For the third time in less than two years, I have COVID-19. Whenever an illness has forced me to stay in bed, my comfort food has been gaming. In 2009 I played through all of Assassin’s Creed II in a feverish, swine flu-induced haze. When I was sick with COVID for the first time, I jumped into Red Dead Redemption 2 blind, and found a story about sickness and human mortality. Now, during one of the most stacked years in recent gaming history, I find myself under the covers not with Starfield, Spider-Man 2 or any of the other big fall releases. Instead, my bedside companion is a small Apple Arcade exclusive called Japanese Rural Life Adventure.

I discovered this gem through an X account that tweets about upcoming indie games. I took one look at Japanese Rural Life Adventure and knew I had to play it. The game features a beautiful pixel art style, and a pastoral setting evocative of anime classics like Only Yesterday and Wolf Children. What I didn’t expect to find was a heartwarming experience about the importance of community.

In its opening hours, Japanese Rural Life Adventure plays out much like Stardew Valley or, for that matter, any other farming sim made in the past two decades. When the game’s protagonist first arrives in the countryside, they find their new home in disrepair, nearly every inch of the surrounding fields overgrown with weeds. But following a predictable start, the game shows its true character.

Almost uniquely among other games in the genre, Japanese Rural Life Adventure doesn’t include any romantic partners for the player’s character to pursue. Nearly everyone you meet is elderly. They complain of aching bones, bad backs and a dim future where there aren’t any young people to carry on their community’s traditions.

“I was born and raised in the city, in a big town. I have no memories of playing in rivers, climbing mountains, or anything like that,” Takeo Fujita, the founder of Japanese Rural Life Adventure developer GAME START, told me over email. “I have no older relatives living in the countryside. In other words, you could say that the ‘gentle and simple countryside’ found in Japanese Rural Life Adventure comes from a sense of longing that I felt watching and reading Japanese TV dramas and manga.”

Longing for a simpler life is something that pervades Japanese Rural Life Adventure – not just its setting, but also its mechanics and the scale of its gameplay. For all the time I’ve put into the game, I have not become a farming mogul. At most, it’s possible to plant and maintain four fields for growing rice and produce, alongside a few fruit trees. In fact, there’s only so much “work” for your character to do in a single day. And the days, compared to those in Stardew Valley or recent Harvest Moon entries, are long, adding to the sense of a slower pace of life.

Japanese Rural Life Adventure consistently pushed me to slow down and appreciate everything it had to offer beyond farming: fishing, bug catching, cooking and photographing wildlife, all of which have their own fun minigames associated with them. Sometimes, I would just let my character rest on the front porch to watch a cherry blossom tree shed its pedals or to bask in the sparkle of fireflies at night.

GAME START

At first, Japanese Rural Life Adventure limits players to the small area around their farm. More often than not, advancing the plot or opening a new section of the game involves helping others. Before I could buy seeds to grow my first batch of cucumbers and daikon radishes, I first had to build a bench for an old peddler lady to sit and rest. After completing a few of the game’s early objectives, including the partial restoration of a local Shinto shrine, the nearby town unlocks.

The town is in a sorry state when you first visit. The roads are weed-ridden and potholed. Nearly every building is falling apart. The young people are long gone. It’s one step removed from becoming a ghost town.

As it turns out, this town is the heart of Japanese Rural Life Adventure. After exploring it for a bit, I meet the village head, who tasks my character with restoring the decaying roads and buildings, including a Buddist temple and schoolhouse, all in hopes of bringing tourists who will help revitalize the local economy.

I didn’t expect this from Japanese Rural Life Adventure. In Japan, declining birth rates and one of the world’s oldest populations threaten to erase rural life as the country knows it. A 2019 Bloomberg article, citing data from the Japan Policy Council, frames the stakes succinctly: “If current trends continue, by 2040, 869 municipalities – nearly half of Japan’s total – will be at risk of vanishing.”

Fujita says GAME START didn’t set out to create a game about the plight of his country’s towns and villages. “When developing games, we do not consider difficult themes such as vanishing rural communities or population aging. We believe that games should be something you can enjoy and forget about everyday life,” he said. "‘Growth’ and ‘development’ are elements that can make a game attractive to prospective players. So we adopted ‘village regeneration’ as one of the themes of the game.”

GAME START

To some extent, all games like Japanese Rural Life Adventure share an interest in community. After all, it’s safe to say part of the reason why so many people love Stardew Valley is because of Pelican Town and all the weird and wonderful characters that inhabit it. However, in orienting almost all of the player’s actions towards the betterment of its unnamed town, Japanese Rural Life Adventure puts community front and center in a way I hadn’t seen in the genre before. It’s also that focus that makes the game feel fresh and compelling.

Take the restoration project I mentioned earlier. The village head compensates the player for completing the tasks he assigns to them, but I found the money I earned was often only enough to cover the costs of the next repair I needed to complete. More rewarding was seeing the results of my efforts. The project culminates in a summer festival that requires a significant investment from the player, both in terms of time and money spent. Before I could even start preparing for the event, I first had to repair and repaint the torii gates of the temple where the town planned to hold the festival. It was also up to me to produce the 21 chochin lanterns needed to light everything. This task consumed a few hours of my time, but the reward was a beautiful night time celebration that felt like a culmination of everything I had done up to that point. The fact I won a young koi fish to release in the pond in front of my house was a bonus.

Often, Japanese Rural Life Adventure doesn’t feature a lot of mechanical sophistication. Watering plants is as straightforward as a single tap, and most other tasks involve either foraging or buying the right items, but what it has a lot of is heart. That was something I needed.

Japanese Rural Life Adventure is currently available on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV.

For the third time in less than two years, I have COVID-19. Whenever an illness has forced me to stay in bed, my comfort food has been gaming. In 2009 I played through all of Assassin’s Creed II in a feverish, swine flu-induced haze. When I was sick with COVID for the first time, I jumped into Red Dead Redemption 2 blind, and found a story about sickness and human mortality. Now, during one of the most stacked years in recent gaming history, I find myself under the covers not with Starfield, Spider-Man 2 or any of the other big fall releases. Instead, my bedside companion is a small Apple Arcade exclusive called Japanese Rural Life Adventure.

I discovered this gem through an X account that tweets about upcoming indie games. I took one look at Japanese Rural Life Adventure and knew I had to play it. The game features a beautiful pixel art style, and a pastoral setting evocative of anime classics like Only Yesterday and Wolf Children. What I didn’t expect to find was a heartwarming experience about the importance of community.

