shield-tv-adds-support-for-ps5-and-xbox-one-controllers

Shield TV adds support for PS5 and Xbox One controllers

Nvidia has updated its Shield TV media streaming box to add support for the Bluetooth enabled PlayStation 5 DualSense and the Xbox Series X|S controllers. These controllers can now be paired with the streaming device through the latter’s Bluetooth settings.

The Shield TV is a media streaming box but it can also play Android games from the Google Play Store. On top of that, the device is compatible with the Nvidia GeForce Now service, which allows you to play games from Nvidia’s cloud service.

The Shield TV devices are compatible with other wireless controllers and Nvidia also sells its own but now if you already have a PS5 or Xbox Series controller around then you don’t need to purchase one separately for the Shield TV. Then again, it’s hard to say how many people will be playing on their Shield TV when they already have a PS5 or Xbox Series console around.

Nvidia added support for Control4 home automation system in this update for the Shield TV, which allows Control4 remote or app to navigate the Shield TV UI. The OS has also been patched with the Android December 2020 security update.

Source

galaxy-s21-4g-variant-appears-to-be-certified-in-bluetooth-sig-listing

Galaxy S21 4G variant appears to be certified in Bluetooth SIG listing

In a rather odd turn of events, Samsung might be bringing a 4G variant of its recently released Galaxy S21 5G after all. All three S21 models introduced last week come with 5G connectivity exclusively (mmWave or sub-6Ghz depending on region) but a new Bluetooth SIG certification suggests we’re in for a regular old 4G model too.


Galaxy S21 4G Bluetooth SIG listing

The listing specifies two model numbers (SM-G990F and SM-G990F_DS) which do not match the current SM-G991X model numbers on the S21 5G. These could very well be the 4G variants of the S21 5G meant for markets where 5G infrastructure is still not established. It remains to be seen if and when Samsung will launch 4G variants of its Galaxy S21 series but we will make sure to update you once more info emerges.

Source | Via (in Dutch)

best-pc-gaming-controllers-2021:-top-premium-controllers-for-your-computer

Best PC gaming controllers 2021: Top premium controllers for your computer

(Pocket-lint) – If you just can’t get enough gaming goodness, but standard console controllers aren’t cutting it for your PC, then you might be considering an upgrade. 

There are a number of decent PC controllers out there that cater to different devices and help up your game. Robust designs, multi-functional capabilities and customisation options abound. 

We’ve been playing with some of the best to compile a list of the most interesting and capable gaming controllers money can buy.

Upgrade your gear and upgrade your game.

1/20Pocket-lint

Astro C40 TR gaming controller

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  • Supports: PS4, PC and Mac
  • Customisable design with swappable Analog Stick caps
  • Adjustable layout, customisable buttons, adjustable sensitivity levels and hair-trigger switch
  • 2.4Ghz wireless with 5ms wireless latency
  • Weighs 310g 
  • 12 hours battery life with Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery
  • Includes hard carry case, 2-metre micro-USB cable and swappable buttons

The Astro C40 TR is a wireless controller that’s designed for the “serious” gamer. TR stands for Tournament Ready, so that already gives you a sense of how serious Astro is about the design of this controller. Sure, it might be expensive, but you very much get what you pay for. 

It features a snazzy, well-thought-out and robust design aesthetic which means it feels weighty in the hand, but not on an obnoxious way, in a way that alludes to the quality. It’s that build quality that’s the first thing that strikes when you get it out of the box and remove it from the hard carry case and continues on as you use it. Inside that case is a multitude of things to help you on your way to controller mastery. Along with the charging cable and wireless dongle, you get a tool for removing the faceplate, some replacement analogue stick caps and space for more upgrades in the future. 

With the tool, you can remove and swap the position of the analogue sticks with the directional pad and customise the position according to your personal playstyle. In the software, you can remap the buttons, adjust sensitivity levels of the sticks and triggers and even create two different profiles that you can switch between on-the-fly with the flick of a button near the triggers. 

There’s another button for individually turning the standard triggers into hair triggers – meaning you don’t need to depress them as far to activate them. And yet another switch for switching between wireless and wired modes. The customisation is the very heart of this controller. It’s designed for PS4, but also works on PC and can be mapped to work via Steam’s Big Picture mode in your game library with relative ease. 

If you want the very best, then this Astro C40 TR might be it. Especially when it comes to customisation options. There are even more upgrade accessories you can buy to tweak it further, with different style stick caps, d-pad buttons and more. 

