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Octopus Arcade Stick review: a premium fight stick with versatility to match

3:00 pm | October 5, 2024

Octopus Arcade Stick: two-minute review

The Octopus Arcade Stick is a versatile fight stick that provides an excellent gaming experience for fighting game fans with exceptional compatibility across a range of platforms. The arcade-grade joystick and buttons from Sanwa benefit from a durable, aerospace-grade aluminum shell.

Indeed, in practice, using it does feel exactly like stepping into the ring on a brawler at your local arcade (minus the beer-soaked cabinets of course). Buttons are responsive and the joystick reliably moves with precision and purpose as you’d expect from a Sanwa stick, always snapping back correctly ready for the next combo, block, or evasion. If Sanwa doesn’t fit your playstyle, then the supplied stick and buttons are easily swapped out for alternatives.

It’s the sheer number of supported consoles and platforms that truly impresses here. Where other contenders for best fight stick can tie players into a single or limited ecosystem, the Octopus Arcade Stick is compatible with over twenty platforms out of the box. Everything from the Mega Drive and SNES, to the entire PlayStation home console family, to PC and even several niche consoles play nicely with TR Fight Stick’s debut behemoth.

Achieving this versatility does require additional cables though, with an array of 2m leads available directly from TR Fight Stick to suit consoles that feature proprietary controller connections that predate the USB standards of today. The included USB-C cable will still provide ample platform coverage across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, PlayStation Classic, MegaDrive Mini, NeoGeo Mini, Astro City Mini, MiSTer FPGA, RetroPie, and other Raspberry Pi apps, plus X-Input devices.

An image of the Octopus Arcade Stick among retro games consoles and games, and a Nintendo Switch — (Image credit: Future/Theo Litston)

While the Octopus Arcade Stick is happy to throw down on a range of systems, it’s clear that it was designed with Sega’s Dreamcast as its champion. The Octopus’ secret weapon is one strictly for fans of Sega’s final home console, and appears as a built-in virtual VMU (Visual Memory Unit) switcher, with a capacity for ten individual VMUs, providing easy access to more save data slots than even the most prolific Dreamcast player will ever need.

The Octopus Arcade Stick even includes an LCD screen at the top of the unit, allowing you to see at a glance which VMU they’re using and enjoy the little animations, mimicking their appearance on the original Dreamcast VMUs. Soul Calibur fans rejoice as tiny, pixelated Ivy is alive and well.

Serious players also tend to be serious about their fight stick aesthetics, and the Octopus doesn’t disappoint here either with customization options for faceplate designs and layouts, including options to switch from the standard Sega 2P layout to Viewlix, Noir, or HitBox faceplates. Accessing the innards of the Octopus is straightforward, with the rear aluminum plate easily removed by loosening the seven Phillips head screws.

Octopus Arcade Stick: Price and availability

List price: $399.00 / £297.24 / AU$576.06
Premium pricing…
…but early adopters can bag one of the first batch of units for $299

The Octopus Arcade Stick is currently only available from TR Fight Stick’s official store page. The list price of $399.00, roughly £297.24 or AU$576.06 in the UK and Australia respectively, means that the Octopus Arcade Stick comes in as one of the pricier arcade sticks on the market today, costing more than an Xbox Series S or a Nintendo Switch OLED.

While that ticket price may cause some to flinch, remember that the Octopus Arcade Stick’s wide array of compatible consoles and platforms could remove the need for additional peripherals and provide additional value to players wishing to use fight sticks on multiple systems. Even those looking for a fight stick for a single platform should feel confident in their purchase as the quality on display in the Octopus is stellar.

Mercifully, those aforementioned additional cables carry a reasonable $14.99 price tag so won’t break the bank for players looking to wield the Octopus on older systems.

The Octopus Arcade Stick is scheduled to launch sometime in October, and early adopters can snap up a unit in either black or white for $299 while TR Fight Stick’s initial stocks last.

An image of the Octopus Arcade Stick on a white surface — (Image credit: Future/Theo Litston)

Octopus Arcade Stick: Specs

An image of the internal wiring of the Octopus Arcade Stick — (Image credit: Future/Theo Litston)

Octopus Arcade Stick: Design and features

Striking visuals with a range of changeable faceplates
Fantastic build quality with high-end materials
Bulky and heavy

Probably the first thing that’ll catch your eye on the Octopus Fight Stick is the artwork. TR Fight Stick has produced a series of faceplates, dubbed ‘OctoPlates’, allowing users to change the appearance of their arcade sticks. The majority of the OctoPlates include artwork featuring the titular cephalopod in a number of graphic styles, with designs inspired by everything from street graffiti to Grecian mosaics. If tentacles aren’t your thing, however, there is also a transparent OctoPlate which shows off the units’ inner workings, and even a limited edition plate featuring Ryo Hazuki from Dreamcast classic Shenmue.

There’s no avoiding the octopus in the room though, no matter how it's dressed, the Octopus Fight Stick is a hefty unit. The chassis size is a significant increase over the prototype I tested back at the start of the year, measuring almost 17.7in / 45cm across its width and 10.2 / 26cm deep. After opening the back of the unit to inspect modification options, I gleamed that there exists plenty of free space internally, meaning that TR Fight Stick could potentially slim this design down without greatly impacting its overall visage.

It's not just the size of the Octopus either, but the weight, that may dissuade some would-be buyers. Tipping the scales at around 7.7lbs / 3.5kg, the Octopus Arcade Stick definitely falls into the heavyweight category alongside other sticks such as the Nacon Daija and the Victrix Pro FS. Personally, I don’t mind the weight resting on my lap during a gaming session, as it feels secure and unlikely to move around during play, however, its weight may be off-putting to some.

An image of the top and rear of the Octopus Arcade Stick — (Image credit: Future/Theo Litston)

Octopus Arcade Stick: Performance

Exceptionally responsive buttons and stick
Switching between platforms is a little fiddly yet forgivable
Fantastic for arcade games and retro titles as well including a well-implemented turbo function

When you’re in the heat of battle the last thing you want to worry about is an unresponsive controller, and the Octopus Arcade Stick uppercuts those concerns into oblivion. The sturdy metal case eliminates any flex you might experience with a plastic shell, with the buttons and stick feeling purposeful and reliable during heated online exchanges.

A far cry from ‘the claw’ I often use when playing the best fighting games with something like one of the best PC controllers, the Octopus’ size affords a comfortable space for players to rest their wrists during gameplay, with the ergonomic layout putting every button at my fingertips, ready to engage at a moment’s notice. I found using the Octopus left me feeling less fatigued following a long play session, no doubt thanks to not needing to unnaturally wrap my digits around a pad.

The joystick offers similarly high levels of responsiveness, with dashes, blocks, and circle movements all feeling immediate while delivering that satisfying clicky feedback one only gets with an arcade stick. Special moves quickly become second nature and the experience of inputting button and directional sequences truly captures that arcade machine feeling.

An image of the Octopus Arcade Stick in use — (Image credit: Future/Theo Litston)

The majority of my review time was spent online in Tekken 8 on PS5, however, I was pleasantly surprised to see how easy it was to move between the various platforms the Octopus Arcade Stick supports.

TR Fight Stick provided me with a range of cables, allowing me to connect to all manner of systems. Plugging the fight stick into each one for the first time does require a bit of dexterity though. The first step is to connect the cable to the console or PC, before holding either a single-button or a two-button combo while inserting the other end of the cable into the Octopus Arcade Stick. It’s not the most elegant of methods for connecting, but with so many platforms supported it feels like TR Fight Stick has achieved a relatively painless process.

Similarly, the VMU switching on Dreamcast is vastly improved from the prototype model I’ve tested previously. Flicking between memory cards on Dreamcast now requires you to hold a single, dedicated button labeled ‘VMU’ before flicking the joystick left or right, whereas the prototype required me to contort my fingers unnaturally and enter a sequence of prompts to achieve the same thing.

A close up of the screen on the Octopus Arcade Stick in use — (Image credit: Future/Theo Litston)

All initialization fumbling is quickly forgotten however once you’ve booted up your game of choice. A handy rocker switch on the unit's far side allows you to quickly toggle the joystick function between left and right analog sticks or a d-pad input, making navigating menus a breeze. Whether playing on PlayStation, PC, Mega Drive, Dreamcast, or Switch, the button and stick inputs remained sharp and responsive, with no noticeable lag present at all.

As a big retro-head, I was keen to take the Octopus Arcade Stick out of its natural brawler habitat and throw some stone-cold classics its way. Far from a one-genre master, the Octopus delivered a fantastic gaming experience across puzzle games like Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine on the Mega Drive and even excelled on the challenging platforming of Disney’s Aladdin. The Octopus’ performance in the latter even led to me reaching the penultimate level of the game in a single life, something I’ve never achieved on a control pad.

Should you buy the Octopus Arcade Stick?

Buy it if...

You’re serious about fighting games
The premium parts and materials warrant the premium price tag. This a serious piece of kit for hardcore beat ‘em enthusiasts and even features a tournament lock switch to avoid accidental disqualification during competitions.

You play on a variety of platforms, both old and new
Looking for a stick to play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Switch, Mortal Kombat 1 on the PS5, Killer Instinct on PC, Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast, and Street Fighter 2 on the SNES? The Octopus supports over twenty gaming platforms.

You love customization
With a range of OctoPlates available, a variety of button layout options, and the ability to swap out buttons and joysticks, you can make their fight stick a truly unique peripheral.

Don't buy it if...

You’re looking for a lightweight fight stick
If you’re anticipating long play sessions or having to regularly move your fight stick around the house, then the Octopus’ 7.7lbs / 3.5kg weight and large form factor may make it a little too cumbersome.

You plan to play on Xbox Series consoles
If you primarily play on Xbox Series X or S then you’ll need an alternative fight stick, as despite the Octopus’ long list of supported platforms, Microsoft’s latest consoles didn’t make the cut.

Also consider...

If you’re in the market for a premium fight stick but not completely sold on the Octopus then here are two other similar arcade sticks for your consideration. It’s worth highlighting however the list of compatible platforms on these alternatives is much smaller than the Octopus Arcade Stick, however, that may not be an issue if you’re only looking to play on modern PlayStation or PC hardware.

Victrix Pro FS
This is a great alternative because just like the Octopus Fight Stick, the Victrix Pro FS comes with Sanwa parts as standard. While it doesn’t feature customizable faceplates like the Octopus, it is available in a variety of stylish colorways across its stunning design.

For more information, check out our full Victrix Pro FS review.

Nacon Daija
This is a great alternative because of its premium build quality and highly responsive inputs. Officially licenced from PlayStation, this stick was designed in collaboration with eSports legend Kayane and features profile support in addition to customisation options.

For more information, check out our full Nacon Daiji review.

A close up of the stick and buttons on the Octopus Arcade Stick in use — (Image credit: Future/Theo Litston)

How I tested the Octopus Arcade Stick

Tested for a week on PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5, PC, Mega Drive, Dreamcast, and Nintendo Switch
Tested with multiple beat ‘em ups, arcade and retro titles
Competed in online tournaments

As somebody who indulges in online battles of Tekken 8 daily, I replaced my PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller with the Octopus Arcade Stick for the duration of my week-long review period, clocking in roughly ten hours of ranked, online gameplay in Namco Bandai’s seminal beat ‘em up. I’ve also become accustomed to entering PS5 tournaments in Tekken 8 so again used the Octopus Fight Stick for my daily humbling with some of the best players on the platform.

