Hardware & Tech

Razer Blackshark V3 Pro – Headset Review

12Aug

By StuartNo Comments

Razer Blackshark V3 Pro – Headset Review

The Razer Blackshark range has gone through a bunch of iterations since its first release back in 2021. The Blackshark V2 was released in 2020, and now there is another new version. I present to you the Razer Blackshark V3 Pro headset! Starting from £249.99, this headset promises some great things, along with some familiar features. Does it offer enough for you to stump up an extra £50 from your hardware budget? I will aim to help you work that out. Now I hold my hands up, I have had this headset since a few days before it's launch on 29th July. The reason it's taken until now to actually put this review live? I wanted to ensure that I put it through some very rigorous testing, despite it being the school summer holidays! Design Features As with all Razer headsets, you are greeted wit...

CRKD NEO S Linkin Park Edition Controller Review

12Aug

By CharlotteNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

CRKD NEO S Linkin Park Edition Controller Review

Cast your mind all the way back to January and you may remember I reviewed the Purple Wave Edition of the NEO S controller. Well, now I'm back with the CRKD NEO S Linkin Park Edition Controller. That was a mouthful. Good Things Go There was a time when Guitar Hero and Rock Band dominated the rhythm game field. Along with them came the peripherals of course. Those fret based controllers we all knew and loved. Maybe even sometimes loathed when we heard those notes clunk away. With the launch of Fortnite Festival came cries for the return of such controllers. Which is where CRKD stepped in. Available on their website for £59.99, the NEO S Linkin Park Edition Controller is first and foremost a rhythm game controller. So for this review I'm focussing purely on that. Let's take a look. ...

8Aug

By NathanNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Sony WH-1000XM6 Headphone Review

Sony have very kindly sent us out their latest premium Bluetooth ANC headphone. Owning and testing quite an array of ANC headphones already myself. I can’t wait to see how the Sony’s compare. Come and join me as we review the highly anticipated Sony WH-1000XM6. The true ANC king The Sony WH-1000XM6 are available today and cost £399/€449/$449/A$699 from their official website. A tad more than the previous XM5, but still rivalling other premium ANC headphones from companies like Bose, Bowers & Wilkins and Sennheiser. Whilst sitting pretty close to offerings from Apple, Dali and Focal if your budget can stretch that little bit further. So, let’s find out if it needs to. Design Upon unboxing, it is clear Sony hasn’t strayed too far from previous iterations. They don’t push the...

7Aug

By CharlieNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

TOZO Crystal Pods Review

The TOZO Crystal Pods are a pair of Hybrid Active Noise-Cancelling wireless earbuds that are offered at a very competitive price of just £35.99. With a long battery life and immersive stereo sound, these earbuds seem to check all the right boxes, but can they live up to our expectations? Great Price, Great Quality? As someone with tiny ears, I've had the misfortune of trying out many different earbuds that, sadly, become rather painful after just a few minutes of wearing them. Up until now, my go-to pair has been an older TOZO model, so I was excited to see what else the company has to offer. My main hope is that these earbuds will offer a nice and pain-free listening experience, and, of course, if the sound is up to par! Now then, let's have a look. Design The design of the TOZO Cryst...

5Aug

By JasonNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Swiftpoint Z2 Mouse Review

In a world of minimal mice and slick RGB clones, the New Zealand-based Swiftpoint's Z2 charges in like a Transformer. With 13 buttons, haptic feedback, gyroscopic controls, pressure-sensitive clicks, swappable parts, oh, and a tiny OLED screen, this is less of a “mouse” and more of a full-blown command centre for your desk. The Shape-Shifting Mouse Whether you're gaming, editing, 3D modelling, or automating complex workflows, the Kickstarter-funded Z2 aims to be your one-device-to-rule-them-all. So, is it a revolution or just a really expensive gadget? Let’s dig in. Design Right out of the box, the 65-gram Z2 feels like something out of a sci-fi prop room. Its angular chassis and layered surface elements make it look busy, because it is. This is not your everyday plug-and-play mous...

31Jul

By MichaelNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Maecker Quest Controller Grips Review

Since I've been playing more VR titles for review purposes lately, I figured it was time to invest in some new accessories. And so when I was asked by Thumb Culture management if I wanted the opportunity to review the Quest Controller Grips from Maecker, of course I said yes! If you want to get your hands on a pair they are available to buy now direct from Maeckers website. At the time of writing they are on sale for £31 with discounts available if you by multiple accessories at the same time. What's in the Box The box includes two rubber controller grips designed to fit your Quest controllers, two rechargeable batteries for each controller, a USB-C to twin USB-C cable, and a small instruction manual with installation instructions. As the Quest 3 and 3S use the exact same controllers, th...

30Jul

By CharlotteNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Sonic Mini Cable Guys Holdem Review

In a change from our review of the Squid Game version, we have something a little faster. That's right we're back with the speedy hedgehog himself, Sonic. In plastic form. So let's take a look at the Sonic Mini Cable Guys Holdem shall we? Slide To The Left Just as with other products within the Holdem range the Sonic Mini Cable Guys Holdem stand at approximately 4" tall, meaning they can easily fit on a shelf or your desk. Whilst marketed as holders for earbuds, phones or other small gadgets, I still am very much of the viewpoint that these are more like collectible figures with the bonus of being able to hold things. Rather then that being their primary function. And for retailing around £18 on the EGX Pro website, they're not going to break the bank either. Looking at the packaging ...

16Jul

By CharlotteNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT Headset Review

Straight off the back of my review of the Razer BlackShark V2 X Quartz headset, I'm back with another cute headset offering from Razer. Now for about as long as I've wanted a good quality pink headset, I have equally longed for a Razer Kitty headset. And I was very excited to have a set of the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BTs land in my lap for review. I'm Not Kitten Around I never feel as penny-pinching as I do when looking at the price points of headsets. I very much believe in the ethos that you should invest in good audio wear, afterall we all use them so much of the time so they need to be decent! However, when it comes to putting my money where my mouth is, or ears, I know that budgets don't always allow for this. Mine certainly doesn't! Retailing for £100 on on the Razer website this hea...

Razer BlackShark V2 X Quartz Headset Review

14Jul

By CharlotteNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Razer BlackShark V2 X Quartz Headset Review

We're big fans of Razer here at Thumb Culture. And I guess they like us too as we got sent the Razer BlackShark V2 X to review. Now regular readers will know that we covered the BlackShark V2 Pro back in August last year. Which may lead to questions on why we are reviewing this one? I have one word in answer. Pink. Ok, so it's not just that it's pink, it's also the newer BlackShark model, but mostly I'm here because it's pink! Pretty In Quartz Unlike it's V2 Pro sister, the BlackShark V2 X headset does not have a big price tag. In fact they're available on the Razer website for £60. And don't worry, it's not just available in this pretty pastel colour! You've got black, white and of course that iconic Razer green to choose from! Design Features I need to just put it out there that...

9Jul

By StuartNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Razer Pro Click V2 Review

In a world filled with Cobra's, DeathAdders, Vipers, even Basilisks. Along comes something a little less aggressively named, the Razer Pro Click V2. This latest release from Razer is part of the work to play type products that are being released. So, just what does a £99 mouse get you? Each Click Is A Pro Click The Razer Pro Click V2 has won a few awards, but just what does it all mean? Is it going to replace your latest gaming mouse, or will it just be something you sling in your work bag for the trip to the office? Let's find out. Design Features Being designed with ergonomics in mind, the mouse has been perfectly sculpted. With a nice, wide thumb rest as well to enable better wrist posture. Giving an all day comfort that I've never experienced with another mouse. I got this one out ...