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Don't Skip The Switch 2 System Transfer During Setup
Game Reviews

Don’t Skip The Switch 2 System Transfer During Setup

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Image: Nintendo

If you’re buying a Switch 2 you probably have a Switch 1. That means you’ll likely want to transfer all of your system data from the old console to the new one. But maybe you’re really excited to finally have the Switch 2 and just want to get right to playing Mario Kart World, so you skip the system transfer and leave it until later. Don’t! Nintendo only gives you once chance to move everything over.

Nintendo Switch 2 Could Launch With Almost No Reviews

Some unlucky fans, including those at the SwitchForce YouTube channel, found this out the hard way. After declining the system transfer during the Switch 2’s initial setup they tried to go back later and found that it was no longer an option. In fact, the only way to go back and transfer everything from an old Switch is to do a complete factory reset on the new Switch 2. While some data might stay backed up in the cloud with a Switch Online subscription, everything else—your download library, screenshots, etc.—will get wiped out.

What does a Switch 2 system transfer do?

If you’ve logged hundreds of hours on your existing Switch you’ve probably racked up tons of photo mode and video captures, save data, and game downloads. The system transfer from Switch 1 to Switch 2 carries all of that over in as painless a way as possible. It’ll even move your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island, a save file that previously relied on an outside app to shift from one console to another since it doesn’t support cloud backups.

The system transfer is easy. Once prompted during the Switch 2 startup, all you have to do is make sure your other Switch is nearby and both consoles are connected to the internet. From there the prompts will guide you through the rest of the simple process which requires both consoles to be plugged in and takes about 5-10 minutes to complete. Once it’s finished, everything on your Switch 2 will look as it did on your old Switch, down to the games that appear on the home menu and in what order.

It’s all pretty smooth, but only if you commit to the process upfront, something that, understandably, not everyone will want to do when they’re hyped to finally dig into a new console and see what it’s all about. Of course, if you don’t want to carry all of your stuff over from the original hardware, that’s fine too. Cloud saves (with a Switch Online subscription) will still be accessible, as well as any other data that’s stored on Nintendo’s servers rather than in the game itself. And honestly, I kind of get the appeal of starting over from scratch with a clean slate. Looking back, that was one of my favorite parts of the original Switch’s launch period.

Just make that decision for yourself before Nintendo’s system setup restrictions make it for you.

.



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I still don't miss E3
Product Reviews

I still don’t miss E3

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Welcome to Video Games Weekly on Engadget. Expect a new story every Monday, broken into two parts. The first is a space for short essays and ramblings about video game trends and related topics from me, a reporter who’s covered the industry for more than 13 years. The second contains the video game stories from the past week that you need to know about, including some headlines from outside of Engadget.

Please enjoy — and I’ll see you next week.

It’s the week of Summer Game Fest, so I’m mentally wrapped up in a complex web of embargoes, meetings, schedules and cryptic invites, and I can already smell the plasticky, sanitized air that accompanies video game conventions of all sizes. Mmm, smells like pixels.

This will be my third SGF and I’m looking forward to it, as usual. I appreciate the event’s focus on independent projects, diverse creators and smaller-scale publishers, particularly with shows like Day of the Devs, Wholesome Direct, Women-Led Games, and the Latin American and Southeast Asian games showcases. I deeply believe that innovation in the industry stems from these untethered, experimental spaces, and SGF has consistently provided room for these types of experiences to shine.

I appreciate SGF even more after spending seven years wandering the cavernous halls of the Los Angeles Convention Center, covering the Electronic Entertainment Expo. E3 was exciting in its own right and I feel privileged to have attended it so many times, but it was also a soulless kind of show. E3 was unwelcoming to independent creators and packed with corporate swag, and by the time Sony decided to stop attending in 2019, it felt like an expensive, out-of-touch misrepresentation of the video game industry as a whole. The best parts of E3 in its final years were the unaffiliated events hosted by Devolver Digital, which took place in a nearby parking lot packed with Airstream trailers, food trucks and fabulous, up-and-coming indie games. It felt a lot like SGF, in fact.

I wrote about this phenomenon in 2018, in a story that questioned whether the video game industry needed E3 at all. Perhaps because I’m a witch but mostly due to the pandemic, E3 shut down in 2020 and it never re-emerged as an in-person show. The Entertainment Software Association hosted one virtual session in 2021, but nothing afterward, and E3 was officially declared dead in December 2023. Meanwhile, the video game market has continued to grow, driven by a maturing indie segment, mobile play and harsh crunch-layoff cycles at the AAA level.

Now, the ESA is back with a new video game showcase called iicon, the Interactive Innovation Conference, heading to Las Vegas in April 2026. The industry’s biggest names are involved, including Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Epic Games, Electronic Arts, Disney, Amazon and Take-Two Interactive, and the show is poised to be “a space for visionaries across industries to come together,” according to ESA president Stanley Pierre-Louis. E3 2.0 has arrived, and it seems to be as AAA-focused as ever. For what it’s worth, Summer Game Fest has its own version of a AAA thought-leader summit this year with The Game Business Live.

