Pokémon Legends: Arceus is available right now on Nintendo Switch, and it turns out it's a whole lot of fun. Just like any other game in the series, Legends: Arceus has a number of special distributions for fans to enjoy, and this guide is here to help you keep track of each and every one of them.
Below you'll find a full list of all the Pokémon Legends: Arceus Mystery Gift codes currently available, plus instructions on how to input them and claim your rewards. A big thanks to Serebii.net who keeps a close eye on these things — follow them on Twitter for up-to-the-minute info on everything Pokémon-related.
Complete list of Active Pokémon Legends: Arceus Mystery Gift codes
Below is a full list of the Mystery Gift codes you can currently redeem in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, as well as any other active distributions.
We'll update this list when new codes appear.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus Mystery Gift code
Reward
Expiry Date
[No code required - choose 'Get via Internet']
Hisuian Zoroark - Baneful Mask
9th May, 2022
[No code required - choose 'Get via Internet']
Hisuian Growlithe Kimono Set
9th May, 2022
[Exclusive to those who bought the game via Nintendo eShop - a unique code will be given to you with your purchase]
Heavy Ball Set
9th May, 2022
[Exclusive to Amazon (US/Japan) - a unique code will be given to you with your purchase]
Garchomp Kimono Set
9th May, 2022
Complete list of Expired Pokémon Legends: Arceus Mystery Gift codes
Pokémon Legends: Arceus Mystery Gift code
Reward
Expiry Date
N/A
N/A
N/A
How to redeem Mystery Gift codes in Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Scroll across each tab by pressing the 'ZL/ZR' buttons until you reach the Mystery Gift screen
Select 'Mystery Gift', then 'Get with Code/Password' or 'Get via Internet'
Input your chosen code (if applicable) to claim your free gift
We'll keep this page up-to-date with all the latest Mystery Gift codes for Pokémon Legends: Arceus, so make sure to keep checking back or bookmark this page.
Looking for Mystery Gift codes for Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, or Pokémon Sword and Shield, too? Look no further:
Intel claimed at CES that its new Alder Lake mobile chips would be the fastest mobile chips ever made. We’ve finally gotten to try out the flagship in this line, the 14-core Core i9-12900HK, inside MSI’s GE76 Raider gaming laptop. And it turns out that Intel was right... with some caveats.
The GE76 Raider is a monster in both gaming and productivity workloads. It blew every 11th Gen gaming system I’ve ever tested out of the water. And it even beat Apple’s MacBooks in many of our benchmarks, but that comparison is a bit more... complicated.
Check out the video above to see the full results of our Alder Lake testing and our impressions of how it compares to the M1 Max. For even more benchmark results, in-depth performance analysis, and details about the laptop’s chassis, make sure you also read our full review of the GE76 Raider.
Updating Windows can be a frustrating process, but Microsoft has identified a key factor in why devices may struggle to achieve the state of "fully up-to-date."
In a post on the Microsoft Tech Community website, via BleepingComputer, David Guyer, Program Manager for Windows Updates in Endpoint Manager, explains how a device running Windows needs two periods of time connected to the internet (and Windows Update) to successfully update. The first period spans "two continuous connected hours" followed by "six total connected hours" after an update is released.
That total time of eight connected hours ensures any update Microsoft releases for its operating systems will be installed successfully. Guyer says the time a device is powered on and connected to Microsoft services such as Windows Update is referred to as "Update Connectivity" internally. The eight-hour period is therefore known as the "minimum Update Connectivity measurement."
Although Guyer's post is clearly aimed at business users, ensuring Windows is always up-to-date is important for all users as it improves security and reliability. If your Windows device regularly says that updates need to be installed, or they take a long time to complete, it could be that your Update Connectivity measurement is below the required minimum. In that case, Microsoft encourages users to leave their devices powered on and connected to the internet for longer. Leaving it on overnight is suggested as a solution.
Recommended by Our Editors
Guyer repeatedly references Windows 10 with regards to the Update Connectivity measurement. Windows 11 updates are meant to be 40% smaller and more efficient, so it could turn out the Update Connectivity minimum will decrease when we reach a point where the majority of Windows users have upgraded to Microsoft's latest OS.
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Apple will now let developers distribute unlisted apps through the App Store that only users with a direct link can access (via MacRumors). While unlisted apps aren’t discoverable by the general public through search results, App Store categories, charts, or recommendations, they’re available to administrators via the Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager.
Apple notes that unlisted apps are ideal for “limited audiences,” such as guests at a special event, members of an organization, research study participants, or a specific group of employees. To make an app unlisted and obtain a link, developers will first need to submit a request to Apple.
Apps that have only been approved for private download on the Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager require developers to take some extra steps, however. Apple says developers will need to “create a new app record in App Store” upload the binary, and then “set the distribution method to Public.” Developers with apps that are already public can submit a request without additional steps.
Once Apple approves the request, the distribution method for the app will change to “Unlisted App,” and the same goes for any updated versions of that app. If the app is already available on the App Store, the link for the now-unlisted app will stay the same. It’s also important to note that unlisted apps “must be ready for final distribution” and Apple won’t approve any apps still in beta or a pre-release state.
A somewhat similar policy under the Developer Enterprise Program, which was originally put in place for developers to test and internally distribute apps before they’re officially reviewed by Apple, saw bad actors use the program to sidestep Apple’s rigorous safety requirements. This led to the shadowy presence of pirated games, gambling, and porn apps that could be easily sideloaded onto iPhones. It’s unclear how rigorous the review process will be for unlisted apps, but findings from Ars Technica suggest it will be reserved for apps with a limited audience only.
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Ladies and gentlemen, the weekend deals! While some of us on the East Coast may be busy shoveling snow this Saturday morning, we hope many of you are having a restful weekend chock-full of deals and discounts.
