Not to be outdone by manufacturers gunning to make the lightest gaming mouse out there (like the recent 66-gram SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless), Logitech’s new G Pro X Superlight weighs less than 63 grams without the need for holes. Most other manufacturers are punching honeycomb-shaped hole patterns out of their mice to achieve lighter weights, while Logitech’s latest is simple and smooth all over. In fact, it actually weighs about 63 grams, but if you remove the magnetic plate on the bottom that covers the USB wireless receiver, the weight goes down to 60 grams. The G Pro X Superlight will go on sale on December 3rd.
The Superlight is a lighter version of Logitech’s popular $130 G Pro Wireless, which weighs 80 grams — and if you haven’t experienced a gaming mouse that’s this light, it’s on the verge of feeling like a hollow prototype. Despite losing some weight (along with a few features), the Superlight has added $20 to the price tag, costing a whopping $150.
The Superlight can reach a 60-gram weight if you remove the bottom cover. Otherwise, it weighs 63 grams.Image: Logitech
Weight differences aside, there are several other tweaks worth knowing about. The Superlight comes in a matte-textured off-white finish in addition to an all-black finish that resembles the G Pro Wireless. It looks and feels fantastic. The newer mouse has far fewer LEDs, which Logitech says aids in cutting back the weight and maximizing battery life. The glowing “G” logo near the palm is gone, as are the LEDs located near the scroll wheel to indicate the DPI sensitivity. There’s just one small LED now, and it only tells you battery status.
It’s not much of a surprise that having fewer LEDs results in better battery life, but Logitech claims this model can reach up to 70 hours per charge compared to 48 hours with the G Pro Wireless.
This mouse is for right-handed gamers only, whereas the G Pro Wireless has modular buttons for both sides of the mouse.Image: Logitech
The Superlight has the same HERO 25,600 DPI sensor as the G Pro Wireless, so you can expect the same great performance here, but you can’t easily change the sensitivity on this mouse, as Logitech lopped off the DPI switching button that’s located on the bottom of the G Pro Wireless. You’ll need to swap it, along with profiles stored on the mouse, manually using the G Hub software.
Logitech also removed the modular, removable buttons from the G Pro Wireless that helped it achieve a true ambidextrous design. Instead of supporting left- and right-handed gamers, the Superlight is just for right-handers, with thumb buttons along the left edge of the mouse.
On the Superlight’s underside, the PTFE feet are significantly larger than on the G Pro Wireless. Logitech used a “zero-additive” material, which it says results in a smoother glide across surfaces. The circular, magnetic plate that covers the section where you can store the USB wireless receiver is usually hard plastic, but included in the box is an all-PTFE plate that can be swapped in its place. Logitech also provides some grip tape that can be stuck on the mouse, if you want a different texture. These are the changes that I’m most fond of.
The G Pro X Superlight has a sleek minimalist design.Image: Logitech
For most people, the aforementioned SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless might be a better mouse to try. It isn’t perfect, but it’s $100 and has USB-C charging (versus the Superlight’s Micro USB charging), with optional LEDs, dual Bluetooth, and 2.4GHz connectivity. And to top it off, it has IP54 water resistance. What gamer actually needs water resistance? Not many, I assume. But even so, it’s tough to make the argument for the pricier Superlight when it comes to value, unless you’re bent on its minimalist design above all else.
Apple has updated its store listing for the still-unreleased MagSafe Duo charger with some more information on how the accessory will perform with various power adapters. As noted by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the Duo charges at up to 11W with a 20W USB-C adapter, maxing out at 14W with an adapter that’s 27W or higher.
That means that when paired with Apple’s $19 20W adapter, the company’s cheapest option for USB-C charging, the MagSafe Duo can’t deliver as much power to the iPhone 12 as the 15W solo MagSafe charger. It also means that the fastest possible 14W option can’t match the regular MagSafe puck, either — and Apple’s best option for that will be the $49 30W adapter that’s packaged with the MacBook Air.
At $129, the MagSafe Duo was already going to be a pricey accessory that we wouldn’t recommend to most people. This latest information makes it seem even more niche, at a potential total cost of almost $180 to unlock its not particularly fast top speed. That said, it could still be a convenient, compact option for Apple Watch users who don’t want to bring along two separate chargers and cables when traveling.
The MagSafe Duo doesn’t have a release date yet; it’s listed as “coming soon.”
Google’s Stadia game streaming service is officially adding support for messaging, the service has announced. Messages can be sent to members of your party (who you could previously voice chat with) as well as other players more generally. Alongside it, the service has also announced support for sharing screenshots and video clips on the web via sending links, and it’s adding more information to Stadia profiles. Although these are all fairly basic features, they’re a standard part of most online gaming services, and it’s good to see Stadia finally implement them.
Stadia notes that its messaging feature also includes support for smart replies, saving users from typing out full messages using a gamepad. According to tweets posted by Stadia Product Manager Mario Anima, messaging is currently rolling out across every country where Stadia is available: Italy, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US. At least one Reddit user has already seen messaging roll out in Italy.
Stadia’s user profiles are also being updated as part of the changes. The service notes that profiles will now include information on which games you own, friends list, and whether you’re online. Profile shortcuts will also allow players to invite one another to parties. Family Sharing is also now officially launched after it started rolling out earlier this month.
Google’s game streaming service launched almost a year ago to a decidedly mixed response. But to its credit, Google has continued releasing updates for the service over the past year. New features include 4K streaming on the web, support for USB-C headphones via the Stadia controller, as well as a test that saw the service allow game streaming over mobile data.
The be quiet! Silent Base 802 offers both a silence-optimized experience and a mesh front panel for when summer kicks in.
For
Excellent interior design
Silent.
Minor thermal penalty for using dampened front panel
Understated looks
Easy panel and dust filter removal for maintenance
Internals can be inverted
Against
Very big
Cable management could use an update
Mesh front feels like a copout
Expensive for the material quality
Features and Specifications
Although 2020 might have mesh-fronted cases dominating our Best PC Cases list, and be quiet! did indeed also introduce such a chassis earlier this year, the company isn’t straying from its roots entirely. The new Silent Base 802 chassis primarily focuses on silence above all else. But, with the avalanche of high-TDP components landing this year and the next, the update brings forth a welcome addition: an optional mesh intake and mesh top cover, to give the Silent Base 802 a little more cooling performance.
Indeed, if you’re not sure you can commit to a mesh chassis or a closed-front chassis, the Silent Base 802 might be just for you, packing both a damping front panel and a mesh front panel in its box. The silent front panel and side panels all come with thick damping material, which should lead to impressively quiet performance – this is staple be quiet! stuff we have here.
