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Rothschild Upgrades Coinbase To “Buy,” Flags Risks For Circle And Robinhood
GameFi Guides

Rothschild Upgrades Coinbase to “Buy,” Flags Risks for Circle and Robinhood

by admin October 3, 2025



Rothschild & Co Redburn shifted its outlook on Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) to “Buy” on October 3, 2025, raising the price target to $417. The bank’s analysts pointed to stronger revenue diversification and the projected expansion of USDC’s market capitalization as the main factors supporting the upgrade.

According to the reports, lower U.S. interest rates could weigh on short-term revenue, but this is expected to be offset by the expansion of USDC. 

Why Coinbase?

Coinbase’s role in the stablecoin’s ecosystem, combined with its broader shift toward subscription and service revenue, was described as a key driver for the stock’s long-term outlook.

Rothschild also provided updated data points for investors. The bank adjusted its Coinbase price target from $372 to $417, estimating an upside of 12.1%.

At the time of writing, Coinbase stock (COIN) was trading at $378. The firm also initiated coverage of Circle Internet Group (CRCL) with a “Neutral” rating and a $136 target price, compared with its current trading level of $155.79, according to TradingView.

Risks flagged for Circle and Robinhood

Alongside its positive assessment of Coinbase, Rothschild highlighted concerns about Circle, pointing to its revenue-sharing model as a possible vulnerability. The bank also reiterated a “Sell” rating on Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD), arguing the stock is “priced for perfection” and may not reflect potential downside risks.

Broader market context

The diverging ratings reflect how traditional financial analysts are assessing varying strategies in the crypto sector. Coinbase is viewed as having revenue support from USDC growth, while Circle and Robinhood face questions tied to their business models. 

The mixed outlook highlights that investor sentiment toward publicly traded crypto firms remains shaped by both opportunities around stablecoins and ongoing risks from regulation and market conditions.

Also read: Coinbase Hits $1B Milestone in Bitcoin-Backed Onchain Loans



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October 3, 2025 0 comments
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Apple’s ‘Veritas’ chatbot is reportedly an employee-only test of Siri’s AI upgrades
Gaming Gear

Apple’s ‘Veritas’ chatbot is reportedly an employee-only test of Siri’s AI upgrades

by admin September 29, 2025


According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman Apple is testing Siri’s upcoming revamp using an internal chatbot called Veritas. The company’s struggles as it tries to keep pace in the AI race are no secret. The next-gen Siri has been delayed multiple times and the debut of Apple Intelligence was met with a tepid response. Veritas gives Apple the ability to quickly develop, test, and collect feedback on new Siri features like “search[ing] through personal data… and perform[ing] in-app actions like editing photos.“

According to Gurman Veritas resembles other chatbot apps like ChatGPT and Gemini. Employees type requests, have back and forth conversations, and can even revisit old exchanges to dig deeper on a particular topic. But, at least for now, it doesn’t appear like there’s any plan to release it to consumers. (Which Gurman believes is a mistake.) Instead Apple plans to keep its internal chatbot just that, internal. Instead it’s looking increasingly likely that Apple is going to rely on Google’s Gemini for its AI-powered search.



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September 29, 2025 0 comments
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iOS 26 Just Gave Your AirPods a Bunch of Free Upgrades
Gaming Gear

iOS 26 Just Gave Your AirPods a Bunch of Free Upgrades

by admin September 15, 2025


Apple’s iOS 26 is finally out, and with its release, there’s a lot to officially unpack (sorry, beta features don’t count). Naturally, most of the new stuff pertains to your iPhone; you’ve got Visual Intelligence, which allows AI to both see and interact with your screen; Live Translation in the Messages, FaceTime, and Phone apps; and a new, streamlined Camera app that should make it easier to switch between video and still photo modes.

But it’s not all about the iPhone. Buried in all those feature tweaks and upgrades are some substantive improvements to AirPods, and the best part is you don’t need to rush out to buy the AirPods Pro 3 to take advantage. With a firmware update rolled out on Sept. 15, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 (when coupled with iOS 26) get all of the features listed below with just a download.

If you’ve got compatible AirPods and an iPhone, here’s everything coming your way—for free!

Camera Control

© Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

Sure, you could take pictures the old-fashioned way by tapping the shutter button in your Camera app, but this is 2025, and it’s time to step into the future. In iOS 26, you can use AirPods to snap photos with the new Camera Control feature. Once enabled (go to settings, your name, and then Camera Control), you can select a gesture to use the feature when you have the Camera app open. Your options are either “Press once” or “Press and hold” on your AirPods stems, and both will initiate a countdown until a picture is taken.

This might not be a feature you’re using all the time, but if you’re in a situation where you don’t want to fumble around with your iPhone, it could come in handy.

Battery notifications

If you have battery anxiety about your AirPods, Apple is throwing you a bone in iOS 26 with notifications that tell you when your wireless earbuds are fully charged. Perhaps more helpfully, it will also tell you when your case needs to be juiced up so you don’t leave the house with dead AirPods.

“Studio quality” recording

© Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

This one is for all the podcasters and YouTubers. According to Apple, iOS 26 brings better recording quality to AirPods, thanks in part to the H2 chip first introduced on the AirPods Pro 2. Using the beamforming microphones, Apple says its recording quality upgrade will also work better in noisy environments.

That same upgrade will also equate to what Apple is calling “more natural vocal texture and clarity” with calls and FaceTime. Even better, the upgrade isn’t just for iPhone, but also iPad and Mac, and works across features like Voice Memos, dictation in Messages, and video conferencing apps like Webex. I’ll have to test this feature out myself to see how “studio quality” it is, but on the surface, it sounds great, no pun intended.

Sleep detection

I hate sleeping with wireless earbuds in, but that doesn’t mean I’ve never tried. I’ve personally never fallen asleep with AirPods or any other pair stuck in my ears, but if you have, then Apple now has a feature for that. For AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4, iOS 26 can detect when you’ve fallen asleep and pause the content you’re listening to. I wouldn’t want this feature activated if you’re trying to block out someone’s snoring, but if you’re listening to a podcast, this could help make sure you don’t miss all the gory details of that true crime fodder you like to nod off to.

Live Translation

AirPods Pro 3 aren’t the only buds capable of using Apple’s new Live Translation feature—a pair of AirPods with an H2 chip and ANC (AirPods Pro 2 with Lightning and USB-C, and AirPods 4 with ANC) can also get in on the action, and all you need is an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone running iOS 26. ICYMI, Live Translation is exactly what it sounds like: a feature that is able to translate speech in real-time. That all runs on-device, too. If you want to know more about how Live Translation works, you can read more from our AirPods Pro 3 review.



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September 15, 2025 0 comments
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12th September video game roundup: Nintendo mixes Switch 2 upgrades and new games in latest Direct
Game Updates

12th September video game roundup: Nintendo mixes Switch 2 upgrades and new games in latest Direct

by admin September 13, 2025


Update: The day is done. The Direct is done, and it’s given us plenty to think about. Have a lovely weekend.

It’s Nintendo Direct time. At 2pm UK time (9am ET, 6am PT, 3pm CEST), Nintendo will give us an hour-long look at what it’s been cooking up.

