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Logitech’s G Pro X Superlight has been one of the most popular gaming mice among enthusiasts and esports professionals since it arrived in 2020, and today Logitech is refreshing it with a few key updates. The Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2, as the new wireless model is called, shares the same agreeable shape as its predecessor, but cleans up many of that device’s minor annoyances. It’s available starting today for $159.

For one, the G Pro X Superlight 2 charges and connects over USB-C, whereas the prior model was stuck with an ancient microUSB port. Instead of using fully mechanical switches, which can potentially introduce issues with unintended double-clicks over time, the new mouse also utilizes the “Lightforce” switches seen in Logitech’s G502 X series. This is a hybrid solution with both mechanical and optical parts, the idea being to balance the feel of the former with the faster speed and (typically) greater durability of the latter.

Beyond that, the battery life is now rated at 95 hours per charge, up from 70. A new “Hero 2” sensor is said to offer steadier tracking when quickly lifting or tilting the mouse. (It also raises the maximum DPI and tracking speed to 32,000 and 500 IPS, respectively, though both figures are overkill for most.) And the maximum polling rate has jumped from 1,000Hz to 2,000Hz – some gaming mice can reach as high as 8,000Hz, but that has little practical benefit unless you use a monitor with a particularly high refresh rate.

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

I’ve had the G Pro X Superlight 2 on hand for a few days. Just like the first Superlight, the main appeal here is the ambidextrous, “potato”-style shape, which should fit well with just about any hand size or grip type. It’s still a “jack of all trades, master of none” situation: The Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro, for example, is contoured in a way that’s more accommodating to larger hands and palm grips. But this design is safe for a wider range of people.

At 60 grams, the G Pro X Superlight 2 is only about three grams lighter than its predecessor. Many options these days are technically lower-weight, but no serious person could call this heavy. The outer shell is still solid and devoid of “honeycomb”-style holes, and compared to the first Superlight, the texture on the plastic feels a bit higher-quality.

Unsurprisingly, I’ve also had zero issues with performance. Across multiplayer shooters like Halo Infinite, slower-paced RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3 and everyday work, tracking has been accurate and consistent, while clicks have registered with no noticeable delay. The PTFE (aka Teflon) feet are marginally longer and wider than before, but they glide smoothly either way. (An optional PTFE cover for the USB receiver compartment on the back adds a little extra speed.) The scroll wheel can't tilt left or right, but it’s relatively quiet, grippy and precise.

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

The new optical-mechanical switches, meanwhile, give each press a distinct, tactile sensation. They sound bassier than the first Superlight, but they feel tighter. The fully optical switches on the DeathAdder V3 Pro – currently the top premium pick in my gaming mouse buying guide – come off as mushier by comparison. Logitech would not provide a specific estimate for how many clicks the main buttons can sustain, but in theory, this hybrid design should be more durable than traditional mechanical switches. If that’s a concern, Logitech lets you access an “optical only” mode through its G Hub software.

Some compromises have carried over. There’s no RGB lighting, no Bluetooth and no dedicated DPI switch button. There are two customizable shortcut buttons on the left side, but none on the right, so the mouse isn’t truly ambidextrous. Logitech’s G Hub software makes it fairly easy to assign macros and DPI profiles – including the ability to customize the sensitivity of horizontal and vertical movements separately – but plenty of people have found it buggy in the past. And none of this comes cheap. If you own the original Superlight, there probably isn’t enough new here to justify another $159.

That said, some of those omissions are to be expected given that the mouse is aimed squarely at competitive-minded players. I’ll have to verify Logitech’s battery life claims, but if you’re willing to spend for a high-performing mouse without an explicitly ergonomic shape, the G Pro X Superlight 2 looks to be a top option.

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Besides the new mouse, Logitech has introduced a new wireless gaming keyboard, the G Pro X TKL. That tenkeyless model is also available today for $199. Here you’re looking at dual-shot PBT keycaps, per-key RGB backlighting, dedicated media keys, a sturdy metal base and the usual suite of software customizations through G Hub. It can connect over Bluetooth and a detachable USB-C cable in addition to a wireless dongle, and it’s available with Logitech’s tactile (GX Brown), linear (GX Red) or clicky (GX Blue) switches. Logitech says you can swap in third-party keycaps, and it rates the battery life at 50 hours.

