Best gadgets for your home: Tech Awards 2021 Editor's Choice Results (Part 2)

Note: This feature was first published on 7 Apr 2021.

The very best devices for your home (Tech Awards 2021)

Home is where the heart is and that saying is even more true with the pandemic. Although it looks like we could be approaching the light at the end of the tunnel, widespread travel is not likely to resume at least until the second half of this year. Therefore, it makes sense to invest in the best electronic devices and gadgets for your home. Imagine being stuck at home with a crummy TV and patchy Wi-Fi. Nobody wants that.

Luckily for you, for Tech Awards 2021, we have gathered and tested all the major devices you'd need to make your home a comfortable living space.

• Best TV
• Best Home Entertainment Projector
• Best Ultraportable Notebook
• Best Home Printer
• Best Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Networking System
• Best Premium Smartphone
• Best Gaming Console
• Game of the Year
• Innovation Awards

Other segments include the Best devices for your Home (this article), Mobile gadgets, Work and Gaming. Not to forget, our Readers' Choice results for the Best Tech Brands. 

Read on and find out who the winners are in each category! For this segment, we begin with the centrepiece of all living rooms – TVs.

Best TV

4K TVs are a dime a dozen these days and it's no longer a spec or feature you would necessarily be chasing. These days, you can get a fairly usable 4K TV for just S$700 (or less). So what makes a great TV these days?

A TV with a great UI, excellent support for the latest HDR standards, a screen that can express millions of colours vibrantly and brightly (and not dumb things down), offer a wide viewing angle that all your family members can enjoy the screen anywhere in the room, use AI processing to improve and enhance any content type you can throw at it, support high refresh rates synced to the source output for tear-free and super smooth gaming with high-performance PCs and the latest game consoles, smart home integration, voice recognition, a capable audio subsystem, and a first-rate cabinet design that will dazzle your visitors (and yourself).

All of the above necessitates the very best TVs in the market that would support the HDMI 2.1 feature set to support high frame rate (HFR) in 8K and 4K content, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) to better support gaming needs, enhanced HDMI Audio Return Channel (eARC) to support higher bandwidth uncompressed audio formats and newer object-based audio positioning to tackle Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and more. These are usually reserved for top-tier TV models that are usually supported by the latest TV processors used, but aside from supporting the latest features, the ability to translate all the digital video and audio signals to evoke a reaction from the human senses, the way you interact with the TV and how it responds in its visual presence, be it in design or aurally, is what sets apart basic and good TVs from the very best in the market.

While this year's award segment was really to find the Best TV launched in 2020, in our process of testing and gathering relevant comparison details, screen sizes and their respective prices played out an interesting twist for recommendations where 4K models were better suited up to certain screen sizes (and technically, it made sense too), while 8K models were a much better fit for larger screen sizes. As such, without further ado, let us tell you the best TV models you can buy right now for the two most upgraded screen sizes as far as premium TVs are concerned - the Best 65-inch TV and the Best 75-inch TV.

Side note: Though 2021 TV models are just about trickling down to the market, it's unfortunate that we can't yet qualify 2021 TVs because not all the options are available yet for our testing at the point of concluding Tech Awards, while many models have yet to be released until later this year.

Nominees:

• LG CX 4K OLED TV
• Samsung Q950T QLED 8K TV
• Sony A8H OLED 4K TV

Best 65-inch TV

LG continues to keep their OLED TV offerings fairly straightforward as you'll get all the important features in both their mainstream CX OLED and the more refined Gallery GX OLED lineup. As such, it's only to be expected that most buyers would opt for the more affordable CX OLED offering, which is what we've qualified in our assessment.

We found the LG CX 4K OLED TV offered great picture quality, with deep blacks, excellent contrast, pleasing colours and very wide viewing angles — just like all the LG OLED TVs that came before it and you won't be disappointed. The CX also supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, HDMI 2.1, NVIDIA G-Sync, FreeSync VRR and HGiG, as well as LG ThinQ AI smarts like smart home/IoT control and voice recognition — again, features that are all found on the higher-end Gallery GX model.

At the 65-inch size bracket, you have a lot of contenders and considerations to tackle. From a value perspective, the LG CX OLED is the cheapest option and given its stellar performance, it looks like the best option if you don't necessarily need a TV to be used in a very bright room. Sony's A8H and LG's CX are neck and neck in terms of picture quality and price but the A8H is hampered (if you’re a gamer) by its lack of HDMI 2.1 and associated features such as VRR and ALLM, even if it has better audio placement thanks to its Acoustic Surface Audio system. However, audio is subjective and in that sense, LG seems to be better placed where ticking the core checkboxes are concerned. Besides, Sony's TV interface and remote look a little dated.

