Steam Machine owners disappointed by the demise of Dbrand's gorgeous Companion Cube case have been handed a second chance – provided they have access to a 3D printer and a little patience.

Just weeks after Valve pulled the plug on Dbrand's officially planned shell over licensing issues, maker Jaron has released a fully printable alternative through the Printables community.

Rather than copying Dbrand's files, the creator says the model was built entirely from scratch using publicly available images as reference, complete with detailed assembly instructions and a list of the extra screws, magnets and components required.

The result is remarkably close to the design that captured PC gamers' imaginations before it was cancelled. It transforms Valve's compact gaming PC into the instantly recognisable Weighted Companion Cube from Portal, complete with layered panels and contrasting colour sections that can be produced on a standard single-extruder printer using filament swaps. It's not exactly a beginner project, but it looks well within reach for experienced makers.

The Companion Cube isn't the only project breathing new life into Valve's latest hardware. The growing modding community has also begun releasing replacement faceplates, alternative shells and even entirely new small-form-factor PC builds inspired by the Steam Machine's design.

"The Orange Box", is a greta example. This is a far more powerful custom gaming PC housed inside a SilverStone chassis but styled around Valve's ecosystem. Alongside printable accessories and cosmetic upgrades, these projects suggest the Steam Machine could end up becoming just as interesting for modders as it is for gamers.

If nothing else, it's proof that cancelling an official accessory doesn't necessarily kill the idea. As long as the maker community keeps designing clever alternatives, some of gaming's best concepts can still find a way into players' homes, one layer of filament at a time.

Physical media has been in the news a lot lately, not least when it comes to gaming. PlayStation has announced that it is ditching discs for a digital-only future, Xbox is likely to follow suit, and some games are being released as download codes in boxes – including GTA 6.

But ask PC gamers about it and they'll point out that bar some special releases, they've had to make do with digital downloads for years. Steam is the biggest storefront for PC game purchases and there are no physical copies to be found. Well, until now...

One gamer has built an ingenious cartridge system for PC that can play Steam games from custom SSD-based cartridges.

Taking to the PC Master Race Reddit (via Tom's Hardware), Jibril-sama detailed how they turned cheap SATA SSD cards into game cartridges, and built a dock to read and play them automatically.

Steam Game Cartridges from r/pcmasterrace

The SATA dock is plugged into a PC, while the custom software detects when an SSD cartridge is mounted. An execute script then loads the game.

The builder even custom built the cartridge casings using 3D printing and added cover art.

"Got a couple of used 2.5-inch SSDs for cheap so I decided to make a game cartridge system," the Redditor revealed.

“Games are actually on those SSDs with a script to auto-navigate Steam to the game's page. Auto-starting the game right away is also possible."

Each SSD used cost Jibril-sama just €7 (less than £6), so the project is affordable. Whether it could be replicated by others is unclear at present. There are also question marks over Steam updates and patches for each game, which will be tricky to keep on top of.

However, they can be manually installed once each SSD is plugged in and the creator doesn't seem too concerned as the cartridges are for "games that I want to replay once in a while".

They also look good on a shelf, we expect.

Two renowned games controller manufacturers surprised many at CES in January, with both 8BitDo and GameSir each announcing similar accessories for those running emulation software on their phones.

But while GameSir managed to get its Pocket Taco to market speedily, it's taken a while for its rival to catch up. And so, if you wanted to turn your iPhone or Android device into a Game Boy, you really only had the one option.

Until this week, that is. It looks like 8BitDo is finally ready to take orders for its FlipPad which, like the Pocket Taco, adds physical Game Boy style controls to a mobile phone.

The 8BitDo FlipPad works differently to the Taco in that it connects via USB-C rather than Bluetooth. That could potentially provide a lower latency experience – ideal for the twitch-friendly controls of classic platformers. It can also flip down when you need to use the full screen, without needing to remove the add-on.

According to Russ at Retro Game Corps (via NotebookCheck), the 8BitDo FlipPad will be available to pre-order this week, from Wednesday 15 July. It'll then ship from 30 July.

And a pleasant surprise is that it is claimed to cost just $30 (around £22). That's cheaper than the Pocket Taco, although you can also see that drop at times during big sales periods.

There are no further details yet – not even on the pre-order page location – but we'll keep you informed as and when there's more.

Obvious to some but not all, you'll have to provide your own emulators and games (roms), and it's advised you stick to games that can be played on the top-half of your phone's screen. You'll also need to consider that there is no thumbstick, so games that work with a D-pad will work best – such as Game Boy, Game Boy Color, SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis, etc.

Indeed, considering the only colour option expected to be released for now is based on the Game Boy DMG, that's clearly the main intention anyway.

Gaming accessory manufacturer has made a habit of rubbing console manufacturers up the wrong way – with PlayStation and Nintendo in particular having issues with the upstart start-up. However, it seems to have gone too far this time.

Before Valve managed to announce its launch plans and pricing for the Steam Machine, Dbrand cheekily announced its own case for the forthcoming console – one that was based on the Weighted Companion Cube in Valve's Portal.

It looked great, got loads of publicity – including from T3 – and influencers took to YouTube to say just how cool it was. The only issue is Dbrand had missed out one important thing – permission.

At no point during its seven-month development did Dbrand ask Valve if it could make the case.

That has turned out to be a fatal decision, as the Companion Cube is now set for the dustbin. Valve's legal team not only requested the product was removed from the accessory firm's webstore along with all marketing videos and images, but it refused to enter licensing negotiations.

The Steam Machine Companion Cube is no more.

Dbrand has issued a humble statement explaining the situation, and has taken full responsibility: "On 12 November 2025, the day the Steam Machine was announced, we put up a concept render and sign-up page to see if anyone would be interested in a Companion Cube enclosure.

"It went moderately viral, with over fifteen thousand people signing up to be notified in the first day. In the months that followed, we built the idea into something real without ever asking Valve if we could.

"We’re going to regret that decision for a very long time," it says.

"Over the next seven months, we poured our souls into this project. More than a thousand hours went into engineering from our industrial design team. Forty-four sets of injection molding tools were developed, one for each of the cube's sub-components.

"The entire product was redesigned from scratch more than once, just to get the way it cradles the console exactly right. We literally rented out a university campus to film the launch video. By the end, we were losing money on every $99 Poverty Cube sold, but it didn’t matter. This had turned into a passion project for the entire organisation.

"Unfortunately, being proud of the thing we made did not give us the right to make it."

The statement also goes on to say that none of this is Valve's fault, and that the legal team have been "direct, fair, and respectful throughout".

And if you are one of those who pre-ordered your Steam Machine Companion Cube last week, you will receive a full refund by the end of the day today.

That seems to be it for the project sadly, and we're no longer going to be able to put our new (and expensive) Steam Machines in what seems like their natural shell. Still, Dbrand will have a new range of skins to check out soon.

And it'll be hoping we'll do so in droves – after all, it has tooling and many man hours to pay for.

When I reviewed the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Elite last year, I named it the best gaming headset I've ever used, but still couldn't give it the pure five-star verdict you'd assume would come with that. The big issue? Its absolutely massive price, which hasn't really come down at all since release – until now.

For the first time, Amazon Prime Day has brought in a tasty discount on the Nova Elite, slashing £50 off its asking price to make it a bit more palatable. That said, it's still a chunky amount of money for a headset, and the fact remains that there's another SteelSeries deal on an older headset that I think is the better pick right now.

Check both those deals out below, and keep reading to see why I think the second is the smarter option.

For many of us, the difference between spending £549 and £199 will be quite enough to make this an open-and-shut case, but if you need some persuasion, here's my pitch. I used the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless as my daily headset for years, from the moment it released until the day I got my hands on the Nova Elite.

Would I go back? Not willingly – the Nova Elite is basically perfect from my point of view, outside of that price. However, did I notice a gigantic upgrade when I moved to the more expensive headset? Not immediately, and only when paying careful attention.

My point is this – the Nova Pro Wireless is still a stunning headset, and represents a massive upgrade over many others you might have used. It was the standard to beat for years, and while it's now been superseded by the Nova Elite and Nova Pro Omni, at this price, it's still hard to ignore.

So, if you've been saving for the Nova Elite, then this is definitely a good time to buy it, with its first proper discount. If you just want a great headset at a great price, though, jump on the Nova Pro Wireless while this discount lasts.

As with RAM chips, SSD cards have seen their prices soar to ridiculous levels in the last six months or so – mainly due to AI data centres snaffling up components like pigs with truffles.

That's been awful news for PS5 owners wanting to upgrade their storage, or those opting to build their own PCs rather than buy a Steam Machine.

However, Amazon Prime Day looks to be our saviour. I've found many SSD cards – including PS5 compatible variants – is some great deals. The discounts mean they're around pre-RAMageddon prices.

So here are my top five picks, for the UK and US. Just remember though, Prime Day ends at midnight tonight, Friday 26 June, so you'll you don't have long to check out.

Top 5 editor's picks:

There are plenty of other options available in the Prime Day sale. However, these are the five that have stood out most to me, and the ones I'd consider buying myself.

You will need to be a member of Amazon Prime to get the deal prices, but if not already you can sign up for a 30-day trial in the UK here, or US here.

Prime gives you a host of additional benefits, including Prime Video and free PC games and game streaming, but if you don't want to continue after Prime Day, you can cancel and not pay a penny in subscription fees.

It's also worth considering that Amazon UK has a £20 voucher promotion for Prime Day, so if you spend £80 or more in a single transaction (can be on multiple items in the same basket) you get a free £20 Amazon voucher back. Read more about that here.

As we await body-melting temperatures across the UK this week, let's take a moment to think of our poor overheating tech!

After my colleague described his PlayStation 5 Pro as "sounding like a dying asthmatic cat," it got me thinking about how I can save my console from also getting cooked.

Part of that will come down to cleaning your PlayStation – dust is your biggest enemy, which builds up en masse – but I've also just learnt about various cooling accessories for Sony's console.

So the UK heatwave can be damned, as I'm going to bag one of these beauties to keep my console running. As I also use it for apps on the big screen, including YouTube, it's not just to the benefit of my gaming.

I am, however, keeping in mind that Amazon Prime Day does begin on Tuesday 23 June, which presents a strong change of greater discounts.

Indeed, when looking over the price history – one of my top tips, per 7 Mistakes Everyone Makes With Amazon Prime Day – there are typically discounts, so I may wait one day longer to see if that shifts.

Beyond the Kiwihome option there are plenty of other solutions out there, too, as you can see an example of below:

Again, pricing has fluctuated in the recent past. Indeed, mere days ago this product was a little less – so I'd be inclined to await Amazon Prime Day kicking off proper first of all.

I'd best add some factor 50 sunscreen to my basket whilst I'm at it, as this week's heatwave is going to be an absolute scorcher – so also a good excuse to catch some rays.

Last week, we revealed a couple of reasons why Valve could finally announce its pre-order phase for the Steam Machine in the coming days. And we also understand that it could even be as soon as today.

One of those was because we received a heads-up from accessory maker Dbrand about its first, dedicated Steam Machine case. Launched today, Monday 22 June, the Companion Cube resembles the in-game block from Valve's Portal and is a natural fit for the cubed Steam Machine console.

You basically pop your Steam Machine inside it and it does the same as its popular inspiration – pretty much nothing, except sit there. If you do happen to have a pressure switch in your home, you could use it to activate something, but other than that, it's purely aesthetic.

It does come with a removable front, though, and a strip where you can see the Steam Machine's LED lightbar. It also allows for air to flow through, to passively keep your console cool.

Each Dbrand Companion Cube also comes with a Test Chamber-themed skin for the Steam Controller, and a Super Button stand that doesn't actually do anything but looks good.

The bundle costs $129.95 (just shy of £100), which includes a themed "collector's" box, but if you want to save some cash, a "Poverty Cube" version is also available to order which arrives in a plain cardboard box instead.

As Dbrand says it's for those "who truly broke the bank on their Steam Machine purchase", suggesting we'll soon find out the true cost of the new console.

The Steam Machine Companion Cube will ship from July with pre-orders being taken now. The Poverty Cube edition will ship from October, priced at $99.95.

As for the Steam Machine itself, considering the accessories are now starting to appear (and Dbrand's own announcement is now public), it is only a matter of time before Valve reveals all about its own pre-orders, shipping dates, and perhaps most importantly, price.

We'll update you the moment we find out more.

In the gaming headset stakes, Turtle Beach is an established name. It's one of the longest-standing brands in the market, and particularly in the US there was a time when it felt like basically anyone with a third-party headset had a Turtle Beach one.

That's changed a lot, though, and the best gaming headsets now come from a more diverse pool of brands. Still, Turtle Beach is clearly trying to move with the times, and the Stealth Pro II demonstrates that with a spiffy new design and premium price.

I've been using one for a couple of weeks to see if Turtle Beach's flagship can live up to the billing. Here's what I make of it – the good and the bad.

Price and Availability

The Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II is available now in most regions and comes with an undeniably punchy price tag attached. In the UK, it's £299.99, in the USA that's $349.99, while in Australia it's AU$549.95. No matter how you spin it, that's pricey.

For only a little more money you could have my top recommendation in this device category, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni, which boasts very similar features – so Turtle Beach is undercutting that slightly, while clearly trying to fight for the same ground.

