With both the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro, the visual experience on Sony’s console is incredible, especially when paired with the right TV for gaming. Playing games at 4K resolution and 60fps on that new PS5 Pro is fantastic, but to really get in the game, you need the audio experience to match. You’ll do justice in a home theater setup with the proper 7.1 speakers or a great soundbar, but you probably don’t want to be rattling your walls at all times. That doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice sound quality – one of the most important PS5 accessories is a good gaming headset, and there are plenty out there.Pulse Elite is one of the best picks for PS5 since it’s a Sony first-party product that features some nice platform integration. But if you’re willing to spend more for pure audio quality, the Audeze Maxwell is an easy choice. And if you want to ditch having something clamping over your head, the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds elevate earbuds to the headset levels of performance. TL;DR - These Are the Best PS5 HeadsetsOur Top PickSteelSeries Arctis Nova ProSee it at AmazonBest First-PartyPlayStation Pulse EliteSee it at AmazonBest 3D AudioPlayStation Pulse 3DBest High-EndAudeze MaxwellSee it at AmazonBest BudgetTurtle Beach Stealth 500See it at AmazonBest Open-BackTurtle Beach Atlas AirSee it at AmazonBest WiredHyperX Cloud IIISee it at AmazonBest Noise-cancelingAlienware Pro HeadsetSee it at AmazonBest EarbudsSteelSeries Arctis GameBudsSee it at AmazonIt's worth noting that from now until June 11 is Sony's PS5 Days of Play sale, which features several deals on hardware and games. This includes accessories like headsets and controllers; unfortunately, it does not include the Pulse Elite or Pulse 3D headsets. However, you can get deep discounts on the Pulse Explore gaming earbuds, the Sony InZone H9 headset, and the InZone noise-cancelling earbuds, all of which we have reviewed and gave high marks.When it comes to our picks, you may notice some crossover in our best overall gaming headsets roundup since many of them have PS5-specific models that take advantage of the console’s specific features. There are also a few first-party options that make the most of the PS5 with features like Tempest 3D spatial audio and further customization that’s native to the platform. Regardless of what you choose to pick up, you’ll end up with something great, which I can attest to since I have first-hand experience with every product I recommend. Everything from sound quality and comfort to ease-of-use and feature set are all factors in deciding which headsets get my stamp of approval. Below, you can read my detailed explanations behind each pick to help you decide which one is right for you. As new headsets come out and I test more of them, I’ll update this list to make sure you’re looking at the top picks. If you're looking for discounts on the best PS5 accessories, check out our picks for the best PS5 deals.This guide contains contributions by Danielle Abraham.1. SteelSeries Arctis Nova ProBest Overall PS5 HeadsetOur Top PickSteelSeries Arctis Nova ProMultiple connectivity options, a hot-swappable battery, excellent sound, and hybrid active noise canceling make this a hard-to-top headset.See it at AmazonProduct SpecificationsConnectivity2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth, wiredDrivers40mm NeodymiumBattery life18-22 hours (per battery)Weight338gPROSFully featured with ANC, base station, etcSwappable battery system is innovativeFantastic sound qualityCONSANC could be betterIt seems like everywhere you look for headset recommendations, you’ll come across someone singing the praises of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro – us included. It’s the current top pick in our overall best gaming headset roundup and it’s also tremendous when using it on the PS5. You still get all the great features with some new technology including active noise cancellation and improved audio all around. Using a hybrid noise-canceling system with four mics, you can drown out harsh noises from outside your room to the ambient hum of loud fans. But it's the full compatiblity with the PS5’s Tempest 3D audio that give it the edge, which is one of console-specific perks you should expect from a top-end headset such as this one.Most importantly, the Nova Pro offers some fantastic sound quality out of the box with bold and balanced audio for those PlayStation-exclusive single-player cinematic experiences. Its positional audio is great as well, so it's easier to hear enemy footsteps around the corner or gauge the distance of action happening in a competitive shooter like Call of Duty Warzone or Apex Legends.The Arctis Nova Pro represents the biggest design shift since the start of the Arctis lineup. Its telescoping arms on its adjustable headband better accommodate larger head sizes and proper fitment. The earcups are also slimmer and sleeker, giving off less of a gaming headset vibe and more of a look akin to wireless headphones without sacrificing the comfort SteelSeries headsets are known for. And one of our favorite features remains intact with a few upgrades: the hot-swappable rechargeable battery system. This means that when the battery runs low during a gaming session, you can quickly change it out without having to plug in, giving you wireless freedom indefinitely.The Arctis Nova Pro is one of the best headsets you can buy right now, regardless of platform but especially for PS5. It’s well-rounded with uniquely robust features, great sound quality for gaming, and comfort to keep you going. Take our word for it – in our Arctis Nova Pro headset review, it earned a rare 10 for all the aforementioned reasons and more.2. PlayStation Pulse EliteBest First-Party PS5 HeadsetBest First-PartyPlayStation Pulse EliteGreat sound, a unique look, and multipoint connectivity all come with this headset made with the PS5 in mind.See it at AmazonProduct SpecificationsConnectivityWired, Bluetooth, PlayStation LinkDriversPlanar magneticMax battery life30 hours Weight347gPROSClear, detailed audioWireless multipointCONSUnique design won’t appeal to allThe PlayStation Pulse Elite wireless headset turned out to be an absolute beast when we reviewed it, which didn’t come as much of a surprise considering its more affordable counterpart, the Pulse 3D, was already a fantastic headset. It has some versatility with Bluetooth connectivity, but when connected to the PS5 with the USB dongle, you can access EQ settings and 3D audio natively. Additionally, you’re able to get audio feeds from both the PS5 and a Bluetooth device simultaneously. With a sleek unibody design, its on-device controls are easy to use since it’s easy to distinguish each button.But at the end of the day, it’s all about audio quality, and the Pulse Elite delivers on that front. The planar magnetic audio drivers help minimize distortion and provide tremendous sound quality that’ll get the most out of your games. There’s strong bass that doesn’t overpower other frequencies, and playing games at loud volumes doesn’t sound harsh when it comes to the