15 Sep
Blog

Vilo Mesh Wi-Fi System Review: Affordability Is King

The square router from Vilo.

Vilo Mesh Wi-Fi System Review: Complete Wi-Fi Connectivity for Only $ 60?

RRP $ 60.00

"Compared to the competition, you can save 90% of the costs with Vilo by sacrificing only 30% of the speed."

advantages

  • Affordable price

  • Easy setup with an intuitive app

  • Lots of ethernet ports for a wired connection

  • Compact, attractive design that is expandable

disadvantage

  • No Wi-Fi 6 support

  • Some speed and connection issues

  • No WPA3 support

Mesh routers are a great option for your home WiFi needs, but the prices of these systems often make them inaccessible to many households. Vilo wants to turn the home mesh WiFi market upside down with an affordable proprietary system.

At just $ 20 for a single router or $ 60 for a three-pack that combines to cover a home up to 4,500 square feet, Vilo promises to have up to 120 devices at a time for a fraction of the cost to connect competing devices.

It's roughly a fifth the cost of the competing Linksys Velop Mesh Wi-Fi system, so Vilo obviously had to make some compromises. But it cuts in all the right places, balancing performance and features at its extremely attractive price point.

Jump to: Design | Specifications and Features | Establishment | Performance | Our opinion

draft

A single unit of Vilo's mesh router costs just $ 20.

Vilo mesh routers can be purchased as a pack of 1 – ideal for smaller rooms and offices – or as a larger pack of 3 to cover larger houses. Each unit, called a node, is identical and interchangeable, so it can be used either as a satellite or as the main router directly connected to the modem.

The Vilo units appear much higher quality than they are, and nothing about the Vilo's build quality would give away its $ 20 price tag. In fact, the minimalist square canister design – and the non-glossy white surface of the device – reminds me of the higher quality Velop mesh system from Linksys. The Velop, by comparison, costs a whopping $ 229 to $ 300 for a three-pack.

Like the Velop, the Vilo is very light and its compact design – 5.9 x 2.7 x 2.7 inches – no bigger than a large can of iced tea. The simple design of this device blends in perfectly with your furniture and home decor.

Vilo's eye-catching logo is on top of the router.

Unlike traditional Wi-Fi routers, mesh systems don't come with graceful, protruding antennas that resemble alien-like tentacles. The goal of these systems is that the more stylish design means that you'll want to place these devices throughout your living space to provide better WiFi coverage, rather than hiding the mesh system and obscuring its signal behind furniture and devices.

On the front of each vilo you will find a recessed round button that allows you to quickly disable the network connection to that particular node. as well as an LED display for the network status. When the Vilo starts, the LED will be red, but will change to solid blue when you are connected to the internet and the system is ready. A blinking blue light indicates patchy internet coverage, while an amber light indicates the device is ready to be paired and set up.

If you're sensitive to light or don't want Vilo's LED to interfere with the ambient lighting in your home, you can cover the LED hole with white tape for a cleaner aesthetic.

There are three Ethernet ports on the back of Vilo's home mesh routers.

Each device has three Ethernet ports on the back to accommodate wired connections if required. Ethernet ports on satellite devices can be useful for gamers who may need a reliable connection and have their modem or main mesh router in another room, or for connecting IoT devices in remote corners of your home. The ports here won't deliver the same speeds as you'd expect when connecting directly to your modem, but they can help maintain a more stable connection for critical applications.

The ethernet ports on satellite units are a welcome change from my older Amazon Eero system that didn't have support for wired ethernet connections on satellites. In general, I use the Ethernet ports on my satellite nodes to connect my game console, an IoT home hub with no built-in Wi-Fi, and my desktop PC.

Specifications and functions

The square router from Vilo.

For just $ 20 per unit, you won't find support for the latest Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E specs on the Vilo. Still, with dual-band 802.11ac on board, you get the same Wi-Fi 5 support found on something like the higher-end Linksys Velop AC2200 mesh system. Unlike Vilo, Linksys offers a premium version of its Velop system with Wi-Fi 6 support.

The main difference is that for $ 229, the Velop has a tri-band antenna for better coverage and reliability, while the cheaper Vilo uses a dual-band antenna. At a significantly lower price, you still benefit from MU-MIMO connections, beamforming and band steering with the Vilo. The belt control can be configured via the Vilo Living app, which is available for both iOS and Android. The app's dashboard provides you with additional information about your mesh network, such as: B. Your Wi-Fi signal strength, the current firmware version and your choice of encryption method.

A single button on the front to toggle Vilo's internet.

To set up your home WiFi network, you need to use the app. Every Vilo device comes with a QR code on the bottom. As soon as you have registered and logged into the app, you will be asked to scan the QR code of the main device first – this is connected directly to the router. If you buy a multipack, subsequent satellites will be detected automatically after you connect them. While Vilo offers a three-pack configuration, you can purchase additional nodes and pair them with your system if your home requires it. Like competing mesh systems, the app gives you a lot of control and information about your home network in a non-intimidating way.

Another benefit of the app is that parents can control the network to plan downtime when individual devices are locked. If you have young children, this is an extra layer of the digital wellness apps built into many modern phones and can help establish healthy internet habits.

You can also block specific websites, create a guest network that visitors with a separate password can use, and remotely restart your mesh system if there is any glitch. And if data is your interest, you can also view a usage report to see how much data each device is using. For guest networks, you can use Vilo to set up temporary networks with an expiration time or permanent, so that you can flexibly change your password and your settings to ensure security.

Put up

I tested a three-pack of the Vilo system on my parents' premises, which is bigger than my smaller apartment and a better indicator of how the units work together as a mesh network. In my smaller room, a modem with a unit would have been enough.

For the test environment, I replaced the existing Eero Pro 6 network at home with the Vilo network. I put one unit in the upstairs bedroom at the back of the house, one in the living room downstairs in front of the house, and one in the garage.

Due to the layout of the house, the garage has always been a Wi-Fi dead zone, and in the past my parents have placed repeaters or a mesh node in the garage to connect their garage door opener and ring. to control cameras. Since every device must be connected to the mains, it must be located near an electrical outlet.

power

The dashboard for your Vilo Mesh network.

Like a network of cell towers, the mesh system would determine which node has the best connection and switch your device to the strongest node as you move around the room. It all happens seamlessly, and in theory you should get the best WiFi reception without having to switch to a different network every time you enter a different coverage zone.

To test the Vilo's performance, I wanted to see if there were any drops in speed and differences in coverage reliability as I moved around the room. I know my parents have 300Mbps symmetrical speeds from their local Internet Service Provider (ISP), and when I connect my iPhone directly to the router-modem combo provided by the ISP, I get speeds in that range.

The bandwidth ranges from the lowest speed of 280Mbps to the highest speed of 325Mbps. The Vilo device supports a maximum of 867 Mbit / s in the 5 GHz band and up to 500 Mbit / s in the 2.4 GHz band.

Vilo says that each device has four internal antennas and can serve multiple users with MU-MIMO, which makes it reliable for different devices connected at the same time. Beamforming is also used to route the signals from the nodes to the devices, and band steering automatically sets each device to either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band.

If necessary, you can deactivate the band control in the Vilo app for devices that require a specific connection to a 2.4 GHz band. I disabled the band controls for the test and instead forced Vilo to rely on the 5 GHz band for our tests so that the ISP speeds would not be limited by the lower band.

Security options for your Vilo Mesh network.

During speed tests at various locations around the house, I found that the Vilo network was on average 30% slower than the Eero Pro 6, averaging just over 350 Mbps across multiple locations in the house. Still, a three-pack of the Eero Pro costs $ 6,599 for a three-pack.

This means you can save 90% on costs by only sacrificing 30% on speed, making the Vilo a serious winner for most average households.

It wasn't all bad, however. In the living room, which is connected to the main node – the unit that is directly connected to the modem – the speeds are higher on average at around 400 Mbit / s. When moving to the opposite end of the house, where only the main node was running, the speeds fluctuated by almost 200 Mbit / s.

When a satellite was used in the same location in the house, the speeds were around 250 Mbps. In the garage, with its infamous Wi-Fi dead zone, speeds were around 75Mbps during my speed test – that's 15% of the 500Mbps my ISP promised.

Compared to the Eero Pro 6 system, the drop in speed was not as drastic as with the Vilo. In the living room, the Eero Pro 6 reached almost 450 Mbit / s, so it is slightly faster than the Vilo in this setting. Outside of the main node, however, when moving to the other end of the house, speeds were much faster than the Vilo at an average of 320 Mbps. In the same location with a satellite unit, speeds were on average more than 100Mbps faster, at 370Mbps. And in the garage, the Eero was still delivering almost 150Mbps on the dedicated node for that room.

The biggest criticism of the Vilo is that the handover between different nodes does not work as well as on competing systems. This is a problem if you start your connection at one node on one end of the house and then move to another point in the house that should have been served by another node for optimal speed and coverage.

This doesn't happen often, but I noticed when I was pulling out of the garden – where I had good WiFi coverage on my phone when connected to the node from the upstairs bedroom – to the front of the house, which should have been should be served from the main node in the living room. After my migration, not only did my WiFi reception collapse – which indicated that I was connected to a more distant node – but also my speeds drastically due to the weaker reception.

While this isn't a common problem for most families – you really work on your laptop or tablet in one place – it is an issue when you FaceTiming or video calling with people while walking around the house.

Speeds are only part of the story when it comes to Wi-Fi networks. In general, I found the Vilo system very reliable in use. In the month that I used the Vilo network – both on my parents' test site and in my apartment – the network had to be restarted twice.

The first time was after a software update that caused a bug that prevented one of the satellites from being detected and the second time when devices connected to Vilo's network could not access the internet.

While this may seem frustrating, the glitches are easier to miss with the lower price of Vilo. Compared to my older Wi-Fi 5 Eero system, the Amazon branded network works much more reliably today, but when I first started I had the same glitches twice or three times a year and mostly after software updates.

Our opinion

If you don't already have a mesh home network, the Vilo system should be at the top of the list. While Vilo compromises on more modern features – the system lacks an option for Wi-Fi 6 support and it comes with a dual-band antenna instead of a tri-band antenna for even more robust coverage – its affordable starting price of $ 20 for one single router unit or $ 60 for a three-pack make Vilo great value for those looking to switch to a home Wi-Fi mesh system.

Are there alternatives?

Vilo's bigger competitors include Amazon's Eero, Logitech's Velop, and Google's Nest Wi-Fi. And while Wi-Fi 6 is supported on some of the more expensive models like the Eero 6 or Velop AX4200 Wi-Fi 6 system, you pay a premium for that technology. Right now, Wi-Fi 6 has not yet fully caught on, and even if your current smartphone or laptop supports it, most households in the US don't have the broadband speeds to use Wi-Fi 6.

According to Ookla's Speedtest.net, most households in the country have an average of 192 Mbps for fixed line broadband. Vilo's Wi-Fi 5 network supports up to 867 Mbps, which most broadband plans at sub-gigabit speeds should handle competently.

In addition to mesh networks, Vilo also competes with conventional WiFi routers, especially when they are coupled with range extenders.

How long it will take?

Vilo offers a one year limited warranty to cover all hardware defects. And unlike smartphones, Wi-Fi units are often stationary, so they're not prone to accidental damage. With a smart device like a mesh router, you also get years of support with software updates that run in the background and ensure that your Vilo network lasts for years. In general, the Vilo network should hold you up until you upgrade to home broadband speeds greater than 1 Gbps.

Should you buy it?

If you do not need a Wi-Fi 6 and do not yet have a Mesh WLAN system, you should definitely consider upgrading to the Vilo-Mesh. The device offers a stylish, good-looking appearance, but it does make some compromises in terms of speed. But at $ 60 for an entire home network, the speed losses don't matter much to prudent buyers as long as the system works as advertised and you can get reliable reception in the farthest corners of your home.

Editor's recommendations



15 Sep
Blog

Xiaomi 11T Pro Review: Not Worthy of its Pro Name

Xiaomi 11T Pro.

