My husband and I made reasonable salaries living in NYC but weren't happy about retirement.When we started looking abroad, we realized our money would go a lot farther.We moved to Mexico in 2020 into our dream house and now feel far more secure about retirement.I used to dread retirement calculators. It was possible to get the numbers to come out OK if my husband and I blurred our vision a little, were optimistic about our return on investments, and figured out how to save at least somewhat more each year.However, if there was an expensive, unexpected setback and the older I get, the more I realize that you have to expectunexpected financial blows the numbers would no longer add up.But there was a way, potentially, to reset the numbers, and that was to retire abroad.After looking at multiple countries outside the US, we settled on MexicoWe started looking at options, investigating residency requirements, the cost of real estate, and the availability and cost of medical care.We eventually settled on Mexico, a country that's long been a favorite of American retirees where an estimated 1.6 million already live.Based on our calculations, our money could last longer in Mexico than in some other countries we were considering, such as Spain and Canada.Plus, it was closer to the US, which was important to both of us, as we have parents in California and Florida who we want to check in on regularly.After a trip to Mrida in 2018, the capital of the state of Yucatn in southeastern Mexico, we realized the housing expenses there would significantly improve our financial situation.We had been looking at small apartments in Bushwick, Brooklyn, for about $600,000. But we could easily afford a nice house with a pool and several bedrooms in Mrida, which were going for $250,000 to $300,000 at the time.It was too good to pass up. We decided then to move from the United States to Mexico.We moved to Mexico ahead of retirement so we could enjoy it moreWe moved to Mexico before retiring because we thought the transition to retirement in another country would be easier if we had already lived there.We figured that if we moved abroad in our 50s, we'd have time to explore our new home and feel settled rather than trying to uproot ourselves in our 60s.I was also aware of my parents' path. They, too, had considered retiring in Mexico but waited too long until the upheaval of moving abroad late in life became too formidable.We bought an abandoned house for $50,000 and made it our dream home My husband (left) and I (right) live in our dream home in Mexico, which we bought for a fraction of what it would have cost to buy in NYC. Fabian Martinezv We found a house that had been abandoned, though was still in relatively good condition, in Mrida's historic center and purchased it for one million pesos, roughly $50,000, in 2019.We then found a contractor who gutted it and built a new addition based on designs my husband, Marc Perrotta, drew up.Ultimately, the renovations cost $220,000 and took a year to complete.During the first six months, we stayed in NYC, keeping updated with the contractor over regular Zoom calls. For the last six months, we moved into a rental in Mrida, which allowed us to visit the site regularly.Our patience was rewarded because, in the end, we now have our dream house.We make less money in Mexico, but our cost of living is lowerOur combined income is less than it was when we were living in New York. But the drop in our cost of living more than compensates for our lower income.For example, health insurance is significantly lower here. For 2024, we paid $2,221 for an insurance policy that covered both of us for the entire year. Back in NYC in 2020, I was paying $543 a month for a less extensive, very basic Oscar plan and it only covered me.Our taxes are also much less, in part thanks to the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, which states that as long as you don't spend more than 35 days in the US, you don't need to pay income tax on the first roughly $120,000 you earn while working in Mexico. We're also lucky enough not to have a mortgage and paid $125 in real estate tax bills this year.Daily expenses, like food and gasoline, are also lower than in NYC, though not by as much as housing and healthcare.The future is still uncertain, but we feel more secure nowLooking ahead we have some concerns, though none that feel overwhelming.On the downside, Mexico has fewer assisted-living facilities than the US. On the plus side, the cost of hiring home care is lower and should be accessible if needed.While we're not Medicare age yet, we're concerned about navigating the challenges that other expats discuss on Facebook pages and what we'll do when the time comes in a decade. But the Medicare landscape may look very different by then, so we're just keeping an eye on it, for now.In the end, we have a house paid for in full and as long as Social Security still exists in ten years, we should be able to live off of those payments, something that is difficult to do for many Americans.We'll be able to reserve our modest nest egg for emergencies and the occasional frivolous expenditure. And now, looking at a retirement calculator no longer sends me into a panic.

