Gaming

The ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) is a gamer’s version of quiet luxury

It has a minimalist chassis but hides immense power underneath.

Published

September 24, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

Quiet luxury is my preferred form of wealth. I prefer the confidence of “if you know, you know,” rather than the desperation of “please fawn over my ridiculous wealth” that certain officials seem to go for these days. As an avid gamer myself, I think I found gaming’s own version of quiet luxury in 2025’s ROG Zephyrus G14.

MacBook who?

The MacBook has one of the most ubiquitous designs in notebooks today. It’s a minimalist metallic shell that you can recognize from a mile away. Not to say that it’s merely a copy, but the ROG Zephyrus G14 shares a lot of similarities with Apple’s behemoth. And that’s not a negative.

The notebook features a chassis built from a CNC-machined aluminum alloy. The design itself is smooth, sleek, and tactile. Outside of the flashy Slash Lighting array and a subtle ROG logo, there’s nothing to hint at the notebook’s massive power lurking underneath.

On the sides, the Zephyrus G14 has a power delivery port, an HDMI port, two USB-A slots, two USB-C slots, a headphone jack, and a microSD reader. It’s a standard set of side-mounted ports, but they do get the job done.

The main area is pretty spotless. And yet, despite how clean the interface looks, ROG increased the surface area of both the keycaps and the trackpad. The latter even extends almost all the way to the bottom edge. It’s then a marvel that the redesigned layout doesn’t just maintain the smoothness of the design, but that it also improves the user experience.

Rounding out the layout are two side woofers (more on that later), four programmable buttons, and a glass power key.

I love you, OLED

The Zephyrus G14 has a majestic 14-inch OLED panel. The screen supports a veritable rogues’ gallery: 3K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 500nits of brightness, NVIDIA G-Sync, Dolby Vision, VESA-certified DisplayHDR, and True Black 500.

This is one of the most impressive screens I’ve seen in a notebook. Even just from booting the notebook, you can see how capable it is. The range of colors is astounding. The blacks are just as impressive. Whether you’re watching a movie or playing a game, the Zephyrus G14’s screen is immersive.

I played a ton of Hollow Knight: Silksong. Since the game features a lot of underground segments, a lot of portions are in the dark. This helps the screen pop, especially because of the True Black 500 certification. Often, I find myself forgetting that I’m staring at a screen. The wide range of colors, complemented by the intensity of the blacks, kept me immersed for hours.

A short word on the speakers

Speaking of immersion, let me talk about the speakers for a bit. Normally, I don’t really comment on a notebook’s speakers, but the Zephyrus G14 deserves a special mention.

As I mentioned, the notebook has six speakers with two side-mounted woofers. It features a 252 percent volume increase compared to last year’s model. It also has an ultra-low bass frequency of 100Hz. Importantly, it supports Dolby Atmos.

This is the first notebook that effortlessly made me feel the power of Dolby Atmos. Just as how the screen made me forget that I was looking at one, the speakers made me forget that I wasn’t wearing headphones. There were times when I’d look left or right after hearing a sound, not realizing that it came from the speakers.

A modern notebook for modern games

Inside, the Zephyrus G14 sports the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU. It also has 32GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage. This duo is on the higher end of the spectrum for hardware you can get from a notebook these days.

Of course, the notebook can confidently handle anything I threw at it. I tested it extensively with long playthroughs of Stellar Blade and Helldivers 2. The notebook can play both these games at maximum settings.

To note, however, the surface gets intensely hot, particularly above the keyboard. Thankfully, the area where your palm should rest keeps relatively cool — or, at the very least, at a tolerable warmth. It does tout a cooling system designed to keep the heat away from your hands, including two heatsinks, a heat pipe, and three fans.

I also did a sizable playthrough of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. This is where the hardware buckles a bit. Though the game still played at a very high level, it did stutter when I enabled the more robust settings like raytracing.

Is Slash Lighting worth it?

What would a gaming notebook be without a design quirk to set it apart from others? Despite how minimalist the notebook looks, the rear panel still has a light strip running diagonally through it.

The feature looks like a pared-down version of the ROG Phone’s dot-matrix display. Instead of phrases, however, the so-called Slash Lighting feature allows only customizable light patterns with a bunch of presets.

Personally, I didn’t really mind the feature, but that’s mostly because the lighting doesn’t face me. Although, it does get irritating when I’m facing a reflective surface. I can imagine that it’s also distracting for those around me if I brought it out in public. Thankfully, you can also turn the lighting off.