Xiaomi 11T Pro Review: Not worthy of its Pro name

"The Xiaomi 11T Pro is not an upgrade of the Mi 11, but at best a sideways step, and although it offers the required performance, it is difficult to justify its Pro name everywhere."

advantages

  • Very fast wired charging

  • Great performance for games

  • Camera with many functions

disadvantage

  • No watertightness

  • No wireless charging

This review is definitely not about Mi as Xiaomi removed the name "Mi" from its phones, with the update to the six-month-old Xiaomi Mi 11 being simply referred to as the Xiaomi 11T. There are three models in the new range – the 11T, 11T Lite, and 11T Pro – and I used the top model, the 11T Pro.

You can't call the 11T Pro a sequel because it's not that drastically different from the Mi 11. Worse still, there isn't anything that makes it a pro phone here either, and that makes me wonder why it exists. Let's see if there's a hidden reason.

draft

The Xiaomi 11T Pro weighs 204 grams, is 8.8 mm thick and has a flat screen and a back that looks like glass that covers metal, but feels and sounds more like plastic. The addition of the "T" to the name indicates that this is not a full sequel to the Mi 11, but a refresh, as OnePlus once did with its own T models. However, this Pro version doesn't look as modern as the basic, older Mi 11.

Xiaomi 11T Pro.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The curved glass above the Mi 11's screen didn't have a functional element, but it did give it some character, as did the multi-level camera module on the back. With the 11T Pro, that's all gone. The back has a glossy finish and an attractive brushed metal look, but it gets smeared and sounds pretty hollow. It offers enough support to hold it securely in your hands. although. It can be seen here in the color Meteorite Gray, but there are also white and blue versions.

What does it say about the rest of the phone's design if it's the power button that I like the most?

My favorite design element is the power key because it is very easy to use. It stands proudly on the chassis on the right, but still contains the fingerprint sensor. Since the last phone I used was the Nokia XR20 with its practically hidden fingerprint sensor, it's nice that the 11T Pro's sensor is easy to find and extremely responsive. I've never had to resort to any other unlock method while using the 11T Pro.

Top of the Xiaomi 11T Pro.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

However, what does it say about the rest of the phone's design if it's the power button that I like the most? It says it's a bit boring and forgetful. There is nothing wrong with the look of the 11T Pro, but nothing particularly stylish either. The 20: 9 aspect ratio of the screen, the chunky housing and the weight of more than 200 grams make it not particularly pocket-friendly or feel very modern. There is also no IP rating, which leaves it behind most of its competitors and puts it at a higher risk of harm.

screen

Covered with Gorilla Glass Victus, the 11T Pro's screen is a 6.67-inch AMOLED with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, a peak brightness of 1000 nits, a touch sampling rate of 480 Hz, HDR10 + certification and a resolution of 2400x 1080 pixels. This is a downgrade to the Mi 11's higher resolution screen and it really shows. It's less vibrant, has a cooler tone, poorer contrast levels, and is generally less visually exciting to look at. It might look a little more natural at best, but if you look at it side by side, your eyes will fall on the Mi 11 by default.

Xiaomi 11T Pro screen.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The screen does not have an adaptive refresh rate, so it is set to either 60 Hz or 120 Hz. While the smoothness of 120 Hz is always visible when it's active, it tends to slow down scrolling in some apps and in the menu. On Twitter, for example, scrolling is much slower and the app feels slightly squishy. This is also evident in areas of the operating system. Switch back to 60Hz and it will go away. I also found the automatic brightness a bit overly sensitive and dimmed the screen when I didn't want it.

While not terrible, there isn't much on the screen that makes me think of the 11T Pro as a "Pro" phone, a trend that has continued throughout my review.

camera

The main camera has 108 megapixels and is supplemented by an 8MP wide-angle and a 5MP tele macro camera. The Mi 11 had a higher megapixel wide-angle camera. How did that affect the photo experience? It's pretty similar to the Mi 11. It takes some great photos and then some bad ones with strangely muted colors or poor white balance.

The camera module of the Xiaomi 11T Pro.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The 2x digital zoom shows good detail as it doesn't get too close, and the main camera can take balanced photos that emphasize natural tones, but because the camera is inconsistent, I've often taken two or three photos from slightly different angles, in hoping one would come out well. The differences between them can be huge at times – see the photos of the roof structure in the examples below for evidence – and I don't trust the camera very much.

The 5 MP super macro mode is more useful than most because of an auto focus feature, and photos are more attractive and easier to take than phones with a simple 2 MP macro fixed focus camera. The phone records 8K video at 30 frames per second (fps) and it's all the same AI. Video modes from Mi 11 too. These offer cinematic looks like a super zoom-in-style shot, a lowlight tracking mode and a "time freeze" in which one object is frozen while everything else continues to move. In practice, all of these require very specific situations to shine, and most work best with another person in the shot.

Xiaomi's addition of an optical zoom is welcome, but its presence isn't enough to really elevate the 11T Pro's camera over the Mi 11, and the name "Pro" was definitely not added to highlight camera improvements.

battery

The Xiaomi 11T Pro is the fastest charging phone I've tested. The 5000 mAh two-cell battery gets its power from an included wired 120 watt charging block that Xiaomi claims will reach 100% in 17 minutes. I couldn't believe the phone fully charged so quickly the first time I tried it, as the battery was full in around 20 minutes.

Xiaomi 11T Pro seen from below.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Strangely enough, it doesn't always go that fast. Most days the total charge time was 20 minutes, but other days it went up to 30 minutes. Still fast, but the variation doesn't instill confidence in the system, which is important. I am using a European charging block with an adapter for use in the UK, which may affect the charging speed.

I didn't charge the 11T Pro overnight at all because the battery life is enough for about two working days or a day and a half of continuous use. This means that by using the 120W wired fast charge, I can fully charge the battery first thing when I'm doing something else, like showering or having breakfast. There's no wireless charging, and while I don't really see this as a major downside, it's a standard feature on many competing phones, and it was also the case on the Mi 11.

Side view of the Xiaomi 11T Pro.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Fast charging is very practical, saves energy and should also contribute to the longevity of the battery. The battery life is better than the Mi 11, due to a slightly larger battery capacity and improved efficiency of Xiaomi's MIUI 12.5 software. It's really the only vaguely pro aspect of the phone, and even then, it's a bit of a chore.

Performance and software

A Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and either 8 GB or 12 GB of RAM fuel the 11T Pro. It has dual SIM 5G connectivity, NFC for Google Pay, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. Android 11 with Xiaomi's software MIUI Global 12.5 is installed.

First the good things. There's an app bar, a really pretty and highly customizable always-on screen, and new super wallpapers that look amazing – they're fully animated, very fluid and dynamic as they change their appearance with the time of day. The phone was reliable, I was able to uninstall most of the pre-installed apps, and I could also see some efficiency improvements from battery life.

On the other hand, there are various frustrations that ruin the experience. You select an app drawer during setup, but it still pops up all of the apps on multiple home screens for you to clean up. The always-on screens look great, but don't show app-specific notification icons on all wallpapers, just an unhelpful blanket icon for "You have notifications". The new version of the notification shade uses both sides of the screen – left for notifications, right for quick access controls – which isn't ergonomically good, but luckily you can switch to the traditional side. Dark mode is also problematic and doesn't always let apps display properly.

The Snapdragon 888 is a great performer, and the phone hasn't missed a beat, with more than enough power to handle video, games, photography, and other apps while multitasking without the slowdown. I played Asphalt 9: Legends without any problems and also Genshin Impact. As with all Snapdragon 888 powered phones, you won't have to worry about ditching the latest games or having enough power for almost any task.

Price and availability

The 11T Pro is unlikely to ever be officially available in the US, but you will likely be able to import it. In the UK, the 11T Pro will be released on October 1st with pre-orders starting September 24th, with the price set at £ 599 or € 650 for the 8GB / 128GB version or around $ 770. Two other versions will also be available, an 8GB / 256GB phone for £ 650 / € 699 or $ 830, and a 12GB / 256GB phone for £ 749 and $ 885 in select markets.

Our opinion

The question I have asked myself most about the Xiaomi 11T Pro is: “Why does it exist?” It has the same chip as the Mi 11, an almost identical camera and a lower screen, but a slightly larger battery and one faster charging. I find it doesn't look as good as the Mi 11, and when you hold the two at the same time, the Mi 11 feels like the superior, more expensive device. The last puzzle comes with the name because not only does it not beat the standard Mi 11 to deserve its Pro title, but I couldn't find anything that technically made it "Pro" at all.

Obviously, if you own the Mi 11, there is no need to upgrade. The bad news (for Xiaomi) is that since it's not a sensible upgrade over the Mi 11, which only launched in February, there are some strong alternatives from the competition. The Snapdragon 888 may make the 11T Pro seem like a flagship, but unfortunately it's surrounded by midrange technology that isn't always very well optimized and doesn't do justice to the chip or the Pro name.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes sir. We recommend the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G for a great mix of affordable price, powerful camera, great screen, and useful feature enhancements like water resistance and 5G connectivity. Alternatively, take a look at the OnePlus Nord 2, the Google Pixel 5a or the Realme GT. If you have to spend more, the OnePlus 9 Pro is still a good buy.

How long it will take?

They will be used for two years without any problems, but by then it may be ripe for a replacement. There's no water resistance here so you need to be careful with the phone, but a clear TPU case is included to keep it secure. There is 5G to keep the phone updated on connectivity for a while, and because of the top of the range processor, there are no performance concerns. Xiaomi sends out software updates on a regular basis, but these mainly apply to MIUI, and while the phone receives Android updates for three years, you have to wait longer on Android 12 than you would with a phone like the Google Pixel 5a.

Should you buy one?

No. It is not an upgrade compared to the Mi 11 and cannot compete with many other budget smartphones.

Editor's recommendations



14 Sep
Blog

Logitech G435 Gaming Headset Review: Too Cheap to Be Good

The Logitech G435 gaming headset on a stand.

Logitech G435 gaming headset

RRP $ 80.00

"The Logitech G435 is a wireless gaming headset that sacrifices too much to be affordable."

advantages

  • Wireless Lightspeed connection with Bluetooth support

  • Easy

  • Comfortable for long gaming sessions

  • Payable

disadvantage

  • Feels cheap

  • Disappointing sound quality

  • Not a boom mic

When looking for the best gaming headset, it's easy to fall into the trap of wanting wireless connectivity. With one less cord, the workspace is really tidy, and it's nice to be able to get up without taking off the headset.

However, the feature significantly increases the price due to the need for a wireless radio, electronics, and battery. However, this is not the case with the Logitech G435 Lightspeed. You won't find a cheaper wireless gaming headset – at least not one from a well-known brand.

Unfortunately, the G435 is cutting too many corners to reach this price point, leaving you with a headset that doesn't feel like it's worth $ 80.

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Thin headband of the G435 gaming headset from Logitech.Niels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

When it comes to design, the first thing you notice about the G435 is that it is extremely light. It only weighs 165 grams, which is absolutely nothing for headsets, especially wireless ones. For comparison: Razer's Barracuda X weighs 250 grams, which is considered light, and something high-end like Corsair's Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT weighs 382 grams, even lighter than the 240-gram Logitech G335.

So yes, the G435 is very light indeed. But the quality of workmanship is a problem with a headset for this lamp. There is no getting around it: The G435 feels thin and cheap. The plastic parts are all thin, there are no beautiful materials and the headband looks full, but is just a plastic frame with a fabric cover.

I feel like if I held the headband in my fist it would just be strong pressure to snap. This is not good. Logitech only markets the light weight as a benefit, but it feels like it was a decision to cut costs, and it shows. The heavier Logitech G533 looks and feels higher quality and can be picked up at a discount for less than the newer G435.

However, I cannot deny the advantages of an ultra-light headset. The light weight and soft fabric ear cups of the G435 make it one of the most comfortable headsets I've ever worn. It's also surprisingly comfortable to rest on your neck.

The ear cups don't pivot to lie flat on your chest, but since there's no protruding microphone and it's surprisingly small, your chin won't collide as much when you turn your head.

characteristics

Beamforming microphone on Logitech's G435 headset.

