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Trails In The Sky 1st Chapter Switch 2 Upgrade Pack Is One Whole Dollar
Game Updates

Trails In The Sky 1st Chapter Switch 2 Upgrade Pack Is One Whole Dollar

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The upcoming remake of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is getting a Nintendo Switch 2 edition. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter’s Switch 2 edition is a digital-only release, but the Switch physical edition can be upgraded to Switch 2 for one whole dollar. Preorders for the physical edition of Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter are available for PS5 and Nintendo Switch. The highly anticipated turn-based RPG launches September 19 for $60.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter features entirely overhauled 3D visuals, new voice acting, turn-based and real-time battle systems, and a bunch of new side quests and regions. Widely regarded as one of the best entries in Nihon Falcom’s sprawling catalog of Trails games, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter should be the ideal entry point for newcomers and a welcome treat for longtime fans.

$60 | Releases September 19

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter’s physical edition is up for preorder at Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy.

As mentioned, the Nintendo Switch 2 edition is only available on the eShop, but Switch owners can upgrade their copy–physical or digital–for only $1. The Switch 2 edition has higher resolution and frame rates as well as faster load times.

If you’re unsure if you want to preorder the remake, we’d recommend checking out Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter’s Prologue Demo, which released August 21. The demo is available to play now on PlayStation 5 and PC, and the Switch version should be downloadable soon. The progress you make in the demo can be transferred to the full game.

Returning players will probably be happy to learn the remake could take twice as long to beat. In an interview with the Japanese gaming publication Gamer, Nihon Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo discussed how the 3D game world, new voice acting, and other updates naturally add to the game’s length. Playthrough times for Trails games can vary significantly from one player to the next, but if it took you 40 hours to complete the original, it might take you closer to 80 in the remake.

Trails in the Sky originally released on PC in Japan in 2004. The English localization debuted on PlayStation Portable in 2006. Subsequent ports and enhanced editions for PS3 and Vita were exclusive to Japan. A worldwide Steam port released in 2014, and this edition is still sold today (for $20). For reference, Trails in the Sky has a “Very Positive” review average based on over 6,000 Steam reviews.

Nihon Falcom’s Legend of Heroes franchise dates back to 1989, but the 2004 release of Trails in the Sky marked the beginning of the modern “Trails” series. More than a dozen Trails games have been released over the past 20 years. While there are numerous arcs within the Trails series–Trails of Cold Steel, Trails through Daybreak, etc.–playing Trails in the Sky and its two sequels is highly recommended to fully appreciate the franchise’s excellent worldbuilding and lore.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

Trails in the Sky follows adoptive siblings Joshua and Estelle Bright, who join the Bracers peacekeeping organization. They’re soon caught up in an international conspiracy and must join forces with various other characters to thwart a deadly coup. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter was made in the same engine as the Trails through Daybreak duology. And just like the Daybreak games, the remake pairs the franchise’s traditional turn-based combat system with real-time action gameplay.

The next all-new entry in the series, Trails Beyond the Horizon, is scheduled for January 15, 2026. Preorders are available for PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2. Like many Nihon Falcom games, the $60 Deluxe Edition of Trails Beyond the Horizon will be bundled with multiple goodies (an art book and digital soundtrack).

If you want to check out more Trails games, GameSpot sister site Fanatical has deals on a bunch of them for PC (Steam keys). Fanatical is also offering discounts on multiple games in the Ys series, Nihon Falcom’s long-running action-RPG franchise. Unlike the Trails series, Ys games largely standalone experiences, so you can play them in any order.

Nihon Falcom Games – Physical Editions

Trails through Daybreak II

We also rounded up a list of physical editions for PlayStation and Nintendo consoles that you can still buy for near MSRP or below.

Notable deals include Trails through Daybreak II: Deluxe Edition for PS5 and Nintendo Switch for $35 (was $60). Daybreak II released earlier this year, and this is by far the best price so far. You can also save big on Ys X: Nordics for PS4 or Nintendo Switch. Over at Amazon, Tokyo Xanadu eX+ for Nintendo Switch is up for grabs for $33 (was $50). Tokyo Xanadu isn’t related to Ys or Trails, but it’s an action-RPG that fans of both series would likely enjoy. Keep in mind that Nihon Falcom games generally don’t stay in print for long, and resellers often sell Trails games for far above MSRP.

Upcoming Nihon Falcom Games

Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom.



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IOTA rides rebased upgrade to record TVL as token breaks out
NFT Gaming

IOTA rides rebased upgrade to record TVL as token breaks out

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IOTA’s Rebased upgrade is paying off. Just months after launch, the layer-1 network has hit an all-time high $36 million in total value locked, fueled by double-digit staking yields and rising transaction activity — momentum that has chart watchers betting on a bullish breakout toward $0.50.

Summary

  • IOTA price token was flat on Sunday, Aug. 17. 
  • Its monthly network transactions jumped by over 30%.
  • The total value locked rose to a record high of $36 million.

IOTA transactions and TVL jumps

IOTA (IOTA) token was trading around $0.2125 at last check on Aug. 17, up by 50% from its lowest level this year. 

