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This year's fireworks display in Washington, D.C., is scheduled toWhat to know about the massive July 4 firework show for America's 250th

(Image credit: Mohammad Reza Mousavi/Middle East Images)

Around the time the United States was founded, Americans' diets included Parmesan ice cream and terrapin. But what you ate depended on your social status.

(Image credit: Anna Rose Layden for NPR)

The idea that there's a connection between federal student loans and what colleges charge dates back almost four decades. But it's unclear that link can lead to lower costs.

(Image credit: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

In Venezuela, rescue teams are racing against time after twin earthquakes killed more than 1,400 people and left tens of thousands unaccounted for.

(Image credit: Miguel Medina)

The anxieties before the World Cup were many. But with the knockout round set to begin Sunday, it's fair to say: The North American World Cup has been a thrill.

(Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon)

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for June 28.

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for June 28, No. 643.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, June 27 (game #1112).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1113) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PICK
• CHESS
• START
• SELECT
• CHOICE
• GO
• SLIDE
• CORPORATION
• BEGIN
• PRIME
• SURFER
• STRAP
• CAPO
• DARTS
• NOW
• FINE

NYT Connections today (game #1113) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: The best available
• GREEN: Ready, set…
• BLUE: A musician’s tools
• PURPLE: Something flat and dull in common

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1113) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: HIGH-QUALITY
• GREEN: SIGNALS TO COMMENCE
• BLUE: ACCESSORIES FOR A GUITARIST
• PURPLE: THEY HAVE BOARDS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1113) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1113, are…

• YELLOW: HIGH-QUALITY CHOICE, FINE, PRIME, SELECT
• GREEN: SIGNALS TO COMMENCE BEGIN, GO, NOW, START
• BLUE: ACCESSORIES FOR A GUITARIST CAPO, PICK, SLIDE, STRAP
• PURPLE: THEY HAVE BOARDS CHESS, CORPORATION, DARTS, SURFER

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I very nearly collected the games GO, CHESS and DARTS together, but the absence of a fourth stopped me. 

I was a long way from seeing the connection THEY HAVE BOARDS between CHESS and DARTS; congratulations if you linked those with CORPORATION and SURFER.

When it came down to eight tiles left I went with the obvious — although I did think the thread between them was words supermarkets use when they want to charge you more for something slightly better.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, June 27, game #1112)

• YELLOW: MONOPOLY SQUARES BOARDWALK, INCOME TAX, SHORT LINE, WATER WORKS
• GREEN: COMPONENTS OF A FASHION SHOW CATWALK, COLLECTION, DESIGNER, MODEL
• PURPLE: ENDING IN HORSE GAITS DECANTER, ENVELOPE, FIREWALK, FOXTROT
• BLUE: COMMONLY STRIPED THINGS BARBER POLE, BILLIARD BALL, CREDIT CARD, CROSSWALK

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, June 27 (game #846).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #847) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… March in June

NYT Strands today (game #847) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• MADE
• DOGS
• BRAT
• PRONE
• MINDER
• WIDEN

NYT Strands today (game #847) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #847) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 1st row

Last side: right, 5th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #847) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #847, are…

• PARADE
• RAINBOW
• DRAG
• RALLY
• FLAGS
• CELEBRATION
• SPANGRAM: PRIDEMONTH

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

March in June initially threw me, as I was thinking of the month of March, then I realized that the March in question must be a parade and, of course June has become synonymous with Pride, so PRIDEMONTH and PARADE appeared as if by magic.

I got RAINBOW next, a little tricky as it involved reading backwards, before slowly making my way around the board.

Pride marches began in 1970 to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in New York, but it was another 20 years before Bill Clinton declared June “gay and lesbian month”. 36 years on, it feels more important than ever.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, June 27, game #846)

• PENTHOUSE
• STUDIO
• LOFT
• FLAT
• CONDO
• EFFICIENCY
• SPANGRAM: APARTMENTS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, June 27 (game #1615).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1616) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1616) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1616) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1616) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1616) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• R

• T

• F

• B

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1616) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1616, are…

• RUPEE
• TOPAZ
• FULLY
• BEING

I’m classing today as a return to form, as it’s the first time in a while where my hunches have paid off.

