Netflix has no plans to slow down its gaming ambitions any time soon, as it wants to make sure it has at least one game that each of its more than 230 million subscribers can enjoy. The company's library of mobile games now has 55 titles following the recent additions of Valiant Hearts: Coming Home and the spellbindingly dystopian Highwater. There's much more to come in 2023, as Netflix plans to add around 40 more games throughout the year.

The company has revealed a few of those titles, including reverse city-builder Terra Nil (March 28th) and Paper Trail, which will see you folding parts of the world to solve puzzles. Netflix has also struck a deal with Ubisoft for three exclusive games. The second of those, following Valiant Hearts: Coming Home, will arrive on April 18th in the form of Mighty Quest: Rogue Palace. It's a roguelite set in the same universe as The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot. It's said to have an improved formula, a more in-depth story and souped-up gameplay.

Also on the way later this year is a follow-up to one of Netflix's most-played games to date, Too Hot to Handle: Love is a Game, which is based on the hit reality show, Too Hot to Handle. Netflix says weekly content drops have kept players coming back and it's working with developer Nanobit on the follow-up.

Looking further ahead, the Monument Valley series is coming to Netflix Games. Monument Valley and Monument Valley 2 will be available to Netflix subscribers at no extra cost in 2024. 

Versions of the classic mobile puzzle titles are currently available on Apple Arcade. A Netflix spokesperson told Engadget that the games should remain on other services after next year. Meanwhile, developer Ustwo (which is behind last year's Desta: The Memories Between, also available on Netflix) has hinted that another Monument Valley game is on the way as part of its Netflix deal.

Also in the pipeline is a game based on an unannounced upcoming Netflix IP. Vainglory developer Super Evil Megacorp is working on the exclusive title, which it says will build on the studio's expertise in team-based combat. You can expect to learn more about this project later this year. Netflix vice-president of external games Leanne Loombe recently told reporters that this game is part of a "big bet" and a "transmedia play" for the company.

All told, Netflix has 70 games in development with its partners and 16 in the works at its internal studios. Most of the games Netflix's own teams are making are still in the very early stages, though Night School Studio's Oxenfree II: Lost Signals is slated to arrive later this year. Netflix is promising to release new games every month for the rest of 2023, including "indie darlings, award-winning hits, RPGs, narrative adventures [and] puzzle games."

Loombe said that since Netflix started offering games in 2021, it has found that players are largely drawn to three types of experiences: recognizable titles from elsewhere, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and Immortality; ones that encourage daily play, including Solitaire and Knittens; and games based on its own shows and movies, like Stranger Things.

Given Netflix's designs on becoming a world-class game publisher, I hope it doesn't focus on those areas exclusively. In any case, it's off to a strong start. For instance, Poinpy, a vertical platformer that doesn't fall neatly into any of those three categories, was my favorite game of 2022.

Netflix has said it's looking into cloud gaming, so you may eventually get to play its library on computers, smart TVs and even consoles. But its focus is primarily on mobile. Making sure more people are aware they can play some great games as part of their subscription will be key to Netflix Games' growth plan too.

Samsung is finally offering more than one OLED TV series. The company is expanding its Quantum Dot OLED range to add a more affordable S90C family (pictured above). You'll have to settle for a scaled-back version of object-tracking sound and won't get the S95C's near-flush wall mounting or external connection box. You'll still get a punchy QD-OLED image, AI-based HDR mapping, Dolby Atmos audio and syncing with Samsung soundbars.

The S90C starts at $1,899 for a 55-inch model and scales up to $3,599 for a 77-inch version. A 65-inch set is "coming soon." Conveniently, those prices match what LG is asking for equivalent C3 TVs — Samsung is clearly eager to upstage its main rival, although it still doesn't offer Dolby Vision HDR.