We’ve been promised updates and releases for both Switch consoles, old and new, and the pressing question for this Direct broadcast is will it feature Mario? Remember, it’s the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. this weekend, so now would be a great time to unveil something new. But what?

The Mario Galaxy team was behind Donkey Kong Bananza, so perhaps it’s a follow up to the 2D Mario Wonder from 2023. Or perhaps it’s something else altogether. Besides Mario, we’re hoping for a release date for Metroid Prime 4. And a lovely basket of surprises besides.

Tom and I will be delivering the blow-by-blow report, and after the show ends, we’ll continue the day’s liveblogging here.

Watch on YouTube

Our live coverage of this event has finished.

Coverage
Comments

12:40 pm
UTC

It’s Nintendo time!


Here we are with a full-fat showcase on the way. What are you hoping to see?

Robert Purchese

12:48 pm
UTC

chesterBox says: Afternoon!
What I’m hoping to see is not realistically possible but…new Zelda only for Switch 2 would be extremely cool. (i know, i know it’s many years away).


Aside from that bunch of dedicated Switch 2 titles, new Mario Odyssey?

Don’t limit those dreams, Chester! I’d take an exclusive new Zelda too.

Robert Purchese

12:51 pm
UTC

Creeping Death says: A Prime 4 release date is a pretty safe bet, I think. My money is on November.


Completely out of the box, I’d love to see a new Fatal Frame or some re-release of 1 – 3 announced.


Honestly, I just want to see some games for the rest of the year that I actually want to buy.

Fatal Frame! That’s a great shout.

Robert Purchese

12:52 pm
UTC

2much says: My number one desire is for a new Fire Emblem announcement, ideally by the same team as Three Houses. I’m not expecting us to see a new Animal Crossing, Smash Bros, or 3D Zelda, but obviously those would be nice. I’d like a new 3D Mario game but my suspicion is that we’ll be seeing a new 2D Mario game. What I really want is to see something really out there that’s really high effort and shows to me that Nintendo are excited about the Switch 2. MKW and DKB were great but I want to see something whose development didn’t start on the Switch.

I’d take a new Fire Emblem!

Robert Purchese

12:52 pm
UTC

SBandy says: New Star Fox, New Wave Race, New F-Zero, Eternal Darkness anything.


N64 remaster collection from Nightdive Studios.


Ability to turn off the godawful borders on the online Nintendo Classic games.


DIDDY.KONG.RACING.

I wish patch notes read like: “Ability to turn off the godawful borders on the online Nintendo Classic games.”

Robert Purchese

12:53 pm
UTC

Afternoon everyone. Morning, if you’re in the US. The resident Nintendo hater has logged on! I say that because I’ve been called it in the past. It’s not true. I simply didn’t enjoy Disaster: Day of Crisis on the Wii, so someone sent me a death threat.

Happy Nintendo Direct everyone!

Tom Orry

12:54 pm
UTC

Incidentally, there sort-of is a new Star Fox in development from one of the people who made the original. It’s called Wild Blue.

Watch on YouTube

Robert Purchese

12:55 pm
UTC

mcmahonman says: I’m hoping for a re-release/sequel of Super Mario Bros 35(40 in this case.) The original was incredibly good fun and I’m sure there is more you can do with that idea.

Goodness me I must have missed dozens of those Mario games. I don’t remember us getting to 35!

Dad jokes are a given gratis here, by the way.

Robert Purchese

12:56 pm
UTC

I love Mario Galaxy 2. As much as Mario 64 was “my” Mario game as a kid, Galaxy 2 is incredible.

Tom Orry

12:56 pm
UTC

About Doubt says: Silksong release date!

Haha – well played!

Robert Purchese

12:57 pm
UTC

About Doubt says: Silksong release date!

What if they un-release it! Would be a big shock announcement as the “final thing”.

Tom Orry

12:59 pm
UTC

One minute to go…

Tick tick tick. We’re getting there. Buckle up!

Robert Purchese

12:59 pm
UTC

WithLove&Squalor says: BLOODBORNE 2 WHEN

Preach! Preach!

Robert Purchese

13:00 pm
UTC

Started spontaneously whistling a Galaxy 2 tune. Anyone guess what it is?

Tom Orry

13:00 pm
UTC

And we’re off!


Here we go. The show starts. Some jaunty shapes act all jauntily on screen. They are Nintendo shapes, a special breed. They work together like ants to make a Nintendo Direct logo. What poetic coverage!


Mario starts us! We see sketches from various Mario games…

Robert Purchese

13:02 pm
UTC


There’s Shigeru Miyamoto. Apparently he used to smoke like a chimney. He’s talking about the 40th anniversary tomorrow.


He’s talking about how Mario games have been supported by evolutions in technology. Is Nintendo making a VR headset as well?


From now until next September, tickets to the Nintendo Museum design show will be free, he says. You just need a plane ticket to Japan first.

Robert Purchese

13:03 pm
UTC


Nintendo opened a theme park in America, too, he’s telling us. And now he’s jumped back to Japan to tell us about a marathon in Kyoto. You can print a special Nintendo bib for the race apparently. But again, you’ll need to actually get there.


Right. Enough of that. Coming next spring…

Robert Purchese

13:03 pm
UTC

Nintendo announces Super Mario Galaxy film coming April 2026


This must be a look at the new Super Mario Bros. film!

Robert Purchese

13:04 pm
UTC


Mario’s asleep by a tree in a lush green field. Then the camera flies through a verdant land.


The Super Mario Galaxy Movie!


Nintendo is working with Illumination on the movie. It’s coming in April 2026.

Robert Purchese

13:06 pm
UTC

Why does it feel like this guy is talking to young children?

Tom Orry

13:07 pm
UTC


We’re hearing from Illumination person, um, something or other, who’s talking very slowly to the camera.


Chris Pratt is Mario again. Anya Taylor-Joy is Peach. Charlie Day is Luigi. Jack Black is Bowser. Keegan-Michael Key is Toad. And Kevn Michael Richards is Kamek.

Robert Purchese

13:08 pm
UTC

Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 double-pack for Switch 2 announced


A Super Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2 double-pack is coming to Switch 2. They don’t look to have been changed very much. I wonder if we’ll hear more about technical improvements, if there are any.

They’re coming 2nd October.


I imagine they’ll cost a pretty penny.

Robert Purchese

13:10 pm
UTC


Koizumi-san is here now to tell us more about the two Galaxy games. He’s recapping the concept. You can read Rosalina’s book in both games, he’s telling us. And it’s going to be available as a real-life product.


Oh and that’s it – more details to come.

Robert Purchese

13:11 pm
UTC

Tom Orry

13:13 pm
UTC


Now Nintendo is going to introduce some other Mario games coming to Switch 2.


Mario Tennis Fever. There are new defensive manouevres in it and Fever rackets, which are like super-charged tennis rackets. You can freeze a court with an ice racket. There’s a mini-mushroom racket, a shadow racket. There are 30 Fever rackets each with their own abilities.


“A talking flower provides riveting commentary in Tournament mode.” The trailer narrator really just said that.

Robert Purchese

13:14 pm
UTC

Mario Tennis Fever launches February 2026


And it’s got an Adventure mode where you can play as Mario babies, which is a weird sentence to write. Mario Tenns Fever launches 12th February 2026.