In its opening hours, Japanese Rural Life Adventure plays out much like Stardew Valley or, for that matter, any other farming sim made in the past two decades. When the game’s protagonist first arrives in the countryside, they find their new home in disrepair, nearly every inch of the surrounding fields overgrown with weeds. But following a predictable start, the game shows its true character.

Almost uniquely among other games in the genre, Japanese Rural Life Adventure doesn’t include any romantic partners for the player’s character to pursue. Nearly everyone you meet is elderly. They complain of aching bones, bad backs and a dim future where there aren’t any young people to carry on their community’s traditions.

“I was born and raised in the city, in a big town. I have no memories of playing in rivers, climbing mountains, or anything like that,” Takeo Fujita, the founder of Japanese Rural Life Adventure developer GAME START, told me over email. “I have no older relatives living in the countryside. In other words, you could say that the ‘gentle and simple countryside’ found in Japanese Rural Life Adventure comes from a sense of longing that I felt watching and reading Japanese TV dramas and manga.”

Longing for a simpler life is something that pervades Japanese Rural Life Adventure – not just its setting, but also its mechanics and the scale of its gameplay. For all the time I’ve put into the game, I have not become a farming mogul. At most, it’s possible to plant and maintain four fields for growing rice and produce, alongside a few fruit trees. In fact, there’s only so much “work” for your character to do in a single day. And the days, compared to those in Stardew Valley or recent Harvest Moon entries, are long, adding to the sense of a slower pace of life.

Japanese Rural Life Adventure consistently pushed me to slow down and appreciate everything it had to offer beyond farming: fishing, bug catching, cooking and photographing wildlife, all of which have their own fun minigames associated with them. Sometimes, I would just let my character rest on the front porch to watch a cherry blossom tree shed its pedals or to bask in the sparkle of fireflies at night.

GAME START

At first, Japanese Rural Life Adventure limits players to the small area around their farm. More often than not, advancing the plot or opening a new section of the game involves helping others. Before I could buy seeds to grow my first batch of cucumbers and daikon radishes, I first had to build a bench for an old peddler lady to sit and rest. After completing a few of the game’s early objectives, including the partial restoration of a local Shinto shrine, the nearby town unlocks.

The town is in a sorry state when you first visit. The roads are weed-ridden and potholed. Nearly every building is falling apart. The young people are long gone. It’s one step removed from becoming a ghost town.

As it turns out, this town is the heart of Japanese Rural Life Adventure. After exploring it for a bit, I meet the village head, who tasks my character with restoring the decaying roads and buildings, including a Buddist temple and schoolhouse, all in hopes of bringing tourists who will help revitalize the local economy.

I didn’t expect this from Japanese Rural Life Adventure. In Japan, declining birth rates and one of the world’s oldest populations threaten to erase rural life as the country knows it. A 2019 Bloomberg article, citing data from the Japan Policy Council, frames the stakes succinctly: “If current trends continue, by 2040, 869 municipalities – nearly half of Japan’s total – will be at risk of vanishing.”

Fujita says GAME START didn’t set out to create a game about the plight of his country’s towns and villages. “When developing games, we do not consider difficult themes such as vanishing rural communities or population aging. We believe that games should be something you can enjoy and forget about everyday life,” he said. "‘Growth’ and ‘development’ are elements that can make a game attractive to prospective players. So we adopted ‘village regeneration’ as one of the themes of the game.”

GAME START

To some extent, all games like Japanese Rural Life Adventure share an interest in community. After all, it’s safe to say part of the reason why so many people love Stardew Valley is because of Pelican Town and all the weird and wonderful characters that inhabit it. However, in orienting almost all of the player’s actions towards the betterment of its unnamed town, Japanese Rural Life Adventure puts community front and center in a way I hadn’t seen in the genre before. It’s also that focus that makes the game feel fresh and compelling.

Take the restoration project I mentioned earlier. The village head compensates the player for completing the tasks he assigns to them, but I found the money I earned was often only enough to cover the costs of the next repair I needed to complete. More rewarding was seeing the results of my efforts. The project culminates in a summer festival that requires a significant investment from the player, both in terms of time and money spent. Before I could even start preparing for the event, I first had to repair and repaint the torii gates of the temple where the town planned to hold the festival. It was also up to me to produce the 21 chochin lanterns needed to light everything. This task consumed a few hours of my time, but the reward was a beautiful night time celebration that felt like a culmination of everything I had done up to that point. The fact I won a young koi fish to release in the pond in front of my house was a bonus.

Often, Japanese Rural Life Adventure doesn’t feature a lot of mechanical sophistication. Watering plants is as straightforward as a single tap, and most other tasks involve either foraging or buying the right items, but what it has a lot of is heart. That was something I needed.

Japanese Rural Life Adventure is currently available on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV.

Let’s face it, buying a gift for someone who loves gaming is tough, especially this year. The past 12 months were jam-packed with some of the best releases in recent memory. While we at Engadget cover games extensively, our staff is full of people who genuinely love video games and play all the time. To save you some trouble, here are gifts chosen by gamers that are a bit different, but that most fellow gamers should appreciate all the same.

Backbone One

Dead Space

Drop + Epos PC38X gaming headset

Logitech G305 Lightspeed

Nintendo Switch OLED

Samsung Evo Select microSD card

Tunic

Microsoft Xbox Elite Controller Series 2

Press Reset

Ask Iwata

Discord is introducing new safeguards to protect young users. On Thursday, the company announced Teen Safety Assist. With this week’s initial rollout, the program consists of two features: Automated alerts and content filters.

Moving forward, when a user a teen hasn’t chatted with before sends a direct message, Discord will display a safety alert if the platform’s automated systems suspect the teen’s safety could be at risk. The prompt will nudge the young person to reconsider if they want to respond to the message, and point them to the app’s block feature and related safety tips.

By default, Discord will now also automatically blur potentially sensitive images from a teen’s friends and delete sensitive content from strangers. Young people can disable the feature through an option in Discord’s settings menu. Adults, meanwhile, can enable the filters for themselves, if they want the additional protections.

The introduction of Teen Safety Assist comes amid increased scrutiny of Discord’s efforts to limit the spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and protect young users from predatory adults. In June, NBC News identified 35 cases over a period of six years where adults had allegedly used the platform to kidnap, groom or sexually assault minors. The outlet also found 165 cases where authorities were prosecuting adults for sharing CSAM over Discord or allegedly using the platform to extort young users into sending sexual images of themselves.

In the aftermath of the report, Discord banned teen dating servers and changed its safety policies to ban the sharing of AI-generated CSAM. It also announced new rules explicitly prohibiting any other kind of text or media content that sexualizes children. At the same time, the company introduced Family Center, a dashboard for parents and guardians to keep track of what their teens are doing on Discord.