You'll also have more options if you're willing to spend extra on the S95C. In addition to the already-shipping $4,499 77-inch model, Samsung is adding more reasonable 55-inch ($2,499) and 65-inch ($3,299) screens. Those prices are higher than last year's models, but match the prices of LG's G3 line. Samsung claims a slightly brighter 2,000-nit output and a 144Hz refresh rate for compatible PC games.

Both the S90C and S95C are rolling out today. It's too soon to say if Samsung or LG has the best OLED TV family this year, but it may come down to differences like Dolby Vision support or a brighter picture. However, it's safe to say Samsung is now fully invested in OLED TVs after avoiding them for years. The extra competition may be good news if it leads to more aggressive pricing and feature upgrades.

Finding a suitable TV for your PlayStation or Xbox used to require a careful look at spec sheets. But that’s not the case these days as the best TVs for gaming are usually the best TVs you can buy, period. While nobody needs a fancy TV to enjoy a good video game, the right set can help you maximize your gaming hardware’s potential. If you’re unsure of where to start, we’ve laid out some helpful advice for buying the right model below, along with a few recommendations for the best gaming TVs you can buy today.

What to look for in a gaming TV

Whether you use it for gaming or not, all good TVs are built on the same foundations. You want a 4K resolution (which is standard nowadays), sufficient brightness, high contrast ratios with deep and uniform black tones, colors that find the right balance between accuracy and saturation, and wide viewing angles. For video games specifically, you want a TV with minimal input lag and fast motion response, with no blur or other unwanted artifacts behind quick-moving objects. Of course, finding a set that ticks all those boxes and fits into your budget can be the trickiest part of the process.

For now, a top OLED TV will offer the best picture quality for gaming or otherwise. Good OLED TVs still tend to cost more than LED LCD alternatives, however, and they still may not get bright enough for those who have their TV set in a particularly well-lit environment. (Some OLED TV makers say they’ll address the latter with future models.) If you opt for an LCD TV, an advanced backlight with mini-LEDs and effective full-array local dimming will usually improve contrast and lighting detail, while a quantum dot filter can enhance colors.

One thing you don’t need to worry about is 8K support. Although the PS5 and Xbox Series X are technically capable of outputting 8K video, very few games are made for that resolution, and 8K’s practical benefits are extremely minimal unless you plan on sitting unreasonably close to a massive TV. The few 8K TVs on the market are also very expensive.

All that said, there are a few terms you should look for in particular when buying a TV for your new game console or high-end graphics card.

HDMI 2.1

To get the most out of a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, your TV should have full HDMI 2.1 support. This is the latest major update to the HDMI spec, enabling a higher maximum bandwidth – 48 gigabits per second, up from HDMI 2.0’s 18 Gbps – and a handful of features that are beneficial for gaming specifically. These include variable refresh rate (VRR) and automatic low latency mode (ALLM), which we detail further below.

Beyond that, perhaps the chief perk of HDMI 2.1 is its ability to transmit ultrasharp 4K video at up to 120Hz refresh rate. Not every PS5 or Xbox Series X/S game supports frame rates this high – and some only do so at lower resolutions – but those that do will look and feel especially fluid in motion. HDMI 2.1 also brings support for Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), which allows for higher-quality 5.1- and 7.1-channel audio from a source device connected to the TV to a compatible soundbar or receiver.

The more full HDMI 2.1 ports your TV has, the better. “Full” is the key word there. As reported by TFT Central, because HDMI 2.1 is backwards compatible with HDMI 2.0, TV and monitor manufacturers have been allowed to brand ports as “HDMI 2.1” even if they lack full (or any) support for the spec’s upgraded features. We recommend a few TVs below that have true HDMI 2.1 ports, but if you’re buying a new TV for gaming, make sure your chosen set isn’t trying to hide any capabilities you may consider essential.