Meanwhile, the ESA has remained silent — even when directly asked — as some of the industry’s most influential companies roll back their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, at a time when women, POC and LGBT+ employees are enduring active existential threats. And during Pride Month, no less.

All of this is to say, I’m stoked for Summer Game Fest this year. It all kicks off with a live show on Friday, June 6, and we have a rundown of the full schedule right here. We’ll be publishing hands-on previews, developer interviews and news directly from SGF over the weekend and beyond, so stay tuned to Engadget’s Gaming hub.

Playtonic, the studio behind Yooka-Laylee, has laid off an undisclosed number of employees across multiple departments, including production, art, game design, narrative design and UI/UX. In a message shared on X, the studio’s leaders said, “This isn’t simply a difficult moment, it’s a period of profound change in how games are created and financed. The landscape is shifting, and with it, so must we.” Playtonic’s latest game, Yooka-Replaylee, is due to come out this year. Though Playtonic is a small, privately owned company (with a minority investment from Tencent), the timing of the layoffs fits the established playbook of many AAA studios, which operate with periods of crunch and bulk layoffs baked into their business plans.

Electronic Arts revealed its plans to make a single-player, third-person Black Panther game back in 2023 as part of a broader Marvel push at the studio, but apparently, things have changed. EA canceled its Black Panther project and closed the studio that was building it, Cliffhanger Games. EA Motive, the team behind the stellar Dead Space remake, is still working on an Iron Man game, as far as we know.

Any time I can gas up Rollerdrome or OlliOlli World, I’m going to do it. After being delisted from Steam more than a year ago, Rollerdrome and OlliOlli World have returned to the storefront to fulfill all of your flow-state needs. Both games come from Roll7, a London-based studio that Take-Two purchased in November 2021 and shut down in May 2024, removing Rollerdrome and Olli Olli World from Steam in the process.

Have we convinced you to get a Playdate yet? Whatever your answer, Playdate Season 2 is live right now, adding two new games to the crank-powered system each week until July 3. Engadget’s resident Playdate expert Cheyenne Macdonald has a review of the initial batch, which includes Fulcrum Defender from Subset Games, Dig! Dig! Dino! from Dom2D and Fáyer, and Blippo+, a fever dream masquerading as a video game. And while you’re in this headspace, check out Igor Bonifacic’s enlightening interview with Subset Games co-founder Jay Ma.

Three former Ubisoft executives appeared in French court on June 2, accused by multiple employees at the studio of sexual harassment, bullying and, in one defendant’s case, attempted sexual assault. The lawsuit alleges Serge Hascoët, Tommy François and Guillaume Patrux regularly engaged in misconduct and fostered a toxic culture at Ubisoft, and it follows a public reckoning at the studio in 2020, plus arrests in 2023.

Nintendo’s Switch 2 officially comes out this week, on June 5. We’ll have a review of the new console as soon as we can, but in the meantime you can find all of the information you need regarding pre-orders in our handy guide.



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21 Gifts for Dads Who Don't Need Anything (2025)
Product Reviews

21 Gifts for Dads Who Don’t Need Anything (2025)

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Fjällräven’s hiking pants—er, sorry, trousers—are legendary, and having now spent most of spring in a pair of these Abisko Trail trousers, I understand why. If Dad is a hiker, or spends any time at all outdoors, these are a great gift.

They’re light but surprisingly warm and especially good at blocking the wind. The G-1000 Lite Stretch recycled fabric gives you nice, stretchy freedom of movement, and having had Lyme disease already, the ability to cinch down the leg cuffs and keep things out is invaluable. (I’ve also put a good bit of repellent on the fabric with no staining or other damage.) I also like that the G-1000 can be waxed to refurbish the waterproofness (though I haven’t had to do this yet).

If you want to go the shorts route, try these Kuhl Silencr Kargo Shorts ($79). They’re “stealth” cargo shorts in that they have a lot of pockets, but they don’t look like it. No need to make Dad back into the ’90s grunge rocker he once was if you don’t have to. —Scott Gilbertson



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Shuhei Yoshida warns of the dangers of subscription services for video game developers, as I stare soullessly at the five monthly bank charges for games I don't play
Game Updates

Shuhei Yoshida warns of the dangers of subscription services for video game developers, as I stare soullessly at the five monthly bank charges for games I don’t play

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Speaking to Game Developer, former head of Sony Interactive Entertainment Shuhei Yoshida has outlined his concern regarding video game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, especially their potential impact on third party and indie developers alike.

According to Game Developer, who spoke to Yoshida at Gamescom LATAM, he stated that it was “great” for those developers allowed inside what the website called the walled garden, but mused that as these services inevitably expand, it’ll be harder for those outside this in-group to cross over.

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Yoshida stated, “If the only way for people to play games is through subscriptions that’s really dangerous, because what [type] of games can be created will be dictated by the owner of the subscription services […] That’s really, really risky because there always must always be fresh new ideas tried by small developers that create the next wave of development. But if the big companies dictate what games can be created, I don’t think that will advance the industry.”