Kicking things off on the deals front is Logitech’s StreamCam, which is currently on sale in its graphite colorway at Amazon for $108. That’s about $62 off the regular price of this excellent webcam, one we consider to be the best webcam you can buy in terms of image quality. The StreamCam is Logitech’s flagship 1080p camera and is able to achieve 60 frames per second, allowing for a smooth, crisp look. The Capture software can also keep you centered in the frame, much like the Center Stage feature found on Apple’s newer iPads, and the compact webcam can record in either landscape or portrait mode, a feature that makes editing clips for mobile that much easier. It doesn’t go on sale too frequently, however, and today’s price is only a few dollars shy of its all-time low.
The Beats Fit Pro are a new dark horse in the world of true wireless earbuds. While these days we often associate Apple-owned Beats with fitness-focused alternatives to the de facto standard AirPods line, the ANC-equipped Beats Fit Pro offer a comfy fit and outclass the pricier AirPods Pro in audio quality. Their only downsides are a clunkier case that does not offer wireless charging, and their tendency to not go on sale as much as the AirPods Pro. Well, that and the fact they still work a bit more seamlessly with iOS than Android.
The Roborock S6 MaxV is a robot vacuum and mop with a solid feature set that includes AI-based obstacle avoidance, up to 180 minutes of runtime, programmable no-go zones, and integration with Amazon’s Alexa. Roborock’s top-of-the-line model normally sells for $750, but it’s currently discounted to $460 at Amazon and Walmart (be sure to clip the on-page coupon on Amazon).
We have not tested this exact model, but our resident smart home reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy recently found a lot to like in its flagship counterpart, the Roborock S7 Plus. The latter vacuum sells for $950, so the S6 MaxV promises many of the same features — suction capacity, lidar navigation, tank size, etc. — for almost half the price. The S6 lacks the auto-empty dock found on the S7 Plus, but if your home is littered with toys and other potential obstacles, the MaxV might be the better bet.
If you’re a PC gamer, the two biggest digital storefronts are both offering discounts worthy of your perusal right now. Both Epic Games and Steam are running Lunar New Year sales, offering various savings across a wide swath of titles. Steam’s sale runs until 1PM EST / 10AM PST on February 3rd, while Epic is extending its sale through February 9th.
The second-gen Google Pixel Stand is finally here, and our own Allison Johnson reviewed it and found it to be a fine charger if a bit pricey for what it offers. Thankfully, if you own an older Pixel 3, 4, or 5 that cannot take advantage of the new charger’s higher wattage output, you can currently get the first-gen model for $28.99 ($50 off) at Woot.
If you like the idea of wirelessly charging your phone (slowly) by resting it on an adorable Pikachu, this Pokémon-themed wireless charger by Madcow is $47.99 ($12 off) at GameStop. It may be a novelty, but it also charges three other devices via USB. Also, the cheeks light up! Come on, that’s adorable.
Apple’s second-gen AirPods are on sale at Amazon with the wired charging case $99.99, nearly matching their price to date. Although they’re now considered the entry-level model, they still offer great wireless performance, reliable battery life, and surprisingly detailed sound. Read our review.
If you're anything like us, you're currently addicted to Wordle — the online word game that sprung from nowhere around Christmas and which now has an estimated 1 million daily players.
It's a great game with a simple concept, few frills and one main point of difference from most similar puzzles: you can only play it once per day. That's one of its chief attractions, keeping anticipation high for the next installment and ensuring that productivity in the Tom's Guide office doesn't plummet to zero.
But if you want more than just your daily fix, you now have another option — in the form of Wordle Archive.
How to access Wordle Archive
(Image credit: Wordle Archive)
Wordle's success has inevitably led to a raft of clones seeking to make a quick buck off the back of a game that is free to play and has no ads. Wordle Archive is emphatically not one of those.
Instead, it's a fully playable archive of every Wordle puzzle so far, excluding the current day. And there are plenty of them — though Wordle may only have entered the public consciousness recently, it was thrust upon the world way back in May 2021, so at the time of this writing, there are 221 puzzles to complete.
Each one can be played in date order or you can select a number of your choosing, which is handy if you recently missed one or (more likely) didn't start playing until the rest of the world did at the start of this year.
And that's all there is to it. There are no fancy gimmicks or attempts to mess around with the formula, though you do get a dark mode and a color-blind mode. Like the original, it's also mercifully free of ads.
It's designed by Devang Thakkar, a doctoral student in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics at Duke University, and to him we give thanks: our Wordle obsession now has a new outlet.
If, however, you're looking for something a little (but not completely) different, you might find something suitable in our list of the best Wordle alternatives. Looking for something else to entertain you? Our guide for the new movies and shows to watch this weekend has options across all the major streaming services.
Following the release of Unicode 14, Apple is finally starting to include the new emojis on iOS with the release of the 15.4 developer beta, Apple Insider has reported. As we detailed last summer, some of the new emojis available are "heart hands," "troll," "biting lip" and "melting face." The latter could be a popular option for our troubled times, smiling as your face literally melts while a pandemic and other strife rages on.
The final version of Unicode 14 also includes multiple skin tone variations of the handshake emoji, the one character you ironically couldn't modify for different skin shades. It took the Unicode Consortium a good two years, but they've finally got a new handshake character that's available with up to 25 different skin tone combinations.
Unicode 14.0 has already arrived on Android 12, which has now gone out to most major smartphone brands. They're only available on Apple's iOS devices with the latest 15.4 developer beta, but will appear widely once the release comes out of beta later this year.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Microsoft this week revealed that it had fended off a record number of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks aimed at its customers in 2021, three of which surpassed 2.4 terabit per second (Tbps).
