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SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review: $599 for premium, pricey perfection
Product Reviews

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review: $599 for premium, pricey perfection

by admin


I’ve been hooked on SteelSeries gaming headsets ever since the Arctis Pro launched more than five years ago. The Nova range upped the quality with feature, fit, and software improvements, and the company is now going one step further with a $599.99 Nova Elite headset — a price that I’ve been questioning every day during my last month of testing.

With the Nova Elite, SteelSeries has created a category of luxury gaming headsets that doesn’t really exist right now. It’s banking on hi-res wireless audio, carbon fiber speaker drivers, a metal frame, and the ability to simultaneously stream audio from a PC, Xbox, and PlayStation to make it the best gaming headset on the market.

But is $599.99 too much, even for the best gaming headset?

$600

The Good

  • Excellent metal build quality
  • Better wireless signal
  • Hi-res audio with carbon fiber speakers
  • Swappable battery dock

The Bad

  • That $599 price tag
  • Cryptic low-battery audio alerts

Aside from the new sage and gold color option, the Nova Elite looks very similar to the existing $379.99 Nova Pro — especially when comparing the black versions. The frame and control wheel are both metal now instead of plastic, and the memory foam ear cups are more plush and feel more comfortable on my ears this time around.

The mixture of aluminum and stainless steel materials also makes the Nova Elite a lot sturdier than the plastic Nova Pro, which also makes it fit better for me. I have a fairly large head so the Nova Elite fits snugly over my ears, instead of slightly loose like the Nova Pro. And while the active noise canceling nub inside the ear cans irritated me on the original Nova Pro, I don’t even notice it on the Elite.

The Nova Elite’s frame is metal instead of plastic.

The plush memory foam ear cups are super comfortable.

There’s an adjustable band to improve the fit.

The GameHub DAC lets you control the headset and charge its batteries.

All of these material and comfort improvements are coupled with a first for a gaming headset: hi-res wireless audio. You can stream 96kHz / 24-bit audio over 2.4GHz with the included GameHub DAC or via Bluetooth with LC3+. It’s a little fiddly to set up thanks to the complex audio interface in Windows, and once enabled, you’ll really need the right game or audio file to tell the difference.

The hi-res audio support is a subtle enough improvement that I had trouble noticing it, but the overall sound quality improvements, along with the carbon fiber drivers, are more obvious. I played the Battlefield 6 beta for hours last month with the Nova Elite, and then I switched back to my Nova Pro headset. The explosions, tanks, and gunfire all sounded better with the Nova Elite, but it really depends on what games you’re playing.

In a game like Valorant, I could barely notice the difference, because there’s far less environmental sound and you’re really only listening for footsteps and audio cues. I wouldn’t buy the Nova Elite over the Nova Pro if you’re mostly playing multiplayer shooters.

SteelSeries has improved the microphone system on the Nova Elite for multiplayer games and Discord calls. You now have the choice between a retractable boom mic or a new on-ear mic if you don’t want the boom mic getting in the way. Neither come anywhere close in quality to replacing the Shure SM7B that I use daily, but they’re both useful if I’m using the Nova Elite on my phone or a game console.

You can easily hot swap batteries, and the Nova Elite intelligently turns back on.

There’s always a battery ready and charged in the included GameHub.

One of the best things about the Nova Elite is the way that it works with up to four audio sources simultaneously. I can connect to my phone over Bluetooth, which is useful to take calls while I’m working on my PC, and I can also connect to a game console, like an Xbox Series X or PS5, via USB-C at the same time. Omniplay, as SteelSeries calls it, can mix the audio from up to four sources. You could be chatting on Discord on your PC with the GameHub 2.4GHz wireless connection while hearing the audio from an Xbox game using the USB-C connection, listening to TikTok videos on your phone via Bluetooth, and even getting audio from yet another source through the 3.5mm aux port.

While I primarily used the Nova Elite with my PC, SteelSeries also has a mobile app that lets you control EQ levels and even game audio presets for consoles or mobile play. These presets already impressed me with SteelSeries’ Arctis GameBuds, and they’re equally great on the Nova Elite, allowing you to use custom EQ levels for more than 200 games.

These presets are also available in the GG app on Windows. The GG app takes over the clunky Windows audio experience and makes it easy to manage what microphone you want to use and whether you want audio to play out of speakers or a monitor when you turn your headset off. SteelSeries’ Sonar software is also part of GG, and I really like how effortless it is to set up multiple audio channels so I can adjust the volume levels and sound profiles of media apps, Discord chat, and games individually.

