6.3/ 10 SCORE Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 $730 at Lenovo Pros Thin and light for 16-inch laptop All-metal design Good performance for the price Long battery life Cons Dim display Dismal audio output Mushy keyboard Slow USB ports Table of Contents The IdeaPad Slim 5i sits in the middle of Lenovo's IdeaPad lineup. It trades the plastic chassis you get with the budget IdeaPad Slim 3i series for an all-aluminum design, but one that lacks the rigidity and gently rounded edges of the high-end Slim 7i line. Decked out in a deep blue color, our IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 review unit boasts an upscale look, and it's surprisingly light for its size. It makes a good first impression, but the warm feelings I had initially for this thin-and-light midrange 16-inch laptop evaporated as soon as I powered it up.When I plugged in the IdeaPad Slim 5i and turned it on, I was greeted with a dim image on the 16-inch display. White backgrounds were a dull gray, and colors looked muted. Pushing the brightness to its max didn't do much to improve things. I also didn't like the keyboard feel, the placement of the touchpad or the speed of the USB ports. Lenovo's own Yoga 7 16 Gen 9 is a better option if you're looking for an affordable, big-screen laptop; it offers better build quality and a brighter display for roughly the same price while also adding two-in-one functionality to the mix.Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 Price as reviewed $730Display size/resolution 16-inch 1,920x1,200 touch IPS LCDCPU Intel Core 7 150UMemory 16GB LPDDR5 5,200MHz RAMGraphics Intel Iris Xe GraphicsStorage 1TB SSDPorts 2 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 1.4b, combo audio, microSD card slotNetworking Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2Operating system Windows 11 HomeWeight 4 pounds / 1.8 kilograms The IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 is based on a roomy 16-inch touch display with a 1,920x1,200-pixel resolution. Lenovo sells two fixed configurations of it. The base model costs $580 with Lenovo's consistent discount and features an Intel Core 5 120U CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. We received the step-up model that costs $730 and bumps you up to a Core 7 150U chip and a 1TB SSD.The IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 starts at 730 in the UK and AU$1,689 in Australia.Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 performanceThe Intel Core 7 150U processor inside our IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 test system is a low-power chip that prioritizes battery life over raw performance. It features two performance cores, eight efficiency cores and a total of 12 processing threads. If you don't need the extra storage, then the baseline model with the Core 5 120U chip and 512GB SSD will likely offer similar performance because there's little difference in the two CPUs. Both feature the same number of cores and threads -- the only difference is that the Core 7 150U operates at slightly higher frequencies.In testing, the IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 turned in solid if not spectacular scores. Its single-core results were strong, but it fell back on our multicore tests because the Core 7 150U has only two performance cores. In comparison, the Core Ultra 155H of the HP Spectre x360 16 has six P-cores, eight E-cores and 22 total threads. Still, its overall performance on our application benchmarks -- Geekbench 6 and PCMark 10 -- wasn't terrible when you factor in that the IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 costs hundreds less than the other 16-inch laptops in the performance charts at the end of this review. Matt Elliott/CNETThe other big difference between the Core 7 150U and Core Ultra 7 155H is the integrated GPU on each chip. The Core Ultra 7 155H features Intel's next-gen Arc GPU, but the Core 7 150U features previous Intel Iris Xe graphics. The IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 couldn't keep pace on 3DMark Time Spy with competing models with Intel Arc or AMD Radeon graphics.The benefit of the efficient Core 7 150U chip becomes evident when we get to battery testing. The IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 lasted for more than 15-and-a-half hours on our online streaming battery drain test. The dim and relatively low-resolution display certainly helps extend battery life, but that's still an excellent runtime for a big-screen laptop. It's more than four hours longer than the next-closest competitors among this group of midrange 16-inch models.Cool blue design but basic displayLenovo sells the IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 in either Cloud Grey or Abyss Blue; we received the latter. It's a deep, dark blue that looks almost black. It gives the laptop a more interesting look than basic gray, but not so interesting to prevent you from using it in a professional setting -- it won't look out of place in an office.The enclosure is blue, but it appears that Lenovo outfits the laptop with the same gray keyboard on both the Cloud Grey or Abyss Blue models. The gray keys don't look great against the blue keyboard deck -- if getting Abyss Blue keys is too much to ask, then I'd settle for a standard black keyboard that would look better with the blue color. Matt Elliott/CNETThe keyboard