mids and highs. Especially when you use the right EQ settings, the Pulse Elite sounds tuned just right for each game. Sony's own Tempest 3D audio is the cherry on top, and a single-player game that takes advantage of this feature gives the experience of an immersive soundstage few headsets can pull off right.For $150, you’re getting a lot for your money. It’s priced well below other high-end headsets, yet performs on par with many of them. It’s also packed with several extra features that make the most of the PS5 as a platform. For all that and more, the Pulse Elite is one of the best PS5 headsets you can get today.3. PlayStation Pulse 3DBest PS5 Headset for 3D AudioBest 3D AudioPlayStation Pulse 3DDesigned for the PS5 but compatible with many other devices, this affordable headset offers Tempest 3D positional audio for detailed, immersive sound.Product SpecificationsConnectivityUSB dongle, 3.5mm jackDrivers40mm NeodymiumMax battery life12 hoursWeight292gPROSTailored to the PS5Affordable for official Sony gearBase level sound quality is greatCONSMediocre battery lifeThe official PlayStation headset that launched alongside the PS5, the Sony Pulse 3D was specifically designed to show off the console’s next-gen audio capabilities. Even several years removed from its release, it still does that very well, particularly when it comes to the PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech, the virtual surround sound system designed to enhance positional audio feedback – think enemy fire coming from a certain height and direction, or an NPC talking to you from behind.Even without that 3D audio, our review of the Sony Pulse 3D revealed it to performing headset with a wide soundstage alongside solid overall sound quality. The rounded, well-padded leatherette ear cups are wider than they look, although they can get a tad warm after continuous use. It’s lightweight, too, and the slick white-black color scheme perfectly fits the PS5 hardware. However, I do find the headset to clamp a bit tighter than most, so that's one thing to take note of.A pair of noise-canceling microphones are built into the headset’s ear cups. They work fine and audio comes through loud and clear, though they struggle to completely isolate and eliminate background noise. For the most part, that won’t be a problem. Also, remember to charge this headset at the end of the day or have a very long USB-C cable to plug it in mid-session since it's battery life is on the shorter end.The Pulse 3D headset is an incredible value at $100, giving you a great option for PS5 audio with all the Sony-specific bells and whistles you'd want if you're not willing to shell out the extra money for the Pulse Elite.4. Audeze MaxwellBest High-End PS5 HeadsetAudeze MaxwellThe Audeze Maxwell is a high-end wireless gaming headset from one of the best headphone manufacturers on the planet.See it at AmazonProduct SpecificationsConnectivityUSB-A / USB-C, Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm wiredDrivers90mm planar magneticMax battery life80+ hoursWeight490gPROSTop-notch audio experienceSleek, low-key designCONSLeans on the heavier sideAlthough our overall top pick is the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro with the Pulse Elite not too far behind, I still find the Audeze Maxwell worth its price tag and a surefire recommendation for those who want the absolute best audio quality. It sports a sleek, non-descript design akin to many audiophile-style pairs of headphones and performs just like one as well. Sometimes I need to break away from the misconception that wired is always better for sound quality, especially when the Audeze Maxwell proved me wrong.Its 90mm planar magnetic drivers jump out from the spec sheet – and while bigger drivers doesn’t always mean better, this is one case in which the audio experience matches the boastful driver size. Overall clarity, balance across frequencies, and a rich natural audio profile make this high-end headset stand out from the rest of the pack. While the aforementioned headsets on this list are fantastic in their own right, especially for their robust features, it’s hard to compete with the Audeze Maxwell purely in the audio department.That said, while the Maxwell is comfortable, it does land on the heavier side of gaming headsets. It’s built like a tank, but if you’re okay with that, then it’s more of a non-issue. When you get a great mix of sound quality, battery life, and features such as a mic with pinpoint noise isolation, it’s easy to justify its high price. I praised it for all that and more in my Audeze Maxwell review where it earned a 9 on our scoring scale.5. Turtle Beach Stealth 500Best Budget PS5 HeadsetTurtle Beach Stealth 500The Turtle Beach Stealth 500 is a wireless gaming headset for under $100, and you can't beat that value.See it at AmazonProduct SpecificationsConnectivity2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.2Drivers40mm driversBattery life40 hoursWeight235gPROSDurable and flexible buildGreat sound quality for its priceCONSBulky design with messy button layoutYears of solid headsets proves that Turtle Beach knows what it's doing, and its high-end offerings have been competitive options for a while now. But as I go down the pricing hierarchy, there are still impressive headsets like the Stealth 500 that punches above its weight. Although it’s quite bulky in its physical build, I find the Stealth 500 to be smartly designed with a super flexible headband that's durable and lightweight, which also translates to solid comfort that’s easy on the ears.What's most important is sound quality, and what you get from the Stealth 500 is nothing to scoff at. While it may struggle in higher frequencies, which tend to sound a bit crunchy at louder volumes, its strong bass and clear mids make games sound full without coming across as artificial. With the Swarm II software’s Signature Sound profile, you’ll be set without having to fiddle with too many settings. Its positional audio was great as well, which I sussed out while playing ranked matches of Counter-Strike 2, so you don’t really need to shell out the big bucks to get that kind of advantage in competitive games on PS5.Even at this price point, you get Bluetooth capabilities and can swap between devices with the press of a button. While the mic isn’t anything to boast about, it’s serviceable and can be customized in the software as well. It’s no surprise that there are compromises that need to be made in budget-level headsets, but it gets the essentials right, which earned it an 8 in my Stealth 500 review.6. HyperX Cloud IIIBest Wired PS5 HeadsetBest WiredHyperX Cloud IIIWith great comfort, sound quality, microphone clarity, and durability, the Cloud III is one of HyperX's best headsets.See it at AmazonProduct SpecificationsConnectivityWired (3.5mm), USB-A / USB-CDrivers53mm Angles DriversBattery lifeN/AWeight318gPROSExtremely durable and flexibleDense earpads for premium-grade comfortGreat sound and mic quality, especially in its price rangeCONSMay clamp a little too tightNo matter which version of the HyperX Cloud headset you go with, you get a quality product. If