Amazon has released a Prime Video app for Mac, and you can now get it for free from the App Store. You can use the app to download videos for offline viewing on your computer, which sounds especially useful for long business trips and vacations. The Verge reports that the app will let you choose the quality of the video you're streaming or downloading, and it supports native macOS features such as Picture-in-Picture and AirPlay. Within the app, you'll find a dedicated tab where you can rent and purchase content, as well. You'll just have sure you're running macOS Big Sur or later to be able to access the application.
The company has also released a redesigned version of its Photos app for iOS and the web, which now let you search for people, places and years. It shows the faces of people that usually appear in your photos as clickable options, so you can see all the photos they've appeared in. If you want to narrow down the results, you can choose the year and the places where the pictures were taken, as well. The refreshed apps also come with a new interface, which you can get a glimpse of in this video:
Amazon's Photos app gives you unlimited storage for full-resolution images and for up to 5GB of videos if you're a Prime member. If you don't have Prime, you'll still get 5GB of free storage for your media overall.
The new mobile game Rocket League Sideswipe has launched into pre-season starting in Oceania with a wider rollout coming soon, developer Psyonix has announced. The car soccer game for iOS and Android was revealed earlier in March as a mobile, 2D version of Rocket League that lets you play solo or team up with a friend for two vs. two matches.
Instead of the regular 3D Rocket League perspective, Sideswipe has a 2D side-on view, as the name suggests. It uses touch controls that are relatively easy to master, according to Psyonix, but will also offer advanced control mechanics for better players. As with the original, it will offer a ranking system for competitive modes with plenty of car customization options.
As the game trailer above shows, it looks to capture the spirit of the original game and actually crosses over in one way. As the developer detailed, logging in with your Epic Games account for online matches will let you earn extra XP across both Rocket League and Sideswipe.
"Every time you level up in Sideswipe, you'll earn a 'Bonus Win' in Rocket League. Then, once you win an Online Match in Rocket League, you'll get extra XP for that Bonus Win. Bonus Wins can also be earned for Sideswipe by playing Rocket League, so enjoy the extra XP in both games," Psyonix wrote.
Psyonix no doubt launched Rocket League Sideswipe in Oceania (Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia) to shake out any bugs, but confirmed that the game will launch globally before the end of the year. So far, however, it has yet to provide any details for a further rollout.
Take-Two Interactive, the owner of Rockstar Games and 2K, has added another studio to its roster. Roll7, the small team behind the OlliOlli skateboarding series, is joining the company's Private Division publishing label.
Private Division will release Roll7's next game, OlliOlli World, which was supposed to arrive by the end of the year but has now been delayed until the first quarter of 2022. It seems both sides found they worked well enough together to make their partnership a permanent one, with Roll7 becoming one of Private Division's in-house studios. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Roll7 is known for its flow state approach to games, the idea bring that players will become completely immersed in a game and focus entirely on it. The original OlliOlli was released in 2014 on PlayStation Vita, and Roll7 earned a BAFTA best sports game award for it the following year.
In OlliOlli World, you'll rack up points for nailing tricks while navigating each level. Roll7 opted for a hand-drawn art style this time around, following the pixel art design of the first two games in the series. The result is a gorgeous-looking title that I'm looking forward to checking out. OlliOlli World is coming to PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
OnePlus is known for its special edition phones, and now it's creating another for its latest Nord 2 5G smartphone — but this time, it's moving from iconic cars to iconic video games. The company has unveiled the OnePlus Nord 2 x Pac-Man edition with custom covers, themed wallpapers and even a Lego-like smartphone holder.
The back of the phone has a film with a small Pac-Man logo, and it even glows in the dark to reveal a maze. There's also a translucent themed case featuring Pac-Man and his enemies Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde. once its turned on, you get one of eight Pac-Man-themed wallpapers, along with a Pac-Man-themed charging animation, redesigned retro icons/notification sounds and more. The box is also Pac-Man themed.