When it comes to features, it's no surprise that the G435 isn't very featured. But that doesn't mean it's shabby. The headset supports various spatial audio codecs including Dolby Atmos, has an optional volume cap of 85 decibels to protect your ears, and the dual beamforming microphones work together to reduce background noise.

And yes, that means the G435 doesn't have a boom mic, as is common with gaming headsets. Boom microphones provide sharper, clearer audio quality compared to the smartphone-grade quality that beamforming microphones offer. It's a surprise to see Logitech leave it out here as even the G335 includes one.

The G435 is charged via the USB-C port, and a fully charged battery has a lifespan of 18 hours. Controls are just as easy: there is an on / off button, volume control and a microphone / mute button.

Controls of the G435 gaming headset.Niels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

The primary connection method for the G435 is via the included 2.4 GHz Lightspeed dongle, but you can also use it with Bluetooth devices in a low-latency mode – this combination does it not only with PCs, but with PlayStation devices and mobile phones can be used.

That's pretty cute considering the vast majority of gaming headsets don't support Bluetooth and you often have to jump on something like the SteelSeries Actis 9, which costs a whopping $ 200.

Sound quality

Logitech G435 gaming headset ear pads.

The actual test of the headset naturally depends on the sound quality. The G435 is still packed with 40mm drivers, which sounds promising, but in practice I wouldn't expect any acoustic miracles from the G435. There's a lot of bass and some detail at the top, but the headset lacks something in the middle section – I'd describe the sound profile as hollow.

The sound lacks the "fullness" that makes you turn up the volume for the satisfaction you want. So it is good that it is equipped with a volume limiter.

But then again, this is a $ 80 wireless headset. Great sound quality was never the primary goal, and the acoustics are good enough for casual gaming. However, if you are a competitive gamer you may want to look for something a little more revealing sound so you don't miss your opponents' steps as they sneak up on you.

Our opinion

The Logitech G435 Lightspeed has a lot to offer, such as light weight, comfort and Bluetooth support. However, unless you absolutely need a wireless headset for under $ 80, I'd stay away from that and spend the same budget on a wired pair.

With the need to squeeze a wireless radio, control module, and battery into the tight budget, Logitech had to make concessions on build quality and sound quality. They take off too much of the overall experience, and while it's wireless, the G435 doesn't feel like $ 80 headphones.

Are there alternatives?

The next alternative is Razer's recently launched Barracuda X gaming headset, which costs $ 20 more. While it doesn't support Bluetooth, it offers better processing and sound quality, plus a proper microphone, and looks better for outside the home. It's more expensive, but well worth the extra effort.

The Logitech G533 is also a good choice. Although it originally sold for $ 150, you can currently pick it up at Retailers for only $ 74.

If you're shopping wired on the same budget, the entry-level HyperX Cloud II headset offers much better build quality and sound quality.

How long it will take?

Although the G435 should last two to three years if carefully cared for, its fragile construction is an accident or a rage that is far from snapping into place.

Should I buy it?

If you really need a $ 80 headset, don't buy a wireless headset. Too much of the budget goes into the wireless radio, electronics, and battery, and with that budget it is better to buy a wired headset.

Editor's recommendations



14 Sep
Blog

Garmin Enduro Review: An Endurance Watch You’ll Never Outrun

Garmin Enduro

Garmin Enduro Test: Durable sports watch for long distance fans

RRP $ 799.00

"The Garmin Enduro sports watch provides long-lasting power for ultra-endurance athletes"

advantages

  • Stunning battery life

  • Outdoor focused sports tracking

  • Comfortable nylon strap

  • Spacious, easy to read display

disadvantage

  • No topographic maps

  • Expensive costs

Fitness watches will keep you on track in the long run, but powering such a watch is a challenge. Long distance runners sometimes carry a charging cable and bulky portable batteries to charge their watch. Step inside the Garmin Enduro, Garmin's latest sports watch that offers an incredible 70 hours of run time on a single charge. Is the enduro a game changer for the ultra-running crowd or just hype?

Solid construction, prone to scratches

The Garmin Enduro is a hybrid watch that borrows heavily from the brand's outdoor-focused Fenix ​​line and the Forerunner running watches. The Enduro has a sturdy stainless steel bezel and a metal-polymer case that can withstand the elements. I've used it for hiking, biking, and climbing, and I still have to scratch the body of the watch.

Garmin Enduro worn on the wrist.

I can't say that about the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display. After about a month the watch will have a few light, superficial scratches. I probably got them from rough rock climbing or from sticking my hand through spokes, pedals, and chains while fixing my bike. The scratches do not affect the performance and are only visible at an angle.

The Enduro has a color display, but don't expect to be blown away by a rich, colorful user interface. Color is used wisely to either indicate critical statistics or convey information. The 1.4-inch display is easy to read in sunlight and is large enough to check your stats without slowing down.

Chunky but comfortable design

The Enduro competes with the Fenix ​​series in terms of size, but surpasses them in terms of comfort. Instead of the standard elastomer sports strap, the Enduro is equipped with a very comfortable nylon strap. The strap wraps around your wrist and is fastened with Velcro. The band reduces sweat and doesn't rub my wrist like other sports bands.

Close-up of the Garmin Enduro watch strap.

If you don't like the nylon strap, you can simply swap it out for a different version. Like the Fenix, the Enduro is a bit bulky, especially for smaller wrists, but relatively light, the steel version weighs 71 grams.

Fitness tracking for outdoor people

The Garmin Enduro records a wide range of activities including hiking, trail running, mountain biking, and other outdoor activities. Like most Garmin watches, the Enduro quickly grabs a satellite signal and keeps it safe even in thick forests. It's chock-full of metrics like ClimbPro that let you know when you hit a steep climb and a Trail VO2 max calculation that takes altitude into account. The enduro is over the top for gym goers and yoga fans, but die-hard outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate these extras as they climb mountains and cover kilometers.

Limited smartwatch functions

The Garmin Enduro is packed with fitness and outdoor-oriented features, but its smartwatch features are limited. You can receive incoming phone calls and notifications, but you can only answer them if you have an Android phone. Even on Android, you can only reply to text messages.

Thanks to its widget-based interface, you can view the weather, sunrise and sunset times and upcoming calendar events. The Enduro supports Garmin's Connect IQ app repository, but most of the apps available are wellness or music oriented and don't complement the watch's already rugged multisport feature set.

Stunning battery life

I thought the Coros Vertix and Suunto 9 had great battery life, but the Enduro blew them both away. With normal use, the Enduro lasted more than a month between charging processes. Charging was an afterthought – something I only did when the watch reminded me when it got low. The worst part was finding my charging cable after not using it for more than 30 days.

The Enduro lets you explore for days and weeks without a power source

In contrast to the Apple Watch, I didn't have to worry about the battery life even with activated GPS and fitness tracking. I've used the Enduro while hiking on both day trips and overnight trips. A full-day hike in GPS mode hardly harmed the battery life. It was so liberating not to have to worry about running out of juice before my hike was over. On a multi-day trip, I didn't have to carry a charging cable or power source with me. I turned off GPS tracking at the end of each day and still had enough battery after four days.

Solar provides a power boost

The battery life is further increased by an integrated solar cell that surrounds the bezel and is embedded under the glass display. Power Glass technology is designed to only provide extra power, so don't rely on it to fully charge your watch. You have to be out in the sun for a while to see a difference. I hardly saw a difference on short trips in the woods, but it did improve battery life on a day hike in the bright sun.

Missing maps and music

The Enduro's overwhelming battery life has its price. Garmin had to trim battery-guzzling features like navigation and music found on the Fenix ​​6 and Forerunner 945 models. You get breadcrumb tracking and uploadable routes on the Enduro, but you don't get the highly detailed topographic maps you find on the Forerunner 945 or Fenix ​​6 Pro. There is also no music memory. Yes, you can control music playback on your phone with the Enduro, but you cannot use the watch as a standalone music player.

Our opinion

The battery life is the killer feature for the Garmin Enduro. If you hike, bike or run long distances, the Enduro is a breeze. The sports watch is comfortable to wear and the battery lasts forever. You don't have to carry the extra weight of a battery pack or charging cable, or worry about running and charging at the same time. Its high cost of $ 800 may be a hard sell to some people, but it certainly covers everything an outdoor enthusiast craves.

Is there a better alternative?

The Garmin Enduro is a niche product for endurance runners, bikers and hikers. Unless you want longer battery life, a Fenix ​​or Forerunner series watch should save you some money and add some features. The Fenix ​​has map and advanced navigation features that can be more appealing to outdoor enthusiasts than battery life. Likewise, the Forerunner 945 has advanced run metrics for those who run for hours rather than days.

How long it will take?

Garmin's outdoor watches are known for their rugged construction, and the Enduro is no exception. The stainless steel case resists scratches and the nylon strap can be closed securely. We got a few light scratches on the display from climbing rocks or repairing a bike, but you can put a screen protector on. Garmin has a one-year warranty that covers defects in manufacturing or workmanship.

Should you buy it?

If battery life is at the top of your list, then go for the Garmin Enduro. The Enduro will blow away the other watches from Garmin and even those from competitors like Suunto or Polar.

Editor's recommendations



14 Sep
Blog

HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 Review: Superlight, Superexpensive

HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 sits on the desk.

HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 review: Super light and super expensive

RRP $ 2,679.00

"The HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 is a super light business laptop with a high price."

advantages

  • Solid build quality and yet light

  • Bright, color-accurate display

  • Good productivity performance

  • Superior battery life

  • Industry leading suite of business tools

disadvantage

  • Very expensive

  • 16: 9 display is old school

How important is half a pound in laptop design? Well, that's enough for HP to justify a new brand called "Aero" in its line of laptops.

There's the budget-conscious Pavilion Aero 13, which packs a ton of power into a 2.18-pound chassis. A lighter laptop could be even more convenient for business people, and that's why HP has an Aero for you too. The EliteBook 840 Aero G8 accomplishes this goal of being half a pound lighter than its non-Aero version.

I tested the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 with a Core i7-1185G7 and a 14-inch 1080p display. Unfortunately, it comes in the old school 16: 9 aspect ratio and comes at an extremely high price of $ 2,679. But it's light, powerful, and packed with business features that your IT staff will appreciate.

draft

If you compare the Aero version of the EliteBook 840 G8 with its non-Aero sibling, you will find a laptop that is almost identical in size, just a few centimeters in width and depth and just as thick at 0.70 inches. But HP made the EliteBook Aero 840 G8 out of magnesium instead of aluminum, and managed to cut almost half a pound from 2.92 pounds to 2.5 pounds. It's light for a 14-inch business-class laptop and noticeably easier to carry around.

While there are 14-inch consumer laptops in the same weight range as the Acer Swift 5, which weighs 2.31 pounds and is 0.59 inches thick, there aren't many business devices that can match this. The Dell Latitude 7420, for example, weighs 2.7 pounds with carbon fiber in its construction and 2.89 pounds with an all-aluminum chassis while being 0.68 inches thick.

HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 sits on the desk. Rear view from above / cover.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

One laptop that goes with the EliteBook is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 at 2.49 pounds and thinner 0.59 inches, which also uses magnesium in its case and is more flexible. Ultimately, the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 achieves its goal of being extremely light, even if it is not the thinnest notebook on the market.

The EliteBook 840 Aero G8 also manages to get around a common pitfall of magnesium chassis, namely that they tend to be less stiff than aluminum. The EliteBook is solid all round, with a lid that only bends if there is inadequate pressure, a keyboard deck that shows no bend, and a case bottom that doesn't give way. Business laptops tend to be more solidly built than some consumer laptops, like the MSI Prestige 14 Evo, which is made of aluminum but still has a slightly flexible lid, so it's nothing new. But being so light and so solid is a great combination and not too often. The laptop's hinge is a bit tight and requires two hands to open the lid, but it's tapered all around to make it easier to open and it retracts to 170 degrees for collaborative viewing.