One important note – like many others, there are two versions of the Stealth Pro II on sale. One is seemingly standard and works on PC, Switch consoles and PlayStation. The other has Xbox in the name and adds compatibility with Microsoft's consoles at no extra cost. So, if you're going to buy one, make sure it's the Xbox one for maximum compatibility and no downsides.

Design and Features

I've tested Turtle Beach headsets for well over half a decade at this point, and I've consistently marked them down for mediocre designs and ergonomics. They've often been very sensibly priced, but generally felt plasticky and cheap, which is something the Stealth Pro II completely fixes.

It has a sleek new design that's way more futuristic than past generations, and has a really lovely look, whether you pick it up in the white version or black. Each earcup is really big and spacious, and on the outside it has a metallic plate with the Turtle Beach logo.

One of these earcups can be pried off to reveal the replaceable battery pack, but the other is fixed. On the left earcup, you'll find a button to swap between audio modes, a dial for master volume, another for game/chat balance, a USB-C charging port as a backup, and a power button.

The microphone comes out of the same left earcup and is removable if you don't want to use it. It can flip up out of your way when not in use, too. The right earcup, meanwhile, holds a microphone gain dial, a device-switching button, and a Bluetooth pairing button.

Each earcup is secured to a slim metal arm that joins up to the headband, and each can telescope for adjustment. The headband itself is sturdy plastic, with a section of woven stretchy mesh at the top. This is clearly intended to soften how the headset sits on your head, but I didn't find that it worked too well.

Wearing the headset for a few hours, I found that the top of my head did ache a little, which isn't a great sign, especially since its weight of 393g isn't all that substantial. My gold standard comfort-wise remains SteelSeries' suspended headband system, and this falls quite a way short of that, even if it looks really slick.

The Stealth Pro II comes with a base station that holds a battery on standby to swap out when your headset runs low. Swapping them is fairly easy, and you get around 40 hours from each. It's a great system, cribbed shamelessly from SteelSeries, and means you never really need to think about charging.

That base station connects to your console or PC by a USB cable, but curiously, this is where Turtle Beach takes a new approach. Rather than having multiple wired inputs that you can swap between to manage more than one device, you instead get another, traditional and small USB dongle in the box. This adds a second device to the headset's connection options, and you can swap between devices on the headset itself.

I'll be honest, this system is a mixed bag. In some ways, it can look really flexible since you can have devices that aren't next to each other paired to the same headset. In practice, though, most of my gaming happens at my desk, and this just became a more inconvenient way to swap devices, and with more dongles coming in at £30 / $25, I'm not convinced this is great for most people.

If it would suit your setup, though, it could be a boon instead of a detriment – that's going to be a personal situation. What's more universally solid is the audio suite on offer here. The headset uses 60mm drivers to provide its sound, and comes with active noise-cancelling (ANC) to help cocoon you too.

Finally, the headset comes with a hard case for storage and packing, although it's worth knowing that this case is massive. It's flat and has slots for the transmitter, headset, microphone and cables, and that makes it a beast, albeit one that I'm still glad comes at no extra cost.

Sound and Performance

The blend of features that Turtle Beach has stuffed into the Stealth Pro II is quite an interesting one, then, and its redesign is better visually than in comfort terms, but how does the headset perform from a sound and connectivity standpoint?

Well, in terms of gaming immersion and clarity it does very well. I've used the Stealth Pro II in a range of games, from Forza Horizon 6 to Battlefield 6, and have found it an adaptable and reliable performer in all of them. In shooters I've been able to locate footsteps and gunshots easily, while single-player games have been immersive and three-dimensional.

The headset is a little quieter than I'd expected, so you might find yourself dialling it up a bit, but that's not something that matters given its loudness ceiling goes really high. I've also been extremely impressed by its microphone, which is really clear and doesn't suffer from much muffling or fuzziness – an otherwise typical bugbear in the headset world.

Its ANC is also very solid, with a clear difference made if there's background noise (whether it's a washing machine, a roommate, or traffic noise). Similarly, connectivity has been rock-solid, and when I've been connected to the main transmitter it's been exemplary, with a range that can easily stretch to a few rooms' distance if you need.

That said, the nature of the connection system that Turtle Beach has designed does mean that it's less immediately flexible than something like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Omni, but it's similarly easy to customise the Stealth Pro II. On PC the Swarm 2 software is slick and simple, while console gamers can use a mobile app when connected to their phone by Bluetooth.

Verdict

The Stealth Pro 2 is a great step forward for Turtle Beach, showing that the brand can compete in design terms and make sleeker, more modern headsets.

That makes it all the more painful that its design also brings a flaw that holds it back – a headband that I found uncomfortable to wear for more than a couple of hours.

That'll be partly down to my head shape, and I can't know whether others will find it more comfortable, but it makes me feel people should try the headset on if they can before buying it.

Aside from that, though, the sound quality on offer is excellent, the ANC is better than before, and connectivity could be perfect for some disparate gaming setups. That makes the Turtle Beach flagship feel like a winner in many areas.

Also consider

My favourite gaming headset has already got a couple of mentions in this review, and it's the clear upgrade on the Stealth Pro II at the moment – the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni. It has all the same features, but I prefer how it handles multi-device swapping, and it's incomparably more comfortable.

Another more comfortable alternative with fewer features but equally excellent sound is the Sony Inzone H9 II. It's almost unbelievably light and has great precision, while stripping things back for a simpler experience.

Secretlab has seen an incredible trajectory in its nearly 12 years of operation. Started as a passion project by two professional gamers in Singapore, it has grown to be a billion-dollar company and the authority in gaming chairs and desks. Through the global pandemic, it saw a huge rise in demand by those looking to kit out their home office, and since then, it has refined its offering and brought in new solutions to bolster its range.

Today, Secretlab still has a very select line of products, but is about to launch what could be its boldest move yet. The Atlas is a chair aimed directly at the home office market, for users who want the comfort of a gaming chair, in a smaller, more manageable form. I sat down with co-founder and CEO Ian Ang in his Singapore headquarters to discuss the gaming roots, product development and aesthetic evolution of the company he and Alaric Choo have built

One thing that struck me about the Secretlab team was how many of them come from a serious gaming background, and having that passion in the team must impact the way they work. Ang explains that it’s especially important that his product developers and engineers are using their products. “We need to know what the users want, and I guess it's a loop as well, because if we start out as a gaming company, of course, more gamers will join.”

But Secretlab doesn’t just appeal to gamers these days, and while Ang admits they have tried to broaden the audience, it has mostly happened naturally. “I guess if the chairs are good enough for gamers to sit for 16 hours a day, then it should be good enough for an office user who uses it less so, says Ang. “Especially when the pandemic came around, and people were looking for a good chair to work from home.”

Gaming remains the company’s core audience, though, and Ang knows how important it is to keep that in mind. “They are the people that we understand the best,” he adds. “I think a lot of companies forget that and get too greedy.” In many ways, it was Secretlab’s true gaming credentials that gave it wider appeal.

Growing with its audience

While some Secretlab chairs do have a louder gaming look, part of their charm has been that they are often more reserved in styling than the competition, making them more suited to use outside of a gaming environment. This hasn’t just come from the audience’s tastes. “Part of it is our own taste as well,” says Ang. “It's been 11 years. All of us are millennials. So, as we grew up, it probably contributed.”

Success for Secretlab has often come, not from saying yes to things, but from saying no. While there is always a temptation to chase new markets, its slim product line is a purposeful choice and one that has allowed the company to stay focused. “There's only so much attention we have in the company, especially amongst the management team,” says Ang. “We've got to spend it purposefully.”

For the company to enter a new area, it has to believe it can do things better than what’s currently on offer, not just copy what is currently in the market. So Secretlab focuses on the areas it has expertise in, innovating and leading the sector rather than branching out into areas it doesn’t – but that doesn’t mean everything is off the cards. “There are other categories that we are actively thinking about,” says Ang. We'll always start by looking at the market, and then we see if there's a problem that we can solve.”

Most of Secretlab’s sales are still made direct to the customer, via its website, rather than via a retailer. Something Ang says allows them to not only keep costs down but also maintain that direct feedback with their users. “Any time somebody complains about a chair or has an issue, it goes directly to one of the desks [here],” says Ang. “That feedback goes directly to us, and we feel very responsible for it.”

Since the early days, Secretlab has had partnerships with big brands in the gaming space, providing special edition chairs, chair covers and desk toppers. “At the start, this was more of a passion thing,” says Ang. “A lot of these brands are ones that we grew up with.” One of the biggest was the Game of Thrones partnership that came at the height of the show’s success. Today, the list includes DC, Harry Potter, and luxury car brands such as McLaren and Lamborghini.

“We try to find more meaningful crossovers,” says Ang. It helps that our product is of good quality.” The team goes the extra mile in creating each piece, pulling in staff who are fans of the brand to help direct the project, from the product design to the marketing.

The office chair

So is the new Atlas office chair a departure for Secretlab or a natural progression for a brand with more than 10 years in furniture design? “This is our take on what we think the modern task chair should be, based on our understanding of ergonomics. And we've had 10 years to learn,” says Ang. Pulling in research it has worked on with prestigious universities around the world, and from its own advisory board, it was well placed to have an opinion on the market.

The premise is that a chair should provide not only support for a focused position, but also for you to rest in between – something gaming chairs are especially good at. “Many so-called ergonomic task chairs don't account for the rest part, says Ang. “When users stop sitting upright, they're going to end up sitting very wrongly because your chair is meant to accommodate them sitting upright. It's fitting a square peg in a round hole.”

Keeping to that signature Secretlab style rather than a traditional mesh design is also likely to appeal to existing users, or maybe those who want something to fit a more lifestyle feel. “Something that we hear quite often is that people love Secretlab as a brand, but the chairs don't fit in their office or workspace,” says Ang. “So we are hoping that this will fill the gap better.”

“There's another potential use case,” says Ang. “In my house, I have a gaming area, and then I have a small office area to free myself from the gaming distractions. So some users, now they're older millennials, might go for something like this.”

With the Atlas, Secretlab wants to create a chair for 2026, something modern. After all, even its flagship chair is now four years old, and the NanoGen edition, which launched two years ago, keeps to the same design. “We wanted to see Secretlab at the forefront of modern setups,” says Ang. “You have brands that have been around for like decades, and some of their most popular products might be from the eighties.”

To achieve this, it has created a new modern silhouette with a gently curved back – something that gave the designers looking to cover it with a single piece of fabric a real headache. They then introduced a new colour – the Dune model, which is a sandy beige – and colour-matched the parts on the upgraded Plus model for a more premium look.

It wasn’t a short process, though. The Atlas has been in the works now for four years. “We try not to rush the products too much,” says Ang. “That's also the beauty of having a founder-led company. We can choose what we think is right for the user and right for the company in the long run."

A material strategy

The two main fabrics used for the Atlas mirror that of the current Titan Evo – a softweave and a leatherette, in this case, the new NanoGen that delivers a real leather alternative. Though Secretlab has previously offered a premium Nappa leather option for its flagship chair, this hasn’t been carried forward here.

“The NanoGen leather we developed is just so superior, and the maintenance is so easy compared to genuine leather, says Ang. “We're not saying completely no to [leather]. It's more that if we go for a non-leatherette, there have to be actual benefits, and it has to be better.”

Leathers are associated with premium products, but also with an older, conservative audience, which is maybe not in keeping with this modern interpretation of an office chair. “With the NanoGen, performance-wise, the softness and the smoothness should be pretty similar. But the Nappa leather would be more expensive and more difficult to maintain,” says Ang.

A choice of chairs

Some might be surprised that the Atlas isn’t significantly cheaper than the Titan Evo. In fact, the starting price is within one hundred dollars/pounds of the Titan. According to Ang, that’s because it’s not designed to be a budget option. “When it comes to Atlas versus the Titan Evo, it's honestly more of a personal preference. But, if you talk about the Titan Evo versus the previous Titan or the previous Omega, it's a superior chair,” says Ang.

The budget market isn’t an area Secretlab is keen to enter, having carved its niche as a premium chair manufacturer. “A common question we get asked is, 'Will we make a mass market chair or desk?' Like a $200 or $300 chair,” says Ang. “We're just not set up that way. When you make a chair at that price point, there is honestly very little innovation. It's more about looking at your current chair and then seeing what you can strip down or make cheaper. We could do it, but that's not what the team's strengths are, and of course, from a branding perspective, we wouldn’t want to be positioned this way.”

The premium market has allowed Secretlab’s designers the freedom to come up with new, innovative ideas. Something that a budget product wouldn’t allow. “The Atlas backrest design would have been out of the window if we were a budget brand, because to modify the manufacturing and the base materials requires the cost per unit to go up,” says Ang. “And the engineering required to get it done, you have to invest in that as well.”

It’s difficult to know what Secretlab will look like in another 10 years, but if the Atlas is the success it has the potential to be, the trajectory is only upwards. While there continues to be a solid market for premium home gaming chairs and desks, and no sign of the remote or hybrid working policies reversing on a global scale, Secretlab is in safe hands.

While Phil Spencer will rightly be remembered and honoured by Xbox gamers for his numerous achievements, his successor as Xbox boss, Asha Sharma, has really hit the ground running.