Keep this one plugged in

Typical of gaming notebooks, the Zephyrus G14 doesn’t feature the strongest battery life. An average gaming session can last less than two hours on a full charge. Without gaming, the notebook can last around five hours. It’s not the most impressive for on-the-go professionals, but that’s what you get for a gaming notebook.

This is the type of notebook that you want to keep plugged in. Interestingly, the box comes with two options for that. The standard charging option is the average rectangular brick capable of 200W charging. On the other hand, the package also has a smaller squarish brick that puts out only 100W.

Both the laptop and the regular charging brick are light enough to not be too much of a burden. Then again, if you need less weight and are fine with slower charging, the square brick is more than enough.

Is the ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) your GadgetMatch?

Over the years, gaming notebooks have shied away from overly bombastic designs. Notebooks these days look more minimalist than their counterparts years ago. The new Zephyrus G14 perfects this new zeitgeist by offering the sleekest design available today.

Underneath, however, the Zephyrus G14 sports an incredibly powerful machine. It’s perfect for your gaming habits, marred only by a battery life that doesn’t set it apart from the rest of the pack.

As expected, the notebook comes with a pretty price tag. You’ll need to shell out PhP 179,995 for this beast. It’s quite a price to pay, but then again, this is the definition of quiet luxury.

For a gaming notebook, this is still one of the best you can get today. For that, it gets a Swipe Right from me.

Gaming

Now Playing: Elden Ring Tarnished Edition

Is the Switch 2 port worth the price?

Published

September 4, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

How do you review one of the greatest games of all time?

Elden Ring is one of those games that needs no introduction. Launched in 2022, the difficult fantasy RPG rapidly skyrocketed into the year’s top spot. Then, it got even better with 2024’s Shadow of the Erdtree, a sizable DLC that packed in a new map with new challenges. Now, I’ve reviewed both and found them well worth the price of admission. So, what else is there to say?

Well, late last month, Elden Ring launched its much-awaited port for the Switch 2 through a Tarnished Edition, a bundle that conveniently pairs the base game with the DLC in one package. In an instant, there are now two new things to talk about: How well does the game perform on a Switch 2? What does the Tarnished Edition add?

Is Elden Ring worth getting for the Switch 2?

Compared to the original Switch, the second Switch features a way better processor. Games aren’t locked to the limitations of yesteryear: 720p resolution, 30fps. However, the Switch 2 still isn’t the best console for chasing performance. Personally, I’ve been using it almost exclusively for first-party Nintendo games and older (and smaller) titles.

That said, Nintendo has grandiose dreams for its latest console. Starting with Cyberpunk 2077, the console wants to be a home for modern games, too, and Elden Ring is the perfect candidate for that.

Naturally, a Switch 2 port can fill fans with consternation especially after they’ve experienced the legendary game on more powerful consoles. Is the Switch 2 a good match?

Yes, if you don’t mind playing at 30fps. Unfortunately, Elden Ring is locked to only 30fps on the console. Though a good chunk of the population is clearly fine with the framerate, it’s a bit of a struggle for me especially in handheld mode.

Maybe it’s my aging eyes, but having a game so close to my face but locked at 30fps doesn’t make for a good time. I got dizzy pretty quickly. It also didn’t help that the handheld mode had several stutters.

As with other games on the platform, docked mode had significant improvements. Sure, it’s still locked at 30fps, but a consistent framerate is much better than a stuttering one. Despite the downgrade, the Switch 2 can handle the game well.

Is the Tarnished Edition worth getting?

Most FromSoftware games will get a complete edition eventually. All of the Dark Souls titles got one, and Elden Ring is no exception.

The biggest difference here is that the Tarnished Edition is technically exclusive to the Switch 2. It’s the only package available for the console. It includes the base game, the expansion pack, two new starting classes, new skins for Torrent, and new armors. It’s the most comprehensive way to play the entirety of Elden Ring, excepting Nightreign.

If you’re on another platform, the Tarnished Edition updates — the new classes, skins, and armors — are available only through a Tarnished Pack purchased separately. Is it worth the price?

The most exciting part of the update is the addition of two new classes: Heavy Knight and Idus Knight. For me, I prefer the Heavy Knight, a hardy class focused on heavy armor, endurance, and strength. It’s a very straightforward class for those who prefer direct damage. Idus Knight, on the other hand, focuses on dexterity and faith, if you prefer playing with quicker attacks and miracles.