One of the DDoS attacks took place in November, targeting an unnamed Azure customer in Asia and lasted a total of 15 minutes. It hit a peak throughput of 3.47 Tbps and a packet rate of 340 million packets per second (pps), making it the largest attack ever reported in history.
"This was a distributed attack originating from approximately 10,000 sources and from multiple countries across the globe, including the United States, China, South Korea, Russia, Thailand, India, Vietnam, Iran, Indonesia, and Taiwan," Alethea Toh, product manager of Azure Networking, said.
DDoS attacks occur when several compromised devices are employed as a conduit to overwhelm a targeted server, service, or network with a flood of internet traffic with the goal of overloading the systems and disrupting its regular services.
Then in December, Microsoft said it blocked two more attacks that surpassed 2.5 Tbps, both of which were aimed at customers in Asia. The first of the attacks was a 3.25 Tbps UDP attack, while the other intrusion was a 2.55 Tbps UDP flood that lingered for just a little over five minutes.
The report comes more than three months after the tech giant disclosed it acted to blunt a 2.4 Tbps DDoS attack in August 2021 targeting a European customer. Other previous record-breaking attacks include a 2.5 Tbps DDoS attack absorbed by Google in September 2017 and a volumetric strike aimed at Amazon Web Services in February 2020.
Microsoft said it observed a rise in attacks that lasted longer than an hour in the second half of 2021, whereas the proportion of short-lived attacks that were 30 minutes or less dropped from 74% to 57%. That said, the longer duration assaults are experienced as a sequence of multiple short, repeated burst attacks.
The company also said it mitigated an average of 1,955 attacks per day, with a maximum of 4,296 attacks recorded in a single day on August 10, 2021. For the entirety of H2 2021, no fewer than 359,713 unique attacks against its infrastructure were blocked, a 43% increase from the first half of 2021.
The gaming industry emerged as the hardest hit sector, followed by financial institutions, media, internet service providers (ISPs), retail, and supply chain entities. Most of the targeted organizations were located in the U.S., India, East Asia (Hong Kong), Brazil, the U.K., South Korea, Japan, Australia, and the U.A.E.
"We saw a sharp uptick in attacks in India, from just 2% of all attacks in the first half of 2021 to taking the second position at 23% of all attacks in the second half of 2021," Toh said. "Another driving factor may be that the acceleration of digital transformation, for example, the 'Digital India' initiative, has increased the region's overall exposure to cyber risks."
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Apple appears to be testing a feature that will let you use Face ID to unlock the phone even when wearing a mask. The first developer beta for iOS 15.4 has a screen that asks if you want to be able to use Face ID while wearing a mask, at the cost of reduced security, according to photos from Brandon Butch on Twitter and MacRumors. Unfortunately, the feature will only be available if you’ve got a newer device according to 9to5Mac.
According to pictures of the screen, Apple says that “iPhone can recognize the unique features around the eye area to authenticate” but warns that Face ID is going to be more accurate if you have it set to not work with a mask.
Not everyone will be able to take advantage of this particular feature, though. While one of my colleagues confirmed that it worked on his iPhone 12, 9to5Mac reports that it only works on the iPhone 12 and 13 lines. They also weren’t able to use it on a 2018 iPad Pro.
As the pandemic drags on, people (and organizations like the New York City MTA) have been clamoring for Apple to add a way to let people unlock iPhones while still wearing masks. Apple has introduced various updates to help — iOS 13.5 would detect that you’re wearing a mask and quickly ask you for your passcode instead of trying to authenticate your face, and 14.5 let people with Apple Watches use Face ID while wearing a mask. (It seems to unlock for anyone wearing a mask, as long as your Apple Watch is close enough to the phone.) For people without an Apple Watch, however, it seems like this functionality may finally be on the horizon, assuming it proves to be secure enough.
Apple didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment on the feature.
Update, January 27th 4:19PM ET:Added information about the feature reportedly only being available on the iPhone 12 and 13.
Graphics cards are fetching prices normally reserved for limited-run sneakers — even what you might have paid for the rest of your PC. Beyond gamers and power users, cryptocurrency mining has meant unprecedented demand. Coupled with a global chip shortage and supply chain issues, GPU scalpers and resellers are having field days every time a new card appears.
Enter NVIDIA’s $250 RTX 3050. With 2,560 CUDA cores, a boost speed of 1,777 MHz and 8GB of GDDR6 RAM, it's the company's cheapest GPU yet with ray tracing. However, as Devindra Hardawar notes, it's unclear if the 3050 will actually sell for $250 once it hits stores. It’s meant to come in less than the existing RTX 3060, which launched at $329 but now goes for around $1,000 if you shop around online. Yeesh.
Devindra puts the card through its paces right here.
— Mat Smith
The biggest news stories you might have missed
It could be due to staff shortages caused by COVID-19.
According to The Information, Amazon has paused its “pay-to-quit” program for the majority of its workers for 2022, and it's unclear if it will be reinstated. The publication has obtained a copy of Amazon's message to its employees, which was then verified by a spokesperson from the company. Typically, Amazon pays its warehouse workers up to $5,000 to quit their jobs after peak seasons as a way to pare down its workforce in the slowdown that follows.
Elgato has released a Stream Deck Pedal that provides three customizable foot pedals to steer your apps and other broadcasting tools hands-free. You can manage Twitch or YouTube, change cameras and start an OBS transition, all with your feet. The set sells for $115, meaning it’s probably not for beginners. But don’t let that stop you!
