,199	$2,999.99	$3,959
CPU	AMD Ryzen 9955 HX	AMD Ryzen 9955 HX	AMD Ryzen 9955 HX
GPU	Nvidia RTX 5080	Nvidia RTX 5080	Nvidia RTX 5080
RAM	32GB DDR5	32GB DDR5	64GB DDR5
Storage	2TB NVMe Gen 4x4	1TB NVMe Gen 4x4	2TB NVMe Gen 4x4
Display	18" QHD+(2560x1600), 240Hz Refresh Rate, IPS-Level, 100% DCI-P3(Typical)	18" 16:10 QHD+(2560 x 1600), 240Hz, 100% DCI-P3 IPS-Level Panel	18" 16:10 QHD+(2560 x 1600) 240Hz 100% DCI-P3 IPS-Level Panel
Battery	4-Cell, 99.9 Whrs	4-Cell, 99.9 Whrs	4-Cell, 99.9 Whrs
Ports	2x Type-A USB3.2 Gen1, 1x Type-A USB3.2 Gen2, 2x USB 4/DP&PD 3.1 (Thunderbolt 4 Compatible), HDMI 2.1	2x Type-A USB3.2 Gen1, 1x Type-A USB3.2 Gen2, 2x USB 4/DP&PD 3.1 (Thunderbolt 4 Compatible), HDMI 2.1	2x Type-A USB3.2 Gen1, 1x Type-A USB3.2 Gen2, 2x USB 4/DP&PD 3.1 (Thunderbolt 4 Compatible), HDMI 2.1
Dimensions	15.91" x 12.09" x 1.26"	15.91" x 12.09" x 1.26"	15.91" x 12.09" x 1.26"
Weight	3.6 kg / 7.9lbs	3.6 kg / 7.9lbs	3.6 kg / 7.9lbs

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Design

Chassis of MSI Vector A18 HX A9W — (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

I absolutely love the chassis of the Vector A18 HX A9W as it has a sturdy build, and perhaps most importantly, a great cooling pipe design. Even when gaming on Extreme Performance, temperatures were never too high, often hitting a maximum of 77 degrees Celsius.

Its speakers aren't particularly a standout, but are serviceable and get the job done, especially with an equalizer and 3D surround sound available to improve audio immersion. It's also always easier to use Bluetooth speakers or headphones that have much better bass and clarity.

The two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports present are ideal for fast file transfers and for those who aren't keen on expanding internal storage with a new SSD, who would rather use an external one. It also features an HDMI 2.1 port on its rear, right next to its power adapter port – and one particular aspect I don't like is the slightly short length of the wire, which often forced me to place the chunky adapter on the desk.

Ports on the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W — Cool design, right? (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

With an 18-inch screen, you're getting the best you could possibly ask for when it comes to portable gaming – and if you've got a spacious desktop setup, it's a great experience.

However, the screen size and the weight are the only two main issues I have in this region, as you're going to have trouble fitting this in most backpacks for travel, and it's very heavy to carry around.

At 7.9 lbs, it had me paranoid that it would make my mini desk meet its demise, and while it's understandable considering all the powerful components, you should be aware that this laptop isn't built for portability (especially while carrying the adapter around, too).

Regardless, this is a beefy gaming laptop power-wise, and these gripes weren't too significant to spoil my experience overall.

Design: 4 / 5

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Display

My review model of the Vector A18 doesn't exactly have the best display available, as it's neither OLED nor mini-LED – both of which offer greater contrast and brightness. However, that doesn't stop it from being an immersive display that I found ideal for intense and competitive multiplayer gaming sessions.

It's thanks to the 240Hz refresh rate and 2560x1600 resolution, which matches up well with the horsepower of the RTX 5080. There aren't many games that are going to run at 240fps (unless you significantly lower graphics settings or resolution), but the ones that do, look absolutely incredible.

I must admit, coming from the consistent use of an OLED ultrawide, it took a little bit of an adjustment to become accustomed to an IPS LCD panel again – but that's to be expected when scaling down from one of the best display types (and it would be unfair to knock points off here because of that).

It's worth noting that HDR isn't present either, which often goes a long way at providing better color accuracy and detail in both brighter and darker images.

Regardless, the Vector A18 HX A9W has a 100% DCI-P3 coverage, so I never once felt dissatisfied or urged to calibrate or adjust color profiles. It also helps that you're getting a full 18-inch screen, which I believe is the sweet spot for portable laptop gaming (besides it probably being why it's so heavy).

The one downside I ran into is playing games that don't have 16:10 aspect ratio support. To put it simply, if you dislike black bars filling out portions of your screen while gaming, you're not going to like it here. So, it's definitely worth considering before committing to a purchase, but there are no other gripes from me.

Display: 4 / 5

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Performance

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W running Black Ops 6 — Sweaty Call of Duty lobbies... we love to see it (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

RTX 5080 is a beast of a laptop GPU
The combo with AMD's Ryzen 9955HX processor is fantastic
The CPU's performance is incredible, matching desktop processors

The biggest highlight of the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W is its performance, almost across the board. It shouldn't come as a surprise for me to say that the RTX 5080 laptop GPU is an absolute powerhouse, and crushes the 2560x1600 resolution in most triple-A games – and DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation is a game changer when used where necessary (essentially anything as demanding as Cyberpunk 2077).

In CPU-bound games, AMD's Ryzen 9955HX processor shines bright with 16 cores and 32 threads, ensuring the Blackwell GPU can do its job without any major bottleneck. In synthetic tests, both single-core and multi-core scores soared above chips like Apple's M1 Max in Cinebench 2024, and in real-world gaming tests, the results were consistent, as I didn't notice anything ominous regarding performance frame rates and frame pacing.

Most importantly, MSI Center features three different user scenario modes: ECO-Silent, Balanced, and Extreme Performance, which can all be used in any of the three Discrete, MSHybrid, or Integrated Graphics modes.

For the best results, I stuck with Discrete Graphics mode, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised at how great ECO-Silent was, in particular. Using a lower TDP (power consumption), temperatures are significantly decreased, and the fans are silent, hence the name ECO-Silent – but I came away shocked at the frame rates I was hitting using this mode.

At 1600p on ECO-Silent, Cyberpunk 2077 at maximum graphics settings without ray tracing and DLSS Quality, it ran at a solid 77fps, sometimes reaching the low 80fps mark, with a 1% low of 66fps.

In Assassin's Creed Shadows – a game that is arguably nearly as demanding on PC hardware as Cyberpunk 2077, and frankly, needs Frame Generation for higher FPS – ran at an average of 40fps on maximum graphics settings at 1600p, using DLSS Quality on ECO-Silent.

With the same graphics settings applied to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, it hit an average of 62fps; if that doesn't indicate how impressive ECO-Silent mode is, then I don't know what will. It's the best option for gamers who are bothered by fan noise and higher temperatures, while you still get very impressive performance results.

It gets even better with Balanced and Extreme Performance; the former has fans only a little louder than ECO-Silent, and is the way you should use the Vector A18 HX A9W for gaming (it's also MSI's recommended option), as it gives you a true reflection of what this machine is capable of, evident in the performance charts above.

Sticking with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Balanced mode was 41% faster than ECO-Silent, with an average of 94fps and 1% low at 77fps.

In the case of Extreme Performance, expect a whole lot of fan noise and higher temperatures, in favor of the best possible performance. In most cases of casual play, I hardly needed to use this mode, as the FPS boost wasn't significant enough coming from Balanced mode. However, it's absolutely essential for gaming at 4K, especially if you're using ray tracing.

It mustn't go without mention that DLSS Multi Frame Generation (when you have a decent base frame rate) is an absolute treat. It makes Cyberpunk 2077's Overdrive path tracing preset playable without needing to adjust graphics settings; yes, increased latency is worth noting, but I honestly didn't think it was too impactful in this case.

Performance: 5 / 5

MSI Vector A18 HX A9W: Battery

Male holding the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W's adapter — This heavy adapter is your best friend... forget about the battery (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

As it is with most gaming laptops I've used, the battery life isn't terrible, but it's also not great either – so, decent at best. We're still seemingly a long way off from battery tech improving, especially for gaming laptops and handheld gaming PCs, but I give the Vector A18 HX A9W its plaudits for being at least average here.

It has a 99.9WHr battery, and switching MSI Center's user scenarios, battery life can vary. While playing Resident Evil 4 remake on Hybrid mode and Extreme Performance, the laptop lasted a full hour, starting at 85% before draining. Knocking the scenario settings down to Discrete mode and Balanced (with 50% brightness) allowed it to last another 10 minutes from the same battery percentage.

If you ask me, I wouldn't even bother gaming without the power adapter because, as expected, performance is significantly worse. Bear in mind, there's a 400W power adapter ready to handle the combined 260W of power from the RTX 5080 and the Ryzen 9 9955HX.

On the other hand, while web surfing in Balanced mode and Integrated Graphics, results were a little bit more impressive; at 59% battery, it took exactly 51 minutes to fall to 6%. When at 100%, it lasted 3 hours and 25 minutes during YouTube playback, so it's decent enough for those who want to use this laptop for work or multitasking.

However, the biggest downside is the charging time, as it takes a total of 2 hours to fully charge. It's already not great that the battery drains within 3 hours outside of gaming, but the addition of a long charge time isn't beneficial if you're looking to use it while on the go.

Portability isn't a strong suit, and these battery results are one of the main reasons why, especially when paired with the hefty design.

Battery: 3 / 5

Should you buy the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W?

Buy it if...

You're looking for one of the best gaming laptops

The MSI Vector A18 HX A9W is one of the best gaming laptops you can find on the market, providing fantastic performance results in games with Nvidia's powerful Blackwell RTX 5080 GPU and AMD's desktop-rivalling Ryzen 9955HX processor.

You want an immersive high refresh rate display

It's great for games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 or Counter-Strike 2, which rely on fast refresh rates, with access to 240Hz here. The laptop GPU is capable of achieving high frame rates with the right graphics settings.

You plan on moving around your home with a powerful gaming machine

The Vector A18 HX A9W is great for those who wish to move around their home using different displays in different rooms, without a big desktop PC case taking up space.

Don't buy if...

You need a laptop with long battery life

While the Vector A18 HX A9W's battery life isn't bad, it's also not the best either, as you might find with most gaming laptops, and you shouldn't consider this if that is a dealbreaker.

You want to game or work on the go

Coinciding with its average battery life, you won't get great performance without using its 400W power adapter, which is required to utilize the RTX 5080 and Ryzen 9955HX's combined 260W of power.

It's also very heavy and won't fit in most backpacks due to the display's 18-inch size.

You want an affordable gaming laptop

Affordability and the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W are completely distant, as all configurations have an eye-watering cost using either the RTX 5070 Ti or the RTX 5080.

How I tested the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W

I tested the MSI Vector A18 HX A9W for three weeks, running multiple games and synthetic benchmarks. It kept me away from my main desktop gaming PC for a while, with Multi Frame Generation being a significant reason in why, and while I don't want game developers to become over-reliant on Nvidia's DLSS tech, it's great when implemented properly.

Navigation and web browsing was a breeze too, with 32GB of RAM and a powerhouse CPU giving me all I needed to acknowledge that this was a gaming laptop that enthusiasts won't want to miss out on.

The RIG 900 Max HS is easily my new favorite PS5 gaming headset thanks to its impeccable audio quality and comfort factor

4:00 pm | May 25, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Final Fantasy, PC, Resident Evil | Comments: Off

Nacon RIG 900 Max HS: one-minute review

If you’re looking to buy a brand new PS5 or PC compatible gaming headset, then the Nacon RIG 900 Max HS will likely be a notable upgrade over your current peripheral. You’d probably expect that given its premium price tag, but the 900 Max HS still manages to go above and beyond.

Going through the checklist, I found that the RIG 900 Max HS ticks almost every box. It’s remarkably durable, and those plush ear cups are tailor-made for gaming the hours away in comfort - never did the headset begin to chafe the sides of my head or become uncomfortably warm, even during 5-6 hour gaming sessions.

And that’s great, because the RIG 900 Max HS is an incredibly difficult headset to take off. Not in a weird ‘cursed helmet’ kind of way - rather, its audio quality is so pristine that I couldn’t imagine playing immersive single-player games like The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered or Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 without it.

You can expect impressively detailed audio here that accurately picks up on a wide range of sounds - loud, quiet, and everything in between. Its bass profile is also highly satisfying, which can be further enhanced by accessing the equalizer in the wonderfully easy-to-use companion app. Multiplayer gamers are well-served here, too, with an impeccable flip-to-mute mic that - according to my friends and colleagues - sounded much clearer over calls than even some of the best PS5 headsets I’ve used.

If I had to levy any complaints, one would be that the build - like other Nacon products - still relies somewhat on cheap-feeling plastic. The durable metal headband is a notable improvement here, but the sides of the band as well as the cup exteriors are a little hollow. Turning the headset on and off, as well as pairing, also isn’t as immediate as I’m used to with other headsets.