Aesthetically, the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 fits the general HP EliteBook look and feel. It's all silver with few decorations. There's a chrome HP logo on the lid and a subtle EliteBook logo on the keyboard deck, and the speaker grilles on each side of the keyboard have a laser-cut pattern, but otherwise we're talking about a minimalist design. The Dell Latitude 7420 is similar in its simplicity, as are other business laptops.

Business laptops need to be connected, and the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 delivers.

Manufacturers tend to be conservative in their designs for this class of notebooks – you don't want a laptop that attracts attention in a conference room. However, that by no means makes the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 a bad looking laptop. It's pretty attractive and has just enough angles and rounded tail and lid edges to give it a fairly modern look. I'll note that the large top and bottom display bezels detract from that perception a bit – the EliteBook has an 85% screen-to-case ratio, which is low for a modern laptop.

Right side view of the HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8. Plugins and ports.

Left side view of the HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8. Plugins, connectors and hinges ..

Business laptops need to be connected, and the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 delivers. On the left you will find a nano security lock, two USB A 3.1 Gen 1 ports, a 3.5 mm audio jack and an optional smart card reader. On the right is a proprietary power connector (my test unit came with a USB-C charger), a full-size HDMI 2.0 port, two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, and a nano-SIM slot for 4G LTE or 5G support. In addition to WWAN support, WI-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 are on board.

Security and privacy

You will not spend that much money on the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 for the conservative, light housing and the relatively standard components. Rather, you – or, more likely, your company – will make the investment to gain access to the wide range of security and management tools built into HP's business machines.

It is this level of security and manageability that justifies the laptop's very high price.

The EliteBook uses HP's Wolf Security for Business, which has many features that enable the laptop to meet the most demanding business security needs. The list is complete and begins with HP's Management Integration Kit (MIK), which makes it easy to integrate the laptop with Microsoft's System Center Configuration Manager for better manageability. The EliteBook 840 Aero G8 offers optional Intel vPro and thus expands its ability to be integrated into enterprise IT systems.

HP's Endpoint Security Controller (ESC) runs at the lowest tier of the laptop and features hardware-assisted technology that provides a hardware root of trust through HP Sure Start that is physically isolated and protects the laptop's critical firmware. The protection also works during runtime, constantly monitors the security system and uses cryptographic hardware functions from Wolf Security. HP Sure Recover minimizes downtime with built-in recovery tools, network-based recovery, and the ability to support corporate images. HP Tamperlock protects against physical attacks on the chassis and DMA, flash replacement, side channel and TPM probing attacks.

We'll stop here, but suffice it to say that the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 is very secure and easy to manage, giving users and businesses the peace of mind that their machines and data will stay safe. It is this level of security and manageability that justifies the laptop's very high price.

power

HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 sits on the desk.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

My test device was equipped with the 11th generation Intel Core i7-1185G7 with vPro. This top U-series GPU in Intel's product range is aimed at thin and light laptops and offers a theoretical increase in performance compared to the more popular Core i7-1165G7.

In our benchmarks, the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 was able to compete with most of the similarly equipped notebooks in our comparison group. It was the third highest in Geekbench 5, with the HP Elite Dragonfly Max taking first place in this test. In our Handbrake test, which converts a 420 MB video to H.265, the EliteBook does well for the CPU and takes fourth place, with only the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo being significantly faster than the Intel pack.

I added the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED to give a taste of the AMD Ryzen 5000 series performance, and as you can see, it is significantly faster on CPU-intensive tasks. The EliteBook is also in the midfield in the Cinebench R23 benchmark, another test that loads the CPU. In PCMark 10, the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 maintained its average performance, which extended to the Complete Score listed in the table as well as the areas of Essentials, Productivity and Content Creation of the benchmark.

Overall, the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 is a solid productivity performer that is not at the top, but can keep up. You will find it useful for keeping up with your demanding productivity workflow, but you will not want to use it for creative applications. However, that's not a blow to the EliteBook as it applies to all current Intel U-series laptops. You need to turn to AMD for better creative performance.

Geekbench 5 (single / multiple) Handbrake (seconds) Cinebench R23 (single / multiple) PCMark 10 3DMark time spy
HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 (Core i7-1185G7) 1569/5279 204 1474/4496 4868 1663
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (Core i7-1165G7) 1327/5201 170 1469/4945 5147 1776
MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo (Core i7-1185G7) 1352/4891 203 1360/4392 4872 1751
HP Elite Dragonfly Max
(Core i7-1185G7)		 1570/5297 252 1385/3604 4724 1468
Dell XPS 13 (Core i7-1165G7) 1540/5432 201 1399/4585 3859 1589
HP Specter x360 14 (Core i7-1165G7) 1214/4117 236 1389/3941 4728 1457
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED
(AMD-Ryzen7 5800U)		 1423/6758 124 1171/7824 6034 1342

The gaming performance of the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 corresponded to that of other laptops that are equipped with Intel's integrated Iris Xe graphics. That said, it wasn't great. In Fortnite, you get around 29 frames per second (fps) on 1080p high graphics and 22 fps on epic graphics.

This is good enough for older titles or newer titles with greatly reduced resolution and graphics. But this is a business laptop and doesn't pretend to be a gaming device.

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Close-up of the screen of the HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

I'm not a fan of full HD displays (1,920 x 1,080), not even 14-inch displays. I like higher resolutions. However, I liked the power-saving display of the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 more than usual – apart from its traditional 16: 9 aspect ratio. The display was bright, the colors were dynamic without looking excessive, and black text appeared on a white background. Subjectively, it's one of the better 1080p displays I've used on a laptop that isn't specifically designed for developers.

My colorimeter supported me. First, the display was actually bright at 479 nits, well above our 300 nit threshold and well above the premium average. This is a display that you can probably use in sunlight. The contrast of 1,740: 1 was also excellent for an IPS display and is again well above our preferred threshold, in this case 1000: 1. It is better than the display of many other business laptops, including the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9, which only delivers 306 cd / m² and had a much lower contrast ratio of 970: 1.

The colors were also good for a non-creator display with 77% AdobeRGB and 99% sRGB. That is a few percentage points above the average of the premium display and again surpasses the 76% and 96% of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9. The display of the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 was with a Delta-E of 1.11 (1.0 or less is excellent) is also accurate, compared to the ThinkPad with 0.99.

All in all, I found the display a pleasure to use for productivity work and Netflix binge. Again, I would have preferred a higher resolution display, but many people will find a full HD display to provide a sufficiently sharp image on a 14-inch display. I wish the display had been touchable though, and that's an option for those who feel the same way.

Sound is provided by two upward facing speakers on either side of the keyboard. HP advertises the speaker volume and bass, and I found the claims to be true. Fully turned up there was a lot of sound and no distortion. Mids and highs were nice and clear, and yes there was a hint of bass. The EliteBook 840 Aero G8 can't live up to the audio standards of the Dell XPS 15 or MacBook, but it's good enough for watching Netflix and occasionally listening to music.

Keyboard and touchpad

Close up on the HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 keyboard.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

HP's EliteBooks all have great keyboards. The EliteBook 840 Aero G8 has been redesigned to be even better, especially to provide a consistent feel across all keys. The redesign includes adding a programmable hotkey and moving the power button onto the keyboard, and requires a little more pressure and longer holding to activate it. The mechanism of the keyboard is deep, with a snappy floor movement and very quiet. I would rate it on the HP Specter keyboards, which have long been my favorite Windows 10 keyboards, and better than Dell's XPS line of keyboards. Only the Magic Keyboard in the MacBook is better.

The touchpad is medium in size with a smooth glass surface and Microsoft Precision touchpad support. I found it serviceable, with reliable performance using Windows 10's multi-touch gesture suite, however, it's smaller than it could be to accommodate buttons for the Lenovo TrackPoint-like cursor nubbin in the center of the keyboard. This works well if you're into that type of control, and provides a textured surface to stay in control.

Windows 10 Hello support is provided by both a fingerprint reader in the upper right corner of the palm rest and an infrared camera for facial recognition. Both worked quickly and easily, so that the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 could log in without any problems.

Close-up of the HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 webcam.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Battery life

The EliteBook 840 Aero G8 offers a 53 Wh battery, which is average for a 14-inch laptop. With a 1080p display, I'd expect good but not great battery life, probably enough to last you through a day of work but not enough to last through the evening.

As it turned out, the battery life was a little better than I expected. I saw about 11 hours on our web browsing test which is a strong result. The MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo with the same CPU, Full HD + display (1,920 x 1,200) and 70 watt hour battery is only one minute longer. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9, a more direct competitor, lasted for about another hour. In our video looping test, which is playing a local 1080p film trailer, the EliteBook again managed a good time with 14 hours and 15 minutes. Anything over 12 hours is exactly what we would expect from a premium laptop. I have to say that the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 lasted a spectacular 21 hours, so that the EliteBook does not completely dominate the business class.

In the PCMark 10 Applications battery test, which provides the best indication of the battery life, the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 achieved a strong 13.75 hours and is thus at the upper end of our database. The ThinkPad dominates again with 17.25 hours. I also ran the PCMark 10 gaming battery test, which saw the EliteBook hit a little over five hours – the longest we've seen. However, this test seems to show how hard a laptop works on battery power, rather than absolute battery life, so expect reduced performance when turned off.

Overall, the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 was a robust performer in terms of battery life. It exceeded my expectations and will keep you working well into the evening if necessary. You may not get the fastest performance while on battery life, but it will keep you going when you are not on a charger.

Our opinion

HP took the EliteBook 840 G8 and made it easier with the Aero version, giving business users a solid alternative that leverages HP's powerful suite of enterprise security and management tools. The EliteBook 840 Aero G8 is well made and yet very light, offers good performance and offers excellent battery life.

It's expensive though. You are definitely paying for the business functions and most likely it will not be the user who is paying for it. But organizations looking for a great business laptop should keep the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 on their shortlist.

Are there alternatives?

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is a strong competitor in terms of performance and battery life and is cheaper with the same configuration ($ 2,260 on offer), but only has a one-year warranty, Lenovo also packs several business features, but they are not quite as extensive as the selection from HP.

Dell offers another solid alternative with the Latitude 7420, which is also cheaper at $ 2,020 (with a three-year warranty). Dell has its own suite of business tools, and the Latitude will serve companies well when they need easy-to-manage security measures.

If you don't need a business-class laptop, there are a variety of consumer alternatives. But in this case, the EliteBook 840 Aero G8 shouldn't even be considered.

How long it will take?

The EliteBook 840 Aero G8 is well made and should trust that it can last many years in typical business operations. The components are state-of-the-art so that they will keep pace with Windows requirements for years. You will appreciate the three-year warranty that can be expected for business-class devices, but is not always offered at no extra cost.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. It's expensive, but worth it when you need a laptop that your business can trust.

Editor's recommendations



13 Sep
Blog

WarioWare: Get It Together! Review: Weirdly Lacking

Wario and his friends sit around a table in WarioWare: Get It Together!

WarioWare: Get It Together! Review: absurdly addicting, strangely tame

"WarioWare's character swap gimmick: Get It Together brings unnecessary confusion to a perfectly entertaining microgame collection."

advantages

  • Crazy microgames

  • Adorable comedy

  • Strong gameplay loop

  • Addictive crew management

disadvantage

  • Weak character gimmick

  • There is a lack of creative controls

  • Low party game potential

Within minutes of playing WarioWare: Get it Together! I looked completely perplexed on my switch. I wasn't confused by all the incredibly smooth statues or gachapon pooping chickens; I just didn't understand why I was pushing buttons on my Joy-Cons instead of swinging them around wildly.

In previous iterations, the WarioWare games have taken full advantage of Nintendo's engineering experiments and have thrived as a result. WarioWare: Touched! makes great use of the Nintendo DS touchscreen, while WarioWare: Smooth Moves is the rare Wii game that has been enhanced with motion controls. In theory, the Switch is a perfect place for the series. The gyroscopes, the HD rumble, and the seemingly forgotten IR sensors all feel like features that could have merged into yet another intuitive collection of 5-second mini-games with creative control schemes. Why did I move a joystick and press A instead every game?