Robert Purchese

13:14 pm
UTC

I think from now on I’m going to say “and” like “Annnnnnnd” after hearing this Tennis man say it. Might make it my whole identity.

Tom Orry

13:15 pm
UTC

Super Mario Bros Wonder Switch 2 Edition announced


Super Mario Bros Wonder now. But it’s just a Switch 2 edition, sigh.


It’s got an attached meet-up in Bellabel Park mode, which looks like it comes with some more multiplayer party-game modes.

Robert Purchese

13:16 pm
UTC

2much says: We’re gonna see so many Switch 1 games resold to use as Switch 2 editions aren’t we? This is gonna be the thing that makes me mad during every Direct, isn’t it?

It’s got that feel to it!

Robert Purchese

13:16 pm
UTC


So yes, Bellabel park is all about packing various versions of multiplayer content. As to the other new stuff in Super Mario Bros. Wonder Switch 2 Edition, we’ll have to wait and see.


The game is out in spring 2026.

Robert Purchese

13:17 pm
UTC

Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t understand why these Switch 2 add-ons for Switch games are only for Switch 2. Nothing here seems like it wouldn’t be fine on the OG Switch, which still has a big audience.

Tom Orry

13:18 pm
UTC

Nintendo is making an actual Talking Flower toy


You know that talking flower Nintendo has been talking about during this broadcast? They’re making an actual toy of it. It looks like a minuature gramaphone. It’s coming out in the spring.


It’s Alarmo all over again isn’t it.

Robert Purchese

13:19 pm
UTC

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book looks lovely


We’re onto a Yoshi game now, which seems to involve Yoshi reading a flower-themed book at the moment. Yoshi then teleports into the book to explore, and then eats the flower and plops it out as an egg to find out more.


As you adventure through the book, it’ll fill out, just like books do in the real world.


It’s very cute looking, whatever this game is – papery, slightly slower frames per second to look stop animated.


“A page-turning adventure awaits.”


It’s Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. Spring 2026.

Robert Purchese

13:20 pm
UTC

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book looks brilliant.

Tom Orry

13:20 pm
UTC

Rogueywon says: We’re certainly all-in on the talking flower here.


I like that they haven’t even bothered to think up a name for it. It’s just “talking flower.

Haha – quite!

Robert Purchese

13:21 pm
UTC


We’re getting an update on games coming to Switch now. This is a side-scrolling roguelike called, um, Cryptoka. Crypto-something or other. I’m good at this aren’t I? There’s co-op. It’s not called Crypto-something at all!


It’s called Storm Lancers and it’s out today.

Robert Purchese

13:22 pm
UTC

I’m Australian so I can definitively say that this is exactly what being in Australia is like.

Tom Orry

13:22 pm
UTC


A charming Australian-themed survival sim now, which has Animal Crossing vibes x Minecraft. Dinkum, it’s called, which is very Australian. It’s coming 6th November. A demo is out later today.

Robert Purchese

13:23 pm
UTC


Another co-op game here, a third-person action game but also a puzzle game, based around shooting coloured-bullets at coloured sections of enemies. There’s a party mode for more players too.


Popucom. Coming this winter.

Robert Purchese

13:24 pm
UTC


I’m not the only one who thought that name was a bit… rude, right?

Robert Purchese

13:26 pm
UTC

The voices of the Miis are real right? I’m not hallucinating?

Tom Orry

13:26 pm
UTC

New Tomodachi Life brings Mii avatars back but has horrid AI robo voices


A Mii-using island adventure now. Oh god AI voices. Then they live on an Animal Crossing-like island somewhere.


It’s a bit Simsy. You pick up other characters to make them talk to each other. They’ve got a garbled language, too.


Oh, you can tickle them? That’s weird.


It’s Tomocachi Life: Living the Dream, coming next spring

Robert Purchese

13:27 pm
UTC


Digital Eclipse’s Mortal Kombat Legacy Collection is coming to Switch. It is excellent. It’s coming 30th November.

Robert Purchese

13:28 pm
UTC

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Integrade coming to Switch 2


The Final Fantasy 7 Remake is coming to Switch 2 in 22nd January 2026.

Robert Purchese

13:29 pm
UTC

Rogueywon says: Ok, it’s official: InZoi is no longer the creepiest Sims-clone around.

I think we’ll all be checking under the bed for creepy-voiced Miis before going to sleep tonight.

Tom Orry

13:30 pm
UTC


It’s Hades 2!


A glitzy cinematic trailer for Hades 2 to announce that…


(Please launch today…)


Oh they’re padding the announcement out!

Robert Purchese

13:31 pm
UTC

Hades 2 is a Switch 1/2 console exclusive and launches 25th September


We’re getting an overview of Hades 2. Cut to the good stuff, Nintendo!


Hades 2 is a console-exclusive on Switch 2 and launches 25 September.

It’s also getting a 120 FPS mode while played in TV mode, apparently.

Robert Purchese

13:33 pm
UTC

Rogueywon says: I have a transatlantic flight on September 26th. I think Supergiant just sorted out my entertainment for that.

Perfect!

Robert Purchese

13:33 pm
UTC

Nintendo copying Ubisoft’s underrated Starlink with these Kirby amiibo.

Tom Orry

13:35 pm
UTC

Zelda Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment launches 6th November


This is the Zelda musou game Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment now, in which you play as Zelda.


This one’s got split-screen co-op!


It launches 6th November.

Robert Purchese

13:35 pm
UTC

Carl Sheen says: “Hades 2 is a Switch 2 console exclusive”


Also on Switch 1

D’oh – thanks!

Robert Purchese

13:37 pm
UTC

Why does the guy in red in Dragon Quest 7 have the most annoying face I’ve ever seen?

Tom Orry

13:37 pm
UTC

Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined in February


I am glossing over this perfectly lovely Dragon Quest CGI now. What a moustache that character has!


Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined is coming 5th February. We’re seeing some footage of it and it looks greatly visually improved.

Robert Purchese

13:39 pm
UTC

New Virtual Boy device announced for Switch 1/2


Nintendo has made a new Virtual Boy device compatible with Switch 1/2! It’s coming 17th February and there are a host of games being released for it.


There’s going to be a cardboard model of the accessory released as well, presumably to play the games without shelling out a considerable amount of money for some plastic tat.

Robert Purchese

13:39 pm
UTC

OMG, they are selling a Virtual Boy accessory to play the games on switch. Pure Nintendo.

Thankfully there’s also a cardboard version!

Tom Orry

13:40 pm
UTC

FTJT says: They’re not going to sell a single one of those. Not one.

It’ll sell out in five seconds!

Tom Orry

13:40 pm
UTC

Fatal Frame 2 remake coming early next year


Your Fatal Frame dream has come true! Sort of. There’s a remake coming for Fatal Frame: Crimson Butterly. We see some footage of it and it looks nicely improved.


It’s coming early next year.

Robert Purchese

13:40 pm
UTC

Did one of the Fatal Frame characters just start singing part of the Gaga song from Top Gun Maverick?

Tom Orry

13:41 pm
UTC


Who’s buying one of those Virtual Boys then?

