You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/8bitdo-sn30-pro.1552/

From so much as looking at the SN30 Pro+, you can see something is different. Embracing modern design principles, 8BitDo have stepped into the present day to deliver a controller that is both stylistic and comfortable for the large-handed among us in extended play sessions. That’s right, an 8BitDo controller has grips for you to hold onto! At a surface level, I can’t deny my conflict. It feels like a compromise on the traditional designs they’ve so fondly embraced time after time, making it look like any other third party controller from a distance. On the other hand, however, controllers abandoned the old-world’s flat design for a reason, and using this controller for around a week at the time of writing, I can say I do thoroughly appreciate how it feels to hold.

With three colour variants available, you still have your recognisable Nintendo designs, should you want them. While the iconic Super Famicom buttons are surprisingly absent here, in its place you can choose from an American SNES design, one based on the original Game Boy, and for those wanting something a little more plain, a simple black design. It’s a reasonable range to choose from, and the Game Boy design I have definitely looks the part; I just can’t fathom why 8BitDo would favour the American SNES controller over the widely more popular European and Japanese design. It’s an odd choice, but I’m sure some will still favour the concave X and Y buttons that come with the purple beast.

On the features side, the SN30 Pro+ packs everything the SN30 Pro did, with a few nice additions. That means you have all your standard buttons for Switch gaming, including a screenshot and home button, as well as the more uncommon motion control and rumble functionality. Too many third party controllers miss out on these, so it’s great to see 8BitDo continue to deliver on complete functionality. You do of course miss out on Amiibo support, and the rumble remains standard definition, but these are the luxuries you pay twice as much for when you buy Nintendo’s Pro Controller. Perhaps the most strange addition to the controller when compared to its predecessor is the inclusion of analogue triggers; after all, the Switch’s ZL and ZR buttons are digital. Though they have little impact on the controller’s performance on the Switch, these triggers feel divine, and sit on par with that of a PS4 controller’s. With 8BitDo’s great range of compatibility in mind, you’ll find these triggers coming in handy if you decide to use the pad on the PC, be it for your regular bout of PC gaming, or something like GameCube emulation.

The biggest standout feature comes from the companion app: 8BitDo Ultimate Software. If you can get past the cheesy name, you have a genuinely fantastic tool to support an already great pad. First, it handles updates for you. I’m quite fond of this, even if it is somewhat basic of a feature. The more exciting stuff comes after your controller is up to date though; 8BitDo really went to town. Not only can you remap every button, you can customise analogue stick sensitivity, vibration strength, and even create simple macros. What is a bit of a shame to me is that there’s no kind of option to setup the triggers for the Switch. While you can customise the stick sensitivity for the XInput mode, it would’ve been great to see more options here. For example, if you were able to map one button to a trigger if it’s held down up to 80% of the way, and another if it’s held down more than 80% of the way, you’d essentially have Mario Sunshine‘s analogue shooting in its 3D All-Stars release. I’ll admit this is a bit of an obscure desire, but I do hope something like this gets implemented down the line. For the bulk of my time with the controller, the triggers, while delightfully smooth to press, felt useless to me. Overall though, the software is brilliantly simple to use, and even lets you save profiles you can load onto the controller as you want them. You basically get all the configuration options available to an official Nintendo controller, and a cherry on top.

When using the controller, there are two parts that should be scrutinised more than the rest: the analogue sticks and the D-Pad. After all, these are your two main portals to controlling your characters, and with Joy-Con lacking a D-Pad, there are many understandably eager to find their perfect third party controller. In this respect, the SN30 Pro+ might not be for you. The D-Pad is fine, but that’s about as far as I’d take it. I’m perfectly comfortable using it to navigate menus, but as a primary means of control, it just doesn’t feel fantastic. The directional inputs lack a degree of definition. You hold right, and it feels as though you might also be holding up or down. When looking at D-Pads on the Switch, I’ve yet to find a controller to match the feel of Hori’s Pokken Pro Pad. If you’re after a controller for your platformers, definitely check that one out. Having said that though, the analogue sticks are great. The motion controls are great. The buttons feel great. Put simply, the controller, as a whole, is great, and for the vast majority of games, you’ll have a blast. If you’re primarily moving with the analogue stick, there’s amazingly little to complain about; it’s comfortable, it’s responsive, and it has the classic 8BitDo support for multiple platforms.

