Surfshark has split the iOS locations tab into two views
The browser extension gets a visual refresh
The update is a design change rather than a new security feature
If you open the Surfshark app on your iPhone right now, something might look a little different. The provider has rolled out a redesign of its iOS locations tab, with the goal of speeding up server selection.
If you use Surfshark (one of the best VPN services out there) every day, small friction points in the user interface add up. Hunting through a single long list of countries every time you connect is exactly the kind of thing Surfshark says it wanted to fix. The company has redesigned the locations tab on its iOS app to make it easier to use.
This is not a new security tool or protocol. It's a usability update, and it lands alongside a refreshed browser VPN extension that gets its own visual makeover.
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What's changed in Surfshark's iOS app
The main change is that the locations tab is now divided into two clear sections.
The Recommended view brings together your most popular country options, recently used servers, and your dedicated IP if you have one set up. The design surfaces the servers you use most first, so you don't have to search over and over. The Advanced view is where the more specialized options live, namely static IP servers and Multi Hop.
Multi Hop, Surfshark's version of double VPN, routes your traffic through two separate VPN servers at once for an extra layer of protection.
Static IP servers, meanwhile, hand you the same address every time you connect, which is handy for services that get suspicious when your IP keeps changing.
(Image credit: Future)
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The redesign for the browser extension is more significant. The home view now shows how many ads and trackers Surfshark has blocked on the site you're visiting, and it gathers all your protection tools in one place: the ad blocker, cookie pop-up blocker, malicious site warnings, data leak alerts, and email scam checker.
As Surfshark has added more features over the years, from category-based web filtering to the ability to block specific websites, its interface has grown busier. This redesign is about stripping out some of the resulting clutter and making the app feel effortless to use.
It fits a wider pattern, too. In our Surfshark review, we noted the provider keeps its apps well maintained, with a clean and consistent experience across platforms.
How to use the new layout
Open the app and tap the Locations tab at the bottom, and you'll land in Recommended by default, with your most-used servers ready to go.
If you want the specialized options, tap Advanced at the top to reach Static IP and Multi Hop, then switch back to Recommended whenever you like.
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Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete review: two-minute ...
Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete review: two-minute review
Dreame’s flagship X60 Pro Ultra Complete is one of the most feature-filled, efficient and reliable hybrid robot cleaners this writer has so far reviewed — and I've reviewed many. Its class-leading 42,000Pa of suction power is certainly attention-grabbing, but the cleverness of this autonomous floor bot goes well beyond brute suction force.
Like some Roborock models, the X60 Pro Ultra is equipped with a retractable LiDAR turret that allows the unit to scoot under the lowest of furnishings with a floor clearance of just 3.5 inches (9cm). Better still, it can also tackle thresholds up to 3.9 inches (10cm) in height, so doorways and awkward transitions are much less likely to bring its cleaning mission to an abrupt halt.
Dreame has also addressed one of the biggest weaknesses of robot cleaners – getting properly into edges and corners. Where most premium bots are able to extend one of the mops by a couple of inches, this one is capable of extending it's edge-cleaning mop to an extremely impressive seven inches (18cm), and you can see the amazing results of this when it's working along skirting boards and around chair legs. Likewise, its front side-mounted sweeper brush can also reach up to four inches (12cm) into corners for a much more thorough sweep.
Dreame appears to have thrown everything it has into this flagship model, and the results are very impressive. Granted, it’s expensive, possibly over-engineered and perhaps more robot cleaner than most people actually need, but if your idea of luxury is never having to sweep or mop floors again, this model is a very tempting proposition, despite some minor anomalies in the obstacle avoidance department. The fact it comes with a surfeit of extra accessories — including spare dust bags, filters and rollers — is the icing on a very substantial cake.
Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete review: price & availability
List price £1,299 / €1,499 / $1,699.99 (X60 Max Ultra)
Launch date July 2026
Availability UK and parts of Europe
(Image credit: Future)
At the time of writing, the Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete is available in the UK for £1,299, with retailers including Dreame, Amazon and John Lewis & Partners listing it. It is also available in most parts of Europe, priced at €1,499, with some discounts taking it to a much lower €1,199.
In the USA, Dreame is concentrating on the X60 Max Ultra Complete, a slightly different variant with lower suction power (35,00Pa) than the UK-spec X60 Pro Ultra Complete. You can purchase the Max version via the US Dreame store for $1,699.99 or Amazon where it shifts for a slightly discounted $1,614.99.
At the time of writing, the Dreame X60 Pro Ultra doesn't seem to be available in Australia yet.
In the UK, the X60 Pro Ultra Complete is firmly in premium robot-vacuum territory, so there are plenty of alternatives worth considering. The Roborock Saros 20 is an obvious rival that offers a similarly sophisticated low-profile design for a shade under £1,000 and the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni is another strong contender, particularly if mopping performance is a priority. Dreame’s own X40 Ultra is also worth considering if you want many of the flagship brand’s features without spending X60 Pro Ultra money.
However, for design, performance, impressive specs and the horde of spare parts it comes with, the X60 Pro Ultra Complete is difficult to ignore. While its combination of 42,000Pa of suction power, extendable cleaning hardware and highly automated dock puts it firmly at the expensive end of the market, I think it's a price worth paying.
Value score: 4.5/5
Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete: specs
Robot dimensions (W x H)
13.77 x 3.5 inches / 35 x 8.9cm
Cleaning dock dimensions (H x W x D)
19.64 x 17.95 x 15.35 inches / 49.9 x 45.6 x 39cm
Suction
42,000Pa
Cleaning dock bin size
3.38 quarts / 3.2 liters
Clean water tank size
4.43 quarts / 4.2 liters
Dirty water tank size
3.17 quarts / 3 liters
Navigation & obstacle avoidance
Pathfinder VersaLift ToF LiDAR paired with AI OmniSight System 3.0 + LED
Carpet detection
Yes
Threshold crossing
ProLeap with dual retractable legs for up to 3.93 inches (10cm) clearance
Before we take a look at design of the X60 Pro Ultra's robot and dock, I should add that, right out of the box, this model has been extraordinarily reliable and more efficient than the majority other models I've reviewed these past few months.
Robot vacuum cleaners are among the easiest of smart home products to set up and this one was one of the most efficient. Yes, it arrived in a large box but because it comes with just three main parts — the robot, the dock and its clip-on ramp – I had it on the floor and ready to map my open-plan area within minutes. And, boy, did it map it well, even to the point of accurately pre-naming the four spaces it had located – Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen and Hall — simply by noting the type of furnishings in each room.
This was a great start, in my opinion, because most robot vacs normally settle for generic terms like Room, 1, Room 2, etc. Of course, it's extremely simple to change the names of the rooms and just as easy to divide or merge them, but to have a robot that maps a living space so accurately from the off is a major plus.
I was also pleasantly surprised to discover the true meaning of this model's 'Complete' moniker because I spotted a huge array of accessories in the box. Most floor bots only come with a spare side brush, a spare dust bag and, occasionally, a tiny bottle of floor cleaning solution. But this model comes with three extra dust bags, a spare side brush, two dust box filters, three pairs of extra mop pads, a large one-quart (1L) bottle of cleaning solution and, rare for any robot, a spare pair of roller brushes. This is a major boon given that these are all items that one would normally need to purchase further down the line of ownership. Chapeau to Dreame.
Finally, if you purchase this bot today, sometime in 2027 you'll be able to use it in cahoots with Dreame's next sci-fi offering, a staircase-climbing robot module called the Cyber X. Unveiled at IFA Berlin, this amazingly clever slice of robotic tech functions as an autonomous carrier for the X60 so it can be transported up and down stairs. Can’t wait to see that in operation.
(Image credit: Future)
Robot design
The Dreame X60 Pro Ultra is available in black or white and is a striking example of just how much robot vacuum design has advanced. From the outside, it remains recognisably circular, but almost every component here has been engineered to tackle many of the shortcomings that have made some robot cleaners largely frustrating to live with. In short, this is a robot designed not simply to clean the floor, but to get into more places, deal with more types of mess and spend less time getting stuck.
While not especially unique, the X60’s retractable LiDAR turret is one of its smartest design flourishes. Rather than permanently sitting proud of the robot, the turret can retract to help the machine achieve an incredibly low 3.50 inch (8.9cm) profile. That might not sound like much on paper, but it makes a substantial difference in practice, allowing the X60 to venture underneath beds, sofas, TV cabinets and any other furnishings with a minimum floor clearance of just 3.54 inches (9cm).
Dreame has also addressed another common robot-vacuum weakness: thresholds. My home doesn't have any thresholds but if it did, this is the model I'd choose because its two pop-out legs give it the ability to climb double-layered obstacles up to 3.93 inches (10cm) and single steps up to 2.04 inches (5.2cm) in height, giving it an impressive ability to move between areas of the home without requiring any makeshift ramps. It also means far fewer situations where you return home only to discover that your expensive robot has spent half the day stranded on the lip of a doorway.
(Image credit: Future)
The X60 Pro Ultra's class-leading figure of 42,000 Pascals of suction is colossal even by today's standards, and this is especially useful when engaging the robot's Large Particles Boost mode which gives the X60 Pro Ultra additional oomph when it encounters larger pieces of debris.
Combined with the unit's twin tangle-free rubber rollers and a retractable pressure plate that creates a semi-sealed vacuum chamber, this level of suction is particularly relevant for pet owners, where clumps of hair can present a much greater challenge than everyday dust. Moreover, the X60 Pro Ultra also features an obligatory spinning side brush which extends much further than the norm — up to four inches (12cm) — for better corner cleaning.
(Image credit: Future)
Many modern floor bots feature at least one mop that's able to extend by a couple inches when cleaning along skirting boards, in corners or around furniture legs. But this one takes mop extension to a whole new level of stretch by offering a reach of seven inches (18cm). When I first saw this in operation I thought a piece of furniture had ripped its arm out of a socket. The spinning mop pads, meanwhile, are thermally efficient and exert up to 15 Newtons of downward pressure, providing considerably more physical contact with the floor than a robot that merely drags damp pads behind it.
When it comes to robot vacuum cleaners, navigation and obstacle avoidance are arguably just as important as suction because all this fancy hardware is pretty pointless if the robot can’t find its way around the home.
(Image credit: Future)
The X60 Pro Ultra’s impressive navigation system is built around Dreame’s advanced VersaLift retractable hybrid LiDAR, which scans its surroundings using lazer beams to create detailed maps of the home and plan efficient cleaning routes. It’s also backed by AI-enhanced 3D Proactive Light Detection and intelligent obstacle recognition of around 320 object including, according to Dreame, 'tiny objects of 10mm'. We'll have to see about that.
On the battery front, this model is fitted with a 5,000mAh battery that recharges from empty to full in about 100 minutes and, according to Dreame, is capable of charging 25% of its capacity in about six minutes.
Score ref: 5/5
Dock design
The Dreame X60 Pro Ultra’s charging dock is as impressive as the robot itself. With its tall, sophisticated design and glossy facade replete with a subtle pinstripe effect, this is one robot dock you might not mind having centre stage. More importantly, it’s packed with a raft of technology that's designed to keep the X60 in readiness for action with minimal human intervention, aside from periodically discarding the dock's dust bag and servicing the two water tanks.
Speaking of which, you get the usual dual water tank combo comprising a 4.43 quarts (4.2L) fresh water tank and a smaller 3.17 quarts (3L) tank for the filthy stuff. Instead of tainting the sink area with stinky water, I always flush the contents of the dirty tank into the toilet bowl and then give the container a quick rinse under a tap. This model also comes with a liquid floor detergent dispenser situated next door to the dock's dust bag department.
The Dreame X60 Pro Ultra comes with one of the most stylish docks on the marketFutureBig water tanks for the mopping systemFutureA bigger-than-average dust bag with detergent dispenser on the leftFutureThis dock cleans itself without human interventionFuture
As to be expected in this day and age, the X60 Pro Ultra dock also takes care of all self-cleaning duties, including preparing the mop pads before use with scaldingly hot water. Since the mops themselves are thermally efficient enough to retain heat, the floor has a better chance of being properly cleaned. When the robot returns to the dock, the mop pads are washed with hot water — apparently 212F (100C) — before drying them using hot air to help prevent build-up of bacteria and nasty smells.
The dock is also fitted with a generous 3.38 quarts (3.2L) dust bag, which is larger than those fitted to many competing robot vacuum docks. This means that more debris can be stored before you need to replace the bag, reducing one of the few genuinely tedious jobs associated with owning a robot vacuum. The fact you get three spare bags with this specific 'Complete' model can be considered a major bonus.
Score ref: 5/5
Design score: 5/5
Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete: performance
Supreme vacuum power
Very good navigation
Average obstacle avoidance
Navigation performance
To give you some idea of how impressive Dreame's current crop of robot vacs are, I installed this model's stablemate – the extra-large Matrix10 Ultra – in our village hall where it has been running for the past eight months without any hiccups. The hall is a huge 130 square meters — two-thirds of a singles tennis court – and divided into various sections, including two toilet areas and a kitchen.
Where other robots I've installed in the hall have had issues where their LiDAR-written maps have been corrupted due to the vast size of the work space and presumably the reflective windows surrounding it, the Matrix10 Ultra has not had any issues at all. In fact, it continues to this day, having successfully completed 395.65 hours of reliable operation over an area of 25,018 square meters, equivalent to a massive 6.18 acres. Not bad for a robot vacuum cleaner!
Needless to say, this model's navigation is equally impressive in the way it has mapped my home, negotiated a lot of furniture including a cluttered dining area, and never once having got lost, trapped itself under furniture or snowplowed a loose rug.
Mind, its first mapping session did produce one amusing moment when it reached the area around our garden door. Since this model uses LiDAR to navigate, its laser beam had scanned beyond the open door towards the garden, thinking it had detected another room. All LiDAR robots do this but very few have the ability to scale a tall threshold. This one, of course, has excellent ability in that department so you can see where this is heading. In fact it was sheer luck that I happened to enter the room just as it was in the process making a beeline for the garden. You've got to laugh.
Another thing I should add is that I have had to raise the valance on the lounge sofa because the camera and laser system treats fabric valances as a solid obstacle. I personally don’t consider this a major issue because almost every LiDAR-governed robot I've reviewed has also refused to punch through a sofa or bed valance. To rectify this I now occasionally tuck the sofa's valance up out of the way so the X60 can clean underneath.
Score ref: 5/5
Obstacle avoidance
(Image credit: Future)
Having read the glowing headlines on Dreame's website about this robot avoiding objects as small 10mm (0.39 of an inch), I simply had to give it a go by placing some much smaller items than usual in its path, including a Hue remote, a phone cable, a small bottle of essential oil and a tiny lighter. I made sure I'd selected every option in its intelligent obstacle avoidance setting and crossed my fingers as it proceeded to travel from the hall to the kitchen.
While it deftly avoided all the objects I usually test robot vacs with — including the low circular dog chew, remote and phone cable — I was very surprised when it thundered straight over the bottle and lighter as if they weren't even there. While I don't consider this a major strike against the X60's obstacle avoidance — many other robot vacs have fared worse — I do think that if a company is going to state that their robot can avoid objects as tiny as 10mm, they really need to back it up with a level of real-world performance that matches the claim.
While the X60 is no match for the DJI ROMO when it comes to obstacle avoidance, I still think it deserves a respectable 4/5 because it has avoided everything else in its path for the last six weeks, and I have never once had to remove the roller brushes to extricate something it had tried to swallow. In short, I'd say this model's obstacle avoidance is better than average but with room for improvement.
Score ref: 4/5
Vacuuming
I've been using the Dreame X60 Pro Ultra for the past six weeks and have never had to think about it. I've never looked at a rug after hearing it perform a scheduled task and thought it needed another clean with a cordless stick vac, I've never had to untangle it from the tassels of a rug, and I’ve never had to extricate an item too big to swallow from its rubber rollers.
Nevertheless, needs must so I scattered my usual potpourri of obstreperous ingredients over the hardwood kitchen floor and a similar handful over a piece of carpet, and watched it do its thing.
FutureFuture
For a robot vac faced with far more detritus than it would ever come across in the real world (at least I'd like to think so), the Dreame X60 Pro Ultra made surprisingly short work of cleaning up the scattered cornflakes, muesli, oats and rice, swallowing up both the fine particles and larger ones with impressive consistency, even though it needed two passes to complete the task. The X60's 42,000Pa suction rating and Large Particles Boost Mode clearly paid dividends here, though I should add that this bot is louder in volume (up to to around 68dB) when cleaning in full-power mode.
I then applied the same test to a carpeted rug and it performed just as well though, again, it required two passes – one horizontal, the other vertical – to fulfil the task. Yes, there were a few small flakes left behind on the periphery but that's because they had been flung beyond the working zone I had previously programmed.
Score ref: 4.5/5
Mopping performance
(Image credit: Future)
As I've stated umpteen times before, I'm no fan of robots that also mop and would much rather have a vacuum-only robot with a huge dustbin in its dock. For mopping I generally prefer sticking to my Roborock F25 Ultra wet-and-dry vac or use a paper towel to wipe up a small spill of milk.
However I can see the appeal of having a robot for hard floor-cleaning duties if it mops practically every day. And this model excels at just that, partly because of the incredible reach of its extendable mop that genuinely cleans to the edge, in corners and around table legs, and partly because its clever blue Proactive Light Dirt Detection system does seem to spot stains better than other models I've tested.