Discord

“Teens are still in the process of learning about themselves and what it means to be online, and our new safety features are rooted in providing them with agency on the platform, to give them ways to learn and grow in safe and age-appropriate online spaces,” said Savannah Badalich, senior director of policy at Discord. “These newest features are part of an ongoing, multi-year effort to continually evolve and advance safety on Discord.”

At the same time, Discord is introducing a new warning system for people who violate its policies. Outside of incidents involving the most “extreme” violations, the company is moving away from permanent bans. It’s doing so under the belief that most users will choose to be better online citizens given the chance and proper guidance.

In practice, the system will notify a person when they’ve violated one or more of Discord’s policies and detail the restrictions on their account. It will also link out to the company’s Terms of Service, Community Guidelines and appeal mechanism. A new “Account Standing” tab within the settings menu will allow users to see all their current and past policy violations.

“We think we’ve built the most nuanced and proportionate reporting system,” Badalich told Engadget, adding the company hopes other platforms will look to what Discord has created for inspiration related to their own enforcement efforts. “We believe people, especially teens, have the capacity to grow.”

Separately, Discord announced a slew of new features and enhancements slated to arrive either in the near future or down the line. To start, the platform’s in-app shop, which Discord began testing last month with Nitro subscribers, will soon be available to all users. The marketplace features digital items people can use to decorate their avatars and profiles. Discord will offer store discounts to Nitro members, as part of a new perk for signing up.

Discord

This week, the company will also start rolling out a feature called Remix. It allows users to edit an image directly within Discord’s mobile app and share it with their friends and servers. The company spent much of the last year improving its Android and iOS clients. One recent update saw it improve app launch times on both platforms. In the near future, Discord says people can expect a new “Midnight” dark mode the company claims reduces battery consumption on devices with OLED screens, more functional notification tabs and a new search feature for the settings menu to make it easier to find the exact option you’re looking to tweak.

Last but not least, the company says it will begin rolling out Premium App Subscriptions to eligible developers in the UK and Europe, following a launch that began in the US a few weeks ago. On the subject of third-party apps, bots and plugins, the company said it’s in the process of exploring how to make those accessible across nearly every part of Discord. It provided few details on the effort, but said the goal is to allow people to access their favorite apps and bots without those experiences being restricted to select servers.

“We're experimenting with a few different things, but the goal is for developers to reach more people with the awesome experience they're building. For users, we don’t want them to be gated from having these custom experiences at their fingertips,” Cherry Park, director of product marketing at Discord, told Engadget. “In terms of the way we architecture and build it, there are a couple of solutions. Some are easier, some are more difficult, and you're going to see us experiment with a few of them over the next few quarters.”

Discord promised to share more about its efforts around app portability in the near future. In the meantime, Nitro subscribers will get a chance to test new features before they become available to the public.

On October 4, Google will host an in-person event in New York City where it has promised to introduce the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Watch 2. Thanks to many leaks, including some self-inflicted ones, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the company’s latest devices. Here’s everything you need to know about what Google could announce next week.

Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro

As it did last year, Google has already acknowledged the existence of its latest phones ahead of their official launch date. Following months of leaks, on September 7 the company shared a 23-second clip showcasing the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro from nearly every angle. At the same time, it went live with dedicated landing pages for its new devices on the Google Store. The company claims the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro feature “the most advanced Pixel cameras yet and Google AI to help you do more, even faster.” The landing page also advertises the Magic Eraser and Live Translate capabilities of the new Pixels, though those are capabilities found on Google’s older devices as well.

According to leaks that have been published so far, many of them sourced by developer and Android Authority contributor Kamila Wojciechowska, the Pixel 8 Pro will feature a flat 6.7-inch OLED screen with 1,344 x 2,992 resolution. For comparison’s sake, the Pixel 7 Pro has a curved 6.71-inch 1,440 x 3,120 display. It’s unclear why Google has seemingly decided to outfit its latest flagship with a smaller screen, but the move to a flat display may have something to do with it. According to Wojciechowska, the 8 Pro’s OLED panel will max out at 1,600 nits of peak brightness when displaying HDR content. It is also apparently capable of more smoothly transitioning between different refresh rates.

As for the Pixel 8, it’s expected to feature a 6.17-inch 1,080 x 2,400 display capable of 1,400 nits of peak brightness. Additionally, the screen will reportedly sport a 120Hz refresh rate, up from 90Hz on the Pixel 7. If that information is accurate, the Pixel 8 will be noticeably smaller than the Pixel 7, which has a 6.31-inch screen. The teaser clip Google shared earlier in the month didn’t show the Pixel 8 Pro’s display, but it did appear to confirm the Pixel 8 will be more compact than last year’s model. As an aside, the Pixel 7a is rumored to be Google’s final a-series phone, which may explain why the company has decided to shrink the Pixel 8.

Internally, both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will reportedly include a new Tensor G3 processor. Most reports suggest Google’s latest in-house chip won’t be a substantial upgrade over the Pixel 7 line’s Tensor G2 SoC, though a faster processor, Wi-Fi 7 connectivity and support for hardware-based ray tracing are among the enhancements fans should expect. As for memory and internal storage, the Pixel 8 will reportedly ship with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of base UFS 3.1 storage, while the Pixel 8 Pro will offer 12GB of RAM and 128GB of space to start. In the US, Google may allow consumers to configure the 8 Pro with as much as 1TB of built-in storage.

More consequentially, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are sure to pack a few photography upgrades. To start, both phones will reportedly feature main cameras with new Samsung ISOCELL GN2 sensors. The 50-megapixel GN2 is the same sensor found on the Galaxy S22 and S23. It’s physically larger than the previous generation GN1 Google has used since the Pixel 6, and capable of capturing 35 percent more light than its predecessor. It also comes with a modern feature set, including the ability to capture 8K video at 30 fps and Staggered HDR photos. The latter is something Google could use to reduce the amount of time it takes to capture HDR images.

The upgrades won’t stop there for the Pixel 8 Pro. Google’s latest flagship will reportedly feature a new time-of-flight sensor that should improve autofocus performance. More significantly, the Pixel 8 Pro’s ultrawide camera may come with a more modern sensor. According to multiple reports, Google plans to use a new 48-megapixel sensor to replace the Pixel 7 Pro's aging 12MP Sony IMX386. The former is almost twice the size and, as a result, should produce more-detailed images. The Pixel 8 likely won’t receive a new sensor for its ultrawide camera, but Google has reportedly equipped it with a lens with a wider field of view. For selfies, the two phones should offer about the same experience, with both devices rumored to feature a single 10.5MP front-facing camera.

