I’ve been reviewing monitors for a long time, and I think we may be officially in the era of 4K monitors being standard or near-standard, given how popular they are now. It’s hard to find monitors that aren’t 4K these days; however, that also means companies have been chasing the 4K badge for a while now, and in that race, some have lost focus on color accuracy.
For business users who don’t care about their red looking like the perfect red or their blacks being perfect black, or their magenta having the perfect hue, this may not be a big deal, but for those who work in the creative space, particularly in design, where colors are your world, accuracy and factory calibration are massive.
BenQ saw this and cares about this space, so they created the BenQ PD2706QN, focusing on achieving color accuracy in their pixels, making each pixel count rather than just chasing density.
For creatives and designers who work in photo editing, illustration, graphic design, and more, this is not just a welcome addition to the market, it is a gap BenQ just filled with ease. Expect this one to shortly appear in our round-up for the best monitors for photo editing.
BenQ offers this display with 95% DCI-P3 gamut coverage, factory-calibrated Delta E ≤ 2, certifications from the biggest names, a Nano Matte panel, a built-in USB-C hub, and still only QHD resolution. So, the question must be asked: Is this enough in 2026?
BenQ PD2706QN: Price and availability
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
The BenQ PD2706QN retails for around $400, available at a range of online retailer - however at the time of review, it's discounted to $280 at Amazon.com.
In the UK, it's similarly widely available, with it priced at £300 at Amazon.co.uk.
For that price, it's a solid monitor. BenQ also offers higher-end PD displays with greater resolution for a few hundred dollars more, but if you don't need 4K, the PD2706QN may be the better choice.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
BenQ PD2706QN: Design & Build Quality
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
BenQ has always excelled at build quality, striking an excellent balance between price and craftsmanship across every monitor I've tested. The PD2706QN features a functional stand that gets the job done—though I do miss their Ergo lineup. Since BenQ now sells dedicated monitor arms, I'll forgive this and consider using one across multiple displays.
Back to the individual display. It has great color, but we’ve talked about that. What I want to cover here is the Nano Matte display, the physical build, desk usability, and a few more design-specific points.
To kick it off, BenQ's Nano Matte display is absolutely phenomenal. The screen remains high-precision, blocks light beautifully, and reduces glare, even when direct light hits the display. Even when light hits the panel directly, color accuracy stays sharp and precise, making it easier to keep your projects as picture-perfect as possible, whether you are editing during the day or at night.
The physical build of this panel is clean and professional without being boring or dated. It has relatively slim bezels and a matte black finish on the casing, keeping it looking professional and sleek. This is the kind of monitor you don’t feel the need to hide behind a wall, and you can showcase on your desk without it feeling too loud.
The stand is pretty good, too. I’ve not been a fan of basic monitor stands for quite some time now, but this one gets the job done. It’s nothing fancy, and I’d still prefer the ergo arms personally, but if you really want that feel, you can pop your monitor on a monitor arm like I usually do.
Some monitors feel premium, like the notorious Apple monitors, and other pro-tier monitors, and some feel cheap, like, well, I won’t name them here. The BenQ PD2706QN is a nice middle ground. It can blend in if needed, but it can also fit on a higher-end desk. Though odds are this tier display would be used on more budget-conscious setups.
BenQ PD2706QN: In use
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
The BenQ PD2706QN has been a great display for my team and I over the last three months. A member of my team or I have used it nearly daily over that span, and we have put it to the test and then some. This monitor has been used mostly for creative work, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Web Design, Video Editing in DaVinci Resolve, and more. It’s been great for ensuring color consistency across all projects. Even when moving from the connected MacBook Pro 16-inch display to this, we noticed almost no color differences, and if there were, they were negligible and didn’t slow us down at all when switching between mobile and docked work on this monitor.
Since BenQ emphasizes skin tone accuracy and shadow detail, we tested it extensively—not just in theory, but in real-world use. We work extensively with photos of people in our projects, so we edited them as we normally would using the PD2706QN and found that this panel reproduced a wide range of skin tones exceptionally well.
We also used this display as a reference monitor for a podcast recording, plugging the camera directly into the HDMI port to ensure we were in frame, properly focused, and had correct settings. Since BenQ included standard display inputs on this monitor, we easily switched between camera monitoring and editing—connecting our MacBook via USB-C, charging while connected, and switching between devices with the simple on-screen controls.
An upgrade over previous models, this unit offers a 100Hz refresh rate, making video playback and editing buttery-smooth. It’s not 120Hz, yes, but for our editing experience, we didn’t notice any massive loss in productivity or usability. I will say that for our 4K edits, we would cross-check some shots on the MacBook Pro display to confirm they looked good, but we were always pleased with the 4K output, even though we couldn’t fully appreciate it on this display.
Moving on, I used this monitor for some web design and coding. While it’s not a dedicated programming monitor like the BenQ RD280UG (Review Coming Soon, currently in progress), it does a great job of showing deep blacks in a terminal and even in a blank web design window.
For day-to-day productivity and business tasks, this monitor shines. It’s smooth, it looks great, there is no glare from the gorgeous Nano Matte coating, and the 100Hz refresh rate reduces eye strain, helping us use the panel all day with less fatigue than we would experience with other monitors. In our testing, we had users on this panel for admittedly 6 or even 9-hour days+ pretty frequently, with no excessive fatigue, discomfort, or desire to switch to another monitor.
The BenQ PD2706QN occupies a smart position in the monitor market. It delivers factory-calibrated color accuracy that matches displays costing hundreds more, while staying practical for designers who don't need 4K resolution for their daily work.
After three months of real-world testing across photo editing, design work, and video projects, this monitor proved itself as a reliable workhorse. If you prioritize accurate, consistent color over pixel density, and want professional results without a professional price tag, the PD2706QN delivers exactly what it promises.
The Haworth Fern has two main design styles. One model has a headrest and a unique, adjustable lumbar support that moves up and down to help make it more comfortable for users. However, even though, on paper, this was great for some, it was not as popular as expected.
So, Haworth released a new variant with no headrest and no middle lumbar support, offering only the comfort built into the chair's backrest. I’m very glad that Haworth released the newer version. I was part of the group that wasn't a huge fan of the first model, but when I met the second model, I became a much bigger fan.
I have a love-hate relationship with headrests on ergonomic chairs, but for this one, it just wasn’t working with me. I also really appreciate the change-up for the lumbar support. The first one was good; some of my team even preferred the first version, but I am a bigger fan of the second.
Haworth Fern: Price and availability
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
The Haworth Fern starts at around $1200, with price alterations depending on the type of material use (mesh, digital knit, gradient knit, and leather), colors, and other features. Fully configured with 4D arms, an adjustable lumbar, a headrest, and premium materials, it costs $1,500 or more.
You can get it from the official US website, as well as other online retailers.
Compared to some in our guide to the best office chairs - think the Herman Miller Aeron (~$1,695), Embody (~$1,995), and Steelcase Gesture (~$1,200) - the Fern is competitively priced in the premium ergonomic market.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
Haworth Fern: Unboxing and First Impressions
I’ve become really good at building chairs over the years of testing, but this one was by far the easiest I have ever built. All I had to do was cut open the box with my Grovemade Box opener, and then we were good to go.
The chair arrived completely assembled, with cardboard and padding protecting the base, and a bag wrapped around the chair itself.
Since I saved time on assembly, I was able to hop over and start testing the chair itself much faster. Right off the bat, I was thrilled with the design and the cool colorway, and even the material choice was great.
Haworth Fern: Design & Build Quality
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
This chair stands out. I’ve had a lot of chairs, and this one will stand out as unique. It’s impressive. It’s clean and sleek, yet has a cool pattern that makes it feel special. But at the same time, it looks like it could fit into either a home office or a traditional office setup. It has a traditional style and quality lumbar support, though the model I am focusing on has less lumbar support than the other variant of the same Fern chair. I chose no headrest and no lumbar addition for this one, as I, along with several others, prefer this model.
Haworth has a spectacular 3-part Wave Suspension System hidden within the otherwise simple backrest design. They use what they refer to as fronds, connected to a central spine, or central stem, to create a level of anchored support to then pair with the third layer of the Wave Suspension System, the cradle, adding a layer of supported comfort on top of everything, altogether creating an intentionally designed chair, not just a panel to lean against.
Even with all that said, the Fern has it all built into an otherwise unassuming design, blending in beautifully and offering refined comfort in a chair that isn’t obnoxious. The one thing Haworth was willing to be a bit standout-ish in was their choice of woven knit material. It’s noticeable when you get up close to the chair, and it’s great. It’s breathable, it’s comfortable, it’s soft and doesn’t scratch, yet it doesn’t feel like I’m sitting in my grandma’s sweater either. It’s a great material, and it works for all-day use.
Haworth Fern: In use
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
I don’t know about you, but it feels like work keeps getting busier and busier. Perhaps I’m doing it wrong, but gone are the days of wondering what I’ll work on next. I feel like I have a never-ending to-do list across the businesses I work with, my own business, and others. I sat down a few days in a row attempting to really focus on testing out this chair, and next thing I know it was hours later of getting things done, and I barely even remember anything about the chair.
Day two came around, and the same thing happened. Then, a third. At first, I felt bad that I wasn’t focusing on the chair, but then I realized that perhaps that’s the best possible note for review. I forgot I was using a chair. I stopped thinking about it. I just focused up and got work done. I wasn’t focused on gadgets or cool tricks, I didn’t have to adjust the chair over and over again, I didn’t have to keep playing with the lumbar support, nor adjust the headrest, I was able to sit back, get the tension set once, and then get to work.
Some chairs take a long time to get used to, to dial in, or to get “just right,” or maybe they’re great in some positions for some tasks but not for everything, so you feel like you need to frequently adjust or re-position, or maybe you desire a different chair for part of your day, depending on your working scenario. Thankfully, with the Haworth Fern, I haven’t experienced needing to change my seat around at all.