You can now get Google Assistant to stop talking with just one word: "Stop." That's it — you don't even have to say "Hey, Google". The official Google Twitter account has announced the small but necessary quality-of-life improvement for the company's speakers and smart displays.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection arrives for the PS5 this Friday, almost five years after Naughty Dog last released a new game in the series. The $50 collection features a number of technical and visual enhancements, but the games themselves are identical to the PS4 versions. Visuals-wise, there are three modes, all of which improve over the original PS4 game. A fidelity setting keeps the frame rate at 30 fps but renders the games in full 4K resolution. Performance mode, on the other hand, runs the games at 60 fps with variable resolution. There’s also a Performance+ mode for people with 120Hz TVs — the games run at 120 fps, but locked at 1080p resolution.
The free upgrade period for Windows 11 is ending soon, however.
Microsoft's Panos Panay has teased the release of a Windows 11 public preview in February that will bring Android apps to the Microsoft Store. The company didn't say how many apps would be available in this test, but they'll be titles found in the Amazon Appstore.
The preview will also include taskbar upgrades that include call mute controls, simpler window sharing and weather. Microsoft has redesigned the Media Player and Notepad apps, too.
After a two-month delay, Valve's Steam Deck will launch on February 25th. In a blog post, Valve said it would open orders to the first batch of reservation holders that day. They’ll have 72 hours to purchase the gaming handheld, and if they don't, Valve will release their spot to the next person in the reservation queue. Pricing for the Steam Deck starts at $399.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Apple has rushed out a pair of updates for iPhones and iPads that fix several security flaws, including a Safari bug that lets websites you visit see your browsing history and other personal data.
Both iOS 15.3 and iPadOS 15.3 fix the Safari issue, as detailed by 9to5Mac, as well as several other vulnerabilities within ColorSync, iCloud and other software as detailed on Apple's support page. Don't expect any new features, as these software updates just patch a handful of current issues.
Like all other iOS 15 updates, iOS 15.3 is free and available to compatible Apple devices: the iPhone 6S and newer iPhone SE (2016), and iPod Touch (7th generation). Similarly, iPadOS 15.3 is free and compatible with these tablets and newer: the iPad (5th generation), iPad Pro (all models), iPad Mini 4 and iPad Air 2.
To update your iPhone or iPad, head to the Settings app > General > Software Update and tap Install Now.
Apple also started rolling out WatchOS 8.4 for Apple Watch users in an unrelated update that fixes bugs and improves performance. To update your Apple Watch, head to the Settings app > General > Software Update, or do the same through the Watch mobile app on your paired iPhone.
Microsoft will soon change its Xbox subscription services in the UK, following a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into auto-renewal practices among gaming platform holders. The 2019 investigation scrutinized offerings from Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo in the UK, including how services handle their respective memberships. The CMA has now stated that Microsoft plans to change its Xbox gaming subscriptions in the region in response to the UK regulator's prompts.
The CMA states Microsoft will contact inactive subscribers to gaming services like Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold, serving as a reminder of ongoing payments, with steps to cancel. Microsoft will automatically cancel those subscriptions if users remain inactive. Pro-rata refunds will also be available for those who purchase bulk subscriptions moving forward.
Microsoft will also make Xbox subscriptions transparent moving forward according to the CMA (via @PiersHR) with information on auto-renewals and pricing communicated to members. Communications with subscribers will include steps to cancel Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold, and claim refunds on accidental renewals.
The CMA also states Microsoft will issue annual reminders for those on 12-month plans. However, Microsoft has ended 12-month plans for all Xbox subscriptions at this time, limiting bulk memberships to pre-paid codes from third-party retailers.
"Gamers need to be given clear and timely information to make informed choices when signing up for auto-renewing memberships and subscriptions," stated CMA executive director of enforcement, Michael Grenfell.
"We are therefore pleased that Microsoft has given the CMA these formal undertakings to improve the fairness of their practices and protect consumers, and will be offering refunds to certain customers. Other companies offering memberships and subscriptions that auto-renew should take note, and review their practices to ensure they comply with consumer protection law."
The move follows a CMA investigation aimed to assess transparency around auto-renewal and subscriptions, including changes to services and payment terms. Microsoft is the first to issue changes in direct response to the investigation, set to impact its Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and Xbox Live Gold subscriptions.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, its premium tier-subscription service, is available from $14.99 / £10.99, including access to Xbox console, PC, and mobile offerings, plus supplementary services like Xbox Live Gold and EA Play.
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Whether you're new to PC gaming or just new to PC Game Pass, it can be a bit daunting to trudge through the entire catalog to find what to play first, so we've listed nine of our favorites to get you started.
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Nvidia’s GeForce Now app for LG TVs has exited beta, the graphics card manufacturer announced today. The cloud gaming service was released in beta last November for select LG televisions and lets you stream games off Nvidia’s servers bought on stores like Steam and the Epic Games Store.
If you’ve got a compatible 2021 LG TV, you can download the GeForce Now app from the LG Content Store. To celebrate the launch, Nvidia is offering six months of GeForce Now’s Priority tier free with qualifying LG TV purchases between February 1st and March 27th.
Although it’s previously been possible to access Nvidia’s streaming service on the Nvidia Shield, being able to access the service directly from a TV itself is a much more streamlined solution. Naturally, it’s also the cheaper option if you’re someone who doesn’t already own Nvidia’s set-top box and don’t fancy plugging another GeForce Now-compatible device into your TV.
Alongside the official launch of the LG TV app, Nvidia also says it’s rolling out new resolution upscaling options to GeForce Now. These are designed to make up the difference when your streaming resolution (determined by your network’s bandwidth) is less than your display resolution. There are now three upscaling modes: “standard,” which is on by default, “enhanced,” which offers better quality at the risk of adding latency, and “AI-enhanced,” which offers the best upscaling quality but is only available on the Nvidia Shield or PCs with select Nvidia GPUs. As well as upscaling, the feature can also downscale content when your display resolution is lower than your streaming resolution.