HDR — High Dynamic Range

HDR refers to a TV's ability to display a wider range between the darkest and brightest parts of a picture. This broader range can bring out details that would otherwise be missing on a standard dynamic range (SDR) TV, in both the very dark and, especially, the very bright areas of an image. HDR typically comes with an improvement to color reproduction as well, displaying a larger palette of more vibrant colors that brings content closer to its creator’s original vision.

To get an HDR picture, you need both content that is mastered to take advantage of the tech and a TV capable of displaying that content. HDR also comes in a variety of formats, which are generally split between those that utilize static metadata (e.g., HDR10) and those that utilize dynamic metadata (e.g., HDR10+, Dolby Vision). In short, the latter allows a TV to optimize its brightness and colors on a per-scene or even per-frame basis, while the former uses one set of optimized settings for the entirety of the given content. Support for these formats can differ depending on the TV, content and game console you use. The Xbox Series X and S, for example, support Dolby Vision for gaming, while the PS5 does not.

The good news is that most TVs you’d buy in 2023 are HDR-ready in some fashion, even on the budget end of the market. The catch is that some TVs are much better at getting the most out of HDR than others. The same goes for actual content mastered in HDR. With video games in particular, there aren’t as many games designed to take advantage of HDR as there are movies (though the number is growing), and the variance in quality tends to be wider.

HGiG — HDR Gaming Interest Group

HGiG stands for the HDR Gaming Interest Group. Sony and Microsoft are both members, as are many TV makers and game developers. What this means is that, ideally, all the groups communicate information so that you can start up a new game on a console or PC and have it automatically recognize your display. Once that happens, the game can adjust the internal settings to adjust for that display's capabilities and give you the best picture quality possible, without losing details in the brightest or darkest areas of the screen. For example, daylight at the end of a dark tunnel may portray a brightly lit environment instead of looking like an overexposed white blob.

This is a good thing, but the reality is a bit more complicated. Not all TVs highlight HGiG compatibility in their settings menu, while only some PlayStation and Xbox games recognize and follow the guidelines. If an HGiG option is listed in your TV's tone mapping settings, you should turn it on prior to running the console's HDR settings. Then, if you're playing a game that supports HDR and HGiG, you should be in good shape without having to adjust the various luminance levels again. Still, how all of this looks to you might differ depending on your TV and the game you’re playing. Owners of certain LG OLED models, for instance, may prefer their TV’s Dynamic Tone Mapping setting. Use whatever settings you think look best.

ALLM — Auto Low Latency Mode

ALLM allows a source (like your PS5 or Xbox) to tell the display to switch into a mode that reduces lag between receiving each frame of an image and displaying it on the TV. This cuts out additional processing that could be the milliseconds of difference between landing a precise input or not. A good modern TV can automatically switch to game mode, then back out when you'd rather watch a movie or TV show.

VRR — Variable Refresh Rate

VRR is a familiar feature to PC gamers, but it’s still relatively new for most TVs. Most gamers have experienced slowdown, screen tearing or stutters that can happen as your system struggles to render each frame at the target speed, which is usually 30 or 60 fps on a TV. If the game stutters, then the TV either stays on the same frame or displays part of two different ones, which is the visual artifact of tearing.

With VRR, however, everything stays in sync — your display won't show the next frame until it's ready, which can make things feel smoother and more responsive, even if the system fails to deliver on its target of 30, 60 or even 120 fps.

There are a few different implementations of VRR available, including Nvidia’s G-Sync, AMD’s FreeSync and the HDMI Forum’s VRR spec, which is part of the full HDMI 2.1 standard. Both a TV and an input device need to support the same VRR tech for it to work, and different devices may only support VRR within a specific refresh rate window. On a 120Hz display, for instance, the PS5’s VRR only works between 48Hz and 120Hz.

As a reminder, the PS5 supports HDMI Forum VRR, the Xbox Series X/S support HDMI Forum VRR and FreeSync, while gaming PCs may support G-Sync or FreeSync depending on whether they use a Nvidia or AMD graphics card. An ideal gaming TV supports all the big VRR formats, but missing, say, G-Sync, isn’t a killer if you only game on a PS5 or Xbox.

