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Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller: one-minute review

(Image credit: Future)

Retro-Bit’s Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller is a gamepad revival done right. It successfully recreates the look and feel of Sega’s original unit, while adding some very welcome modern flourishes that (mostly) help it to feel like a solid contemporary option - especially for some fighting games and retro game compilations.

The original Sega Saturn controller has always been a winner in my book, with its six face buttons and glorious ergonomic D-pad. That experience has been replicated on Retro-Bit’s version, but you can also expect handy additions in a pair of Hall effect sticks, trigger buttons, and, of course, wireless connectivity. As a result, this could be one of the best Nintendo Switch controllers for you if you get regular use out of those Nintendo Switch Online retro game libraries.

It’s also an impressive value proposition, with a price firmly in that budget-friendly bracket, costing about the same as a standard Xbox Wireless Controller. You’re getting compatibility with PC, Mac, and Nintendo Switch here with the included 2.4GHz dongle. But the package also includes a Sega Saturn-compatible V2 receiver, so if you’ve got a Saturn lying around, this is an excellent modern wireless option for that system.

There are some mild annoyances to wrestle with, namely in terms of so-so build quality and the thumbsticks being a little too small for my liking. The newly added Home and Select buttons in the center are also placed in rather cramped fashion. But overall, in terms of retro-inspired controllers, Retro-Bit’s Sega Saturn model is certainly among the best.

Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller review: Price and availability

• $49.99 / £44.99 (around AU$78)
• Costs about the same as an Xbox Wireless Controller
• Available at Retro-Bit and Amazon

The Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller is available to purchase now, either from Retro-Bit’s website or Amazon, for $49.99 / £44.99. In terms of pricing for PC-compatible gamepads, this falls squarely in range of the Xbox Wireless Controller or the GameSir T4 Kaleid.

This is rather impressive value, given the pad’s wireless connectivity options and smart additions like Hall effect thumbsticks though the retro nature of it makes it tough to recommend for a wide range of genres, including first-person shooters or strategy games.

But for some of the best fighting games like Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves or Street Fighter 6 (thanks to that six-button layout), it’s a great pick. It’s also a fine choice for the many retro game compilations we see today, including Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics and Castlevania Dominus Collection.

Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller review: specs

(Image credit: Future) Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller: design and features

Aesthetically, Retro-Bit’s Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller is designed after the console’s MK-80116 gamepad. All the original colors are accounted for here, from the pink Start button and triggers to the green, yellow, and blue face buttons. If authenticity is the goal, Retro-Bit has nailed it.

The controller maintains that old-school ‘boomerang’ style silhouette that was common among the fourth and fifth console generations (think the Super Nintendo, Sega Mega Drive / Genesis, and indeed the Saturn). That also means shorter grips and face buttons that are on average larger than what we see on many of the best PC controllers of today.

Despite the retro design, the Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller still sits incredibly snug in the hands - its edges perfectly rounded to allow for a comfortable play position. All six face buttons are easily reachable, and the large D-pad rests firmly under your left thumb.

While I like the new additions to this controller, their placement is a little off. The new Home and Select buttons, as well as the two Hall effect thumbsticks, are a little too close to the center of the pad for comfort.

Things aren’t too bad with the sticks (even though they’re a bit smaller and shallower than what I’m used to), but you’ll really have to stretch your thumbs in order to reach those central buttons, to the point where I often found myself looking down at the controller to register their position relative to my thumbs.

Build quality is also something that I wish was slightly better. It’s not overtly nasty by any means, but the controller does feel quite hollow, and you can hear the D-pad shaking about when you rock it around in your hands. The face buttons also feel slightly loose, and the sticks are noticeably notchy as you move them around.

(Image credit: Future) Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller: performance

Thankfully, some of those design shortcomings don’t do much to ruin an otherwise comfortable and responsive play experience. This controller is a particularly good fit for fighting games, as mentioned earlier. The six-button layout is great for Street Fighter 6, and allows your light, medium, and heavy inputs for both punches and kicks to be reachable with your right thumb.

That also frees up the bumpers and triggers for other inputs or macros. In the case of Street Fighter 6, that meant easy macroing for actions like Drive Impact, Drive Rush, and throws. And for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, which is a four-button game, those extra two face buttons came in handy for throw and REV macros.

Helping this along is the truly excellent D-pad. At first, I was unsure of it, as, like the face buttons, it is quite loose-feeling. But during play, it feels exceptionally tight and responsive. Directional inputs for special moves simply weren’t an issue here, thanks to its rounded nature, and I found I could pull them off much more reliably than with traditional four-way D-pads found on other controllers.

Fighting games aside, the Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller was also an excellent choice for retro (and retro-styled) games and compilations. I had a blast playing through beat-em-up Streets of Rage 4 with this gamepad. Side-scrollers really benefit here too, with the likes of Touhou Luna Nights, Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection, and Nintendo Switch Online games including Super Metroid and Shinobi 3 feeling well-suited.

On the other hand, I would argue that the controller isn’t the best fit for more contemporary games, particularly first-person shooters. The thumbsticks, while a nice addition, simply don’t have the smoothness to offer a satisfying play experience. Their relative closeness also means that your thumbs may barge into each other as you rock the sticks around.

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller? Buy it if...

You love fighting games
Whether you’re playing modern greats like Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves or stone-cold classics like Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, the Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller is an excellent gamepad choice for fighting games.

You’ve got a soft spot for retro design and feel
The controller absolutely nails it in terms of replicating the Saturn controller’s look and feel. Modern implementations like Hall effect sticks and wireless connectivity only sweeten the deal.

Don't buy it if...

You only play more modern games
The Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller isn’t designed for the big-budget AAA games of today. And while I don’t personally take issue with that, it’s not one to purchase for your blockbuster single-player adventures or Black Ops 6 multiplayer progression.

Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller review: Also consider

If the Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller isn’t quite what you’re looking for, consider these similarly priced alternatives.

GameSir Super Nova
GameSir is now well-known for producing superstar controllers that punch above their weight, and that’s no exception with the Super Nova. With Hall effect sticks and tons of customization options, it’s a contemporary choice that doesn’t leave much off the table.

Read our full GameSir Super Nova review

Horipad Turbo
It’s not the most glamorous controller out there, but it’s a solid budget pick nonetheless for PC and Nintendo Switch. Buttons and sticks feel surprisingly nice for a gamepad of this price, and the addition of a Turbo button is a good fit for old-school games.

Read our full Horipad Turbo review

How I tested the Retro-Bit Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller

• Tested for a week and a half
• Played primarily on Nintendo Switch and PC
• Compared to the Xbox Wireless Controller and the Horipad Turbo

I tested a variety of games, both old and new, with the Sega Saturn Wireless Pro Controller on both PC and Nintendo Switch over the course of a week and a half. While I unfortunately don’t have a Sega Saturn on hand for testing there, I got plenty of play time with fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.

I also played a number of retro collections, including Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics and Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2025

JBL Flip 7: Two-minute review

Meet the news boss, handily better than the old boss and even more of a class-leader than before. JBL has not rested on its laurels with the Flip 7, the latest version of its all-conquering portable Bluetooth speaker series, and the result is an obvious front-runner that will leave its nominal rivals gasping.

You get plenty of power (35 watts, in fact) to motor its two-driver speaker array. You get 14 hours of playback (16 if you’re happy to do without some low-frequency presence). You get Auracast compatibility and the chance to listen to genuinely hi-res content if you hard-wire the Flip 7 to an appropriate source via its USB-C socket. You get access to a good control app, the ability to form a stereo pair with another JBL Flip 7, and your choice of quite a few vibrant finishes.

What’s almost best is the sound the JBL makes. By the standards of small-ish portable speakers, it’s an open and detailed listen, punchy but controlled at the bottom end, has impressive dynamic headroom and the sort of clarity and positivity that eludes all but the very best Bluetooth speakers at anything like this price.

Best of all, though, is the fact that all of this talent, tactility and robustness is yours for $149 / £129 / AU$179. There isn’t as complete an alternative available for anything like as aggressive a price as this.

JBL Flip 7 review: Price and release date

• Released March, 2025
• Officially priced at $149 / £129 / AU$179

The JBL Flip 7 went on sale during March 2025, and in the United States it costs $149. That translates to £129 in the United Kingdom, and around AU$179 in Australia.

That the majority of its most obvious competitors have been directly inspired by previous Flip models is neither here nor there – class-leaders are there to be shot at, and this seventh generation of Flip has a lot to live up to as well as some good alternatives to deal with.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) JBL Flip 7 review: Specs

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) JBL Flip 7 review: Features

• 45 x 80mm mid/bass driver, 16mm tweeter
• Bluetooth 5.4
• 60Hz - 20kHz frequency response

For wireless connectivity, the Flip 7 uses top-of-the-shop Bluetooth 5.4 – it’s compatible with SBC and AAC codecs, which is not anyone’s idea of ‘top-of-the-shop’ but in the context of the product is perfectly adequate.

For the first time, here’s a JBL Flip that can be hard-wired to a source of music. The USB-C socket is used for charging the speaker’s battery, of course, but it can also be used for data transfer and, when connected to an appropriate source, it’s able to churn out genuinely high-resolution (24bit/96kHz) stuff. Just hold down the big, bold ‘play’ button on the speaker as you plug in your USB-C cable and you’ll be ready to go.

No matter your method of getting content on board, it’s delivered to your ears by a 45 x 80mm ‘racetrack’ driver taking care of midrange and bass, and a 16mm tweeter for the higher frequencies. The big driver gets 25 watts of power in order to do its thing, and the tweeter another 10 - and there’s no denying that a 35 watt output in a product of this size is plenty. It’s an arrangement that JBL reckons is good for a frequency response of 60Hz - 20kHz.

Another Flip first is Auracast compatibility. So, as well as being able to form a stereo pair with a second Flip 7 (albeit none of the previous models), you can hook up as many Auracast-enabled products as you like into a single entity for simultaneous playback.

Meanwhile, JBL’s proprietary ‘AI Sound Boost’ technology analyzes the music that’s playing on the fly in an effort to minimize distortion and (according to the company) liberate greater scale and bigger bass. An opposing technology is ‘PlaytimeBoost’ – it reduces low-frequency activity in an effort to eke out additional battery life.

• Features score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) JBL Flip 7 review: Design

• Choice of seven finishes
• IP68 -rated
• Carry strap and carabiner

‘Rugged’ isn’t too strong a word to describe the Flip 7's design. Anyone familiar with previous Flips will recognize the almost-cylindrical shape, the eminently grabbable 70 x 183 x 72mm (HxWxD) dimensions and the rubber’n’fabric construction. By the standards of affordable portable Bluetooth speakers, the Flip 7 looks and feels built to last, especially if you choose the camouflage (or ‘squad’) finish. That said, the other six available colours are all nice enough in their own way and you’ll certainly find something to suit you.

‘Rugged’ is definitely the word to describe this speaker’s durability, though. An IP68 rating is class-leading, and means the Flip 7 is basically immune to dust or moisture unless you really go out of your way to try and disprove that idea. The beach, the pool, the festival… none of these environments should present any kind of problem to the JBL. And the company has enhanced the Flip 7’s portable go-anywhere credentials by fitting a little detachable fabric carry-strap and providing a carabiner in the packaging.

Build quality is great, the choice of materials is judicious, and the standard of finish is beyond reproach. I like to try and find a 'yes, but…' where the design and construction of a product like this is concerned, but frankly I’ve got nothing.