deck as well as the top and bottom panels are all made from aluminum, which isn't a given at the IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9's low price. Many laptops at this price might slap on an aluminum top cover behind the display but use plastic for the rest. Or perhaps outfit the lid and keyboard deck in aluminum but try to slide by with a plastic bottom panel. Not so with the IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 -- you get an all-metal chassis. It's not the most rigid of aluminum enclosures -- there's some flex in the lid and keyboard deck -- but it still feels well put together.It also feels light for its size. It weighed in just shy of 4 pounds -- 3.98 pounds to be exact. And it's just 0.7 inches thick, making for a thin-and-light 16-inch laptop. By comparison, the Yoga 7 16 Gen 9 has a more solid build but is heavier, at 4.4 pounds, and the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640 is almost a full pound heavier, at 4.9 pounds.I don't like the look of the keyboard, and I'm not a fan of its feel either. The keys have little travel and yet a pleasingly springy feedback, but the keys feel wobbly. If you strike a key off-center, you'll know because it bends instead of traveling straight down. And I'm not sure how useful the narrow number pad will be to many users. I'd rather jettison it and have the keyboard centered below the display -- and get four full-size arrow keys instead of the half-height treatment that the up- and down-arrow keys get. Matt Elliott/CNETThe touchpad is off-center and will take some getting used to before you stop performing right-clicks when you're meaning to simply click. The touchpad is positioned way over on the left side of the expansive wrist rest. It's not even centered below the keyboard sans numpad but a bit to the left of that. Perhaps Lenovo wanted to give the small fingerprint scanner below the arrow keys a lot of breathing room. I'd much rather move the fingerprint reader to the power button where it's often located and shift the touchpad over to the right so it's closer to the center of the wrist rest.The display is the IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9's downfall, though. While the rest of the design is midrange for the most part, the display is strictly budget-class. It's dim with terrible color performance and a resolution that results in fuzzy text. With a 1,920x1,200-pixel resolution across a 16-inch, 16:10 panel, it suffices for watching shows and movies but not for reading for long stretches. Text lacks the crispness you'd get from a higher resolution, but it's made all the worse by the panel's dimness. Matt Elliott/CNETAs soon as I powered on the machine, I knew I was staring at a dim display. I immediately pushed brightness to its max, but it did little to improve the situation. At its default setting of 80% brightness, white backgrounds were a dull gray, and colors looked muted. On my tests using a Spyder X colorimeter, it managed to hit a peak of 300 nits, which matches its rated brightness, but it looked duller than a typical 300-nit panel. Perhaps because its color performance was dreadful, with coverage of only 67% of sRGB and 51% of P3.The speakers and webcam were also unimpressive. A 16-inch laptop has room for four speakers for fuller sound, but the IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 serves up just a pair of 2-watt speakers. And predictably, the sound was underwhelming. With the obvious entertainment appeal that a 16-inch laptop has, it's doubly disappointing when laptop makers pair small sound with a big display. You can add the webcam to my list of disappointments here. It's a 1080p webcam, but the image it produces looks closer to that of a 720p camera; it was grainy, poorly balanced and struggled in low light. Matt Elliott/CNETThe IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9's selection of ports is wide and varied, but USB connectivity is slow. You get two USB-A and two USB-C ports, but the USB-C ports are of the USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 variety with speeds up to only 5Gbps -- a fraction of the 40Gbps that Thunderbolt 4 offers. The HDMI port is also outdated and supports only 1080p output, but you can always use one of the USB-C ports to connect to a 4K monitor. Lastly, Wi-Fi is behind the times with Wi-Fi 6 instead of the newer Wi-Fi 6E or the latest Wi-Fi 7.Is the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 worth buying?Despite its good looks and trim design, I can't recommend the IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9. The dull display is a downer in general, and the poor audio output detracts from its appeal as a low-cost, big-screen entertainment laptop. The Lenovo Yoga 7 16 Gen 9 doesn't offer better sound, but it does provide a better overall build and a brighter display for roughly the same cost, along with two-in-one versatility. And if you can extend your budget past $1,000, the HP Envy x360 16 offers greater value with its higher-resolution OLED display and stronger performance. The review process for laptops, desktops, tablets and other computerlike devices consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our expert reviewers. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features. A final review verdict is a combination of both objective and subjective judgments.The list of benchmarking software we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. The most important core tests we're currently running on every compatible computer includePrimate Labs Geekbench 6, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10 and 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra.A more detailed description of each benchmark and how we use it can be found on our How We Test Computers page. Geekbench 6 CPU (multi-core) Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640 12388HP Spectre x360 16 11459HP Envy x360 16 10941Lenovo Yoga 7 16 Gen 9 9507Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 8939 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance Geekbench 6 CPU (single-core) Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 2587HP Envy x360 16 2510Lenovo Yoga 7 16 Gen 9 2378Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640 2258HP Spectre x360 16 2205 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance Cinebench 2024 CPU (multi-core) Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640 883HP Envy x360 16 748Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 426 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance Cinebench 2024 CPU (single-core) Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 108Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640 103HP Envy x360 16 100 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance PCMark 10 Pro Edition Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640 6829HP Envy x360 16 6671Lenovo Yoga 7 16 Gen 9 6618Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 6067HP Spectre x360 16 5789 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance 3DMark Time Spy Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640 8237HP Spectre x360 16 5518HP Envy x360 16 2828Lenovo Yoga 7 16 Gen 9 2573Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 1770 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance Online streaming battery drain test Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9 934Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640 671HP Envy x360 16 671Lenovo Yoga 7 16 Gen 9 657HP Spectre x360 16 637 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance System configurations Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Microsoft Windows 11 Home; Intel Core 7 150U; 16GB DDR5 RAM; Intel Iris Xe; 1TB SSDLenovo Yoga 7 16 Gen 9 Microsoft Windows 11 Home; AMD Ryzen 5 8640HS; 8GB DDR5 RAM; AMD Radeon Graphics; 512GB SSDHP Envy x360 16 Microsoft Windows 11 Home; AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS; 16GB DDR5 RAM; AMD Radeon Graphics; 512GB SSDHP Spectre x360 16 Microsoft Windows 11 Pro; Intel Core Ultra 7 155H; 16GB DDR5 RAM; Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics; 1TB SSDDell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640 Microsoft Windows 11 Home; Intel Core Ultra 7 155H; 16GB DDR5 5,600MHz RAM; 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060; 1TB SSD

Despite all the changes Meta has announced in the past month, the company seems to be returning to its roots in at least this one way: announcing an all-too-familiar sounding new feature. Or in this case, a new app. On Monday, head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced that the company has been developing a new video editing app called Edits that willhelp creators brainstorm and edit videos.Despite Mosseri's claim that Edits will be "more than a video editing app," that is its primary purpose, and it should include standard editing tools. The Edits app will also include a higher quality camera (compared with the Instagram camera, ostensibly), the ability to share drafts with friends, and if you decide to post the edited videos on Instagram, Edits can track how the Reels performs, similar to Instagram's insights.Mosseri also said that the app is meant for people who shoot and edit videos on their phones, not for folks who use desktop apps. This could mean that Edits will be a more beginner-friendly editing program, though we'll have to wait to see how the app shapes up before we know for sure. You can preorder the app now, set to be released in theApple app store on March 13, with an Android app coming soon.From what we know now, Edits sounds awfully similar to CapCut, the video editing app made popular by TikTok. Since CapCut is owned by the same parent company as TikTok, it has been facing the same legal challenges under the US's divest-or-ban law. When Trump was sworn in as the US's 47th president on Monday, one of his first acts was to sign an executive order giving TikTok a 75-day stay. The order gives the new administration time to review the potential national security threats the app poses, but the action could face legal challenges. CapCut and TikTok are both active as of this time.There are a slew of other changes in store for Instagram and its creators this year. Earlier this month, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta will be ending its years-long fact-checking program, as well as loosening rules in its hateful conduct policy that moderate the kind of speech allowed on Meta's platforms. LGBTQ and digital advocacy groups have expressed serious concerns about how the changes will affect the safety and environment on the platforms.For more, check out these other new Instagram features and what to know about Instagram teen accounts.