The best gaming TVs you can get right now

We’re updating this guide during a transitional period for the TV market. The major brands have largely announced their TV lineups for 2023, but most aren’t available to buy yet. When the new sets do arrive, their prices will be higher out of the gate than last year’s models, which manufacturers often sell for less now to clear out inventory. Since some of those 2022 TVs are still excellent, they can offer strong value while they’re still available at a discount, particularly if their successors only wind up being iterative upgrades.

All of this is to say that, if you can wait for prices on 2023’s TVs to come down, or if you don’t care about paying more for the latest and greatest set, it’s best to hold off and see how this year’s models stack up. However, if you can’t wait for a new TV, a good set from last year should provide the most bang for your buck as of this writing. While Engadget doesn’t formally review TVs, we feel confident in the recommendations below based on our hands-on experience with some of them and the consensus from TV review sites we trust, such as Rtings, Wirecutter, and CNET, among others.

LG C2 OLED

The LG C2’s OLED panel can’t get as bright as a QD-OLED TV like Samsung’s S95B, but it still performs excellently in terms of contrast, input lag, motion response and viewing angles. It’s just less ideal in a brightly-lit room. It follows the HGiG’s HDR guidelines, supports ALLM, works with all the major VRR formats and has four full HDMI 2.1 ports capable of outputting 4K 120Hz with a PS5, Xbox or PC. It also supports all the major HDR standards, including Dolby Vision, and it’s available in a wide variety of sizes, from a 42-inch model to an 83-inch one. It costs a bit less than most competing OLED TVs, too.

Samsung S95B OLED

The aforementioned Samsung S95B uses a QD-OLED panel that combines an OLED panel with a layer of quantum dots. This allows it to display the high contrast and deep blacks of any good OLED TV without sacrificing as much in the way of peak brightness or color saturation. It should deliver consistently smooth motion, and it has four full HDMI 2.1 ports, so it can play up to 4K 120Hz. It also supports ALLM, all the major VRR formats and HDR10 and HDR10+.

However, the S95B doesn’t work with Dolby Vision HDR, and it’s only available in 55- and 65-inch sizes (the new S95C will include a 77-inch model, in addition to supporting a faster official maximum refresh rate of 144Hz). Beyond that, some S95Bowners have complained about issues with the TV’s picture quality while in “Game Mode” after recent firmware updates. This shouldn’t make the S95B anywhere close to a poor TV, and it can still be worth it if you play in a bright room. But with an updated model just around the corner, we’re a little more hesitant to recommend it over the LG C2 for gaming specifically.

Sony A95K OLED

Sony’s A95K is another well-regarded QD-OLED TV, plus it supports Dolby Vision. It doesn’t support HDR10+, though, and it only has two full HDMI 2.1 ports. It’s also much pricier than the C2 or S95B, starting at $2,300 for a 55-inch model as of this writing. The upcoming A95L is worth monitoring, as it’ll be the first TV to support Dolby Vision at 4K 120Hz.

Samsung QN90B

If you’d prefer the extra brightness of a LCD TV, or if you think you might play one game (extremely) long enough to worry about burn-in, consider Samsung’s QN90B. It can’t match the contrast, response time or viewing angles of a good OLED TV, but its Mini LED backlighting and quantum dot color should make for a richer image than most LCD TVs, particularly in HDR. Its motion and input lag shouldn’t cause problems, either, and it can get much brighter than the models above. Like other Samsung TVs, it doesn’t support Dolby Vision, but it has four full HDMI 2.1 ports, ALLM and all the major VRR formats. It also comes in several sizes, with the 43- and 50-inch models capable of hitting a 144Hz refresh rate. The rest go up to 120Hz, which is the max for a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S.