This brings us to the next point where you would have to consider your viewing habits such as watching a lot of HDR content and bright room usage needs because these are areas where Samsung QLED TVs generally excel. Besides the inky blacks of OLED and G-Sync support, the newest QLED TVs perform just as well as the LG CX. The overly expensive Samsung Q950T even has the 8K resolution advantage, but it may not be obvious on a 65-inch screen to justify the premium even if its official price point bundles in a powerful S$2,599 Samsung HW-Q950T soundbar.

Samsung also has other high-end TV variants like the Q95T, a premium 4K TV at half the price of the Q950T and is a credible alternative to the LG CX. The Samsung Q95T offers better design (than the LG) and has useful audio features like object tracking sound for 3D sound even from stereo tracks, active voice amplification and more that are also present on the Q950T. Additionally, Samsung's One Invisible Connection and One Connect Box are thoughtful features for the modern home that we don't see elsewhere. There's also the Q800T model, which is a QLED 8K TV but with less design finesse and fewer frills. This will also net you a powerful soundbar as part of the official recommended retail price so that you can enjoy Atmos and Samsung's Q-Symphony feature. If you factor in the cost of the soundbar alone, the price of the Q800T is pretty close to LG's price point. In short, the Samsung QLEDs are every bit a consideration at the 65-inch size and you can't go wrong with either brand.

In the end, the LG CX OLED just happens to make the choice easier with a lower price tag, packs in all the essential features needed and offers great overall performance — a very easy winning combo that gets our nod for the Best 65-inch TV. On a related note, LG CX OLED also comes in sizes as small as a 48-incher which is perfect as the ultimate bedroom TV or an oversized desktop monitor for work and games.

Best 75-inch TV

If you decide to go bigger, OLED screens tend to be expensive compared to LED-backlit based options. For instance, the 77-inch 4K CX retails for S$18K and that's several grand more than the 75-inch 4K Q95T. At this sticker price, you can opt to get the Q950T, which remember, is an 8K TV. Basically, at 75-inch sizes and above, Samsung typically offers more options that are more attractively priced and pack extras to tip the value scale further in their favour.

At this size, Samsung's top-end Q950T model finally allows you to experience 8K TV resolution goodness in all its glory and you can truly start to appreciate the extra resolution that Samsung can pump out. Like last year, the TV's greatest strength is it can go really bright, which means the picture will look good whether you’re using it in a bright or dark room. And if you enjoy watching HDR content, the increased brightness comes in handy to enhance realism. Coupled with an Ultra Viewing Angle tech that solves past viewing angle problems, this TV can produce pretty convincing blacks and well defined bright objects without blooming. Of course OLEDs can still trump black levels (and thus contrast), there's so much more to the Samsung flagship TV than just its display.

A fantastic Infinity Screen design that has 'deleted' all bezels and defies TV manufacturing, zero-gap wall mounting, Samsung's One Invisible Connection and One Connect box to help you easily manage connectivity options flexibly and without the cable mess, convincing Object Tracking Sound with audio content that's not explicitly coded such, a 4.2.2 multi-channel audio system, Q-Symphony feature to take advantage of speakers on the TV and selected Samsung soundbars collectively, Real Game Enhancer+ takes care of everything a gamer needs (minus official G-Sync support) and other convenience features like Tap View to cast your phone's screen effortlessly, or indulge in Multi-View to enjoy various screen inputs simultaneously, as well as Google Assistant Support.

The list is dizzyingly long and unique to Samsung's top-end TV models and if you can appreciate these creature comforts, along with the 8K resolution upsize bonanza, Samsung's Q950T QLED 8K TV is an ideal companion if you're looking to get the best overall experience with a really large screen TV. Best of all, you're not paying more than what the competition commands and Samsung is actually bundling in their top-end soundbar for you to enjoy Dolby Atmos and Samsung's Q-Symphony feature for a powerful audio experience.

All said and done, the Samsung Q950T QLED 8K TV is our pick for the Best 75-inch TV in the market.

What if you plan to go even bigger? Samsung has an 85-inch model at S$30k, while LG offers their Signature ZX, an 8K OLED TV that’s only available in 88-inch screen size for an eye tearing price of S$60k. So in some sense, the bigger you go, Samsung's QLED TV options offer more value.

