We’re expecting Samsung to debut its Galaxy M42 5G tomorrow and just before the event the device was spotted in a Google Play Console listing. The new information reveals that the M42 5G is simply a rebranded Galaxy A42 5G with matching Snapdragon 750G chipsets, HD+ screens and even a42xq device codes.
Samsung Galaxy M42 5G Google Play Console listing
The Galaxy M42 will bring 6GB RAM and boot Android 11, presumably with One UI 3.1 on top. We can also expect a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display, 48MP primary camera and 5,000 mAh battery. The Galaxy M42 5G is expected to retail between INR 20,000($270) and INR 25,000($335) in India.
Home/Component/APU/AMD 4700S appears to be the Xbox Series X|S CPU but for PC
João Silva 2 hours ago APU, Featured Tech News
An unknown AMD processor has appeared online, known as the ‘4700S’. The specifications of this processor don’t line up with any of AMD’s announced CPUs or APUs, but based on some of the details, this could be a reused Xbox Series X|S APU with the graphics cores disabled.
As per the retailer (via @9550pro), the AMD 4700S APU is being sold inside a mini-ITX system. Like the Xbox Series X|S APU, this one is based on the 7nm process node and features 8x Zen 2 cores and 16x threads. The naming lacks the “Ryzen” of other AMD APUs and is apparently based on the ‘Cardinal’ platform.
The boost clock is set at 4.0GHz, which is slightly above the Xbox Series X|S consoles. This might be due to the iGPU being disabled, allowing for more power to be delivered to the CPU, therefore allowing higher clock speeds.
Another similarity with the Xbox Series consoles is the 16GB of GDDR6 memory and the lack of DIMM slots. The reseller even added marketing material featuring the Xbox Series X|S APU, implying that this APU is also used on the consoles. Although we can’t confirm it, it’s possible that these APUs have not passed the tests to be equipped on Xbox Series consoles, so AMD resells them with the iGPU disabled.
The reseller also included some benchmark results, showing the AMD 4700S APU is slower than both the Core i7-9700 processor and the Ryzen 7 4750G Pro, but faster than the Core i7-9750H laptop processor.
KitGuru says: If AMD were to sell the Xbox Series console processor as its own product for the DIY PC market, would you buy one?
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Razer’s Orochi V2 is a compact wireless mouse with up to 900 hours of battery life
Razer is back with another gaming mouse this week. This time around, the Razer Orochi …
Mustafa Mahmoud 3 hours ago Console, Featured Tech News, Online, Software & Gaming, Tech News
Super Mario Party is one of the best selling games on the Nintendo Switch. Despite this the game saw very little in the way of post-launch support, with many fans left disappointed by Nintendo’s treatment of the game. In a surprise update, the console manufacturer has announced that the party game is receiving a major multiplayer update.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Nintendo announced an update to Super Mario Party, saying: “Keep the party going! A free update to #SuperMarioParty adds online play to the board game mode, 70 minigames , and the 2 vs 2 Partner Party mode. Available now!”
Super Mario Party’s previous lack of online support was greatly disappointing. This was doubly the case due to COVID-19, which made local co-op games unfeasible. It is therefore exciting to see Super Mario Party finally offering a robust online multiplayer experience. The full details of everything playable online can be found here.
Super Mario Party launched in October 2018, and as of the end of 2020, has sold 13.82 million copies, making it the seventh best selling game on the Nintendo Switch. Due to its sales success, it was disappointing to see Nintendo offer very little in the way of post launch support. While this latest update doesn’t bring with it any new boards or minigames, the ability to play full games online with friends is certainly a massive addition to the game. Hopefully this update is the first of many.
KitGuru says: What do you think of this update? Are you surprised by it? What other older Switch titles do you want to see get a major update such as this? Let us know down below.
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Razer’s Orochi V2 is a compact wireless mouse with up to 900 hours of battery life
Razer is back with another gaming mouse this week. This time around, the Razer Orochi …
The Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 consoles have been out for quite some time now, each with a new controller. Back in November, Apple confirmed it would be bringing support for these new gamepads to iOS, now six months later, that support has finally arrived.
As part of the iOS 14.5 update, Apple has also introduced support for additional game controllers on iOS, including the Xbox Series X/S controller and the PS5’s DualSense.
Apple began expanding gamepad support on iOS in recent years in preparation for its own gaming service – Apple Arcade. These controllers can also be used for cloud gaming services, which are finally starting to open up to iOS.
Currently, Microsoft is testing Xbox Cloud Gaming on iOS via browsers on the iPhone and iPad. GeForce Now is available on iOS with a similar web-based solution and soon, Amazon Luna and Google Stadia will be joining the ranks.
KitGuru Says: Do any of you use a controller with your phone for gaming, whether it be mobile games or console/PC titles streamed via the cloud?
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Apple Silicon M2 processor reportedly already in production
Apple embarked on a journey to create its own processors several years ago, which culminated …
Mustafa Mahmoud 4 hours ago Console, Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
Godfall was the first game to be announced exclusively for the PlayStation 5. Positioned as the first true next-gen game, the ‘looter-slasher’ received a lukewarm reception – though it was technically impressive in a number of ways. Despite its marketing, it would appear that the game can run well enough on older systems, as Godfall has now been rated for the PS4.