She's already rolled back the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price hike, unveiled a new logo, ditched the Microsoft name from the gaming division, teased Project Helix as the next Xbox console, and promised a return to a hardware-led approach.

And it's this latter initiative that is already paying dividends, it seems.

A series of leaked photos have emerged that show several new Xbox hardware devices – new controllers, in fact, that could even be available before Helix arrives.

The main leak is of an Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 3 – an upgraded pro gamepad that looks to be coming with several new features.

Posted by Technoblog (via The Verge), the images reveal a slightly more rounded version of the current Elite Series 2 with a few additional elements. The D-pad has gained bumps to give you a better understanding of the direction without needing to look down, while the bottom now seems to include scroll wheels.

The paddles on the rear also seem to have shifted down a touch.

The Verge also notes that there will be a new pair button that can switch between local and cloud modes. This is so the controller can also be used directly with Xbox Cloud Gaming, connecting directly to your home Wi-Fi network rather than going through a device first. This should reduce latency when playing cloud games.

All of these details have reportedly been unearthed in a filing with a Brazilian regulator, which also suggests the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 3 is imminent.

The same is true with another controller found by Technoblog – from the same source.

An all-new Xbox Cloud Gaming controller

A smaller, less familiar gamepad has popped up in images, too, in both black and white. It's a lot smaller than a regular Xbox controller, but can also connect directly to the internet for low latency Xbox Cloud Gaming, it's claimed.

The size also makes it more suitable to be used with third-party products, such as an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K or Samsung / LG Smart TV. Even for play on mobile.

According to The Verge, it supports dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and even comes with Bluetooth 5.3 as well, so you can connect it to your phone when there's no other wireless internet signal.

It seems to use USB-C for charging, and there's a pairing button on the top.

Again, the timing of these images appearing in a regulator's listing suggests they are far along in the development process, so it wouldn't be surprising to seem them announced soon.

As for Project Helix itself, there's a slim possibility more could be unveiled during the annual Xbox Games Showcase on 7 June. We'll continue to bring you everything on the build up and beyond.

After pretty much three years during which I grabbed any opportunity to recommend the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless to everyone who'd listen, repeatedly naming it the best gaming headset on the market, I've finally been given the opportunity to swap to a new option.

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that it's the direct follow-up to that headset, though: the Arctis Nova Pro Omni. It's a bit of a blink-and-you'll-miss-it update, one that changes only a few things under the hood, but when you have a formula as undefeated as this one, it's a smart move not to meddle too much.

The Nova Pro Omni puts its main advancement right there in the title. This headset, rather than dividing into two versions, with one reserved for people who want to be able to game on Xbox (which has its own wireless standard that needs a separate license), is just a single model.

The Omni will work with every major console on the market right now, all of them able to connect through its transmitter, with a dedicated port for Xbox users to plug into. That gives it total flexibility, and while it's important to remember that other headsets have managed this, too, it's still a great step forward for customer simplicity.

Beyond that, the headset looks and feels almost identical to its predecessors, which is a good thing. It's got super-plush earcup cushioning and a headband design that suspends the weight off your head a little, a system that I've always found hugely comfortable even given the headset isn't the lightest out there.

Crucially, of course, the headset sounds superb. It has detail in spades, a really wide soundstage that can make positional audio sound brilliant and precise, and more than enough power to get really loud if you want it. One of the best retractable microphones in the business will have you sounding really clear for your teammates, too.

Its swappable battery system also returns, having been copied by a bunch of other brands in the meantime, and you now get around 30 hours on each charge, which feels like a decent step up.

This all adds up to a package that can't be denied, and it'll be my new default recommendation for a high-end gaming headset – with one asterisk. That is to say that the Nova Pro Wireless remains on sale and is around £100 cheaper at the time of writing, representing a better deal given how close it is in sound quality.

It misses out on some connectivity and app features, but if you're a one-console gamer then it's the better choice given the price.

When the Switch 2 came out last year, there was unsurprisingly a bit of a scramble out there to provide good accessories for those picking it up early in its lifecycle. Belkin has long been one of the best names in the business when it comes to protection for phones and other devices, and it wasted no time in getting some cases ready for people.

One of these was the Charging Case, which made the interesting addition of an included power bank that sat in a recessed section of the case and had a short cable that meant you could charge your Switch 2 while it was being stored. While the case was well-made in many ways, it also felt a little underbaked, so it's no surprise that Belkin's back with a new version.

I've had the Charging Case Pro for Nintendo Switch 2 for a couple of weeks now, and it does indeed refine the idea nicely, making it far more persuasive and easier to use while travelling.

The biggest change is that this time around, the 10,000mAh battery is fully built into the case, rather than basically just being included with an area that could hold it. This makes the case feel more like a standalone product rather than two smooshed together.

You'll find a small charging port on the outside of the case, along with a display to let you know how much charge it has. Then, inside the case, you'll find what basically looks and behaves like a docking area. You can plug the console in when it's in storage, but also raise a back-stand so that you can play it while it's charging.

This makes it seem like a great option for those who like to use their Switch 2 with its kickstand on a surface, since it can hold the console in a variety of positions. That said, what you gain in efficiency you lose in adaptability – now there's no cable to speak of, so you can only really charge your Switch 2 and nothing else from the case.

That's probably not an issue for most people, though, and the overall effect is indeed very premium and impressive, especially for those who travel a lot. The case is really protective, and also not too bulky, given what it adds.

That said, slimline cases without chargers will obviously be far smaller, including Belkin's own entry-level travel case. It's also worth knowing that this new case is quite carefully moulded to the Switch 2's dimensions, so if you (like me) have the console in a dbrand Killswitch hardshell, you'll have to remove this to be able to actually close the console into the case.

If there's one big asterisk here, it's the price. This case comes in at £69.99 or $99.99, and either of those is a pretty steep ask. The build quality and utility are both great, so the price ends up meaning that this is a fairly high-end case option for those who want to travel with their Switch 2 without needing a separate power bank. If that's you, have at it – Belkin's done a great job with this careful case revision.

Like everyone who tried to buy a Steam Controller on its initial release, I left disappointed. They sold out in around 30 minutes, and I left empty handed.

However, that made me realise that I probably already own the best PC gamepad anyway – several of them, in fact. I recently built my own affordable Steam Machine using a Geekom A7 Max Mini PC and have been testing a selection of different controllers with it.

Five have certainly stood out, including the one I use most often – a variant of the third-party pad I use with my Nintendo Switch 2 as well. So here are my alternatives to the Steam Controller you should check out too.

All of them work on PC and I've included options at different budgets.

1. 8BitDo Ultimate 2

There are two variants of the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 – one for Windows and Android, the other for Switch and Switch 2 as well. Both work with PCs and Steam OS, but the latter has a Nintendo button configuration, so I recommend the Windows one for general use.

The controller comes with its own charging dock and a small dongle to connect to your PC via USB. However, it can also be connected inside the dock itself, for an even neater wireless solution, and as it operates on the 2.4GHz band, it provides low latency gaming.

2. Hyperkin The Competitor

If you really want to reduce your controller latency to zero, you should consider a wired gamepad. And the one I've been most impressed with in recent times is The Competitor from Hyperkin.

Not exactly cheap for a wired controller, but it offers Hall Effect thumbsticks and triggers for precise accuracy and stick drift proofing. It also looks and feels like a Sony DualSense, yet with Xbox features, which is cool.

3. Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded

I've tested the PlayStation version of the Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded, which also comes with PC compatibility, but you can get a dedicated PC variant that is specifically listed as supporting Steam OS. It's also cheaper at most retailers.

The pro controller has a whole host of customisable options, including modules you can swap around on pad itself. Fancy your D-Pad on the bottom in Xbox configuration? Just swap the left-hand module. It's all rather neat.

4. Razer Wolverine V3 Pro

Designed for serious gamers and esports, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro is a very well made gaming device – hence its beefy price.

You can highly customise its capabilities via a PC app, and there are Hall Effect thumbsticks and triggers to ensure accuracy and longevity. I used it over a wireless connection (with the included 2.4GHz dongle), but you also get a 3m cable to ensure zero latency through wired play.

5. Xbox Wireless Controller

I was tempted to include another 8BitDo controller – the Pro 3 with its swappable button layout – but you can't beat the classics.

The Xbox Wireless Controller continues to be one of the very best around, for compatibility and comfort, and it just works. Remember though, unless you want to use Bluetooth, you'll need an Xbox Wireless Adapter poking out of a USB port on your PC or Steam device. Luckily, third-party versions are relatively cheap.

It's clear to say that Valve wasn't quite prepared for the popularity of its Steam Controller. Launched on Monday 4 May, it sold out in approximately 30 minutes – and at $99 / £85 a pop, too.

Indeed, Valve itself has revealed that it was taken aback: "Steam Controller ran out faster than we anticipated," it posted on Bluesky. And for those who missed out (myself included), it has followed up with a stock update.

The company says that it is "working on getting more in stock" and should "have an update" soon. It's likely the next batch could fly off (virtual) shelves too, though, so you need to keep an eye out.

Checking back here could help, as we'll keep you up to date with any new re-stock dates and information. Alternatively, follow the official Valve account on Bluesky – that should also give you the latest.

Steam Controller ran out faster than we anticipated, and we hate that not everyone who wanted one was able to get it. We’re working on getting more in stock and will have an update on expected timeline soon.

— @valvesoftware.com (@valvesoftware.com.bsky.social) 2026-05-06T08:23:17.853Z

When will Steam Controller be back in stock?

There's currently no timeline on when the Steam Controller might be back on sale again. I'm personally on tenterhooks too, as I recently built myself a "Steam Machine" from a mid-range Mini PC and wanted the official gamepad to complete the project.

Unfortunately, scalpers managed to get their hands on them first time around, which are currently being relisted on resale sites, like ebay – with the price doubled at the very least. I would exercise caution if you're considering buying one though, as technically the scalper won't have the controller in their possession yet.

Always beware that you don't purchase one and get the decade old Steam Controller instead.

Hopefully, Valve will manage to get a much bigger quantity of Steam Controllers in for the next round. Either that, or it manages to put the actual Steam Machine on the market in the next couple of months (with will include a controller). After all, it is said to have received a mighty bundle of "game consoles" recently too.

When SteelSeries brought out the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, it broke new ground in terms of pricing, but just so happened to also release my favourite gaming headset ever, and the one I returned to for years between reviews. Now, that headset remains fantastic, but it's getting a subtle upgrade in the form of the new Arctis Nova Pro Omni.

Its changes are actually a little hard to discern if you're not paying attention, but they make what was already a brilliant headset even harder to ignore. If you've got a big budget and want the best in this price bracket, this is the new default pick, and might just be the new best gaming headset on the market, frankly.

Price and availability

The Arctis Nova Pro Omni was only just announced, but it's already available to order directly through SteelSeries as a new launch – and it has a fairly hefty price tag. It comes in at £349, €399, or $399, depending on your region.

SteelSeries says it's positioning the headset as "affordable luxury", which is a polite way of saying it's substantially cheaper than the monumentally expensive Arctis Nova Elite. That said, it's still about £20 more expensive than the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless was when that headset released, for what it's worth.

Design and features

One crucial difference aside, in the form of a new colour, if you placed a black Arctis Nova Pro Omni next to a Nova Pro Wireless, I'd challenge almost anyone to be able to tell the difference. In most meaningful design details, SteelSeries has relied on the excellent redesign from a few years ago and kept continuity there.

That's no bad thing, in my view – what was a sleek and modern design then remains so now, and I think the headset has a strong silhouette that shouldn't offend many onlookers. I tested it in a new dark blue colour that I think is a much easier sell than the pastel green used for the Arctis Nova Elite, too.

The Nova Pro Omni has a suspended headband, which lifts some of its weight off your head and remains one of the most comfortable solutions I've tested in a headset. Its earcups have a huge amount of cushioning, and it ends up being a super comfortable headset to wear for long periods as a result, even as a glasses-wearer.

On one earcup, you'll find a power button, Bluetooth button, mute switch and a volume dial, along with the trademark SteelSeries concealed, retractable microphone. Those are all the controls you could need, and the other earcup is reserved for the swappable battery system.

Like the Nova Pro Wireless before it, the Nova Pro Omni has a battery that you can remove when it runs low. A spare can be kept, charging, in the base station that also acts as a wireless receiver, meaning you'll never actually run out of battery if you swap them when prompted by a low-battery noise.

One of vanishingly few nitpicks I have with a headset system I've been using across various models for years is that this low-battery alert is sometimes a bit late-notice, so your battery will die a few minutes after it sounds, but that's still almost always enough warning to get the swap done at your convenience. Each battery will last around 30 hours on 2.4Ghz and up to 50 hours over Bluetooth, which represents a decent boost over the Nova Pro Wireless' 20-ish hours.

So far, though, much of this is still basically the same as the Nova Pro Wireless, and it's really under the hood that the improvements come. For one thing, there's no more Xbox and non-Xbox versions of the headset to muddy the waters. Now, one version will serve all users, and on the back of the base station, you'll find three USB-C ports for connections. Two can serve a PC, PlayStation, Switch or other computer, while one is labelled for Xbox users.