Yoshida, obviously a tad biased as a former senior member of Team Sony, would go on to say that PlayStation’s approach was “healthier” than what you see on Xbox. This relates to Microsoft’s initial pledge to offer AAA releases day-one on Game Pass, something the company now no longer does for all its biggest releases.

Yoshida continued: “I believe the way Sony approached [subscriptions] is healthier. You know, not to overpromise and to allow people to spend money to buy the new games […] After a couple of years there won’t be many people willing to buy those games at that initial price, so they’ll be added to the subscription service and there’ll be more people to try [those products] in time for the next game in the franchise to come out.”

Speaking purely from my own personal perspective, I do feel that the growth of video game subscription services like Game Pass and PlayStation Plus has devalued big AAA when they come out, especially as the price of those games has increased significantly as of late. I can totally see how a regular consumer would just grab Game Pass and not buy any games full price, which adds merit to Yoshida’s point as this new group of non-buyers wouldn’t be spending on both big AAA releases and third party games outside of these services.

It’s an interesting topic for sure, let us know whether you feel Shuhei Yoshida is on the money down below!



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cyberpunk 2077
Product Reviews

Cyberpunk 2, which is now officially called Cyberpunk 2, has entered pre-production, but don’t expect it out before 2030

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Sound the “it’s happening” klaxon, folks, because it’s happening: CD Projekt announced today that Cyberpunk 2—which, by the way, the studio is now calling Cyberpunk 2 instead of Project Orion—is now in the “pre-production phase” of development.

It’s not the biggest surprise of the year—we’ve known since 2023 that a new Cyberpunk game is in the works from a new Boston branch of CDPR, after all—and “pre-production” is still very early on in the process. Even so, CD Projekt chief financial officer Piotr Nielubowicz said it’s a pretty big deal during today’s earnings highlights presentation.

[PL/EN] Grupa CD PROJEKT – wyniki finansowe za I kwartał 2025 r. | KOMENTARZ – YouTube

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“The Phantom Liberty expansion has reached another sales milestone, having been purchased by 10 million gamers,” Nielubowicz said. “This is an excellent result, given that only 20 months have passed since its release, and it confirms sustained interest in the Cyberpunk universe on the part of the gaming community.


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“Given these developments, it fills me with even greater satisfaction to announce another important stage in our work on the next big game in this franchise: Several weeks ago, Cyberpunk 2—previously referred to as Project Orion—wrapped up its conceptual phase and entered pre-production. Congratulations to the entire team!”

(Image credit: CD Projekt)

CD Projekt’s focus is still firmly on The Witcher 4, which entered “full-scale production” in late 2024, but Cyberpunk 2 will see a boost throughout 2025: During an investors call, CD Projekt joint CEO Michał Nowakowski said the Cyberpunk 2 development team “will be our primary recruitment focus” for 2025.

(Image credit: CD Projekt)

As for what this means as far as a possible release date, the short answer is that Cyberpunk 2 remains a very long way off. In response to a speculative question suggesting that previous development timelines from pre-production to full release puts the Cyberpunk 2 release in late 2030 or early 2031, Nowakowski did not disagree.

“I can reiterate in a way what I said in one of the previous calls, which was basically that our journey from pre-production to final release takes four to five years on average,” Nowakowski said. “Having said that, keep in mind that each project is unique, and there are many variables that influence the final outcome. So I will not lead you into specific years, but yes, this is pretty much how it looks.”



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iphone16e
Gaming Gear

I Tested the $599 iPhone 16E and Was Surprised by All the Features You Don’t Get

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When I reviewed the iPhone 16E I was charmed by its simplicity and frustrated by its $599 price. The phone is $200 less than the iPhone 16 but $100 more than rivals like the $499 Pixel 9A (and Google’s cheap phone comes with two rear cameras).

The iPhone 16E has many of the iPhone 16’s best features, like an A18 chip, a 48-megapixel main camera, iOS 18, Apple Intelligence and access to Apple services like Facetime, iMessage and Emergency SOS via Satellite. What more could you want, right?

Well, as with other affordable phones, compromises were made to get to that lower price. These omissions tell you a lot about what Apple values — like Apple Intelligence, for example. I’ve reviewed more budget phones than I can count, and the best ones always offer far more than just their low sticker price. It’s a pleasant surprise when a company like Motorola, OnePlus or Google nails the balance of what to keep and what to omit.

Let’s take a look at the features you don’t get on the iPhone 16E. And just because this Apple phone lacks a feature doesn’t make it bad… unless it’s a feature you want.

Watch this: iPhone 16E Review

07:20

MagSafe and Qi2

MagSafe has become a popular aspect of being an iPhone owner, and it’s wild that the iPhone 16E doesn’t have it. MagSafe debuted in 2020 on the iPhone 12 and uses magnets inside the phone to help it wirelessly charge by ensuring it’s in the optimum position. The magnets have an added benefit because they let you attach magnetic accessories to your iPhone, like a wallet or battery pack, as well as secure your phone to mounts, like one in a car.

The iPhone 16’s MagSafe supports 25-watt wireless charging speeds. But the iPhone 16E only supports 7.5W wireless charging, the original Qi standard — not even Qi2 speeds of 15W.