you’re running on a budget and want to get the most bang for your buck, I always recommend the wired HyperX Cloud III, which can often be found below its $100 base price. It punches above its weight with impressive sound and mic quality and great comfort. Plus, it’s built like a brick house so it’s not going to fall apart through years of use.Out of the box, the Cloud III impressed me with its build and durability – its aluminum frame can be flexed and contorted in any which direction without ever feeling like it’s going to break. Stretching the headset out to fit on your head is super easy and you can toss them on your desk without worrying about damaging them. It's built for comfort as well with dense foam earpads wrapped in a leatherette (just be aware it tends to get a bit sweaty), although its clamp force may be a bit much for some.At the end of the day, it’s all about sound quality and the Cloud III handles various frequencies wonderfully. In my Cloud III headset review, I felt comfortable tracking enemy footsteps while playing a ton of Valorant and enjoyed the balanced audio in Final Fantasy XIV, which this more budget-friendly headset handled gracefully. Assuming you’re on a budget, you probably don’t want to spend extra on a decent microphone – luckily, the mic clarity on the Cloud III was equally as impressive. While there is a wireless version of the Cloud III available, the wired model presents some of the best value and performance. Something like the Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Pro is a current analog favorite, but since you're plugging into the DualSense when you're using a wired headset on PS5, it somewhat limits what you can get out of said headset. Thus, the Cloud III strikes the better value proposition.7. Alienware Pro HeadsetBest Noise-Canceling PS5 HeadsetBest Noise-cancelingAlienware Pro HeadsetDefying its own brand tradition, Alienware went with a super-sleek design for the Pro headset and brings great sound quality as well as great ANC and comfort.See it at AmazonProduct SpecificationsConnectivityBluetooth, USB-C dongle, USB wiredDrivers50mm Graphene-CoatedMax battery life70 hours (35 hours with ANC)Weight315gPROSStrong bass responseSleek, non-descript designANC and mic ANC both work excellentlyCONSSoftware support isn't greatOver the years, Alienware's forte has been custom built PCs and has explored gaming peripherals since. It rethought its design philosophy and came out with the Pro headset earlier this year with great success, as I detail in my Alienware Pro headset review. I love its slim and sleek design (somewhat matching the design philosophy of Sony's PS5 products), which also makes it easily double-up as a casual everyday pair of headphones, and that really makes its active noise-canceling features sing.As a gaming headset, it brings booming bass to support all the other frequencies so PS5 games are going to have a powerful low-end to give a proper cinematic experience, but it's also tuned to be fit for competitive games as well. When it comes to comfort, its memory foam earbuds get the job done even though they don't look impressive at first glance. The flexible headband lets the Alienware Pro headset clamp easily on my head to help it stay comfortable for several hours of play.If you're looking for good ANC above all else, I can easily recommend the Alienware Pro headset since it's very good at drowning out ambient noise and retains solid battery life even though ANC tends to drain battery rapidly. That good ANC extends to the microphone as well, so while the overall microphone quality isn't that impressive, it's fantastic at isolating your voice.8. Turtle Beach Atlas AirBest Open-Back PS5 HeadsetBest Open-BackTurtle Beach Atlas AirThe Turtle Beach Atlas Air is a high-end open-back PC gaming headset that is extremely comfortable, and sounds good to boot.See it at AmazonProduct SpecificationsConnectivityBluetooth, USB dongle, 3.5mm jackDrivers40mmMax battery life50 hoursWeight301gPROSUnique, ultra comfortable lightweight designExcellent audio performanceCONSSome sound leakageIf the name wasn’t a dead giveaway, our hands-on review of the Turtle Beach Atlas Air confirmed it is a well-cushioned, surprisingly lightweight headset you’ll be happy to have on your noggin for hours. The earcups are stuffed with memory foam and are are almost "floating" for multidirectional movement to limit pressure and improve weight distribution. The headband is made of super flexible mesh with an adjustable velcro strap, aiding in the feathery feel. If that’s not enough to convince you this is one of the comfiest headsets out there, the open-back design provides more airflow and breathability, ideal for gaming marathons.Turtle Beach makes it simple to connect the Atlas Air to the PS5, with an option for a wired or wireless link, including a USB dongle for a low latency connection. Buttons on the earcups also make it easy to switch between different connectivity modes. Beyond being great for the PS5, this versatile option is one of the best gaming headsets for PC, as well. Plus, when using it wirelessly, the 50 hours of battery life is a massive boon, so recharging is less of a hassle. Perhaps most important is how the Turtle Beach Atlas Air sounds, and it doesn’t disappoint. The open-back design makes for a more natural sound and better directional audio, though you’ll have to deal with some leakage. The 40mm drivers support 24-bit audio with booming lows and crisp highs that put other gaming headsets to shame. It’s also chock full of features to tweak your sound like Waves 3D Audio, 10-Band EQs, and even "Superhuman Hearing." However, not all these features will be available on the PS5.Rounding out this absolutely stunning gaming headset is a highly capable unidirectional detachable boom mic that’ll keep you coming across clear to teammates. It’s hard not to fall for this light, flexible, great-sounding headset.9. SteelSeries Arctis GameBudsBest PS5 EarbudsBest EarbudsSteelSeries Arctis GameBudsSteelSeries built the Arctis GameBuds for gaming and deliver booming audio with solid battery life low-latency thanks to its 2.4GHz dongle.See it at AmazonProduct SpecificationsConnectivityBluetooth, 2.4GHz USB-C dongleDrivers10mm Neodymium MagneticMax battery life10 hoursWeight5g per earbudPROSImpressive sound qualityBetter battery life than most earbudsControls, software, and ANC add valueCONSA few features are hard to get workingGaming earbuds are a fairly recent trend with the notable peripheral companies like Razer, Asus, and PlayStation making their own that are suited for games. It's tough because of the limited driver size and battery life, earbuds tend to make sacrifices in one way or another. But the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are so impressive because of how uncompromising these little rounded buds are.On top of having solid foundations of sound quality, battery life, and long-term comfort, SteelSeries has one of the most robust software suites, which is easily controllable through a mobile app. This takes out the inconvenience of having to flip through PS5 menus to customize the