I can use this chair all day long, without needing or wanting to swap it out, even with the abundance of chairs around me. I was able to get my full testing in without any problems, and my team loves this chair too. I always test chairs and gear myself, and then have others test as well to ensure I’m not just an odd bird with what I like. My team loves the Fern. Some of my team members prefer the extra-lumbar version and the headrest version I got first, but most prefer the second model with standard lumbar and no headrest.
I like my chairs pretty tight. I like still being able to push back, but I want resistance, and quite a bit of it. This one gives me exactly that, which is great. For the times I wanted to stop, Haworth planned for that too and allowed the chair to be locked in a limited-range setting.
I also chose to get the tilt option. At first, I didn’t think I’d need it, but as a tester, I decided to give it a shot. It turns out that if you’re the kind of person who sits forward, leaning on your forearms on the desk while typing or writing, or if you simply find yourself already leaned forward, the tilt alleviates pressure and makes for a more comfortable experience. And, since it’s as easy as flipping a lever, you can switch in and out of this tilt mode super easily.
The Haworth Fern delivers on its promise of adaptive, all-day comfort through genuinely innovative engineering. Its patented Wave Suspension System and edgeless back design create natural support that moves with you rather than against you.
After extended testing, the Fern proved itself to be a chair you can forget about — in the best way — allowing you to focus on work instead of constant adjustments. While the premium price point and lack of a full mesh option may deter some buyers, the Fern's combination of ergonomic excellence, sustainability credentials, 12-year warranty, and 30-day trial makes it a worthy investment for remote workers and office professionals who spend long hours seated.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Lineup has been tried and true for generations of laptop variants, all scoring fairly well in reliability, durability, features vs. price, and all-day usability. The ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1 Gen 1 is a big jump for Lenovo, putting a convertible form factor into their popular T-series lineup and risking cannibalization of their X-Series lineup. But, before we get there, let's dive into this laptop and how it performs on its own, without considering other devices.
The ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1 Gen 1 is a 14-inch laptop with a screen that can flip all the way around, converting the standard laptop shape into a more traditional tablet shape, all while running the same version of Windows 11. Additionally, this device supports Yoga Pen compatibility, providing another input option if you want to draw, mark up documents, sign contracts, or edit in other ways.
This computer has an Intel Core Ultra 200U series processor, also known as Arrow Lake, balancing performance and efficiency pretty well for this size machine. It’s worth noting that the Lunar Lake variants, unlike the Arrow Lake, are usually a bit more powerful, but for this model, the Arrow Lake is used to balance power to increase battery life. That alone says a lot about the device's intentionality and how it was designed to be used.
This is not designed as a powerhouse; it’s not meant to be the one machine to rule them all, and it’s not trying to break records with its performance. It’s trying to give a good experience when it comes to power, give you plenty for what you will probably actually need in your day-to-day life, all while giving you enough battery, which, if you’re getting a laptop, not a desktop, you probably really care about. As a niche device, it's unlikely to feature in our best business laptop round-up, where the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 stands out as the top 2-in-1 device.
However, this machine is built for those who need laptop functionality, with the added value of being able to mark up documents, photos, or other files. It’s built for people who redline a lot of documents and sign a lot of contracts, but it’s also for those who just need a tried-and-true 14-inch laptop with a few tricks up its sleeve. It’s not trying to be the most powerful machine, nor the most lightweight, it’s not trying to be the most brilliant display, or the best battery life ever. What it’s trying to do is give you a good amount of everything, all while staying at a decent price range.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1 Gen 1: Price and availability
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1 Gen 1 starts from $1345 / £1830, available from both Lenovo US and Lenovo UK, as well as many online retailers.
There are, of course, options to buy from other retailers as well if you want to. The model I have reached is just over $2,000 and features an Intel Core i7 265U, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD Storage. For this review, I also have the Yoga Pen, which is an optional accessory and comes with some packages.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1 Gen 1: Unboxing and First Impressions
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
If you’ve unboxed one Lenovo ThinkPad, you’ve unboxed them all, at least up until this point. The vast majority of ThinkPads use near-identical packaging. This one has a matte-black box, minimal branding, and recyclable cardboard inserts. Personally, I’m thrilled to see less and less Styrofoam. Not sure if it’s my musical background that hates the sound or something else in me that hates the way it squeaks, but regardless of the reason, I am thrilled to see more cardboard.
Within the packaging is the ThinkPad, the charging brick, the USB-C Cable, documentation, and then the pen came separately. One thing that took a second to get used to, as an avid iPad user, is that this pen needed to be recharged via USB-C, I guess much like the entry-level Apple Pencil. Not a huge downside since the battery lasts for a while and recharges quickly, but worth noting.
Right off the bat, the build quality and aesthetic of the ThinkPad shine through. The now-standard business professional look, the standout ThinkPad badging, and the little red light. Once you open the machine, the keyboard has a bright red touchpoint in the middle, along with the physical trackpad buttons for clicking.
Of course, with any 2-in-1 device, one of the first things I try is the hinge. This one feels very sturdy, no wobble or weak spots, it feels like it was, obviously, meant to do this, and do it a thousand more times and beyond. I didn’t have any worries about the build quality or the hinge's longevity, unlike other 2-in-1s I’ve seen that have the hinge snap after just mild use.
All in all, the laptop's first impression was solid. It feels good, it looks good, it works… good…. It operates in a really positive manner, and it feels like something that could handle the daily grind as a daily driver.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1 Gen 1: Design & Build Quality
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
ThinkPads have always been known for their reliability. Believe it or not, I’ve been off of social media for the last 5+ years. What I do have is YouTube though, and I’ve now seen on my algorithm (as nerdy and niche as it probably is) people who are restoring old and dated ThinkPads with simply a new battery after the old ones were left plugged in for literally years and maybe adding some storage and sending them back out the door as fully functional devices for another few years. That’s wild. The hardware holds up, the keyboards stay snappy, the hinge holds strong, and the style, thanks to Lenovo keeping it simple, has stayed intact. Not many companies can say that. Some can, but not a lot.
Adding a 360-hinge to this tier of ThinkPads makes sense, especially because, with how Lenovo does it, you could never use these devices in tablet mode without feeling like you’re getting a partial laptop experience. Nay, rather, Lenovo makes it a simple value-add, not a form-factor change or compromise. With some devices, you can tell it’s a 2-in-1 because there are compromises in how a “real” laptop functions, but with the ThinkPads, whether they are 2-in-1 or not, they all function at the same level — and that’s impressive.
Moving on, the Lenovo Yoga Pen, which works with this ThinkPad, magnetically attaches to the side of the display, not the top or bottom. At first I wondered why they chose that placement, and then a mere moment later as I was testing tablet and tent mode, I realized that if the pen was at the top then it would have to be removed, or get knocked off, if used in tent mode, and Lenovo probably is a bit smarter than I am, so they thought ahead and chose to put it on the right side of the display.
When it comes to ports, I am genuinely shocked at what they can fit in these machines. There is barely enough thickness, yet Lenovo says “hold my adapter” and squeezes in a full-size HDMI port, two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, an optional Nano SIM, and an optional Smartcard reader. For this size laptop, that still blows my mind.
For those of you who maybe don’t treat your laptop like a newborn baby, you’ll be pleased to see the MIL-STD-810H, which ensures that your laptop can withstand all sorts of treacherous things you may allow to happen. Though I’ll still always suggest a good laptop bag from any number of spectacular companies like Nomatic, TimBuk2, Bellroy, Troubadour, or Airback, to name a few of my favorites.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1 Gen 1: In use
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
I’ve got a fleet of laptops that I rotate. As I’ve said in past reviews, I usually carry two laptops, my iPad mini, and rotate between one to four workstations throughout any given day. I have 8 backpacks that I actively rotate through, and a team that helps me run extended tests to ensure longevity and multi-use cases. This laptop has been in my bag pretty frequently and has been good to great to use, depending on how you look at it.
If you look at this laptop compared to other devices in the ThinkPad line-up, I am admittedly a bit confused about why you’d choose this laptop over the X1 2-in-1 Gen 10. Unless, of course, you desire the longer-lasting battery and you care less about the higher-resolution display and more about either saving that money or putting it back into the machine for a higher-grade chip, RAM, or storage.
If you’re in that camp, then this, on its own, is a great device. On the basis of being a business professional machine that doesn’t need a high-end display, this laptop is flexible, durable, reliable, powerful, has a great battery, looks great, supports touch input, and has great ports.
I’ve taken this machine into meetings with me, where there are elements I can’t or don’t want to type out, so I whip out the Yoga Pen and jot down or sketch what is being described. I’ve used this to sign contracts, I’ve used it to edit some of my own writing and others, marking it up with “red ink” and sending it back, I’ve also used this as a great way to draw out ideas for a project I am working on where we are remodeling an area of an office and we wanted to get on the same page for design. I will say, this display is only 60Hz, so don’t expect a brilliant experience that’s just like pen and paper with this, but it will get the job done for basic tasks in the moment without having to grab another device or even worse, actual paper (ha!).
Beyond its uses as a Yoga Pen, this laptop has been incredibly comfortable to type on for long periods. The trackpad is responsive and easy to get used to. I still personally have to remind myself to use the touchpoint, but when I do, I am always pleased with how easy it is.
Yes, the display isn’t the best, but for professional business use, plenty of people still use 1080p in the real world, and this display works great for them.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1 Gen 1: Final verdict
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1 Gen 1 marks a solid debut for the T Series convertible lineup. It balances Arrow Lake efficiency with all-day battery life, ThinkPad durability, and genuine pen input versatility. The user-replaceable battery and MIL-STD-810H certification make it a smart long-term investment for mobile professionals who need flexibility without sacrificing reliability. While the Full-HD display and 60Hz refresh won't wow creative pros, business users prioritizing portability, battery life, and that iconic ThinkPad keyboard will find this to be a capable, dependable companion.
The Lenovo ThinkVision P27Q is a 27-inch QHD IPS monitor with a 2560x1440 resolution, built for professionals who need a workstation, especially if that workstation is enterprise-managed. While the panel itself is nothing incredible, what is impressive is it’s utilitarian nature, with it’s integrated USB-C hub, the first USB-A facing up for probably a Webcam that I have ever seen, easy daisy chaining, a very functional base and stand, and the ability to have this panel enterprise managed so it can be up to date with firmware, downtime, uptime and more.