Ultrawide, macro camera

Apple/Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET

The iPhone 16E has something of a rarity in 2025: a single rear camera. But as I’ve said before, in other stories and reviews, I’d rather have one really good camera than the two or three mediocre ones that can often be found on sub-$300 phones. The 16E’s main camera has a 48-megapixel sensor, which has enough resolution for sensor cropping to offer a 2x magnification — not quite the same as having a second camera, but close.

Sensor cropping can’t replace having a dedicated ultrawide camera, which on the iPhone 16 doubles as a macro camera, letting you focus on close-up subjects, like for food photos.

3 grams

The iPhone 16E weighs 167 grams, making it 3 grams lighter than the 170-gram iPhone 16. Hey, not all omissions are bad.

Dynamic Island

The iPhone 16E has a screen notch.

Apple/CNET

The iPhone 16E brings back the screen notch, a cutout at the top of the screen that houses the phone’s selfie camera and FaceID technology. But it lacks the Dynamic Island cutout, which is a smaller, oval-shaped hole at the top of the display on the iPhone 16. Apple uses the screen space around the Dynamic Island cutout to show system alerts as well as background tasks, like when music is playing. Obviously the 16E’s lack of a Dynamic Island won’t prevent it from showing alerts, but it’s still missing out on a clever software interface.

Qualcomm 5G modem and mmWave

The C1 modem is Apple’s first in-house 5G modem.

Apple/Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET

In its launch video, Apple proudly pointed out that the iPhone 16E has an in-house designed 5G modem called C1. The new Apple modem forgoes the Qualcomm 5G modems used in other iPhone models. Designing its own modem allows Apple to tailor the device for its phones. The new modem helps extend the iPhone 16E’s battery life, which Apple says is longer than it is with other iPhone 16 models.

But the C1 modem has one wrinkle: It doesn’t support 5G mmWave (or ultra-wideband), which is the very fast flavor of 5G that you might experience in parts of some cities or at a stadium for an event.

Color options

The iPhone 16E comes in black or white.

Apple/CNET

When the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus launched, one of the best aspects was that they came in colors like ultramarine, teal and pink. The iPhone 16E comes in only black or white.

Five GPU cores

One of the iPhone 16E’s biggest features is that, like the iPhone 16, it has the A18 chip and can run Apple Intelligence. But the chip isn’t exactly the same. The iPhone 16’s A18 chip has five GPU cores, while the 16E’s has only four. So, what does that mean exactly? Well, the good news is that the difference doesn’t have a noticeable effect on daily use with the iPhone 16E. But if you’re someone who plays graphics-intensive games for hours on end, the iPhone 16 could have a slight edge.

Camera Control button

Here’s the pop-up menu (top right) that appears as you’re using the Camera Control button on the iPhone 16.

Marc Ganley/CNET

Apple’s omission of the Camera Control button, which also triggers Visual Intelligence searches, makes sense, since the 16E has only a single camera. Those people who are likely to use a Camera Control button are probably going to get an iPhone 16 or 16 Pro, because those models have more cameras. Apple also smartly enabled the 16E’s Action button to start a Visual Intelligence search.

Ultra-wideband, Wi-Fi 7 and Thread

The iPhone 16E lacks Apple’s ultra-wideband chip, meaning you won’t be able to use the Precision Tracking feature in Find My for AirTags. The phone supports Wi-Fi 6 but not the newer 6E or 7 standards. Wi-Fi 6 speeds are good, but as more Wi-Fi 7 routers come out, the 16E won’t be able to take advantage of faster peak speeds. The 16E also lacks support for Thread radio and won’t be able to directly connect to some smart home devices with a built-in Thread border router.

Action, Cinematic and Spatial video modes

The iPhone 16E’s Camera app doesn’t have:

  • Action mode for stabilizing video recordings with lots of camera shake
  • Cinematic mode for recording videos with a faux shallow depth of field
  • Spatial mode for recording “3D” videos for the Vision Pro, which needs two cameras

Other odds and ends

The iPhone 16E has Photographic Styles, but not the newer ones that debuted on the iPhone 16 series. The 16E can take Portrait mode photos, but it lacks the ability to change focus after the fact like on the iPhone 16. The 16E’s display is covered with Ceramic Shield, but not the newer, more durable version that’s on the iPhone 16.

Though this list of omissions is long, that doesn’t mean the iPhone 16E is a bad phone. I look forward to getting my hands on one and testing it soon.