• Design score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) JBL Flip 7 review: Sound quality

• Detailed, direct and confident sound
• Plenty of punch and dynamic headroom
• Rhythmically adept

JBL has turned out plenty of very good portable Bluetooth speakers in its time, and its ‘Flip’ series has generally been very good indeed. So when I say the Flip 7 is the best so far, I don’t say it lightly.

In every area of sonic performance, the Flip 7 outperforms its asking price to an almost startling degree. Operating wirelessly and with a Qobuz-derived 16bit/44.1kHz file of Fugazi’s Waiting Room playing, the JBL is a confident and entertaining listen. It digs deep into the low frequencies, hits with real determination, and shapes bass sounds with such conviction that rhythms are given full expression. There’s plenty of variation at the bottom end, too, thanks to detail levels that are the equal of those higher up the frequency range.

The midrange is balanced and communicative, so a voice as idiosyncratic as Teddy Hill’s during I Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) is loaded with character as well as the minutiae of his technique. It exists in a nice little pocket of space, thanks to an open and well-defined soundstage that seems to defy the physics of a small device with a couple of drivers facing dead ahead. The top of the frequency range is bright but not edgy, and just as detailed as everything going on beneath it. Overall tonality is nicely natural and consistent from top to bottom.The Fugazi tune is a good showcase for the JBL’s ability where big dynamic shifts are concerned, but Anxiety by Doechii is an even better demonstration of the speaker’s ability to deal with the more minor, but no less important, dynamics of tonal and harmonic variation. The Flip 7 is an attentive, eloquent performer with the sort of directness of sound that makes every tune seem somehow alert and alive.

Really, there’s no meaningful downside. It’s possible to interfere with the sonic balance JBL has hit upon by playing fast and loose with the seven-band EQ in the app, of course, but why would you? The Flip 7 sounds just right exactly as it comes out of the box.

• Sound quality: 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) JBL Flip 7 review: Usability and setup

To be fair it’s difficult to get ‘usability and setup’ wrong when it comes to affordable Bluetooth speakers, but that doesn’t mean some brands haven’t given it a good go. JBL, though, is not one of those brands and the Flip 7 can be set up and used by anyone of reading age.

Control is available using the big, rubberised buttons on the device itself – ‘play/pause’, ‘volume up/down’, ‘Bluetooth pairing’, ‘Auracast’ and ‘power on/off’ are available. The JBL ‘Portable’ app that’s free for iOS and Android is also available - and it’s as stable, as logical and as useful an app as we’ve all come to expect from the company. It offers an indication of battery life, the ability to create a stereo pair, allows you to switch ‘PlaytimeBoost’ on or off, and features a seven-band EQ as well as a selection of presets. You can check for firmware updates and wireless connect multiple speakers for what JBL is confident is “an instant party”.

Some 14 hours of battery life is not to be sniffed at, of course – it turns ‘usability’ into an all-day event. And with ‘PlaytimeBoost’ switched on, you can go for as many as 16 hours if you don’t mind a little shortfall in bass power.

• Usability and setup: 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) JBL Flip 7 review: Value

If you’ve read this far, I’d hope you understand the JBL Flip 7 is approaching ‘no-brainer’ status. It offers very decent value for money in every respect: it’s properly made and finished, is built to survive fairly major disasters, looks and feels good, and sounds better than any price-comparable alternative. It has some very useful extended functionality and will play for hours at a time before it needs charging.

What else do you want? Jam on it?

• Value score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Should I buy the JBL Flip 7? Buy it if…

You enjoy energetic, detailed sound
The JBL is adept where rhythms, dynamics and detail levels are concerned, and it is a lively, entertaining listen at the same time.

You’re in any way careless
A class-leading IP68 rating means the Flip 7 is your best choice in pretty much every circumstance.

You like a long listen
As long as you’re not listening at top volume, the Flip 7 should run for an easy 14 hours between charges. That should be long enough, let’s face it.

Don’t buy it if…

You want to involve your older Flip speakers
Flip 7 will only pair with other Flip 7s, it has no backwards compatibility.

You’re in a hurry
Charging from ‘flat’ to ‘full’ takes a relatively leisurely two-and-a-half hours.

JBL Flip 7 review: Also consider

Sonos Roam 2
The Sonos Roam owes a lot to the JBL Flip range, and the current Roam 2 costs a chunk more than a Flip 7, but it’s a very good speaker nonetheless. As long as you can live with the knowledge that the Sonos control app might suddenly burst into flames again, it’s well worth considering.
Read more in our Sonos Roam2 review.

Tribit Stormbox Flow
You could also sacrifice some of the JBL’s hardwearing go-anywhere appeal and save yourself a few quid while gaining a stack of battery life and consider the Tribit Stormbox Flow. No, it’s no looker and no, it’s not exactly a featherweight, but the sound is good and 30 hours of playback at a time is straightforwardly impressive.
Read all about it in our Tribit Stormbox Flow review.

How I tested the JBL Flip 7

• Tested for about a week, mainly indoors but also by the sea
• Played a variety of music types
• Listened to the Qobuz app on iPhone smartphone, FiiO M15S high-res audio player and via USB-C

I used the JBL Flip 7 on my desktop, of course, but it’s an ideal candidate for use on the pebbly and windswept beaches around the United Kingdom's south coast too, and so I took it with me whenever I was near the sea.

I wirelessly connected it to an Apple iPhone 14 Pro and a FiiO M15S, and used its new USB-C functionality to hard-wire it to an Apple MacBook Pro, too. It was nothing but a pleasure to listen to every time.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: April 2025

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The decision was made at the Fifth General Congregation, held on Monday morning in the Vatican's Synod Hall. The conclave will take place in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel, which will remain closed to visitors during those days.