A few early reports suggested the Pixel 8 Pro would include a built-in infrared temperature sensor. It doesn’t appear Google plans to use that component for anything photography-related. Instead, it could allow users to measure the temperature of inanimate objects.

Of course, new hardware is only part of the story with any Pixel release. As in years past, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will likely ship with an assortment of software enhancements, including a redesigned camera app that offers a few new features. However, most exciting of all (if you’re a sustainability nerd like me), is that there are indications Google plans to support the Pixel 8 line with up to seven years of software updates. It’s unclear if the company’s pledge will include seven major Android platform updates. Either way, seven years of monthly security patches would be unprecedented for an Android device, and likely prompt other companies, including Samsung and OnePlus, to extend their software coverage. Even Apple may feel pressured to support its devices for longer. That would be a major win for consumers.

As for pricing, over the weekend Wojciechowska shared an official-looking Google document that suggests the Pixel 8 will start at $699, a $100 increase from the $599 the company charged for the Pixel 7 at release. The same document states the Pixel 8 Pro will start at $899, or the same price as the Pixel 7 Pro. Another leaked document indicates consumers who pre-order the Pixel 8 Pro will get a free Pixel Watch 2 from Google.

Pixel Watch 2

Speaking of the Pixel Watch 2, it looks like the company will improve on a few of its predecessor’s more notable shortcomings. Here again, most of the pre-release information available on Google’s upcoming wearable comes courtesy of Wojciechowska, who cites an internal source within the company for their reporting.

The original Pixel Watch was widely criticized for its subpar battery life. From a hardware perspective, it appears Google decided to tackle that problem from two different angles. Firstly, the Pixel Watch 2 is rumored to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 processor. A Snapdragon chip would be a huge upgrade from the Pixel Watch’s aging Exynos 9100 SoC. The new processor would not only offer significantly faster performance but much improved power efficiency too, thanks to a 4nm fabrication process. In addition to being less of a battery hog, the W5 includes support for low-power states that would further boost the Pixel Watch 2’s battery life.

At the same time, Google has reportedly outfitted the wearable with a battery that is about four percent larger than the one found on the current Pixel Watch. That would be a modest upgrade, but since we’re talking about a smartwatch, any increase in battery capacity is meaningful.

Separately, the Pixel Watch 2 may include a dedicated ultra-wideband (UWB) chip, something not found on its predecessor. Details on what kind of software features the component would support are slim, but in combination with reports that Google has been working on a lost item tracker codenamed Grogu (yes, that Grogu), it’s not too hard to guess what the company could have in mind. At the very least, the Pixel Watch 2 could offer precision object tracking.

Another nifty feature a UWB chip could enable is seamless media transfers between the Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Tablet, as well as future Nest smart speakers. That’s something Apple offers with the HomePod mini and UWB-compatible iPhones, so it’s not hard to imagine Google implementing something similar for the sake of feature parity.

Everything else

After a jam-packed I/O last spring that saw Google introduce the Pixel Fold, it’s unlikely the company has any secret hardware that it’s waiting to announce next week. Still, Google probably has a few surprises planned. If Microsoft’s recent Surface keynote is any indication, expect Google to spend at least part of October 4 talking up its latest AI breakthroughs. Whatever the company has in store, make sure to visit Engadget that day. In addition to hands-on coverage after the event, there will be a liveblog hosted by Engadget Deputy Editor Cherlynn Low and Senior Editor Sam Rutherford.

Building your first custom mechanical keyboard can be intimidating. Between all the parts and terminology involved, it’s hard to know where to start. Thankfully, it’s also never been easier to jump into the hobby. For this guide, I interviewed two YouTube creators — Brian Philips of BadSeed Tech fame and Alexander ‘Alexotos’ Medeot. Between them, Philips and Medeot have built and reviewed hundreds of custom keyboards. Note that this guide isn’t meant to be exhaustive; instead, it’s designed to highlight features newbies should look for when shopping for their first custom keyboard.

The basics

At its most basic, building a custom keyboard involves buying a case, printed circuit board (PCB), plate, mechanical switches and keycaps, and then assembling all those parts together to make something you can type on. Depending on how ambitious you want to get, you can source all those components separately or purchase bundles that include almost everything you need. One of our recommendations even allows you to skip the entire build process and get right into experimentation.

This guide won’t go into the subject of modding too much, but that’s another way to further customize a new board to your liking. To make things as easy as possible, I’ve structured this article in order of the parts you need to buy, with relevant suggestions for each.

Pick a layout that works for you

Every keyboard build starts with a case. Your decision will determine the most important features of your future board, including its size, layout and mounting style. From a usability perspective, the layout of a keyboard is probably the most important decision one can make when buying a case.

“You have to find a layout that is serviceable for you,” says Philips. If your professional life depends on owning a keyboard with a set of function keys, then your search should start and end with a tenkeyless (TKL) or 75 percent model. Both layouts come with a set of function and navigation keys, making them practical for coding and other productivity tasks. If you need to frequently input numbers, a full-sized keyboard with a numpad will be the best option.

The point here is that keyboards are tools. They should reflect your needs, not what’s popular at the moment. This is something Philips returned to a few times in our conversation. “Don’t listen to public opinion,” he told me. “Public opinion is worthless in the pursuit of what is important to you and what you’re going to interact with on your desk every day.”

Aluminum keyboards aren’t necessarily better

Photo by Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

When most people start shopping for their first custom keyboard, they tend to gravitate to an aluminum chassis, equating the material – and its higher price point – with superior quality. So it might come as a surprise that the creators Engadget spoke to both say a plastic or polycarbonate case is often a better starting point.

There are two reasons for this. The first, and more obvious, reason is that plastic cases are usually much cheaper than their aluminum counterparts. As you will see below, the most affordable aluminum case on our recommendation list will set you back at least $150. By contrast, one of the best plastic kits costs a more modest $135. The price difference between plastic and aluminum cases becomes more dramatic when comparing larger TKL and full-sized keyboards since those designs require more complex milling if the case is made from aluminum.

The second reason is less obvious, but no less important: plastic cases are far more forgiving than aluminum ones. If you’re set on building a keyboard that produces a deep “thock” sound when you type on it, it’s easier to achieve that result with a plastic case and you won’t need to do much tinkering.

“I’ve had aluminum boards that required extensive modification to sound good, at price points that would shock you,” Philips says. “I think it’s easier to tune an aluminum case, but not all aluminum cases sound good,” Medeot adds. “If it’s not built well, an aluminum case can sound like a bell. It really resonates.”

