Tag: Hardware Reviews
Review PS5 Pro - An Impressive Yet Inconsistent Upgrade
Pro price, pro performance
From day one, the PS5 Pro has lacked the clear cut sales pitch that its mid-gen predecessor had. It’s offering 4K, ray tracing, and higher frame rates, all of which are technically available on the base model. But the Pro part of PS5 Pro wants to bring all those features together so you don’t need to choose between...
Review PS Access Controller - An Innovative But Expensive Game Changer
Pricey but impressive
Sony released the PS Access Controller this week, a new PS5 peripheral designed to make gaming more accessible to those with disabilities or mobility issues. This concludes years of progress from the platform holder, which has seen it win awards for ground-breaking accessibility innovation in titles like The Last of Us: Part 2...
Hardware Review PS Portal Is the Perfect PS5 Companion (For Some)
A great product at the mercy of your Internet connection
When the PS Portal was first announced, we were endlessly sceptical about Sony's sort of return to the handheld market. We've spent the best part of a decade clamouring for a new PS Vita, so the PS Portal understandably feels like a half-measure, rather than the real deal. However, after...
Hardware Review JBL Quantum 910P - High-End Price, Middling Audio
Flashy headset fails to impress
With Dolby Atmos support making its way to PS5 in an upcoming system software update, it’s never been more important to have a quality pair of headphones. With Sony already offering up its own brilliant set of cans in the form of the Sony INZONE series, it might be a little daunting to move outside the Sony...
Hardware Review Nacon Daija Arcade Stick - A PS5, PS4, and PC Fighting Game Dream
Arcade heaven
We’re in a golden era for fighting games right now. Following the critical success of the sublime Street Fighter 6, publisher Capcom recently revealed there’ll be a prize pool of over $2 million up for grabs in the latest iteration of its Capcom Pro Tour. And with the likes of Tekken 8 and Mortal Kombat 1 also on the horizon,...
Feature PSVR2 Review: Is It Worth It?
Next-gen virtual reality arrives
Back when Sony originally released PSVR in 2016, it felt like magic. The headset – which also repurposed the existing PS Camera and PS Move controllers in order to operate – enabled you to exist within virtual worlds, unlocking innovative new gameplay opportunities, as observed in some of the device’s biggest...
Hardware Review DualSense Edge - An Outstanding Upgrade for Enthusiasts
Give yourself that competitive edge
It's been years in the making, and frankly long overdue, but Sony's finally launched the DualSense Edge, a pricey pro-controller made for those competitive PS5 players out there. With a bunch of added features on top of those from the DualSense controller, there was already a lot to like about the Edge from the...
Hardware Review BenQ Mobiuz EX3210U - A Vivid, Fully-Fledged HDR Gaming Monitor
Seeing clearly
The video game display landscape is a minefield unless you’re an audiovisual expert, and it’s frustrating when you consider it’s arguably the most important part of your PlayStation experience. We all know the PS5 – and, to a lesser extent these days, the PS4 – are capable of outputting extraordinary images, but knowing...
Hardware Review Thrustmaster T128 - The Perfect Wheel for Beginners
Drift into the driving peripherals game with this killer wheel
It's no secret that games like Gran Turismo 7 or DIRT 5 are made all the better with a compatible racing wheel. Flicking your car in various directions with the DualSense controller, while still fun, will never reach the same heights of immersion and entertainment as heaving that wheel...
Hardware Review Sony INZONE H9 - Taking Your Audio Experience to the Next Level
Immerse yourself in the music of games
Sony has already provided PS5 players with a decent pair of cans with the Pulse 3D Headset, but the INZONE line-up aims to elevate the audio experience even further. With three to choose from, the Sony INZONE H9 is the cream of the crop, offering all the bells and whistles whilst looking and feeling the part...
Hardware Review Sony INZONE M9 - High-End Specs for a High Price PS5, PC Monitor
Top notch display comes at a cost
Sony has finally branched out and released its first ever gaming monitor with the INZONE series. This collection of tech includes three sets of headphones and two monitors, the crowning jewel of which is the INZONE M9, a 27 inch 4K monitor jam-packed with top of the line specs and designed with the PS5 in mind. But...
Hardware Review Backbone One: PlayStation Edition - The Best Way to Enjoy Remote Play
Dialled in
Like it or not, mobile gaming is a big deal. Sony has made attempts to enter the space in the past to varying degrees of success, but having now established a Mobile Division within PlayStation Studios and added Savage Game Studios to its first-party ranks, it now seems the company is finally doing things properly. The
Hardware Review Thrustmaster T248 Racing Wheel - A Great First Step for Curious Car Nuts
Won't steer you far wrong
The world of racing games is huge. For as long as video games have been around, we've been driving flashy cars around twisting circuits and bustling streets in pursuit of first place. Of course, most vehicular titles are perfectly playable using a regular controller, but hardcore enthusiasts will all tell you that a racing...