1/8Pocket-lint

Razer Raiju Ultimate

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  • Supports: PS4, PC and smartphone app
  • USB or Bluetooth connectivity option
  • Interchangeable thumbstick and D-pad buttons
  • Razer Chroma RGB lighting
  • Extra multi-function buttons, trigger stops for quick action 
  • Weighs 370g
  • 3 metre braided USB cable
  • 11-hour battery life
  • Mecha-Tactile triangle, circle, X, square action buttons

The Razer Raiju Ultimate is another serious bit of kit for PlayStation/PC gamers who love the feel of a hefty, customisable and well-built controller in their hand. Although the Raiju Ultimate isn’t quite as customisable as the Astro C40 TR it still has plenty of interesting design features. You can switch the style and height of the analogue stick caps, for example, and the style of the D-pad, but you can’t swap their position. 

The Raiju Ultimate also uses Bluetooth instead of 2.4Ghz wireless. Making it easy to pair and sync with other devices. This connectivity also means you can use the smartphone app (for Android or iOS) where you can easily remap buttons, switch between onboard memory profiles, adjust RGB lighting and stick sensitivity too. 

The Raiju Ultimate is as easy on the eye as it is in the hand, with a premium design that includes texture grips on the handles and sticks to ensure it doesn’t slip when you’re in the middle of a good gaming session. 

As if all this wasn’t enough, it also stands out from the standard PlayStation style controllers thanks to the addition of extra multi-function buttons on the underside and near the triggers. Trigger stops mean you can turn the main triggers into hair triggers, add that to sensitivity tweaks and you can customise how the controller reacts when you game. 

This controller is designed to work with PC and PlayStation and though it will connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth it’s not certified to work with games on it. It’s designed to work nicely with Steam games and has drivers for non-steam games too. 

1/8Pocket-lint

Razer Raion Fightpad

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  • Supports: PS4 and PC
  • 6 face button layout, 8-way Mecha-Tactile D-pad
  • Button lock function for competition mode
  • Razer Mechanical Switch pushbuttons
  • Weighs 275g
  • 3-metre wired connection

The Razer Raion is a bit of a different monkey. It’s more affordable than some of the other controllers on this list, but it’s also designed for a different undertaking – namely fighting games specifically. Large tactile buttons take up the face of this controller alongside a distinct lack of analogue control sticks. 

It also has two more buttons on the top to give your fingers access to more in the middle of a fight. These face-buttons are also built using Razer’s Yellow mechanical switches. Meaning they’re not only robust (with an 80-million tap lifecycle) but also react quickly and accurately to your strokes. 

For accurate and precise movement, the Razer Raion also boasts an 8-way directional pad to help you pull off perfect combos, finishing moves and more. A built-in function lock button means you can disable the extra buttons when you don’t need them, so you can customise according to your playstyle. 

All-in-all, if you love fighting games, then you need this controller. 

1/11Pocket-lint

MSI Force GC30

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  • Supports: PC and Android
  • 600 mAh lithium battery, lasting 8 hours usage
  • Metal magnetic swappable d-pads
  • 2 million click guarantee switches
  • Wireless, wired and support for Android too
  • 2-metre USB 2.0 cable and 0.3-metre OTG smartphone cable

If you’re looking for something more affordable, but still useful and well designed, then the MSI Force GC30 might well be worth a look. This is a wireless controller that’s designed to work with PC and Android smartphones (assuming you have a micro USB connection). 

It comes with two easily swappable D-pad covers with a metal design. They connect via magnets and quickly detach when you need them too, offering slight customisation options but nothing as fancy as the other controllers on this list. 

The MSI Force GC30 feels a little light in the hand and obviously isn’t the same quality as the pricier options, but it packs in a lot of neat features and design aesthetics. 

Design highlights include textured side grips so the controller doesn’t slip out of your hand in the middle of a game, a capable wireless dongle with the freedom to play in wired mode too and more. A decent battery life, the ability to use it on some phones and an affordable pricepoint make this controller an interesting option. 

Writing by Adrian Willings. Editing by Max Freeman-Mills.

asrock-nuc-box-1165g7-barebones-mini-pc-(intel-tiger-lake-+-iris-xe-graphics)-review

ASRock NUC BOX-1165G7 Barebones Mini PC (Intel Tiger Lake + Iris Xe Graphics) Review

Introduction

A big thank you to ASRock for providing the review sample and Kingston for providing the system memory and SSD.

ASRock has become a significant provider of motherboards and graphics cards since its formation in 2002. The company has stuck to their 3C design concept of “Creativity, Consideration, Cost-effectiveness,” which has taken them from humble beginnings to enthusiast favorite. Over time, their product portfolio has also expanded from simple motherboards to high-end offerings, alongside graphics cards, routers, components, mini-PCs, and industrial systems.

