In 2012, Housemarque worked on the Angry Birds Trilogy compilation, the quintessential experience of throwing things at a wall and seeing which one will break it. In 2021, the studio developed Returnal, once again a quintessential experience of frustratingly throwing things at a wall. Now, in 2026, the studio is back with Saros, an experience with more of the same but with more flair and the accessibility to more easily break down those walls.

Turn back time over and over again

Like Returnal, Saros is a roguelike shooter. Players start every run from almost-scratch, earning Lucenite along the way. Upon death or winning the run, Arjun Devraj, the playable character, returns to the starting hub and spends his earned Lucenite to unlock meaningful (and permanent!) upgrades for the next run.

Along the way, Devraj finds an armory of available weapons and powerups that subsist through a single run, adding enough variability to ensure that no two runs are completely the same. Coupled with tangible upgrades, Saros creates an ever-changing experience but ensures that you feel stronger with every consecutive run.

It’s also a visually stunning game with designs that border on Lovecraftian. Enemies are so well designed that it’s impossible not to stop and stare at how detailed the monsters are.

A smoother, hypnotic fight

Saros plays like butter. Normally, shooters played on a controller are too finicky for me, but Saros just works. The game features a good number of auto-aiming weapons that help you focus on dodging projectiles. Even the native aim assist on non-automatic weapons is useful enough for making shots.

There’s also Power Weapons, or high-damage attacks that use consumable Power. There are a handful, and all of them are powerful enough to help win a difficult battle.

Fighting, then, is simply fluid. It didn’t take long for me to breeze through runs without focusing on muscle control. This makes for an easier game overall. Whereas Returnal has players beating their heads against the wall for hours, Saros is more accessible. It wants you to win. It wants you to get stronger.

As mentioned, each permanent upgrade is palpable. Devraj does get stronger. You can feel it when you rush past the starting area in no time. There are caps, but each cap is unlocked when you first beat a boss.

That said, the game still offers a challenge. Often, bosses take a few runs to master. Sometimes, you’ll get bodied by a surprise barrage from behind.

Variability that eventually runs out

The key to making a great roguelike rests on how different every run is. Some even have game-breaking combinations with ultra-rare pickups that wreck all of the game’s challenges.

At the start (especially before everything is unlocked), Saros does feature enough variability that invites you to discover everything that the game has to offer.

However, it does become clear that this variability has a limit. Once I had everything unlocked, I was defaulting to only a few combinations: a smart rifle (with auto-aim) with powerups that improve health and Lucenite drops. Plus, since I already had rerolls unlocked, I could just reset every drop until I got what I wanted. Experimentation doesn’t seem like a major draw for players; instead, it’s more about discovering the combination that works for you and grinding until you find it in every run.

Additionally, the map doesn’t really change. Though there are miniscule changes, none of which alters the experience that much. Each room features different terrain, but they’re all essentially identical to one another: fight the horde that spawns in and collect the reward afterwards.

Despite being treated as a major change to the map, even the self-imposed eclipse mode (from which the game derives its title) doesn’t add much besides the corruption status effect. At first, there’s a sense of dread going into the eclipse, as the game says that enemies are more powerful and unpredictable, but it will eventually teach you that eclipses are just part of the level design. There is zero tradeoff.

Every run has a lingering sense of sameness to it. This should be appealing to some, especially since it helps make the game more accessible. However, this approach will naturally run into a wall, particularly after you spend 2.5 hours on a run only to die on the final boss.

What story?

Saros is an exercise in Lovecraftian worldbuilding. Like all stories of the same bent, the game’s plot focuses more on the insanity of its world, rather than its characters.

The game does not say much about the story besides the bare brushstrokes. Devraj is part of the Echelon IV expedition to the planet of Carcosa. While his main mission is to find the past expeditions, he has a secret motivation to find Nitya, a member of Echelon III and his lover.

Similar to The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers, the game features allusions to madness because of “the Yellow”. Both previous expeditions and members of his own team succumb to the madness. However, the game never gives players enough time with any of these characters, so when they reveal themselves as victims of the same religious insanity, it’s never treated with the gravitas it deserves. People die, but you’ll barely miss them.

The same, unfortunately, goes for Devraj himself. Despite the world descending into cosmic horror around him, he stoically continues his mission to find Nitya. He doesn’t seem too affected by death. And, as such, he doesn’t really have a lot of qualities to latch on to, as a player who should be invested in the development of their playable character.

