Technologies

Playing Silksong on the ROG Xbox Ally X: I’m Ready for More

A clever surprise demo opp was also a great chance to see how Microsoft and Asus’ upcoming handheld feels. I’m impressed.

The biggest game of next week, or weeks, is a long-awaited indie sequel you may have heard of. Hollow Knight: Silksong, which has been expected for years, just dropped like a magic back-to-school gift.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is available for several platforms, including Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation and PC. I got a chance to play it for an hour on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X handheld. This upcoming Windows-based handheld promises better support of Microsoft’s game library and services than previous Windows handhelds offered.

CNET already got a look at the Rog Ally X in person, and a full review will come when the hardware launches in October. I didn’t get to see the OS or Microsoft’s new secret sauce in this device, which may make things work even better, potentially giving the device an advantage over its rivals in the handheld space.

All I did was play some Silksong, a game that doesn’t demand much processing power at all. Much like the original Hollow Knight, the sequel puts you in a subterranean world of murky mazes and charming, but dangerous, bug characters, finding secret switches and doors to open on what, hopefully, is the right way forward.

Silksong looks as lovely as the previous Hollow Knight game, and I can’t wait to wander around longer and discover more of its secrets (and actually go back and play Hollow Knight again). But I was more focused on Ally X’s controls, which felt generous and comfy like an Xbox game controller.

The Ally X’s button layout makes sense, and the analog sticks are solid — not too stiff, not too loose. The trigger placement felt just right. The handheld’s size, while big, didn’t feel too heavy (the Ally X weighs 715 grams, compared to the Steam Deck OLED’s 640 grams). I’m getting used to big gaming handhelds anyway, having spent years with the Steam Deck and now adjusting to the larger Nintendo Switch 2.

I was also impressed by the onboard haptics, which seemed to rumble in subtle ways that felt very organic to the game — in this case, giving me little jolts when hitting (or getting hit) by enemies with Silksong’s sword. The whole handheld feel was as comfy as any regular console controller experience. Like many PC handhelds, the controls felt better than the Switch 2’s. I didn’t accidentally press the shoulder buttons, and the responsive sticks and sturdy grips were useful for quick movement. Also, the d-pad is a great way to play.

But will the Xbox Ally and Ally X transform the Windows gaming handheld landscape, offering something like a true long-awaited Xbox handheld, or will this be a stepping stone to a better one in the future? I have no idea. But I’m as curious as anyone else, especially now that the Switch 2 has opened a larger door into the possibilities of graphics-boosted next-gen handhelds.

Technologies

Google’s Pixel 10A Is Coming to Japan With an Exclusive Blue Edition and Special Wallpaper

This model comes with creatively designed stickers and a special look for Pixel’s 10th anniversary.

Don’t be blue: Google is releasing an Isai blue edition of the Pixel 10A to celebrate the Android phone line’s 10th anniversary, setting it apart with its own sticker set, specialized wallpaper and custom icons. But it’ll only be available in Japan.

Announced Tuesday on the Google Japan blog, the Isai blue Pixel 10A has a dark blue look and includes bonus decorations designed in collaboration with Japan’s Heralbony art company. These include an exclusive bumper case and stickers for customization.

This edition of the Pixel 10A will arrive in Japan on May 20, following the April 14 release of the Pixel 10A in its original colors of lavender, berry, fog and obsidian. The Isai blue model costs 94,900 yen, which roughly translates to $595, and includes 256GB of storage.

This makes it slightly less expensive than the US model’s 256GB edition, but it comes with a number of fun extras at no additional cost.

Google’s creation of a country-specific model for Japan may also reflect strong sales in that market. In 2023, the IDC analytics firm (via 9to5Google) reported that the Pixel 7 series accounted for 10.7% of the country’s market share, a 527% increase from 2022.

Technologies

Can’t Wait for New Emoji? Here’s How to Create Your Own on iPhone

Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhones can create custom emoji in a few easy steps.

Apple brought new emoji to all iPhones when the company released iOS 26.4 on March 24. The new emoji include «🫍» orca, «🫪» distorted face and «🫈» hairy creature — or as we might normally call it, Sasquatch. According to Emojipedia, there are 3,953 emoji with more on the way, including a pickle. But there’s no emoji for a dog wearing pajamas, a plate with burgers and fries and many other things. But if you have Genmoji on your iPhone you can create these emoji and many more.

Apple released iOS 18.2 in 2024 and the company introduced its own emoji generator, called Genmoji, to Apple Intelligence-capable iPhones at that time. The Unicode Standard, a universal character encoding standard, is responsible for creating new emoji, and approved emoji are added to all devices once a year. With Genmoji, you don’t have to wait for new emoji to appear on your iPhone each year. You can just create them as you need them.

Read on to learn how to use Genmoji on iPhone to create your own custom emoji. Just note that only iPhones with Apple Intelligence, like the iPhone 17 lineup, can use Genmoji at this time.

Note: The new emoji may not display correctly for Apple users whose devices aren’t on a 26.4 software version.

How to make custom emoji

1. Open Messages and go into a chat.
2. Tap the plus (+) button next to your text box.
3. Tap Genmoji.

You can then type a description of an emoji into the text box near the bottom of your screen and tap the check mark on your keyboard to enter that description into Genmoji. You can also tap different suggestions and themes that are right above the text box. And with iOS 26 or later, you can also combine and use emoji to create others rather than describing a new emoji or using suggestions.

Your iPhone will generate a series of new emoji for you to pick from according to your description, and you can swipe through these new emoji. When you find the one you want, tap Add in the top right corner of your screen and the new emoji will be available to use as an emoji, tapback or a sticker. Now you don’t have to wait for the Unicode Standard to propose, create and bring new emoji to devices.

For more iOS news, here’s what to know about iOS 26.4 and iOS 26.3. You can also check out our iOS 26 cheat sheet for other tips and tricks.

Technologies

Save Over 20% on This Handy 10,000-mAh Anker Nano Power Bank

Keep your devices charged on the go with this Anker Nano power bank, now down to just $46.

We’ve just spotted the Anker Nano 45-watt portable power bank for just $46 at Amazon right now. This saves you $14 — a 23% discount on its list price. Though it’s $6 more than the lowest-ever price we saw during Black Friday, it’s still a solid discount when you take the rising cost of tech accessories into account. It also matches the lowest price we’ve seen in 2026. It comes in four colors: black, green, pink and white. They’re all on sale for the same price.

This Anker Nano portable charger weighs approximately 8.2 ounces and measures a compact 3.21×1.99×1.42 inches. Despite its small size, it has a retractable cable and supports fast charging in compatible Apple, Samsung, Google Pixel and other smartphones. It also has a large 10,000-mAh capacity and a smart display so you always know how much juice is left in your power bank.

The Nano can charge an iPhone 17 to up to 50% battery in an estimated 20 minutes, and is powerful enough to charge tablets and laptops. Need to charge your devices while charging your power bank? You can do so safely thanks to pass-through charging so you’ll never have to go without battery life.

We’ve also compiled a list of the best power banks for iPhones and for Android, in case this deal isn’t quite a fit for you.

Why this deal matters

If you travel, have a long commute time or are otherwise always on the go, a portable charger can help you keep your devices fully powered. This 45-watt Anker Nano power bank is compact, includes a loop that lets you keep track of it easily and has a built-in cable so you don’t have to keep up with extra cords. Amazon’s $14 discount makes this a solid deal for anyone looking for a compact power bank.