I’ll make this quick: Whatever you had planned for the weekend, you’ve got to carve four-and-a-half hours out for a last-minute swerve into the late ’90s. Six months in the making, YouTube essayist Majuular is back with the (I believe) penultimate video in his multi-year Ultima series. “This one was a doozy,” he wrote in the comments. It’s Ultima Online.
“From its unlikely formation at the behest of Richard Garriott and Starr Long, to its tempering at the hands of Raph Koster and his team of Multi-User Dungeon enthusiasts, to its changing identity in the face of competition, to its incalculable influence, this is the story of Ultima Online,” the description reads. If you get the Ultima Online bug after watching the documentary, good news: it’s still very much playable on both official servers and fan ones. Majuular highlighted the server he played on, In Mani Ylem, which aims to recapture the late ’90s experience.
You can find the entire video series in a playlist here, and I can’t recommend watching them highly enough. In late 2025 we published a feature story about Majuular’s quest to chronicle the making of Richard Garriott’s genre-defining series, and how that mission unexpectedly catapulted him to YouTube success with more than 200,000 followers. It’s a good read—and won’t take you quite as long as watching all the videos.
‘A good idea, infinite drive, and lots of Diet Pepsi’: How YouTube essayist Majuular’s life changed course telling the story of Ultima across 2 years and more than 20 hours of documentaries
The Majuular Ultima Retrospective embodies the fastidious, affectionate critique that is gaming YouTube at its best. Many are multi-hour features that trace Ultima’s burgeoning influence on both western and Japanese roleplaying games, discuss the human stories and context around its creation, and actually involve the dirty work of playing the games while analyzing Ultima’s lore on its own terms.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
The architectural visualization industry in the United States has changed a lot. Before, it was primarily about creating beautiful pictures of buildings. Today, it has become a large and vital industry. Architectural visualization services combine creative design with detailed and accurate work. In the US, this industry is composed of both large firms that handle big products and small high-end studios with teams capable of creating 3D images that allow people to see what buildings will look like in the real world.
This environment also includes flexible platforms that connect clients with freelance 3D ArchViz experts for various projects. In this guide, we will explore the top 40 companies that are leading the rendering and ArchViz industry in the United States.
The Current state of the ArchViz industry
Before we discuss the best architectural visualization companies US, it’s important to understand the cultural and technical changes that affect ArchViz today. At present, the ArchViz industry is composed of three main pillars – AI tools that allow professionals to work smarter and faster, tools that help you track changes in real time and human-centered storytelling.
AI Tools
People feared that AI would replace real 3D design professionals, but that didn’t occur. Instead, AI helps professionals by doing the repetitive tasks. It’s used to include realistic people in backgrounds, enhance lighting and rapidly create materials, allowing designers to focus on more important tasks such as creating the right mood, hero shots and composition that can help close the big project deals. You can also test different design directions without starting from scratch.
Companies can now deliver realistic environments that are fully interactive, thanks to highly advanced technologies likecloud computing and Unreal Engine 5.5. It allows you to share a digital version of the proposed building with your clients, so they’ll know what the building will look like in the real world. You can easily adjust the lighting, materials and even the weather patterns to satisfy their demands. Thus, instead of looking at static images, clients can benefit from live design presentations where alterations can be implemented in real time. This helps avoid confusion and makes it faster to get approvals from clients.
Human-centered storytelling
High-end companies started including subtle dust particles in sunbeams,soft glares and everyday signs of life like a half-full glass and wrinkled blankets to make designs look and feel more realistic. These details can make viewers feel more connected to the image. People respond more to emotional storytelling compared to technical accuracy. Thus, 3D images are starting to resemble movie scenes instead of building drawings.
High-End creative companies
High-end creative companies build brands. These 3D architectural design companies are the preferred options of developers who are launching big projects like a tech campus or tall buildings in New York. Top-tier architectural visualization agencies work in a fashion similar to hybrid studios that integrate digital product design, branding, architecture and filmmaking. They don’t just produce renders. These companies help express how projects are seen in the industry, which can have an influence on sales velocity and investor confidence during the early stages of the project. Their visual language usually becomes part of the building’s identity as well.
High-end creative companies work closely with architectural practices and international developers during the project’s early design stages, which means their inputs can have an indirect influence on the selection of materials, façade articulation and lighting strategies. These companies set themselves apart from the rest by integrating visualization into a more comprehensive marketing and branding strategy. Since they often collaborate with developers, they also contribute to storytelling frameworks, campaign execution and creative direction. Moreover, they invest in technology and talents composed of technologists, 3D artists, designers and filmmakers.
This means they work like a movie production studio. Projects may includemotion designers crafting cinematic sequences, lighting specialists integrating realismconcept artists creating the tone and mood and 3D modelers making environments, sequences. Top-tier creative firms also create and implement proprietary workflows to ensure consistent high-quality work across big campaigns, which is particularly crucial for master-planned developments that require a large number of deliverables that align emotionally and visually. Now, here are the top 40 companies for 3D architectural visualization and rendering services in the US.
1. Cad Crowd
Cad Crowd specializes in scalable solutions and 3D visualization talents. This global platform pairs clients with a large pool of trusted freelancevisualization experts, 3D artists and architects. The platform’s flexible model allows clients to find resources based on their current needs. Cad Crowd works as a talent network, so it caters to various industries such as product design, industrial visualization, architecture and engineering. One of the best features of the platform is that it pairs project demands with freelancers who have specific skill sets. City planning projects, for instance, may need extensive environment modeling. Projects involving high-end residential tower construction may need top-tier interior rendering skills.
Cad Crowd allow the people involved in both situations to find the right talents for the job without creating an in-house team. This model is particularly beneficial for the ArchViz industry since it is highly cyclical. Marketing stages, development cycles and investor timelines can affect workloads. Traditional studios often struggle with space and scheduling. Their resources and spaces go unused during slower periods. During busy periods, traditional studios may not have enough resources and time to complete all projects.
Cad Crowd helps solve this issue by allowing developers and 3D architecture design companies to scale up or down quickly without hiring permanent staff. The platform’s freelance-based model is particularly beneficial for real estatecompetitive real estate industries where timing has direct influence on sales performance. Cad Crowd is often used for supplemental production, early-stage visualization of concepts and comprehensive modeling support. Smaller architecture companies can also benefit from Cad Crowd as they can compete with top-tier studios by connecting them with global professionals at different price points.
DBOXis often associated with luxury developments and top-tier residential towers that use visual identity as part of their marketing strategies. It focuses on cinematic storytelling, architecture and branding. DBOX is usually included in the early stages of product development. Talents at DBOX help define how buildings will be seen in the market. Visuals represent architecture and sell a lifestyle connected to design excellence, exclusivity and prestige.DBOX’s artistic style usually puts emphasis on atmospheric depth, cleverly staged compositions and controlled lighting. These images often bear a resemblance to editorial photography as luxury clients often react powerfully to aspirational images compared to technical representation.