TCL 6-Series

The QN90B isn’t cheap, though. For those on a tighter budget, TCL’s 6-Series (R655) TV should work fine. It’s a step down from the QN90B, particularly when it comes to HDR performance and viewing angles, but it should still look good in any environment, with low input lag, support for all the main HDR and VRR technologies, and a 144Hz refresh rate. It only has two full HDMI 2.1 ports, though. Note that this is a Roku TV – if you’d prefer Google’s TV OS, Hisense’s U8H is a close competitor around the same price.

Vizio MQX

Vizio’s M-Series Quantum X, on the other hand, doesn’t look as nice, but for frame rate junkies it supports a 120Hz refresh rate, with its 50-inch model capable of reaching 240Hz, albeit at a 1080p resolution. For PC gamers who want to dabble in competitive shooters like Counter-Strike, it’s an outlier for a big display in this price range.

TCL 5-Series

On the lower end, TCL’s 5-Series (S555) is a highly-rated QLED TV with low lag, HDR, local dimming and better contrast than most models in this range. It technically supports VRR, too, but like many cheaper TVs, it’s limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and lacks HDMI 2.1.

Richard Lawler contributed to this report.

A new group of Phantom Thieves will be stealing hearts in Tokyo. Black Wings Game Studio, the developer owned by Chinese company Perfect World Games, has unveiled a new mobile game set in the Persona 5 universe. The previous spinoffs of the title, Persona 5 Strikers and Dancing in Starlight, feature the original gang, but this one comes with a brand new cast of characters. While it wasn't created by Atlus itself, Persona: Phantom of the Night (or Persona 5: The Phantom X, shortened as P5X) had SEGA's blessing. It was also developed under the supervision of P-Studio, the team behind the mainline Persona games. 

So far, its trailers show us a red-haired protagonist who's juggling high school life and Metaverse thievery, a brown-haired girl reminiscent of P4's Chie and a talking owl who, like Morgana, can transform into a getaway vehicle. The developer has also released character artwork for another female character with long black hair and another for Igor's new assistant in the Velvet Room. 

According to the game's announcement, franchise character designer Shigenori Soejima created the game's protagonist and exclusive Persona. And if you watch the trailer below, you'll see that Black Wings was able to capture the look and feel of the original Persona 5 game quite well. It uses the same gameplay and battle effects, and it features the same victory close-ups, as well as the popular P5 battle soundtrack Wake Up, Get up, Get Out There.

Unlike the original Persona 5 game, P5X will be free to play, which means it will have in-app purchases. It will be available to beta testers on Android, iOS and Windows (as a port) starting on March 29th, but only in China. The developer has yet to announce if it will be released outside the region. 

There's some good news if you've been holding off on buying a Steam Deck. Valve's terrific portable gaming system is on sale for the first time, just over a year after the company started shipping the device. The price of the Steam Deck has dropped by 10 percent. 

The 64GB model is currently $359.10 ($40 off). The 256GB variant has dropped from $529 to $476.10. The 512GB Steam Deck, which has a screen with anti-glare glass and the fastest storage of the bunch, is $65 off at $584.10. As things stand, it should take 1-2 weeks for your Deck to arrive. The discount will apply in all regions where the Deck ships until 1PM ET on March 23rd, when the Steam spring sale that just started comes to an end.

There are currently discounts on hundreds of games, so you'll surely find plenty of things to play on your shiny new Steam Deck. The deals include Red Dead Redemption 2 (67 percent off), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (70 percent off), Marvel's Midnight Suns (50 percent off) and NBA 2K23 (75 percent off). All are among the 100 most-played games on Steam Deck to date, but Valve has verified that thousands of titles will work on the portable PC just fine (keep an eye out for green and yellow check marks on the Steam store).

Valve, which has constantly been updating the Steam Deck over the last year, has added another feature. It'll now be easier to change the startup video that plays when you boot up the system. Valve has created 20 startup videos that you can buy from the Steam Points Shop, but you can easily find other custom boot clips elsewhere.