My wild guess was TOPAZ, but having decided that the word had to begin T-O the other options “total” and “today” were ruled out, so I took the leap.

Daily Sequence today (game #1616) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1616, are…

• DEBUT
• AGING
• WHOSE
• VIOLA

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1615, Saturday, 27 June: PRINT, MARRY, SADLY, BICEP
• Quordle #1614, Friday, 26 June: JUICE, ARRAY, BONEY, SKIFF
• Quordle #1613, Thursday, 25 June: SHELF, TAWNY, HYPER, SOLVE
• Quordle #1612, Wednesday, 24 June: SOBER, ECLAT, GOOSE, NINNY
• Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
• Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
• Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
• Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
• Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
• Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
• Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
• Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
• Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
• Quordle #1600, Friday, 12 June: TENTH, SHOAL, JELLY, UNIFY
• Quordle #1599, Thursday, 11 June: GAMMA, SPILL, SALVE, RURAL
• Quordle #1598, Wednesday, 10 June: BELIE, TEACH, GUEST, NOOSE
• Quordle #1597, Tuesday, 9 June: VENOM, UNITE, SHIRT, ANGER

Put the best desk in your office and make it feel like new.

President Trump nominated Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper, to direct Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency hasn't had a Senate-confirmed director since the Obama administration.

(Image credit: Erin Hooley)

Peter Thiel is among the most prominent figures in the technology industry, having co-founded PayPal in the 90s and Palantir a few years later. Although he's since stepped back from running technology companies, he plays an active role in business, finance – and indeed in politics.

Minimum government, maximum freedom

Writing an essay for the Cato Unbound journal nearly 20 years ago, Thiel outlined his political thinking as one that prioritizes the individual – and individual freedoms – above the needs or demands of the majority.

Quote of the day

This article is part of TechRadar Pro's QOTD project to provide an insight into the minds of the brightest and most recognized figures in the technology industry today and in years gone by. Read the full series here.

In this essay, he explained how he was disillusioned with democratic politics and that it had become an antagonist to "freedom" in the form of free markets and, specifically, the new generation of tech moguls who were in the process of expansion.

The piece, which ran in excess of 2,000 words, courted plenty of attention, as well as controversy, especially given its timing – with society still reeling from the 2008 banking crisis, and concerns over the widening wealth divide heightening.

Democracy dies in darkness

Many incidents and actions in the technology world can be traced back to the ideas at the heart of this essay, for example, the breakdown of press freedoms, specifically in the big tech takeover of the creative industries and journalism (see the Washington Post example).

Modern tech companies are also increasingly involved in politics, with Elon Musk, for example, increasingly (whether deliberately or inadvertently) using Starlink to wield influence during geopolitical conflicts.

Despite Thiel's proclamation to transcend democratic politics via media such as cyberspace or cryptocurrencies, many tech moguls – including the Palantir co-founder – have also made concerted efforts to involve themselves in this process. Musk's direct involvement in the second Trump administration is the most prominent example, but Thiel himself has handpicked candidates to stand in elections, including JD Vance.

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for June 28, No. 847.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle for June 28, No. 1,835.

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for June 28 No. 1,113.

Firefighters working on the nation's largest current wildfire, burning in southern Utah, are being challenged by historic weather conditions. Extreme wildfire behavior is expected to continue through the weekend.

(Image credit: Ty ONeil)

Sometimes I feel like the only person who actually liked Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days. Sure, the old third-person shooter isn’t exactly the most fun to play — but that’s entirely the point.

Under the Radar

Under the Radar is our way of highlighting great games that might have passed you by. Through a regular mix of news stories and features, we'll cover great experiences that we feel haven't found the audience they deserve. Read the full series here.

It’s the gory swansong of two disgusting men, presented entirely through the low-res lens of a handheld camcorder that intentionally leaves you disoriented as you navigate the towering concrete skyscrapers of Shanghai. The game does everything it can to overwhelm, with its fragmented plot told almost entirely in a language that you can’t even understand.

The whole experience is devoted to being as unapologetically miserable as possible, and that’s exactly what makes it so alluring. Like a grimy slasher movie, you just can’t look away. In my eyes, there’s never really been an experience quite like it. That is until now.

