Technology

ChatGPT adds virtual clothing try-ons and product Favorites. Learn how the tools work, what the previews cannot confirm, and how to manage photo privacy.

The post OpenAI Launches Virtual Try-On for Clothes and Accessories in ChatGPT appeared first on TechRepublic.

Reddit is retiring RSS and its remaining public Data API access, giving moderators, app developers, and organizations several migration deadlines.

The post Reddit Is Killing RSS and Public API Access: What Changes and When appeared first on TechRepublic.

A developer’s AI pain experiment produced distress-like responses and sparked ethical debate, but it does not establish that models consciously suffer.

The post Can AI Feel Pain? A Developer’s Experiment Raises Ethical Questions appeared first on TechRepublic.

Amazon’s 2026 Kindle refresh brings new Kindle, Paperwhite, and Colorsoft models with different prices, displays, battery life, and features.

The post Amazon’s New Kindle Lineup Compared: Kindle vs Paperwhite vs Colorsoft appeared first on TechRepublic.

Lanterns have almost reached the finish line. Only one episode remains of the HBO TV original's debut season, so it's nearly time to say goodbye to Aaron Pierre's John Stewart and Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan.

Take on our Lanterns pre-season 1 finale quiz!

Think you're the ultimate Lanterns fan? Prove it by showing us you're not afraid to take on the challenge of achieving 100% in our tricky, 36 question-strong Lanterns quiz!

Before we do, the Green Lantern TV show's season 1 finale has got a lot of storylines to wrap up, so how successful will it be in concluding them all? I don't know, but what I can tell you is when and where Lanterns episode 8 will premiere. So, depending on where you live, here's the release date and launch time you need to know about for the hit sci-fi crime drama's eighth chapter.

When does episode 8 of Lanterns come out?

Titled 'Dirt and Stars', the comic book-inspired TV series' eighth installment will air in the US and Canada on Sunday, October 4 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET.

Just like the previous seven episodes, it'll make its bow a day later in other countries, so the vast majority of you will have to wait until Monday, October 5 for it. Here's a quick rundown of the dates and times for the DCU Chapter One show's season 1 finale:

• US — Sunday, October 4 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada — Sunday, October 4 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK — Monday, October 5 at 2am BST
• India — Monday, October 5 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Monday, October 5 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Monday, October 5 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Monday, October 5 at 1pm NZST

Where can I watch Lanterns episode 8?

What are you planning, Sinestro? (Image credit: DC Studios/HBO max)

So far, every episode of Lanterns has dropped on HBO Max, aka one of the world's best streaming services. Its eighth and final entry will do the same in nations that the platform has launched in.

Unfortunately, HBO Max isn't available worldwide, so some of you will have to find another TV network or streamer to watch the final episode of DC Studios' latest small-screen venture. Luckily for you, I've rounded up every place you can stream it, so read on for more details:

• US — HBO and HBO Max
• Canada — Crave
• UK — HBO Max, Sky Atlantic, and Now TV
• India — JioHotstar
• Singapore — HBO Max
• Australia — HBO Max
• New Zealand — HBO Max

Has Lanterns season 2 been announced?

Don't be afraid... to renew Lanterns for a second season, HBO (Image credit: DC Studios/HBO)

Not yet. However, fan hopes are growing over Lanterns season 2 due to the show's impressive viewership and a report that four new individuals to come up with ideas for Lanterns season 2.

That said, there's no guarantee that Lanterns will get a second season. Indeed, earlier in September, HBO boss Casey Bloys made me fear the worst for Lanterns season 2 when he indicated that only one DCU TV show — Superman spin-off The People v Gorilla Grodd — was the only one in active development.

Read my Lanterns coverage

- Lanterns episode 1 ending explained
- Sinestro in Lanterns explained
- Lanterns' Manhunters explained
- Lanterns' Guardians of the Universe explained
- Lanterns episode 4 ending explained
- Lanterns episode 5 ending explained
- Lanterns episode 6 introduces a major character from Hal Jordan's past
- Lanterns episode 8 trailer spawns major new fan theory about John Stewart
- 6 predictions for Lanterns' season 1 finale

Hope springs eternal in the form of comments made by showrunner Chris Mundy and DC Studios co-head James Gunn, though.