IOTA, a layer-1 network, is performing relatively well, just a few months after launching the Rebased upgrade. Rebased was a major upgrade that introduced more decentralization by adding new validators. 

It also enabled IOTA holders to stake their tokens and earn double-digit returns. Nansen data shows that it now has staking yield of 13%, higher than most coins. 

Rebased also introduced MoveVM smart contracts, enabling developers to build their decentralized applications in areas like DeFi and gaming. 

Data shows that the total value locked in IOTA’s platform has continued rising this month and currently stands at an all-time high. Swirl, the biggest liquid staking platform, jumped by 2.8% in the last 30 days to $17.14 million. 

Pools Finance’s TVL rose to $11 million, while Virtue has gained $8.14 million. This brings its TVL to $36 million, up from $10 million in July this year. While this TVL is still smaller compared to its peers, it is moving in the right direction.

IOTA’s network is also growing in terms of transaction growth. It handled 779,900 transactions in the last 30 days, a 31% increase, indicating that users are interacting with it. 

IOTA price technical analysis

IOTA price chart: Source: crypto.news

The daily timeframe chart shows that the IOTA token formed a double-bottom pattern at $0.1420, its lowest level in April and June this year. A double-bottom is a typical bullish reversal pattern characterized by two distinct lows and a neckline, which, in this case, is at $0.2742. 

IOTA token has moved slightly above the 50-day and 100-day moving averages. The Relative Strength Index and the MACD indicators have moved sideways.

Therefore, the IOTA price will likely bounce back and possibly retest the key resistance point at $0.2742, its highest point in May, and the neckline of the double-bottom pattern. 

A move above that level will indicate further gains, potentially reaching the psychological point at $0.50, which is up 135% from the current level. A drop below the double-bottom point will invalidate the bullish forecast.



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Picture of CoinDesk author CD Analytics
Crypto Trends

BNB Slips Below Key Support as Traders Brace for Maxwell Upgrade and Mideast Shockwaves

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BNB has fallen to $635, weathering a choppy market as traders brace for the Maxwell hard fork and rising geopolitical risk in the Middle East.

The token’s resilience comes as daily transactions on the BNB Chain have surged from 8 million to 17.6 million since mid-May, according to DeFiLlama data.

Scheduled for June 30, the Maxwell fork will reduce block times from 1.5 seconds to 0.75 seconds and bring in a series of improvements. It’s expected to improve transaction throughput and user experience.

Investors are also reacting to mounting global uncertainty. Crude prices have surged more than 10% over the past week as markets weigh the possibility of the United States entering the Israel-Iran conflict.

A shutdown of Iranian oil exports or closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reports, could drive oil to $130 a barrel, analysts at Oxford Economics warned. That could potentially push U.S. inflation to 6% and derail hopes for rate cuts this year.

In that environment, risk assets like BNB can see a sell-off as investors move to risk-off positioning.

Technical Analysis Overview

BNB is trading within a narrow range between $635 and $646, with volume confirming a solid support base at $638, as confirmed by a spike in volume.

Repeated attempts to break through resistance near $644.5–$645 failed, suggesting sellers are defending that zone, according to CoinDesk Research’s technical analysis model.

A volume burst of 4,222.99 tokens earlier corresponded with a rapid drop to $638, reinforcing that area as a support level that has now been breached as volumes tapered off for the weekend

Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy.



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Apple iPhone 16 Pro REVIEW
Gaming Gear

Ready for an iPhone upgrade? Here’s why you (probably) don’t need to buy a Pro

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At the risk of sounding like someone who’s old before his time, I have a fairly substantial list of tech pet peeves.

At the lower end of the scale, I don’t understand folks who hold their phone at a distance when having a conversation, nor am I a fan of using a phone without a case. But if there’s one thing that I just can’t get my head around, it’s the enduring popularity of Apple’s pro-level iPhones.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the likes of the iPhone 16 Pro. In fact, as a long-time iPhone user, I respect the device for being not just one of the best iPhones yet, but also one of the best phones, period. However, there seems to be a misunderstanding about who these top-tier iPhones are for.


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It’s a conundrum that feels far less pronounced in the Android world, particularly as, from my experience, I tend to see tons of people rocking well-priced mid-range phones like the Samsung Galaxy A56. With that in mind, I think it’s time to set the record straight among Apple’s closest devotees.

I’m talking specifically to those who have yet to pick up one of the latest iPhone Pros in the hopes that I can convince you of why you don’t need one, and how you can find a better deal overall by opting for a different Apple device.

The clue is in the name

The iPhone 16 Pro Max running iOS 18 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

I will admit that there are some aspects of the iPhone 16 Pro that make it an alluring buy to an unsuspecting upgrader. As has already been discussed in detail on TechRadar, Apple’s 120Hz ProMotion display is gorgeous, and it’s a shame that Apple hasn’t yet seen fit to lift the refresh rate on the iPhone 16 beyond 60Hz.

The titanium build of the latest pro-level iPhones also sounds like a tempting concept, particularly if you fall into the category of those who prefer not having a case on their phone, or are liable to drop their handset on a somewhat regular basis.