 

References

• LG CX 4K OLED TV review
• Samsung Q950T QLED 8K TV review
• Sony A8H OLED 4K TV review

Best Home Entertainment Projector

2020 saw people hunkering down in their homes for extended periods and parents trying to keep their sanity by entertaining their kids while also trying to get work done at home.  Some say it's the curse of Covid-19, while others say it helped bring families closer. To increase the entertainment options and in a big way, home projectors were highly promoted by many of the usual vendors. Portable ones might seem handy and an easy way to add fun to any room easily. However, they still lack the vividness and brightness to hold the attention of young ones.

All said and done, you really do need a proper home projector to bring the fun home in a big way and with the impact that the projector companies want you to enjoy. Two years back, we assessed expensive home theatre class projectors that focus on bringing the finest in imaging on the big screen and cost well above S$7,000. 

This year, we're focusing on projectors that a tier below and are designed to perform in both bright and dark rooms, upscale content to 4K resolution, cast content from your phones, output from your game console or even the traditional TV box. These Home Entertainment class of projectors are made to tackle a wider variety of content options and genres that stretch from playing your favourite games, watching the latest sports tournament and of course, binge-watching your favourite serials or immersing yourselves in the latest box office movie release from the heart of your home.

To further qualify for our Tech Awards 2021 assessment, the project must have been launched within the last 12 to 15 months (projector refresh cycles don't happen often and not to mention the supply chain logistics disruption caused by Covid-19, hence we've extended the timeline), and priced around S$2,000.

So, for 2021, these boundaries brought us to qualify two 4K home entertainment class projectors for our assessment.

And the nominees are…

• BenQ TK800M
• Epson EH-TW7000

And the winner is…

Both projectors had the same basic specs, brightness levels, connectivity options etc., but the BenQ TK800M was easier to set up, more user-friendly and had better playback results.

The TK800M isn’t an ultra-short-throw projector but you can still get to project 100 inches across at about 3.3 meters from the screen. Even though it needs a fair bit of space between the screen and itself, fortunately, it is the more compact of the two models tested, is lighter and has a more modern vibe going for it.

One handy feature the TK800M had was excellent auto keystone correction. This allowed it to correct any screen distortion from misaligned placement during our setup and offers your more leeway to place the projector in your home. In fact, that was one of the standout things we liked about this projector. It was extremely user-friendly. Finding the right option you needed, or getting it set up to what you wanted was very straight forward without you needing to jump through hoops. In fact, we were up and running in around 20 minutes from unpacking the unit.

For playback, we found the projector's bright 3,000 lumens output was enough to produce 8.3 million pixels for 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) upscaled performance. HDR and HDR10 support allows for auto colour mapping, which is DCI-P3 and BT. 2020 compatible, bringing out life-like colour and tone rendering image to your big screen in the living room.

We found the TK800M had no problems handling our video materials to test its colour gamut. Blues and reds came out distinct and with little oversaturation. There was little motion blur noted while viewing the challenging escape scene from “The Martian” early in the movie. Our 4K video was played back with breath-taking graphics and colours along with crisp and sharp motion.

BenQ has also added a number of viewing modes, Football, Sport, Bright, Vivid TV and Cinema Mode, to the TK800M. Swapping between each optimises the projector for each genre although we found we preferred to use Vivid as the default mode for most viewing options.

In terms of connectivity options, the TK800M has two HDMI ports (one is HDCP 2.2 compliant for 4K devices, and the other is for 1080p devices), a VGA port, 3.5 mm audio in and out, and the power supply. The USB port can also be used to connect to a USB Wi-Fi dongle so it can connect to a home network. The projector also packs a usable speaker within its housing should you want a hassle-free and immediate playback.

Considering all the usability and performance aspects, we chose the BenQ TK800M as the winner for 2021 in our new Best Home Entertainment Projector category.

 

*Note: Prices and ratings listed are accurate at the time of individual product evaluation.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed in the References section below.

References

• BenQ TK800M review coming soon
• Epson EH-TW7000 review coming soon

Best Ultraportable Notebook

Advances in processor technologies and materials have made ultraportable notebooks incredibly thin, light, and powerful. Many ultraportable notebooks today only weigh a kilogram or less and can easily run for hours. Support for new technologies like Thunderbolt 4 also means these notebooks can be docked when users get home, which improves performance and functionality. Notebook manufacturers across the board have also made significant improvements in design and features, offering larger trackpads, better quality displays, and better connectivity options. Overall, these attributes make ultraportable notebooks the weapon of choice for many users.