Pure rage

(Image credit: MicroProse Software)

When an ad for Better Than Dead came across my Instagram feed, I instantly knew it was just what I’ve been looking for. The camcorder perspective is the most obvious similarity, although unlike Kane & Lynch 2, the camera in Better Than Dead is being held by the protagonist, so everything unfolds in first-person.

The storytelling is just as raw. The game opens on a visual of a bright blue sky, distorted by the fisheye lens and film grain effects. This serene scene is nothing more than a clever visual trick, a poster plastered to the wall of the cell where our young woman protagonist has been confined.

You look around to discover a mattress covered in blood, gross scraps of discarded food, a filthy squat toilet, and an alluring side table bathed in light from a little lamp.

On it, you find a pistol, accompanied by an unknown message in Chinese and a drawing of a bird fleeing a cage. You don’t need a translation to know the stakes: something horrible is happening here, and this gun is your only way to escape.

(Image credit: MicroProse Software)

From there, your rampage begins, sprinting through the corridors of what turns out to be a dodgy porn studio, gunning down members of the triad before eventually bursting out onto the street.

After this, each level has you infiltrating other triad-affiliated locations, like seedy restaurants or shifty back alleys, to take out every gang member in sight. It’s paced almost like a first-person Hotline Miami, with dense layouts and tricky enemy placements that require at least a few goes to learn the ropes, and an emphasis on speed and brutality.

You’ve got a slick slide that helps dodge incoming fire and offers a sliver of bullet time — vital for success as you die in just two hits.

Back for more

(Image credit: MicroProse Software)

The gunplay isn’t exactly simple, though. Although our protagonist is fueled by pure rage, she’s still untrained with firearms, with swaying hands that make it difficult to land hits on target. Mercifully, ammunition is unlimited, so dumping a whole magazine in the general direction of enemies is the way to go.

Can it be frustrating? Incredibly, but that only increases the satisfaction of pulling off the perfect massacre. Throw in the fact that the game isn’t afraid to touch on some pretty dark subject matter, and I’m feeling the same rush that had me so in love with Kane & Lynch 2.

I can’t fault the presentation either. If you can look past the crude menu UI, the total lack of on-screen icons in the game lends the action a cinematic, realistic feel. The strong camcorder effects and wise decision to pixelate characters’ faces (facial animation is usually a sticking point for lower budget games) do a great job of smoothing out the visuals. Squint, and you could even mistake what’s on screen for real video footage.

The sound design is impeccable as well. Gunfire is meaty, and enemies scream in pain when they’re shot, often dropping to the floor and twitching a little before you finish them off. Given that all of this comes from a solo developer and costs just $14.99 / £13.75 / AU$ 20.95, it’s a pretty impressive achievement.

Better Than Dead is currently in early access via Steam and is receiving frequent updates. There are only a handful of levels now, but in the time I’ve owned the game, the developer has already added the start of a hub world with a handy practice firing range and is constantly tuning things based on player feedback.

Kayne and Lynch 2 fans (I know there are potentially dozens of us out there), this is one to watch.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming: two-minute review

The Final VR3000 EX for Gaming is a multi-platform gaming headset aimed at the more affordable end of the gaming market. It offers a low-latency connection, a fold-to-mute mic, and spatial audio for a much more manageable price than many of the premium pads on the market. But does it deliver on everything it promises?

The Final VR3000 EX for Gaming’s build isn’t bad, all things considered. I’m not a huge fan of the plastic on its earcups or how rattly it can be — both make it feel a bit cheap and flimsy — while the adjustable headband doesn’t really go tight enough for people with smaller heads. But the fabric section of the headband and the faux leather cups are really comfortable: despite a tiny bit of sweatiness, I found them comfortable enough to wear for the best part of a day.

Sound quality on the VR3000 EX is really solid: trebles feel crisp enough to give everything real immediacy, while the mids have sufficient clarity that I could easily differentiate the different roars of demons I gunned my way through in Doom. The only area where I’d say the headset doesn’t quite match pace with the best wireless gaming headsets out there is bass. It would be nice if guns had a little more boom — unless I’ve really misunderstood, the F in BFG9000 does not stand for ‘feeble’.