Indeed, speaking to Vanity Fair in February 2025, Mundy said he hoped that he hoped "more seasons" would be made. Meanwhile, Gunn recently confirmed (via Threads) that 'Dirt and Stars' is this season's finale, rather than the show's final-ever episode. With Lanterns also amassing an average 19 million viewers per episode during its season 1 run (per Variety), it's a case of when, not if, the DCU program is renewed for another outing.

For now, we know that John Stewart will make his next DCU appearance in Man of Tomorrow, aka Gunn's Superman sequel. While you're here, find out more on what we know so far about Man of Tomorrow and then get the full lowdown on The People v Gorilla Grodd.

• The lower-tier Shield TV has been officially discontinued
• The Shield TV Pro will stick around, but is now $100 more expensive
• The list price is now $299 (about £225 / AU$429 before tax)

One of our favorite streaming gadgets, the standard Nvidia Shield TV, is no more. We can't say we're surprised — we reported in the summer that it was unavailable via official channels and there were no indications of any restocking — but we are surprised that the Shield TV Pro is immediately getting a very big price hike now that the cheapest model is gone.

According to WCCFTech, the Pro is increasing in price by 50% from $199 to $299 (about £225 / AU$429). The reason, and the reason for discontinuing the base model, is AI: As Nvidia says in its announcement, "the cost of components, including memory, has increased substantially across the industry".

If only there were someone Nvidia could talk to about the AI industry driving component costs into orbit.

And then there was one: the standard Shield has been discontinued, leaving only the Shield TV Pro (Image credit: Nvidia)Nvidia Shield TV Pro: latest specifications and availability

Although it's now several years since its last hardware refresh, the Shield TV Pro is still a great TV streamer with a hardcore following. It's powered by the Tegra X1 system on a chip, which features a 256-core GPU teamed up with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. It's ready for 4K HDR, supports Dolby Vision HDR, and its AI upscaler can deliver up to 4K at 60fps.

This is likely to be the last Shield TV Pro model for some time, because all the indications are that the component cost crisis is going to continue through 2027 at the very least, and Nvidia can already reach gamers on multiple platforms with its GeForce Now streaming service, which is available on all the major desktop and mobile platforms as well as smart TVs from the likes of LG and Samsung.

Nvidia also recently revealed its RTX Spark "superchip" for laptops and handhelds, featuring an ARM processor with an integrated RTX GPU. Nvidia says it's "a new beginning" for gaming laptops and small form factor PCs, and with big-name studio support already it looks like it could be a big deal for mobile gaming in the future — right now, it seems to be much more of a pro component.

But still, that makes the Shield Pro an increasingly niche part of Nvidia's world domination plan, so I guess we can be happy it's stick around at all for now.

When Nvidia last updated the Shield Pro we said it remained our favorite TV streamer — but that was at a price of $199 / £179 / AU$379. With a 50% price hike added and a new Apple TV model expected imminently, it might be wise to wait before you decide what your next TV streamer should be.

Sometimes the old ones really are the best, and Gears of War: E-Day is unapologetically retro. This third-person cover shooter could have easily fallen out of a time machine straight from the Xbox 360 era, were it not for its incredible graphical fidelity.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Release date: October 6, 2026

If you’ve played any Gears of War game, then you know exactly what to expect going in: intense combat encounters as human soldiers fight a desperate war against an invading mutant menace. Does E-Day reinvent the series? Not at all, though it does make some small changes by introducing somewhat more open levels and refining the weapon upgrade system introduced in Tactics.

That's far from a bad thing, though. Gears of War is an acclaimed series for a reason. Mowing down waves of baddies is still as fun as it ever was twenty years after the release of the first game, even if the story campaign feels a bit drawn out at times in between the bombastic set-piece moments, and the suite of competitive online multiplayer modes offers plenty of reasons to hone your skill and keep coming for more.

Back to the very beginning

(Image credit: Xbox)

E-Day does plenty to appeal, even if you haven’t played a Gears game before. It’s a prequel, set more than a decade before the events of the first game’s story, so it doesn’t require any prior knowledge to understand. It takes place on the titular ‘Emergence Day’, when the evil Locust army first emerged from underground and began its full-scale invasion of the series’ fictional Earth-like world. The story is a relatively small-scale one, focusing entirely on the initial first few days of the war in the city of Kalona.

The campaign is extremely strong in its opening hours, which really dial in on the more horrific and brutal elements of the franchise. Although still an experienced soldier, long-time protagonist Marcus Fenix faces a then-unknown threat that he and his companions, a ragtag group of his friend, a fellow soldier, Dominic Santiago, along with strangers Mags Carter and Lucas Reyes, are completely unprepared for.

