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MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: two-minute review

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is a high-octane handheld games console that can run PC and Xbox games from a wide range of game stores. With the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset — featuring the Intel Arc B390 GPU and 32GB RAM — it’s easily the most powerful portable console I’ve ever (quite literally) gotten my hands on. But there’s a pretty huge catch to that performance: a price tag that would buy you two Steam Deck OLEDs or a mid-price gaming laptop.

Let’s start with the superficial stuff: the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ looks gorgeous. Its screen is an extensive eight inches across, offers wonderfully rich colors and a silky-smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Combined with its discreet RGB lighting around the asymmetrically placed thumbsticks and Void Purple colorway, it has a unique look that definitely helps it stand out from the crowd.

But its design goes far beyond aesthetics. Its Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers should not only offer greater longevity, but they felt really responsive, even if they’re not quite as sensitive as the TMR versions now offered by some controllers. Meanwhile, it felt perfectly ergonomic in my hands — I was genuinely surprised how light it felt for a 1.73 lb / 786g console — although its laser-etched grips sure made my hands feel sweaty, for some reason.

What cements the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ as one of the best handheld games consoles out there, though, is its performance. It’s the first gaming handheld on the market with the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset and, boy, does that have a pronounced effect on how it plays. While benchmarks showed it offered similar CPU performance to the recent Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, thanks to its Intel Arc B390 GPU and 32GB RAM, it managed to smash its 3D Mark benchmarks by between 35% and 76% — that’s a significant performance upgrade.

Numbers only tell part of the story, though: what was the Claw actually like in action? Well, Baldur’s Gate 3 looked truly gorgeous on Ultra graphics settings and yet it hovered around a decent 38fps. Meanwhile, despite only being released in 2025, both Doom: The Dark Ages and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 played at a rock-solid 60fps — whether I was punching demons to death or countering devastating attacks, there wasn’t a hint of latency or lag. Even the boss-level challenge of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered hit 60fps at points… before plunging to a stuttery mess in busier areas. Still that’s impressive stuff for a handheld console.

(Image credit: Future)

But the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a pretty huge barrier to Fosbury flop over: its price. In return for its premium components, you’ll pay a seriously premium price tag of $1,799.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,849. Not only is that significantly higher than any other gaming handheld to date, it’s also as expensive as some mid-range gaming laptops.

And that presents an enormous problem for the Claw. Despite the fact that some of the best gaming laptops come in at a similar price, many of them offer superior performance in our benchmark tests. Now don’t get me wrong: no gaming laptop offers the kind of ergonomics or compact form factor you get here, but I do have doubts that the pro gamers that can afford this kind of device will be willing to trade performance simply for the sake of increased maneuverability.

That’s a real shame because in almost every respect, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is a fantastic gaming handheld that has really stretched my expectations of what this kind of device is capable of. I want one. And you should too. But I’m not convinced either of us will be able to justify the spend.

(Image credit: Future)MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: price & availability

Having launched on June 23, 2026, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is available now. As you can see from the specs — or if you took sneaky peak at the benchmarks in the performance section — it’s seriously mighty for a gaming handheld.

It’s the first handheld console on the market that rocks the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset, which includes the 12-core Intel Arc B390 GPU and a hefty 32GB RAM. That puts it considerably ahead of most of its competitors, even if it can’t quite rival any of the best gaming laptops for sheer processing punch.

Unfortunately, like the hero in a Greek tragedy — or Oddyseus, apparently — it has a fatal flaw. The price. At $1,799.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,849, its cost is possibly the most eye-watering thing I’ve come across in a while and that includes all the people on social media that bragged about raw-dogging the solar eclipse in August. While the price tag here might not literally melt your retinas, it’s likely to give you second thoughts.

By comparison, we threw some shade on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X for its price on its release — and that only retailed for $999.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,599. The Claw 8 EX AI+’s sticker price outstrips every other handheld console by quite some margin, sitting more up the gaming laptop end of the spectrum. For example, a mid-spec Alienware 16X Aurora, with Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 and 32GB DDR5, goes for $1,999.99 / £1,799 (around AU$2,800). Ultimately, I think there aren’t going to be that many mainstream gamers able to pay this price and those that do are going to expect stellar performance in return.

(Image credit: Future)MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: specs

Category

Specification

Price

$1,799.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,849

Display

8-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200), 16:10, 500 nits, 120Hz IPS touchscreen

CPU

Intel Arc G3 Extreme

Graphics

Intel Arc B390

RAM

32GB LPDDR5X-8533

Storage

1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD

Port selection

2x USB-C / Thunderbolt 4, 1x microSD Express card reader, 1x 3.5mm headphone/mic combo jack

Weight

1.73 lbs / 786g

Dimensions

11.7 x 4.9 x 0.94 inches / 297 x 124 x 24mm

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: design

I’ll be honest: when I first picked up the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, I was pretty shocked by how light and manageable it felt. Fundamentally, this is not a small console — it’s as broad-shouldered as the Steam Deck OLED or the Lenovo Legion Go S and weighs in at 1.73 lbs / 786g, which is the heaviest gaming portable I’ve gotten my hands on to date. But despite this, it never felt at all bloated, sitting comfortably in my grasp.

I’d chalk this up to its ergonomic design. On top of feeling well balanced, it offers flared grips, unlike previous iterations of the MSI Claw. These sat really comfortably in my hands, although they aren’t quite as easy to wrap your hands around as the controller-mimicking forked grips of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X.

This was also helped by the laser-etched texture of its grips, which enabled me to keep a decent grasp on the Claw. But I will say they aren’t quite as comfortable as those on some of the best Xbox controllers I’ve tested, feeling a little on the rough side and quickly getting sweaty as I tried to splat sakapatates in Clair Obscure: Expedition 33.

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ also left a pretty good impression on some of my other senses too. No, I didn’t lick it — I’m talking visual appeal here, rather than gustatory. Subtle RGB lighting around each of the thumbsticks is my personal highlight, although I’ll also give its gentle curves and Void Purple colorway honorable mentions as well. Honestly, I’m a little less jazzed about the way the screen juts out past the bottom of the device, but this does seem to be a more common look these days, with the jutting grips of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X creating a similar effect.

Speaking of screens, despite it not quite rocking the richness of the Steam Deck’s OLED display, the Claw 8 EX AI+ has a beautiful looking screen. As a result of its expansive eight-inch breadth and 16:10 aspect ratio, it rocks a 1920 x 1200 resolution, not to mention a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Every game I played always felt detailed and smoother than whipped cream under a heat lamp. Meanwhile, its 500 nit typical brightness felt plenty bright enough in most settings — on max brightness, I even found I was able to play it outside, although when I faced it directly toward the blazing August sun, it was quickly overpowered by the fiery onslaught.

(Image credit: Future)

Anyone familiar with previous incarnations of the MSI Claw will be pretty familiar with the layout here. The Claw 8 EX AI+ has the same combo of asymmetrical thumbsticks, Xbox-style face buttons and vertically aligned Menu, MSI Center M, View and Quick Setting buttons that you’ll have seen on previous iterations. There’s only two macro buttons on its rear, which honestly feels a bit stingy compared to the four offered by the Steam Deck and many Xbox controllers.

On the plus side, the Claw 8 EX AI+ is packing both Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers — as well as preventing the inexorable drift issues that plague potentiometer thumbsticks, Hall effect sticks and triggers also offer smaller deadzones and increased sensitivity. They’re not quite as sensitive as the marginally fancier TMR thumbsticks and triggers you see in a lot of premium controllers these days but I’m not aware of any portable consoles that offer those currently.

So for the most part, its control scheme is suitably versatile. The only area it falls a little short is the lack of built-in mouse control for games that require a cursor. Unlike the Steam Deck’s super flexible trackpads or the quirky hybrid mouse-cons offered by the Nintendo Switch 2 and Lenovo Legion Go 2, the only way I could mimic a mouse input on the Claw 8 EX AI+ was by jabbing its touchscreen with my greasy hand-sausages. That ain’t gonna cut it for some Steam and Windows games. Now, in MSI’s defense, it has never pitched the Claw as a substitute for PC gaming, but it is a shame that some sections of my Steam library will lay tantalizingly just out of reach. Of course, I could connect a mouse via USB or Bluetooth, but that then prevents the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ from being as portable.

Another criticism I have is the fingerprint scanner. While I appreciate that these narrow scanners are space-efficient, they’re not efficient in any other sense of the word. Every single time I tried to log in to the MSI Claw, I found I had to pop my pinky on the scanner three or four times just to access the home screen. Given my MacBooks’ Touch ID readers require just a single tap to unlock, I honestly wish MSI found a way to squeeze in a circular scanner here.

(Image credit: Future)MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: performanceMSI Claw 8 EX AI+ benchmarks

Here is how the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark Port Royal: 3,544; Fire Strike: 12,358; Time Spy: 6,534

GeekBench 6.5: 2,492 (single-core); 12,550 (multi-core)

Total War Warhammer 3 1080p (Ultra) 81.3fps (Low) 142.5fps

Cyberpunk 2077: 1080p (Ultra) 43fps (Low) 75fps

Dirt 5: 1200p (Ultra) 48.3fps (Low) 95.7fps

PCMark 10 Battery Life (Gaming): 1:40 hours

While the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+’s looks are impressive, what makes it exceptional is what’s going on underneath the surface. While gaming handhelds have previously involved some performance tradeoffs in return for their diminutive size, that’s not the case here, thanks to the Herculean Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset it’s packing. MSI claims that the Arc G3 Extreme should unlock 42% faster performance on average compared to the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme that the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is rocking, although this requires a little unpacking.

Certainly, performance benchmarks alone don’t suggest the Arc G3 Extreme is leading the field. The Claw 8 EX AI+ hit 2,492 single-core performance and 12,550 multi-core performance in our GeekBench tests, compared to the 2,788 and 12,883 scores nabbed respectively by the ROG Xbox Ally X. So for raw processing power, there’s not a huge amount of light between the two chipsets, with the Ryzen Z2 Extreme taking a narrow lead.

But factor in graphical performance and Intel’s SoC absolutely spanks AMD’s. With the help of the Intel Arc GPU B390, the Claw 8 EX AI+ gets some seriously punchy 3D performance — in our 3DMark benchmarks, it scored 3,544 in Port Royal, 12,358 in Fire Strike and 6,534 in Time Spy, compared to the 2,006, 9,141 and 4,033 the ROG Xbox Ally X hit. Those are 76%, 35% and 62% increases respectively, gains which show the Claw’s graphics are seriously swole.

And that translates to some staggeringly smooth performance in-game. On Ultra settings, Total War: Warhammer 3 comfortably averaged out at 81.3fps, while on Low settings Dirt 5 ran smoother than a nitro cold brew at 95.7fps and still managed a very creditable 48.3fps on Ultra. But what blew me away most is how well it ran Cyberpunk 2077 on Ultra settings with ray-tracing disabled, netting a reasonably polished 43fps — that’s downright playable and throws some serious shade on the ROG Xbox Ally X, which only managed 8fps.

Unfortunately, while these benchmarks are impressive compared to other gaming handhelds, at this price those aren’t the Claw’s biggest competition. Several of our picks for the best gaming laptops have costs in the same region and yet offer significantly better performance.

For example, the Alienware 16X Aurora with Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 and 32GB DDR5 we tested costs only a few hundred dollars / pounds more at $1,999.99 / £1,799. And yet its performance is leagues ahead of the Claw, hitting a 3DMark Time Spy score of 13,594 and Fire Strike score of 31,480 — that’s double and nearly triple the Claw’s scores respectively. Naturally, you’re not getting the same compact form factor but I wonder how much that truly matters for the kinds of gamers that are willing to drop almost one and a half grand on a pro gaming device.

Okay, enough nerding out over numbers. Time to focus on the thing you actually care about: how the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ actually feels to play.

(Image credit: Future)

Honestly, what the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is capable of kinda blew me away. As those benchmarks would suggest, it can offer ludicrously smooth frame rates. Playing a 2D game like Hollow Knight: Silksong, it remained rock solid at 120Hz, with all the action as Hornet zipped around the rich, mysterious landscapes of Pharloom as slick as ice on a spring day.

Granted, that might not feel like much of a challenge, but this unflappable stability carried over when I transitioned to modern 3D games. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ran at a wonderfully smooth 60fps. Rather than having to strip it down to the basic visuals required to get it running on the Steam Deck, it actually looked pretty great and ran so stably I was able to crack out counter after counter on chromatic bosses. Being able to enjoy the game on the go felt like such a novelty that I’d honestly be happy to mop up the game’s remaining optional bosses purely on handheld.

Keen to push the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ to breaking point, I even tried playing a bit of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered on Xbox. I’ll admit my expectations were pretty low here, as I’ve heard plenty of people complaining about performance issues on their 5000 series Nvidia GPUs. And yet, amazingly, it was playable.

Well, kinda. With the graphics settings on Low while in the depths of Xedilian, performance plowed along steadily at 60fps, which is truly wild for a AAA Bethesda game. However, it didn’t take long for it to start exhibiting some pretty hinky behavior — sporadically I encountered some audio stuttering and, once I entered a more densely populated open area, the frame rate dropped so far it was more 19th century zoetrope than an RPG from 2025. But I feel like most gaming handhelds would spontaneously combust if you even had the cheek to try this, so Imma still put this one in the win column for MSI.

On top of this, the Claw 8 EX AI+ seems to be able to keep a cool head during all of this. In comparison to its predecessor, the Claw 8 AI+, MSI promises the EX AI+ can achieve an extra 5W cooling capacity, 25% higher static pressure for fans, and 9% higher airflow, thanks to fans that are 0.5mm taller. I can’t speak to how accurate such granular figures are but certainly even slamming out epic boss fights or pushing the CPU to its limit, I rarely noticed the EX AI+ getting unbearably warm, which speaks to the strength of its cooling.

What the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is capable of is honestly pretty staggering. The only criticisms I have come down to software and input issues.

The Claw’s MSI Center M launcher felt a little unreliable. Occasionally, I got locked out from being able to access it — hitting the MSI button did nothing, and switching between windows just returned me to the Xbox app. On top of this, sometimes switching out to this menu then returning to a game would lock the input, meaning I could no longer use controller settings till I’d switched out and back again. That’s not a total deal-breaker, but it is a shame, given how stable the Steam and Xbox OSes feel by comparison, and shows that even the mighty MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ isn't immune to Windows 11's unsuitability for gaming handhelds.

(Image credit: Future)MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: battery

Given its huge 80Whr battery capacity, I was expecting the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ to have some serious endurance. Unlike the ephemeral life I get out of my 40Whr Steam Deck — where I’m lucky if I get 90 minutes out of many 3D games — the whopping battery in the Claw had me anticipating some pretty epic gaming sessions. Which is why I was a bit bemused by the actual results I eked out during our benchmarks.

Running our standard PC Mark 10 Gaming Battery benchmark with all the settings switched to balanced in both MSI Center M and Windows 11, I was shocked to see the battery discharged from 100% to 0% in just 1 hour 36 minutes. So sure was I that I must have made a mistake, I recalibrated the battery using the Claw’s built-in software, revisited all the settings and ran the benchmark two more times. Despite this, I was only able to squeeze out 1 hour 40 minutes and 2 hours 31 minutes on subsequent tests.

Certainly that’s not completely incompatible with my objective experience — on the console’s default AI Mode, I comfortably drained its full battery in a two-hour play session of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, for example. But that’s an incredibly demanding game, even for the MSI’s specs, and 2D games didn’t seem quite as thirsty in comparison.

