Category: Electronic Product

Nikon Confirms: Z6 II and Z7 II are Coming on October 14th

Nikon has officially confirmed the existence of the long-rumored full-frame mirrorless Nikon Z6 II and Z7 II in a countdown page on its website. Other than the correct names and the release time (October 14th at 12:00am ET), Nikon didn’t share much; but we actually know quite a bit about what Nikon is about to release.

The first rumors of a Nikon “Z6s and Z7s” popped up back in July, and since then the folks at Nikon Rumors have been hard at work digging up specs. According to their latest report, these will be “incremental updates” with the same image sensors, same overall body shape, and the same resolution EVFs as the current Nikon Z6 and Nikon Z7. However, Nikon has addressed some of the most pressing complaints about the current models.

The Z6 II and Z7 II will have:

Dual Card Slots (one CFexpress and one SD)

Improved AF for face, eye and animal detection

Dual EXPEED processors

A faster max frame rate

A larger buffer

4K/60p video capability

The ability to take a proper battery grip with buttons for vertical shooting

Nikon Rumors also claims that the Nikon Z6 II will be “the last Nikon camera with a 24MP sensor,” meaning that Nikon is finally planning to move away from the Sony-made sensor that’s almost certainly the one also used in the Sony a7 III, the Sony a7C, and the Panasonic S1. No word on what the next generation sensor might be.

If previous experience is anything to go by, we expect Nokishita to get its hands on some leaked product photos and confirm these specs before the announcement comes along. However, if you want to preserve some of the mystery, just check back with PetaPixel in 14 days, 14 hours, and 43 minutes (give or take).

Mobvoi TicWatch 3 Pro is coming in three days with Wear OS

Mobvoi launched a new TicWatch GTX last week that may have left some drooling over the price but dissatisfied over its features. For those still wishing for a formidable Wear OS smartwatch won’t have to wait long. The company has already confirmed that the TicWatch 3 Pro is landing this week and, if the leaks are correct, it could yet again be one of the more notable if not the most notable smartwatches running on Google’s Android-based wearable platform.

Mobvoi hit smartwatch news radars after it was reported that Google made an investment in the Chinese company’s efforts to bring some semblance of Android Wear to that market. It would eventually launch its own global Android Wear smartwatches with a unique dual-screen feature that can be credited for its long battery life.

The TicWatch 3 Pro will seemingly carry on that tradition but will quickly set itself apart from the rest of the Wear OS brood with a single feature. It will be one of the first to run on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Wear 4100 chipset, bringing with it all the performance improvements it promises.

Although it isn’t confirming that, Mobvoi has just announced the date that the “TicWatch Pro 3 GPS” will debut, on September 24 to be precise. It even reveals the smartwatch’s design, which is pretty similar to the other TicWatch Pros before it.

While some leaked specs, like 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, sound pretty common by now, word is that the smartwatch will also come with a still uncommon Sp02 sensor. The battery is also expected to be larger though there might be some weight reduction as well. Of course, with more power comes a higher price and that will be what we’ll be waiting for in a few days.

Sony Announces PS5 Pricing: $499 For Regular Console, $399 For Digital Edition

At Sony’s PlayStation 5 Showcase this afternoon, the final (and much awaited) pieces of the puzzle with regards to the console’s launch have dropped: pricing and a release date.

Sony’s next-generation console will launch on Thursday, November 12th. The full version of the console, which includes a Blu-ray disc drive, will launch at $499. Meanwhile the “Digital Edition” of the console, which foregoes optical storage entirely, will release for a surprising $399, a full $100 cheaper despite only giving up a disc drive.

This will put Sony’s launch 2 days after Microsoft’s own Xbox Series X/S launch, which is taking place on Tuesday, November 10th. The $499 price tag for the two companies’ respective flagship consoles will put them in direct competition, while the PS5 Digital Edition/Xbox Series S divide should prove far more interesting – if not a bit frustrating for consumers trying to make the best choice. The discless PS5 is every bit as powerful as its disc-capable sibling – making it a spoiler of sorts at $399 – whereas the Xbox Series S gets a significantly weaker GPU than the Xbox Series X. However at $299 the slimmed down console is cheaper still, and still gets to run next-gen games.

Next-Gen Console Specs
 PlayStation 5PlayStation 5
Digital Edition		Xbox Series SXbox Series X
CPU8 Core AMD Zen 2
@ 3.5 GHz w/SMT		8 Core AMD Zen 2
@ 3.6 GHz
@ 3.4 GHz w/SMT		8 Core AMD Zen 2
@ 3.8 GHz
@ 3.6 GHz /wSMT
GPU36 CU AMD RDNA2
@ 2.23GHz		20 CU AMD RDNA2
@ 1.565 GHz		52 CU AMD RDNA2
@ 1.825 GHz
GPU Throughput (FP32)10.28 TFLOPS4 TFLOPS12.15 TFLOPS
Memory16GB GDDR6
@ 14Gbps		10GB GDDR6
@ 14Gbps		16GB GDDR6
@ 14Gbps
Memory Throughput16GB@448GB/sec
(256-bit)		 8GB@224GB/sec
(128-bit)
2GB@56GB/sec
(32-bit)		10GB@560GB/sec
(320-bit)
6GB@336GB/sec
(192-bit)
Storage825GB PCIe4 x4 SSD512GB PCIe 4 x2 SSD1TB PCIe 4 x2 SSD
Storage Throughput5.5GB/sec2.4GB/sec
Storage ExpansionNVMe Slot
PCIe4 x4		Xbox Storage Expansion Card (1TB)
Disc Drive4K UHD Blu-RayNoNo4K UHD Blu-Ray
Manufacturing ProcessTSMC 7nmTSMC 7nmTSMC 7nmTSMC 7nm
Launch Date2020/11/122020/11/10
Launch Price$499$399$299$499