There’s a real sense of chaos as the Locust tear through the city streets, with civilians running in panic, cars crashing, trains derailing, and huge sinkholes starting to tear up the floor. Weapons are limited at first, but you steadily gear up as the story unfolds. Experimenting with new assault rifles, snipers, shotguns, grenade launchers, and so on as you unlock them leads to a satisfying feeling of progression, further enhanced by a steady stream of unlockable upgrades for each and every one of them.

(Image credit: Xbox)

These range from basic stat buffs to more in-depth overhauls that fundamentally change how the weapons operate and can be paired together in interesting ways. The slow-to-reload lever-action Gnasher shotgun, for example, becomes an entirely different beast when you outfit it with a full-auto firing mode and the ability to replenish shells when stowed. It’s supremely enjoyable to experiment and, even without any upgrades, all of the guns are suitably punchy with satisfying sound effects that make each shot a joy.

E-Day introduces a small handful of large, more open environments to explore, with short side missions here and there. There’s plenty of guidance, and you’re always being funneled towards the next objective, so it doesn’t ever feel like you’re in a true open-world, but there are still plenty of collectibles to hoover up.

Their placement isn’t sophisticated, and you can easily find most of them without straying too far from the beaten track, which does seem like something of a missed opportunity.

Beauty in destruction

(Image credit: Xbox)

Luckily, you don’t need much encouragement to really take your time soaking in each and every environment, as they are absolutely gorgeous. This is without a doubt one of the most graphically impressive games ever released, with a level of fidelity that is simply leaps and bounds ahead of other recent releases.

The detail is truly staggering, with everything from sweeping views across the city to the individual items on sale in an abandoned convenience store realistically rendered and beautifully lit. I constantly found myself stopping to zoom in on every little thing, impressed with the sheer number of references to in-universe history.

Best bit

(Image credit: Xbox)

Some of the early segments set at the very start of the invasion take an almost survival horror turn, with your squad investigating blood-covered rooms in seemingly abandoned buildings, trying to work out what's going on. They're tense, with a few good scares too.

All of this helps Kalona really feel like an actual place in a way few other video game settings do. The layout of its roads and public transportation network is totally believable, and your journey feels truly grounded, as you move through the game – even later on when the streets have been reduced to near-ruin.

There are some definite low points, though. This is by far the longest Gears of War campaign, taking me roughly 25 hours to complete while chasing every collectible and optional side mission, and a few hours in the middle should have been shaved off. Encounters are well-balanced in the opening and final acts with a good variety of foes and plenty of cover, but there are some sequences near the midpoint that just involve facing off a steady stream of overly tanky enemies in quite small arenas.

The shooting is so compelling that pumping them full of bullets for minutes at a time isn’t a dealbreaker; their removal would just have created a much tighter overall experience.

Continuing the fight

(Image credit: Xbox)

A Gears of War game wouldn’t be complete with a suite of multiplayer modes, and E-Day is no exception. The player versus player (PvP) deathmatch mode is excellent, challenging two small teams to face off and rack up kills with weapons from the campaign. Simplistic, yes, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not incredibly fun to blast away at others.

The player versus environment (PvE) games are more complicated, with 12 players divided into four squads tackling multiple objectives in a large open space to earn currency to spend on upgrades and defensive gear.

Bizarrely, the teams don’t interact with each other that much aside from the odd shared boss fight, so I don’t really see why the format needs 12 players, though any excuse for more of the strong combat is a good thing. There’s also a more traditional wave survival mode, which I can see becoming a favorite among friends looking for something more casual.

Throw in a wealth of unlockables, and you have a recipe for a good time even if, like the story campaign, it’s not anything revolutionary.

Should I play Gears of War: E-Day?Play it if…

You’re after an old-school shooter
Gears of War E-Day is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for a good, old-fashioned third-person shooter. After exploding in popularity throughout the Xbox 360 generation, there aren’t that many new AAA entries in the genre anymore – making E-Day a breath of fresh air.

You’re a Gears of War fan
Detailing the beginnings of the Locust invasion and delivering everything you would expect from a new Gears of War game, this is a must-play if you’re a long-time fan.

Don't play it if...

You’re hoping for something more brief
This is by far the longest Gears of War game, so you might find it a bit drawn out and overly long if you go in expecting a roughly ten-hour experience like the old ones.