So what’s going on here? Ruling out a fault with my review unit, I suspect that the capacious 80Whr battery the unit ships with is only part of the picture when it comes to the life you’ll squeeze out of it. The more important part? Its AI performance mode.

While our standard benchmarks set consoles and gaming laptops to balanced mode, the default performance mode for the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ automatically adjusts its power consumption on the fly for the best efficiency in any given moment. That means the mode you’re most likely to play it on will stretch out the battery life without causing a noticeable dip in performance.

Even when the battery has run dry, it doesn’t take long to top it up again. With its 65W charging, you’d expect it to take about 90 minutes to juice up that 80Whr battery — and that’s bang in line with my experiences. When plugged into a cable capable of at least 65W, charging up the Claw only ever took around an hour and a half. However, I did occasionally experience some glitchy behavior here, with progress freezing at 98% or 99% full even when left for 20 minutes, suggesting the console’s battery monitoring software can occasionally be a touch off.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?Buy it if…

You want amazing performance
Thanks to its high-octane Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ achieves genuinely wild performance for its petite, portable size.

You want to access to all your PC and Xbox games libraries on the go
Installing extra storefronts on a console like the Steam Deck is honestly a bit of a hassle. On the MSI Claw, you have access to the Steam, Xbox, Epic, GOG, EA, Ubisoft Connect games stores.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re not loaded
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is one pricy meatball — at $1,799.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,849, it comes closer to the cost of a gaming laptop than a handheld console. And while it’s more compact than a laptop, it’s not as powerful.

You need a mouse input
One of the things that makes consoles like the Steam Deck or Lenovo Legion Go so versatile is their mouse inputs. Lacking an equivalent means the Claw 8 EX AI+ isn’t compatible with some mouse-based titles unless you plug in a mouse.

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: also consider

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS)

Price

$1,799.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,849

$999.99 / £799

Starting at $649.99 / £699

Display

8-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200), 16:10, 500 nits, 120Hz IPS touchscreen

7-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), 16:9, 500 nits, 120Hz IPS touchscreen

8-inch WQXGA (1920 x 1200), 16:10, 500 nits, 120Hz IPS touchscreen

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7 258V

AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme

AMD Ryzen Z2 Go (up to AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme)

Graphics

Intel Arc 140V GPU

AMD Radeon RDNA 3.5 Graphics

Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics

RAM

32GB LPDDR5X-8533

24GB LPDDR5X-8000

16GB / 32GB LPDDR5X-6400

Storage

1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD

1TB M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 SSD

512GB / 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD

Port selection

2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x microSD Express card reader, 1x 3.5mm headphone/mic combo jack

1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C, 1x microSD card reader, 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack

2x USB4, 1x microSD card reader, 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack

Weight

1.75 lbs / 794g

1.58 lbs / 715g

1.63 lbs / 740g

Dimensions

299 x 126 x 24mm / 11.77 x 4.96 x 0.94 inches

290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm / 11.45 x 4.78 x 2 inches

299 x 127.55 x 22.6mm / 11.77 x 5.02 x 0.88 inches

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X packs the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chipset, which includes the slightly less impressive AMD Radeon RDNA 3.5 GPU, and hasn’t managed to squeeze as much RAM on-board, clocking in at 24GB rather than the Claw’s 32GB. On the plus side though, it’s significantly cheaper, coming in for $700 / £600 / AU$1,250 less, making it more manageable for a wider range of people. Read our full Asus ROG Xbox Ally X review.

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS)
With integrated AMD Radeon Graphics, 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, the Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) is more cruiser motorcycle to the MSI Claw’s superbike. But it’s still able to deliver steady performance, offering rock-solid performance during Baldur’s Gate 3 on max settings or a steady 40fps on Black Myth: Wukong on its lowest settings. And it’s cheaper than either of its rivals here, with a list price that starts from $649.99 / £699 / $1,329. Read our full Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

• Tested it over two weeks
• Tried playing a wide range of titles at different graphics settings
• Conducted TechRadar’s full suite of testing benchmarks

I tested the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ over the course of two weeks. I made sure to play a wide variety of games from multiple game stores, whether they were from TechRadar’s Steam library or Xbox Games Pass Ultimate. On top of this, I tried out a wide variety of games at different graphics settings, from relatively undemanding 2D games to AAA 3D titles.

When it comes to more detailed assessments of its performance, I conducted our usual suite of benchmarks. Not only did that entail getting detailed performance scores from 3DMark and GeekBench 6.5, but I also conducted a range of in-game fps benchmarks at both ultra and low graphics settings. To test the console’s battery life, I ran multiple PC Mark 10 Gaming Battery tests to see how rapidly it drained the battery from 100% and I also timed how long it took to charge the console from 0% to 100% using a cable that was rated more than its 65W max charging rate.

During my career, I’ve tested a wide variety of gaming gadgets and accessories, from wireless controllers to gaming handhelds. I’ve also invested a truly ludicrous amount of my four decades on this Earth playing computer games, whether they be RPGs, action adventure games or creative sandboxes. And while I’m a little hazy on the details, I’m told this investment will pay dividends any day now.

• First reviewed: August 2026
• Read more about how we test

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: two-minute review

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is a high-octane handheld games console that can run PC and Xbox games from a wide range of game stores. With the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset — featuring the Intel Arc B390 GPU and 32GB RAM — it’s easily the most powerful portable console I’ve ever (quite literally) gotten my hands on. But there’s a pretty huge catch to that performance: a price tag that would buy you two Steam Deck OLEDs or a mid-price gaming laptop.

Let’s start with the superficial stuff: the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ looks gorgeous. Its screen is an extensive eight inches across, offers wonderfully rich colors and a silky-smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Combined with its discreet RGB lighting around the asymmetrically placed thumbsticks and Void Purple colorway, it has a unique look that definitely helps it stand out from the crowd.

But its design goes far beyond aesthetics. Its Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers should not only offer greater longevity, but they felt really responsive, even if they’re not quite as sensitive as the TMR versions now offered by some controllers. Meanwhile, it felt perfectly ergonomic in my hands — I was genuinely surprised how light it felt for a 1.73 lb / 786g console — although its laser-etched grips sure made my hands feel sweaty, for some reason.

What cements the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ as one of the best handheld games consoles out there, though, is its performance. It’s the first gaming handheld on the market with the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset and, boy, does that have a pronounced effect on how it plays. While benchmarks showed it offered similar CPU performance to the recent Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, thanks to its Intel Arc B390 GPU and 32GB RAM, it managed to smash its 3D Mark benchmarks by between 35% and 76% — that’s a significant performance upgrade.

Numbers only tell part of the story, though: what was the Claw actually like in action? Well, Baldur’s Gate 3 looked truly gorgeous on Ultra graphics settings and yet it hovered around a decent 38fps. Meanwhile, despite only being released in 2025, both Doom: The Dark Ages and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 played at a rock-solid 60fps — whether I was punching demons to death or countering devastating attacks, there wasn’t a hint of latency or lag. Even the boss-level challenge of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered hit 60fps at points… before plunging to a stuttery mess in busier areas. Still that’s impressive stuff for a handheld console.

(Image credit: Future)

But the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has a pretty huge barrier to Fosbury flop over: its price. In return for its premium components, you’ll pay a seriously premium price tag of $1,799.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,849. Not only is that significantly higher than any other gaming handheld to date, it’s also as expensive as some mid-range gaming laptops.

And that presents an enormous problem for the Claw. Despite the fact that some of the best gaming laptops come in at a similar price, many of them offer superior performance in our benchmark tests. Now don’t get me wrong: no gaming laptop offers the kind of ergonomics or compact form factor you get here, but I do have doubts that the pro gamers that can afford this kind of device will be willing to trade performance simply for the sake of increased maneuverability.

That’s a real shame because in almost every respect, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is a fantastic gaming handheld that has really stretched my expectations of what this kind of device is capable of. I want one. And you should too. But I’m not convinced either of us will be able to justify the spend.

(Image credit: Future)MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: price & availability

Having launched on June 23, 2026, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is available now. As you can see from the specs — or if you took sneaky peak at the benchmarks in the performance section — it’s seriously mighty for a gaming handheld.

It’s the first handheld console on the market that rocks the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset, which includes the 12-core Intel Arc B390 GPU and a hefty 32GB RAM. That puts it considerably ahead of most of its competitors, even if it can’t quite rival any of the best gaming laptops for sheer processing punch.

Unfortunately, like the hero in a Greek tragedy — or Oddyseus, apparently — it has a fatal flaw. The price. At $1,799.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,849, its cost is possibly the most eye-watering thing I’ve come across in a while and that includes all the people on social media that bragged about raw-dogging the solar eclipse in August. While the price tag here might not literally melt your retinas, it’s likely to give you second thoughts.

By comparison, we threw some shade on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X for its price on its release — and that only retailed for $999.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,599. The Claw 8 EX AI+’s sticker price outstrips every other handheld console by quite some margin, sitting more up the gaming laptop end of the spectrum. For example, a mid-spec Alienware 16X Aurora, with Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 and 32GB DDR5, goes for $1,999.99 / £1,799 (around AU$2,800). Ultimately, I think there aren’t going to be that many mainstream gamers able to pay this price and those that do are going to expect stellar performance in return.

(Image credit: Future)MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: specs

Category

Specification

Price

$1,799.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,849

Display

8-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200), 16:10, 500 nits, 120Hz IPS touchscreen

CPU

Intel Arc G3 Extreme

Graphics

Intel Arc B390

RAM

32GB LPDDR5X-8533

Storage

1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD

Port selection

2x USB-C / Thunderbolt 4, 1x microSD Express card reader, 1x 3.5mm headphone/mic combo jack

Weight

1.73 lbs / 786g

Dimensions

11.7 x 4.9 x 0.94 inches / 297 x 124 x 24mm

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: design

I’ll be honest: when I first picked up the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, I was pretty shocked by how light and manageable it felt. Fundamentally, this is not a small console — it’s as broad-shouldered as the Steam Deck OLED or the Lenovo Legion Go S and weighs in at 1.73 lbs / 786g, which is the heaviest gaming portable I’ve gotten my hands on to date. But despite this, it never felt at all bloated, sitting comfortably in my grasp.

I’d chalk this up to its ergonomic design. On top of feeling well balanced, it offers flared grips, unlike previous iterations of the MSI Claw. These sat really comfortably in my hands, although they aren’t quite as easy to wrap your hands around as the controller-mimicking forked grips of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X.

This was also helped by the laser-etched texture of its grips, which enabled me to keep a decent grasp on the Claw. But I will say they aren’t quite as comfortable as those on some of the best Xbox controllers I’ve tested, feeling a little on the rough side and quickly getting sweaty as I tried to splat sakapatates in Clair Obscure: Expedition 33.

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ also left a pretty good impression on some of my other senses too. No, I didn’t lick it — I’m talking visual appeal here, rather than gustatory. Subtle RGB lighting around each of the thumbsticks is my personal highlight, although I’ll also give its gentle curves and Void Purple colorway honorable mentions as well. Honestly, I’m a little less jazzed about the way the screen juts out past the bottom of the device, but this does seem to be a more common look these days, with the jutting grips of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X creating a similar effect.

Speaking of screens, despite it not quite rocking the richness of the Steam Deck’s OLED display, the Claw 8 EX AI+ has a beautiful looking screen. As a result of its expansive eight-inch breadth and 16:10 aspect ratio, it rocks a 1920 x 1200 resolution, not to mention a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Every game I played always felt detailed and smoother than whipped cream under a heat lamp. Meanwhile, its 500 nit typical brightness felt plenty bright enough in most settings — on max brightness, I even found I was able to play it outside, although when I faced it directly toward the blazing August sun, it was quickly overpowered by the fiery onslaught.

(Image credit: Future)

Anyone familiar with previous incarnations of the MSI Claw will be pretty familiar with the layout here. The Claw 8 EX AI+ has the same combo of asymmetrical thumbsticks, Xbox-style face buttons and vertically aligned Menu, MSI Center M, View and Quick Setting buttons that you’ll have seen on previous iterations. There’s only two macro buttons on its rear, which honestly feels a bit stingy compared to the four offered by the Steam Deck and many Xbox controllers.

On the plus side, the Claw 8 EX AI+ is packing both Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers — as well as preventing the inexorable drift issues that plague potentiometer thumbsticks, Hall effect sticks and triggers also offer smaller deadzones and increased sensitivity. They’re not quite as sensitive as the marginally fancier TMR thumbsticks and triggers you see in a lot of premium controllers these days but I’m not aware of any portable consoles that offer those currently.

So for the most part, its control scheme is suitably versatile. The only area it falls a little short is the lack of built-in mouse control for games that require a cursor. Unlike the Steam Deck’s super flexible trackpads or the quirky hybrid mouse-cons offered by the Nintendo Switch 2 and Lenovo Legion Go 2, the only way I could mimic a mouse input on the Claw 8 EX AI+ was by jabbing its touchscreen with my greasy hand-sausages. That ain’t gonna cut it for some Steam and Windows games. Now, in MSI’s defense, it has never pitched the Claw as a substitute for PC gaming, but it is a shame that some sections of my Steam library will lay tantalizingly just out of reach. Of course, I could connect a mouse via USB or Bluetooth, but that then prevents the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ from being as portable.

Another criticism I have is the fingerprint scanner. While I appreciate that these narrow scanners are space-efficient, they’re not efficient in any other sense of the word. Every single time I tried to log in to the MSI Claw, I found I had to pop my pinky on the scanner three or four times just to access the home screen. Given my MacBooks’ Touch ID readers require just a single tap to unlock, I honestly wish MSI found a way to squeeze in a circular scanner here.

(Image credit: Future)MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: performanceMSI Claw 8 EX AI+ benchmarks

Here is how the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark Port Royal: 3,544; Fire Strike: 12,358; Time Spy: 6,534

GeekBench 6.5: 2,492 (single-core); 12,550 (multi-core)

Total War Warhammer 3 1080p (Ultra) 81.3fps (Low) 142.5fps

Cyberpunk 2077: 1080p (Ultra) 43fps (Low) 75fps

Dirt 5: 1200p (Ultra) 48.3fps (Low) 95.7fps

PCMark 10 Battery Life (Gaming): 1:40 hours

While the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+’s looks are impressive, what makes it exceptional is what’s going on underneath the surface. While gaming handhelds have previously involved some performance tradeoffs in return for their diminutive size, that’s not the case here, thanks to the Herculean Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset it’s packing. MSI claims that the Arc G3 Extreme should unlock 42% faster performance on average compared to the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme that the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is rocking, although this requires a little unpacking.

Certainly, performance benchmarks alone don’t suggest the Arc G3 Extreme is leading the field. The Claw 8 EX AI+ hit 2,492 single-core performance and 12,550 multi-core performance in our GeekBench tests, compared to the 2,788 and 12,883 scores nabbed respectively by the ROG Xbox Ally X. So for raw processing power, there’s not a huge amount of light between the two chipsets, with the Ryzen Z2 Extreme taking a narrow lead.

But factor in graphical performance and Intel’s SoC absolutely spanks AMD’s. With the help of the Intel Arc GPU B390, the Claw 8 EX AI+ gets some seriously punchy 3D performance — in our 3DMark benchmarks, it scored 3,544 in Port Royal, 12,358 in Fire Strike and 6,534 in Time Spy, compared to the 2,006, 9,141 and 4,033 the ROG Xbox Ally X hit. Those are 76%, 35% and 62% increases respectively, gains which show the Claw’s graphics are seriously swole.

