Technologies

Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra Review: It Comes So Close to Greatness

The 4K streaming-optimized webcam can deliver excellent quality compared to current competitors, but it can also be just a little too glitchy.

My initial reaction to the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra’s video was «Wow! Finally a webcam as good as a compact vlogging camera.» My reaction after trying to adjust the settings, especially when using it with a third-party application, was «I’m going to reach through my screen and punch you now.» Seriously: Razer’s Synapse software is the only thing preventing this $300 (£300, AU$500) 4K webcam for streamers and power videoconferencers from getting an Editors’ Choice award.

Synapse is the only way to control most of the settings, so it can make or break your experience. If you don’t need to change settings besides zoom, focus or white balance that often (they’re available via the Windows driver), then you’ll probably be OK. And even Synapse 3 doesn’t work on the Mac, so the webcam’s not well suited for that platform.

Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra

$300 at Razer

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Like

Excellent quality and performance
Nice built-in lens cover design
Has a relatively large number of adjustable settings which compensate for issues other cameras have

Don’t Like

Synapse control of camera is glitchy and the camera occasionally hangs when changing settings
You can only change settings when Synapse has exclusive control of the camera

The Kiyo Pro Ultra’s closest competitor would have been the Elgato Facecam Pro, which no longer seems to be available anywhere despite shipping in November 2022. (It used a previous generation of the Sony Starvis sensor, and it’s always possible that it’s being reworked with the newer sensor.)

That camera supported 4K at 60fps compared to the Razer’s 30fps (at 1080p and lower it can do 60fps), but otherwise the Razer has a lot of the same strengths, including manual exposure controls, user presets and other settings which can help you tweak the quality of your output, such as MJPEG quality (for streaming at 1440p or 4K) and the ability to meter off your face in autoexposure mode (important if you’re off center) and lens distortion compensation.

While it looks similar to the rest of its Kiyo siblings, the Pro and the X (on our list of the best webcams we’ve tested), it has something I’ve wanted for a while: a built-in lens cover. Razer cleverly incorporated it as an iris that closes when you rotate the outer ring.

Top marks for quality and performance

When it’s good, the Kiyo Pro Ultra is great. It incorporates a 1/1.2-inch Sony Starvis 2 sensor, which is a just bit smaller than the 1-inch sensor in compact vlogging cameras like the Sony ZV-1 but loads bigger than the sensors in other webcams, with a good size f1.7 aperture.

The larger sensor and aperture means it shows perceptible depth-of-field blur. It doesn’t have as wide a field of view as many webcams, only up to 82 degrees (72 degrees with distortion correction on) rather than 90 or more, which could affect its suitability for your needs.

Lori Grunin/CNET

The Ultra displays excellent tonal range for what it is, though it falls short in handling bright areas. It needs some software tweaking for that, I think. It has the typical HDR option, but in a backlit shot with a properly exposed foreground (as well as without), it didn’t help clip the overbrightness in the back. There are toggles for both dark and light rooms, but neither seemed to make a perceptible difference. I’ve had other cameras handle it better.

It meters properly, for the most part. Center metering works best if you’re in the center — face metering overexposes oddly without tweaking the exposure compensation, otherwise. But if you lean to the side, face metering keeps it from spiking when it sees your black chair instead of your face. White balance is very good as long as you’re not in too dark an environment. Even then it’s not bad. Nor does it lose a lot of color saturation.

You can toggle a couple of noise reduction settings and they do make a significant difference in low light. The distortion compensation makes a visible difference as well.

Standard autofocus is meh, just like all the other webcams. But there are several settings to mitigate the frequent hunting, which other webcams don’t have. Face autofocus does a good job of keeping it from hunting when you move your head, and there’s a «stylized lighting» setting which helps the AF system lock when the lighting might otherwise confuse it.

The camera handles some of the image processing that might otherwise be sent to the PC, notably the MJPEG compression of the stream you’re sending, and you can set how aggressively it compresses either automatically or on a performance-to-quality continuum.

Still needs some baking

Unfortunately, it’s still just a little too glitchy and the software limits it unintentionally. You can’t access any of the settings in Synapse — most notably resolution/frame rate and manual exposure (ISO and shutter speed) — unless camera preview is enabled. And Windows only allows one application to access a camera at a time.

So, for example, if you’ve accidentally left the resolution at 4K but you need it to be 1080p in OBS, to change it you have to first deactivate the camera in OBS — thankfully, OBS has that option, but Nvidia Broadcast doesn’t. Then jump over to Synapse, turn on preview, change the resolution, turn off preview, jump back to OBS and reactivate the camera. And resolution, among other settings, doesn’t seem to be saved as part of the profiles you can create.

Doing it once isn’t that much of a problem. After the 10th time in an hour it gets old.