Or if you’re in the mood for a PC (a platform we’re particularly partial towards), over the next couple of months we will be seeing new hardware launches there as well, including NVIDIA’s $500 GeForce RTX 3070, and AMD’s new RDNA2-based Radeon RX 6000 video cards. So there is no shortage of gaming hardware to be had this fall – at least if you have the cash.

Sony’s new $350 ‘Bose killer’ headphones vs. Bose’s highly rated $400 noise-cancelling headphones

The Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose 700 both tick off all the basics for a premium headphone experience in 2020 and beyond — they help hush the noise around you with active noise cancelling, they deliver premium sound, they’re comfortable, and they’re wireless.

At $350 for the Sony WH-1000XM4 and $400 retail for the Bose 700, they offer more than simply the basics. You get important features that let you connect to two devices at a time (great if you switch between your computer and phone), and they also offer among the best phone call quality I’ve ever heard on headphones. You’re getting excellent bang for your buck with these cans. 

I’ve had the luxury and pleasure to try both of these headphones side-by-side, and there are important and major differences between the Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose 700 you should know about before making a decision. You can also check out the full review for the Bose 700 here. 

The Sony WH-1000XM4 can be preordered now, and will be released and available to buy starting in mid-August. The Bose 700 were released in June 2019. 

Design and comfort

The Bose 700 have a more modern and sleek design with stylish organic curves throughout the headband and exterior earcups. On heads and ears, the Bose 700 feel comfortable. The pads are soft yet sturdy enough to keep their form over longer listening periods. They don’t clamp down too much on my head and ears, and the headband doesn’t hurt the top of my head over time, and I can move my head back and forth with having them slip off. 

Meanwhile, the Sony WH-1000XM4 have a more neutral headphone design that few can complain about. Overall, the Sonys are more comfortable than the Bose. The Sonys are lightweight and slightly more plush and softer around the ears than the Bose 700, but still secure enough to prevent the headphones from moving around with head movements. The headband is comfortable and places less strain on the top of the head, too. 

The Sonys can become a little more compact and fold up into a sort of ball shape with their folding earcup design, whereas the best the Bose can do is twist their earcups to become flat. 

Sound quality

Bose 700: These have Bose’s signature silky smooth sound, with rich, crisp, clear bass, a wide soundstage, clear separation, and superb clarity. Few can fault this audio quality and sound. 

Bass-heads won’t be satisfied here, however, as Bose tends to be more conservative and “refined” compared to the Sony WH-1000XM series — while listening to a lot of music, from Reggae to electronic music, I find myself wanting more rolling bass that fills my ears for the span of a song. 

Sony WH-1000 XM4: The Sony WH-1000 XM4 produce a more powerful and exciting sound than the Bose 700. With that said, clarity, soundstage, and separation aren’t as good — the Sonys almost sound muffled compared to the Bose. Out of the box, the Bose 700 are likely to be more appealing, at least for those who value clarity and clearly hearing different instruments as if they were spread out from each other. 

But the Sonys really have two types of sound: out-of-the-box, and whatever you want them to be. Indeed, you can customize the sound the XM4s deliver through the Sony Music app, and it makes a big difference, and it’s far more comprehensive than what you get with Bose or the built-in equalizers in most phones.

For me, Sony’s customization means I can get the best of both worlds — the XM4’s signature power and excitement, some extra bass, as well as a clearer sound with a wider soundstage and separation that’s almost as good as the Bose. 

The Sonys are more versatile than the Bose, and that counts for a lot. 

Noise cancelling and battery life

I tested the noise cancelling abilities of these two headphones in a room that measured 53 decibels, a level produced by an air conditioner vent blowing glorious cold air above me, and two loud Vornado fans (one medium, one personal size) blowing close by that simulated a fairly loud office. I also tested the noise cancelling around a 10KW power generator at sound levels between 65 and 85 decibels. 

Both the Bose 700 and Sony XM4 do a remarkable and similar job of cancelling out noise. In my simulated office setting, the fan noises were almost completely eliminated without music. With music, even at lower volumes, ambient noise is all but forgotten.

As for the generator test, I could absolutely still hear the loud engine that creates 10,000 watts at 240 volts with both headphones, but the sound was dramatically reduced to a tolerable level. 

If I had to pick one that made things quieter than the other, I’d say the Bose was ever so slightly more effective, but not by much at all. You’ll be happy with whichever pair you go for when it comes to noise cancelling. 