Apple iPhone 16E Specs vs. iPhone 16, iPhone SE (2022), iPhone 15

Apple iPhone 16EiPhone 16iPhone SE (2022)iPhone 15Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate 6.1-inch OLED display; 2,532×1,170 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate6.1-inch OLED display; 2,556×1,179 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate4.7-inch LCD; 1,334×750 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate6.1-inch OLED; 2,556×1,179 pixels; 60hz refresh ratePixel density 460ppi460ppi326ppi460ppiDimensions (inches) 5.78×2.82×0.315.81×2.82×0.315.45×2.65×0.292.82×5.81×0.31Dimensions (millimeters) 146.7×71.5×7.8147.6×71.6×7.8138.4×67.3×7.371.6×147.6×7.8Weight 167 grams (5.88 ounces)170g (6oz)144g (5.09oz)171g (6.02oz)Mobile software iOS 18iOS 18iOS 15iOS 17Camera 48 megapixel (wide)48 megapixel (wide), 12 megapixel (ultrawide)12 megapixel (wide)48 megapixel (wide), 12 megapixel (ultrawide)Front-facing camera 12 megapixel12 megapixel7 megapixel12 megapixelVideo capture 4K4K4K4KProcessor Apple A18Apple A18Apple A15 BionicApple A16 BionicRAM/storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB128GB, 256GB, 512GB64GB, 128GB, 256GB128GB, 256GB, 512GBExpandable storage NoneNoneNoneNoneBattery Up to 26 hours video playback, 21 hours streamed video playback, 90 hours of audio playback. 20W wired charging, 7.5W Qi wireless chargingUp to 22 hours video playback; up to 18 hours video playback (streamed). 20W wired charging. MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher; Qi2 up to 15WBattery size not disclosed (charger not included; supports wireless charging)Undisclosed; Apple says up to 20 hours of video playback (16 hours streamed)Fingerprint sensor None (Face ID)None (Face ID)Home buttonNone (Face ID)Connector USB-CUSB-CLightningUSB-CHeadphone jack NoneNoneNoneNoneSpecial features Action button, Apple C1 5G modem, Apple Intelligence, Ceramic Shield, Emergency SOS, satellite connectivity, IP68 resistanceApple Intelligence, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 nits display brightness range, IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, pink, teal, ultramarine.5G-enabled; supports 25W wired fast charging; Water resistant (IP67); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless chargingDynamic Island; 5G (mmw/Sub6); MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; eSIM; satellite connectivityUS price starts at $599 (128GB), $699 (256GB), $899 (512GB)$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)$399 (64GB), $449 (128GB), $549 (256GB)$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)UK price starts at £599 (128GB), £699 (256GB), £899 (512GB)£799 (128GB), £899 (256GB), £1,099 (512GB)£419 (64GB), £469 (128GB), £569 (256GB)£799 (128GB), £899 (256GB), £1,099 (512GB)Australia price starts at AU$999 (128GB), AU$1,199 (256GB), AU$1,549 (512GB)AU$1,399 (128GB), AU$1,599 (256GB), AU$1,949 (512GB)AU$749 (64GB), AU$829 (128GB), AU$999 (256GB)AU$1,499 (128GB), AU$1,699 (256GB), AU$2,049 (512GB)



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Thrustmaster T128 on desk with pink background
Product Reviews

Thrustmaster T128 review: a very capable wheel for the price, but don’t expect a premium design

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Why you can trust TechRadar


We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Thrustmaster T128: One-minute review

The Thrustmaster T128 is a budget racing wheel designed for those after a beginner-friendly experience. Its looks are fairly underwhelming, with its outdated gamer stylings failing to make a great impression. The wheel itself is quite small and has a thin rim, which will suit some hands more than others.

In terms of premium design, the T128 falls short of what some rivals have to offer. While it’s certainly not flimsy, it’s hardly a premium feeling unit, with cost-saving materials employed all over.

It is at least quite light and small, which helps make installation and setup easier compared to some of the best racing wheels. I also found the clamping mechanism much better than those used on other Thrustmaster wheels I’ve tried.


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However, installation is hampered somewhat by the awkward placement of the ports, which are inaccessible when the wheel base is clamped down. This means any time you want to remove or reconnect the various cables, you’ll have to uninstall the wheel altogether, which is inconvenient.

What’s more, the T128 won’t install on certain dedicated stands, such as the GT Omega Apex I have, since there are no screw holes for fixing the wheel base directly to it.

Once installed, though, the T128 is quick to get going. For Xbox users, it’s a simple case of plug-and-play, although firmware updates do require a PC tool. There’s also a tool for making force feedback and other tweaks, with a generous selection of parameters considering the budget nature of the T128.

The T128 is even better in action. I was pleasantly surprised by just how responsive and connected it feels, making it joy to race with. The force feedback settings, as with other Thrustmaster wheels I’ve tried, are too strong on their highest settings for my liking, although here it’s perhaps a little weaker than usual.

The T2PM pedals are nice and light, which makes them easy to use, although the brake pedal lacks resistance, which can make it difficult to gauge how hard you’re pressing it. It’s still usable enough, though, and I didn’t have an issue with the relatively cramped layout of the pedals either.

All things considered, the T128 offers plenty of fun for the money, undercutting many other wheels and even outperforming some of Thrustmaster’s more expensive offerings. It might not have a standout design, but there aren’t too many wheels at this price that offer such a good time.

(Image credit: Future)

Thrustmaster T128 review: Price and availability

  • $‌199.99 / £149.99 (about AU$312)
  • Available now
  • Cheaper than many rivals

The T128 costs $‌199.99 / £149.99 (around AU$312) and is available now. A PlayStation compatible edition is also available. This makes the T128 one of the cheapest in Thrustmaster’s line-up, and one of the best Xbox racing wheels for those on a budget. I was more impressed with it than the T300RS, for instance, which is considerably more expensive yet underperforms by comparison, although its design is more premium.