It’s also complicated by the occasional failure of settings to kick in, which sometimes forces you to loop back through that activate-deactivate cycle: Why does my adjusted exposure not look adjusted? Do I have to kick it to get autofocus to kick in? The preview in Synapse isn’t always accurate, though that’s not unique to Synapse, but it means you can’t assume your adjustments there will be correct. Synapse also froze several times while I was trying to swap between profiles.

Almost every other reasonable webcam utility allows you to change settings while viewing within the application you need them for. Yes, sometimes a few are disabled (because Windows), but at least they’re not all unavailable. It’s possible that all these issues can be ameliorated with firmware and software patches, but I have learned never to assume that just because they can be that they will be.

The Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra is a capable webcam that just needs some software and firmware polish before I’m comfortable considering it a reliable, consistent performer.

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Technologies

The Duskbloods Is New FromSoftware Gaming Action Coming to Switch 2 in 2026

Talk about a surprise for the new Switch.

FromSoftware had a big day with the Switch 2 Direct. The company revealed a new game called The Duskbloods and confirmed that its smash-hit action RPG Elden Ring is coming to the new console, which launches on June 5 for $450.

The Duskbloods is exclusive to the Switch 2, which was a surprise announcement during the Switch 2 Direct. According to FromSoftware, the game is a player vs. player vs. enemy, or PvPvE, online multiplayer game similar to the developer’s upcoming Elden Ring: Nightreign.

Players will be part of the Bloodsworn, which is a group that has «transcended human strength thanks to their special blood.» Each individual will be playing against each other as well as taking on other foes.

The game features some mainstays for FromSoftware games, with a gothic tone and a focus on gore, like its popular Bloodborne game for the PS4. It does appear that characters have a few more abilities than seen in previous games from the cult developer.

The Duskbloods will release sometime in It will be released in 2026.

The Switch 2 will launch on June 5 and preorders will start on April 9 at retailers. The new console will feature plenty of third-party support, with major games like Borderlands 4, Madden and Civilization 7 coming from other publishers.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, April 3

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 3.

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 NYT Mini Crossword has two similar clues, 5-Across and 6-Across. They both play off the same idea — using the first part of two words to make one, all food-related. I didn’t get that at first, so I struggled with those two clues. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. 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 at those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Hit the ___ (go to bed)
Answer: SACK

5A clue: Misleading name for a sub/shish kebab restaurant?
Answer: SUSHI

6A clue: Misleading name for a taco/pasta restaurant?
Answer: TAPAS

7A clue: Certain sports bets
Answer: OVERS

8A clue: Cooped (up)
Answer: PENT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Almost *too* sophisticated and charming
Answer: SUAVE

2D clue: Upscale Colorado skiing destination
Answer: ASPEN

3D clue: Word after bar or pie
Answer: CHART

4D clue: Smooch
Answer: KISS

5D clue: Word on an eight-sided traffic sign
Answer: STOP

How to play more Mini Crosswords

The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2: Everything We Know About the Console, New Games, Release Date

The $450 console will get Mario Kart World at launch, 4K gaming when docked, Switch 2 Edition game enhancements and new mouse controls.

The Nintendo Switch 2 console’s biggest reveal yet arrived Wednesday morning as part of the company’s Nintendo Direct event. This teed up a day of Switch 2 reveals that include its June 5 release date, a $450 price, its specs, and its initial game lineup that extends from launch into 2026.

The console will be further buoyed by having Mario Kart World as a launch title, which will go on sale in either a $500 bundle with the Switch 2 or on its own for $80 — making the open-world racing game one of Nintendo’s most expensive yet. Other games announced, such as Donkey Kong Bananza, are being priced around $70, which matches the cost of 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. That Zelda game and Breath of the Wild are among the original Switch titles that will get enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades, a premium upgrade allowing players to get new features, modes and graphical enhancements that take advantage of the newer system’s capabilities.

Here are the top highlights from Nintendo’s console event, all of the games we’ve heard about so far (including new titles, Nintendo Switch 2 Edition titles and GameCube games coming to Nintendo Switch Online) and all of our coverage so far. You can also check out our Nintendo Switch 2 live blog for even more updates about the Switch 2 as we learn them.

Nintendo Switch 2 console

The Nintendo Switch 2’s specs saw a noticeable technical bump over the Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 7.9-inch, 1080p resolution LCD that supports a 120Hz refresh rate — matching what we now see on most Android phones. When the Switch 2 is docked, compatible games can run in 4K resolution. The new dock also includes a cooling fan.

The Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal storage, and the new Switch 2 Game Cards will load games faster. For digital libraries, however, the Switch 2 will only work with microSD Express cards, which are different from the microSD cards that are compatible with the prior Nintendo Switch. Nintendo will have a Software Transfer feature available to help move games and data from the original Switch to the Switch 2.