Robert Purchese

13:42 pm
UTC

Powerwash Simulator coming to Switch 2 this autumn


Ooh. There’s a Switch 2 version of Stardew Valley coming with four-player co-op. And there’s a Switch 2 version of Human Fall Flat. “You can enjoy a new way to wobble.”


Powerwash Simulator is coming to Switch 2 in the Autumn. It’s got “enhanced soap”. It’s got local split-screen co-op.

Robert Purchese

13:45 pm
UTC

Samus gets a motorbike!


We’re getting nearer the end now so we’re moving onto some bigger things. This looks like Samus. This must be Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.


Samus is on a Tron-like motorbike. She’s blasting across sand dunes as electric guitars blare in the background.


She’s power sliding into enemies to defeat them, which is cool.


Now she’s off the bike and blasting.

Robert Purchese

13:45 pm
UTC

Did someone accidentally drop their uni project into this Direct? That Metroid bike stuff looks… well.. bad?

Tom Orry

13:46 pm
UTC

Metroid Prime 4 is out this year – 4th December


The trailer is still blaring electric guitars. Oh and that was it? Release date!


4th December 2025!

Robert Purchese

13:47 pm
UTC

Tom Orry

13:48 pm
UTC

Paid DK Bananza DLC out today – and a demo for the main game


We’re seeing some new Donkey Kong Bananza content here. It’s all about collecting emeralds. Oh nice and we get random power-ups as we play. it’s a roguelike mode, it looks like. You see how far you can get in each run and unlock various treats as you go.


DK Island and Emerald Rush paid DLC launches today. A demo of the main game will be out today too.

Robert Purchese

13:52 pm
UTC

Pokémon Pokopia is sort of Pokémoncraft and it’s coming in 2026


10 minutes to go. Here’s a Pokéball. Here’s Ditto. Here’s a new Pokémon game?


It’s a Minecraft-like world where we play as Ditto, it seems. Ditto learns a move from Bulbasaur to grow plants. Then Squirtle teaches Ditto how to water the plants. As the island folourishes, so do the Pokémon.


We can build. We can build homes for the Pokémon. And we can have gardens. The Pokémon all mill around and hang out with you.


Pokémoncraft?

Robert Purchese

13:52 pm
UTC

Everyone: We like casual farming sims.

Nintendo: Ditto

Tom Orry

13:52 pm
UTC

Rogueywon says: It looks more Fantasy Life than Minecraft. The crafting looks pretty limited.

It does!

Robert Purchese

13:53 pm
UTC


Pokémon Legends Z-A now, which is coming to Switch 2 on 16th Oct with three new mega evolutions.

Robert Purchese

13:54 pm
UTC


We’re still in Pokémon land. Pokémon Legelds Z-A: Mega Dimension DLC is coming to the game too. It’s got two new mega evolutions for Raichu.

Robert Purchese

13:56 pm
UTC

Daganronpa 2 is making a comeback


Danganronpa 2 is making a comeback. And along with the main game, there’s an additional story being included.


Danganronpa 2×2 is coming to Switch 1/2 next year.

Robert Purchese

13:57 pm
UTC


Dynasty Warriors Origins is coming to Switch 2 in January 22nd.

Robert Purchese

13:58 pm
UTC

Monster Hunter Stories 2 out in March next year


Monster Hunter Stories 2: Twisted Reflections now. A turn-based role-playing game where you raise monsters and battle with them. 13th March 2026.

Robert Purchese

13:59 pm
UTC


What’s the show-closer? That’s the question.

Robert Purchese

13:59 pm
UTC

Just throwing this out there. Ignore if bad…

Bike version of Ridley in Metroid Prime 4: Ridely.

That’s it.

Tom Orry

14:00 pm
UTC

A dark room. A phone rings. Resident Evil vibes.

A dark corridor, a battered old door. A lady’s voice. It is Resident Evil. Resi Requiem.

Robert Purchese

14:02 pm
UTC

Resi trailer would have been scarier had it used the Mii voices.

Tom Orry

14:03 pm
UTC

Resident Evil Requiem & Village & 7 announced for Switch


We’re seeing a shorter version of the Resident Evil Requiem trailer we saw in the summer. It doesn’t look quite as glossy as on other platforms but it doesn’t look too bad.


Resident Evil 9 Requiem is coming to Switch 2 on 29th February.


Oh and there’s one more thing?


Resi Village and Resi 7 are also coming to Switch on the same day.

Robert Purchese

14:03 pm
UTC

Why on earth are they launching three Resi games on the same day?

Tom Orry

14:03 pm
UTC


But there is one more thing and it looks like Fire Emblem?

Robert Purchese

14:05 pm
UTC

Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave announced for 2026


It really looks like Fire Emblem! But set around Roman arena-style games?


We’re getting a good overview of the game here and it’s ticking all the right boxes.


Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave. 2026.

Robert Purchese

14:06 pm
UTC

Show’s over – thoughts?


And that’s it. It dipped, it worried us, but Nintendo pulled it back at the end?

Robert Purchese

14:08 pm
UTC

As someone who finds the Fire Emblem games complete snoozefests (sorry, seemingly everyone in chat), that Direct wasn’t the best. I was most looking forward to Metroid Prime 4, but the bike sections look awful.

Tom Orry

14:09 pm
UTC

I got very into a Fire Emblem on 3DS. I can’t remember what it was called. I missed Three Houses. So I’m preparing myself for the plunge into this one. But how long will we have to wait? Still, it’s exciting.

Robert Purchese

14:10 pm
UTC

I think a lot of how people view Switch 2 depends on what consoles/PC you own. If I’m purely a Switch 2 player, Resi news is great. As someone who will play it PS5 Pro, it’s not a huge bit of news personally.

Tom Orry

14:13 pm
UTC

2much says: Bertie it was probably Awakening you played, or maybe Fates. I’ve only played Three Houses and Engage to completion but they’re both great, especially the former. I’ve played about half of The Sacred Stones on NSO too and that’s also fantastic

Awakening sounds right! Yes – Chrom! It was definitely that one. Gosh, 2012?! That was a long time ago.

Robert Purchese

14:15 pm
UTC

I’m torn on the simplistic re-releases of the Mario Galaxy games. Both of them still look great due to the art design, but part of me wants to see what could have been done with a visual overhaul.

Tom Orry

14:33 pm
UTC

Antendo says: Glad i’m not the only one who would unashamedly buy that Virtual Boy… it has a golf game for god’s sakes!


(also hoping Mario Tennis Fever is better than Aces)

That’s two people at least who’ve said they’ll buy it. That’s two sales you’ve got there, Nintendo!

Robert Purchese

14:38 pm
UTC

The big show roundup

Image credit: Eurogamer/Nintendo


We’ve gathered all of the trailers from the show, and all of the announcements, and put them into one handy list.

Robert Purchese

15:05 pm
UTC

The Virtual Boy Switch accessory costs £66.99


The Virtual Boy Switch 1/2 add-on costs £66.99, it seems.

Image credit: Nintendo

Robert Purchese

15:07 pm
UTC

Image credit: Nintendo


Which reminds me of Alex’s very timely review of Nintendo’s Virtual Boy, which we published when Switch 2 launched. It was a bit of a cheeky fake-out from us. But who doesn’t want a hardware review decades later?