This classic 35-year-old point and click horror is back from the dead, remade by the same solo dev that created itBlast from the last.Image credit: WRF Studios News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Jan. 26, 2025 35 years after point and click horror game Last Half of Darkness first released it's coming back, remade from the ground up by the same solo dev who created it.In honour of the 35th anniversary (well, technically 36th now) of the 1989 original, Bill Fisher has gone back to the start by remaking the first Last Half of Darkness with all-new graphics, a new soundtrack, "enhanced" story, and "even more" puzzles. You can check out the announcement teaser below:Last Half of Darkness (35th Anniversary Edition).Watch on YouTube"Your aunt sure was a strange one," the blurb teases. "She was some sort of witch or something. A good witch though, practicing only good spells and magic. In fact, she was working on a potion just before she was killed."Now the secret will go to the grave with her... unless you can find the missing ingredients.""I made it on an XT PC 64k RAM system with a 10mb hard drive over a 9 month period, just working part-time on it," Fisher explained. "Was goofing around with some paint programs seeing if I could make some cool looking rooms and locations. It ended up turning out relatively good so I decided to actually package it. Hired an artist to do the package design and found a box manufacturer, etc. Got it in a couple retail stores locally, and sold a few at some conventions but wasn't really familiar or had the right contacts with the distribution side of things so it never was officially released commercially."However, right around that time, shareware was starting to really take off... and turned out to be very successful."Last Half of Darkness is set to release on Steam on 7th February 2025, although if you missed the original first time around, worry not - that's still available, too.Looking for more horror recommendations? Check out recent The Horror Awards, which finally gave Silent Hill 2 Remake and other horror games the love they deserve.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer said its brand identity is "evolving" now keeping first-party games exclusive to its own platform is no longer "a path for [Xbox]".When asked by independent games journalist Dustin Legarie if, like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Starfield would continue to have an "exclusivity window" on Xbox systems, Spencer replied with a strikingly simple: "No."Xbox Developer Direct - four promising games also coming to PlayStation.Watch on YouTube"There's no reason for me to put a ring fence around any game and say this game will not go to a place where it would find players, where it would have business success for us," Spencer explained."Our strategy is to allow our games to be available."Game Pass is an important component of playing the games on our platform, but to keep games off other platforms?" Spencer added."We don't think is the path that's not a path for us. It doesn't work for us." To see this content please enable targeting cookies."What we're doing now we think really enables us to build the best platform for the world's best games. 'Cos the world's biggest games are available in multiple places, and more and more creators are asking us, how do we stay connected when our game might be playable in all these different places, and we want Xbox to be absolutely the platform that enables that."We think that makes us unique. Most of the other platforms out there are single platform on single device, whether that's PC, whether that's mobile, whether it's a console.And we want Xbox to be a platform that enables creators across any screen that people want to play on."When pressed on whether Xbox's change in strategy means it may lose its identity, Spencer was firm about that, too."I hear them. I'm pretty active in our playerbase, and I'm active in the community. I listen. I think our identity will continue to evolve, which, frankly, it always has. But when I hear concerns, I hear concerns about is: my library of games safe. Am I still going to be able to play the games. And I think over the years, I'm proud of the commitment we've shown to respecting purchases on our platform through back compat, through cross entitlement, Xbox Play Anywhere, through crossplay. Things that we've done to enable people to continue to play, so I hear that."I see the investments we're making in platform and how we want Xbox to show up in multiple places, and your library to be available there. When I think about buy-to-stream - so when if I buy a game, I'll be able to stream it to devices - this is all about making sure that your library of games that you own on Xbox are playable in multiple places, so I'd say it's in evolution of our identity. But I believe it's an identity that this industry needs."When you think about where this industry is now and you see the challenges, the business challenges that are out there for many companies, I think us making games more accessible to more people has just gotta be front and centre for us as an industry so we continue to see great games that we've seen over the years."The comments echo Spencer's position at the end of last year, when he said there were "no red lines" over any Xbox game coming to Nintendo Switch or PS5.