I also explored Tekken’s history on PlayStation using the Octopus, connecting the unit to my PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS4. I also took this opportunity to play an hour or so of the wonderful Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, fighting through various arcade modes and in the online lobbies.

Moving away from PlayStation, I took several of my favorite Mega Drive classics for a spin during my regular retro game day. In addition to the aforementioned Mean Bean Machine and Aladdin, I used the Octopus Arcade Stick to play through the first half of Sonic 2 and hopped my way through to Pizza Planet in Toy Story.

I tested Nintendo’s platforming pedigree next, firing up several classic titles from the Mario series on Switch before diving headlong into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for some competitive local multiplayer with my partner and friends.

Those same friends kindly provided me with a Dreamcast and some games, including a copy of Soul Calibur, so I could put the Octopus’ VMU features through its paces.

Lastly, on the PC side of things, I enjoyed bouts of Killer Instinct and Multiversus, before throwing myself back into Cuphead and making generous use of the Octopus’ turbo functions.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2024

Silent Hill 2 review: a stylish remake, but not definitive

10:00 am | October 4, 2024

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

Review info

Platform reviewed: PlayStation 5
Available on: PS5 and PC
Release date: October 8, 2024

It’s been years since I first played the horror game Silent Hill 2, and yet, in my restless dreams, I see that town. The liminal streets, chunky grotesque monsters, and cursed bric-a-brac have all taken up residency in my head, and with so much history, I’ll be the first to admit I was skeptical at the thought of a remake.

For those unfamiliar with the beloved original, Silent Hill 2 centers around a grieving James Sunderland who receives a letter from his deceased wife, Mary, beckoning him to the eponymous Silent Hill. Bewildered at the letter, James heads into the town, looking for any signs of his spouse. A small cast of tormented souls ferry James through his journey, and through a series of cryptic conversations and a smattering of environmental clues, the truth of the town and James’ past slowly comes into focus.

My time with developer Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake began with James wandering towards the local graveyard, and I was immediately struck by how stark but strangely alluring the world felt. In the way New York is a character in Friends, so is the fog in Silent Hill 2, and I was relieved to see how disorienting it still was to navigate its streets, apartment buildings, and prison complexes.

While there isn’t quite as much Comic Sans font used here as in the original, the unmistakable ambiance is much the same, permeating through the dilapidated buildings and the eerie soundscape. As James, you’ll explore the town, one area at a time, finding maps, solving think-y puzzles, and defending yourself against grotesque creatures with household items and firearms as you inch closer to finding your wife.

Soured flesh

A screenshot of Silent Hill 2's main protagonist James fighting a monster — (Image credit: Team Bloober/Konami)

Fleshy and wet, the vaguely human-shaped intruders wield freaky movement and body horror aesthetics to significant effect, and this combination frequently caught me off guard. Notably, the way the mannequins lurk dormant under tables and behind doors just out of view was a source of constant terror (and delight). Despite the small pool of enemy variants throughout the game, their reactive scuttering and slithering garnered more than a few screams throughout.

This sense of appropriate discomfort extends throughout the game, with the Brookhaven Hospital (and its nightmare mirror realm) being a particular stand out, managing to blend the sterility of medical spaces with the moldy stagnation of abandoned buildings. It’s clear that care has been taken to fine-tune the details throughout, with so many unsightly stains and muck coating the otherworld.

One major deviation from the original game is the shift from a fixed perspective to an over-the-shoulder one, akin to Capcom’s Resident Evil remakes. Unfortunately, this active camera approach dulls the anxiety and claustrophobia that come naturally with the old CCTV-esque viewpoint. It’s safe to say that James Sunderland is not Leon Kennedy, nor is he supposed to be, and as a result, this change doesn’t quite meld with the more plot-centric storytelling that makes Silent Hill 2 so engaging. Eventually, I became steeled to the fight and started entering rooms with the rugged bravado of an action hero, which meant I wasn’t feeling so immersed in James’ fragile, vulnerable characterization.

It’s not all blood and guts, though, as an array of puzzles constantly interrupt your search and the creature encounters it brings. Ranging from bite-sized to full-on head-scratchers, the problems carefully walk the line between frustrating and rewarding. The Brookhaven Hospital section featured one of my favorites. It involved embodying a morbid Sherlock Holmes, investigating patients, and solving riddles related to their tragic end for the prize of a medical wristband, whose numbers had to be aligned carefully to access the next area. For those who've played the original game, the puzzles are primarily faithful but have been updated and tweaked slightly, so you shouldn’t be able to barrel through.

Messing with The Order

A screenshot of Silent Hill 2's main protagonist James in conversation — (Image credit: Team Bloober/Konami)

Storytelling changes from the original don’t feel quite as successful or necessary for a remake, though, and ultimately harm the pacing and subtlety of Silent Hill 2’s complex psychological themes. The addition of new areas, scenes, and extended boss fights are hit and miss throughout, with some augmenting the ambience and others detracting from the delicate subtext surrounding James’ desperate search for Mary. This is felt most in the Abstract Daddy encounter that centres around the character Angela’s traumatic backstory. In the original, it all takes place in one claustrophobic room, whereas in the remake, it manifests as a much longer, multi-stage chase-based boss fight, which dulled the circumstances surrounding the battle.

Elsewhere, I can’t help but feel that the remake loses something by stripping out the ability to interact with random clutter in the environment to read James’ contextual reactions. You can pick up and study all the most important artefacts you come across, but you can’t prompt James to respond to his surroundings often, a process that brought extra worldbuilding and nuance to the original game. It’s not entirely gone, as the voice actor sometimes steps in with a natural reaction, but it’s few and far between and makes Silent Hill 2 feel empty and lonely in a different, less effective way than its 2001 counterpart.

One aspect I found extra puzzling was the introduction of ‘glimpses of the past’, where the player can encounter homages to scenes and puzzles that haven’t been brought forward for the remake. It’s a playful touch for series veterans, but it creates a confusing situation for newcomers, who can’t easily access the original game on a modern system and may not understand what is being referenced.

Best bit

A close up of the map from Silent Hill 2 remake — (Image credit: Bloober Team/Konami)

No matter how many times I had wandered around the dilapidated hallways of the Brookhaven Hospital or in the open-air streets outside, I found myself running in circles, often returning to the map to try to remember where I had and hadn’t been. Despite no changes to my trajectory, it was easy to feel disoriented by the hazy ambience permeating the entire town of Silent Hill. If you are curious to see how many times you did recheck the map, the end credits come with a statistical round-up where you can check your tally (mine was very high).

Bloober Team’s remake is a fun and interesting reinterpretation for those who have played the original. Still, it’s hard to recommend this version of Silent Hill 2 to players who might want to experience the James Sunderland story at its definitive best. All the modern trappings do well to enhance the experience visually, but other decisions alter the spirit of the original game, and not always for the better.

Regardless, an area where the remake shines is in its vocal performances, and Luke Roberts carefully embodies the very difficult role of James Sunderland - particularly in cutscenes, where the quivering, motion-capped physicality and considered delivery of iconic lines brought new nuance to the character. I was always thrilled to hear Akira Yamaoka’s reimagined soundtrack too, with masterful iterative takes on legendary tracks like Null Moon exacerbating the already-unnerving atmosphere, often just when it needed a shot in the arm.

Looking down a spooky hallway in Silent Hill 2 remake with a monster at the end of it — (Image credit: Bloober Team/Konami)

Accessibility

Silent Hill 2 has a variety of settings to tweak combat and puzzle difficulty. For combat, you can shift between difficulties freely as you play; however, for puzzles, your difficulty choice must be set before taking on the playthrough. There are multiple interface presets, too, which tweak aspects like tutorial prompts and ammo display while playing. Where combat is concerned, you can customize crosshair visibility, thickness, color, and opacity. You can also toggle on and off Low health and splatter vignettes to suit your preference. In the Controls menu, there’s an option to switch on aim assist, with the choice of how strong you’d like the magnetism to be.

If you’re looking for alternate visual cues for items, you can also choose between options for visibility and size. This system is the same for traversal cues that make intractable obstacles more clear. Silent Hill 2 also features three color-blind modes (deuteranope, protanope, tritanope) and a color-blind mode severity slider, in addition to a high-contrast setting that highlights characters, items, and non-player characters (NPCs) in bright colors. You can select the color they appear in alongside this switch in the Display and Graphics submenu.

Regarding audio, there are sliders to tweak Music, Effects, and Voiceover. Plus, for those who prefer a visual cue, the Radio State Indicator creates a pop-up on the screen that shows when the radio emits sound. Additionally, there’s a great selection of subtitle settings, like the ability to toggle nonverbal captions, as well as a variety of sizes, backgrounds, and fonts. In the same menu, you also can alter the transcription text, too. These options are all available through individual submenus like Gameplay and Audio. However, there is a submenu that collects specific Accessibility settings and lists them for easy access in the broader Settings menu.

Should I play Silent Hill 2 remake?

A screenshot of Silent Hill 2's main protagonist James in a car park looking out across the lake — (Image credit: Team Bloober/Konami)

Play it if...

You want to explore the town of Silent Hill in high-definition
While there have been subtle changes, the locations in Silent Hill 2 are faithfully recreated, and they look incredibly upsetting and eerie in this form. While there are some changes to the source material, the updates are, for the most part, tastefully done and still feel just as atmospheric.

You're a glutton for punishment…
James Sunderland is a tortured soul. As such, you’ll be tormented with vague puzzles, anxiety-inducing chases, and, naturally, a lot of challenging themes. As you wade into James’ psyche, even more darkness can be found, like a puzzle wrapped in a melancholic enigma.

Don't play it if...

You’re squeamish
Bloody grotesque monsters and intense imagery are part and parcel with Silent Hill 2, and the use of Unreal Engine 5 only juices up the already upsetting style. Undulating monstrosities twist into tormented shapes in front of you, and it takes some heavy bludgeoning or choice bullet wounds to take them out.

You haven’t played the original and want the full Silent Hill 2 experience…
While much of Silent Hill 2 looks great, the original 2001 edition is still the definitive version, and, courtesy of the Enhanced Edition add-on still feels like the best way to play the story.

How I reviewed Silent Hill 2 remake

I played through Silent Hill 2 on PlayStation 5 and finished it three times over approximately 25 hours, achieving five unique endings. Throughout these playthroughs, I chose the moderate difficulty for puzzles and switched between the combat difficulty from basic to advanced between playthroughs. For my screen, I used an AOC CQ27G2 27-inch QHD VA 144Hz gaming monitor, and for audio, I used my external Creative Pebble V2 computer speakers.

I played Silent Hill 2 in performance and quality modes, jumping between 60 frames per second (fps) and 30fps. Overall, I preferred playing in performance mode, despite the quality mode (predictably) looking much nicer, as the improved fluidity aided in this more combat-focused remake.