The Nova Pro Omni also has improved noise-cancelling over its predecessor, and is Hi-Res Wireless certified rather than just boasting this on a wired connection. What does that mean? It means 96kHz/24-bit wireless audio over 2.4GHz and Bluetooth, in short, and future-proofs the headset in case future consoles like the PS6 embrace higher-bandwidth audio.

The other major change feels like it's in the ease-of-use column, where the addition of connectivity with the Arctis App on your phone makes it miles easier to set up presets and per-game settings that you can swap between. While navigating settings like this is doable on the base station with its wheel and touch-button, it's simply a much simpler job through the app.

Sound and performance

I've been a huge fan of SteelSeries' sound signature for a long time, right out of the box, and that's no different with the Nova Pro Omni. It has, as far as I can tell, the same 40mm drivers as the Nova Pro Wireless, which is no bad thing, since it gives it the same delicacy and precision.

There are bassier headsets on the market, in my experience, but few are this neutral and accurate, and even if you never touch an EQ setting or use the Arctis App, I'm confident you'll find it a beautiful fit for immersive gaming and multiplayer alike.

I played a bunch of Battlefield 6 on the headset, and found its cacophony of war sounds was navigable and intelligible in ways that boosted my ability to hear enemies (a key variable). I also used it for hours of Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous on my PC, and the headset's comfortable fit and approachable dynamics worked a treat for that more relaxed RPG gameplay and dialogue-heavy audio.

Plus, the concealable microphone remains gold-standard, with extremely impressive clarity and solid AI-based noise rejection to ensure that background noise isn't an issue for your teammates and chat parties.

From your side of the experience, the Nova Pro Omni's active noise-cancelling is extremely solid, and while it still isn't quite on the level of some of the best headphones for travel, for home gaming use, I find it a pretty superb crutch that genuinely makes a difference for immersion.

While I can't claim that the new omni-connection convenience changed my life, since I no longer own an Xbox Series X, there's no downside to having all the consoles under one roof, and I'd love to see this become the standard from other brands, too.

The fact that I can swap between audio sources so easily, too, and indeed mix them if needed, is also a convenience that only some other headsets can offer, and almost none to the degree that SteelSeries manages. It's a relatively unique blend of impressive features, in short.

Verdict

Sometimes a subtle update is all you need. I didn't necessarily expect the Arctis Nova Pro Omni, but it's a pleasant surprise. SteelSeries has basically made the best gaming headset on the market slightly better, and while it's involved a small bump in price, that doesn't change the fact that it'll be my new default recommendation for gamers.

It's truly device-agnostic, sounds phenomenal, is as comfortable as anything else out there, and is easier to customise in sonic terms than ever before. That's a completely winning combination of boasts, and if I didn't have the even more extravagant (and therefore niche) Arctis Nova Elite, I'd be using the Nova Pro Omni for years to come.

Also consider

This won't really be what SteelSeries wants people to point out, but it's pretty likely that the Arctis Nova Pro Omni's arrival means the Nova Pro Wireless starts to come down in price during sales events even more aggressively. It's still a superb headset that could be unbelievable value if you can get it for even £100 less than the Omni (which will certainly happen before the year is out).

If you want a slightly different look and feel, and perhaps your main priority is sheer comfort, then the Sony Inzone H9 II is well worth a look. It sounds excellent, but the real USP is that it's genuinely as light as a feather, and therefore feels amazing to wear.

As previously rumoured, Valve has opted to release its all-new Steam Controller early, with orders being accepted from Monday 4 May 2026.

Originally planned for launch alongside the new Steam Machine console, the controller costs $99 / £85 and is designed to perfectly complement the entire Steam PC game library.

The only setback is that the Steam Machine itself is still not available. The ongoing RAM crisis, which has also affected the availability and prices of storage, has proved difficult for Valve to navigate – not least because it wants its first in-house console to be affordable.

The company still plans to make its Steam Machine available this year, but there's currently no time frame. Until then, however, you could always build your own.

That's exactly what I did using a Geekom A7 Max Mini PC. Sporting a Ryzen 9 processor and Radeon 780M graphics, it isn't designed for gaming per se, but it runs pretty much my entire Steam library in 1080p, and with decent frame rates.

And with upscaling technologies activated in supported games, you can often eke out 60fps and higher without being restricted to low graphics settings. I even get Cyberpunk 2077 running at 1080p and around 40fps with medium settings. Even with ray-traced shadows, in fact.

I run the Linux system Bazzite on my build, but there are other forks of SteamOS you can install. You can even install SteamOS itself, if your Mini PC is AMD-powered. It takes a bit of tinkering, but there are plenty of guides on YouTube.

The only thing I've been missing is a dedicated controller. I currently use an 8BitDo Ultimate 2 (PC edition), which is great and comes with its own 2.4GHz wireless dongle and charging dock. However, it doesn't have touchpads, and that'll be where the official Steam Controller will come in for me.

The Steam Controller is designed to play not just action games using the thumbsticks and buttons, but the touch panels are essential if you want to play mouse-controlled games on your TV too.

I'm a sucker for real-time strategy (RTS) games, and this is therefore a literal game-changer. The likes of Football Manager 2026 will also be easier to control.

I don't even think the price is a barrier. While £85 sounds expensive for a controller, it's actually relatively cheap for a pro model. Just look at Sony's DualSense Edge at close to £200.

You also get so much more for your money, thanks to those panels, extra assignable buttons, an included Steam Controller Puck for wireless connectivity and charging, and even TMR thumbsticks for greater accuracy and immunity from stick drift.

Of course, I'm intrigued to see the actual Steam Machine when it finally arrives, but this will do nicely in the meantime.

Amid discussions of Bond 26 ongoing delays, with filming not expected to happen this year, we do have one guaranteed new Bond on the horizon – in 007: First Light.

The IO Interactive studio game's imminent release date is creating quite the hype. Unless you're a Nintendo Switch 2 player, as that version has been pushed back.

To celebrate the release, Sony has issued a new limited edition DualSense wireless controller, which is up for pre-order now ahead of its 27 May on-sale date. It's priced at £74.99 in the UK and $84 in the USA.

As you can see from the image above, pulling this golden controller's trigger might be the closest you get to firing a golden gun of sorts. It's a very golden finish that Bond fans will doubtless love.

The controller features a "golden sheen and radiant barrel design," with the 007 codename positioned centre to the touchpad. Sony reckons it'll be well-suited for "a fresh agent looking to make a name for themselves."

It's not the first time we've seen special edition DualSense controllers, with the likes of God of War, The Last of Us, and Astrobot, among others, offering their own unique takes.

The 007: First Light controller release coincides with the game's 27 May on-sale date, marking the next big AAA release in the 2026 calendar. The game is about a young Bond in training, giving a fresh take, in a Hitman-style world that IO Interactive is so well-known for producing.

Sometimes the pace of things in the tech world can be a little overwhelming. Even if, like me, you spend most of your weekdays keeping up with all the new releases and announcements, it's easy for things to slip through your filter. That's how I'd categorise the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike, a gaming mouse that was released earlier this year but which I only got my hands on in the last week.

When you get sent as many announcements as I do about gaming mice, it can be a little hard to parse what's actually new and what's just bluster about polling rates and DPI. Logitech, though, has actually broken the mould with the Superstrike, and it doesn't take long with the mouse to feel a really crazy difference compared to others you may have used.

The simple version is this: where most mice you've used have a physical button that you actuate whenever you click down one of their two main buttons, the Superstrike has a different system using electromagnetic sensors. It uses what Logitech calls a Haptic Inductive Trigger System, which is a long-winded name for a haptic engine, a little bit like the one in MacBook Pro trackpads.

This means that if you handle the mouse when it's turned off, and try to click down the buttons, you get a really weird feeling – they just push down into air and don't have any "click". When the mouse is turned on, though, the haptic engine gives you feedback, and you feel a "click".

It's really difficult to describe those sensations without having the mouse in your hand, but it's actually quite crazy the first time you feel it, and that gets even more kooky when you use Logitech's G Hub app to customise the mouse a little.

Opening up the app, you can see the exact amount of pressure you're putting on each of the two main buttons in real time, and it's perhaps the best way to see how the mouse works – with the sensors underneath them just waiting for you to push below a certain threshold to activate the "click" haptics.

Crucially, you can also change the travel distance required for that actuation, meaning you can make your click deeper or shallower, and it's amazing to flip between different levels to feel the difference. Playing a twitchy shooter? Put it at the minimum, and you can fire at crazy speeds. Going for something slower? Make the click deeper and more satisfying.

You can also customise this differently for your left and right clicks, and choose from different haptic feedback to give stronger or weaker "click" feedback, giving you more layers of control over how your Superstrike feels to actually use.

For my part, been fascinating to use, and for the most part a total treat – and to have that experience with a genuinely new-feeling bit of tech is really cool. I've heard other gaming accessory brands admit that Logitech's the first to do something genuinely different in the mouse world for years, through gritted teeth.

This is just the first implementation, too. Logitech doubtless will put the system in other mouse designs over the next year or so, after giving it a debut in this really simple high-end mouse.

You can grab one yourself for £159.99, €179.99 or $179.99, and if you do, you'll potentially find that you're riding the first wave of haptic mouse buttons all the way to glory.

I've been testing the best gaming headsets for well over half a decade now, which gives me quite a big back catalogue of headset knowledge to fall back on when new versions launch. I really liked the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro back in 2022, for instance, but I'm pleased to see that a newly announced successor looks like it fixes some of the small issues the previous version had.

The Stealth Pro II just got unveiled, and features an all-new design that looks far more modern and sleek, as well as some big audio upgrades that should see the headset compete with the high-end models that I favour from SteelSeries.

For one thing, the new headset has certification for both Hi-Res Wireless Audio and Dolby Atmos spatial audio, when connected to a system that can support them (meaning a PC in the former case, and a PC or Xbox in the latter). That should help ensure that its precision is more impressive than ever.

What I'm more interested in is the new design, which features a "mesh fabric suspension headband" that should make the headset lighter and more comfortable to wear. I found the Stealth Pro was pretty chunky and heavy, in contrast to some of the competition, so this could be a big change.

The headset also looks sleeker, in my opinion, although I'm interested to see that the microphone is still one that can be flipped out of the way rather than properly hidden or retracted – I prefer the latter, but I'm always open-minded about design choices like this.

Swappable batteries return, this time giving 40 hours of gameplay on a single charge, with a base station housing your spare while it charges up. That means you basically have unlimited battery life, and the base station also seems to be where device swapping is routed through, with up to four connections that you can toggle between.

There's active noise-cancelling, like before, but I'd assume it'll be upgraded, while the 60mm drivers should power really great sound quality even if you don't have Atmos active.

There will be two versions on sale, in classic style (blame Xbox's expensive certification for this) – and the Xbox version will be the one to buy, since it'll work with Xbox, PC, PlayStation and Bluetooth. The "PC & PlayStation" version is the same, minus the Xbox support.

There won't be a price difference between the two, crucially, so any version of the Stealth Pro II will come in at a chunky 349.99/€349.99/£299.99. That means it's at the top-end of the market, albeit not coming near the ultra-luxury territory staked out by the £600 SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite.

Who remembers the heady days of the PS5's launch? I know I do, since I spent that period of lockdown acting as a sort of fixer for most of my mates, using my slightly more online nature to secure as many pre-orders as I could so that we all got consoles. At the same time, my role in tech journalism meant that I was able to test a bunch of accessories out early doors.

That meant plenty of the best gaming headsets in the early days of the PS5, but also some excellent controllers, and I found my favourite almost instantly. Right after the console came out, Scuf started making adapted DualSense controllers, and I got my hands on a Reflex Pro, a gorgeous bit of gaming hardware.

This was the DualSense Edge, a couple of years before Sony made its own pro controller, and it meant that I've been using back-paddles for around five years, at this point. They're a huge help in online FPS games in particular, I find, helping me to keep my fingers on the aiming stick while I reload or jump.

That's made it feel almost like a minor bereavement that, in the last few weeks, my Reflex Pro has started to feel a bit weird in the hand. Movement in games has felt looser than usual, and I recently upped my deadzone settings in Rocket League to the point where it feels like I'm driving in treacle.

To the surprise of nobody at all, when I swapped back to the near-pristine standard DualSense that came with my PS5 Pro last year, barely used because it's paddle-free, these issues evaporated. There's only one conclusion: stick drift has finally come for my pro controller.

It's a spectre that's loomed over way too many first-party gaming controllers from the last couple of console generations, but I'll be honest – I normally dodge the bullet. I don't know if it's because I'm a light touch on the sticks (ahem), but I've never even had a Joy-Con give out, despite knowing people who seem to go through a controller every six months.

I'm still lucky that I've got a backup standard controller waiting to be used, and I'll be fine with it, but it's already proving an adjustment to play without those all-important paddles, or indeed the extra grip on the back of the controller.

If money were no object, I'd be straight out to get a DualSense Edge, since I've still never managed to get my hands on one and I'm pretty sure it's the best of all worlds in terms of what I want. Sadly, money very much is an immovable object, so for now I'm back to the life of the hoi-polloi, and I'll be in mourning for at least a few weeks.