OnePlus
If also comes with a Lego-like Pac-Man stand you build yourself, provided you order it directly from OnePlus. Finally, it includes a pre-installed version of the 2015 (free-to-play) game Pac-Man 256.
Otherwise, it's the same OnePlus Nord 2 we recently tried, complete with a 6.43-inch 1080 90Hz OLED display, MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI processor and 4,500mAh, 65W fast-charging battery. On the back, you'll find a triple-camera setup with a 50-megapixel main camera, 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel monochrome camera. It goes on sale tomorrow for £499/€529/₹37,999 in the UK, Europe and India respectively, and as with the regular Nord 2, isn't available in the US.
Following a beta launch in September, Samsung has released its One UI 4 software with new features from Android 12 like the Privacy Dashboard. As usual, owners of Samsung's flagship Galaxy S21 smartphone lineup, including the Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra, will be first in line to receive it.
The biggest change with the new skin is how it looks. One UI 4 now allows a more customized experience with new color palettes and widgets, along with a wider range of emoji features, GIFs and stickers. That sounds very much like Android 12's Material You, except it's not auto- or AI-generated.
Engadget
The other difference from before is around security. Following the lead of Android 12, Samsung is introducing a Privacy Dashboard that brings all settings and controls into one place. For example, it will show when an app is attempting to access your camera, microphone or other sensor, and why it needed that data.
Other features include access to Samsung's extended ecosystem of devices and third-party apps. That will ensure a "seamless experience" when using non-Samsung apps like Google Duo, the company said. It's also promising a uniform look across devices like the Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Tab.
Since the release of One UI, Samsung has been trying to get the latest versions of Android onto its high-end smartphones as quickly as possible. It's fair to say it's done that here, as Google released Android 12 less than a month ago onto its Pixel 3 devices. One UI 4 is available starting today for Galaxy S21 device, "and will soon arrive to previous Galaxy S and Note series as well as Galaxy A series, foldables and tablets," the company said.
The PC version of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition seems to have some serious issues at the minute. The bundle — a remastered collection of GTA III, GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas — arrived on Thursday. However, at the time of writing, the Rockstar Games website says "this title is currently unavailable in your country or region." Console players can still buy it on the Xbox, PlayStation and Switch digital stores.
Rockstar Games
According to Kotaku, those who bought the title on PC before it disappeared are unable to play it at the minute. Rockstar removed the older versions of the three games from PC storefronts before the collection arrived.
Adding to the publisher's woes, the Rockstar Launcher has been out of commission for around 24 hours "for maintenance" — not a great look when Rockstar just released a new collection of some of its most notable games. That means Rockstar's PC games like Grand Theft Auto Online and Red Dead Online are unavailable. The store, cloud services, downloads and authentication systems are also down.
We thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to work on restoring services for the Rockstar Games Launcher and supported titles.
"We thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to work on restoring services for the Rockstar Games Launcher and supported titles," Rockstar wrote on Twitter early Friday morning. Engadget has contacted Rockstar Games for comment.
Some fans have expressed disappointment at the quality of remasters, with screenshots of glitches and videos of bugs popping up. One player posted a video of a rainstorm in San Andreas that made it difficult to see anything around CJ.
It’s dangerously easy to go over budget during the holidays when, especially when your gift list seemingly gets longer with each passing year. It’s even easier to do so when you have a bunch of gearheads in your life. We don’t have to tell you that gadgets are expensive (hello, $1,000-plus smartphones), but not every piece of tech will put a huge dent in your bank account. To make things easier for our budget-minded readers, we’ve collected everything in our gift guide that you can buy for $100 or less here.
In addition to our favorites listed below, a few other roundups in our holiday gift guide are almost entirely filled with frugal- gifts: our digital gift guide includes services like Disney+ and Skillshare, while our media roundup has books, movies and TV shows that we think would make great gifts. You’ll find that inexpensive options make up most of our tech toys and board games guides as well, and our annual tech stocking stuffers guide focuses on gifts you can grab for under $50 this year. What we’re trying to say is, you don’t have to go broke to get solid tech for your friends and family; you just have to know which affordable items are actually worth your money.
