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iPhone 17 Pro reverse wireless charging probably isn’t happening
12:11 am | August 27, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

Yesterday a rumor (in Chinese) claimed the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max would get reverse wireless charging support, in a first for any Apple smartphone ever. Don't take out the champagne just yet, though. Google just launched the Pixel 10 family with Qi2 wireless charging with built-in magnets - this is essentially the same tech that Apple uses under the MagSafe brand, since Apple practically open-sourced it a few years back in a bid to get it to be the industry standard, which it now is. So, it's the same thing but under a different name, and yet Google had to leave out...

I’ve just tested a multi-talented air purifying table – turns out, it can do much more than hold your keys
12:00 am |

Author: admin | Category: Air Quality Computers Gadgets Home Small Appliances | Tags: , | Comments: Off

SwitchBot Air Purifier Table: two-minute review

The SwitchBot Air Purifier Table integrates an air purifier with a tabletop, a wireless Qi charger, a colored ambient light, and a fragrance diffuser.

It has a list price of $269.99 / £299.99, and can be purchased from SwitchBot and Amazon; however, there appear to be very regular discounts on the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table, and at the time of writing, it’s on offer for $175.50 / £180.

Replaceable filters cost $39.99 / £44.99, and will need to be replaced roughly every 6-12 months, depending on use, so it’s important to factor this extra cost in.

A woman is removing the side panel of the air purifier.

(Image credit: Future)

Setting up the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table was fairly simple but a little fiddly, on account of the little electrical connector I needed to plug in before putting the tabletop in place.

It’s a good height for having next to the couch or bedside, and the built-in wireless charger proves particularly useful in these cases. The onboard controls are a little tricky to see due to the tabletop, but I found myself using the SwitchBot app to control the purifier most of the time.

The simple-to-use companion app was pleasingly responsive when operating the air purifier and offers air quality data, scheduling, and a timer, which are all good features to have.

A woman is about to press the power button on the top of the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table.

(Image credit: Future)

During testing, the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table quickly detected and cleared dry shampoo contamination. While it didn't immediately remove fragrance, it was cleared fairly quickly once I intervened and increased the fan speed myself.

It operates quietly in sleep mode, and is only as loud as light traffic when on top speed. Pet Mode didn’t operate as I’d expected, but the overall low volume of the purifier meant that it didn't bother my cats. I also found the fragrance diffuser to be efficient in lightly fragrancing the room after I’d applied drops of fragrance oil to the pop-out pad.

Overall, this is a good price for a multi-talented and Matter-compatible air purifier with an efficient companion app. If you’d like to explore other air purifiers we recommend, I suggest taking a look at our guide to the best air purifiers.

SwitchBot Air Purifier Table review: price & availability

  • List price: $269.99 / £299.99
  • Available now in the US and UK

The SwitchBot Air Purifier Table is available to purchase from the official SwitchBot website and Amazon, and has a list price of $269.99 / £299.99.

The list price sounds pretty high considering the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table only detects and reacts to PM2.5; however, there appear to be regular discounts on offer on the SwitchBot site and at Amazon, so it’s common to find it available at a lower price. For instance, at the time of writing, the Air Purifier table has 35% off in the US, and 40% off in the UK at SwitchBot, knocking a considerable $94.50 / £120 off the list price, and lowering the cost to $175.50 / £180.

A close-up of the wireless Qi charger on the tabletop.

(Image credit: Future)

There’s a cheaper model available too, the SwitchBot Air Purifier, which includes most of the features mentioned in the following review, just without the tabletop and wireless charging. This has a list price of $219.99 / £239.99 but, as with the Air Purifier table, this price is often discounted, and it’s listed at $119.99 / £139.99 at the time of writing.

Both models use the SwitchBot Air Purifier Filter, which has a list price of $39.99 / £44.99. As with all HEPA filters, this will need to be replaced on occasion, with SwitchBot advising a lifespan of 6-12 months depending on usage and air quality, so it’s important to factor in this regular cost.

Taking into account the convenience and additional features of the Air Purifier Table, and that it’s very regularly available for less than its official list price, I would say that you’re getting good value for money here.

  • Value score: 4 out of 5

SwitchBot Air Purifier Table review: specs

Type

Air purifier table

Fan speeds

3

Timer

Yes

CADR (Clean air delivery rate)

236CFM

Filter

Pre filter, HEPA and activated carbon

Particle sizes detected

PM2.5

Dimensions

11.4 x 11.4 x 16.5 inches / 290 x 290 x 420mm

Weight

10.7lb / 4.9kg

Control

Onboard power buttons, app, and voice control

Additional modes

Auto, Sleep, Pet

Extra features

Fragrance diffuser, Light sensor, Wireless charging, Matter

SwitchBot Air Purifier Table review: design and features

  • 4-in-1 air purifier, wireless charger, fragrance diffuser, and ambient light
  • Simple to set up, but a little fiddly
  • Detects and reacts to PM2.5 contamination

It feels like they were having a “yes” day in the SwitchBot office when they came up with the concept of the Air Purifier Table, like every idea thrown out was met with an enthusiastic nod. But somehow they found a way to make it work.

The SwitchBot Air Purifier Table consists of an air purifier with a tabletop, as one might expect, but it also boasts a wireless Qi charger, a colored ambient light, and a fragrance diffuser. It made a useful little side table next to my couch, and the built-in Qi wireless charger proved handy for keeping my iPhone or Motorola Moto Buds+ earbuds topped up, which was a nice bonus feature.

Does an air purifier really need all these things? Perhaps not, but I appreciated the thought, and found these extra features useful, so you may do, too.

A woman is removing the side panel of the air purifier.

(Image credit: Future)

The air purifier is capable of detecting and reacting to PM2.5 (particle matter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller), but it is also capable of filtering VOCs and odors, thanks to the HEPA and activated carbon filter. This filter sits within the base of the machine, behind a washable pre-filter, both of which can be easily accessed by removing the outer panel.

Setting up the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table was a little fiddly, as there are two parts of a little electrical connector between the purifier and the table top that need to be connected together. Once this was done, it was a case of rotating the table top until it clicked into place. There were four little screws that were meant to be screwed into the purifier underneath the tabletop for extra reinforcement, but this seemed basically impossible, even with my tiny hands, so I had to leave them.

A close-up of the screw holes below the tabletop.

(Image credit: Future)

There are a number of controls on the top edge of the purifier, underneath the tabletop, to use when you’re within reaching distance, or you can use the companion app to control the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table. The onboard controls include a button to change between the air purifier’s three modes: Auto, Pet, and Sleep, a button to cycle through the three fan speeds, a child lock, and a timer.

The controls were a bit tricky to reach, as they’re somewhat hidden underneath the tabletop. It wasn’t easy to change the settings unless I was sitting down and had a better view, although this wasn’t such a problem once I’d used them for a while, and it made more sense to use the app to adjust the settings, anyway.

  • Design score: 4 out of 5

SwitchBot Air Purifier Table review: app

  • Responsive and simple to use
  • Can set schedules and timers
  • Shows current and historical air quality data

The SwitchBot companion app is simple to use and houses a good range of features and air quality data insights for the price of the appliance. It proved very responsive over the weeks I used it, making it easy to switch modes or power on or off.

It clearly displays the air quality reading on the dashboard, using ratings from very good to bad, along with a numerical reference that relates to the number of micrograms of PM2.5 per meter cubed.

The app also provides historical data in graphs spanning either the last 24 hours or 30 days. This meant I could view which hour any spikes in air contamination occurred over the last day, and see what the minimum and maximum readings were each day over the last month. It would have been nice to have access to a 24-hour graph for previous days of the month, but this is only a small niggle, really.

Three phone screens show different sections of the SwitchBot app.

(Image credit: SwitchBot / Future)

I could also set schedules within the app, either as a one-off occurrence or repeating on particular days and times. There’s a timer function, too, which offers both hours and minutes, up to 12 hours, so I could leave it running for exactly 11 hours and 26 minutes, if I really wanted to.

Finally, the care and maintenance section told me how many hours of life were remaining on the filter, and how many hours I’d been using it for. At this moment, it’s telling me that I’ve used it for 184 hours, and I’ve got 4,136 hours left. This section also advises that the pre-filter should be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner every two to four weeks, which is all handy info to know.

  • App score: 4.5 out of 5

SwitchBot Air Purifier Table review: performance

  • Quick contaminant detection and clearing
  • The noise didn’t disturb my rescue cats
  • Subtly fragranced the air

The SwitchBot Air Purifier Table was pleasingly responsive when I tested it by spraying dry shampoo from roughly two feet away. It took just a few seconds to detect the contamination, with the PM2.5 reading increasing to 619 micrograms per meter cubed in thirty seconds.

In this time, the fan speed increased in order to tackle the detected contamination, and took a further thirty seconds to return the air level to “good”, and back to “very good” in less than two minutes from the initial detection.

As it tackled the contamination so quickly, and therefore returned to its lowest setting, it didn’t do much to tackle the lingering fragrance of the dry shampoo in this time, though this is standard for air purifiers incapable of reading the ambient levels of VOCs in the air. This doesn’t mean that it doesn’t capture VOCs, however, as the HEPA and carbon filter is capable of doing so, but it needs to be manually set back to a higher fan speed to do so efficiently. I upped the fan speed to level two, and could no longer detect the fragrance after about fifteen minutes.

The SwitchBot Air Purifier Table is pictured in a pink living room. The ambient light below the tabletop is lit up blue.

(Image credit: Future)

On the subject of scents, the built-in fragrance diffuser worked better than I was expecting. I’ve encountered this feature before with my beloved GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite, though it was one of the rare sources of disappointment, as it wasn’t very efficient. Things were a bit more positive when it came to the diffuser in the SwitchBot, however; I could detect a good amount of the fragrance from the oils I’d placed on the pad.

One important thing to note regarding fragrance or essential oils and pets is to please make sure you do your research on whether any oils you plan to use are safe, as some can prove toxic to our furry friends.

The SwitchBot Air Purifier Table was very quiet when in sleep mode, measuring just 26dB from two feet away, which is quieter than a whisper. It was therefore very easy to sleep next to, and so I’d have no concerns using the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table as a nightstand.

A woman is pulling out the fragrance pad from the side of the air purifier.

(Image credit: Future)

Pet Mode worked a little differently than I expected. On the SwitchBot site, Pet Mode is described as using a softer air supply to prevent disturbing pets. In practice, I found that enabling it just seemed to bump the fan speed up to two, regardless of the air quality, which was already good. Nonetheless, neither of my rescue kitties seemed bothered by the 49dB volume, and were happy to come up and have fusses right next to it.

At its top fan speed, the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table gave a reading of 55dB, making it a little louder than the Blueair Blue Pure Mini Max, but seeing as this is still only as loud as light traffic, it’s perfectly acceptable.

Overall, the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table is an efficient air purifier for the price, and a handy little side table and phone charger.

  • Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should I buy the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table?

Section

Notes

Score

Value for money

Provided you purchase it at what appears to be a regularly discounted rate, you’re getting a good little air purifier and some fun additional features for the price.

4/5

Design & Features

There’s a lot packed into this little table, thanks to its air purifying, charging, and fragrance diffusing features. The setup was a little fiddly in places, but easy enough overall.

4/5

App

The companion app was simple to use and responsive. It gave some insights into any spikes in contamination throughout the day, plus min and max readings over the past thirty days.

4.5/5

Performance

The air purifier reacted to and tackled contamination quickly during testing, and dealt with the odor left over, once I’d manually upped the fan speed.

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a smart purifier
Having the SwitchBot app made it really easy to control and schedule the air purification, and it proved responsive and informative during testing.

You’ll make use of the extra features
If you happen to need a new side table or nightstand with built-in wireless charging, then the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table is a great way to feed two birds with one scone.

You want a purifier with auto-detection
It’s always useful to have an air purifier that can be left to its own devices, and the automatic detection and reactivity to PM2.5 means the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table will jump into action on its own accord.

Don't buy it if...

You want VOC detection
Unsurprisingly, considering its price point, the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table doesn’t detect or react to VOC contamination. If you’re looking for something that does, and you have a little more to spend, I highly recommend checking out the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 instead.

You just want an air purifier
If you’re not bothered about having an extra side table or a wireless charger, then you’re probably better off opting for the standard SwitchBot Air Purifier and saving some money.

You want it to deal with odors unaided
As it only detects and reacts to PM2.5 contamination and deals with it quickly, the fan isn’t running high enough for long enough to tackle odors. Therefore, manual intervention is required by turning up the fan speed until the odor is gone.

SwitchBot Air Purifier Table review: Also consider

SwitchBot Air Purifier Table

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i

GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite

Price

$269.99 / £299.99

$169.99 / £169

$49.99 / £59.99

Fan speeds

3

3

3

Modes

Auto, Sleep, Pet

Auto, night mode

Sleep, Custom

Additional features

Fragrance diffuser, Light sensor, Wireless charging

Washable fabric pre-filter

Aromatherapy

Filter

Pre-filter, HEPA and activated carbon

HEPA and activated carbon

3-in-1 HEPA filter

App support

Yes

Yes

Yes

Dimensions

11.4 x 11.4 x 16.5 inches / 290 x 290 x 420mm

18.9 x 10.6 x 10.6 inches / 481 x 269 x 269 mm

6.2 x 6.2 x 10.75 inches / 158 x 158 x 273mm

Weight

10.7lb / 4.9kg

7.5 lbs / 3.4 kg

2.4lb / 1.1kg

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i
This delightfully lightweight air purifier offers simpler on-board controls, with one touch button to cycle through the three fan speeds, and auto and night modes. There’s a handy companion app that allows for easy control, along with air quality data based on the ambient levels of PM2.5. BlueAir has cleverly made the pre-filter part of the aesthetic, opting for a washable fabric covering, making this air purifier more pleasing to the eye. If you’d like to find out more, check out my full Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review.

GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite
This is another favorite of mine, and makes for a great desktop option. Similar to the BlueAir above, it’s simple to control with a touch button to cycle through the fan speeds and modes. One such mode is the custom mode, which was great, as it allowed me to run a customized routine. The Smart Air Purifier Lite can be controlled via the fantastic Govee Home companion app and voice control, too. For more information, why not take a look at my full GoveeLife Smart Air Purifier Lite review?

How I tested the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table

  • I tested the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table for a few weeks
  • I explored the different modes and features
  • I tested its detection and reaction speeds

I passively tested the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table by having it next to my couch for a few weeks. I used it as a side table, charged my iPhone and earbuds, and made use of the fragrance diffuser and ambient lighting.

I tested out all of the different modes, like Sleep mode when I napped on the sofa, and Pet mode when my rescue cats were about. I explored the app and made use of the various features.

I tested how fast the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table would react to and clear contamination by spraying dry shampoo around two feet away. I also monitored the readings on the app during this time.

Honor Magic V Flip 2 Jimmy Choo edition in for review
10:41 pm | August 26, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

Today we have the brand new Honor Magic V Flip 2 in for review, and it comes in this special finish, done in collaboration with renowned fashion designer, Prof.Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat OBE. The phone is currently exclusive to China, where it ships with an 80W charger and a USB-A to USB-C cable. It also comes with two two-piece cases for the phone - the one on the left is a purple-tinted, half-transparent one, while the case on the right has a sparkly finish but is fully transparent. Two cases and an 80W charger The Jimmy Choo special edition features a subtle crystal...

Latest Play Store update flags power-hungry watch faces
9:12 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

Google is rolling out a nifty update to the Play Store on Wear OS smartwatches that flags watch faces with high power consumption. With Play Store version 47.7, watch face listings now carry battery-efficiency warnings. If you’ve ever selected a slick, animated face only to discover your Wear OS watch barely makes it through the day, then this update will be highly useful. These warnings specifically target faces loaded with heavy animations, dynamic data feeds, or frequent phone interactions. It’s a thoughtful addition to Wear OS as it will help steer users toward more efficient...

Apple officially announces iPhone 17 unveiling date
8:04 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

Apple is holding its next big launch event on September 9, as the rumors said it would. The company just officially confirmed this, and started sending out media invites. At the event, Apple will unveil the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The tagline Apple chose for this event is "awe dropping" - get it? It's a mix of "awe-inspiring" and "jaw-dropping". The event will be taking place at 10 AM PT, at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park in Cupertino, California. That time translates as 1 PM in New York, 6 PM in London, 7 PM in Central Europe, and 10:30...

Huawei FreeBuds 7i design and colors revealed in leaked live images
8:01 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

Huawei unveiled the FreeBuds 6i TWS earphones in May 2024, and it looks like the company is ready to announce the successor, FreeBuds 7i. A tipster has reportedly leaked live images of the upcoming wireless earphones on Weibo. As per the leaked images, the FreeBuds 7i TWS appear to carry a similar design to their predecessor. However, the live images reveal a redesigned charging case, which seems to be more rounded than before. The upcoming earphones have a flat stem and silicone eartips. Huawei FreeBuds 7i could be available in White, Black, and Pink colors, as seen in the...

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra may have a huge camera island just like the iPhone 17 Pro
6:54 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

Ever since the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Samsung's Ultra phones have had the same design for their cameras on the back - individual circle-islands for each sensor. This, however, may change next year. According to a new report from Samsung's home of Korea, the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra may adopt a monolithic camera island once more, last seen on the Galaxy S21 Ultra from 2021. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra The reason for this change is all about being able to fit better cameras into the body of the phone, apparently. And yet, we can't help but wonder whether the Korean company is once again...

I spent six hours blasting grubs in Gears of War: Reloaded, and it was a bloody good time
6:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Consoles & PC Gadgets Gaming Xbox | Tags: | Comments: Off

Nearly two decades after Gears of War helped popularize cover-based shooting on the Xbox 360, the game is now on its second remaster, this time developed by The Coalition and sporting the fancy new title: Gears of War: Reloaded.

This outing's many improvements retroactively make the previous remaster, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, seem like anything but an ultimate version of the first chapter in this decades-spanning series.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Release date: August 26, 2025

Gears of War: Reloaded dramatically upgrades the beloved shooter's visuals and performance for a present-day audience. It comes packing 4K assets and remastered textures, HDR support, new lighting and shadows, 60 fps in campaign and up to 120 fps in multiplayer, and more. While it's impossible to fully obscure the game's age, these improvements do a great job at bringing it reasonably close to current-gen expectations.

Additionally, for the very first time, PlayStation fans can download and play a Gears of War game on PS5. We live in wild times, and I'm happy to be along for the ride.

But underneath the fresh coat of paint and the hype of the series joining a new ecosystem, this is still the Gears of War that players fell in love with years ago and whether that makes it worth your time and money is likely to depend entirely on your previous experiences (or lack thereof) with the game.

Gorgeous familiarity

A screenshot from Gears of War: Reloaded.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

The original Gears of War landed before I was even old enough to drink or rent a car, and I've beaten its campaign at least five times between getting married, buying a house, raising a kid, and becoming old enough to grunt when I get off the couch. It should be old news to me by now, but there's a timelessness to its campaign that made it easy for me to dive back in with Gears of War: Reloaded without feeling like it’s a chore.

It's exactly the same game as it's always been, too. As a grizzled COG soldier named Marcus Fenix, you spend six to eight hours shooting and chainsawing through mutated humanoids called Locusts as you work to find and plant a bomb capable of destroying their subterranean lair. It's loud, gory, and incredibly satisfying third-person chaos that has aged shockingly well.

It may look and sound like little more than a hyper-violent ‘bro’ game at a glance, but the series as a whole is known for its surprising character work, exploring Marcus and his team's struggles with family, sacrifice, and the never-ending toll of war. And while subsequent games admittedly capitalized a bit more on the overarching lore and individual characters' backstories, this introductory entry remains a meaningful foundation for them to build upon.

Best bit

A screenshot from Gears of War: Reloaded.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

An early showdown against a nearly invulnerable enemy forces you to carefully bait its charging attack to break doors down as you lure it through a building. Once you get it outside, you can finally blast it with an all-powerful laser from the sky. It's a tense game of cat and mouse that switches things up to great effect.

Despite being the same old Gears of War, though, one particularly noticeable update is the all-new lack of loading screens. Sure, it's not exactly surprising that a nearly 20-year-old game can pull that off in the same era as God of War Ragnarok's seamless no-cut camera work, but it's a quality-of-life feature that makes the campaign all the more efficient and enjoyable for both newcomers and veterans alike.

But speaking of the game being almost two decades old, it's important to remember that even with significant visual and performance updates, there's no hiding the Xbox 360's footprint in Gears of War: Reloaded.

The gray and brown aesthetic that defined many seventh-generation action titles can't be erased with snazzy 4K assets and lighting improvements, and some stiff animations give away the game's age pretty clearly.

There's only so much that can be done without completely remaking a game from the ground up, so I'd argue The Coalition has done a commendable job of getting things close to modern standards while maintaining the integrity of the original experience.

Here come the shotguns

A screenshot from Gears of War: Reloaded.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

While the servers weren't turned on during the review period, I spent enough time with the beta back in June to know that Gears of War: Reloaded's multiplayer, though much prettier and smoother, largely plays the same as it did in 2006. As always, it's a polarizing mode best summed up with the question, "Do you like shotguns?"

Most matches in any Gears of War game, including this one, come down to players repeatedly cancelling slide-to-cover animations to rapidly bounce from wall to wall (which is unsurprisingly called "wall-bouncing") while wielding the Gnasher shotgun. They move in on one another and engage in frenetic hip-fire shootouts to see who explodes into a million pieces first.

While not technically an exploit, wall-bouncing can seem like an abuse of game mechanics to newbies who expect the multiplayer to flow the same way as the campaign. You can find an occasional long-range showdown if you hang back and play defensively, but veteran players who bounce around like the ball in a pinball machine will usually still close the gap and pop you with a single Gnasher shot. This focus on point-blank gunplay isn't inherently bad, of course, but it can make matches feel one-dimensional.

Still, existing Gears of War enthusiasts and new players willing to adapt to the unique playstyle the community espouses will be happy to know that Gears of War: Reloaded is certainly the most complete version of the first game's multiplayer.

It includes all of the post-launch DLC, 60Hz dedicated servers, up to 120 fps (if your TV or monitor supports it), and cross-play support for every platform. And that last point is especially important, as this game reaches an audience it never has before: PlayStation owners.

A new platform for carnage

A screenshot from Gears of War: Reloaded.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

In a way, all of the visual and performance updates Gears of War: Reloaded brings to the table feel second to the real story here, which is that its release marks the first time the franchise has been available on a PlayStation console.

Seeing the title screen of one of Microsoft's biggest exclusive IPs boot up on my PS5 felt bizarre at first, but as with Forza Horizon 5 earlier this year, it didn't take long for the dust to settle.

Before I knew it, all the running, gunning, and sliding into cover with a DualSense controller felt just as natural as it always has with an Xbox controller. It was a great reminder that, while exclusives can be an important part of a console's identity, the most important thing is that a fun game is a fun game anywhere.

A screenshot from Gears of War: Reloaded.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

As you might expect, the DualSense adds some extra flair for those who enjoy its unique features. All of the immersion is in full force here, like how the vibrations differ between firing a weapon or using your chainsaw to grind through a Locust, or the way the adaptive triggers have a specific feel for each gun. Still, if you normally prefer a different platform, I wouldn't consider these DualSense features worth prioritizing the PS5 version.

The important part is that, wherever you decide to play Gears of War: Reloaded, it's the best version of the game available. Whether you're fresh meat or a franchise devotee, this remaster's facelift makes for a great opportunity to join Marcus Fenix and his loyal band of brothers on their first perilous adventure, or see if you've got what it takes to duke it out in some anarchistic multiplayer matches.

Should I play Gears of War: Reloaded?

Play it if…

You're new to the Gears of War franchise
Gears of War: Reloaded is the first game in the series and a great place to onboard, especially if you've been in the PlayStation ecosystem for the past few generations. However, there's no confirmation of the sequels making their way over to PlayStation yet, if ever. So, if you want to see the rest of the games through, you'll need to check them out on Xbox.

You value strategy over guns-blazing
Gears of War: Reloaded's campaign is about cover as much as it is about shooting. You'll spend a lot of time behind walls waiting for the right time to strike and explode your foes into bloody little bits. Strategic positioning and wielding the right gun at the right time can make all the difference to your chances of survival.

You like chainsaws in your video games
Look, chainsaws have shown up as a melee weapon in a lot of video games over the years for a reason — they're cool as hell. And Gears of War: Reloaded's chainsaws are attached to a frickin' assault rifle so you can saw nearby enemies in half and then get back to shooting. It'll never not be awesome. View Deal

Don’t play it if…

You've beaten the campaign recently and aren't into multiplayer
Gears of War: Reloaded is the second remaster of the 2006 Xbox 360 title, so if you're a franchise fan, there's a good chance you've played this before — maybe even multiple times by now. The flashier visuals and higher framerates are nice, but if you've already seen the campaign through in the past few years, or don't dig the game's shotgun-focused multiplayer meta, it may not be worth the investment.View Deal

Accessibility features

A screenshot from Gears of War: Reloaded.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Gears of War: Reloaded won't be winning any awards for its accessibility options, but it has the basic suite of features like subtitles and text-to-speech.

You can make it so that button tap challenges allow you to simply hold down the button rather than rapidly press it, while photosensitive players will appreciate the flash reduction setting that limits sudden brightness changes.

How I reviewed Gears of War: Reloaded

I played Gears of War: Reloaded on a PS5 Pro using a Sony X90K LED TV. I swapped between my Sony Pulse Elite Wireless Headset and Alienware Pro Wireless Headset for audio.

I played Gears of War: Reloaded for around 6 hours, during which time I worked my way through the full campaign on Normal difficulty while finding all 33 of the COG tag collectibles.

I wasn't able to play any multiplayer since the servers weren't on during the review period, but I got a good feel for it when I spent a few afternoons playing online during the beta back in June.

First reviewed August 2025

I spent six hours blasting grubs in Gears of War: Reloaded, and it was a bloody good time
6:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Consoles & PC Gadgets Gaming Xbox | Tags: | Comments: Off

Nearly two decades after Gears of War helped popularize cover-based shooting on the Xbox 360, the game is now on its second remaster, this time developed by The Coalition and sporting the fancy new title: Gears of War: Reloaded.