This is the first monitor I’ve seen that unashamedly focuses on getting the business owner's or the IT procurer’s attention, rather than the user's. As someone who fills that role at a company right now, if we had Windows machines, or better yet, if we had Lenovo laptops, which a lot of corporate businesses do, this becomes a near no-brainer for 95%+ of the staff. It allows for easy hot desking and remote management of devices, so you don’t even have to set foot on that floor or even in that building to service them, and the reliability is spectacular.
On paper, if you’re comparing this to displays featured in our best business monitors round-up, it’s not the most graphically brilliant, but Lenovo knows not everyone needs the best of the best, especially when the price tag is usually too high to bear. They’d rather dazzle in other areas, one of which is a reasonable hit to the wallet. Especially if buying in bulk.
Lenovo ThinkVision P27Q-40: Price and availability
The ThinkVision P27Q-40 is widely available from online retailers, as well as Lenovo's own website.
Lenovo ThinkVision P27Q-40: Unboxing and First Impressions
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
First impressions of this monitor were really simple. The unboxing was simple; there’s nothing flashy or glitzy. I did notice the unique cutout in the baseplate right away, but once I got everything set up, I got used to it pretty quickly. I will say that if you’re used to a standard monitor with all ports facing down, you’ll be confused, like I was. it took me looking a third time to notice the USB-C ports on the side, and it took me looking at the promotional tools for this panel to notice the USB-A under a rubber grommet on the top of the monitor. But once you find those, you realize just what the focus of this display is.
A few more quick things to mention: the bezels are pretty thin, the assembly was super easy, and the monitor comes with a generous amount of cables to kit out your new display. I only have one of these displays, but after looking through the documentation and finding that this has a USB-A on top, I noticed the big push for daisy chaining too, which a lot of ThinkPads offer, so it makes sense that Lenovo would push it for this display.
But I want to take a second to make sure you know how big of a deal that is. With one cable, you can plug into multiple monitors without a dock. You can sit at a hot desk or at your desk, plug in one cable, and connect to your display, charge your laptop, add another display, a webcam, and more. No docks, no special plugs or devices for your IT pro to manage. Just the monitor.
I also noticed, very quickly and obviously, that this is a very “ThinkPad” style of monitor. It has the same matted black finish, with subtle red accents and minimal Lenovo branding. There are sharp yet softened edges, no fluff, just a business-ready machine or display at your service.
Continuing with Lenovo, that’s said in the best way: Lenovo has made its name for having a professional look for a reason. They don’t stray and create wild new designs for every new model because that’s not their goal. Their goal isn’t to chase the next, best, or upcoming things; it’s to take what is working, make it better, and ensure reliability across the board. They do that with their laptops and their monitors.
As I mentioned, the bezel is minimal, making pairing with a second P27Q-40 really easy. And because there's no loud branding or large chin, you can easily pair this with another display in any orientation, not just two side by side. You could drop one in portrait, in one of my favorite setups: a center landscape with a portrait to the right of the center display. To make an arrangement like this, Lenovo allows its stand to rotate 90 degrees or even -90 degrees, which I don’t believe I have seen very often.
Lenovo ThinkVision P27Q-40: In use
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
I’ve had this panel in my suite of monitors for the last 106 days at the time of writing this sentence. It’s been used for research, writing, virtual meetings, watching Dude Perfect and Bluey, playing background music in shots, project management, and as a secondary monitor for another monitor. It’s all done well.
Now, I will caveat that this is not a 4K display, so of course, it’s not as brilliant a panel as some of the 6K panels I am currently testing. But I bet if you showed up at a Fortune 500 company or a corporate office complex and asked the average employee whether they even needed 4K, most wouldn’t be able to answer, or would answer no. Unless they are in the tech space, care deeply about visuals and graphics, work in the creative space, or have another reason, most do not need or care about a full 4K resolution, so why spend the money?
I learned this lesson the hard way a few years ago when I built a co-working hot-desk space for a business I work with. I built 6 spectacular hot-desking workstations, each with dual 4K monitors set up in different orientations, hidden DisplayLink and Thunderbolt Docking stations so they looked integrated and would work with any laptop, and a single USB-C connection to run the whole deal. It was glorious. Now, a few years later, of the 20 or so staff that could use those spaces, exactly 2 even take advantage of the 4K resolution; everyone else has everything so blown up it’s not even worth having a 4K panel for them.
All that to say, a QHD panel is plenty clear and good enough for the average employee, even in 2026, especially with the advanced features the ThinkVision P27Q-40 offers. In my experience using it, I had no trouble with spreadsheets, project management, checking email, writing, sitting in a virtual meeting, plugging in and charging while running the display from my machine, and even twisting the base to get it situated just right.
Lastly, I like to think that I have a pretty good eye for monitors. And while I can’t always tell the difference between lower and higher refresh rates, your eyes will thank you. High refresh rates aren’t just for gamers and video editors. A high refresh rate makes for a smoother experience for your eyes, and if your eyes are more comfortable, you can get more done more quickly, allowing you to step away without exhausted, painful eyes. The Lenovo ThinkVision P27Q-40 seeks to do exactly that: offer eye relief without charging a fortune in upfront or ongoing costs, by using a variable display to conserve power.
Lenovo ThinkVision P27Q-40: Final verdict
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
This is the monitor that the IT pros would choose for the co-working spaces that they support. It would be a monitor that a finance team member would choose. It’s the kind of monitor that makes business sense.
True, it’s not the flashiest, but that's by design. Instead of wowing you with shiny features, it earns your trust and respect by showing up day after day and performing the way it should. It has enough features to make it worth grabbing in 2026, and a price tag that makes it reasonable to, even in mass.
If you’re a video editor, a photo editor, a professional gamer, or a person who needs 4K or above, then this is not your monitor. There are plenty to choose from. But if you just need a monitor that will get the job done, provide reliable connections, and make asset management easy, you should absolutely check this monitor out for your office.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 is unlike the laptops I normally test. While most are trying to be the most powerful, the most impressive spec-wise, or the biggest and best screen, Lenovo chose to make a hyper-portable option that becomes an instant dream come true for those business professionals who don’t need a supercomputer.
Most people in the business world don’t need a machine that is breaking performance records, one they will never come close to using in their daily work. They need something they can bring to their day-to-day work that’s easy and convenient to carry from meeting to meeting, toss in a bag, and get everyday work done. Would more power be nice? Of course. Would it be nice to have a better screen? Yes. But for businesses buying devices for their employees, or for those who want to buy a machine they'll use for work and work alone, that’s just not always worth it; the ROI may not be there.
Thinking back to when I had a corporate job, or even to my friends and family who have corporate jobs, this may just be a spectacular option for them, giving them what they need and want, while staying super lightweight and functional. Compared to other ultra-portables made for professionals, it's unlikely to feature in our round-up of the best business laptops - but there's plenty to like about the laptop otherwise.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 6: Price and availability
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 starts at $1,095 / £1112 - and the Intel model is available from both Lenovo US and Lenovo UK right now.
The base model comes with a 256GB SSD, a non-touch display, no fingerprint reader, and a 3-cell rechargeable battery. If I build out as feature-rich as this machine can offer from Lenovo, I get up to $1,829, adding a fingerprint reader, a 1TB SSD, a touchscreen display, a slightly better camera and mic setup, upgraded wireless, and a slightly larger battery.
It's also available from other online retailers.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 6: Unboxing and First Impressions
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 became incredibly impressive from the moment I first unboxed it. It’s hyper-lightweight, as I’ve mentioned, but it’s incredible when you hold it. It’s a full-size machine when it comes to the important things like keyboard size and ports, but outside of that, it’s small, but not too small. Pair that with the lower-resolution display, and things seem to just work.
Sure, on paper, it makes more sense to have a higher-resolution display and better everything, but in practice, this works. I pulled the zoom back from 150% to 125%, and I actually am pretty happy with this setup. It’s a great device to take around, even as a second laptop, due to its size and portability.
Lenovo sent a USB-C charger, which was nice, but I quickly decided to leave it in the box and use one of my Anker power blocks, portable chargers, or UGREEN bricks, along with some nice braided or retractable cables, depending on my setup for the day.
Another thing I was wary of before putting my hands on this machine was the device's quality. I’ve tested and used some lightweight laptops that feel cheap and poorly made. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 6, on the other hand, feels well-built, can handle life on the go, and still feels high-quality.
The keyboard features the iconic red Travkpoint at the center of the classic ThinkPad layout everyone knows and loves. Now, that the Trackpoint can even trigger a quick-action menu for select options, making things a bit more practical and helpful.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 6: Design & Build Quality
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
This laptop is the epitome of no-nonsense, in the best way. It’s a lightweight, unassuming, powerful, minimal laptop that gets the job done without bragging about it. This is the kind of laptop you grab to rely on, not one you buy to try to impress your boss, coworkers, or direct reports. This is the laptop you grab when you don’t even care what they think, you just care about having a machine that you can depend on and carry with you without even noticing.
Keeping the understated design, the matte black colorway is sleek and professional, with only a slight badge visible at the top. That, plus the red touchpoint, is the only pop of color on this machine, just branding and the touchpoint; everything else is a sleek matte black.
The build quality is exactly as expected. It’s built to last through day-in, day-out use. It’s got a strong chassis, the ability to tilt the display back to 180 degrees, and MIL-STD-810H certification, ensuring the laptop will be protected in environments a tad harsher than a boardroom, a backpack, or even when dropped.
Moving on to a bit more detail on the laptop, this machine has great ports for a full-size, powerful laptop, let alone a thin-line option. It has a standard HDMI, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-A port, a smart card reader, and a headphone jack. That’s great even in powerhouse laptop worlds.
The review model here has 16GB of RAM, and so far, for my day-to-day use, running some product review writing in Notion, emails, Slack, and browsing the internet for some product research, this computer has been great and hasn’t slowed down at all. If you do a bit more heavy-duty work than casual use, the 32GB option would be a wiser choice, but if you are pretty light on usage, the 16GB variant may be a better fit.