In many ways, the G Pro X TKL is reminiscent of Logitech’s G915 TKL, only it uses traditional mechanical switches instead of low-profile ones. After using it for a few days, it seems fine: The keys are crisp, well-spaced and not noticeably rattly, the customizable RGB looks sharp, and Logitech’s wireless tech is dependable. It all comes with a useful carrying case, too. But the GX Brown switches on my unit are fairly loud, and it lacks some of the advanced features of other high-end gaming boards like the Wooting 60HE or SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL. There's no adjustable actuation, rapid trigger or hot-swappable switches. For $199, some may find the feature set lacking. But if you need a wireless mechanical keyboard in a TKL form factor, what’s here at least feels comfortable and well-built.

Nintendo has teamed up with Niantic for a new Pikmin mobile game that's mostly good for passing time than serious gaming. It's called Pikmin Finder, and as Nintendo Life notes, the companies have released it in time for the Nintendo Live event in Seattle. You can access the augmented reality game from any browser on your mobile, whether it's an iPhone or an Android device. We've tried it on several browsers, including Chrome and Opera, and we can verify that it works, as long as you allow it to access your camera. 

Similar to Pikmin Bloom, the game superimposes Pikmin on your environment as seen through your phone's camera. You can then pluck the creatures by swiping up — take note that there are typically more of the same color lurking around when you do spot one. Afterward, you can use the Pikmin you've plucked to search for treasures, including cakes and rubber duckies. You'll even see them bring you those treasures on your screen. 

Pikmin Finder

To play the game, you can go to its website on a mobile browser and start catching Pikmin on your phone. You can also scan the QR code that shows up on the website when you open it on a desktop browser.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 has risen from the depths of development hell, two years after Paradox Interactive parted ways with the game's former developer, Hardsuit Labs, and delayed the game indefinitely. The publisher has since recruited Dear Esther and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture studio The Chinese Room to work on the sequel to the original RPG from 2004. Bloodlines 2 is now set to arrive in fall 2024.

The Chinese Room has retained some of the original concepts while tossing out others to reframe Bloodlines 2 in its own vision. The modern-day Seattle setting has survived, as has some of Hardsuit's level and art design. However, creative director Alex Skidmore told PC Gamer that the game now has “a new code base with different gameplay mechanics and RPG systems." You'll play as an elder vampire instead of the fresh face you might be familiar with from the original game, though the protagonist has been in stasis for some time, so you'll be getting used to the wintry setting at the same time as them.

This is a new type of challenge for The Chinese Room, which until now has focused on atmospheric walking simulators infused with mystery, as Polygon notes. Much like its latest project, the studio has endured its own troubles over the years. It nearly shut down entirely in 2017 due to funding issues before Sumo Digital took over and revived it (Sumo Digital itself later found a new owner in the form of Tencent).

We'll find out more about what The Chinese Room has in store for fans in the coming months. Paradox plans to discuss Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 in more depth in January.

Final Fantasy XVI won't remain a PlayStation 5 exclusive much longer. Square Enix has confirmed that a PC port is officially in development. That's not too much of a shock considering that the game's first trailer in 2020 mentioned a PC version, a tidbit that Square Enix later walked back.

In a video posted to X (formerly Twitter), producer Naoki Yoshida said his team is currently working on a PC version of the game. Yoshida also noted that Square Enix plans to expand the game. "One thing that came through particularly strongly was how people wanted to see more of Valisthea's story and spend more time with her inhabitants," he said. "To accommodate, the development team has started work on two installments of paid DLC."

There's no word as yet on when the two expansions and the PC version of Final Fantasy XVI will arrive. Yoshida hopes to provide an update by the end of 2023.

Of note, Square Enix recently announced that Final Fantasy XIV, the perennially popular MMO, is coming to Xbox next spring after years of only being available on PlayStation and PC. The prospect of Final Fantasy XVI making the same cross-platform leap is an intriguing one.