And that translates to some staggeringly smooth performance in-game. On Ultra settings, Total War: Warhammer 3 comfortably averaged out at 81.3fps, while on Low settings Dirt 5 ran smoother than a nitro cold brew at 95.7fps and still managed a very creditable 48.3fps on Ultra. But what blew me away most is how well it ran Cyberpunk 2077 on Ultra settings with ray-tracing disabled, netting a reasonably polished 43fps — that’s downright playable and throws some serious shade on the ROG Xbox Ally X, which only managed 8fps.

Unfortunately, while these benchmarks are impressive compared to other gaming handhelds, at this price those aren’t the Claw’s biggest competition. Several of our picks for the best gaming laptops have costs in the same region and yet offer significantly better performance.

For example, the Alienware 16X Aurora with Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 and 32GB DDR5 we tested costs only a few hundred dollars / pounds more at $1,999.99 / £1,799. And yet its performance is leagues ahead of the Claw, hitting a 3DMark Time Spy score of 13,594 and Fire Strike score of 31,480 — that’s double and nearly triple the Claw’s scores respectively. Naturally, you’re not getting the same compact form factor but I wonder how much that truly matters for the kinds of gamers that are willing to drop almost one and a half grand on a pro gaming device.

Okay, enough nerding out over numbers. Time to focus on the thing you actually care about: how the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ actually feels to play.

(Image credit: Future)

Honestly, what the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is capable of kinda blew me away. As those benchmarks would suggest, it can offer ludicrously smooth frame rates. Playing a 2D game like Hollow Knight: Silksong, it remained rock solid at 120Hz, with all the action as Hornet zipped around the rich, mysterious landscapes of Pharloom as slick as ice on a spring day.

Granted, that might not feel like much of a challenge, but this unflappable stability carried over when I transitioned to modern 3D games. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ran at a wonderfully smooth 60fps. Rather than having to strip it down to the basic visuals required to get it running on the Steam Deck, it actually looked pretty great and ran so stably I was able to crack out counter after counter on chromatic bosses. Being able to enjoy the game on the go felt like such a novelty that I’d honestly be happy to mop up the game’s remaining optional bosses purely on handheld.

Keen to push the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ to breaking point, I even tried playing a bit of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered on Xbox. I’ll admit my expectations were pretty low here, as I’ve heard plenty of people complaining about performance issues on their 5000 series Nvidia GPUs. And yet, amazingly, it was playable.

Well, kinda. With the graphics settings on Low while in the depths of Xedilian, performance plowed along steadily at 60fps, which is truly wild for a AAA Bethesda game. However, it didn’t take long for it to start exhibiting some pretty hinky behavior — sporadically I encountered some audio stuttering and, once I entered a more densely populated open area, the frame rate dropped so far it was more 19th century zoetrope than an RPG from 2025. But I feel like most gaming handhelds would spontaneously combust if you even had the cheek to try this, so Imma still put this one in the win column for MSI.

On top of this, the Claw 8 EX AI+ seems to be able to keep a cool head during all of this. In comparison to its predecessor, the Claw 8 AI+, MSI promises the EX AI+ can achieve an extra 5W cooling capacity, 25% higher static pressure for fans, and 9% higher airflow, thanks to fans that are 0.5mm taller. I can’t speak to how accurate such granular figures are but certainly even slamming out epic boss fights or pushing the CPU to its limit, I rarely noticed the EX AI+ getting unbearably warm, which speaks to the strength of its cooling.

What the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is capable of is honestly pretty staggering. The only criticisms I have come down to software and input issues.

The Claw’s MSI Center M launcher felt a little unreliable. Occasionally, I got locked out from being able to access it — hitting the MSI button did nothing, and switching between windows just returned me to the Xbox app. On top of this, sometimes switching out to this menu then returning to a game would lock the input, meaning I could no longer use controller settings till I’d switched out and back again. That’s not a total deal-breaker, but it is a shame, given how stable the Steam and Xbox OSes feel by comparison, and shows that even the mighty MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ isn't immune to Windows 11's unsuitability for gaming handhelds.

(Image credit: Future)MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: battery

Given its huge 80Whr battery capacity, I was expecting the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ to have some serious endurance. Unlike the ephemeral life I get out of my 40Whr Steam Deck — where I’m lucky if I get 90 minutes out of many 3D games — the whopping battery in the Claw had me anticipating some pretty epic gaming sessions. Which is why I was a bit bemused by the actual results I eked out during our benchmarks.

Running our standard PC Mark 10 Gaming Battery benchmark with all the settings switched to balanced in both MSI Center M and Windows 11, I was shocked to see the battery discharged from 100% to 0% in just 1 hour 36 minutes. So sure was I that I must have made a mistake, I recalibrated the battery using the Claw’s built-in software, revisited all the settings and ran the benchmark two more times. Despite this, I was only able to squeeze out 1 hour 40 minutes and 2 hours 31 minutes on subsequent tests.

Certainly that’s not completely incompatible with my objective experience — on the console’s default AI Mode, I comfortably drained its full battery in a two-hour play session of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, for example. But that’s an incredibly demanding game, even for the MSI’s specs, and 2D games didn’t seem quite as thirsty in comparison.

So what’s going on here? Ruling out a fault with my review unit, I suspect that the capacious 80Whr battery the unit ships with is only part of the picture when it comes to the life you’ll squeeze out of it. The more important part? Its AI performance mode.

While our standard benchmarks set consoles and gaming laptops to balanced mode, the default performance mode for the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ automatically adjusts its power consumption on the fly for the best efficiency in any given moment. That means the mode you’re most likely to play it on will stretch out the battery life without causing a noticeable dip in performance.

Even when the battery has run dry, it doesn’t take long to top it up again. With its 65W charging, you’d expect it to take about 90 minutes to juice up that 80Whr battery — and that’s bang in line with my experiences. When plugged into a cable capable of at least 65W, charging up the Claw only ever took around an hour and a half. However, I did occasionally experience some glitchy behavior here, with progress freezing at 98% or 99% full even when left for 20 minutes, suggesting the console’s battery monitoring software can occasionally be a touch off.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+?Buy it if…

You want amazing performance
Thanks to its high-octane Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ achieves genuinely wild performance for its petite, portable size.

You want to access to all your PC and Xbox games libraries on the go
Installing extra storefronts on a console like the Steam Deck is honestly a bit of a hassle. On the MSI Claw, you have access to the Steam, Xbox, Epic, GOG, EA, Ubisoft Connect games stores.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re not loaded
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is one pricy meatball — at $1,799.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,849, it comes closer to the cost of a gaming laptop than a handheld console. And while it’s more compact than a laptop, it’s not as powerful.

You need a mouse input
One of the things that makes consoles like the Steam Deck or Lenovo Legion Go so versatile is their mouse inputs. Lacking an equivalent means the Claw 8 EX AI+ isn’t compatible with some mouse-based titles unless you plug in a mouse.

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review: also consider

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS)

Price

$1,799.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,849

$999.99 / £799

Starting at $649.99 / £699

Display

8-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200), 16:10, 500 nits, 120Hz IPS touchscreen

7-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), 16:9, 500 nits, 120Hz IPS touchscreen

8-inch WQXGA (1920 x 1200), 16:10, 500 nits, 120Hz IPS touchscreen

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7 258V

AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme

AMD Ryzen Z2 Go (up to AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme)

Graphics

Intel Arc 140V GPU

AMD Radeon RDNA 3.5 Graphics

Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics

RAM

32GB LPDDR5X-8533

24GB LPDDR5X-8000

16GB / 32GB LPDDR5X-6400

Storage

1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD

1TB M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 SSD

512GB / 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD

Port selection

2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x microSD Express card reader, 1x 3.5mm headphone/mic combo jack

1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C, 1x microSD card reader, 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack

2x USB4, 1x microSD card reader, 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack

Weight

1.75 lbs / 794g

1.58 lbs / 715g

1.63 lbs / 740g

Dimensions

299 x 126 x 24mm / 11.77 x 4.96 x 0.94 inches

290.8 x 121.5 x 50.7mm / 11.45 x 4.78 x 2 inches

299 x 127.55 x 22.6mm / 11.77 x 5.02 x 0.88 inches

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X
The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X packs the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chipset, which includes the slightly less impressive AMD Radeon RDNA 3.5 GPU, and hasn’t managed to squeeze as much RAM on-board, clocking in at 24GB rather than the Claw’s 32GB. On the plus side though, it’s significantly cheaper, coming in for $700 / £600 / AU$1,250 less, making it more manageable for a wider range of people. Read our full Asus ROG Xbox Ally X review.

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS)
With integrated AMD Radeon Graphics, 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, the Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) is more cruiser motorcycle to the MSI Claw’s superbike. But it’s still able to deliver steady performance, offering rock-solid performance during Baldur’s Gate 3 on max settings or a steady 40fps on Black Myth: Wukong on its lowest settings. And it’s cheaper than either of its rivals here, with a list price that starts from $649.99 / £699 / $1,329. Read our full Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS) review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

• Tested it over two weeks
• Tried playing a wide range of titles at different graphics settings
• Conducted TechRadar’s full suite of testing benchmarks

I tested the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ over the course of two weeks. I made sure to play a wide variety of games from multiple game stores, whether they were from TechRadar’s Steam library or Xbox Games Pass Ultimate. On top of this, I tried out a wide variety of games at different graphics settings, from relatively undemanding 2D games to AAA 3D titles.

When it comes to more detailed assessments of its performance, I conducted our usual suite of benchmarks. Not only did that entail getting detailed performance scores from 3DMark and GeekBench 6.5, but I also conducted a range of in-game fps benchmarks at both ultra and low graphics settings. To test the console’s battery life, I ran multiple PC Mark 10 Gaming Battery tests to see how rapidly it drained the battery from 100% and I also timed how long it took to charge the console from 0% to 100% using a cable that was rated more than its 65W max charging rate.

During my career, I’ve tested a wide variety of gaming gadgets and accessories, from wireless controllers to gaming handhelds. I’ve also invested a truly ludicrous amount of my four decades on this Earth playing computer games, whether they be RPGs, action adventure games or creative sandboxes. And while I’m a little hazy on the details, I’m told this investment will pay dividends any day now.

• First reviewed: August 2026
• Read more about how we test

Suri Core 1.0: One minute review

I’ve tested numerous electric brushes with far too many settings and features, from 12+ brushing modes to apps that provide real-time guidance. Yet I inevitably end up using them in the same way: pick up the brush, press the button once, brush my teeth, then put it back in the cupboard until the next time. I’ve never used an app outside of a review period, and I rarely bother with any extra settings either. Battery life is also important to me, as I don’t have a compatible plug socket in my bathroom. And I’d also rather not throw out too many plastic brush-heads that will ultimately end up in landfill.

Suri brushes are designed to be no-fuss, no-frills sonic toothbrushes with minimal settings to avoid a simple tool from becoming unnecessarily complicated, alongside recyclable elements. The Suri Core 1.0 sticks closely to this brief, offering a more affordable alternative to its successful, pricier Pro range.

Naturally, Suri has cut some corners with the Core 1.0 to keep the price down, notably replacing the metal body with a "bio-plastic" one made from renewable sources and recycled material, while the motor is slightly weaker, offering 28,000 movements a minute instead of the Pro 2.0’s 30,000. It doesn’t come with a clean-and-charge case as the Pro does, either. Instead, you simply get a brush cap for travel. It lasts six days fewer than the Pro on a full charge, with a battery that lasts 28 days compared to the Pro's 34 days.

These efficiency savings are minor, and do nothing to impact the toothbrush’s overall quality. The simple design makes it eminently easy to use, while the built-in timer uses haptic feedback every 30 seconds to help you keep track of brushing time. It looks great, too, especially when stuck to the wall using the provided magnetic mirror-mount attachment. It doesn't feel quite as pleasing in the hand as the metal model, but the pastel-coloured body has a stylish look that will happily fit the aesthetics of a variety of bathrooms. Whichever colour you choose, the brush head is white.

Speaking of brush heads, in the US and UK, Suri operates prepaid mailing programs that enable you to send used heads back to the company, which it then recycles and makes into new products such as soap dishes. The toothbrush is also covered by a warranty, during which Suri will repair and return it at no cost. In addition, across the brush's construction, Suri has introduced measures to reduce the environmental impact of the plastics it uses, from recycled to recyclable materials to more responsible production and disposal .

(Image credit: Future)

I tested this toothbrush for 21 days straight, and in that time didn't have to charge it. The two-minute timer is automatic, with no option to adjust it manually: the brush pulses every 30 seconds to signal that you move to the next quadrant of your mouth then shuts off automatically when the two minutes are up.

There are a couple of niggles. The first is that the brush is almost too simple: alongside its Clean and Polish settings, I’d like to see a gentler mode "sensitive" setting for more delicate teeth and gums. The pressure sensor requires some force to activate it, which could result in over-brushing, and it’s quite loud in operation, registering 69db in my noise measuring app.

But I’m nitpicking. Overall, the Suri Core 1.0 is a simple, high-quality sonic toothbrush for a reasonable price, with some sustainability credentials to boot. It would certainly be my pick over some of the more expensive, feature-stuffed brushes that spring to mind.

Suri Core 1.0: Specifications

(Image credit: Future)

Component

Suri Core 1.0

Battery life

28 days

Sonic vibrations

28,000/m

Charging stand

USB-C

Timer

30 seconds, haptic

Noise

69db

Settings

Two

Suri Core 1.0: Price and availability

• $75 in the US
• £65 in the UK
• Not yet in the AU

The Suri Core 1.0 is priced at $75 / £65, cheaper than other brushes in the Suri range, which come in at $99 / £85, and offers good value. It’s more expensive than budget electric toothbrushes such as the Ordo Sonic Lite, which is similarly basic in terms of features, but the Core 1.0 feels like a worthwhile step up.

It’s reliable, looks great on your bathroom counter-top, and with Suri's free brush-head recycling scheme, you can feel good about doing your bit for the environment, too.

Suri Core 1.0: Scorecard

(Image credit: Future)

Category

Comment

Score

Value

Pricier than some budget toothbrushes, but good value overall.

4/5

Design

Great look, simple to use, recyclable and sustainable design elements.

5/5

Performance

Strong motor, great battery, simple to use.

4.5/5

Suri Core 1.0: Should I buy?Buy it if…

You’re after something simple

The Suri Core 1.0 does one job, at two intensities, and does it well.

You want a toothbrush that looks good

The Suri Core 1.0's pleasant design will look great on a bathroom shelf.

You want value

Suri made this toothbrush specifically to appeal to budget buyers.

Don’t buy it if…

You want an oscillating toothbrush

The sonic toothbrush is just a simple vibration model, whereas Oral-B models come with rotating heads.

You’ve got very sensitive teeth

You may prefer a brush with more settings and a lighter pressure sensor.

Also consider

Ordo Sonic Lite

One of the best budget toothbrushes on the market.

Read our full Ordo Sonic Lite review

Suri 2.0 electric toothbrush

Suri's excellent full-price electric toothbrush model.

Read our full Suri 2.0 review

How I tested

I used the Suri Core 1.0 sonic toothbrush for three weeks, brushing morning and night. I measured the decibel levels of the toothbrush using an app, and compared the specs to its contemporaries in the space.

First reviewed: August 2026

The world’s second-largest data center has been proposed to be built next to the tiny historic town of Auchertool in Fife, Scotland.

The proposed data center would cover over 170 acres - covering a footprint larger than the town itself - with a 600MW capacity, making it the second largest operational data center upon completion, just a few acres behind Nevada’s Citadel Campus.

The project has attracted over 1,600 objections. “The public pressure is huge,” said David Torrance, Scottish parliament member for Kirkcaldy. “I’ve never seen this level of objection to a local plan, and I have been in politics for 25 years" (via The Guardian).