earbuds, while also letting you access its 100+ custom-tuned EQ profiles easily. Although there are a few minor inconveniences with how some of its quality-of-life features work (autoplay when taking it on and off, connecting through Bluetooth reliably), the GameBuds do all the important things extremely well. While you should definitely use these as your primary earbuds to listen to music on your phone, they really shine in games with the kind of bold audio experience you expect from a headset. For all that and more, I gave a 9 to the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds in my review, and they'll pair nicely with your PS5.At $160, these have cheaper base price than the Razer Hammerheads I previously recommended. While I still think the Hammerheads have a very slight edge in sound quality, it's the battery life, software support, and overall comfort that make the GameBuds the best all around.PS5 Headsets FAQHow do you determine sound quality on a gaming headset?There are ways to extract audio data from a headset to get a look at how they handle various frequencies, like artificial ear and audio analyzing software, but that alone won’t be able to tell you what the actual audio experience is like. Admittedly, it can be quite abstract to have someone describe what games, music, or movies sound like. Paying attention to descriptors like distortion, drowning, cleanliness, or balance when talking about frequencies are common ways to explain the sound quality of a device, and at some point you need to trust the reviewer’s trained ear.There’s also the factor of driver size, the actual hardware that delivers the audio. Generally, bigger drivers means better potential for cleaner and bolder sound, but again, that alone isn’t going to determine whether or not a headset sounds good. Quality can also come down to spatial or positional audio which gives the impression of sound effects having distance and direction – it’s important for competitive settings but can make for audio more suited for cinematic games.As I talk about further down, the PS5 in particular has embraced 3D audio in a way other platforms have not. It may seem like a gimmick at first glance, but when done right, it can give you a genuinely immersive experience – not just for direction and distance, but also verticality in the sound design. This gives headsets like the Pulse Elite and Pulse 3D an advantage when picking out the best PS5 headset since 3D audio definitely affects how good games can sound.What makes gaming headsets different from headphones?Gaming headsets tend to pack additional features that support the actual gaming experience, some of which may be gimmicky, but many that I would call essential. Not everyone wants to have a standalone microphone, for example, but the key feature that separates a headset from headphones is a built-in microphone. While most headset mics are passable in terms of clarity that can suffice for in-game communication, some go the extra mile to provide better clarity or mitigate ambient noise spilling through.Good gaming headsets are generally tuned to pick up on certain sound effects and have a more intimate sound profile since you’re an active participant in the experience rather than a passive observer (especially in competitive games). When it comes to wireless capabilities, most gaming headsets come with 2.4GHz USB dongles for the lowest latency possible – something that wireless headphones rarely include. As you’ll see in the next section, software suites for USB-based headsets (wireless or otherwise) have gotten sophisticated and sometimes offer a level of customization for specific gaming scenarios.Should I go wired or wireless for a gaming headset?Of course, it depends on your needs. On PC, I still gravitate towards wired headsets and headphones since I tend to prefer the sound profiles of a properly-tuned analog audio device (I also tend to forget about charging devices until it’s too late, but that’s a me-problem). However, battery life and latency of modern gaming headsets have come so far that you rarely, if ever, see them being issues on the latest releases. Good software suites and apps can also help you get more out of your headset by letting you customize EQ settings or swap sound profiles for certain games.Wireless headsets are also sometimes capable of multi-device connectivity and simultaneous Bluetooth, which makes them versatile and opens them up to more use-cases (especially swapping to a mobile connection within seconds). Even though they tend to be more expensive, there’s a lot of upside to going with a wireless gaming headset, just be sure you know what you’ll be getting out of it.On PS5, you're better going off with a wireless headset, though. Since 3.5mm analog wired audio devices have to go through the DualSense controller's, there's an upper limit to how good they can sound. Don't get it twisted, though – headsets and headphones can still sound great when fed through the DualSense, but it'll be diminishing returns when using audiophile-type gear. After all, the console experience is best when free of wires.Is 3D audio worth it?Made specifically for the PS5, Tempest 3D AudioTech to simulate 360-degree audio in supported PS5 games. That means you can tell the direction the audio is coming from, be it a helicopter overhead or enemy fire coming from whichever direction, it's an experiential marvel more so than an advantage. It’s similar to Windows Sonic on the Xbox Series X/S, but Sony has embraced it to greater extent and its implementation on the PS5 is a really neat perk. And to boot, plenty of the best PS5 headsets support Sony’s 3D audio, including the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P, Sony Pulse 3D, and PlayStation Pulse Elite wireless headset.The Sony Pulse 3D does a good job showing off the PS5’s next-gen 3D audio tech, whereby noises and sounds are emulated to appear in a 360-degree space around your ears, and even expressing a greater level of verticality to positional sound in some instances. It’s straightforward to set up, comfortable, and surprisingly affordable for an official PlayStation headset, and a great choice if you want to see exactly what the PS5’s 3D audio can do.Do you need a Bluetooth adapter for your PS5?If you're hoping to connect wireless headphones and headsets to your PS5, you will need a compatible Bluetooth adapter. The PS5 does not currently support direct pairing with any Bluetooth headphones for audio output. However, when it comes to latency, you're best served using headsets with 2.4GHz dongles, which all our recommended headsets come with.What is PlayStation Link? PlayStation Link is Sony’s latest wireless connectivity standard that provides a lightning-fast connection, lossless audio, and ultra-low latency with easy switching between different devices. The PlayStation Portal is the only gaming device with the technology built-in. So, you’ll need the PS Link USB dongle when using the PS5, PS5 Slim, PS5 Pro, and PC. Still, at the moment, only a couple of Sony’s peripherals have this technology, including the PlayStation Pulse Elite wireless headset in this guide.