But otherwise, the RIG 900 Max HS is an excellent premium gaming headset that’s well worth the price of admission.

Nacon RIG 900 Max HS review: price and availability

The Nacon RIG 900 Max HS is available now and should retail at $249 / £215, but at the time of writing, stock appears to be quite limited in the US and the UK.

It is widely available in Europe, however, and is listed on Nacon’s website for €249.90.

I will return to update this section as and when US and UK availability becomes more widespread.

Nacon RIG 900 Max HS review: Specs

Price	$249.99 / £215 (tentative while availability is limited)
Weight	10.37oz / 294g
Dimensions	7.6 x 8.0 x 3.7in / 194 x 204 x 94mm
Compatibility	PS5, PS4, PC
Connection type	Wireless (2.4Ghz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)
Battery life	20-30 hours

Nacon RIG 900 Max HS review: design and features

Nacon hasn’t done much to bolster the overall build quality of its headset line-up here, but one crucial change does make a big difference. The 900 Max HS features a durable, metallic headband that not only looks nice, but its flexibility makes for a more durable build overall.

This headset line-up has also always featured unbelievably comfy plush ear cups, and that’s the case here, too. These allow the 900 Max HS to sit on your head snugly, remaining comfy and unintrusive for longer gaming sessions. There are no issues with the headset feeling overly warm, nor did it ever start to chafe my ears even during longer stints.

Onboard buttons here are also very simple and straightforward. You naturally have the power button, as well as a USB-C slot for charging purposes (though this can also be done with the included charging dock). A multi-function button lets you quickly pause or unpause videos and music. It also lets you accept calls if also connected to Bluetooth via the supported dual input mode (that’s Bluetooth and 2.4GHz at the same time). Handy.

Lastly is the Mode button, which lets you cycle through different pairing options including a ‘do not disturb’ Game Mode (available through 2.4GHz only), Dual and Bluetooth modes.

On the left of the headset is the flip-to-mute microphone. This unfortunately cannot be removed and feels built from rather cheap plastic, but - as I’ll get into later - it’s nonetheless an excellent mic that’ll serve you well on multiplayer comms.

Nacon RIG 900 Max HS review: Performance

Performance is really where the RIG 900 Max HS shines. As far as gaming headsets go, it has some of the cleanest, most robust audio around. The headset deploys powerful 40mm drivers to produce a rich soundstage, capable of covering an impressively wide range. In Monster Hunter Wilds, for example, I could make out streams of rushing water in the distance even while a vicious Rathalos was trying to make me its next lunch.

There is a dedicated bass boost mode, too, and it’s as strong here as it was on the RIG 600 Pro HS - if not moreso. Once I activated bass boost, I simply couldn’t play without it in single-player games. The added oomph to the explosive soundscapes of the Resident Evil 4 remake and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 only helped make those play experiences to be even more enjoyable.

But as mentioned earlier, multiplayer games aren’t being left out. That’s because the 900 Max HS’s flip-to-mute microphone is incredible. Whether it was gaming online with friends on Discord, or talking during a work meeting, my voice came through crystal clear. My colleagues noted it was a step up from my other go-to headset; the JBL Quantum 910P.

You can also expect a glorious multiplayer gaming experience thanks to accurate directional audio. That’s a real boon for when you need to call out distant shots or vehicle sounds to teammates in shooters like Call of Duty: Warzone or Fortnite.

Battery life is an improvement over previous RIG models, though I must say I didn’t get Nacon’s quoted 50-60 hours on a single charge here. On a full charge, I managed around 20-30 hours before needing to top up again. That’s still not bad at all, and in fairness I was regularly switching pairing modes across both PS5 and PC, so your mileage may vary here depending on your use case.

I also have to mention the excellent software that is the RIG 900 Max HS companion app. While it does take a few seconds to connect to the app via Dual or Bluetooth modes, the app itself is simple to use yet still quite powerful.

The app lets you create up to three individual sound profiles. There are equalizer presets like the aforementioned bass boost, as well as ones tailored to first-person shooters and overall voice clarity. You can also activate an ‘Expert’ mode here, giving you access to a more robust equalizer with 10 sliders.

You can also adjust mic gain, monitoring, and a volume level protection option that prevents the headset’s audio from becoming overly loud.

Should I buy the Nacon RIG 900 Max HS?

Buy it if...