Adagio Simplicitea starter set
Adagio
A dedicated tea vessel is a great gift for the tea lover in your life, or even those experimenting with coffee alternatives. Adagio’s Simplicitea kit includes a 12-ounce Borosilicate glass container with a stainless steel mesh strainer top, along with a sampler pack of 12 teas of your choosing. Since Adagio has a wide selection of loose and bagged tea, you’ll likely be able to find a box that includes the exact type your giftee prefers.
Frequent travelers can get their coffee fix more easily with the Aeropress Go. We’ve often recommended it to outdoor enthusiasts because its compact size makes it great for hiking and camping trips, but anyone who travels often can easily bring the Go with them. It’ll brew one to three cups of coffee at a time and it comes with 350 micro filters that capture excess grit.
There’s a special peace of mind that comes from checking in on your home even when you’re away, and Blink’s Indoor Cam lets you do that for only $80. The tiny square camera records video at up to 1080p resolution and has customizable motion alerts and two-way audio. And its AA batteries make it a wireless camera, so you can place it anywhere in your home and leave it for two years before the batteries need replacing.
We’re big fans of Brumate’s can-and-bottle insulator, the Hopsulator, but the Toddy is the mug to get for all your fall and winter drinks. The insulated, 16-ounce mug keeps drinks hot for hours and it has a leak-proof lid with a magnetic opening that’s easy to open but will also keep all of your drink inside the cup. We also like its non-slip base, which keeps the mug in one spot on your desk.
This Cosori kettle is a no-fuss machine that will quickly become a staple in anyone’s kitchen. Sure, something like this is necessary to make good coffee or tea, but it’s also handy when you want to make ramen, reconstitute dried vegetables and more. This model has a gooseneck, which gives you more control when brewing pour-over coffee; a stainless steel interior; temperature presets for multiple drinks; and a hold button that keeps the water at the exact temperature you want until you’re ready to use it.
This mug is for the coffee nerd in your life. Its wide mouth is ideal for brewing directly into the cup, plus it makes it easier to drink from while also enjoying the aroma of your favorite coffee. The inside is coated in ceramic for an “unpolluted” tasting experience, plus it has a leak-proof seal to prevent spills when they inevitably toss it in their bag before rushing out the door.
The right lighting can change the whole mood of a room and Govee’s Glide wall light is one of the most interesting smart lights we’ve come across. It includes seven segments for you to connect into the shape you want and, once installed, it can shine in up to 57 colors at once. Lighting effects and scenes are available in Govee’s companion app, so you can manually change up the feel of your living room or office any time you want — or you can let the light do the work for you as it reacts to music or gaming sounds in real time.
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget / Hangtime Gear
Extreme activities like backpacking, snowboarding and the like call for extreme protection for your smartphone. The Koala smartphone harness clips to whatever’s on your person, be it a jacket, backpack or vest, while the wrap at the other end of the tether secures around your smartphone. Plus, the tether itself can stretch up to four feet — so even if your phone does take a tumble, you’ll probably catch it before it gets close to the ground.
If you know someone who drinks cold brew in the dead of winter, Hario’s Mizudashi will make their lives even easier. The tall, slim coffee pot is made of heat-resistant glass and has a washable filter that fits neatly into it. Available in 600ml and 1000ml sizes, it also has a convenient pour spout and a handle, so don’t be surprised if this pot quickly earns a permanent spot in your giftee’s refrigerator.
This illuminated sign could be the most unique prop in your loved one’s streaming setup. You can customize it with their name, handle or a short catch phrase they’re known for. And it’s not just for TikTokkers — if your giftee spends hours on Twitch or uploads to YouTube every week, Illuminated Dreamz has customizable signs for those platforms, too.