If you’re looking for another great value racing wheel, the Logitech G920 is another very capable option. It’s still considerably more expensive than the T128, but the build quality is far superior, and the performance is excellent in all aspects.

Thrustmaster T128 review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Price

$‌199.99 / £149.99 (about AU$312)

Weight

9lbs / 5kg

Peak torque

2Nm

Features

Handbrake buttons, 4 engine speed display RPM LEDs

Connection type

USB-A

Compatibility

Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC

Software

Thrustmaster Control Panel

Thrustmaster T128 review: Design and features

  • Cheap but functional
  • Light and easy to install
  • Software tool more advanced than it looks

The T128 doesn’t make a great first impression. Its material feels cheap, and the styling is quite outdated, with a few touches that pander to the gaming crowd, harking back to a bygone era.

The wheel itself is small and the rim quite thin, which would make it ideal for younger players and those with smaller hands. As a whole, the unit is also very light, which makes it easy to install and move around, and yet it feels surprisingly sturdy at the same time.

It’s a similar story with the T2PM pedal set, which is also very light and small, meaning the layout might be a little too cramped for some. However, it managed to stay planted on the carpeted surface I used it on, and appears more durable than you might expect.

One gripe I have with the pedal set, though, is its length. It’s too short, which meant I couldn’t trail it behind my desk; instead, I had to let it dangle right beside me, which isn’t ideal.

Another drawback of the T128’s design is the poor port placement. When the wheel base is clamped to a desk, the ports are inaccessible, which means you have to attach the various cables prior to installation, making the process a little more awkward. It also means you have to unclamp the wheel any time you want to unplug or reconnect them.

(Image credit: Future)

Fortunately, the clamping system is easy to use, and much better than those of other Thrustmaster wheels I’ve tried. The screw has a plastic handle, which is easy to turn and lock into place, as well as being readily accessible.

There’s a pleasing selection of buttons on the T128 and they’re almost as tactile as what you’d find on the best Xbox controllers. You get a close to full Xbox layout with a few extra inputs thrown in, such as two handbrake buttons and an RSB and LSB buttons, which are compatible with certain games only.

The T128 also features paddle shifters, which are better than I was expecting. They curve slightly to help secure your fingers, and their positioning is ideal, if placed a little too far inwards, which can make them a stretch to reach at times.

Setting up the T128 is a simple process, especially for Xbox users, who only have to plug it into their console. However, as with other Thrustmaster wheels, be sure to keep well out of the way as soon as you power the T128 on, as it immediately fires up its self-calibration feature. Thankfully, this isn’t as violent as with other Thrustmaster wheels, but still worth noting all the same.

To update the firmware, you’ll need to download the PC tool for this purpose. There’s also a tweaking tool, known as the Thrustmaster Control Panel, which looks rather rudimentary and lacks refinement, but is deceptively capable.

It functions well and provides a pleasing amount of tweaks, including multiple parameters for the force feedback. Again, this is all very welcome on a budget racing wheel such as the T128.

Thrustmaster T128 review: Performance

  • Fun and accurate steering
  • Plenty of force feedback settings
  • Brake pedal’s a little too light

The T128 acquits itself very well when racing. Steering is accurate and responsive, with plenty of feel and capable of offering smooth and rapid movements in equal measure.

As with other Thrustmaster wheels, the force feedback is very strong – too much so on its maximum setting, although perhaps still less than on other models. But once adjusted appropriately, the T128 provides surprisingly nuanced immersion, although there’s a buzzing sensation that’s a little overbearing at times.

The paddle shifters are solid and snappy, with just enough dampening to make them satisfying to flick. They also provide sufficient feedback, and I was surprised at just how capable they were on this budget wheel.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the T2PM pedal set. I found them quite fun and easy to use, owing to their light actuation. The cramped layout didn’t cause an issue for me either, despite having grievances with similarly tight designs on other pedal sets.

(Image credit: Future)

However, the brake pedal is lacking in feedback somewhat, which can make it hard to judge how much pressure to exert. But overall, both the throttle and the brake provide enough control for modulated inputs.

The T128 also features a gear change indicator in the form of multicolored LEDs, known as the 4 engine speed display RPM LEDs, although I found this quite imprecise in practice. For instance, when playing Forza Motorsport, their progress wasn’t all that smooth, and seemed to reach their peak before the in-game indicator did. Still, it’s a welcome feature to have for a basic visual cue, especially if you like to play with a camera angle that omits the steering wheel from view.

Should I buy the Thrustmaster T128?