A recent rating on the PEGI ratings board has suggested that Godfall may be coming to the PlayStation 4. The game was a launch title for the PS5 and also came to PC. It was the first game to be officially announced as a PS5 exclusive, making its appearance at the December 2019 Game Awards.
Despite its marketing push, Godfall received mixed reviews from critics with user reviews faring even worse. The game was criticised for its repetitive nature, as well as its general forgetability. This was made worse by the launch price, which was set at $70.
Since its release, Godfall has improved somewhat thanks to a number of major updates. Furthermore, the game has been promised to be getting DLC over the course of 2021, hopefully helping with the game’s repetitive nature. With the developers not giving up on Godfall, it is understandable that they would want to push the game to greater sales success on a platform with over 100 million players.
Of course, with Godfall marketed as a PS5 console exclusive title, it will be interesting to see what sacrifices had to be made to get the game to run on PS4. Hopefully Godfall’s PS4 launch fares better than its PS5 one.
KitGuru says: What do you think of Godfall? Did you play it? Are you surprised to see it supposedly coming to PS4? Let us know down below.
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Razer’s Orochi V2 is a compact wireless mouse with up to 900 hours of battery life
Razer is back with another gaming mouse this week. This time around, the Razer Orochi …
Mustafa Mahmoud 6 hours ago Console, Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming, Tech News
When Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War launched late last year, it offered a native next-gen version, which took advantage of many of the new consoles’ enhancements including 120fps support, FOV sliders and much more. Activision’s arguably more popular Call of Duty game, Warzone, did not receive such treatment. That being said, the team have now confirmed that PS5 and Series X|S versions of Call of Duty Warzone are on their way.
As reported by Charlie Intel, Raven Software, one of Call of Duty’s development studios, has confirmed that they are working on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of Call of Duty Warzone. This update will bring with it many new enhancements, including 120Hz support, much faster loading times due to proper utilisation of the consoles’ SSDs, as well as possible support for FOV sliders – something which the team is currently “investigating.”
Raven has reportedly set up a “dedicated technology team” to work on next-gen enhancements for Warzone, including updating the engine itself. No timeline was provided regarding when players can expect this native next-gen version, but hopefully it will come sooner rather than later.
Call of Duty Warzone has been highly successful for the franchise, reaching over 100 million players in a year, and putting Call of Duty back into the limelight. With Warzone not going away any time soon, it is good to see that the team is working hard to make sure that the game itself progresses technologically with the newer consoles.
KitGuru says: Do you play Warzone? Are you excited for the next-gen update? What is your favourite next-gen feature? Let us know down below.
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Razer’s Orochi V2 is a compact wireless mouse with up to 900 hours of battery life
Razer is back with another gaming mouse this week. This time around, the Razer Orochi …
Matthew Wilson 10 hours ago Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
In late 2020, Square Enix finally brought Dragon Quest XI over to the Xbox platform and better yet, the game was also available on Game Pass. Now, it looks like Xbox will be getting more Dragon Quest games, including the excellent spin-off Dragon Quest Builders 2.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 originally released in mid 2019 for the Nintendo Switch and PS4. Later that same year, the game was also made available on Steam.
Now, Microsoft has announced that Dragon Quest Builders 2 will finally be coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles. Additionally, the game will launch on Game Pass for Console, PC and Cloud, marking the latest step in a long running Game Pass partnership with Square Enix.
The game officially arrives on the 4th of May, on that date, Game Pass subscribers will be able to install the game and start playing. Those who don’t have Game Pass will have to fork out £44.99.
KitGuru Says: I played quite a bit of this at release on Nintendo Switch. It’s a fun game and certainly worth an install if you have Game Pass. Will any of you be grabbing this one next month when it comes to Game Pass on PC and console?
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Razer’s Orochi V2 is a compact wireless mouse with up to 900 hours of battery life
Razer is back with another gaming mouse this week. This time around, the Razer Orochi …
Matthew Wilson 1 day ago Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
Back when the Xbox One launched in 2013, one of Microsoft’s big exclusives, Ryse Son of Rome, released to middling critical reception. As the years have gone on though, the game has developed a cult following and soon, those long-time fans may have a sequel to look forward to.
Crytek went through a lengthy period of not releasing big budget titles after Ryse Son of Rome, but the studio may be ready to return to larger scale games. According to Xbox insider, “Shpeshal Ed”, Crytek is currently working on a new Ryse game, which was in development as of July 2020.
There is reason to believe this, as Crytek was unfortunately hacked in late 2020. In one of the leaked documents, several upcoming projects were listed, with a sequel to Ryse Son of Rome being one of them.
Interestingly, this time around the game may release as a multi-platform title, rather than being exclusive to Xbox. That’s all the information we have for now, but hopefully we’ll hear something more official later this year.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: While it was short, Ryse Son of Rome was genuinely very good and still looks great visually even today. Hopefully Crytek continues working on a sequel that can shoot this IP back into the spotlight at some point during this console generation.
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Razer’s Orochi V2 is a compact wireless mouse with up to 900 hours of battery life
Razer is back with another gaming mouse this week. This time around, the Razer Orochi …
Bitcoin mining fever has some severe symptoms. While some think it’s a good idea to mod a Gameboy to mine Bitcoin, others prefer the more retro Commodore 64 for that purpose. It certainly won’t rival any ASIC miner out there, but it still is an achievement worthy of being shared.
Who thought that when the Commodore 64 was launched in 1982, that it would eventually be used for crypto mining? For those who don’t know, the Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer developed by CBM featuring a MOS Technology 6510 processor clocked at 0.985-1,023MHz (depending on the version). The console had 64KB of RAM and 20KB of ROM was launched with an MSRP of $595.
Back then, the specifications were quite beefy, but aren’t exactly up to modern standards. Still, that doesn’t make the machine any less capable of cryptomining, as we see in 8-Bit Show and Tell’s video. Using YTM/Elysium’s Bitcoin Miner 64 and a few other adaptations, the Commodore 64 can successfully mine Bitcoin.
Mining performance was really bad, with a hash rate of 0.3H/s, but it could easily be 10x higher if the miner was built on Commodore 64’s language. The modder even used the SuperCPU 20MHz 65816 processor upgrade, which improved the C64’s mining performance by about 20x.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru says: The viability of using a retro console to mine Bitcoin is quite low, but those who can pull such things deserve some merit. Do you have a Commodore 64 lying around in your house somewhere?
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Samsung admits that TV production could be affected by the ongoing chip shortage
The chip shortage is really causing quite the stir in the electronics industry. Besides GPUs …
Matthew Wilson 3 days ago Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
This week, DICE and EA began teasing this year’s Battlefield game, promising bigger battles and more destruction than ever before. Battlefield 6 isn’t the only new project in the works though, EA is also planning a Battlefield mobile game to compete with the likes of Call of Duty Mobile and other mobile-based shooters.
In a blog post, DICE GM, Oskar Gabrielson, writes: “It’s always been our vision to bring Battlefield to more platforms. So, after years of prototyping, I’m super happy to be able to let you know that our friends at Industrial Toys, working closely with all of us here at DICE, are developing a completely new Battlefield game bringing all-out warfare to smartphones and tablets in 2022.”
The post goes on to explain that this will be a standalone game and will be completely separate from the PC and console versions of Battlefield. As far as gameplay goes though, the team hasn’t revealed much. It could end up being a mobile-focused battle royale, or it could be something more akin to Call of Duty Mobile, which is a smaller scale version of COD’s multiplayer modes.
Currently, Battlefield Mobile is in the testing phase and isn’t planned to release until 2022, so it could be a while before we see it in action.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: Since PUBG and Fortnite went mobile, it has become more common for larger IP to get dedicated mobile games. With that in mind, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to see Battlefield following that trend. What do you all think of the idea of a Battlefield mobile game?
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Razer’s Orochi V2 is a compact wireless mouse with up to 900 hours of battery life
Razer is back with another gaming mouse this week. This time around, the Razer Orochi …
If you haven’t gotten your hands on an Xbox Series X, you may be able to pick up one very soon, but without the RDNA 2 graphics, of course. The recently uncovered AMD 4700S Desktop Kit (via momomo_us) has found its way into a mini-ITX gaming PC at Tmall in China.
When the AMD 4700S emerged last week, the obscure processor raised a lot of questions. For one, the chip doesn’t carry the Ryzen branding, suggesting that it might be a custom processor that AMD developed for one of its clients. Stranger still, the processor is available for purchase as part of the AMD 4700S Desktop Kit.
Starting with what we know so far, the AMD 4700S is an octa-core Zen 2 processor with simultaneous multithreading (SMT). The Tmall merchant listed the AMD 4700S with 12MB of L3 cache, although we saw the chip with 8MB in a previous Geekbench 5 submission. The processor runs with a 3.6 GHz base clock and a 4 GHz boost clock. While we saw the AMD 4700S with 16GB of memory, we were uncertain of its nature. However, we suspected that the AMD 4700S is a variant of the processor that powers Microsoft’s latest Xbox Series X gaming console. The new mini-ITX listing appears to confirm our suspicions.
Apparently, the AMD 4700S is outfitted with 16GB of GDDR6 memory, which is the same amount of memory in the Xbox Series X. It appears that AMD is salvaging defective dies that don’t meet the requirements for the Xbox Series X and reselling them as the AMD 4700S.
Logically, AMD can’t just sell the same processor that it produces for Microsoft (for obvious reasons). Therefore, the AMD 4700S could be a result of a defective die with a faulty iGPU, similar to Intel’s graphics-less F-series chips. On the other hand, AMD could simply have disabled the iGPU inside the AMD 4700S, which is a shame given how generous GDDR6 memory is with bandwidth.
The only image of the mini-ITX system’s interior revealed a motherboard that looks like the same size as the Xbox Series X. There are no memory slots, and we can see some of the GDDR6 chips that surround the processor. Naturally, AMD reworked the motherboard for PC usage, as we can see by the addition of capacitors, passive heatsink, power connectors, and connectivity ports. Since the AMD 4700S lacks an iGPU, AMD added a PCIe 3.0 x16 expansion slot for a discrete graphics card.
AMD 4700S Benchmarks
Processor
Cinebench R20 Single-Core
Cinebench R20 Multi-Core
Cinebench R15 Single-Core
Cinebench R15 Multi-Core
Ryzen 7 4750G
411
4,785
199
2,085
AMD 4700S
486
3,965
160
1,612
Core i7-9700
508
3,643
200
1,469
Thanks to the listing, we can also get an idea of just how the processor inside the Xbox Series X performs compared to today’s desktop processors. However, it’s important to highlight that the AMD 4700S may not be the exact processor used in Microsoft’s latest console. The Series X uses a chip that runs at 3.8 GHz and 3.6 GHz when simultaneous multithreading is active. The AMD 4700S, on the other hand, clocks in a 3.6 GHz with a 4 GHz boost clock. On paper, the AMD 4700S should have faster compute cores since it doesn’t have an iGPU that eats into its power budget, so the heightened clock speeds make sense.
In general, the AMD 4700S lags behind the Ryzen 7 4750G (Renoir) and Core i7-9700 (Coffee Lake) in single-core workloads. The AMD 4700S did outperform the Core i7-9700 in multi-core workloads. However, it still placed behind the Ryzen 7 4750G.
It’s remains to be seen whether AMD is selling the AMD 4700S to retail customers or just OEMs. Thus far, we’ve seen the AMD 4700S Desktop Kit retailing for €263.71 (~$317.38) in at Tulostintavaratalo, a retailer in Finland. The Chinese mini-ITX gaming system is listed for 4,599 yuan or $709.12, but the price factors in the Radeon RX 550, 5TB SSD, CPU cooler, power supply and case.
Ford will start taking orders for the GT and GT Performance variants of its first electric Mustang on Wednesday, and it has finally revealed how much they’ll cost. The GT version starts at $59,900, while the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance has a starting price of $64,900 (before tax, title, registration, and delivery fees).
Both new versions of the Mustang Mach-E pack a more powerful wallop than the more affordable variants, and they come standard in an all-wheel drive configuration. In the Mustang Mach-E GT, that means a peak output of 480 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque and the ability to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.8 seconds. The GT Performance has the same peak of 480 horsepower but 634 pound-feet of torque, which helps it get to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds.
That puts the GT versions of the Mustang Mach-E in contention with Tesla’s Model Y performance variant, which starts at $60,990, has around 450 horsepower, and can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. On paper, though, the Model Y still outclasses the electric GT Mustangs when it comes to range. The Environmental Protection Agency rates the Model Y Performance at 303 miles on a full charge, while Ford says it’s targeting 250 miles for the Mustang Mach-E GT and 235 miles for the GT Performance. (More affordable versions of the Mustang Mach-E get anywhere from 211 miles to 305 miles, depending on the configuration.)
Of course, Ford doesn’t just want to be compared to Tesla, and in the press release it issued Monday, the company points out that the new GT variants of the Mach-E boast the same amount of horsepower as the gas-powered V8 Mustang Mach 1 but with more torque. The only more powerful Mustang Ford sells is the Shelby GT500, which has a supercharged V8 that packs nearly 800 horsepower. The Mach 1 starts at around $53,000, while the Shelby starts at nearly $73,000.
The GT versions of the electric SUV also have a track mode (in addition to the three standard driving modes that already exist on the Mustang Mach-E), which “provides more performance-oriented traction and stability control tuned specifically for track use,” according to Ford. And to really hammer home the performance aspect, the new track mode increases the volume of the interior motor noise Ford designed for the Mustang Mach-E.
There are a few other touches that separate these electric Mustangs. The pony logo on the front grille lights up, and there is a big GT badge at the rear. Ford’s GT logo is also stitched into the center console. Both come with red brake calipers and have Ford Performance seats in the front row.
Buying a GT variant is also the only way to get a Mustang Mach-E in Ford’s “cyber orange” paint color option. It comes in the similarly bright “grabber blue,” too, which was previously only available on the limited-run “First Edition” Mustang Mach-E.
The arrival of the Mustang Mach-E GT and GT Performance is the end of a chapter of sorts for Ford, as it has now debuted all of the variants of the first electric Mustang, which was announced back in November 2019. Early sales of the electric SUV are meeting Ford’s expectations, despite a number of relatively isolated issues with some of the first Mustang Mach-Es that made it to customers. The GT variants should add to that momentum while boosting profits. As they start hitting the road, heads will inevitably turn to what Ford has waiting in the wings: an all-electric F-150 and, perhaps one day, an electric Mustang sedan.
Being able to play your PlayStation 4 and 5 games all around your house via Remote Play streaming is a neat feature, but the small number of officially supported devices means you’re stuck with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, or another PlayStation. Enterprising coders determined to get an open-source Remote Play client running on a wider selection of devices have had it happily streaming on Linux for a while, and the humble Raspberry Pi, with its Debian-based OS, is the latest target, as shown in this video from Philippines-based Evoneg Tech.
To get it going you’ll need a Raspberry Pi 4, and a fork of the Chiaki streaming app from Github. Remote Play needs to be activated on your PS5, and you should pair a Bluetooth controller with your Pi (a DualShock will work fine, but make sure it’s not still paired with, and within range of, your console).
You’ll need to install a few dependencies first, then build the app on your Pi, so don’t jump in unless you’re comfortable with typing console commands. There’s a full guide to Pi installation on the project’s Github wiki. You’ll also need your PSN account ID, which can be extracted by following the steps here.
It works on both wired and wireless connections, and with a good connection you’ll get a 1080p/60fps connection. The devs say it also works on the PS4 Pro, but there’s no mention of the original PS4 console. Nintendo Switch owners should note that there’s a build of the app for their console too, but it has some very specific installation instructions.
The Mavix M5 looks and feels premium, backed by its tough mesh upholstery and pleasant faux leather accents. However, a backrest that forces you to recline and low lumbar support area leaves too much of your back, shoulders and neck unsupported when sitting up straight. It may be better for console or living room gaming than playing at a desk.
For
+ Quality build
+ Wide, supportive seat
+ Versatile, subdued look
+ Smooth-rolling wheels
Against
– Not enough support when sitting up straight
– Lumbar support too low
– Expensive
The Mavix M5 doesn’t look like your average gaming chair. With its black mesh build and faux leather accents, it’s nearly all business. But this chair is still ready to rock with its reliable recline, adjustable armrests and solid seat. The quality of its build is where its $555.55 price starts to make sense, and a warranty that covers some parts for up to 12 years makes for a less risky buy.
But gamers who are a bit on edge while gaming or look to sit up perfectly straight when working, the M5 isn’t a good fit. With the backrest connecting to the seat at a 105-degree angle at minimum, there’s no support for the shoulders and a lot of the back when sitting at a 90-degree angle. You might want to be “Straight Up” like Paula Abdul, but instead the M5 will leave you feeling like Fat Joe in a perpetual state of “Lean Back.”
Mavix M5 Specs
Upholstery
Mesh and PU faux leather
Total Height (with base)
45-54 inches
Seat Height
18.5-23 inches
Backrest Width (Shoulder Level)
20.5 inches
Seating Area Width (Total)
20.5 inches
Seating Area Width (Point of Contact)
20.5 inches
Seating Area Depth
19-21 inches
Armrest Width
4 inches
Armrest Height
23.5-27 inches
Recommended Maximum Weight
300 pounds
Warranty
Non-moving metal parts: 12 years
Moving parts: 5 years
Design
You wouldn’t guess that Mavix calls the M5 a gaming chair by its looks. If you plan on using it in an office setting or even in the living room, which isn’t that far-fetched giving its laidback disposition, it’ll create less of a scene than the bold designs of most gaming chairs. It’s black-on-black mesh pattern and faux leather details look like something you’ve seen cloned by the dozen in office conference rooms. It’s not a flashy chair and will put gamers used to bold colors and references to their favorite characters to sleep. But if I had to pick between the look of the Mavix M5 or the outrageously purple Cooler Master Caliber R2, I’d go for the toned down, versatile look of the M5. That said, any gaming chair I have is destined to do double duty as an office chair. More carefree gamers may feel different about the M5’s looks.
But don’t think this is just a standard mesh chair with no interesting characteristics. For one, the contrast of the faux leather lumbar support area with the headrest and armrests bring some premium finesse. And the white Mavix stitching on the headrest and along the chair’s spine also stand out, even if Mavix isn’t a massive name among gamers yet. Which brings me to the Mavix logo seemingly spray painted on the plastic spine of the chair. This effect is less well-done than the stitching, and, in my unit, showed notable spotting and inconsistency. I can see it fading over the years, and do you know what looks worse than the odd word “Mavix” written on your chair? “Mavix” with parts of the letters missing written on your chair.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The M5 looks most intriguing from the side. With its unique shape and build, the chair’s profile sports an almost futuristic look. Deep curves and bold gaps plus mesh upholstery make it feel less bulky too. However, cleaning is a little tougher than just wiping a faux leather surface with a damp cloth, since gunk can get caught between the mesh holes.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
In a rarer move, you Mavix actually gives you a choice in whether or not you use the headrest. It even includes a covering for the where you’d screw in the headrest so it doesn’t look like something’s missing.
I prefer as much support as possible and cringe at the idea of wasting a whole headrest, so I used it for my testing. It uses a surprisingly thin piece of leather and I do wonder about boring a hole in it after very many years. But overall, the PU leather is finely detailed, from its stitching and texture to its reliable adjustments.
Mavix told me that the M5 is fit for gamers up to 6’4” and 300 pounds.
Comfort and Adjustments
Colorful gaming chairs can become the focal point of a room, but black goes with everything, so I was eager to roll the M5 into my home office and let other peripherals and decor command my setup. But although the M5 looked appropriate in an office setting, it didn’t feel suitablebecause it doesn’t want me to sit up perfectly straight. In fact, the backrest is set at a 105-degree recline at default. You have to recline at least a little bit.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
An extra low lumbar support area touched the back of my hips when sitting up straight, and that’s about the only contact my body made with the chair when sitting upright in a 90-degree angle, which is how I strive to sit when working. Someone a few inches taller and wider than me had the same experience. The M5 didn’t support their shoulders and most of their back at its lowest recline setting. Shoulder support is one of the top reasons I recommend gaming chairs over any ol’ chair, so it’s super disappointing to lack it here. You can raise the lumbar support area (5 settings total), but even at its highest setting, it was still only making contact with my glutes.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
You raise the lumbar support by lifting the bottom of the backrest with both hands, and each time you do, you hear a very loud, metallic clicking noise. Be careful not to make too many adjustments while streaming. I always left mine in the highest position, so after I settled on that, the offputting noise was avoidable.