J-Lab’s Go Air Pop are the wireless earbuds to get if you have very little to spend on gifts. They cost only $20 and offer onboard controls, EQ presets, IPX4 moisture resistance and eight-hour battery life. They also come in fun colors like lilac and rose, so you’ll probably find one that suits your recipient.
Jabra’s Elite 3 earbuds impressed us with their sound quality, which is better than some expensive buds we’ve tried, and their tiny, comfortable design. They’ll last all day with their seven-hour battery life, too, and we appreciate their reliable onboard controls. At only $80, it’s hard to find a pair of earbuds that pack as much value as these do.
Joby’s GorillaPods have been popular with photographers and other creators for years, and for good reason. The 3K kit is compact enough to fit easily in a backpack, and it can hold up to 6.6 pounds on its time frame. You can bend, twist, wrap and otherwise articulate its legs to get the right position for your shot, and it has a 360-degree panning bed and a 90-degree tilt and bubble level for even more control.
While Kivetai’s half face mask will be most useful for winter sports lovers, plenty of others will want to wear it this winter. Made of a breathable cotton fabric, it covers the mouth and ears and it has non-slip sections throughout to keep the mask in place. Whether you’re going for a chilly morning run or going out to run errands, this mask keeps the cold out and the warmth in.
If you’re looking for an SD card with even faster speeds, Lexar’s Professional 2000x lineup is a good place to start. These cards support 300MB/s transfer rates, 120MB/s write speeds and 4K video recording, plus they also have durable designs that are water, temperature, shock, vibration and x-ray proof.
Logitech’s C922 is the webcam to get if your giftee could use one camera for both Zoom meetings and game streaming. It can record at either 1080p/30fps or 720p/60fps, the latter option being the better choice for smooth video. It also has HD autofocus and light correction, which keeps the user looking sharp and well lit regardless of their environment, plus two built-in mics so voices always come through loud and clear.
This palm-sized LED panel can help you get the right lighting anyway thanks to its built-in magnets that make it easy to mount almost anywhere. You can adjust the light’s temperature and hue, or use any one of its 15 pre-programmed presets. Plus, its built-in battery runs for 1.5 hours at full brightness and it means there are no cords to fuss with either.
Sure, this adorable glowing bunny is technically for kids, but you don’t have to be under the age of 10 to enjoy it. The charmingly kawaii character can glow in seven different colors or in multicolored mode and will last up to 10 hours on its rechargeable battery. It’s also pleasantly squishy thanks to its silicone body, a feature that your child will also love since it makes it even easier to tote around their new bunny BFF.
The Apollo thermal case is for those who want their phones to be as protected as possible from the elements. The small, insulated sleeve has multiple layers inside that protect against various hazards like overheating, extreme cold, water damage and more. Not only does that keep your phone safe from accidents, but it also helps keep the battery healthy even in extreme conditions.
These headphones are basically part of the standard streamer uniform at this point. The pink color and cute cat ears are a welcome change of pace compared to the all-black aesthetic that most consumer electronics adhere to, plus it has customizable Chroma RGB lighting on the earcups. But it doesn’t just look good: the Kraken Kitty headset supports a 40ms low-latency connection, 40mm drivers for solid audio quality and built-in mics that focus on your voice and minimize environmental sounds around you.
Creatives looking to improve the sound quality of their videos can do so with Rode’s VideoMic Go. It attaches to most DSLR cameras and has a focused pickup area, minimizing surrounding noise to pick up a subject’s voice clearly. It also has an integrated shock mount that protects the mic from bumps and vibrations, limiting the amount of unwanted interference in your audio. We also appreciate that it doesn’t require separate batteries to work — just plug it into your camera and hit record.
The Roku Ultra is one of the best ways to up someone’s streaming game. It’s the company’s most powerful device, supporting 4K streaming with Dolby Vision and Atmos. It comes with a voice remote and the whole system supports commands from Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant, so you can pick your favorite and run with it. That remote also lets you control both the Ultra and your TV together, so you won’t have to fiddle with multiple clickers anymore.
