Sunday, November 17, 2019

Apple : Gigabyte unleashes Aorus Radeon RX 5700 XT with Silent Mode

Apple : Gigabyte unleashes Aorus Radeon RX 5700 XT with Silent Mode

Gigabyte unleashes Aorus Radeon RX 5700 XT with Silent Mode

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 01:50 PM PST

Gigabyte has released yet another variant to the Radeon RX 5700 XT, AMD’s reference GPU (graphics cards), and it’s boosted with more features than the last. Over the weekend, the Taiwanese manufacturer unleashed the Aorus Radeon RX 5700 XT 8G, which is basically Radeon RX 5700 XT on steroids.

It’s been months since the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT hit the streets, and the Gigabyte Radeon RX 5700 XT GAMING OC 8G has also been out for a while. However, considering the graphics card’s success, delivering excellent 1440p gaming performance and a number of forward-looking feature, you can hardly blame Gigabyte for capitalizing on its success.

This time around, as Tom’s Hardware reports, Gigabyte gave the popular GPU an Aorus-twist so that it’s touting a lot more features than its predecessor, giving those gamers who have yet to upgrade to AMD Navi another option for a smoother, more immersive gaming experience.

A slew of new features

Among those new features is a higher boost clock. While the Radeon RX 5700 XT only has a boost frequency of up to 1,905MHz, the new Aorus Radeon RX 5700 XT 8G boasts an impressive 2,010MHz so gamers can overclock it to a higher speed.

In addition, it also has two extra HDMI ports, nicely rounding out its port selection to a total of six – three DisplayPorts, one HDMI 2.0 port and two HDMI 1.4 ports. That’s not only two more ports than the OG Radeon RX 5700XT. It also means that this GPU will allow users to use up to a whopping six displays all at the same time, as these six display outputs can be used simultaneously. 

However, perhaps the most attractive features of the Aorus Radeon RX 5700 XT 8G might just be its Windforce 3x cooling system with alternate spinning fans and its GPU BIOS switch.

The former is also present in the Gigabyte Radeon RX 5700 XT GAMING OC 8G, offering both GPUs a very effective cooling solution that’s also very quiet. But what sets this Aorus variant apart is that extra RGB it got. While the Radeon RX 5700 XT GAMING OC 8G only has the Gigabyte logo lit up, the Aorus variant has two strips fringing the fans with RGB Fusion 2.0 lighting. This makes it even more appealing to RGB-loving gamers and those who get a lot of kick out of all their Aorus devices lighting up in synchronicity.

Meanwhile, the latter is perfect for keeping that noise level low, albeit while also reducing the GPU’s boost levels. At flick of a switch, you can turn Silent Mode on to keep the noise down even more, which works great with Windforce 3x cooling system’s already quiet fans.

Gigabyte has yet to reveal the pricing for the Aorus Radeon RX 5700 XT 8G. However, with its additional features, the GPU is expected to cost more than the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT’s $399 price tag.

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Best laptop

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 11:50 AM PST

Welcome to our pick of the best laptops. In this guide you’ll find the best laptop for your needs – no matter what type of laptop you’re looking for.

So, we have premium laptops, budget laptops, gaming laptops and Chromebooks as well. Basically, if you’re after a brilliant laptop, we have you covered.

At the moment, our pick for the best laptop in the world is the Dell XPS 13. The Dell XPS 13 has been at the top (or very close) of our best laptops list for years now, with each new model improving on the last. 

This year’s version is no different, bringing improvements to the design and performance to the 13-inch Ultrabook, and that’s why it’s once again our pick for the best laptop in 2019.

However, the Dell XPS 13 won’t be for everyone. Perhaps you’re looking for a budget laptop that can help you fire off a few emails and browse the web. Maybe you want a gaming laptop that can run the best PC games with ease. Or you simply want an affordable laptop for school. Whatever you need, read on – as we have the best laptop for you.

Battery life considerations

Finally there’s battery life. This is likely to be one of the most important considerations you have when choosing what laptop to buy. The best laptops need to be able to let you work - and play - for hours on end without you having to scramble for a power adapter. Modern laptops are getting ever more power-efficient, which has led to longer battery lives. For a laptop to be included in our best laptops list, it needs to offer a battery life of five hours or more.

Bear in mind that the battery life that the laptop makers claim their device has could be quite different to what you actually experience. This is because many laptop makers test their batteries in very controlled environments, with the laptop used in ways that you might not necessarily use. So, while a laptop might have a claimed battery life of 10 hours, you may find that when using it for certain tasks – like streaming high definition content – your battery life could run out faster.

That’s where our in-depth reviews come in, as we run a series of tests on each laptop in this best laptops guide to see how long the battery life lasts under certain conditions. If a laptop’s battery is ridiculously short (or impressively long) we’ll tell you.

The Dell XPS 13 has been a regular of our best laptops list for years, and the 2019 model is no exception. It retains everything we've come to love from Dell's flagship 13-incher, from the gorgeous and light design, to the powerful modern components that power it. The Dell XPS 13 rocks an 8th-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor and a bezel-less ‘Infinity Edge’ display, this Dell XPS 13 continues to be the most popular Windows laptop in the world. 

What’s more, there’s a wide range of customization options, so you can really make the Dell XPS 13 the best laptop for your needs. The 2019 model doesn't bring a huge amount of improvements, but then not that much about the Dell XPS 13 needs improving. Its webcam has been placed at the top center of the screen, rather than at the bottom, which a lot of customers have been asking for. You also get a longer battery life in this year's model.

Huawei has done it again, and its latest laptop is one of our picks for the best laptop of 2019. As with last year's Huawei MateBook X Pro, the MateBook 13 comes with some of the latest components, including a discrete Nvidia MX150 graphics card, and a gorgeous lightweight design, that you'd expect to find on a much more expensive laptop. 

The fact that the MateBook 13 offer so much, yet comes with an impressively low price – compared to its Ultrabook competitors, makes it our choice for the best value laptop. Sure, you may be missing a few minor niceties here and there to achieve such a competitive price, but on the whole, this is the most value-packed flagship laptop that we’ve ever tested.

If you're after a few more bells and whistles, like super-fast Thunderbolt 3 ports and a 4K display, then the Dell XPS 13 or MacBook Pro (also on this list of best laptops) may be better choices. Recently, the US government blacklisted Huawei, which many feared would have implications on whether the Chinese company's laptops would still get support from the like of Microsoft and Intel. 

The good news is that both Microsoft and Intel have confirmed that they will continue to support Huawei laptops, which means the MateBook 13 and other models will still get important Windows 10 updates.

The HP Spectre line of Ultrabooks and 2-in-1 laptops has always consisted of extraordinarily attractive devices. So, when we say that the 2019 Spectre x360 takes things to another level, that should mean something. 

This is one of the most beautiful laptops on the market right now, with its gem-cut design and sleek profile. Couple that with the powerful Intel Whiskey Lake processors and long battery life, and you get one of the best laptops on the market right now. Its ability to flip into a Windows tablet is just icing on the cake. 

This year's model of the 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro is the most powerful MacBook the Cupertino company has ever made. By fitting some of the fastest components in the world (including 6- and 8-core Intel processors) into the iconic slimline MacBook body, Apple has created a formidable professional laptop that earns its place on our best laptops list. 

Of course, being a MacBook Pro, while it's powerful and beautifully designed, it's also incredibly expensive – especially if you start customising its components. But, if you have the budget, this is an amazing device that can serve as an essential productivity tool. 

However, there's no denying that this is a pricey machine, so you may want to consider one of the Windows alternatives. If you're open to switching to a PC, definitely consider the XPS 13 or the excellent MateBook X Pro. But, if you're a steadfast Apple diehard, this is definitely the best laptop for you.

The Alienware Area-51m is our pick for the best gaming laptop, so naturally, it also deserves a place in our list of the best laptops money can buy. With an eye catching design and brilliant build quality, which we've come to expect from Dell's Alienware brand, this is an incredible performer, offering a choice of some of the very best gaming components on the market right now, including a choice of 9th generation Intel Core processors, and Nvidia's latest RTX range of GPUs. 

Sure, it's pretty expensive, but if you're serious about getting the best gaming laptop money can buy in 2019, then you'll need to expect to splash out a little bit, and the Alienware Area-51m really is worth every penny. However, if this is out of your budget, check out the much more affordable Dell G5 15 5590 later on in this list.

Google's new Pixelbook Go is the best Chromebook money can buy right now, with the company showing everyone else how it's done. Its previous Chromebook, the Pixelbook, was a brilliant Chromebook in its own way, but it cost a small fortune. 

The Pixelbook Go, on the other hand, is a more affordable Chromebook that retains a lot of its predecessor's premium features, while bringing some brilliant upgrades as well, including an astounding battery life and fantastic keyboard. 

It features some impressive specs for a Chromebook, which ensures that Chrome OS positively flies on this device, and puts its performance on par with many of the more expensive Windows laptops and MacBooks that grace the rest of this best laptops list. If you're looking for the ultimate Chromebook then the Pixelbook Go is the one to get.

With the third version of the Surface Laptop 3, Microsoft has made its best laptop yet. While it's not a huge leap over its predecessor, the Surface Laptop 3 does improve on almost every aspect. 

Best of all, with the 15-inch version you now get a choice of either Intel or AMD hardware. Previously, only Intel tech was included. Elsewhere, the Surface Laptop 3 continues the Surface Laptop's reputation for being a stunningly designed laptop. 

These are some of the most desirable laptops in the world that don't have a logo of an apple on them, with a new aluminum body that gives it a premium feel, while protecting it from knocks and drops. There are still a few niggles, like the continued lack of ports, but in general this is one of the best laptops in the world right now.

Last year’s Dell XPS 15 was already one of the best laptops you could buy, but now  Dell has taken the beautiful redesign of the Dell XPS 13 and applied it here – while also making it a convertible. 

Well, it’s amazing. Not only do you get one of the most aesthetically pleasing 15-inch laptops on the market, but it also packs one of those new Intel Kaby Lake G-series CPUs featuring ‘discrete-class’ Radeon graphics. This means that this laptop packs serious power – even if it can get a little loud.

While the Alienware Area-51m (featured earlier in this best laptops list) is the best gaming laptop for people with a lot of money to spare, if you're on a tighter budget, then the Dell G5 15 5590 gaming laptop is a fantastic choice. 

Dell’s 15-inch G5 doesn't have the highest specs, but it will see you through 1080p gaming and last you up to 10 hours of battery life as well – which is pretty remarkable for a gaming laptop. 

It also features a stylish design and great build quality, and Dell also allows you to configure the Dell G5 15 5590 to better suit your budget and needs.

When it comes to the best Chromebook laptop, you have a choice between two stark alternatives. There's the more expensive Chromebook Pixel Go (featured earlier in this list), and then there's the excellent Asus Chromebook Flip C302, which combines premium features in a much more affordable package. 

For many people, Chromebooks are affordable laptops that are perfect for students, and the Asus Chromebook Flip C302 is easily one of the best Chromebooks, and one of the best laptops, money can buy. 

It comes with an Intel Core processor, full 1080p display, touchscreen, backlit keyboard and USB-C port.

The new Asus VivoBook S15 hasn't been out for long, and it's made its way straight into our best laptops list. This is because it combines a thin and light design with great performance and an excellent price. 

If you're looking for a mid-range laptop that doesn't cost too much, but still performs brilliantly, then this is the best laptop for you. 

Thanks to its powerful Intel processor, 8GB of RAM and fast SSD storage, this is a laptop that can handle almost any task with ease – though gaming is out of the question. Its 15.6-inch screen is bright and vibrant, and it has loads of ports that makes it easy to hook up your favorite peripherals. 

However, it doesn't have the longest battery life for a laptop, and the ScreenPad, which replaces the traditional touchpad below the keyboard with a touchscreen, takes a bit of getting used to.

If you want the Microsoft Surface Book 2 but you want to spend a lot less, the Acer Switch 3 2017 is definitely the your best option. 

If you're looking for one of the best Acer laptops, this one's designed around essentially the same concept as the Surface Book 2 and it's a less capable thanks to slightly lower power innards, but for most tasks it's a brilliant little machine. 

What's more, to add further value this 2-in-1 laptop/tablet comes with the keyboard upgrade which means no little extras to pay for. As usual it comes in several different versions, with USB Type-C, 8GB RAM, an IPS display and Intel Core i3 7100U CPU coming with the more expensive option.

The MacBook is another win for Apple, and it's once again won us over with a gorgeous design, excellent performance and best-in-class battery life. 

Apple has updated the processors with Intel's 7th-generation Kaby Lake range, which means you get improved performance and longer battery life without sacrificing the thin and light design that the MacBook is famous for. 

While the MacBook 2017 is not designed as a pure productivity machine, like the more powerful and versatile MacBook Pro above, or as a gaming machine, it's still one of the best laptops in the world right now thanks to being a super slim and light MacBook that you can take anywhere without even noticing the weight.

When HP unveiled the HP Spectre Folio, it made some big claims about how the 2-in-1 laptop would reinvent the PC. While it doesn't quite match the hype, what we do have is one of the most beautifully-designed laptops we've ever tried. 

Billed as "modern vintage meets technology", the HP Spectre Folio is built directly into a piece of genuine leather. That's not a fancy cover, it's a part of the laptop. It's not just looks that has put it on this list of the best laptops, the HP Spectre Folio is also a brilliant performer as well, with modern components powering the device.

It is very expensive, though, so if you're on a budget, check out the more affordable 2-in-1 Acer Switch 3. But, if you want the best laptop for making a statement as soon as you pull it out of the bag, then the HP Spectre Folio is the one to get.

The Lenovo Yoga C930 has quite a few of the makings of the best 2-in-1 laptop in the world – from an absurd 14.5 hours of battery life and dual Thunderbolt-enabled USB-C ports to internal components that will easily handle those daily productivity tasks. 

That’s without even considering it’s a 2-in-1 that offers form versatility so you can squeeze in some light gaming and movie-watching once you’re done working. It has a few cherries on top as well, specifically the integrated self-charging stylus and the fab speaker system.

While there are cheaper 2-in-1 laptops out there, if you're looking for the best premium 2-in-1 laptop in the world right now, this is it.

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How to watch I'm a Celebrity 2019 online for free in the UK or abroad

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 11:43 AM PST

Are you ready for another series of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here? This year it's set to be a real treat, with the full celebrity line-up all ready for the challenging tasks and to eat some...err, interesting items Down Under. Can't wait to watch? Keep reading to find out how to watch I'm a Celebrity online for free - regardless of where on Earth you are.

The brand new series brings a fresh set of gross challenges in the Australian jungle, and the return of Ant McPartlin as co-host with Declan Donnelly is fantastic news for the viewing public.

The full confirmed list of celebrities includes Kate Garraway, James Haskell, Nadine Coyle and - and this is the big one - Caitlyn Jenner! A sneak peek shows that one task will be set in a Wild West-type ghost town along with a muddy pond filled with black water. And prepare for the usual 'tasty' treats and endurance epics, too.

Who will be crowned the 2019 king or queen of the jungle? Just keep reading as we tell you exactly how to watch I'm A Celebrity online – no matter where in the world you are.

Watch I'm A Celebrity 2019 online for free in the UK:

As is usual, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here will continue to run on ITV for UK viewers. That means you'll be able to watch the show live via your TV aerial connection or online using the ITV Hub. And if you ever miss a few episodes and need to catch up you can also do this on the ITV hub.

Or if you want another live streaming option for your mobile, tablet or computer is the free TVPlayer.com which has good quality streaming as well as the rest of the Freeview channels on one easy platform.

Streaming I'm A Celebrity anywhere else in the world for free:

For those outside of the UK that don't want to miss a second of this year's celeb action, the best bet is a VPN service. This means that if you've mismatched a holiday or you're temporarily abroad, don't panic you can still get your I'm a Celeb fix, you just need an internet connection.

Once you get the right VPN you can enjoy a secure and speedy connection, even on open Wi-Fi networks like hotels, enabling you to tune in.

And even if you're not that tech friendly, don't worry. Getting a VPN is super simple. We've listed how to do it in three easy steps below....

Which celebrities are in the jungle in 2019?

  • Kate Garraway, TV and radio presenter
  • James Haskell, ex-England rugby 
  • Caitlyn Jenner, TV personality
  • Roman Kemp, radio DJ
  • Jacqueline Jossa, Eastenders star
  • Andrew Maxwell, comedian
  • Myles Stephenson, singer
  • Adele Roberts, Radio 1 presenter
  • Ian Wright MBE, ex-footballer 
  • Nadine Coyle, former Girls Aloud singer

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Best computer

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 11:15 AM PST

The best PCs pack more power now than ever before. They’ve evolved to the point of packing eight-core processors and super high-end graphics cards, some of which offer real time ray tracing – things that were not possible only a few years back. Staying on the cutting edge means getting one of the best PCs included on this list, even if most of what you’ll do is browse Facebook and surf the internet.