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Thrustmaster T128 review: also consider

If you’re on the hunt for other budget racing wheels, here are some alternatives to the Thrustmaster T128:

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Thrustmaster T128

Logitech G920

Thrustmaster T248

Price

$‌199.99 / £149.99 (around AU$312)

$299.99 / £349.99 / AU$549.95

$399.99 / £299.99 / AU$599.99

Weight

9lbs / 5kg

12lbs / 5.4kg

6lbs / 2.7kg

Peak torque

2Nm

2.3Nm

3.5Nm

Features

Handbrake buttons, 4 engine speed display RPM LEDs

Stainless steel paddle shifters, three-pedal base

Hybrid FF system, 2 dual-position encoders, three-pedal base

Connection type

USB-A

USB-A

USB-A

Compatibility

Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC

Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC

Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC

How I tested the Thrustmaster T128

  • Tested for a day
  • Played racing sims
  • Experience reviewing racing wheels

I tested the T128 for a day, clamping it to a desk. Unfortunately, it isn’t compatible with certain racing stands, such as the GT Omega Apex that I have, as there’s no way to affix the wheel with screws or bolts.

It should also be noted that the wheel isn’t compatible with cloud gaming or other streamed games; it only works with games downloaded onto your console or drive.

I played Forza Motorsport on an Xbox Series S, which is a competent racing sim on the console that provides a sterling test for racing wheels. I set the in-game steering setting to simulation mode and turned all driving assists off.

I’ve been gaming for decades and racing sims are one of my favorite games to play. I have experienced a number of different racing wheels and reviewed various models as well, including others made by Thrustmaster.



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Don't Expect Star Wars Battlefront 3 Anytime Soon, Or Ever, Despite Recent Surge In Players
Game Updates

Don’t Expect Star Wars Battlefront 3 Anytime Soon, Or Ever, Despite Recent Surge In Players

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EA’s Star Wars Battlefront II is experiencing a surge in players, potentially fueled by the recent May the 4th Star Wars holiday and the Star Wars TV series Andor. The resurgence in popularity for the 2017 game has prompted some fans–and celebrities–to petition EA to make a third game. But it probably won’t happen.

That’s the opinion of former DICE live producer Mats Holm. He said on Reddit (via IGN), “I don’t expect Battlefront 3 to be announced at the end of this rally.” However, Holm said he believes there are people “who are talking about it.” In another post, Holm said it would be challenging to bring back the team that made Battlefront II. “We are spread far and wide,” he said of himself and others who have since left DICE.

No new Battlefront games have been announced, which may sound surprising considering the 2015 game and the 2017 sequel combined to sell 33 million copies. A report said EA rejected a pitch for a third game due in part to licensing costs.

Holm–who now works at Paradox–went on to pitch his own idea for the future of Battlefront games, saying EA should remaster Battlefront II for the next Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2027-2028. After that, and if it’s a success, the developers could focus on Battlefront 3, he said.

DICE is currently working on Battlefield 6, so no one should expect the developer to make a third Battlefront game soon, if it ever does.

The Battlefront series debuted in 2004 with a third-person shooter from the since-shuttered Pandemic Studios. A sequel, Battlefront II, came out in 2005. A third game was reportedly in the works, but it was said to be canceled “two yards from the finish line.”

The two older games were packaged together in the Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection, which was released in 2024 to a terrible critical reception due to numerous bugs and other issues.

While Battlefront 3 may not be in the works, there are a number of upcoming Star Wars games, including Star Wars Eclipse from Quantic Dream.



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An Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 on a desk with its retail packaging
Gaming Gear

Rumored Nvidia RTX 5080 Super specs disappoint some gamers, but I don’t think there’s anything to worry about with this GPU

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  • A leak has detailed the claimed specs of Nvidia’s RTX 5080 Super
  • Some gamers might see this refreshed GPU as underwhelming – it doesn’t add any extra cores into the mix, notably
  • However, there are robust upgrades elsewhere with the video memory and also clock speeds

Another rumor about Nvidia’s RTX 5080 Super has been aired and we’ve got a look at what are supposedly the full specs of this GPU.

As VideoCardz pointed out, leaker Kopite7kimi has posted the claimed specs for the rumored graphics card on X, and that may mean Nvidia has just provided said details to its graphics card making partners (and they leaked from there). Or, it might mean precisely nothing, because as ever, rumors, much like demons, need considerable salting.

GeForce RTX 5080 SuperPG147-SKU35GB203-450-A110752FP32256-bit GDDR7 24G 32Gbps400+WMay 20, 2025

The key parts of the specifications are that the RTX 5080 Super will supposedly use the same GPU as the RTX 5080, which is the GB203 chip. As the RTX 5080 has already maxed out the cores on that chip, the core count will be the same with the Super version of this graphics card – there’s no room to maneuver to increase it.


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The big upgrade comes from the leap from 16GB to 24GB of video RAM (VRAM), and as well as that 50% uplift, the leaker believes Nvidia is going to use faster memory modules here (32Gbps rather than 30Gbps).

We’re also told that the TDP of the RTX 5080 Super is going to sit at 400W, or it might use even more power than that.

Analysis: Crunching the specs and not forgetting about clocks

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Looking at those specs, you might think: how is the RTX 5080 Super going to be a tempting upgrade on the vanilla version of the GPU? It has the same CUDA core count, and somewhat faster video memory, but only around 7% more VRAM bandwidth than the RTX 5080. So, what gives?