The last thing to consider when buying a case is how it was designed to keep the other components that make up a keyboard in place. That’s because the ‘mounting style” of a case can make a dramatic difference in how a keyboard feels and sounds. Unfortunately, like most things in this hobby, the style that’s right for you will depend on personal preference. The one piece of advice I can give is to avoid keyboards that feature integrated plates like the Drop CTRL. Typing on them tends to feel stiff and it can be tricky to make them produce a consistent sound. For most beginners, a gasket-mounted keyboard is a good starting place. “Gasket I think is the most newcomer-friendly,” Medeot tells me. “They’re just soft and firm enough in most cases.”

Hot-swap PCBs are the ultimate beginner-friendly component

Once the case is sorted, the next component on the list is the PCB where you will install your switches (more on those in a moment). Thankfully, finding the right PCB for a new keyboard isn’t too complicated. Most boards can only fit circuit boards specifically designed to accommodate the quirks of their mounting style and layout. Most of the boards in our recommendations come with a PCB bundled.

The one complication to this is that some keyboards offer a choice of ‘hot-swap’ or ‘solder’ PCB. You may not know how to use a soldering iron, and even if you do, both Phillips and Medeot recommend beginners buy a hot-swap keyboard. It will make putting together your first keyboard a lot easier, and more importantly, it will let you try out new switches more easily.

Plate material is important, but don’t overcomplicate it

After the case and circuit board, you’ll have to make a decision about the plate that will sit between your keyboard’s PCB and whatever switches you decide to buy. Not all mounting styles incorporate plates, but the majority do. The amount of choice here can be intimidating, with different materials producing different sound profiles, some offering more or less flexibility and others changing how it feels to bottom out a switch.

To simplify things, Philips recommends going with an aluminum plate. It’s not the most exciting option, but aluminum plates tend to work well with most switches and they’re not too expensive. Another option is an FR4 plate. Since they’re made from a fiberglass material, FR4 plates tend to produce more high-pitched sounds and they’re more flexible.

One switch type will not work for everyone

Photo by Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

Switches are the defining component of any mechanical keyboard and will play a major role in how your keyboard will sound and feel. To overly simplify things, mechanical keyboard switches generally fall into one of three categories: linear, tactile or clicky. Linear variants are known for their smooth action. Tactiles, meanwhile, produce a smooth bump right before they bottom out. Clicky switches add an audible “click” to the tactile bump, making them great for irritating roommates and significant others.

As a general rule of thumb, linears are considered the best for gaming, while tactiles and clicky switches are thought to be better for typing. That said, since buying my first mechanical keyboard in 2020, I’ve exclusively used tactile switches, so don’t feel like you need to stick to those guidelines. If you’re completely new to the world of mechanical keyboards, your best bet is to buy a few dozen of each type to determine the kind you like the most. Once you’ve settled on a favorite switch type, you can then experiment with different models to find the one you enjoy the most.

Since most switches on the market today reference Cherry MX switches in one way or another, start with those. They’re relatively affordable and will provide you with a frame of reference for everything to follow. Companies like Drop and Keychron sell packs of 35 Cherry switches for about $22. Cherry Red, Brown and Blue switches will give you a good sense of what other linear, tactile and clicky switches offer.

After that, it’s all about experimentation. As you try new switches, pay attention to the materials they’re made from, as that will give you a sense of what to expect from models you have yet to try. “Believe it or not, a lot of switches are not full recolors of one another, but there's also not a huge amount of variance between some stuff," says Medeot. If in doubt, start small before you spend too much money on too many switches. “If you're not in a position where you can drop $70, $80 or $90 every time you want to buy a set of switches, buy a few,” Philips says.

One thing I would advise against is turning to YouTube in search of switch “reviews.” There are some creators who attempt to objectively test and compare different switches, but the reality is how a specific switch will sound and feel in your new keyboard will depend on all the other factors I outline above.

One last note on the subject of switches: the larger keys on a keyboard require stabilizers. These, too, come in a few different forms, but as a beginner, don’t worry about them too much. Some of our recommendations come with a set of stabs in the box. If not, and the PCB supports “screw-in” stabilizers, it’s hard to go wrong with Durock V2s. I’ve also had success with Zeal’s plate and screw-in stabilizers.

Keycaps should be fun

The final piece of kit every new keyboard build requires is a set of keycaps. The majority of keycaps sold online are made from either ABS or PBT plastic. According to Medeot, ABS keys tend to produce a higher-pitched sound, while PBT can come off as a bit duller. One disadvantage of ABS plastic is that it is prone to developing an unsightly shine over time. Another thing to look out for is if a set of keycaps are “double shot” or “dye-sublimated.” The former is preferable as the legends, the symbols etched onto the keycap, tend to be more durable and resistant to wear. Most newcomers will want to stick to “Cherry Profile” keycaps as they’re the most readily available and represent a good midpoint in terms of height.

Spend enough time on this hobby and you will eventually come across GMK keycaps. With their crisp legends and playful colorways, GMK keycaps are highly sought after, and a single set can easily cost upwards of $135 to $150 and involve group buys or lengthy wait times. I love the two GMK sets I own but don’t feel the need to push your budget to obtain one for yourself. In 2023, there are plenty of brands that offer fun, well-made PBT keycaps that will cost you $100 or less. Retailers like NovelKeys, KBDFans and Drop offer a lot of different, high-quality keycaps.

A final note

For most people, the best keyboard is sitting right in front of them. If you’re unhappy with your current setup, it’s not that difficult to make it sound and feel better. Out of the box, most mechanical keyboards suffer from squeaky stabilizers that rattle when you press the Space, Shift, Enter and Backspace keys. Online retailers like Kinetic Labs sell syringes of industrial lubricant that cost less than $10. It might seem weird to use a syringe to tweak a keyboard, but what it allows you to do is smooth out the action on the stabilizers without taking them or your entire keyboard apart.

Custom keyboard recommendations

A great polycarbonate case: KDBFans Tiger Lite

For one of the most affordable entryways into the custom keyboard hobby, look no further than the Tiger Lite from KBDFans. For just $25, you get a gasket-mount TKL case that sounds great with minimal modding. Best of all, KBDFans offers the Tiger Lite in a series of cheerful colorways that are reminiscent of the Nintendo 64’s classic “funtastic” lineup. Although KBDFans has stopped selling Tiger Lite kits, retailers like Kinetic Labs still have stock.

A great polycarbonate case: NovelKeys 87 Entry Edition

Two more affordable options are the NovelKeys 87 Entry Edition and its 65 percent sibling. Availability of those keyboards is limited at the moment, but NovelKeys is promising a major restock in the coming weeks. At $135 for almost everything you need to build your first keyboard, the NK87 is a great value. It also features RGB lighting, and it comes with a bundled carrying case. Both the Tiger Lite and NK87 came highly recommended by Philips and Medeot. Of the former, Medeot says the Tiger Lite is “absolutely amazing for its price point.”