The rest, in my opinion, is just cherry on top. The new armor and customization options are nice to have, but I don’t have a strong feeling that it’s worth the price of an extra DLC.

Is Elden Ring Tarnished Edition your PlayMatch?

As I said, it’s hard to review the special edition or a port of a universally acclaimed game. Focusing on the minutiae of performance and slight upgrades doesn’t feel like it does Elden Ring justice. The game earned 2022’s Game of the Year for a reason.

That said, I can’t recommend Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree enough. If you haven’t played it yet and only have a Switch 2, the Tarnished Edition gets a Swipe Right and a Super Swipe.

However, if you’ve already finished the game and have no intention of playing it elsewhere (especially on a potentially weaker platform), this gets a Swipe Left. You can shell out a few bucks for the Tarnished Pack, though, if you really want to support the game.

Gaming

The original PlayStation gets the LEGO treatment

The original PlayStation is now a LEGO set.

Published

September 4, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Remember the original PlayStation? The gray box that introduced an entire generation to 3D gaming is now getting rebuilt — one LEGO brick at a time.

LEGO and PlayStation have revealed the LEGO PlayStation, a 1,911-piece set that recreates the original console and its controller in near 1:1 scale.

The set celebrates more than 30 years of PlayStation history. Once built, the console measures over 6cm high, 26cm wide, and 19cm deep.

It isn’t just a static display piece, either. You can press the Power and Open buttons, while the included original-style controller can plug into the front of the console.

And if that wasn’t nostalgic enough, there’s more hiding inside.

There are two games inside

Opening the LEGO PlayStation reveals two miniature dioramas inspired by classic games from the original PlayStation era.

The first pays tribute to Gran Turismo, which debuted on PlayStation in 1997. It recreates a miniature racing scene with tiny cars and customizable elements.

The second takes inspiration from Ape Escape, which launched in 1999. Its island-themed diorama includes the game’s iconic monkey helmet, complete with a swappable blue or red light.

Both dioramas can be removed from the console and displayed separately.

LEGO also opted for the original PlayStation controller instead of the later DualShock. That makes sense for a set centered on the hardware that launched the PlayStation brand in 1994.

Coming this October

The LEGO PlayStation carries product number 72306 and is designed for builders aged 18 and up.

LEGO Insiders get early access starting October 1, 2026. Everyone else can pick it up beginning October 4 through LEGO.com, LEGO Stores, and select retailers.

The set costs $179.99 in the US, €159.99 in Europe, and £139.99 in the UK.

PlayStation will also sell it through PlayStation Direct starting October 1 in select markets, including the US, UK, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

At nearly 1:1 scale, with working buttons, a plug-in controller, and two games hiding inside, the LEGO PlayStation is more than another piece of gaming memorabilia.

It’s basically a tiny reminder of where PlayStation started — just don’t expect it to play your old discs.

Gaming

NBA 2K’s MyCAREER needs to play the long game

The next level of NBA 2K27’s MyCAREER?

Published

September 4, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Six or seven hours into NBA 2K27’s MyCAREER, I found myself thinking about what happens next.

Not just the next chapter of Fire & Concrete. I mean what happens after I make it to the NBA. What kind of career can my player actually have?

That question kept getting louder the more I played.

NBA 2K has spent years refining the fantasy of building your own player. We’ve had different stories, progression systems, and ways to get into the league. Now, MyCAREER Eras lets us drop that player into some of the most iconic periods in NBA history.

But I think there’s a bigger idea hiding in there.

What if MyCAREER actually let me live a career?

I don’t mean making the mode longer for the sake of it. Give the basketball enough room to tell the story.

I don’t want less basketball. I want the basketball itself to become the RPG.

Fire & Concrete has a good foundation

I’m still making my way through Fire & Concrete, but the fact that I was itching to get back to it tells me something.

It’s nothing too new or major, but it’s engaging enough. There’s more basketball this time, too. For the most part, you’re watching cutscenes or playing basketball.

I get why 2K has gone in that direction. Most NBA 2K players probably want to spend more time hooping than walking around doing side activities.

Still, there is room for more.

I’d love for the story to stretch into the NBA portion of MyCAREER instead of ending once you make it there. Give me choices that actually shape my career.