Nvidia also has a handful of new games coming to its streaming service this week: Mortal Online 2, Daemon X Machina, Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, Tropico 6, and Assassin’s Creed III Deluxe Edition.
We're just two weeks away from the official unveiling of Samsung's next flagship phone, but for some readers, that sense of anticipation might be too much. Never mind the endless rumors and leaks surrounding the S22 — you need cold, hard facts before you reserve a spot on Samsung's website. This newest leak might as well be an official press release, as it reveals everything you'd want to know about all three Galaxy S22 models.
Today's report comes courtesy of WinFuture, complete with new renders and full specs sheets for Samsung's next phones. As you'd expect, the S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra all have plenty in common, even as the largest model moves to replace the Note line for good. A Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 — or an Exynos 2200 in Europe — comes standard in each device, as does a base model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. IP68 water resistance, facial recognition, Wireless PowerShare, ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensors — it's all included no matter which size you pick.
Image Gallery (4 Images)
The smallest Galaxy S22.
From there, differences start to pop up in each respective model. The S22 and S22+ top out at 256GB of storage, and unfortunately, those rumors of reduced RAM allotments are true. You're stuck with 8GB of memory regardless of which variant you select. For some, that might be a deal breaker, though whether it's enough to push buyers to the S22 Ultra remains to be seen. Those phones also share identical camera lineups, each featuring a triple-lens array to compete with the likes of the Pixel 6:
The Galaxy S22+, which looks virtually identical to the smaller model.
Really, the choice between the S22 and S22+ comes down to screen size. The smaller model includes a 120Hz 6.1" 1080p OLED panel with a maximum brightness of 1,500 nits — though don't be surprised if that rating is only hit when displaying specific HDR content. It's paired with a 3,700mAh battery — a surprising reduction from last year's model. The 'plus' model subs in a 120Hz 6.6" 1080p OLED screen capable of hitting 1,750 nits in brightness, along with a larger 4,500mAh battery to power it. Look for both phones in black, white, "pink gold," and green.
Of course, it's the S22 Ultra that continues to garner attention. A Note-esque design with a massive 6.8" display, this phone is Samsung's true flagship for 2022. That screen bumps the resolution to 1440p, all while keeping the max brightness limit and refresh rate of the S22+. It's the only model this year offered with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, though, unlike in 2021, there's no version with 16 gigs of memory. This behemoth of a phone is kept powered by a 5,000mAh battery, which should be more than enough to net you a full day of use comfortably.
Image Gallery (4 Images)
The Note-esque Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The S22 Ultra also comes with an all-new camera lineup, and on paper, it sounds pretty promising:
Anyone interested in the true flagship of the S22 series won't have to settle for dull colors. In addition to black, white, and green models to match the smaller devices, Ultra shoppers can pick up a classy burgundy color, perfect for standing apart from the pack.
We've already seen reports of European pricing, but it's worth reiterating: these are expensive phones. At its cheapest, the S22 will cost 849 euros for the 128GB model, with the S22+ starting at 1,049 euros and the Ultra priced at 1,249 euros. The 512GB model of the S22 Ultra will cost an eye-popping 1,449 euros, proving that this year's flagship series from Samsung won't be any cheaper.
Galaxy Unpacked is set for February 9th. If these leaks are enough to sell you on the phone, you can register at Samsung's website to reserve a pre-order spot. If you sign up before the event, you'll score a free $50 credit to use on accessories.
Will has been an Android enthusiast since he got his first smartphone in 2011. He loves watching movies, has a never-ending backlog of video games, and produces a comedy podcast in his spare time. He lives in Buffalo, NY and is willing to give you chicken wing recommendations at any time. Just ask.
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Xiaomi has announced the Redmi Note 11 series, continuing its popular line of budget-friendly handsets that sell in huge numbers in India and various other markets.
There are four phones in total, but they only differentiate themselves in a few specific areas. All of them have what Xiaomi describes as a “trendy flat-edge body” — in other words, yes, it looks like an iPhone — and most of the specs are shared across at least two models. Here’s how it all breaks down:
The Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G is the highest-end model and has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor with 5G support. The screen is a 6.67-inch 120Hz 1080p OLED panel, there’s a 5,000mAh battery with 67W fast charging, and a 108-megapixel main camera backed by an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel macro camera. It’s also the only phone in this lineup not to have a 2-megapixel “depth camera,” which is probably not a big loss.
The Redmi Note 11 Pro is essentially identical to the Pro 5G, but it uses a MediaTek Helio G96 processor that only supports up to LTE connectivity.
The Redmi Note 11 has a Snapdragon 680, a smaller 6.43-inch 90Hz 1080p LCD, a 50-megapixel main camera, 33W fast charging, and only goes up to 6GB rather than 8GB of RAM.
The Redmi Note 11S has the same screen and 33W fast charging as the Note 11 but the same Helio G96 processor, 108-megapixel main camera, and option for 8GB of RAM as the Note 11 Pro.
All of these phones have 5,000mAh batteries, side-mounted fingerprint sensors, headphone jacks, and up to 128GB of onboard storage.
Xiaomi was unable to provide pricing information in advance of this launch, which is obviously critical for such a wide range of products and SKUs that are all intended to be affordable and price-competitive. For context, last year’s equivalent Redmi Note 10 Pro — which had a similar screen and camera — cost about $260 when it was launched in India.
The Redmi Note 11 and 11S will go on sale this month, while the Note 11 Pro and Pro 5G won’t be available until February.
Today we’re checking out Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3050, a new budget GPU addition to the RTX 30 series. Even though this release adds a new low-end Ampere offering to the lineup, it’s based on the same GA106 silicon used by the RTX 3060.