A moratorium may dawn on Scotland

As the Scottish Parliament is set to resume after the summer break, data centers are likely to be a major topic of conversation within Holyrood. Auchertool isn’t alone in facing down a data center, with Airdrie and Larbert also opposing local developments.

Scotland is prime real estate for data centers as the country produces over one quarter of the UK’s total electricity production. Coupled with low land prices and a naturally cooler climate, it is no surprise that data center developers are being drawn north of the border to meet the capacity required for the UK’s AI strategy.

But a spanner could be thrown in the works if the Scottish parliament decides to pass a moratorium on data centers.

There is already talk of heavily regulating new data center developments. Scotland’s minister for public finance, Hannah Mary Goodlad, has already issued new rules requiring planning authorities to notify the government of any development larger than 50MW. Some data centers will also have to submit an environmental assessment.

Campaigns against data centers are already being planned, with a demonstration in Edinburgh expected to take place in early September once the Scottish parliament has returned.

Does the UK want data centers?

Planned data centers across the UK are facing a increasing backlash from locals. A petition opposing a 32-acre site that would draw 150MW of electricity in Norwich has reached over 12,000 signatures in just two months.

A 4.5 acre site in Wales near the M4 motorway has reached almost 4,500 signatures. A Northern Ireland petition against data centers has surpassed 5,000 signatures.

Across all of these petitions the sentiment is the same. People don’t want their local areas filled with resource-hungry data centers - especially when the proposed benefits are filled with ifs, buts, and maybes.

The UK currently sits in the number three spot for active data centers at around 500 data centers, just a few behind Germany at about 525, and the US at over 3,600. The government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan wants to see this number increased so that the UK can become “an AI superpower.”

But it’s a very hard sell for the UK public. The government promises economic growth, more jobs, and a greater level of foreign investment in the UK economy - but they are forgetting that these promises mean little to everyday people already struggling to afford daily life.

Since 2020, food prices in the UK have risen by almost 40%. In the same period, the average water bill has risen 50%. Since the start of the Iran war, energy prices have risen by as much as 70%. Pay increases in real terms have failed to keep pace with inflation, meaning that the average person in the UK is significantly worse off than they were just six years earlier.

But a mass buildout of data centers across the UK will only worsen this problem. Infrastructural upgrades to energy grids to match data center capacity are paid through increases in household bills, not to mention the enormous increase in energy production required to power new data centers which will put additional strain on energy bills. Water infrastructure will also have to be upgraded to supply data centers with cooling, much of which will be added to the bills of consumers.

The UK water trade body accused the government of failing to account for its AI buildout when forecasting future water needs. The government has designated AI data centers as critical infrastructure, meaning that during droughts or water shortages they will be given priority during heatwaves and hosepipe bans.

Promises of economic prosperity therefore fall on deaf ears. The economy may grow, GDP may go up, but neither of these directly benefit the average working person. If the government wants people on board with its AI growth project, it needs to offer some visceral, tangible return to the UK public.

Suri Core 1.0: One minute review

I’ve tested numerous electric brushes with far too many settings and features, from 12+ brushing modes to apps that provide real-time guidance. Yet I inevitably end up using them in the same way: pick up the brush, press the button once, brush my teeth, then put it back in the cupboard until the next time. I’ve never used an app outside of a review period, and I rarely bother with any extra settings either. Battery life is also important to me, as I don’t have a compatible plug socket in my bathroom. And I’d also rather not throw out too many plastic brush-heads that will ultimately end up in landfill.

Suri brushes are designed to be no-fuss, no-frills sonic toothbrushes with minimal settings to avoid a simple tool from becoming unnecessarily complicated, alongside recyclable elements. The Suri Core 1.0 sticks closely to this brief, offering a more affordable alternative to its successful, pricier Pro range.

Naturally, Suri has cut some corners with the Core 1.0 to keep the price down, notably replacing the metal body with a "bio-plastic" one made from renewable sources and recycled material, while the motor is slightly weaker, offering 28,000 movements a minute instead of the Pro 2.0’s 30,000. It doesn’t come with a clean-and-charge case as the Pro does, either. Instead, you simply get a brush cap for travel. It lasts six days fewer than the Pro on a full charge, with a battery that lasts 28 days compared to the Pro's 34 days.

These efficiency savings are minor, and do nothing to impact the toothbrush’s overall quality. The simple design makes it eminently easy to use, while the built-in timer uses haptic feedback every 30 seconds to help you keep track of brushing time. It looks great, too, especially when stuck to the wall using the provided magnetic mirror-mount attachment. It doesn't feel quite as pleasing in the hand as the metal model, but the pastel-coloured body has a stylish look that will happily fit the aesthetics of a variety of bathrooms. Whichever colour you choose, the brush head is white.

Speaking of brush heads, in the US and UK, Suri operates prepaid mailing programs that enable you to send used heads back to the company, which it then recycles and makes into new products such as soap dishes. The toothbrush is also covered by a warranty, during which Suri will repair and return it at no cost. In addition, across the brush's construction, Suri has introduced measures to reduce the environmental impact of the plastics it uses, from recycled to recyclable materials to more responsible production and disposal .

(Image credit: Future)

I tested this toothbrush for 21 days straight, and in that time didn't have to charge it. The two-minute timer is automatic, with no option to adjust it manually: the brush pulses every 30 seconds to signal that you move to the next quadrant of your mouth then shuts off automatically when the two minutes are up.

There are a couple of niggles. The first is that the brush is almost too simple: alongside its Clean and Polish settings, I’d like to see a gentler mode "sensitive" setting for more delicate teeth and gums. The pressure sensor requires some force to activate it, which could result in over-brushing, and it’s quite loud in operation, registering 69db in my noise measuring app.

But I’m nitpicking. Overall, the Suri Core 1.0 is a simple, high-quality sonic toothbrush for a reasonable price, with some sustainability credentials to boot. It would certainly be my pick over some of the more expensive, feature-stuffed brushes that spring to mind.

Suri Core 1.0: Specifications

(Image credit: Future)

Component

Suri Core 1.0

Battery life

28 days

Sonic vibrations

28,000/m

Charging stand

USB-C

Timer

30 seconds, haptic

Noise

69db

Settings

Two

Suri Core 1.0: Price and availability

• $75 in the US
• £65 in the UK
• Not yet in the AU

The Suri Core 1.0 is priced at $75 / £65, cheaper than other brushes in the Suri range, which come in at $99 / £85, and offers good value. It’s more expensive than budget electric toothbrushes such as the Ordo Sonic Lite, which is similarly basic in terms of features, but the Core 1.0 feels like a worthwhile step up.

It’s reliable, looks great on your bathroom counter-top, and with Suri's free brush-head recycling scheme, you can feel good about doing your bit for the environment, too.

Suri Core 1.0: Scorecard

(Image credit: Future)

Category

Comment

Score

Value

Pricier than some budget toothbrushes, but good value overall.

4/5

Design

Great look, simple to use, recyclable and sustainable design elements.

5/5

Performance

Strong motor, great battery, simple to use.

4.5/5

Suri Core 1.0: Should I buy?Buy it if…

You’re after something simple

The Suri Core 1.0 does one job, at two intensities, and does it well.

You want a toothbrush that looks good

The Suri Core 1.0's pleasant design will look great on a bathroom shelf.

You want value

Suri made this toothbrush specifically to appeal to budget buyers.

Don’t buy it if…

You want an oscillating toothbrush

The sonic toothbrush is just a simple vibration model, whereas Oral-B models come with rotating heads.

You’ve got very sensitive teeth

You may prefer a brush with more settings and a lighter pressure sensor.

Also consider

Ordo Sonic Lite

One of the best budget toothbrushes on the market.

Read our full Ordo Sonic Lite review

Suri 2.0 electric toothbrush

Suri's excellent full-price electric toothbrush model.

Read our full Suri 2.0 review

How I tested

I used the Suri Core 1.0 sonic toothbrush for three weeks, brushing morning and night. I measured the decibel levels of the toothbrush using an app, and compared the specs to its contemporaries in the space.

First reviewed: August 2026

Specs

Type: color inkjet tank printer

Functions: Print only

Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi

Data storage slots: None

Max print speed: 22ppm (draft mode)

Max paper size: Letter/A4

Print quality: 600x600dpi; 4800x1200dpi (enhanced)

Memory: 64MB

Apple AirPrint: yes

Consumables included: 4 x bottled ink (6,000 black or color pages)

Dimensions/Weight: 434 x 360 x 134 mm (WxDxH)/8.3lb/3.75kg

Meet the smallest and cheapest member of HP’s Smart Tank family, lowering the entry point for cartridge-free printing in the home or home office.

It’s a severely stripped-back print-only device with no auto-duplex mode, no ethernet port or paper drawer and a very basic display. but the print engine is the same as that of the more expensive HP Smart Tank 5100, so I’m hoping for decent prints with an unbeatable cost-per-page.

If you can live without the extras, this could be the lowest total cost of ownership of any home printer.

HP Smart Tank 210: Design and build

(Image credit: Future)

From its sustainable packaging and neat design, to its seamlessly integrated ink tanks, this is a very well-designed product. As well as being the cheapest ink tank printer I’ve tested, it’s also the smallest.

The footprint is the same as the average Letter/A4 printer, but the height is just 134cm, so no bigger than a cartridge inkjet, and I think it looks pretty smart in HP’s off-white livery.

With no integrated scanner, the lid is just a fixed steel panel, and with no front media tray either, your paper must be loaded via the rear input tray. This will hold up to 100 sheets, while the output tray will take up to 30. The display is a postage stamp-sized affair to let you know when it’s connected to the network and not much else.

The HP Smart Tank 210 weighs just eight pounds, but despite that, it feels well made and it’s using 45% recycled plastic. I’m glad to see the packaging is all cardboard too.

HP Smart Tank 210: Features & specifications

(Image credit: Future)

To keep costs down, the HP Smart Tank 210 dispenses with all unnecessary features. There’s no Ethernet port or USB Host port and the display is small and basic. There’s no scanner bed, which is available on the step-up HP Smart Tank 5100.

These are all features I can live without, but limiting it to manual duplex seriously slows down your workflow and encourages wasteful one-sided printing. So, think carefully before springing for this model. I think it’s a step too far.

Printing is for the most part slow at just 5ppm (pages per minute) for color pages and 12ppm for black, but thankfully, there is a draft mode for when speed is more important than quality and that cranks it up to 22ppm for black pages.

HP Smart Tank 210: Setup and operation

(Image credit: Future)

HPs printers tend to be the quickest to get up and running thanks to their integrated Bluetooth and I’m glad to see it’s included on this entry-level model. With the HP Smart app on your phone, you can quickly connect it to the printer via Bluetooth, so you can then let the app get your printer onto your local wi-fi network. Dual-band Wi-Fi, AirPrint and Chromebook ensure it’s quick to connect and the app makes it quite easy to print wirelessly.

Things get fiddlier when it comes to installing the two printhead cartridges that distribute the black and tri-color inks to the ink jets. Yes, there are still cartridges, but don’t worry, they’re not the kind that need replacing. The only way to get at them is through the front panel, so you need quite long fingers.

That done, you’re ready to pour in the ink, and that’s much easier. The individually shaped bottle necks means there’s no danger of getting the colors the wrong way around and for three of the tanks, the bottle capacity matches that of the reservoirs. The black bottle holds more, but the tank stops filling automatically when full. I did it quite hurriedly and didn’t spill a drop.

HP Smart Tank 210: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

The HP Smart Tank 210 turned out crisp and colorful test pages without any crashes or paper jams throughout the test. It prints slowly, especially in color, but the pages are worth waiting for. HP’s dye-based C/M/Y inks are bold and bright, so the colors are pleasingly vivid.

As with most business inkjet printers, the black ink is pigment based because that tends to give quick drying and robust prints that are good for handouts. Black text on plain paper looks sharp enough and it passed the finger smudge test. However, it began to lose clarity when printing characters as small as point 3 print size.

Print resolution is the standard 600x600dpi resolution, but this is enhanced when printing on photo paper at fine quality to 4800x1200dpi. It means the HP Smart Tank 210 makes a reasonable photo printer. and the results are on par with more expensive printers like the Brother DCP-T580DW.

HP Smart Tank 210: Consumables

(Image credit: Future)

The HP Smart Tank 210 ships with three years of ink according to HP. To be precise, that’s three 50ml bottles of colored ink and one 375ml bottle of black ink, which should yield up to 6,000 black or color pages.

Compared with cartridge printers like the HP Envy 6530e which comes with ink for 120 black pages and just 75 color, the advantage of bulk tank printing is clear. The difference in price between cartridge and bottled ink is equally dramatic, with cartridge ink costing around 36 times as much for what’s essentially the exact same stuff.

HP Smart Tank 210: Maintenance

(Image credit: Future)

Like any inkjet printer, the printheads are liable to clog if the ink is allowed to dry when left unused for a length of time. It’s easily solved by running a maintenance cycle.

There are three to choose from with the most thorough using the largest amount ink to flush the printheads. If this were a cartridge inkjet, you’d be reluctant to choose that option, but with bottled ink being relatively cheap, it’s not an issue.

If even this doesn’t solve the problem, you can replace the print head cartridges easily, but it’s unlikely you’ll need to do this in the printer’s lifetime.

HP Smart Tank 210: Final verdictFutureFutureFuture

I’m delighted to see the entry point for cartridge-free printing lowered by this innovative budget solution. Admittedly, a lot of features have been cut to get here - there’s no scanner, ethernet port, touchscreen, paper tray or auto-duplex.

However, the print quality is the same as the HP Smart Tank 5100 and comparable with HP’s more expensive HP Smart Tank 7001, which is very good news. Text pages look just as sharp while photos have vivid color and clarity.

It has the same crisp design and easy setup as HP’s other printers too, thanks to its inbuilt Bluetooth and seamlessly integrated ink tanks. There’s plenty of ink in the box and the low cost of HP’s bottled refills means you won’t find another printer with a lower cost of ownership.

For me, auto-duplex is a must-have feature, but if you can live with manual duplex this stripped back ink tank is a bargain.

For more options, I've tested out the best home printers and the best ink tank printers.

Specs

Type: color inkjet tank printer

Functions: Print only

Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi

Data storage slots: None

Max print speed: 22ppm (draft mode)

Max paper size: Letter/A4

Print quality: 600x600dpi; 4800x1200dpi (enhanced)

Memory: 64MB

Apple AirPrint: yes

Consumables included: 4 x bottled ink (6,000 black or color pages)

Dimensions/Weight: 434 x 360 x 134 mm (WxDxH)/8.3lb/3.75kg

Meet the smallest and cheapest member of HP’s Smart Tank family, lowering the entry point for cartridge-free printing in the home or home office.

It’s a severely stripped-back print-only device with no auto-duplex mode, no ethernet port or paper drawer and a very basic display. but the print engine is the same as that of the more expensive HP Smart Tank 5100, so I’m hoping for decent prints with an unbeatable cost-per-page.

If you can live without the extras, this could be the lowest total cost of ownership of any home printer.

HP Smart Tank 210: Design and build

(Image credit: Future)

From its sustainable packaging and neat design, to its seamlessly integrated ink tanks, this is a very well-designed product. As well as being the cheapest ink tank printer I’ve tested, it’s also the smallest.

The footprint is the same as the average Letter/A4 printer, but the height is just 134cm, so no bigger than a cartridge inkjet, and I think it looks pretty smart in HP’s off-white livery.

With no integrated scanner, the lid is just a fixed steel panel, and with no front media tray either, your paper must be loaded via the rear input tray. This will hold up to 100 sheets, while the output tray will take up to 30. The display is a postage stamp-sized affair to let you know when it’s connected to the network and not much else.