The good news is, the best PCs available right now are also more affordable than ever, which means that regardless of what your budget might be, you'll find one that's not ideal for you and your needs, but can also keep you on the cutting edge. You can pick up a solid PC or even an all-in-one desktop for around $500 (about £390, AU$715), for example. 

In addition, many of the best PCs will last you a lifetime as they are upgradeable. It’s easy to keep them up to date by fitting in new and improved PC components, like fast SSDs, more RAM and possibly even the best graphics card.

With so many options to choose from, deciding on the best PC for you, your needs and your budget can get confusing. So we gathered all the best computers on the market, paying close attention to those that hit that sweet spot between price and performance.

Here are our top picks for the best PCs on offer. Peruse the list and pick out what you like.

Dell XPS Tower Special Edition

One of the best PCs right now, the Dell XPS Tower is packed with high-end components.

The Dell XPS Tower looks unremarkable, like that PC your parents used to have hidden away underneath the desk when you were a kid. However, its no-nonsense chassis hides quite a selection of exciting internals. One of the best PCs right now, the Dell XPS Tower is packed with up to an RTX 2070 graphics card, a 9th-generation Intel Core processor, and a large hard drive and/or SSD. This special edition PC configuration is only available in the US. However, UK and Australian readers can grab the regular Dell XPS Tower and then add similar upgrades, though there are some limitations such as the graphics card options topping out with the GTX 1060.

Microsoft Surface Studio 2

This device is meant for the digital artist or other visually-focused content creators.

The Surface Studio 2 isn’t going to compare well against most PCs, but that’s only because it was never designed to compete with them in the first place. This device is meant for the digital artist or other visually-focused content creators, and even with aging parts, it’s still the most robust digital drafting table on the market. It boasts a bright, vibrant display, and improved specs next to its predecessor. If you’re a digital artist or a content creator who’s visually-focused, this is the best computer for you.

Intel Hades Canyon NUC

If don't have a lot of desk space, then Intel Hades Canyon NUC may just be ideal for you.

If you want an excellent desktop experience, but don’t have a lot of desk space, then Intel Hades Canyon NUC may just be ideal for you. This small bare-bones PC has an absurdly fast 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and discrete-class AMD Radeon graphics. Adding some RAM and storage to the mix, and you will be conquering the best PC games without breaking a sweat. It won’t compete against a full-sized desktop, but when you’re short on space – or you want a PC that looks like a set-top box – this is one of the best PCs to consider.

Alienware Aurora R8

The Alienware Aurora R8 has all the makings of a powerful gaming PC.

While costing a pretty penny when souped up, the Alienware Aurora R8 has all the makings of a powerful gaming PC, including 9th-generation Intel Core chips and some of the best Nvidia GTX and RTX graphics for gaming. This model has been succeeded by the Alienware Aurora R9, which boasts a cool-looking exterior, but their specs are practically comparable. Only, the R8 will set you back a couple of hundred dollars/pounds less, giving you more for your money. Get ready to be impressed by this PCs’ 1440p gaming performance.

Corsair One Pro i180

The Corsair One Pro i180's breathtaking performance should be enough to convince you to splurge.

If that cool, slimline design and that Corsair One name aren’t enough to convince you to upgrade to this latest offering, then the Corsair One Pro i180’s breathtaking performance should. This is among the most powerful desktop computers we’ve ever had the pleasure of testing, albeit the most expensive as well – so get a hammer and break that piggy bank. This will more than handle your favorite AAA games, as well as see you through your creative workload quietly and without breaking a sweat. And, it’s reasonably upgradeable as well, making it future-proof.

Apple Mac mini (2018)

Your bank account will be spared if you jump on the Mac mini bandwagon.

It’s easy to think of Apple computers as overpriced, but your bank account will be spared if you jump on the Mac mini bandwagon. The Mac mini 2018 is a small form-factor PC that looks adorable and also packed tight with high-end desktop parts. And, that’s all for a much more accessible price than any other Mac on the market, making it a great buy for anyone who already has a slew of Mac-ready peripherals or for a Mac fan who doesn’t have the budget for a Mac Pro. What’s more, unlike many of Apple’s recent products, the Mac mini is relatively upgradeable – you can boost your memory up to 64GB of RAM.

Intel Compute Stick

Looking more like a thumb drive than an actual computer, this tiny renegade can connect to any monitor.

Some people have issues with desktop PCs, as they’re often rather bulky. The Intel Core Compute Stick has made that irrelevant. Looking more like a thumb drive than an actual computer, this tiny renegade can connect to any monitor with an HDMI input. Its base starts with a lowly 1.33GHz Intel Atom processor running Linux, but can be configured up to an Intel Core m5 processor. This is one of the best PCs, but one that you can literally slip in your pocket, whether you need to get some work done during your daily commute or squeeze in some PC time while you’re traveling.

Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article

Image Credits: TechRadar

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Best smartwatch

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 11:08 AM PST

A smartwatch is the ultimate smartphone accessory – and plenty are now able to work on their own. The range of smartwatches on the market today can tell the time, of course, but they can also beam important notifications straight to your wrist, track your fitness stats and pay for your morning coffee.

Today's best smartwatch models can perform lots of tricks, like searching the internet with your voice, tracking your location with GPS or even monitoring your heart rate to protect your overall health.

Oh, and some of them look absolutely stunning, too. If you're thinking that a smartwatch is a pointlessly geeky accessory, the times have changed - these wearables fit your fashion nearly as well as their analog counterparts. The choices we've ranked below are well-made, powerful and can genuinely make you fitter through some smart nudges.

We've tested the vast majority of the top-end wearables you can buy right now from the Apple Watch to Fitbits to Garmin trackers to Tizen-sporting Samsung watches. There's also Wear OS (you may have known that in its previous incarnation called Android Wear) which is Google's own wearable operating system in the vein of Apple's watchOS - you’ll see it show up in a lot of these devices.

During our review process, we take into account the design, features, battery life, spec, price and more for each smartwatch, rank it against the competition and enter it into the list you'll find below.

Our best smartwatch you can buy right now is from Samsung, and instead of opting for the expected Gear S4 name it's called the Galaxy Watch. Following on from the Gear S3 series and the Gear Sport in 2017, the latest Samsung Watch is much improved.

We've tested out the larger 46mm version of the watch and it comes with a phenomenal four day battery life even when you're using it extensively. That's impressive considering a lot of other watches on this list last a day or so from a single charge.

The rotating bezel remains a highlight of navigating around the Tizen OS on the watch, and the interface is one of the easiest to pick up that we've seen on a smartwatch.

Apps available on the watch are more limited than Wear OS or watchOS - two rival smartwatch operating systems - but it still offers the core basics and Samsung had provided a watch that's good at fitness as well as sporting a great design and lots more functionality too.

Apple hasn't taken the top spot in our best smartwatch list, but this is the best device you can get if you own an iPhone. It works seamlessly with Apple's phones, and it's well worth considering if you plan to stick with the iPhone range for at least a few years.

There aren't many huge upgrades over the Apple Watch 4, but the main change is it comes with an always-on display for the first time. That means you won't have to raise the watch to see your key stats, and instead it'll display most of the information you need on a dimmed screen.

The design is similar to the Apple Watch 4 - a look that we loved - so you'll get a larger display than earlier iterations of the device, and it comes in either 40mm or 44mm sizes.

All of the fitness features you'd expect come on this watch, and that includes a variety of top-end features such as the ECG monitor, GPS tracking, impressive heart rate monitoring and more. 

If you're looking for the very best Apple Watch, this is it... it's just not our favorite smartwatch money can buy.

Samsung shrank the best parts of the the Galaxy Watch into this sportier smartwatch that's slimmer, lighter and, arguably, more comfortable - then released a second version months after the first that included a few coveted features, including a rotating digital bezel and LTE version.

Overall, not much has changed - which isn't a bad thing, as it's still a quality smartwatch at a decent price. Galaxy Watch Active 2 features a 1.2-inch 360 x 360 display that is bright and beautiful yet small enough to be strapped around your wrist than a lot of the other devices in this list.

It still comes sporting all of the top-end fitness features you'd expect from Samsung's Tizen watch range, with 39 workout modes, a heart rate and ECG sensor, and health app with stress and sleep monitoring.

While it's still more affordable than the leading Apple Watch, the price was bumped up from the original Watch Active, shrinking its value compared to the competition. It's certainly not a cheap smartwatch, but when compared to the original RRP of the Galaxy Watch you may prefer to opt for this version that's remarkably similar.

Fossil has developed a lot of expertise in the wearable tech space over the last few years, and this has all culminated in the best smartwatch the company has made so far.

The Fossil Sport is a top-end watch with a lower price tag than the two devices above in this list. It features GPS, a lightweight - yet premium - design and at least two days of battery life from a single charge.

Fossil has packed a Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset inside, which is the latest update from Qualcomm that offers a smoother experience than you'll get on a lot of older Wear OS watches.

It doesn't sport any truly unique features, but the overall package of the Fossil Sport may be the best watch for you. That'll especially be the case if you're looking for a fitness watch that comes with Wear OS software and won't look odd on your wrist when you're going about your day.

One of the cheapest devices on this list, the TicWatch E2 is from a relatively small brand called Mobvoi but it has made a big splash with its latest couple of smartwatches.

The E2 is waterproof, comes with great battery life and it's all available for an affordable price. You probably won't fall in love with the design of this watch - it's not particularly premium - but we like the look considering how much it costs.

For health, the watch comes with built-in GPS, an accurate heart rate sensor and sleep tracking. All of the fitness features you'd expect are here, but make sure you note that it won't be able to do contactless payments as there's no NFC onboard.

One of our favorite Wear OS watches is the TicWatch Pro, which you can use with either an iPhone or with your Android phone. You may not have heard of TicWatch before, but the latest from the company it a top-end watch with a unique dual-screen feature.

There are two displays on this watch - one layered on top of the other. On the top is a transparent LCD display that can display the time, your heart rate and more when the battery is low.

Below that is a bright and bold full color OLED screen that will give you all of the benefits of Wear OS. That means you can have a normal smartwatch, which we found would last around two days, and then have the time and some other features still available when your battery is running low. Plus the low power mode also lasts for a whole 30 days too.

In terms of smartwatch features there's GPS, NFC for Google Pay, Bluetooth for listening to music and the top Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset in here running the watch as well. Then there's the price, which undercuts a lot of the other watches on this list.

The Fitbit Versa 2 is the latest part-smartwatch-part-fitness tracker from Fitbit, one of the most famous wearable companies about.

The Versa 2 brings a host of upgrades to the original Fitbit Versa, including an always-on display, Alexa integration, and a slightly smaller body.

However if the original Versa wasn't quite right for you, the Versa 2 may not be the best either, as it's still fundamentally the same device, and it lacks some of the trappings of different smartwatches, like GPS functions or offline Spotify.

But for general wearable fans, the Fitbit Versa 2 is a good option, and it's more affordable than some of the other options on this list too.

This is remarkably similar to the Apple Watch 5 that we've spoken about above, but it's easy to forget how much of a big change 2018's addition was for the Apple Watch range.

The Series 4 comes with a larger display than preceding smartwatches, and thanks to the release of the Apple Watch 5 it's now much cheaper. It comes in either 40mm or 44mm sizes, and the screen on both of these versions is much larger than you'd get from a lot of other watches.

The most exciting tech here is the fact there's an ECG feature within the heart rate tracker. It can test your heart to see if you're at a high risk of atrial fibrillation, which will allow you to seek help earlier if your health is in danger.

There are tons of fitness features, the latest watchOS onboard and more. Just note that this won't work with an Android phone, so it's only an option for those who have an iPhone.

The Fitbit Ionic was always going to be a tough move for the brand, trying to enter the world of smartwatches from fitness bands.

The effort succeeds in some places: namely fitness, as you might imagine, where you can track all manner of things, from running to weight lifting to swimming. There's also dedicated bodyweight coaching sessions in there, and you can pay for items on the go using Fitbit Pay.

When it first launched, the price was super high and it was a bit too expensive to wholeheartedly recommend. The good news is the price seems to have dropped in recent months so you can get it for at least $70/£70 cheaper than the RRP.

If you're a Fitbit fan looking to do more than you get on an average band, this is a nice option.

The Apple Watch 3 (or Apple Watch Series 3, if you're picky) was once the very best smartwatch, but it has since been bumped down by the Apple Watch 4 and 5.

The Apple Watch 3 is essentially just the Apple Watch 2 frame with some new innards... but they made a huge difference. The main highlight now is that the price is so low that it's the equivalent of many other popular, affordable smartwatches.

The LTE connection was the headline event at the time of release, although that's not really as useful as some might hope.

It's water-resistant so you can swim with it and you won't have to worry about getting it wet in the rain when you're out for a jog. There's GPS onboard to make running that little bit easier, plus it you can now upgrade to the latest watchOS too.

Photo illustration: TechRadar; Misfit; Mobvoi; Apple; Fitbit; Samsung

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Best console games you can play on a phone or tablet

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 10:56 AM PST

If you're not yet thinking about phones and tablets as proper gaming devices, it's time to catch up. Gone are the days when the best game on a mobile was Snake, nowadays Android and iOS have a huge amount of console ports. And with the likes of Project xCloud and Google Stadia on the way, console games are invading mobile devices in a big way.

Phones and tablets keep on getting faster and more capable, some our the best gaming mobiles could rival consoles (well older consoles, but still). In addition, the number of older games that can be re-released in mobile form is growing and growing all the time too.

With that in mind, we've dug deep into the Google Play Store and Apple App Store to find the 30 console games and game series that you need to check out sooner rather than later.

Some of our picks appeared on PCs before hitting consoles, but they're still prime examples of top-tier games we'd once never have imagined playing on our phones.

Rockstar Games has done more than most to prove phones and tablets can hack "proper" games, to use the language of some forum posters, releasing a slew of classic Grand Theft Auto titles for iOS and Android.

From the main GTA bloodline you can play GTA 3, the very first full-3D entry in the series, as well as fan favorite Vice City and the absolutely massive San Andreas. Back in the day people wondered whether the PS2 could really hack San Andreas, and now you can play it on an iPhone 4S. Mad.

That’s not the end, either. You can also snag DS/PSP classic Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and the PSP’s Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, which also made it to the PS2. Play them all back-to-back and you could spend a year churning through these titles alone.

Casting nostalgia aside for a minute, San Andreas is the richest of the lot, but Chinatown Wars and Liberty City Stories may be easier to hack if you struggle with those on-screen controls.

From iTunes, you can even buy a pack featuring all of Rockstar’s ports, saving you a little cash.

The history books may remember Bully as a runt in the pack of snarling beasts that make up Rockstar’s back catalog, but there's a solid argument that it’s better than some of the more famous GTA games.

Bully takes the open-world style of the Grand Theft Auto games but grafts it onto a school rather than a city. You're an attitude-drenched little ASBO of a character, who rides around the place on a skateboard, causing havoc. But you're not the bully – it's your job to take them on.

The real appeal here, though, is in the characters and storylines, which are always irreverent and often hilarious.

Back in the 90s we didn’t have to worry about Trump vs Clinton, it was all about Mario vs Sonic. With 20 years of hindsight, Mario won. But the great side-effect is that we can now play the Sonic classics on mobile, while Mario Run is all the official Nintendo plumber action you’ll get on your phone.

There are a few Sonic options. SEGA has released the original Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic CD for iOS and Android.

Most of you probably know the Sonic drill: it's a platformer that, by 16-bit console standards at least, flies by at about 90mph. SEGA hasn't tried to modernize this trio of classics, simply using the extra pixels of modern phones to keep the visuals nice and clean. Even the gamepad-ported controls work well.

Back at the very end of the 20th century, Crazy Taxi was one of the key oddball titles we loved to see in the arcade, when such things weren’t quaint places your grandad talked about wistfully. In 2000 it became part of the Sega Dreamcast's second wave of titles.

It's a game from another time, but actually has a lot more in common with the way mobile games are played than almost every other pick here. You frantically pick up passengers and drop them off in a cartoony 3D city, with just a couple of minutes to play with, earning more time the more people you deliver.

It's fast and it's addictive, just like so many casual games that get their in-app purchase hooks into us these days. Sega has also released a remixed mobile version of this format, Crazy Taxi City Rush, but it's the original we recommend for the proper console/arcade experience.

Yet another Rockstar Games title worth tracking down, Max Payne Mobile is a full port of the action adventure that made "bullet time" a thing back in the early 2000s.

This craze has more-or-less died out, so to explain: after The Matrix was released, slow motion shooting suddenly became the coolest thing anyone had ever seen. Alongside leather trench coats.

Max Payne was the game that made the mechanic really work, letting you slow down time to take out a whole room of baddies without it turning into an auto-aim cheat fest.

On a touchscreen, Max Payne's third-person action can be challenging to control, but the story and level design have aged much better than most titles from 20 years ago.

Lots of mediocre Star Wars games have popped-up over the years, but Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was different. Made by Bioware, it was a precursor to the Mass Effect games that, for many, were a highlight of the last console generation.