The RTX 3050 drops the MSRP from $330 to $250, so you can expect a significant part of the die to be disabled. Case in point, the core configuration has been reduced from 3584 cores to just 2560, a near 30% reduction, but interestingly the same 48 ROPs remain. Although the core boost frequency remains the same at 1,777 MHz, the memory speed has been slightly reduced from 15 Gbps to 14 Gbps. Couple that with the smaller 128-bit wide memory bus and we end up with a 38% drop in bandwidth.
An advantage of this however is a 24% drop in power use to just 130 watts, meaning a basic 550-watt power supply will be more than sufficient to power an RTX 3050 gaming system.
Now, when compared to the Radeon RX 6500 XT, the MSRP of the RTX 3050 is 25% higher at $250, but of course, we expect that it will retail for more than that which we'll discuss in more details in our conclusion. So although the RTX 3050 will be more costly, it is also a significantly better product on paper than the budget Radeon, packing 8GB of VRAM, PCIe x8 bandwidth, four display outputs, AV1 decoding, and an actual hardware encoding engine. All the stuff you’d just expect on a modern graphics card, but don’t get with the 6500 XT.
Although Nvidia has cut the PCIe bandwidth in half, which we never like to see on GPUs priced over $200, with 8GB of VRAM and x8 bandwidth, the PCIe 3.0 performance will be the same as 4.0 in today’s games, meaning the RTX 3050 won't be crippled on PCIe 3.0 systems like the 6500 XT was.
With that out of the way, let’s talk test system specs and then jump into the benchmark results.
For testing we're using our Ryzen 9 5950X GPU test system. Since we’re testing GPU performance and wish to avoid introducing a CPU bottleneck which would skew the data, a high-end CPU works well for this purpose.
Also, all benchmark data for this review is fresh. We've spent the last few weeks updating our mid-range GPU results for the 6500 XT and RTX 3050 reviews, and much of the testing has been done using dialed down quality settings at 1080p and 1440p, appropriate for these segment of GPUs.
Benchmarks
Starting with Assassin's Creed Valhalla, using the medium quality preset at 1080p, we find that the RTX 3050 is good for 79 fps on average, so here it’s basically a GTX 1660 Super. That made it 18% faster than the 6500 XT using PCIe 4.0, and 30% faster when compared to the PCIe 3.0 configuration. It was also only 8% slower than the RTX 2060, a decent result overall.
The 1440p data is much more favorable for the RTX 3050, when compared to AMD’s recently released 6500 XT. The 3050 is again mimicking the performance of the GTX 1660 Super, meaning it was 38% faster than the 6500 XT, or 45% faster when limiting the Radeon GPU to PCIe 3.0.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider was tested using the highest quality preset as it’s an old game now and our measuring stick for this testing, the 4GB 5500 XT was good for over 60 fps on average, so that seemed reasonable.
The RTX 3050 blasted past that result with 87 fps on average, edging it slightly ahead of the GTX 1660 Super this time. That made it 34% faster than the 6500 XT or 85% faster when limiting the 6500 XT to PCIe 3.0. A super easy win here for Nvidia.
The situation worsens for the 6500 XT at 1440p once again. Now even with PCIe 4.0 we can’t even achieve a 40 fps average, meanwhile the RTX 3050 fell just shy of 60 fps and was seen matching the 1660 Super.
The Watch Dogs: Legion results are quite good for the 6500 XT when using the medium quality preset. Here the RTX 3050 was good for 88 fps and that only made it 17% faster than the 6500 XT, or 28% faster when compared to the PCIe 3.0 configuration, which remains a big win.
When compared to the 1660 Super, it was 5% faster and 15% slower than the 5600 XT and RTX 2060, so a little behind when compared to those older models.
The RTX 3050 does race away with it at 1440p, averaging over 60 fps to make it 28% faster than the 6500 XT or 36% faster than the PCIe 3.0 configuration. It was also 10% faster than the GTX 1660 Super, but 14-15% slower than the RTX 2060 and 5600 XT.
For testing Rainbow Six Siege we’re using the ultra quality preset with the HD texture pack enabled. As before, we used the 5500 XT to establish the test settings, and this GPU was good for well over 100 fps at all times averaging 147 fps.
The RTX 3050 had no issue crushing that result with 225 fps on average, making it just 11% slower than the RTX 2060 and 14% faster than the GTX 1660 Super. Unbelievably, it was 92% faster than the 6500 XT, and let’s not even bother with the PCIe 3.0 result for that GPU.
Moving to 1440p sees the RTX 3050 beat the 6500 XT by an embarrassing 110% margin, as it slotted in between the GTX 1660 Super and RTX 2060. Heck, it was only 10% behind the RX 6600.
The RTX 3050 was 52% faster than the 6500 XT at 1080p using the second highest quality preset with 141 fps on average. PCIe 3.0 completely crippled the 6500 XT and now the RTX 3050 is seen to be 114% faster, and I should note I got the exact same result using PCIe 3.0 with the RTX 3050.
Moving to 1440p increases the margin in favor of the 3050, which is now 66% faster than the 6500 XT when using PCI 4.0 and 128% faster than the PCIe 3.0 configuration. We’re also looking at slightly better performance than the GTX 1660 Super.
Next we have Horizon Zero Dawn where the 6500 XT using PCIe 4.0 did well relative to most other games with 72 fps on average. The RTX 3050 was 14% faster, though with both using PCIe 3.0 the GeForce GPU would be a massive 55% faster.
Now the RTX 3050 is 24% faster than the 6500 XT at 1440p. It was also a few frames faster than the 1660 Super and trailed the RTX 2060 by 15%.