This outing's many improvements retroactively make the previous remaster, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, seem like anything but an ultimate version of the first chapter in this decades-spanning series.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Release date: August 26, 2025

Gears of War: Reloaded dramatically upgrades the beloved shooter's visuals and performance for a present-day audience. It comes packing 4K assets and remastered textures, HDR support, new lighting and shadows, 60 fps in campaign and up to 120 fps in multiplayer, and more. While it's impossible to fully obscure the game's age, these improvements do a great job at bringing it reasonably close to current-gen expectations.

Additionally, for the very first time, PlayStation fans can download and play a Gears of War game on PS5. We live in wild times, and I'm happy to be along for the ride.

But underneath the fresh coat of paint and the hype of the series joining a new ecosystem, this is still the Gears of War that players fell in love with years ago and whether that makes it worth your time and money is likely to depend entirely on your previous experiences (or lack thereof) with the game.

Gorgeous familiarity

A screenshot from Gears of War: Reloaded.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

The original Gears of War landed before I was even old enough to drink or rent a car, and I've beaten its campaign at least five times between getting married, buying a house, raising a kid, and becoming old enough to grunt when I get off the couch. It should be old news to me by now, but there's a timelessness to its campaign that made it easy for me to dive back in with Gears of War: Reloaded without feeling like it’s a chore.

It's exactly the same game as it's always been, too. As a grizzled COG soldier named Marcus Fenix, you spend six to eight hours shooting and chainsawing through mutated humanoids called Locusts as you work to find and plant a bomb capable of destroying their subterranean lair. It's loud, gory, and incredibly satisfying third-person chaos that has aged shockingly well.

It may look and sound like little more than a hyper-violent ‘bro’ game at a glance, but the series as a whole is known for its surprising character work, exploring Marcus and his team's struggles with family, sacrifice, and the never-ending toll of war. And while subsequent games admittedly capitalized a bit more on the overarching lore and individual characters' backstories, this introductory entry remains a meaningful foundation for them to build upon.

Best bit

A screenshot from Gears of War: Reloaded.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

An early showdown against a nearly invulnerable enemy forces you to carefully bait its charging attack to break doors down as you lure it through a building. Once you get it outside, you can finally blast it with an all-powerful laser from the sky. It's a tense game of cat and mouse that switches things up to great effect.

Despite being the same old Gears of War, though, one particularly noticeable update is the all-new lack of loading screens. Sure, it's not exactly surprising that a nearly 20-year-old game can pull that off in the same era as God of War Ragnarok's seamless no-cut camera work, but it's a quality-of-life feature that makes the campaign all the more efficient and enjoyable for both newcomers and veterans alike.

But speaking of the game being almost two decades old, it's important to remember that even with significant visual and performance updates, there's no hiding the Xbox 360's footprint in Gears of War: Reloaded.

The gray and brown aesthetic that defined many seventh-generation action titles can't be erased with snazzy 4K assets and lighting improvements, and some stiff animations give away the game's age pretty clearly.

There's only so much that can be done without completely remaking a game from the ground up, so I'd argue The Coalition has done a commendable job of getting things close to modern standards while maintaining the integrity of the original experience.

Here come the shotguns

A screenshot from Gears of War: Reloaded.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

While the servers weren't turned on during the review period, I spent enough time with the beta back in June to know that Gears of War: Reloaded's multiplayer, though much prettier and smoother, largely plays the same as it did in 2006. As always, it's a polarizing mode best summed up with the question, "Do you like shotguns?"

Most matches in any Gears of War game, including this one, come down to players repeatedly cancelling slide-to-cover animations to rapidly bounce from wall to wall (which is unsurprisingly called "wall-bouncing") while wielding the Gnasher shotgun. They move in on one another and engage in frenetic hip-fire shootouts to see who explodes into a million pieces first.

While not technically an exploit, wall-bouncing can seem like an abuse of game mechanics to newbies who expect the multiplayer to flow the same way as the campaign. You can find an occasional long-range showdown if you hang back and play defensively, but veteran players who bounce around like the ball in a pinball machine will usually still close the gap and pop you with a single Gnasher shot. This focus on point-blank gunplay isn't inherently bad, of course, but it can make matches feel one-dimensional.

Still, existing Gears of War enthusiasts and new players willing to adapt to the unique playstyle the community espouses will be happy to know that Gears of War: Reloaded is certainly the most complete version of the first game's multiplayer.

