Author

admin

The iPhone Air in hand, with a wallpaper of the beach

My iPhone Air Keeps Dropping Calls, but a Fix Has Finally Arrived

by admin September 30, 2025

The so-called scratchgate fiasco may have drummed up a lot of attention since Apple released its latest iPhones, but I’ve been struggling with a different issue.

Over the last several weeks, my iPhone Air has had trouble placing and receiving calls, and there have been periods in which I’ve completely lost service, even after turning my phone off and on again.

After digging online, it appears others have been experiencing similar problems. Phone Arena pointed to Reddit threads in which iPhone owners cite cell signal issues, regardless of whether they have service with Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile. I transferred my Verizon service from my iPhone 16 Pro Max to the iPhone Air, and only started having issues after doing so.

Watch this: iPhone Air Review: A Joy to Hold, at a Cost

10:06

Just as I was about to resign and switch my service back to my older iPhone, Apple is rolling out an update with iOS 26.0.1 that’s designed to fix the problem. According to the release notes, Apple says this update will fix the fact that “a small number of iPhone users may be unable to connect to a cellular network after updating to iOS 26.”

iOS 26.0.1 should fix cellular network issues, among other problems with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Cole Kan/CNET/Apple

The outages I’ve experienced have been sporadic. One day last week, my friend texted that she was trying to call me, but it wasn’t going through; I had to redial a few times before I could reach her. The same thing happened with a handful of other calls I tried to place. Over the weekend, my mom tried contacting me all day, and was sometimes directed straight to voicemail — as were a couple of other calls. I only became aware of these failed call attempts because someone informed me about them later; there’s no way of knowing exactly how many rings I actually missed.

The most frustrating instance was when I was out shopping with my friend and I lost service for several hours. My phone remained on SOS mode, even after I restarted it, and I had to hunt for in-store Wi-Fi just to text her my exact location so she could find me. (We both have Verizon, and her iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is still running iOS 18, had no issues.)

I asked my CNET colleagues if they’d faced similar problems, and it appears my experience with the iPhone Air was an outlier. My iPhone 17 hasn’t had any issues, nor have Patrick Holland’s iPhone 17 Pro Max or Jeff Carlson’s iPhone 17 Pro.

When I saw iOS 26.0.1 was available, I updated my phone immediately. So hopefully my mom won’t think I’m ignoring her calls anymore.

Source link

September 30, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Black Ops 7 devs unveil “stronger” anti-cheat with aimbot clampdown coming

by admin September 30, 2025

Treyarch have revealed upgrades to their RICOCHET Anti-Cheat system ahead of Black Ops 7, including a crackdown on aimbots and wall hacks.

Cheating is a constant issue in any online shooter, and Call of Duty is no different. In the past, games like Warzone have been plagued by hackers on PC, who often ruin lobbies by using software to see through walls or make themselves impossible to kill.

Measures have been put in place over the years, and Black Ops 7 is cranking them up a notch by forcing PC players to enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot before playing. Now, they’ve revealed even more upgrades to make this year’s CoD as smooth as possible.

Article continues after ad

BO7 anti-cheat gets major upgrades ahead of launch

In a new blog post, Treyarch explained that a “new generation of machine learning systems and detection tools” is coming to Black Ops 7 at launch. These are powered by millions of hours of gameplay from BO6, which helps it identify cheaters.

Article continues after ad

This brings three major upgrades to the anti-cheat system, the first of which is smarter aimbot detection. The devs described it as the “strongest” they’ve ever built, as it should distinguish between natural and artificial aim more consistently.

Article continues after ad

Activision

It’s also set to clamp down on wall hacks with more accurate detection, making it more difficult for those who can see enemies through surfaces to hide it.

The final improvement is what the blog calls a “layered defense,” where multiple different features work together at once. This “makes it harder for cheaters to adapt and easier for us to stay ahead,” and will receive constant updates.

All of these upgrades will go live officially when Black Ops 7 launches on November 14, as well as Warzone.

Article continues after ad

Meanwhile, the beta that gets underway on October 2 will use the older system, but all of the new improvements will be tested in the background so they’re ready to go on day one.

Article continues after ad

Source link

September 30, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

UK Court Convicts Chinese Woman in Largest Crypto Raid

by admin September 30, 2025

A seven-year investigation by the UK’s Metropolitan Police for a multi-billion-pound fraudulent Bitcoin scheme has ended in the conviction of a 47-year-old Chinese woman.