This is a controller that excels in every aspect except the one that people will probably be looking to it for, but to me, this alone shouldn’t be enough to put you off. The SN30 Pro+ is a fantastic controller as long as you know what you’re buying it for. As long as it isn’t the D-Pad, you’ll be having a blast.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/minisforum-x35g-mini-pc.1545/

Now, for a site like ours, a mini PC makes for an interesting review. Our banner marks us as an independent gaming community, and make no mistake, this isn’t something that’s going to be replacing your gaming rigs or consoles any time soon. Sporting a 10th generation Intel Core i3 processor, paired with Intel’s integrated UHD graphics, what we have here is a machine aiming to deliver reasonable performance in a compact package. You can check out the full specs straight from Minisforum below:

• Processor: 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i3 1005G1 Processors 2 Core/4 Threads Base Frequency 1.2GHz，Max Turbo Frequency 3.4GHz 4 MB Intel® Smart Cache TDP 15W
• GPU: Intel® UHD Graphics (300MHz – 900MHz)
• Memory: DDR4 – 3200MHz 16GB (Onboard)
• Storage: 1×M.2 2280 NVME SSD (PCIe 3.0 4X) Intel® Optane™ Memory Supported
• Storage Expansion: 1×2.5 inch SATA3.0 HDD or SSD Support , 1×M.2 2280 SATA SSD Support
• Wireless Connectivity: M.2 2230 WIFI support (Intel® WIFI6 AX200, BT 5.1 pre-install)
• Video Output: HDMI 2.0 (4K@60Hz), Display Port (4K@60Hz)，USB-C (Thunderbolt 3 5K@60Hz)
• Audio Output: HDMI 2.0, Display Port, 3.5mm audio jack
• Peripherals Interface: RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet×2, USB 3.1 Gen2 ×2, USB 2.0×2, USB-C×1, TF card Slot×1, DC Jack×1
• Power DC: 19V/1.9A (adapter included) or via USB-C Port
• System: Windows 10 Pro
• Feature: RTC wake up/Wake on Lan/Power on auto power on (BIOS setting) / Network boot

On paper, what excited me most was the storage expansion options, and the sheer number of ports. To start with the storage, this little box has the capacity to house not one, but three storage devices: two M2, and one 2.5 inch SATA. The small caveat here is that the second M2 port is only capable of supporting M2 SATA SSDs, in oppose to the superior NVMe drives. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s something to be aware of to avoid buying something that flat out won’t work with the PC …like I ended up doing. I did manage to try out the 2.5 inch SATA port though. After unpacking the contents of the PC, you just have to plug in a small included cable, and fit the drive into grooves along the top of the case. Once you’ve done that, you just put everything back together and it works with no issues. I’ve tried a 500 GB SSD I had lying around, as well as a 2 TB HDD that I bought specifically for it, and both worked with no issues.

Looking to ports, there are frankly a lot, which is great for such a compact device. On the back you have four USB 2.0 ports, two ethernet ports, a HDMI 2.0 port, as well as a DisplayPort …port. To the side, there’s a small slot for a micro SD card, and on the front you have two USB 3.1, the power button, and the one Thunderbolt 3 port. Now it’s the last of these many slots and spots that had me particularly excited. As the owner of a Razer Core X Chroma eGPU, there was a not-so-insignificant part of me that thought it’d be hilarious to throw some hefty games at the PC Minisforum themselves marketed as a learning computer that will “prevent children from indulging in games”. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t to be. Despite my best efforts, the Thunderbolt device wasn’t detected at all. I tried reinstalling Windows 10, I tried drivers old and new, but nothing seemed to work. We’re going to have to accept what we have here for what it is, and for what it does not have; the eGPU simply wasn’t meant to be.

GPU or otherwise, I did still want to see what I could run comfortably on it. Obviously, your retro collection are a safe bet; up to N64 is all but a guarantee on any modern PC, mini or otherwise. Where things start to get a bit more interesting is when looking at the GameCube and beyond. I find myself genuinely surprised this box of wonders can handle this generation of gaming, and it handles it admirably. From my small assortment of games, I tried Smash Bros. Melee and Brawl, Xenoblade Chronicles, Zelda Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, Fire Emblem; they all ran at full speed. The only flaws I could notice were in the Smash Bros. games, where the emulation would stutter maybe once every three or four minutes for around half a second, so while I wouldn’t recommend this for the most competitive seekers of perfection among us, it really did blow me away with its capabilities considering the marketing line I’ve had fun mocking. Admittedly, you could only get this performance with the bog standard settings, with no kind of upscaling and prettification. For the beefier stuff, you’ll likely find yourself needing a discrete GPU of some sort.

Moving past emulation and onto the larger sphere of PC gaming as a whole, I once again find myself pleasantly surprised. With the Fatalis update of Monster Hunter World having recently released a few weeks ago, I’ve found myself somewhat eager to play, but haven’t had time. Setting some aside to slay two elder dragons with one bomb pod, I decided to see exactly what state I could get the game running in on the X35G. It’s magnificent.

In the video, I fight a few Barroths to get my bearings again, and take on a Kushala Daora to see if its ever-irritating whirlwinds and effects will push the game a bit too far. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t look fantastic, but by my standards it definitely hits the playable mark. Maintaining a relatively steady 30fps with a stutter here and there, I can confidently say it runs better than the PS4 version on a non-pro console. Jokes aside, I’ll reiterate something I said earlier: this won’t replace your gaming rig. That said, it does a good job in a pinch, and can handle less strenuous games like Stardew Valley effortlessly. Playing Monster Hunter World did go some ways in amplifying my disappointment that my eGPU wouldn’t work, though this will likely not be a concern for many with how uncommon eGPUs are as a whole. While I’ve only touched on a few games when looking at what it can do, if there’s anything specific you want to see running on the X35G, be it emulated or otherwise, let me know in the comments, and I’ll try my best to make it happen.

Away from gaming, Minisforum put a lot of effort into advertising the versatility of the system. Whether you want a box to be hooked up to a projector, something to manage your security system, a mini media centre, or even a low-spec gaming hub, there’s a bit of something for everybody. With WiFi 6 support on top of its other offerings, you also have a somewhat future-proofed device, even if you don’t currently have the capability to use everything available to its fullest. 

The big question left to answer is whether it does enough to justify its price. With the PC recently going live on Indiegogo, it’s available in three varieties: a base model with no included storage, a model with a 256 GB NVMe SSD (this being what I received), and a model with an Optane SSD and a 1 TB HDD. These are currently listed at $349 (£271), $399 (£310), and $429 (£333) respectively. To me, it’s about right for what I’d be willing to pay. As a package, I don’t believe it’s so much a bargain as Minisforum asking a reasonable price given the device’s capability, design, and form factor. It’s a sturdy little box that managed to surprise me several times over, and something I genuinely recommend if you’re in the market for an all-round great mini PC setup. Minisforum have made something really quite great.

You can find this review in full at GBAtemp.net:
https://gbatemp.net/review/rha-trueconnect-2-wireless-bluetooth-earbuds.1541/

When given the opportunity to review RHA’s latest earbuds, two thoughts prevailed: I wonder if they’ll send some of that delightful chocolate again, and exactly what was there left to improve on their previous design? While I may be lamenting the lack of chocolate this time around, I’m happy to share all that’s changed, and all that’s stayed the same, in RHA’s somewhat iterative TrueConnect upgrade.

From the outside looking in, it’s hard to notice any difference at all. If the TrueConnect 2 unit I received wasn’t navy blue, in oppose to the black variant of the original product I own, I have no doubt I’d have had difficulties myself. The case remains the same shape, the same size, with the same premise. It’s sleek, it does a good job of protecting the earbuds, and it can charge them while they’re safely stored away. It ticks all the same boxes it did before, now with almost double the battery life–44 hours total versus the previous 25, with the earbuds themselves going for nine hours before needing to be put back in their case. It’s an impressive mark-up given the complete lack of changes when it comes to form factor, but with the case, that’s about all that differs. The more exciting changes however lurk on the earbuds themselves.

Now when I say exciting, you again won’t notice much on the surface. The earbuds sport the same stalks as the original TrueConnect in an attempt to put the mic closer to your mouth, as well as increase overall connectivity by moving the Bluetooth antenna that little bit closer to your device. Not to mention the extra space to actually fit the hardware. Physically, there’s one major change, and I’m on the fence on whether I like it: the mechanical button on each earbud has been replaced with a perhaps more standard capacitive touch sensor. I can understand the rationale behind this; the buttons were fairly sturdy, and to activate them, you’d need to put a not-insignificant amount of force to them. In doing this, the earbuds may be pushed further into your ear or move slightly, detracting from the overall experience. On the other hand, the intentional nature of the buttons were a significant positive. You wouldn’t find yourself accidentally pausing your music or skipping songs. With the touch sensors, this is far easier to do. I go to scratch my ear, the music stops. I go to adjust my hair, the music stops. They’re small actions, but they do affect how I use the earbuds. It’s something I have no doubt I’ll eventually adjust to, but whether you prefer mechanical or touch buttons may have a larger impact on how you experience the TrueConnect 2.

When it comes to audio quality, I struggle to find complaint. This is everything I loved about the original TrueConnect: clear audio without any excessive bass or notable unbalance when listening to a variety of music. From Megadeth to Westlife to Powerwolf to the Initial D Discography, everything just sounds as it should. For those bass enthusiasts who like their ears thumping, they might not be the most impressive, but as a generalist pair of true wireless earbuds they really do sound magnificent. Having gone to and from the original TrueConnect and their successor, it’s hard for me to really find much of a difference in quality, with the only notable change being the maximum volume. The TrueConnect 2 definitely gets louder should you crank it up.

Though listening to music would always be my number one recommendation for any kind of Bluetooth audio device, they are capable of more, depending on your tolerance for delay. With a very unscientific test, I measured my reaction speed using my laptop’s speakers, and pitted it against the TrueConnect 2. Averaging 177ms with the speakers and 437ms with the TrueConnect 2, we can estimate the delay to be around 260ms. I tried using them to play Pokémon Emerald and came into no real issues, but with games requiring speedy reactions to audio cues, you’re obviously going to struggle. For videos, you can however usually adjust the audio delay in your favourite media player’s settings, so you shouldn’t find issue there.

The final upgrades worth mentioning fall in three areas. The first is slightly better resistance, IP55 up from IPX5, meaning they fare a little better against dust, albeit not entirely impervious to those tiny particles. Next, we have improved connectivity thanks to a new chip used. While I never came into issues with the original TrueConnect’s connectivity range, it’s difficult to find fault in the improvement here. Finally, we have a twofold increase in microphones. Instead of just having one per bud, there’s now one on the stem, and one near the button. The idea here is that the stem mic will better detect your voice, while the button mic will better pick up external noise, allowing it to identify and eliminate unwanted background noise. From my experience it does seem to work well enough, but they’re still just microphones on a pair of true wireless earbuds. There’s only so much you can squeeze into their tiny form factor, and I’m glad to see the focus is on audio. Though a marked improvement all the same, and perfectly good for use with a smart assistant or for making a call, they’re not something I’d recommend for anything more than that.

For those in search of a quality pair of true wireless earbuds, I find myself once again putting RHA on a pedestal. The TrueConnect 2 are fantastic, let there be no doubt of that, and £20 cheaper than their predecessor at £129.95, they’re even easier to recommend. If my experience with the original TrueConnect is anything to go by, these are earbuds that will last you, and last you well.