WarioWare: Get It Together! is a welcome return for one of Nintendo's funniest series of lightweight portable entertainment. Though it's hard to ignore how much a missed opportunity it is too, as it trades enthusiastic control experimentation for some oddly down-to-earth gimmick.

What a character

Structurally, WarioWare: get it together! is something of a return to form after Wii U's mind-boggling Game & Wario. It's a fast-paced collection of mini-game gauntlets that require players to complete bite-sized challenges in quick succession. One minute you squeeze ketchup over a plate of spaghetti, the next you put out the fire by tilting a peeing putti statue at the right angle. The joy of WarioWare is that players don't have more than a second to process their bizarre visual gags. Games end in seconds, making it a constant flurry of absurd punchlines.

The main difference this time around – and it's a big one – is that the game features multiple characters, each with their own particular style of play. Wario can move freely across the screen and overcome obstacles. Meanwhile, 9-volt only drives back and forth and shoots a projectile straight up. Each microgame is designed to be completed by any character, although in some situations players may need to think outside the box.

A boy licks an ice cream cone in WarioWare: Get It Together!

It's as clever as it is uneven. Sometimes I would stumble upon a surprising solution that made me feel like some insane genius who destroyed the game. A microgame prompts players to push a dog's tongue up so it can swallow water from a leaky faucet. Instead, I found that I could use Penny, who has a water pistol, to just fill her mouth without interacting with her tongue. The skill premise works best when players can accidentally stumble upon such little aha moments.

Get it together! often asks players to put together a small team of characters to tackle a particular playlist, but there are certain characters that I never think of using.

However, these are only a few. More often I came across goals where my character was objectively worse than others. This is especially notable when it comes to characters who can fly around freely vs. those who can only move by grabbing moving rings. In a mini-game, players look for a cell phone signal. With a character like Wario, it's so easy to fly past some symbols to find the right one. With someone like 16 volts, a stationary character who has to throw a projectile at a ring in order to move, the same game is a complete battle.

Get it together! often asks players to put together a small team of characters to tackle a particular playlist, but there are certain characters that I never think of using. Characters like Pyoro, tongue out at an angle to attack, are difficult to work with and have no real advantages. Why should I choose it over Ashley, who flies freely as she shoots projectiles in all directions? The game never gives a good answer to this question, which makes certain characters feel completely out of date.

Content pipeline

While its core gimmick doesn't quite work, the game is still a delightful curiosity. There's a fast-paced but fun two and a half hour story mode (which appears short but is comparable to previous WarioWare games), but the real fun comes from keeping track of the high scores. Players can immerse themselves in microgame playlists and try to complete as many as possible before losing four lives. While the microgames aren't always the most brilliant creations in the series (aside from the Nintendo-themed, which includes a hilarious cameo from the tea-times of Fire Emblem: Three House), they're especially addicting when played at the high stakes -speed glove.

Most surprising, however, is how good Get It Together! connects all of its little systems and modes together. The story mode and play-o-pedia (which allows players to simply play a particular microlegame over and over) serve as the main hook of the game, but are part of a larger ecosystem. The game features achievements that reward coins for completing various challenges. These instruct players to achieve certain goals, e.g.

Jimmy speeds through Super Mario Land in WarioWare: Get It Together!

Coins earned through achievements flow into the game's bizarrely fun Crew Management mode. Players basically use in-game cash to purchase random items from chicken-shaped gachapon machines. These items can be given as gifts to any character, giving them a certain amount of experience points. As they level up, each character is given some easy customization options and some art. I quickly became obsessed with trying to unlock each and every “Prezzie” and deduce which gifts would be best for each character in order to maximize the experience gained.

Most surprising, however, is how good Get It Together! connects all of its little systems and modes together.

More importantly, level-ups increase the skill points of a character in the Wario Cup who has the potential to be the game's permanent hook. Each week the game features a different Ranked Challenge playlist for players to participate in. Get a high score and win fantastic prizes. With the game sorely lacking online features, this is the only real leaderboard. I spent hours perfecting the first week challenge, a collection of hyper-fast games where players only control the 9 volt skateboards. The more I upgraded it in Crew mode, the higher the point multiplier I would get in the Wario Cup.

Then the full pipeline is revealed. Play mini-games to get achievements. Unlock achievements to get coins. Use Coins to Buy Prezzies. Use Prezzies to level up characters. Use upgraded characters to gain an advantage in the Wario Cup. It's an elegant bow that has tied me up for a lot longer than I expected. With the Wario Cup handing out ongoing weekly challenges, there's a good chance I'll stop by once a week to achieve this full cycle.

Spoilsport

Get it together! Has a heavy emphasis on multiplayer, which isn't surprising given the Super Smash Bros-like character selection screen. Two players can work together to get high scores, or up to four can compete in a series of mini-games. While some of the multiplayer modes are simple duds, like a boring volleyball game that feels like it was built in Nintendo's game builder garage, the modes that revolve around head-to-head clearing of microgames offer one hectic fun. Finishing a game in seconds is difficult enough, and it only gets tense if you try to finish it in front of three other people (or try to finish it while those three people frantically bounce the screen up and down as you try to play). .

Two Wario characters sit in one mouth in WarioWare: Get It Together!

While it's easy to imagine the multiplayer working with players who all know the game, the overly complicated character system makes it more difficult as a casual party game. In WarioWare, figuring out how to get to a goal in the blink of an eye is already hard enough for a novice (my inexperienced multiplayer partner stared at the screen in amazement when vague commands like "fill" flashed on the screen). In Get It Together! they also have to learn 20 different characters and their functions. Story mode does a good job of introducing each character's powers consistently, but there are no tutorials in multiplayer.

Here I come back to my disappointment with the game's lack of joy-con support. WarioWare: Smooth Moves is so successful as a party game because its microgames are so easy to understand. When players are asked to "pick up the phone," it's easy to figure out that they need to raise the Wiimote to their ear. The best WarioWare titles have a natural design that makes them so irresistible.

While it's easy to imagine the multiplayer working with players who all know the game, the overly complicated character system makes it more difficult as a casual party game.

That is not the case here. Instead, players have to explain the already confusing premise of WarioWare and then shut down the character system. And since some characters are just harder to control or objectively inferior to others in mini-games, I wouldn't blame a newbie for feeling completely confused by what's happening … for the wrong reasons.

Get it together! works best as a solo high score race played in 10 minute rounds. It's just a shame it's so hard to sell as a party game with the Switch sorely lacking in that department. Let me throw my Joy-con through my TV!

Our opinion

WarioWare: Get It Together! contains a healthy dose of absurd fun thanks to a very well constructed series of gameplay loops, but it's hard not to think about what could have been. Its character-driven premise is weak compared to previous entries that included intuitive technical gimmicks. Both the microgames and multiplayer suffer from a lack of creative control. The strangest thing about this episode is how tame it feels at the end.

Is there a better alternative?

WarioWare has a very unique premise, so not really. Super Mario Party is a better mini-game-focused party game, but you'll have to dig up a Nintendo DS or Wii to find a better WarioWare game.

How long it will take?

I was able to clear the story mode and unlock each mini-game in about six hours. Even if you're keen to keep track of some high scores, it's hard to imagine most players going into double digits.

Should I buy it?

No. At least not at the full $ 50 price. I had quite a lot of fun with WarioWare: Get It Together !, but it's hands down a sleek package that is best enjoyed in 10-minute bursts that expand on its contents.

Editor's recommendations



13 Sep
Blog

Deathloop Review: Live, Die, Repeat, And Look Good Doing It

The hero of Deathloop shoots an enemy with two handguns.

Deathloop Review: Live, Die, Repeat and Look Good Doing it

RRP $ 60.00

"Deathloop is an incredibly stylish stealth action game that builds on Arkane's strengths, even when some of his creative gambling games fail."

advantages

  • Creative premise

  • Impeccable style

  • Shooting feels great

  • Fun forces

  • Lots of customization options

disadvantage

  • Objectionable multiplayer

  • Frustrating roguelite systems

  • Laughing AI

Every time Arkane Studios develops a game, it learns something new. His catalog is full of fascinating titles that build on each other's best ideas and further refine the strengths of the developers' level design. Deathloop is thematically a fitting next chapter for the studio. It may be a completely new IP, but it doesn't start from scratch. It's the product of an iteration – a process that encourages creativity in our favorite games.

The exclusive PS5 console draws a clear line through the story of Arkane. It's a first-person shooter that delivers exuberant action and supernatural stealth ala, ala Dishonored. It's also a time warp game where players experience the same day over and over and resort to the roguelite experiments in Prey's Mooncrash expansion. Prey himself owes Arcane's debut to Arx Fatalis (and System Shock from 1994, if we want to go beyond Arcane canon), making Deathloop seem like the culmination of several development loops. Decades of trial-and-error procedures are combined in a well-executed package – which, however, still leaves room for improvement.

Deathloop is a stylish spy thriller that features excellent shooting, satisfying powers, and gripping mystery powered by the game's addictive Groundhog Day premise. However, frustrating multiplayer mechanics and immature roguelite progression systems are already making me think about how this game will affect an even closer sequel. The cycle never really ends, does it?

A visionary project

Deathloop can be a little tricky to explain on paper. It's the latest entry in a burgeoning time warp genre that has become a bizarrely popular video game premise in recent years. A very confused and reluctant hero, Colt wakes up in the seaside town of Blackreef and quickly finds that he has to relive the same day over and over again. To make matters worse, that loop includes being chased by Juliana, who seems pretty pissed off with everything Colt has done in the past, who knows how many loops are ahead of him. After a brief introduction, Colt learns how to break the loop: he must murder the eight "visionaries" who created them.

Easier said than done, especially since Colt only has one day to land eight hits. The catch is that players will have to repeat as many times as necessary on the same day, dig up more information about each target, and come up with a perfect murder plan. It's an ingenious setup that puts as much emphasis on information gathering as it does on actually executing a hit. Imagine if Hitman 3 tasked players with defeating all of its villains in one domino-like move. This is the ultimate joy of Deathloop – a dozen hours of scouting makes up a slim 20-minute schedule.

Colt contemplates a flowchart of visionaries in Deathloop.

Arkane builds on this spy movie premise, and that is most evident in the style of the game. Deathloop is a '60s-inspired pulp novel full of bright colors, creative retro-future design, and comic-book-like text that pops up on screen. It's a vivid departure from the muted browns and blues of the Dishonored series.

The cast of characters is just as diverse, with Colt particularly shining as the reluctant hero of the game. He's unhappy on his first round, but convincingly transforms into a confident mastermind in the last. It's a strong voice from Jason E. Kelley that mirrors the player's own journey as they slowly come up with a plan that would make Danny Ocean jealous.

When players stop to marvel at Arcane level design skills, they effectively envelop the joint. Technical admiration is also an important mechanic.

Aesthetics set it apart from Arkane's previous titles, the studio's strengths are still very much present. This is most evident in Blackreef's design, which doubles what the studio does best. There is always more than one way to sneak into a place, be it by finding a security code, climbing a roof, breaking through a ventilation shaft, etc. I have often sneaked through a building just around one that was still stealthy Input to discover point that I could use in my next loop. When players stop to marvel at Arcane level design skills, they effectively envelop the joint. Technical admiration is also an important mechanic.

Spy thrill

Action is as strong as exploration here, which shouldn't come as a surprise given the studio's pedigree. Stealth machete kills are incredibly satisfying, and guns feel downright fantastic to fire. Every weapon has a real sense of power, from a nail gun that can fire precise headshots in one hit, to space-clearing machine guns that feel like you're operating a serious power tool. While I've always tried to take a covert route, I was rarely upset when a plan went wrong – just a great excuse to show the Blackreef residents why they should be grateful that I operated in the shade.

Speaking of Colt's enemies, it must be noted that the visionaries hired some of the darkest muscle the video game world has to offer. Enemies are weirdly forgotten, which takes some of the tension out of the stealth gameplay. I could approach up to two people talking, killing one from behind, dropping their body directly into the other's line of sight, and still seemingly not attracting their attention. Call it a Bethesda Tax.