Robert Purchese

15:37 pm
UTC

Zathtrec says: Virtua boy? This isn’t Sega!

/quits

Robert Purchese

15:44 pm
UTC

Ordered 100 Virtual Boy add-ons for Switch 2 as an investment. No one tell my wife. This is my make it or break it moment!

Tom Orry



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September 13, 2025 0 comments
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Product Reviews

Powerful upgrades but with an even higher price

by admin September 5, 2025


At the beginning of the year, Lenovo gave us an early design preview of its next flagship gaming handheld — the Legion Go 2. Today, at IFA 2025, the company is fleshing out the rest of the system with more details regarding its specs, price and availability.

In terms of its overall appearance, not much has changed on the outside of the Legion Go 2. It has the same general shape and detachable controllers as the preview model, alongside an 8.8-inch OLED with a variable 144Hz refresh rate and VESA HDR TrueBlack 1000 certification. Lenovo has kept the ability to use the right controller as a vertical mouse (aka FPS mode) when paired with the handheld’s included puck/stand. And as before, you still get Hall Effect joysticks, a built-in touchpad and kickstand and dual USB 4 ports.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

The only major change from what we saw in January is slightly different paint colors on elements like its shoulder buttons. That said, I do appreciate that unlike a lot of its rivals (aside from the Steam Deck), Legion Go 2 still comes bundled with a case, just like its predecessor. On the flipside, one thing I wish Lenovo had changed is the detachment process for Legion Go 2’s controllers. Like before, you can press a button in back before sliding each joypad off a small hidden rail. And while it works, after using the new magnetic system for the Switch 2’s Joy-Con, doing the same thing on the Legion Go 2 just feels clunky.

Meanwhile, the Legion Go 2’s internals are where most of its upgrades have gone. The handheld can now be equipped with up to an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, 32GB of RAM and 2TB of PCIe Gen 4 storage. And if that’s not enough, there’s also a microSD card reader. But perhaps the most tantalizing improvement may be its battery life, as the Legion Go 2 comes with a 74Whr battery that’s 50 percent larger than the 49.2 Whr cell in the original.

The Legion Go 2 features a 8.8-inch OLED display with a 144Hz variable refresh rate.

Unfortunately, I only had a brief time with the demo unit and as it didn’t have a lot of games already installed (especially more resource-intensive ones), so I couldn’t really gauge how much better its performance was compared to the original model. However, I did notice that Lenovo’s Legion Space app felt much snappier and more polished, though it probably won’t be as seamless as the native game integration and new UI that’s coming on the ROG Xbox Ally.

All told, the Legion Go 2 is shaping up to be a more refined, powerful and longer-lasting follow-up while retaining pretty much every major good feature from its predecessor like a big OLED screen, detachable controllers and solid connectivity. Granted, it’s still quite chunky even with its curvier and more streamlined design, but that was always going to be the case considering its large 8.8-inch display. So if you can handle a Windows-based handheld (sorry SteamOS fans) that’s on the heftier side, this is one worth keeping an eye on.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

But here’s the potential catch: the Legion Go 2 may be substantially more expensive too. It’s expected to go on sale sometime in October starting at $1,049, which is a significant jump up from the $700 base price of the original (let alone what it’s going for now, which can be as low as $550 depending on discounts). And that figure is likely for a model with a Ryzen Z2 chip, which means anyone who wants one with a more powerful Z2 Extreme processor will need to keep some wiggle room in their budget. So while I appreciate how Lenovo is chasing big performance on a portable gaming machine, the Legion Go 2’s price has me appreciating more affordable handheld rivals like the Steam Deck even more than I already do.



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Three Major XRP Ledger Upgrades Go Live: Details
GameFi Guides

Three Major XRP Ledger Upgrades Go Live: Details

by admin August 31, 2025


Three new amendments have been activated on the XRPL mainnet after a successful 14 day countdown timer in which they held 80% majority support.

In a tweet, XRP Ledger blockchain explorer XRPscan outlines these three amendments that have now been enabled on the XRP Ledger mainnet, including amendments fixAMMv1_3, fixEnforceNFTokenTrustlineV2 and fixPayChanCancelAfter.

With their activation, all rippled nodes running v2.4.0 and below risk being amendment blocked.

What’s new?

FixAMMv1_3 adds several fixes to Automated Market Maker code, specifically adding several invariant checks to ensure that AMMs function as designed. It also adds rounding to AMM deposits and withdraws to ensure that the AMM’s balance meets the invariant.

On the other hand, fixEnforceNFTokenTrustlineV2 fixes a bug where NFT transfer fees could bypass certain limitations on receiving tokens by preventing an NFT issuer from receiving fungible tokens as transfer fees if the issuer uses authorized trust lines and the NFT issuer’s trust line is not authorized. It also prevents an NFT issuer from receiving fungible tokens as transfer fees on a deep-frozen trust line. Without this amendment, NFT transfer fees could be paid to an NFT issuer, circumventing these restrictions.

You Might Also Like

FixPayChanCancelAfter amendment prevents new payment channels from being created with a “CancelAfter time” that is before the current ledger. Without this amendment, transactions can create a payment channel whose “CancelAfter time” is in the past. This payment channel is automatically removed as expired by the next transaction.

Yesterday, RippleX software engineer Mayukha Vadari hinted at a new spec drop that lays out the life cycle of an XRP Ledger Standards (XLS) process, clarifying categories of standards and establishing editorial responsibilities.

This proposal is inspired by Ethereum’s EIP-1 and adapts established standards processes to meet the unique needs of the XRPL ecosystem.



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MyNBA and MyGM get upgrades in latest NBA 2K26 blog
Esports

MyNBA and MyGM get upgrades in latest NBA 2K26 blog

by admin August 24, 2025


We’re closing in on NBA 2K26’s early access period, and all the improvements are being unveiled. This time, it’s all about MyNBA and MyGM. There’s a lot to like, from The Playoffs Online to Dynamic Banners. All those details are below, check it out as you practice your crossover.

2K has announced the new features and additions coming to MyNBA and MyGM* in NBA® 2K26 on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and NintendoTM Switch 2. MyNBA delivers 30 unique MyGM Offseason Scenarios based on today’s NBA, public online leagues for very first time with The Playoffs Online, improved and adjustable simulations to match every type of GM’s needs, dynamic banners to honor legacies, and more, as NBA 2K26 builds on the rich history of this iconic mode with more immersive features.

MyNBA | NBA 2K26

MyNBA and MyGM return in NBA 2K26 with 30 unique storylines, all-new Dynamic Banners, improved and adjustable simulations, online NBA Playoffs, and much more.

“We set out to make the NBA 2K26 MyNBA and MyGM a more memorable and rewarding experience for those that want to take over the league,” said Erick Boenisch, VP of NBA Development at Visual Concepts. “From competing in The Playoffs Online with friends to seeing your championship banners rise in the rafters, every detail is designed to make you feel like a true general manager building your legacy.”