These are great features to have, but you can’t tell me that they are worth the $200 / $200 / AU$250 upsell against the price of the standard iPhone 16. So, the question remains – what are you really paying for in a phone that costs $999 / £999 / AU$1,849? It’s the cameras.

I’ve been using the iPhone 16 Plus for some time now, and its dual camera setup hasn’t let me down yet.

The triple-sensor array on both the 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is nothing short of exceptional, and while the triangular design they carry has become something of a status symbol in itself, I have to be honest – by going for a Pro, you’re only buying extra features that you don’t need, because the cameras on the iPhone 16 are already great.

I’ve been using the iPhone 16 Plus for some time now, and its dual camera setup hasn’t let me down yet. It’s held up by the constant refinement of Apple’s behind-the-scenes computational processing that makes it nearly impossible to take a bad picture.

The only thing missing on the standard 16/16 Plus phones is the ability to shoot in Apple ProRaw and the LOG video format, but both of these features can only be put to use properly by professionals. If you’re a content creator or a professional photographer, these features are well worth the investment as you’ll get stunning quality in return. But for the average consumer, they’re overkill.

Obsessing over cameras also overlooks the most crucial feature of all iPhones, the thing that keeps folks returning to Apple again and again: the software.

iOS is king for a reason

iOS 18 provides a great experience on all recent iPhones (Image credit: Apple)

Speaking for myself, there’s a reason why I’ve found it so hard to go back to Android, and it’s not just the digital ‘walled garden’ that Apple has created that makes such a feat trickier than it should be.

iOS is just easy to use, very intuitive, and brilliantly designed.

Even small things like the precise alignment of widgets are comforting – a feeling that’s exacerbated by Apple having some of the best versions of key apps around. The Weather app, for example, is clean and easy to understand, and Apple News is by far the most comprehensive app out there for staying on top of current events, particularly if you have a subscription to Apple News Plus.

This is why I can confidently recommend the iPhone 15 to friends and family in 2025, knowing that, in spite of the phone having a readily available successor, it can still provide a great overall experience thanks to the optimizations of iOS.

Plus, there’s a case to be made that the way to enjoy Apple’s ecosystem of services at their fullest is to invest in multiple products. So, to that end, I’d recommend picking up the iPhone 16 and putting the money you’ve saved against buying its Pro-level sibling towards a pair of AirPods Pro 2 or the highly underrated Apple Watch SE 2. You’ll thank me later.

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Doom: The Dark Ages' path tracing upgrade tested - maximum fidelity, reasonable performance
Game Reviews

Doom: The Dark Ages’ path tracing upgrade tested – maximum fidelity, reasonable performance

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Doom: The Dark Ages has finally received its promised path tracing upgrade on PC, adding a further dimension of visual fidelity to an already impressive game. To see how the new graphics mode compares to the standard RT available at launch, some testing was in order.

I ran the game on a high-end desktop PC with an RTX 5090 graphics in the new path tracing mode, while my colleague John tested the game on a laptop RTX 5090 with standard RT graphics. It made for a fascinating comparison, with some areas exhibiting just how good the standard RT graphics already were, while other scenes showed off the kind of uniquely realistic visuals that only path tracing can provide.

We opted for the second mission in the game, Hebeth, as it includes plenty of Doombase-style shiny surfaces and therefore ought to be a good showcase for the new graphics techniques in play.

Here’s the full video comparison of the new path tracing graphics in Doom: The Dark Ages versus the standard RT available previously. Watch on YouTube

One of the first thing we noticed is that the cutscenes show relatively few changes in side-by-side comparisons. That’s because the cutscenes are authored with plenty of extra light sources placed just where they’re needed to light subjects with the cinematography in mind, in comparison to gameplay which needs to look correct no matter what the player is doing. Given that the game already featured ray-traced global illumination (RTGI), that means these controlled scenes tend to look fairly similar between a PC running with standard RT and path tracing.

Once in gameplay, the stone floors near the start of the level provide our first out-and-out difference versus the standard RT presentation. With path tracing enabled, these rougher surfaces provide reflections, with bright nearby objects clearly visible, even when off-screen. By contrast, the standard RT look has a more conservative roughness cut-off, with only shiny surfaces sporting reflections. This even extends to your weapons, with the shotgun and other armaments reflecting bright light sources in the path tracing mode.

Interestingly, these reflections are often more mirror-like and coherent in the standard RT mode to save performance, whereas the path tracing has a duller but more realistic (and expensive) look.

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The path tracing BVH also includes elements that are dropped in the standard RT mode when they don’t appear on-screen, most notably force-fields and holograms, but there’s plenty of other particles, leaves and transparencies too. Objects in the reflection also sport more complex materials, which is quite evident in the glossier environments found in the interiors of this level.

Of course, the path tracing mode isn’t just about reflections – it also uses a higher number of bounces for its global illumination. This can make some scenes noticeably lighter, eg allowing light to bounce multiple times to reach an interior space from the sun and sky outside.