Accessibility features

Gears of War: E-Day has a wealth of accessibility settings, found in the dedicated accessibility menu. There are multiple menu narration options alongside the ability to customize the size of UI text, enable subtitles, show speaker names, and fully tweak subtitle background color and opacity.

Distinct content filters are present for gore, profanity, and online chat content, plus visual settings such as a color blind mode, high-contrast mode, and navigation aids.

How I reviewed Gears of War E-Day

(Image credit: Xbox)

I played Gears of War: E-Day on my Nvidia RTX 4090-powered gaming PC. With this rig, it could easily hit a rock-solid 75 frames per second (fps) at ultra settings while playing at 1080p and using Logitech peripherals: the newly announced X3 Superstrike mouse, Pro X2 Rapid keyboard, and Pro X3 Lightspeed headset.

I played the game for over 25 hours, during which time I completed the campaign and saw the vast majority of side content. I also dived into the multiplayer modes for a few hours to check them out and compare them to other online games.

First reviewed October 2026

The RTX 5070 Ti and Radeon RX 9070 XT are closely matched in 2026, but pricing, ray tracing, AI features, and efficiency separate them.

The post RTX 5070 Ti vs Radeon RX 9070 XT: Which GPU Is the Better Upgrade in 2026? appeared first on TechRepublic.

AI upscaling and frame generation are coming in upcoming premium Android phones running the new highest-tier Snapdragon chips. 

The Lavazza Tabli is an excellent compact espresso machine that uses tabs made from 100% compressed coffee rather than plastic and metal pods — and right now it's just £133 at John Lewis (was £199.99). That's a very impressive price cut, especially considering this innovative coffee maker only launched in the UK a few weeks ago.

I got my hands on the Tabli earlier this week, and so far I'm very impressed. The coffee tabs are mess-free, holding together without crumbling, and are just as simple to use as Nespresso capsules. Just place your tab inside, close the lid, select a drink size (single, double, or lungo) and the machine will do the rest.

Today's best Lavazza Tabli deal

Tabli Automatic Coffee Machine: was £199.99 now £133
Lavazza's new Tabli coffee maker has received a surprise 33% discount at John Lewis, which you won't find at Amazon or on Lavazza's own site. The deal applies to all three colourways: black, brown, and white.View Deal

The result? Smooth-tasting espresso that's far better than I've had from any coffee pod, and which works perfectly on its own, or as the base for a longer drink. The spent coffee pod drops down into a bin inside the machine (still in one piece) ready to be tipped into your household food waste or compost heap.

Lavazza isn't the only coffee brand experimenting with low-waste coffee tablets either. Yesterday, Keurig (one of the world's biggest names in single-serve coffee) announced that it would be phasing out its enormously popular K-Cups in favor of pressed tablets called AltaRounds.

(Image credit: Future)

I'm testing the Lavazza Tabli system for a little longer before writing my full review, but from my first impressions, it seems like this new tablet format beats plastic and foil capsules in every way. It makes much less waste, it tastes better, and it's cheaper too. Lavazza's Tabli coffee tabs cost around 50p each, whereas Nespresso Vertuo pods are closer to £1.

Tabli coffee tablets currently come in six varieties, but considering how much interest there's been since the system's launch, I'm expecting the options to expand rapidly. Compressed coffee is the future, and at this price, you can start enjoying it right now.

Many are worried that killing RSS feeds will destroy one of the last open, user-controlled ways to read the web.

Amazon’s audiobook service is rolling out new AI-powered features to make listening to stories more interactive.

QuickBooks Free automatically sorts business and personal transactions. Here’s how the $0 plan handles expense tracking and where manual review still matters.

The post QuickBooks Free: How Automatic Expense Sorting Works appeared first on TechRepublic.

See what you missed in Daily Tech Insider from Sept. 28–Oct. 2.

The post AI Agents, Security Crises, and Workforce Upheaval Define This Week in Tech appeared first on TechRepublic.

Samsung has raised US prices for the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra by up to $200. See the new pricing and what buyers should compare before upgrading.

The post Samsung Raises US Galaxy S26 Prices by Up to $200 appeared first on TechRepublic.

Micron warns memory and storage supply will remain tight through 2028 as AI demand absorbs capacity, putting pressure on PC and server costs.

The post Micron Warns Memory Shortage Will Get Worse Through 2028 appeared first on TechRepublic.

