Battlefield 2042’s latest weekly mission has caused quite a stir in the game’s community by rewarding players with a blue weapon skin.
In light of Battlefield 2042 ’s delayed first season of DLC , ailing player count , and loss of content , some fans of the multiplayer shooter have become excited over a blue gun. The latest weekly mission reward, the Farstrike legendary weapon skin for the SWS-10 sniper rifle is essentially a paint job that adds a bluish hue to several of the gun’s components.
One player exclaimed their excitement about the skin in a Reddit thread : “new weekly mission gives a decent blue skin!”, they declared, ecstatic at the prospect, rallying others to jump in and show their excitement for the reward, too.
The cosmetic's particularly noteworthy because it isn't just any weapon skin – it’s a blue weapon skin. Over the past few months, Battlefield 2042’s weekly mission rewards have almost exclusively awarded players white weapon cosmetics. That monochrome palette has been a source of frustration for many players who want to spruce up their specialists with more interesting colors. This blue skin can let them do just that.
Some Redditors weren’t so keen on the cosmetic, however, and reacted less enthusiastically. They pointed out that expanded gun color palettes will do little to address the game’s more serious problems, including its falling player count, nor provide any functional gameplay expansions, such as new maps, vehicles, or weapons.
Others struggled to tell whether their fellow players’ excitement over the skin was sincere. “Can’t tell if this is a sh*tpost or legit excitement for a colorful pew pew,” said one, understandably confused, Redditor .
Anything to get excited about
Although the weapon skin itself might be rather banal, more interesting is the reaction it's gained from the Battlefield 2042 community. In the wake of the game’s persistent glitches and slow rollout of additional features, its remaining players are excited over the smallest of content updates.
It’s left the game in a strange position. The kind of updates that would be par for the course in other multiplayer shooters are able to spur genuine enthusiasm among Battlefield 2042’s community. A single blue gun skin wouldn’t ordinarily be cause for much celebration, but for a game as starved for content as this one is, players are happy for the variety.
Things look to be on the up, though. Its most recent 4.0 update introduced over 400 bug fixes , addressing some of the more serious glitches. It also rolled out additional gameplay features long been demanded by the community, including voice chat and a new weapon attachments system.
The patch has revitalized some interest in the game, with its peak concurrent player count rising to 3,650 earlier this week. It hasn’t reached that since early February. If Dice can continue rolling out substantive technical improvements and content updates, Battlefield 2042’s player count may strengthen further.
Can't afford the Sonos Arc? This cheap Dolby Atmos soundbar may be the next-best thing
The Sonos Arc is our pick for the best Dolby Atmos soundbar on the planet, but it's high price can be off-putting – and that means Denon's latest budget-friendly soundbar could make a fantastic alternative.
The new Denon DHT-S217 soundbar will be available to buy in May for £249 - global pricing is yet to be announced, but that works out at around $320 / AU$440. That's a lot cheaper than the Sonos Arc , which will set you back an eye-watering $899 / £899 / AU$1,499.
To keep costs down, Denon's latest soundbar is designed to be used alone, without the need for an external subwoofer to boost the bass frequencies. Alongside midrange drivers and tweeters, it comes with two built-in downwards-firing subwoofers for a powerful bass response, that should make the rumble of explosive blockbuster movies sound engaging and immersive.
Virtual Atmos
It also comes with Dolby Atmos support. Unlike the Sonos Arc, there are no upward-firing drivers to bounce sound of your ceiling, with the DHT-S217 relying on signal processing to make it feels as though the different elements of a film soundtrack are coming at you from every angle.
While there aren't any of the 'true' height channels you need for authentic Atmos, virtual height channels can still sound very immersive – and presumably, this has allowed Denon to keep the price relatively low. If the DHT-S217 is anything like the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 , we're expecting that it won't generate a sensation of overhead sound, but it will have appreciable height to its presentation, as well as deep, textured low frequencies.
Anyone who has struggled to decipher mumbling actors will be pleased to know that the DHT-S217 also comes with Denon's Dialogue Enhancer technology, which allows you to adjust the volume level of onscreen voices without affecting the overall volume of what you're watching. You'll also be able to choose from a range of sound presets (Movie, Music, Night, and Pure) to suit the content you're listening to, with the Pure preset designed to deliver a naturalistic audiophile experience by removing all sound processing.
You can hook the DHT-S217 to your TV via the supplied HDMI or optical cables, with the option to use HDMI eARC for enhanced audio quality. There;s also Bluetooth connectivity so you can stream music from your smartphone to the soundbar.
