Week in Review: The gaming game is changing, and Microsoft knows it

Plus: Meta continues to annoy people, and Sony looks to be serious about electric cars | It's nearly time for a new Galaxy | Nobody wants the Meta Quest. Nobody Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( January 28, 2022 CONNECT WITH TECH RADAR  [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Youtube]( [Tech Radar]( [Tech Radar]( [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE](  [] Welcome to the Week in Review [] Plus: Meta continues to annoy people, and Sony looks to be serious about electric cars Someone said to me this week, "You used to like phones…" when I said that I'd be more interested in seeing a Samsung Galaxy S pizza oven appear at the brand's upcoming Unpacked 2022 event, at which we're almost certain to see the new Galaxy S22 line of handsets. It's true, I did use to like phones back when I was the editor of TechRadar's phones channel, but things have changed, and phones just don't spark the same level of excitement in me as they did back in 2012. But that doesn't mean the Samsung launch will be a non-event – the new phone looks pretty nifty, actually – and I'm also intrigued by what the South Korean electronics powerhouse is doing in the area of folding phones. It's way too early to be marketing foldables as hard as Samsung is in my opinion… which tells me the company is scared of the hype a foldable iPhone is going to generate if and when it emerges. Anyway, let's get on with this week's missive – and don't miss this week's sign-off science story, a touching tale of friendship in whale world… Gareth Beavis, Global Editor-in-Chief [] Start with This [] [It's nearly time for a new Galaxy]( [It's nearly time for a new Galaxy]( We're about to see a successor to 2021's Galaxy S21, above (Samsung) We don't know for certain that the new Galaxy S22 family will be unveiled on February 9, but it's pretty clear that "The next generation of Galaxy S" that Samsung referred to in a blog post can't mean anything else (even if I wish it was a pizza oven). While there doesn't appear to be anything groundbreaking about the new phones, based on the leaks and rumors we've seen, what we expect will be the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus and S22 Ultra are all going to be high-end phones, with the latter taking the place of the Galaxy Note by being super-powerful and packing S Pen support. Take a gander at our [fully-stocked rumors hub](, where we've spent the last year dissecting everything that's emerged about the S22 range… hopefully you'll be a bit more excited than I am. [] This is Big [] [Nobody wants the Meta Quest. Nobody]( [Nobody wants the Meta Quest. Nobody]( The Oculus Quest 2 will become the Meta Quest 2 (Boumen Japet / Shutterstock) Facebook rebranding itself as Meta is still one of the most irritating things that happened in 2021 – and that's saying something. It's not just that it allows the brand to pretend that any new products are nothing to do with the ubiquitous social network, it's also that Meta is starting to suck up other products in a really confusing way. It started with the Facebook Portal, the video-calling smart display, which is supposedly now called the Meta Portal, although both versions exist on the official website. And now the company's VR headset brand Oculus – a perfectly good name – [is changing to Meta](. So goodbye Oculus Quest, hello Meta Quest. Just why Zuck? Featured Content Sponsored Content from Gigabyte [Unleash your gaming potential with Gigabyte Aero laptops]( When it comes to editing and rendering, performance is all that matters to content creators. Inspired by the "performance-above- all" mentality, Gigabyte delivers to the market a solution that satisfies the most fastidious content creators, the Aero laptop series. [Read more and enter to win a 15" Aero laptop]( [] Know This [] [The Sony electric car might actually be a thing]( [The Sony electric car might actually be a thing]( Sony unveiled its Vision-S 02 concept electric car at CES 2022 (Sony) When Sony announced that it was 'exploring' the possibility of making its own electric car at CES this year it was hard to believe that the company would actually follow through on the idea. Not only was it difficult to see what the brand would gain by entering such a competitive market, but there was also the question of how it would do so – making PlayStations is a far cry from building a five-door family saloon. However, [this piece]( sheds a lot more light on the situation. It's rumored that Sony wants to get into the EV (electric vehicle) space not just because it's a market that's set to boom in the coming years, but also so that it can serve its own subscription services and content to drivers and passengers. The company has apparently started inking a few manufacturing partnerships, so perhaps this 'exploration' process is further along than we'd previously thought. [] POLL QUESTION: What's the best thing Sony has ever made? [Vote]( [The Walkman]( [Vote]( [The PlayStation]( [Vote]( [Xperia phones]( [Vote]( [Other - TVs, headphones etc]( [] Read This [] [Can $1 earbuds ever be any good?]