As for battery life, Sony claims 30 hours and five hours of listening time from a quick 10-minute top-off charge with 1.5A or more adapter. Bose claims a 20-hour battery life and three and a half hours of listening time from a 15-minute charge. Whether they actually last 30 hours in unclean — to be honest, I’m not timing how long I’m using them with every listening session. But I can safely say the Sonys lasted longer than the Bose before needing a charge. 

Phone calls

The Bose 700s’ party trick when they were first released was their incredibly effective ambient noise cancellation during phone calls, which works for both you and the person you’re speaking to on the phone. 

I tested a phone call with both headphones while standing around the corner from a very loud 10KW power generator, where decibel levels read between 65 and 70 decibels — just below the 73.4 average decibel level of the NYC streets, according to this study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) from 2015.

The Bose and Sony headphones both performed very well. The person I called could hear my voice clearly over the sound of the generator, and couldn’t actually hear the generator humming along at 70 decibels for most of the call. To be extra nitpicky, the person I called said the Sonys had more static noise than the Bose, and that my voice sounded more tinny. 

To be sure, a phone call using headphones that don’t have some kind of active noise reduction for calls would be extremely uncomfortable. 

It seems the headphones’ limit was about the 80 to 85 decibel range, where I stood right next to the generator, which is over twice as loud as 70 decibels. 85 decibels is about as loud as a gas-powered lawnmower or a leaf blower, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At 80 decibels, a conversation was impossible — both me and the person I called were constantly being cut off, and it simply wasn’t a good time. 

For reference, neither headphones worked as well at reducing the generator’s noise than the phone I was using, the Pixel 4XL. In fact, the Pixel 4XL allowed a totally normal conversation right next to the generator at 85 decibels. It sucked for me, being right next to the equivalent of a leaf blower, but the person I was calling wasn’t too affected. 

Apps and other features

Both headphones have proximity sensors that pause and resume music when you take the headphones on and off. 

Both headphones have Bluetooth multi-point, which means you can connect to two devices at the same time. It’s useful if you use the headphones between your phone and your computer. This is a new addition for Sony, as the previous XM3 headphones didn’t have multi-point. 

Both headphones have touch sensor controls on the exterior earcups. 

The Bose Music app is significantly more polished and prettier than the Sony Headphones app. With that said, the Bose Music app isn’t as rich in features.

The Bose app offers pretty basic and generic customizations for a pair of “smart” headphones, like adjusting the level of noise cancellation and the level of your voice so you can hear yourself during a phone call. It also lets you customize what smart voice assistant you want to use.

Conversely, the Sony Headphones app is rich in features, but it’s not as pretty or user-friendly.

It includes similar features as the Bose app, as well as a “Speak to chat” feature that automatically pauses music and turns off noise cancelling when you start speaking out loud, which is designed to let you keep your headphones on if someone starts speaking to you. By default, the music resumes and noise cancellation turns back on 30 seconds after you’re finished speaking. You can adjust the amount of time for your music and noise cancellation to resume. It works surprisingly well, but at the same time, I think keeping headphones on while anyone is speaking to you is rude, so I’d take them off anyway.

There’s also “Quick Attention” that lets you cover the right earcup to disengage noise cancellation and reduce audio volume. Noise cancelling and volume return once you remove your hand from the right earcup. It works well, and it’s perhaps less rude, as covering the earcup is at least an indication that you’re doing something to pay attention to the person you’re speaking to. 

The Sony app also includes a noise cancellation optimizer designed to, well, optimize noise cancellation for you by analyzing anything that might alter the earcups’ seal around your ears and adjusting the sound. I’m not entirely sure if it works, to be honest, but optimized or not, sound quality and noise cancellation remain excellent.

There’s also a “360 Reality Audio” feature that supposedly enhances audio with some kind of surround sound enhancements. The setup process is odd, as you need to take photos of your ears, and it only works with the Tidal, Nugs, and Deezer streaming apps. I don’t use any of these apps, so I couldn’t test this feature. Honestly, these kinds of features rarely end up enhancing anything for the better. 

Which one should you get?

The $50 discrepancy between these two headphones isn’t going to sway a decision here — you can find deals on the Bose fairly regularly, and the Sonys will get their days of deals soon enough (they were just released at the time of writing). 

You’ll be pleased with either seeing as they perform similarly in noise cancelling and phone call quality. And both have excellent sound quality. 

But against my preference, I can see myself recommending the Bose 700 more often than the Sony WH-1000XM4 because they sound better out of the box, and I know some people aren’t likely to fiddle around with an app to customize the sound. 

If I know the person is a little more techy and they’re open to customizing their sound through an app, I’d recommend the Sony WH-1000XM4 for their versatility. Indeed, the Bose sound great for a wide range of people, but everyone hears differently, and you might find a sound you prefer with the Sonys. In the Sony Headphones app, I like the “Bright” preset and a +7 “Clear Bass” setting.

How Good Is Autofocus Using Adapted EF Lenses on the Canon EOS R5 and R6 Cameras?