In the meantime, Yoshida announced a free update to the game for PS5 players. New features include extra character skins, an onion sword, more controller options and a transmog function (i.e. the ability to change the look of Clive's sword to that of any other one in his inventory without affecting the stats). The patch is available now.

Mercedes-Benz is developing a more budget-friendly sibling to its hotly-anticipated G-Class all-electric SUV, as originally reported by Electrek. The EV will be a smaller, cheaper version of its iconic G-Wagon and it was confirmed this weekend at IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich. CEO Ola Kallenius said the “baby” G-Class EV will be significantly more compact than its cousin and that it’ll be “fun to drive.”

This model is a spinoff from the G-Class EQG concept first unveiled at IAA Mobility 2021. The German newspaper Automobilwochereports that the company has been planning a smaller all-electric G-Wagon for several years, and suggests that the variant could go by the name “g-Class” with a purposeful lowercase “g.” Kallenius told CNBCthat he views the vehicle as the "daughter or son of the big-G."

Details are scarce, but it’ll be based on a purely electric powertrain and should feature all-wheel drive, especially with Kallenius’s assurance that it’ll be fun to drive. As for the promise of a cheaper G-Class vehicle, a new Mercedes G-Class SUV starts at $140,000, so it won’t be difficult to get in at a lower price point than that. However, if the company wants mass market adoption, a slight price cut to the $100k to $120k range likely won’t do the trick. Actual pricing remains a mystery.

We still have a long while to wait before getting behind the wheel of this diminutive wonder. The vehicle’s powertrain is likely based on the forthcoming MB.EA platform, a proprietary battery technology Mercedes is developing. This platform isn't likely to show up in vehicles until 2025, which places the release of the smaller, cheaper G-Class EV in 2026 at the earliest.

There's a Labor Day treat in store for anyone who has been on the fence about picking up one of Samsung's latest foldable smartphones as there's a sale taking place right now. You can snap up the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 for $300 less than usual at the moment. The foldable has dropped from $1,800 to $1,500 for a version with 256GB of storage.

Samsung has been steadily refining its foldables since debuting the first Fold in 2019. The latest incarnation has a new Flex Hinge that's designed to eliminate the gap between the two halves of the screen and reduce the device's thickness while still being able to offer IPX8 water resistance.

There are upgrades to various other components compared with the Z Fold 4, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform chipset. There are new gestures designed to improve multitasking, which we found worked well. In fact, we think the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the best phone for multitasking.

Ultimately, we gave the Z Fold 5 a score of 86 in our review. While we feel that it's a solid phone, there's a sense that Samsung isn't doing enough to innovate or (crucially) bring down the base price of the foldable. We like the Flex Hinge and the lack of a gap between the two sides of the screen. Better performance, stronger battery life (thanks to improved efficiency rather than a larger capacity) and a brighter main screen were plus points too.

On the downside, it's still a somewhat bulky device when folded. Samsung didn't really update the cameras, though it added new image processing bells and whistles. There's no space to slot an S Pen inside either. Still, if you're looking for a foldable from a major manufacturer, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is one of your main options right now, and a $300 discount might make it a more palatable choice.

Meanwhile, if you prefer your screen to fold vertically rather than horizontally, you can pick up a Galaxy Z Flip 5 for less than usual too. A variant with 256GB of storage has dropped from $1,000 to $800.

It might take you a while to tweak the settings to get the most out of the device, and you'll likely have to recharge it more often than other Android phones. However, we reckon it's the best flip foldable around and gave it a score of 88. The Z Flip 5 has a slightly unusual document folder-shaped external display that measures 3.4 inches — a major size and quality upgrade over the exterior screen on last year's model. The Z Flip 5 also has a Flex Hinge, and the device is comparatively compact when it's folded.

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Spotify is said to have had a thorny relationship with the makers of white noise podcasts for some time, and now the company seems to be taking more action against them. According to Bloomberg, white noise podcasters will no longer be eligible for Spotify’s Ambassador Ads program as of October 1.

Under that program, Spotify pays podcasters to read ads for the company’s own products. Its goal is to get more people to make shows for the platform.