You want immersive, customizable audio
Audio quality is fantastic out of the box, but you can really fine-tune equalizer settings that suit you best via the excellent companion app. Its expert mode also lets you tinker to an even more granular degree.

You’re an endurance gamer
You probably want a comfortable headset for your hours-long gaming sessions and the RIG 900 Max HS absolutely delivers here. The plush ear cups are perfectly suited to lazy weekends or burning the midnight oil with pals online.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget
This is another very expensive premium product from Nacon’s RIG department. I think it’s worth the money if you can afford it, but if all you need is a simple way to chat with friends online or if you prefer gaming without a headset, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of cash.

You’re an Xbox player
Put simply, the RIG 900 Max HS is not compatible with Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S or Xbox One consoles. For that, there is a separate HX model available which you may want to check out instead.

Nacon RIG 900 Max HS review: Also consider

If the RIG 900 Max HS isn’t quite up your alley or out of your price range, you may wish to consider these excellent RIG brand alternatives.

	RIG 900 Max HS	RIG 600 Pro HS	RIG 800 Pro HX
Price	$249 / £215	$99 / £89.99	$149 / £199
Weight	10.37oz / 294g	8.47oz / 240g	10.7oz / 308g
Dimensions	7.6 x 8.0 x 3.7in / 194 x 204 x 94mm	7.5 x 7.9 x 3.5in / 191 x 200 x 89mm	7.7 x 7.8 x 3.7in / 196 x 198 x 94mm
Compatibility	PS5, PS4, PC	PS5, PS4, PC	Xbox, PC
Connection type	Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)	Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)	Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth)
Battery life	20-30 hours	Around 18 hours	18-24 hours

RIG 600 Pro HS
A real mid-range wonder, the RIG 600 Pro HS is my recommendation for those after a PS5 or PC gaming headset without breaking the bank. I prefer this to the official PS5 Pulse 3D gaming headset, and you can expect similar high quality audio and comfort factor here.

Read our full RIG 600 Pro HS review

RIG 800 Pro HX
Essentially an Xbox-compatible version of the above, the RIG 800 Pro HX is slightly older and thus falters relatively in terms of overall build quality. But still, you can expect excellent gaming audio, an awesome mic and comfortable ear cups.

Read our full RIG 800 Pro HX review

How I tested the Nacon RIG 900 Max HS

Tested for one week
Tested across PS5 and PC
Played single and multiplayer games, as well as general music listening

I tested the Nacon RIG 900 Max HS over the course of roughly a week, during which time it’s been my go-to audio device for both PS5 and PC. In my spare time, I typically don’t wear gaming headsets while playing, but I honestly haven’t been able to play without the RIG 900 Max HS whenever I’ve got a free hour or two. It may have converted me.

I played a whole bunch of single and multiplayer games with the headset on. These include recent releases like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Monster Hunter Wilds, Blue Prince and The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered. I selected these games because they all have diverse and unique soundscapes that really came alive when passed through this gaming headset.

For multiplayer, I hopped online with friends for Final Fantasy 14 Online, Fortnite, and a few rounds of Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6. This was largely to test out the headset’s immaculate microphone, as well as get a feel for how well it handles directional audio.

First reviewed April 2025

Read more about how we test

The RIG 900 Max HS is easily my new favorite PS5 gaming headset thanks to its impeccable audio quality and comfort factor

4:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Final Fantasy, PC, Resident Evil | Comments: Off

Nacon RIG 900 Max HS: one-minute review

But otherwise, the RIG 900 Max HS is an excellent premium gaming headset that’s well worth the price of admission.

Nacon RIG 900 Max HS review: price and availability

The Nacon RIG 900 Max HS is available now and should retail at $249 / £215, but at the time of writing, stock appears to be quite limited in the US and the UK.

It is widely available in Europe, however, and is listed on Nacon’s website for €249.90.

I will return to update this section as and when US and UK availability becomes more widespread.

Nacon RIG 900 Max HS review: Specs

Price	$249.99 / £215 (tentative while availability is limited)
Weight	10.37oz / 294g
Dimensions	7.6 x 8.0 x 3.7in / 194 x 204 x 94mm
Compatibility	PS5, PS4, PC
Connection type	Wireless (2.4Ghz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)
Battery life	20-30 hours

Nacon RIG 900 Max HS review: design and features

Lastly is the Mode button, which lets you cycle through different pairing options including a ‘do not disturb’ Game Mode (available through 2.4GHz only), Dual and Bluetooth modes.