It's a role-playing adventure where combat uses a continuous turn-based system, making it easier to handle on a tablet or phone than real time combat would be. It was already a pretty intense experience on Xbox, but it's surprisingly manageable on mobile.

Hardcore RPG nuts still bang on today about how KOTOR's story is one of the most engaging ever told in a game. We won't spoil anything here, though, as it hinges on a series of plot twists that'll make you drop your tablet. In a good way.

In 2012 it seemed like the XCOM series was well past it. Following up a pair of mid-90s classic with a slew of rubbish sequels is always a reliable way to turn a series into a has-been.

However, XCOM: Enemy Unknown brought the glory back, largely because it's a "re-imagining" of the original game from 1994. Aliens are invading, and it's your job as the XCOM task force to stop them taking over.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown plays out as an epic campaign of turn-based battles against the invaders, in which you direct a team of squaddies. And in-between those missions you build up a base and research new technologies to give Earth the edge. 

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is among the most recent console classics ported to mobile, but works alarmingly well on phones and tablets alike. It's also been updated to include the XCOM: Enemy Within expansion.

Cheat alert: the Raiden series of games were originally released in the arcade. They're not strictly console games, but did make it to the Xbox 360 in 2008 as Raiden Fighters Aces.

DotEmu's Raiden Legacy for iOS and Android includes four whoppers. You get Raiden, Raiden Fighters, Raiden Fighters II and Raiden Fighters Jet. This is even better than the Xbox 360 compilation, which didn't include the original Raiden.

For the uninitiated, these games are vertical shooters. You control a fighter plane with your finger, flicking the thing around to avoid enemy fire while blasting everything on screen. It's a perfect fit for phone gaming.

90s gamers may have fond memories of the original Rayman. Its beautiful hand-drawn graphics were jaw-dropping back in the early days of CD consoles, and they still look great today.

Actually play Rayman and you'll get a quick lesson in quite how hard games used to be – the first stage is a breeze, but the difficulty soon ramps up to punishing levels. The on-screen controls work very well, but you'll have to be a touchscreen master to get to the end of this one.

Don't run away screaming just yet, though, because you can play Rayman Classic for free. You only have to pay to get rid of the ads, which you might want to do if you’re going to knuckle down to finish a game that was almost enough to make you throw your DualShock pad at your CRT TV back in 1995.

Castle of Illusion was one of the best platformers released in the 16-bit era, but the version we get to play on iOS and Android is actually a port of the remake Disney made for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2013.

As such, you get a game that looks and feels new even though its levels were designed almost 30 years ago.

This is much more than an HD remake, though, moving from flat 2D to a 2.5D style with some full 3D sections. You'll find more dynamic platformers on iOS and Android, but few with the polish Disney has applied here.

Is Minecraft PE really a console conversion? Not really, but we never pass up the chance to recommend it, and it has been released on every format under the sun.

And no, it's not just for kids. If you've ever enjoyed a survival sim or just making something with Lego, Minecraft is worth a go.

In the early days, the Pocket Edition (that’' what the PE stands for) was a very stripped-back take on full-fat console/PC Minecraft, but it now offers giant generated worlds, advanced blocks and mobs (those are the baddies, for those not already obsessed with this world-builder).

Need more proof mobile gamers are spoilt? Just look at how many Final Fantasy titles Square Enix has ported to Android and iOS. The original Final Fantasy through to 2000's Final Fantasy IX are all available, aside from the eighth in the series. And no, we don’t know why.

This mammoth collection of JRPGs offers not just hundreds of hours of gameplay that still hold up well to this day, but a look at how console gaming tech developed from the days of the NES in the late 90s, right up to the turn of the new millennium.

If you were a gamer back when these originally came out, there's a good chance you have pretty strong opinions on which is the best – we've heard few more impassioned speeches about gaming than those from people claiming Final Fantasy VII is the best game ever.

You might want to have a think about which to download first though, as Final Fantasy’s mobile versions are among the most expensive phone games.

Without Tomb Raider there would be no Uncharted. It's time to pay our dues.

The original Tomb Raider demonstrates how much games have changed in 20 years. The camera is a trial at times, and you actually have to reach ledge A to make sure you don't fall into dark pit X, rather than just getting close to it and watching the animation do the rest.

Its puzzles have aged much better, though, and the whole experience is hugely improved simply by using a Bluetooth controller rather than the touchscreen controls. You'll need some patience for this slice of gaming history, but given the price it’s worth a bash.

If you don't have any nostalgia for the earliest Tomb Raider games, check out Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light instead. This 2010 game is easier to handle on mobile.

Nvidia and Valve pulled off one of the most impressive feats of mobile gaming, in getting Half-Life 2 and Portal to work on Android devices.

There’s a "but" coming: you can only play them on an Nvidia Shield, Shield Tablet or the Shield portable. That's one of the most compelling reasons to get one of these along with the Nvidia Shield controller, though.

These games have been ported over using the Unity engine, making for a great demonstration of what it can create other than the endless stream of casual titles you'll find on iTunes and Google Play.

Today’s fighting game scene is dominated by Street Fighter IV/V and, to a lesser extent, Mortal Kombat X. You'll find a watered-down version of the latter on mobile, but for a real slice of old-school one-on-one excellence, download Soulcalibur.

In the early 2000s this was considered by many to be the best of its kind.

The Android version is actually based on the Xbox Live Arcade port, meaning you get better visuals than the old Dreamcast version, but no online play. It's a shame, but also makes it a break from the always-connected mobile games we tend to end up playing nowadays.

Some console games seem almost more at home on mobile than on console. Ultra-violent twin-stick shooter Hotline Miami is a good example.

Its lo-fi visuals work perfectly on the small screen, and while twin-stick mobile shooters are nowhere near as popular as they used to be, Hotline Miami sets a high standard.

Each level is a dim neon-tinged 80s dungeon in which you have to splatter the blood of everyone you see across the walls and floor. If you don't, they'll only do the same to you.

As well as looking retro, this brings back the unforgiving style of 80s and 90s games, so you might want to get a Bluetooth controller to get the most out of Hotline Miami.

Doom is a PC game, but you can also play it on more consoles than just about anything else. It has been released for the Jaguar, 3DO, PlayStation, PS3, Saturn, Xbox, Xbox 360, and even the SNES.

id Software has also made a port for iPhone, and as it arrived in 1995,– before we used a mouse to look around in shooters – it works brilliantly on mobile.

Sure, you might not feel the creepy thrills Doom used to offer anymore, but its great level design and those iconic sounds and visuals are worth dipping into just the once more.

There's currently no official version of Doom Classic for Android, but there’s an even better treat for Nvidia tablet owners: Doom 3 BFG, which is a port of the 2004 sequel, and includes Doom and Doom II as a sweetener.

A very pretty isometric action adventure, Bastion was a big hit on Xbox Live Arcade back in 2011.

Its world is constructed as you explore, platforms popping out of the mist as you walk. Hand-painted visuals make Bastion truly striking too.

There are RPG elements to the game, but they're relatively light: you don't have to think too hard.

Also worth a look, Transistor is another isometric adventure from Supergiant. It has a sci-fi theme rather than a fantasy one, and develops the fighting mechanics further. Neither game is available for Android yet, so this is one for the iPhone and iPad owners.

Terraria was released across consoles and iOS/Android in 2013, but it's still a game with scope and depth rarely seen in mobile games. You wouldn't get that sense from a quick glance at a screen grab, though.

This is a little like a 2D side-scroller version of Minecraft, but has a greater focus on combat and adventuring, with less of the pure creative side on show.

You can craft items, build a house and dig into the ground to unearth building materials. There's no single aim, but building up your character is addictive.

Telltale Games almost single-handedly kept the 'point and click' genre afloat for over a decade. And you can get most of these PC/console adventures on Android and iOS.

They are classic "use item X with object Y" games strung together with a story, but have none (or at least few) of the headbutt-the-monitor nonsensical puzzles older readers may remember from 90s adventures.

Brands given the Telltale treatment on mobile include Game of Thrones, Wallace and Gromit, Borderlands, The Secret of Monkey Island, Back to the Future, Minecraft and The Walking Dead.

Telltale's The Walking Dead is split into seasons, and further split into chapters lasting a few hours each. It’s one of the most emotion-jangling experiences you’ll find on Android/iOS.

Oddworld is a series often forgotten when recalling the all-time great game worlds, but its strain of darkness has something your Marios, Sonics and Zeldas lack. 

Oddly enough it’s not the first two classic platformers – Abe's Oddysee and Abe's Exoddus – that have made it to mobile, but the much more recent Munch's Oddysee and Stranger's Wrath.

These are full 3D games, getting you a true console-like feel, if also controls that require some effort.

Stranger’s Wrath is by far the stronger game, although Munch's Oddysee features the "Oddworld Inhabitants" seen in the first two games. In Stranger's Wrath, you play a bounty hunter in a world that could have been lifted from an old western movie.

Limbo was released at a time that cemented indie games as a force to compete with AAA titles, with titles like Limbo and Braid packing more emotional impact and elements of philosophy into a few hours than most AAA games fit into 30.

Limbo is a monochrome side-scrolling platformer. You're a little boy who wakes up in, you guessed it, limbo. There's no explanatory exposition: Limbo lets you make of it what you will, resulting in a much more thoughtful experience than you'd assume looking at the depressing-looking screenshots.

Limbo isn't a "walking sim", in which you just wander around, like many of the more recent brain-poking indie titles. It's a proper puzzler, one not afraid to kill your character repeatedly should you make a wrong move. And you will.

On console, some criticized it for being short at 4-6 hours (depending on how quickly you get through those puzzles), but it’s a perfect fit for mobile.

Broken Age was one of the earlier crowd-funded gaming hits. It earned $3.45 million (around £2.76 million/AU$4.55 million) on Kickstarter. That seemed like an absolute fortune in 2012, but it's peanuts next to the $141 million (roughly £113 million/AU$186 million) Star Citizen has crowd-sourced over the years.

The initial appeal of Broken Age was Tim Schafer's involvement. He was one of the chaps behind several classic LucasArts adventures, including The Secret of Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle and Full Throttle.

As with many ultra-hyped entities, some were disappointed in Broken Age's final product, but it’s a very pretty, well-written and engaging adventure, without the nonsensical puzzles found in some earlier point and clicks. It's worth a play.

Guns, violence, action and spectacle are staple themes in gaming. Loyalty, loss and friendship are much rarer, but are the bed on which Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons sits.

This very pretty but minimalist adventure lets you control the brothers of the title as they search for water from the tree of life, to treat their ill father. No aliens, no arch enemies here.

It's a touching story, but one that also has some interesting gameplay ideas, using a virtual analogue stick to let you control each of the brothers. As you may have guessed already, you need to make them work together to get through a series of puzzles in a pretty world. Don't miss it.

One of the earliest full-fat console conversions is a game many won’t remember from the first time around. The Bard's Tale was released for PS2 and Xbox in 2004, and is nothing like the beardy RPGs of the same name from the mid-80s.

Those games are included in the download as a bonus, though.

The Bard's Tale is a third-person action adventure that sends up the tropes of traditional role-playing games. It's one of the funniest console games you'll find on mobile.

You'll want to play it on a tablet rather than a phone if possible, though, as it's less optimized for smaller screens than some more recent console ports. Let's not forget, it was released on mobile way back in 2011.

  • Originally on PS Vita and Wii U
  • iTunes

A real combo of genres, Severed is a role-playing game in which combat plays out like Fruit Ninja, with you swiping enemies to slash them.

It's not some light and fluffy title, though – at the very start, one of your arms gets lopped off and your family goes missing. It’s your job to find them.

Aside from the unusual theme of loss and the super-bright color palette, Severed feels a bit like an old-school dungeon crawler. Think Legend of Grimrock 2 in a very different suit.

Severed was originally released for the PS Vita in 2016, before making it to the Wii U, iOS, and finally the 3DS. Sadly, it's not out on Android. Not yet, anyway.

Might and Magic Clash of Heroes is really a handheld console game rather than the home console classics we're focusing on primarily here, but eventually made its way to the Xbox 360 and PS3, and is just too good to pass up.

It’s part role-playing adventure, somewhat comparable with the classic Might and Magic games, but switches to a casual turn-based puzzler when you end up in a battle. You line-up similar types of fighter units to attack the enemy's forces.

It ends up feeling like a much better-contextualized take on the match-3 gameplay seen in Puzzle Quest and its imitators.

Think "survival horror" and you may picture Resident Evil or its less renowned cousin Silent Hill. However, Don't Starve offers another take on what that term can mean.

You're dropped in a grim, unfriendly patch of land and have to cut down trees and gather supplies to avoid being ripped to pieces by the nasties that lurk in the shadows. As soon as the sun goes down, Don't Starve’s world becomes very, very dangerous.

Its crafting-heavy gameplay has caused comparisons to Minecraft, but Don't Starve is a completely different experience. This is a world you can't master, you're always just doing your best to stay alive. A quirky visual style and top-down isometric perspective work well on mobile too.

Build, build, build. When so many AAA console games are about destruction, World of Goo offers a refreshing departure from the norm.

You use blobs of goo to create bridges and other structures, to deliver the remaining blobs to a suction pipe at the end of each level. As building these structures uses up the goo blobs, you have to balance out making your bridges stronger without using up your goo resources.

It’s great fun, and the physics engine is strong enough to let you use architectural rules to your advantage. Back on the Nintendo Wii, you used the Wii Remote as a mouse cursor to place goo, but it works perhaps even better on a touchscreen.

Who needs Final Fantasy when you have Chrono Trigger? This time traveling RPG has one of the most engaging stories in gaming history, and has aged far better than 99% of things released in the mid-90s, music and movies included.

In some respects Chrono Trigger is a classic JRPG, but it has a more fluid battle system and gets rid of random encounter battles – a frequent annoyance in this kind of game.

While less well-known than the Final Fantasy and Pokémon series, there’s a strong argument for Chrono Trigger as the best Japanese role-player of the 90s. The stinger: like all of Square Enix's mobile conversions, Chrono Trigger is quite expensive.

Fortnite Mobile brought the gaming phenomenon to Android and iOS devices, letting us floss on the move. And it's been a huge success. 

Fortnite Battle Royale has had a meteoric rise since its release in 2017, and it's not hard to see why. The free-to-play battle royale PS4 game offers players an energetic and enjoyable online multiplayer experience , with a concept that pretty simple to get to grips with: just be the last person standing. 

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Black Friday at Best Buy: get the Google Pixel 3a on sale for $249.99

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 10:43 AM PST

Best Buy's Black Friday sale is less than two weeks away, and the retailer is giving us a sneak peek with doorbuster deals that you can shop right now. Today only you can get the Google Pixel 3a on sale for $249.99. That's a $150 discount for the affordable phone that requires activation from Verizon, Sprint, or AT&T. If you're not interested in a carrier offer, Best Buy is also offering a $100 discount on an Unlocked Pixel 3a.

The Pixel 3a was released in May of this year and was touted as Google's most affordable option from its line of Pixel phones. The Pixel 3a features a 5.6-inch HD display, 4GB of RAM, and starts at 64GB of storage. The Google phone features an impressive 8MP front-facing camera for self-portraits and video and provides up to seven hours of battery life. The phone still includes an old-school headphone jack and is available in black, purple or white.

Like we mentioned above, the $150 discount is only valid if you activate your phone at checkout from Verizon, Sprint, or AT&T. Sprint is even offering a further $50 discount, which brings the price of the phone down to just $199.99. If you're interested in an unlocked Pixel 3a, you can still receive a $100 discount. Whichever offer you choose, it's still a fantastic price for a solid Android phone and a great deal to snag before the madness of Black Friday officially begins.

TechRadar is scouring every retailer and rounding up all the top deals over the Black Friday period, and we’ve put all the best Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals in easy-to-navigate articles to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.

Shop more fantastic offers with our roundup of the best Walmart Black Friday deals that are happening now.

You can also see more Pixel 3a offers with our roundup of the best Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL deals.

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Best indie games on PC and consoles 2019

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 10:10 AM PST

Looking for the best indie games on the market? Well, you've come to the right place.

Unlike AAA titles, the best indie games give players the pure artistic vision of game developers – most ideally experienced on one of the best gaming PCs. In fact, many of them are among the best Steam games you can download in 2019.

But, make no mistake: just because the best indie games don’t have the corporate weight behind them doesn’t mean they can’t keep up with the latest AAA hits in scope and ambition. In fact, the opposite is true. The best indie games can easily rival mainstream games in both quality and scope. And, since they don’t have to rely on tired tropes just to sell millions of copies, like their AAA counterparts, they’re essentially artistic masterpieces and offer a more unique experience.

We’ve put together a list of all the best indie games on the PC and console market today, from in vogue indies like Return of the Obra Dinn and Outward, to classic titles like Braid and Dwarf Fortress. 

If you’re looking for the next great indie title, keep reading. And, don’t worry, we’re going to keep this list updated with all the latest and greatest indie hits. 