Anthropic has made Claude for Government generally available with FedRAMP High authorization, spending controls, audit logs and early Microsoft 365 access.

The post Claude for Government Adds Spending Controls, Audit Logs, and FedRAMP High appeared first on TechRepublic.

• The Ambiano Vertical Air Fryer is returning to Aldi stores very soon
• It's a dead ringer for the Ninja Double Stack, and costs just £49.99
• Aldi's £34.99 coffee maker is back as well, and in stock now

Aldi's Ninja Double Stack air fryer dupe is finally coming back, and you can be first to know when it arrives in your local store. The Ambiano Vertical Air fryer was originally scheduled to arrive in stores on 1 October, but the launch has been delayed a little. Bookmark Aldi's in-store availability guide and you can be first to know when it's in your local store.

The Ambiano is strikingly similar to the award-winning Ninja Double Stack, and although it doesn't give you quite the same set of features, it's no slouch in the cooking department. The Ambiano offers two temperature-controlled baskets in the same two-tier format as the Double Stack, with nine cooking presets that you can select using a touch-sensitive control panel. However, you don't get the Double Stack's syncing function, which allows both drawers to finish cooking at the same time

The Ambiano doesn't have Ninja's handy racks either, which allow you to cook two different foods in each drawer, though Aldi does offer air fryer accessories for each, including various liners and trays.

(Image credit: Aldi)

The Ambiano Vertical Air Fryer isn't the only appliance returning to Aldi's shelves — the Ambiano Capsule Coffee Machine is making a comeback as well. This compact coffee maker has a 650ml water tank, accepts Nespresso Original style pods, and costs just £34.99. It's available now, while stock lasts.

If you want a machine that will brew Nespresso Vertuo pods instead, your best choice is the Nespresso Vertuo Pop, which can often be found for around £49 during sales events like Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, which takes place next week. I'll be tracking all the best offers on coffee makers, and will keep you updated on the very best discounts.

You'll need to be an Amazon Prime member to grab the best deals, but you can sign up for a 30-day free trial that will cover the whole sale period, and give you extra benefits like free delivery and access to Prime Video.

• Florida police have discovered unauthorized Flock cameras
• At the moment it's not clear who is operating the devices
• The owners have been given 30 days to come forward

It's going from bad to worse for Flock and its license plate reader cameras: following Florida's decision to take the cameras out of use on highways across the state, police have found 14 unauthorized devices along St. Lucie County roads, with 11 of those still of unknown origin.

As Ars Technica reports, 3 of the 14 were claimed by the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. They were installed without the necessary permits, but at least the agency that had installed them could be traced.

When it comes to the other 11, it's really not clear who's operating them, or whether they're being actively used. County authorities are giving the owners 30 days to take them down, and may put plastic bags over them in the meantime.

There have been instances of Flock itself installing cameras without having done the necessary paperwork, including a 2024 incident that was covered in Forbes. According to a Flock spokesperson, the company has already reached out to St. Lucie County officials to try and get the mystery solved as quickly as possible.

Drastic actionFlorida county discovers mysterious Flock cameras with no obvious owner from r/nottheonion

As you might expect, residents are spooked by the Flock cameras of unknown origin. The devices were already being viewed with suspicion by many citizens in terms of how their data collection capabilities could be misused — and that was when they knew who it was accessing them.

Resident Ty Grant told the Washington Post that the 11 unaccounted for Flock cameras had left him feeling "very unsafe", while local shop owner Todd Richter said it was imperative that the camera operators are revealed.

Reaction across Reddit has run along similar sentiments, with posters declaring it's "time for the chainsaws" and speculating that foreign nations could be involved in putting up the cameras without the necessary permits.

There is actually one idea posted to Reddit that just might work: "Cut it down, see who comes complaining." However, for the next 30 days at least, St. Lucie County officials seem determined to offer the opportunity for the camera operators in question to come forward and reclaim their hardware (before it's taken down anyway).

Fuse Games' Star Wars: Galactic Racer isn't what I anticipated. A fun Star Wars racing game that lets you take part in a series of high-octane relays across the galaxy? Sounds great; you had me at "Star Wars." But a heart-pounding roguelike sweat-fest that had me squeezing my DualSense wireless controller in a death grip and yelling at my monitor as Kestar Bool once again beat me in the final race by the skin of my teeth? Not what I was expecting!

