The Lenovo Legion Tower 5 is a high-end gaming PC with a formidable spec designed to handle modern games without sacrificing much in the way of graphical fidelity.
It looks understated yet elegant as far as tower PCs go, thanks in no small part to the matte finish and rounded corners. The vibrant yet tasteful RGB lighting on the fans and through the front panel logo also adds to its allure.
What’s more, its premium appeal is more than skin deep: the Legion Tower 5 can lay claim to having one of the best gaming PC cases in terms of build quality. Every material feels solid and durable, including the glass side cover.
The only aspect I disliked was the top ventilation panel, since its sharp undulating design is uncomfortable to hold. Thankfully, there’s a grab handle at the front for when you need to move the Legion Tower 5; and you’ll certainly need the purchase it provides, since it’s a monstrously heavy unit.
There’s some scope to expand the potential of the Legion Tower 5, but not by much. Three M.2 drives and one HDD can be installed simultaneously, but 32GB is the maximum RAM allowance. I could see two spare SATA ports and one PCIe slot free, but that’s all.
(Image credit: Future)
The usual ports can be found on the Legion Tower 5, with plenty of USB-A ports and audio ports on the rear. The front panel is quite sparse though, and the inclusion of a USB-C port at this end might be disappointing to some, depending on the peripherals they have.
As you would expect given its components, the general performance of the Legion Tower 5 is excellent. It’s also free from bloatware, with Lenovo’s bundled software proving unintrusive and even useful. Lenovo Vantage offers some useful system functions and details, while LegionSpace is a simple and effective way to adjust performance settings and fan speeds.
Gaming with the Legion Tower 5 is a joy. It effortlessly runs AAA titles with fps figures in the hundreds. What’s more, it does so in near-silence and without approaching temperatures beyond the mildly tepid.
All this quality and performance does come at a price, but it’s not as eye-watering as some rivals. There are cheaper 5070 builds, but considering the quality of the case and components, not to mention its exceptional cooling abilities, the Legion Tower 5 might just be worth it for those after top-draw performance without sacrificing peace and quiet.
Lenovo Legion Tower 5: Price & availability
(Image credit: Future)
Starts from $1,449.99 / £1,395 / AU$2,069
Available now
Decent value
The Legion Tower 5 is available now in the US, UK, and Australia, starting at $1,449.99 / £1,395 / AU$2,069 for the AMD Ryzen 10th Gen builds, while the Intel-based Tower 5i Gen 10 starts at $1,319.99 / £1,116 / AU$2,519.
For the AMD builds, numerous configurations are available, peaking at builds with a Ryzen 9 7950X3D and an RTX 5070 Ti, while the Intel builds feature up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F and an Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti. Maximum capacities for RAM and storage are 32GB and 2TB, respectively – although the latter is expandable with separately purchased drives, thanks to its three M.2 slots and an extra space for a HDD (although storage bays are only available on some models).
This isn’t a bad price considering what’s on offer, but there are still cheaper alternatives. The HP Victus 15L and HP Omen 16L cost significantly less, but you will have to settle for much lower specs. However, we found their performance capable enough for 1080p gaming and their relatively small size and generous front port selection add to their appeal.
A more closely-matched rival to the Legion Tower 5 is the NZXT Player PC, which is similarly priced to the Legion Tower 5 and likewise features an RTX 5070. Like the Legion Tower 5, it’s built to a very high standard, yet it just about undercuts it on price in some regions.
The Legion Tower 5 makes a good first impression, with its steely but elegantly designed case. The bright RGB lighting of the fans and front “Legion” logo livens up the unit without being brash.
It’s built to a high standard, too. The materials feel as premium as they look, and every panel feels sturdy and durable, even the glass side cover. The downside, however, is that the Legion Tower 5 is quite large and very heavy, so moving around can be difficult.
And you won’t want to grab it from the top, as the ventilation mesh has a spiked design that can dig uncomfortably into the hand. Fortunately, there’s a useful grab handle just behind the front ports you can hold instead.
There’s some scope for expanding components, but not much. There are four DDR5 memory slots, but only a maximum of 32GB is supported. Up to three M.2 SSDs and one HDD can be installed simultaneously, and there are two spare SATA ports and a spare PCIe 4x slot.
On the rear you’ll find the usual selection of ports. There are six USB ports, although only two of them utilize the SuperSpeed standard. There are also the obligatory headphone, microphone, and line-in connections.
(Image credit: Future)
Oddly, the PSU is located at the top, resulting in a dangling power cable: this is never ideal, but here it can potentially obscure other rearside connections, too. What’s more, this placement effectively shortens the length of the cable if your outlet is close to the floor.
At the front, port selection is more scarce. There are two USB ports, although one is type-C, which could prove contentious depending on what you’re connecting. Personally, I would’ve preferred both to have been type-A, given most of my peripherals use this standard – and I suspect many others’ do as well.
My Legion Tower 5 review unit came with a mouse and keyboard: basic affairs that were perfectly functional, but clearly designed for productivity rather than gaming. The keys’ short travel and lack of feedback make them better for typing than WASD use, while the mouse has no DPI selector or even side buttons. Needless to say, Lenovo certainly hasn’t provided the best gaming keyboard or the best gaming mouse here.
Design: 4.5 / 5
Lenovo Legion Tower 5: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
Excellent AAA performance
Impressively cool and quiet
Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 10 (30L AMD) CPU benchmarks:
Benchmark
Score
Geekbench 6.4 Single-core
2,594
Geekbench 6.4 Multi-core
13,554
Crossmark Overall
1,846
Crossmark Productivity
1,734
Crossmark Creativity
2,127
Crossmark Responsiveness
1,454
Cinebench R23 Single Core
1,693
Cinebench R23 Multi Core
17,376
Cinebench R24 Single Core
104
Cinebench R24 Multi Core
934
The performance of the Legion Tower 5 is excellent, with the RTX 5070 in my review unit delivering on its promises.
As you would imagine, everyday tasks are handled equally well. Document and spreadsheet workloads are processed instantly, while 4K streaming is seamless, lacking the significant buffering times that can plague less capable machines.
Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 10 (30L AMD) GPU benchmarks
Benchmarks
Score
3DMark Fire Strike
43,845
3DMark Steel Nomad
5,495
3DMark Solar Bay
107,638
3DMark Solar Bay Unlimited
105,290
3DMark Speed Way
5,960
3DMark Port Royal
14,302
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
43,652
3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited
42,947
More impressive, however, is just how quiet the Legion Tower 5 is. During my entire time with it, the fans never rose above a gentle whir, even when the system was set to Performance mode.
What’s more, the unit remained remarkably cool throughout, never exceeding lukewarm temperatures. The Legion Tower 5 is exclusively air-cooled, utilizing six fans that offer up to 180W of power – and they certainly seem effective.
Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 10 (30L AMD) gaming benchmarks
Game
Average FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra)
72
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest, 1080p)
208
F1 2024 (Max, 1080p)
119
Total War: Warhammer III (Ultra, 1080p)
172
Thankfully, the Legion Tower 5 isn’t saddled with bloatware. In fact, the two included utility apps, LegionSpace and Lenovo Vantage, are unobtrusive and quite useful; the former for viewing detailed system specs and performing functions such as BIOS updates, and the latter for adjusting performance and fan settings.
The Wi-Fi card was also exemplary. My connection speeds were fast, and I experienced no dropouts or instability.
Performance: 5 / 5
Should I buy the Lenovo Legion Tower 5?
(Image credit: Future)
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
The Legion Tower 5 is expensive, but the value is good considering the performance and build quality.
3.5 / 5
Design
The case feels very premium and durable, although it’s very heavy. It’s not the most expandable, either.
4.5 / 5
Performance
The Legion Tower 5 tears through AAA titles without breaking a sweat. It’s also eerily quiet.
5 / 5
Average rating
The Legion Tower 5 is a top-tier gaming desktop that delivers superb gaming performance. It’s large and heavy, and not the most expandable, but the premium design and its hushed operation might be enough to justify its cost.
4.34 / 5
Buy it if...
You want great build quality The case is as premium as they come, looking smart and seeming very durable.
You want excellent gaming performance The 5070 in my review unit blasted through AAA games without issue, all the while staying perfectly cool and incredibly silent.
Don't buy it if...
You want plenty of expandability You can only have up to 32GB of RAM, and there aren’t many other slots left spare for upgrading.
You want minimal real estate The Legion Tower 5 is no mini PC; it’s large and heavy, and the sharp vent panel on the top doesn’t exactly help with ergonomics.
Lenovo Legion Tower 5: Also Consider
Here are some equally desirable alternatives to the Lenovo Legion Tower 5:
NZXT Player PC (5070 Intel Edition) Despite having the same RTX card and the same RAM capacity, but twice the installed storage, the NZXT Player PC is a little cheaper than the Legion Tower 5. It doesn’t skimp on quality, either: we were impressed with its ample ventilation and smart, solid construction. The lack of visible expansion slots was about the only drawback we could find.
Alienware Aurora (ACT1250) The Alienware Aurora ACT1250 offers an excellent experience at 1440p and beyond, as well as a host of configuration options that allow you to build up the perfect gaming PC for performance needs. It's not great on expandability, though.
I tested the Legion Tower 5 for a couple of days, during which time I used it for a variety of tasks.
I used it for working, browsing, streaming video, and, of course, gaming. I played AAA titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 at various settings, including the highest preset. I also ran TechRadar’s series of benchmarks, to assess various aspects of its performance.
I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and have used a variety of systems and components during that time, and have built my own machines. I’ve also reviewed plenty of gaming hardware and laptops.
The MSI Cyborg 15 is a budget gaming laptop with a basic spec, but one that should still suffice for enjoyable 1080p gaming.
I was pleasantly surprised by the elegance of its design, at least when compared to others in this sector. It’s not too thick or too bulky across any of its dimensions, although its weight hampers portability somewhat.
While not the most premium, the materials are of sufficient quality. Personally, I found the translucent accents did enough to add some aesthetic interest, too. However, it isn’t as well-made as the best gaming laptop models, with the display enclosure being a particular concern on this front, given the amount of flex it has.
All the salient ports for gamers are present and correct on the Cyborg 15. There are two USB-A ports and one USB-C port, as well as Ethernet, HDMI, and headset jacks. The placement of these ports might prove impractical for some gamers, though, depending on their setup; all but two are placed on the right-hand side, while there is none on the back.
(Image credit: Future)
As you might expect from the RTX 3050, my Cyborg 15 review unit couldn’t handle the AAA titles with high settings applied very well. Cyberpunk 2077 rendered at 30-40fps on average with the game’s Ray Tracing: Low preset selected, no matter what I did with the upscaling. Turning off Ray Tracing altogether didn’t result in any noticeable gains either.
Thankfully, the Cyborg 15 isn’t distractingly loud under load. It also remains admirably cool, with only the rear exceeding lukewarm temperatures – and even then, it’s still not too hot to touch.
The display is also very good, being sharp and vibrant enough for enjoying all kinds of content. It also staves off reflections quite well.
Better still is the keyboard on the Cyborg 15. It’s full-size, so it includes a number pad, yet the keys don’t feel cramped, which makes for easy typing. They also feel great to press, striking the ideal balance between clicky and dampening, while also offering a pleasing amount of travel.
However, the battery life of the Cyborg 15 is less impressive. It didn’t manage to break six hours when playing back a movie on a continuous loop, nor did it break an hour in PCMark’s gaming scenario battery test. Both of these results are at the lower end of the gaming laptop spectrum.
The competition is becoming evermore fierce at the budget end of this market, but the Cyborg 15 certainly sets out its stall with its eye-catchingly low price. You’ll have to settle for mediocre performance, but the Cyborg 15 is a solid pick for those looking to spend relatively little on a gaming laptop and still have a good time.
MSI Cyborg 15 review: Price & Availability
(Image credit: Future)
Starting at $999 / £649 / AU$1799
Available now in the US, UK and Australia
The Cyborg 15 is available now in the US, UK, and Australia, starting at $999 / £649 / AU$1799. My review model, the Cyborg 15 A13U, comes equipped with an Intel i5-13420H, an RTX 3050, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. All these components can be upgraded with costlier configurations.
This is a decent budget price for a gaming laptop. However, if you’re willing to spend about £150 more you could get the base model of the Acer Nitro V 15, which features an RTX 4050 – a significant upgrade over the RTX 3050.
Another great budget pick is the MSI Katana 15, which again packs a 4050 into its base model. It’s similarly priced to the Nitro, but features an i7 CPU rather than the i5 in the base models of both the Nitro and the Cyborg 15. It’s a great performer, which is why we think it’s currently one of the best budget gaming laptop options around.
Value: 4.5 / 5
MSI Cyborg 15 review: Specs
MSI Cyborg 15 review configuration specs
Price
£649 / AU$1799 (about $870)
CPU
Intel Core i5-13420H (2.1GHz, 8 Cores)
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050, 6GB
RAM
8GB DDR5
Storage
512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
Display
15.6" FHD (1920x1080), 144Hz, IPS-Level
Ports and Connectivity
2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x RJ-45, 1x 3.5mm combo audio; Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2
Battery
53.5Wh
Dimensions
14 x 9.8 x 0.9in (359 x 250 x 23mm)
Weight
4.37lbs / 1.98kg
MSI Cyborg 15 review: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Surprisingly slender
Quite heavy
Flimsy display enclosure
The Cyborg 15 might not push the boat out in terms of looks, but it’s surprisingly sleek for a gaming laptop, avoiding unsightly bulges and maintaining a relatively thin profile. This helps to make it more portable, although its substantial weight means you wouldn’t want to carry it around for long.
The chassis material feels smooth to the touch and has a subtle speckled finish. I also liked the transparent edges around the lid chassis, which adds interest and helps to lighten up the dourness tones of the body. However, MSI definitely missed a trick by failing to install LEDs behind these parts, as they would’ve been the perfect place for RGB effects to shine through.
On the whole, the Cyborg 15 feels well put together, with a relatively sturdy construction. The lid hinge is also pleasingly solid, offering a stable hold while being easy to operate. However, the lid itself has a considerable amount of flex, which is somewhat concerning.
The body materials aren’t the most premium, either, but they suffice. Thankfully, the keys feel more upmarket, thanks to their smooth, subtly textured finish. Their backlighting is also bright enough to make them clearly visible in dark environments.
(Image credit: Future)
There are a variety of useful shortcuts, including some unique options bound to the arrow keys. For instance, you can instantly adjust the fan speed with Fn+Up, and turn off the main display with Fn+Right. Meanwhile, Fn+Down brings up a static red crosshair in the middle of the screen, which is something I haven’t seen before and can only assume is there for some sort of calibration purpose.
Underneath you’ll find four feet in each corner, which are smaller and offer less ground clearance than those installed on many other gaming laptops. However, their small profile does at least help to maintain the overall sleekness of the Cyborg 15.
The port selection of the Cyborg 15 is reasonable, catering to most gamers’ needs. There are two USB-A ports and one USB-C, ideal for connecting peripherals. HDMI, RJ-45, and headset ports round out the rest.
Some may take issue with the distribution of these interfaces. Most are loaded on the right-hand side, save for one USB-A port and the headset jack, which are on the left. Meanwhile, no ports are to be found on the rear, not even the power connector. Of course, the practicality of this arrangement will depend on your setup, but personally I would’ve preferred a more even spread.
To tweak various settings, the Cyborg 15 comes preinstalled with the MSI Center app. From here you can install further modules, including one for adjusting fan speed and performance presets. The software proved reasonably stable during my time with it, and while the interface is a little buggy, it responds swiftly and is easy to navigate.
Design: 4/ 5
MSI Cyborg 15 review: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
Lackluster AAA performance
Good display
Excellent keyboard
MSI Cyborg 15 benchmarks
Geekbench 6 (Single Core): 2,394; (Multi Core): 10,165 Cinebench R23 (Single Core): 1,692; (Multi Core): 10,471 Cinebench R24 (Single Core): 100 (Multi Core): 601 Crossmark Overall: 1,576 3DMark Fire Strike: 10,675; Steel Nomad: 924; Solar Bay: 21,226; Speed Way: 1,071; Port Royal: 2,685 BlackMagicDisk Read: 4,475MB/s; Write: 3,124MB/s Civilization VII (1080p, Medium): 203fps; (Max Resolution, High): 77fps; (Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, High): 86fps Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, Medium): 74fps; (Max Resolution, Highest): 63fps; (Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, Highest): 82fps Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness (1080p, Medium): 57fps; (Max Resolution, Ultra): 26fps Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Medium): 48fps; (Max Resolution, Ultra): 34fps; (Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, Ultra): 51fps F1 2024 (1080p, Medium): 113fps; (Max Resolution, Max Quality, No RT): 40fps; (Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, Max Quality with RT): 29fps
The performance of the Cyborg 15 isn’t anything spectacular. Given my review unit was equipped with an RTX 3050, this wasn’t exactly surprising, but it really is starting to feel its age at this point.
It didn’t handle Cyberpunk 2077 particularly well with the Ray Tracing: Low preset applied, with fps figures oscillating between the late 30s and early 40s. This was with DLSS upscaling enabled, and its various modes, from Auto to Balanced to Performance, seemed to make little difference.
My sessions were also blighted by frequent slowdowns when encountering busy scenes. Even dropping down to the Ultra preset, which disables Ray Tracing, failed to yield significantly better results.
As with virtually any gaming laptop, fan noise is certainly noticeable on the Cyborg 15. However, it's not loud enough to be distracting, and the best PC gaming headsets should provide sufficient isolation.
What’s more, the fans seemed to be doing a fine job, as temperatures never rose to uncomfortable levels during my time with the Cyborg 15. The keyboard became nothing more than lukewarm, while the rear, despite bearing the brunt of the highest temperatures, still remained touchable.
(Image credit: Future)
Another impressive aspect of the Cyborg 15 is its display. The 1080p resolution doesn’t feel stretched across its 15-inch real estate, rendering games and various interfaces sharply. Colors are vibrant, too, and reflections are kept at bay to a large extent.
The full-sized keyboard also feels great to use, thanks to the generous spacing of the keys, meaning it doesn’t feel cramped. This is all the more impressive given the fact that a number pad is included.
The keys are fit for gaming and typing equally, thanks to their tactile feel. They have more travel than you might expect from a gaming laptop keyboard, which yet remain light and easy to press. What’s more, they strike the perfect balance between being clicky and dampened, which makes them all the more satisfying to use. They even come close to rivaling the best gaming keyboard switches in this regard.
I also appreciated the wide Control key, as I usually struggle to hit this comfortably when gaming on other keyboards. It provided plenty of margin for error when trying to navigate towards it blindly with my little finger, which in turn made it much easier to hit consistently than I’m accustomed to, based on my experience with other keyboards.
The touchpad on the Cyborg 15 can get in the way when typing, though. It’s easy to accidentally click – let alone swipe – it with the palm of your thumb, thanks to how readily it actuates. Thankfully, it’s easily disabled with an Fn shortcut.
Performance: 3.5 / 5
MSI Cyborg 15 review: Battery Life
(Image credit: Future)
Poor battery life
Reasonably quick to charge
The battery life of the Cyborg 15 is subpar. It lasted about five and a half hours during our movie playback test, which is easily beaten by many of its rivals. The Nitro V 15 Intel that I tested lasted about an hour longer.
It didn’t fare much better in the PCMark Gaming battery test, either. It didn’t manage an hour before giving up the ghost, again placing it towards the back of the pack. At least the Cyborg 15 is quick to recharge, taking just over two hours to get from empty to full.
Battery Life: 3 / 5
Should I buy the MSI Cyborg 15?
MSI Cyborg 15 Scorecard
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
Not many offer such quality for so little, but you will have to sacrifice spec for the best deals.
4.5 / 5
Design
The Cyborg 15 is pleasingly sleek and well-made, although the flimsy display is somewhat concerning.
4 / 5
Performance
The Cyborg 15 struggles to keep pace with modern AAA titles at the highest settings, so you'll need to dial those back a bit. The keyboard and display are great, though.
3.5 / 5
Battery Life
Towards the lower end of the sector in this regard. At least it’s quick to charge.
3 / 5
Total
The low price of the MSI Cyborg 15 certainly makes it tantalizing, especially when you consider the quality of the display and keyboard. But those after peak AAA performance will be disappointed.
3.75 / 5
Buy the MSI Cyborg 15 if...
You want a great keyboard Whether you’re gaming or typing, the keyboard on the Cyborg 15 is always a joy to use.
You want to save money The Cyborg 15 is very well priced for a gaming laptop, and its design and quality belie its budget cost.
Don't buy it if...
You want top-tier performance My review unit, with its Intel i5 and RTX 3050, couldn’t handle demanding titles at the highest settings.
You want the best battery life Most gaming laptops are wanting in this area, but the Cyborg 15 is among the worst on this front.
MSI Cyborg 15 review: Also Consider
Acer Nitro V 15 Intel The NitroV 15 is another great budget machine that punches above its weight. The review unit I had featured a 5060, therefore it's significantly more powerful – and expensive – than the Cyborg 15. However, it still comes in under a thousand pounds, which represents good value in the gaming laptop world.
I tested the MSI Cyborg 15 for several days, during which time I used it for gaming, typing, and general browsing.
I played AAA titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, and ran our extensive series of benchmark tests, which covered all aspects of performance, from gaming and creative to AI and battery life.
I've reviewed plenty of gaming laptops in the past, ranging greatly in their spec, form factors, and pricing. I've also been PC gaming for over a decade, and have build my own machines in that time, so I'm well-positioned to know a great gaming laptop when I use one.
I'll start this review off by simply saying this: the Asus ROG NUC absolutely belongs on our list of the best mini PCs, and perhaps indeed the best computers overall - expect to see it make an appearance on those pages in the near future.
Asus has been hard at work on the NUC series, which was originally conceived by Intel as a new breed of compact desktop PCs before being sold off to Asus in 2023; amidst Intel's multitude of troubles at the time, it was deemed a necessary move to streamline the company and focus on chipmaking rather than PC production. The NUCs were historically pretty good devices, but it's clear that Asus has taken them to an entirely new level.
The new-for-2025 ROG NUC is a wonder; an ultra-compact desktop system packed with some of the most powerful cutting-edge gaming components, including a 2nd-gen Intel Core Ultra processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5000 GPU (the one in my review unit is an RTX 5080), plus 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD.
(Image credit: Future)
The whole system is essentially constructed around that graphics card, which is technically a laptop GPU - one can only assume that a full-scale desktop 5080 would be too chunky, even though Nvidia worked hard to scale down the comically gigantic cards of the RTX 3000 and 4000 eras. As you might expect, performance is excellent; expect high framerates and smooth gameplay at 1440p and even 4K, though the sorry state of modern PC game optimization means you'll probably need to turn on DLSS in some titles at 4K.
Those powerful components mean the ROG NUC is also a competent workstation system, which could prove to be a boon for professional creatives who need a powerful PC but have limited desk real estate to work with (and don't want to jump ship to macOS with the admittedly excellent M4 Mac mini).
(Image credit: Future)
Of course, a spec sheet like that does mean that the Asus ROG NUC is far from cheap. I'll get into the details in the pricing section below, but my review unit will set you back $3,199 / £2,599 (around AU$4,925) - no small sum for anybody, and a lot more than Apple's signature mini computer will cost you. Of course, any pre-built RTX 5080 desktop from a reputable manufacturer is going to cost you at least somewhere in the range of $2,800 / £2,000 / AU$5,000, so it's not an entirely ludicrous proposition even if it does place the ROG NUC beyond the budgets of many PC gamers.
Despite this, I loved using the new Asus ROG NUC, and having tested NUC devices in the past, I can comfortably say that it's one of the best iterations on the formula yet. If you've got the money to spend and want something that delivers a lot of power in a small package, this device is the way to go.
Asus ROG NUC (2025) review: Price & Availability
Starts from $2,599 / £2,129 (about AU$4,000)
Available now in the US and UK
Both RTX 5070 Ti and 5080 models available
Starting at $2,599 / £2,129 (about AU$4,000) for the base configuration, which sports an RTX 5070 Ti rather than the 5080 in my review unit, along with less storage and RAM as you can see in the spec table below, the new ROG NUC isn't exactly what I'd call affordable. Meanwhile, the 5080 model featured in this review - which is externally identical - will run you a hefty $3,199 / £2,599 (around $4,925).
Still, it's not absurdly priced for what it offers; considering the sheer lack of powerful compact PCs on the market, the best option for many potential users will be to build your own ITX system, and having spent plenty of time mucking about with compact PC cases in my years as a computer hardware journalist, I can say with certainty that it'll be a lot harder than simply buying a ROG NUC. Oh, and it most likely won't be as small, and will potentially end up being more expensive too!
(Image credit: Future)
So while the NUC is undeniably a pretty expensive piece of kit, I can't mark it down too much for that; if a powerful but ultra-compact PC for serious gaming or content creation work is what you want, this might be the single best option out there right now. Of course, a PS5 Pro will cost you a lot less... but it also doesn't fill the role of a fully capable desktop PC.
The Asus ROG NUC (2025) is already available to purchase direct from Asus and partner retailers in the US and UK, but it seems our Aussie friends will have to wait a little longer - though Asus did confirm that the new model will indeed be coming to Australia. Regional pricing for Australia is currently unconfirmed (the figures listed above are only conversions).
Making a compact PC chassis can take designers in a lot of different directions. Do you aim for a low, flat design like Apple's Mac mini, or build upwards with a small footprint like the fantastic Corsair One i500?
As you can no doubt tell from the pictures, Asus has gone for the latter approach, with a thin tower design that produces a footprint of less than eight-by-six inches (full dimensions in the spec sheet above). It can technically also be laid on its side with the stand removed - ideal for putting it in a TV stand as a console-style living room PC - but after disassembling it, I can say that I wouldn't particularly recommend that unless you're willing to prop it up on something to ensure that the exhaust fans have enough breathing room to vent properly.
Speaking of disassembly: I don't always dig around in the guts of pre-built systems, but this was one case where I felt obliged to. See, the NUC series (standing for 'Next Unit of Computing') was originally founded by Intel in 2013 with the goal of creating a small-form-factor barebones PC with customization and upgrade potential.
Asus has clearly moved away from this ethos somewhat, as the ROG NUC is not only a fully-fledged system, but also has relatively little upgradability.
(Image credit: Future)
Upgrade options here are effectively limited to the RAM and SSD, and you'll need to discard the old RAM if you want more, since there are only two DIMM slots and they're both already occupied. There is, however, a spare M.2 slot for fitting a second SSD, should you want to expand your storage.
Really, this level of upgradability might be a slight step down from the more classic barebones NUCs Intel used to make, but it's pretty par for the course as far as modern mini PCs go.
The case is also easy enough to open up for any upgrade work, which is nice to see; I've dealt with mini PC cases that seemed determined not to let me get at the goodies inside.
Thermal management is handled by multiple fans, with vents on both flat sides and the top. It's quite effective at keeping the whole unit cool (even at the peak of my benchmarking process, the ROG NUC didn't get particularly warm to the touch), although I would note that the fans can get rather loud when running resource-intensive games; if you're planning to play in 4K, I'd recommend a headset or one of the best computer speakers.
Overall, I like the design; it's a bit less visually busy than last year's model, while still managing to fit in a good range of physical ports for connecting your devices. In addition to two HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs for connecting multiple monitors, you also get two Thunderbolt USB-C ports, six USB-A ports, an RJ-45 Ethernet slot, and the good ol' 3.5mm headphone jack. As mini PCs go, this NUC has it all.
Design: 5/ 5
Asus ROG NUC (2025) review: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
Runs AAA games at high settings
Strong performance in creative and AI workloads
Fans do get rather noisy
Asus ROG NUC (2025) Benchmarks
Here's how the Asus ROG NUC (2025) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
As you'd hope from a system with an Nvidia RTX 5080 - even the trimmed-down laptop version inside the ROG NUC - the gaming performance on offer here is undeniably strong.
Our standard benchmarking process uses games tested at 1080p (primarily without any upscaling tools, like Nvidia's DLSS) to provide a realistic comparison point between systems. Needless to say, the ROG NUC absolutely blasted through these, offering stellar performance with triple-digit framerates in literally every test I ran.
Bump things up to 1440p and you'll get similarly great performance, especially if you do turn on DLSS (no need for frame-generation here, honestly). At 4K, I found most games could still clear that prized 60fps mark, with only Cyberpunk 2077 and Metro Exodus requiring DLSS to maintain a stable framerate when turning on maximum ray-traced graphics. It's worth bearing in mind that upscaling has more of an impact at higher resolutions; at 1080p, DLSS in Balanced mode only gained me an extra nine frames per second in Cyberpunk at the Ultra graphical preset, while at 4K that differential increased to a whopping 38.
I'd also like to address some of the concerns many gamers clearly have about DLSS (yes, I spend too much time on Reddit, I see those posts too). It literally works great. That's all I have to say; the tech is four generations in at this point, and it's been refined enough that I noticed no discernible difference in gameplay at 4K.
Frame-generation is a different story, of course - 4x Multi Frame Generation from Nvidia is frankly still wonky even if it does boost your FPS - but at this stage, we should all be using upscaling for playing games at any resolution above 1080p.
(Image credit: Future)
Outside of raw gaming performance, the ROG NUC performed admirably in synthetic tests across graphical, AI, and creative workloads.
The 3DMark graphic benchmark suite brought back results that were broadly what I anticipated: strong, but not quite on par with the 'true' desktop RTX 5080, so don't buy this if you're expecting a fully-fledged 5080 desktop experience squeezed into a compact chassis. At a fundamental level, this is more like a 5080 laptop in a desktop form factor.
Still, the results were good; the Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU also delivered solid numbers, with great performance in the Geekbench and Crossmark benchmarks, placing it comfortably on par with laptops equipped with the same processor. AI performance was also good, since the presence of a discrete GPU easily outweighs anything the Intel chip's built-in NPU brings to the table.
Lastly, the SSD that comes with the ROG NUC is fast. With read and write speeds in excess of 4GB/s, the only thing that'll constrain you in terms of file transfers is your internet connection. Games load up fast, and Windows 11 boots up faster.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
Should I buy the Asus ROG NUC?
Asus ROG NUC (2025)Scorecard
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
Although it's far from cheap, the pricing doesn't place it ludicrously higher than similarly-specced systems, and the compact chassis is quite unique.
4 / 5
Design
A fantastically compact design that somehow manages to cram in a ton of physical ports, the ROG NUC is one of the best-crafted mini PCs I've ever seen.
5 / 5
Performance
Great gaming performance at any resolution, along with strong performance in creative and AI workloads - just bear in mind that this isn't a full-fat desktop GPU.
4.5 / 5
Total
The ROG NUC is, simply put, one of the best compact gaming PCs I've ever seen. I do wish it wasn't quite so expensive, but Asus has really made something special here.
4.5 / 5
Buy the Asus ROG NUC (2025) if...
You want something powerful but compact On a fundamental level, there are very few systems out there that can match the gaming capabilities of the ROG NUC while still offering such a tiny form factor.
You want to connect lots of peripherals If you're a power-user (or just a bit gadget-crazed), the ROG NUC has enough ports to support a whole bunch of monitors, mice, keyboards, webcams, speakers, stream decks... you get the idea.
Don't buy it if...
You're on a tight budget Yeah, this thing is pretty dang expensive. If you just want an RTX 5080 system and don't care about size, you'll be able to spend less for the same (or even better) performance.
You want a silent system Although the ROG NUC's cooling is surprisingly effective at keeping the system at a suitable temperature, those fans can get pretty noisy when running demanding software like games.
Asus ROG NUC (2025) review: Also Consider
NZXT Player PC One of the best desktop PCs we've reviewed this year, the 'Player PC' from NZXT might have an awful name, but it delivers strong gaming performance in a well-constructed case - plus, as a 5070 system, it'll cost you a bit less than the NUC too.
Mac mini (M4, 2024) If you’re looking for more of a creative workstation than specifically a gaming PC, but were drawn to the ROG NUC's powerful specs and compact design, then the M4 Mac mini is the device for you. We called it 'the best Mac ever' in our review, and it lives up to that epithet with stellar productivity and creativity performance in a truly tiny chassis.
Replaced my usual desktop for gaming in the evenings
I tested the Asus ROG NUC for a week, including the weekend, during which time it took the place of my usual home office desktop system - a far chunkier PC. I used it daily for work and assorted other online activities; I'm currently rewatching The X Files, and I also used it to host a virtual TTRPG session.
I also spent plenty of time in my off hours using the ROG NUC for gaming, which is a regular hobby of mine. I mostly tested triple-A titles (in addition to our regular suite of game benchmarks), including Avowed and Remnant II, plus a cheeky bit of Stardew Valley, which was unsurprisingly not very taxing on the system.
I've been reviewing PC hardware for more than seven years and have been a PC gamer for more than twice that time, with so many laptop and desktop reviews under my belt at various publications that I sincerely can't even count them. This was my first time reviewing a NUC unit since Intel sold the brand off to Asus, and needless to say, I'm very pleased with the work Asus has done.
Netgear’s new management continues its quest to provide more affordable options for home users who want to upgrade their Wi-Fi. The company has recently launched a number of affordable Wi-Fi 7 routers, and it’s now bringing that approach to its Orbi range of mesh Wi-Fi systems too.
Like many of the more affordable Wi-Fi 7 routers and mesh systems that we’ve seen recently, the Orbi 370 series keeps its price down by providing basic dual-band Wi-Fi 7 that uses just the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequency bands, and omits the faster 6.0GHz band that is available with both Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7.
However, Wi-Fi doesn’t just focus on speed alone, and is also designed to be more reliable when connecting to lots of devices within your home all at the same time.
This means that a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 system such as the Orbi 370 series can still provide a useful upgrade for owners of older routers and mesh systems - especially for people who live in larger homes that need a far-reaching Wi-Fi network that can cover their entire home.
(Image credit: Future)
This also ensures that the Orbi 370 remains fully compatible with older computers and other devices that use the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands. However, owners of shiny new PCs or mobile devices that do have Wi-Fi 7 might prefer to opt for a more expensive router or mesh system that provides full support for the high-speed 6.0GHz band.
Netgear Orbi 373: Price & availability
How much does it cost? $349.99/£299.99/AU$349.99
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
Most mesh Wi-Fi systems consist of two or more routers that are identical in terms of both design and features.
However, Netgear’s Orbi range takes a different approach, with each system consisting of a primary router along with one or more ‘satellite’ units. The Orbi 370 series can be bought as a two-pack mesh system (Orbi 372) that consists of the main router and one satellite for $249.99/£209.99/AU$249.99.
For this review, we tested the three-pack option (Orbi 373) that includes one router and two satellites, priced at $349.99/£299.99/AU$349.99. Netgear states that this should cover an area of up to 6,000 sq.ft – although that figure may vary due to differences in regional regulations, so check Netgear’s local web site in your own country before buying.
There’s also a four-pack available in the US and Australia, which adds a third satellite for $449.99/AU$449.99. However, that option doesn’t seem to be available for the quaint little hovels in the tiny island state of Great Britain.
Router provides 2.5Gb ports for broadband and wired connections
Satellites only have one Ethernet port
The Orbi 373 follows the upright mini-tower design that Netgear introduced last year, with each slimline unit standing just 204mm high, 75mm wide and 120mm deep.
They’re small enough to sit easily on any convenient table or shelf, although the white plastic casing feels a little flimsy, so it’s probably a good idea for parents to keep them out of reach of eager young hands.
There are some other compromises required to keep the price down too. The main satellite just has two Ethernet ports – one each for your broadband connection (WAN), and for providing a wired connection (LAN) for a PC or other devices.
(Image credit: Future)
The satellite units are even more basic, with just a single Ethernet port to provide a wired connection. Thankfully, though, the ports on both router and satellites all support 2.5Gb speeds so you can still use the Orbi 370 series with high-speed broadband services. However, if you do need additional Ethernet ports – perhaps for an office network – then you might prefer to look for an alternative that provides additional ports.
Design: 3 / 5
Netgear Orbi 373: Features
Easy to set up and use
Parental controls require a subscription
Provides Guest and IoT networks
One feature that helps to justify the price of Netgear products is that they’re very easy to use, and setting up the Orbi 373 proved to be a piece of cake (albeit a piece of cake that moves at a rather leisurely pace).
All you have to do is scan the QR code that’s printed on the main router and then download the Orbi app. This guides you through the set-up process automatically, connecting you to the new network created by the main router, and then linking the satellites to the router in order to complete your new mesh network.
It takes a little while – the Orbi app warns that it can take up to 20 minutes to connect the satellites to the main router – but the process is completely automatic. And, to keep things simple, the app merges the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands into a single network. The only thing that you need to think about is whether you want to use the default log-in details for the Orbi network, or assign a new name and password that you can choose yourself.
The app isn’t exactly overflowing with additional features though, because – even with its lower pricing – Netgear always wants to sell you some additional subscriptions.
(Image credit: Netgear)
You can view a network map that lists all the devices connected to the network, and block any device that you don’t trust (or if you just want to get the kids to put their phones down at dinner time).
You can also create a guest network for visitors, and an IoT network (Internet Of Things) for any smart devices in your home. However, additional security features and parental controls will require a subscription to Netgear’s Armor security or Smart Parental Controls services.
You do get a 30-day trial for both services when you buy the Orbi, but after that you’ll need to pay for a subscription. The Smart Parental Controls subscription costs $7.99 per month (around £6/AU$12) or $69.99 per year (around £50/AU$110). The Armor security service offers a discount for the first year, costing $33.33 per year (around £25/AU$50), rising to $99.99 (around £75/AU$150) after one year.
Features: 3 / 5
Netgear Orbi 373: Performance
Dual-band Wi-Fi 7
5Gbps Wi-Fi speed (3.6Gbps in UK)
2.5Gb Ethernet ports
There’s one minor oddity here, as Netgear states that the Orbi 370 series provides a Wi-Fi speed of 5Gbps in the US and Australia, but only 3.6Gbps in the UK.
That’s the first time we’ve come across a regional difference like that but, in any event, 3.6Gbps should still be more than adequate to handle most domestic broadband services.
Netgear Orbi 373: Benchmarks
Ookla Speed Test (download/upload) Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150/150Mbps Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150/150Mbps
20GB Steam download Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps
The Orbi 373 that we tested certainly gave my office Wi-Fi a welcome boost. It runs at 150Mbps, but my aging router can only manage a top speed of 120Mbps even for devices that are in the same room.
I also have an office towards the back of the building that my old office router can’t reach at all, leaving me with an annoying Wi-Fi deadspot that means I have to use powerline adaptors to provide a wired connection instead.
The Orbi 373 immediately kicked my office Wi-Fi up a gear, hitting the maximum 150Mbps for devices in the same room for both the Ookla Speed Test and file downloads on Steam.
To reach the back office, I placed one of the satellites inside that office and the second satellite in a hallway, roughly halfway between the main router and the other satellite.
And, as I wandered along the corridor to the back office with my laptop still downloading files from Steam, I was pleased to find that the Orbi held steady at 150Mbps the whole time.
Netgear’s fondness for selling add-on subscriptions remains irksome, but at least you can ignore that if you want to. Some people might also prefer a router or mesh system that provides additional Ethernet ports.
But, if you simply want a reliable and easy-to-use mesh Wi-Fi system that can cover larger homes or offices, then the Orbi 370 series fits the bill at a competitive price.
Performance: 4 / 5
Should you buy the Netgear Orbi 373?
Value
Its dual-band Wi-Fi 7 means that the Orbi 373 is very much an entry-level option, but it’s competitively priced and should be fast enough for most domestic broadband services.
4 / 5
Design
The lightweight plastic casing could be a little sturdier, and it doesn’t offer too much in the way of wired connectivity either. However, 2.5Gb Ethernet ports still provide good performance for high-speed broadband services.
3.5 / 5
Features
The Orbi’s well-designed app is certainly easy to ease. However, its modest price is matched by a fairly modest selection of features, and Netgear really wants you to pay a subscription fee for parental controls.
3 / 5
Performance
Lack of support for the 6.0GHz band means that the Orbi 373 is no speed demon (especially for UK users). Even so, it should still be a good upgrade for people that are using an older router with Wi-Fi 5 or 6.
3.5 / 5
Final Score
Gamers or power users who want maximum performance should look elsewhere. However, the Orbi 373 is an affordable upgrade for people who need more reliable Wi-Fi for larger homes.
4 / 5
Buy it if...
You have lots of bedrooms There are faster routers available, but the Orbi 370 series is a good option for larger homes that need far-reaching Wi-Fi coverage.
You’re on a budget Wi-Fi 7 routers and mesh systems are still fairly expensive, so the Orbi 370 series provides a worthwhile upgrade without breaking the bank.
Don't buy it if...
You’re a gamer Dual-band Wi-Fi 7 is very much an entry-level option, so gamers who need lighting response times should look at a faster tri-band option.
You want parental controls The Orbi 370 series is affordable, but it skimps on extra features and tries to sell you subscriptions for parental controls and other features.
Netgear Nighthawk RS100 Smaller homes with one or two bedrooms can probably get by with a single, conventional router. The RS100 is one of Netgear’s most affordable Wi-Fi 7 routers, with a top speed of 3.6Gbps and price of just $129.99/£129.99/ AU$259.
Acer Predator Connect T7 If it’s speed you’re after then Acer’s T7 is a high-end gaming router that provides tri-band Wi-Fi 7 with a top speed of 11Gbps. It can be used as part of a mesh system in larger homes too.
Used the Ookla Speed Test app and tested game download speeds
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025): Two-minute review
With the release of the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025), Apple seems to have settled into a reliable pattern. Coming pretty much exactly a year after the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4, 2024), very few people were surprised by the reveal of the M5 chip and 14-inch MacBook Pro.
So, it’s good to see the MacBook reclaiming its role as a showcase device for Apple’s M-series chips – but there are a few other odd things about this launch. For a start, there’s no sign of an M5-powered Mac mini or iMac, nor do we get the more powerful M5 Pro and M5 Max variants that are expected to appear at some point.
Because Apple has only announced the base M5 chip at the time of writing, it also means that there’s no new MacBook Pro 16-inch… for now, at least. So, for the first time in a while, if you want the very latest MacBook from Apple, you only have one size to choose from.
(Image credit: Future)
The MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) starts at $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,499, which gets you the brand-new M5 chip with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 512GB of SSD storage.
This is the same price as the previous model with the M4 chip, and it’s good to see Apple continues to resist bumping up the price at a time when it feels like everything else is getting more expensive. However, it should be noted that in the UK and EU, the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) doesn’t come with a charger, so if you need one, you’ll have to buy one separately, which diminishes the value somewhat.
Design-wise, the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) is exactly the same as the M4 model… and the M3 model. That’s not particularly an issue, as it remains a fine-looking laptop, and the 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display is still one of the best on the market. But it’s beginning to feel like Apple isn’t interested in making incremental tweaks to its MacBook designs – instead, it takes an all-or-nothing approach.
You get big design overhauls every few generations, like the one we saw with the M3 model (which replaced the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro), but then a few years where it seems like Apple doesn’t want to change anything design-wise.
That means some aspects of the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) are in danger of being a bit outdated, especially as Apple’s rivals in the laptop market, especially the likes of Dell and Lenovo, seem to be far more comfortable with shaking up the designs of their products.
So, we’ve ended up with a premium laptop being released in 2025 that doesn’t feature the new Wi-Fi 7 standard, instead sticking with the older Wi-Fi 6E (curiously, the new M5-powered iPad Pro does support Wi-Fi 7, so clearly someone at Apple thinks the tech is worth supporting). The ports are also identical to the base model of the M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, so that means an HDMI port, SDXC card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, and MagSafe 3 port for charging, plus three USB-C ports.
This remains a decent selection for professionals, allowing you to hook up a TV or projector, connect multiple peripherals, or insert a memory card, all without needing an adapter. However, the USB-C ports remain unchanged, using Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 technology speeds of up to 40Gb/s. With an increasing number of laptops coming with must faster Thunderbolt 5 speeds of 120Gb/s - most notably including the older M4 Pro and M4 Max versions of the 14-inch MacBook Pro - this is another area where Apple’s reluctance to make even the smallest of changes could see it overtaken by its competitors.
It's a shame the USB-C speeds have remained static, as Apple has updated the SSD, with new technology that gives the M5 MacBook Pro twice the read and write speeds compared to the previous model.
(Image credit: Future)
Performance-wise, the MacBook Pro 14-inch with the M5 chip is pretty much flawless, with macOS Tahoe feeling fast and responsive, and both preinstalled apps and third-party ones, including Adobe Photoshop and Ableton Live 12, working brilliantly. The problem is, the older M4 model was also a fantastic performer, and for many people, it will probably be hard to notice any significant generational boost. This is definitely not an upgrade I'd recommend to anyone who already has an M4 or even M3 MacBook Pro. However, if you have an older Intel MacBook or are coming from a Windows laptop (perhaps prompted by the end of Windows 10 support), then there's a lot to like about the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025).
Apple's main focus for this release is improving the on-device AI capabilities, and there are some decent gains made here, but if you have no interest in AI, then you might not appreciate these improvements and may be better served by a soon-to-be-discounted M4 model.
Battery life, meanwhile, continues to be among the best of any laptop, with almost 24 hours of constant video looping, and over 18 hours in our web browsing benchmark. It will easily last multiple work days on a single charge, and performance doesn't dip either.
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) review: Price and availability
How much does it cost? $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,499
When is it available? Goes on sale October 22, 2025
No charger for UK/EU customers
The Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) goes on sale on October 22, 2025, with the base model starting at $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,499, the same price that the M4 model launched at last year.
It’s always nice to see companies not increase prices, especially at the moment, and for that price, you get the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 512GB SSD storage.
One important thing to note is that in the UK and EU, the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) does not ship with a charger (elsewhere, you’ll get Apple’s 70W USB-C power adapter with the base model).
In the UK, you can add a 70W USB-C power adapter to your order when configuring it for £59, or add a 96W USB-C power adapter for £79, however, rather oddly, it seems that you can only do this if you make other changes, such as adding a Nano-texture display (for £150), or tweaking the amount of memory or storage.
(Image credit: Future)
If you stick with the cheapest base M5 MacBook Pro model in the UK or EU, you have no option to add a charger to your order – you’ll have to buy it entirely separately.
I won’t go into the reasons for this decision (Apple suggests it's pre-empting an EU directive coming in next year, though that doesn’t explain why the UK, no longer in the EU, is also not getting the charger), but it does make an impact on the overall value of the laptop if you do need to buy the charger separately.
The good news, at least, is that you can charge the new MacBook Pro using any USB-C power adaptor, and if it’s powerful enough, the MacBook Pro can utilize fast charging. So, if you already have plenty of power adaptors lying around with USB-C, then you should be able to just use one of those – and it will at least mean you’re not lumbered with yet another charger that you don’t need.
While Apple doesn’t include the actual charger for UK and EU customers, it does at least include the USB-C to MagSafe3 cable, so if you have a wall charger with a USB-C socket, you can make use of the convenient and fast MagSafe 3 port of the MacBook Pro, which holds the charger in place via magnets, making it easy to attach and safe to remove (accidently yanking it out won’t do any damage).
For all customers, you can configure the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) before you purchase it. While there are no variants of the M5, you can add a nano-texture display, which reduces glare and reflections for $150 / £150 / AU$230, boost the memory to either 24GB (for an extra $200 / £200 / AU$300) or 32GB (add $400 / £400 / AU$600), or up the storage to 1TB, 2TB or 4TB (which will cost, respectively, an extra $200 / £200 / AU$300, $600 / £600 / AU$900, and $1,200 / £1,200 / AU$1,800).
Apple faces renewed competition when it comes to premium laptops, with the new Dell 14 Premium launching at a lower price of $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,598.20, while offering a similar level of performance with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD – oh, and Wi-Fi 7.
So, while it’s great that Apple has kept the same price as last year’s model, in an increasingly competitive market that might no longer be enough, and consumers could start looking at alternatives if they want some bolder designs.
Price: 3.5 / 5
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) review: Specs
The Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) comes in three pre-configured options, and when buying from Apple you can tweak some of the options (such as storage and memory) to better suit your needs. Below, you’ll find the three initial models:
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) specs
Base model
Mid-range model
High-end model
Price
$1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,499
$1,799 / £1,799 / AU$2,799
$1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,099
CPU
M5 10-core
M5 10-core
M5 10-core
GPU
10-core
10-core
10-core
RAM
16GB unified memory
16GB unified memory
24GB unified memory
Storage
512GB SSD
1TB SSD
1TB SSD
Display
14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (3024 x 1964), 120Hz
14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (3024 x 1964), 120Hz
14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (3024 x 1964), 120Hz
12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches (31.26 x 22.12 x 1.55cm)
12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches (31.26 x 22.12 x 1.55cm)
12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches (31.26 x 22.12 x 1.55cm)
While the release of the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) means that last year’s base model is no longer being sold by Apple, however as there’s no sign (at the moment) of M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, Apple is still selling the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, so if you want a more powerful laptop, for the moment you’ll need to go with the previous gen.
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025): Design
No new design
Still looks great
No Wi-Fi 7
The Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) features an identical design to the M4 model, and the M3 before it. While it’s still a very nice-looking (and very well-built) laptop, and looks a lot more modern than the M2-era 13-inch MacBook Pro, which the 14-inch replaced in 2023, it could disappoint anyone hoping for a freshly designed MacBook Pro.
One rumor that keeps on cropping up is that Apple is working on a MacBook Pro with an OLED screen – and if you’re holding out for that, I’m afraid the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) isn’t the MacBook you’re looking for.
However, the 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, with a resolution of 3024 x 1964 and with ProMotion variable refresh rates of up to 120Hz, remains one of the best screens you can find in a laptop. The mini-LED backlit panel still allows for excellent contrast, and colors look life-like and vibrant. HDR content looks particularly good on the screen, and while OLED panels might have the edge when it comes to showing true blacks, the screen of the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) offers deep, inky blacks with no hints of light bleed.
(Image credit: Future)
The high pixel density of the screen at 254 pixels per inch means images look sharp and detailed, and the ProMotion refresh rate means scrolling through websites and documents, watching movies, and even playing games is smooth and responsive.
The model Apple sent me to review comes with the optional nano-texture coating on the display, which minimizes glare and reflections. It leads to a very pleasant matte-like finish, and even under bright studio lights the screen was pleasant to use, without any distracting reflections. Adding the nano-texture coating costs $150 / £150 / AU$230, so you'll need to judge if it's worth the additional cost. I'd say that if you're going to be doing a lot of visual work on the MacBook, and will be using it where there's a lot of ambient light (especially from above or behind you), then it's well worth considering.
The quality of the display means that anyone holding off buying a MacBook Pro until an OLED model is launched is in danger of missing out on an excellent screen. On the other hand, an increasing number of rival laptop makers are kitting out their premium laptops with OLED panels (or at least offering them as an option), so Apple is in danger of getting left behind if it doesn’t update the screen any time soon.
Port-wise, things stay the same as last year’s model, with an HDMI port, SDXC card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, and MagSafe 3 port for charging. It also comes with three USB-C ports, which use Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 with speeds of up to 40Gb/s.
These aren’t the fastest ports, and that might disappoint any professionals who need to move lots of large files quickly. The older M4 Pro and M4 Max 14-inch MacBook Pros even offer faster speeds, as their three USB-C ports are Thunderbolt 5 and USB 4, which support speeds of up to 120Gb/s.
This was the same as the base M4 14-inch MacBook Pro, which also had the slower speeds, with Apple clearly positioning it as an entry-level device. Back then, this decision was easier to swallow, as you had the option of the M4 Pro and M4 Max versions if you wanted faster USB speeds.
(Image credit: Future)
Because there aren’t any M5 Pro or M5 Max models (yet), it means professional users looking for a new MacBook could either choose to have Apple’s very latest M5 chip, but with slower transfer speeds, or go for an older generation (which will likely be superseded sometime soon) for faster transfer speeds. It’s an odd situation some people will find themselves in, and while USB transfer speeds might not be the most important consideration for many people, for professionals, especially creatives, who the MacBook Pro line is mainly aimed at, it is important if you’re moving large projects to and from an external drive.
So, the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) is still a sleek-looking professional laptop, available in two colors – Space Black and Silver – with a very good display. I was sent the Space Black version to review, and it really does look lovely. But the lack of any change to the design, no matter how small, makes this release feel particularly incremental (and possibly even inessential if you already have a recent MacBook Pro), so that puts a lot of pressure on the internal upgrades to justify this release.
Design: 3.5 / 5
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025): Performance
Very good performance
AI tools work faster
Not a massive leap over the M4 model
While Apple has once again played it safe with the design, the changes to the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025)’s internals are much more ambitious.
The M5 chip has debuted in just three devices this time around: the 14-inch MacBook Pro, the new iPad Pro (M5, 2025), and (rather surprisingly) a new version of Apple’s ultra-niche Vision Pro headset. It features a 10-core CPU made up of four high-performance cores and six high-efficiency cores, which the M5 switches between depending on the tasks you’re performing on the laptop, and whether or not you’re using the 14-inch MacBook Pro while plugged in or while on battery.
With more efficiency cores than performance ones, it’s pretty safe to assume that Apple’s priority with the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) is prolonging battery life and maintaining performance when on battery, rather than raw power. It’s a balance that has served Apple well in the past, with its MacBooks, especially the Pro versions, leading the industry when it comes to battery life and sustained on-battery performance.
Despite having the same number of cores as the M4 chip, Apple claims the M5 offers 20% faster multithreaded performance. Combined with the faster memory bandwidth of 153GB/s (compared to the 120GB/s of the M4, this puts the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) in a solid position to outdo its predecessor when it comes to running multiple apps at once.
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025): benchmarks
Here's how the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) performed in our suite of industry-standard benchmarks and game tests.
Geekbench 6.5: Single - 4,288 Multi - 17,926 Blackmagic Disk Speed Test: Read: 6,619.7 MB/s Write: 6.517 MB/s Cinebench R24: Single-core - 199 Multi-core - 1,141 PugetBench for Adobe CC: Photoshop: 13,755 Premiere Pro: 69,887 Battery life test (web browsing): 18 hours 14 minutes Battery life test (video): 21 hours 43 minutes
It certainly felt sprightly as I used it, with multiple apps and web browser windows, including a 1080p video and Apple’s Image Playground generative AI tool, all running seamlessly.