Anyway, for my extreme kitchen test I accidentally-on-purpose spilt a glass of milk and programmed the X60 to run a zone clean. After about five minutes of mop preparation, including heating the pads using hot water, it trundled over and mopped up half the milk before returning to the dock. I thought that was that until I realized it was having its mops washed in readiness for the second run I had previously programmed.
I'd say the final results were perfectly acceptable given that I would never command a robot to mop up a spill when I can perform the task a thousand times quicker with some paper towels.
The main take away here is that its day-to-day performance has definitely been a cut above many of its competitors and there's no denying the practicality of the robot's extendable mop arm which really does work wonders.
Score ref: 4.5/5
Dock performance
I have nothing but good things to say about the X60 Pro Ultra's dock. Yes, it's a pretty large item to have in a small space but, on the plus side, I think its reflective pin-striped glass-like facade is one of the most attractive finishes I've seen since the Roborock 10R.
From a functional point of view, this dock does everything from emptying the robot's dust bin and servicing the robot’s mop system with hot water, washing the mops and then drying them, to self cleaning its own mop tray at the touch of a button on the app.
Only once did the dock's suction not correctly empty the contents of the robot's bin after a full house clean, and this was because I had activated the Hair Compression setting in the app. I'm not sure how this function works but the robot's bin was so tightly clumped with loads of winter-shed hair from my two labradors that the contents refused to budge when the dock's suction kicked in. Thankfully I've had no repeats of this since switching off the Hair Compression setting and, as a result, I am not losing any sleep over it.
Score ref: 5/5
Performance score: 4.5/5
Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete review: app functionality
Extremely comprehensive
Brilliant for tech nerds, not so much for luddites
Encourages a lot of experimentation
The Dreame X60 Pro Ultra’s Dreamehome app is extraordinarily well featured, giving you an almost ridiculous level of control over what the robot does, when it does it and how it cleans each area of your home. The problem is that it can initially feel like you’ve been handed the controls to an airliner.
As per usual, once the X60 has mapped your home, the app presents a detailed map that lets you merge or divide individual rooms, define cleaning zones and set no-go areas and virtual barriers. You can specify whether particular areas should be vacuumed, mopped or given both treatments, and adjust cleaning intensity according to the room or floor type.
(Image credit: Future)
There are also extensive options for scheduling and short-cut tasks, along with a myriad of settings for suction power, water usage, mop behavior, carpet type, floor direction, obstacle crossing, obstacle avoidance, even if you want pet hair in the robot's bin to be compressed.
The sheer depth of the Dreamehome app is undeniably impressive, but it does come with a steep learning curve that encourages a lot of experimentation. It can also take a while to work out where everything lives, particularly if you’re the sort of person who prefers to press a couple of buttons and get on with more important things. Nevertheless, once you’ve mastered this app, it becomes one of the X60 Pro Ultra’s biggest strengths.
App functionality score: 4/5
Should you buy the Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete?
Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete: score card
Section
Notes
Score
Value for money
While in the premium bracket, I think the Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete is fair value for money, especially given the on-board tech and huge amount of included spares.
4.5/5
Design
Slick, sophisticated and impressively engineered, the X60 Pro Ultra and its glossy dock ooze premium quality.
5/5
Performance
The X60 Pro Ultra delivers outstanding vacuum performance and better-than-average mopping, but its obstacle avoidance system could be better.
4.5/5
App functionality
The Dreamehome app is impressively comprehensive, offering deep control over all aspects, but its sheer number of settings can feel overwhelming.
4/5
Average rating
4.5/5
Buy it if
You want great vacuum performance
Powerful 42,000Pa suction tackles stubborn household detritus with aplomb
You have hairy pets
This model has several functions designed with pets in mind
You have low furniture and high thresholds
The X60 cleans beneath very low furniture and climbs most thresholds
Don't buy it if
Your home is cluttered with tiny toys
The X60 most likely won’t evade small toys like Lego bricks
You're not very tech savvy
The X60 Pro Ultra's surfeit of features may overwhelm less technical users
Your home is on the small side
This model would be overkill, as would the large dock
How I tested the Dreame X60 Pro Ultra Complete
TechRadar takes its product testing very seriously so I lived with the X60 Pro Ultra for a few weeks having set up various weekly schedules and routines to gauge how efficiently it performed the tasks it was designed for. I also monitored the amount of times I had to rescue it from entanglement or some other anomaly but, aside from some minor obstacle avoidance issues, the X60 functioned reliably throughout its trial.
If only to prove its capability for cleaning up heavier doses of debris and mopping up spills, I also performed a few extreme tests that no robot should have to endure in its lifetime.
First reviewed September 2026.
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Traditionally set in North America, the Silent Hi...
Traditionally set in North America, the Silent Hill series has been known to stray beyond the continent on occasion, most notably with the recent Silent Hill f, which takes place in sixties Japan.
Review info
Platform reviewed: PS5 Available on: PS5, PC Release date: September 24, 2026
With Townfall, we’re headed to nineties Scotland, but that’s not the only change: we also get a new perspective — in more ways than one.
Not only is the game in first-person, rather than third-person, but it's developed by a series newcomer, Screen Burn Interactive, formerly known as No Code. This small Scottish outfit doesn’t exactly have a long resume, but it's already proved itself with its two previous outings. 2017’s Stories Untold was an interesting, modern take on the text adventure, while 2019’s Observation, another first-person horror, won the Bafta for Best British Game in 2020.
Now the team brings its Caledonian spirit to bear on Konami’s flagship horror franchise, but does the new locale and camera angle represent another step in the right direction for a series keen on extending its recent purple patch?
Everybody’s aff to the rapture
(Image credit: Konami)
We open in typical horror story fashion: a man crawls out of the water onto a dock, not knowing where he is or where he came from.