An affordable aluminum case: CannonKeys Bakeneko65

If you’re set on an aluminum keyboard, consider the Bakeneko. CannonKeys sells three different versions of the Bakeneko: a 60 percent model, and two different 65 variants differentiated by their construction. The cast aluminum variant is the more affordable of the two 65 models (and comes in more colors), but can feature some visual blemishes. By contrast, the CNC aluminum model is more expensive at $195, but it feels more premium.

Either way, all three versions of the Bakeneko come bundled with a hot-swap PCB, FR4 plate and clip-in stabilizers. All you need to provide are the switches and keycaps. The Bakenekos also feature a nifty “o-ring” gasket mounting system that simplifies assembly and maintenance. However, one feature you won’t find on them is RGB lighting.

A high-end aluminum case: Mode Designs Sonnet

The Mode Sonnet is for those who want a statement piece on their desk. I’ve been testing one for a few months now, and it’s easily the best keyboard I’ve ever used. The construction of the Sonnet is unmatched, and it feels great to type on thanks to a top mount design that makes the keys bounce. The Sonnet’s 75 percent layout also lends itself to a keyboard that is functional without taking up too much space. That said, be prepared to spend a lot to own a Sonnet, with pricing starting at about $300 (and going up from there depending on how you decide to customize it). All of that is before you factor in the cost of switches, stabilizers and keycaps.

I’ll note here Mode also produces the excellent Envoy. It’s a smaller 65 percent keyboard with a unique “lattice block” mounting system Mode claims gives the Envoy a bouncy typing feel. I haven’t had a chance to test it yet, but the Envoy has enjoyed a lot of positive coverage, and it’s more affordable than the Sonnet.

A no-fuss option for gamers: Razer BlackWidow V4 75%

I know what you’re thinking: how did a Razer product make it on this list? Well, the recently announced BlackWidow V4 75% is here because it’s truly a great keyboard. It has all the features I suggest beginners should look for in their first custom board, including a hot-swap PCB and gasket mounting system. It also sounds and feels great out of the box. Best of all, it costs $190 and comes with keycaps and tactile switches.

Finding the best computer monitor for your needs is already hard enough, but as soon as you decide to go for one that’s suited for gaming, there are a ton of additional factors and features to consider. What are refresh rates? What’s the difference between NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync? Those are just some of the questions this guide aims to answer, and, in the process, help you find the best gaming monitor for your budget.

LCD vs OLED

When shopping for a new gaming monitor, you first need to decide if you want to go with a screen that has an LCD or OLED panel. For most people, that choice will come down to price; OLED gaming monitors are significantly more expensive than their LCD counterparts. But even if money isn’t a concern, the choice might not be as straightforward as you think.

LCD monitors come in three different varieties: twisted nematic (TN), vertical alignment (VA) or in-plane switching (IPS). Without getting too technical, each panel type has its own set of quirks. For the most part, you want to avoid TN monitors unless you’re strapped for cash or want a monitor with the fastest possible refresh rate. TN screens feature the worst viewing angles, contrast ratios and colors of the bunch. After using an IPS monitor for many years and testing an OLED monitor for this guide, I can’t go back to a TN panel.

The differences between VA and IPS panels are more subtle. Historically, VA gaming monitors have featured slower pixel response times than their TN and IPS counterparts, leading to unsightly image smearing. However, that’s improved in recent years. VA panels also frequently sport better contrast ratios than both TN and IPS screens. They’re not dramatically better than their IPS siblings on that front, but when contrast ratios aren’t an inherent strength of LCDs, every bit helps.

On the other hand, IPS panels excel at color accuracy and many offer refresh rates and response times that are as fast as the fastest TN panels. The majority of LCD gaming monitors on the market today feature IPS panels, though you will frequently find VA screens on ultrawide monitors.

In many ways, OLED is the superior display tech. There’s something transformational about the ability of organic light-emitting diodes to produce true blacks. Simply put, every game looks better when there’s no backlight to wash out shadow details. Moreover, if you buy an OLED monitor, you can experience something PC gamers have been missing out on for a while: proper HDR gaming.

Unfortunately, OLED screens also come with a few noteworthy drawbacks. One big one is text legibility. Almost all OLEDs feature sub-pixel layouts that produce noticeable text fringing in Windows. It’s not an issue you will see when gaming, but it does mean they aren’t the best for productivity.

Another issue — and everyone’s favorite topic of conversation whenever OLEDs come up — is burn-in. Organic light-emitting diodes can get “stuck” if they display the same image for long periods of time. Every OLED gaming monitor you can buy in 2023 comes with features designed to prevent burn-in and other image retention issues, but those displays haven’t been on the market long enough for us to know how they handle all the static elements that come with Windows. When you consider those drawbacks, OLEDs are great for gaming but they’re less ideal for everyday PC use.

Screen size, resolution and aspect ratio

Photo by Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

After deciding where you fall on the LCD vs OLED debate, you can start thinking about the size of your future gaming monitor. Personal preference and the limitations of your gaming space will play a big part here, but there are also a few technical considerations. I recommend you think about size in conjunction with resolution and aspect ratio.

A 1440p monitor has 78 percent more pixels than a 1080p screen, and a 4K display has more than twice as many pixels as a QHD panel. As the size of a monitor increases, pixel density decreases unless you also increase resolution. For that reason, there tend to be sweet spots between size and resolution. For instance, I wouldn’t recommend buying a FHD monitor that is larger than 24-inches or a QHD one bigger than 27 inches. Conversely, text and interface elements on a 4K monitor can look tiny without scaling on panels smaller than 32 inches.

You also need to consider the performance costs of running games at higher resolutions. The latest entry-level GPUs can comfortably run most modern games at 1080p and 60 frames per second. They can even render some competitive titles at 120 frames per second and higher — but push them to run those same games at 1440p and beyond, and you’re bound to run into problems. And as you’ll see in a moment, a consistently high frame rate is vital to getting the most out of the latest gaming monitors.

If your budget allows for it, 1440p offers the best balance between visual clarity and gaming performance. As for 1080p and 4K, I would only consider the former if you’re on a tight budget or you exclusively play competitive shooters like Valorant and Overwatch 2. For most people, the user experience and productivity benefits of QHD far outweigh the performance gains you get from going with a lower resolution screen.