The M5’s 10-core GPU handles graphics tasks, and Apple has included an enhanced shader core and ray tracing engine, which it claims gives the M5 up to 1.6 times faster graphics performance compared to the M4.
If the smaller bump in graphics performance versus the M4 model is a tad disappointing, it seems like Apple has put a lot of effort into the AI capabilities of the M5 chip. The company claims it’s been built from the ground up for AI, and it’s certainly been keen to highlight its AI capabilities in its promotional materials.
Since the launch of the M1 chip, Apple has been including its Neural Engine in its computing chips for on-device AI tasks, and the M5 has an improved Neural Engine, also integrating what Apple calls a ‘Neural Accelerator’ into each core of the GPU to speed up results.
Now, we’re getting dangerously close to impenetrable tech jargon, but as a huge amount of AI tasks are handled by a system’s GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), this approach seems to make sense, and would explain Apple’s bullish claims about the AI performance improvements the M5 benefits from versus the M4. According to Apple’s own numbers (so take it with a pinch of salt, as the company is typically vague about the testing methodology), LLM (Large Language Model) prompt processing is 4.6 times faster than the M4.
(Image credit: Future)
While these numbers might look impressive, the actual real-world benefits of this increase in AI performance are harder to gauge, and really depend on how much you use on-device (as opposed to cloud-based) AI tools.
Apple has continued to add AI tools to macOS Tahoe, the latest version of its operating system, which ships with the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025), and while it’s not quite at the level of AI integration as its rival Microsoft’s Windows 11 is, it’s getting easier to use AI without having to install extra apps. These include Genmoji and Image Playground, which generate images and emojis based on your prompts, and are, ultimately, inessential for most people. You might play around with them a few times, but I can’t imagine many professionals who have forked out for the latest MacBook Pro will use it much, so the fact that the M5 can generate images more quickly will likely inspire more of a shrug of the shoulders than a rush to buy the new MacBook.
I got Image Playground to generate several images based on various prompts, and the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) did so speedily, giving me various images in a matter of seconds. However, this never seemed to take too much time on older MacBooks, so any performance improvements here are hard to judge.
More useful is Live Translation, which allows you to talk to other people in different languages, and it makes a great case for on-device AI as it means your conversations remain private. On the whole, however, Apple’s AI tools still don’t compete with its competitors, and their faster performance on the M5 chip will do little to get people to buy the latest MacBook Pro on its own.
Third-party apps do much better jobs at showcasing the potential of artificial intelligence, as well as the M5’s improved performance in this area, especially when it comes to Adobe’s Photoshop and Premiere Pro apps. It’s here that the M5’s AI chops get to shine. However, it should be noted that certain tools, such as Generative Extend (which can generate additional frames to lengthen video clips), run on Adobe's Firefly AI generation service, which isn't on device, and therefore doesn't really benefit from the M5 chip. If Apple really thinks AI capabilities are something people look for when buying a MacBook Pro, I feel it's going to have to do more to justify the hype.
Performance: 4 / 5
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) review: Battery life
Apple promises up to 24 hours
Hits over 18 hours in our web browsing test
Supports fast charging
One of Apple’s biggest successes with modern MacBooks is battery life. Thanks to its dedication to power efficiency that started with the M1 chip, and improved upon with each subsequent generation, the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) is easily one of the longest-lasting laptops you can buy.
This is particularly impressive considering how powerful the M5 MacBook Pro 14-inch is, as usually, the more powerful the components are, the more power-hungry they are as well. The fact that it’s relatively small, and therefore limits the physical size of the battery Apple can fit inside it.
The battery in the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) is 72.4 watt-hours, and Apple is bullish when it comes to potential battery life, claiming up to 24 hours of video streaming and 16 hours of web browsing.
(Image credit: Future)
Big claims indeed, and I’d usually be sceptical if it wasn’t for Apple’s excellent legacy with MacBook battery life, and in our benchmark tests it scored a very respectable 18 hours and 14 seconds for web browsing.
Meanwhile, almost 16 and a half hours into our looped battery life benchmark test, the MacBook Pro 14-inch’s battery was still at 40%. As I used the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) for day-to-day tasks, it became clear that this is again a powerful workstation laptop that can go multiple workdays on a single charge. It’s extremely impressive.
Just as importantly, thanks to Apple’s commitment to power efficiency with its M series chips, there’s no sign of any negative impact on performance when the laptop is unplugged. It’s quite common for laptop makers to reduce the overall performance of a device (a practice known as ‘throttling’) when it’s on battery power to lower power consumption and prolong battery life.
(Image credit: Future)
While this can be useful in some situations, it does mean that if you want to use a laptop for heavy workloads, it’ll need to be plugged in. With the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025), Apple has once again avoided this problem, and I was able to run demanding tasks such as video editing and music production while using the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) on battery power, and there were no noticeable knocks to performance compared to plugged-in use. Because of this, the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) is easily one of the best laptops for people looking for a device they can use for heavy workloads while travelling.
Battery: 5 / 5
Should you buy the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025)?
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025): Scorecard
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Price
Launching at the same price as last year's model is good to see, but UK and EU customers no longer get a power adapter included.
3.5 / 5
Design
No new design isn't a huge issue, it still looks great, but it means some things, like its USB-C port speeds and Wi-Fi 6E support are showing their age.
3.5 / 5
Performance
Once again, Apple has made a MacBook Pro that is excellent at all kinds of tasks. However, it's not a huge leap over the M4. Fans of AI tools will like the improvements here, however.
4 / 5
Average rating
If you're new to MacBook Pros, you'll be very happy with this device, but for anyone using a recent MacBook, the lack of any generational leaps will disappoint.
4 / 5
Buy it if...
You’ve not had an M-series MacBook Pro before The M5 chip’s improvements over the M4 and M3 aren’t big enough to justify upgrading from those devices, but if you’re still on an Intel-powered Mac (or are a Windows user looking to switch), then you’re going to be hugely impressed by this laptop.
You want a portable workstation The MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025)’s small and light design makes it easy to carry around, and the huge battery life and lack of throttling mean you can be productive pretty much anywhere.
You use a lot of AI tools The M5’s biggest improvements over the M4 are when it comes to on-device AI performance, so if you use a lot of artificial intelligence, this could be the ideal laptop for you.
Don't buy it if...
You want the most powerful Mac Despite coming with the very latest M5 chip, the new MacBook Pro 14-inch isn’t the most powerful device Apple makes – the M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBooks beat it, as does the super-powerful M3 Ultra-powered Mac Studio.
You think AI is a gimmick As you'd expect, the MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) runs macOS, Apple's own operating system. If you want to stick with Windows 11, look elsewhere.
You want a large-screen laptop Unusually, a 16-inch MacBook Pro hasn’t launched alongside the 14-inch model, but that will likely come later, so if you prefer large screens, it’ll be a wise idea to hold on for a bit.
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025): Also consider
MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5)
MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)
MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)
Price
$1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,499
$1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,299
$999 / £999 / AU$1,699
CPU
M5 10-core
M4 Pro 12-core
M4 10-core
GPU
10-core
16-core
8-core
RAM
16GB unified memory
24GB unified memory
16GB unified memory
Storage
512GB SSD
512GB SSD
256GB SSD
Display
14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (3024 x 1964), 120Hz
14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (3024 x 1964), 120Hz
12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches (31.26 x 22.12 x 1.55cm)
12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches (31.26 x 22.12 x 1.55cm)
11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (304 x 215 x 11.3mm)
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 Pro / M4 Max If you're looking for a more powerful MacBook Pro, then Apple is still selling last year's model with the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, which outperform the standard M5 chip. Because there's no new design this year, you're not missing out on anything by getting the slightly older model.
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) The 13-inch MacBook Air with the M4 chip is an awesome alternative if you don't need the kind of performance the MacBook Pro 14-inch with M5 chip offers, and it's a lot more affordable as well. There's also a 15-inch model if you'd rather have a larger screen.
How I tested the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025)
I used the new MacBook Pro solidly for several days
I ran multiple benchmarks
I used it as my daily work laptop
I've used the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025) over the past several days as my main work laptop, writing some of this review on it, as well as browsing the web, attending meetings via video call and running our suite of benchmarks. I also played around with video and photo editing during my time with the laptop. I've been reviewing MacBooks for TechRadar for well over a decade, and have extensively used and tested all models of Apple's M-series chips.
Even now, more than two years since Apple first launched its spatial computing revolution, the Apple Vision Pro remains the most advanced and, in some ways, exciting technology Apple has ever produced. There is simply nothing else like it in Apple's device portfolio – and it borrows a bit from all the other major product lines in that portfolio, from the iPhone and iPad to the Mac, and even the Apple Watch and AirPods Pro.
It's a full-blown computer that you wear on your face and which transports you to immersive inner (VR) and outer (AR) worlds, and even connects you to the world of work in a way that feels boundless.
The Apple Vision Pro is a mixture of premium materials, from glass to aluminum, tungsten, silicone, and foam and mesh fabrics. There is no way you can wear and experience it and not feel the almost fanatical attention to detail. Not a pixel, a byte, or a speck of silicone is out of place.
Much of what I learned when testing the original device for my Apple Vision Pro review a couple of years ago remains. In fact, the majority of all that premium hardware is unchanged. But in this new model, the powerful R1 chip, which takes all that information from the 12 cameras and creates the spatial experience, is now paired with a far more powerful engine: the Apple M5 processor.
It took me no time to setup the Vision Pro M5, because the interface and control metaphors are now so familiar to me. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
This chip improves app-loading speeds, images transformed into a spatial, 3D experience, and widgets, and adds the horsepower necessary to stuff more pixels into the full experience. Apple hasn't updated its OLED stereo displays; it simply has a CPU that's now capable of taking full advantage of the display panels' capabilities. The new silicon is also far more efficient, virtually guaranteeing at least two hours of operation. and possibly three hours if you only watch video.
The other major change might be for many the most significant. There's now an included and fully-redesigned Dual Knit headband that finally spreads out and balances the headset's 600 grams of weight (most of which lives in the goggles) across your whole noggin. I can now wear the Vision Pro for two hours, and, when I remove it, not feel like my face is going to slide off my skull. It's a vast improvement.
The Vision Pro is still good at everything from spatial gaming to entertainment, immersion, blending your real world with the virtual, communication, and work. It's also still $3,499 / £3,199 / AU$5,999. To be honest, I'm shocked that Apple didn't make any sort of adjustment. After all, it's fairly clear that Apple will soon not be the only spatial game in town. Samsung (in partnership with Google and Qualcomm) is preparing Project Moohan.
At the very least, Apple should adjust the price of the new Vision Pro to reflect its age and the competitive landscape. Yes, it has the latest and greatest Apple silicon, but if Apple has any aspirations for the Vision Pro to become a popular consumer product, it needs to do something about the price.
It may also be time to acknowledge that there's a basic, human social barrier to wearing the Vision Pro around other people. No one in my house wants to talk to me when I wear it (the odd EyeSight representation of my eyes on the outside doesn't help), and the last thing we need in our sometimes too distracted and disconnected world is to be cut off from other people who are right there in the room with us.
I'm not necessarily arguing that the Vision Pro is not worth $3,500, but consumers have shown they won't plunk down that much money for something they may, for reasons listed above, only use occasionally.
Looking purely at the updates, though – the M5, visionOS 26, and that headband – this is a strong update for Vision Pro fans.
Apple Vision Pro M5: Price and availability
Still expensive
If you wear glasses you'll pay extra for inserts
The price does include an indispensable new headband
Aside from the M5 chip, you're looking at the biggest upgrade. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Apple unveiled its first major update to the Vision Pro wearable spatial computer on October 15, 2025, with the new model featuring the new M5 chip. Pricing and availability remain the same as for the original model. The headset starts at $3,499 / £3,199 with 256GB of storage. The new adjustable Dual Knit headband is included.
While we're still wowed by the technology, it's become clear in the last two years that consumers are not thrilled about the price of the Vision Pro, and are not purchasing it in droves. So, while we can see the dollars in the build, it's hard to justify that price for most consumers.
Value score: 3.5
Apple Vision Pro M5: What's in the box
The Vision Pro spatial, wearable computer
Battery with an attached cable
USB-C charging cable and adapter
Dual Knit Headband
Two light-seal cushions
A fabric cover
A polishing cloth
Apple Vision Pro M5: Specs
Apple Vision Pro M5
Meta Quest 3
Meta Quest Pro
Dimensions
Est: 152 x 101 x 101mm / 6 x 4 x 4 inches
184 x 160 x 98mm / 7.2 x 6.3 x 3.9 inches
265 x 127 x 196mm / 10.4 x 5 x 7.7 inches
Weight
From 1.3lbs / 600g
1.14lbs / 515g
1.6lbs / 722g
Display
Dual mico-OLED
Two LCD displays
Two LCD displays
Display resolution
4K per eye (23 million pixels)
2064 x 2208 pixels per eye
1920 x 1080 per eye
FOV
Est 100-degree
110-degree horizontal, 96-degree vertical
120-degree
Refresh rate
90Hz, 96Hz, 120Hz
72Hz, 80Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz
90Hz
Chipset
Apple silicon M5, R1
Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2
Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+
RAM
16GB
8GB
12GB
Storage
256GB, 512GB, 1TB
128GB or 512GB
256GB
Battery life
3 hours (rated for video)
2 hours 12 minutes
2 hours
Apple Vision Pro M5: Performance
M5 chip
R1 juggles the camera input for a full spatial experience
Everything is a little faster and all imagery is a bit crisper
That price should get you double the base storage
You can't really run benchmarks on the Vision Pro, but if you can imagine giving a sports car a tune-up and then taking it out on the open road you get a little bit of an idea of what it's like to switch from the Apple Vision Pro running the M2 chip to the new Apple Vision Pro M5.
Based on my nearly constant use over the last few days, it's clear the system is taking advantage of the increased number of cores and more powerful GPU (every GPU core has its own neural accelerator). There's faster memory storage, and the M5 is built on a 3-nanometer process, while the M2 was a 5nm process chip. That last bit is what makes the entire Vision Pro system more efficient and able to operate for over two hours in mixed use, and three hours if you only watch video.
This is a visual system, or rather a wearable visual system, and one of the most noticeable benefits of the new M5 silicon is the upgrade in visual quality in everything from photos and video to the Mac Virtual Display.
When I hooked up the Vision Pro to my MacBook Pro 14-inch I was instantly stunned by the visual quality. Gone was any graininess. My virtual, curved, ultra-wide display looked amazing, and it was a pleasure to work on for two hours and 10 minutes, at which point the battery ran out and my Vision Pro M5 shut down.
Performance score: 5
Apple Vision Pro M5: Design
Still premium materials and a top-notch build
It's still 600g on your face
External battery pack and cable
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(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
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(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
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(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
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(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
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(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
By now, most people are familiar with the Vision Pro's mix of premium materials and ski-goggle design. The body is made of aluminum, magnesium, and carbon fiber. There's enough mesh fabric and fiber to make much of headset soft to the touch, and the part that touches your face is a foam-covered light-seal band (there's a slightly thicker spare one for more sensitive faces, and they attach to the headset via magnets). Under the glass front are main, side, and downward-facing cameras, and IR sensors.
Jutting out of the headset on each side are the thick stems that contain a pair of excellent spatial speakers (you can also use the headset with your AirPods). On one side is the proprietary, bayonet-style power-attachment port where you connect the 3/4-pound battery pack. Again, this is all the same as it was on the original Vision Pro.
There are vents in the body to move air through the system and keep it cool, and two buttons, or rather a button and a digital crown. The button is on the left side, and the digital crown, which can be pressed and turned, is on the right. While you will use these buttons occasionally, they're not entirely integral to the Vision Pro's operation; it's primarily a gaze and gesture-based control system.
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That knob gives me some real precision control (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
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This fit is so much better. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
The biggest design change comes in the form of the new Dual Knit headband, which replaces the original knit band. Basically, these two bands are like cousins. The old knit band was designed to hug just the back of your head. It never provided enough support for me, so this time around I opted for the strappier dual-band, which provided a stretchy band to go over the top of my head. It uses Velcro, and I found it a bit fiddly to adjust to get the best fit.
The Dual Knit headband is like the old band in that it has a very similar knit design to the first one, but instead of one band, there are two knit bands. The tension of each one is controlled by a single knob. When pressed in, the knob tightens the back band, and when pulled out, it tightens the top. This offers just enough incremental control to deliver a near-perfect fit. It's a shame that Apple didn't figure this out two years ago, but I appreciate the update.
Design score 4.5
Apple Vision Pro M5: Set-up
There isn't too much of a set-up process for the Vision Pro. You have to find the right fit for the headband and, if you wear glasses and not contacts, you'll need to purchase Zeiss inserts (usually $99 / £99).
Since there's no integrated battery, one of the first things you'll do is charge the external battery pack via its USB-C port, and once that's done, you attach the proprietary cable to the headset.
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
As soon as you put it on, the headset powers up (there's no power button). You'll be asked to hold down the crown as this headset measures your pupil distance and adjusts the displays, and it also automatically recognizes the lens inserts if you have them.
There's nothing complicated here, and as someone who's used the Vision Pro for two years, it was all second nature to me.
During set-up, the Vision Pro works with you to ensure that all the gaze and gesture control is as precise as it needs to be. You go through a trio of tasks where you look at a circle of dots, and use your fingers to pinch each one.
The battery pack is a fact of spatial computing life. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Since there are cameras located along the bottom edge of the Vision Pro frame, it can see your hands and their gestures even when they're sitting on your lap. Basically, no wild gestures are needed to control the headset.
Set-up is also where you create your 'persona'. Not only has visionOS 26 radically improved the visual fidelity of these avatars, which now include the front and sides of your face, as well as your shoulders and hands, but the creation of them is now much faster and easier than it was in the early days of the Vision Pro.