On September 29, at the Southwark Crown Court, Zhimin Qian, a Chinese woman with no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two offenses under the Proceeds of Crime Act (2002). These offenses involve acquiring and possessing criminal property, specifically cryptocurrency.

According to the statement released by the Met Police Department, 61,000 Bitcoin (BTC) were confiscated from Zhimin Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang. This is the single largest cryptocurrency seizure in the world by the Met Police, worth, at this time, more than £5.5 billion.

The investigation started in 2018 after the police got information about the transfer of criminal assets. Zhang first ran a huge scam in China from 2014 to 2017, stealing money from more than 128,000 people and then storing it in Bitcoin assets. She then left China with fake documents and went to the UK. There, in September 2018, she tried to launder the money by buying property with the help of an attacker named Jian Wen.

“Today marks the result of years of painstaking work. When our team located Zhimin Qian, she had been evading justice for five years, and her arrest triggered a complex investigation requiring evidence from multiple jurisdictions and the careful review of thousands of documents,” said Sergeant Isabella Grotto, who led the Met’s investigation. “We are grateful for the support of the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service, and to Chinese law enforcement teams in Tianjin and Beijing with whom we have collaborated throughout.”

Jian Wen was also sent to jail last year for her part in the crime as part of the same investigation led by the Met’s specialist economic crime officers. Met investigators showed that she helped move a cryptocurrency wallet that held 150 BTC. At the time in question, this was worth £1.7 million. In May 2024, Southwark Crown Court gave her a six-year and eight-month prison sentence.

UK becoming a boiling pot for crypto crimes

The UK Police is tightening its grip when it comes to crypto-related crimes. Last month, a scammer posed as a senior UK police officer and stole Bitcoin (BTC) worth approximately $2.8 million. The cyber team of the North Wales police stated that this theft was part of an ongoing trend where scammers target cold wallets of long-term cryptocurrency holders. Earlier this year, the UK police also shared an advisory, urging the public to stay vigilant against rising digital crimes.

Also Read: Citi Adds Token Services to 24/7 USD Clearing System

Source link

September 30, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Sony’s digital-only PS5 now comes with less storage in Europe and isn’t any cheaper to buy

by admin September 30, 2025

Sony has released a revised digital PS5 model in Europe, with less storage and a new matte finish – but the price hasn’t been reduced.

Earlier this month, reliable insider Billbil-Kun reported the digital-only model of the PS5 would receive a downgrade from 1TB of storage to 825GB. This model went on sale in Europe this month – and crucially costs the same (€499) despite less storage.

Now, a new unboxing video on YouTube from Austin Evans confirms the storage downgrade, as well as the use of cheaper parts, based on a new console purchased from Germany.

The New PS5 Slim is WORSEWatch on YouTube

Both the black central casing of the console and the white outer sleeves now come in a matte finish rather than a glossy finish – no more fingerprints!

The newer console is also 100g lighter than the previous slim version – and 1.3kg lighter than the launch model.

As for the SSD, the actual amount of usable storage on the newer model is 667.2GB (compared with 848.0GB of usable space on the previous model). That’s a 27 percent reduction and not a huge amount of space, especially considering this is a digital-only model

Inside, the fan is lighter, plus the motherboard design has been refined and is thinner.

While Evans notes the internal engineering is excellent in maintaining the same power and performance, ultimately the reduced SSD makes this iteration of the console considerably worse.

For Sony, it’s presumably cheaper to make. But that saving has not been passed on to the consumer, considering all PS5 consoles cost more now than ever.

Earlier this year, Sony raised the price of the digital edition in the UK and mainland Europe from £390/€450 to £430/€500. And this was the second price increase, as it originally cost £359.99/€399.99 at launch, meaning the digital edition is €100 more than five years ago.

More recently, the price of all versions of the console went up in the US as the company continues to “navigate a challenging economic environment”. It’s unclear yet if the revised version of the console with storage reduction will be available in the US as in Europe.

Source link

September 30, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Top Terror Teemo has been revealed for 2XKO, and he looks like the most disgusting zoner I’ve seen in years

by admin September 30, 2025

Riot Games has released a gameplay trailer for Teemo, the 10th character coming to 2XKO. This trailer, which introduces the infamous Yordle Scout to the fighting game genre, presents him with a cute and jubilant aesthetic as well as an absolutely rancid moveset.