Before taking a closer look at this home in San Sebastian, in Spains Basque Country, heres a short history lesson. At the end of the 1950s, Spain was preparing to open its economy to increased international trade and foreign investment through an approved stabilization plan. Taxes increased, public spending was reined in, and price controls were largely abolished. The longed-for economic benefits soon followed. In the next decade, local industry would be strengthened, and the foundations of Spains current tourism sector were established. There was a boom in the construction of social and low-income housing, a response to an urgent need in San Sebastian and other parts of the country. The new projects included this home in a building erected in 1966.Most of the housing units built under the initiatives of the time followed some basic rules. The apartment that architect Ismael Medina Manzano recently renovated was typical of them. It consisted of three bedrooms with a tiny north-facing living room and it was intended for a married couple with two children. We have tried to give it a twist and adapt it to how we live now, in the 21st century, reorganizing the space and incorporating local materials, Medina Manzano, who divides his time between Spain and New York City, tells us. The renovation of this apartment, which is used as a vacation home by its owners, included some carefully considered updates.In the living room, handmade glazed ceramic tiles are used on one wall, Tingby side table with wheels by IKEA, Mayday table lamp by Flos, and Dioscuri wall lamp by Artemide.Another view of the same space, showing the curve of the wall covered with glazed ceramic tiles. The stool is made of reclaimed teak root. On the ceiling, the Teti lamps are by Vico Magistretti for Artemide.Foto: Hiperfocal.The home now has two bedrooms instead of three, a large entrance hall that serves as a dressing room, two bathrooms, and a common area with a kitchen and living space. It is organized around a curved wall clad in green glazed ceramic tiles. It is the main element and not only serves as a room divider but also provides storage solutions. Around it are placed a series of pantries, cupboards, shelves, cupboards, and even the bathrooms. It is an aesthetic moment with its reflective qualities and, at the same time, it provides a coherence to the space, explains the architect. It sits next to the mirrored kitchenanother playful addition to the homeand it is only interrupted by a doorway made of San Sebastian sandstone, a common material in the region. The doorway is a reflection on the geological layers of the city, nature, the raw material, and even The Comb of the Wind [a group of three monumental steel sculptures by the artist Chillida that sits on the edge of La Concha, the bay that San Sebastian is built around], the architect adds.In addition to the imposing central installation and the play of mirrors, the apartment is remarkable for its use of other unusual materials and innovative design solutions. In the center of the common area, a table that can easily be raised or lowered is made of reused Spanish granite and discarded pieces from local carpentry workshops. Daily life revolves around the table, which is capable of adapting to a variety of situations: a family dinner, moved to the side for a party, or serving as an impromptu office or worktop. The rest of the furniture, like the OMHU Teddy sofa bed and the mobile side tables and flowerpots on wheels, is similarly flexible.In front of the kitchen, which consists of a wall of mirrored cabinet fronts, a table incorporates a reused lacquered steel structure, a hydraulic piston, castors, and a granite top. The wooden chair is made of ash and the aluminum tube chairs were recovered from a local restaurant and restored. On the right, reflected in a mirror, is a Mayday table lamp by Flos.Most PopularCelebrity StyleJosephine Baker at Home: 15 Photos of the Legendary Entertainer in Her French ChateausBy Katie SchultzArchitecture + DesignThis Altadena Bungalow Is a Love Letter to Production Design and AmericanaBy Jessica RitzArchitecture + DesignInside an Alabama Home With Nature Views From Every RoomBy Elizabeth FazzareOn the left, a gray Teddy sofa from OMHU and a Tizio table lamp from Artemide. On the right, a Skalboda chair in black from IKEA. Above the kitchen, the Mayday lamp from Flos, designed by Konstanin Grcic.Another theme to the apartment is its use of vibrant and strong colors. I love to play with color. First by choosing one that sets the mood for the home and then others to compliment it, Medina says. From the green tiles of the living room to the electric blue ones used in one of the bathrooms or the pristine white ones in the other, bold colors play a leading role in this home. There is a false belief among many that creating a cohesive design is about using certain colors and materials, but it has more to do with the process behind the choices, Medina says when asked about some of the design decisions. This apartment is integrated into the city and its environment thanks to the type of stone that was used and references that speak to the areas industrial past. Colors can be responses to the culture of the region. It is about going beyond the surface.A good example of how Medina consciously places the home in the context of the city is the kitchen, which was already mentioned as a focal point of the home thanks to its unusual, mirrored cabinets. When you look out the window, you can see a footbridge crossing over the railway tracks in the distance. Its right at eye level. The mirrors create an illusion where you can see yourself too, amid the reflections of nearby buildings. It is sort of an architectural wink, he notes with an amused look. This private joke shared only by the architect and the ownersand now AD readers toosums up the inspired spirit of the project, as well as the contagious vibrancy of contemporary San Sebastian.This home tour was originally published by AD Spain. It was translated by John Newton.Most PopularCelebrity StyleJosephine Baker at Home: 15 Photos of the Legendary Entertainer in Her French ChateausBy Katie SchultzArchitecture + DesignThis Altadena Bungalow Is a Love Letter to Production Design and AmericanaBy Jessica RitzArchitecture + DesignInside an Alabama Home With Nature Views From Every RoomBy Elizabeth FazzareView of the back of the curved wall. A sandstone doorway separates the two rooms as if it were a witness to the geological passage of time in the area.The central element of this 861-square-foot apartment is a curved wall of glazed ceramic tiles interrupted by a portal of San Sebastian sandstonea stone commonly used in the region.Ismael Medina Manzano, who divides his time between New York City and Madrid, is seen here in front of the mirrored kitchen.One bathroom is covered in royal blue pool tiles.The second bathroom is also covered in pool tiles, though in white.