The Canon EOS R5 and R6 cameras have created a lot of excitement in the photography world, and for the tons of photographers who already have deep investments in the EF lens library, the question of whether adapted performance can keep up with professional demands looms large. This great video shows you the kind of performance you can expect in real-world usage. 

Coming to you from Jared Polin, this excellent video takes a look at adapted lens autofocus performance using an EF-to-RF adapter on the Canon EOS R5 and EOS R6 cameras. The autofocus system on the new cameras is definitely impressive, but with the expensive prices of RF lenses and existing libraries of EF lenses many photographers own, the prevailing preference may be to instead adapt. Thankfully, it looks like adapted autofocus performance is fantastic, even in demanding situations. Personally, this is definitely great news, as I personally have a large EF lens library, and beyond that, the RF lens lineup simply does not have a lot of more esoteric options available yet, such as wide-aperture super-telephoto lenses, and you also get the additional features of the mirrorless system, such as eye and face tracking. Check out the video above to see what you can expect. 

How Does the Canon EOS R5 Compare to the Sony a7R IV When It Comes to Shooting Stills?

Photographer and educator Matt Granger just got his hands on the new Canon EOS R5 and, trying to ignore all of the chat about overheating, set about comparing it for shooting stills directly with the Sony a7R IV. Check out this short video to get his initial impressions.

The Canon EOS R5 is pretty hard to get ahold of right now, and body-only it will set you back $3,899. The Sony a7R IV, released in September last year, is a few hundred dollars cheaper, offers an extra 16 megapixels (61 over the R5’s 45), and, unlike the Canon, will arrive in a matter of days.

Granger’s testing when it comes to low-light performance and image quality seems pretty exhaustive, and you can grab a zip file containing all of his raw files by clicking here.

Despite his best efforts to avoid getting drawn into the ongoing debate about overheating, Granger is — to his own frustration — unable to avoid it. The back and forth continues as to whether Canon has been somewhat disingenuous with its marketing of the R5’s video capabilities, but if there’s one advantage to the shortage of R5 units available, it’s that customers have plenty of time to do their research into whether the limitations make the new Canon flagship mirrorless camera the right choice for them.

Have a dig through the raw files and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Razer BlackShark V2 Review

When it comes to esports, accuracy and precision are important, and having great audio with an excellent soundstage is a vital part of that. That’s where esports gaming headsets like the Razer BlackShark V2 come in handy.A follow-up to the glossier BlackShark, which has been lauded for its comfort, great sound quality, and cool design, this successor has a more subdued look and not much in the way of frills and thrills. But, that’s only because it’s honed in on the way it lets you experience audio in gaming instead. It’s hitting the shelves with three new technologies either developed or co-developed by Razer and THX. These include the THX Spatial Audio, which essentially offers THX Competitive Mode for some of the most popular games out there, as well as the new Razer Triforce Titanium 50mm drivers, which are made up of three parts – each for the highs, mids and lows.

The result is a terrific gaming headset that sounds great and boasts a soundstage incredible enough to give you an actual competitive edge in gaming.
Design and Features

Light weight and comfort take center stage in the BlackShark V2’s design. Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice about this pair of headphones – aside from its Razer green trimmings – is how light it is. At 262g, it’s among the lightest offerings out there, with the HyperX Cloud Stinger following closely at 275g and the SteelSeries Arctis 5 at 280g. This certainly matters, as being this lightweight considerably reduces the wearer’s fatigue and makes your gaming experience that much more comfortable. If you expect to be playing for hours on end, it makes a huge difference.

That light weight makes it a bit more travel-friendly, too, though the headset itself isn’t exactly designed for travel. It’s not foldable and not exactly compact, though it does have its own travel bag, so its super light weight certainly helps make it easier to tote with you when traveling or commuting.

Don’t take its lightweightness to mean that it isn’t made of quality materials, however. The ear cups look to be made of high quality, albeit light, plastic with a matte finish (a departure from its predecessor’s glossy finish), and they don’t feel like they would crack if a sudden heavy weight was applied. The headband is lined on top with plush leatherette, giving it a sophisticated flair, and the removable mic comes with a super flexible stem that also feels solid.

Finally, the headband and ear cushions are made of memory foam and wrapped in flow knit fabric. These cushions also add to comfort here, as not only is there a generous thickness to them, especially the one on the headband, but that fabric they’re covered in feels soft to touch and really does help to minimize sweat and reduce heat during the most intense moments in the game.

If you’re a fan of RGB lighting, the BlackShark V2 might disappoint as it has none of those frills. Personally, I kind of prefer it that way. The omission helps keep its cost down, and having RGB lighting on your headset on top of your gaming keyboard, your gaming mouse, and your gaming PC is a bit of an overkill for me.

In lieu of RGB lighting, Razer does spruce it up a bit with some green trimmings on the Razer logo and the audio cable connecting the two ear cups. This shade of green isn’t necessarily attractive to me, but I appreciate that it can be appealing to a lot of gamers. It also adds to the headset’s character, especially when coupled with its aviator look, which I actually really like.