The ANC on the Elite is very similar to the Pro. It’s good for a gaming headset, but it falls behind the ANC on Bose or Sony headsets I’ve used. SteelSeries does a good job of using AI-powered noise rejection to block out any unwanted sounds (like typing noises) from the headset microphone, so you’ll always sound clear over Discord or a call.

The GG app also pairs with the GameHub DAC that sits on your desk to give you volume information, battery level, and more control over the headset. You can adjust the headset volume and mute the microphone from the headset itself, but the GameHub also lets you customize the ANC levels, enable transparency mode, and even adjust all the microphone settings. The GameHub is relatively unchanged from the Nova Pro, but I did find that the wireless signal it provides is a lot better in the dead spots in my house where the Pro used to disconnect.

The GameHub also includes a charging dock for the Nova Elite’s battery. Like the Pro, the Elite comes with two batteries, so you never have to worry about battery life. Each battery lasts around 30 hours of use, and when it’s low, you simply swap it with the one charging in the GameHub. I love this system so much, and I wish every gaming headset had it.

The only thing I’ve found annoying about this headset are the low-battery alerts. At 15 percent battery, the headset starts playing a low beeping tone every five minutes. There’s no other indication of what’s going on, and the sound is close enough to those web chat bots that I kept hunting for a rogue browser tab at first. When the battery hits 8 percent, it plays a more urgent tone, and a light on the GameHub DAC starts to blink. There’s really no need for the 15 percent warning.

The Nova Elite is available in sage and gold or black.

After testing the Nova Elite over the past month, I don’t want to go back to the Nova Pro. The changes are often subtle enough that I only notice them when I do switch back, but then they’re obvious. Using the Nova Pro after using the Nova Elite feels like going back to a 60Hz panel after upgrading to a high refresh rate monitor.

The trouble is the price. SteelSeries wants to create a new category of luxury and premium gaming headsets, and how well it succeeds could come down to the $599 price tag, which is the same as an already expensive Xbox Series X console.

You’ll have to really want the compatibility with all game consoles, the hi-res audio support, the added comfort, and the material improvements in order to warrant the $220 premium over the Nova Pro. If you’re looking for one of the best gaming headsets on the market, then I’d pick the Nova Pro. But if you can stretch to the Nova Elite’s luxury territory, then I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Photography by Tom Warren / The Verge

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Key artwork for Hades 2
Gaming Gear

Hades 2 review: a faithful yet boldly reinventive sequel that somehow improves on perfection

by admin



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Though it’s only been five years since its predecessor, roguelite game Hades 2 feels long-awaited. The weight of expectation on developer Supergiant to surpass the massive success of Hades must have loomed more dauntingly than the sword of Damocles itself. So, how do you build on a game ranking among the best roguelites in modern history?

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
Release date: September 25, 2025

With a refreshed cast of Grecian heroes and gods, Hades 2 carves its own take on mythos, making for a game that feels both familiar and wildly different to Zagreus’ tale.

For one thing, gameplay mechanics have been boldly reinvented, and there’s a whole lot more variety in each run. In Hades 2, range and placement can make or break your strategy; the addition of Magick gives Melinoë an entirely different moveset to Zagreus, and with less mobility than her brother, it’s all to play for on the battlefield.

The stakes are immediately high, and nothing encapsulates the shift in priorities better than the art and world-building Supergiant is so famed for. An inventive array of new foes, friends, and plenty of frenemies make for a captivating narrative that rarely strays into “wall-of-text” territory, and it’s a breathtaking journey from start to finish.

With war brewing at the home front in Tartarus and on Olympus, a war of the gods has begun once again, but will the Princess of the Underworld be able to defeat Time itself?

Generational trauma

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

The game begins at a crossroads – the crossroads, in fact, between the surface and the road to Tartarus. Readying for battle in this liminal space between life and death, Melinoë, daughter of Hades and Persephone, prepares to battle primordial powers to rescue her family.

Your foe is Chronos, the Titan of Time and father of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades – for the nerds, yes, that’s an amalgamation of Chronos, the primordial concept of time itself, and Kronos, the leader of the Titans; two different figures from mythos. It’s fine, I’m not mad about it.

