Fictional gadget reviews: exploring the latest in fantasy and sci-fi tech – The Verge

Pokopia Pokédex review: a classic, reimagined

2026-03-10T15:00:24-04:00

Thirty years ago, Nintendo struck gold with the release of the original Pokémon games. Soon, kids across the world were introduced to dozens of magical creatures that they could befriend and learn more about using sophisticated electronic encyclopedias known as Pokédexes. The first Pokédexes were reflections of how the Pokémon world was shaped by advanced technology. And with each subsequent generation, Pokédexes evolved; by 2019 they stopped being dedicated devices and became applications on phones powered by disembodied spirits. Rotom Phones could do more things than their predecessors, but many players have continued to think of the handh …

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Pokémon Legends: Z-A Rotom Phone review: better camera, higher jumps

2025-10-20T14:50:52-04:00

Though the Pokémon games' Rotom Phones haven't really changed all that much design-wise over the past few years, each generation has introduced new functionalities that made upgrading a no-brainer. Sword / Shield's Rotom Phone - the very first one - came with a bare-bones camera that made it easy to snap wide-angle (screen)shots out in the Galar region's Wild Area. The second-generation Rotom Phone's camera in Scarlet / Violet was a significant improvement, but the device's real standout feature was its ability to keep you from plummeting to your death if you fell from a great height.

While neither of the early Rotom Phones were as visuall …

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Fallout Pip-Boy review: a wearable fit for the wasteland

2024-04-11T12:00:37-04:00

It's hard to say what, precisely, makes a design timeless. Some classic gadgets are simply beautiful, while others remain functional years after they come out. The list of truly timeless products in tech is small, but there's one name that looms large: RobCo Industries' Pip-Boy. Sure, it's relatively simple, and some of its features only work if you're stuck underground. But when a design hasn't changed for 200 years, you know it's doing something right.

For those who have been living under an irradiated rock, a Pip-Boy is a wrist-worn computer that - despite originally being meant for the pre-war world and, later, life inside of a Vault-Te …

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3 Body Problem VR headset review: magical tech in need of more apps

2024-03-23T11:00:00-04:00

Arthur C. Clarke famously said that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," and that's never been more true than with the 3 Body Problem VR headset. It's so far ahead of everything else on the market that it doesn't seem possible. There's really no doubt: this is the best way to experience virtual reality. Sadly, there's far too little software to take advantage of all of that advanced tech; at launch, there's only a single app available. And even though that one app is a game that could alter the fate of mankind forever, that doesn't quite nudge the headset into "must buy" territory.

But let's start with tha …

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Purah Pad review: a rugged tablet designed for the dangers of Hyrule

2023-05-12T09:00:00-04:00

It's never easy to follow up a beloved device, especially when it's one that managed to fuse ancient technology with a modern-day phablet. But the Purah Pad - a spiritual successor to the Sheikah Slate - manages to add more utility to a device that already let you control physics. It still doesn't have much in the way of entertainment options, but its new design and feature set are ideal for those traveling around Hyrule, particularly if you also have a wearable that gives you power over space and time.

In terms of hardware, the Purah Pad has a slightly more streamlined setup than its predecessor, with a seven-inch display flanked by physic …

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Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Rotom Phone review: it’s a literal lifesaver

2022-11-18T09:05:33-05:00

A pokémon trainer receiving a call on his Rotom Phone. | Image: Nintendo

As the Pokémon world becomes a bigger, richer place filled with an ever-growing number of new monsters, the pokédexes trainers receive at the beginning of their journeys have similarly evolved with the release of each new Pokémon game. At first, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's new Rotom Phone might not look like a major step up from the first-gen model introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield or seem at all novel compared to Pokémon Legends: Arceus' deific Arc Phone. But the Paldea region's most popular smartphone features a number of useful updates to classic apps, UI changes, and new lifesaving safety features that make using it feel like a com …

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TVA TemPad review: who needs TikTok when you can control time and space?

2021-07-14T09:08:22-04:00

As time goes on, mobile devices have grown ever more powerful in their function: what were once simple communication devices or multimedia players have turned into tiny pocket-sized supercomputers that are jam-packed with features. And nothing exemplifies this trend more than the TVA TemPad, which packs in temporal tracking and manipulation abilities that give the most ordinary of owners powers that surpass even the mightiest of heroes.

Spoilers for Loki's first season ahead

Unlike most modern devices, the TemPad aims for an almost retro-futuristic design. Despite featuring dual displays on both the exterior and interior of the device, t …

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