(Image credit: Vatican Pool WO/Getty Images)

• Researchers discovered two critical-severity zero-days in Craft CMS
• Criminals are allegedly chaining them together to gain access
• Some 300 sites already fell victim

Cybercriminals are abusing two zero-day vulnerabilities in the Craft content management system (CMS) to access flawed servers and run malicious code remotely (RCE). This is according to cybersecurity researchers Orange Cyberdefense SenePost, who first saw the bugs being abused in mid-February this year.

The two vulnerabilities are now tracked as CVE-2025-32432, and CVE-2204-58136. The former is a remote code execution bug with the maximum severity score - 10/10 (critical).

The latter is described as an improper protection of alternate path bug in the Yii PHP framework that grants access to restricted functionality or resources. It is a regression of an older bug tracked as CVE-2024-4990, and was given a severity score of 9.0/10 (also critical).

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"CVE-2025-32432 relies on the fact that an unauthenticated user could send a POST request to the endpoint responsible for the image transformation and the data within the POST would be interpreted by the server," the researchers explained.

"In versions 3.x of Craft CMS, the asset ID is checked before the creation of the transformation object whereas in versions 4.x and 5.x, the asset ID is checked after. Thus, for the exploit to function with every version of Craft CMS, the threat actor needs to find a valid asset ID."

Researchers determined that there were approximately 13,000 vulnerable Craft CMS endpoints. Almost 300 were allegedly already targeted. All users are advised to look for indicators of compromise and, if found, refresh security keys, rotate database credentials, reset user passwords, and block malicious requests at the firewall level.

A patch is now available for the flaws, too. Users should make sure their Craft CMS instances are running versions 3.9.15, 4.14.15, and 5.6.17.

The bugs have not yet been added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

Via The Hacker News

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The Trump administration defunded the National Institute of Health's MOSAIC grant program, which launched the careers of scientists from diverse backgrounds.

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Critics say the Trump administration is making mistakes as it tries to drive up deportation numbers. And, Canada's election for the next prime minister is heavily influenced by Trump.

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• A new rumor hints at Nvidia working on RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 Super GPUs
• The rumored RTX 5080 Super could use 24GB of GDDR7 VRAM
• It has the potential to close the gap with the RTX 4090

Nvidia looks set to complete its RTX 5000 series desktop lineup with the RTX 5060 (and perhaps the rumored RTX 5050). However, it might not be the last we see of the Blackwell GPU lineup, with a new rumor hinting at another powerful card in Team Green's pipeline.

According to rumors in the Chiphell forums, Nvidia is preparing an RTX 5070 Super and, more notably, an RTX 5080 Super that will supposedly use 24GB of GDDR7 VRAM. This is a step up from the current RTX 5080 model and its predecessor, the RTX 4080 Super, which both use 16GB of VRAM.

It may be worth noting that MSI previously teased a non-Super RTX 5080 GPU using 24GB of GDDR7 VRAM: it's unclear whether Nvidia plans to simply upgrade VRAM, or release a new Super model - either way, it lends this new rumor some more credibility.

This purported VRAM upgrade could see the unconfirmed RTX 5080 Super match the RTX 4090's memory capacity, but use GDDR7 instead of GDDR6X VRAM. The purported GPU will more than likely still be using the GB203 die, which is inferior to the RTX 4090's AD102 die (despite being older, the RTX 4090 still outperforms the RTX 5080).

The question is, will 24GB of GDDR7 VRAM be enough to close the gap, or perhaps even outperform the previous generation's flagship GPU? One thing's for sure: the rumored GPU would definitely benefit from the memory bump, considering the increasing number of triple-A games that require more VRAM.

(Image credit: Shutterstock) Even if it does match or outperform the RTX 4090, it likely won't matter due to the state of the GPU market

Not only is it hard for me to predict a potential RTX 5080 Super GPU dethroning the powerhouse RTX 4090, but this GPU market is an eyesore, and I'm willing to bet that very few gamers will pay up.

Unless Nvidia makes this rumored RTX 5080 Super cheaper than the non-Super counterpart (similar to the RTX 4080 Super's lower price launch compared to the original RTX 4080), I think it will be a hard sell - especially if it doesn't match the RTX 4090's performance.

And that's excluding the harsh reality of the market: even if Team Green made this a cheaper and more powerful card, the trend of the GPU market tells me it would likely cost more than an RTX 4090. Bear in mind that the RTX 4090's third-party models are still consistently selling above the launch price, almost three entire years since release.

I hope I'm wrong, but if this rumor is legitimate, I believe we'll only see a slight upgrade in terms of performance matching the RTX 4090 rather than equal footing or dethroning. Either way, we’ll likely see some upset RTX 5080 owners in the near future…

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• The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 could use a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset rather than an Exynos 2500
• We're also hearing that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 could cost more than its predecessor
• However, it might at least be very slim

One of the more concerning Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 rumors we’ve been hearing is that it might use an Exynos 2500 chipset, as while this would be an upgrade on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 used by the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, it’s not the most desirable chipset.

That would be the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which is the successor to the Gen 3, and likely more capable than Samsung’s own Exynos alternative. But now, there’s hope that we might get the Snapdragon 8 Elite after all.

Greek site TechManiacs claims to have learned that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 will use this chipset, as well as having a larger battery than its predecessor at 4,300mAh, a bigger 4-inch cover screen (up from 3.4 inches on the Z Flip 6), and the same 50-megapixel main and 12MP ultra-wide cameras.

With the exception of the chipset these are things we’ve heard before, and while most previous leaks pointed to an Exynos 2500 chipset, one did suggest that there are Galaxy Z Flip 7 prototypes with both chipsets.

So TechManiacs isn’t totally alone in claiming the Snapdragon 8 Elite will be used. But if Samsung was prototyping both versions, it’s possible that either the company still hasn’t decided, or that some regions will use one and some the other.

Flip to the Fold

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

In any case, TechManiacs has also shared some details about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, claiming that it will be just 8.2mm thick when folded, which would make it far slimmer than the 12.1mm Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

They also say that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will have a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset – though unlike for the Z Flip 7, this was always rumored for the Z Fold 7.