Be careful what you wish for. Like many others, I was enamoured by the idea of owning a Talking Flower – a unique piece of Nintendo merch released to celebrate the unsung heroes of Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

I'd already bought the Alarmo Clock on its debut in 2024, so thought this latest object of Nintendo nonsense would look great sitting alongside it. But little did I realise what I was letting myself in for.

At just £24.99 in the UK, $34.99 in the States, it hardly breaks the bank – and as a big fan of Wonder, the appeal of having my own chatty companion seemed too good to resist. My pre-order was placed the moment it was announced in January, then I waited.

To be honest, I forgot all about it until a box arrived last week (along with my Switch Virtual Boy accessory, but that's a story for another day). I eagerly ripped open the packaging and thrilled at what was inside.

The Nintendo Talking Flower is decently sized, made of quality plastics, and as cute as it looks in photos. There's a big button on the "soil" which can be used to manually get it to talk, but that's about it externally.

You have to twist the base to get to the battery compartment (it's not rechargeable and needs two AA batteries). There's also a small, hidden LCD screen to set it up. You'll need a tiny Phillips-head screwdriver to get the battery protector open, but so far so good.

There aren't many options when setting up the device, you just set the current time, plus the times when you want to wake up and go to sleep, so it won't jabber on in the night. And you can set the volume using the same tiny buttons. That's about it.

Little did I know that this would be the best it got.

Once set up and placed on a shelf, the reality of having the Flower cough up pithy remarks all day soon set in.

It announces each hour on the hour (sometimes incorrectly for comedy effect), and occasionally gives you a rough estimate on the climate – if it's hot or cold – based on an on-board sensor. You can also manually get music to play and interact by pressing the button for a while.

But after the first hour or so of amusement, it's the random commentary that gets jarring. First you're just, "Ah, that's funny!" Then it's, "Hmmm..." And by the end of day it's, "Shut up, you incessantly irritating a-hole!!!!!"

You can press the button to send the Talking Flower into a form of sleep mode, or even take the batteries out, but that's somewhat extreme. It may save your sanity though.

I currently still have mine on, to see if I just get used to it over time, but as things stand, it may end up being a pricy paperweight. Still, it is a cute ornament, and when I do have guests stay over that I want to wind up, I can always reset the wakeup and sleep times and leave it in the guest room overnight.

That might be worth the £24.99 on its own.

A good gaming headset is the biggest immersive upgrade that most gamers could add to their system – or, at least, that's what I think. I've been saying for years that if you're on a decent TV or monitor and using a current-gen console (or your own PC) then you're probably having a good time, but a sound upgrade can make a huge difference.

Exactly what headset you should go for is a great question, of course, and one that opens up a huge range of options. I've tested almost all of the best gaming headsets on the market, though, and have the experience to sort the wheat from the chaff.

While any headset from a big brand is likely to deliver good sound at this point, I'd always recommend that people spend a little more if they can, to get a top wireless headset that's genuinely convenient – like this one from Logitech that just so happens to be on sale through Amazon right now.

The Astro A50 is a beauty; while we haven't tested the latest-generation version of the headset, we were impressed with the previous one back in 2024 and gave it a glowing four-star verdict.

Crucially, alongside really high-fidelity sound, that base station is a feature that I've come to love. My own daily driver headset is the ultra-premium SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite, which also has a base station, after all.

These let you access quick controls but also crucially, in the Astro A50's case, give you somewhere to charge the headset when it's not in use. That means no need for ugly and tangled cables on your desk or TV unit, instead leaving just a clean dock to magnetise the headset into when you're done.

With a swing-away boom microphone for when you're in a party chat or playing alone, this is a great high-end headset that normally costs a whole heap more than you can pay for it right now. Amazon's Spring Deal Days event looks like it's picking up steam.

While I was thrilled when my Nintendo Switch 2 arrived on launch day last year, having pre-ordered it as soon as i was able, I found myself using it less and less as the months went on. That was partly due to the lack of flagship first-party games, but also because I just don't like its ergonomics as a handheld.

I was also less inclined to use it in comparison with the PS5 it sits next to. Not least because I feel the DualSense controller is considerably better than the Switch 2 Pro Controller for most games. However, I've now found an alternative for the Nintendo machine that has made me think again.

The 8BitDo Pro 3 controller is by far the best I've tried for the Switch 2 (and original Nintendo Switch, at that). It has retro charm – even coming in a GameCube-style purple colourway – and it links with the console perfectly, both via Bluetooth and through its included 2.4GHz wireless dongle.

But the main reason it's become my go-to controller is that it also sports TMR thumbsticks and Hall Effect triggers – neither of which can be found on Nintendo's more expensive alternative (or the DualSense, for that matter).

Why I chose the 8BitDo Pro 3 controller for my Switch 2

Both TMR and Hall Effect technologies use magnetic sensors for more accuracy and precision when you either move the joystick or press a button. They are also impervious to stick drift, so should never let you down.

I'm also keen on the compatibility of the 8BitDo Pro 3. Not only will it work with Switch and Switch 2, you can use the controller with PC, iPhone, iPad and Android devices. It works well with SteamOS too, so can be linked to a Steam Deck or Lenovo Legion Go S when they are in a dock, for example.

And finally, another neat trick is that as well as swap the thumbcaps for arcade-style balls, you can swap around the A, B, X, Y buttons to suit the system.

If you need the controller to work better with PC games, you can opt for an Xbox-style configuration, where A is on the bottom. Alternatively, you can switch them around to Nintendo's, with A on the right-hand side.

Each button attaches magnetically and is firmly attached during play.

That, for me, has meant I can use the same controller for multiple systems, making it even better value for money. It's also extremely comfortable and the only caveat is that I wish it would work with PlayStation and Xbox too.

Still, the 8BitDo Pro 3 is now the controller I recommend to gamers amongst my friends and family. There really isn't anything better out there for Switch 2 right now, in my opinion.

There's no doubt about it, retro gaming is having a real resurgence. Gaming handhelds have been appearing in the dozens, and the classic consoles are being refreshed and renewed for an all-new audience. We've even had light guns reappear in the form of the G'AIM'E Time Crisis system.

Now there's another retro-style accessory on its way, with GameX Studios starting pre-orders on its GAMR Play Pad – a Bluetooth, wireless dance mat compatible with all-manner of games.

There will be plenty of households out there that probably have a long-forgotten game mat already lurking in a cupboard somewhere – they were hugely popular in the 90s, after all. But this new version is a bit different.

It works with smartphones, tablets, Smart TVs and PCs and rather than designed for dance and rhythm games specifically, it'll work on any title that supports a controller.

That means you could find yourself jigging around in your living room while playing Pac-Man, or literally jumping around to avoid obstacles in Crossy Road. Heck, you could even try combining a Call of Duty session with a daily fitness workout.

The GAMR will even track your steps and calories throughout.

The mat is also compatible with Dance Dance Revolution style games. And while we've not tried it for ourselves yet, that could include through emulation.

GameX Studios provides 10 original games designed for the GAMR and there are three different types of mat available. They all work the same way, but have different designs for general, dance, and kids play. The kids version is smaller too, to help younger players reach each button.

Each mat can be used via Bluetooth or wired for lower latency, and can be rolled up for easy storage.

They are available to pre-order on Kickstarter currently, with early bird pricing starting at $149 (around £110) for a pad of your choice. That will raise to $199 after launch – with shipping expected from June.

Best known for its retro games consoles, which it's been manufacturing for years, Anbernic has been known to dabble in other gaming accessories from time to time, although it's latest seems quite a departure from the norm.

On the face of it, the Anbernic RG G01 looks like a standard Switch 2 / PC / iOS / Android game controller – albeit with its own central display. However, as well as some interesting tech choices, it comes with sensors built in to monitor your heart rate.

It's hard not to see that as a bit of a gimmick – after all, a Donky Kong Bananza session is hardly the same as going on a 5km run – but at least you can see the impact of your favourite game on the old ticker.

Perhaps more interesting is that the G01 uses Purple Kirin capacitive thumbsticks, which detect electrical signals rather than use magnets – à la TMR and Hall Effect. This is said to be even more accurate and completely eliminates joystick drift.

Its buttons are micro-switch, while the triggers are Hall Effect – so there's plenty to like about its setup. And the battery is 2,100mAh, so should last approximately 21 hours of play between charges.

And all of this comes for just $39.99 (around £29) – although currently it's only available on Anbernic's own website and shipped from China. That can cost a fair penny extra in shipping (an additional $20 to the UK, for example).

Hopefully, we'll see it available with free shipping on AliExpress soon, or through local resellers. And weirdly, as discovered by Russ Crandall of Retro Game Corps fame, the build is very similar to the Manba One controller, which offers many of the same options, bar the heart rate tracking, but adds a charging base instead.

That's available on Amazon now, albeit at a higher price.

Still, if you'd rather order from Amazon and don't want to wait for a wider rollout of the Anbernic version, at least that's an option.

Personally, I'm going to wait for the RG G01 – after all, I've been a fan of Anbernic's handhelds over the years and am particularly fond of the yellow version. Let's hope we start to see it on other sites soon.

With PS6 still years away from release (according to industry experts) it seems Sony is still working on several ways to make it different to previous console generations.

There continues to be numerous rumours about a handheld version, which will play the same games but with compromises, and it's likely to more universally capable when it comes to backward compatibility. But the biggest, perhaps craziest upgrades might be found on its controller.

Sony has filed a patent for a new DualSense-like controller that takes a radical step away from what we know and love – it has no physical buttons.

The gamepad instead features two touchscreen zones where you can place your own button and D-pad configurations.

Issued last week, the patent (via VGC) shows a controller shaped like the PS5 DualSense but with no thumbsticks and two touchpanels. These enable users to assign their own customised layout instead.

It could even be changed per game, allowing you to set-up the exact key and pad controls you need for a specific title. This is potentially useful, not just for more complex games, but for accessibility too – for those who find smaller buttons hard to press.

There is a downside though – anyone who's tried to play fast-paced action games on a mobile phone screen will know how easy it is to miss inputs when you can't physically feel them. Haptics might help, and it seems that's part of this idea, but it's not a replacement for an actual D-pad or thumbstick.

That being said, mouse style controls would be better emulated through touchpanels – just look at the controller for Valve's forthcoming new Steam Machine.

Maybe the next DualSense could feature both concepts – physical controls and touchscreens that can be customised. That would offer the best of both worlds.

Or maybe this idea will be ditched when it comes to an actual consumer release. That happens often with patents – many of them never see the light of day.

If you thought the Alarmo clock was a strange device for Nintendo to make, just take a look at its latest. The Talking Flower is a "smart" speaking ornament with the potential to annoy you all day.

But even considering that, I still want one. In fact, I've already preordered mine – with preorders and pre-registration open on Nintendo UK and Nintendo US as I write.

In all fairness, at £24.99 / $34.99 respectively, it's hardly going to break the bank. However, although it can talk and even tell you the weather (of sorts), it's no replacement for a smart speaker – such as an Amazon Echo device.

That's because you can't actually talk to it. Instead, the Talking Flower is designed to simply bark out quips and comments all day, or whenever you press the large button on its base.

It'll tell you what hour it is (which it can – hilariously – get wrong at times), and it can inform you of your room temperature thanks to a built in sensor. However, there's no internet connection, so you can't get any other useful information.

An internal clock will enable it to clam up at night though, so you won't hear it jabbering away while you try to sleep. And you can set your bed and wake up times, to have it wish you good night or morning.

It'll also tell you when its battery is running low.

The Flower can speak in multiple languages – English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese and Korean. While a long button press can even set it into mute mode.

It's a pretty niche product really, considering the character has only appeared in one game so far – but it's something I'm planning to add to the other game-related ephemera gracing my shelves. It should sit next to my Crash Bandicoot Lego build and Fallout Funko Pops, which reminds me – where did I put my life again?

It feels like I was in Vegas just yesterday, but we're already approaching a week since CES 2026 was actually in full flow, and I'm catching up on the very final parts of what I was able to see in a jam-packed few days of tech launches and showcases. Sadly for Razer, I haven't saved the best for last – but I can certainly say its suite of new products and concepts had memorable parts.

Razer made its name (and continues to do so) as a gaming accessory brand, with gaming mice and headsets really acting as its heartland, but it's branched out quite heavily in recent years. After successfully establishing itself as the maker of great, sleek laptops, it now seems to have been sipping from the AI cup, leading it to a couple of frankly baffling concept showcases at this CES.

The first, and the one that will actually be available to buy soon (apparently, since you can pay a refundable $20 to reserve one now) is a desktop upgrade for its AI companion software, Ava. This little tube will sit on your counter, presumably next to your PC, and project a small holographic figure internally, with a design chosen from a roster of extremely gamerish options.

The one I saw was predictably pretty anime-inflected in its stylings, although slightly more buttoned-down options will be available, too. Still, even after watching a demo of how the AI could react to on-screen action with tips and even criticisms, I just can't understand Razer thinking that it'll have widespread appeal.

Sure, there's an angle where some coaching while you game could help you improve, but from what I saw that's quite a long way from being what Ava can offer. The projection is the really new bit here, meanwhile, and it's frankly just a bit too gamerish to win me over.

Then there's the elephant in the room – Razer confirmed at the show that Ava was running on a version of Grok, xAI's chatbot. You couldn't pick a more controversial time for that information to come out, given the rightly radioactive controversy swirling around Grok's nudification features, which stand to see it potentially banned in various countries.