When sitting up straight, I was able to get the headset to provide some neck support, but it never felt natural. At best my neck was resting on the harder ledge of the headrest, rather than the intended, curved region. There isn’t really any give it to it, so any hairstyles that put your hair behind your head, like a ponytail, make it more uncomfortable. Many gaming chairs I’ve tested are lacking in the neck support area though. Even the luxurious and moveable neck pillow in the Secretlab Omega Titan faltered.
Instead of sitting up straight or encouraging perfect posture, the M5 is a more laid-back chair. It feels more lounge-like and will be more fitting for gamers who look as relaxed when they game as I look stressed and focused. It can also be a good fit for the living room, where I’m more likely to game with a console controller and lean back. But when I’m gaming at a desk with a keyboard and desk, I prefer to sit straight or even forward. The M5 isn’t good for that.
Still, this is a surprisingly firm chair with a lot of support in the seat, which might’ve surprised me if I didn’t feel how heavy the seat is. Mesh means you won’t find yourself inadvertently stuck to it on a warmer day, and it feels rough when rubbing on your skin. The seat also didn’t sink in or cause any aching when I sat on it for hours. But because of the unfortunate backrest positioning, I’m usually sitting all the way at the back of the seat, where it starts sloping downwards. And although this is a porous chair, its mesh feels strong and built to hold you for a long time.
The seat’s depth is adjustable, but this didn’t fix any of my complaints. It is a rarer adjustment to find on a gaming chair and ensures you have enough room between the seat’s lip and the back of your knees. We have seen this on other chairs, though, including the far more expensive Herman Miller X Logitech G Embody.
Speaking of having enough room, the M5’s seat is a roomy 20.5 inches wide. For comparison, the Secret Lab Omega’s sittable area is 14 inches wide. That extra seat is great for wider frames and even the occasional crossed-legged sit; although the chair’s harder sides and rougher texture make this more taxing. You can add an extra inch to the seat’s width if you pay Mavix an extra $44.44 (anyone else noticing an odd pricing pattern?).
Keeping up with its more loungy feel, the M5 can recline from its 105-degree default position back to 150 degrees. Some gaming chairs go all the way back to 180 degrees, but I’m not one to catch a nap in my gaming chair, so 150 degrees is ample. I felt relatively sturdy in this position, but there is some give, allowing the chair to push back about another inch if you apply pressure and then gently shift forward back into place.
There’s a knob that controls how difficult it is to recline, but I found it hard to reach, hard to twist and ultimately ineffective.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The M5’s 5 wheels can lock in place or roll around smoothly. Unlike cheaper chairs, the M5 moves smoothly and easily without making an alarming metallic or clunking noise that makes you wonder if you should be moving the thing around at all.
Another more premium touch that makes the $555.55 price more sensible is the adjustability of the armrests. These foam rests are covered in faux leather and just the right amount of squish and depth at about 0.6-inch thick. They move up and down 3.5 inches and can click inward for 3 settings total per armrest. There’s a little wobble to the armrests if you force it but this was hardly noticeable unless I was purposely rattling them.
Assembly
The M5 was one of the easiest gaming chairs I’ve built. I was able to complete it within 40 minutes by myself. Typically, I need help holding the back in place while I screw it into the seat, but I was able to attach the heavy seat to the base all on my own this time.
Overall, the chair required 4 bolts and washers for the armrests, 3 bolts and washers for attaching the backrest to the seat and 2 screws for attaching the optional headrest. Mavix is kind enough to give you an hex and allen wrench for the job, as well as two spare pairs of bolts and washers, just in case.
What you don’t get are print-out instructions. Instead, you’ll have to rely on Mavix’s video, which can be annoying, but you can get the information you need without turning audio on.
Warranty
A gaming chair is the type of thing you’d hope to be able to hang onto for years, especially when it’s over $500. Mavix offers one of the better warranties we’ve seen for a gaming chair — or, parts of a gaming chair, I should say.
The M5’s non-moving and metal parts, which a Mavix spokesperson told me encompasses the “backrest support system, mechanism casing and chair base” and “armrest under seat brackets” are guaranteed for 12 years. Unfortunately, the hole-filled mesh, armrests and faux leather pieces aren’t included here. The chair’s “moving parts and materials” are under warranty for 5 years, with 2 years of those including coverage of shipping costs for new parts. For comparison, the Secretlab Omega has a 3-year warranty that goes up to 5 years if you share a picture of your chair on social media. The $300 AndaSeat Jungle’s warranty, meanwhile, is 2 years.
You can see the full details of Mavix’s warranty here.
Bottom Line
The Mavix M5 is a well-made gaming chair that seems built to last and lounge. Its mesh design is more buttoned up than other gaming chairs we’ve seen with bright colors or familiar characters, but not everyone needs their gaming chair to scream of League of Legends. Finding a home that the M5 doesn’t clash with will be easy.
For something with a more uptight look, this is a laid-back chair. With 105-degrees being the most acute recline the backrest supports, sitting perfectly straight becomes painful, due to a lack of support in everything from the upper-lower back upward. This is a shame for those who aim for perfect posture or like to lean a little forward to really get into the action.