Michelle Rae Uy, Bill Thomas, Joe Osborne, Kane Fulton and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article

It’s not out yet, with Double Fine promising it’ll be out ‘soonish,’ but Ooblets is already on our radar. Being developed by first-time studio Glumberland, and backed by Double Fine, the game is described as some kind of combo between Pokemon, Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, capturing our attention – and probably yours, too. The game combines an art style oddly reminiscent of post-apocalyptic sensation, Adventure Time, with gameplay that revolves around gathering creatures called ooblets in the town of, uh, Oob. 

In the game, you’ll be able to train and battle your ooblets against other ooblet trainers. At the same time, you’ll have to balance your ooblet training with the real-world responsibilities of being a farmer. That’s right; drawing influence from the likes of Stardew Valley, you can cultivate, produce and decorate your house with various trimmings as well. You’ll also be able to join an Ooblet Club comprised of friends (NPCs) you’ll meet along the way. 

If you don’t know what to do just yet, you can just walk around aimlessly to discover new shops and buildings that suit your interest. Better yet, you can open up your own shop to sell produce that you’ve grown yourself on the farm, as well as items that you’ve scavenged throughout the world. And, you can feed the leftover crops to your ooblets to watch them level up and learn new techniques to be used in the turn-based, RPG-style battles.

Expected: ‘Soonish’

Who knew an untitled game about a goose could be so fun? A bit of surprise hit, Untitled Goose Game quickly went viral after its brand of avian nuisance-making was unveiled to the world.

Set in a dopey village in the English countryside, you play as a goose tasked with terrorizing your human neighbours: stealing their crops, locking them in closets, and honking all the way through. Inspired by the stealth action series Hitman, but with its own charm, Untitled Goose Game is a must-play game in 2019. You'll zip through the game in a handful of hours, but it's very much work the journey.

At first, Jonathan Blow's masterpiece appears to be a simple pastiche of Super Mario Bros, with a middle-aged curmudgeon replacing the titular plumber, but still seeking to rescue a princess. But, the longer you spend in the game, the more that’s revealed to you, progressing from a series of time-bending puzzles to quiet reflective texts. That doesn’t stop it from being the smartest puzzle game since SpaceChem, however. Blow himself has subtly hinted that the ultimate story may revolve around the atomic bomb.

First released as PC freeware by Japanese designer Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya in 2004 after five years of 100% solo development, Cave Story predates this recent indie renaissance by a few years. Because of that, it's often been omitted in indie gaming discussions. 

However, this classic more than deserves to be on every best-of list, and not only for its loving homage to the classic action platforming games of the Super Nintendo era. It also boasts awesome music and a breathlessly vibrant world, not to mention, the hugely intuitive controls as well as gobs of secrets and weapons that are simply too fun to use. If you've yet to enjoy this one, you need to put it at the top of your list already.

From family-owned and operated Studio MDHR, Cuphead has resonated with millions of people around the world, many of whom normally wouldn’t touch a run-and-gun platformer with a ten-foot pole.

While its gameplay was inspired by classic games such as Mega Man and Contra, most gamers will likely compare it to a Fleischer Studios cartoon like Betty Boop. Because Cuphead uses a hand-drawn art style similar to a 1930s animation, it’s been universally praised for its gorgeous visuals.

Cuphead is more than just its stunning visuals, however. It’s a series of 19 challenging and engaging bosses, with platforming bits interspersed between them. It already made our list of the best indie games, but then Studio MDHR has announced that the Cuphead: the Delicious Last Course DLC, slated for 2019, will include a new isle to explore, new bosses to conquer and, most importantly, a new character to master.

This dark and moody action-adventure stealth game by Asobo Studio is hauntingly beautiful, already making our best indie games list even though it’s only been released in May 2019. 

Set in the 1340s during the Black Death pandemic in the French countryside, you’re Amicia, a young noble girl whose parents were killed by the Inquisition. You must now traverse battlefields and villages with her brother Hugo to find a cure for his mysterious ailment. Along the way, you must scare away ravenous rats as well as stun (or kill) guards and hostile villagers with your sling and special ammunition supplies.

Despite the ghastliness and rawness of the Middle Ages and the Plague, A Plague Tale: Innocence is a complete stunner and a game who almost never want to end.

Among the hardcore gamers we know, Spelunky is the go-to drug. Even today, several years after its release, some of them still play it consistently, despite having completed it many times over. That's because this ostensibly rogue-like platformer with a definite end is tough, varied and highly randomized.

It also has more dark secrets than a presidential candidate, which means that there are a number of ways to finish it, and its daily challenges are a sure-fire way to public humiliation.

Does humor belong in video games? Well, if the Stanley Parable has its way, it’s a resounding ‘yes’. This game is hilarious without being dumbed down. Players follow (or don’t) a very British narrator who changes the world around you, based on your choices.

No choice is punished, and every playthrough will be fresh with new humor and weird goings-on. In fact, being trapped in the closet in The Stanley Parable is more moving and funny than the majority of other games, indie and otherwise.

If you missed out on this ironic gem back when it first launched, you’ll be happy to know that the developer announced the Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe edition for 2019, touting fresh content, more endings and a console release. This Ultra Deluxe edition actually sounds pretty tempting, even for us – and we played it a whole lot when it first came out.

It took more than nine years to make, but Owlboy is certainly worth the wait. Originally designed for PCs and released in late 2016, this clever indie game masterpiece is now available to experience on Mac and Linux as well – and there’s even a Nintendo Switch version! Owlboy revolves around a race of owl-human hybrid characters called, aptly enough, Owls. Of them, you control Otis, an Owl who is censured by his mentor for his inept flying skills.

The story sees Otis’ village destroyed by pirates who have conflict with the Owls. As a result, Otis has to work with an assortment of villagers in-game to take out enemies. Of course, before the boss battles arise, you’ll need to manage allies accordingly, as each character comes with their own set of unique skill sets to use in conjunction with one another. If you’ve ever played and enjoyed a Kid Icarus game, this is one’s for you. If not, well… play it anyway.

Similar to The Stanley Parable, Gone Home falls into the unofficially christened ‘walking simulator’ genre. Where it diverts from the clever and philosophical Stanley Parable, however, is its focus on life’s difficult realities, as opposed to light humor.

After coming home to your childhood house following an overseas visit, you play as 21-year-old Kaitlin Greenbriar who is greeted by an empty house. While gameplay is limited to scavenging through notes to find out where your family is, the compelling story is extremely emotional and gripping, as long as you keep an open mind. After all this time, Gone Home still stands out as one of the best indie games out there.

Only SpaceChem has mixed learning with entertainment as successfully as The Kerbal Space Program. The game is simple - design and build a spacecraft to take the cutesy Kerbals to the Mun and beyond.

Its intelligent use of real physics, however, means that you'll find yourself following NASA as you’re building multi-stage rockets and space stations as well as exploring the Kerbal's strange universe on EVAs, before bringing your discoveries back for research on the Kerbal planet - that's if you can get off the ground at all. It's a huge, complex, challenging and fun game that manages to be super smart without being preachy.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is the exact opposite of something like Kerbal Space Program – it’s an action roguelike par excellence. You play as a young boy forced to kill his damned siblings, mother and possibly the Devil, using only tears that he shoots from his eyes, naturally. This indie games is matched only by the equally visceral Nuclear Throne. With dozens of weird items to collect, endless procedurally-generated levels and many secrets, the Binding of Isaac is a very dark take on the exploratory model established by Spelunky.

Don’t let its pixel art graphics put you off – Undertale isn’t a game that would have fit on the Super Nintendo. That’s because, in Undertale, the decisions you make have a huge impact on how the game ends and, more importantly, how it continues in New Game Plus.

While playing Undertale, you’ll realize just how much freedom the game gives you. Despite its highly inspired and very intense boss matches, you’ll make it through the entire nine or so hours of Undertale as a total pacifist, if you choose to. Plus, when you go through the game a second time, you’ll bear the weight of the consequences from your previous run. What’s even better is that Undertale is out now on the Nintendo Switch, so you can take this masterpiece of game design wherever you go.

From developer Playdead, Inside is very much like its predecessor, Limbo, in some ways, only with an added layer of depth that often inspires wonder. This is mostly a result of the unspoken narrative, which revolves around yet another nameless boy. In Inside, the boy is running away from a group of men who – if you fail to stay out of their sights – will try to mercilessly kill you.

It isn't quite clear why the boy is running from these men or why you should even care since you don't know who he is, so Inside will leave you begging for answers. The bleak, lifeless setting of Inside is more than worth the price of admission. Its minimalist art style alone is avant-garde enough to feel right at home in a museum. Factor in the fact that this game is both fun to play and dripping with curiosity, and you won’t doubt that Inside is one of the best indie games money can buy.

Developed single-handedly by Eric Barone, Stardew Valley is a technical feat for that little fact alone. If you’ve ever played a Harvest Moon game, you’re already familiar with its premise – you may just not know it yet. Stardew Valley is an addictive farming simulator, which lets you interact with townees to the point where you can literally marry them.

Stardew Valley isn’t just farming, however – it’s a whole bunch of other things at the same time. You can go fishing, you can cook, you can craft stuff. You can even go explore procedurally-generated caves to mine for items and even fight slime-monster-things. You should keep in mind that your health and energy are finite however, so you'll want to keep your character rested and fed to avoid suffering from exhaustion. Pass out, and you’ll lose a considerable amount of money and items you’ve worked hard to attain. Stardew Valley will have you playing for hours on end, for better or worse. (Definitely better.)

From Canadian game developer Alec Holowka, creator of the award-winning Aquaria (also featured on this list), and independent artist/animator Scott Benson, Night in the Woods is an unconventional side-scrolling adventure game that revolves around a 20-year-old protagonist named Mae who drops out of college and moves back in with her parents.

Featuring a story largely based around dialog choices and mini games that put a spin on mundane tasks, like carrying boxes up the stairs and eating perogies, Night in the Woods is a timeless coming-of-age tale. Not only will you experience middle class America through the eyes of a personified cat, but virtually every interaction in-game will have you laughing aloud. And now that it’s available on the Nintendo Switch, you can now take it wherever you go.

If you’re a fan of the recent wave of games inspired by Dark Souls, you’ll absolutely love Hollow Knight. You take control of the Hollow Knight, and lead them through the deceptively adorable landscape to take on bosses and other difficult challenges. Much like Dark Souls, it’s not immediately clear what you’re actually supposed to be doing as the narrative is intentionally obtuse. 

The Dark Souls inspirations don’t end there, either. It also embraces Dark Souls’s ‘tough but fair’ philosophy, and the game is only as hard as you make it. In fact, you can overcome anything as long as you have patience and learn from your mistakes. Hollow Knight takes these lessons from Dark Souls and injects them into a MetroidVania, with all the side-scrolling and upgrades you could possibly want. You can even play it on the Nintendo Switch now.

If you’re looking for a game that’s as unforgiving as it is fun, look no further than Dead Cells. It takes gameplay inspiration from so many places – from roguelikes to MetroidVania. There’s even a hint of Dark Souls in there, creating a unique action game that will test your limits and skills. 

Each time you play this game, it will feel new. And, while you’ll lose some progress each time you die – and you will die a lot – the game will become even more rewarding as the complex and fluid combat becomes second nature. In the final release of the game, you get access to over 90 weapons, skills and abilities that will let you tailor your gameplay however you want. 

Whatever you do, don’t get discouraged if you fail. Get up and try again, as Dead Cells will only reward you in the end, which is why it has our vote for one of the best indie games in 2019.

These days, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an RPG that will really push you to your limits. Luckily, Outward, with its focus on survival and tough combat, is here to satisfy that need. There isn’t much in the way of story, but you’re placed in the middle of the world of Aurai, where you’ll struggle to survive. You’re not a hero, however, just the everyman trying to survive in a harsh world.

In many ways, Outward is like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. There’s a heavy emphasis on exploration, but you aren’t given quest arrows or any kind of waypoint. You have to rely on your own ability to use a map, along with any directions that are given to you by quest NPCs. If you’re looking for an RPG game that will challenge you, this is one of the best indie games you’ll ever play.

Dwarf Fortress is its own genre and its own industry. This is a game that has to generate the entire geography, mythology and history of its massive world before you set foot in it. It then tracks every single one of the dwarfs you're managing down to the hairs on their legs, and the particular horrible elephant murder that they’ve witnessed and are now carving on an ornamental chair.

Your task is simple: to keep the dwarves alive as they carve out their subterranean kingdom. Though given that insanity, monsters and starvation plague them at every stage, it isn’t easy. Plus, dwarves, always, always mine too deep.

Run. Jump. Die. Repeat. That’s basically the gameplay loop of Super Meat Boy, a fiendishly addictive 2D platformer that’s also bloody hard, with an emphasis on bloody. Gallons of blood is spilled as the game’s eponymous meaty hero leaps over deadly drops, spinning saws and walking chainsaws in a bid to rescue his girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from the evil Dr Foetus. Obviously. 

With solid controls, lots of humor and vibrant graphics, Super Meat Boy leapt onto the PS4, Vita, and Nintendo Switch in style.

It might not be Playdead’s most recent game, but Limbo is eternal. Five years after its release, and the game’s haunting storyline still has an effect on us. You play the Boy, a child with glowing eyes who is cast into Limbo to find his sister. Making your way through a bleak and dangerous world full of hostile silhouettes, giant spiders and deadly gravitational fields, you’ll need to think on your feet and perfectly time your movements, if you were to survive.

Limbo is much more than a simple platformer: it's an experience, and one that will have you pondering the very essence of life by the time you finish. Deep, profound and absorbing, it's among the best indie games that everybody should take time out to play.

If you're looking for a retro-inspired multiplayer archery combat game (aren't we all?), TowerFall: Ascension is the pick of the lot. Fast, frenetic and teeth-gnashingly hard in hardcore mode, the game's mechanics are simple: fire arrows at your enemies or jump on their heads to stay alive until the round ends.

Arrows that don't hit are embedded in walls, making for tense scenarios when you have to traverse the map while dodging enemies to retrieve them. As such, practicing until you achieve Robin Hood-esque levels of accuracy is key. Ascension is best experienced with friends in local multiplayer mode, which is reminiscent of Super Smash Bros' most manic moments.

It’s not often that a platformer is able to balance challenging and engaging gameplay with an emotional and thought-provoking narrative. Celeste, however, pulls it off, making it one of our best indie games picks. From the developers of Towerfall, Celeste follows the story of Madeline, a young girl who decides to face her mental health issues by climbing to the top of the mysterious Celeste Mountain. In doing so, she learns more not only about the mountain, but about herself as well throughout the process. 

An inevitable classic, Celeste integrates the obvious jump, air-dash and climb controls into a brutal series of platforming challenges in upwards of 700 unique screens. If that’s too easy, you’ll unlock B-side chapters along the way, designed for only the most intrepid of hardcore players. You don’t even have to worry about waiting an eternity between each respawn, as Celeste brings you back from the grave in an instant, a welcome departure from the typically extensive load screens.

Have you ever wanted to land on an alien planet, and build a factory? Yes, it’s an unusual premise, but we promise that it works in Satisfactory. You’ll land on one of three planets of varying difficulty, where you’ll be tasked with building and automating a factory to exploit the world around you. 

The premise sounds bland, but being able to roam these beautiful worlds in first person while scavenging materials and fighting off hostile wildlife makes it all that more exciting. Plus, is there anything better than sitting back and admiring something you worked hard on?

Satisfactory is in early access right now, and exclusive to the Epic Games Store, but if you can get past all that, you’re sure to get hours of wholesome simulation out of it.

After the raging success that was the original Nidhogg, it’s a shame to see the superior sequel get thrown under the bus. Nevertheless, despite its controversial art style, Nidhogg 2 packs a refined, stunning look that the first version, a cult-classic, wouldn’t dare compete with, which is one of the reasons why it’s on our best indie games list.

In still frames, we can see how this could get misconstrued, but fortunately, it’s the fun and addictive local multiplayer gameplay that makes Nidhogg, well, Nidhogg. And it’s all there in Nidhogg 2. Additionally, every time you respawn, you get one of four unique weapons that only bolster the challenge.

Esteemed indie designer Jon Blow's follow up to Braid may look like a wholly different adventure, being 3D and all. However, the two are more thematically alike than you might think. The Witness, at its core, is another puzzle game that tells an absorbing story through said puzzles.

This puzzler takes place in an almost equally impressionist – albeit heavily Myst-inspired – world, but it's story is far more nuanced and mysterious than Blow's earlier work. At almost every corner of this island that you've simply woken up on (or beneath), there is a clue as to how you got onto this island and why you're here.

Don’t get us wrong, we liked Bastion. Still, we can’t deny that Transistor was SuperGiant Games’ best work to date – not to mention, one of the best indie games to hit the streets today. Much of that has to do with the combination of action-based and turn-based RPG elements contained within its cyberpunk futurescape. Likewise, in classic SuperGiant fashion, those mechanics are complemented with a stunning art style and a music score so stunning it’ll make you want to buy the soundtrack.