It’s widely accepted that SanDisk makes reliable storage devices, making it a good name to turn to if you have a creator in your life and don’t know what to get them as a gift. Extra storage, like this Extreme Pro SDXC card, is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only does it have fast 170MB/s transfer speeds, but it can record 4K video with ease and the card itself is temperature, water, shock and x-ray proof.
A one-year subscription to Slopes Premium can help your loved one up their skiing or snowboarding game. The app uses the GPS in their iPhone (or Apple Watch) to track things like speed, vertical and distance while they’re on the mountain, so they can more easily monitor their progress. And even when they’re not following a specific training routine, they can use Slopes’ seasonal challenges and leaderboards to compete against friends.
Is this perfect for a rave, as the name suggests? Yes. Is it also a perfect accessory to spruce up your next stream? Also yes. We think the holographic option has the most potential on and off Twitch, but there are a number of other fun colors and patterns like outer space, rainbow triangles and sequin.
For those new to the smart home lifestyle, TP-Link’s Kasa smart plugs are some of the easiest devices to start with. Plug them into outlets around your home, plug in “dumb” appliances like lights, coffee makers, fans and more and then control those regular gadgets from your smartphone with Kasa’s app. You can turn devices on and off with a few taps, set schedules and timers to control usage and activate Away Mode to automatically turn appliances on and off so it looks like someone’s home even when you’re on vacation.
Whether you’re meme-ing on Instagram Live or in private with a group of friends, the TikTok version of this trendy card game will be a crowd pleaser. Just like the standard version, you’re competing to create the best caption for the meme card that’s been pulled. You may want to try playing this version with those in your life unfamiliar with TikTok — it could produce the best (or the worst) results.
If your favorite person has a love of video or photography, a camera may be the best gift they’ll ever get. Some may want to capture their adventures with an action camera, while others may desire a mirrorless camera for portraits, movies or artistic shots. The technology is better than ever as camera makers try to stay ahead of smartphones with faster shooting speeds, sharper video and incredible autofocus. We found the best models for budgets ranging from $400 to $2,500, along with top accessories to complement their existing gear.
GoPro Hero 10 Black
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
For the adventurer on your gift list, there’s no better action camera than the GoPro Hero 10 Black. It bests the previous Hero 9 Black model in a number of key ways, thanks mainly to the faster GP2 processor. That helps it deliver improved image quality, with higher resolution at up to 5.3K/30fps instead of 5K as before. It also offers improved noise reduction, smoother stabilization, more faithful color reproduction and better handling.
Sony’s A6100 is a great gift idea for budding photographers, as it offers the best features of its APS-C mirrorless camera series at the best price. Chief among those is the incredibly reliable autofocus system with eye-detection and other AI tricks. Even with fast-moving action, the A6100 will nail focus for video or photos most of the time thanks to the extremely rapid tracking system. It also offers accurate colors, good low-light performance and a flip-up display that allows for selfies and vlogging, with sharp video capture at up to 4K. It’s also one of the best mirrorless camera deals around at $748, or $848 with a 16-50mm kit lens.
A gimbal is a great gift idea for video shooters, helping them boost production value with smooth tracking, panning and other shots. If your loved one has a mirrorless camera, the best option is DJI’s Ronin-SC model. It weighs just 2.4 pounds, 41 percent lighter than DJI’s original Ronin-S — making it easier to use for longer periods. It can stabilize just about any type of video as well, thanks to the ActiveTrack 3.0 mode and AI that can lock onto and track human or other subjects.
If your gift recipient is into making YouTube videos, the Panasonic GH5 has been the vlogging camera of choice since it first came out . The 20-megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor delivers pin-sharp 4K video downsampled from the full sensor at up to 60fps, with a 10-bit high-color option that makes editing easier afterwards. It also includes other necessities for vlogging like a flip-out display, in-body stabilization and dual high-speed card slots. With the arrival of the $1,700 GH5 II, the original GH5 is cheaper than it’s ever been at $1,300, giving your loved one a lot of camera for the money.