For those who don’t know, Teemo is a beloved League of Legends champion that was part of that game’s base roster all the way back in 2009. Known for his blow pipe and frustrating shenanigans, he’s been recreated in 2XKO with a lot of his trademark moves and more.

As you can see below, Teemo is coming with a new stage alongside the game’s Early Access launch on the 7th October. This stage in the release schedule for 2XKO will also mark the introduction of the game’s first season as well as the final content reset for the game, meaning anything earned is yours forever.

Check out the 2XKO Teemo trailer here!Watch on YouTube

This trailer shows a fighting game character designed by maniacs. Teemo has various projectiles, a brush you can teleport to, poison and flame effects, mushrooms he can throw out that stick on the screen and provide him ample cover. He can also delay his fall speed to bait out anti-air attacks from his opponent.

One of Teemo’s supers brings out a giant mushroom that bounces whimsily towards his opponent and while being projectile invulnerable, which is nasty work. Oh and he can turn himself invisible too for a short period of time, which is really just the cherry on top of a nightmarish monster of a character.

If all of this sounds negative you’re forgiven for thinking so, but the truth is that this is exactly what Teemo should be like when brought over to a fighting game. To live up to his character in League of Legends where he was first let loose on the world, he needs to strike that balance between cute and utterly infuriating. Anyways, it probably won’t be that hard to play against… Just block, bud.

Source link

September 30, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Solana’s Anatoly Yakovenko Teases Pump.Fun as Major TikTok Rival

by admin September 30, 2025

Anatoly Yakovenko, cofounder of Solana (SOL) Labs, has predicted that Pump.Fun (PUMP) could emerge as a challenger to TikTok. Yakovenko’s prediction comes as a reaction to a post on X made by Laura Shin of Unchained, about the crypto-focused brand now going live on Pump.Fun.

Genesis of Pump.Fun and TikTok comparison

Yakovenko believes that with the growing adoption of Pump.Fun, it might become a major rival to the video content social media platform. “The next social network war is going to be TikTok vs Pump,” he wrote.

The Solana Lab cofounder suggests that Pump.Fun has an edge to compete as it ties in crypto-native features like meme coins, ownership incentives, creator fees and others, altogether on a decentralized platform. This allows creators and communities to directly monetize their content and participate in the space.

However, TikTok is a traditional centralized platform that currently dominates the distribution of social media content. Notably, ads on TikTok go to the platform.

Yakovenko argued that with Pump.Fun’s model, creators receive built-in monetization through tokens and community engagement. He opines that this could give Pump.Fun the leverage to compete head-on with TikTok.

Worth mentioning is that TikTok has over 1.5 billion users globally and continues to grow rapidly as adoption spikes among the younger population. Yakovenko, nonetheless, thinks that decentralized platforms like Pump.Fun could compete by leveraging crypto-native distribution for social platforms.

According to Laura Shin, Unchained on Pump.Fun is strategic for the expansion of their streaming episodes. The entity has also created a meme coin for its brand, and users could decide to trade it. However, Unchained will collect a standard creator fee of approximately 1%.

Unchained considers the move a bold experiment in crypto media and remains optimistic about its prospects. It will be interesting to see how this precedent will evolve in the long term for the crypto media world amid Yakovenko’s positive prediction of the prospects that lie ahead.

Growth, criticism, market performance of Pump.Fun

Pump.Fun, the Solana-based meme coin factory, has been a major highlight in the cryptocurrency industry, with positives and negative trends trailing it.

In April 2025, Vitalik Buterin, the Ethereum founder, criticized Pump.Fun, claiming it was a bad example of a crypto project application. He suggested that the platform does not prioritize ethics.

Despite the criticism, Pump.Fun has continued to gain traction among users in the crypto space. In the last 30 days, the PUMP price has jumped by 58.69% in value, and as of press time, it changes hands at $0.005366. There are predictions that its value could hit $0.01 by the end of 2025.

Source link

September 30, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Visa Pilot Lets Banks Use Stablecoins for Global Payouts

by admin September 30, 2025

Visa has launched a pilot allowing banks and financial institutions to pre-fund cross-border payments using stablecoins.

Announced at SIBOS 2025, the Visa Direct stablecoin pilot enables select partners to use Circle’s USDC (USDC) and EURC (EURC) as pre-funded assets to facilitate near-instant payouts, according to a Tuesday announcement.