Battery life is always a big deal in this class of laptop, and so far in my testing, I have seen an average of 9 hours and 12 minutes. The ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 has a 54.7Wh capacity with a rated 10h+ of usage, and I can easily see reaching that if you drop the brightness from 100% to 80% and are smart about what you have running at once. Unlike more powerful laptops, there is a good chance that if you are grabbing this laptop, you are on the go regularly and not docking it to one of our favorite Thunderbolt docks, which would keep you charged.
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 6: In use
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
I’ve had this computer in my arsenal for a few months now. I’ve regularly used it to check email, write my own review, and read a few other reviews. I grabbed it to jump into a quick meeting, and it’s been super easy to double up with the other laptop I need to carry with me in my day-to-day in “the real world.”
In my experience, it boots quickly and launches apps quickly; video calls are stable, though the camera is nothing groundbreaking. The audio is surprisingly clear, even though I still prefer headphones for any meeting that matters.
The screen is good enough for day-to-day use. Yes, I am well aware that it is nowhere near 4K, but for the day-to-day business work I’ve been doing, I have been okay with it, making it a reasonable trade-off. Don’t get me wrong: you clearly notice that it’s not 4K, it's not OLED, and it’s not brilliantly beautiful, but that might just be okay.
If your primary use for this machine is web-browsing, project managing, Slack-answering, email-drafting, word-processing, and or things of that nature, then this machine won’t disappoint — even without the best of the best panel. It’s bright enough to work well in office environments, even in bright ones, though if you’re in an abnormally bright area or facing consistent direct sunlight, it may be difficult for most displays to shine through, including this one.
Part of the reason this machine is so great for keyboard-first tasks is that, quite simply, the keyboard is comfortable. It’s the classic Lenovo keyboard that has grown in popularity for a reason. I’ve been able to sit and knock out a thousand words of writing without any fatigue, frustration, or wishing for a different keyboard, and without any consistent mis-types. On some keyboards, a key is slightly misplaced, the key shape is slightly off, or something else causes me to consistently mistype certain phrases or characters, but with the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 6, I haven’t noticed that at all. The keyboard is consistent, comfortable, full-sized, and easy to use.
The last thing I’ll dive into in this review is the port offering. My personal daily drivers are predominantly USB-C, with an HDMI port, but I still run into a lot of USB-A in my day-to-day life. So, I always have to have a dock, hub, adapter, or dongle with me. Granted, I know that USB-C is now the standard and that USB-A is becoming less popular, but there are still a lot of things I have to edit, update, or work with that are USB-A for now. With this ThinkPad, even though it's so small, I never needed a dongle, an adapter, or anything of the sort, thanks to its impressive port selection. And that adds a layer of usability that doesn’t always fit well on a briefing or a one-pager.
The ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 is great for most. It’s a laptop that, for a wide variety of people, would do exactly what they need it to do, nothing more, for a great price with a great weight, ports, and power.
I found this a computer that is very pleasant to carry in a bag or around the house or office, make sure you check out the ThinkPad X13 Gen 6.
If you need a high-end screen, this won't be the right laptop for you, but if you’re okay with a 1080p display and a keenly priced business machine, then it's worth a look.
TP-Link has successfully sold the Omada branding to those who work with information systems each day as a byword for strategic thinking.
With managed network hardware that IT people can monitor and configure across multiple locations, equipment in this range has been understandably popular.
Not long ago, I reviewed one of the L2+ switches, the SG3428XMPP, which had two blocks of 1GbE RJ45 outlets, with eight utilising the PoE++ standard, which provides up to 90W of power per port, and sixteen PoE+ ports with a 30W budget per port.
The Omada SG3218XP-M2 is an L3 design, has only 16 Ethernet ports in total, but eight are PoE+ 2.5GbE ports, while the others are 2.5GbE LAN (non-PoE) ports.
Given the increasing demand for Ethernet bandwidth and TP-Link's own Access Points using the 2.5GbE PoE standard, this switch seems a highly appropriate inclusion in the Omada range.
Like the SG3428XMPP, this switch still has 240W of power to distribute over PoE, which is 30W per port. And, it ticks all the boxes in Enterprise networking bingo, with Zero-Touch provisioning, centralised Cloud management and AI-driven monitoring.
For those already using the TP-Link Omada management solution, the SG3218XP-M2 provides a drop-in solution which links via two 10Gbps SFP+ to a network backbone, adding enough high-speed PoE for eight WiFi 7 access points or HD security cameras.
As we move away from the 1GbE LAN, the SG3218XP-M2 is a stepping stone in the right direction, and at around $370 in the US, the return on investment is easy to justify.
Depending on your specific needs, this could be the best network switch around - and it's not expensive to deploy and manage these.
Omada SG3218XP-M2: Price and availability
How much does it cost? $370/£430
When is it out? Available globally
Where can you get it? Direct from a TP-Link, a retail partner or via an online retailer
You can buy the Omada SG3218XP-M2 directly from TP-Link or via online retailers.
If bought through Amazon or directly from TP-Link, the US price on Amazon is $369.99, and the UK price on Amazon.co.uk is £435.40.
Quite why this hardware is so much cheaper in the USA, I’ve no idea, but it is.
If this is the first Omada switch you’ve bought, I’d strongly recommend also getting one of the TP-Link dedicated controllers to work alongside it. Although you can use TP-Link’s Cloud controllers, you can also install the controller application on another system.
The OC300 TP-Link Omada Hardware Controller, designed to manage multiple Omada devices, costs £119.99 from Pacetech in the UK and $159.99 from TP-Link for US customers. And, the OC200 is only $79.99 from Amazon.com, and £71.99 from Amazon.co.uk.
Managed PoE switches of this spec usually aren’t cheap, especially from familiar brand names.
Looking at the usual suspects, D-Link doesn’t offer a Layer 3 managed PoE switch yet, sadly. Netgear has the XSM4328CV, a 24x10G/Multi-Gig PoE+ model with four 4xSFP28 25G ports, and the ability to deliver 720W. But given how much more throughput that switch offers, you won’t be surprised to learn it costs over $4000, if you can find one.
At a similar price to the TP-Link, the Cisco Catalyst 1300-16P-2G offers only 1GbE on the 16 ports.
The closest specification switch I found was the Ubiquiti Pro Max 16 PoE, which has 16 ports: 12 1GbE PoE+ and 4 2.5GbE PoE++, and it has the same dual 10G SFP+ ports. It can only distribute 180W of power over its PoE, but it costs only $279.
If you are already using Ubiquiti hardware, then it might suffice, but it’s not ideal for larger installations with lots of Wi-Fi 7 access points.
New products arrive all the time in this slice of the market, but given what others have available, the SG3218XP-M2 seems suitably priced.
With so much switch hardware available from TP-Link, it’s important to first establish where the SG3218XP-M2 fits in the greater scheme of things.
TP-Link currently offers eight levels of switches, ranging from the Campus series to Aggregation, Access Max, Access Pro, Access Plus, Access, Agile, and Unmanaged.
The SG3218XP-M2 fits into the Access Pro tier, where it resides alongside five other designs, some of which feature 48 PoE ports, in addition to the four 10GbE SPF+ ports.
This design takes a step back from the extreme end of these choices, with only eight ports of PoE+, but it does offer those alongside another eight LAN ports, and all sixteen are 2.5GbE.
Compared to the bigger Omada Access Pro products, this switch uses the same robust steel construction but packages it more succinctly. Where the SG3428XPP-M2 is 330mm deep, the SG3218XP-M2 is only 180mm front to back, enabling it to fit easily into a shallow rack.
I discovered that, because it's only 4.29 kg, getting it into a rack is significantly easier, at least compared to an SG3428XMPP that I chose to swap it with.
TP-Link provides adhesive rubber feet if you prefer shelf installs, along with L-plates for rack mounting.
The current Omada switch designs all use fans mounted on the left side, drawing air from vents on the right, and in this case, there are two fans providing sufficient cooling for the system.
The fan speed is controlled by the monitoring hardware in the switch, and its rotational speed changes with the amount of PoE power it's outputting and the amount of data flowing through it. I’ve seen a few people complain that it's noisy, but with the workloads I ran through and the ambient temperature in my office, it was the exact opposite for me.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Where this switch might not be ideal is in those locations that use PoE for significant power distribution, since it’s only PoE+ 30W rated. TP-Link does make PoE++ switches capable of delivering 90W per port, but this switch isn’t suitable for that output level.
However, it can operate on all 16 ports, including the 8 PoE+ ports, at 2.5GbE, making it highly suitable as a backhaul for Wi-Fi access points that support 2.5GbE PoE.
The two 10G SFP+ ports are also invaluable, as they can be used to connect the switch to a 10GbE backbone or to NAS servers.
When TP-Link come to upgrade this switch into its next iteration, I’d recommend they add either two more 10G SFP+ or two 10GbE LAN ports, since the latter are now becoming standard for many of the better NAS platforms.
Overall, I like where the Omada SG3218XP-M2 sits. The mix of PoE and LAN with a 10G SFP+ backbone makes it ideal for small business deployment. Power users can connect to the eight 2.5GbE LAN ports, the PoE devices can get their best speeds from the other PoE ports, and other switches can chain via the SFP+.
My only caveat is that I’d definitely recommend that, along with the budget for the switch, enough money is allocated to include an Omada controller, if you don’t already have one.
Design: 4.5/5
TP-Link Omada SG3218XP-M2: User experience
Omada management
Encourages localised controller
I’ve talked about the current Omada user experience in other reviews. But from the perspective of a professional IT person (and I was one once), this is a highly refined solution that gives you three options for configuring and managing switches, routers, access points, and the like.
In the context of the Omada SG3218XP-M2, if you already have a controller configured, deployment of the switch is remarkably easy.
The controller can be any computer with the Omada controller software installed, so it doesn’t cost anything to unlock this functionality for those with limited resources. Alternatively, there is an Omada Cloud service, and depending on how you use that, it can range from being free to a monthly subscription.