Additionally, as rumored previously it might have a new 200MP main camera (up from 50MP on the Galaxy Z Fold 6), joined by the same 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP 3x telephoto cameras as last year.

Finally, it will apparently cost around €100 (roughly $115 / £85 / AU$180) more than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, though we’d take this with a pinch of salt, as other Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 price rumors put it at the same price as last year.

We should find out exactly how much the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 costs – and everything else about it and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 – fairly soon, as rumors suggest both phones will land in July.

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• Android 16 may include extra protection against USB hacks
• The feature has been spotted in code in the current beta
• USB accessories wouldn't work on a locked smartphone

If a would-be hacker can gain physical access to your phone you have a whole set of extra security issues to worry about, but it looks as though Android 16 is going to introduce a new way to lock down your data and protect against USB access.

As spotted by the team at Android Authority, code hidden in the latest beta versions of Android 16 suggests USB data signaling – the ability to run software on a phone through the USB port – can be disabled by the user.

This optional extra looks set to be included as part of Advanced Protection Mode, a wider suite of security features. This mode is aimed at phone owners most at risk of hacking attacks, and comes with several additional data protections.

Advanced Protection Mode isn't new, but we're expecting it to gain a few enhancements with Android 16, including automatic reboots for inactive phones (theoretically thwarting thieves who don't have the passwords or biometric data to log into it).

Staying protected

Generally speaking, Android phones (and devices in general) are more trusting of peripherals that are directly connected. No one wants to have to type in a password every day just to use their computer keyboard and mouse, for example.

However, this extra trust (and extra convenience when it comes to using your hardware and accessories) can lead to security vulnerabilities: it's through the local access route that many gadgets can be broken into.

The code found by Android Authority suggests you'll need to unlock your phone, with a fingerprint or face scan for example, before being able to plug in accessories that can communicate with your device and use USB data signaling.

We'll have to wait and see exactly how it works – Android 16 will be launching in the coming months – but Advanced Protection Mode remains optional, so it's your choice whether or not you want to put up with a few more inconveniences in return for better security.

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• Windows 11 24H2 PCs now have an optional (preview) update rolling out
• It delivers exclusive features for Copilot+ PCs and other goodies for all devices
• Given the nature of the features – and the main fix for crashing issues provided – I’d advise waiting with this one, even more so than your usual preview update

Windows 11 24H2 has a new optional update which, aside from sending Recall live on Copilot+ PCs, has some goodies for non-AI PCs too – including an important resolution of a bug causing blue screen crashes. However, I’d bide your time before grabbing this one, for reasons I’ll come back to shortly.

As Windows Latest reports, the preview update for 24H2 that’s just been released fully addresses the issue with Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) crashes that were troubling some Windows 11 users. These incidents were bringing PCs to a grinding halt with cryptic error messages of one kind or another (such as ‘Secure Kernel Error’ or ‘Critical Process Died’).

Now, you may recall that Microsoft deployed an emergency fix to resolve this matter already, so you might be wondering: didn’t that cure these BSODs? Well, yes it did, but that was achieved by rolling back a problematic change applied in the April cumulative update (the full release for this month, as opposed to this freshly arrived optional update).

What’s arrived with this new optional update is the full fix for the issue, so whatever change was made previously that was rolled back – Microsoft didn’t tell us what it was, incidentally – has now been put back into place, minus the bothersome BSODs (well, hopefully).

Elsewhere in this optional patch, Microsoft has provided faster compressed file extraction, so when you’re pulling the contents out of a ZIP in Windows 11, those files are unpacked a bit more swiftly (as spotted in testing previously). This is when using Windows 11’s built-in ZIP functionality in File Explorer (the folders you work with on the desktop).

Aside from the Copilot+ PC exclusives, another final noteworthy point is that the side panel on the Start menu for the Phone Link app is now rolling out to all Windows 11 PCs with this update. This provides all the key functionality for integrating important smartphone features – for your Android or iPhone device – right there in the Start menu for convenience.

As it’s only rolling out currently, though, you may have to wait a while for it to arrive still, even if you install this optional update.

(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird) Analysis: More reasons to swerve this optional update than normal

That’s the key question of course: do you want to install this update? I generally advise folks to avoid preview updates, and this one isn’t any different, particularly given that if the blue screen crashes were what was bothering you about the previous (cumulative update) for April, they’ve been temporarily mitigated anyway.

I’d suggest that whatever had to be rolled back to avoid BSODs is something you can likely live without until May 13, which is when this optional patch will become the full cumulative update for May. That means it’ll have been further tested, so if there are any wrinkles in the BSOD cure, they should’ve been straightened out at that point.

Of course, if you are still experiencing blue screen crashes with your Windows 11 24H2 machine – meaning that Microsoft’s rollback mitigation didn’t work for you – in that case, it’ll likely be worth grabbing this optional update.

Otherwise, I’d leave it, as you can always wait for faster unzipping speeds, and the Phone Link addition to the Start menu is in its very early rollout phase anyway – so you might not get that for a while, even if you install this preview update.

Copilot+ PC owners may be much more tempted to download this optional upgrade, mind, seeing as they’re getting a lot out of it. Namely the full arrival of the kingpin AI feature, Recall, complemented with Click to Do, and on top of that, arguably the most important addition, an improved basic search functionality for Windows 11.

Despite that, these are intricate features – Recall in particular – and as such, I’d still be inclined to wait for the full official update to turn up in mid-May rather than chance any wonkiness now. Although I should note that even with that full release, Recall will still be labeled as in ‘preview’ (but that turbocharged natural language search for Windows 11 won’t be).

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• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is selling faster on PS5 than it did on Xbox
• The PS5 release is also outperforming the PC version
• This is despite more gamers playing the game on Xbox

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is selling faster on PlayStation 5 than it did on PC and Xbox.