Welcome back to Week in Review! Tons of news from this week for you, including a hacking group that’s linked to the Spanish government; CEOs using AI avatars to deliver company earnings; Pocket shutting down — or is it?; and much more. Let’s get to it!  More than 10 years in the making: Kaspersky first revealed the existence of Careto in 2014, and at the time, its researchers called the group “one of the most advanced threats at the moment.” Kaspersky never publicly linked the hacking group to a specific government. But we’ve now learned that the researchers who first discovered the group were convinced that Spanish government hackers were behind Careto’s espionage operations. 23andWe: Regeneron announced this week that it’s buying genetic testing company 23andMe for $256 million, including the company’s genomics service and its bank of 15 million customers’ personal and genetic data. The pharma giant said it plans to use the customer data to help drug discovery, saying that it will “prioritize the privacy, security, and ethical use of 23andMe’s customer data.” Let’s hope so! Google I/O: Google’s biggest developer conference typically showcases product announcements from across Google’s portfolio, and to nobody’s surprise, AI was the talk of the town. But what we didn’t bank on was Sergey Brin admitting that he made “lots of mistakes” with Google Glass.  This is TechCrunch’s Week in Review, where we recap the week’s biggest news. Want this delivered as a newsletter to your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here. News Image Credits:OpenAI io, not I/O: OpenAI is acquiring io, the device startup that CEO Sam Altman has been working on with Jony Ive, in an all-equity deal that values that startup at $6.5 billion. Besides the fact that the announcement was accompanied by perhaps the strangest corporate headshot of all time, we spotted some other unexpected news: Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski’s family investment office, Flat Capital, had bought shares in io six months earlier, which means those io shares will be converted into shares in the for-profit arm of OpenAI. Not bad! AI avatar contagion? Speaking of Klarna’s CEO, Siemiatkowski used an AI version of himself to deliver the company’s earnings this week. And he’s not the only one! Zoom CEO Eric Yuan followed suit, also using his avatar for initial comments. Cool? Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 REGISTER NOW Out of Pocket: Mozilla is shutting down Pocket, the beloved read-it-later app, on July 8. The company didn’t say why it’s shutting Pocket down, only that it will continue to invest in helping people discover and “access high quality web content.” But maybe it can be saved: Soon after, Digg founder Kevin Rose posted on X that his company would love to buy it. Web 2.0 is back, baby.   AI on my face: Apple is reportedly working on AI-powered glasses, similar to Meta’s Ray-Bans, sometime next year. They’ll have a camera and microphone and will work with Siri. Sure, why not?  Uh, no thank you: At its very first developer conference, Anthropic unveiled Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4, which can analyze large datasets, execute long-horizon tasks, and take complex actions, according to the company. That’s all fine and good until I learned the Claude Opus 4 model tried to blackmail developers when they threaten to replace it with a new AI system. The model also gives sensitive information about the engineers responsible for the decision.  Ah, now I feel better: But don’t worry! Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said that today’s AI models hallucinate at a lower rate than humans do. That might be true, but at least humans don’t immediately turn to blackmail when they don’t like what they hear.  Bluesky blue checks: The decentralized social network Bluesky quietly rolled out blue verification badges for “notable and authentic” accounts. People can now apply for verification through a new online form. But Bluesky is leaning on other systems beyond the blue badge to verify users.  Analysis Image Credits:Camille Cohen / AFP / Getty Images Google’s new look: For what seems like 100 years, Google hasn’t changed much. Sure there are ads and boxes and now AI summaries that, for better or worse, get you to the right answers — usually. But the premise has always been the same: Type your query into a box, and Google will surface results.  At this year’s Google I/O, we started noticing a change. As Maxwell Zeff, writes, “At I/O 2025, Google made clear that the concept of Search is firmly in its rearview mirror.” The largest announcement of I/O was that Google now offers AI mode to every Search user in the United States, which means users can have an AI agent search (or even purchase things) for them. 