The HP Smart Tank 210 weighs just eight pounds, but despite that, it feels well made and it’s using 45% recycled plastic. I’m glad to see the packaging is all cardboard too.

HP Smart Tank 210: Features & specifications

(Image credit: Future)

To keep costs down, the HP Smart Tank 210 dispenses with all unnecessary features. There’s no Ethernet port or USB Host port and the display is small and basic. There’s no scanner bed, which is available on the step-up HP Smart Tank 5100.

These are all features I can live without, but limiting it to manual duplex seriously slows down your workflow and encourages wasteful one-sided printing. So, think carefully before springing for this model. I think it’s a step too far.

Printing is for the most part slow at just 5ppm (pages per minute) for color pages and 12ppm for black, but thankfully, there is a draft mode for when speed is more important than quality and that cranks it up to 22ppm for black pages.

HP Smart Tank 210: Setup and operation

(Image credit: Future)

HPs printers tend to be the quickest to get up and running thanks to their integrated Bluetooth and I’m glad to see it’s included on this entry-level model. With the HP Smart app on your phone, you can quickly connect it to the printer via Bluetooth, so you can then let the app get your printer onto your local wi-fi network. Dual-band Wi-Fi, AirPrint and Chromebook ensure it’s quick to connect and the app makes it quite easy to print wirelessly.

Things get fiddlier when it comes to installing the two printhead cartridges that distribute the black and tri-color inks to the ink jets. Yes, there are still cartridges, but don’t worry, they’re not the kind that need replacing. The only way to get at them is through the front panel, so you need quite long fingers.

That done, you’re ready to pour in the ink, and that’s much easier. The individually shaped bottle necks means there’s no danger of getting the colors the wrong way around and for three of the tanks, the bottle capacity matches that of the reservoirs. The black bottle holds more, but the tank stops filling automatically when full. I did it quite hurriedly and didn’t spill a drop.

HP Smart Tank 210: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

The HP Smart Tank 210 turned out crisp and colorful test pages without any crashes or paper jams throughout the test. It prints slowly, especially in color, but the pages are worth waiting for. HP’s dye-based C/M/Y inks are bold and bright, so the colors are pleasingly vivid.

As with most business inkjet printers, the black ink is pigment based because that tends to give quick drying and robust prints that are good for handouts. Black text on plain paper looks sharp enough and it passed the finger smudge test. However, it began to lose clarity when printing characters as small as point 3 print size.

Print resolution is the standard 600x600dpi resolution, but this is enhanced when printing on photo paper at fine quality to 4800x1200dpi. It means the HP Smart Tank 210 makes a reasonable photo printer. and the results are on par with more expensive printers like the Brother DCP-T580DW.

HP Smart Tank 210: Consumables

(Image credit: Future)

The HP Smart Tank 210 ships with three years of ink according to HP. To be precise, that’s three 50ml bottles of colored ink and one 375ml bottle of black ink, which should yield up to 6,000 black or color pages.

Compared with cartridge printers like the HP Envy 6530e which comes with ink for 120 black pages and just 75 color, the advantage of bulk tank printing is clear. The difference in price between cartridge and bottled ink is equally dramatic, with cartridge ink costing around 36 times as much for what’s essentially the exact same stuff.

HP Smart Tank 210: Maintenance

(Image credit: Future)

Like any inkjet printer, the printheads are liable to clog if the ink is allowed to dry when left unused for a length of time. It’s easily solved by running a maintenance cycle.

There are three to choose from with the most thorough using the largest amount ink to flush the printheads. If this were a cartridge inkjet, you’d be reluctant to choose that option, but with bottled ink being relatively cheap, it’s not an issue.

If even this doesn’t solve the problem, you can replace the print head cartridges easily, but it’s unlikely you’ll need to do this in the printer’s lifetime.

HP Smart Tank 210: Final verdictFutureFutureFuture

I’m delighted to see the entry point for cartridge-free printing lowered by this innovative budget solution. Admittedly, a lot of features have been cut to get here - there’s no scanner, ethernet port, touchscreen, paper tray or auto-duplex.

However, the print quality is the same as the HP Smart Tank 5100 and comparable with HP’s more expensive HP Smart Tank 7001, which is very good news. Text pages look just as sharp while photos have vivid color and clarity.

It has the same crisp design and easy setup as HP’s other printers too, thanks to its inbuilt Bluetooth and seamlessly integrated ink tanks. There’s plenty of ink in the box and the low cost of HP’s bottled refills means you won’t find another printer with a lower cost of ownership.

For me, auto-duplex is a must-have feature, but if you can live with manual duplex this stripped back ink tank is a bargain.

For more options, I've tested out the best home printers and the best ink tank printers.

Lanterns episode 3 has been released on HBO Max — and, after two weeks of teasing, it finally pulls back the veil on the mysterious extraterrestrials known as the Guardians of the Universe.

Until now, the Guardians have been something of an enigma in the HBO TV Original. However, its latest chapter, titled 'OutKast', gives us a much clearer picture of these beings and why they want John Stewart to succeed Hal Jordan as Earth's Green Lantern.

So, who are they? Where did they come from? Do they have powers? What's their connection to the Green Lantern Corps? And why are they obsessed with Stewart replacing Jordan? Let's take a closer look at the Guardians' comic book history and role in this HBO Max sci-fi crime drama.

Who are the Guardians of the Universe in DC Comics?

The Guardians of the Universe first appeared in July 1960 via Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 (Image credit: DC Comics)

Created by DC icons Gil Kane and Jeff Broome during the Silver Age of Comic Books, the Guardians of the Universe are an immortal alien race depicted as blue-skinned humanoids originally from the planet Maltus. However, after a time-bending experiment — one that leads to the birth of the DC Multiverse and the anti-matter universe — goes awry, the Maltusians relocated to a new world named Oa and rebranded themselves as the Guardians of the Universe.

The Guardians gave themselves a new objective following the aforementioned and ill-fated time-based test: combat evil and create an orderly universe.

With this goal in mind, they created sentient androids known as the Manhunters to patrol the universe and combat any threats they encounter. However, the Manhunters soon came to resent their creators, committed mass genocide in a harrowing event known as the Massacre of Sector-666, and later attempted a coup, which the Guardians quelled. For more on the Manhunters and their role in this show, read my Manhunters in Lanterns explained piece.

Laura Linney's Lianna is the only Guardian we've met so far (Image credit: DC Studios/HBO)

In the wake of the Manhunters' uprising, the Guardians started afresh and created the Green Lantern Corps. A new interstellar police agency, its members carry out the Manhunters' former duties of watching over the universe and tackling anyone who threatens the peace. Two Green Lanterns guard each of the 3,600 sectors that make up the known universe, meaning there are 7,200 space cops in total.

Abilities-wise, the Guardians are some of the most powerful beings in DC Comics. Their powerset includes — but isn't limited to — the ability to fly, time travel, and phase through objects; telepathy; astral projection; invulnerability to conventional weapons; energy manipulation; reality warping; size manipulation; omniscience; and force field projection.

When and why did the Guardians choose John Stewart to be Earth's next Green Lantern?

John Stewart Sr and Bernadette condition John Jr into thinking it's his destiny to be a Green Lantern (Image credit: DC Studios/HBO)

Now that we've learned about the Guardians' comic book history, let's see how they factor into the DC Universe (DCU) TV show's story.

For starters, when Stewart is interviewed by a Guardian named Lianna (played by Laura Linney) for the chance to become Jordan's successor, we quickly learn that there are only 11 Guardians left. There were 12, but as episode 2 revealed, the former Green Lantern known as Sinestro killed one of them. You can learn more about him via my Sinestro in Lanterns explained article.

Anyway, by way of Lanterns' flashback-heavy third episode, the Guardians had originally tried to recruit Stewart's father — aka John Stewart Sr — as Earth's first Green Lantern when Stewart Jr was a baby. However, Stewart Sr failed the Guardians' 'Are you afraid?' test, so he wasn't chosen.

Traumatized by that cosmic event, Stewart Sr becomes a danger to his loved ones, so he's kicked out of the family home by his wife Bernadette. She doesn't believe her husband's claims surrounding the aforementioned event, either — until Lianna unexpectedly shows up to apologize for the trouble that the Guardians caused the Stewart family.

Bernadette Stewart is the only human who's seemingly seen Lianna in her true form (Image credit: DC Studios/HBO)

To keep things brief, Lianna indicates — over a late-night cup of coffee — that Stewart Jr has the makings of being a future Green Lantern. The reason? His parents are formidable individuals, so it stands to reason that, based on his genetic make-up alone, Stewart Jr would be cut from the same cloth.

After Bernadette tells all of this to Stewart Sr, they decide to raise Stewart Jr to not only be fearless, but also groom him so he will become a Green Lantern when he's older. So begins a years-long mission that sees them treat their youngest son differently from his older siblings. They train him to be undaunted and brainwash him into thinking it's his destiny to be a Green Lantern.

Stewart Jr follows in his father's footsteps by joining the US armed forces (Image credit: DC Studios/HBO Max)

A couple of decades later, Stewart Jr is — the emotional detachment issues born from his unique upbringing notwithstanding — well on his way to becoming the so-called 'chosen one', too.

As the saying goes, though, the best-laid plans often go awry. Now a decorated US Marine sniper, Stewart Jr is sent on a months-long mission to assassinate a prominent money launderer known as 'Gray Wolf' in the Kamchatka Peninsula. Long story short, he fails said assignment when Hal Jordan, who was eventually chosen as Earth's first Green Lantern, surprisingly arrives and arrests the highly sought-after criminal. Forced to take the blame as part of a government cover-up, Stewart Jr is dishonorably discharged by the military.

John demonstrates his ability to create constructs using a Green Lantern ring (Image credit: DC Studios/HBO)

Dejected after seeing his chances of becoming a Green Lantern ruined, Stewart Jr receives an unlikely pep talk from his mom, who also tells him that he's going to art school. Remember, his real passion has always been drawing, so to somewhat make up for her terrible parenting, Bernadette applied to a nearby university on his behalf. After being accepted by said university, Stewart Jr moves on from his Green Lantern dream.

Or so he thinks. Again, to keep things short, Stewart Jr is selected for what appears to be a special university project. However, the man he's trying to impress with his art skills is actually a male Guardian who, after Stewart Jr demonstrates his ability to construct his father's watch using a Green Lantern ring, is sent to be interviewed by Lianna.

Why do the Guardians want John Stewart to replace Hal Jordan?

You might have been conditioned from birth, John, but you still need to interview for the position! (Image credit: DC Studios/HBO)

For myriad reasons; but two specific reasons stand out among all others.

First — and perhaps most importantly — the Guardians are concerned about Jordan's relationship with Sinestro. Sure, Jordan was the one who defeated Sinestro after the latter killed one of the Guardians, but they know Jordan still harbors affection for his former mentor.

I wouldn't be shocked if they knew Jordan had visited Sinestro for information about the Manhunters in Lanterns episode 2, either. If they do, they'll be even more worried because there's no telling what Sinestro could do or say to Jordan to win him over to Sinestro's cause.

The other reason is Jordan's reckless nature. During their chat, Lianna tells Stewart that, despite regularly being told not to interfere in terrestrial matters, Jordan continues to do so. Replacing Jordan with Stewart would mean that these impulsive interventions would stop because Stewart wouldn't defy his bosses' wishes.

After successfully passing his Green Lantern interview, all eyes are now on how and when Stewart will succeed Jordan as Earth's primary Green Lantern in the DCU Chapter One TV series. Based on what Jordan tells Stewart at the end of this episode, though, he won't go quietly into that good night. Well, until Lanterns' 2026 storyline, when Jordan is murdered by someone, anyway...

• 80% of teachers use AI, but only 35% work fewer hours and 55% work the same
• It's freeing up time that's then being spent on other work
• Technology alone might not be enough to tackle excessive workloads

New YouGov data has revealed around four in five teachers now use artificial intelligence at work, marking around a 2x increase over the past year.

However, despite a clear appetite for the productivity-boosting tech, teachers aren't actually saving any meaningful time – only one in three (35%) said they were actually working fewer hours as a result of adopting AI, with more than half (55%) noting they were working the same amount of time.

But crucially, that's not to say that artificial intelligence isn't saving workers time where it's being applied. They're just spending the time that they've already saved taking on other workloads, implying that teachers have long been overstretched.

AI is helping teachers catch up with work

Teacher workload is already a major issue in the UK, where the study of 1,033 workers was conducted. Some of the most common use cases where AI is helping to free up some time include producing lesson plans and worksheets (76%) and drafting letters and emails to parents or writing pupil reports (39%).

Importantly, with just 8% using AI to mark students' work, it's clear that they're focused on using AI to speed up administrative workloads rather than replacing the highly skilled work they trained for.

However, there's still some concern about how AI may be impacting student learning. More than half (57%) suspect at least one of their students of submitting AI-assisted work in the past month without the teacher's permission.

Ultimately, the findings paint a complicated picture whereby AI could be both improving and damaging education at the same time, and the government is clearly still working out how the technology can best be positioned to have a positive impact on all.

New federal rules mean Arizona will be getting a lot less water from the Colorado river. City leaders say they've been planning for years and no one will run out, but keeping taps flowing is expensive.

(Image credit: Alex Hager)

Argentina has produced some of the world's greatest soccer players. Could its youth system offer lessons for the United States?

(Image credit: Eitan Abramovich)

Epson LifeStudio Grand Projector: One-minute review

The new Epson LifeStudio Grand UST projector may not ring any bells. But its rebranding hides the fact that it’s little more than a minor update to the Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS650. That was a decent projector when it came out, but not an amazing one.

With the LifeStudio Grand, Epson has made some improvements. The Google TV operating system works well, and there’s an extra HDMI port where its predecessor offered just two. It also doesn’t have whiny fans. But the image is still a little soft and not as dazzlingly colorful as RGB laser projection. The projector’s motion interpolation also needs a lot of work. And Epson’s switch from Yamaha to Bose for sound tuning hasn’t made the audio better.

With competitors improving considerably over the past year, the LifeStudio Grand is in troubled waters. If you can’t see the DLP rainbow effect and don’t mind drawing the curtains from time to time, you can get a much better projector for your money by shopping elsewhere.

(Image credit: Future)Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Price & release date

• Release date: October 2025
• Price: $2,699 / £1,749.99 / AU$4,399

The LifeStudio Grand launched in late 2025 with global rollout in Spring 2026. The project has a retail price of $2,699 / £1,749.99 / AU$4,399.

Given its newness and the fact that it’s coming from a big player like Epson, I wouldn’t expect any major discounts on the projector too soon, though Black Friday could roll around and see at least a minor deal.

Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Specs

Screen sizes supported

60 to 120 inches

Brightness (specified)

3,600 Lumens

Optical technology

3-Chip 3LCD

Smart TV

Google TV

Connections

3x USB-A, 1x 3.5mm audio out, 1x Optical audio out, 3x HDMI 2.0 (1x eARC, 1x USB-B (Service port)

Dimensions

18.4 x 15.7 x 6.2 inches

Weight

16.6 pounds

Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Design & features

(Image credit: Future)

• Google TV and fast Wi-Fi work well together
• Bland looks, but functional design

As soon as I took out the LifeStudio Grand, I thought it looked familiar. Sure enough, down to the inch and pound, it’s just the Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS650 back again. There are just a few changes.

Epson added a third HDMI port on the back: nice. Epson swapped to Google TV and it actually runs quickly: nice. Epson included Wi-Fi 6E: nice. And Epson added some gaming features, like ALLM and a 1080p/120Hz mode: nice. But these are more making up for fumbles from that earlier model, rather than actually keeping pace with competitors like the Hisense PX3 Pro and its 1080p240Hz mode.