Neoscape’s specialty is digital strategy and large-scale marketing. It works as a strategic marketing company and a 3D visualization studio. Apart from producing visualizations, they also create a full digital ecosystem for real estate projects. Neoscape is often involved in mixed-use development projects and master-planned communities where stakeholders demand synchronized communication tools. They usually use branding systems, immersive sales tools and interactive media in their projects. However, Neoscape’s integration of visualization and analytics sets it apart from the rest. This integration allows developers to create the perfect mix of marketing performance and visual content tactic, which helps improve conversion and engagement results during the pre-sales stage of development.
Kilographis focused on narrative storytelling, film and virtual reality. Since Kilograph treats architectural images as a story instead of a technical output, the company’s workflow is similar to film production. Kilograph’s projects usually start with conceptual storytelling. In this phase of development, environmental context, emotional tone and user experience are defined. The narrative that was developed has a direct influence on graphic decisions, including camera movement, composition and lighting. The ArchViz industry has significantly benefited from this storytelling-first tactic as emotional engagement is considered as vital as photorealism.
Binyan Studios is focused on large-scale projects, especially in mixed-use settings, hospitality and residential towers. Since it operates globally, they provide visualizations that attract international investors. They combine aspirational lifestyle depiction and realism to create projects that appeal to different cultural markets. Binyan Studios often emphasizes environmental context, movement and lifestyle activity in the designs they create, which makes it easier to express the livability and scale of large development projects.
Luxigon’s specialty includes moody, artistic and atmospheric 3D renders. The company delivers an artistic and expressive interpretation of a space. Luxigon focuses on emotional tone and atmosphere instead of total realism. Visuals created by Luxigon are often considered painterly because they put emphasis on mood-driven settings, lighting composition and contrast. These factors make them popular in the competition and conceptual design stages. Luxigon also creates designs that challenge conservative representation styles.
If you prefer materiality and hyper-realistic lighting, consider working with The Boundary. The company is known for putting emphasis on material detail and lighting accuracy. They use physically accurate visualization techniques such as material response modeling and accurate light simulation to create hyper-realistic designs, which makes their work effective forcommercial and luxury residential development projects.
Visualhouse offers visualization, animation and branding under a single creative 3D architectural rendering agency. They operate across different stages of a project instead of one deliverable type. It usually includes early-phase conceptual visuals, motion graphics, marketing imagery and brand identity. This structure is beneficial for large-scale real estate development projects that require consistency across various formats. Visualhouse ensures that your visuals look the same regardless of where it’s viewed from. For instance, you want the same architectural idea to be visible in your social media campaigns, leasing presentations, brochures, websites and investor decks.Visualhouse can help you do that.
The company’s integrated model helps you maintain consistent visuals across different media formats such as immersive presentations, print and digital campaigns. Consistency is crucial because clients can now interact with projects through various channels before they make a decision. They can use physical advertising materials, mobile devices and video presentations to view and assess your visuals. An integrated workflow helps reduce miscommunication between branding, design and 3D animation teams. Visualhouse’s unified agency model allows for fewer discrepancies when it comes to material representation, visual tone and in lighting style. It also gives you more control over the project’s creative direction. Instead of dealing with multiple vendors, you can access a complete team of experts at Visualhouse.
Steelblue is focused on architecture related to the technology industry, especially innovation hubs and corporate campuses. They cater to research facilities, campus-style development projects and corporate headquarters designed for major tech companies, which are known for emphasizing sustainability, collaboration and openness. Thus, visuals created for this industry often highlight natural integration of light, spatial transparency and clean architectural setting instead of stylized or lavish representation.
Steelblue’s projects showcase Silicon Valley’s architectural design, which is known for technological integration, sustainability and transparency. The area’s unique architectural culture is highly influenced by environmental awareness and tech company campus development projects. Many buildings in this area showcase landscape integration, open-plan workspaces and glass façades. Architectural visualization services for projects that will be constructed in this area must showcase both physical design and company values like environmental responsibility, innovation and collaboration. In other words, spatial clarity and realism are given priority over stylized storytelling.
Squint/Opera specializes in digital storytelling and public installations. Consider working with Squint/Opera if you want to create an interactive storytelling environment or major public realm project. The company’s designs often combine architecture and interactive media. Unlike traditional visualizations in the real estate industry, Squint/Opera’s work is frequently designed for civic projects, cultural institutions and public spaces. Their niche involves combining architectural imagery with public engagement and experiential design.
Thus, you can expect projects that include exhibition settings, major projection-based storytelling environments and digital installations that communicate urban and architectural development ideas to the viewers. Squint/Opera often handles cultural and civic projects that require public engagement like urban redevelopment work and museums. Overall, visuals are not only used to promote the project even before it is built. Visualization also becomes a communication tool for the public, architects and planners.
The visuals help stakeholders and investors understand how the development projects will affect urban environments. These projects usually require a perfect balance of accessibility and technical precision so that even non-technical people can understand intricate architectural ideas with ease.
Transparent House delivers innovation-focused product and 3D designs. Their projects often combine architectural representation and immersive digital experiences. If you are looking for a company that specializes in architectural visualization and retail experience and product design development, Transparent House is one of your best options. They can help you create a digital environment that depicts your architectural space as an interactive ecosystem instead of static scenes. Visualization is particularly important in modern commercial and detail architecture because it’s used to imitate how people will interact within a space, including environmental responsiveness, navigation and product engagement.
Transparent House often combines immersive digital experiences and architectural representation in their projects. This approach shows that visualizations are starting to gravitate toward experiential media. Clients no longer focus on the aesthetics of a space alone. Companies like Transparent House are asked to show how a certain space works and how people will interact within the building. This is particularly important in retail environments because spatial experience and customer engagement have a direct influence on business performance.
The Seventh Art focuses on creating designs that emphasize brand perception and exclusivity, which are crucial for project identity. A boutique firm like Seventh Art works in the real estate visualization’s luxury section. Projects usually include penthouses, architecturally important properties and residential developments with limited units. Visualization does not focus on volume.
Rather, it is focused on exclusivity, precision and mood. Images are created to showcase a certain lifestyle that can be offered by the property. Visualizations for luxury 3D real estate visualization services must emphasize brand perception and emotional storytelling. Furthermore, visualizations should match the expectations of high-profile buyers. It is important to present architecture as part of their lifestyle instead of a simple building. That is why staging, lighting and composition are essential in attaining your desired position in the market.