But, all that acoustic and thermal versatility doesn’t come cheap: The standard version we’re testing today costs $160, and if you tack on a tempered glass panel, the chassis will run you a steep $170. Let’s find out if it’s worth your money.
Specifications
Type
Mid-Tower ATX
Motherboard Support
Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATX
Dimensions (HxWxD)
21.8 x 11.06 x 21.22 inches (553 x 281 x 539mm)
Max GPU Length
17.0 inches, 11.3 w/ HDD cage (432 mm, 287 with HDD cage)
CPU Cooler Height
7.3 inches (185 mm)
Max PSU Length
11.34 inches (288 mm)
External Bays
✗
Internal Bays
7x 3.5-inch (3 brackets included)
3x 2.5-inch (3 brackets included)
Expansion Slots
7x + 2x Vertical
Front I/O
2x USB 3.0, USB-C, 3.5 mm headphone, 3.5mm mic
Other
Optional Tempered Glass Panel, Fan Controller, Invertible Layout
Front Fans
2x 140 mm (Up to 3x 140mm, 3x 120mm)
Rear Fans
1x 140mm (Up to 1x 140mm)
Top Fans
None (Up to 3x 140mm)
Bottom Fans
Up to 2x 140 mm
Side Fans
✗
RGB
No
Damping
Yes, Lots
External Tour
Normally, I would begin by touring around the outside of the chassis by describing its looks, but today I’m starting at a different place: the bottom. Why? Because be quiet! hasn’t mounted the feet on this chassis in its shipping box.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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There’s a good reason for this: Once they’re clipped on, the case no longer fits in its box, so they have to come separate. That in itself isn’t a problem as they’re easy to clip on, but once they’re clipped on, the feet are challenging to remove. You can remove them with a flat screwdriver and a bit of violence via the inside of the chassis to get to the clips, but you will damage and scuff some of the internals in the process.
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Following the foot attachment, the external tour reveals no major surprises. One thing to note is that the chassis is truly enormous (21.8 x 11.06 x 21.22 inches), and probably one you’ll want to keep under your desk. Of course, there is a simple reason for its size: all that padding and re-routing of air needs to happen somewhere, which in turn helps grow the case’s dimensions.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
In white, I also find that it looks like something straight out of Portal, or the Citadel in Mass Effect. The chassis has this simplistic, elemental sci-fi vibe to it, which I quite like. Much like its acoustic intentions, the chassis also looks calm and quiet. “Are you still there?”
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
You’ll spot the I/O at the top of the chassis, and it does come lavishly equipped. You get two USB 3.0 ports, individual headphone and mic jacks, power and reset switches, an HDD activity LED, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB Type-C port, and a fan controller with three speeds and a PWM mode that detects the signal from your motherboard.
Oppo has held its second annual “Inno Day,” an event where it shows off products in concept form and sets out its vision for the future. Headlining this year is a smartphone with an expandable “rolling” screen and a new set of AR glasses.
The Oppo X 2021 is a concept phone that the company says is the result of its research and development flexible displays. In regular smartphone use the OLED display has a 6.7-inch surface area, but that can be expanded to a squarer, tablet-like 7.4-inch panel depending on the content or use case.
The phone slid all the way open.
Oppo says it developed its own power train, structural plate, and screen laminate to ensure the device’s durability. You can see how it works from the front here:
And here’s what it looks like around the back:
Oppo isn’t the first company to hit on this idea for a form factor. TCL showed off a similar prototype earlier this year, although the model we saw in person was nonfunctional and only had a paper screen. Oppo, however, is a much more experienced smartphone manufacturer with access to a hugely advanced supply chain, and it does have form releasing weird phones with motorized designs, so maybe this will actually make it to market at some point. LG has also teased a similar device.
The other new concept product announced today is Oppo AR Glass 2021, the company’s latest take on augmented reality wearables. Oppo says it’s nearly 75 percent lighter than its predecessor — which was also a concept device at last year’s Inno Day — and uses birdbath-type optics with 0.71-inch OLED panels.
The glasses include stereo fisheye cameras for gesture recognition, a time-of-flight sensor, and a conventional RGB camera. They can also be hooked up directly to a Find X2 Pro phone with a USB-C cable to make use of its greater processing power.
Here’s what they look like:
When will any of these products make it out of Oppo’s labs — or will they ever? Who knows. The idea of demonstrating concept devices in a world where no-one can see them in person does land a little flat. But last year’s Inno Day included the first news on Oppo’s first smartwatch, which did come out this year, as well as a 30W fast wireless charging system that Oppo itself overtook in a matter of months.
Samsung has announced the two monitor series M5 and M7, which the manufacturer calls smart monitors, analogous to smart TVs. For this, Samsung has placed a small, economical ARM processor in the display and installed its own Tizen 5.5 operating system. This allows users to watch video-on-demand services such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix or YouTube without a connected PC. Office 338 applications can also be started.
Three displays make the start: The 32 M 70 A is 32 inches tall and solves with 3840 × 2160 pixels (Ultra HD ) at 60 Hertz. The M5 series consists of one 27 – and 32 – Zöller with lower Full HD Resolution (1920 × 1080 pixels). Samsung relies on VA panels, the backlighting of which with 71 cd / m² is quite low fails. The response times are also rather slow at 8 ms (GtG).
The manufacturer provides the M7 and M5 monitors for the home office. During the day, users can connect their PC and work on it; Watch your favorite series in the evening without having to run your PC. This only makes sense if you don’t already have a smart TV.
Samsung 32 M 70 A (9 pictures) (Image: Samsung) Smart Hub or DeX surface The Smart Hub interface is known from Samsung’s Smart TVs. Alternatively, “DeX” represents a PC-like interface in which a Galaxy smartphone or tablet is wirelessly connected to the monitor and serves as a data center. Apple’s AirPlay 2 is also on board. Two 5-watt speakers reproduce stereo sound.
The Smart- Monitors via Wi-Fi 5 (WLAN 696. 11); Peripherals can also be connected via Bluetooth 4.2. The USB-C port is useful, which connects a notebook with up to 70 Charges watts, accepts a DisplayPort 1.2 signal and transmits data. Alternatively, the displays come with HDMI 2.0 – there are no separate DisplayPorts. A remote control including Bixby voice control is included.
Samsung wants the M7 and M5 monitors from the end of November 2020 deliver to countries outside of North America and China.
(Pocket-lint) – Alongside numberous other games and products, such as Super Mario 3D All-Stars and Mario Kart Live Home Circuit, Nintendo has reintroduced a classic handheld device as part of Mario’s 35th anniversary celebrations. It has brought back Game & Watch, but with a few key differences to make it an essential purchase for retro games fans and collectors alike.
Modelled on the original single-screen handhelds (albeit with 1981’s gold casing, rather than 1980’s silver), the Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. edition is as small and light as we remember and wonderfully 80s in style.
It has more buttons than the original Game & Watch devices, as you get more than the one LCD game to play, plus a D-pad that is brand new, but it still retains the look and feel of Nintendo’s classic portables.
Pocket-lint
Other things to have been enhanced for this modern edition include the display, which is now full colour and backlit. The brightness can be adjusted along with the volume through a tiny mono speaker on the side. There is also a rechargable battery – which is charged through USB-C.
An on/off button can be found on the side, while the “Watch” in the title is still served through a timepiece mode – albeit one with Mario jumping and doing Mario-style things in the background.
In terms of games, you get a Mario version of the first ever Game & Watch game Ball. His head has replaced the round noggin of the stick guy but the game’s concept is identical.
Pocket-lint
You must juggle two or three balls (depending on the mode) but simply moving Mario’s hands left or right in time with the balls. It’s basic and that’s the point – the original game was limited to set LCD positions so therefore only allowed up to three hand placements on either side. However, as the balls fly through the air more quickly, ensuring to get to each ball as they arrive at hand height gets trickier.
On top of that, you also get the NES classics Super Mario Bros. plus Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (otherwise known as Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan).
Pocket-lint
We have to admit, we actually own copies of the same platformers on a number of systems now, not least the NES Mini and the Nintendo Switch (through Switch Online). Still, it’s great to have them on a portably you can literally fit into a pocket to take on your travels.
The emulation seems spot on (it’s more than likely the same as the aforementioned versions) and the games can be paused through the dedicated button or simply by switching off the handheld – it’s intuitive, simple stuff.
Brace yourselves, Call of Duty gamers – the excuses are coming! (promo)
First Impressions
We loved the era of gaming that Nintendo’s Game & Watch is most remembered for. And, although we never owned Ball, we did spend hours on end on a Fire machine we got as a present (you had to catch people from a burning building). This brings back many happy memories therefore.
Our only main concern is that it’s perhaps a bit pricey for nostalgic reasons along, as it sports a couple of games we already have access to multiple times. But then it is a collectable too, with a reproduction version of the original Ball box as part of the packaging.
Pocket-lint
If you don’t mind the cover price, you do need to be quick with ordering one as it will only be available until 31 March 2021 or when retailers’ stock runs out, whichever is soonest.
The Raspberry Pi 400 was recently released and the Pi community has already started modding! This creation comes to us from a maker named Spencer.
As soon as the Raspberry Pi 400 was announced, he had the idea to mod the new keyboard PC to use mechanical keys. This is the first edition of the project with plans underway for 3D-printable upgrades in the future.
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(Image credit: Spencer)
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(Image credit: Spencer)
For this mod, the Raspberry Pi 400 is placed inside of an Anne Pro 2 keyboard. There’s room for the Raspberry Pi 400 PCB and even enough space for the battery. The Anne Pro 2 uses Bluetooth to connect to the Raspberry Pi and has an accessible USB-C port on the back so it can still operate as a normal keyboard.
Spencer also plans to include a cover for the keyboard with a built-in screen so the operation becomes a Raspberry Pi 400 cyberdeck!
In the project page, he mentions plans to share future project STL files so you can recreate this project from home. Be sure to follow him for more updates and future Pi projects.
(Pocket-lint) – If you just bought a Nintendo Switch for either yourself or a loved one, your next step should be to look at accessories.
Nintendo’s portable console comes with a few goodies inside the box, but there’s a whole ecosystem of first- and third-party add-ons available that’ll provide the Switch with added protection, more juice for playtime, and expanded functionality. From cases to adaptors, here are the must-have accessories for your Switch. Most of them are super cheap, and all of them have exceptional reviews.
Best Nintendo Switch accessories
amFilm
amFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector
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Many people love glass screen protectors. If you’re one of them, consider getting this protector for your Switch. It is clear, bubble-free, and scratch-resistant. Two protectors come in the box, however, just in case you need a spare.
Samsung
128GB Samsung Evo Select
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If you own a Switch, you need a microSD card for storage. This one has super fast random-read speeds, and it’s not crazy expensive.
Nintendo
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
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The Switch Pro Controller is a lot like the Xbox One controller in terms of shape, and it supports motion controls and Amiibo scanning. It’s perfect if you’re a gamer who tends to use the Switch for long sessions.
Amazon
Portable dock
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You might find, like us, that as portable as the Switch is you don’t want to bring the docking station with you on the off chance you find a TV. This diminutive little docking system allows you to hook up to displays without the full dock, and is a great way to save space if you’re travelling.
Gulikit
Gulikit Route Air Bluetooth Adapter
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This Bluetooth adapter is really well-priced, and lets you pair any Bluetooth headset or earbuds with your Switch. That’s true freedom.
Tomtoc
Tomtoc Nintendo Switch Slim Case
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Cases are the worst. We like slim, sleek ones for our phones and for our Switch. We rather enjoy this option that offers pretty great protection.
RAVPower
RAVPower Portable USB-C Battery
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This can charge your Switch while you play it. It offers 30W via USB Power Delivery and has other ports for charging additional devices.
Nintendo
Joy-Con Charging Grip
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The Joy-Con Grip that comes in the box with your console doesn’t charge your controllers. For that, you need this Charging Grip directly from Nintendo.
Writing by Maggie Tillman. Editing by Max Freeman-Mills.
Many still remember earlier days with bulky tube devices. The LCD technology for monitors has just 24 Years under their belt and also quite hesitantly prevailed. Today, a high-resolution flat screen is so much part of normal office equipment that you would rather notice its lack. Time to take a look at the development of less than three decades.
In spring 1994 reported c’t from a 10, 4-inch color monitor with VGA resolution (640 × 480 pixels), which is for proud 10. D-Mark was offered. The exorbitant prices in spite of the miserable resolution and enormous dependence on viewing angles were due to the immature LCD production – at the time there were rumors of reject rates 70 Percent.
In the following two years the first LCD monitors came with 15 inches diagonal to the market, the resolution increased to 1024 × 768 pixels (XGA). At over 4800 D-Mark, the devices were still extremely expensive. In the 1990 in the years, voluminous tube monitors (CRT, Cathode Ray Tube) dominated the desks: good devices with 20 Inch diagonal set 1280 × 1024 Image points (SXGA) on a visible image area with 18 inch diagonal – part of the picture surface disappeared behind the tube surround.
LCD monitors initially only analog LC displays were able to do theirs The advantage over CRTs – a flicker-free, crisp display – does not initially play out because they are operated in analogue mode just like CRTs. The monitor manufacturers had to re-digitize and synchronize the analog video signals from the graphics card. Several LCD monitors flickered because of this.