You can see more objects in the reflection with path tracing engaged – such as the pickups here – as well as seeing reflections on rougher, less glossy surfaces. | Image credit: Digital Foundry

The path tracing mode also suffers from fewer incidents of light leaking through solid walls to illuminate areas it shouldn’t, thanks to its more fine-grained per-pixel light calculations. Having the better denoiser of ray reconstruction enabled in the path tracing mode also gets rid of the stippled look of volumetric lighting in the standard RT mode.

Emissives are another area where the path tracing mode looks significantly more realistic. Light sources in your environment, such as fires, gun tracers and even LED light strips, actually produce light that shines on its surroundings with path tracing enabled, something that’s disabled in the standard RT mode.

The difference in lighting can be significant, with the larger number of light bounces allowing more accurate lighting of darkened spaces. | Image credit: Digital Foundry

Emissive lighting is another feature enabled in the path tracing mode, allowing for a greater number of light sources – which can combine beautifully with the improved RTGI and reflections. | Image credit: Digital Foundry

There are relatively few differences in terms of shadows, with most scenes taking place indoors and already featuring quite sharp shadows. Instead, you’ll see more noticable changes outdoors, where long distance shadows are sometimes presented more clearly in the path tracing mode that are incredibly soft and diffuse in the standard RT mode, due to how coarse the calculations are to save performance. There’s less shadow break-up in outdoor scenes too.

Speaking of performance, the full path tracing mode is light – at least in relative terms. We saw around a 39 percent drop in frame-rate with path tracing engaged versus standard RT in our test scene, using a high-end PC with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card and AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D using 4K DLSS Performance and ultra nightmare settings.

The path tracing mode of Doom: The Dark Ages is expensive, as you’d expect, but it works out as being an average 39 percent drop in performance versus the standard RT – one of the lighter performance penalties we’ve seen from a path tracing mode. | Image credit: Digital Foundry

That’s a significant drop, but still a smaller margin than we’ve seen in other games, like Cyberpunk 2077. It speaks to both how much RT is provided in the base game – and how well architected id’s latest release is, as we’ve come to expect from the studio.

Going through this footage, one thing that struck me is just how scalable Doom: The Dark Ages is. The game still looks pretty reasonable even on “low” settings or on more limited consoles like the Xbox Series S, but there’s a huge assortment of visual niceties that you can add on if you have the performance to spare.

This new path tracing mode is the logical conclusion, bringing unparalled realism to the game’s fantastical environments for those on higher-end PCs – and earning major plaudits for id’s top-tier developers.



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Acer Predator Connect W6x on a wooden table
Product Reviews

Acer Predator Connect W6x: an affordable Wi-Fi upgrade for owners of older computers and mobile devices

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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.

Acer Predator Connect W6x: One-Minute Review

Like most manufacturers, Acer has been focusing on the latest Wi-Fi 7 technology in its best routers and mesh systems.

One advantage of Wi-Fi 7 is its use of the high-speed 6.0GHz frequency band, which provides far higher speeds than previous versions of Wi-Fi. However, there are millions of people who are still using older computers and mobile devices that only support the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands used by the previous generations of Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6.

To provide a more affordable option for those users, Acer has also released the Predator Connect W6x, which provides basic dual-band Wi-Fi 6 support using the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands with a top speed of 6.0Gbps (and is also backwards-compatible with older devices that use Wi-Fi 5).


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Acer uses the Predator name for its range of gaming PCs and accessories, and while the Predator Connect W6x certainly isn’t the fastest router around it can still provide a fast, affordable option for gaming, streaming and other tasks at a very competitive price.

The only problem is finding the right router with the right model number on Acer’s perpetually unhelpful website.

(Image credit: Future)

Acer Predator Connect W6x: Price And Availability

  • How much does it cost? $169 / £99 / AU$299
  • When is it available? Now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Your first task is to make sure you find the correct model on Acer’s website, as the company sells a number of routers in the Predator Connect range that look almost identical and have very similar model numbers.

We tested the Predator Connect W6x, which you can spot by counting its array of six external antennae. However, there are also models called the Predator Connect W6 (eight antenna) and W6d (four antenna), which have very similar designs, although they do have slightly different technical specifications.

And Acer’s Australian website carelessly manages to refer to the W6x as being both a tri-band and dual-band router, depending on which web page you look at, so you really do need to take care when ordering online.

Assuming you manage to find the correct model, then the Predator Connect W6x is available directly from Acer in the US and Australia, priced at $169 / AU$299.

That’s a fairly competitive price when compared to similar Wi-Fi 6 routers, but it’s customers in the UK who seem to get the best deal, as the W6x costs just £99. It’s not sold on the Acer website in the UK, though, so you’ll need to shop around online.

Acer Predator Connect W6x: Design

(Image credit: Future)

  • Low-profile design
  • Eight external antennae
  • Four Ethernet ports for wired connections

The Acer Predator Connect W6x certainly looks like a gaming router, with a sombre black, low-profile design and an intimidating array of dagger-like antennae (that’s six antennae – count ‘em, not four or eight).