As far as other thrills and frills, there’s really not much. The retractable mic is the new Hyperclear Cardioid Mic that Razer has developed and is launching for the first time on the BlackShark V2, but we’ll get to that in detail later. There is a volume control knob and a mic mute button, both of which are on the left ear cup. That’s pretty much it.

Software

Another first that’s launching alongside the Razer BlackShark V2 is THX Spatial Audio, which has its own section in the Razer Synapse software. This new technology essentially helps deliver more accurate sound positioning for a more realistic sound stage and 7.1 digital surround sound effect.

More importantly, it comes with the new THX Game Profiles, which are basically audio profiles custom-tuned to specific games. At the time of my testing, there are Game Profiles for 18 of the most popular games out there, including the four that I used to test the headset – Red Dead Redemption 2, Doom Eternal, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

Each Game Profile gives each game its own THX Environmental Mode for a more immersive audio experience, and Game Profiles for competitive games have an additional THX Competitive Mode that’s designed to give you a gaming advantage.

This new addition to the Razer Synapse software, which you’ll find in the Mixer section under Audio and can toggle on/off, is straightforward to use. I’m not sure how downloading the profiles will work post launch, as I was testing them in pre-production, but the controls themselves are pretty easy to figure out.

The software seems to list all the games you have installed on your computer, and the THX Environmental and THX Competitive Modes, if available, appear under each game’s Spatial Output dropdown menu. As far as fine-tuning the surround sound, it allows you to simply drag each of the points and adjust where sounds are coming from to your liking.

On top of these THX Spatial Audio settings and presets, the Razer Synapse software’s EQ has its own general use profiles as well like Music and Game, though each of its 10 bands are also customizable. It also has dedicated controls for Bass Boost, Sound Normalization, and Voice Clarity.
Performance

The sound quality of the Razer BlackShark V2 is surprisingly great. Admittedly, at default, it sounds a bit muffled, like there’s a blanket on top of the sound. High end can be a bit rolled off or muffled, which somewhat reduces clarity and detail. The environmental effects are also more mid-focused, not as articulate or as detailed. In RDR2, for example, I don’t hear the high-end pitter patter when it’s raining, just more of the lower frequency thuds, making the rain sound heavier.

But, I’m really being nitpicky here for the sake of this review. Unless you’re more discerning with audio, or you’re comparing Razer BlackShark V2 with other high-end headphones, this shouldn’t bother you. In fact, you probably won’t notice the difference.

The bass response is very good, giving your gaming experience a lot of rumble even without turning on the Bass Boost, while the mids are present, and don’t sound hollow. In addition, the soundstage is incredible. You’re really getting the full 7.1 experience – even without the THX Spatial Audio features. It’s accurate with great spatial separation, meaning you can hear things move around you and know where they’re coming from.

It’s pretty obvious that this headset has been designed specifically for gaming. You won’t get fatigued from too much high-end information. In fact, you won’t notice that slightly muffled sound when gaming, and the bass obviously offers a lot of rumble.

Sadly, it’s not as good for other media. You want all the details when watching movies and listening to music. Unfortunately, in movies, I notice the muffled sound a little more, making it a bit harder to get the full experience, especially when it comes to the dialogue. Music is the most affected media here, especially when listening to something with a lot of organic sound. Not that it doesn’t sound good. It sounds balanced enough, but again, it’s just a little bit rolled off or muffled.

The Razer BlackShark V2 is the first headset to feature the new Razer Triforce Titanium 50mm drivers. This patented design basically splits a single driver into three parts so that the highs, mids and lows each have their own unit. The idea of this design is to allow for the individual tuning of each frequency range. Also, by separating the highs, mids and lows into three distinct parts, each frequency range should get a purer representation in concept.

Unfortunately, the high end is still a little rolled off. That said, this new design really does seem to allow for better fine-tuning of each frequency range, making these headphones incredibly versatile when it comes to customizing the EQ, as well as boosting the base, adjusting sound normalization, which is a compressor that makes the loud parts quieter and the quieter parts louder, and toggling voice clarity, which is basically a high-end boost.

As for the THX Game Profiles, you’ll certainly notice a difference. While keeping the sound quality the same, both the THX Environmental Mode and THX Competitive Mode essentially offer distinctive EQ profiles for each game for their own purposes.

The THX Environmental Mode, though slightly different for each game, generally offers an expanded surround sound, making things sound just a little wider, as if you’re actually inside the world you’re playing in. That’s pretty great, and certainly adds to your gaming immersion. In addition, environmental effects like rain, fire, footsteps, and people talking in the background are louder while keeping their spatial positioning.

The THX Competitive Mode, on the other hand, essentially takes many of the environmental sounds and mutes them a little. That’s with the exception of the sounds of the players, friendly and otherwise. By doing so, it makes the sounds your enemies make feel a little more present. Spatial positioning is also great, though it doesn’t sound as wide as the THX Environmental Mode. But, the goal here is to give players that competitive edge in audio – by hearing enemies better and knowing where they’re coming from, you don’t have to look around and find them. You’ll know when they’re coming and where exactly they’re coming from.