It’s atypical for a first-party PlayStation game to prioritize world-building over character writing. Most of the platform’s titles have incredibly memorable characters, but Saros just doesn’t. That said, the world-building is phenomenal; I just don’t want to spend hours reading through journal entries to find out what’s wrong with this world.

Is Saros your GameMatch?

If you found Returnal too difficult, Saros is a lot more approachable. It didn’t take me long to reach the game’s latter parts. If anything, the difficulty is finding two hours to go on an extended run. With the substantial progression system, it feels meaningful to restart and go again. Fans of roguelikes will easily Swipe Right on this game.

However, if you’re looking for a meaningful story to sink your teeth into, the game heavily prefers environmental storytelling. Prepare to spend hours just poring over lore. Even then, you won’t really get a sense of which characters to root for. For that, it’s a Swipe Left.

As a gamer, thin notebooks are difficult to love. Despite the loss of convenience, the thought of playing all my favorite games in one machine is still more tantalizing. However, with commute times getting longer by the day, it’s now impossible to ignore the importance of portability. Once again, with an ultrathin 1.1cm profile, the ASUS Zenbook S14 makes the perfect everyday commute buddy.

A laptop light enough to run with

The Zenbook S14 weighs only 1.2 kilograms. Just from handling it, you can tell that this weight (or lack thereof) makes so much of a difference. You can hardly tell that you’re holding a laptop. The Zenbook series has been known for ultrathin portability, so it’s no surprise that the new S14 has this down to perfection.

If that’s not enough, we put the laptop through a run test. That is, I tried running a 5K with the laptop on my back. It wasn’t a difficult time at all. In fact, I had to pack in more things inside my backpack just to make it feel more impactful.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter how heavy the backpack was. The Zenbook S14 barely contributes to your daily pack. If you had to face a long commute every day, this ultrathin laptop is a perfect match for you.

Ceraluminum: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

I’ve said this the last time I had my hands on a Zenbook. Ceraluminum remains one of the most consistently good features of the series. The matte texture once again adds a look that simply stands out.

Though the gray is similar to the shade common today, Ceraluminum feels pleasantly tactile and smooth to the touch. Plus, it’s also durable.

When I stuffed the notebook with an umbrella inside my pack, I intentionally left the notebook without a sleeve to see how the chassis would react with other things. Lo and behold, after running a few kilometers, the Zenbook S14 had no discernible scratches. Besides the portability, it’s a durable beast that fits in any pack.

Fourteen inches of fun

Normally, I prefer larger screens for my laptops. However, the Zenbook S14’s 14-inch 3K Lumina screen was more than enough for what I needed the laptop to be.

Color accuracy was almost spot-on but leaned a bit towards the vivid side. This wasn’t a huge problem for me, but it might be a consideration for those who need absolute accuracy.

Also, while I was doing my run, I did test the screen under the sunlight. In bright situations, the glare became a bit of an issue. The 1100 nits of peak HDR brightness overcame this, though.

The touchscreen capabilities is another useful tool. I don’t usually need touchscreens on laptops, but it’s still useful to have. The experience was smooth and responsive. It was particularly useful for small games like Balatro.

A machine good enough for most things

The Zenbook S14 is no slouch. Under the hood, the notebook touts an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H. For a work device, this seems like overkill. Do you really need a robust processor to get through your workday?

Well, it’s a matter of not knowing what you’ve got until it’s there. This powerful chipset is a godsend for multitasking.

Personally, I prefer working with a lot of windows up at the same time: a word processor, a bunch of tabs for research, another bunch for music or videos, and the usual slew of chatting apps. Despite having so many things up at once, the laptop never seemed like it was struggling to keep up.

The performance is beefed up with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage. It’s smooth for everyday use and can last for a long time without needing a cleanup.

That said, the chipset is not enough for gaming, especially for power-hungry games like Call of Duty. However, it’s just enough for lighter fare like Balatro. It’s no great loss, though. Rather, it’s an assurance that you can leave the heavy gaming rig at home but still have a decent machine for quick fixes.

Also, if you’re coming from the previous model, this new version doesn’t really offer much in terms of upgrades. This doesn’t take away from the current model’s capabilities as its own device, but it’s a consideration if you already own the previous model.