Best bit
(Image credit: Konami)
Sneaking around the streets of St. Amelia. Its layout is ripe for creating your own paths to avoid enemies, and escaping their clutches by running down back alleys and hiding in cupboards is always a thrill. Plus, you get to explore a town that’s been lovingly and realistically rendered, with homes, shops, and features that offer a glimpse back to a simpler time.
This man is Simon Ordell, wearing an outfit almost identical to Travis Grady’s from 2007’s Silent Hill: Origins, and denoting his everyman-ness. As you make your way up from the harbour, a cutscene plays, and a tarp blows away from a sign, revealing the town’s name: St. Amelia
And so the game proper begins, as you make your way through the seemingly abandoned town to find out what’s going on. Along the way, you’ll take control of two additional characters besides Simon — Zoe and Richard — and the plot unfolds gradually to reveal the trio’s connection to one another.
(Image credit: Konami)
The first thing that struck me as I paced through the streets was the fantastic art direction. As expected from a Scottish team, Screen Burn has nailed the feel of a small Scottish town.
St. Amelia is lovingly crafted and perfectly captures its mid-nineties period, containing plenty of features recognizable to those this side of the pond, from period-correct storefronts and pebble-dashed houses to public telephone booths and post boxes.
Virtually every frame looks cinematic (there’s even a letterbox mode enabled by default). The perennial fog is, of course, present and correct here, and looks better and moodier than ever. Hues of white, red, and blue are prominent throughout as well, and look eerily beautiful as they shine through the mist and are backlit by streetlamps. This is a game made for screenshotting, although unfortunately it doesn’t have a native photo mode.
I played through the game in Performance mode, as is often my preference, and I couldn’t discern any visual downgrade from Quality mode. Naturally, though, Performance mode offered a much better frame rate, and I only encountered one section where things got a little choppy, but this was brief and far from ruinous.
(Image credit: Konami)
Complementing the visuals is the score, another feature that’s always stood out in Silent Hill titles. Here, though, regular series composer and sound designer Akira Yamaoka is, for once, not involved. Instead, the honors go to Pilotpriest, who’s done a fantastic job of replicating the off-kilter sounds and melancholic melodies fans have come to know and love, while adding a modern twist.
Pieces are more sparse and muted than before, often with heavy doses of reverb. They match the tone of the gameplay brilliantly, and compositions open up during cutscenes when some emotional weight needs carrying.
Unfortunately, the characters’ facial animations are less capable at this. They’re often stilted, which can work when they seem detached and dejected, but they fail to sell terror or emotional breakdowns when required.
This is doubly a shame since it lets down the largely great performances of the voice actors, of which Kezia Burrows’ Zoe is worthy of highlighting. She has a greater range of traits and emotions to convey than the other two, and she does so with aplomb.
Another disappointing aspect of the game’s design is the monsters — this for a series renowned for its strikingly original creations. Virtually every one is some kind of faceless alabaster humanoid with no details of note, and some are mere rehashes of past favorites, such as the fleshy straight-jacketed figure, although this time it has a plank driven through its head.
Less attention has been paid to their symbolism, too: there are suggestions that they reflect aspects of the inner turmoil of the main characters, Ã la most Silent Hill monsters, but there's little about their design that shows this in an interesting way.
Monster hunting
(Image credit: Konami)
Looks aside, though, the monsters are more dangerous than ever. There are a handful of basic pawns, such as those that wander around slowly, and the aforementioned straight-jacketed plank heads that move much faster and more erratically and are equally troublesome.
If either catches you, you’ll have a basic button-mashing QTE to avoid them if you have enough health, but if not, it’ll be instant death. In certain sections, a larger monster appears with blobs on its back, which is unkillable as far as I could tell. There's no chance to QTE your way out of its grip if it catches you, either.
Sneaking around enemies, therefore, can be a tense and terrifying experience, accompanied by a huge sense of relief when you succeed. Often, the environmental design expertly facilitates this stealth gameplay. The outside sections in particular are laden with cut-throughs and hiding places, and more impressive is the fact that this design is so firmly planted in the real world.
You’ll be sneaking around abandoned cars and peeking out over low walls, scooting down narrow back alleys and distracting enemies with bottles or radios. There’s a surprising degree of player freedom that makes these sections more satisfying to play through than your typical survival horror fare.
(Image credit: Konami)
What also helps is the excellent player movement. All three move in the same way, which is to say they’re responsive and agile, as well as being reasonably fast when sprinting, although this is no arena shooter — but then again, I wouldn’t want it any other way in a horror game. There’s also an option to use motion controls for aiming, with fast and precise movements, and it is my preferred method.
There’s a peek mechanic, too, which again is very useful. It may be lifted straight from classic first-person horror games, most notably Alien: Isolation, but it gives you a great deal of freedom to not just strafe laterally, but also to peer up over barriers or down over ledges, whether standing or crouched.
To detect threats more easily, Simon picks up a handheld TV (or CRTV) early on that can tune into enemy locations. They’re rendered in silhouette against a red background, serving as the game’s ‘detective mode’. This gives you a real advantage, but its screen is just obscure enough to avoid you using it the whole time.
You also lose focus on your surroundings while equipped, again preventing you from relying on it wholesale. Keeping track of multiple enemies can be hard as well, since you have to toggle between them one at a time, and those long passed or on a different level remain in the CRTV’s memory.
(Image credit: Konami)
Zoe, on the other hand, is saddled with a pager, a far less effective item since it doesn’t directly reveal enemy movements. Instead, bars around the sides fill up to show their approximate direction and proximity. Both gadgets, though, are effective at grounding Townfall in the real world. At certain points, the CRTV can be tuned to show recorded messages that help develop the story or provide hints. The pager, meanwhile, receives mission- and story-related communication.
This grounding is something the game as a whole does well. From the environments and puzzles, right down to the save system, which has always been a quirky thing in Silent Hill games. Usually, it’s something obscure and surreal, such as interacting with a well or a red square on a wall, but here you use landlines (no mobile phones in St. Amelia 1996) and dial 100 — the in-game number for the coastguard.