Leaving key gameplay beats up to the player, the story isn’t so variable. Transistor’s main character, Red, is a renowned singer in the city of Cloudbank. However, she’s been attacked by a group of vicious robots who call themselves the Process, operated by another group called the Camerata. In her journey, she finds the Transistor, a mysterious sword with the voice of a man. Soon enough, she’ll learn more about him and how he will shake up her world.

It’s weird to think that Oxenfree came out before the first season of Stranger Things, and yet, the two coincidentally have a lot in common. The 80s-inspired heavy synth music composed by scntfc, for one, highlights some truly gripping sci-fi horror revolving around – you guessed it – a group of teenagers stuck on an island.

The story involves a handful of uniquely written characters, namely the main character Alex, along with her stoner friend Ren, her newfound stepbrother Jonas, her dead brother Michael’s ex-girlfriend Clarissa and her best friend Nona, with whom Ren happens to be in love with.

The plot is explained through branching speech dialogues, kind of like Life is Strange or modern-day Telltale games, and it offers five different endings depending on your choices.

Exploring a surreal wilderness seems to be the trend these days – and not just in real life. Developer Campo Santo's debut, Firewatch, only serves to keep it going in gaming. Set in the wilderness of 1989 Wyoming, you're playing Henry, a fire lookout that's all alone in the woods after exploring something strange in the distance.

That is, except for your partner on the other line of a walkie-talkie: Delilah. She's your only point of contact as you explore the wilderness. Will you make it back alive? Will the decisions you make help or harm the relationship with your only lifeline to the outside world, your boss? But don't worry about those questions just yet – as with any adventure in the Great Outdoors, take some time to appreciate those forestscapes first!

Rust is one of the more successful indie titles – not to mention, one of the best indie games – of recent times. By the end of 2015, it had sold more than 3 million copies. That’s not too shabby considering it wasn’t even finished — the game has been on Steam's Early Access scheme since being released in December 2013.

It seems people can't get enough of the Day Z-inspired survival sim. It sees you use your wits and bearings to survive its harsh open world, with nothing but a rock… at least, in the beginning. After gathering the resources you need to build a house and weapons to fend off attackers (other online players, in other words), Rust progressively becomes more intense as you defend your growing base — or attempt to breach others'.

Fans of the original Overcooked will not be disappointed by its second installment in the chaotic couch co-op series from British indie game developer Team17.

This time around, your mission is to defeat the 'Un-Bread' (zombie baked goods) that have taken over the Onion Kingdom, by battling through brand new recipes including sushi, pizza and burgers in increasingly chaotic kitchens with up to three other people.

To add to the frenetic fun, you must deal with obstacles including random fires, collapsing floors and interfering passers by, all while getting your orders out to the pass in time. 

Things get complicated incredibly quickly. Relationships, friendships and family bonds will be tested as you work together to complete your recipes on time. Overcooked 2 is a fun and challenging couch co-op game that will make you truly understand the meaning of "too many cooks spoil the broth” and is well-deserving of its spot in our best indie games list.

The natural progression of survival games, SCUM takes what predecessors like Rust and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds both succeeded at, only better by iterating in impressive ways. It offers a unique twist, combining the frenetic gameplay of battle royale games with the slow, thoughtful tactical of a survival sim. 

SCUM, unlike other similar games, is very heavy on the simulation side of things, however. You shouldn’t expect to run in guns blazing, as you’re going to get tired quickly (just as you would if you tried running outside in person with a ton of stuff in your backpack). But, if heavy statistic systems is something your into, this might be one of the best indie games for you. It’s like spreadsheets with a physics engine.

Just don’t go in expecting a polished experience, not for now. However, developer Croteam promises to add more features over time, and as they’re backed by Devolver, you can trust that the game is going to shape up into something great.

Every so often, there’s a game that perfectly balances aesthetic, gameplay and narrative – where everything feels like it just fits like puzzle pieces. The best indie games always excel at this, and Return of the Obra Dinn is the epitome of that. A mystery taking place on a derelict ship, your mission is to figure out how the crew of this lost ship died, disappeared or worse. 

The entire game has this old-school visual styling that, combining it with the simple controls and gameplay technique that make it feel like a nostalgic sort of adventure. Right from the settings menu, you’ll get to choose what kind of monitor you’d like to emulate – we picked an old school Macintosh option – that should give you an idea of the type of retro revivalism on offer here. 

Critical thinking, exploration and a ton of reading is essential in Return of the Obra Dinn. If that all sounds appealing to you, and you’re happy with retro aesthetics, you will love this game. In fact, it’s one of the best indie games in a season marked with AAA decadence.

If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably spent hundreds of hours playing Roller Coaster Tycoon during your childhood. These days, while there have been plenty of amusement park simulators over the last few years, they’ve never quite hit that spot. That is, until Parkitect.

Parkitect might just be the closest we have to those early aughts park simulators currently, and we’re absolutely in love. From the cartoonish art style to the realistic simulation and Steam Workshop integration, Parkitect is one of the best indie games 2019 has to offer.

For years, thatgamecompany has been behind some of the best indie games on the market, but most of them had been exclusive to PlayStation. One such game was Flower. Serving as a kind of a precursor to the beloved Journey, Flower puts you in command of a flower petal, surfing through the wind. 

You’ll activate different colors of flower beds to affect the environment, which will also get you different colored petals, until you have an entire trail of color surfing the wind. It’s an incredibly relaxing and creative experience, which also gives you an insight on the industrial world we all find ourselves living in. Trust us, give it a shot as it’s one of the best – not to mention, most legendary – indie games ever.

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The best PS4 Pro games: push your console to its 4K HDR limits

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 09:57 AM PST

There's no doubt about it: Sony's PS4 Pro is one of the best gaming consoles money can buy – maybe even the best. Well, until the PS5 and Xbox Project Scarlett release next year.

But when it comes to stocking up on new games, it's worth doing your research. There are a lot of PS4 Pro games on offer and some will take advantage of the console's 4K HDR tech more than others. Not all PS4 Pro games are created equal.

The thing is, even calling them PS4 Pro games isn’t entirely accurate. Sony mandated, well into the PS4 Pro's life cycle, that all PlayStation 4 games should be able to work on both the oldest and newest PS4 consoles. 

What that means is that developers have had to get creative in order to make a great experience that'll scale to both machines. This endeavour is something that some seem to have been able to manage better than others – some developers merely use it to firm up the performance of titles that stutter on the less powerful, older hardware.

However, let's not focus on the missteps. Instead, if you'd like to take advantage of the PS4 Pro in all its 4K or HDR glory, these are the very best games to show off your new console with.

Remember that Black Friday 2019 is just around the corner, which means a number of our top PS4 Pro titles could be reduced in the sales. Check out our Black Friday PS4 and PS4 Pro guide for what to expect.

PS4 Pro games FAQ: quick questions answered

Which games look best on PS4 Pro? It's much easier to find the best PS4 Pro games these days, because many PS4 titles are now optimised for Sony's higher-end console. Our list of games showcase the PS4 Pro must-haves all of which really offer up the best of what the powerful console and your 4K HDR TV were made for.

Which PS4 games are 4K? Most on this list are, but to give you a quick rundown of our favorites, there's all the latest Assassin's Creed games, all the latest Call of Duty games, Detroit: Become Human, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Farcry 5, FIFA 19, God of War, Hitman, Horizon Zero Dawn, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Spider-Man, The Last Guardian, The Last of Us and Unchartered 4: A Thief's End. Phew. There are some more, but they're most of the big names. 

Can you play PS4 games on PS4 Pro? Yes. It's just if the game has been optimized for the Pro, you'll get much better visuals. 

Do I need a 4K TV for PS4 Pro? Yes. You just won't get the 4K TV output. So if you want a new console soon and plan on upgrading your TV soon too, it's worth it.

Trying to decide which PS4 set-up to get? Watch Jon and Gerald discuss the differences between the PS4, PS4 Pro and PS4 VR.

Death Stranding had us worried for a bit. When Kojima Productions' first title was announced back at E3 2016, it did so to a confused and excited crowd. And the path to launch didn't see these feelings change much – they just swayed more into the confusion side. 

We seen bottled babies, sea otter costumes and even the appearance of Conan O'Brien, and every new trailer filled us more with fear than hype. But it was all worth it.

Death Stranding is an incredible title that is equally beautiful and unique - especially when played on the Pro. Without giving away too much, the premise is that you step into the shoes of deliveryman Sam Bridges (played by Norman Reedus) who delivers special cargo in the wake of the Death Stranding - a mysterious phenomenon that wiped out many innocent lives. But obviously, it's not all that simple. 

Death Stranding is something to be experienced. It's definitely an essential PS4 Pro game - if not the essential PS4 Pro game.

Check out our full Death Stranding review.

The most hotly-anticipated game of 2018? Definitely. The best game of the year? Arguably yes. Rockstar has once again pulled it out of the bag with Red Dead Redemption 2.

A giant western open world epic, it lets you live the cowboy life, riding horses into the sunset, saddling up with a posse and brawling your way through every bar in the old West. It has Rockstar's signature attention to detail, with the 4K capabilities of Sony's PS4 Pro console bringing the era to life.

However, there's still some work to be done on Red Dead 2's HDR offering, which seems to be using a system that doesn't use the high dynamic range setting to its full potential. While its 4K detail is stunning, an update to improve the HDR tech would make this a real stand-out, eye-candy showcase for all PS4 Pro owners. Either way, it's a monumental game that should not be missed.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is stunning as it is, but add in PS4 Pro enhancements and it's truly a magnificent looking game.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is the most recent edition to the epic Assassin's Creed RPG franchise. Odyssey is set during the Peloponnesian War and sees you stepping into the sandals of either Alexios or Kassandra as they try to uncover the truth about their history while navigating the turbulent world of Ancient Greece as a mercenary. 

Odyssey is a graphically stunning PS4 game which will take you to the heart of Ancient Greece – easily securing it a place in our collection of the best PlayStation 4 games. Just make sure you have the time to play it because there's over 100 hours of content to enjoy here.

Check out our Assassin's Creed Odyssey review diary for more.

Spider-Man on PS4 Pro is absolutely gorgeous - even if it's not native 4K. When played on Sony's ultra powerful console, Spider-Man is able to achieve a native resolution of 1440p at a rock-solid 30fps framerate, which is then upscaled to 4K. This impressive feat is possible thanks to dynamic resolution scaling that will raise or lower the level of detail depending on how frantic the action is. 

That said, before you go and bemoan the fact that it's 30 frames per second - the game looks absolutely gorgeous and plays beautifully on the console. In our time with the game, we barely noticed the lower framerate and the uprezzed visuals more than made up for it in the long run. 

If you need a colorful, HDR-ready showcase for the system, this is it.

Need more info? Don't miss our full Spider-Man review.

No Man's Sky is a love-it-or-hate-it kind of game. It serves up a near-infinite, procedurally-generated universe to explore, with unique biomes and aliens to discover. For some that's ridiculously exciting. For others it's a bore-fest.

This July sees the launch of No Man’s Sky Next. It's not a new game, but it's a huge update that adds all kinds of things to the original title, including character customization, and a long-awaited multiplayer mode. 

For fans of the game it'll be a more-than-welcome update. For those who had issues with the original, it may now prove to be the game No Man’s Sky always promised to be. 

Read our guide to everything new to No Man's Sky Next and why now is the perfect time to begin your space odyssey. 

Easily one of the most visually stunning games on the PlayStation 4 (or on any console for that matter), the new God of War takes the series to epic new levels when it comes to presentation. The game looks incredible when played on a standard PS4 console, demonstrating just how absurdly talented the team at SIE Santa Monica Studio when it comes to optimisation. However, when played on a PS4 Pro, the game kicks things up a notch. 

In the game's settings, you'll find two graphics modes: favor resolution and favor performance. Naturally, the former makes the game look especially crisp and clean, bringing the resolution up to checkerboard 4K and holding steady at around 30fps, while the latter displays at 1080p and sticks close to around 60fps for the majority of the time. 

As cinematic as it is, we had no problem playing God of War on the favor resolution setting, as we were able to enjoy the incredible detail put forth by the game — utilizing the additional resolution to see pores and lines on characters' faces, and the insane level of artistry in their costumes and armor, just makes the whole game even more impressive (if you ask us). It also helps to makes the game's HDR presentation even more eye-popping. 

Check out our full God of War review.

Considered one of the greatest video games of all time, Shadow of the Colossus is back and better than ever on PS4, with its Pro update giving the game some big enhancements when it comes to visuals and performance. 

Shadow of the Colossus offers two graphical settings: 'Performance Mode' offers smooth gameplay targeting 60 FPS at 1080p, while the 'Cinematic Mode' plays at a higher 'Dynamic 4K' resolution with enhanced textures, all while holding a solid 30 FPS.

Regardless of the mode you choose, the team at Bluepoint have brought some other tasty visual treats to their remake of the Japanese classic, including a beautiful new lighting engine (which looks incredible when combined with the game's HDR support) and some advanced rendering techniques, which make things like fur on the Colossi look especially realistic.

Simply put, the enhancements offered by the PS4 Pro version make this the definitive presentation of Shadow of the Colossus, offering a visual experience unlike any other. 

Check out our full Shadow of the Colossus review.

Though the first Destiny game did not end up receiving a PS4 Pro update, much to the chagrin of its fan base, its sequel has come roaring out of the gate with some terrific graphical improvements. 

Using checkerboard rendering to achieve a resolution of 2160p, Destiny 2 looks astonishing on PS4 Pro. Admittedly, developer Bungie employs a few tricks to display its game at 4K, including dynamic resolution scaling on the horizontal axis, meaning that the game will dynamically shift its horizontal pixel count from 3840 to 3072 (but seriously though, you won't even notice). 

At launch, Destiny 2 did take advantage of the PS4 Pro's high-dynamic-range (HDR) capabilities, though that has since been rectified, with the game sporting a colour palette that makes its predecessor look black and white by comparison. 

One thing in Destiny 2 that doesn't get enhanced when played on the PS4 Pro is its framerate, with the game locked to 30fps across all consoles. While we would've liked to have seen an optional high framerate mode included, Destiny 2 is still a must own title for those who want to push their PS4 Pro to its limit. 

As the first game if the series to be built on EA's impressive Frostbite engine, Madden NFL 18 looks amazing on PS4 Pro. Developer EA Tiburon has managed to get the game running at a native 4K resolution, resulting in what is undeniably the best-looking Madden game of all time. 

During core gameplay (as in when the ball is actually in play), the game is displayed at a rock-solid 60fps, only dipping during replays and television broadcast-style cutaways. That said, EA has stated that Madden NFL 18 will run at 60fps at all times when played on a PS4 Pro that's hooked up to a 1080p set (we haven't been able to test this, unfortunately).

On top of this, a recent update has brought HDR support to the game, meaning that lighting, skin tones, uniforms and stadiums all take advantage of the format's wider color gamut to achieve a look that's even closer to the real thing. If you love Madden, this is definitely the best way to play it. 

If you’re looking for a PS4 Pro showstopper, Ratchet and Clank is a great place to start. It’s like playing a Pixar movie, with its colorful visuals, loveable characters and world-hopping sci-fi plot.

And, it’s actually a great case for the merits of not-quite native UHD 4K on the PS4 Pro. Rather than pumping up the resolution count to its maximum, Ratchet and Clank makes clever use of a technique called Temporal Injection. It’s essentially a very efficient and fancy upscaler, pushing the image quality up to a 2160p standard and removing jaggies without the strain of a native resolution push. At a capped, consistent 30fps and with HDR support switched on, you’re left with a blisteringly beautiful shooter that looks out of this world.

If you insist on a native 4K showcase for your PS4 Pro, EA’s latest and greatest FIFA 18 is perhaps your best option. Making up for what FIFA 17 was lacking, FIFA 18 supports HDR and it’s running at the max resolution the Pro can manage, without 'cheating' with upscaling techniques. Keeping a consistent 60fps throughout, it’s an impressive achievement - even if the beautiful game naturally wouldn’t have environments as complex as some of the more fantastical games listed here.

Other small enhancements include higher-quality grass (you’ll be looking at enough of it, so that’s no bad thing) and better depth of field effects.

Sure, it’s an older title getting a PS4 makeover, but Rez was always made for a silky visual set-up. Running at a native 4K / 60fps on Sony’s latest console, it’s an astonishing, trance-inducing, Tron-like shooter that’s never looked better than on the PS4 Pro. That it’s one of the best music-focused games of all time is a bonus, too, we suppose...

And, if you’re one of the lucky few to have that ultimate PS4 Pro / PS VR combo, then you’d do right by your eyes, your gear and your endorphin levels by firing up Rez Infinite on Sony’s virtual reality headset too, where it’s a subtly smoother experience.

Now here’s an interesting one. While it doesn’t offer native 4K throughout nor HDR, Diablo 3 shows Blizzard cleverly taking advantage of the PS4 Pro’s additional horsepower. It’s using a dynamic resolution scaler to allow the dungeon crawler better fidelity on consoles and improved lighting techniques, while maintaining a solid 60fps framerate.