Bloomberg previously reported that some white noise podcasters were making as much as $18,000 per month, in large part due to Spotify itself paying them for ad placements. It recently emerged that the company considered pulling those types of podcasts from its platform entirely because they were making a $38 million dent on its gross annual profit.

Ambassador ads haven’t been very effective on white poise podcasts, according to the report, since their listeners aren’t typically as engaged as they might be with a conversational or narrative podcast. They’re said to be more passive listeners who play these shows for background noise, so Spotify was not seeing much benefit from those ads, according to the report.

The makers of white noise podcasts will still be able to make money through direct support from listeners, paid memberships and automated ads. But this move is cutting off a key source of revenue. On the flip side, it may be beneficial for listeners who just want to hear chirping birds or thunderstorms without being interrupted by someone promoting the likes of Spotify’s podcasting tools.

In addition, Spotify has raised the threshold for Ambassador Ads eligibility. Podcasts now need to have 1,000 unique listeners over 60 days (up from 100) to participate in the program.

The company also plans to ask more podcasters to join its automated ads program. Spotify said it will split revenue from these ads in half with podcast operators, moving away from its previous approach of paying a flat rate based on impressions.

Volkswagen's ID lineup is pretty well fleshed out by now, with vehicles ranging from the ID.2all compact to the ID.4 crossover — but where are the enthusiast vehicles? VW has answered that question with the ID.GTI concept, an electric hot hatch that will eventually head to production. 

Much like original GTI that inspired it (the "I" no longer stands for injection but "intelligence"), it's a sporty, compact hatch that looks fast standing still. Size-wise, it's shorter but taller than the current Golf GTI, with slightly more interior volume. The ID.GTI is based on (and strongly resembles) the ID.2all compact, adding features like 20-inch wheels, front, side and rear spoilers, a rear diffuser, a honeycomb grill, striped graphics, LED fog lights and more. 

Volkswagen

It'll have handling and performance tweaks as well, but VW didn't provide any details. The ID.2all comes with a 223HP motor, good for a 62MPH sprint in under seven seconds, with an estimated 280-mile range. The ID.GTI is likely to beat those figures handily, though, and the top speed should be faster too. 

VW did say that the ID.GTI would have an electronically-controlled front-axle differential lock offering traction control, just like the current Golf GTI. And it will work even better, the company wrote, "because the setup of the electric drive motor, as any electric system, can be varied almost infinitely." It also has a low center of gravity to aid handling, thanks to the battery's location in the vehicle floor.

Volkswagen

Inside, the ID.GTI concept has tartan sport seats, a drive selector, a sportier steering wheel and a 10.9-inch instrument cluster, along with a 12.9-inch infotainment system. It also features an AR head-up display, projecting information like speeds and even track layout, both for the driver and front passenger. A special GTI button activates a red lighting scheme. 

Volkswagen said that it will produce the ID.GTI concept, but didn't say when or what it would sell for. It's a good bet that it'll arrive around the same time as the ID.2all, though, which is priced under $30,000 and slated for a 2025 release.

My favorite video game of 2023 involves a portly, balding pizza chef named Peppino Spaghetti scaling a medieval tower to defeat a sentient floating pie threatening to blow up his pizzeria. It was developed by a small independent studio named Tour de Pizza, led by a designer named McPig. Its soundtrack was largely composed by a first-time composer and a high school student. Its art style is at once expressive and grotesque. It’s called Pizza Tower, and it is, in all seriousness, one of the best 2D platformers I’ve played in a long time.

I’m late here, as Pizza Tower arrived on PC in January. Currently, it has the second-highest user rating of any 2023 release on Steam. The simplest way to describe it is to call it a modern Wario Land — really, the game’s structure is straight out of Wario Land 4. Almost all of its 20 stages are split into two halves. In the first, you can feel things out at a leisurely pace, collecting little pizza topping buddies, unlocking treasures and finding secret rooms. There’s a grading system based on how quickly and thoroughly you finish a level — but Peppino can’t die, and you don’t need a certain score to pass, so you’re free to move recklessly.