At CeBIT 1998 were finally presented the first graphics cards that had digital signal outputs in addition to analogue outputs. In the same year, c’t tested LCD monitors on a large scale for the first time – twenty devices with diagonals between 13 , 8 and 15 inch for 2700 to 4800 D-Mark. Their viewing angles were extremely narrow – when viewed from the side, the image was milky, viewed from below it was often inverted. The flat displays were celebrated anyway.
The first purely digital LCD also took part in the said comparative test: Siemens-Nixdorf supplied it with one matching graphics card, it showed 1024 × 768 pixels to just 35 Centimeter (13, 8 inches) in the diagonal and cost a proud 3700 D-Mark.
The first purely digital Monitor from Siemens-Nixdorf, the MCF 3501 T, was delivered with a graphics card.
The first 18 – Zöller came in the middle 1998 to the c’t laboratory. They came from NEC and Eizo and cost 6000 D-Mark four to six times as much as one Comparably large tube monitor. Your screen size was rated as great, the image quality was only medium. In the following years, prices fell rapidly, which the supermarket chains also took care of – monitor offers provoked queues in front of Aldi, Plus & Co. at the time. A 15 – Zöller cost middle 2001 only 700 D-Mark. However, most of the devices used TN panels that were dependent on the viewing angle and only had an analog signal input. Only from about 2003 monitors with VA and IPS technology with stable viewing angles became affordable.
Digital connections are changing the time: P&D, DFP, DVI, HDMI, DP, USB-C (from left)
Growing diagonals and above all higher resolutions finally forced the switch to digital input. As is usual with many fundamental changes, this switch resulted in a jumble of digital connection options, including P&D, DFP and DVI. For Apple’s own DVI variant ADC, you even needed your own, very bulky power supply. In the entertainment electronics segment, the High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) ultimately prevailed, while the DisplayPort asserted itself in the PC sector. Many PC monitors also offer HDMI, some even VGA.
Some LCD manufacturers from the very beginning are still represented on the market today, such as BenQ, Philips and Samsung. But do you still know Belinea, Natcomp or Highscreen?
LEDs instead of cold cathodes A milestone was the change of the backlight: Instead of cold cathode lamps (CCFL, Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp), 2006 small Light emitting diodes (LEDs) illuminate the LCD background. First, the manufacturers used colorful RGB LEDs in the backlight, which made the monitors extremely colorful, but also extremely expensive.
The first inexpensive blue LEDs, whose light was converted into “white” light via yellow diode caps was found from about 2008 in monitors. While the LED backlight has long been common in notebooks, the complete switch to the more energy-efficient LED technology in PC monitors only took place after 2010 . With the mercury-containing CCFL tubes, the shimmering in the screen background also disappeared, the monitor housings became lighter and the displays even thinner.
3D -Displays and wide formats From 2009 there was a 3D intermezzo : Monitors whose stereo images could be viewed by users with red-green glasses, bulky shutter glasses or lighter polarized filter glasses – and cumbersome driver settings. In the same year the format of the flat screens changed from 4: 3 or 5: 4 to wide formats like 15: 9 , 16: 9 or 16: 10. This was not due to the changed viewing habits of the users, but simply to new panel factories: In order to utilize the fabs for wide-format flat screen televisions, monitor panels were also produced there.
3D monitors found End of 2000 years also with c’t great approval.
More pixels The full HD resolution already common in TV with 1920 × 1080 Pixels then also caught on in monitors. From about 2010 were 27- and 30 – Inch screens are offered with even more pixels, namely with 2560 × 1440 (15: 9) or 2560 × 1600 Pixels (16: 10).
2012 The first high-end devices with ultra-high resolution (UHD, 4K) such as Eizos FDH 360 For 25. 000 Euro in trade up, down 2013 the 4K resolution for monitors became more affordable. The initial connection problems soon subsided and the prices also fell quickly: Two years later, 4K monitors with TN panels cost just 500 Euro.
With the resolution, the screen diagonals increased – 32 – Zöller with 80 centimeters Diagonals suddenly became conceivable for the desk. c’t therefore checked in in the spring 2015 whether the cheaper 4K TVs can also be converted into large monitors.
Approximately from 2013 came oversized monitors with 2560 × 1080 or even finer 3440 × 1440 Pixels in fashion. Many of the screens were slightly curved in order to keep the distance between the screen surface and the viewer’s eye constant. The wide displays were initially smiled at – today they are indispensable.
2015 Apple, Dell and HP presented the first 5K displays with just under 15 Millions of pixels, two years later Dell triumphed again with the first 8K monitor doubled 32 millions of pixels. Such giants are still reserved for a few, very expensive devices.
Displays for gamers Likewise 2015 Gaming fans were delighted with the first monitors, whose image output synchronized with that of the graphics card delivered frames ran. For Nvidia’s G-Sync, the monitors required a fan-cooled module that ensured synchronization. For AMD’s FreeSync, a variant of the vo In the Adaptive Sync specified by VESA, there was no need for an expensive module – there were initially no displays for both technologies. This camp formation only ended 2019 , when Nvidia had an appreciation and presented so-called G-Sync compatible devices.
2017 the USB-C port found its way into the monitors as a video input. Since it also transmitted USB data and power in addition to DisplayPort video signals, the monitors could be used as docking stations for notebooks.
High contrast for videos The high contrast display was initially reserved for TV displays until they 2017 also appeared in PC monitors. However, the first tests of HDR monitors were sobering – differences between the display with and without HDR could not be recognized. The VESA specified the high-contrast reproduction on PC monitors only end 2017 in the DisplayHDR standard.
Enable the next step to increase the contrast Mini-LEDs, which were now evenly distributed on the display’s back instead of on the edge of the display and could be individually controlled Asus made the first device with countless tiny LEDs for full array local dimming (FALD) with his 32 – inch ProArt monitor with mini LEDs in front, beginning 2020 Apple followed suit in this country with the Pro Display XDR. The prices for these high-end monitors – they cost between 3000 and 6000 Euro – same as those in the middle of the 1990 years for the first LCD -Monitors had to put on the table.
Outlook: LEDs or OLEDs? Mini-LED backlights will eventually become mainstream in monitors. The alternative to this would be organic displays, but there will probably not be OLEDs in monitors for the foreseeable future – scaling to smaller diagonals works only very hesitantly, even in the TV sector.
Real LED displays, at where each pixel is realized with three light-emitting diodes, on the other hand, could first find its way into small, very special and therefore very expensive monitors. Until then, however, LCD technology will dominate the world of monitors for a long time.