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Release date: October 6, 2026

Galactic Racer takes place after the fall of the Empire and during the New Republic Era, where the lawless and ex-pilots of the Outer Rim take part in the unsanctioned, high-stakes Galactic League. You play as Shade, a faceless human cargo pilot recruited to the league and who has a major grudge against the oppressive Bool family, particularly Kestar Bool, the guy who also happens to be the reigning champion of the Galactic League. Shade, for reasons you'll discover as you progress the campaign, has a long history with Kestar and is dead set on beating him, and you feel that rivalry grow after every attempt at completing the tour.

This particular Star Wars tale is contained without the bigger stakes we often see in the movies or TV shows, and while it's not a sweeping cinematic experience like Star Wars Zero Company or Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, with not much exploration in the way of character depth for Shade as the playable character, it's simple yet effective; Galactic Racer is first and foremost a racing game with an emphasis on replayability, buildcraft customization, and a tailored progression system.

A race across the stars

(Image credit: Fuse Games)

The freedom to choose how to proceed through the campaign is a core feature I greatly enjoyed, and players must first complete the qualifiers, then the main Galactic Tour. There's no randomized track selection; instead, a clever system of branching paths lets you choose a route and compete in races that fit your preferences, minimizing the risk of losing your League Tokens, which let you race in the first place.

There are standard races that present a variety of gripping courses, and you can come in first or 12th place; Field Tests, which I did find a bit repetitive and not as challenging after completing them numerous times; Mystery Encounters; and Eliminator races, an event where the driver in last place is disqualified until only the top three pilots remain, plus you'll lose a League Token, which makes it the riskiest race in the bunch.

Roguelikes can be hit or miss for me, but Galactic Racer's run-based structure offers an exhilarating and chaotic gameplay loop that excels at providing a highly engaging, heart-pounding experience despite the rinse-and-repeat system.

(Image credit: Fuse Games)

Even after beating my fellow racers and making it all the way to the finals, only to fail miserably, the notion of having to replay the entire process after losing should've been off-putting. Instead, I found myself not only eager to improve, but excited to get back on the track with the knowledge and skills I'd gained from previous runs, a feeling that not many roguelikes can achieve.

The game has a learning and difficulty curve due to its roguelike framework, and it may not be for everyone, but it's purposefully designed to make you become the best racer in the galaxy, since you likely won't be a winner straight away.

Best Bit

(Image credit: Fuse Games)

Star Wars: Galactic Racer's roguelike structure is the game's best feature, offering an incredible amount of replayability across a host of brilliantly constructed courses across the galaxy.

More often than not, you'll smash headfirst into an obstacle or fly off a cliff because you didn't drift in time, so it's incredibly satisfying how the game makes you feel like you're gradually improving after every run.

At the beginning of each tour, you choose a loadout, including your vehicle, Favours that provide a competitive edge, and a Racer Style, an additional preset that dictates your speeder's behaviour and active perks and feels more personalized to your playstyle.

Galactic Racer offers three vehicle types — landspeeders, speeder bikes, and skim speeders, as well as podracers during select missions — but in the end, I personally favored the speeder bike; its compact agility, vectored thrust, and kinetic burst felt incredible as I sped across dunes and whizzed around tight corners on slippery glaciers.

If at first you don't succeed...

(Image credit: Fuse Games)

When I started, I absolutely sucked. I frequently collided headfirst into walls and mismanaged my abilities, but the roguelike structure works so well that my muscle memory began kicking in the more I played; by the end of the game, I was hardly crashing and knew the tracks like the back of my hand.

It's no smooth ride; every choice shapes your prospects, and the challenge of not only trying to win while overcoming planetary effects like lava or acid, and outplaying your fellow pilots, takes the stakes even higher — it's a testament to how well the roguelike framework works and how brilliantly designed the courses are.

(Image credit: Fuse Games)

The game puts a huge emphasis on customization — the build possibilities are endless — and the system stands out against the competition as you gradually update your vehicles by applying upgrades, installing parts (and making sure they're not damaged), and unlocking new power-up abilities; there's an abundance of them, and they make a world of difference in close-call encounters and improve your odds of a podium position.

Not to beat the dead tauntaun, but seriously… this is podracing! Playing on the base PS5, Galactic Racer is a visual and audio feast, offering a gorgeously smooth experience at 60fps, while sweeping you up in the frenetic action.