Even the little things could use more personality. I miss the days of Freq and Prez. Calling everyone MP for years just doesn’t have the same personality.

Give me less SGA and more Great Barrier Thief.

Let me earn my way into the NBA

The Draft could also be a much bigger part of the fantasy.

I haven’t reached it in my own playthrough yet, but I’ve seen that you can choose where you play anyway. That’s convenient, but I’d rather have more of a process.

Give me target teams. Let teams express interest. Put me through workouts and interviews, then let my performances influence where I land.

Maybe I dominate a workout and move up a team’s board. Maybe I struggle and fall to the second round. And maybe I don’t get drafted and have to fight through the G League.

Multiple paths would make each MyCAREER feel different.

More importantly, my path to the NBA should affect the career that follows.

Make the basketball part of the RPG

I don’t want NBA 2K to become a giant RPG where I’m spending hours managing menus and relationships instead of playing basketball.

The basketball itself should be the RPG.

Start me somewhere. Maybe I’m a fringe rotation player or a second-round pick. Perhaps I’m a highly touted lottery selection.

Then let me play my way forward.

Year one could be about earning a rotation spot. Year two might mean becoming a starter. By year three, perhaps I’m an All-Star. Later seasons can bring bigger expectations, roster changes, injuries, championships, and the question of what kind of player I want to become.

That’s progression that means something beyond XP and VC.

Running Mate shows the potential

The Running Mate system gave me a glimpse of what this could look like.

At first, I found the objectives with Trace Miller annoying. Then I realized they were forcing me to be more deliberate and play better team basketball.

That’s a pretty neat tutorial for someone like me, especially since I built an Athletic Iso Savant who would rather create his own shot.

The co-op MyCAREER concept points in the same direction. I didn’t get enough time with a second player to properly judge it, but even the early objectives made me think about being a better teammate.

Imagine if those relationships evolved over several seasons. Your Running Mate could become a lifelong teammate, get traded, or force you to adjust your game as the roster changes.

The career itself can create the drama.

Let the progression breathe

The starting rating of 60 is rough. If you don’t want to spend extra, you can grind activities like Casual Corner to reach the 73–75 range, where your player starts feeling like an actual NBA prospect.

But I’m not convinced the answer is simply starting everyone higher.

A 60 rating can make sense. The bigger issue is balancing progression for different kinds of players.

Some people have time to grind every game. Others don’t. Some will spend to speed things up. Others won’t.

NBA 2K27 already has Key Games, which lets you move through a season faster. The tradeoff is slower progression if you only play those.

I think that can work.

Want to become a Rookie MVP? Put in the work. Play more games. Perform better.

Want a more realistic career? Take your time and build your role naturally over several seasons.

That’s where MyCAREER Eras could really shine.

MyCAREER Eras is the Hail Mary

Introducing MyCAREER Eras showed me a potential time-travel, player-locked sandbox that’s waiting to be expanded upon.

I look at those historical eras and immediately think:

How else am I gonna help Allen Iverson get a ring?

That’s the kind of fantasy I want from NBA 2K.

The problem is that I can’t simply take my leveled-up build and jump into another era without having to level that build again through grinding or buying VC.

That’s the part that really rubbed me the wrong way.

If MyCAREER Eras is supposed to be an offline historical sandbox, it feels like the perfect place to take some of the live-service friction away.

Let me pick an era. Let me pick a year. And then let me bring in my player at the rating I’ve already earned.

Then let me play.

The City can remain the online, competitive side of NBA 2K. That’s clearly what a lot of players want, and that’s fine. It’s just not really my thing.

Give me an offline MyCAREER Eras sandbox focused on playing basketball and building a career.

And make it long.

What if I could stay for five years?

This is probably the biggest change I’d want.

Let me play a full five-year NBA career with my player. Not because 2K needs to artificially stretch the mode, but because the career itself should evolve.

Maybe I start as a nobody and finish as a franchise player. Perhaps I get drafted by the wrong team and have to fight for a bigger role. Maybe I never become a superstar and instead become a sixth man who wins a championship.

Maybe I become D-Rose’s Running Mate to a championship or two.

That’s where the fantasy becomes personal.

My suggested tweaks still need work. I’m not pretending I’ve figured out the perfect version of MyCAREER.

But MyCAREER Eras showed me something bigger than the feature itself: 2K has the beginnings of a time-travel, player-locked sandbox just waiting to be expanded.