It's a great summary of why AI launches can be so perilous and ill-conceived – two words that sadly also describe Razer's other big swing this CES, Project Matoko. I was told very earnestly about Razer's belief that smart glasses are a bad idea, with too many compromises, and that a better answer to bringing AI assistants with you is to house it in some headphones.

Hence this more distant concept, Matoko, which sees a Razer gaming headset modified with the addition of two front-facing cameras. You can talk to, and ask questions of an AI companion that you activate when wanted, presumably using a very similar model to Ava (although this wasn't confirmed).

The hardware was perfectly decent here, and lightweight enough to be comfortable. I can even see how Razer can argue it's a more seamless integration into a headset than the equivalent in glasses (which get chunkier and heavier to accommodate the extra tech). All-day battery life is a plus, for example.

However, I just can't see how this product becomes a reality that people really want. Perhaps (and it's a big perhaps) if a brand like Apple launched a new version of AirPods Max with cameras, then people might get on board. But Razer? The gaming peripheral brand, becoming a provider of AI-enabled all-day headphones for regular use?

I just can't see how that makes sense at all, from a brand or a market perspective, and it makes it really tough to believe that this will ever really be widely available – or sell more than a relative handful of units.

In some ways, these concepts are a microcosm of the AI boom, in that Razer is far from the only tech brand trying to go big on AI and failing to win over actual customers. I'm very prepared to eat my hat if Project Matoko goes on to open up a new category of products, but for now I feel pretty confident that Razer will be better off sticking to what it knows better.

Like many, I ordered the official Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller when I bought my console last year, and it's one of the best the company has ever made. However, there's actually something better that I've upgraded to – and now you can too with a big discount.

The 8BitDo Pro 3 is ideal for the Switch 2, coming with TMR thumbsticks, swappable action buttons, a charging deck and receiver, and a whole lot more. It also has retro vibes, especially in the classic GameCube purple colourway, and it's now just £48 on Amazon.

That's down from £59.99, so you get a very decent 20% off a controller that's not actually been available for that long. It also works with the original Switch, Windows, SteamOS and mobile, so you can use it to game across multiple platforms.

If you prefer a SNES-style colourway, the "G Classic" model also has a decent discount. It's down to £49.80 from £59.99.

8BitDo has been making alternative controllers for a fair while now, but has really hit its stride in the last 12 months. There are superb controllers for all manner of modern and retro consoles and games machines, including a new flip device that attaches to the bottom of an iPhone or Android phone.

This effectively turns your device into a Game Boy and retro gaming handheld in general.

The 8BitDo FlipPad was announced during CES 2026 and is coming in summer 2026. We're not yet sure how much it'll cost, but considering how good the brand's other controllers are, we're sure it'll be worth it.

Audeze has announced a new version of its elite wireless headset, the Maxwell. The new Maxwell 2 has large 90mm planar drivers like the original, but promises to deliver more immersive spatial sound, precise audio and punchier bass.

We reviewed the original Audeze Maxwell Wireless and gave it the full five stars, saying that it "excels in just about every area".

We tested the PS5 version – there's a separate version for Xbox – and recommended it as one of the best PS5 headsets and best gaming headsets. So how do you improve on a five-star headset?

Audeze Maxwell 2: key features and pricing

The Maxwell 2 has a redesigned head strap with better ventilation and a revised earpad design with more space. That means it can comfortably fit a wider range of gamers.

As before, it's made to last from metal and composites, with reinforcement on the stress points to deliver longer life.

This generation features Audeze's ReSkin system of swappable magnetic side plates, with the promise of "exciting limited-edition collaborations" coming soon. There is one downside to that solid build though, at 560g the Maxwell 2 is a hefty headset – heavier than its 490g predecessor, in fact.

On wired connections, the Maxwell 2 supports up to 24-bit/96kHz audio with ultra-low latency via its USB-C connector, and there's also a wireless USB-C dongle to deliver the same audio without cabling. It also has Bluetooth with Auracast, LE Audio, LDAC and AAC.

The headset is compatible with PC, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch 2, iOS and Android, and the Xbox version has Dolby Atmos support – the PlayStation version has Tempest 3D audio.

With a frequency response of 10Hz to 50kHz, this should be a very punchy headset; the first generation was very clear and distortion-free even at high volume levels, and we found it to be impressive for music as well as gaming.

This model features Audeze's SLAM acoustic management system, which the firm says delivers even greater clarity and punch, and it has AI noise cancellation on the detachable boom mic for clarity in in-game chat, voice and video calls.

Battery life is over 80 hours and you can recharge to 25% from flat in around 20 minutes.

UK pricing is yet to be revealed, but the US price is $329 (about £244 / €281 / AU$490).

While there are now hundreds of retro gaming handhelds out there, in all shapes and sizes, you actually probably own one without even knowing. That's because every Android handset and iPhone is capable of playing the classics through emulation too.

That's certainly something accessory manufacturers are looking at this year with elegant solutions to turn your smartphone into a vertical, Game Boy-style handheld.

We've seen some controller concepts popping up in recent times, from cases that can also be used as capacitive controls, to stick-on pads and buttons to use when on your travels. But now the bigger makers are joining the fray, with GameSir following 8BitDo in announcing a dedicated phone controller for retro play.

Like the 8BitDo FlipPad, the cunningly named GameSir Pocket Taco clips onto the bottom of your device to provide responsive D-pad and button arrays. The two new solutions even look similar (in Game Boy configurations and colours), but the technical design is different.

How does the GameSir Pocket Taco work?

Where the FlipPad connects via USB-C and, well, flips up, the Pocket Taco hugs onto the bottom of your phone. It's also connected wireless via Bluetooth rather than the phone's port, and features its own 600mAh battery.

You get triggers and bumpers around the rear, too. That means you can use it for all manner of console emulation, not just Game Boy and earlier machines. But there's no thumbstick, so it won't be suitable for the likes of N64 and above really.

However, thanks to a hole at the bottom, you can still charge your phone while in use and its design can even fit phones in this cases, thanks to a stretchable hinge.

GameSir will link the device with its own app and as it works like a regular Bluetooth controller, you should be able to use it with just about every emulator your handset supports. You just need to make sure the game runs on the top-half of the display though, of course.

The GameSir Pocket Taco will ship from 15 March with pre-orders available on the company's own website now. It's priced at £27.99 / $38 / €32.95 / AU$57.

Razer has taken to CES 2026 to announce its plans to offer a dedicated AI companion that builds on last year's Project AVA.

Previously announced as a gaming focused AI assistant, Razer has now revealed that AVA will be a holographic device that offers an all-round integrated AI companion. Like an Echo device with a display and extra smarts.

The company says this is a true digital assistant designed to "support every facet of modern life". So while that can still involve real-time gaming strategies, it now also incorporates daily tasks.

Project AVA features a 5.5-inch animated hologram as its display. This, Razer says, offers natural movements, eye-tracking, facial expressions and lip sync for the most "engaging interaction".

While the released image [top] shows a swirling logo, you'll actually be able to pick from a selection of avatars. These are exclusive to the brand, and include Kira and Zane as well as some esports legends to pick from.

You can even define the personality of your choice with emotional traits that stand out. Pick from bold and sassy to calm and friendly.

The AI itself is smart enough to learn. This should mean that it will remember your preferences to ensure you're getting the most intelligent and personally tailored responses in future.

Throw in that HD camera, eye-tracking and far-field microphones and you should be getting a contextually aware response too.

So this assistant should be able to help with scheduling, wardrobe tips, dinner planning as well as brainstorming, data analysis, creative problem solving and gaming strategy, puzzles and even viewing your screen for real-time assistance.

Razer Project AVA: Pricing and availability

Razer has announced the latest enhancements to Project AVA and along with that a release time frame of the second half of 2026.

Pricing is less clear, although the company is now taking reservations, with a $20 deposit, for US buyers only for now.

WD_Black has long reigned as the king of PS5 storage, topping our list of best PS5 SSDs to buy. But all things must come to an end, and the writing has been on the cards since March last year.

That's because it was announced that Western Digital was to withdraw from the SSD business and retire the WD_Black brand. Well now that's finally come to pass – but don't fear, the award-winning products will continue. Indeed, we should get even more options going forward.

Now sitting under the SanDisk brand, the company's gaming products will still be made, albeit with a new name. The entire family of gaming storage solutions will be called SanDisk Optimus, and it will include the new version of the WD_Black SN850X (our pick as the best PS5-compatible M.2 NVMe card).

That particular SSD model will now be known as the SanDisk Optimus GX Pro 850X. There are several other WD_Black stalwarts also getting new names and designs – along with those that previously sat under the WD Blue banner.

For example, the WD Blue SN5100 becomes the SanDisk Optimus 5100. The WD_Black SN8100 will be the GX Pro 8100, and the WD_Black SN7100 will be known as GX 7100 going forward.

What's nice to see is that the chunky design aesthetic the WD_Black range was known for will continue, albeit with a splash of red and a slightly tweaked look.

"The SanDisk Optimus brand redefines what performance means for consumer needs," explained the brand's VP of digital marketing, Heidi Arkinstall.

"Our products span multiple segments and with this change we are making it easier for consumers to find the right solution for their needs."

Announced during CES 2026, the newly branded products will start to hit stores in the first half of the year. WD_Black stock will still be available from some retailers in the meantime.

This year's CES hasn't even kicked off fully yet, but there have already been some tantalising product teases. And as well as the big TV announcements and smart home gadgetry, there's something for gamers and retro gaming fans this year.

Controller and accessories manufacturer 8BitDo had a cracking 2025, releasing several gamepads that are arguably better than first-party equivalents. It now looks like it'll hit 2026 running too.

As well as a so-far unnamed pro controller, the brand has revealed a mobile gaming accessory that turns an iPhone or Android handset into a Game Boy style retro console. And unlike others on the market, it does so with an interesting flip-style form factor.

We don't know a hell of a lot about it at present, but 8BitDo has posted a teaser video for the FlipPad on its X feed, stating that it is officially approved my Apple.

It will officially launch the add-on at the show itself, but has also revealed that it's planned for a summer 2026 release.

What we can gather from the clip is that it'll attach via USB-C, so will be a powered device and control codes will be transmitted rather than use the capacitive touchscreen of the phone (like some recent rivals).

The retro colour scheme is very Game Boy-esque and it's also obviously best suited for emulation thanks to only sporting a D-pad – there are no thumbsticks, so anything above the PSOne will be difficult to control. Plus, as it takes up the lower half of your screen, games will run best in 4:3, 10:9 and 3:2 aspect ratios, I'd imagine.

I'm also not sure why the underside of the FlipPad looks like a screen itself, rather than a soft pad to avoid damaging your phone's display. Maybe there's an extra trick up its sleeve?

We'll find out for sure when CES 2026 kicks off fully on Tuesday 6 January. Make sure you check back with T3 often.

When SteelSeries launched the Arctis Nova Elite last year, I felt like it would almost certainly result in a market shift of some sort for gaming headsets – a £600 headset will do that if it sells almost any units at all. Now, I think it's a little too early for that pricing shock to have set in for rivals, but JBL's new Quantum headsets, announced at CES in Las Vegas, have demonstrated that the high-end remains the place to be for headset-makers.

The headline-grabber is the next Quantum 950X, which will launch at a more predictable $399.95 when it launches in April. Still, just because someone else is charging £600, that doesn't make £350 suddenly look all that cheap.

This is still a really luxury-coded headset, one that looks to knock others off their perch and persuade people to spend more on their in-game audio than they might have on a PS5 during Black Friday.

JBL says the headset has all-new 50mm carbon dynamic drivers, which can deliver Hi-Res certified audio (presumably in wired mode, although the headset is wireless too). Crucially, the headset also cribs from SteelSeries' notes by including hot-swappable replacement batteries, so that you don't get caught short by low charge. These will charge on a base station that also acts as a wireless hub, making the headset extremely comparable to the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless.

Each will last 50 hours, impressively, while the 6mm cardioid boom microphone will have AI-enhanced noise-cancelling to transmit only your voice. The headset itself has normal noise-cancelling, too, for better isolation of your sound. Again, how impressive that ends up being will come down to my testing when I'm able to do it.

It's an impressive-looking headset that I look forward to getting my hands on, since comfort and fit are such huge variables for this sort of accessory. Memory foam ear cushions should make that a positive experience, but you'd be surprised how variable even that sort of earcup can be.

The Quantum 950X isn't the only new headset JBL's announcing, either, with the $200 Quantum 650X and $80 Quantum 250 also arriving in April and March, respectively. The first is a mid-range wireless option that drops the noise-cancelling and swappable batteries, while the second is a wired budget option.

LG will be refreshing its gaming monitor lineup in 2026 with an all-new technology and branding.

The new UltraGear evo monitors will be first shown at CES 2026 in early January and will adopt what the company calls the "world's first" 5K AI upscaling technology. This will appear in models using OLED and Mini-LED tech, and those with ultrawide form factors.

LG already has a range of 5K2K monitors available today, but the new models will improve super high-resolution visuals with on-board picture processing powered by AI. That means your GPU won't have to do all the hard work – extra clarity and precision will be provided by the monitor itself.