“Cross-border payments have been stuck in outdated systems for far too long,” said Chris Newkirk, president of commercial and money movement solutions at Visa.

The goal is to reduce the need for capital to be parked in advance and modernize treasury operations. “Visa Direct’s new stablecoins integration lays the groundwork for money to move instantly across the world, giving businesses more choice in how they pay,” Newkirk added.

Stablecoin market cap stands at over $307 billion. Source: CoinMarketCap

Related: Colombians can soon save in stablecoins with new MoneyGram app

Visa pilot lets banks use stablecoins for global payouts

The pilot is designed for banks, remittance services and financial institutions seeking to optimize liquidity. Instead of tying up fiat currencies across multiple corridors, participants can fund Visa Direct with stablecoins, which Visa treats as cash equivalents for the purpose of initiating payouts.

Stablecoin pre-funding is expected to unlock working capital, reduce exposure to currency volatility and improve predictability in treasury flows, especially during off-hours or weekends when traditional systems are inactive.

Visa says it has settled over $225 million in stablecoin volume to date, though that remains a small fraction of its $16 trillion in annual payments. The pilot is currently limited to partners that meet Visa’s internal criteria, with plans for a broader rollout in 2026.

Cointelegraph reached out to Visa for comment, but had not received a response by publication.

Related: SWIFT declares second sandbox connector tests a success for CBDC and more

Swift to build blockchain for cross-border settlements

Visa’s move to use stablecoins for cross-border payments came a day after Swift announced it was collaborating with Ethereum developer Consensys and over 30 financial institutions to build a blockchain-based settlement platform aimed at enabling 24/7 real-time cross-border payments.

Crypto payment firms have also seen growing attraction. Last week, stablecoin payments startup RedotPay reached unicorn status after raising $47 million in a strategic round led by Coinbase Ventures, with support from Galaxy Ventures and Vertex Ventures.

During the same week, stablecoin infrastructure startup Bastion raised $14.6 million in a round led by Coinbase Ventures, with backing from Sony, Samsung Next, Andreessen Horowitz and Hashed.

Magazine: Bitcoin mining industry ‘going to be dead in 2 years’ — Bit Digital CEO

Source link

September 30, 2025 0 comments

Canon Promo Codes: 10% Off | September 2025

Gaming Gear

30% Off Samsung Promo Code | October 2025

by admin September 30, 2025

Samsung makes everything from smartphones and gaming monitors, to smart TVs and dishwashers. I’m always looking for a sale (I’m assuming you are, too), and I’ve found the best Samsung promo codes and special offers to help you save big on your most important tech purchases. At WIRED, we often review the South Korean company’s products, especially Samsung’s vast lineup of Galaxy smartphones, and I’ve rounded up a bunch of Samsung coupons for (virtually) every type of shopper.

Get 10% Off With Samsung Promo Code and up to $2,100 Off Phones

Right now, Samsung has some of the best deals I’ve ever seen on their best-selling tech, and they’re about to get even better with limited-time trade-in credits, a special offer program, and bundle deals. Right now, you can get a Samsung promo code for 10% off TVs—all you have to do is register for their email newsletter. The offer is sent to your inbox and is valid through September 30.

Shop Samsung’s best coupons and offers to score major discounts (sometimes up to $2,100) on smartphones, laptops, tablets, TVs, and their latest releases. And when you buy products together that you already need, you can save a ton. This includes up to 54% select Galaxy Buds, watches and tablets when you order select products, like the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

If you’re in the market for a new Samsung phone, you can get a new Galaxy Z Fold7 for $10 less with a trade-in. Feeling nostalgic? The new spin on an old classic, the Galaxy Z Flip7 is $150 off or up to $700 off with trade-in.

Or maybe you want one of the Galaxy S25 Ultra models. Get $200 off a Galaxy S25 Ultra, you’ll get up to $940 off with instant trade-in credits, and a storage upgrade for a limited time.

Unlock a 30% Off Samsung Promo Code With Offer Programs, Plus a $100 Referral Code

One of the hottest Samsung promo codes is a whopping 30% discount for government employees, first responders, military personnel, and educators. Samsung also has offer programs, meaning you can combine your promo code discount with most other offers to increase discounts. Get a pal involved for more savings—when a friend uses your referral code to make a purchase at Samsung.com, they’ll get 5% off their purchase (up to $250 off) and you’ll get up to $100 off per order (with the potential to save $1,000 per calendar year). My insider tip is to sign up for a Samsung Rewards account and download the mobile app for even more perks, including exclusive Samsung coupons, flash sales, and updates on the newest products, like the QLED 8K, select refrigerators, and other home appliances.