The battery life to keep you going

For such a light laptop, the Zenbook S14 still touts a sizable 77Whr battery. ASUS claims that a full charge can last up to 27 hours. On paper, that’s enough to last two working days with some change.

From personal experience, the notebook does last a good amount of time. As I mentioned above, I usually work with several windows up at the same time. Of course, that means more of a load on the battery. When I worked in a café for an entire afternoon, the laptop lasted handily.

While I’m confident that the battery can last from morning to evening based on my experience, I’d still take a charger with me because of the heavy nature of my work. That said, if you’re more used to normal office work, this notebook can get you through the day with no issues.

If you do need a charger, the package comes with a compact brick that barely makes any dent on your kit’s total weight. It’s also rated for 68W wired charging, which can fill the battery up from empty in just around 90 minutes.

Is the ASUS Zenbook S14 your GadgetMatch?

Alas, here’s the rub: The Zenbook S14 isn’t friendly on your wallet. The notebook costs PhP 129,995. For what the notebook is, the price tag feels a bit too much. At that price, you might want to get a hardier device with more robust specs.

Swipe Left if you prefer a daily notebook with top-of-the-line specs, or if you’re a gamer looking for a platform to play on.

However, if you’re looking for the ultimate portable buddy for your daily kit, the Zenbook S14’s impressive weight and profile makes this a Swipe Right.

The HONOR 600 is one of many midrangers in 2026 taking a bite out of Apple.

A lot of them share a silhouette and general look that evoke the iPhone 17 series. That much is obvious at a glance.

That aside, the HONOR 600 also feels like a “mini me” of its flagship sibling — particularly the Magic series — because of familiar button placements and MagicOS 10.

It’s the kind of familiarity that doesn’t feel lazy. It feels intentional — like HONOR knows exactly what parts of the experience are worth keeping consistent across devices.

I personally am already quite familiar with the “magic” of MagicOS, so there was little friction for me here.

One thing I appreciate: the convenience of letting the OS group your installed apps for you. It’s a godsend for someone like me who has to deal with multiple phones at any given time.

I suppose that can be helpful too for people who can’t immediately allot time to set up their phone. Although, I’d still say carve out time to do this. I digress.

Familiar, but comfortably so

The HONOR 600 doesn’t try too hard to reinvent things.

Instead, it leans into what already works — both visually and functionally. That familiarity makes it easy to pick up and settle into, whether you’ve used an HONOR device before or not.

It’s the kind of phone that doesn’t demand your attention. It just fits into your routine.

Cameras that hold their own (and then some)

Like most base midrangers, the HONOR 600’s shooters are a step or two above “serviceable.”

In fact, I’d call it pretty darn good overall — especially if you stick to its zoom capabilities, limited as they may be to my liking.

I was pleasantly surprised with how it performed when I brought it to a late night bar gig. Unstable lights. Lots of movement. Generally low light sources.

Still, it captured decent stills of the stage and our food.

The video did pretty alright too. I managed to capture snippets of performances — the kind of moments I wouldn’t usually trust to a midranger — and walked away with clips that were usable.

They’re not sharpest out there, but these clips aren’t terrible for a base model midranger. There’s also the issue of the platform reducing the quality upon upload so there’s that.

@rodneil Piece of This by P.O.T #PieceOfThis #POT #OPM ♬ original sound – Rodneil

Of course, it helped that we were seated pretty close to the stage, so the 4X max optical zoom for photos and 2X max optical zoom for videos worked out just fine.

@rodneil Fallen On Deaf Ears by #Urbandub ♬ original sound – Rodneil

Also quite happy that it has HONOR’s Classic, Vibrant, and Authentic shooting presets.

I’m particularly fond of the Authentic preset.

Took it to pizza with the boys.

Snapped a few snaps during late lunches in Kuala Lumpur.

These are the kinds of moments most people actually use their phones for — not staged shots, not perfect lighting. Just real life. And in those situations, the HONOR 600 holds up.

I’m fairly confident that anyone buying this will be relatively satisfied with the cameras in most scenarios — except those that require zoom, which doesn’t seem to come up for most people anyway.

Although I did experience a bit of lag when shooting. Nothing dealbreaking. Just something to watch out for.

AI experiments, for better or for later

The HONOR 600 also comes with AI Image to Video 2.0 — one of its headline features.

I’ll be honest. I didn’t feel compelled to play with it. My feelings towards AI remain… complicated.

