Hands-on with the Under Armour No Weigh Backpack and Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones, plus thoughts on Mafia: The Old Country and more.
When it comes to kitting out your tech/gaming setup, a backpack isn’t an item most people think of. But spend a few weeks with the Under Armour No Weigh Backpack and you’ll quickly change your tune, because I sure did.
While it mightn’t look like the flashiest backpack around, it’s the inside of a backpack that truly counts and I was absolutely astounded by the almost cavernous nature of the No Weigh. Despite having similar basic dimensions to popular brands like Herschel, measuring in at 19.7″ x 11.6″ x 6.7″, Under Armour has smartly compartmentalised its sections, allowing you to squeeze all sorts of goodies within.
That means you’ve got a padded and vented panel (designed to handle shoes or dirty clothes), a padded media compartment that can hold a 16” laptop, side bottle pockets and an impressive three piece front zip pockets. It sounds like a hell of a lot of space because it truly is. For example, I could easily fit my laptop and mouse, a Nintendo Switch 2, the Sony XM6 Headphones and some lunch for my morning commute, while still having plenty of room to spare. I could easily imagine using the No Weigh as a regular travel companion for weekend getaways or short holidays without breaking a sweat.
Even better is the fact that despite being loaded with all my gear, it never felt like dead weight and that’s largely thanks to UA’s big-ticket item: the UA Suspension Straps. They’re largely unassuming, but these almost ribbed-looking straps are designed to absorb shock by stretching and moving with your body, and it’s a bit of engineering that is instantly noticeable. With a full load in my backpack, instead of feeling a heavy pull backwards, I instead instantly felt everything bopping up and down whether I walked or mad-dashed my way around the city. Over the course of a day it allowed me to make better ground with far less shoulder pressure or pain after the fact. It’ll admittedly feel a bit odd at the beginning, but before long I found it mofe difficult to go back to anything else.
I also appreciate that each strap utilises the company’s LEVELED strap system, which helps keep things even via the inclusion of visible numbers on each strap – helping you easily align the pair to your own comfort level. It shows how far Under Armour has gone to embrace the small touches, although I will admit I did have to adjust it a couple of times when the straps slipped out of alignment.
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At the end of the day though, packing a price tag of $190, the UA No Weigh is hardly a cheap investment, but it’s relatively competitive with a lot of other brands for a similar capacity. The design inclusions are impressive, but whether or not the more athletic aesthetic appeals to your fashion tendencies is another matter entirely. But for me, the No Weigh is my easily my new favourite backpack.
Meanwhile, Sony has long been a major player in the headphone game, and despite the market being more competitive than ever, if my time with the Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones is any indication, it’s set to return them to front of the pack.
From the moment you pull the XM6’s out of their case you’ll notice a lot of careful consideration on Sony’s part. Case in point: the company has smartly pivoted back to a flexible and foldable design, meaning after copping criticism around the static nature of the XM5s the XM6s are able to fold in on themselves, making the cans more portable while simultaneously reducing the size of the included carry case. In turn, it saw me throwing the XM6s into my backpack more than I did during my time with the XM5s.
You’ll likely want to keep the XM6 Headphones with you because for another year they continue to highlight Sony’s exemplary audio quality. Even if you’re not a huge audiophile, it’s easy to notice that from music to movies and everything in between the XM6s deliver strong consistent bass without sacrificing clarity in amongst a pretty wide soundstage. If you want to get into the weeds you can tinker with the EQ settings via Sony’s app, but with the music pumping I didn’t notice distortion at any point during testing. That said, you won’t really need to go blasting tunes thanks to some exceptional noise cancellation. While it’s impossible to truly black out everything, the XM6S remove an impressive amount of background noise or harsh drums, and is right up there with the best in the class. The transparency mode (triggered from the press of a small button), is also very good, but doesn’t quite match up to the baseline established by Apple.
I’m also a huge fan of the case itself, which throws out the traditional zipper mechanism in favour of a magnetic clasp. Where I’ve had issues with material catching or zippers failing on units like the Sonos Ace, this approach makes opening and closing the headphones infinitely easier while still feeling like they’re securely tucked away. I never worried the case would accidentally open and send my goods tumbling out.
The one design choice that likely won’t gel with everyone though is touch controls. Using the side of the right earcup you enact major functions – like sliding up and down for volume control or double tapping to play/resume content. During my testing the tech did work most of the time and I was impressed that it still managed to register inputs with gloves on, but I did run into the occasional hiccup when the headphones either didn’t register or picked up the wrong input.
Still, the XM6s are incredibly comfy cans and provide a balanced force around the head. If I had one gripe though, it’s that as time went on, there were times where my ear could feel the driver or internal mic buried within, which after a prolonged period can be grating.
But despite those niggles, these are still some of the most premium headphones around. If you’ve got a spare $699 (available via the Sony Store) laying about, the Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones are an excellent choice that are unlikely to disappoint.
Also out now…
Mafia: The Old Country (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)
It’s been a while between drinks for the Mafia series – nine years – to be exact – but mobster madness returns with a trip to the motherland thanks to Mafia: The Old Country. This paired back entry in the series, brought to you by the team behind Mafia 3, throws you back in time all the way to 1900s Sicily, where the mountains are plentiful and there’s a nice cup of espresso waiting behind every door. But the more things change the more they stay the same, so as expected, it won’t take long before you find yourself in the middle of a life of crime, with people to whack and money to make.
It sounds a little predictable because it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a fun world to be a part of, especially because everything looks so gosh darn gorgeous as well, especially on PS5 Pro. I was also a fan of the more linear level design as opposed to yet another sprawling open world that tries to fill in time with busywork.
The focus on a more simplified structure helps keep The Old Country feel focused, but the third-person action (think cover-based shooter) can get a little samey after a while, even with the odd stealth section being tossed in for good measure.
Mafia: The Old Country hardly reinvents the wheel, but for fans of the series it’ll still feel as satisfying as a freshly cut slice of tiramisu.
Time Flies (Switch, PC)
An indie puzzler based around the lifespan of a common house fly isn’t something most people would instantly be drawn to, but this incredibly well-executed gem is a real treat to play and well worth checking out.
With each round lasting around a minute in length, Time Flies sees you zipping around various 2D environments trying to complete various objectives before you eventually cark it. The catch: these goals aren’t always incredibly clear, leading to a whole lot of experimental chaos. Coupled with the fact that you control said fly via a single analogue stick and you can expect to have a few unintended giggles.
Trying to find the occasionally vague solution can lead to some frustrations, and the monochrome world won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but there’s a whole lot of charm and even more creativity at play here that makes Time Flies worth giving a try all the same.
Ready or Not (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)
A slow-paced tactical shooter where consideration is key, Ready or Not is frequently tense and often equally disturbing, but at its core is a strong foundation that’ll see you coming back for more.
As a SWAT officer for the fictional Los Suenos Police Department, you will make your way through a number of harrowing environments, be that a hotel, community college and more. With a team by your side it’s up to you to make the big calls as you come to grips with an almost overwhelming amount of controls.
There’s quite the curve to getting a handle on things that’ll likely lead to a number of false starts, but once you do there’s a satisfying loop here met by some strong gunplay that pairs well with the DualSense. But the real strength comes if you’re able to amass a real-life squad to communicate with – doing away with the far more unreliable AI alternative.
If you’re looking for a tactical shooter that takes no prisoners Ready or Not may be worth gearing up for.