The LifeStudio Grand is a little plain to look at with its white plastic construction and gray-ish front grille — the result of a white grille dotted with black holes. Even the Epson branding looks unfortunate, like it was pasted on after having been forgotten in an earlier prototype (except we know it wasn’t because it was there on the predecessor).

One thing giving the LifeStudio Grand a bit of style is its little silver legs. These also play a crucial role in the projection, as they can adjust the tilt of the projector to ensure it lines up square with a wall or projection screen. The projector supports digital keystone adjustments, but those are best avoided when possible. The right side of the projector hides a hardware focus dial behind a small panel, which allows for quick focus adjustments while also protecting the setting once you’ve got it in place. Auto-focus would have been nice though.

(Image credit: Future)

While the LifeStudio Grand isn’t a large UST projector, it ends up feeling a little large because of its 15.7-inch depth. For comparison, the Hisense L9Q is just 12.5 inches deep and the PX3-Pro is just 11.7 inches. That sees the LifeStudio Grand stick out pretty far forward on a media console, and because of its 0.25:1 throw ratio, the console might have to stick out too if you want to get a huge picture. All of this also makes for tough placement for a soundbar.

The LifeStudio Grand’s remote is a cheap little plastic unit that doesn’t feel a good match for the price of the projector. It has typical Google TV controls, a dedicated input-selection button, four streaming app shortcuts (one for Free TV, which fires up Google TV Freeplay), and a dedicated brightness control and a shortcut to projection settings. While there are also volume controls on the remote, there’s no mute button — enjoy the sound of advertisements that you can’t quickly mute. The remote also lacks any illumination, which would be helpful in a dark home theater.

(Image credit: Future)

• Design & features score: 3/5

Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Picture quality & performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Bright projection
• Slightly soft picture and motion artifacts
• Speakers are no stand-in for actual sound system

Just like its predecessor, the star of the show for the LifeStudio Grand is its brightness. The projector offers a very respectable 3,600 lumens. This doesn’t make up for bright sunlight coming into the room and ruining dark scenes, but for bright content it can look decent. And the fans don’t overdo while running at full brightness either — an improvement over its prior model.

That’s about where the LifeStudio Grand’s benefits compared to its competitors end. The LifeStudio Grand uses Epson’s own 3LCD projection, which doesn’t prove as colorful compared to the crop of RGB laser projectors on the market. It does avoid issues with DLP rainbow effect, but if you’re not susceptible to that, it may be a non-issue. Contrast is decent, but not astounding. And though this is a 4K projector, Epson’s pixel shifting on this model doesn’t produce as stunningly sharp an image as its rivals.

Right out of the box, the projector’s Standard picture profile has some motion issues, and it’s not better on its other profiles. It smoothes out camera panning motion, but it introduces issues in just about all other types of motions. People moving around on screen look poor, especially with hand motions, which look almost AI generated and occasionally cause weird stuttering for the whole frame.

Animation looks even worse as motions are smeared chaotically. And even panning shots can suffer when the camera motion changes speed or slows to a stop, with the projector seeming to reduce the frame rate instead of interpolating. Although the interpolation can be turned off, when it is some camera pans stutter.

(Image credit: Future)

The speakers on the LifeStudio Grand are fine, but not dazzling — so much for that Bose collab. They don’t create a very wide soundstage, so they’re no replacement for a proper sound system. And while they can pump out enough volume for a 200-square-foot room, that’s about their limit. I find I’m regularly dialing them up above 60% just to listen in a quiet room. With guests over, it all but requires max volume, and has a slightly harsh quality when cranked.

Even with the projector’s new gaming features, it doesn’t prove a stunning option for gamers either. At a pinch, it’ll be good enough for most games, but I could still feel slight latency that made combat hard in fast-reflex action games.

• Picture quality & performance score: 3/5

Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Value

The LifeStudio Grand isn’t a terribly high-priced UST projector, undercutting the Hisense PX3-Pro by a good amount. And for the money, you’re getting a very bright projector. But that’s about the only specification that stands out.

The picture quality, sound, and design all leave plenty to be desired. That’s a bit too much disappointment for a product that’s still edging up toward $3,000 / £2,000 / AU$4,500.

Having seen the Hisense C2 Ultra — a 3,000 lumen triple laser projector — going for $2,000 (around £1,500 / AU$2,800) recently, it’s hard to see the LifeStudio Grand as a good option when you can grab the Hisense and a solid sound system for the same price.

• Value score: 3/5

Should I buy the Epson LifeStudio Grand?

(Image credit: Future)Epson LifeStudio Grand Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design and features

A bland and bulky design that hasn’t changed much holds the LifeStudio Grand back, though it’s nice to see Wi-Fi 6E and an upgrade to a functional Google TV operating system.

3/5

Picture quality and performance

The LifeStudio Grand is bright and avoids the DLP rainbow effect, but that’s about the only thing it has going for it against its rivals. It’s not dazzlingly colorful, offers just decent contrast, can look a little soft, and doesn’t have impressive speakers or gaming performance.

3/5

Value

With just a couple of strong points and some big areas it lags behind, the LifeStudio Grand doesn’t offer wonderful value at $2,699 / £1,749.99 / AU$4,399, especially when some competitors have come down in price.

3/5

Buy it if...

You really struggle with the DLP rainbow effect
Have you ever noticed flashing colors while watching a projector? That’s probably the DLP rainbow effect, and it can ruin your experience with an otherwise great projector. The LifeStudio Grand doesn’t use DLP tech, so you don’t have to worry about this issue on it.

You do a lot of bright-room viewing
For the money, the LifeStudio Grand is one of the brighter options you’ll find. If you want to watch content largely in a bright room, it can provide a more serviceable image than similarly priced competitors.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t struggle with the DLP rainbow effect
There are such amazing RGB laser projectors on the market, and some of them are nearly as bright and competitively priced against the LifeStudio Grand. They may not all be as bright, but the vibrant color they deliver can feel like it makes the image even brighter than it is.

You’re a gamer
Epson has improved the gaming experience here, but it still can't offer flawless responsiveness. With Hisense offering models that support 1080p/240Hz modes for super-smooth gaming and negligible latency, it’s no contest.

You’re setting up a serious home theater
The LifeStudio Grand’s big edge is in a bright room. In the dark, it’s not as impressive. Its longer throw ratio, lower color gamut, and weaker sound also hold it back. And with its depth, it gets in the way of soundbars.

Epson LifeStudio Grand review: also considerComparison: projectors

Epson LifeStudio Grand

Hisense PX3-Pro

Xgimi Aura 2

Hisense C2 Ultra

Price:

$2,699 / £1,749.99 / AU$4,399

$3,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,999

$2,699 / £2,459 / AU$6,399

$2,999 / £2,499 / AU$4,499

Screen sizes supported:

60 to 120 inches

80 to 150 inches

80 to 150 inches

65 to 300 inches

Brightness (specified):

3,600 lumens

3,000 lumens

2,300 lumens

3,000 lumens

HDR support

HDR10, HLG

HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision

HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision

Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG

Optical technology:

3LCD, Laser

3 Laser DLP

Dual Light 2.0 (Laser + LED)

RGB Laser DLP

Smart TV:

Google TV

Google TV

Android TV

Vidaa OS

Connections:

3x HDMI 2.0 (1 with ARC), optical, 3.5mm

2x HDMI 2.1, 1x HDMI 2.0 (1 with eARC), 1x optical, 1x 3.5mm

2x HDMI, 1x HDMI eARC, optical digital audio out, 3.5mm audio out, 3x USB-A, Ethernet

2x HDMI 2.1 (1 with eARC), 2x USB-A, 1x S/PDIF, Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm, Bluetooth 5.3

Hisense PX3-Pro
The Hisense PX3-Pro is nearly as bright, far more colorful, more versatile, and cooler looking. While it may be more expensive on paper, it’s seen plenty of discounts that can bring it to even more competitive prices. Read our full Hisense PX3-Pro review.

Xgimi Aura 2
You won’t get as much brightness out of the Aura 2, but you’ll get a much prettier piece of hardware, and an all-around great projector with solid color and HDR support. Read our full Xgimi Aura 2 review.

Hisense C2 Ultra
As an alternative to UST projection, the C2 Ultra is a brilliant long-throw projector with flexible optics to make positioning less of issue. It boasts bright, RGB laser projection for a gorgeous image, works wonders in games, and has seen discounts since launch that see it undercut the LifeStudio Grand. Read our full Hisense C2 Ultra review.

How I tested the Epson LifeStudio Grand

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
• Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
• I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade

I tested the Epson LifeStudio Grand at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, in-room lighting, as well as ambient noise that both the projector and speaker systems had to overcome. The projector was tested both against a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, HDR and non-HDR, and PC gameplay.

My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models colleagues at TechRadar and I have tested.

I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.

• First reviewed: August 2026
• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

MechLands Vibe99: One-minute review

The MechLands Vibe99 is a mechanical keyboard that takes aim at the budget-end of the market, but does so without any apparent sacrifices to features or performance.

It doesn’t make a great first impression, however. The retro aesthetic fails to charm, with its chunky design and the copious amounts of grey in my review unit merely looking downmarket. Fortunately, the bright and customizable RGB backlighting does help to liven it up a little.

The build quality isn’t terribly impressive, either. The plastic chassis is solid but doesn't feel premium. Fortunately, the Double-shot PBT keycaps are much better, although their opaque legends don’t allow that aforementioned backlighting to shine through. Their Fn shortcuts aren’t labelled, either, unlike those installed in the best gaming keyboards.

(Image credit: Future)

However, the compact width of the Vibe99 is impressive, and thanks to the smart 1800 layout, you still get plenty of keys. What’s more, it also features an integrated screen. It may be a basic TFT affair with limited information displayed, but what it does show is useful, such as the time, date, and battery level. You can also upload GIFs to it if you so wish, but I wouldn’t advise that you do, given the screen’s small size and low fidelity.

You’ll need to use MechLand’s peripheral software to upload them, but it takes an incredibly long time to do so, and you can’t do much else while it’s in progress. What’s more, the whole app has a poor UI, lacking sharpness and clarity. The remapping suite is also disappointing, with only a basic selection of assignments and no direct visual indication of your rebindings.

The performance of the Vibe99 itself fares better. The keys are generously lubed yet quite clicky, lacking the dampening of the very best in the space. However, they’re satisfying to use and have plenty of snap, actuating and rebounding quickly while forgiving accidental hits. The natural tilt of the layout and the folding feet help to make the board more comfortable to use as well, although I still wish it came with a wrist rest.

It’s impressive that the Vibe99 offers all that it does at such a low price point. It’s far cheaper than many of the mechanical models offered by the big brands, and it’s even cheaper than some other great budget options. It’s not perfect, and the software isn’t as good as it should be, but the Vibe99 is still worth shortlisting if you’re looking to save.

(Image credit: Future)MechLands Vibe99 review: Price & availability

• $82.99 / £63.99 / AU$120
• Available now
• One of the cheapest mechanical keyboards around

The Vibe99 costs $82.99 / £63.99 / AU$120 and is available now in various colorways but with one switch type, which is MechLand’s Linear Mint model. It comes with a keycap puller and a braided USB cable.

This is a very competitive price for a 1800 wireless mechanical keyboard with hot-swappable switches. It’s even cheaper than the aluminum variant of the MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra, which has fewer keys. However, the build quality of that board is superior, and thanks to its analog switches, it has far more performance-related tweaks.

The Vibe99 is also considerably cheaper than big-name mechanical models, such as the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%. But the BlackWidow has a far superior build and unrivaled performance, thanks to the glorious response of its switches. Its software is much better, too.

MechLands Vibe99 review: Specs

Layout

1800

Switch

Mechanical (MechLands Cream Mint Linear)

Programmable keys

Yes

Dimensions

16.5 x 5.9 x 1.7 inch (418 x 150 x 42mm)

RGB or backlighting

Yes (customizable)

(Image credit: Future)MechLands Vibe99 review: Design & features

• Tired looks
• Cheap-feeling plastics
• Poor software

The Vibe99 aims for that faux-retro appeal, but I don’t think it succeeds. Not only does the thick base look dated, but the grey and black finish of my review unit looked quite dour. The bright RGB backlighting did at least add some vividness though.

Unfortunately, the build quality isn’t anything to write home about either. Although it feels solid enough, the plastics used throughout feel cut-price, especially when compared to the aluminum frames of more upmarket gaming keyboards. Its saving grace is its keycaps, which have a Cherry profile and are made from Double-shot PBT. They’re also solidly installed with next to no play. However, it’s a shame their legends aren’t transparent to allow the backlighting to shine through. Also, the default Fn shortcuts across the Function row and dotted around elsewhere aren’t labelled, so you’ll have to commit them to memory.

To speak in favor of the Vibe99’s design, it’s an impressively compact board, and its 1800 layout means it still manages to feature plenty of keys, including a number pad. It’s also quite light, which makes it easy to maneuver when required.

(Image credit: Future)

What’s more, a TFT display is nestled in the top corner, and while it’s small with a low resolution, it still provides some useful readouts, such as those for the time, date, and the battery life. You can also upload custom GIFs to it via the MechLands’ software for Windows, although I’m not sure it’s worth the effort given the screen’s quality.

This software also lets you record macros and customize the Vibe99’s backlighting. You can remap keys here as well, although the selection on offer is quite lackluster, with only a handful of system and media shortcuts available. What’s more, your selected bindings aren’t shown on the layout map directly; you have to hover over each individual key to see your remapped function, which is highly impractical.

The rest of the app’s UI has issues, too. Text and various other elements are fuzzy and sometimes oddly proportioned. Worse still is the aforementioned GIF uploader: during my testing it took an achingly long time for one to upload, and most of the app was inaccessible during the process. To add insult to injury, the dialog box for its progress remained on top of all my other windows, not just the app’s. If you’re hoping such issues will be patched, I wouldn’t get your hopes up; according to MechLand’s website, the last update for the software was in 2025.

(Image credit: Future)MechLands Vibe99 review: Performance

• Pre-lubed keys
• Snappy response
• Needs wrist support

In contrast to its somewhat incompetent software, the Vibe99 is a solid and impressive performer. The keys are well lubed, which makes them feel less harsh when pressed, yet they still retain a gratifying clickiness. They’re relatively loud, but thankfully the noise isn’t grating.

They’re also quite snappy, thanks to their reasonably shallow actuation point and fast rebound. However, they’re not so reactive that mere grazes will trigger them, which means you won’t be making many typos.

(Image credit: Future)

What also helps with typing are the keycaps, with their low Cherry profile making them easy to glide over. Additionally, they’re spaced far enough apart to prevent mis-hits, yet close enough to make gaming comfortable, with various common keys remaining easy to reach from the WASD position. The space bar is a triumph as well — the combination of its low profile and sloping shape makes it conducive to direct hits on its top surface, rather than on its back edge.

However, the Vibe99 really needs to be paired with a wrist rest to make it comfortable for long sessions. That aforementioned thick chassis strained my wrists as I reached for the keys. The natural tilt of the layout and the unit’s fold-out feet improve ergonomics to an extent, but neither can compensate entirely for the lack of additional support.

The Vibe99 connected to my Windows PCs via the 2.4GHz dongle and Bluetooth just fine, and hot-switching between them was quick thanks to the toggle switch on the back of the unit.

Should I buy the MechLands Vibe99?Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

This keyboard has one of the best price-to-spec ratios I’ve ever seen.

4.5 / 5

Design and features

Solid enough, but it doesn’t look or feel premium. The software is functional but barebones and features a poor UI.