FDA v. Wages and White Lion Investments, which the Supreme Court will hear on the first Monday in December, is a significant case in its own right. It involves the Food and Drug Administrations long-delayed attempt to regulate flavored nicotine vapes and to prevent children from becoming addicted to nicotine because they are enticed by vapes with fruit or candy flavors.But the case is also significant for another reason. Seven federal appeals courts unanimously rejected legal challenges to the FDAs decision not to authorize certain flavored vapes and e-cigarettes. Only one outlier court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, took a position that is unusually favorable to tobacco companies, which led us to this Supreme Court case.The Fifth Circuit is the most right-wing appeals court in the federal system and is notorious for its contrarian decisions. Post 2024 election, it is a particularly important court to watch, as it is also considered a breeding ground for potential Trump nominees to the Supreme Court.One of its judges, Andrew Oldham, is the author of the Fifth Circuits decision in White Lion. Oldham is widely considered a strong contender for a Supreme Court nomination if an opening arises in the incoming Trump administration, especially if his former boss, Justice Samuel Alito, retires. In his White Lion opinion, Oldham claims that the FDA botched its decision to effectively pull several fruit- and candy-flavored nicotine vapes from the market, and must run through its decision process again. If it were to do so, the agency could reach a different result on flavored vapes: It will have new leadership in the Trump administration.There are two things to know about Oldhams opinion. One, it appears to have been written not just to sabotage the FDAs regulation of vaping but to drastically undercut the federal governments ability to perform all sorts of routine and uncontroversial actions. If the Supreme Court accepted his arguments, theyd greatly undermine the federal governments ability to regulate businesses and communicate with the public.Two, Oldhams opinion is very sloppy: It takes significant liberties with the law and is riddled with very basic factual errors. In fact, shortly after it was handed down, one of the tobacco companies that prevailed in Oldhams court filed a brief motion pointing out one of these factual errors and asking the court to amend, modify, or otherwise clarify Oldhams opinion to remove this misstatement of fact (the court refused to do so).Related:The Trumpiest court in AmericaAll of that means White Lion is significant for three reasons. It is likely to reveal whether the Supreme Court will allow judges to sabotage attempts to regulate tobacco that are authorized by federal law. It shines a light on a prominent Trump judge who may soon become one of the most powerful people in the United States. And it places the justices in the awkward position of reviewing some truly shoddy work by someone who could soon become one of their colleagues.Though the Supreme Court is very conservative, with a 6-3 Republican supermajority, it is likely that even this Court will reverse Oldhams White Lion decision. Neither the Fifth Circuit, nor Oldham in particular, have a particularly strong record when their decisions are reviewed by the Supreme Court. Additionally, seven federal appeals courts other than the Fifth Circuit have considered the same legal question presented in White Lion, and every single judge that heard those cases rejected Oldhams reasoning.Still, its important to remember that this is the same Supreme Court that recently held that Trump is allowed to use the powers of the presidency to commit crimes, so theres no guarantee that a majority of the justices will follow existing law in White Lion, no matter how clear that law may be.So what are the rules governing flavored vapes?White Lion arises out of the FDAs effort to rein in youth vaping long after, as Trumps own FDA commissioner said in 2019, the US saw an epidemic-level rise in youth e-cigarette use. Congress did not pass a law permitting the FDA to regulate tobacco until 2009, and the FDA didnt finalize its regulations allowing it to regulate vapes until 2016. Those regulations, moreover, only gradually rolled out enforcement of the new restrictions on vapes, and litigation delayed matters even further. In the end, companies that wished to sell vaping products were required to seek FDA approval of those products by September 9, 2020, or else those products were to be removed from the market. Companies that met this application deadline were given an additional grace period when they could still market their product in the US while the FDA considered their application.The result is that flavored vapes are now everywhere, and the FDA is stuck playing catch up. The White Lion case involves the FDAs decision not to allow two companies to sell vapes with flavors that seem designed to appeal to children and teens, such as Chewy Clouds Sour Grape, Killer Kustard, and Suicide Bunny Mothers Milk and Cookies. Despite the laws slow rollout, it imposes strict regulations on new tobacco products, which it defines as any such product that was not commercially marketed in the United States as of February 15, 2007, or any modification to a tobacco product marketed after this date. Flavored vapes count as such a new product.Under the law, the FDA shall deny an application seeking to market such a product unless it determines that permitting a particular vape to remain on the market is appropriate for the protection of the public health. To make this determination, the FDA must weigh whether permitting a particular vaping device to be sold would cause more existing smokers to stop using such products than it would cause those who do not use tobacco products to start using such products.Armed with this statutory mandate, the FDA has approved vaping products that it believes are likely to convert tobacco smokers into vapers, on the theory that vaping is less dangerous than smoking. But it has rejected products that it believes are likely to encourage people who do not currently use nicotine and especially children and teens who do not vape to take up the habit.Specifically, the FDA approved several vaping products that taste similar to cigarettes, believing that adult smokers may prefer these less-dangerous products over smoking. Most of the FDA-approved flavored vapes are tobacco flavored, but the FDA also recently approved a handful of menthol-flavored vapes as well (menthol is a common flavor in cigarettes).At the same time, the FDA has thus far rejected applications to market fruit-flavored, candy-flavored, or other sweet-tasting vapes, pointing to data showing that these products are especially likely to appeal to children and teens. All of this said, the FDA has not issued a blanket rule forbidding fruit-flavored vapes or approving tobacco-flavored ones. Instead, anyone who wishes to sell a vaping product in the United States must submit