To make the cut for this year’s awards, the notebook must be among the slimmest and lightest in the brand's lineup, and it must have been announced in the last 12 months. It can be a traditional notebook or a convertible or detachable. It can have discrete or integrated graphics and it must run Windows OS. After all, anyone who needs an Apple (or Mac) machine won't be needing comparisons like this. Finally, it must be powered by a full Intel Core processor (no ultra-low-voltage variants) or an AMD equivalent.

Nominees:

• Acer Swift 5
• ASUS ZenBook 14 Ultralight
• Dell XPS 13
• Huawei MateBook 14 AMD
• Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon
• LG gram 14
• MSI Prestige 14
• Razer Book 13

And the winner is...

2020 had been an excellent year for ultraportable notebooks. Not only did they get thinner, lighter, more powerful, many also had excellent displays, features, and connectivity. It's hard to go wrong with any of them. However, one notebook stood tall among the competition and that notebook was the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon.

Lenovo gave its notebook lineup a thorough revamp this year and the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon is arguably the jewel of the bunch. It does many things right and it checks a lot of boxes. To start, the design is clean and it's crazy light. Thanks to the use of magnesium alloy and carbon fibre, the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon weighs just 966g, making it the lightest notebook in its category. The 13.3-inch display is notable because it has a QHD resolution (2,560 x 1,440 pixels.) This offers a terrific blend of visual quality and power efficiency (without having to use a 4k panel). Performance is generally above average and battery life is great considering the high-resolution display. One could complain about the Yoga Slim 7i Carbon's lack of USB-A ports but at least it has three USB-C ports. All three ports support power-charging and two of which supports Thunderbolt 4. If that's not enough, Lenovo also throws in a port expander which gives you access to full-sized HDMI and USB-A ports. But best of all, it comes at a dollar under S$2,000, which makes it great value for money for all the good qualities it offers. Overall, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon is the most well-rounded ultraportable notebook we have tested so far.

Here's a small snapshot of results from our full shootout article:-

*Note: Prices and ratings listed are accurate at the time of individual product evaluation.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed in the References section below.

References

• Acer Swift 5 review
• ASUS ZenBook 14 Ultralight review
• Dell XPS 13 review
• Huawei MateBook 14 AMD review
• Lenovo Yoga 7i Carbon review
• LG gram 14 review
• MSI Prestige 14 review
• Razer Book 13 review

Best Home Printer

In the home, whether for home or SOHO use, we still mostly rely on inkjet printers. They offer the best mix of functionality, cost-effectiveness, and quality. And even better for consumers like us, printer manufacturers have realised that we are sensitive to cost and have made smart tank, or ink tank printers mainstream product releases.

For this category, we tested two ink tank printers from HP and Canon that fit within our qualification timeline. They are both about S$350 (or below) AIO printers that can scan, copy, print, and have ink tanks for CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black). If you're looking for options to manage high print volume, more paper handling options and to serve a group of users, we've some serious options covered from last year's shootout.

Without further ado, here are the contenders and who made the list for the Best Home Printer:-

Nominees:

• Canon Pixma G3060
• HP Smart Tank 615

And the winner is…

This time around, with only two printers in the category, there was one that had an advantage from the start. The HP Smart Tank 615 offered the best mix of performance and cost-efficiencies. It was also the clear winner in terms of features as it came with an ADF that can hold up to 35 pages, a 100-sheet paper tray, and a 2.2-inch touchscreen display.

The HP Smart Tank 615 ships with a complete set of ink bottles. The 135ml Black has a print yield of 6,000 pages while the coloured bottles of Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow can print up to 8,000 pages.

In terms of print quality, both printers were fairly close to each other. These days, the print quality output on the affordable printer models are good enough that only minute differences in areas such as brightness, vibrance, and bleeding are the only way to tell them apart.

However, print speed is still a big differentiator among different printer classes and even within the same group. Using a four-page test document print run, which is part of our gamut of printer tests, the HP Smart Tank 615 was found to be 30 seconds faster. A print run of the same document five times saw a three-minute difference.

Furthermore, thanks to its auto document feeder (ADF) functionality and 2.2-inch touchscreen display, the HP Smart Tank 615 was a clear winner in features, as well as in printing, scanning and copying tasks.

Without an ADF, the Canon Pixma G3060 simply can’t compete as each page needs to be manipulated manually to be scanned and copied. Plus, the small two-line mono display was barely adequate compared to the 2.2-inch touchscreen display of the HP Smart Tank 615.

*Note: Prices and ratings listed are accurate at the time of individual product evaluation.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed in the References section at the end.

References

• Canon Pixma G3060 review  (HWM)
• HP Smart Tank 615 review (HWM)

Best Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Networking System

The adoption of Wi-Fi 6 has been swift. Nearly every new smartphone, tablet, and notebook worth buying today supports it. Wi-Fi 6 improves overall networking performance in two ways. The first is by increasing data transfer rates by increasing the maximum amount of data that can be carried by each stream. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it enables routers and compatible devices to communicate with each other simultaneously – something that cannot be done using the older Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) technology. Do check out this Wi-Fi 6 (Wireless 802.11ax) guide for more details.

To make the cut for this year’s awards, the mesh networking system must have been released in the past year and it must be the company’s flagship tri-band system.

Nominees:

• ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8)
• Linksys Velop MX5300
• Netgear Orbi RBK853
• TP-Link Deco X90

And the winner is...

The ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8) was our undisputed winner in this category. It’s a very strong all-round system. To start, it’s the most compact mesh networking system. And while it may be small, it doesn’t skimp on connectivity. It’s packed with features and backed by a strong router management system, making it easy to it set up and configure options like port forwarding and parental controls. It also supports ASUS’ AiMesh technology so you can create a mesh network if you have other compatible ASUS routers. Performance was top-notch too, especially in mesh networking mode. Lastly, it’s reasonably priced and considerably more affordable than some of its rivals. With these in mind, it’s easy to see why it’s the winner.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed in the References section below.

References

• Wi-Fi 6 mesh networking shootout - coming soon

Best Premium Smartphone

The best smartphone category is always tightly contested, and this year is no different with great phones from the world's major smartphone brands. Make no mistake though, as in this premium category, we’re judging design, build, benchmark performance, battery life, imaging competence, display quality, audio quality, handling, as well as any other extra features like advanced biometric security, AI capabilities, stylus and much more that go towards improving the phone's usage experience.

To make the cut, the phone has to be released in 2020 and has to be the brand's flagship offering that best embodies everything it has to offer - beyond just top phone specs.

Nominees:

• Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
• ASUS ROG Phone 3
• Huawei P40 Pro+ (the Mate 40 Pro is newer, but it's not as competitive)
• OnePlus 8 Pro
• Oppo Find X2 Pro
• Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra

And the winner is...

This year, the best overall smartphone goes to the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max. It's no secret that the iPhone 12 series had stellar general performance, but it also clocked the longest battery uptime we've ever tested in an iPhone handset. When it comes to power, it delivers both ways. 

That's not to say that the other phones that made the cut aren't up to par. It was so competitive, so Apple's attention to detail was the tie-breaker for many of these equally competent phones.

While the imaging capabilities aren't visibly better than its other variants, photo-taking for the Pro Max has been easier in many meaningful ways with the Apple phone. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has a sensor-shift stabiliser, a 47% larger main camera sensor, and many minor imaging changes befitting of a top-end, premium flagship device. That's a huge quality-of-life upgrade for the average person who just wants a good photo in minimal tries.

And, if you're from the professional side, the addition of 10-bit HDR and Dolby Vision recording, along with Apple Pro RAW, makes it so much better than before for purists.

Couple all that with its premium build quality (made from stainless steel and finished with an electromagnetic coating process), it's excellent display (OLED at 2,778 x 1,284 pixels resolution), and checking all the boxes for a premium phone (water resistance, wireless charging, 5G readiness), it's really hard to say no to the latest top-end iPhone. Just ask the iOS camp - or us.

*Note: Prices and ratings listed are accurate at the time of individual product evaluation.

For more information on how the nominees fared in detail and thus helping us pick our winner, check out the full reviews and articles listed in the References below.

References

• Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max review
• ASUS ROG Phone 3 hands-on
• Huawei P40 Pro+ review
• OnePlus 8 Pro review
• Oppo Find X2 Pro review
• Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra review

Best Noise-cancelling headphones

We may not be able to travel now but that doesn’t mean you should junk our noise-cancellation headphones. What used to be an invaluable tool in the skies has now become an indispensable companion for working at home. At home, these headphones are excellent at nullifying noises from the environment and creating a silent cocoon in which to do your work. And even if you aren’t working at home, they are equally adept at cancelling out external noises during your commute so that you can better enjoy your music. Furthermore, their wireless nature means we are not encumbered by our source and have the freedom to move around.