Highlights include:

  • MyGM Offseason Scenarios: MyNBA in NBA 2K26 now features 30 unique MyGM scenarios set in the 2025 offseason. Players can pick a team and challenge themselves with three goals unique to that team’s roster and history. Using the real-life draft lottery order, they’ll have to tackle tasks from picking up draft picks, landing hot free agents, or winning it all. As Dallas, do they leverage Cooper Flagg to create a new page in the Mavericks legacy? Or play as the Golden State Warriors and decide the future the team lives in – one more ring for Stephen Curry and Draymond Green or do they tear it down and start a new chapter? Now players can explore the ‘what ifs’ of the 2025-2026 season in MyGM Offseason Scenarios.
  • The Playoffs Online: For the first time ever, public online leagues are coming to MyNBA with the introduction of The Playoffs Online, allowing players to compete in a whole new way. As commissioner of each bracket, players are responsible for creating and seeding all 16 NBA teams that clinch a spot in the Playoffs. They can then invite up to 15 friends to participate in a private postseason or open it up to the community. The signature presentation of the NBA Playoffs – from the players to the crowds, arenas, and commentators – will be felt throughout Online Playoffs ensuring a heightened atmosphere and elevated experience.
  • Dynamic Banners: Dynamic arena banners have been added to MyNBA to commemorate the championships and achievements attained during a player’s career as GM. Each NBA arena in the Modern Era will feature a dedicated section for these dynamic banners, representing years of history and accomplishments.
  • Unranked MyGM: In NBA 2K26, players can now choose to do an Unranked MyGM run. They can edit players, import custom rosters and draft classes, and adjust sliders for a more customized experience that retains the role-playing elements of the mode.
  • MyPLAYER DNA Integration: The Player DNA system is expanding with a new MyPLAYER DNA option to copy and paste one MyPLAYER into each roster created. Using a MyCAREER save file, players can easily clone their MyPLAYER’s appearance, animations, attributes, badges, and tendencies in MyNBA with ease. The system works in all of the MyNBA Eras, giving players the chance to see how they measure up against the legends in any period.
  • Improved & Adjustable Simulations: Based on community feedback, simulations are now more efficient. Simulation performance has been improved to yield more strategic decisions that run up to 26% faster in NBA 2K26 compared to NBA 2K25. Players now have greater control over their simulations by toggling between three options: Normal, Smarter, and Faster. Smarter sims will utilize more trade logic that can consider over 5,000 potential trade variables while Faster sims will progress through seasons more quickly – though they may not consider every possible outcome.
  • MyNBA Directives: Before the start of each season, players will sit down with the team governor to assess their goals and budget for the year while assigning them their core directives. Whether it’s winning a championship or focusing on profitability, these directives will shape a player’s strategy as they look to ensure expectations are met and their job is secure. To attract top free agents, players will need to keep their organization’s facilities updated. They can use Facility Points—earned by completing directives – to go toward updating Team Training Facilities, Team Recovery Facilities, Arena Renovations, Luxury Box Amenities and more. Players will now also experience accurate era-based team budgets, luxury tax mechanics, and more throughout league history.

For more information and a full breakdown of all the updates coming to MyNBA and MyGM check out the Courtside Report blog. Visit the NBA 2K26 official website for a full breakdown of the SKU details, availability, and more information. Stay tuned for additional announcements about the latest on NBA 2K26.

Developed by Visual Concepts, NBA 2K26 is rated E for Everyone from the ESRB.

Follow NBA 2K on TikTok, Instagram, X, YouTube, and Facebook for the latest NBA 2K26 news.

Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more NBA 2K26 news and info!


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Product Reviews

Norton VPN review: serious upgrades but not without its limits

by admin August 20, 2025



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.

Norton has long been a household name for antivirus software, yet despite launching its first VPN, Norton WiFi Privacy, in 2017, it’s never achieved the same pedigree status in the space. Its original iteration, Norton Secure VPN, offered little to shout about, though a recent revamp seems to have set the service on a much more promising path.

Although not yet rivaling the likes of NordVPN, Norton VPN offers surprisingly quick speeds, a super-friendly interface, and a great array of features you’d expect from a top VPN service. While some gaps in the service remain, it’s clear the Norton VPN team is striving to bring the same security pedigree seen on its antivirus software to its VPN, and pretty quickly, too.

We’ve put this new and improved service to the test. Both in day-to-day scenarios and more rigorous, proprietary tests, we’ve uncovered where the service has made great strides, and where it should look next to ensure it reaches the heights its aiming for, all to help you decide whether Norton VPN is the choice for you.

    Norton Secure VPN subscription options:

  • Norton Secure VPN for $29.99 per year

Features

Norton VPN’s recent revamp has seen a host of expectable but mightily important features arrive across several platforms. Plus, it continues to improve its fundamentals – even if some areas still have some work to do.

As far as VPN protocols go, Norton offers OpenVPN, WireGuard, IPSec, and Mimic, its proprietary protocol designed for obfuscation. iOS and Mac users are limited to only IPSec and Mimic, which is disappointing given OpenVPN and WireGuard’s improved capabilities – although IPSec can be fast, WireGuard offers a faster, less device-intensive experience. Luckily, wider support for these protocols is said to be in the works, though an exact release date is unknown.

Users on iOS and macOS have a limited protocol choice, with only IPSec and Mimic available (Image credit: Future)

As for extra features built into Norton VPN, there aren’t any particularly unique choices, though each is beneficial and often seen among top VPNs. Wi-Fi detection allows you to auto-connect to the VPN when connecting to public Wi-Fi. On macOS, it also auto-connects on “compromised networks”. It’s unclear how Norton decides if a network is compromised, but all wireless networks are considered public by default.

Norton also offers ad and tracker blocking. Tracking is blocked at a DNS level to reduce the risk of your data being used for targeted ads while you browse online, and can be turned on by simply toggling the option. Although the tracker appeared to work, its ‘Trackers Blocked’ counter seems to run on a delay, rather than in real time, so while we know 50 trackers were blocked across a period of our testing time, we don’t have any indication of when each was blocked.

Ad blocking is undertaken by a browser extension. Although this means another download and sign-in process, we did find the ad blocker to be effective – even if not quite as effective as dedicated ad-blocker services. Scoring 77% in our tests, it is definitely worth turning on should you use Norton VPN, though don’t expect a flawless display. NordVPN and Surfshark only achieved 84% in our latest tests, and ExpressVPN only achieved 90%, so there isn’t far for Norton VPN to go before leading VPNs in this field.

A key area of improvement has been in Norton VPN’s security-focused features. Firstly, Norton VPN offers a simple-to-use kill switch, ensuring your internet traffic stops immediately when you lose connection to the VPN, preventing you from broadcasting unencrypted traffic over public Wi-Fi networks. If you’d prefer, you can choose whether you’d like to keep your access to local devices over a LAN even when the kill switch is active. The kill switch isn’t enabled by default and requires you to dig through a few menus to set it up, but if you’re on macOS, Norton gives you an easy set of guidelines to follow so you can quickly set it up.

The new Norton VPN app houses all of its improved features in an easy-to-use design resemblant of other Norton products (Image credit: Future)

Outside the kill switch, Norton VPN has added an array of features. In April 2025 alone, Norton VPN gained Double VPN, IP Rotation, Pause VPN capabilities, and the ad-blocking browser extension mentioned above.