The range will include three new flagship models – the 39GX950B OLED, 27GM950B Mini-LED, and the 52-inch 5K2K 52G930B, which is claimed to be the "world's largest" with that resolution. It also features a 240Hz refresh rate.

A new era for LG monitors

As its name suggests, the LG UltraGear evo 39GX950B features a 39-inch OLED display, which has the new 5K AI upscaling tech as standard. The technology analyses and enhances content in real time, while additional AI skills also improve audio performance.

The curved monitor uses LG's RGB Tandem technology, promising greater colour accuracy and improved brightness, while the 21:9 screen supports 165Hz at 5K2K and up to 330Hz for WFHD.

LG's new Mini-LED model has a 27-inch display and also supports 5K AI upscaling. It features 2,304 local dimming zones to ensure there's minimal light bleed and deep, involving black levels. That's matched with the extreme brightness the technology is renowned for.

It too can switch between 165Hz and 330Hz depending on the resolution.

All three monitors will be on display on the LG stand at CES 2026. T3 will be at the show in Las Vegas all week from 6 January on to bring you our thoughts.

While it does feel like consoles are more expensive than ever, and gaming is pretty hard to do on a shoestring, it's thankfully still the case that most new consoles still come with an included controller, whether it's the PS5's excellent DualSense pad or the Switch 2's detachable Joy Cons.

Still, plenty of gamers know the sensation of wishing you had an extra couple of buttons, or clickier triggers, or whatever else when you're in the heat of an online match. If someone you know falls in that bucket, then giving them a pro controller for Christmas could make you just about their favourite person ever.

I've tested a whole heap of pro controllers down the years, and use one basically every day – so I've gathered three of the best current options for you to consider, right here.

T3's Top 3

So, which is best?

Well, this is where things get a little tight. After all, I've not picked out any duds for you – any of these three controllers would make a great addition to your gaming setup, and each has its strengths.

That said, I am ultimately happy to rank them, and I think the 8BitDo Pro 3 does come up in a very respectable third place. It's the best value, and there's no real doubting that. However, it's not quite as guaranteed to work with the device you want, since it doesn't have PS5 support, making it more of a Switch 2 accessory.

In second place, regrettably, I'm going to put my daily driver, the Scuf Reflex Pro. I think it can be the best controller on the market, if you tune it exactly as you want, but it lacks some of the flexibility of the DualSense Edge and is more expensive. This is for the true enthusiasts who want a custom controller that's perfect for them.

In the top spot, therefore, I think the DualSense Edge does take it. It's the best value despite a high price tag, has the features you'd want, and integrates phenomenally with a PS5, letting you make profiles on a per-game basis. That said, it isn't quite as stellar for other devices, for obvious reasons.

Microsoft's monthly update for Xbox isn't as much for Xbox console owners in December – not in the traditional sense, anyway.

Indeed, the biggest beneficiaries of the latest feature update are actually those with Windows 11 PCs, a ROG Xbox Ally or Xbox Ally X handheld. That's because it adds a rather neat feature to the official Xbox Wireless Headset that makes playing with those devices a nicer experience.

As announced by Microsoft yesterday, the Xbox Wireless Headset has been updated with Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) support. This means that it offers lower latency when used with Bluetooth LE-enabled devices, while battery life is improved through lower power consumption thanks to the update.

You also get super wideband stereo voice support, for clearer audio when speaking to other gamers. And shared audio has been added so you can broadcast the game audio to multiple Bluetooth devices simultaneously.

To update your Xbox Wireless Headset, you will need to link it to your console or Windows 11 device and run the Xbox Accessories app. The latest firmware should be available there. Note though, you will need the latest headset model, as released at the tail end of last year.

New Xbox app update too

Microsoft has also announced an update for its Xbox mobile app, with a new Store tab to help you find and purchase games more quickly.

On iOS and Android, this means you can find your game, wishlist it and even purchase it from the app itself. You can also set the game to download to your assigned Xbox console too.

This applies to add-ons as well, so you can purchase DLC to be available when you next turn on your machine.

Sadly, Xbox Cloud Gaming is not accessible through the Xbox mobile app (which is a shame), but you can head to xbox.com/play in Edge or Chrome to kick off your cloud games instead.

If you're looking for a new gaming chair, chances are you're already familiar with Secretlab. The brand's now iconic Titan Evo chair has topped our guide to the best of the best for years, and is something of a standard for gamers of all shapes and sizes.

Every now and then, we also get a limited edition version, where the brand collaborates with another brand. We've seen them link up with Lamborghini, for example, on a limited edition chair.

Now, the brand has done something similar with McLaren. That comes just days after the culmination of the Formula One season, which saw the brand's team romp to victory in the Constructor's Championship, while drive Lando Norris took home his first ever Driver's Championship.

This new limited edition chair doesn't actually have anything to do with the Formula One team, though. Instead, it pays homage to the evolution of the the brand's carbon fibre chassis technology, which has been evolving for over 30 years.

In particular, the new seat is inspired by the new McLaren W1, with a carbon fibre topshell on the rear of the body. The model also makes use of a Dinamica microsuede finish, which is designed to be reminiscent of the interiors of the brand's cars.

The new range is limited to just 100 pieces, which is likely to mean they'll sell out fast. Each of the pieces features a numbered plaque on the carbon panel at the top of the rear of the body.

The model is officially dropping on the 15th of December at 4pm GMT (8am PST), which gives wannabe owners just under a week to prepare for the buying frenzy. There's no word on pricing at this point, though we'd expect it to sit firmly in line with other high end collaborations with premium models.

Expect it to be somewhere in the £700-800 region, then (approx. €858 / US$1,000 / AU$1,500).

Sim racing is booming, with more and more people getting into properly authentic racing games that let them truly pit their driving skills against others online, or AI racers that can be just as hard to beat. The downside for many people, though, is that it can be a huge pain to set up a sim system at home, with pedals and a wheel.

Playseat's been making that easier for a little while, with setups that can be folded down (like a buggy) to become way smaller for storage, but its new setup is probably the sleekest and most attractive option I've seen yet.

The Playseat Challenge DD F1 Edition will go on sale in January 2026, for £349 / €399 / $399, and marks a subtle but important change compared to the standard Challenge DD, shifting your sitting position to be exactly reflective of real-life F1 racing. That means you can load up your Formula 1 racing sim of choice (which is probably F1 25), hook everything up and truly get into the game.

Plus, of course, you still get that folding system to make it much easier to store, ensuring you don't need to have a permanent sim racing room for it to make any sense at all.

This doesn't mean you'll have the same home setup that someone like Max Verstappen can turn to when he needs to practice a track, but it's close enough at a relatively reasonable cost that it's hard to be too down on it.

Plus, to be honest, the white-and-red livery that the seat's been given is really attractive, and again makes it one of the nicest-looking options that Playseat's made.

Of course, £350 is still a big chunk to spend on a racing seat like this, so there's no doubt that this remains a niche product. With high-end racing getting so popular, though, largely thanks to racers like Verstappen being open about how useful it is, this could end up being a really well-liked new option.

Like many others, I ordered a microSD Express card with my Nintendo Switch 2 when it first launched earlier this year – but considering the only size available at the time was 256GB, I've since run out of storage space.

In fact, with some of the Nintendo Switch 2 versions of games that are turning up today and their larger file sizes, it now seems woefully inadequate.

That's why I've been looking to expand the storage through a microSD Express upgrade pretty much ever since. And now there's the ideal opportunity: Amazon has a compatible 512GB SanDisk card available in a cheeky deal off the beaten track.

It's not part of the current Cyber Monday or Black Friday sales, but you still get 8% off. In addition, at £79.99, the SanDisk microSD Express (512GB) card is a lot cheaper than rivals – by at least £20.

Nintendo shocked many when it announced that, instead of the same microSD card format used by the Nintendo Switch, its Switch 2 console would require faster removable storage.

That essentially mean that the cheaper alternatives we've been using for the last few years would not be compatible, and we'd all have to invest in newer, more costly solutions.

On top of this, the official cards made by Samsung and SanDisk were only available in 256GB sizes – and for around £50 apiece – so were always likely to be maxed out by those with larger digital game libraries.

Bigger cards have arrived since, even up to 1TB in size, but prices have remained elevated in comparison with standard microSD cards. Indeed, you'll have to pay in excess of £150 for a full 1TB card. So this SanDisk 512GB deal is much more reasonable.

If you opt for a different card or brand, just make sure it is a microSD Express card – as these have the correct minimum speed to play Nintendo Switch 2 games from.

As a professional game reviewer, I need the right tools for the job and when it comes to the Nintendo Switch 2, there's only one controller I now use regularly – and it's not the official Switch 2 Pro Controller.

While Nintendo's own gamepad is great, my favourite controller for Switch 2 is the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Switch edition. It comes with its own charging dock, which can also work as a wireless receiver, and the TMR thumbsticks ensure there will never be any stick drift.

Even better news is that for the remainder of Cyber Monday, Amazon has listed the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 in either black or white for just $55.99 – down from $69.99. That's a very nice 20% off.

You need to be quick though – Amazon's sale ends tonight, so you only have a few hours to get the deal.

One thing that's recommended once you receive your Ultimate 2 controller is to update the firmware on it. You can do this by plugging it into a PC or Mac using a USB-C cable and downloading the official update software.

Once installed, run the software and follow the steps to update your controller. This will add the ability to wake your Switch or Switch 2 using the Ultimate 2 (much like an official Nintendo controller).

Everything else should work well with the Nintendo Switch 2.

It's also worth noting that while some other 8BitDo controllers will work with Switch 2 (over Bluetooth), the Ultimate 2 has a Nintendo A,B, X, Y button configuration, so is perfectly suited.

Having owned a PS5, PS5 Digital Edition and, since late last year, a PS5 Pro, I've tested a whole load of different controllers over the last five years. I've gone through several official DualSenses – with many breaking or becoming spongy in operation. And I've reviewed a fair few pro controllers for PS5, with some standouts.

However, there's one controller I've gone back to every time. I've even bought a second, in fact, for an additional console. It's the DualSense Edge, and it's undoubtedly the best pro controller for the PlayStation 5 – whichever model you own.

Even more so with at its amazing Black Friday / Cyber Monday price point. Now just £149.99 in the UK and $159.99 in the US, the DualSense Edge is essential for anyone who wants stability, durability and the best PS5 gaming experience.

As well as a sturdier build quality, additional paddle buttons on the rear, and a few other bells and whistles, the DualSense Edge controller can be set in up to four different profile configurations. These can be chosen from when playing on the PS5, so you can swap the precise control attributes depending on the type of game – such as sports or first-person shooter.

I would also add a couple of replacement thumbstick modules to your wishlist, as they could come in handy somewhere down the line, and I've found them to go out of stock regularly.

They cost £19.99 / $19.99 each and I've found Currys to be a good stockist for them in the UK, while Best Buy often has them available in the US.

Whilst scouring through Currys' best Black Friday tech deals, I stumbled upon a new 'Xbox Mini' that made me stop in my tracks.

Well, I say 'new', but it's actually been around for a while – I'd just not crossed paths with it before now. And, to be clear, it's not actually an Xbox at all.

Check out the Xbox Mini (Fridge) on Currys

No, this is an Xbox Series X replica mini-fridge (well, technically it's a thermoelectic cooler – so good at keeping cold things cold, but not good at getting warm things to cool).

It's a Currys exclusive, too, and it's dropped by a third as part of the Black Friday sales – which are now in full effect across all retailers that take part.

If I bought one, the irony would be that it'd probably get more use than my actual Xbox Series X – as I wrote last year, that's been gathering dust (and I don't see that changing soon).

I've included Currys' own video about the product so you can get a closer look. The product is complete with on-brand black-and-green colours, so certainly fits the bill.

There's no super-powerful chip inside here, just space for your tinnies and snacks. You can store up to six 330ml cans, plus some additions. What a treat!

If you know any Xbox superfans then this is the sort of Christmas present comedy gold that I'm sure they'd appreciate as a gift.

For actual gaming deals, however, Xbox has lagged behind somewhat – it's the PS5 Pro deal that's been best of the sales, plus the Switch 2 with Mario Kart World that's had a decent reduction.

T3 will be covering the best Black Friday deals all weekend long, right through to the end of Cyber Monday on 1 December, so stay tuned for more top buys like this one.

Like many others, when I preordered my Nintendo Switch 2 I also ordered the official Pro Controller – and have been extremely happy with it ever since it arrived on launch day.

However, I have since tested a different controller that's compatible with Switch 2 and genuinely think it's better. It's now my own go-to gamepad when playing Switch games. And what's more, it has a great Black Friday deal.

The 8BitDo Ultimate 2 for Switch controller works as well as Nintendo's official device and really looks the business in yellow. It also comes with Hall Effect triggers and, even more importantly, TMR thumbsticks. Not only is that the most precise thumbstick tech on the planet right now, they are impervious to stick drift.

What makes the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth controller so special

As well as TMR thumbsticks and Hall Effect triggers (which can be adjusted for hair-trigger reaction, as well as analogue), the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 controller comes with back paddle buttons on the grips, and RGB lighting around each stick.

There are also extra assignable buttons, and the A, B, X, Y buttons are arranged in Nintendo's style (some rival pads have the Xbox configuration).