To make the cut for this year’s award, the headphone must be the flagship of the brand, have an over-ear design, wireless, equipped with active noise-cancellation technology and released in the year of 2020. 

Nominees:

• Apple AirPods Max
• B&O Beoplay H95
• Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Carbon Edition
• Harman Kardon Fly ANC
• Huawei FreeBuds Studio
• JBL Tune 750BTANC
• Marshall Monitor II ANC
• Microsoft Surface Headphones 2
• Sony WH-1000XM4

And the winner is...

The Sony WH-1000XM4 is the company’s fourth-generation flagship wireless noise-cancelling headphone. Unsurprisingly, it is Sony’s most accomplished yet. It improves on its predecessors in almost every single way. Comfort is better thanks to plusher earpads and it’s now more convenient to use thanks to the ability to connect to two devices simultaneously. Active noise-cancellation has also been improved thanks to a new Bluetooth Audio SoC that samples noise at over 700 times a second, making the WH-1000XM4 more adept that nullifying higher frequency sounds like human conversations. Audio performance remains respectable with deep impactful bass and a fun sound signature. Battery life is one of the best in the business at 30 hours long. And while we may not be able to fly anytime soon, the WH-1000XM4’s foldable design means it can be carried easily in a bag.

Overall, I cannot think of a better pair of headphones to have with me at all times.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed in the References section below.

References

• Apple AirPods Max
• Beoplay H95 review coming soon
• Harman Kardon Fly ANC review coming soon
• Huawei FreeBuds Studio review coming soon
• JBL tune 750BTANC review coming soon
• Marshall Monitor II ANC review coming soon
• Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 review coming soon
• Sony WH-1000XM4 review

Best Gaming Console

2020 was a historic year in gaming, as it saw the launch of a brand-new generation of consoles. Much like the last console generation, it came down to a contest between Microsoft and Sony - although this time, the competition felt a lot more fierce. Both companies' new consoles did a great job in offering interesting features to satisfy different audiences, but there's only one 'Best Gaming Console' award to give.

We compared each console's features, performance, launch titles and controller design to decide where that award would go. 

Nominees:

• PlayStation 5
• Xbox Series X

And the winner is...

The PlayStation 5 is our pick for Best Gaming Console of 2021. While Microsoft’s Xbox Series X was a solid runner-up, the PS5 simply launched with a more enticing set of updates, a fantastic lineup of launch titles and a great controller. 

It’s hard to actually see how much of an upgrade your next-generation console is without games that take advantage of its technology, and the PS5 had Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Astro’s Playroom and Demon’s Souls for that purpose at launch - three must-play games for all who own the console. The new DualSense controller is a huge upgrade from the DualShock 4 in our opinion, being a lot heftier and easier to wrap our hands around for hours at a time. New controller features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers further immerse players into exclusives like Miles Morales and Demon’s Souls, and even older titles like Fortnite and Warframe. Astro’s Playroom also acted as a fantastic tutorial for the DualSense’s capabilities.

Visually, the PS5 stands out a lot more than its peers too. It’s a far cry from the black rectangles of old, and certainly a lot bolder than Microsoft’s simple black brick design for the Xbox Series X. When you’ve actually booted the console up, its user-friendly interface lets you navigate menus and start up games with little effort while also being easy on the eyes - we really like the new cosmic visuals. Blazing fast loading times and an integrated PlayStation Store also allow you to hop in and out of apps with very little waiting time, which is a massive boon all on its own. It even allows you to upgrade and expand the storage via a standard PC SSD stick - a big cost savings solution as compared to the ridiculously overpriced, proprietary, Seagate-made expansion card for the Xbox Series X.

The PS5 also comes with faster USB transfer speed and Wi-Fi 6 too, ensuring a better future-proof investment than the Xbox Series X. In short, Sony’s PlayStation 5 console launched with great games to play, a great controller to play them with and a list of other perks that made it worth the purchase in 2020 (and even now). You also have the option of getting a disc drive-less version of the console, if you prefer going digital or want to save some cash.

For more information on the nominees, check out the articles listed in the References below.