Double VPN is available across 8 servers. While your connection options are fixed, for example, USA via Canada, they are bi-directional, and give you access to Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. While it’s not completely customizable, like Surfshark’s Nexus technology allows, its 8 locations put it only two behind NordVPN, which offers 10.

IP rotation also features, something not even NordVPN can say. Only Surfshark also offers IP rotation among the best VPNs. While Norton’s offering isn’t quite as expansive, it does offer servers in the US, Japan, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Germany to use. What’s more, Norton’s offering is much simpler to access, and connects in almost no time at all, no matter the server you pick. In our testing, our IP seemed to change every few seconds, meaning it should be good enough to give you a new IP for every website you visit.

Pause VPN is the final feature worth mentioning. Overlooked by the likes of PIA and ExpressVPN, pause VPN gives you the choice to temporarily end your VPN connection for a set time, with the VPN reactivating once the time ends. This is a great tool should you briefly wish to search for something or use an app outside of the connection without risking forgetting to turn your VPN back on. Norton VPN’s implementation is extremely simple to use, and is easily accessed, though it’d be great to see a minimum pause time shorter than 15 minutes as, frankly, most times when we’ve needed it we’ve been finished in five minutes rather comfortably.

Server Network

Norton VPN’s server network isn’t up there with the very best VPNs quite yet, but it’s seen massive expansion in recent months. Since our last review, Norton VPN has expanded from servers in 29 countries to servers in 65, with 104 total locations. For comparison, Norton VPN now has more locations than Mullvad, which offers 89, and only a few less than Windscribe, which offers 112.

What’s good is the spread Norton VPN offers. 25 locations in the US are great for streaming enthusiasts, plus 6 countries in South America and 5 countries in Africa is superb given the lack of coverage these areas traditionally recieve. Asian coverage is weaker, with only 12 countries, though the most popular locations are included among these.

Given Norton VPN’s rate of increase, it wouldn’t surprise me if its country spread increased further over the coming months. If so, it’d be good to see the service fill the various gaps left in Asia and, since it already has a strong presence in South America and Africa, bulk out its presence in Europe and the US to account for key sites and services located in currently omitted regions.

Norton VPN’s global coverage is especially impressive in South America and Africa, though its Asian coverage could be better (Image credit: Future)

Apps

Norton’s VPN app is available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. It’s also available on Apple TV and Android-based smart TVs. For Android TVs, you need version 10 or later, whereas Apple tvOS requires version 17 or later.

Notably, there’s no Fire TV or Linux support, so if you need to cover your Ubuntu or Linux Mint install, Norton won’t cut it quite yet – there’s not even support for a command-line VPN. Norton does not offer configuration files for OpenVPN or WireGuard either, so there’s no way to use Norton with an unsupported device.

It’s worth mentioning that Norton VPN’s apps have several instances of feature disparity. As highlighted already, iOS and macOS users are already limited in protocol choice, but these platforms also lack split tunneling and some auto-connect functionality. The lack of protocol choice is especially disappointing in this instance, given that other providers have offered OpenVPN and WireGuard on these platforms for a while now.

Otherwise, there’s nothing really to dislike about Norton VPN’s apps on any platform. They’re simple to look at, easy to navigate, and look so unapologetically Norton-like that anyone new to VPNs who’s familiar with its antivirus tools will quickly gain the sense of security often felt when using other Norton tools.

Ease of use

Norton VPN is a breeze to install, likely thanks to the years of experience Norton has with its other products in making complex systems simple to introduce.

Once you’re in, the experience is impressively simple, though at the expense of a couple of handy extra tools. The menus aren’t overcomplicated with features, settings, and data – though the option to set favorites or see the best servers at any time would be nice – the settings are all explained in simple enough terms for beginners, and there’s easy access to any extra tools you might have in your plan, or guides you may need to help set up your VPN connection how you’d like it.

In true Norton fashion, the experience you have is as close to identical as possible across any device you might have, too. This makes Norton VPN a superb choice should you be new to VPNs and looking for easy, quick access to the settings you need, without worrying that your usual server, connection type, or setting may be hiding somewhere new.

Even Norton VPN’s Advanced Servers, meaning its P2P-optimized, double VPN, and IP rotation optimized servers, are easily accessed. With dropdown menus giving you the information you need to understand where you’re connecting to, and any additional routing your connection might take.

Speed and performance

Norton’s speeds are its biggest area of improvement since our last round of testing. Starting with the headlines, we recorded an average speed of 909Mbps download using WireGuard from our testing server in the UK, rivalling the likes of NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Proton VPN as a result.

Our connection to the US wasn’t quite as impressive, as we only recorded speeds of 463Mbps, which is around the middle of the pack. It’s still more than enough to watch multiple 4K streams simultaneously, but it’s a pretty big dropoff compared to our initial UK tests.

How we perform speed tests

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

We test from two different virtual PCs, one in the UK and one in the US. We’re expecting big things out of NordVPN, as both of these servers have a 1 Gbs connection. You can find out more in our VPN testing methodology.

As for OpenVPN performance, Norton didn’t do as well. Our average speeds were around 260-275Mbps, whether connecting to the UK or US, which is also more than enough for most internet activities, but pales in comparison to the speeds we’ve seen elsewhere.

Our latency recordings were about what we’d expect for a top-tier VPN connecting to UK servers. In Norton’s case, 3.5ms. Most of the providers we’ve tested clock in around the 2-5ms mark, which is barely perceivable. One or two milliseconds’ difference won’t make a difference to most internet apps or online gaming sessions.

As for the US connection, Norton tops our list in terms of low latency at 66.6ms, just barely beating out NordVPN to take the top spot. If you’re gaming or running a video call and want your connection to be as responsive as possible while connected to the US, Norton is the ideal solution.

Unblocking

We’ve tested Norton VPN works with them with loads of your favorite streaming services and it worked with them all! Netflix is cracking down on VPNs, but we were able to watch Netflix US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Japan all from our local testing centers. The same goes for Amazon Prime and Disney Plus, however, we weren’t able to access US Youtube.

As for regional providers, it’s a mixed bag but mostly positive results. We were able to access BBC iPlayer, ITV, Channel 4, 7Plus, and 9Now, but TVNZ+ intermittently failed, and we couldn’t access 10Play at all.

Norton VPN does have P2P capabilities, and our testing showed it works reasonably well. It’s worth mentioning that Norton doesn’t support port forwarding, which means that you won’t get incoming requests for sharing when torrenting, limiting your connectivity.

Norton only has two P2P servers, one in the Netherlands and one in Dallas. It’s a far cry away from the full P2P connectivity of a provider like PIA, but even Avast’s competing SecureLine VPN offers eight P2P servers.

On the plus side, Norton does allow you to connect automatically when you boot up a supported P2P app, but you’ll have to enable this option from the settings menu first.

Privacy and security

Norton is clearly taking the necessary steps to ensuring its VPN is secure and private. Its no-logs policy is extensive yet clear, outlining the data collected by the VPN app at any instance, your browsing data is never stored on their servers, including DNS requests, which are instead served by a private DNS server run by Norton, preventing ISP spying, and it’s had its no-logs policy audited to ensure trust.