The speeds you can reach are ridiculous when you have the right upgrades, and there's nothing more gratifying than going to the maximum with your Ramjet and executing perfect landings and sharp corners without crashing your speeder into a million pieces.

The best of the best

(Image credit: Fuse Games)

Racing is at the soul of the campaign, and it's a damn good time, but the game also allows you to interact with other pilots; they aren't just random racers, but fully written NPCs with unique personalities and playstyles, and I loved how Fuse represents these characters on and off the track.

You'll build rivalries, learn their backstories, and discover random encounters with multiple dialogue options, which also come with rewards and consequences, making the lawless world you're competing in all the more real.

With Kestar Bool, for instance, I chose to insult him after he tried to swindle me out of some credits, and since he basically runs the show, my speeder was sabotaged; it exploded at the start of the next race, and I lost two speeder upgrades in the process, putting me at a huge disadvantage for the rest of the tour. This is such a unique feature and a significant factor in the game's progression system that drives home the competitiveness among your opponents.

(Image credit: Fuse Games)

Jakku and Crait are probably my favorite out of the six available planets, which are all stunningly authentic to the Star Wars universe and a joy to experience from a brand-new perspective as a fan; the scale of their set pieces, whether it be the underbelly of a Star Destroyer skeleton or kicking up red salt in crystalline caverns, creates a sense of awe alongside the game's competitive atmosphere as you maneuver through various routes.

Fuse has designed a riveting racing game with creatively constructed tracks that compel you to keep playing even after a major fumble. At first, it's all about mastering the track — which corner to take to put you ahead, when to speed up or slow down — and the game does a great job of making each one distinctly different. Soon enough, however, these races get pretty aggressive, to the point where they'll turn into outright battles as your opponents try to ram you off the course (screw you, Griff Halloran).

(Image credit: Fuse Games)

Alongside the campaign, players can unlock Sebulba's storyline, a side activity where you play podraces from his past; it's a neat addition to the main story that offers up some amazing tracks while also providing additional backstory on the guy who had it out for little Anakin Skywalker. Surprisingly, Sebulba became a standout in the storyline, and I appreciate that Fuse didn't simply throw him in for the sake of nostalgia.

Playing on the base PS5, Galactic Racer is a visual and audio feast, offering a gorgeously smooth experience at 60fps, while sweeping you up in the frenetic action.

The game also offers other side activities like Scenarios that let you play as each racer, an Arcade feature, both worthwhile additions for after you complete the campaign, and a proper multiplayer mode. During the review period, I had access to several multiplayer sessions, a standard online PvP experience featuring quick race modes and Tours with 12 players and crossplay enabled.

From what I was able to play, I enjoyed the multiplayer as much as the campaign, and it has a lot of potential if Fuse plans on updating the game post-launch; it feels just as entertaining and competitive as the story, with extra unlockables and missions that incentivize you to keep playing after the campaign. While I didn't get to play too much due to time constraints, I already know I'll be sinking more hours into it, and I'm particularly excited about trying out the Podracing Tour mode at launch — it was locked during the review period — because I couldn't get enough of it in the campaign.

Should you play Star Wars: Galactic Racer?Play it if...

You're a Star Wars fan
If you enjoy Star Wars beyond the movies and TV shows, Star Wars: Galactic Racer will take you on an exhilarating journey across the Outer Rim.

You like roguelikes
If you welcome the challenge of roguelikes and don't mind the rinse-and-repeat process, Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a must-play.

If you enjoy racing games and want fast-paced action
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is one of the best racing games I've played in a long time and offers a high-octane experience like no other.

Don't play it if...

You don't get on with roguelikes
If you're a racing game enthusiast, you'll enjoy this game, but the roguelike structure may put you off if you don't like the idea of repeating races until you beat the game.

You're a Star Wars fan just looking to experience the story
You may be put off by the game's roguelike system if you continuously lose, which in turn can get in the way of the main story if that's all you want to experience.

Accessibility Features

Star Wars: Galactic Racer offers a ton of accessibility features in the form of your typical settings across visuals, audio, and subtitles. There are also some great controller remapping options, which can be adjusted to your preferences (these make a huge difference on the track), toggleable controls, and more.

How I reviewed Star Wars: Galactic Racer

I spent almost 30 hours playing Star Wars: Galactic Racer on the base PlayStation 5 with my Gigabyte M32U gaming monitor and my Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones for audio.

First reviewed October 2026.