A hot potato: Meta and Mark Zuckerberg have been through a lot of changes this month, many of which have upset some people. Removing fact-checkers, allowing users to say pretty much anything, and killing diversity programs led to calls for a boycott of Meta platforms. It doesn't appear to have much of an effect on its user numbers, though things might have been different had TikTok's future been more certain. Earlier this month, Zuckerberg signaled that he wanted Meta to be more like X by removing "politically biased" third-party fact checkers in favor of community notes and focusing on free speech and political discourse. The company is also killing its DEI programs.Some users of Meta's platforms deleted their accounts in protest at the new policies. There were also calls for a boycott from R.E.M frontman Michael Stipe, who urged people to log out of Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Messenger, WhatsApp, Giphy, Meta Quest, and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses for a week as part of a campaign called "Lights Out Meta."View this post on InstagramA post shared by Michael Stipe (@michaelstipe)As noted by Business Insider, several analytics firms reported a slight decline in engagement among Meta users following the announcement of the changes. However, news of TikTok's impending ban sent many of ByteDance's users over to its rival's platforms. Facebook's number of Daily Active Users (DAUs) had been down 2% for most of January, according to Apptopia, but it began showing year-on-year growth ahead of the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the TikTok ban.Engagement on Meta's platforms has now returned to the same level it was before Zuckerberg's announcement. Instagram, which has a user demographic closer to TikTok's, saw an even more impressive rebound in DAUs than Facebook. Instagram also has the advantage of Reels, a short-form video platform that has attracted many former TikTokers. // Related StoriesIt's not just new users that Meta might be thanking TikTok for. If TikTok does disappear from the United States completely the app is working but still not available to download from US app stores it's estimated that Meta could bring in up to $3.37 billion from newly available ad revenue.A recent survey of 1,346 Americans by CivicScience found that 36% of participants supported Meta's changes while 32% opposed them and 32% were neutral. GenZ users aged 18-24 were the biggest supporters, with just over half supporting the moves.It was reported earlier today that many people are selling phones with TikTok installed on eBay in the wildly optimistic hope of making thousands of dollars.

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Farm LifeStardew Valley's creator thinks he will "always have a desire to come back and maybe add a thing or two", so we can probably expect to wait for Haunted Chocolatier for a while longer"You know, maybe even 50 years from now, I might add something." News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Jan. 26, 2025 Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone is obviously notorious for being unable to stop adding to Stardew Valley, but it sounds like he could do it even decades on.Did you know Stardew Valley is one of the best selling games of all time? Seriously, it's in the top 20 best selling games ever, which might be a bit surprising considering its company is games like Breath of the Wild and Call of Duty. I'm sure that's in no small part thanks to the games constant updates in the almost 10 years since it first released, the most recent one being the game's 1.6 update last year. Of course, you'd think that eventually updates would stop, and in an interview with NPR's All Things Considered, Barone does roughly know when he would stop, but also thinks that he could be going for quite a long time.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. "I do take in a lot of what the fans are saying," Barone said when asked about what his relationship is with his fans. "I pay attention to what their thoughts are, what their criticisms are. And the players are very important to me. I mean, I will never forget that it's because of the players that I'm in this position, that the game was able to be popular, that my dreams as a game developer have come true." In turn, he said he feels that he wants to "give it back to them in the way that they've given [it] to me."There is a limit to how much one can put into a game, though, and when asked if he sees a point in time where the game will finally be complete, Barone said that he thinks "a game can have too much content. And I ultimately want Stardew Valley to be the best game it can be. So if I feel like it's starting to become kind of overwhelmed with content to the point where it's detrimental to the game's entertainment factor, I would stop at that point."Another thing is, I do want to make more than one game in my life. Including the development time, I've been working on Stardew Valley for over 12 years now. But I don't want to definitively say that the book is ever closed, because I think I will always have a desire to come back and maybe add a thing or two. You know, maybe even 50 years from now, I might add something." He even joked that he thinks it would be "funny to release an update when I'm, like, 90 years old," but I think by that point he might have earned his retirement.Of course, Barone is working on another game right now, Haunted Chocolatier, which he did make clear to fans last month isn't "abandoned" despite the fact he's still working on Stardew Valley too (though that doesn't mean he has a release date yet either).