3 / 5

Performance

The switches are well lubed and have a snappy response. However, you’ll need some additional wrist support to get comfortable.

4 / 5

Overall

The Vibe99 is a veritable bargain at this price, considering all that it offers. You’ll need to bring your own wrist support, though, and I hope you’re not after incredible accompanying software.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if…

You’re on a budget
If you’re looking for a cheap mechanical keyboard, you can’t do much better than the Vibe99.

You want clicky mechanical keys
The stock switches in the Vibe99 are well lubed but also very clicky, which makes them satisfying to use.

Don't buy it if…

You want a premium build
Although the Vibe99’s build quality is sufficient, it doesn’t look or feel expensive.

You want the best software
Perhaps the weakest part of the Vibe99, the accompanying app looks poor and doesn’t have many features.

MechLands Vibe99 review: Also consider

Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro
The BlackWidow V4 Pro is vastly more expensive than the Vibe99, but it’s built to a much higher standard than the Vibe99, and its mechanical performance is unparalleled. Synapse, the software for customizing its inputs, is far superior, too. Read our full Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% review.

MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra
The FUN60 Ultra is another great gaming keyboard with a low price tag. Although it has a smaller layout, it has analog switches with adjustable actuation points and other features that mechanical switches miss out on. Read our full MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the MechLands Vibe99

• Tested for several weeks
• Used for a variety of tasks
• Plentiful gaming keyboard experience

I tested the Vibe99 for several weeks, during which time I used it for gaming, working, and general productivity. I used it with two Windows 11 PCs, one connected via the 2.4GHz dongle and the other via Bluetooth, and regularly hot-switched between them.

One of the games I played with the keyboard was Counter-Strike 2, which is a great test for peripherals since it requires quick and accurate movements.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and have used a large number of keyboards in that time. I’ve also reviewed plenty of them, from budget offerings to premium models from the likes of Razer, Corsair, and SteelSeries.

• First reviewed: August 2026
• Read more about how we test

MechLands Vibe99: One-minute review

The MechLands Vibe99 is a mechanical keyboard that takes aim at the budget-end of the market, but does so without any apparent sacrifices to features or performance.

It doesn’t make a great first impression, however. The retro aesthetic fails to charm, with its chunky design and the copious amounts of grey in my review unit merely looking downmarket. Fortunately, the bright and customizable RGB backlighting does help to liven it up a little.

The build quality isn’t terribly impressive, either. The plastic chassis is solid but doesn't feel premium. Fortunately, the Double-shot PBT keycaps are much better, although their opaque legends don’t allow that aforementioned backlighting to shine through. Their Fn shortcuts aren’t labelled, either, unlike those installed in the best gaming keyboards.

(Image credit: Future)

However, the compact width of the Vibe99 is impressive, and thanks to the smart 1800 layout, you still get plenty of keys. What’s more, it also features an integrated screen. It may be a basic TFT affair with limited information displayed, but what it does show is useful, such as the time, date, and battery level. You can also upload GIFs to it if you so wish, but I wouldn’t advise that you do, given the screen’s small size and low fidelity.

You’ll need to use MechLand’s peripheral software to upload them, but it takes an incredibly long time to do so, and you can’t do much else while it’s in progress. What’s more, the whole app has a poor UI, lacking sharpness and clarity. The remapping suite is also disappointing, with only a basic selection of assignments and no direct visual indication of your rebindings.

The performance of the Vibe99 itself fares better. The keys are generously lubed yet quite clicky, lacking the dampening of the very best in the space. However, they’re satisfying to use and have plenty of snap, actuating and rebounding quickly while forgiving accidental hits. The natural tilt of the layout and the folding feet help to make the board more comfortable to use as well, although I still wish it came with a wrist rest.

It’s impressive that the Vibe99 offers all that it does at such a low price point. It’s far cheaper than many of the mechanical models offered by the big brands, and it’s even cheaper than some other great budget options. It’s not perfect, and the software isn’t as good as it should be, but the Vibe99 is still worth shortlisting if you’re looking to save.

(Image credit: Future)MechLands Vibe99 review: Price & availability

• $82.99 / £63.99 / AU$120
• Available now
• One of the cheapest mechanical keyboards around

The Vibe99 costs $82.99 / £63.99 / AU$120 and is available now in various colorways but with one switch type, which is MechLand’s Linear Mint model. It comes with a keycap puller and a braided USB cable.

This is a very competitive price for a 1800 wireless mechanical keyboard with hot-swappable switches. It’s even cheaper than the aluminum variant of the MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra, which has fewer keys. However, the build quality of that board is superior, and thanks to its analog switches, it has far more performance-related tweaks.

The Vibe99 is also considerably cheaper than big-name mechanical models, such as the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%. But the BlackWidow has a far superior build and unrivaled performance, thanks to the glorious response of its switches. Its software is much better, too.

MechLands Vibe99 review: Specs

Layout

1800

Switch

Mechanical (MechLands Cream Mint Linear)

Programmable keys

Yes

Dimensions

16.5 x 5.9 x 1.7 inch (418 x 150 x 42mm)

RGB or backlighting

Yes (customizable)

(Image credit: Future)MechLands Vibe99 review: Design & features

• Tired looks
• Cheap-feeling plastics
• Poor software

The Vibe99 aims for that faux-retro appeal, but I don’t think it succeeds. Not only does the thick base look dated, but the grey and black finish of my review unit looked quite dour. The bright RGB backlighting did at least add some vividness though.

Unfortunately, the build quality isn’t anything to write home about either. Although it feels solid enough, the plastics used throughout feel cut-price, especially when compared to the aluminum frames of more upmarket gaming keyboards. Its saving grace is its keycaps, which have a Cherry profile and are made from Double-shot PBT. They’re also solidly installed with next to no play. However, it’s a shame their legends aren’t transparent to allow the backlighting to shine through. Also, the default Fn shortcuts across the Function row and dotted around elsewhere aren’t labelled, so you’ll have to commit them to memory.

To speak in favor of the Vibe99’s design, it’s an impressively compact board, and its 1800 layout means it still manages to feature plenty of keys, including a number pad. It’s also quite light, which makes it easy to maneuver when required.

(Image credit: Future)

What’s more, a TFT display is nestled in the top corner, and while it’s small with a low resolution, it still provides some useful readouts, such as those for the time, date, and the battery life. You can also upload custom GIFs to it via the MechLands’ software for Windows, although I’m not sure it’s worth the effort given the screen’s quality.

This software also lets you record macros and customize the Vibe99’s backlighting. You can remap keys here as well, although the selection on offer is quite lackluster, with only a handful of system and media shortcuts available. What’s more, your selected bindings aren’t shown on the layout map directly; you have to hover over each individual key to see your remapped function, which is highly impractical.

The rest of the app’s UI has issues, too. Text and various other elements are fuzzy and sometimes oddly proportioned. Worse still is the aforementioned GIF uploader: during my testing it took an achingly long time for one to upload, and most of the app was inaccessible during the process. To add insult to injury, the dialog box for its progress remained on top of all my other windows, not just the app’s. If you’re hoping such issues will be patched, I wouldn’t get your hopes up; according to MechLand’s website, the last update for the software was in 2025.

(Image credit: Future)MechLands Vibe99 review: Performance

• Pre-lubed keys
• Snappy response
• Needs wrist support

In contrast to its somewhat incompetent software, the Vibe99 is a solid and impressive performer. The keys are well lubed, which makes them feel less harsh when pressed, yet they still retain a gratifying clickiness. They’re relatively loud, but thankfully the noise isn’t grating.

They’re also quite snappy, thanks to their reasonably shallow actuation point and fast rebound. However, they’re not so reactive that mere grazes will trigger them, which means you won’t be making many typos.

(Image credit: Future)

What also helps with typing are the keycaps, with their low Cherry profile making them easy to glide over. Additionally, they’re spaced far enough apart to prevent mis-hits, yet close enough to make gaming comfortable, with various common keys remaining easy to reach from the WASD position. The space bar is a triumph as well — the combination of its low profile and sloping shape makes it conducive to direct hits on its top surface, rather than on its back edge.

However, the Vibe99 really needs to be paired with a wrist rest to make it comfortable for long sessions. That aforementioned thick chassis strained my wrists as I reached for the keys. The natural tilt of the layout and the unit’s fold-out feet improve ergonomics to an extent, but neither can compensate entirely for the lack of additional support.

The Vibe99 connected to my Windows PCs via the 2.4GHz dongle and Bluetooth just fine, and hot-switching between them was quick thanks to the toggle switch on the back of the unit.

Should I buy the MechLands Vibe99?Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

This keyboard has one of the best price-to-spec ratios I’ve ever seen.

4.5 / 5

Design and features

Solid enough, but it doesn’t look or feel premium. The software is functional but barebones and features a poor UI.

3 / 5

Performance

The switches are well lubed and have a snappy response. However, you’ll need some additional wrist support to get comfortable.

4 / 5

Overall

The Vibe99 is a veritable bargain at this price, considering all that it offers. You’ll need to bring your own wrist support, though, and I hope you’re not after incredible accompanying software.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if…

You’re on a budget
If you’re looking for a cheap mechanical keyboard, you can’t do much better than the Vibe99.

You want clicky mechanical keys
The stock switches in the Vibe99 are well lubed but also very clicky, which makes them satisfying to use.

Don't buy it if…

You want a premium build
Although the Vibe99’s build quality is sufficient, it doesn’t look or feel expensive.

You want the best software
Perhaps the weakest part of the Vibe99, the accompanying app looks poor and doesn’t have many features.

MechLands Vibe99 review: Also consider

Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro
The BlackWidow V4 Pro is vastly more expensive than the Vibe99, but it’s built to a much higher standard than the Vibe99, and its mechanical performance is unparalleled. Synapse, the software for customizing its inputs, is far superior, too. Read our full Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% review.

MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra
The FUN60 Ultra is another great gaming keyboard with a low price tag. Although it has a smaller layout, it has analog switches with adjustable actuation points and other features that mechanical switches miss out on. Read our full MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the MechLands Vibe99

• Tested for several weeks
• Used for a variety of tasks
• Plentiful gaming keyboard experience

I tested the Vibe99 for several weeks, during which time I used it for gaming, working, and general productivity. I used it with two Windows 11 PCs, one connected via the 2.4GHz dongle and the other via Bluetooth, and regularly hot-switched between them.

One of the games I played with the keyboard was Counter-Strike 2, which is a great test for peripherals since it requires quick and accurate movements.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and have used a large number of keyboards in that time. I’ve also reviewed plenty of them, from budget offerings to premium models from the likes of Razer, Corsair, and SteelSeries.

• First reviewed: August 2026
• Read more about how we test

Epson LifeStudio Grand Projector: One-minute review

The new Epson LifeStudio Grand UST projector may not ring any bells. But its rebranding hides the fact that it’s little more than a minor update to the Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS650. That was a decent projector when it came out, but not an amazing one.

With the LifeStudio Grand, Epson has made some improvements. The Google TV operating system works well, and there’s an extra HDMI port where its predecessor offered just two. It also doesn’t have whiny fans. But the image is still a little soft and not as dazzlingly colorful as RGB laser projection. The projector’s motion interpolation also needs a lot of work. And Epson’s switch from Yamaha to Bose for sound tuning hasn’t made the audio better.

With competitors improving considerably over the past year, the LifeStudio Grand is in troubled waters. If you can’t see the DLP rainbow effect and don’t mind drawing the curtains from time to time, you can get a much better projector for your money by shopping elsewhere.

(Image credit: Future)Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Price & release date

• Release date: October 2025
• Price: $2,699 / £1,749.99 / AU$4,399

The LifeStudio Grand launched in late 2025 with global rollout in Spring 2026. The project has a retail price of $2,699 / £1,749.99 / AU$4,399.

Given its newness and the fact that it’s coming from a big player like Epson, I wouldn’t expect any major discounts on the projector too soon, though Black Friday could roll around and see at least a minor deal.

Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Specs

Screen sizes supported

60 to 120 inches

Brightness (specified)

3,600 Lumens

Optical technology

3-Chip 3LCD

Smart TV

Google TV

Connections

3x USB-A, 1x 3.5mm audio out, 1x Optical audio out, 3x HDMI 2.0 (1x eARC, 1x USB-B (Service port)

Dimensions

18.4 x 15.7 x 6.2 inches

Weight

16.6 pounds

Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Design & features

(Image credit: Future)

• Google TV and fast Wi-Fi work well together
• Bland looks, but functional design

As soon as I took out the LifeStudio Grand, I thought it looked familiar. Sure enough, down to the inch and pound, it’s just the Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS650 back again. There are just a few changes.

Epson added a third HDMI port on the back: nice. Epson swapped to Google TV and it actually runs quickly: nice. Epson included Wi-Fi 6E: nice. And Epson added some gaming features, like ALLM and a 1080p/120Hz mode: nice. But these are more making up for fumbles from that earlier model, rather than actually keeping pace with competitors like the Hisense PX3 Pro and its 1080p240Hz mode.

The LifeStudio Grand is a little plain to look at with its white plastic construction and gray-ish front grille — the result of a white grille dotted with black holes. Even the Epson branding looks unfortunate, like it was pasted on after having been forgotten in an earlier prototype (except we know it wasn’t because it was there on the predecessor).

One thing giving the LifeStudio Grand a bit of style is its little silver legs. These also play a crucial role in the projection, as they can adjust the tilt of the projector to ensure it lines up square with a wall or projection screen. The projector supports digital keystone adjustments, but those are best avoided when possible. The right side of the projector hides a hardware focus dial behind a small panel, which allows for quick focus adjustments while also protecting the setting once you’ve got it in place. Auto-focus would have been nice though.

(Image credit: Future)

While the LifeStudio Grand isn’t a large UST projector, it ends up feeling a little large because of its 15.7-inch depth. For comparison, the Hisense L9Q is just 12.5 inches deep and the PX3-Pro is just 11.7 inches. That sees the LifeStudio Grand stick out pretty far forward on a media console, and because of its 0.25:1 throw ratio, the console might have to stick out too if you want to get a huge picture. All of this also makes for tough placement for a soundbar.

The LifeStudio Grand’s remote is a cheap little plastic unit that doesn’t feel a good match for the price of the projector. It has typical Google TV controls, a dedicated input-selection button, four streaming app shortcuts (one for Free TV, which fires up Google TV Freeplay), and a dedicated brightness control and a shortcut to projection settings. While there are also volume controls on the remote, there’s no mute button — enjoy the sound of advertisements that you can’t quickly mute. The remote also lacks any illumination, which would be helpful in a dark home theater.

(Image credit: Future)

• Design & features score: 3/5

Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Picture quality & performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Bright projection
• Slightly soft picture and motion artifacts
• Speakers are no stand-in for actual sound system

Just like its predecessor, the star of the show for the LifeStudio Grand is its brightness. The projector offers a very respectable 3,600 lumens. This doesn’t make up for bright sunlight coming into the room and ruining dark scenes, but for bright content it can look decent. And the fans don’t overdo while running at full brightness either — an improvement over its prior model.

That’s about where the LifeStudio Grand’s benefits compared to its competitors end. The LifeStudio Grand uses Epson’s own 3LCD projection, which doesn’t prove as colorful compared to the crop of RGB laser projectors on the market. It does avoid issues with DLP rainbow effect, but if you’re not susceptible to that, it may be a non-issue. Contrast is decent, but not astounding. And though this is a 4K projector, Epson’s pixel shifting on this model doesn’t produce as stunningly sharp an image as its rivals.

Right out of the box, the projector’s Standard picture profile has some motion issues, and it’s not better on its other profiles. It smoothes out camera panning motion, but it introduces issues in just about all other types of motions. People moving around on screen look poor, especially with hand motions, which look almost AI generated and occasionally cause weird stuttering for the whole frame.

