Well, that was some weekend, right? If you were paying attention to the US election news (who wasn't?) you probably took in my data in 48 hours than a medieval peasant did in a lifetime. So, sorry not to give your tired brain a rest – here's the best of TechRadar from the week that was.
What's been going down? Well, it's a gaming-heavy round up this week, as we finally got our hands on the PS5 and Xbox Series X for our final, full verdict reviews. They're both excellent machines – but has one taken an early lead?
So settle in and get reading – or, if you'd rather have little rest of those peepers of yours, scroll down to the end of this article to find the latest episode of the TechRadar Noise Cancelling Podcast for straight-to-your-ears chat about the latest and greatest in tech.
PS5 and Xbox Series X reviews are in!
...and we love them both. After waiting years for their arrival, both the new Sony and Microsoft next-gen consoles come with a raft of worthy new features, meaning that whichever console family you align yourself with, you're in for a treat.
In our PS5 review and Xbox Series X review, it's a close run race as to which takes an early lead in the next-gen battle. But for now, we're leaning just a little towards the PS5, predominately because it offers some brand new games to play at launch and a greater UI evolution than the Xbox Series X. Both, however, are worthy of your time and money.
Marvel's Spider-Man Miles Morales review: the first must-play next-gen title?
One of the reasons we're so enamoured with the PlayStation 5? That'll be the return of our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, Miles Morales!
The fresh-faced star of the new PS5 exclusive superhero adventure, it's a big-budget blockbuster that really shows off all the benefits of next-gen – better framerates, stunning visuals, super-fast load times and interesting controller enhancements.
It's only short, but it's sweet, and the first software reason to make the jump to PS5.
Spotify's new deal for artists is a poisoned chalice
Anyone who ever had aspirations for musical superstardom would probably be feeling pretty disheartened these days. It's near impossible to gig, selling records is yesterday's news, getting any recognition is a hard-fought battle. It's always been a tricky industry to break into, but now it's more difficult than ever.
On the face of it, Spotify's latest option for artists may sound like a good deal – in exchange for some royalties, it'll bump an artists visibility in playlists. If you're not getting any airplay, it could help you build a fanbase.
But it's dangerous for so many reasons, eating into artists' already diminished revenue streams, damaging organic growth and again benefiting the big artists and labels who have money to spare. No deal, Spotify.
Apple One: Everything you need to know
It's not a company particularly well known for its value offerings, but Apple is looking to change that with Apple One. It's a single subscription service that pulls in all of Apple's major subscription offerings under one payment plan.
Despite being called "One", there's actually multiple tiers, letting you pick and choose a little as to what services you're interested, with an overall discount based on how many you take on. From Apple Arcade to News to Music to TV, there's lots to enjoy, if you've got the cash.
How Baldur’s Gate III devs are crafting the definitive Dungeons & Dragons video game
Now available in early access, it's been great to sink our teeth into the first chunk of Baldur's Gate III, the long-awaited return to one of the greatest RPG series of all time.
But just how do you go about bringing the rich world of Dungeons and Dragons to life in video game form in the modern age of gaming? We sit down with the developers at Larian Studios, and discuss how the jump from the equally-excellent Divinity: Original Sin 2 made the, perfectly placed to take on the challenge.
Cyberpunk 2077 OnePlus 8T and 5 other downright weird special edition phones
You can slap a logo on any old thing and call it a 'Special Edition' device, and that's a fact not alien to the world of mobile phones. Just last week we were introduced to the latest promotional tie-in devices – new One Plus handsets that promote the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 games.
For once, the tie-in isn't totally out of place either – the game is set in a high-tech future where gadgetry augmentation is essential to your survival. But not every tie-in is quite so appropriate. Here's some of the coolest – and strangest – mobile phone collaborations we've seen over the years.
Black Friday deals keep trickling in
It's getting closer – the gigantic global sales event may not officially start until November 27, but already we're seeing loads of Black Friday deals starting to appear at online retailers, withe everything from phones to cookware getting discounted.
Amazon kicked off the sales season with its own Prime Day event in October, and now it is continuing with early Black Friday deals right up until the main event. These offers will run until November 19, so you've got plenty of time to save money on your next tablet, smart home device, or smartphone. Other retailers are following suit, too; in the US you can save money at Walmart and Best Buy, while UK buyers will find early discounts at Currys, Argos, and John Lewis.
Next-gen console reviews and Apple Watch 6 vs Fitbit: Noise Cancelling podcast episode 37
The week's biggest tech news, in podcast form! We have you covered with the Noise Cancelling podcast, which is brought to you by TechRadar and our sister sites Laptop Mag and Tom's Guide.
This week's show is presented by Gareth Beavis, TechRadar's Global Editor-in-Chief, and Sherri L. Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Laptop Mag.
This week our guests are Adam Vjestica, TechRadar's Senior Staff Writer, and Kate Kozuch, Staff Writer at Tom's Guide, who join us (remotely, of course) to talk about the last seven days in tech.
Catch up on all the latest tech gossip, from our final verdicts on the all-new Xbox and PS5, and a battle of the fitness wearables between the Apple Watch 6 and latest Fitbit.