an individualized application to the FDA, which must lay out the evidence that their product is likely to convert adult smokers into vapers without encouraging new people to take up vaping. So it is at least theoretically possible that someone could develop a cherry-flavored vape that is unusually unattractive to teens and earn FDA approval.So how did Andy Oldham wind up getting involved?After the FDA started denying applications to sell flavored vapes, lawsuits abounded. For the moment, however, every single judge who does not sit in the Fifth Circuit rejected Oldhams arguments that the FDA broke the law when it denied these applications. (The one possible exception is the Eleventh Circuit, which ruled in favor of a vaping company in Bidi Vapor v. FDA (2022). Bidi Vapor, however, was a narrow opinion that turned on facts specific to that case.)Oldham and his court, meanwhile, claim to have found five separate legal flaws in the FDAs decision to reject flavored vapes that every other judge this issue came before missed.Oldham devotes the bulk of his opinion to a single argument: He claims that the FDA broke the law because it told vaping companies to submit one kind of evidence when they applied for FDA approval of their products, and then the FDA did a regulatory switcheroo and denied those applications for failing to present a different kind of evidence. However, in reaching this conclusion, Oldham misstates the law and makes factual errors that undermine the entire premise of his opinion.Oldhams primary argument, for example, is that the FDA engaged in a switcheroo because it previously told vaping companies that it does not expect that applicants will have to conduct long-term studies to support an application, then later decided to impose two requirementsrandomized controlled trials and longitudinal cohort studies. (A longitudinal cohort study is one that follows a large group of test subjects over a long time.)But this claim is obviously false. Heres what the FDA actually said when it denied the applications at issue in White Lion:In light of the known risks to youth of marketing flavored [vaping products], robust and reliable evidence is needed regarding the magnitude of the potential benefit to adult smokers. This evidence could have been provided using a randomized controlled trial and/or longitudinal cohort study that demonstrated the benefit of your flavored [vaping] products over an appropriate comparator tobacco-flavored [product]. Alternatively, FDA would consider other evidence but only if it reliably and robustly evaluated the impact of the new flavored vs. Tobacco-flavored products on adult smokers switching or cigarette reduction over time.The FDA, in other words, very clearly did not say that applicants must submit randomized controlled trials and longitudinal cohort studies, as Oldham claims. It said that applicants could have provided these kinds of studies. But the FDA also would consider other evidence.Elsewhere in his opinion, Oldham tries to impose a new legal obligation on federal agencies that would severely undermine their ability to function and communicate with the public.During the period between 2016, when the FDA issued its initial rule announcing that it would regulate vapes, and when the agency actually started to grant or deny applications to sell certain vaping products, the agency also released several nonbinding guidance documents. These documents provided vaping companies with some information on the agencys thinking on the product approval process, and offered them advice on how to assemble a successful application. These sorts of guidance documents do not have the force of law, but agencies of all kinds frequently release them to advise the public about the agencys internal thinking, and to help companies anticipate what sort of actions could get them in trouble with the federal government.Oldham claims that the vaping companies should prevail because these documents could be read in good faith to support those companies position, even though these documents are nonbinding and the agency itself rejects the companies interpretation of these documents. As Oldham writes, for FDA to prevail, not only must its understanding of the [guidance documents] be reasonable, but the manufacturers understanding of those [documents] also must be unreasonable.Oldham, in other words, would permit regulated businesses to comb through every nonbinding statement an agency has ever made, looking for phrases that could plausibly be interpreted to undermine the agency, and then insist that such a contested interpretation of a nonbinding document must bind the agency. As the Justice Department points out in its brief, Oldhams rule would create a perverse incentive for agencies that would hurt regulated businesses in the long run. Right now, agencies routinely release guidance documents in order to furnish private parties with useful advice about how the agency interprets the law and how it plans to exercise its discretion. But if those documents can be weaponized against the agency in the way Oldham suggests, that discourages agencies from providing guidance in the first placean outcome that, in the long run, harms rather than helps regulated parties.If you want to read a more comprehensive catalog of Oldhams many missteps, I encourage you to read the Justice Departments brief. It exposes an opinion riddled with errors of all kinds, many of which are obvious to anyone familiar with the facts of this case.The poorly reasoned White Lion opinion is typical of Oldhams workEveryone, including federal judges, has bad days at the office. So if White Lion were an isolated example of Oldham releasing a shoddy opinion, it could probably be overlooked. But White Lion is by no means an isolated case. It is, in fact, quite typical of Oldhams work.Shortly before the election, for example, Oldham handed down an opinion in Republican National Committee v. Wetzel, which claims that an 1872 law setting the date when federal elections take place forbids states from counting mailed ballots that arrive after Election Day and that somehow no one noticed this fact for the last 152 years.Ordinarily, after mentioning a judges opinion, I would attempt to summarize its reasoning, but it is hard to even say what Oldhams argument is. As I wrote shortly after the decision was handed down, he appears to have simply made up some of his conclusions and he cites no legal authority whatsoever to support key contentions.Or take Oldhams opinion in NetChoice v. Paxton (2022), where Oldham upheld a state law that would have placed the Texas government in charge of content moderation at the major social media outlets. This law is obviously unconstitutional the First Amendment does not permit the government to seize control of the medias editorial decisions and the Supreme Court rejected Oldhams approach in a 6-3 decision.Oldham also joined two opinions threatening the continued existence of two entire federal agencies, the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. If