Hardware Review Sabrent's PS5 SSD Heatsink Offers Console Convenience
Easy installation is a big win
Sony has enabled the PlayStation 5’s expanded storage slot, allowing you to dramatically increase the amount of software you can have installed at once. Rather than creating a proprietary solution, the manufacturer has instead opted for standard NVMe M.2 SSDs, which should help drive prices down as they become more...
Feature PS5 Review: Is It Good?
Sony's next-gen PlayStation 5 iterates impressively on PS4
In this PS5 review, we’re going to answer an important question: is Sony’s next-gen PlayStation 5 console good and what makes it a meaningful upgrade over the PS4? We’re going to discuss the system’s key features, including its hardware and graphics, storage space, games, controller,...
Hardware Review PS5 Pulse 3D Wireless Headset - A Sturdy All-Rounder with Above Average Audio
Sound
Video games are an inherently visual medium – the clue, after all, is in the name. And yet sound can make or break an experience: when it’s good, like in The Last of Us: Part II, it sucks you into your surroundings, providing a sense of presence – but when it’s bad, like in the tinny Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, it only serves to...
Evolution, not revolution
Nacon's back with another licensed PlayStation 4 pad, adding to its already impressive controller lineup on Sony's system. The Nacon Revolution Pro Controller 3 is, as its name suggests, the third main iteration of the company's 'Revolution' series -- technically the fourth if you're counting the Revolution Unlimited -- but...
Arcade stick meets pad
The Raion is a curious PlayStation 4 controller from Razer. Built primarily for fighting games, the pad doesn't have any analog sticks, and it has six main face buttons in similar positions to what you'd find on a typical arcade stick. The Raion is essentially a hybrid input device, bridging the gap between pad and stick --...
One of the PS4's best headsets
Off the back of Sennheiser's expensive but undeniably excellent GSP 670 wireless headset comes the GSP 370 -- a more affordable option that promises up to 100 hours of battery life. Sporting full PlayStation 4 compatibility, we put the GSP 370 to the test across a range of current-gen titles, and the results have been...
100 hours with Sennheiser's first wireless headset
German company Sennheiser's been making top quality audio products for decades, and now it's branching out into the realm of wireless gaming headsets. Fully compatible with the PlayStation 4, the GSP 670 is an impressive but costly accessory. In this hardware review, we're going to break down each...
Another solid effort from Nacon
The Nacon Asymmetric PlayStation 4 Controller is an affordable third-party option for players who may not be keen on Sony's traditional analog stick layout. You can find the Nacon Asymmetric for around or under £40 at some retailers, often pricing it below Sony's official DualShock 4. The price point obviously means...
Hardware Review Nacon Revolution Unlimited PS4 Controller - A Rock Solid Xbox-Style Alternative
Flirting with the enemy
If you're a PlayStation fan but you've never been too keen on the layout of Sony's controllers, then the Nacon Revolution Unlimited Pro Controller for PlayStation 4 (phew) may well be the controller for you. The headline here is that like Nacon's previous efforts, the Revolution Unlimited (as we'll be calling it from this...
Hardware Review Razer Raiju Ultimate - Probably the PS4's Best 'Pro' Controller, But It Ain't Cheap
Razing the bar
Almost a whole year ago, we reviewed the Raiju, a "pro" controller for PlayStation 4 from Razer. We walked away pretty impressed with the pad, praising its overall build quality, responsive face buttons, and comfortable triggers. However, its directional pad and shoulder bumpers did leave quite a bit to be desired, and an expensive...
Hardware Review PS Classic - A Nostalgic Nineties Novelty
Everything you need to know about the PlayStation Classic
On the 24th anniversary of the PlayStation’s release in Japan comes the PlayStation Classic, a micro-console created to cash in on growing nostalgia for Sony’s first ever system. Following in the footsteps of Nintendo’s own NES and SNES miniatures, this plug-and-play PSX comes bundled...
Hardware Review PS4 Slime Controller - Taking the PS4's Strangest Pad for a Spin
Prime slime?
Ladies and gentlemen, we present you the most bizarre PlayStation peripheral we've ever laid our sweaty hands on: the HORI Dragon Quest Slime Controller. This Japan-exclusive PlayStation 4 controller takes the form of a slime -- a monster from Square Enix's Dragon Quest series. For those who don't know, the slime is essentially the...
Hardware Review PS4 Slim Review - The Most Affordable PlayStation 4
Does Sony's diminutive device deliver?
It's amazing how much can happen in the space of a month. We never really expected Sony to release a PlayStation 4 Slim, but here we are putting Sony's shrunken system through its paces. There are times when the games industry feels like it's moving at a snail's pace, with titles announced eons before...