Before the events of the game, Chronos captured his chthonic son, along with Persephone, Zagreus, and a host of other underworld dwellers. Thankfully, Melinoë was whisked away just beforehand and into the care of Hecate, Witch of the Crossroads, to be trained in the art of witchcraft and, hopefully, rescue her relatives – and thus the story begins, and the generational trauma continues.

For your first few runs, you’ll venture towards Tartarus through Erebus (and Oceanus, if you can trounce the first guardian), but after these first two more linear levels, there’s a lot more diversity in chambers and encounters.

However, you’ll also quickly unlock access to the Surface, where Chronos’ goons are mounting an attack on Olympus. Having two options to venture keeps the game feeling fresh, removing the frustrating feeling of repeatedly falling at the same hurdle, and it’s a welcome change to the formula.

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

There’s a lot of ebb and flow to the game’s two pathways, and each region offers dynamic maps with plenty of ways to progress by gathering resources, meeting with allies, and finding familiars to recruit. Some regions can feel a little gruelling; Tartarus’ Fields of Mourning, in particular, forces you into repetitive waves of enemies to cash in on multiple rewards per encounter, but you often only really want one of them.

However, other levels like the City of Ephyra play on the level design to push you to think harder about your build’s foundations, choosing six of ten possible rewards; both examples dismantle the classic two-door choice convention and keep the game varied.

Along the way, various gods from Hades – plus some new faces – will appear to deliver Boons: powerful upgrades to your attacks, movement, weaponry, chance modifiers, and beyond. These feel improved on Hades’ strong foundations; there’s a great variety on offer, and it’s rare that I really need a re-roll to find something useful.

Another noticeable difference is the increased focus on resource gathering. Doing away with the trade mechanics makes for much more rewarding progression materials, and there’s a lot more to find within each region. Your familiars can help you here, with each specializing in a different resource (spirits, seeds, fish, and foliage) as well as helping out during combat.

Which witch is which?!

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

Oft characterized in non-game lore as the goddess of ghosts, spirits, and sometimes nightmares, Melinoë is a wildly different protagonist from her brother Zagreus. She bears a glowing, enhanced arm capable of wielding various Arcana card power-ups, and can use Magick to charge and cast enhanced abilities through Omega spells.

Like your regular abilities, Omega spells have a further set of Boons, allowing you to build around your powerful charged attacks instead of just amping up your base damage. Alternatively, you can pretty much ignore your spells altogether if you prefer button-mashing your standard attack, special, and cast; the game rewards you for playing well, not for playing every feature.

Now, the cast has switched to an area of effect (AoE) crowd control move; you can sit in it to slash at enemies on the border or build it up to be a damage-dealing trap for your enemies. This is vital, and certainly the most significant change to combat at a base level. Using it well, and often, is key to surviving with enough strength for bigger battles, especially in later levels where you’re contending with hordes of the undead or fiddly ranged attackers.

There’s a great, gradual progression arc to power up throughout the game, and I found myself genuinely surprised on multiple occasions that there was still more to unlock.

Once again, there are keepsakes, weapon unlocks, and enhancements you can build into your runs to make your attacks hit even harder.

Best bit

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

Eris is a real pain to tackle the first few times, but hoo boy, is it fun to thrash her once you learn the ropes. She’s not as punishing as late-game bosses like Prometheus, but there’s a satisfying knack to timing your dodges and landing hits.

From an enormous, badass battle-axe to skulls that land with a “BOOM!”, Melinoë uses a mix of ranged and melee weapons to tackle her foes, but with way less mobility than her older brother. There’s no more double dash, but you can always use the new infinite sprint to zoom away from danger. Still, combat feels satisfyingly snappy, just with a greater emphasis on positioning.

Mel also swaps God Calls for Hexes, gifts from Selune that can be upgraded via a skill tree as you journey onwards. Personally, I’m a fan of the health regen Hex, which can be leveled to stack across regions and deliver huge amounts of health; particularly useful when you’re running with a squishier Mel build.

Each of these changes feels meaningful, and not just to differentiate Hades 2 from its successful predecessor. Plus, there’s so much variety and depth to each run that there’s no point in banking on specific builds; your Keepsakes can help pave the way for specific Boons, but you’re up against greater odds than in Hades.

That’s doubly true when you contend with the great variety of enemies, mini-bosses, and bosses. There’s no one way to play Mel, and the combatants want you to remember that; some punish you for an over-reliance on dashing, some for sitting too still or getting too close; others, you just have to hope you’ve built around strongly enough to kill before they can get you first (Prometheus, I’m looking at you. I’m judging you, in fact. Relentlessly.)