Today, I look at the ASRock NUC BOX-1165G7 barebones system with an Intel i7-1165G7 at its core. The processor is an Intel 10 nm 4-core, 8-thread Tiger Lake offering with the company’s Iris Xe Graphics, which has 96 execution units. Overall, the CPU has a maximum turbo frequency of 4.7 GHz with a base clock of 2.8 GHz. Meanwhile, it can support up to 64 GB of DDR4-3200. To test the system, Kingston provided both 16 GB (2x 8 GB) and 32 GB (2x 16 GB) kits of DDR4 3200 MHz memory, which retail for $80 and $160 respectively as I am writing this, along with a 500 GB KC2500 M.2 NVMe SSD, which retails for $107. To be thorough, I have tested both sets of memory to see if going big has any tangible benefits.

Specifications
Model: ASRock NUC BOX-1165G7
Processor: Intel Tiger Lake i7-1165G7

Clock Speed: 2.8 GHz (4.7 GHz Turbo)
Integrated Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Memory: 2x 16 GB @ 3200 MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM (not included)

2x 8 GB @ 3200 MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM (not included)

Provided by Kingston
Storage: 500 GB Kingston KC2500 M.2 SSD (not included)

SSD Provided by Kingston

(supports 1x M.2 SSD and 1x 2.5 in. SATA drive)
Optical Drive: None
Audio: Realtek ALC233 high definition audio controller
Connectivity: 1x HDMI 2.0a

1x DisplayPort 1.4

1x 1 GbE LAN

1x 2.5 GbE LAN

2x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A

2x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C w/DisplayPort 1.4 support

1x Audio combo jack
Communications: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2×2 802.11ax

Bluetooth 5.1

1x Intel I225LM 2.5 GbE LAN

1x Intel I219V 1 GbE LAN w/DASH
Cooling: Active cooling (heatsink/fan)
Operating System: OS tested: Windows 10

OS included: none
Warranty: 1 year
MSRP: $599.99

$787 & $867 (as tested)
best-beats-wireless-headphones-2021:-bluetooth-beats-for-every-budget

Best Beats wireless headphones 2021: Bluetooth Beats for every budget

Best Beats wireless headphones Buying Guide: welcome to What Hi-Fi?’s round-up of the best Beats wireless headphones you can buy in 2021.

Beats had already established itself as the headphone make of choice for youngsters, athletes and hip-hop artists alike, but since it was bought by Apple in 2014 the brand’s profile has gone stratospheric.

Beats has a reputation of putting bass before quality, and although we felt this was the case with a few of its earlier models, there are now some excellent Beats wireless headphones around.

We’ve rounded up the best Beat wireless headphones we’ve tested, from in-ears to on-ears, including a true wireless option. Hopefully, there’ll be a pair of Beats wireless headphones sate your audio appetite.

(Image credit: Beats)

1. Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless

Eminently practical and great-sounding and arguably the best wireless Beats headphones around.

SPECIFICATIONS

Connector: n/a | Cable length: 1.3m | In-line remote and mic: Yes | OS support: Android/iOS | Bluetooth: Yes | Noise-cancelling: No

Reasons to Buy

Great fit

Long-lasting battery

A fun listen

Reasons to Avoid

Overbearing bass

Could be clearer

Now Beats is owned by Apple, its headphones are seamlessly compatible with iOS devices thanks to the inclusion of Apple’s W1 chip. The Powerbeats 3s are only noise isolating, not noise cancelling (i.e. the earbud seals off your earhole from outside noise), but at this price, that’s to be expected. And the snug fit means they’re not going anywhere. The battery lasts a healthy 12 hours, while just five minutes of plug time will get you an hour’s use. Handy if you’re about to dash out the door.

The bass can be a little overwhelming at times but can be a benefit in noisy environments. And they’re a lively, fun listen.

Read the full Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless review

(Image credit: Beats)

2. Beats Solo Pro

Awesome noise-cancelling meets an even-handed and balanced wireless Beats sound.

SPECIFICATIONS

Connector: 3.5mm | Cable length: N/A | In-line remote and mic: No | OS support: Android/iOS | Bluetooth: Yes | Noise-cancelling: Yes

Reasons to Buy

Clear, impactful sound

Great noise-cancelling

Well built

Reasons to Avoid

Could time better

A bit snug

If you’re looking for Beats wireless headphones, the Solo Pro should be right up there on your list. They feel sturdy and well built, but classy with it, like a premium SUV rather than a tank. The battery life also impresses, standing at 22 hours, or 40 with noise-cancelling disabled.