Meanwhile, in case you're worried that the Steam Deck will soon be obsolete, there likely won't be a vastly more powerful second-generation model anytime soon. While Valve might continue to iterate on the system, "a true next-gen Deck with a significant bump in horsepower wouldn’t be for a few years," designer Lawrence Yang told Rock Paper Shotgun earlier this month.

NASA and Axiom Space have revealed what Artemis III astronauts will wear when they walk on the Moon. The Artemis III mission is currently slated for December 2025. It’ll be the first crewed lunar landing since Apollo 17 touched down in 1972, and it’s poised to include the first woman and first person of color to walk on the Moon.

Axiom Space

The new spacesuit accommodates a wider range of body types. It's also more flexible than past suits, featuring lights and even an HD camera. The design can even handle the extreme cold of permanently shadowed areas on the Moon. If you’re disappointed not to see the iconic white of NASA’s older spacesuits, don’t worry – this is just the early prototype. The final version will likely be all-white when worn by NASA astronauts on the Moon’s surface.

– Mat Smith

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T-Mobile is buying Ryan Reynolds-backed Mint Mobile

For up to $1.35 billion.

T-Mobile has announced an agreement to buy Mint Mobile's parent company, Ka’ena, for $1.35 billion in cash and stock. Mint has run on T-Mobile since its inception as a mobile virtual network operator. The deal is all the more intriguing thanks to its celebrity rep, Ryan Reynolds, who is believed to own between 20 and 25 percent of Mint. He'll stay on in his creative role as Mint spokesperson. Mint was founded in 2015 and spun out from Ultra in late 2019.

Continue reading.

BMW's new Panoramic Vision adds a full-width display on EV windscreens

Expect it to roll out on models from 2025.

With its new Panoramic Vision display, BMW wants to bring that important HUD data to eye level. The company has announced a heads-up display that spans the entire width of the windscreen to give drivers and passengers all the necessary information without having to take eyes off the road. As the driver, you can choose what you want to see across the Panoramic Vision display, including speed, time, and current song playing.

Continue reading.

Samsung explains its 'fake' Moon photos

The company says its AI enhances details, but critics claim it's adding info that wasn't there.

Samsung shared a deeper explanation of its Moon photo detection system it has used since the Galaxy S21. The phone detects when you're taking a clear photo of the Moon at 25X zoom or above and captures multiple frames. It then uses a neural network to enhance the detail, using a high-resolution reference image for comparison. It’s that latter part that’s rankling folks. So are the images you’re taking fake? Well, Samsung is using the actual shot as a baseline, but the phone is producing photos that don't represent what you get through the lens. The company appears to be aware of this, too, as it says it's refining Scene Optimizer to "reduce any potential confusion" between taking photos of the actual Moon and augmented images of it.

Continue reading.

The 'BlackBerry' trailer looks funnier than you'd expect

The rise and fall of the keyboard-toting smartphone business.

When we learned that a BlackBerry movie was in the works, no-one thought it would be a comedic feature. But judging from the trailer it should have a lighter touch than films like The Social Network and Steve Jobs. The BlackBerry movie stars Jay Baruchel (How to Train Your Dragon, Goon) and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Glenn Howerton as Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, the former co-CEOs of the Canadian firm Research in Motion.

Continue reading.

Samsung’s $450 Galaxy A54 has a bright 1,000-nit display

And looks more like a flagship phone.

Axiom Space

It’s that quiet moment between Samsung launching its Galaxy S flagships and its other flagships that just happen to fold. So it's the perfect time to update its midrange A series and add to the chaos. While no major shakeups are coming from the Galaxy A53 to the A54, there are some notable changes, including a redesign more closely aligned to the premium Galaxy S family, with metal detail on the cameras, which now jut out from the back independently of each other. The screen is also 20 percent brighter, topping out at 1,000 nits. The A54 will be available to pre-order on March 30th before launching on April 6th for $450 – the same price as last year’s model.