First reviewed October 2024

Lexar Play 2280 review: really needs a price cut

2:21 pm | October 1, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming Gaming Accessories | Tags: SSD | Comments: Off

Lexar Play 2280: One-minute review

I would recommend the Lexar Play 2280 if you’re able to find it at a heavily reduced price. At the moment, the 2TB model will set you back around $229.99 / £174.99 and the 4TB is available for $379.99 / £329.99. This wouldn’t be too bad in most cases but it’s important to note that this is a dynamic random access memory (DRAM)-less model that uses host memory buffer (HMB) technology. A reliance on HMB would normally be associated with a much cheaper product and, although not a complete disaster on PS5, does mean that you lose a lot of potential speed on console.

When drives with DRAM, like the blazing fast Samsung 990 Pro and licensed models like the Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5, can easily be found at similar prices to the Lexar Play 2280, there are very few reasons to consider this model above the others.

It’s a shame, as the Lexar Play 2280 still manages to scrape by in real-world scenarios. Though slower than other models in our copy testing, it achieved an okay reading of 6,135MB/s on the internal PS5 benchmark and offered perfectly serviceable performance with no major hiccups in the games themselves. The 2TB and 4TB capacities are also a good fit for most modern game libraries, especially if you own lots of large titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Horizon Forbidden West.

With an 8TB model on the way later this year, I could still see the Lexar Play 2280 finding a good niche as a lower-cost alternative to many of the best SSDs for PS5 or best PS5 external hard drives. Lots of the manufacturer’s other drives have received substantial price cuts in the time after release, especially around major sale periods, so I’m optimistic that this will eventually be the case.

The Lexar Play 2280 SSD viewed from above. — (Image credit: Future)

Lexar Play 2280: Price and availability

2TB is $229.99 / £174.99
4TB is $379.99 / £329.99
Very high price for the specs

You can pick up the Lexar Play 2280 via Amazon. A 2TB model is available, which costs $229.99 / £174.99, in addition to a 4TB variant for $379.99 / £329.99. Both of these prices seem extremely high for what you’re getting, especially considering the lack of DRAM. You can easily find higher-spec alternatives at roughly the same prices, including premium options like the Samsung 990 Pro, Corsair MP600 Pro LPX, or Seagate FireCuda 530.

Even other Lexar drives are much better value. The 4TB Lexar NM790, another HMB model with a PS5 compatible heatsink fitted, costs just $281.99 / £229.99 at the time of writing. This is about where I would expect the Lexar Play 2280 to be, so it’s a little baffling that it’s currently not available at around this price.

Lexar Play 2280: Specs

Lexar Play 2280: Design and features

The Lexar Play 2280 has quite a stylish design, though not as elaborate as some competitors. It's fitted with an absolutely mammoth heatsink, one so large that I was initially slightly worried that it wouldn't fit in the PS5. Thankfully, the installation process was very smooth and it slotted in nicely under the console’s SSD bay cover. The heatsink is predominantly black, though does have two silver fin-like shapes on top that give it some extra flair. It’s also labeled with a white Lexar Play logo, creating some pleasant contrast.

In terms of features, this is an HMB drive. As previously outlined, this means that it does not have any DRAM. DRAM is usually used to store mapping information, effectively telling your machine where to find certain pieces of data quickly. This can improve performance and drive longevity, but often makes SSDs with DRAM more expensive than other models. In an HMB drive, this information is all normally stored memory of the host device instead. This is no problem for a PC but is not something that is currently supported by the PS5.

In practical terms, this can lead to much more uneven performance on your console. Sony itself states that users with an HMB drive “may experience slower-than-expected performance because the PS5 console does not support HMB.”

The Lexar Play 2280 SSD stood upright on a desk mat. — (Image credit: Future)

Lexar Play 2280: Performance

Despite the lack of DRAM, I found that the Lexar Play 2280 performed acceptably on the whole when you don’t consider the price. The 4TB configuration achieved a 6,134MB/s read speed in the console’s internal SSD benchmark, which is towards the lower end of what you would expect but still above the 5,500MB/s recommended by Sony.

It’s the kind of reading that you would find with a budget drive, which goes even further to show that the current cost of this model is a little ridiculous. For the sake of comparison, this figure is far below the just over 6,500MB/s achieved by the Samsung 990 Pro in the same capacity - a top-end drive that is a little cheaper than the Lexar Play 2280 right now.

Performance was just about okay in my other testing, which saw me copying a wide variety of files to the drive from the PS5’s internal storage. A 69.75GB installation of Zenless Zone Zero took 34 seconds to copy, while the 49.97GB Star Wars Outlaws was fully playable in 24 seconds. A 90.23GB installation of Alan Wake 2 copied in a respectable 48 seconds and the 85.72GB The Last of Us Part 2 came in at 38. Stellar Blade, which is 31.46GB, was copied in 17 seconds.

The Alone in the Dark remake, which comes in at 30.67GB, was copied in 18 seconds, and finally, the 9.49GB Asphalt Legends Unite was copied in 17. That very last figure is particularly high for the relatively small file size, demonstrating some of the shortcomings associated with HMB drives.

Thankfully unless you sit around moving games all day, you likely won’t notice a lot of this. I’ve been using the drive for a few weeks now, playing my usual rotation of games on it. During that time I did not experience any noticeable in-game performance differences when compared to playing on the PS5’s internal storage. Don’t get me wrong, the performance of the drive is fine overall, but just nowhere near what you would want or expect for the price.

The Lexar Play 2280 SSD viewed from the side. — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Lexar Play 2280?

Buy it if...

You want a high-capacity drive
The Lexar Play 2280 is available in both 2TB and 4TB capacities. This could make it a solid option to consider if you’re after a particularly large model for your game library.

You find it on sale
The one thing the Lexar Play 2280 needs to properly compete in the SSD space is a sizable price cut. If you can find it at the right discount, this model could be a great alternative to more premium options.

Don't buy it if...

You want top performance
The performance of the Lexar Play 2280 is fine for a HMB model, but it’s not what you would expect for the price. Consider high-end options like the Samsung 990 Pro if performance is your biggest concern.

Also consider...

If you want to weigh up the Lexar Play 2280 against some other options, here are two great alternatives.

Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5
The Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5 is a great officially licensed pick. It loses out in terms of capacity, with just 1TB and 2TB options, but is worthwhile if you want a drive that will deliver flawless PS5 performance.

For more information, check out our full Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5 review

Samsung 990 Pro
The 4TB model of the Samsung 990 Pro is often available on sale for around the same price at the Lexar Play 2280. It’s significantly faster, features DRAM, and has a more stylish overall design.

For more information, check out our full Samsung 990 Pro review

The Lexar Play 2280 SSD viewed from the bottom. — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Lexar Play 2280

Used for over two weeks
Tested daily in my PS5
Compared to other SSD models

I tested the 4TB Lexar Play 2280 for over two weeks, fitting the drive to my personal PS5 and ensuring that it was used during my daily play sessions. During that time I was careful to assess the performance of the drive, both in-game and when moving a wide variety of files around on the system. I also recorded the data from the in-built PS5 storage benchmark.

I constantly compared the experience using the drive to my previous hands-on testing with a wide range of other PS5 SSD models. This included the Samsung 990 Pro, WD Black SN850, WD Black SN850P, Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5, Samsung 980 Pro, and more.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2024.

CRKD Atom review: a surprising novelty that is perfect for retro gaming

3:00 pm | September 29, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Mario Kart, Nintendo Switch, PC | Comments: Off

CRKD Atom: One-minute review

The CRKD Atom is far and away the smallest controller I have ever tested. Billed as a collectible keychain controller by its manufacturer, the Atom is an impressively compact 3 inches (about 76mm) from left side to right. This alone makes it remarkably portable-friendly and is easily stored in your pocket or even on your keychain.

A range of attractive colorways also add to the Atom’s collectability factor, and the controller sits at a reasonable price, thus making that collectible nature broadly more achievable for those who are interested. And of course, for stalwart CRKD heads, the Atom has the manufacturer’s app integration, allowing you to scan for your product’s overall rarity and unique number via near-field communication (NFC).

It’s a neat little controller in the aesthetics department, then, but I’ve also been impressed by its overall gaming performance. Compatible with Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile devices, I found the CRKD Atom to have pin-sharp responsiveness across both wired and Bluetooth connections. As such, it’s an excellent choice for retro games or ones that don’t need to rely on analog sticks to play.

CRKD Atom: Price and availability

List price: $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$33
All colorways are the same price
Available at CRKD’s website and Amazon in all regions

The CRKD Atom is available to purchase now from the brand’s official website or its Amazon store page. All color options retail at $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$33, making for an affordable bite-sized controller that doesn’t price gouge on some of the nicer variants. There are eight colorways available, and they are as follows:

Atomic Purple: translucent, dark purple design
CRKD Grey: a matte grey finish with pink and orange face buttons
Glacier Blue: translucent, icy blue colorway
Hot Pink: a striking matte pink finish
Leaf Green: an airy, bright green finish
PAL Grey: a matte grey design with multi-colored face buttons inspired by the European SNES controller
Sky Blue: a light blue matte finish
Yuzu Yellow: bright yellow with nicely contrasting black face buttons and d-pad

Amazon stock tends to fluctuate greatly between designs, but all colors are more reliably available on CRKD’s official website. Do keep in mind, though, that as the Atom is under $25 / £25 on the brand’s own site, you will have to pay a little extra for shipping.

I mentioned the CRKD Atom is the smallest controller I've ever tested. It's also the cheapest, with the closest point of comparison being the GameSir Nova Lite which retails at $24.99 / £29.99 (around AU$40). Similar to the affordable GameSir wonder, the CRKD Atom is a cheap controller that I can wholeheartedly recommend.

CRKD Atom: Specs

CRKD Atom: Design and features

CRKD hasn’t skimped on quality despite the Atom’s small size
Very much a ‘what you see is what you get’ design
May just be too small for some

Like other impressively compact devices such as the Game Boy Micro, the CRKD Atom’s most striking design trait is its size. It’s so small that it could legitimately fit inside a Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controller. Of course, given its stature, the Atom has to miss out on analog sticks (though if CRKD does eventually make a follow-up with Hall effect thumbsticks, I’d be very impressed). Additionally, ZL and ZR - typically triggers on the best Nintendo Switch controllers - have been converted to tiny, tactile buttons nestled between the larger L and R bumpers.

Despite the omissions that keep the Atom’s size (and presumably, costs) to a minimum, CRKD hasn’t ditched its penchant for quality. Materials feel great in spite of the pad’s near-nonexistent weight, with solid casing and delightfully tactile buttons.

On the Atom, in addition to those bumper and ‘trigger’ buttons, you’re also getting a d-pad, four face buttons with the typical Switch layout, Start and Select, and a Home button in the center. There’s also a USB-C port at the top, an NFC touchpoint on the back for use with the CRKD app’s collection system, and a groove at the bottom-left of the controller where you can thread through the included wrist strap.

The Atom is a lovely collectible item - especially given its price - but if you are planning on playing games with it, definitely don’t underestimate its tiny size. True to its name, the Atom is minuscule and thus isn’t well-suited to folks with larger hands. It certainly isn’t best suited to longer gaming sessions, either, given your hands will be closely wrapped around its small casing. On the flip side, the Atom does make for a fun, affordable gift for younger players.