Colt attacks enemies in Deathloop.

Colt also receives Dishonored-like supernatural powers which are an absolute joy to tinker with. Colt gains plates every time he kills an enemy, which gives skills like a teleporting blink and the ability to link multiple enemies together and take them all out by killing one. In addition, each plate can receive multiple upgrades, expanding the usefulness of each energy. In my final loop, I was a stealth machine that could teleport behind a visionary, quietly murder him, become invisible, and flee before a guard could find out what had happened. And that's just a style of play. I could have just equipped more aggressive plates and defeated swarms of enemies with a literal flick of my wrist.

Action is as strong as exploration here, which shouldn't come as a surprise given the studio's pedigree.

Weapons have equippable mods too, but things have a twist: players have to "infuse" items to hold them between the loops. Grab enough money and you will be able to keep weapons, plates and mods permanently … otherwise you will lose everything in the morning. It's a roguelite mechanic that encourages players to explore Blackreef rather than simply following target markers, but it can cause frustration. I was struggling to maintain the game's telekinesis power and only permanently locked it on my penultimate loop. While the system makes sense for mods that drop randomly while defeating an enemy, it's annoying to work through a story beat for a specific weapon or power just to get it back to base and not have the money to do it keep.

Colt shoots an enemy off the feet in Deathloop.

The roguelite dynamic can feel a little underdeveloped at times, although Arkane is careful not to make it too overwhelming. Colt gains three lives every time he enters a new area or jumps forward in the day, so players can experiment, die, and try again without wasting a run. Deathloop encourages players to put themselves in a dire situation and test the limits of their power. If that goes terribly wrong, there is always an option to try Plan B.

Interruption of the loop

The experimental mechanics are appropriate, because Arkane throws ideas against the wall and sees what sticks to Deathloop. Some of these ideas really land, as they do with the game's stylistic choices. But others are not quite as successful.

That brings us to the bizarre multiplayer component of Deathloop, which is easily the most polarizing aspect of the game. Players can play as Colts rival Juliana and “protect the bow” at any time. In the process, a player can literally invade someone else's game (friend or random stranger) and try to kill them. Similar mechanics appear in some of the Souls games, though it's a startling addition here.

Juliana grins in Deathloop.

For one thing, the game never offers a good reason to play as Juliana. There's little ambiguity about whether or not the loop is good or bad, so there's no real narrative motivation to stop Colt. It is a pure grief tool that encourages players to sabotage a real person's single player experience for laughter and rewards that don't carry over to Colt.

Playing as Juliana isn't that much fun either. The only major difference between her and Colt is that she can dress up as an NPC to trick players. I spent a lot of time wandering aimlessly around the map for minutes just to find Colt. As soon as I did we would have a shootout that lasted seconds. Additionally, I found it difficult to even get into a friend's game as there are (luckily) rules about how many times a player can be attacked per cycle. My friend kept showing up as "unavailable" even when playing an intruder free game. It hardly seemed worth the fuss.

On the Colts side, Juliana invasions worsen. I broke into a house in one run and spent 10 minutes carefully sneaking past cameras and guards. Suddenly a message appeared on the screen informing me that Juliana was on the hunt. Within a minute she stormed into the room and started throwing grenades, which ruined my plan. The first time it was kind of weird … and then it happened again. And then again. To make matters worse, Juliana "locks" the level exits each time they enter, which means Colt has to go to a location and manually unlock it before he can leave. Why should I want to go through another player, let alone experience it for myself?

It is purely a grief tool that encourages players to sabotage a real person's single player experience for laughs or small rewards.

It doesn't help that the mode feels ripe for tampering. When testing it with a friend I got some quick kills on Colt and a ridiculous amount of experience for it. In one game, I unlocked dozens of items, including high-level weapons and mods. It would only take a few such runs to leave Juliana in an overwhelming condition and devastating strangers.

There is also no way to unsubscribe from it. Switch to offline mode and the game will just randomly throw in a computer controlled saboteur. The only way to bypass the mechanics was to switch to Friends Only mode (since I was playing an early copy, I didn't have any friends to drop by). It just feels like a forced system meant to add arbitrary replay value to the mix.

It's a frustrating idea, although it's hard to be too upset. Arkane has always been known for its single player experiences and it is clear that the studio wants to expand its toolset here. The mode is a bit of a failed experiment, but I see it as a first draft of something better. In 10 years, I wouldn't be surprised to write a review on a new arcane game that expands the ideas of Deathloop, just as I am writing here about how Deathloop expands Dishonored.

And the loop goes on.

Our opinion

Deathloop isn't afraid to take experimental turns, and a lot of them pay off. It's a stylish action game that is entertaining in every aisle. Players never have to choose between clandestine exploration and frantic shootouts; You are encouraged to approach a situation in as many ways as possible in order to contrive a perfect crime. It's less successful when it comes to its forced multiplayer component, though it's hard to blame Arkane Studios for trying something new. There is no innovation without iteration.

Is there a better alternative?

Dishonored 2 is a little more consistent in the end, even if Deathloop creatively dwarfs it. Hitman 3 is also a killer option for those who want a pure stealth game.

How long it will take?

It takes around 10-15 hours to hit, depending on how long you spend exploring side lanes. Multiplayer adds game time, although it's hard to imagine a lot of people getting too involved with this site.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. Despite its uneven creative gambling, Deathloop is a confident stealth action game with an excellent sense of style.

Editor's recommendations



11 Sep
Blog

Lost in Random Review: A Soulslike in a Charming Disguise

Even dicey dice to start the fight.

Lost in Random Review: Don't let the adorable exterior of this Soulslike fool you

"Lost in Random is like a living storybook, but that's not enough to get it through its struggles."

advantages

  • Fine art and animation

  • Great characters

  • Interesting central secret

  • Occasionally satisfying fight

disadvantage

  • Frustrating struggle

  • Too much dialogue

  • Lots of bugs

It's late, it's dark and I'm lost. I run through the streets of Threedom chasing a ghost I'm not even sure it's real. Strange, twisted creatures call out to me along the way, promoting their wares and warning me not to wander too far. I shut her out as I run, determined to save my sister – and maybe end Threedom's eternal civil war while I'm at it. The whole time a monster is whispering in my ear, reminding me that I only have until sunset or that my search will be in vain.

This is the world of Lost in Random, the latest project from the Swedish studio Zoink Games. Released by Thunderful Games as part of the EA Originals program, Lost in Random is an indie action-adventure game with a distinctive Tim Burton-like aesthetic. In the world of random, the fortunes of the citizens are decided by throwing a six-sided die. A mad queen rules the six kingdoms of the world, each with a unique number as its theme. When children turn 12, the queen rolls the die and the number she lands on determines which kingdom they are sent to. The main character Even was born to the inhabitants of Onecroft, the lowest and most unfortunate kingdom. When Even's beloved sister Odd rolls a six on her birthday and is taken to the Queen's palace, Even sets out to find her. On the way she meets Dicey, a sentient cube with a surprising amount of power. Armed with Dicey and a deck of cards, Even sets out to save Odd.

Lost in Random is a lush, beautiful adventure through an interesting world full of unique characters. At the same time, it's also a tough action game with relatively limited resources and a strong focus on evasion mechanics. The more I played, the more I felt like this wasn't your average action-adventure game – instead, it's actually soulslike in disguise, or a game that takes its fighting cues from the infamous Dark Souls series. Unfortunately, this reveal came with all of the frustration Soulslikes bring with it.

Places to go, meet people

The best thing about Lost in Random is its world. Every setting is a feast for the eyes, from the strange teapot-shaped buildings of Onecroft to the majestic pink sunset of Threedom. Each area has its share of strange, disturbing characters, many of which have a story to tell. Playing the game really made me feel like I was back in my childhood. Many of the designs are based on creatures that rumble at night, the monsters under your bed that your picture books have warned you about.

The central search is so mysterious and interesting that it kept bothering me. Combined with strong voice acting and narration, the overall package is just creepy and adorable enough that I was always curious to see what I would discover in each new kingdom. I especially liked the short sections with Odd which are creative and gorgeous in the best possible way.

As fun as it is to hear the story of each random resident, the dialogues get a little boring at times. Many of the characters are extremely lengthy and speak exceptionally slowly. After a while I found myself struggling through the dialogues, desperate to just get to the point. I also found a couple of audio bugs that resulted in dialogs being skipped or not playing.

The whole package is just creepy and adorable enough that I was always curious to see what I would discover in each new kingdom.

Even so, the game's writing style is strong and each character feels unique. There are more dialogue options than you'd expect, though they're more about taste and color than about real decisions. Even often, she has a variety of snappy responses available, and I enjoyed hearing the characters' responses to their derogatory comments.

Even and Dicey walk across a bridge.

The only downside to the environments is the difficulty of traversing them. Every street looks similar after a while and the game's map is mostly useless. (It urgently needs a "You are here" token.) The angular nature of battle arenas resulted in my getting stuck on walls quite often in fights, making it impossible for me to dodge enemy attacks. The camera often gets caught behind walls and structures in these arenas too, especially if you throw Dicey near a wall.

Random rules

Lost in Randoms linear exploration and conversation simulator segments are broken up by arena-style battles. After even leaving Onecroft and meeting Dicey, she often finds herself in small, vaguely circular areas with a group of enemies that she must fight. In any battle, the battle begins with a relative impotence: even dodging enemy attacks and using their slingshot to remove crystals from the bodies of enemies. Once she has collected enough crystals, she can throw Dicey to roll a number and stop the flow of time. The number determines which cards from her hand she can use. Each card is assigned a number and an effect, such as making a potion that heals even or takes the form of a sword so that it can defend itself. After making your selection, you can manually restart the time and fight back.

Even attack an enemy.

The whole process feels clunky (especially at the beginning when Dicey can only roll one or two, which limits resources), but it's definitely unique. Even if you have the opportunity to fight back, the game focuses more on precise dodging and mobility than a sense of power. Even's sprint doesn't go very far, but jumping right in front of an enemy attacking grants an extra thrust that propels them further and allows players to turn around and strike while an enemy has their backs on their backs. Timing it right is extremely satisfying, and the game rewards players for luring enemies into other enemies' attacks as they can and will harm each other if they try to reach Even.

Like the dialogues, many of the battles just go on for way too long, which makes it frustrating as you near the end and get knocked out by an enemy spear for dodging the wrong way.

I wish there was a greater variety of cards – I've been using the same ones over and over, and the game's card vendor usually just gives players the option to buy more of what they have. There is also a lack of hostile diversity; By halfway through the game I had only seen four different guys. There are a handful of board game style fights that shake up the combat environments a bit, but they don't add anything particularly interesting to the game.

The arenas themselves can be frustrating. Most of them are circular, which makes it easier to drag enemies around and give room to dodge, but they're still angular enough that I often crashed into walls and other objects and got trapped. The difficulty level increases pretty quickly and the sheer number of enemies in some arenas can make battles a slow blow.

Like the dialogues, many of the battles just go on for way too long, which makes it frustrating as you near the end and get knocked out by an enemy spear for dodging the wrong way. That's the nature of a soul-like.

Choose your poison

Aside from design issues, I've encountered a surprising number of bugs during my time playing the game. Aside from the audio issues mentioned above, every time I started the game, I kept getting “Controller not found” message. I was playing on the pc so it was a strange message to get. I also encountered a breakthrough bug and crash that required me to restart the game to continue. Lost in random autosaves, so it wasn't too big a deal either way, but experiences like this drive the frustration factor higher than it should be. The game will receive a day-one patch at launch that will hopefully fix some of these more egregious issues.

Even goes over another bridge in Onecroft.

Although my review key was for the PC, I would undeniably recommend playing the game with a controller or on a console. There are some very weird default key bindings, and the game felt both too tricky and clunky with the mouse and keyboard. Soulslikes are traditionally best played with a controller, and this game definitely belongs to this group.