If your giftee is starting to get serious about video, the Magnus VT 4000 is the best budget tripod option out there. It’s lightweight at 8 pounds, but the anodized aluminum construction is strong enough to handle a mirrorless camera and accessories weighing up to 8.8 pounds. The lack of heft makes it practical for travel, while the fluid head allows for smooth tilts and pans. Other features include a middle spreader to keep things steady and legs that extend up to 64 inches so you can match the eyeline of your subjects.
For a serious camera gift that’s around $2,500, Canon’s 20-megapixel EOS R6 is the best hybrid model out there. It delivers up to 20 fps burst shooting speeds while the Dual Pixel AF nails focus on nearly every shot, whether in bright sunlight or dim lighting. It’s also a solid pick for video, letting you shoot 4K supersampled video at 60 fps with 10-bit log and HDR options for maximum editing flexibility — again, with Canon’s Dual Pixel AF system that’s second to none. The caveat to that is overheating, which limits use for things like weddings and journalism.
Some of the most useful gifts out there for vloggers are Joby’s famous mini-tripods, and the best one for the money is the GorillaPod 3K. Attaching your camera using the secure clip-in mounting plate is dead simple, and you can ensure that everything is even with the built-in level. The flexible legs let you set your camera anywhere to shoot or even wrap it around a tree or other object. The most common usage is as a vlogging handle, as vloggers can bend the legs forward to fit themselves into the video and steady out their shooting.
Your favorite camera nerd can never have enough memory cards, but they can be a pretty pricey gift. SanDisk’s ExtremePro UHS-I SD cards are cheaper than UHS-II cards, but the 90 MB/s read/write speeds are fast enough for most types of photography and video. If your loved one needs that extra UHS-II speed, Lexar’s UHS-II SD 1667X (250MB/s) and 2000X (300MB/s) SD cards are solid picks.
If the vlogger in your life doesn’t already have one, Rode’s wireless and shotgun microphones are solid, affordable gifts. The VideoMic Go is ideal for interviews and run-and-gun shooting, thanks to the crisp directional audio and relative ease of use. It comes with a shock mount to eliminate bumps or vibrations that could interfere with sound and doesn’t require a battery, unlike past Rode models. Meanwhile, Rode’s Wireless Go is one of the most popular wireless lavalier mics out there, functioning as both a microphone and wireless transceiver. It offers a reliable connection and good audio quality, or you can maximize clarity by connecting an external 3.5mm microphone like Rode’s $40 SmartLav+, the Sennheiser Pro Audio ME2 or others.
A good light is an awesome tool in your favorite photographer or videographer’s arsenal, and a relatively affordable gift to boot. One of the best all-around models is the Nanlite LitoLite 5C RGBWW Mini LED Panel. It weighs just 4.8 ounces, but offers dimmable lighting across a range of colors, with adjustments either on the fixture or via a smartphone app. It mounts on any wall or light stand via a magnet or quarter-inch threads, has cordless operation and a battery that runs for 1.5 hours at full power (charged via USB). The most interesting feature is special effects that range from a cop car’s flashing lights, flames, candlelights, a lightning storm and more.
Backpacks are life for photographers and video shooters, so they make great gifts — if you get the right one. Peak Design’s Everyday Backpack 20L is a good choice, thanks to the stylish weatherproof design, internal dividers for laptops, cameras, lenses and more, a wrap-around zipper and a protected laptop sleeve. It offers excellent build quality and Peak Design backs that up with a lifetime warranty.
As someone who used to use Adobe’s Premiere Pro CC exclusively, I never thought I’d switch to another app. I did, though, and can’t recommend Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve 17.2 enough (either the free or $295 studio version). You get a lifetime of updates, so it’s far cheaper than Adobe’s subscription program that runs $630 per year. Resolve is slightly trickier to learn, but far more powerful than Premiere for key tasks like color grading and effects. Most importantly, I’ve found Resolve to be far, far more reliable than Premiere on a wide range of computers, which is easily the most important “feature” on an editing app.