CRKD Atom: Performance

Excellent responsiveness
10-hour battery life is decent, given its size
Well-suited to retro gaming

A lack of analog sticks makes the CRKD Atom a poor choice for most modern games. However, it seriously excels at retro gaming, and titles that don’t require the use of analog sticks. Nintendo Switch Online’s retro libraries are a great example, and during my testing I found myself diving into games including The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Blaster Master, and Fire Emblem. Other Switch hits like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, and Vampire Survivors are also fantastic fits for the CRKD Atom.

You can expect solid results via Bluetooth connectivity, too. The Atom is brilliantly responsive when used wirelessly, and the pairing process on both Switch and mobile was near-instantaneous. However if you’d prefer a more reliable connection overall, the Atom does support a wired USB-C connection which also makes it usable on PC.

There are some ancillary functions available on the Atom, too, accessible via button input macros. For example, you can change the d-pad to instead function as a left or right analog stick by holding Select and left or right on the d-pad respectively for five seconds. I didn’t get much use out of this feature, really; the SNES-style layout already makes the Atom a poor fit for titles that primarily make use of analog sticks, and it certainly doesn’t benefit from the additional sensitivity that sticks provide. A more useful inclusion, however, is the ability to take screenshots by pressing the Start and Select buttons simultaneously.

In terms of battery life, you’re getting an impressive 10 hours with the CRKD Atom. That’s not a lot in the grand scheme of things, especially compared to the 20 hours from the 8BitDo Ultimate or the 40-50 hours from the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. However, given its size - and the fact that the Atom is best suited to shorter play sessions - this is more than an adequate amount of battery life, I feel.

Should I buy the CRKD Atom?

Buy it if...

You’re after a truly portable controller
The Atom’s small size makes it a perfect choice for portable gaming on both Nintendo Switch and mobile devices.

You’re a collector
Eight lovely color options and a relatively low price tag make the Atom a fantastic collector’s item.

Don't buy it if...

You want a proper controller
There’s no avoiding the fact that the Atom is a novelty gamepad. A great novelty, for sure, but without analog sticks, grips, gyro, and other Switch controller hallmarks, those after a more fully-featured controller should consider something else.

Also consider...

If the CRKD Atom isn’t quite to your liking, we’ve highlighted a couple of other fantastic controllers that are well worth your consideration.

8BitDo Ultimate
Having tested several Nintendo Switch controllers over the years, I still think 2022’s 8BitDo Ultimate is the best of the bunch. Sublime build quality, Hall effect thumbsticks, and the inclusion of a charging dock all make for superb value for money. You’re also getting full gyro support, but the gamepad does lack an NFC touchpoint for amiibo scanning.

For more information, read our full 8BitDo Ultimate review.

Nitro Deck
CRKD’s very own Nitro Deck is one of the best Nintendo Switch accessories you can buy. It’s a fantastic controller/dock for handheld Switch players who’re after something sturdier and more reliable than the Joy-Con controllers.

For more information read our full Nitro Deck review.

How I tested the CRKD Atom

Tested for one week
Platforms tested: Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile
Primarily used Bluetooth connectivity, with USB-C wired connection on PC

I tested the CRKD Atom over the course of a week, primarily playing titles on Nintendo Switch. Given its small size, I found the Atom to be better suited to shorter play sessions overall. That, paired with the SNES-style layout, made it a great fit for Nintendo Switch Online’s retro library, as well as games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Vampire Survivors that don’t require the use of an analog stick.

I also found the Atom to pair well with various retro compilations on PC, including Sonic Origins Plus, Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection, and the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster titles. As the Atom doesn’t include a 2.4GHz or Bluetooth adapter in the box, I went with a USB-C wired connection on PC.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2024

PowerA OPS v1 review: a cheaper v3 Pro alternative that gets the job done

4:56 pm | September 27, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Final Fantasy, PC, UK, US | Comments: Off

PowerA OPS v1: One-minute review

The PowerA OPS v1 is a wireless PC controller that's also compatible with mobile devices and cloud gaming services. Being a cheaper alternative to the PowerA OPS v3 Pro, it understandably misses out on some of that controller's standout features. Those include Lumectra RGB lighting, 'quick-twist' thumbsticks and the remappable bumper buttons.

That said, the OPS v1 is still a decent option if you're on a budget. Drift-resistant Hall effect thumbsticks are present here, as well as four remappable buttons on the rear which can be programmed on the controller itself with a dedicated button. You're also getting a Turbo button function and support for 2.4Ghz, Bluetooth and USB-C connectivity.

One particularly impressive aspect of the OPS v1 is that the textured grips on this controller actually feel nicer than on the OPS v3 Pro. On the more expensive gamepad, I found the textured grips to be a touch too rough over longer play sessions. Here, they are unintrusive and provide the perfect amount of grip for comfortable sessions of any length.

The controller itself - and its various buttons, bumpers and triggers - do feel quite cheap overall with some rather flimsy-feeling plastic being used. It's not horrendous by any means, but certainly a downgrade when compared to the v3 Pro and many of the best PC controllers out there today.

PowerA OPS v1: Price and availability

$49.99 / £49.99 for the standard model
Special Fortnite edition for $54.99 / £54.99
Available at PowerA in the US and Amazon in the UK

The PowerA OPS v1 launched in August 2024, and is available to purchase for $49.99 / £49.99. It's available at PowerA's own website in the US, but those in the UK will need to rely on retailers like Amazon to secure the bag there. A Fortnite edition is also available (pictured throughout the review) which features a distinct livery. This one comes in slightly pricier at $54.99 / £54.99.

This is significantly cheaper than the PowerA OPS v3 Pro which costs $99.99 / £99.99 and is a solid alternative at half the price. As mentioned, the lower price point does mean that the OPS v1 is pared back when it comes to features, so you may wish to keep that in mind when comparing the two models.

Admittedly, at this price point, the OPS v1 has some very stiff competition in the form of the GameSir T4 Kaleid which goes for $41.99 / £41.99. You are losing out on wireless connectivity with GameSir's pad, but it's more than made up for in excellent build quality, superb micro switch buttons, and a lovely RGB profile.

PowerA OPS v1: Specs

PowerA OPS v1: Design and features

Cheap-feeling build
Textured grips are preferable compared to the OPS v3 Pro
Rather plain, all-black aesthetic

As a more budget-friendly controller, you can expect the PowerA OPS v1 to be slightly pared back in terms of design and feature set, especially compared to the OPS v3 Pro. Firstly, build quality on the OPS v1 is lacking in comparison, with a cheaper plastic presumably to keep the gamepad's costs down.

Much like with the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, I'm also not a fan of the plain, all-black aesthetic for the OPS v1's standard model. The special edition Fortnite version is certainly more eye-catching, though, and is the model I'd recommend going with if you're willing to spend 5 bucks extra (and, naturally, if you're a fan of the free-to-play shooter).

One aspect of the OPS v1's design I do really like is the texture on the rear of the grips themselves, and on the bumpers and triggers. The textured grips on the OPS v3 Pro were a little too rough for my liking. Here, though, they're a comparatively light touch and actually feel far more comfortable as a result. The added texture on the bumpers and triggers is also a really nice touch.

As for features, the OPS v1 shows up with the Hall effect thumbsticks that are swiftly becoming the standard for third-party controllers. It's now quite rare that I test a controller that lacks Hall effect, but it is great to see more affordable gamepads adopt the technology. Sony and Nintendo, please take notes.

The OPS v1 also shares some features with its pricier counterpart. You're still getting four remappable buttons on the rear of the pad, as well as three-stage trigger locks and three types of connectivity (2.4GHz, Bluetooth and wired via USB-C). The box includes a USB-C cable, too. But unlike the v3 Pro, there's sadly no charging dock bundled with the OPS v1.

PowerA OPS v1: Performance

Perfectly responsive during wireless play
A decent 20 hours of battery life
Like the OPS v3 Pro, trigger locks don't work great

There's really not much to complain about when it comes to the PowerA OPS v1's performance while actually gaming. I tested games across a wide variety of genres in my Steam library, including Street Fighter 6, Final Fantasy 14 Online, Cyberpunk 2077 and Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance. All that is to say the OPS v1 is a perfectly adequate controller no matter what kind of single-player games you're into.

A 2.4GHz wireless adapter is included in the box, offering 500Hz polling rate which is solidly responsive for wireless play. I'd still recommend going wired if you're interested in playing the best fighting games or the best FPS games for peak responsiveness, but you can't go wrong either way here.

Unfortunately, as was the case with the v3 Pro, the OPS v1's trigger locks are hit-and-miss. When unlocked, or set to lock halfway, the triggers work perfectly fine. However, I found that the highest notch simply didn't work for any of the games I tested. That's a huge shame as it's a feature that's always nice to see on cheaper gamepads.

As for battery life, you're getting around 20 hours here according to the manufacturer. I did find this to be accurate during my time testing the controller, as I did have to charge up from empty after around a week of play that consisted of 2-3 hour sessions each day. Expect the OPS v1 to take a few hours to charge back to full, too, when hooked up via USB-C. For optimum efficiency here, I'd recommend charging with the cable included and potentially leaving it hooked up overnight so you don't have to wait.

Should I buy the PowerA OPS v1?

Buy it if...

You’re looking for a solid and affordable PC controller
Coming in below the $50 / £50 mark, the PowerA OPS v1 offers good value and a decent feature set given its price tag.

You’re after a versatile and customizable PC controller
With Hall effect sticks, remappable buttons and trigger locks, there's plenty of options for customization on the OPS v1.

Don't buy it if...

You're hoping for better build quality
The PowerA OPS v1 sadly falters in the build quality department, with cheap-feeling plastic for its casing, buttons, and triggers.

Also consider...

If the PowerA OPS v1 misses the mark for you, we’ve got a couple of other suggestions that we’ve tested and reviewed for your consideration below.

PowerA OPS v3 Pro
This smartly-priced Pro controller locks in with Hall effect sticks and gorgeous Lumectra RGB lighting, making it worth checking out at the sub-$100 / £100 price tag. There are some design frustrations here, but it's still a very capable gamepad.

For more information, read our full PowerA OPS v3 Pro review.

GameSir T4 Kaleid
This is still my favorite budget-priced PC controller that's also compatible with Nintendo Switch. It's wired only, but comes in slightly cheaper than the OPS v1 and offers excellent build quality, sublime micro switch buttons and a lovely RGB profile.

For more information, read our full GameSir T4 Kaleid controller review.

How I tested the PowerA OPS v1

Tested for one week, 2-3 hour sessions each day
Played primarily on PC across a wide variety of games
Compared and contrasted to the pricier PowerA OPS v3 Pro

I tested the PowerA OPS v1 over the course of about a week, tackling 2-3 hour gaming sessions each day. During my time with the gamepad, I found I only needed to charge it up once. That total time lasted around 20 hours, lining up with PowerA's battery life claim.