On the road again

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

Calling the crossroads a liminal space feels at odds with the teeming life, love, and emotion housed in the battle camp Mel and her associates call home, but perhaps that’s exactly the point. Here, in a space designed for passage, a band of heroes, villains, and gods alike from mythos find refuge and comfort from a world in a perpetual state of pre-apocalypse. Of course, that’s all tinged by the undertones of the dysfunctional Olympian family tree, but if you can look past the bickering siblings, Mel and Hecate’s mommy issues, and, of course, the many mortals left in the wreckage of godly pettiness, there are some beautiful bonds formed at the crossroads.

From shopping to decorating and even gardening, there’s a lot to do between runs. Hecate’s cauldron offers permanent upgrades both in and out of runs, and there are more interactive spaces like the salt baths and the fishing pier. There’s a huge amount of unlockable content and interactions here; characters react to the outcome of the previous run and even the items Mel takes with her to the field, making it genuinely rewarding to sit through dialogue.

Eris, Nemesis, Moros, and Icarus are the romancable options (at least, the only ones I’ve encountered), but I’d really encourage forming bonds with all of the main cast. Deep secrets and connections to other figures in mythos mean characters like Dora expand the universe even further and teach you more about Mel’s history and identity. Greg Kasavin was not messing around when he put pen to paper for Hades 2, though I do share some fans’ criticisms of the slightly rushed ending.

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

The world is, of course, more than its writing. Darren Korb’s tremendous musical talents are once again in full force, providing a dramatic underscore to the on-screen action with even greater zeal. Jen Zee also delivered with some excellent refreshed character designs, each with subtle hints to the more militant themes in the game.

Even Aphrodite now bears arms (though clothing still appears to be optional), and Zeus is armored up in preparation for the great battles on the horizon. New animations for character cards breathe life into the designs, aided of course by another stellar cast of talented voice actors.

Rolling credits for the first time is only the beginning; there’s a lot more you’ll want to eke out of these relationships on your road to the ‘true’ ending, and that’s the real magic of the Hades 2 formula. It takes repetition and makes it a thematic driver, pulling you deeper into the world of the Gods and their follies.

Hades 2 absolutely surpasses its predecessor in almost every way, building on its success reservedly but meaningfully, and it’s a must-play game for all to enjoy. It’s a masterpiece in its own right, though Mel’s story is inseparable from Zagreus’ successes in more ways than one.

Should Supergiant choose to revisit the land of the gods with a sequel, I’m once again left wondering how it could withstand its legacy, but with a fresh confidence that they can once again go the distance.

Should you play Hades 2?

Play it if…

Don’t play it if…

Accessibility

Within the settings, you have the option to toggle ‘God Mode’ under the Gameplay tab, which reduces the difficulty in the game, offering more damage resistance the more often you die. Alternatively, you can customize features like Auto-Fire/Auto-Sprint, Aim Assist, Dead Zones, and more to make gameplay more accessible. There are subtitles for both speech and song, as well as changeable vibration settings and visual effect settings.

(Image credit: Supergiant Games)

How I reviewed Hades 2

I got 50 hours of the game, unlocking both the main ending and rolling credits on the ‘true’ ending of Hades 2 using a Nintendo Switch 2. I played it in both docked and undocked mode to see if legibility or performance is impacted by the screen size, comparing my experience against other roguelites, including Dead Cells, The Binding of Isaac, Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree, and, of course, the original Hades.

I tried different settings, including God Mode, to see the impact on the game’s accessibility and performance, and tried playing both with a Corsair Void Max Wireless v2 headset and through the Switch 2 speakers.

First reviewed September 2025

Hades 2: Price Comparison



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Lego Nintendo Game Boy review: a brick masterpiece just shy of perfection
Product Reviews

Lego Nintendo Game Boy review: a brick masterpiece just shy of perfection

by admin


Is there a word that describes the feeling of “I want something to be just a bit better because it’s already so good it only needs one last kick in the pants”?

Because that’s how I feel about the $60 Lego Nintendo Game Boy. It’s better than the fan-made Lego Game Boy that I asked Nintendo to make. It’s even better than I hoped when Lego officially revealed the set. This isn’t just a statue that looks like my original 1989 Game Boy; it’s a joy to build and feels fantastic in the hands. You can press every button, spin every dial, roll the D-pad, and throw a satisfyingly snappy power switch.