The new Joy-Con for the controllers will support mouse controls, and a new C button will be part of a new GameChat communication feature that allows both voice and video chat. There’s also a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing players to see each other.

The Switch 2 also adds a second USB-C port to the top of the system, which Nintendo says can help connect its new camera accessory or charge the console when playing in tabletop mode. Nintendo also revealed a new Switch 2 Pro Controller with the C button and customizable GL and GR buttons on the back.

Following the presentation, Nintendo unveiled the system’s price of $450 in the US. It will also sell the Switch 2 bundled with a digital version of Mario Kart World for $500.

Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World removes its traditional boundaries and lets drivers roam freely across an entire world of race courses. The game will get its own Nintendo Direct later this month, where we’ll see additional details, but we already know it’ll include traditional races and a Free Roam mode, much like in the Forza Horizon series.

Getting the game bundled for an extra $50 on the cost of the Switch 2 might be the move if you are interested in the game, because Nintendo announced on its website that standalone copies of Mario Kart World will cost $80.

Joy-Con 2 C button and GameChat

Nintendo’s rolling out its new C button across several new Switch 2 controllers. The button will be used for the new GameChat communication features without a headset. The button will be used alongside a microphone on the console itself, which Nintendo says can be used whether it’s docked to a TV or in handheld mode.

In its teaser video, Nintendo promises the microphone will be able to cancel out loud background noises. GameChat will also work with a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing video chat and various camera-based game modes in supported titles. GameChat will be free at launch through March 31, 2026.

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games upgrade titles

The Nintendo Switch 2 will play three types of games: original Switch games, Switch 2 games and Switch 2 Edition games that will receive substantial enhancements. For many of these Switch 2 Edition games, you’ll need to buy an upgrade pack if you own the original for Switch. Many of them will get more than just enhanced graphics in the upgrade; for example, Super Mario Party Jamboree will get new games that support the new Joy-Cons’ mouse controls, audio recognition and video camera gameplay options through the Switch 2 Camera.

Other Nintendo Switch games that are getting Switch 2 Edition options include The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Enhancements vary: The Zelda games will start working with a companion phone app for maps and sending schematics to friends, while Kirby will get a new story that’s exclusive to the Switch 2 Edition. On the third-party side, Civilization 7 will get mouse controls.

Nintendo did not announce what upgrade packs will cost. However, some Switch games will get free updates that will improve performance or enhance features when playing them on the Switch 2. The Switch games getting these updates include:

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a new game set in the world of Zelda that tells the story that leads into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This appears to be similar to how Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity told the story of a war that led to the events of Breath of the Wild. The teaser shows Zelda discovering that she’s arrived in the past of Hyrule, and the game will expand on how she gets involved in the corresponding Imprisonment War.

Nintendo Switch 2 games

Several other first- and third-party games were spotlighted during the Switch 2 Direct. These include Donkey Bananza, one of the first 3D platforming games featuring DK since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64. Kirby will also return to the racing genre in Kirby Air Riders, which comes more than 20 years after the GameCube racer Kirby’s Air Ride. DragXDrive will use mouse controls to control a futuristic wheelchair basketball game in which players will simulate push and pull motions to control their character.

An onslaught of Switch 2 third-party games were quickly shuffled through during the Direct, which I list below. An unnamed James Bond game is in development at Hitman studio IO Interactive, as is a darker title from Elden Ring creator FromSoftware called The Duskbloods, which will be exclusive to the Switch 2.

The full list of announced Nintendo Switch 2 games includes:

Borderlands 4
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
Deltarune
Donkey Kong Bananza
Drag x Drive
EA Sports FC
EA Sports Madden NFL
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition
Enter the Gungeon 2
Fast Fusion
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
Fortnite
Hades 2
Hitman World of Assassination — Signature Edition
Hogwarts Legacy
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Kirby Air Riders
Kirby and the Forgotten Land — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Star-Crossed World
Kunitsu-Gai: Path of the Goddess
Mario Kart World
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
NBA 2K
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
Pokemon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Project 007
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Split Fiction
Star Wars Outlaws
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions
Street Fighter 6
Super Mario Party Jamboree — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Jamboree TV
Survival Kids
The Duskbloods
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4
WWE 2K
Yakuza 0 Definitive Edition

Among these titles, you can see the full list of June 5 Switch 2 launch day games here.

Nintendo GameCube library coming to Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch Online game library will add GameCube games to the Switch 2. On launch day, these games will initially include The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, SoulCalibur 2 and F-Zero GX, with each game getting enhanced graphics. Online multiplayer will also be added to certain titles. Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Strikers and Luigi’s Mansion are among the games set to arrive later. At launch, Nintendo will also sell a GameCube controller, which will be wireless and include a C button for GameChat.