Moving on to Far Cry 6, we find an average of 96 fps using the GeForce RTX 3050 at 1080p with the medium quality preset. As we’ve seen multiple times already, it’s basically delivering 1660 Super performance, though it wasn’t a great deal slower than the 2060 in this one, at least when looking at the average frame rate.
The 6500 XT turns in one of its better figures in Far Cry 6 and as a result the 3050 was just 14% faster, though the issue for the 6500 XT is PCIe 3.0 and when compared to that configuration the 3050 was 37% faster.
The 6500 XT does crumble at 1440p, whereas the RTX 3050 remains strong, turning in over 60 fps on average to make it 42% faster.
In Doom Eternal, the RTX 3050 does extremely well matching the RTX 2060 with 178 fps on average. That meant it was 82% faster than the 6500 XT and 287% faster than the PCIe 3.0 configuration. That’s all we need to say about that.
1440p is an ugly affair for the 6500 XT and it’s disappointing to see that while the 4GB RX 570 can hit 60 fps and a very playable experience, the 6500 XT using PCIe 3.0 was reduced to 36 fps.
The RTX 3050 had no such issues though, pumping out a super impressive 130 fps while keeping 1% lows above 100 fps. It was also 13% faster than the RTX 2060 and just 11% slower than the RX 6600. A stellar result there.
Resident Evil Village isn’t a very demanding game, especially with the balanced quality preset, so it’s no surprise that at 1080p the RTX 3050 is comfortably pushing over 100 fps, averaging 114 fps. This is GTX 1660 Super-like performance and it meant the new budget GeForce was 52% faster than the 6500 XT, or 78% faster if we compare with the PCIe 3.0 configuration.
Next up we have Death Stranding, and this is another game that isn’t terribly demanding, despite looking quite nice. The GTX 3050 was good for 108 fps using the default quality preset at 1080p and that placed it directly between the 1660 Super and GTX 2060, a great result.
It was also 24% faster than the 6500 XT and dropping the Radeon graphics card down to PCIe 3.0 only extended the margin to 27%, so you could argue that this is a good result for the Radeon.
Even at 1440p the 6500 XT hangs in there averaging 64 fps against the RTX 3050's 79 fps, which made the GeForce GPU 23% faster and given the price difference, even at MSPR, that’s a decent result for AMD.
The RTX 3050 rendered 112 fps on average in Hitman 3 using the medium quality preset at 1080p and that placed it very close to the RTX 2060, while beating the GTX 1660 Super by a 23% margin. It was also 29% faster than the 6500 XT, or 42% faster when restricted to PCIe 3.0.
Even at 1440p, the RTX 3050 managed well over 60 fps and this made it 9% faster than the RTX 2060, and 35% faster than the 6500 XT, a great result given the current market.
Last up we have Cyberpunk 2077, and here the RTX 3050 managed to break the 60 fps barrier with the medium quality preset, averaging 66 fps which all things considered is quite a good result. Unfortunately, it was 18% slower than the RTX 2060, but it was also 40% faster than the 6500 XT, or 69% faster when using PCIe 3.0.
Those margins remained at 1440p. Here the RTX 3050 was 37% faster than the 6500 XT, or 58% faster when using PCIe 3.0. It only managed 41 fps on average, so for this game I’d say the RTX 3050 is better suited for 1080p gameplay.
Power Consumption
The GeForce RTX 3050 is very light on power, pushing total system usage to just 277 watts in our Doom benchmark. Considering the performance output, that makes it much more efficient than the 6500 XT, but even if we take a more favorable game such as Death Stranding or Hitman 3, the RTX 3050 still stacks up well as it only increased total system usage over the 6500 XT by 15%.
PCIe 3.0 vs. 4.0
Although we've mentioned that the RTX 3050 delivers the exact same level of performance using PCIe 3.0 or PCIe 4.0, here’s a quick sample of this. We tested all 12 games and found nothing outside the margin of error, though most results were exactly the same as shown below in Tomb Raider at 1440p.
Whereas the 6500 XT dropped performance by 13% with PCIe 3.0, we see no change for the RTX 3050. So gamers limited to a PCIe 3.0 platform (which as of writing is likely a majority), the RTX 3050 is going to be significantly faster.
12 Game Average
And here’s a look at the 12 game average data, which has been calculated using the geomean. The RTX 3050 averaged 108fps at 1080p, which made it just 5% slower than the GTX 1660 Super, 10% slower than the RTX 2060, and 23% slower than the Radeon RX 6600.
When compared to the 6500 XT, we’re looking at a 37% performance boost, or a massive 74% increase when compared to the PCIe 3.0 result.
As we often saw, the 1440p data is even more brutal for the 6500 XT. Here the RTX 3050 was 54% faster, or 85% faster when comparing PCIe 3.0 performance. The RTX 3050 also averaged 74 fps, meaning it was more often than not good for over 60 fps at 1440p using respectable quality settings in many titles.
Ray Tracing Performance
We don’t feel the RTX 3050's rasterization performance is powerful enough to justify turning ray traced effects on, but you can, and some of you might want to anyway, so let’s take a look.
Starting with Watch Dogs Legion, we see that stock the RTX 3050 is good for 88 fps on average with the dialed down medium quality preset. Enabling DLSS without RT effects can be of big help, boosting the average frame rate by 26% for 111 fps, and now we’re looking at RX 6600-like performance.
Turning on ray tracing with the medium quality setting + DLSS dropped the average frame rate to 60 fps, which is still very playale, but personally I’d rather play the game with a higher quality preset and perhaps leave DLSS enabled.
The game was playable with ray tracing enabled and DLSS, delivering ~60 fps on average. Without DLSS, the frame rate dropped into the low 40s, and that’s about the same level of ray tracing performance than you can expect from the RX 6600 in this title.