It is worth noting, however, that the THX Competitive Mode seems only available for competitive games like CS:GO. The non-competitive games only have the THX Environmental Mode. Though again, I was using the pre-production version of the software.

Also launching with the Razer BlackShark V2 is the new Razer HyperClear Cardioid Mic with USB Sound Card. It sounds incredibly clear at default, and may be further customized to your liking via the Razer Synapse software. It does have a mic boost, if you want to be really loud, and boasts a couple of cool features as well.

One of those is Voice Gate, which is very effective. If you’re not familiar, Voice Gate is like a door that opens whenever you’re talking and closes when you’re not. It basically limits the mic from picking up background sounds from your end, especially when someone else is talking or no one is. There’s also Ambient Noise Reduction, which when turned on rejects most of the unnecessary background noise.

Finally, the mic has its own 10-band EQ in the software, with presets like Mic Boost, Broadcast and Conference. Have a shrill voice? This will help tone that down a little.
Purchasing Guide

The Razer BlackShark V2 + USB Sound Card, which is the model I reviewed, retails for $99.99, while the Razer BlackShark V2 X retails for $59.99. Both will be available worldwide on August 6 alongside the THX Game Profiles. Both models only come in black. Verdict

If you want an esports gaming headset that won’t give you wearer’s fatigue, but will definitely give you that gaming advantage, Razer BlackShark V2 is a headset worth looking into. This affordable pair of cans is lightweight and very comfortable to wear for long hours, delivers great sound quality and excellent soundstage perfect for gaming, and comes with the new THX Spatial Audio and Game Profiles (currently the only headset to support it). Sadly though, if you’re looking for a gaming headset that’s kind of a jack of all trades, the audio experience it offers when it comes to music and movies isn’t as detailed or articulate. But, that isn’t really what it’s designed for. The Razer BlackShark V2 is all about the esports life, and on that, it’s certainly succeeded.

A Review of the Canon EOS R5 for Stills Photography

The Canon EOS R5 has finally hit the market, and it brings with a wide range of incredible video features, but in addition to those, it is a highly capable stills camera. If you are looking at the EOS R5 for its stills features, this great video review will show you what you can expect from it.

Coming to you from Gordon Laing, this helpful video review takes a look at the Canon EOS R5 from a stills photography perspective. No doubt, with its marquee feature of 8K raw video, the EOS R5 has gathered a lot of attention for its video capabilities, but it is no slouch on the stills side either, sporting a 45-megapixel sensor, 12 fps continuous shooting using the mechanical shutter (20 fps using the electronic shutter), Canon’s most powerful autofocus system ever (which incorporates Deep Learning technology for tracking and offers 1,053 AF points with full frame coverage), in-body image stabilization with up to eight stops of compensation, GPS, a 5.76-million-dot electronic viewfinder, vari-angle rear LCD touchscreen, wireless connectivity, and weather-sealing. Altogether, the EOS R5 looks to be quite an impressive camera for stills work

LG OLED48CX TV REVIEW

LG’s OLED48CX is a game-changer. Not only is this the first sub 50-inch OLED television, it’s also the first TV that LG has made that supports 4K resolution at 120Hz. This makes this 48-incher a mouth-wateringly viable option for PC gamers looking to replace a traditional IPS or TN panel. Meet the new gold standard when it comes to a 4K TV that can also act as one of the best gaming monitors around.

That freshly shrunken form factor is a big deal. Previously, the smallest OLED TV you could buy was 55-inches. While a 48-inch screen is hardly bite-sized, it’s the first OLED that can (just about) fit on a reasonably sized PC desk. When you consider Nvidia has been trying to pimp its Big Format Gaming Displays, which measure up to 65-inches and balloon far beyond the $1,499/£1,499 price tag for this, the OLED48CX no longer looks like such a colossal (or wallet-ruining) prospect. 

If you’re not familiar with OLED as a display format, here are the CliffsNotes: The acronym stands for ‘organic light-emitting diode’, and it’s generally considered the best type of television panel. Unlike a traditional LCD TV or one of Samsung’s trademark QLED displays, a 4K OLED can turn off every single one of its 8.3 million pixels. 

What does that mean in real-world terms? OLED offers the sort of effortlessly inky blacks no other type of TV panel—or PC monitor tech—can match. When it comes to contrast performance or playing games in a dark room, OLED is the undisputed king. 

Screen uniformity is also far better than your average TV; a factor that should be of huge importance to gamers. Pan the camera across a clear blue sky in an open world like GTA 5 on a LCD TV or traditional PC monitor, and you’re likely to see uneven vertical streaks/screen artefacts, known as “Dirty Screen Effect”. OLED doesn’t suffer from this issue, leading to images that look far more uniform when moving against an in-game sky or playing a constantly up-and-down game of FIFA 20.

Even if you don’t have the sort of obsessive eyes than can pick up on the details above, the more mainstream upgrades the CX offers over last year’s LG C9 should be significant to hardcore PC players. Not only does it continue to support Nvidia G-Sync—providing you have a suitable GPU—but thanks to a post-release firmware update, it’s also compatible with AMD’s Freesync Premium. 