It includes all of the post-launch DLC, 60Hz dedicated servers, up to 120 fps (if your TV or monitor supports it), and cross-play support for every platform. And that last point is especially important, as this game reaches an audience it never has before: PlayStation owners.

A new platform for carnage

A screenshot from Gears of War: Reloaded.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

In a way, all of the visual and performance updates Gears of War: Reloaded brings to the table feel second to the real story here, which is that its release marks the first time the franchise has been available on a PlayStation console.

Seeing the title screen of one of Microsoft's biggest exclusive IPs boot up on my PS5 felt bizarre at first, but as with Forza Horizon 5 earlier this year, it didn't take long for the dust to settle.

Before I knew it, all the running, gunning, and sliding into cover with a DualSense controller felt just as natural as it always has with an Xbox controller. It was a great reminder that, while exclusives can be an important part of a console's identity, the most important thing is that a fun game is a fun game anywhere.

A screenshot from Gears of War: Reloaded.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

As you might expect, the DualSense adds some extra flair for those who enjoy its unique features. All of the immersion is in full force here, like how the vibrations differ between firing a weapon or using your chainsaw to grind through a Locust, or the way the adaptive triggers have a specific feel for each gun. Still, if you normally prefer a different platform, I wouldn't consider these DualSense features worth prioritizing the PS5 version.

The important part is that, wherever you decide to play Gears of War: Reloaded, it's the best version of the game available. Whether you're fresh meat or a franchise devotee, this remaster's facelift makes for a great opportunity to join Marcus Fenix and his loyal band of brothers on their first perilous adventure, or see if you've got what it takes to duke it out in some anarchistic multiplayer matches.

Should I play Gears of War: Reloaded?

Play it if…

You're new to the Gears of War franchise
Gears of War: Reloaded is the first game in the series and a great place to onboard, especially if you've been in the PlayStation ecosystem for the past few generations. However, there's no confirmation of the sequels making their way over to PlayStation yet, if ever. So, if you want to see the rest of the games through, you'll need to check them out on Xbox.

You value strategy over guns-blazing
Gears of War: Reloaded's campaign is about cover as much as it is about shooting. You'll spend a lot of time behind walls waiting for the right time to strike and explode your foes into bloody little bits. Strategic positioning and wielding the right gun at the right time can make all the difference to your chances of survival.

You like chainsaws in your video games
Look, chainsaws have shown up as a melee weapon in a lot of video games over the years for a reason — they're cool as hell. And Gears of War: Reloaded's chainsaws are attached to a frickin' assault rifle so you can saw nearby enemies in half and then get back to shooting. It'll never not be awesome. View Deal

Don’t play it if…

You've beaten the campaign recently and aren't into multiplayer
Gears of War: Reloaded is the second remaster of the 2006 Xbox 360 title, so if you're a franchise fan, there's a good chance you've played this before — maybe even multiple times by now. The flashier visuals and higher framerates are nice, but if you've already seen the campaign through in the past few years, or don't dig the game's shotgun-focused multiplayer meta, it may not be worth the investment.View Deal

Accessibility features

A screenshot from Gears of War: Reloaded.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Gears of War: Reloaded won't be winning any awards for its accessibility options, but it has the basic suite of features like subtitles and text-to-speech.

You can make it so that button tap challenges allow you to simply hold down the button rather than rapidly press it, while photosensitive players will appreciate the flash reduction setting that limits sudden brightness changes.

How I reviewed Gears of War: Reloaded

I played Gears of War: Reloaded on a PS5 Pro using a Sony X90K LED TV. I swapped between my Sony Pulse Elite Wireless Headset and Alienware Pro Wireless Headset for audio.

I played Gears of War: Reloaded for around 6 hours, during which time I worked my way through the full campaign on Normal difficulty while finding all 33 of the COG tag collectibles.

I wasn't able to play any multiplayer since the servers weren't on during the review period, but I got a good feel for it when I spent a few afternoons playing online during the beta back in June.

First reviewed August 2025

Honor 500 series specs surface online, to launch as early as this year
5:56 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Comments: Off

Honor's schedule seems very busy this year. In addition to the Honor Magic8 series, the company is getting ready to announce the Honor 500 series as well. According to Digital Chat Station on Weibo, the Chinese phone manufacturer will likely release the Honor 500 duo (assuming there will be just two phones as usual) by the end of this year in China. Additionally, the tipster assures that Honor won't be changing the formula and the Honor 500 and Honor 500 Pro will continue to be camera-centric handsets, with a lightweight design and 6.5-inch displays. The main camera will retain the...

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