On paper, the VR3000 EX has some pretty great features for its price point, but I found this was the point it really struggled to deliver. Although Final talks a good game about the headset’s spatial audio, in practice the only dimension I really found had strong differentiation was left / right, with noises behind me being harder to pinpoint and there seemingly being no height effect that I could detect at all.

(Image credit: Future)

The headset’s Footstep Clarity Mode is a similar story. While creeping around the Dust II map on Counter-Strike 2, I found detecting the footfalls of rivals to be pretty easy, which is great. However, I couldn’t really appreciate a significant difference in this, whether the mode was enabled or not. It seems churlish to complain about this, given footsteps were still easy to hear, but I’m just not sure how much this feature actually adds.

I will give Final less faint praise over the headset’s foldaway mic though. Testing it out, I found it did a pretty creditable job of picking up my voice and its fold-to-mute functionality worked well to stifle the recording, even though there was a slight lag of a little under a second for it to kick in. However, it doesn’t seem to have a near-field mic or significant noise gating, as when it was recording it absolutely picked up the background music I was playing and the clack of my keyboard.

And whatever quibbles I may have about the VR3000 EX’s other features, I was pretty blown away by its battery life. During my battery tests, I found that Final was pretty on the money with its 55-hour estimate for this headset. That blows even many more premium headsets out of the water for longevity and means you’re unlikely to need to charge it more than once a week, even if you’re gaming for a significant proportion of each day.

Everything is relative. Given its price, I’d usually be pretty generous with the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming. And it doesn’t get everything wrong: it has decent enough mids and trebles and a good stereo field. But bass is pretty lacking and many of the features it professes to have are almost imperceptible. In light of that, I’d argue another budget option like the Corsair HS55 Wireless might serve you better instead.

(Image credit: Future)Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: price & release date

• Launched on December 12, 2025
• List price of $149.99 / £99.99 / $259
• But it’s already on sale for £69.99 in the UK

Released on December 12, 2025, Final VR3000 EX for Gaming is available now. While it originally went on sale at a list price of $149.99 / £99.99 / $259, it’s already showing up for a fair amount less in some regions. You can currently pick it up for as little as £69.99 in the UK, which is a pretty low price for a gaming headset.

As for your options at that price, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that there’s not a whole load of customizability and it only comes in one colorway, black. On the plus side, there aren’t loads of different versions for different platforms: the one version of the VR3000 EX is compatible with PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC, although unfortunately there’s no Xbox Series X / S compatibility.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: specs

Drivers

3D Extra Wide Sound Stage Over-Ear Dynamic Drivers

Weight

389g

Compatibility

PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, mobile

Connection type

2.4GHz Wireless (via ultra-low latency USB Transceiver), Bluetooth 5.3

Battery life

Up to 55 hours (800mAh capacity)

Features

25ms ultra-low latency mode, Footstep Clarity Modes, fold-to-mute microphone

Software

Dedicated final VR3000 EX mobile app (10-band EQ customization, Footstep Clarity Mode toggle)

(Image credit: Future)Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: design / features

• Comfortable to wear
• Not all materials feel that premium
• Epic battery life
• Quite loose fitting

Given its price, it’s not surprising that the Final VR3000 EX’s build quality seems a little on the cheap side. Not only does the textured plastic on their cups feel pretty low quality, but they are incredibly rattly when you handle them, which doesn’t speak to a tremendously robust construction. On the plus side, they didn’t seem to rattle at all when they were on my head.

Additionally, the fabric headband and faux leather earcups are delightfully soft, meaning I actually found the VR3000 EX to be surprisingly comfortable. I wore them on and off for much of a day, and they didn’t start to squish my ears, a problem I’ve always found with cheaper headphones and headsets. However, I will say the faux leather gets decidedly sweaty during longer use, particularly during tense first-person shooters.

I’m less convinced by the VR3000 EX’s fit, unfortunately. While the clamping force feels just about right, it’s not all that easy to adjust the stiff adjustable headband while the headset is on your dome. And Final seems to have modeled this headset around Mr Mackey from South Park — I have a pretty big head and yet the VR3000 EX only just about felt stable on the shortest setting, while one of my smaller-skulled colleagues definitely found he couldn’t get it small enough for it to feel comfortable.

(Image credit: Future)

All of its controls are on the left earcup. There’s an on switch, the volume dial, a Mode button that lets you switch between Bluetooth and USB mode — as well as play/pause media and answer/end calls — and the Control button, which allows you to trigger Footstep Clarity Mode. Each button has a clicky enough action to provide decent tactile feedback, while the volume dial is lightly notched to make increasing the volume feel nicely precise. However, I will say that they’re positioned close enough that it’s not always easy to know right away which button is which by feel alone.

The app for the Final VR3000 EX is pretty limited. It has three features: it enables you to update the headset’s firmware, switch on Footstep Clarity Mode, and provides access to Final’s EQ settings. While it’s hard to justify using the app just for the Footstep Clarity Mode, the 10-band EQ that’s included is pretty decent, even if I’m not all that convinced that the impact of the lowest 31Hz is really that appreciable. So while it’s not like you need to rush to download this, it’s still useful so I’ll count this one as a bonus.

A far more unequivocal win for the VR3000 EX though is its battery life. Final quotes its total life as being up to 55 hours, and this was borne out by my testing. I set it streaming music constantly for six hours, and during that time the battery only dropped to 90% — a back-of-the-envelope calculation would put its total life at 60 hours. So even factoring in that battery discharge curves aren’t necessarily regular, I’d say 55 hours is a perfectly reasonable expectation for how long this headset should last you.

(Image credit: Future)Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: performance

• Good sound performance, even if bass is weaker
• Spatial audio claims totally overblown
• Not sure Footstep Clarity mode adds much

Design and features are all well and good. But where the rubber meets the road for a gaming headset is whether those things translate into a good sonic performance in-game. And, sadly, when you actually take the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming for a test drive, it doesn’t quite deliver on the expectations it’s set for itself.

The VR3000 EX sounds very decent, but it is a little uneven in how it handles the balance of frequencies. On the plus side, it has a good level of bite in the high-end. The screams of the possessed when I was playing Doom were immediate enough to be rattling, while the whine of my chainsaw as I carved up imps felt sufficiently realistic.

But it’s when it comes to bass that the VR3000 EX is a little more lacking. When I tested the Turtle Beach Atlas 200, I heaped praise on it for the almighty boom that issued when I was clicking heads with the sniper rifle in Counter-Strike 2. With the VR3000 EX, it almost felt like I was playing a different game, with the game’s rifles having scarcely any more impact than my dual Berettas. While that has a very limited impact on your kill ratio in-game, it does make the whole thing feel a lot less immersive.

(Image credit: Future)

Speaking of, Final spends a lot of time hyping up the VR3000 EX’s spatial audio skills in its product description. And yet I’d say rumors of its immersiveness have been greatly exaggerated.

On the one hand, the VR3000 EX has a pretty creditable stereo field, with action occurring on either side of me always feeling pretty easy to pinpoint. Whether I was trying to spot where an inbound explosive engineer was charging from or fleeing from hell knights in Doom, the VR3000 EX generally made it easy to tell which side their howls and roars came from.

Unfortunately, I can’t say Final’s headset fares as well in other dimensions. There’s just enough variation in footsteps in front and behind you that I could tell which was which when giving it my full attention — but in the heat of battle, I’m not sure how useful I actually found these subtle cues. And while Final explicitly mentions height effects on its site, I could not spot any significant difference at all between action happening above me and gunfights happening right under my nose.

Honestly, that’s fine: I do not expect accomplished Dolby Atmos-style effects from hardware that costs roughly the same dough as a couple of AAA computer games. But I do wish brands would stop denuding the term spatial audio of its meaning by using it as a marketing gimmick.

(Image credit: Future)

Sadly, the VR3000 EX also treads a pretty similar path with its Footstep mode. While engaged in a free-for-all deathmatch in Counter-Strike 2, the headset did a perfectly adequate job of allowing me to pick out my rivals’ footfall and react accordingly. So far, so good, right? Except during this match I switched Footstep mode on and off many times, and I genuinely couldn’t spot whether I was actually getting an enhanced sense of steps or whether it was largely just a placebo.

One area I’ll happily give the VR3000 EX its due, though, is its connectivity. Using its USB dongle, I honestly couldn’t detect any latency between kills onscreen and the crack of gunfire. While an effective low-latency mode is pretty common with gaming headsets, it’s still a welcome feature on a headset this affordably priced. Even when connected via Bluetooth, the audio wasn’t remotely laggy and enabled me to respond pretty quickly to what was going on around me. So it definitely gets some points there.

And as long as you don’t have particularly high expectations, the VR3000 EX’s foldaway mic works well enough as well. Its action is smooth, and the fold-to-mute function absolutely works, meaning you can be sure no one is overhearing you when you want a bit of privacy — although there is a lag of around a second before it mutes, so bear that in mind. Unfortunately, though, sound quality isn’t great, with my voice sounding a little bit on the tinnier side, and there’s no noise-gating that I can tell, meaning friends and foes online will be able to hear any background chatter or music in your room.

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming?Buy it if…

You want decent game sound without spending a fortune
Despite not having quite as much low-end heft as some headsets, the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming has clear enough mids and treble to bring your games to life.

You want an epic battery life
Even compared to much more expensive headsets, the VR3000 EX has an impressive battery life, clocking in at roughly 55 hours. That should keep you gaming for days and days.

Don't buy it if...

You want a premium-feeling experience
The VR3000 EX feels comfortable enough on your head. But it’s not made of the most luxe-feeling materials, and the adjustable headband doesn’t run tight enough for smaller heads.

You want a premium-feeling experience
The VR3000 EX feels comfortable enough on your head. But it’s not made of the most luxe-feeling materials, and the adjustable headband doesn’t run tight enough for smaller heads.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: also consider

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming

Corsair HS55 Wireless

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023)

Drivers

3D Extra Wide Sound Stage Over-Ear Dynamic Drivers

50mm Neodymium

Customized Dynamic 50mm Driver (Razer TriForce Titanium)

Weight

389g

266g

320g

Compatibility

PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, mobile

PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, mobile

PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, mobile

Connection type

2.4GHz Wireless (via USB Adapter), Bluetooth 5.3

2.4GHz Wireless (via USB Adapter), Bluetooth

2.4GHz Wireless (via USB Adapter), Bluetooth 5.2

Battery life

Up to 55 hours

Up to 24 hours (2.4GHz) / Up to 37 hours (Bluetooth)

Up to 70 hours

Features

25ms ultra-low latency mode, Footstep Clarity Modes, fold-to-mute microphone

Dolby Audio 7.1 surround sound (PC/Mac), Flip-to-mute boom mic

Detachable HyperClear Super Wideband 9.9mm Mic, THX Spatial Audio, Razer SmartSwitch toggle, FPS audio profiles

Software

Dedicated final VR3000 EX mobile app (10-band EQ customization, Footstep Clarity Mode toggle)

Corsair iCUE (10-band EQ, mic settings, EQ presets)

Razer Synapse (10-band graphic EQ, THX Spatial layout)

Corsair HS55 Wireless
There’s a reason that the Corsair HS55 Wireless is our current budget pick for the best PC gaming headsets. Its 50mm Neodymium audio drivers serve up crystal-clear sound with generous bass, while its build is super comfortable to wear. Most importantly, it offers true 7.1 Surround Sound, meaning it’s capable of much more impressive spatialized sound.

Read our full Corsair HS55 Wireless review.

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro
Despite having been released in 2022, the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is still one of our favorite gaming headsets, thanks to its lush sound quality, epic battery life and THX spatial audio. And while its original list price of $179.99 / £179 / AU$299 is a fair bit higher than the VR3000 EX, in the years since its release its price has come way down: I’ve seen offers placing it more in the region of $107.99 / £99.98 / AU$176.55.

Read our full Razer BlackShark V2 Pro review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming

• Tested over a week
• Tried out on a range of titles including Counter-Strike 2 and Doom
• Have 10 years experience writing about audio and 35 of gaming

I tested the Final VR3000 EX for Gaming over the course of a week. I paired it with my desktop PC at home, my MacBook Pro M4 and TechRadar’s Acer Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop. I then tested it out with multiple titles including Counter-Strike 2 and Doom, as well as listening to some playlists on Apple Music.