And my preferred approach is the local Omada controller, a dedicated box that monitors all the Omada hardware on the network and can make immediate decisions should hardware fail in situ.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
it and the broadband router on a UPS, the entire system will remain operational for a period during a power outage, enabling it to send warning messages and also configure the system to maximise battery runtime.
What’s great about the hardware controller is that if you place that and the broadband router on a UPS, the entire system will remain operational for a period during a power outage, enabling it send warning messages out and also configure the system for maximising battery running time.
Even if you use the Cloud version to administer a collection of remote sites, having local hardware controllers has some useful advantages, especially if the internet has a wobble.
For the largest installations, it's possible to create profiles for all Omada switches, access points, and routers, and execute them across the network and via the Cloud on other networks you control.
That makes rolling out new security strategies and VLAN plans easy, and adding a new Wi-Fi SSID will make it propagate across all access points automatically. But it’s important to say that you can make granular changes also, if those are deemed necessary.
User experience: 4/5
TP-Link Omada SG3218XP-M2: Final verdict
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
If you are considering deploying TP-Link Wi-Fi 7 hardware, like the TP-Link EAP725-Wall, then this is the switch designed to make the most of that technology.
There is little point in investing in Wi-Fi 7 if they connect to the internet via 1GbE, since the backhaul to the network becomes the limiting factor.
The Omada SG3218XP-M2 could easily support a 20GbE broadband connection and distribute it to eight PoE+ Access Points, and still have extra capacity for wired connections.
My only small concern is that just arrived on my desk is the Omada EAP787, and it needs 10GbE PoE++ ideally. That's fine for those who have an SX3832MPP or the POE380S 10GbE POE++ injector to connect it. But the Omada SX3832MPP alone is four times the price of the SG3218XP-M2, so going down that rabbit hole could get expensive.
Unless you’ve been chugging the corporate Koolaid and only do extreme deployments, the SG3218XP-M2 provides something significantly better than the many 1GbE PoE switches; its L3 credentials are excellent, and it slots effortlessly into the Omada controller infrastructure. And, given all its capabilities, the price is highly affordable.
Should I buy a TP-Link Omada SG3218XP-M2?
(Image credit: TP-Link)
Omada SG3218XP-M2 Report card
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
For the functionality it has, the price is right
4/5
Design
Solid construction and shallow rack friendly
4.5/5
User Experience
Adds L3 switching and 2.5GbE PoE+ to the Omada ecosystem
4/5
Overall
Perfect for those who want a balanced WiFi 7 installation
4.5/5
Buy it if...
You are deploying WiFi 7 To properly move the amount of data that Wi-Fi 7 access points provide, you need a minimum of a 2.5GbE backbone, and the Omada SG3218XP-M2 delivers that over PoE+. That simplifies the deployment and enhances the Wi-Fi user experience. Without a switch like this, spending on Wi-Fi 7 is largely pointless.
You use a 10GbE backbone With two 10GbE SFP+ ports, it’s easy to integrate this hardware into a switched backbone and implement failover planning to cope with hardware failures.
Don't buy it if...
You want 10GbE PoE++ The best speed this switch offers is 2.5GbE, although the two SFP+ ports do run at 10GbE. There are switches that support 10GbE PoE++, but expect to pay much more for those than this, and you might have to consider a 25GbE backbone, or greater, to handle the traffic.
There’s something slightly familiar about the Chuwi CoreBook Air. Once again, it follows the recent trend of 14-inch Windows laptops offering a premium build with aluminium alloy casing and a solid yet lightweight build. The specification list considering the price is also impressive, with more on offer than you would usually anticipate for a little under £500/$500.
From the outset, there are several features that really appeal. Obviously, the CPU, GPU and memory specifications all prove more than enough to run all productivity apps, but then there’s a good volume of ports. Through the test for normal use, a bit of word processing and browsing the internet, the battery was sufficient for a day's worth of work.
While the specifications hit the mid-range, making it ideal for most office-based tasks, I found that the CoreBook Air had enough to run Blender and CapCut without issue. Although limitations to the ability were pushed with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which did load but was just too jittery to play with any success.
For general use, such as Excel and PowerPoint, the machine was more than capable of handling large documents. What really impressed me was that, despite it only being a 14-inch machine and not a particularly expensive one, the screen clarity was exceptionally good, and the screen surface was able to limit reflections exceptionally well.
One of the other aspects you often find with a cheaper laptop is that it uses a proprietary power supply. However, here, the laptop is supplied with a 65W USB-C charger, which means if you do leave your charger at home, you can more than likely borrow somebody else's. Again, for a laptop of this size to have three USB-C ports, two on one side, one on the other, and a full-size HDMI just gives you even more connectivity options, as well as the ability to plug into other accessories, devices, systems, and drives.
Like some laptops of this type, slim and lightweight, while the quality is exceptionally good and the cooling is better than expected (though the fans do kick in and are audible), the keyboard area and trackpad do feel lightweight and less responsive than I personally like.
Neither the track pad or keyboard feel 100% precise in their mechanics, with the keyboard actuation lacking the satisfying feel of those featured in our guide to the best business laptops. I also found the trackpad wasn’t quite as precise, and you really needed to accurate about your click action in the bottom left. I’d also often mis-click, and the precision that you get with the likes of the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra just isn’t there, but then you could buy four of these laptops for a single unit of that machine, just to put that in context.
However, for a laptop at this price, the fact that it can handle all productivity, web browsing, word processing, light multimedia editing, and a little bit of gaming is impressive. If you’re in the market for a cheap laptop that will see you through the demands of productivity applications for work, and a little bit of media use, as well as downtime playing games and watching multimedia, then this machine should suffice. If you're looking to do heavier media editing or play top-tier games, this might be a little more restrictive, and you’d need to spend a bit more for a bit more power.
Chuwi CoreBook Air: Price and availability
How much does it cost? $479 / £404 RRP
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Directly from Geekom andAmazon.com
At present, the Chuwi CoreBook Air has a UK price of £404 and a US price of $549 and can be purchased directly from the Chuwi US and Chuwi Global websites.
Chuwi is offering TechRadar Pro readers a 13% discount on the purchase price when you use the code TechRadarAir.
Value: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Chuwi CoreBook Air: Specs
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 6600H (6-core/12-thread, up to 4.5GHz) Graphics: AMD Radeon 660M RAM: 16GB LPDDR5 6400MHz Storage: 512GB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD Left Ports: 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI 2.1 Right Ports: USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 3.5mm audio jack Connectivity: Wi-Fi , Bluetooth Audio: 2W stereo speakers Camera: 2MP with privacy shutter Size: 298 x 221 x 16.3 mm, 1.08 kg OS Installed: Windows 11 Pro Accessories: 65W USB-C PD charger
Chuwi CoreBook Air: Design
The Chuwi CoreBook is a slim, lightweight Windows 11 Pro laptop that has been perfectly designed for portability and mid-range power use, essentially ideal for students, business users, and anyone looking for a home laptop that’s both robust and powerful enough for the entire family. The balance of the CPU and GPU means that it’s great for general use, but if you’re looking for the latest cutting-edge graphics power, then this is a mid-range machine. While powerful, it won’t be able to run some of the more top-tier games or multimedia software, although they will load.
With that in mind, portability is one of its key focuses. At just over 1kg, 1.08 kg, and measuring 298.4 x 221.3 x 16.3 mm, it will fit into almost any backpack or laptop bag without issue. It’s also one of the smallest and lightest laptops out there. The design is very similar in style to the Geekbook X14 Pro, although that had slightly more squared-off corners and a few key differences in the port configurations and, of course, internal workings.
Taking a look around the side of the machine, starting on the left, there’s a full-size HDMI 2.1 TMDS port to easily connect to larger displays or projectors. Next to this are two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports, and these are fully featured, perfect for connecting to ultra-fast external SSDs or delivering power to other devices. On the right-hand side is another USB Type-C (data only), a 3.5mm audio jack, and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port.
Looking around the body, this is pretty much it for ports and buttons, but up on the top edge of the screen, it’s nice to see there’s a sliding camera privacy cover. It’s mechanical, but this is often the best solution; you know you have absolute privacy once that camera is covered.
On the base of the machine, there’s a huge vent panel, and again on the back with very minimalistic profiling. There’s a good amount of venting between the body of the laptop and the hinge for the screen. As the machine really starts to work, especially when playing games, you can feel the warmth filtering up through the gap between the screen and keyboard. As you open the screen, the hinge feels good and secure, showing little loss for everyday use. The keyboard layout and trackpad are of a decent size.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Looking around the body, this is pretty much it for ports and buttons, but up on the top edge of the screen, it’s nice to see there’s a sliding camera privacy cover. It’s mechanical, but this is often the best solution; you know you have absolute privacy once that camera is covered.
On the base of the machine, there’s a huge vent panel, and again on the back with very minimalistic profiling. There’s a good amount of venting between the body of the laptop and the hinge for the screen. As the machine really starts to work, especially when playing games, you can feel the warmth filtering up through the gap between the screen and keyboard.
When you open the screen, the hinge feels good and secure, showing little loss for everyday use. The keyboard layout and trackpad are of a decent size.
Design: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Chuwi CoreBook Air: Features
Looking at the feature set, one of the bigger appeals here is just how small and lightweight this laptop is, just a kilogram. It will easily slip into a laptop bag or backpack without adding too much weight, and with its full aluminium alloy casing, it does feel nice and robust.
Opening up the laptop reveals the 14-inch Full HD screen with 1920 x 1200 resolution. It’s not the highest resolution we’ve seen in this style of laptop, but at this price, it’s all pretty decent and should suffice for day-to-day use. The screen itself is a 14-inch WUXGA display with a 16:10 aspect ratio that offers 315 nits of brightness. In brighter conditions, you might need to shade it a little bit. However, the surface of the screen seems to be of exceptional quality and helps reduce reflections and glare.
Complementing the visuals are dual custom box-tuned speakers that help provide audio—a step up from many speaker systems found on mid-range laptops.
Inside, powering Windows and other applications is an AMD Ryzen 5 processor with 6 cores, 12 threads, and up to 4.5GHz. This is coupled with a Radeon 660M (RDNA2) integrated GPU, which should be more than enough for most mid-range games. It also includes 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of PCIe SSD storage.