Samsung is no stranger to releasing quirky computer monitors, such as last year’s Space Monitor that articulates like the Microsoft Surface Studio desktop. For late 2020, the company is releasing the Smart Monitor, which it claims is the first monitor to combine over-the-top media services, mobile connectivity, and remote PC capabilities. Samsung is releasing the M5 lineup, consisting of a 27-inch size for $230 and a 32-inch size for $280. A 32-inch 4K monitor called the M7 is also coming that costs $400.
It’s not as immediately eye-catching as the aforementioned Space Monitor, but it makes up for it with having more features. Like Samsung’s line of TVs, the Smart Monitor runs Samsung’s Tizen OS software and can connect to your Wi-Fi network to stream HDR10 content from apps like Hulu, Netflix, Apple TV, YouTube, and more without the need for any extra hardware connected. You can install other apps from the embedded app store, like Samsung’s Health app.
All variants of the monitor can be mounted to your wall or to a monitor arm via 100 x 100 Vesa mounts. Each has two 5W speakers built in and includes a remote control with voice assistant support for Bixby 2.0, Alexa, and Google Assistant. They’re even AirPlay 2-compatible, making it easy to cast from Apple devices. It’s sounding a lot like a TV, yeah?
Image: Samsung
If you want to use it like a monitor for getting things done, it has a few more tricks up its sleeve. For instance, you can connect a mouse and keyboard via Bluetooth 4.2 and connect to Office 365 through a virtual machine without the need for any additional computing hardware. You can also connect wirelessly via DeX, Samsung’s utility that lets your Galaxy S8 or newer phone power a desktop-like PC experience on the monitor. You can also quickly mirror your Samsung phone’s (running Android Oreo 8.1 or higher) display by tapping it to the top-right edge of the monitor, where its NFC tag is located.
The M7 Smart Monitor has the richest selection of connectivity options for gadgets. You can connect a laptop via USB-C (capable of DisplayPort video, data transfer, and power up to 65W), and you’ll have two HDMI 2.0 ports to spare (the M5 features two HDMI 2.0 ports sans USB-C). You’ll also find three USB-A 2.0 ports for data on the M7. Each of the M5 monitors has two.
Only the M7 variant of the Smart Monitor supports USB-C video, with up to 65W passthrough power to keep your laptop charged up.Image: Samsung
The M5 Smart Monitor models will be releasing in a few weeks, and the M7 is currently set to release in early December. You’ll be able to buy them through Samsung.com or from other retailers around the country.
(Pocket-lint) – USB-C is a wonderful thing – it’s taken a fair amount of time for the standard to truly spread around the industry, but now more laptops and computers than ever ship with USB-C ports that can be used for all manner of things.
Whether it’s charging, display connections or any number of peripherals, it’s a port that lets you do it all, but one downside to the revolution it’s brought with it has been that some laptops and tablets have taken the opportunity to make it the only port they come with.
Best cheap home printer: The best printers for documents and photos
If you’ve only got one port to play with, doing things like charging and passing your display to a monitor at the same time can be a nightmare. That’s why we’ve rounded up some amazing hubs for you to take a look at.
These devices let you hook your laptop or tablet up to a whole variety of accessories and other devices, making them a must for anyone working from home or looking to have the option to do so more comfortably.
Our pick of the best USB-C docks and hubs to buy today
Kingston
Kingston Nucleum USB-C adapter
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This is a hub that’s closer to a dongle, given how small and smart it is, and that’s a really good thing in our books. Kingston has shrunk down its hub to include only what you need, most importantly getting two USB-C ports on board to let you charge and hook up to a monitor at the same time. You also get standard USB ports and memory card slots.
There’s an HDMI slot, too, to round it out, which ticks off the ports we’d ask for. If you need a wider range, you might have to get a bigger hub, but for a really reasonable price, we think this is likely to be the best hub for most people.
Twelve South
Twelve South StayGo
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Simple and elegant, this is another superb hub from Twelve South, which makes a wide range of impressive accessories for laptop users. The hub has loads of the connections you’re likely to want, including 4K HDMI, two USB 3.0 ports, Ethernet, SD and micro SD slots and more.
That makes it great for users who might needs a variety of uses out of it, and it’s also impressively small and really portable, even including its own cable to connect to your computer with, built into the body itself.
Belkin
Belkin USB-C 4-Port Mini Hub with Tethered USB-C Cable
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Another really solid option is offered by this swish little hub from Belkin, which strips the form even further back, and gets the price down, too. If all you’re looking for are a couple of USB-C ports and a couple of USB-A ones for older accessories, this’ll do the job nicely. That said, the Kingston offers a few more ports at nearly the same price, which sees it win out.
Still, we really like the design of this hub, and the if your external display is equipped with a USB-C cable then you won’t need HDMI. It’ll very much depend on the individual as to which is perfect.
Elgato
Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Dock
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Of course, there will be some people reading who want a true hub, not just a couple of extra ports, which is what the expensive but effective Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Dock options. It’s far less portable, needing its own power supply, but will effectively expand your laptop or notebook’s capabilities. Whether it’s an ethernet connection, dual display support and 5K resolution pass-through or just USB-C options, there are ports aplenty here.
It’ll sit happily on your desk as an extension of your computer, effectively, with headphone and microphone jacks making it useful if you normally have your laptop on a stand by your workstation. If you’re deadly serious about working from home this could be a powerful tool.
Satechi
Satechi Aluminum Multi-Port Adapter V2
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This hub from Satechi is much like those we started the list with, although it’s got a significantly higher price. The addition of an ethernet port makes it a pretty comprehensive option for people with limited ports, though.
It’s got a nice brushed metal design and the option of different colours, but one drawback is that there’s only a single USB-C port, which is an issue for some people with newer peripherals and displays.
Anker
Anker USB C Hub Adapter, 5-in-1
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Some people won’t be on the lookout for dozens of ports in one hub, though – a simple little dongle might just be all they need. Apple’s own official USB-C dongle, for example, only has three ports, but it represents pretty poor value compared to this option from Anker.
It’ll let you hook up memory cards, an HDMI cable and two USB-A cables, which might not be the most cutting-edge range of options, but is likely to be more than enough for a lot of people who just want a couple of extra ports to play around with.
(Pocket-lint) – The headphone jack might just be dead – when Apple first got rid of it, the outcry was widespread, but we’ve now come to accept its absence as the default. Many Android phone makers are opting for Bluetooth and USB-C audio instead.
Removing the jack enables phones to be made thinner, use less connectors and to be made waterproof more easily. However, adoption of USB-C headphones has been slow because many opt for Bluetooth headphones instead.
There are advantages to using wired though; a digital connection can help improve audio quality, as headphones can be made with dedicated DACs integrated into them, such as the Audeze Sine and iSine that use the Lightning port on the iPhone.