The body of the router stands just 50mm high, 270mm wide and 187mm deep, but the adjustable, rotating antennae are 170mm long so you’ll need plenty of room when you’re setting it up to make sure that the antennae can spread out and zap the Wi-Fi signal far and wide.

The affordable W6x doesn’t have the array of glowing lights that you find on some gaming routers, but Acer hasn’t cut too many corners in order to keep the price down.

The back panel of the router provides a 2.5Gb Ethernet port for a high-speed Internet connection, and there are four Gigabit Ethernet ports available for a gaming PC or console if you prefer a lag-free wired connection for your online gaming sessions.

There’s even a USB port for adding a network storage drive as well. This uses a USB-A (3.0) connector, rather than the faster USB-C, but that’s hardly a criticism at this price.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

Acer Predator Connect W6x: Features

  • Free security from Trend Micro
  • Free parental controls
  • QoS for gaming and streaming

The Predator Connect app provides a number of useful features, but it’s not as user-friendly as it could be.

The apps provided with many routers keep things simple by automatically combining the different frequency bands to create a single network, while others prefer to create a separate network for each frequency band.

The Predator app does neither of these things – it starts by simply filling the screen with the various network settings and leaves it up to the user to decide which options to choose.

That’s fine for more experienced users, but home users who aren’t familiar with terms such as ‘band-steering’ and ‘SSID’ may be a bit confused at this point.

Once that’s done, the app provides features such as the ability to create a guest network, or to block Internet access for individual devices. There’s also a QoS option – quality of service – that allows you to give priority to devices, such as a gaming PC or console, that require maximum performance.

Some features are made unnecessarily complicated, though. The app does include a number of security features and parental controls, and we were pleased to find that these are provided free of charge, with no need to pay an additional monthly subscription – as is the case with some of Acer’s rivals.

But, it’s strange that these are initially turned off within the Predator app, which simply tells you to leave the app and connect to the router using a web browser interface in order to activate these features.

Again, this is something that will appeal to more experienced users, but it could be confusing for people who have never used a browser interface to connect to their router before.

Acer Predator Connect W6x: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

  • Dual-band Wi-Fi 6
  • Top speed of 6Gbps
  • 2.5Gb Ethernet for broadband connection

Acer Predator Connect W6x: Benchmarks

Ookla Speed Test – 2.4GHz (download/upload)

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps/150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 70Mbps/70bps

20GB Steam Download – 2.4GHz

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 70Mbps

Ookla Speed Test – 5.0GHz (download/upload)

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps/150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps/150Mbps

20GB Steam Download – 5.0GHz

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps

The Predator Connect W6x isn’t a top-of-the-range router by any means, as it’s based on older Wi-Fi 6 technology.

Even so, its top speed of 6Gbps should be more than fast enough for most home broadband services. Our normal office router can only manage a top speed of around 80Mbps on the 2.4GHz band when running the Ookla speed test with devices in the same room.

That’s far short of the maximum 150Mbps available with our office Internet connection. Steam downloads struggle even more, at around 40Mbps. Switching to 5.0GHz on our office router provides some improvement, with the Ookla test rising to 120Mbp, and 100Mbps for Steam.

But, when connecting to devices that are nearby, the W6x breezed along at the maximum 150Mbps for both tests on both 2.4GHz and 5.0Ghz bands.

I also have an office at the back of my building that suffers from an annoying Wi-Fi ‘deadspot’ as my normal office router can’t provide a reliable signal in that location at all.

The W6x was able to reach that office, although its 2.4GHz band struggled a bit and dipped to 70Mbps for both Ookla and Steam.

Fortunately, the router’s 5.0GHz band stepped up to the plate and quickly boosted both Steam and Ookla tests up to the full 150Mbps once more.

So while the Acer Predator Connect W6x might not be the fastest router around, it does perform pretty well for an affordable Wi-Fi 6 router and could be a good upgrade for owners of older Wi-Fi 5 routers (especially for £99 in the UK).

Swipe to scroll horizontallyShould you buy the Acer Predator Connect W6x?

Category

Verdict

Score

Value

It’s not going to break any speed records, but the W6x is a good, affordable upgrade for people who are still using an old router provided by their ISP.

4.5/5

Design

It doesn’t have any flashing lights for gamers, but the low-profile design looks smart, and the array of eight antenna provides good Wi-Fi coverage.

4/5

Features

The Predator app has some rough edges, but the W6x provides good wired connectivity, along with security features and parental controls that don’t require an extra monthly subscription.

4/5

Performance

The Predator app has some rough edges, but the W6x provides good wired connectivity, along with security features and parental controls that don’t require an extra monthly subscription.

4/5

Overall

It’s certainly not state-of-the-art, but if you just want to replace an old Wi-Fi 5 router then the W6x does the job at a very competitive price.