Unlike some on-ears, the bass doesn’t overwhelm, and they make for a nicely balanced listen. They’re a little snug (though it might depend on the size of your bonce) and you’ll find better timing elsewhere, but they’re still a class act all the way.

Read the full Beats Solo Pro review

(Image credit: Beats)

3. Beats Powerbeats Pro

Sporty types will lap them up. Audiophiles, not so much…

SPECIFICATIONS

Connector: N/A | Cable length: N/A | In-line remote and mic: No | OS support: Android/iOS | Bluetooth: Yes | Noise-cancelling: No

Reasons to Buy

Very consistent

Comfy

Marathon battery

Reasons to Avoid

Limited dynamic range

Need more bass

Audio lacks vim

Sporty types in the market for the best Beats wireless headphones should look no further. The Powerbeats Pro are truly wireless, so you won’t get tangled in any cables while you work out. They fit well and are extremely comfortable to wear, so they won’t hinder you as you exercise. And they perform superbly thanks to Apple’s H1 Bluetooth chip which ensures a stable wireless connection.

The 9-hour battery life is more a marathon than a sprint, and you get a further two charges from the supplied carry case. The audio lacks a little energy, which is a shame given they’re meant to power you through your runs, but they’re still a good choice to get hot and sweaty with.

Read the full Beats Powerbeats Pro review

(Image credit: Beats)

4. Beats X

These Beats wireless headphones pack a seriously punchy sound.

SPECIFICATIONS

Connector: N/A | Cable length: N/A | In-line remote and mic: Yes | OS support: Android/iOS | Bluetooth: Yes | Noise-cancelling: No

Reasons to Buy

Excellent wireless connection

Simple yet stylish

Sound packs energy

Reasons to Avoid

Need more detail

Midrange lacks refinement

These Beats wireless headphones have a cable connecting the two earbuds – it means you won’t lose either one. They’re lightweight, and the cable not too obtrusive. They stick together with magnets when not in use too, making them easy to store.

Wireless performance is typically excellent, and the eight-hour battery life should be long enough for most people. The audio packs plenty of punch, though it could do with a tad more detail to bring out the finer elements. 

Read the full Beats X review

(Image credit: Beats)

5. Beats Flex

Fun and fuss-free wireless Beats headphones.

SPECIFICATIONS

Connector: N/A | Cable length: N/A | In-line remote and mic: Yes | OS support: Android/iOS | Bluetooth: Yes | Noise-cancelling: No

Reasons to Buy

Punchy lows

Durable build

Extra features for iOS users

Reasons to Avoid

Treble is rounded off

Fit may be an issue

The Beats Flex are a step up from Apple’s bog-standard Lightning wired buds. They’re available in some fresh hues (including the Yuzu yellow sample before you), they charge via USB-C, have a 12-hour battery life, and courtesy of one-tap audio share you can split sounds with nearby Beats or AirPod headphones (provided you have an iPhone 8 or later running iOS 14). And they’re very affordable, too.

Four ear tip options gives a good chance of finding a decent fit, and the cable is flat, like a strand of tagliatelle. Magnets keep the earbuds together when not in use.

Pairing is a doddle (even more so using an Apple device). They don’t support some iOS 14 features, including automatic switching to another device or hands-free Siri‌ support. And there’s no noise-cancelling either, but with the correct seal you’ll still enjoy good levels of passive noise isolation.

Audio quality is good, but not great. There’s just not the same impact that the best at this price manage to pull off. Still, the Flex offer a considered, smooth sound profile that’s preferable to one that is harsh or bright through the upper frequencies. A solid Beats bet at this end of the market.

Read the full Beats Flex review

(Image credit: Beats by Dre)

6. Beats Solo 3 Wireless

Great wireless tech makes these wireless Beats headphones an excellent choice.

SPECIFICATIONS

Connector: 3.5mm | Cable length: 1.5m | In-line remote and mic: Yes | OS support: Android/iOS | Bluetooth: Yes | Noise-cancelling: No

Reasons to Buy

Strong audio

Clear midrange

Healthy battery life

Reasons to Avoid

Lack detail

Tight fit

No Lightning connection

The Beats Solo 3 Wireless are long-lasters: a whopping 40 hours of battery life should see you through most of a week’s use, and if you do run out of juice, just plug them into your device using the supplied cable. The wireless connection is rock solid, making them some of the most reliable Beats wireless headphones we’ve tested.

They deliver a full-bodied sound with bags of energy, but you can get greater subtlety and refinement elsewhere. Not a bad shout for cutting through the hustle and bustle of your local gym, though.

Read the full Beats Solo 3 Wireless review

MORE:

These are the best wireless headphones for running and the gym

Check out the best Sennheiser headphones

Our definitive list: Best headphones