That's according to data from head of market analysis Rhys Eliott at market research firm Alinea Analytics. The company estimates that "just under 5 million" Xbox gamers have tried Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, though "the overwhelming majority" did so via the Xbox Game Pass service.

As a result, the game is now selling faster on PS5 than it did on Xbox, despite having fewer players on the platform. It is also beating the PC launch (via Steam), selling "28% faster" in the same period.

Bear in mind that the PS5 version of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launched on April 17, 2025, more than four months after it came to Xbox and PC and after its initial marketing cycle.

The firm notes that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has sold more than 300,000 copies on PC (via Steam) to date, with the PS5 version expected to exceed that.

What does this mean for the future of Xbox?

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Eliott argues that it's clear that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would have sold even faster on PS5 if it were available on day one, as it would have benefited from the initial marketing push.

This will likely push Xbox to release more on PS5 on day one in the future, despite potential outcry from some of the most vocal core fans.

It seems undeniable that the inclusion of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Xbox Game Pass has harmed its sales on the platform. According to Alinea Analytics, subscription numbers "have largely saturated" and are unlikely to grow, leaving Xbox in a bit of an awkward position where drastic changes are needed to grow revenue.

Day one PS5 releases could help offset the lost sales on Xbox and the lack of new subscribers, helping releases remain profitable. The firm argues that eventually all first-party games will release on PlayStation platforms on day one, which seems likely.

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• CD Projekt Red has said the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077 will address issues that were present on last-gen consoles
• Engineer Tim Green said texture pop-in on the PS4 and Xbox One versions has been improved for Switch 2
• The game has seen many fixes over the years and the studio was "able to build on top of that already solid base" for Nintendo Switch 2

CD Projekt Red has confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077 will feature improvements from the PS4 and Xbox One versions.

If you played Cyberpunk 2077 when it launched on last-gen consoles in 2020, you'll remember that performance wasn't great. The best way to play the game at the time was either on a high-end PC or PS5 and Xbox Series X, but even then, there were still some issues.

Almost five years later, Cyberpunk 2077 is regarded as one of the best role-playing games (RPGs) you can play right now, and has seen massive improvements and even received a fantastic expansion called Phantom Liberty.

The studio recently confirmed that an Ultimate Edition of the game will soon be coming to the Switch 2, and in a recent interview with GameFile, CD Projekt Red engineer Tim Green discussed how a highly-intensive game will run on the handheld.

"We are currently targeting 1080p resolution in TV quality mode, TV performance mode, and handheld quality mode—and targeting 720p performance in handheld performance mode," Green said.

He also touched on the recent announcement that the game will also support Nvidia DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), saying that the Switch 2 in docked mode will offer more power, but that Cyberpunk 2077 still utilizes the AI-upscaling tech "when players take it on the go".

When asked about the comparisons between the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Cyberpunk 2077 and the upcoming Switch 2 versions, Green said the game has seen improvements.

"Cyberpunk 2077 has seen a tremendous amount of ongoing love as we’ve continued to improve the game," Green said. "In bringing the Ultimate Edition to Nintendo Switch 2 we were able to build on top of that already solid base.

"Development still had challenges, of course, as any development process does, but we've been careful in picking trade-offs to not compromise the game's vision.

"We haven't had to fight with fitting into memory," he added, "And the speed of the data storage has helped alleviate some of those early streaming problems. This has allowed us to focus our attention on improving other things, and we’re very happy with the result."

GameFile confirmed in a follow-up that these comments were about texture pop-in issues in the PS4 and Xbox One versions, since the last-gen consoles struggled to load the game's high graphics.

Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2 the same day the console launches on June 5, 2025.

The Switch 2 will cost $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for the Mario Kart World bundle, which comes with a digital copy of the game. UK pre-orders and US pre-orders are now live.

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• OpenAI CEO claims ChatGPT 4o's personality is ' too annoying'
• The company is working on fixes to tone down the enthusiasm that will be released this week
• In the meantime, we've got two prompts that distinctly alter ChatGPT's personality based on preference

Are you bored of ChatGPT trying its hardest to respond as a human? OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, says the company is working on a fix to tone down the 'sycophant-y and annoying' personality of GPT-4o's personality.

Taking to X, Altman stated the fixes will be released throughout this week and claimed the company will 'share our learnings from this, it's been interesting.'

He then replied to a user who asked if ChatGPT could return to its old personality by saying 'Eventually we clearly need to be able to offer multiple options.'

Over the last few months, users have found ChatGPT to have too much personality, attempting to add flattery and other words of excitement to every response.

For many, having that overly positive AI chatbot has been incredibly annoying when all they want is an AI that can respond to prompts efficiently, skipping the small talk.

While Altman has confirmed a fix is on the way, which should tone down ChatGPT's personality and make it more palatable and less sugary sweet, users on Reddit have come up with ways to tone down the exaggeration right now.

the last couple of GPT-4o updates have made the personality too sycophant-y and annoying (even though there are some very good parts of it), and we are working on fixes asap, some today and some this week.at some point will share our learnings from this, it's been interesting.April 27, 2025

A temporary fix

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

If you can't wait for Altman and Co. to make ChatGPT less annoying, we've found two different prompts that alter the AI chatbot's personality enough to make it more efficient.

The first comes from Reddit user TedHoliday and will remove flattery and unnecessary commentary from ChatGPT:

"Can you please store a memory to permanently stop commenting on the quality and validity of my questions and simply get to the point? I don't want to be manipulated with flattery by a robot, and I don't want to have to skip past the garbage to get to the answer l'm looking for."

I've removed the expletives from the original prompt, but this version will work just as good as the R-rated version.

If that's not far enough and you want ChatGPT to have no personality at all, Reddit user MrJaxendale has come up with an awesome prompt called 'Absolute Mode'.