Before the end of last year, I would have said 4K was not a viable resolution for PC gaming, but then NVIDIA came out with its 40 series GPUs. With those video cards offering the company’s DLSS 3 frame generation technology, there’s a case to be made that the technology is finally there to play 4K games at a reasonable frame rate, particularly if you exclusively play big, AAA single-player games like Control and Cyberpunk 2077 or enjoy strategy games like the Total War series. However, even with frame generation, you will need a GPU like the $1,099 RTX 4080 or $1,599 RTX 4090 to drive a 4K display. Plus, 4K gaming monitors tend to cost more than their 1440p counterparts.

If you want an OLED monitor, your choices are more limited. It was only at the end of last year that LG began producing 27-inch OLED panels. What’s more, the first batch of 32-inch 4K OLED gaming monitors won’t arrive until next year. A few companies have released ultrawide monitors with Samsung QD-OLED panels, but expect to pay a hefty premium for one of those.

Speaking of ultrawides, note that not every game supports the 21:9 aspect ratio and fewer still support 32:9. When shopping for a curved monitor, a lower Radius, or ‘R’ number, indicates a more aggressive curve. So, a 1000R monitor is more curved than an 1800R one.

Refresh rates and response times

And now finally for the fun stuff. The entire reason to buy a gaming monitor is for their ability to draw more images than a traditional PC display. As you shop for a new screen, you will see models advertising refresh rates like 120Hz, 240Hz and 360Hz. The higher the refresh rate of a monitor, the more times it can update the image it displays on screen every second, thereby producing a smoother moving image. When it comes to games like Overwatch, Valorant and League of Legends, a faster refresh rate can give you a competitive edge, but even immersive single-player games can benefit.

A monitor with a 360Hz refresh rate will look better in motion than one with a 240Hz or 120Hz refresh rate, but there are diminishing returns. At 60Hz, the image you see on your monitor is updated every 16.67ms. At 120Hz, 240Hz and 360Hz, the gap between new frames shortens to 8.33ms, 4.17ms and 2.78ms, respectively. Put another way, although a 360Hz monitor can display 50 percent more frames than a 240Hz screen in a given time period, you will only see a speedup of 1.14ms between frame intervals. And all that depends on your GPU’s ability to render a consistent 360 frames per second.

Ultimately, a fast monitor will do you no good if you don't have a graphics card that can keep up. For example, with a 1440p 360Hz monitor, you realistically need a GPU like the RTX 4070 or RTX 4080 to saturate that display while playing competitive games like Overwatch 2 and Valorant.

There’s also more to motion clarity than refresh rates alone. Just as important are response times, or the amount of time it takes for pixels to transition from one color to another and then back again. Monitors with slow response times tend to produce smearing that is distracting no matter what kind of game you’re playing. Unfortunately, response times are also one of the more opaque aspects of picking the best gaming monitor for your needs.

Many manufacturers claim their products feature 1ms gray-to-gray (GtG) response times, yet they don’t handle motion blur to the same standard. One of the reasons for that is that many companies tend to cherry pick GtG results that make their monitors look better on paper. The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) recently created a new certification program to address that problem, but the grading system is unwieldy and, as far as I can tell, hasn’t had a lot of pickup from manufacturers.

For now, your best bet is to turn to resources like Rtings and Monitors Unboxed when shopping for a new gaming monitor. Both outlets conduct extensive testing of every screen they review, and present their findings and recommendations in a way that’s easy to understand.

FreeSync vs G-Sync

Photo by Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

No matter how powerful your system, it will sometimes fail to maintain a consistent framerate. In fact, you should expect frame rate fluctuations when playing graphically-intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Control. For those moments, you want a gaming display with adaptive sync. Otherwise, you can run into screen tearing.

Adaptive sync technologies come in a few flavors. The two you’re most likely to encounter are AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync, and each has its own set of performance tiers. With G-Sync, for instance, they are – from lowest to highest – G-Sync Compatible, G-Sync and G-Sync Ultimate.

The good news is that you don’t need to think too much about which adaptive sync technology a display supports. In the early days of the tech, it was rare to see a gaming monitor that offered both FreeSync and G-Sync, since including the latter meant a manufacturer had to equip their display with a dedicated processor from NVIDIA. That changed in 2019 when the company introduced its G-Sync Compatible certification. In 2023, if a monitor supports FreeSync, it is almost certainly G-Sync Compatible too, meaning you can enjoy tear-free gaming whether you’re using an AMD or NVIDIA GPU.

In fact, I would go so far as to say you shouldn’t make your purchasing decision based on the level of adaptive sync performance a monitor offers. As of the writing of this guide, the list of G-Sync Ultimate-certified displays is less than two dozen models long, and some are a few years old now.

Inputs

Almost every gaming display on the market right now comes with at least one DisplayPort 1.4 connection, and that’s the port you will want to use to connect your new monitor to your graphics card. If you own a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, it’s also worth looking out for monitors that come with HDMI 2.1 ports, as those will allow you to get the most out of your current generation console.

A word about HDR

As fast and responsive gaming monitors have become in recent years, there’s one area where progress has been frustratingly slow: HDR performance. The majority of gaming monitors currently on sale, including most high-end models, only meet VESA’s DisplayHDR 400 certification. As someone who owns one such monitor, let me tell you right now it’s not even worth turning on HDR on those screens. You will only be disappointed.

The good news is that things are getting better, albeit slowly. The release of Windows 11 did a lot to improve the state of HDR on PC, and more games are shipping with competent HDR modes, not just ones that increase the brightness of highlights. Unfortunately, if you want a proper HDR experience on PC, you will need to shell out for an OLED monitor.

Gaming monitor accessories

If you plan to spend a lot on a gaming monitor, I would recommend picking up an affordable colorimeter like the Spyder X Pro alongside your new purchase. A lot of gaming monitors come uncalibrated out of the box, so their colors won’t look quite right. It’s possible to get a decent image with the help of online recommendations and ICC profiles you can download from websites like Rtings, but every panel is different and needs its own set of adjustments to look its best.

I would also recommend a monitor arm if you want to improve the ergonomics of your setup. Many gaming monitors come with subpar stands that don’t offer the full range of adjustments people need to avoid bad posture. A monitor arm can help by offering a wider range of height, tilt and swivel options. Most 16:9 gaming monitors will work with VESA 100-compatible monitor arms. Vivo makes some great affordable options.

The best gaming monitor for most people: LG 27GP850-B

For most people, the LG 27GP850-B is all the gaming monitor they need. It features an excellent 27-inch, 1440p Nano IPS panel with a native 165Hz refresh rate, and the option to overclock to 180Hz. In addition to excellent pixel response times (1m GtG, according to LG), the 27GP850-B comes with a backlight strobing feature that can further improve motion clarity for GPUs that can maintain a frame rate above 120fps. It’s also FreeSync Premium and G-Sync Compatible certified.