All those specs sound very promising, especially combined with the price - we wouldn't necessarily expect a soundbar of this price to come with virtual Atmos, downfiring subwoofers, or HDMI eARC connectivity, so the DHT-S217 could be a great solution for anyone that wants the latest in home theater technology without breaking the bank.
Oral-B iO Series 9 vs Oral-B iO Series 6: choose the right toothbrush for you
The Oral-B iO Series are some of the best electric toothbrushes you can buy, with models available for every budget, but some of them can be difficult to differentiate between. The Oral-B iO Series 9 (also known as the iO9) is currently our top-rated toothbrush, but it looks almost identical to the Oral-B iO Series 6 (also called the iO6), so you might be wondering if there's really much of a difference between the two.
The simple answer is yes, if you're a frequent traveller. The main difference between the two is that the iO Series 9 comes with a charging case that will keep it powered up when you're away from home, while the iO Series 9 comes with a simple carry case that'll protect your brush from dust and knocks, but that's it.
There's also a significant difference in price. Both brushes are available much more cheaply now than they were at launch, but the iO Series 9 is still around twice the price of the iO Series 6 in most territories. If you're sticking to a modest budget, then you'd be better sticking with the iO Series 6, or waiting for a sales event like Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day , when electric toothbrushes tend to be steeply discounted.
For a full roundup of all the key similarities and differences, read on. If you're ready to make your choice, we've found the best prices for both toothbrushes right here.
Price and availability
The Oral-B iO Series 9 was released in 2020, and was originally priced at $300 / £500 / AU$400. The Oral-B iO Series 6 was launched 2021 for $149.99 / £300 / AU$400.
The iO Series 9 was one of the most expensive electric toothbrushes around when it first launched, but like all brushes, it was soon available much more cheaply at third-party retailers like Amazon. At the time of writing, it's on sale for $250 / £218 / AU$425.
The iO Series 6 has also had a big price cut since launch, and at the time of writing you can grab it for $120 / £110 / AU$225. Both brushes often get even bigger discounts during annual sales events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day as well, so if you can wait, you may be able to snag an even better deal then.
Both brushes use the same heads, which cost around $35 / £30 / AU$35 for a set of two, but can sometimes be found more cheaply on Amazon.
Design
When it comes to design, these two brushes are nearly identical. Both have sleek, well-balanced handles that take the same type of Oral-B iO head, and feature bright color displays that make it easy to switch between brushing modes.
The big difference is the cases. The iO Series 6 has a simple, lightweight case that serves as a way to keep your brush and two heads safe from dirt and damage. The iO Series 9 has a much more sophisticated case that can keep your brush powered up away from home, and has a USB cable stashed in the base that makes it easy to charge (though there's only room inside for the brush handle and one head).
The two brushes also have different chargers. The iO Series 6 has a typical induction charger with a large prong that fits into a recess in the bottom of the brush handle. The iO Series 9, on the other hand, has a charger that resembles an ice hockey puck, and holds the brush handle in place magnetically. This has the advantage of being easier to clean, and there's no hole in the brush handle to gather toothpaste and water residue, though you're also more likely to accidentally knock the brush off.
Features
Like all Oral-B iO toothbrushes, the Series 6 and Series 9 both use brushless motors that make them much quieter than the company's earlier models, and allow them to glide smoothly over your teeth. They're not silent, but you should be able to brush your teeth in the morning without waking your partner in the next room.
Like all premium electric toothbrushes, both the iO Series 6 and Series 9 have a pressure sensor in the handle, with a colored LED that alerts you if you're pressing too hard. What's unusual here is that they can also detect if you're not pressing hard enough. When the LED turns green, you've got it just right.
Both brushes contain position sensors that can detect which part of your mouth you're currently brushing, and a Bluetooth transmitter that can send this data to the Oral-B app on your smartphone. It might sound like overkill, but once you've tried it, we think you'll be impressed. The app shows your progress on-screen as you brush, helping you thoroughly clean each portion of your mouth and guiding you to improve your brushing technique. It's a genuinely useful feature, and developing better technique will stand you in good stead in the future.
The app also gives you tips to improve your oral health, and kids will appreciate the ability to earn virtual badges for consistently good brushing.
You don't need to use the app every time you brush, though; after each session, the app will give you feedback in the form of an emoji on the screen. A smiley face with stars for eyes indicates a particularly good job,