Our opinion

Lost in Random is like a living storybook, but that's not enough to carry it through its struggles. I said to myself, I wish a lot: I wish there was more variety of opponents and cards. I wish there weren't that many mistakes. I wish the dialogue wasn't so lengthy. The game has so much promise and succeeds in many things it imagines, but its shortcomings are too numerous and too great to prevent a six.

How long it will take?

The main story itself lasts around 20 hours, although there are plenty of side quests for dedicated players. There are a few collectibles to be found too, so completeers will have a reason to extend their gaming session. The story is linear and unique, so there's no need to replay it.

Is there an alternative?

Players looking for even more hardcore experience should check out the Dark Souls and Bloodborne franchises for a cleaner, more straightforward version of this fighting style. Although it's pretty old at this point, the hack-and-slash game Alice: Madness Returns has a similar visual aesthetic that feels "more grown-up" than Lost in Random.

Should you buy it?

Yes – if you're a gamer who loves storybook-style adventures and conversational games, then you should check out Lost in Random. (For those who just want to see the story, the game's difficulty level can be reduced.) It's also worth a look for players looking to dip their toes in Soulslike games. Everyone else can probably skip it.

Lost in Random is available now for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One and Series X / S.

Editor's recommendations



10 Sep
Blog

Nokia XR20 Review: A Beautiful Beast of a Phone

Back of the Nokia XR20.

Nokia XR20 put to the test: a beautiful beast built to last

RRP $ 550.00

“Don't let its looks fool you, the Nokia XR20 is a rugged phone through and through. It doesn't have the specifications to rival most other mainstream phones, but its value comes with impressive longevity. "

advantages

  • Attractive but robust body

  • Software updates for 3 years

  • Extended warranty (depending on location)

  • Wireless charging

disadvantage

  • Bad camera

  • Mediocre performance

  • Screen with 60 Hz refresh rate

Hard doesn't have to be ugly anymore, now that HMD Global has unveiled the Nokia XR20 smartphone, which it says can "take anything life throws on it and look great doing it". That's a pretty bold claim when rugged phones usually look like they're tucked away in a clunky, rarely very attractive case.

But does this mean that the XR20 is a rugged phone for everyone, whether or not you spend time in situations where a lesser phone would be pulverized in a matter of moments or not?

draft

The Nokia XR20 effectively straddles the world of rugged phones and clunkier mainstream models by avoiding protruding bumpers and bevel cuts on the back to symbolize ruggedness. It also has a subtle blue tint instead of a black or yellow color scheme that just screams "danger"! While it's obviously not a mainstream phone like the OnePlus Nord 2, it doesn't just look at home when it's dusty and haphazardly tossed in the booth of a heavy device.

The Nokia XR20 in the color Ultra Blue, seen from the rear.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Just look at some details. For example, I like the exposed aluminum metal case on the side of the phone and the simple X pattern on the camera module. But despite those pretty visuals, Nokia hasn't forgotten what the phone is really about by including a cutout for a strap, a textured polymer back for added support, and a programmable emergency button.

One-handed operation is practically impossible with small hands.

It's a chunky beast with a thickness of 10.64 mm and 248 grams. A slim plastic case covers the phone, effectively looks like an ergonomic, sturdy case on a slimmer phone and gives it the "military specification" MIL-STD-810H- Certification and an IP68 rating. This means that it has withstood falls from a height of 1.8 meters and up to an hour's water depth to a depth of 1.5 meters, as well as withstanding dust and much more. It has Gorilla Glass Victus above the screen.

It is a very wide phone and one-handed operation is practically impossible with small hands, but it is comfortable and natural to hold as it has no protrusions or protective sections on the body. There's a subtle raised lip around the screen to protect it when it's face down, but it's not so extreme that you feel it every time you swipe through the menus.

Unusually for a phone test, I deliberately dropped the XR20 and also put it in the water. It still works as you'd expect after various dunkings and drops from waist height onto a variety of surfaces from grass to gravel. However, the hard plastic shell has already had some abrasion, suggesting that while it looks pretty now, it may not last as long if it is really abused. That's the price you pay for the XR20 to look vaguely normal. I like the confidence of being able to quickly scrub it off with mild soapy water.

The Nokia XR20 is not a catwalk model, but it is not just made for the construction site. It definitely wants to cross into both worlds, but once we get into the rest of the phone it becomes clear that while the beauty is all disguised, it is only superficial. It's not a criticism, just don't mistake it for something it isn't. If I was a surfer, weekend hiker, or someone who worked in environments that were generally not electronics focused, it really fit the bill. Not really as a primary phone, but certainly as a second “lifestyle-friendly” phone.

camera

The camera module may look like it contains three or four camera lenses, but in reality it has two, with the other two spots being occupied by two flashes – a dual-tone LED and a single LED. There is an 8-megapixel selfie camera in a hole punch in the top center of the screen.

Nokia XR20 camera module.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The dual 48 MP main rear camera and 13 MP wide-angle camera mean the XR20 will never be a camera superstar, and in fact, it can't compete with phones that are built for camera performance. Color balance, white balance, and dynamic range are ubiquitous, and rarely do two photos have the same tone. The inconsistency continues when you switch to wide angle.

It may be called Zeiss, but the Nokia XR20's capabilities don't do it justice. It's not worth judging too harshly because Nokia really doesn't sell the phone as a top camera performer, and the photos it takes are mostly acceptable in decent lighting, but really good ones if you're interested at all Taking pictures and having some creative fun with a camera, this is not the phone for you.

power

The Nokia XR20 has many buttons. The Google Assistant button on the left side of the case is big and easy to find, which also means you'll definitely press it by mistake. There is a programmable button on the top of the phone that can be set to perform a single action like turning on the flashlight or dialing an emergency contact after a long press. It is almost flush with the body so it is unlikely that you will accidentally do this.

Fingerprint sensor of the Nokia XR20.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The fingerprint sensor is located inside the power key and is in the middle on the right side of the case. Annoyingly, I find that when I pick up the phone, my finger naturally presses the volume button above it, which doesn't help because the tiny sensor is flush and has no texture to help locate it. It's reliable when you find it, and a quick face unlock system is there as a backup.

It has enough power for general tasks.

A Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 processor with either 4 GB or 6 GB of RAM makes the XR20 a mid-range mobile phone. It has enough power for general tasks, and I have had no problems browsing, social networking, swiping through Google Discover, and editing photos. The main difference to more powerful phones lies in the overall speed of performing tasks such as starting the phone and starting apps or playing games. In these cases the XR20 responds a little slower. It's not annoying in most situations, but it can be if you're multitasking or just want to get things done quickly.

You will also notice the underperformance in watching videos and games where there are sometimes some stuttering when watching 1080p movies. The 6.67-inch LCD screen with an aspect ratio of 20: 9 and 1080 x 2400 has large bezels and unfortunately only a refresh rate of 60 Hz. The screen sits "under" the bezel, which makes the design look a bit antiquated. The brightness of 550 cd / m² doesn't sound like much, but it is easy to read in sunlight.

Nokia XR20 screen.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Looking at Carfection's Ferrari Portofino M test results in good viewing angles and a pleasant color palette. It's a good screen for a mid-range phone, but it's not very modern and many mainstream phones have the more desirable higher refresh rate. There are two speakers, but the stereo separation is minimal, with most of the volume – of which there is plenty – coming from the speaker on the bottom of the phone. The mobile phone plays Asphalt 9: Legends relatively smoothly and does not get hot. The overall weight of the Nokia XR20 means it's not exactly the ideal video or gaming partner, and the Snapdragon 480 lacks the guts to impress.

Battery, software and connectivity

Android One is neatly designed and laid out in the same way as it is on a Google Pixel phone, so it's very easy to use and I haven't encountered any reliability issues. HMD Global promises three years of phone version updates and four years of security updates, which is excellent. It has 5G, assuming you have coverage near you and NFC for Google Pay, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack, but the Wi-Fi connection struggles to maintain a weak signal compared to other phones.

Emergency button on the top of the Nokia XR20.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Google Assistant button on Nokia XR20.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Charging port for the Nokia XR20.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The 4,630 mAh battery is very powerful and offers two days of run time even when you're playing games, watching videos, or making a few calls. It's great to see that 15 watt wireless charging is included, as is wired charging 18 W Quick Charge 4.0. However, it does not come with a charger, so actual charging speeds will depend on the charger you ultimately use.

Price and availability

The Nokia XR20 is priced at $ 550 and is available for pre-order now from B&H Photo and is likely to be available in other outlets as well. In the UK, the XR20 is available now and costs £ 399 / $ 552 or £ 449 / $ 621 for the 6GB / 128GB model. It is available in either Ultra Blue, as seen in our photos, or Granite Gray.

Our opinion

An uninspiring camera, a 60Hz refresh screen, and a Snapdragon 480 processor are a recipe for a phone that costs $ 250, but the Nokia XR20 costs $ 550. Though it looks better than most rugged phones, at its core it's still a rugged phone – and a good one at it – and you pay for the tech and certification that go into it, rather than a camera and processor-centric spec list .

The XR20 will almost certainly outlast phones that cost half the price and still look decent when you take it around town.

The story often ends here, which means that ruggedness is really the only reason to buy, but that's not exactly the case with the XR20. It's not just the body that makes it last – there is real longevity elsewhere as well. HMD Global promises three years of Android version updates and four years of security updates. It's also backed by a three-year warranty if purchased in the UK or Europe, complete with a one-year free screen replacement warranty. The US warranty details vary, and HMD Global states it comes with a two-year extended warranty.

Combine that with the rugged case, Gorilla Glass Victus, and IP68 water resistance, and you have a phone that will last through 2024 and beyond. The performance might not offer much value, but the updates and warranty do a far better job. As a second phone when things get muddy or rocky, the XR20 will almost certainly outlast phones that cost half the price and still look decent when you take it around town.

Is there a better alternative?

The ruggedness of the Nokia XR20 sets it apart from the Cat S61 and Cat S62 Pro, which both cost more but have Flir's thermal imaging technology and a far more traditional rugged design. The Cat S48c is older but is available at a much lower price, as is the current Motorola Defy.

If you're looking to spend around $ 500 on a phone without the rugged design, we recommend the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G. It's waterproof and made of plastic, so it should be moderately durable, but the screen and camera are superior to the Nokia XR20.

How long it will take?

As mentioned above, the Nokia XR20 Android software will be updated for three years and the security updates will continue for another year after that. The warranty period varies depending on where you buy the phone, but it may be covered for up to three years. That means you should be able to securely own and use the phone until at least 2024. Plus, it has 5G so you can take advantage of the fastest connection speeds too.

Should you buy it?

Yes, but only if “tough treatment” is at the top of your wish list.

Editor's recommendations



10 Sep
Blog

Origin Neuron (2021) Review: A Prebuilt Worthy of the Premium

Origin neuron on a table.

Origin Neuron (2021) Review: A Pre-Made Well Worth the Premium

RRP $ 2,387.00

"You can build the same system for less money, but Origin makes a compelling case not to do that."

advantages

  • Excellent cable management and design

  • Minimal bloatware

  • Lifelong 24/7 support

  • Great CPU, GPU, and motherboard options

  • Easy to update

disadvantage

  • Expensive

  • Few non-Corsair part options

  • Limited ports on the front

Why buy a desktop PC when you can make one yourself for less? Origin PC, which was acquired by Corsair a few years ago and specializes in pre-built PCs, has been trying to answer this question for years. But now, with GPU prices where they are, buying a pre-built desktop has never made so much sense.

Although Origin's pre-built desktops contain many off-the-shelf parts, they're more than just a few hastily thrown together components.

The Origin Neuron shows that. It is the mid-tower option from the Origin range and serves as a middle ground between the extended Tower Genesis and the Chronos with a small form factor. Like all Origin desktops, you can equip the Neuron with whatever parts you want, including the latest graphics card from AMD and Nvidia.

Given how expensive graphics cards are right now, the Neuron is a solid alternative to building your own gaming PC. If you don't want a massive tower to take up too much space, or a small form factor machine that could be prone to noise issues, the Neuron is the perfect option. And in 2021, most midrange configurations won't cost much more than building a gaming rig yourself.