Nacon RIG 900 Max HS review: Performance

You can also adjust mic gain, monitoring, and a volume level protection option that prevents the headset’s audio from becoming overly loud.

Should I buy the Nacon RIG 900 Max HS?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Nacon RIG 900 Max HS review: Also consider

If the RIG 900 Max HS isn’t quite up your alley or out of your price range, you may wish to consider these excellent RIG brand alternatives.

	RIG 900 Max HS	RIG 600 Pro HS	RIG 800 Pro HX
Price	$249 / £215	$99 / £89.99	$149 / £199
Weight	10.37oz / 294g	8.47oz / 240g	10.7oz / 308g
Dimensions	7.6 x 8.0 x 3.7in / 194 x 204 x 94mm	7.5 x 7.9 x 3.5in / 191 x 200 x 89mm	7.7 x 7.8 x 3.7in / 196 x 198 x 94mm
Compatibility	PS5, PS4, PC	PS5, PS4, PC	Xbox, PC
Connection type	Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)	Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)	Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth)
Battery life	20-30 hours	Around 18 hours	18-24 hours

Read our full RIG 600 Pro HS review

Read our full RIG 800 Pro HX review

How I tested the Nacon RIG 900 Max HS

Tested for one week
Tested across PS5 and PC
Played single and multiplayer games, as well as general music listening

First reviewed April 2025

Read more about how we test

I’ve been using the Sony Inzone M9 II for months, and it’s perfect if you play on PS5 and PC

6:52 pm | May 7, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Forza Horizon, PC, Resident Evil, UK | Comments: Off

Sony Inzone M9 II: Two-minute review

As someone who uses a single monitor for both PC and PlayStation 5, the Sony Inzone M9 II really feels like it was made to meet my specific needs.

A follow-up to the popular Sony Inzone M9, the II eschews the white PlayStation look and bulky tripod stand design. Although I did like the unique appearance of the original M9, the stand of the II is undeniably more practical, with a more generous tilt adjustment range and full 360-degree pivot that makes finding the perfect angle a breeze.

The refreshed aesthetic does help emphasize that this is a monitor intended for use with a PC, too, and ensures that it no longer seems out of place on your desk.

Despite coming in a little cheaper than its predecessor at $799.99 / £899, the II also packs some small, but nevertheless appreciated, spec upgrades. This includes slightly better brightness (which now peaks at 750 nits rather than 600) and a boosted 160Hz refresh rate.

The Sony Inzone M9 II being used to play Counter-Strike 2. — (Image credit: Future)

As the PS5 can only output at a maximum of 120Hz, this latter change was clearly made with PC players in mind, and helps this model hold its own against some of the best gaming monitors aimed at the PC audience right now.

This faster refresh rate, paired with the 1ms GtG response time, and not to mention built-in 24.5-inch mode, could also make the Sony Inzone M9 II a great pick for those who enjoy high-intensity PC esports titles like Counter-Strike 2 or Valorant.

Thanks to a wealth of console-specific features, it’s also one of the best monitors for PS5 and PS5 Pro - full stop. It’s got full variable refresh rate (VRR) support, plus Auto HDR Tone Mapping to automatically calibrate brightness for your PS5 during setup. There’s even an Auto Genre Picture Mode that detects the title that you’re playing and dynamically adjusts the picture to match the likes of FPS titles or RPGs.

The built-in speakers lack bass and can be a little tinny at higher volumes, but they are surprisingly decent overall. That means console players used to the generally superior sound systems of a gaming TV won’t have to run out to pick up an extra pair right away.

It’s easy to lament the use of an IPS LCD panel, especially when OLED options are available from competitors at around the same price, but I don’t have any practical complaints about the 27-inch 4K display here.

It’s bright and responsive, with accurate colors and HDR10. Everything from Assassin’s Creed Shadows to Forza Horizon 5 and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered looks absolutely stunning, cementing the Sony Inzone M9 II as a superb all-rounder.

The base of the Sony Inzone M9 II. — (Image credit: Future)

Sony Inzone M9 II: Price and availability

Retails for $799.99 / £899
Slightly worse value in the UK
Expect occasional sales

The Sony Izone M9 II retails for $799.99 / £899. This pricing means that it is slightly worse value in the UK, which is a little disappointing and could weigh on your decision if you’re buying in that market.

Although early Inzone products were marked by their eye-wateringly bad value prices (I’m looking at you, Sony Inzone M3), the Sony Inzone M9 II is actually reasonably priced given its spec.

