Articles by Josh Russell, Reviews Editor

The Scuf Valor Wired with TMR in front of a pink background.

‘Thanks to that superior sensing tech, its responsiveness really wowed me’ — Scuf’s new wired controller draws close to some of the best Xbox controllers on the market, even if it can’t fully eclipse them

By Josh Russell Published 6 September 26

The new Scuf Valor Wired controller I tested rocks great features such as TMR thumbsticks and dual-mode triggers for a truly fantastic price.

The Sennheiser HD 660S2 leaning against a concrete block next to the iFi Zen DAC 3, with the wire not plugged in.

I upgraded my Sennheiser HD 660S2 wired headphones with a more powerful iFi DAC to unlock the highest quality audio — but I honestly wasn’t expecting these results

By Josh Russell Published 6 September 26

I complemented my Sennheiser HD 660S2 cans with the excellent iFi Zen DAC 3 and discovered that not every device benefits from a discrete DAC.

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The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ with its screen off in front of a pink background.

‘The most eye-watering thing I’ve seen since the solar eclipse’ — experiencing the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+’s staggering performance honestly blew my mind but I’m afraid I can’t get over that absurd price tag

By Josh Russell Published 31 August 26

Best in Class

The new MSI Claw and its Intel Arc G3 Extreme chipset unlocks gloriously smooth gameplay on the go. But that price means it's likely out of reach for most of us.

The OnePlus Nord CE5 showing its unlocked home screen.

‘Never get blindsided by an empty battery’: I was pleased with the OnePlus Nord CE5's performance and camera, but its battery life is the part that truly impressed me in real-world testing

By Josh Russell Published 16 August 26

The Nord CE5 outperforms some rival affordable phones in terms of performance and photography — but it's the battery life that really sets it apart.

A Cessna 172 flies over the enormous chasm of the Grand Canyon; there's a badge in the top-right hand corner reading 'From the Backlog'.

I finally got Flight Simulator 2024 off the runway — and it’s far more gorgeous and far more grueling than I ever imagined

By Josh Russell Published 2 August 26

I’ve been trying my flying skills out on the gorgeous Flight Simulator 2024 at last. Brace yourself — it’s been a very rough journey.

The Llano RGB Laptop Cooling Pad, TopMate C12, Aimuzi F2 Plus, ICE COOREL RGB Laptop Cooling Pad and Tecknet N8 on a gray marbled desktop in front of a pink background.

I nearly melted my laptop so you don’t have to — after testing cooling pads for chilling your laptop during a heatwave, I’ve got serious data to drop on the coolest and quietest products you can buy

By Josh Russell Published 2 August 26

I’ve spent a week in a boiling hot lab so I can dish up hard science on the best cooling pad for chilling your laptop during a heatwave.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE sat on a table behind the S Pen and in front of a pink background.

Is last year's Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE still worth buying? I multi-screened movies, maxed out gaming graphics, and dunked it in a tank to find out

By Josh Russell Published 24 July 26

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 FE not only turned me into a multitasking and note-taking machine; its epic battery life and lush display are perfect for binge watching, too.

The Iniu SnapGo Air 10000mAh Power Bank attached to an iPhone 16 Pro leaning against a marble block.

Iniu SnapGo Air 10000mAh review: a svelte, swift-charging MagSafe power bank

By Josh Russell Published 20 July 26

Recommended

Super slim, fast-charging, an LCD panel and a discreet cable — Iniu's 45W MagSafe power bank has pretty much everything I could want from a portable phone charger.

Inside the physical PS5 copy of Balatro.

Looking back at some of our favorite physical PlayStation games for one final, tearful send-off

By Dashiell Wood Published 1 July 26

We look back on more than three decades of physical PlayStation releases.

The Final VR3000 EX for Gaming unfolded and leant against a stone and concrete cylinder.

Final VR3000 EX for Gaming review: solid sound, lengthy battery — but Dolby Atmos is a stretch

By Josh Russell Published 27 June 26

Final’s affordable gaming headset offers an epic battery life and decent enough sound — but during testing, I found its claim to offer ‘immersive, spatial audio’ to be pretty overblown.

I’ve used these headphones every single day for 11 months over options from Bose and Sony because of their stunningly detailed sound — and this Prime Day they’ve been slashed to their lowest ever price

By Josh Russell Published 25 June 26

The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 have always had superbly expressive sound for their price, and this Prime Day they’re cheaper than ever before.

A two-part image featuring a screenshot of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the left and the Nintendo Switch 2 on the right.

Getting a Switch 2 for the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake is going to be a worthy investment if you're a super-fan like me — so I’d make sure you get yours before the upcoming price spike

By Josh Russell Published 24 June 26

PSA for my fellow Zelda-stans: if you’re as obsessed with the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake as I am, I’d grab your Switch 2 this Prime Day.