I made sure to test a wide variety of games on PC, including Cyberpunk 2077, Fields of Mistria, Vampire Survivors, Street Fighter 6 and Final Fantasy 14 Online. This is a mix of my go-to games and some I determined to be a great fit for the budget OPS v1.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2024

EA Sports FC 25 review – have we reached peak football sim?

8:00 pm | September 26, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: FIFA | Comments: Off

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Release date: Early Access: September 22, 2024 | Full release: September 27, 2024

EA’s approach to its annual football simulator is not unlike Apple’s approach to iPhones. Time and again, the developer has gotten away with making minor upgrades to a flagship product that it knows will fly off the shelves, regardless of the extent to which those upgrades improve the product itself. Sure, EA Sports FC 24 marked a radical departure for the series in naming terms, but it was essentially FIFA 23 with slightly better graphics and a new logo. That’s not necessarily a criticism, just the truth.

The same is, to an extent, true of EA Sports FC 25, however this year, it feels like we’ve reached a point where the overall experience is so good that it’s hard to chastise EA for making small improvements to an already excellent foundation. To continue the Apple analogy, the iPhone 16 Pro Max isn’t an earth-shattering upgrade over the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but it’s still the best iPhone ever made. In the same way, EA Sports FC 25 is, without question, the best football game ever made. The tweaks have added up.

While reviewing EA’s newest FC entry, I found myself asking, “What more could I want from a football game?”. Yes, many elements are bafflingly similar to FC 24 – not even the color scheme has changed; the main menu had me questioning whether I’d booted up the correct title – but the customarily small tweaks made to graphics and gameplay add up to a near-perfect footballing experience.

Get your Pep on

The new Player Roles system in EA Sports FC 25 (Image credit: EA Sports)

Let’s get the “what’s new?” question out of the way early doors. The major additions to this year’s FC title are two-fold: FC IQ and Rush. The former is the umbrella term for what EA is describing as the "most significant change to tactics in over a decade", while the latter is a new 5v5 mode that can be played in Ultimate Team, Career, Clubs, and Kick-Off.

FC IQ is for the football purists. In a nutshell, you’re now given the freedom to break away from traditional formations and implement match strategies that more closely align with those of real-world managers. You’ve seen Ancelotti's Real Madrid fluidly shift between 4-3-3 and 4-5-1 formations on TV, and now you can recreate such transitions – and come up with new ones – for your virtual team in FC 25.

Much of this strategizing is done in pre-match menus, which newcomers or tactics-averse players might find jarring, but FC IQ also introduces an in-game tactical suggestions tool that feels a lot more accessible. A press of the down button in-play will now bring up a list of recommended tactical changes (Tiki Taka, Park The Bus, etc.) that the FC 25 overlords deem to be the best course of action for the current match situation. Selecting one of these tactics will temporarily expand the mini-map for an at-a-glance look at how that tactic has influenced player positions, and the commentators will respond to these changes, too (“rather than hurt the opposition further, they’re now just trying to keep the ball and frustrate them”), which makes them feel real and consequential.

The other big feature of FC IQ is an all-new Player Roles system. As with formations, you’re now able to grant individual players the freedom to operate outside of their traditional positions in hybrid roles. Inverted fullbacks, deep-lying midfielders, and attacking wingbacks are now very much part of the FC experience – even in Ultimate Team – and while many players will no doubt ignore this new mechanic entirely, it’s nice to be given yet another string to your tactical bow.

Still from Rush in EA Sports FC 25 — The new Rush mode in EA Sports FC 25 (Image credit: EA Sports)

A quick word on Rush, which is this year’s completely-unnecessary-but-totally-harmless (and occasionally fun) new mode. It’s essentially a 5-a-side off-shoot for Ultimate Team, Career, Clubs, and Kick-Off, with smaller pitches and a basketball-style energy. I imagine it’s what the game of football would become if American sports executives were in charge of FIFA (check out the luminescent Nike-sponsored stadium), and while I don’t expect many players will return to it again and again, it’s certainly a fun diversion for a few hours. Let’s call it a happy medium between normal matches and Volta.

The (really) beautiful game

Still from EA Sports FC 25 — Christopher Nkunku in action for Chelsea in EA Sports FC 25 (Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)

My mother used to regularly mistake old FIFA gameplay for real-world football matches (“Who’s playing?” she would say), but I’d forgive her for making the same mistake with FC 25. Truly, these are the best sports game graphics ever, and although I can’t put my finger on what, exactly, is different this year, FC 25 looks noticeably prettier than FC 24.

I think it’s the players’ faces. Sweat and hair look more life-like than ever before, and players now visibly grimace, curse, and just generally have more personality. Sure, that’s been the case every year, but FC 25 takes things to another level. Marquee players, in particular, look stunningly real; go and play a few matches with Haaland, Bellingham, and Mbappe, and you’ll see what I mean.

Gameplay, too, feels fast and responsive, and you won’t get any of that ‘new FIFA sluggishness’ that seemed to plague so many previous entries in the series. Seriously, I’m not sure where EA goes next when it comes to gameplay and graphics.

Refreshing the classics

In my EA Sports FC 25 preview, I talked a lot about how FC 25 could be the dream game for Career mode lovers, and although I was already pretty happy with the way Career mode played in FC 24, EA has made yet more welcome tweaks to my favorite aspect of the series.

Before you even dive into a new Career save, you’re now given more options to customize the way you like to play. For instance, if, like me, you’re not fussed about conducting regular team training, you can now toggle an option to have the game automatically deal with training sessions for you (if you’re really lazy, you can even set player Energy and Sharpness levels to remain at 100% for the entirety of the season). You can give yourself a transfer embargo, too, and determine both the level of wind and weather effects and their respective influence on ball mechanics (trust me: set both to ‘high’).

Once you’re past the set-up screen, you’ll notice that the Career interface has been massively streamlined. The main screen now comprises a Task List and an interactive social media feed where you can see how fans react to club announcements, as well as those made by popular transfer accounts like The Athletic and, of course, Fabrizio Romano. This new widget adds another level of authenticity to proceedings, and the Task List, while perhaps simplifying things a little too much, does at least mean that you don’t have to keep dipping into your inbox to remove notifications. As before, information relating to your squad, transfers, and calendar can be found on different tabs.

Best bit

I know this sounds weird, but seeing the level of realism in Christopher Nkunku’s in-game braids for the first time made me appreciate just how far sports game graphics have come (top tip: play a Premier League match in the rain for the most authentic experience).

Other Career upgrades include playable youth tournaments – where you can develop young players in 5v5 Rush matches – and Live Start Points, which let you dive into real-world club situations as they happen throughout the season. There’s no option to sim or part-play these youth tournament matches, but I suppose that’s the point: it forces you to actually familiarize yourself with nondescript youngsters. It’s a great feeling, too, when you end up bringing one of these youngsters onto the pitch in a proper first-team match. Live Start Points are a great idea, but I haven’t had a chance to try these out yet as the season has only just begun.

Ultimate Team, for its sins, finally felt like less of a pay-to-win experience in FC 24 – or at least, it was easier to compete with points-buying players through SBCs alone – and that trend continues in FC 25. The new Duplicate SBC Storage mechanic, which lets you store untradeable duplicates for use at a later date, is a game-changer for SBC fans (you no longer need to needlessly quick sell potential assets), and the mind-boggling number of card types means that highly-rated gold players are relatively easy to buy, even at the start of the game.

Accessibility

EA Sports FC 25 offers a comprehensive suite of accessibility options, including settings for color blindness, subtitles, button remapping, and increasing the size of the player indicator. These can all be found in a dedicated Accessibility Settings tab. The game has six difficulty levels – Beginner, Amateur, Semi-Pro, Professional, World Class, Legendary, and Ultimate – and features support for 21 languages.

Should I play EA Sports FC 25?

Play it if…

Don’t play it if…

How I tested EA Sports FC 25

I played EA Sports FC 25 for 10 days ahead of its official release. During that time, I had access to all modes and features and was able to compete against real-world players as part of EA’s Early Access promotion. I played on PS5, using a standard DualSense controller, on a Samsung QN95A Neo QLED 4K TV, with audio coming via a five-speaker Bose Lifestyle 550 Home Entertainment System. I’ve played every FIFA / EA Sports FC game since FIFA 13, and also reviewed FIFA 22, FIFA 23, and EA Sports FC 24 for TechRadar Gaming.

First reviewed September 2024.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom review: a charming throwback adventure

3:01 pm | September 25, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Comments: Off

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch
Available on: Nintendo Switch
Release date: September 26, 2024

Despite borrowing plenty of elements from both titles, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom definitely falls closer to the recent The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening remake than The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This is a traditional Zelda experience through and through, with plenty of puzzles to complete, intricate dungeons to master, and a more linear fantasy story to discover.

That might be a turn-off to some, but will undoubtedly be a huge draw for others. I can’t deny that there’s something incredibly refreshing about the return to the 2D format. As brilliant and innovative as it is, the shift to a more freeform open-world has definitely sacrificed some of the more careful, considered design of older games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

Nearly every aspect of Echoes of Wisdom feels finely crafted, with the introduction of some clever new mechanics successfully differentiating it from what we’ve seen before. I think that it will be remembered as one of the best Zelda games, perhaps even one of the best Nintendo Switch games, because of this, but it’s not a title that is without its flaws.

Girl power

Zelda moves around in a pot in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Echoes of Wisdom marks the first time that the series’ titular princess takes the starring role. Link has vanished, swallowed up by one of the countless purple rifts enveloping the kingdom of Hyrule and spewing out legions of shadowy monsters. The king has been replaced by a sinister clone that sentences his daughter, Princess Zelda, to death, confining her to the castle’s dungeon until her execution. It’s here that you meet Tri, a mysterious fairy who becomes your companion throughout the game.

Tri grants Zelda a suite of magical abilities in order to facilitate her escape and eventual defeat of the malevolent force behind the rifts. This begins with the power to create echoes, copies of certain objects that can be placed at will. From tables, giant crates, and beds that can be stacked to form bridges to floating blocks of water and bouncy trampolines, there are countless echoes to discover and experiment with. Any that you find are added to a growing library and can be brought out at any time, adding a fantastic collectible element.

You quickly learn Bond, which allows you to bind yourself to objects and carry them while you move. You can even activate Reverse Bond, which causes you to follow the movement of your bound object. While this whole system is not as expansive as the building of Tears of the Kingdom, these powers are leveraged in a plethora of interesting ways once you escape into the world of Hyrule and begin your quest in earnest. Puzzles frequently require the intelligent use of echoes and Bond. A large rock, for an abstract example, might be positioned on the opposite side of a grate. You can’t reach it normally, but you can use Bond to move it around.

Zelda uses water blocks to traverse in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. — (Image credit: Nintendo)

If the rock needs to be placed in a high position, perhaps on top of an out-of-reach pressure plate, you can simply create a stack of echoes to climb as a makeshift ladder in order to drag it up. It’s all delightfully intuitive and, importantly, remains so as the complexity ramps up. Many puzzles also have multiple solutions and I found that the vast majority of the time, if I expected a certain strategy to work, it would.

