These monitors offer unparalleled speed, stunning visual fidelity and innovative features designed to elevate the gaming experience for both competitive esports players and immersive single-player enthusiasts. Read...

A central programme, Matariki ki te Manawa, features exhibitions and performances. Read...

The MSI Claw series of Steam Deck-style handheld gaming PCs is the only one from a major manufacturer that goes with Intel chips instead of the much more popular (at least in this segment) AMD APUs. Well, it looks like MSI decided to go with the flow. There’s a new version of the Claw 8, and it’s using an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme. That’s the same chip that’s allegedly inside that new Asus ROG Ally 2, a more powerful version than the first generation, and not to be confused with the disappointing Ryzen Z2 Go. This new AMD flavor is christened the Claw A8 BZ2EM, which is only slightly less terrible than the top-end Claw 8 AI+ with Intel chips. The new model is notably more angular, with a two-tone paint job that doesn’t stretch onto the main panel and what looks like larger speaker grilles built into the grips. msi This new AMD-powered Claw comes with an 8-inch, 1200P LCD screen with 120Hz refresh, “up to 24GB” of DDR5x-8000 RAM, one M.2 slot for storage (no capacity given currently), and double USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports. You also get a MicroSD card reader for expansion, a beefy 80-watt hour battery, and a weight of 765 grams 1.6 pounds), which is still slightly lighter than the Intel version. Speaking of which, there’s a refreshed model of the Claw 8 AI+ as well. It’s using the same hardware as the existing model, topping out at an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage. This “Polar Tempest Edition” gets a “glittering UV coating,” according to the press release. Strangely, the press release states that both devices will be available in “a range of color options,” but it does not provide specific prices or release dates. The Claw A AI+ has been very difficult to find in the US since launch but is currently listed at $1000 on Best Buy and B&H Photo, with neither actually shipping the hardware. Other announcements from MSI at Computex showcase new OLED monitors, with the MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 being the most intriguing. If that alphabet soup doesn’t perk up your ears, try this: 500Hz eSports OLED monitor for $850. It has all the other usual gaming bells and whistles, like QHD (2560×1440) resolution at 27 inches, .03ms response time, variable refresh rate support for consoles, and some fancy stuff like support for resizing and custom aspect ratios. It’s using a Samsung panel, probably the same one as this monitor, for quite a bit less. MSI But that price at that refresh rate is really something. As my editor, Brad Chacos, said, you’d expect to pay somewhere in that ballpark for a conventional LCD panel at 500Hz. Upgrading to an OLED, while also offering fantastic speeds for gaming, is really something. Connection options aren’t fully spelled out in the PR material, but it has a USB-C port, hopefully with enough wattage output for a gaming laptop. The MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 (oh my god MSI, you are just begging for returns here) has that same 500Hz 27-inch panel, but builds in some more advanced features. The headliner is the new AI Care Sensor and its accompanying panel protection features. It only needs a mandatory OLED care refresh cycle once every 24 hours instead of 16, thanks to a local “AI” chip presence detection and automatic dimming. Surprisingly, all these extra features only raise the price a little, up to $899 USD. The cheaper MAG monitor is scheduled to go on sale starting July 5th, and the more advanced MPG on July 17th. Precise location availability was not shared. Read...

At Computex 2025, MSI showed off some new gaming laptops, including the sci-fi inspired Crosshair 18 HX AI and the sleek Stealth A16 Mercedes-AMD Motorsport Edition. These laptops offer strong performance, and they also use AI to help boost frame rates. MSI Crosshair 18 HX AI MSI The MSI Crosshair 18 HX AI is designed to look like a high-tech tool straight out of a science-fiction game. Not only does the mixture of curves and slanted lines give it a sophisticated edge, but the design draws direct inspiration from in-game crosshairs and HUDs (heads-up displays), hence its name. You’ll see this theme most clearly on the trackpad, which mimics the look of a targeting scope. But it’s not just about looks—this thing is powerful. It’s got an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics, and a huge 18-inch screen that’s super sharp and crazy smooth with a 240Hz refresh rate. The RTX 50-series GPU uses AI to add extra frames so your games run smoother. Oh, and it has an AI assistant called “AI Robot” that you can order around, like telling it to make the fans quieter. AI Robot is also available in the laptops below. No launch yet date, but pricing will start at $1,699. MSI Cyborg 15 and Cyborg 17 MSI The Cyborg series is MSI’s futuristic line of mid-range-to-high-end gaming laptops, blending glowing cyberpunk aesthetics with serious specs. The Cyborg 15 features up to an Intel Core 7 240H processor, up to GeForce RTX 5070 graphics, and a 15.6-inch 1080p display with a 144Hz refresh rate. It also supports Nvidia’s DLSS 4 tech for AI-enhanced upscaling and better image quality. The larger Cyborg 17 steps things up with a 17.3-inch 2560×1440 display running at 240Hz plus similar CPU/GPU options. Both models feature the same translucent chassis and angular design that set the Cyborg line apart from the rest. Launch dates and pricing haven’t been announced yet. MSI Cyborg A15 and Cyborg A17 MSI The Cyborg A15 and A17 bring the same cyberpunk design to AMD-powered setups. These models are equipped with up to an AMD Ryzen 7 260 processor and up to a GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card, combining performance and efficiency with bold visuals. They continue the Cyborg family’s distinctive style, including that spiderweb-like pattern seen on the above Intel-based versions. Pricing starts at $1,149 for the Cyborg A15 and $1,549 for the Cyborg A17. Release dates are still under wraps. MSI Stealth A16 Mercedes-AMD Motorsport Edition MSI If you’re into fast cars, the MSI Stealth A16 Mercedes-AMD Motorsport Edition might be your perfect laptop. It’s got that sleek motorsport vibe—including that Mercedes logo right on the lid—and packs some serious firepower under the hood. We’re talking an AMD Ryzen 9 HX 370 CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, which supports cutting-edge features like DLSS 4 and ray tracing for eye-popping gameplay. Plus, the 16-inch 2560×1600 OLED screen with a 240Hz refresh rate means you’re getting deep blacks and awesome contrast, making your games look even better. No word yet on when it’s coming out or how much it’ll cost, though. Read...

This week at Computex, Asus announced the latest iteration of its Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16 laptops. While they’re designed with gamers in mind, these machines have features that video editors and creatives will appreciate too. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, G16 So, first things first, they’re thin and portable, which is what we’ve come to expect from Zephyrus models at this point, but the display quality is also top notch (with ridiculously fast refresh rates) and the AI-driven innards are designed to make the machine more power-efficient and last longer as a result. Did I mention they just look damn good, too? It’s an impressive refresh. Asus Let’s talk about the design first. I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m a sucker for a modern white laptop aesthetic, so I’ve fallen right into the Zephyrus’ honey trap here. Available in either Eclipse Grey or Platinum White colorways, it’s the kind of design that really pulls you in like a siren luring a faraway sailor. The distinct Slash Lighting array, which is the big line going diagonal down the top lid, gives it a really premium and minimalist look. It’s also made of CNC aluminum, so there’s no doubt that the chassis is durable and will last you a good while. They’re also pretty lightweight, too. The G14 weighs 3.30 pounds, and the G16, equipped with a bigger screen and is heavier as a result, weighs 4.07 pounds. That’s lighter than their predecessors. Now, onto the guts! The Zephyrus G14 comes with up to an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor (the G16 gets up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H processor). Both machines will also feature Neural Processing Units (aka NPUs) that handle AI tasks, freeing up the CPU and GPU. They’re also packed with the latest Nvidia 50 Series graphics cards (up to 5070 Ti for the 14-inch, up to 5090 for the 16-inch)–these are known for their significant advancements in AI-driven graphics and increased frame rates. In fact, Asus claims these models offer up to 50 percent more performance per watt than the previous generation. They’ve also got the next standard in connectivity, which is Wi-Fi 7. The new Zephyrus comes in either 14- or 16-inches, hence the G14 and G16, respectively. The 14-inch boasts a 2880×1800 120Hz OLED panel, and the 16-inch a 2560×1600 240Hz (!!!) OLED panel. Though I haven’t seen either panel with my own eyes yet, based on those resolutions and screen types, the picture should be lovely on both machines. OLED is an especially good screen type for editors to work on because they produce deep blacks and rich colors. No word on launch dates just yet, but the Zephyrus G14 has a starting price of $1,799, and the G16 a starting price of $2,149.99. Read...

Gaming keyboard or ergonomic keyboard? You typically have to choose. But in the wise words of Old El Paso Tacos, “Por qué no los dos?” That’s the thinking behind the Asus ROG Falcata, a wireless gaming board that splits apart and connects over a USB-C bridge. Adam Patrick Murray went hands-on with it at Computex. By the way, Asus sponsored the video on PCWorld’s YouTube channel. Asus did not sponsor this article — I wanted to write it up because I think it’s cool. The Falcata is a 75 percent board in two pieces, the better to support more ergonomic typing or a more tactical cant, whichever is more applicable in the moment. It’s not the first split keyboard to claim gaming prowess, but it is the first one to come from a major PC gaming accessory company like Asus, which says it developed the design with help from pro eSports gamers. The design has a lot of adjustment options. It comes with eight different screw-in foot locations, four on each side, plus a bit of extra on the wrist rest (which can also be removed). Because in keyboards, as in the woods, tenting is important! Other features include a small volume wheel on the left side, four layers of sound dampening, 800Hz polling (yes, even wirelessly) and hall effect switches for you twitchy shooter fans, and a bit of RGB bling. Asus Asus has apparently heard my grousing about the Armoury Crate software, so you don’t need it for this keyboard (though Asus PR tells me it’s an option, contradicting Adam in the video). You can program the keyboard on its own or use a web-based interface to set up custom profiles. Good on ya, Asus, more companies should do that (and they are). Because it’s of particular interest to me, I asked Asus PR if you could unplug the right side of the keyboard and use the left side on its own as a dedicated wireless keypad. No comment, though of course eventually we’ll find out when the Falcata launches later this year. Go ahead and subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube for the latest from Computex in Taipei, and watch The Full Nerd podcast for weekly insights on PC gaming. Read...

TechHive Editors Choice At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Bright, high-quality lighting (in white or in color) You can daisy-chain up to 10 light bars Easy to install and configure Excellent app Cons You lose all the great features of the GE Cync app if you connect the light bars via Matter Connecting via Matter is the only way to add the light bars to Apple Home Onboard Wi-Fi adapter is 2.4GHz only Our Verdict These beautiful undercabinet light bars deliver both excellent task lighting and fabulous lighting scenes, but they’re better suited to smart homes that revolve around Alexa or Google Home, because using Matter to connect them to Apple Home entails giving up the excellent GE Cync app and all the control features it has to offer. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: GE Cync Reveal Smart LED Undercabinet Bar Light (18-inch) Retailer Price $45.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket I’m not ready to remodel my (very) small galley kitchen, but my family desperately needed more space for storing some of the bowls, cups, and glasses we use every day. The least expensive solution I could think of was to install a floating shelf on the only empty wall. Problem solved, but also, problem created: The 10-inch-deep shelf cast an objectional shadow on the counter below. Given the small amount of counter space in our kitchen, we utilize every square inch for food preparation. I needed those shadows to be gone. Enter the GE Cync Reveal Smart LED Undercabinet Bar Light. These under-cabinet lights can be hardwired to your home’s electrical system or plugged into a standard AC outlet. And if your cabinets don’t go all the way to the ceiling, you could also mount them on top to cast light up the wall and onto the ceiling. The GE Cync undercabinet light bar can produce 34 “light shows” that involve not just colors but also animations. The lights come in white enclosures rated for installation in damp locations. They measure 4.8 inches deep, 1.8 inches thick, and are available in three widths: 12-, 18-, or 24 inches. You can daisy-chain up to 10 of them. I went the plug-in route and mounted two of the 18-inch models under my floating shelf. Voilà! No more shadows. An 18-inch GE Cync Reveal Smart LED Undercabinet Bar Light, unboxed.Michael Brown/Foundry The lights are exceedingly easy to physically install, thanks to captive self-tapping screws that you can drill into the bottom of your cabinet or shelf with just a screwdriver. This neatly avoids the need to pre-drill pilot holes that inevitably end up being just a bit off when you go to screw in the light itself. As I’ve already mentioned, you can wire the lights to your home’s electrical system or use the provided cable with a 3-prong plug at one end to power the lights. If you go the plug-in route, the cord emerges from the bottom of the plug at a rightward angle, allowing you to plug it into either the top or bottom of a duplex outlet, even if the outlet is occupied. Pro tip: Using a cable chase to hide the excess electrical cord looks a lot better than just letting it dangle. The cleverly angled plug can fit in either the top or bottom of a duplex outlet, even if the other socket is occupied.Michael Brown/Foundry Each bar has one button for toggling the lights on and off (or you can dim the LEDs by holding this button down) and a second one for changing the color or color temperature. Special stub cables are provided for daisy-chaining the lights—again, up to 10—after which either set of buttons will control both lights. Specifications Once the lights are set up, you can control them individually or configure multiples to operate in sync. They can be controlled via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi (2.4GHz networks only), with the latter method being the best approach to take if you want to use Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands to control them. The lights are also Apple Home compatible, but only via Matter over Wi-Fi (there’s no Thread support), and adding them to your Wi-Fi network in that fashion prevents you from using the Cync app to program and control the lights. You can make many—but certainly not all—settings changes and schedules using the Apple Home app, but you won’t have full control over them if you go that route. You also won’t be able to access any of the lighting effects that the GE app offers. My home revolves mostly around Alexa, so I didn’t enroll the lights in Matter. You daisy-chain up to 10 of the GE Cync Reveal light bars using the provided stub cables.Michael Brown/Foundry The LED light bars can produce colored light from a palette of 16 million colors, or you can choose a tunable white light (ranging from a very warm 2,000 Kelvin to a cool 7,000K). You can also set them to use GE’s own Reveal HD+ setting, which promises white light with higher contrast. I like it. The 18-inch light bar tested here produces up to 1,150 lumens of white light at a color temperature of 3,000K, but note that using the Reveal setting reduces the bar’s maximum brightness to 900 lumens. The 12-inch light bar delivers up to 750 lumens (630 with Reveal), while the 24-inch model delivers 1,500 lumens (1,200 with Reveal). Light shows The GE Sync Reveal app offers a host of lighting options in both color and various white color temperatures, depending on your needs.Michael Brown/Foundry The Cync app is so rich with features that you’ll want to think twice about going the Matter and/or Apple HomeKit route that will deny you access to it. Or you might decide that these lights are just not the right solution for your home if you’re striving for a homogenous smart home. In any event, going far beyond the usual color wheel for picking colors from a palette of 16 million shades, you can also choose from nine white color temperature presets: Sunlight, Early Morning, Candle Light, etc. There are also 34 “light shows” that involve not just colors but also animations. The app divides these between 10 presets and 24 other categories under the heading Explore. Each preset is labeled with an evocative name, such as Candle, Rainbow, Fireworks, and Aurora. The button on the left toggles the lightbar on and off, or you can hold it down to dim and brighten. The button on the right steps through light colors and white color temperatures.Michael Brown/Foundry Tapping a preset changes the lightbars’ behavior immediately, while the 24 Explore choices must be previewed before they can be sent to the lightbars. If that isn’t enough options for you, you can create custom light shows based on nine effect types: Wave, Flicker, Fill, Pop, Alternating, Erratic, Rhythm, Pulse, and Static. Each custom light show has adjustable parameters for color palette (with an option for random changes), brightness, fade and color duration (each on a scale of 0.1 to 5 seconds). These custom shows can be saved with names and called up later or scheduled. Lighting schedules It wouldn’t be a smart light if you couldn’t schedule it to turn on and off, so of course you can use the Routines section of the app to program the lights to turn on and off, either at defined times or on a sunrise/sunset (or sunset/sunrise) schedule (with padding before or after those events). This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart lighting. The scheduling section of the app also lets you create lighting scenes, which are curiously distinct from the light shows I’ve already mentioned. Scenes give you the option of choosing a photo—or uploading one of your own—that will influence the illumination the light bars produce. Honestly, this feature seems like an afterthought, and it’s not one that I see myself using on a regular basis. The GE Cync Reveal Smart LED Undercabinet Bar Light proved to be a problem solver in my kitchen.Michael Brown/Foundry Should you buy GE Cync Reveal Smart LED Undercabinet Bar Lights? Unless you’re set on controlling everything with Matter and/or the Apple Home—or you don’t mind giving up the effects available in the app—these GE Cync Reveal Smart LED Undercabinet Bar Lights are a fabulous solution for smart task lighting in a kitchen or other workspace that has cabinets or shelves mounted over counters. The light bars are very easy to install and configure in the app, which offers a seemingly endless number of lighting colors, routines, and options. They produce high-quality task lighting when you’re cooking, working, or crafting; and their lighting scenes are great for entertaining or just relaxing. Read...

A new command-line application, Windows Edit, is coming to Windows 11 as part of a bevy of tools aimed at developers and enthusiasts. But is a new tweak to WinGet the real star of the show? It’s hard not to see Edit as a replacement for Notepad, the generally utilitarian interface that could be used for editing all sorts of things. Users also have access to Windows Subsystem for Linux, which allows access to text editors like vim — which can also be run within Windows. At Microsoft’s own Build conference, the focus is obviously on developers, and providing them tools to ensure that Microsoft’s own applications, platforms, and services win out. Many of those include AI, of course. But others are just more fundamental tweaks to the familiar Windows platform. Notepad, of course, is already a Windows application. But what appears to have drawn Microsoft’s attention is that it’s not natively integrated into the tools developers are already using. Notepad has been used for many purposes within Windows, including for software development.IDG Edit is currently in open source, Microsoft said, and will be added to Windows this summer. “Developers will be able to access this editor by running ‘edit’ in the command line,” Microsoft said. “This will enable developers to edit files directly in the command line, staying in their current flows and minimizing unnecessary context switching.” PowerToys and WinGet get interesting updates Microsoft has a history of taking third-party tools and integrating them, with permission, into Windows. PowerToys, the collection of free Windows utilities that is constantly being expanded, is a good example of this. Just before Build, Microsoft took PowerToys Run and added Command Palette. “PowerToys Command Palette allows you to easily access all of your most frequently used commands, apps, and development tools – all from a single solution that is fast, customizable to your unique preferences, and extensible to include your favorite apps,” Microsoft says. Another tool, arguably for developers, sounds right up the alley for power users, too. Windows Backup and Restore is aimed at consumers who want to move from PC to PC, but primarily use Windows apps. But WinGet debuted in 2021 as a command-line tool to quickly grab apps and any dependencies from the Internet. WinGet in action.Foundry Now, Microsoft says that developers will be able to essentially take a snapshot of their machine. “Users will be able to effortlessly set up and replicate development environments using a single, reliable WinGet Configuration command,” Microsoft said. Developers will be able to capture the current state of their device, including apps, packages and tools (available in a configured WinGet source) into a WinGet Configuration file.” It’s not clear where this WinGet configuration file will be stored, but being able to get your PC tweaked just so, and then move to a new, freshly-installed PC would be a big win for enthusiasts and developers alike. This feature will be added in “summer 2025,” Microsoft says, and will support Microsoft’s Desired State Configuration (DSC v3). Finally, Microsoft is moving to a list of advanced settings within Windows, also aimed at developers. Currently hidden behind “flags” that must be enabled to see them, the new features reportedly include longer path lengths and more modular settings for features like the Taskbar and Terminal. Microsoft Finally, Microsoft is also making its Windows Subsystem for Linux open source — the very first issue filed on the original repository, said Pavan Davuluri, corporate vice president of Windows + Devices at Microsoft, in a blog post. Read...

Microsoft is waiving the fee to sign up and publish to the Microsoft Store beginning in June, as the company tries to appeal to Windows app developers and their pocketbooks. It would make the Microsoft Store on Windows the first “free” store for publishing apps, Microsoft said at its annual Build developer conference. Although it’s difficult to determine how many apps Microsoft sells via its Microsoft Store app, most sources place it less than a million — and those numbers are from several years ago. Even Phil Spencer, now the chief of Microsoft Gaming, has said that the Store “sucks,” primarily owing to its poor design and lack of popular applications. Since then, Microsoft has revamped the Microsoft Store app, but the problems remain. Now, Microsoft is trying to lure more publishers by streamlining the process and lowering the price. Individual developers will be able to sign up and publish to the Store for free in June, Microsoft said. “This will make Microsoft Store on Windows the first global digital store to waive the fee for publishing apps,” it said. The new plan promises benefits to users, too. Today, even when a publisher publishes a new version of a Win32 app — the traditional .EXE file — there’s no guarantee that the latest version will appear on the Store. That has led to a frequent user complaint that Store apps are out of date. Now, not only will you able to find the updated version, the Store app page will actually list the last time that the app was updated. You’ll be able to download the latest version from the Store’s “Downloads” page or just from the app’s page, itself. Given that the Windows Store was announced in 2011, and shifted to the Microsoft Store in 2017, it’s kind of ludicrous that Microsoft is just now trying to address these issues. Individual app pages on the Microsoft Store still don’t do a good job telling you how large the app is or when the most recent update was. Microsoft is working to fix at least part of this. Mark Hachman / Foundry Microsoft is also promising developers additional features like improved privacy policy hosting, additional help and support, and a “policy change to allow a noninteractive progress bar for Win32 app installation.” The company is also promising that developers will be able to run app campaigns to promote their apps, and receive better “health reports” that will provide insights into the crash rates, hang rates, and affected device rates. It’s not clear what fees Microsoft is waiving What isn’t clear, however, is what fees Microsoft is waiving. Microsoft already charges a one-time fee of just $19 for publishing an app to the Microsoft Store, or about $99 for a company. Microsoft already allows developers to keep all of the revenue from non-gaming apps if they use their own commerce platform. For games, Microsoft charges 12 percent for games or 15 percent for apps if the developers uses Microsoft’s own commerce platform. Are these the fees Microsoft is waiving? We’re not sure, and we’ve asked Microsoft for clarification. By contrast, the third-party app Steamdb.com says that Steam currently hosts 394,779 games at the time of this writing. No matter how many fees Microsoft waives, the company will be hard-pressed to overturn Steam’s reputation as the main storefront for PC games. For apps in general? Well, maybe. At least Microsoft is addressing some of its issues. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Large server network Dedicated IP available Broad app support Cons Short-term plans are expensive Pushes you to buy extra features Dubious privacy record InConsistent streaming unblocking Our Verdict PureVPN offers a decent base set of features which can be extensively upgraded for a price. It boasts a large server network and is based in a privacy-friendly location. But previous privacy snafus, inConsistent streaming unblocking, and its pushy sales strategy means there might be better options elsewhere. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today PureVPN in brief: P2P allowed: Yes, on some servers Simultaneous device connections: 10 Business location: British Virgin Islands Number of servers: 6,500 Number of country locations: 78 Cost: $12.95 per month, $47.88 for 1 year, $51.36 for 2 years, or $129.60 for 5 years PureVPN is a service based out of the British Virgin Islands—formerly Hong Kong—that comes with a clean interface, broad server network, and large feature catalog.  The service might not offer any novel or revolutionary technology, but it tries to make up for this by striving to perfect the basics: privacy, security, and accessibility. I put the service to the test to see if it can stand out in a saturated market and whether it’s worth your time and money. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best VPN services for comparison. What are PureVPN’s features and services? PureVPN allows up to 10 simultaneous device connections. This is likely enough for most people, however there is a growing trend among top providers to provide unlimited simultaneous connections and that would’ve been more ideal. The service currently offers a total of 6,500 servers to choose from across 78 country locations. That’s quite good for any VPN, and is one of the best reasons to choose the service over other competitors. Unfortunately, unlike other services such as Windscribe Pro, which offers only physical servers, some of PureVPN’s server locations are virtual. VPNs typically employ these virtual servers in countries or regions where it would otherwise be difficult to safely maintain a physical server—think countries like China and Russia. Virtual servers are a kind of stopgap measure to offer these country locations without the physical infrastructure. Thankfully, PureVPN listened to its users and recently decided to scale back its use of virtual servers. While there isn’t anything inherently wrong with virtual servers, they are sometimes known to have reliability and speed issues compared to physical servers. A highlight of PureVPN is that it offers broad platform support including Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, browser extensions, and smart TVs. This, and its large server network seem to be the biggest draws for the service. PureVPN’s app is well designed, so long as you ignore the upgrade recommendations on the sidebar.Sam Singleton When you first open the Windows app you’ll encounter a pleasing white-and-purple user interface with a simple Connect button in the middle and a list of options on the left. It’d be a very slick interface if not for the addition of a side menu on the right unnecessarily serving you a bunch of upgrade recommendations. This type of upselling is actually one of my biggest gripes with the service. Not only can you seemingly not get rid of these recommendations, but the service also bombards you with marketing emails once you sign up. I personally counted eight unwarranted emails within the first few days of using the service. But I digress. Back on the home screen, along the left side rail you’ll find options for server locations, as well as (upgradable) data removal, dark web monitoring, and password manager tools, and the Settings menu. Broad platform support and a large server network seem to be the biggest draws for the PureVPN. PureVPN offers all of your basic VPN features, including ad- and tracker-blocking, a kill switch, and split tunneling.Sam Singleton Under the Settings menu there are personalization options along with standard VPN features. These include a kill switch to block internet traffic in the event of an accidental disconnection, auto-connect features, and an ad- and tracker-blocker. Here you can also change the connection protocol and enable split-tunneling, which allows you to pick and choose which apps you wish to run through the VPN and which to keep separate. That is about the extent of what is on offer for Standard plan users. Pretty cut and dry as far as VPNs go. I can’t say that I feel like I’m getting a lot of value for my money with the Standard plan considering it’s around the same price as other top VPNs such as NordVPN and ExpressVPN that offer way more features.  There are plenty of addons offered by PureVPN if you decide you want to upgrade the service. Sam Singleton It is worth noting, though, that PureVPN does offer a plethora of add-ons for various fees. There are the options for a dedicated IP, Port Forwarding, a dedicated server, residential network, and additional simultaneous device logins. You can also choose to upgrade to the Plus or Max plans if you’d prefer to have extra security features such as a password manager, data removal, or dark web monitoring. How much does PureVPN cost? PureVPN’s pricing is convoluted to say the least. Not only are there three different plan tiers, but also four different contract lengths to choose from: month-to-month, 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year. Then once you finally decide on your plan, you’ll be offered a bevy of extra services that you can add on for extra fees. Those who love customization will revel in the options, but those who want simplicity are likely to come away feeling overwhelmed. The service offers Standard, Plus, and Max tiers. The Standard plan provides just the VPN and tracker blocker. The Plus plan adds a password manager in addition to those. Then the Max tier adds additional access to a data removal service and dark web monitoring. PureVPN’s Standard plan costs $12.95 per month, which is more expensive than most premium VPN services. The Plus plan jumps sharply to $17.95 per month and the Max plan is $19.95 per month. Thankfully, the service offers all of these plans for steep discounts if you opt for long-term subscriptions instead. The Standard plan drops to a much more reasonable $47.88 for one year at $3.99 per month, or $51.36 for two years at $2.14 per month. PureVPN also offers a 5-year plan but the Standard plan monthly rate curiously increases a bit, with additional savings only available on the Plus or Max tiers at this term length. PureVPN accepts payments via credit card, PayPal, Bitcoin, and some other cryptocurrencies. How is PureVPN’s performance? When testing a VPN’s speeds I measure connection speeds across its servers in different countries all around the world and then compare them to my baseline internet speed. I carry out these tests across multiple days to establish a more consistent average. PureVPN’s speeds overall performed well. Testing with WireGuard connections produced the best results where the service was able to manage 61 percent of the base download speed. Upload averages were even better with an impressive average of 79 percent of the base speed. While these speeds were done over the WireGuard protocol, testing other protocols did slow down the connection to varying degrees. Regardless, I recommend that almost everyone use WireGuard as their default protocol for the best speed and security anyways. These results put PureVPN into the top half for speeds of all VPNs on the market. Users should find that they’ll have no issues with everyday browsing or streaming, and high speed torrenting or video chats should also work well while connected. When it comes to unblocking streaming content, PureVPN is a mixed bag. I found that even with the recommended streaming servers—listed under Shortcuts in the locations menu—I still wasn’t able to consistently access the sites they claimed to work with. For example, when trying to access Netflix U.S., I used the recommended server but was still met with the dreaded “connection blocked” screen. However, some of the other recommended servers unblocked streaming sites without a hitch. I even found that random PureVPN servers not specifically recommended for streaming could successfully unblock streaming sites. So all in all, the VPN’s unblocking capabilities felt very hit-or-miss and as a result I can’t truly recommend it for streaming. How is PureVPN’s security and privacy? PureVPN offers multiple protocols including WireGuard. Sam Singleton PureVPN offers three protocol options: IKEv2, OpenVPN (both TCP and UDP), and WireGuard. It also provides a feature called Connect to Fallback which, if turned on, will automatically connect to a different protocol should the original protocol connection fail to connect. While this feature seems like a good idea, I believe that users should always opt for WireGuard and I don’t particularly like the idea that a VPN would change the connection to a less secure protocol without a user knowing it. The potential issue here being that PureVPN might rely on this as a quick fix rather than a last resort. Regardless, this feature can be turned off, which I recommend. The app comes with a kill switch that will block all internet traffic in the event that your VPN accidentally disconnects. My kill switch tests found that the feature worked as intended, successfully blocking my internet when I needed it.  Also, DNS leak tests showed that while connected to PureVPN’s servers, there were no leaks of my original IP address.  In regards to PureVPN’s privacy policy, there are a few concerns. In the past, PureVPN caught some flak for cooperating with law enforcement. While the intentions were good in this instance, it doesn’t bode well for a VPN company in the business of user privacy to be breaching that trust. Additionally, according to PureVPN’s Privacy Policy, the service collects individual timestamps, dates of last connections, and individual bandwidth usage. However, the service does maintain a “no-logs policy” and it does not collect browsing activity, customer IP addresses, or identifiable connection logs, among other things. I do appreciate that PureVPN has undergone two independent audits on its no-logs policy in recent years. Unfortunately, it has yet to publish either of those audits publicly which is curious considering it’s common practice for most other VPN services. PureVPN has switched to an “always-on” open-door auditing system that allows security firms to drop in and conduct an audit anytime. Sam Singleton PureVPN provides regularly updated Transparency Reports detailing outside data request statistics. It also promotes what it calls an “always-on” approach to auditing where outside security auditing firm KPMG can conduct surprise audits of PureVPN without any prior notice—although beyond the two audits I mentioned previously, it doesn’t seem like they’ve been taken up on this offer. PureVPN has recently relocated from Hong Kong to its new homebase in the British Virgin Islands. This is good news as there are no mandatory data retention laws in the British Virgin Islands, nor is it a member of any international data sharing alliances such as Five, Nine, or Fourteen Eyes. Is PureVPN worth it? PureVPN is a worthwhile, if slightly underwhelming, VPN service that provides the basics for an affordable price. It has seemingly grown leaps and bounds in recent years, expanding its server network, improving its speeds, and updating the interface. It should also be commended for moving in the right direction to absolve itself of any privacy concerns. That all being said, I feel like there are other services out there that offer better value for the money and provide more consistent streaming unblocking capabilities. It isn’t a bad VPN, and there is an argument to be made that it could suit novice users well, but other services do the same things better. Editor’s note: Because online services are often iterative, gaining new features and performance improvements over time, this review is subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the service. Any changes to text or our final review verdict will be noted at the top of this article. Read...