Though it doesn’t light up one bit, its lenticular moving images were enough to momentarily surprise friends and family into asking: “Does it actually play games?” The set even has a few hidden Easter eggs.

And yet, I can’t help wanting more.

Let’s do something different for this review: Let’s make it a show and tell. If you’re a video person, start by tapping on my Instagram embed above, or TikTok, or YouTube, or Facebook, or perhaps my Bluesky. If you prefer photos and words, scroll down and I’ll tell you all about it!

Here it is, the photograph I’ve wanted to stage for months: the Lego Nintendo Game Boy next to the pristine 1989 original you might have seen in many a Verge photo before. It was my wife’s childhood Game Boy, though I had one just like it — and Lego designer Carl Merriam absolutely nails the size, shape, and look. It does overcompensate slightly with the Off-On switch and headphone jack labels that are gray instead of molded, three of the four corners of the gray screen bezel are square instead of slightly rounded, and the A and B buttons seem almost pink rather than purple.

It’s also clearly made of a mosaic of Lego tiles rather than a single smooth surface, but that’s part of the charm: it’s a wonder to realize the Game Boy can be re-created 1:1 out of Lego bricks!

Here, I have both displaying the exact same cutscene from The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. If you’ve never played the original, you may not realize just how specific a moment this is — a bittersweet, heartstring-tugging scene you can only watch once per playthrough, so I had to save my game before a certain quest to get this photo.

Lenticular tech is still rad.

The Lego Game Boy comes with three of these little lenticular panels to make it look like the screen’s turned on and give it a sense of motion. If you tilt the handheld up and down, you can watch Mario jump, see the Nintendo logo fall, or watch the waves and seagulls fly above the Link’s Awakening beach.

But the one thing I don’t understand is printing on a gray background rather than a green one, so the Lego Game Boy’s screen doesn’t look green like the original’s. It feels like a bizarre miss to me.

A closer look at gray versus green:

I threw in an Easter egg of my own.

It’s not the only nit I could pick with the Lego Game Boy’s screen, which is recessed quite a bit more than the original, which in turn makes it even harder to light up than the original (and, like the original, you need an external light source to do that since it didn’t have a light of its own!).

But I don’t blame Lego for that — it’s because Lego’s using a regular Lego window frame and windowpane for the screen instead of creating new custom parts, which make it feel more authentically Lego. I just wish Lego would start protecting its big windowpanes better so they don’t come scratched right out of the box.

You need a lot of light to see the “screen” well.

Comparing the Lego Game Boy to the original from every angle, you can see lots of places where there are slight gaps between the tiles, sure. But you can also see that almost every complex curve and label is represented, and while it weighs a few ounces less than the original, it’s almost the exact same size.

Image slider: volume and contrast wheels, external connector port (though there’s no port underneath Lego’s cover) and the AC adapter jack. No AC adapter label on the Lego version.

That power switch may seem placed too high, but it’s worth it for the satisfying snap of its Technic peg action.

Headphone jack.

You shouldn’t take that for granted, because it’s not easy even for skilled Lego creators to build a dense real-life object to scale with moving parts. As an example, see how much thicker and blockier Lego Masters Australia finalist Nick Lever’s creation is below?

From left to right: Lego’s Game Boy, Nintendo’s Game Boy, and my attempt at Nick Lever’s fan creation.

I still love the Mario hat buttons, though.

BTW, both of the Lego Game Boys can technically squeeze in a real cart, but it stretches the build uncomfortably.

But as the Lego Group showed and told me in 2023, the thing that truly separates a great official Lego set from a fan creation is the incredible amount of thought that goes into making the set playable and fun to build, not just fun once you’re through.

You can get a better sense in my video, but after a certain point the whole set is built out of modular parts. You create a set of springy face buttons that slide into place, a D-pad that drops in, a screen that needs attaching. It contributes to the illusion you’re building electronics instead of just piling bricks together. And there are details you’ll only appreciate if you’ve seen inside — like how the springy Start and Select buttons are actually Lego car tires.

The rubber nub brick under the D-pad makes for a surprisingly good action.

Or how the springy “membrane” under the D-pad and A and B buttons are colored similarly to their real-life counterparts, even though you’ll never see them once it’s closed:

One rubber band makes both buttons springy.