It's also worth updating your Ultimate 2 controller when it arrives as this will unlock the wake feature, whereby you can press the main button or even just shake the pad to boot up your Switch or Switch 2.

Other colours (black and white) are available, but they aren't yet part of the Black Friday sale.

We'll bring you more deals as and when they appear online over the next few days – including any that might be available in the US.

Valve is reportedly set to unveil at least two new Steam gaming devices in the next day or two. One of them had leaked online already.

We're not expecting the long-rumoured, long-awaited replacement for the Steam Deck, but we should still be getting gen 2 versions of a couple of other old favourites.

Rumours have it that Valve is about to unleash a new VR headset – the Steam Frame. It is said to be a standalone model – ie. won't need a PC – and rival the Meta Quest 3. However, it'll give you access to Steam (of course) and the vast amount of VR games that are available through the platform.

But a more definitive leak comes from Brad Lynch (@SadlyItsBradley) who has a decent track record of such things. He claims that the headset will be accompanied by a new Steam Controller.

Posting on his X feed, with an image he admittedly created using AI "trained on a real image of the new controller", he reveals that the new gamepad will have two thumbsticks rather than the one on Valve's infamous original.

The touchpanels, for mouse-like control, will this time be at the bottom rather than top.

According to his post, the controller will also be able to detect how far your hands are from the grips, although there won't be individual finger tracking. This could be important for VR games.

In terms of the official launch time/day, we've heard it could be as soon as today – Wednesday, 12 November 2025. So we'll be keeping our ears to the ground in case there are further rumblings.

If so, we'll bring you more as soon as we have it. And there are even rumours that Valve could follow soon with a Half-Life 3 announcement, so we'll try to keep on top of that too.

It could be an exciting 24 to 48 hours for Valve and Steam hardware fans, that's for sure.

When I first reviewed the PlayStation Portal two years ago, I waxed lyrical about its potential – even stating: "If it had access to cloud gaming too, it'd be better still." Well, it's taken a while but now it's here in full, and the handheld has been thoroughly transformed.

To be fair, Sony first added the ability to play games over the cloud a year ago, but only in beta form and only for a select number of titles. Now, thanks to the biggest update the device has received since launch, you can play hundreds of games without having to connect the Portal to a PS5 or PS5 Pro. And, from my tests so far, that's largely lag-free too.

As well as launching in full and leaving the beta phase, Sony's cloud gaming option has been expanded massively. That's thanks to including streaming for a large slice of your own purchased games.

It claims that more than a thousand titles are now supported, so you should see an almost complete library of available games in a new "Your Library" section. Click or tap on one and it will (eventually) load for you to play.

As a games writer (as well as tech) I have a pretty decent collection of PS5 and classic games available in my collection, and it was difficult to find any that were missing from the list. Over a 100 titles were available to me as soon as I updated my Portal and opened the option, with many that I've owned for years but frankly forgotten about.

Indeed, that was one of the things that thrilled me first – that I could jump straight into games I hadn't played for a long time, but without having to download them first. And all on that sumptuous 8-inch 1080p display.

I'd also forgotten just how good the PS Portal screen is.

Admittedly, as I've intimated already, the experience isn't quite as instant as you'd hope – there's quite a pause between selecting a game and it starting, as Sony's servers fetch and open it up. But that's largely the same with Xbox Cloud Gaming through an Ultimate subscription, and PS Plus Premium is a fair bit cheaper.

Yep, sadly you do still need PS Plus Premium membership to access cloud gaming on the Portal, even if you only want to play your purchased games, but considering how much else you already get for your money, it's an added bonus.

The gameplay experience is also of such a high standard, that it's likely you'll want to pay the monthly fees to have the freedom of playing almost every game in your library, wherever you go.

How the PlayStation Portal now works

At launch, the PlayStation Portal had just one main purpose – it connected to your existing PS5 and streamed games from the console to play remotely. It used a form of PlayStation Remote Play (which is also available on mobile devices).

A year ago, Sony added a handful of games from the PS Plus game and classic catalogues to play over the cloud instead, but more as a kind-of test than in full.

Both of those capabilities are still available – although easier to access through the new, redesigned homescreen. But the real winner is the option to play your own purchased games too.

All of the above will work when you are connected to your home Wi-Fi network and, depending on the stability and speeds, are almost indistinguishable than running games on a PS5. There's a touch of latency, sure, but nothing damaging to most instances of gameplay.

I played Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown over the cloud after installing the new firmware and was able to hit every perfectly timed parry move, for example.

Perhaps even more useful is that the PS Portal can also be hooked up to other data services, including hotel Wi-Fi and mobile hotspots. Your experience will entirely depend on the strength of the connection, but there's a setting to change the streaming quality from 1080p to 720p if you experience problems.

I'm yet to test remote connectivity fully with the new firmware, but have previously streamed from my own PS5 when on holiday at a Center Parcs – over the camp's less than thrilling Wi-Fi. And bar a downgrade in crispness, it worked well.

Is the PS Portal now an essential gaming handheld?

As I'm having a mini break again soon, I'll test the Portal remotely again and find out if the upgrade has changed anything in that regard. As things stand though, I can honestly say that this could have become the handheld of the moment.

Yes, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X are now available – and yes, you can install games to play on each without needing an internet connection – but if you have a stable enough Wi-Fi connection to hand, do you really need to?

And both of those handhelds are not only much more expensive than the Portal, they only have a 7-inch display apiece.

I also own a collection of other handhelds, including several Android gaming machines – like the Odin 2 Portal, Ayaneo Pocket Evo, and dual-screen Ayn Thor. And they are far more adaptable, with emulation, Android games and cloud streaming available. But that 8-inch display combined with some of the best ergonomics in handheld history has me hooked once more.

Now I can play just about every PlayStation game I've acquired in the last five years, plus a large slice of the PS Plus game catalogue, do I really need anything else?

Perhaps the bigger question is, do you?

I'm a big fan of the PlayStation Portal – Sony's gaming handheld that lets you stream your PS5 games for remote play. But it's always been a bit lacking in features in comparison with other portable devices.

The gaming giant added the ability for PS Plus members to stream games over the cloud as part of a major update last year, but the list of supported titles was limited during the beta phase.

That's all changed now, though. The cloud gaming functionality has now launched fully and adds cloud streaming of games you own, as well as the selection available in the game and classics catalogues.

Sony boasts that thousands of titles are now available to play remotely. If you own any of those supported, you can stream them to your Portal without needing a connection to your PS5 or PS5 Pro.

The list includes the likes of Astro Bot, Borderlands 4, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Ghost of Yōtei, with new releases being added all the time. And, as you don't need to rely on your own home network to stream when out and about, you should get a better experience on your travels.

It makes the PS Portal much more attractive for sure – and is another string in the bow for PS Plus Premium members, as the new feature is exclusive to that tier.

Other new PlayStation Portal features

As well as expanded cloud streaming, the PlayStation Portal has received a refreshed user interface, with three new tabs on the same homescreen.

You can access your Remote Play, Cloud Streaming and Search screens from the one location (rather than having to boot into the option you'd prefer on start-up, as before).

The handheld now supports 3D Audio on select games, when listening through compatible headphones or earbuds. And a new Network Status Screen will give you the heads up on your current connectivity, to ensure you are getting the best experience possible.

Additional extras include a new in-game store to purchase in-game items on the Portal itself, and the ability to send and receive game invitations to and from friends who are also on the Cloud Streaming network.

The PS Portal update is available to all owners now.

I've made no secret of my admiration for SteelSeries' products over the years. They're among the best best gaming headsets on the market, in my opinion, with the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless being the best headset for almost anyone who can afford it. The newer Arctis Nova Elite standing as the ultimate option if there's no limit to your budget.

Part of any gaming brand's strength has to be in variety, though, and SteelSeries is clearly in the middle of a bit of a refresh of its range – hence the Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2, a newer version of one of its more approachably-priced headsets. Knowing how good the top-tier kit is, though, I've been excited to test this out – and I've used it for a fortnight to test if it can carve out a niche of its own.

Price and Availability

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 is out now – available to order from various retailers (although not masses as I write this review). It comes in at £179.99 here in the UK, roughly €210 in the EU, $199.99 in the US, and AU$199.99 in Australia.

For some context, that's a tiny bump in price over the launch price of the Arctis Nova 7 – at £5 more in the UK, generation on generation – but it's also a heap pricier than what you'll now find the older headset for... I can find that for £120 right now.

Design and Features

The SteelSeries identity is now pretty much set in stone – certainly since its 'Arctis Nova' reinvention a few years ago – and the Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 doesn't do anything to rip up the playbook. In fact, put it next to a previous-generation version and I'd be extremely impressed if you could tell them apart, because I couldn't at first glance.

That means the headset has a rigid headband with an elasticated band underneath it, which suspends the whole structure on the top of your head for really nice comfort when wearing.

Each earcup fully swivels at the end of its arm, and has a meshy synthetic ear cushion. They also each have swappable plates on the outside, for those who are likely to accessorise.

One earcup houses controls to power the headset on and off, put it into Bluetooth pairing mode, and adjust the sound balance between in-game audio and chat (which will only work on some devices), plus a USB-C port for charging.

The other earcup has a volume wheel and a mute button, along with a fully hideable retractable boom microphone, plus the 3.5mm port.

The headset is sold in black or white options, which seems to correlate with another important detail. There are three versions of the new headset: a standard one; then a version each for PlayStation and Xbox gamers.

I recommend picking up the Xbox version, no matter your device lineup, since it'll actually work with everything thanks to a toggle on the USB-C dongle in the box.

The big change for the Gen 2 product, however, is a major boost to battery life – which has improved by a claimed 40%, so is now estimated at over 50 hours of use on a single charge.

The other big improvement is the addition of a companion app that the headset can connect to on your phone, letting you swap between game-specific audio presets on the fly without losing your main connection.

This is a really convenient addition, and the downloadable Arctis app is quick and easy to use, and far more straightforward for console or phone-based gamers than the laborious process of connecting to a PC to tweak settings that many other headsets require.

These additions don't necessarily make for a headset that feels drastically different, but they're welcome upgrades, and the overall impression when you start wearing the Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 – at least from the point of someone who knows the first-gen model – is that it presents a considered changelist.

Speaking of wearing it, the comfort levels remain really high – with plenty of adjustability to be found thanks to headband options. It's not the tightest fit, which I find comfortable, although that might have minor sound implications, as I'll cover below.

Sound and performance

As I've said in so many headset reviews before, though, the real proof of the pudding is (other than 'in the eating') very much how a headset sounds.

Fortunately, SteelSeries has also earned my trust. So, true to that form, the Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 is a really good headset for the price – with sound that doesn't let the team down, regardless of how you stress it.

I've been playing hours and hours of Battlefield 6 recently, which has superb sound design and some hugely dynamic mixes for the headset to cope with – and the Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 has done so admirably.

This headset can flex to really powerful explosions, full of bass and oomph, but I've always been able to make out the likes of footsteps and other more delicate signals, too.

Being able to swap between presets using the Arctis app is also great and does make for appreciable changes to sound signatures. This is particularly key for competitive situations, where it can be a difference-maker. You can make your own profiles, of course, if you want a bit more control.

That makes the Arctis Nova 7 great for multiplayer gaming, but I've also found the headset nice and characterful for singleplayer, like when it's rendered the sweeping soundtrack of the new Final Fantasy Tactics remaster on my Switch 2.

It's an all-rounder of really high quality, in short, and that experience transfers to the microphone nicely, too, which is great for avid squad players – and doesn't suffer from muffling or any real defects.

The one note I do have on the sound front is that because the earcups are nice and light, and the cushioning isn't too clamping, this isn't a headset with a huge amount of passive isolation – playing in a loud environment and you'll hear plenty around you. For noise-cancelling, you'd need to step up your budget a bit, though, which isn't exactly any surprise.

Another admittedly tiny issue I encountered is that the wireless dongle (at least for the Xbox version, as tested, I've not seen the others) is really quite wide. This isn't a problem in many cases, but on my PS5 Pro it meant that plugging it into the front of the console completely obscured the second USB-C slot, which could be annoying for those who charge their controllers with a wire from the console itself.

Battery life lived up to SteelSeries' billing in my testing, too, with 50 hours standing as a really solid performance given the price and competition. Gone are the days when 12 hours would feel like acceptable at this level.

Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 review: Verdict

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 is almost exactly what I expected – a supremely solid headset that makes it all look pretty easy and effortless.

There are some tiny things I would tweak, and the upgrades over its previous-gen version aren't enough to make a swap-out particularly necessary, but there's no doubt this is a superior model over the original.

If you want a new headset for a moderate price tag, SteelSeries' latst mid-tier model is now a real contender. It absolutely needs to be considered in your shortlist – and it confirms that SteelSeries remains the brand to beat in the gaming headset space.

Also consider

If you can flex your budget a little further, then the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is within reach, our reigning winner in the overall best headset rankings for 2025. It brings superior sound and a battery-swapping system, but doesn't have app capabilities.

To spend a little less (at the time of writing), the last-gen Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is a brilliant and more chunky headset that rivals the Nova 7 Gen 2 for sound quality, without as many features. The cost-savings might be worth it, though.