As instructed, I took the headset off and pointed the front (and all those cameras) at my face. Because there are also displays embedded in the front of the Vision Pro, I could see a faint representation of my face dead-center on the screen (this helped me guide my framing). I was told to look forward, then left, right, and up and down before smiling with my mouth closed, then with my teeth, raising my eyebrows, and finally closing my eyes.
All of this took maybe 30 seconds, tops, before my shockingly realistic persona was ready for use. Oh, I forgot to say that I had to scan my face without glasses; fortunately, Apple lets you add a pair of frames of your choice to the persona.
Apple Vision Pro M5: Software and experience
Still excellent intuitive OS
visionOS 26 adds widgets, spatial scenes, and new controls
Virtual desktop transforms your workspace
It can be hard to explain just how intuitive the Vision Pro and visionOS 26 platform are to someone who's never worn one, or one of the growing generation of VR headsets and smart glasses.
The headset is designed to see everything around it, and the wearer inside it. It makes a near-perfect marriage between intention and action that can be conveyed with something as small as a glance, or as distinct as typing on a virtual keyboard.
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Look at an interface element and it expands toward you. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
The most obvious way of accomplishing gesture-based tasks is invariably the answer in Vision Pro. If at any moment the wraparound interface objects seem out of reach, a long press of the digital crown brings them into frame.
VisionOS 26 also added a new Control Center gesture where I look at my palm, pinch my finger, and turn my hand over. I can then quickly access the full Control Center, Mac virtual display connection, or volume control. Oddly, this is the one gesture I sometimes struggled to remember, maybe because it's just a tiny bit more complicated than 95% of the other gestures on the system.
Siri could not tell me what I was looking at. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Intuitive as the interface is, Siri and artificial intelligence are not necessarily at the heart of it, as AI is promised to be in the upcoming spatial computer competition, Samsung's Project Moohan. That wearable is built around Google Gemini, making it an intrinsic part of the experience.
In the Vision Pro, Siri is an occasionally useful companion which doesn't know what you're looking at but can do some system-level tasks, like opening the home screen with a voice command.
Yes, Apple Intelligence works in the headset, and I did use it in Image Playground to generate silly images. There's also a ChatGPT Vision Pro app that works separately, but the Vision Pro doesn't feel like an AI wearable.
This is not to say that I don't find the Vision Pro incredibly useful and fun.
Another painful loss to, basically, a ping-pong-playing bot. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
I had many experiences with it. I played ping pong against a robot on a virtual ping pong table superimposed onto the view of my home office.
I drew, or at least tried to draw, with Sketch Pro. It's a powerful, layer-ready illustration app with many tools and palette options, but I still found it difficult to precisely control the virtual drawing implement with just my fingertips. There is an option to connect an iPad and use the Apple Pencil, but then why not just draw without the headset?
Look down and you can see my "art". (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
I had tremendous fun, and a real workout, with Beat Punch Fun and Fitness, punching at floating squares while also dodging incoming walls – yes, it'll remind you of Beat Saber if you've ever played that. I played a little golf in the frustrating What the Golf? and drove a cartoon car poorly in What the Car?
I couldn't even drive properly when the car had legs and feet. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Simply Piano was a pretty wild experience. I put a virtual piano on my desk and tried to learn how to play. I love how the system can attach virtual numbers to your fingertips so you know which finger to use for each key. Not having physical feedback of a real keyboard made the effort, at least for me, almost impossible. I hope to try it on a real keyboard in the future.
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This virtual keyboard was wild. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
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Watching a favorite show on the platform. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
I watched movies and HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and thought it looked incredibly crisp. The spatial audio means that, however I turned my head, the audio would always come from the spot where I placed the HBO Max screen.
This is some really good immersive content. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Apple's immersive theater and content efforts hadn't captured my imagination previously, but I think Apple may have finally found the right mix of in-your-face immersion and documentary style with MotoGT Tour de Force. I've never watched a motocross race, but there was something about the French racer's story. Also, the moments when he's in the middle of a throng of fans gave me just a glimpse of what it must be like to face that level of adulation. It's a worthwhile 30-minute watch.
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
I've never been a big fan of widgets on a desktop, but I find them useful in visionOS 26. My virtual space has News, a clock, the remaining Vision Pro Battery Life, and Calendar all stacked on a wall to my left so I can glance at them at any time. On my right are the pinned widgets for Weather and Notes. They all look as if I'd pinned them to the wall.
VisionOS 26's ability to turn any photo into a spatial scene is truly impressive. I used it on my collection of New York Comic Con photos, where it turned the cosplay images into spectacular stereoscopic photos. Sadly, it's not something I can properly convey here on the 2D page.
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
One of my most eye-opening experiences was joining a group FaceTime meeting featuring four other people wearing Vision Pro headsets. We all appeared as our Personas in a group environment, and we could sit in a circle or for a presentation, all facing a floating screen. If someone stood up to present, their persona rose up. As we gestured and pointed, our hands appeared. At one point, we all examined a 3D object in the center, and any one of us could rotate and adjust it. Then one of us grabbed it and we started passing it from one virtual set of hands to another.
For remote workers, this could be a true game-changer.
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Software and Experience score: 4.5
Should you buy the Apple Vision Pro M5?
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
Exquisite build and design, but still far too expensive for most people.
3.5
Performance
The M5 enhances most every aspect of operation, but the upgrades are subtle and not necessarily transformative. The efficiency and longer batter life is very welcome, though.
5/5
Design
Still an excellent design, and the materials are top notch. It's still heavy, but the new and included Dual Knit band finally makes the Vision Pro wearable for long stretches. We're now used to the external battery.
4.5/5
Software and Experience
VisionOS 26 only serves to enhance the already intuitive interface that connected your gestures and gaze with action, and it's a still unmatched window to a world of entertainment, communication, and utility. It's a shame that Siri and Apple Intelligence can't yet play a larger role here.
4.5/5
Buy it if...
Money is no object and you're ready to enter a whole new lane of computing
Yes, the Vision Pro is expensive, but once you use it you may stop arguing with the price. The latest software enhances the fun and utility, and the new headband makes it wearable for two hours or more.
You're an Apple fan who wants a spatial computer
The Vision Pro is deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem, and brings all your software and services across your Apple products into one gesture and gaze-friendly space.
You want to experience the best of Apple silicon Apple's best computer may, in fact, be the Vision Pro, which combines spatial computing (gesture and gaze control) with the fastest and best Apple silicon, the M5 chip. It's a fast and smooth experience that makes every operation, from the practical to the frivolous, effortless.
Don’t buy it if…
You're on a budget The Vision Pro is an ultra-premium product that will cost you (even if you choose the monthly payment plan), and that price is why the majority of consumers are yet to adopt spatial computing.
You want an AI-centric experience Apple has yet to complete Apple Intelligence, and Siri is just an okay digital companion for the headset. The Vision Pro may have a tough time competing when Project Moohan and its Gemini-centric system arrives.
Also consider
PlayStation VR 2 TechRadar Gaming called the PSVR 2 headset "an experience that’ll be well worth your hard-earned cash." If you have a PS5 already and want a VR headset, this is the headset to check out.
Meta Quest Pro An excellent VR headset with great passthrough, mixed reality, and some hand-tracking that's also a fraction of the Vision Pro's price, and is supported by a well-baked ecosystem and a rich collection of apps.
Meta Quest 3 We call this the best VR headset for most people, and considering the far more affordable price and vast number of apps built specifically for the platform, this might be, even with less visual quality, be a more attainable and reasonable option than the Vision Pro.
Nreal Air AR Glasses The Nreal Air AR Glasses are nothing like the Vision Pro (or any other VR headset, for that matter), but they're nevertheless an intriguing AR gadget that effectively offers you your own private theater viewing of whatever is happening on your connected device's screen. It's pretty neat, and potentially a great pick for commuters.
How we test
For my Apple Vision Pro M5 review I spent four days wearing and using the mixed-reality headset. I watched movies, played games, communicated with friends and co-workers, drew, played games, and did a lot of work on my giant MacBook Pro virtual display.
These Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses are undeniably designed for athletes.
This is something of a double-edged sword in the design department as it means you can’t use them for everyday use unless your personal fashion choices include strolling around in a visor. But when you’re on a run, powering down a slope, or pushing yourself on your next bike ride these glasses will be the ideal companion… if you have a compatible Garmin watch.
The biggest benefit these specs have – beyond their Prizm visors, which are tailored to different activities – is their IP67 which allows them to tackle all conditions. I got caught out in a rainstorm with these specs on and the Vanguard glasses weren’t bothered at all.
I had more than enough time to finish up the run I had planned and make my way home, all the while enjoying tunes and assistance from Meta AI which I could hear through the open-ear headphones.
I even successfully made a few calls. Despite the rain, wind, and cars rushing past on the road, everyone I called said I came through crystal clear. Admittedly, I did have to double-check a few times as I was so surprised – with my usual open earbuds, or even using my actual phone in those conditions, I know they’d struggle to hear me.
The footage captured by its camera is good too, thanks to the centralized snapper which can capture video in up to 3K which is perfect for sharing your fitness achievements.
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
That’s helped by the new autocapture tool which uses data from your compatible Garmin watch to automatically record segments of your excursion and overlay fitness data – like your pace, distance travelled and heart rate – to create a nifty video recap you can share.
However, here lies my main concern with these specs. Their health tracking integration is currently reliant on a single company: Garmin. If you don’t have a Garmin smartwatch, or you do have one but it’s not compatible with the Meta AI app, then you lose out on one of the best features of these glasses. I ran into this compatibility problem so created a handy guide you can use to see which Garmin watches are compatible with Meta AI.
Meta does usually take a slow and steady approach with integrations so my fingers are crossed we’ll see Meta play nice with other fitness trackers too. But until then, this limited compatibility makes this device feel a little less mainstream.
That said, if you are an athlete with a compatible Garmin watch then the Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses will be a superb companion. The open ear audio, Meta AI assistance providing real-time fitness data, crystal clear calls, and auto capture video recaps combine into something superb – just be prepared for the high cost.
Oakley Meta Vanguard: price and availability
The Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses are launching on October 21, 2025 and are available to buy in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and many European countries with plans to expand to more countries like Mexico and Brazil soon.
At the time of writing they cost $499 / £499 / AU$789 no matter which model you get. This makes them pricier than Meta’s Oakley HSTN and Ray-Ban smart glasses – ignoring its new Meta Ray-Ban Display specs.
In exchange you’ll get specs with louder (6dB louder) open-ear speakers, a more durable design (they’re IP67 rated rather than IPX4 for dust and water), and a slightly longer battery life than those two aforementioned models.
The design also feels more sporty, plus there’s the Garmin integration – though that necessitates a compatible device.
Value score: 3/5
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Oakley Meta Vanguard: design
You can pick up the Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses in one of four design variations equipped with a colored Prizm lens – a black frame with a 24K lens, black frame with a Road lens, white frame with a Black lens, or white with a Sapphire lens.
Otherwise the specs of all four are identical. The lens forms a large visor which covers both eyes, there’s a large camera that sits above your nose, and each pair comes with three nose clips sizes so you can adjust the fit to suit your face.
You’ll also find three buttons on the frame; on the left (as you wear them) is the power button, while on the right you have the camera button, and a programmable action button. The latter can activate Meta AI, automatically activate a different capture mode like slow-motion or hyperlapse, or access an accessibility feature (alongside a few other effects).
The Prizm lenses are Oakley’s sports-specific visors with color patterns designed to boost the contrast of your vision during different sports. The red Road visor version I tested are ideal for runners and cyclists because they help you see changes in the road and trail in front of you – like signs, cracks, and terrain changes.
They’re also the least shaded of the lens options available currently, meaning I can use them just fine on overcast days as long as it isn’t nighttime. If you live somewhere with a lot more sun you might prefer the Prizm lenses which provide more shade and similar contrast effects, or the Black lenses if you don’t care about contrast – the Sapphire lens is also good for the sun, but is tailored to water sports and skiing.
If you like the sound of a couple of different lens options you’re in luck. For the first time with its smart specs Meta’s Oakley Vanguards boast swappable lenses – so you can change between these available options, or some soon-to-launch alternatives like a low-light visor, as and when you need. Provided you buy the extra lenses that is – they’ll cost $85 (around £65 / AU$130, exact regional pricing is TBC).
(Image credit: Future)
They’re well suited to different conditions regardless of your lens type. I’ve run in sunnier weather and a rainstorm just fine – I did need to wipe the visor when it was wet, but no more than I would my regular specs, and at least the glasses didn’t fog up.
During the rain I was glad for their improved IP67 rating. This means they can survive harsh outdoor weather (just don’t swim in them), so on my rainy run it meant I didn’t need to rush home because I was worried my tech would get ruined – just because it was cold and miserable.
If they do get wet, however, Meta advises you dry them off before using the charging case.
Speaking of which, the bulky charging case safely stores your specs and boosts their roughly nine hours of battery life – six with continuous music – with up to an additional 36 hours. It can quickly charge your specs to 50% full in two hours.
As I said, it isn't the slimmest case so you’ll get a drawstring bag case, which is ideal for taking on your excursion if you want to put the glasses away during a break or cool down and not scratch the visor.
During all my tests these glasses stayed comfortably and securely on my face.
Design score: 5/5
Oakley Meta Vanguard: Features
If you know much about Meta’s smart glasses already you’ll be familiar with the core features these specs borrow; we’re talking open-ear audio, an in-built camera, and Meta AI assistance. I’ll cover the quality of the camera and speakers in the performance section down below, but here I’ll focus on the AI and the new trick the Vanguards have up their sleeves: Garmin integration.
Meta AI can, provided you have your phone nearby and are connected to the internet, offer real-time answers to your queries. Simply say “Hey Meta” and you can get started.
On my other Meta smart glasses I love the AI when I’m a tourist, but on these Vanguard frames it’s instead my personal fitness coach. I’ve asked for some quick exercise tips so I can try to boost my running performance and endurance, and healthy snack advice so I know what to grab from the convenience store as I jog past to enjoy as a post-workout treat.
It also enables hands-free controls. I like to focus on my runs, and find I can do that more easily if I just call out to the Meta AI to change tracks in my playlist, or give me my fitness data, compared to swiping on the frame or looking down at my wrist.
This fitness data comes from my Garmin watch. For this review I borrowed a Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) which is one of a selection of compatible Garmin devices (mostly watches, but a few bike computers too) that can beam real-time data to the Vanguard glasses.
(Image credit: Ziven Anderson)
While in a fitness activity – like a run – I can get real-time updates on my heart rate, my running pace, distance travelled, and how well I’m hitting my goals which is super handy. Plus, for those of you who care just as much about sharing your fitness successes as you do about actually getting fit, you’ll love autocapture.
When enabled, autocapture will take a short video every split (either every lap, kilometer or mile based on your preferences), as well as at key moments like when your heart rate jumps up because you’re pushing hard, or at a new elevation high, to name a couple of examples. The Meta AI app will then process these shots and overlay your Garmin data – like your pace and distance traveled – which you can then share as a montage or sequence of stories.
As you can see in the example above, it also gave my footage an automatic title, and tells you what Garmin watch I was wearing.
I think it’s really neat, it’s just a shame these fitness data integrations – which feel somewhat essential to the glasses’ identity – are locked to some very specific fitness devices.
While a lot of athletes will rely on Garmin tech, some will prefer their Samsung Galaxy or Apple watch (or another option from list of the best fitness trackers). Others simply may not have one of these options – even some recent Garmin launches don’t support on-watch apps (a necessity for this Meta AI integration).
Meta does like to roll out these interconnected app features slowly so we may see other brands join the fray down line, but right now I’m left feeling like a device agnostic system – perhaps one which leans heavily on a phone app rather than a smartwatch app, or a more widely-available smartwatch app – would be a more elegant and better solution.
Features score: 3.5/5
Oakley Meta Vanguard: performance
These glasses performed really well in areas I think athletes will appreciate – that is to say, music and call clarity.
While I can’t test Meta’s claims that you can be heard over 30mph wind – during Meta Connect Mark Zuckerberg said “you can basically be standing in a wind tunnel and still come through clearly on the other side” – I can say that what initially sounded like a vast overpromise now seems like a very real ability of these specs after my tests.
I went out to run in a rain storm (unintentionally, admittedly) and not only could I always hear my music through these open-ear speakers (while also being able to pay full attention to my surroundings as nothing was covering or inserted into my ears) the microphones – by all accounts – picked me up crystal clear.
I never had trouble activating Meta AI, and even when I was jogging alongside a road with cars whizzing past – being buffeted by heavy rain and strong winds – the folks I called all said they couldn’t tell I was in a storm. The noise cancellation was, as one person described, "fantastic."
I know my other open earbuds, and maybe even my phone, wouldn’t have competed with that noise based on my experience with them – so I’m very impressed with the Vanguard’s capabilities.
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Jumping back to the audio, while not on par with more dedicated earbuds or headphones audio quality-wise, this comfy open-ear, all-in-one solution was excellent at keeping me motivated with music while keeping me aware of my surroundings – as I wasn't blocked off from the outside world in any way, sonically speaking.
I’ll also shout out the camera.
While the single shot photos are more on the ‘okay’ end of the spectrum quality-wise, the first-person videos look great and pick up the audio really well – even if a lot of them simply capture me huffing and puffing into the mics.
Because of this high quality I love the autocapture montage the app creates, and plan to always share it with my Strava posts going forward.
Performance score: 5/5
Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses Scorecard
Attribute
Notes
Score
Value
These glasses are good but they’re also Meta’s most expensive smart glasses and you can really only wear them while exercising. You’ll also need a pricey Garmin companion to get the most out of them.
3/5
Design
With improved ruggedness but still a comfy design that sits securely on my face while I run it’s hard to fault the design of these specs.
5/5
Features
These glasses are useful with AI, a first-person camera, and open-ear audio, but it’s frustrating that their best fitness tools are locked to specific Garmin devices rather than having a more agnostic system in place.
3.5/5
Performance
These glasses performed very well with crystal clear call audio, solid open-ear speaker audio, and good-looking 3K video capture in a wide variety of weather conditions.
5/5
Should you buy the Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses?
Buy them if…
You have a compatible Garmin device I love the Garmin integrations and found these specs offer a handy boost to your exercise if they have access to your real-time fitness data.