Hardware Review PS4 Pro Review - Should You Upgrade Your PlayStation 4?
Do you even 4K, Pro?
For a company supposedly sitting on its near 70 million unit install base, Sony sure isn't slowing down. Just a month after ushering in a virtual revolution with PlayStation VR, the platform holder released the first ever iterative console model with the PlayStation 4 Pro; the bags under the eyes of the Japanese giant's...
Hardware Review PSVR Review - Should You Buy PlayStation VR?
Virtual revolution
At least I can say I have lived. Sony's award-winning 1999 commercial hinged on one simple, indelible message: PlayStation has the power to transform you into someone you're not; the capacity to transport you to places that you've never been to before. And in the near-two decades since that promise was made, the Japanese giant's...
Hardware Review PlayStation VR Aim Controller - Straight Shootin'
On target?
Virtual reality is at its mind-blowing best when it’s representing physical objects in 3D space. Wield two PlayStation Move controllers in the excellent Job Simulator, for example, and you can practically juggle with digital objects such is the accuracy with which the wands are replicated within the title’s cartoon world. The newly...
Hardware Review Is the Razer Raiju the PS4's True Pro Controller?
Razor's edge
Officially licensed by Sony, the Razer Raiju is one of the PlayStation 4's 'Elite' controllers – the other being the Nacon Revolution. At the time of writing, the Raiju retails for around £150, so it's safe to say that it's a premium piece of gadgetry. In order to pen this review, we spent around 60 hours with the Raiju, playing...
Hardware Review Hori Real Arcade Pro 4 Kai - Stick Joy
King of the Kontrollers
Capcom may have slightly fumbled the launch of Street Fighter V, but there's no denying that the title is a formidable addition to the company's long and proud lineage in a genre that it has arguably dominated since the early 90s. However, as any truly dedicated player will tell you over and over, the interface you use to...
Hardware Review How to Extend Your PS4 Controller's Battery Life
Never stop playing
Longevity isn't exactly the DualShock 4's favourite word. Sony's latest controller may be the most comfortable that it's ever made, but if it was on a Duracell commercial, it would be one of those knock-off bunnies on its haunches staring longingly at the cotton tails of its supercharged counterparts. The PowerPak 1, an ergonomic...
Hardware Review The Perfect PS4 Hard Drive Upgrade Kit for the Clueless
We take a look at Oyen Digital's 1TB option
Let's cut right to the chase: if you're anything like us, that 500GB hard drive that's sat inside of your PlayStation 4 since launch is becoming a growing hassle. You're probably having to delete older games so that you can install new ones, and every time that there's a hefty patch to download, you get...
Hardware Review PlayStation TV - Turn Off
TV, TV, TV
It's perhaps indicative of the PlayStation TV's place in Sony's overall hardware portfolio that we decided to delay our review of the microconsole during the busy Christmas period while we focused our attention on the onslaught of PlayStation 4 software instead. Announced in Japan over a year ago, there was a swell of
Hardware Review PlayStation Gold Wireless Stereo Headset - Sound Buy
Gold standard
Having recently graduated with a distinction from the school of Turtle Beach, this editor was not especially looking forward to another battle of wits against a pair of humble headphones. The elaborately named Ear Force PX4 peripheral garnered a glowing appraisal in the sound quality portion of our recent review, but was ultim
Hardware Review PS Vita Slim - Screen if You Wanna Go Faster
Slimmer, lighter, better?
Hardware revisions are a fact of gaming life; as manufacturers find new ways to cut costs and reduce their overheads, we invariably see new iterations hit the market in the hope that new consumers can be drawn in by the allure of fresh tech and hefty discounts. However, such revisions can come with significant drawbacks;...
Hardware Review Turtle Beach Ear Force PX4 - Perfect Sound for PS4
With a few headaches along the way
Audio is arguably the most underrated element of gaming. We spend hours poring over screenshots and gameplay videos, rarely giving a second thought to the sound as we inspect textures, lighting effects, and polygons. Despite this, a game’s ability to move or engage is often closely linked to the quality of its...
Hardware Review PlayStation 4 - For the Players
Greatness arrives
How do you review a games console in this day and age? Our expectations for new systems have changed, and while Sony's messaging with the PlayStation 4 may have centred on the hearts of the players with iron sight precision, it's impossible to escape the idea that beneath the expensive marketing campaigns and Antonio Banderas...
Hardware Review DualShock 4 - The Best Way to Play
XOXO
A console without a controller is like a car without a steering wheel: useless. While a vehicle’s helm provides the pivotal interaction between the wheels and the road, video game systems have forever been defined by the device’s that drive them. Sony evidenced this earlier in the year when it opted to unveil its overhauled DualShock 4...
