PLAYSTATION pt1

With PS5s finally in good supply, it’s about time to up your game with some elite-tier additions whatever your playstyle

PLAY KIT EASY ON YOURSELF

There may be no major console arrivals to drool over but the world of gaming is far from stagnant, with new titles galore and enough accessories to block out the sun. PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and VR gamers unite: this feature has loads for everyone, as we bring you the best extras – and upcoming games – for all the big platforms…

SAMSUNG GALAXY NX

To borrow a phrase, the Samsung Galaxy NX was 'business in front, party in the back. To the untrained eye, it looked like any other mid-range camera.

Redfall

The makers of Deathloop present a Destiny-style co-op looter shooter with added vampires... but it might just suck the life out of everything

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Junior Jedi Cal Kestis returns with his trusty droid sidekick BD-1... but is the Force strong with this sequel, or does it fall to the dark side?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

How do you follow a classic that not only tore up the Legend of Zelda rulebook but set a new gold standard for open-world game design? If you're Nintendo, you go large - very large indeed...

Headset me free

Wireless cans, for gaming? Sacrilege! But with solid connectivity and crisp comms, these Razer cans might just mean it's time to cut the cord...

Love is every wear

All-day comfort, gym-proof snugness, clean audio, solid ANC and unmuffled voice calls: can these wireless in-ears really do it all?

Plus against the world

Beats upgrades its everyday in-ears with better sound, but can the Studio Buds+ hold their own against so many rivals?

GRILLE-FRIEND IN A CORNER: Amazon Echo Pop

Alexa has come in all shapes and sizes since she first popped up in 2014's original Echo. From cylinders and spheres to pucks and panels, Amazon seems to be on an eternal quest to make a smart speaker that'll fit into every nook- and the Pop is its latest addition.

WEAVE GOT IT GOIN' ON: B&O Beosound A5

If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise. No, not just the sight of a load of teddy bears chowing down on Scotch eggs and crisps, but the fact that their picnic basket appears to be pumping out music.

ALLY WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU: Asus ROG Ally

We love Valve's Steam Deck so much we crowned it Gadget of the Year for 2022... but if there's one thing that's guaranteed to turn our heads like the guy in the Distracted Boyfriend meme, it's a more powerful version of something we've already got.

The alternatives: Other mid-price monsters

There's no shortage of sensibly priced smartphone competition... but the Pixel 7a's closest rivals come from Samsung and Apple

HARDWARE ALL GOING ON A SUMMER HOLIDAY

Sun cream, flip-flops, ironic hipster Count Duckula T-shirt? Yep, you're just about all packed - but don't forget to bring a gadget companion or two along on your big trip...

Seven knows I'm admissible now

Despite its epic photo skills, last year's 'budget flagship' Google Pixel 6a was outclassed in other areas - but the 7a is ready to hang in the smartphone VIP zone

GREEN AGE KICKS

Fairphone Fairbuds XL

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp

Switch owners might be getting brain fatigue from the recent glut of strategy games, but is there still room for a revamp of the grandaddy of them all - along with its sequel?

Dead Island 2

It's been nine years since Dead Island 2 was announced, and the zombie bash-'em-up has finally been dragged out of development hell. Is it worth your time... or dead on arrival?

Flaming spy

Arlo's latest security camera can see in more detail than ever, and comes with a powerful spotlight so you can dazzle that pesky flowerbed-digging cat

THE iROBOT BOSS ON LEGO INVISIBLE TECH...AND NICKING IDEAS FROM THE JETSONS

\"MUCH OF THE INTELLIGENCE BEHIND THE EARLY ROOMBAS CAME FROM MINE-HUNTING ALGORITHMS\"

APPLE APP STORE

Before this you had to buy your apps from a geezer called Barry

INSTANT UPGRADES MOTOROLA RAZR

Other things to do once you're bored of flipping it open and shut

BETA YOURSELF IMAGE EDITING

It turns out photos shot at skew-whiff angles with random blotches in-frame are not necessarily 'arty'. Craig Grannell outlines how to spruce up snaps with a minimum of effort...

UNLOCKIN' IN THE FREE WORLD

And free means free with these mobile games that cost nothing - while coming to your phone without any annoying adverts or in-app purchases

LET'S TECH THIS OUTSIDE

Right, that's it - you've spent the last six months shuffling between TV, kettle, console, microwave and TV again. But spring is here whether you like it or not, and that means time to get out there and do something more exciting [though you're still allowed to watch TV afterwards]. So here are 18 pages packed with gleaming new kit, from bikes to drones, to coax you off the sofa...

UPVOTED SMOOTHIE MAKERS

It's important to take the roughage with the smooth, so Chris Rowlands fires up the best blenders for blitzing your fruit fix

The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR

Scream if you want to die faster: this schlocky gun-wielding rollercoaster uses the unique features of the PSVR2 hardware to crank up the scares

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

Team Ninja swaps feudal Japan for third-century China, but keeps the hardcore combat for a more accessible take on the Dark Souls formula

Resident Evil 4

Can the remade Resi live up to an original that didn't just subvert its survival horror roots, but laid the foundations for all over-the-shoulder third-person action games that followed?

SHINERS IN YOUR HAND

Got the cash to splash on a sparkly stunner or a flashy foldable? Maybe you'd rather stick to a bargain blower? This year's phone crop has something for everyone, and we've rounded up the best...