Ensuring the laptop has enough power for everyday use, there’s a 55Wh battery, which, while not the largest capacity, will still provide plenty of power for a day’s work, and shouldn’t take too long to charge using the 65W USB-C PD charger, charging up to 60% in just 55 minutes.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Features: 4 / 5
Chuwi CoreBook Air: Performance
Benchmark scores
CrystalDiskMark Read: 3064.43 CrystalDiskMark Write: 1289.67 Geekbench CPU Multi: 5389 Geekbench CPU Single: 1397 Geekbench GPU: 7734 PCMark Overall: 5850 Cinebench CPU Multi: 8634 Cinebench CPU Single: 1429 Fire Strike Overall: 4492 Fire Strike Graphics: 4851 Fire Strike Physics: 18743 Fire Strike Combined: 1667 Time Spy Overall: 1720 Time Spy Graphics: 1528 Time Spy CPU: 5985 Wild Life Overall: 8748 Steel Nomad Overall: 214 Windows Experience Overall: N/A
Starting out with the Chuwi CoreBook Air is straightforward. Windows 11 Pro is pre-installed, so all you need to do is run through the last few steps to get up and running. When I did this, it took about 15 minutes, signing into Microsoft and Google accounts, and making sure the system was fully updated.
One thing I also had to do was ensure all the AMD graphics drivers had been installed. While the AMD application was pre-installed, the final driver software wasn’t, so that’s something to note if you plan to buy this laptop.
Without those AMD drivers installed, even with the software there, the performance is considerably restricted. But once all updates were done to both Windows 11 Pro and AMD, the uplift was instantly apparent. As I started to load Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, all three applications loaded quickly. Opening documents and presentations, the machine handled them without much issue.
The only thing I’d note is that while Microsoft Word worked fantastically well, Excel and PowerPoint felt a little restricted on the display with that lower resolution. However, since the USB-C ports on the side are fully featured, you can always connect to a 4K display without too many issues, and that 4K resolution is easily supported by this machine.
Using Word to write this review, the speed of the machine was perfect for general work and productivity, and I was easily able to switching between Word, PowerPoint and Microsoft Edge. Later, while compiling a PowerPoint presentation for an evening lecture, I was able to gather multimedia content and design the presentation again the laptop was able to handle everything smoothly.
Taking a closer look at PowerPoint, while it’s very usable on the 1920 x 1200 resolution screen, I always prefer more screen space, especially when flicking between slides. Here, connecting to a 4K monitor did help with that process. Although even on the Full HD screen, PowerPoint was very usable, and if you were on a train putting together a presentation, the clarity and brightness of the screen would suffice.
One thing I did note about the screen, aside from the resolution, was screen brightness. Brightness is limited to 350 nits. During the UK winter months, when daylight is at a premium, this isn’t too much of an issue, as most of the time it’s quite dark, and 350 nits is probably more than enough. But on a bright day in the office, with sunlight streaming through the window, that brightness was starting to be challenged. If you are planning to use this outdoors or in well-lit environments, then 350 nits is around the minimum you’d want.
Otherwise, the screen is very good, perfect for productivity, although a little limited when it rolls over into creative applications.
Having experienced decent performance throughout all the Microsoft Office applications, I moved on to some creative tasks, first, loading Adobe Photoshop, which ran surprisingly smoothly. I opened up images from the Sony A7 IV for other reviews, cropping, resizing, and doing some basic image enhancement. Photoshop was more than capable of not only handling those high-resolution image files but also applying effects. Once again, the only drawback was that with a screen of this resolution, the available workspace felt a little limited.
Switching to an application that feels more at home on this screen size, I tried Lightroom, which worked incredibly well. Enhancements and adjustments were applied quickly, and although the screen resolution felt a little low, Lightroom Classic was more than sufficient. Even when it came to bulk exporting adjusted images, the machine had no issue handling the load.
I then moved on to some higher-demand applications, including Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, to test 4K video. It became instantly apparent that this wasn’t going to be possible. While video was rendered on the timeline, as I dragged files across into the timeline in both applications, things began to slow down dramatically. I had to wait for the system to catch up, and the fans kicked in due to the increase in processing.
I retried the process, this time using 1080p footage downscaled in Adobe Media Encoder. Here, the footage was editable, and again I was impressed with the performance. while, the fans did kick in to help keep things cool, editing a relatively complex five-minute video was manageable. Switching to a less processor-intensive app like CapCut might be a good idea for light editing.
After modest results with video editing, I switched over to a little bit of gaming, loading Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. I had to reduce all settings right down to the lowest and even drop from Full HD to 720p. Still, the game was jittery and not a great experience, despite it technically being able to run.
I then tried Red Dead Redemption 2, and again saw similar issues with scaling and choppy graphics. So really, if you’re looking to play the latest games, while the Radeon 660M integrated GPU is quite good for multimedia creation, when it comes to gameplay of higher end games, it just doesn’t have the power.
Performance: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Chuwi CoreBook Air: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The Chuwi CoreBook Air proves itself as a very competent day-to-day machine for use in and out of the office. It’s a decent size, lightweight, strong and robust. While the keyboard and trackpad might not be premium, they are of decent quality, and for most users, typing on them will feel perfectly fine.
What’s impressive is the pure performance of the mid-range CPU and GPU combo. While they aren’t AI-enhanced for applications, they’re perfectly good for day-to-day use, as well as watching multimedia and browsing the internet, this small laptop is more than powerful enough.
I also really liked the volume of connectivity options. The Wi-Fi connection speed seemed exceptionally good and robust, especially when connected to the Netgear Nighthawk M7 for the majority of testing. With three USB-C ports, two fully featured and one for data only, you have plenty of connection options, and that important flexibility of being able to charge the laptop with almost any modern charger.
While the 55Wh battery might not be the largest, it was more than sufficient for a good day’s light work, handling spreadsheets, Word, and PowerPoint. But as soon as you start pushing the processor, battery life drops rapidly. It’s good to see that you can get a 60% charge from a flat in just over an hour.
What really strikes me about the CoreBook Air is the price. You’re effectively getting a powerful laptop for everyday use for not a great deal of money. Okay, the screen resolution might be a little low, and the brightness a little dim compared with some, but when it comes to the strength of the build quality and the abilities of that mid-range CPU and GPU combo, for most people and most workloads, this laptop will be more than sufficient.
Should I buy the Chuwi CoreBook Air?
Value
Excellent value for money considering the performance you can get from this mid-range laptop
4
Design
Good, strong build quality with the aluminium casing giving it a premium feel at a mid-range price
4
Features
Well-balanced set of features that aren’t groundbreaking but provide you with a good workhorse of a machine
4
Performance
Real performance is good for productivity. OK for creative applications. Best to look elsewhere if you want to do gaming
4
Overall
Overall, a well-balanced machine that’s great for most office work, light creativity and gaming
4
Buy it if...
You want on-the-go productivity This ideal if you need a lightweight machine that handles office, browsing, and creative tasks smoothly in a travel-friendly size.
You want good general performance on a budget The CoreBook Air delivers decent all-around performance and the ability to go slightly beyond simple productivity applications without spending a fortune.
Don't buy it if...
You want upgradability With the RAM soldered in place, there’s no option to upgrade, which could limit compatibility with future applications.
You need top-tier media tools. This laptop includes everything from speakers to a webcam and a relatively decent GPU, but if you're a content creator, they’re just not at the level required.
If you think more pixels makes for a better PC monitor, you're going to love the new LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A. This 6K monster of a monitor has over 21 million of them. For context, a 4K display has just eight million. It's a massive step up.
What you don't get, at least not compared with a regular 32-inch 4K monitor, is more actual display size. Instead, those 21 million pixels are crammed into essentially the same 32-inch diagonal, resulting in much, much higher pixel density. Where 4K on a 32-inche monitor comes in around 140 pixels per inch, the LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A clocks in at 224 pixels per inch.
In other words, this is a true high-DPI display. It's a pretty high-performance display by several other metrics, too, at least for an IPS as opposed to an OLED monitor. There's good colour coverage and true 10-bit fidelity, for instance.
Less impressive is the 60Hz refresh. It's perhaps inevitable given the epic resolution and this monitor's productivity rather than gaming remit. But here in 2026, 60Hz seems a bit sluggish, as does the quoted 5ms pixel response time. Countering that is excellent connectivity, including dual Thunderbolt 5 ports and plenty of further USB-C inputs and outputs.
As for value, well, it all depends how you're coming at this LG. Compared to the near-enough $6,000 Apple Pro Display XDR, which is also 6K and 32 inches, it's a bargain, if less capable in some important ways. But at $1,999 or £1,799, it's also way more expensive than most of the best 4K monitors available today. So, you'll really want to appreciate those extra pixels.
The LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A is a slick display that looks like it's been designed to please Apple Mac users. In terms of pure aesthetics it will do just that, thanks to its minimalist vibe, slim bezels and engineering elements like a display hinge that mimics Apple's Pro Display XDR.
However, it's not as nicely built as either of Apple's own monitors, the Studio Display or the aforementioned Pro Display XDR. The mix of plastic and metal used here doesn't feel even nearly as premium as the lush alloys of the Apple alternatives. The huge external power brick is also a little untidy compared to monitors with integrated power supplies.
Still, by PC monitor standards, this LG is well enough screwed together and offers a decent range of adjustability from its stand. It also boasts excellent connectivity. You get dual Thunderbolt 5 ports with 96W of power delivery, just for starters.
To that you can add DisplayPort 2.1, HDMI 2.1 and another three USB-C ports. Together, that ensures pretty much all your connectivity needs are covered, including single-cable connectivity with a laptop, sharing the display with multiple PCs and even daisychaining with full 6K support.
Of course, the main event is the 32-inch 6K panel. It's an IPS Black item, so has heightened contrast compared with most other IPS monitors. But when it comes to not only contrast but also HDR performance, its specs still fall miles behind an OLED display.