Image: iFixit

Or how there’s a brick-built “speaker” underneath the Lego speaker grille, complete with yellow “wires,” at the lower right-corner of the build:

Image: iFixit

Or how Lego’s Link’s Awakening cartridge even features a “battery backup” for its save games, like the original, while the Mario cartridge appropriately does not.

Button battery!

Not a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, since my real cart is the Player’s Choice reprint from 1996.

The Lego cart can technically fit in an original Game Boy cartridge case if you remove the top tile.

It all takes such passion and attention to detail that I have to wonder: why stop short of doing everything you can when you’ve already come this far?

Here’s the back of the Lego Game Boy, and the real Game Boy, showing off one final Easter egg: the “serial number” that’s actually the date the original Game Boy first came out on April 21st, 1989. That part’s great. But it also contains two completely blank spots where the original Game Boy had an info panel with model numbers and regulatory markings, and the US version had a service sticker.

At $60 — I got mine early for $50 at Costco — I can understand why the Lego Nintendo Game Boy doesn’t have light or sound or actually play games just yet. (Fans will make it do all those things before long.) But the top panel is already a printed piece, and the set already comes with a small sticker sheet.

Just like my real copy of Link’s Awakening fixes bugs that Nintendo originally accidentally shipped, might I suggest Lego ship future copies of the Game Boy with greener screens and a few more lines of text?

Photography by Sean Hollister / The Verge

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Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i review: just falls short of perfection
Product Reviews

Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i review: just falls short of perfection

by admin



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.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i: Two-minute review

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i may face some stiff competition from the usual excellent offerings from Apple, Dell, and the like, but it’s more than up to the challenge. In fact, I believe it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the best Ultrabooks of this generation.

It’s very slim and portable, helped by the fact that the webcam is hidden under the display in a unique and space-saving measure. And its performance is snappy and responsive, comparing well to the best laptops of this type (don’t expect it to match the power of a gaming laptop, of course). Just as important, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is a gorgeous-looking laptop with an equally gorgeous-looking OLED display.

Really, there are only two drawbacks. The first is price. It’s not anywhere near a budget offering, though that’s to be expected of this type of laptop, not to mention that an OLED display always brings a price bump.

The other issue is a little more concerning. The port selection is worse than on an Apple MacBook Air, which is saying something, as that’s already very minimal. More specifically, there’s no audio jack, so hopefully, you have a good pair of Bluetooth earbuds on hand.

However, that’s a pretty short list of things to be concerned about, and one of them (price) is to be expected with a nice Ultrabook. All in all, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is a wonderful laptop that will make a solid upgrade for anyone looking for an attractive, portable, and powerful Ultrabook.

  • Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 (Gen 10) (14-inch Teal) at Lenovo USA for $1,601.59

Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

  • How much does it cost? Starting at $1,759.99 / £1,800.00 / AU$3,829.00
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The 10th-generation model of the Yoga Slim 9i comes in two configurations, with both available in the US, UK, and Australia. And both configurations are very similar.

The more basic configuration goes for $1,759.99 / £1,800 / AU$3,849 and comes with an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V CPU and 16GB of RAM. The more robust configuration with Intel Core Ultra 7 258V and 32GB of RAM costs a nominally higher price tag of $1,899.99 / £1,900 / AU$4,199. There’s very little difference in performance between the CPUs – it’s just that the 258v supports 32GB of RAM. Essentially, the price difference comes down to whether you want 16 or 32GB of RAM. Everything else is the same, from the color options to the screen and the storage capacity.

The Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) makes for an easy comparison. Not just because they have a similar-sized screen, though the Yoga Slim 9i has better resolution, but because they have similar price points. This 14-incher from Apple starts at $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,499, but that gets you a 512GB SSD. If you want the same amount of storage (1TB), the price goes up to $1,799 / £1,999 / AU$3,299, which is a little more than the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i. Of course, you’ll probably gravitate towards one over the other, mostly depending on whether you want macOS or Windows.

The Dell XPS 13 offers an interesting comparison, too. It comes in at a similar price – $1,999.99 / £2,049 / AU$3,998.50 – if you opt for a touchscreen like the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i has, but the screen is smaller. And while the Dell XPS 13 does have an OLED display, it’s at a lower, though still pretty good, 2880 x 1800p resolution. Both laptops have limited ports, but both have plenty of power.

However, the Dell XPS 13 has an interesting design with its edgeless keyboard (meaning it stretches edge to edge) and a touchpad that just uses haptic feedback and doesn’t have a defined physical boundary. This is one of those love-it-or-hate-it design choices and will probably be a deciding factor for most.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i: Specs

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Of the two available configurations, there’s very little difference. You basically get to choose between two almost identical CPUs, the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V and the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, which is about 0.5% better.

However, if you select the ever-so-slightly better CPU, you get 32GB of RAM instead of 16GB, since that CPU supports the higher amount of RAM.

Swipe to scroll horizontallyLenovo Yoga Slim 9i SpecsHeader Cell – Column 0

Base configuration

Review / Max configuration

Price:

$1,819.99 at Lenovo.com / £1,830 at Lenovo.com / AU$3,849 at Lenovo.com

$1,979.99 at Lenovo.com / £1,900.00 at Lenovo.com / AU$3,909.76 at Lenovo.com

CPU:

Intel Core Ultra 7 256V

Intel Core Ultra 7 258V

Graphics:

Intel graphics

Intel Arc graphics

RAM:

16GB LPDDR5X

32GB LPDDR5X

Screen:

14″ WQUXGA (3840 x 2400), OLED, Glare, Touch, HDR 600 True Black, 100%DCI-P3, 400 nits, 120Hz, Glass, Camera Under Display

14″ WQUXGA (3840 x 2400), OLED, Glare, Touch, HDR 600 True Black, 100%DCI-P3, 400 nits, 120Hz, Glass, Camera Under Display

Storage:

1TB SSD

1TB SSD

Ports:

2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4

2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4

Wireless:

Wi-Fi 7 2×2 BE 320MHz & Bluetooth 5.4

Wi-Fi 7 2×2 BE 320MHz & Bluetooth 5.4

Camera:

32MP camera-under-display with e-privacy shutter

32MP camera-under-display with e-privacy shutter

Weight:

Starting at 1.25kg / 2.76lbs

Starting at 1.25kg / 2.76lbs

Dimensions:

312.93mm x 203.5mm x as thin as 14.55mm / 12.32 x 8.01 x as thin as 0.57 inches

312.93mm x 203.5mm x as thin as 14.55mm / 12.32 x 8.01 x as thin as 0.57 inches

Outside of the internal upgrades to CPU and RAM, there are no other upgrades. Both configurations come in one color, Tidal Teal, which is admittedly beautiful.

And there’s just the one display available. Thankfully, it’s also very nice with high-resolution and responsive touchscreen capabilities.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i: Design

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

  • Attractive and slim
  • Gorgeous and impressive display
  • Limited ports, including a lack of an audio jack

Available in Tidal Teal, a shimmery blue with hints of green, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is a beautiful laptop even before opening it up. It’s slim and light, even for a laptop of this size, and is about as portable as it gets.

In terms of form factor, the one unusual thing I noticed is that there is a raised bar near the top of the lid. This houses the 32-megapixel webcam that’s hidden under the display and pops up near the top-middle of the screen when in use. Though there’s no physical shutter for the webcam, it does have an effective e-privacy toggle next to the right USB-C port.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

It’s also worth noting that, despite having a touchscreen, this is not a 2-in-1, so don’t expect to be able to fold it to use as a tablet. That said, the touchscreen is very responsive and very sensitive, enough so that I’ve accidentally closed my browser multiple times when lightly touching the corner of the screen without thinking.

The screen is pretty remarkable beyond its touch capabilities. This 14-inch OLED panel has a 4K or 3840 x 2400 resolution (that’s a 16:10 aspect ratio) with a 120Hz refresh rate, along with 100% sRGB and DCI-P3 color coverage, which is ideal for photo editing. It also has a Vesa Certified DisplayHDR True Black 600 rating. It even supports Dolby Vision. You get the idea – the display is pretty spectacular.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

The keyboard is a bit shallow, so it’s not the most comfortable one I’ve used, but that’s to be expected with a laptop this slim. It’s otherwise accurate and responsive, and I had no trouble pounding out a couple of articles on it.

The touchpad is just as snappy and accurate. While a lot of newer laptops seem to increase the size of the touchpad, that’s not the case here. If you want a really big touchpad, you’re not going to get it here.