When you’re in simple interior sections like the tavern in New Tristram or Deckard Cain’s house, you’re hitting that native 4K resolution, but when you’re more chaotic locales it can fall anywhere between 1080p and that top-end 3840 x 2160 wonder. For the most part it’s dramatically better than 1080p, scaling imperceptibly in motions and maintaining a high framerate to boot. It’s slick, and advanced bloom effects and ambient occlusion seal the deal to make it onto this list.

Here's everything we know about Diablo 4.

Sony’s smash hit conclusion to Nathan Drake’s globe-trotting adventures makes good use of the PS4 Pro, though don’t expect it to massively alter the already sumptuous feel of the original.

The PS4 Pro update for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End pushes the resolution up to 1440p, which is a marked improvement over the original’s full HD limits, even if the intense action makes a 30fps target the goal. What is appreciated though is the HDR implementation - traipsing through old tombs by lamplight, or seeing the sun filter through dilapidated shanty town and jungle trees looks astonishing on the PS4 Pro.

Another resolution scaler, and another great way to show off the fidelity of your UHD screen thanks to its HDR features, too. Deus Ex Mankind Divided sits somewhere between 1800p and 2160p, using checkerboard upscaling to dynamically tweak the resolution depending on what’s happening on screen.

For the most part, it’s a wonderful experience, with the stealth-cyborg ‘em up looking gloriously futuristic - particularly in its Blade Runner esque slums where the HDR lighting effects come into full force. However, some stuttering and a recent revert to an adaptive v-sync in an attempt to ease the stuttering mar an otherwise smooth upgrade.

This one’s been a bit of a poster boy for the PS4 Pro hardware, and it’s easy to see why - with First Light previously a PS Plus giveaway, many prospective Pro owners will already have a high-quality test-subject to put their new machines through its paces.

Both Infamous Second Son and spin-off First Light are using a checkerboard effect rather than native resolution jumps, but you’d be hard pressed to notice the difference in the way it’s implemented here. Pushed to a not-quite-but-pretty-much UHD resolution of 1800p, the open world superhero title shimmers with HDR lighting effects, bringing fingertip flames and neon powers to life on premium displays.

Whether you’re hooked up to a 1080p screen or an eye-popping 4K number, Rise of the Tomb Raider is a sight to behold, with improvements offered optionally across the board.

As we’re most concerned with visual fidelity here, you’ll be pleased to hear that the 2160p checkerboard effect is once again put to great use. Sticking close to the 30fps target, even without a HDR mode the icy adventure looks super cool. It’s pin-sharp and gloriously detailed, perfect for capturing brag-worthy screenshots with.

It may be getting on a bit now, but Shadow of Mordor has been given so much love that it’s well worth revisiting on the PS4 Pro. Though it’s using a dynamic scaler again, for the most part the game now lives at a full 2160p resolution, rolling back rarely and imperceptibly. 

There’s no HDR feature at play here, which is a shame as those night-time orc encampment hunts would have benefitted from it. But for a rich and large open world to be running at a near-consistent UHD top-end, Tolkien’s world has never looked better on a console.

A full-on enhancement for the most ambitious Final Fantasy game yet, Square-Enix has yet to finish tinkering with PS4 Pro performance here, but it’s still looking a treat. Provided you can stomach a slightly jittery frame-rate (nowhere near game-breaking, we assure you), Final Fantasy 15 uses a checkerboard 1800p upscale, along with improved shadows and texture filtering. It’s a feast for the eyes.

And, if you’ve access to a HDR TV, it gets even better. Square-Enix makes full use of the high dynamic range afforded the PS4 Pro, making for blisteringly bright desert sun lights and deep dark cavernous dungeon blacks.

Think Jurassic Park, but with robot dinosaurs, and you're on your way to the breathtaking action that Horizon: Zero Dawn offers.

From the minds behind the Killzone series, the open world action adventure was a revelation when it launched in early 2017, being one of the most sophisticated sandbox titles available to PS4 owners. From sneaky stealth sections to gigantic face-offs with hulking mecha-rexes it got the heart pumping.

But perhaps most impressive was its visuals. It particularly shone on the PS4 Pro, where its 4K HDR visuals brought the flora and fauna of for a post-human future dazzlingly to life. It's a PS4 Pro showstopper, and a great way to show off the machine's capabilities.

Strangely enough, there wasn’t a huge amount of hype about Hitman 2 before its official release. However, much like Agent 47 himself, the game sneaked up on us and quickly became our favorite action game of 2018.

Admittedly, Hitman 2 doesn’t do much to drastically change the series’ formula (except for the introduction of multiplayer Ghost mode), but we found that’s what we love about it - plus, assassinating drug lords in Colombia with poison is always a recipe for a good time.

Borderlands is back and it's bigger than ever. After a considerable hiatus, it’s time to return to Pandora and rip, tear, shoot and loot your way to victory.

For the uninitiated, the Borderlands franchise is built upon the pursuit of gear. Players earn loot at an almost obscene rate, constantly unlocking new weapons and abilities with which to battle through stylized environments. While Borderlands 3 doesn't offer that much in terms of new few, those who have played they previous instalments are unlikely to be disappointed.

Even better, Borderlands 3 looks amazing with resolution or framerates modes, respectively 60fps at 1080p, or higher resolution capped at 30fps.

Check out our full Borderlands 3 review.

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Best Nintendo DS games: all the DS titles you absolutely need to revisit

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 08:56 AM PST

Looking for the best Nintendo DS games? Then look no further. It's hard to believe but it's been 15 years since the very first Nintendo DS console was released, making it a platform with a game library many have carried from their childhoods through to their early adult years.

While its dual-screen was a form factor experiment that could have gone either way, we think the number of consoles that have spawned from the very first DS is a good sign. Over the last 13 years we've seen the DS, the DS Lite, DSi, the 2DS, the 3DS and a bunch of XL releases in between, and they've had some of the best games we've played. We've become so used to the dual-screen console we don't think we could do without it now.

It's Nintendo's refusal to play it safe that's probably helped it stay so successful in this area. The dual-screen design might have been a risk but it was obviously a worthwhile one since we've seen it evolve and improve from the DS through to the new 3DS - and even further to the Nintendo Switch.

That said, no matter how good a console's design and no matter how many innovations it makes, it won't stand the test of time without good games to keep players interested. Thankfully, the Nintendo DS had no shortage of those - from the great entries in the Castelvania series to the outstanding entries in Pokemon - Nintendo DS is the all-you-can-eat buffet of first-party mobile classics.

As good as the DS is, though, by this point the majority of us will no doubt have replaced our Nintendo DS with its chunkier and more powerful successor the Nintendo 3DS - maybe eve the Switch Lite. That said, as it's still part of the DS family the new handheld offers full backwards compatibility, giving full access to some unmissable DS titles as well as the greatest titles from the 3DS.

To give you a better idea of exactly what games you should be looking to pick up, we've put together this list of what we think are the best titles out there. From excellent original titles such as Pokemon Black and White 2 to classic SNES ports like Kirby Super Star Ultra, you're guaranteed to find something you like. 

Even though a large number of games available on the Nintendo DS are ports, they're drastically improved and their effective integration of the console's dual-screen helped to redefine the handheld gaming experience. 

It's worth noting you may be able to pick up some of these Nintendo DS games for cheap during Black Friday and Cyber Monday - so keep an eye out.

One of a handful of great strategy games on the Nintendo DS, Advance Wars: Dual Strike mixed smart rock-paper-scissors-esque combat with the brutal backdrop og an on-going war. Dual Strike made great use of the DS's two screens, often forcing you to fight two battles simultaneously. Perform well enough on both battlefields, and you could perform the eponymous Dual Strike, allowing you to take two turns back-to-back, often with devastating results to the enemy. 

Should both you and a friend own a copy of the game (it's probably a pipe-dream at this point but...) you can actually face off in head-to-head battles. For its intense single-player campaign, and potentially friendship-ruining head-to-head gameplay, Dual Strike is one battle we could fight all day long.

The Pokemon series dominated the Game Boy, a tradition that carried over to the DS. While there are generations upon generations of Pokemon games out there, the DS ones are, for good reason, the greatest, building upon the original games and adding their own awesome features. 

Not only that, but Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 aren't just minor updates over Black and White – they're a new addition to the series, allowing for exploration of the Unova region. From exploring the new region, to the classic turn based battles, these games are not games you'll want to miss out on.

Speaking of classic games series, we would be remiss to not include at least one Mario game. OK, fine, we've included more than one Mario game, but New Super Mario Bros. is among the best. The game represents a new generation of Mario that stays true to the classic side-scrolling concept of the original Super Mario Bros. games, yet makes it a little more, well, modern.

You'll find both familiar enemies, and new ones, and you can even link wirelessly with your friends to play as Mario and Luigi in a multiplayer mode. If any game proves that Mario is still relevant, it's this one.

Final Fantasy IV (known as Final Fantasy II in the US) may have originally been made for the SNES way back in 1991, but the game seriously deserved a remake for a new generation of players. Square Enix did just that. 

The HD update offers newly developed 3D graphics and new added content, and not only brings two generations of Final Fantasy fans together, but also cements FF4 in the memory books as one of the best RPGs ever.

Final Fantasy IV isn't the only SNES game to be ported over to the Nintendo DS – Kirby Super Star is an excellent choice for a dual-screen game, and brings the epic Kirby adventure to your pocket. Of course, this isn't a complete copy of the original game – it also features things like new modes such as Meta Knight Ultra and Revenge of the King. 

Sure, you could argue that Super Star Ultra isn't as exciting as Kirby Canvas Curse, but as a short and sweet adventure game, Super Star Ultra isn't one to miss out on, especially if you're a Kirby fan.

Animal Crossing: Wild World takes the popular GameCube game and makes it much more social. In the game, you and up to three of your friends from anywhere in the world can hang out in the same village and interact in real time. 

You can also hang out in your friends' villages. When you're back home there's always something to do – from decorating your home to collecting new items to just lounging with the locals.

Kingdom Hearts 352/2 Days takes place during the year that Sora was asleep, and revolves around Roxas. You'll basically follow Roxas and the other members of Organization XIII through the various Disney worlds. Perhaps the coolest new feature in the game is multiplayer mode, which allows you and your friends to play as other Organization XIII members.

While long-time Kingdom Hearts fans will love this addition to the franchise, new players will also get a kick out of it – it's not too difficult to learn, and while some backstory may help in the general understanding of the game, you'll still have a lot of fun without it.

While New Super Mario Bros. is an awesome game, there's nothing better than going back to the classics. Super Mario 64 DS is, as I'm sure you can imagine, a port of the original Super Mario 64 game for the Nintendo 64. 

However it takes full advantage of the Nintendo DS' dual-screen setup and adds touch screen features and even wireless multiplayer compatibility. Who says an old plumber can't learn new tricks?

The third Mario game on the list is there for good reason – it's an awesome, albeit weird, game. In Partners in Time, Mario and Luigi partner up with none other than their younger selves. 

As strange as it sounds, you get to control both the adult and baby sets of Mario Bros. as they explore the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond to take down the evil invaders from space, the Shroobs. The game gets a little out of control but, in this case, that's a good thing.

Spirit Tracks sends our hero Link on a brand-new adventure, offering a totally new story with more puzzles, and so on. While Spirit Tracks is actually the second Legend of Zelda game for Nintendo DS, it trumps the first in almost every way, offering challenging boss battles and excellent gameplay. 

Link travels by train, as the name suggests, opening up new possibilities for puzzles and interesting challenges.

Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 are great games, but fans of the early generations may find themselves a little lost at the number of Pokemon to catch. HeartGold and SoulSilver are remakes of Gold and Silver for Game Boy Color, which are considered by many to be some of the best Pokemon games ever made, and for good reason. 

The game takes place in the Johto region and offers updated graphics, touch controls, and even the ability to use the 'Pokéwalker' – essentially a glorified Tamagotchi – to take your Pokemon wherever you go.

It's a PC point-and-click classic, but bringing a new and improved version of the original Broken Sword title to the portable Nintendo DS was a stroke of genius on the part of Nintendo and Revolution software.

The dual-screen touch elements of the Nintendo DS work extremely well with the point-and-click style of play and Broken Sword is one of the best games in the genre to show this. 

The game follows the original story of George Stobbart as he travels across the world to unravel the Templar conspiracy. To draw in those who had already played the game, though, the Director's Cut added new puzzles specifically suited to the DS touchscreen, animated facial expressions, and a brand new complementary storyline which follows George's fellow adventurer Nico Collard to new locations and adds more depth to the original story.

The only downside is that the DS version lacks the excellent voice acting of Rolf Saxon. Fortunately, the script is good enough to stand on its own. 

Whether you've played the original Broken Sword on PC or not, this Director's Cut version for DS is well worth picking up. 

Chinatown Wars is an entry in the Grand Theft Auto franchise, and it carries on the tradition of a game in which players can roam the world and so whatever they want. 

Of course, there are also awesome missions to complete along the way, and while there are a few things that have been left out in the handheld version of the game, plenty has also been added, making Chinatown Wars one of the best (and only) mature-rated Nintendo DS games out there.

While Spirit Tracks is arguably a better game, Phantom Hourglass is its enjoyable predecessor filled with familiar features and well-worn gameplay. 

Phantom Hourglass is a little more casual than other Legend of Zelda games and arguably a little easier too, but that doesn't make it any less of a seriously entertaining pocket adventure.

Dawn of Sorrow is set around a year after Aria of Sorrow, and follows a cult that wants to resurrect a dead Dracula. Soma Cruz gets entangled in the plans and must now find a way to stop the resurrection from happening. Unlike many other Nintendo DS games, most of the action takes place on the bottom screen, while the top screen is reserved for maps, character information, and so on. 

Many suggest that Dawn of Sorrow is one of the best Castlevania games of all-time, and for good reason – it's beautifully designed, offers great battle scenarios, and finds the perfect balance between nostalgia and innovation.

Samus is obviously the best bounty hunter in the galaxy. Or is she? A total of six other bounty hunters are looking to gain that title, which is the premise behind Hunters. 

Hunters doesn't just feature an awesome story – nothing was worse than Metroid: Other M, right? – it features a great multiplayer mode too, allowing you to go through intense battles with friends through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. You can play as any of the seven bounty hunters, with each of them having their own special attacks and skills.

You can't go through a great game list for Nintendo without getting Mario Kart. Mario Kart DS is exactly what you might expect from a Mario Kart for Nintendo DS game, featuring a multiplayer mode where you can face up to eight players at once, as well as the ability to race through some of the most classic Mario Kart circuits out there. 

The DS version of the cart racer may not have the visual sizzle of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but if you're looking to take Mario and Co. on the road, there's no place better to start.

This game was pretty highly anticipated upon its release, however some were a little disappointed that instead of getting an all-new game, they instead got a remake of the original. Still, the original game is a great game, and the Nintendo DS version brings updated graphics and modern features. 

For fans of the turn-based strategy experience (or awesomely named Japanese franchises), Shadow Dragon should be one of your first stops when stocking up your Nintendo DS library.

Developed by Jupiter and published by Square Enix, The World Ends With You follows the story of Neku Sakuraba, a 15-year-old boy who wakes up in the shopping district of Japan and is told that he will die unless he completes a certain task. (It's Final Fantasy XIII before Lightning made an appearance on the scene.) 

What we admire most is that the developers behind the game took a chance with it – they could have easily come up with another Kingdom Hearts game – but the chance was well worth it and has resulted in one of the most underrated role-playing games out there.

Another port of a classic game, Chrono Trigger DS is the immaculately recrafted version of the SNES game. If you missed the original, it follows a young Chrono, who has to rescue his friend after a teleportation machine malfunctions at the fair. Eventually, he uncovers a plan to destroy the world and has to race the clock in order to save it.

While technically a direct port of the game for SNES, the DS version adds some great features, like support for the dual-screen setup, touch screen functionality, and a wireless play mode that adds a dimension of gameplay.

Phoenix Wright is a great game for those who enjoy a good puzzle – though, as a word of warning, depending on your puzzle-solving skills you might even find some of the challenges too difficult!

If you haven't ever dug into Phoenix Wright's case files before, the series essentially involves you having to uncover clues, discover characters' personalities, and so on, as you slowly solve cases and bring justice to the criminals along the way. You won't hear any objections from us on this one.

If you're partial to point and click adventures then you don't want to miss out on Hotel Dusk Room 215. 

The DS touchscreen was always going to be good for the point and click puzzle solving genre and this is a game that makes it work well by having the player hold the console like a book. In fact, this is a game that integrates all of the Nintendo DS's features as part of its puzzle solving, including the microphone.

The game, set in 1979, follows Kyle Hyde, a New York detective turned salesman who has come to the Hotel Dusk in California to search for his former partner. He's placed in Room 215, a room said to grant wishes, and finds that the hotel has many mysteries to solve, some of which relate to his own past. 