In August 2024, VerSprite audited Norton’s policy, noting two issues that could result in sensitive user information being disclosed. Norton took the necessary steps to address these issues, and once remedied, VerSprite agreed the no logs policy was both accurate and implemented correctly.

However, Norton does collect some anonymized information from the VPN client. This includes connection timestamps, platform details such as OS and timezone, and crash logs. They also aggregate overall data transmission for network planning. So, if you’re extremely concerned about your privacy, Norton might collect slightly too much information for comfort. As it stands, Norton’s acceptable for day to day browsing, but you might consider Proton VPN instead if you need rock-solid privacy guarantees.

Norton is clearly taking the necessary steps to ensuring its VPN is secure and private.”

Rob Dunne – VPN Editor, TechRadar

Something that may ease some privacy concerns would be if Norton VPN implemented RAM-only servers. These servers wipe when rebooted, meaning you cannot store any data on them, thus eradicating the risk of any user data being available should a data request be submitted by authorities. Not having RAM-only servers isn’t an issue as such, though it adds a layer of trust for users, and is becoming increasingly common among top VPNs.

Given its privacy focus, we wanted to know more about Norton VPN’s proprietary Mimic protocol. In addition to offering obfuscation, Mimic is powered by TLS 1.3 ciphers (AES-256 and ChaCha20), as well as CRYSTAL-Kyber-512 for post-quantum cryptography. It’s good to hear that Norton is already thinking ahead when it comes to quantum security, which puts them significantly in front of most of the VPN industry.

Meanwhile, Norton’s standard VPN protocols, OpenVPN and WireGuard, use AES-256-GCM and ChaCha20-Poly1305 encryption, respectively. These are considered the top encryption methods used by all of the best VPNs, a strong demonstration, therefore, of Norton’s intent to found its service on strong privacy staples.

Customer Support

Norton’s customer support staff are very helpful. There’s a community forum where you can post issues you’re having with Norton VPN, where other members and support staff can pitch in with their own advice. From the interactions we’ve had, they’re very knowledgeable and quite prompt in returning with information.

However, the support materials on the site are a different matter. When you search for help topics on Norton’s website, you’re immediately given an AI prompt for your search, which looks like it’s powered by Gemini. It’s not totally useful when you’re trying to find specific help on a topic, and you have to scroll past it to get to the actual results.

As for the knowledge base, it’s not particularly in-depth – most of the articles consist of bullet point lists and some are thinly-disguised marketing material. If you want help with Norton, we’d stick to contacting their customer support directly through the forum or over the phone. There’s also a 24/7 helpdesk upgrade if you need around-the-clock customer service.

Pricing and plans

Norton offers three tiers of pricing. The standard VPN package starts at $39.99 for the first year, which works out at roughly $3.33 per month. After the introductory offer is over, it renews at $79.99 per year. That makes Norton one of the cheapest VPNs we’ve see.

However, there’s one major limitation: you’re only allowed five device connections (or worse, only one if you’re in some regions including the UK), significantly under the 8-10 you’ll find from most other providers. Surfshark and PIA both go even further, offering unlimited device connections on their cheapest subscription plans. It should also be clarified that Norton’s device limit isn’t a traditional simultaneous connections limit. Instead, Norton’s five device limit refers to the number of devices with the VPN installed. Should you wish to install on a sixth device, you’d instead be asked to remove one of the previous five devices, rather than merely disconnecting from the VPN.

Upgrading your subscription costs an extra $10 per year, making your subscription cost $4.17 per month initially and $109.99 every year after that. There’s no meaningful change to the VPN, but you get extra features from Norton’s security suite, including virus protection, password management, dark-web scanning, 10GB encrypted cloud storage, and AI-powered scam detection.

The Ultimate subscription package will set you back an extra $20 per year, making it $5 per month initially and $129.99 per year after the first. In addition to extra family-safety features for monitoring your child’s devices, the device count is bumped up to 10, so you can take full advantage of Norton’s security features on most of your household’s devices, and you get 50GB of secure storage (or 150GB should you activate auto-renewal).

To its credit, Norton offers an above-average 60-day money-back guarantee and a true 7-day free trial when you sign up. We love 7-day free trials as an entry point into VPNs as they offer a ‘try before you buy’ solution, without some of the hassles caused by a 30-day money-back guarantee. Seeing Norton VPN be one of the first to offer this, then, puts it in good stead to be among the best VPNs for beginners in the future.

Switching from its current install-based device limit also seems like an easy win Norton VPN could take advantage of. While increasing the device limit with more premium plans does help this slightly, removing the confusing of registering and removing devices is an easy way to make the service more accessible to newer users and takes away the sting of the small device limit on the standard plan.

Should you use Norton VPN?

Norton VPN is a rapidly improving VPN. In the space of a few months, it’s brought in a spread of features you’d expect to see in a top VPN, alongside some features some top VPNs don’t think to include. Its performance has risen to a point where it can rival top VPNs like Surfshark and NordVPN, it has apps simple enough for anyone to use, and it brings Norton-pedigree security to make anyone trust its privacy guarantees.

That said, there are several areas it still needs to address. Primarily, sorting the device install limit will add to its already high-value package by reducing connection roadblocks for users. Outside of this, expanding the feature pool, adding Linux and Fire TV support, and eradicating the feature disparities for macOS and iOS users will quickly put Norton VPN among the best value VPNs available if done right.

For many, now might not be the right time to pick up Norton VPN due to any one of the limitations mentioned. That said, it’d be wise to keep an eye on Norton VPN over the coming year or so, as, from what we’ve seen already in 2025, it looks as though the provider could quickly become a high-value, high-security VPN from a name renowned for its security capabilities.

Norton VPN alternatives



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Recent Posts

  • Marathon still lives, as Bungie announces new closed technical test ahead of public update
  • AirPods 4 Are Now 3x Cheaper Than AirPods Pro, Amazon Is Offering Entry-Level Clearance Prices
  • Wildgate Review – A Shipshape Space Race
  • Battlefield 6 physical copies are content complete and require no initial install, according to early copy holders
  • KPop Demon Hunters Uploaded A New Song, But Something’s Off

Recent Posts

  • Marathon still lives, as Bungie announces new closed technical test ahead of public update

    October 8, 2025
  • AirPods 4 Are Now 3x Cheaper Than AirPods Pro, Amazon Is Offering Entry-Level Clearance Prices

    October 8, 2025
  • Wildgate Review – A Shipshape Space Race

    October 8, 2025
  • Battlefield 6 physical copies are content complete and require no initial install, according to early copy holders

    October 8, 2025
  • KPop Demon Hunters Uploaded A New Song, But Something’s Off

    October 8, 2025

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Welcome to Laughinghyena.io, your ultimate destination for the latest in blockchain gaming and gaming products. We’re passionate about the future of gaming, where decentralized technology empowers players to own, trade, and thrive in virtual worlds.

Recent Posts

  • Marathon still lives, as Bungie announces new closed technical test ahead of public update

    October 8, 2025
  • AirPods 4 Are Now 3x Cheaper Than AirPods Pro, Amazon Is Offering Entry-Level Clearance Prices

    October 8, 2025

Newsletter

Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

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