You want reliable audio for music and calls Thanks to some solid speakers and fantastic noise cancelling microphones, these glasses are a very reliable open-ear audio solution.
You want durable smart glasses With an IP67 rating these are Meta’s most durable smart glasses, ready to tackle heavy rain and dusty days as you race to get your next PB.
Don’t buy them if…
You’re not an athlete Given how fitness-focused these smart glasses are in their design and features, I can’t see them being the best pick for people who don’t do much sport.
You want everyday smart glasses Unless your style suits wearing a visor regularly, these specs are not for use day-to-day. If you want something like that grab the Oakley HSTN or Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses.
You’re on a budget While these specs do boast some upgrades they are also Meta’s most expensive smart glasses without a display (otherwise, they’re its second most pricey). That means they aren’t the most budget friendly.
Also consider
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) glasses We’ve yet to review the Gen 2 model, but we loved the Gen 1 Meta glasses and this newer model is just those but with better specs. For everyday use you’ll struggle to beat a pair of transitions Ray-Ban smart glasses.
Oakley Meta HSTN glasses If you want a pair of smart glasses that land between sporty and leisure, then check out the HSTN smart glasses. They’re comfortable to run in (though not as durable), and look stylish – helping to bridge the gap between Meta’s other specs.
Xreal One Pro If you are looking for something very, very different from your smart glasses – particularly something you can use for keeping entertained while kicking back on the sofa – you’ll want these Xreal glasses. Plug them into a compatible device and you can enjoy a your own private movie theater as your show, film or game of choice is virtually projected in front of you.
How I tested the Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses
To test these smart specs I made sure to run with them a few times. The first few times I used them without a Garmin watch to test their capabilities if you don’t have a compatible fitness device, and then I ran with a Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 to find out how much of a difference it makes.
I ran in different conditions, though I wasn’t able to run at night as the lenses aren’t well suited to running in the dark.
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC: One-minute review
The HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC (yes, that is its full name) has its flaws, but its strengths make those drawbacks easy to overlook. With over 16 hours of battery life, a stunning OLED display, an ultra-portable design, and an affordable starting price, it's hard not to recommend the OmniBook 5 14-inch, depending on what you're looking for in a laptop.
It starts at just $679 / £850 / AU$1,599 for a base configuration with a Snapdragon X X1-26-100 processor, Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 14-inch (1920x1200) OLED display.
Somewhat frustratingly, the US base configuration only has 256GB of storage, while the UK and Australia's starting specs include 512GB of storage. Luckily, Best Buy has a middle-ground configuration for US users that offers great value for your money at just $20 more than the US base configuration.
Aside from a bit of pricing confusion, this OmniBook is a great pick for basic work and school-related tasks, especially if you want a laptop that's going to easily last all day, making it one of the best laptops for students and remote workers out there.
The lightweight design also makes this perfect for commuters. While the performance could be stronger, it's hard to complain at this price–and with such an impressive battery life.
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC: Price & Availability
(Image credit: Future / Stevie Bonifield)
How much does it cost? Starting at $679 / £850 / AU$1,599
When is it available? It's available now
Where can you get it? Directly from HP in the US, UK, and Australia, or at various retailers like Best Buy
The OmniBook 5 14-inch is available now in the US, UK, and Australia starting at $679/£850/AU$1,599 on the HP website. The base configuration in all three regions includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 CPU, Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 14-inch OLED display.
The one big difference is that the US base configuration includes 256GB of storage while the UK and Australia base models have 512GB of storage.
With that said, an upgraded in-between configuration is available in the US at Best Buy for just $20 more than the base model on HP's website. That configuration has 512GB of storage and even bumps you up to a Snapdragon X Plus processor. So if you're in the US, I would definitely suggest opting for that version.
The US and UK prices for the OmniBook 5 14-inch are pretty reasonable, but the top configuration in Australia is a bit pricey for the specs you're getting (more on that below).
Value: 4 / 5
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC: Specs
(Image credit: Future / Stevie Bonifield)
Lower starting storage in the US base configuration
All configurations include an OLED display
Upgrades available for CPU, RAM, and storage
My review unit is the US top configuration of the OmniBook 5 14-inch, which is priced at $899, but the base configuration starts at $679/£850/AU$1,599. There is also a middle configuration in the US available at Best Buy for $699, which includes 512GB of storage and a Snapdragon X Plus processor.
All starting configurations include a Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 processor, Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, a 14-inch (1920x1200) OLED display, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. However, it's important to point out that the base model in the US only has 256GB of storage, half of what you would get in the UK and Australia, which is why I suggest going for the Best Buy configuration instead if you're in the US.
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC starting configurations
Region
US
UK
Australia
Price:
$679
£850
AU$1,599
CPU:
Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100
Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100
Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100
GPU:
Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics
Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics
Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics
Memory:
16GB
16GB
16GB
Storage:
256GB
512GB
512GB
Screen:
14-inch (1920x1200) OLED
14-inch (1920x1200) OLED
14-inch (1920x1200) OLED
Ports:
1 x USB Type-A, 2 x USB Type-C, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack
1 x USB Type-A, 2 x USB Type-C, 1 x 5.3mm audio jack
1 x USB Type-A, 2 x USB Type-C, 1 x 5.3mm audio jack
Battery (WHr):
59 WHr
59 WHr
59 WHr
Wireless:
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Camera:
1080p FHD IR webcam with privacy shutter
1080p FHD IR webcam with privacy shutter
1080p FHD IR webcam with privacy shutter
Weight:
2.85 lbs (1.29 kg)
2.85 lbs (1.29 kg)
2.85 lbs (1.29 kg)
Dimensions:
12.28 x 8.56 x 0.5 ins | (311.9 x 217.4 x 12.7 mm)
12.28 x 8.56 x 0.5 ins | (311.9 x 217.4 x 12.7 mm)
12.28 x 8.56 x 0.5 ins | (311.9 x 217.4 x 12.7 mm)
The top configurations of the OmniBook 5 14-inch bump you up to a Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 processor and 32GB of storage. The US and UK configurations also get 1TB of storage, which unfortunately isn't the case in Australia.
The top configurations in the US and the UK are a pretty good deal, especially if you can find them on sale, but the top specs in Australia are hard to recommend when you're not getting that storage upgrade. Even so, the improved processor and increased RAM could be worth paying extra for some users.
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC Top Configurations
Region
US
UK
Australia
Price:
$899
£1,049
AU$1,999
CPU:
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100
GPU:
Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics
Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics
Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics
Memory:
32GB
32GB
32GB
Storage:
1TB
1TB
512GB
Screen:
14-inch (1920x1200) OLED
14-inch (1920x1200) OLED
14-inch (1920x1200) OLED
Ports:
1 x USB Type-A, 2 x USB Type-C, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack
1 x USB Type-A, 2 x USB Type-C, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack
1 x USB Type-A, 2 x USB Type-C, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack
Battery (WHr):
59 WHr
59 WHr
59 WHr
Wireless:
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Camera:
1080p FHD IR webcam with privacy shutter
1080p FHD IR webcam with privacy shutter
1080p FHD IR webcam with privacy shutter
Weight:
2.85 lbs (1.29 kg)
2.85 lbs (1.29 kg)
2.85 lbs (1.29 kg)
Dimensions:
12.28 x 8.56 x 0.5 ins | (311.9 x 217.4 x 12.7 mm)
12.28 x 8.56 x 0.5 ins | (311.9 x 217.4 x 12.7 mm)
12.28 x 8.56 x 0.5 ins | (311.9 x 217.4 x 12.7 mm)
Specs: 3.5 / 5
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC: Design
(Image credit: Future / Stevie Bonifield)
Incredibly lightweight
Stellar OLED display
Build quality feels a bit low-end
The OmniBook 5 14-inch isn't pushing the envelope with its design, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's very portable, weighing in at a mere 2.85 pounds. The chassis doesn't feel "premium", with its plastic-y keyboard deck and display bezels, but the low weight helps make up for that.
Plus, it's what's on the inside that counts, which in this case is a superbly snappy keyboard. HP's laptop keyboards can be pretty hit or miss for me, but I loved typing on this one. It has just the right amount of tactile feedback and key travel without being loud. However, I wish the power button was separated from the rest of the keyboard. It matches the rest of the function-row keys except for a little LED indicator.
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The touchpad is also pretty good. Considering the price point on this OmniBook 5 14-inch, I was expecting a mushy touchpad, but I was pleasantly surprised. It might not be the best touchpad I've ever used, but it has a satisfying amount of travel and feedback just like the keyboard. The speakers are also surprisingly decent and got plenty loud enough for my needs.
The real star feature here is the OLED display. I love OLED, and this display did not disappoint. Colors really pop on it, more than you would expect from a sub-$1,000 laptop. It passed our display tests with flying colors, too, reproducing 194.5% of the sRGB color gamut and 138.4% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. I genuinely enjoyed watching shows and movies on the OmniBook 5 14-inch and even playing a few games on it because the display looks phenomenal.
Design: 4 / 5
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC: Performance
(Image credit: Future / Stevie Bonifield)
Performance could be better, but isn't bad, either
Weak graphics performance
Keeps up fine with basic daily tasks like web browsing
If you're mainly looking for a laptop for things like web browsing, replying to emails, word processing, or studying, the OmniBook 5 14-inch is definitely up to the task. This little laptop is more than capable of handling basic work or school-related tasks. I had no trouble managing over a dozen tabs on Firefox while working on the Omnibook. However, if you want to use resource-intensive apps, like Adobe Photoshop and the like, you may want to spend a little more elsewhere.
The OmniBook 5 14-inch's performance falls far short of the MacBook Air, which only costs $100 more than the top configuration. It came in over 1,000 points behind the M4 MacBook Air on the Geekbench 6 single-core test and lagged by over 3,000 points on the multi-core test. Of course, there are plenty of reasons you might not want a Mac or might simply want to save money, especially if you can find the Omnibook at a discount.
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC
MacBook Air M4 (13-inch)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13 (2025)
Geekbench 6 single-core
2,414
£3,679
2,436
Geekbench 6 multi-core
11,309
14,430
11,321
Crossmark (Overall)
1,184
2,009
1,165
Crossmark (Productivity)
1,116
1,875
1,081
Crossmark (Creativity)
1,298
2,369
1,328
Crossmark (Responsiveness)
1,074
1,505
983
(Image credit: Future / Stevie Bonifield)
If you're only doing lightweight or web-based tasks, the OmniBook 5 14-inch's more humble performance scores probably won't be an issue, it's just worth keeping in mind. Plus, considering the starting price, it's hard to complain.
It's also worth noting that the OmniBook 5 14-inch is by no means a gaming laptop. It managed to run lightweight, 2D games fine, but really struggles with anything more. Wildfrost ran very smoothly at 60 FPS with no issues, but I was only able to get about 20 FPS in Death's Door and about 30 FPS in Risk of Rain 2. These aren't particularly demanding games, so definitely don't expect to be playing any AAA titles on the Omnibook, but games like Stardew Valley or Slay the Spire should run fine.
Performance: 3.5 / 5
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC: Battery Life
(Image credit: Future / Stevie Bonifield)
How long does it last before the battery dies? Just over 16 hours.
How long does it take to charge to 50%? About 30 minutes.
Battery life is by far the OmniBook 5 14-inch's biggest strength. It lasted a staggering 16 hours and 2 minutes in our battery test, which, for context, is 2 hours longer than the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air. While you're getting a notably less powerful processor in the Omnibook, you get really impressive battery life in exchange. For some, that could be a worthy trade-off.
My only complaint here is that the left side of the keyboard deck gets noticeably warm when the OmniBook 5 14-inch is charging. It's not uncomfortable, and you won't have to charge it often, but when you do, you can't miss how one side of your keyboard is warmer than the other.
Battery Life: 5 / 5
Should you buy the HP Omnibook 5 14 inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC?
(Image credit: Future / Stevie Bonifield)
HP Omnibook 5 14 inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC scorecard
Category
Notes
Rating
Value
Aside from a couple of quirky configuration differences, this laptop offers great value for your money, especially when it comes to battery life and display quality.
4 / 5
Specs
The base specs are a bit weak for the price, but every configuration includes a really impressive OLED display.
3.5 / 5
Design
While the build quality could be a bit better, the keyboard, touchpad, low weight, and stellar display easily make up for it.
4 / 5
Performance
Overall performance is somewhat lackluster, but good enough for basic daily tasks and lightweight games.
3.5 / 5
Battery Life
With over 16 hours of battery life, the OmniBook 5 14-inch can easily last you all day.
5 / 5
Final Score
Despite a few flaws, this OmniBook 5 14-inch offers great value with incredible battery life and a stunning display at a relatively low price.
4 / 5
Buy the HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC if…
Battery life is your top priority The battery life on the OmniBook 5 14-inch is genuinely impressive. Depending on your usage, you can easily go a full day or possibly even two without charging.
You want an OLED display at a budget-friendly price The OmniBook 5 14-inch's OLED display is one of the best I've tested, which is surprising given this laptop's relatively low price, even for the top configuration.
Don't buy it if...
Performance is your top priority The Omnibook 5 14-inch is great for students, casual users, and lightweight work tasks, but it doesn't have the processing power for gaming or resource-intensive creative apps.
You want premium build quality This laptop's design isn't bad, but it does feel like a budget-friendly laptop, with plastic bezels and a plastic keyboard deck that gets pretty warm while charging.
How I tested the HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC
I spent about a week using the Omnibook
I mainly used it for web browsing and work-related tasks, with some light gaming
The OmniBook 5 14-inch went through our extensive battery of benchmark tests
I spent about a week using the OmniBook 5 14-inch mainly for web browsing and work-related tasks like answering emails and writing (this review included).
I also used it for watching movies and doing a bit of casual gaming. All the games I tried on the OmniBook 5 14-inch were played through Steam at native resolution with no FPS cap. With automatic graphics presets turned on, most games defaulted to low or medium graphics quality.
I've reviewed dozens of mainstream laptops, including other HP Omnibooks and budget-friendly laptops like this one. When I test these kinds of laptops, I'm looking for a good balance of price, performance, and features and considering who each laptop would be best for (or not best for) based on that price-to-performance ratio.
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC: One-minute review
The HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC (yes, that is its full name) has its flaws, but its strengths make those drawbacks easy to overlook. With over 16 hours of battery life, a stunning OLED display, an ultra-portable design, and an affordable starting price, it's hard not to recommend the OmniBook 5 14-inch, depending on what you're looking for in a laptop.
It starts at just $679 / £850 / AU$1,599 for a base configuration with a Snapdragon X X1-26-100 processor, Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 14-inch (1920x1200) OLED display.
Somewhat frustratingly, the US base configuration only has 256GB of storage, while the UK and Australia's starting specs include 512GB of storage. Luckily, Best Buy has a middle-ground configuration for US users that offers great value for your money at just $20 more than the US base configuration.
Aside from a bit of pricing confusion, this OmniBook is a great pick for basic work and school-related tasks, especially if you want a laptop that's going to easily last all day, making it one of the best laptops for students and remote workers out there.
The lightweight design also makes this perfect for commuters. While the performance could be stronger, it's hard to complain at this price–and with such an impressive battery life.
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC: Price & Availability
(Image credit: Future / Stevie Bonifield)
How much does it cost? Starting at $679 / £850 / AU$1,599
When is it available? It's available now
Where can you get it? Directly from HP in the US, UK, and Australia, or at various retailers like Best Buy
The OmniBook 5 14-inch is available now in the US, UK, and Australia starting at $679/£850/AU$1,599 on the HP website. The base configuration in all three regions includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 CPU, Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 14-inch OLED display.
The one big difference is that the US base configuration includes 256GB of storage while the UK and Australia base models have 512GB of storage.
With that said, an upgraded in-between configuration is available in the US at Best Buy for just $20 more than the base model on HP's website. That configuration has 512GB of storage and even bumps you up to a Snapdragon X Plus processor. So if you're in the US, I would definitely suggest opting for that version.
The US and UK prices for the OmniBook 5 14-inch are pretty reasonable, but the top configuration in Australia is a bit pricey for the specs you're getting (more on that below).
Value: 4 / 5
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC: Specs
(Image credit: Future / Stevie Bonifield)
Lower starting storage in the US base configuration
All configurations include an OLED display
Upgrades available for CPU, RAM, and storage
My review unit is the US top configuration of the OmniBook 5 14-inch, which is priced at $899, but the base configuration starts at $679/£850/AU$1,599. There is also a middle configuration in the US available at Best Buy for $699, which includes 512GB of storage and a Snapdragon X Plus processor.
All starting configurations include a Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 processor, Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, a 14-inch (1920x1200) OLED display, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. However, it's important to point out that the base model in the US only has 256GB of storage, half of what you would get in the UK and Australia, which is why I suggest going for the Best Buy configuration instead if you're in the US.
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC starting configurations
Region
US
UK
Australia
Price:
$679
£850
AU$1,599
CPU:
Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100
Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100
Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100
GPU:
Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics
Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics
Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics
Memory:
16GB
16GB
16GB
Storage:
256GB
512GB
512GB
Screen:
14-inch (1920x1200) OLED
14-inch (1920x1200) OLED
14-inch (1920x1200) OLED
Ports:
1 x USB Type-A, 2 x USB Type-C, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack
1 x USB Type-A, 2 x USB Type-C, 1 x 5.3mm audio jack
1 x USB Type-A, 2 x USB Type-C, 1 x 5.3mm audio jack
Battery (WHr):
59 WHr
59 WHr
59 WHr
Wireless:
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Camera:
1080p FHD IR webcam with privacy shutter
1080p FHD IR webcam with privacy shutter
1080p FHD IR webcam with privacy shutter
Weight:
2.85 lbs (1.29 kg)
2.85 lbs (1.29 kg)
2.85 lbs (1.29 kg)
Dimensions:
12.28 x 8.56 x 0.5 ins | (311.9 x 217.4 x 12.7 mm)
12.28 x 8.56 x 0.5 ins | (311.9 x 217.4 x 12.7 mm)
12.28 x 8.56 x 0.5 ins | (311.9 x 217.4 x 12.7 mm)
The top configurations of the OmniBook 5 14-inch bump you up to a Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 processor and 32GB of storage. The US and UK configurations also get 1TB of storage, which unfortunately isn't the case in Australia.