The ROG Raikiri II has become my go-to controller for good reason — and this Prime Day is the perfect time to add it to your team

By Josh Russell Published 23 June 26

This ROG pad has become my favorite controller for kicking back with my Xbox — from its dual-mode TMR triggers to its quick, clicky buttons, here are the reasons why I think it could become yours.

A three-part image featuring the Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X Digital Edition and Asus ROG Raikiri II Xbox Wireless from left to right.

I can’t game without every piece of this glorious gear — here are my fave accessories this Prime Day whether I’m playing Xbox Series X or Nintendo Switch 2

By Josh Russell Published 23 June 26

Each of these groundbreaking gadgets is an essential part of my daily gaming sessions. Here’s all the gaming tech you shouldn’t sleep on this Prime Day.

The 8BitDo Ultimate 2, Iniu Power Bank, Belkin Charging Case Pro, SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds, Nacon Protection Case XL for Switch 2, and Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless Controller in a hotel room.

Planning your next vacation? Get your handheld gaming upgrades ready with a bunch of my favorite accessories

By Josh Russell Published 22 June 26

All these handheld gaming upgrades I’ve found this Prime Day mean that no matter where you go on your vacation this year, you can have a fantastic gaming setup in your backpack.

The Sonos Era 100 SL at a 3/4s angle in front of a pink background.

‘A better price for the same performance’: I reviewed Sonos’ cheaper Era 100 SL wireless speaker, and was shocked at how few concessions were made to make this a bargain

By Josh Russell Published 21 June 26

Recommended

Sonos’s cheaper Era 100 makes no sonic sacrifices — although some users might find themselves missing out on a few nice-to-have features.

The Sennheiser Momentum 5 leaning against a concrete block.

‘Like having the orchestra pit spread out in front of you’: I reviewed Sennheiser’s Momentum 5 headphones, and I was wowed by their epic soundstage — but their weaker treble requires a bit of tweaking

By Josh Russell Published 21 June 26

Crammed with clever features, a long-lived battery and a wide soundstage, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 are very capable — but their default tuning requires a bit of polish to get the best results.

The De'Longhi Eletta Ultra in between its hot milk carafe, a pink mug and a pot of coffee beans in front of a pink background.

De’Longhi’s bean-to-cup coffee machine makes ‘a cornucopia of coffees’ — but, having tested it, I’ve found its hot and cold drinks are decent rather than exceptional

By Josh Russell Published 12 June 26

De’Longhi’s bean-to-cup coffee machine helped me whip up a huge variety of personalized coffees with ease. But its drinks unfortunately fall just a few inches short of greatness.

The GameSir Pocket Taco propped up next to its carry case, in front of a pink background.

GameSir Pocket Taco review: this controller's a cool concept that can’t really stick the landing

By Josh Russell Published 6 June 26

I tried out the GameSir Pocket Taco, a vertical mobile controller that’s fun on paper but marred by its muddled execution.

A party of adventurers stand surrounded by treasure chests overflowing with gold.

I’m playing Divinity: Original Sin 2 at last — I can’t get enough of its terrain-based tactical battles

By Josh Russell Published 6 June 26

Divinity: Original Sin II's unsparing tactical combat and flexible build creation has got me salivating over its upcoming sequel.

The Meraki Espresso Machine with a tamp, coffee distributor and portafilter to its left and a milk jug to its right, in front of a pink and wooden effect background.

Meraki Espresso Machine Gen 2 review: this smart gadget refined my coffee making without taking over

By Josh Russell Published 30 May 26

While testing Meraki’s latest espresso machine, I was genuinely blown away by how its clever features supported me to make better coffee manually.

The Honor 600 at a slight angle showing the lock screen.

Honor 600 review: I was blown away by this phone’s blazing display, epic battery life, and occasionally uncanny AI

By Josh Russell Published 25 May 26

Recommended

I tested Honor’s AI-packed mid-range phone and was impressed (and occasionally unnerved) by its powerful features.

The JBL Flip 7 standing on its end surrounded by piles of pink IKEA Kallsup speakers.

“An enormous cityscape of stackable guava-colored boxes” — I compared a dozen $10 IKEA speakers to one $120 JBL speaker to see whether sheer numbers are a substitute for better sound engineering

By Josh Russell Published 4 May 26

I cobbled together a constellation of 12 $10 Ikea speakers to see how they compared to a single $120 JBL one.

The MacBook Air M5 folded slightly closed, showing a reflection of the keyboard in the screen.

I upgraded to the MacBook Air M5 at last — and, boy, is it fast

By Josh Russell Published 25 April 26

I upgraded to the MacBook Air M5 and its lightning-fast performance puts my Intel-based MacBook Pro to shame.

A closeup of the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro's camera module and Glyph Matrix, which features a digital clock reading '15:19'.

‘Just flat-out fun’ — I was a Nothing-design skeptic, but 3 things I found when reviewing the Phone (4a) Pro turned me into a believer

By Josh Russell Published 9 April 26

The look of early Nothing phones left me lukewarm, but here’s how its latest handset totally won me over.

Josh Russell

Articles by: Josh Russell

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