Finally, the port selection is very, very minimal. There are just two USB-C ports, one on each side. They’re both Thunderbolt 4, so there’s plenty of throughput if you want to use a dongle. Still, it’s very limited. What I’m most upset about is the fact that Lenovo has done away with any kind of audio jack. As ubiquitous as wireless earbuds are, some of us still use wired headphones from time to time.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i: Performance

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

  • Snappy, responsive performance
  • Copilot+
  • Great audio quality with spatial audio

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is quite powerful. It can handle day-to-day work easily. Opening, scrolling, clicking links, typing, photo editing: all the sorts of things most people want from an Ultrabook. For example, I was able to open 20 browser windows very quickly, just by pressing the Plus sign in Microsoft Edge.

Each window, which opens the MSN homepage filled with different news stories and information, loaded up almost immediately. Of course, I reviewed the 32GB configuration, but the CPU and RAM still do quite a bit of heavy lifting.

Even the camera behind the screen pops up promptly. Speaking of which, the webcam performs smoothly and looks good, though it does struggle with noise in low light.

Swipe to scroll horizontallyLenovo Yoga Slim 9i CPU / System Benchmarks

Benchmark

Score

Geekbench 6.4 Single Core

2,755

Geekbench 6.4 Single Core

11,186

Crossmark Overall

1,689

Crossmark Productivity

1,638

Crossmark Creativity

1,934

Crossmark Responsiveness

1,234

25GB File Copy Transfer Rate (MB/s)

1,032.87

Now, it’s not a gaming laptop, but I was able to run some less demanding or older games without any trouble, like Sable and Alan Wake. For those games, the action was crisp, clear, and smooth. That gorgeous OLED screen really helps. Still, there were some games I tried to run that wouldn’t even open.

As this is a newer laptop, it comes with Copilot+. Using the app is quick and responsive, though I still don’t find it to be a game-changer in my computing experience.

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)Swipe to scroll horizontallyLenovo Yoga Slim 9i GPU / Gaming Benchmarks

Benchmark

Score

3DMark Fire Strike

9,107

3DMark Time Spy

4,436

3DMark Speed Way

6,094

3DMark Steel Nomad

823

3DMark Night Raid

35,326

Borderlands 3 (Badass, 1080p)

27fps

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest, 1080p)

46fps

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm (Max impact, 1080p)

67fps

Total War: Warhammer III (Ultra, 1080p)

37fps

I’ve rarely been impressed by the audio from a laptop. I was when I reviewed the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, and I am here. That’s probably because there are more than two speakers in the Lenovo Yoga Slom 9i. Specifically, there are two 2-watt tweeters and two 3-watt woofers. There’s also some virtual spatial audio since the laptop supports Dolby Atmos.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i: Battery life

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

  • Decent if disappointing battery life
  • Doesn’t seem to do fast charging

Laptops with OLED displays aren’t always the most efficient, so the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i’s just under 10 hours of battery life in the PCMark 10 Battery benchmark is not surprising, though it is a bit disappointing. It did manage a better showing in our Web Surfing test, where it managed to get just over 11 hours of battery life.

While not the best results we’ve seen, this isn’t terrible battery life. However, we’re seeing a few laptops, particularly ones that this one competes with, hitting up to double those numbers. To be fair, I turned off the laptop’s battery-saver feature, which makes the laptop run more efficiently when the battery is low, so you might manage to squeeze more juice from the battery depending on the settings.

On the bright side, it was very good at maintaining battery life when the lid was closed. I’ve used and tested some laptops where the battery would continue to run down when idling, and that’s not an issue here.

Should you buy the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i?

Swipe to scroll horizontallyLenovo Yoga Slim 9i scorecard

Category

Notes

Rating

Value

While pricey, this laptop is thin, powerful, and comes with a wonderful OLED screen.

4 / 5

Design

It’s not only thin and light, but it is gorgeous. Too bad it lacks an audio jack and only comes with two USB-C ports.

4.5 / 5

Performance

The performance (and audio quality) is excellent, especially for productivity work.

4.5 / 5

Battery Life

The battery life is decent, but compared to the competition is lower than expected.

4 / 5

Final score

It’s gorgeous, light, and comes with robust performance. Plus, it has that OLED screen.

4.25 / 5

Buy the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

If my Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider…

How I tested the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i

  • Tested for a month
  • Used it for work, gaming, and streaming
  • Tested its various features

I used the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i for a month, testing it for work, including this review (along with the requisite online research). I used it to stream video. I even did some light gaming. I played with the webcam, the audio, and the AI features as well.

After spending time with the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i, it’s clear that this is perfect for those who want a premium experience (and can pay for it) in a gorgeous wrapping.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.

  • First reviewed August 2025

Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 (Gen 10): Price Comparison



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