Save up to 35% on These Trending Samsung TV Deals

Along with other great tech, Samsung has some seriously nice TVs. The Samsung Frame TV has been trending this year for its stylish ability to blend into your home’s decor. Plus it just feels more elevated than a regular ol’ TV and mount. Some other trending TVs this Summer have been the Q60D, S90C, and the S95D models–not only do they have instant discounts of over up to 35% ($2,100 off). Plus, there are tons of TV and home theater deals at Samsung, including a bundle offer for $7500 off when you buy a Neo QLED 4K TV with a Dolby ATMOS soundbar. If you’re in the market for a new TV, it’s worth checking out Neo QLED AI Smart TVs to score 1 year of ESPN for free (worth $299).

You can also take advantage of their Trade-In Recycling Program for up to $200 off when you trade in your old TV—any brand, any size. When your new one is delivered, Samsung will handle recycling the old one, so you can enjoy your upgrade.

$169 Off With Samsung Promo Code or a $400 Gift Card on Appliances

Although here at WIRED we mostly cover Samsung’s traditional AV tech, they also make top-of-the-line kitchen and home appliances. During the Buy More Save More Event (through December 4), you can get up to 40% off high-tech Samsung kitchen appliances along with free 3-day rush shipping. When you buy any two qualifying Samsung Appliances, you’ll receive a $100 Samsung Prepaid Mastercard; if you buy three qualifying Samsung Appliances, you’ll receive a $300 Samsung Prepaid Mastercard; and when you purchase four or more appliances, you’ll get a Samsung Prepaid Mastercard for $400.

In addition to Buy More Save More discounts, other eye-catching deals include an extra $600 off a top freezer refrigerator when you buy a Bespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator with AI Family Hub + AI Vision, and $1,100 off the Bespoke 4-Door French Door Refrigerator with Beverage Center. Special offers also include free installation service, plus Samsung will haul away your old appliances and recycle them, while you get a $50 energy rebate. This futuristic fridge is basically also an iPad, with an AI Family Hub with the large screen and changeable door panels. Plus, there’s AI Vision inside, so you always know what’s inside (and what you need to buy at the store). And the Beverage Center has an internal dispenser or a built-in AutoFill Water Pitcher to get cold, crisp water whenever you want it, whichever way you want.

You can save an extra $170 with code SAVE169 at checkout, plus you’ll get $50 in Samsung Rewards (equal to 10,000 bonus points) with your purchase. And right now, you can get $1,000 off a Bespoke Smart Slide-In Electric Range. This range is straight from a The Jetsons fantasy, with an AI Home LCD display, which is pretty much a kitchen robot helper that gives you personalized recipe recommendations, the ability to search for and follow video recipes, and access your favorite apps so you can see who’s at your door through your video doorbell, and more. There’s also a Smart Oven Camera inside, meaning you can check on meals as they cook from anywhere and even share time-lapse videos to show off your skills.

Stay up to Date on all Things Samsung at WIRED

WIRED also has guides to help determine which Galaxy S24 phone is best for you and how to set up your Samsung Galaxy S25 to ensure you’re getting the most out of its features, as well as advice on which Galaxy S24 series accessories, like cases, chargers, and power banks, are worth the money.

Us nerds here at WIRED also follow CES (sort of the Coachella for tech nerds) for all the updates on tech (almost) no one asked for, and Samsung’s bi-annual Galaxy Unpacked event, where they show off its newest toys. We have a lot of opinions about Samsung’s foldable Galaxy Z Flip6 and Z Fold6 phones. We are also patiently awaiting new releases of Galaxy Tab tablets, a new line of Galaxy Buds Pro 3 wireless earbuds, and a new series of the Galaxy Watch, with a new design and improved sensors for health

Source link

September 30, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Solana, XRP, Cardano: SEC’s 19b-4 Withdrawals Revealed

by admin September 30, 2025

Breaking anticipations
State of XRP

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) website has disclosed the withdrawal of 19b-4 filings for a number of anticipated exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for cryptocurrencies. Projects related to Solana, XRP, Cardano, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Polkadot, Hedera and even Ethereum staking ETFs under generic listing standards are among those impacted. The withdrawal of these filings essentially puts a stop to what many had thought would be the next stage in the growth of crypto ETFs.