Not Boxed InHoping those rumours about Xbox titles on Switch 2 are true? Some recent comments from Phil Spencer certainly lends some credence to them"I just always applaud the moves that they make."Image credit: Nintendo News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Jan. 26, 2025 Xbox players that are thinking about making the jump to the Nintendo Switch 2 will probably be happy to hear that Microsoft is planning on supporting the new console.A problem that has only grown more and more as time has gone on and gaming has become an increasingly expensive hobby is that for a lot of people, they just kind of have to pick one console and hope they don't regret it. That's definitely changing now though as companies realise they can't afford to release their games on just one platform, and in particular Microsoft is making an effort to release its exclusives on its rival consoles too - like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which launched on Xbox and PC last year, but will be coming to PS5 later this year. And it's sounding like Microsoft is keen on supporting the Switch 2, too, as Xbox head Phil Spencer has shared his excitement over the new console in a recent interview with Gamertag Radio.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. "I was exchanging emails with Furukawa-san, the CEO of Nintendo," Spencer said. "I gave him a big congrats and said my old eyes appreciate the larger screen Nintendo, their innovation, and what they mean in this industry I just always applaud the moves that they make. They did a little flash video, and I know well get more detail over time. Im really looking forward to supporting them with the games that we have, and I just think theyre a really important part of this industry."Watch on YouTubeThe Xbox head continued, "Its hard with whats publicly out there right now for everybody to get their [heads] around it, but who would ever bet against the success of that team? They are just masterful in what they do, Switch is a massive success, and I think Switch 2 will be as well."What that means in terms of games coming to the platform is anyone's guess - there was a report that Hi-Fi Rush will be launching on the Switch 2 last year, and a rumour from earlier this month claims that Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will be making their way to the platform. Only time will tell!

Image: Nintendo LifeWelcome back as we open up the Nintendo Life Mailbox once again.Here we are in 2025, ready to thrive, and Nintendo has kindly given us all some good news: Switch 2 is indeed Switch 2, it's looking sexy and watch this space. We're paraphrasing, but that's the gist.It's time for our monthly letters page feature, though. Got something you want to get off your chest? We're ready and waiting to read about your game-related ponderings.Each month well highlight a Star Letter, the writer of which will receive a months subscription to our ad-free Supporter scheme. Check out the submission guidelines at the bottom of this page.Let's plunge our mitts into the box, shall we?Nintendo Life Mailbox - January 2024Image: Nintendo"old Nintendo" (***STAR LETTER***)Dear NL,Nintendo is probably never going to be worse. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but yes. With the massive targeting at retro game YouTubers and perfectly legal emulation(not piracy), taking down fan games, and, worst of all, lack of charmingness in their consoles. Back in the 3DS/Wii U days, we had music, beautiful menus, Miiverse, and a bigger focus on Miis. I want the old Nintendo. The one that wasn't afraid to be a little different than everybody else.Happy New Year, JayHmm. I get where youre coming from (I like menu music as much as the next editor, and Nintendo has a draconian approach to emulation), but this is the company that released Switch-compatible cardboard robots and a Pilates ring controller this gen. That's a little different, no?As unsurprising as Switch 2 feels from the reveal, it did have Joy-Con sliding all over the place like mice - and despite all the hardware leaks, we also know next to nothing about the software. I'm convinced we'll see big swings and no shortage of charm precisely because the system is so outwardly iterative.If Switch is Nintendo at its worst... well, I don't think my body will survive the good stuff. - Ed."fearless ambition"On a recent rewatch of the film "BlackBerry", I noticed that a major contributor to Research In Motion's downfall was their refusal to innovate further than they already had - their hesitance to evolve after the iPhone hit the market essentially doomed them. I also recently watched "The Social Network", which proved a particularly interesting watch in the context of Facebook's reputation in the current day - its rampant early success eventually allowed Meta to indulge in its worst habits with little meaningful scrutiny. I believe my interpretations of these films reflect many of my worst fears about the Switch 2; will its seemingly inevitable runaway success give Nintendo the overconfidence to excuse itself of the fearless ambition that made it so renowned not even 15 years ago? We're all familiar with many of its most questionable business practices (i.e. full-price ports, lacklustre online, Joy-Con drift), but will the Switch 2 selling like hotcakes cause those practices to worsen or even manifest in other forms (hello, $70 price point)? I want to play the next Mario Kart as much as anyone else, but the overabundance of warning signs I'm noticing with the Switch 2 are tempering my excitement and expectations.KrustyKoopaNintendo is a very different entity to Blackberry and Facebook, one that's in the business of entertainment first and foremost, so those comparisons aren't apt beyond early commercial success and fortunes going up and down.Did that initial success lead to complacency and Nintendo indulging its "worst habits"? Perhaps, when they ruled with an iron licensing agreement without robust competition. But then, boom, the birth of 3D games, the DS, the Wii, the Switch - platforms that moved the goalposts for everyone. Incredible software has been a constant from the company since the mid-'80s, too.Given the industry right now, I don't think overconfidence is a problem for any of the big three, and there's no guarantee Switch 2 will sell like hotcakes. Nintendo has been at this long enough to know it's never easy, even when something's apparently printing money.I understand the hesitance, the caution, even the slight disappointment that the next console isn't a doughnut or something unexpected. But I'm very excited to see more of this thing and theres ample opportunity to do imaginative work in a familiar framework. - Ed.Image: Nintendo"Bowser in winter"Dear Nintendolife,I got 2 games for Christmas: Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Mario vs Donkey Kong. Both games had perfect difficulty, easy to go through, great challenge to collect everything on the levels, hard to 100% (especially true for Kirby). When I look your reviews, I see severe criticism against the low difficulty, then a lot of comments stating people would not buy such an easy game. They dont know, what a great experience they miss. I admit these are easier than games of my youth, but I dont miss the ice cold sweat flowing down on my body when fighting Bowser in winter. So my feeling is you are downplaying the difficulty, dissuading readers from playing great games.MorselI mean, Kirby got a 9/10 and the Mario vs. Donkey Kong remake scored a 'Good' 7/10, too. I don't agree that there's "severe criticism" of the difficulty in either case. If someone loves sweat-inducing levels of challenge, those aren't going to satisfy them and that's worth noting. For everyone else, the context of the full review makes it clear that there's loads to enjoy in both those games.I really need to get back to Kirby at some point. - Ed."an official thing officially"So with the Nintendo Switch 2 an official thing officially on the way, and having never known the site before the switch, I wanted to ask- do you know how the site will change with the new system? Will certain kinds of content be phased out? will the main color of the site (It's been switch red for the last few years aside from articles for retro systems and franchises) change for the new system? And, uh, this'll sound weird, but any words of comfort for those who won't be able to upgrade to the newest hardware and games straight away?WillaxI consulted with top brass and there's nothing planned when it comes to colour changes right now. The red feels very 'Nintendo' and something bright and punchy is preferable to drab grey in my book. NL's 20th anniversary is coming up this year, so ideas for that are percolating but a total front-end overhaul for Switch 2 isn't on the cards right now.And we've got no plans to phase out OG Switch games coverage yet. There's going to be a lot of crossover in the first year at least and with all those games playable on the next system, we'll be covering the best of both for a good while.And for readers who won't be upgrading immediately, remember that these games aren't going anywhere! We'll be flagging spoilers in our conversations and features as always, so give the insidious FOMO a sound thrashing and try to enjoy the anticipation. It's going to be a fun one and well be here when you do jump aboard! - Ed.Image: NintendoBonus Letters"I'm hoping for a Studiopolis redub of 25 Pokemon seasons." - Scott DevineBlimey. - Ed."can you tell by my username that I like potatoes?" - Potato-manEating or cavorting with? - Ed.That's all for this month! Thanks to everyone who wrote in, whether you were featured above or not.Got something you'd like to get off your chest? A burning question you need answered? A correction you can't contain? Follow the instructions below, then, and we look forward to rifling through your missives.Nintendo Life Mailbox submission advice and guidelinesLetters, not essays, please - Bear in mind that your letter may appear on the site, and 1000 words ruminating on the Legend of Heroes series and asking Alana for her personal ranking isn't likely to make the cut. Short and sweet is the order of the day. (If you're after a general guide, 100-200 words would be ample for most topics.)Don't go crazy with multiple correspondences - Ideally, just the one letter a month, please!Don't be disheartened if your letter doesn't appear in the monthly article - We anticipate a substantial inbox, and we'll only be able to highlight a handful every month. So if your particular letter isn't chosen for the article, please don't get disheartened!How to send a Letter to the Nintendo Life MailboxHead to Nintendo Life's Contact page and select the subject "Reader Letters" from the drop-down menu (it's already done for you in the link above). Type your name, email, and beautifully crafted letter into the appropriate box, hit send, and boom you're done! Advert FreeShare:02 Gavin first wrote for Nintendo Life in 2018 before joining the site full-time the following year, rising through the ranks to become Editor. He can currently be found squashed beneath a Switch backlog the size of Normandy. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesMailbox: Switch 2 Caution, Unpopular Opinions, Easy Games - Nintendo Life LettersIssue #20 - January 2025