That's no surprise given this monitor is only rated for DisplayHDR 600 certification. In other words, it lacks full-array local dimming. That said, colour coverage is good, extending to 98% of the DCI-P3 gamut and there's also true 10-bit per channel colour support without dithering.
LG UltraFine 6K Evo: Performance
LG // FutureLG // FutureLG // Future
Incredibly sharp visuals
Good colour accuracy
Poor contrast and HDR performance
The LG UltraFine 6K Evo 32U990A is both stellar and disappointing in almost equal measure. But let's start with its finest quality, which is surely the incredible pixel density enabled by full 6K resolution on a 32-inch panel.
The resulting 224 pixels per inch makes for incredibly sharp visuals and fabulously clear and crisp text. It also allows for a huge amount of space for professional workflows. The appeal here compared to a mere 4K monitor, for instance, is that you can view 4K content in a window at full resolution and still have significant space left over for timelines, toolbars and more.
However, the 6K resolution and outstanding pixel density is compromised by the IPS panel's slightly old-school anti-glare coating, which introduces a touch of visible sparkle. Moreover, the step up from a 4K panel in terms of visual detail also isn't entirely earth shattering. Yes, this display is sharper and the text is crisper. But you're paying quite the price premium for those benefits.
The very fact that this is an IPS panel as opposed to OLED also makes it feel rather old fashioned. Sure, the colour accuracy at factory settings is good in both SDR and HDR modes. But even with the latest IPS Black panel tech and 2,000:1 claimed contrast, this monitor looks a bit watery and washed out compared to the latest OLED monitors. The black levels in particular look poor next to any OLED display.
In part that's thanks to the fact that this LG only has DisplayHDR 600 certification. That means it's specified with mere edge-lit backlighting, likely with around 16 zones, not full-array local dimming with hundreds or thousands of zones. In short, this is not a true HDR display.
The 60Hz refresh likewise adds to the sense of a slightly outdated display. Sure, this is no gaming monitor. But even for routine daily computing tasks, 120Hz or higher makes everything more pleasant. Of course, by IPS display standards, this is not a poor monitor. It's just, at this price point, you have so many options. What you gain in terms of 6K pixel density with this display you arguably lose in other areas.
LG UltraFine 6K Evo: Final verdict
LG // FutureLG // FutureLG // Future
LG's new 6K display is an exciting prospect, on paper. The combination of native 6K support using the latest IPS Black panel tech is very appealing, for sure. In practice, this premium pro display somewhat disappoints.
For sure, you get an outstanding high-DPI experience. But unless your specific workflows benefit from the extra desktop space, the subjective upgrade in terms of visual clarity and the quality of text rendering is more marginal than you might expect compared to a 4K display of the same size.
At the same time, the limitations of an IPS panel, even with improved contrast, are all too obvious at a price point that includes 4K OLED alternatives such as the Asus ProArt PA32UCDM. The comparatively poor contrast and black levels are all too obvious. There's a significant speed deficit, too, in terms of refresh rate and pixel response.
Admittedly, LG has given this display outstanding connectivity that extends to dual Thunderport 5 ports with support for 6K monitor daisy-chaining. So, in many ways, this is a very powerful productivity tool.
The problem is the 6K and connectivity upsides come with quite a few compromises. Long story short, what many will want is a display like this but based on OLED panel tech. Given the lofty pricing, that isn't an outrageous ask even if such a monitor doesn't currently exist. Until it does, if you are happy with an IPS panel and your workflows will benefit from the 6K resolution, LG's latest Ultrafine monitor probably adds up. But only barely.
The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 is not your usual business PC. It's not going to be the pick for casual users, or gamers, or admin work. And it's worth specifying that to begin with: this is a beast of a machine for professionals who need uncompromising power in engineering, AI, and all-around business performance, and who want a machine that is capable today and upgradable for the future,
Yes, it’s niche, and that’s okay. Dell doesn’t shy away from creating machines for a specific subset of users.
If you’re looking into this machine, there is a wide range in specs and pricing. The entry-level buildout is right around $1,000. But the high specs on my review unit are pushing $13,000. So, it may rank as one of the best workstations I've tested, but it certainly comes at a (hefty) price.
Dell Pro Max Tower T2: Price and Availability
The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 is available from both Dell US and Dell UK in a range of configurations.
The entry configurations are priced at around $1,000 and still include a Core Ultra 7, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an AMD Radeon Pro GPU.
As I mentioned, my buildout is pretty high-tier. My exact buildout is priced at $12,787 and features an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K vPro with 128 GB of RAM, an NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell with 96GB, 4 TB of storage, and a massive 1500W PSU… oh, and a DVDRW drive.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
Dell Pro Max Tower T2: Unboxing and First Impressions
The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 brings me down memory lane; it makes me remember the PCs I grew up on, the one I learned my fascination with computers on, and then I turned it on.
The machine that once reminded me of dial-up and waiting for a simple PDF or low•res photo to fully render is no longer reminiscent of my past at all, and simply reminds me that this is 2026 and this machine means business for today, and tomorrow. That’s exactly how this machine feels. Granted, it‘s no small casing, but for the amount of power packed into this chassis, the power-to-size ratio is wild.
Another thing that quickly surprised me is the port offering. There are great DisplayPorts, USB-A and USB-C ports, a disk drive for crying out loud, and other great ports that make this a spectacular machine all around. What‘s awesome too is that the build quality is spectacular, yes, it is a big machine, but it's a big machine that is built to last, and built to be re-built as new components are released, keeping the desktop workstation around for quite some time to come.
Dell Pro Max Tower T2: Design & Build Quality
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
This desktop has a classic tower design with a. 32L Chassis that offers great cooling, space to expand and change out parts in the future, and it fits the mold of what pro-level users are used to, which is a bigger deal than some may think.
For those who are not necessarily enthusiasts but are just pro-users, they may not care about the fancy new doohickeys, gadgets, and gizmos. They want a machine that will work the way they need it to, every time, without fail or downtime, and they want it to work right away. They don‘t want to have to learn a new system or rebuild their setup.
The form factor helps with that, but so does the port location, the simple DisplayPort out, the IEC power connection, not some proprietary cable, and the all-around business-first focus. It’s simple things like this that help business users.
Beyond the design, the build quality is great. It’s rugged enough that you can get work done without worrying about your machine breaking, and it looks and feels professional enough that it never passes as a gaming machine, keeping this strictly business.
The internals of this blast-from-the-past-looking tower are nothing close to those with which I grew up. It’s rocking an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K with 24 cores, up to 5.7GHz boost, and built-in NPU AI Acceleration. It has an NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell with 96GB, plus a total of 4TB of blazing-fast SSD storage, 128GB of RAM, and a power supply with plenty of headroom to add other components in the future.
This computer is fine-tuned down to the component selection for AI models, training, 8K video editing, large-scale rendering, massive database manipulation, CAD, simulations, and more. This machine is a powerhouse. Plain and simple.
Dell Pro Max Tower T2: In use
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future )
I work alongside engineers, those who work with large data warehouses, those who work with AI, those who work in 3D modeling, 4K and 6K video editors, professional photographers, those who run massive visual events, those who run full custom applications, and so on. I was able to work alongside all of those individuals with this computer to see just how powerful the Dell Pro Max T2 Tower truly is.
It is important to note that this is not a gaming PC; those are also highly spec’d, but in different ways. You could upgrade the GPU to a more gaming-focused one to get closer, but right now this machine is built for work, not play.
I'd happily use this machine as my workhorse for serious work. In high-performance roles like data engineering and architecture, tower PCs are common. This machine is spectacular for that. If you already have a monitor and keyboard setup you love, you're just looking for a more powerful engine for your ecosystem. That's exactly what this delivers.
It’s snappy, has great ports, doesn’t slow down, and stays quiet even during benchmarking tests.
The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 is a powerhouse workstation designed for real productivity. It’s not your everyday gaming PC; it’s more than that. Yes, it’s not the most advanced gaming GPU, but it is among the most powerful for raw performance and processing.
For AI, data models, data-intensive work, massive productivity, and beyond, this will handle it. And thanks to the old-school tower form factor, this machine can be upgraded with other components as you desire, without breaking solder joints or cramming parts in.
In short, this isn’t the PC for most, but for those who know they need incredible power in a Windows machine to handle these kinds of tasks, then this may just be the enterprise-grade machine you’ve been dreaming of.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a remake of what is perhaps the most divisive game in Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Like A Dragon franchise. It comes with overhauled graphics, refreshed combat, a more fleshed-out narrative, and, of course, a new separate story – dubbed Dark Ties – which follows the path of antagonist Yoshitaka Mine.
Review info
Platform reviewed: PS5 Available on: PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC Release date: February 11, 2026 (Steam); February 12, 2026 (other platforms)
Having recently gone back to the Yakuza 3 Remastered on PlayStation 4, I can say that Kiwami 3 is a very comprehensive remake, and changes to its visuals, combat, and story certainly feel striking.
But are all of these changes for the better? Does this remake continue the high standard that RGG Studio set with the first 2 Kiwami games? Well, the answer to those questions may not be particularly straightforward.
A Dragon reborn
(Image credit: Sega)
Let’s start by discussing the main game: Yakuza Kiwami 3. This follows the story of Kazuma Kiryu – also known as the Dragon of Dojima – a former Yakuza and Tojo Clan Chairman. Following the events of Kiwami 2, Kiryu decides to run an orphanage on the island of Okinawa. But it doesn’t take long before he’s embroiled in yet more drama.
His orphanage is under threat, due to it being situated on land that's needed for a government-backed resort plan. The new Tojo Clan chairman is shot by a mysterious figure. And a succession dispute is erupting among the Tojo family patriarchs. The narrative is still gripping, although this revisit does make a couple of changes.
As some fans may already know, there’s been a shake-up to the finale, which is undoubtedly going to ruffle some feathers. I won’t go into details, but in my view, this change isn’t executed very well. It takes some of the emotion and impact away from the original Yakuza 3, causing the game to fall short of the very best RPGs, narrative-wise.