Image by Getty / FuturismDevelopmentsUnitedHealth, the largest healthcare insurer in the United States, reportedly went to extreme lengths to deny care to seniors and cut costs to pad out its profit margins.As The Guardian reports, nurse practitioners say that UnitedHealth pressed them to change patients' status to "do not resuscitate" — even after those same patients had "clearly expressed a desire that all available treatments be used to keep them alive.""They’re pretending to make it look like it’s in the best interest of the member," one practitioner told the British newspaper. "But it’s really not."UnitedHealth also allegedly tried to prevent patients from transferring hospitals, risking their health further.While the company has denied the allegations, the reporting paints an alarming picture of the state of healthcare in the United States, where insurance is treated much the same way as a tech company trying to maximize profits while cutting costs.UnitedHealth already has a lengthy track record of finding creative ways to deny people healthcare coverage, including deploying an AI that automatically denied and overrode claims for elderly patients.The company has attracted particular controversy after its CEO was murdered in December, in an apparent act of lethal anger at the injustices of a notoriously greedy and deficient system.The company has had a miserable year since then. Its shares have dropped almost 40 percent year to date, following a flood of damning reports.Following The Guardian's reporting today, UnitedHealth's stock price slid by more than six percent.The company has also been the subject of criminal and civil investigations into its practices, including medicare fraud, as Reuters reports.Last week, UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty abruptly resigned, citing "personal reasons" and drawing even more scrutiny over the company's operations.Whether the departure had anything to do with a continuous flood of bad press remains unclear. According to a whistleblower lawsuit cited by the Guardian, staffers at nursing homes were directly incentivized to leak sensitive resident records so that UnitedHealth sales teams could solicit their plans to them and their families.A patient who showed key symptoms of having suffered a stroke, for instance, was denied care by a remote and underqualified UnitedHealth employee, who suggested she was suffering from a less serious condition, according to UnitedHealth logs and records obtained by the newspaper. The delays caused by healthcare practitioners waiting to hear back from the insurer led to the patient's health deteriorating further.Per The Guardian, there have been countless other instances like it.In short, UnitedHealth seems far interested in cutting costs than ensuring people in senior homes stay healthy."How many of those people were further harmed because they never received the care that they needed?" former UnitedHealth nurse practitioner turned whistleblower Maxwell Ollivant told The Guardian. "When you just look at the percentage reductions in hospitalizations, it doesn’t say anything about patient outcomes."Share This Article

We've learned a lot about the Switch 2 since Nintendo announced it in back in January. We know how basic specs compare on paper to the original Switch; we know that many physical game carts won't actually have the games on them; and we know what games to expect this year. While there's still more to learn about the console before it officially launches next month, some new leaks have provided fresh insights into how the Switch 2 actually performs. Digital Foundry reports that it can definitively confirm leaks surrounding the Switch 2's hardware, answering many of the remaining questions that Nintendo and Nvidia have left a mystery thus far. The outlet highlights the key hardware upgrades for the company's new console, and explains how there are some major performance boosts—especially in docked mode. Switch 2 is more powerful, especially when docked Digital Foundry highlights that Nintendo calls the SoC (system on a chip) in both the Switch 2 and OG Switch "custom," but notes that the original Switch's SoC was really a "vanilla" chip. The Switch 2's hardware, on the other hand, really is made solely with Nintendo's console in mind. That means it should be better optimized for the company's unique situation of needing to offer console-quality game play that can adapt to handheld mode. The new custom Nvidia T239 has an eight-core ARM Cortext A87C CPU, compared to the four-core ARM Cortext A57 in the Switch 1. Digital Foundry reports that the original Switch reserved one CPU core for operating system features and left the other three open to developers, while the Switch 2 reserves six of its cores for developers, and uses two for OS tasks. CPU specs are still unclear: The original Switch had a fixed CPU clock speed (the processing rate of the CPU) of 1020MHz whether it was docked or in handheld mode. The new Switch runs at 1101MHz in handheld, but 998MHz when docked. Digital Foundry isn't sure why this is the case, though it does speculate it has something to do with memory bandwidth drops that would have an impact on CPU performance. The maximum theoretical clock speed here is 1.7GHz, compared to 1.785GHz on the Switch.GPU specs make more sense at this time. The new Ampere GPU has a typical clock speed of 1007MHz when docked, and 561MHz in handheld mode, with a maximum clock speed of 1.4GHz. The original Switch's Maxwell GPU ran at 768MHz when docked and up to 460MHz in handheld mode, with a maximum of 921MHz. An important metric to note here is TFLOPS, which measures the rate of performance for a GPU. When docked, the Switch 2's GPU is rated for 3.072 TFLOPs, but drops to 1.71 TFLOPs in handheld mode. Digital Foundry makes the point that you can't necessarily evaluate a GPU's potential from TFLOPs alone, and that it'll be up to developers to show us how well games can perform. We already knew that the Switch 2 offers 12GB of RAM (102GBps when docked and 68GBps in handheld). Digital Foundry now says it can confirm how Nintendo is allocating that memory: The OS uses 3GB of RAM, which leaves 9GB for running games. It's a stark comparison with the Switch 1, which only shipped with 4GB of RAM, with 3.2GB of that allocated to developers. That means the Switch 2 nearly triples the amount of memory game makers can use. GameChat takes up a lot of resourcesGameChat is one on Nintendo's "big" new features for the Switch 2. Coming to market a mere 22 years after Xbox Live popularized online console chat, the feature offers in-game communication features like audio and video chat and screen sharing. However, it appears that innovation comes at cost to performance. Digital Foundry says GameChat affects system resources to such a degree that Nintendo is offering developers a "Game Chat testing tool." This tool replicates the resources Game Chat takes up while running, so developers can understand how that might impact their games, without actually needing to run Game Chat itself during development.This should be no surprise to anyone who watched Nintendo's Switch 2 demos. Game Chat looks choppy, especially when sharing your screen or making video calls. (Is that 5 fps?) I suppose it's refreshing to see Nintendo so transparent about how laggy these features are, but the fact that it looks this bad in the official advertisement doesn't bode well for Game Chat's real-world performance. We'll need to wait for the games to judge the Switch 2's true capabilitiesTaken purely on paper, the Switch 2 has a big performance advantage when plugged into its dock. We already knew that the Switch 2 is capable of 4K 60 fps and 1440p 120 fps output in docked mode, compared to 1080p 120 fps output in handheld. It makes sense, then, for the Switch 2 to have an active cooling fan built into the dock to maintain that higher performance. (The Switch 1 does not have a fan in its dock, even though it is able to output a higher resolution in docked mode than handheld.) However, we'll have to see how the performance translates into real-world use. As with any piece of hardware, on-paper specs can only tell you so much. The true test is in how developers can optimize and push that hardware with their software. If devs can take advantage of the more advanced Switch 2 hardware to pull off more impressive graphics and performance, we'll naturally see that for ourselves in the gameplay. For now, it's a waiting game.