Moso Studio specializes in top-tier residential aesthetics. The company creates minimalist visualizations with emphasis on refined lighting, material clarity and spatial composition. Moso Studio usually designs high-end residential spaces. Materials are carefully selected because it will affect how the space will feel and look once it’s built. Moso Studio puts emphasis on interior materiality and architectural form instead of environmental storytelling.
The minimalist style matches modern architecture that is focused on open spaces, high-end materials and clean designs. Due to this, Moso Studio projects often bear a resemblance to magazine photos where careful arrangement and soft lightingare utilized to showcase the quality of the output and how nice the space looks. In other words, it allows Moso Studio to emphasize spatial balance and craftsmanship without using a lot of decorations.
Boutique studios and regional specialists focus on local markets, so they are knowledgeable about regional architecture, development trends, climate conditions and cultural preferences. That is why they play a crucial part in the broader architectural visualization industry. Unlike high-end companies that handle brand-defining and landmark projects, boutique studios and regional specialists are usually more agile and hands-on. Working closely with developers and architects allows them to implement changes a lot faster and remain true to the design idea. These companies also tend to build a long-term relationship with regional developers, which makes it easier to handle recurring visualization projects.
14. Spine 3D (Miami)
Spine 3D is focused on Miami’s real estate and architectural market, which is known for hospitality projects, waterfront development and high-end residential towers. They consider coastal Florida’s unique lighting and environmental conditions when creating designs. After all, Miami’s tropical vegetation, strong sunlight and reflective water surfaces require a dedicated rendering style. Spine 3D simulates these conditions accurately, which is crucial for projects where the look, lifestyle and mood play a big part of what appeals to buyers. Spine 3D and developers often work together during the early stages of marketing. They create visualizations that attract pre-construction sales for mixed-use waterfront properties and top-tier condo units.
Miami has a highly competitive real estate market that requires quick production of premium marketing visuals. Trim Render’s high-quality visuals and quick turnaround time make them ideal for those who want to conduct pre-sales campaigns fast to attract buyers and secure funding. Since strong visuals and timing play an important part in gaining attention from buyers and investors, Trim Render is a perfect fit for pre-construction sales.
AAA Designs Studio’s visualizations combine modern development and historic preservation. They specialize in Midwest industrial and 3D commercial rendering projects, so their projects often integrate new spaces into historic settings. Chicago is well known for its architectural identity.
AAA Designs Studio incorporates this factor into their visuals by creating the perfect mix of traditional urban look and modern designs.
Masitects is known for technically accurate and precise architectural visualizations. They focus on showing what the building will actually look like and how it is built instead of simply making it look nice. Masitects is also called architect’s visualizers since they specialize in design validation instead of marketing-driven results. The company’s accuracy and precision ensure that the design matches what’s actually planned. This helps reduce inconsistences and errors between the planned design and final output, which is particularly beneficial for large-scale projects such as commercial institutions and buildings.
Biorev Studios specializes in large-scale mixed-use masterplans, residential subdivisions and commercial zones. The company visualizes an entire community instead of individual buildings. It means that Biorev Studios has a strong understanding of infrastructure representation, environmental design and 3D landscape rendering services. They work closely with developers and help them show what their large-scale projects will look like in the future. This is important in securing municipal approvals and trust from investors.
StudioSIX5 focuses on senior hospitality and living. They create designs for environments dedicated to the aging population, wellness-oriented community and hospitality industry. StudioSIX5’s projects show that architecture is gearing toward human-focused design.
Industries that cater to senior living are placing more emphasis on comfort, community engagement and lifestyle. StudioSIX5’s designs incorporate emotional comfort and accessibility to provide the aging population with this kind of environment.
Brand Animators specializes in video marketing and 3D walkthroughs. Instead of a still image, they deliver motion-based visualizations that tell a story through animation.
This approach is particularly beneficial for digital marketing and social media campaigns that use short-form video content to drive audience retention and engagement.
Blackberry Studios often works with architects during the early design stages of a project. The company’s collaborative environment makes them a great choice for those who want to work closely with their 3D architectural visualization team members.
The best thing about Blackberry Studios is that you can use their visualization process for presentation and exploring designs. This allows you to test design ideas digitally before making structural decisions.
NoTriangle Studio’s workflows are designed to handle large-scale projects, so they are a good option or those who manage large real estate properties or multiple assets. They can accept many projects at once without sacrificing the quality of their architectural visualizations. Thus, NoTriangle Studio is particularly beneficial for those who require consistent outputs across various projects while dealing with tight deadlines.
Marygold Studio’s projects highlight a human-focused lifestyle. They focus on the presence of people within an architectural setting. Marygold Studio’s works combine interaction, emotional realism and lifestyle. The architectural modeling team don’t focus on architecture alone. Rather, they integrate human activity in the design as an important narrative element. This factor makes a space feel more relatable and lived-in.
Technical production and marketing-focused companies
Technical production and marketing-focused companies are different from boutique studios that specialize in regional expertise and from high-end firms that focus on storytelling and branding. Instead, they focus on repeatable workflows, scale and efficiency. These companies have become vital in the architectural visualization industry due to the increasing demand for real estate content. Retail chains, international property agencies and large developers often require a large volume of visuals with consistent quality across various projects. Technical production and marketing-focused companies can deliver that level of consistency and maintain technical accuracy and high-quality photorealism at the same time. They also depend on automation tools, distributed teams and standardized pipelines.
24. PixelPool (New York)
PixelPool is ideal for international brands requiring consistent visual branding across different store locations. They specialize in retail visualization, including retail experience and commercial architecture designs. Consistency is crucial in the retail ArchViz market. It’s important for brands to have the same identity in every location where they can be found. PixelPool creates standardized visuals that guarantee spatial branding, uniform lighting and material representation.
Yantram Animation Studio offers diverse rendering and VR experiences. The high-end production studio also offers animation and 3D modeling design services. Yantram Animation Studio’s versatility sets them apart from the rest. They can handle both large urban simulations and small residential imagery, which makes them ideal for clients who have mixed portfolios.
Arktek 3D is focused on construction renders and BIM integration. They combine architectural imagery and Building Information Modeling workflows to create designs that are match real construction data.Arktek 3D’s designs are especially beneficial during the pre-construction stage, which requires accuracy between buildability and design intent. This also helps improve communication between developers, architects and contractors.
VRender specializes in multi-family marketing and 3D floor plan design, especially in condominium and rental projects. The 3D floor plans they create support their client’s marketing efforts as it helps potential buyers and tenants easily and quickly understand the spatial layout of the building.Their visualizations are popular in leasing settings where accessibility and clarity are more crucial than photographic storytelling.
NYrender understands New York’s architectural and environmental conditions, including reflective building setting, seasonal lighting differences and dense urban structure. They can create lifelike realistic urban lighting settings, which makes their outputs highly beneficial for Manhattan’s high-rise buildings and nearby boroughs.
3D World Renderings offers top-tier architectural visualization and 3D rendering services for small to midscale developers requiring high-end output without spending a lot of money. By creating refined marketing visualizations suitable for investor presentations and sales, they provide smaller developers with a chance to contend visually with top-tier firms without breaking the bank.
If you need high-quality exteriors, consider getting in touch with EnDesign 3D Studio. They are focused on 3D exterior rendering services, environmental context,architectural form and façade treatment. Exterior renders are crucial in the real estate industry because it’s the first thing that is noticed by your viewers. To create a good first impression of your project, it is important to put ermphasis on visual impact and clarity in your hero shots and EnDesign 3D Studio can help you do that.
Rayvat Engineering specializes in scalable drafting and CAD support. The company offers technical design engineering experts and CAD drafting support along with rendering services. Rayvat Engineering is highly popular among architecture companies requiring scalable production. They provide support to companies that need the skills and knowledge of modeling and technical drafting experts. By outsourcing these tasks, firms can get the help they need without creating a permanent in-house team. It also allows them to keep design leadership within the company.
Styldod is focused on virtual staging, a tool that has become popular in real estate marketing. Virtual staging allows designers to digitally furnish an empty interior for marketing reasons. This tool helps clients save a lot of time and money. Unlike physical staging, virtual staging allows clients to see what a certain design would look like without spending money and other resources. Virtual staging for architecture designers also helps boost listing engagement in digital real estate platforms.
Invedus specializes in large-scale production and outsourcing. They offer outsourced architectural visualization and rendering services for clients who need large-scale visuals. Invedus has distributed teams that handle high-volume tasks.They often work with companies requiring an expansion of their production capacity without hiring more staff.
Render4Tomorrow is known for its quick turnaround and pre-sales. It provides speed-oriented 3D architectural visualization and photorealistic rendering services, thanks to its workflows that are optimized for quick delivery. This factor is vital in a fast-moving industry like real estate. Render4Tomorrow’s designs are usually utilized for pre-sales projects where timing is crucial. It is particularly beneficial for those who need their virtual assets to be completed under tight deadlines.
These companies have a strong presence in the US because of the competitiveness and scale of the country’s architecture and real estate market. They are also worldwide and their involvement in a project often means that it is a globally significant or high-profile job. Global ArchViz companies follow various design ideas influenced by international architectural traditions, Middle Eastern and European. This factor improves diversity in the country’s architectural visualization landscape.
36. Hayes Davidson (New York Office)
Hayes Davidson focuses on super-prime skyscrapers with designers specializing in 3D high-rise rendering. The company creates top-tier architectural images for luxury developments and landmark skyscrapers. You will often see their projects in urban re-development areas where visual communication should match with regulatory review procedures and expectations of investors.
Redvertex’s specialty is top-tier global luxury. The company has a strong presence in Miami, but operates globally and handles large-scale developments in the hospitality industry, luxury real estate and resorts. Redvertex often deals with large-scale projects that are visually complex and demand consistent branding in different international markets.
TMRW specializes in future-oriented and conceptual architectural visualization for urban planning work and smart cities. Their 3D artists are often involved in long-term planning tasks where visuals support discussions regarding infrastructure, sustainability and policy.
Mir’s specialty includes “unreal” atmosphere and competition renders. It is popular for highly atmospheric and conceptual architectural images that are often showcased in design contests. The company’s artistic style focuses on conceptual strength and emotion rather than strict realism, which makes their visuals highly effective in competitions for early-stage designs.
Architizerworks as aecosystem and platform for 3D architectural modeling professionals and architectural visualization. It specializes in ecosystem and community. Architizer plays an important part in shaping industry standards and visualization trends through project showcases, awards and editorial content.
Today’s ArchViz workflows combine post-production, modeling and rendering into combined pipelines. More and more professionals are using 3D modeling tools such as Blender and Rhino for organic modeling and procedural work, while Autodesk 3ds Max modeling services remain popular. Furthermore, cloud computing allows for real timecollaboration.
Rendering engines like Unreal Engine 5.5, Corona and Chaos Vantage are also gaining popularity when it comes to interactive presentations, still imagery and real-time environments. Production workflows use AI-assisted tools for scene population, material generation and lighting refinement. These tools, however, remain assistive instead of independent. Human artists retain complete control over storytelling and composition.
How Cad Crowd can assist
The companies listed above represent a high level of creative direction, production capability and technical skill. At the end of the day, it’s clear that ArchViz has become a crucial part of urban planning, architectural development and real estate marketing. Apart from traditional agencies and archiCAD design studios, freelance websites like Cad Crowd provide easy access to remote workers from around the world. For real estate experts, developers and architects, taking advantage of this hybrid environment is key to remaining competitive in an industry that is becoming more experience-driven and visual.
Visit Cad Crowd to hirefreelancers who specialize in architectural visualization and rendering services and start your project today. Contact us for a free quote.
MacKenzie Brown is the founder and CEO of Cad Crowd. With over 18 years of experience in launching and scaling platforms specializing in CAD services, product design, manufacturing, hardware, and software development, MacKenzie is a recognized authority in the engineering industry. Under his leadership, Cad Crowd serves esteemed clients like NASA, JPL, the U.S. Navy, and Fortune 500 companies, empowering innovators with access to high-quality design and engineering talent.
There’s way too much going on in Fortnite’s core Battle Royale mode in Chapter 7 Season 4. With sprites giving everybody a bonus ability, and Overrides fundamentally changing the way the game works in the middle of matches, we’ve got kind of a large pile of gimmicks that show up in matches at random, if they show up at all. It’s made for a disorienting and inconsistent experience that’s difficult to strategize for, because there’s no real status quo to get used to. It’s a big mess, and it seems to be affecting player numbers in a big way, both for the core Battle Royale mode and Fortnite as a whole.
The thing about battle royale as a genre is that it’s already, by its nature, varied enough from match to match. Loot is random, and the other players are random, and so there’s always plenty of variety even if you drop in the same spot every single time. This has been one of the key selling points of the battle royale genre since before Fortnite existed. But at a certain point, adding more randomness doesn’t make the game more engaging; it makes it more annoying, because some of these gimmicks change the rules mid-match.
Take the Speed Shooter Override, for example, which makes everyone’s guns fire much faster and gives Fortnite a lower general time-to-kill (TTK) than it’s ever had. You have to change your playstyle when that one is active, and you have to do so on the fly, because it happens in the middle of a match. Making it worse is that Override doesn’t come up consistently enough that you can get used to it, unless you play like it’s your job. And now that we’re deep into the season, and Epic has added lots of other Overrides, Speed Shooter comes up even more rarely, which makes it even harder to adjust to when it does. Heaven help you if your enemies are lucky enough to claim the Squad Speed Shooter, which gives that power-up only to a single team.
While squad Overrides mark the team that has them on the map for everyone to see, those markers don’t tell you which Override they took. The only way to find out if they have Speed Shooter is to fight them, and probably die because their TTK is twice as fast as yours is, and you had no way of knowing that in advance. And then you’re a little more mad than you usually are when you lose in Fortnite.
There are Overrides I like, too, like the Power Pickaxe. That one lets you one-hit-kill anyone with your pickaxe, which I find delightful. But one of the reasons it ends up being so fun for me is that other players don’t necessarily adjust their play at all when it comes up. It’s an enormous change in the way the game works, and in order to really take advantage of it you’d have to play in a very unintuitive way, so I think a lot of people just don’t worry about it. So I may have some easy pickings in those matches, but my victims probably found it just as obnoxious as I find those Overrides that enhance everyone’s guns.
These Overrides have all the downsides of the Medallions we saw in past chapters, but once again it’s the lack of consistency that makes the current mechanics so much worse than what we had before. Those Medallions were often overpowered, but you knew they were there every single match, and if you defeated somebody who was carrying one, you could loot it off their corpse and take its power for yourself. But neither of those things is true for Overrides, which are a much more capricious mechanic.
Despite these issues, it’s not that hard to deduce the rationale Epic was using when it filled Fortnite with all these gimmicks. It’s not even that complicated–to a corporate boss or middle manager, “So many different things could happen!!!” sounds abstractly like a great way to keep players coming back. But not all unpredictability is a boon in practice, and this is one of those cases, as players have been making very clear.
In September, according to numbers compiled by fortnite.gg, Fortnite’s main BR mode saw its second-biggest month-to-month drop (38%) in average players since those numbers became publicly available in 2023. But it’s worth pointing out that the record-holder in this case–when we moved from the nostalgia-chasing Chapter 2 Remix in November 2024 into Chapter 6 the following month–the average number of players fell from a very high number (over a million) to a pretty good one (just over 600k).
This time, though, we’ve gone from August’s decent average (537k) to a bad one in September (333k). It’s a slightly better percentage drop than we saw in 2024 (38% vs 42%), but a drop like that is a lot worse when it comes from a lower starting point.
This mess of gimmicks has had me spending much more time in Reload than in regular BR this season. Even now that Epic has resumed rotating Reload’s maps every 20 minutes, Reload is the much more consistent experience. While each of the three maps in rotation (Oasis, Surf City, and Springfield from The Simpsons) has a different loot pool, it’s not a big deal because you know which map you’ll be playing on when you ready up. You won’t be blindsided by a random enemy having some gross unfair advantage that you didn’t have the chance to get yourself. You won’t have to adjust your playstyle mid-match to account for a fundamental rule change you didn’t ask for. Reload is the better battle royale experience, and it’s not close.
Let me put it a different way: Reload, right now, feels like the real Fortnite, while Battle Royale feels like a desperate, gimmicky sideshow. It’s practically a role reversal of the two modes, though I very sincerely doubt it was intended to be.
While Reload is filling the gap for me, that clearly hasn’t been the case for everyone. Reload’s numbers are way down in September as well, and the average player numbers for Fortnite as a whole are down 28% in September, which is the single biggest month-to-month percentage drop that Fortnite has had since we’ve been able to track those numbers. Despite the growth of Epic’s metaverse, the core BR mode remains Fortnite’s beating heart. It’s is the reason people install Fortnite, and when those same players delete Fortnite off their drives, it’s usually because they got tired of BR. That mode’s performance is still a bellwether for Fortnite’s overall health.
For BR to regain its form in Chapter 8 in December, Epic will need to make some major philosophical changes to its approach, because tossing in as many gimmicks as they can clearly isn’t going to cut it anymore.
Subscription costs are now commonplace in everything from fitness to entertainment to productivity and grocery delivery. On their own each charge may not seem like much. Collectively, however, they can wipe out a well-planned budget.
Since 2025 when SubDelete first went live, users have turned to the platform looking for an easy cancellation process for inactive subscriptions. Based on the experience of users, SubDelete has shown there are six very effective ways of cutting recurring charges fast, often even in the same billing cycle.
1. Pinpoint Dormant Subscriptions with the Spending Overview
The first step in the process of cutting expenses is to review the spending on each account. SubDelete users have access to the last 90 days of bank transactions. Each entry can be sorted by vendor, amount, or frequency. This overview allows users to identify services that they may have forgotten about. For example, some services are paid for yearly and may be renewed without users even realizing it. Even users who have previously canceled subscriptions through the company may still see charges afterward, as some payments can occur after the cancellation.
Having access to all subscriptions in one place eliminates much of the uncertainty associated with canceling them. Users will no longer need to spend time going through their various accounts to figure out which services should be canceled.
2. Cancel in Bulk with Auto-Generated, Legally Compliant Letters
As soon as users choose which services to cancel from their subscriptions, they can select a set of service providers and let SubDelete make cancellation requests on their behalf. The service uses U.S. federal templates for canceling consumer authorizations, which include:
The client’s full name and address
The last four digits of the payment method
A request for a written response within the legally required time frame
A requirement to stop further charges after the current payment date
SubDelete sends cancellation requests by mail to the appropriate cancellation address, removing the burden of searching for the correct email address, online form, chat, or postal address for hundreds of service providers.
3. Secure Timestamped Proof for Chargeback Protection
Every cancellation letter is sent via certified mailing with tracking. With SubDelete, a PDF file is created showing timestamped postmark, status of the delivery, and the signature of the recipient (if needed). This is a very important evidence in case the vendor keeps charging even after receiving the cancellation request. Users just need to submit the proof and chargeback request to the card issuer, which many banks accept in 2026 without lengthy explanations.
The Federal Trade Commission recommends consumers to keep thorough “records of any cancellation request” to refute any unauthorized charges. SubDelete takes care of this recordkeeping.
4. Act Before Renewal Dates with Real-Time Reminders
Cancellations made too close to a renewal date can waste money because services tend to charge fees when the renewal occurs. With the help of SubDelete’s Premium service, users will be notified 72 hours before the renewal date through push and email notifications based on the vendor’s billing information. This gives users time to review how they have used the services over the past three days before the payments are deducted from their accounts.
Receiving notifications in good time can help users manage their cash flow. For instance, canceling Netflix two days before rather than two days after the date when the charge is made to the customer’s account can make a significant difference in terms of money saved. In fact, over the course of a year, if users avoid just three missed cancellations on standard subscriptions, they can easily cover the cost of using SubDelete.
5. Prioritize High-Impact Cancellations with Spend Analytics
Some subscriptions can cost more than others. SaaS software may be charged even less than $5/month while fitness apps can reach up to $39/month. SubDelete arranges subscriptions by monthly expenses per year. In the analytics screen, users instantly see the most expensive subscriptions in a visual manner so that they can look at the most expensive options first to save money faster.
For instance, once the user cancels their $29/month design platform and $19/month meal subscription and $14/month language app, they will have saved $62 before they’ve even looked at their $4/month cloud storage subscription. The analytical view makes the process easy and does not force users to make complicated calculations.
6. Save Opportunity Cost with a Mobile-First Workflow
Speed is not simply a matter of days on a calendar. It is also a matter of personal time. SubDelete has created iOS and Android applications which emulate what users are used to on their desks, allowing them to manage all of their cancellation requests with ease during their commute or while waiting in line. What used to take a laptop, multiple browser tabs and an endless wait on customer service can now be accomplished in just three taps.
With reduced workflow friction, the chances of users actually completing the cancellation increase. A mobile user-friendly interface brings intention to action immediately, minimizing opportunity cost and possible billing cycles.
Summary of Value
The above methods work best when used together, making the typically lengthy process of canceling subscription services more efficient and easier. For instance, it has been found that regularly using these methods can result in a reduction in subscription spending of up to 28% during the first three months of using the application.
Although SubDelete is also a paid service, most people with the mid-range subscription can cover the cost of the service after the first month. One thing to keep in mind is that SubDelete does not help with negotiating subscription fees, but only with canceling subscriptions. Users who need to cancel their unused subscriptions without negotiating should consider automating the process.
“Signature forgery.” It’s a new way to break RSA keys — and it doesn’t require factoring. Ars Technica reports on new research using classical computing to “reduce the current RSA security level to an unacceptably low threshold” and lower the required computing resources by orders of magnitude.
There’s “a gap in current RSA-type security assumptions,” according to a paper co-authored by University of California, San Diego professor Nadia Heninger, who argues that gap “gives classical cryptanalytic evidence in favor of moving away from RSA entirely during the current post-quantum transition.”
The practical risk is limited, but still significant. Applying the attack against the deprecated use of 1024-bit keys took a handful of months on an academic CPU cluster, significantly less than the current estimates for 1024-bit factoring that would require resources that only nations or companies with massive resources could achieve. Widely used RSA implementations are also safe. Nonetheless, the research has taken cryptographers by surprise… “If this result holds up under peer review, it would indeed be a conceptual break-through,” Karsten Nohl, a cryptography expert and the head of innovation at Allurity, said in an interview. “RSA is as difficult to break as it is to factor large integers, at least so we thought. The researcher suggests that you can practically break RSA without cracking its key….”
The key forgery attack Heninger and the other researchers devised poses an immediate threat to 1024-bit RSA. Even for 2048- and 4096-bit keys, the method reduces the security of RSA to unacceptable levels. The National Security Agency, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and European Union Agency for Network and Information Security require that any cryptosystem should provide a level of no less than 128 or more bits, meaning the operations required must exceed 2**128. The forgery attack drops these levels to 2**65, 2**90, and 2**119 for 1024-, 2048-, and 4096-bit keys respectively. These levels may further drop because Heninger’s team did all the coding by hand and used no AI or GPUs in performing the forgeries. The researcher said these tools will “almost certainly” drop the security levels further.
The attack works only against blind-signature implementations of RSA… Still, some real-world systems continue to use blind-signature, also known as textbook, RSA… The paper’s authors and other researchers stress that the new attack poses little real-world threat. It does, however, drastically lower the estimated security of textbook RSA, and it does so in a way no one knew of previously… The new attack will further increase the urgency of completely moving away from the cryptosystem. Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader phatrabt for sharing the article.
Faults are portals that take you to an abstract world in Control Resonant, and they get you one step closer to learning what happened to Jesse, the protagonist from Control and your sister.
Completing faults is the main objective of the “Search for Jesse” main story quest. Faults are extremely important, as you’ll get a traversal ability when you finish it. These abilities let you walk on walls, slingshot to rooftops, and more —making exploration that much easier.
Here’s where you can find faults in Control Resonant, and what traversal abilities they unlock.
Update (Sept. 25): This guide has been updated with every fault location in Control Resonant.
Fault and traversal ability locations in Control Resonant
Faults are spread throughout New York City in Control Resonant, but they can be fairly hard to find. Look out for any visions of Jesse as you’re exploring, as they’re a good indication that one is close by. Whenever you see one, make it your top priority to complete it, especially if you enjoy exploring. Completing one will reward you with a traversal ability. If you’ve seen any vertical roads or translucent orbs around, these abilities will give you the power to get past them.
Below, we’ve listed the faults that we’ve found so far, as well as the traversal abilities that they unlock.
Downtown — Prologue Fault
Graphic: Johnny Yu/Polygon | Source images: Remedy Entertainment via Polygon
The first fault you’ll encounter is the one in the prologue. You cannot miss this one, as you need to go inside to get your first set of traversal abilities:
Double-Jump: Allows you to jump once while midair.
Elevate: Hold jump midair to propel yourself upward.
Rush: Hold sprint to move at faster speeds. You can also use Rush midair if you sprint jump.
West Incursion Zone — The Incursion Fault
Graphic: Johnny Yu/Polygon | Source images: Remedy Entertainment via Polygon
The Incursion Fault can be found at the bottom of the pit in the Parking Garage in the West Incursion Zone. To get into the Parking Garage, go through the back entrance of the laundromat and grab the key from the floating body. Then, make your way to the top and drop into the huge hole.
The Incursion Fault will give you Shift, which will allow you to walk on vertical roads or even upside-down buildings.
Evacuation Zone — The Subway Fault
Graphic: Johnny Yu/Polygon | Source images: Remedy Entertainment via Polygon
The Subway Fault is found at the Railyard Street Station, which is in the northeast corner of the Evacuation Zone. You’ll need to dodge a few subway trains on the way in, but you’ll eventually reach the fault.
The Subway Fault will give you Reach, which will allow you to launch yourself at translucent orbs on the edges of rooftops and walls.
The Underpass Fault
Graphic: Johnny Yu/Polygon | Source images: Remedy Entertainment via Polygon
The Underpass Fault is located at the end of a tunnel at the bottom of Tubes Island, which is in the northwest corner of the Underpass zone. Approach Tubes Island from the north, and enter the opening in the side of the pillar. Follow the path to the end to find the fault.
Unfortunately, the Underpass Fault doesn’t provide you with another traversal ability, but you’ll learn a lot more about your past.
The Oldest House Fault
Image: Remedy Entertainment via Polygon
The last fault is inside the Oldest House, and you’ll first find it inside the Main Test Chamber during the “A House in Distress” main story quest. You cannot miss it, as it’s mandatory to complete the quest and progress.
Similar to the Underpass Fault, you won’t be getting any traversal abilities for completing this one.
It’s the little details that make all the difference when it comes to presenting on camera.
You may be technically getting everything right but for some unknown reason you are not getting the retention and engagement you are expecting.
After all, you are doing everything right… right?
Well that’s the thing with video, if your shot is a little too high or a little too low, unconsciously you are creating an effect in the viewer that you don’t want.
The same goes for a bunch of other “little details you may be totally unaware of.
In this video Chris Goor covers a bunch of those things that make your audience feel comfortable watching you and willing to engage with your content.
Hack to Really Stand Out on YouTube (It Works and It’s Easy!)
One of the most common problems I see people dealing with when it comes to creating content comes down to one specific ability.
It is the ability to switch their viewpoint around from their own, to the viewpoint of the potential audience.
I do a lot of work with promotions and marketing people and this is a skill very few people seems to have.
They work out what the pain point the problem) of the audience is very well, then they isolate a solution for that pain point… all good so far!
However in presenting that solution, they take their own viewpoint as a person who has worked out the solution rather than the viewpoint of a person who still has the problem.
The process itself is simple the ability to see the situation from the viewer’s point of view and not their own.
Check this video for some very grounded advice on this topic.
How to generate AI music for your production in PowerDirector
If you are a regular reader of these Friday Roundup’s you would know that my enthusiasm for A.I. tools in video editing is rather… reserved?
I am not totally against them but on the other hand, I am not a gushing fanboi of all things A.I.!
One A.I. tool I do use is to generate background music for projects.
I do this for a number of reasons but the main one can be put down to sheer laziness on my part.
In order to find and use music for projects I have to actually listen to that music.
This usually turns into a long, drawn out, soul sucking exercise with an abysmal return on time invested!
Inbuilt music generators are ideal in this situation so here’s a look at the one inside CyberLink PowerDirector.
Transform Your Screen Recordings Into Retention Masterpieces (5 Easy Fixes)
One of the most efficient ways of creating a constant stream of content for any social media platform is by using a specific strategy.
That strategy is to create long form content on a regular basis usually for a primary YouTube channel.
Then, by using built-in tools within most video editing software, you reframe that content into short form videos with an aspect ratio that suits the particular one you are targeting.
These days most editors have an A.I. driven reframing tool and most of them work very well for this purpose.
However simple reframing is not really the whole job even of you have selected a portion that “reads well” in a short form.
In the video below you can check out some of the main pitfalls you can run into using this strategy and how to avoid them.
How to Create a Jumping Frame Effect – Movavi Video Editor
One of the reasons I recommend the Movavi Video Editor for absolute newbies or those not really interested in editing too much is this.
These days you have to demonstrate at least a degree of polish in your videos to gain and maintain attention.
There is just no arguing with that fact because the general public have been conditioned to expect that.
There are two ways you can achieve that.
You can get yourself some video editing software and learn to manually carry out those tasks or… you can get yourself some video editing software that will do it for you.
Check out the video tutorial below.
This effect could be described as desirable within the context of what most people are being presented with on most social media platforms today.
Any video editing app can pull it off.
The difference with Movavi is that you can pull it off with a simple click and drag process rather than an extended exercise in keyframing, masking and whatever else.
Why Your Animations Look Amateur (And How to Fix It)
This is an excellent tutorial for Dina and Agnes for this week covering one of the easiest ways to make animations look way better than by using straight keyframes.
The tool being used is generally referred to in all video editing app as “easing.”
Although this is all explained and demonstrated using CapCut, I can’t think of an editing program that does not have this feature.
So whether you are using CapCut or not, watch this one because easing is so simple to use and creates huge polish to your animations.
Director Suite Pro 2027
This is unashamedly a straight up promotion of the top of the line product from CyberLink called Director Suite.
Director Suite is an all in one solution offered by CyberLink that covers video editing with PowerDirector, image editing with PhotoDirector, audio using AudioDirector and now a new addition.
That new edition is called Director Suite Pro and also adds another program called Promeo.
Promeo is a sort of promotions based interface that you can use in conjunction with the other parts of the overall suite for promotional activities.
Things like presentations, content for social media, marketing materials and a bunch of other things.
If you are looking for a completely self-contained toolkit for all of your editing requirements then Director Suite is a pretty good proposition.
Avoid These UNPRO Editing Mistakes in Resolve!
This is a collection of reviews given by the guys at Ground Control for their student’s videos.
It’s a great watch because it is not just a “How to” tutorial but more of a tips guide to taking those little steps to achieve an overall better video.
5 Effects That Make My Footage Look Expensive
This one is a bit of a mixed bag of color corrections and grading tips in DaVinci Resolve.
I’m pretty sure most of the adjustments and effects used are available in the free version which I think is worth mentioning.
Anyway, the reason I have included it for this week is that it showed a number of tips anyone can use to create a look in their videos without things getting overly technical.
I mean of course it is going to get a bit technical… it is DaVinci Resolve after all but on the whole most are quite straightforward.
Key Takeaways
Small details can significantly impact viewer retention and engagement in video presentations.
Creators should adopt the audience’s viewpoint to enhance content relevance and connection.
AI tools in video editing, like CyberLink PowerDirector’s music generator, streamline the creative process.
Transforming long-form content into short videos using built-in reframing tools can maximize content reach.
Utilizing effects like easing in animations and specific editing software can dramatically improve video quality.
Look, there are hundreds of great GaN chargers these days, and if you want something small that you can just take anywhere, I have a few recommendations. UGREEN constantly comes out with new products (like its 160W Nexode Pro charger), and the Nexode Air 65W is its smallest yet in this category. It costs just $24 (down from its $39 retail price), comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable, and is a good choice if you want a 65W charger on hand at all times.
There’s also Rolling Square’s 65W charger, which looks about the same as the UGREEN but with one difference: it has a textured design at the sides, and that makes it easy to identify if you have it in a bag and are digging around. It costs $49 as of writing, so you are shelling out twice as much. Rolling Square mentions the design allows the charger to be cooler, but I didn’t see much of a difference between this one and the Nexode Air when using both side-by-side to charge two Pixels. Both chargers are made out of plastic and have roughly the same dimensions.
With the Rolling Square, that translates to 60.5mm in length, 35mm in height and width, and a weight of just 70g. Obviously, the charger is much better if you get the U.S. blade prongs as it folds inward into the chassis; the EU style I’ve been using has pins that jut out considerably, and it’s slightly heavier at 73g.
Latest Videos FromAndroid Central
The Nexode Air is a smidgen heavier than that at 77g, but again, either charger is noticeably smaller and lighter than just about anything else in this category — they’re half the size and less than a third of the weight as a regular charger that doesn’t use GaN tech. Each charger has a single USB-C port, and while I would’ve liked a second charging port (I always have too many devices on hand), I can understand why either brand went with a solitary port to maintain a smaller profile.
Of the two, I prefer the Rolling Square because of the textured design; it just makes it easier to hold the charger and plug it into the wall. It also gets the standard 65W USB PD 3.0 power profiles: 5V/3A (15W), 9V/3A (27W), 12V/3A (36W), 15V/3A (45W), and 20V/3.25A (65W). What’s interesting is that you get PPS as well, making it a good choice with Samsung phones.
What I like about the Nexode Air 65W is that it is available in four colors, so you can pair it with your iPhone or MacBook Air (yes, there’s an orange one, and I would’ve preferred that color). It also gets 65W via USB PD 3.0, and has the USB PD 3.2 AVS fast charging protocol, so if you use the iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro, you will see a difference in how fast your phone charges.
Both chargers use GaN tech to good effect and deliver a reliable charge at 65W. I tested both with the iPhone 17 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, Pixel 11 Pro Fold, Find X9 Ultra (it hits 50W over USB PD), iPad Pro M4, and about a dozen power banks. They’re just as reliable at charging different products, and the Nexode Air has a slight edge in this regard if you’re leaving your phone plugged in overnight — it switches to trickle charging in this situation.
Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android
Deciding between these two comes down to what they cost. As of writing, the Nexode Air is just $24, and that gives it a distinct advantage. Rolling Square did a great job as well with its 65W charger, but if I had to just choose one GaN charger to take anywhere, I’m going with the Nexode Air 65W.
The aluminum-cased iPhone 16 Pro battery, compared to the iPhone 15 Pro’s soft-pouch battery
Add Android Authority on Google:
TL;DR
A new leak suggests Chinese Android OEMs (likely Xiaomi) are looking to adopt Apple’s rigid, steel-cased battery design to replace traditional soft-pouch batteries.
Android brands are looking to combine steel-cased battery design with stacked-cell battery technology, aiming for 9,000mAh to 10,000mAh capacities on future flagships.
While rigid steel casings eliminate the extra clearance needed to accommodate potential cell swelling, they add physical weight and impose tight internal assembly constraints.
Upcoming Android flagships might soon deliver better battery endurance, both physically and in terms of battery life. According to a new leak, Android manufacturers are actively experimenting with steel-cased batteries paired with stacked-cell technology to push energy density to as high as 9,000mAh or 10,000mAh.
The revelation comes courtesy of reputable leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo. Highlighting Apple’s continued use of steel-encased battery cells on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which reportedly pushes the rated capacity to 5,391mAh (with typical capacity hovering around 5,500mAh), the leaker notes that a major Chinese smartphone maker (most likely to be Xiaomi, based on Digital Chat Station’s post format) is testing a similar steel-shell architecture. Combined with stacked-cell manufacturing, the brand could aim to deliver 9,000mAh to 10,000mAh batteries in future top-tier flagship devices.
Metal-cased battery enclosures first gained widespread attention in smartphones when Apple adopted an aluminum casing for the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery, as highlighted in early teardowns.
The aluminum-cased iPhone 16 Pro battery, compared to the iPhone 15 Pro’s soft-pouch battery
Traditional soft-pouch batteries rely on softer aluminum-laminated films, which require extra internal clearance to account for cell swelling and offer limited thermal dissipation. In contrast, a rigid aluminum shell allows the manufacturer to pack the cells more tightly, improve passive heat dissipation across the chassis, and safely maximize usable internal volume within the phone, with less tolerance needed for swelling hazards.
A rigid steel shell takes it a step further by providing greater rigidity while allowing for a thinner enclosure. We first saw this on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, and it continues with the iPhone 18 Pro series.
Steel-case battery on the iPhone 17 Pro
When paired with stacked-cell technology (where the cathode and anode layers are laminated and stacked in zig-zag sheets rather than rolled like a traditional jelly roll), internal resistance drops while energy density climbs significantly.
While Chinese OEMs have aggressively expanded battery sizes past 6,000mAh using silicon-carbon anodes, jumping toward the 10,000mAh threshold would be a generational leap for flagship devices. The newly released Xiaomi 18 Pro Max uses an 8,500mAh battery in China, which is already impressive by itself, given the camera tech and the rear display it packs — and you can imagine just how much of a leap it would take to reach the 10,000mAh mark on a proper top-tier flagship.
If these tests pan out, users could realistically see even better multi-day battery life without sacrificing the phone’s structural integrity, thermal stability, or creating a battery hazard. However, steel adds weight, and accommodating a cell that large will test internal packaging limits.
Apple has popularized steel-encased batteries, but we will have to wait and see which Android OEM manages to bring a 10,000mAh steel-cased battery flagship to market first. I wouldn’t be surprised if they needed to pair it with their own implementation of Apple’s Prepare to Ship feature, too.
Thank you for being part of our community. Read our Comment Policy before posting.
I would hope that for most of you it would not be a controversial thing to hear me say I hate generative AI. It stinks! It is rotting everyone’s brains, and the people shilling it don’t even care (see Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang saying he doesn’t think it matters that kids aren’t actually learning things like basic math when they use AI). But – please don’t leave yet – it sure does make for some primo storytelling. Like, for example, in the upcoming LOVE alt delete, a psychological horror visual novel where you are beta testing a chatbot that you’re trying to date.
“The idea seems straightforward, AI girlfriends for lonely souls, but the NDA you sign makes you wary. Why all the secrecy?” reads the game’s Steam page. In this world, the company you are beta testing for is called Bicameral, with the snake oil that they’re selling being MUSEs, those chatbots you can romance. The first chatbot is a cyber as hell woman with blue hair called Basel, who seems innocent enough to begin with. By the looks of it you can type in whatever you like, with certain keywords triggering certain responses.
The problem is, it seems like you’re not very good at chatting, so you rope in another chatbot called Liste, who is equally cyber-looking albeit with pink hair. Of course, it’s not so simple as just chatting, as the two of them both want to be real humans, humans that maybe even want to be killed! Ruh roh! Talk about a messy relationship. The vibes are certainly there for this kind of an overtly transgressive project, solidified by the way Basel’s eyes are drawn when she’s starting to lose it a tad; it harkens back to visual novels of old in a specific way that you’ll understand when you see it.
Beyond all the chatting you can surf the web, draw your own art, play a digital piano and send virtual love letters, another aspect I’m sure could only end well. And, despite all of the AI stuff going on diegetically, don’t worry, the game doesn’t feature a lick of the stuff. I’m also particularly tickled by this feature listed on the game’s Steam page: “hand-drawn y2k cybercore art rendered in glorious standard definition.” Standard definition! That’s how you sell me on a game.