Something else that may reduce the impact of the narrative is the newly added English voice acting. I know I’m far from the only one who’s said this, but some of the English voices are poor, especially that of Kiryu himself. There’s a lack of maturity and gruffness to the protagonist’s voice, meaning his iconic personality doesn’t shine through. As a result, I played through the game in Japanese.
Best bit
(Image credit: Sega)
One of the highlights for me was playing through the various mini-games at Morning Glory. So when I defeated the grand-champion of bug catching – Mame the dog – I was absolutely over the moon. That pooch puts up one hell of a fight, believe me.
Still, a lot of the other adjustments feel largely positive. For instance, combat feels far better than it did in the original. The new Ryukyu style – which is inspired by Okinawan weapon arts – is brutal and optimized for wiping out swathes of enemies at once. There’s a wide variety of weapons that Kiryu can use in this style, and learning new combos makes it truly devastating.
The Dragon of Dojima style feels excellent too, and perfectly personifies the classic brawler combat Kiryu is known for. You can learn new abilities, including heat action finishers and grabbing techniques – usually, you’ll have to use points earned in battle to do so. Other aspects, like health and strength enhancements, require you to use cash instead. In my opinion, this feels more streamlined and polished than the original upgrade system, and I really enjoyed enhancing my build as the game progressed.
Just generally, combat feels more refined in Kiwami 3. The issue of enemies continually blocking has been significantly improved, battles feel a bit faster-paced, and Kiryu’s movement feels more fluid. I did find that the game was considerably easier than other Yakuza games – at least playing on standard difficulty. As a result, I reduced my use of healing items in battle – but you can select a harder difficulty option instead, if you’d prefer a greater challenge.
Another significant addition is the Lalala Phone, which you can customize to improve Kiryu’s abilities – or just for aesthetic reasons. This is surprisingly fun and provides a real throwback to the late noughties. You can also add friends in Tokyo or Okinawa, and eventually unlock rewards for doing so, giving an actual incentive to use your phone. This has seemingly replaced the original’s Revelations feature, though, which was a source of quirky and often funny cutscenes.
(Image credit: Sega)
But before I move on to Dark Ties, I want to talk about two other major changes – one that I loved, and one that I was less hot on.
I’ll start with the good: Life At Morning Glory. Here, you can complete a bunch of mini-games, like helping the children with homework, sewing, harvesting crops, and fishing. I was absolutely addicted to these – especially the latter two, as they’re necessary for cooking meals requested by the kids. Cooking is a blast, and it’s really wholesome watching Kiryu bond with the orphans over food. More generally, you see so much more of Kiryu’s relationship with the children in this remake – and although he may be a punch-first, ask-questions-later kind of guy, you get a window into the softer, more sensitive side of him, which is a joy to watch.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t in love with the other major addition, Bad Boy Dragon. In this story, Kiryu becomes chairman of the Haisai Girls and supports them in their aim to protect Okinawa, crush the oppressive Tokyo Night Terrors, and become Japan’s leading girl gang. You’ll fight in turf wars and large-scale battles in order to achieve all of this, and frequently recruit new members along the way.
Personally, I found this part of the adventure to be a little tedious. Fighting in turf wars feels same-y after a little while, and the trope of helping a group of underdogs win against the odds – as seen with Four Shine in Yakuza Kiwami 2and Real Estate Royale in Yakuza 0 – just felt a little uninspired. The environments you battle through also lack differentiation, making this part of Kiryu’s campaign less compelling than others.
Enter the underworld
(Image credit: Sega)
Kiwami 3 definitely adds a lot of good stuff, but not all of its additions work out for the best. But my suspicion is that a lot of players – especially returning fans – will be more interested in the Dark Ties content, which follows Tojo Clan newbie Yoshitaka Mine. Here, you uncover the origins of Mine’s Yakuza career, explore his relationship with the brutish Tsuyoshi Kanda, and explore his desire to learn about genuine human bonds.
This is a shorter style of game, with just three chapters. Dark Ties clocked in at under 8 hours for me after I completed the story, as well as a healthy dollop of side-content. But there’s still plenty of fun to be had.
Firstly, I want to talk about combat. We already gushed about Mine’s moves in our Dark Ties preview, and for good reason. Mine’s shootboxing style is truly vicious and brilliantly reflects his character – especially when you’re using the souped-up Dark Awakening mechanic. But even his normal moveset – made up of Intense knee smashes, rapid-fire jabs, and acrobatic grabs – makes Mine’s new campaign a blast to blitz through. Seriously, I even found myself enjoying random encounters with street thugs.
(Image credit: Sega)
I really took a shine to Kanda Damage Control as well. This sees Mine attempt to boost the reputation of his aniki, Kanda – a man who I’d describe as a disgusting pig if I were feeling generous. In order to do this, Mine has to do good deeds around Kamurocho – after which he always claims to be Kanda himself. It never gets old, honestly. These often involve high-octane battles, but sometimes descend into the typical wackiness that Yakuza is loved for. I spent a lot of time with this, and plan to max out Kanda’s rank in the coming days for sure.
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Because the other major part of the game – Hell’s Arena – did not do it for me at all. This is basically a dungeon crawler where you have to avoid death, loot treasure chests, and destroy your enemies with the help of various mercenaries and weapons. In a similar vein to Bad Boy Dragon, the dungeon-crawling in Hell’s Arena can feel tedious, and the setting didn’t feel varied or interesting enough to draw me back in.
Story-telling is pretty good throughout Dark Ties, though. Mine is fixated on Tojo Clan Chairman, Daigo Dojima, and the way that the latter’s men will risk their very lives in order to save their boss. I was engaged with Mine’s pursuit of human connection, his conflicting relationship with Kanda, and his rise through the Tojo Clan, ensuring that Dark Ties felt like a worthwhile addition overall.
The Dragon and the Kirin
(Image credit: Sega)
We’ve spoken in depth about Yakuza Kiwami 3 as well as Dark Ties now, but it’s time to bring them together and look at the package as a whole.
Now, something that has whipped up a lot of discussion online is the graphical quality of the game – especially with regards to Kiwami 3. An update was released during my review, intended to fix “a lighting issue” and “other quality concerns”. This will be available for all players at launch.
Using version 1.11 of the game, I didn’t have some of the lighting issues encountered by other players, and with HDR active and a few tweaks, I had Kiwami 3 looking pretty solid. RGG Studios’ attempt at ‘tropical lighting’ can make some in-game elements appear oversaturated, though. Some street signs, for instance, looked almost too bright, creating quite the contrast against the original’s grittier color palette.
Just generally, I wasn’t bowled over by the visuals across both campaigns, actually. Some of the in-game textures – stuff like cars and walls, say – just look a bit dated, and lacked the sharpness I’d expect from a 2026 release. Sure, you’re still getting an upgrade overall from the remaster of Yakuza 3, and the game’s visuals aren’t ugly or anything – they’re just not especially impressive.
But back to the good stuff. I was really pleased with the performance of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties on PlayStation 5. With 4K visuals and a smooth framerate, you can expect pretty seamless gameplay with very few hiccups.
I was also loving the soundtrack once again. Yakuza always brings together an eclectic mix of aggressive battle music, smooth jazz, and upbeat tracks to suit every mood or setting, and Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is no different. You can even listen to tunes from other Sega titles, like Rhythm Thief & The Emperor’s Treasure, Persona 3 Reload, and Metaphor: ReFantazio using Kiryu or Mine’s phone, which I adored.
(Image credit: Sega)
But now I want to return to the questions that I posed at the beginning. Are all of the changes made in Yakuza Kiwami 3 for the better? Well, the short answer is no. On the whole, you’re getting an improved experience, with better combat, a shiny new battle style, and boatloads of new content. However, changes to the finale and the slightly tedious Bad Boy Dragon side-story felt less positive.
Does Kiwami 3 maintain the high standards set by its remade predecessors? On the whole, yes. The more streamlined upgrade system, good performance, and quality of life adjustments are most welcome. But I think RGG Studio could’ve made a more visually impressive game. A few other choices – like redesigning a major character named Rikiya and removing Revelations – may also upset some hardcore fans.
With that said, I was a fan of Dark Ties overall, in spite of a couple of flaws. I wouldn’t say that this helps to propel the overall package to the dizzying heights that other entries in the series have reached, though. And ultimately, I feel that Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties sit in the ‘good category’, rather than the ‘great’ one.
Should you play Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties?:
(Image credit: Sega)
Play it if...
You’re looking for action-packed combat The combat in both Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties is very enjoyable. Smashing through enemies with the new Ryukyu style with Kiryu or viscerally attacking foes with Mine never gets old. I love using new skills against bitter ex-Yakuza called reapers in Yakuza Kiwami 3 or troublesome opponents in Kanda Damage Control in Dark Ties.
You want to learn more about Mine Mine is a villain with quite a bit of depth, and Dark Ties is a great way to discover more about him. In this separate story, you’ll learn about the end of his business career and descent into the underworld, and it’s pretty gripping from start to end.
Don't play it if...
You’re a stranger to the series If you’ve not played a game in the Yakuza series before, I strongly advise against starting with this one. By the time you find Kiryu in Okinawa, you’ve just missed out on too much lore. Go back to Yakuza Kiwami, or even better, Yakuza 0, and work your way up to this one.
You’re expecting amazing next-gen visuals If you’re looking for a real spectacle to enjoy on your PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC, then Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties may not hit the spot. Some textures look a bit dated, and the lighting may not do it for those seeking out a more realistic, natural-looking game.
Accessibility features
There’s a pretty comprehensive set of accessibility features to explore in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. You can set auto quick-time events, swap the left and right sticks, choose between rapid or hold button controls, and customize the camera to your liking. You can also alter subtitle language and text size, map controls to different buttons, and utilize color vision assistance.
(Image credit: Sega)
How I reviewed Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties:
For this review, I spent more than 50 hours playing through Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. During this time, I rolled credits on both Kiryu's and Mine’s campaigns, defeated all of the reapers, and completed the Life At Morning Glory and Bad Boy Dragon storylines.
I played the PS5 version of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties on my Sky Glass Gen 2 TV, which is connected to a Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. On occasion, I dipped into the Yakuza 3 remaster in order to compare performance, graphics, and gameplay.