It comes in a bit more expensive than similar options like the Gigabyte M32UC, though it benefits from a significantly more premium overall design that makes the added cost worthwhile in my book.

If you’re after a 4K screen on a tight budget, alternatives like the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q could prove tempting as they come in at less than half the price of the Sony Inzone M9 II. Just bear in mind that there are noticeable compromises, including significantly higher response times and noticeably lower refresh rates.

The Sony Inzone M9 II is quite good value, then. I recommend it at full price, but, judging by the discount patterns of other Inzone products, I would expect occasional sales to come along and make it an even better proposition.

The monitor is readily available via the Sony website, in addition to the usual retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart in the US and Amazon, Argos, and Very in the UK.

Sony Inzone M9 II: Specs

Sony Inzone M9 II: Design and features

Easy assembly process
Low profile base
Plenty of adjustment options

I’ve never had a bad experience putting together a Sony Inzone monitor and the Sony Inzone M9 II is no exception.

It’s well packaged, with the monitor, stand, and its base secured separately in plenty of polystyrene foam. To assemble, you simply screw the bottom of the base onto the bottom of the stand and clip it all into the back of the monitor. It took me about fifteen seconds overall and did not require the instruction manual.

As I’ve already mentioned, the Sony Izone M9 II has a radically different design compared to the original M9. It’s black instead of white and has an entirely redesigned stand. Rather than a tripod, the Sony Inzone M9 II is held up by a single thick column on a circular base. It’s quite similar to the design of the stand on the Sony Inzone M10S, which was released at the same time, after all, though a bit chunkier on the whole.

With a radius of just under 3.5in / 9cm, the base is still rather compact for a monitor of this size, which makes it easy to fit on a desk - even if you have limited space. The stand can also pivot, offering a smooth 360 degrees of rotation. This is surprisingly handy, ensuring that you can quickly rotate the monitor to show something to a friend or simply adjust it slightly to better suit your current position.

The monitor can be tilted downwards by five degrees or upwards by 25, so you won’t have any trouble finding the right viewing angle either. The height can also be adjusted by 5.1in / 13cm, which is more than enough leeway to raise or lower it to a healthy height in most setups.

The Sony Inzone M9 II. — (Image credit: Future)

On the back right-hand side of the monitor is the power button, alongside a well-sized thumbstick for accessing the on-board settings menu.

The menu here is well organized and easy to navigate, but I’d still recommend installing the compatible Inzone Hub PC app, which offers a slightly more in-depth level of tuning.

There’s also a small white power indicator LED built into the side of the display. It is completely invisible from the front, which is a good thing as it stops it from becoming distracting in the corner of your eye, though can still be disabled in the software if you prefer.

You will find all the expected ports at the bottom of the monitor. There’s a DisplayPort 2.1 connector, 2 HDMI connectors, a USB Type-B input (for enabling the USB hub functionality), and two corresponding USB Type-A outputs.

A Type-C port would certainly be a bonus, but given how many peripherals still use USB Type-A, its absence is not that big of a deal. There’s also a third USB Type-A port that’s clearly labelled as being used for software updates via a USB stick only. Lastly, you get a 3.5mm headphone jack for hooking up any compatible audio devices.

In terms of features, you get pretty much everything that you would expect from a premium gaming monitor. It supports Full Array Local Dimming for enhanced contrast, in addition to meeting the VESA Certified DisplayHDR 600 standard.

On PC, you benefit from a speedy 160Hz refresh rate via a DisplayPort connection, in addition to Nvidia G-Sync support. On PS5, you have VRR and Auto HDR Tone Mapping. The monitor also automatically detects when a PS5 is detected, enabling a pre-tuned PS5 profile.

This is all on top of the usual array of display modes (I’d recommend turning off Auto Picture Mode and sticking to the DisplayHDR profile for the most life-like look in most situations), plus optional settings for on-screen frame rate counter, crosshair, and timer.

Sony Inzone M9 II: Performance

Brilliant for PC, perfect for PS5
A bright, smooth picture suited to a range of genres
An ideal all-rounder

Out of the box, the monitor was in its Power Saving mode, which unfortunately looks rather dim and makes for a lacklustre first impression.

Still, when you turn that off and enable HDR, the resulting picture is fantastic. Despite not being an OLED panel, colours are bright and blacks are surprisingly deep. 4K video is absolutely stunning, while general web browsing and office work benefit from the 160Hz smoothness and highly detailed image.