Well, don’t forget that added to that VRAM boost, the RTX 5080 Super is expected to have considerably faster clock speeds. Pushing those clocks faster is why this incoming GPU is going to chug more than 400W (perhaps a fair bit more) compared to 360W for the plain RTX 5080.

So, if you’re worried that the RTX 5080 Super may represent an underwhelming prospect in terms of an upgrade over the RTX 5080, don’t be. (Although you may have concerns about your PC’s power supply instead). All this is in line with previous speculation that we’ll see something like a 10% performance boost with the RTX 5080 Super versus the basic version of the GPU, or maybe even slightly more (up towards 15%, even).

Plus that much bigger allocation of 24GB of VRAM is going to make a difference in some scenarios where 4K gaming coupled with very high graphics settings gets more demanding with certain games. (A situation that’s only going to get worse as time rolls on, if you’re thinking about future-proofing, which should always be something of a consideration).

On top of this is the fact that Nvidia is falling out of favor in the consumer GPU world, with AMD’s RDNA 4 graphics cards making a seriously positive impact on Team Red’s chances – and sales. The latest RX 9060 XT reveal has pretty much gone down a treat, too, so I don’t think Nvidia can risk damaging its standing with PC gamers any further, frankly, by pushing out subpar Super refreshes.

Speaking of refreshes – with the emphasis on the plural – previous rumors have also theorized an RTX 5070 Super graphics card with 18GB of VRAM is on the boil, but that’s notably absent from Kopite7kimi’s post here. That doesn’t mean it isn’t happening, but it could be read as a sign that the RTX 5080 Super is going to arrive first.

Again, previous spinning from the rumor mill indicates a very broad 2025 release timeframe for the RTX 5080 Super, but if the specs really are decided on at this stage – and it’s a huge if – that suggests Nvidia intends to deploy this GPU sooner, rather than later, this year.

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‘You don’t own enough crypto, NFTs’
Crypto Trends

‘You don’t own enough crypto, NFTs’

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Cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) can help investors protect their eroding purchasing power during an era of exponential currency debasement, according to analysts and industry leaders.

Investing in digital assets is becoming increasingly important in the “world of the exponential age and currency debasement,” according to Raoul Pal, founder and CEO of Global Macro Investor.

“You don’t own enough crypto. When you do, you don’t own enough NFT’s, as art is upstream of wealth. Both will never be this cheap again,” Pal said.

NFTs are “the single best long term store of wealth I know and you get to buy it before network effects kick in,” he added in another response.

Source: Raoul Pal

“There is some validity to the statement that NFTs, and in extension art, become a vehicle for the wealthy once a certain level of wealth is reached,” wrote Nicolai Sondergaard, research analyst at Nansen, calling it a “natural move” for asset diversification.

“For traders and investors, further down the wealth curve, NFTs are partially about speculating on future returns,” he told Cointelegraph, adding that NFTs also benefit from the allure of strong communities, beyond just wealth creation.

Related: German gov’t missed out on $2.3B profit after selling Bitcoin at $57K

Art NFTs may see a resurgence as “digital ownership gains acceptance among younger, tech-savvy cohorts,” if collections manage to move past the “speculative fervor,” according to Anndy Lian, author and intergovernmental blockchain expert.

Still, Lian said broader adoption depends on blockchain networks improving scalability and security to “instill confidence.” He added that art NFTs “must transcend hype, anchoring value in cultural significance or utility.”

Beeple’s “Everydays: The First 5000 Days.” Source: Christies

Some digital artists made millions of dollars through NFTs. Digital artist Mike Winkelmann, also known as Beeple, auctioned his “Everydays: The First 5000 Days,” NFT artwork for a record-breaking $69 million in March 2021.

Meanwhile, the largest NFT collections continue to lack upside momentum, unable to recover toward their 2021 highs.

CryptoPunks floor price, all-time chart. Source: NFTpricefloor

CryptoPunks, the largest NFT collection by market capitalization, is currently trading at a floor price of 46 Ether (ETH), 59% down from its peak of 113.9 ETH, recorded on Oct. 9, 2021, NFTpricefloor data shows.

Related: GENIUS Act ‘legitimizes’ stablecoins for global institutional adoption

NFT market set for recovery in early 2026, after Bitcoin cycle top

Despite the temporary lack of interest, NFTs could be poised to see more momentum after the profits from Bitcoin’s (BTC) cycle top start rotating into other digital assets.

“That likely puts the peak of the NFT market in Q1 2026, but don’t expect a repeat of the 21/22 euphoria that we saw in NFTs,” according to Yehudah Petscher, strategist at CryptoSlam NFT data platform and SlamAI.

“We’re likely an entire cycle away from NFTs having a parabolic run,” Petscher told Cointelegraph, adding:

“There is a perfect storm brewing for 2030: BTC at $1 million, a matured metaverse, AI reshaping labor economics (whether through universal basic income or universal high income, falling production costs, etc), AR/VR adoption, and NFT ownership equaling ownership of a brand.”

However, the previous NFT bull market was driven largely by metaverse speculation and wealthy traders, Petscher noted — factors that are mostly absent in the current cycle.

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.

Magazine: Crypto wanted to overthrow banks, now it’s becoming them in stablecoin fight



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