Breaking anticipations

It was always anticipated that the path forward for products focused on altcoins would be more challenging, even though Bitcoin spot ETFs were approved earlier this year. Regarding smaller or more volatile digital assets, regulators have frequently voiced concerns about investor protection, market surveillance and liquidity. The ruling suggests to investors that altcoin ETFs might not be a reality just yet.

ETF applications continue to be complicated by the regulatory ambiguity surrounding whether specific tokens are subject to securities law. In contrast to Ethereum and Bitcoin, which have been treated more clearly in the U.S., the legal status of assets like XRP and Solana is still unclear due to regulatory discussions. Short-term institutional inflows into these altcoins may be slowed by this development.

State of XRP

Exposure to assets like XRP or ADA is still restricted to direct spot trading or more intricate derivatives in the absence of ETF vehicles. For traditional investors who depend on regulated ETF products for allocation, this limits accessibility.

XRP/USDT Chart by TradingView

Despite the news, XRP’s price performance demonstrates cautious optimism. Currently trading at $2.17, the token is trying to hold above its 100-day EMA and break above a descending trendline. Technically, a sustained move above $3.00 would be noteworthy, but the low volume indicates that traders are holding out for more powerful catalysts.

All things considered, the SEC’s decision to withdraw these 19b-4 filings highlights the difficulty altcoin ETFs encounter in the United States. Bitcoin and Ethereum will be the main beneficiaries of institutional ETF adoption until regulatory clarity improves, which will limit altcoin exposure.

Source link

September 30, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Xbox Ally X’s Are Selling For Stupid Amounts On eBay

by admin September 30, 2025

Microsoft and Asus’ collaborative handheld Xbox device is arriving on October 16, 2025, with pre-orders available at various outlets right now. And as things go on the internet, eBay listings promising confirmed pre-orders are now going for two to three times the retail price –which is pretty ridiculous when the top-tier model of this handheld is already a thousand bucks.

Read More: Xbox’s Handheld Finally Has A Price, And It Costs More Than An Xbox

The ROG Xbox Ally X is an Xbox-skinned portable PC much like the Steam Deck or Asus’ own non-Xbox-branded “Ally.” These devices have become quite popular in recent years because, well, they’re usually pretty awesome. With the ability to carry around massive storefronts like Steam on the go, and enough horsepower to run graphical powerhouses like Cyberpunk 2077, it’s no wonder Microsoft wanted to get in on the action with a more Xbox-themed offering. The only problem is that the hardware manufacturer and game publisher is asking folks to spend $600 on the basic model, and a full four-digit $1,000 for the top-tier model featuring a more powerful processor. And yet, some eBayers think folks will spend even more than that even though it hasn’t sold out elsewhere. Wild.

Who’s buying this thing anyway?

The ROG Xbox Ally X (which is the more powerful of the two models) is technically more powerful than some of its competitors. It features a new AMD Z2E AI Chip. Is it a generational leap? Certainly not enough to prompt Valve to base a Steam Deck successor on it.

Read More: Microsoft Reveals The First $800 Xbox With Another Round Of Price Hikes

Still, the improved performance of the Z2E is worth noting, with around a 10 to 20-percent performance improvement over TKTK, and sometimes a bit more, under certain circumstances. That improvement, however, comes at a cost, namely about $500 more than what you’d pay for a Steam Deck, and $100 more than Asus’ excellent ROG Ally X, which is not the Xbox-branded one. (No, you’re not dumb, this naming convention is.)

So, that really just leaves the controller-based Xbox user interface, which reduces the overall processing power Windows takes up and is more gamepad-friendly, and the unique controller grips. And even then, folks have found a way to get the new Xbox game launcher working on regular, non-Xbox-branded Ally portable PCs, and, to be honest, while I haven’t held a ROG Xbox Ally, it’s gonna be hard to compete with the Steam Deck’s excellent ergonomics.

Read More: The Biggest Reason To Buy The Xbox Ally Handheld Just Leaked

At $1,000 for the top-tier Xbox handheld, it’s hard to see a compelling reason to upgrade if you already have a Steam Deck, and certainly not if you have a more powerful handheld than that. Who, then, is gonna get suckered into spending twice that for an eBay pre-order? Hopefully not you!

Source link

September 30, 2025 0 comments