You likely won’t pick up the Sony Inzone M9 II purely for productivity, though, and gaming does not disappoint. As I used the Sony Inzone M9 II for multiple months, I experienced an extremely wide range of games on it. Highlights on PC include Counter-Strike 2, which is delightfully smooth at 160Hz, in addition to lots of Sid Meier’s Civilization 7, where the detailed models in its diorama-like world come through with excellent clarity.

Hitman World of Assassination benefited hugely from the crisp 4K and cheerful brightness in the sunny stadium of the fictional Miami Global Innovation Race, while the moodier aesthetic of the Dartmoor map showcased the monitor’s strong contrast. Again, this is not an OLED panel, but it still delivers colors that are just as vivid as some of the OLED models that I’ve tried.

It was a similar story over on PS5, where I played through the bulk of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, sunk hundreds of hours into the latest Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 season and tried out Forza Horizon 5 and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered in addition to many other games. The VRR support was a gamechanger in Assassin’s Creed Shadows in particular, where its Balanced preset appears significantly smoother than on monitors without it.

It’s plenty smooth, but on PS5, you are still constrained to a maximum of 120Hz. If you’re buying purely for use with a console, do bear in mind that you won’t benefit from the true refresh rate capabilities of the Sony Inzone M9 II.

Unlike the more expensive Sony Inzone M10S, the Sony Inzone M9 II also packs some built-in speakers. Will they blow your mind? No, but they’re certainly good enough. At 50% volume, sound is clear and accurate with a decent level of detail. It lacks bass, but acceptable audio still puts them in the upper echelons of gaming monitor speakers. They can go impressively loud, which is good, but as you begin to crank that volume up, the sound becomes a bit more tinny.

If you are viewing the Sony Inzone M9 II as quite a significant investment, you can take comfort in knowing that you won’t need to run out to buy an expensive separate set of speakers to experience your favorite games in an enjoyable fashion right away.

Should you buy the Sony Inzone M9 II?

Buy it if...

You want an all-round gaming powerhouse
The Sony Inzone M9 II is a superb all-round option, delivering excellent performance in a wide range of game genres. It’s got plenty of features and even some decent built-in speakers.

You play on both PS5 and PC
The Sony Inzone M9 II is at its best when you own both a PC and PS5 and use them both on the same display, as it supports a range of features for both platforms. If that’s you, then this monitor is well worth its asking price.

Don't buy it if...

You want to save some cash
Although it is a fair price, the Sony Inzone M9 II is still quite an expensive monitor. There are cheaper 4K options out there, especially if you don’t mind skimping on the overall design and build.

Also consider

Not convinced by the Sony Inzone M9 II? Keep these alternatives on your radar.

Sony Inzone M10S
If you’re more of a PC player, then I’d recommend the Sony Inzone M10S. It’s one of the best monitors that I’ve ever tested, with a beautiful but functional stand and a blazing-fast 480Hz OLED panel. It is 1440p, however, so intended for competitive shooter players first and foremost.

Read our full Sony Inzone M10S review

Gigabyte M32UC
A titan of affordable 4K monitors, the Gigabyte M32UC frequently goes on sale and is the one to choose if you want to save some cash. It has loads of features and a speedy 144Hz refresh rate, though it definitely lacks the premium materials and design of the Sony Inzone M9 II.

Read our full Gigabyte M32UC review

How I tested the Sony Inzone M9 II

Tested for multiple months
Evaluated with both PC and PS5
Tried with loads of different games

I tested the Sony Inzone M9 II for more than two months, using it as my primary monitor for the entirety of that time.

I used it extensively with both PC and PS5, in addition to some light Xbox Series X gaming. During that time, I used it for hours of web browsing, office work, and playing countless games.

On PC, highlights included Counter-Strike 2, Resident Evil 4, Split Fiction, Cities Skylines 2, Sid Meier’s Civilization 7, Persona 3 Reload, Hitman World of Assassination, and Inzoi.

Even some smaller indie games like Monster Prom 4: Monster Con looked great, with the monitor’s vivid colors really complementing the expressive art style.

On PS5, games tested included Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, Days Gone Remastered, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Forza Horizon 5, Zenless Zone Zero, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Throughout my time with the monitor, I compared my experience to my hands-on testing of other gaming monitors, including the more premium Sony Inzone M10S.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2025