Testing with Far Cry 6, which doesn’t support DLSS, sees the RTX 3050 able to comfortably break the 60 fps barrier with ray tracing fully enabled. It was slower than the much more expensive RX 6600, but whereas it was 28% slower without RT enabled, it was just 14% slower with it enabled.
On Cyberpunk 2077 we find that DLSS is most impressive, boosting rasterization performance by an incredible 48%, allowing the RTX 3050 to beat the Radeon RX 6600. Then using ray tracing without DLSS enabled saw the RTX 3060 and RX 6600 delivering comparable performance at 30-40 fps. But of course, enabling DLSS offered a big boost and then the RTX 3050 was good for around 60 fps on average.
For those of you wondering why we are comparing with the RX 6600 and not the 6500 XT for the ray tracing benchmark, we simply didn't want to be so cruel. Seriously though, the 6500 XT is so weak with ray tracing enabled that the data isn’t useful for comparison.
Cost Per Frame
Time for the all important cost per frame analysis. We're going to start with the MSRP using the 1080p data, but we'll include 1440p results and other data points (and assumptions) for a more realistic pricing comparison in just a moment.
But let’s get the Fantasyland stuff out of the way first... if the RTX 3050 was to sell for $250 (which it obviously won’t), it would smoke the $200 6500 XT, offering a discount of 9% per frame or 28% when comparing the PCIe 3.0 data.
That said, it would also be much worse value than the GTX 1650 Super and slightly worse than the RX 5600 XT, but that’s to be expected given the current market, so we can accept a little bit of stagnation, even if we don't like it.
Now, if we look at real world pricing, the situation is quite different.
For the used GPUs, we’re taking the average sale price seen over at eBay over the past 4 weeks, and for the new GPUs the pricing is based on what we could find in stock at places like Newegg. This places the 6500 XT at $270, and we’re expecting the RTX 3050 to cost at least $450, though please note that’s an educated guess since the cards have yet to go on sale.
With the 6500 XT currently selling for at least 35% over the MSRP, we’re expecting the RTX 3050 to come in at a much larger 80% premium, but hopefully it will be less than that.
Even at $450, the RTX 3050 is better value for PCIe 3.0 owners as it reduces the cost per frame when compared to the 6500 XT (PCIe 3.0) by 4%, while including a number of important features.
If you have PCIe 4.0 and don’t require any of the missing features of the 6500 XT and are willing to sacrifice some visual quality in order to achieve acceptable performance, you could argue that the 6500 XT is "better value" at $270, as it was 18% cheaper per frame than the RTX 3050, but that’s a serious stretch given everything you get with the GeForce GPU.
If you’re targeting entry-level 1440p gaming, the RTX 3050 is without question the superior product, vastly superior in my opinion. Not only are you likely to be pushing well over 60 fps with the GeForce GPU, but it’s also just 8% more expensive per frame when compared to the 6500 XT in the PCIe 4.0 mode. So for those of you gaming at 1440p, even at $450, the RTX 3050 is a much better product and well worth spending the extra money on, or saving up for.
It’s worth keeping in mind that at this price point, the RX 6600 is technically better value as it costs just 24% more, but offers 26% more performance. Granted, they are about the same in terms of value, but when spending this much, the RX 6600 does become a viable alternative.
What Does It Need to Cost?
While we fear the GeForce RTX 3050 will end up around $450 or more, and we’ve seen even there it’s generally better value than the 6500 XT, what price does it need to be before no one can argue the 6500 XT has any value? We believe that figure is ~$370, which is likely wishful thinking, but if Nvidia pulled that off it would be extremely embarrassing for AMD.
At $370, the RTX 3050 would be on par with the 6500 XT using PCIe in terms of cost per frame (1080p), while offering twice as much VRAM, twice as much PCIe bandwidth, better decoding support, encoding support, and more than two display outputs. So I can’t see it being that competitive on pricing, but anywhere between $370 and $450 is going to be rough for the 6500 XT.
What We Learned
How desirable the GeForce RTX 3050 ends up being will depend entirely on pricing and availability. If it ends up costing over $500, it’s going to be a big fat nothing burger, and you might as well just get the faster Radeon RX 6600.
Thus, it’s difficult to say just how excited you should get about the RTX 3050. Based on the performance we've just seen, we know exactly where it should be priced in order to make sense, but making sense isn’t something the GPU market does anymore...
We expected the Radeon 6500 XT to come in at ~$300, where it's still awful, even when it's the cheapest "new" graphics card you can buy. So far it's done slightly better, hitting $270, at least for now, but ultimately sucks at that price and we don't recommend anyone to buy it. Instead you should continue to hold out or buy a used graphics card. Frankly, the RX 570 4GB for $220 second hand is a significantly better compromise, and hands down the best option for those using a PCIe 3.0 system.
As for the new GeForce RTX 3050, we’re expecting that part to come in for at least $450, but with the RTX 3060 selling for a 112% premium over MSRP on average, anything is possible. As noted earlier, we strongly believe that the RTX 3050 needs to be priced at around $370 to be a great deal in the current market and become the go-to option for PC gamers.
At that price it would be unbeatable, even when looking at the second hand market, which sees the similarly performing GTX 1660 Super going for $470. Based on that unfortunate reality though, it's likely that the 3050 will go for something closer to $500.
If that’s the case, then you’re best off being upsold to the RX 6600, or perhaps the smarter option would be to look for a cheaper second hand option to tie you over.
For now, we’ll have to wait and see where the RTX 3050 lands and surely we'll be following up in the coming weeks with a pricing update. But in the meantime, if you have the chance to snap up an RTX 3050 at the MSRP or around $400, that's a good deal in our opinion.
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