If you're not a fan of linearity then this isn't a game for you but if you can get a kick out of a game that's actually almost like an interactive book then this is one you shouldn't miss. 

Closing out our list is Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift - a sequel to the great-selling GBA game that was a sequel to the awesome, trail-blazing PS1 game. While Grimoire of the Rift didn't re-write the formula for the Tactics series, it did add several classes and features that greatly enhanced an already great franchise. 

Combat is turn-based and deeply cerebral as you attempt to out-maneuver and overpower your enemy. In between battles, you'll equip characters with new weapons and skills (the former begets the latter) and take on side-quests and new characters. It's a formula that never feels old, even now, 10 years after its release.

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F1 live stream: how to watch the Brazilian Grand Prix 2019 online from anywhere

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 08:52 AM PST

Lewis Hamilton won the US Grand Prix a fortnight ago to take the title for the sixth time. That means that Mercedes has once again beaten Ferrari to the top spot thanks to its consistent performances throughout the season. But now's the chance to claw back some points for the likes of Max Verstappen (who took pole), Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc at the Brazilian Grand Prix - you can watch it all go down with an F1 live stream from pretty much anywhere.

Sure, Lewis Hamilton is world champion, again, and yes, Mercedes is pretty much unstoppable these days. But there are still races to be won. And this Brazilian Grand Prix could offer glory to Ferrari, Red Bull and beyond. Crucially this race also offers experience that could make or break the team next season.

Before the US race, team Ferrari had finished on the podium in 13 consecutive races - not to be sniffed at. But even within Ferrari there are still battles to be fought, specifically between Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc.

As it stands Leclerc is third overall, behind Mercedes' Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, and Sebastian Vettel lags behind in fifth. But can Vettel close that 19 point gap in the last two races? Or will Red Bull's Max Verstappen in fourth place have a part to play? With Leclerc facing a penalty at the start of this race it's still all open for the taking.

The race for the podium is still very real and you can see how it plays out at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Check out all the exciting racing using an F1 live stream from anywhere in the world – here's how.

How to watch the Brazilian Grand Prix from outside your country

To see how you can stream F1 live from the Brazilian Grand Prix in the UK, Australia, the US, Canada and New Zealand, then scroll a little further down this page to see the broadcast options. But if you try and tune in to your native stream from outside your country, you'll quickly discover that it's geo-blocked.

How to live stream Brazilian Grand Prix in the UK

How live stream Brazilian Grand Prix 2019 in Australia

Watch the Brazilian Grand Prix in the US: live stream F1

How to watch a Brazilian GP F1 live stream in the Canada

How to get an F1 live stream in New Zealand

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Best gaming headset 2019: the best PS4 and Xbox One headsets this year

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 08:23 AM PST

If you're looking for the best gaming headsets for PS4 and Xbox One, chances are you're feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the options out there, and it's easy to go wrong because there are a lot to choose from. Make the right choice however, and your gaming headset can be almost as good as a huge surround system and a floor-shaking subwoofer.

The best Xbox One and PS4 gaming headsets not only provide top-notch sound, they also let you communicate with others across a variety of multiplayer games (which is especially useful on consoles). Get a good headset and your gaming experience will greatly improve.

However, If you're looking for a new PS4 or Xbox One gaming headset, there are a few factors to consider, with the most important being the type of games you typically play. 

If you're predominantly a fan of MMOs, for example, then comfort should be your number one priority as you'll typically be wearing your headset for long periods. On the other hand, if you're a serious fast-twitch ninja with pro-gaming aspirations, you could gain an edge with a high-end, surround sound headset.

It's also important to consider your gaming environment: if you want to remain aware of what's going around you while you're playing, opt for an open-backed gaming headset. If you like to play co-cooperatively in a noisy environment, though, then a headset with a noise-canceling microphone is a must.

You also need to consider that each console has design quirks which can complicate the process of setting up gaming headsets. The Xbox One forces you to connect a gaming headset to its controller, and the older Xbox One controllers, annoyingly, don't have 3.5mm headphone jacks, forcing you to buy an extra Stereo Headset Adapter for your Xbox One headset.

On the other hand, PS4 headsets can initially sound quiet, as the headset output level is set to half its full amount by default, which necessitates delving around in its system settings.

To help you select the best gaming headset, we’ve compiled this guide spanning the very best wireless, wired, high-end and budget examples currently on sale. Here are the best PS4 and Xbox One headsets on the market.

Overall best PlayStation 4 gaming headset

Best gaming headset 2019


HyperX has developed a sizeable following among the pro-gaming community over the years. Its newest headset, the Cloud Revolver S, adds Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound to the blueprint offered by the hugely popular Cloud Revolver, without requiring you to take out a second mortgage.

Quite simply, the Cloud Revolver S sounds astonishingly good, especially at the price. You will marvel in particular at the dynamics of its sound: deep, rumbling bass and crisp, never shrieky treble that lets you hear every sound effect and totally immerses you in the ambience created by in-game music.

It's pretty well made, comfortable and classily finished, and Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound is the cherry on top, allowing you to pinpoint incoming enemies in first-person shooters – particularly if you explore the preset equalisation modes into which pro-gamers had lots of input. A truly high-end-sounding headset at a mid-range price.

Read the full review: HyperX Cloud Revolver S

Overall best Xbox One gaming headset 

Turtle Beach Elite Pro Tournament

Turtle Beach is the longest established specialist gaming headset manufacturer, with a fanatical following among pro-gamers – and when you unbox its top-of-the-range Elite Pro, you can see why. It simply oozes no-expense-spared design, and sports all manner of neat touches born from decades of pro-gaming experience.

But more importantly than that, it sounds spectacular, with huge bass and crystal-clear treble adding up to a sound which will allow you to get deeply immersed into whatever game you're playing. Comfort-wise, it's exemplary, with big, thick earpads that eliminate all ambient noise, and can be easily adjusted to fit all head-sizes. A neat feature lets you add spacing to the earpads to accommodate a pair of glasses.

On an Xbox One, we'd recommend teaming it up with piece of kit called the Tactical Audio Adapter, which clips into the Xbox One controller and operates as an amplifier, adding some of the extra sound-control features which come in a separate graphic equaliser-style box called the Tactical Audio Controller (which is pricey but adds Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound). 

Those features include Turtle Beach’s Superhuman Hearing, which enhances the sound of incoming players' footsteps and is great for hardcore first-person shooter fans, and Dynamic Chat Boost, which keeps chat-levels audible even when background noise rises. Plus, it lets you independently adjust game and chat volumes.

Add tank-like build-quality to the equation and you have a headset which has become something of a status symbol for those who take their gaming seriously.

Read the full review: Turtle Beach Elite Pro Tournament Headset.

Best wireless Xbox One gaming headset

Best gaming headset 2019

There’s an old saying that states “a ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for”, and Razer really has pushed the boat out with its Razer Nari Ultimate headset. 

The Razer Nari Ultimate is an interesting concept, and something that needs to be tried to be believed. Razer’s designed a strong pair of headphones, with a very out-there feature, making the Nari Ultimate the best Xbox One wireless headset on the market.

Check out our Razer Nari Ultimate review.

Best PlayStation 4 gaming headset for audio quality

Best gaming headset 2019

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro is one of the best-sounding headsets you can buy. As such, it's doubly worth considering if you use your PlayStation 4 to watch films and listen to music as well as play games. 

Clarity and audio balance are much better than most of the other sets here. Both the Arctic Pro Wireless and GameDAC versions will work with a PlayStation 4 console, but the vanilla wired version is just for PC – so make sure you pick the right set before buying.

The GameDAC model has an outboard box with top quality Hi-Res audio converters. It needs to be wired-in though, so this may not be the best choice if you play a few meters away from your PS4. The wireless version may be a better choice.

All versions have LEDs around the cups. It may be made for audio perfectionists, but it's still a gamer headset.

Read the full review: SteelSeries Arctis Pro review.

Best wireless PlayStation 4 gaming headset

Best gaming headset 2019

It might not look like much, but the PlayStation Platinum Wireless is a really solid headset with an exceptional level of audio quality. 

As well as being ludicrously simple to set up, the headset sounds great and is comfortable to wear to boot. 

The sound quality is balanced, offering a decent mix of low and high frequencies, and people on the other end of the line reported that its microphone delivered a decent level of audio quality. 

Our one reservation is regarding the headset's "3D Audio", which fell down slightly compared to what's offered by the competition; but this is made up for the headset's very reasonable price tag. 

Read the full review: PlayStation Platinum Wireless headset

Best budget PlayStation 4 gaming headset

Best gaming headset 2019

Being strapped for cash doesn’t necessarily mean having to settle for an inferior gaming headset, and Turtle Beach’s EarForce PX24 does a pretty decent job of embarrassing plenty of its more expensive rivals. Sure, it makes more extensive use of plastic than headsets which are twice the price, but it still looks and feels sufficiently robust, and its overall lightness renders it pretty comfortable for prolonged use.

And in the areas that really matter – sound and configurability – the Ear Force PX24 is way better than it has any right to be at the price. While it doesn’t have the bass extension you'll find in a more premium headset, and its treble is a bit dry in comparison with other options at this price level, it still sounds remarkably good – and thanks to an amplifier which clips between the headset and the PS4 controller, you can boost the bass, engage Superhuman Hearing mode for first-person shooters, and even fiddle around with a virtual surround sound effect.

Finding such features, and very decent sound indeed, is a revelation for such a cheap headset. You could quibble about the EarForce PX24's slightly plasticky overall finish, but in our opinion, that's a small price to pay for a great headset at a decent cost.

Best budget Xbox One gaming headset

Best gaming headset 2019

A high-quality, low-cost headset from Corsair, this wired option may be the best budget Xbox One gaming headset on the market. It may only feature stereo sound (instead of surround sound), but it's hardly a noticeable deficit. It produces dynamic sound, and the actual headphones are plush and comfortable. This hardly seems like the budget headset that it is.

Check out our full Corsair HS50 Stereo Gaming Headset review.

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Kosovo vs England live stream: how to watch Euro 2020 qualifier football online

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 07:16 AM PST

While they may have booked their place at Euro 2020 with a convincing 7-0 win over Montenegro at Wembley on Thursday, England go into Sunday's game against Kosovo knowing that there's still work to be done. You've found the right page to help you find out how to watch a Kosovo vs England live stream.

Their final seeding for next summer's tournament is still under question and a point may be need to ensure they go into the draw at the end of the month as a top seed. 

A shock defeat against Kosovo, however, would knock Gareth's Southgate's men down the rankings and could potentially see them placed in a group of death with Portugal and Belgium.

Raheem Sterling returns to the team for England on Sunday having missed out the Montenegro thrashing following his altercation with teammate Joe Gomez. James Maddison his being tipped to make his first start after coming off the bench for his debut on Thursday, while Declan Rice may be given another chance at the base of the midfield.

Kosovo go into the game after a demoralising defeat away to the Czech Republic on Thursday. Had they held onto their second-half 1-0 lead they would have had a chance at automatic qualification. Instead they now find themselves playing for pride against the Three Lions at home.

Read out guide below to find out how to watch a live stream of Kosovo vs England Euro 2020 qualifying football from almost anywhere in the world. 

How to live stream Kosovo vs England from outside your country

If you're in the UK, US or Australia today, then your viewing options are set out in simple black-and-white below.

But it's not so straightforward if you try and watch the game from abroad, as you'll likely be faced with a very unhelpful geo-block.

How to stream the England game live in the UK 

Live stream Kosovo vs England in the US

How to live stream Kosovo vs England in Australia

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4 ways Disney Plus could beat Netflix – and 4 ways it could fall behind

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 07:00 AM PST

Disney Plus is now live in its first few territories – the United States, for one – and it's landed with an impressive 10 million subscribers at launch. Disney's eventual target is a massive 60-90 million subscribers globally.

It's a shame Disney Plus UK won't be rolling out until March 31, 2020, but there’s still plenty that the House of Mickey is doing right. From high resolution streaming to a nostalgia-packed launch catalogue, Disney Plus is undoubtedly the biggest TV streaming service launch in years.

UPDATE: Now the streaming service is finally here, take a look at our Disney Plus review. Check out our Disney Plus early verdict including the best shows, movies and how to sign-up. We've also revealed our top three Disney Plus titles that we just can't get enough of right now.

Obviously it’s not a fair comparison in some ways; when Netflix first launched its OTT service, there simply wasn’t the same market for streaming that there is now. And Disney has the kind of content catalogue that most platforms can only dream of having at launch.

Now that Disney Plus is live, we've put both streaming services side-by-side, to see where the House of the Mouse has the edge over Netflix, as well as the areas where it could use some work.

+ Single tier pricing

Single. Tier. Pricing. We’ve gotten so used to streaming services with various pricing plans and subscription models – whether Netflix’s Basic, Standard and Premium plans, or Hulu’s ad-supported tiers – that the single tier for the Disney Plus price feels refreshingly simple. For just $6.99 / AU$8.99 (around £5) you get access to the whole library, with no caveats or catches outside of your territory.

It's worth checking out the bundle options, though, which throw in Hulu and ESPN+ alongside the Disney subscription.

+ 4K HDR for all

Sure, not everything on Disney Plus is in 4K resolution, or HDR (high dynamic range), but the premium video technologies are now found on an increasing number of content providers – with enough 4K TVs in use to really warrant it. By including these features in the single price tier, Disney is ensuring anyone who wants to access that level of picture quality can. And the series has arrived with the original Star Wars trilogy in 4K for the first time, which is a huge win. The onslaught of new Marvel and Pixar titles will only increase the value of 4K to the subscription package.

Image Credit: Disney

+ Content from the dawn of time

Well, not quite. But with TV shows and films going all the way back to the 1930s – starting with Snow White & The Seven Dwarves – there’s a spread of content unlike anything else you’ll find online.

You may not want to watch a lot of the older stuff, aside from a few curios and classics, but to get such a comprehensive historical catalogue of Disney branded titles is nothing short of a marvel.

+ Blockbuster-level exclusive shows

Somewhere where Disney Plus has an advantage: it’s already a content creator. Whereas the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime started producing shows and films to circumvent licensing fees and gain more of a brand identity, Disney has decades' worth of production experience and hordes of studios it can leverage to create for the service that will keep fans coming back and subscribing.

The Mandalorian Trailer #2

Image Credit: Disney 

We’re already seeing this with the new Star Wars TV shows on Disney Plus, including launch title The Mandalorian – and Marvel shows focusing on Loki, Hawkeye, and The Falcon & The Winter Soldier. (Not to mention new animated series and spin-offs from a host of lesser-known characters, even including Forky from Toy Story 4.) But with massively expanded MCU and Star Wars universes, there are plenty of fans desperate to consume all the lore that they can, and Disney Plus can give it to them.

But positives aside, what could Disney Plus end up doing wrong?

– Restricted releases

If you’re focusing on all the things Disney Plus gives you easy access to, don't forget that Disney can also restrict that access elsewhere. We’ve already heard about American movie theaters losing rights to screen classic 20th Century Fox movies like The Fly, Omen, or Alien, and there’s a clear knock-on effect for film enthusiasts who don’t want to settle for a living room experience. Bad blood over this seems certain.

– Same old, same old

Disney Plus is likely to live and die on its tentpole franchises, including Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar. But the danger of producing so much content within these channels is that Disney ends up fatiguing its audience with a one-note monoculture of endlessly similar sequels and instalments.

Disney’s acquisition of so many studios and IP, notwithstanding the advantages it gives to Disney Plus subscribers, could easily oversaturate the market with Disney-minded entertainment and end up being a dangerous thing for diversity across the market.

– Not so global launches

Disney Plus could be a victim of its own hype, in that the service won’t be launching worldwide even though there’s already worldwide interest.

We now have a launch date for Disney Plus UK and other territories in Europe (France, Italy, Spain, and Germany) in March 2020, but the delay on a hugely-hyped service, especially with the exclusive The Mandalorian TV show, seems a missed opportunity. Avoiding spoilers for that show is pretty difficult. Many viewers won’t have the same choice of streaming services, and may be harder to attract later on if Netflix and Amazon Prime continue to get their claws in.

Image Credit: Disney

– Running out of content

As much as it’s exciting to see hundreds of classic Disney films and shows, hundreds will only get Disney so far. Netflix boasts around 8,000 total titles, while Amazon Prime has over 14,000 TV shows alone (via Business Insider).

Disney’s long-running Twitter thread of launch titles didn’t even get near 1,000, and it will take a while before Disney will have a comparatively sized catalogue. As much as exciting as the service seems at launch, we can’t shake off the feeling that the excitement could be hard to keep going with some speedy growth after the first few months (when people have likely watched the titles they already wanted to).

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Microsoft is ditching Cortana for Android and iOS in certain markets

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 06:30 AM PST

Cortana was once positioned as a serious competitor to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, but these days it feels more like a Windows add-on – and now the Cortana app for Android and iOS is disappearing in certain regions.