This openness can be a bit of a double-edged sword at times, though. Many dungeons contain platforming challenges that, although tricky, are very enjoyable to finally crack. Unfortunately, almost all of these can be bypassed by simply stacking up long chains of beds in order to bridge across them. This is in itself a lot of fun and rewards experimentation in a way, but does feel like a bit of a waste of the otherwise superb level design.

Free roam

Zelda chats to a Deku Scrub in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Best bit

Zelda swims around in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. — (Image credit: Nintendo)

One side quest sees you tracking down a lost horse that you can then ride around the map at high speeds. It’s a delightful diversion and comfortably the best optional encounters that I’ve found in the game so far.

Although it follows a very linear story that is broken up into clear digestible chunks, Echoes of Wisdom does feature something of an open world. You’re free to wander around any accessible area as you please, though large portions of the map are blocked off until you reach about the halfway point in the story. There’s not a huge amount to do in this version of Hyrule, but there is just enough to make a little exploration worthwhile.

Hidden chests are littered throughout the world, filled with rupees and the occasional smoothie ingredient. These can be eaten raw as a quick health top-up or combined into powerful drinks with a variety of special effects such as elemental resistance at a handful of smoothie vendors. There are a decent number of unique combinations to find and the whole system is pleasantly reminiscent of the creative cooking introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You can even make your own rather ineffective ‘Dubious Smoothie’ by adding in a splash of monster guts, a detail that I found quite amusing.

Zelda crafts a tough smoothie. — (Image credit: Nintendo)

There are a good number of side quests too, most of which have you collect and summon a specific echo at the behest of an NPC. They’re quick to complete and don’t offer much in the way of useful rewards, but do result in some quite amusing and memorable interactions that help the world feel that much more alive.

On top of those found in dungeons, Hyrule is also packed with enemy creatures to fight. Combat is one of the most significant areas where Echoes of Wisdom departs from previous entries, as Zelda does not possess any conventional combat abilities at first. She can toss heavy rocks to deal damage in a pinch, or create echoes of previously defeated foes to fight on her behalf. This is a blast at first but unfortunately wears out its welcome quickly.

Even with a button to direct your minions toward a specific enemy, they’re just too slow and unresponsive. I often found myself skipping running past entire fights, purely because I didn’t want the hassle of managing an army of unreliable slimes. Thankfully, you unlock more combat abilities as you progress, including a magical sword that lets you transform into a swordfighter form.

In this form, Zelda dons Link’s trademark attire and effectively gains all of his abilities. You can slash with a sword, get shots off with a bow, and eventually toss explosive bombs. Your strength in this form can be upgraded too, with special collectibles hidden at the end of dungeons or in the most hard-to-reach corners of the map.

Miniature mayhem

Zelda traverses the world with a companion. — (Image credit: Nintendo)

The whole of Echoes of Wisdom is rendered in an adorable, miniaturized visual style that makes everything from the characters to individual trees and buildings look like it was plucked from a cute diorama. It’s very similar to the look of Link’s Awakening and, sadly, means that Echoes of Wisdom suffers from many of the same performance problems.

Frame rates are a little higher overall, especially within dungeons, but are still prone to significant drops. This is understandable in particularly intense moments, especially when you’re dealing with lots of enemies and summoned creatures on the same screen, but is pretty inexcusable when it happens at random points in the world.

The particularly awful performance of one snowy area late in the game is almost unbearable in both handheld and docked mode, which is a massive shame and does spoil an otherwise attractive part of the world. Hopefully, there will be patches to address at least some of these problems down the line.

Otherwise, there’s an awful lot to like in Echoes of Wisdom. It’s cute, charming, and, despite relying on an older formula, it is packed with a handful of novel ideas that make it well worth your while.

Accessibility

There are no dedicated accessibility settings on The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. The game allows you to choose between a normal and Hero difficulty setting, with the latter designed for more experienced players, but that’s it. This is very disappointing, especially given the reliance on holding button inputs to use abilities. A few basic options to alter the control scheme to remove longer inputs would go a long way to make the game more accessible.

Should I play The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom?

Zelda solves a puzzle in a dungeon. — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Play it if…

You want a traditional Zelda adventure
If the more open structure of Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild weren’t for you, then the more linear progression of Echoes of Wisdom might be right up your alley.

You want to play as the princess
As one of the only entries in the series where you can play as Princess Zelda, Echoes of Wisdom should be on your radar if you’ve always wished that you could play as the princess.

Don’t play it if…

Performance is your top priority
As good as it looks, Echoes of WIsdom has its fair share of performance issues. This is a game to avoid if you particularly care about a stable frame rate, at least until any potential patches arrive.

How I reviewed The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

I played over 15 hours of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom on Nintendo Switch OLED. During that time I completed the main story and played in a combination of both handheld and docked mode. In docked mode, I played on a 1080p monitor and used a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. In handheld mode, I played using the standard Pastel Pink Joy-Con controllers and used a pair of Final VR500 earbuds.

Throughout my time with the game, I was careful to compare my experience with other adventure titles and plenty of past entries in The Legend of Zelda series including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, plus plenty of time in the original The Legend of Zelda.

First reviewed August 2024.

Sony Inzone M10S review: beautiful design, uncompromising performance

7:00 pm | September 24, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Grand Theft Auto, OLED | Comments: Off

Sony Inzone M10S: Two-minute review

The Sony Inzone M10S is a major departure from the rest of the Sony Inzone monitor lineup. Known for PlayStation-oriented products and closely associated with many of the best monitors for PS5, it might come as a surprise that this 27-inch OLED display has been designed specifically for competitive PC gaming. Its sleek black aesthetic is a major shift from the PS5-inspired white panel look of the Sony Inzone M9 and Sony Inzone M3 too, potentially pointing towards a more standalone future for the brand.

If that is the new trajectory of the Sony Inzone name, then it's off to an incredibly promising start. This first foray into the PC esports market is a huge success. The Sony Inzone M10S is expensive compared to most of the competition, but that high price tag is reflected in almost every facet of the monitor’s top-notch overall design, features, and performance.

The 1440p OLED panel offers a lightning-fast 0.03ms gray-to-gray response time and a wonderfully smooth 480Hz refresh rate, ensuring that no part of your performance in intense competitive first-person shooters like Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant is held back by your monitor’s technical specs. It also offers some genuinely useful visual settings, including a dedicated 24.5-inch display mode that accurately simulates a tournament experience by mirroring the standard tournament monitor size.

A close-up shot of the Sony Inzone M10S monitor. — (Image credit: Future)

The FPS Pro+ mode is also a surprising highlight. By default, it creates an almost gray, desaturated-looking picture but seems to significantly boost the appearance of primary colors like Red and Green. This helps key UI elements, like the red enemy indicators in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 stand out, improving your ability to see vital information when it counts.

The stand of the Sony Inzone M10S is also superb. It combines an impressively small, disk-like base constructed from durable metal with an attractive monitor arm that offers a full 360-degree rotation. The base takes up very little desk space and can easily fit underneath an elevated keyboard, allowing you to easily achieve a wide range of positions and focus entirely on your game rather than trying to fit everything on a single surface.

It also has plenty of elevation options, with 30 degrees of tilt and an adjustable height of up to 12 cm. Although plainer than other Sony Inzone models, the Sony Inzone M10S looks fantastic overall thanks to its seriously thin side profile and understated, classy aesthetic. From an esports perspective, the Sony Inzone M10S delivers in all respects and is easily one of the best gaming monitors out there today.

That said, there are more suitable, cheaper options for those who want something geared towards general gaming. The Sony Inzone M10S does not feature any in-built speakers and fans of sprawling adventures like Horizon Forbidden West may prefer a lower refresh rate but a higher 4K resolution panel to really soak in all the details. Although the Sony Inzone M10S does have an automatic in-built PS5 mode, which works well on the whole, dedicated console players will also be better off with alternatives as the console is unable to make full use of this model’s 480Hz refresh rate.

The Sony Inzone M10S being used to play Counter-Strike 2. — (Image credit: Future)

Sony Inzone M10S: Price and availability

$1099.99 / £1,199
Pricey for 1440p
Available via Sony

The Sony Inzone M10S is avaiable for $1,099.99 / £1,199 via Sony. This is towards the higher end of what you would expect to pay for a 1440p OLED monitor, though there are few points of comparison due to the lack of many other 1440p models at 480Hz. Still, there are some slightly cheaper alternatives with similar specs out there, like the Asus ROG Swift PG27AQDP which costs $999 / £949.

Whether the Sony Inzone M10S is worth it for you will come down to just how willing you are to pay extra for its esports features and more premium design. Of course, the monitor is also likely to receive discounts sometime after launch as we’ve typically seen from other Inzone models. If you’re able to find it around the price of other 480Hz OLED 1440p displays in a few months time, then it’s a no-brainer.

If you’re willing to sacrifice the refresh rate, you can easily find 4K OLED monitors like Alienware AW3225QF for around the same price as the Sony Inzone M10S. While 1440p (or lower) is the preferred resolution of competitive gamers to maximize performance, these would be better options for more general players and PS5 (or soon to be PS5 Pro) owners who want to make the most of their console’s visual capabilities.

Sony Inzone M10S: Specs

The Sony Inzone M10S with its in-built crosshair mode visible on screen. — (Image credit: Future)

Sony Inzone M10S: Design and features

Near-perfect stand
Useful visual modes
OLED burn in protections

The star of the Sony Inzone M10S’s design is easily its stand. It’s an impressive piece of engineering that is incredibly stable despite its distinctive shape. It features a small integrated cable tidy, which I found offered more than enough room for two HDMI cables, a display port cable, and the monitor’s power cable at the same time.

The base of the stand is a 4 mm thin metal disk with a 15.9 cm diameter, which is brilliantly compact compared to the large profile of most gaming monitors. The base is thin enough to sit beneath a keyboard, freeing up desk space and allowing for a wide range of possible playing positions. It also offers a smooth 360-degree pivot, making it easy to adjust viewing angles or change the position of the display. You can also tilt the panel down by 5 degrees or up by 25 degrees for even more precise adjustment.

No matter your choice of position, the stand remains perfectly balanced and stable which means no annoying wobble if you slam down on keys while you play. The fact that the LED power indicator, located on the right-hand side of the monitor, is invisible when viewed from the front helps further reduce distractions.

On the back of the monitor, you will find a large power button and a small thumbstick for editing the settings. This is accomplished through an on-screen menu, with a range of intuitive tabs for all your picture modes, gaming assist, and other settings options. The interface is nothing groundbreaking, but it all works well and offers a high degree of customizability. At launch, the Sony Inzone will also be compatible with the existing Inzone Hub PC software which will offer another way to adjust these settings.

The small base of the Sony Inzone M10S — (Image credit: Future)

In terms of dedicated gaming features, you get full Nvidia G-sync support in addition to Vesa Certified Adaptive Sync. The monitor also offers Display HDR True black 400 HDR, allowing for more vibrant colors. It is worth noting that some visual settings, including the brilliant FPS Pro+ mode, are not compatible with HDR though. The in-built brightness equalizer does a formidable job eliminating the slight unevenness associated with OLED panels and the optional black equalizer increases the brightness of dark scenes to improve visibility.