Best in-ear headphones: 10 great wired, wireless and wire-free earphones
So we’ve rounded up the best USB-C headphones we’ve found – there aren’t huge numbers of options, as you’ll see.
Moshi
Moshi Mythro C
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These well-rounded USB-C earphones sound great and bass reproduction is decent. That’s thanks to a built-in DAC and four in-line buttons with mic and a DJ Boost mode. As with many other earphones you also get many different eartips as you’d expect.
Note that while these headphones say they are compatible Google Assistant compatible, they don’t have the assistant built-in as with some other devices such as the Pixel headphones below.
Libratone
Libratone Q-Adapt In-ear USB-C
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Libratone already has a pair of Q-Adapt in-ear headphones for the iPhone and has also released a pair with a USB-C connector too. They were made specifically for the Google Pixel 2 and fall under the “Made for Google” program.
They’re sweatproof, so can be used when exercising, have in-line controls for controlling music playback and even have a noise-cancellation mode when taking phone calls with power coming directly from the USB-C port.
Google
Google Pixel USB-C Earbuds
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Google released these earbuds alongside the Pixel 3 and, while they aren’t as good as wireless options they are dirt cheap. They also have native compatibility with Google Assistant so you can hear your notifications (just press and hold the volume up button) and get real-time translation from Google Translate.
Razer
Razer Hammerhead
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Earbuds aren’t purely useful for music and chatting, though, and can be great for immersive gaming, too. Razer’s Hammerhead earbuds are slightly pricy, but if you really want the edge on mobile games they’ll do very nicely indeed. We also really like the look and feel of the tangle-resistant cable.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi ANC Earphone
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Bringing ANC to the table are these earbuds from Xiaomi which offer a nice alternative to the set from Libratone above, especially if those older buds are out of stock. These have an unremarkable design but do everything you need them to very well.
OnePlus
OnePlus Type C Bullets
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OnePlus rounds out our list with these really solid, incredibly simple earbuds, which aren’t particularly noteworthy but equally are priced pretty sensibly and sound really good for the price, too.
Writing by Dan Grabham. Editing by Max Freeman-Mills.
(Pocket-lint) – Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is part game, part remote-controlled toy set.
Developed by Velan Studios, it uses mixed reality on a Nintendo Switch or Switch Lite screen, combined with a toy kart with an embedded camera, allowing you to race around your home as if you were at the wheel of a kart in Mario Kart.
Does such a clever idea work, or will you just spend most of your time crashing into the sofa? We’ve been attempting to drive our way to victory to find out.
What’s in the box
4 cardboard gates
1 chargeable kart
Charging cable
You get a single Mario Kart remote-controlled kart, four cardboard gates to drive through, a couple of arrow signs to help you remember where you’re going, and a code to install the digital copy of the game on your Switch console.
Pocket-lint
There are two kart versions available – Mario or Luigi – but you only get one of them in the box. That’s a blow if you’re hoping to play multiplayer with another friend physically. The game does support it, but you will have to buy another kart and another Switch, which would make two, three or four player physical racing rather expensive.
The remote-controlled kart
Mario or Luigi options to choose
3-hour battery life
The kart is not overly large; its footprint is about the same size as the Switch without the joy-con controllers connected.
Pocket-lint
Its in-built rechargeable battery, which lasts around 3 hours, is charged by using the same USB-C charger that comes with your Nintendo Switch (there’s a very small cable in the box – but no power adapter is included).
Built into the kart design is a small camera that, when connected to your Switch via Bluetooth, allows you to get a driver’s view – so you can see where you are driving on your Switch’s screen.
The connection between the kart and the Switch does require you to be relatively close, but we had no issue racing between rooms. It will depend on your connection of course.
Pocket-lint
The kart has a great turning circle, is zippy and fast, but not overly so that you’ll be crashing every two seconds. If this was an unintelligent remote-control car, you would be disappointed by the speed, but in this context it works well.
It’s best suited to hard floors, but carpet racing does work too thanks to the spongey tyres. However, the karts don’t like rugs, especially thick ones, based on our testing.
Building a course
Build your own courses
Unlike Mario Kart Deluxe 8 on the Switch, the premise here is that you literally create your own courses to race around.
Pocket-lint
You create a course by placing four cardboard gates – which have special markings on them read by the camera, allowing the software to create a course for you to drive around – although what you do in-between those gates is up to you.
Unlike Scalextric, Anki Overdrive, or other physical race-based games where you are restricted to the track you’ve laid, here you are asked to map the course out by physically driving it.
This approach means you can really have some fun going under furniture, over ramps, and anything else you can think up. And while some of your courses won’t be a patch on the courses found in the likes of Mario Kart Deluxe 8, you just know that you’ll spend hours trying to create the perfect course and master it.
Pocket-lint
Once you’re happy with your course you can lock it in and then race either in a Grand Prix, Time Trial, or a custom combination of the two.
Racing
Physical multiplayer up to 4 players
Grand Prix, Time Trial
24 themed races
There are 24 themed races to compete in and the gameplay is identical to Mario Kart that you know and love, in that you can pick up virtual power-ups – like mushrooms for speed boosts or bananas to knock out other players – as you race. The real fun is the driver’s view of your house as you race around the mixed reality course that you’ve built yourself.
Pocket-lint
As you race – by default it’s against four Koopalings from the Mario Kart universe, but multi-player with another Switch player and kart owner is possible – you’ll unlock various virtual outfits and kart customisations along the way.
As you progress you can access more speed too. Racing at the slowest 50cc setting feels much faster than it should when viewed on your Switch, helping to deliver that familiar Mario Kart experience. It’s amazing how quickly you get immersed in the driving view on screen and rarely look up to watch your kart whizz around your room.
Brace yourselves, Call of Duty gamers – the excuses are coming! (promo)
It can tire though
If there’s one criticism it’s that – much like playing Mario Kart without friends – the experience can tire in the single-player mode.
That’s not to say you’ll stop playing 5 minutes after getting it out of the box, but you’ll need to make sure you make your courses interesting enough to entertain, and big enough to last.
Pocket-lint
Oh, and that’s a really vital point. You’ll need a fairly big room to play this in, especially once you open up the faster 150cc and 200cc race options.
Thankfully, unlike Scalextric, it doesn’t take an age to build those courses, and others – including pets, as you can see from the picture above – can still use the room. That’s all part of the fun.
Verdict
Whether it’s the simple joy of playing Mario Kart in the real world, or the sheer thrill of seeing your room from a different perspective, we’ve found ourselves constantly coming back for more Home Circuit playtime with the family.
Our only wish is that it would be more affordable to play head-to-head with friends – because each physical kart requires its own Switch or Switch Lite to engage in physical multiplayer.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit represents the pinnacle of mixed reality. But above all else: it’s super fun and we’ve not laughed this much when playing a game for a long time.