References

• PlayStation 5 
• DualSense controller
• Xbox Series X review
• Xbox Series S
• Xbox Series X|S controller

Game of the Year

Putting together a list of the best games of the year is always an incredibly difficult task. There are so many titles to consider for the different genres and platforms - and most turn out to be great in their own ways. Despite the pandemic, 2020 was no exception to this rule, bringing us masterpieces like Doom Eternal and The Last of Us Part II, and the industry continued growing steadily as more people turned to gaming to stave off cabin fever.

TL; DR: there were many, many games that we loved playing, and finding our game of the year was no easy task. We went through and re-evaluated them on every possible criteria – gameplay, visual fidelity, audio design and most importantly, the fun factor.

Accordingly, we've cut the list down to just five GOTY nominees. Out of these five incredible titles however, one game stands out from the rest, delivering an experience that's not only streamlined, engaging and dynamic, but above all, immensely enjoyable.

For more details on how we selected our winners, check out the full reviews and articles listed in the References section below.

 

Nominees:
 

• The Last of Us Part II

The discourse around The Last of Us Part 2 is well-worn territory at this point, but there is so much about this game that Naughty Dog simply knocked out of the park. On a gameplay level, it takes the stealth and crafting elements of the first game and amps it all up, throwing in a better level design that also affords the player more options in how they want to tackle a tense situation. The core gameplay loop of fighting through enemies (or finding ways to get around them) and learning about the fallen world via notes and environmental clues in between story beats is admirable in its worldbuilding.

The story has been the subject of intense debate, but we believe that it is the only way to move Ellie and Joel’s journey forward in a way that not only makes sense for this world, but feels true to its characters. Visually, it’s nigh-photorealistic at times, and fantastic performances from the main cast coupled with Naughty Dog’s incredible motion capture tech bring this grim story to life with aplomb. 

• Final Fantasy VII Remake

Honestly, this nomination should be a no-brainer. Taking to the streets of the Mako-churning metropolis, Midgar as Cloud Strife again in the Final Fantasy VII Remake is truly an experience to remember, and it's obvious that Square Enix has spared no expense bringing this marvellous world to life.

Each environment from the original game has been expanded upon with gorgeous visuals and a jaw-dropping sense of scale. Boss fights are epic and intense, owing to a fantastic battle system that seamlessly blended turn-based and real-time combat for something truly unique. Characters like Tifa, Barret and Aerith returned (with Yuffie on her way as well!), and we got to spend so much more time with them and learn what makes them tick. There's still a lot more where that came from, though - we haven’t even gotten to play its upgraded PlayStation 5 version yet!

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons

For a game that almost immediately saddles you with a mountain of debt, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is far cosier than it has any right to be. Playing this game is akin to lying in bed on a rainy day, binge-watching anime with a cup of hot cocoa. You can’t not love it. Nintendo’s sequel in a beloved franchise sports an adorable art style, wonderful music, lovable villagers and the ability to build an entire island paradise from the ground up. This is a game we’ve returned to again and again since its launch last year, and there’s always something new to dig into. 

Even if there isn’t, why wouldn’t we want to drop by and say hi to Marina? What’s that, Marina? You want to leave? Oh, my sweet summer child. No one leaves this place. No. One.

• Doom Eternal

“There is only one dominant life form in this universe, and it carries a steel-barreled sword of vengeance.” Doom Eternal is an absolutely brilliant first-person shooter, perhaps even one of the best of all time. Gorgeous environments and varied level design provide jaw-dropping setpieces for players to explore in between all their demon-slaying.

Boss battles are showstoppers, and then they become dime-a-dozen enemies in brutally chaotic fights later on in the game. The bone-crunching sound design and head-bopping soundtrack pulls you through all this mayhem, as you hop from one demon to the next in search of something bigger and stronger to tear apart. Our hats are well and truly off - Id Software has perfected the Doom formula after more than 20 years with the franchise, and that is truly admirable. We can’t wait to see what they do next. 

• Ori and the Will of the Wisps

If you think it's odd that a platformer has made it all the way to our top five, rest assured that we were just as surprised as you. But there's no denying the facts: Moon Studios has delivered.

It's often said that beauty can take many forms, and while the simple, fantastical nature of Ori's adventure is a different ball game from the complex, detailed narratives of games like the aforementioned TLOU 2, that doesn't make it any less gorgeous. In a word, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is "magical", and as you get more and more enraptured in the forest spirit's journey, you just might find something you didn't realise you've lost along the way - that "childlike sense of wonder" that you used to have, exploring new and unfamiliar places.