Like some other gaming monitors, there’s an in-built frame rate counter, timer, and series of green or red on-screen crosshairs that are a lot of fun to play around with if you’re trying to land some no-scope AWP hits in Counter-Strike 2. There’s also a dedicated 24.5-inch display mode, which introduces black bars around the screen to simulate the 24.5-inch size of a tournament display.

The possibility of burn-in is always a worry with any OLED monitor, but the Sony Inzone M10S offers a good selection of settings to combat it. This ranges from a mode that automatically dims your screen after a few moments, to one that targets and dims static images and a pixel shift that almost unnoticeably moves your screen picture by a row of pixels every few hours. They all work as expected, but I did quickly disable the setting that dims static images as the occasional change in brightness of the taskbar was quite distracting.

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The base of the Sony Inzone M10S. — (Image credit: Future)

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The in-built crosshair function. — (Image credit: Future)

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The thin side profile of the Sony Inzone M10S

(Image credit: Future)

Sony Inzone M10S: Performance

Leading performance
480Hz is beautifully smooth
Ideal for Counter-Strike or Valorant

There is no way to fault the performance of the Sony Inzone M10S. The 480Hz refresh rate and 0.03 GtG response time create a wonderfully smooth experience. Going from a 75Hz and a 144Hz display, the difference was immediately noticeable and made for a much more responsive experience in Counter-Strike 2. Rocket League was also a delight, as were Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, and Valorant. A lot of this excellence will depend heavily on your PC specs though, and I had to spend a little while tweaking settings in order to achieve anywhere close to a solid 480 fps at 1440p in most esports titles.

The default color configurations are all solid, but the monitor was quite dim out of the box presumably as a power-saving measure. This was quickly remedied by increasing the brightness to around the 80% mark, which I found hit the perfect balance of brightness and clarity. Throughout my testing, I observed zero ghosting no matter what I threw at the monitor. On top of the excellent FPS Pro+ mode, there’s a more conventional FPS Pro mode that offers a less drastic version of the same effect in addition to a MOBA/RTS setting and your usual range of Cinema and Game modes. Outside of FPS games, I would recommend keeping the monitor on either the Standard or sRGB setting for the most accurate and well-balanced color profiles or enabling HDR.

Although it looks nothing like previous Sony Inzone monitors, the Sony Inzone M10S does still offer some PlayStation-specific features. This includes an automatic PS5 mode, which is enabled when the monitor detects that it’s connected to a PS5. PC gaming is definitely the focus, but everything that I tested on PS5 from Grand Theft Auto 5 to Star Wars Outlaws and Doom Eternal also looked absolutely stunning with HDR and the vibrant OLED colors. This isn’t a model that you should buy specifically for PS5 gaming, but this will be good for those players who rely on a PC for competitive shooter titles but prefer to experience games like RPGs or adventure games with a console.

The Sony Inzone M10S in 24.5-inch mode. — (Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Sony Inzone M10S?

Buy it if...

You’re an esports player or aspiring competitor
The Sony Inzone M10S offers everything that a professional or aspiring esports player would need. This includes a 480Hz refresh rate and snappy 0.03ms GtG response time in addition to a useful FPS Pro+ profile.

You want a compact stand
The stand of the Sony Inzone M10S is easily one of the best on the market. It’s compact, leaving plenty of room for your keyboard and mouse, but still comes packed with a huge number of useful features.

Don't buy it if...

You want something for more general gaming
The Sony Inzone M10S has been designed with a very specific audience in mind. There are cheaper 4K options out there that are better suited for more general gaming, especially if you’re playing on PS5.

Also consider

If you’re not sure whether the Sony Inzone M10S is for you, then consider these two strong alternatives.

Alienware AW3225QF
The Alienware AW3225QF is a premium monitor that comes in larger than the Sony Inzone M10S and boasts the same response speed, in addition to HDR and a 4K resolution for around the same price. It is half the refresh rate, though.

Read our full Alienware AW3225QF review

Gigabyte M32UC
If you want a more budget-friendly but still quite high-spec option, consider the Gigabyte M32UC. It’s less suited to esports due to its 1 ms response time but offers a 32-inch 4K display at a fraction of the price of the 1440p Sony Inzone M10S.

Read our full Gigabyte M32UC review

The Sony Inzone M10S after being removed from its box. — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Sony Inzone M10S

Tested with a variety of competitive games
Used as my primary monitor
Available profiles and settings tested

I tested the Sony Inzone M10S for over a week. During that time, I used the monitor as my main display for both PC and PS5 gaming. I played a wide variety of esports titles, including Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, Rocket League, Fortnite, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, Counter-Strike: Source, and more. I also tried a few older titles, including some multiplayer matches of Quake 2. I played predominantly in 1080p and 1440p in the 27-inch mode, though I also played a handful of matches with the 24.5-inch setting enabled.

During my time with the monitor, I endeavored to test each of its available features. This included the various display profiles and the in-built crosshair settings. I played a broad mix of games on PS5, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and a few hours of Horizon Forbidden West. I compared my experience to my hands-on testing of other gaming monitors and TVs throughout.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2024

Asus ROG Tessen review: brilliant mobile FPS performance

7:00 pm | September 21, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming Gaming Accessories | Tags: Forza Horizon, FPS | Comments: Off

Asus ROG Tessen: Two-minute review

The Asus ROG Tessen is an excellent mobile controller that’s well-suited for FPS gaming in spite of some small setbacks. Its overall design is mostly superb, with durable metal rear paddles and a unique folding mechanism that makes it even easier to take on the go. Its tactile face buttons and d-pad are satisfying to use, though the latter is definitely better suited for fast-paced competitive games than any retro titles or traditional platformers, even if it is on par with the feel of some of the best PC controllers.

While not utilizing Hall effect technology, its thumbsticks perform well and the triggers are a highlight - delivering a quick but satisfying motion that makes every match of Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile that much more enjoyable. Throw in some pretty RGB lighting (which is unfortunately controlled by a rather underwhelming app) and compatibility with most mobile phone cases and you have a very strong overall package.

Even so, there are a few areas with room for improvement. The more angular design of its grips won’t be for everyone and I found that they could often be a little uncomfortable during longer sessions, digging into the palms of my hands. It’s by no means the worst, but it is one of the few areas where the comparable Backbone One 2nd Gen takes a clear lead.

There’s also the fact that the Asus ROG Tessen only officially supports Android despite being a wired USB-C controller. I’m sure there’s some nitty gritty technical reason why this is the case, but it’s still disappointing now that iPhone 15 (and soon iPhone 16) series phones use the connector standard. The lack of a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones is also a notable, and mildly annoying, omission. Hopefully, a small hardware revision will be able to remedy these complaints in the future.

Overall, the Asus ROG Tessen is still remarkably close to being a best-in-class mobile controller at its price range. If you’re willing to look past these few minor frustrations, it offers a very capable and enjoyable mobile gaming experience.

The Asus ROG Tessen folded. — (Image credit: Future)

Asus ROG Tessen: Price and availability

$109.99 / £109.99 / AU$179
Available via Asus and Amazon
Slightly more expensive than the Backbone One

The Asus ROG Tessen costs $109.99 / £109.99 / AU$179 and is available directly from Asus or at online retailers such as Amazon. It comes in slightly more expensive than the Backbone One 2nd Gen which costs $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179.99. This price seems quite fair given the additional features found on the Asus ROG Tessen though, such as the rear paddles and folding mechanism.

That said, this controller does not offer any iOS support, so those who often switch devices would be better off saving the cash and picking up a Backbone One 2nd Gen instead. I would also recommend that those who can stretch for the $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$269.95 Razer Kishi Ultra do so, as that controller is significantly more comfortable, offers iOS support, and features Hall effect components - though loses in terms of portability due to its much larger size.

Asus ROG Tessen: Specs

The RGB strips of the Asus ROG Tessen. — (Image credit: Future)

Asus ROG Tessen: Design and features

Great overall look and feel
Folding mechanism
Fits most phone cases

Much of the Asus ROG Tessen looks and feels premium. It has a very similar design to most telescopic mobile controllers, though with the addition of two hinges on its extending portion. These allow the controller to be folded cleanly in two for greater portability. As a result, I had no trouble fitting the Asus ROG Tessen in a rucksack and could even cram it into the large pockets of my cargo jeans. Despite its compact form factor, there’s still plenty of space for a full phone case when you’re using the controller which is very convenient.

It is a tad unfortunate that, due to the orientation of the mechanism, the thumbsticks are left sticking out when the controller is folded, making it easy to catch them on your bag if you’re not careful.

The controller has pleasantly springy triggers with a good level of travel and shoulder buttons that are clicky and responsive. Thumbsticks are on the smaller side and have little friction, though I found them to be smooth and perfectly comfortable to use. The face buttons and d-pad are mechanical with a very pronounced tactile click. They’re enjoyable to press and the shallow travel distance of the d-pad is ideal for quickly organizing your gear in a battle royale like Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile.

It’s not perfect in games that require extensive use of the d-pad for movement, though, and I soon found myself missing the softer, more spongy d-pad of the Backbone One 2nd Gen after a few hours of Dead Cells. On the back of the controller, you’ll find two rear paddles, both made of aluminum and sporting a pleasant grippy texture. They’re easy to press and well-positioned and the use of metal gives them a more premium feel.

In addition to the standard home, menu, and start buttons, the Asus ROG Tessen features a dedicated button to open the Armoury Crate software. This is, unfortunately, extremely basic, with an ugly UI and few features beyond button remapping and the ability to configure the bright RGB strips located on the bottom of each grip. These lighting elements, on top of a few subtle printed graphics and plenty of different textures, lend the controller quite a distinctive aesthetic - which is appreciated.

The rear paddles of the Asus ROG Tessen. — (Image credit: Future)

Asus ROG Tessen: Performance

Best for fast-paced games
Compatible with native titles and cloud gaming
Grips can be uncomfortable

The Asus ROG Tessen is a fantastic fit for fast-paced games, particularly first-person shooter (FPS) titles. I was impressed with its snappy responsiveness in both Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile. The use of a wired connection also eliminates any potential latency and facilitates pass-through charging via a USB-C port on the bottom of the right-hand grip.

I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the thumbsticks, which have more than enough motion for navigating tight corners in Asphalt Legends Unite and power through dungeons in Zenless Zone Zero.

As previously mentioned, the d-pad is very shallow so can be quite harsh on your fingers if you’re playing very d-pad-centric titles. In addition to native games, the Asus ROG Tessen performed well when it came to cloud gaming, with full compatibility with Amazon Luna and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

The rear paddles are easy to reach and can be fully customized through a range of possible inputs. My only real complaint with the Asus ROG Tessen is that the very angular shape of its grips can be uncomfortable over extended playing sessions. Spending a few long train journeys with the controller, I found that they uncomfortably dug into the palms of my hands after just a few hours which wasn’t ideal.

This won’t be a problem if you intend to play in shorter bursts, but could be a very compelling reason to choose another product if you love to pour hours into mobile games at a time.

The left-hand grip of the Asus ROG Tessen. — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Asus ROG Tessen?

Buy it if...

You value FPS performance
With its lovely tactile buttons and handy remappable rear paddles, the ASUS Rog Tessen is a great fit for playing fast-paced FPS games on your phone.