The top configurations in the US and the UK are a pretty good deal, especially if you can find them on sale, but the top specs in Australia are hard to recommend when you're not getting that storage upgrade. Even so, the improved processor and increased RAM could be worth paying extra for some users.
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC Top Configurations
Region
US
UK
Australia
Price:
$899
£1,049
AU$1,999
CPU:
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100
GPU:
Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics
Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics
Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics
Memory:
32GB
32GB
32GB
Storage:
1TB
1TB
512GB
Screen:
14-inch (1920x1200) OLED
14-inch (1920x1200) OLED
14-inch (1920x1200) OLED
Ports:
1 x USB Type-A, 2 x USB Type-C, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack
1 x USB Type-A, 2 x USB Type-C, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack
1 x USB Type-A, 2 x USB Type-C, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack
Battery (WHr):
59 WHr
59 WHr
59 WHr
Wireless:
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Camera:
1080p FHD IR webcam with privacy shutter
1080p FHD IR webcam with privacy shutter
1080p FHD IR webcam with privacy shutter
Weight:
2.85 lbs (1.29 kg)
2.85 lbs (1.29 kg)
2.85 lbs (1.29 kg)
Dimensions:
12.28 x 8.56 x 0.5 ins | (311.9 x 217.4 x 12.7 mm)
12.28 x 8.56 x 0.5 ins | (311.9 x 217.4 x 12.7 mm)
12.28 x 8.56 x 0.5 ins | (311.9 x 217.4 x 12.7 mm)
Specs: 3.5 / 5
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC: Design
(Image credit: Future / Stevie Bonifield)
Incredibly lightweight
Stellar OLED display
Build quality feels a bit low-end
The OmniBook 5 14-inch isn't pushing the envelope with its design, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's very portable, weighing in at a mere 2.85 pounds. The chassis doesn't feel "premium", with its plastic-y keyboard deck and display bezels, but the low weight helps make up for that.
Plus, it's what's on the inside that counts, which in this case is a superbly snappy keyboard. HP's laptop keyboards can be pretty hit or miss for me, but I loved typing on this one. It has just the right amount of tactile feedback and key travel without being loud. However, I wish the power button was separated from the rest of the keyboard. It matches the rest of the function-row keys except for a little LED indicator.
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The touchpad is also pretty good. Considering the price point on this OmniBook 5 14-inch, I was expecting a mushy touchpad, but I was pleasantly surprised. It might not be the best touchpad I've ever used, but it has a satisfying amount of travel and feedback just like the keyboard. The speakers are also surprisingly decent and got plenty loud enough for my needs.
The real star feature here is the OLED display. I love OLED, and this display did not disappoint. Colors really pop on it, more than you would expect from a sub-$1,000 laptop. It passed our display tests with flying colors, too, reproducing 194.5% of the sRGB color gamut and 138.4% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. I genuinely enjoyed watching shows and movies on the OmniBook 5 14-inch and even playing a few games on it because the display looks phenomenal.
Design: 4 / 5
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC: Performance
(Image credit: Future / Stevie Bonifield)
Performance could be better, but isn't bad, either
Weak graphics performance
Keeps up fine with basic daily tasks like web browsing
If you're mainly looking for a laptop for things like web browsing, replying to emails, word processing, or studying, the OmniBook 5 14-inch is definitely up to the task. This little laptop is more than capable of handling basic work or school-related tasks. I had no trouble managing over a dozen tabs on Firefox while working on the Omnibook. However, if you want to use resource-intensive apps, like Adobe Photoshop and the like, you may want to spend a little more elsewhere.
The OmniBook 5 14-inch's performance falls far short of the MacBook Air, which only costs $100 more than the top configuration. It came in over 1,000 points behind the M4 MacBook Air on the Geekbench 6 single-core test and lagged by over 3,000 points on the multi-core test. Of course, there are plenty of reasons you might not want a Mac or might simply want to save money, especially if you can find the Omnibook at a discount.
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC
MacBook Air M4 (13-inch)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13 (2025)
Geekbench 6 single-core
2,414
£3,679
2,436
Geekbench 6 multi-core
11,309
14,430
11,321
Crossmark (Overall)
1,184
2,009
1,165
Crossmark (Productivity)
1,116
1,875
1,081
Crossmark (Creativity)
1,298
2,369
1,328
Crossmark (Responsiveness)
1,074
1,505
983
(Image credit: Future / Stevie Bonifield)
If you're only doing lightweight or web-based tasks, the OmniBook 5 14-inch's more humble performance scores probably won't be an issue, it's just worth keeping in mind. Plus, considering the starting price, it's hard to complain.
It's also worth noting that the OmniBook 5 14-inch is by no means a gaming laptop. It managed to run lightweight, 2D games fine, but really struggles with anything more. Wildfrost ran very smoothly at 60 FPS with no issues, but I was only able to get about 20 FPS in Death's Door and about 30 FPS in Risk of Rain 2. These aren't particularly demanding games, so definitely don't expect to be playing any AAA titles on the Omnibook, but games like Stardew Valley or Slay the Spire should run fine.
Performance: 3.5 / 5
HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC: Battery Life
(Image credit: Future / Stevie Bonifield)
How long does it last before the battery dies? Just over 16 hours.
How long does it take to charge to 50%? About 30 minutes.
Battery life is by far the OmniBook 5 14-inch's biggest strength. It lasted a staggering 16 hours and 2 minutes in our battery test, which, for context, is 2 hours longer than the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air. While you're getting a notably less powerful processor in the Omnibook, you get really impressive battery life in exchange. For some, that could be a worthy trade-off.
My only complaint here is that the left side of the keyboard deck gets noticeably warm when the OmniBook 5 14-inch is charging. It's not uncomfortable, and you won't have to charge it often, but when you do, you can't miss how one side of your keyboard is warmer than the other.
Battery Life: 5 / 5
Should you buy the HP Omnibook 5 14 inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC?
(Image credit: Future / Stevie Bonifield)
HP Omnibook 5 14 inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC scorecard
Category
Notes
Rating
Value
Aside from a couple of quirky configuration differences, this laptop offers great value for your money, especially when it comes to battery life and display quality.
4 / 5
Specs
The base specs are a bit weak for the price, but every configuration includes a really impressive OLED display.
3.5 / 5
Design
While the build quality could be a bit better, the keyboard, touchpad, low weight, and stellar display easily make up for it.
4 / 5
Performance
Overall performance is somewhat lackluster, but good enough for basic daily tasks and lightweight games.
3.5 / 5
Battery Life
With over 16 hours of battery life, the OmniBook 5 14-inch can easily last you all day.
5 / 5
Final Score
Despite a few flaws, this OmniBook 5 14-inch offers great value with incredible battery life and a stunning display at a relatively low price.
4 / 5
Buy the HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC if…
Battery life is your top priority The battery life on the OmniBook 5 14-inch is genuinely impressive. Depending on your usage, you can easily go a full day or possibly even two without charging.
You want an OLED display at a budget-friendly price The OmniBook 5 14-inch's OLED display is one of the best I've tested, which is surprising given this laptop's relatively low price, even for the top configuration.
Don't buy it if...
Performance is your top priority The Omnibook 5 14-inch is great for students, casual users, and lightweight work tasks, but it doesn't have the processing power for gaming or resource-intensive creative apps.
You want premium build quality This laptop's design isn't bad, but it does feel like a budget-friendly laptop, with plastic bezels and a plastic keyboard deck that gets pretty warm while charging.
How I tested the HP Omnibook 5 14 Inch Laptop Next Gen AI PC
I spent about a week using the Omnibook
I mainly used it for web browsing and work-related tasks, with some light gaming
The OmniBook 5 14-inch went through our extensive battery of benchmark tests
I spent about a week using the OmniBook 5 14-inch mainly for web browsing and work-related tasks like answering emails and writing (this review included).
I also used it for watching movies and doing a bit of casual gaming. All the games I tried on the OmniBook 5 14-inch were played through Steam at native resolution with no FPS cap. With automatic graphics presets turned on, most games defaulted to low or medium graphics quality.
I've reviewed dozens of mainstream laptops, including other HP Omnibooks and budget-friendly laptops like this one. When I test these kinds of laptops, I'm looking for a good balance of price, performance, and features and considering who each laptop would be best for (or not best for) based on that price-to-performance ratio.
When the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X (and its less powerful, slightly more affordable ROG Xbox Ally) handhelds were announced earlier this year, it came as a bit of a surprise.
For years, there had been rumors that Microsoft was working on an Xbox-focused handheld games console. The success of Nintendo’s handheld/home console hybrid Switch (and its follow-up, the Switch 2), plus the emergence of PC gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck, made those rumors seem even more likely.
However, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X was a surprise because, despite the name, this is not a handheld Xbox console. It’s, in fact, yet another PC gaming handheld with Xbox branding and a few choice upgrades. This is not a bespoke bit of hardware built from the ground up with a dedicated gaming operating system that finally brings the ease-of-use of games consoles to PC gaming handhelds. Instead, its hardware is very similar to the existing Asus ROG Ally X, a powerful gaming handheld I reviewed last year, but it still uses that awkward combination of Windows 11 (an operating system designed for traditional PCs and laptops) with a console-like interface placed over it to make launching games using the handheld's controls easier.
In fact, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X actually makes it a bit more awkward as it adds two interface overlays on top of Windows 11 – Asus’ Armoury Crate software, like its Ally and Ally X predecessors, which can be used to launch games, as well as the new Xbox Full Screen Experience, which adds a console-like interface to Windows 11. All of these extra layers, while essential for making Windows 11 usable on a handheld device, mean that the slick experience of using a console is again missing from the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, especially when you start needing to update different bits of software at different times.
It almost seems like the Xbox brand could hinder the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X more than help it. Not just because of the negativity around the brand at the moment, but because, like other PC gaming handhelds, your enjoyment of this device will depend a lot on your expectations, and I worry that the Xbox connection could lead to people going in with the wrong expectations.
So, this isn’t a handheld console with games and software designed to maximise performance on a set hardware configuration, and sold at a loss to keep prices down and increase adoption.
Instead, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is very much a premium PC gaming handheld, with all the pros and cons that brings.
For existing fans of PC gaming handhelds, like myself, that means a huge amount of flexibility, especially if you’re comfortable with leaving the console-like interface and digging into Windows 11 for some good old-fashioned tweaking. So, you can install other game launchers, games from various sources, and as the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is running the full version of Windows 11, you can even install desktop applications such as Microsoft Office.
Hook it up to a USB-C dock, including Asus’ own ROG Bulwark Dock, and you’ll be able to attach any peripheral (including monitors and TVs) that works with Windows PCs, rather than having to rely on officially licensed (and therefore expensive) accessories. You can even uninstall Windows 11 and install a rival operating system, such as the Linux-based SteamOS. These are all things you’d never be able to do with the Switch 2, or (I’m fairly sure) any future official Xbox handheld console.
On the cons side of things, being a PC gaming handheld means dealing with an operating system that still isn’t fully designed to be used with a handheld device, and this can mean menus and dialogue boxes opening with text that’s too small to read on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X’s 7-inch screen, and some parts of the interface that are tricky to navigate via touch or controller. Usual PC annoyances, like various update requests and the occasional crash, are also present, and while PC gamers will no doubt roll their eyes and boot the game back up, console-only gamers probably won’t be as forgiving.
(Image credit: Future)
For example, while playing Cyberpunk 2077 on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X (which initially involved me going through the Xbox app to launch Steam in Big Picture Mode – another interface – to then launch the game), Windows 11’s command prompt window opened up and loads of text appeared on the screen, before disappearing. As someone used to PC gaming, I wasn’t too annoyed. Obviously, some app was updating in the background, but it did mean that I could no longer control the game until I had made Windows 11 focus back on the game’s window. During that time, I was killed by enemies (in-game, I should add).
For a PC gamer, this is a frustration, but nothing too out of the ordinary. For a console gamer used to how things work with Nintendo or Sony consoles, this could be a truly baffling ordeal that makes them not want to pick up the device again.
It also means that to get the best gaming performance from the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, you’re going to have to do some tweaking to a game’s graphical settings. For seasoned PC gamers, this isn’t a problem – and for some, it’s even part of the fun. For people used to consoles, where games are made to a limited number of hardware specifications, developers can set these options so the game launches with the best combination of graphical settings and performance. If you buy the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X knowing that this is a handheld gaming PC, you might not be disappointed, but as I mentioned earlier, the use of the Xbox brand might mean people aren’t getting what they expected.
Graphically demanding open-world games like Cyberpunk 2077 proved to be too much for the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, unless you seriously drop some of the graphical settings. However, games like Forza Horizon 5 run brilliantly without too many compromises made to graphics settings, and less graphically demanding (yet still great-looking) games such as Hades II and Hollow Knight really shine.
However, perhaps the biggest stumbling block for people expecting a handheld console, rather than a handheld gaming PC, is that the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X comes with an incredibly high price tag - $999.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,599. Even the more affordable ROG Xbox Ally still comes with a $599.99 / £499.99 / AU$999 price tag.
In comparison, the Nintendo Switch 2 starts at $449.99 / £395.99 / AU$699.95, while the Xbox Series X (a much more powerful device) launched at $499 / £449 / AU$749.
In the context of handheld gaming PCs (and PC gaming in general), however, the price isn’t quite as much of a shock (though that doesn’t make it any better value). The ROG Ally X launched at $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,599, while the MSI Claw 8 AI+ costs $999, and neither of these aren’t quite as powerful as the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X. You’d also be hard-pressed to find a gaming laptop or gaming PC for under $1,000 these days.
While it's probably the best premium handheld device on the market, because of the high price and the feeling that the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X still fails to offer a truly console-like experience, this is a niche product in an increasingly competitive space, and the Xbox tie-in won’t be quite enough to make it stand out.
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Price & availability
How much does it cost? Starts at $999.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,599
When is it available? Goes on sale October 15, 2025
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X goes on sale on October 15, 2025, for $999.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,599. This is an incredibly high price tag for a console, though it’s becoming increasingly common for handheld gaming PCs.
The Nintendo Switch 2, for example, starts at around half the price at $449.99 / £395.99 / AU$699.95. Even premium consoles like the PS5 Pro come in a lot cheaper at $699.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,199.
While the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is more powerful than the Switch 2, offers portability that the PS5 Pro lacks, and features the versatility of a gaming PC (you’re not tied to a single storefront, can install full Windows 11 applications and even new operating systems) that consoles lack, it means for people expect console-like prices for a gaming device branded with the Xbox logo, the actual price will come as a shock.
To soften the blow somewhat, there’s also the lower-powered ROG Xbox Ally, which costs $599.99 / £499.99 / AU$999 and puts it closer to the Nintendo Switch.
In the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X’s favor, PC games are usually cheaper than console editions, and because you’re not tied to a single store, you can shop around for the best deals. Valve’s Steam, for example, often has huge sales, while the Epic Games Store gives away free games every week. Over the years, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X could end up costing you less than a Nintendo Switch.
(Image credit: Future)
Due to the Xbox branding, it’s no surprise that the Xbox app that acts as the main interface pushes Microsoft’s Xbox store, and makes a big deal of Game Pass, Microsoft’s game subscription service, which was once dubbed ‘the best deal in gaming.’
‘Once’ is the operative word here, as Microsoft’s recent price hikes of Game Pass couldn’t really have come at a worse time, as it no longer feels like the huge deal it once was. Game Pass for PC now costs $16.49 / £13.49 / AU$19.45 per month, and while there are cheaper Game Pass tiers that include PC games, it feels like this is a service that will continue to offer less value.
Meanwhile, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X seems a bit more competitively priced compared to PC gaming handhelds – though it’s still one of the most expensive you can buy. The ROG Ally X launched at $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,599, while the much lower-powered Steam Deck OLED costs $549 / £479 / AU$899.
As with other gaming PC handhelds, if you’ve already got a substantial library on Steam or Epic Games Store, for example, you’ll be able to install and play them on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X without having to buy them again, which, again, could help lower the overall cost of the ROG Xbox Ally X over its lifespan. Xbox owners should also be able to play their games without having to rebuy them, and if you’re already subscribed to Game Pass, you can now use that subscription for both consoles and PC (even the cheapest ‘Essential’ tier).
Value: 2 / 5
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X Specs
There are two versions available: the high-end ROG Xbox Ally X and the more affordable ROG Xbox Ally.
Asus ROG Ally X specs
Component
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
Asus ROG Xbox Ally
Display
7-inch FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9
120Hz refresh rate
AMD FreeSync Premium (Variable Refresh Rate)
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection
7-inch FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9
120Hz refresh rate
AMD FreeSync Premium (Variable Refresh Rate)
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection
CPU
Octa-core AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor
Quad-core AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor
Graphics
AMD Radeon Graphics
AMD Radeon Graphics
RAM
24GB LPDDR5X-8000
16GB LPDDR5-6400
Storage
1TB M.2 SSD
512GB M.2 SSD
Port selection
1x USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt 4 compatible, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, 1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC; UHS-I with DDR200 mode), 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4 / Power Delivery 3.0, 1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC), 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
Weight
715g
670g
Dimensions
290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm (WxDxH)
290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm
Battery
80Wh
60Wh
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Design
Similar design to Asus ROG Ally X
Grips make a big difference to comfort
microSD slot makes adding more capacity easy
Despite the branding, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is first and foremost clearly an ROG Ally device, and that means it share a lot of the design with the ROG Ally X. This includes the non-symmetrical analogue thumb sticks on either side of the screen (with LED rings around each one), left-hand D-pad, face buttons (X, Y, B and A, all in the same location, though not colored, unlike the ROG Ally X), front-facing speaker grilles, top USB-C ports, microSD port, volume controls and a power button that includes a fingerprint reader.
Triggers and bumpers are all in the same place, as are the Command Center, View, Library, and Menu buttons, so if you’re used to playing on a ROG Ally, you’ll find the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X very familiar. Asus’ ROG branding is still present on the body and on the bezel beneath the screen.