If you can’t find the 27GP850-B at your local retailers, another good option is the LG 27GL83A-B. It’s a few years old now, but offers a 144Hz refresh rate, speedy response times and it’s at least $100 less than the 27GP850-B. I’ve been using the Dell version of this display since mid-2021 (sadly no longer available), and can’t imagine replacing it until OLED monitors become more affordable.

A compelling budget option: ViewSonic XG2431

For a more affordable option than either LG displays mentioned above, consider the ViewSonic XG2431. While its price has fluctuated in recent months, you can frequently find the XG2431 for less than $300. Coming in at 24-inches, it’s on the smaller side and only features a 1080p panel. However, it offers a 240Hz refresh rate. When you combine that with its lower resolution, the XG2431 is a great option for competitive gamers on a budget.

The best gaming monitor regardless of price: LG 27GR95QE-B

If money is no object and you enjoy a mix of immersive and competitive gaming, the LG 27GR95QE-B is the monitor to beat right now. It features a 27-inch 1440p OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate and sub-1ms pixel response times. In motion, the 27GR95QE-B performs a shade worse than the ASUS PG27AQM highlighted below, but, among dedicated gaming monitors, it is unmatched when it comes to HDR performance.

The 27GR95QE-B comes with all the usual issues associated with OLEDs, including the text legibility and burn-in concerns I mentioned above. It also doesn’t get very bright, maxing out at about 200 nits.

A few other companies produce 27-inch OLED monitors using the same panel as the 27GR95QE-B. Most notably, there’s ASUS with the PG27AQDM. It can get a fair bit brighter than the 27GR95QE-B, though it hasn’t been out long enough for people to carry out long-term testing to determine how that affects the longevity of the panel.

A high-end LCD option: ASUS PG27AQM

If the thought of spending $1,000 on an OLED monitor that could one day suffer from burn-in gives you pause, the ASUS PG27AQN is a safer high-end option. It’s one of the fastest gaming monitors on the market right now, offering an impressive 360Hz refresh rate, 1ms response times and a 27-inch QHD panel. It also comes with NVIDIA’s Reflex module, which you can use to see how your mouse, internal hardware and display contribute to your system's overall latency. However, it is expensive, coming in at $1,049, but for that price, you get one of the gaming monitors on the market right now.

A high-end ultrawide option: Alienware AW3423DWF

For those set on an ultrawide monitor, one of the best options available right now is the AW3423DWF. I haven’t had a chance to test it, but Engadget Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar gave Alienware’s QD-OLED display a score of 92 when he reviewed it last May. At $1,299, the AW3423DWF is easily the most expensive screen on this list, but for that price you get a 21:9 gaming monitor with an up-to 175Hz refresh rate, 0.1ms response rate and HDR True Black 400 performance. The only thing it’s missing is an HDMI 2.1 port.

We thought the Analogue Pocket was "the best way to relive the golden era of handheld gaming" when we reviewed it. But we'll bet our 10-year-old selves would love the special edition version coming out next month even more. The company is launching a glow-in-the-dark handheld called Pocket Glow, which the company says will be available in "highly limited quantities" for $250 each. It will be available for sale starting on September 1st, 8AM PDT/11AM EDT, and it will be in stock and begin shipping on September 5th. 

The console uses a type of material that absorbs, and then re-emits light. That means those who want to see it glow will need to put it under direct sunlight, incandescent lighting or blacklight. It can glow for up to eight hours, though it's unclear how long users have to "charge" the console for it to be able to light up that whole time. Like the original Pocket, it can natively play cartridges from any of the Game Boy variants and can play other handheld consoles' cartridges with the help of an adapter.

In addition to launching Pocket Glow, Analogue has also announced that 100 percent of all pre-orders for the handheld will ship by today. The original Analogue Pocket came out in December 2021 after several delays, and pre-purchases shipped out to buyers in batches since then. Those looking to get accessories for their consoles may want to check out Analogue's store for a huge restock coming in today, as well, especially since the company is adding a new shipping option for domestic shipments within the US. Users have been complaining about "outrageous" shipping fees upon purchasing from Analogue's website, and the new option will apparently reduce those amounts between 30 and 50 percent. 

We know the sun belches out solar winds, but the origin of these streams of charged particles remain a mystery and has been the subject of numerous studies over the past decades. The images captured last year by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) instrument aboard ESA's and NASA's Solar Orbiter, however, may have finally given us the knowledge needed to explain what powers these winds. In a paper published in Science, a team of researchers described observing large numbers of jets coming out of a dark region of the sun called a "coronal hole" in the images taken by the spacecraft. 

The team called them "picoflare jets," because they contain around one-trillionth the energy of what the largest solar flares can generate. These picoflare jets measure a few hundred kilometers in length, reach speeds of around 100 kilometers per second and only last between 20 and 100 seconds. Still, the researchers believe they have the power to emit enough high-temperature plasma to be considered a substantial source of our system's solar winds. While Coronal holes have long been known as source regions for the phenomenon, scientists are still trying to figure out the mechanism of how plasma streams emerge from them exactly. This discovery could finally be the answer they'd been seeking for years. 

Lakshmi Pradeep Chitta, the study's primary author from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, told Space: "The picoflare jets that we observed are the smallest, and energetically the weakest, type of jets in the solar corona that were not observed before...Still, the energy content of a single picoflare jet that lives for about 1 minute is equal to the average power consumed by about 10,000 households in the UK over an entire year."

Chitta's team will continue monitoring coronal holes and other potential sources of solar winds using the Solar Orbiter going forward. In addition to gathering data that may finally give us answers about the plasma flows responsible for producing auroras here on our planet, their observations could also shed light on why the sun's corona or atmosphere is much, much hotter than its surface. 

During its I/O annual developer conference earlier this year, Google said it was giving users the ability to transition their first-generation Nest Cam Indoor and Nest Cam Outdoor devices from the old Nest app to its new Home application. Well, the time has come — for the indoor camera, at least. Google has just started rolling out the ability to manage the camera model through the public preview version of its Home app, and it will take a few weeks before it's done making its way to all users. 

Nest cameras used to have their own application before the company was acquired by Google. Over time, Google added support for all its smart home products to its Home app, but users of the the oldest Nest cameras had to stick to the original application to be able to manage their devices. With this update, and as long as the user is on public preview, people will be able to access their first-gen Nest Cam Indoor device through the Home app and enjoy its updated camera history experience. They'll also be able to add the camera to their Favorites tab, so that its feed shows up as soon as they open the app. 

When Google first announced the ability to add the old Nest cam models to the Home app, it said the transfer would take users around 10 minutes. After that, they'll no longer need the old application to see the camera's data and footage, enabling a single app experience for a lot of users.