At the risk of sounding hypocritical, I had some fun with the first iteration before — adding motion to my “harem of married men” in the Philippine tech media landscape — and I’ve seen others create everything from heartfelt clips to genuinely funny ones.

So, I get the appeal.

I had a bit of fun with it again with this “Henshin” clip.

@rodneil“Henshin” HONOR 600 AI Image to Video 2.0 test. @honorglobal♬ original sound – Rodneil

It still leans in the “AI Slop” category for me. That’s why despite the “fun”, part of me still feels a bit apprehensive using it.

That said, I can commend HONOR here.

The Number Series feels like the place where they experiment a bit — where they play around with new features like this — while still making the device competitive in the midrange category.

The continuity, and the intention to build on good things, is nothing to scoff at. It feels like a nice progression.

Now Playing: Hayley Williams, Perfect Crown, and LE SSERAFIM

My Reels and TikTok feeds have been pleasantly bombarded with fancams of Hayley Williams on tour. That’s why the song I’ve had on repeat lately is “Good Ol’ Days” by Miss Paramore herself.

Audio was a pleasant surprise. The HONOR 600 produces more full and rounded sounds than a base model flagship smartphone I used a few months ago.

On the display side, it holds up just as well.

 

I’ve been watching Perfect Crown on Disney+ — a refreshing little romcom with sprinkles of familial trauma and political intrigue — and the phone shows off its colors properly.

Same goes for LE SSERAFIM’s “PUREFLOW” trailer, which honestly feels like a short film in itself. The color, the sound — everything looked and sounded fantastic on the HONOR 600.

I have to admit I didn’t play much on the phone.

I downloaded one of those Yu Yu Hakusho games that’s been all over my algorithm. Turns out it’s an auto-battler at first. Not really for me.

The phone ran it with no problems at all.

Battery that keeps up with your pace

I never pushed the HONOR 600 to the extreme. Just regular daily use. And in that scenario, I never felt any urge to plug in in the middle of the day.

I was just in my usual flow — using the phone as I would any other — and then charging it when I got home.

I didn’t exactly monitor the charging speeds either. It just always felt pretty quick. About two to three 10-minute YouTube videos quick.

Price and availability

The HONOR 600 is positioned squarely in that “accessible flagship” or upper midranger space — and the pricing reflects that.

In Malaysia, the HONOR 600 (12GB + 512GB) is priced at RM2,599.

Pre-orders run until April 29, 2026. During this period, buyers get a RM200 instant rebate along with a free HONOR CHOICE Watch 2 Epic and added protection bundles including extended warranty and damage protection.

General availability begins April 30, 2026 via HONOR Experience Stores, official online platforms, and authorized retailers nationwide.

What’s interesting is how this pricing translates globally.

In Europe, the HONOR 600 starts at €649.9 for the 256GB model and €699.9 for the 512GB variant. With launch coupons applied, both effectively drop to €499.9, bundled with 12 months of screen insurance.

Meanwhile, the HONOR 600 Pro (512GB) is priced at €999.9, with a €200 coupon bringing it down to €799.9. Early buyers also get bundled freebies, including a tablet or projector, plus headphones for select orders, alongside the same 12-month screen protection.

In the UK, the HONOR 600 Pro (512GB) is priced at £899.99, while the HONOR 600 comes in at £549.99 for 256GB and £599.99 for 512GB. A Lite variant is also available at £369.99.

Taken together, the HONOR 600 lands right where it needs to.

Aggressive enough to compete, but still positioned as a step below full flagship — reinforcing its role as a capable, everyday companion with a taste of more.

Specs at a glance

• 6.57-inch AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, up to 8000 nits peak brightness
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4
• Up to 12GB RAM, up to 512GB storage
• 200MP main camera + 12MP ultrawide
• 50MP front camera
• 6400mAh battery
• 80W wired charging, reverse charging support
• MagicOS 10 (Android 16)
• IP68/IP69/IP69K water and dust resistance

Is the HONOR 600 your GadgetMatch?

Midrangers these days often give you a taste of flagship things. The HONOR 600 is exactly that.

If you find yourself wanting more, then you step up.

If funds are still an issue, at least you know you’re getting a competent companion until you’re ready to level up.

It’s not trying to be everything. It’s trying to be just enough — while showing you what more could look like.

Because of that, the HONOR 600 is an easy Swipe Right.