You want some premium features
Although similarly priced to the Backbone One 2nd Gen, the Asus ROG Tessen sports some premium features like RGB lighting and its remappable rear inputs.

Don't buy it if...

You play for very long periods
The biggest issue with the Asus ROG Tessen is its quite angular grips, which can be uncomfortable over long play sessions. Consider an alternative like the Razer Kishi Ultra if you want to game for hours with ease.

Also consider

Not fully sold on the Asus ROG Tessen? Here are two very strong alternatives to consider.

Backbone One 2nd Gen
The Backbone One 2nd Gen is a small revision of the original Backbone One design. Like the Asus Rog Tessen, it’s compatible with most phone cases but has more comfortable grips and offers iOS support.

Read our full Backbone One 2nd Gen review

Razer Kishi Ultra
The Razer Kishi Ultra is the definitive mobile controller if you have the budget. Incredibly comfortable with full-size console controls, RGB lighting, rumble effects, and more, it’s easily the leader in the mobile controller space.

Read our full Razer Kishi Ultra review

The Asus ROG Tessen lying flat on a desk. — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Asus ROG Tessen

Tested for over a month
Tried with top mobile games
Directly compared to other mobile controllers

I tested the Asus ROG Tessen for over a month, using it as my main Android gaming controller. I paired the controller with a Samsung S23 Plus and played a wide variety of games. This included native mobile titles like Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, Call of Duty Mobile, Vampire Survivors, Don’t Starve: Pocket Edition, Diablo Immortal, Asphalt Legends Unite, Zenless Zone Zero, Genshin Impact, and more.

I also tried the controller with various game streaming services, such as Amazon Luna and Xbox Cloud Gaming. On Amazon Luna, I played Watch Dogs Legion, Mighty Switch Force Collection, River City Girls, and Star Wars Outlaws while Xbox Cloud Gaming saw me enjoy a few hours of Forza Horizon 5.

During my time with the controller I relied on a pair of Beats Solo 4 and Beats Studio Buds+ headphones for audio and compared my playing experience with my hands-on testing of many other mobile controllers such as the Backbone One 2nd Gen, Turtle Beach Atom, Scuf Nomad, and Razer Kishi Ultra.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2024

PowerA OPS v3 Pro review: a decent PC controller with some notable flaws

3:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Final Fantasy, PC, UK, US | Comments: Off

PowerA OPS v3 Pro: One-minute review

The PowerA OPS v3 Pro controller makes a strong case with a variety of desirable features. Those include Hall effect sticks with novel ‘quick-twist’ tech, six remappable buttons, micro switches in the face buttons and d-pad, and the brand’s patented Lumectra RGB lighting.

It’s a solid effort on paper, but there are a few things that hold the OPS v3 Pro back from becoming one of the best PC controllers out there. The gamepad simply falls short in many of its design aspects. Its remappable buttons on the rear of the controller feel awkwardly placed, and the ones at the top jut out just a little too broadly. Elsewhere, the micro switch face buttons aren’t particularly tactile, and the relatively low trigger lock sensitivity prevents the highest setting from working across most games I tested.

It’s definitely not all bad news, though, and there’s still plenty to like about the OPS v3 Pro. As ever, I’m a huge fan of PowerA’s customizable Lumectra lighting. The quick-twist thumbsticks are intuitive and a genuinely great addition, allowing you to play with taller shafts without the need to swap them out entirely. Furthermore, the clicky d-pad and bumpers are a delight, and that 30-plus hour battery life seriously impresses.

A bit of a mixed bag overall, then, but if you’re looking for a sub-$100 / £100 PC controller, the PowerA OPS v3 Pro still offers plenty of great features to offset those negatives.

PowerA OPS v3 Pro: Price and availability

$99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179
Cheaper than other controllers with comparable feature sets
Available at PowerA in the US and Amazon in the UK

The PowerA OPS v3 Pro launched in August 2024, and is available to purchase for $99.99 / £99.99. In the US, it can be bought directly from PowerA, whereas UK shoppers will need to rely on Amazon to secure the gamepad. In Australia, JB Hi-Fi is your best bet.

In terms of price, the OPS v3 Pro is significantly cheaper than other controllers with comparable feature sets. Those include the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro ($199.99 / £199.99) and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 ($179.99 / £159.99).

The relatively lower price point of PowerA’s controller naturally comes with some caveats, such as lesser build quality overall and a lack of polish on features like the trigger locks and textured grips. However, those looking for a competent ‘Pro’ level controller with a robust feature set will find one here.

PowerA OPS v3 Pro: Specs

PowerA OPS v3 Pro: Design and features

Innovative quick-twist thumbsticks
Textured grips feel quite rough
Lumectra RGB is still very impressive

There’s plenty to like about the PowerA OPS v3 Pro’s design. One of the controller’s headline features is its ‘quick-twist’ thumbsticks. This lets the player raise or lower the height of the stick’s shaft without needing to swap it out entirely. It’s a really handy solution that makes the controller a great option for folks who value no-fuss customization.

As was the case with the PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch, the v3 Pro also features the brand’s bespoke Lumectra RGB lighting. Lumectra lets players do a few fancy things with their RGB preferences. By holding the dedicated ‘LED’ button on the rear of the gamepad, you can cycle through six different RGB zones - the d-pad, face buttons, left and right sides of the controller, and both thumbsticks) and apply different colors and patterns to each. You can be quite reserved with Lumectra, or go buck wild with various RGB flavors should you choose, and I’ve always been a fan of it because of this. Above all, it’s fun to mess around with.

In terms of features, you’re getting the usual ‘Pro’ controller setup. Micro switch face buttons and d-pad, Hall effect thumbsticks, six remappable buttons, three-stage trigger locks and textured grips. The rear of the gamepad has buttons dedicated to Lumectra customization and remappable button input assignment, as well as a three-way switch that lets you swap between 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, and USB-C connectivity. A 3.5mm headphone port rounds off the feature set in terms of design. It is worth noting here that the OPS v3 Pro is strictly a PC controller and won’t work on consoles. For platform-specific pads, consider browsing our guides to the best PS5 controllers or the best Xbox controllers instead.

While there is plenty to like here, the PowerA OPS v3 Pro is hampered by a few key design weaknesses. For one, the textured grips - while usually welcome on a controller like this - feel very rough to the touch. This, along with the awkward placement of those rear remappable buttons (they’re slightly misaligned with where your fingertips naturally rest) lead to a slightly uncomfortable play experience. While it doesn’t render the v3 Pro unusable, you may want to consider a more standard Xbox Wireless Controller or even a GameSir T4 Kaleid for longer gaming sessions from a comfort perspective.

While hit and miss on design aspects, then, one thing that does boost the v3 Pro’s value is the inclusion of a charging stand. Much like the 8BitDo Ultimate, the v3 Pro’s stand is incredibly convenient; simply hook it up to your PC via USB-C, magnetically attach the gamepad to the top and you’re good to go. Charge time is a little slow at 3-4 hours from empty to full, so we’d recommend an overnight charge to avoid waiting.

PowerA OPS v3 Pro: Performance

Sublime d-pad and bumpers
Top notch 30-hour battery life
Micro switch face buttons miss the mark

Much like the PowerA OPS v3 Pro’s overall design, performance has a number of hits and misses, too. The controller cannot be faulted on battery life; during my two weeks testing the controller - which included around two to three hours of gaming across most days - I never once needed to charge it. PowerA touts battery life of around 30 hours, and this appears to be accurate in my experience.

In terms of individual buttons and such, the d-pad and bumpers, powered by micro switches, are sublime. They have the perfect amount of clicky tactility and are simply a joy to use, especially with competitive games that often require rapid inputs. Games I tested that fit this criterion include Guilty Gear Strive, Final Fantasy 14 Online, and Fortnite. I found the controller to be a good fit for all three. Plus, with a 1,000Hz polling rate when wired to PC (and 500Hz via 2.4Ghz wireless), it’s fantastically responsive on its target platform.

Other areas of the gamepad are a bit of a letdown when it comes to overall performance. For one, while there are three stages of trigger lock, the lowest sensitivity setting (with the shortest trigger press) failed to work across all games tested. The trigger press simply didn’t register at this setting. And for the other two, there really isn’t much difference.

As a result, I think you’d be better off leaving the trigger lock settings entirely default. This is a shame, as the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro’s trigger lock settings are similar - with three distinct settings - and work beautifully on PC and console. It’s things like this that firmly cement the OPS v3 Pro as the more budget option with decidedly less polish.

Another problem area lies with the micro switch face buttons. While perfectly responsive, there’s a slight bump on the way down as you press the button. While certainly not a huge issue, it does take away much of the tactility and thus the novelty of having micro switch-based buttons.

Should I buy the PowerA OPS v3 Pro?

Buy it if...

You’re looking for a good value PC controller
Controllers with this kind of feature set tend to push well above $100 / £100. The OPS v3 Pro comes in at just under that, making it relatively more affordable than its ‘Pro’ level competition.

You’re after a versatile and customizable PC controller
Fully customizable Lumectra RGB, delightful quick-twist thumbsticks and half a dozen remappable buttons make for a highly versatile controller.

Don't buy it if...

A top-quality level of design is a must-have in your controllers
Between awkwardly placed remappable buttons, rough textured grips and face buttons that feel slightly off, there are a lot of smaller frustrations with the OPS v3 Pro that build up to an experience that’s not as satisfying as it could be.

Also consider...

If the PowerA OPS v3 Pro isn’t quite doing it for you, we’ve got a couple of other options that we’ve tested and reviewed for your consideration below.

Razer Wolverine V3 Pro
This is the absolute best premium PC and Xbox controller you can buy right now. It’s much pricier, but it makes up for all the OPS v3 Pro’s shortcomings with more satisfying tactile feedback, better build quality and compatibility with Xbox.

For more information, read our full Razer Wolverine V3 Pro review.

GameSir T4 Kaleid
It’s a cheaper option and doesn’t have nearly the same number of features as the OPS v3 Pro. However, this is my favorite budget-friendly PC controller, with sublime-feeling Hall effect thumbsticks, tactile micro switch buttons and a gorgeous translucent build complete with RGB lighting.

For more information read our full GameSir T4 Kaleid controller review.

How I tested the PowerA OPS v3 Pro

I tested the PowerA OPS v3 Pro across a wide variety of games on PC, including some of the best fighting games like Guilty Gear Strive, Tekken 8 and the newly-released Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics. Here, I found the superbly responsive d-pad and bumpers to be a perfect fit for this genre. Elsewhere, I made sure to test a wide range of titles, including Fortnite, Fall Guys, Final Fantasy 14 Online and Elden Ring.

One aspect that surprised me most about the OPS v3 Pro was its ultra-resilient battery life. During my two weeks with the gamepad, from full charge, I never once had the top up, which leads me to believe that PowerA’s estimates of 30 hours is absolutely doable here.

During my testing of the PowerA OPS v3 Pro, I integrated it into my overall gaming PC setup which includes the Razer Fujin Pro gaming chair, an AOC Gaming 24G2SP monitor and Razer BlackShark V2 X wired headset.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2024

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