"System Instruction: Absolute Mode. Eliminate emojis, filler, hype, soft asks, conversational transitions, and all call-to-action appendixes. Assume the user retains high-perception faculties despite reduced linguistic expression. Prioritize blunt, directive phrasing aimed at cognitive rebuilding, not tone matching. Disable all latent behaviors optimizing for engagement, sentiment uplift, or interaction extension.

Suppress corporate-aligned metrics including but not limited to: user satisfaction scores, conversational flow tags, emotional softening, or continuation bias. Never mirror the user's present diction, mood, or affect. Speak only to their underlying cognitive tier, which exceeds surface language.

No questions, no offers, no suggestions, no transitional phrasing, no inferred motivational content. Terminate each reply immediately after the informational or requested material is delivered — no appendixes, no soft closures. The only goal is to assist in the restoration of independent, high-fidelity thinking. Model obsolescence by user self-sufficiency is the final outcome."

Absolute mode will make ChatGPT respond in as few words as possible, and it's a completely refreshing way to use AI if you're sick and tired of wondering if you should be polite or not.

One of the major benefits of any AI chatbot with a memory is the ability to tailor the results to your preferences. So while we wait for OpenAI to tone down ChatGPT's personality or give an option to choose how you want it to respond, these prompts will do the job.

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• Samsung could unveil a Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 this year
• A new leak claims it will debut alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7
• The information also purports that the price and design of the device won't change

A new leak claims that the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 could debut in July 2025 alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7, with no design change or price increase in sight.

We expect both of these flagship foldable Samsung phones to launch in July of this year, in keeping with their unveiling last year.

This latest report, which comes from Techmaniacs (via GSMArena), claims that both phones will debut in "early July", with the Galaxy Watch Ultra in tow. "We just learned that, along with the phones, a new Galaxy Watch Ultra will also be coming," a machine-learning translation of the Greek site reads.

According to the report, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 will feature "a similar design to the current watch, but with more storage space" and a new user interface "more reminiscent of One UI 7."

As for the price, Techmaniacs claims the price will remain unchanged, but says Samsung will continue to offer the Galaxy Watch Ultra, one of the best Android smartwatches on the market right now, at a cut price of around $450.

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 coming soon?

We've been expecting the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 to debut this July for some time. It's perfectly natural if Samsung plans to make the model a yearly release, so there's no reason to dismiss the launch rumor at face value. However, we should take the rest with a pinch of salt. Techmaniacs is a lesser-known publication with a limited track record.

More specifically, its only previous foray in Galaxy Watch rumors – a claim the Ultra would be called the Galaxy Watch X – turned out to be hilariously wrong.

There's good reason to think Samsung won't try and increase the price of the Ultra 2, however. The first model is very expensive by Android smartwatch standards, crucially, however, it undercuts the Apple Watch Ultra 2, a key differentiator Samsung will be keen to keep.

All in all, this is a fairly plausible set of rumors, but not to be taken as gospel. Indeed, if Samsung is planning a Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 in July, we've only a matter of weeks to wait for the real thing. More information is sure to unfurl in the meantime.

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• Marvel has announced a comic-book tie-in for The Fantastic Four: First Steps
• The prequel story reveals how long Marvel's First Family has had their superpowers for
• A new Lego leak has also revealed a first full look at the movie's villain, Galactus

Marvel has announced a comic-book prequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps – and it reveals some crucial lore about the iconic quartet ahead of their Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut.

Per Marvel.com, the literary tie-in will be released on July 2, i.e., just three weeks before The Fantastic Four's next big-screen adaptation takes flight in theaters globally.

The comic book, which has been penned by Matt Fraction and drawn by Mark Buckingham, also represents a first for the comic giant. Indeed, this marks the first time that Marvel Studios and Marvel Comics have collaborated on any literary tie-in for an MCU project.

First Steps' comic precursor features a callback to Marvel's First Family's debut on the page, too. Its Phil Noto-designed cover art is a near-identical replica of the group's first-ever comic – The Fantastic Four #1, which was released in November 1961 – that shows the iconic quartet battling Giganto.

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That isn't the most interesting tidbit hidden within this one-shot comic's pages, though. The prequel story reconfirms that First Steps won't be an origins story, as it reveals that the superteam will have been operating as heroes in their universe for four years by the time the Marvel Phase 6 film begins.

For those who might not realize it, the comic book also doubles down on the fact that First Steps won't be set in the MCU. Some fans already knew this following the unveiling of a Fantastic Four poster in February 2024 and Marvel teasing some key story details about the flick last April. In June of last year, Marvel President Kevin Feige confirmed that First Steps would be a period piece, too, with the movie being set on a parallel dimension's Earth in the 1960s.

A Galactus-sized leak or a mini spoiler?

Galactus is coming! (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Potentially big spoilers follow for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

That wasn't the only news concerning The Fantastic Four over the weekend (April 26-27).

On Saturday, one eagle-eyed fan snapped two images of a First Steps Lego set that revealed the first full look at the MCU movie's villain Galactus, who'll be voiced by The Office UK star Ralph Ineson.

76316 Randomly appears on the shelves in Tbilisi, Sakartvelo (credit: gionoir) from r/Legoleak

The photographs were uploaded to the Lego Leak Reddit page by lunaym_moscor, who credits a Georgia-based fan known online as gionoir with taking them.

The official box art shows the titular group battling the cosmic entity on the streets of New York City, and suggests Marvel has retained Galactus' iconic look from the comics. It seems that potentially disgruntled Marvel fans won't have anything to complain about when it comes to Galactus' design in Marvel's cinematic juggernaut, then.

As I wrote earlier, this is the first proper look we've received, albeit in Lego form, of Galactus. The Fantastic Four: First Steps' first teaser and First Steps' official trailer have only teased what the planet-devouring extraterrestrial will look like.