As per a new support article, the app will no longer be available in certain countries outside the US after January 31, at which point it's going to get rolled into the Microsoft 365 Office apps.

Microsoft told The Verge that the standalone Cortana app is going to be dropped in the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Mexico, China, Spain, and India, as it looks to continue to make Cortana "as helpful as possible".

"We're integrating Cortana deeper into your Microsoft 365 productivity apps," said Microsoft in a statement. "And part of this evolution involves ending support for the Cortana mobile app on Android and iOS."

Cortana remains "integral"

For now the Cortana app will live on in the US, and Microsoft stated that Cortana remains  "an integral part of our broader vision to bring the power of conversational computing and productivity to all our platforms and devices".

The news isn't a complete surprise, as Microsoft has removed the digital assistant from its launcher app on Android, while making moves to better integrate Alexa into its products.

Back in January, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella admitted that he no longer sees Cortana as a direct rival to the likes of Alexa and Google Assistant, so these new developments are really just a continuation of that.

Rival digital assistants continue to get packed into a growing number of devices, meanwhile, as Cortana apparently retreats to Windows and Microsoft's other apps.

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The weirdest movies on Disney Plus

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 06:00 AM PST

Disney’s long-awaited entry into the streaming space is here, with Disney Plus racking up more than 10 million subscribers to its service in just a matter of days.

It’s a promising start for Disney’s battle against Netflix, with its focus on its own in-house content paying dividends thanks to the likes of its animation classics, Star Wars franchise and library of Marvel films.

But wow-eee, Disney really has had to plumb the depths of its archive in order to fill the gaps between those tentpole titles. Yes, the masses will be lapping up The Mandalorian, but the true Disney connoisseur should be turning to these insane flicks for their next Disney Plus marathon.

Darby O’Gill and the Little People

Let’s start off with some mildly inappropriate cultural cliches, as Disney takes a trip to the Emerald Isle. Very much tapping into the stereotypes of the Irish being superstitious drunks, Darby O’Gill and the Little People is full of leprechauns and banshees. It has its charm – not least a rare performance from Sean Connery in which he abandons his native Scottish accent for an Irish one. And beats up a leprechaun.

Fuzzbucket

Picture the scene: it’s the late 1980s and TV execs the world over are riding high on the inexplicable success of ALF, a TV show about a puppet alien. Thinking it can bag itself a bit of the ‘next E.T’ pie, Disney lands on… Fuzzbucket.

If you were one of the many kids who shudder at the thought of actually being visited by E.T, wait till you get a load of Fuzzbucket. Part mole, part troll, maybe part man? It’s a fine line between someone dressed in a furry suit being cute (see: Ewoks) and someone being… not cute. Fuzzbucket falls very much into the latter category – even the kid who stars opposite Fuzzbucket looks like he doesn’t want to be there.

The Ugly Dachshund

Just, the absolute NERVE to call any dog ugly. Unlike Fuzzbucket above, they’re wonderful little balls of fluff, in whatever shape or size. This one’s a retelling of the ‘ugly duckling’ story, swapping ducks for dachshunds and swans for great danes. Controversial opinion: dachshunds are overrated, and great danes rock. Take THAT, Disney. 

Return to Oz

The Wizard of Oz: a fantastical coming of age story full of talking lions, loveable scarecrows and (admittedly creepy) flying monkeys. Return to Oz is the sequel you’d get if you only ever showed the director that flying monkeys scene. It is unwittingly terrifying, opening with Dorothy in electrotherapy after her first trip to Oz, before heading off to thwart another evil force. An anti-kids film to ruin the sleeping habits of a whole new generation, thanks to Disney Plus.

The Shaggy D.A.

Unbelievably, this is a sequel. As a boy, Wilby Daniels was once turned into a dog by a magic ring, in a prior misadventure that saw him returned to his human form by its conclusion. Now he’s comfortably in his middle age, and is a lawyer. Depending on your stance on lawyers, you may feel what happens next is perfectly deserved as, when Daniels looks to run for District Attorney, a rival stumbles into the ring, turning him back into a dog. Freaky Friday with a canine twist, essentially, which is far better than what this actually turns out to be. Great tagline, though: “It's Laughter By The Pound! You'll Roll Over, Sit Up, And Beg For More!”

Mr Boogedy

A practical jokes salesman takes his family to live in an apparently haunted house. Are the crazy poltergeist-like shenanigans the work of real spirits, or just dad mucking around again? Surprise! It’s Mr Boogedy. Except, Boogedy isn’t some cute Casper-alike. He’s like a sentient booger, and his grotesque face will be seared permanently onto the retinas of any who dare watch this made for TV effort.

Operation Dumbo Drop

Remember when Disney made a Vietnam war film? A Vietnam comedy, no less? Sure, it’s a kid-friendly ‘parental guidance’ flick, but the synopsis sounds far more sinister, with an army officer and his unit working to prevent a warlord from dropping an elephant out of the sky and to its doom. Starring Danny Glover (Predator 2), Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) Dennis Leary (the Holsten Pils lager adverts). Good family fun...

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Luigi's Mansion 3 release date, impressions and the best deals

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 05:56 AM PST

It’s been six long years since Nintendo last released a game in the Luigi’s Mansion series and, with fans beginning to give up hope of another, the announcement that a sequel was coming to Nintendo Switch was very welcome news indeed.

Released on October 31, 2019 (aka Halloween), Luigi's Mansion 3 sees Luigi and pals taking a much needed vacation in a high-rise hotel. But, as luck would have it, it seems the hotel is haunted and the ghostly residents have captured Luigi's friends. You know what that means. It's time to get the Poltergust out again and vacuum up some ghosts in a bigger, more action-packed adventure than ever before.

Here's everything you need to know about Luigi's Mansion 3, including our impressions, the best deals and all the latest features.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The third entry in Nintendo's spooky series
  • When did it release? October 31st, 2019
  • What can I play it on? Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite

Luigi's Mansion 3 release date

Luigi's Mansion 3 released for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite on October 31st, 2019 (AKA Halloween!) - a very fitting release date for such a spooky title. 

That means it's available to play right now.

Luigi's Mansion 3 best deals

Looking to pick up Luigi's Mansion 3 on Switch? You could wait for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as we'll be keeping track of all the best Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals. 

However, if you can't wait, these are the best deals available right now:

Luigi's Mansion 3 impressions

Luigi's Mansion 3

The premise of Luigi's Mansion 3 is pretty straightforward: anxious Luigi and his pals check into a hotel for a nice break away from maiming goombas, but it turns out the hotel isn't quite as described in the brochure. Things take a dark turn, and Luigi's pals disappear, so it's obviously your job (as the jumpy green plumber) to wander around the creepy hotel, fight off the ghostly residents and find Mario and co.

Simple? Well, it probably would be more so if Luigi had packed some sort of badass ghostbusting technology to put those ghouls back in the ground. Instead, in classic Luigi fashion, you only have your trusty Poltergust vacuum cleaner to stun and suck up enemies. But Luigi's got a brand-new bag this time, and by bag we mean vacuum cleaner: the Poltergust G-00. 

This new and improved ghost-sucking device not only stuns enemies and sucks them up, but also has the ability to fire plungers and use jet propulsion to increase jumping. These plungers come in handy for opening secret doors and solving puzzles. The rope which hangs off the end of the plunger can be sucked up with the Poltergust, allowing you to pull objects when needed. For example, we stuck a plunger to some barrels in the basement and used our suction to pull them off their perch, breaking them and revealing a hidden key (plus some rats). 

Alongside a new Poltergust, Luigi also has some slick new moves. Slam allows you to slam ghosts you're sucking up on the floor like a frustrated toddler, while burst causes an air pressure group attack – giving you a bit of space when the ghoulies are getting a bit close for comfort. But the best new feature is definitely the aptly named Gooigi, a green flubber-like version of Luigi who can slip through bars and wander over spikes without damage – just don't expose him to water. 

Luigi's Mansion 3

Gooigi is key to solving many of the hotel's puzzles, with a simple click of the right toggle allowing you to seamlessly change between Luigi and his gooey companion. We played solo, but if you play with a friend then they can take control of the slippery sidekick.

It's worth noting that the hotel is pretty big – the Hilton of haunted hotels – so there are lots of rooms to explore, and a few secrets too. During our playtime we wandered through the lobby, wine cellar and a few dungeons, among other destinations, and that was only in 15 minutes; Nintendo has previously shown footage of a greenhouse, a film studio, and even a theater stage. Like we said, it's a big hotel. 

Each room is simply but beautifully crafted, with the kooky Nintendo nature that means Luig's Mansion, while a spooky game in terms of its premise, is just a fun-filled family game. 

Luigi's Mansion seems to have truly found its home on the Switch – it's just the kind of light-hearted romp the hybrid console was made for. 

While more content and features have been added to modernize the franchise, the heart of Luigi's Mansion remains the same, and it's a pleasure to see Mario's often-overlooked brother stepping into the limelight.

Luigi's Mansion 3 news and features

Here's everything you should know about Luigi Mansion 3's new features:

ScreamPark mode
This competitive multiplayer mode sees players divide into teams and play across three Mario Party-style 2v2 mini games titled Ghost Hunt, Cannon Barrage and Coin Floating. You can see the game in action in the 12 minutes of gameplay released by Nintendo below.

Post-launch DLC and expanded multiplayer content
Nintendo quietly updated the official website for Luigi's Mansion 3 to reveal that after its Halloween launch, “Paid DLC will come to Luigi's Mansion 3 in the future, adding new content to the ScareScraper and ScreamPark multiplayer modes.” 

Puzzles
There are plenty of puzzles in the haunted hotel to keep you occupied (as well as a few hidden secrets). It'll take a combination of Luigi's Poltergust, plungers and Gooigi to solve them.

ScareScaper mode
This co-op and competitive mode sees you clearing rooms, taking on ghosts and completing challenges to collect coins. Can be played online or couch co-op.

Lots of rooms in the hotel
Including a greenhouse, film studio, and theatre stage.

Gooigi
Luigi can now summon a flubber-like version of himself that can slip through bars and walk over spikes. Even better, a friend can control Gooigi and you can co-op.

Luigi's Mansion 3

Image credit: Nintendo

New functions
Including Slam (which slams ghosts on the ground), Suction Shot (which attaches the plunger to an item before pulling it away, destorying it), and Burst (an air pressure group attack).

Story
Luigi's Mansion 3 sees Luig being invited to stay in a hotel alongside his friends Mario, Peach and co. But unfortunately the hotel isn't quite what it seems and things take a dark turn when he arrives. There are some ghost guests who refuse to check out and they're not exactly friendly.

Poltergust G-00
Luigi's got a brand new vacuum, in the form of the Poltergust G-00. This new super sucker can fire plungers, use jet propulsion to increase jumping, and use the Strobulb.

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Windows 10 search fix will stop it sometimes hogging disk or CPU resources

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 04:47 AM PST

The latest preview version of Windows 10 has benefited from improvements which continue work to fix problems with excessive disk and processor usage caused by Windows Search, which some users have been experiencing in the past.

This comes courtesy of preview build 19025, which is for the update due to land in the first half of next year (20H1), and has just been released to testers in the fast ring – and it’s the only real noteworthy element of this build (although there are also some other minor bug fixes, as ever).

The issue with search can actually be traced back all the way to July 2018, when Microsoft first posted about a thorny issue with search functionality which was causing Windows 10 testers to turn it off.

So last summer, Microsoft kicked off a three-month survey to find out why people were disabling the search indexer (the engine that drives Windows Search, pre-cataloguing information to make for speedier searching).

Microsoft notes it discovered that the main reasons by far were “excessive disk usage” and “performance issues”, along with a perceived lack of value. “Excessive CPU usage” was also mentioned as the sixth most bothersome problem.

Throttling back

And so Microsoft introduced a new algorithm to detect excessive disk usage and other performance issues, and if found, Windows 10 was given the ability to throttle (or indeed completely stop) any search indexing activity to prevent such slowdowns from occurring.

This algorithm has been developed down the line, and Microsoft says it has been continuing to work on curing these performance issues while developing the Windows 10 update for 20H1.

In a blog post for the new build 19025, Microsoft notes: “Based on [feedback from May 2019 Update testers], we’re introducing an algorithm that detects high disk usage and activity, so it can better identify peak usage times and manage the indexer accordingly. We’re also making changes for developers to prevent searches of certain repositories and project folders to improve disk usage.”

It sounds like this is very much an ongoing process, but the end goal is that any such performance problems will hopefully all be banished with the Windows 10 update for the first half of 2020.

Remember that this 20H1 update is expected to be finalized as soon as next month, so anyone still suffering at the hands of Windows Search induced sluggishness on their PC could get a remedy very soon (which doesn’t involve turning off the indexer). Indeed, there are even some whispers that 20H1 could be deployed as soon as January 2020.

Meanwhile, Microsoft also observes that it continues to improve Windows 10 search in other ways, to boost the overall perception of the service (tackling that perceived lack of value bugbear), with measures including Enhanced search mode.

And some nifty further measures are planned to make Windows Search more intelligent in the 20H1 update as we’ve seen previously.

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Smart home devices market in MEA to increase 34.48% to $7.8b this year

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 04:11 AM PST

With hundreds of smart home devices finding their way into the regional market, something is being designed for every part of the home.

 “The current smart home devices market is still in a nascent stage and it is still not matured. There are growth opportunities but a lot of work needs to be done such as raising awareness, end-user education and developing the ecosystem. The market is not growing in the region due to the demographic structure, expatriates are more,” Issac T. Ngatia, senior research analyst at International Data Corporation (IDC), told TechRadar Middle East.

The smart home market in the Middle East and Africa is set to grow by 34.38% from $5.8b in 2018 to $7.8b in 2019 and $10.2b in 2020.

Ngatia said that strong internet penetration and smart city initiatives are driving the market in the UAE.

Smart home devices are classified into six main areas – home monitoring and security; smart home appliances; smart lighting; smart speakers; thermostats and video entertainment (smart TVs, streaming sticks, set-top boxes). 

Home monitoring drives volume

Ngatia said the main volume growth is happening in the home monitoring and security, followed by smart lighting and thermostats.

“Customers not only have a wide choice of devices and brands to choose from, but they must also decide which smart home devices to prioritise for installation,” he said.

However, to drive sustained growth across the region, he said that vendors should focus less on technological jargon and more on communicating the positive effects of smart home devices on quality of life.

Another issue is that the region cannot be approached as one homogenous region, he said, as there are numerous different priorities at play.

For instance, in Sub-Saharan Africa, he said the ability to deter robberies and break-ins would resonate more with end-users, whereas end-users in the UAE would be more attracted by the simple home monitoring aspect.

“As such, it is critical that communication is customised to the individual country markets and sub-regions being targeted. As more modular wireless products [do it yourself] are available, installation becomes easy and no need to depend on technicians when you want to shift your apartment,” he said.

Currently, most smart home devices still require some form of technical assistance to connect them to existing facilities. And while this is important, it also adds a layer of complexity that can serve as a hindrance to the purchasing decision-making process.

Consumers prefer plug-and-play devices 

For this reason, Ngatia said that the development of plug-and-play devices is helping to drive the market forward as end users can take these convenient devices straight off the shelf and install them themselves.

“Continual developments in artificial intelligence (AI) space are also helping to enable the loop and connection of different devices. While this is at a nascent stage, the deepening of localised AI solutions within smart home devices will be a key catalyst for growth. 

“In-device learning of usage patterns and habits among users will not only help to enable the wider connectivity of these devices but will also significantly enhance ease of use,” he said. 

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Camera app hints at 8K video, 108MP photos for the Galaxy S11

Posted: 17 Nov 2019 02:30 AM PST

When the Samsung Galaxy S11 shows up, most likely at the end of February, a lot of attention will be on the phone's camera module – and newly updated code in Samsung's own Camera app could give us some clues about what to expect.

As revealed by XDA Developers, the latest version of the Samsung Camera app has references to 8K video recording, which means super-high resolution movie making could be coming to future handsets.

There are also references to 108MP photos – the rumor of a 108MP rear camera is one that we've heard several times already, so it seems likely that a major upgrade is in the works.

Samsung officially unveiled its latest 108MP mobile camera sensor earlier this year, but up until now it hasn't installed the technology into any of its own phones. The arrival of the Galaxy S11 could change that.

Counting down the days

Another bit of code inside the Samsung Camera app makes reference to a 20:9 aspect ratio display, which is possibly a reference to the displays of upcoming Samsung Galaxy phones (the Galaxy S10 phones all use 19:9).

It's worth emphasizing that finding something buried in the code of an app isn't exactly official confirmation – it's not clear which handsets these code snippets are referring too, and Samsung could change its plans.

Considering the other rumors flying around at the moment though, it seems likely that these updates are in preparation for the arrival of the Galaxy S11, which Samsung will hope can eclipse the iPhone 11 handsets.

As the leaks continue to appear on the web, we're learning more and more about Samsung's next flagship, which should be out officially within the next three months or so.

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