Then it’s “Pizza Time.” At the end of each stage is a pillar that, once knocked over, causes the whole level to begin collapsing on itself. The music intensifies and a timer appears. That’s your cue to hurry up and get the hell out of there. You can’t just go back the way you came, though; parts of the original path get blocked off, while certain secrets only become accessible during the mad dash back. Fail to reach the entrance in time, and the truly cursed Pizzaface hunts you down. It’s a simple dynamic, curiosity inverted by anxiety, but one that always worked for me. Each Pizza Tower stage concludes with the ending of Super Metroid, only you play as a funny pizza man trucking through fork-wielding cheeseballs and pepperoni goblins.

Tour de Pizza

It’s not just the structure that got me, though, it’s the speed, and how it’s deployed. In fact, I’d argue Pizza Tower is equal parts resuscitated Wario Land and better Sonic the Hedgehog. Quick explanation: I do not like Sonic. I didn’t when I was a five-year-old failing at Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on my great aunt’s Sega Genesis, and I don’t today after giving the original five games another shake last year. I get if you do. But for me, all Sonic provides is a bad kind of tension, an itch I can’t reach. Sonic can go fast, but his worlds do way too much to impede his momentum. The open fields of Green Hill Zone eventually give way to slow-moving platforms, hard-stopping ledges and suffocating water. When I’m halted, it takes several beats to speed back up again. The only way to consistently zoom through its stages is to memorize them.

Pizza Tower, on the other hand, knows exactly what it is. Peppino moves like the bus from Speed, bursting through walls and obliterating most enemies in his way. When you dash, his legs spin like a wheel and his body glows in technicolor. When you change direction, it sounds like a car screeching. When you pivot into a super jump, Peppino rockets infinitely into the air. The little guy beats the hell out of himself, smashing stomach-first onto bricks and slamming into dead ends. It’s a constant kinetic thrill, the kind I want from any platformer. Like Mario’s brisk hop or Donkey Kong’s weighty slams, Peppino’s runaway-train dashing feels distinctly his own.

The key is that you actually have space to explore this form of movement. The fact that Peppino can’t die plays a big role — less fear encourages less hesitation. Beyond that, it only takes a second to pick up speed, and the zoomed-out camera gives you just enough time to see what’s coming. Crucially, the controls are simple. Wall-running, wall-jumping and diving under ledges only requires one button press. Pizza Tower has you complete strings of precise moves, but it’s built on instinct more than memorization. It understands it’s partially a racing game, not just a platformer. Indeed, to get the highest rank in a stage, you must complete a “Lap 2.”

Tour de Pizza

Pizza Tower’s rousing kinetics are enough for me to like it. But what makes me love it is its Nintendo-like commitment to exploring new abilities and sensations. One moment you’re stampeding on a hot dog horse, the next you’re a loosely floating ghost, then you’re stopping to play a warped game of golf (a Wario nod). Importantly, Pizza Tower takes care to discard these ideas once they’ve run their course. Sometimes, it’ll introduce a mechanic only to subvert it in the back half of the same level.

Everything in Pizza Tower adds to its distinct sense of character. The art style looks like a dream you’d have after downing a meat-lovers pizza and falling asleep to a Rocko’s Modern Life marathon. Peppino is a realized character, scared and pissed, purely through the evocative animation and movement. The incredible soundtrack is funkyandfierce, itself a throwback to Dreamcast-era Sega yet completely its own. And it’s all funny! Not just in its natural physical comedy, but in its jokes — you haven’t truly hated The Noid until you play this game.

I haven’t even talked about the boss fights (honest duels that strike that “tough but fair” balance) or the ending (one of the most intense and cathartic sequences I’ve played) or the amazing WAR. But I’ll conclude by saying Pizza Tower is a model for how to make an homage game. Its inspirations are as clear as day, but it doesn’t rehash the past. Instead, Tour de Pizza has thought through how to ignite the spirit of a classic while making it rawer, livelier and a little more unhinged. Every year, I see people fawn over focus-tested blockbusters and pure pastiche projects. Pizza Tower’s thrilling wildness rejects them — it couldn’t be anything but itself.

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