Between 2016 and 2019, retro gaming had a moment. I mean anothermoment. A very specific one where gaming’s greatest all released “mini” versions of their most iconic consoles. NES? Yep. SNES? Sure. Genesis? You bet and, of course, Sony, SNK, Konami and even Commodore (sorta) got in on the trend too.
Then there was Evercade in 2020 — a refreshingly different take on the new-but-old console idea. Instead of a “mini” version of vintage hardware, it was a new handheld that took cartridges. Each cartridge contained a collection of classic games from different developers. I enjoyed it when I reviewed it.
The idea of potentially unlimited games through actual cartridges was both clever and brave (retro gamers aren’t so known for paying for titles, especially the lesser-known “gems” that Evercade was able to license). Either way, the idea must have caught on as the company soon revealed plans for a more traditional home console version. It’s finally here and it brings a few interesting perks over its handheld sibling.
The Evercade VS (as the $99 system is called) shares the same cartridge format as the handheld, so you won’t need to re-buy anything. In fact, you can play on one, save your game and pick it up on the other (just like you’d hope, to be fair). It’s worth mentioning that two titles (both Namco collections) are only compatible with the handheld due to licensing issues.
James Trew / Engadget
There are other perks to the home-based console, too. Most notably support for multiplayer (up to four players where games support it), WiFi for over-the-air updates and a jazzy new interface. Oh, and the VS can hold two cartridges at a time, meaning you can be working on one game and leave it there while you play another, or simply just have more games to choose from on your home screen at any one time — handy given that every single cartridge Evercade offers is a multicart. The carts are even hot-swappable so you don’t need to restart the system, just slot a new one right in and away you go.
As is tradition with this new wave of retro home consoles, the VS is small and light. So light, you’ll definitely want to make sure your HDMI cable has some slack in it, else it’ll lift the VS off the ground or pull it back behind your TV. The good news is that almost any USB port will power it. My not-very-good seven year-old LG TV can easily power the VS through its USB ports meaning I don’t have to occupy another outlet.
The VS looks like a direct relative of the original Evercade with the same vintage white and red decals with a dash of gray here and there for buttons. One nice little touch is the NES-style “flap” that covers the cartridge slots. This does mean you don’t get the old-school vibes of having a cartridge poking out the top, but at least your games are safely hidden from the elements. But homages to old consoles like that seem to matter to fans of the classics. It weirdly matters a lot. Even if that’s the laborious ritual of having to get off the couch to change the games or power it down. Nostalgia isn’t always about the good things.
Fire the VS up and you’ll be presented with a Netflix-like menu of all the titles on whatever cartridges are inserted. The handheld, with its limited screen size, had you flip through each title one by one. Here, they’re laid out in rows with full cover art. Click through and you’ll be presented a little more info about the game and its controls along with the option to play it (naturally) or pick up where you left off with your most recent save.
Blaze
Evercade has tried to strike a balance between modern features and retro authenticity. Save states are one modern concession but most other things — such as cheat codes or in-game recording — are absent. The same goes for the visual look and feel. Under the settings menu, you have three display options: Original Ratio, Pixel Perfect and Full Screen. It’s always nice to have options as modern TVs are very different to what you might have plugged the original hardware into.
You can, of course, add scanlines (if you must). There are also some options for different themes and backgrounds etc. But all-told the menu is simple and clear and all the better for it.
When the handheld launched, the library of cartridges and games was decent but modest. There were collections from mainstays like Atari, Namco and Interplay. These held some classics like Pac-Man, Earthworm Jim and Crystal Castles. Then there were bundles from newer developers that have scooped up various IPs over the years. These tend to hold more “hidden gems” like Piko’s Dragon View (a solid RPG first published by Kemco). In fact the VS comes bundled with two of these collections to get you going (one from Data East and one from Technos).