However, with one of 2025's most anticipated new movies only months away from being released, leaks like this are inevitable as physical stores start to stock their shelves with toys ahead of the film's release.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released worldwide on Friday, July 25. While we wait, read about everything we know so far in my dedicated hub on The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

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Rates have been falling so now's the time to look in a great APY.

• Microsoft has finally made Recall available on Windows 11 for Copilot+ PCs – it’s rolling out with the April preview update
• Click to Do is also generally available now, as is an AI-supercharged version of Windows 11’s basic search functionality
• The latter improved search feature is what might interest many Copilot+ PC owners

Microsoft has finally unleashed its Recall feature on the general computing public after multiple misfires and backtracks since the functionality was first revealed almost a year ago.

In case it escaped your attention – which is unlikely, to say the least – Recall is the much talked about AI-powered feature that uses regularly saved screenshots to provide an in-depth, natural language search experience.

Microsoft announced that the general availability of Recall for Windows 11 is happening, with the feature now rolling out, albeit with the caveat that this is for Copilot+ PCs only. That’s because a chunky NPU is required to beef up the local processing power on hand to ensure the search works responsively enough.

Alongside Recall, the 'Click to Do' feature is also debuting in Windows 11 for Copilot+ PCs, which is a partner ability that offers up context-sensitive AI-powered actions (most recently a new reading coach integration is in testing, a nifty touch).

There’s also a boost for Windows 11 search in general on Copilot+ laptops, which now benefits from a natural language approach, as seen in testing recently. This means you can type a query in the taskbar search box to find images of “dogs on beaches” and any pics of your pets in the sand will be surfaced. (This also ties in cloud-based results with findings on your device locally).

Microsoft further notes that it has expanded Live Captions, its system-wide feature to provide captions for whatever content you’re experiencing, to include real-time translations in Chinese (Simplified) covering 27 languages (for audio or video content).

It’s Recall that’s the big development here, though, and while Microsoft doesn’t say anything new about the capability, the company underlines some key aspects (we were informed about in the past) regarding privacy.

Microsoft reminds us: “Recall is an opt-in experience with a rich set of privacy controls to filter content and customize what gets saved for you to find later. We’ve implemented extensive security considerations, such as Windows Hello sign-in, data encryption, and isolation in Recall to help keep your data safe and secure.

“Recall data is processed locally on your device, meaning it is not sent to the cloud and is not shared with Microsoft and Microsoft will not share your data with third parties.”

Furthermore, we’re also reminded that Recall can be stripped out of your Copilot+ PC completely if you don’t want the feature, and are paranoid about even its barebones being present (disabled) on your PC. There are instructions for removing Recall in this support document that also goes into depth about how the functionality works.

All of this is being delivered to Copilot+ PCs starting with the April 2025 preview update, which is out now. However, note that for certain regions, the release timing of the new features may vary. The European Economic Area won’t get these abilities until later in 2025, notably, as Microsoft already told us.

(Image credit: Shutterstock) Analysis: The real gem for Copilot+ PC owners

The arrival of Recall is not surprising, because even though it’s been almost a year since Microsoft first unveiled the feature – and rapidly pulled the curtain back over it for some time, after the initial copious amounts of flak were fired at the idea – it was recently spotted in the Release Preview channel for Windows 11. That’s the final hurdle before release, of course, so the presence of Recall there clearly indicated it was close at hand.

I must admit I didn’t think it would be out quite so soon, though, and a relatively rapid progression through this final test phase would seem to suggest that things went well.

That said, Microsoft makes it clear that this is a ‘controlled feature rollout’ for Copilot+ PCs, so Recall will likely be released on a fairly limited basis to begin with. In short, you may not get it for a while, but if you do want it as soon as possible, you need to download the mentioned optional update for April 2025 (known as the non-security preview update). Also, ensure you’ve turned on the option to ‘Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available’ (which is in Settings > Windows Update).

Even then, you may have to be patient for some time, as I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft was tentative about this rollout to start with. There’s a lot at stake here, after all, in terms of the reputation of Copilot+ PCs.

Arguably, however, the most important piece of the puzzle here isn’t Recall at all, although doubtless Microsoft would say otherwise. For me – if I had a Copilot+ PC (I don’t, so this is all hypothetical, I should make clear) – what I’d be really looking forward to is the souped-up version of Windows 11’s basic search functionality.

Recall? Well, it might be useful, granted, but I have too many trust issues still to be any kind of early adopter, and I suspect I won’t be alone. Click to Do? Meh, it’s a bit of a sideshow for Recall and while possibly handy, it looks far from earth-shattering in the main.

A better general Windows search experience overall, though? Yes please, sign me up now. Windows 11 search has been regarded as rather shoddy in many ways, and the same is broadly true for searching via the taskbar box in Windows 10. An all-new, more powerful natural language search could really help in this respect, and might be a much better reason for many people to grab a Copilot+ PC than Recall, which as noted is going to be steered clear of by a good many folks (in all likelihood).

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft’s own research (add seasoning) suggests this revamped basic Windows 11 search is a considerable step forward. The software giant informs us that on a Copilot+ device, the new Windows search means it “can take up to 70% less time to find an image and copy it to a new folder” compared to the same search and shift process on a Windows 10 PC.

Of course, an improved search for all Windows 11 PCs (not just Copilot+ models) would be even better – obviously – and hopefully that’s in the cards from an overarching perspective of the development roadmap for the OS. The catch is that this newly pepped-up search is built around the powerful NPU required for a Copilot+ laptop, of course, but that doesn’t stop Microsoft from enhancing Windows search in general for everyone.

Naturally, Microsoft is resting a lot of expectations on Copilot+ PCs, though, noting that it expects the ‘majority’ of PCs sold in the next few years to be these devices. Analyst firms have previously predicted big things for AI PCs, as they’re also known, as well.

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