LG has doubled the refresh rate at 4K resolutions compared to previous models, too. While last year’s Series 9 line-up could ‘only’ support 4K at 60Hz, the CX is capable of displaying pictures at 4K at 120Hz. If you’re the sort of obsessive gamer with a Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti stuffed inside your rig, the doubling of that refresh rate at Ultra HD is huge. At this insane resolution/framerate combot, input lag measures in at just 11.6ms. In the TV space, that’s more or less unrivalled. 

To get the most out of the OLED48CX, there’s no denying you need a monstrous PC. If you want to run any recent game at 4K, at a framerate significantly north of 60fps, an Nvidia GeForce 2080 Ti, a top-end Intel or AMD CPU, and at least 16GB of DDR4 RAM are required. For this review, I tested LG’s CX on a PC with said GPU, an Intel 8700k CPU, with 32GB of DDR4 Corsair memory. The most headline-worthy, recent result? I could happily play Hideo Kojima’s polarising Death Stranding in 4K at the highest settings, with framerates fluctuating around 80-100fps. Introduce the CX’s G-Sync features into the equation, and I never once encountered any stutter in the post-apocalyptic postman sim.

You’ll need to overcome several slightly annoying obstacles if you’re planning to replace your current monitor with the OLED48CX, though. While you obviously need a hefty desk, there are inherent issues unqiue to OLED as a format you should consider before taking the plunge.

For one thing, OLEDs are far more reflective than either your average IPS monitor or LCD TV. If you frequently do work or play games in a well-lit room where you can’t easily block light through curtains or blinds, OLED as a display format may not be for you. 

Burn-in also continues to be a factor (albeit an easily avoidable one) when it comes to OLEDs. These TVs are vulnerable to permanent image retention if you display the same picture onscreen for long periods of time. The general rule of thumb? If your set shows the same image for two hours or more, your set could be vulnerable to burn-in. Still, if you set a screensaver to kick in whenever you’re away from your PC, you shouldn’t have any problems.

There are also slight issues when it comes to desktop resizing. For some reason, the aspect ratio of our review unit OLED48CX never entirely plays nice with Windows 10. Even when switching to the default 3,840 x 2,160 resolution, the edges of the screen are very slightly cut off. To fix this, I had to set a custom resolution of 3,802 x 2,136 to squeeze in every onscreen pixel. Sure, it’s a small problem, but when you’re paying $1500/£1500 on a 48-inch screen, such issues grate a little. 

HDR color problems also cause a slight headache. Like most 4K TVs, the CX doesn’t support the full RGB color gamut at 4K on Windows 10’s default settings, meaning you have to settle for YCbCr limited at 2160p. This isn’t an issue at 1440p though, so for the best balance between color reproduction, I suggest running your desktop at 2,560 x 1,400. Don’t worry, individual games still run at 4K/60fps HDR, providing they support high dynamic resolution.

The bottom line with the LG OLED48CX? This is the first OLED that can be considered genuinely suitable for a desk. Couple that PC-friendly form factor with the CX’s 4K@120Hz support, and this suddenly becomes the sort of luxurious big screen gaming monitor Nvidia’s Big Format Displays should be having sweaty night terrors over.

The Razer Kishi Is the Smartphone Gamepad I’ve Been Waiting For

Betrayal, frustration, regret. These are just a few of the emotions I felt when I bought my first gamepad for a smartphone, the Logitech Powershell, in 2015. The sales pitch sounded so sensible. You’re already carrying a tiny computer in your pocket all the time, snap that phone into a controller case and you’d have the perfect mobile gaming device, right?

Sadly, the Powershell was a big-time piece of shit, with just a few, stiff buttons, painful ergonomics, and poor software support. In short, I felt burned. A lot can change in five years, though. Taking another look in 2020, I’ve found that today’s mobile gamepads have addressed many of the Powershell’s problems. (Some pretty successfully!) The newest of these is the Razer Kishi, which, while not perfect, gets you closer to turning your phone into a game console than ever before.

Between remote play apps and game-streaming services like Google Stadia and Microsoft xCloud, a good mobile controller now promises more than just greater precision in App Store games. Freed from the limits of onboard processing power, smartphones can play current-gen AAA titles—as long as your internet connection and gamepad are up to the task. Personally, I was just hoping for a controller that could get me through Symphony of the Night and San Andreas for the 1,000th time. I ended up finding something more than that.

In the year 2020

These days, there are basically two options if you want to game on your phone using real buttons instead of simulated, onscreen controls. You can either get a hinged clip that attaches a Playstation-style gamepad to your device or buy a dedicated “telescopic” controller that clamps on either side of it, making your phone look a bit like Frankenstein’s Nintendo Switch. The former, while dirt cheap, is about as finicky as it sounds. The Kishi belongs to the latter category, a space that obscure Chinese brands have quietly dominated in the absence of major manufacturer interest.