One of the biggest changes to the design is the addition of the Xbox button to the left of the Command Center and View buttons. While the Command Center button opens up Asus’ Armoury Crate interface to launch games, the Xbox button opens up Windows 11’s Xbox Game Bar, which lets you change settings and launch games from there. A long press of the button brings up the Task View, which lets you swap between open apps and games using the controls, which is handy.
(Image credit: Future)
Other than that, the Xbox button does a very similar job to the Command Center button – it just opens a different overlay.
The biggest difference in design, however, is with the two grips on either side of the ROG Xbox Ally X (and the non-X version), rather than the curved 90 degree angled corners of the Ally X. These make the ROG Xbox Ally X look and feel more like a game controller, and while I’m pretty used to the more boxy design of the standard ROG Ally X (which is similar to most PC gaming handhelds, including the Steam Deck), the grips make a big difference to how comfortable the ROG Xbox Ally X is.
Playing Sonic Generations (thanks to its mashup of classic 2D platforming and modern 3D, it’s a great game for playing on these powerful handhelds, especially for those of us who always dreamed of a follow-up to the Sega Game Gear handheld) felt comfortable and intuitive on the ROG Xbox Ally X, with the responsive-feeling buttons in easy-to-reach locations. I also found that the grips helped with overall comfort when playing, as it meant the corners of the device weren’t resting in my palms, as with the Ally X. The grips also meant it didn’t feel like my palms were taking the brunt of the weight of the ROG Xbox Ally X – instead the weight felt much better distributed, reducing fatigue during long play sessions.
(Image credit: Future)
When it comes to the 7-inch screen, it’s not the best you’re going to find on a handheld, but games look good.
The 1080p resolution hits the sweet spot between graphical fidelity without stressing out the hardware. Its 120Hz refresh rate and support for AMD FreeSync Premium Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) mean fast-paced games look and feel snappy and responsive, and during my time, I saw no sign of screen tearing in the games I played.
However, the IPS panel pales in comparison to the OLED panels found in the likes of the Steam Deck OLED. This means colors aren’t as vibrant, and contrast levels aren’t as striking. Viewing angles are also diminished, with the colors getting a bit more washed out when you’re not looking at the screen directly from the front. Of course, as this is a handheld device, that’s not much of an issue, as you’ll be holding and viewing the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X directly in front of yourself, but anyone hoping for a premium display to go alongside the other high-end components in the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, as well as its very high price, may be disappointed.
Design: 4 / 5
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Performance
Better performance than ROG Ally X
Best suited to less graphically-intensive games
Xbox Fullscreen Experience doesn’t fix my main issues with Windows 11 on gaming handhelds
3DMark Port Royal: 2,006; Fire Strike: 9,141; Time Spy: 4,033 GeekBench 6.5: 2,788 (single-core); 12,883 (multi-core) F1 231080p (Ultra) 14fps Cyberpunk 2077: 1080p (Ultra) 8.49fps Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 7:53:15 hours PCMark 10 Battery Life (Gaming): 2:56 hours
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is noteworthy for being one of the first handhelds (along with the MSI Claw A8), which features AMD’s latest Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, which has been built from the ground up for handheld PCs (the Xbox Ally comes with the lower-powered AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor).
The Z2 Extreme aims to offer a tempting mix of high performance and high efficiency, so modern games should run well without the battery depleting too fast. The 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM is certainly very generous (it’s more than a lot of gaming laptops come with), which keeps Windows 11 and all the various different launchers and interfaces feeling reasonably spritely. It even means multiple games can be open at once, making it quick to switch between them, though this has big repercussions for the performance and battery life of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X.
(Image credit: Future)
The Z2 Extreme isn’t just a processor; it also has an integrated graphics processor. As far as integrated GPUs go, the Z2 Extreme is impressive, powered by AMD’s RDNA 3.5 technology, which again has been designed for gaming handhelds.
While this has exciting implications for the gaming performance of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X (and other handhelds powered by the Z2 Extreme chip), it’s also important to keep expectations in check. If you’re a PC gamer, you’ll know that an integrated GPU will not provide as much performance as a discrete (dedicated) graphics card, and while it’s obvious that Asus was never going to be able to fit a desktop-class GPU into a portable handheld, laptop GPUs have come a huge way in recent years, allowing the best gaming laptops to rival gaming PCs when it comes to game performance.
(Image credit: Future / Microsoft)
The reason I bring this up is again to set expectations correctly. With its integrated graphics, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X simply can’t offer the same kind of gaming performance that a gaming laptop around the same price (don’t forget, this thing retails for around $1,000) can achieve when playing demanding triple-A games.
For example, I loaded up Cyberpunk 2077, and on the default graphics settings, the game felt sluggish and unresponsive. Changing the graphical settings to the ‘Steam Deck’ preset, which was added to the game to make it run on a much less powerful handheld, got better results, with the game hitting an average of 30fps, which is playable, though not exceptional.
When compared to the Acer Nitro V 15, a budget gaming laptop that’s far from the most powerful laptop, and costs around the same price, you’re looking at around 230fps, with higher quality graphics settings.
Of course, it’s undeniably impressive that a game like Cyberpunk 2077 can run at all on a device that you can hold in your hands, but it’s also clear that if you want pure gaming performance for your money, you’re better off getting a gaming laptop.
A lot of the premium price tag is because of the handheld factor, and while it’s certainly a more portable and convenient way of playing PC games than a gaming laptop, you’ll have to weigh up if that’s enough to sacrifice gaming performance. When the Steam Deck launched in 2022, this sacrifice was much easier to make, as the handheld cost $399 / £349 for the model with the least amount of storage space, while the high-end model cost $649 / £569. The lesser performance was far easier to swallow as there simply was no competition – not just because PC gaming handhelds were in their infancy, but because there were no gaming PCs or laptops at that price point.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X has a much harder job of justifying its price – there are more handhelds to choose from, for a start, with Asus’ main rivals such as Acer, Lenovo, and MSI all having their own handhelds on the market, not to mention the recent Nintendo Switch 2.
The $999.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,599 price tag also means that there are gaming laptops that are viable alternatives.
In our benchmark tests, running Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p at Ultra settings, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X managed a very spotty 8.49fps. The older ROG Ally X managed 4.94fps in the same test. Now, you could say that’s a near doubling of performance, but when the results are still that low, that’s not saying much. F1 2023 showed similar results, with the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X hitting 14fps at 1080p and the highest settings, while the Ally X scored 7fps.
While running these games at such high settings is done for stress testing the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, in reality, you shouldn’t be trying to play these games with everything set to max, and with a bit of tweaking, these games can run much better, but at the cost of graphical quality. These benchmarks do show, however, that the Z2 Extreme chip offers a boost to performance over the Z1 Extreme in the ROG Ally X, at least. The performance difference isn’t enough, however, for ROG Ally X owners to feel like they need to upgrade.
The relatively disappointing AAA performance shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone keeping an eye on PC gaming handhelds, but for newcomers who see the Xbox branding, along with the very high price tag, might expect a level of game performance that will lead to disappointment.
Forza Horizon 5 was a much better experience, with the optimized settings of the game allowing for solid and fluid performance whilst also looking really good, and is a fine showcase for the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X excels, as with other gaming handhelds, with less graphically demanding games, especially from indie developers. Hades 2, for example, looks, plays, and sounds (thanks to the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X’s powerful speakers) utterly fantastic, as does Hollow Knight.
Games that focus on art direction rather than pushing the envelope when it comes to cutting-edge graphics, along with gameplay that suits the kind of pick up and play style that a lot of us use handhelds for, really do shine on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, and thanks to its support for a large range of stores, including Steam, Epic Games Store and GOG.com, you have access to thousands of great indie games, some of which you might have otherwise not played.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is also a great device for revisiting older games, and no other gaming platform has the back catalogue of PC. As I mentioned earlier, playing Sonic Generations on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X was a brilliant experience with fast, fluid action and graphics that still look great on a 7-inch screen.
As with many other PC gaming handhelds, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X runs on Windows 11, and as I said in my ROG Ally X review, Microsoft’s operating system just isn’t suitable for gaming handhelds.
(Image credit: Future / Microsoft)
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X attempts to fix that with the ‘Xbox full screen experience’ – an interface similar to the one found on Xbox consoles, and therefore much better suited to gamepad controllers (rather than a mouse and keyboard). Because the usual Windows 11 experience is so poor on gaming handhelds, this was the most exciting part of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X for me.
However, while it’s a move in the right direction, the Xbox full-screen experience doesn’t go far enough and ends up being a disappointment.
This is because, rather than a bespoke version of Windows 11 designed for handhelds, which many of us have been wanting, the Xbox full-screen experience still runs on the standard Windows 11 operating system, and the Xbox full-screen experience is simply a full-screen app that opens on startup. If you stay within the Xbox full-screen experience, using it to buy games and launch games you’ve bought from the Microsoft Store, the experience isn’t bad at all.
(Image credit: Future / Microsoft)
However, there are still times when Windows 11 makes its presence known, usually when there’s a new update or the operating system encounters a problem. You’re then left trying to work with an interface designed for larger screens, and a mouse and keyboard combo, by jabbing the touchscreen.
There are some nice features of the Xbox Full Screen Experience – I particularly liked the idea behind the Handheld Compatibility Program, which highlights games in the Xbox Store that are optimized for gaming handhelds, and by loading them up, their settings should be configured so you can get playing without having to tweak.
It’s similar to what Valve does with its SteamOS operating system, with Steam Deck Verified games, and it’s a great way to bring a console-like simplicity to running games. Meanwhile, ‘Windows Performance Fit’ is designed to give you an idea of how well a game will play on your device (in this case, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X) without having to look into specifications and minimum requirements (something us PC gamers are fine with).
(Image credit: Future / Microsoft)
The reason why I say I like the idea behind these features, rather than liking the features themselves, is that while reviewing the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, most games I checked out in the Xbox Store didn’t have a rating for the Handheld Compatibility Program. This is something that will probably come later as the Xbox team works to validate games. To be fair, that’s the same thing that happened with Valve – it took quite a few months before enough games were given a Steam Deck Verified status for the feature to be useful.
Another issue is that this only seems to work with games on sale from the Xbox Store. Microsoft has, to its credit, allowed you to launch games that you’ve bought from rival stores, but it does feel like you’re not getting the full experience. None of the games from other stores appear to be part of the Handheld Compatibility Program, and icons are very basic; there’s no additional information about the games. For games bought from the Xbox Store, you get much nicer-looking icons, and the game pages that open when you launch the game are full of information.
Essentially, you feel like you’re being punished slightly for buying a game from anywhere other than the Xbox Store.
Buying from another store also means opening a new app, sometimes one that’s not designed for a handheld. Steam, at least, has its Big Picture Mode, but that means you have yet another, different interface running.
Asus’ own Armoury Crate SE interface, found in the regular ROG Ally handhelds, is also present and correct, and for some tasks, you need to use that. It can all get a bit confusing, and it is a far cry from the unified experience that consoles offer. Valve, with its custom SteamOS operating system, comes closest to this, but you’re limited to Steam games unless you start tweaking.
Because I’ve been playing on my ROG Ally X for quite a while, I’ve come to appreciate Armoury Crate SE. It’s not the best-looking interface, but it works with a controller and lets you run games from various sources, which means the Xbox Fullscreen Experience feels a bit superfluous, adding yet another interface on top of others.
It’s understandable that the Xbox interface pushes you to buy through the Xbox store, but be prepared to also get other Microsoft services forced onto you. Unsurprisingly, Game Pass is highlighted throughout the interface, and there’s a dedicated menu item for it. There’s also a Cloud gaming part of the interface, but this is exclusively for Xbox Cloud Gaming – which is a part of Game Pass. Adverts for games on the Xbox Store also appear on the home screen, and there’s a dedicated Xbox Store section of the interface as well.
This is all fine in principle – Valve does similar with SteamOS – and if you are already part of Microsoft’s Xbox ecosystem and signed up to the likes of Game Pass, then this interface will likely work really well.
But if you’ve got a big Steam library, are subscribed to a rival cloud gaming platform like GeForce Now, and have no interest in Game Pass, then you’ll again feel like you’re not getting the whole benefit of the Xbox Fullscreen Experience. You can run all of those, but you’d be better off using the Armoury Crate SE interface, which sort of undermines some of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X’s selling points.
Overall, the performance of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X when gaming is good but doesn’t blow away the competition (especially with demanding games), and outside of gaming, the problems with Windows 11 persist. The new Xbox Full Screen Experience is welcome (and is coming to other handhelds in the future), but it’s yet another overlay, rather than a brand-new operating system, and its usefulness will depend on how invested in the Xbox ecosystem you are.
Performance: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Future)
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X: Battery life
Improved power efficiency
Lasts just under three hours of intensive gaming
The AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip inside the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X has been designed to offer a balance between performance and energy efficiency, which means performance when using the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X on battery is better than the Z1 Extreme of the Ally X.
As with the Ally X, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X features different ‘Operating Modes’ which change the amount of power the handheld uses depending on certain situations. For the most part, it uses the ‘Turbo’ setting, which runs the Z2 Extreme at 25W, giving more performance but at the cost of battery life (it automatically switches to this mode when plugged in, as obviously then battery life isn’t an issue). There’s also ‘Performance’ mode and ‘Windows’ mode, which both run at 17W, and ‘Silent’ mode, which offers the longest battery life, but at the cost of performance.
You can switch between these modes by pressing the Command Center button to bring up the Armory Crate interface and selecting the mode you want. This is a pretty easy process, but it does highlight the issue I have with the addition of the Xbox Fullscreen Experience – while you can use that interface for various tasks, you can’t use it to switch power modes, you need to use Armoury Crate, so rather than getting a unified and cohesive interface, you end up having a more disjointed experience as you switch between the various interfaces.
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X comes with an 80Wh battery (the ROG Xbox Ally has a smaller 60Wh battery), and along with Armory Crate’s power profiles, the Xbox full-screen experience has been designed to pause certain processes and tasks, making Windows 11 use less power when you’re playing games.
All of this work to make the battery of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X last as long as possible is great to see, as short battery lives are a common complaint with PC gaming handhelds, and to keep these devices as portable as possible, manufacturers are limited by how big a battery they can include, so maximising power efficiency is key.
In our battery benchmarks, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X lasted just short of eight hours when browsing the web. This sounds pretty impressive, but this isn’t a device you’re going to be doing much web surfing on. In our gaming battery benchmarks, the battery depleted a lot faster, lasting just under three hours, which is about what we expect from a PC gaming handheld. With some tweaking, and depending on what game you play and how demanding they are, you may be able to eke out longer battery times.
If you play games via cloud streaming services like Xbox Cloud or GeForce Now, the battery life should be closer to the web browsing times.
However, it’s clear that while Asus, AMD, and Microsoft’s efforts to maximise efficiency are commendable, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X doesn’t buck the trend of handheld devices that can’t go too long when playing games on battery.
Battery Life: 3 / 5
Should you buy the Asus ROG Ally X?
Asus ROG Xbox Ally X scorecard
Value
This is an incredibly expensive gaming device, with a price tag that's hard to justify.
2 / 5
Design
A premium design, plenty of ports and the addition of grips means it's a good looking (and feeling) device.
4 / 5
Performance
AAA open-world games struggle, but with some tweaking you can get good results, and indie games run fantastically.
4 / 5
Battery Life
Battery life is around what you'd expect from a PC gaming handheld.
3 / 5
Total
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is a capable gaming handheld, but it doesn't quite offer the console-like experience many of us were hoping for.
4 / 5
Buy the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X if...
You’re already in the Xbox ecosystem The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X really excels if you already have a games library bought through the Microsoft or Xbox stores, and if you’re signed up to Game Pass.
You want a powerful gaming handheld The Z2 Extreme is an impressive chip, which makes the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X one of the most powerful gaming handhelds on the market – and it’s certainly more powerful than the Nintendo Switch 2.
You want a secondary device to play your games when traveling Asus ROG Xbox Ally X’s performance might disappoint people who use it as their primary gaming device, but as a portable alternative that gives you access to your game library while you’re travelling, it’s a great (if expensive) choice.
Don't buy it if...
You’re on a budget The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is incredibly expensive, making it hard to justify for most people. The less-powerful Asus ROG Xbox Ally is a more affordable option that, while still expensive, might be a better choice.
You want pure performance The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is powerful by handheld standards, but it can’t compete with gaming laptops. If you want the best performance for your money, then this isn’t the device for you.
You want a console-like experience The new Xbox Fullscreen Experience is certainly a step in the right direction, especially if you stick with buying games from the Xbox Store, but Windows 11 remains an inelegant operating system for handhelds.
8.8-inch QHD+, 144Hz, 500 nits, 97% DCI-P3 color gamut
CPU
AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor
AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme
AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme
Graphics
AMD Radeon Graphics
AMD Radeon Graphics
AMD Radeon Graphics
RAM
24GB LPDDR5X-8000
24GB LPDDR5X-7500
16GB LPDDR5X (7500Mhz)
Storage
1TB M.2 SSD
1TB M.2 2280 SSD
Up to 1TB M.2 2242 SSD
Port selection
1x USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt 4 compatible, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, 1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC; UHS-I with DDR200 mode), 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
2x USB Type-C ports, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD slot
Weight
715g
678g
854g
Dimensions
90.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm (WxDxH)
280.2 x 114 x 36.9mm (WxDxH)
298.83 x 131 x 40.7mm (WxDxH)
Lenovo Legion Go The Lenovo Legion Go comes with the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip. and a larger, higher-resolution, and faster 8.8-inch screen, and costs quite a bit less. It doesn't offer the same amount of RAM or SSD storage space, however.
Asus ROG Ally X The original ROG Ally X remains on sale, and is cheaper than the Xbox model. It features the older AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip, which still offers good performance for indie games, and the Z2 Extreme doesn't offer a big enough upgrade to make this model feel outdated.
I played various games on the ROG Xbox Ally X every day before writing this review. The games ranged from lightweight indies like Hades 2 to more visually-intensive games like Forza Horizon 5, Sonic Generations, and AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077.
I also ran various benchmark tests to stress the hardware, including game benchmarks with the highest graphical settings and upscaling tech disabled. When gaming, I tweaked the graphics settings and enabled upscaling to get the best possible performance – this often meant dropping the graphics to their lowest settings.
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, giving attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained, regardless of when a device was released – if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.