The map screen is as helpful and skeuomorphic as ever. Scrawls in red marker pen appear to show rooms you’ve entered, locked doors, and story clues. You can also zoom and pan around it with ease.
When the sneaking goes wrong, you aren’t completely defenceless. You don’t exactly have a military arsenal at your disposal, but some humble series staples are here, including wooden planks and metal pipes. They degrade this time, though, so they won’t last long. Firepower comes later, but ammo is scarce, making the game’s intentions for a stealthy play style clear.
(Image credit: Konami)
All this isn’t to say the weapons are useless. On the contrary, they’re very effective, and just the right amount of difficult to use. Melee combat is a basic affair, with one button for attack and one for block, but a lot of enemies can be disposed of quite quickly. The revolver and shotgun are even more effective, as you would imagine, but reload times are slow. All weapons feel impactful and satisfying to use, too, and the controls aren’t awkward.
Healing items are more generously distributed. There’s gauze for minor wounds and first aid kits for major ones. You can also combine alcohol with the former for a larger heal, while empty IV bags can be combined with IV fluids to automatically revive you if you die.
Aside from combat and sneaking, you’ll of course be solving puzzles. These are more ingenious than past efforts, and expertly combine that aforementioned verisimilitude with the series’ penchant for the weird.
One of my favorites had me reading out patient charts as Zoe to an aggressively condescending doctor, chastising her and me if I gave the wrong information. I then needed to find medicines dotted around the medical center, beginning yet another monster-avoidance section, which was as tense and as exciting as those in the streets of St. Amelia.
There are plenty of documents and computer emails to read and collect, providing clues to puzzles. There’s also a handy mechanic where you can hold a button to bring up the relevant clue while interacting with a puzzle, although, bizarrely, this is limited to only a few occasions.
Nothing personal
(Image credit: Konami)
While I certainly had a good time with Townfall, certain sections drag on a little too long. But on the whole, the game does well to vary the environments and puzzles (the enemies less so) throughout to keep you hooked.
I didn’t find normal difficulty too troubling: the puzzles are pitched just right, and those I spent a long time figuring out weren’t frustrating or unfair; in fact, they’re proved more satisfying to solve than the series’ typical offerings.
Sneaking and combat, on the other hand, are more challenging. Enemies can come upon you quickly, and since there can be long stretches before you reach a save point, you can find yourself trudging back through the same section if you perish. But mostly, their presence adds real stakes and rewards you with a sense of achievement once you make it past them.
(Image credit: Future)
It took me just over 20 hours to complete a single playthrough, and that was at a gentle pace. There’s little beyond the main objectives at hand to seek out, aside from some mysterious coded postcards that’ll have fans scrabbling to decipher, as well as hidden phone numbers to find. There are also unlockable outfits and weapons, and five different endings to get.
Townfall isn’t particularly scary. There’s the occasional jump scare, but it doesn’t rely on them for cheap thrills. The game is a slow burn, with plenty of quiet, contemplative moments as you explore your surroundings. As with many Silent Hill games, the horror is more psychological.
But herein lies a problem. While the story is commendable for sustaining the mystery for as long as possible, there’s a lack of character exploration, contrary to many other stories in the franchise.
The characters’ dialogue is mostly cryptic, so you never get much of a grasp on their thoughts and feelings until the end — and even then, there are still plenty of questions left unanswered, as they should be. But the three of them are by turns confused and forlorn throughout.
This mixture works to conjure that strange, uncanny tone the series is known for, but it also means the trio fails to elicit the same level of emotional investment garnered by past protagonists, such as Harry and Heather Mason, James Sunderland, and Mary.
(Image credit: Konami)
Social commentary seems to be Townfall’s primary concern: the main theme is one of corporate negligence and its devastating impact on a community, which is certainly relevant in today’s world. And it’s true that once the three collide and everything comes to a head, it starts to resonate emotionally. But this is a long time coming, and Zoe ultimately feels underserved by the story’s conclusion, a shame given the aforementioned excellence of her actor’s performance.
It’s entirely possible, though, that other endings will give her a larger role than the one I reached, although I have no idea how these are achieved yet.
Ultimately, I found Townfall less impactful than Silent Hill 2 or Shattered Memories. It won't haunt me for as long as those entries, but it’s an intriguing journey nonetheless, with mysteries that remain after completion to keep fans busy with their theories.
No doubt some will also see Townfall as departing too far from the Silent Hill formula, a debate that’s already begun. But to my mind, the new setting and perspective fit the mold perfectly, so despite a few reservations, it still marks another triumphant reimagining of the series.
Should you play Silent Hill: Townfall?
Play it if…
You love sneaking and puzzling Sneaking around enemies is often thrilling, and the memorable puzzles mix realism with the series’ unhinged tropes masterfully.
You want great art direction Screen Burn has managed to haul a small Scottish fishing village into the world of Silent Hill beautifully. It looks and sounds fantastic.
Don't play it if…
You want the best monsters The monsters are certainly less memorable this time round, a shame given the series’ pedigree in this area.
You want more emotion from your characters Mostly, the three protagonists are quite stilted in their tone. The botoxed facial animations don’t help, either.
Accessibility features
Compared to other modern releases, Townfall’s accessibility features are a little lacking. There are no content filters for blood and gore, and visual assists for color and contrast, and the like, are also missing. You can toggle subtitles and closed captions separately, though, and you can adjust the opacity of their backgrounds.
There are three difficulty modes to choose from: Story, which reduces the threat posed by enemies; Normal, which is how the developers intend the game to be played; and Nightmare, which increases enemy power and makes your flashlight detectable by them.
Puzzle difficulty is handled separately, although there are only two modes for this, with the only difference being red highlights of salient text clues.
How I reviewed Silent Hill: Townfall
(Image credit: Konami)
I played Townfall for just over 20 hours, completing the game once through on normal difficulty. I also toggled the puzzle difficulty between Normal and Hinted modes at various points.
I played the game on a standard PS5, largely in Performance mode, although I also tested Quality mode for a time, too. I used a Lenovo Legion R27qe monitor and the Skullcandy Crusher PLYR 720 headset for audio.
I’m a long-time fan of the Silent Hill series and have played many games in the series, including the recent Silent Hill f and the 2024 remake of Silent Hill 2. The original Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill: Shattered Memories rank among the best horror games of all time, in my mind.
First reviewed September 2026
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Time Trials at the UCI Road World Championships 2...
An event where riders receive no support, the time trial is the ultimate test of ability as success depends solely on a combination of power, fitness and mental toughness. Always drawing plenty of attention, this year’s elite races at the UCI Road World Championships will feature a mix of established champions and rising stars.
In the men’s race, it is hard to look past Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian has been a dominant force in this event for years and has won all but two races in this discipline since his Olympic gold in Paris in 2024. Seeking a fourth World title in succession, victory would take him level with Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara's ITT World titles.
However, he is also targeting victory in the road race and that distraction could give his rivals a chance. Hoping this is the case will be two-time champion Filippo Ganna of Italy, Switzerland’s Stefan Küng and young Scottish talent Callum Thornley, all of whom are well suited to the flat course.
In the women’s race, defending champion Marlen Reusser is the favourite, but the Swiss rider is set to face a huge challenge from the Dutch contingent. Demi Vollering will be determined to improve on her third-place finish last year, while Lieke Nooijen arrives in good form having finished second in the time trial at the Tour de France Femmes.
Other contenders include Welsh rider Zoe Bäckstedt, Germany’s Antonia Niedermaier and the veteran Italian Elisa Longo Borghini.
Here's where to watch Elite Time Trial live streams at the UCI Road World Championships online from anywhere and potentially for FREE.
Can I watch the Elite Individual Time Trials at the UCI for free?
Yes! You can watch the 2026 UCI Road World Championships, including the Elite Time Trials, for FREE in many parts of the world.
CBC Sports and the CBC Gem streaming platform is showing extensive coverage of the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Canada – and all for FREE! You just need to create a free account on CBC Gem to watch online.
Elsewhere, several other free-to-air broadcasters and their streaming platforms will have varying amounts of the live cycling coverage, which may include the time trial races, with domestic commentary. These include:
And in areas of the globe where there's no other official rights holder, the UCI's own YouTube channel will stream live action.
What if you're overseas?Surfshark will unlock your free UCI Road World Championships streams – more on that below.
How to watch time trial at UCI World Road Championships using a VPN
Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the cycling on your usual subscription?
You can still watch the UCI Road World Championships live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software can make your devices appear to be back in your home country regardless of where you are, making it ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. One of our favorites is Surfshark – we explain why in our Surfshark review.
Surfshark is the best cheap VPN out there – and it unblocks CBC Gem so you can watch your usual cycling streams from anywhere in the world.
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This is the cheapest premium VPN deal for a while – buy with confidence. View Deal
Using a VPN is incredibly simple:
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, SurfShark is our favourite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the US and want to view your usual Canadian service, you'd select a Canada-based server from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your usual local streaming service and watch the cycling.
How to watch time trial at UCI World Road Championships live streams in the US
Specialist cycling streamer FloBikes has the live coverage of this year's Road World Championships, including the Elite Time Trials, in the US, allowing you to watch it on your laptop, Android (mobile and TV), iPhone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.
It costs $39.99 on a rolling monthly basis that can be cancelled at any time. Or, for top value, commit to a whole year and pay the equivalent of $12.99 per month ($155.99 total for the year).
If you're currently out of the US but still want to watch the cycling on your usual service, then don't forget to explore the VPN route set out above.
How to watch time trial at UCI World Road Championships live streams in Canada
CBC has the rights to broadcast live streams of the Elite Time Trials at the 2026 Road World Championships for FREE.
You can watch events on TV via the free-to-air CBC Sports or live and on-demand coverage through its online CBC Gem streaming platform.
If you aren't in Canada for the event simply use a VPN to tune in to your free Road World Championships cycling streams from overseas.
How to watch time trial at UCI World Road Championships live streams in UK
Those hoping to watch the Elite Time Trials at the 2026 Road World Championships for FREE are in luck as both races will be streamed in the UK on BBC Two, BBC Three and the BBC iPlayer.
Alternatively, you can watch on TNT Sports. To access this you'll either need to add it to your TV package, or you can take out a standalone subscription via HBO Max that includes TNT Sports. The best value streaming package is £25.99 a month for a 12-month term
If you're currently traveling abroad, don't worry, as you can use SurfShark to watch your usual service from abroad.
How to watch time trial at UCI World Road Championships live streams in Australia
This Elite Time Trials will be shown on Stan Sport in Australia. Stan Sport costs $20 a month on top of a regular Stan subscription costing from $9.99 a month.
Can I watch the Elite Time Trials at the 2026 Road World Championships on my mobile?
Of course, most broadcasters have streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or via your phone's browser to live stream the Road World Championships. For example, CBC Gem in Canada and FloBikes in the USA.
You can also stay up-to-date with the 2026 Road World Championships on the UCI's official social media channels such as on X (@UCI_cycling), Instagram (@uci_cycling), Facebook (UCI) and the UCI YouTube channel.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
I'm sure that you'll be looking for some soothing escapism to stream this weekend, but ITV has other ideas. From September 20, new crime drama The Blame hits our screens, with episodes available to stream en mass on ITVX.
Led by Michelle Keegan and Douglas Booth, the six-part series follows the murder of a teenage skater, which not only draws detectives down a dark, treacherous path, but also forces them to investigate their own team.
The call is coming from inside the house, as the kids say. DI Emma Clare (Keegan) is not just the only member of the force to work out what's really going on, but she's the only person brave enough to call out (the fictional) Wakestead police force on its biggest issue: misogyny.
From the moment The Blame begins, the murder investigation becomes shockingly intertwined with just how prevalent casual misogyny is across multiple officers involved in the case. It's a heavy-handed approach, which includes text messages from real officers discovered through whistleblowing operations. They're hideous, and it's tough to watch.
I quickly wondered whether the series needed to be so blatant with the issue to get its point across (in my view, yes it does). But Keegan and Douglas Booth don't just think that this creative decision leads to an "even deeper" storyline, but the original opening to episode 1 was so explicit that it had to be re-filmed.
'If you've done nothing wrong, what would you be worried about?'
"It was a deliberate choice to start with that," Booth, who plays 'nice guy' DI Tom Radley in the series, tells me. "It's on the nose, but I think even if it wasn't that blatant, the effect would be the same. As you go through the story, it goes much deeper.
"You're trying to solve a crime, but the way that men talk to you, the way they interfere or get in the way, even the compliments... this is all explored through many facets," Keegan adds. "But starting with the base of something seeming harmless immediately drops you into the right place."
When we first meet Clare and Radley, they're talking over the day's events in the local pub — before anyone knows that a murder has taken place. Other officers are also scattered around, talking about the best way to try to pick up an attractive woman at the bar. It's a subtle yet all too familiar reminder of the social culture that's become ingrained.
The more grisly action doesn't begin for another 10 minutes or so, but this wasn't always the case. "There were actually a couple of different versions of that scene," Booth adds. "There was a much more explicit one that [creators] decided not to go with. It was explicit... I won't go into what. But they didn't start with it. As you see them, things are still blunt and direct, but things are later dissected from there."
It's this constant moral back-and-forth experience you have as a viewer that I think is the most poignant part of watching The Blame. You don't feel as though you can believe any part of what you're seeing, including the texts that you know for a fact are real. We naturally want to believe that decent human behavior is something more frequent than it actually is.
But is anybody worried about potential public backlash? "When we spoke to police, they understand that there are issues. I don't think anyone can say otherwise," Booth explains. "But you also see all of the brilliant work that the police do. They're doing a really difficult job out there, all the time.
"That doesn't mean that there aren't systemic issues, and a certain institutional rot that is portrayed in this show. But I'm not really worried. Because if you've done nothing wrong, what would you be worried about?"
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IKEA is really making a name for itself in smart ...
IKEA is really making a name for itself in smart home tech. Its mobile app is clear and easy to navigate, its selection of smart switches (which my colleague Ruth Hamilton called "the understated hit of IKEA's new gadget range") are versatile and cheap, and its stylish smart lamps made a real splash at this year's CES technology show.
But what if you don't want to be limited to IKEA's own app? What if you like IKEA's lights, but already have a Philips Hue setup, or want to incorporate lights and devices from other brands as well?
Thankfully, there are lots of options to explore, from simple software solutions to crafty hardware hacks. Here are four ways to get all your smart lights to play along nicely.
1. Use the Matter standard
Last week, IKEA launched a new driver for its integrated lights (including the type of strips and spots you would install in cupboards and cabinets) that not only lets you control them remotely via the IKEA Home app, but is also compatible with the Matter smart home standard. That means you can combine these integrated lights into a larger smart home setup.
You can then control them using a Matter-compatible smart speaker, set a schedule, dim them, and much more. You aren't limited to IKEA's integrated lights, either. The brand also offers other Matter-compatible lights, including the color-shifting, donut-shaped Varmblixt, and Kajplats bulbs — and you can throw in lights from other brands like Nanoleaf, Govee, and (of course) Philips Hue, too.
But what if you don't want to use the Matter standard? What if you already have a Philips Hue setup and want to continue using the Hue app to control all your lights?
2. Connect everything to your Hue Bridge
IKEA smart lights (such as the Varmblixt and Kajplats) support Zigbee Light Link, which is the same wireless protocol used by Philips Hue bulbs. You can therefore connect your IKEA lights directly to a Philips Hue Bridge by following these instructions:
Ensure your IKEA smart light has software version 1.2.x or later
Keep the IKEA smart light close to the Philips Hue Bridge
Search for new devices in the Philips Hue app
Do a factory reset of the smart light by toggling the main switch six times
Connecting your IKEA smart lights this way will let you control their basic functions through the Hue app, set schedules, add them to groups, and trigger them with Hue sensors and switches.
However, you won't get the same degree of control you would through a native Hue smart light. You won't be able to dim your IKEA lights using a Hue Tap Dial switch, for example, or incorporate them into a Philips Hue Play entertainment setup. For that, you'll need to get more creative.
3. Try a hardware hack
If you like the look of an IKEA smart light, but want the full functionality of Philips Hue and are feeling brave, you could try a crafty hardware hack.
The Varmblixt lamp is a particularly popular choice for smart lighting DIYers, who have discovered that its frosted glass case is ideal for concealing a Philips Hue light strip. Reddit user K1uppy described the process of opening the IKEA lamp, removing its innards, and replacing them with a coiled Hue strip.
However, you should remember that a coiled light strip could overheat, damaging the LEDs.
4. Pick the right lamps
A safer (though less imaginative) alternative is to use Hue bulbs with IKEA lamps designed for standard light bulbs. Look out for ones that will diffuse light, such as the Fado table lamp, the ruffled Vindkast, or the striking multi-bulb Simrishamn. You can use the Philips Hue app to create a 'group' of these three bulbs, and control them together or apply a scene so they co-ordinate for an interesting effect.
There are Philips Hue bulbs for virtually all light fixtures, so you will be able to find one that fits your chosen IKEA lamp. Reddit users have suggested dialing down the brightness of your Hue bulbs to around 50% to create soft ambient lighting. You'll find a collection of suitable IKEA pendant, table, and floor lamps below.
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