The Flydigi Wee 2T is a particularly well-liked example of these strange telescopic gamepads and served as my reference point while assessing the Razer Kishi. At a technical level, the Kishi has a few nice features the Wee 2T doesn’t. The Kishi’s thumbsticks can be clicked in, as on Playstation and Xbox controllers. It also has analog trigger buttons, allowing the gamepad to sense how much they’ve been pushed in. Finally, the Kishi directly plugs into your phone via USB-C or Lightning ports instead of connecting via Bluetooth, meaning no lag or connection issues, no need to charge it separately, and a pass-through port that allows you to plug in your phone while gaming. (Neither controller, sadly, has a headphone jack.)

None of these features matter a whole lot, of course, if the controller sucks to use and hold.

How does it feel?

The first thing I noticed about the Kishi was that it was big, like really big. Clamped on a 6.25-inch LG G8x, the controller measures in at around 10.5 inches by 3.5 inches by 1.6 inches, slightly wider and significantly thicker than a Nintendo Switch. The second thing I noticed was how solid its grip on the phone was. With some creative jury-rigging, I was able to get the Wee 2T to stop bending like a ruler in the throes of simulated combat. Out of the box, the Kishi felt much sturdier, slipping off the phone only when violently shoved into a seat-back pocket.

At the most fundamental level, I’m happy to report that the Kishi did what a controller is supposed to do well. The Kishi’s buttons were more springy than click-y and the analog sticks were precise and responsive with no discernible dead zones. My only real complaint with its build was an ergonomic annoyance. Despite its sizable footprint, the Kishi actually felt a little cramped in my hands. While not crucial for older or slower-paced games, operating the right analog stick was slightly uncomfortable in my natural grip—initially, at least.

On my first night with the Kishi, I struggled to play 2016’s Doom without showing my entire ass to Mars’s demon community. In time, however, I adjusted. A week later, I’d played through half of Far Cry 5’s main campaign on a phone and had stopped noticing the controller much at all.

Oh yeah, about that

“Great, great, sounds good,” I hear you saying, “but what games can you play?” Well, most of them. While few mobile-first games have controller support, most of the console ports, emulators, and game-streaming apps you’d actually want to use with a gamepad support them. In my experience, every app that worked with a Bluetooth controller played nice with the Kishi. Using just emulators and streaming, a decent smartphone paired with a controller like the Kishi can potentially play most console games made before 2000 or after 2013, which is sick.

Whether that experience is actually any fun is dependent on the comfort of your controller, the quality of your connection, and how optimized the game is for a small screen.

Personally, streaming a small selection of games from the cloud wasn’t as enticing as playing the ones I already had in a more mobile fashion. While my girlfriend watched cable or played something else on the TV, I used the Kishi to stream titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 from the Xbox One or PS4 in our home. (Notably, Playstation’s official Remote Play app doesn’t support third-party controllers, but unofficial versions do.) And when I was away from our network, the Kishi was a pleasant way to sink even more hours into old favorites like Metal Gear Solid or Perfect Dark.

And yet…

Still, there were some small annoyances. The same rubber piece that gives the Kishi such a solid grip covered the LG G8x’s proximity sensor, initially posing a bit of a mystery as to why the phone fell asleep so easily and why it was so hard to wake up. Similarly, that tight fit meant I had to remove the phone’s case every time I wanted to connect it. And while having a controller I didn’t need to charge was convenient, I found the Kishi shaved a few extra percentage points off the phone’s battery every hour it was attached, whether it was being used or not. Forget to plug in the passthrough port or detach the controller for a day and you might return to find a dead phone.

Perhaps the greatest limitation was one common to all telescopic gamepads I’m aware of. Because the Kishi covers a phone’s headphone jack and its passthrough port doesn’t support USB-C or Lightning headsets, your main alternative to using your phone’s speakers is Bluetooth headphones. In practice, this results in an audio lag that is slightly disorienting in single-player games but could mean instant death in, say, an online shooter.

And then there’s the price. At $80, the Razer Kishi is significantly more expensive than its closest (weirdo) peers, the $50 Flydigi Wee 2T and $35 Saitake STK-7007F. Frankly, none of these devices feel as well-made as their MSRPs might suggest, but I can say the Kishi is by far the sturdiest.

He was a gamer boy

In the end, whether the Kishi is worth 80 of your hard-earned dollars is a question of how far you’re willing to go to for a gaming experience that still won’t be perfect. Having spent dozens of hours fooling around with the thing, I can happily say, “Yes, I’m a sick freak who is willing to go that far.”

Once I adjusted to the stick placement and had all my apps set up, the Kishi brought me delightfully close to having the everything gaming device I imagined years ago. At home, it was a fun way to putter around newer open-world games while lying in bed. On a plane, it let me play a few hours of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and temporarily forget where I was. Any annoyances I had about the controller’s ergonomics soon faded into the background. I began regarding the Kishi-and-phone combo as a single unit, a kind of turbocharged Game Gear to leave on my nightstand or throw in a bag.

After a few days with the Kishi—which we had taken to calling the “Game Girl” around the house—my girlfriend told me she kind of hated the controller. Why, I asked. “Because you’re so obsessed with it,” she said. She had a point. With little else to do in lockdown, tinkering with software settings to put every game I possibly could on the phone had become a game in itself.