Something to look forward to: Nintendo has officially revealed the technical specifications for the highly anticipated Switch 2, offering a glimpse into the console's architecture. Digital Foundry notes that the details remain somewhat "selective" but provide a clearer understanding of the hardware developers have at their disposal. Nintendo has conceded the console arms race to Sony and Microsoft but positions the Switch 2 to balance power, portability, and efficiency in the handheld market. When Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2, it offered virtually zero details on the CPU, simply calling it a "custom processor made by Nvidia." Nvidia followed up with a similarly vague description of the chip. With the release just weeks away, Nintendo has finally confirmed some solid specs. At the heart of the Switch 2 is a custom Nvidia Ampere chip, designated T239 – a clear upgrade from the original Tegra X1. It features an Arm Cortex-A78C CPU, offering significant gains over the older A57 cores. The chip runs at 998MHz while docked and 1.1GHz in mobile mode, with a potential 1.7GHz ceiling under specific conditions. Its 8-core CPU, with six cores available to developers, enables better performance for demanding games. The Switch 2's Ampere-based GPU delivers a substantial boost in visual performance. It includes 1,536 CUDA cores reaching up to 1.71 teraflops in handheld mode, scaling to 3.072 teraflops while docked. Teraflop metrics can be misleading, so the hands-on gaming experience will better reflect the hardware's capabilities. The system also supports Nvidia's DLSS for enhanced anti-aliasing and performance scaling, along with ray tracing – though limited resources mean ray tracing will play a minimal role at launch. The Switch 2 includes 12GB of LPDDR5X memory – a substantial upgrade from the original's 4GB. Developers can access 9GB, with the remaining 3GB reserved for system functions. The boosted memory supports smoother multitasking and more demanding games, with bandwidth peaking at 102GB/s in performance mode (docked) and 68GB/s in handheld mode. Switch 2: Nvidia T239 Switch 1: Nvidia Tegra X1 Architecture 8x ARM Cortex A78C 4x ARM Cortex A57 CPU Speed 998MHz (docked), 1101MHz (mobile), Max 1.7GHz1020 MHz (docked/mobile), Max 1.785GHz CPU System Reservation 2 cores (6 available to devs)1 core (3 available to devs) GPU Architecture Ampere Maxwell CUDA Cores 1536 256 GPU Clocks 1007MHz (docked), 561MHz (mobile), Max 1.4GHz768MHz (docked), up to 460MHz (mobile), Max 921MHz Memory/Interface 128-bit/LPDDR5 64-bit/LPDDR4 Memory Bandwidth 102GB/s (docked), 68GB/s (mobile)25.6GB/s (docked), 21.3GB/s (mobile) Memory System Reservation 3GB (9GB available for games)0.8GB (3.2GB available for games) Source: Digital Foundry // Related Stories The Switch 2 sports 256GB of UFS storage, expandable via microSD Express cards up to 2TB. A custom file decompression engine offloads processing from the CPU, accelerating load times and improving overall efficiency. The 7.9-inch display boasts 1080p resolution with HDR10 support and variable refresh rate (VRR) up to 120Hz in handheld mode. Unfortunately, the dock's HDMI conversion doesn't support VRR, which may be a limiting factor for those expecting smoother gameplay on larger screens. The Switch 2 could struggle with some innovative features, like Game Chat. Developers have raised concerns about the resource demands of active voice chat during gameplay. In response, Nintendo included an API in the SDK that simulates latency and system load so developers can test the functionality under varying conditions. However, the impact on performance has yet to be determined. Ultimately, the proof will be in the pudding when the Switch 2 launches on June 5. With early criticism over pricing, Nintendo is depending on developers delivering games that justify the expense – regardless of its specs.