( [Can $1 earbuds ever be any good?]( When it comes to earbuds, it seems you really do get what you pay for (Future) If you want to skip to the next section, I can give you a spoiler: [no, they can't](. But our Senior Home Entertainment Editor Nick Pino was brave enough to find out, spending an hour or so having his ears assaulted by these terrible pieces of 'technology'. From the sound to the fit, there's so much that's wrong here – but what's worse, the bargain buds seemed to (thankfully temporarily) injure Nick's ears, giving him what felt like a mild ear infection. While the piece is a fun read, it was Nick's suggestions for alternative cheap headphones that really got my attention – you can get Sony earbuds for under $10? Now that sounds like a bargain… [] What About This? [] [Microsoft may soon be able to forget about Sony]( [Microsoft may soon be able to forget about Sony]( Big plans: Xbox head and CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer (Christian Petersen / Getty Images) I love it when we get new voices on the site, and we've got an excellent new voice in the shape of Patrick Dane, our new Gaming Guides Editor. He's been thinking hard about the effect that Microsoft's buying Activision Blizzard will have on the gaming industry, and he's written a [well-thought-out piece]( about how Microsoft's competition is no longer just Nintendo and Sony – it's increasingly Facebook and Google too. While it's unlikely that Sony et al are going to be shoved out of the gaming space any time soon – the popularity of the PS5 tells us that – with Facebook, Amazon and Google all making kissy faces at gamers it might not be too long before things begin to change in a big way. If it becomes less about the hardware and more about the content, then by having a foot in both camps, as well as streaming games, Microsoft will be in a prime position. It's a fascinating read, and I urge you to check it out if you want a better understanding of where the world of gaming may be headed. [] Don't Miss This [] [Praise be, Carrie found her AirTag!]( [Praise be, Carrie found her AirTag!]( (Future) Regular readers will be familiar with the trials and tribulations of our Homes Editor Carrie-Ann Skinner, who lost her AirTag in a forest a couple of months back because she'd bought a cheap holder for it. The forest was too far away for her to easily drive back to, but Carrie also wasn't certain that she'd be able to find her AirTag if she did, as even using Apple's location tech she might wander straight past it if had become embedded in mud. So she thought that was the last she'd see of it – but then came a phone call from Carl… If you like a story with a happy ending, read Carrie's account of how she was [reunited with her AirTag]( – in particular to find out just how hard Carl had to work to get it back to her. [] The Sign Off [] [Killer whales reveal their soft side]( [Killer whales reveal their soft side]( Killers or kindly? Orcas appear to have rescued a trapped humpback whale (Whale Watch Western Australia/YouTube) I love [this story]( for so many reasons. For one thing, it's not the letdown that this video of the Mars-trekking Perseverance Rover proved to be – [yes, it spat out a rock](, but no, it was not interesting. This is a story that raises the question of whether orcas, or killer whales, are capable of empathy. John Loeffler does a much better job of telling it than me, but long story short: a humpback whale is trapped in a net. Orcas circle it, presumably with the intention of killing it, but then instead they appear to rescue it before swimming off. Were they just too lazy to kill the helpless humpback? Or are orcas capable of the kind of cognizant, emotion-based decision-making that we humans pride ourselves for? Either way, the last line made me chuckle – read it yourself and you'll see why. [] This is from the editor [] It's been a bumper edition this week, with lots of big things happening in the tech world – although I can't stop thinking about those killer whales. Were they really being nice? Were they just playing the long game and planning to eventually take out the humpback? Who knows. If you enjoyed the ride with me – and you almost certainly will have if you read Nick's piece on the $1 earbuds – then please spread the word and encourage your friends and family to [sign up]( for this newsletter. And if you'd like to [email me](mailto:gareth.beavis@futurenet.com), including NEWSLETTER in the subject line, I'll endeavor to answer any questions you might have. Or you can just send me nice thoughts – either way I love hearing from you. See you next week! Sharing TechRadar with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/techradar/?referrerId=mvfLmxwvzC   [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Policy]( | [Cookies Policy]( | [Terms and Conditions]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:techradar@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE]( © Future Publishing Limited. Reg No. 2008885 England. Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA.