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OPINION: I'm someone who's been a bit sceptical of cloud gaming. Ever since the announcement of Google Stadia and the problems I had with it three years ago, the idea of subscribing to a game pass service has grown in popularity and arguably, in 2022, has become a core focus behind the likes of Microsoft's own development strategy. Alright, I'll attest to becoming a fair supporter of Microsoft's excellent Xbox Game Pass service, not least because of the 100+ AAA titles on offer for what is quite the reasonable monthly price, and therefore of cloud gaming in general. You might even call me an Xbox fanboy, given I was defending the Xbox Series S as a console before it had even been released, and have been a user of Microsoft's consoles ever since I laid hands on the original Xbox. As a result, it's been sad to see Microsoft slump for practically the last decade, given the kiss of death the Xbox One immediately received back in 2013 with its £429.99 launch price, which was significantly more expensive than the PS4 at the time. Now though, with rumours and Microsoft's announced commitment to the development of an Xbox Streaming Stick, codenamed 'Keystone', it might be high time for Microsoft to redress the balance of console gaming. Xbox Game Pass has been a runaway success for Microsoft, with iterations on both Xbox and PC allowing for nearly everyone to get in on the act of paying a monthly subscription to play some of their favourite titles. This comes with the vast library on offer not only of Microsoft-supported games, but also the added bonus of having access to EA Play with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription bundled in to give people even more games to play. Combine with this the fledgling power of Project xCloud, Microsoft's Xbox cloud gaming service that allows Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to, at no extra cost, play their library of games on devices such as a phone, tablet, or computer, without the need to download titles, and it looks like Microsoft is beginning to set the wheels in motion for something even bigger. The advent of affordable, or low-cost hardware for people to play the library of Xbox games on would be excellent, especially if combined with the existing power Project xCloud offers and the positively massive library Xbox Game Pass currently offers, given that Sony doesn't really have a viable alternative at the moment. Streaming sticks aren't a new innovation by any means, with Amazon Fire Sticks having been around since 2014 for media streaming. There hasn't specifically been a device, to my knowledge, that has been specifically developed for cloud gaming. By developing one, Microsoft would also fill a gap in the market for both a gaming streaming stick and a low-cost method for playing AAA titles. After all, this current console generation has been the most affected by scalpers and fewer people than ever before have been able to experience the power of Microsoft and Sony's latest consoles, especially those still after a PlayStation 5. The supply of Microsoft's flagship Xbox Series X has seemingly steadily increased in previous months, although the fact remains that not everyone has £449 to spend on a new console. If you get one, you obviously need somewhere to put it and have the right display to get the best experience. It wouldn't need to be a large device, but have enough ports to offer a steady connection - fan-made renders on forums have imagined the device as offering an Ethernet port for hard-wired networking, alongside a USB-C and HDMI-out to display, which makes perfect sense. Rumours for Keystone have showed that it may be roughly the same size as a Roku stick, which would mean it wouldn't be obtrusive at all and could sit easily around the back of a decent-sized TV. Pricing such a device would be tricky, especially given that nothing like it really exists. The closest you've got is arguably a Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and Nvidia's Shield TV, which gives access to their GeForce Now service, as well as linking up a user's Steam libraries so they can play those games on a bigger screen, over a network connection, that is. The Fire TV Stick is priced at £54.99, while the Shield TV sits at £179.99. Microsoft referred to the device as being 'low-cost hardware', but it remains to be seen what it is low cost against. Defining those parameters would be key to the device's success as if it's available for not much more than a standard media streaming stick, then I'm sure you'd have quite the long list of takers. Go towards more of the Shield TV's price, and you risk people simply laying the extra £80 or so for an Xbox Series S. As things stand, there is the option for those with 2022 Samsung Smart TVs to access Xbox Game Pass as an app, which fundamentally looks to offer the same experience, but without the need for any hardware. If this integration goes well and works without major hitches, then it may well roll out to other platforms, and act as the forerunner to Project Keystone. Whether an Xbox Streaming Stick ever sees the light of day does of course remain to be seen, but if it does, Microsoft has the potential to redress the console gaming world and utilise its unique powers with both a successful subscription service and excellent cloud gaming platform to create a low-cost option to get more people than ever playing next-gen games. UNTITLED may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through the links on our site. Find out more here.

This edition of UNTITLED Reviews sees us look at what we think is an excellent laptop in the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16. Find out more product info here: https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/ideapad/500-series/IdeaPad-5-Pro-14ACN6/p/88IPS501621 Also, if you like what you see, you can purchase the kit featured in this video below: UK: https://amzn.to/3NexbeX US: https://amzn.to/3HI5MRg (As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases made through the above links) Make sure to like and subscribe! JOIN US: Blog: www.untitledblog.co.uk Merchandise: https://untitled-merch-3.creator-spring.com/? Twitter: https://twitter.com/UntitledBlogs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/untitledblogsite UNTITLED may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through the links on our site. Find out more here.

This edition of UNTITLED Reviews sees us look at a wireless powerhouse of a keyboard with the Keychron K2 V2 keyboard. Find out more product info here: https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k2-wireless-mechanical-keyboard Also, if you like what you see, you can purchase the kit featured in this video below: UK: https://amzn.to/3x654sc US: https://amzn.to/3tCVRqD (As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases made through the above links) Make sure to like and subscribe! JOIN US: Blog: www.untitledblog.co.uk Merchandise: https://untitled-merch-3.creator-spring.com/? Twitter: https://twitter.com/UntitledBlogs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/untitledblogsite UNTITLED may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through the links on our site. Find out more here.

This edition of UNTITLED Reviews sees us look at an electro capacitive marvel of a keyboard with the Niz Mini84 Pro keyboard. Find out more product info here: https://www.nizkeyboard.com/products/plum-mini-84-pro-keys-35g-45g-electro-capacitive-keyboard-rgb-non-rgb-backlighting?variant=30347039211591 Also, if you like what you see, you can purchase the kit featured in this video below: UK: https://amzn.to/3PWhv2C US: https://amzn.to/38ZKpOy (As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases made through the above links) Make sure to like and subscribe! JOIN US: Blog: www.untitledblog.co.uk Merchandise: https://untitled-merch-3.creator-spring.com/? Twitter: https://twitter.com/UntitledBlogs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/untitledblogsite UNTITLED may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through the links on our site. Find out more here.

This edition of UNTITLED Reviews sees us look at what we consider to be a headset for audiophiles, namely the ASUS ROG Fusion II 500 gaming headset. Find out more product info here: https://rog.asus.com/headsets-audio/headsets/usb-headsets/rog-fusion-ii-500-model/ Also, if you like what you see, you can purchase the kit featured in this video below: UK: https://amzn.to/38S1kmf US: https://amzn.to/3x0YcxD (As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases made through the above links) Make sure to like and subscribe! JOIN US: Blog: www.untitledblog.co.uk Merchandise: https://untitled-merch-3.creator-spring.com/? Twitter: https://twitter.com/UntitledBlogs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/untitledblogsite UNTITLED may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through the links on our site. Find out more here.

This edition of UNTITLED Reviews sees us look at a modern classic in the Unicomp New Model M buckling spring keyboard. Find out more product info here: https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/NEW_M Also, if you like what you see, you can purchase the kit featured in this video below: UK: https://amzn.to/3PucNIP US: https://amzn.to/3PEYIZs (As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases made through the above links) Make sure to like and subscribe! JOIN US: Blog: www.untitledblog.co.uk Merchandise: https://untitled-merch-3.creator-spring.com/? Twitter: https://twitter.com/UntitledBlogs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/untitledblogsite UNTITLED may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through the links on our site. Find out more here.

An Hour Before It's Dark has finally arrived. Several years in the making, the new Marillion record looks to take aim at everything from environmentalism and the pandemic to excessive consumerism and poverty. So, quite the light subject matters, then. 2016's FEAR (or Fuck Everyone & Run) proved the band had their fingers on the pulse for the impending political turmoil and general darkness we'd be entering at the time and provided a brooding, atmospheric soundtrack for the time. Now, a few years later, they've done it again - An Hour Before It's Dark is a record that encapsulates the dual worlds of dark political turmoil and the impending climate crisis and simultaneously, the sense of hope and power as we (hopefully) emerge from the last few pandemic-riddled years with great gusto and attacks it from every angle with a combination of both galvanised protest and ethereal soundscapes. Compared to the light acoustic guitar that opened up FEAR on the first part of El Dorado, An Hour Before It's Dark proves the band aren't pulling any punches with the gritty Be Hard On Yourself that looks to prove the point that we're entering a crucial point for humanity where we need to cut back in order to preserve what we've got. This is, of course, a cleverly worded reference to the climate crisis and the notion of people having unlimited wants and limited needs, the former of which has essentially led to people disregarding the environment for their own personal gain. As Marillion's opening songs go, it's one of their best, featuring some marvellous instrumentation from Rothers, Pete T. and Mark Kelly, and some pounding drums from Ian Mosley that definitely complement H's seething vocal nicely. The ensuing Reprogram The Gene, at least in its second half, offers the brighter recorded we were promised with an increasing amount of optimism that nicely juxtaposes the kick-in-the-teeth opening. There's a certain vibrancy to it all that just makes this not only one of the album's standout songs but one of the best from their entire discography. If you wanted a track that so fantastically encapsulates the album's themes, then Reprogram The Gene does exactly that. It captures the spirit of modern society with its discussions of the quest for perfection and the point of people wishing to be invincible and the realisation this isn't possible, which is then contrasted by hopeful optimism ("Is there a cure for us,?" Steve Hogarth so wonderfully sings in the song's final passage) to create something magical. The references to the pandemic allow for some of Steve Hogarth's best lyrics for a good while - "Locked down, Knocked Down, Country In Tiers" is there to take clever shots at the current government and their poor handling of the pandemic, for instance. Although, to say the entire record is a simple rant would be overstretching. It's a much more impactful body of songs that allow for the contemplation of where society has been for the last few years and what we need to do to prevent the clock from striking twelve, much like Fish did on 2020's Weltschmerz. Murder Machines sees further aim taken at the pandemic, with it all wrapped up in the metaphor of people's embraces being deadly, and the associated emotional pain of losing someone within the last two years. Death, in this pandemic era, is something that has become almost part of people's daily lives thanks to the daily counters of cases and deaths being broadcast on news stations worldwide. It is this proximity to death however that has arguably given way to insensitivity, and Murder Machines hones in once again on the harsh reality of losing someone, whilst people simply see numbers on the television. This obviously stands in stark contrast to the point that we need to "let the bodies pile high" in the alleged words of this country's apparently esteemed Prime Minister. It's one of An Hour Before It's Dark's more thought-provoking yet energetic offerings, and by this point, it would be easy to assume the entire record would be brimmed full of attitude-driven anthems, but not so much. The Crow And The Nightingale is arguably An Hour Before It's Dark's crowning glory with the track acting as Steve Hogarth's ode to the late, great Leonard Cohen. It's a gorgeous six and a half minutes of music with everything from soaring guitar solos to well-placed strings and delicate vocals. There's a certain immersive quality here that arguably hasn't been seen since Clutching At Straws, which remains my favourite album from the Marillio's to date, as the song features that quintessential Marillion sound of musical peaks and troughs that go through a proper cycle of emotions. These are then ultimately resolved with an ethereal ending of Hogarth's light vocal backed by the power of the Choir Noir who are used to great effect over the album's course. Yet, that classic sound is also utilised to great effect on Sierra Leone, the penultimate track that charts the story of child labourers within the African nation as they're forced to scratch the earth for diamonds, and the tale of someone who finds a diamond, seemingly at an opportune moment, and their contemplations of what to do with it. It's a song that takes me back to the times of Seasons End and the likes of Berlin or The King Of Sunset Town that also seek to tell cleverly worded stories about the state of the world. Sierra Leone is a song in five parts, each of them wonderfully diverse and clever in their own right, but when taken as a collective, creates one of the band's best longer songs, and arguably also, one of their meaningful about a key location since 2012's Gaza. Well, what about the album's final offering, the fifteen-minute long Care. Well, given its groovy opening on Maintenance Drugs, the song's opening part, you wouldn't expect it to go in the direction it does. Following this, it moves into the more sinister An Hour Before It's Dark section in a movement reminiscent of Misplaced Childhood, complete with light cymbal touches from Ian Mosley and a haunting riff from Steve Rothery. Then, we're soon into Every Cell that's characterised by a soaring soundscape only seasoned veterans of the prog space could create that's underscored by Hogarth's lyrics of someone contemplating death, and looking back on the life they've had. Where Care is at its most impactful comes in its last movement, Angels On Earth, which reveals the song's true sentiments of being a thank you for health professionals around the world. It's here where Marillion are at their best with pure love emanating from Hogarth's every word. "The angels in this world are not in the walls of churches", he sings, with an emotional refrain that you can't help but shed a tear to as the song reaches its climax. At times like this, the band's music can only be summed up as being beautiful and simply breathtaking. If the beginning of An Hour Before It's Dark was characterised by warnings, its ending is one of hope and signalled by the point that maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel after all, even if we aren't sure of how long it is till we get there. In short, An Hour Before It's Dark is a truly stunning collection of songs and marks out a true return to form the band hasn't experienced since the likes of Anoraknophobia and Marbles. At times, it's angry and powerful, but at others, it's heavy and emotional and insightful, which sees Marillion at their very best. If you want to purchase the album at all, here's a handy button to take you to Amazon: Or, if you'd prefer, here's a Spotify link: UNTITLED may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through the links on our site. Find out more here.

This edition of UNTITLED Reviews sees us look at what is a clicky and optical keyboard with the Razer Huntsman V2 gaming keyboard. Find out more product info here: https://www.razer.com/gaming-keyboards/Razer-Huntsman-V2/RZ03-03930400-R3U1 Also, if you like what you see, you can purchase the kit featured in this video below: UK: https://amzn.to/3E7zPjL US: https://amzn.to/3vav4lg (As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases made through the above links) Make sure to like and subscribe! JOIN US: Blog: www.untitledblog.co.uk Merchandise: https://untitled-merch-3.creator-spring.com/? Twitter: https://twitter.com/UntitledBlogs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/untitledblogsite UNTITLED may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through the links on our site. Find out more here.

This edition of UNTITLED Reviews sees us look at what is a rather rumbly headset with the Razer Kraken V3 Hypersense gaming headset. Find out more product info here: https://www.razer.com/gaming-headsets/razer-kraken-v3/RZ04-03770100-R3U1 Also, if you like what you see, you can purchase the kit featured in this video below: UK: https://amzn.to/3LYi4pH US: https://amzn.to/37Dty2X (As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases made through the above links) Make sure to like and subscribe! JOIN US: Blog: www.untitledblog.co.uk Merchandise: https://untitled-merch-3.creator-spring.com/? Twitter: https://twitter.com/UntitledBlogs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/untitledblogsite

This edition of UNTITLED Reviews sees us look at what we think is a decent headset with the CHERRY HC 2.2 gaming headset. Find out more product info here: https://www.cherry-world.com/cherry-hc-2-2.html Also, if you like what you see, you can purchase the kit featured in this video below: UK: https://amzn.to/3JHRIqB US: https://amzn.to/3jr4i2x (As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases made through the above links) Make sure to like and subscribe! JOIN US: Blog: www.untitledblog.co.uk Merchandise: https://untitled-merch-3.creator-spring.com/? Twitter: https://twitter.com/UntitledBlogs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/untitledblogsite

This edition of UNTITLED Reviews sees us look at a low profile marvel of a keyboard with the CHERRY MX 10.0N RGB. Find out more product info here: https://www.cherry-world.com/cherry-mx-10-0n-rgb.html Also, if you like what you see, you can purchase the kit featured in this video below: UK: https://amzn.to/37COAPn US: https://amzn.to/38FePVP (As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases made through the above links) Make sure to like and subscribe! JOIN US: Blog: www.untitledblog.co.uk Merchandise: https://untitled-merch-3.creator-spring.com/? Twitter: https://twitter.com/UntitledBlogs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/untitledblogsite

This edition of UNTITLED Reviews sees us look at a fantastic all-rounder in the Roccat Pyro gaming keyboard. Find out more product info here: https://uk.roccat.com/products/pyro Also, if you like what you see, you can purchase the kit featured in this video below: UK: https://amzn.to/3Iqrzfv US: https://amzn.to/3NYHkh9 (As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases made through the above links) Make sure to like and subscribe! JOIN US: Blog: www.untitledblog.co.uk Merchandise: https://untitled-merch-3.creator-spring.com/? Twitter: https://twitter.com/UntitledBlogs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/untitledblogsite