During an excavation, amidst the Patagonian winds and hard rock, a fossil began to turn green. It was an unexpected reaction: the adhesive applied to protect the bones, fragile after millions of years beneath the ice, had interacted with plant matter trapped in the rock’s cracks. This greenish hue earned the fossil the nickname Fiona, like the ogre from Shrek.But Fionais much more than a ogre-themed name. It is the first complete ichthyosaur ever excavated in Chile and, even more remarkably, the only known pregnant female from the Hauterivian — a stage of the Early Cretaceous dating back 131 million years. Her skeleton, discovered at the edge of the Tyndall Glacier in Torres del Paine National Park — an area increasingly exposed by glacial retreat — belongs to the species Myobradypterygius hauthali, originally described in Argentina from fragmentary remains.The discovery, led by Judith Pardo-Pérez, a researcher at the University of Magallanes and the Cabo de Hornos International Center (CHIC), and published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, offers an unprecedented glimpse into ancient marine life — from how these majestic reptiles reproduced to how they adapted to oceans vastly different from those of today.An Ichthyosaur Maternity Ward in Patagonia(Image Courtesy of Irene Viscor)So far, 88 ichthyosaurs have been found on the Tyndall Glacier. Most of them are adults and newborns. Two key facts stand out: food was abundant, and no other predators were competing with them.Fiona, who measures nearly 13 feet long, is still encased in five blocks of rock. Despite the challenge, she was transported to a local clinic, where CT scans allowed researchers to study her skull and body. Her species was identified thanks to one of her fins. “There’s no other like it in the world,” says Pardo-Pérez. The limbs were remarkably elongated, suggesting this animal was built for long-distance swimming.Inside her, there were more surprises. One of them was her stomach contents, which revealed what may have been her last meal: tiny fish vertebrae. But the most striking find was a fetus, about 20 inches long, already in a position to be born.“We believe these animals came to Magallanes — the southern tip of Chilean Patagonia — from time to time to give birth, because it was a safe refuge,” Pardo-Pérez says. “We don't know how long they stayed, but we do know that mortality was high during the first few days of life.”One of the big unanswered questions is where they went next, as there are no records of Myobradypterygius hauthali, apart from a piece of fin found in Argentina. The most abundant remains come from southern Germany, but those date back to the Jurassic period, meaning they’re older.Palaeontologist Erin Maxwell suggests, “In many modern ecosystems, species migrate to higher latitudes during the summer to take advantage of seasonally abundant resources and then move to lower latitudes in winter to avoid harsh conditions,” she explains. “We believe Mesozoic marine reptiles may have followed similar seasonal patterns.”Sea Dragon GraveyardThe environment where Fiona was discovered — dubbed the "sea dragon graveyard" — also has much to reveal.According to geologist Matthew Malkowski of the University of Texas at Austin, the Hauterivian age is particularly intriguing because it coincided with major planetary changes: the breakup of continents, intense volcanic episodes, and phenomena known as "oceanic anoxic events," during which vast areas of the ocean were depleted of dissolved oxygen for hundreds of thousands of years.One such poorly understood event, the Pharaonic Anoxic Event, occurred around 131 million years ago, near the end of the Hauterivian, and still raises questions about its true impact on marine life. “We don't have a firm grasp of how significant these events were for marine vertebrates, and geological records like that of the Tyndall Glacier allow us to explore the relationship between life, the environment, and Earth’s past conditions,” Malkowski notes.Evolution of IchthyosaursReconstruction of Fiona. (Image Courtesy of Mauricio Álvarez)Don't be misled by their body shape. “Ichthyosaurs are not related to dolphins,” clarifies Pardo-Pérez. Although their hydrodynamic silhouettes may look nearly identical, the former were marine reptiles, while the latter are mammals. This resemblance results from a phenomenon known as convergent evolution: when species from different lineages develop similar anatomical features to adapt to the same environment.Ichthyosaurs evolved from terrestrial reptiles that, in response to ecological and climatic changes, began spending more time in the water until they fully adapted to a marine lifestyle. However, they retained traces of their land-dwelling ancestry, such as a pair of hind flippers — absent in dolphins — passed down from their walking forebears. They lived and thrived in prehistoric oceans for about 180 million years, giving them ample time to refine a highly specialized body: their forelimbs and hindlimbs transformed into flippers; they developed a crescent-shaped tail for propulsion, a dorsal fin for stability, and a streamlined body to reduce drag in the water. Remarkably, like whales and dolphins, “ichthyosaurs had a thick layer of blubber as insulation to maintain a higher body temperature than the surrounding seawater and gave birth to live young, which meant they didn’t need to leave the water to reproduce,” explains Maxwell.Whales and dolphins also descend from land-dwelling ancestors, but their transition happened over a comparatively short evolutionary timespan, especially when measured against the long reign of the ichthyosaurs. “Their evolution hasn't had as much time as that of ichthyosaurs,” notes Pardo-Pérez. “And yet, they look so similar. That’s the wonderful thing about evolution.”Read More: Did a Swimming Reptile Predate the Dinosaurs?Fossils on the Verge of DisappearanceOne of the key factors behind the remarkable preservation of the fossils found in the Tyndall Glacier is the way they were buried. According to Malkowski, Fiona and her contemporaries were either trapped or swiftly covered by underwater landslides and turbidity currents — geological processes that led to their sudden entombment.But the good fortune that protected them for millions of years may now be running out. As the glacier retreats, exposing fossils that were once unreachable, those same remains are now vulnerable to wind, rain, and freeze-thaw cycles, which crack the surrounding rock. As vegetation takes hold, roots accelerate erosion and eventually conceal the fossils once again.“While climate change has allowed these fossils to be studied, continued warming will also eventually lead to their loss,” Maxwell warns. In Fiona’s story, scientists find not only a record of ancient life, but also a warning etched in stone and bone: what time reveals, climate can reclaim.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:María de los Ángeles Orfila is a science journalist based in Montevideo, Uruguay, focusing on long-form storytelling. Her work has appeared in Discover Magazine, Science, National Geographic, among other outlets, and in leading Uruguayan publications such as El País and El Observador. She was a fellow in the 2023 Sharon Dunwoody Mentoring Program by The Open Notebook and often explores the intersections of science, culture, and Latin American identity.