Couple that with quirky, sparkly aesthetics and gameplay that's easily accessible to anyone, and you've got a title that really emphasises what we think a game should prioritise above all else - to put a smile on players' faces. 

With that said, it's time to cue the drum roll, as we reveal our best game for 2020. 

And the winner is...

Yes - 2020's Game of the Year is none other than the Final Fantasy VII Remake, and boy was it a close fight. The game's development can be traced all the way back to 2005, when Square Enix first showed off a technical demo remaking the game’s opening for the PlayStation 3. 15 years later, we got a massive remake for the PlayStation 4 - not a complete one, but massive and amazing nonetheless.

Just like series protagonist Cloud himself, we felt the game really goes above and beyond the call of duty when it needs to, bringing back both the adrenaline of a pulse-pounding RPG and the nostalgic flavours of the original. We will admit the contest between the top three games was nothing if not neck-to-neck, but what sealed the deal for us this year was the sheer gameplay novelty and the awfully tangible nostalgia that the FF7 remake delivers in spades.

While TLOU 2 certainly deserves all the praise that has been lavished upon it, we felt it didn't really bring anything "new" to gaming - it's simply an excellent story-driven game that is also really well done. The same logic goes for Doom Eternal as well - we do have immense fun blowing demonic heads off without a care in the world but at its core, its formula is still the quintessential "point, shoot and repeat". Accordingly, we found that the FF7 Remake, which has been able to blend two previously incompatible gameplay formats into a single, cohesive package really challenges us with something that we've never seen before.

So, make no mistake, this is a truly exceptional game, and between its stellar blend of gameplay concepts, enrapturing narrative and flawless aesthetics, there are simply far too many reasons to love this modern take on one of gaming's most beloved franchises. A well-deserved win through and through. 

References

• Final Fantasy VII Remake review
• The Last of Us Part 2 review
• Doom Eternal Review
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons review
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps review

Innovation Awards

Two Innovation awards were also given out in this year's Editor's Choice segment, with the aim of recognising innovative products and cutting-edge technologies that have emerged during the eligibility period. 

 

1) Apple M1

2020 was the year Apple's Macs made another processor transition. This time from Intel to its own custom silicon. Headlining the transition was Apple's first custom silicon – the aptly-named M1. The M1 is built on a 5nm process and consists of 16 billion transistors. It has 8 CPU cores, 8 GPU cores, and a 16-core Neural Engine for machine-learning applications. The secret sauce, according to Apple, is a unified memory architecture that allows all components of the SoC to share a large pool of fast memory. This negates the need for copying and moving data around and improves performance and reduces power consumption. 

The end results are nothing short of stunning. In tests, we found that the Apple M1 in a 13-inch MacBook Pro mostly outperformed a flagship-class Core i9 mobile processor and that it was capable of going toe-to-toe with a desktop-class Intel Core i7-10700K processor. But also equally impressive was how quiet and cool it ran. Unless it was doing extremely compute heavy workloads, the fan never came on. Battery life was impressive too and it could easily go and entire day without needing to charge.

Perhaps what's most amazing is that the M1 is only Apple's first custom silicon and it's likely going to be their least powerful. It will be very interesting to see what else Apple has up its sleeves this year.

Reference: Apple M1 13-inch MacBook Pro review

2) Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold

Massive props to Lenovo for creating the world's first foldable PC. Being first in anything is never easy and while the ThinkPad X1 Fold is by no means perfect, it shows a lot of promise. For a product that seems conceptual, the level of fit and finish is outstanding. Furthermore, the ThinkPad X1 Fold meets MIL-STD 810H standards of durability and that inspires confidence. The foldable OLED display is also stunning. Sure, there's a bit of a crease in the middle but it's hardly perceptible when the ThinkPad X1 Fold is fully extended. It's also powered by one of Intel's new Lakefield processors which features Intel's new big.Little architecture. Performance and battery life were both decent. 

But most of all, what's exciting about the ThinkPad X1 Fold is its form factor and portability. When it's folded, it's only about the size of a hardcover book, which makes it really easy to carry around. And when you need to use it, you can quickly unfold it to reveal a large 13.3-inch display. No ultraportable notebook can rival the ease with which you can carry the ThinkPad X1 Fold around. It gives us a glimpse of what the future of mobile computing may look like. If and when foldable PCs become our computing future, we all have the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold to thank.

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