4/5

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Acer Predator Connect W6x: Also consider

Swipe to scroll horizontallyAcer Predator Connect W6x vs its competition

Router

Acer Predator Connect W6x

Acer Predator Connect T7

Netgear Nighthawk RS200

Price (as reviewed)

$169/£99/AU$299

$329.99/£236.22/AU$699.00

$229.99/£199.99/AU$449

Wi-Fi Type

Dual-band Wi-Fi 6

Tri-band Wi-Fi 7

Dual-band Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi Speed

6Gbps

11Gbps

6.5Gbps

Connectivity

1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN), 4x Gigabit Ethernet (LAN), 1x USB-A (3.0)

1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN), 2x Gigabit Ethernet (LAN), 1x USB-C (2.0)

1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN), 1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (LAN), 3x Gigabit Ethernet (LAN), 1x USB-A (3.0)

Processor

Quad-core 2.0GHz

Quad-core 1.5GHz

Quad-core 2.0GHz

Memory

1GB RAM

1GB RAM

2GB RAM

Storage

256MB Flash

512MB Flash

512MB Flash

Dimensions

49.5 x 270 x 187mm

212 x 109 x 109mm

249 x 150 x 102mm

  • First reviewed: June 2025



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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Product Reviews

I’ve spent 150 hours with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and the Switch 2 Edition is an incredible upgrade

by admin



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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.

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: June 05, 2025

Nintendo is bringing enhanced versions of Nintendo Switch games to the Nintendo Switch 2 and has decided to introduce the new system with the original console’s most iconic launch game: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

I was unsure how it would feel going back to this game after playing the vastly expanded sequel Tears of the Kingdom (which also got a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition release), but even without the mechanical depth of its sequel, Breath of the Wild is still one of the finest games ever made.

Free bird

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Despite being the series’ first time tackling a true 3D open world format, Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is nonetheless exceptionally impressive. Outside of a very brief introduction, the player is given complete freedom to explore Hyrule at their own pace and leisure. You’re able to go have a scrap with Ganon right away after making it out of the starting area, or you can explore every inch of the world, befriending the various people of Hyrule.


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  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Switch) at Walmart for $69

This freedom extends to the game mechanics, too. Right away you’re given a set of tools, and from there you can do as you please. It’s the type of game where you have a really daft idea – like cutting down a tree to have it roll down and take out the enemy camp, throwing your metal sword at an enemy during a thunderstorm to have lightning strike them down, or picking up a laser turret to use as a makeshift weapon of your own – and it’ll (usually) work.

One of the game’s most derided mechanics is weapon durability, which means every single item you use can – and eventually will – break on you. But in many ways it’s a perfect encapsulation of what makes Breath of the Wild so brilliant, as that spark of experimentation is forced out of you as you have to think on your feet once your best weapon breaks. Even eight years on, there aren’t many open-world games that can stand up to this.

Switch it up

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Of course, this is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Unlike other Nintendo Switch 2 editions of games, like the upcoming Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, there’s not actually any new content being added to the game this time around. You don’t even get the pre-existing DLC for Breath of the Wild by buying the full version of the game. Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are purely technical upgrades on Switch 2, which is somewhat remedied by the fact they are included with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription tier.

Best bit

(Image credit: Nintendo)

For anyone who played the game on Switch or Wii U, you’ll know just how choppy the framerate in Korok Forest was. Going there and seeing it stick at a solid 60fps was the moment I knew there was no turning back.

However, even if there’s nothing new, Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is well worth the upgrade. The game now runs at 1080p in handheld mode and supports 4K in docked mode, paired with HDR that makes the already wonderfully colorful game pop even more. Both modes run at a solid 60fps throughout too. Booting up Breath of the Wild and seeing it run at double the framerate almost felt wrong because of how used to it I am, but it’s an incredibly welcome upgrade.

And of course, the first thing I did as soon as I went into my old save (there are two whole save slots now, which is both a godsend and underwhelming) was go to the infamous Korok Forest – which would absolutely tank the framerate in the original release. Lo and behold, it ran perfectly. Sure, that’s the type of thing you might expect on more powerful hardware, but when you’ve suffered through that original Korok Forest on Wii U or Switch, it really puts things into perspective.

Note it down

(Image credit: Nintendo)

I said that Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition doesn’t have anything new in-game, but that’s not the case for the Nintendo Switch Online app, which has added the Zelda Notes feature. This is a companion app that allows you to do a bunch of stuff in-game, such as finding the locations of remaining shrines with a GPS navigation voice telling you where to go and a daily bonus wheel that will give you a roulette wheel that includes prizes like free meals, full health, or even the ability to repair your weapons.

However, the most impactful part of Zelda Notes are the ‘Voice Memories’. These are scattered all across the map, and when you walk in the vicinity of one (of which there are over 100), you’ll hear a voice memo from Princess Zelda set 100 years before the events of the game while preparing for the first calamity. These are wonderful little lore dumps that made the experience of exploring Hyrule again a total joy. It goes without saying that actually having these added to the game as opposed to needing to keep my phone on would be a far more preferable option.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a great – if barebones – update to what was already one of the greatest games of all time. However, the framerate and resolution updates alone make this one worth checking out, especially if you’ve never played it before. Though, if the technical side of things isn’t a priority for you, you’ll probably be let down by the lack of new content – unless you fancy having your phone out the whole time for that Zelda Notes functionality.

Should you buy The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Accessibility

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition doesn’t have much going on with it accessibility wise. While you still have access to gyro aiming and the ability to rebind your controls from the Switch 2 menu (which won’t translate to the correct button prompts in-game), there’s nothing much to write home about.

How I reviewed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

I played 10 hours of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition on top of the 140 hours I played of the game on the original Nintendo Switch. During this time I first played the opening hours of the game again on a fresh save, got myself off the great plateau and explored the world. I then jumped into my old save to test out the Zelda Notes app by finding Shrines I missed the first time around and Voice Memories.

I played this in a mixture of handheld mode on the Nintendo Switch 2 itself and on a Samsung Q60D TV and a Samsung HW-T450 soundbar using the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller.

First reviewed June 2025

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition: Price Comparison



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How Long Is The Switch 2 Upgrade?
Game Reviews

How Long Is The Switch 2 Upgrade?

by admin



Image: Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched with the Nintendo Switch in 2017, and the game’s Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade has ensured that it remains as relevant as ever. And whether Link’s first truly open-world game is calling to you for the first time, or you’re a returning veteran looking to re-explore Hyrule once again (with improved visuals and performance)there’s a substantial amount of content here. If you want to put a number to things, though, that’s going to be a bit complicated. Read on to understand why.

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How long does it take to beat The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild?

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an enormous game teeming with things to do around every corner of its vast open world. As such, the amount of time spent exploring this version of Hyrule will vary from person to person based on how much of the game’s optional content they wish to see. But that variation may be significantly more extreme than you’d expect.

If you want to complete literally everything in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you can reach beyond 300 hours of total playtime

With a playthrough focused solely on beating the main campaign, players can expect to see the credits roll after 25-35 hours. And while there’s no right or wrong way to play the game, skipping so much of what it has to offer leaves a lot of wonderful experiences on the table.

Many players may find they want to engage with a significant portion of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s optional content, such as completing most side-quests, finishing every shrine, and exploring unique areas within the open world. Doing so can stretch the game’s length to a staggering 150-200 hours. Yeah, it’s a lot. But there’s more.

If you want to complete literally everything in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you can reach beyond 300 hours of total playtime. This is obviously a task best reserved for the franchise’s most dedicated fans, as it requires an immense amount of work. But for those looking to truly absorb every morsel of Zelda goodness, there are months of fun to be had here.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available now for Nintendo Switch. A Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade for the game is also available at an additional cost, providing upgraded visuals and performance.

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Yakuza 0 Director's Cut Is a Punchy (But Pricey) Upgrade For Diehard Fans and Newcomers
Game Updates

Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut Is a Punchy (But Pricey) Upgrade For Diehard Fans and Newcomers

by admin



It’s more or less agreed that Yakuza 0 is really good–many will even say the best in the whole series. But with the Switch 2’s launch lineup being somewhat sparse, Sega (and Nintendo, which has timed exclusivity on this edition) are likely hoping players want to complement their Mario Karting, Cyberpunk 2077ing, and Street Fighting with a hard-hitting open-world adventure. But is it worth it? It really depends.

At $50, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is cheaper than many of the other Switch 2 launch games, and there’s a lot to do here between the lengthy, dual-protagonist narrative and the surprisingly involving minigames. You can easily get hundreds of hours of gameplay out of Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut, and that’s not even taking into account the new content.

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Now Playing: Switch 2’s Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut Is An Upgraded Version Aimed At Old And New Fans

The first major difference is the addition of new voice and subtitle tracks. Your choice of voice actors is down to personal preference, but for me, the Japanese ones are too iconic to switch away from. Chinese and English voice tracks have been recorded for the entire game. If you’re a series veteran, you’ll also notice that the demo cinematic features the Japanese rock song “Bubble” by Shounan no Kaze–a song featured in the original Yakuza 0’s Japanese release but excised overseas. It’s back, it’s rockin’, and it sets the stage for a grand old time in 1988 Bubble Era Japan.

At the title screen, there’s a mode selectable right off the bat: Red Light Raid, which has you and up to four online or offline companions beating up waves of hooligans for fun and profit. I was intrigued by this mode, hoping it might serve as a callback to classic multiplayer arcade brawlers–some of which were made by Sega itself. What I actually got was somewhat underwhelming: You pick a character out of a massive roster (many of which require a good amount of in-game cash to unlock) and take them into battle with up to four player- or CPU-controlled companions. You’ll pick a challenge, fight wave after wave of enemies, sometimes encountering a boss fight, before dealing with a final boss. Finishing a challenge run earns you lots of sweet, sweet yen.

The Director’s Cut looks on par with the original game on PS4.

You can do all the fun head-cracking, chest-smashing moves here as you can in the base game (though both Kiryu and Majima require you to pick one fighting style and stick with it). It’s a way to play as characters who are otherwise uncontrollable in the base game, which is nice. But overall it feels undercooked: Characters vary wildly in usefulness, and the sessions can devolve into messy chaos, especially in dark settings and on the Switch 2’s handheld mode. It’s obvious this game’s combat, which frequently takes place in narrow streets, corridors, and cluttered rooms, wasn’t built for multiplayer originally—and it frequently feels crowded and hard to get your bearings even on more open arenas. There’s a mix of character models and moves mostly mashed together from this game and others in the series, including a lot of barely-seen NPCs. Still, if you can get your friend group together in a GameChat channel as you play, you’ll have some fun.

Graphically, I didn’t notice any major changes or upgrades compared to the PS4 original–the textures look mostly identical and the character models seem to be a 1:1 port, though the Switch 2 version does include 4K support.

The Director’s Cut adds five brand-new cutscenes to the game’s story.

One of the bigger selling points has been the addition of five brand-new cutscenes–almost a half-hour’s worth. I got the impression that these new scenes were meant to give some additional screen time to characters who fell by the wayside in the original, along with additional screentime for the Kiryu and Nishikiyama duo. They’re certainly a nice addition, though how much you’ll get from them depends on how invested in the cast you are.

Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is definitely an upgrade–but the biggest elephant in the room is that the original Yakuza 0 has frequently gone on very deep discount on Steam and elsewhere; during some sales, you could pick this saga up for well under $10. Even at a lower-than-average price of $50, this poses the question: Do the additional cutscenes, voice/subtitle languages, and other extra content in Director’s Cut make up for that big price hike? For me, no–I like this series a lot, but I’m not hungry enough for new Yakuza to want to pay a huge premium for some extras that ultimately don’t add all that much. But if you can’t get enough of that crime drama, English isn’t your first language, or you just have to have an English or Chinese voice track, then go ahead and grab it–it’s a fantastic time.



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How To Upgrade All Skills
Game Updates

How To Upgrade All Skills

by admin



Screenshot: Krafton

As a life simulation game with limitless potential, you could very well craft a version of yourself in inZoi without social anxiety—a version of you that excels in your dream job, a chance to live vicariously through your virtual character. At least, that’s how I usually play. But to reach such a point, you require a firm understanding of the skills in inZoi, along with how to improve each of them!

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Upgrading all of the skills in inZoi

Screenshot: Krafton / Brandon Morgan / Kotaku

There are currently seventeen active skills available in inZOI, with more to come. For instance, the Parenting skill is not yet available in Early Access, though it’s coming in a future content update, as you can read parenting books that will increase the skill passively. For now, we’ll focus on those we can upgrade here and now:

Art

  • Ages: Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged Adult, Elder
  • Upgrade: You can upgrade the Art skill by painting on an easel or a mural space, or appreciating art at a gallery or another Zoi’s house.

Charm

  • Ages: Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged Adult, Elder
  • Upgrade: You can upgrade the Charm skill by engaging in romantic conversations or reading speech-related books.

Coffee Craft

  • Ages: Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged Adult, Elder
  • Upgrade: Coffee Craft is, as its name suggests, solely revolving around the art of making coffee and, as such, is upgraded by brewing coffee.

Cooking

  • Ages: Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged Adult, Elder
  • Upgrade: To improve your Cooking skill, spend some time in the kitchen, either cooking meals or experimenting with new recipes.

Creativity

  • Ages: Children
  • Upgrade: Children can improve their Creativity skill by playing instruments, drawing, painting, and playing video games.

Critical Thinking

  • Ages: Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged Adult, Elder
  • Upgrade: To improve the Critical Thinking skill, spend time writing, studying, solving puzzles, or reading logic books.

Fitness

  • Ages: Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged Adult, Elder
  • Upgrade: The Fitness skill improves easily over time by focusing on treadmills, yoga mats, and fitness machines.

Gardening

  • Ages: Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged Adult, Elder
  • Upgrade: You can improve Gardening by…gardening. If you have a bonsai tree in your house, tending to that also improves your skill.

Housework

  • Ages: Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged Adult, Elder
  • Upgrade: Spend a bit of time each day cleaning, repairing, refurbishing, or crafting furniture to upgrade the Housework skill.

Instrument

  • Ages: Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged Adult, Elder
  • Upgrade: By playing instruments or composing music, you’ll slowly increase your Instrument level over time.

Media Production

  • Ages: Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged Adult, Elder
  • Upgrade: Editing videos, taking photographs, and selling videos can help increase the Media Production skill line.

Motor Development

  • Ages: Children
  • Upgrade: For children, spending time working out on a treadmill, using a yoga mat, or playing with a ball will gradually increase their Motor Development skill.

Performance

  • Ages: Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged Adult, Elder
  • Upgrade:

Programming

  • Ages: Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged Adult, Elder
  • Upgrade: To upgrade Programming, a Young Adult and up can play video games or practice programming on a computer.

Responsibility

  • Ages: Children
  • Upgrade: Children will increase their Responsibility skill by completing self-directed tasks, including cleaning.

Rhetoric

  • Ages: Teenager, Young Adult, Adult, Middle-Aged Adult, Elder
  • Upgrade: Greeting other Zois, engaging in casual conversations, and offering advice can lead to plentiful boosts in Rhetoric.

Social

  • Upgrade: Children will slowly improve their Social skill by talking and interacting with friends.

inZOI is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PC. It’s still early days, as the life simulation launched in Early Access, but fans seem smitten with the Sims-alternative already.



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