In terms of specifics, I tested out the spatial audio in multiple Counter-Strike 2 deathmatches and tried switching the Footstep Clarity Mode on and off to see how much difference that made to how perceptible opponents’ positions were. I recorded myself while talking, typing, and playing music to test the VR3000 EX’s foldaway mic, as well as folding it away to test how effectively it muted incoming audio.

When it comes to my personal experience, I’ve been writing about and testing audio gadgets for over ten years now, as well as using audio gear to produce and listen to music. I’ve been playing games on a daily basis since they were all 8-bit, sharing my time pretty evenly between console, handheld and PC gaming. And yet, it turns out, I still get thoroughly mogged when playing Counter-Strike 2, which I blame on my middle-aged reflexes.

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

With AI undoubtedly revolutionizing the way many office jobs get done, the effects new technology is having on blue-collar jobs often flies under the radar.

But it is in these hands-on industries where AI can really make a difference, boosting not only productivity and efficiency, but also improving safety and worker welfare.

At its recent Samsara Beyond 2026 conference, I saw first-hand some of the new AI-powered tools and services which could revolutionize the operations industry in years to come - but also heard why the human connection will always remain vital.

AI improvement

"Humans are extremely capable - and I don't see the machines or AI replacing that anytime soon - I see it augmenting us, and helping us," Johan Land, CPO at Samsara tells me at the event.

We're speaking after a jam-packed keynote which saw the company reveal a host of new AI-empowered tools and services, from a smart shipping label sticker, to a 360-degree camera which can help truck drivers navigate cramped delivery yards.

But it was the new AI tools which drew a lot of attention, including the ability for drivers to talk directly to their manager or an AI agent remotely, as well as a new AI Studio which lets customers create bespoke offerings for specific use cases - so why such a big focus on AI right now, I ask Land.

"First of all, the AI has got so much better over time - but then in addition to that, our customers want it," he notes, highlighting how Samsara can help customers on how to best plug AI into their systems.

"Physical operations is tough! It's very labor-intensive, there are many tasks that are very repetitive and it's hard to hire people - so this solves a really acute problem in that sense."

(Image credit: Future / Mike Moore)

Ryan Yu, VP of Product at Samsara, agrees with Land, telling me Samsara's goal, "is to be the operating system for physical operations."

When it comes to improving the efficiency of customer's workflows, "there's so much low-hanging fruit", he notes, highlighting the importance automating the big things, in a way that makes sense.

Samsara's customer base is everyone from mining operations to building firms, from school districts to logistics firms, so I ask Land how important AI will be as a selling point over its competition - and how eager these more "traditional" industries are to get working with AI.

"The hardest thing with AI is probably making it work for people in their real life and to create true value," he says, "it can easily become vaporware, it looks good on the surface"

"Sometimes they get it (AI), and sometimes they don't," he adds, "but it doesn't matter - and it might be even better if you don't understand it, because their expectations are super high...that's the empowerment, they expect it to just work."

"We need to provide the rails," Yu adds, "and we also need to provide guidance to what types of use cases are best served...because the underlying technology is still evolving."

AI augmenting humans

So how long will it be before even the most hands-on industries are fully embracing AI to get their work done? Land notes that the work is already well underway.

"Overall, we see the AI augmenting humans, taking care of some tasks," he says, "but overall it's making humans more empowered, stronger and capable."

Yu notes the immediate future will be dominated by the themes of "discovery, education and adoption" by customers, and the role Samsara can play in this.

"We want to make sure we meet them where they are, and provide the right templates," he notes, "and the good thing is we know what their most important use cases are, and what they struggle with...when we talk about reducing manual drudgery, we understand deeply how customers engage with their products."

"This is a time of distractions," Land laughs, "but for us it's very simple, we follow our customers, we just talk to them, understand what their problems are, what they need from us, and then that's how we prioritize literally everything we do."

"The direction this is going is that a job site or workplace of the future will have all kinds of things inside of it...the way we see ourselves to be is as the connecting tissue - the agentic platform that ties all of this together."