For the more loungy gamer though, this won’t be a problem. If you like to lay back while playing (you are relaxing, after all), the M5 will feel strong, and its mesh fabric makes for a tough throne that’ll keep you supported (where your body makes contact), even when laying back 150 degrees. Console and living room gamers, especially, may appreciate the M5’s more relaxed positioning.
With it’s sturdy, quality build and supportive seat and armrests, the M5 is the latest thing to make leaning back cool, although probably not as much as Fat Joe did.
(Pocket-lint) – There’s a little thing in the car world called CMP – Common Modular Platform. While you won’t see it, it’s underpinning a number of cars coming from the PSA group – Citroën, Peugeot, Vauxhall, DS Automobiles, and for those in Europe, Opel.
That’s why you’ll find a number of cars with what look like similar specifications on the road, while the bodywork is all different. Basically, it’s different flavours of the same ice cream. The ë-C4 being Citroën’s flavour of this electric car. So just how tasty is it?
Design
Sitting in the crossover segment, the Citroën ë-C4 – and the combustion C4 versions – look to offer something a little different in terms of design. The C4 has always been slightly playful – we’ve seen the Picasso and the Cactus in previous years – and here we have coupe stylings, rather than just being another hatch.
We’ll come right forward and say that we like this design. It’s fresh and it’s different, the front half of the car swirling in some of the design elements we’ve seen from Citroën recently – with coloured trims and sculpting – while the rear drops off giving you a split rear window that’s reminiscent of the C4 Coupe of yesteryear.
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This big coupe design has often been the preserve of German premium marques – Mercedes, BMW and Audi have all made SUVs with coupe styles in recent years. Adding Citroën to this list makes a lot of sense: this isn’t just another C segment hatchback and it’s all the better for it.
What’s missing is a full glass roof – there’s a sunroof on the options list (it’s £800 in the UK) – but we can’t help feeling that with a glass roof this car would be even nicer in the interior.
The move to that faster coupe style back brings with it a couple of points to note. The rear window has a horizonal split, with a trailing spoiler on the exterior and that does cut across your rearview vision slightly, although we think Citroën should have taken the glass higher up the back to give better rear vision.
That also means you don’t have the same standing height in the 380 litre boot that you might in a regular hatch design, but it’s slightly deeper – larger than the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense – and potentially more usable as a family car as a result.
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At the same time, adding that split allows Citroën to keep the e-C4’s roofline slightly higher, meaning that interior space isn’t compromised and does give for an interesting design.
While it looks great, there are some minor quality concerns. The boot lid, for example, needs a really good slam and it just feels as though it’s not quite as substantial as you’ll find elsewhere.
A comfortable interior
Citroën puts a focus on comfort and the interior is a truly comforting space. There’s reasonable space in the front, while the interior gives respectable headroom for the rear passengers.
Comfortable seats get a cloth finish, leaving the leathers aside for the sake of affordability. There are touches of leather through the cabin, but the predominance is for hard- and soft-touch plastics. That lacks the premium feel that you’ll find in the DS 3, for example, but it doesn’t look cheap and has the attraction of being easy to clean.
There are colour details – with inserted blue stripes to remind you you’re in an electric car, while the only part we find that lets the side down is the glossy black plastics on the centre console. Gloss black leads to fingerprints and dust which always seems to be visible – you’ll be forever cleaning it.
The layout of the interior is similar to the DS Automobiles equivalent – you can see that these cars are related – although Citroën has minimised many of the controls. There’s a full spread of aircon dials and buttons, but other functions controlled though the display lack direct access buttons.
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There’s a home button and a button by the electronic brake toggle for the electric stats screen – but radio, satnav and other functions all require you to punch the home button and then use the on-screen control. That means you’re often having to press a number of buttons to use these functions.
There’s also a mite more convenience than the DS layout which puts all the window controls in the centre of the car – the Citroën leaves them on the door, which we think is sensible.
The c-ë4’s interior display sits nice and high on the dash for easy visibility. And although the driver display is a little small, the head-up display (HUD) adds a touch of class.
What you really take away from it, however, is the comfort. There’s plenty of space in the front and you’ll fit adults in the rear too, with enough headroom for taller passengers.
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There’s a false floor in the boot, but we like the fact that you can drop it to gain the maximum storage space – or keep it in place to keep your charging cables out of sight.
Talking about technology
The Citroën ë-C4 is reasonably well appointed with technology, but as we hinted at above, its biggest failure is in the lack of controls.
There’s a 10-inch display in the centre of the car, mounted on the top of the dash, so most of the interaction will be via touch. There’s a slight frame to it, like a shelf along the bottom edge, which gives you somewhere to rest your hand while tapping away – which makes it more usable.
The downside is that there are only a couple of physical buttons: the home button, which takes you home; a car button, which takes you the vehicle settings (which you’re unlikely to change once you’ve setup the car the first time you drive); and an electric button, which takes you through to see some of the electric stats, but little else.
Outside of this, you can scroll through pages, like the radio stations, using the steering wheel controls, but there’s no other direct controls via other buttons. Instead, you have to use touch – and often you’ll have to press the home button and then select what you want – navigation for example. There’s not even a home button on the display, so it’s a multitude of presses no matter what you want to get done.
That sours the experience slightly and really takes away from what is otherwise a decent offering. It’s in stark contrast to the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense which has massive buttons for every area. We can’t help feeling that somewhere between the two would be the more practical system.