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Origin Neuron sits on a table.

The Origin Neuron is made up of off-the-shelf parts – assuming you can find a graphics card, you can put together an exact match. Because of this, it doesn't offer the convenience of an HP Omen 30L with its tool-less design. You still need to unscrew things and have a shelf for parts on hand when you want to get in.

Still, the Corsair 4000X case makes upgrades effortless. The side parts are each equipped with latches to the front, which allow easy insertion, and the knurled screws cannot be lost. They even have a little yellow ring around them, which makes them easy to spot when you remove the side panel.

It's worth noting that the Corsair 4000X is just one of the case options. It has a tempered glass side panel that stays on the side of the case even when the knurled screws are pulled out. There is a handy lever for removing it that I could use to remove the side panel without smearing fingerprints on it.

While you can put together the individual pieces of the Origin Neuron yourself, it may not be possible to do so with the same level of cleanliness. The device is remarkably well built, with neat cable routing on the back of the case and minimal overhang at the front. That's a testament to Origin's building expertise, as well as the large, open space that the Corsair 4000X offers.

The back of the Origin Neuron.

You also have plenty of room for upgrades. With all commercially available parts, you can swap everything in the case across the board. The Corsair 4000X comes with two SSD trays and two hard drive bays that offer you plenty of space for storage. M.2 support depends on the motherboard you choose.

After everything was set up, I checked out the pre-installed software. There were a couple of programs out there that you will be using most of them. You have access to a graphics card overclocking utility, Corsair iCUE and an audio settings app. I would have preferred MSI Afterburner for the overclocking tool as it is the de facto option for many enthusiasts (including myself). Even so, these programs are useful and won't bloat the machine.

Connectivity

Which ports you get on the Neuron depends on the selected configuration. Each case and motherboard has a different combination. For the build Origin sent me, I was spoiled for choice in terms of connectivity, but unfortunately only the back of the case.

Up front, the Corsair 4000X has a pathetic choice. They have a USB 3.0 port, a USB-C 3.1 port and a headphone / microphone combo jack. That's it. While I loved seeing USB-C on the front, Corsair could have squeezed an additional USB port or two on the front. The 4000X has a clean design without too many exposed ports, but a few extra USB ports wouldn't have hurt that.

Connections on the front of the Origin Neuron.

My test unit came with an Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero motherboard, which is not available on the Origin website at the time of publication. This board comes with an absurd number of ports. It includes Gigabit and 2.5 Gbit LAN, USB-C 3.2 and 10 USB 3.2 ports. If you need a lot of USB devices, this board is for you.

While you can't currently buy the board in my unit – at least through Origin – there are many other options. At the time of publication, I found an MSI MEG X570 Ace board that fits in the same class as the Crosshair board. Unfortunately, it doesn't have that many USB ports, so grab the Crosshair when it's available and you want a high-end motherboard.

Each case has two USB ports on the front – either USB-A or a combination with USB-C. An SD card reader would have been nice too, although most commercial cases don't come with one.

Internals

My test device was equipped with the latest parts from AMD and Nvidia, including the 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X and the 12 GB RTX 3080 Ti. Although this is about as high-quality as gaming desktops, the Neuron can hold even more. Origin offers up to 64 cores Ryzen Threadripper 3990X (but not the Pro model like the Lenovo P620 offers).

Central processor AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
GPU Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti
Motherboard Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero WiFi
case Corsair 4000X
Storage Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32 GB 3,200 MHz (2 x 16 GB)
storage Corsair MP600 1TB, Samsung 870 QVO 2TB
power supply Corsair RM850X 80+ gold
USB ports 11 USB-A, two USB-C
Networking 2.5 Gbit, 1 Gbit Ethernet

The standard configuration costs about $ 2,400. For that price, you get a Core i7-10700K, 16GB of storage, and an RTX 3060 Ti. While this is the "starting price," you can actually save money by configuring the machine yourself. By swapping out a Ryzen 5 5600X and RX 6700 XT, I was able to bring the Neuron down to $ 2,100 using the configurator.

My review unit is just over $ 5,100, and that's a mid-range configuration. Armed with the best of the best, you can easily spend over $ 10,000 on the Neuron. If that sounds like a lot, it's because the Neuron is way more expensive than the competition.

I configured an almost identical Maingear Vybe for $ 5,051, and a similar Falcon Northwest Talon configuration was $ 5,352. For Custom, the Neuron is where it should be. Pre-made ones are a different story. The slightly lower spec HP Omen 30L costs around $ 2,500. The pre-configured Maingear Vybe with an RTX 3080 Ti now costs $ 3,500.

The pre-made vybe is the most interesting comparison. It's almost identical to the Neuron Origin I sent myself, just with a Ryzen 9 5900X processor. Origin offers a pre-built version of the Neuron, but it is limited to one configuration. At HP and Maingear, you have access to a range of options, all less than customizing your own rig.

This is a top of the line machine with some of the highest quality components inside.

Still, it is difficult to get into a bad configuration given the options the Neuron offers. Outside of the motherboard, graphics card, and processor, you have access to Corsair parts, and Corsair makes great RAM, power supplies, and AIO coolers. While vertical integration may rub some people the wrong way, I can't fault it. This is a top of the line machine with some of the highest quality components inside.

You will have access to Corsair drives most of the time too, although Origin does offer some Samsung options as well. Samsung drives are some of the best, so I was excited to see them.

Still, I have a few issues with the build options. For one, there are no options for air cooling. You can only choose one AIO, and only one is available from Corsair. Additionally, RGB case fans are obscenely expensive as you can only access Corsair options. They're some of the best pc case fans out there, but they come at a price to match.

And price is the main problem. I split the base machine at currently available prices (with the MSRP for the graphics card) and came up with $ 1,430. That's nearly $ 1,000 in premium for Origin for additional branding, and it all adds up to a standard configuration of $ 2,400. However, given current graphics card prices, the Neuron isn't bad business. Given the inflated pricing, building this machine yourself would cost nearly $ 2,000.

Processor power

CPU block on the Origin Neuron.

Processor performance depends on how you configure the Neuron. If you choose the Ryzen 9 5950X, as with my test device, you're in luck. Aside from AMD's own Threadripper chips, there is nothing that powerful on consumer desktops.

The 16 cores and 32 threads went to work quickly in Cinebench R23. Cinebench uses the processor to render an image instead of the graphics card and measures both single and multi-core performance. It got a score of 25,116 on the multi-score, which is faster than any desktop CPU you can buy outside of Threadripper.

Aside from parts of the workstation class, there is no other processor as powerful as the Ryzen 9 5950X.

As a reference, Intel's 10-core i9-10900K achieved a score of around 15,000. Single-core performance was on par with other processors in the Ryzen 5000 series, including the one in the Falcon Northwest Talon.

Geekbench 5 offers more down to earth performance, but even then, the Ryzen 9 5950X outperformed the Core i9-10900K by around 30%. This test also showed some benefits for single-core performance. My example chip showed a modest improvement of around 6% over the CyberPower Xtreme that rocks the Ryzen 7 5800X.

The Ryzen 5950X showed how close it can get to Threadripper chips in the content creation benchmarks. It got a total of 1,088 in PugetBench for Premiere Pro. That's about 18% off the Threadripper 3995WX, which costs nearly $ 5,500. Aside from parts of the workstation class, there is no other processor as powerful as the Ryzen 9 5950X.

In Handbrake, the Ryzen 9 5950X actually met the Threadripper 3995WX, with only one second between the render times. Intel's Core i9-10900K didn't do that well and was about 35% below the Ryzen 9 5950X in my handbrake test.

Gaming performance

For the machine Origin sent me, 4K is the goal. The RTX 3080 Ti can exceed 1080p and 1440p in most games and achieves frame rates of around 100 frames per second (fps). You don't have to look any further than Red Dead Redemption 2 to see where the Neuron averaged 110 fps at 1440p Ultra settings.

The RTX 3080 Ti aims at 4K but doesn't always arrive. At maximum 4K resolution, I managed 55 fps in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. This is a very punishing title, and the RTX 3080 Ti is on the high end of the performer. Nevertheless, the HP Omen 30L only showed a slight improvement over the RTX 3080. As far as the Falcon Northwest Talon with an RTX 3080 is concerned, it performs identically.

Origin neuron with side wall turned off.

Red Dead Redemption 2 did much better with an average of 72 fps at 4K Ultra. Fortnite was also no match for the RTX 3080 Ti, as it scored points above the RTX 3080 at 89 fps with all sliders. Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Red Dead Redemption 2 are two of the most challenging games on PC, and the RTX 3080 Ti can still keep up with them.

The RTX 3080 can also keep up. Even in the most demanding of situations, just a few frames separate it and the Ti model at 4K. Keep in mind that the RTX 3080 Ti costs an extra $ 718 over the RTX 3080 in the Neuron. This additional price hardly buys you any more performance with 4K.

This even applies to synthetic benchmarks. When I compare my 3DMark Time Spy result to the average of the RTX 3080 results with the same configuration, there is only about 5% difference. For reference, the RTX 3070 Ti is only about 10% slower than the RTX 3080 Ti in this test, while it costs $ 1,000 less on Origin.

Ray tracing is a major feature of the RTX 30 series, so I turned to Control for ray tracing performance. To my surprise, the RTX 3080 Ti managed 35 fps at 4K with ray tracing on high. That's about a 44% performance hit for enabling ray tracing, but you can always use Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) to increase the frame rates.

The RTX 3080 Ti is a 4K gaming monster, but that shouldn't come as a surprise. It's better for the price Origin is asking. What surprised me is the proximity to the RTX 3080, which is significantly cheaper. The non-Ti model is slower, but with over $ 700 at stake, a few extra frames are hard to justify.

Guarantee and support

An important reason to be pre-fabricated is the support. After all, there are no guarantees of screwing up a build yourself (even if the chances are slim with the right guidance). Origin, along with virtually all other custom PC builders, doesn't do well in this regard. The Neuron comes with a standard one-year parts exchange warranty with free shipping for the first 45 days only.

The Neuron comes in a wooden box so free shipping after 45 days is not a big deal. One year is the standard for most PC manufacturers, including Maingear, Falcon Northwest, and CyberPowerPC. For the warranty period, however, I would have liked free shipping. That upgrade alone costs $ 70 on Origin.

It's not all bad news for support, however. After purchase, Origin offers 24/7 lifelong support as well as lifelong free labor if you want to upgrade your PC across the board.

Our opinion

Like most custom-built PCs, the Origin Neuron charges a premium for convenience. However, this premium is not as high in 2021 as in previous years. Given the current price of an RTX 3080 Ti, you could build the exact machine Origin sent me for around $ 1,400 versus $ 2,400. That extra $ 1,000 will give you the build, some extra goodies, and a parts guarantee.

As someone who loves to assemble PCs, I will always choose to save money and share a system myself. However, the price difference on Origin isn't that big, especially on machines with lower specs. As my tests show, you can get most of the performance of an RTX 3080 Ti out of the RTX 3080, and this difference alone brings the price scales back into balance.

Overall, the Origin Neuron is an expertly built machine that deserves its price in a sea of ​​machines that don't. However, DIY is always cheaper, and the 2021 Neuron won't change that either.

Are there alternatives?

Yes sir. The Maingear Vybe and Falcon Northwest Talon are custom alternatives, and the HP Omen 30L and pre-made Maingear Vybe are cheaper options that you can't configure. Origin stands out for its build quality, including clean cable management and minimal bloatware. However, all components are sold separately and you can save a lot if you put them together yourself.

How long it will take?

The Origin Neuron will last as long as you want it to. It uses standardized parts so you can upgrade and expand it for as long as it complies with the ATX standard. The base model will last at 1080p and 1440p for several years before you need to upgrade.

Should you buy it?

A $ 1,000 building fee is hard to swallow when you can make an exact match yourself, but for those who don't want to build their own, the Neuron is an excellent premium option.

Editor's recommendations



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