SteelSeries brings forward the same award-winning design of previous Arctis headsets with the Arctis 9 Wireless. The sound is still mostly great, even if the competition has caught up or surpassed the line, but if you don’t need Bluetooth, the $50 premium over the Arctis 7 might be hard to swallow.
For
Impressive wireless connectivity
Can connect to 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth simultaneously
Great battery life
Against
Expensive
Flat audio profile with muted bass
Questionable durability
SteelSeries has been on a run with its Arctis series of gaming headsets, first introduced in 2016 and bringing high-end audio and a great microphone in three price points. Combined with the unique ‘ski goggle suspension’ design, the Arctis headsets made players stand up and take notice of SteelSeries in another hardware category. While the line started with the SteelSeries Arctis 3, SteelSeries Arctis 5 and SteelSeries Arctis 7, it has since expanded with the low-end Arctis 1 and the upper-end Arctis 9X and Arctis Pro cans.
Our review focus, the SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless ($200 as of writing) builds on the same design of SteelSeries’ Arctis Pro Wireless and Arctis 9X Wireless. The latter is designed for Xbox One consoles, connecting to the system without the need for cables or a dongle. It also offers SteelSeries’ ClearCast microphone, a Discord-certified mic with great clarity and a simultaneous Bluetooth connection. If you’re an Xbox gamer, the Arctis 9X Wireless is a great choice. For everyone else though, SteelSeries needed to offer up another candidate for best gaming headset.
Enter the Arctis 9 Wireless, which trades in an Xbox wireless connection for a wireless dongle with support for PC, PlayStation 4, the upcoming PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch in docked mode. Otherwise, it carries the same audio drivers, design, simultaneous Bluetooth connection and price point as the Arctis 9X Wireless.
SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Specs
Driver Type
40mm neodymium
Impedance
32 Ohms
Frequency Response
20 Hz-20 KHz
Microphone Type
Arctis ClearCast bidirectional mic
Connectivity
2.4 GHz USB Type-A wireless dongle cable, Bluetooth 4.1
Weight
0.8 pounds (376g)
Cords
5.1-foot (1.6m) charging cable, 3.4-foot (1m) USB dongle cable
Lighting
None
Software
SteelSeries Engine 3
Design and Comfort of SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless
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SteelSeries has settled on a strong design with its high-end Arctis headsets. There’s no RGB lighting here, casting the entire unit in a clean look; only the white lines of the adjusting strap and SteelSeries logo break up the pure matte black. There are no exposed wires either, something that’s a personal bugbear of mine in other cans, like the similarly priced Razer Blackshark V2 Pro and Logitech G Pro X Lightspeed. The Arctis 9 just looks so dang professional when you pull it out of the box the first time.
The ski goggle design also means this is an easy headset to fit on your noggin. A Velcro strap surrounds a steel headband and is adjustable for a tighter fit for smaller heads. The design makes it easy to pass the Arctis 9 Wireless to another person without too much tweaking. Many headsets push in on your head from the sides, but the Arctis 9 Wireless’ weight is actually held here by the strap around the headband. With the Velcro strap at the widest setting, I was able to fit it on my massive head, but the strap elasticity meant the ear cups were pushing up on the bottom of my ears. I got used to it, but those with big heads should keep this in mind.
Once it’s on your head though, you’ll barely feel the weight of it. The Arctis 9 Wireless, as well as the wireless SteelSeries Arctis 7, is 0.8 pounds. That’s a little heavier than some headsets I’ve recently reviewed, like the 0.7-pound wireless BlackShark V2 Pro. Logitech’s G Pro X Lightspeed, meanwhile, is also 0.7 pounds, and the Asus ROG Strix Go 2.4 is even lighter at 0.6 pounds. Despite some headsets being trimmer, the Arctis 9 Wireless felt weightless on my head.
SteelSeries’ Airweave cloth, which is supposed to take sweat into account, covers the ear cups’ light foam. Alternatively, leatherette here can often help block outside noise, and our review focus’ passive noise cancellation is weak. I was able to hear outside noise while wearing the headset. I could hear the typing on my clicky mechanical keyboard during slight lulls in my music, for example.
The left ear cup contains the retractable microphone. This has always been one of the better choices from the Arctis line, as you can safely stow the mic inside the ear cup when you don’t need it. That’s much better than a hard microphone arm or a detachable option that you can lose. The microphone also has a red LED to let you know when it’s muted. Finally, the ear cup also includes a ChatMix roller to change the mix between chat audio and game audio.
On the right ear cup, you’ll find most of the controls: a volume roller, microphone mute switch, power button, Bluetooth button, Micro USB slot for charging and 3.5mm jack. Many manufacturers put the mic mute button on the same ear cup as the microphone, but I find that means that hitting the button puts an audible pop or click in your recording; putting it on the other ear cup minimizes that. Another good choice for SteelSeries here. There’s an LED indicator in-between the power and Bluetooth buttons. When connected to the wireless dongle in PC mode, it blinks white. It blinks blue when connected to Bluetooth, and alternates when both connections are active.
The wireless dongle is actually a wired one instead of the USB drive-style dongle in most other wireless headsets. The dongle has a 3.4-foot USB Type-A cable, and the bottom of the unit has a PC/PlayStation switch and a pairing button. The Arctis 9 comes paired with the wireless dongle out of the box, making the unit mostly plug-and-play. I plugged it into my PC and was off to the races, no software installation required.
Moving the dongle over to my PlayStation 4 and changing the switch was equally easy, and the PS4 saw the headset immediately. I also used the wireless cans with a PlayStation 5, and true to SteelSeries’ claims, the Arctis 9 works with the console. No muss, no fuss.
The USB cable included in the box is purely for charging purposes. Hooking the cable to a PC without the dongle does see the headset come up in Device Manager, but not for audio purposes. This is a wireless-only headset, pure and simple.
Arctis 9 Wireless Performance
SteelSeries rates the Arctis 9 Wireless to maintain its cable-free connection from up to 40 feet (12.2m), and I didn’t have any problems with the connection, being able to walk around my entire apartment with nary a crackle or connection drop.
The Arctis 9 Wireless carries the same 40mm neodymium drivers you’ll find in the Arctis 9X, Arctis Pro and Arctis Pro Wireless. When it first launched, the Arctis line boasted strong audio compared to other gaming headsets. But competitors have moved to newer drivers this year: Razer put its 50mm Triforce Titanium drivers in the new BlackShark line. Similarly, Logitech has its 50mm Pro-G drivers, and HyperX offers 50mm drivers on its mid-range headsets. The larger drivers can allow for stronger sound, especially in terms of bass. And the frequency response on the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is simply higher, topping out at 28 KHz, as opposed to 20 KHz on the Arctis 9 Wireless.
