Technologies

A Pricey PlayStation Controller That’s Perfect for Professional-Level Performance

The Nacon Revolution 5 Pro is expensive but offers unmatched performance tuning.

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The Nacon Revolution 5 Pro game controller on a white background

Nacon Revolution 5 Pro (PlayStation)

$200 at Best Buy

$200 at Target

$190 at Amazon

Pros

Lots of hard customization options
Solid feel in the hand
Granular software customizations

Cons

Expensive
Non-standard layout

One of the great things about gaming is that there are typically tons of options to choose from, both in the games you play and in the hardware you use to play those games –- that is, unless you’re a PlayStation gamer.

Sadly, Sony is quite sparing in granting licenses for third-party controllers, so your options for upgrading from Sony’s DualSense controller to a pro controller are limited. Aside from Sony’s own DualSense Edge, there aren’t many choices, which is why I jumped at the chance to try the Revolution 5 Pro from Nacon. It’s definitely one of the best, but also one of the most unique PlayStation controllers I’ve used.

Designed different

The first thing I noticed about the Revolution 5 Pro is the asymmetrical joystick layout. It’s the only official PlayStation 5 controller I’m aware of laid out like it, which could be good or bad depending on your preferences. If you’re coming from Xbox or use an Xbox controller with your PC, you’ll feel right at home. But if you’re upgrading from something with the traditional PlayStation layout, like the DualSense or DualSense Edge, it might take some getting used to.

That’s not the only difference from a standard DualSense. The Nacon’s a bit taller, with straighter sides, and the face buttons are much larger and flatter. The grip material also features a more rubberized, distinct texture, which I prefer over most other controllers I’ve used. The triggers are also longer, feeling more like Xbox triggers than DualSense,which might take some getting used to for those who’ve never used one.

It also incorporates Hall Effect joysticks and triggers with two-stage trigger stops — the latter, honestly, is a bit disappointing. The second stage only stops the trigger pull halfway, and I’d much rather it be short or long instead of long and half-short: I couldn’t get the muscle memory down of having to pull the trigger deeper to activate it and kept missing shots. You can customize it in the app, but I’d rather have the hardware option.

To be fair, shorter trigger stops can cause issues in games with draw weapons like bows, such as the Horizon series, but I’d rather have it and turn it off than not have it.

The four remappable buttons on the back are solid and feel great, but I sometimes found myself preferring paddles like on the DualSense Edge. That controller only has two back buttons, though, and I’d much rather have four buttons than two paddles any day.

Weighty grips

The Revolution 5 Pro has one novel feature that I haven’t yet seen on any other controller (it’s available in some gaming mice). Inside the grips is space to add different-size weights, depending on your gaming preference. Nacon provides a pair of 10, 14, and 16 gram weights that you can add to deliver just the right heaviness for your play style.

A platform switch on the back lets you hop between PS5, PS4 and PC, and there’s also a button for quickly switching profiles and a switch to change from Classic to Advanced mode. In Classic mode, the controller performs like a standard controller, with a few options (like remapping the buttons) that you can customize without the app. Advanced mode lets you use the PC app for some really granular customization.

The PC app deserves a callout because it has the most granular customization options I’ve seen in a controller app. In addition to the standard set of settings you’d expect, like button remapping, profile support (up to four active), as well as joystick dead zones and trigger response times. But what sets Nacon apart is that it displays a linear graph for the dead zones and trigger responses so you can fine-tune the performance. It’s great if you want to create the perfect gameplay experience for your favorite games.

Some trade-offs

Battery life on the Revolution 5 Pro has been pretty stellar for me. Nacon promises a very conservative «more than 10 hours,» but I’ve gotten significantly longer. I’ve been able to use it for about five days in a row, with about two to three hours per day, without having to recharge. The lack of haptics and adaptive triggers certainly helps prolong battery life, but I don’t mind the tradeoff.

It comes in a few decent color choices, although the panda is my favorite, and you get some nice accessories with it, including a Bluetooth adapter for wireless headphones.

You might find $200 is a tad expensive for any controller, but I think it’s worth it, especially if you want a pro-level controller with great hardware and fine-tuning options. The asymmetrical joystick layout and lack of haptics and adaptive triggers might, understandably, be a deal breaker for some, but for me, those compromises are well worth it.

Technologies

Nintendo’s Pokemon Legends: Z-A Is a Hit. Just Ask My Kid

Pokemon Legends: Z-A has sucked my family in, and I can’t get my Switch controller back from my son.

I’d love to tell you all about Pokemon Legends: Z-A, arriving this week, and what it’s been like to play on the Nintendo Switch 2. I can mostly do that — but for most of the past five days, it hasn’t really been me playing. What started as co-playing together quickly turned into my kid taking over completely as he got hooked. And honestly, I’d say that’s a good sign.

Nintendo makes a lot of Pokemon games, too many for me to keep track of. But Legends Z-A is the first that’s Switch 2-optimized, although you can play on original Switches, too. I can’t tell you what that’s like, though — my early review access limited me to playing Pokemon Legends: Z-A on the Switch 2 only at home. I was doubtful about how much a city-based game would truly feel like a must-have experience, but so far it’s already become one of my favorite Pokemon games ever.

I’ll let my son tell you. He’s gotten deep into the trading card game and has played most of the recent Pokemon titles over the past year, and he says this is his favorite so far. When I asked him why, he said it’s because the game completely rethinks how battles work. The quick, real-time system feels more immediate and far less sluggish than in past Pokemon games. Plus, he’s loving the story… and honestly, so am I.

A city full of surprises

My son loves the «peculiar» storyline, the fast-paced battles (which he now wants in every Pokemon game) and the constant sense of surprise while exploring Lumiose City.

All of Pokemon Legends: Z-A (at least from what I’ve seen in my 10-plus hours so far) takes place entirely within Lumiose City — a Paris-like metropolis where the CEO of a company called Quasartico Inc. is planning to rebuild everything into a new world where Pokemon and humans can better coexist. The setup reminded me of the Detective Pikachu movie during my demo a few weeks ago, and it turns out my instincts were right.

Pokemon roam in wild zones within the city, occasionally spilling into urban areas, while mysterious rogue «Mega Evolution» Pokemon have begun appearing and threatening the city’s calm. There’s clearly a deeper mystery at play, and while I’m still uncovering it, I won’t spoil anything here.

The game seems to mostly involve a journey to level up in rank from Z to A by battling various Pokemon trainers, but that’s not the whole story. There’s a group of friends you hang out with at a local hotel, along with research missions you have to carry out. Side quests are everywhere. The city, though it can feel a bit sparse at times, stretches all the way up to its rooftops, where all sorts of hidden spots are waiting to be discovered. It feels like a living maze, and one I’m still navigating.

And the city’s always changing, too. Wild zones keep multiplying, and from day to night the city’s dynamics shift. Battles take place at night, with trainers gathering in new pop-up spots each time. It’s not as lively as I’d hoped — this isn’t Grand Theft Pokemon — but the cozy, vibrant world still makes me daydream about what a real-life Universal Pokemon theme park could someday look like.

The Pokemon shine

I keep reminding myself to take extra time to discover and level up my Pokemon. At least that’s what my son’s telling me to do. He loves how many Pokemon can become Mega Evolved in this game, and how much fun the battle moves are to pull off. I’m happy he’s happy. I thought I’d get lost in the RPG aspects of the game, but I think the real-time Pokemon battles put me in a looser state of mind, more able to explore and not feel locked down into systems and rulesets. Swapping Pokemon battle moves and reassigning them to buttons is easy, too.

The stronger focus on trainer battles — and the sheer variety of Pokemon capable of mega evolving — gives the game more of that classic, Pokemon-centered energy than Pokemon Legends: Arceus ever did. I found myself more excited to see how different Pokemon looked and behaved than to uncover new realms to explore. After all, for all of Lumiose City’s secrets, you’re spending a lot more time roaming one massive location than in any other Pokemon game I can remember. Thankfully, the visual upgrades on the Switch 2 make those Pokemon look fantastic in battle.

I do want to spend more time in Lumiose City, though, and can’t help but wonder if this is a glimpse of how all Pokemon games will keep evolving. It’s hard to say, since Legends games like Z-A and Arceus have been more experimental than the rest of the series. But, like Arceus, Z-A is now one of my favorite Pokemon games on Switch. And on Switch 2, it plays smoother and feels better than any Pokemon game ever has before.

Technologies

iPhone 17 Preorders Spike and Overall Phone Sales Aren’t Slowing Down Despite Tariffs

Global smartphone shipments saw a notable increase in the third quarter of 2025. Plus, preorders for Apple’s new iPhone 17 beat out the iPhone 16.

Despite tariffs and market uncertainty, global smartphone shipments increased 2.6% in the third quarter of 2025, compared to the same time last year, according to the International Data Corporation. Additionally, preorders for the iPhone 17, which launched last month, outpaced last year’s iPhone 16.

These increased sales include premium phones like the latest iPhones and Samsung foldables, suggesting yet again that pricier phones still sell in periods of economic strain. It’s a remarkable achievement, says IDC senior research director Nabila Popal, citing shrewd financing options as the reason people keep buying these high-end phones, which cost anywhere from $800 to nearly $2,000.

«[Phone makers] have mastered the art of innovation not only in hardware and software to entice upgrades but also in removing purchase friction. They have flawlessly combined cutting-edge devices with innovative financing models and aggressive trade-in programs that make the upgrading decision a ‘no-brainer’ for consumers,» Popal said in an IDC press release.

Apple sold 58.6 million iPhones this quarter, an increase of 2.9% over the same period in 2024, with more preorders for the iPhone 17 series than its predecessor. But Samsung wasn’t far behind, with its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 selling better than all of the company’s prior foldables. The company still reigns atop the phone market with 61.4 million phones sold, representing 19% of the market in the third quarter of this year — an increase of 6.3% from the same period last year. Meanwhile, Apple lands slightly behind Samsung with 18.2% market share this quarter.

The other phone makers trailing Apple and Samsung are, in order: Xiaomi, with 13.5% of the market; Transsion, with 9%; and Vivo with 8.9%. The remaining companies in the phones industry, from Chinese stalwarts like Oppo and Honor to Motorola and Google, make up the remaining 31.4% of the market for the quarter. All told, 322.7 million phones were sold, up from 314.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, according to IDC.

IDC’s findings for the third quarter continue the small but steady growth of phone sales over the year, including a modest 1% increase in the preceding three months — which includes the April deadline when President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs. In the second quarter, IDC cited midrange devices like Samsung’s Galaxy A36 and other phones that started incorporating AI. But even persistent tariffs haven’t slowed down people’s appetites for pricier phones in the third quarter.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.