Regardless, Citroën covers the basics pretty well, focusing on radio, navigation and calling. There’s support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via the USB connections, while the top trim will also give you a Qi wireless charger for compatible devices.
The navigation, visually, is ok, but the search isn’t very good. It’s just too hard to get to the essentials – like car charging stations. This should be front and centre on the satnav app, but buried in points of interest, somewhere after local helipads and other nonsense you’re never going to need to navigate to.
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The Citroën ë-C4 offers essentially the same information as the DS 3 E-Tense under its electric button – that’s a flow diagram showing the battery power driving the wheels, or a bar chart showing average consumption across recent trips. At least Citroën is using a scale that works, so you can see if you’re driving more or less efficiently than previously – but still, compared to the data you’d get from the Kia e-Niro, it just feels like it should be trying harder.
The ë-C4’s driver display doesn’t offer customisation and is on the small side, but we’re not hugely worried about that – it does the job well enough in cahoots with the HUD.
While we’re also talking tech, there’s one downside to all that plastic in the door panels: it can’t really handle stronger bass from the standard speakers, so if your music gets a bit heavy, the performance isn’t that good and you’ll get some vibration back from it.
Citroën also offers a voice command system. This can get around some of the problems: you an just ask for the radio station by pushing the button on the steering wheel. However, once you’ve hooked up Android Auto and found that the same button will also support Google Assistant, you’ll likely never use the native system again.
The ë-C4 is also hiding a small surprise for tablet users, with a mount for tablets on the dashboard. Pop open the drawer and you’ll find a cover with a privacy screen in the front, which will accommodate a range of tablet sizes, but it’s mostly built around normal iPad sizes.
Once your tablet is on the cover, you’ll be able to attach it to the dash on a mount so the passenger can watch at leisure, the privacy screen ensuring that the driver isn’t distracted. It’s great because it all neatly hides away when not in use.
Overall, it feels like there are some easy improvements to be made here. The lack of direct controls and the lack of home button within the touch system just makes eveything more fiddly than it could be.
Drive, range and performance
The starting point for Citroën is comfort. The Citroën ë-C4 wafts over broken roads and speed bumps rather more majestically than many comparable models which are setup with suspension so firm it will knock your teeth out when you hit a pothole. Instead there’s a sense of tranquillity: it’s soft, quiet, comfortable – actually a nice place to be without the boneshaking adrenaline of pretending you’re a rally driver.
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The important core specs of this car will sound familiar if you’re looking at cars in this segment. As we said in the opener, there are various flavours, so the 50kWh battery and 100Kw motor (136hp) will come as no surprise.
Yes, that’s not a huge battery and this is the thing that separates the Citroën ë-C4 from the likes of the Kia e-Niro (with its 64kWh battery) and longer range, or the likes of the cheaper Mini Electric (with its 32.6kWh battery) and shorter range.
Citroën says you’ll get 217 miles range from it (that’s the WLTP measure), but we found it easy enough to average 4.6-miles-per-kW, which comes in at 230 miles. More carefree driving might see that drop to around 170 miles from an average around 3.6 miles per kW, which is what we got in typical runs to the supermarket and other suburban chores – exactly what we expect this car to be doing.
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The absolute range will of course vary based on all sorts of factors – how you drive, the conditions you’re driving in – but with support for 100kW charging, you’ll soon be back on the road.
There are three driving modes – eco, normal, sport – each changing the drive slightly as their names suggest. After playing with the faster sport mode, we settled into eco, which gives better lift-off regeneration than the normal mode so it’s closer to one-pedal driving – although you can’t bring it to a complete halt without using the brake.
In addition there’s the option of both D (drive) and B (battery) modes, the latter again making the car a little more economical. It’s slightly irksome that to engage B mode you have to press a button, but to select D you just move the drive selector. Again, it’s hard to fathom why that additional step was added.
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The steering is light, with indicators for close front obstructions and a useful reversing camera to help you get into those tight charging spaces. It’s an easy car to manoeuvre and the visibility and road positioning is generally very good, even with that slight rear obstruction due to the split rear window. You can get a complete 360 vision system (£350 on the options list), though, which is a nice addition.
Verdict
The Citroën ë-C4 slots nicely alongside stablemates like the Peugeot e-2008, sitting around the same price and offering similar performance. Stepping up the range means moving to something like the Kia e-Niro, which will cost you more, so the Citroën feels like it’s about the right price for what you get – although it is about £10k pricier than the cheapest combusion version.
Overall, the Citroën ë-C4 is a great electric car. It sits somewhere in the middle of practical options available out there at the moment, offers a good balance of price to performance, all wrapped into a car that above all else is majestically comfortable for driver and passengers alike.
Alternatives to consider
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Kia e-Niro
Those looking for more range will be attracted to the 64kWh e-Niro, one of the top EVs on the road, while the lower capacity e-Niro is around the same price as the Citroen, but with a smaller battery.
Read our review
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Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is one of the best EVs on the road, and certainly one of the most popular. For just a little more you can get the 62kWh version which will give you more range, although it lacks the appeal of the ë-C4’s crossover stylings.
Read our review
Writing by Chris Hall. Editing by Mike Lowe.
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