Animation looks even worse as motions are smeared chaotically. And even panning shots can suffer when the camera motion changes speed or slows to a stop, with the projector seeming to reduce the frame rate instead of interpolating. Although the interpolation can be turned off, when it is some camera pans stutter.

(Image credit: Future)

The speakers on the LifeStudio Grand are fine, but not dazzling — so much for that Bose collab. They don’t create a very wide soundstage, so they’re no replacement for a proper sound system. And while they can pump out enough volume for a 200-square-foot room, that’s about their limit. I find I’m regularly dialing them up above 60% just to listen in a quiet room. With guests over, it all but requires max volume, and has a slightly harsh quality when cranked.

Even with the projector’s new gaming features, it doesn’t prove a stunning option for gamers either. At a pinch, it’ll be good enough for most games, but I could still feel slight latency that made combat hard in fast-reflex action games.

• Picture quality & performance score: 3/5

Epson LifeStudio Grand review: Value

The LifeStudio Grand isn’t a terribly high-priced UST projector, undercutting the Hisense PX3-Pro by a good amount. And for the money, you’re getting a very bright projector. But that’s about the only specification that stands out.

The picture quality, sound, and design all leave plenty to be desired. That’s a bit too much disappointment for a product that’s still edging up toward $3,000 / £2,000 / AU$4,500.

Having seen the Hisense C2 Ultra — a 3,000 lumen triple laser projector — going for $2,000 (around £1,500 / AU$2,800) recently, it’s hard to see the LifeStudio Grand as a good option when you can grab the Hisense and a solid sound system for the same price.

• Value score: 3/5

Should I buy the Epson LifeStudio Grand?

(Image credit: Future)Epson LifeStudio Grand Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design and features

A bland and bulky design that hasn’t changed much holds the LifeStudio Grand back, though it’s nice to see Wi-Fi 6E and an upgrade to a functional Google TV operating system.

3/5

Picture quality and performance

The LifeStudio Grand is bright and avoids the DLP rainbow effect, but that’s about the only thing it has going for it against its rivals. It’s not dazzlingly colorful, offers just decent contrast, can look a little soft, and doesn’t have impressive speakers or gaming performance.

3/5

Value

With just a couple of strong points and some big areas it lags behind, the LifeStudio Grand doesn’t offer wonderful value at $2,699 / £1,749.99 / AU$4,399, especially when some competitors have come down in price.

3/5

Buy it if...

You really struggle with the DLP rainbow effect
Have you ever noticed flashing colors while watching a projector? That’s probably the DLP rainbow effect, and it can ruin your experience with an otherwise great projector. The LifeStudio Grand doesn’t use DLP tech, so you don’t have to worry about this issue on it.

You do a lot of bright-room viewing
For the money, the LifeStudio Grand is one of the brighter options you’ll find. If you want to watch content largely in a bright room, it can provide a more serviceable image than similarly priced competitors.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t struggle with the DLP rainbow effect
There are such amazing RGB laser projectors on the market, and some of them are nearly as bright and competitively priced against the LifeStudio Grand. They may not all be as bright, but the vibrant color they deliver can feel like it makes the image even brighter than it is.

You’re a gamer
Epson has improved the gaming experience here, but it still can't offer flawless responsiveness. With Hisense offering models that support 1080p/240Hz modes for super-smooth gaming and negligible latency, it’s no contest.

You’re setting up a serious home theater
The LifeStudio Grand’s big edge is in a bright room. In the dark, it’s not as impressive. Its longer throw ratio, lower color gamut, and weaker sound also hold it back. And with its depth, it gets in the way of soundbars.

Epson LifeStudio Grand review: also considerComparison: projectors

Epson LifeStudio Grand

Hisense PX3-Pro

Xgimi Aura 2

Hisense C2 Ultra

Price:

$2,699 / £1,749.99 / AU$4,399

$3,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,999

$2,699 / £2,459 / AU$6,399

$2,999 / £2,499 / AU$4,499

Screen sizes supported:

60 to 120 inches

80 to 150 inches

80 to 150 inches

65 to 300 inches

Brightness (specified):

3,600 lumens

3,000 lumens

2,300 lumens

3,000 lumens

HDR support

HDR10, HLG

HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision

HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision

Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG

Optical technology:

3LCD, Laser

3 Laser DLP

Dual Light 2.0 (Laser + LED)

RGB Laser DLP

Smart TV:

Google TV

Google TV

Android TV

Vidaa OS

Connections:

3x HDMI 2.0 (1 with ARC), optical, 3.5mm

2x HDMI 2.1, 1x HDMI 2.0 (1 with eARC), 1x optical, 1x 3.5mm

2x HDMI, 1x HDMI eARC, optical digital audio out, 3.5mm audio out, 3x USB-A, Ethernet

2x HDMI 2.1 (1 with eARC), 2x USB-A, 1x S/PDIF, Ethernet, 1x 3.5mm, Bluetooth 5.3

Hisense PX3-Pro
The Hisense PX3-Pro is nearly as bright, far more colorful, more versatile, and cooler looking. While it may be more expensive on paper, it’s seen plenty of discounts that can bring it to even more competitive prices. Read our full Hisense PX3-Pro review.

Xgimi Aura 2
You won’t get as much brightness out of the Aura 2, but you’ll get a much prettier piece of hardware, and an all-around great projector with solid color and HDR support. Read our full Xgimi Aura 2 review.

Hisense C2 Ultra
As an alternative to UST projection, the C2 Ultra is a brilliant long-throw projector with flexible optics to make positioning less of issue. It boasts bright, RGB laser projection for a gorgeous image, works wonders in games, and has seen discounts since launch that see it undercut the LifeStudio Grand. Read our full Hisense C2 Ultra review.

How I tested the Epson LifeStudio Grand

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
• Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
• I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade

I tested the Epson LifeStudio Grand at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, in-room lighting, as well as ambient noise that both the projector and speaker systems had to overcome. The projector was tested both against a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, HDR and non-HDR, and PC gameplay.

My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models colleagues at TechRadar and I have tested.

I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.

• First reviewed: August 2026
• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

Apple made headlines earlier this year with the launch of the MacBook Neo, which we called “the best budget laptop you can buy” in our review thanks to its low AU$899 launch price and premium materials — all while in the midst of RAM and storage shortages.

The RAM crisis did eventually come calling for the MacBook Neo, and the inevitable price increase saw its starting price increase for AU$1,049. Despite this, the MacBook Neo is still a great budget laptop that’s leagues ahead of its Windows and Chromebook competitors.

The price hike does sting a bit, but this discount from Amazon for the base 256GB variant brings the MacBook Neo down to AU$997 — a deal that’s hard to pass up if you missed out on the launch price.

MacBook Neo (256GB): was $1049 now $997
This discount doesn’t sound like much, but any discount on a newly launched and popular Apple product is always welcome. The base 256GB model doesn’t come with Touch ID, which is only reserved for the 512GB variant, but you’re in for a treat if that’s not a dealbreaker for you. This discount is available across all colourways — Citrus, Indigo, Blush and Silver.View Deal

Apple achieves the low-for-a-MacBook AU$1,049 price point by cleverly employing an iPhone processor, the A18 Pro chip found in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, instead of its M-series silicon found in higher-end MacBooks. The Neo also only comes in a base configuration of 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. You can increase storage to a 512GB SSD and gain Touch ID capabilities for AU$1,249 — Amazon currently has it discounted to AU$1,199.

What I like the most about the Neo is its repairability, which is very much an improvement over its more expensive siblings, with plenty of online content creators having demonstrated how easy the laptop is to take apart and reassemble.

Even with the price increase, I still believe the Neo is a fantastic budget laptop that will easily handle basic tasks like web browsing and media consumption, and it can even do some light gaming and video editing. Our tests have found that the 8GB RAM isn’t as much of a limitation as initially thought, with the laptop running most Mac apps with no issues.

The all-metal chassis, hi-res display and repairability still make the MacBook Neo a standout in the budget space, and the fun colours are a nice touch as well.

Four days after catastrophic floods wiped out villages along the Nepal-China border, thousands are still missing. Families look for answers but hear nothing.

(Image credit: Dar Yasin)

• AWS plans to add 2 million Nvidia GPUs between 2027 and 2028
• The expanded deployment follows an earlier commitment exceeding one million chips
• New Vera-based CPUs will support increasingly demanding artificial intelligence workloads

Amazon Web Services and Nvidia have expanded their long-running partnership to add far more computing power for artificial intelligence workloads.

The cloud provider intends to add two million more GPUs across its global infrastructure between 2027 and 2028.

This expansion follows an earlier pledge to add more than a million chips starting in 2026, as customer demand outpaced expectations.

A bigger push into AI infrastructure

The companies also plan to bring new Vera-based CPUs into Amazon's cloud to support increasingly advanced AI applications.

Additional networking upgrades, including extended NVLink Fusion technology paired with custom high-bandwidth memory, aim to boost performance across large computing clusters.

Separate upgrades to Amazon's analytics service using Nvidia's cuDF software promise processing speeds nearing 3.7x faster than typical standard configurations.

The same upgrades are expected to deliver roughly a 30% improvement in price performance versus setups that rely only on standard chips.

Vector search capabilities on Amazon's search service are also improving, with index construction now completing roughly 9x quicker when run on GPUs.

Amazon's robotics division is separately working with Nvidia on simulation tools intended to speed up training for next-generation warehouse robots.

Government agencies are also included in the plan, with 100,000 chips reserved for sensitive government and defense computing needs nationwide.

"Customers want the freedom to choose the best tools for their AI workloads, and they want confidence that everything works seamlessly together," said Matt Garman, CEO of AWS.

“That’s why we’ve invested deeply with Nvidia to make AWS the best place to run Nvidia AI technologies, optimizing performance across our infrastructure from networking and security to deployment. This expanded collaboration gives frontier labs, enterprises and governments even more ways to build and deploy AI on AWS.”

Executives point to rising demand

Demand for accelerated computing across global cloud storage has continued to outpace projections that were made only months earlier this year.

“Nvidia and AWS have built one of the great growth engines of the AI era, and demand is running ahead of every forecast,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia.

“For 16 years, we have scaled Nvidia computing in the cloud together. Now, we are expanding our partnership across the full stack — GPUs, CPUs, networking, open models and software — to make agentic and physical AI real at an unprecedented pace and scale that only AWS and Nvidia can deliver.”

New processors delivered under the expanded plan are expected to offer notably faster inference and improved graphics performance for customers.

Recent hardware upgrades already deliver up to 4.6x faster inference and 2.1x stronger graphics output than the previous generation of systems.

Such a large hardware commitment suggests both companies expect artificial intelligence spending to keep climbing well beyond today's already elevated levels.

Whether actual demand keeps pace with these ambitious plans will only become clear once the new infrastructure is fully operational.

Homescreen Heroes

This is part of a regular series of articles exploring the apps that we couldn't live without. Read them all here.

For someone who has a degree in journalism and a master's in English, I should read more than I actually do.

But movies are my thing, and apps like Letterboxd encourage me to broaden my cinematic horizons. That said, there’s one app that’s lifted me out of my years-long reading slump — and no, it’s not Goodreads.

Fable is a reading and book club platform on iOS and Android that launched in 2021, but it’s only been an integral part of my homescreen for the past year or two. When I saw that most of my friends were migrating to Fable from Goodreads, I joined the club — and I don’t regret it.

Now, Fable hasn’t completely seized the throne from Goodreads; the latter is still widely used and takes the number four spot in the iOS App Store’s ‘Books’ category (Fable is number nine). But popularity doesn’t always equate to the best, and I’ve found Fable to be a true all-rounder.

A real page-turner

(Image credit: Future)

Compared to Goodreads, which I found slow, janky, and unresponsive at times, navigating Fable is much smoother and there’s more of an emphasis on the graphic design side. While Goodreads adopts a predominantly beige interface, Fable’s is brighter, more vibrant, almost like a psychological magnet that once you look at it, you can’t help but want to engage with the app on a more personal level.

Even its book reviewing process is colorful and engaging. Once you’ve finished a title and you decide to log it into Fable, you don’t just review the overall book with a small entry and call it a day. The app lets you give star reviews for individual elements including writing style, characters, plot, setting, and it even asks you questions like ‘how did this book make you feel?’ or ‘how spicy was this romance book?’, giving you a carousel of emoji reactions to choose from.

Graphics aside, Fable’s layout is divided into distinct tabs (Home page, Clubs, Search, Library, and Profile) like most social media platforms — and this is where its main focus lies.

With any social media app, you can follow friends and popular accounts, whose posts and reading updates all appear in the ‘Following’ section of the Fable Home page. Alternatively, you can switch to the ‘For You’ page, which displays posts and updates from other accounts it thinks you’d like to see. These are all based on the books you add to your ‘Want To Read’ list, books you’ve reviewed that you have in common with others, and more.

This means suggested posts and profiles are all based solely on your activity and interests, which Goodreads doesn’t have. But that’s not the only stand-out feature with Fable.

Across both platforms, book reviewing and reading tracking is a given, but Fable actually allows you to share written posts up to 750 characters, to which you can also attach images and tag titles and specific book clubs — like a combination between a Facebook post and a Tweet. Posting is also another useful way to find other bookworms with similar tastes and interests, thanks to how Fable’s algorithmic recommendations work.

Find your tribe

(Image credit: Future)

Speaking of which, book clubs have become integral to how bookworms socialize with each other in modern times, and tech has really helped readers optimize this — and Fable taps into that sense of community.

Unlike Goodreads, where you have to manually search for groups, Fable has an entire hub dedicated to themed book clubs. Fancy yourself a book club dedicated entirely to Shakespeare? Fable has them. Or perhaps you want a club that’s all about reading banned books? That’s right, Fable has them too.

Fable’s community focus is one of the shining stars of the app, as is its book logging tool, but it isn’t just a place for this or to see what your friends have been reading. It gives you a full rundown of your most-read authors and favorite genres — kind of like Spotify Wrapped, but these stats are always present on your Profile.

If you’ve ever fallen in and out of reading ruts like myself, Fable has a roster of tools to give you the push you need to pick up the book that’s been sitting on your shelf for a while — starting with reading goals.

(Image credit: Future)

Though Goodreads offers a similar function, the layout is all over the place, and you have to set goals in a separate section of the app. With Fable, you can set reading goals and display them right in your profile, so they’re all in one place.

Secondly, Fable’s Search page makes the job of finding your next literary obsession a lot easier. In addition to a carousel of recommendations based on the books in your list, the Search page is packed with mini genre hubs filled with Fable’s most popular titles.

This way you can browse your favorite categories in-depth, or explore one you’ve been meaning to try — there’s even a fun Mood Quiz feature that does the searching for you based on the answers you select. Even though you have to subscribe to Fable Plus to set monthly and weekly goals, you can set yearly reading goals for free, which is enough for casual users like myself.

Everyone goes through the odd reading slump now and then, but believe me when I say that having an app on your homescreen that allows you to log everything you’re reading really helps — I found the same helped with movies when I first downloaded Letterboxd.

That said, I’m still a novice when it comes to using Fable to its full potential; I haven’t quite found the courage to share posts, but I have no doubt that day will come as I continue to fill up my lists and find my book tribes — then I’ll become a full-bodied power-user.

In addition to weekly and monthly goals, Fable Plus offers a multitude of other tools, including visual progress tracking, Smart Coaching, and deeper insights into your reading performance. You can also customize your Fable experience with exclusive art and custom app icons, all with the absence of ads.

Fable is available in the App Store and on Google Play.