Out of the box, sound on the Arctis 9 Wireless was good on the higher side of the profile but missing something. With no equalizer tweaking, the mids came across great, treble was decent, and bass was pretty disappointing. The bass here lacks punch in comparison to fellow competitors from 2020.
I loaded up the SteelSeries Engine 3 to tweak the sound settings in the equalizer, kicking up the bass in the equalizer and utilizing the Bass Boost preset. Even with those additions, that only brought the bass in the Arctis 9 up to ‘good.’
Doom Eternal is one of my favorite PC games for testing bass, with the satisfying BOOM of the Super Shotgun always offering visceral excitement. But the shotgun’s report wasn’t strong on the Arctis 9 Wireless.
The results in Death Stranding and Horizon Zero Dawn were a little better because both games have audio that leans slightly more on the mids and highs. The mechanical screams of the machines hunting Aloy and the soft patter of the Timefall weather come across with clarity on the Arctis 9 Wireless. This is largely a great headset in terms of audio, but in comparison to the BlackShark V2 Pro or the G Pro Wireless, it feels like the Arctis 9 can do better.
The Arctis 9 supports DTS Headphone:X v2.0 for its virtual surround sound. This is the standard for a number of different headsets, but the THX Spatial Audio on the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, is more robust. That said, when I used the Arctis 9 Wireless with Borderlands 3, I could pick out the barks of enemies and the quips of my teammates from every direction. without suffering from sounds blending together too much. DTS Headphone:X v2.0 works well for surround sound gaming.
Over on the PS4, the sound profile in Ghost of Tsushima, which doesn’t rely as heavily on bass, was also pretty darn good. Likewise, in Resident Evil 3, I could pick out every creak and groan on the mutated, undead hordes of Raccoon City. Note that you need to set the volume on the system and the headset. When I first hooked up the Arctis 9 Wireless, the audio was low, even with the volume all the way up on the PS4’s headset volume slider. It took me a few minutes to realize I needed to turn up the headset volume roller as well.
On music playback, the story was much the same as it was on gaming. Listening to NCT’s R&B heavy Resonance Pt. 1 album, I missed some of the deep thrumming that underpins the silky vocals of tracks like “From Home.” The upbeat tones of BTS’ “Dynamite” sounded excellent on the Arctis 9 Wireless, despite missing a tiny bit of the funk oomph; the distinctive pluck of the bass guitar was muted, robbing the track of some of its background color. The droning industrial of “On My Own” from Jaden Smith from the soundtrack for Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales pushed forward on the Arctis 9 Wireless with solid percussion, as did Kid Cudi’s background vocals. I’m not a hard audiophile in regard to music, but the Arctis 9 Wireless does what I need here.
For most of my testing, the Arctis 9 Wireless worked fine with no issues. In the last couple of days though, the left earcup occasionally wouldn’t put out any sound. This would happen sometimes when the headset was connected to my PC or PS4 via the wireless dongle. Resetting the headset and reinstalling the software did nothing. Sometimes it works for a while, only to drop out again eventually.
Looking online, we found numerous threads discussing similar issues. It’s an intermittent problem, but when it happens, there’s no way to reliably fix it. You just have to roll the dice and hope. We reached out to SteelSeries about this, and a spokesperson told us that it’s common for a small number of units to experience issues. If this happens, it’s recommended you contact the support team, “and if there is an issue with the headset, more often than not, we’ll just replace it.” The Arctis 9 WIreless has a 1-year warranty.
Microphone on Arctis 9 Wireless
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SteelSeries opted for a retractable microphone with its ClearCast noise cancelling branding, a bidirectional design and Discord certification.
Microphone quality on these cans is great. Some recording I did sounded uniformly excellent and accurate for a headset mic. Noise cancellation was also solid. I had the news on in the background while recording one sound file, and that didn’t come across in the recording.
The Arctis 9 Wireless will show up to every gaming session on Discord with no problem, capturing every errant scream you make in Phasmophobia.
Battery Life on Arctis 9 Wireless
SteelSeries has rated the Arctis 9 Wireless at 20 hours of battery life on a single charge. Testing across two days, I landed at just under that. This is pretty great for a wireless headset, especially since I’m you’re more likely to charge it between uses than, say, the best wireless mouse or any of the best wireless keyboards. Since it charges over Micro USB rather than the faster USB-C, charge time felt long (around 4-plus hours), but you can still use the headset wirelessly while it’s charging.
The LED in between the power and Bluetooth buttons tells you the headset’s charge status: Green for 100-50%, Yellow for 49-20%, Red for 19- 10% and then a blinking Red for 9-1%. You can also find a general battery level indicator in the SteelSeries Engine 3 software, but it lacks hard percentages for detailed monitoring.
Software on Arctis 9 Wireless
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The SteelSeries Engine 3 is a little stripped down in comparison to software suites from other competitors. With DTS off, you get access to a 10-band digital equalizer and a few equalizer presents. With DTS on, you can change the Surround Profile (Studio, Game, Cinema), the Stereo Profile and enhance the bass or dialogue. The Microphone settings only allow you to change the mic volume and the sidetones,or how much of your own voice and surrounding noise you’ll hear in your headset.
For comparison, Razer’s Synapse software offers more toggles for things like volume normalization, and nothing compares to the Blue microphone options for Logitech’s current gaming headsets.
With Engine, however, you can create profiles of different settings and have them load up automatically in different applications. The software doesn’t automatically find any currently installed application for you though. You’ll need to know where the executables for your applications are to make it work.
Bottom Line
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If you’re looking for a tether-free gaming headset, the SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless is a terrific option. The ski goggle design means it’s easy to put on, the button placement is great and the retractable microphone is an option more manufacturers should look at.
That said, competitors have caught up to SteelSeries in terms of audio quality, offering larger 50mm drivers and more robust digital audio tweaks via software.
But the biggest problem with the Arctis 9 Wireless is you’re essentially paying $50 more than the very similar SteelSeries Arctis 7, for the addition of Bluetooth.
Then there’s the competitors in the $200 price range. The Logitech Pro X Wireless is the same price as our review focus, and the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is $20 cheaper. The Arctis 9 Wireless is a great headset, but it’s a great headset in a space that’s becoming more crowded in 2020 and beyond.
Bluetooth can be handy though. The ability to roll from being in the box to being connected to your device in minutes is also a boon. The Arctis 9 Wireless is still a winner for the Arctis line overall, but I’d caution buyers to look at the Arctis 7 if Bluetooth and dual connectivity isn’t really necessary.
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