Continue reading.

Volkswagen has teased a genuinely affordable EV for years (the ID.3 was originally meant to be that model), but now it's finally ready to make that machine a reality. The company has unveiled an ID.2all concept that previews a production compact car priced below €25,000 (about $26,000). It should be considerably more affordable than the second-gen ID.3 (€39,995 in Germany), but it won't be as compromised as you might think.

The ID.2all is based on an upgraded "MEB Entry" platform that promises more performance than you'd expect from an EV this size. The front wheel drive car will pack a 223HP motor good for a 62MPH sprint in under seven seconds, and it should muster an estimated 280-mile range. It's expected to take just 20 minutes to charge from 10 percent to 80 percent, too. While there are clearly faster and longer-ranged EVs, VW's offering is more capable than alternatives like the Mini Cooper SE.

Volkswagen

And like many EVs, the switch away from combustion power allows for considerably more interior space. VW claims as much room as a Golf despite pricing closer to the Polo supermini. The trunk isn't huge at 17 cubic feet, but the automaker claims it bests some larger cars. You might not compromise much on technology, either, as VW is promising Travel Assist, an EV route planner and smart lighting.

The production ID.2all should debut in Europe in 2025. Unfortunately, we wouldn't count on a North American release. Compact cars have been losing ground to crossovers and SUVs in the region for years, and VW's American branch only sells the sportier Golf GTI and Golf R in that category. Like it or not, you'll likely have to make do with an ID.4 if you want a reasonably-sized VW EV on this side of the Atlantic.

Even so, the ID.2all is an important car both for VW and the industry. It should play a key role in a stepped-up electrification strategy that will see VW launch ten new EVs by 2026, including the ID.7 sedan. This will also help the brand fend off competition from rival cars like the Renault Zoe (€35,100 in its native France). And importantly, this is part of a broader trend of making lower-priced EVs that don't feel like major compromises. Chevy's Equinox EV is poised to cost $30,000 when it arrives this fall, and Tesla is still clinging to dreams of a $25,000 model. Even if these cars are priced above combustion engine equivalents, they should help EVs transition into the mainstream.

Volkswagen has teased a genuinely affordable EV for years (the ID.3 was originally meant to be that model), but now it's finally ready to make that machine a reality. The company has unveiled an ID.2all concept that previews a production compact car priced below €25,000 (about $26,000). It should be considerably more affordable than the second-gen ID.3 (€39,995 in Germany), but it won't be as compromised as you might think.

The ID.2all is based on an upgraded "MEB Entry" platform that promises more performance than you'd expect from an EV this size. The front wheel drive car will pack a 223HP motor good for a 62MPH sprint in under seven seconds, and it should muster an estimated 280-mile range. It's expected to take just 20 minutes to charge from 10 percent to 80 percent, too. While there are clearly faster and longer-ranged EVs, VW's offering is more capable than alternatives like the Mini Cooper SE.

Volkswagen

And like many EVs, the switch away from combustion power allows for considerably more interior space. VW claims as much room as a Golf despite pricing closer to the Polo supermini. The trunk isn't huge at 17 cubic feet, but the automaker claims it bests some larger cars. You might not compromise much on technology, either, as VW is promising Travel Assist, an EV route planner and smart lighting.

The production ID.2all should debut in Europe in 2025. Unfortunately, we wouldn't count on a North American release. Compact cars have been losing ground to crossovers and SUVs in the region for years, and VW's American branch only sells the sportier Golf GTI and Golf R in that category. Like it or not, you'll likely have to make do with an ID.4 if you want a reasonably-sized VW EV on this side of the Atlantic.