Along with these well-known and lesser-known golden oldies are some collections of new 8- and 16-bit games. The net result is that the Evercade had the foundations to become something of an all-inclusive retro experience with new and old titles side-by-side. Now, with the Evercade VS, the company has added a new line of arcade-first collections denoted by their purple (rather than red) packaging. Here you’ll find button-mashers like Double Dragon 2 and Bad Dudes vs DragonNinja to further round out the library.
James Trew / Engadget
One intriguing option in the menu is “Secret.” Here you’ll be asked to enter a code. What the code/s is/are is, well, a secret, but one can presume it unlocks some extra games or content. Along the same theme, there are hidden games on the console itself a-la Snail Maze on the Sega Master System.
And… there are more things to unlock, too. Evercade has hinted that certain cartridge combinations, when inserted together, will unlock hidden titles. I was able to find two such secret games with the cartridges I have here, and there are definitely more. I won’t spoil things by saying exactly how you find them, but the UI will let you know. It’s subtle though.
Each cartridge says how many games are in the collection on the front, so if both have 10, the UI might say 21. Then you might have to check the back of the box to find which game that’s now in your list isn’t officially mentioned on either cartridge’s box. Thanks to the VS’s WiFi connection, this is theoretically something that can be expanded over time, too. A nice, fun touch nonetheless — especially for collectors.
James Trew / Engadget
One minor nitpick might be the controller: Your mileage may vary due to different physiology, but it isn’t my favorite. The general design is fine and comfortable, but it doesn’t feel quite as ergonomic as the handheld or other controllers to me. Also the in-game menu button doubles as the pause button, which can be a little confusing if, like me, you find yourself reaching for Start.
On the plus side, there are now four shoulder buttons instead of the handheld’s two and the cables are plenty long enough to reach across most living rooms. You can, of course, use the handheld as an extra controller, but it needs a specific cable — I tried the USB cable that came in the box and, no dice. That cable is about $10, while an additional controller is about $20, so it’s worth weighing up the benefit before deciding which way to go. The VS also supports basically any standard USB controller, so if you have one laying around that you like, you can use that at the expense of retro authenticity.
All in all, the Evercade VS is a pleasant surprise. The cartridge-based model will always be appealing to some and a deterrent to others. But for those that love rarities and a good dollop of nostalgia, the Evercade ecosystem is shaping up to be more than just a gimmick. With the recent wave of new indie games also making it to the platform it could find itself being a vibrant platform for new games, too. One where indie developers can not only enjoy seeing their games have a physical release, but find new audiences, and that’s never a bad thing.
Much like Steam and the Epic Games Store, the Xbox PC app will soon let folks install games in any folder of their choosing. Xbox insiders (i.e. people who've signed up to test new features) will be able to pick a default drive and folder for game installs.
The Microsoft Store hosts both games users can buy individually and Xbox Game Pass titles. Until now, all apps and games have shared a single install location. It's not uncommon for PC gamers to have more than one storage drive. They might use one as a boot drive and for day-to-day apps, and a solid state drive for games. So, after this update rolls out more broadly, installing games on a secondary drive should be a cinch.
Insiders "will also find that downloads of those games have improved over time, so it's even easier and faster to get to your next game," Jason Beaumont, Xbox's partner director of experiences, said in a video discussing the updates. What's more, players of many Xbox Game Pass titles will soon have access to local files, so they'll be able to install mods and move files. The Xbox app will show whether a game is moddable.
A Steam update released in September made it straightforward for players to move an installed game and all of its files to another drive. The process is a little more convoluted for games installed from Epic's store, but it's still possible. These are welcome moves, as they give players more choice over how to manage their games, and it's good to see Microsoft offering folks more flexibility too.
Elsewhere, the Xbox PC app now has a cloud gaming tab, giving Game Pass Ultimate subscribers a quick way to find cloud-enabled console games. Beaumont added that Microsoft is continuing to improve the app's performance, including "making it more reliable to download and play your games." The team's also trying to make it easier for developers to add features like cross-saves and achievements.