the Supreme Court had adopted Oldhams position in either case, it would have so severely disrupted the US housing market that it could have triggered the worst economic catastrophe since the Great Depression. Fortunately, the justices rejected Oldhams position in each case, and by a lopsided margin.At least on the surface, Oldham appears conventionally qualified for the Supreme Court. He graduated from Harvard Law School, clerked for Alito, and is a sitting US Court of Appeals judge. But his record on the bench reveals someone who is reckless with power, often not even really bothering to explain the reasoning behind his opinions. Nevertheless, by all outward signs, he is a strong contender for the high Court in the incoming Trump administration. Among other things, the Federalist Society, which played an enormous role in selecting Trumps judicial nominees during his first term, just made Oldham the opening speaker at its annual lawyers convention. Thats a plum speaking gig for any judge campaigning for higher office.If he does achieve such office, Oldhams uniquely careless approach to legal analysis could shape US law for a very long time. Oldham is in his mid-40s, so he could potentially serve on the Supreme Court for several decades if appointed.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk have become an inseparable duo. Since Trumps reelection, the richest man in the world and one of Trumps top campaign donors has been a shadow trailing him at his Florida residence. The tech billionaire has taken center stage in the incoming administration, promising to slash $2 trillion from the federal governments budget.A whirlwind relationship developing between a politician in this case, the president-elect and a financial backer isnt unusual. What stands out is how much the donor himself is in the spotlight. Tim Walzs joke that Musk, not JD Vance, was Trumps running mate, rings more true every day. Weve never really seen anyone be that directly connected with a campaign unless they were the candidate, says Jason Seawright, a political science professor at Northwestern University and co-author of Billionaires and Stealth Politics. It makes Musk an oddity among his billionaire class, who almost always use their influence quietly. Hes showing other members of the ultra-wealthy a bold alternative to stealth politics, urged on by a president-elect who has embraced giving billionaires a seat at the table. A private citizen can grab power in full view of the public as long as theyre rich enough, and have enough fans.We are in an era that I call in-your-face oligarchy, says Jeffrey A. Winters, a professor at Northwestern who researches oligarchs and inequality. Twenty years ago, it was a challenge to get his students to understand that there were oligarchs in the US. Now, he says, I have a very hard time getting students to accept the idea that theres democracy.Buying political power is nothing new but Musks brazenness is differentAmerican politics has always been dominated by its most well-heeled citizens, whether by holding office themselves, using their money to get their preferred candidates into office, or helping shape policies. Benefactors are often well-rewarded with access to the levers of government, whether its receiving a cushy ambassadorship or even cabinet position, getting generous government contracts, acting as informal advisers, steering controversial foreign policy decisions, or taking on a more shadowy but no less influential role. While both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris enjoyed an abundance of ultra-rich supporters, just 10 billionaires gave 44 percent of all the money supporting Trump. Its part of why the word oligarchy is being thrown around, although not for the first time. Going back more than 2,000 years in history, oligarch has always referred to people who are empowered by tremendous wealth, explains Winters. Thats always a small part of the population, but theyre able to convert their wealth into political influence.Musk donated some $130 million to help elect Trump and other Republicans, and he doesnt have an official appointment in the Trump administration at this point instead, hell be leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE for short) alongside fellow billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy. The twin heads of the efficiency commission aim to chop at least $2 trillion in government waste such as the budgets of pesky regulatory agencies that slow down building and launching rockets. (Its worth noting that theres already an agency tasked with trying to ensure the federal government runs efficiently.) Barbara A. Perry, co-chair of the Presidential Oral History Program at the University of Virginias Miller Center, tells Vox that she cant think of another example in American history quite like Musk. It just seems that Musk is taking a much larger role than any other person who would have come close to playing his role, she says. Musk doesnt have previous experience in a similar political appointment, nor is he stepping down from any of his companies despite potentially wielding a lot of sway over agencies that regulate his firms.Back in 2016, the big Trump donor drawing scrutiny was hedge fund manager Robert Mercer. The Mercer family gave over $15 million to support Trumps run, and their considerable investment in the right-wing news site Breitbart was influential in promoting Trumps presidential candidacy. The parallels to Musk are striking, given his ownership of social media site X and the role it played in spreading right-wing conspiracies and misinformation to voters, as well as the owners explicit Trump endorsements.But Mercers contributions came behind the scenes. Hes hardly ever given interviews, and little is known about his personal life. Thats the case for the vast majority of wealthy donors its Elon Musk, posting incessantly on X about how he sees the world, whos the outlier.Musk could be a sign of how billionaire political strategy is changingIn Billionaires and Stealth Politics, published in 2018 in the aftermath of the first Trump election, Seawright and fellow Northwestern researchers Matthew J. Lacombe and Benjamin I. Page studied how this tiny subset of the super-rich engaged in political activity. What they found is that while most never speak publicly about their views, conservative billionaires tended to spend more money while speaking less; liberal billionaires spent less, but they were more likely to speak up.Take Mark Cuban, who became one of the most visible billionaire boosters of Harris this year but made a point to say he didnt donate at all to her campaign. On the flip side, while Musk got all the attention as a Republican megadonor this cycle, the actual top donor was a man you might have never heard of: Timothy Mellon, a banking heir who the public knows little about. Stealth has pretty much been the modus operandi for as long as rich Americans have been putting their fingers on the scale of democracy until Musk came along. Musk isnt the only vocally partisan conservative billionaire donor today, though there are also figures like hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and crypto investors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss who have no qualms about sharing their politics online but he is the most emblematic of this shift. Musk isnt just Trumps financial backer and the media mogul behind an increasingly instrumental arm of right-wing messaging hes an influencer with a following that most politicians running for office probably wish they commanded. Corporate executives today are more than bosses. Theyre thought leaders who publish memoirs offering broad lessons on how to succeed in life and are often propped up as idols. Musk is the prime example. Though he has now lost some of his original admirers, his word is still gospel to a horde of mostly young men who think Musk will fight back against the liberal establishment. Its spurred on by an ecosystem of social media fan accounts circulating his wisest quotes, idyllic AI-generated images of him achieving fake heroic feats, and above all, by Musks own words as he holds forth on his personal X account. On X, Musk currently has over 200 million followers; at a Trump town hall that Musk hosted in October in Pennsylvania, it was clear that at least part of the crowd had come to get a glimpse of the famous billionaire.The nature of Musks public persona is important, too: Like Trump, he portrays himself as a populist who understands your frustrations. Musks acquisition of Twitter was framed as a remedy to fake news pushed by legacy media outlets, purporting to create a town square that boosts all voices. According to Musk, even the budget-cut ideas for DOGE will be crowdsourced (with the aid of volunteers willing to work 80-plus hours a week for free) and broadcast on X. The richest person in the world presents as a man of the people.Some might argue that Musk is no different than the kind of oligarch that we see in many other countries, says Benjamin Soskis, a historian and senior research associate at the Urban Institutes Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy. What I think is different about it is that Musk is doing this in the full glare of public regard, and with a kind of presumed democratic legitimacy to it.For his fans, in other words, Musks position as the incoming presidents right-hand man isnt the dirty maneuvering of a billionaire using money to access power. It reads almost as a philanthropic commitment and an example of do-gooding, says Soskis. (Musk has famously not been very philanthropic.) If the noblesse oblige of billionaires in the past manifested in founding libraries and hospitals, Musk shows it by claiming to be a voice for the people a megaphone for their anger and resentment.Related:Quitting ElonWhen asked why a billionaire like Musk might be so comfortable announcing their political worldview, Seawright offers one theory: Maybe there are thresholds of wealth where the consequences like public backlash or losing a few billion dollars just dont matter that much.If so, that has worrying implications for the trajectory of American society. Our billionaires are certainly enjoying never-before-seen heights of wealth. Teslas stock has soared since Election Day, with Musks personal net worth now hovering around $300 billion. But its worth noting that the birth of the centibillionaire is very recent; Musk, along with many other tech leaders, saw his fortune balloon during the pandemic. In 2019, he was worth a comparatively paltry $22 billion which is about half of what he paid to buy Twitter in 2022. Musk is unprecedented simply for the fact that there has never been a political donor, adviser, and celebrity all rolled into one with the gravitational pull of a $300 billion fortune. While wealth has always bought you access in America, Musk is one of the most unsubtle examples weve ever seen. And for all the worry one might feel upon witnessing him waltz into the White House, theres something instructive about it, too. It lays bare the mechanism of power in American democracy in the starkest terms.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

Metas latest virtual reality headset offers almost everything that makes its top model the best on the market but at a price that is far more palatable as an entry into VR.The Quest 3S costs 290 (330/$300/A$500) about 40% less than the 470 Quest 3 and cheaper than 2020s Quest 2 that it directly replaces.The new device is a halfway house between the Quest 2 and Quest 3. It takes the same top Qualcomm VR chip from the Quest 3 that dramatically improves performance and slots it into a body similar in design and operation to the Quest 2 to keep the cost down.The well-designed strap, arms that pivot and decently cushioned faceplate make it fairly easy to get a comfortable fit. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianAn easy-to-adjust strap fits across the back and top of your head while pivotable arms and a foam faceplate help make the Quest 3S one of the more comfortable headsets to wear for prolonged periods. Meta sells various additional straps and faceplates for those who want a different fit.The speakers in the arms are good enough for providing appropriate spatial audio for any experiences you might be in, though you can connect Bluetooth headphones or use a USB-C headphones adapter for wired listening.The screen and lenses are the same as the Quest 2 and provide a relatively sharp image to each eye at up to 120 frames a second, which keeps the action smooth, helping to keep disorientation and motion sickness at bay. But here is where Meta has cut corners to keep the price down; the Fresnel lenses have only three distance settings and are blurry if you look around the edges.The headset works with an excellent set of controllers, but can also track the movement of your hands for interacting controller-free. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianIt comes with two hand controllers that are some of the best in the business: light, comfortable, accurate and intuitive with capacitive buttons that can tell when your fingers are on them but not pressing them for hand gestures. They each take a single standard AA battery, for which I recommend buying rechargeables to save your wallet and the planet.A spacer for glasses is included and prescription lenses are available for 50.SpecificationsScreen: 120Hz LCD (1832x1920 per eye)Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2RAM: 8GBStorage: 128GB or 256GBOperating system: Horizon OS (Android)Connectivity: Wifi 6E, Bluetooth, USB-C with Oculus Link, stereo speakers, microphoneHeadset dimensions: 191.5 x 102 x 142.5mmHeadset weight: 514gController weight: 103g (without battery)Faster, smoother performanceA new cluster of cameras and sensors on the front and sides track the movement of the headset, your body, hands and the controllers, mapping out the real world as you move. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianThe Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip is about twice as fast as the previous version in the Quest 2, making everything that little bit smoother, more detailed and crisper. Apps load faster and the system is more responsive. The battery lasts about the same two hours of intensive play as the Quest 2 and 3, which is more than enough for most.It can also be used plugged into a USB-C charger, while extra battery packs are available for those who want to play longer, but after two hours I was ready for a break. A full charge takes about 110 minutes.New colour cameras on the front of the headset enable much clearer pass-through vision that is night and day better than the Quest 2. It isnt quite as good as the Quest 3, but is more than good enough to see whats around you and use it as part of mixed reality experiences. In a pinch I can walk up and down stairs and just about read my phone with the headset on.SustainabilityBuilt-in speakers in the arms of the headset mean you dont need anything else to jump into an experience. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianMeta says the battery should last at least 500 full charge cycles, but it does not offer battery swap or repair services. It does offer out-of-warranty replacements, refurbishing and reselling of returned devices.The company sells various replacement parts and accessories including straps, face cushions, glasses spacers and individual controllers, but does not publish product environmental impact reports.Solid software with a great library of gamesYou can quickly switch between pass-through and immersive views, and use multiple windows at once. Composite: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianMetas Horizon OS software has come on in leaps and bounds in the last few years. It supports multitasking for up to three floating windows and more in a dock, instant switching between immersive and pass-through views, and great sensing of your environment, with virtual boundaries to stop you bashing into objects.You need a Meta account registered to an email address to use the Quest, but a Facebook, Instagram or other Meta social media account isnt required. Meta offers various parental control and supervision tools and will provide security updates until at least October 2029.The app store for the Quest is large, with games ranging in price from a few pounds to about 45, with plenty of quality to play across a wide range of genres including fitness and workout apps. Some of the biggest brands in games have titles on the Quest including Assassins Creed, Medal of Honor and Resident Evil, plus a solid stable of cross-platform games, such as Superhot VR, Red Matter 2 and Arizona Sunshine 2.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to TechScapeFree weekly newsletterA weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our livesPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionMany of the best are from Metas own publishing studios, including the extremely popular Beat Saber rhythm game, the critically acclaimed Asgards Wrath 2 role-playing game and the new Batman: Arkham Shadow, the latter of which comes bundled with the Quest 3S if bought before 30 April 2025.The headset has a button for switching between pass-through and immersive views next to the volume rocker. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianBut things are less rosy outside games. There are only a few streaming apps available for the headset, including YouTube and Amazon Prime Video. The rest rely on the browser, which has a new cinema mode that puts a big screen in your view; fine for streaming at home but no good for offline viewing while travelling. Unlike when playing games, here is where you can see the weakness of the display compared with the Quest 3 and premium rivals.The virtual screen just doesnt look as good as a TV or tablet, and Im not convinced people will want to spend hours in the headset watching a movie unless it provides a better experience than other devices. It is a similar story for browsing and using the few productivity apps available. The text isnt that sharp, particularly when you look to the sides of the screen.Having apps such as WhatsApp in the headset is handy for responding to messages while youre doing something else, but typing either with your fingers on the floating keyboard or the controllers is slow. Dictation and voice commands are available, but only in English in the US.Metas attempt to create a social experience, called Horizon Worlds, is also not very compelling. You can wander around cartoonish worlds, play simple games, watch events and hang out with friends in a virtual space. But Ready Player One it is not, and it would take a lot of convincing to get my friends to join me in a headset rather than play a multiplayer game or meet in real life.The Quest 3S can also be used when connected to a PC for games and apps, either wirelessly or wired, including with Steam VR, which opens up a larger world of PC VR gaming. But for those keen on going that far the Quest 3 is probably a better fit.PriceThe Meta Quest 3S costs from 289.99 (329.99/$299.99/A$499.99) with 128GB of storage.For comparison, the Meta Quest 3 costs 469.99, the Pico 4 costs 349, the Vive XR Elite costs 799 and the Apple Vision Pro costs 3,499.VerdictThe Quest 3S looks good and is easy to put on like a baseball cap. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianThe Quest 3s offers the best bang for your buck in virtual reality headsets. Its not the best Meta makes, but it combines the top VR chip from Qualcomm, access to a large library of games and some of the best controllers available in a comfortable all-in-one design.The colour pass-through camera makes for good mixed reality experiences, even if thats just finding the controllers in your real-life room. The battery lasts a solid two hours, which is about as long as youre likely to want to play before taking a break.Bundling the headset with the new Batman VR game means you have something compelling to play out of the box with plenty more in the Horizon store. Compatibility with PC VR also opens up a much larger library if you have a gaming PC available.The older generation lenses and screen do not make much of a difference compared with the higher-end Quest 3 and rivals for games. But they do for the less compelling productivity and media consumption uses.That makes the Quest 3S the headset to buy if you want to dip your toe into the waters of VR gaming or as gift. Just dont break it, as getting it repaired could be tricky.Pros: cheaper, good screen, top standalone VR chip, large library of games, great controllers and haptics, good colour pass-through, solid speakers and mics, standalone or PC VR, console-like simplicity.Cons: difficult to repair, screen and lenses not as good as Quest 3, not great for productivity use, tricky to use passwords from managers, no 3.5mm headphones socket, battery life could be longer.

There's something very strange about the reveal of FIFA Rivals, a new football game coming from FIFA itself - and fans have instantly picked up on it

Sony could be ramping up towards a new handheld console, 13 years after the launch of its last model, the PlayStation Vita, as it aims to contend with Nintendo's Switch

Conor McGregor dropped from video game effective immediately after court caseEmily BashforthPublished November 25, 2024 5:39pm Conor McGregor will no longer appear in the Hitman game franchise (Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)Conor McGregor has been axed from the popular video game franchise Hitman following his civil court case.The Irish mixed martial arts fighter appeared in court last week, where a woman named Nikita Hand, who accused him of raping her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018, won her claim against him for damages.After losing the case, independent game developer and publisher IO Interactive has announced that all content related to McGregor will be removed this week.In a post shared on X, Hitman officials said: In light of the recent court ruling regarding Conor McGregor, IO Interactive has made the decision to cease its collaboration with the athlete, effective immediately.We take this matter very seriously and cannot ignore its implications, added the Danish developers.Consequently, we will begin removing all content featuring Mr. McGregor from our storefronts starting today. IO Interactive released a statement (Picture: X)IO Interactive has already pulled the Disruptor DLC from sale at console stores and on the Epic Games Store.McGregors character was known as The Disruptor, and players had to slay him as part of the game.Users were challenged with finding unique ways to do so, but could also spend extra in-game cash to accessorise his avatar with the likes of a virtual fur coat that mimicked one hes famously worn over the years.It is currently unknown whether refunds will be available for those who have already made purchases.He first appeared inHitmanin June as part of an Elusive Target DLC mission. Nikita Hand won her civil case against McGregor in Dublin after accusing him of rape (Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire) Mixed martial arts fighter McGregor arrived with his partner Dee Devlin (Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)Then, on November 15, he returned to the franchise for a limited-time event that was due to run until December 8.After his court case loss, McGregor was ordered to pay at least 248,000 (206k) in damages, a verdict he has vowed to appeal.McGregordid not comment as he left the High Court, but later in a post on X, he said: I am with my family now, focused on my future. Thank you to all my support worldwide.In a further lengthy post this weekend, he added: We are not done yet. Not by a long shot. No chance. On we fight! Justice and truth will prevail! Appeal! Appeal! Appeal!More TrendingMeanwhile, Hand said she hoped her case would remind victims of assault to keep pushing forward for justice.I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be, speak up, you have a voice, and keep on fighting for justice, she said. He has vowed to appeal the verdict (Picture: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)She added that the legal battle is something that [shell] never forget for the rest of [her] life.Now that justice has been served, I can now try and move on and look forward to the future with my family and friends and daughter.Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Half-Life 3 rumours continue thanks to newest Valve dataminesMichael BeckwithPublished November 25, 2024 1:12pmUpdated November 25, 2024 1:12pm It was Half-Life 2s 20th anniversary recently and Valve didnt so much as tease a sequel (Valve)Yet another Half-Life 3 rumour is making waves amongst fans, but there remains no sign of any actual announcement.You can typically expect rumours of Half-Life 3s existence to crop up at least once a year, especially after the release of Half-Life: Alyx proved Valve hadnt completely forgotten or abandoned the series.However, things really ratcheted up this past August, thanks to a voice actors CV referencing a Project White Sands and datamined information from other Valve games that pointed towards real movement on a new game.While the 20th anniversary of Half-Life 2 came and went last week with no big announcements (besides some behind the scenes info on Valves plans for Half-Life 2: Episode Three), YouTuber Tyler McVicker has put out a new video with what he believes is further evidence of Half-Life 3s existence.McVicker has made frequent claims regarding Half-Life 3 in the past, such as a cancelled build of the game from 2015, but he was among the first to leak details on Valves upcoming multiplayer shooter Deadlock (or Citadel as it was originally known).According to McVicker, recent updates to Valves current titles Deadlock, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike 2 include details and files he is convinced are related to a new Half-Life game.These include systems that have been lifted from Half-Life 2 but have been slightly amended, such as types of sounds that non-player characters (like enemies) can react to.An entirely new shotgun sound was also found in Valves Source 2 engine, which McVicker theorises means Valve is running gun testing at a very low level.Perhaps the biggest discovery is that, in the latest Dota 2 update, datamining uncovered references to something called Arty. McVicker explains Arty was a cancelled project that would have allowed for procedural destruction.Given how many Arty files were found, McVicker calls it as close as you can get to source code without it being source code. He also feels confident that its being used for Half-Life 3 since there was some speculation that similar files found previously in the Source 2 engine would be used in Deadlock, but that wound up not being the case.Assuming McVicker is correct, Valve seems to be prioritising innovating Half-Life 3s gameplay over its graphics. Half-Life 2 already featured incredibly detailed physics, which were praised at the time, so itd make sense for Valve to focus on building upon that aspect for a sequel. Half-Life 2: Episode Two was not the end (Valve)Plus, Valve president Gabe Newell himself has admitted Half-Life 2: Episode Three didnt happen because he didnt think it was worth it unless they could come up with new gameplay features that could push things forward.With the datamined files pointing to enhanced interactivity between non-player characters and procedural destruction, McVicker suggests Half-Life 3 could have *immersive sim* elements (we hate that term but think games like Arkanes Dishonored and Deathloop).However, McVicker doesnt think this means Half-Life 3 will be a full immersive sim. He also doesnt think it will be open world, like some have speculated, and instead claims itll be more akin to Uncharted 4 (or indeed Half-Life 2), and feature linear levels with smaller open areas.More TrendingWhile theres no telling if or when Valve will lift the lid on any new Half-Life projects, it feels like the series is set to continue thanks to the success of Half-Life: Alyx.After its release, Valve designer Phil Co even expressed optimism for Half-Lifes future: This ice has been broken, now were hoping to smash through the ice completely. Were not afraid of Half-Life no more.The problem with Half-Life rumours is not that theyre not true McVicker is a reliable and conscientious source but that Valve constantly experiments with new ideas, starts a new project, and then abandons it after a few months or years.So while they may be making Half-Life 3 now, theres no guarantee they still will be by next year before they then get a new idea and begin an entirely new experiment. Maybe one day Valve will actually finish and realise a new game but its been 20 years so far and they still havent got there yet. Any Half-Life 3 probably wouldnt be in VR, but we wouldnt say no to another Half-Life: Alyx (Valve)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

While Black Friday isnt officially here until next weekend, Amazon has decided to publish a whole bunch of deals labeled Black Friday way ahead of schedule. Tons of home goods, appliances, electronics, and gadgets are are seeing huge discounts, with some particularly good options for PC parts. If youre looking to get your holiday shopping done ahead of time for the gamer in your life or if youre just trying to treat yourself to some new parts for your PC gamin rigweve got you covered. The Samsung 990 Pro SSD heavily discounted at the moment over at Amazon. The savings range from 36% to 42% off depending on the exact version you get, be it 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB. It had been discounted last week but only around 30%. If you waited, youve been reward with a larger discount.See 1TB at AmazonSee 2TB at AmazonSee 4TB at AmazonDesigned for superior performance with fast speeds while maintaining power efficiency, the Samsung 990 Pro Gen 4 SSD has read speeds of up to 7,450 MB/s and write speeds of up to 6,900 MB/s so you can say goodbye to long load times in the games you play. This generation 4 SSD from Samsung will help you achieve this high performance while using less power overall. Compared to the 980 Pro, the 990 Pro is capable of up to 50% improved performance per watt. Great for not just gaming, but any intensive workflows like video editing, 3D modeling, or working with large datasets.PlayStation 5 Players, Listen UpStorage isnt just a hot commodity for PCs. Gaming consoles need the space too. The original PlayStation 5 comes with only 825 GB of internal storage. With the ballooning size of AAA games on the market, youll be lucky if you can have more than three games downloaded onto your system at a time.Good news, though. The PS5s storage can be expanded by installing a compatible M.2 solid state drive. The Samsung 990 is compatible, but with a catch. Youre going to want the heatsink option to prevent overheating. The heatsink also has futuristic RGB LED lights because of course it does. Right now, you can get the 1TB version of the 990 Pro with a heatsink for $120. The 2TB version goes for $180 while the 4TB version goes for $308.Thats just for the console players though. If you yourself or the loved one youre buying for is gaming on PC, then the non-heatsink version will work out just fine. Get the Samsung 990 Pro starting at $98 for the 1TB version ($62 off), $160 for the 2TB version ($90 off), or $270 for the 4TB version ($195 off)the best option is 4TB which is 42% off now.See 1TB at AmazonSee 2TB at AmazonSee 4TB at Amazon

Were still a full week out from Black Friday, but whats this? Amazon has published a ton of Black Friday deals seven days ahead of schedule. Anyone who was holding out for the big saving weekend, weve got good news. You can start your holiday shopping now and save as much as you would have next weekend. Lots of products across home goods and electronics are all seeing huge discounts. Take this Vitamix Propel 510 blender. Normally, youd see this going for a full $500. Right now, as part of the early Black Friday deals, its been discounted by 44%. That brings the price to just $280. Its a great time to upgrade your kitchen or gift it to a loved one.See at AmazonThe Vitamix Propel 510 blender has a container with a capacity of 48 ounces and is ideal for full size blends or individual servingswhichever the situation calls for. The blender has three different pre-set programs to work from. Smoothie for smoothies, Hot Soup for hot soup, and Frozen Dessert forand youre not going to believe thisfrozen dessert. Pretty crazy, right? Each program setting ensure ideal, consistent blending results. The Hot Soup function seems pretty nifty as it can make your soup steaming hot without a stove. The friction from the blades alone can bring the soup to serving temperature. Just pour right into your bowl when ready.Professional-GradeThe blender has 10 variable speeds which allow for either the smoothest of smoothies and pures or the heartiest of soups and chunky salsas. The Pulse feature layers coarse chops over smooth blends, great for chunky pasta sauces or soups. Get a professional-grade blend for the type of meal or drink youre preparing. The stainless steel blades are laser-cut and are guaranteed to deliver the same quality of blending from its first use to its last, as they are resistant to dulling or bending.Clean up is a breeze. Just add a drop of dish soap and some warm water. Let it run for about 30 to 60 seconds and watch it clean itself. If thats not enough, the container and its lid are both dishwasher safe so dont be afraid to toss them in there for a nice, thorough cleaning.The Vitamix Propel 510 blender is protected by a full manufacturers warranty, giving your coverage for the first five years of use.Right now, as part of Amazon early Black Friday deals, you can save a full $220 on the Vitamix Propel 510 blender. Thats down from $500 with a 44% discount. Get it today for just $280.See at Amazon