Even so, the ID.2all is an important car both for VW and the industry. It should play a key role in a stepped-up electrification strategy that will see VW launch ten new EVs by 2026, including the ID.7 sedan. This will also help the brand fend off competition from rival cars like the Renault Zoe (€35,100 in its native France). And importantly, this is part of a broader trend of making lower-priced EVs that don't feel like major compromises. Chevy's Equinox EV is poised to cost $30,000 when it arrives this fall, and Tesla is still clinging to dreams of a $25,000 model. Even if these cars are priced above combustion engine equivalents, they should help EVs transition into the mainstream.

After teasing some of the titles during the recent State of Play event, Sony has unveiled the full slate of additions to the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium catalog for March. It’s shaping up to be another strong month for the service.

Tchia will be just the second game to debut on PS Plus Extra on its release date, following Stray. It’s a gorgeous-looking sandbox adventure in which you can take over and control animals and objects, likely in a far less sinister way than in Prey. When you feel the need to take a break from exploring the New Caledonia-inspired world, you can bust out a fully-playable ukulele. Play the right tunes and you can attract animals or cause rain to fall.

Also coming to the library on March 21st is Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection. It includes Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, both of which have been remastered beautifully for PS5. Life Is Strange: True Colors and Life is Strange 2 will join the original game and Life is Strange: Before the Storm in the lineup too.

The other games that will hit the PS Plus Extra and Premium catalog this month are:

• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction

• Ghostwire Tokyo (which is also coming to Xbox Game Pass in April)

• Immortals Fenyx Rising

• Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

• Street Fighter V Champion Edition

• Untitled Goose Game

• Final Fantasy Type-0 HD

• Rage 2

• Neo: The World Ends with You

• Haven

Premium subscribers will soon gain access to a few more older games at no extra cost. Sony will add Ridge Racer Type 4, Ape Escape 2 (both PS1) and Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror (PSP) on March 21st.

On the downside, several games are reportedly leaving the Extra catalog on the same date. Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame 5, Override 2: Super Mech League, Danger Zone, Dungeons 2, Ghost of a Tale, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, Velocibox, Victor Vran: Overkill Edition and WWE 2K22 will no longer be playable through the subscription service after that time.

Meanwhile, Sony has revealed the first game that all PS Plus members will be able to claim in April. Meet Your Maker, an intriguing fortress-building and -looting game from Dead by Daylight studio Behavior Interactive, will be available on the Essential tier on its April 4th launch day.

Samsung is hoping to talk its way out of a controversy over its camera processing technology. The company has shared an explanation of the Moon photo detection system it has used since the Galaxy S21. If you have Scene Optimizer turned on, AI detects when you're taking a clear photo of the Moon at 25X zoom or above. The tech lowers the brightness, captures multiple frames (to produce a bright, low-noise picture) and uses a neural network to enhance the detail using a high-resolution reference image for comparison.

You can turn Scene Optimizer off. Samsung also notes that this won't work if you either take a snapshot of the obscured Moon or use an image that clearly wasn't taken on Earth. The Moon is tidally locked to the planet, so you'll always see the same lunar surface unless you go to space.

Samsung

The defense comes after Reddit user Breakphotos alleged that Samsung was faking Moon images by adding detail that wasn't present in the raw scene. To make the case, Breakphotos even snapped pictures of blurry, low-resolution images on a computer screen — there's no info the phone could recover from the shot. Even with blown-out exposure, the device appeared to add info that simply wasn't there.

This isn't an outright fake. Samsung is using the actual shot as a baseline. However, its algorithms are clearly going to an extreme by producing photos that don't represent what you get through the lens. The company appears to be aware of this, too, as it says it's refining Scene Optimizer to "reduce any potential confusion" between taking photos of the actual Moon and mere images of it.

This isn't the first time a phone manufacturer has received criticism for manipulating photo output, of course. Some brands have had beauty modes that mask perceived body and skin imperfections to create unrealistic portraits. However, Samsung is effectively claiming its phones can take technically impossible photos — you may buy a Galaxy S23 Ultra under the misguided impression that someone's sharp, crisp lunar image reflects what the phone can physically produce.